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August 2003
Posts: 888
Location: Louisville, OH 44641 | My 1st Ovation was a mid depth bowl Adamas 12 string. I later bought a deep bowl Elite. I love both of these guitars. However, I've played a couple shallow bowl O's and wasn't too impressed. Are these basically only intended to be played plugged in? And if so, why not just buy an electric. The shallow bowl was not all that fun to play acoustically.
In my mind, the shallow bowls hurt Ovation's reputation.
I'll stick to the deeper designs.
Jim |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Shallow bowls have their place, they are comfortable to play, especially on a strap & have better feedback resistance without using outboard gear than deeper guitars. Unplugged they can sound pretty uninspiring but in fairness that's missing the point. I'm not a fan of these guitars but I've played one or two super-shallows that have sounded much better than I would have expected. |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | My next Ovation purchase will be a shallow bowl 6. |
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December 2002
Posts: 939
Location: Fort Worth, Texas | Standing up playing on stage, my shallow bowl is great. I used to own a Celebrity deep bowl and played that and it was very cumbersome...
I've played the shallow bowl in guitar circles, etc. and have gotten great compliments about the sound... |
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Joined:
January 2004
Posts: 627
Location: Cherry Hill, NJ | The super shallow bowl, is meant to be plugged in. I guess it's close to acoustic sound, while playing a guitar, thin, like an electric. I prefer the deeper bowl. I believe that Ovation got away from the deep bowl, because of its weight, verses, all wood guitars, and the depth of the bowl, hindered comfort playing while standing. That's why almost all the models are shallow or mid-depth. I think you'll start seeing the lighter weight mid-depth bowl, become very popular in the future. |
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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 782
Location: Waurika OK | My ss 12 string legend 1866 sounds very good unplugged. Not as good as my deep bowl legend, but good. Possibly a ss 12 string will sound better than a ss 6.
Noel |
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November 2002
Posts: 35
Location: Reading, PA | I went from a Tele to an Elite Super shallow and have no complaints acoustic or electric.
Jim |
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February 2002
Posts: 1817
Location: Minden, Nebraska | I love my super shallow Legends and Custom Legend. I use them live and in rehearsal every week. They get better with age, too. |
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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 24
Location: Austin, Tx | Every Ovation I have played is different, so I think it's personal preference. I love my 1866 and think it sounds better than any 12 string I've ever played (including other 1866's). I have also found it true that 12 strings sound more full on a shallow bowl. The 1867's I've played sound pretty flimsy unplugged. Then again, my brother has a mob-57 that sounds great, and no other mob I've played sounds as good. I think there must be an inconsistency in production at the factory. |
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Joined:
August 2003
Posts: 396
| I enjoy my shallow bowl balladeer. It is the most comfortable guitar I own. Whether I'm sitting or lying back, it's a great fit. No, it does not get the unplugged depth or lows, but it doesn't sound cheap and twangy either. Stellarjim, I think the shallow bowl lam top Korean made guitars hurt Ovations reputation. I still talk to people who don't know the difference in Ovation quality, and some who don't know the American-made vs Korean made, solid top vs lam top story. |
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Joined:
June 2002
Posts: 6197
Location: Phoenix AZ | Some of the Ovation SS acoustics are OK. I own an Adamas version that is not bad. And yes they are very comfortable to play. Would be my 1st choice for standing up live work. But the real crapolo are the plywood top SS bowls (Celebs and the like). The acoustic sound comes from the vibrations of the top coupled with the volume of the bowl. If both aspects are compromised, well ... that's what you get. Unfortunatly due to some dubious marketing tactics of the past, this is the sound that most every day comsumers attach to the Ovation name. We've rehashed this hundred's of times on this board. Dave |
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December 2001
Posts: 10582
Location: NJ | you don't need to understand them you just need to play them. |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | This subject has gone round and round here several times. Lets look at it this way:
There are different bowl depths for different sounds and applications. Just like there are different sizes of other guitars, D, OM, OOO, OO, O, 1, 2, 5, and the CJ, SJ of Collings and all the Gibson shapes. A bluegrasser might take a style O guitar and say it has no bass etc. It's not supposed to, it's a different deal.
Shallow Ovations can sound good acoustically. They can be bad too. Yes they were mostly designed for stage use back in the 80's when everyone was playing Ovations on stage. (click) It's all in what you want. My main guitar for years was the 84 C-Series. If I'm not on that it's an OM Collings or O size Martin (1930) or one of the Nationals which are small bodies too. They're more comfortable. The Dreadonut and full bowl are there if needed too. |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13987
Location: Upper Left USA | So if I may cross analogize. The stub-nose 9mm for the ankle holster, and the 45 semi-auto in the shoulder holster for walks around the park or when a dinner jacket is required. For those in town get togethers or Club meetings you want the side slung 45 - and not the magnum - that stays in the truck. Weddings may require a coordination of Brownings or S&Ws but the Mossberg is strictly for house protection. For Sunday - everything stays at home or in the truck, except your Buck Knife maybe.
Hey, these are tools. It's not so much which is better but which is more appropriate. It still takes both hands to control them and don't let your kids near them until you've spent some time teaching them right from wrong. And YOU CAN'T HAVE TOO MANY!
