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Joined:
December 2002
Posts: 86
Location: ma. | some help please,i'm looking for something that will bring a tear to my eye acoustically, but i don't want to spoil the party when i plug in.how are the on board electronics (volume only,no eq?). $400.00 w/case, in good condition a fair price? any difference year to year from '77 to '82? thanks buds! |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7237
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Hakr,
Check out The Ovation Solidbody and Storm Series Collection under Viper. I am thinning out the collection and would be willing to sell one of the duplicates I have. |
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Joined:
December 2002
Posts: 86
Location: ma. | nice inventory, you guys are maniacs. i really wanna stick with a traditional acoustic because i'll be unplugged most time,so if anyone can give me some opinions on my original questions i'd be mighty grateful.
and by all means keep me upon anything that might suit me.i've been looking for awhile,i'm in no rush. |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7237
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Sorry... I replied to the wrong message... You were looking for an acoustic and someone else was looking for a Viper... silly me. |
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Joined:
January 2003
Posts: 10
Location: Mechanicsville, VA | Hackr,
I don't know if you've had your question answered or not but, I have a Custom Balladeer 1112-4 purchased in '79 as a strictly acoustic. I sent to Ovation in '95 or '96 and had the Optima electronics package installed. This is a deep bowl model and I absolutely love it. It sounded wonderful, full, rich, and warm when I bought it and that did not change when the electronics were added, but now I can run that wonderful acoustic tone through into the house.
The only difference I could tell (almost imperceptable) was a slight loss of overall acoustic volume. I don't know any of the technicalities around this, and it may just be me. I also have a Takamine NC-15P which is a dreadnaught cutaway. The Ovation does not have the volume and projection that the Takamine has, but it wasn't as loud to begin with.
The two have very different sounds, the Ovation is a much more refined, sweet tone, where as the Takamine is more "in your face" powerful tone. (great for flat pickin and the like.)
Anyway, hope this helps if it's still relevant.
Kurt... |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | The main difference in that period is they went from a five-piece neck to a 2-piece with K-bar around '79/80. Sometime in the early 80's the bracing changed from a cross brace to a variant of the Ovation "A" (called K5 I think) The electronics package was the same on all, the basic Fet3 with volume control only, which sounds fine.
While my preference would be for the earlier 5-piece neck version, these guitars are workhorses and any one will serve you well, plus they can be had at bargain prices. If the guitar is in good shape $400 with case is a fair price |
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Joined:
May 2002
Posts: 1026
Location: Back in the Valley of the Sun Mesa Az. | hackr,
I would suggest watching e-bay. I picked up a Standard Balladeer (1994-1711) in excellent condition, with high/mid/low eq., and a like new case for $276.00. It sounds very good acoustically (I only hesitate to say great because that term belongs to my Legend), and great plugged in. Deep bowls baby!
Norse(of course this JMHO!)man1
p.s. My favorite set up is using an Audio-Tech Instrumental mic, and my acoustic only Legend. The richness of the tone just goes right through ya! |
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Joined:
July 2002
Posts: 150
Location: Minneapolis, MN | hackr,
I have a '78 Custom Balladeer 1612 with the 5 piece neck, deep bowl and volume-only control. Sounds great, plugged in or not. If you're interested, I can email you some pics :)
-Rich |
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Joined:
May 2002
Posts: 1026
Location: Back in the Valley of the Sun Mesa Az. | Hey Rich,
Still haven't forgot about your transparient Blue CS257. Money is pretty tight right now, but who knows what the morrow brings!
Norse(of course, after seeing Paul's Thunderhead :eek: perhaps if I save up until I'm 80...)man1 |
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Joined:
July 2002
Posts: 150
Location: Minneapolis, MN | Sorry Norseman, I sold it on ebay a couple of months ago.
On an unrelated note- Did the authorities ever figure out why North Long Lake won't freeze over?
-Rich |
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Joined:
November 2002
Posts: 1196
Location: Lafayette, Louisiana | I have a 1990 Ovation 1712 Custom Balladeer. It is white with a black neck and ebony fingerboard. Great sounding guitar. Only thing that I kinda don't like is that I find the neck to be kinda big. It is much rounder than my Adamas, and it took some getting use to. The white top really gives it a neat look, and it has the FET 3 preamp. Great guitar, and it has the number one thing I have to have.....A DEEP BOWL!!!!! |
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Joined:
December 2002
Posts: 86
Location: ma. | as you can see by question five topics down i ended up with an elite 1768 DEEEEP bowl. i love the guitar but i'm alittle curious about the finish crack being in a not so ordinary location.anyone with any opinions would be appreciated. |
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Joined:
May 2002
Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | hackr
Don't worry about finish cracks, we have discussed them intermenally and they have no deleterious effect on the instrument. |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 873
Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | i cant say enough about the older balladeers. i don't know much about the new ones, as i haven't worn out my oldest one, and i guess i like vintage better so i buy older ones. i have 4 and the oldest is a 72 that has been beat around to gigs from the desert to the humid coast, and it has hung in there with the exception of a few repairs i was able to do myself. im not sure when they changed the bracing, but the older ones do show the effects of string tension more and the painted tops can have problems with the bridge lifting. my 72 had the bridge retaining screws spread far apart and the bridge pulled up in the center. actually the paint is what "lost its grip with the top. i removed it, fixed it and added a center screw to the bridge. i actually wound up removing all of the paint under the bridge and glued the bridge directly to the wood. end of problem AND it actually sounded better with full and direct contact with the wood. bill said that is not a problem with the natural tops.
they are a true workhorse, and as cwkII said very early on when we were still in the 2 digit member numbers here at ofc, the balladeer was designed for the working musician. that might be an understatement and i would say they are designed for the abusive rigors of backwater baroom gigs. you know, when the dancing borrachos fall into the band while you're playing "wild one" or someone when is doing the monkey with a full corona in their hand.
one word of caution: you will become hopelessly addicted to ovations and won't stop at one balladeer. also take a look at some of the collectors editions. some of the earlier ones can be had for not much more than a balladeer. they are some pretty fine guitars. |
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custom balladeer 1612
