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Posts: 1388
Location: Paris/France | Hi,
Today was a crazy day with my work, I'm arrived late in the evening at home and I don't have enough time to make a good review of this guitar so I'll do it later.
The only thing that I can say this evening is that she's WONDERFUL!!!!
After 44 years, she's in a so good condition and so much better than lots of the shiny bowls I've seen before.
The guys from New Hartfod have made a great job with the broken neck and if you don't know, it's nearly impossible to see that it was broken.
I will wait 24 hours before to tune it so I can't tell you how it sounds but if she sounds as good as she looks, no doubt that it's a great Ovation.
The night is already there in France so I took some pics with the flash of my camera that's why these pics are so bad...
But I can't resist to share them with you. ;)
I'll make better pics pretty soon...
She's already adopted by all her "sisters" hanging on the wall as she's the oldest of the family. :D
I'm just very happy tonight!!!!
J :)
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Location: Bluffton, SC | Very nice, Jerome. Enjoy your new aquisition! Congratulations. |
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Location: New Jersey / New York | Nice one, Jérôme!!! |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | very nice. |
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Location: Flahdaw | If by some chance I ever happen to get to France, your place looks like it would be a nice, friendly place to visit. ;) |
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Location: south east Michigan | awe-some.
It's found a home with just the right guy.
Well done. |
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Posts: 15679
Location: SoCal | Way to go Jerome! Post some before and after pics.
Seeing all your Adamii, makes me glad that I got my OFC guitar right and am loving it. But I doubt if I'll have as many Adamii as you.... |
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Posts: 2791
Location: Atlanta, GA. | Glad it's finally home.
What's the latest news on the Adamas prototype... #12 I think? |
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Location: Germany | What a wonderful home for a wonderful guitar. Congrats!
Karl
PS. And thanks again for the case! |
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Location: Indiana | Isn't that something. Congratulations Jérôme. |
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Location: New Hampsha | Excellent!
I love that Rosette!
(I will try for pics of your other baby soon.) |
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Location: Tennessee | Looks right at home. What a great historic piece you have there. Congrats! |
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Location: Nashville TN. | Kppl looks great |
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Location: Route 66, just east of the Cadillac Ranch | Jerome,
I'm so glad to hear #22 made the trip safely. Congratulations on owning this significant piece of Ovation history.
Nick
ps. I received the DVD today in the mail. Thank you VERY MUCH! |
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March 2004
Posts: 1388
Location: Paris/France | Thanks for sharing my joy.
I'll take detailed pics as soon as the sun will be back.
What's the latest news on the Adamas prototype... #12 I think? Colin, the Adamas Proto #11 is in good hands at the factory since January 2009.
It's a long time but John told me that this project will be started soon and that she will be finished this year.
I'm not surprised as my wishes for this project are very specials and because of this, the guitar needs to be completely redone.
Of course I'm impatient to get it back and to show you all the final result but I know that 2009 was a busy year in New Hartford with the arrival of Guild so I understand that this project is not a priority for the Factory.
It's more important to work on the new models than to redo a guitar from the past.
I still hope to get it in the next months and this wonderful Balladeer #22 will help me to be patient. ;)
I'll tune it this evening and hear her sound for the first time!! ;)
J :) |
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Location: SoCal | Jérôme,
This is great, glad it arrived safely. |
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Location: Right now? | Wow, what a beauty finally at the perfect home for her. Congratulations, Jerome!
;)
Willa |
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Posts: 4413
| Hee hee hee......
This time tomorrow........ :D :D |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Very nice. WOW. |
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Location: Upper Left USA | It's good to see her get the care and attention she deserves! |
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Location: Tuscany, Italy | Last but not least, to join you happiness Jerome.
R. |
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Location: Nîmes, south of France | So nice Jerome, congrats one more time ;-)) |
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Location: chicago | Wow! Life in perfect harmony....... :] |
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Location: Thailand | Congratulations. |
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Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Glad to hear it made it 'home'! |
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Posts: 1388
Location: Paris/France | I've played it yesterday evening for 30 minutes and as expected, it's a GREAT guitar!!!
I'm very surprised by the big volume and the projection of the sound. :eek:
The sound is bright and it seems to my ears that there is less bass than on my other O's but I don't know what strings are installed.
I'll try "Silk & Steels" the next time because I love the sweet sound and the feeling of these strings even if I know that I will lose some volume.
The neck is perfect and the action is very low without any buzz so this guitar is very comfortable to play.
After a quick inspection, the varnish seems to be much thiner than usually on O's.
There's thousand of very very small cracks in the varnish on the top and at the rear of the neck just like on old paintings (I don't know if you understand what I mean??).
I'll try to make a good picture of the top if I have enough time during the week end because I'll have two guests at home!!
The first one will be there (from UK) in few hours and maybe he will tell you his impression about this guitar... ;)
The second will be there tomorrow from east of France.
A new FANTASTIC guitar, two friends (Ofcer's) at home, 4 tickets for the final game of the Rugby "6 Nations Tournament" (a weird game very popular in Europe... :D ) and maybe some sun, it will be a great week end without any doubt!!
