Adamas ignoramous
john bange
Posted 2014-09-30 12:39 PM (#494568)
Subject: Adamas ignoramous



Joined:
November 2011
Posts: 205

Location: seattle, wa
I've always been drawn back to Ovations...for keeps , now, it seems. My question is, how do the Adamas guitars sound without being plugged in. This may be a stupid question but, I have never played one...never considered one...never even held one.
I am done playing in a band and now, only play in living rooms and in front of campfires.

Do they project out of those little sound holes?
Top of the page Bottom of the page
CanterburyStrings
Posted 2014-09-30 1:03 PM (#494569 - in reply to #494568)
Subject: Re: Adamas ignoramous


Joined:
March 2008
Posts: 2683

Location: Hot Springs, S.D.
Oh yes, they project! They are LOUD! The ones with the holes on the bass side only are very bassy. The ones with the holes on both sides are well balanced (lots of bass but bright trebles too.) The ones with a cutaway and holes on both sides are particularly great sounding. The sound is different from a wood top. With a wood top you generally don't get as much volume but you do get that wood "ring". An Adamas might be said to have a drier sound.

Plugged in they are just what you would expect. Of course it depends on the amp you use, but they sound fantastic.
Top of the page Bottom of the page
Slipkid
Posted 2014-09-30 2:53 PM (#494570 - in reply to #494568)
Subject: Re: Adamas ignoramous



Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 9301

Location: south east Michigan
An Adamas with a smooth top in one thing.
An Adamas with a textured is a whole other animal.
.
Top of the page Bottom of the page
Standingovation
Posted 2014-09-30 2:57 PM (#494571 - in reply to #494568)
Subject: Re: Adamas ignoramous



Joined:
June 2002
Posts: 6197

Location: Phoenix AZ
The only Adamas analogy I think of would be to stand next to a grand piano and listen to someplay play. Then OPEN THE TOP of the piano. THAT's how much better an Adamas sounds than your average wood top Ovation.
Top of the page Bottom of the page
Beal
Posted 2014-09-30 4:05 PM (#494573 - in reply to #494568)
Subject: Re: Adamas ignoramous



Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127

Location: 6 String Ranch
Love your pick Dave, now that's a tshirt if I ever saw one
Top of the page Bottom of the page
Standingovation
Posted 2014-09-30 5:47 PM (#494575 - in reply to #494573)
Subject: Re: Adamas ignoramous



Joined:
June 2002
Posts: 6197

Location: Phoenix AZ
cwk2 - 2014-09-30 3:05 PM

Love your pick Dave, now that's a tshirt if I ever saw one


The irony is that there is a typo that you of all people could probably chuckle at ... says 1996 instead of 1966. 'zat about right?
Top of the page Bottom of the page
Mark in Boise
Posted 2014-09-30 11:16 PM (#494581 - in reply to #494568)
Subject: Re: Adamas ignoramous


Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12754

Location: Boise, Idaho
I thought I saw that and was trying to figure out whether it was a typo or something deep and mysterious.
Top of the page Bottom of the page
Leo
Posted 2014-10-01 3:38 AM (#494584 - in reply to #494568)
Subject: Re: Adamas ignoramous



Joined:
November 2011
Posts: 44

Location: Mexico City
"how do the Adamas guitars sound without being plugged in"

Dawn good. I have a 1598 merb 12 string. Great volume, fantastic vibration, like if you have an amp with reverb effect plugged in, but without plugged. If you play rock, you´ll enjoy it. Depending on the strings you use, it may sound muddy. Listen to some you tube videos. However the Thomastik infeld spectrum strings beautifies the sound.

"Do they project out of those little sound holes? "

Yes, they project more than a standard guitar with center hole.



Top of the page Bottom of the page
TAFKAR
Posted 2014-10-01 6:11 AM (#494586 - in reply to #494568)
Subject: Re: Adamas ignoramous



Joined:
April 2008
Posts: 2985

Location: Sydney, Australia
I've never played a wood box that I would swap for my Adamas '08 collectors.
Top of the page Bottom of the page
FlySig
Posted 2014-10-01 9:30 AM (#494590 - in reply to #494568)
Subject: Re: Adamas ignoramous



Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4042

Location: Utah
The top to my Adamas 2080 is very responsive to differences in right hand technique. My daughter's Ute is the same, so I presume it is a characteristic of the material itself. For someone with decent right hand technique (not me!) the Adamas would bring much more to the party than a wood top.
Top of the page Bottom of the page
john bange
Posted 2014-10-01 10:29 AM (#494591 - in reply to #494568)
Subject: RE: Adamas ignoramous



Joined:
November 2011
Posts: 205

Location: seattle, wa
Is anyone just using fingernails? Would I need to use a flat pick?
Top of the page Bottom of the page
Jimmer
Posted 2014-10-01 10:31 AM (#494592 - in reply to #494570)
Subject: Re: Adamas ignoramous


Joined:
May 2013
Posts: 152

Brad Durasa - 2014-09-30 3:53 PM

An Adamas with a smooth top in one thing.
An Adamas with a textured is a whole other animal.
.

How so?

What do they sound like to you?

I have a W597 but I've always coveted a 1687.
Top of the page Bottom of the page
Mark in Boise
Posted 2014-10-01 1:10 PM (#494593 - in reply to #494591)
Subject: RE: Adamas ignoramous


Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12754

Location: Boise, Idaho
john bange - 2014-10-01 9:29 AM

Is anyone just using fingernails? Would I need to use a flat pick?

