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Location: Central Florida | Does anyone know if there were any early version Legends that had factory issued chrome, rather than gold tuners?
The reason for my question is I just bought a real clean looking, early Legend that was for sale on eBay. The seller claims original ownership and that he bought it new in 1973, with no mention of any modifications.
I know it was around this time that Ovation made the decision to dress up the Deluxe Balladeer and change it's name to Legend, so I wondered if it might be possible that a few "transition" Legends exist with chrome, rather than gold hardware. Any thoughts?
Jeff |
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Location: Scotland | Tuners are so easy to swap it's a totally unreliable way to date a guitar, but I have catalogs up to '72 which specify the Legend as having chrome tuners. |
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Location: Central Florida | Thanks, Paul. That might very well explain it.
You're right, it would be darn near impossible to accurately date a guitar based strictly on the tuners. I'm not real concerned about the chrome tuners anyway, as I bought the guitar to play, and not display. In that regard, I actually prefer the chrome over the gold.
I was just curious to know if perhaps this was common on some early Legends and I was just never aware of it. Forever trying to increase my Ovation knowledge, you know. Thanks again, Paul. I always appreciate your insights.
Jeff |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | What color bowl does this legend have? Usually brown bowls had gold keys. If it's brown then the keys were probably switched. I'm sure there were some early legends made with black bowls and chrome but I'll defer to Sam or someone who has studied the history. |
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Location: Central Florida | The bowl appears to be black and has an early '70's foil label. It also sports the "first version" electronics, with only a volume control positioned beside the neck heel. I'm afraid I'm totally ignorant when it comes to posting pics, links, etc., but if anyone cares to view the guitar at eBay, the item number is: 2566237844 .
I appreciate all your comments and insights.
Thanks,
Jeff |
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Location: SoCal | Looking back thru my catalogs, I've got a 5 year gap between 1972 and 1977. The 72 catalog has the Legend listed with chrome tuners, but it also has fewer inlays on a bound neck (essentially the Deluxe Balladeer neck inlays but with binding around the neck). The 77 catalog has the Legend as we know it today, with the same neck as the Glen Campbell model and the gold tuners. Both catalogs have the 1617 with just a volume control.
Does your guitar have a sticker, inside, up by the neck, with a seriel number on it? That would help pinpoint when it was built. |
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Location: Central Florida | Hey Paul,
The auction just ended Sunday, so I don't have the guitar in hand yet. In this particular instance, I didn't ask the seller about the serial number because I could see that it had all the typical appointments of an early '70's built Ovation; Deep black bowl, metallic foil label, gold headstock logo (minus the black outline), etc. As far as the electronics, I don't know when they changed, but I used to have a '79 Legend that had the "stacked" volume/tone control, so that's why I tend to equate the single volume control with older models.
Like you, I have the same gap in my collecion of catalogs. The '72 catalog does claim the Legend to have chrome tuners. But as you pointed out, the guitar pictured just looks like a Deluxe Balladeer with a bound fret board. This is what actually got me to thinking that perhaps the company did experiment with a few design variations before settling on the commonly known Legend design.
Jeff |
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Location: Scotland | It's just struck me that I have a Legend with a 1972 serial number which has gold tuners, the later inlay pattern and a foil label (marked 1617 even though it's an acoustic-only model) Which just goes to prove that catalogs are not totally reliable in dating instruments. |
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Location: Central Florida | Paul T,
That's interesting... Sounds like someone definitely goofed when labeling your guitar. Although, not knowing at what stage of completion the labels are applied, I wonder if yours was originally going to have a pick up in it and then got changed at a latter phase of production.
Just to be clear, I should mention that the Legend I just bought looks like your typical Legend in every way, except for the absence of the gold tuners. I doubt this is any kind of major anomaly. It just piqued my curiousity since the seller insists these are the original ones that came with the guitar.
Again, thanks to all for your insights and for taking the time to respond to my question. I appreciate it.
Jeff |
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Location: Scotland | Here' a Legend with the early inlay patern & nickel Grovers
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2570969114&category=33029 |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | The one mentioned above has the earlier inlay pattern as well. You don't see too many of these with what is basically a Deluxe Balladeer fingerboard, but in this case bound. I think this one has the same nickel Grovers also carried over from the earlier Deluxe Balladeer. Dave |
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Location: Central Florida | Interesting... Maybe there really was kind of an "evolutionary process" that occurred between the Deluxe Balladeer and development of the Legend. The guitar in the above auction is basically the '72 "catalog guitar."
The UPS man came to see me this week too! I took delivery on the Legend that inspired this thread on Tuesday, and it is FANTASTIC! Were it not for just a minimal touch of fretwear, I'd swear this was a "new-old-stock" guitar that had been kept in it's case in some music store's back room for the last thirty years. It's clean as a whistle and plays and sounds great!
It has the typical Legend/Glen Campbell diamond inlays with a black bowl, metallic foil label and, apparently stock, chrome Ovation tuners. The serial number is 008439, which dates it as being built in 1973 (which is when the seller said he bought it new). I tried to upload a couple of pics, but they were the wrong kind of file... or something like that... I'll try again later.
Jeff |
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Location: Atlanta,Ga. | There were some Legend models with with Chrome tuners early on in 1972 and 1973 because the deluxe balladeer was not around then.My guess is they were trying to give the legend a different look fron the Glen Cambell model which was still in the model line.Also the deluxe balladeer was not offered in the model line in 1972 or 1973 but in 1974 the "Custom Balladeer" was introduced.When the custom balladeer(chrome tuners) came back into the line they went to gold tuners on the legend between 1973 and 1974.Im also sure you will find some early legends(1972 and 1973) with gold tuners on them.Im sure ive had a couple thru the years.
Here is a bit more info.
There are actually two 1972 catalogs!! They both had the same cover(brown and orange) .One had blue writing on cover,the other had orange writing on cover.Also on back cover the guitar logo is in blue vs. white on the other..Both of the 1972 catalogs list the legend tuners as "Deluxe chrome"..Another bit of info..
One of the 1972 catalogs has the Artist classic model (1123) in it and the the other catalog does not.In its place they introduce the 1116 concert classic..The artist classic is a very hard guitar to find and it only appeared in the price sheets from 1971 to 1972...Anyone ever seen one? |
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Location: Central Florida | Thanks, Sam. Appreciate the info!
Regarding the Artist Classic; I know they had different model numbers, but wasn't the Classic Balladeer essentially the same guitar as the Artist Classic? I used to have a Classic Balladeer. It was a cool guitar, but I ended up selling it after I bought my Country Artist.
Jeff |
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Location: Atlanta,Ga. | Jeff, essentially the same guitar.Classic balladeer listed for $285.00,the artist classic for $320.00..The artist classic had "AA" top,deluxe chrome tuners, 19 frets while the classic balladeer had a "A" top,standard chrome tuners and 18 frets... |
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Location: Nova Scotia, Canada | Anyone ever seen one?
Although my Glen Campbell Classic with the Barcus Berry pickup has for a model number 1123-4 "E" (for electric?) on the tag, it has a cedar top and ninteenth fret, artist bowl and the narrower neck width. As for one as discribed in the catalogue, I have never seen one.
Wayne |
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Question Regarding Early Issue Legends
