G,

You've got issues, unintentional or with a purpose.

Either way their yours and not mine.

Because I'm feeling generous...

Wow ... do you have to work hard at being an unappreciative ***, or does it just come naturally to you?

Hey numbfingers, I appreciated all of your answers and help you tried to provide. I though it was very informative.  Thanks.

"A 1281 with three humbuckers, no "Preacher" on the pick guard and split coils. Is this a legit Preacher custom order or a non-factory mod?"
It was not a production model in this configuration.  How it came about will only be known by the person that ordered and/or built it. 

Is there any way to tell from the serial number?
no except for a serial of x001 to x010 -ish means it was a prototype for the model.

If the persons who actually built these guitars respond, it may very well live up to the subject title.
Agreed, but that is not likely to happen. 

How accurate was the Ovation record keeping on serial numbers?
To my knowledge they only kept track of "range" of serial numbers per year as outlined in the FAQ and there are contridictions to that.  The only other records would really be if someone mailed in the warrantee card.
 

Is there a reliable resource to identify how these guitars shipped?
In a box ??   Not sure what you mean in this question.  Probably changed over the years based on rates and service.

Are the urelite necks favored and if yes, why so? 
Never saw a Urelite neck, ever. 

On an estimated percentage basis, how many Viper III sold with humbuckers? 
The average would likely be 0%.  To my knowledge, maybe two guitars, but probably a couple more... but then you asked "sold" and I'm not sure they were actually sold.  They were built.

 Was that Viper III a custom order or a prototype? 

It was a Viper III and legit model 

 How do you identify an Ovation prototype?

The serial number of a true prototype is in the format of x001 and only ranged as far as we know to x010. 

The urelite body having a wood neck is strange, how often was this done.
The only Urelite body in production was the UKII.  There were a few, like maybe 3 - 5 Urelite Viper bodies made as experiments and configured.  To my knowledge, there never was a Urelite neck. 

If this IS a one off, what markings would it have?
It would likely have a standard serial number on the neck plate with no reference that it was a one-off.  Now having said that, we have seen scribbles under the bridge or in the pickup cavity that relate to color, or maybe who was making it or a date or something, but they was no standard.  More likely any notes or other markings on the inside only happened if the tech was working on more than one guitar at a time that was similar and he wanted to keep them straight with never an idea that anyone would actually see the info in the future. 

I'm assuming that it wouldn't be a prototype unless it didn't have a production serial number
Do I need to explain what happens when you assume?  Seriously.. ANYTHING is possible. 

Where did Ovation mark the Preachers?
If you mean serial number, same place as all the USA solid bodies... the neck plate. 

I'm hoping to get this axe for under a K, is that an irrational number? 
Some might say paying more than 1K is irrational.  Read the "how much is my guitar worth" in the FAQ.   

the neck has the standard 1281 dots and all the pickups are passive so it's likely not a deluxe custom since those had 'active' electronics.
Actually it's likely not a Deluxe because there was no such thing.  There was a "Preacher Deluxe" which was NOT a "deluxe" model of a Preacher... it was a model called Preacher Deluxe that shared very little with Preacher other than basic body silouette.

Were the rail pickups on the UK II too wide to fit in this body?
All of the standard solid body USA pickups (single, humbucker and UKII Rails) are interchangeable with some minor exceptions.  The original Toroidal Breadwinner pickups obviuosly won't fit.  It's worth mentioning that the Viper III (the real Viper III) middle single coil pickup was wound different.  Still all the same size... just thought that worth mentioning.

What was the original spec for the Preacher pickup cavity? 
Big enough for a pickup to fit?  I guess I don't understand the question. 

How did Ovation route the Preacher bodies? 
With a router?  Again, maybe I don't understand the question. 

Was there any difference between the Preacher deluxe and standard humbuckers not attributable to the FET circuit? 
No 

Does anyone have the schematic to what is presumably an FET gain stage on Preacher Deluxe?
I'm sure someone does.  I may someplace.  Keep in mind the pre-amp was NOT a boost.  It was indeed a pre-amp that focused more on tone.  The early ones actually had the "0" in the middle of the tone with + and - numbers or Treble bass I think as well on some,  but later they just used 0-10 markings.  Not really sure if Preacher Deluxe ever had the zero in the middle tone controls, but the Deacon and Breadwinner did.  The pre-amp worked the same regardless... counter clockwise boosted bass, and clockwise boosts treble.  Unlike a standard tone control that just cuts the highs to make bass.  The volume side did go through an FET, but it didn't boost.  Just kept it clean, in theory.

