Inexpensive 00 or 000 slothead suggestions

[seanD]

Been looking at inexpensive 00 and 000 slot head guitars, that are fun and playable. Have played several that punch way above their weight sound-wise. It has been twenty years since I ventured into the shallow end of the pond, and man, things have changed. Actually having a lot of fun in the hunt. So far played:

Recording King (all appear to be old pre-war Martin slot head repros)

RO-06 - Great basic guitar, vintage neck, solid top, easy playing, lam hog wood. Great sustain and chime for no money.

RO-16 - A step up with better top, pretty lam hog, herringbone, binding. Looks and sounds more expensive. Classy offering.

RO-627 - Stunning Martin 00028VS knock off, solid sitka and EIR, 90% of a VS for dirt. Should age well, Martin should should sue.

Avoided the Eric Schoenberg designed axes, as they seem to have QC issues. They sound absolutely amazing, though. Too bad on QC.

Alvarez AP710SB - Gibson 00 repro with modern neck, more sustain, but has Gibson woody thud when wanted. Da blues anyone?

Taylor GS Mini - A mighty mite, Taylor sound in small gift wrap. Definitely not a period sounding design, fantastic modern sound.

A bunch of Takamines that felt stiff and sounded dead., and EPIs with no soul, and spotty assembly quality.

Miscellaneous others of no consequence,

Long and short:

There are now some inexpensive guitars that play well, can be set up perfect, look interesting, and cost very little. Would like to try the Washburn slot heads, but nobody seems to stock them. Washburn is knocking off itself with repros of its own classic parlors. What an original idea, use your own patents and templates. Anyone played the Washburns with cedar tops?

Are there some suggestions for others to play? Love to hear your thoughts. Preferring something with the vintage jangle or thud to complement modern stable. The whole retro GE thing has me fascinated, though most of the high dollar re-designs leave me less than breathless when factoring prices. Fun guitars, though, when the cost is insignificant.

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[Lizzy]

I am in the same type of search myself but don't require the slot head, just a 1 11/16 nut depending on the shape of the neck.
Why not order yourself a Washburn online...many places give you 30 days to return. I've looked at them and they look great online I just have no idea what they sound like.  Have you tried Loar, or Eastman. I have looked at those but can't remember if they have any slot heads. Good luck on your search and let me know of you find anything interesting.
I'm going to look up the RO-627 you listed. I haven't looked at Recording King.
I just happened to think...It may not be inexpensive but i think it meets your requirements...the Takamine P3NY New Yorker.

[seanD]

Thanks for your thoughts, here's an update on the search:

Upon a bit more digging, it looks like Washburn has been having some QC issues, so probably scratching it off the potentials. I did play a bunch of Loars, S and P's, Takamines, including the New Yorker. The Loars were okay, a bit of the Gibson dirt blues thud, the S and P's varied from so-so to okay but overpriced. I actually had great hopes for the Takamine, but it had a very dead tone. Eastman makes a quality instrument, but as far as I know does not have a slothead in the stable.

Martin's original New Yorker was, of course, a slot head. I had one, a 21 Series, and I adored her. Being young and stupid, I sold it along with other lovely guitars, to go travel around the world for a year. The 21's are now quite desirable.

12 fret designs, especially the current crop of pre-war repros, can be quite magic, balanced in size and tone.  A 12 fretter is easy to play, has a looser feel, almost like a classic guitar, and often a very sweet voice that can be intimate or surprisingly loud, like that cute petite girl at the cocktail party. If you have not played a super quality 12 fret slot like a Taylor, Martin or Santa Cruz, then you are in for treat. There is a reason the premium makers such as Collings and the rest also produce slots. They are way cool.

Like everyone, I like a bargain, and I love being surprised when a manufacturer over delivers. My heart wants a Martin 00028VS, but I actually need something less precious for beach gatherings here in Santa Barbara, or campouts on friends' ranches. If a lesser guitar catches a buckle or two, then so be it.

You mention that you prefer a thinner neck. Recording King has a cute little single 0 with a 1 and 3/4 that plays very nice, with a solid top. Or check the 000's, RO-10, solid hog and spruce, or the RO-310, solid hog and addirondack. The 310 gets great reviews, and is probably the steal of a deal. Lastly, the little Alvarez AP710SB or AP70 is nice for no money, has some Gibson woodiness to it, perfect for blues and singing, in a 00 package and 1 and 3/4 fast neck.

The RK necks feel good to me, nice and fast. The slots are 1 and 13/16, but the V neck allows excellent fretting. Unless your hands are super small, you may be surprised what Martin figured out in 1902 about necks. They were "parlour" guitars, often played by ladies while singing at gatherings. Let me know what you discover!

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please utilize PMs for pricing discussions

[guitarsrsoawesome]

I have a Martin 000-15sm slot head (12 fret) which plays very easily...it's a very smokey, earthy sound though, almost too dark with 12's (lights), but brightened up a bit with 11's (custom lights) to where I really enjoy the tone.  I also use martin life-span strings, which I think are a little brighter than the elixirs.  Great, and very different guitar from my GS8, which makes it a completely different experience, which is what you want in a second/third guitar .

Probably the coolest thing about this hog 000 that supports your idea of playing it outside is that I bought a Taylor gig bag with backpack straps for it that makes it almost just like a gs mini in terms of travel weight.  All hog guitars are extremely light and while bigger than a gs mini, it's not much heavier and is great to take on the go.  I play it in the park often while leaving my more furniture like gs8 behind.  It also has a satin finish, so while not exactly cheap (I bought used so didn't pay full price), I don't feel the need to protect it like a glossy rosewood/spruce that will show dings more readily...

[Lizzy]

The higher priced New Yorkers have a better tone than the less expensive models...IMO. I actually prefer a 1 11/16 nut, but a lot of parlors  have the 1 3/4.
It sounds like you've been able to try out a lot! Good luck!

[seanD]

Thanks for the 00015SM idea, they are fantastic guitars, and sound very different in all hog with a ton of headroom. As far as I know, the SM's are only available used, I found one on Ebay. I have played 00015M's and they are very nice as well, one of the best guitars made.

I love the additional vibration a slot imparts to the body, a very gut resonant feeling. Plus, they are super easy to play with the slightly relaxed tension. Enough resistance to bend strings but a more supple feel all around.

I'll see if I can play a used one locally, or in L.A. next time I'm down there.

$ Please respect forum rules regarding pricing

[guitarsrsoawesome]

As far as I know the 000-15sm is still available new...you could check any of the online sources.  I saw one at Woody's music in Rock Hill, SC just last week. 

You're definitely right about the playability...though the scale is not short (25.4), it definitely feels like one, and with the custom lights it's  almost like playing an electric guitar...very smooth, fast and easy to play

[Blueshwk]

Man I just love slot head's or open head stock guitars but I absolutely hate stringing and cleaning them.....They sure have gobs of eye appeal!! Makes the extra effort worth it!

[guitarsrsoawesome]

Man I just love slot head's or open head stock guitars but I absolutely hate stringing and cleaning them.....They sure have gobs of eye appeal!! Makes the extra effort worth it!

Now this is something that I totally agree with.  A lot easier to string a pegged guitar.  Still, the aesthetic and playability makes it worth it.