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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Based on the first photos below, this model initially appears to be one of everybody’s favorites on this Board . . .
   
However, not everything is as it appears . . .
  
Thanks to our good friend at LAV, this one-off custom officially designated as an 1187-2 began life with a DNA strand matching the 47RI specs. Thereafter, it morphed into something entirely different. The deep bowl is swapped for an 1881-sized SSB cutaway, the treble epaulette is deleted ala 1581 30th Anniversary, an Op Pro Studio preamp with XLR and 1/4" outputs is added, the spray-on pickguard is nixed, and the electronics package is topped off with a Dimeola boost button just like Mr. Big’s OFC-II model. Is there another carved slothead single-epi SSB cutaway 1187 on the planet? If so, could it possibly have the secret boost button, too? Aside from the single epaulette cutaway, its view from the front is not much different from any other reverse red burst 1187 slothead. From a standing player’s perspective, it feels much like any other SSB cutaway. Don’t know about the sound just yet with the band as it has literally no mileage. It will obviously not sound like a big bowl 47RI acoustically, but that isn’t an issue because 100% of this guitar’s intended use will be tethered to sound reinforcement gear. The boost button should serve a real benefit when cutting in with a lead over the rest of the band. A more complete sound and playability report will follow. Thanks again, Mr. Big, for coordinating this special order on my behalf.
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Location: Tennessee | Wow. Very nice. Very interesting.
Not only a boost button, but you may have the only carved slothead with the truss rod cover screw on the front of the headstock.
Not having a 47 and never noticing before on the ones I've held, I have to ask ... did all the 47s have both gold and red flecks on the bowl and top or is that also a special feature?
All I've got to say is that you must have been a VERY good boy this year (and Santa must not have gotten the details of your antics on Amelia in March). |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | I ordered the multi-colored flakes to match the originals. I'm not sure if the 47RI flakes were multi-colored or just gold. |
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Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Stunning... I'm speechless! What a work of art...
<catching breath> Will that accompany you to Amelia?
CONGRATS!!! 
ETA: Do ya have a close up shot of the whole bridge? |
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Location: Vernon CT | Wow! So, how does it play/sound? |
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Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | I'm sure you deserve it, Brad. If I had your talent, I might deserve it, too. It's a great example of how Al and the factory can take a great guitar and customize it into something totally unique that fits your needs or wants entirely. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Yes 47RI has multicolor flakes.
Congratulations. Nice looking guitar. Reminds me a little bit of Jeff's cutaway which is still one of the best sounding Adamas guitars I've ever played. |
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Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | Brad, now that I like!!!!
Way cool!
Congrats and Merry Christmas/Happy New Year!
Al,You are Da Man!!! |
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Posts: 1017
Location: Budd Lake, NJ | Now, that's my kind of Adamas! Oh, my, is it beautiful, and ssb to boot.
It's a good thing it's not blue or turquoise, or I'd need a major dose of something to feel better.
Congratulations, Professor--I wish you and the "Adamette" ;) a wonderful working relationship. Make sure you post same samples of how she sounds--I'd really like to know.
--Karen |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Originally posted by 2ifbyC:
Do ya have a close up shot of the whole bridge? Sure do. The white stuff around the saddle in the saddle cavity appears to be some kind of polishing or cleaning compound which I'll clean up as soon as I detune it and remove a shim or two.
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| Very nice! |
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Location: south east Michigan | Very, very cool. |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | That is Beautiful.
I added that to my screen-saver! :cool:
(the whole guitar, not just the bridge) |
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Location: Tennessee | Hmmmm. That guitar didn't come from the factory with D'Addario's? |
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Location: Upper Left USA | Good plan and execution Brad/Al/Mother! |
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Location: Indiana | Very nice. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Very nice Brad! Look forward to giving it a go. |
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Location: South of most, North of few | Nice one Prof. I'll bet it's comfy to play with a shallow bowl. |
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Location: East Tennessee | WOW!!!! That is Sweet... :cool: |
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Location: Cincinnati | Beautiful! Red cut-away Adamas. Someday. |
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Location: Route 66, just east of the Cadillac Ranch | That's really beautiful and you did a great job of capturing the pictures. From my limited experience, that's an art in itself. Congratulations and thanks for sharing.
Nick |
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Location: big island | now that's a one-of-a-kind gigging machine with beautimous bling! man, oh man, i love it, brad!
merry Christmas and congratulations! |
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Location: SoCal | Just beautiful! Shouldn't the model designation be a 1867? If you feel up to it, you could always bring it out next month..... |
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Location: Ontario Canada | Thank you for this thread ProfessorBB.
Hello lanaki,
Please tell this old guy what "beautimous bling" means. Perhaps you mean very pretty cosmetically, nice sounding tone, nice craftmanship etc. I always want to keep learning, please help me stay afloat.
