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Location: New Bern, NC | Okay, so here's another model I'm seriously looking at. I think I like this one better than the other one I mentioned in an earlier thread. It's a 2078 LX, 3 years old, natural finish, contour back, made in Conn., in "perfect condition," $850 plus shipping. http://www.ovationguitars.com/guitars/product/elite_2078lx Does that sound like a good deal? |
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Location: Sunshine State, Australia | So, unless someone here confirms that it is, in fact, a good deal, you won't buy it?
You haven't got $900, but you can scrape together $850?
Do you want a good deal, or a good guitar? Like I said in the other thread - "what's it worth to YOU?"
What other people think isn't really relevant. Believe in your own judgment. |
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Location: Fort Worth, TX | I was sure by the title of this dwgpreacher would be in here saying he does too. I created a monster trading him that Balladeer. He had the nerve to tell me he's not a collector! I'll be he has a whole stable of O's before long. |
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Location: New Bern, NC | Thanks, muzza, but since I haven't bought but ONE Ovation in my whole life, I wanted to be sure I was getting a good guitar. Even among the high priced lines there are duds. It's worth a lot to me if it's a good one. I don't have a lot of disposable income, but I have enough to get this. I think this is a beautiful guitar, but if it doesn't play as nicely as my Custom Legend 1619, then it's not a good guitar. I've never played anything that plays as nicely as mine, but I've never played this model before. |
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Location: Suisun City, Ca | I have a 3 year old C2078LX. It's a wonderfull guitar. Plays and sounds great! I paid a LOT more that $850.
I would keep the 1619, if I were you, and buy the 2078, too! |
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Location: Utah | I assume it is in very good condition and this particular guitar is not a dud. If that is correct it sounds like a reasonable deal to me in the current market.
The deep contour feels sort of boxy like a wood guitar but not quite as large a size (in terms of how it feels, not how big it really is). Your current Ovation is if I recall correctly a deep bowl model. The contour will square up against your body and leg a bit more than the deep bowl but your right elbow won't feel as far away from your body as a wood box dreadnought. Compared to the mid bowl the contour is a lot more stable in terms of rolling face up.
The 2078LX is going to be very much like the 2007BCS collectors edition I owned. There is nothing bad to say about that guitar. Not a thing. I traded it to another member here because it was redundant with my Adamas 2080. Yes I believe the last of the USA production LX rival the Adamas guitars, and it was truly a toss up which guitar to keep. The tone is very similar, very rich and deep with crisp highs.
The Ovation website says this model comes with the Studio preamp. We swapped a lot of preamps around in different models here at the house and I found the Studio to be the best in wood topped Ovations. There's nothing wrong with the OpPro, VIP, Op30 etc, but to my ears the Studio is yet another step up for Ovations plugged in.
If you've got the $ to spend, this model would be at the top of the list of great LX guitars. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Keep the custom legend |
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Location: Flahdaw | MeredithI - 2013-02-25 7:32 AM
I think this is a beautiful guitar, but if it doesn't play as nicely as my Custom Legend 1619, then it's not a good guitar. I've never played anything that plays as nicely as mine, but I've never played this model before.
You don't say it specifically, but unless you are going to keep both, I would just keep the 1619, since you love it so much. Why fix what isn't broken? |
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Location: Jet City | To make this really easy, it's the same guitar as the 1778LX, just a different bowl. That's the ONLY difference. Decide if you like the round back or contour better, and go for it! (But yes, keep the 1619 too) |
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Location: New Bern, NC | I doubt I will ever, ever sell my CL 1619, It was my first Ovation and my first professional grade guitar. I bought it when I entered college as a music major and I love it with all my heart. It's the one in my avatar. About a year after I bought it, I bought a very nice classical guitar. I still have it too. It's a Dauphin with a cedar top, ebony fingerboard, and drop-dead gorgeous Brazilian rosewood sides and back. If I buy this 2078 LX it will be my third guitar. Rather than collecting multiple guitars over the years as many have done, I have only had my two guitars and I have played everything I needed or wanted to play on these two. So, don't ya think it's time I expanded my collection?!  |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | This wouldn't be the Ovation Fan Club if we said, "No. Don't buy another." Since you already have 2 very different, excellent guitars, go for a third that's not like the other 2. Sounds to me like you are looking at it. People ask me all the time why I bought 16 (or whatever) of the same guitar. If they are at the house, I try to demonstrate how they are all different. I've never had someone stay for the whole thing. Maybe they are just convinced after the first couple. Maybe they're just bored. |
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Location: Utah | MeredithI - 2013-02-25 7:39 PM
Rather than collecting multiple guitars over the years as many have done, I have only had my two guitars and I have played everything I needed or wanted to play on these two. So, don't ya think it's time I expanded my collection?!
In 1977 I purchased a very nice Alvarez 12 string. I wanted the Ovation but it was a few dollars beyond my high school job budget. From 1982 until about 2007 it was my only guitar, and it rarely got played.
Since then, well things have been different! My daughter got serious about guitar and got a 1778T-RF which launched me back into playing. The 6778LX was first, then a 2007 Collectors, then a Hamer, an Adamas, a 1970's Viper, and the 1976 Patriot acoustic.
Each guitar has a different energy and inspires me differently. And I'm just a part time hack player.
Yes, it is time you expanded your collection! |
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Location: Jet City | I had 4 guitars for the better part of 20 years, 3 electrics and an acoustic... the last 10 years has been about trying as many as I can.
Edited by Damon67 2013-02-26 1:01 AM
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Location: Sunshine State, Australia | .
