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| Hi my name is Julius Caesar and I have recently acquired an acoustic Ovation (I haven't received it yet) with an extraordinary history, as it belonged to Barry Gibb (but supposedly used by Maurice Gibb on the Japan 72 tour) and was given to his ex-road manager (now deceased) Tom Kennedy. The Bee Gees advertised that brand in 1971 (attached advertisement) and I know they used several Glen Campbell Ovation guitars at different times, such as in some TV special and on the tour of Australia 71 and Japan 72.
The model of guitar I´m hoping to receive specifically is a Glen Campbell model 1127 It has a serial number (E 032) that I can't find any information on internet. But according to an approximate serial number that I found of 4 digits starting with the "E" of 1972, I believe this 3 digit one may have been produced in 1971, but I insist, without any certainty.
The seller believes that the neck may have been professionally modified, but does not indicate why he thinks so. Personally, I'm a little worried that there is no logo or brand name at the beginning of the neck of the guitar as in other models.
My question is to know if it is really all original and was not modified. Although if it is so (that it was modified) it is not a question that worries me too much (because the most important thing is that it belonged to the Bee Gees) but I do think it is important to know it.
I really appreciate any evaluation and information about this guitar. I attach photos of the guitar and photos where it supposedly appears or at least another model was used.
Thank you very much and sorry for my English and my inaccuracy in the nomenclature, as I have hardly any knowledge of guitars.
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| Here the pictures:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/lrwp6oiy9rftt7c7sz0fq/h?rlkey=oblmyfh... |
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| juliuscae - 2023-10-15 2:03 PM
Hi my name is Julius Caesar and I have recently acquired an acoustic Ovation (I haven't received it yet ) with an extraordinary history, as it belonged to Barry Gibb (but supposedly used by Maurice Gibb on the Japan 72 tour ) and was given to his ex-road manager (now deceased ) Tom Kennedy. The Bee Gees advertised that brand in 1971 (attached advertisement ) and I know they used several Glen Campbell Ovation guitars at different times, such as in some TV special and on the tour of Australia 71 and Japan 72.
The model of guitar I´m hoping to receive specifically is a Glen Campbell model 1127 It has a serial number (E 032 ) that I can't find any information on internet. But according to an approximate serial number that I found of 4 digits starting with the "E" of 1972, I believe this 3 digit one may have been produced in 1971, but I insist, without any certainty.
The seller believes that the neck may have been professionally modified, but does not indicate why he thinks so. Personally, I'm a little worried that there is no logo or brand name at the beginning of the neck of the guitar as in other models.
My question is to know if it is really all original and was not modified. Although if it is so (that it was modified ) it is not a question that worries me too much (because the most important thing is that it belonged to the Bee Gees ) but I do think it is important to know it.
I really appreciate any evaluation and information about this guitar. I attach photos of the guitar and photos where it supposedly appears or at least another model was used.
Thank you very much and sorry for my English and my inaccuracy in the nomenclature, as I have hardly any knowledge of guitars.
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/6mjepjzjtnxssh0ws8bce/h?rlkey=4lk685w...
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | I see you figured out how to post. I'll go ahead and move this to the general forums as only a few can actually post in this welcome center. I have upgraded your membership as well. |
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Location: When?? | It looks like a great find, especially if there is something to substantiate the past ownership. Do any of the Bee Gees collectible items in the photos come with the guitar? I have an 1127 that has been through the ringer for decades and shows every scar of it, but the thing just somehow keeps on playing. There could have possibly been some type of neck repair on yours that caused the headstock logo to be removed (you can still find new ones online and put it on yourself).. so please be sure to let us know when you finally receive the guitar and hopefully give a full report. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | The neck, fretboard binding and fretboard inlays look interesting. |
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Location: SoCal | The neck and fretboard are all wrong and are not the ones in the Bee Gee pictures. Those pictures show the correct neck on the guitar. The neck on the guitar came from a black Artist or Balladeer. It's a plain fretboard and the neck and headstock are black. Wonder what the story is?
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| I can't contribute to this thread but I'll be following this, as this guitar seems to have an interesting story. |
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| Hi, almost with certainly it belonged to a member of the Bee Gees (specifically Barry Gibb) Well, I have several evidences that it belonged to a good friend and manager of the Bee Gees (Tom Kennedy) and his family, when Tom passed away several years ago he sold it recently. I also received from this same seller another guitar (a rather rare lute I think, Framus Soppeto) which I think was also used by Maurice and Barry Gibb and (is very well documented photographically, happy to show those photos too.
The photos of the Ovation guitar came with the description of the auction on the internet. The photos of Maurice "handling" an Ovation I got from the internet and some album covers from my collection. The seller was completely unaware of where the guitar with the Bee Gees could have appeared, I did my research where it could have appeared. I know that several Ovations were used in various concerts in 1971 and 1972 and they even advertised the brand in magazines.
