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April 2005
Posts: 17
Location: USA | I just picked up my new 2005 collectors and all I can say is WOW. It’s the most comfortable ovation I've ever touched. It’s a beautiful instrument, the sound is fantastic, the action is a little too high but that will be fixed by a date with my Luther next week.
Ovation really nailed it with this one. The two major complaints I’ve heard against Ovation, weak low end and the uncomfortable round back are toast.
Over the last seven months I’ve played just about every guitar in the $1000-$2000 price range and the 2005 Collectors won hands down. If someone is thinking about buying a guitar in this price range as, far as I can tell nothing touches this one, biggest bang for the buck.
This is the first Qvation I've ever owned I would welcome any string sugestions.
Precher_Dan |
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December 2003
Posts: 13997
Location: Upper Left USA | Dan,
Thought I had dropped in on Harmony central for a minute there. Pretty cool, huh?
A far as high action - thats because they ship them with at least one too many shims under the saddle. There are lots of directions around here to help you dial in your O the way you need it!
LX low end and a better bowl. Great combination. |
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April 2005
Posts: 17
Location: USA | What can I say the fact that this the first virgin guitar I've ever owned might have something to do with my exuberance lol. After I re-read my post it did sound a bit like a sales pitch. Perhaps I have a new career ahead of me.
Hey Qvation need a salesman! |
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November 2004
Posts: 110
Location: Peoria, Illinois | Dan,
Welcome to the '05 Collector. Your action is very easy to adjust. If you remove the strings from the tuners and carefully slid them back to the bridge (you do not have to pull them thru), you will expose the saddle. Just gently lift it up on the treble side, and there will more than likely be 2 shims under there. One is thicker than the other. Start by removing one and re-string. See how you like it and go from there.
This is what I love about Ovations (at least the newer models I have experience with). It is easy to custom fit the action, and you put it back the way it came if you like. |
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Joined:
July 2003
Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | Yesterday evening I played a brand-new 2005 Collectors that our local GC got in this week.....I echo Preacher_Dan's sentiments. It is one of the absolute best Ovations I have ever played. Definitely on my short list for the best of all time, right there with the FD-14. And I thought the action was PERFECT, myself.
I've been through the process of removing shims.....and have ended up putting them back. It takes too much sound quality out. I'm used to normal Ovation action with .012 strings and will just live with it.
Roger |
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March 2002
Posts: 15682
Location: SoCal | I hate to say I told you so, but I picked up an 05 at the NAMM show, and with the exception of 3 guitars that I'm lusting over, the OFC'er, the 87 Collectors, and the FD-14, I firmly believe that the new contoured bowl is the bowl of the future. Big deep bowl sound and major comfort standing or sitting.
Except for the three guitars listed above, I would expect that almost any Ovation that I buy in the future will have the contoured bowl. |
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September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | When a 2005 collectors arrives at my GC, I think I'll take my AD-II in there and do a side by side comparison. |
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April 2005
Posts: 42
Location: Ohio | Hey moody...what is the "new contoured bowl"?...does your FD-14 have this bowl?
Thanks |
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September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Oh Novice! Your such a novice! ;)
Check out the Ovation factory website to see the biggest advance Ovation has unleashed since the bowl itself!
Currently it is only available on one model (the 2005 Collector), but it is the future! |
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April 2005
Posts: 42
Location: Ohio | Thanks Brad...my bowl seems to be contoured, however I just asked the question...will go to the website...again thanks... |
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November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Novice,
Your bowl is not a "Contoured" bowl... like I told you, your guitar it's a piece of crap. My offer still stands 200 Canadian and a six of Labatts...
And don't listen to anything Paul (Moody) says, I have it on good authority he has the complete works of Jessica Simpson loaded for continous play on his PC. |
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March 2002
Posts: 15682
Location: SoCal | Your authority sucks.
I finally played my first 05 Collectors today at a local GC, acoustically and plugged in. I like it a lot and stand by my statements that the contoured bowl is the bowl of the future.
I have yet to play an LX braced guitar with medium gauge strings on it. My guess would be that it would have a huge sound, a real cannon. Has anybody put mediums on a LX or 05 yet?
