The Appeal of the Slot Head

[bufflehead]

I think they look really nice on other people's guitars.

I feel the same way about teak decks on other people's sailboats.

[Wadcutter]

Originally Posted by KenL

Old and new.

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Nice slot head stable there Ken!

[KenL]

Thanks, Wadcutter! Here's a photo I took yesterday:

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[Sugar Bear]

I like them, and I like the way they look. I don't have a preference for a specific type of headstock and will buy a guitar that I like regardless of the type of headstock.

[dylanheeg]

I personally don’t like the way they look.

[Glennwillow]

I like slot-head guitars, though I own only two, a Martin 000-28VS and a Cervantes Crossover 1 classical. I have no complaints about restringing them.

- Glenn

[skouri1]

They apparently increase string tension? is that right?

As far as changing strings, I dont find it any harder than normal restringing. Biggest thing is getting a nice string winder and pre cutting, then it's really no big deal to change any strings.

[The Bard Rocks]

I prefer slot heads, but not by a wide margin. Silly Moustache gives the reasons above on p.1, with one added - they are lighter and better balanced. I never thought they were any harder or easier to restring and was surprised to find that there are numbers of folks who feel otherwise.

That said, I have almost none at the moment as they cost enough more that I've nearly always decided to save the money and just get the slabhead instead. Were they the same price, it would be slothead most every time.

[Deliberate1]

Originally Posted by bufflehead

I think they look really nice on other people's guitars.

I feel the same way about teak decks on other people's sailboats.

There is at least one of us here who knows exactly what you mean.

David

[zoopeda]

I’d rather restring a slot head over a solid head. And slot heads are more comfortable to tune as well. I never understood comments to the contrary.

[gmel555]

I like em, no big deal to string, easy to tune and nice to have a different, classic look on 12 fretters. As Silly says the horizontal angle tension on the nut is reduced w/ strings more square to the nut slots (the B string not quite wound correctly on this one). I currently only have this Martin CS in the pics. The design is geared towards pre-war vintage.

[mcmars]

I prefer slot heads for all the reasons already mentioned. Especially for easier ergonomics for fingers and wrists. Not sure why some do not like stringing them, seems to be easy and fast to me. But I do like the greater choice of tuners available for paddle heads.

[Wade Hampton]

I’m not a fan of slotted headstocks. When I ordered my 12 fret 00-21 from the Martin Custom Shop I got it with a modern low profile neck and a solid headstock.

I don’t dislike slotted headstocks enough that I’d bypass a guitar I liked a lot otherwise, but I don’t seek them out, that’s for sure.


whm

[JCM615]

I agree that there's an elegance to them in a vintage type of design. I'm sure it has a lot to do with the early Martin 12 fret Ds, which are favorites of mine.
A pic from a very recent example by Lynn Dudenbostel. It just fits, somehow, for me.

[bendandsnap]

I love slotted headstocks coming from a classical guitar background, they just look even more sexy on steel strings.