I have a couple high_end Heritage guitars, and a Slick 52. The Slick isn't as finely made, of course, but I take that Slick EVERYWHERE because it's fun to play, sounds great, and I don't have to worry so much about it getting banged around or stolen. They're way better than anything I've found under $500. I think Art can recognise a quality 'beater' and enjoy it.
They remind me of the AXL Badwater guitars of a couple of years ago.Don't know if you can still get them.I used to have one--it was ridiculously cheap--about £60 if I remember, and it wasn't half bad.
The SL-51 (not featured here) I bought has a good neck and body, however, the Pickups are weak. By time I have the local Luthier, replace the pickups (with some really great ones) and get the guitar adjusted (some of the frets are too high), I could have bought a more expensive guitar ( a Fender Telecaster Player for example). I still like the SL 51, but I wonder about my logic at buying low end guitars, only to spend more on fixing them up, to sound and play right. And yes, I have been buying Luthier tools to do some of the work myself, but they ain't cheap either.
+Bill Perry NOT really his job to. He demos it, points out pros and cons, and leaves YOU to decide. Whether he likes it or not is not relevant. It's whether YOU like it and ultimately that's ALL that matters.
i bought one of these a few months ago based on some of the hype on UA-cam. I'll admit they look as cool as the pics and videos suggest. Playability and tone. Not so much. This thing is easily the worst guitar I own. I've done all I can to set it up too. Still sucks.
I recently bought an SL60 because of the "Editor's Pick" in GP magazine. Although this guitar looks bad ass and sounds great, it's very hard to play. The action is impossibly high. The string spacing is too close making it very hard to get a clean open chord down in the first position.Changing strings is a real pain in the ass, the intonation is way sharp at the 12th fret it won't stay in tune and it's top/neck heavy. Michael Molenda must be getting a kickback for giving these guitars such a glowing review or maybe the ones he was sent weren't the original factory setups. I'm not totally giving up on it because it really does sound great but by the time I get it to play how i want it I probably could of bought a better quality axe
frankie blandino frankie blandino The specs say the nut width is 43mm which is pretty standard and in fact wider than some Fenders.So are the strings set in a long way from the edges of the fingerboard?
kingstumble Yeah ,the strings are set a long way from the edges and the nut is higher than all my other guitars. First position playing is very difficult. I've got to have someone cut me a new nut in order to be able to play this thing.
frankie blandino If the spacing were OK (so you didn't have to cut new slots) you could remove it and sand the bottom to lower the nut action. Then do a basic set-up yourself. Just an idea - it's a shame to have to pour a lot of money into a guitar that was only a cpl hun. bucks to start with.
So how much they worth??? I would have bought 1 tonight if I could have found a price. Pick ups worth a crap? Send me a link where to buy in Branson Springfield MO Aria Or I could open A small store he just for fun. Get back to me!!!!!!
check out the Guitar Fetish website -- I think they're the main distributor in North America (although there is an actual Slick Guitars website as well). they seem to go for ~$200 - 230 USD before taxes and shipping. not sure if I can post links but: www.guitarfetish.com/Slick-Guitars_c_496.html -- just pick your colour and whichever one you like! consensus seems to be that these are fine for the price, but expect everything to need a setup? that's usually the rule with budget guitars that are mail ordered / ordered online. quality control can be a bit lacking with stuff in this price range, since labour is the most expensive part of the cost. you can search UA-cam for more in depth reviews (such as this one by Cory Mura, who reviews a lot of budget guitars such as the Harley Benton ones available from Thomann -- kinda like the Amazon of musical instruments etc. in Europe: ua-cam.com/video/deI3kmAz8xY/v-deo.html) there are lots of cool instruments available there for crazy prices, but if you get a dud, getting it shipped back or sorted out in the US seems to be a bit tricky. (they'll probably give you some kind of credit or crazy cheap replacement if there's any shipping damage or issues.) so yeah, these Slick ones seem okay for the price, but there are more fully featured options available if you shop around. you can tell some of these cost a hell of a lot less to build just based on the parts list. for example, if you don't put a Tele bridge on there, that's one less part... if you don't put a Tune-o-matic style stop tail piece, that's another less part! the simpler models are around $20 - 30 cheaper, so you can see where they've saved a few bucks here and there, but I don't think that's really the point. expect cheaper wiring or potentiometers for the electronic guts. they have an interesting niche thing going for the price, as there's no way in hell I'd pay a ton of money for a relic'd instrument, but these are kinda tempting and the degaussed (partially demagnetized?) pickups sound really nice. if you just like the sound of the pickups, you can buy them on the GFS website and stick them in whatever you like. no need to buy one of these guitars and pull them out of there (unless you want to!)
