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Location: Maryland, USA | Today I went to GC (primarily to choose a new amplifier for gigs that had a higher output), and after I found the amp I desired, I tried out some Ovations.
The Adamas' were either sold out, or they didn't carry them, so I played a sunburst elite and a Legend (forgot what exact legend , but it costs $1000!).
Just so you know, I played them both acoustically without plugging them in (there weren't any cables in the room and the salesguy came in after I was done trying them out).
I was dissapointed. I know StephenT and JeffW have been saying that it will be hard to top my D-18 acoustically, but these Ovations didn't come close. The sound was good, warm, but lacked the vibrant and booming sound of my D-18.
It sounded like a $400 Cort I played a couple months back.
The Bass specificly I found fault in, it was a low note, but it didn't have that bassy "ring" to it that I found in my D-18.
Now maybe next time I head up there I'll plug it in and fool around with the preamp, and say that they're awesome plugged in but not acoustically, but until then, it is not on my priority list to get an Ovation Acoustic :( .
But I do have to say, they were very comfortable!!
The salesguy also didn't know Ovation made solid body guitars in the 70's (I brought my Viper in to test the amps out, it made the most sense because that's the guitar I'll be gigging with). |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Stephen,
While it is true that Martin makes great sounding guitars and the D18 is a great sounding guitar...
They tend to be tonally imbalanced. That is to say, Martins and others, accentuate a particular portion of the range, bass or treble or something in between.
Martin has become a sort of benchmark for acoustic guitar, primarily, because it was so cherished by Bluegrass pickers who liked bass runs and rhythm.
It became a sort of standard as to how an acoustic should sound. That convention is well and good and I appreciate it.
I can't speak for the Ovations you actually played, but in general, O's have a very balanced tone and don't accentuate bass or treble, so they sound Midrange-y, though they, in fact, may be producing similiar bass range as your Martin ...or treble for that matter...
Ovations excel when you start moving up the neck. Once you get past the 5th fret...even very good Martins (and others) begin to lose tone because wood is less efficient at the sides and back. Play any good Ovation up the neck and it is remarkable how well both tone and volume are maintained...
My FD-14 will destroy ANY Guitar (cept for the Uterus) up over the 5 fret and hang with all of them down below.
Additionally, there is less feedback directly through the body of the guitar to the player with O's. As a player you are not hearing the guitar as it sounds 3ft or 12 ft in front. Wooden backs offer more feedback from behind so the player feels and hears more...but that sound is lost in front of the guitar, toward the audience...if you have one... |
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Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | Stephen, Jeff makes excellent points. My GC doesn't carry Adamas guitars, I doubt that most do....they don't know how to sell them. They usually want to keep them with the other Ovations and hang them in the rafters so no one can play them. So it is difficult at best for someone to discover how good they sound.
If you are used to the sound of a Martin D-18, you are not going to like Ovations, probably. They are DIFFERENT. A FD-14 Folklore Deluxe (no longer made), an Al DiMeola Custom Legend or a 2005 Collectors would have the best chance against a D-18, for your ears. Although I'd love to know what you would think of a cedar-top S771 Balladeer (sold only at Guitar Center---but I think they are pretty much gone now).
Roger |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Roger,
I'd love to know more about the cedar S771 too. Gotta be a great guitar. |
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| Yes, I have a Martin D-15 and the sound is quite a bit different than my 1778lx. I'm not sure you should be dissapointed since doesn't the d-18 cost about $600-1000 more? The Adamas mainline (Like a CVT not the retro collector guitars) appear to be almost a lame duck. Stores in my area that did carry them (including the local GC) haven't had one in a long time. Perhaps, Al can comment on the current Adamas availibility to dealers. The 2005 Collector I played (only one) which I liked did not have the bass tone you may be looking for, nor did I find it a huge improvement in tone over the lxs I have played as many claim. I don't really expect an Ovation to sound like a Martin although I haven't played the deep bowl Al DiMeola. I'll probably be selling my d-15 and buying a higher level Martin, but that's because I like the varied tonal qualities that Martin and Ovation provide. My voice, which is horrendous, sounds less horrible with a less Bassy guitar (like an Ovation, certain Takamines, or certain Taylors). |
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Location: Maryland, USA | A D-18 is quite a bit more, but price isn't always everything, and I figured the Ovations were cheaper because the materials are less expensive.