How many leads do the Preacher Deluxe humbuckers have?
If memory serves, I have seen two, four, and five with the latter just being a soldered ground, the four being combined outside the pickup casing and the two where the two coils were bridged under the pickup casing.  Bottom line, a humbucker has 4 leads regardless if you see them or not.

If the pickups on the UK II were no larger than the ones on the Preacher why wouldn't it be entirely possible to order a Preacher with them?
8I don't see why it wouldn't be possible. 

The brochures describe both the Viper and Preacher pickups as having 10k turns around Al-Nico magnets:
True 

Did they use the same coil profile, wire and magnets and if so, does that indicate the humbuckers had twice the total wire?
I have no idea (or could I even care).  Ovation was very tight lipped about how the magnets were wound.  My guess is that a 10K turn humbucker has two singles wrapped 5K each... but I have no basis for that other than if marketing heard there were two coils each wrapped with 10K turns they would be shouting it from the rooftops as such.

How many lead wires were on the Preacher humbuckers? How many on the UK-II? 
In the true sence, there must have been 4 as they are humbuckers, but....  as mentioned above.. how many we see outside the casing may differ, but the electronics don't change. 

Would the UK-II humbuckers fit in the Preacher without modifications to the cavity or pickguard? 
yep 

I have heard the Viper pickups considered relatively 'hot' for their day, can you name a common pickup that sounded very much like it? 
To my knowledge there wasn't a similar one.  By messing with the selector, volume and and tone, and of course the amp the Viper can sound like a tele, strat or Les Paul....  only some might say better than any of them.  It's subjective.  But I played pretty heavy rock with a Viper and while I ultimately replaced the bridge pickup with a humbucker, the stock pickup did a pretty good job.  In fact it's the only single coil pickup that gets along EXTREMLY well with Rockman effects that were designed for Humbuckers due to the high gain stages.

Ditto for the Preacher pickups. 
I never liked the Preacher Pickups without the pre-amp...eg.. My Preacher has Viper pickups in it.  That being said, they have a unique tone.  I liked the Preacher Deluxe and Deacon sounds, but found them limited in range for me.  They did what they did... sounded great and all that... but unlike the Viper pickups than can take on different personalities, the Preacher style humbuckers always sounded like they sounded.  A good sound....  better with the pre-amp I think due to added range... but overall... their own sound.

So I think I have answered allof you questions, so here are mine..

Why so many questions?  As you stated, "it's a a 1281 with three humbuckers, no "Preacher" on the pick guard and split coils."  Or in other words an Ovation Preacher style guitar with no "Preacher" on the pick guard and split coils."  

Based on your comments it's probably not a prototype and not a production model obviously so it's either a custom order or something someone put together with spare parts either at the factory or not.  You will never know unless they have some documentation with it, or as you mentioned earlier, someone remembers building it.  That's it..  It is what it is.

As far as what to pay for it... I guess that depends on how much you like it.  I refer you to the "How much is it worth" section of the FAQ.  

You could learn from the Pacific Rim Manufacturers and buy a few guitars, disassemble them, reverse engineer and provide us with the answers.

Have you contacted the builders at Eastwood? They've made some interesting clones.

Here's one of my frustrations. The history/geneology of Fender and Gibson solidbody guitars and their hardware is mapped out in extreme detail. There is a shrine somewhere, aka Leo Fender's desk the way it was when he departed. There are Guitar enthusiasts fighting over pickups made by Seth Lover on a Wednesday sounding better than one he wrapped on a Monday...

Those people have issues...

The detail is there because of the populist atmosphere surrounding Gibson and Fender guitars.

I am envious.

There was an incredible amount of innovation and five times the technological advancement taking place at Ovation. They made a better Peavey than Peavey...

Gibson couldn't even make a White guitar that looked White on TV.

Please remember us in your footnotes when you publish.

If there were no difference between the Preacher pickups why were two part number pairs assigned (100/200B and 110/210C)? 
I'm not sure where/what the model numbers are...  they came in Gold vs Chrome ?  Also there are distinct bridge and neck pickups.  The spacing is different.  If 3 pickups are used, I'm curious which one they used for the middle pickup.  Of course..  Ovation was infamous for just changing the model numbers of things mid-stream for whatever reason. 

Your marketing slant logic is plausible, should we assume the UKII humbuckers were also wound 5k per magnet rail? 
No Idea...  I go by measuring resistance... they either work or they don't.. I either like their sound or I don't.

