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| Opinions?  |
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| Oh, and the comparison I am most interested in is how does the spalted maple Elite TX compare with the other Elite T models (and TX models)?
Thank you. |
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Location: Utah | Which model is that?
My daughter's bandmate has a 1778LX which looks just like that, with the shiny black finish and spalted epi.
The feel is classic mid bowl LX. But I assure you that it is the absolute very best sounding Ovation plugged in that I have ever heard. Unplugged it sounds outstanding, too. Maybe it is just that particular one. Whatever it is, it is superb. Better than my 6778LX, better than my daughter's 1778T-RF, and better than the other daughter's 2078T.
If you're looking at a TX model, it is a slightly different animal. The main difference is neck construction and attachment to the bowl, which is non-repairable. No neck reset is possible in the future. |
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| Thank you very much for your response.
This is the model in question (sorry, I should have posted a link with my original post).
http://www.sweetwater.com/guitargallery/electric/all/sK10111889/
Is this the model that you are praising, then?
In regard to neck reset potential, I'm too much of an optimist to worry about such things. :-)
Looking forward to your reply. |
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Location: Utah | No, this is a different model. The TX is the Asian made version of the old "T". The closest one to the model I was raving about is the 1778AX. So the guitar you're looking at is similar to the old 1778T. It is not clear if the front of the guitar is textured like the original USA made T guitars or if it is a shiny finish. The textured finish is reputed to be part of the reason for the great sound of the T guitars. The T guitars also had a different bracing pattern than the LX, or at least some of them did. The T guitars have a similar rock maple neck as the TX.
This guitar has the mid bowl and Op-30 preamp. The Op-30 is fine, though not the latest or greatest preamp from Ovation. Some of the T guitars came with the Op-30, some with Op-Pro. I wouldn't worry about it other than determining pricing.
If the new TX sounds like the original T, it is a great sounding guitar both acoustic and plugged in. I think I would want to know more about the bracing pattern and if the paint is textured or not. Hopefully someone with better knowledge will jump in. |
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| I think--and Ovation is pretty (in)famous about this, aren't they--that the specs seem to change--or have changed.
At the O site, the guitar is described as having the OP-PRO:
http://www.ovationguitars.com/guitars/product/elite_tx_1778tx_5gsm |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | The -5GSM Does Not have a Textured Top.
Here are some photos that I hunted-down... here
 
So this would compare more to a Standard Elite than it would to an Elite T.
Or more to a Celebrity or Ultra, since it does not have an LX neck or Bracing,
or Quintad bracing like an Elite T.
But it still might be a nifty guitar... I have not played one. |
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| OMA,
Thank you. |
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Location: Utah | Ovation made some unique guitars for Guitar Center that looked like that, mid bowl, shiny black top, spalted epi, two piece maple neck. I think they were ebony fingerboard and bridge, and OpPro. LX bracing? It was called the GC178LX. The one in the picture looks to have rosewood fingerboard and bridge.
In any case a very nice sounding guitar, and cost around $900ish a few years back. Sort of a cost-reduced 1778LX due to the neck not being 5 piece.
I don't know how the workmanship is on these TX guitars. It's a good looking guitar in the photos. |
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Location: CA | What Flysig said. I think this is a GC178LX. The GC near me had one of these for awhile and even with ratty strings it sounded so good that I finally convinced SHMBO to let me buy it. Of course when I went back it had been sold. I had a 1778T at the time (actually two of them) and this one I thought sounded better than both of them. Or would have with new strings. But truth be told, it was hard to tell for sure in the store. Maybe I just 'wanted' it to sound better since I had convinced myself to buy it. |
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Location: CA | By the way, you do know that only the epi is spalted maple, right? The top under that gloss black is spruce. |
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Location: Utah | The RoadShow had one of these yesterday, but someone else grabbed it and bought it before I could play it! So I cannot report on how it sounded. The general workmanship on the imported AX guitars was quite good, and all of the ones I played sounded and felt equivalent to the USA models which they replaced. I believe all of them had OpPro preamps in them. |
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Location: Suisun City, Ca | Originally posted by FlySig:
Ovation made some unique guitars for Guitar Center that looked like that, mid bowl, shiny black top, spalted epi, two piece maple neck. I think they were ebony fingerboard and bridge, and OpPro. LX bracing? It was called the GC178LX. The one in the picture looks to have rosewood fingerboard and bridge.
In any case a very nice sounding guitar, and cost around $900ish a few years back. Sort of a cost-reduced 1778LX due to the neck not being 5 piece.
I don't know how the workmanship is on these TX guitars. It's a good looking guitar in the photos. Yes. Here's mine that I got from OFC'er Paganini last year. Sweet guitar. I thought this was a one-piece maple neck. Plays and sounds great! Unplugged nice, plugged, awesome!
BTW, the sticker is labled like my sig... CG, not GC.
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| I went ahead and, with fingers crossed, bought one. When it arrives, I'll uncross my fingers so as to play it and post some kind of review. Thanks, everyone, for your input. |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | The 1778 Elite T models have a voicing that is unique to most other models. I don't know enough about all the various features and options of these models over the years and presumed that most of the model's differences were cosmetic finish rather than tonal. Mine is an RF red flamer with full body paint and the Op-Pro. To this day, SWMBO still prefers its sound over all others in my possession, and she has very good ears. |
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Location: south east Michigan | Thru a trade I ended up with one of these.
I'm very happy with it.
I think the first ones where made just for Guitar Center.
Mine is USA made so it might be apples and oranges as far as the ones made off shore.
I wanted to sell off a guitar and it came down to keeping this or a very nice, contour bowl SweetwaterT.
I no longer have the SweetwaterT. |
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| Originally posted by ProfessorBB:
To this day, SWMBO still prefers its sound over all others in my possession, and she has very good ears. Yes, from what you say, it sounds like she can hear when you're even thinking about buying a new guitar. |
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| Received the guitar today.
Verdict: I love it.
From the first strum, it was obvious that this is a very resonant guitar. And I have to add that I am enjoying it much more than the 1778Ts I owned. The neck on this guitar is fabulous (I hated the V of the 1778Ts), the action is beautiful (perfect for me) right out of the box, and the guitar intonates beautifully, as well.
In addition, though I did like very much the textured tops of the 1778Ts, I find the black gloss with the spalted maple upper bout even more aesthetically pleasing.
In short, I'm very happy with this guitar purchase. |
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Location: south east Michigan | good. |
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| bye. |
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Location: Tennessee | We hardly knew you. |
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Posts: 228
| Ye, not you. Hardly knew ye.
In any regard, though, if anyone should happen by, do let them know the guitar really is outstanding. I felt that I had, perhaps, paid too much (a little over 400.00, without a case, but with free shipping), but the guitar truly is excellent. |
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Location: Seattle | I'm coming in very late on this thread, but the timing is incredible. I just saw and played one of these Ovation GC178LX Elite guitars yesterday afternoon. It was just a fluke that I picked it up and tried it, as I had no real interest in it. I was there waiting to look at a little parlor guitar. Anyway, this Ovation guitar absolutely blew me away. The sound is unbelievable and the neck is so easy to play. I just had no idea an Ovation could sound this good unplugged. I am fairly new to Ovation guitars, having bought an older 12 string 1615 a little over a year ago, so I guess I've been missing out by playing only solid wood guitars. This one is for sale for $799. It has been setup by the shop. I may go back and lay down cash down on it. |
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Spalted Maple Elite: Has Anyone Here Played One?
