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Location: Frozen Tundra of Minnesota | I just saw a Celebrity Archtop on eBay, and have never seen one before.
After looking on Ovation Tribute, it looks to be the 2000 Celebrity Collector Edition.
Were many Archtops made? Do they sound very different??
http://www.ebay.com/itm/321957092440?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&s...
 (Archtop.jpg)
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 Archtop.jpg (55KB - 0 downloads)
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Location: undisclosed | Pressed laminate like a Gibson 175? What wood? |
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Location: undisclosed | It is maple like a gibson. |
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Location: Frozen Tundra of Minnesota | "OVATION MILLENNIUM CELEBRITY DELUXE ARCHTOP SPECIAL EDITION - CHERRY BURST BURL MAPLE TOP WITH MATCHING MAPLE HEADSTOCK"
This is the first one I have seen other than the Tornado.  |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | I remember playing at least one of these when they were new, but I don't remember it being an archtop. |
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Location: Yokohama, Japan | Whoa...I'm pretty sure that is a CS2000 MIK Millenium model. It is not an archtop (at least it wasn't originally). Occasionally, I've seen people trying to sell their older O with a bowed out sound board as an arch top. However, there is the Celebrity CS-282F... 
This is an MIK attempt at an archtop. I played one years ago, and it was pretty bad. You may as well have put a Hello Kitty decal on it and sold it as a toy. I'm surprised the Mother Ship even authorized this (or perhaps they didn't...). However, I've heard some folks like the looks of it. It also came in black. Very few were made. They still show up from time to time on Yahoo auctions here in Japan. I bet if NH had a shot at one, they'd come up with something pretty cool and innovative.
Edited by arumako 2015-12-25 7:10 PM
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Location: Frozen Tundra of Minnesota | Thank You SO much Arumako!!
Great Information!!! I like to find out about these "out of the ordinary" ones that I run across!!
Thank You very much!!!! |
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Location: Northwest Arkansas | I bought one from a pawn shop in Las Vegas about 5 years ago. I bought it off eBay as a 2nd. There was nothing wrong with it. It sounded alright. It sounded great plugged-in. The top was raised just slightly, though it was noticeable. They are gorgeous and heavy, with the brown back. A friend traded me a $1,800 Godin LGX or LGA for it. I sold it on eBay and bought a new Korean Custom Legend.
Edited by AdamasW597 2015-12-26 8:39 AM
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Location: Yokohama, Japan | AdamasW597 - 2015-12-25 10:29 PM
I bought one from a pawn shop in Las Vegas about 5 years ago. I bought it off eBay as a 2nd.
Did you actually find a CS282F in a pawn shop in Vegas and find one on e-Bay, and own 2 of them? You're talking about the CS2000 right?
By the way, here's another interesting archtop O. It's called a CS281E. You'll notice that there are no "f" holes...just a bass side "epi".
http://www.tcgakki.com/items06/tc065513.html
It's not for sale anymore, but kinda interesting... |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Over in Asia they've got some Nifty Celebrity guitar that never show-up over here.
Also... If YouTube is any indication, they LOVE Ovations much more in Asia than they do in the USA.
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Location: Boise, Idaho | Arumako has it right. The CS2000 was the Celebrity special edition model that's pictured at the start of this thread. It was not an archtop, but was just a fancy Celebrity Deluxe model. The one I played was pretty ordinary and the music store had it priced way to high for a Celebrity. Hanging over in a corner for less than half the money was a perfect 1713, which I still own. I had just bought a Balladeer off this site the same day, but couldn't pass up the 1713. |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Ya gotta be careful about that, Mark.
Next thing you know you've got a room fulla guitars.
(but it was sitting there and it said "Buy Me")
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Location: Frozen Tundra of Minnesota | LOL!!!! Boy Howdy! Do I know that feeling, and how quickly they fill up a room!!! LOL!!!
But I wouldn't give up a single one of them! 
There is a 1718 in FANTASTIC shape out there now, mis-marked title, so no one is going after it. I wrote the guy, there is not a mark on it, and he added more pictures, and shipping is included. If I didn't have the Anniversary to pay off, I would bring it home!
I can't get the URL on my iPad, (if anyone knows how to get an eBay address with an iPad, please let me know?). But the Item number is: 141860228842. If anyone is interested. . I read the archives on the 1718, and from all accounts it sounds very similar to the 1537 for the working man.
Thank you all so much for the help on the Celebrity!!! There are so many that I still have to learn about!!! Thank You for sharing your knowledge and experiences!!! |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | THIS one, Nancy? That ain't a 1718.
That looks like my 1735 by the epaulets... The weird two-tone ones.
But it doesn't seem to have electronics.
