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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Friday, September 30, 2005.
Five or six years ago, this picture (to me) woulda’ been a “dream” at best,
bordering on an “impossibility”.
To be at the Factory with this many of these guitars, their owners,
Bill and the other guys who made them, was truly an honor and a pleasure.
I’d “known” my particular guitar since it arrived from the Factory at a local NJ music shop,
and have “owned” it for the past nine years. The “Story” that it and I share is a long, involved,
convoluted tale of friends, wives, lovers, fast cars, illicit affairs, divorce, etc. that is to be
spelled-out in a forthcoming tome (but more on that later).
Through the efforts of Alpep and cwk2, the “SlotHead Reunion” came about in conjunction with
the Adamas’ upcoming 30th Anniversary to get all these guitars together in one place to study,
measure, compare, and analyze (against each other, and the Passage of Time, in general.)
We were welcomed at the Factory early in the morning, and had a BS-session in Frank’s office
about how we came about these guitars, the stories behind ‘em, etc. Then Frank took us on a Tour
of the Factory. While it was just a wee bit tedious to go through yet ANOTHER FactoryTour
(I had just been there a few months previous w/OFC’05), it was cool to see some of the reactions
from some of the workers to see Bill on the Factory floor again. There were a lot of people coming
over, shakin’ hands and saying “Hi” . . .
Midday brought us to Lunch at a nice little place in “downtown” NewHartford,
where we were joined by a “just in from Korea” Rick Hall.
The afternoon led to a demo of the LaserVibrometer (and the resultant comparison of a few guitars),
a tour/”hangout” in the Adamas production area (at the time, they finishing up some AdamasI RI’s, and
were just starting to mold the fibreglass “rings” for the 47RI’s). We finished-up our day there hanging
out in Engineering playing all of the Slotheads lined up on stands. Several amplifiers were available,
but if you’ve ever played a Slothead, you know that “amps” are just . . . superfluous.
The Day was capped-off by a sumptuous dinner at a really nice local Italian restaurant (that is probably
STILL trying to “recover”). They really SHOULD have “separated” the 3JerseyGuys and NOT let them sit
near each other at a long table of 16 people. It was a GREAT night, with lotsa food/drinks, great people,
a LOTTA laughs, and more than a few “glares” from some of the other tables (so be it).
My guess would be that the “EndOfTheNight” was a major test to the thermal-resistance of Rick’s
CorporateCard . . .
The day also garnered some great PhotoOps, many of which are still (I Think) in my Gallery.
The June photo was one of the ones taken by Jeanette while everyone lined-up with the guitars.
BackRow(fromLeft):
Darren (OvationEngineering)
Mark(ElginAcres)
Timm Kummer (friend of Bill’s who was purportedly writing an article of the Day for VintageGuitar
. . . Timm, . . . I’m STILL waiting for an address to send those pictures to . . .)
CWK2
Nick Mackin (Ovation Engineer who worked EXTENSIVELY on the Adamas Project – now retired.)
Alpep (who is also working on a published collection of AdamasHistory on his own – he’s got my “story”)
Rick Hall
Michael Wong (PlayAdamas)
Moi
The ever-Chesire Kim Keller
FrontRow(fromLeft):
35, 36, 41, 43, 45, 47, 49, 50, 53, 54
My only regret was that we couldn’t have assembled more of the guitars/owners t’gether that day.
Be That As It May:
Five or Six Years Ago, if anybody woulda’ told me that such a picture would exist, (and that I would be in it),
I would’ve accused them of SmokingCrack . . .
. . . Now, everytime I see it, I just smile to myself and realize what a fortunate person I am.
It was a Good Day. |
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Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 2150
Location: Orlando, FL | Great story!
And here's a link to the picture for those who don't have a calendar.
June Picture
Enjoy.
Steve |
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Joined:
June 2005
Posts: 231
Location: N.J. | Cliff,
That just makes me want YOUR guitar even more..!!
I still am particular to that one over every other slothead {reissue or otherwise} I've played thus far. |
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Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Great story Cliff....maybe in the future, a renuion can also be had and include those fortunate enough to get the #47 RI. |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | Or an OFC guitar. I'm holding out for it on the theory that it's almost exactly what I requested and if it's built, it must mean that God wanted me to have one.
My wife's sorta buying that reasoning..... |
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Joined:
January 2005
Posts: 4903
Location: Phoenix AZ | Hey Paul - do you believe in conspiracy theories? Have you ever thought that maybe all the OFC Spouces, Life Partners and Significant Others have ganged up behind our backs and are working secretly with Al and the factory to put the ixnay on the ofc targuizay ???
Dave |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | sshhhh..... Let me live in my fantasy world a little longer. |
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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Dave...Remember?? . You promised a short time ago that you would no longer discuss "that" guitar. |
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Joined:
January 2005
Posts: 4903
Location: Phoenix AZ | Come on, you don't think Alzay knows ipzay tinlazay do you? He's just an otidizay who sells mentequipzay for a vinglezay. Dave |
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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | o-tay...
BYW Dave..just how are you spending your day today. Sitting in an airport? Certainly not workin'! |
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Joined:
January 2005
Posts: 4903
Location: Phoenix AZ | Glad you asked? Actually it is some kind of holiday here in Europe. Like the 8th monday after the fall of Rome or something. I have no clue. Except that basically everything is shut down, except McDonald's and the sex shops. I'm trying to watch my weight and I've already been in all the sex shops, so there you go.
Actually I have been sitting in a very empty office all day. Literally the only one here. I have actually been doing a fair amount of work between the postings here. Also brought my uke along and played a bit. But now it's working hours in the US so my email and phone are starting to go crazy with the usual BS. Soon Asia will kick in and it's just back to the same old clock-never-stops routine. It pays the bills.
Dave |
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Joined:
November 2004
Posts: 4413
| It's not a Europe thing. It's strictly local to you. Ya cudda come over for the day and been insulted in a language you understand. If you knew what those French guys were really saying... |
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Joined:
January 2005
Posts: 4903
Location: Phoenix AZ | Schroeder, with all due respect I was watching BBC last night some stupid Scottish comedy thing and honestly I couldn't tell what in the hell they were toookin aboooot. Sometimes I'm better off not knowing what people are saying about me ... |
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Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Friday, September 30, 2005
Great day. |
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June Calendar Pic