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Location: Denver, CO | I finally got some useable pics of the K1111 I brought back from Texas. I thought I would make an album, but having trouble figuring out how to post them. I am, after all, fairly computer-illiterate. I'll post them here for all to see, then later maybe I'll figure the other thing out.
The other day I was in one of the local GC stores with it, and the guy at the counter who check your gear said, "What the hell is that?" So I said, take a close look, 'cause you'll probably never see another like it. I'm not sure he had ever even seen a roundback... Don't know about these kids today. 
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Location: Tuscany, Italy | Super nice guitar !!  |
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Location: Upper Left USA | +1 |
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Location: Route 66, just east of the Cadillac Ranch | Though highly underrated, those are simply amazing guitars. Congratulations! |
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Location: sitting at my computer | dwg preacher - ... the guy at the counter who check your gear said, "What the hell is that?" I hope he put a "Wow!" in there too.  Congrats. How many (few) of these were made? |
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Location: Texas | How many (few) of these were made? Kim Keller told me, "about 45"
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Location: Utah | OMG !!! |
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Location: Fort Worth, TX | Anytime I think I miss that guitar all I have to do is get Dr. Conant's dread out and pick it a few minutes and I'm swept away. I didn't connect with that O like I did my Glen Campbell I sold back in my foolish youth to buy an electric. Still doin' all I can to acquire the cedar top Elite though. I just got a little closer to it due to the generosity of a financial benefactor with an obviously big heart. |
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Location: Denver, CO | Congrats. How many (few) of these were made?
Wierd and repetitive question, because I have heard a number of responses. I initially was told about 40, but i know someone on the OFC has #43 registered? I have "heard of" a #47, but did not verify its existence. The guy I spoke to at Mothership wasn't able to tell me, but then I had to explain to him that this was a K1111 not a K1114... I'd like to hear from someone who could answer the question more authoritatively.
You say the best Keller could do was "around 45?" |
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Location: Denver, CO | The guitar just booms! I usually play in pretty big rooms, and I'm mic'd, so the sheer volume of the guitar is mostly lost, but in acoustic rehearsal, I have trouble hearing my vocalists about the guitar, and since my music room is small and VERY live, I have trouble hearing myself clearly over it's volume. The sound is very full, very bassy, but the 80/20 strings accentuate the treble nicely so the overall tone is very balanced. I do find, as I have read here a couple of times, that I need to boost the mids at the board to improve the "room" eq. Basically i am just very happy with the guitar all-around. |
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Location: Texas | I didnt say that was the best Kim could do. I said that is what he shared with me. I wasn't trying to pin him down and to give him some slack, with as many limited runs Ovation has had of all the different guitars, I am not sure you could expect anyone, off the top of their head, to be able to recall each specific run. It isn't a big secret that the 40th wasn't Ovations most popular limited run. I have no clue why not...it truly epitomized all the great things about Ovation...Looks, acoustic response, craftsmanship...history. But you could still pick up a new one 4-5 years after they were released, at a very decent price. I think Nick bought one of the last ones available. But,imo, it just didn't sell well and I was curious as to when they said enough were made. #47 would certainly fall within "around 45"... at least in a game of horseshoes. |
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Location: Seymour, Tennessee | My Momought two of them, one for my sister and one for her. I will of course end up with it eventually. I'll call them and find out what the SN's on theirs are. Beautiful guitar! |
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Location: Lebanon, TN | Well, #049 is sat in my formal living room on a stand beside my 1537. It was advertised as #040, but when is showed up it clearly has 049 laser etched in the head stock under the serial number. #015, which I bought from Jay, is upstairs in my music room.
My understanding is the necks used to be stamped before assembly so it wasn't unusual that a production number was inaccurate due to damage during assembly or finishing. I believe those poor things were band sawed but the numbers not reallocated. However laser etching can be done pretty much anytime and is into the shiny finish so don't know the specific answer.
At least 49 necks made but no idea on actual numbers. Given human beings love of round numbers I'd guess 50 but if Kim Keller is right with around 45 maybe I have the last one manufactured :-) |
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Location: Denver, CO | I didnt say that was the best Kim could do. I said that is what he shared with me. I wasn't trying to pin him down and to give him some slack, with as many limited runs Ovation has had of all the different guitars, I am not sure you could expect anyone, off the top of their head, to be able to recall each specific run.
Sorry, Jay, no disrespect intended, and I'm certain you are correct. I imagine that, over the years, Kim has seen some very memorable limited edition runs and one that was less than sucessful would be easily forgotten. The neck issue seems like a very plausible explanation, too... I'm just glad for the opportunity to own one, but I'm also kind of a trivia nut, so the minutia has a certain fascination for me. |
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Location: SoCal | If I were ever in the market for another Ovation, a K1111 would be on a very short list.... |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | A couple of years ago just before Christmas, Music Power out of Milwaukee, put several Factory Reconditioned K1111RIs up on ebay as Buy It Now or Best Offer. The best offers were in the low $700s and Bobbo and I and a few others got one. I never heard of anyone finding a flaw in theirs. I vaguely recall talking to Al, speculating that they had bought out the last of the unsold ones at a volume discount, marked as Factory Reconditioned. Mine is #32, which is quite a ways from the last one made. |
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Location: Tennessee | I have #042. These things are pretty special. I think the K1111 are the hits of the 40th specials they made ... you hardly see or hear about the Josh White, Glen Campbell, or the Pacemaker reissues they did at the same time. I've heard those JWs are killer. The construction, materials and attention to detail on all these guitars are superb. The K1111 is everything the Ovation guitar was originally designed to be. It has the sound.