Plus it has stacked wood on the heel like a 1537, so maybe on the headstock... I cannot tell.
It has plastic binding, whereas a 1537 has wood.
So this is some kind of transitional fruitcake.
I am tempted to buy it, but I have the 1735.
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Location: Frozen Tundra of Minnesota | Thanks Arthur!
I thought it was the 1718 because of the 2 Archive threads:
Beal sold one that sounded just like this one:
http://www.ovationfanclub.com/megabbs/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=24...
And this thread:
http://www.ovationfanclub.com/megabbs/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=34...
The picture on Ovation Tribute looked similar, but had the standard saddle, so when I read the threads (above), I figured that it must be one of the few Larry Garris models with the Thin Line saddle. And this one has no electronics either, he confirmed this when I wrote him.
I can't find a picture of the 1735, I am going to have to do some more research. Oh Drat!! LOL!!!
Thank You Arthur! |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Look HERE
My 1681 Adamas with the Legend Elite 1735.
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Location: Frozen Tundra of Minnesota | Thank you Arthur!!!!!!
Now, can you please explain to me the difference between a Legend Elite (1735) and an Elite (1718), they look identical, how do you know which is which, when you are looking at a pic, and can't see a Label???  |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | 
All of this stuff is available on Jerome's site... http://www.ovationtribute.com/index.php
You can spend a whole bunch of time just looking through all this stuff.
And HERE is the 2000 Celebrity... No description, just photos.
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Location: Frozen Tundra of Minnesota | You are The Best Arthur!!!
Thank You!!! Looks like I have some more studying to do!! |
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Location: Canada | Could the marketing fols not make up their mind if it's a Legend or an Elite? The name of a "Legend Elite" is just confusing for me. Glad this thing was only short lived/ |
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Location: SoCal | Well, my Garris 1718-X is a prototype that I got from Beal, serial 091791 (made September 17, 1991). Not sure if there was different bracing, etc., then that of the later production model but this was used to test the thin line saddle. The guitar is a "plain Jane" which would be reasonable if it was to be a "test bed". However, it is so close to my pre-production 1537 that I got from Beal except it is a little brighter than the 1537. Although I use the D'Addario EJ16 on my guitars, I did try it once with mediums on the 1718-X. It produced the wonderful 1537 sound. The prototype appears to have a Fishman pre-amp. I would back up Nancy's summary that the 1718 would be the working man's guitar, at least as to price. |
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Location: Northwest Arkansas | arumako - 2015-12-26 11:39 AM
AdamasW597 - 2015-12-25 10:29 PM
I bought one from a pawn shop in Las Vegas about 5 years ago. I bought it off eBay as a 2nd.
Did you actually find a CS282F in a pawn shop in Vegas and find one on e-Bay, and own 2 of them? You're talking about the CS2000 right?
By the way, here's another interesting archtop O. It's called a CS281E. You'll notice that there are no "f" holes...just a bass side "epi".
http://www.tcgakki.com/items06/tc065513.html
It's not for sale anymore, but kinda interesting...
I bought a CS 2000 from a pawn shop in Vegas. They were selling it on eBay. Everyone that saw it remarked how pretty it was. It had a stamp on the back of the neck that said "Used". It was flawless.
Edited by AdamasW597 2015-12-27 8:31 AM
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Location: Yokohama, Japan | AdamasW597 - 2015-12-26 10:27 PM
I bought a CS 2000 from a pawn shop in Vegas. They were selling it on eBay. Everyone that saw it remarked how pretty it was. It had a stamp on the back of the neck that said "Used". It was flawless.
Thanks for the clarification AdamasW597! That's what I thought you meant. A CS282F in Vegas would have been a rare find because those are Asia only models. The CS2000 are beautiful guitars and sound great. The CS282F that I played years ago was kind of twangy and dull sounding at the same time. It actually felt decent in the hands, but sounded like a toy.
The discussion about the various versions of the Elite is super interesting too! Thanks for deepening "O lore" for us who are still in shallow waters! |
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Location: undisclosed | Traditional archtops are kind of twangy compared to a flatop. They have a lot of initial volume that rolls of quick for the bite that cuts through a big band. Electric versions started going to thick tops to reduce feedback but still get some wood in the sound. Ironically in the 50s jazzers started rolling off the treble the guitars were designed to have for a mellow electric tone. I'd love to see a good Ovation archtop, it would probably be the loudest guitar ever made. I love my modified ES125, it is loud enough to practice acoustic with a great sound plugged in. |
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Location: Yokohama, Japan | Cavalier - 2015-12-27 1:43 AM
I'd love to see a good Ovation archtop, it would probably be the loudest guitar ever made. I love my modified ES125, it is loud enough to practice acoustic with a great sound plugged in.
