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Joined:
March 2006
Posts: 25
| Quick question...
Since I've never played a deep bowl ovation (only tried a shallow one in a guitar shop) I'd like to know what everyone thinks about deep bowls... Any good on the laps? Does the guitar tends to slide or is it just fine? is the playing position confortable?
(I am looking into buying a 1763 if I get a correct price.)
Thanks in advance.
This forum is brilliant by the way. Glad I've found it. |
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Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 4394
Location: East Tennessee | The deep bowl has a much fuller sound. |
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Joined:
July 2004
Posts: 766
Location: New Hampsha | IMHO:
Sounds great. Tends to drown out my buddy's non-O when we play together. But's it like playing a beer keg - it slides in my lap and I find the playing position to be uncomfortable. My next O will not be deep bowl. |
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Joined:
November 2005
Posts: 4827
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | My deep bowl used to fit me real good. Then we started to get the same profile, so it's more of a balancing act now. But I can't play sitting down so there's no lap issue.
It's mainly about loud for me. The deep bowl is really loud. heh heh heh heh, drool. |
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Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 48
Location: Spokane, WA | I have a super-shallow bowl, and I guess what would be called a mid-bowl. It's a 1983 country artist, and it was called a shallow bowl at the time but it's about the size of today's mid-depth bowls. They are both perfectly comfortable to me, and I don't have much trouble with either of them sliding off my lap. The sound of the mid depth bowl, however, is vastly superior to that of the super-shallow bowl. To the point that I really don't even like to play the shallow one any more except plugged in. Just my .02, for whatever it's worth.
Dave |
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Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | The lap thing is mostly about getting used to it. Sadly, like Fillhixx, I'm resembling my guitars more than I like.
If you mostly play plugged in, shallow bowls are great. They feel much more like electrics, they're comfortable, and they sound awesome. Unplugged however, the deep bowls just naturally have a richer sound. As I play mostly unplugged, I prefer the deeps. The volume, tone and projection way overcome any issues about keeping the thing on my lap. |
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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 815
Location: Colorado | I like my Adamas 1881 SS bowl. But I haven't had the opportunity to plug it in yet. Unplugged, the deep bowl Adamas guitars I've played blow the shallow bowl away--it's not even close.
I still can't wait to plug mine in though.
Todd |
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Joined:
August 2005
Posts: 616
Location: cincinnati, ohio | Lap? Lap? What's a lap? I THINK I used to have one. Like Waskel and Fillhixx, I too have become more rotund with the years, but I haven't had sliding problems. Both of my Ovations (early-'70's Balladeer six-string and Pacemaker 12-string retrofitted with Fishman Supernatural II pickups)are deep bowls and have great projection and a really mellow sound when played acoustic. Both of them outshout those guitars out of Bethlehem, PA unplugged and have tons of acoustic tone that comes with 30+ years of aging. The shallow bowls are more comfortable to play, and while they have a nice tone, they just don't have the projection the deep bowls do, IMHO. Plug 'em in, though, and it's all even. |
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Joined:
February 2006
Posts: 140
| The deep bowls are hard to play standing up with a strap,other than that I always liked the full sound. |
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Joined:
February 2004
Posts: 1634
Location: Warren,Pa. | I have a Pacemaker with the strap button on the treble side of the neck. This helps a lot with the problem of the guitar "rolling" when I play standing up. I think I'll move the strap button on my Std. Elite LX to achieve the same effect. As for sitting, 3M non-skid stairtread works great. Put it on the waist of the bowl and the guitar will stay on your leg. John <>{ |
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Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by matrix:
The deep bowls are hard to play standing up with a strap,other than that I always liked the full sound. Really, it's the same thing. I play standing up all the time (when I'm not playing seated). It's simply a matter of getting used to it. Sure, a shallow body is more comfortable when you're standing, but I'm willing to adjust a little bit for the sound of the deep. I find a shallow body uncomfortable when seated!
One thing I've noticed... I really have a problem playing deep box guitars now. All those sharp edges cutting into my ribs... |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | The current mid depth bowls are slightly deeper than the old shallow bowls of the 1980's. The current offerings by Ovation are a good step towards recitifying the "bowl roll" situation.
The LX series, with the mid bowls provide close to old deep bowl sound with more comfort than the deep bowls. And if you gotta have a deep bowl, then the contour bowl is the way to go.
As I noted in a different thread, my mid bowl 1773LX has almost the same sound as a deep bowl 1763 that I used to own. The better bracing pattern and the lighter bowl material do make a difference. |
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Joined:
August 2005
Posts: 616
Location: cincinnati, ohio | Like Bauerhillboy, I have strap pins on the treble side of the neck on both my deep bowls, which work pretty well. However, lately I've been using these little Planet Waves quick disconnect clip straps, which work GREAT because you can adjust the guitar strap until your guitar is perfectly balanced. One end loops around the headstock under the strings just above the nut, the other end loops through the strap peg hole on the end of your strap, and you clip 'em together. These little jobbies cost about $4 to $5 and are a great accessory. |
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 803
Location: Avondale, AZ | I use to play a deepbowl in the 70's. I couldn't get used to it standing or sitting. A friend has a mid depth bowl. I like it more but still have slipping issues sitting. I had the same issue with my Applause. I just ordered a Viper cv68. It has the supper shallow bowl that provides the accoustic sound with the electric playablity. I haven't played it yet though. |
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Joined:
March 2003
Posts: 555
Location: Wooster, Ohio | Interesting. I started out with a shallow bowl. Later bought a mid-depth. The lastest purchase was a deep bowl. I am 54 years old now and my contour is deeper as well. But I found no difficultly playing the deep bowl either standing our sitting. The deep bowl is far superior to the other two. Big difference acoustically and I play alot acoustically. A lot of the veterans of this site tell you to get a deep bowl. I wished I would have listened to them earlier. They are right. |
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Joined:
May 2002
Posts: 651
Location: Australia | I've never found the deep bowls a problem standing or sitting and I play an Adamas, the deepest of all.
In fact I find the rounded shape very comfortable when playing live with no hard edges digging into me. |
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Joined:
March 2006
Posts: 1634
Location: Chehalis, Washington | It really depends on how you want to play. I've played for over 10 years now on a super shallow Custom Legend. I bought a deep-body Elite T last year. I don't tend to play sitting down, but haven't ever found a position that is uncomfortable with either body. There is a major sound difference between them - the shallow CL is much brighter, while the deep body in the Elite T is much bassier and more resonant. Plugged in there is a small difference, but most of that I assume comes from the difference between the older OP24 and the newer OP30 preamps, along with the switch from the center hole on the CL to the multiholes on the bass side only on the Elite T.
Personally, I play 90% plugged in at church or at concert venues, and I prefer the feel and control of the super shallow body. I'm only starting to resemble my guitars, but I've never had any problems with slipping or discomfort from any Ovation.
Hope that doesn't confuse you more... |
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Joined:
June 2002
Posts: 6197
Location: Phoenix AZ | I play 99% of the time seated. I do have one supershallow bowl and to be honest I find it very uncomfortable. What I mean is, when I'm playing a guitar I like to feel like there is actually a guitar on my knee. When playing the supershallow I fell like I'm strumming an air guitar or something. There's just nothing there. Yeah a big D box feels massive and the edges cut into your arm, etc. But at least it feel like a guitar. Just my biased opinion.
Dave |
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deep bowl or shallow bowl preference
