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Location: Atlanta,Ga. |  ;) |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Very nice Sam, we didn't start sunbursts till a year or so after 66 so this has got to be one of the firsts. The early guitars all had the 5 sided bridges. In time they usually split the tops b ut that's the way it goes. |
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Location: Atlanta,Ga. | Bill,not only did the early ovations have the five point bridge but the catalogs claim they were Brazilian rosewood bridges.The shiny bowl sunburst is the only one i have ever seen.The rarest item in the picture is the early catalog.I have nevers een another one like this.It is from late 1966-to early 1967.... |
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Location: SoCal | Sam, I've never seen that catalog before. The earliest one I've got is, I think, from 1968 and has a hideous pink cover "The Ovation Sound Is Getting Round". Your's is interesting. What's inside? What guitars does it cover?
Paul |
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Location: NJ | sam
scan the catalog and save it in pdf format send the files to miles and then he can post the catalog in our reference section
if you cannot do that make a photocopy and send it to me or miles so we can do this. It would greatly help getting the reference section to a good start |
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Location: Atlanta,Ga. | Paul, i have never seen another either.It only has the first four models introduced in 1966-early 1967.Its basically a black and white folder with four separate inserts .One for each model.The Balladeer,Deluxe balladeer,Josh White and the classic.It was before ovation introduced the 5th(the 12 string) and 6th(contemporary folk classic) model in late 1967.That is in the 1968 catalog that i have.I spoke to a couple of people at ovation and they did not have the early 1966-67 catalogs either nor had they ever seen one...Along with that i even have the very first invitations(in original postmaked envelopes) that ovation sent out to dealers introducing their guitars to the world.The invitation and program from the first evening in 1967 introducing these new guitars to the world.The program is autographed by Josh White as he was a guest artist that evening and it also featured a band playing that evening called "The Balladeers"....If your an early ovation nut (like myself)you would love this early piece of ovation history.Maybe i can scan them and show them on the site one day....Im not sure they would interest anyone?I find them very cool......Hell,Bill was probably there that first evening since he is an old fart,LOL
[ March 21, 2002: Message edited by: samova ] |
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Location: SoCal | Sam:
At one time, years ago, I had most of the old Ovation catalogs. Then in a move, I decided that I didn't need them anymore and tossed them.
In the last couple of years, I've regretted that and have spent more that I should (don't tell my wife) on buying back what was in my collection. I've got almost everything from the pink covered catalog forward, with the exception of the catalog that was put out in 1969 for the Glen Campbell models. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | That was the first catalogue, a folder with the four inserts. The classic had a different rosette. They were brazilian bridges. peghear veneers too.
The thing that makes all these sound so good is the Brazilian Fiberglass the bowls were made from. We took it only from REALLY old growth Fiberglass trees deep in the amazon. In time it really matures and comes into it's own sound wise.
Don't you agree? |
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Location: NJ | the brazillian fiberglass is now endangered. Indian fiberglass was substituted for a short while but a new compessed recycled fiberglass has been the norm which definately sucks tone. Federal regulations currently prohibit the import of the endangered fiberglass and has currently made an accurate reproduction of the early guitars not only cost prohibitive but a federally actionable offense |
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Location: Atlanta,Ga. | I understand the pre war brazilian bowls are the rarest..They were beautiful and highly figured brazilian fiberglass....I was told the brazilian fiberglass came from the "Corvette tree" in brazil..Im sure this is the reason the early ovations sounded so good!!! |
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Location: NJ | sam
you are so misinformed Kaman would have never used anthing as crass as fiberglass from the "corvette tree" any true student of the history of brazillian fiberglass knows that it was the "Avanti tree" fiberglass that is the truely desireable stuff.
although the pre war brazillian fiberglass with abolone inlay is very nice most rockers prefer the pre CBS fiberglass before they changed the design and went into corporate mass production mode.
I will put my Avanti fiberglass against your mere corvette fiberglass any day..... |
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Location: SoCal | You guys are all very strange.
I feel very much at home here. |
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Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | ME TOO! home from the friday night gig. nice to see the party goes on. pass me a glass of what you had before the fiberglass tree discussion started. i need to catch up. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | And so now to bring it back home with a dose of reality,
Zerhco, the company that makes the bowls now in ohio, was founeded by carl Zehr. In 1953 they worked on a prototype project for general motors making the bodies for this new car for them. After the first year it looked like it might be a go so GM took over the production of the bodies them selves. This explains why the Zehrco walls have loads of pictures of 53 Corvettes |
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Location: SoCal | As a side note, when the very first Corvette rolled off the assembly line to much fanfare, somebody got in and tried to start it up and couldn't. Turns out you can't ground to fiberglass. |
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Location: Atlanta,Ga. | SEE AL !!! I told you it was the "corvette tree" and not a silly "Avanti tree"....Do i have my ovation facts or what!!! |
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Location: NJ | The "avanti" tree fiberglass is only for the true believers sam...... |
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Sam's Early Ovation guitar Collection (All with shiny bowls)
