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Joined:
October 2024
Posts: 2
| Greetings Sage Ovationeers,
I'm a proud self-taught hack, and just yesterday acquired a gently-used CS257 Celebrity Deluxe with a blue top. I've always admired friends' Ovations for their pretty looks and skinny necks, and I'm delighted to finally join the club.
I have a couple 101-level questions, if you'd be so kind to indulge me:
1) Has anybody uploaded owner's manuals, here or elsewhere? I searched here, didn't see any. Mostly I'm curious about the electrical controls and maybe the process for tweaking the neck someday...perhaps veteran CS257 folks can just give me a verbal walk-through.
2) The label visible through the upper holes only shows model name and number, not serial number. I haven't tried opening the back hatch yet, might the serial number be in there somewhere? I imagine I'd need that to determine any provenance on her.
3) My intentions for this new axe of mine is to take her sailing and abuse my friends' ears with off-color sea shanties; The skinny plastic body seems like it will be fairly stowable and reasonably durable. But I'd love to know if anybody else has cruised with an Ovation and how it held up to high humidity and the salt air. The latter may be of some concern regarding the electrics. Thoughts?
4) What brand/model of capo do you guys find works best on an Ovation fretboard?
5) This may be one of those "ask 10 (guitarists) and get 15 opinions" situations, but what brand/type of strings do peeps like best? For example, do the Zager "easy play" strings live up to the hype? Again, hack player here with some arthritis in the ol' finger bones lately...
I'll limit my pesky entry-level queries to those for now, I'm sure I'll have plenty more as time goes on.
Cheers n Beers,
Capt Geoff |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7222
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | I've moved this here to the general posting section and upgraded your membership so that you can interact with more than the few of us in the welcome center. 1. Possible on the Ovation Tribute site 2. Serial Numbers have essentially no meaning on Celebrity/Import models. As the warranty was held with the store who sold the guitar not Ovation, the stores are the only ones who cared about serial numbers to id guitars they sold. 3. The bowls are not plastic, but that's not important at the moment as the to the bigger question of "how they hold up under adverse conditions?" the answer is better than most. My 1977 even took a swim once and it still plays just fine today. YMMV 4. They pretty much all work. I've used them all at one time or another. My preference is the one that's closest to me when I need it. 5. I leave the string question to others. I use Adamas strings on acoustics, but there are better. I play mostly electric and NYXL's are my go to for those. |
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Joined:
October 2024
Posts: 2
| Thanks, Miles! |
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Joined:
June 2012
Posts: 2315
Location: Pueblo West, CO | Try to keep the guitar out of the sun and away from heat as much as possible.
The finish on the top is polyester which continues to shrink over time. This shrinkage is accelerated when exposed to either heat or sunlight.
If the top shrinks enough it can crack the finish and/or split the top wood. |
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4043
Location: Utah | Welcome aboard!
3) Your guitar should do as well as any wood guitar with humidity. I think being on the ocean in a non-climate controlled environment will be very hard on it, so I would consider it a disposable item. Boats themselves suffer from the salt and humidity, and they are constructed for that environment. I would expect the electronics to suffer, especially the exposed contact areas of the output jack, battery connector, and the volume pot. I would either take a guitar I wasn't emotionally attached to, or take a fully carbon fiber instrument like the Composite Acoustics.
4) I like the D'Addario capo. It fits both the fretboard and back of the neck radius nicely, and I like the easy to adjust spring tension.
5) I would suggest coated strings for your environment. And probably not premium priced brands since you may have to change them often for corrosion. 12 is the typical gauge people use, but if you want to try 11 for arthritis they will still sound nearly as good. |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13987
Location: Upper Left USA | Everything these guys have said I agree with! Especially on the coated strings and not leaving it in the hot sun!
When you play Carnegie Hall I'd have some different advice but when you have promised your guitar the life of Adventure then you have selected the right tool!
I'd also add
6) Find and support your local Luthier/Tech and support them until you have figured out what they are doing and then still support them! |
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Ahoy All! Newbie Q's re my CS257