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Location: south east Michigan | ....and it feels sooooo good.
Don't mind me...I'm just thinkin' out loud.
Right now I have two acoustics. (who would have thunk I would ever want more than one?)....A '70 Balladeer and a wonderful Al DiMeola II. Both in in natural. I want my next guitar to be a contrast to those. BrianT suggests that if I really want contrast, I should get a wood box guitar. Silly man. Don't worry...I can handle him. Budget is an issue or else I would eventually order the ultimate in contrast.... A 47RI with the VIP pre-amp. I can handle about $2K, maybe $2.5, even if it does raise the eyebrows of SWMBO. And I have enough control to keep from pulling the trigger until I see what is going on at the factory in a couple weeks.
Okay..lets get down to brass tacks
So...does the Koa 06C offer this contrast to my AD-II??
Body Binding...Tortoise / Abalone
Bowl.... Countour / Deep
Style... Multi-hole / Single Hole
Neck....Gloss - no skunk stripe / Oiled w/skunk stripe.
Fingerboard markers.. none / lots-o-bling
Headstock...Glossy & Grained / Gloss Black Paint
Pre-amp...VIP / OP-Pro
Top....Anti-Spruce / Ultra Spruce
Sound...IMHO--- More subdued & Bassy / Bright, Crisp, Clear
Hardware...Gold / Pearloid
Intangables...Plays great..the countour bowl is comfortable to me. Fairly low production numbers. I played serial# 334. Dispite the Celebrity models the Koa is unique and will be rare in the future. At last years tour this guitar seduced me right from the start.
Yeah..the 12 fret, slothead, single hole model is nice but I don't think the Mothership will ever sell it outright. If it does not end up with an employee, Cliff has first dibs.
Am I missing something here? Is my sight blinded by Koa colored glasses? |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Have you tried to special order the 12 fret slothead single hole? Might be a nice surprise if they said yes.
Never hurts to ask! |
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Location: Rego Park, NY, | I'm gonna stand upwind from Brad at the Factory!! :eek: :p :) |
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Location: south east Michigan | From what Al says, the supply of Koa is done, kaput, over.
And Phil....After I entered the topic, I knew that joke was coming. You guys are soooo predictable. |
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Location: San Angelo, Texas | From what Kim at the Factory says, the supply of KOA is gone as far as the 2006's is concerned, but that ones and twos for special orders is NOT a problem AT ALL. Getting wood for 500, THAT is a problem :)
So...want a Custom order with a KOA top, deep contour bowl and VIP or Op-Pro Stuido? Not a problem. |
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Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | I guess I don't understand the fascination with koa. Every koa instrument I've ever played has not sounded as good as its appearance would give you to expect, including several Martins. It IS pretty, though.
I haven't played a 2006 Collectors'. I suppose that could change my mind.
Brad, if you want CONTRAST, you should get a mid-bowl Custom Elite LX. Order a custom color. THAT will be quite different from either your Balladeer and your ADII. Just my opinion.
Roger |
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Location: Rego Park, NY, | Brad,
I guess my sense of humor comes from my upbringing. I was often called "Phillip's Milk of Magnesia". It may also come my name, due to the fact that I don't have a middle name. Just imagine if my middle name was Edward or Ethan. My initials would be PEW. I have a younger brother who is eight years younger. When he was toilet training he would never lift the seat. I could never convince my mother that I was not the one who peed in the seat. Just think of it.
Who would most likely leave the seat down. A young toddler or a 10 year old. This is what I had to deal with while growing up. I guess it also didn't help that he grew up to be smarter than me, Stuyvesant High School, Cornell University. Don't get me wrong,I get along great with my brother. I just couldn't resist responding to such an obvious opportunity. |
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Location: Cicero, NY | I agree with Roger. I love the looks of koa (including the '06C) but the sound has always come up short to me. Have you considered a bearclaw? How do they sound? A couple of those are stunning (of course others have turned me off immediately too). Just thinking options here... |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | If I could spend Brad's money or him, I'd order a 1773-LX Classic with the following modifications:
Cedar top
Tortoise binding and rosette
Radiussed fingerboard
Bridge, nut, tuners for STEEL strings
Contour bowl
What would it be? OH, it would be a cutaway FD14 with contour bowl. How freaking cool would THAT be ???
Dave |
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Location: SE Michigan | I am greatly looking forward to seeing whatever you decide to buy. But I have to say........wait......let me put on my fireproof suit.......zipppppp.......ok........I have to say that for $2k+ you could easily be looking at the Martin 28 or 35 series, Taylor 500 series, Gibson J45 Rosewood or J100, many Larivees, etc., etc.
If you really want something different I'd play some of the all-wood boxes like I mentioned. Taylor has some beautiful koa guitars if you are into koa. CA guitars has started production again if you like graphite.
