|
|
Joined:
January 2009
Posts: 1249
Location: Texas | Since I can't post over there, I had a question... Lennon was British. The 1651 RI was American. Why would Ovation send 90+% of them to Japan? If they had problems staying in tune, maybe to honor Yoko?
Edited by jay 2012-08-05 10:14 AM
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
June 2002
Posts: 6197
Location: Phoenix AZ | Has nothing to do with Ovation. They simply build what the distributors order and the distributors often specify a custom model for their market. There have been quite a few "country specific" models, but it's not Ovations brainchild it's the distributors. The interest for a Lennon reissue in Japan was significant, so the Japanese distributor ordered up a batch of customs and Ovation built them. A few were able to be grabbed by Lost Art Vintage for OFC members. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | They show up rarely on the 'bay. Really wonderful guitars..... |
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2003
Posts: 4619
Location: SoCal | Originally, I got a call from Al (11/2005) that he had a demo available that was used for demo of amps (? 4 hours). Not an FRG but no warranty. I quickly said yes.
Then a couple of days later, the factory said that they 'found' some FRG's. I should say that there is usually nothing wrong with an FRG. They are excellent guitars with or without the Lennon link.
Value is what the seller will pay. Wouldn't be surprised if a Japanese broker in the near future didn't try to buy some of them for far more than some of us paid. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2006
Posts: 848
Location: Munich, Germany | <p>In Germany it was available as a "standard custom model", which sounds a little bit weird, but that's what the german distributor called it. The only difference to the Japan models was the LX shape neck and Ping tuners instead of Schallers. Got one of them, brilliant guitar. Maybe the best wood top I have. Best regards, Kurt</p>
Edited by Koenig Kurt 2012-08-06 5:55 PM
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Y'all know that there in on on d'Bay, right?
Just thought that I would stir the pot a bit.  |
|
| |
|
Joined:
June 2002
Posts: 6197
Location: Phoenix AZ | Different guitar. The reissue version was far better than the original LL. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | Apples and oranges. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | An original Legend Ltd was my only guitar for almost 20 years and has thousands of hours on it. It remains the only guitar in my stack on which my son has placed his dibs. I believe some of that desire is based on nostalgia as he grew up listening to it at many campfires. I only have two gripes over the years: its heavy neck weight and the fact that for whatever reason, it has a tendancy to feedback at exactly 440 Hz which I can usually control through a notch filter, but is still annoying. Otherwise, I didn't think I'd ever find another acoustic guitar that I loved so much (until I discovered the Adamas line). I've only had one opportunity to play a reissue and my recollection is that the neck is significantly lighter. It was a relatively new guitar at the time so I coudn't really compare it with mine. With their dark nutmeg finish, along with the Patriot, the guitars are relatively unique in appearance. You just don't see the reissues come up much on the resale market, at least not here. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2009
Posts: 1249
Location: Texas | " With their dark nutmeg finish, along with the Patriot, "
I thought I had read here once that the JL RI's were made with leftover stock from the Patriot. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | amosmoses - 2012-08-07 8:46 AM thought I had read here once that the JL RI's were made with leftover stock from the Patriot. No. The original Legend Limiteds were built using leftover parts from the Patriot models, not the JL RI's.
Edited by ProfessorBB 2012-08-07 2:10 PM
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | Essentially, the original Lennons were simply an A braced Legend with a nutmeg top (left over from the Patriots). They had a Kbar braced neck, like all Legends from that time. The only other thing that set them apart from other Legends of the time was the stereo electronics that the Custom Legends had.
The reissues have the newer ANS neck support. I don't know about better, but definitely lighter. It also has a slightly steeper headstock angle that the originals. Lastly, it's got a the lighter bowl. Aside from the neck bracing and the modern build technology, they are the same guitar. A braced Legends are, IMHO, wonderful. When I can afford one, I'd love to find a Lennon RI or a CL RI..... |
|
| |
|
Joined:
September 2011
Posts: 402
Location: New Hartford CT | All Kaman bar braced necks have the tension rod adjustment inside the bowl, via a 3/16 brass adjustment nut. The original models adjust under the t-rod cover. The K bar is only several ounces of lightweight zinc die cast aluminum running the entire length of the fingerboard to the bowl and it houses the tension rod.
