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Posts: 557
Location: Burbank | Hi, I am new here. I just put an entry into the Matt Smith section and realized it was a playing section. So I will pose my quesiotn here. Why is Ovation no longer making (accept for the Al Dimeola) deep bowl guitars? |
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November 2002
Posts: 1196
Location: Lafayette, Louisiana | Aaaaahhhhhhh, Mario my favorite question. You know as long as I have been a member of the OFC, I still can't answer that question. I have bitched about that over and over. I can't even get a decent answer from Ovation. I have always considered an Ovation guitar as an acoustic guitar first. Seems Ovation has settled into the realm of "plugged in". I was even told by Ovation once that they were building "stage guitars" What the hell does that mean? To me it all comes down to this. The best sounding Ovation guitars I have heard all had deep bowls. Yes I am talking pure acoustic sound, not plugged in. I guess it all boils down to money. The shallow bowl guitars sell I guess because people do enjoy using Ovations plugged in. You know Mario, when I strum a chord on my old deep bowl Adamas, I can hear and feel how good an Ovation can sound. Now they make nasty crap like this MOB thing. Go figure, I sure can't figure it out....Paul(DEEP BOWL)Hebert |
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Posts: 7251
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | No clear answer... but for me...
Deep = Too deep in tone, almost booming and covering up the high-end.
Shallow = Not enough bottom end in general, but on a few models, they are very balanced in tone and volume across the full neck.
Mid = Ahhhhhhh just right. |
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October 2002
Posts: 181
Location: Queens, NY | I'm partial to the mid-depth/deep bowls myself. I think they sound better acoustically and they don't slide as much as the super-shallow bowls when playing seated.
I'm also kind of baffled as to why Ovation doesn't promote them more. My guess is that most (uninformed) people believe Ovations are only good then they're plugged in, and that the super-shallow bowls are more popular.
Actually, I think the Al Dimeola is the only deep bowl USA model. On the Korean side, the Celebrity CC01 acoustic and CC074 bass are also deep bowl. |
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Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | the difference between deep and mid is only 1/2 inch or 1 inch so ultimately how much difference is there??????? |
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April 2003
Posts: 557
Location: Burbank | Your right not much different but from those to a shallow is a big difference in feel and sound. who knows, maybe they will stop the mids and go full-time shallow, noooooooooooooooooooooooo! |
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October 2002
Posts: 181
Location: Queens, NY | According to Ovation's spec, the diffence from deep to mid-depth bowl is exactly 1/2 inch (5-3/4 vs. 5-1/4). They also fit in the same size case.
FYI, the super-shallow bowl is 4-1/16 inch.
It would be a sorry day indeed if they dropped the mid-depth/deep bowls, but I doubt that will happen! |
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June 2002
Posts: 6202
Location: Phoenix AZ | Here we go again - I too love this topic and those of you who know me from this board for the past year know that I am a deep bowl biggot. I would guess (only a guess) that based on the posts here that if they had to choose, most of the OFC members would choose a deep or midd bowl. But Ovation pushes the shallow boels here in the US because that's what sells. You need to keep one fact in mind - the OFC membership is NOT Ovations target audience.
I'm not going to go off again into all the reasons why I (and others like me) prefer deep or mid depth bowls. Do a search and you will find loads of good opinions. What I WOULD like to say is that Ovation does in fact make quite a few deep and mid guitars, dispite what the catalog says. I was amazed at the factory tour how many non-shallows we saw. Seems these sell very well outside the US. If you want a non-shallow Ovation of any model, the factory will build it for you. You're not going to get it for a Guitar Center or mail order discount price, but you can get it. The used market (ebay) is also ripe with deep and mid depth Ovations. Happy hunting.
Dave |
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February 2003
Posts: 2178
Location: the BIG Metropolis of TR | Are not all the shallow bowls today "super shallows?" I've got a Country Artist 1674 with a "shallow" bowl not "super shallow." According to the reference section they only made the 1674 Country Atrist "shallow" bowls for two years ('83-'84) mine being a '84 which has a bowl smaller than a mid-depth/artist bowl but not as thin as a super shallow!! Real nice tone & projection and easy to hold while sitting! (also is a cutaway model) Does anyone else have a "shallow" bowl?