I don't think I should modify the guitar and put that original logo on it, I think it would lose its essence and authenticity. Whether it was modified or not, is how they wanted it to be for some reason and how it should stay, right? I don't doubt the authenticity of the guitar now, but I would like to narrow down the characteristics of the guitar and if it was modified, with the sense of being able to understand what I have and to be able to better identify ifIt was used in some of his concerts or more private appearances.
Thanks!
Julio César |
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| Hi, that sounds interesting, isn't it very common in other G C Ovations perhaps? |
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| Hi Moody,
Thanks too much for clarifying everything for me, I'm ignorant about guitars and I thought it could be the same guitar. I rule out that it wasn't at that concert (Tokyo 1972), but I don't give up on finding some photographic evidence of where it was used by some Gibb in any concert or maybe that was used privately?
Forgive my utter ignorance on guitars, "The neck on the guitar came from a black Artist or Balladeer" 
Do you mean it was modified from those guitar models or is it standard of this model 1127-4 (serial E032)?
Of course! I wonder what the story is and glad to hear about it.
Thanks
Julio César |
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| Hi Mimmo, The pleasure is reciprocal. I am very happy about this acquisition and excited to share it here.
Thanks
Julio César |
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| Thank you too much owner. ;-) |
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Location: SoCal | Julius, when Ovation built a guitar with a black top, the back of the neck and the head stock was painted black. The fretboard inlays are those of an Artist (shallow bowl) or a Balladeer (deep bowl). So the neck came from or was built for one of those guitars. No idea what year. It is interesting that it has binding on the neck. That is very unusual. There is a lot about this guitar that we will probably never know unless a previous owner steps up...... |
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| Hi again Moody, It's very interesting that the guitar has those parts from other previous models. My question is still present, although with much more information thanks to you. Could it be that the guitar was a little-known hybrid (I couldn't find another adjective) between those guitars you mentioned and the Glen Campbell Ovation?? I don't know if it can be far-fetched or pretentious to say that the guitar can be a special model customized for the Bee Gees, since the Bee Gees in 1971 sponsored this brand ( https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ra6gdj9zz4v2xb4rosh4g/IMG_20231015_20... ) and at the same advertising announced their album of that year "2 years on" (1970), in addition to having used Ovation guitars in several television appearances and several concerts in 1971 and 1972. I think that to support this idea or discard it we would have to compare it with another example of 1127 Ovation guitar and the unusual (I guess) serial number (E032) but unfortunately I wanted to find information or photos of a model with this serial number and I couldn't find anything.
As for the date of the guitar, I think the guitar is from before 1973 (I'd bet on 1971 for the serial E032) according to the closest serial number found (E-4 digits January 1973)
As for the guitar, I know that it belonged to Barry Gibb in the 1970s and was given to his road manager Tom Kennedy in the late 1970s. If it was restored, it may have been done by a specialist or technician on the tour at the time or perhaps, it was even made later by Tom Kennedy himself when he saw that the guitar was not in optimal condition, although it would be strange if he did not fix the body of the guitar that is currently quite battled.
Thanks a lot! Julio César |
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Location: SoCal | Julio (sorry I got your name wrong before),
The questions you ask I have no answr for. Here's what I know (pretty sure about), in no Ovation catalog that I've ever seen (and I've seen most of them), is there a combination of that neck and that body. In none of the pictures you posted of the BeeGees, does that guitar appear. Every one where I could see the entire body, it was either a Legend or a Glen Campbell model. The neck is the giveaway. If I had to guess, I'd say that the neck on it now is a replacement neck. And my best bet is that it wasn't done at the factory. Just doesn't look like something they would do. There would be no reason not to put on a correct neck. I don't know. Those are my best guesses. Go to facebook and post what you have on the OFC facebook page. You'll get a lot more response..... |
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| Hello Moody, definitely the most sensible thing is that the guitar was modified with those parts of the other Ovation guitars. Although I suppose there will be at least 1% in which the guitar was conceived that way, I imagine that I will be totally in doubt if I manage to see photos of that serie (E032) one day. These days I can't stop thinking about what circumstance would lead to be modified. A supposed, could such a guitar suffer so much from the neck on an extensive tour to be modified or repaired later? I know that their tour was extensive in many Asian countries in 1972 and perhaps in the transport it could have been affected. Or for example for the weather, at an open-air concert they gave in Jakarta, the Bee Gees got a huge rain on stage, who knows if that could have affected the guitars?
As you say, I should ask in other places (the Facebook group is perfect) and I will ask if anyone knows of any guitar of these characteristics.
Thank you very much for all your information and clarifications and no problem because of the name (also I didn't make it clear in the description)
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Location: When?? | Could be that the guitar took a header fall and busted the neck.. whereas the owner took an Ovation neck from another model and placed it onto the 1127 body. Not all that uncommon of a thing to do to remedy a broken neck with parts available. Or maybe the owner just happened to like the other neck better than the 1127 original and made the swap thinking that the combo would be more to their preference. Could be a lot of different reasons.. but there it is on there. Hidden instrument history is always fun to speculate.
Edited by Love O Fair 2023-10-19 10:47 PM
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Ovation Glen Campbell 1127-4 (serial E032 owned by Barry Gibb.
