|
|
Joined:
April 2006
Posts: 176
Location: Denver Colorado | Something cool might also come out of talking with the store owner who had originally lost my old 12 string from the theft by fraud. (See the "Woooo Hoooo...." thread for details)
Anyway... in the course of our conversation tonight, he said he had gotten a unique O in to his store a few years ago... but some customer kicked it by accident and damaged it. He said it's been in it's case and he hasn't looked at it in 5 years.
What he remembers is that is was a limited run of only 100 made that were specially made for some school out east somewhere.
Anybody heard of Ovation doing this?
I guess at one point he called Ovation and talked to some "historian" who explained to him these guitars were originally made for a donation to some school. I don't know if Ovation donated these or if some other sponsor of some sort had these made for the school.
I'm looking forward to seeing it. In the meantime, does this story ring a bell to any of you that have been around forever? :) |
|
| |
|
Joined:
November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Sounds like the 'Academy'. There are a few fans of this guitar around here and there was one at the tour this year. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2006
Posts: 176
Location: Denver Colorado | Hey Jeff...
Interesting you say the word "Academy"... because the seller said he thought it was for some "Academy".
I tried to do a Google search for it, but the key words of "guitar, Ovation, and academy"
make for a miserable batch of non-productive results.
You got any idea what these looked like?
Anything interesting about them based on the looks?
(great story about the moped, by the way) |
|
| |
|
Joined:
November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | The Academy was designed as an institutional instrument for music classes and such. It is a very plain looking Ovation, made from composite materials including the soundboard. I think it has an aluminium neck. I could be wrong about that.
I bet Cliff took a picture of the one that was at the tour this year. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | For some reason, I didn't get a chance t'play a SINGLE guitar at the Factory, let alone get a pic of one . . . .
I have played the Academy in question (MasterKeller's), and for "what it is" it's a great-sounding little guitar! . . .
In this instance, I think the guy's use of the term "LimitedRun" is a euphemism for "Didn'tSell" . . . |
|
| |
|
Joined:
July 2003
Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | Sally, in case you haven't gotten the drift, it's a CHEAP guitar, like early (late 70s) Applauses.
I remember this being discussed a couple of years ago....and the consensus was, as Cliff said, "great for what it is". But it isn't worth much money.
Roger |
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2006
Posts: 176
Location: Denver Colorado | Yeah... I expected that these were really inexpensive guitars... but I also thought they might have some kind of odd features that may have made them more bulletproof for use in schools.
The seller has the impression that 100 were made for a specific school - and it thought it interesting that the unit made it's way out to the public. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | being a cheap guitar, aside....
.... if you ask the likes of certain Former Ovation Guitar Execs, they might tell you, the Academy was an unprecedented technological achievement..... |
|
| |
|
Joined:
November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Originally posted by Pot_Stirrer:
Jeff... (great story about the moped, by the way) It is a cool story and I was filled with a great sense of satisfaction to have found it after all that time...
The strange part of finding it was;
the kid (about the same age as me) who "owned" it was very willing to let it go, yet, his friends - the three or four other guys, were bent on punishing me...
I've often wondered if the kid who laid claim to it, via his father's illicit purchase, may have needed it more than I...
He may well have.
His father, however, must have been a complete asshole. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
July 2003
Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | The Academy might well be an unprecedented technological achievement....the original Applause AA14 was, also (I own one I bought in 1977). But that still doesn't make it worth much money (like the AA14s, which sell on eBay for $100, give or take a few clams....they sold for $150 new).
I have an original Polaroid SX70 camera my father gave me that probably falls into this category, too!!! (good luck finding film)
Roger |
|
| |
|
Joined:
November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | .....so you can completely forget making music on such a contraption... let alone take pictures. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2005
Posts: 4903
Location: Phoenix AZ | I played somebody's Acme guitar at the factory and I must it sounded way better than I thought it would. I expected something like an Emenee Tiger guitar with a little crank handle on the side. The Acme was really cool. The best part about it was the plastic top is just like a white dry erase board. So you can "decorate it" in any way you want to using erasable markers and then just wipe it off when you're done.
Dave |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 112
Location: Ballston Lake, N.Y. | I recently purchased a baby blue Academy guitar off E-Bay. It's in great shape. I thought it would be an eclectic addition to the collection. It actually plays well. The neck is straight, action good and sounds surprisingly balanced. I'd like to find out what kind of case they actually came with so as to keep it "historically accurate" |
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2006
Posts: 176
Location: Denver Colorado | Hiya Zen...
"Eclectic" is the perfect word I should have been looking for. :)
I'm planning on meeting up with the guy that has that Academy here - and I'll let you know what case he's got. I'll get a few digital pics and forward them to you. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2006
Posts: 1138
Location: CT | I think there are more limited run guitars out there than lots of us are aware of. I wouldn't mind getting my hands on one of these
http://www.ovationtribute.com/Acoustic%20Series/Legend/1667_Legend_... |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 112
Location: Ballston Lake, N.Y. | Cool Sally.
Zen |
|
| |
Help Identifying a Limited Run Guitar...
