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Location: south east Michigan | Because of the virtual flood of information there is to pass on, I thought it might be a good idea to set up a couple specific topics right off from the start.
Among other things we were shown a couple examples of the possible 2006...that's right 2006, collectors model! Both have a fantastic Koa top. One had a slot head and a single, almost oval shaped hole in the upper bass bout. The other had a single, beautiful new style inlaid eppelet in the same location. We were the first civilians to see the guitars. Even the sales staff had not yet seen these guitars.
We were given lots of time to play them both and were then asked to give opinions on how they looked and played and suggestions on just what form the final guitar should look like. Lets just say that the group was very vocal and excited. |
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Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Geez,
You guys were Bond, in Q's lab. |
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September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Yes...a perfect analogy.
And....for our playing pleasure, they had a contour bowl Adamas with a single, new design teardrop sound hole.
And....Brand new shiney bowl re-issues.
And....The new 12 fretter.
And....(add reverb and chorus) THE WALL Of HISTORIC PROPORTIONS
And...and...and...and |
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January 2005
Posts: 640
Location: boulder | Jeff,
My heart was pounding when I first walked into the room full of guitars. On the left wall was about 10 prototypes with #6 being the closest going through adamas proto's, through some adamas I's and then #47.....on the right was a 12 fret slothead in natural with an inlaid rossette, shiny bowl, I was in awe. a josh white original in mint condition, but it had a modern serial number, I was now dumbstruck, couldn't figure it out, when the laughing stopped they told me it was a 40th anniversary reissue. It was way beyond cool. next to it were 1627 reissue and deluxe balladeer, with a mint and tasty black on white chainlink rossette, reissue. (able to make new rossettes, not sure about repairing older ones-trust me I asked).
Then beyond those were the Koa's. two-one a slothead with single soundhole, the other with elite soundholes. next to those were a folklore-lx. A few more steps and there was a rack/stand with custom legend-lx at one end on through U681t, 2005 collectors and boom, the adamas teardrop/cateye.
I was wide eyed and grinning ear to ear. AND then I realized we could play them. :)
The josh white reiisue sounds every bit as good as the two originals I have. The folklore lx sounds good and feels good. The Koa's were both awesome. They had really strong projection, nice string clarity, crisp tone and looked the bomb. Since the collectors edition is suppossed to be something new each year, I hope and strongly push for the 12 fret to body, slothead single soundhole model. It was a dream to play. Similar to U681t sound, just sweet and rich as could be. I am giddy just thinking about it.
The adamas proto teardrop/cateye whatever it's called, was another good memory. I am not sure how to describe it. It's subtle. (and remember while playing all these, there are 30 other maniacs all just as wide eyed as me playing simultaneously, sometimes hard to hear). Actually I can't think of how to describe it acurately, so I'll just say, I want one. It looks cool, sounds sweet, and felt great.
I'll also add that everyone at Ovation and Hamer were first class. Just to see for myself the deadication and excitement that these good people bring to their jobs was worth the trip alone. Next year, even though I might live in the state, I hope to get a hotel room also. Because of obligations, I had to leave after the tour, but I wished I could have talked more with fellow members. I highly recommend next years tour to all. Llamapoolaza 2006
peace mike |
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Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan |  |
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September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Lets get these two out and up for discussion.
There are more pics in my gallery 
That's me above and Paul Templeman below.
The guitars are "suggestions" for the 2006 collectors. Which one do you like? |
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April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Love the looks of the slothead Koa with the single hole. That one would tempt me! |
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November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | That oval hole sure is pretty. They both are real lookers.
Though the Koa is beautiful, I have never been a fan of Koa as an acoustic soundboard. As a sound board, Koa, by nature of its density, just can't perform or produce the range like spruce and cedar |
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Posts: 4413
| The koa slothead is the purdiest geetar I've seen in a looooong while. Never heard a koa top that I'd ever want to buy, so I hope this one sounds as good as it looks. I like the oval hole better than the teardrop/catseye.
Did the shirt get arrested?
