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Location: Warren,Pa. | Taking a look on the Ovation website at the new Celebrity models with the OpPro, would any of you "USA only folks take these more seriously than some of the other, "lesser" models?
John <>{ |
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Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | Personally, I would still go with a USA model. The OP-Pro is ok, but I wouldn't buy a guitar just because it has one. You can get a nice used Baladeer or Legend for the price of a Celebrity. |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Is the OpPro in a Celebrity the same exact OpPro used in the US models? The question is raised because the humbuckers used on an overseas Epiphone look exactly like their counterparts on US Gibsons, but they're not at all the same. The same goes for the pickups used on the three versions (US, Korea, China) of the Brian Moore line. |
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Location: Warren,Pa. | As far as I know, all Ovation electronics are US designed, foreign made. |
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Location: CT | Not me. USA all the way. I had a celebrity that sounded like cardboard with rubber bands on it. It'll probably sound good plugged in, but most of my playing is at home, unplugged. If it doesn't inspire acoustically, I'd just play another one of my guitars, and it would be a waste. If I were gigging alot, and mostly plugged in, I'd buy a used Legend or something for less money, and let the soundguy tweak his knobs, and so wouldn't need the OP-Pro anyway. Next year, the used Legend would sell for what I paid, the Celeb would get 1/2 to 1/4 of its new store price. |
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Posts: 1071
Location: Carle Place, NY | While the Celebrity models with solid spruce tops and the OP Pro are nice, for not much more you can find a good deal on an LX Standard Elite or Balladeer. The LX's are the best value out there for an acoustic/electric guitar. The more I play my 6778LX, the more I appreciate it. A close friend of mine has the LX Balladeer. Both are great guitars and are way better than any Celebrity. |
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Posts: 1900
| I played a Celebrity at a local music shop recently...one of the multi-hole models had newer strings, sounded better than most lower-end acoustics, but couldn't touch a USA model. Once you go USA you never go back.. |
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Location: Central Florida | I'm in the USA only camp also. I owned two Celebs in the mid-90s, a 12-string and a classical, and while they were okay, they couldn't hold a candle to their US counterparts, sound wise. |
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Posts: 7307
Location: South of most, North of few | Originally posted by Mitchrx:
While the Celebrity models with solid spruce tops and the OP Pro are nice, for not much more you can find a good deal on an LX Standard Elite or Balladeer. The LX's are the best value out there for an acoustic/electric guitar. The more I play my 6778LX, the more I appreciate it. A close friend of mine has the LX Balladeer. Both are great guitars and are way better than any Celebrity. Dito. I had two celebs, one of them was a very nice guitar, but it won't hold a candle to my 1778LX for tone or playability. |
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Location: Warren,Pa. | The reason the q occurred to me is...the BIG difference between those 2 Celebs and the US ones is THE NECK. I'm sure it's a Nato one-pc. neck, maybe bolted on...maybe mortice & tenon, I don't know. Other smaller differences.
The thing I'm thinking about is: they're less and less of a stretch from what we get in a USA product. I can't help but think that the "powers that be" are thinking about cheaper overseas labor.
I'm wondering if, in a few years, we'll have a choice about what country our Ovations come from. I know I've talked about this before, but I needed to talk about it again 'cause it makes me nervous. John <>{ |
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Posts: 1017
Location: Budd Lake, NJ | When my daughter was making noises a few years back that she wanted to play guitar, I bought her the nicest-playing Celebrity I could find. It was much easier playing than equally-priced Martins and Taylors--but not not even close to an Ovation made here. I'm not in the market for a new axe right now, but if I were, I wouldn't consider anything but an American-made O.
--Karen and the crew:
Gertrude, Jewel, Blanca, "Nonnie," Gilda, Ivory, Sugar, Plink, Twang, and Shriek |
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Location: Hiram, Georgia | bauerhillboy, yer makin me nervous, stop talkin bout it! ;) |
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Location: ranson,wva | right before i sold my cd 257 i played it side by side with my '74 1114 and the folklore sounded better,played better,just a all around better guitar hands down. i would go as far to say that my academy sounds as good if not better than a celb..just my thoughts..jason |
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September 2006
Posts: 143
Location: Shotley Bridge, Northern England | Risking my neck here, I'd like to make a quick pitch supporting some Celebs. I have an 80s Celeb 12 string with antiquated electronics. It's an excellent guitar! The action is very low (much lower than my 90C with all the shims out), and barre chords are easy right up the neck. It's a laminated top, so the sound is good, rather than outstanding. For the money paid (the shop where I bought this didn't really know much about it), it's been a great investment. Were the older (80s) Celebs better than the newer ones? I've played new Celebs, and they don't impress much. Mind, here in the UK, USA-made Ovations are very hard to find, and approaching twice the cost that they list at in the US. |
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Location: Warren,Pa. | My point has nothing to do with the quality difference between USA's and Celebs. My point is I'm affraid the bean counters at Kaman have their sights set on closing our beloved (wow, I said OUR) factory in New Hartford and sending it all to China.
Sorry philmax. I'm from Jersey originally. We're good at taking a grenade and tossing it into a conversation. I also brought this up during the Q&A on the tour.
I know Ovation AND Kaman people read this stuff and I just want to make my feelings known (though I'm sure it won't change a thing. Sort of like the guy who threw eggs at the passing train because he hated the progress it represented. |
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Posts: 13987
Location: Upper Left USA | Corporately there needs to be a high end, and in most cases extravagant line.
Look at the Auto Industry. The hybrids and protos set the enthusiasm level so that thousands of "copies" can be marketed. |
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July 2002
Posts: 1900
| I've considered getting a basic 12-string, and Hillwalker has me thinking I might find an early Celeb 12 that would serve the purpose atleast for basic rehearsals. I have a super shallow O' hard case, so maybe I could find a super-shallow Celeb 12 to fit...hmmm something to think about.. |
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Posts: 12755
Location: Boise, Idaho | I had an Applause 12 for years, until I sold it and got my Balladeer 12. The difference in tone was negligible. Personally, I thought that either sounded better than a Legend 12. 12 strings to me sound very bright and the deep bowl helps bring out more bass.
I also had a Celebrity Deluxe with a mid bowl that I thought sounded better than my 99 Collector's with a mid bowl.
My point for this thread is that I couldn't make a general statement that a USA guitar will sound better than a Korean guitar unless all the other variables are the same. |
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Posts: 13987
Location: Upper Left USA | I had a friend's Applause 12 string for a few days while I changed strings and did a set up on it. Very nice, with the deep bowl and Ovation designed neck it was easy to work with. |
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Posts: 1900
| The only Ovation 12 I've ever played was my 1758, so that might be a high standard for comparison with the Celebrity 12.. |
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Would you consider these?