Great explanation Cavalier. My Yamaha SA2000 from the late 70's is an awesome archtop, but it's more like the ES335. With the tone dialed back it gets that incredibly smooth tone that guys like Captain Fingers and Mr. 335 are know for. I think the MIK O archtops used standard OP style pre-amps (I think OP30) and were made more for the "look" than the sound. IMHO, the OP series pre-amps during that period don't seem to be suitable for archtops. I've never played or heard any of the "Storm" series guitars, but with their combined experience, I bet the folks at NH could come up with an awesome archtop!
Old Man Arthur - 2015-12-26 2:04 AM
Over in Asia they've got some Nifty Celebrity guitar that never show-up over here.
Also... If YouTube is any indication, they LOVE Ovations much more in Asia than they do in the USA.
Your right OMA, USA Os are still expensive, and we love them. You can sell an Adamas in good condition for the same price you bought it for. In many instances they sell for even higher prices. Even the Celebrities (especially the Elites) are auctioned at pretty high prices (about the same as the street prices they sold for when they were new).
Over here in Japan, it looks like DW is getting into the Asian production "fray" as well. I went to a new music store that opened about 2 months ago, and the three Celebrities that were displayed (1 CE44-RBB, 1 CE44P-FKOA, and 1 CE44P-TBQ) were in "great" condition. They let me play each one and they looked great, had great action, the epis were secure, the bowls and tops fit nicely, they sounded great and the pricing was about 200 bucks under the msrp (which is usually about "right" over here). They sounded as good as the Yamahas, Taylors, Taks and Martins that were displayed near them (they let me play those too).
Now, if I was a young guitarist with a mind unbiased by "woodbox only" syndrome, the O would be a definite candidate worth putting down 650 to 750 bucks. Great sound for way less than a Martin, about half the price of a Taylor, about the same as a competitive Tak or Yamaha. I asked the sales clerk and he said the Os were selling really well. Most folks buy the inexpensive Yamaha models, but apparently Os were 2nd in popularity, then Taks, then Taylors. I may be jumping the gun here; but from where I stand I sure get the feeling that DW is working really hard to get O Celebrity quality under control while they're trying to launch USA NH Os back into the market.
Oops...I'm getting off-topic aren't I. Sorry about that! |
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Location: undisclosed | It is very interesting to have you on the eastern "scene" Arumako. What do the CS282F models sell for on the used market over there? It might be fun to pick one up and add a magnetic pickup for conventional jazz tone. A more conventional wood bridge might help the acoustic tone, tranducers under the feet can sound nice.
The Yamahas are great guitars, I think the SA2000 is a semi-solid with the block down the center like a 335. Over here they are less known than the Gibson and Ibanez offerings making them a good deal for what they are. |
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Location: Yokohama, Japan | Thanks Cavalier, It is such a privilege to be able to participate in the OFC! There actually is a Japanese Ovation Fan Club too. But they converse in Japanese, so it's much harder to get a dialog going.
Yup, my SA2000 is a semi-solid with the block down the center. It really is Yamaha's attempt at copying the 335, but back in those days, getting really good materials in Japan was quite difficult and expensive. They used laminates throughout (mainly, maple/spruce, except for the block running down the center and the neck which is mahogany, and the fret board is ebony). Fortunately, their craftsmanship and sound (after 30 years) have given them legendary status over here. The msrp back in the 70s was about $800 with a street price of about $600. Now, they go for over a $1,000, but I ain't about to get rid of mine!
Anyway, the last CS282F I saw traded on Yahoo Auctions (our version of the bay) about 8 months ago was a red one, and it went for about 45,000JPY (about $500). The CS281E is not all that different, but those are auctioned at about $1,000, but they rarely show up. A magnetic pick-up would definitely be a cool experiment to try out. It would be really cool to see NH attempt an acoustic archtop. I bet they'd be loud and give the old L-5, L-7 a run for the money.
Edited by arumako 2015-12-28 9:56 PM
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Location: undisclosed | Those Yamaha prices have been going up here too but are bargains compared to Gibsons and Scofield Ibanez models. I'm a believer in Japanese Craftsmanship after sampling guitars from the Ibanez customshop over the years. Speaking of, the George Benson GB10 style floating pickups are what came to mind if there is enough room over the top. I put a floater in the bridge position on my ES125 for twangy tones without cutting up the top.
Maybe the NH guys could do a Adamas style carbon/birch laminate to get the curve? Out of my budget to shop there but a deep bowl donor to carve a top for might be do able for me. $500 is steep for an experiment but if you see a CS262F that didn't survive a brawl or make it all the way to the gig on a motorbike let me know. |
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Location: Yokohama, Japan | I'll surely do that Cavalier! Have a Happy New Year, and to all at the OFC! |
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