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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7228
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Hi All,
I have started more aggressive work on my site dedicated to the Ovation solid-body and storm series guitars. It is still in the early stages, but thought some of you might want to visit just the same. Actually I'm fine tuning some of the technology I will be using here at the same time.
The Ovation Solid-body and Storm Collection
Enjoy |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | You big show off!!!!!!
what a bunch of cool guitars. |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Nice job, Miles!
(and a GREAT collection!!)
question:
I've never really owned a solid body electric
(except for the 3/4 Gibson Melody Maker that my neighbor found behind the seat of a pickup truck and GAVE me, and I was completely naive and STUPID and sold it to my friend for $50!! - DOH!!!).
I've been considering entering into the electric foray and really LOVE the 12-string Deacons (especially the mahoganies!). Not knowing anything about 'em, what price range can I realistically expect to be spending for one of these (doesn't have to be a "mint" showpiece, just a good working guitar)? |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7228
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | For a Deacon 12-String I would consider anything under $800 a bargain. The Deacon 12's rarely show up for sale. Deacon 6 strings run the $600-$700 price range normally, so that's my guage. A 12-string that does show up a little more often is the Preacher 12-string. I think you can score one of those easier for under $700.
You mention condition, and there is probably a good "new thread" in here someplace, but compared to other guitars, I find very few Ovation solid-body "beaters." The ones I have seen were total train wrecks... but one of the reason I believe that there WAS a market for these guitars eventhough the "Marketer's" didn't see it, was that people have kept and played these guitars for years. Many of the ones I have bought, in fact most, have come from folks who have owned them since they were new, and most are in 8 - 10 condition.
I also agree with Al when talking about a re-release. One great thing about Ovation guitars is that they have held their value. I think I paid $425.00 for my Viper. An almost mint Viper today brings or sells for about the same price. It's the same story for ALL of the solid-body and storms. If Ovation was going to put out a solid-body, it would have to be something new and special.
These are the specs of what I would like to see.
- Maybe the same shape as a Deacon, which always had a quirky appeal, but made of some other material, balanced and lite-weight and have a slight arch-top like the UltraGP, UKII etc...
- It should be a set-neck.
- The pickups should be Humbuckers but with the following switching configurtation.
[list]
[*] Stereo and Mono pickup jacks on the edge.
[*] Pickup switch on top like a Les Paul.
[*] TWO large knobs like the original for Vol and Tone.
[*] A standard size smaller knob to the rear of the Tone for balance.
[*] Four of the small switches (in a row ala Viper III) to handle the mode of each pickup (parallel or series) and a phase switch. I'll explain the forth switch further down the list.
[*] There should be active electronics/onboard pre-amp.
[*] Finally, there should be a a special pickup in the bridge ala Parker. Maybe use a similar technology as those people use that make the cool roundbacks and really invented that technique. The bridge pickup will only have Volume and Tone control. It would be activated by the forth switch mentioned above, and the Vol and Tone accessed by pulling-up on the existing Vol, Tone and balance controls. This would have to be a "smart" system whereby you pull-up the volume control, set the volume, and push it back for normal operation, leaving the pickup at that set volume no matter what you do the standard Vol. Same for "setting" the tone and same for "setting" the balance. I find that for the "Acoustic" sound a bridge pickup provides, just the ability to turn it on and off is adequate, but some global adjustments maybe needed for each session.
[/list]
- NO PICKGUARD. The controls should be mounted in the top ala the Ultra GP (or PRS or Ibanez) where the Vol and Tone are recessed slightly.
- One more thing.. This guitar should be marketed as a Solid Body combining thirty-something years of building Acoustic and Electric guitars. It should NOT be marketed as a re-issue of the Deacon. People who recognize the shape, fine... but it should have a new name. The sales pitch should not be a Deacon with all these new features, but rather a great solid-body with all these features that looks like a Deacon.
[/list]
This is a guitar that could have a 2K+ price tag on it, and get the interest of modern guitarists for customers and endorsments. There's my 50 cents to Bloomfield. Don't forget my royalty check. :)
[ May 22, 2002: Message edited by: Mr. Ovation ] |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | Miles
I already have a guitar that is similar to what you want well it at least has 80% of your feature requirements |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7228
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | But that last 20% is the important stuff, but that is also a very cool guitar. |
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Solid-Bodies and Storms, here they come!!!!
