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Posts: 843
Location: CA | I actually have searched for answers here and on Google, but found precious little. Besides the fact that one is made in US and one in Korea, and the former retails for three times the latter, and one has a multiple piece neck (EA?), what ARE the differences between these two instruments? If you put a blindfold on anyone who's played both (plugged in), could he tell the difference in either sound or feel?
Does the CV had a laminated top or something? Different pickups?
Thanks much. |
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Posts: 5575
Location: big island | EA-68 has a 5 piece neck and a string-thru body. i believe the wood is solid rather than laminate. i think the pups are the same in both. |
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Posts: 1565
Location: Indiana | Coming to the party late on this question but I'll throw in a few penny's as I've owned and disemboweled each.
The top on the CV-68 is ply, the EA-68 is solid spruce.
The body of the Celebrity is made up of three, pieced together length's of mahogany, while the USA Viper has a solid, ripped, and bookmatched body.
The preamp is the same on both guitars but the CV has a thinline PU with a standard Ovation pinless bridge.
The EA, on the other hand, has the classic patented Ovation PU and the string through body bridge. That makes for quite a noticeable difference in amplified sound between the two.
My strictly subjective preference is the USA Viper "plugged in". The string through feature produces amazing and unique sustain, and further, well, I'm just not a fan of the Celebrity thinline pickup. Compared to the classic O PU, I find the Thinline brittle and "grittier" on the high end.
Of course YMMV.
I think my biggest surprise, though, was finding the neck's to be so different between the two models. Completely different. The USA EA Viper neck carries on the traditional Ovation soft "V" that I've come to know and love through the years.(Maybe even a tad harder "V".)
While the CA is a beefier "C" shape contour. Not an uncomfortable profile mind you, just not what I'd call an "Ovation" neck blindfolded.
Feels more like an old Les Paul to me.
Of course, the USA neck is the classic (and always beautiful) 5 piece variety.
The CV neck is solid Walnut and, while roughly cut and finished from the Korea, after refining and refinishing, turned out to be a very pretty figured piece of wood.
Bottom line, I found these models be two very different instruments... the Celebrity even has a slightly longer scale length and more heft to it.
Overall, once again solely my own personal opinion, the USA Viper is the hands down winner in quality, tone (for days), and playability.
Here is a link detailing the extensive alterations I made to both of my models... each for different purposes.
http://www.jonmarkstone.com/vipers.html
I no longer own the Celebrity. It was a forced sale and I really miss that guitar.
I modified it to serve a purpose and it did the job very well... just not as well as it's replacement.
I'll also note here that it's probably obvious I dislike Ovations practice of black texture painting the mahogany backs... especially the USA version with it's lovely, choice wood.
I refinished both of these guitar backs (and added externally accessible battery boxes) before the VXT line came out sporting similar features.
Great minds or a common bartender. Who knows. :)
I'd really like to see the VXT style natural finished back as a feature, or at least an option, on the EA-68.
It's a real attention getter.
While I'm wishing, an upgrade to the Viper preamp would be much appreciated. I would really love to pair the VIP-5's "imaging" capabilities up with a Viper.
I just haven't figured out how to crowbar it in.. yet.
Jonmark |
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Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Jonmark Stone,
That's priceless info, plus a great site!
Your work is awesome...  |
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April 2006
Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Originally posted by 2ifbyC:
Jonmark Stone,
That's priceless info, plus a great site!
Your work is awesome...
Vic
..Ovation covering up such beautyful wood , ..I do n`t get it.. |
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December 2004
Posts: 1673
Location: SoCal | Welcome Jonmark!
The topic of stripping the EA68's black "bowl" paint has come up in the past.
We have had your EA68 pictured here before as inspiration.
It's great to finally be able to match a name with this photo.
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Posts: 125
Location: UK | Fantastic!!
Priceless information and beautiful workmanship - making a great guitar greater.... |
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Posts: 5575
Location: big island | i don't think we could have gotten a better review/comparison from the very builders of these models. mahalo jonmark. |
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January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Nice, Jonmark, and thanks. There are a number of members here who very much appreciate the EA68 Vipers for what they are, and we agree with you about the back paint. Why hide such beautiful wood? Cost is most likely a factor. |
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Posts: 5575
Location: big island | my EA-68 is black so the black back looks just fine on it. i'd be tempted to strip it down if i had a natural or other color. |
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Location: Indiana | Wow... my Viper made it to the OFC before I did.
