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June 2011
Posts: 41
Location: Massachusetts | Hi all - first post.
I'm heavy into Beatles, Gretsch, Rickenbacker, etc. The only interaction with Ovation that I've had is back in the late '70's a buddy of mine decided to take up guitar and his father took us into E.U. Wurlitzer in Boston and bought him a brand new Custom Balladeer.
Anyway, I was in a local music store and the owner showed me a vintage Ovation that he just got in. I was quite amazed with this guitar. Very wide ebony fretboard with 12 frets to the body. Nylon strings with slotted classical style headstock. This was a real pleasure to play fingerstyle. It had a squarish paper label in the soundhole with the model # 1114-4 and a K806 serial number. I've tried to do some research but it seems like all the information on Ovations is on this board!
My question is: Is this a strictly nylon string guitar or is it built for steel strings also?
I've tried to decipher the serial number but can't find any code for the K prefix. Can someone here ballpark the year this was built? BTW, he wants $450.00. It looks well cared for and has the original Ovation case.
Thanks everyone,
Bob |
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March 2005
Posts: 12750
Location: Boise, Idaho | It's intended as a steel string fingerstyle guitar, not a nylon strings. It should have a regular pinless bridge, not the square bridge for nylon stringed Classics. Go through the reference section above. K806 should be pretty early. |
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June 2011
Posts: 41
Location: Massachusetts | Thanks for the info, Mark - much appreciated.
I had already gone through the reference section before I posted. Couldn't find a K prefix. Any guidance from the experts would be great.
Good to know it's a steel string, although it felt great with the nylon.
Thanks for the hospitality.
Bob |
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Posts: 15654
Location: SoCal | Bob, I've seen the "K" designation a few times. It's not listed (as you know) in the reference section. Can you post pics of the guitar? What does the label look like (ie, rectangular, or an oval foil)?
And Mark is correct. Definitely a steel string.... |
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Joined:
June 2011
Posts: 41
Location: Massachusetts | Hi Moody - I can't get back to the store until Saturday but the label is rectangular with the Ovation logo and the numbers typed in black. Does that help hopefully? Again, serial #K806.
The shop owner is adamant that it's designed for nylon strings. He says that the tuner shafts are plastic and would never be installed on a steel string guitar as they'd get chewed up by the steel. Were the shafts plastic?
Thanks,
Bob |
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December 2006
Posts: 6992
Location: Jet City | I think the early ones were plastic. As Mark said above, it's the bridge that tells you.
If it looks like this, IT'S NYLON:
If it looks like this, IT'S STEEL:
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Posts: 12750
Location: Boise, Idaho | The tuner shafts on my Folklore 1614 are plastic and it's a 1977. I believe they changed them the next year. Until then, they used the same tuners for the 1114 and 1614s for steel strings as they did for the 1124, 1624 and, I believe, 1113 and 1613, which were nylon strings. The tuners with the larger shafts are a bit harder to string with steel strings, but probably no harder than trying to string nylon strings on a steel string bridge.
I have my 1614 because of the same error by a luthier or dealer in Seattle. He insisted that it was a nylon string guitar and the owner couldn't get the strings to stay. The nut (unless someone has enlarged the slots) may not allow the nylon strings to sit down into the slots properly.
I tried to buy a local 1114 for another OFC member, but the owner, who claimed to be an expert and former Ovation dealer, got all pissy with me when I told him it was for steel strings. After refusing to deal with me, he later corrected his ad and sold it for less than what he would have received from the OFC member.
If you would like a great fingerstyle guitar, just buy it and restring it. |
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Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | This is my Beater 1114 Folklore from 1976, it has plastic on the shafts...
(those are Silk-n-Steel strings... Not nylon)
This is my 1114-TJ from 1981 and it has metal shafts...
I seem to remember that you can take the plastic off of the shafts...
I believe that you have to keep the end as a bushing, or make one.
I seem to remember threads about this on Academy and Folklore guitars.
So I don't know if the 1114-TJ was made that way, or if TJ did some shade-tree luthierin' :p |
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Joined:
June 2011
Posts: 41
Location: Massachusetts | Hi again,
The shop owner let me take the guitar for a few days and gave me a set of steel strings (11's)to put on to see how I like it.
Here is a pic of the label:
And a few others:
But here's the rub. Putting the steel strings on changed what I thought was a finish crack into what I think is more structural. Is this a common issue with Ovations?:
I also notice the fretboard takes a bit of a downward slant after the 12 fret.
Any thoughts?
Bob |
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Posts: 1634
Location: Warren,Pa. | If I have the story straight...
If you remove the truss rod cover and strings, it may come to your attention that there is very little wood at that area where the neck and headstock take a turn. I believe in later years the angle was straightened out some to come up with a stronger area there. Other than that it's quite a find. Would be worth a call to John or Kim to see what they would do about it. |
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June 2011
Posts: 41
Location: Massachusetts | What makes this guitar "quite a find"?
I'll say this - it's a fantastic finger style player - can't put it down.
I'm trying to make up my mind whether to buy it or not. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Does the label pic help anyone here date this guitar?
Thanks,
Bob |
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March 2005
Posts: 12750
Location: Boise, Idaho | Bob, see if you can find an Ovation history on the Ovation guitars site. They used to have one before they modernized the site. Check to see when the 1114 was changed from Josh White to Folklore. 1971 sticks in my head. Yours would probably fall in that date range.
The finish cracks are common on the old slot heads, but if it opens up when you tighten the strings, it could be a serious problem that would decrease the value. Whether you buy it depends on you. A model with the Josh White stencil is probably worth a bit more, I'd guess $50-100 more, than the next guitar produced without the Josh White name, but a 1971 is not going to be worth more than one from later in the 70s. Check on sales of old Folklores on this site and ebay and see how they compare. I'd guess $400 on the low end if there aren't any finish cracks on the body and the neck crack is just in the finish. |
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Hi Folks - Nice to be here
