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Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | At 8:15 this morning, I was out the door and on my way to the post office. The guitar arrived in great shape packed in an Ovation shipping carton and I put it in the pickup and drove it to the house. The family gathered in the office as I opened the carton; great packing job using air bags and peanuts Plus styro sheets front and rear. I took the case out and took it into the living room where I had a bit more room. The case opened to reveal a 1988 1688-5 Adamas 12 string in need of strings and a cleaning. I cut the old strings (which had already been loosened) off and set about cleaning the guitar. I polished the neck and headstock, cleaned the tuners, polished the bridge and cleaned the face of the guitar a bit...it wasn't too bad. Very little wear and tear for a nearly 20 year old guitar: two very small nicks in the treble side of the headstock, very small chip in the finish on the back of the neck (1st position: really have to look to see it), and that’s it except for the finger wear on the fret boards first three frets: I tried to clean them using scotch brite pads and a bit of fingerboard oil...they are not coming off, so...I figure its a vintage instrument, and its been played by someone quite a bit which shows that it is probably a good guitar...well, after the clean up, I strung it with a new set of Elixir Nano's lt. ga. and tuned it and played it...I was not liking the action at all so I detuned, took out a shim, retuned...There at last was the 12 string guitar I had been dreaming of...what a sound, played like butter, and looked killer! I changed the old case for a new one and moved the 87C back to its original case. The sound is simply fantastic...nothing sounds like a 1688...I have owned nearly every 12 string ever made and each has its signature sound...but I have stayed with my Taylor W-65 and my Ovation 1758's and now the 1688 Adamas...the sound across the spectrum from bass to treble is so fine...the bass is tremendous...and over all the guitar is in extremely nice shape for a nearly 20 year old instrument... Well here are the pic's I took this afternoon, (while trying to get some sun instead of overcast skies):
 " target="_blank" title="http://www.ovationfanclub.com/photos/MusicMike_54862_Face%202%20b.jpg">">http://www.ovationfanclub.com/photos/MusicMike_54862_Face%202%20b.j...
By the way, I know this has been floating back and forth for months on eBay, Craig’s list, the OFC and elsewhere...the problem seemed to be what the seller would sell the guitar for: well, I called her, spoke to her, and she gave me a price: $1800 shipping included! SOLD!
This is a keeper: top frequency is a 90! At last, I am done for a while...I'll bring it to Amelia w/me and it will be playing in church on Sunday!
I will do a comparison A/B with the other 12 strings I own in a bit...right now, I can't put it down! Thanks everyone for the good thoughts and support!
:D :D ;) :cool: :rolleyes: |
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| Fantastic Mike. Congratulations, she's a beauty. Great review, too. Now get off the computer and enjoy her! |
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Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | Here are a few more pic's:
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Location: Paris/France | Congratulations Mike, it's a wonderful guitar!!
And if it sounds as good as mine (I don't have a doubt...), you will keep it for all your life.
The Adamas 12 are fantastic instruments.
Enjoy. ;)
J :) |
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Location: Simpsonville, SC | can't wait to see and hear it in person Mike! Enjoy! |
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Location: UK | Can you put something on the site so we can hear it , looks perfect , enjoy |
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Location: big island | man, that's a magnificent work of musical art! looks like it has had lotsa cowboy chords played on it and well loved. i had dreams of owning this very guitar one day but when shirley presented me with my surprise 1688 my cup of musical contentment overflowed. i am thrilled for you, mike, and sense the Unseen Hand working this out for you and for His glory. congratulations! |
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Location: Germany | Congrats Mike, I know what you're talking about.
BTW: Isn't it funny, my 1687-8 is serial 4561.
Karl |
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Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | Wow, thats great Karl...sisters with the same birthdays no doubt! :cool: |
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Location: big island | mike,
ya' wanna hear some awesome low-end on your 1688? try a dropped D tuning (low E strings de-tuned to D) and do a full D chord strum. ohmygoodness... you can add to that by playing a D chord shape at the fifth fret, a Dm shape at the third fret and back to the D. |
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Location: Simpsonville, SC | yeah....what he said! Darn musicians..I'm going back to my turntable. :rolleyes: |
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Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | Randy: I just spent an hour playing in the Dropped D tuning...found some really great stuff and had goose bumps from the bass response...I can't wait to put it in a open G...What a guitar...and Jim...I'll show ya!
:D ;) |
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Location: big island | dropped D is a lot of fun, all over the fretboard, but especially nice on a tummy rumbler guitar! |
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Location: France | Congratulations Mike.
tom |
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Location: Nîmes, south of France | Congrats Mike !
On the photographs, she seems to be like new. I wish you all the best with this beauty  |
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Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | Just a few answers to questions and comments: Jerome; I'll be sending the pic's for your site; Andrea, I am working on it: I'm looking at a Lexicon unit; Tom and Arnaud, thanks: other than the cowboy chord marks on the fretboard, it very nearly is. Dave: I added it to your site.
