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Location: Philadelphia, PA 19107 | To all owners of Early Ovation ADAMAS with SLOTTED-HEASTOCK!!!
To all Ovation fans interested to hear the story of the Legendary slot-head prototype/preproduction/non-tooling Adamas (serial#27-0061)
I am the proud owner of the Adamas serial number #0031 (and not only!)
THE STORY: The development of the Adamas started in 1973. The first 26 Adamas guitars were prototypes.
The Adamas series #0027-0061 (only 35 guitars) represent the VERY BEST of the Adamas production ever. These are still prototypes, pre-production (production starts with serial #0077, Dec. 1977), non-tooling (hand-made), guitars of exceptional beauty, craftsmanship and tonal characteristics.
They have unique carved WALNUT-SLOTTED-HEADSTOCK, CARVED WALNUT BRIDGE, CARVED WALNUT NECK-HEEL, unique fretboard inlays (white or golden flying bird-like, or flower-like) with "Ovation" inlaid in 16th fret, unique LEAF-LIKE golden fiberglass binding, side-access-door with battery bonded to the inside of the door, the most beautiful hand-made epaulettes in existence, Deep bowl, with (or without) MONO-electronics with 2-wooden control
knobs (Volume/tone).
I have managed to locate the owners of several other SLOTTED-HEADSTOCK ADAMAS.
I would like to identify all owners of these 35 magnificent instruments, contact them, bring them together, exchange experiences, learn more about the history of our Adamas guitars and the Ovation history.
If you are the owner of an early Ovation Adamas with SLOTTED-HEADSTOCK (serial #0027-0061) contact:
Dr. Elias Argyris
eliasargyris@yahoo.com
Thank you.
Sam, Kim, Alex, (do I miss anyone?) your comments are welcome! |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | This is wonderful!! I've got one of these slot heads and the lable has fallen out of it. The s/n was written in pencil on the outside of the top brace and could be seen looking through the door. The one I have is an acoustic, hence no door. When you locate all these publish the list and the one that's missing will be the one I have. I was wondering how to find the s/n number, now you've solved the problem. Thanks Doc!
Nancy's was #44 and #43 is another 1687-8 |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Very soon OFC will have a "serial lookup" of some sort, where folks can register which Ovation they have, maybe add a picture etc.... Haven't worked out all the details yet, and if anyone knows of a good "example" of a guitar serial lookup on the web... please send me a link. [email]mileskb@ovationfanclub.com[/email] I hope to have this going within a couple of weeks. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Somewhere at the factory there was a list of the first Adami and who they went to. Glen has one. Nancy, Cat Litter had one that was stolen, chk still has one on the wall of the house, sam's got a few, I got one and so do you. Where did you get the info that 61 was the last? You could be right, I'm just curious. 77 was when they started again but I thiught they stopped around 68 or 69. there are about 10 or so serial numbers that weren't used so those guitars don't exist |
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Location: Atlanta,Ga. | I've got # 7 ,# 12, # 33,#57...I know a guy named Kip Attaway(comedian) has a red slotted #60 or# 61 and then a lady from Texas has one her father left her after he passed....Hers was a red one as well without electronics.She had a serial #61 or #62...She had it on e-bay for $25,000 about two years ago..Obviously she receaved no bids.
Bill, what can you tell me about my woodtop adamas(not elite) with carved headstock ,bridge,adamas binding,etc...If i remember correctly,you told me there were three made before the Elites were introduced..Any ifo on these? I love mine.It has beautiful AAA spruce top and the top has aged nicely to a honey brown finish.....
[ February 16, 2002: Message edited by: samova ] |
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Location: NJ | I have the adamas list but I cannot currently locate it. One day I will run across it again and I will be able to post it. |
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Location: Scotland | I was rummaging through some drawers tonight & found a bunch of old photographs. Some were from a concert I promoted in the UK back in 1986 with Jerry Jeff Walker & Guy Clark. Jerry Jeff is playing a white Slot-head Adamas (or at least it appears white in the photos, could be the stage lighting/ camera flash.) Maybe Jerry Jeff was on the original list, or maybe he aquired it later. I remember him saying to me in the dressing room as I was drooling over his guitar "They don't make'em like this anymore" I'll post a pic as soon as I get it scanned.
Pics of Guy and JJW with Slothead & JJW on stage.
http://www.ovationfanclub.com/gallery/jjwgc.jpg
http://www.ovationfanclub.com/gallery/jjw.jpg
Incidentally, against both mine & the sound engineer's requests Jery Jeff insisted that we put the guitar into his rented Roland JC120 & mike that. We wanted to run direct to the board & give him a feed to the amp from the DI box. I thought the guitar sounded way too "electric" through the amp. I played the guitar back at the Hotel after the show & it was stunning acoustically.
