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July 2005
Posts: 8
Location: Saint Joseph Missouri | Hi All,
Ran across an e-Bay item that looked unusual to me, an aluminum-necked, Applause model number AA14-4. The seller was looking for information as to when it was made. Condition appears to be far less than satisfactory but interestingly, it doesn't even have Ovation name on the guitar only Applause,A Kaman Product. The headstock looks different from any I've seen as well. Any Ovation experts care to offer some info here and/or share also with the seller? The item listing is:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7343871682&rd=1&...
(item number 7343871682)
I'm new to Ovations so I'm interested in learning myself.
Thanks,
John S. |
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February 2005
Posts: 253
Location: New Orleans | I had one of those over 25 years ago in a red burst. I don't see any pics on the ebay listing. I'm just sitting here wondering what it looks like! LoL. |
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Joined:
July 2005
Posts: 8
Location: Saint Joseph Missouri | I just checked at 6:30 AM CST at found 12 photos for the listing. This particular guitar is finished natural. I should correct myself and state that the fretboard only is aluminum, not the entire neck. I would guesstimate it actually predates the Ovation company, maybe from the mid-1960's. |
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Joined:
May 2005
Posts: 327
Location: Evansville,IN | The headstock is strange. Looks like someone either broke a corner off, and decided to "fix" it, or it was made that way. I'm not real familiar with these guitars, so really couldn't say. |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13986
Location: Upper Left USA | The words that come to mind are:
Moosup
Unrefined
Painful Action (my memory of the first one I played about 73-74)
This was an early attempt to mass produce the Ovation concept. Not a good page in my history book. A piece of the history though! |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12754
Location: Boise, Idaho | There were lots of these floating around in the 70s. Similar to my Matrix, but with a really cheesy headstock. They always looked to "plastic" to me, which didn't contribute to the Ovation name very well. |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | I may be wrong, but I believe they're foam necks with aluminium fingerboards . . . |
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Joined:
June 2004
Posts: 95
Location: Monroe, Ohio (Cincinnati) | Cliff is right. I have this guitar as, I believe does Old Applause Owner, except mine is an AE14-4 instead of an AA14-4. The difference is the AE having a passive pickup. It is a hard foam neck with an aluminum fretboard. Made in Mooseup, Conn. by Ovation, before they were made overseas. I believe there is a treatise of these in the reference section of this site.
Mine has great action. It is hard to believe it is not a solid top, because it has great sound for a plywood top. No preamp passive pickup is not loud, but it's plugged in sound with my acoustic amp is what led me to purchase my 1861.
Mine is in great shape with the only flaws being numerous finish cracks in the top. The major disadvantage of the aluminum fretboard is that once the frets are worn, they cannot be replaced or repaired. I have had mine for 25 years and have almost no fret wear. I guess because string bending is not one of my things.
I like the unique headstock and it is much better looking than the one it was changed to when production went overseas. It is a great guitar for camping and the like because it pretty much stays in tune even going through temp. and humidity changes. The neck is similar to the newer necks that a more flat, but the action is exceptional on mine.
This is not a good speciman and I would not think it worth the asking price, because of the wear. These turn up quite frequently on ebay in much better condition. I believe I paid $ 150 for mine new in 1980. In very good condition, I think I would pay up to $150. Do a search for Applause in Guitars. You will need to wade through all the new and subsequent models. If it has the unique headstock with the ball shape in the middle, I believe you will be looking an American made Applause. Make sure you can verify the fret wear as extensive fret wear will make it a fairly useless guitar.
