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Location: SoCal | I happen to have in my possession, 2 Glen Campbell signature guitars. One is a 2006 reissue (mine) and the 2nd is a 2018 Artist depth bowl with a torrefied top. The 2006 is A braced and the 2018 is X braced. Pics are here -
http://ovationfanclub.com/megabbs/photos/photo-thumbnails.asp?album...
Never learned how to post in the thread on this board.
Also in the album is a pic with a deep bowl CL 30th Commemerative, for comparison of bowl depth, but here I'm just talking about the 2 GC models.
First, both are really nice guitars. Fit and finish is first rate. Both have the reissue stacked tone/volume controls. Both work extremely well and plugged in, both guitar are outstanding. These seem to put out a bigger signal than my guitars with Op Pro preamps.
The new GC with the torrefied top is interesting, but I wonder if that top is wasted on an artist depth bowl. It has good tone (needed a setup badly when it came in), better than I've heard in any GC Artist with VT bracing. That's due to the top and the bracing. But the artist bowl really limits the sound. Very bright. It has volume, but I'm not certain you'd want it. The top is darker, almost like cedar. It's even darker than the 2 torri topped guitars that Dan Savage did for me.
Dan did the setup on it for me and commented that while the top is torrefied, the braces aren't. Doesn't make sense because it doesn't take full advantage of the vibration of the torrefied top.
My 2006 GC RI is a mid depth bowl, A braced. it has great tone, sounds good plugged in and acoustically, but acoustically, sound wise, it has a ceiling. It's a great guitar for the living room, front porch, or on stage, but you wouldn't want to take it to jam with several other players. It doesn't have the volume for it. A mid depth bowl is a compromise. Comfortable to play, great to plug in, great to play at home. But it doesn't have a big deep sound that a deep bowl has. It doesn't get taken out of the house as often as the 87C or the 1537.
As noted, both the GC's are wonderful guitars and both represent different eras of both Glen and Ovation.
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Location: SoCal | Just as a note, researching old catalogs showed that the artist depth bowl were originally 5 1/8" deep. By 1984, the GC model was 5 1/4" deep, which is what the mid depth bowls became. So the 06 model was based on the mid 80's models, the 2018 model on the 70's models.
1/4 inch difference really made a difference. Deep bowls started out as 5 13/16" depth and evolved to to 5 3/4". 1/16" difference. Maybe one of the reasons why old O's sound a little better?
Edited by moody, p.i. 2018-09-19 8:53 AM
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Location: When?? | The measurement variance is really splitting hairs.. but, then again, it's easy to tell when someone's hair is fine or heavy. It matters.. and I tend to agree with the deeper the better for the elder O's. |
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Location: SoCal | The difference between this last GC and my 06 is striking. That quarter inch seems to really make a difference with that shallow a bowl.
I"ve said it before, but if I had had input into a GC signature model, I would have recreated his original Glen Campbell Deluxe Balladeer -- deep shiny hand laid fiberglass bowl, torrified spruce top and braces, no electronics (maybe just a passive undersaddle type p/u, dark rosewood on the face of the peghed, and a 5 point rosewood bridge.
Now THAT would have been a great guitar! The one that started it all......
Edited by moody, p.i. 2018-09-19 11:40 AM
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Location: Indiana | Totally agree Paul. Do like the signature on the fretboard though.
