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Location: Las Cruces, NM | Saw Aaron Tippin on CMT and he was playing a nice looking Ovation, so at least one contemporary country star is playing them. Also, on a few occasions I have seen Janey Frickey with very nice looking Ovations on some older country shows, on the George Jones show it looked like she had a white elite with some nice trim. I said in an earlier post that she had turned down letting Glen Campbell play it on a Country Home show, I was wrong, I'm watching a Country Home tape of Glen playing that guitar doing Gentle on My Mind and Roy Orbison's Crying, the trim around the sound holes is unique, it has to be a custom built guitar. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Aaron Tippin has been playing Ovation for probably at least 8 years. He's the latest country guy to sign up with the Big O. There should be another one coming in a year or two. Keep us posted on any NEW endorsee spottings. |
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Location: Scotland | All the stuff I've seen on this shows Tippin playing a Celebrity model.
Paul |
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Location: Pennsylvania | I'd hate to insult a famous person who is probably more talented than I, but what would a million-dollar celebrity be doing playing a celebrity? |
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Location: Scotland | Quote from the 98 & 99 catalogs "Aaron Tipping's......tool of choice is the Celebrity Deluxe" alongside a pic of him playing one.
I have no problem insulting a famous person. Maybe Ovation artist relations give guitars in direct proportion to talent, in which case maybe he should be playing an Applause.
Paul |
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Location: Pennsylvania | Yeah. I take back saying "someone probably more talented than me." I found his webpage thru the Ovation site. I doubt he's really a guitar player. Look at the concert pictures--he uses an headset mic and prances around the stage and sings--with no guitar. In none of the concert pics is he playing a guitar. He has a backup band play the songs. Hmmm.
Looks like he has a guitar just so he fits the image.
And so Ovation can sell more celebrities.
Well, I guess you could say "at least it's an Ovation."
[ September 18, 2002: Message edited by: snowlock ] |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | He can play just fine. But like most country songs they have three chords with maybe the F#m thrown in for fun. I don't know any of the background of his deal but I would guess that he buys his stuff, it's not free, discounted, but not free.
On a completely different note, when was the last time you saw a really great player playing an Ovation? I mean just burning it up on the stage.
And who was it? I'm drawing a blank, I haven't seen an Ovation on TV in years. (in fairness maybe it's retired old fart syndrome and not watching TV after 9:00pm) |
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Location: Pennsylvania | I was judging this Tippin fellow on the fact that his Ovation was a Celeb and by the fact that in none of the live pics was he playing a guitar. I really dont know what kind of guitar player he is.
As far as the last time I saw "a really great player playing an Ovation, burning it up on the stage," Ouch is all I have to say.
Nope, not one. I'm searching for one though. I'd love to find one. This, I think is partially do the bad stigma, and that's somewhat Ovation's fault. It wouldn't be too hard to turn their bad stigma around, but they need to do an all-out ad campaign and image revamp in order to make themselves look brilliant and classy.
I'd absolutely love to see an artist I really like, such as Paul Simon, Leo Kottke (ha--that'd never happen), Warren Zevon, Dan Bern or someone playing an Ovation! Not all of those guys can "burn it up," but man, just to find one talented person that I like playing an Ovation...
I love Ovations, think they're great, love their design for the tone and sound, great look, etc, and I want my gutiar heros to know it too!
And by the way, and am I the only one who thinks the bowl shape is comfortable? Everyone complains, but I think it's much more comfortable than the hard, sharp edge of a wood-back. Also, I have never had any trouble with the guitar slipping off my lap. Never! Well, I admit I rest the guitar on my left leg (athough I'm right handed). I think it's those past classical guitar lessons coming back to haunt me...