Let me know if you have specific questions that I have not answered. |
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Joined:
June 2004
Posts: 95
Location: Monroe, Ohio (Cincinnati) | By the way, the fit and finish on my AE14-4 is every bit as good as my 1861 and that is very good. My guitar does not have the word Ovation on it anywhere, but says it is a Kaman Music Product. |
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June 2004
Posts: 95
Location: Monroe, Ohio (Cincinnati) | Like this for example.
http://cgi.ebay.com/APPLAUSE-KAMAN-MUSIC-AA14-4-ACOUSTIC-GUITAR_W0Q... |
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July 2005
Posts: 8
Location: Saint Joseph Missouri | Thank you Mark for sharing the additional information. So, a guesstimate for the manufacturing date would then be in the late 1960's or very early 1970's? The second e-Bay example shown of this guitar is obviously in much better condition. That means that someone really played the heck out of the beat-up example being. Well-worn guitars(as opposed to merely abused) usually belong(ed) to serious musicians.
I'll take your word about it being a decent sounding guitar. As for fret replacements, a good machinist could probably machine down and cut thin grooves on the fretboard and either press fit or epoxy-in replacement frets. Not that anyone would ever want to on such an early piece of Ovation history.
As for myself, I'm still looking for that elusive 1777LX and continue to kick myself after letting one (an FRG model by a music retailer) get away for $510 on e-Bay a few weeks ago. I check all Ovation listings daily on e-Bay but haven't found the right one yet. I'm patient. Still have my trusty old Yamaha Acoustic and '75 Gibson SG to keep me Rockin'...
John S. |
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July 2003
Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | This guitar is an Applause AA14-4, EXACTLY like mine in my gallery. Manufacturing started in 1976, which is the age of mine (although purchased in January 1977).
Cliff is 100% correct about the neck and the fingerboard. The fingerboard has matte black paint between the frets; it usually flakes off at the wear points from use.
The action on mine is quite good. I keep Extra Light strings on mine now, it is in "semi-retirement" anyway. It sounds very good for a laminated top guitar. Mine has no finish or wood cracks at all. Workmanship is good old American quality.
If the first one is worth $135, mine should be worth over $200. But I know better....mine would draw $125 if I was LUCKY. There isn't that much demand for these. It's worth more to me.....it's been with me since 1977, was my ONLY guitar for 26 years.
Roger |
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Joined:
June 2004
Posts: 95
Location: Monroe, Ohio (Cincinnati) | Roger
Since mine is the AE with pickup, I would think it worth up to $150. It is funny how that happens. I have many guitars, but cannot part with my Applause. You know it would only bring $125-150, so you would rather keep it becaue you know you could not replace it with something comparable for twice that price. I would rather give it to some deserving soul that cannot afford a good guitar.
I rarely play mine anymore, but I have small children, so I am keeping it for them. I think it would be great for kids, good light action, can take a lot of punishment, and you can plug it in. |
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March 2005
Posts: 12754
Location: Boise, Idaho | Roger,
I have about the same story with my Matrix. Also a 76 that I think I bought in 77. I decided to go with the Matrix because of the Ovation headstock. I can't part with it because my soon to be wife and I bought it so I could play it at our wedding a mere 28 years ago last Saturday. It is still in great shape and sounds great. Our second daughter is now trying to learn to play on it.
A few years ago my neighbor tried to sell me his 77 Legend and I found out my Matrix was actually a 76. I tried to use that as a reason for my wife to buy the Legend for our 25th, but she didn't buy it (the reason or the guitar).
It was a very expensive guitar at $249 for us, but I can't see it being worth anywhere close to that now except for the sentimental value. |
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Joined:
July 2003
Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | I would rather have had a Matrix, if only because it would have said "Ovation" on the headstock. I saw this guitar in a music shop in an outdoor mall here in the Detroit area. I had been jonesing for an Ovation for several years, had graduated from college a few months before, had a LITTLE money from my first job, and was lonely for something to do......
Saw this roundback guitar on the wall in the shop....hmmmm....LOOKS like an Ovation.....I strum it, it SOUNDS like an Ovation.....Applause???? Who makes this????? Kaman Music, who is that???? (I hadn't a clue that KMC made Ovations) Well, the price ($150, with case) is right!!! SOLD!!!!
It gave me something to do that long first winter here in Detroit....
Roger |
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Old Aluminum Neck Applause?
