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Location: Atlanta,Ga. | I was spending some time looking thru my boxes of ovation catalogs,posters,literature and found a couple of interesting items that i had not seen in a couple years.I thought i would share some early ovation history with all of you.Some may enjoy this ,some will be bored by it.I had put them away a couple of years ago and had forgotten about them.When i saw them today i remembered how special these items are..I have posted pics below..The first pic is the cover from a program from Ovation first evening introducing their guitars to the world..The second one is of the inside of the program autographed by Josh White who was a guest that first evening..
http://www.ovationfanclub.com/gallery/_prog1.jpg
http://www.ovationfanclub.com/gallery/_prog2.jpg |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Sam,
That's the oldest piece of Ovation "anything" that I've ever seen. Oh, wait a minute - I just found some scraps of wood shavings that came from the neck carving of guitar #3.
Dave |
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Location: Atlanta,Ga. | Now here is an invitation that was sent out to dealers before the first night of Ovations introduction to the world.Next to the invitation is the actual hand written envelope it went out and was returned to sender.Back when postage was 5 cents....
http://www.ovationfanclub.com/gallery/_invite.jpg |
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Location: Atlanta,Ga. | Here are a couple of black and white photo's of some late 1966 early 1967 "brand spankin new" shiny bowls beying finished...
http://www.ovationfanclub.com/gallery/_early pic.jpg |
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Location: Back in the Valley of the Sun Mesa Az. | cool. thanks for sharing. |
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Location: NJ | check out this new part of the ovation site
http://www.ovationguitars.com/?fa=series&sid=349 |
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Location: NJ | If anyone in CT is watching:
There's a bit of a "typo" on the statement at the bottom. It should read:
"We AT Ovation are . . . . " |
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Location: NJ | That's pretty cool, Sam!
Thanks for digging those out.
I especially like the "benday" screen of concentric circles used to dot the "i" in "Ovation" on the program cover.
("Cutting Edge" graphic design - for 1966!) |
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Location: Lafayette, Louisiana | Sam, thanks for sharing that great old Ovation stuff with us. One day, can I come check all your stuff out? Well then again I better not. I don't think I could leave your house without that wood top Adamas!.....Paul Hebert |
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Location: Atlanta,Ga. | From ovations first catalog(1966).Here is a pic of a rare large trus rod cover with model name written on it..Also, the second pic is the black background rosette with the lighter link inlay..Most early balladeers had the light background with black link..
http://www.ovationfanclub.com/gallery/_trus.jpg
http://www.ovationfanclub.com/gallery/_rosette.jpg |
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Location: Atlanta,Ga. | Here is a neat pic from a catalog.This was a young Al Pep posing for this pic during the 70's...
http://www.ovationfanclub.com/gallery/_pic.jpg |
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Location: the BIG Metropolis of TR | Sam,
THANK YOU VERY MUCH for sharing these bits of Ovation's history!!They are "way cool!!" I myself (and I'm sure alot others) don't find this kind of info the least bit boring infact I wish you'll dig some more and post some more!! I guess according to the original anouncement program Ovation's "Official" birthday is 14 Nov.1966? (38 yrs young)
Sam do you know what happened to or where and who the group "the balladeers" are? (I did a search but didn't turn up anything)
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THANK YOU again Sam :)
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Also is that REALLY Alpep in that picture??
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Mike :cool: |
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Location: Atlanta,Ga. | I dont think its Al,or is it?? Al ??
Here is a pic of a 1966 contemporary folk classic,only four built,12 fret ,slothead,super shallow bowl,non cutaway..The bowls had different colors(black,blue ,green,red) and matching color rosette.So each one is a one of a kind.Here is a pic of the red contemporary folk classic..The rosette was the zig zag type and there was no binding like "old #6".Interesting thing about these guitars is Ovation did not introduce the super shallow bowl until 1983 in cutaway,here is a 1966 super shallow bowl without a cutaway.Check out the cool red bowl and rosette..
http://www.ovationfanclub.com/gallery/_classic.jpg |
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Location: Las Cruces, NM | Great stuff
Thank you, thank you Samova, there is nothing like a glimpse into the making of history. I was somewhere at the time and later became aware of this revolutionary guitar and have followed it's development and, IMHO, decline for all these years. Why decline, with such an innovative beginning?
