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Location: Central Oregon | I went to a "new" music store yesterday to pick up a .008 G string for my Celebrity 12 string. I had Celeb on ebay a short time ago but it didn't make reserve, so I went back to playing it & broke a string. I planned to re-list it, that's why I wasn't going to buy a whole new set. I decided a while back to sell it & my Epiphone Riviera (335 style) 12 string & buy an American 12 string O, probably an Elite, although I really liked the looks of the blue weave-top Adamas.
Anyway, the store had moved to a new location & while I was nosing around I noticed there was a wall full of Hamer guitars. I had only been to the old store twice & was just in & out.
After a little more nosing around I found a room for trying out guitars. I looked in & the first thing I saw was a blue weave-top Adamas! Next to it was about ten more Ovation guitars! I couldn't believe it! I had no idea there was an Ovation dealer only 40 miles away!
Bear in mind that up until yesterday I had only seen (in person) a grand total of three Ovation guitars, (two of which belonged to Kip Attaway) & only played two, Kip's 6 string & my Celebrity 12.
Right away I asked if I could play the Adamas & I was surprised to find I really didn't care for the action much. It looked great & sounded great (not plugged in), but I really wasn't very impressed with the action at all. I hate to say it, but the action on my 6 string Epiphone Riviera is *much* better, to me anyway. (At less than 1/4th the price.) The Adamas did have much heavier gauge strings than what I normally use, which may have been part of it, but the action seemed rather high & the overall feel just wasn't all that great, to me anyway, especially for upwards of $2,200.
I moved on down the line. There was a slothead multihole there that was very nice for a little over half the price tag of the Adamas & there was also a Legend that I liked a lot. I don't remember the price on that one. The last one I had time to try was a Celebrity, & it actually felt better to me than the Adamas. (Sorry, but it did!)
To me, the feel of the 4 guitars I played varied *a lot*. I only had about 20-30 minutes total to play 4 (I think it was 4, maybe 5) guitars because my wife was waiting for me.
It could be (probably) that the individual actions could be set up more to my liking by their luthier.
Unfortunately they didn't have one 12 string in the place, but they said they could get me anything I wanted in the current Ovation line. They also said they might take the two guitars I want to swap off of in trade for a 12 string Elite. (Probably along with some boot, I imagine.) I'm supposed to bring them over so they can take a look at them.
At any rate I was VERY pleased to find an Ovation dealer so close by & I'm looking forward to going back with my two possible trade-ins asap!
I'm really glad I found a place where I can try out the guitars I'm interested in. Very nice people too, I'll be going back there regularly :)
Nils |
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Posts: 6202
Location: Phoenix AZ | Sounds like this shop has a SLOTHEAD ADAMAS for sale. Dave |
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Location: SoCal | You wish. Probably a Folklore? |
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Location: Central Oregon | I'll try to pay more attention to what's what next time I go over there. I was pretty overwhelmed when I suddenly saw all those roundbacks right in front of me. As far as the slothead goes, some guy that works there handed it to me as I was putting the blue one back & said "here try this one". I really didn't even realize it was a slothead until I was putting it away. I know I liked it, whatever it was, & I know it had a deeper bowl than my Celebrity 12. I thought it had a wood top but I wouldn't swear to it.
I wonder how late that place is open....
Nils |
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Location: Atlanta,Ga. | Nils, you know that Kip owns one of the rarest ovations around.He owns a red top slothead serial number fifty-something..He actually owned two but sold one years ago.He bought both from the same music store..When he came through town on tour he came by my house and we compared slotheads..He used his onstage up until a few years ago..He plays a thunderbolt and a martin d-45 on stage now...... |
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Location: Central Oregon | I remember somone saying something about Kip's Ovation not being a run-of-the-mill item way back when I first found this forum. I didn't realize it was that rare. It's been at least 12-14 years ago that I played it, but I remember that it was a *very* nice guitar. He was playing at a little club called The Eagles Nest at the Eaglecrest Resort about 60 miles south of here. It seems like it was a weeknight, maybe Monday or Tuesday & there really weren't many people in the place. Those of us that were there were having a great time though! That guy can make me laugh so hard I can't breath. We had bought him a few drinks while he was working & he came over to visit with us after the show, probably because we were about the only ones left in the place. I asked him what kind of guitar he was playing, I'd never seen an Ovation before. He went & got it & gave it to me there at the table & I played it for half an hour or so. I was a bit disappointed when I got my Celebrity 12 string & it wasn't anything at all like Kip's Ovation I had played years ago.
