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Posts: 3618
Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | OK ... I know it's been a LONG time since I did this, and I promised at the time to post pics when I finished - but I never did. So as ONE New Year's resolution I decided to actually follow up and post the pictures that have been on my camera for months. I'm sorry I forgot to take a before picture, and I probably missed a couple steps, but you'll be able to get the idea. I DO NOT recommend this proceedure for anyone that is not 200% confident in their handyman capabilities. It was VERY difficult to make the hole in just the right place, and it DID require filling some of the old hole material, in addition to working through the hole in the back. Then there was the paint matching challenge. (additionally matching the bowl texture) It still didn't turn out perfect, but I can live with it. I started this project with an understanding that I may screw it up and have to end up sending it to the factory to fix it. Anyways ... here goes .... Preamp Install Photos |
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Location: Michigan | Amazing work there Vince. |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Thanx Vince. That is very educational. |
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Posts: 1421
Location: Orange County, California | I hear Fender is hiring... :p :D :p :D |
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February 2004
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Location: Warren,Pa. | I'd say no one could do better. Used to be the factory wouldn't do this switch...maybe they will now for a price. |
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December 2006
Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Great job Bryan! That took some courage... |
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August 2003
Posts: 888
Location: Louisville, OH 44641 | Hey Vince...great work. I'm impressed. I have a dent in my truck. Can you help out a brother??? LOL. |
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December 2003
Posts: 13987
Location: Upper Left USA | Awesome use of a stiff stipple splatter application (phew)! |
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August 2006
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Location: Marlton, NJ | Nice job Bryan! |
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December 2009
Posts: 686
Location: Route 66, just east of the Cadillac Ranch | Fantastic work. Using clay to determine the position of the new electronics is a great idea. If there's ever a book on repairing Ovation/Adamas guitars, this needs to be in it. Thanks for sharing. |
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March 2005
Posts: 12755
Location: Boise, Idaho | Originally posted by stellarjim:
Hey Vince...great work. I'm impressed. I have a dent in my truck. Can you help out a brother??? LOL. Why would you want a preamp in the side of your truck? |
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September 2005
Posts: 3618
Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | Thanks for the compliments ... but I must admit that I now suffer from frequent panic attacks.
Jim ... I'm not very keen on body work, but depending on that dent, you might want to try pulling it out with a toilet plunger (:
Nick, the modeling clay template idea was Woody's if I remember right.(maybe I'm wrong) |
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August 2009
Posts: 1137
Location: Germany, where delicious wine is growing (Rheinh) | Hi Bryan,
Thats really a fatastic job you've made with this guitar. Congratulation!!
I've also upgraded two of my oldies. The 1614 with a iDea preamp and the 1624, I bought from Terry last summer, with a VIP-5 incl. the XLR output jack, I've catched on ebay 2 weeks ago. Both are sounding great now.
I've a lathe engine at home. So I could make me special screws for closing the holes of the battery holder and the old preamps. At the idea preamp, I fitted the hole of the battery holder with the input jack.
http://ovationfanclub.ning.com/photo/album/show?id=2194223%3AAlbum%...
Bernie |
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September 2005
Posts: 3618
Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | It must be nice to have special equipment. All I had was fiberglass body filler and sand paper. Oh ... wait a minute ... the Dremel tool and the airbrush DID come in handy too. |
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December 2003
Posts: 85
Location: Taichung, Taiwan | I can't imagine cutting on an Adamas ... you have confidence! But by the quality of your work it looks like you have done similar things before. |
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August 2006
Posts: 3145
Location: Marlton, NJ | I did the original clay mold. It was the only way I could think of to try and capture the contours and be able to transfer them to another guitar. I used a guitar with an existing op-pro as the model, so I knew exactly where the cutout should be.
It was scary - while it wasn't an Adamas, it was someone else's guitar... so if I messed up, it would have been painful.
It is definitely doable though with some forethought and patience. |
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September 2005
Posts: 3618
Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | I forgot to mention that I also used a diferent guitar (with existing VIP hole) to make the mold also. |
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Preamp Swap Out - Op24 to VIP (Pictures)