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Location: Jacksonville FL | I notice only one post on the 1619 when I did my search - I am not sure of the age of it - bought it from a friend about 4 years back - had one prior - but lost it in a divorce about 12 years ago (Long Story).
My question(s) Is there a place I can tell the age of it based upon the serial number, and I put a new battery in when I changed strings the other night, and now nothing - do not get any sound through the amp - I believe the battery to be good - as I purchaed new a fwe weeks back. WHat could be the potential cause? Or should I try a different battery?
BTW - I have the original HSC * Leather cover for the case and there are no scratches in the guitar.... |
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Location: Philadelphia, PA 19107 | Welcome Harry!
If you check at ther reference section in this site: serial numbers, you will find what year your Custom Legend 1619 was made. I would guess it was made between 1974 (first year of 1619) and early 80s.
With regard to the amplified sound, maybe a cable is loos, or else? I would suggest two things: you either bring the guitar to a local repair person who is Ovation authorized and has experience (really knows) the earlier Ovations, or you send it back to the Ovation Customer Service, which per me is the very best and reliable place to service and repair your Ovation guitar!
Congratulations on your Custom Legend 1619. It is a magnificent instrument! The most beautiful and the best roundhole guitar, Ovation used to make.
Of course the other guys here may have other suggestions.
Welcome again!
:)
[ May 04, 2002: Message edited by: elias ] |
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Location: Jacksonville FL | Thanks much - I'll have to give him a call on Monday - when I check my string s next - I'll go through the wiring a bit and also make sure I have the battery positioned properly as well.
Believe it or not I have been thinking about selling it - to buy a new one.... Not sure if I should go this route or not! |
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Location: Philadelphia, PA 19107 | You can check the battery and wiring by yourself first, if you cannot fix it then you call them. It's not that complicated issue. These things happen. If you really like your 1619 don't give up because of this minor issue. This can be easily fixed at Ovation Customer Service (OCS) and I guess it won't be that expensive. I have serviced most of my early Adamas
http://mail.med.upenn.edu/~elias/Adamas.jpg
and early Ovations at OCS and I am very pleased so far. As I said, they are the best.
I, too, have a 1976 Custom Legend model 1119-4, customized in year 2000 with the OPTIMA electronics (for sale). Take a look at:
http://mail.med.upenn.edu/~elias/1119-4.jpg |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | In the words of any vintage snob,
Keep the old one, if it's in good shape it's always better than new.
Like an old car, if the body and frame are rust free, take it, everything else can be fixed. |
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Location: SoCal | Elias:
On your 1976 Custom Legend, did Ovation put a new bowl on it or use the old one? If the used the old one, did they plug the original holes for the strap and volume control buttons and drill a new strap button?
I would also be curious as to what it cost. Feel free to email me directly if you feel like answering that last question quietly (or at all) |
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Location: Philadelphia, PA 19107 | This time I won't disagree with Mr. Bill Kaman. Though, Bill, I insist you are WRONG about the Rainsong guitars!
No problem at all! They used the old deep bowl. They drilled new holes for the plugs, and new holes for the external battery access and the OPTIMA electronics panel. You cannot tell. They did an excellent job.
Per me this is one of the most beautiful, mint, and functional Custom Legends, though not totally original. |
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Location: Jacksonville FL | First let me say THANKS AGAIN! Based upon your comments I will definately keep her as she has nary a nick on her!
I do love the upgrade on the electronics and I would seriously love to have that done! How long did they have your guitar while they did that??? Not that it matters much - but I think it would make the overlife easier.
Did it affect the overall tone of the guitar? And of course the cost - hehehe.
I think over the upcoming week, I will go through the wiring and see what I can see.
Once again - thanks guys and I am sure glad I found this board!
Oh yea - based upon the serial number it was made in 1981 - THANKS AGAIN!
[ May 06, 2002: Message edited by: Harry Turns ] |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Elias,
To summarize previous postings You think Rainsong guitars are great. I think they suck. I said I respect your opinion and would have thought you respected mine. Evidently not since I am WRONG about the issue.
OK, I'm WRONG, they're brilliant guitars, genius, stunning, spectacular, awesome, god's gift to the music industry. Tell Chris Martin it's time to close the doors, the end is here. Tell Schultz, Henry, Saunders, Collings , Santa Cruz, and of course all the Taylor-Huggers and all the rest that they're out of business. God! How could we all have gotten it so WRONG?????
