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December 2001
Posts: 7211
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | I was looking through the model listings in the "History of Ovation" book and ran across an odd few notes that I was wondering if someone could clarify about the Typhoon Bass.
K-1140 Typhoon Bass (so far so good)
K-1240 Typhoon II (Williwaw, two differnt body styles pre and post mid 1967) Ok.. odd but I'm following..(cept what's the diff between an 1140 and a 1240)
- Typhoon III Fretless added (ok still tracking)
K-1216 Typhoon IV Fretless added (huh???) ok now I'm losing track.. (was this different than the III which doesn't seem to have a model number?
K1217 Typhoon V introduced.. OK NOW.. STOP THE TRAIN... First, what's the difference between all of the Typhoons. By my count, there are was two fretless models and 3 others, with maybe one variation in body style.
Just a curiosity... things that make'ya go hmmmm |
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Posts: 970
Location: Atlanta,Ga. | Miles ,im not sure if this will answer all your questions but the typhoon 3(fretless) did have a model number(K-1223)and was offered for a short
time in 1969 until the typhoon 4(fretless)appears on the model and price sheets in 1970..The typhoon 4 fretless stayed in the product line until the end(1972)but each year the finish options got smaller and smaller.In 1970 the typhoon 4 had six color options(sunburst,red,walnut green,natural nutmeg,black,red sunburst) and by 1972 was down to two color options(black,nutmeg)..Also,the list price in 1969 was $409.50 but by 1972 it had dropped to $299.00 and $399 depending on which finish you picked...Here is what i have as to which models were available starting in 1969.This is from ovation price and model pages..
1969
Typhoon 2 ,K-1222
typhoon 3 ,K-1223 fretless
1970
typhoon 2 ,K-1222
typhoon 4 ,K-1216 fretless
1971
typhoon 4 ,K-1216 fretless
typhoon 5 ,K-1217
1972(K designation was removed)
typhoon 4 1216 fretless
typhoon 5 1217
[ February 19, 2002: Message edited by: samova ] |
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December 2001
Posts: 7211
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Thanks Sam,
It doesn't really answer what the difference is, but it seems to identify (I wish I would have thought to look up the price sheets..) that there were indeed 3 regular
K-1140 Typhoon Bass
K-1222 Typhoon 2
K-1217 Typhoon 5
and Fretless
K-1223 Typhoon 3 (fretless)
K-1216 Typhoon 4 (fretless)
Still begs the question, what's the difference between the 1140, 1223 and 1216 or between the 1222 and 1217, or was it that the model number indicated what group of finishes were offered.
I guess my real motivation is that I have a 1216 I believe (I'll need to look at it).. Do I need to still find a 1223, or is that just the same guitar in a different color?
I wonder if all of this non-clarity was a ploy by the marketing department to stir up these questions in the future.
[ February 19, 2002: Message edited by: Mr. Ovation ] |
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Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 970
Location: Atlanta,Ga. | Ok,i found some more old literature from 1967-1971 and this may answer some questions about the typhoon bass...The typhoon one K-1140 had only "one" pick up and single volume and tone control.No other switches at all since it only had the single pick up it did not require a switch..non bound f-holes.
The willawaw bass had "two" pick ups,master volume,single three position switch and separate tone controls for each pick up.Non bound F-holes.These were the two riginal basses offered in 1967-1968..
Soon after came the two models in the 1969 catalog which were the.Typhoon II(K-1222) and Typhoon III(k-1223)..It seems that they were the same bass exept for one was fretted and the other fretless.They both had the shorter,smaller upper bouts like the willawaw and typhoon one.They had bound f-holes,two pickups,two tone controls and a single three way switch..It appears that the willawaw was the same as the typhoon II exept for the bound f-holes..
Then later came the Typhoon IV(K-1216) and TYphoon V(K-1217),in about 1970-1971..They both had the larger upper bouts like an ES355,one was fretless and the other fretted,two pick ups,brazilian rosewood fingerboard,bound f-holes and this feature that ws new.It had a 6 way adjustable bridge and a chrome cover plate for the bridge that hid the string connections.It also had this funny feature.THe literature reads "Built in phase switch for that funky sound" |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | In the beginning it was supposed to be a simple model numbering system
First. 1 the first number,1 first quality, T for AAA and 2 for second
Second. 1, acoustic 2, electric guitar 6, ac/elec
Third. 1 deep bowl 2 shallow bowl
Fourth. the model 1 balladeer, 2 custom bd, 3 classic, 4 Josh White 5 12 string, 6 open 7 deluxe balladeer 8&9 open
The 1140 must have been before they thought change the system and have all the electrics be 12XX-X
With these the third and fourth number stood for different models.
The Amps fit into this scheme too somehow
Later when we added too many models and different preamps and all that the model numbering system got really screwed up
The Basses started with the small horn bodies. These were only made in the 2 pickup version in colors and a fretless version. Later this style body was dropped and only the guitar bodies used. These were all two pickups and a fretless.
The Williwaw, the single pickup, to the best of my knowledge only exists in the doctored picture in the first catalogue. Anyone ever seen a real one? |
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Posts: 10581
Location: NJ | never seen one..but hey I can barely promounce it...
Maybe I need to get that catalog pic and some of my old rusty tools and clear off the kitchen table... |
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January 2002
Posts: 970
Location: Atlanta,Ga. | according to the catalogs which have pictures as well as specs,it talks about the willawah as a "two" pick up bass and the typhoon one as a "one" pick up bass.It also has the short stuby bouts pictured all the way up until the typhoon III bass..Then the typhoon IV and V had the larger bouts according to the catalog and price sheets i have.Of cource all this could have changed during production and made the catalogs incorrect.Wouldn"t be the first time a guitar maker did this.Thats probably why there are no willawah bass out there even though it appeared in the catalog....I also have a catalog with the 1966 contemporary folk classic in it and it also appears in the price pages as well.The guitar however never got produced as a production model and only four protypes exist today.The four colored(blue,red,green,black) bowls.........I know where the black and red bowl ones are but im not sure who has the blue and green bowls??Bill may know?
[ February 19, 2002: Message edited by: samova ] |
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Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Actually the basses with small bouts were somewhat larger bodies rather than the guitar bodies.
My mother has the green classic. There were only those four made |
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January 2002
Posts: 970
Location: Atlanta,Ga. | So, thats 3 out of 4 classics accounted for.Actually the red classic belongs to a lady in Ct. who is a folksinger,songwritter.She sent me a casette of hers playing the contemp. folk classic.She was very good and the guitar sounded great.She had it appraised by mandolin brothers for around $2500 and it did not have the original rounded brazilian bridge.She was selling it but i already had mine so i had not interest in another one for $2500...Mine is all original.......... If anyone is intereted in it i still have her info. |
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Storm Story
