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May 2008
Posts: 4996
Location: Phoenix AZ | For someone like me who knows NOTHING about electric guitars, can one of our experts please educate me ...
1. Other than the physical shape of the body and cosmetics, what is the difference between a VIPER and a PREACHER.
2. How are these Ovation solidbodies different (assuming they are) from a typical Strat or Telecaster.
3. Is there some technical reason that the Ovations didn't come with a vibrato, like on a Strat.
THANKS |
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October 2005
Posts: 4064
Location: Utah | I'm not a huge expert on Ovation solid bodies, so I'll get this started until a real expert shows up.
1. Other than the physical shape of the body and cosmetics, what is the difference between a VIPER and a PREACHER. The Preacher DELUXE has active electronics just like the Deacon/Breadwinner. The standard Preacher is passive, as is the Viper.
2. How are these Ovation solidbodies different (assuming they are) from a typical Strat or Telecaster. That's kind of like asking how is a Chevy different from Ford. One main difference is that the Ovations are made from Mahogany whereas the Strat/Tele are made out of lighter woods such as Alder or Ash. Different tones from different woods. Some of the Ovations have humbucking double coil pickups whereas the Strat/Tele have single coil (except some newer Strat configurations may have 1 or 2 humbuckers). Humbuckers are more powerful and gutsier whereas single coils tend to be cleaner, crisper, and have twang. Broad generalizations all. Ovations have 24 fret necks whereas Strat/Tele have 22.
3. Is there some technical reason that the Ovations didn't come with a vibrato, like on a Strat.
Yes, trems suck. That's personal opinion, but trems use springs and that means that the bridge moves whenever you tune one string, pulling the others a bit out of tune. Some trems can lock, and some designs are better than others, but tuning stability is an issue. Trems can also reduce vibration coupling to the body compared to bolt on bridges, thus reducing sustain. I guess that's more a comment on the deficiencies of trem systems than why they could not have been used on Ovations. |
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Posts: 1127
Location: NW Washington State | 1. Viper has 25.5" scale, 1-5/8" nut, larger-than-Fender single coil pickups, usually maple or ash body with maple neck. Preacher has 24.75" scale, 1-11/16" nut, smaller-than-Gibson humbuckers, usually mahogany body and neck.
2. Pickups are unique; I've seen comments here that Viper's are good, Preacher's are weak. Weird bridges that can't easily be replaced with anything else.
3. Maybe because the weird bridges didn't match any commonly available tremolo bridge?
-Steve W. |
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Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Some had a little more blue than others and the off set wasn't quite as much, except on the bigger ones. The later ones were less involved although some would argue that once the Television came out nothing was the same again. |
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May 2008
Posts: 4996
Location: Phoenix AZ | I was asking about the tremelo because there's a gazillion strats sold and I think they all come with some kind of tremolo. Is it possible that the ovation solid bodies didn't sell too well because they didn't have one? |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | yes |
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Location: Atlanta, GA. | Like Beal said, "anything's possible". |
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Posts: 13996
Location: Upper Left USA | More of what Numby said and Beal, not so much... (Blue?)
The O-Team made pickups, Bridges and Necks that would only fit on O's. I think this lack of interchangability is what done em in.
Scale Length and Pickup differences mostly.
I think the Viper was more of a Tele competitor and the Preacher took on the SG and LP Humbucker crowd.
Tremolos are for those Strat playing weanies.
Now, put a set of Viper Pickups in a Mahogany Deacon body and you have a Guitar! |
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Posts: 2683
Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | And then there is the UKII. In my opinion, the very best solidbody Ovation ever made, and ONE of the best solidbodies made by ANYONE. |
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Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | I don't know anything about solid bodies at all, but this is an interesting thread. |
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Posts: 7230
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | So far so good. I've got really nothing to add except that the first modification to my Viper was to add a Tremolo.
On paper, Ovation solid-bodies were then and even today some of the best solid-bodies on the market. Having owned well over 100 and still have over 40, they did everything right on paper. The combination of timing and lack of interchangeability is what did them in for sure, but it's not like they weren't successful. Some of the biggest names used Ovation solid-bodies.
By time they came out with the GS and GP, they were phasing out of the electric biz, but if they had started with those, maybe making them completely in Hartford, then phased in the Breadwinner, Viper, Preacher. UKII, etc.. things might have been a bit different... but that's just speculation.
Remember in the late 70's and early 80's the first thing you did with your brand new strat was yank the pickups and put real ones in.
The premise of the Viper and Viper III was just build a better strat/tele and they did. But there wasn't a global familiarity so unless you got the try one, much like an Adamas, you didn't know what you were missing.
The UltraGS was just a day late and a dollar short. If I knew of them in the 80's I would have saved myself a TON of money on other guitars. A strat body, Kahler or Wilkinson bridge, DiMarzio pickups, Schaller hardware, and a really cool route edge on the body. Came in one, two or three pickup models. Perfect. |
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Posts: 15674
Location: SoCal | Originally posted by Beal:
Some had a little more blue than others and the off set wasn't quite as much, except on the bigger ones. The later ones were less involved although some would argue that once the Television came out nothing was the same again. Ambien induced response? |
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Location: East Tennessee | Off his meds. :D |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Oh no, This is an early Sunday morning responce to a very swayback question from the three sided song circle at the White Horse. Kind of like a Holcombe extrordinaire but without varnish and extra peanuts. Get your tickets early, there will be no seats. |
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Location: NJ | nice. |
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Location: Utah | Maybe he's sampling some of Mike's pain meds. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | love it |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | just one word.
Plums
And this was just looking at them, I'll save a jar for the island.
And ya'll should give Malcolm Holcombe a good listen too. |
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Location: Upper Left USA | Suddenly I feel well focused and capable.
I think my aura just colludified. |
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Location: NJ | I Like Plums. |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Earth to OFC, come in, please. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Plums are my new favorite! |
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Location: Upper Left USA | I don't speak Collings, Takiminish or National but it must be something really tinsel! |
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Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | Takaminish??!!!!
I love it!
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Posts: 6995
Location: Jet City | Viper/Preacher main difference is the sound. Pickups on a Viper are single coil. Pickups on a Preacher are humbuckers.
The biggest difference between an Ovation and whatever other guitars are the pickups as well. My UKII is really an unbelievable sounding guitar. I've had Gibsons, Fenders, Peaveys, Kramers, Jacksons, Ibanezs, and more. None have ever come close to sounding like my UKII.
I suppose Jimi, Eddie, most every guitarist from the 80s, and a billion others didn't think trems sucked. If you know how to properly setup and play a guitar with a trem on it, they can be great additions to your sound. Though I don't really do the whole Floyd Rose dive bombs so much anymore, I do like to add vibrato at times. While you can add vibrato with a finger on a single note, it's rather tough to do if you want vibrato on an entire chord. A vibrato bar will do that for you.
All that said, I like plums. Too bad I won't be making it to the Island |
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Please Educate Me - OVATION SOLID BODIES