I did like them though, don't get me wrong.
Next time I go, I'll plug them in, and maybe the preamp will change my mind.
They usually want to keep them with the other Ovations and hang them in the rafters so no one can play them. My GC was similar. There were a couple low end Ovations on ground level, but I made it a point to grab the higher ends up above to get a strong feel.
I think I'd like the Adamas better...I've seen StephenT's, and they are very beautiful, I think they'd sound extravagant.
Hopefully in the future Ovation will make guitars with a booming bass. If they did that along with having those nice rounded backs, I'd find Ovations much more enjoyable ^_^
EDIT: I did try to find an Fd-14, I didn't know they didn't make them anymore. As for the audience, the only people I've played for with my acoustic are my grandparents and my parents. They were impressed with the sound, but on the other hand they never listened to any other acoustic guitar, so they couldn't compare.
THanks for your opinions guys! |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Stephen,
Even tho I like my D-18GE alot, if I had to choose between it and the U681T (which is still about $1000 less), the U681T would win hands down. It is louder, smoother, and more even throughout the range of bass/mid/treble than the D18. It absolutely destroys the D-18 (now my Norman Blake is a different story).
Don't know much about the lower end ovations that GC carries but it doesn't surprise me that the ones you played that cost 2-3x less would be a disappointment.
Order a U681T from Al before the limited run of 100 is gone. You will not be disappointed in any way, shape or form! |
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Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | I did find a 1771LX Balladeer that sounded very similar to a Martin D-16GT in a shop a couple of weeks ago...it was spooky! So the Ovation/Martin comparison may not be as bad as I let on....but comparing most Ovations to a D-18 is probably not a good idea if you are looking for equivalent sound.
A Martin D-15 is a different critter than a D-18....it has a (very nice) sound all its own (for those who don't know, a D-15 is all mahogany). I don't know of an Ovation that has a sound anything like a D-15. The cedar-top S771 Balladeer has its similarities, though....
The cedar-top S771 Balladeer is definitely something special. I bought one of the first ones my local GC got in a year ago. It just screams "folk/country" in the sound. It isn't a guitar with a lot of bling, just very well made, plus the inlaid rosette that cms-man put on it....
Roger |
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Location: Atlanta,Ga. | The Martin 15 and 16 series guitars are the best bang for the buck of any acoustic guitar under $1000.00.The D-15S slothead is a monster.It really had a huge sound.I have a 00016SGT slothead that is a smallbody 12 fret guitar and it is incredible.Here is a pic of the 00016SGT.I paid $800.00.As most of you knopw i am a longtime Ovation fan and have played quite a few of the new LX models and one FD-14.I was very underwelmed by these guitars..
http://www.ovationfanclub.com/photos/samova_79267_00016sgt.jpg |
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Location: Tennessee | Hold yer fire ... I too am a longtime Ovation fan but I just picked up a D-15 Custom. Solid East Indian Rosewood back, sides, fretboard and bridge, with solid Sitka Spruce top. $800 and it included a nice hardshell case. Huge bang for the buck ... sounds as good or better than any other Martin I've ever put my hands on, and a thousand times better than any Taylor I've played, regardless of price. There's not much in the way of eye candy on this one, but it's sort of like the plain jane down the street that can belt out an aria second to none.
I can't wait until this thing opens up ... I figure it'll take a year or two before I know what it will really sound like.
I really do appreciate the qualities of Ovations and what it means across the strings and up the neck. And I love the Ovation sound, but the Martin is just different. My 1537 sounds closer to a Martin than other O's, but it's still not THE sound I want to get sometimes.
More ice cream. :cool: |
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Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | I too have a "token" Martin, a 000-16RGT I bought last spring. I preferred the rosewood sides and back to the mahogany. A 000-16SRGT (slothead, 12-fret-to-the-body, rosewood, gloss top) would be a MONSTER, but they don't make it.
It sounds good, but the 000-16RGT would go out the door before most of my Ovations, though, if I had to choose.
