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September 2005
Posts: 3619
Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | My daughter is in Iraq for 15 months while the wife and I are taking care of her baby. After my last conversation with her she stated that she really missed playing guitar. I want to send her something in an affordable USA Ovation acoustic, that can hold up to the extreme heat. Any good suggestions? |
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Joined:
February 2004
Posts: 1634
Location: Warren,Pa. | Ask her what she'd like to have...and get it for her. You may not find anything that can come out of 15 months in that environment, but she'll remember the gift for the rest of her life.
John <>{ |
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August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | Well, I can tell you that a J200 is not a good choice for that heat. It survived the first tour with only a small hole caused by shrapnel from an incoming mortar round, but the 130+ temps of the second tour, coupled with being positioned in a forward-operating base ... well, let's just say the guitar made the ultimate sacrifice. The neck was warped beyond salvage and the body cracked in several places.
I would think an Ovation with a laminated top would be the best bet. With a K-BAR if you can do it. You might want to think about buying an overseas model on the cheap and go that way. My son told me the strings last about a day before they go dead, so you're not going to have a significant sound differential, and in that environment nobody really care.
Sincere thanks to your daughter for her service ... even more thanks to you and the missus for doing your part "above and beyond" ... |
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April 2008
Posts: 2985
Location: Sydney, Australia | Find an old Academy, they don't seem to have much (any?) wood in them at all, so as long as it stays below the melting temperature of the plastic it should be good. |
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September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | I was thinking of the Academy also, but they are few and far between...
A Creative Acoustics might work too.
But like Bobbo said... The chance of any guitar surviving is pretty slim.
Taking that into consideration, a nice Mid-or-Deep Bowl Celebrity with a laminate top might be the best choice.
Plastic any Plywood in the desert might be the best choice, unless you wanted to go with a solid body electric.
I don't think many guitars came home from Vietnam either. |
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Joined:
July 2007
Posts: 29
Location: Kennesaw, GA | As I browse the posts here, I am thinking...can we possibly start a collection for Ovations to send to the troops? Either donate a non-USA ovation to send, or lets get some people together and start a list of true guitar players over that that would appreciate the gift. If we can get a local store (i.e. GC, KS, pawn shop, or other) to make a donation, maybe some OFC members could call a specific store and make a payment? Just an idea. BVINCE, if you can get a few names and addys for guitar players over there, I'll check into what the local stores can do. I'm off to med school at the end of August, and this would be a fun effort while I'm still around. I agree with all the posts above regarding the model, and what better way to spread the ovation word then by sending some that can take some scratching without the worry of losing a USA made model? Any other thoughts from OFC members, please jump in.
Also, I can possibly get my work to cover the shipping on a few packages to the troops. I had a few hundred paperback books collecting dust, and last year I sent 7 copy paper boxes full of books and magazines to the troops in Afgan and Iraq; work covered the shipping, which worked out well. |
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Joined:
May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | BVINCE,
If she's in the back office operations, get her whatever she wants, but realisticly, if she's anywhere near getting shot at, that environment is not great for any guitar, she's probably better off with a solid body traveler guitar, a chaquita guitar, an imitation stienberger or an Olympia Papoose that she can leave in the baracks. Get one of those midget amplifiers or a pignose at the biggest.
Good luck to your family. |
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Joined:
February 2004
Posts: 1634
Location: Warren,Pa. | Maybe a Trekker would be the thing. Smaller size, laminated top.
John <>{ |
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December 2006
Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Vince, check your PM. |
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March 2005
Posts: 5567
Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | One of the Elites that are going for cheap now would be a great guitar: they are around $600 or less and are fairly stout guitars: remember to ship in a doubleboxed shipping carton w/either a hard case or a padded gig bag...extra strings, picks and a strap are a must and will fit in the pocket of most gig bags..a small tuner is a nice accessory as well.
Thank you for her service and for both of you for taking care of her needs and those of her child...I pray that she will be safe and return that way to her family...
Blessings, Mike |
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March 2005
Posts: 5567
Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | PM sent! |
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December 2006
Posts: 6996
Location: Jet City | Vince, I saw an Academy for sale pretty cheap on CL in Chicago I think.
Dunno if they'll ship.
I was thinking, maybe this would work too?
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Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 208
Location: Illinois | Order up an Applause from Musiciansfriend or other. For a couple hunnert bux and a plastic body you can't go wrong. Forget about tone. Boredom is the prime concern here and how to while away the hours.
Fully expect that it will probably stay in Iraq, keeping another soldier(s) occupied or holding a couple bags of marshmallows.(A favored treat for our boys and girls over there. It doesn't melt like Hershey bars. Left in the bag, makes darn good packing material for other items and /or goodies sent over there)
Oh and be a sport and send a half dozen packs of strings. |
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Joined:
September 2005
Posts: 3619
Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | What about the Matrix? Doesn't that have an aluminum neck?
On the other hand, one of those "flame" models has GOT to be ok in the heat :)
Hmmm ... some good ideas here. I'll have to give it a little thought. The travel guitar idea may be the most durable. |
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Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Originally posted by TommyK:
couple bags of marshmallows.(A favored treat for our boys and girls over there.) Ah ha! A suitable, albeit expen$ive. substitute for foam peanuts. "In case of fire, break out the Ovation".
Beats the snot out of empty Budweiser cartons!  |
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 347
Location: Reno, NV | Martin Backpacker or Applause AA12,13,14 etc..
Lowest USA Ovation having a solid wood top and a full size guitar, I feel wouldn't survive, and if it did, might not be in optimal playing condition. |
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April 2008
Posts: 2985
Location: Sydney, Australia | Let's think about this differently. If your daughter comes back in one piece and the guitar doesn't, who cares? |
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Joined:
February 2004
Posts: 1634
Location: Warren,Pa. | Amen! |
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Joined:
September 2005
Posts: 3619
Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | If I could pack my trash and go over to replace her, I'd do it in a heartbeat. |
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Any Suggestions for a Guitar to Send to Iraq?
