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Posts: 1380
Location: Central Oregon | I recently bought my first Ovation guitar. I played one a few years ago that belonged to Kip Attaway & I was impressed. A while back I decided a 12 string electric/acoustic would be nice, so I watched ebay & decided to bid on a CC255 that caught my eye. It was advertised as mint & it appears to be. My question is, what's the difference between a CC255 & a CS255? Mine has what I would describe as a tobacco sunburst with the leaf top, the CS models mostly seem to have a natural top. Is that the difference? I see quite a few CS255's on ebay but I can seem to find any info on the CC. I tried to find a CC255 on the Ovation web site but couldn't find any mention of it. I don't have the serial number handy, since the guitar is at the luthiers having the action set up. (Actually down, it was pretty high.) I get it back tomorrow & I'm really looking forward to it. I really love the sound, but it was really quite hard to play when I got it.
Also, can anyone direct me to somewhere where I can look at an owners manual for this guitar? I got a nice case, a list of Ovation service centers & a dandy strap & a polishing cloth, but no owners manual. I would like to know a little more about it, how the electrics work, etc. it's nothing like my Epiphone Riviera or my ES-175.
Thanks,
Nils |
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Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | nils, i too have a hard time with all of the models. ovations site doesn't cover many of the models. i would like to see a list that included all of the models produced, with country manufactured in, and original retail price for comparison. if this happened on this site an owner rating system would also be nice. a person who knows little about ovations, shopping on e ebay. might think------wow, an ovation for 150, and then be dissappointed when they actually recieve an entry level guitar from korea.
a friend bought a new celebrity made in korea. he plays a strat but thought he should have a good acoustic and knew of ovations reputation. the guitar was never set up and the action was 1/4" at the 12 th fret. he said he never played it because he liked the strat better. no wonder! my old balladeer which cost less than half of what he paid, made his sound like a wet cardboard box by comparison. the celebrity's neck was straight and there were no shims under the pickup. it was never put together right in the first place. i suggested he learn how to play slide or sell it and buy a good used american ovation. however this experience soured him on ovations. once again, the corporation lost a potential customer by not making a distinction between their musician quality and hobby or entry level guitars. and also by letting a guitar with such high action ever leave the factory as first quality. if you are selling a chevy don't call it a caddy, right bill? there are customers for both. |
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Location: NJ | Nils
most of the expertise on this board is with the US made instruments. I am not real sure about any support you will get for a used import. I am SURE if it was under warranty you could get it serviced etc but depending on the age I am not so sure what kind of information there may be out there.
The pre amps are probably similar to the US models so depending on the pre amp and if it is still supported you may be able to get a manual. |
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Location: Central Oregon | Thank you for the reply. I just returned from picking up my CC255 from the luthier & it is an entirely different instrument! In all honesty I was being quite kind in saying that the action was "pretty high" in my last post. Frankly it was awful, easily a quarter inch at the 12th fret. The action was nearly as high on the first fret as my Epiphone Riv is on the 12th! The luthier did an amazing job on it for a fifty dollar bill. He cut the nut down to about half the height it was (maybe less) & lowered the saddle *a lot!*. He also rounded off the corners of the nut which were so sharp that it was actually painful to play because it dug into the base of my index finger. I am very very pleased with it now, it still looks & sounds great & now it's quite enjoyable & comfortable to play, especially for a 12 string. What a difference fifty bucks made! Tonight when I have more time I will try to trace the serial number to find out approximately when it was made. The luthier seemed to think it was made some time ago & never played much because of the action, which I can believe! I will post the serial number here, maybe someone will have some information about it.
Thanks again,
Nils |
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Posts: 126
Location: UK | Hey what a good idea Mex! Hows about it Al?
A section on the Fan site with listings of ALL models with Model codes, seriel number ranges and price new, with players ratings, would go a long way to help a lot people; and just be a good source of info.
