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| Hello! I am kinda new here , but a long time ovation lover. I have a question for the more knowledgeable folks on this forum. Did they make any of the original adamas slotheads with a cutaway?
I have always loved ovations,especially adamas...though I have never owned one... but I also like the ease that a cutaway gives to reach the upper frets. But one thing I did NOT like was the shallow bowls!
They simply seemed to be to "tinny" sounding...very high-pitched... that I could never seem to get out...even with EQ! But the regular bowls with the deep bowl, always sounded better to me, as far as the bass notes were concerned. I never tried the in-between bowls on an ovation before though.
I have owned several models of the cheaper ovations, but never owned an american made one. They do make some beauties, though. What got me interested in ovations, was a movie I saw years ago with Glen Cambpell playing what looked like an ovation balladeer. This movie was made in the 1970's and was pretty old. This was before I ever laid eyes on an adamas.
The one time I DID play an adamas, was when I met this guy in a resturant and we got to talking about guitars...he mentioned ovation and the subject somehow got around to the adamas...anyway, it turned out that he was moving out of state and had TWO ovation adamas that were made in the 1970's in the back of his station wagon!
I remember outside the resturant beside the interstate as he took one out and let me play it! I will never forget that moment! I will also never forget the sound!
It was not a slothead but looked like an early adamas 1. It did not have a cutaway and was a blueburst if I remember correctly. Played like a dream!
I have wanted an adamas ever since. Never could afford one....but I am comming into some money form some land I will be selling and I may just get my childhood "dream guitar"!
I already have a taylor and it is a great instrument, but I have a 312CE with the original fishman electronics and it feedsback VRY bad in a live situation. I will keep it for the studio, but want something linke an adamas for the stage, because it was BUILT for reducing feedback!
I just never knew how MANY MODELS of adamas, they had made since back in the 80's when I tried that one out. GOOD GRIEF! The selection can be overwhelming!
The local music store in Jackson, Tenessee called Cecils Bandstand at the time carried an early adamas and had it out on display. It was exactly the model I played on beside the interstate that day outside the resturant. I remember going in there and just dreaming of being able to purchase that guitar! Well that day never came...until NOW.
Now I am probably going to be comming into a sum of money for 133 acres that I will be selling and want an adamas, but I would like an early one with early electronics and a cutaway. I will probably be coming into the money around july or later this year.
After some digging on the net...I found this place and found out when I got on this board that he was a founder here!
http://www.lostartvintage.com
He has one on there that I am looking at. It is number 34 on the instrument page. An adamas 1587-2. Is that a decent choice for an adamas? Also if the guy that owns that place reads this...the first picture on number 34 is messed up...it shows some kind of solid body electric instead of the adamas 1587-2. The other three only show parts of the guitar. But I DID find a picture of what one looks like on a japanese (of all places) music store!
http://image.www.rakuten.co.jp/ikebe/img10292996712.jpeg
So my question is would it be better to go with something like this or an original slothead without the cutaway? Is the sound THAT much different? Like I said, I prefer cutaway guitars because it makes it easier to reach the upper frets which I sometimes need to reach. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Originally posted by webe123:
So my question is would it be better to go with something like this (1587 cutaway) or an original slothead without the cutaway? I think you should go for the original slothead.
If for some reason that doesn't work out, then the 1587 from Al would be a great second choice.
Good luck,
Dave |
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| Originally posted by Tupperware:
Originally posted by webe123:
So my question is would it be better to go with something like this (1587 cutaway) or an original slothead without the cutaway? I think you should go for the original slothead.
If for some reason that doesn't work out, then the 1587 from Al would be a great second choice.
Good luck,
Dave |
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Location: SoCal | The original slotheads were built in about 1976. They did not have cutaways. That feature didn't come into production until about 1984.... |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | You've found the right place for information and access to the best market for Adamas guitars. The folks at Lost Art Vintage Instruments really know their stuff about Adamas. Ask for Mr. Big. |
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Location: big island | aloha and welcome webe123! there is at least one ORIGINAL slothead that may be available from one of our members here on this forum. most of us would like to own it! |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | and if you can't get an original slothead, then the new '08 Collectors which is a wideneck cutaway would be a damn fine consolation prize! |
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Location: big island | yeah. what stephen said. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | I'm pretty sure that the 1587 that webe123 is talking about is the one that Al sold back around January/February. |
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Location: big island | yeah. what stephen said again. |
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Location: Parrish, FL | Stephen,
Quit interrupting Randy!
Blues |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | :( :( :(
my bad |
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Location: big island | yeah. what brad said. :D |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | when the strap shows up, strangle yourself! |
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Location: closely held secret | Is it the blue one? |
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Location: big island | Originally posted by stephent28:
when the strap shows up, strangle yourself! well, it is about the color of regurgitated poi. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | No, Bobbo got the blue one. |
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Location: big island | sorry webe123. we get so sidetracked around here... |
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Location: closely held secret | <muttering under his breath..."Bobbo!"> |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | yeah, what Randy said. |
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Location: Utah | If you're coming into some money, put most of it into the bank. You'll be needing it in the near future to buy all those Ovations and Adamas you can't live without. Just wait and see! You think you're looking for one Adamas, but you're gonna end up with more than a few O and A guitars before long.