It's an endless debate and a matter of opinion. When you walk into a luthier or seller of fine orchestral instruments, you find that they have been doing this for years. The majority of new $25K+ violins, violas, and cellos are built with light wear. 200 year old instruments have natural wear... but were also built with artificial aging as part of the finish. Not all, but most. Quality instruments last a very long time. The best players don't add scrapes and wear through finishes. Their playing doesn't damage much aside from the strings.
The beauty of inexpensive guitars.. You don't need stands!
Nice playing, cool guitars and helpful review. Cheers.
Bought my son some of the slick pickups for his guitar and with new pots and quality caps that guitar sounds incredible, I am a believer in his gear.
Those P90's sounded the best...
I have a couple high_end Heritage guitars, and a Slick 52. The Slick isn't as finely made, of course, but I take that Slick EVERYWHERE because it's fun to play, sounds great, and I don't have to worry so much about it getting banged around or stolen. They're way better than anything I've found under $500. I think Art can recognise a quality 'beater' and enjoy it.
Who else thought he was gonna break the TV with the headstock on 1:22? lol
Great video, which one would be the most versatile?
I finally get to know John 5's dad.
They remind me of the AXL Badwater guitars of a couple of years ago.Don't know if you can still get them.I used to have one--it was ridiculously cheap--about £60 if I remember, and it wasn't half bad.
I was really impressed with the dirty tele tone...lost me tho as it cleaned up.....hmmm I need to play it myself
The SL-51 (not featured here) I bought has a good neck and body, however, the Pickups are weak. By time I have the local Luthier, replace the pickups (with some really great ones) and get the guitar adjusted (some of the frets are too high), I could have bought a more expensive guitar ( a Fender Telecaster Player for example). I still like the SL 51, but I wonder about my logic at buying low end guitars, only to spend more on fixing them up, to sound and play right. And yes, I have been buying Luthier tools to do some of the work myself, but they ain't cheap either.
Are SL-54 gone forever? I can't find them anywhere? :(
Where can I find the SL-54 now? All I see are the T models, and I don't want T.
I am thinking about getting that SL 57 any thoughts
Wwhat song is that again that he plays at 4:32? I recognize it but cant remember the name / artist of that song! If anyone knows, please reply 👌
Sounds like "Tin Man" by "America" ("Oz never did give nothing to the tin man, that he didn't... didn't already have" )
He never really said whether he liked any of them...
Cool "looking" guitar anyway... how the heck are ya Bill?
Bill Perry he said "very cool" that implies liking them
Not exactly a ringing endorsement. I just think it sounds like he's a little on the fence about them. I have one, and I like mine.
+Bill Perry NOT really his job to. He demos it, points out pros and cons, and leaves YOU to decide.
Whether he likes it or not is not relevant. It's whether YOU like it and ultimately that's ALL that matters.
There's no more excuse's with any of these guitars. I just don't happen to have a decent amp right now.
hi, can you tell me some about neck? thin, medium... thanks. M.
4:31 isn't that a song by Erlend Øye?
i bought one of these a few months ago based on some of the hype on UA-cam. I'll admit they look as cool as the pics and videos suggest. Playability and tone. Not so much. This thing is easily the worst guitar I own. I've done all I can to set it up too. Still sucks.
