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December 2021
Posts: 7
| Hello.
First post on a "real" forum category.
I have a 1119 sunburst that we bought for mother in 1990 as a gift. Still have the receipt. So first question...
Serial number 223088, looks like it was made in 1981. BUT, I have the receipt dated 1990, and I was there at Sams Music in Cleveland to buy it. But my memory fades from 40 years... - Either the store sold us a used one as New, or could it have sat in stock that long (9 years?).
Been sitting for years in its hard case, mother rarely played it, its 99% condition.
I play wtih electric only, considering sending this to a better home. Nobody to hand it down to either. - I see crazy variations in prices from $600 to $3,000. What's reality?
- Does ovation sell an equivalent piece today?
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Joined:
December 2021
Posts: 7
| PS... No OFFERS PLEASE.
If I actually consider selling it, I may post it the right way with a proper amount listed. |
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Joined:
February 2014
Posts: 704
Location: moline,illinois | Beautiful guitar,its acoustic only and in the 80's Ovation was known for acoustic/electric guitars and those were most popular so it could have hung on a store wall for 9 years,did you get a warranty card with it I suspect it was NOS (new old stock)
The Custom Legend was top of the line for the center sound hole model and they don't make anything like it currently.
Value is subjective,there are a lot of listings from japan for overpriced guitars on feebay ,to get an idea of its woth look ar completed /sold listings on ebay/reverb,since its acoutic only you might not have as much interest but personally I love the old acoustic only Ovations'
Have you kept the guitar humidified,what's the action like..these are questions buyers may ask that affect what someone will pay for it
IMHO $1000 would be a good starting point,I don't have a sunburst Custom Legend 6 string so if you put it up for sale HMMMM
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Location: When?? | I see a TRC on there.. so assuming it is not a K-bar neck. 1981 was the dividing point for that, right? Is it a case of some had K-bar and some didn't for that year?? Not quite clear on that. |
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Posts: 192
| https://cleveland.craigslist.org/msg/d/aurora-ovation-legend-guitar-... |
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Joined:
December 2021
Posts: 7
| Craigslist.... yup thats me. I took a poke with a high # for now.
Torsion rod Channel? What is a K-Bar neck? Anything I can validate?
Will peeking inside with a worm hole cam be of any use to show bracing or such?
Storage... its been in a air conditioned 1st floor (not basement) closet its whole life.
The house has a furnace humidifier.
I dont see any neck twist nor can I detect any buzz.
I can check from low to high side with a straight edge and feeler gauge for even neck relief.
Action... I am not professed enough in acoustics to make judgements here.
Is a measurement of fret clearance that I can do to judge this?
If I can assemble usable condition /play ability data as you point out... then I will put on the sale board here with a number. I will dig in right now....
Thank you.
Edited by marvintm 2021-12-21 5:38 PM
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Posts: 704
Location: moline,illinois | marvintm - 2021-12-21 5:33 PM
Craigslist.... yup thats me. I took a poke with a high # for now.
What the heck is a TRC? What is a K-Bar neck? Anything I can validate?
Will peeking inside with a worm hole cam be of any use to show bracing or such?
Storage... its been in a air conditioned 1st floor (not basement) closet its whole life.
The house has a furnace humidifier.
I dont see any neck twist nor can I detect any buzz.
I can check from low to high side with a straight edge and feeler gauge for even neck relief.
Action... I am not professed enough in acoustics to make judgements here.
Is a measurement of fret clearance that I can do to judge this?
If I can assemble usable condition /play ability data as you point out... then I will put on the sale board here with a number. I will dig in right now....
Thank you.
TRC is truss rod cover its on the front of the headstock right above the nut
K-bar neck is a design Ovation started in the early 80's it has an aluminum channel inside the neck and the truss rod adjustment is inside the bowl,it is also a bolt on neck
A camera or mirror inside the bowl can let you see the bracing and neck block so you can help tell the design,It is almost certainly A braced Custom Legends were known for that
Action is the distance from the bottom of the string to the top of the fret usally measure at the 12th fret,very low action would be 3/64th at the high e 5/64th at the low E,you can get little gauges designed to measure action or feeler gauges will get you close
In the picture you showed a black case these normally had brown cases in 1981 is that a newer case or did they give you that with the guitar
Would you ship and what part of the country do you live in??
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Posts: 192
| What you have is a Custom Legend. More bling than a Legend. ie...abalone binding, carved TRC, carved bridge, mustached fingerboard, a very nice instrument. It's just not electric as previously mentioned. GLWS. |
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December 2021
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| Again, it was purchased in 1990, 9 years after the manufacture date, probably why its a black case. All I can say is it was supposed to be new.
Definitely a torsion bar. Nothing on the inside.
I put my feelers on it.
Neck relief: with a straightedge is .005 on both Low and Hi E sides measured at 5 / 6th fret with straightedge making contact near the 14th fret or so. So I would say no twisting.
Nut height: First Fret to Low E is .022 and .012 on Hi E.
Action: Low E is .068, hi E is .052
The warranty card was sitting in the case compartment, never sent in.
I live near Cleveland, you can see all pictures in the c-list link Cool 66 found.
Sure I would ship it. Would hate to, but I guess.... I hear Guitar center sometimes will give away old shipping boxes?
I might let the ad soak for a bit and see if I get any local inquiries - only 3 shopping days till xmas !
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Posts: 1802
Location: When?? | This is like a double barn-find. Once in 1990, and now again today. Apparently the guitar has had a lonely life. And what Cool66 said I re-affirm.. it is not a Legend. It is a Custom Legend. Quite different (in a good way), so you may want to edit your CL ad for better coverage on that. It was also the first Custom Legend model produced (1974-83). And I'm still in the dark on exactly when in 1981 they went over to the K-bar, or if they even used them on the '81 Custom Legends at all, but yours may have been one of the last without it (hence the truss rod adjuster on the headstock).
Edited by Love O Fair 2021-12-22 9:15 PM
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Location: Muenster/Germany | A pre-k-bar non-electric A-braced 1119 custom legend sunburst (sounds to me like a Mercedes W124 500 E) like this might the the most desirable acoustic guitar shortly behind a Martin D45. IHMO the old necks are the best playable and the AAA grade top wood used here created an incredible mellow sound. If this would be in Germany I would built up a tent in front of your house and not leave the area without the guitar.;-) |
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December 2021
Posts: 7
| Well it SOLD to a good home, locally here in CLE face-to-face. I was happy not to deal with shipping and it was a very nice fellow with both electric and acoustics in his stable including some Ovations.
Thanks for all the great information in here! |
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1119 may go up for adoption
