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Location: south east Michigan | Think back to the time when Guild production took over ninety-some percent of the Mothership's production and our beloved Ovations became not much more than an after thought. That was good for Guild because I think "our" guys put together some of the best Guilds to date. And anything to keep "our" guys working was good.
Then Fender did the sh***y thing.
The Mothership was dismantled.
At least Guild seemed to have a future in California but it looked like the end of the line for our roundbacks. I truly grieved at the loss.
On the news of the acquisition by Drum Works it seemed on the surface to be a case of... "If you want this, then you gotta take that". I thought at best the Celebriity models might still survive... maybe. When news started to trickle out of Drum Works I was skepticly, cautiously optimistic. Now we know things could have not turned out better for Ovation. And I have not heard if a single Guild has been produced. |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | I shouldn't respond when I'm angry, but my hopes will be shattered if they don't build deep bowls in the US. This "they slide off my lap" crap is for people who have no lap. Or maybe for vertically challenged people like Dave. I hope they go back to the deep bowls, which they sold by the thousands to thin people of normal height.
Back to Guild, I was just talking to my guitar teacher (yes, I have to pay someone to play guitar with me) about whether Guild would ever build another guitar. He had his Martin stolen and found a nice Guild, made in Tacoma, for $80. We were wondering whether Cordoba would ever build another Guild or if another American iconic guitar was gone. |
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Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | I sure hope so. A guy came in the other day with Cordoba and the quality was stunning. One of the prettiest and best made (attention to detail!) guitars I've seen. And it sounded pretty good too. |
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Location: Frozen Tundra of Minnesota | Mark in Boise - 2015-11-11 12:15 PM
This "they slide off my lap" crap is for people who have no lap. Or maybe for vertically challenged people like Dave. I hope they go back to the deep bowls, which they sold by the thousands to thin people of normal height.
As sad as it was, Ovation Closing, it probably was the Best thing to happen for them (sans the lay off of so many Workers), because now a Company that CARES and WANTS to make them Great again, has the brains, the ability and the drive to do it.
Mark, even us people with *deep bowls* ourselves love the Deep Bowled Ovations!  LOL!!!! I am hoping too, that they are not discontinuing them... |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | I just always thought the deep bowls felt great against my belly and sounded better than my mid-bowls. I didn't like the fit of the first contour bowl that I tried and I'm not convinced they sound as good. I know that it's tough to find an apple to apple comparison. I fit the contour bowl a little better now, but I need to lose some weight. I'd like to see Ovation USA go back to the deep bowls, although I understand that telling the customers to lose weight is probably not going to sell many guitars.
As long as I'm ranting, I hate the way flat backed guitars dig into my leg when I play seated (which is most of the time). Someone should invent a guitar that fits me better. Oops, Ovation already did. |
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Location: SW Mintsoda | Mark in Boise - 2015-11-11 12:15 PM
I shouldn't respond when I'm angry, but my hopes will be shattered if they don't build deep bowls in the US. This "they slide off my lap" crap is for people who have no lap. Or maybe for vertically challenged people like Dave. I hope they go back to the deep bowls, which they sold by the thousands to thin people of normal height.
"LIKE"  |
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Posts: 2985
Location: Sydney, Australia | I think that if the people with deep pockets order deep bowls with their custom orders, then Ovation will make deep bowls a standard option. The specs for the 50th anniversary folklore have reduced my GAS somewhat. If I win lotto, I'll talk to Al about a modified one that has a wide neck, deep bowl and suspension ring. |
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Location: south east Michigan | Well, I'm just glad we have any kind of USA Ovation because for a while there is sure looked like it wasn't gonna happen. |
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Location: Denmark | +1 |
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Location: Thredbo, NSW, Australia | I'm just happy they're making Ovation and Adamas guitars back at the Mothership.
