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February 2008
Posts: 2
Location: texas | Looking to buy a new ovation want guitar that has good sound without amping all the time. like to play at family gatherings, picnics, etc. Any suggestions. Price range $350-550 |
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Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 3969
| Hi jomo, and welcome to the board. You won't find a "new" USA-made Ovation in that price range. The Korean-made Celebrity line start at the high end of that range, but for that you'll get a plywood top, and you'll probably be disappointed with the sound. Look into older (late '70s to '80s vintage) Balladeers or even Legends. There've been some incredibly low prices on these guitars on eBay lately (within your price range), and with their solid spruce tops, bracing pattern, and better neck construction they're far and away superior to the imports. Plus, they're tone monsters!
Good luck with your search and keep us posted. |
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October 2003
Posts: 134
Location: Lakewood, Ohio | Dont get a shallow bowl. |
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Joined:
February 2008
Posts: 2
Location: texas | G8R,
Thanks for the information. Sounds like you know your ovations. I do remember the first ovations I ever heard back in the late 7o's sounded pretty good compared to what I played recently at guitar center. They tried to sell me a celebrity for $299.00 but I wasn't convinced that it was the guitar I was looking for.
I will look into the Ebay thing and let you know.
Todd, I thought all Ovations were shallow bowls?
What do you mean about not getting a shallow bowl? |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | Legend
on the \'bay
It'll probably move into the upper range of your pricing, but it's a great guitar..... |
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Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 3969
| jomo, thanks for the compliment but there are a whole lotta people here who know much more than I do about Ovations. I've been fortunate to hook up with several OFCers with outstanding collections and have had the chance to play some truly incredible guitars thanks to them.
That said, I have owned or tried out quite a few wood-top O's, and I based my recommendation on that. I've owned a deep bowl plywood top Matrix (my first and only O for many years), a deep bowl solid-top Celebrity cutaway, a shallow bowl Custom Legend cutaway, and a couple of deep bowl Legends and an Elite. I've also tried out many newer O's at places like Guitar Center. I'm convinced (as are several others on this board) that you simply can't beat the tonal qualities and volume of those old Legends and Balladeers, with the exception of some of the old deep bowl Elites, without getting into the really high-end (and high-priced) O's and Adamas. There's also a big difference in unplugged volume between a shallow bowl and a deep bowl, so if you're mainly playing unplugged get a deep bowl.
The old Legends and Balladeers come up quite often on eBay, and it's most definitely a buyer's market right now. An early 80's Legend in very good condition for less than $500 would be an absolute steal, and in the last few weeks I've seen them selling for considerably less than that.
Look around, and if you see something that hits your buttons post the link here with a question. You'll get lots of opinions and advice. |
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Joined:
November 2007
Posts: 1486
Location: Cincinnati | Look around, and if you see something that hits your buttons post the link here with a question. You'll get lots of opinions and advice. I can vouch for that. Thanks to the advice on this board I bought my first Ovation, and it's great. |
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Joined:
November 2003
Posts: 231
| Welcome to the forum, and I can vouch for the older deep bowl Legends, as that's what I've owned and played for the past 28 years or so. You definitely need a deep bowl, preferably non-cutaway, A-braced Legend if you are going to play unplugged a lot, and want plenty of volume and tone. If you don't need the electronics, I am a believer that the straight acoustic models will give you a little more tone and volume, also. The Balladeers would also be a good choice, but you won't get the A-braced top, which I prefer. I recently bought a mint condition, early 80's Legend off E-bay for 375.00, and a like new 78 Anniversary Legend last year for under 500.00. I think they are the best bargains out there right now. Way under priced for what you will be getting. Good luck with your search. |
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February 2004
Posts: 2487
| I suggest you take the time and search through the for sale section it goes back a few pages. There have been some great Ovations from members and lots of them in your price range. I tried to find a post by one of our members of the better half (Vision) but I did not see it. She had a bunch of moderately priced guitars. I think Mwoody has some as well. Take the time, you might find something you really like. This is a great site, after you buy you can ask these idiots to tell you all about your guitar.
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Randy |
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Joined:
March 2007
Posts: 841
Location: CA | Since no one else has quite come out and said it, try to buy a USA-made Ovation. These all have solid wood tops and thus sound better than their foreign-built counterparts. These include the Balladeer and Legend models (center soundhole) and Elite family (side holes with epaulets). Some Celebrities are nice for the price, and come with beautiful figured wood tops on that laminate. But whatever you do, do NOT buy an Applause model. |
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March 2004
Posts: 86
Location: Detroit area | Yep - go for the older American made models. You should be able to pick up nice Legend in your price range. Best of luck. |
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October 2005
Posts: 5330
Location: Cicero, NY | Here\'s the thread which vision kicked her sales off with. Have no idea what the status is on them buyt you can always pm her and ask! |
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Joined:
July 2002
Posts: 280
Location: Waterloo, IL | All this talk of Legends and old Balladeers has given me a bad case of GAS. Now I need a Legend to add to my collection or replace the Balladeer that I have. There is just too much difference between the Pacemaker and the current Balladeer in tone. However, being out on the road makes it tough to bid on fleabay and win/pay. Anyone out there with any ideas/help? :( |
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Joined:
February 2008
Posts: 747
| Originally posted by Roundback:
You definitely need a deep bowl, preferably non-cutaway, A-braced Legend if you are going to play unplugged a lot, and want plenty of volume and tone. Originally posted by Roundback:
If you don't need the electronics, I am a believer that the straight acoustic models will give you a little more tone and volume, I would agree with that.
I have a Electric Artist which is about 3/4" less than a deep bowl.
While it's quite loud unplugged and has a nice full tone nevertheless it doesn't have enough low end and the low E string goes dull pretty quick.
I think too that the electric bridge sucks up a bit of sound unplugged and doesn't transmit as well as the standard bridge would.
It sounds fine plugged in though. |
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Joined:
February 2008
Posts: 747
| Originally posted by Chuck (Retired Navy):
All this talk of Legends and old Balladeers has given me a bad case of GAS. This damn board is giving me the GAS..lol |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Yes, it will do that!
If you get a custom bone saddle for the big pickup it gives you back about 80% of your acoustic sound. (warning, the number is highly subjective to how I was feeling at the time, maybe it's 70, maybe 90. They were about $100 but well worth it) |
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Joined:
February 2008
Posts: 747
| Thanks for the information. Even 50% would be a big improvement. I might look into doing that as I havn't played this guitar through an amp for many years. |
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General Question