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Location: south east Michigan | With sooooo much to pass on to others, I thought it might be a good idea to seperate the fun stuff from the more serious things that happened on the tour.
In an attempt to set the tone of this thread I want to tell you about the device they use to measure the vibration of the top of a guitar. This was one of the most interesting parts of the tour for me. I'm sure that most of you have seen pictures of the laser measuring devise they use. This devise plots the movement of just under 1000 points on the guitar top. The graphic representation on the computer screen can be shown in many ways but the coolest was looking right down at the top. A rainbow of colors (light for more movement, darker for less) shows that the top does not just vibrate in unison....IT FLOWS! It dips, it heaves, rainbow waves of color radiates out from the bridge like a stone dropped into the still waters of a pond.
They can rotate the display to top observe the top at any angle or cross section they choose. When they see an unwanted anomoly of wave pattern (which shows as a darker color), they can go to the bracing at that one point out of almost a thousand and address the issue. Stunning....absolutely stunning. |
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Location: Madison, Wisconsin | How about the contour bowl. Will we see it on all the new models? |
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September 2003
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Location: south east Michigan | Not on all the new models, but a few. They are going to use the new bowl on the higher end guitars first and work it's way down the line. Don't look for a standard Balladeer with a contour bowl within the next two years. |
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Location: Converse, Texas | Will there be some Adamii coming out this year with the contour bowl? |
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Location: south east Michigan | All I can say is that they had one there and I played it. They were looking for opinions on the teardrop sound hole so we don't know what their final decision will be. |
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Location: boulder | I think whatever model is produced for adamas, it will be contour bowl. But I may have heard that wrong. hmm, I guess that doesn't really answer the question. They did say the contour bowl will start at the top end and work it's way down through the models. Of course they laughed when asked about a 12 string adamas teardrop for 2006.
But their eyes got big when Paul said $2000-3000 was not to much to pay for a new 2006 model. I think it just went up another $1000 by the end of his sentence. :)
seriously, I hope they build the teardrop adamas. It had an aluminum rossette around soundhole (not sure if you call it a rossette or not ). It was very cool the more I think about it. A cannon, disguised as a very very sweet looking guitar. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Yes the teardrop is a very cool design and it would be a shame if they don't use it. |
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Location: south east Michigan | I'm downloading as fast as I can. Here is a timely one.
This is Miles playing an Adamas with a contour bowl.  |
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Location: NJ | that guitar Miles is holding is one of the most awesome guitars.
There are contrasting reports of if it will be in the line or not. First I heard no but I think after the OVERWHELIMGING approval it got from our membership I heard some back pedaling of maybe it will be avail in a different form with different electronics.
Perhaps they can do it as a fan club guitar for 06????? |
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Location: south east Michigan | ****access****
Miles had told me before about how it is possibe that when an OFC member meets someone from the factory they just might already know who you are and what guitars you own. You don't know how true that can be until you come on a tour. Kim Keller introduced himself to me in the middle of a busy meet and greet in the hotel lobby. One of the first things he said was, "The Balladeer you sent in a few months ago is ready."
No matter if was Mary who did the inlay work on my AD-II or General Manager Frank Untermyer. When you struck up a conversation with them you could sense that they had a genuine interest in what you had to say.
I spoke with Rick Hall for a few minutes at the ski lodge. I just wanted to say that Martin, Taylor, and Gibson reps come in and put on a sales promotion at least once a year in our local music store. I'd like to see an Ovation event there someday. He knew the store I was talking about and recalled the name of the local rep. He seemed to be making a mental note to follow up on it. I was able to tell him that both of the high end Ovation BrianT and I purchased from there had never been put out for display. They came from the backroom.
Chief Engineer Dave (I'm sorry, I don't remember his last name) would take as long as needed to answer and explain any technical question you might have.
My pet peeve is cheap looking paper labels stuck in the center of a fantastic abalone rosette. An Ovation soundhole is more of a focal point that any other guitar. I feel that a foil label of the same size would help convey the quality of the guitar.
Not to say that my opinion will change anything but I know I was heard.
I'm sure all these people have the daily problems that any large company would have. But for that day of the OFC Tour, their attention and interest is honed in on those people who would take vacation time to be there.
