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Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | Here's another 1537 for sale(not mine, but posting to ask about the binding issue)with the white(ivoroid?) binding. Did they produce them that way at one time? or do you think they had the top re-done?
1537 on Ebay |
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Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | My 1538 has the ivoroid binding as well. Now I'm even more curious about it. :confused: |
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Location: Hanau, Hessen, Germany | Doesn't the mothership put a small branding stamp on refurbished guitars? |
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Location: Cicero, NY | Here's a (lousy) shot of the binding my 1537:
I've never seen one with ivoroid (except the one in the auction). |
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Location: SoCal | Weas, every new-bodied 1537 that I've ever seen (and that has only been a few), has that red layer of binding on it. Don't know why the factory did that. But it does look good and goes well with the rest of the guitar appointments..... |
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Location: Cicero, NY | ...and I would completely agree with you. I really like it. |
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Location: Right now? | I think that for a starting bid of $1,500 that guy needs better photos! Mine also has the red striped binding on it.
;)
Willa |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Originally posted by WillaMuse:
I think that for a starting bid of $1,500 that guy needs better photos! Mine also has the red striped binding on it.
;)
Willa Also should get another man-hole cover, since the seller states...
"They should be easy to replace, and the guitar sounds fine without it." (uh, No it don't) |
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Location: SoCal | Any multi hole Ovation/Adamas sounds like crap with the hatch off.... |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | I don't think mine has the red stripe. I'll have to remember to check tonight. |
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Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | My 1538 has it....
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Location: California | It looks like the 1537 on ebay has a new bowl? or may be just a refinished bowl on black color. |
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Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | I don't know about the one on eBay, but my 1538 (above) is definitely not a rebuild. It does have the brown bowl, but more importantly, it has the backboard. So I think some were shipped from the factory this way, although I have no idea why.
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Location: Tennessee | No red layer on the one I've got ... mine looks to be to be alternating maple and walnut wood strips with no standard Ovation binding material at all. |
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Location: Jet City | Mine has the red, plus it's a black bowl.
I hear the black bowled ones sound better.
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Location: California | Interesting to know that the black bowled ones may sound different. |
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Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | I asked John Budny about it:
"Since these were built in the Moosup plant we don't have all the details maybe Beal would have a better idea. as far as I know the 1537's had the walnut binding the ones we see with white binding could have been top replacements or there certainly could have been some built that way from the factory. John"
So it's still a bit of a mystery. I double-checked with the previous owner of my 1538. He was the original owner and never had any work done on it. So mine came from the factory with ivoroid/red binding and looks completely original inside and out. |
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Location: Cicero, NY | Damon, you have a burst, right? Did the bursts come with the black bowl and the naturals with the brown? |
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Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | Hey ... Didn't someone once say that variety is the spice of life? 'Just didn't think I'd see this much variety on the same models. But that's just another reason to love Ovation/Adamas guitars. ;) Now ... if I could just figure a way to aquire one of each. |
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Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | Originally posted by Weaser P:
Did the bursts come with the black bowl and the naturals with the brown? My burst 1538 is a brown bowl. I've got two burst 1537's sitting in my office (not mine sadly), when I get in, I'll check them too. |
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Location: Jet City | Dunno Weaser. The only 1537 I've seen in person is mine. I just went to look at it in the sunlight to be sure. It's black alright.
I was gonna compare it to one of my brown backed O's...
Then I realized I don't have any anymore. |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | The proto has five layers in the binding similar to the production models, but the center stripe appears to be the same walnut as the outer layers. It is definitely not red. |
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Location: SoCal | Maybe they started using red late in the 1537 run, or, my favorite theory, it was used in the sunburst 1537's to highlight the binding more.
Just a theory..... |
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Location: Cicero, NY | ...'course it's on mine and mine's a natural (see above) so that might be a theory but it might also be a defective one... |
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Location: SoCal | Yours is a rebuilt body so it has the red stripes. I was referring to the original 1537's.