You already have 3 Ovations, (counting the Trekker), 4 counting the breadwinner. If you want something to complement the ADII you should look at some other makes of instruments.
Seeing as how this buying opportunity only comes up for you once in a blue moon, I would advise that you broaden your horizons a bit and at least play some other makes.
Just my two cents |
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Location: south east Michigan | Keep those suggestions coming!!!!
I spent about an hour with the 06C plugged in and unplugged. The VIP rocks. No more piezo effect. Qwack is wack!!!
I know someone will say I'm crazy but I thought it sounded good unplugged. Different...maybe more Martin-ish but still Ovation. I played it myself and I had someone play it for me. |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | My wife has said almost the same thing BrianT, just said, except she doesn't want me to spend any money. That was meant as an insult to Brian. Ovation makes a ton of varieties, many that are better sounding than a Taylor 500 series. If you want variety and like Ovations, there are plenty of options. Having 4 or 5 Ovations isn't anywhere close to being stuck in a rut. You could take 4 or 5 of mine that have no similarities other than the bowl and spend less than $2000, except I won't sell them. |
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Location: SoCal | My FD14 doesn't sound like any other Ovation I own. Even my 1537 and 87C have different tones. My GC 12 string and Big Blue are totally different guitars.
If you have the urge to play different guitars (ie Martin, Taylor, Gibson, etc) then by all means do it. But if you don't, then there's a ton of variety within the Ovation line. |
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Location: south east Michigan | I can appreciate and enjoy some Martins, Taylors, and others. BrianT's D-28 is an awesome guitar. I posted here about how seductive the Doyle Dykes signature model is. I just don't want to bring one home to stay. It just would not fit in a Sesame Street kind of way. You know.. "one of the things don't fit in". Ovations have been very good to me for 36 years now. It's not a blind obession...it's a well thought out, logical, and healthy kind of obsession. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Originally posted by BrianT:
I have to say that for $2k+ you could easily be looking at the Martin 28 or 35 series, Taylor 500 series, Gibson J45 Rosewood or J100, many Larivees, etc., etc. Ask Brad about the email I sent him. I was in Sam Ash 48th street yesterday and played the most amazing guitar. It wasn't Ovation or Martin, but it was easily the best sounding guitar in the place ... |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Brad, Tuppy is such a tease!
Tell us about the email he sent you. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | I'm not trying to tease, it's just that sometimes my comments tend to send these threads off into never never land. Truth be told I was in Sam Ash. Ironically I had Al on the phone at the same time, but that's another story). Anyway, I was killing time and literally played every guitar in the A room. Those who have been there know that they have a B room that contains the Celebrity, Balladeer, Elite and Legend stuff. Then you walk through to the A room where they have Taylor, Martin, and higher end Ovation. I played a Taylor 814-CE that was just amazing. I don't know shit about Taylors and I'm not saying they are better or worse than Ovation or Martin, and maybe 99% of them suck. But this one specific guitar was extremely nice sounding unplugged. Price tag was $2750. and in my opinion worth it. I bought a dozen pics for $4.
Dave |
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Location: Warren,Pa. | Get yourself a 12 string...THAT would be in contrast to everything you have. A 12 string has always been my main guitar, and I know some folks just don't take to them. Personally, I might go mad and pull the trigger on an Adamas 1 12string and send it in for an Op pro transplant. |
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Location: south east Michigan | You guys are a blast. I'm even getting private messages from a few Sith Lords out there trying to seduce me to the Dark Side.
"Help me Obie-Wan Kenobi!!"
As far as a 12 string goes...my Hobbit like fingers don't do so well on one of those.
I am grateful, educated, and amused by ALL the comments and suggestions. |
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Location: LewistownPA | I used to own a Taylor 814ce. Nice looking guitar that sounded better unplugged than the couple of O's I've owned, but the issue for me was the neck. It felt too wide and too flat for my hands. I would actually get left hand cramps after playing it for a while that I don't get playing my other guitars. Ended up selling it on the bay. Just goes to show how individual preferences can make finding the ulitimate guitar for sound,feel,playability,looks,ect. such a daunting task,and why we all constantly get gas. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Tuppy, the 814ce is the poor man's Doyle Dykes.
One of these days when we get together I will put it into your talented hands and have you take it for a spin. It is the only Taylor I have played that both felt good and sounded good.
Maybe at Tony's SoCal shindig :cool: |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | now about that mysteriously mentioned phone call with AL.....just can't leave us without a tease, can you? |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Originally posted by stephent28:
now about that mysteriously mentioned phone call with AL.....just can't leave us without a tease, can you? I was in the A room at Sam Ash and Al called. Something about my credit no longer being any good ... |
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| If you haven't already got a wish list firmly fixed in your mind and you need help in picking what to buy you should be forced to give the money to someone who would have the order placed inside 2 minutes.
