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Posts: 777
Location: East Wenatchee, WA | After trying out the Carvin Cobalt, which is a nice enough guitar, but....it's not my Ovation 1537, I sent it back and have been watching the Adamas' on ebay.
I know nothing about them, but the prices seem to be a little depressed lately. What are the models to avoid, which are preferable. I am not looking to collectors status, but would like to have a compliment to my 1537, but with some newer electronics. Seems like the W591/597's are going under $1000 recently...thoughts? |
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Posts: 6202
Location: Phoenix AZ | Look for an Adamas II deepbowl with Optima electronics. Dave |
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Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | I like the optima or op 24 electronics also. Mid is fine.
I prefer textured top. |
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Posts: 777
Location: East Wenatchee, WA | I understand the electronics and bowl depth differences, but is the "II" a model all it's own, or is that something that tags the end of a model number...such as W597 II or ???
Also, I see a lot of reference to variances in the carbon fiber..i.e. woven vs. ??? Does that make a lot of difference sound wise?
Thanks again. |
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Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | CF,
Explore the LostArt/Vintage site. Plenty there to confuse you further...and with questions to the OFC board, you might find the one (or more) that you are looking for.
I wasn't sure what you meant by, "compliment your 1537". Are you looking for something that sounds similar. Or something that sounds good with it. Or another axe in the collection? |
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Posts: 777
Location: East Wenatchee, WA | Just an add to the collection.... |
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Posts: 2150
Location: Orlando, FL | Before many OFCer's talked me into buying my 1537 (which I love!) I was looing at the W597. The selection of high end O's is pretty pitiful here in Orlando, but I was able to play a W597 that I liked a lot. It was one of the crossweave carbon fiber tops that you see pretty regularly on eBay. It is has a brighter sound than the 1537. Like I said I liked it a lot, but I didn't have a whole lot of Adamas models to compare it to. I'm glad I bought my 1537 (thanks Jeff W!), but when the GAS sets in sooner or later, I'll probably start hunting for an Adamas again. So, I'll be looking forward to see how you're advised here, what you get and how you lke it. Good luck! |
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Posts: 12761
Location: Boise, Idaho | There is a centerhole Adamas on ebay about to run out. I just searched this site and there were several threads trashing the idea of a centerhole Adamas as well as the sound. |
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August 2004
Posts: 604
Location: Tampa, FL | Just received a 6778, Standard Elite, from Al to compare to my 6591. Wish I hadn't done this. Unless there is something terribly wrong with the Adamas, all of cwk2's comments are on the money. I think I will be sending the 6591 back to Hartford for evaluation, but the difference is amazing. The Elite (and this is a rather pedestrain Elite, no LX or anything particularly special) has superior balance, much better low end, better tone, better action and this is with the rusty, nasty strings that Al left on it when it shipped. I am afraid to put new strings on, I may just have to go out and purchase a canoe so I'll have a use for my Adamas.
Then again, maybe it's just the relief of pent up GAS. More will follow. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Leave the center hole Adamas where it is, you don't want that one. |
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Location: Tampa, FL | W2, the first time i heard you tee off on the 6591 et. al. I thought that maybe you were perhaps a bit elitist (no pun, honest) in your interpretation. But, assuming that my Adamas is not seriously broken, it has to be the Windows ME of Adami. Sounds almost OK plugged in but this new (to me) Elite is just hands down better. |
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Posts: 15682
Location: SoCal | This is my opinion and it's not meant to say that people who have these guitars are wrong or bought bad guitars. But I honestly believe that back in 97, when Ovation came out with the redesigned Adamas guitars, they dropped the ball. I know people on the board who love them, but I've never played one that I would consider buying. I've never played one that I would consider trading my 1537 for. If I was going to buy an Adamas, I'd look for an older one, or wait until the next generation Adamas comes out (the one Al described as "killer")
Ovation went into a serious product decline all thru the 90's. They've now, greatly to their credit, come bursting out of that decline with fantastic product. But the CVT's, SMT's, and other alphabet Adamii wannabes --- nah. |
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Posts: 6202
Location: Phoenix AZ | If you want a fiber top guitar with a center soundhole you should look at Composite Acoustics, Rainsong, or any other such beasts. As far as Adamas, I agree with my esteemed fellow member Mr. PI. The smoothy SMTs, CVTs, or whatever, do not please my ears near as much as a good old textured top. I still think the Adamas II is the best bargin out there. Dave
PS - Notice I wrote "not as pleasing to my ears" instead of "not as good as". That's the new gentler, kinder StandingOvation talking.
PSS - The "old" StandingOvation would have just said they sound like shit. |
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Posts: 777
Location: East Wenatchee, WA | Once again, I have the distinct feeling that you guys are not only going to save me money, but make me a 1537 snob. [...pfft...you don't have a 1537...huff...do you even know what a true guitar IS!!!] or some such.
