Slaman Super 400 with CC pickup

[Fred Archtop]

Hey Jazzers,

Just received this dream guitar a couple of days ago. It's been crafted by Daniel Slaman. Here are some pics done by Daniel Himself.



It's been years that I was looking for a S400 with a CC pickup, but there are not so many around. I've tried one a few years ago from a batch of a dozen of CCS400 made by Gibson around year 2k, but I wasn't convinced. My dream specs were uncut: (who needs a cutaway ) , strong acoustic voice, and modern playability. Daniel was inspired by a prewar S400 acoutic model with a short scale (24" 3/4) to make that one, and it can't be better than this, acoustic or amplified.

Here is a demo where I'm trying to squeeze out the warm tone of it. I'll probably commit some other videos just with acoustic tone.

Cheers.

[wintermoon]

Looks and sounds just great Fred, enjoy that one!
I still regret not buying a non cut prewar Super retrofitted w a CC many moons ago
I think it was this one.

[skiboyny]

Congrats! Slaman is highly regarded and although I've not had the opportunity to play one, they always sound great in videos. Yours is no exception! Enjoy!

[vinnyv1k]

Super Sweet !!! Both the guitar and the tone.

[Cunamara]

Man, that's awesome!

[2bornot2bop]

Congratulations Fred! There’s nothing like the tone of a big box!

[Cunamara]

You know, this demonstrates something I notice over and over with peoples's demo videos on this forum. You really only need a vintage guitar to get a good tone if you want a vintage guitar; there are a lot of modern, recently made guitars that sound great. This is one of them. For a long time I kind of subscribed the notion of good tone = vintage guitar, but that belief has been proven wrong many times now. I suppose I got that notion through my early guitar heroes being Rory Gallagher with his 1961 Stratocaster, Jerry Garcia with his 1955 Stratocaster (Alligator), Duane Allman with his 1958 Les Paul, etc. Later this was reinforced by the likes of Jim Hall with his 1954 ES-175, Barney Kessel with his ES-350 that he basically used for his whole career, Pat Metheny with his 1958 ES-175, etc. My first guitar teacher had a mid-40s L7 followed by a mid-60s Johnny Smith.

Of course, at this point all of my guitars are approaching vintage much like myself.

[Fred Archtop]

You know, this demonstrates something I notice over and over with peoples's demo videos on this forum. You really only need a vintage guitar to get a good tone if you want a vintage guitar; there are a lot of modern, recently made guitars that sound great. This is one of them. For a long time I kind of subscribed the notion of good tone = vintage guitar, but that belief has been proven wrong many times now. I suppose I got that notion through my early guitar heroes being Rory Gallagher with his 1961 Stratocaster, Jerry Garcia with his 1955 Stratocaster (Alligator), Duane Allman with his 1958 Les Paul, etc. Later this was reinforced by the likes of Jim Hall with his 1954 ES-175, Barney Kessel with his ES-350 that he basically used for his whole career, Pat Metheny with his 1958 ES-175, etc. My first guitar teacher had a mid-40s L7 followed by a mid-60s Johnny Smith.

Of course, at this point all of my guitars are approaching vintage much like myself.

I couldn't agree more and I once had the same belief. In reality, it's more a matter on how the guitar is built than when it's been built. What has striken me when I first took this guitar in hand was "how light it's been built". Just like my vintage Gibsons built before 1960. Today's top archtop luthiers like Slaman, Trenier etc. have learnt how to built guitars the way they were made during Gibson golden years. Daniel Slaman once said to me that he felt he could fully master the crafting process when he approached 55. And he all started at 20...A lifetime dedication to a fine art...

