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Location: Upper Left USA | Northcountry,
Have you seen Mile's "Jim Messina" Deacon?
Is there no end to the GAS Pains? |
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February 2004
Posts: 2487
| Sam I am serious about the Metaxa I think it would be quite the hoot to open a bottle of this at the tour, in your name, (assuming your not going to make it?) and we'll all toast your absence! Not "to" your absence...Just your absence.
Sam am I correct in understanding the history of this guitar is one of two made? The owner was one of the original Ovation engineers and he modified two Deacons to end up with this one and an almost identical one that he owned but that eventually went to Jim Massena?
Mike I have not seen the one Miles has? Would love to though. I have emailed Miles about possibly purchasing a Real Nice Deacon but he must be burried in moving. I would love to see hthis one though and perhaps when he is back to sitting down to a computer for a while I will ask him to post a shot or two so we can all see it. I see now how the whole wood pickguard thing became so popular. These guitars look nice in black as well but to me the wood guards just make them look very regal.
Sam can I ask what year this Deacon is again?
By the way anyone reading this who has not seen Samovas photo's take a look! I did not see it this last time I went to look but somewhere there is a group shot of a whole courtyard full of electric Ovations and even more shots of some of the coolest Adamas guitars I have ever seen in one place! Sam is his own Ovation Fan Club. Really nice stuff.
Randy |
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Posts: 2487
| Sam This Guitar is on it's way and I can't wait to plug it in and try it out. I was going to print the history from this section as you wrote a brief history of in the first posting. I was thinking this is very much Ovation history, Perhaps you could post a nice message that contains as much information you have about this Deacon? I know very little about this one and perhaps it will make a good read.
Thanks Randy A Pleasure Sam! Sure am rethinking that whole "Brown" Adamas thing. That guitar yoi have for sale is Da-Bomb! |
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Location: Upper Left USA | Here are the two I have seen. Miles' and Sam's a tale of two Jim's deacons:
There is a post from someone connected to the "early" days that has a wood PG'd Deacon - over at the Breadwinner site:
"Yup, I have a Deacon tht was originally designed for and owned by Jessie Collin Young (the Young bloods / ...C'mon people now, smile on your brother, everybody get together try to love one another right now...). During the 70's a fellow by the name of Melonfarm Dellabernarda was president of Ovation Div. of Kaman, and also happened to be a good friend of my father (both living in East Windsor, CT. My dad purchased this Deacon after it was returned to Ovation by Mr. Young due to the fact that he wanted the entire guitar to have chrome hardware, and Ovation sent him out one woth a brass nut (without plating it). Well, musician's can be picky, so Ovation just made him another one and my dad bought the original Deacon through Mr. Dellabernarda as a blem. This was my first guitar, and I still own it to this day. Unfortunately, there's no paperwork that verifies this, but I've been thinking about contacting Ovation to see if they can dig through their archives to see if there's any proof of the transactions between them and Mr. Young (a documented sreial # would be nice). Anyway, nice collection and great page folkks!!!"
I have encouraged him to post here so we'll see!!!
Mucho history... |
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Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | The neck on the Messina Deacon is what blows me away!
What a great looking guitar. |
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Posts: 13996
Location: Upper Left USA | Take a look at the grain.
Same block of Walnut. Makes you wonder if the rest of the block is holding up one of the legs on Kim's desk!
I often wonder how many Spruce tops for Ovations have come out of the Olympic Mountains that I've been hiking in? |
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Posts: 3410
Location: GA USA | I was thinking the other day that MWoody ought to outfit his works of art with special signature trc's. That way they become collector's items in themselves (as if they weren't already).
Sam could put some sort of special feature on his oddball guitars as well. Several of us own them. I could have the Demon Deacon retrofitted with said feature, I bet. But what would it be? Talk amongst yourselves. |
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Location: Upper Left USA | Microchip Pet locators that show up on the OFC Frapper map? |
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Posts: 970
Location: Atlanta,Ga. | Jas,i just started putting my own special features on my "oddball" guitars.Randy is the first to get the "samova signature feature"
Randy,you might want to be careful when your unpacking the box,you wouldn't want to break any glass.."wink,wink,nudge,nudge say no more." |
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| Now I am scared! You didn't scratch your initials on the body wiht a jacknife did-ja??
