Anybody else have an Ovation acoustic?

[Guitarplayer_PR]

Originally Posted by Cecil6243

I have an old Applause I like but thinking up moving up to a real deal Ovation.

I so how do you like it? I haven't seen many mentioned here.

I've owned about a dozen and currently own three, so that could tell you what I think about them.

And all three are different. A Folklore from 1982, a Legend from 1989 and a Elite-style Ultra from 2008. All of them feel different, play different and sound different. What they have in common is the big tonal projection, the Ovation "compression" and balance, deep bowls (the Ultra has the deep contoured one), 5-piece necks and the chunky piezos.

I love all three. My main goal is to buy an Adamas, which is the only Ovation guitar I haven't owned.

[cedartop52]

I bought a Balladeer the first year Ovation's were sold. I was in highschool and giving guitar lessons at the local music store. I loved the guitar (never had an issue with is sliding off my lap) and wish I still had it. I traded it for a kayak when I was in college...wish I still had the kayak too! ha

[SpruceTop]

Currently, I have two Ovations, a new Adamas 2087GT-8 and a 2019 Ovation Exotic Woods Elite (see my review earlier in this thread). Both guitars are Deep-Bowl Contour models. Over the last 42 years, I've owned over a dozen high-end Ovation and Adamas models and loved them all! Below is my initial review of the new Adamas:

I received my new 2020 Adamas I 2087GT-8 Custom Reverse Blue Burst, Thursday, three days after it appeared in the Guitar Gallery. Six weeks ago, I noticed it was on order and checked daily to see when it would arrive. I had asked my sales engineer, Chris Lewis, for his best nice price and got the guitar for just north of $4K USD. The Adamas, with a late-October 2020 serial number, arrived in flawless condition and is a credit to the five or so Ovation Custom Shop craftsman in New Hartford, Connecticut. With its Deep Contoured Bowl, the guitar is comfortable and stays put just as well as a conventional wooden guitar. The Adamas features a balanced tone with a crystalline-like shimmer that would amplify and record with minimal EQ. Acoustically, if a Martin HD-28 is a sledgehammer, think of the Adamas as a jeweler's hammer that IMHO would be a joy as an acoustic guitar for jazz-/rock-/and pop-artists to play. Amplified, with its Ovation OCP-1 Pickup/Op Pro Studio Preamp system, the Adamas I 2087GT-8 can be just about anything a player needs or may want it to be in many live-performance situations.

The Adamas I 2087GT-8 Custom Reverse Blue Burst specs are listed below:

String Type: Steel
Number of Strings: 6
Body Shape: Deep Contour Cutaway
Left-/Right-handed: Right-handed
Color: Reverse Blue Burst
Finish: Satin
Top Wood: Ultra-thin Carbon Fiber
Back & Sides Wood: Hand-laid Advanced Composite
Body Bracing: Adamas Fan-bracing
Binding: Carved Glass-filled Composite
Neck Wood: American Black Walnut
Neck Shape: Ovation Soft V
Radius: 10"
Fingerboard Material: Walnut
Fingerboard Inlay: Maple
Number of Frets: 22, Nickel Silver
Scale Length: 25.3"
Tuning Machines: Schaller with Gold buttons
Bridge Material: Carved Walnut
Nut/Saddle Material: Bone/ABS
Nut Width: 1.692"
Electronics: OP Pro Studio
Strings: Adamas, .012-.053
Case Included: Hardshell Case
Weight 4lbs 15 ozs

[merlin666]

There's a review of a pair of new Ovations

I find these guitars look great but the listed price definitely high as the reviewer states. The 12 string would be great for those looking for a smaller body size. My main concern is the type of neck, as the lack of TRC suggests that this may not be a bolt on neck and therefore be challenging to service in the long term.

[Guitarplayer_PR]

Originally Posted by merlin666

There's a review of a pair of new Ovations

I find these guitars look great but the listed price definitely high as the reviewer states. The 12 string would be great for those looking for a smaller body size. My main concern is the type of neck, as the lack of TRC suggests that this may not be a bolt on neck and therefore be challenging to service in the long term.

About the price: I think it comes from the new preamp and its IR technology. I do think the price can be little less, but it is what it is.

[TOPDOGJIM]

I have a 1968 1111-4 that went through New Hartford for a complete overhaul right before they closed.

[merlin666]

Originally Posted by Guitarplayer_PR

About the price: I think it comes from the new preamp and its IR technology. I do think the price can be little less, but it is what it is.

On second thought the 12-string is probably great value as the only comparable 12 frets are Taylor and Collings at much higher price points. This Ovation probably sounds and plays better than the Taylor 12.

[Scott of the Sa]

I have owned 2 Ovations and my son had a Celebrity.
The first one was purchased in 1980. It was an acoustic electric and I was thrilled. I had seen a few performers use the Ovation and was impressed with the sound. I had even played a few before purchase. I was not unhappy with that guitar ... but in 1987 I came into some money and decided on buying a Martin. I still have the Martin. Then in 1996 I decided I wanted a durable guitar that could be used outside. The guy I had sold my old Ovation to used to leave it in his trunk overnight in the winter.
My Second ovation was a Balladeer 1111. It worked well for what I used it for and I ended up giving it away to a missionary.
My son sold his Celebrity to help fund a Martin. I think the guy he sold it to still has it.

[S.bowman]

I had a Standard Balladeer that was one of my favorites ever. It was thinner bodied than other models, so no sliding off of the lap problems. They are by no means "Tone machines", but they play so nicely. It did a fair job on stage as well. I am on the hunt for one now, because they are the perfect couch guitar to me.