[wintermoon]

You know, this demonstrates something I notice over and over with peoples's demo videos on this forum. You really only need a vintage guitar to get a good tone if you want a vintage guitar; there are a lot of modern, recently made guitars that sound great. This is one of them. For a long time I kind of subscribed the notion of good tone = vintage guitar, but that belief has been proven wrong many times now. I suppose I got that notion through my early guitar heroes being Rory Gallagher with his 1961 Stratocaster, Jerry Garcia with his 1955 Stratocaster (Alligator), Duane Allman with his 1958 Les Paul, etc. Later this was reinforced by the likes of Jim Hall with his 1954 ES-175, Barney Kessel with his ES-350 that he basically used for his whole career, Pat Metheny with his 1958 ES-175, etc. My first guitar teacher had a mid-40s L7 followed by a mid-60s Johnny Smith.

Of course, at this point all of my guitars are approaching vintage much like myself.

I think what it demonstrates to me is it's more the driver, not the car, I think SS likes to say the mechanic, not the tool.
Its nice to have a great sounding guitar, vintage or new, to inspire your playing and they can elevate your playing as a result. But when you play as well as Fred it's almost secondary from a listeners perspective. Guys like him can make any decent axe sound great.

[Bluedawg]

Tre Bien!!

Sounds awesome.

[2bornot2bop]

I think what it demonstrates to me is it's more the driver, not the car, I think SS likes to say the mechanic, not the tool.
It’s nice to have a great sounding guitar, vintage or new, to inspire your playing and they can elevate your playing as a result. But when you play as well as Fred it's almost secondary from a listeners perspective. Guys like him can make any decent axe sound great.

Never read a truer explanation! How many ordinary cheap archtop’s have all of us seen George Benson play the heck out of over the years? To a degree I’ve felt guitar tone is in the fingers, and Fred’s playing displays that because he sounds the same no matter which guitar he plays…just like the majority of professionals.

[garybaldy]

Please don't get me wrong and I'm prepared to get flamed and/or educated and I would love to have this guitar.
But to me the neck seems set quite deeply in the body. If it was to have a floater would it fit? The bridge is pretty low and the tailpiece looks to be almost touching the body.
I can imagine if it was deemed to be a lesser guitar, forum members may suggest it needed a neck reset.
Flame away!
Thank you

[wintermoon]

Please don't get me wrong and I'm prepared to get flamed and/or educated and I would love to have this guitar.
But to me the neck seems set quite deeply in the body. If it was to have a floater would it fit? The bridge is pretty low and the tailpiece looks to be almost touching the body.
I can imagine if it was deemed to be a lesser guitar, forum members may suggest it needed a neck reset.
Flame away!
Thank you

I think I can answer that. It's based on Gibson's ES-250 w/Christian pickup. The fingerboards are flush w/ the top, low profile bridge resulting in a t.p. that isn't high off the body. It wasn't designed to have a floating p.u. to fit under the strings because it has a built in p.u.

[skykomishone]

That sounds really great!
Thank you. It’s a pleasure to hear a fine artist on such a fine instrument as this one.

I wish that I had the command and control that you have to execute the song without playing too many notes in too many places! It really allows the tune and instrument to breath. Really tastefully and nicely done.

[Sam b]

What a beautiful guitar. Congratulations! I'd be very interested in hearing what it sounds like acoustically. Some say that the CC pickup takes away from the acoustic sounds with its three bolts but I'm not sure I totally buy that. It's nice to see you write that the acoustic tone is also wonderful.

[garybaldy]

I think I can answer that. It's based on Gibson's ES-250 w/Christian pickup. The fingerboards are flush w/ the top, low profile bridge resulting in a t.p. that isn't high off the body. It wasn't designed to have a floating p.u. to fit under the strings because it has a built in p.u.

Thanks.
Would you describe the break angle at the bridge to be relatively small or could the guitar's top have a big arch to compensate for that (if that's the case).
And does break angle matter?

[wintermoon]

Thanks.
Would you describe the break angle at the bridge to be relatively small or could the guitar's top have a big arch to compensate for that (if that's the case).
And does break angle matter?

small break angle.
in '39 Gibson also glued L-5 and Super 400 boards flush w/ the top. there was also a dip carved into the top where the bridge rests that many people mistake for a top that has sunken over time. that experiment only lasted one year before they went back to elevated fingerboards.

