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Location: Phoenix AZ | BTW, I have the vibrometer plot for # 42 (thanks Mike). It was done in May 2006. I'll scan it and add it to the site with all the OFC guitar plots and # 43. Dave |
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Location: Nova Scotia, Canada | Absolutely beautiful, Dave!
That has to be the ultimate cure for hating epaulets...surround yourself with three pairs of the nicest ones ever made.
When you take a break from playing that newest addition, a three-way comparison would be really cool. |
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Location: Alberta, Canada | Show off!
How come the stands don't color match? Pretty shoddy!
Dave, very nice set of triplets. With all that color, I'm a little green here! :)
Dave |
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Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | Dave, this is the best yet! Congrats my friend! Absolutely Fantastic!
And with these you're talking about an Acadamy being your favorite to play?...puleaseeee!
(uh Dave, you have a small dog now, so watch him around the guitars on stands)...
Can you say AAAAHHHHHHHH? :eek:
Blessings... |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | I've had some time with the three slotheads and here's my take. The difference between # 42 and the reissues is like the difference between a well worn pair of running shoes and the same model shoes you would buy new off the shelf. The old running shoes are like an extension of your body, fit like a glove and are as comfortable as hell. The new ones are of course perfect, clean and fresh but they are a little stiff and clunky. The good news is that the new pair will turn into the old pair in due time.
Keep in mind that I am comparing three guitars that are absolutely at the top of the Ovamas pyramid - line up a hundred different models and these are numbers 1, 2 and 3. Of the three, the 47 RI is noticeably the loudest. Just a total cannon. Taking away the difference in volume, the OFC guitar and 47 RI to me sound as identical as could be. Very clear and precise. Every note rings like a bell no matter how hard or how lightly you drive it. Granted, I am no real musician but I can see and hear how these two guitars can be commanded to deliver whatEVER their players desired.
The slothead # 42 has a somewhat different sound than the reissues. There's no mistaking that all three are the same "design" but there is something different about the original. The acoustic sound seems more "airy" and seems to jump out of the guitar quicker and clearer than the reissues. It almost sounds like # 42 is moving more air than the reissues. Granted these differences are subtle. Unfortunately, there is no way of knowing if the sound of # 42 is due to 30 years of playing and opening up (ie did it sound more like the reissues when it was brand new) or maybe it's always sounded this way and never changed. No way to know other than to wait and see how the reissues sound in 30 years. Of course by then # 42 will sound like a 60 year old guitar!
Sound summary - would you pay 2-3x as much as the reissues for the slightly different sound of # 42? No way Jose. Nobody could argue that the sound difference is worth that much, or maybe worth anything at all. Heck, others might like the tighter sound of the reissues better. It's that close.
The fun stuff to me is to compare the construction and build of # 42 vs. the reissues. Make no mistake, the reissues are STUNNING. The factory has done an absolutely amazing job of recreating the original slothead. And they did it with the looks AND the sound. I mean details like the wooden strap button, the nose ring, the TRC, etc. There are not enough compliments in the world for the job they did. However, in hind sight (in my opinion) they did TOO good of a job. The reissues are too clean, too perfect and maybe a little "sterile" compared to the originals. Remember, the originals were somewhat rough pre-production guitars hand built without computers and stuff. Everyone one is different and every one has certain "quirks" to it's construction. If I was to do it again, I would have a reissue "relic'ed" to really resemble the pre-production ones. Maybe that's what they tried to do with the tuners on my OFC guitar.
In terms of the build, the biggest difference between # 42 and the reissues is in the walnut. I don't know what they did on the originals but the walnut (bridge, neck, headstock, fretboard) is a much lighter color (was it always?) and it has an almost glossed finish. The walnut on the reissues looks "dry" by comparison. But there are some charactor "quirks" to # 42 that I think make it kind of cool and bring back the realization of how crude the environment was where such high tech and revolutionary instruments were born. For example, the carved headstock is anything but perfect. Remember some guy probably whittled this by hand! The graphite strip in the neck is slightly off center. The curvature to the back of the headstock is much deeper than some others I've seen. Some of the wood colors in the epaulets don't quite match perfectly. The carved bridge is a little mis-shapen at one end. You would never accept this stuff on one of the reissues. But on something as historical as these originals I think these things are really cool and drives home how special the birth of these instruments was.
As far as the top, I've seen and handled maybe 6-7 of the originals and as others can attest they are like "snowflakes" - no two alike. Especially the -7 and -8 colors seems to vary a lot among the originals I have seen. And also the amount of gold sparkle seems to vary a lot. # 42 has a little bit of a blue burst to it, the center being slightly darker than on the OFC guitar. But it's subtle. The amount of gold sparkle on # 42 is a little more than the OFC guitar or the 47 RI. And unlike the reissues, the sparkle goes all the way over the top edge binding (at least my reissues have no sparkle in the binding). The top color looks like it has aged very slightly. But it's impossible to tell unless you were there 30 years ago. The snot blob is pretty clear, not too yellowed like some I have seen. # 42 has the bowl access door on the treble waist (rectangular door about 2 x 4 inches). Personally I like this a lot better than a big hole in the back of the guitar. I never realized that the battery holder is attached to the inside of this door. And of course # 42 has the original style knobs with the I II III IV markings on them. Electronics are mono.
