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March 2006
Posts: 14
Location: Chicago | Folks -- I let apologize if I've totally missed the section for newbies. But I'm looking to purchase an Ovation guitar and need advice, or confirmation that I'm on the right track:
First, I can't play... yet! I got some informal lessons from friends recently and I just like the "feel" of the ovation guitar in my lap. I could "see" my fingers on the frets a bit easier. I was planning on buying a Celebrity CC057 ~$270. I also like how it can plug into an amp (maybe fun for later).
But after looking thru this site, I'm wondering if I should look into a used Ovation. Or am I just not "advanced" enough to worry about that now.
The only thing that kept me from pluning down my credit card was the salesman who insisted that I should buy "wood" and spend $600+. The "wood" guitars did seem to have better tone, but hey... maybe for my second gutiar when I actually lean to play.
Thoughts?
Thanks in advance,
Webwbr
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13996
Location: Upper Left USA | Welcome!
If you read Al Pepiak's opening statement on the "Welcome page" you have some idea how Ovations get a bad rep!
Salesmen aren't Rocket Scientists, and vice versa.
You could obtain a used Ovation, early era Balladeer or such for about $250-$350. A Legend or Elite for a couple hundred more.
I have two suggestions - first keep in mind that any good guitar without issues and properly set up will be good to learn on. You can develope your own taste for what you want in a second guitar.
Secondly - buy a used 1778T for under $600, take it to a reccomended tech or Luthier and enjoy it! You may not want another guitar. If you sell it you won't lose on your investment. |
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Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Check the OFC "For Sale" section.
There are currently some nice USA made guitars that would fit your budget.
Also....welcome to the OFC! |
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October 2005
Posts: 4071
Location: Utah | FWIW, here's my opinion on newbies buying guitars. If you are interested, really interested, and plan on sticking with it, buy a decent guitar. There's a world of difference between cheap guitars and more costly instruments, both in terms of playabiity and in sound. But, if you are just looking to try guitar out to see what you think, look into renting or borrowing. You could rent a decent guitar for a few months to see what you think of playing guitar, and if you want to stick with it you can then go buy a good guitar.
I think a lot of people buy a cheap first guitar and then quit playing very soon thereafter because the cheap guitar is hard to play and it sounds crummy.
However, if you were to buy a good Ovation, like the 1778 T mentioned above, you would never regret it. If you buy used and take care of it, you can expect to sell it for what you paid for it. IMO, there is no better sounding instrument than the 1178 Elite T, and no better playing instrument for that matter, for many times the price. IMO, honestly, you could spend well over $2500 on a high falutin premium brand guitar and still not have something that sounds as nice or plays as easily as the Elite T. |
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March 2006
Posts: 14
Location: Chicago | Thanks for the welcome to this board and for all your responses... you guys have me thinking:
While nobody has come right out and said the Celebrity CC057 is a "cheap guitar" (even if it is an Ovation) I'm guessing it is not a favorite of this board.
So let's say I entertain the 1178, I'm having trouble telling the difference between them (1778, 1778 LX, 1778 Elite LX, 1778 T, LX series, Elite series, Elite T series -- how do I decipher all this?) are these all the same or different, and why does musician's friend website show a price range? $879.99 - $999.99!? (Gulp -- my wife will divorce me over this at that price.)
I open, but I’m hoping you all can share just a bit more direction with me…
Thanks again,
Webwbr |
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Joined:
November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | 1778t..
The "t" is the important thing to remember..."Elite t"
You can get a used one for under 600. This is a great guitar as FlySig suggests and not just for the price... |
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Joined:
March 2006
Posts: 14
Location: Chicago | I just found the retail price list on Ovation's site... now I'm understanding their naming system better...
