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Posts: 1565
Location: Indiana | I’ve been totally blown away at the volume of guitar porn I’ve found here. As I’ve mentioned, Ovation/Adamas has been a part of my world for decades, but all of my instruments were acquired to put to work. And, while lovingly cared for, they all show the wear signs of years of use.
I have gotten the impression that there are quite a few collectors in this group and have seen some incredible examples of rare and custom guitars posted.
I’d be curious to hear your opinions about what you would consider to be the very rarest O/A’s you are aware of in existence… and speculate about any you suspect might exist that would send you scrambling for a second mortgage.
Thanks- |
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Posts: 1234
Location: Tidal Mudflats of Virginia | 1. Beal's #35 wideneck original slothead comes immediately to mind.
2. Collin's #45 original slothead
My doubleneck, according to the good folks (KK) at the mothership, mine is most likely within the first 10-15 created. I turned down an offer of $12K for it, in hindsight, I should have sold it and bought Collin's slothead. |
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Posts: 15680
Location: SoCal | Most expensive? One of the great things about O/A's is that they are affordable. An expensive O/A can run you $4-$5k. For other builders, that's nothing. Value for the dollar is an O/A trademark.
As for exclusivity, that would depend on how you define it. There were only 34 slothead prototypes built. We know where maybe 12-15 of those are. Those may be the most exclusive guitars. Great guitars, great workmanship.
But there are other guitars where there are only a few of them left. There were maybe 50-100 Glen Campbell Deluxe Balladeers built in 1968 to early 1969. I know of where 4 of them now live. Yet I probably couldn't sell it for more that a grand.
Who knows? |
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Location: SoCal | "50-100 Glen Campbell Deluxe Balladeers built in 1968 to early 1969"
Nice to know, I didn't realize there were that few.
I put bluegrass strings on mine just as an experiment...nice. |
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Posts: 15680
Location: SoCal | Tony, yours is a GC Artist, one of the very first. The GCDB's were deep shiny bowls. Unless you located and bought something new..... |
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Posts: 6996
Location: Jet City | My old first year 1117 Deluxe Balladeer/Legend thing just got lights put on it and all shims removed just last night. Plays like the UKII now (OK, not the UKII, but more like the Tornado)
We were thinking in opposites Tony.
Back on topic, in regards to rare roundbacks, I think the FD should be towards the top right?
I have a 1537 coming, but they're not nearly as rare as the others mentioned, just one of the best (or so I hear). My above mentioned Deluxe Balladeer/Legend is probably a more rare find. Unfortunately it's had a bridge replaced. I don't think of myself as a collector though. I'm a player. I just like a variety. Really, every single guitar I have is VERY different than any other. |
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Posts: 7247
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Two really different questions...
1. What you would consider to be the very rarest O/A’s you are aware of in existence…
2. Any you suspect might exist that would send you scrambling for a second mortgage
For just rare...
I'm going to throw this one out there because I have only seen one, and it's mine.
The Ovation Medallion. Balladeer Bowl, aluminum neck... later called Matrix, and the current version called Ultra I think. It was my first Ovation and it's pretty beat up. I'd love to find another, and I've never seen another one.
The OvationFanClub Adamas is pretty rare. Only 12 made, and that's it.
As far as solidbodies (I realize the questions were about O/A's I'd have to say the PF-22's but, I also have the final Breadwinner Prototype and one of the first Production Breadwinners.
As for ones I'd look into a 2nd mortage for... One of the Original Slotheads would be truly nice to have. |
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Posts: 6996
Location: Jet City | THere's always that celebrity factor too.
It would probably be a mint for things Like John Lennon's Legend, Or McCartny's CL, or my all time fav....
The Adamas Neil used for Love at the Greek! |
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Posts: 2178
Location: the BIG Metropolis of TR | Originally posted by Damon67:
THere's always that celebrity factor too.
It would probably be a mint for things Like John Lennon's Legend, Or McCartny's CL, or my all time fav....
The Adamas Neil used for Love at the Greek! Add to that, all the Bluebirds and other rare Ovations that Glen Campbell use to own and use!
....now in the possession of OFC member..."Bluebird" |
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Posts: 498
| Originally posted by TRboy:
Originally posted by Damon67:
THere's always that celebrity factor too.
It would probably be a mint for things Like John Lennon's Legend, Or McCartny's CL, or my all time fav....
The Adamas Neil used for Love at the Greek! Add to that, all the Bluebirds and other rare Ovations that Glen Campbell use to own and use!
....now in the possession of OFC member..."Bluebird"
GH |
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Posts: 4619
Location: SoCal | Paul,
Nope, Artist and a DB shiny, 5pt bridge, shiny bowl, got back 7/05...very nice condition. $335.00 (includes the $35 shipping).
No label so I don't know the serial/age.
Artist is 2% better :D |
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Posts: 4413
| U681t 12 string - only 5 (or 6?) made. al's still got the last one available. I'm going to buy it soon if nobody else does.
How many koas did al have built?
Check out daves's Ovation gallery for lists. |
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March 2005
Posts: 12761
Location: Boise, Idaho | Thanks, Schroeder. I've been thinking about the next guitar for awhile and that last Ute 12 keeps popping into my brain, but it pops out again when I think about how little I play a 12 string. I really don't like collecting guitars for the sake of collecting. Knowing that you want it might keep me from thinking about it.