[wintermoon]

To piggyback off post #13, there weren't any floating pickups yet. After all, the set in pickup was just invented a few yrs prior!

[2bornot2bop]

That sounds really great!
Thank you. It’s a pleasure to hear a fine artist on such a fine instrument as this one.

I wish that I had the command and control that you have to execute the song without playing too many notes in too many places! It really allows the tune and instrument to breath. Really tastefully and nicely done.

Fred’s taking a nod from Miles Davis. Space is just as important too. Let the music breathe.

[Max405]

2b, I totally agree. Fred has a gift in that his playing is not over done, which is what makes it so easy to listen to.
It probably mirrors his personality. I can honestly say, every one of his videos that I’ve watched, I watched to the end. And believe me, I’ve watched them all. Freddy is a special gift to the forum.
And by the way, when he wants to burn, he can burn with anyone! He does it so cleanly.
JD

[vinnyv1k]

2b, I totally agree. Fred has a gift in that his playing is not over done, which is what makes it so easy to listen to.
It probably mirrors his personality. I can honestly say, every one of his videos that I’ve watched, I watched to the end. And believe me, I’ve watched them all. Freddy is a special gift to the forum.
And by the way, when he wants to burn, he can burn with anyone! He does it so cleanly.
JD

+1 on that.

[Fred Archtop]

Dear jazzers,


You're too kind with your comments. Thanks for that. I am very glad if my playing is moving you. I feel honored, but I also know who I am and who I am not.


I like to take for me what the great Jim Hall had on his visit card: "Can't play fast, won't play loud", although I'll never reach the tenth of what he played.


Cheers.

[DMgolf66]

Dear jazzers,


You're too kind with your comments. Thanks for that. I am very glad if my playing is moving you. I feel honored, but I also know who I am and who I am not.


I like to take for me what the great Jim Hall had on his visit card: "Can't play fast, won't play loud", although I'll never reach the tenth of what he played.


Cheers.

My card is more direct....."can't play".

[2bornot2bop]

Dear jazzers,


You're too kind with your comments. Thanks for that. I am very glad if my playing is moving you. I feel honored, but I also know who I am and who I am not.


I like to take for me what the great Jim Hall had on his visit card: "Can't play fast, won't play loud", although I'll never reach the tenth of what he played.

Cheers.

Yes. But Fred, the thing is, many of would give a leg to play nearly as well as you. You’ve set the bar very high around here. And that doesn’t even take into account your video and audio expertise!

[Dennis D]

I think I can answer that. It's based on Gibson's ES-250 w/Christian pickup. The fingerboards are flush w/ the top, low profile bridge resulting in a t.p. that isn't high off the body. It wasn't designed to have a floating p.u. to fit under the strings because it has a built in p.u.

And answer it you did Wm !!

I don't think that neck design / feature is mentioned enough when there are questions about bridges, bridge / string heights, etc. There have been threads here w/ photos of bridges nearly maxed out - as high as they could go, and possible reasons for these set-ups. One recent thread mentioning top sag as a possible cause, on a nearly brand new instrument. Then I looked at that neck joint and the resultant f/b height above the top, and there weren't many options available for lowering that bridge and still having any playability.
It reminded me of my '34 L-5 R/I, and how that bridge looked high, even though it was set up perfectly. Someone here then mentioned that Gibson had indeed changed / increased that dimension where the neck and fb assembly meets the body, perhaps to more easily allow for a floater install down the road. .....Not sure when ( '70's ?? )...But it reminded me of some of those Heritage acoustics that'd be for sale with floaters added which were almost touching the strings ....
I always wanted to run that past MarkC as to whether he offered a reduced height neck joint for a set-in p/u.
But for me, the lesson learned was when in doubt, look at that neck joint and if it looks like it has more beef than it needs, things could get troublesome.

Thanks Wm.