I guess it's off to the guitar center again. Every time I go there I come away dissappointed with how backwards the industry seems to be headed. Everything else you get more for less, guitars...less for more....
Maybe I will just put the dough into a Tascam 2488 burn a CD, sell a million copies, then the makers will pay me to pose with their guitars.
""CLICK"" reality check....I AIN'T THAT GOOD!!! |
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Location: closely held secret | Cardinal - where in Oregon are you? |
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Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | CF,
I recently...
...never mind |
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March 2005
Posts: 12761
Location: Boise, Idaho | Waskel, Jeff said in another post he was in Hermiston. Where's the nearest Guitar Center from there? Ours had a 94 Collector's edition for a few days and has had a shallow bowl Legend forever. They are kind of slow getting the new models in and some move fast but others are real slow. I think whenever they put out a good deal one of the employees puts it on layaway. |
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Location: closely held secret | Hermiston??? He's in nowhereland.
It looks like a toss-up between Spokane (170 miles), Boise (250 miles), and Portland (186 miles).
At least there's 2 of them in the Portland area. |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | So where's Colton? Or is it a fictional place? |
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Location: closely held secret | Haha, seems like it sometimes. No, it's real. A flashing yellow light on Hwy 211 about halfway between Estacada and Molalla. Or, if you prefer, about 40 miles southeast of Portland. |
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| Originally posted by ChatMan:
W2, the first time i heard you tee off on the 6591 et. al. I thought that maybe you were perhaps a bit elitist (no pun, honest) in your interpretation. But, assuming that my Adamas is not seriously broken, it has to be the Windows ME of Adami. Sounds almost OK plugged in but this new (to me) Elite is just hands down better. chatman, w2 wasn't kidding ... the center hole adamas is the one to avoid. we discussed this many times in the past.
the good thing is - your hearing ability is normal. u can tell that "new" elite standard u just got sounds better than your adamas. even the entry level elite sounds better, so u now should know why ... |
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Posts: 777
Location: East Wenatchee, WA | Originally posted by Waskel:
Hermiston??? He's in nowhereland.
It looks like a toss-up between Spokane (170 miles), Boise (250 miles), and Portland (186 miles).
At least there's 2 of them in the Portland area. You guys must have missed my prior post. The reason I don't own 30 guitars (like some of you) is my other vice is an airplane. I am an hour to Portland or Spokane, and always looking for an excuse to go somewhere...what better excuse than filling the back seat with another guitar? But alas, you are correct, we do have a couple of good music stores in Kennewick 30 miles to the north, but never a broad selection in instruments. |
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Posts: 12761
Location: Boise, Idaho | I caught the airplane reference, although I a have no idea what a Cardinal is. Ask me about Porsches. Not as fast, and mine doesn't have a back seat for a guitar, but I drive it to work everyday even in the snow. |
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Location: closely held secret | Sorry, John, I must have missed that post. The reason I said 'nowhereland' is because Mark asked about GC's.
That's not a knock on Hermiston, by any means. Been through there many times on my way up to Spokane, nice little town.
Great melons! ;) |
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September 2004
Posts: 777
Location: East Wenatchee, WA | Originally posted by Waskel:
Sorry, John, I must have missed that post. The reason I said 'nowhereland' is because Mark asked about GC's.
That's not a knock on Hermiston, by any means. Been through there many times on my way up to Spokane, nice little town.
Great melons! ;) Hey...no offense taken at all...and I wish I could agree on the melons. We have been here 3 years now, and each year the crop has been YUCK!! But the locals still say they are the best...oh well. |
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Posts: 777
Location: East Wenatchee, WA | Originally posted by Mark in Boise:
I caught the airplane reference, although I a have no idea what a Cardinal is. Ask me about Porsches. Not as fast, and mine doesn't have a back seat for a guitar, but I drive it to work everyday even in the snow. Don't be so sure. I have driven Porsche's (remember Porsche is a two-syllable word right?) and some are probably faster than the 145 mph top end on my Cessna 177B Cardinal. Both are much faster than the speed with which my fingers transverse the strings of my Ovation. |
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Posts: 12761
Location: Boise, Idaho | I haven't topped out any of mine yet. I just trust whatever they say in the manual. I did get way up there on the road to Bend once, but I can't even remember now how fast it was. The older I get the more I find out I don't need to hurry.
I like Hermiston, too. Being out of the way is a quality, in my book. I didn't even know there was a GC in Boise until I resurrected my Ovation obsession in December. |
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| ...Interesting, that center-hole w591 sold for $869.99 What was it new, well over 2 grand?...
Steve |
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Which Adamas