The Ovation Fan Club
The Ovation Fan Club
Forum Search | Statistics | User Listing Forums | Calendars | Albums | Language
Your are viewing as a Guest. ( logon | register )

Random quote: "Believe me when I say that some of the most amazing music in history was made on equipment that's not as good as what you own right now." - Jol Dantzig



Jump to page : 1
Now viewing page 1 [25 messages per page]
Starting with a Preacher neck, not much else...

View previous thread :: View next thread
   Members Forums -> General PostingMessage format
 
Fisch
Posted 2018-03-23 12:34 AM (#541811)
Subject: Starting with a Preacher neck, not much else...


Joined:
March 2018
Posts: 13

It was suggested I post this here, so here we go!

Hi folks. My name is Scott and I am a bit of a bizarre guitar addict. Which would naturally lead me to Ovation solid body electrics.

I bought a NOS what I am guessing is a Preacher, UKii (Breadwinner?) 24.75" scale neck a number of years ago. Right around the time they closed the CT factory if I have my dates correct. It was unfinished, and even the frets were not finished (Still arent, lol.) Had a bit of binding damage along the bottom which is why I am guessing they didn't use it? Because it is a fabulous neck. (Which is why I want to build one.)

I am an artists who loves to customize things, and I built a self amplified 'robot' guitar with this neck using a VOX portable amplifier and a butcher block. (I had a thing for self amplified guitars.) But now-a-days I am less concerned with portability, and long story short, would like to return it to a normal (preferably Ovation) solid body. (I will build a new cab for the amp, lol.)

Because I am a customizer at heart I have no problem getting creative. But how great would it be to at least find a stock body and 'gasp' bridge to start with! What is nuts is that I've noticed the 'grey-burst' finish on Preachers and Vipers and UKii's looks close to my robot custom. If I found one of those bodies I may not even need to repaint the neck! And since I am basically starting form scratch, I don't think the Ovation gods would frown on me for not staying stock. I have a couple Duncan hotrails collecting dust right now.

I've been hunting on ebay. But the only Preacher body on there seems a little steep at north of $200 with no bridge, when it seems the going rate for a body alone is under $100. At least the last few I could find records of selling. (That bridge is another $tory.) I do like that the ebay preacher is the extended pickguard one and not the isolated 4-pot stereo body.

I can't believe I missed this Preacher body on Reverb. Had the electronics and bridge for $165!
https://reverb.com/item/10865834-ovation-preacher-guitar-body-1970s

I dig the heck out of the Viper body, but my understanding is that is a 25.5" scale guitar. So either the bridge or neck pocket would need to move?

Would also love a UKII body, but I am wondering why Ovation decided (At least from my reading.) to glue the neck into the UKII body, and have the bolts in addition? Also with a plastic and aluminum construction, modding the bod if needed would be tough.

Anyway, just wanted to do a little intro. See if anyone has something in their stash. I will attach some pics of my collection- some of my customs and the neck in question.



Therapy Nook


THe ovation neck I have.






Some customs! Mostly a vintage Japanese guitar guy. Serious Teisco addict.






One I am working on.
Top of the page Bottom of the page
DanSavage
Posted 2018-03-23 10:16 AM (#541816 - in reply to #541811)
Subject: Re: Starting with a Preacher neck, not much else...



Joined:
June 2012
Posts: 2316

Location: Pueblo West, CO		Cool collection of guitars.

I like the self-amplified idea. Sort of a flip on the Acoustic-Electric. Yours are Electric-Acoustics.
Top of the page Bottom of the page
Fisch
Posted 2018-03-23 4:23 PM (#541827 - in reply to #541816)
Subject: Re: Starting with a Preacher neck, not much else...


Joined:
March 2018
Posts: 13

DanSavage - 2018-03-23 10:16 AM

Cool collection of guitars.

I like the self-amplified idea. Sort of a flip on the Acoustic-Electric. Yours are Electric-Acoustics.



Thanks for checking them out!
Top of the page Bottom of the page
Darkbar
Posted 2018-03-23 4:30 PM (#541828 - in reply to #541811)
Subject: Re: Starting with a Preacher neck, not much else...



Joined:
January 2009
Posts: 4535

Location: Flahdaw		Luv that HoneyTone. How's it sound?
Top of the page Bottom of the page
Beal
Posted 2018-03-23 4:40 PM (#541831 - in reply to #541811)
Subject: Re: Starting with a Preacher neck, not much else...



Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127

Location: 6 String Ranch		All the necks were bolted and glued. The glue was on a piece of paper and if you needed to take it off the glue would crack along the paper.
both the viper scale and the shorter preacher scale work on the same body, it was designed that way.
Top of the page Bottom of the page
Fisch
Posted 2018-03-23 5:56 PM (#541833 - in reply to #541828)
Subject: Re: Starting with a Preacher neck, not much else...


