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Posts: 806
Location: Seymour, Tennessee | I was just looking over the available reference material I could find on these things and it brought up some questions.
Mine is #48 of 1000 and is a 1987-4.
The reference pages here on the site say that
there were 820 1987-7's and 108 1987-5's built.
No mention of -4's.
Page 125 of "The History of the Ovation Guitar" says 820 1987-7 Nutmeg Stain and 108 1987-5 Black ones were built.
Again nothing about 1987-4's.
The Ovation Gallery's link page on 87 Collecotr's clearly shows a label with 1987-4.
What's the deal on these then?
Why aren't production numbers on the 4's listed or are they just batched in with the -7's?
I can say the color of my 87-4 doesn't look much like the natural finishes of my other natural finish Ovations, it's more an orangey/honey color, kinda hard to describe.
I know wood ages and colors differently but it's color is quite different from my 68 DB and much different from my 1718.
Anyway, just curious is all......... |
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March 2002
Posts: 15682
Location: SoCal | It'll be interesting to see what others here say. Mine's also labeled as a -4. All of the -4's were a nutmeg stain which gave them a "vintage" look (an aging stain?) right off the bat. They get darker with age from there, along with the finish yellowing over time.
The material you'll find on this website in the reference section is more of a "guideline" rather than a hard and fast rule. In my experience, the -7 always refers to the Adamas beige. I don't think I've ever seen it referring to the nutmeg stain of the 87C.
Let's see what others have to say...... |
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Posts: 4996
Location: Phoenix AZ | The "Natural" consists of -4 and -7 depending on where you read it. But the actual color of the guitar (a kind of honey orangish vintage) is the same. Same with the Book Elite. Technically I think the label says -7 but they are "Natural"
The real Nutmeg, in my opinion is the Patroit, the Thunderhead and the JL3 guitars which are almost "brown" in color. |
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Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | there were about 30 bearclaw tops made. My guess would be that the nutmeg were -7 and the bearclaws -4. That's porbably going to be wrong but let's see. |
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Posts: 3619
Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | I'll tell you what mine says when I get it back from the factory in a few days and see it for the first time (; |
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Posts: 806
Location: Seymour, Tennessee | Originally posted by Beal:
there were about 30 bearclaw tops made. My guess would be that the nutmeg were -7 and the bearclaws -4. That's porbably going to be wrong but let's see. Mine is definately darker than other -4's and the wood does look a little "swirly" but not overly so.
Thanks for all the replies so far...... |
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Posts: 4236
Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | I finally got around to taking a look at mine, and it's a -4 as well. This is an interesting thread.
Mine doesn't look like bearclaw though. Here are pics in different lighting of the top.
Originally posted by Michael R. Winters:
I was just looking over the available reference material I could find on these things and it brought up some questions.
Mine is #48 of 1000 and is a 1987-4.
The reference pages here on the site say that
there were 820 1987-7's and 108 1987-5's built.
No mention of -4's.
Page 125 of "The History of the Ovation Guitar" says 820 1987-7 Nutmeg Stain and 108 1987-5 Black ones were built.
Again nothing about 1987-4's.
So does mathematics mean that there were 1000-928=72 1987-4's made?
Originally posted by moody, p.i.:
All of the -4's were a nutmeg stain which gave them a "vintage" look (an aging stain?) right off the bat. They get darker with age from there, along with the finish yellowing over time.
Since I just had the top/bowl replaced on my Book Elite, you can compare it to the original finish on my book mandolin. Quite a difference after just 14 years.
Originally posted by Gallerinski:
The "Natural" consists of -4 and -7 depending on where you read it. But the actual color of the guitar (a kind of honey orangish vintage) is the same. Same with the Book Elite. Here they are side by side; another chance to compare an aged finish to a new one.
Originally posted by Gallerinski:
The real Nutmeg, in my opinion is the Patroit, the Thunderhead and the JL3 guitars which are almost "brown" in color. And for newbies who may not know about the nutmeg finish of the Patriot. Here you go....
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Posts: 3619
Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | Nice pics there Patch! Maybe when mine arrives I'll start a "show me your 87C or Book Elite" thread. (: |
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Posts: 806
Location: Seymour, Tennessee | Yup, mine looks like Patch's.
A bit darker though. |
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April 2006
Posts: 848
Location: Munich, Germany | Mine says -4 as well, #104.
Looks kinda swirly, but not very clawy.
Compared it to the book Bass and Longneck - same color, but much more of a swirl in the 87C than in the books, that are much more straight.
Best regards,
Kurt |
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Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Must be that they just had a light staining and all called -4.
The bearclaw is very evident, no missing it on these ones, they were all hand selected by some guy who knew what he was looking for. |
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September 2002
Posts: 806
Location: Seymour, Tennessee | I didn't figure mine was a "Claw" :)
I was just curious as to why the -4's weren't annotated anywhere I could find is all.
I just knew mine looked a lot different from any other -4 I'd seen.
Thanks for all the input from everybody. |
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October 2007
Posts: 283
Location: Portland, OR | Mine's darker than my "book", but not much. My Nakao is essentially the same color. I think the N768 is also darker than most -4's.
Beyond that Je ne sais pas. |
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March 2002
Posts: 15682
Location: SoCal | Originally posted by sligoman:
Mine's darker than my "book", but not much. My Nakao is essentially the same color. I think the N768 is also darker than most -4's.
Beyond that Je ne sais pas. Your 87 is 9 years older than your Book. It should be a little darker.
The older finish used (until the LX's came out), was a little thicker than what's used now. It's not just the wood that darkens, that finish yellows as well. It will be interesting to see how guitars with the newer finish darken over time.
Over the last 4 years, I've had 3 guitars re-bodied (87C, GC 12 string, Legend) and picked up one new guitar (GC RI - actually just on very long term loan) and it's been interesting watching them start to age and darken....... |
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Posts: 12761
Location: Boise, Idaho | Originally posted by moody, p.i.:
[Over the last 4 years, I've had 3 guitars re-bodied (87C, GC 12 string, Legend) and picked up one new guitar (GC RI - actually just on very long term loan) and it's been interesting watching them start to age and darken....... When I lived in Iowa, we used to watch the corn grow. I think it was faster. I need to visit Paul so we can sit around and watch his guitars age. |
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Posts: 15682
Location: SoCal | Work on your lawn first.... |
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Posts: 1565
Location: Indiana | For what it's worth, my -7 Legend is a few shades lighter than the Patriot... nothing like the honey-ish 87C.
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September 2002
Posts: 806
Location: Seymour, Tennessee | I noticed mine is kind of "yellowy" at the binding, doesn't neccesarily detract from the guitar though just makes it look "aged".
Jonmark:
Those bridge inlays look really nice.
Did it come that way?
I've never seen those before. |
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May 2008
Posts: 1565
Location: Indiana | Hi Mike-
The inlays were done by luthier Mike Lennon. He also did the headstock.
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September 2002
Posts: 806
Location: Seymour, Tennessee | They sure do look nice on there!
Man, gets the wheels turning..... |
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Posts: 15682
Location: SoCal | Jm's just a bling machine...... |
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April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Originally posted by moody, p.i.:
Jm's just a bling machine...... with the talent to back it up! :cool: |
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May 2008
Posts: 1565
Location: Indiana | My bling phase passed. But I still love this one.
And you know you want her, Paul. A-braced... just like you like 'em. 28 years young. |
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87 Collector's Questions....