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Location: Tasmania | Okay. I flew 1000km to see 3 of the 30th Anniversary Adamas models: 1581-5, the U681T and the 1187-247. I’d set my mind on the Ute which was in stock along with the 1581, but also managed to talk the store into getting the last #47 in Australia for me to see. I figured that it was about the only chance I’d have to see one. Anyway, the inevitable happened and the #47 came home with me.
Here’s my take on the three. I spent about 4 hours playing them. Stopping, having a break, playing them in a different order, and even comparing them to other high end guitars in the store (Martins, Taylors, Santa Cruses etc.). I never plugged any of them in, so they had to stand on their own acoustically.
I tried the Ute first. I really liked the idea of that guitar and it did not disappoint. Just the feel in the hand of the 12 fret neck is glorious. Big and wide with much less stretching up the neck and the chords just fell into place. The sound was deep, resonant, and bass hung on all day. I knew I would be very happy with that guitar.
Then I played the 1581-5. That was classic Adamas – like going back home after a few years. I was suddenly reminded of the old Adamas II I’d had once. It was strong, consistent and very even across the strings. Not as loud as the Ute, and the bass needed to be pushed harder, but that was not surprising. If you needed a general purpose Adamas that does it all, this is the one.
Then I played the #47. Visually, this guitar is stunning. Even if it sounded like a plank of wood, just having one on the wall would be like hanging a work of art. Before seeing it in the flesh, I was a bit concerned about the colour. Some of the pics I’d seen showed almost a bright red, but in real life it’s much more of a maroon-red and very tasteful. The colour and the reverse-burst work nicely with the rosette, and the whole top just oozes class. The carved headstock, neck heel and bridge are very well done. The neck feels solid without being ‘clubby’ and natural satin finish works well.
So how did it sound? Firstly, when I picked it up I nearly tossed it over my shoulder – this thing is seriously light. 4lbs 12 oz (2.16 kg) on my ancient scales. Definitely not like the usual Adamas. Even though it’s a deep body I found the lightness also made it sit more easily in the lap – this is definitely one of the more comfortable deep-body Ovations. Then the first E chord. Oh boy. Straight away you know that this guitar is something special. Not only is it a cannon, it sustains brilliantly and the tone is… is… - ah, I think I’ve run out of superlatives. This guitar is the one Ovation which does it all acoustically – no batteries, no amps needed. Others (like the Ute) excel in particular ways, but if you can live without built-in electronics, the #47 Reissue is it!
So 1187-247 #14 now resides in Tasmania, and I can serenade the devils… :D
I’ll take some pics over the weekend and post them here. |
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Posts: 94
Location: Tracy, CA | Wow, you are such a lucky fellow. Thanks for your review... |
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Posts: 1388
Location: Paris/France | Congrats MGA!!!
The #47 family is growing and it's not finished... ;)
J :) |
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August 2003
Posts: 4619
Location: SoCal | Welcome to the club,
Tony
#003 |
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April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Sweet story MGA. It's a shame you could not have taken all 3 home with you! :D
What is the serial number of the one you got?
Thanks to some special friends, I may one day also get to join the club. :rolleyes: |
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Posts: 659
Location: Hiram, Georgia | You are a wise man. I'll be happy when I get to see one! Congrats. Does anyone know how many #47's are in the OFC now? |
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Posts: 4619
Location: SoCal | from Dave's website and "inside information"
Tony (me) # 3
in the hands of Al # 5
Aloha Tim # 9
Paulmac # 10
Adamasplayer # 13
MGA # 14
Povation # 24
To eventually arrive # 47, 73, 74, and 75 |
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June 2006
Posts: 659
Location: Hiram, Georgia | Thanks Tony, I get a tingley feeling all over, whenever I think about them. |
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December 2004
Posts: 15
Location: Tasmania | And don't forget that Richardd got #12 last week. His thread got put in Sell/Trade for some reason :confused: - don't think he's quite ready to sell just yet... :D |
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January 2006
Posts: 403
Location: Thailand | Congrats! MGA
After I read your review about # 47 , I'd like some more..# 55 ??
povation
# 24 Sharapovation |
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April 2004
Posts: 245
Location: France | I think mine will be perhaps 75, I believe. Greg will tell me that soon....but not before december 2006. So, I'm waiting, but reading your rewiew, MGA, I want to be now in december !!! |
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Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | MGA....Congradulations on the 47. They are awesome.