I've got two 1968 shiney bowls. The first is a Deluxe Balladeer and the second is a GC DB. The straight DB has mediums on it and is one of my best sounding guitars. The GC DB has lights (concession to a repaired crack in the top) and doesn't have that deep full sound.
I'm just curious as to others' experiences with mediums on LX's or X braced Ovations. |
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September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | It looks like I need to get down to my GC and see whats new. |
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November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Originally posted by moody, p.i.:
Your authority sucks. Dave,
You hear that? |
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July 2003
Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | Brad, I've played both the AD (yours and another one) and the 2005 Collectors. The AD will LOSE. The 2005 Collectors is THAT good.
Roger |
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March 2002
Posts: 15682
Location: SoCal | Roger, did they both have the same kind of strings and did you play them back to back?
Before I a/b my 1537 against an 05, I'd want to be certain that the strings are the same on both. They make a huge difference. |
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November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Strings and setup. |
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April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Paul, I own both. The 1537 wins the battle based on sound. The '05 wins for comfort.
Different sounds. I am glad I have both because they sound different enough to actually be useful for obtaining a different sound within a song. |
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Joined:
June 2002
Posts: 6202
Location: Phoenix AZ | I agree with Stephen 100%. You can't pick one over the other. Both sound great. My ears prefer the 1537, but that is not the same thing as saying it sounds better. 05C wins hands down for comfort and looks. It's a really classy looking instrument. Dave |
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October 2004
Posts: 124
| 05 needs 20 years of playing/break-in to sound as good as 1537.
sun burst 1537 is rather ugly. nutmeg top 1537 looks perfect. almost as good as vintage martin.
dave, you need to get a "real" 1537 =) |
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March 2002
Posts: 15682
Location: SoCal | "... almost as good as a vintage Martin"?
Better. |
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July 2004
Posts: 474
Location: Anchorage, Alaska | AD is still deeper but the 2005 is VERY NICE ALSO. Neither is better, they are just different, and both are fantastic! |
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June 2002
Posts: 6202
Location: Phoenix AZ | Yes, the sunburst 1537 is an ugly dog. The ironic thing, as I'm sure you know, is that the sunburst is the best sounding of them all. People shy away from them because of the looks and settle for the inferior sounding naturals, nutmegs and blacks. Too bad, because they don't know what thy're missing. ;) |
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July 2003
Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | Paul, the 2005 Collectors is brand spanking new with new strings. The ADs.....Brad would have to tell you how old the strings on his AD were when I played it last year.....the other one was new when I first played it last summer, it had just come in at the store, and it has degraded since then(it was still there two months ago).
Can't play them back-to-back, the ones in shops are in very different places 50 miles apart. Oh, for an Ovation dealer that would keep BOTH an AD and a 2005 Collectors around (only in my dreams in SE Michigan).
I'm not saying there is a night-and-day difference....it's like a 9.5 out of 10 for the AD and a 9.7 for the 2005 Collectors. Not enough to compel one to sell an AD if you have one(I certainly would not). Both are great guitars.
Roger |
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December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | you need to change strings? |
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November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Al,
Believe it or not, they make strings just for guitars out of all sorts of new-fangled materials these days. You can actually change out those harpsicord strings for a proper set of guitar strings. |
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November 2002
Posts: 1300
Location: Madison, Wisconsin | Al really likes that "thud" sound of a well worn set of strings. |
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December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | I do prefer dead strings. |
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September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Really?
What do you like about old strings?
I might be coming obsessive about changing strings and I could use some moderating input. |
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December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | they stay in tune.
they don't have that bright brassy sound.
they tend to squeak less. |
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August 2003
Posts: 4619
Location: SoCal | maybe that's why Al's fingers have those rust stains on the ends?? |
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Joined:
July 2003
Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | But I LIKE that bright, brassy sound!!!! :D
Al's right, though, old strings DO stay in tune better.
Roger |
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November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Hey Al,
I'll save all the old strings I change out and give you a great bulk rate. |
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2005 Collectors