Regards
Jim. |
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Location: SoCal | The guy's got great taste!
Merry Christmas Brad. |
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Location: big island | aloha jimbob,
"very pretty cosmetically" about covers it.
"beautimous" being an amalgamation of beautiful and any one of those "ous" suffixed positive adjectives such as "fabulous", "tremendous", or "marvelous" and "bling" refers to the sparkles and gold trimmings. |
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Location: Colorado | Wow, what a stunner. I know someone already asked, but how does it play? |
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Location: Paris/France | Congratulations Professor, it's a very nice guitar!!
J :) |
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Location: Brisbane Australia | Congratulations Brad that's a beauty!!
I love those red ones!!
AJ |
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Location: Veedersburg, Indiana | WOW!!! All I got for Xmas were clothes. I'm so jealous. |
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Location: Marlton, NJ | Brad - that's beautiful! If I could ever afford or have a need for a custom, that would be pretty darned close!
Nice! |
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Location: Cicero, NY | Somewhat similar to JW's custom but I believe his is deep bowl. Beautiful. Enjoy it, Prof. |
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Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Removed a shim and played it for about two hours last evening. First thing I noticed was that the neck profile is noticeably different from the 1881. Width is the same, but the 1187-2 is really thin. I didn't compare it with any of the other Adamii or Ovations, but I don't recall any of them being this thin. It is also lighter that the 1881, and I'm sure part of it has to do with the fact that the neck has less mass adding to the weight. For somebody with small hands like me, a thinner neck allows for a more classical technique for chords in the higher frets. Using the 1881 as a standard, which in this case has thousands of hours on it, my initial reaction was that the 1187-2 may just need some time. I thought it sounded a bit mellow compared to the 1881 and figured that this is just a matter of slightly muted vibration due to its lack of playing time (the proverbial "needs to open up"). String gauge should be the same, and I tried to match the EQ settings as close as I could. As I continued to experiment with the tone, I realized that part of the difference could also be that its mellowness is not so much a matter of less vibration, but rather that it is a bit deeper and darker, possibly because of its single epaulet, so I increased the treble and that brought out the same sparkle that I've become accustomed to with the 1881. Now it sounded superb. I laid down some tracks on the loop, then noodled over it with and without the boost button activated. This little boost button is a secret weapon for gigging because it adds a few decibles of volume without any harshness. For me and what I do, this will be extremely handy. I look forward to how the sound will change as I put more miles on it and should have an honest 100 hours on it by March. Not only should that be sufficient time to thoroughly break it in, but I ought to have the tone settings completely sorted out by then for live performance. Looks-wise, the guitar is stunning. The heavy multi-colored flakes on the bowl not only look very blingy, they contribute to a slightly rougher bowl surface. This might help prevent the bowl from sliding on your clothing while sitting, but this isn't an issue for me because I play standing with a strap. Nonetheless, I may need to be mindful not to wear a knit shirt when playing. I'm comfortable with the resin/walnut fretboard which is also on the other Adamas models I own, so no issues there. Mother says that the 1187 epaulet contains 13 pieces of exotic wood, the only model that does so. I count more than that, so I'm not sure how they figure this. In any event, it is fancy. I plan to use it live this weekend, so I'll report back. In a nutshell . . . stunning, but with a boost. |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Just one other note . . . Although I had specified an Op-Pro Studio preamp which appeared on the build sheet, it arrived with the Op-Pro (non Studio). According to Al, the boost button only comes with the non-Studio Op-Pro. O.k., I'll take that trade-off. I can always add compression with the Trace pedal. Curiously, most of my Adamas models sound better without compression whereas the wood boxes and wood-toppers sometimes need it, and for my style of playing particularly with the bass frequencies, to bring out the mid-range. |
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Location: SoCal | Originally posted by Weaser P:
Somewhat similar to JW's custom but I believe his is deep bowl. Beautiful. Enjoy it, Prof. Actually, it's a mid depth bowl, which would be my choice as it still has a good acoustic sound. But the Prof's was built with a specific intent and turned out wonderfully.... |
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Location: Tennessee | Originally posted by moody, p.i.:
Just beautiful! Shouldn't the model designation be a 1867? 1867 was a Legend SSB. So no.
I do hope you bring it out to Moodyville next month. I would love to help open it up for you Brad. :)
there was a recent thread about spec'ing out a custom guitar. This is a textbook example of how to do it right. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Very nice indeed.
(...My Custom has a "warmer" sound as compared to say Clifford's Slothead. It really comes alive when played fingerstyle. Mid bowl) |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Thanks, Bobbo. I was looking to achieve three things: (1) playability, (2) top shelf electronics including the boost, and (3) the vintage slothead look. I'm convinced that the factory can and will do just about anyting as long as the pieces and templates are in their bins, and you've got Mr. Big in your corner. I'm probably not going to bring it out in January as a room full of acoustics is not where it was designed to shine, but, as you know, you have an open invitation to visit me in the bandroom anytime! |
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Location: Ontario Canada | Originally posted by lanaki:
aloha jimbob,
"very pretty cosmetically" about covers it.