[ May 06, 2002: Message edited by: cwk2 ] |
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Location: Philadelphia, PA 19107 | <<>>
Harry, it took some time because they were extremely busy. It soesn't mean though that it will be the same with you now. Just Give them a call.
<<>>
Unplugged no! It became bettter when plugged in of course. The cost for the OPTIMA upgrade was arounf $400-450
Thanks! |
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Location: Philadelphia, PA 19107 | <<
Elias,
To summarize previous postings You think Rainsong guitars are great. I think they suck.>>>
Thank you so much Bill. Well, ...what can i say? Other people have the same feeling about ovations, yet........we like them.
<<>>
Of course I do respect your opinion, I do disagree though. it doesn't mean I don't respect it.
OK, I'm WRONG, they're brilliant guitars, genius, stunning, spectacular, awesome, god's gift to the music industry. Tell Chris Martin it's time to close the doors, the end is here. Tell Schultz, Henry, Saunders, Collings , Santa Cruz, and of course all the Taylor-Huggers and all the rest that they're out of business. God! How could we all have gotten it so WRONG?????
Are you O.K. Bill? You seem very stressed!
simmer down, .....it's only Rainsong guitars.
:D |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Bloomfield, CT -- May 6, 2002 -- In an unpresidented global recognition of upstart guitar manufacturer "Rainsong" Kaman Music Corp as it is known today, is closing it's doors for good. Kaman who is known for Ovation and Takamive guitars, along with Fender, Gibson, Gretch, Taylor and several other industry players are closing their doors in recognition of the inability to compete in a market with Rainsong.
It is further rumored that former Kaman CEO Bill Kaman, may try to form a new company with an R&D department headed by well known guitar enthusiast Elias. The new company (Dog Spew, Inc) is expected to make copies the Rainsong guitars in an overseas factory for world-wide distribution without fear of copyright infringement. |
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Location: Philadelphia, PA 19107 | This is not my opinion. This is what other people think about Rainsong guitars:
1). http://www.acousticguitar.com/issues/ag110/rainsongreview.html
2). http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Data4/Rainsong/
All opinions are highly respected of course! |
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Location: SoCal | Being a trained detective I'm starting to detect a pattern in many of these posts. It appears we have dipped into severe sarcasim. Maybe we should abandon this line and go on to something else? |
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Location: Philadelphia, PA 19107 | Miles thanks, you made your point!
let's go guys! |
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Location: NJ | Harmony central has no criteria for a review or reviewer. Many of the postngs there are shills for the manufacturer. The lack of responses to the rainsnot guitars would lead to me to believe that these reviews fall in this category.
The review by Teja Gerken from acoustic guitar magazine is relatively credible but please note that when a guitar is sent to a magazine for review it is usually gone over completely and in some cases is no where near the product that the general public sees in the stores.
I have played many rainsnot guitars and I was not impressed.
Note to board members: If you are making a post and it is not intended to be serious or it is intended to have less than serious content and it is not readily recognizeable by other members of the message board. then it is obvious that you have a problem with your presentation of said information and need to examine your command of the English language. To avoid confrontation if it is in question DON'T POST IT!!!! |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | I just read several of the reviews and I guess I join the agree to disagree theme. I always try to read what is not contained in reviews as folks tend to exagerate things they like. Also, just FYI, there is no real control on Harmony Central, so although you can find lots of info, it should not be your only source of info as there are folks who "pad" the reviews for sales.
Having said all that... what I gleened from the opinions is that it is an easy guitar to play, and it is durable. I found less than stellar reference to the sound quality, although not many actually slammed the sound, it just wasn't in the forefront.
Based on my heritage my selection process would take me down the road of... Ok.. It's $2,000 and may last forever, but I'm not gonna take a $2000.00 guitar on the beach so why bother with "indestructable" if there is no chance for abuse. I can get a cheap Ovation for 1/4th the price, and it's pretty indestructable, has good tone, and well for the money, I can take it on the beach with me and not feel bad. If I was gigging, I may consider a Rainsong, but I like the sound of Mic'd guitars and I know my road crew would prefer the Ovation as it doesn't have that wonderful "feedback hole" that they refer too, and it has a low-imp out (didn't see that on the Rainsongs... but it may).
Bottom line... If the $2000 dollar model was only $400-$500.00 I might think about it, as it is a quality made instrument and worth the novelty.