Paul
[ April 04, 2002: Message edited by: Paul Templeman ] |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Jerry Jeff's was a -7, the beige. He bought it somewhere.
Al we need you to find that list!!!! |
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Location: NJ | finding the list is on the top of my list |
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Location: Central Oregon | Originally posted by samova:
I know a guy named Kip Attaway(comedian) has a red slotted #60 or# 61
That explains a lot! In one of my first posts here a few weeks ago I mentioned that I had played only one Ovation before I bought my CC255 12 string. It belonged to Kip Attaway & I was quite impressed with it. What happened was, a number of years ago he was playing at a place 50 miles from here. It was a small but nice lounge at a resort. After his gig he came over & had a few drinks with my wife & I & the other couple that we were with. I asked him what kind of guitar he was playing, as I had never seen anything like it before. He brought it over & let me play it for a while there at our table. No wonder I was impressed with it! I have to say I was quite surprised when I first got my (Korean) Ovation, it didn't feel *anything* like Kip's. (I didn't think I was *that* drunk!!)
Kip is definitely a comedian, but he's also a pretty fair musician. He puts on the funniest live shows I've ever attended. Great guy too!
While I'm here I'd like to mention that since I got my 12 back from the luthier I've been playing it a lot. It's quite comfortable to play now with the action lowered, & I really enjoy the way the round back feels. It doesn't dig into my ribs like my Gibson tends to. Really a terrific sound too! However, when my bankroll is looking a little better I'm going to start looking for a "made in the USA" 12 & do an upgrade! I'm afraid I was one of the people that didn't realize that all Ovations weren't created equal. I wish I had found this board a little sooner. No biggie though, I'm in this one right & I can afford to play it a while & still get my $$ back out of it when it's time to upgrade.
Nils |
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Location: Atlanta,Ga. | Kip is a nice guy who originally had two Slotted adamases,he sold one to someone for big bucks..I have spoken to him several times and he was even nice enought to come by my house while he was touring thru the south.He came by to compare our slotted headstock adamases...He uses his on the comedy cercuit and its been played often and its got some miles on it.He especially liked my 12 string # 33....The thing about his red #60,it did not sound very good unplugged.I was a bit suprized because #31 and # 57 are tone machines unplugged.His just did not have the tone.Maybe it needed setting up or adjustment or maybe different strings? Anyway, he was a very nice guy and it was nice to see and play another slot adamas....
The slothead adamas brings up another interesting topic.What is the value of these guitars ?? I have my thoughts on this but let me hear some of your opinions.We certainly cannot depend on the blue book or any other price guides to help on this subject.We also cannot depend on the vintage shops like Gruins,Mandolin bros. or elderly to give us an assesment on these guitars.They simply dont know enough about these rare guitars to put a value on them.I have felt that a solt head adamas #27-60 is like Ovations version of a Martin prewar D-45..In other words extremely rare(34 total),top of the line and early production...I would have to say in my opinion that if you find a slothead adamas for under $5000, grab it up..Now above that i dont know what or how much the value of these guitars goes..I would not sell mine( # 33 and #57) for even $10,000(they are keepers).There was #48 on ebay a few years ago for $25,000 but obviously receaved no bids.....Any thoughts?? |
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Location: Philadelphia, PA 19107 | Depending on the condition I wound suggest at least $15,000, or at least 5x above the last list price, which was around $3,100 in 1998.
The Ovation #26, Balladeer, I believe that recently sold for $3,600-3,800 (by Mandolin Bros, or Mandoweb, NY), which is aproximately 5x above the last list price for an Ovation Baladeer. The Balladeer is a very common model produced in thousands. The Adamas slot-head is the top of the line, only 34 made, etc., etc.
It deserves the same or better (5x above the list price): Thus $15,000 is a start.
Any comments? |
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Location: NJ | Personally, I think that using 5x the original price is a bit much, but who knows?
The response I've gotten in the past from places like Mandolin Bros. and such is that they're just "not interested so much" in Ovations as much as vintage Gibsons, Martins, and such.
I think a high resale value would be garnered only by a finite group of collectors who have a "jones" for Ovations. Ironically, this probably amounts to about 300 people and the majority of which are all talking to each other here and now on this very forum!
But I also agree w/Sam in that I view mine (whatever number I finally dertermine that it IS) is a "keeper". Would I take $10-12-15K for it?
Depending upon the "dire-ness" of my financial situation at the time.........maybe.
