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Joined:
July 2009
Posts: 11
| Greets,
I am new here and am bidding on several cc28's on ebay. I need some advice from experienced Ovation owners. First I intend to string CGDaeg using the NST strings from John Pearse. My interest are cello and liuto cantabile music etc... I don't have much $$. I like shallow body single hole. Is there anything wrong with a cc28 for a beginner? Better a "2nd" cc28 than a new Applause? Also does the iDea preamp drop into the OP4BT socket? (thinking ahead here). Any help would be appreciated, esp. on the last query re iDea upgrade. My first auction ends tommorrow, so I may be back here this evening pestering people. I thank anyone who has time to help me and sorry to be bother.
Cheers all |
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Joined:
July 2005
Posts: 3410
Location: GA USA | Pester all you like. Welcome. |
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March 2005
Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | A decent used cc28 is probably better than a new applause. I don't know about the preamp fit, but it seems strange to put a fancy $300 iDea into a bare bones guitar. |
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | The iDea will not 'direct swap' into the OP4BT hole. In fact nothing else fits in that hole.
If you want an easy upgrade for the pre-amp, do not get the OP4BT.
Otherwise you will have to cut into the bowl.
If you are searching for a cheap Ovation/Celebrity that will take the iDea, you will want something that has an OP11, OP20, OP30, or 40 or 50, or an OP-Pro.
The iDea will direct drop-in to the OP-Pro. The others will need the can swapped-out.
And... Welcome! |
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4069
Location: Utah | tpower, welcome aboard!
Before you get further into the bidding, try calling Al at Lost Art Vintage. He can get you an iDea for the best price around, and he may have a used Ovation or Celeb in your price range that it will drop into. |
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Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | tpower,
Welcome to Ovation Family!
Since you want an iDea pre-amp, have you considered one of THESE ?
I have a deal on one HERE .
In spite of my obvious plug, stick around and enjoy the asylum where the inmates rule.  |
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Joined:
March 2007
Posts: 843
Location: CA | CC28 has a laminated top. Best sounding guitars, Ovation or otherwise, have solid tops. There are some current center-hole Celebs with solid tops, including the CC 24S (only the 'S' model), CDX 24 (which has the Op-Pro preamp that can be swapped with an Idea) and the CSE 24 (again, the Op30 can be swapped with Idea). Of these, CC 24S is cheapest ($349 range), but its pre-amp can't be swapped later. For what you would spend on that or the more expensive other Celeb models, you can pick up an older Balladeer or other Made-in-USA model (Celebs and Applause are made overseas) that will be better sounding, higher quality and better value in every way. My 2 cents. |
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Joined:
July 2009
Posts: 11
| Thanks guys. I think the iDea idea is pretty useless for me. Apart from the novelty I wouldn't need it at all. I mean I already know how to play and read. So my needs are modest and I'll stay at the cheap end. Anything bad about flamed Bubinga vs Spruce? Like I said, al I want to do is play cello and lute stuff, maybe some new age improv...
Thanks already, gonna buy soon so I can play on Monday |
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August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | In my opinion, on a shallow bowl Celebrity the top is not going to make any appreciable difference. Buy whatever appeals to you (Bubinga is real pretty) and just play and have fun. 95% of the sound is in the hands of the player, anyway. Don't sweat too much about the guitar ... just get something that works. If you get hooked you're gonna upgrade no matter what. BTW, it sounds like a fun thing you're doing. Play on!
And welcome. Let us know how it all turns out. Especially how that tuning works out for you. |
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Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Originally posted by tpower:
I think the iDea idea is pretty useless for me. Oops, I must of misread "Also does the iDea preamp drop into the OP4BT socket? (thinking ahead here)"... |
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September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Tpower sez: Thanks already, gonna buy soon so I can play on Monday
Arthur sez: If you wanna have it in your hands by Monday, I believe that you need to go to a brick-n-mortar store.
Cuz unless you pick it up, nothing that you are bidding on (on evilBay) will be here by Monday.
Also, if you go to a Store-store you will be able to play the guitar.
As some have pointed-out before on this forum; if you are plugging the guitar into an amp, the difference between solid wood and plywood is diminished.
