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Joined:
August 2024
Posts: 7
| Hi all,
I'm hoping your collective knowledge and experience can solve some mysteries regarding a new (to me) Breadwinner I recently picked up.
The guitar has a few distinctive features which make me think it may be a prototype, moded or both.
1) The paint has no (lyrachord?) texture except on the front of the head stock which is black while the rest of the guitar is white. Could this be a refinish or might it have come from the factory like this?
2) The neck plate and control cavity cover while clearly factory made are more generic than others i've seen.
3) The serial number 691, does not align with any serial number scheme I've been able to find.
4) It has Humbuckers. The pickguard is professionally cut or modified with no obvious DIY markings.
5) The jack is on the side not the pickguard. I saw a YouTube video that implied that was only done on Prototypes. I'm unclear if that is true.
It plays and sounds great! It's my 2nd Breadwinner. The first I foolishly sold years ago. I love having this unique piece of guitar history!
Any wisdom as to how this particular guitar may have come to be in it's current build would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Anthony |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13986
Location: Upper Left USA | Welcome!
Yes, photo's are critical at a time like this.
At first it sounds like you have a parts piece but let's see first.
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Joined:
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Posts: 7
| https://photos.app.goo.gl/rXD7PRvMwDYFPNmF7
https://photos.app.goo.gl/aPFUfQNh2bK3LMxU7
https://photos.app.goo.gl/QK1bRn6fnHyu7jFG6
https://photos.app.goo.gl/bUjGQwf3F2vxqTf98
https://photos.app.goo.gl/muMmaTfX3qZKvuJ26
https://photos.app.goo.gl/grBn9uh9eaQhQVqBA
https://photos.app.goo.gl/qvkM29M6Y2pyoGMZ8
https://photos.app.goo.gl/WWneAXHBWU33XPKx8
https://photos.app.goo.gl/hcAA2jb9jfhMrmhn7 |
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Posts: 7218
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Sorry, that goggle photos links don't seem to work because they don't include the photo type to be able to embed. But I have upgraded you to full member and moved the thread to this general area where others can comment.
I would like to see the whole guitar in one photo, but while it is an early Ovation, it looks like the pickguard and pickups were replaced. Also the front of the headstock was apparently painted. I'm guessing the body was refinished as well. Hard to tell without seeing a full-frontal, but that neck might not be original. The headstock from that time would be very narrow. It might be, I just can't really tell from the picture without the whole guitar for context.
I do NOT think this is a prototype. Just an early first run Breadwinner that someone swapped the electronics from and painted the headstock. I'd love to know if they left the pre-amp inside or if they just gutted it when replacing the pickups and pickguard. Welcome !! |
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Joined:
August 2024
Posts: 7
| Hi Kevin, thanks for the reply, Is there any way to attach photos directly to the post or do they need to be hosted elsewhere?
Here is a link to a picture of the full guitar from the Reverb sellers post https://photos.app.goo.gl/v94nS1pqxQrBGLz6A The interesting thing is the headstock has the lyrachord texture on the front and the rest of the guitar has no texture at all. Did they have any production models with regular paint? Also does the neckplate seem canabalized off another ovation? I have seen images of other Ovations with this style neck plate and the plain metal control cavity cover. I believe the preamp is intact as there are 2 9v batteries under the back cover. I will pull off the pick guard in a few days when I am home and have a peek.
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Posts: 1118
Location: NW Washington State | I agree, a new pickguard that was made for the replacement humbuckers. Maybe they painted the headstock to match the pickguard. The switches look like the special Ovation ones, knobs and tuners too. I wonder if the humbuckers work well with the preamp (if any)?
I have a slightly later Breadwinner around here somewhere (I wonder where it went?), seems to me it has similar neck and back plates but with the textured finish. Anyway, similar plates can be found on the early production Breadwinners along with the jack on the body. You're less likely to to damage the pickguard with the jack on the body.
-Steve W.
Edited by numbfingers 2024-08-04 6:06 PM
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Posts: 1118
Location: NW Washington State | Miles and Woody, while we're here, I wonder if either of you has an original pickguard for a Breadwinner Limited? Mine's cracked at the jack. I have stuff to trade, need other things too. 
-Steve W. |
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August 2024
Posts: 7
| Thanks Miles and Woody, I'll post pictures of the electronics when I have a chance.
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Posts: 7
| And Steve! |
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Posts: 1118
Location: NW Washington State | Found mine, the pickguard was alone in the case but the guitar was in a gigbag.
It's slightly later than the OP's with a 17xx serial number, early large pickups, early delrin(?) saddles. But has the fancy cast(?) plates, jack on the pickguard, maybe been refinished. So not directly comparable.
-Steve W. |
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Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 1118
Location: NW Washington State | curioussky - 2024-08-04 6:15 PM I'll post pictures of the electronics when I have a chance.
If you take the batteries out or move them aside, we should be able to see enough to tell if it's the original preamp.
Here are the pickups and preamp that yours probably had:
https://reverb.com/item/14223604-ovation-breadwinner-deacon-pickups-...
Preamp instructions for one like yours:
http://www.ovationtribute.com/Catalogues/Breadwinner%20Owner%20Manu...
Preamp instructions and rear view for later models:
http://www.ovationtribute.com/Catalogues/Breadwinner%20Settings%20M...
A guy who really hates the preamps- I can understand, I have often put them aside and used other setups:
https://www.guitarfritz.com/ovation-1/
Here's an early one like yours:
https://reverb.com/en-fr/item/46983020-1970-s-ovation-breadwinner-wh...
This one is like mine:
http://www.craveguitars.co.uk/home/features/guitars/feature-1974-ov...
Price on yours was reasonable with the case, asking prices seem to be going up lately:
https://www.jrieckmusic.com/shop/c/p/Ovation-Breadwinner-x67795160.h...
-Steve W. |
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Joined:
August 2024
Posts: 7
| Thanks, everyone for all the great info. Tomorrow I'll check on the preamp. |
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December 2001
Posts: 7218
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Yes you can upload pictures. Just create your post using the advanced option. Then make sure the "Attach a photo or file after posting" box is checked.
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Posts: 7
| Now that I'm a full member that option seems to work.
I appreciate it!
Thanks! |
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Breadwinner Prototype?