At one time I (foolishly) considered trading it for a really nice Ovation-12 that I could use in conjuction with my Custom Balladeer on live gigs.
Fortunately, the rum wore off before I had the chance to do something stupid.
Isn't there an old Don McLean song about an auctioneer that is auctioning off a fine, thorobred horse and the "moral" of the story was: "the more you pay, the more it's worth" (or something to that effect).
I personally think it all boils down to WHO the potential buyer is, and HOW BAD they want it.
Does anyone out there know if Acoustic Guitar magazine ever did a feature story on Ovation/Adamas?
If (as Elias stated) this whole thing started up around '73, NEXT YEAR will be the 30TH ANNIVERSARY for these things!
Tell me you guys wouldn't like to have a framed cover of Acoustic Guitar with a nice, blue vintage slothead gracing the cover on the wall of your "music room"? I know I would!
I, (as a subscriber) intend to send a correspondance to the "letters" column.
If they get the "inclination" that these fine, overlooked, vintage instruments are OUT HERE, and are thriving, and there is an "interest" in them
(eat me, Mandolin Bros.), perhps they may show them the credit that they deserve.
THEN watch the resale values, Elias! |
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Location: Philadelphia, PA 19107 | Nicely said mate!
I totally agree with you.
The #0031 is a KEEPER!
Something I would like to add: The Ovation and Adamas market is not only the US market.
By mentioning the high 5x price I do include the European and most importantly the Japanese market.
An early Adamas, two knobber, solid headstock currently sells in Japan for around $3k, even more. I have seen very early Adamas cutaways (single epaulette) to sell for up to $5K (even more).
Check the prices at:
http://www.geocities.co.jp/MusicHall/8216/07.html
I would not exclude the possibility that a Japanese collector (not even a collector but a common guitar player) could offer $10-$15K for a slotted headstock Adamas. They know what they want, and they do appreciate Ovations and Adamases.
It is of course another story whether you finally agree to sell a slothead Adamas for such a price.
I hope I will never be in such a finacial situation to have to think about selling my #0031 for even $20K.
As I said: the #0031 is a keeper!
I am going to make love to her know!
See ya! |
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Location: UK | So, we are now all waiting for one of us to come across one of these rare beasties in some wierd and freaky circumstances at a snip of a price, then write a story about it!
Dream on...........well i am ;) |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Prices are like hooters, bigger is always better. In the real world it would seem that $15,000 for a slothead is pretty high. At this time a more realistic price is probably between $3000-5000. Maybe if we raise the level of awareness it will climb, we can hope!! |
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Location: NJ | I agree with cwk2 but lean closer to the 5K side |
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Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | so how does the one that just sold for 2k as buy it now on e bay fit into all of this? was it really that underpriced? down here in mexico ANY ovation will at the least draw a crowd. lots of my buddies refer to me as the ovation guy. they havent got a clue!! next to the stuff ive learned and seen here i'm a real freshman. i really appreciate all of the info and help you guys extend to novices like me. ihope you put up with me at least till i'm ready for a diploma. don't you get a free adamas when you graduate from OU? |
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Location: NJ | well it was the first brown one serial number under 100 has a story behind it etc. IMHO underpriced |
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Location: SoCal | I also agree with cwk2. With hooters, bigger is always better. |
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Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | believe it or not, there is a HOOTERS in puerto vallarta. it is pretty tame compared with the the local options-------just from what i've heard of course-----------!!!
also hardrock cafe, planet hollywood, mcdonalds, burger king, pizza hut, domino's, sams, wall mart and on and on. lots of blue eyes here and lot's of blue eyed mexican kids |
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Location: NJ | russ are you the mayor or on the board of directors or in the welcoming bureau or the tourist office or what????????
[ April 05, 2002: Message edited by: alpep ] |
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Location: NJ | He SHOULD be, 'cause he's got me sold already!
I might just start investigating airfares
(although I kinda "shudder" to think about taking my guitar through a Mexican airport). |
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Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | none of the above, al. just an old hippie who wants my guests to enjoy. for a first timer visiting mexico, a person can go into culture shock. those familiar american icons are soothing to the newcomer. and then comes hooters with young mexicanas in the familiar orange shorts. if they are still smiling after that the adventure begins. |
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Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | cilff, there are plenty of guitars to play here, and even more when i return from the states later this summer. (i am leaving here first of may.) i don't think i'd trust a really fine guitar to the airline gorrillas. even in a sturdy ovation case. though i would really like to see and play it it is better off not learning spanish in an airlines claims office.
once you get close to the worm they all start sounding good anyway. |
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The Legendary Slotted-headstock ADAMAS!