But alas i know this is a lot of work for someone to do and get it up and running. |
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Location: NJ | Gary
there is a list that has model description original list price and some other info on it. I am in the process of obtaining this list and when I do Miles will put it up on the site. believe it it is very cool and well worth the wait patience please ....as I understand it is a virtue... |
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Location: Maryland | I own an Ovation CS-245 12 string and no lie
it's neck is as fast with as low an action as
my U.S. made Adamas SMT. It doesn't sound as nice as the carbon top ( especially when played unplugged) but you won't find a 12 string that
will fret any easier then it does. It had a broken headstock when i bought it on Ebay ( from
guitarbage ). The repair was very easy with "gorilla glue" and you would have to be looking for it to see it had been broken. There
is no doubt in my mind that Ovation is importing
a fantastic guitar in the Celebrity series. |
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Location: UK | Mmmm, i nearly got my Ovation 6 strings sorted, when i do, ill be going after a 12, my Fender has seen good service, but from what i see on these posts, that Ovation 12 action and sound is summat else :cool:
Well Al, in a years time this Fan site will be as we say in the UK "The dogs Boll**ks"
So far i have not seen in such a relativley small amount of posts, so much info and experience relating to a certain product.
Keep it rolling :)
BTW i thought there was a link from Kaman`s to this site, but cant sem to find it now? has it been taken off the Kaman site? |
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Location: NJ | To my knowledge there was never a link from the Kaman site to ours. Maybe Miles can clarify but I am almost positive there was/is not.
BTW I just want to clarify that we are not affiliated supported or sponsored by Kaman music corp in any way. I do know many of the people that work there and they are kind enough to supply me with facts and information when I ask but this site is solely funded by Miles and myself. We saw a need and had a love for the instruments and here we are... I do know that the reaction I have had concerning our site is positive and I hope it continues in that way. As you know support for older products is time consuming and costly and not always a priority. What I envisioned for the OFC was a place where you could find information on your older instrument and share tech info swap stories etc. so far I am very pleased .... |
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Location: Maryland | alpep
Ovation definitely had a link on their home page
up until a few days ago (its now disappeared).
In the left lower corner of their page below
"Adamas" it said "Ovation Fan Club" .....that's how I found you guys. |
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Location: Maryland | I might add.. the great Kaman/Ovation company
has a nice service for their "fans" that I really
do like!! I've been using this for awhile.
register to use Ovation mail on URL below
www.ovation.net/upload/register.cfm
[ March 27, 2002: Message edited by: JT3 ] |
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Location: NJ | JT3
I really cannot confirm or deny that existence of a link since I did not ever see it. I would hope that the powers that be see this site as a benefit and not a detriment. I see no reason why they would have a link and then yank it but I will believe that it is how you found us... Regardless we go forward. |
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Location: Central Oregon | I found this forum via the same link JT3 did. They must have shut the door behind me when I came through the other night.
The serial number on my CC255 is 552040, made in Korea. The electrics are OP-24+. Am I correct in thinking the battery is only being used when a cord is plugged in? I don't see any switch anywhere that says on/off.
I plugged it into a Zoom 505 tonight. The electric 12 makes some really wild sounds through that thing, (now that I can actually play it). Some were really nice, others explain why some kids paint their hair blue & start sticking staples in their faces.
I'm trying to learn to program the 505, so I'm re-programming the worst offenders one at a time. It's taking a while to get it through my thick head, but I finally have three pretty decent sounding patches that I put together.
I'm also not really sure what the three buttons on the pre-amp on my guitar do, but I'm having fun pokin' 'em in & out. :) Btw, is there more than one pickup in this thing? Do the buttons turn pickups on & off or what?
I guess I should explain that I've been doing 99% of my guitar playing alone for many years, playing an unplugged ES-175 (one P-90, it was made in early '53). The last time I played much electric guitar up until I bought my Riv last fall, all there was for electronic effects was reverb, tremelo &, if you really wanted something trick, you plugged in a distortion booster. (As I recall, mine was pretty easy to figure out, it had an on/off switch & one little knob.) Must have been about '67.
