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Posts: 863
Location: Central Florida | Which Ovation model was the first ever to feature the (Legend style) diamond inlay pattern on the fretboard?
I know the original Glen Campbell Deluxe Balladeers and 12-strings were the first acoustics to feature the pattern, and the Thunderhead was the first electrc. I guess then my question really is, does anyone know which was in production first, the GC models or the T-Head?
Just wonderin'... :) |
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Posts: 15677
Location: SoCal | The Deluxe Balladeer had the same inlays at the 12th fret. The Theads came out in 1968 about the same time or just before the GCDB. |
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Posts: 4903
Location: Phoenix AZ | I think Thead can out before GCDB (actually before Glen started playing Ovations), so I would say Thead was the first with full Legend diamond inlay pattern. This was then copied onto the GCDB and GC12. Then later on the Legend. Dave |
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Posts: 863
Location: Central Florida | Paul/Dave,
For years I've been under the impression that the "multi-diamond" inlay pattern was designed specifically for the Glen Campbell guitars first, and then eventually it found its way onto other models like the Thunderhead, Legend and Deacon. But it's the T-head that throws the potential monkey-wrench into my theory, since I'm not exactly sure if it debuted before the Campbell models, or if they all came out around the same time. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | I have a magazine from April '67 that shows in the backgound Theads being assembled. A Thead neck with clearly the multi-diamond inlays is laying on the bench. This was before Glen even did the Summer Brothers Smother Hour. Thead also shows up in the '67 storm catalog. So I am pretty confident that the Thead lead the pack and that the inlays were copied when they designed the GCDB. I'll find the mag and post a photo. Dave |
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Posts: 863
Location: Central Florida | Dave,
If you're correct (and I believe you are), then that dispells a myth that I've held as truth for 37 years. I always thought when Ovation first set about designing and building guitars for Glen, that they started completely from scratch, using only the Deluxe balladeer as their base line. |
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January 2005
Posts: 4903
Location: Phoenix AZ | Well, I'm guessing (at least what I would do) is that they wanted to jazz up a guitar for Glen and they looked around the room and said OK, the DB is our flagship so let's slap on some gold tuners, let's use those inlays from the Thead and put a little binding on the neck,and engrave some TRC's. Bingo, the GCDB.
It's amazing in my own industry (high tech semiconductor blah blah blah) often the market surveys, focus group data, etc. goes right out the window and we just sit around and say, "Ya know what, how 'bout if we just ... "
Dave |
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Here's A "Chicken or the Egg" Type Question...
