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Location: Lebanon, TN | A little ago I posted about how I was introduced to Ovation guitars and the great GAS attack began.
previous post
Well I wrote to Alastair and asked if he still had the 1618. he explained he had 2 in the mid 70's but sadly he sold them on in the mid 80's.However he did have it in the picture of one of his childrens song album covers. He only had a copy of a casette cover, but he very kindly made a color photocopy and mailed it to me:
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| "How I got introduced to Ovation"...(some skinny kid from Arkansas played one on television, the rest is history :) ) |
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Location: Upper Left USA | I had a friend that was an absolute Ovation NUT in High School.
Once exposed... |
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Location: East Tennessee | Originally posted by Steve:
"How I got introduced to Ovation"...(some skinny kid from Arkansas played one on television, the rest is history :) ) Me TOO!!! :D
And I've many "Goodtime Hour"s since. :cool: |
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Posts: 1634
Location: Chehalis, Washington | My Dad - had a 6-string Balladeer and a 12-string Vox in high school. Years later, when I started playing, he bought first a 6-string Pinnacle and then a 12-string Custom Balladeer mid-bowl. He's always been an Ovation fanatic.
Thus it began... |
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Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | I don't really remember. My wife's cousin had one and I needed something new to play at our wedding. Somehow, we decided she'd buy the Matrix for me. I'm not sure that I even played an Ovation before I played the Matrix that we bought. |
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Location: SoCal | I saw a picture and article on Ovations (as played by the skinny kid from Arkansas) in my grandfather's Mechanic's Illustrated. Then saw the skinny kid on tv playing one ..... |
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Location: the BIG Metropolis of TR | I too saw the skinny kid from Arkansas play one on TV and then around '70/'71 came across this ad.....
.....in a Country Song Round-up magazine and sent away for the catalog! (I still have the catalog and the original brown envelope that it came in! I also have a ad like the one above framed in my music room!)
I've been in love with Ovations ever since and swore one day I'd own one.....Then GAS struck and I couldn't stop at one :eek: (I've owned 13 so far....still have 10) |
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Posts: 1126
Location: Omaha, NE | Back in high school in the mid to late 1970's, all the serious players (upper classmen) played Ovations. When I finally scratched up enough cash to buy a "real" guitar, there was no other choice. I ended up with a Matrix, which I still have. |
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Posts: 2804
Location: ranson,wva | first one i ever seen was at my neibors house back in west virginia,it was a classical slothead not shure what model. he was a older colored man i sment many hours listing to him play as a kid. after i learned to play i bought a hard used matrix then a pacemaker 12...jason |
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Location: Round Rock, TX | A friend of mine in college got one in '74 or '75. We used to sit around and jam - unplugged - and he always could be heard over my then 6 year old Washburn and our friend's Martin and he could plug it in. That was so cool. Almost 25 years later when I got into an acoustic gig and needed a new acoustic I remembered how cool that Ovation was. So I bought a maple-topped Celebrity (CS2000). Played real nice, but didn't sound that great (to me), but it was good enough for the gig and was my main (i.e. only) acoustic until I played a 1778 LX. Now I'm not only a confirmed Ovation junkie, but I weep for those who have yet to see the light. |
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Location: SoCal | Trboy, what catalog did they send you? |
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Location: Hicksville, NY | I was singing in a choir back in grade school when the guitarist who accompanied us got my attention. I wasn't interested in the gentleman, but was fascinated with the Ovation guitar that he was playing with at that time. Prior to that, I've only known guitars that were made of wood.
In high school, I became more interested in the Ovation guitar after seeing the late Jim Croce play one on TV. It was then that I took an interest in learning how to play the guitar. It was in college, however, that I finally had the opportunity to play one and was completely blown away by the sweet sound that resounded after plucking them strings. Unfortunately, I couldn't afford it at that time, and stuck with guitars made in the Far East. It would take me another ten years to finally own an Ovation -- it's the one I still have today. |
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Location: Central Florida | Another one here because of the skinny kid from Arkansas! |
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Posts: 1234
Location: Tidal Mudflats of Virginia | I was a late comer to the roundback world...In late 1987, I happened into a local watering hole in Virginia Beach, VA just in time time to catch a set from an unknown short little Kansas gal that absolutely blew the house away with her 12-string. After the set, I got a chance to chat with her for a few minutes at the bar. I told her I just couldn't believe the sound that came out of her guitar and I had wanted to learn to play a 12-string but could never get the strings to ring out clearly. She told me it wasn't difficult to play provided I really wanted it and I practiced a lot. Who would have figured it was the start of a great career for her and my intro to some of the finest guitars made! |
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Posts: 2178
Location: the BIG Metropolis of TR | Originally posted by moody, p.i.:
Trboy, what catalog did they send you? Paul,They sent me this catalog:
along with an Ovation Amp.catalog(Good Vibrations),a price sheet(dated Jan.'71),and some single page flyers for the Thunderhead,Eclipse,Little & Big Dude Amps,OPAS IV(PA system),"Cat" amps,and a hot new item called a Freq-lite!! ;)
I was happier than a pig in a mud hole!! :D |
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Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | Hey Aloha. The suspense is killin me. Who was she?
The first Ovation I saw and heard was at my local pub one Sunday afternoon. 2 guys were playing and singing with just 2 acoustics and a drum machine. All through the afternoon I was trying to work out where the occasional bass guitar was coming from.
The guy playing the Ovation had an EQ pedal taped to his mike stand and just switched it on or off if he wanted to throw in a bass lick.
I was hooked and haven't been interested in wooden guitars ever since.
I've only ever had 3 Ovations, and still got 2. |
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Posts: 370
Location: Isle of Man, UK | Pure luck.
