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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4044
Location: Utah | Looking for a guitar, Ovation or other, suitable for evenings on the beach and as a party guitar at college. This would be for when Sara doesn't want to pull out her Adamas U681T-SJ.
Basically, a decent guitar to play but which won't cause emotional distress when it gets sand inside or a college student dings it up. Current cosmetic flaws would not be a problem. Must be structurally sound and with decent playability.
This instrument will get decorated (painted by teens), so don't offer something you have an emotional attachment to.
email flysig2004 at yahoo dot com or respond to this thread. |
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Joined:
November 2002
Posts: 3612
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | Check out the critters in my recent auctions, in these listings, and then drop me a line, if need be. |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7222
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | An Academy is the perfect "decorating" guitar and they sound way better than they should. Also I've seen a few Matrix models show up which is basically a Balladeer bowl with an Aluminum neck. I've had my Medallion (pre-Matrix) for 35 years and it still plays and sound great. I have not played an Ultra, and don't know if they have aluminum necks, but they seem like a decent option on paper. |
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4044
Location: Utah | Yeah, I've been looking at those, and why I asked about the Academy. Ultimately the choice is up to Sara who will be doing the buying.
Al's deal on the iDea guitar would be my choice, but I'm not in charge. |
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Joined:
March 2010
Posts: 370
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba CANADA | Think your recommendation of the iDea is spot on...
Are quite a passable guitar (even more so for anyone that is already used to an 'O'), price is excellent and they are pretty much immune to abuse.
I love mine... highly recommended!! |
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Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Steve,
If she's in the $300 range, the iDea, hands down! |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7222
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Originally posted by 2ifbyC:
Steve,
If she's in the $300 range, the iDea, hands down! Whoops... what he said... forget what I said.. Hands down do sure.. The iDea special that Alex is having now really can't be beat in bang for $'s.. the pre-amp alone is worth the $300.. and it comes with a guitar!!!! |
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Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Originally posted by Mr. Ovation:
... what >HE< said... |
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Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | I'd recommend the iDea as well, and for one big reason. Sara likes to sing (and does it very well, too) and she can play and record on the preamp, then sing and play on top of the playback in harmony. She could have a ball being real creative with the iDea. In fact, this is exactly why this guitar was designed, I believe. |
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4044
Location: Utah | Thanks for the ideas. Sara bought a Jasmine for a crazy low price at GC. It is the low end version Tak. Despite some paint spattering from the "binding" it isn't a half bad guitar. The tone is pretty good, and with a little work on the nut, saddle, frets, and truss rod it will be a super guitar for the mission. |
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Joined:
April 2003
Posts: 608
Location: Caribou, ME | I bought my daughter's ex boyfriend a used Jasmine for $60 for Christmas 2006. He hasn't been able to kill it and he plays the thing non stop, never changes the strings, lugs it everywhere in a cheesy gig bag....
Not something that would turn my head but it's hard to argue with real life results. |
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | by ksdaddy:
I bought my daughter's ex boyfriend a used Jasmine for $60 for Christmas 2006. He hasn't been able to kill it and he plays the thing non stop, never changes the strings, lugs it everywhere in a cheesy gig bag....
Not something that would turn my head but it's hard to argue with real life results. I see all these local street people just carrying guitars over their shoulders, by the neck, hobo style, in the rain, collecting water in the sound-hole, and I just cringe! :eek:
But the guitars apparently survive.
(I never had a case for my Guild back in 1976, but I managed to Kill that Guitar too)
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Joined:
April 2003
Posts: 608
Location: Caribou, ME | Here's one that ended up in my arsenal a few years back.
http://www.angelfire.com/me4/ksdaddy/pal.html
The graffiti'd one in your pic looks like a Yamaha FG-200. My father bought one brand new in 1976 for $230. Fine instrument. |
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Joined:
March 2008
Posts: 354
Location: nashville | Ksdaddy obviously had a lot of spare time back then. That may be the closest thing I have ever seen when it comes to making a silk purse out of a sows ear. |
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Joined:
April 2003
Posts: 608
Location: Caribou, ME | We all have our hot buttons. All that needs to happen is for an instrument to be "given up on" and cast aside as a hopeless case.... that's all I need to hear. I know the end seldom justifies the means, but I get a great deal of satisfaction out of it. If you go through my site you will see many examples of that.
Champion of lost causes I guess. Not many people are foolish enough to dress the frets on aluminum Applauses but I will. |
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Joined:
November 2002
Posts: 3612
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | Brother KS, you just may be the "Spirit & Practice" of the BottomFeeders Luthiery Guild.
I salute you. I'm still trying to find a retired machinist to remill aluminum fretboards.
These are some photos of "Igor", a recently-resurrected critter:
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Joined:
April 2003
Posts: 608
Location: Caribou, ME | Igor lives, and that's what counts. These guitars are dumpster bound and whatever we can do to bring them back in any serviceable form is good.
I do the BFLG stuff and also do the 'normal' repairs, in addition to making some from scratch. I know enough to back off though; I got a call yesterday to do a neck reset on a Martin D-18. Yeah, I've done resets before but I'm not confident enough to do one for a customer so I'm going to decline the job.
You'd be surprised how bad aluminum frets can appear but how nicely they recrown. A quick glance would say 'no way' but once leveled and reshaped they're nicer than they ever were. I know aluminum is soft and in theory won't last long but I have one AA-14 I recrowned in 2007 and it's not showing any significant wear yet.
I tried to find tangless fret wire but no luck. I emailed Parker Guitars and after about two months got a reply to look at Stew-Mac. Right! |
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Joined:
November 2002
Posts: 3612
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | "Cheap advice"- you usually get what you paid for! |
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Want to BUY, beach/dorm guitar. About $200 to $300