However, the K-bar does require a somewhat larger neck profile and hence more meat (wood) to house it. Carvers had to execute care not to 'cut through' to the K bar chamber; a minor cut through would just reach the glue around the chamber and could be salvaged and sprayed a solid color but more serious cut throughs had to be scrapped, a dirty word in manufacturing. Better to leave too much material on than take too much off. This adds some heft and since all the necks were hand carved back then you could have one neck noticeably heftier than another, while still being within tolerance for the profile. It's a matter of personal preference as to whether one is superior to the other.
In the 78-79 time frame all 6 and 12 string Ovation acoustics (except for classics) switched to the K bar which was used until the late 90's. Of course there was a period where there was some overlap but with the t-rod adjustment in different locations, it's easy to see which system is on your guitar.
I have favorites of both type of systems. Every one of these hand built and assembled Ovations is unique, which is half the fun.
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | Interesting read. Thanks.
I know I can feel the weight difference (I've got guitars with the old style truss rod, several with the K-bar, and several with the new system). I'm not certain that I can feel the size difference.
Interesting to think that the K-bar is right below the surface on the necks which have it. You just don't think about it...... |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Unlike my other guitars, I cannot let go of the neck on the Lgend Ltd. If I do, then I still have to support the guitar some other way. Without support, the weight of the neck and gravity forces it to roll down neck first. If I'm not paying attention, which is quite likely, the neck or headstock will bang on something. It doesn't seem to matter what strap I use. Interestingly, this was not something I ever thought about until I joined this forum, learned about the K-bar, and then picked up other guitars against which I could compare it. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | I don't have that problem. But I don't have any guitars with the strap button on the treble side of the neck. May or may not help. I do know that when I had guitars like that, if I let go of the guitar when on a strap, to upper side of the guitar would roll away from me... |
|
| |
|
Joined:
September 2011
Posts: 402
Location: New Hartford CT | Prof - another factor to consider regarding a heavy neck is the density of the wood itself. For the most part this would not be noticeable and well within the range of acceptability but it's certainly possible the neck you have is at the upper range owing to a tight grain pattern or some other natural cause. I was trained to not leave too much material on there to avoid what was called a 'clubby' feel - not acceptable. A neck that felt clubby would typically be sent back to your work bench for rework, a scenario best avoided...
Perhaps that heavy neck on your Legend Ltd in some way has a positive influence on the overall tone. The variation present in a handmade instrument, not being quite 100% uniform and standardized, that's what it's all about. Cookie cutter guitars? No thanks. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | <p>Geo, the neck feels small and very electric-like (what most of us love about Ovations) relative to most of the other guitars I have readily available, and I've always loved the heavy gloss finish. I like your dense neck wood theory, particularly the part how it might have a positive effect on tone.</p><p>The weight of the Legend Ltd is just over 6 pounds 3 ounces, the heaviest Ovation in my inventory. The Book Elite comes in slightly less at just under 6 pounds 3 ounces, and everything else falls all over the 5 pound range with one exception, the custom Adamas 1187 SSB, which weights 4 pounds 14 ounces, the lightest acoustic/electric of the bunch. Only one electric is lighter, the Hamer Improv, at just under 4 pound 13 pounces. </p>
Edited by ProfessorBB 2012-08-08 3:09 PM
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2010
Posts: 823
Location: sitting at my computer | boltonb - 2012-08-08 4:00 PM I like your dense neck wood theory, particularly the part how it might have a positive effect on tone. /QUOTE] hmm... if that theory proves correct, then perhaps my vocal tone is actually being improved by my... dense cranium!
|
|
| |
Model 1651 John Lennon Tribute Ovation
