I have had this guitar for sale on another thread, but it was woefully lacking in pictures. And there has been one more minor bit of re-furbishment that may turn out to be crucial from a historical-accuracy point of view. First and foremost, let me say that the sound generated by this guitar is absolutely AWESOME!!!! It is one of the best sounding 12-strings I have ever played. But I have two other 12'ers and a bill that needs paying, so as has happened to so many of us, something has to give. This was originally a 1968 Balladeer Deluxe 12-string that someone sent to the factory with a bad top. They did their usual magic and completely replaced the top/bowl assembly built to 1968 specs. It even has a hand-made (according to John Budny) '68 style bridge, though it looks to be walnut versus rosewood. It has my favorite configuration for a 12-string; namely 12 frets to the body, and a neck profile unlike any Ovation I've played before. It is slightly more rounded and shallow in profile than modern necks. This results in a "meatier" feel that suits my hands very well, and the action is effortless. I cannot imagine anyone who would not be impressed by the tone and playability of this instrument. The only nod to the modern world of Ovations is the factory installation of a direct out pre-amp through the endpin a la the Folklore Deluxe. In other words, it is safe to say there is not another one like it anywhere! Now for....the rest of the story..... I was informed a bit back that it was too similar to a Pacemaker, of which there are plenty to be found on the market, to gain any good traction as far as a sale goes. That same someone said that the new label in it further drove home that perception since it actually said 1115 Pacemaker. I'm embarassed to admit that I never read the label, but I immediately knew it was wrong on several counts. Not the least of which was that the original guitar was too old to be a Pacemaker and it was not acoustic-only as the model number suggested. So I consulted with John Budny again. (DANGIT TO YOUKNOWWHERE! I'm gonna miss those guys!) He not only agreed about the mis-labelling, but came up with a mock-up for a more period-appropriate label! I've got to say, changing the label should not make such a difference. But it does! To my eyes at least, the guitar just looks....well....."RIGHT" now. It just fits with the old-style bridge and the old, thicker-padelled headstock. The instrument has effortless action, killer looks, and drop-dead sound! Other than a VERY, minor blemish here or there and a small scuff on the back, it looks incredible! If you are more than 2 feet away, the guitar looks perfect. The 45 YO neck, while showing some age, is in rock-solid condition aesthetically and functionally. It comes with a hardshell case, and I'm asking $1000 + shipping, or if you live near enough, I will consider driving to meet you instead of trusting this to the tender ministries of the USPS. I am willing to ship overseas as long as we can work out all the details. I might consider a trade plus cash for something interesting, but I have to clear enough to pay the aforementioned bill. As a final FWIW, when I asked John Budny what its replacement value was way back when I got it, he said a new one would run $3000. Sadly, those days are gone. So this is the only one there will be. Get it while you can. 
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Balladeer Deluxe 12-String, Shiny Bowl Re-built in New Hartford For Sale!
