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Location: WPB, FL | This is a great forum! The info and expertise are certainly above average. I am a neophyte guitarist who has a 12 string ovation that I wish to grow into. I also have a cheapy six string Johnson that I am learning on. Bouncing between the two seems to undo the gains on the previous instrument. I love the voice of my Ovation, so I think a six string to continue learning on is in order.
I am thinking along the lines of the early Balladeer. I like folk western style playing ala Kingston Trio, Chad Mitchell Trio, Burl Ives, (yes I am a little long in the tooth for a beginner, but... )
Anyway, I will appreciate suggestions, and price ranges. Thanks in advance.
Harold |
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Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | i have a 1976 balladeer i bought on e bay and it is, perhaps the best no worries working guitar i have ever owned. it only has a vol control so you need to control tone at the mix. mine has the artist bowl made from the cloth laminate cwk2 describes in another post. for a less deep bowl than the standard ovation it holds it's own against anything that shows up at the unplugged beach parties, though you don't see expensive guitars around the campfire and plugged in it cuts right through the mix when i play lead. a dozen other people have played it, and i have never heard anything but praise. if you want something a bit more uptown, i think the early collectors series are underpriced on e bay. i have 2 so far that are examples of craftsmanship and attention to detail and can often be had for what a new celebrity goes for new.
if you have a bigger stack of jack i understand the adamas is worth putting a diamond ring on.
and if you have a wallet full of platinum credit cards, your old buddy, me, musicamex, will be happy to send you my address and birthdate.
i switch between a yamaha 12 string, my choice of ovation 6 string acoustic electrics, and my ukII electric all night in one club i play in. when i switch from my 12 to one of the ovations, especially to the ukII i feel like it doesn't even have strings on it. i have an ovation 12 coming on the 14th so i'm sure the difference won't be nearly so noticable in the future. i'll let my yamaha retire except for the unplugged venues. it deserves a rest after following me around for 36 years. it is the only woodie that i have never had a problem with, but has a neck like half a log and was built with an emphasis on sturdiness. no weighing of the braces here. there is allot of good info on this site and it is worth the time at least skimming all of the posts for info you are interested in. russ |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | An early Balladeer would suit you fine. Even a Legend. I would lean towards a USA guitar but that's me. Some of the Celebrities are very good. Good Luck. |
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Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | were balladeers always made in the USA? where did the collectors series fit in the US ovation line with regard to quality and materials, adamas aside? |
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Location: Scotland | Just a small point but I prefered the Balladeers before they changed from a five-piece to a two piece neck. The five piece-necks are probably more stable & definately prettier. I think it looks like theres something missing when you don't see the laminates at the top of the headstock or the back of the neck. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Paul, the 5 piece bd necks are probably all tension rods (as opposed to K-Bar) and should have a sharper peghead angle and will probably sound better, they'll be older and probably cost more.
The Bd was the bottom line USA but there have probably been some made over seas I thik Samick made some but can't remember when. They wouldn't have been a std bd, they'd have a prefix, like kimchi balladeer or sushi balladeer. something like that
The collectors series was always in the upper end of the line. No set place but usually around Legend to Custom Lg. |
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Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | the collector's series seem to be a real sleeper in the ovation line and the early ones often go in the mid $300 range on e bay. i think they are a phenominal bargain when compared to what the same amt will get you in a new guitar. and you have something really unique that was made by what i suspect would be made by some of ovations most skilled hands. the few that i have seen are really carefully made. i have never played a legend or custom legend, but i imagine they have the attention to detail found in the collectors series.
i am going to start watching on e bay for a sushi balladeer bill. did they come in wasabi burst? |
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Location: WPB, FL | Thanks for the info. The choice is getting tougher now. I will keep on looking and lurking. Are all of the Balladeers electric acoustic? Is a Glenn Campbell Artist the same thing, with his signature added? Should I look for a a pre-1990? Too many inane questions?
Harold |
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Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | harold, if i had known about this site before i bought a 12 string pinacle i might have reconsidered. i think this site is about friends with a common interest helping eachother. i feel like i have taken a course in ovation guitars since i have joined this great group. so ask away.
one thing i learned is that the bridges stay glued to a natural top better than to a painted top. my balladeer was made in 1976 and has the silver metallic label inside. i picked it up very reasonably on e bay knowing i had to reglue the bridge and do a setup. maybe you can find a nice natural one there too. i am only now starting to understand how all of the models are top to bottom in quality so i'd let some one else answer that question. i'd say that unless a guitar was abused if it was made in the usa you will be getting some of the best that ovation made. if it was good enough for glen campbell to endorse i'd bet you would like it. this summer when i am in the states, i'm going to hunt down as many ovations as i can and play them so i have a better knowledge of the myriad of models out there. good luck |
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Location: SoCal | Russ, when you come up to the states, come out to California and we'll sit on my porch and you can play my 5 Ovations (not as large or rare as Sam's collection, but great guitars)!
