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Location: Ottawa, Canada | So I am the guy that is waiting on his 1769 A11...I am curious as to what the differences are between this and any of the Adamas models. I understand AAA spruce instead of carbon fiber tops. But what makes one choose one against the other. I see that Patch is obviuosly a huge Ovation fan and yet has no Adamas models in his collection. What is the difference in tonal qualities from one to the other. Do the wood topped guitars have a more natural sound unplugged? Are the Adamas models less prone to feedback? Educate me if you would!!!??
Stewart :confused: |
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Location: south east Michigan | On paper the AD-II is the top of the line, production, wood topped model.
Tho a wood top and an Adamas might share the same bowl, they are apples and oranges. A totally different flavor of ice cream. |
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| It's hard to describe, you pretty much have to hear it. Adamas guitars have a distinctive sound, what most would describe as "punchy". All Ovations were designed to minimize differences across the ranges (think how a Martin dread tends to have muddled mids), but the textured top Adamas are more like the "studio reference speaker" of guitars - flat response across all frequencies. So regardless of where you play on the neck, the notes are distinct and ring out, with no mudiness or dominance.
A large part of that is the thickness of the top, much thinner than conventional wood, so you get more vibration. Add to that the bracing - designed to take advantage of the multi-soundhole positioning and allowing more of the top to vibrate freely than with conventional wood-top bracing, and you get clear tone and loooong sustain. If you prefer a bit more bass, you can put the bungs in the treble-side soundholes (or get a guitar with only the bass-side epaulet), and vice versa. Bowl depth is a factor, but it's the same as in the wood-top Ovations - shallower bowl usually means thinner tone (and less volume) acoustically.
Of course, many (high-end) wood-top guitars have more complex undertones and subtle harmonics, depending on top/back/side tonewood combinations than Adamas, or other CF guitars for that matter. But like Brad said, that's just different flavors of ice cream. |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Other than a custom order, the ADII is the only Ovation model with an output boost button which adds to its cost and value. This feature isn't for everybody, but some, like me, are fascinated by that little button and its potential for live play. |
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Location: Michigan | What gator said.
My UTE has a crisper sounding trebles with some booming base. The 1769 seems more even across the board, more balanced than any guitar I have tried. I don't really like one more than the other but they are very different. |
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Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | Originally posted by manfrommagog:
I see that Patch is obviuosly a huge Ovation fan... Guilty! 
Originally posted by manfrommagog:
...yet has no Adamas models in his collection. I had a Ute once. It sounded exactly like everyone said it would. A stunning sonic instrument! BUT...
OK...here goes...I'm a guitarist who actually puts as much emphasis on appearance as he does sound. I know it sounds shallow, but if I don't like the look of an instrument, it seriously bugs me after a while no matter how great it sounds. And for the most part, I just don't care for the Adamas aesthetics. The die-hards here should take a deep breath before reading further... 
[list]
[*]1. I prefer broccoli on my plate, not my headstock.
2. I have yet to see a reverse burst that truly appeals to me.
3. I'm only a so-so fan of walnut fretboards. (On the 1537, I love it. But that's the only one so far.)
4. The snot blob looks as gross as it sounds.
5. Unidirectional carbon fiber only moves me one way...the wrong way.
6. Pastel colors and I rarely get along under the best of circumstances, especially on guitars.
7. Add sparkles to the finish and just watch my eyes roll clear into my head.
[/list]
That being said...
[list]
[*]1. I LOVE the look of the cobalt blue cross weave, but have never been able to afford it. Maybe someday.
2. I didn't realize the Ute had a sparkle finish. I thought it was matte gray, and it looked so in most pictures. I was definitely surprised when I opened its case.
3. Can't beat their sound, especially the textured tops.
4. Pretty much weather proof, which I like very much.
5. I really like the look of the 1680, but can't afford one....yet.
6. I wouldn't mind owning one at all, I just haven't found the one (ones?) that really click my gears yet.
7. But as most of the folks around here know, I keep my eyes open. You never know. I've actually got one on the way now, but I think it's a sparkly, so I'll probably move it along pretty quickly. The factory will be finishing a couple of my projects very soon, so selling it won't sting too much. ;)
[/list]
Everything folks are saying about the quality of the Adamas line is perfectly true. Don't be afraid to try'em out....
....but GEEZ! They sure do a good job with the wooden instruments to don't they? :) |
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| no apologies necessary, Patch...just like I don't have to apologize for not liking Taylors... |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | "4. The snot blob looks as gross as it sounds."
I jumped on mine cuz, Look Ma! No Snot Blob!
