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January 2004
Posts: 123
Location: Massachusetts | Wow I am just frustrated.
My S771 Balladeer has the greatest neck on the planet. I can play for hours and really express myself.
When it was time to get a nice guitar I tried a used midbowl Custom Legend(my dream guitar). But it was bright and tinny and I couldn't eq or add any bass acoustically with 3 sets of strings...I returned it.
I gave up and bought a Gibson Songwriter Deluxe. It thinks it's an Ovation looks wise and the tone is amzing..one of the best I have ever heard but the neck feels too wide and thin.
I bought an 05 Collectors at GC for a great price but wanted one used. It was a great guitar, the neck was a tad small but doable.
I saw Jim's 3 month old 05 for a killer price so I returned the GC and bought his.
This neck feels real narrow and not very deep and I can't play a C chord without hitting other strings.
I figured I could keep both the Gibson and the O at his price.
My dream guitar is a CL but who knows if that neck would be too skinny because of Ovations redesign to skinny necks which I hate. Plus at $1600...it just seems really expensive for something I may not love...like the Gibson. No way am I going to custom order one only to be disappointed.
This just really stinks because I want a nice Ovation that fits like my S771 but I can't pay to have them build a custom neck like my S771(if they did that).
I'm ready to give up. |
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Joined:
June 2004
Posts: 580
Location: NW NJ | Don't be so sure you can't afford a custom neck carve. Call Al. I speak from recent experience. |
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Joined:
January 2004
Posts: 338
Location: SE Michigan | At the risk of repeating the same old advice over and over; I think you need to find a quality acoustic guitar dealer (probably not GC) and start playing all the guitars you can get your hands on until you find that one magic one that suits you.
Also I have learned that the string spacing on the nut really affects playing. I hated my first Martin DC-16RGTE because my index finger kept contacting the high E string and inadvertantly muting it, the nut placed this string closer to the edge of the neck than what I was used to.
Suggestions: (1) get a new nut made that models the string spacing you like; or
(2) adapt your playing style to learn to accomodate differant necks. In the long run this will make you a better player and you will be able to pick up and play most any guitar that catches your eye. |
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Joined:
February 2004
Posts: 1634
Location: Warren,Pa. | The Baladeer Special has a K Bar neck. The '05 Coll. has an LX neck...different profile altogether. I don't know what vintage the CL was, but maybe a different profile yet. Should you give up on Ovations??? I don't think so! You need to realize that, as a member of this club, you are better connected to Your guitar company than anyone else is to THEIRS. The only difference in neck profiles at Ovation is pushing a few buttons on the CNC neck carver. The Baladeer Special profile is one that they currently produce, so if you have a dealer who knows their stuff (that would be AL) none of this should be any problem. A little homework and you can have just about anything you need from this company. Call Al. JOHN <>{ |
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Joined:
August 2003
Posts: 396
| No need to give up on Ovation, but there is also no reason to play an Ovation if a different maker gets you more of what you want. |
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Joined:
January 2004
Posts: 123
Location: Massachusetts | Well, I played a regular LX CL and the 05 today and yes the 05 feels a tad narrower but not much. I also played a Martin and my conclusion:
It is me. 1 11/16 is very narrow and I guess the S771 just feels wider and more comfortable than any other 1 11/16 acoustics for some reason.
I still think the newest 05 I have was cut even more shallow than normal making it harder to play.
Oh well... still will play a CL contour when they hit the stores. |
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December 2001
Posts: 10582
Location: NJ | custom neck carve cost is $300 retail |
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August 2003
Posts: 396
| Corvairfan, When you played the lx cl and the 05 Collector, what did you think about the sound differences between the two (as opposed to the comfort)? |
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Joined:
January 2004
Posts: 123
Location: Massachusetts | Thanks Al. Is it $300 for a brand new neck or is that an upcharge to some other price for a new neck? I figure I'll ask the factory but haven't had a chance.
English..the 05 has the deep contour bowl vs the LX midbowl on the CL I tried. So the 05 had more bass and was much richer in tone closer to an all wood guitar. The LX was overall brighter in tone. Still decent but tone wise the 05 was the better choice for me even if you take the contour out of the equation. |
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Joined:
November 2004
Posts: 4413
| Buy an older Custom Legend - mine's got the V neck and the old width. Great.
Trouble is I fell in love with the 1 7/8" neck.... |
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March 2005
Posts: 12754
Location: Boise, Idaho | We all have our crosses to bear and the only resolution is to get one of each. Same rule applies to Porsches. |
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August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | Amen, brother Mark. |
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November 2004
Posts: 4413
| The only one who could ever reach me..... |
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Joined:
July 2003
Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | I have a 2004 S771....it has the FATTEST neck (not wider, thicker) I've ever played on an Ovation. I don't recall ANY Ovations, even older ones, having quite the profile of the S771 neck.
Unfortunately, the only guitars I can think of that have similar neck profiles are the vintage Martin models(a fat V), and some Gibsons.
Roger |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 10582
Location: NJ | you order a guitar.
you ask for a custom neck profile.
you send in your old guitar.
you get a custom neck |
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Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | sounds easy enuf.
Really need a 1 3/4 fat neck, but I've said that before.... |
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Joined:
October 2004
Posts: 180
Location: Chicagoland | I think Standingovation posted a thread that seemed to point to the nut being the case of the neck feeling slimmer...nuts are cheaper than necks, right? |
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March 2002
Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | ".....nuts are cheaper than necks, right?"
Unless they are large and made out of brass.... |
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Joined:
November 2004
Posts: 4413
| But which would you rather be kicked in? |
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Joined:
January 2003
Posts: 1498
Location: San Bernardino, California | The brass! |
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Should I give up on Ovations?
