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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | I've found that over the last number of months the two wood top Ovations that I'm playing the most are two that I had rebuilt (due to damage in one case, and a totally crappy sound in the other). They are my 87 Collectors and my Legend, respectively.
What's interesting to me is that they have very different sounds despite both being A braced tops, having very light, deep bowls (microsphere and hand laid fiberglass), and really good wood on the tops.
The 87C is much more of a mid range guitar with a ton of volume. It only likes light gauge strings.
The Legend needs medium gauge strings to drive it, and has much more bass response. It sounds more like a wood box guitar. The 87C is more of a traditional Ovation sound.
I had medium gauge strings on the 87C and it sounded horrible (I've tried it before with different mediums with the same result). Last night I put Elixir phospher bronze lights on it and now it sings. Full balanced sound with tons of volume unplugged.
For those of you with similar guitars (A braced, one center round hole and one multi hole), what's your impression and which do you prefer? |
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Joined:
January 2009
Posts: 4535
Location: Flahdaw | I like my '99 collectors (multi hole) with medium strings. Alot of times, I tune it down 2 steps, put the capo at the 2nd fret, and it sounds and plays beautiful. Gets a little loose with alternate tunings, though.
I always prefer the sound of the multi hole to the center hole ovations. |
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Joined:
August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | Your 87 is A-braced? Why? I thought that the A-bracing was designed specifically for bracing around the center hole. The multi-hole design enables a whole different bracing strategy (i.e. Quintad). Those two guitars should sound different with the same bracing. |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | It's Quintad bracing, but take a look at it compared to an A braced guitar. Very very close.... |
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Difference in wood tops....