We are looking for pictures for the '07 calendar. One showing a 47 in the Tasmanian enviroment would be neat.
As big a megapixel your camera can take, please. |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | MGA;
ConGrats!
Tune that thing to DoubleDrop-D and lemme know what you think . . . . |
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Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | DoubleD's are good but I prefer them before they have dropped :cool: |
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Location: NJ | b-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-ronski!!! |
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Posts: 269
Location: Nîmes, south of France | Congrats MGA!
Nice guitar and nice land.
I flew twice in Tasmania, in year 1981 and 1989 when i went to the South pole for my job. The boat was waiting for us in Hobart and i made a nice trip visiting the island from Hobart to Launceston. Hope to fly back here with my wife and the kids :) :) |
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Posts: 4903
Location: Phoenix AZ | Originally posted by Tony Calman:
from Dave's website and "inside information"
Tony (me) # 3
in the hands of Al # 5
Aloha Tim # 9
Paulmac # 10
Adamasplayer # 13
MGA # 14
Povation # 24
To eventually arrive # 47, 73, 74, and 75 ralph-flinn just registered #23
My guess we'll end up 18 or so OFC members with 47's. That's about 1/4 of the total made! Then another 12 with OFC guitars.
Dave |
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Posts: 4619
Location: SoCal | not bad, not bad at all... |
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Posts: 1673
Location: SoCal | Originally posted by Tupperware:
Then another 12 with OFC guitars. Is that going to happen and are the specifics available? |
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August 2003
Posts: 4619
Location: SoCal | 20 string double neck with banjo resonator, goat skin head, ebony armrest, ofc inlaid up the ebony neck...suggested tuning in C#; body style - gourd.
but, -8 to satisfy the purists. |
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April 2005
Posts: 331
Location: San Angelo, Texas | Guiguite...as I explained number 75 is spoken for, and has been for some time...I'm not sure which one yours will be yet, but probably in the 68-71 range.
Just wanted to clarify that! |
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January 2006
Posts: 403
Location: Thailand | NOW ?
# 3 Tony Calman
# 5 in the hands of Al
# 9 Aloha Tim
# 10 Paulmac
# 12 Richardd
# 13 Adamasplayer
# 14 MGA
# 23 ralph-flinn
# 24 Povation
# 47, 73, 74, and 75 to eventually arrive |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | If only they made a wide neck, maybe I need to sign up for #76 out of the limited run of 75. |
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Posts: 1421
Location: Orange County, California | I'll take #77 then :D |
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Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | I'm in for #78 in a wide neck! |
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December 2004
Posts: 15
Location: Tasmania | Originally posted by Slipkid:
MGA....Congradulations on the 47. They are awesome.
We are looking for pictures for the '07 calendar. One showing a 47 in the Tasmanian enviroment would be neat.
As big a megapixel your camera can take, please. That should be okay Brad. Can you tell me about the calendar. Is it an OFC thing? What's the deadline? I've got a 4 megapix camera if that's okay. |
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December 2004
Posts: 15
Location: Tasmania | Originally posted by cliff:
MGA;
ConGrats!
Tune that thing to DoubleDrop-D and lemme know what you think . . . . I'm not usually a drop D kinda player, but just for the hell of it I took the bottom E down to D and it sounded great. So I kept going. And going... and going... all the way down to F... This beauty was still driving the top at a decent volume almost an octave lower! Amazing stuff. As a comparison I pulled out my old trusty '49 D-18 and tried the same thing, but the volume went after about Ab and plucking harder just made the string rattle. The Adamas tops shine again! |
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April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Originally posted by MGA:
I'm not usually a drop D kinda player, but just for the hell of it I took the bottom E down to D and it sounded great. So I kept going. And going... and going... all the way down to F... This beauty was still driving the top at a decent volume almost an octave lower! Amazing stuff. As a comparison I pulled out my old trusty '49 D-18 and tried the same thing, but the volume went after about Ab and plucking harder just made the string rattle. The Adamas tops shine again!
***********************************************
Now THAT's the type of outstanding reviewing we expect from a new member!!!