I primarily fingerpick and the Adamas guitars are louder than the wood tops. Even moreso with a pick. To paraphrase Mark Knopfler, "a plectrum is a mini-amplifier".
Top of the page Bottom of the page
CanterburyStrings
Posted 2014-10-01 3:07 PM (#494594 - in reply to #494568)
Subject: Re: Adamas ignoramous


Joined:
March 2008
Posts: 2683

Location: Hot Springs, S.D.
I only use my nails and I play very softly. That's why if I'm playing with other people I ALWAYS use an Adamas because it's the only one loud enough for me to be heard.
Top of the page Bottom of the page
Slipkid
Posted 2014-10-01 3:31 PM (#494595 - in reply to #494594)
Subject: Re: Adamas ignoramous



Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 9301

Location: south east Michigan
Yeah... C.S. plays guitar like a girl !!
Top of the page Bottom of the page
Mark in Boise
Posted 2014-10-01 3:39 PM (#494596 - in reply to #494568)
Subject: Re: Adamas ignoramous


Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12754

Location: Boise, Idaho
Incidentally, even the same model guitars could have a difference in volume. The #47 RI and the OFC I, for example, were the subject of a thread a few years ago. People claimed that the #47RI sounded louder, even though they were both reissues of the original Adamas slotheads, the only significant difference was the OFC guitars have electronics. I didn't believe it until I had both and they both were on the wall next to each other. I could strum both with my finger and notice a distinct volume difference in the 47RI. They were both louder than the Ovation wood tops. The Ute may be the loudest of all.
Top of the page Bottom of the page
TAFKAR
Posted 2014-10-01 4:20 PM (#494597 - in reply to #494591)
Subject: RE: Adamas ignoramous



Joined:
April 2008
Posts: 2985

Location: Sydney, Australia
john bange - 2014-10-02 3:29 AM

Is anyone just using fingernails? Would I need to use a flat pick?


I use both (not at the same time)
Top of the page Bottom of the page
CanterburyStrings
Posted 2014-10-01 4:34 PM (#494598 - in reply to #494595)
Subject: Re: Adamas ignoramous


Joined:
March 2008
Posts: 2683

Location: Hot Springs, S.D.
Brad Durasa - 2014-10-02 2:31 PM

Yeah... C.S. plays guitar like a girl !!


Why yes. Yes I do.
Top of the page Bottom of the page
Slipkid
Posted 2014-10-01 5:25 PM (#494599 - in reply to #494592)
Subject: Re: Adamas ignoramous



Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 9301

Location: south east Michigan


How so?

What do they sound like to you?

I have a W597 but I've always coveted a 1687

A good friend always says that trying to describe a guitar's sound is like "dancing about architecture".
But you asked.
IMHO and within the scope of my experience, the smooth woven tops have a more.... geesh... gonna say brittle and shimmery sound when compare to the textured tops. Don't get me wrong... I don't those terms to disparage, but to try and make a point.
Either way I'll probable be put on someone's poo poo list.



Edited by Slipkid 2014-10-01 5:28 PM
Top of the page Bottom of the page
Old Man Arthur
Posted 2014-10-01 5:44 PM (#494600 - in reply to #494568)
Subject: Re: Adamas ignoramous



Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777

Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR
I have a Textured Top W597, a "W597T"...
So someone went outta their way to put a Textured Top on a normally smooth top CVT.

I have never played this guitar side-by-side with a smooth top Adamas so I cannot make a definitive statement about which sounds better.
Top of the page Bottom of the page
Old Man Arthur
Posted 2014-10-01 6:31 PM (#494602 - in reply to #494568)
Subject: RE: Adamas ignoramous



Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777

Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR

I don't know if this will be helpful...
There is not a regular Ovation in this video.
But here are two Adamii played without amplification.

Top of the page Bottom of the page
john bange
Posted 2014-10-02 11:06 AM (#494611 - in reply to #494602)
Subject: RE: Adamas ignoramous



Joined:
November 2011
Posts: 205

Location: seattle, wa
thank you, OMA, I guess I need an Adamas...they were very close...pick or nails
exactly the info I was looking for
Top of the page Bottom of the page
d'ovation
Posted 2014-10-02 11:14 AM (#494612 - in reply to #494568)
Subject: Re: Adamas ignoramous


Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 848

Location: Canada
I think I want one too though I have never seen one in person. Will keep my eyes peeled on the for sale section, missed a few nice ones as I was only interested in 12-string. But now I think I need a 6-string in my life ...
Top of the page Bottom of the page
Mark in Boise
Posted 2014-10-02 11:34 AM (#494613 - in reply to #494568)
Subject: Re: Adamas ignoramous


Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12754

Location: Boise, Idaho
I had never played an Adamas and probably wouldn't have recognized one before I joined this forum. I bought the Ute just based on rave reviews here. It took a bit of getting used to, because I was hooked on the Ovation sound and it was different. We've grown close over the years and if I want a light guitar that really projects for fingerstyle, that's the one I'd take. I should have bought one of the 6 12 string Utes that Al commissioned, but I just never play a 12. I still haven't heard one of those 6 Utes. I imagine they are the best sounding 12 strings out there.
Top of the page Bottom of the page
Jimmer
Posted 2014-10-06 5:35 PM (#494733 - in reply to #494602)
Subject: RE: Adamas ignoramous


Joined:
May 2013
Posts: 152

arthurseery - 2014-10-01 7:31 PM

I don't know if this will be helpful...
There is not a regular Ovation in this video.
But here are two Adamii played without amplification.



Hey thanks a lot for putting that video up. You're Adamas are the opposite in color and texture of what I'll probably end up with.

I like the W597 smooth top that I have but I really want a deep bowl 1687. My W597 is black and I'd like to get a Blue 1687 with a textured top. Was thinking about selling the W597 to fund it but... It's hard to part with a nice guitar you know.
Top of the page Bottom of the page