John Denver sometimes played an Ovation Adamas (carbon fiber top) onstage, and I loved the sound of it so much I attempted to recreate it here. The acoustic guitar I played for the intro and fills is an Ovation Elite, super shallow bowl, acoustic-electric, circa 1985, plugged directly into the board. The low "E" string is tuned down to "D" for that full, folky sound. I put on a new set of phosphor bronze medium gauge strings for the tracking session to give it some "bite." This guitar has an onboard three-band EQ: high and low bands are boosted and the mids are cut slightly. When recorded using the guitar's own electrics, Ovations have a cool rubber-bandy kinda sound. TWANG!

Check out John Denver playing "I'd Rather Be A Cowboy" with the Ovation Adamas live onstage on YouTube here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgU_emE5_so

God, I miss him.

Bob