Thanks all! |
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Location: SoCal | "Cowboy chords" Randy???? Everybody knows that all the "real" chords are played in the first 3 frets and everything else is just showing off!
Beautiful guitar Mike. I've had mine for almost 12 years and will never part with it. As has been said by so many, it IS the best 12 out there.
Let us know what people say at church after you play it on Sunday.... |
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Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | Thanks Paul...I will (btw, I just was wondering if someone would say something to you because of all the "3Fret" grief they kid you with lol). I appreciate your thoughts and I have already decided: this is a keeper for me as well! |
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Location: SoCal | It's 3 chord grief and I can now hit all three of them in under 10 seconds! |
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Location: closely held secret | Often at the same time. |
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Location: big island | they could be called "gospel chords", i suppose.... |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | Paul's so big he can hit all 3 chords at the same time. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Originally posted by moody, p.i.:
I've had mine for almost 12 years and will never part with it. As has been said by so many, it IS the best 12 out there.
It was due to Paul's non-stop ringing endorsement of "Big Blue" that made me jump on a 1688 several years ago. Better praise and advice were never given.
Paul, I never officially thanked you for your unofficial recommendation.....so even though it's 3+ years later...THANKS! |
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Location: NJ | Phil(SleepyEyes) has one just like Mike's which is absolutely STUNNING!!!
I've heard/played a bunch of these, but for some reason, Phil's guitar is just "head & shoulder above the pack".
It's one of those odd instances where one particular instrument just has "IT" . . . |
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Location: SoCal | Brad, your welcome.
Clifford, I understand what you're saying. Phil's guitar is spectacular. That's saying a lot when you realized that all the Adamii 12's are so damned good.... |
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Location: Rego Park, NY, | Originally posted by cliff:
Phil(SleepyEyes) has one just like Mike's which is absolutely STUNNING!!!
I've heard/played a bunch of these, but for some reason, Phil's guitar is just "head & shoulder above the pack".
It's one of those odd instances where one particular instrument just has "IT" . . . What are the odds that two guys name Phil have guitars that have "IT", Phil's Adamas 1688-5 12 string and my Elite 1778T Red Flame? :cool: :) :D |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Originally posted by moody, p.i.:
Brad, your welcome.
So now I'm bald and play Beatles music and love the Who! :eek:
on 2nd thought.....that does sound just like me :cool: |
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Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | Hair today...Gone tomorrow! |
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Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | Well, I played the 1688 in church today: just one song (Come Home Running - Chris Tomlin) but I did it in both churches: I couldn't get sound plugged in so I just played acoustically...Went over very well and I gor a very nice audience reaction from the second church in particular...they are the more outgoing , musical congregation...
So I got home, took the access panel off of the back, removed the input jack and found the problem...the ground was not soldered; also, someone had years ago evidently cut the input wires from the tuner for some unknown reason and then soldered them and put black electrician tape around the "repair". So, I got out my stuff and put it back as original with the soldering gun...works great now and looks like it is supposed to. I am really happy with the tone and it plays effortlessly. I have a new strap button spider nut coming from the mothership as well as a replacement pickup: the original was notched with w/string groves at some point... several are quite deep so this should improve the sound and put it back to nearly 100% as it came from the factory. At some point I may send it in to have the fingering marks removed from the fret board but not anytime soon...I am too busy playing it!
And I realize I have been remiss in failing to thank Wabbit for alerting me to the Craig’s List ad for this guitar...Thanks my friend! I appreciate it! |
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Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | wires from the tuner for some unknown reason Actually there is no tuner...I meant to say the wire from the input jack was cut...obviously, I am tired...its been a long week! |
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Location: closely held secret | You are very welcome, Mike! It sounds like a wonderful guitar!
(and I hope to play it next March! :D ) |
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Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | You are most welcome to do that! It should be a gas! |
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Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | I received the new pickup and spyder nuts for the strap button yesterday and installed same...the old p/u had string slots filed in it and made the string height off by quite a bit. Simple R&R and it good to go...I just lofe this guitar...ok, its an inamimate object...but its just way cool...I'm thinking you'll all agree this is a great sounding 1688...And I'll post a sound bite just as soon as I get the studio up and running...stay tuned! |
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Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | SP: inanimate
Would a spell check be too difficult? (just wondering)
;) :p |
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Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | I just lofe this guitar oh C^*P...I give up! |
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Location: SoCal | You know, I should probably confess here and now that I lied when I said that these were good guitars. In reality, they're not very good and I actually play Taylo..aug...aug.... I can't say it even to make a joke.
1688's rule and that's the bottom line. |
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1688-5 in the House!