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Location: Virginia | I want to customize my 1597 all flat black. I know the appliques will come off, just leaving the holes. After that, can Mother (or someone who specializes in custom work get the binding and the top flat? AM I asking too much?
I am weighing the cost of doing this versus building from scratch and I think a mod puts me ahead.
THanks for any input |
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Location: Virginia | sorry. slow connection. I clicked twice and this posted twice. MODS feel free to delete one. Thanks |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | What color is the 1597 now? |
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Location: Virginia | shiny black. |
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Location: Virginia | white binding..which I think can't just be "painted over" |
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Location: Virginia | I guess I was thinking the oak leafs could be pulled off, the bonding and face sanded, and then a flat finish could be applied. Ive refinished a lot of things, but never a guitar. |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Before you consider sanding stuff... You realize that the top is not Wood, Right?
And you would have to remove or sand the finish to get rid of the gloss top.
But you could peel the epaulets off and get some Krylon undercoat and make a 1597T. |
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Location: Virginia | Of course. I wouldnt consider doing this myself. I was just thinking I couldn't be the first guy who wanted to Rat Rod an Adamas. |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Originally posted by playdbluz:
Of course. I wouldnt consider doing this myself. I was just thinking I couldn't be the first guy who wanted to Rat Rod an Adamas. 
Aw... Don't be shy! Woody can give you tips! :cool: |
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Location: Virginia | Im not even seeing a 1597T on a google search. I like the look of the Elite 1778TX... no too far from what Im shooting for.
Really? I can use Krylon? I wouldnt be afraid of doing that myself! |
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Location: Virginia | HAHA... I hard-strutted an 81 hondamatic 400 for my son and painted the whole thing with truck bed liner.. its actually good looking. I am not afraid of spray can! |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | I would just paint the whole thing black. Paint right over the fig leaves. The 3D effect will be kinda cool. Paint the binding as well. |
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Location: NJ | frets.
don't forget th'frets. |
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Location: Virginia | IF anyone has actually done this with success, Id be interested in their process. I am not one to spend too much time fudging over getting started...and considering the price pot I got my 1597 for... anything I do, I can undo. Im not too worried.
Who's my source for flat black tuners? Bridge? String knobs? |
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Location: SoCal | I'd remove the leaves, mask-off the bowl, bridge and neck. Then using a mini sandblaster (wood working/carving or glass etching supplier), carefully blast the binding and top. Once you have the desired surface effect, stain the binding black. You might like it, if not, then resort to paint. |
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Location: Virginia | hmmm... ok.
How about a chemical that'll take the finish and leave the graphite unharmed? |
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Location: SoCal | Why use chemicals to remove the finish when you can get a mini-blaster kit for less than 50 bucks and control the effect. It's shiny black. Gently etching a surface removes the shine and leaves a nice smooth surface. I've never done the top of a guitar, but I've used it on other projects. Larger objects, I bring up to a local custom glass shop and their guy applies the effect I need. |
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Location: Virginia | Cliff, Ive thought about the frets. Im going to have to weigh re-fretting versus a replacement neck.
I will probably get the face right and then decide if the silver works for me.... I might consider stainless hardware to contrast the black... save the refretting all together. I think I may like stainless and black as well as all black... time will tell |
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Location: Virginia | Thanks Noah. If I do a couple practice runs on other surfaces, is this a technique I can get down without a huge learning curve? |
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Location: Virginia | Noah, if I get this gently down to graphite, will the graphite mark up my hand as I play? |
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Location: south east Michigan | If this is getting to complicated, I just posted a flat black EliteT in the For Sale section. |
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Location: CA | Not sure how may e-tongues are in cheek on these posts but you're gonna ruin that guitar unless you send it to the mothership and have them do what you want. I expect that will be pricey.
If you decide to do it yourself, please please please get ahold of the cheapest, crappiest already beat-up Applause or Celeb and sacrifice that as a test mule before you start on the Adamas. If you're happy with those results, then do the 1597. To each his own, but I think in the long run you will regret 'rat rodding' an Adamas. Besides looking different, it won't sound the same and the resale value will be next to nothing.
Sorry to be preachy, just can't sit idly by and let you actually spray Krylon on a guitar I've lusted after for years (but could never afford) without saying something. I'll go away now. |
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Location: Virginia | Oddball, if I could get the look of your pewter and the sound of my 1597, Id be set
I got into this 1597 for 600. Its a fine player, but no wallhanger. Still, It looks good from 5 feet away and I wouldnt be ashamed to gig out with it. It will be my last purchase until I can afford a contour...but then, I will still want the look I am designing on that as well!! WHich makes me want to throw a big bowl on this while I am making the changes, which effectively takes me all the way to an up from the ground" custom...
