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Joined:
May 2004
Posts: 8
Location: Pennsylvania | I just bought a CE868, s/n 520123, which puts it in the 1997 era.
First, I was surprised that this "new" guitar (really, its clearly not been played by anyone outside of the store unless these guys are magicians!) was actually 7 years old and hanging on a wall in a music store - but that's not the question.
The CE868 specs say that it comes with OP50 electronics. The online manual (and the picture on the CE868 page) shows the battery under the electronics and the faceplate actually says "Ovation OP-50". The faceplate is also stylized with a rounded look. My guitar has the battery to the left of the electronics under a sliding door and the faceplate is rectangular. Now, as best I can tell, the electronics behave like the OP-50 should.
Do I really have OP-50 electronics?
If not, what are the differences? Is the current manual functionally the same?
Thanks in advance for the help.
(and, btw, the guitar sounds fabulous - even unplugged)! |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15682
Location: SoCal | That's a Custom Elite super shallow bowl?
You don't have the OP 50. That's only from the last couple of years. You probably have either the Optima or the OP-X preamp. The Optima has a built in tuner. I don't believe the OP-X does. Both are terrific.
The newer preamps are modular, making it easier to upgrade. But with what you have, you don't need to upgrade. I've got a 1993 Adamas 12 string (Big Blue) which has an OP 24 preamp in it. Couldn't ask for anything better.
Be happy with what you have. It's a great guitar. |
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Joined:
May 2004
Posts: 8
Location: Pennsylvania | Thanks, Paul.
Right - super shallow bowl. And man, the sound! Absolutely amazing.
I looked at the Optima manual online, and sure enough - that's the picture of what I have! (Not sure why I didn't look there before.)
This is my maiden voyage with an acoustic-electric, so was a little nervous about what I didn't know. I've been playing my Ibanez with a nice Fishman bridge pickup in it, but my daughter ran over my guitar with the Jeep this weekend - long story, but now - a happy ending!
Thanks again! |
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Joined:
February 2003
Posts: 2178
Location: the BIG Metropolis of TR | Hey Ray,
Long Story?.......We've got time!! :D (I'd like to hear this one!!)
****
Mike :D |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 1380
Location: Central Oregon | I'm going to throw in with Trboy, I'd like to hear more about this one myself. :)
Reminds me of another story-
I have a control line stunt flying friend that put his brand new competition stunter on top his wifes Explorer in the garage where it would be "safe". (After all, it took him two years to build it.) Then she unexpectedly took off for the grocery store...
/\/\/ |
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Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | And then there's the guy who was working on his roof which was very steep. He tied a rope around his waist and tossed it over the top of the roof peak and down the front and tied it to the car for an anchor. Then his wife comes out to go to the store...... |
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Joined:
February 2004
Posts: 1634
Location: Warren,Pa. | Sorry to get back to the guitar, but just wanted to say that the Optima is functionally the same as the OP-50. It isn't changable like the 50, but I think it looks more serious/less trendy looking. I've had several guitars with the Optima and I think they're the best electronics available on ANY guitar anywhere. (IMHO) John <>{ |
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Joined:
May 2004
Posts: 8
Location: Pennsylvania | Sorry - was traveling for a few days...
Here's the story.
Friday was my daughter's last prom (a high school senior at last). I was working in D.C. on Friday and needed to get home in time for the photos and to deliver the following line: "Son, you only need to know one thing about me - I own 17 acres - if you hurt my daughter, they'll never find the parts!".
The flights from D.C. to my home airport (State College, PA) are, well, sometimes unpredictable. (really we'll get to the guitar). Soooo, I rented a Taurus and drove home.
Made it for prom pictures, etc. Lovely time.
Next day - Saturday - we have to leave our little home in Philipsburg, PA and drive to Hershey for a Cheerleading Competition. The plan was, Ray will return the rental to the airport, wife and daughters will pick him up at the airport a few minutes after he drops the vehicle.
Agreed departure was 10:00 a.m. At 9:55, I decide that I need to get moving - I mean, sheesh, they were down to packing curling irons! - so I head to the rental and get ready to leave. (really, the guitar is about to enter the story)
I was scheduled to play and sing at a wedding on the 15th. 9 songs - most of which were new to me, so the travel had come at a bad time (I was on the road for 11 of 12 days) - forcing me to take the guitar (so I could practice) with me as I flew from State College to Boston, then to New Orleans, then to D.C. When I travel with the axe, I use a soft, backpack style cloth case which allows me to keep the guitar in the pressurized part of the cabins.
So, I take the guitar, and my briefcase from the rental and begin to put them in the back of our Jeep. Then I realize that my wife and daughters may have no idea of just how BAD an idea it is to put the suitcases on top of Ray's guitar when its in a soft case. So I said to myself "self, put your guitar up against the back of the Jeep so that they can't even open the liftgate without hitting it. Then when they go to pack their suitcase, they'll move the guitar, put stuff in, then put the guitar in." So I do. And I leave for the airport, believing without a shadow of doubt that my wife and daughters will have my guitar neatly packed away before I'm 10 minutes down the road.
Did I mention that my daughter Emily (the prom gal) is also a videophile? Loves to watch movies. Absolutely nuts about movies. So much so, that late returns on rentals consume about 15% of her income each month. Well, as luck would have it, one of her recent rentals was about to expire. Now, being the diligent person she is, she seized the 5 minute delay created by my wife needing to fill the food dishes of the dogs and cats to -- you guessed it -- run to the video store and return her video.
The rest - (crunch) - is, well, a sad footnote in the story of how Ray came to be the fortunate owner of a CE868 Ovation, and how the Ibanez he'd owned for 13 years and into which he had recently installed a Fishman pickup bit the big one.
Probably the funniest part of the story was that when they pick me up, I take a quick check to see if the guitar made the trip. Seeing the top of the case sticking up over the suitcases I assume we're okay.
My wife, the brave soul, waits until we're into 1-way traffic going about 60 to advise me that they had an interesting "altercation" in the driveway which is why they were about 25 minutes late picking me up.
Altercation. Right.
I told you it was a long story!
Thanks for asking! |
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Joined:
May 2004
Posts: 8
Location: Pennsylvania | John - I'd say one difference may be that the tuner in my electronics doesn't seem to mute the output while I'm tuning. The OP-50 manual seems to indicate that it will mute it automatically.
Am I doing something wrong? |
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Joined:
February 2004
Posts: 1634
Location: Warren,Pa. | Nope. The Optima doesn't mute. You/I have to turn the volume down. Never bothered me, although I wouldn't mind having that feature. |
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CE868 ca. 1997 - electronics - OP 50???