The number of pickup leads that are accessible dictates the wiring configuration and grounding scheme options as well as the sonic result;
Well I would use the terms "indicates the wiring configuration choices to some extent"  Wiring can always be changed, a pickups wiring can be replaced and/or modified.

does anyone here believe this information has no significance? 
Regarding pickups, I generally go for guitars which I like the pickups.  I don't like the Preacher pickups.  If I liked the rest of the guitar for some reason, I would change the pickups accordingly so...  that's the significance for me. 

When I asked how the pickup cavity was routed, I was trying to gain insight into the tools and bits used. This information will help determine if the third cavity on the Preacher was done at the factory.
The easiest way to 99% check is if it matches the others.  There never was a 3-pickup preacher and like everything else... there are probably different versions, but the  "match the cuts" technigue will help you know if it's after market or not.  FWIW, at a certain point ALL Viper's had "viper III" bodies.  It was just easier to make one body and apply the correct pickguard for the model... Viper or Viper III.  It's been awhile since I have seen a Preacher under the hood, but I believe it's the same routing as a viper.  Not positive on this. 

The same goes for the cavity dimensions and its variance. Anyone working there at the time should know this. I suppose anyone with detailed pictures of the Viper III under the pickguard would be helpful too. 
I think overall shape would be your guide.  As far as variance, again, I would guess they used a template and are all pretty close.  I doubt they checked each cavity once the template was being used.  The template was likely large enough to afford minor variance as you call it, but I have no idea if they tracked it.

When I asked about how the guitars shipped, I was trying to determine the accessories like tools, keys, cables, manuals, etc.
In general a user manual, a key for the case and warrantee card.  Models that could go stereo came with a cord. 

You are, of course, referring to the electric guitars.  My USA Ultra acoustic electric from 1983 has a Urelite neck.

If all those humbuckers were made the same way with the only difference the color, why not use the same original part number and suffix a 'G' for gold (ie: 700100G/700200G).
You'd have to ask them. I'm just say'n... you mentioned two numbers. There were at least two different pickups (neck and bridge) which I would think would be four numbers. There may have been slight changes over time, different sources, who knows... Maybe the number of leads... again.. don't know.. Don't know who would know or who would remember if they did know.

Was there some part binning going on back then? 
Again... who knows...


If the Preacher had triple routing at the factory I suggest the following: 
That's a BIG assumption right there as there never was a 3-pickup Preacher model.

1. Both Preacher and Viper bodies may have been cut on the same assembly but for that to be viable, both bodies would have had a similar mounting (presumably aligned at the neck joint for both but there would have been an increased cost in bit wear).
Not sure what the point is.  There was no Preacher III... There was a Viper III and at nearing the end of the life of these models they made one body and either put a Viper or Viper III Pickguard on it.

2. The above scenario is more likely if those cavities were cut simultaneously instead of step and repeat. 
I do not agree 

3. If the later Preachers had three cavities cut, the pickguard would have been probably done by hand.

The Preachers were only cut for two pickups. There never was a Preacher III model.
There was never a Preacher III model. 

How were the Viper pickups reviewed back then compared to the Preacher humbuckers?
To my knowledge, back then as of now... they were viewed the same.  I am from "back then"..  The Deacon and Preacher Deluxe sounded great... I needed more flexibility, so I bought a Viper.. 

What is the info you are looking for.  If you could sum up all of your posts into ONE question, what is it you are trying to find out?  

To shortcut this a bit... If you are trying to determine if this was in fact made at the factory, the ONLY way you will EVER find that out is likely if the person who made it remembers doing so.  There is LITTLE TO NOTHING on the guitar to reveal this... HOWEVER...  There are some tell-tales that you havnen't asked that would lead you in the direction.  Basically while you have asked a lot of interesting questions, they are about things that are inconclusive about the line.  I must admit that you have asked questions that NO ONE including myself has EVER asked in at least 12 years (since this group started).

In no particular order if someone signed it under the bridge or put initials somewhere in it would be a tell.  If the 3rd pickup cavity has any finish/sealer will be a big tell showing if the route was added later, but not definitive as someone could have bought a guitar and later wanted it routed... but... if it is bare wood, that is likely not the workmanship at the factory.

Another big tell is the pickguard material.  It was somewhat unique and the edges finished like an Ovation solid body pickguard.  Hard to explain... but the number of layers and angle of the edge...  unique to Ovation as far as I know.  The shape would likely be one of the standard shapes but modified and properly finished.

There are other tells... but until we see some pictures, I think you have expired my knowledge base. 

Just out of curiosity... and excuse me if I've missed it... but where did you come up with these "pickup model numbers" of "110/210C and 100/200B?" 

