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May 2006
Posts: 9
Location: Germany | Hi everyone !
surely some of you have played or even owned one or both of these models and maybe you can help me with my decision between the two : i am a professional player in need of a good and comfortable playing, acoustically satisfying ( read : loud enough ) and versatile nylonstring guitar that also has a great and easily dialable plugged-in sound. after some search i've pretty much narrowed it down to these two models : the 12 fret 1773LX and the 14 fret 6773LX. it is my experience with other ( more or less conventional )
14 fret nylonstrings that since the bridge is moved up towards the neck in oder to shove out/elongate the neck the acoustic performance suffers a bit, especially in the lower registers and in projection. have the good folks at Ovation taken this into consideration when the redesigned the model ? it is written here and elsewhere that the LX-models all have profited immensly from the overhaul.... likewise, is the more conventional 1773LX
a fitting contender for performing everything from unplugged strumming with upright bass and sax to plugged in light classical, jazz and latin ( band situation ) ? is the neck as slim ( not the width but the depth ) and playable as on the other models ? i simply have not had the chance to play either one of these guitars in person and before i make any further moves i'd like to hear ( read ) your valued comments !
i have owned an Ovation Balladeer from around 1975 to 1978 and sold it to finance a Gurian steelstring ( that i still have and treasure ) and have always liked the concept behind these guitars AND the sleek looks ! my only issue now is whether the acoustic power ( in the 6773 ) or the playability of the neck ( 1773 ) are the deciding factors ... thanks ! |
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January 2005
Posts: 4903
Location: Phoenix AZ | I have only played the 1773LX and I thought it was wonderful. I my opinion 12 fret is the best choice. Dave |
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March 2002
Posts: 15678
Location: SoCal | Are you mainly playing plugged in or unplugged? Do you go up above the 12th fret much?
I own a 1773LX and love it. I have owned both a 1763 and a 1764 (classical and country artist, both cutaways). When you answer my questions, I'll tell you what to buy. |
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May 2006
Posts: 9
Location: Germany | the majority of my gigs will still be plugged in. i just have to justify the expense with a guitar that delivers on all counts ... thanks ! |
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March 2002
Posts: 15678
Location: SoCal | The reason I ask is that the 1773LX has a much better acoustic sound than the 6773LX (aka Artist). With 2 fewer frets and a bridge in the center of the lower bout, it makes sense that it sounds better. So if you don't need those last 2 frets, go with the 1773LX.
Now having said that, I've played both guitar (not back to back tho'-- I own a 1773LX and have played the Artist is a Guitar Center), and the Artist is a pretty good guitar. I think that it's better acoustically than my old 1764 Country Artist. Either would be a good choice for you.
12 frets to the body and a better acoustic sound or 14 frets to the body and not not quite as good acoustically. How much do you need those last 2 frets? |
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May 2006
Posts: 9
Location: Germany | just came back from a store in Frankfurt that has the 1773LX - kind of disappointed :-( i spent an hour with that guitar and a Lakewood
M-1 CCP ( cutaway nylonstring, 14 fret neck, radiused board, B-Band pickup ) playing through an AER amp just like i have : the Ovation totally delivers plugged in, great pickup and preamp, very good playability even though they strung it with low tension strings and also kept the action rather low - bad combo imho. acoustically the bass was there but the mids and highs were missing, also the dynamic response was very limited for an acoustic guitar. ok, on stage you don't want the big dynamic differences and with this guitar a compressor will probably never be needed - but still. the Lakewood on the other hand :
a bit slimmer neck, radiused fingerboard, great dynamics and response acoustically, all across the board. the guitar is voiced more to the bright side but with a lttle effort one can coax beautifully dark and warm tones out of that box ! also rather high action with high tension strings : not so cool for ease of playing. BUT : the plugged in sound was there just the same. the only point being the lack of any controls on the guitar - i would need a volume pedal at least to control it onstage. the pricing for Ovations here is a bit crazy : the 1773 would cost the equivalent of $ 2100,- !!! the Lakewood sells for $ 1850,- and is available used ( being a german made guitar ) for around $ 1100,- that taken into consideration i strongly lean towards the cheaper guitar ... i still want to try the 14 fret 6773LX but there simply is no dealer in the area that has one ...
whew ... i will have to mull this over some over the weekend. over and out, C |
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March 2002
Posts: 15678
Location: SoCal | Let us know what you decide. There's no right or wrong answer ---- just what makes you feel good. |
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November 2004
Posts: 4413
| Lakewood are fantastic guitars - good as Martin any day of the week. I nearly bought one of the nylon strings - I bought the 6773 (not LX) instead, but with a radiussed fingerboard. I think the Lakewood would have been the better (tho more expensive) option. I'm less knocked out by my Country Artist the longer I own it. |
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Joined:
May 2006
Posts: 9
Location: Germany | after a weekend of deliberation i have decided on the Lakewood guitar. the plugged-in sound and the variety that the preamp offers would have given the 1773LX the advantage but since i need to have a guitar that also delivers without electricity i decided otherwise. photobucket |
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Posts: 9
Location: Germany |  |
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Posts: 15678
Location: SoCal | Beautiful guitar! Play it for a few weeks and give us a review. |
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May 2006
Posts: 9
Location: Germany | the model's name is M-1 CCP, it has a western red cedar top, mahogany sides, back and neck, radiused ebony board. 14 frets clear of the body, 48mm width at the nut ( 50mm is standard classical width ) and a B-Band undersaddle contact pickup. the only thing i'm not to keen about is the shape of the headstock - that belongs to a "real" concert/classical guitar IMHO. but, you can't have it all .... |
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May 2006
Posts: 9
Location: Germany | i've played several of these models over the years , in stores and student's guitars so i was not unfamiliar with them. the direct and in-depth comparison with the Ovation ( plus a few strums/chords on a Taylor NS 58) however was a very helpful excercise : this Lakewood plays great, has a very clear and articulate tone with an emphasis on the higher harmonics, good bass and carrying power. now i will gig with it over the coming two weeks and then post my findings here ! it'll be interesting to see how the guitar behaves onstage in a few different settings, both regarding volume/feedback and ergonomics/comfort/fatigue aspects. |
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November 2004
Posts: 4413
| Played one again on Saturday at The London Guitar Show. Superb. So was the small jumbo - can't remember the number, bit like a Martin Eric Clapton to look at but frankly much better sounding and a lot less money (tho not cheap). Lakewood are like Fylde - if they were American they would get a lot more respect. (Not being rude - just my opinion.) |
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February 2005
Posts: 212
Location: France | Congratulations Gitman for your new guitar.
Tom |
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May 2006
Posts: 9
Location: Germany | played one 2 -set gig with the new guitar on monday. it was a duo setting with bass/voc , very low volume, coffeehouse type of gig. the guitar felt good, my hand did feel tired a bit at the end ( i am still so used to the extremely slim and shallow neck on that Yamaha APX 9N ) but since i did not bring my own amp ( plugged directly into the small PA, no extra monitors ) i cannot really make any profound judgements on the amplified sound. on may 28 i will be on a big open-air stage , performing with a 7 piece band incl. drums/percussion and keyboards so that will be a real test ! |
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1773LX vs 6773LX