J :) |
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Posts: 1388
Location: Paris/France | |
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Location: Paris/France | We will try to not play to loud to not wake you up... :D :D :D
J :) |
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Location: Paris/France | I took some pics of the guitar just before the night.
I've tried to catch all the details even if the light was not very good.
THE PICTURES ARE HERE
J :) |
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September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | I love how they fixed what needed to be fixed and left the rest alone.
This guitar has been totally reborn yet maintains it's vintage character.
The truss rod cover looks huge. Did they hide some repair work that way? |
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Posts: 1388
Location: Paris/France | The truss rod cover looks huge Brad, I don't have Beal and Bob's knowledges with early Shiny Bowls but this is the original TRC.
The very first were as this one and I hope that Bob or Beal will tell us when they changed for the standard TRC.
I've never saw such a TRC in "real" before and I've only seen one in this VERY OLD BROCHURE.
I just noticed that the #22 doesn't have the Balladeer decal on the TRC...
I've got a question, the bridge seems to be very very dark so could it be possible that it was made with ebony instead of Brazilian rosewood??
J :)
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Location: south east Michigan | Sure looks like ebony to me. |
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Posts: 15679
Location: SoCal | Looks like ebony, but everything I've ever read or seen regarding the early models says they were rosewood. It's possible that it was stained darker..... |
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Location: Tuscany, Italy | Unless they actually use ebony on this guitar being customized, it recall the bridge it was on my DB that was rosewood stained (and recently replaced with a straight natural rosewood one).
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Posts: 153
| Although it would be difficult to confirm the exact serialization, the elongated trussrod cover was used up until about serial number 70 - 75. Some of these trussrod covers had a gold "Balladeer" decal on them as appeared on the headstock of later models.
When the original run of elongated trussrod covers ended, they went to a very small, short trussrod cover that is a little more than an inch long. These continued until somewhere between serial number 750 and serial number 1000.
Then, from sometime in mid 1967 to early 1969 they used a regular sized trussrod cover, but it was distinguished by a slight curve on both sides where the TRC met the nut. This is one way to determine complete originality in that vintage of guitar.
After early to mid 1969 the TRC wass the same size as the 1967 to 1969, albeit without the curve at the nut. I believe this TRC lasted until the Kaman bar was introduced, at which time the TRC was slightly larger.
There are many exceptions to these standards, the most notable being the 1968 Glen Campbell Deluxe Balladeer, which had a wide, fat TRC to accomodate the GC signature. |
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| With regard to the bridge, from the pictures it appears to have been painted, but it could be stained. The only way to know would be to sand down the finish, which is definitely not recommended.
It doesn't appear to be ebony to me, but I could be mistaken without visual inpsection. |
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Posts: 153
| CORRECTION TO THE PREVIOUS POST - when the Kaman bar was introduced, obviously there was NO TRC on models fitted with the Kaman bar.
The larger TRC appeared during the transition period between the TRC and the Kaman bar, and after the introduction of the Kaman bar, continued on those models that had a TRC, such as the classical models. |
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March 2004
Posts: 1388
Location: Paris/France | Bob, thank you very much for this "lesson", I'm always so happy to learn from you.
For sure, I'll not sand the bridge to know what kind of wood was used!! :eek:
The next time I'll change the strings, I'll try to remove the saddle and I'll look inside if the color is the same.
As it was built for a Factory employee, maybe it was made with special specs like the rosette??
As I'm curious, I've looked inside the guitar and the serial 022 is well stamped on the neck block so no doubt from this side.
It's not easy to see because the neck block is completely painted in black.
On my other shinys, the place where the serial is stamped is not painted.
I'm glad that this guitar keep a part of her mystery... ;)
J :) |
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Posts: 333
Location: east coast usa | wow...awesome jerome...so glad to hear it arrived safe and with incredible sound...
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November 2004
Posts: 4413
| It's a beautiful colour - rich and almost golden in some lights. Sounds fantastic - great volume from a very light guitar. Lovely definition and to my Adamas accustomed ears it sounds quite bright with a real ring to it.
The weather was nice so I didn't have a coat big enough to smuggle it out under.
And the big game had the wrong result.
But it was a fantastic weekend with a lot of laughs. :D |
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August 2005
Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | Anyone else notice the mistake on the invoice?
Looks like MS might owe you $20 plus 24 year's of interest Jérôme... |
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January 2006
Posts: 171
Location: Bangkok, Thailand | Superb ! . . .
Sexy and classic |
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August 2009
Posts: 333
Location: east coast usa | Originally posted by muzza:
Anyone else notice the mistake on the invoice?
Looks like MS might owe you $20 plus 24 year's of interest Jérôme... thats is too funny i honestly noticed it myself but didnt think about going back to them for the cash....lol...  |
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Location: South of most, North of few | Jerome, that's a beauty, congrats! |
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August 2009
Posts: 1137
Location: Germany, where delicious wine is growing (Rheinh) | I think, it's the very best home for that nice piece of Ovation-History.
Congrats Jerome!! I'm very happy, that it is in good shape.
Bernie |
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The #22 is well arrived in France !!!