I was fortunate enough to be interviewed for the 40th anniversery DVD. I don't know if I will be in it or left on the cutting room floor but what an honor to be asked. |
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Location: Upper Left USA | How about a hologram Label with individual serial numbers.
It is good to see the people connections that were made! |
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Posts: 76
Location: LewistownPA | Originally posted by alpep:
that guitar Miles is holding is one of the most awesome guitars.
There are contrasting reports of if it will be in the line or not. First I heard no but I think after the OVERWHELIMGING approval it got from our membership I heard some back pedaling of maybe it will be avail in a different form with different electronics.
Perhaps they can do it as a fan club guitar for 06????? I have 2 suggestions on this one (cateye or tear drop Adamas). First make the top black (that pewter gray just doesn't do it visually) and second make the side fret markers BIG . I don't mind having no position markers on the front,but only having small dots on the side (as in the case of the elite T) makes it hard to spot them quickly in dim light. Do those 2 things and I gotta have one. |
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Location: Upper Left USA | Is the Tear Drop symbolic of all the whining and crying we do? No need to mention why it is grey!
I would vote for the K-k-k-oa K-k-k-ollector myself. |
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Location: SoCal | Brad, the chief engineer is Darren.
You gotta realize that as much as the gatherings are an opportunity for us to get a look at the inside of Ovation and it's people, it's also a chance for the people there to talk with a number of Ovation fanatics who have strong views of their guitars. The information flows both ways. What was really great is that both groups get along so well together. There are no demands made, just honest opinions flowing back and forth. It's a big part of what makes these things special. |
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Location: south east Michigan | My apologies to Darren on getting his name wrong. I was suffering for a severe case of "information overload" that day.
Woody...anything can happen but I beleive the koa was the front runner for the collectors model next year. |
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Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by Slipkid:
I was suffering for a severe case of "information overload" that day. That's the truth. I'm editing the tour video and catch myself just watching it cause I see things I didn't catch at the time. |
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Location: NJ | Darren is "the MAN" (and a HELL of a nice guy! . . )
I may be mistaken, but I believe that Darren was very instrumental in a lot of the changes that we've seen (like the ContourBowl).
When we were hanging out in R&D the afternoon of the Tour, Darren took the time to sit down with me and not only answered whatever questions (that he was "allowed" to answer) that I asked, but he intently LISTENED to answers to questions that he asked ME (especially in regards to the proposed koa '06's). He's a VERY sharp guy.
(HELLUVA viola player as well . . . .) |
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Location: closely held secret | Yes, I seem to remember Rick (or Frank) at the Q&A talking about how Darren was the one who kept pushing for the bowl change.
A very good idea. I'm glad they listened. |
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Location: south east Michigan | I would like to have been a fly on the wall during those talks. |
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Location: Tennessee | Innovation and invention never come from management or marketing ... and most times they are hurdles to bringing it about. It takes dedicated engineers who fight like hell to get their ideas listened to and implemented.
Of course, when all is said and done, we in management and marketing always take credit for it. ;) |
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Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by stonebobbo:
It takes dedicated engineers who fight like hell to get their ideas listened to and implemented. That's their job.
Originally posted by stonebobbo:
Of course, when all is said and done, we in management and marketing always take credit for it. That's your job. :D |
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Posts: 640
Location: boulder | forwhatever it's worth, I like the 2006 teardrop in grey, and the aluminum rossette? seems cooler the longer I think about it.
Someone earlier mentioned bigger side markers on fretboard, which would help a hack like me at times, maybe inlaid aluminum or abalone. small white painted dots just reek cheap to me on any guitar.
But overall, me being a small brained bear, I trust all the Ovation engineers innovations to be on the beat. Build the teardrop and I will buy one. don't forget the 12 string model either....peace to all mike |
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Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | If I recall correctly, the top on this was a much darker, deeper gray, closer to black. I think the flash caught the top in such a way to make it look much lighter (like those gray elite T's), so this photo is a bit deceiving.
I thought the guitar looked very cool, having a sort of gothic look, and the pewter& black machine heads were sharp. Darren mentioned going for a "batman" type look.
The guitar sounded awesome, though I really dig the look, the sound made me not even care about appearance. |
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2005 OFC Tour------Serious Information
