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March 2008
Posts: 355
Location: Wichita, KS | I've been lurking here for a few months and have finally decided it was time for my first post.
Back in February, I was poking around the ovationguitars.com archive page and came across a photo of the Magnum 1 bass. I remembered that Ovation had made a cool, similarly shaped solid body at about the same time. There was no reference on that page of that guitar. But with a little research, I rediscovered the Breadwinner and Deacon (and this fan club).
When Ovation released those models, I was in my early teens and could neither afford nor play well enough to justify buying one. But I remember picking up a brochure in a local music store and dreaming of the day I'd own one.
That dream took over 30 years but finally came true when I found a Breadwinner on eBay and won it with my first ever bid. This instrument was no beauty. Besides the horrid tan/tortoise color scheme (what on Earth were they thinking?) it had some major scratches on the back, a broken pickguard, and a nasty electronic hum.
Six months later, the Breadwinner has been upgraded with a new black pearl pickguard with matching truss rod cover, black pearl-top knobs, reinstallation of the original tuners, copper lining for the electronics bay, and some general cleaning & resoldering of the electronics. It still shows its age with some scratches and dents, but overall I am pleased with the way it plays and am continually amazed at the range of sounds this guitar is capable of.
While working on the Breadwinner, I went a little wild and bought one of dlnolet's Deacon 12s. That guitar is in near-mint condition and is an absolute joy to play. Back in the 1970s I couldn't play or afford one of these beauties. Now, at least, I can afford them. Enjoy the 'family portrait' that I am including here.
One question for the group: My Breadwinner still produces a faint hum. Is that normal for a guitar with the original single-coil pickups?
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15682
Location: SoCal | Beautiful guitars and welcome to the group! I don't know about the hum, but somebody here will.
Post more and don't be a stranger. And understand that your G.A.S. is just getting started and there is no cure..... |
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March 2005
Posts: 12761
Location: Boise, Idaho | Nice. Welcome. My wife's a Wichita State grad. |
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February 2004
Posts: 2487
| Very nice! I sold my very Rare Deacon to some crazy Aussie a few months back. It was to rare for the likes of me and it needed a good home. I was afraid to keep playing it on the weekend gigs. I do miss how it played and everything about it and I will most likly buy another when I get the opertunity again.
Great guitars, don't let them go you'll only want them back. Enjoy and Congrats and welcome
Randy |
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June 2007
Posts: 3084
Location: Brisbane Australia | Yeah he's still got it and now a few more :D
Welcome DL
AJ |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Very Nice and welcome. |
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November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Enjoy. |
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January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Originally posted by Dale Lutes:
I . . . could neither afford nor play well enough to justify buying one. Neither can we, but we sure don't let that stop us from piling these beauties up in the bandroom.
Welcome to the forum, Dale.
Also, a quick suggestion . . . be careful when you ask a question like "What were they thinking?" about some feature on a specific vintage model. You might receive an answer from someone who was involved in the very decision. |
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November 2006
Posts: 3969
| Very nice! |
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Joined:
March 2008
Posts: 355
Location: Wichita, KS | ProfessorBB said:
be careful when you ask a question like "What were they thinking?" about some feature on a specific vintage model. Point well taken. Especially on matters of personal taste. I'm sure there are people out there who love the tan/tortoise color scheme and I don't mean to offend. They're probably wondering what I was thinking when I chose black pearl to replace the tortoise. |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13997
Location: Upper Left USA | In honor of Mr. Lutes' coming out and to celebrate his choice of "Black Pearl" I motion that today is O-fishly...
Type like a Pirate Day!
Ya-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-rrrrh!
Personaly I like the Tourtiose and Tan and don't own anything in the Blue Fade or the Faded Blue.
Welcome and enjoy!
BTW - Did you do your own pickgaurd and electronics work? |
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Joined:
March 2008
Posts: 355
Location: Wichita, KS | Arrrrh! Ahoy there, Mr. Woody and thanks for welcoming me aboard. And I'll not be holdin' yer affection for Tortoise and Tan again' ye!
To answer your questions, I did a little soldering and some continuity testing on my own. A good friend did the pickguard and truss rod cover for me. He used to work for a plastic fabricating shop, so I knew it would be quality work. |
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February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Very nice, Dale. Welcome! |
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December 2004
Posts: 4394
Location: East Tennessee | Dale,
Welcome to the OFC. Very nice pair of guitars. |
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September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Originally posted by ProfessorBB:
Originally posted by Dale Lutes:
I . . . could neither afford nor play well enough to justify buying one. Neither can we, but we sure don't let that stop us from piling these beauties up in the bandroom.
(just prove you can pay for it... :p ) |
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August 2005
Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | Welcome.
The reason it hums is...
...it doesn't know the words. |
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Joined:
April 2008
Posts: 2985
Location: Sydney, Australia | Good one Muzza. On a more serious note, my father was good with electronic stuff and his suggestion was that a hum was usually related to a faulty shielding problem somewhere. He would fix this by taking it apart and putting it back together with more care than the person before did. |
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Joined:
March 2008
Posts: 355
Location: Wichita, KS | The first time I plugged the Breadwinner in, the hum was awful! I think that's why the previous owner sold the guitar. The hum decreased markedly when I touched the strings, leading me to suspect a grounding problem. As I was taking everything apart, the ground wire from the circuit board to the tailpiece adjustment bolt broke. I repaired that and sanded the crap off the washer there for better contact. The electronics bay had been lined with aluminum foil which I replaced with copper.
The hum that remains is low volume, really only noticeable when I'm not playing. It's acceptable to me. I just wondered if it was normal. |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13997
Location: Upper Left USA | A dab of Clear RTV over any exposed wires might clear that. I don't have any problems when dialed in up to 7 on the Volume but because it is an Active system remember that 5 is the same as 10 on a passive system.
Don't be afraid to look and poke around!
I recently aquired a Preacher at a good price because of sound issues. after I opened up the PG for a cleaning and assesment all I had to do was pry the Capacitor away from the ground wire and the tone worked just fine! |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 5567
Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | Very Nice Dale: as one member who just bought his first electric Ovation after owning many, many A/E and Acoustic Ovations, let me tell you that you have done well! I really like my UK II and the Deacon 12 remains a serious "must own" one day for me! Welcome to the club! |
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Dream Come True