700100-x-15 = Neck 700200-x-15=bridge for the Preacher Deluxe 12-string.
700100-x-15 = Neck 700200-x-15=bridge for the Preacher.
700100-x-15 = Neck 700200-x-15=bridge for the Deacon.
700100-x-15 = Neck 700200-x-15=bridge for the Breadwinner (after they dropped the Toroidal pickups).
700100-x-17 = Neck 700200-x-17=bridge for the Preacher Deluxe.

These are from the assembly guides for these guitars and their associated parts lists.

While initially I thought these number represented the pickup "assembly" as they are listed in the parts list and diagrams, these 700X00-X-XX numbers are also referenced on some of the the schematics as well. On other schematics they are just referenced by "bridge pickup" or "neck pickup." What I actually find interesting is that the only different number on any of the parts lists regarding these pickups is the ones for the Preacher Deluxe 12-String. My guess is that the 12-String may have a slightly different spacing.   Maybe that's the difference from whereever you found the model numbers... one is the "standard" humbucker and the other is the 12-string spacing.   I have noticed the parts list doesn't even deliniate between gold and chrome, only the marketing references that.

Preacher Deluxe...on the CNC router circa 1978(based on film negative /slide dates)

All of my replies are straight.

Straight off the top of my head mostly, but straight all the same.

Its my guitars that are curved and cheeky.

Okay, so we seem to agree that a 'Preacher III' is not a common configuration but what makes it unrepresentative of Ovation?
Only in the sence that it was never a production run.  Certainly an example of what Ovation could do regardless of how it got that way. 

Am I the only one here who believes this Preacher three pickup configuration is 'kewl' and even 'kewler' if factory legitimate?
Not at all.  Doesn't change the value or collectibiilty much unless you are specifically looking for one-off's even then.. doesn't really effect the value...  Kewl factor is there... in spades.. 

The replies seem to indicate that the standard Preacher available to me for $350 is the better deal but if I got that and paid someone to add a third pickup and wire the selection options, what would my total cost be then?
Well probably at the top end of the scale, an additional $300-$500 depending on who did the work, but at sell time it would still only garner a couple hundred more than original.

If this guitar was from the Ovation factory as a legit custom order purchase back then, it indicates to me that the person who ordered it had some guitar sophistication. That person may have been influential or historically significant which adds further speculative value. Why isn't that notable and worthy of a premium?
If you could prove this, which is a near impossibilty in the best of scenario's then it would certainly add a couple hundred to the value depending on who the originator of the guitar was.  As I mentioned earlier, there were people putting together Ovation solid bodies from parts in all sorts of configurations in the late 90's and early 2000's.  I bought up most of them as they were going for a song on ebay and at shows.  In most cases, much less than the "original".  Most were done nicely.  I parted them out for way more than I could get as a hole guitar.
  

While we are on the subject of Preachers... I have a VERY cool Preacher.  What I think is the best made... It's a Preacher with Viper Pickups.  Not only was it built at the factory, it's documented on the cover of an album made by and produced by the Kaman family who owned the factory.  The Viper pickups should have been used in that guitar from the start.  Kewl factor and mojo off the scale!!!    To 99.9% of the people even remotely interested, it's just a Preacher with Viper pickups. Hell... I have the FINAL prototype of the Breadwinner.  The final model configuration before production..  Someday these guitars may be worth something to someone or a museum besides me.  Kewl factor off the scale...  monetary value.... not-so-much unless it's just the "right" buyer. 

I cannot understand why the members here don't concur with my logic, it seems to fall in lock step with how 'value' of an Ovation is determined.
We concur on the cool factor I think.  And we concur with your "what if" logic, but the fact remains.. there is nearly no chance worth mentioning that you will determine its lineage, and even if you do..  that only adds a few hundred unless it was Glen Campbell or some 80's famous rocker that did the mod.   Here's another example.  Boston's double-neck Preacher, the only one made we know of, well documented, sold in the range you mentioned for this Preacher with 3-pickups.  Just trying to give you some percpective..  

As was stated above... You seem to be drawn to this guiar... BUY IT.   That's the only way you'll get some sleep.  And, if it turns out you can establish the lineage, all the better.   If the current owner figures it out and it turns out to be something or someone important, you can rest assured you likely won't have another crack at it.

Ovations are not popular investments today and that is the point. The patience will be an easy task. I will be playing that Preacher while the market begins to recognize what we already figured out.
Actually Ovations are a great value.  On average you could have bought an Ovation 30 years ago and probably get your money out of it if sold.  Adamas' have taken a hit, but that will change.  The problem is, Ovation never had an "expencive" guitar..   So in value, in the scheme of things, we're talking pennies really.  The average solid body streeted for $300-$500 when NEW...  While other brands at least had models that streeted for at least twice that.