I recently heard... something like this.... "it does not take a lot of ingenuity to make a great $5000 guitar, it takes more ingenuity to make a great $1000 guitar." |
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Location: SoCal | That last comment of Miles is brillient. When I see guitars in the $2000 - $3000 range, I always suspect prior to picking it up that it's gonna be a pretty decent guitar. When I see one in the $500 - $1000 range and I'm impressed with it, that's saying something.
I'll always remember picking up a Taylor 5 something and liking the sound. Then picking up an Ovation S771 with new strings. The sound was so much better for a third of the price. |
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Location: Philadelphia, PA 19107 | Miles, once again thanks, there is nothing more for me to add!
All nicely said!
I would lile though to respond to Al's comments. I Can't help it, sorry:
<<>>
As a matter of fact Al, I am very surprised that YOU say that. If you carefully go through all ads I am afraid that you should have said that long long time ago!!!! may be to yourself too!
Why? Because on many topics after the first 5-6 responses things intentionally become "not serious". Lots of fan, comments way off the topic etc., etc. So?
How come it did not bother you earlier?
And how YOU define "it is obvious that you have a problem with your presentation of said information and need to examine your command of the English language."?
What kind of censorship is that?????
What you are saying is very subjective, and wrong! You and Miles set the rules. But these rules should be rules of free speech after all. What do you mean "don't post it"? Really? Fine, ...so before we post any topic and before we express our opinions here we should send them to you for censorship? How about that?
I believe that the reason we all joined this site is not only to say pleasant things that you or Bill or whoever else like, but express our opinions and feelings about Ovations (AND NOT ONLY) ...yet always FREELLY!!!!
"Rainsong guitars suck"!
What kind of opinion and expression is that?
How do we like it when other people say the same thing for Ovation guitars? We don't!
The issue of the Rainsong guitars is not that important. It is our attitude towards things. How we criticize, what kind of arguments we use, etc., etc.
By the same logic other things SUCK too!
and we don't need to give any further explanations, do we? That's it.
Personally I DO NOT BOTHER, even if nobody agrees with my opinion to express it, and defend it.
Whether is Rainsong guitars, or Adamases or Taylors or else, more or less all of these guitars have a place in the market. Thousands of people use them, like them, or dislike them, and so on.
What really bothers me though, and I believe that other people should seriously think about it too, is when YOU come with these kind of statements.
Don't patronize us Al! |
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Location: NJ | I will ask that you reread my post it had NOTHING to do with what you are pontificating about. All I asked is for people to be kind to one another.
I will not dignify anything else you said with any other reply except for this statement.
<<>Personally I DO NOT BOTHER, even if nobody agrees with my opinion to express it, and defend it.>>
First, it is so gramatically incorrect that it has no meaning.
Secondly Are you saying you do not give your opinion? If so it is negated by the LONG response above.
Thirdly Are you saying you do give your opinion but do not defend it? This again is unclear and negated by the above post.
This is a perfect example of a sentence that was typed in anger in a reactionary manner that is incomprehennsible and has nothing to do with the topic proposed. |
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Location: Philadelphia, PA 19107 | <<>>
Oh, my my! Al said so and that's it!
Al's law! Al rules here. he, he, he, he
Show them who you are, Al! You the BIG BOSS!
<<>Personally I DO NOT BOTHER, even if nobody agrees with my opinion to express it, and defend it.>>
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If you say so Al. You the college graduate, the TEACHER (?!)
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How about fourth(ly) teacher Al? or is it four?
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You the BIG BOSS Al, whatever you say.
I am sorry, ...I forgot that you I won't dignify anything else I say with any other reply except for the above statement!
he,he, he, he. |
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Location: NJ | uh,......yeah,......hey, guys!....how 'bout that new ADAMAS, eh!?!?.......uh,.....yeah.
Isn't this the part where a sweatshirted Bill Cosby peers over the fence and discusses the problem and suggests a possible solution?
I think (for the most part) Harry's question (1619) has been answered. Perhaps this whole "thread" should be taken off and forgotten. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Miles,
Brilliant press release
Moodypi hit the nail on the head too. It's not that they're bad guitars, it's that they should be under $1000. If they were none of this discussion would have taken place.
Now will one of the administrators pull down the curtain please??? |
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Location: NJ | third notice concerning personal attacks |
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Posts: 119
Location: Philadelphia, PA 19107 | Third? Already?
Wow! THANKS AL! MUCH obliged!
Elias: The pioneer-collector of Al's notices for personal attacks!!!!!
What an honor!
he, he, he, he, |
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