[ September 18, 2002: Message edited by: snowlock ] |
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Location: Las Cruces, NM | You guys are now complaining about an entertainer playing an Ovation like was discussed on earlier posts about Gibson acoustics. Aaron Tippin, like most country formula stars, does not generally play the guitar that he is holding in his videos, but that is the formula. However, chances are that in private, he plays that brand as most country players are pretty good at accompanying themselves on guitar for songwriting, acoustic sessions etc.. I've spent 50 years playing with country pickers and most are able to find more than 3 chords if needed. If Christofferson and Cash are jokes than the rest of the world missed it, maybe we should forget Buck Owens, George Jones, Jimmy Rogers etc.. but to get back to Aaron Tippin, I went to the south from Ohio in 1953 and the ordinary guys I was thrown in with from Alabama, Georgia, and even Florida sounded just like him, I am not a Tippin fan but he sure reminds me of tearing down southern highways in the beat up cars that we could afford in those days. Southern women liked those crackers too, and didn't have much use for theoriticians.
Bailey |
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Location: Scotland | Tom, Warren Zevon toured with Ovations for a few years. The cover of the live solo album "Learning To Flinch" (which stinks) shows him with a black Custom Legend 12-string. Unfortunately it's not a great advert for Ovation as the guitar sound on the album sucks. He used a couple of J200-style Gibsons last time I saw him, which sounded pretty bad also.
The last great players I can remember seeing playing an Ovation on TV was Tom Bresh, getting on for 25 years ago and Bireli Lagrene in the mid-80's.
I didn't mean that Tippin isn't a talented guitar player, I meant he isn't talented, period. He's yet another pretty boy with a hat, a hot band, a team of slick songwriters and a shit-load of record company muscle to sell a tired formula that ultimately is devoid of any substance. Fact of life in Nashville & the music business generally right now. Don't get me wrong, I'm not criticising Country Music, the majority of what I listen to & play has it's roots in Country, but if Tippin and his ilk are representative of current Country, then count me out.
My opinion of Tippin's abilities aside,any exposure for the guitars is good.
Back in the late 70's in the UK Ovation got massive exposure from a stand-up comedian called Jasper Carrott, who had a weekly TV show. He'd came up through the folk clubs but wasn't a great musician. He had a half hour show where he'd tell convoluted humorous stories wearing a Custom Legend around his neck, which he invariably never played. He had a series a year or two ago where he did the same thing except with a black elite on a stand behind him, which was where it stayed.
Apparantly there's a US comedian who plays (or rather doesn't play) custom built Adamii.
Paul
[ September 19, 2002: Message edited by: Paul Templeman ] |
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Location: Pennsylvania | Ha! I remember that album! Came out just before Mutineer, I think. That album, and the envoy are the two I dont have.
I checked out a few tracks of that (there's a small few on there I like), but decided not to ever buy it. I often dont like live recordings, especially ones like this.
Having only seen the cover on the internet, and maybe quick glances in the store, I never payed attention to what he had in his hand!!! That still makes me smile though. |
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Location: NJ | The last great live Ovation player I saw (other than DiMeola) was a guy by the name of Peter White. He's done a lot of the guitar work on many of Al Stewart's albums and was pretty much the main guitarist on most of his tours (until Al hooked up with Laurence Juber and Taylor guitars).
White has also sessioned and toured with a lot of other acts, and has toured supporting his own CD's. A lot of his stuff could probably be classified under the "smooth jazz" ilk, but he IS a brilliant guitarist worth checking out. As far as I know, he's still playing O's. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Peter White is great. Al and Larry were/are wonderful, Marcel was great in his day. Then there was the Doobies, Glen, McLaughlin, Diamond(gag), catlitter, Croche, Pat Martino and all the rest.
What's wrong with this picture??
Hint, it's 20 years old. |
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Location: NJ | Unfortunately CWK in current music there are few if any "guitar heroes". If Ovation sold tunrtables and could make a clone of the technics sl 1200 then they would be in.
Most of the guitarists that are respected are the older ones and unfortunately those that aligned themselves with Ovation are now with other companies. I think that getting some of those old heros back in combination with attracting some of the younger guys would make a strong endorsor roster. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Seems like somebody needs to go esplain the alignment ting to dem betta, dontcha tink? |
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Aaron Tippin playing Ovation
