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#1
07-25-2007, 07:27 PM
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taylor gc's.... does the slothead really add a more "woody" tone?
hey guys, i mostly lurk but have recently decided to purchase either a gc6 or gc8 and the only thing i'm not absolutely fond of is the slothead. My local dealer gave me a spill about how the slothead adds more sustain and an all around "better" sound. He later informed me that if i so desired, i could custom order a gc with a normal headstock but the sound would be a bit "lacking", in comparison to the normal gc's.
To get to the point, does a slothead really add more sustain, or a more woody tone, or any tonal improvements at all? I do realize that tone is subjective, but any info would be much appreciated. Thanks. 
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#2
07-25-2007, 07:36 PM
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#3
07-25-2007, 07:38 PM
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Usually, more mass at the headstock will give more sustain.
So, if the slothead adds more mass, I'd say probably so. If it subtracts mass, I'd say probably not.
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#5
07-25-2007, 07:43 PM
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I think a Slothead is more cosmetic than sustain effecting. It looks great on certain Guitars.
__________________
Jeff It's the Music That Really Matters!
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#6
07-25-2007, 08:05 PM
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No.
Won't give you "more woody tone". Some folks think that by increasing the string angle from the nut to the peg, slot head guitars get a bit better energy transfer from the string vibrations. Now, that may be true, but I don't really notice a difference between slot head buitars and regular peg-head guitars...at least not enought for me to definately attribute any difference to that alone. There is so much variability between even "identical" guitars that I have a hard time attributing subtle tonal differences to things like slot head vs. not-slotted. I've asked several builders their thoughts on slot heads... they like the look, note it takes extra work to make them (they generally can charge more for it), note they are more prone to breakage (still rare), more difficult to string (but not THAT bad), and haven't heard one yet say that there is a "noticeable" difference in tone.
__________________
"Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best." Henry Van Dyke "It is in the world of slow time that truth and art are found as one" Norman Maclean,
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#7
07-25-2007, 09:13 PM
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I had heard it was essentially cosmetic, but never quite sure about the other details.
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#8
07-26-2007, 12:16 AM
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Late on this thread I am, but here is my opinion. After playing all the XXX's at NAMM in '04, which were the first Taylor slot-head (and revoiced) GC's, I was seriously impressed with the tone and the sustain of these new guitars. I ended up with 2 of them, and I think they have more resonance and sustain than my previous GC (a 1996 912c), and also more than any of my GA's.
They have a richness and depth that far exceeds their size. I use my XXX-MC for all unplugged occasions for its ability to project and carry tone, with sweet sustain and clear bass tones. I just took it camping, and it sounded great and loud, even in the outdoors. Strings take some practice to replace, but no big deal once you're used to it. I have had no incidences of breakage. Also the Taylor rep at NAMM explained to me, that LESS mass in the headstock lends to more resonance.
__________________
Rebecca Rejoice Music
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#9
07-26-2007, 01:01 AM
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If you want a more woody tone, get a mahogany guitar. Back and sides are a great start, but add a mahogany top and you've got some serious wood tone.
That's just my take - YMMV
__________________
“Reason is itself a matter of faith. It is an act of faith to assert that our thoughts have any relation to reality at all.” ― G.K. Chesterton
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#10
07-26-2007, 01:11 AM
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__________________
Guitars Taylor Classic SB SC LTD Burled Walnut (2008) Commissioned Doerr Legacy Select African Blackwood/ Swiss (2011)
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#11
07-26-2007, 04:27 AM
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I think that the slotted head looks really cool, but soundwise I keep coming back to a GA7(non-slotted) that I've been playing side-by-side with a GC8 (slotted head) at a local guitar shop. The combination of the body shape and cedar top on the GA7 seems to give it a much fuller, deeper sound than the GC8, no matter how nice the head looks.
__________________
Emerald X20 Emerald X20-12 Fender Robert Cray Stratocaster Martin D18 Ambertone Martin 000-15sm
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#12
07-26-2007, 05:29 AM
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I'm not sure what people mean by a woody tone as I would expect all wooden guitars to sound woody and I'm not trying to be smart.
A slotted headstock affects the tone of a guitar differently than a solid one according to Bob Taylor during a conversation I had with him. However, he made no mention of sustain. Whether a slotted head improves the tone is in the ear of the listener.
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#13
07-26-2007, 07:25 AM
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I should qualify my reply. I love slotted stockheads. It's a cosmetic thing for me. Have I any idea if they affect the tone? No, of course not. I haven't played the same guitar with two different stockheads on it, so there's no way of knowing. I can't imagine it would add that much to the tone of the instrument although I have heard some say it does.
I just personally love them.
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#15
07-26-2007, 02:56 PM
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