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February 2002
Posts: 613
Location: Zion, Illinois | Ok, I have a question about the multi sound holes in the "Adamas" style of guitar.
How did Ovation arrive at the design? I see big holes, little holes, many holes, etc.
Were their size and placement due to trial and error.
Were they the product of computer analysis?
Or was it just a matter of cosmetics?
Just curious.
Bradley |
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Posts: 10582
Location: NJ | bradley
it was an attempt to give the top more surface area to vibrate sorta like the pricipal behind an f hole guitar.
it was not trial and error but many months of research. |
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February 2002
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Location: Scotland | There were several prototypes with different soundhole configurations, one was reissued a few years back as the Adamas 111. One of the Tangents(Yuk)has holes of different size & pattern to the usual style. Sam has a very cool prototype where each hole has a mini Ovation rosette rather than the leaf pattern. I'd guess the final design was a combination of all the things you suggested, anaylsis, trial & error & aesthetics. The point of the position is that the upper bout is very stiff & contributes little in terms if vibration, so putting the holes there makes more sense than punching a big hole in the middle of the top, then having to provide structural support for the weakness it creates. Why Ovation produce a centre-soundhole Adamas is beyond me. It seems to defeat the purpose. There's lots of other guitar manufactures producing multi-hole or off-centre-hole guitars. Once again Ovation leads, the rest follow.
[ October 20, 2002: Message edited by: Paul Templeman ] |
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With out a dout the single most important reason for moving the sound hole was structural support.I'm sure you've see tops that have sunk at the sound hole in the past.The MSH(multi Sound Hole) bracing had no cross braces when it was first introduced.This had problems of its own,when applied to wood tops the arch of the top changes with weather,it made it hard to keep a set up. Later patterns add a cross brace to help hold the arch in the top. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Paul T,
I agree with you completly about the round hole Adamas. You'll notice it came after my departure. It's just totally stupid but it is un fortunately the same logic that gets used so often. When something works or is new or suddenly popular, bring it out in as many variations as you can before it gets old. Of course, what is overlooked is that in that process the goose is killed before all the eggs are laid but this doesn't seem to phase people. They just go get another goose. Usually the concept dies before all the "new" models are out so the last ones are the simultaneous launch and close out.
As far as the holes, the concept was for the epaulets and holes to look like grape clusters and leaves, the holes being the grapes. The area of the holes is supposed to be the same as the area of the centre round hole, although I've never done the math. Sam's with the mini rosettes came later, an idea that didn't make it into production. |
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Location: SoCal | Grape clusters and leaves????
As many times as I've looked at my 1537 or Big Blue, I've never thought of grape clusters and leaves. |
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January 2002
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Location: Atlanta,Ga. | The guitar that i have with the multi rosette epaulettes basically has the soundholes in the exact same location and size as the regular adamas.The only difference is the epaullettes..Of course the cedar top,12 fret,slotted headstock and nylon strings makes this a unique Adamas...It was built around 1981........ |
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Location: Zion, Illinois | Cedar top? How does that compare to spruce?
Got any pics??????
Bradley |
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May 2002
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Location: Las Cruces, NM | I don't know how the cedar top compares, but cedar is generally only used on classical or nylon string guitars. As we have seen, sometimes Ovation ignores convention (violates tradition) but it doesn't look like they did in this case.
Bailey :p |
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Location: Scotland | Cedar is quite a common top-wood for steel strings. To my ear it sounds warmer than spruce but lacks the clarity, still a great sounding top-wood though. It tends to be less stiff than spruce so generally needs to be a little thicker or braced a little heavier. It looks like aged spruce from the day it's built, so it's good for that vintge vibe. Cedar steel strings tend to "bloom" much faster than spruce then level out. Every Cedar steel string I've had experience with has reacted tonally to climate.
[ October 22, 2002: Message edited by: Paul Templeman ] |
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Adamas Sound Holes