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Location: Columbus, Ohio | Okay I need a little help on this subject. Is there a difference between a contour and deep bowl besids the contour part? Is there a difference in the total depth of the guitar?
I'm currently playing an Adamas 1597 that I love but I've been doing A LOT more playing unplugged and would like to have a guitar that shines when not plugged in. The 1597 does a good job but I would imagine that a deep or contour would be better.
I was looking into the Adamas 2080 or the Ovation ADII. I would like to stick with the Adamas line but would consider Ovation, must be a 14th fret cutaway. Any ideas? I may be up for trades/partial trades...so let me know what you guys think.
thanks,
Adam |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | I think the deep and contour bowls are supposed to have the same volume. I don't mean that in terms of sound, but in terms of space under the soundboard. I wouldn't know how to measure it, since the contour is irregular. Lots of options in the Adamas and Ovation lines. You could also keep your 1597 and go for something different with a great sound, like an 05 Collector. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | 2080 or 1581 |
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Location: Columbus, Ohio | I'd like to find a 1581, I'll also look into the 05 Collector. I think GC has the Adamas II reissue for a decent price, however, I'd like to find one used. |
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Location: Utah | Mark, you could fill one with water, then pour the water into the other to see if it held the same amount.
Let us know how it turns out. |
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Location: south east Michigan | From what I understand, compared to the deep bowl there are slighly fewer "cubic inches" in the contour bowl but more than a mid-bowl.
I have not played enough contour bowls to have a thought out opinion but I'm thinking that the various top designs will have more of an impact in the overall sound of a particular model. |
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Location: Columbus, Ohio | I really like the sound of a textured top but it seems like used 1581's are hard to come by. I would also like to hear/play an Ovation ADII, although it may be a little to "flashy" for me.
......I do like the water idea |
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Location: CA | I haven't played that many contours either, so soundwise I can't comment. But there's another consideration: comfort. One rumor for the creation of the contour was to fit players with, uh, 'deep bowls' of their own. This it apparently does well. However, for skinny guys like me, I found the contour bowl so uncomfortable that I eventually sold the guitar and went back to a normal bowl. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | you could fill one with water, then pour the water into the other to see if it held the same amount. I've seen archaeologists use white pearl barley to measure the volume of the brain case in skulls.
And there is, at least, one documented case of a member on this board who attempted to measure the volume of a deep bowl using cashews.... |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Contour bowl has slightly less metric volume than a deep bowl. |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Originally posted by Slipkid:
.... I'm thinking that the various top designs will have more of an impact in the overall sound of a particular model. This is my thinking as well. Contour and Deep are so close, and there are so many variables.
Would a mid-bowl that the top has completely opened up be louder than a brand new deep bowl? What about the types of bracing?
I guess the question turns into... after 2 years of gigging and playing each guitar every day, will the opened up deep bowl version of the same model with countour bowl and same top and same bracing (if that's even an option) be louder.
??? |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Not sure of your budget but if you want a KILLER adamas cutaway w/ADII features..............
The Guitar
End of discussion. |
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Location: SoCal | When comparing deep and contour bowls, the other variable is in the top bracing. All contours have scalloped X bracing. Deep bowls probably have A or VT bracing. Makes for very different sounds..... |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | Originally posted by FlySig:
Mark, you could fill one with water, then pour the water into the other to see if it held the same amount.
Let us know how it turns out. I thought about this when I got the LAVKoa, but I couldn't get the back access hatch to quit leaking on the OFC, so I gave up.
Actually, there's an 05 Collector just posted on ebay with a low BIN or OBO. |
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Location: Columbus, Ohio | stephent28....yeah a little out of my price range, sounds good and can't wait to see some pics.
I've played the 2080 and thought it wasn't quite "bright" enough (for me) as the standard Adamas soundhole configuration. The guitar had awsome bottom end and maybe my opinion would be different if I spent more time with it.
Never played an Adamas 1581 and would love to someday. |
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Location: Jet City | 2080 works for me. |
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Location: Columbus, Ohio | I'd definitely give the 2080 and go, my current top choices would be the 1581, 2080.
Maybe I should post a WTB/T for either of those and see if there are any bites. |
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Location: Utah | Originally posted by RDA08:
I really like the sound of a textured top but it seems like used 1581's are hard to come by. I would also like to hear/play an Ovation ADII, although it may be a little to "flashy" for me.
......I do like the water idea Al has some export market Adamas with the textured top. Non-cutaway deep bowl. No factory warrantee but a screaming price for an Adamas. Seriously screaming good deals. |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | If you can try a 2080 again, have someone else play it and sit across from it. Sometimes they sound bassey to you because your ears are one the bass side. |
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Location: Sydney, Australia | I moved from a W597 (very similar to a 1597) to an 08 Collectors. i.e. I went from a mid bowl shiny top to a contour textured top. I'm not sure whether it's more the bowl or the top, but the overall change is fantastic. |
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Location: Columbus, Ohio | That's quite a change...the 08 Collectors are nice guitars. Think maybe I'll sell my 1597, Monitor PA, and Boss GT-8 and see where that lands me. |
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Location: Nashville TN. | My only adivice is make sure you like the contour
bowl against you body.
I bought one and found I could not get comfy with it. |
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Location: Columbus, Ohio | I know that they had an Ovation contour bowl at Sam Ash a while back, maybe I'll stop buy and play it for a bit and see if I like the C-bowl |
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Location: East Wenatchee, WA | I have now had (have?) a 1537 (Deep Bowl Ovation, aka the "tone monster" by some), a W597 (mid-depth), a 2080 and now the 2008C (both Contours).
The 2080 was the loudest, deepest of the lot.
The 1537 is second in loudness, and has a nice woody tone to it. Very mellow compared to the Adamas with a good deep bass, but not as bright as the Carbon guitars.
The 2008C is quieter than the 2080 and 1537, but has a much more defined/articulate sound that some have said is more complex...like a piano...which I would agree with.
The W597 was fully an Adamas, with a good/crisp bass, but not boomy. It was loud, but quieter than all the above.
The W597 had the best action of all my guitars, with the 1537 and 2008C being second and 2080 last (still very good). I suspect the difference is just individual guitar set-ups since I am a novice at that game.
All in all, you could not loose with either the 2080, 1581 (which I have not had for comparison) or the 2008C if you bump your budget by a grand. |
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| I did not like the contour bowl at all when I first got the guitar, but have gotten used to it. Plus, if you're the type who tapes set lists etc to the side of the guitar, well, there's plenty of room for that. |
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Location: Chicago | Hey Mark, the first tune on MY OFC PAGE called "Carbon 14" was recorded on a 1581 RI unplugged straight into an H4 handheld recorder. You can get a sense of the tone. Click HERE to see the axe. |
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Location: Columbus, Ohio | I really wish I could afford to keep the 1597 and purchase a 2080 or 1581 but with a baby on the way my wife has pretty much put a stop to my spending, which I would have to agree with her. So if I want a more expensive guitar I have to sell some other equipment along with my guitar. Maybe someday I'll be able to own more than one. Whichever guitar I end up with it's going to have to be one that I'm very happy with. |
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Location: Chicago | Maybe you could find a REALLY little 1581 for the baby:) I guarantee that the sound will still be huge!
Dobro sez: It's never too early to start guitar!!!!! |
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Contour Bowl vs Deep Bowl help