It's still a good theory (unless you consider the source -- shut up Clifford and Witko!)..... |
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Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | Originally posted by Weaser P:
Did the bursts come with the black bowl and the naturals with the brown? Following up on my earlier promise. I checked the two burst 1537's in my office, both have black bowls and neither is rebuilt........yet. |
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Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | Originally posted by moody, p.i.:
Yours is a rebuilt body so it has the red stripes. I was referring to the original 1537's.
Admittedly mine is a 1538, but I feel I should reiterate that it has ivoroid binding with the red stripe and it came that way according to the first owner. |
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Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | EEEEASY GUYS! ... Let's all just relaaax our shoulders, close our eyes and take in a deeeep breath, then let it out slowwwly. Now say ... I love my guitar. |
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Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | Originally posted by bvince:
EEEEASY GUYS! ... Let's all just relaaax our shoulders, close our eyes and take in a deeeep breath, then let it out slowwwly. Now say ... I love my guitar. Admittedly upon review my post may have sounded defensive, but I feel I should clarify that when I close my eyes and take a deep breath, then let it out slowly.......I hyperventilate.
Then I say I love my guitars. :p :cool: |
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Location: SoCal | Not a problem. They're all great guitars. The 1538's were built in 1984, just before the move out of Mooseup at the tail end of production, when Ovation first started making cutaways (it is a cutaway right? Or did I get that wrong too).
What the hell the significance of that is, I don't know..... |
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Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | Originally posted by moody, p.i.:
Not a problem. They're all great guitars. The 1538's were built in 1984, just before the move out of Mooseup at the tail end of production, when Ovation first started making cutaways (it is a cutaway right? Not a cutaway. Just a FANTASTIC instrument! :cool:
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Location: SoCal | You're right, beautiful guitar. Bet it sounds magnificent. What's the serial number? It fits with my "sunburst" theory (hey, I can come up with theory for anything -- if you want a good theory, it costs a little more).... |
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Location: Cicero, NY | Are returns allowed? |
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Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | Originally posted by moody, p.i.:
You're right, beautiful guitar. Bet it sounds magnificent. What's the serial number? It fits with my "sunburst" theory (hey, I can come up with theory for anything -- if you want a good theory, it costs a little more).... 303197 (1984)
I think I've learned more about 1537's on this thread than anywhere else I tried to look. Does anyone have a reasonably complete history about it? |
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Location: Up North | I seem to remember a lot of paperwork on the subject at Jerome's site.
Ovation Tribute website |
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Location: Jet City | 302326 here |
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Location: SoCal | Do check Jerome's site. Also use the search function on this site. A few years ago I talked with Nick Macklin, who was in charge of the 1537 (wood topped Adamas) program. There's a thread somewhere with what I posted. If nobody can find it, I'll pull my notes and post again.
One interesting fact, Charlie Kaman wanted nothing to do with the 1537's. The technology used was for the Adamas program only. The 1537 prototypes were built behind his back..... |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | 302447 here, just a few after Moody's. No red stripe on mine, unless the red is faded and my eyesight is poor. (The latter is a given.) |
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Location: SoCal | Mark, I'm only guessing, but I would think that the sunbursts, the red stripe, and the cutaways all came sometime in 1984, just before production went to New Hartford and the 1537's and their line went away..... |
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Location: Up North | 301199 here, (1537-natural) no red stripe.
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Location: Tennessee | 301347. Mine's like Grif's. With a brown bowl. |
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Location: Up North | I had mine back at the spa when I first picked it up for some cosmetic and fret work, bowl was repainted black and volume and tone indicators wound up at the 3:00 position, with specific orders not to replace the top. |
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Location: SoCal | Originally posted by Grif:
301199 here, (1537-natural) no red stripe.
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Location: 6 String Ranch | that center stripe is paduke which is red. It turns brown with time. |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | Nothing like killing a good conspiracy theory with the truth. Mine had a lot of use before my time, so maybe exposure turned the red to brown. |
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Location: Orlando, FL | Originally posted by Grif:
301199 here, (1537-natural) no red stripe.
