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July 2008
Posts: 185
Location: Long Island, N.Y. | Just trying to drum up some opinions on this model guitar from folks who have one or use to have one.
I f you can contribute on your thought s about this model, much appreciated 
Thank you, Dan
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March 2002
Posts: 15682
Location: SoCal | From what I've seen, it's pretty well a straight up Custom Legend, built for the Japanese market, but with a rosewood, rather than an ebony, fingerboard.... |
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December 2006
Posts: 6996
Location: Jet City | It has an ebony fretboard. And bound with abalone like a book Elite. There was one for sale not long ago at guitar center.
Aside from that, looks like every iter custom legend from that era |
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September 2011
Posts: 402
Location: New Hartford CT | Yes, it's ebony and made to specs provided by Nakau (distributor) in Japan back in the early 90's. The fingerboard has abalone inlaid on the top edge sides, another distinction from a standard Custom Legend. These are pretty rare, less than 1 thousand built.
The other neat thing about some of Nakau models (there were more than one) was that since they were a special item for the Japanese market, a little extra care went into them. Having one shipped back from Japan for a minor defect that might go unnoticed on a domestic model was a huge problem. I recollect this distributor was held in high regard and if you find it is good condition, grab it. |
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August 2007
Posts: 1008
Location: Tuscany, Italy | I read here not long ago that they picked up the very best out of production run to become Nakao series ..... |
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March 2002
Posts: 15682
Location: SoCal | My bad on the fretboard. Here's some info and photos....
http://www.tfoa.eu/the_store/index.php?target=products&product_id=3... |
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September 2011
Posts: 402
Location: New Hartford CT | Thanks for the link moody - this is the only Ovation neck with abalone strips running along the top edges of the fingerboard I am aware of. When I was carving we saw these for a very short period then they were gone for good...but I never forgot these necks. That extra abalone really made them pop. |
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March 2002
Posts: 15682
Location: SoCal | 87C... |
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March 2005
Posts: 12761
Location: Boise, Idaho | Moody beat me to it. Wasn't it also on the Book Elite and the 2004 CL Commemorative? (I just played my 04 last night and can't remember.) |
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September 2011
Posts: 402
Location: New Hartford CT | Right on - the elite style rosewood FB ringed with abalone. How could I forget, well it's been 20 years now. Any others...? |
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July 2008
Posts: 185
Location: Long Island, N.Y. | thanks folks for your input. I found one and it was played on a couple of times it has a couple of small nail marks below the high e string but other than that it is in mint cond. it is a N769-7 . As soon as I get my camera back I am going to post pictures of my `76 legend that I got, Going up for sale, this guitar is in mint condition w/ ohsc. My sights are now set on a n769 by the way, the 2004 comm. c.l. did not have the bling up the fret board, I had #11
N769 Spec @ ovation says it is a 4AAAA Top, walnut bridge with a op24 plus but I have seen them with just an op24 which is the one I got my eyes on. |
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July 2008
Posts: 185
Location: Long Island, N.Y. | I have also heard that with the production of the n769-7 only 15 or so stayed here in the states, the rest went to Japan. |
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July 2008
Posts: 185
Location: Long Island, N.Y. | P.S. Only 200 made |
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October 2007
Posts: 283
Location: Portland, OR | I have two and an N768. I think you will find it a special guitar. It's a CL with a little more bling. Mine were made in 1992. All sound a little different, but much like the difference between an 87c and Book, compare these to the N768, pretty close. Last time I looked, two were pictured on Jerome's site. |
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September 2012
Posts: 815
Location: Thredbo, NSW, Australia | There's a 1992 N768-9 on the Bay right now.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ovation-USA-Elite-Custom-Shop-Abalone-1992-...
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January 2009
Posts: 1249
Location: Texas | DaveKell probably bought it... |
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October 2012
Posts: 349
Location: Denver, CO | I'll trade him another beat-up old "mojo" guitar for it next week! |
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November 2011
Posts: 741
Location: Fort Worth, TX | dwg preacher - 2012-11-10 6:57 PM
I'll trade him another beat-up old "mojo" guitar for it next week!
Not if I trade the last mojo guitar I got from ya later today for an early Adamas! Ya won't be mad at me will ya? |
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October 2012
Posts: 349
Location: Denver, CO | No, I'll be happy and envious you got an Adamas before me! :-) |
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November 2011
Posts: 741
Location: Fort Worth, TX | Here's how it came down on the Adamas. He brought it out to me in a very crowded living room where two birthday celebrations were taking place. I wasn't sitting by a light and couldn't read the label for the model number/serial number. It said Ovation (logo) on the headstock, not Adamas. It had a "clothlike" texture to the top and epaulets on both sides with about 4 different colors of wood around the holes. It was a reverse blue burst. What struck me was how HEAVY it was! It had two brown plastic knobs and stereo cord jacks. It sounded nothing like Adami I've heard on Youtube clips, but more like my Balladeer I recently traded. He was interested in trading me for the cedar topped dread but I said I had to do some checking on it first and would be back in Lubbock at Christmas at which time we could trade. So does this sound like an "early Adamas" (his words)? |
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January 2007
Posts: 137
Location: Massachusetts | I was at a local guitar store a couple of years ago and saw a used black Custom Legend hanging there and the thing that stood out was the abalone trim on the neck. I tried it out and ended up buying it. When I started to examine it I discovered the model number was N789 which I hadn't heard of. After searching the web I found it was a small production run for the Japanese market. It has an ebony fingerboard and bridge, the top is AAAA spruce and the neck is v-shaped. The tuners are made in W Germany and gold plated. The pre amp is an OP24.
I've had many comments about how good it sounds when compared with Martins and Taylors. I feel fortunate to have come across such a great guitar when I was just browsing. It's a keeper!! |
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Anyone own or owned a N769 Custom Legend?