[ruger9]

Ovation Custom Legend Deep Bowl cutaway, 1991, sounds great, plays amazing... especially for guys who are primarily electric players like me.

My model is old enough that it did not have anything on the bottom of the bowl to keep the guitar from wanting to slide off your leg, that's my only complaint. Otherwise, it's a stellar guitar. Sounds liken a baby grand piano.

Not a great pic of mine, but the old 1769 turned into today's Al Dimeola model...

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by Guitarplayer_PR

About the price: I think it comes from the new preamp and its IR technology. I do think the price can be little less, but it is what it is.

Yes, the VIP-5 preamp incorporates five Fishman Aura Images (IR) into its design. This preamp was a feature in my now traded 2008 Adamas 2080 NWT and it enabled a truly wonderful amplified tone. Currently, Ovation is no longer including the VIP-5 preamp in any of their models and now the top-of-the-line preamp is the Op Pro Studio which features harmonic enhancement and compression but no Aura Imaging (IR).

[Wade Hampton]

s2y wrote:

Originally Posted by s2y

I never had big issues with the back shape. I've always been rail thin, if that means anything.

Same here. I wouldn’t say I’m rail thin, but I’ve got a high metabolism and I don’t gain weight very quickly.

Basically, if I’m awake, I’m hungry.

So I’ve never had any problems holding an Ovation in my lap or standing up.

Over the years I’ve owned a couple of them, and have gigged and recorded with them. I don’t remember the model numbers, but they were good ones with solid spruce tops. Plus the recording studio where I recorded a CD back in the 1990’s had an Adamas as the house guitar. I can understand why the studio owner/recording engineer chose it for that purpose, because it recorded beautifully, very easy to get a good sound out of it.

So I put down two songs on it when I was at the studio but didn’t have my Baxendale Mossman 000-42 with me, plus I recorded some additional tracks on other songs with it, as well.

The times I’ve traveled in Asia I’ve found that Ovations are considered very fine instruments over there. Since acoustic guitars don’t spring from their own musical traditions, I think there’s less animosity towards Ovations for daring to do something different than other manufacturers.

So while I have to admit that traditional designs work best for the music that I play, I have immense respect for those instruments.

Hope that makes sense.


Wade Hampton Miller

[Oldguy64]

Originally Posted by Cecil6243

I have an old Applause I like but thinking up moving up to a real deal Ovation.

I so how do you like it? I haven't seen many mentioned here.

If you like the Applause, you’ll love an Ovation.
I ran hot and cold on Ovations till I bought one.
I spent a bit of time with an 1861LX.
It was a great guitar.
It had some shortcomings. It you can get past them, you will enjoy an Ovation.
1. Wood and Lyrachord do not expand/contract at the same rate.
If you live in a climate where the humidity changes quite a bit, keep an eye on the wooden top. Mine was always on the verge of developing the “Ovation split” from the bridge to the endpin. It never did because I chased the humidity religiously.
2. The OP24 preamp makes the guitar sound amazing. It is also extremely versatile. You can even get a little bit of an electric guitar sound with the clipping function. The Downside is that it goes thru batteries at an amazing speed.
3. For some reason, MY experience was that on my guitar, strings died quite suddenly. To the point where I’d pick it up and think it might be time to trade it off.
Upon changing strings, it would sound amazing again.
Along with that, it never sounded “organic” to me. Great guitar for the stage, but it never inspired me to write, or practice.
4. My round belly and it’s round back conspired in such a way that on a strap, it hung such that the strap put pressure on my left jugular vein.
And for your lap consider a piece of skateboard tape in the bottom curve to keep it from slipping around.

Most of these are not all that problematic.
But if you aren’t willing to live with them, move on.

[Guitarplayer_PR]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

s2y wrote:



Same here. I wouldn’t say I’m rail thin, but I’ve got a high metabolism and I don’t gain weight very quickly.

Basically, if I’m awake, I’m hungry.

So I’ve never had any problems holding an Ovation in my lap or standing up.

Over the years I’ve owned a couple of them, and have gigged and recorded with them. I don’t remember the model numbers, but they were good ones with solid spruce tops. Plus the recording studio where I recorded a CD back in the 1990’s had an Adamas as the house guitar. I can understand why the studio owner/recording engineer chose it for that purpose, because it recorded beautifully, very easy to get a good sound out of it.

So I put down two songs on it when I was at the studio but didn’t have my Baxendale Mossman 000-42 with me, plus I recorded some additional tracks on other songs with it, as well.

The times I’ve traveled in Asia I’ve found that Ovations are considered very fine instruments over there. Since acoustic guitars don’t spring from their own musical traditions, I think there’s less animosity towards Ovations for daring to do something different than other manufacturers.

So while I have to admit that traditional designs work best for the music that I play, I have immense respect for those instruments.

Hope that makes sense.


Wade Hampton Miller

People in America, compared to other parts of the world, have different opinions and concepts about what is a good tone, especially when it comes to acoustic guitars. In Europe there is the lute, while in Middle East there's the oud. In Italy, there's the mandolin, but in Greece, there is the bouzouki. In USA, there's the banjo and in Japan, there's the shamisen. And in America, there's the steel string acoustic guitar sound, while in other parts of the world, the nylon string guitar is the undisputed king. And there's the Ovation, which, in my opinion, brings a tonal bridge between the steel tone and the nylon tone, even if most Ovations are steel string guitars.

[Geof S.]

I recently downsized from 20+ guitars to 7. I got rid of a few Ovations I was not playing much in the process.

But I kept my Adamas II 1581, which I will never get rid of. If I ever feel the need to downsize to one guitar, the Adamas is the one that will stay.