i watched some videos here and there..they look cool but sounds bad
I recently bought an SL60 because of the "Editor's Pick" in GP magazine. Although this guitar looks bad ass and sounds great, it's very hard to play. The action is impossibly high. The string spacing is too close making it very hard to get a clean open chord down in the first position.Changing strings is a real pain in the ass, the intonation is way sharp at the 12th fret it won't stay in tune and it's top/neck heavy. Michael Molenda must be getting a kickback for giving these guitars such a glowing review or maybe the ones he was sent weren't the original factory setups. I'm not totally giving up on it because it really does sound great but by the time I get it to play how i want it I probably could of bought a better quality axe
frankie blandino the intonation sounds spot on and are you trying 9 gauge strings?
frankie blandino frankie blandino The specs say the nut width is 43mm which is pretty standard and in fact wider than some Fenders.So are the strings set in a long way from the edges of the fingerboard?
kingstumble Yeah ,the strings are set a long way from the edges and the nut is higher than all my other guitars. First position playing is very difficult. I've got to have someone cut me a new nut in order to be able to play this thing.
frankie blandino Thanks for that Frankie.I have a real problem with narrow necks and/or tight string spacing so no good for me then.Cheers--John
frankie blandino If the spacing were OK (so you didn't have to cut new slots) you could remove it and sand the bottom to lower the nut action. Then do a basic set-up yourself. Just an idea - it's a shame to have to pour a lot of money into a guitar that was only a cpl hun. bucks to start with.
Good review, but OMG mic the amp instead of using your camera mic. The clean sounds come through ok, but the dirty sounds are horrible.
So how much they worth??? I would have bought 1 tonight if I could have found a price. Pick ups worth a crap? Send me a link where to buy in Branson Springfield MO Aria Or I could open A small store he just for fun. Get back to me!!!!!!
check out the Guitar Fetish website -- I think they're the main distributor in North America (although there is an actual Slick Guitars website as well). they seem to go for ~$200 - 230 USD before taxes and shipping. not sure if I can post links but: www.guitarfetish.com/Slick-Guitars_c_496.html -- just pick your colour and whichever one you like!
consensus seems to be that these are fine for the price, but expect everything to need a setup? that's usually the rule with budget guitars that are mail ordered / ordered online. quality control can be a bit lacking with stuff in this price range, since labour is the most expensive part of the cost. you can search UA-cam for more in depth reviews (such as this one by Cory Mura, who reviews a lot of budget guitars such as the Harley Benton ones available from Thomann -- kinda like the Amazon of musical instruments etc. in Europe: ua-cam.com/video/deI3kmAz8xY/v-deo.html) there are lots of cool instruments available there for crazy prices, but if you get a dud, getting it shipped back or sorted out in the US seems to be a bit tricky. (they'll probably give you some kind of credit or crazy cheap replacement if there's any shipping damage or issues.)
so yeah, these Slick ones seem okay for the price, but there are more fully featured options available if you shop around. you can tell some of these cost a hell of a lot less to build just based on the parts list. for example, if you don't put a Tele bridge on there, that's one less part... if you don't put a Tune-o-matic style stop tail piece, that's another less part! the simpler models are around $20 - 30 cheaper, so you can see where they've saved a few bucks here and there, but I don't think that's really the point. expect cheaper wiring or potentiometers for the electronic guts.
they have an interesting niche thing going for the price, as there's no way in hell I'd pay a ton of money for a relic'd instrument, but these are kinda tempting and the degaussed (partially demagnetized?) pickups sound really nice. if you just like the sound of the pickups, you can buy them on the GFS website and stick them in whatever you like. no need to buy one of these guitars and pull them out of there (unless you want to!)
They'd be better without the cheesy relic damage on them.
4 different guitars and you made them sound all the same… special kind of talent...
Crank the amp...
I think the guitars are nice but relicing anything is so stupid
WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND PAYS GOOD MONEY 4 A GUITAR THAT LOOKS LIKE IT'S BEEN TRASHED ????????????
Clearly a lot of people, come like in high school when you buy bleached and ripped jeans same thing
It's an endless debate and a matter of opinion. When you walk into a luthier or seller of fine orchestral instruments, you find that they have been doing this for years. The majority of new $25K+ violins, violas, and cellos are built with light wear. 200 year old instruments have natural wear... but were also built with artificial aging as part of the finish. Not all, but most. Quality instruments last a very long time. The best players don't add scrapes and wear through finishes. Their playing doesn't damage much aside from the strings.