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Joined:
June 2010
Posts: 5
Location: Kenya | Hi everyone!
I'm a total guitar newbie and am trying decide which ovation to buy for my husband as a birthday present. I hope you guys can help me out a because right now I'm a little lost... |
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Joined:
June 2010
Posts: 5
Location: Kenya | Right, let me clarify my first post a little more. As I said, I'm looking to buy an Ovation guitar for my hubby's birthday (he's been talking about them a lot). Now the catch is that I don't know a lot about guitars, I don't play myself so that makes it a little difficult for me to decide what to buy...
My budget is about EUR 700 (USD 900) and I've been looking at two Standard Elite guitars, the 6778AX and the 2778AX. They seem a better choice than the cheaper Celebrity models and both sell for about EUR 700 (new). Which would be the better choice? Or should I be looking for another model?
Thanks! |
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 5327
Location: Cicero, NY | Welcome, Shiro. You've come to the right place to get all kinds of information on different Ovations but "which one is the better choice" might be a tough one to answer. We talk all the time around here about how subjective choices can be. But let's try to get you going on the right path anyway...
First, you're right in the Elite's being a much higher quality guitar that the Celebrity's. No knock against the Celebrity's but if you're looking to spend EUR 700 or so, you've probably moved beyond the typical "entry level" guitar which is pretty much what the Celebrity (and Applause) lines were created for.
I'll let others chime in with their personal preferences on the AX's as I don't own one but I can say they're well thought of and would be a great choice for your husband. And, trust us, buying him a guitar for his birthday is one of those things that NEVER gets old. And, on theat note, when you present it to him on his birthday, feel free to tell him that the OFC crowd thinks he's got great taste in women.
Good luck! |
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Joined:
June 2010
Posts: 5
Location: Kenya | Thanks WeaserP! :) Good to hear that I'm on the right track with the Elite, as you're right, I'm looking for a bit more than an entry level guitar as my hubby has been playing for years and is an advanced player (i.e. I think he's an awesome guitar player ;) )
Can I also post my question on the general board so that the other members can maybe help me out a little, or should I just leave it with this thread? |
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 5327
Location: Cicero, NY | All the members can see your question here and can chime in anytime. I would also think a moderator would be along shortly to allow you through to the main board as well and once you're there, do a search on the two models and see what others have said about them. Hopefully by then you'll have others chiming in with some thoughts. |
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October 2005
Posts: 5327
Location: Cicero, NY | Uh, AHEM! There's a nice lady here who would appreciate some attention from anyone besides me (now THERE'S a common thread in my life but I digress...).
Can a mod let 'er in or ANYone who knows the LX's (or AX's) give her a minute...? SHEESH! |
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May 2006
Posts: 4221
Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | I'll second everything Weaser said, including the "not having any experience with AX's" part. Good luck in your hunt. I'm sure your husband will be pleased. And since someone else will say it anyway, I'll ask if you would be interested in a used Ovation. They can be had for VERY good prices right now, and you could wind up with a much higher end instrument for the same bucks, though it would not have a warranty. Then there's the "getting it to Kenya" logistics to work out. :) |
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June 2010
Posts: 5
Location: Kenya | I wouldn't mind second hand, but as you said, the problem is the getting it to Kenya part. I'll be back in Europe (NL) in a few weeks and want to buy the guitar there (and take it back on the plane to Kenya myself) as there is no way I'll get anything good for a reasonable price in Kenya. So far my search has been limited to some of the big guitarstores in NL and they don't have nice ovation occassions for sale. Maybe I should give Ebay a try...
So what would be a higher end type to look for within my budget? |
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Joined:
September 2005
Posts: 3618
Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | Hi Shiro,
Another thing you may consider is just letting him in on the idea of the guitar purchase. A guitar is one of those items of personal choice, sorta like when you want to purchase your clothing. If you bring him in on the purchase decision, you can be assured that he will be very happy about it in the end. There are a lot of us here that will be happy to throw in plenty of advice and we may actually be able to assist in helping find the right guitar for him. Just a suggestion. |
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Joined:
September 2005
Posts: 3618
Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | Here's a nice looking Elite 1537 in South Africa that's just a little over the amount you mentioned. These are one of the great models:
Ovation Elite 1537 |
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May 2006
Posts: 4221
Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | Shiro,
They don't come much better than the 1537. |
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March 2002
Posts: 15654
Location: SoCal | Get better pictures of that 1537 to determine the condition. That particular pic is a stock picture from Ovation and not the actual guitar.... |
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September 2005
Posts: 3618
Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | Here's another one in the UK...
1537 Elite in the UK |
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 5327
Location: Cicero, NY | Alright, now we're helping her out.
Shiro, I can (as many here can) attest to the 1537. Love 'em. Fantastic guitars in every sense but Vince does bring up a good point. Guitars are different from each other in more ways than price alone. Some are meant for fingerstyle type playing, others for strumming away. Differences can be what wood they're made of, the contour and width of the neck, does he want electronics or not, cutaway or full body, etc...hate to kill a surprise but unless he's told you what model he would definitely choose, you might want to consider talking to him. Or, as my better half has (I think) brilliantly done in the past, give him a handmade "gift certificate" and then let him enjoy picking it out too.
Just another thought... |
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Joined:
June 2010
Posts: 5
Location: Kenya | Hi all, thanks for all your help. This is really great.
The 1537 looks really nice. The guitar is a bit over my budget though. But I've asked the UK-seller for some extra info and pics anyway The guitar is SA is not really an option because shipping anything to Kenya is just a huge nightmare, plus customs will kill me with rubbish tax claims.
So do all the cheers for the 1537 mean that you guys think the 6778 AX or 2778 AX are rubbish? :)
I kinda know what he likes, he wants a cutaway guitar and he'll mostly use it for fingerstyle type playing ow and he'll definately wants the electrics I think it's one of the reasons he wants an Ovation, to be able to play it amplified. Ow and he loves the epauletes (?) with the extra holes. :)
I'm considering letting my husband in on the gift I want to get him (that way I'd be sure to get womething he really likes) but on the other hand I'm a bit reluctant to let go of the idea to completely surprise him (he'll definately not see this one coming). |
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 5327
Location: Cicero, NY | "So do all the cheers for the 1537 mean that you guys think the 6778 AX or 2778 AX are rubbish? [Smile]"
No, not at all. The 1537 is one of the most notable guitars that Ovation has ever produced but they've produced a lot of very good guitars including the AX's.
Still waiting for someone who owns an AX to chime in or, if you've been blessed enough to enter the asylum, do a search and see what has already been said. |
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Hi everyone
