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| I'm in need of a good acoustic-electric to play on stage. I've got a HD28 that I love but it's a pain to use with a band, and I really need something that will hold up well under harsh conditions. So I'm looking at Ovation. I've sort of narrowed it down to a couple of guitars, but I have to buy over the net (can't play in person) so I need opinions. I can get a NOS 2000 model CVT Adamas for $1300, a new 1867 Legend for $800, or I could get a new Elite LX for $1100. Given those choices, which would you go for and why? Is there anything else I should be considering? |
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Posts: 6202
Location: Phoenix AZ | Hi Joe, Welcome and you'll get some great replies to your question. Folks around here (including me) LOVE advising others how to spend their money. It's like shopping for ourselves but it's FREE.
Anyway, you ask "what should you do"? Well, the first thing you should do is email a jolly old fella named Al Pepiak (alpep@aol.com). The reasons will become obvious as other reply to your question.
As far as the guitars you mention (CVT, 1867 Legend and Elite LX), they are all great. But I would question the choice of the 1867 Legend. You should check the newer Legend LX version. Pretty much your decision will be based on weather you want a wood topped guitar (either of thr LX's) or a composite (CVT). If you opt for wood-topped, then the decision will be multi-hole (Elite LX) or single hole (Legend LX).
In MY opinion (you did ask!), I'd go for the CVT. It's a rugged and awesome live playing guitar. But I ONLY say go for the CVT because you already have a great Martin as an acoustic. The CVT sounds like shit acoustically (compared to a Martin D) if you ask me. But that won't bother you as long as you have you Martin. On the other hand, if you also want your live guitar to have some balls as an acoustic then forget the CVT and go with the LX's. They both sound great. I personally prefer the more traditional looking Legend LX in black finish. But that's just my opinion. |
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Posts: 13
| Originally posted by Standingovation:
But I would question the choice of the 1867 Legend.
I guess I was looking at the 1867 because of the price. I saw that Musician's Friend seems to be blowing them out for almost half of list. Because of the LX series maybe?
Anyhow, I've always been drawn to the look of the O's with the epaulet tops, but if the regular soundhole sounds better acoustically that's probably the way for me to go. Is one top more prone to feedback than the other?
The other thing is I really like the V shaped neck on the 1994 Legend a friend of mine has. I've heard that Ovation changed the neck shape on the LX guitars. Is it a radical change, and what is the LX neck similar to in feel?
Thanks for the help. |
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Posts: 2246
Location: Yucaipa, California | Check with Al at
Al Pepiak
He is one of the founders/moderators of this board and is one of the most knowledgeable and honest gear dealers around. Many OFC Members (myself included) have dealt with Al and we could not be happier with the results. In spite of all the good natured jabs in his directions, he really is a gem.
.....(how's that Al? Do I get the first banj-"O"?) :D |
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Location: Upper Left USA | Elite LX or the CVT?
I'd check with Al and see if a Custom Elite LX is available! Just some added bling! |
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Posts: 1817
Location: Minden, Nebraska | RE: #1867 Legend
I happily played these on stage for a decade and love the model. However, for the price that new ones are selling for one can get a newer design Ovation, and for a bit more money a lot more guitar.
My dittos on Al Pepiak. Check with him. |
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Posts: 13
| I guess it's now down to the Legend LX and Adamas CVT then. I'd rather not put any more money into it than I have to. The Adamas I'm looking at is a NOS 2000 model with the Optima pre. The Legend LX will cost $250 less than what I can get the CVT for. While I NEED this guitar for playing live, I'd also like for it to have a decent acoustic tone so I can use it for my "around the house" player, since the Martin is a bit finicky about humidity and such if I leave it out on the stand all the time.
So would the Legend LX sound better acoustically than the CVT? Is The CVT or LX going to sound better plugged in? For what it's worth I'm really looking for the most natural acoustic guitar tone when plugged in, so would the Carbon top on the CVT take me too far away from this?
Another thing I have to consider: which one is a better deal, the CVT at $1300 or the Legend LX at $1050?
Thanks for all the replies so far. |
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Posts: 1374
| just my .02....cents not my BAC (that's occasionally..hic..higher) but pleez... B4 U Buy...
CALL AL!!!
sorry for the shouting
GLENN |
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Posts: 13
| Originally posted by unixycler:
CALL AL!!!
I know you guys keep saying this but I'd rather not bug a dealer about it when I'm probably going to use a chain store credit card to buy for financial reasons. Still, if the deal is that much better I may be willing to float the cost on my Visa or AMEX. It's just that the 0% interest deals right now are very tempting, and one of the reasons I'm thinking of pulling the trigger on a new O. |
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Location: NJ | A big "chain store" may be offering "0% interest" in more ways than one . . . . give Al a call . . . what can it hurt? |
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| OK, I wrote out a nice email to Al but apparently AOL doesn't like my mail server so it bouced back to me. I guess I need to just pick up the phone, huh ;) |
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Location: NJ | ". . . we never close . . . " |
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Location: Keller, TX | I second (or third, fourth ??) the "CALL AL". I was about to get the Elite LX, but ended up getting a W597 from AL. Better guitar. He may still have some of the cosmetic flaw guitars that he can give a bigger discount on. |
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Location: NoVa / Richmond, VA | I'm not as knowledgeable as most the people on this board. but from my experience, i almost bought an Elite lx, i only didn't because i found a great deal on a 1988 collectors series. The acoustic sound on a CVT is amazing in my opinion, and plugged in is just as great (almost bought one of those too). and if you go into any guitar center and talk to a manager, more than likely he WILL give you a better price on a guitar, with me doing that. An Elite LX at the price of $1100, i could have gotten for $960 including taxes. they want to help you get a guitar as much as you want it. I brought my friend in with me, he ended up getting a good deal on a celebrity.
happy findings |
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Posts: 425
Location: SE Michigan | I have a W597 CVT with Optima preamp. I also have an old deep-bowl Legend 1717. Plugged in, and listening through headphones through the soundboard, I am amazed at how similar they sound. Unplugged the Legend has a more refined woody tone, but I still like the CVT unplugged as well, in fact I play the CVT a great deal unplugged and kind of like it's tone and clarity.