I think I will keep the wink wink nudge nudge for the factory trip! I am not that brave anymore Sam. |
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Location: Upper Left USA | What if he carved his whole last name? |
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Location: Atlanta,Ga. | I also carved my middle name too.It reads Sam Theodore Stathakis and then below that in cursive "A SAMOVA EXCLUSIVE"..It took two lines.Thank god the body is kind of long to get all that carved on it. |
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| Hey it's here! Came yesterday afternoon Sam! Very nice! I have a true "classic" Ovation in this one. I am very pleased with my choice in an Ovation electric. Poor thing was in shock though it was ZERO outside.
Anyway this is some guitar Sam, It does have this very slight rattle coming from the bridge area? I will assume this is that small black plastic bridge cover. I am already planning to replace that with a chunk of hand carved walnut. Why not right this guitar has been modified since it's inception by the factory and everyone who has owned it and I carve wood for a living of sorts.! I will try and match something similiar to the Adamas 1 bridge carvings and the Custom Legends. I will most photo's perhaps along with Mikes pickguards this site will become a one stop custom shop for old O's. THe neck looks as though it may need a slight adjustment as well but that is no problem.
Nice signature Sam! Ohh I have not gone through all the packing yet but it does seem a little heavy I will check tonight for the bottle.
Randy |
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Posts: 970
Location: Atlanta,Ga. | Randy,the bottle is the most important part!!
Im not sure why there is a rattle from the bridge area.I never heard it at all.BTW,the batteries are brand new no need to replace anytime soon.glad you like the guitar.I was speaking yesterday with a former Ovation Employee and best freind to Jim Rickard.He remembers the guitar well and was telling me that the breadwinner/deacon project was Jim's baby.He designed most everything on that model.He also remembers a young Bill Kaman speeding in the parking lot side road and almost running him over.We got a good laugh out of that one.Hope Bills a better driver now !!! |
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| Now That's the kind of history I was hoping I could get you to write for me. I really do need a nice note from you and signed by you as one of it's owners and perhaps a nice history at least what you know of it included so I can keep this with the guitar. I will figure out that buzzing. It really does sound like it's right where the bridge and the plastic and the low E string meet?
I nice history posted here would be a fun read for the rest of the Ovation fans. I sure hope that Metaxa does not freeze or it will most likely burst when It thaws out.... like a few hours ago in the box? If it makes it it's going to the next tour!
Thanks again Sam
OK I found it! Wow Sam I thought this might be a bottle of some kind a new beer.
This is apparently some kind of Wine on steriods! I did not think this was such a big bottle. I'll crack it just before the Jam session and pass it around!
Thanks again Sam I sure would love to play a little music with ya at this event! But hey We'll be thinking of ya. And Al will be calling you for bail money about 3:00am that day!
Randy |
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February 2004
Posts: 2487
| I found the rattle culprit. Just thought you guy's might like to know.......The little black plastic tailpiece cover is secured to the brass plate by little plastic extrusions that fit through holes in the plate and are melted and mushroomed out like a rivet to hold this assembly in place.
I think the guitar was in the 10 below weather for long enough that when I brought it in and tuned it up a little the plastic was still brittle and a couple of the little musrooms kinda broke off leaving the plastic to buzz in these areas. The strings go through this plastic piece and actually pull upward on this piece as the strings head up and over the bridge saddles. I have made two new tailpiece covers out of birdseye maple. One blond and one with some mohagany stain! They are both beautiful compared with the plastic piece and these are securred with very small screws into the hard wood so this should eliminate the problem and increase the good looks of these guitars. I will post a shot or two of these pieces tonight I made them both today for fun but I have not done one in Walnut yet with the carving... This will come later. Figured some of you Deacon guy's might want to see what these can look like.
Randy |
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Location: Upper Left USA | A low end "woody"!