I've been to 3-4 more of Kip's shows but they've all been at big places & I've never gotten another chance to talk to him. Great guy, I hope his liver is holding up :)
Nils |
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Location: central Indiana | Most store do not set up the guitars before they hang them up for sale. This is really sad because some really good guitars get passed by due to poor action. I specialize in repair and set up. Alot of my business comes from musicians who have just bought a new guitar and are unhappy with the way it plays. Glad you found one you like. Enjoy!
Scott Lamperd |
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Location: Central Oregon | I went back today.
Paul, you were right, the slothead is a Folklore. I tried that blue Adamas again just to be sure I wasn't crazy. I'm not crazy. I talked to the owner about it & he agreed that it needed to be set up.
I took my two 12 strings over with me. He looked 'em over, tried 'em out & told me they were worth a lot more on the street than he could give me for 'em. Pretty much what I thought. Back to ebay.
He also quoted me a price on a brand new Elite 12 string that I think I'm going to go for. He told me $1,100, with a hard case & with the action set up any way I want it. I'm sure I could get one for a few hundred bucks less online, a lot less used, but I think it might be worth the extra money to have a place I can take it that will be happy to work on it if it needs a little tweek or whatever in the future. I also like the lifetime original owner guarantee.
I looked in the brochure & they were $1,500+ not including case. He told me what retail was with case & it was nearly $1,700.
What do you guys think?
Nils |
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Location: Central Oregon | well I'm commited now. I just listed both of my 12 strings on ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2541320693&category=2384&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2541320111&category=33037&rd=1
I didn't put a reserve on either one of 'em. We'll see what happens.
Nils |
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Location: Central Oregon | Wowee! Somebody just bought my CC255 for $565! That's more than I paid for it over a year ago, (not counting the $50 I paid to have it set up). The way I figure, it cost me about fifteen bucks to play it for over a year.
The first time at auction I put a $400 reserve on it & the bidding only went to $335. I'm flabbergasted that it went so high this time. The Epiphone only got to $390, but together that comes to $955, so all I have to do is dig $145 out of my pocket & I have the loot to pay for my new Elite 12 :)
I should have my new Elite by next week if all goes well. The dealer told the guy at the store they had 8 of 'em in stock a few weeks ago. I think I'll have time to hop on my bike & go over there tomorrow to leave a down payment & pick out the one I want him to order for me.
I feel good about paying a little extra to buy locally, I think it will pay off in the long run. Right away I save the $50 it would cost me to have it set up if I bought it elsewhere & took it in. I like buying new partly because of the original owner gaurantee. I like helping out the local store, I imagine it's hard to compete with the big outfits these days, with everything available over the net.
I also like the idea of having somebody that will be a little more inclined to keep me happy so that maybe I'll buy another one of those purty Ovations he has hanging in there.
I was afraid it was wishful thinking hoping I could get $900 for my other two guitars, the other $55 is like finding it! I'm a happy guy! My wife is even happy, there will be one less guitar case underfoot! :)
Nils |
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Location: High, in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado | Congratulations Nils! I think you will be happy. I sure do like mine, it came set up from the factory and plays like a dream.
$1100.00 is a pretty good price. You would not save much more on the internet. I would have paid a little more for mine to buy it from a dealer, I just don't have a dealer close by with that reasonable of a price.
Let us know which one you pick out and when you get it, you lucky dog! :)
Dale |
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Location: Central Oregon | Thanks Eliteist, I was hoping $1,100 was a fairly reasonable price.
The two people that won the bidding were really fast payers. I got my money today via PayPal, sent off the two guitars I sold & I already went to Bend & put $500 down on my new Elite. I ordered it in cherry burst.
The Guitar shop called this afternoon & confirmed that it is on it's way, I should have it next week.
I can hardly wait! Yahoo!
Nils |
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Location: Madison, Wisconsin | Nils,
I think that should be EeeeeBaay! not Yahoo! |
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Location: Central Oregon | Ok Bill, Yahoo for Eeebaayy! :p
Nils |
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Location: Las Cruces, NM | Nils
That is a nice story, I hope and am sure you will enjoy your guitar immensely.
Bailey :D |
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Posts: 1380
Location: Central Oregon | Thanks Bailey. The money should be transferred from PayPal to my checking account about the same time my new Elite shows up. Everything is going so smoothly it's almost a little scary. At least I don't have to worry about shipping damage.
