Slaman 7-string Nylon Archtop

**Rob MacKillop** · 12-16-2019, 04:29 PM

A lute-playing friend of mine ordered a 7-string nylon, left-handed, fan fretted archtop from Daniel Slaman. Here's his own composition, with a big nod towards Sylvius Leopold Weiss:

**stevus** · 12-16-2019, 05:59 PM

Nice composition. Besides Weiss I also hear Bach cello suites. Great playing and interesting guitar for lute music. Never seen that before. What made your friend choose for an archtop? Before building archtops Slaman was famous for his classical guitars.

**Rob MacKillop** · 12-16-2019, 06:13 PM

I don't know. He plays a lot of styles, and has a lot of teaching videos.

**gitman** · 12-17-2019, 05:28 AM

That's a very unique tone he gets on this guitar - if it works for him then all is good. Not my cup of tea but I enjoyed the music !

**David van Ooijen** · 12-17-2019, 06:49 AM

I'm the friend.

I wanted a nylon 7-string, and Slaman makes these wonderful nylon archtops. Here's some Bach inspired composition I made on the same guitar:

**Rob MacKillop** · 12-17-2019, 09:19 AM

Welcome, David. Nice to see you here. There are many Slaman fans here, though they would expect more jazz-related sounds to emanate from them. But music is music. The original archtop guitars were created to play classical and popular music, before those pesky jazz guys stole it!

**Dave70** · 12-17-2019, 09:21 AM

Very nice! (i like the tone in the second video)

**David van Ooijen** · 12-17-2019, 10:01 AM

Nice hangout you guys have here, and thanks for letting me join you.
Here’s the ‘Magnificent 7’, as Daniël and I call this beast, in a more jazzy/classical mashup. Yes, I do play ‘normal’ jazz on it as well, but this guitar invites the cross over sounds.
End of me spamming you guys with my Slaman, btw, no worries.

**David van Ooijen** · 12-17-2019, 10:03 AM

I seem to have mixed up my links. Here’s the jazzy/Bach I intended to post earlier.

**Woody Sound** · 12-17-2019, 11:05 AM

I like! Completely different sound in the first video. Almost sounds like an internal pickup. No?

The 7th string is B, correct? Would you every change it to facilitate a certain piece? I think many jazz players use A.

I use a 10-string to transcribe piano/orchestra parts to do duos with my violinist wife, and I often change the tuning for certain pieces. As an example, the Meditation from Massenet's Thais, and Saint-Saens' Swan. One of these days I'll do a video, but here are the pieces. I play the piano/orch parts as best I can on the 10-string.

**Flat** · 12-17-2019, 03:15 PM

Welcome to the forum, David! What a wonderful instrument -- and such beautiful playing!

As far as I am concerned, you can spam these pages with that Slaman anytime! How often does one get to hear [7 string + nylon + left-handed + fan frets + archtop]? And especially one that sounds so lovely!

Thanks for the videos.

**David van Ooijen** · 12-17-2019, 07:05 PM

Thanks for the warm welcome all around.
Seventh string is tuned to low B normally, it seems to fit my brain best, but I realize a low A has its benefits too. As does a low D or C. In my other life I’m a lute/archlute/theorbe/6-to-14-pairs-of-strings player, so I know the benefits of the added low notes. And I can handle the extra tuning varieties.

The different videos have different recording setups, so they sound differently. The guitar has RMC pickups. It has a good acoustic sound, but I think it does benefit from amplification. A mix of mic and amp seems to work best. I use an AER Alpha for a more classical, neutral sound and a Henriksen Blu for a more jazzy sound.
I promised not to spam you with videos any further, but if you’re interested in some more samples of the Slaman7, and used in chord melody arrangements of jazz standards, you can search my YouTube channel on which the above three are posted. You’ll also come across a cool ‘59 Höfner, among others.
For the die-hard Slaman fans, there’s a new CD released on CD baby where I play this guitar in accompaniments of devotional/classical songs. Anything from Bach to hymns, Mozart’s to Schubert. No jazz.

**Jazzstdnt** · 12-17-2019, 08:05 PM

Beautiful guitar, great pieces, great playing.

**Mark M.** · 12-17-2019, 10:05 PM

That’s a beautiful piece! Congrats, David, on an excellent composition and beautiful, sensitive playing.

**David van Ooijen** · 12-18-2019, 03:20 AM

Thanks!
David

**DRS** · 12-18-2019, 11:06 AM

That Slaman is slamin!

**Woody Sound** · 12-18-2019, 11:30 AM

Originally Posted by David van Ooijen

The guitar has RMC pickups. It has a good acoustic sound, but I think it does benefit from amplification. A mix of mic and amp seems to work best. I use an AER Alpha for a more classical, neutral sound and a Henriksen Blu for a more jazzy sound.

Where are the controls? I don't see anything on the rim.

**David van Ooijen** · 12-18-2019, 05:14 PM

Separate Poly-Drive II preamp, so no rattling batteries on board. Set and forget.

**citizenk74** · 12-19-2019, 10:07 PM

Originally Posted by David van Ooijen

Nice hangout you guys have here, and thanks for letting me join you.
Here’s the ‘Magnificent 7’, as Daniël and I call this beast, in a more jazzy/classical mashup. Yes, I do play ‘normal’ jazz on it as well, but this guitar invites the cross over sounds.
End of me spamming you guys with my Slaman, btw, no worries.

**vintagelove** · 12-20-2019, 02:08 AM

Hi Dave, I’m a lefty too.

I'm totally jealous. Enjoy!!!

**Jabberwocky** · 12-20-2019, 05:21 AM

That Slaman slays, man! I am feeling a little bit clever about meself...

Welcome to the forum, David. Would love to hear more of that wonderful 7-string Slaman Old Dome Nylon.

**skykomishone** · 12-20-2019, 08:43 PM

The guitar, the sound, and playing are great! Thanks for sharing.

**David van Ooijen** · 12-21-2019, 02:28 AM

Originally Posted by skykomishone

The guitar, the sound, and playing are great! Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for all the kind words.

David

**Fred Archtop** · 12-21-2019, 04:07 AM

Great. Great guitar in the hands of a talented guitarist. Just great.

Daniel is a true master. He is so tasteful in many different types of guitars, reinterpretation of Gibson's pre-war instruments, "Paulette" solid bodies and now these great crossover guitars. I am lucky enough to have met him year ago and I own 3 guitars from him. All master pieces. Besides his crafting talents he is also one a the most honorable and humble man I know. Just have a look to his new foundation dedicated to children...We need more men like him on this earth.

Cheers.

**David van Ooijen** · 12-21-2019, 07:20 AM

Originally Posted by Fred Archtop

Great. Great guitar in the hands of a talented guitarist. Just great.

Daniel is a true master. He is so tasteful in many different types of guitars.

Cheers.

Daniël is a great luthier and a nice guy indeed. He is going to make me a Byrdland next. What at your three Slaman’s?
I’m on the board of his foundation. Hope it’ll do well in the coming years.
David