... Extremely rigid, yet uniquely thin membrane, one-third the thickness of a typical spruce top (Ovation claims that since the very first prototype Adamas was built in 1973, no Fibronic top has ever cracked!).
TOP BRACING: Adamas Fan, engineered specifically for the Fibronic Soundboard to ... Read review
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A review by Elias on Ovation Adamas 1687 Acoustic Electric Guitar December 2nd, 2002
Author's product rating:
How well constructed is it?
very well
Appearance
5
Quality of sound
superb
Playability
easy to play
Value for money
excellent
Advantages:
Powerful sound both unplugged and plugged . It makes a difference !
Disadvantages:
Not a wooden guitar . It lacks the "rings and bells" of a wooden guitar .
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
Features: 10
THE TOP: Called a Fibronic Soundboard, the Adamas top is really a composite structure built with two .005" carbon-graphite outer layers with a .035" birch veneer sandwiched in the center, all bonded together at 250 degrees F. Extremely rigid, yet uniquely thin membrane, one-third the thickness of a typical spruce top (Ovation claims that since the very first prototype Adamas was built in 1973, no Fibronic top has ever cracked!).
TOP BRACING: Adamas Fan, engineered specifically for the Fibronic Soundboard to achieve the design objective of + or - 3db change over the entire playing range of the guitar.
BODY: 6-1/16" deep Ovation Lyrachord bowl.
BODY BINDING: Carved Fiberglass Ring.
NECK: Kaman Bar, unique neck reinforcing system.
AESTHETICS: The scroll-like design of the peghead (Acanthus leaf) gives the Adamas a classical grace and dignity; it is a decorative complement to the CARVED WALNUT BRIDGE (acanthus leaf design). An attractive, non-slip finish with bronze highlights is selectively applied to the bowl for dramatic stage lighting effects. The unique, inlaid soundhole (22 holes in total) Adamas Epaulets are constructed of a variety of exotic woods: teak from Burma, East Indian rosewood, bird's-eye maple from the United Sates, amaranth from South America, padauk from the Andaman Islands, sapele from Africa, and American black walnut. A smooth, satin finish gives the wood a rich patina and preserves its natural, vibrant color.
The SOLID WALNUT NECK is hand rubbed to a deep satin finish that is elegant, yet fast and durable.
The FRETBOARD, made from select even-grain black walnut, has delicate MAPLE INLAYS set in a black background for high contrast. It features an extended, two octave range up to E above the usual high C. Deluxe, GOLD-PLATED TUNING MACHINES with a smooth 12:1 tuning ratio; a bone nut; polished nickel silver frets.
SCALE LENGTH: 25-1/4". Neck is joined to the body at the 14th fret. Number of frets: 24.
ACTIVE ELECTRONICS: Built-in mono/stereo acoustic electric pickup and FET-preamplifier. Uses six piezoelectric transducers located directly beneath Derlin saddles. The STEREO feature is wired so that, when used with a stereo cable, the output of strings 1, 3, and 5 goes to one channel, and 2, 4, and 6 to the other. Separation of left and right channels is achieved when used with a STEREO amplifier/PA or two individual amps (use stereo Y-cable). The Adamas preamp has separate Volume and Tone Controls, both mounted at the waist of the instrument (two-knobbers, wooden-walnut knobs).
Sound: 10 I have been playing all kind of music styles, from ethnic to jazz, Latin, fusion-jazz, Latin-jazz, blues, rock, pop and some country music and the Adamas suits nicely all these styles. I've been using the Adamases unplugged as well as plugged in different amps and sound systems and itís all good and reliable. The sound is huge either way plugged or unplugged; the guitar is very loud, with rich-full sound, in certain guitars bassy. Older Adamases (2-knobbers) tend to be noisier when plugged in (older FET electronics) as compared to the newer OP-24 or OPTIMA electronics, but personally I prefer the 2-knobbers because their sound is very natural, acoustic and original. With or without effects (reverb, chorus, or else, the Adamas sound is strong, nice and clear). I will totally agree with other Adamas users that the guitar is very responsive in all registers. Full, rich, well rounded sound. Bass is full and rich, while the midrange and treble strings all ring in such an even sound. If I have to characterize the Adamas tonal characteristics I would say it is "plastic", with tight, well-balanced "percussive" sound. It is totally distinct, as compared to wooden guitar sound.
SOUND VOLUME: The Adamas is a LOUD guitar. It sounds and "seems" loud, with light or medium strings the sound is huge. You can feel the bass vibration in your stomach.
PRESENCE: Considering that a good measure of presence is how satisfying the guitar sounds when you play it softly and a strong presence means that the tone quality does not deteriorate with less volume, I would give the Adamas an 8-9 (rating 0-10).
SOUND BALANCE: The Adamas is very well balanced, I have played though several that are a bit boomy (over-balanced toward the bass)!
SOUND SEPARATION: Considering that separation is the ability of the instrument to express simultaneously played notes so that they are distinctly and individually, rather than as a homogeneous whole, I would rate the Adamas with an 8-9. I should admit though: I have played wooden guitars with better separation. The Adamas separation is fine.
SUSTAIN: considering that sustain is the measure of how long a note keeps sounding after you initiate it, again I would give Adamas an 8-9. Again I will admit that I have played wooden guitars (my Martin D-42 for example, or my Goodall) with better sustain.
Action, Fit, & Finish: 10 The action fit & finish of all my Adamas guitars is near perfect. The guitar set-up at the Ovation factory was simply excellent! The Adamas really shines. The action is relatively low (otherwise it was very easy to set it low by removing one or two of the shims underneath the saddle. The neck is straight as an arrow, and with light strings (always Adamas light strings) the action is fast and smooth with no buzzing at all. I mostly play fast solos, with a heavy pick, and the Adamas action is simply amazing.
Note: I do not consider the black walnut to be the best choice for a fingerboard. If I had to chose I would prefer an ebony fingerboard. Overall the guitar is very well made, with no problems related to construction: perfectly adjusted pickup, properly routed bridge, excellent graphite top (beautiful colors with golden flakes), no flaws whatsoever, excellent top finish as well as bowl finish with golden flakes, top quality woods (neck, bridge, and epaulets), clean and shiny golden tuning pegs, tight wooden control knobs, PERFECT!
Reliability/Durability: 10 I will totally agree with the review of a friend on the Adamas that THIS GUITAR IS A TANK! The graphite top and the special finish (thick and shiny) are incredibly tough. The same with the Lyrachord bowl. Humid weather, cold, or warm have no effect on this guitar! After 20 years these guitars look as new as ever. This is about as strong of an acoustic guitar as you are likely to find. The Adamas will always withstand live playing in small or large venues, anywhere, and everywhere! After 20 years of constant playing there is no fretwear whatsoever, and the fingerboard looks like new! This is a SOLID guitar that you can totally depend on it without the need of a backup. Period!
Customer Support: 10 I have contacted the Ovation Service Department many times for advice, literature, regular service and maintenance as well as repairs. They were always very helpful.