Nils |
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Location: the BIG Metropolis of TR | Nils,
Hope everything goes SMOOOOOTHLY with your new guitar!! Non-guitar folk can't understand the excitement and "high" we guitar folk feel whenever we get a new stringbox!! Have fun and enjoy and posts us some pics if you can!
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also be careful driving (with a guitar high) this holiday weekend :D
..........
Mike :cool: |
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Location: Central Oregon | Thanks Mike. I'm hoping for the best & chomping at the bit. I'll try to post pix of the new Elite in the gallery when it arrives. I have a bad feeling that if I like this guitar as much as I think I'm going to, I might "need" a used six string (maybe with a deeper bowl :) ) to go with it soon. We're going to spend the weekend at some friends vacation property in the woods & I'm going to take my old ES-175 along to entertain the gang, (as usual). The Gibson is a '53 model & I'd really be more comfortable with a sturdy roundback out in the woods. If one of my drunk buddies accidently falls on my guitar I would prefer it was something a bit more durable & easier to replace than a wooden one that's 50 years old.
Nils |
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Location: Las Cruces, NM | 50 year old Gibson ES175
That was brand new when I became a Soldier in 1953, I never saw one of those in the Army day rooms. |
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Location: Central Oregon | I was five in 1953 :) Happy 4th of July & thanks to all you who have served our country, especially you Vets!
Nils |
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Location: Central Oregon | The CC255 I sold last week arrived at it's new home today. The guy apparently likes it a lot according to the feedback - "Excellent transaction!!! This is a great guitar!!!..."
I ordered the Elite the same day I shipped out the Celebrity. No sign of it today, maybe it will get here tomorrow. I've been Ovation-less & 12-string-less for over a week! Arrgghh!
I sure hope this 1868 lives up to my expectations.
Hmm, I just noticed something odd. I did a C&P of an Elite 12 string off the Ovation web site, & when I looked at the file name just now it says "1858Elite.jpg" & it's a picture of a 12 string Elite. I don't see any "58" third & fourth digits in the reference section. Anybody have an idea what's going on?
Nils |
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Location: SoCal | Typo. |
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Location: Tennessee | The -58 is the 12 string. The -68 is the 6 string. The 18- refers to the shallow bowl. The 17- is the mid-depth, but for some reason they now have the 6 string as a 1778. You'll see some older 1758 mid-depth 12 stings on eBay from time to time.
In other words, your 12 string shallow Elite is a 1858. |
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Location: Central Oregon | Thanks guys. So apparently the "58" designation isn't in the reference section yet.
I sure hope I can see for myself tomorrow.
I'm really interested in fiddling with the OP-40. I was pretty impressed with the OP-24 in the Celeb. Does the OP-40 have a built in tuner? It didn't mention one on the website but in the picture it looks like it might have one.
Nils |
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Posts: 15683
Location: SoCal | The OP 40 has the tuner and is quite wonderful. I just had one installed on an old GC 12 string. It's a decent sound acoustically, but plugged in, watch out!
I shoulda known the model number designations but am getting too lazy to check my catalogs. |
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Location: Central Oregon | Great! Thanks Paul. Now if it will just get here :)
An onboad tuner will be really handy, especially on a 12 string, although if the new Elite stays in tune as well as the Celebrity did I won't need it too terribly often. I used light gauge D'Addario's on it & it stayed in tune remarkably well.
Maybe after lunch.......
Nils |
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Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | Must be all that thin, hot air down there making you woozy. Congrats, Nils!! |
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Location: SoCal | Here's an 1858 on ebay right now. It's beautiful. Nils you are going to be real happy with your new guitar.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2544990698&category=2385 |
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Location: Central Oregon | Well Seesquare, we do have a lot of hot air around here right now so you might be on to something. I don't have to worry about working up a sweat playing my new Elite yet though, cuz it still isn't here. Maybe Monday.
Paul, I checked out the 1858 on the bay , the buy it now seems pretty high for a used guitar with a crack in it & OP24 pre-amp. That's $300 more than I'm paying for a brand new one with the OP40. (Assuming it ever arrives :) ) You never know though, he might get it, I got considerably more than I expected for my Celebrity.
At least I have a reason to look forward to a Monday for a change....
Nils |
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Remarkable discovery & a surprise