Soapbox out. |
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June 2002
Posts: 6197
Location: Phoenix AZ | You know, THAT's the most sense anybody around hre has made in a long time. Nice job, MWoody. |
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March 2002
Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | And then you get people like me, who don't like to carry but have on occassion for work, and just put the big nine in the small of the back, under a jacket. |
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Joined:
January 2004
Posts: 799
Location: Athens, GA & Gnashville |
The shallow bowl definitely has its place as far as the acoustic sound goes.
In Nashville, the "industry standard" for acoustic steel strings has the mahogany D-18. It has been this way since the 50's. The reason? It has a sweeter, more mid-rangey tone without the booming bass that engineers HATE! My weapon of choice since 1980 or has been an early 70's GC shallow bowl (no pick-up). What a great guitar!! It took a while, but engineers and players finally started giving this little guitar some respect. It sounds very D-18ish, with that extra added Ovation clarity. So there. :D |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | Goob:
That's like my Deluxe Balladeer. It's got an incredibly deep sound with the Ovation clarity. I mic it with a condenser mic, add just a touch of reverb at the board and it's just amazing. |
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Joined:
August 2002
Posts: 623
Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | I generally prefer my mid bowls to my shallowbowl O's, but oddly enough, it's my shallowbowl that I play most often around the house.
My friend who has just started guitar went guitar shopping with me. We tried many, many guitars to find one right for her. Though I stressed my favoring Ovations, I really wanted her to come to her own conclusions, so we tried many brands. Thankfully, she chose Ovation, and LOVES her elite she bought from Al (she signed up on the board and is coming to the tour too!), and it is a gorgeous sounding/looking guitar. I'm really impressed with it's sound.
Being a petite girl, comfort was a major factor for her, and the shallow bowl was one of the BIG deciding factors for her. She also dug the Ovation sound, quality, and the feel of them. It was a hands down, obvious-but educated- decision, even though she had next to no guitar experience. It was really something to see the change in expression she had THE MOMENT she played an ovation after all the other bands. I'm thrilled for her, and glad that ovation makes the shallow bowl.
-Johnny |
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Joined:
January 2004
Posts: 1225
Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | I think that the super shallow bowls are one of the things that make Ovation guitars unique. There are very few choices out there for guitarists who prefer a slim acoustic guitar. Personally, I love my s.s. Legend 12 string. I play mostly standing and plugged in so the design is ideal for me. I find that the mid-bowls tend to lean back a little on me which would probably make grabbing certain barre chords more of a challenge on the 12 string.
I will admit that the s.s. bowl doesn't sound as good unplugged as my mid-bowl does, but that doesn't bother me. I just plug-er in and crank-er up. :cool: |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 1817
Location: Minden, Nebraska | Of the slim bodied acoustic/electrics, a shallow bowl Ovation is the best I have tried. Gibson and Guild have both have pricey thinner bodied models and I have tried a number of them, but they do not sound as good or as well-balanced -- in my opinion -- as the good USA made shallow bowl models. They cost more, don't have as nice a neck, are more feedback prone, and with the exception of the top of the line models don't have electronics to equal Ovation's.
Whether you like the sound of the shallow bowl models or not, one of them is still to be preferred when a slimmer body style guitar is called for. |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 1071
Location: Carle Place, NY | I have an 1862 Custom Balladeer SS. Unplugged it does not sound as good as my 1619 Custom Legend; but it is a great guitar for sitting down on the couch and playing. Actually, the lower acoustic volume is nice when I want to play quietly. Also, my 1862 has jumbo frets which are flawlessly finished and are fantastic for playing leads. I have also found that the type and gauge of strings makes a difference. I use Elixir custom lights (.011-.052)and the guitar sounds very nice with them with excelllent string to string balance. Clearly the SS guitars are stage instruments that were designed to be plugged in, but they also work as acoustics too. Just don't expect an SS to sound as good as a deep bowl model. |
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Joined:
July 2003
Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | I personally don't care for the sound of the super-shallow bowl Os, EXCEPT....I played an 1866 Legend 12-string at Guitar Center before Christmas, and it really sounded good. Not as full as my mid-and deep-bowl 12s, but still darn good, though. Good enough that I'm thinking about one after getting another 6-string. Would give me super-shallow, mid- and deep-bowl 12-strings.
Nancy and Ann Wilson play a super-shallow bowl Legend 12-string(looks like a custom color blue) on both the "The Road Home" and "Alive In Seattle" DVDs and it sounds absolutely wonderful.
I dunno, for my taste, I'd play my Epiphone Casino instead of a super-shallow Ovation 6-string. Just me, I guess.
Well, wait a minute....a nice 1127 GC Artist would SURE tempt me!!!! :)
Roger
1976 Applause AA14-4 6-String
1981 Ovation 1118-1 Glen Campbell 12-string
2001 Adamas 1598-MERB Melissa Etheridge 12-String
2003 Ovation 1777-NAT Legend 6-string |
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Joined:
November 2002
Posts: 266
Location: Tampa, Florida | I bought a super shallow celeb as a stage beater-but I would buy a mid depth bowl USA Ovation. SS for stage, and the mids for occasional unplugging and around the house. |
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I don't understand shallow bowl O's