Bailey |
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Location: Parkersburg, WV | Samova,
I agree. Those are some great pieces of Ovation history. You mentioned posters in your opening post. I recently found a set of Ovation artist posters that I must have ordered in the '70s and forgot about. They include Glen C., Nancy Wilson, Roy Clark, Jeff Lynne, Kenny Loggins, Marcel Dadi, Al DiMeola, Tony Rice, Larry Coryell and Dave Mason. I vaguely remember a Cat Stevens poster that I also had and lost but was in a different format. It would be interesting to find out how many endorsees had posters produced.
Patsbro |
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Location: Atlanta,Ga. | Patsbro, i have the complete set of posters and i think there are about 10-12 artists total holding
some beautiful Ovations.I also have another different poster of Roy Clark on stage playing a 12 string Ovation.Its a very colorful poster with Roy wearing this red "Elvis" looking jumpsuit.. |
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| Mrs. Charlie Kaman has the green bowl classic. And I think I read somewhere Yngwie Malmsteen had one of the colored bowl classics. But it was stolen. |
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Location: Atlanta,Ga. | Luthier, 3 of the 4 contemp. folk classics are living in Ct. The fouth is in the "Ovation musium and archives" in Atlanta Ga. |
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Location: Atlanta,Ga. | here is a rare pic of slotted headstock guitars from a book written about adamas guitars.The book is called "When Adamas speaks"..All the pics in the book are of slothead adamas..I dont remember seeing any other catalogs or literature of slotheads anywhere else..The 12 string in the pic is the one i own..number 33,the only 12 string adamas in the series from 26-62..I think it is also the first pre production 12 string adamas built..
The second pic is of the cover of the book.
http://www.ovationfanclub.com/gallery/_slot.jpg
http://www.ovationfanclub.com/gallery/_cover.jpg |
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Location: Parkersburg, WV | Samova,
I've got that booklet in my collection too. It's probably the best piece of written material that ever came out of New Hartford. I especially like the last line:
"The amount of these labors to engineer and build each Adamas guitar exceeds the number of manhours it takes General Motors to assemble a Cadillac Seville."
This sums up the Adamas better than anything.
Patsbro |
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Location: Atlanta,Ga. | Here is a rare glimpse into the Ovation factory june 1967..These shiny bowl guitars were probably the first 100 or so ever built by Ovation..They have probably built over a million since then..
http://www.ovationfanclub.com/gallery/_fact1.jpg
http://www.ovationfanclub.com/gallery/_fact2.jpg
http://www.ovationfanclub.com/gallery/_fact3.jpg |
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Location: Lafayette, Louisiana | Sam, are there any more copies of the When Adamas speaks book? I would love to have one.....Paul Hebert |
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Location: Atlanta,Ga. | Paul, although the book is a bit rare im sure you can find one somewhere eventually.I have a couple but i want to keep them to go with each slothead adamas guitar..I also have the original Adamas owners manuals to make the set complete....Who knows one may pop up on e-bay.Everything else does.I have been looking for a certain guitar for over 5 years and finally found it on ebay a couple of weeks ago..Everything surfaces eventaully on e-bay... |
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Location: Lafayette, Louisiana | Sam, the 1975 Custom Balladeer I recently got had the coolest Ovation Owners manual in the case. It is kind of aN orange color, and it is in perfect shape. On the first page it has the "The Ovation Story", and talks about how in less than eight years Ovation Instruments has changed the world of guitar making. One thing that is kinda neat is that the drawings in it have a late 60s early 70s kinda feel to them. Are "cool hippie drawings" as my brother called them. Inside the back cover it has a list of Ovation players.
