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Ovation guitars are rather unique, in that they have a composite, rounded back that is designed to project the sound in ways other guitars can't. Whether they accomplished this goal.... well, it depends upon who you ask. These guitars were designed by Charles Kaman, who was the inventor of a unique helicopter blade design, and was the founder of Kaman Helicopters. Charles Kaman was also an avid guitarist, who spent years developing what he hoped would be the next major leap in guitar technology with his new design. He spent vast numbers of hours in wood shops, composite labs and sound studios in his quest for the perfect guitar. Guitar preference is a very personal thing - One person may love a particular type of guitar, while others may loathe it. That is never more true than with Ovation guitars. You either love them or you hate them. I, frankly, am not a fan of the typical Ovation guitars that cover the walls of every Sam Ash and Guitar Emporium across the world. However, the stars aligned perfectly for Ovation in the mid 1970s when they produced a masterpiece of a guitar that they dubbed "Adamas". This truly was the guitar that Charles Kaman envisioned, and was his crowning achievement. This guitar was one of the most expensive guitars produced at the time, and for good reason. The hand carved wood scrolling on the headstock, the ornate carved bridge, and many other stunning, inovative features made it a very expensive guitar to produce. Many of the top acoustic guitarists of the era chose the Adamas as their guitar of choice. Most notable of these guitarists were Nancy Wilson of Heart, and Glen Campbell. Even at the price they were charging, the profit margin was so small that they eventually shed many of the features that made it so unique. Ovation still produces a guitar called the Adamas, but it is a mass-produced instrument that bears little resemblance to the masterpiece of the 1970s. Those lucky enough to find one of the very limited run of original hand produced Adamas guitars quickly realize that they have a very special guitar. The four Adamas guitars on the left side (pictured above, front & rear row) are from the early Adamas I era. The creme colored adamas on the far left was one (probably of many) known to have been used in studio by Nancy Wilson. The Adamas shown front row, right, is a more modern limited reproduction Adamas prototype Slothead (100 examples built). The Ovation pictured on the right, rear row is a more common, mass-produced 1999 Collector Series model, mostly just consiered a practice guitar.
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