Slaman Old School Dome Nylon Archtop, 2018

Here's how Daniel Slaman describes this incredible instrument: a guitar with nylon string tone combined with an archtop jazz guitar feel. Why it's important: many steel string archtop jazz players would like to take a side step to the nylon string guitar, but until now that meant going to a completely different feeling and looking instrument with more features of the classical guitar than of the archtop guitar.

These days are over; the Dome has the feel of an archtop jazz guitar; high bridge, arched top, 14 frets to the body, cutaway, narrower neck compared to classical, 12 inch radius fingerboard. Any steel string archtop jazz player immediately feels at home with this instrument. It feels just like your steel string instrument, but sounds very differently!

This Slaman Old School Dome Nylon came to us from a private collection in like new condition, and it's a pleasure to have it in the shop. Daniel tends to be modest about his work, but this instrument really demonstrates why his guitars have gained such recognition.

What I appreciate about Daniel is that he brings both perspectives to his craft—he's not only a skilled luthier but also understands guitars from a player's standpoint. That dual insight shows up in the thoughtful details throughout his builds. It's probably why Pat Metheny has been gravitating toward Slaman guitars for his live work lately.

The Old School Dome Nylon emerged from conversations between Pat and Daniel about creating a nylon string archtop that wouldn't feel foreign to jazz players. The concept was to maintain the familiar ergonomics and playability of a traditional archtop while opening up the nylon string world. Based on Pat's current preference for this as his nylon guitar, they succeeded.

I've played quite a few attempts at nylon archtops over the years, and this one stands apart. The acoustic voice has that warm, percussive quality that makes nylon strings so appealing, while the neck feels completely natural—no adjustment period required.

Where Daniel really went the extra mile was with the amplification. Knowing Pat's preference for vintage '80s Ovation pickups (the same ones in his Manzer acoustics), Daniel actually sources old Ovations to harvest those specific pickups. Combined with the FET 3 Ovation preamp, the amplified tone achieves something genuinely satisfying—that elusive quality where electronics enhance rather than compromise the instrument's voice.

The whole package—from the thoughtful design to Daniel's meticulous execution—results in an instrument that feels both familiar and fresh. It's the kind of guitar that makes you understand why certain players become devoted to a particular builder's work.

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.