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Joined:
August 2002
Posts: 623
Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | Hey Gang...
I was in GC the other day, and I saw a used Ovation "Matrix" hanging on the wall. Never heard of those before. No electronics, just acoustic. Was selling for $290. Is that an import?
Another used Ovation I saw was a black Classic 1713 selling for $400. I never saw one of those before either. It was a nylon string, and had the old style electronics (volume dial, 3 band eq). It sounded nice, though I don't know enough about nylon string guitars to compare. I really liked it a lot, however the neck had an almost "concave" surface radius. Perhaps that's normal for nylong string guitars, I really wouldn't know. But I'd like to eventually have a nylon string for recording.
Any thoughts/input on the 1713? Is that a good price for it?
Thanks,
Johnny |
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Joined:
August 2002
Posts: 623
Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | Ignorance is everything!
I just did a search here for the Matrix, and there are a lot of threads.
Guess I'll catch up on my reading!
Johnny |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7251
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | My Matrix... (factory 2nd no less) has lasted 28+ years and it still sounds great. :) |
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February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Johnny, if it's an early aluminium fingerboard version, almost $300 is way too much for that guitar. |
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Joined:
May 2003
Posts: 2
Location: Laporte IN. | Funny i just had some e-mail questions answered from Ovation guitars.com about my matrix.
they said it was a cheeper version made by Ovation.
however i bought mine in the middle 80's and it is still my favorite guitar to play.
over my strat or my 1966 gretch.
any matrix experts out there mine is a model # 1737
and a ser#109242
Glad to have found this site.
anyone found a way to replace the pick up????
God Bless
Chris |
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Joined:
November 2002
Posts: 3666
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | Y'know, Senor Cornsnakes, that's a very astute question. If we're talking about those 3/8" wide, stepped, white saddle types; where DO you get those?! I was thinking you might be able to recycle the saddle part, and replace the piezo with a "regular" transducer. Dunno. Perhaps someone else knows more about this issue. I defer to my learned colleagues for additional edification. |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | The Matrix didn't use a regular Ovation saddle/pickup assembly, it had 2 piezo elements attached to underside of the top, each side of the saddle-slot, it was a passive system without a preamp, or if I remember correctly, a volume control. If they're not working junk the whole lot and put in something better.
As far as I can tell, there's no easy way to replace individual piezo elements in the Ovation pickup, much simpler to replace the entire unit. The Ovation pickup is unique, putting in a regular undersaddle pressure sensitive pickup into the Ovation saddle assembly wouldn't be a great idea. |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7251
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Learn something new everyday, I didn't know there was an acoustic/electric version of the Matrix. Actually mine is a Medallion, maybe the that's the difference. |
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Joined:
May 2003
Posts: 2
Location: Laporte IN. | You bet, mine has a single volume controll.
used to sound great!
however the guitar still has a great sound and has much more volume unpluged than most of the guys guitar's we play with.
mine does have what looks like a rosewood fretboard and real frets on it, however the headstock and the back of the neck is ?
i dont know.
I am going to have to get some photos of it to post here.
God Bless
Chris :p |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | This is a later Matrix, with a refrettable rosewood board, the neck & head are foam over Aluminium. I could be wrong here, but the model number 1737 you quoted doesn't correspond to the Matrix as far as I can tell. It may actually be a Balladeer Special (which became the early USA-made Ultra) I have a catalog which shows the electro version of the Matrix (model numbers 1632/1642) without any controls. Piezo pickups rarely break down, chances are it's a minor connection problem or a dry solder joint. Post a pic. |
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A Matrix?????????