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Location: New Hartford CT | It's interesting that with everyone raving about these guitars, when I put up a "Wanted to buy' here, I received 3 responses within a day.
That surprised me; the one I purchased (038) was a steal, mint condition and it's a great guitar. The range of dynamic response is tremendous. The sound is full even at low volumes so I can play quietly at night and still have a tone that inspires more playing. Everyone already knows when you lay into one of these guitars they give back big time.
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Best sounding acoustic they've made in the last 10 years |
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Location: Denver, CO | George Frey - 2012-12-25 6:01 AM
It's interesting that with everyone raving about these guitars, when I put up a "Wanted to buy' here, I received 3 responses within a day.
Funny. I have thought of that too. Everyone who has a comment invariably says something like "this is one of the best-sounding guitars they ever made," but they were obviously (and apparently still aren't) not a popular buy. Could it be that Ovation has become known for their electronics, and a pure acoustic just doesn't appeal to their target market?
Maybe the deep bowl doesn't appeal to us? |
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Location: Seymour, Tennessee | Ok, I figured out the numbers on the two my Mom bought;
The 1st one she bought is Number 47, that she eventually gave to my sister.
My Mom wanted her to have it since I got our Dad's old one, it's kind of be a gift to her from my Mom and my Dad (he's been gone 25 years in a few days).
The 2nd one she bought was Number 39.
I looked back through old posts and found K's response to my question of production run numbers for these beautiful re-issues:
Michael,
Nobody wrote it down, so I don't know. 50 sticks in my head for some reason. I think 100 were scheduled to be built, but they didn't sell so production was halted partway through the run. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | A reissue of a guitar that was killed 40 years ago and didn't even sell well "back in the day" isn't a recipe for success. As much as I personally love this model and was thrilled they built them (I bought 3), what exactly was Ovations goal? If it was to satisfy 3 dozen or so nostalgic die-hards in the Fan Club, then mission accomplished. But did somebody in marketing really go to the brass and make a case that this would be the next big thing?
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Location: Seymour, Tennessee | I still want one )))))))))))) |
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Location: Denver, CO | Standingovation - 2012-12-25 2:02 PM
A reissue of a guitar that was killed 40 years ago and didn't even sell well "back in the day" isn't a recipe for success. As much as I personally love this model and was thrilled they built them (I bought 3), what exactly was Ovations goal? If it was to satisfy 3 dozen or so nostalgic die-hards in the Fan Club, then mission accomplished. But did somebody in marketing really go to the brass and make a case that this would be the next big thing?
Well, it got my attention! And I was most certainly not one of y'all nostalgic die-hards (at least not until recently). Possibly the intent was to take advantage of the "retro" trend that has been sweeping our kids for the last 15 years? Possibly a test balloon for what may have been seen as a re-emerging market? I'd like to hear ProfBB's opinions, from a marketing perspective. |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | Standing O is pretty knowledgeable about marketing. There was a bunch of anniversary stuff being produced in 2005 or so, possibly to take advantage of the nostalgia thing, possibly jumping on a bandwagon, or possibly because the Ovation people were really into their own history and wanted to showcase it. Many of the RIs were really good guitars and some of us are very thankful for that. Other new limited editions were also built during that time, such as the FD-14 and Ute, which were not RIs, but were showcases of Ovation's capabilities outside of the mainstream. These limited editions were obviously not intended as big sellers, but designed and priced for enthusiasts.
Also at the same time, Ovation came out with the LX neck and contour bowl, which were definitely marketed for the masses. There was a lot of good stuff going on in 2005 or so at the Ovation factory. |
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October 2005
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Location: Utah | Yeah 2005 produced 2 of the best guitars I've played. One is my 6778LX and the other is the Ute. 2007 and 2008 were darned good years too. Lots of great designs and flawless craftsmanship out of New Hartford. |
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Location: Denver, CO | Mark in Boise - 2012-12-26 11:01 AM
Other new limited editions were also built during that time, such as the FD-14 and Ute, which were not RIs, but were showcases of Ovation's capabilities outside of the mainstream. These limited editions were obviously not intended as big sellers, but designed and priced for enthusiasts.
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Maybe that was the point of the whole exercise. Anyway, it seems like an inexpensive marketing ploy to acquaint the esoteric musician or re-acquaint the mainstream musician with what the company was capable of... |
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The K1111 Balladeer, #3