Saw a celeb in the local shop, liked the look of it. Liked the feel of it. Liked the fact it didn't need any work doing so that I could plug it in. Bought it. Restrung it. Gigged it the following night.
Never looked back! 11 O's later, I'm still playing...
JB |
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Location: Kansas | Originally posted by Aloha_Tim:
...an unknown short little Kansas gal that absolutely blew the house away with her 12-string... She's the reason I decided to actually start taking guitar lessons this summer, rather than just 'thinking about it' like I had for years. Of course I bought an 'O', never looked at or considered anything else. Saw her on tour this summer....she's still rockin' the house. |
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Location: SoCal | Mike, that was the first catalog I ever got, from Parker Music in Houston TX. That had to have been about 1971. I literally had that on my nightstand for a year and would look at it every night. I got my first Ovation, an Artist (couldn't afford the extra $70 for a GC Artist --- dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb) in the fall of 1972, the start of my senior year in high school.
I still have the catalog. Bought another one a year or so ago on ebay in much better shape. Got a friend on this board who didn't have one and sent him the most recent purchase. I couldn't part with the old one. |
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Location: Churchville, NY USA | In high school in the lates 70's/early 80's my best friend (who taught me to play) had an Ovation...no clue what model...
so when I finally decided to get an acoustic, the decision was already made in my mind. |
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Posts: 863
Location: Central Florida | I used to have a bunch of old Ovation catalogs and literature dating back from 1969 to the late 90s, and even had a red three ring Ovation sales binder to keep it all in. Sold it last year to make some extra Christmas cash (d'oh!). I was delighted, though, that my collection went to our own Jerome, and I can still view my old stuff any time I want via his excellent web site! :) |
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Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | The skinny kid from DEEEE-lite Arkansas and Jim Croce and his lead player convinced me. I had the second Ovation in town, as far as I know. |
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Location: Tidal Mudflats of Virginia | Muzza...Hey Aloha. The suspense is killin me. Who was she? Melissa Etheridge |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | I didn't know she was from Kansas. |
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Location: Copenhagen Denmark | The very first Ovation I saw, belonged to Richard,an English busker,I met him on the pedestrian street here in Copenhagen ( 1978 ),and the case intrigued me,never had I seen a case like that before,and the guitar was out of this world,black with plastic box :confused: ,with a volume and tone control,I expected to hear some fantastic sounds comin` from it..now, I could hear him,but not his instrument,it was the quitest guitar I had ever "experienced" I figured it was probably meant to be used with an amp,now around the corner of my flat,there was a guitar shop,few months later, they became importer of ovation at that time,I went in ,tried some, and those sounded pretty good,now ,several years later I have a 1537 and a 1618 Glenn C ,so I got converted after all :) I did find out that Richard had strung his guitar with ultra light electric strings ( 7-)due to that his was unadjusted (could drive a truck between strings and fretboard)it gave me a trauma :( ,I still am hysterically committed to setting my instruments meticoulusly :rolleyes: ;)
Vic |
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Location: the BIG Metropolis of TR | Jeff,I think I bought a couple of your catalogs....a Ovation Specialty Acoustic Catalog (Viper,Long Neck,Bass,etc) and a Ovation Wearables Catalog w/price sheet ('80 fashion from "Its A Wrap" company) Both were in excellent condition....
Paul,Yep...same here I couldn't part with my first! It's been responsible for many a wet dreams!! :eek: :eek: (now that's sad...I need to get a life! :D ) |
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Location: Nova Scotia, Canada | Trboy...
My first Ovation experience is almost identical to yours but I received the next edition of the catalogue, which I still have.
Wayne |
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Location: the BIG Metropolis of TR | ....And you were happier than a pig in a mud hole having wet dreams too? :eek: :D |
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Location: Nova Scotia, Canada | Something like that, I guess!
It was another year before I actually got my first one; a used 1972 Balladeer.
Wayne |
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Location: Everywhere | Wayne,You've got the ultimate,holy grail,king daddy,ultra rare,GEN-U-WINE original Ovation that Glen Campbell himself played on the Goodtime Hour!!!!!!!......WOW,Super Kewl!
My first was a '78 Custom Balladeer.....You wouldn't wanna trade would you?(I might could find a few others guitars to "sweeten" the deal!....let me know) |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Walked into a music store in 1970 or 1971 to purchase a replacement for my cheap Silvertone acoustic that I'd worn out. The sales staff all pointed me to the Ovation line which I'd never heard of, but they also had pictures of Glen Campbell playing one and, of course, I had heard of him. Although I was really looking at Gibsons (I also had an ES-125), I nonetheless purchased an acoustic only model Ovation, natural spruce top, not sure of the model type, but it cost about $400 as I recall. That guitar was stolen out of a motorhome at the beach 10 years later, so I replaced it with a Legend Limited 1651 which I still own. It was my only guitar for over 20 years. |
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Location: Nova Scotia, Canada | Thanks, Shadow;
Yes, one of the Ovation grails, for sure. The epilogue of the 'clipping the ad to send in for the catalogue' like so many of us have done, was ending up with the guitar in the ad.
That still blows me away.
Wayne |
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Location: the BIG Metropolis of TR | ....but I sent my catalog request in first :( :rolleyes: |
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Location: Central Florida | Originally posted by Trboy:
....but I sent my catalog request in first :( :rolleyes: LMAO!!! :D |
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Location: the BIG Metropolis of TR | Mom always did liked Wayne the best..... |
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Location: Nova Scotia, Canada | '....but I sent my catalog request in first'
Are you sure Tr? Maybe they just sent you an old catalog... :eek:
Wayne |
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Location: the BIG Metropolis of TR | Maybe that would explain the jelly and coffee stains on a couple of the pages......I probably got the one that's been in their breakroom for years :eek: |
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How I got introduced to Ovation