Roger |
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Location: Atlanta,Ga. | When acoustic guitar magazine gave Martin an award for best guitar under $1000,i fully agreed.I know some here were dissapointed because Ovation did not get a single award.Martin builds great guitars with all solid woods for around $700-$1000..They get great reviews by even the Martin snobs on the Martin sites who own $2500 and up Martins.. |
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Location: SE Michigan | I am a huge Ovation fan, but I also have to admit I was bit under whelmed by the stock Legend and Elite LXs that I have sampled. I recently purchased a 2005 Collectors model that has a unique bell-like tone to it, I think it sounds great, I recently put medium strings on it and it is even better. I also got to sample many guitars at the recent Ovation factory tour, and the one that blew my hair back the most (hands down) was the U681T, it was a tone monster!
But that being said, I also own a Martin D-28, it is my “big gun” for unplugged jams. It is loud and strong and the bass just makes your rib cage vibrate. The D28 doesn’t even have a pickup, for plugged in work I reach for my 2005C or my W597 Adamas.
The reason that I still own and play Ovations are (1) superb playability and comfort, (2) Plugged in performance and ease of use, (3) great durability and road worthiness. But other than a few stellar exceptions (like the U681T), the average Ovation is not going to win an unplugged tone contest against the average Martin or any other higher end all-wood guitar for that matter.
A recent observation, while seated and playing my D28, the guitar is canted at a angle and as a result the back does not contact my body. I think this is when this guitar is at it’s best. When standing with a strap the back is firmly resting against my stomach and I believe a good deal of tone is lost. Because the back of an Ovation is spherical, it cant really vibrate, all it can do is shape and focus tone forward.
Also I recently tried out a Martin 000-16 with a Fishman Aura built in, and wow, it had incredible amplified tone. It had a street price of around 1300. Unplugged it was pretty anemic. I was torn between it and the 2005C, I decided on the 05C but it was very close. The 05C performed well both unplugged and amplified.
Also a think a stock D18 has a street price of about 1350, which puts it right in line with a 05C or 597 Adamas. A D28 can be had for around 1550 which is still below what a U681T will cost you. I wonder how the two guitars would compare. |
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Location: Tennessee | Brian ... I'd love to live on your street! Prices for the D18 and D28 are $400 higher in these parts. |
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Location: SE Michigan | Stonebobbo, where do you shop? last time I checked Elderly a standard D18 was $1350 and a D28 was $1550. Like most manufacturers, Martin doesnt allow a dealer to advertise the real street price. Rule of thumb with Martins is 60% of list price equals real street price.
By the way, I think I am starting to gas for a U681T. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Stoney...I was thinkin the same thing. |
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Location: Atlanta,Ga. | Most High volume Martin guitar dealers like Maurys music and My favorite guitars in florida will give you 40% off list.A D-28 lists for 2550.00 so it can be bought for $1530.00.A D-18 lists for $2249.00 and can be bought for $1350.00 including case. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Hmmm....I guess my pricing is high because I was looking at the D-28VS and the D-18GE. Don't know retail but they were definately a lot higher than the prices you just listed. |
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Location: SE Michigan | One other thought about comparing Ovations to Martins, A Dreadnaught guitar like a D28 is designed to be a bass monster with maximum internal volume, I dont think any O's come close to being like a dreadnaught in design.
I have also played quite a few smaller bodied all wood guitars (Martins and Taylors and Gibsons OH MY), that I thought sounded quite a bit thinner than some of the nicer Ovations that I have played. |
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Location: Central Florida | I gotta jump in here... As a LONG TIME Ovation player (34 yrs and counting), I must confess that I've also recently jumped on the Martin bandwagon. And, I must say, they're making a believer out of me. I now own two Martins (and am working on a third). They have a rich, warm tone that's all their own. But as great as they are, you won't find me dumping my Ovations and replacing them all with Martins. There's definitely room in the universe (and my collection) for both. What is it y'all say... It's all ice cream...
Jeff |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Jeff, what's the 3rd your working on? |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | six string banjo |
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Location: Central Florida | Stephen,
Either a D-28 or HD-28.
Jeff |
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Location: San Bernardino, California | 12 string Banjo!!! |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Oh,
you meant the other Jeff |
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I played two Ovation Acoustics Today
