Ovation guitars

[Everettrg2]

I think they were some of the first Half-decent acoustic/electrics on the market. They really were the hot ticket about 35-40 years ago, and they still are great guitars. I personally prefer the sound of an all-wood guitar, but they do have a market. I constantly debate going out to get one as a "beater". Most durable axe this side of a Rainsong. They're still a good deal.

[j3ffr0]

In the late 80s and early 90s Ovations had some of the best electronics and most playable necks. During that time, I really liked them for that (although I never actually bought one. They really had no peer for a while (at least at their price points).

I think it was about the mid 90s when some other guitar manufacturers started including decent electronics. Now there are so many options that have these features there is really no reason to seek out an ovation unless you like the brand name or the rounded back. I would have bought one all the way up to about y2k. Now I would only buy one if it was an incredible deal.

[harryboss1]

I bought a new Balladeer Deluxe in 1978 and sold it about 7 yrs ago. I really liked it and wish I still had it.

[pieterh]

Originally Posted by CrankyChris

The funny thing is: some cool new band will start playing them ironically - and they'll be the coolest thing ever. Everybody will want one.

I won't, trust me on this...

[RoseAdi]

I've had two over the years. Bought a Custom Balladeer in '75. Played extensively with a friend that had a Martin D28. Have to admit the Martin was better, and way more expensive. Man they sure melded together well in our acoustic performances!

Bought an Adamas in 2003 that was really a great sounding guitar! A real lap piano! Sold it and really wish I still had it.

May not be the coolest "thing" right now, but they sure have their place!

[cresting_wave]

One of my fellow engineers have an Ovation Custom Legend which I believe is one of their higher end models, below the Adamas series. It's got a spruce top, round soundhole and the usual round back. He puts it in the studio for all of us to play when we take breaks. A "public beater", so to speak.



The playability is good except that I'm not very fond of the V-shaped neck.

As for its sound, I don't really like it. The volume is only 3/4 of an ordinary acoustic guitar. The tone is pretty mid-heavy without sonic sparke or brilliance.

Still, I play it when I take breaks from recording and mixing works. It's better than nothing to lay my hands on when I wanna play.

[patchmcg]

Originally Posted by GibbyPrague

Because they're awful in every respect.

Says you.....

Personal opinions shouldn't be bandied about as absolutes.

I dumped Taylor and Gibson because I like Ovations better, but that doesn't mean I'm going to publicly call them "awful in every respect", and by association intimate that the people who like them couldn't possibly know anything about guitars.

This topic has been hashed over countless times on this forum and it always comes out the same way:

Some folks like'em.

Some tolerate them.

Some don't care for them.

But there is always at least one person who denigrates over 40 years of solid performance out of New Hartford CT and other places by bashing away at them. No other brand gets less respect.

Ovation, the brand haters love to hate!

[MisterZeus]

...But Al DiMeola still plays one (albeit plugged in) and has since the 70's.
They gotta have something going for them.
I suspect that live and plugged in they give him something that he does not find in other makes such as his PRS Prism or his Conde Hermanos acoustic.

[ewalling]

Originally Posted by GibbyPrague

Because theyre awful in every respect.

Aha, a Gibson man, I see. Now, I wonder how many horror stories we could generate about those ...

[Andromeda]

A couple of pictures from 1o years ago playing my old 1981 Custom legend. Although I have moved on from Ovation guitars I still think they're great guitars to play.

[D. Shelton]

Originally Posted by Jeff M

Indeed.

and in theory... as cool as it never was

same as it ever was

DS

[Ilovetaylors]

Originally Posted by cresting_wave

One of my fellow engineers have an Ovation Custom Legend which I believe is one of their higher end models, below the Adamas series. It's got a spruce top, round soundhole and the usual round back. He puts it in the studio for all of us to play when we take breaks. A "public beater", so to speak.



The playability is good except that I'm not very fond of the V-shaped neck.

As for its sound, I don't really like it. The volume is only 3/4 of an ordinary acoustic guitar. The tone is pretty mid-heavy without sonic sparke or brilliance.