Oh, welcome aboard! Lost Art is the place to buy, or from the classifieds on this forum. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Lots of choices for a cutaway. |
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| Beal, was there ever an AI midbowl cutaway?... |
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| Thanks for welcome and info guys.... and the laughs.
Yeah, I read about #45 adamas that was up for sale on this forum....have the thread bookmarked for future reference....those do not come along all that often from what I understand.
But maybe I can find a home for it. (wink wink) |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | No mid depth in the beginning or the first several years. I can't remember any after that but there might be some out there. |
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| I do not know if they even made a mid depth for the adamas or not?
That is an interesting question.
I saw on one site a guy from italy ordered a shallow bowl adamas, so if they make those, then mid bowl would not seem to be out of the question would it? |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | When you sell your property and buy the slothead, I'll find you a house in my neighborhood and invite you over any time. What kind of beer do you like? |
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| Originally posted by Mark in Boise:
When you sell your property and buy the slothead, I'll find you a house in my neighborhood and invite you over any time. What kind of beer do you like? Well I don't drink, but I can still bring the slothead over! By the way...WHAT is that small screw in the back of the original slothead's headstock? What does it do?
After reading the original adamas manual online, I see that the adamas slothead's tension rod is adjusted from INSIDE the guitar. But I did not see a mention of what the heck that small screw did.
It looks like a screw you'd buy at a hardware store and looks like someone just screwed it into the back of the headstock for no reason....but I know that is not true...because I looked and all the adamas slotheads have one. It just looks kinda wierd where it is.
So what does it do? |
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Location: Tennessee | It holds the truss rod cover on. |
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| Originally posted by stonebobbo:
It holds the truss rod cover on. Well that explains that!Thanks. |
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Location: NJ | The PRODUCTION Adamases had a K-Bar and were adjusted from inside. The SlotHeads had a truss rod (and hence, a truss rod cover).
The pic isn't great, but it shows the cover off and the truss rod exposed.
THIS was what made me think (for so long) that my guitar was #20 as the the inside of the truss rod cavity and the back of the cover both had "20" written inside.
Years later (at the SlotHead Reunion at the Factory), I read on the computer printout that my guitar had NECK #20, and I guess they both were marked so that the two pieces would "meet up" at the end of the line.
Whitehead made an interesting observation when last he was at my house playing it in that he noticed that the TRC on the SlotHead rests INSIDE an indentation carved into the headstock, where the ReIssue rests on top.
Is this true??
I don't have a ReIssue t'use as comparison . . . |
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Location: SoCal | The original Adamas slotheads were all deep bowls. And the online manual doesn't apply to the original slots as far as the neck adjustment. The Production Adamii had the K-bar in the neck. The original 34 slots didn't and the adjustment for them is at the headstock..... |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Cliff: When I did the A/B comparison between Mark's original No. 43 and OFC No. 5, I did notice some difference in the TRC, but I didn't associate it with a possible indentation on the original (Boy, this sure sounds geeky). Here are close-ups of both. Tuppy might also have some good observations on this subject.
Original slothead No. 43
OFC No. 5
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Location: 6 String Ranch | I think they are both indented, but am not sure |
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Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | Here are a couple of pic's of my #87:
Here is the TRC: notice the attached wood block (the screw goes into this):
And here is the TR/TRC access on my #87: There is a cut out but the TRC is tapered (see above pic) to hold it down: also the strings DO NOT clear (the D and G Strings) the TRC so loosen and move them out of the way before trying to remove the TRC:
Still one of the best sounding and lightest guitars I have ever owned! A true Keeper!
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Location: Atlanta GA | Welcome Webe123. You are going to get a lot of advice here on which guitar to buy.
Are you still located in Jackson, TN? My wife and I were raised in Huntingdon just up the road. I have been to that same music store many times. |
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Location: Atlanta, GA. | The TRC on #45 is not held by a screw into a wood block as on Mike's 47RI.
Instead there is a brass sleeve epoxied to the back of the TRC that the brass machine screw goes into.
Original to the guitar...??? |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | yes |
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Location: NJ | yes |
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| Originally posted by Watchme22:
Welcome Webe123. You are going to get a lot of advice here on which guitar to buy.
Are you still located in Jackson, TN? My wife and I were raised in Huntingdon just up the road. I have been to that same music store many times. Right now I live in Peoria,IL. But when I come into my money from the land I am selling, I am moving back to Jackson, TN.....WAY too cold here in Illinois!
I knew Cecil the owner and used to go into bandstand all the time...that was where I first glimpsed an adamas.....but NOBODY played that one though....it was just up on display and stayed there forever it seemed.
It was just an expensive guitar even back then and nobody really had the cash to buy it.
I think he was finally able to sell it a couple of years later. |
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Posts: 20
| To everyone else, thanks for taking the time to help educate me on the adamas guitar!
There is so much I did not even know!
I just wish this board had been around in the 80's, but maybe not....I would have wated an adamas all the more then! LOL! |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | you're welcome, now stick around. |
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About the original adamas slothead.......