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Joined:
February 2018
Posts: 7
| Greetings all,
I am new to the forum and am seeking information about the Ovation Storm Series. From what I've gleaned thus far they were produced from the late 60's and into the early 1970's. In particular, would appreciate facts / opinions on the Tornado compared to the Thunderhead. Have a small collection of vintage semi-hollow's (Goya Rangemaster, Greco Conqueror, and the like), and just recently have discovered the Ovation Storm series online. GREAT looking guitars but I've never had one in my hands to play. Really like the looks of the Thunderhead blonde. Overall, how would anyone characterize the quality and playing experience of these guitars.
THANKS,
Rick |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7222
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Welcome. The main difference between the Tornado and Thunderhead is the hardware and bling. The Thunderhead is the upscale model with gold hardware, supposedly better pickups, binding on the neck etc.. There was also the Hurricane 12-String and the Typhoon basses. The Thunderhead and Tornado also came in "with" and "without" tremolo configurations. The Eclipse was an entry-level version painted with the same finish they used on the Ovation bowls.
You can click the Storm Series from this pulldown to read more. One note on the "blonde" Tornado and Thunderhead. These were special. Not sure how many were made. As all of the storm series the bodies were made in Germany and finished in Hartford, CT. Having owned a few of the blonde models I can tell you that they are just a notch above the rest. The tops, the fit'n finish, even weight and feel of these guitars is different from the others. It may be just the lack of the other finishes, maybe extra sanding so the tops and backs are thinner, I really don't know. But even one I had that was well used, was still in excellent shape and had a very high-end feel. |
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Joined:
February 2018
Posts: 7
| Thanks for the info! Can you tell me a little bit about the "phase switch" on the Thunderhead. Is it just on the Thunderhead or also on the Tornado? Lastly, it seems like many of these that I've seen listed on the internet have "checking". Is this typical ? I presume it's just cosmetic and has no functional impact.
Cheers,
Rick |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7222
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Here is what the Toggle is all about and it's only the Thunderhead. The Tornado has the more standard vol-vol tone-tone wiring.
As for checking, if it indeed is just finish checking, doesn't generally have an effect. They used a very hard finish that over time from changes in temp and humidity would/could crack or check.
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Joined:
February 2018
Posts: 7
| THANKS! |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 10582
Location: NJ | I added you to the forum so you can post freely
welcome |
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Please compare Thunderhead and Tornado