Still, I play it when I take breaks from recording and mixing works. It's better than nothing to lay my hands on when I wanna play.

It reminds me of Petros guitars.

http://petrosguitars.com/gallery/Pet...d_Guitars.html

Am I the only one who sees the resemblance? Petros might have a lawsuit in their hands.

[BComp61]

I still have a Legend that I bought in 1977. It is no longer my main acoustic but has become my "I'll take it on a trip beater". I loved the neck design and playability. I hate to get rid of it since it was actually played by Lyle Lovett during an in-store promotion of his first album.
Look at it this way...at least they won't have to worry about the Fed's raiding their factory looking for illegal wood.

[BusterBFan]

The guitar world is so funny because it simultaneously attracts some of the most- and some of the least- creative people out there. They're both interested in what they can do with a guitar, they just come at it from veeeeeeeery different directions.

Uncreative people operate by association.
If something has been socially validated in popular culture (which is usually an extension of what they see on TV, or what their preordained 'heroes' have chosen), they will always cast in their lot with that. This is a virtuous cycle for a brand (of anything, not just guitars). Once that cool-signal is created and the hivemind is sparked, people start to buy them, which begets more people buying them and on and on. Before you know it, the "wisdom of the crowd" is making everyone feel the need to buy one... The catch is, 'social validation' isn't always a meritocracy. To wit: Justin Beiber won 4 American Music Awards in spite of being neither American nor musician.

Sure, there are always a college of pseudo-reasons and technical excuses as to why Brand X is superior to Brand Y- and everyone is certainly entitled to their individual preferences- but I can't shake this nagging consistency I've noticed over the years; that whenever I've heard someone passionately putting down another mans choice of instrument, if you listen to their sound files, you're less impressed by whatever instrument they're playing and more impressed by the fact that their skill level almost always resembles that of a mildly talented 14 year old.

So, for a period of time, Ovations were hot, now they're not. This 'popularity' is hugely influential on the consumer decisions made by uncreative people, meaningless to creative people.

Creative people decide they want that Ovation tone, or that they don't want that Ovation tone for whatever creative work they're doing. Uncreative people decide they do or do not want Ovations based on what they see other people doing, since duplicating that is all they'll be using a guitar for anyway.

For some reason- I don't know why- this video seems appropriate here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSedE5sU3uc

[patchmcg]

Originally Posted by BusterBFan

The guitar world is so funny because it simultaneously attracts some of the most- and some of the least- creative people out there. They're both interested in what they can do with a guitar, they just come at it from veeeeeeeery different directions.

Uncreative people operate by association.
If something has been socially validated in popular culture (which is usually an extension of what they see on TV, or what their preordained 'heroes' have chosen), they will always cast in their lot with that. This is a virtuous cycle for a brand (of anything, not just guitars). Once that cool-signal is created and the hivemind is sparked, people start to buy them, which begets more people buying them and on and on. Before you know it, the "wisdom of the crowd" is making everyone feel the need to buy one... The catch is, 'social validation' isn't always a meritocracy. To wit: Justin Beiber won 4 American Music Awards.

Sure, there are always a college of pseudo-reasons and technical excuses as to why Brand X is superior to Brand Y- and everyone is certainly entitled to their individual preferences- but I can't shake this nagging consistency I've noticed over the years; that whenever I've heard someone passionately putting down another mans choice of instrument, if you listen to their sound files, you're less impressed by whatever instrument they're playing and more impressed by the fact that their skill level almost always resembles that of a mildly talented 14 year old.

So, for a period of time, Ovations were hot, now they're not. This 'popularity' is hugely influential on the consumer decisions made by uncreative people, meaningless to creative people.

Creative people decide they want that Ovation tone, or that they don't want that Ovation tone for whatever creative work they're doing. Uncreative people decide they do or do not want Ovations based on what they see other people doing, since duplicating that is all they'll be using a guitar for anyway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSedE5sU3uc

I love this post!