2016 Circa 000-28, Brazilian Rosewood & Adirondack Spruce

John Slobod is a dear friend and one of the best makers of traditional instruments we have today. In the past he worked with Julius Borges and Dana Bourgeois, and for many years now has been building his own brand of instruments which are owned by many many pro players. That in itself is proof of how great they are.
www.dreamguita...
@DreamGuitars

[@RevHengSure]

Is that a new tune from Al? I’ve played Al’s maple Circa guitar and it caught my ear as few guitars have - - something really special.

[@DreamGuitars]

Yes, Al has been having fun with a new demo tune! How do you like it?

[@RevHengSure]

@@DreamGuitars Hey Paul! I am busy learning a handful of Al's ragtime tunes in standard tuning. They have a wonderful old-time feel to them that sets the feet tapping and makes the heart lighter. I was playing "St. Clair's Rag" in a guitar store here in the Gold Coast of Australia the other day, trying out a Maton OM and the owner, a grizzled older gentleman said, "That music sounds good, mate, I wish more people would keep that old time finger-style rhythms alive." This new tune sounds like a great addition to the collection.

[@hullabaloo2601]

Paul, is it true that slotted headstocks do not hold their tune as well as the solid headstock counterpart?

[@DreamGuitars]

Paul: No I don't believe that's true. They both hold tune fine but there is a difference in the performance of the tuners, whether they are roller type on a slothead or individual on a solid peghead. Modern individual tuners are very high ratio, while many slothead tuners are lower ratio, so it's a little bit more work to get them perfectly in tune - but once they're there they hold just fine. One other interesting thing about slothead guitars is that they tend to have less sustain than solid peghead guitars, for the obvious reason that the energy of the strings can dissipate more easily since there's less mass at the headstock. It's one of the reasons many blues and rag players prefer slothead guitars, because the notes get out of the way quicker. Whereas someone that likes a lot of sustain may prefer a solid headstock.

[@hullabaloo2601]

And I had to be one of those fellas who like sustain but love the look of the slotted headstocks. Thanks Paul. Appreciate the input. Keep rocking