So, what can I say - these are three very exquisite guitars and to own any one of them would be enough to make anyone's day. They are each special in their own way and I am definately honored and humbled to be the keeper of them. The guitaridor is still being renovated but I'll post some pictures as soon as it's done. These three will be prominently displayed.
Dave |
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Location: Nova Scotia, Canada | Dave;
Thanks for letting us enjoy your good fortune in a vicarious sort of way. All the little details are just what I was looking for.
Someday I will perhaps have one slothead but in the meantime the Josh White will have to suffice in that department! |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Nice review Dave, Thanks! |
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Location: SoCal | Tup made a really good point. The 33 prototypes WERE prototypes where different things were tried with each one. No two will be exactly alike.
I've looked at pics of some of the slots and what I found interesting was that the headstocks are not symetrical. Look at the sides, above the tuners, leading to the carving on top. They are different lengths.
Which brings up a question that Beal might be able to answer.... who carved the necks and headstocks on the originals? |
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Location: NJ | 34. |
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Location: SoCal | 34? Really? I've had 33 in my mind for a long time, but you've seen the numbers at the factory.... |
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Location: Tennessee | 33 prototypes. One production guitar. I think it was #54. ;) |
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Location: NJ | I do seem to remember #54 being a bit "darker" and "bassier" when it was new, and now it just seems a bit more "open" in it's sound, but that could just be attributed to the strings I'm using in the here & now . . .
I've never had the chance to A/B/C 'em at once, but my impressions were that the 47RI seemed a bit stiffer, heavier, & darker; Moody's OFC was kinda' the the same - but a bit less so; and the '54 just seems to "breathe" more.
I'm probably just "biased", but they seemed to have cobbled together a REALLY efficient "air pump" on that one.
I'm off to do my Architectural Dance, now . . . . |
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Location: SoCal | Dave, good review.
Might mention that probably the best value for the price continues to be the U681T. More utilitarian or modern of a design than the originals, 47RI, or the OFC but a superb instument. |
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Location: Cicero, NY | Having had the pleasure of playing Cliff's original, a couple of 47RI's, Paul's OFC, a coupla Ute's, a Fud, a custom here and there, a 1587, a 1537 or three, a ME and Pacemaker, a...aw, man, I forgot where this is going but I'm thinking I'm a pretty lucky guy... |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | BTW, the vibrometer plots of the OFC guitars have now been added to the registration page on ovationgallery.com
Easier to navigate than having to go to roundbackguitarforum.com
Dave |
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Location: SoCal | I can't find it.... |
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Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | Great Review Tupp...enjoy!
Thanks for sharing this with those who can only hope and guess...
Blessings... |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Originally posted by moody, p.i.:
I can't find it.... Go to the page with the serial number registration for the OFC guitars. next to ewach serial number is a small link called "PLOT".
If you don't see it, you may be pulling an old page in cache. Empty your cache or hit the reload key to refresh it.
Dave |
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Location: NJ | Dave;
Check your email.
I scanned/compiled that document we discussed last night and attached it to use on your website.
Thanks! for making the effort to make this info readily accessible in a centralized location . . . |
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Location: North Idaho | Has a recent vibrometer plot been taken on an older model to determine possible aging changes? |
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Location: SoCal | Got it.
I wonder if it would be possible to get Darin to sit down with one of these graphs and detail what it all means? |
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Location: NJ | Yeah.
A few of 'em actually.
The issue is that the vibrometer hadn't been developed (yet) when the guitars were new to gauge a comparison . . . |
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Location: SoCal | Sad that the 47RI wasn't measured (or, at least provided to those that bought them sight unseen which is always a high measure of confidence and support by the purchaser)...after all, verbal statements were that there was only going to be "47 of the 47". Even with the almost 200% increase in production, some of us were told that they were only completing about 3 a week.
Hopefully, engineering at the factory would have at least recorded one of the initial (?i.e. #1, #2, or #3-mine). That would be great to compare with some of the originals (i.e., #47) and the OFC. |
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Location: NJ | Having the scans done is a "nicety", but it's a somewhat substantial endeavor (on Ovation's part) to do.
It's not just a matter of plopping the guitar into the rig, aiming a laser at it and hitting the "plot" button . . .
There are alignment and calibration procedures that have to be done for EACH guitar (and that's not even including the "plotting" process).
The apparatus is part of Research & Development, not Production. I would imagine running plots on 80+ guitars'd be a major pain-in-the-ass, taking staff & resources away from other things. I think the fact they did it for all of the OFC guitars was REALLY cool on Ovation's part.
Darrin was gracious enough to extend an invitation for me t'bring #54 up "anytime", but I'll probably just wait til next year's Tour, when they'll need a "guinea pig" for the demo . . . |
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Location: SoCal | Cliff, true but I question whether they initially tested, possible several during the process.
As to time. OFC #8 was recorded as 6/12/07 8:36am, OFC #9 recorded as 6/12/07 8:49am.
And, although there were some dealers "throwing them out the back door with the trash" (heavy discounting), the retail price was $4,999 with the 9158-0 case.
If they haven't, would be interesting to see how one of the 47RI stacked up with # 47.
Guess inquiring minds want to know...especially as I would hope someone at the factory would have been curious. |
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SLOTHEAD TRIPLE PLAY
