|
|
Joined:
May 2008
Posts: 4996
Location: Phoenix AZ | For someone like me who knows NOTHING about electric guitars, can one of our experts please educate me ...
1. Other than the physical shape of the body and cosmetics, what is the difference between a VIPER and a PREACHER.
2. How are these Ovation solidbodies different (assuming they are) from a typical Strat or Telecaster.
3. Is there some technical reason that the Ovations didn't come with a vibrato, like on a Strat.
THANKS |
|
| |
|
Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4073
Location: Utah | I'm not a huge expert on Ovation solid bodies, so I'll get this started until a real expert shows up.
1. Other than the physical shape of the body and cosmetics, what is the difference between a VIPER and a PREACHER. The Preacher DELUXE has active electronics just like the Deacon/Breadwinner. The standard Preacher is passive, as is the Viper.
2. How are these Ovation solidbodies different (assuming they are) from a typical Strat or Telecaster. That's kind of like asking how is a Chevy different from Ford. One main difference is that the Ovations are made from Mahogany whereas the Strat/Tele are made out of lighter woods such as Alder or Ash. Different tones from different woods. Some of the Ovations have humbucking double coil pickups whereas the Strat/Tele have single coil (except some newer Strat configurations may have 1 or 2 humbuckers). Humbuckers are more powerful and gutsier whereas single coils tend to be cleaner, crisper, and have twang. Broad generalizations all. Ovations have 24 fret necks whereas Strat/Tele have 22.
3. Is there some technical reason that the Ovations didn't come with a vibrato, like on a Strat.
Yes, trems suck. That's personal opinion, but trems use springs and that means that the bridge moves whenever you tune one string, pulling the others a bit out of tune. Some trems can lock, and some designs are better than others, but tuning stability is an issue. Trems can also reduce vibration coupling to the body compared to bolt on bridges, thus reducing sustain. I guess that's more a comment on the deficiencies of trem systems than why they could not have been used on Ovations. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 1128
Location: NW Washington State | 1. Viper has 25.5" scale, 1-5/8" nut, larger-than-Fender single coil pickups, usually maple or ash body with maple neck. Preacher has 24.75" scale, 1-11/16" nut, smaller-than-Gibson humbuckers, usually mahogany body and neck.
2. Pickups are unique; I've seen comments here that Viper's are good, Preacher's are weak. Weird bridges that can't easily be replaced with anything else.
3. Maybe because the weird bridges didn't match any commonly available tremolo bridge?
-Steve W. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Some had a little more blue than others and the off set wasn't quite as much, except on the bigger ones. The later ones were less involved although some would argue that once the Television came out nothing was the same again. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
May 2008
Posts: 4996
Location: Phoenix AZ | I was asking about the tremelo because there's a gazillion strats sold and I think they all come with some kind of tremolo. Is it possible that the ovation solid bodies didn't sell too well because they didn't have one? |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | yes |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 2791
Location: Atlanta, GA. | Like Beal said, "anything's possible". |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13996
Location: Upper Left USA | More of what Numby said and Beal, not so much... (Blue?)
The O-Team made pickups, Bridges and Necks that would only fit on O's. I think this lack of interchangability is what done em in.
Scale Length and Pickup differences mostly.
I think the Viper was more of a Tele competitor and the Preacher took on the SG and LP Humbucker crowd.
Tremolos are for those Strat playing weanies.
Now, put a set of Viper Pickups in a Mahogany Deacon body and you have a Guitar! |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2008
Posts: 2683
Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | And then there is the UKII. In my opinion, the very best solidbody Ovation ever made, and ONE of the best solidbodies made by ANYONE. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
May 2006
Posts: 4233
Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | I don't know anything about solid bodies at all, but this is an interesting thread. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7237
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | So far so good. I've got really nothing to add except that the first modification to my Viper was to add a Tremolo.
On paper, Ovation solid-bodies were then and even today some of the best solid-bodies on the market. Having owned well over 100 and still have over 40, they did everything right on paper. The combination of timing and lack of interchangeability is what did them in for sure, but it's not like they weren't successful. Some of the biggest names used Ovation solid-bodies.
By time they came out with the GS and GP, they were phasing out of the electric biz, but if they had started with those, maybe making them completely in Hartford, then phased in the Breadwinner, Viper, Preacher. UKII, etc.. things might have been a bit different... but that's just speculation.
Remember in the late 70's and early 80's the first thing you did with your brand new strat was yank the pickups and put real ones in.
The premise of the Viper and Viper III was just build a better strat/tele and they did. But there wasn't a global familiarity so unless you got the try one, much like an Adamas, you didn't know what you were missing.
The UltraGS was just a day late and a dollar short. If I knew of them in the 80's I would have saved myself a TON of money on other guitars. A strat body, Kahler or Wilkinson bridge, DiMarzio pickups, Schaller hardware, and a really cool route edge on the body. Came in one, two or three pickup models. Perfect. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15678
Location: SoCal | Originally posted by Beal:
Some had a little more blue than others and the off set wasn't quite as much, except on the bigger ones. The later ones were less involved although some would argue that once the Television came out nothing was the same again. Ambien induced response? |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 4394
Location: East Tennessee | Off his meds. :D |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Oh no, This is an early Sunday morning responce to a very swayback question from the three sided song circle at the White Horse. Kind of like a Holcombe extrordinaire but without varnish and extra peanuts. Get your tickets early, there will be no seats. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | nice. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4073
Location: Utah | Maybe he's sampling some of Mike's pain meds. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | love it |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | just one word.
Plums
And this was just looking at them, I'll save a jar for the island.
And ya'll should give Malcolm Holcombe a good listen too. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13996
Location: Upper Left USA | Suddenly I feel well focused and capable.
I think my aura just colludified. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | I Like Plums. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Earth to OFC, come in, please. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Plums are my new favorite! |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13996
Location: Upper Left USA | I don't speak Collings, Takiminish or National but it must be something really tinsel! |
|
| |
|
Joined:
May 2006
Posts: 4233
Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | Takaminish??!!!!
I love it!
 |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6996
Location: Jet City | Viper/Preacher main difference is the sound. Pickups on a Viper are single coil. Pickups on a Preacher are humbuckers.
The biggest difference between an Ovation and whatever other guitars are the pickups as well. My UKII is really an unbelievable sounding guitar. I've had Gibsons, Fenders, Peaveys, Kramers, Jacksons, Ibanezs, and more. None have ever come close to sounding like my UKII.
I suppose Jimi, Eddie, most every guitarist from the 80s, and a billion others didn't think trems sucked. If you know how to properly setup and play a guitar with a trem on it, they can be great additions to your sound. Though I don't really do the whole Floyd Rose dive bombs so much anymore, I do like to add vibrato at times. While you can add vibrato with a finger on a single note, it's rather tough to do if you want vibrato on an entire chord. A vibrato bar will do that for you.
All that said, I like plums. Too bad I won't be making it to the Island |
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | Two major differences between Vipers and their Fender counterparts: 1) 24 fret neck vs. 21 or 22, and 2) the pickups are much hotter on the Viper. And then there is the newsprint and glue in the neck joint.
As far as the trem goes, I think trems were passe when the solid bodies were being made in CT. It was well after the surf guitar phase and then the Jimi stuff. Production in CT stopped before the 80's trem-mania took over. The Korean hard bodies generally had the whole floyd rose thing going.
You know, dried plums are your grandfather's prunes. |
|
| |
Please Educate Me - OVATION SOLID BODIES