Joined:
March 2018
Posts: 13

Darkbar - 2018-03-23 4:30 PM

Luv that HoneyTone. How's it sound?


Malfunctioning at the moment. LOL. These Teiscos had an amp in them from the factory in the 60's, but they rarely work today. SO I started using other battery operated amps, like the Danelectro Honeytone in the Atomic looking one and there is a Pignose Guitar amp in one I am currently working on. Problem is with these goldfoil pickup, by their nature are microphonic, so I get some serious feedback if I go too loud with them. But the real charm is hearing those goldfoils bypass the built in amp and go into a full amp. Just fantastic pickups. I see people putting them on Fenders these days!

Good enough for Jackson Browne!

Top of the page Bottom of the page
Fisch
Posted 2018-03-23 5:59 PM (#541834 - in reply to #541831)
Subject: Re: Starting with a Preacher neck, not much else...


Joined:
March 2018
Posts: 13

Beal - 2018-03-23 4:40 PM

All the necks were bolted and glued. The glue was on a piece of paper and if you needed to take it off the glue would crack along the paper.
both the viper scale and the shorter preacher scale work on the same body, it was designed that way.


Really happy to know that. I read up a lot on neck scale, and was hopeful they could swap, but dubious. I did not like the thought of moving that bridge up for sure! For fenders, places like Warmoth sell specific 'inbetween' necks, lol.
Top of the page Bottom of the page
standing
Posted 2018-03-24 10:38 AM (#541842 - in reply to #541811)
Subject: Re: Starting with a Preacher neck, not much else...



Joined:
December 2008
Posts: 1453

Location: Texas		I’m curious;
How much does your self-contained guitar/amp weigh?
Is it powered by battery or a/c?
Top of the page Bottom of the page
elginacres
Posted 2018-03-24 11:04 AM (#541843 - in reply to #541811)
Subject: Re: Starting with a Preacher neck, not much else...


Joined:
July 2005
Posts: 1609

Location: Colorado		Nice Quadraverb.
Top of the page Bottom of the page
Fisch
Posted 2018-03-24 11:45 AM (#541845 - in reply to #541842)
Subject: Re: Starting with a Preacher neck, not much else...


Joined:
March 2018
Posts: 13

standing - 2018-03-24 10:38 AM

I’m curious;
How much does your self-contained guitar/amp weigh?
Is it powered by battery or a/c?


Thanks for asking. The robot guitar has a Vox DA-5 inside of it. It can run on batteries or AC power. It weighs just about exactly 10 lbs. But hey, at least there is no neck dive, lol!

Top of the page Bottom of the page
Fisch
Posted 2018-03-24 11:48 AM (#541846 - in reply to #541843)
Subject: Re: Starting with a Preacher neck, not much else...


Joined:
March 2018
Posts: 13

elginacres - 2018-03-24 11:04 AM

Nice Quadraverb.


Good Eye. What else is up there, Roland TR-505, Roland JDX-i, Micro cube, Nanoverb, and the classic Casio SK1 sampling keyboard.
Top of the page Bottom of the page
standing
Posted 2018-03-24 5:24 PM (#541848 - in reply to #541845)
Subject: Re: Starting with a Preacher neck, not much else...



Joined:
December 2008
Posts: 1453

Location: Texas

Fisch - 2018-03-24 11:45 AM

Thanks for asking. The robot guitar has a Vox DA-5 inside of it. It can run on batteries or AC power. It weighs just about exactly 10 lbs. But hey, at least there is no neck dive, lol!


That’s not too bad (lighter than I would have guessed.)

I’ve got a Les Paul that weighs that much without a built-in amp.

 

Top of the page Bottom of the page
standing
Posted 2018-03-24 6:34 PM (#541849 - in reply to #541811)
Subject: Re: Starting with a Preacher neck, not much else...



Joined:
December 2008
Posts: 1453

Location: Texas

Since you seem to be quite a fan of Japanese guitars from the 60's, can you identify this one?


Top of the page Bottom of the page
Fisch
Posted 2018-03-24 9:39 PM (#541852 - in reply to #541849)
Subject: Re: Starting with a Preacher neck, not much else...


Joined:
March 2018
Posts: 13

standing - 2018-03-24 6:34 PM

Since you seem to be quite a fan of Japanese guitars from the 60's, can you identify this one?




As you probably know there were a zillion different importers who put different badges on the same guitar. Which makes it fun for collectors, and allows you to find really good deals on the more obscure names.

But that there is more than likely a Teisco ET-200 at its core. The ET-200 came in a few body styles tremolo styles and a few different necks over the years. If yours had a metal cross-bar string retainer, or a plywood neck it would have come from the Kawai factory (Who eventually bought Teisco, so there is some crossover.)