But like any graphite guitar, it sounds shimmery and more even across the scale and up and down the neck, and tends to emphasize the mids and highs more than a wood guitar. But I dont think it sounds bad, just a bit different. I wanted an Adamas because of their great reputation but also because the graphite top makes it a much tougher trouble free guitar.
I have played a couple of Legend LXs and Elite LXs in the shops, and while I agree they are great guitars, I wasnt bowled over by their unplugged tone, nice but certainly nothing to rave over. I also would like a shallow bowl like the 1867 purely for plugged-in comfort and ease of play on stage, but I think most people on this board will tell you that the shallow bowls dont sound so great unplugged. If I found a shallow bowl for a steal I'd buy it.
I also have a Martin D-28 to satsify my need for unplugged woody tone, so if I were in your place and only had the choices you list I would go for the CVT. |
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Posts: 13
| OK, so far I know
1) Call Al
2) The CVT is the best guitar for plugged in, on stage use and durability.
3) the Legend LX will sound better acoustically.
4) I know I like the Adamas V neck but I've never played a LX neck so I may or may not like it.
5) I can save some money if I buy the Legend LX instead of the Adamas.
I have a couple of new questions.
1) is there enough of a difference between a 2000 CVT with Optima and a 2004 CVT with OP50 to make it worth paying a couple humdred more for the 2004 model?
2) Which will hold it's value better, a CVT or a Legend LX?
Thanks again for all the help! |
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Location: SoCal | I wouldn't necessarily say that the CVT is the best guitar plugged in. That's one person's opinion.
You've really got to get out and play some of these guitars. That's going to be the only way to form some opinions of your own. |
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Posts: 425
Location: SE Michigan | As far as holding it's value, it would be hard to say but I would guess the CVT would be more desirable on the used-guitar market. But you are buying this guitar to play, not as an investment.
My CVT has the older optima preamp and thinline pickup, I too was concerned that it was inferior to the newer pickups and preamps. Thats why I did comparisons using headphones through a mixer to compare the pure pickup tone. From my experiments The CVT was remarkably similar to my Legend which was the older traditional Ovation pickup.
By the way, you might want to hold off a month or two and see the newer models with the new bowl shape.
One last piece of advice, If you are willing to spend over a grand on a guitar, dont let a few hundred bucks deprive you of something you really want. I think all of us have experienced buyer's remorse. Buy the most guitar you reasonably can and then enjoy it. Nothing is worse than sitting there after the fact thinking "for two hundred bucks more I could have had a ........" |
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Location: SoCal | Brian's giving sound advise. |
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Posts: 13
| Originally posted by moody, p.i.:
You've really got to get out and play some of these guitars. That's going to be the only way to form some opinions of your own.
That's the problem. There are no dealers within 100 miles with these guitars, and my work schedule won't allow me to travel far enough to play one in person. So I have to make a good informed decision about which one to order. I'll have a approval period, but I'd rather get it right to start with. |
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Posts: 13
| Originally posted by Brian T:
My CVT has the older optima preamp and thinline pickup, I too was concerned that it was inferior to the newer pickups and preamps.
That's what is in the CVT I'm looking at. It's NOS so I'd get the warrantee, and save a couple humdred which puts it within reach. I don't think I could swing the price of a 2004 CVT. Do you think the thinline/Optima setup sounds as good as or better than the OPP/OPPro in the LX? One advantage the Optima has is the XLR out. I DO like that. |
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Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | You mentioned something about humidity. If that's really a concern, then go with the CVT.
As for the sound acoustically, I think the CVT is not shit, but excellent. And plugged in, you will wonder why you played anything else. Buy it and don't look back.
Enjoy. |
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February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Originally posted by Standingovation:
[QB] The CVT sounds like shit acoustically (compared to a Martin D) QB]
And a Martin D sounds like shit acoustically compared to an Adamas or just about any other Ovation if played above the 5th fret, especially for fingerstle or lead playing, so it really depends on the application. If you play in the first couple of positions a Martin D or just about any other guitar will do the job, and you may prefer the sound to an Ovation. However if you use the entire playable range of the instrument and are fussy about having consistent tone & volume over that range, then your choices become considerably more limited, and for my money and for that purpose a Martin D wouldn't make the short-list. |
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Posts: 6202
Location: Phoenix AZ | Paul is just giving me a hard time. Maybe it was dead strings or maybe I had cotton in my ears. But the CVT sure didn't impress me compared to a wood guitar. And yes I DO play above the 5th fret (but only when I capo the 4th). But seriously Paul knows what he is talking about and is truely a braintrust of this board when it comes to technical stuff. What someone likes or doesn't like the sound of is like trying to describe the taste of differnt wines. Robust, not too fruity, blah, blah. Paul likes the sound of the CVT. I don't. There ARE things that we both DO like, but we'll keep those discussions off this board. |
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Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | Joe,
I did a review of the MEWP a while back, which is basically a CVT. You might want to check it out. |
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what to buy?