Edited by muzza 2013-02-26 6:40 AM
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Location: Always beautiful canyon country of Utah | What was that Muzza?? |
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Location: Always beautiful canyon country of Utah | What was that Muzza?? |
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Location: Always beautiful canyon country of Utah | What was that Muzza?? |
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Location: Always beautiful canyon country of Utah | Sorry. Computer not working right |
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Location: Sunshine State, Australia | . |
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Location: New Bern, NC | Muzza, I'm having trouble decoding your rather cryptic response. Or is the single punctuation mark a kind of "Newspeak" that is quickly spreading from Australia? |
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Location: New Bern, NC | FlySig, I loved your response. Finding inspiration from various guitars is a great way to think of your collection of guitars. They each have a different "voice" and a different feeling. That is indeed a great source of inspiration! It's also a BRILLIANT way to justify buying more guitars!!! WOO HOO!! I really must use this reasoning on my husband, who hasn't got a musical bone in his whole body, bless his heart. Now I'm thinking I need to add a 12-string to my collection. I've never had a 12-string, although I've played quite a few. They certainly are hard on the fingers, even on my tough callouses! I guess it's because I have "girl" callouses. LOL. How are the Ovation 12-strings? Hanging around you guys is having a bad influence on me!! I want more guitars now!!! I guess all the money I make teaching private guitar lessons is going to start funneling into my guitar addiction. Oooo, ya know, since I am a music teacher in a public school AND I teach guitar privately, my music related purchases, including my guitars are all tax deductable! They are a professional expense!  Yeah, I'm totally gonna point that out to my hubby when I get ready to plop down that $800. |
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Location: Germany, where delicious wine is growing (Rheinh) | Meredith, when I joined this gang here I had 2 guitars: 1995 collectors' and a CC65 Celebritty-12-string.... Now I have 20....
Back to your question:
In my opinion Ovation 12-string guitars are the best you can get. I still have 3 in my collection: 1615-Pacemaker- The best one for wonderful vintage sounds. Bands like Queen, ELO and others played them, they were top of the choice in this time period. The next is a wonderful 5858- "Old Walnut Elite". The best playable 12-stringer I've ever played. Plugged in the best gigging 12er on the horizon. And my beloved Adamas 1685, the best sounding 12er I've ever played and heard.
Bernie |
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Location: Sunshine State, Australia | I still think you should just trust your instincts. I just bought a guitar that cost me more than I've EVER spent on one. It took me a month of talking myself into and out of buying it.
Every time I went into the shop I was hoping it wouldn't be there any more.
But I'd go in every few days after finally talking myself out of it, find it still there, pick it up and play a little, find it's still tuned in drop D (how I left it last time) and suddenly logic was out the window again.
AussieJames tried (TRIED) to talk me out of it, but this guitar just 'told' me to Take her home. So I bought it - but I had to sell my ('til then) all-time favourite guitar to pay for it.
If someone tells you it's a great guitar AND a good deal, but you're relying solely on their opinion, at the end of the day it's THEIR opinion and not yours, it may not prove to be 'the one' (or 'another' one...) If you're not in a position to handle it and play it yourself, you may have to trust someone else's opinion.
However, if you are in a position to hold & play it - if it talks to you, buy it. Screw everyone else's opinion.
Trust yourself. |
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Location: Flahdaw | On the other hand, some guitars "speak to you" for a while, but then somehow lose their mojo. I've had that happen twice. Some guitars are like cars....all shiny and new, with that new car smell and feel. After a year tho, you find yourself lusting after the car that pulls up next to you at the stoplight. Time for a trade in. |
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Location: Always beautiful canyon country of Utah | But I might venture that this could be more about the individual than the guitar. Some folks like the adrenaline rush of a new guitar or a new car or a new wife or a new whatever. Others are happy and content with known and trusted friends. Who is to say what is best?? Each must decide for himself. |
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Location: New Bern, NC | Muzza, I loved your story about going back and forth to the music store to play that guitar, talking yourself into and out of buying it. I feel exactly like you did. Because it's in Texas and I'm in North Carolina, I don't have the option to drop by and try it out a few times. According to Google Maps it's about a 22 hour drive from me to that guitar. I'd have to take a few days off work if I want to drive there. So, I'll be buying it sight unseen, except for a LOT of pictures I've seen of it showing a lot of detail. This purchase would not be something I'm suddenly lusting for. I've really been wanting a guitar like this since this type of design was first introduced in the Adamas line - the epaulets with the inlaid wood and no center sound hole. I think it's the most beautifully designed and unique guitar I've ever seen. It looks like playable art. Having owned an Ovation for a long time and played several, I know what amazing instruments they are too. I've seen several I like, but honestly, I prefer the natural wood finish to the colored finishes. The one I saw before that I liked was a cherry sunburst and it had a mid-depth bowl. It is beautiful, but when I saw this 2078 LX with a NATURAL finish and with a deep contour bowl, my eyes popped open and I said to myself: THAT's THE ONE! When I bought my Custom Legend 1619 back in the early 80s it had a very light top. It's mellowed into a darker, natural honey tone. To me it's breathtaking and more gorgeous now than it was when I first bought it.
I have talked myself into buying that 2078 LX with the help of some wise words from you nice folks here who have assured me I'm getting a great guitar. I contacted the seller who listed it on Craigs List when they couldn't sell it on Ebay. I'm waiting to hear from them to negotiate a price with shipping.  Stay tuned! (no pun intended ) |
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eye on another one...