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| 1537 & 1538, both -1, both black bowl, neither red stripe. |
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Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | Originally posted by moody, p.i.:
Also use the search function on this site. A few years ago I talked with Nick Macklin, who was in charge of the 1537 (wood topped Adamas) program. There's a thread somewhere with what I posted. If nobody can find it, I'll pull my notes and post again. THIS TOOK HOURS!!!!!
Don't worry, I'm not complaining as I routinely go trawling through the archives anyway. BUT, I think we may have to be patient from now on with folks asking questions that can be answered via a "search". For example, search the General Section for "1537" and just try and guesstimate how many threads crop up. Then consider doing the same thing for EVERY ARCHIVE YEAR.
I'll tell you guys one thing, there are gobmsmacking TONS of information on this sight. (Some of it even deals with Ovations. :p )
Now for the purpose of this post. I won't post every link I scrounged around in regarding 1537's, but before running Moody's reference post to ground, I came across these two 1537 jewels:
From October 2005--1537 Has a Plywood Top???
From August 2008--1537
And finally, the post Moody sent us (or at least me anyway) looking for. BTW, slice out some time before reading this one, it's 9 pages long and like many OFC threads, has a tendency to meander to and from the topic. For the trivia buffs of the OFC (especially the newer ones) a fellow called Standing Ovation has morphed since this thread into at least two other personalities. But he's still around. ;) (And he just LOVES little "winky" emoticons..........NOT........but I just couldn't resist.)
November 2005--How many 1537\'s built |
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Location: Up North | Welcome back G8r!!
I don't know about everyone else, but I sure as hell missed you! |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | did he go somewhere? |
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Location: Flahdaw | G8r's back? I knew it was cold in Florida this winter, but I didn't realize Hell froze over! |
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| lyin' low in the swamp, waitin' for the right prey... |
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Location: Flahdaw | I thought India had crocs??? |
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| equally lethal when you piss 'em off |
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Location: Orlando, FL | Welcome back G8r! Good to hear from you again.
1537s are great, they bring people out of the woodwork! |
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Location: California | moody- just curious to know if in your notes you have information how the total number of 1537's produced in 1983 came out? estimate from the factory?
In your research findings regarding total production of 1537's in 1983..quote
"So now we know that 1082 were built in 1983 and between 240 and 300 were built in 1984, for a total not exceeding about 1400 total production of 1537's". November 18, 2005--How many 1537's built.
Jan(5)+Feb(13)+March(40)= 58 guitars built first trimester of 1983
-1082 guitars built in 1983
- 1082-58= 1024 guitar built from April to Dcember 1983
-Avg 1537's/per month since April to Dec 1983 = 113 guitars built.
Question: Did the factory had the capability back in 83 to produce this number per month plus additional new models? |
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Location: On the Coast - Halfway between SF & OR | Welcome back G8r!
Hope those great guitar photos will return also. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Why are there so many 1537's on the market all of a sudden? |
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Location: SoCal | Originally posted by Beal:
I guess that it can be safely said that the "cool" ones are going to be the Moosup made ones with the wood binding. I got no idea on the number Paul, that's why I sent you to Nick.
301248 1337-4 brown bowl, no red stripe
301428 1537-4 brown bowl, no red stripe |
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Location: SoCal | Originally posted by hwebster:
Question: Did the factory had the capability back in 83 to produce this number per month plus additional new models? The 1537's were built in Mooseup. The regular production of other guitars was in New Hartford.... |
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Location: Jet City | OK, some are brown some are black. To narrow this down some...
Does anyone have a -4 natural with a black bowl, or a -1 burst with a brown bowl?
Seems all the bursts are black bowled, and all the naturals are brown? |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | The "convention" on all/most ovations from mid 70's to early 80's was that Natural tops got brown bowls. Black, White and Sunburst tops got black bowls. And there are hundreds of exceptions.
Both of my sunburst 1537's had black bowls. |
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Location: Up North | I think this is the same one back up on the bay again.
1537 with missing man hole cover |
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Location: Nova Scotia, Canada | This one has the plastic binding instead of wood. |
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Location: Up North | It is the same one as bvince originally posted. Just dropped the asking price from $1,500 to $750. |
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Another 1537 ...