If I was looking for an inexpensive starter Ovation, I'd watch ebay and get an older Legend or Custom Baladeer or plain Baladeer. They usually have the deep bowl for a better unplugged sound. If I was going to buy a Legend, I'd get one from about 1983 forward. That way, you'd get the Kaman bar neck, and the A bracing, which to my tin ear, makes all the difference in the world, unplugged. I've got a 78 Legend which has high sentimental value, is beautiful to look at, and sounds like ka -ka. The guitars listed above can be had for $300-$500 on ebay.
IM(never)HO. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Russ,
the sushi balladeer does not come in wasabi burst. Marketing felt that there wasn't enough demand for green guitars. They got that one right. They do leave your fingers smelling a bit
Harold, the balladeers come in both acoustic and acoustic/electric |
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Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | paul, where do you live in california? i will be in the LA area in may and am regularly there of late. i'd enjoy stopping by and meeting you your two families, human and guitar.
bill, wouldn't a wasabi burst be just about as ugly as they come! and just think if you rubbed your eye after playing it------might come in handy for adding realism to those tear jerkers. (rub eye)"my dog died the other day" (rub eye again)"and left me all alone"(double rub)"the finance company came by today and repossesed my home"(rub nose)"but that's just a drop in the bucket compared to losin' you"(rub and sniff) remember the next line?---------aah the memories of a misspent youth.
as far as a fishey smelling ovation goes some one gave me an applause so i might actually have a boat guitar with a familiar shape. the porpoises and whales are already very interested in my boat, i suspect because they get a good "ping" off of the aluminum. it might get interesting if i put the bowl of the guitar against the aluminum hull and played em octopuses garden or some other appropriate tune. no whaling chanties of course---------- |
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Location: SoCal | Russ:
I live south of L.A. in Orange County. The only time I won't be around is from the 15th thru 19th when I'll be in Kansas City playing backup guitar for a buddy. He too is an Ovation fan, but left handed. In the last year, he's picked up his first three factory lefty's, a custon legend 12, and Elite, and an old Country Artist.
He and I have often thought that we should create a company called the Ovation Connection, and specialize in the repair and trading of old Ovations. Ah, a man's nothing without his dreams.
Paul |
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Location: NJ | russ;
try "To the Last Whale" - Crosby & Nash |
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Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | Paul, we will be in la the first week of may, coming from phoenix where my brother lives, so it might be in the cards to swing by.
we get a lefty on open mic night once in awhile. we have a pretty compact stage so unless we stick them on the right side of the stage we have a dualing necks situation. ever see a lefty play a regular guitar upside down? i saw elizabeth cotten in detroit in the early 60's playing frieght train that way at a workshop she was giving. bet she had a strong pinkey.
cliff, as much as i liked the collective and individual songs by CSNY&T i cant pull this one out of my cluttered memory. i printed the lyrics and chords and will see if any of the local musicians can sing it for me. i have been within 20 yards of a humpback feeding on sardines. there are whales here from november till mid march and i have seen them and have had some very interesting encounters with them. they are very gentle (the humpbacks). we also have orcas, or killer whales here that deserve a wide berth, as they have been known to ram a boat if they feel threatened or are in a bad mood for whatever reason. they aren't really a whale anyway. i think they are the biggest member of the porpoise family.
[ April 03, 2002: Message edited by: musicamex ] |
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Location: SoCal | Russ:
In a couple of weeks, send me an email and I'll shoot you over a phone number.
In the meantime, here's the link to my buddy's website. Tell me he's not nuts over Ovations. By the way, the tall guy with glasses and a beard in some of the pictures is me.
Whoops. try http://www.clarkbyron.net
[ April 03, 2002: Message edited by: moodypi ] |
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Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | paul, will do. the link you sent won't load for some reason. i'll try again later. thanks. |
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Location: NJ | russ:
David Crosby & Graham Nash's second album,
"Wind On the Water" (I'd say AROUND '75).
I'll see if I can get an mp3 to ya' |
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Location: Scotland | Hey Paul, great shirt. Do my eyes deceive me or is your buddy holding what appears to be a left-handed, blue, 12-string Viper?
Paul |
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Location: SoCal | That 12 string Viper is actually a guitar he had made. He had the body made and the neck was from a Deacon. He liked Glen Campbell's Bluebird 12 so much that he wanted one for himself. He had a lot of problems with the neck and finally sold it.
It's interesting because he always bought right handed Ovations and converted them to lefty's. This last year, he found all three of his main guitars and they were factory lefty's. I suspect that he's done buying guitars for a while. |
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Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | paul, i finally got the link to work and have to agree with paul t-------nice shirt. it's always nice to put a name with a face. it looks like your amigo likes those 12 strings just like me. a pretty nice collection.
cliff, any reccommendations on good sites for mp3 stuff? i am trying to remember some stuff we used to do 20-30 years ago and i guess i rinsed those brain cells away since then. i can find the lyrics but no music or mp3, though i am far from a computer whiz. do you remember commander coty and the lost planet airmen? the words in the earlier wasabi burst post in this thread is something they did in the 70's and i'd sure like to hear it again before i see if the band is interested in doing it. this site is sure stirring up some dust on memory lane for me------thanks russ |
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