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| Thats it! i've had it!... i've heard way too many different things about the way adamas makes their new guitars. I want someone who accually knows to explain how they didnt it back in the day, how they do it now and whats the deal with the reissuses. I am a proud owner if an original adamas II and i would like to finally like to know the truth! |
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Location: SoCal | You want the truth???? You can't handle the truth!!
No, wait, that's a different movie.......
I don't understand. Do you want a step by step breakdown of the manufacturing process? What's to know? They made great Admaii, then went to a different style top and neck, then brought back the originals. Each of them appeal to different people. If you're happy with your guitar, then what's the big deal? |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | most feel the original Adamas I and II are superior to the newer versions....but it is all different flavors of ice cream. Remain proud grasshopper! |
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Posts: 1900
| Now here's a 'can of worms' just waiting to be opened... :) I found 28 matches just on simple site search for 'adamas tops'... (and I'm still learning the differences..) |
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Posts: 9
| thank you all for the remarks. And i am very happy with my guitar, i love it! But to answer moody, p.i.'s question, yes i would like a step by step break down of the manufacturing process. I really dont care which one sounds better. I just hate it when people say they're all the same. Acually, what got me fired up is when i seen a post on the fan culb site that said the new reissues have the same top as the old ones, That is unidirectional carbon fiber with a textured paint. and i assure you the texture on my guitar is not painted on. Your thoughts?? |
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Location: SoCal | The texture isn't painted on, the color is.
As to a step by step breakdown, you might want to locate and read the book "History of Ovation", published almost 12 years ago. |
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January 2007
Posts: 9
| So are the new reissues the same or not??? I think this might be a question that only ovation can anwser. But i know one thing, if i ordered a new reissued adamas II and the top was different than the original i have, it would be sent right back! a reissue should be true to the original! |
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Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | Boy, Matt, you seem pretty fired up. You'll fit in nicely here. |
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Posts: 9
| Thanks!I feel like apart of that family already! |
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Posts: 15670
Location: SoCal | The reissues are true to the originals. Otherwise, what would be the point of calling them reissues? |
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Location: NJ | oh, . . I don't know . . . "Marketing"??? |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Well, there is that........
The originals had a birch veneer core that was sanded and measured until it had a uniform thickness of .030 +/- a little bit, I forget what the tolerance was.
It was put down at a 2:00 to 8:00 angle across the bottom layer of grafite which was unidirectional north to south (with the strings). That layer was about .010. There was a top layer of grafite then put on and it ran the same way. That was all put on a metal platten and a vacuum pulled on it and it was cooked in an autoclave to cure out the grafite. (it was a prepreg material which had the grafite and the adhesive all together. We used to have to keep it in the freezer and it had a 30 day shelf life)
Between the top and the metal platten was a piece of cloth and that's where the pattern came from. There was a different piece of cloth laid across the back for a smoother pattern (you still needed some so the glue for the braces would stick). The material wasn't wide enough for the whole top so two little pieces were added on the lower bouts. I think on the new ones and reissues they got material wide enough so they didn't have these add ons.
Other than that I don't know how they do the new and reissue tops. They are farmed out rather than done in the Aerospace autoclaves, which I think went away a long time ago.
There, that's all I know. |
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Posts: 709
Location: Germany | Jerome has some old Adamas brochures on his website explaining the production process, such as:
Adamas History Booklet
One of these brochure says that the carbon prepreg was 12" wide, "making it necessary to splice a piece on each side to accomodate the width of the main bout of the guitar. Since these pieces usually overlap it is possible by holding the guitar in a proper angle to a strong light to actually identify this joint area" (that's exactly what CWK2 says).
You can not find this overlap on the newer Adamas guitars (let's say serial # higher than 2000 or 3000). On closer inspection I identified it on my Adamas II, serial # 1570, see arrows in the picture.
Karl |
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Posts: 1900
| I've been working with wood a long time and I'm curious as to what properties or characteristics where contained in Birchwood that made it the ideal choice for use in the Adamas tops. As I understand it the wood is impregnated with fiberglass resin and cured in an autoclave at a specific temp and time frame. I've not the read the book on Ovation's history, so perhaps the information is discussed there. |
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Location: Utah | Birch made a good spar (main beam) in helicopter rotor blades. The crossover to guitar tops was obvious! ;) |
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April 2006
Posts: 1138
Location: CT | Something seems a bit different in the new paint jobs up close. Also, the re-issues don't have the tops FF printed next to the model number like the old ones did. Maybe it's not necessary, but it was a cool little feature. |
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Posts: 2241
Location: Simpsonville, SC | The texture on the top of the U681T is different than my 1685, if that's what you are referring to brainslag. Perhaps the cloth used in the press is different (refer to Mauvais Beal's post). |
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January 2005
Posts: 4903
Location: Phoenix AZ | Originally posted by BegginJIM:
Perhaps the cloth used in the press is different (refer to Mauvais Beal's post). When Bill left, he took his old T-shirt with him ... |
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January 2003
Posts: 146
Location: Ct./ USA | My Adamas 1 is signed by Charles H. Kaman. It is still all original and NOT for sale. I play it but probally not as good as Mr. Kaman could back in the day.... |
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original adamas top VS. New and reissues
