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Posts: 152
| This is probably obvious to yourself but I bet we all have different reasons for our love of Ovations.
What led to you buying an Ovation(s) as opposed to another guitar?
For me, I bought my first one back in 1981 or so. We all wanted Martins back then but as College students we couldn't afford one. By buddy bought a nice Yamaha and started taking lessons. I was plunking around on my older brother's barely used Japanese clone of a Gibson Hummingbird. Once I had callouses I decided that I was ready to buy my own guitar. I came across a one year old used Ovation Anniversary Legend 1657-7. A poor musician had bought it for 600 bucks and needed cash so he sold it to me for 300 bucks.
I had that guitar for 30+ years till I gave it to my daughter.
I've since bought a Taylor, a Martin and a 12 string Guild. But I also bought a couple of Adamas and recently a 50th Anniversary Custom Elite (pictures to come sometime soon). For me Ovations play very easily and have excellent intonation. They also have a great overally tonal balance and of course sound really good plugged in. So what draws you to the lure of an Ovation? |
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March 2013
Posts: 359
Location: undisclosed | The groupies!
No, wait, wrong forum......
It must be the combination of sound, materiasl, playability and value. |
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Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Back in 1973, I went into the local mom and pop music store to by an acoustic Gibson. I then watched the salesman swing a Legend like a baseball bat bowl first against the sharp corner of the sales counter. The guitar bounced off like a rubber ball but, to my astonishment, there was no damage. I then bought the other one hanging on the wall. |
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Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Bottom line: durability.. |
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Posts: 1802
Location: When?? | 10. Construction and durability. When not used for music, they make an excellent prying tool for tree stump removal.
9. Because Glen Campbell said so.
8. You can set an Ovation down, walk away, come back in 75 years, and the thing is STILL in tune as you left it.
7. No amp, no problem. These babies project abundant sound just by sitting in the case.
6. Because Nancy Wilson said so.
5. If scores of thousands of soldiers could trust their lives to Charlie Kaman's helicopters, I can surely trust my music with his guitars.
4. Because people who oppose Ovations are generally people whom I oppose.
3. Pretty. So incredibly pretty.
2. They come with an absolutely awesome fan club.
1. Because Glen Campbell and Nancy Wilson said so.
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Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Met a few hitch-hiking hippies with Ovations in the early 70's because they are so study, and affordable. So when I saw one 30 years later I was reminded that I wanted one.
They are sturdy and good for street musicians.
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December 2015
Posts: 287
Location: Katmandu | Sound, playability, design.
Edited by leonardmccoy 2017-03-04 3:11 AM
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May 2011
Posts: 755
Location: Muenster/Germany | 1.The Ovation neck. NO other guitar has the playability and the low playable action.
2.They all fit in the same case (ok except for Adamas deep bowls), 6string, classic, 12string...
3. With the time I got so accustomed to the Ovation sound that I prefer it to most other guitar types, I can not really explain that.
4.The people in the Ovation fan club encourage me to play Ovations, no matter if some others dislike these guitars.
BTW when at long last will there be a re-issue of the brown cases?? My old Ovations are fine , but the cases are about to dissolve in their physical components... |
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Posts: 566
Location: Denmark | Their looks seduced me. There are 3 iconic guitar headstock shapes are hard to beat: Post '70 Gibson and the small Fender are the two other. |
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Posts: 815
Location: Colorado | ProfessorBB - 2017-03-03 11:14 PM Back in 1973, I went into the local mom and pop music store to by an acoustic Gibson. I then watched the salesman swing a Legend like a baseball bat bowl first against the sharp corner of the sales counter. The guitar bounced off like a rubber ball but, to my astonishment, there was no damage. I then bought the other one hanging on the wall. What? You didn't want the one that bounced off the counter? Good choice. |
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October 2014
Posts: 270
| I've been interested in Ovations ever since I first saw and heard one at UC Berkeley. One of the girls in the dorm next door had one and I was fascinated with it as both a guitar player and engineering student. I was only in the dorms for two school years, 1964-65 and 1965-66 so I'm wondering if she might have had a pre-production model. |
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Posts: 1802
Location: When?? | @BCam ->"I'm wondering if she might have had a pre-production model."<-
That's an interesting timeline. Whatever it was, I wish I could own it today! |
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March 2005
Posts: 12755
Location: Boise, Idaho | I didn't play guitar until about 1973 and my first acoustic was a finger buster. All my favorite stars used Ovations and they were everywhere. My future wife's cousin had a Legend. When we were planning our wedding in 1977, the music was all guitar songs. SWMBO said I had to get a new guitar to play at the wedding, so we went shopping for an Ovation. We couldn't afford a Legend, but the Matrix was high tech, with the bowl, plus the urelite neck and aluminum fretboard. Still good 40 years later. |
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March 2013
Posts: 359
Location: undisclosed | Mark's honesty is making me own up to the economy angle. I resuscitated a 1624 that had submerged in hurricane Katrina with idea it would also work as a boat paddle as I couldn't afford both at the time. Of course now I don't want to get it wet but play it waiting for the breeze. |
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Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | Been thinking about this as I've been playing my 1537. I gotta say that I love the sound of it. It's a very solid full sound. It's "right there". Taylors tend to sound thin to me. I'm not a fan of Gibsons and I have to go to the upper end of Martins to consistently get what I like. Temp pointed out to somebody on the Ovation facebook page, that Ovations sold on their sound for about 6 years, before the electronics came on.