WELL DONE :D |
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November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | #79 please. |
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April 2004
Posts: 245
Location: France | No problem, Greg, just want a 47, number doesn't matter........... |
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July 2005
Posts: 1609
Location: Colorado | Anyone know where RE #43 is? I wouldn't mind owning the original #43 and the RE 43. |
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August 2003
Posts: 4619
Location: SoCal | the real question is what serial number have they finished?
maybe somewhere between #28-32? |
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January 2005
Posts: 4903
Location: Phoenix AZ | I think I heard of #33 being out there somewhere. So I would guess they are in the late 30's or maybe even close to 40 by now. Tick, tick, tick, tick ... |
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May 2002
Posts: 651
Location: Australia | Hey MGA, it's good to know I'm no longer alone with a #47 in Oz.
In fact I've had the pleasure of playing your guitar when I got mine. A great guitar that's for sure !
....and that's it. Only two #47's brought into the country.
A very exclusive club indeed ! |
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August 2003
Posts: 4619
Location: SoCal | Throughout the world's estimated population of 6,641,912,240 as of 11:51pm...only 75 means that it is a pretty rare bird.
Guess what? I don't see someone ever giving up their guitar due to lack of interest. Re-fi, use your credit card, etc...if you can still find one, get it. It is THE guitar.
Didn't think I would appreciate the color, it became my favorite. As an acoustic, great. Need amplification? No pre-amp but it projects in a a cone that seems to be designed for a mike. Care to amplify, could probably put something through the end pin...but why???????? |
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December 2004
Posts: 15
Location: Tasmania | Originally posted by richardd:
Hey MGA, it's good to know I'm no longer alone with a #47 in Oz.
In fact I've had the pleasure of playing your guitar when I got mine. A great guitar that's for sure !
Richard - you must be one of the very few that has actually been able to play two 47s side by side! Were they different in any way? How did you choose yours? |
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December 2004
Posts: 15
Location: Tasmania | Originally posted by Tony Calman:
Throughout the world's estimated population of 6,641,912,240 as of 11:51pm...only 75 means that it is a pretty rare bird. Lets see - that makes a 47 for very 88,558,830 people. Yep, guess you can say they're a bit rare... |
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May 2002
Posts: 651
Location: Australia | Originally posted by MGA:
Originally posted by richardd:
Hey MGA, it's good to know I'm no longer alone with a #47 in Oz.
In fact I've had the pleasure of playing your guitar when I got mine. A great guitar that's for sure !
Richard - you must be one of the very few that has actually been able to play two 47s side by side! Were they different in any way? How did you choose yours?
In the end the only thing to seperate them was the serial # so I took #12 because it comes before 14 !
Also to echo the words of Tony C to non #47 RI owners, if there's any way you can pony up the cash to get one of these then do it.
....they really are that good. |
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January 2006
Posts: 403
Location: Thailand | Hi,
I would like to buy another # 47 RE for my lovely nephew who lives in Reverside,CA. Now I have one # 24. Please let me know if somebody has one to sell. Anybody knows where RE # 44 and 55 are? Thank you so much.
povation |
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January 2006
Posts: 403
Location: Thailand | I am sorry. Riverside! |
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Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | No, Uncle Povation, I moved. I live in Oregon now. |
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November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | WFKAW....
I see it coming....
Just call him "Wabbit" |
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February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | You may address me as Mr. Wabbit.
Never forget...
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | ". . Looook at th'Booonz, Mon!! . ." |
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Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | "That's the most foul, cruel, and bad-tempered rodent you ever set eyes on! " |
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August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | Click here |
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January 2006
Posts: 403
Location: Thailand | My lovely nephew POU is sixteen years old. He's playing my # 24 NOW. He loves my Sharapovation!
povation |
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February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | So does this mean you're not going to send me a 47RI??? |
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January 2006
Posts: 403
Location: Thailand | Waskel,Maybe
I love :
your future new guitar KOA Slothead !
Adamas 1581-8
Custom Legend 1759-5
Legend 1867-4
Dean Performer ’Key Largo’ |
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February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | You'd love it even more if you played it!!! Shoulda been the 2006 collector. I'll have to try to figure out how to bribe the current possessor. |
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September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Tell him you got some "Freddie and the Fishsticks" pictures that you will put up on the internet unless he.....oh... nevermind...to late. |
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a #47 now in Tasmania