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Location: Pittsburgh, PA | In 2000, I bought a used 12-string Ovation through a relative. Over the past month, I've been tinkering with the notion of selling it & replacing it with another 12-stringer. To research the value, I figured I'd trace the guitar's serial number/date of manufacture code. As it turns out, according to Ovation's customer service folks, I have a prototype from 1981 (the label inside the guitar says "14 fret, 12 str, Proto" on 1 line & "040881" on the other line). Does anyone have an idea on the value of this guitar? Is it worth more because it's a prototype? Is it worth less? Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks! |
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Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Welcome to the Ovation Hive Mind!
Pics would really get the 'juices' flowing here!
No expert here, but I've found that prototypes usually are worth more than the production models, if there are any.
The real experts will show up later... |
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Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | It's probably worth about 50 bucks. I'll send you a check. :D
Seriously though, welcome, and why in the world would you sell it? There is NOBODY who makes a twelve-string that sounds as good or plays as well as an Ovation. Stick around and it won't be long before you have so many O's that you'll feel like part of our family. |
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Location: SoCal | Pictures would help.... |
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Location: Upper Left USA | I'll send two czecs...
According to the guy that ran the station for some time - prototypes got numbered with the date they were inspected as "completed".
So this is the first, or one of the first , post Pacemaker (12 fret to body) 12 strings made legit on April 08, 1981.
They probably needed to see if the neck would stay on or if they would have to use lighter tuning gears!
Not all protos were successes - but they were all cool! |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | '81 was when they were phasing out the 12 fret model 12-strings and phasing in the 14 fret models. Probably an early version of a 14'er |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | I'm sure it is 14 frets. As I recall there was nothing special about it other than it was the first one. some parts or specs may be different.
Show a pic, that will tell if there is anything major different with it.
Not worried about the neck or gears, but more on body braces and top stability.
Woodrow has got the serial number system figgered out correctly.
If it is pretty much just an early version it may be worht a 5-10% premium over what those models are bringing. Something radically different or one offish would be more. |
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Location: Vernon CT | Welcome buzzman44!! I think you have a keeper there. The shared by the above members is pretty good and and most likely correct!! |
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Location: South of most, North of few | Originally posted by CanterburyStrings:
It's probably worth about 50 bucks. I'll send you a check. :D
:D Guhd whann.... |
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Posts: 6
Location: Pittsburgh, PA |  |
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Location: Pittsburgh, PA | http://www.flickr.com/photos/41359613@N06/3833557952/ |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Legend 12-String |
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Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Sure has aged well! |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Gallerinski sez:
Legend 12-String 
(Whoa... I got this computer stuff Down!) |
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Location: Pittsburgh, PA | Thanks for everyone who pitched in their opinions. I'll let everyone know what I decide to do. On another note [insert your music-related joke here], my brother & I used to be in a 3-man acoustic rock band. All of our guitars at the time were Ovation. I have since sold my Ovation as part of a deal with my wife, who bought a Taylor for me as a Father's Day / congrats on a promotion / congrats on getting my MBA present. Whereas the Taylor has sound over the Ovation, the way I could bend strings & nail stuff up & down the neck on the Ovation is unmatched! |
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Joined:
August 2009
Posts: 6
Location: Pittsburgh, PA | Thanks for everyone who pitched in their opinions. I'll let everyone know what I decide to do. On another note [insert your music-related joke here], my brother & I used to be in a 3-man acoustic rock band. All of our guitars at the time were Ovation. I have since sold my Ovation as part of a deal with my wife, who bought a Taylor for me as a Father's Day / congrats on a promotion / congrats on getting my MBA present. Whereas the Taylor has sound over the Ovation, the way I could bend strings & nail stuff up & down the neck on the Ovation is unmatched! |
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Location: Upper Left USA | Do you need an Ovation electric???? |
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August 2009
Posts: 6
Location: Pittsburgh, PA | Not necessarily. Basically, I have the Ovation 12-stringer (which I believe is a Custom Balladeer 1755 model)(http://www.ovationguitars.com/?fa=detail&mid=1009) &, after receiving a gift card for an on-line guitar center, thought about selling this & buying a new 12-stringer. But, given the guitar I have & the budget I'd be working with, I'm likely to not go forward with the swap-out. At some point, I feel I destined, though, to get a double-neck'er! |
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Location: Maine | Looks like the proto KMC label.. very cool..
No TRC so it's a K-bar neck? . With all those machine heads that must be a heavy neck.. |
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Location: SoCal | Tal I've got an Adamas I with a KBar neck and it is very heavy. But somehow, when you get to makin' music with it, you forget about the weight of the neck and just groove on the sound..... |
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Location: Maine | Moody.. is the ADI a 12 stringer.. I too have a Kbar necked guitar (1537) but it's 6 strings not 12. I don;t have a 12 stinger to compare it to. Yup it's heavy but not a problem as you mentioned and super stable. My old(former) 1657-4 was ligher and more balanced.
Seeing Buzzman photos showing a 14 fret 12 string Kbar neck just seemed like a lot of leverage.. Very nice looking guitar..
I hate when a good Bluegrass picker friend who owns a Martin D16 pickes up my ovation and says.. Wow this thing is heavy... though he hasn't complained about the sound. He even borrowed it while he had a few frets reworked on his D16. ... See ya.. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Bleugrassers like to complain though. |
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Engineering Prototype
