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Posts: 15656
Location: SoCal | I've always been curious as to how the Collector's Editions were decided upon. Was it a small committee that made the decision, did different people come up with differnet ideas that were acted on?
Andybody? |
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Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | What do you mean, decided upon? The concept or the guitars? |
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March 2002
Posts: 15656
Location: SoCal | I was just wondering how each year's guitar was decided upon. Was there a meeting where everybody involved tossed in ideas and details were decided? Or was it just you, trying new things that pointed the guitars in the direction they went?
Since you left, it seems that while the collector's guitars are good, they haven't tried anything really innovative. Just different tops and trim. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | For the first several years it was pretty much me coming up with the ideas. I didn't do it all by any means, sometimes it was the R&D people, sometimes marketing, sometimes endorsees. The concepts were my ideas, the super shallow bowl, both round then elite then the elite 12. The 16 fret neck and the 1987 with all the inlay, still beautiful to this day. Then bringing back the mid depth bowl in 93 and the parlor body.
Some years we were pretty short on ideas like 86, 89, 90
I always thought that there is a time when an idea is complete and I thought that the collectors should stop. This was never accepted by marketing and the sales dept. From time to time they have been known to flog a dead horse. If there isn't a big step to take design wise don't take any. When you do anyway the result is what you just described. |
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March 2002
Posts: 15656
Location: SoCal | Bill, as long as I got your ear, let me ask you something that I was thinking about in the car today.
I was looking at photos of Cliff's slot head and I started thinking about a previous discussion on the board of 12 fret vs. 14 fret and the superior sound of a 12 fret. Was there ever any thought to making a 12 fret Adamas slothead? It strikes me that that could be the best sound of all. |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | I don't think that idea was ever floated. The whole concept started with a 14 fret guitar and was still being refined as the slotheads came out, even up into the 200 serial numbers. Come to think of it I don't ever remember a 12 fret being made. (doesn't mean there wasn't) If I recall correctly, even the nylons for Pat Martino were 14 fret. A 12 fret would have had the belly button problem that the long necks have. |
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January 2002
Posts: 970
Location: Atlanta,Ga. | I have an Adamas prototype(woodtop)that is 12 fret, nylon string,slotted headstock,cedar top,deep bowl no electronics....The multi sound holes have a series of rosettes around each hole just like the center soundhole models(balladeer,legend,custom legend).Each soundhole has a small rosette around it..It looks a little unusual but sounds incredible.There is also a 12 string Adamas prototype with the same soundholes.It is 14 fret to the body.. |
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March 2002
Posts: 15656
Location: SoCal | You sent me a pic of that guitar a year ago Sam. I admit that I was intrigued by it when I saw it. A year or so ago I saw a nylon string Elite sell on ebay. It looked like a cedar top and was a two knobber with a mid depth bowl. I have no idea where it went after it sold.
But I really wonder what a 12 fret Adamas (old style) slot head would have sounded like. If I ever win the lottery I'll find out and let everybody know.
If the old slot heads sound great, just imagine what a 12 fret would sound like. |
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Location: Scotland | Sam, post a pic of that guitar, please!!!!!!!
Paul |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Yeah, I agree!
I'd like to see THAT!! |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | He did several weeks back in one of the Sam's collecton pictures. That was a great idea for the sound holes but just didn't work out. The material was too weak and wouldn't have been very good in production. |
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January 2002
Posts: 970
Location: Atlanta,Ga. | There is a pic of that guitar somewhere in a post about "Sams guitars" on the board.It is the one with all my nylons string ovations..Im not sure if it is still there.If not i can send the pic to someone who can post it on the site.I did not post those pictures of my other guitars,someone else did that for me....any volunteers? |
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