Edited by Jonmark Stone 2018-09-19 2:18 PM
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Location: When?? | @Moody p.i. - >>>...original Glen Campbell Deluxe Balladeer -- deep shiny hand laid fiberglass bowl...<<<
If you've ever seen the 1970 movie "Norwood" (I think they still show it free on YouTube) Glen carries one of those around during the whole film. Many scenes with it. Now, to have that particular guitar from the movie.. wow.. my heart flutters. They were casually rough with it during filming, but I have to wonder if he kept it for his own and it's currently sitting in the family guitar vault. I would hope so rather than it going to some spoiled producer's kid after the movie and getting wasted off somewhere. |
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Location: SoCal | That particular guitar, a Deluxe Balladeer (not the GC DB) was donated by Glen to the Country Music Hall of Fame. At least I think that's where it is. What's really interesting (at least to me) is that by the time they were making Norwood, he had gone to the artist depth bowl. But I wonder if that, for the movie, he wanted the best acoustic sound he could get..... |
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Location: When?? | @Moody p.i. >>>a Deluxe Balladeer (not the GC DB)<<<
Ah.. my mistake. Thanks for the correction. I guess I need to brush up on nomenclature specifics. It's been a long time since I've seen that film, and I can't remember for certain if I was trying to visually ID the one in the movie by whether it had the grape rosette or the abalone. Do you recall which rosette the early Deluxe Balladeers had? Maybe issued with both? Or was it only the standard Balladeer with the grape? |
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Location: SoCal | From 1968 http://ovationtribute.com/Catalogues/Deluxe%20Balladeer%201968%20Br...
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Location: SoCal | 1969
http://ovationtribute.com/Catalogues/1969_Glen_Campbell_Catalog/196... |
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Location: When?? | Paul, thanks for the links. Now I know the diff. The only one of the two that I ever played as a kid was the 6-string 1969 Campbell model. It belonged to a friend who has died since I joined here and started learning the details of Ovation history. His parents bought it for his 14th birthday. Drugs got him and he pawned it off around the mid 80's while I wasn't looking. The only Campbell I own is an 1127. I believe that is the first Artist bowl model you were referring to?
About two years ago I came across an original Balladeer on Craigslist out of Modesto (with the grape rosette). The ad was for the amp he was selling ($225), and he was essentially tossing in the guitar to clean out a house trailer full of stuff he had bought. When I called he had already given it.. yes, given it.. to a guy from work just a couple of hours earlier, so I never got to even learn the serial number. I cringe every time I think of that day. The experience did, however, mark clear proof that the dream of yard sale treasure possibilities can still exist in the ancient Ovation world. |
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Location: moline,illinois | moody, p.i. - 2018-09-19 11:19 PM
1969
http://ovationtribute.com/Catalogues/1969_Glen_Campbell_Catalog/196...
Cool link,while checking it out I noticed the glen campbell model number was K 1117-4 which is not listed in the ovation model reference,I always thought the first 1117 was a legend but I guess not,goes to show theres always more to learn about Ovations.
It also seems theres a gap in the model reference between 69 and 71 I know they made guitars curious what the model numbers were?
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Location: When?? | @2wheeldrummer - >>>I know they made guitars curious what the model numbers were?<<<
I've wondered that, too. But then again online references have been known to be slightly inaccurate. For instance, one of the reference listings at the bottom of your posts is not perfectly accurate to everyone's opinion. I say that since that awesome Caddie Green 1769 of yours should live at MY house :-) |
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Location: moline,illinois | @ Love O Fair:there are probably a couple other errors in my list of guitars I haven't updated it in awhile,1 of them now lives in germany with a happy new owner and there a couple acquisitions that aren't listed,technically the 1769 should be listed as cadillac green burst as far as where it lives "My House" until the day I turn to dust but your welcome to come visit it LOL
BTW if you ever get a chance to buy a 1769 of any color do it they are one of the best models ever made
Edited by 2wheeldrummer 2018-09-20 9:27 PM
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Location: When?? | @2wheeldrummer >>>cadillac green burst<<<
Yep.. I remember once seeing a picture of it with what appeared to be a path or country road reflected in the finish. So nice.
I also see we both have an 1127 Campbell. Mine is a beater with a great history of motorcycle bug splats and radiant campfire heat.. but still plays and sounds peachy. The last I saw it it was pulling door stop duty at our family fishing house in Wyoming. I assume it's still there.
Edited by Love O Fair 2018-09-20 10:56 PM
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Glen Campbell bowl depths