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April 2008
Posts: 2336
Location: Brighty in Blighty | Hi,
my Adamas II arrived and it looks like this...
Note that the top appears to be 'sagging' under the strings. The gap between the sound board and the hanging over bit of the fretboard seems high, is it supposed to be like this? Or is it normal for this 1981 guitar? Thanks.
And is there a battery inside? If so how the hell do you replace it? |
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Posts: 4996
Location: Phoenix AZ | Yes there is a battery inside. Open up the rear hatch and reach in there. There's probably a mounting screw. Dave |
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December 2005
Posts: 1234
Location: Tidal Mudflats of Virginia | Take a couple minutes and go look at Jerome's site for the manual. Take some time to read and learn something about the instrument you're holding.
I'll even go so far as to provide the link Adamas Owners Guide II
or this one
1983 Adamas Owners Manual |
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April 2008
Posts: 2336
Location: Brighty in Blighty | Thanks and the 'sagging'? |
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Posts: 1234
Location: Tidal Mudflats of Virginia | It happens, it's old and we all sag a little over time. |
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Posts: 1486
Location: Cincinnati | dweezil,
you can always contact John or Kim at the factory and send them the photos. that's what I did when my 1581 arrived. |
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Posts: 5567
Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | How does it play? How does it sound? Any strange noise like buzzing or vibrations can indicate problems with the braces...contact the factory: Kim or John and send them the photo's as suggested above. If it plays and sounds good, and intonates correctly, as Tim said, its geting old...play it and don't worry about it. |
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Posts: 1565
Location: Indiana | That doesn't look right to me.
The floating part of the fretboard on my Adamas II is only 3 or 4 millimeters off the top. As to attributing this to age... mine is 25 and the neck set, and it's relationship to the top, has remained consistent through the years.
If it were me, I'd definitely be shooting some pic's off the the factory for their opinion.
If the guitar shipped this way originally, then the FB is higher than any Adamas I've personally played.
If the FB has somehow shifted to this height, I'd have to believe there is something going on structurally that needs attention.
My Adamas has lived with me from sea level to the Rockies and it's physical stability has remained rock solid. |
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Posts: 2336
Location: Brighty in Blighty | I must say I think I've been spoilt by my lovely 1537 which feels and sounds sooooo perfect. I was expecting to be blown away with the Adamas but I've been pretty disappointed.
I've been offered a partial or full refund depending on whether I send it back or hang on to it.
Thanks for the feedback people much appreciated.
You win some you lose some I guess. I'm an idiot for not buying from an OFCer I guess. Now I have seen is a lovely 1687-8.... :-(
On a side note playing the 84C tuned to DADGAD int my bathroom (nice acoustics init) is great fun :- |
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Posts: 2336
Location: Brighty in Blighty | Its not so much the fretboard is raised, more the sound board is low/dipped.
I think praps a more modern, kinda of 'snappier' more metallic type of Adamas sound is what I'm after... |
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Posts: 1234
Location: Tidal Mudflats of Virginia | My 1885 has dropped a very slight amount over the years. I attribute part of it to the humid environments I've subjected it to over the years. I imagine its been too sea for about 5 years collectively. Hasn't effected the sound, all the braces are tight.
Sorry the AD II wasn't the sound you were looking for, but we "did" tell you that 1537 would spoil you :) Wish I had the spare cash, I would take that AD II off your hands... |
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May 2008
Posts: 1565
Location: Indiana | There shouldn't be any substantial dip or bow in the soundboard.
With the man-hole cover removed, how does the bracing look and feel?
Metallic sounding Adamas? We're probably loosing each other in differing semantics here but I'd never use those terms or expectations in describing the Adamas sound. Balanced and clear from top to bottom, yes, but decidedly more warmth... darker... than a typical wood top O, IMHO. |
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April 2008
Posts: 2336
Location: Brighty in Blighty | OK praps metallic is the wrong word, more plasticy/sticky/tight/punchy...
Hard to describe.
The Adrian Legg sound or the tone Kaki Kings gets on the "Frame" tune.. |
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May 2008
Posts: 1565
Location: Indiana | I have slight variances in the floating height as well, due to change of season and climates. But more along the lines of milimeters.
The tip of the fretboard in those pic's appear's to be nearly a half of an inch or so.
I've never seen anything near that. |
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Location: Brighty in Blighty | Inside it looks pretty clean and bracing looks fine... |
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Location: Brighty in Blighty | Yeah it's about 5/8" |
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February 2004
Posts: 2487
| The Adrian Legg sound or the tone Kaki Kings gets on the "Frame" tune..
I am not sure what those sounds are like unplugged. Pro's like this use some great equipment for their elecronics, Adrian used the old school textured tops for many many years for his sounds. So if your listening to recordings be it stage or studio you have to try and find out what effects and or possible secondary mics they may be using to achieve what they have come up with. The rest of us just keep experimenting and buying differnt toys to try and keep up. We do not have access to sound technicians who do this stuff for a living and keep up with every single new product.
I have tried a couple of what are considered "Newer" Adamas's, they do not reach the level of my older textured top models. |
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November 2006
Posts: 11
Location: Orlando, FL | Dweezil,
Sounds to me like you're talking about an EQ issue, or maybe expecting something a bit more like the Melissa Etheridge model?
My W598-CB isn't as "crisp" at times as hers, probably owing to the directional top, but it only took moments for me to begin to appreciate the awesome sound that it gives me -- plugged in and unplugged.
As to sagging... The tops on these things are meant to be a bit softer, more flexible. That may mean that gravity takes its toll on the top as it eventually does on OUR tops. :)
If you end up sending the pics in to the factory, I'll be interested in hearing what they have to say about each aspect.
Peace & Creation,
JT |
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December 2004
Posts: 582
Location: Denmark | I think that the resonances of the soundboard will change if it is warped and/or the state of mechanical stress is changed. Probably most noticeable for lower frequencies. Since warping increases the load on the fretboard/bridge fixture/bracing it is a self amplifying proces. Given the option of reversing the deal, I would choose to do so. |
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April 2008
Posts: 2985
Location: Sydney, Australia | Dweezil,
Hard to tell from the photos, but I can't see any sagging of the soundboard. Can you hold a ruler (or something similar that will fit under the strings) across the face from side to side and see if it touches all the way across?
My suspicions would be on the neck (which could be totally fixable). Maybe they've tightened the neck to compensate for an action that is too high (which should have been fixed by removing some shims). If the neck was loosened, then wouldn't the fretboard move closer to the soundboard? This would raise the action, but then take some shims out. Just a thought |
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May 2008
Posts: 1565
Location: Indiana | I don't believe this is a truss rod adjustment problem. It seems to me, if there was so significant of an up-bow (warp) in the neck to produce a 5/8ths of an inch gap, the guitar would be unplayable, and likely un-adjustable.
5/8ths is massive and can't be attributed to normal aging. Remember how inherently stable the combination of the Kaman bar, neck to bowl attachment, and CF top are compared to traditional construction.
I'd lean more towards a neck set oddity if the top is structurally sound. |
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Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 582
Location: Denmark | My comment on warping adresses the soundboard (top).
The truss rod does not affect the overhanging end of the fretboard/neck. Judging from the bridge height and apparent action it does not look heavily like a neck-set issue.
Try - as proposed by other as well - to check planeness of the soundboard using a ruler, straight edge or a tight string across it and measure the gap. A sound Adamas soundboard is flat and judging from the first picture it seems concave. |
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Adamas advice