That's amazing. |
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Posts: 13996
Location: Upper Left USA | Never underestimate the combination of curiosity, obsession, inspiration, knowledge and shop tools!
Keep it up Jonmark. What's next on the workbench? |
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Posts: 498
| I recently bottom fed a reasonably nice ea68-5 off the bay that could use a back stripping and an epidectomy.... Jonmark? you up for another project?
The Mothership and Master Budny helped provide the missing parts and resolve technical issues.. Thanks John! and other than being rode hard, and needing some refinishing and revealing it is a very nice player... these vipers are a Joy to play.
the treble side epaulet is about completely scratched/chipped/worn off... and I was thinking about pulling out the iron and removing them both.
Glenn |
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March 2008
Posts: 119
Location: everywhere | Originally posted by Malabar Glenn:
the treble side epaulet is about completely scratched/chipped/worn off... and I was thinking about pulling out the iron and removing them both.
Glenn Or maybe get Mom or Char to do it for you, and then tell us all about it, we haven't had an update for a while. |
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Posts: 498
| Originally posted by Caravan Rooubishe:
Originally posted by Malabar Glenn:
the treble side epaulet is about completely scratched/chipped/worn off... and I was thinking about pulling out the iron and removing them both.
Glenn Or maybe get Mom or Char to do it for you, and then tell us all about it, we haven't had an update for a while.
but as an update, My Wife Charlotte was admitted back into the heart center today...at 2:30 this afternoon, and was in the ER on last Thursday, and has been having serious complications and illness associated with her diagnosis which is SDS(sudden death syndrome) and her kidneys which are currently failing, due to PKD.
Mom's doing much better, and spoke to her earlier today, as she was concerned with my wife's health issues, and how I'm holding up.
so are you ok with the update? you heartless prick? my wife's probably gonna be dead in less than a year... you really are an asshole.
Glenn |
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Posts: 498
| Jonmark, my apologies for my comments on your thread, your workmanship and completed projects along with the documentation and photos are outstanding.
welcome to the OFC!
but,
CR..... Bite me!
Glenn |
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Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | caravan
that was not called for.
a vacation can be coming your way. |
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April 2006
Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | A LONG VAcATION !!!
Glenn , Buddy , i sincerely Hope that Char will be with you for many years to come , keep yer heads High , Good thoughts to you and Char !!
Stay Cool Glenn...we `re with ya... :)
Vic |
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Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Caravan..tsk..tsk.. |
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Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Caravan Rooubishe,
Go crawl into the darkest corner of your existence and enjoy whatever pleasure you can generate within your pond scum self-egotism and heartless non-understanding.
Apparently you have never had to suffer what life can dish out. Either that or you've been eff'd by someone(s) that you needed. In either case your turn will come around. Don't come around here for support when you hit the wall!
Now back to our regular programming... |
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Posts: 1565
Location: Indiana | MWoody... I have my custom shop franken-Legend on my workbench at the moment redoing the neck finish. This is a shallow bowl cut-away I had built in '82 with most of the elements of a CL... minus the carved bridge. I'll throw some pictures up when I get the job done.
It has some really unusual inlay elements you guys might be interested in seeing.
Malabar Glenn... am I up to another back stripping project? I still keep pretty busy playing Ovations, so I'll have to leave the elbow grease to you. Be happy to stand on the sidelines and cheer you on though. :) Just think of all the sanding as a Zen experience.
I'd be interested in seeing the top after the epaulet's are removed. I have sort of an opposite idea for the Viper epaulet's on my "signature" guitar. Since the Viper's utility as a purely acoustic guitar is pretty nil to begin with, I'd like to have one built with no holes at all... and solid, inlaid epaulet's. I think that'd look distinctly cool and don't see it effecting the amplified sound much, or at all.
Too little time, too many O's. |
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Posts: 3145
Location: Marlton, NJ | Jonmark - very sweet! What did you use to finish the back? |
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Posts: 1565
Location: Indiana | Good old fashioned nitrocellulose lacquer. |
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EA68 - CV68 differences
