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November 2006
Posts: 217
Location: Snåsa, Norway | My custom legend is from -75, second year of production. Though I know almost everything important about the guitar, like the specs, and how it feels and sounds (lovely) :) , I still am a little curious about the history and background of this specific model. Can any of you help me with some good stories of this? |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Once apon a time there was a D-45......... |
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May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | Here's a blurp. Written by TJR, son of Rickard, who owned that guitar. It's posts like this that made me warm up to the OFC. Interesting how this guitar influenced both ovation, and according to the post, in all probability, martin, who had forgotten a few things.
..............
Thanks to all for all your questions. sorry for the long delay in responding... I've been away to Michigan since Sun with work.
I forgot who asked but the Acoutics Guitar mag w/ the topic D45 on the cover was Jan. 1996. It also was accidentally pictured in the back page of the May 2000 issue of AG. They speak of a '42 D45 and a guitar w/ an appropriate SN, but the picture is wrong. Its the same D45 my father used to own. the eagle eyes of Richard (aka."Rick" or "Rich") Starkey (many of you know him from Ovation I'm sure) spotted it and called me to confirm. The pickguard is a sure giveaway, as well as a scratch that was added by my older sister throwing a hair-brush as a child. As you can tell this guitar was always "out" and ready to be picked up and played.
Gizz, you're right... it is "I don't won't want your Mandolin Mister". on "Tone Poems" Track 9 that Tony Rice played the guitar. your web Picture is wrong. :-(
cwk2. do you know the reason for the enlarged soundhole in T.Rice's (formerly C.Whites guitar. Was it something C.White did intentionally? I recall reading a T.Rice interview in some guitar rag a while back, but the details escape me now. just curious. ... Talbot
PS..so how does this fit in the OFC? Many people asked about it and .... I kid you not.. This guitar was the basis for my fathers efforts to work w/ all the engineers at Ovation to understand and build better guitars. It literally inspired his whole career in the music industry. Ironically.. When he had the guitar repaired at Martin... someone there asked if they could measure some things on it, 'cause they really didnt have a good idea how the "used to make them" . Intersting I thought. |
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December 2003
Posts: 13984
Location: Upper Left USA | Jump ahead a few decades. Didn't Linda McCartney's custom request initiate the option for MOP and Abalone inlay around the body?
And yes, it is those personal accounts of the O history that grab you!
Thanks! |
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Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 217
Location: Snåsa, Norway | Let me ask a simple question that will reveal how ignorant I am about Ovation history:
Was it only the Custom Legend that was influenced by the Martin D-45, or was it more generally the development of all the ovation models?
Must admit I'm not familiar with the first names of the persons who developet the ovations, so I'm just a little confused. Like the story though!
:cool: |
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Joined:
January 2005
Posts: 4903
Location: Phoenix AZ | Originally posted by HobbyPicker:
Was it only the Custom Legend that was influenced by the Martin D-45 You could say that all guitars are influenced in some way by the D-45.
As far as I know the history is that the early development of the Ovation general design was judged against play testing a D-45 and a D-28. Someone once posted that the D-28 was the actual benchmark. I would say that subsequent developments after that first basic design were variations on the same theme. I'm sure Ovation R&D folk bnch mark their ideas against all kinds of other guitars brands to this day. Summary, to say that the Custom Legend is Ovations copy of the D-45, I think personally would be a bit of a stretch.
My own intreptation of the Custom Legends roots i sthat the Legend was a very popular and fine sounding guitar. Ovation decided to go a little upscale with abalone trim, new bracing pattern, tuners, etc. I've heard the idea may have been hatched by Linda, but I didn't get a chance to ask her that before she died. Anyway, Custom Legend remains one of the better Ovation guitars you can get, in my opinion.
Dave |
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Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 217
Location: Snåsa, Norway | Went to look at the Ovation timeline again, as I believed that the Legend was introduced in -74. Noticed that I'd missed the fact that the Deluxe Balladeer was renamed Legend in -73. |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | There is a D-28 that was the bench mark. It's still at the factory. Jim Rickard's D-45 was the second reference point and used often. A very nice guitar, I wish I'd bought it when I had the chance. |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Y'need t'post that one in the "One That Got Away" thread, Bill . . . stick with the program. |
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Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | oh, sorry....... |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | you obviously didn't read the Manifesto.
tsk . . tsk . . . tsk . . . . . |
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History of the Custom Legend
