Hello OFC,
I recently spotted this unusual Custom Legend. It's equipped with all black hardware with SSB and OP24. The neck inlays are unusual and they have 4-digit serial numbers. The color of the bowl is black with a variety of shiny particles sprinkled in the paint.

Apparently, it was a Japan market only Custom Legend, but this is the first I've seen or heard of them. Anybody here have any additional information on these?

(OCL5986.jpg)

OCL5986.jpg (83KB - 1 downloads)

So I received delivery of this unusual O, and was hoping somebody here might be able to help shed some light on it. As OMA speculated, this O shares build year & specification with the 1986 Collector's Edition. The fret board markers, the Custom Legend style rosette, black hardware, and 12 Fret marker (conspicuously missing "1986") all resemble the 86C. However, the 86C is only offered in pearl white (in the States at least). I've only seen the 5986 in this color or black.

The bowl shares the "speckled" color with the 86C as well as the gold sprinkled neck which is a K-bar bolt on neck (my favorite!)...

Fortunately, this guitar came with her Japanese registration card which tells me that this was a Nakao 5986-B purchased on April 30, 1987 sold by Mikki Musical Instruments in Osaka. Like other Nakao models, this one was apparently built to commemorate Os 20th Anniversary. I wonder why they did not name this the N986-B as Nakao builds were named shortly after this...

In any case, I called the store for any information that they might have, but with Nakao's Instrument distribution div. closure in 2009 and following business closure in 2015, they said there was no way to tell under what circumstances these instruments were made or sold 30 years ago...

According to the Ovation Gallery website, the registered 86C serial numbers range from 110~2231. This 5986-B's serial number is 1127. So, I suspect Nakao commissioned O to build these Japan only models as the 86C was being produced. Perhaps pearl white was not a color suitable for the Japanese market back then?

Since the serial numbers of the 5986 and 86C are intertwined together, it's probably not too unreasonable to assume that the guitars are basically identical in spec. The German "Guitar of the Stars" catalog at "Tribute" says;

Top: AAA Sitka Spruce
Bracing: A-braced
Bowl: SSB Cutaway
Neck: Mahagony
Bridge: Walnut
Fret board: Ebony
Pegs: Black Schaeller

It looks like, the 86C was apparently offered in Germany as a "6" (white), "1H" (burst), and "B" (not the same color as mine). The frets on this 5986 are raised up, heavily discolored, but hardly used. Strangely, the poly-finish under the Fboard extension is gone. The beautiful rosette needs some cleaning up. Much of the previous work done on this one will need to be undone...

The OP24 needs some cleaning, but looks to be in good shape.

A clean-up, re-assembly, fret-job and set-up should get here back in pristine shape. A well spent $250, if I may say so myself!

But if any of you have any information on this unusual Nakao build, could you please share what ever information you might have? Would surely appreciate it. Thanks a bunch for letting me share!