So send me the money now (actually just send it to al and I'll let him have the details.). |
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Location: boulder | slip, there's no easy way to be free...go to the tour, play the 2080 adamas. that's all I ask. but a 000-28vs is another direction. peace |
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Location: south east Michigan | Damn Schroeder...I never thought it could be that easy!!!
Yep fugot....I'm gonna play everything that is not nailed down. That's a good part of the fun anyway. You comin'?? |
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Location: boulder | just for the free lunch..and to ding up the josh white reissue. that way there will be at least one frg. I hear this year the tour giveaway is a special underwater uke.... |
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Location: south east Michigan | Could it be... DESTINY???
That was a scant 11 months ago. |
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Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | As far as "the dark side"....been there, done that!!!! I had a Martin 000-16RGT and a Larrivee gloss flame maple parlor. They were good guitars, but they aren't here now, I didn't play them, my Ovations all play better. It was a detour that I won't repeat.
I do play all-wood guitars that I like, but none of them impress me enough that I would spend money on them. The only ones I can think of that even makes me consider it is the Gibson L-200 Emmylou Harris, the Martin 000-28EC Eric Clapton, and the Blueridge BR-183 (sounds like a 000-28EC for about $2000 less).
I still think a mid-bowl Elite is a definite departure from your other two. NOT a contour-bowl.
ACTUALLY....I think you need a hollow-body or semi-hollow-body electric like an Epiphone Casino or an Epiphone Sheraton. Would work well for some of the songs you and BrianT do. There's a reason that Lennon, McCartney and Harrison all had Casinos.
Roger |
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Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by Slipkid:
Could it be... DESTINY???
I don't think so, Brad.
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Location: Keller, TX | I know where you can get a Millenium ;) |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Slipkid's got GAS
... and the fishnets offer us little protection. |
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Location: ms | I had a 92 collectors with a ash top,and it sounded great, Lets not forget the Adamas have carbon tops,Ash is a hardwood and i would think carbon would be thought of as hard. It seems to me that hard tops work well with "plastic backs". I have played only one wood body Koa guitar that i liked, it is a Goodall and i use it often. Most koa guitars just sound thin to me. |
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| So we got a pictuire of the D chord and a picture of the G chord - if we could just get a pic of the A chord we got ourselves a Buddy Holly tribute band. |
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Location: Michigan | Hey Brad next week May 12th-13th Huber & Breese is having their annual anniversery sale . Im sure Paul would love to have some of that 2K your about to pass gas with . Free restring on your guitar on Saturday between 12:00-3:00 complements from Gibson . Good Luck on whatever you buy . I don't pick up my 6 strings much anymore since getting a 12 string . It sounds like there are two more guitars playing along with you . Just an incredible sound . My vote is buy a 12 string . GWB |
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Location: south east Michigan | Yeah...Paul has already tried to tempt me with the anniversery sale. I told him I'm not dropping a single dime until I get back from the tour.
It will be a big weekend at Huber. Doyle Dykes will be there pimping Taylors. The traveling Gibson display van will be there. The I got a free string change from the Gibson folk last year. The only representation Ovation will get is if I wear my OFC fan club shirt.
I mentioned this event to Rick Hall at the last tour. I told him if Ovation every wanted to be part of something like that he would have a ton of help and support from the local fan base.
GWB...We gotta hook up some time. |
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Location: SoCal | " So we got a pictuire of the D chord and a picture of the G chord - if we could just get a pic of the A chord we got ourselves a Buddy Holly tribute band."
I'm sorry, I don't know those chords. My three chords are Eb, Ab, and Bb.... |
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| Then you can't join the band.
On the other hand if you know the minor seventh of Eb and Bb you can play Take Five and keep evry sax player in the land happy. |
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Location: Upper Left USA | "you can play Take Five"
I'll show you the lazy man version in Am in a couple of weeks! |
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Location: south east Michigan | Two Weeks
TWO WEEKS!!!
TWO WEEKS!!!!!
.
Two weeks from right now BrianT and I will be driving somewhere in eastern New York state.
ooops...check that...2 weeks from right now we'll be at the factory itself!!! :D |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Will someone please shut Brad up. People that are just a little bit TOO happy make me a little bit UN-happy. I feel like he's going to meet each and every one of us at the hotel lobby door with hugs and kisses. Oh the pain of it all ... Dave |
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Location: SoCal | Cm & Gm? |
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| CmSEVENTH and GmSEVENTH.
