12 Fret Sloped Dread Options

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by btalley

hey friends! I'm VERY much wanting to get a 12 fret, sloped dread. i'd also love it to be matte sunburst with an open headstock.

up to this point, the larrivee sd60 & the keb mo 3.0 are the two that, while not exact, feel closest. I got to play a keb mo, but still haven't had the chance to play an SD60. really curious about the neck profile on those & the 1 7/8 nut on the early SD60's I've seen.

anyone have experience with either? i do a lot of strumming & a little bit of finger picking. style is more acoustic indie, indie/folkish kind of a vibe. singer songwriter stuff.

i know there's an alvarez out there, but just not a fan of it for some reason. i also know there are some higher end boutique models like this, but my MAX is probably 2,500...which may not even be enough to get me either of the 2 options i listed earlier unless I wait around for awhile & get lucky.

would love to hear any thoughts!

Hi, all my flat-tops are 12 fretters. That is because way back in the'90s I realised that I needed a wider fretboard for my playing style.

I looked for a long time for a Martin D18-28/35 - S (Standard - i.e. 12 fret) with 1 & 7/8" nut width, but found my ideal - a Collings DS2h with a 25.5" scale ,1 13/16" nut width and 2 & 3/8" string spacing. That was my "standard requirement.

I had a Larrivee SD50 for a while - 1 & 7/8" nut, which was OK - given to me to compensate for a faulty H&D DS12 but sold it to a needy friend.
For some strange reason Larrivee now makes them with a 1 & 3/4 rhythm neck !?

BTW - all 12 fret dreads are "slope shouldered" - original design.
The Keb . Mo you mentioned is a Jumbo, (ie. not a dread) so shorter scale but the Alamo review doesn't mention scale length (guessing Gibson short scale) and ??? Nut width, and is no longer on Gibson's website.

I know nothing about the Ponos that others mention as they are not sold here in Europe.

You need to decide scale length, fretboard width, neck profile, and tone woods, and whether you are looking for a dread (martin style) or Jumbo (Gibson style).

Let us know how you get on!

[67goat]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

BTW - all 12 fret dreads are "slope shouldered" - original design.

That is, indeed, the original design, but not all 12 fret dreads follow that design. I have a Larrivee D-40 (not SD-40) that is a square shouldered 12 fret. Square shouldered 12 frets move the bridge down rather than raise the shoulders up.

[btalley]

thanks for taking me to school, everyone. learning a lot here. didn't really even know there was a difference between a sloped dread & a gibson jumbo. this video doesn't show any difference that isn't aesthetic.

one of the challenges is that there just aren't really a lot of these around me. so i'm not able to do a lot of testing to figure out exactly what I might like, if that makes sense.

i did came across this 12fret J45 at a store in japan for under $2200. i've done enough research that the store seems legit, but obviously there are risks from purchasing over seas. I've done a lot of googling & can't seem to find a model on this. i do have a message out to them for a better picture of the soundhole sticker to get a model number. they it's not a keb mo 3.0.

[btalley]

here's an image of the aftermarket certification.

[btalley]

[Shortfinger]

I'm too lazy to read the four pages of posts. Has this one been recommended? Not a Yairi, but it's part of the Masterworks line of Alvarez.

https://alvarezguitars.com/guitar/mdr70-sunburst/

Sweetwater has them for $999.

If you want the Yairi version it's gonna be something like $2899.

Here is a comparo vid. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhBurmtZhfY&loop=0

[btalley]

Originally Posted by Shortfinger

I'm too lazy to read the four pages of posts. Has this one been recommended? Not a Yairi, but it's part of the Masterworks line of Alvarez.

https://alvarezguitars.com/guitar/mdr70-sunburst/

Sweetwater has them for $999.

If you want the Yairi version it's gonna be something like $2899.

Here is a comparo vid. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhBurmtZhfY&loop=0

hah. i get that. it's been brought up a few times. it's not one i'm drawn to for some reason. i know it's mainly aesthetic with the fretboard & the bridge. if i ever had the chance to play one, it could change my mind...but i've never seen one around me :/

[Shortfinger]

My Yairi PYM70 12-fret slothead parlor compares to a Martin 0-28VS and I have A-B played mine and a Martin back to back in a store. Alvarez quality and build is at the top.

[67goat]

Originally Posted by btalley

here's an image of the aftermarket certification.

Not saying it's wrong, but it's super weird they would give it all the specs of the Keb Mo and even state the finish is inspired by the Keb Mo. So then how is it not a Keb Mo? Is Gibson thinking they can make artist guitars, call them something else, and then not pay the artist?

[btalley]

Played a Martin DSS 17 whiskey sunset today. Really liked it, but im not seeing any 12 fret versions of those online. Did they ever make that?

[bobster7]

Originally Posted by 67goat

Faith makes a cedar topped 12 fret SS that has a nice sound (FRESB45). While not a dread, the Martin OOO-15SM is stellar,







Only their O and OO sizes are 12 fret. However, the OOSS models are oddly 14 fret.







I really like mine as well. I have a D-40 12 fret to go with it as well.







I love my H&D DS-12 Custom, but I think it would be pretty hard o find one for $2500.

Yeah you’re probably right they are less undervalued than they used to be, but still a real bargain if compared with the other boutique brands. I imagine 3-3500 in the US? New they are £5500/6000 in the UK now, my custom would be £6500+

[Zissou Intern]

Originally Posted by btalley

Played a Martin DSS 17 whiskey sunset today. Really liked it, but im not seeing any 12 fret versions of those online. Did they ever make that?

Martin has built several 12 fret dreadnaughts over the year but to my knowledge never a DSS17. That is more of a nod to Gibson than it is to Martin’s own 12 fret heritage.
Martin Dimensions:
14 fret slope shoulder 20 5/16” long, 16 1/4" wide
12 fret 21” long, 15 5/8” wide

[Mr. Paul]

Iris DF Smeck @ your price point

https://reverb.com/item/78276582-iri...SABEgKEBvD_BwE

The Iris tone is quite engaging.

[Mandobart]

I've been playing in a weekly bluegrass jam for the past 16 years. One of our pickers just started bringing his wife's D18-VS to play. It is the best sounding acoustic guitar I've heard. It stands out and cuts through the other instruments (fiddles, mandolins, banjos). When he plays his other guitars the sound isn't there. When I play his D18-VS it sounds great to me.

There are other Martin's and Collings at our jam, including my HD-28 which I really like, but this D18-VS is the best.

Maybe this particular guitar is special. I don't know the build year but he says his wife has had it a while. If I were in the market for a dread I would get a Martin D18-VS.

[btalley]

Originally Posted by Mr. Paul

Iris DF Smeck @ your price point

https://reverb.com/item/78276582-iri...SABEgKEBvD_BwE

The Iris tone is quite engaging.

i have been watching any of the iris df smecks for sure. i don't love their standard headstock, but did find an iris DF smeck with an open headstock that looks amazing. it's in nashville, which would require a drive & it's $2800, which is a bit over my max. i'm really not sure if i can go up that high...but i'm tempted.