Thanks,
Webwbr |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | The 057 is fine, but you could pick up a used one for under $200. That gets you a shallow bowl and a plywood top. Good rugged guitar that may be fine to learn on, but you will probably want to advance to something better. The shallow bowl and plywood doesn't resonate like the other Ovations. No wonder they think a wood box has better tone. Shop a little and get a US Ovation with a deeper bowl and you will hear a big difference in the sound. Most any Ovation is easy to play if the setup is good. |
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Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 48
Location: Spokane, WA | There really is a huge difference in sound and playability between a Korean made Ovation Celebrity (the CC057 for instance) and the US made Ovations. Spend a bit extra on the US made guitar, and you'll never lose a dime, it'll always hold it's value. The same can't be said of the Korean guitars, even though they are good instruments. Just my .02. |
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March 2005
Posts: 1421
Location: Orange County, California | webwbr,
Is your budget around $300 to find out if your serious about guitar? Also, being an eternal newb, I also like th Ovaition-Roll allowing me to see my fingers better when working on something new. Can you play 3 chords yet? There aren't many guitars you can score for around $300, play for a year and resell for what you paid (or more). There are a 1/2 dozen or so older American made Ovations on Ebay right now that will close within that budget (give or take), and would sell again for that. Yes, you will appreciate the better sound and playability of a used older, solid spruce top, American O then a celeb, and you should try to play some older ones to see if you like them before you buy. I would suggest spending only what you have saved up, and not buying on credit as you will never recover the intrest you paid from the value of the guitar. Especialy if you buy new. Later, when you know 4-5 chords you could save up again sell your older guitar (yeah right) and probably score an Elite T, or better yet an Adamas used without inciting the wrath of SWMBO or going into debt...
Good ideas on paper. much harder in real life. No, there's nothing worng with the CC057, except many of us started down that road, or worse (bought a cheap wood box) and wished we had just gotten a good used american Ovation first.
Cheers and Welcome!! |
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March 2002
Posts: 15677
Location: SoCal | Spend a little more money and get something like this
http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-1982-Ovation-Legend-Cutaway-w-Original-...
You won't feel the need to "move up" to a wood box guitar in a few years.
If you buy something too cheap to begin with, you'll get discouraged and not want to play. Always play a better guitar than you are a player. It will inspire you to pick it up and practice. |
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Joined:
January 2003
Posts: 146
Location: Germantown, MD | This is probably a minority opinion, but since you asked. . . .
The ideal first guitar will sound reasonably good, and it will be comfortable to play. If it's not comfortable to play, you're not going to practice as much as you would otherwise and you won't progress as quickly as you want to. My advice, then, is to buy nothing that you haven't played first, and that might tip the scales toward the CC057--unless you find a used American-made O that feels easier to play.
Short form: Playability is paramount; you'll probably trade up or buy a second guitar later on anyway--especially if you hang out on this board very much. :) |
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October 2005
Posts: 5331
Location: Cicero, NY | Originally posted by moody, p.i.:
Always play a better guitar than you are a player. That's never a problem here. :rolleyes: |
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Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | That was my thought. Maybe that's why I think everything sounds good when somebody else plays it. |
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March 2006
Posts: 14
Location: Chicago | Ok… wow, thanks everyone for your input, I just spent an hour at the Guitar Center [musiciansfriend.com] in Naperville, IL and the place was packed… so I could hang out and try stuff without a salesman even noticing me!
My budget was set to avoid my wife’s ire at me for spending big $$$ on an instrument that I cannot play… she’s not totally off-base as we also have a digital piano that I can do little more than a few bars from most Billy Joel songs on.
Anyway, my big “A-HA” today was that there are really two “Ovation Companies” USA and Korea. I can totally see/hear/feel the difference between the two, thanks for everyone’s suggestion about that.
Here’s where I am now:
I like what I’m hearing about buying a “next level up” guitar and have an instrument that holds its value. So if I continue down that route two guitars today came on my radar;
1778T - $880
This is a no brain-er and seems highly recommended by the folks in this thread. My only complaint is the looks, it is a little too minimalist for my liking. And being all black just does not give the instrument too much appeal. But it did sound great!
S771 - $780
This was hanging next to the 1778, nobody here mentioned the balladeer line, but this seemed like a good choice too. And is $100 cheaper. Thoughts comments on this line/guitar?
Any other <$900 ovations guitars I should consider?