And I see the weight-watchers are hanging around in the background. Was it a double booking? |
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Location: south east Michigan | Moody...is this the one?  |
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Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | Nope. That one's 14 frets to the body. Maybe it was my mistake, but I coulda sworne that there was a 12 fret nylon string there. |
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Posts: 10582
Location: NJ | the 14 fret koa would look better without the maple epaulets and maybe NO epaulets outlined like the oval hole or an ebony epaulet. the current look does not do it for me. but both play and sound great |
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Posts: 640
Location: boulder | the picture just above is the folklore LX. It played nice. really nice.
the koa's however both boomed sound out. I mean I actually hope to get a folklore LX, but I already lust for the single hole slothead koa model. They are solid tops by the way.
since this is the new guitar thread, did any one notice Kaki Kings black 1581 with the crown inlay, being worked on at the bench next to where the slide presentation was given? WOW. I mean WOW. I have seen her blue 1581 on Jeromes website, but the new black one is just sweet.
And for us regular blokes the 1581 adamas II reissues were seen by my eyes (well 5 of them), and they looked sweet, (I did not dare touch, they were out on the floor) .
of course the 1687 reissue was also way beyond cool, what a first class company to give away a guitar like that. ...i'm getting giddy all ovwer again thinking about them all. |
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Posts: 1196
Location: Lafayette, Louisiana | Wow, Folklore LX, that is to nice. I wish I could have been there to play that one. What a great looking guitar. Another winner from Ovation. :) |
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Posts: 651
Location: Australia | If there's a LX Folklore on the cards would it be reasonable to assume there's also an LX Country Artist looming ?
That Koa model with the oval soundhole is very tasty.
Also talk of original shiny bowl models is also pretty exciting.
One year I'll make the tour.
BTW, which preamp were these new models sporting ? |
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June 2004
Posts: 271
Location: Ft. Lauderdale, Florida | Most of what I picked up had OP-50's in the can... But some of the reissues could be original style, can't remember tooo much to take in @ one time...
Definetly sensory OVERLOAD !!! |
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Location: closely held secret | Most everything on the floor had either the OP50 or OPPro. But remember these were protos - the final pre's are still to be decided - possibly even designed! |
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Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by alpep:
the 14 fret koa would look better without the maple epaulets and maybe NO epaulets outlined like the oval hole or an ebony epaulet. the current look does not do it for me. but both play and sound great Woz and I spent some time trying to decide which would do it for us. I think we decided on the multi-hole body with an epaulet wood darker than the body wood (ebony would be great!) with the 12 fret neck. These guitars just reek of class. I was surprised at the sound coming out of a Koa guitar, the 12 fret seemed to be incredibly well balanced, boomy and crisp at the same time. |
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Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Please forgive my crass-ness (yeah, right),
but that 12-fret slot-head koa is just absolute "Tits"! (in both sound and appearance)
One guitar that I really fancied the "looks" of was the EliteT with the blue "bubble" look on the top.
Around mid-day, I had cornered Darren (who is an absolutely GREAT guy, btw) about how they'd achieved that bubble finish. He graciously told me that he wasn't "at liberty" to divulge . . .
When I told him how I "suspected" it was done (I'd done something similar once on a sign), despite Darren best attempt at a "poker face" . . . I think I'd pretty much "nailed" it.
Have no fear Darren, . . . yer secret's safe with me ;) |
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Location: SoCal | On the 12 fret koa with the epaulets, it looked just, well, wrong, with the maple at a 90 degree angle to the grain of the top. |
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February 2005
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Location: closely held secret | Here's a closup of the 'raindrops' finish. I was struck by its 3D qualities as well, not because I particularly liked this one, but because of the possibilities it suggests.
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| IMHO it's horrible. |
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Location: closely held secret | I just try to imagine what they could do with the technique. |
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June 2002
Posts: 6197
Location: Phoenix AZ | Not sure if get a vote, because I was not there. But based on photos:
14 fret koa with multi holes (gag) and this blue bubble thing that looks like a badly delaminated paint job - I'll pass.
12 fret koa slothead and cateye adamas - these need to be hanging in the witko closet of shame asap.
Somebody mentioned Custom Legend and Custom Elite getting contour bowls soon. Please tell me more about this.
Dave |
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February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | I asked about the future of the contoured bowls and the answer was "from the top down". Probably beginning on the Ovation side with the Custom Legend and Elite, I believe he said sometime in 2006.
Maybe someone who was in the first few rows can correct me if I'm wrong, it wasn't always easy to hear his whispers about future plans from way back there.
and I think you have to be there to get both a prize ticket and a vote... :D |
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2005 OFC Tour----The New Guitars We Played
