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Location: SoCal | Nick, I'd go as high as a caffine free diet coke, but no higher. I've seen some weird stuff pertaining to Ovation repairs over the years. But all the signs point to what what I've postulated. But w/o seeing the guitar and the lady's receipts in person, it's all just a guess..... |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Nick and I talked about this. I think he's in a good place about it. |
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Location: SoCal | It's good to be in a good place.... |
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| This guitar was offered on eBay for a couple of days in 1999, but pulled when the owner was informed that the top and bridge were not original. Another individual who is a prominient member of the OFC was also in contact with the owner at that time.
The owner told me that he was from a family that was close to Josh's family, and that the guitar had been in storage since Josh's death in 1969.
I was in the area and was allowed the privilege of inspecting and playing the guitar for over an hour, and I still have the pictures that I took of the guitar.
At that that time, the inlay from the third fret was missing, as well as two or three screws from the tuners. There was a crack in the back of the guitar and excess adhesive in the neck joint area, indicating that the neck had been removed. The neck, tuners, label and case were original.
The bridge was obviously replaced, and it is not consistent with the winged bridge that would have been standard issue in 1969. However, the bridge on this guitar is unique in that the slots are different than anything available on a production guitar. Thus, the bridge could have been an experimental prototype of the bridge that did not appear for a couple of years after Josh's death, and could have been the bridge on the guitar at the time of his death.
With regard to the originality of the top and bowl, the top is not original, but the bowl could be. The textured finish on the guitar in 1999 was primitive in comparison to factory production guitars, and probably was textured before his death. (It should be noted that textured finishes were available on Ovations prior to Josh's death, as well as the stick-on rosette that became standard issue almost one year before Josh's death.)
The present description states that the guitar was "restored" by the Ovation factory. That being the case, the bowl could have been resprayed since I observed the guitar. And, the sprayed-on knee slip pad was probably added during that restoration, as I don't recall that being there in 1999.
The three "cracks" in the top above the soundhole are not cracks. Rather, it was explained to me that they are grooves that were made in the wood from Josh's fingernails, due to his playing style. When I inspected the guitar in 1999 the grooves were under the finish, which would lend credence to the possibility of the top having been refinished shortly before his death. If, indeed, the guitar had been in storage since his death, it is impractical to believe that the top would have been refinshed subsequently.
Having thoroughly inspected the guitar for over an hour before it was "restored", my personal opinion is that the guitar, with perhaps a few minor modifications, is in the same shape it was in when Josh died. According to various statements in print, Josh frequented the factory, and the guitar was probably refurbished, repaired and refinished on more than one occasion.
Unless someone from the factory who personally worked on the guitar in 1968-69 has an accurate recollection of the work that was done, and when, we will never know exactly what happened and when. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | THAT was cool. |
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Location: Route 66, just east of the Cadillac Ranch | Originally posted by bobfrith:
With regard to the originality of the top and bowl, the top is not original...
The three "cracks" in the top above the soundhole are not cracks. Rather, it was explained to me that they are grooves that were made in the wood from Josh's fingernails, due to his playing style. When I inspected the guitar in 1999 the grooves were under the finish, which would lend credence to the possibility of the top having been refinished shortly before his death. If, indeed, the guitar had been in storage since his death, it is impractical to believe that the top would have been refinshed subsequently. This is a bit confusing. You say the top is not original, but later you say that it has the grooves caused by his playing style. Can you clarify that?
BTW, this is all very intersting!
Nick |
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Location: SoCal | Bob, I'd be interested in seeing those pictures. Somebody who's seen and examined the guitar would have greater insight than me.
I still stand by my observations that the neck is very old (1966?) and the body isn't (or at least looks like it's not). The finish on the bowls in the 1970's (I had a 1972 Artist) was very different from what it became 10 years later. And I don't understand why a shiny bowl would be sprayed with texture (hey, my kids insist that I don't understand much at all). Lots of questions... |
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Location: Indiana | CSI - New Hartford
Thanks Bob. |
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| Stating that the top is not original, refers to the fact that when Ovation guitar, serial # 291, was originally produced at the factory, circa 1966, it did not have the top that the guitar presently has.
This guitar could possibly be the same guitar pictured in the "History of the Ovation Guitar" book, being distinctive because of the snowflake inlays. If so, it is obviously not the same top. And, in all probability, the original top would have been three-piece.
In my opinion, the top was probably replaced before Josh White's death, which would mean that the guitar was, indeed, "Josh White's guitar", but having been modified since its' original release.
With regard to pictures, I am not at the computer that has those pictures saved, but will probably be able to post them some time next week. I believe that there may be a picture that would show the textured bowl, although the pictures are not as clear as one would desire, as they predate digital photos, and are scans from positives.
It is clear, though, from the photos that are presently posted on the dealer's website, that the bowl is hand-laid, as evidenced by the photo of the label.
The dealer states that the guitar has been "restored". However, from an Ovation aficionado's viewpoint, the ideal "restoration" of the guitar would have been to restore the shiny bowl. But, due to the crack in the bowl, it was probably textured in an effort to conceal the repair. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | I have photos of this guitar, either from the first ebay auction or maybe ones that Bob sent me (Bob, we used to converse regularly about pre-70's ovations, that was fun). I'll dig them up. They on some stone age back up from my pre-enlightenment years. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | 
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Location: Route 66, just east of the Cadillac Ranch | Josh's guitar is serial number 291 and Dave's is serial number 247. It's interesting to me that Josh didn't get the first one off the line. Is it possible this isn't the first "Josh White" model that Josh White had? |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | It's definitely not the first one he had. His first one had the zig-zag rosette like the classicals. |
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Location: Nova Scotia, Canada | The top had to have been put on during Josh's time because you can see those three top lines/cracks in the Nobody Knows video on Youtube.
It's a pretty cool instrument dispite the repairs. |
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Location: Indiana | I'd still like to have a peek under that stick on. :)
Wayne's right though, very cool instrument. Love the way they executed the nut on those early ones. |
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Josh White at Dream Guitars
