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Joined:
March 2018
Posts: 3
| Hi,
I just restored a Black Ovation Celebrity CS 257, and I'm very curious about its' origins.
It appears that the CS257 model was produced between 1997 -2001.
My guitar has a brown sticker with a 9 digit S/N 311530065, stuck on top of the Celebrity Kaman Korea label inside the sound hole of the guitar.
It also has a second, partial S/N starting with 57; which is on the remaining portion of a torn sticker inside the back of the guitar; right at the butt end of the neck.
Right under the partial S/N is a black "Factory Reconditioned Guitar" label.
Is it possible that the reconditioned S/N 311530065, breaks down, with 311 indicating reconditioned, and the 6 digit guitar S/N could be 530065, which would make this a 1998?
From the "Date your Ovation" S/N chart; a 6 digit S/N starting with 57 would have been manufactured in 2002 or 2003, after the CS257 model was discontinued.
It also has "USED" stamped in the back of the headstock.
It has a rectangular OP24+ preamp, however the "Ovation Manufacturing Decoder" chart lists the CS257 model having the OP30 preamp, which is a totally different shape.
According to the Ovation manufacturing decoder, the CS257 had a shallow bowl.
The thickness of my CS257 lying on a flat surface is 4 inches; is this a shallow or a super shallow bowl?
Is it possible that this guitar was repaired with the shell of an 02 or 03; hence the partial S/N starting with 57, and the OP24+ preamp?
Does anybody have any thoughts on the brown sticker, the 9 digit S/N, the discrepancy between the partial S/N and the production period for the CS257 model, or the apparent incorrect preamp.
IF ONLY GUITARS COULD TALK!
THANKS
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | That brown serial number sticker comes from the aftermarket refurbishing folks.
They buy reject Asian guitars by the container load.
If an Asian guitar fails factory inspection, they just throw them in a pile and sell them in bulk.
That is also why there is a "USED" stamp on the back of your headstock.
That stops anyone from trying to claim a Warranty Repair.
The original serial number sticker is located at the neck heel inside of the bowl.
The "Date Your Ovation" chart only works for USA guitars.
Later Asian Ovation/Celebrity serial numbers start with the country and year of manufacture.
I think that started in 2012 with K12 and C12...
Maybe earlier, but that is the earliest that I have seen.
I have never seen a "Factory Reconditioned Guitar" label on a Celebrity.
The Black "FRG" labels were found on USA made guitars.
If a guitar made in New Hartford, CT failed inspection it might be sent back to be repaired.
Then it would have a Black "Factory Reconditioned Guitar" label and it would be sold with a lesser Warranty.
A previous owner may have gotten that "FRG" sticker from a USA guitar and put it on yours.
I have removed Two of those FRG stickers from used guitars that I have owned.
Once you are the second owner of a guitar the FRG sticker is meaningless. It is a Used guitar.
Could it be a repaired shell of another guitar. Doubtful.
Refurbished guitars are just reject guitars that they have cleaned-up.
If a guitar needs major work they would just strip the parts out of it and throw the rest away.
Although you do see "husks" of guitars on eBay, after that have taken out the Tuners and Electronics.
Earlier CC257 and CS257 had the OP-24+ preamps. Later models had the OP-30.
All CS257's are Super Shallow Bowls. CS247 was the Mid-Depth version.
Super Shallow Bowls are about 4 inches deep.
I hope that is helpful. 
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Joined:
March 2018
Posts: 3
| Wow, amazing depth of knowledge!
Thanks for sharing, much appreciated.
Then from the OP24+ preamp, my CS257 would appear to about a 1998?
So the black FRG labels were only on FRGs refurbished in the US?
Was there a different type of FRG label on Asian FRGs?
I'm not sure why anybody would take the time to peel off a FRG label from one guitar and stick it inside another!
The Celebrity label has Made in Korea on it.
The bowl has Ovation USA molded into it just below the FRG sticker.
Were Asian made models assembled with these "Ovation USA" bowls as well?
So the partial S/N sticker at the butt end of the neck starting with 71 could have been a made in Korea S/N?
Is there a "Date Your Ovation" S/N chart for Korean manufactured guitars?
Any thought on the possibility that the Korean made guitar was damaged after purchase, and refurbished in the US, hence the black FRG sticker?
Would the refurbished brown S/N sticker's 9 digit S/N 311530065 correlate to any Ovation production data?
Do you think the last 6 digits, 530065 falling line with a 1998 produced guitar is purely coincidence?
Were the US refurbishers licensed by Ovation, and assigned series of S/Ns that they could use to label their FRGs?
Once again, thanks for educating me, sorry for all the questions.
I LOVE the CS257, beautiful design, incredibly versatile guitar, amazing tone, sustain, feedback, stays in tune, plays so smooth and fast; a real gem!!
Rock On!
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | The Asia FRG label is the USED stamp on the Headstock.
And they are not really "Factory Reconditioned Guitar" because it is not done at the Factory.
All Bowls say "Bowl made by Ovation USA" on them.
I should clarify that I am not sure about nowadays.
Now that DWDrums owns Ovation, I have not seen a new Ovation bowl.
There is no "Date your Ovation" for old Celebrity guitars.
New Celebrity guitars, the year is in the serial number.
Why would someone put a USA FRG sticker on an Asian guitar?
Why would someone put an Ovation label on a non-Ovation guitar?
I don't know about the FRG sticker, but I have seen the second one.
Back in the Old Daze the Ovation Factory would Not work on an Asian Ovation.
You just sent them back to Guitar Center (or wherever), and GC would just give you a new guitar.
I have a made-in-Korea CSE-44. It sez "Bowl made by Ovation USA".
It also has a SEVEN digit serial number sticker up near the Neck Joint.
Celebrity guitars are good guitars. It is just that the quality control often varied from USA standards.
That is why there are so many Factory 2nds, and Refurbished Celebrity's on eBay.
I bought my CSE-44 long after I already had Adamas and USA Ovation guitars.
I had another CSE-44 and it was a good guitar.
I am glad that you like yours.
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Joined:
March 2018
Posts: 3
| Very interesting insight into the world of refurbished Ovations.
Thanks for the great responses, much appreciated!
Cheers | |
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"Factory Reconditioned Guitar" label