A greater variety of models and bowls will come in time, but at least they are making something. Small steps are the start. |
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Posts: 848
Location: Canada | I think the difference between deep and mid bowl (about 1 cm at deepest point) is not really noticeable both in terms of playing comfort or sound quality, though I definitely have not had the exposure to a large range of models as most of the other members. I think what is more significant is that all the anniversary models have hand laid bowl. I have also recently visited the Ovationguitars website, and although this looks very dated it is notable that the Adamas models are distinguished from "Ovation USA" models by hand laid bowl in the Specs, and no MSRP is posted. On the other hand the KakiKing and ME models are not considered Adamas anymore but still have a MSRP. Maybe this indicates that the old models with the composite bowls will be discontinued after old stock is sold and all US models will have the hand laid bowl instead?
Now I think that the composite bowls were contracted out to another supplier (maybe Dan Savage mentioned that) so I'm wondering who will actually make those hand laid bowls (given the small staff at New Hartford and that it's a different process than composite bowls) and how readily are molds for different bowl sizes and shapes actually available?
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Location: Flahdaw | 1 cm? Is that correct? |
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Posts: 848
Location: Canada | Darkbar - 2015-11-11 4:12 PM 1 cm? Is that correct? This was posted recently for measurements: Deep 5 3/4ths
Mid 5 1/4th
Super Shallow 4 1/16th So half inch is about once centimetre give or take the thicknes of the top ... |
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Posts: 4046
Location: Utah | I am keeping my fingers crossed that the 50th red Adamas with the #23 sound holes is a deep bowl. I don't want a mid.
I find the deep is more stable when I play either seated or standing than the mid bowl. But I don't have the "new normal" American shaped body. |
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Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | Pretty certain it's more than a centimeter. And sound-wise, there's a difference. The only mid depth bowl guitars that I was really impressed with were the Elite T's. But a deep bowl has a better acoustic sound.
I've been pissed at Fender for the last 7-8 years. They kept saying that they had plans for Ovation and nothing happened. When they closed down the factory early last year, I vowed to never buy a Fender product.
But you know, what they did led to DW buying Ovation, which I believe, is the best thing that could have happened. Things are happening as they should. Should I still be pissed at Fender? Hell yes. But I'm looking forward to the future. NAMM is going to be exciting for the first time in years...... |
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Location: Frozen Tundra of Minnesota | FlySig - 2015-11-11 5:56 PM
I am keeping my fingers crossed that the 50th red Adamas with the #23 sound holes is a deep bowl.
Me Too! Me Too!  |
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Posts: 6994
Location: Jet City | My first acoustic O was the 1778LX. Great tone, as good as any O I've had since. The problem came when I tried to play acoustically with my dread loving friends. Their big wood boxes were very hard to be heard over, and since I'm the dude that they all turn their heads to when the lead break is coming up, that just didn't work.
I replaced it with the C2078LX Deep Contour
The center hole mid depth guitars seem a bit louder, but I am not a fan of the sound from center hole LX models. My 1777-4GC is nice though... and A-braced. |
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Location: Always beautiful canyon country of Utah | My goodness!! Is is politically correct to refer to someone's height vs girth ratio?? Good thing Mark is a lawyer and knows how to remain free of that Greybar Motel!! |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | I am not PC and hope I don't have to tread so lightly that I don't want to tread here at all. Pretty soon you'd all have to be nice to lawyers and that would be un-American.
I just know Slipkid likes to be a glass half full kind of guy and I have the opposite reputation to maintain. Being a devil's advocate sometimes gets a conversation going. Actually, I'm as thrilled as anyone that Ovation is back in business in the US. Plus the absence of a deep bowl makes it easier for me to make a decision. So does the lack of money. I do like all of the new offerings and am proud of the guys at Ovation.
I found a metric ruler and one cm is pretty close to one half inch. |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Yes Slipkid... It has been an eventful 2 years.
I just want to see them get production going.
I am sure that once they get fired-up you will be able to get whatever bowl you like.
If it is not available yet, just buy one of the Thousands of used deep bowls for sale worldwide.
Yeah... but at $3K, I would be buying a Used Adamas or a few eBay O's before I buy a new one. 
Edited by Old Man Arthur 2015-11-12 12:23 AM
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Location: Sunshine State, Australia | The contour bowl dug into my ribs when playing starting up. It was OK sitting. I've never had a problem with a deep bowl sliding off my thigh. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Seems like everybody has their own issues ..
