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Glen's Guitars - Original Topic from 2011

Everything from Glen Campbell's history with Ovation, other guitar talk, and guitar picks!
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Re: Glen's Guitars - original topic from 2011

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Posted on Saturday, April 30, 2011 - 10:39 am:

That looks pretty complete to me, Paul.

Wayne

-Bluebird


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Re: Glen's Guitars - original topic from 2011

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Posted on Thursday, April 28, 2011 - 07:34 pm:

I'm tired of working so it's time to take a swing at Glen's acoustic guitars.

In the 60's when he was doing studio work, Glen played a Martin D-18. The story was that he found it in the trunk of a car he purchased. Don't know if that's true. That guitar can be seen in one of the videos from MGC.

In the 60's he also played a Gibson 12 string.

In the late 60's (67?) he played a Mosrite that was built for him.

In the fall of 1968 he started playing Ovations, first a Deluxe Balladeer, then in 1969 with the Goodtime Hour, he played the Glen Campbell Deluxe Balladeer, both 6 and 12 strings. There were 2 of the 6 strings built. The first is owned by Bluebird of this board. I think that Glen still has the second.

By the fall of 1969, he was playing the Glen Campbell Artist model. He played a number of these over the next 4 years or so.

During these years, he also played several different Ovation nylon strings, first a deep body classical model, then the Country Artist. Bluebird recently aquired the first of these.

In about 1974 he was given, by Ovation, a Legend, a deep body acoustic only guitar with a new bracing pattern (which braces the top of the guitar) that had a terrific sound. He played that guitar for several years. It's pictured on the cover of the Reunion album. On youtube you can find him in 1976 on the Midnight Special singing RC and playing that guitar. He liked it a lot.

In 1976 he was given the first of the Ovation Adamas slothead guitars. A guitar with a deep bowl, a carbon graphite top (there's a little more than that to it) and a carved slothead head stock. Because of his close relationship to the founder of Ovation, Charlie Kaman (who died in January of this year), Glen got the first one to leave the factory.

More to come.....

-Paul


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Re: Glen's Guitars - original topic from 2011

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Posted on Thursday, April 28, 2011 - 07:46 pm:

Part 2

Glen played Adamas guitars (this of Lexus vs. Toyota / Adamas vs. Ovation) for about 5 years. In 1981, Ovation used the Adamas format with a wood topped guitar. Glen got the first production prototype (Bill Kaman, son of Charlie, got the second).

Glen played this guitar (and a second that was almost identical except for the neck inlays) until 1988. At that time, he got an Ovation 1987 Collectors model. This is a very fancy version of the wood topped Adamas (it was first called the 1537), Now known as the Elite.

Glen played the 87 Collectors (great wood on the top, trimmed in abalone around the body, neck, and in the inlays) for about 10 years.

In the late 90's he started playing, on stage, an Ovation Viper which was simply stated, a solid body acoustic guitar. He's played those ever since, on stage.

Off stage, from what I've seen, he favors an early 1980's Ovation Custom Legend that is black. It's an acoustic electric. Essentially, it's just like the Legend he played in the mid 70's but much much fancier.

He's stayed very loyal to Ovations since late 1968. In 2006, for their 40th anniversary, Ovation reissued the Glen Campbell Artist and the Glen Campbell 12 string. Only about 50 of each were built (I own one).

Wayne (Bluebird), what did I forget?

-Paul


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Re: Glen's Guitars - original topic from 2011

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Posted on Tuesday, April 12, 2011 - 12:16 am:

I think the guitar with the "handle holes" was a relatively cheap Tiesco (sp?).

I believe Glen went from the Ovation Thunderhead/Tornado guitars right to Breadwinner/Deacons because I don't remember any others from this period.

I agree with Bucky that many of Glen's guitars are custom builds for the fact that while guitars with similar specs were available sometime AFTER Glen's were built, his were first-off's or experimental. Of all the ones I have, none were something that was available off-the-rack when he got them.

Some differences were minor such as the first Glen Campbell Deluxe Balladeer that had only gold hardware, GC truss rod cover and 12-fret initials to distinguish it from a regular Deluxe Balladeer.

Other ones were major; the GC Adamas proto that had, in addition to the custom preamp, a super shallow bowl, cutaway body that predates production offerings by two years.

The first pickup equipped acoustics were also one and a half to two years ahead of production models and had a number of other differences as well.

Then of course, there are the Bluebirds that were exclusively for Glen. Although they weren’t as ground breaking feature-wise as some of the other instruments, the color scheme was exclusive to those guitars, and even most of these were different from one another.

Here is a link to the guitar page featuring some of the guitars I have been fortunate enough to dig up over the years.

http://web.archive.org/web/201105232321 ... uitar.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; [note from admin: updated link 10/08/2014]

-Bluebird


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Re: Glen's Guitars - original topic from 2011

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Posted on Saturday, April 09, 2011 - 12:19 pm:

He also had a Ric 12 in the sixties - He recorded one of the 12 string albums with one.

-Bucky


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Re: Glen's Guitars - original topic from 2011

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Posted on Friday, April 08, 2011 - 07:57 pm:

Bucky, great photos. Thanks for posting them. I'll try to add to what the photos are.

