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Joined: June 2006 Posts: 7307
Location: South of most, North of few | I've bought and sold a few :rolleyes: on this site as well as Ebay. I would not hesitate buying from an established member here (that is, not a drive by with 1 post). Ebay is a crap shoot most of the time, you can get a VERY nice guitar for a great price, or you can get a real POS and spend good money doing it. I think G8r can chime in on that. He had a bad experience with a Legend (I think) a while back from the bay. I actually prefer the older ones to the newer ones, with the exception of the reissues. The Balladeer and Josh really surprised me. New with the old feel. |
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Joined: November 2008 Posts: 1119
Location: Michigan | I guess maybe I was too harsh on EBAy. The only reason I would avoid is the experience I had on craigslist where the seller had beautiful photos of a nice looking guitar. He said it played great and the action as perfect. The fret height at 12 was over 1/4 inch and the neck had a double bow. It looked like trouble to me but based on his description and the photos it looked like a winner. To his defense though he had another guitar, some cheap off brand called "Taylor". The action on that was just about as high and it did not bother him in the least. I guess I was used to my Legend action and it miles ahead of either of his guitars. I like to play them or take the word of someone I trust. Ebay away if it pleases you. Us bottom feeders cannot be too picky after all. :) |
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Joined: November 2006 Posts: 3969
| Originally posted by Trader Jim:
Ebay is a crap shoot most of the time, you can get a VERY nice guitar for a great price, or you can get a real POS and spend good money doing it. I think G8r can chime in on that. He had a bad experience with a Legend (I think) a while back from the bay. Yep - was a Custom Legend, actually. That was the only one of 12 guitars I've gotten off eBay that was misrepresented, and why I said "better than 90% sure if you do your homework and ask plenty of questions". To eBay's credit, they did refund my money. Which is why I'll always use PayPal for eBay transactions even though i hate[/] the whole PayPal scam they have going. |
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Joined: March 2007 Posts: 840
Location: CA | Only a few things I can add to this excellent advice:
* eBay is a bit more a gamble than other purchasing methods. However, in 6-7 guitar purchases over the years, I've only had one that I felt could have been misrepresented (playable, but needed a neck reset). More amusingly, I once scored a beautiful old Balladeer that — as the seller claimed — appeared NEVER to have been played. Not even any pick scuffing and even the HSC was primo. However, that guitar absolutely reeked of cigarette smoke. After the first inspection, my wife wouldn't even let me open the case inside the house! I had to set it and the case out in the wind (in the shade) for days before the smell abated. But it never did go away. Seems like it had actually permeated the wood.
* Three purchase from Craigslist — all terrific.
* One purchase from this forum — again, terrific. Lusty Red is still my daily 'player' (Thanks Capt. LH!)
* Older guitars of almost any brand often sound better than new ones of the same model because the wood (top wood in Ovations) has 'opened up'.
* Although the new pickup preamps look nifty, the old 'square' ones work fine.
* Despite many many auctions and ads that claim otherwise, top cracks are NOT a foregone conclusion on Ovation guitars. I have a 1971 Ovation that's been halfway around the world with me and has yet to show any finish or wood cracks.
* If there are any glitches with the Legend you finally end up with, you can always send it to the Mothership (factory) and the magicians there will make it like new again. |
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Joined: February 2009 Posts: 335
Location: Reisterstown, Maryland | The older the better as long as I can check it out. I like to fix them up. But I can do anything like neck work or big repairs.
Anita |
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Joined: February 2009 Posts: 262
Location: VENISE-EN-QUEBEC CANADA | O.K. now how can I get on craigslist can somebody
explain to me what is craigslist, is it similar to E-BAY and how can I find guitar over there
again thank you
Daniel |
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Joined: December 2006 Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Dan,
Use 'search' and you'll find some hints that I wish no one knew about... ;) |
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Joined: April 2008 Posts: 498
| I have been very lucky on the bay.. got 2 of the Sambora'd flame top ssb's made for guitar center dirt cheap... 50 guitar run..
I got 1768 Elite that turned out to be a Nakao on the bay once... wrong pictures in the listing, but described with the bling.. so I took a chance..
would have been happy with the guitar pictured, was ecstatic when I opened the case... was the 2nd Nakao I've owned.
same thing with the Gatlin..which was a 1 off.. was worth the neck re-set... actually re-attachment even tho when talking with mother they weren't sure it could be fixed...
as usual, they worked their magic.
only had one bad experience and not the bay's fault... sent a very vintage Legend that I bought off the bay to mother.. and was supposed to be a partial trade for a GC 12 reissue when repaired... from a one who no longer is here... told me the guitar was toast,... I told him to pass it on.. he wasn't exactly honest about passing it on, and the guitar did get fixed.
Glenn |
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Joined: February 2008 Posts: 747
| I'd be more inclined to buy an old one as long as it's really good. I'd like to get one of the 1960s Balladeers sometime. I'm not much interested in the new ones. |
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Joined: October 2007 Posts: 2711
Location: Vernon CT | You can just "google Craigslist or here you go.
http://montreal.en.craigslist.ca/ |
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Joined: February 2009 Posts: 262
Location: VENISE-EN-QUEBEC CANADA | well for me ive been lucky with the Bay,ive bought 5 guitar's,and all of them where as discribe but you no me,I ask many question and if seller decline to answer any of them well thas it for that one.my luck for an older legend as been hard but im still looking,there's no hurry I have a great Ovation Elite that i love to play.
Daniel :D |
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Joined: November 2002 Posts: 3604
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | I've never bought a new one, so I guess the answer is "yes". Had some that were freight-damaged, as unplayed, but that probably doesn't count. |
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Joined: December 2006 Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Originally posted by flag72:
in my search to buy another Ovation im looking for a legend model Daniel, ya might want to check THIS ONE OUT... |
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Joined: July 2002 Posts: 280
Location: Waterloo, IL | Bought my 1717 Legend of ebay, paid less than $225 shipped with case. Beautiful sound, accurately represented by the seller. No regrets. Bought the Pacemaker of an OFC member, no regrets there either. Rings like a bell! |
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Joined: October 2005 Posts: 400
Location: North Texas | If you can live with finish cracks, an older Ovation is fine. There is cracking on most of my roundbacks, however, the wood is still in tact. Buy new if you want "mint". You can't expect perfection in an old guitar unless the previous owner never played it. If a guitar sounds good, it is good. JC |
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Joined: March 2009 Posts: 12
Location: San Francisco Bay Area | Thanks to Gallerinski for the reference in your March 16th posting. I am selling my 1981 Legend in order to pay for a mandolin that I just purchased.
My guitar is an original model 1651-7 Legend Limited, the same model that John Lennon is shown playing on his "Acoustic" CD (Compilation released in 2004).
The -7 refers to the top color (nutmeg). It was made in 1981, and I bought it new in 1982.
I have set-up a profile on the OFC companion social networking site. My public profile page has several nice images and a slide show of my model 1651-7 Legend Limited.
http://ovationfanclub.ning.com/profile/JosephGreger |
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