Yours is a nice one because of the gold foils, which are sought after, and appears to be a solid body rather than ply.

I have a really nice one up on ebay currently. It has the desireable 4/2 headstock, and the stripped aluminum pickguard, but sadly doesn't have the goldfoils.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Teisco-ET-200-ET200-Guitar-Made-in-...

Top of the page Bottom of the page
standing
Posted 2018-03-25 1:33 AM (#541855 - in reply to #541811)
Subject: Re: Starting with a Preacher neck, not much else...



Joined:
December 2008
Posts: 1453

Location: Texas		The photo I posted is of my first guitar. I still own it, and I still play it.***

I have never seen another one exactly like it, but I believe that you are correct that it's "related" to your
ET-200. Many retailers back then carried "exclusive" models that were simply variations on the same theme, and I suspect this is an example of that. The only "brand" name on it is on the headstock sticker. That sticker calls it a "Page" but also includes the name of a music store that apparently sold it. The back of the headstock has a sticker with a model number "EJ-2" (which makes me wonder if it was possibly a model that was originally made for the department store "EJ Korvette".) Regardless, that model number seems suspiciously similar to "ET-200." There are quite a few obvious visible differences between yours and mine, but they are probably cousins. The closest model I've ever seen to mine had a brand name of "Marvel" (if I recall correctly.)

I believe mine was manufactured in the early to mid-1960's.

It never had a metal cross-bar string retainer. The body is solid wood, and, as far as I know, the neck is also. The neck is a thick baseball-bat compared to many other electric guitars I've played, but it's still very playable (maybe because it's what I first learned on, so it still feels right.) It has only needed one slight truss-rod adjustment over several decades in many different climates and altitudes. It's got plenty of scratches and nicks. I once painted the pick-guard, but later stripped it back to the original finish, I also added and (carefully) removed a sticker or two over the years. I replaced the original plastic nut with bone, and moved the bass-side of the bridge slightly towards the tail to improve intonation, but otherwise, it's now pretty much the same as when I got it. (I took that photo today, so that's it's current condition.)

I love the foil pickups, they have a distinctive "sixties" tone.
I also know those pups are highly sought-after…
(but mine are not for sale.)


***(For the record, my second guitar was an Ovation Custom Balladeer… I still own that one also.) ;-)

.
Top of the page Bottom of the page
alpep
Posted 2018-03-26 8:40 AM (#541874 - in reply to #541811)
Subject: Re: Starting with a Preacher neck, not much else...


Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 10582

Location: NJ		True story

Back in the late seventies early 80’s I had a Norma split pick up guitar for sale I put it in the tradin times to sell

Someone called said they wanted to some over and buy it I said sure in the meantime I had someplace to go so my pop said he would sell the guitar for me

I came home and money was sitting in the kitchen table for me

A couple of months later there is a guitar player issue on Jackson Browne and David Lindsey
In that issue is a pic of my guitar how I knew is that I put an old radio knob on the vol control

I asked my pop if he could describe the guys that bought the guitar he said one had dark hair the other long stringy greasy hair

I think Jackson and David were at my house
Top of the page Bottom of the page
Fisch
Posted 2018-03-26 3:07 PM (#541877 - in reply to #541874)
Subject: Re: Starting with a Preacher neck, not much else...


Joined:
March 2018
Posts: 13

alpep - 2018-03-26 8:40 AM

True story

Back in the late seventies early 80’s I had a Norma split pick up guitar for sale I put it in the tradin times to sell

Someone called said they wanted to some over and buy it I said sure in the meantime I had someplace to go so my pop said he would sell the guitar for me

I came home and money was sitting in the kitchen table for me

A couple of months later there is a guitar player issue on Jackson Browne and David Lindsey
In that issue is a pic of my guitar how I knew is that I put an old radio knob on the vol control

I asked my pop if he could describe the guys that bought the guitar he said one had dark hair the other long stringy greasy hair

I think Jackson and David were at my house


Now that is an amazing story! Was it one of these? I hate to ask what you sold it for, lol!

Top of the page Bottom of the page
standing
Posted 2018-03-27 8:13 AM (#541882 - in reply to #541811)
Subject: Re: Starting with a Preacher neck, not much else...



Joined:
December 2008
Posts: 1453

Location: Texas		Jackson Browne often brags that he once bought a guitar from Alpep’s father, (and he still regrets that he and David missed the chance to meet and jam with Al in person that day.)



(That’s a great story Al!)
.
Top of the page Bottom of the page
Jump to page : 1
Now viewing page 1 [25 messages per page]
Jump to forum :
Search this forum
Printer friendly version
E-mail a link to this thread

This message board and website is not sponsored or affiliated with Ovation® Guitars in any way.
Registered to: The Ovation Fanclub™ Copyright (c) 2001
free counters
(Delete all cookies set by this site)