I'm glad I found this place, it has a nice atmosphere, quite a lot like the control-line Stunt model airplane forums I also hang out in. An unusually high number of Stunt flyers are also guitar players. Go figure.
Thanks for any info you folks can provide.
Nils |
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Location: NJ | Nils
when the cord is plugged in the pre amp is on. I am sure you can get a op 24 manual somewhere although it is pretty self explainatory
as for the link your guess is as good as mine at this point. |
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Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | i also found the fanclub through the kaman site link which is no longer on their site. i sent them the following e mail and suggest that anyone who feels the same should let them know how much the site is doing to help them and their clients. they have a fine group of "volunteers" answering questions they don't have time or historical information to answer.
e mail to kaman follows
i am sorry to see that you pulled the link to the ovation fan club site. it is the best and most straight forward site representing all of the guitars that you make. the membership and number of posts are growing geometrically which is testimony to the interest and need for information regarding the guitars you sell. it turned me into a collector and i now own about 20 ovations.
it is also a good way for kaman music to feel the pulse of it's customers and clients. i for one have gained greatly by becoming a member of the fan club site and have a new level of understanding the miriad of instruments ovation has produced and continues to produce.
please put the link back on your site. it is good for all of us including kaman music.
russell swider |
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Location: NJ | Russ,
thanks for the kind words and show of support. It is my feeling that with or without the official sanction of Kaman music corp we can both peacefully coexist and provide info and a forum for the guitars that we love.
Although a link is a wonderful nod from them, If they choose not to include one I do not see us going away any time in the near future anyway.
Perhaps they took off the link because they do not know how much extra work it may generate for them or how to deal with it at this moment. Don't spend too much time thinking about it.
If you build it out in cyberspace....they will come....
[ March 28, 2002: Message edited by: alpep ] |
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Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | i just did a google search for ovation guitars and also for ovation fan club and didn't find a link to this site. i wonder why? i dont know how google gets its info but it somehow isn't picking up this site. that is the first place i usually look for something. |
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Location: NJ | good question about google. I will have to let Miles field that one. In case you have not noticed yet he is the computer guy of this dastardly duo.....I am just the guy with the bag of magic beans and a dream... |
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Location: UK | Iv also sent my email to Kaman regarding the missing link, thats how found this site, and its got me hooked!
It can only compliment both Kaman and the Fan site and be beneficial to all involved. |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Web Search Engines are a dark mystery. I have submitted the site to several, but I have found, the bottom line is traffic. The more folks we have here, and the more folks that add this site to their "links" page... the sooner Alta Vista, Yahoo, Google, Lycos and rest will pick it up.
[ March 28, 2002: Message edited by: Mr. Ovation ] |
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Location: UK | Got this reply from Kaman.Seems encouraging.
We hear you! Thanks for the heads up and for your support!
Tim Campbell
Customer Service Manager
-----Original Message-----
From: gary [mailto:gary@home-talybont.freeserve.co.uk]
Sent: Thursday, March 28, 2002 3:37 PM
To: info@ovationguitars.com
Subject: Home page link |
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Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | they must like you guys in the uk gary. i only got an automated response saying they will answer within 10 days. i think however that the answer you got is promising and that kaman won't know unless we tell them. i really think this site is going to promote ovations for them, help them get feedback on the instruments they make, and take some of the load off of them regarding questions they commonly are asked. an educated customer is usually a happy customer.
if this site can incorporate a word search somehow, ie you type in "action" and get a list of topics and posts that contain that word the bulletin board itself will become a research tool and reference library. this site has tremendous potential for helping kaman music understand how guitar users and in particular afficionados of ovations perceive their product line. that way they can drop the corvairs and edsels before it hurts that perception.
i hope from time to time the folks at kaman participate in this forum. i think some of the finest and most innovative guitars ever built come out of ovations us factory. i love mine and i haven't even played an adamas yet. |
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CC255
