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Location: Louisville, OH 44641 | I noticed there are 3 Wood Tops for sale on this board. I love the 2 Adamas guitars I own but have no experience with the Wood Tops. Anyone want to add some comments? Love them? Hate them? Are they really just a dressed up Elite?...or is there more to them than that?
The reason I'm asking is that I'm really looking for a nice 12 string Adamas. I never even thought about a Wood Top Adamas...but now one is available.
Thanks.
Jim  |
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Location: Orlando, FL | I tried one at the road show a couple years ago. They play as good as you would expect and sound like a 1537 on steroids, with a full balanced sound, but without as much volume.
I can only imagine how good they sound after opening up for a couple of years. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Don't know about all the wood top Adamas but I have played the one Dave is offering and it is stellar! Expensive but worth it if you are looking for an outstanding 12 string.
Edited by stephent28 2014-02-21 10:21 AM
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Location: Utah | I played one at the Roadshow a couple of years ago. A 6 string cutaway. It sounded a bit better than my '07C, most likely due to the suspension ring. I'd say the WTA is the ultimate incarnation of an Ovation, if one were to segregate Ovation as wood topped guitars and Adamas as carbon fiber topped guitars. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | I have a personal conspiracy theory ...
Fender is in a bind what do do with USA Ovation. On one hand they want to kill it off in the worst way because there really is no such thing anymore as a USA ovation. But there is some history to the brand and need to have at least a few high end models to prop up the public persona of Ovation even if those highend models rarely exist, never seen by human eyes and outprice most peoples wallets. So logical solution is to build the firewall between Ovation and Adamas. Ovation is lower end ASIAN built guitars. Adamas is higher end USA built guitars. But BOTH offer wooden top AND carbon fiber top guitars in their respective markets. Phase I is already done - Adamas offers high end carbon fiber top AND WOOD TOP guitars. Customers with a thick wallet can pick either style of Adamas. Phase II comes next - Ovation will offer lower end wooden top AND CARBON FIBER TOP guitars. Customer with a thinner wallet can pick either style of Ovation. Let me say that again ... I have NO doubt you will see an ASIAN BUILT guitar called an Ovation that has a carbon fiber top similar to an Adamas. Mark my words.
That's just my opinion and what the hell do I know about marketing anyway.
Edited by Standingovation 2014-02-21 2:09 PM
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Location: NJ | dave if that happens it will be a very sad day. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Yes Al, it would be sad. But cost of carbon fiber has plummeted and at point very soon a CF top and a Spruce top will probably cost about the same to the guitar builder. Natural materials will become more scarce and manmade materials will become more economical, that's just the way it will be. So why would Ovation not choose to take advantage of that and build one in Asia?
Maybe Ovasian has a couple things going for it ..
1) the rest of the guitar body is already man made. So unlike a company like Martin who would have to develop an entirely new guitar, all thyat Ovasian has to do it glue the CF top onto the bowl. I'm obviously over simplifying it, but I think you get what I mean.
2) the knock on asia built models has been quality control. I've got to believe that quality control on a natural material like wood is a heck of a lot harder than quality control on a manmade guitar top. So overall maybe the move to CF topped Ovasian models will actually BOOST the reputation of the company as a whole
I could be wrong, but the more I think about it the more I like the tea leaves. |
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Location: SoCal | Went to a road show in San Diego's Guitar Trade (Music Power) several years ago...even though I stayed for a couple of hours, couldn't break through the mob going after the wood top Adamas. So, no idea. Don't want to take anything from special order/custom shop but the solution? Get the original from individual OFC's or Al !!
The quality is great, pre-Fender, amazing low cost based on the cost of a similar quality other brands. |
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Location: Sydney, Australia | I think Dave may be on to something. If someone wants a carbon fibre Ovation (an Elite with a carbon fibre top instead of wood) and can't afford US made, why not? For a working musician whose guitar is subject to bumps, scratches and even theft, it might make a good deal. For those with a nose for quality and a budget to suit, there's always Adamas. |
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Location: SoCal | Standingovation - 2014-02-21 12:07 PM I have a personal conspiracy theory ... Fender is in a bind what do do with USA Ovation. On one hand they want to kill it off in the worst way because there really is no such thing anymore as a USA ovation. But there is some history to the brand and need to have at least a few high end models to prop up the public persona of Ovation even if those highend models rarely exist, never seen by human eyes and outprice most peoples wallets. So logical solution is to build the firewall between Ovation and Adamas. Ovation is lower end ASIAN built guitars. Adamas is higher end USA built guitars. But BOTH offer wooden top AND carbon fiber top guitars in their respective markets. Phase I is already done - Adamas offers high end carbon fiber top AND WOOD TOP guitars. Customers with a thick wallet can pick either style of Adamas. Phase II comes next - Ovation will offer lower end wooden top AND CARBON FIBER TOP guitars. Customer with a thinner wallet can pick either style of Ovation. Let me say that again ... I have NO doubt you will see an ASIAN BUILT guitar called an Ovation that has a carbon fiber top similar to an Adamas. Mark my words. That's just my opinion and what the hell do I know about marketing anyway. Dave, wasn't it FlySig who predicted the Adamas-USA-built/Ovation-Asian-built direction about three years ago? I can't find it right now, but I remember something about playing the new Wood Top Adamas and a debate about, a wood topped Adamas is really not an Adamas. After three years, those events could have been a year apart and my mind is just merging them, but... |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | I'm sure others have mentioned this logical separation. |
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Location: Utah | Tony Calman - 2014-02-21 8:38 PM
Went to a road show in San Diego's Guitar Trade (Music Power) several years ago...even though I stayed for a couple of hours, couldn't break through the mob going after the wood top Adamas.