But it do have Sparkles... :p (on the top only) |
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Location: Michigan | Gee Patch the sparkles on the UTE remind me of fairies, sugerplums and all things good. |
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Location: Miami | Originally posted by G8r:
It's hard to describe, you pretty much have to hear it. Adamas guitars have a distinctive sound, what most would describe as "punchy". +1. And what Brad said about different flavors. As many here know I'm currently addicted to the sound of a textured 1778T. It has the "punchiness" of an Adamas, but with less projection, which works to my advantage because it matches perfectly the volume of my singing voice (unamplified). You might not realize just how expressive a T can be when you hear it side by side with a louder LX or Adamas. But when I adjusted my ear to the different volumes, I noticed the difference immediately. Keep in mind, I use a pick and I (intentionally) will strum from very soft to very hard, and it is important to me that the guitar's expressiveness respond to that. When I mute pick low notes, hit harmonics, or vibrato single notes, the 1778T's expressiveness really sets it apart from the more solid and balanced (but slightly less expressive) LX's and Adamases I have tried. 1778T's are very different from one another, which is why I'm rotating them in and out like there's no tomorrow!
So, yes, there are VERY distinct tonal differences between models, much of which has to do with your playing style. As to your question whether wood topped have a more natural sound, it depends what you mean by natural. A good Martin has a "woodiness" that sounds completely different from the "woodiness" of a 1778T. What's the better ice cream flavor?
But as Al Dimeola and G8r have said, the word is "punchy". No other guitar in the world that I have laid hands on will punch you like a textured T or Adamas when playing those muted bass runs. This is the single feature (if I had to pick one) that made me an Ovation junkie. (After that it would be the round back, then the visual aesthetic of the soundholes.) |
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Location: on the web | Originally posted by Old Man Arthur:
I jumped on mine cuz, Look Ma! No Snot Blob! What year is that one? There were a few years where they did away with the snot blob and just covered the entire face of the guitar in snot. |
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Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | Originally posted by The Usual Suspects:
...and just covered the entire face...in snot. Sounds like a 2-year-old with a cold. |
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Location: SoCal | To me, an Adamas (and we're only talking deep bowls here), sounds like a good wood top Ovation on steroids. Those that like it, LOVE it. I'm not that big a fan..... |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Originally posted by The Usual Suspects:
What year is that one? There were a few years where they did away with the snot blob and just covered the entire face of the guitar in snot. 1998! And Thanx for the Visual Imagery! :cool: |
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Location: Right now? | Gee Patch the sparkles on the UTE remind me of fairies, sugerplums and all things good.
Me too. Hell, I even like the snot blob.
;)
Willa |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | snot blot....pick guard...I don't see em when I'm playing so I don't care one way or the other.
Half of my all wood guitars are sans pickguard.
Good technique doesn't require a pg to protect the guitar top....they are just a visual. |
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Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | The pickguard on my 1984 never turned green like some I've seen. It is still clear and hardly noticable. I wonder if they started using a different kind of "mucus"? |
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Location: south east Michigan | I really like the black, texured top but I gotta confess an aversion to those blue & red bursts. |
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Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | Willa, what kind of camera are you using for your pics? You take some outstanding photos.
And back to the topic ...
Ovation wood tops are great and soung great.
Adamas textured tops sound different, but great also, in a different way. I guess the descriptive words that come to mind are "tonal purity". The wood tops are all a bit different and each has its own inherent wood tone quality, but the Adamas sound is consistently pure. Kinda' like the difference between oxygen you breath normally (mixed with what ever is in the surrounding environment) and the stuff you get out of an oxygen tank. |
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Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | Ooh Vince, great description! With a wood top you breathe in the scent of flowers on some, the scent of the sea on some, home baked bread on some, but they all smell good. (Taylors on the other hand, smell like BO. And Estebans just smell like the garbage that they are.) ;) |
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Location: Right now? | Thanks for the comment about my guitars Bryan. I used a Canon EOS 5D MKII on this shot. I loved the look of Adamas guitars the first time I saw them. Still, I love my wood-tops too. I also really, really, like my SSB CLs. I think they sound good, despite what some say about being less than desireable unplugged. I love the way mine sound. They would sound even better if I could play better!
;)
Willa |
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Posts: 2120
Location: Chicago | Let me know how you like the 1769 AD II. I've had a bit of trouble with mine, but I've realized that my particular axe needs some work. As for Adamas, like I said: you can get a sound sample from the links below: both "Carbon 14" on my OFC page and the intro to "Ursa Gypsy" on the band MySpace are played on my Adamas (1581-5) with no effects. In fact the whole session there on MySpace is unadorned Adamas. |
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Posts: 64
Location: Ottawa, Canada | Dobro, I will let you know as soon as I have had some time with it. Thanks for the info guys. I made a number of trips around Ottawa to the so called Ovation dealers and only one of them had a guitar in stock and it was the new one with the usb port/mp3 player. Not what I wanted. |
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Enlighten me you Ovation Junkies!!