But if given the choice, with similar appointments and at a similar price...
Always go for the solid wood.
As to the Waterfall Bubinga, I am not positive but I think that is usually laminate (plywood).
Disclaimer... In my time I have owned some really Purdy and nice sounding plywood Celebrity's.
People here are definitely partial to Solid Wood USA Ovations, but you get what is available/affordable. |
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March 2005
Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | The bubingas are laminate, but as Bobbo says, on a shallow bowl Celebrity, you probably wouldn't notice the difference anyway. Dropping a shallow bowl to a C tuning is intriguing, but I don't have any idea if it would work. It might boost a weak low end, or it could just sound dead. You probably ought to go find one in a store and tune it down to C and see if it works.
Any reason you aren't playing cello music on a cello? |
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October 2008
Posts: 39
| I bought 2 laminated top guitars last year, an AE128 Applause and a CC24. I like them both.
I played a bunch of guitars and chose the best sounding ones of each model. The CC24 sounded better than the solid top versions (CC24S) so I bought it. I understand that just happens so often.
At least with me, I know the choice of solid or laminated top is not the limiting factor. |
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July 2009
Posts: 11
| Hi Mark in Boise:
yeah I can't play a cello!! I trained on electric bass at Berklee in Boston. After that I played early instruments like recorders and viols while I earned my MA and PhD in Musicology. Now I'm interested in playing the Bach Suites on a guitar in NST simply because I have the motor skills re a plucked fretted instrument and am too old to learn a bowed unfretted instrument. |
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Joined:
April 2006
Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Originally posted by Old Man Arthur:
Always go for the solid wood.
People here are definitely partial to Solid Wood USA Ovations, but you get what is available/affordable. Who is partial to Solid Wood ? :)
Solid Top WILL ALLWAYS IMPROVE !! |
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Joined:
July 2009
Posts: 11
| Well I bought my first Ovation today. A minty fresh unsold "second" cc28-AWFB for $226. OK I'm a cheapskate. Regarding previous questions: I already tried the NST tuning (CGDaeg) on a cheapo KMART guitar. It works fine. You can play a scale over two strings, and can visualise the tetrachords easily. You can (or I can) stretch an octave between two consecutive strings. You can also get some great wide voiced chords. (Try: C, next string is B flat, next string is E. so then resolve the tritone and we get: C, next string A, next string F. So a C7 to a F 6/4 progression on three consecutive strings! Whoo hah). But you can't play close spaced chords in 3rds or replicate the general guitar lick vocabulary. I'm using an adjusted gauge set of strings, these here:
http://www.juststrings.com/jps-150.html
So, $226, I don't think I can be ripped off at that price?
Cheers all and thank you all, esp. Stonebobbo for your kind words |
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July 2005
Posts: 3410
Location: GA USA | Calling Dr. Dobro!
Nothing wrong with being a cheapskate. Congratulations. |
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September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | A quick search shows them going for $400 in alot of places, so it seems like a fair price.
Did you get it at a store or online? Meaning, Do you have it Now? If so we need pics!
I have bought my share of 2nds, "Used", and Factory Reconditioned Guitars... So far No Problem. |
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January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | A PhD in musicology. Wow. We have lots of lawers, doctors, some medicine men (and women) and at least a few chiefs, but this might be a first. Welcome to the board. |
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Joined:
July 2009
Posts: 11
| Quick reply: no Arthur I don't have it now. It will be next week before my PP payment clears etc. Too bad because I got several sets of strings already. Pics when available. As for the Musicology PhD that is such a small deal. I had the time, and lack of personal life and a decent funding stream (night shift at Tower Records) so I was able to do it. You could do the same thing too it doesn't take any talent (I have none). Funny thing is, it did (does) get me a job teaching music at a State University. So let's be grateful for that in these current times. I am looking forward to teaching my new course "History of Popular Music" a few weeks from now. Boswell Sisters anyone?! Mmmm.... "Crazy People". If you have any musicology or theory question please ask, but I would rather you think of me as a 'billy. As for Ovation guitar questions, I will be asking YOU,
Cheers mate |
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About to purchase need advice please
