Ovation Mandolin?!?

Bobalouie3 · #1 07-15-2006, 02:32 PM

When I was at Sound Land today (www.soundland.de), I took a walk through their acoustic section and noticed they had an Ovation mandolin complete with the funky Ovation small sound hole cutouts in the upper bouts like on some of their guitars. Weird...

joe white · #2 07-15-2006, 02:35 PM

Where you been brother??

Those have been around for quite a while. I had one about 7 or 8 years ago. They are pretty decent plugged in.

Bobalouie3 · #3 07-15-2006, 02:39 PM

Guess I've been under my rock for too long!

Today was the first time I'd ever saw one!

JohnZ · #4 07-15-2006, 03:52 PM

They make two. One is an Applause, and is a pretty good way to get a decent inexpensive mandolin that you can plug in. The other is an Ovation brand from their custom shop and over a grand street price. I'd an Eastman would be a better option over the Ovation.

Common to both the Ovation and Applause is the need for ball end strings. You can get around that and use loop end strings by using a piece of coat hanger, but it's a bit of a hassle.

chuck · #5 07-15-2006, 06:37 PM

Yep, the Applause was good enough for my old mando teacher as his first instrument was the fiddle. They hold their own!

ParleyDee · #6 07-15-2006, 06:45 PM

Funny, I was thinking of posting a discussion about these only the other day.

I bought one a few years ago (think it's an Applause, must go look!) which I used in my now-defunct band and now play once a year for an ad-hoc bush band thingy.

When I got it, the action was so high the intonation was waaaaay out even at the second fret. That was easily fixed but I find the string pair spacing a little wide and hard to alter because it's set by the hole spacing in the bridge. It does exactly what it says on the tin and sounds good plugged in (and not too bad unplugged either) but I haven't found it the most comfortable instrument for that reason.

Anyone else notice the string spacing? (Of course, I'm not a "real" mando player so it doesn't take much to throw me.)

Bobalouie3 · #7 07-15-2006, 11:39 PM

The one I saw looked like the string pairs were further apart both to each other and the other pairs. Wish I had had the time to play it. I'm going back on Wed to pick up shipping boxes for my other guitars, I may just have to try these mandos out. They also had some mandolas (mando-violas) and a lute plus some Fender mandos. All in all, not a bad selection.

This place, I guess, could be compared to a GC (I've never been in one) without the prepubescence. They have everything...drum kits, electric pianos, live sound, recording, guitars, basses, amps you name it. They also have a fair amount of employees who speak English.

Oh, and just for you Bern, I picked up a Taylor brochure that was written in German. As soon as I can get it scanned in, I'll send you a copy!

JohnZ · #8 07-16-2006, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ParleyDee

Funny, I was thinking of posting a discussion about these only the other day.

I bought one a few years ago (think it's an Applause, must go look!) which I used in my now-defunct band and now play once a year for an ad-hoc bush band thingy.

When I got it, the action was so high the intonation was waaaaay out even at the second fret. That was easily fixed but I find the string pair spacing a little wide and hard to alter because it's set by the hole spacing in the bridge. It does exactly what it says on the tin and sounds good plugged in (and not too bad unplugged either) but I haven't found it the most comfortable instrument for that reason.

Anyone else notice the string spacing? (Of course, I'm not a "real" mando player so it doesn't take much to throw me.)

Yeah, they're too wide.....I'd re-slot the saddle.