"beautimous" being an amalgamation of beautiful and any one of those "ous" suffixed positive adjectives such as "fabulous", "tremendous", or "marvelous" and "bling" refers to the sparkles and gold trimmings. Hello lanaki,
Thanks for the education, please get lots of sleep and rest up for New Years Eve.
Jim. |
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Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | well this one was quite the surprise.
sorta the new meets old. Although I tried to sell Brad on the OFC II he was hell bent on a super shallow and asked if they would built it. I asked, they said yes and you see the result.
I played the guitar for a short while and it was a little on the trebly side for me but I was amazed at how even it sounded. very impressed.
Just goes to show if you want it and are willing to pay the price for a custom guitar you can have whatever you want. |
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Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Went over to Brad's tonight to drop off a few guitars and managed to spend a few minutes with this beauty.
All I can say is WOW!
It looks and plays spectacularly.
Sounded excellent unplugged.
Sounded exceptional plugged in.
Had (IMHO) an absolutely awesome neck...different from most Adamas I have played...flat and fast.
Brad snapped some pics next to the 47RI that I dropped off.
It was like looking at twins....the back sparkles, the front, the bridge, headstock...
It is the complete package no doubt!
If Brad ever decides to part with this one he better give me first shot at it.
As a one off custom I have to put it right up there with the twin longneck baritones and if you have ever gotten to play the twins, you will know that is high praise indeed! |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | that's beautiful. Now all you need is a bone saddle and you'll be all set. |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Here are two versions of the 1187, Stephen's 47RI No. 56 on the left now on its way to Australia, the first leg via my car to Southern California, and the custom SSB on the right. I hadn't previously focused on just how extremely slim is the neck on the custom. Same standard width as the 47RI and OFC-I, but noticeably thinner with a very flat profile on the back side. I knew it felt good, but I just didn't focus on it. Somebody must've known I was an electric player.
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Looks like the same guitar but somebody took a bite out of one of them. Very nice !!!
Small criticism (for ovation, not for ProfBB), why oh why in the hell do they put that cheap ass white label right inside the freaking soundhole on a black background. It totally cheapens the look of the guitar. Why not change the label to black with nice grey text and graphics. Wouldn't that look classy. Or at the very least move the label off to the side where you really have to tilt the guitar on an angle to see it. Sorry to rant but it really cheapens the look in my opinion. Yes, I know you can remove the label and that's what I have done to almost all of mine. But then if you want to resell you get some asshole who demands proof that it's really a custom legend and not a celebrity, blah, blah, blah ... There's about a thousand things in life that really bug me and ovations labels are one of them.
That said, beautiful guitar Prof and it's nice to see someone stepping up and getting built exactly what they want instead of moaning that ovation doesn't make it. Well done my friend.
Are you bringing it out west? I think there'll be quite a few new things there to play with. |
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Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by Gallerinski:
Small criticism (for ovation, not for ProfBB), why oh why in the hell do they put that cheap ass white label right inside the freaking soundhole on a black background. It totally cheapens the look of the guitar. Why not change the label to black with nice grey text and graphics. Wouldn't that look classy. +1, Dave. They would look so much better without it. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | If it wasn't there you wouldn't be able to see it. |
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Location: closely held secret | True. I meant without a white one. As Dave said, something with less contrast would look better overall. |
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Location: south east Michigan | I'm with Dave on the label thing.
The tan ones showing the Mothership is an improvement over the blue ones but more can be done.
The high end guitars would, IMHO, benefit from some updated version of the ol' classy foil label.
Nice guitars. The red is starting to grow on me. The blue.. still not so much. |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | I'm surprised a marketing guru like Dave would suggest that a manufacturer hide its label. Most of the labels I can think of are pretty visible. I don't buy a lot of designer stuff, but some of it seems to have the label on the outside. |
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Location: SoCal | no need to hide the gold foil label...classy label. |
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Location: Nîmes, south of France | Congrats ProfBB, this beauty is very very closed to the one i dreamed of.
This is like a 1881 on steroids ... :-)) |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Arnaud, since I used to own your 1881 and remember it fondly and just played Brads, you are absolutely correct. This would qualify as the perfect SS bowl Adamas. |
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Location: Nîmes, south of France | Yes Stephen, we understand together.
Thanks for your advice which strongly push me towards a custom built like this one. |
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Location: Angoulême - France | Really awesome ! Congrats to the owner ! |
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Location: Thailand | Very nice. |
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Location: Thailand | Congratulations and thanks for sharing. |
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Santa visits the Professor!