Way to go. Send those pictures. |
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Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | I always thought that Messina's was a spruce body, at least the one I remember seeing bneing built was spruce with the maple fingerboard.
Not much of a better driver these days either. |
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Posts: 2487
| Ok I managed to load one real crappy photo into my gallery.... I made two of the fairly complicated wooden pieces to replace the black plastic bridge cover that I just do not like the look of....so yesterday and today I cut a chunk off a piece of Birdseye Maple stock and split it in half to make two covers to see what they look like... These were not as easy as I had originally thought they would be. They are more than just covers they are actually part of the bridge. THese are now drilled and tapped so they can be screwed on. they are much more stable and strong than the plastic pieces are. As soon as I restring this I will get at least one decent overall photo of the guitar. The figure in these pieces of wood is just extraordinary! The one I decided on is the Red/brown stained one. The other looks like a piece of silk the wood, it is so figured, with just the clear and no stains at all. But it is a little to bright for my tastes. I might just sand it off and refinish it red... for a spare? I may just sell it as is or trade for a plastic pick guard. As I do plan on doing a fully carved walnut piece eventually....I wish the photo's could show off how smooth and busy the grain is. The flsah kind of washed out th left side as well best I could do for now.
I wish I knew how to put the photo right in this text but??? I am happy I figured out the gallery photo's. I do apologize for the pic. it is not the best. Thanks for looking Hope it gives some of you guys an Idea or an inspiration. I love it!
Randy |
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Location: NJ |  |
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Location: Upper Left USA | I have one of the Brass/Black Plastic bridges if you need to replace for originality? Very interesting about the use of wood to cover.
Ebony would be interesting as well! |
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February 2004
Posts: 2487
| Hey! Cliff............when did you get so friggin smart........?
Have you been hanging around Al again??????
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because he could really use some help..............dhahh dhaaaht dhaaa! Rim shot! |
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| Yep I thought about Ebony that would look nice! I think Walnut with carving will be the final verdict for me. I can replace the black plastic piece anytime for originality, no need to worry, it was not damaged at all.
I had this chunk of Birdseye around for a long long time and it is an odd size so I have not used it. I decided to go at it and see what happens. You will have to see it in person the grain is quite stunning and with the stain it makes a nice contrast.
And I do not quite understand how it was designed that that single center bolt would be the integral piece that the strings pull against?
The height adjustment posts work great though. and the intonation is easy enought to set.
I am really having fun with this guitar! IT does sound real good cranked up a little. It has a few scratches I am going to buff out and if I play it with any regularity I think I will make a black pickguard or find an old one so I can save this walnut one. |
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February 2004
Posts: 2487
| OK hate to beat a topic that has certainly run it's course... but I have finally loaded a shot of that Deacon with everything but the schallers on it. I am, going to be looking for a nice used pickguard or a large piece of black pickguard material so I can save this walnut cover. I am going to be playing this one a lot! THe Gibson SG I had was fantastic but I love the action on this one much better than the new Gibson. I like the feel of very low frets and low action on an electric and this one plays better than the old Fender I once had. Very fast! I have a keeper here! Nice little secret you Deacon Owners have had.. These are very, very well made guitars!
Anyone interested in the other handcarved Birdseye Maple tailpiece cover let me know. I am interested in a simple trade for a good pickguard?
Wish my photo's would load a little clearer? Must be my camera and the resolution needed to get them to go through or something? This tailpiece is stunning. And so you know the plastic original piece is easy to replace with small screws underneath instead of the melted plastic you have holding it on there now. And the screws are much stronger! There is a slightly different sound you can hear, even when playing unplugged, with the hardwood instead of the plstic.
Randy |
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December 2003
Posts: 13996
Location: Upper Left USA | Randy, you scared me at first read. I thought you were going to start tearing apart and retrofitting this historical Deacon! It is good that it is being played!
Would you like a matching - but sacrificial - pickguard for that Deacon? I will need it to copy the color tone and holes. I can send a replacement bridge if you need it.
I wouldn't mind a Northcountry prototype Walnut or Ebony (or Walnut and Ebony) bridge as well. |
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RARE DEACON FOR SALE
