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July 2004
Posts: 812
Location: Hicksville, NY | As you know, I put my one and only Ovation up for sale, and for a while there, I thought that I will be Ovation-less. I never wanted to part with my balladeer, but my heart broke when I saw the 1" hairline crack that it acquired. When looking at the guitar with the neck pointed at 12 o'clock, the crack is located at 3 o'clock, next to the bridge. It seems like it should not be a big deal, because it's barely visible unless you really look at it. To me, however, it's still a crack, and I took it personally.
For years, I owned guitars made in the Far East, and I put them into more abusive temperatures, humidities and environments, and had very little to no issues with them. I could live with dings and scratches as it did with the guitars that I used to own, but not cracks ...
Today, I stopped by a local music store and saw a Custom Legend [1869] hanging against the wall. It is an old stock, but brand new. Just like my balladeer, it has a cherry burst color, but with a brown bowl. It's beautifully decorated with a carved bridge and diamond-shaped inlays on the frets. The trim is really nice (I don't know what it is though). The shop manager claimed that it's been on display for a very long time and no one noticed it until I walked in their shop. I asked the shop manager if he would consider a trade with my balladeer. He looked at it; inspected the crack; and said that it was possible.
The price: I traded in my balladeer + $300 cash and the custom legend is mine!! Since it's a shallow bowl Ovation, I get to keep my old hard case. Right now, I'm very happy with my new acquisition. As a self-professed bottom feeder, did I do well, or did I just got ripped off?? |
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Joined:
April 2003
Posts: 2503
Location: Fayetteville, NC | Gil,
Sounds like you got apretty good deal there!
Enjoy the Custom Legend. |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 1817
Location: Minden, Nebraska | I think you got a fine deal, cosidering you traded at a music store. The market is soft right now for Balladeers, but that Custom Legend is worth $500 - $600 new, or a bit more. I play an #1869 from that same era and love it. |
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June 2005
Posts: 1320
Location: Round Rock, TX | Let's see, for $300.00 you got a guitar that you like and got them to dispose of one that you didn't.
Yeah, that's a good deal. |
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Joined:
July 2004
Posts: 812
Location: Hicksville, NY | Thanks guys for the positive comments.
I searched everywhere, and came very close to heading towards the dark side. Prior to the discovery of the custom legend, I almost end up trading in my balladeer for a Martin 000CX1E at GC. It's a discontinued model, according to the sales rep, there and they just wanted to "sell it fast" for $499 including the hard case. If I did that, then that would make me Ovation-less...
I guess I happened to be at the right place and at the right time when I spotted the custom legend. I think this is the beginning of a very great partnership with this shallow bowl beauty. Thanks again! :) |
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June 2006
Posts: 659
Location: Hiram, Georgia | good move!!! congrats...phil |
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April 2006
Posts: 1138
Location: CT | Sounds like a sweet deal to me. Enjoy it. Oh, and also - Martins art not the dark side. I think you'll find most(if not all) the members here like square guitars, and some have some very expensive ones. They are not bad, just different. The thing that gets O owners up in arms isn't that square guitars are bad, but many people who have square guitars see Ovations as toys, and not "real" guitars. |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12750
Location: Boise, Idaho | Yesterday I was in a little town and stopped by a music store. They had decent gear and had a nice shallow bowl Legend hanging there. New old stock, so it was "reduced" to $850. It had been hanging there for a few years, because it had an older preamp, I think it was an Optima. I tried to tune it, but the battery was dead. You did pretty well, by comparison. I still like my Custom Balladeer, though, even with the cracks in it. |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | ". . I tried to tune it, but the battery was dead . ."
Sh!t! I just sprayed water all over my keyboard & monitor laughing at that line . . . |
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November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | In the bidness, that's what we call a "Tell" |
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December 2003
Posts: 13984
Location: Upper Left USA | This might help MiB.
When you don't have a good reference for tuning remember that in the USA the 110v current runs at 60Hz or cycles. This is the equivilent to a Bb.
The flourescent lights and poorly ground intercom speakers will buzz at this frequency. A nearby PC (IBM or MAC) is the best source I've found so far!
In a room with a lot of outlets you can usually pick up the resonance.
U-u-u-u-u-h-h-h-h-m-m-m-m-m-m... |
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March 2005
Posts: 12750
Location: Boise, Idaho | In college choir we had a flourescent light problem and the director thought it was throwing us off. He asked one of the girls what note it was and she knew it. She found out that day she had perfect pitch.
Glad Cliff had a laugh. I tuned the guitar anyway to whatever I thought it ought to be. I hate tuning music store guitars, even if they have a built in tuner. It just seems to me that people selling guitars should keep them tuned, but I end up doing it anyway. It was probably much more funny the way Cliff read it, but Cliff's interpretations of most anything could be humorous. Rented a PT Cruiser to drive around in. Not a bad little crap hauler. |
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January 2006
Posts: 1111
Location: NW Washington State | Originally posted by MWoody:
This might help MiB.
When you don't have a good reference for tuning remember that in the USA the 110v current runs at 60Hz or cycles. This is the equivilent to a Bb.
Close, but no cigar. The nearest Bb is at 58.2 hz so you'll be a little off.
-Steve W. |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | I hope it was one with a "stick" (but being a "rental" I doubt it). The automatic ones are shite (especially with a load). Stick shift makes 'em a HELL of a lot more responsive. Throw a turbo into the mix and it just "sings".
I have ONE note that I carry around in my head (D) that I've trained myself to hum/sing on command. (Tho, since I got the uke a couple years ago, I've got a G in there as well)
. . . it helps t'keep all those "voices" in there in harmony . . . |
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December 2003
Posts: 13984
Location: Upper Left USA | "I gave in to the Drum Maker..."
Dune |
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November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | I tune using the intro to 'Redemption Songs'. I get within a half-step |
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Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 1111
Location: NW Washington State | I got to thinking a keychain tuner would be nice- I hadn't seen one. Here's one:
http://store.musicbasics.com/t-s62g.html
and the Fender model that incorporates a flashlight and the all-important bottle opener:
http://www.guitarstop.com/Tuners/strobe-E.htm
-Steve W. |
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August 2006
Posts: 2804
Location: ranson,wva | ive got one of the fender speedE tuners. works ok. you tune the lowE with it then tune the rest off the lowE using the 5-5-5-5-4-5 rouitne...jason |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12750
Location: Boise, Idaho | I confused myself now. I started talking about tuning guitars with dead batteries and switched to cars. I haven't tuned one of those with or without a dead battery in years.
The PT was an automatic. It seems like it's a long reach to the shifter on the floor. I kept grabbing the windshield wiper stalk and turning on the washers.
The local GC has a Parkwood guitar tuner in the acoustic room. I'll use it sometimes, but it's tough if someone else in the room is playing. Most often, I just pick another guitar until I find one in tune. There may be a bunch of great sounding guitars that I would have bought if they were in tune. Probably not. |
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My New Ovation [bottomfeeder's opinion welcome!]