Where can I play/try out older used Ovations, Guitar Center had none. Just call every guitar store in town and ask about their used inventory, or is there an easier way?
I’m thinking I’ll go up in $$$ and finance it for a year [no interest, why not] – I can totally pay it off in a year, and then if I totally fail at it, I can resell with little loss. In the end, if I succeed, I end up with better sound and a guitar that can go a long way with me.
Thanks everyone for your continued assistance through this purchase journey. I should give all of you the commission on this sale and not the salespeople [kidding].
Webwbr |
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Joined:
July 2004
Posts: 812
Location: Hicksville, NY | Welcome to the OFC webwbr!
For a starter guitar, you can't go wrong with the Celebrity model that you just mentioned. I don't own one, but I have had the opportunity to play them through my friends from church who own them, and I am partial for their playability. They also keep in tune quite well, that you will rarely mess around with the tuners.
However, instead of spending $270, spend a few more extra bucks and you should be able to purchase a used USA-made Ovation. For a budget of about $300 (give or take a few), the Balladeer models should be right for you. You can check out either the mid-bowl 1771 or S771, or the shallow bowl 1861 like the one that I have. They often go on sale via ebay, and do check out the buy/sell section in this website.
Welcome once again to the OFC, and good luck with your guitar shopping. |
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March 2005
Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | I like the sound of the S771s they have at GC. The Balladeers are great guitars. |
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June 2002
Posts: 6202
Location: Phoenix AZ | Web, My strong advice is to buy used. $800 + on an instrument you can't yet play and may try it an give up, is a big investment. For under $400 you can get a first rate Balladeer or Legend model. You don't need all kinds of new-fangled pre-amps and on-board equilizers, etc. Just go with the basics. The problem is, you'll probably have to buy without actually trying it first. That's where 4000+ OFC members come in. Find one you think you like and give us the details. We'll steer you in the right direction.
For example, here's a few nice ones on ebay.
Balladeer $399.
Custom Balladeer $389.
Trust me Web, THESE are the kind of guitars you want to learn on. You can't go wrong.
Dave |
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April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Webwbr said
Any other <$900 ovations guitars I should consider?
Bluesailor has a 1537 for sale ($900 shipped) that is considered one of the holy grails of Ovation guitars. It is a great playing and sounding guitar and it's value will only go up if you decide to sell it down the road in a few years.
It would be a great guitar to start on, one you would never outgrow, and it sounds and plays fantastic! Do a search for 1537 on the OFC board and see what everyone thinks of it.
Anyone here care to disagree? |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | It would not be fair to start on a 1537 when it took me 20 years to get one. Both those old Balladeers have 5 piece necks. You could also pick up a S771 on ebay for a BIN of $479. |
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April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | That wasn't the question. (and who says life is fair :rolleyes: )
He asked if there were any other guitars under $900 that he should consider!
Are you saying he should NOT consider a 1537 if it is within his price range? |
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March 2005
Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | Are you kidding? The only downside is if he doesn't learn to play and it sits in the closet. I just thought it was a huge leap from talking about a Celebrity at the first of the thread and going to 1537 by page 2.
What was the question again? |
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Joined:
March 2006
Posts: 14
Location: Chicago | It is a huge leap... I'm glad my backup plan is the celebrity... I'm so torn about going up in $... on the one hand it seems like my "investment" will hold value better, on the other hand $900 is still a lot of money to play for mainly (at least, with purpose for) a prison ministy with Church.
I love the idea of buying used, but buying on-line a used guitar scares the heck out of me and I'm unsure of used ovation at a local store level.
hmmmm |
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Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Webwbr, your best buy for $900 or less is absolutely the 1537. Like I mentioned before, do a search and see what we have said about the 1537 over the last several years.
It is a huge leap over the sound, the build quality, the resale value, and the playability of the Celebrity.
With the 1537, if you don't learn to play or sound like pooo, you will have only yourself to blame. |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | There have to be Ovations available in Chicago to try out. Find someone who plays and haul him or her around and listen to them. If ebay scares you, try the for sale section here. As Stephen says, you won't see or hear anything bad about a 1537. It's as good as you can get for that money. |
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