You've been lying about the three chords Paul.... |
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Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by schroeder:
if we could just get a pic of the A chord we got ourselves a Buddy Holly tribute band. So if you happen across someone who knows how to make one, you let us know. :p
Besides, that's a Canadian chord. |
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Location: Chehalis, Washington | I either feel completely lost, or like a god among mortals here...? :rolleyes:
Brad, you can be excessively happy for me since I won't be there, and then email me some of the good vibes, okay? |
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Location: south east Michigan | Edensharvest...Don't fret...you'll be able to buy the DVD of all the tour events. Well maybe just some of the events.....Okay.... a couple. |
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Location: Cherry Hill, NJ | Brad, suck it up. Your driving to the tour with Brian, who advised you to get a Taylor 500 series. Broaden your horizons, he says. At least this time your not stopping in Nazareth Pa. |
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Location: Chehalis, Washington | Thanks Brad...that makes it a WHOLE lot better. |
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Location: south east Michigan | Well...since playing all the great guitars on the tour, my lust for the 06 koa has somewhat dwindled.
I think the 06 Koa got more into my head than my heart. I still think it's an awesome guitar. I asked Ovation chief engineer Darren this...."Put aside marketing and sales...put aside any prejudice against a koa top. Based only on a design standpoint, are you happy with this guitar?"
He replied, "It's a killer guitar".
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I went to the tour hoping to find some clarity of thought. I ended up with more questions than answers. |
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Location: NJ | Brad;
You needa Ute . . . |
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Location: south east Michigan | Yep...that think that is the style of guitar I'm gonna end up with. With it's big open chord sound it fits right in with how I play. Even if it comes down to something special order. Maybe a slight variation on the 1680. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | You know, I didn't see a 1680 at the tour. Did anyone see one? I would have liked to try one (with my eyes closed). I bet it sounds wonderful.
Brad, you play a lot of big full cowboy chords and I agree a U681 would sound great in your hands. But do yourself a favor and at least look at some quality wooden box guitars before you take the plunge. No disrespect to Ovation, but your style of playing in my opinion would transfer well to some nice Takamine or Martin models. You might be convinced you like Ovations even more than ever. Or maybe not.
Dave |
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Location: NJ | I KNEW we shoulda' strangled him with that t-shirt . . . |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | I was fully expecting to be thrown in the pool. Dave |
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Location: NJ | Don't delude yourself into thinking that it wasn't "discussed" . . . |
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Location: closely held secret | The pool hadn't been cleaned. We didn't want to make the job any harder for them. |
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Location: Cicero, NY | After playing all the guitars that I had the chance to play on the Tour, I find myself more torn than ever. Knowing full well that a 47RI isn't in the cards and chances are Cliff will probably not part with that #54 anytime soon, I found myself thoroughly loving the Ute, the FD and the 1537. The 12's that were on hand were nice too but I know I just wouldn't pick them up enough to justify the buy. All for different reasons but each time I had one of them in my hands I thought "Yeeeahhhh, baby, this is the next one for me...", then I'd pick up the other and be right back to square one.
All I can say is I feel your pain, Brad. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | There's a sunburst 1537 on ebay right now. It's a little beat up but I bet it sounds nice. The sunbursts sounded better than the naturals or blacks.
Personal opinion (somewhat informed since I own all three) the 1537 is not in the same class as the U681 and the FD14. No way. BUT you can get the 1537 for about half as much money. FD14 is the top dog in my book.
Dave |
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Location: Cicero, NY | This might be a stupid question (and, if it is, it certainly wouldn't be my first) but why would the sunbursts sound better than the naturals or blacks?
And I can understand that the 1537 is in a different class than the other two but, money aside (and that's just how I prefer to hear them), I just fell in love with it. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Originally posted by Tupperware:
I was fully expecting to be thrown in the pool. Dave into the fast lane of Route 91 was also mentioned....... |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | P.S.
the 1537 is a damn fine sounding guitar. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Originally posted by Weaser P:
This might be a stupid question (and, if it is, it certainly wouldn't be my first) but why would the sunbursts sound better than the naturals or blacks? Nobody knows for sure. It's been speculated that the black ones are badly grained tops and they paint them black just to cover up the mess. Out of sight, out of mind. One theory about the natural ones is that they have a much thicker gloss finish than the sunbursts. On the naturals the whole top color "ages" which means it gets darker or more orange color over the years. They don't want this to happen to the sunburst ones because the black part of the burst would start looking purple. So the gloss finish on the sunbursts is thinner and therefor the top vibrates more freely and sounds better. The nutmeg ones are supposed to be someplace in between the sunburst and natural in terms of sound quality but I have never heard one. I think they made all of about 5 nutmegs. Anyway, like I said, it's all just rumor and speculation but it kind of makes sense to me. That's why the 2 that I've owned have been sunburst.
Dave |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Yup, boys, we missed out on a great chance to video the Windsor Locks Lady's Auxillary , who adopted that local stretch of interstate 91, scrape-up the skidmark formerly know as Witko.... |
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Location: Cicero, NY | Intersting. I'll have to look for a sunburst for a comparison. |
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Oh Lookout!!! Slipkids Got G.A.S.!!!