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Joined:
March 2007
Posts: 843
Location: CA | I recently traded one of my guitars for two guitars. They are both 1778T's, one pewter, one black. The black one has the newer pre-amp, but otherwise they are identical.
Or not. For one thing, I never realized on some 'T's, you adjust the truss rod inside (pewter), while others (blackie) adjust between the tuning pegs. And soundwise, they might as well be different brands of guitar. The pewter one sounds about 10 times better than the black one, at least to my ear. I put brand new EXPs on blackie and the pewter one, with older strings, STILL sounds better.
I don't need two of the same model guitar, so the plan was to sell one. But here's the conundrum: blackie has that nice slender electric-like neck that Ovation put on some 1778Ts, while the pewter git has the thick and clunky neck, which I really don't care for. When the urge strikes, I find myself reaching equally for both guitars — blackie for the nice neck and low action, pewter for the lovely sound. I often play the same tune on both just to compare, and pewter wins every time. Both sound great plugged in, but I play mostly unplugged.
So my question to the hive mind: if you were in a similar situation could keep only one of the two, which would you keep?
And has anyone (gulp) ever swapped necks? Is this even possible with the different truss rod arrangements. I realize this would give each guitar the 'wrong' serial number, but I would certainly divulge that in the sale.
FWIW, these constitute the third and fourth 1778Ts I've owned and I must say each one sounded demonstrably different. If anyone out there is in the market, definitely try to play before you buy. Some of these sound terrific, some sound only average. |
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Joined:
January 2009
Posts: 4536
Location: Flahdaw | (Note to self: Don't buy a black, used 1778T from Oddball) |
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Joined:
April 2006
Posts: 972
Location: PDX | I'd go out and find one that both sounded great and had the playability i was looking for and then sell both to fund the purchase.
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gh1 |
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December 2008
Posts: 1456
Location: Texas | The black one is junk, I'll take it off your hands for you as a favor to a fellow OFC member… ;) |
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Joined:
June 2006
Posts: 7307
Location: South of most, North of few | Originally posted by darkbarguitar:
(Note to self: Don't buy a black, used 1778T from Oddball) :D |
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | "I put brand new EXPs on blackie and the pewter one, with older strings, STILL sounds better"
You do realize that EXP's sound like crap outta the box, right? :cool:
And some folks Like old strings for their mellow tone?
As to the neck-swap... I think the TRC neck (blackie) has three bolts, whereas the Kaman-bar neck (pewter) has two.
So, No.
And Greg's idea about selling both and buying one is a fine suggestion.
(Note to self: Don't buy a black, used 1778T from Oddball) +1 |
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Joined:
August 2009
Posts: 381
Location: Miami | I never got as far as swapping necks but I considered it. Ask a luthier anyway.
I have owned no less than six 1778T's now, and no two have sounded alike. If I absolutely had to keep only one, I would keep the one I gig with the most, since the money from the gigs paid for the additional gits in the first place!
(Note to rest:) some of us liked the sound of the black better than the pewter! Believe me when I tell you beauty is in the ear of the guitar holder. (Isn't that the expression?)
I wish it was like it was in the old days, you know, way back in 2006, when you could go to a Guitar Center and play four different 1778Ts right there, and pick the one you like. |
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March 2007
Posts: 843
Location: CA | I didn't exactly say blackie sounded like crap. To clarify: it just sounds average. I've played GC celebs that sound as good, tho not side-by-side. And no, I didn't know EXPs sounded like crap right out of the box. I will do a little homework in the archives to see suggestions there for better strings and do a head-to-head test on both guitars.
And yes, the necks seem to attach differently so that idea is a no-go. Interesting that on blackie, the newer one, there is a thick piece of wood under the part of the fretboard that extends onto the top, and it's in the same dogleg shape. As mentioned, in addition to the two bolts that go into the neck heel, there's an additional bolt going up (toward the top), which presumably helps hold the end of the neck in place. This piece of wood it pretty beefy, and I'm wondering if perhaps it deserves part of the blame for not letting the top vibrate as much as the pewter guitar's. On the pewter, there's just the two bolts that hold the neck and the truss rod above them. No extra bracing for the fretboard end.
There's also quite a bit more glue holding the top on blackie. It's gooshing out all around the perimeter of the neck/bowl joint. On the Pewter the glue is barely visible.
Both guitars have the same bracing, by the way. Don't know what it's called, but it's the same.
Another idea — having a luthier (or Ovation?) shave the dang neck down on the pewter guitar so it's the same as the black one. (I took some shims out but this guit also needs a pro setup.) Or, shoot, for the prices these things are going for nowadays, just do it myself. Lemme see, where did I put that belt sander . . .
Well, maybe I'll try different strings first. |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | two different neck systems so a swap is not going to happen easily
the k bar neck will always be a little thicker due to the k bar that is why they changed neck systems |
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | "And no, I didn't know EXPs sounded like crap right out of the box."
Actually I do use EXP's... Let's just say that they sound 'Different' outta the box.
The don't have that Crisp new sound of a new set of EJ16's.
But on the EJ16's that crisp new sound will go away in an hour or so.
So it all levels-out in the end, and EXP will last longer than EJ's, or so they say.
You really cannot shave down a Kaman Bar neck, there is a Large Chunk of aluminum under that wood. |
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January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Another alternative . . . buy a third guitar. And a fourth. Then a fifth . . . |
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Joined:
March 2008
Posts: 2683
Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | Or just skip to buying a fifth. Then they'll ALL sound good! :D |
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conundrum of the day