CAT STEVENS
SHAWN PHILLIPS
GLEN CAMPBELL
ERIC CLAPTON
GABOR SZABO
JOHHY RODRIGUEZ
BADFINGER
TOM T HALL
MAC DAVIS
BOBBY GOLDSBORO
DEL REEVES
ROGER MILLER
RICHIE HAVENS
KENNY LOGGINS
JIM MESSINA
JOSE FELICIANO
JOHN McLAUGHLIN
STRAWBS
STEVE WINWOOD
CHARLIE BYRD |
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Location: Las Cruces, NM | WHAT A POSTING THREAD!!! Definately one that needs to be preserved for the ages. |
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Location: Bethel, Me | MORE MORE MORE |
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Location: Atlanta,Ga. | Here is a rare 1967 Josh White promotional piece/owners manual....Dave ,i need to send you one of these.I think i owe you one.Send me your address again.
The first is the cover ,second is some of the inside and the third is the back
http://www.ovationfanclub.com/gallery/_josh1.jpg
http://www.ovationfanclub.com/gallery/_josh2.jpg
http://www.ovationfanclub.com/gallery/_josh3.jpg |
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Location: SoCal | Sam:
I gotta tell you, I've enjoyed this thread immensly. I'm always looking for old Ovation information on ebay and buy and save whatever I can. To see the old info you've been posting has just been a kick. Please continue as time allows. |
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Location: Lafayette, Louisiana | Sam, this is great. I too enjoy learning about Ovations history. Please keep the history lesson coming!.....Paul Hebert |
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Location: Atlanta,Ga. | Paul PI, Paul H.
Thanks for the nice words about this thread.I wasnt sure when i started it whether i was going to bore everyone with this material.Sometimes this early Ovation stuff that im passionate about may not be interesting to others .From the responce so far,it seems that others here are interested therefore i will keep adding until someone tells me to shut up..I only wish that Ovation would have saved some of their history and started an archives and musium.I know that they sold off most of their guitars and threw away most of the literature and catalogs from early on.I have saved some of the Ovation History here in Atlanta and am happy to share it with the ovation fan club.. |
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Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | AH-HA!! The proverbial "smoking gun"! The bridges are attached with two-part epoxies. Great work, Sam. I've seen a lot of questions about this issue. Who says History isn't important?!
http://www.ovationfanclub.com/gallery/_fact3.jpg |
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Location: Atlanta,Ga. | Seesquire, you figured all that out from a fuzzy black and white pic and from a paper cup with a stick in it ? You are good
Here is another pic from 1967.What great secrets does this one give away.. :D :D
http://www.ovationfanclub.com/gallery/_cover.jpg |
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Location: the BIG Metropolis of TR | Sam,
Thanks again for the history! - Is there really a Ovation Museum & Archive in Hotlanta,GA. or was you referring to your house? Either way I'm only a couple 100 miles away (Northern Greenville county,S.C.) and would LOVE to come pay a visit someday! Do you give guided tours at your house? lol.
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I only THOUGHT I had a catalog collection with my 6 - 8 different Ovation catalogs ;)
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Mike :cool: |
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Location: the BIG Metropolis of TR | I KNOW! I KNOW!....They make their tops outta pizza dough!!!!
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Did I get it right?.........No? :confused:
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Mike :cool: |
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Location: Atlanta,Ga. | TRBoy, you are no Seesquire when it comes to solving mysteries...Good try but no ! they are not made of dough..Yes the Ovation museum is in Atlanta and yes it is at my home..Due to remodeling the museum is closed for now..My wife says no tours thru here house.I'll just have to post pics..
Here is another slothead pic.I dont think this one is anywhere exept the "When Adamas Speaks" book...
http://www.ovationfanclub.com/gallery/_charlie.jpg |
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Location: Central Florida | Sam,
WOW!... Awesome stuff!!!
I don't get to post as often as I'd like because of time (or lack thereof), but I'm lurking and reading all the time and this is really great stuff. Please, keep it coming!
Jeff |
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Early Ovation History
