Daniel Slaman Hybrid Sister/175

"This guitar is a hybrid of the Daniel Slaman Sisterhood style guitar and the 175. The Sister features include the carved spruce top, 22 frets, and the Charlie Christian adjustable pickup. The 175 features are the laminated back, block inlays, sharp cutaway and zig zag tailpiece. It is truly a hybrid that brings out the best of the 2 styles. The headstock inlay is identical to the inlay on the Sisterhood guitars and inspired by the guitar of the late Ronnie Singer." - Daniel Slaman

I'm a real fan of Daniel Slaman's work. His guitars are inspiring. They're the perfect blend of form and function that enlightens what can be, at times, a monotonous guitar world. What I mean is that Daniel's builds stop me in my tracks. There is something about them that lights me up. They warm my vintage spirit, but unlike most vintage guitars, they are eminently playable with no fuss. They sound so woody and rich in tone and put a smile on my face. And not just my face. Just check out the look on Pat Metheny's face when he is playing his Slaman(s).

Daniel's latest archtop model is this DS-175 Special, affectionally named the Hybrid Sister/175 (that's a mouthful). It's basically a marriage of Daniel's very popular Sisterhood model and a vintage Gibson 175 (like Pat's). To my ears it sounds and feels like Slaman's Charlie Christian outfitted carved top archtop blended with a vintage 175 esthetic. It makes, in my humble opinion, a perfect union. Its acoustic tone is pleasing but the guitar really comes to life when plugged in. It's rich, warm and woody - everything you want from a fine archtop. The sound is just so alive and present. You play and it speaks. The ergonomic feel of the guitar is that of a beloved '59 ES175. It has a wonderful medium-full neck carve that fits perfectly in your hand. Daniel has become well known for his antique finish work that never feels contrived; there is something dead honest about it. And maybe that is one of the reasons Slaman's guitars appeal to me so deeply. They are honest guitars, made for the player, appreciated by the collector, built by a luthier who is totally committed to giving the musician a righteous vehicle for transporting the music in his or her heart. Just ask Pat.

If you'd like to find out more about this item, just call or e-mail me. It would be my pleasure to talk to you about it.

ABOUT DANIEL SLAMAN GUITARS
Daniel Slaman has been making guitars since 1978. Born in 1957, the first guitar was made with help from his father and the book ‘Classical Guitar Making’ by the late Irving Sloane. After spending much time with the classical and flamenco guitars, since 1995 Daniel has been making archtop jazz guitars exclusively. To Slaman, guitar making is an expression of creative freedom; every choice that is made for a particular guitar is made to achieve a unity in design. The result may not be to everybody's taste, that's a different matter, but the unity of design should always shine through in choices of wood, size, decoration and finish colour of the guitar. The result is always a unique one-of-a-kind instrument, made by one mind and set of hands. Slaman players connect to their guitar(s) in a unique way. To these owners, the guitar has a meaning beyond physical aspects; there's always a bond or connection between the player and the guitar. The guitars transcend the status of mere physical objects; they almost become a part of the family, an irreplaceable item of value both material and immaterial.