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/archive/index.php/t-478117.html |
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Posts: 13987
Location: Upper Left USA | I am very glad that the Ovation/Adamas line is alive and kicking. The fact that all y'all are through the mourning stage and now "conversing" over bowl depth... marks a milestone.
So whichever new guitar you end up GASsed over just send it my way and I'll use my heat gun to make it into any bowl shape you want!
Might not fit in the case or come back quickly.
Play on! |
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Location: Frozen Tundra of Minnesota | |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Now that was very funny, Dave. Thanks for sharing, and hats off to the forum member bold enough to start the thread. |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | Dave, don't give anyone ideas. They'll have to make contour bowls with different contours for the ladies. Actually, my daughter disliked the contour bowl when she tried one back in 2006 because the top cut into her chest. The regular bowls are fine. |
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Location: Frozen Tundra of Minnesota | Ovations have never been a problem for me, and after a mastectomy, they are GREAT! And a good one that vibrates (Bobbo's 1778T RF) is like having a mini-massage!! Very soothing!
The regular, flat back guitars on the other hand, cut into my chest, and make playing very painful.
Guess I picked the right brand, eh??? Maybe they could use that information to market to a specific niche of women!! |
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Location: undisclosed | Well good for you Nancy! Ovations tend to attract the determined. |
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Location: Frozen Tundra of Minnesota | Cavalier - 2015-11-12 2:50 PM
Well good for you Nancy! Ovations tend to attract the determined.
LOL!!! When I first read your response, I thought it said *demented*, I was howling!!! LOL!!! |
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Location: Orlando, FL | Determined/Demented, it's a fine line sometimes. Especially around here! |
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Location: sitting at my computer | Designzilla - Determined/Demented, it's a fine line sometimes. Especially around here! boy howdy, ain't that the truth! |
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Location: Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA | Hi, Nancy, and Everyone,
Mike Seguin from Ottawa, ON. here. At the risk of waxing nostalgic, (exactly how one does that particular exercise, I know not), as a dedicated Ovation person since 1969, my experience with all 4 different Ovation guitar bowls has been great, except for the newer contour bowl. I first played a Standard Balladeer in 1969, while still in high school. I saw Glen Campbell with his model on the cover of Guitar Player Magazine#2, which the school librarian gave to me. (Yes, I actually gave said magazine away to one of the guys in my band, and NEVER saw it again? Yikes!) It was an, "Igottagetmewonnathose!" moment! These guitars were strange/new/radical, and sold only in CANADA through ANYONE who could afford a franchise for them, like, would you believe...? my local pharmacy! How Kaman/Ovation arranged that, I still don't know, but that's how my brothers' best friend got his Ovation. (I believe the pharmacist's son convinced his dad to order one, but he was a drummer, so go figure?) He, my brother's friend, was staying at my parent's place for that summer, and I played it as often as he did, with his kind permission, of course. I played every other cheaper guitar brand, except Ovation, until 1977, when I had to got through open-heart surgery! The 3rd rib from the top never fused right after the surgery, so playing my any of flat- backed guitars was too painful. The Ovation sales rep for Eastern Canada lived in my hometown,(Yes, his widow still has his '83 Collectors, as far as I know,), so he brought an Ovation guitar to parent's house. IT WAS ONLY THE THIRD ADAMAS ORDERED FOR CANADA AT THE TIME!! I sold all my flat-back guitars, because play this one guitar literally saved me from giving up guitar/music altogether. Someone else, not me, got the Adamas, of course. I managed to get a Custom Balladeer, and also a 1977 mid-depth Legend, which I later sold/traded. BAD MICHAEL! I had a SSB Custom Legend for a short time, but sold it to get a Legend Classic 1773-4 Stereo, and my current Elite 1768-4. I sold the Classic, too. BAD, VERY BAD MICHAEL! I tried the 2005 Collectors contour-bowl guitar, and again, the small ridge at the top of the contour affected me like a flat-back. I'm basically a mid-depth kinda guy, being of small frame, but my Deep-Bowl Elite sounds so amazing now. I hope the New Ovation Factory makes some NEW mid-depth bowl models for all those of us who like them, too. "That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it!"
Mike S.
Edited by Michael R. Seguin 2015-11-13 2:49 AM
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Think about the last 2 years