Mike :confused: |
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Posts: 15686
Location: SoCal | Mike:
I've got the exact same guitar with the exception that mine has gold tuners, strap buttons, and washer on the jack (hey, I'm just as vain as standingovation, if not more so).
In 1970, Ovation came out with their shallow bowls, with the premier model being the Glen Campbell Artist Balladeer. They also had an Artist Balladeer, and the Country Artist. In the early 80's they came out with the super shallow bowls and for a while, had all three depths and the shallow bowl was eventually renamed the mid depth bowl. Now they've phased out most of the deep bowls. You're right in that the shallow bowl of today is just slightly deeper than the shallow bowl of yesteryear. |
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Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | The original deep & shallow sizes were 5 13/16 & 5 1/8. Current spec is S/shallow 4 1/16, Mid 5 1/4 & Deep 5 3/4. Remember that this is a parabolic structure & these mesurements are at the deepest point. The difference between mid and deepbowl, tonally, is negligle. Midbowls are definately more comfortable to hold than a deepbowl, but as CWK once pointed out, the more you like the sound, the less they slip off your knee. I don't have a problem with the SS guitars, I just don't need to own one. Again, the bowldepth thing would appear to be a marketing issue, Mid-depth guitars sound great but it's easier to sell supershallows with "new" preamps & fancy finishes rather than try to compete with "real" guitars like Taylor, Larrivee or Martin. When Garrison or Tacoma get a bigger market share than USA-made Ovations, regardless of Bowldepth, maybe then the salesforce will get their shit together. |
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March 2003
Posts: 555
Location: Wooster, Ohio | My first ovation was a 1984 elite shallowbowl. I played it for years. Last year I got a 1993 collectors middepth. Accoustically far superior, just night and day. I look at the deep bowl and I think it looks just uncomfortable. With the 1993 I think you get the best with the middepth. Comfort and sound...........ah........ |
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Posts: 6202
Location: Phoenix AZ | "... hey, I'm just as vain as standingovation, if not more so..."
Hey Paul, is that a compliment? I think it is. I may be vain, but I never swapped out a chrome washer for a gold one! By the way, my next guitar will be a custom order with the name STANDINGOVATION in big block pearl letters all the way down the fretboard, one big letter per fret !!!
I read someplace another good analogy about deep bowls versus super shallow. It said that the bigger your beer belly, the more likely you are to play a super shallow bowl.
Dave |
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March 2002
Posts: 15686
Location: SoCal | That's why I play deep bowls. Not enough beer.
As to the washer, if you're going to go from chrome to gold, go all the way or not at all.
And Dave, there's nothing vain about either of us. We're just folks that love our Ovations! |
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Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | Mario
As some of these vain pickers know, I have been lobbying for a collecter's series based on the original Ovation design that exceeded the acoustic sound of a particular Martin D-45. This would have to be a DEEEP bowl and would catch the attention of the wood freaks every time it was strummed. (REAL diamonds on my bridge pins on my Yamaki acoustic is my only tribute to vanity, gold is sooo plebian). |
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Location: NJ | moody;
Where'd y'get the gold strap pins/washer.
I need to start shopping soon for an "anniversary" gift(s) for my CBalladeer. |
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March 2002
Posts: 15686
Location: SoCal | Cliff:
Contact Ovation customer service. Worked for me, but I also suspect that most guitar supply places will have them.
I went from black to gold on my Country Artist and Adamas (Big Blue). I also went to the bigger gold on my 1537 Elite and Legend. |
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Posts: 6202
Location: Phoenix AZ | And he calls ME vain ???? |
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June 2002
Posts: 6202
Location: Phoenix AZ | And he calls ME vain ??? Get out the DNA test kit. Maybe Paul and I are twins seperated at birth. Dave |
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March 2002
Posts: 15686
Location: SoCal | Me calling anybody else vain about their Ovations is the kettle calling the pot black. I am, and I know it. I tease a buddy of my about my 1537 being a very plain looking guitar, and he just laughs at me. Oh well... |
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December 2002
Posts: 68
Location: Texas | My wife would agree....deeper is better.
-Shaft |
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Deep bowls
