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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Miles has a PF-22 listed in his NOT for sale section.
What's the story behind these? Are the pre or post Breadwinner? Are they a prototype that just never saw the light of day?
Enquiring minds want to know! |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7237
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | The PF-22 never made it to full production. About 25 guitars were made around May, 1980. These are probably the best electric guitars ever manufactured by Ovation. These were set-neck (screwed and glued) guitars. Glue makes a better connection for vibrational transference between the neck and body than the traditional bolt-on necks resulting in improved sound and sustain.
On other Ovation electrics with bolt-on necks there is a piece of paper added between the neck and body that was soaked in glue. This would glue the neck to the body and the bolts insured correct alignment. This technique meant that if the neck ever needed to come off, you could take off the bolts and the neck would separate from the body at the paper joint.
The PF series did not have bolts. The holes were used for dowels to align the neck. The neck and body were glued together. As you may have now realized, that although necks on other Ovations will come off, PF necks will not.
The original PF pickups were two single coils. The bobbins from the magnum bass rear pickup were used with a hole drilled between the two pole pieces for the third pole piece and set them. Dave Fiester from the Henry Paul band had a Fender custom and liked those pickups so Bill Kaman tried to get close to that. The pickups were mounted on a plate and were wired in the hum-canceling position, (much like a P bass setup). The plate was the same size as a Dimarzio so they could be changed if the owner wanted to. Anything in the aftermarket at the time would fit.
So how did the PF-22 get its name. According to Bill Kaman, "We were still trying to have a solid body in the early 80's. Peavey had just come out with their first guitar and bass which had satin finish (the T-60). Hartley also had just put out an ad that the headline was "It took me 22 years to create this amp" and showed him sitting on the amp holding the guitar. Randy Hess, ad mgr (for Ovation), rest his soul, said we should do an ad with me (Bill Kaman) sitting like Frank (Zappa) in the "Phi Zappa Crappa" poster, on the can, holding the guitar, and the headline would be "It took me 22 minutes to create this guitar" Since we (Ovation) were going to kick Peavey's ass with this model we called it the Peavey F&%Ker. Hence the PF-22." This is true story. Years later at a trade show Bill told Hartley (Peavey) about it and they "both had a good laugh over it." |
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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Thanks Miles!
Great story.
I'd love to read any others you care to tell. |
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Joined:
July 2006
Posts: 171
Location: Oregon | :cool: Great story with that! |
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Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 2150
Location: Orlando, FL | Glen, I had no idea Dave Fiester had passed away. I had wondered why I hadn't heard anything about the Groovemonsters playing anywhere for a while. Dave was a great guitar player and a monster harmonica player too.
I remember him playing around Central Florida in bands since the mid 70's. Juice, Tight Shoes, Henry Paul Band and the Groovemonsters.
Miles, thanks for the story it's great to hear big Dave's Ovation connection. |
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PF-22..What's the story?