I like that sound..... |
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Posts: 12755
Location: Boise, Idaho | I don't know if it has anything to do with "honesty". I just remember what it was like to be poor and still don't like paying more than what I think something is worth. I have also been playing my 1537 recently and told my guitar teacher that it was the first good Ovation I ever bought. I don't mean the others weren't good, but paying $1000 for a used guitar was a big leap for me, although the $245 we paid for the Matrix in 1977 was the equivalent of about $750 when I bought the 1537. The 1537 sounds to me like a very good guitar, but my Folklore has more of that Ovation sound, which I like very much. Getting a really good deal appeals to me and might even affect my perception of the sound. To me a Taylor is too expensive for what I would get, but I suspect there are people who are the opposite of me who think that a guitar with a high price sounds better. I can understand that as well as I can understand that red guitars sound better. |
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March 2002
Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | Mark, sometimes you say things that just make me shake my head, not knowing how you can possibly think what you think.
Blue guitars sound best....... |
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Posts: 1802
Location: When?? | I would hope that everyone here has respect for ANY guitar, regardless of brand, model, age or condition. I mean, if a warped and worn Fender Squire washed up on the beach of my deserted island, I certainly wouldn't toss it back into the sea or use it for firewood! It just seems that simply comparing brands of guitars is nothing more than the old Coke-Pepsi, Chevy-Ford argument. If you order chow mein, but expect the flavor of fish and chips simply because they are both "food", sorry, you're gonna get chow mein. But that doesn't mean fish and chips is going to lay down and die.. and neither is Lady Justice ever going to remove her blindfold. Ovation just happens to be our favorite flavor around here.. and the different models are the varied recipes for it. All of those Ovation recipes are quite yummy!
Edited by Love O Fair 2017-03-09 6:11 PM
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Yeah... But I do like finding $250 Folklores and $300 Flame T's. 
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Posts: 12755
Location: Boise, Idaho | I typed up something really clever in response to Moody, but forgot to hit "submit" and now I forgot what I said. Maybe too much red affected my memory, too. |
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Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | lmao! Happens to you too, huh?
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March 2013
Posts: 359
Location: undisclosed | Not me, I can't forget I'm still poor so I'm with Arthur on the bargains. Honestly it is really hard to beat the woods and craftsmenship in the older guitars still in good shape. My 1117 is the new one from 85 and it has a AAA top and undersaddle pickup, it looked like nobody had spent much time playing it. Over a few months the tone and volume opened up as you'd expect with a new guitar. Less than $300 with the case. |
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July 2015
Posts: 118
Location: New Britain, Ct | What most people dislike about Ovations I like the most ( round back ) I have issues with my ulnar nerve and playing with a standard box guitar irritates this at my inner elbow - The round back allows me to rotate the top inwards slightly.
Also the sound and quality is second to none in my opinion and at a great bargain price. |
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October 2012
Posts: 1034
Location: Yokohama, Japan | Fell in love with the resonance in high school (late 70s) when a friend let me play his Adamas.
After a long hiatus, got a CC54i iDea for my son and an 1861 for myself, both for just about 200 bucks. Couldn't get enough of the bold bass, punchy mids, and sparkling highs.
Got in touch with the MS for some help with the iDea and the 1861, and really liked the people who made these remarkable instruments.
Then I joined the OFC, and found that the players were as, or more, remarkable than the instruments they loved...
Perhaps I live a sheltered life...call me a fool, call me naive but,... I can't think of anything that I don't love about Ovation! |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | the smell |
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What is it about Ovations that you Love?
