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| I was curious about the actual pickups used in Ovations over the years. I haven't found a write up on it , yet. I think they used to advertise a "separate pickup for each string..." layout. I get the impression that they have changed things over the years.
What's the story ?
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | They have changed the appearance, but the concept remains the same.
Here's the Patent...
Here's the innards of a Thinline pickup...
Thanx to Flipp3r for taking one apart
The wide pickups are much the same inside.
Even "Artec" pickups have individual piezos...
Fishman and others may use a ribbon sometimes, as does Ibanez and a bunch of Others.
It is simpler, you can just cut it to length and use the same pickup for 12-strings and Ukuleles.
But as far as I understand it, the Ovation way of doing things is individual piezos.
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| So there isn't going to be much difference in what the pickup , well, picks up, from old to new ? Just how much stuff is built into the preamp ? Does that imply that the real differences in sound is more related to the bracing and bowl shape ?
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | While plugged-in the real difference is gonna be the preamp. And your amplifier.
Acoustically, that would be where the differences in bracing, bowl shape, and Top wood would be the show the biggest difference. I'm guessing...
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| One reason I was asking was that when I joined the forum, someone had less then stellar remarks about the pickup in the 6751 12 string Balladeer. Something about it NOT being an Ovation patent pickup. Since I can get one, under $400 or a 1655 with the old single knob volume control and hard to get to battery for about $450, I wanted to know who much of a difference there would be. |
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Location: Sydney, Australia | I think all electrified Ovations (apart from some very early ones) will have Ovation pickups - why use someone else's system when you have a good one? The thinline pickups are not as good quality as the thicker ones (whose name escapes me). I think Balladeers all have the thicker ones, it's the Celebrities that tend to have the thinline. |
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Location: Jet City | It was me that made the comment, and yes, most Balladeers have the Original Patent pickup, but these particular 6751 12 strings have a thinline
It's my preference, you might like the tone better, but I prefer the originals. |
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| It's a strange thing. I like how my Legend sounds unplugged and plugged in. After all the questions, I'm not sure what 12 string sound I want. Many people say a 12 string is a " one trick pony " and that they can't handle the sound for long periods. I'm not sure why, but I think there is something about the normal sound of a 12 string. Is it too bright ? Is it the sort of jangly sound ? Maybe it's just the stuff more people play on a 12 string. For most, the 12 string is the least played guitar in their collection. Because of that, I can't tell you what sound I want, because I haven't played the new and old styles.
Damon,
What other Ovations have the thinline and which have the original ? I kinda doubt the 12 string instruments have 12 pickups, but just have a pair of strings on a single. Of course, I could be wrong.
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| I sent off the question to Ovation. I could come up with something based on the Archives list and opening every model. I wasn't feeling THAT compelled. Besides, not all of them list that bit of info. |
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Location: Jet City | I've had a Special Elite SSB with a thinline that I thought was exceptional. There's also a Special Balladeer, but I was less impressed with it. There's several 90's era Collector's series, can't remember which ones for sure (93, 97, 99?) but they had a thinline with a special break angle on the bridge... or at least the 93 did. I've never had one, but reliable sources say it was a great mid-bowl. Not too sure what others there are, but I'm sure there's several others. There's also the Tru-Balance on the 2000
The 6 strings and 12 string pickups are the same for the Original pickup, I'm not sure on the thinlines. |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | My 35th Anniversary Edition has a Thinline pickup and an OP-24+.
Just sayin'...  |
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| Just sayin' ..... you like the sound ? |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Sure... Sounds fine to me.
The OP-24+ is a more powerful (read "Louder") preamp than the OP-Pro, or even the OP-30... and the OP-30 is louder than the OP-Pro.
(This only matters to me because I am playing through battery-powered amps.
A more powerful preamp adds to the limited power of the battery)
I also have a Thinline on my S771 Special Balladeer with an OP-30...
also the GCXT Red Flame with an OP-30... also the 1868T with the OP-30.
They all sound just fine.
-edit for grammar-
Edited by Old Man Arthur 2012-09-04 12:48 PM
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Location: Texas | Here is the wide pickup I am going to use to replace the thinline on a Celebrity Viper. I am guessing that it is the same wide pickup, different casing, that has been used since the 70's.
Edited by jay 2012-09-04 1:28 PM
 (pu.jpg)
Attachments
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 pu.jpg (58KB - 1 downloads)
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Location: Tennessee | I have the thinline mated to an Optima in my 6759 CL12. I had it out last night and played a set with it ... routed directly into the board. My "ears" in the audience said the guitar sounded stellar.
Scratch that. I think I have a tru-balance pickup. Never mind. But it still sounded great.
It was no doubt me that pontificated on the limited nature of using a 12 string. Even though we did 6-7 songs (second guitar was a Tak BG), it was time to change up and so we went back to two 6 strings to finish the set. Played solo, I think 12 strings tend to encourage the stummy strummy singy singy stuff that gets boring really quickly. 12 strings are best used to play tunes that take advantage of what you can get out of a 12 ... unfortunately most people use them to just try and make their songs sound fuller. Too many people try to use a 12 string to make up a lack of playing skill, when in reality I think it takes a high degree of competence to truly make a 12 string sound the way it should. No doubt I am one of the guilty.
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| I know there must be at least 4 types of pickups.
1) Ovation Piezo
2) High Output
3) Thinline
4) Tru-balance
5) There used to be a "stereo" pick-up too. I don't know much about it.
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Location: Jet City | the stereo pickup/preamp combo uses an insert cable to split the sounds to 2 amps. Strings 1,3, and 5 go to one channel, and 2,4, and 6 go to the other.
Aside from that, it's the same as the original. |
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Location: Marlton, NJ | BTW, I've found that the saddle on the Thinline pickup can be replaced. I just got new saddles & extra shims for both my Ovations: a Legend with a Thinline and a Custom Legend with the wider compensated pickup. The saddles were a little chewed up from previous owners moving the strings about so I want to replace them. |
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Is there a pickup list ?