First, electrics. The old photo that looks like a Fender Mustang is not one. I can't remember what it is but you can see Glen using it on Star Route and Shindig video. It looks like it has old P90's on it (pickups) and oddly, has a cutout where the right are covers it that looks like a handle. There was a link on this page, somewhere with info on it.

He also used a Mosrite in the 60's, both 6 & 12 string. In 68 or so, when he started using Ovations, he also started using an Ovation Thunderhead. Very similar to a Gibson ES330 hollow body. Several of the pics Bucky posted show this guitar.

For the life of me, I don't recall what electric he was playing from about 1972-73.

For a short while after that he played the Ovation Deacons, 6 and 12 string electrics. Those are the ones that look like battleaxes. Actually, very good guitars with active electronics.

In 1976 he started playing the prototype for the Ovation Bluebird and then played Bluebirs 6 and 12 strings. There's a section on the board with info on them. Wayne Reid ("Bluebird") has both a 6 and 12 string (I think 3 of each were built for Glen).

Glen stopped playing the 6 string somewhere around 1980 and went to a Gibson ES335. He played that through most of the 80's, until he started playing Stratocasters. He's had several of these and played them until about 3 years ago when he went with the G&L that looks similar.

As to 12 string electrics, he played a Mosrite in the 60's. I don't recall him playing a 12 until about 73 when he started playing the Deacon. Then, in about 77 or so, he started playing the Bluebird 12's. He had 3 of them and most were played until damaged by baggage handler or airlines. Finally, about 12 years ago, when the last one was damaged, Jeff Dayton, who ran his band at the time, went to Hamer Guitars (owned by Kaman Music, the owner of Ovation) and had his current 12 string build.

Wayne Reid should be able to add something to this.

I'll tackle the acoustics in a little while.....

-Paul


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Re: Glen's Guitars - original topic from 2011

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Posted on Friday, April 08, 2011 - 07:02 pm:

[Note from admin: picture links are not working anymore, 10/08/2014]

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t151 ... ibson2.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - Glen and Debbie, with a Gibson 335.

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t151 ... ession.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - I am guessing this is one of his first Ovations.

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t151 ... ation2.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t151 ... guitar.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - I wonder if he stopped playing Fenders for a while in favor of the Ovation electrics.

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t151 ... mpbell.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - Blue

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t151 ... pbell2.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - Natural behind him.

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t151 ... hollow.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - This could have been an Ovation...

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t151 ... Gibson.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - Gibson 12.

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t151 ... nfield.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - Ovation 6.

Double post for memory purposes.

-Bucky


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Re: Glen's Guitars - original topic from 2011

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Posted on Friday, April 08, 2011 - 07:02 pm:

Brad, all the latest pics of him playing live show him playing the blue G&L. He may have retired the Fender. - Just look on the front page - You can tell by the G*L shaped headstock.

Paul, guitar companies often take care of their celebrity guitarists - He owns several different Ovations, and I'm sure several of them are custom.

- I mentioned the Mosrite and Gibson twelves, but I don't think they're custom. Plus, I believe the Mosrite Twelve was an electric guitar. He also had a Mosrite six string.

A lot of these are from the old photo thread.

[Note from admin: picture links are not working anymore, 10/08/2014]

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t151 ... enband.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - With a 50's Strat in the seventies; He's play multiple different ones over the years.

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t151 ... mpbell.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - A more recent picture (90s) with a White Strat

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t151 ... master.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - A Jazzmaster, or maybe a Jaguar. He used a Jazzmaster with the Champs, and with a Fender Champ amp, I believe, like I use in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKfd01Ov1J4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - Note this was in '09 - I get better all the time, and I am always nervous in the videos.

-Bucky


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Re: Glen's Guitars - original topic from 2011

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Posted on Friday, April 08, 2011 - 10:45 am:

Paul,

Go on man, your on a roll. You are a wealth of good information. I think the unusual electric solid body you were thinking of may have been his "Ovation Breadwinner" (mid to late 70's) , a horrible looking thing that was shaped like a medieval battle axe.
His three stage guitars for the last few years and up to the present time are

1) Ovation Viper Acoustic Electric "Black"

2) Hamer Bluebird Electric 12 string solidbody in"Blueburst" (he's been using this one since the 70's)

3) And contrary to what someone claimed earlier Glen's main on stage electric ,is a Fender Custom Shop, maple neck Stratocaster in beautiful sparkling "Lake Placid Blue".

and man can he shred all of them

-Brad


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Re: Glen's Guitars - original topic from 2011

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Posted on Friday, April 08, 2011 - 12:03 am:

Bucky, most of the Ovations Glen played over the years weren't very "custom". Almost all of them could be purchased by anybody, with the exception of the Bluebird 6 and 12 string electrics. Those were made just for Glen and were never offered to the public. But everything else, with the exception of his name or initials on them were the same as those sold to the public.

In the 60's he played a Mosrite 12 string solidbody a lot as well as a Gibson 12 string acoustic (can't remember the model number). There was another electric solid body that was unusual and I can't remember what it was.

About 67 or so he played a Mosrite acoustic (he had a Martin D-18 that he did a lot of studio work with). In the fall of 1968 he started using Ovations. In January 1969 he had his first Glen Campbell Deluxe Balladeer. He got a second one a few months later but by the fall of 1969 he was playing the Ovation Glen Campbell Artist.

I could go on.....

-Paul


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