I had the exact opposite experience. Everyone was gravitating to the Celebs and the regular O's they brought. I walked right up to the WTA and played it for quite a while. They were offering quite a nice discount to purchase guitars at the Roadshow, and though I don't recall the out-the-door price for the WTA, it was something ridiculously low compared to today's prices. |
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Location: Utah | noah - 2014-02-23 12:49 AM
Dave, wasn't it FlySig who predicted the Adamas-USA-built/Ovation-Asian-built direction about three years ago?
If it was me, I have no recollection! |
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Location: SoCal | Found it FlySig... FlySig - 2011-02-04 7:56 AM Marketing guys like to have their brand identified with a certain niche. It used to be Adamas was carbon fiber, Ovation was top of the line wood topped, while Celeb and Applause were the lower price points. But maybe there is a new alignment. Maybe Adamas is now simply top of the line USA made, whether wood or carbon fiber. Ovation is now the mid range and includes Celeb, and Applause is the lower price range. USA made are all blended into Adamas, TX, AX, and Celeb are all blended into Ovation, and Applause is Applause. |
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Location: Louisville, OH 44641 | If we asked Ovation to explain their Market Differentiation plan, do you think they'd be able to? Me neither. Right now, it's just a mess and no one seems to really understand it. My conspiracy theory is much simpler than Dave's. I believe Fender just really doesn't know how to handle it and they are currently letting the Accounting people take care of it. It's probably not a big enough deal to Fender to make a priority and devote resources.
I work as an Engineer at a small consumer product company in OH which gives me the opportunity to work with our Marketing Group on a regular basis...so I know them rather well. It's likely if we owned Ovation, they would recommend dropping the Celebrity line because there's not enough differentiation between Celebrity and Ovation these days. In addition, they would probably change the Applause Head Stock design to something different (but still Ovation looking) and they would definitely print "Applause" on the head stock instead of "Ovation".
I still love my Ovation guitars but the Ovation world sure is confusing these days. |
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Location: SoCal | http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gII5SfDoPGA&index=2&list=PLme32ZGPhT... |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | Thanks for the link. It actually got me pretty stoked about what Ovation is doing these days. Certainly doesn't look like anyone is sitting back and letting the line slide into oblivion. |
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Location: Utah | noah - 2014-02-23 8:59 PM
Found it FlySig... FlySig - 2011-02-04 7:56 AM Marketing guys like to have their brand identified with a certain niche. It used to be Adamas was carbon fiber, Ovation was top of the line wood topped, while Celeb and Applause were the lower price points. But maybe there is a new alignment. Maybe Adamas is now simply top of the line USA made, whether wood or carbon fiber. Ovation is now the mid range and includes Celeb, and Applause is the lower price range. USA made are all blended into Adamas, TX, AX, and Celeb are all blended into Ovation, and Applause is Applause.
Crap, you're worse than my wife bringing up stuff I said years ago! |
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Location: Jet City | FlySig - 2014-02-23 12:39 PM Tony Calman - 2014-02-21 8:38 PM Went to a road show in San Diego's Guitar Trade (Music Power) several years ago...even though I stayed for a couple of hours, couldn't break through the mob going after the wood top Adamas. I had the exact opposite experience. Everyone was gravitating to the Celebs and the regular O's they brought. I walked right up to the WTA and played it for quite a while. They were offering quite a nice discount to purchase guitars at the Roadshow, and though I don't recall the out-the-door price for the WTA, it was something ridiculously low compared to today's prices. The day the roadshow came through Bellevue I had just bought my Adamas II reissue from Al so I was banned from considering the WTA that day... I did manage to take advantage of a sweet deal the store ran on a C2078LX-5 for the show. 2 brand new roundback purchases in a single day was bank breaker, but I've never regretted doin it. Still have them both, and they're both in the main rotation (the Adamas is usually the sit at home go to) |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | I really liked the WT Adamas at that roadshow, but unlike Damon, I tried to think about it and failed to snap up a good deal when I had a chance. I have regretted not buying one, but not as much as I regret the fact that I don't play guitar enough. |
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Location: Muenster/Germany | Sorry for the late reply, I´ve just found this today. I really bought one of the 3 WTA, the 1681 non-cutaway. I already have an AI 2087, an AI 1688 and had a 1687 before, and have a Book Elite. I must say that the WTA is much more than an Elite with fancy appointments, it´s a real Ovation-state-of-the-art instrument! I found out that just like my other Adamii this guitar does not even need high string tension, I use THOMASTIK .11-50 and the guitar sounds simply phantastic, it´s very easy to play and for me as a handcraft master it´s the finest made Ovation I ever had. The only thing I have to complain is that the "broccoli" bridge design does absolutely not match with the understatement of the rest, headstock etc., the vintage OV bridge would have done better.Besides that - a masterpiece. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Indeed that 1681 was a NICE ONE !!! |
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Location: Muenster/Germany | ..another very good one is my 1538-4, if you like 12strings. Plays alone, has "IT". See my new album here on OFC. |
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Anyone have experience with the Wood Top Adamii?