Then there's the Koas. 12 fret or 14 fret? Look at more pictures. Daydream some more. |
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Posts: 4413
| Hey, I've already got one - I don't actually need a second one, but I could string it very differently to the first one. Adamas 12 strings aren't like any other 12 strings on the planet. They are just the best. |
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Posts: 12761
Location: Boise, Idaho | Oops. I missed that. Now I'm going to start thinking about it again. I can't say I've ever played an Adamas 12. I never played any Adamas until I bought my Ute. |
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Posts: 6996
Location: Jet City | Originally posted by Mark in Boise:
Oops. I missed that. Now I'm going to start thinking about it again. I can't say I've ever played an Adamas 12. I never played any Adamas until I bought my Ute. I'm afeared to try an Adamas. |
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Posts: 1071
Location: Carle Place, NY | The Adamas guitars are now made to order so anyone can get a unique one-of-a-kind guitar made to their custom specs for a reasonable price.
Personally, I like Beal's long neck 2080D. |
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Posts: 6996
Location: Jet City | It seems to me that that approach will only attract sales by people that already know what an Adamas will/can do.
How do the ignorant learn they must have an Adamas?
Heck, if I want to see what a $5000 Taylor sounds like, I can go to a dozen different places locally. I don't know of one place with an Adamas. |
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Posts: 1565
Location: Indiana | Interesting replys... thanks.
Those of you who have toured the "mothership", are you shown any of Ovations' collection of rare or prototype instruments? I'm assuming they should have quite a few gem's. |
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Posts: 12761
Location: Boise, Idaho | Look at the tour threads. They have walls of them. Damon, the problem is probably worse here. GC doesn't carry any Adamas and I called one of the local dealers that listed Adamas in the yellow pages. The guy I talked to didn't know the difference between Adamas and a Celebrity.
I bought the Ute based on the OFC board recommendations. My memory is a bit fuzzy, but I also visited Dave in Phoenix about the same time and played so many nice Ovations and Adamas that I couldn't keep track. He had some nice Martins, too, but I wasn't impressed by those. |
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Posts: 6996
Location: Jet City | I've already invited myself to Dave's place the next time I'm down there. Probably towards end of summer of fall time.
There is a possibility that I might wrap my arms around an Adamas this week though if I can convince ovationlover to come up.
It's a 2080, but I'd really like to try a textured top. |
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Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Having a rare one-off guitar doesn't necessarily mean it has significant value, particularly if you can have the factory build you another upon request. I've had several on-offs made because, arguably, they didn't exist and were not otherwise available. This doesn't mean they're more valuable to anybody else. Rare, yes, but not irreplaceable. Open up your wallet and the factory will pretty much build whatever you specify. To my thinking, Mark's original slothead N. 43 is one of the rarest because it was used as the sole guitar of a traveling professional musician (Mark) for eight shows a week for ten years, and it has the tone and mojo that goes along with such use. There are original slotheads in far better shape, and some with a celebrity history, but none that have been played so thoroughly, and at present, I can't imagine anybody who would be willing to take an original slothead out on the road for 10 years and subject it to full-time use. Mark's is a survivor. |
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Location: NJ | Q10. |
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| Now that's rare. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | About as rare as Q8. They are rare. |
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Posts: 1071
Location: Carle Place, NY | Originally posted by Jonmark Stone:
Those of you who have toured the "mothership", are you shown any of Ovations' collection of rare or prototype instruments? I'm assuming they should have quite a few gem's. Correct assumption!
The best part is that you can pick any one of them off the wall and give 'em a go!
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Posts: 1565
Location: Indiana | Thanks for that Mitchrx-- wow!
That would be a tough room to exit gracefully.
Like a good newbie, I got intimate with the Search function last night looking for past tour pic's... with only limited success.
Is the proto being played in the bottom photo a wooden box or bowl?
Depending on my schedule when the dates are finally set, I sure would love to join you guys at the "mothership" this fall.
Have plectrum, will travel.
It's been a dream of mine since my first correspondence with them in the early 70's. (I still have all the letters and catalog's, and literature from nearly 40 years of being an O fan.) |
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Location: Central Massachusetts | Jonmark, go to the OFC Gallery and click on Phil Wong.. he's somewhat the official tour photographer and has the biggest cache of pics from the tours. Lots of other people have tour pics in their galleries as well, but Phil's should be enough to whet your appetite. |
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Location: Indiana | Excellent... thanks dvd. |
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Posts: 6996
Location: Jet City | Originally posted by Jonmark Stone:
Is the proto being played in the bottom photo a wooden box or bowl?
I believe that was the first playable Ovation (Old #7? or 8? or something like that). I also believe it's not a bowl, bur I don't think the back and sides are wood either.
I'm going off memory, I'm sure there are others here that can give you more detail. |
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December 2003
Posts: 1071
Location: Carle Place, NY | Originally posted by Jonmark Stone:
Is the proto being played in the bottom photo a wooden box or bowl?
That guitar is the first bowl prototype. It's a bit hard to tell from the photo, but it is a shiney bowl. Needless to say it's beyond cool to just be able to take it, or any of the others, sit down and strum away. |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Sampling these historic guitars is just one reason why an OFC factory tour is not to be missed. |
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Question for the collectors