Currently there is a little raising of the appliques at the edges. No Biggie. I am pretty sure I will like the guitar better without them.
I have decided on stainless hardware and everything else flat.
GAS is nothing compared to Hotrodder Syndrome |
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Location: Tennessee | Think about brushed nickel hardware instead of stainless steel. The Sperzel tuners on the OFC2 guitar might be just what your looking for.
Mi dos pesos ... Go ahead and do it. It's not like a 1597 is a highly sought after piece. If you do it carefully and right, you may very well make yours worth more money than now, for the right buyer at least. I'd take off the tuners, mask off the bridge and fretboard, and spray a bunch of real light coats of the ultra flat Krylon. See if you can get a black saddle and black nut from the factory ... Same ones as on the OFC2.
I think it would be real cool. It would definitely be a hit with the DJ Ashba and Mick Thompson crowd .. and there's LOTS of those.
Do it. Let us know how it turns out. |
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Location: Virginia | Thanks, bobo. Your suggestions go into the notebook. :) |
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Location: Route 66, just east of the Cadillac Ranch | Oddball gave you some good advice. If you sand through the finish into the graphite fibers, you'll never get a decent finish again. Good luck to you in whatever you decide to do, just don't f*** it up. ;) |
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Location: Virginia | I called my local custom shop...who makes a fine boutique instrument. he said he'd just rough up the top enough to give the new finish a grab. Im gonna let him do it. In the meantime, I'll start collecting hardware. Who's the OFC part guy? |
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Location: Virginia | In the meantime, my tattoo artist friend is sending me rough sketches of what he wants to do to this guitar. His work makes the DJ Ashba stuff look like finger paints.
One design is a 3-d look "through" the guitar into my body at my playing position... |
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Location: Munich, Germany | Posted this in that other thread:
Originally posted by Koenig Kurt:
Nice idea. Should look something like this one:
Saddle, nut and preamp are black as well, in the meantime.
Go for it!
Best regards,
Kurt |
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Location: Virginia | Thanks Kurt. I responded in the other thread as well.
I like that guitar... as well as your porch rail! |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Once you get your gitter painted flat black you need a few red and white pin stripes like you'd see on a 32 Ford. |
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Location: Virginia | Epaulets off this morning... surprisingly easy to do. I got all the glue off with Googone and the underneath matches the stock finish.
The wife saw one of my sketches for painting cogs and gears around the soundholes and she is certain I should apply REAL gears there. That's an interesting thought. I may borrow a few from my machinist and lay em out... see how it moves me.
I am pretty sure I will vote against it, due to adding weight. THis is already a hefty instrument. |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Playdbluz, Please tell me that you are taking photos of your progress with this creation.
Dems da Rulez! :cool: |
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Location: Virginia | I am Arthur. I will get photos moved from my phone to my email tonight. I will keep them on this thread until I set up a separate member page.
I just played with the finish a little... drawing a fine grit gently over a test spot. Didnt like it.
I will continue to sand the top in the same direction as the graphite till the clear is mussed up. I am going to do a test of Flat Clear Coat on a discarded sheet of sheet metal I have in the shop. It was a suggestion from one of my biker buds. I just want to have a handful of samples before I choose the finish.
The binding may be the biggest challenge. I want it black. I am pretty sure I can tape off the bowl and airbrush some high quality model paint, but I could same myself a lot of trouble if I just continue the same finish all the way around, front and back. The bowl already has some "belly rub", so there's nothing to lose.
I was hoping to keep this a playable work in progress until I got all the accessories, because once I take off the string and paint, it's gonna move like gangbusters to completion.
I have searched the net for some sort of Ovation/Adamas parts catalog. Such a thing?
looking for a nut and saddle in flat black... and matching tuners and all other metal parts (jack and strap nuts) in a matching brushed nickel of stainless.
Nothing on this is set in stone and I welcome input.
Kevin |
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Location: Utah | Stew Mac is a good online source of parts. The mothership would be another possibility. They might even have a nut and saddle that are cut close enough to begin with that you only have minor finish work required on them. |
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Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Originally posted by playdbluz:
looking for a nut and saddle in flat black... and matching tuners Check with the MS for the saddle and nut. I got a black saddle for my MOB 47 from 'em. I've seen several black tuner sets on eBay in the recent past. |
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Location: Virginia | after removing the epaulets..and a picture of the chip on the stock. As you can see, there's nothing I can do to this to "mess it up". Worse case, I but a replacement neck.
http://api.ning.com/files/7Pi*bhIoNqUmkhJgCaT0HfGSSpReoFsCN-gyt4eRX... |
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Location: Virginia | Ive set up a fanclub page for those that want to follow this.
Thanks for the comments and/or support
http://ovationfanclub.ning.com/profile/Kevin |
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going flat black?