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Which Ovation is considered the best?

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Mike Joyce
Posts: 565
Joined: Thu Oct 16, 2014 9:23 am

Re: Which Ovation is considered the best?

Post by Mike Joyce »

I have to agree with your comments guys, I have GC 1627 acoustic and a new Ovation Acoustic/electric guitar. I play the acoustic at home and the electric at the folk clubs I go to. However I never stand up as I find the guitars difficult to hold in position and makes finger picking awkward. It is a shame as I feel it would look and sound better to the audience if I stood. Still I do enjoy playing them and I always sing a Glen Campbell song which always goes down well.


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jay
Posts: 567
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Re: Which Ovation is considered the best?

Post by jay »

KMFrye54 has an excellent point. The guitar has to be a fit! You have to feel comfortable holding it and/or standing with it. The bowl can be uncomfortable to some. And there are some excellent wooden boxes out there. I have a Tak that I hate not to play. It has every bit the acoustical prowess as my Josh White. I wouldnt sell either one.

And I second KMFrye54's thoughts on "vintage" Ovations. I would imagine that any of the new 2K-3K would match up with a 1619 acoustically...at best, they would equal it. Uhm...at a fraction of the price. The secondary market is ripe with great sounding Ovations for under 1K. Heck, if I had 2k to throw at a new one, I would find a 1681 in ex cond.

This is an excellent sounding guitar
So is this


KMFrye54
Posts: 44
Joined: Thu Nov 05, 2015 2:06 pm

Re: Which Ovation is considered the best?

Post by KMFrye54 »

When you put a bowl-back Ovation up for consideraton as your own instrument, you really need to think about how you plan to use it. For people like myself (short, short-ish arms and stubby fingers) they can be downright tough to get comfortable with, esp when you're sitting down!

A few years ago during a jam a friend of mine handed me his Balladeer sans strap to play a little "Gentle On My Mind" on. I was seated on a stool and it was beyond distracting to get the thing to stay in my lap as I tried to get it to play the little licks the others wanted to hear. A couple of years later, a different friend lent me his to lead a campground singalong on night. Different guitar, same issue- that round back was not something that I could fit into my body.

Now, I am someone who really hates to fight with a guitar. If it's not comfortable, I'll unload it pretty darn quick, in all honesty, and while I do like the Ovation sound (esp the older ones), I will probably never own a round back myself.

(By way of full disclosure, my current acoustic collection includes axes by Taylor & Takamine, vintage samples from Fender & Aria and has been known to have Larrivee, Framus and Rainsong in there, too, just not now.)

If you're taller, with longer arms and fingers, I am sure you can make it work, and in truth, I would kill for some of the other Ovation models out there (vintage only). But take it from me, a roundback may not be your cup of tea. Give one a good, long test before shelling out. You may thank yourself later on.


kvalois
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Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2016 10:30 pm

Re: Which Ovation is considered the best?

Post by kvalois »

Wow!!

Jay-- thank you VERY much for your authoritative information. I have been looking for someone who REALLY knows about the Ovations that Glen played. I'm 66 years old now and I still remember fondly Glen playing all of his new hit songs on the "Goodtime Hour"on Sunday night!!!!

I used to love-- and still do-- the beauty of Glen's Ovations, especially the rosetta!!!

Karl


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jay
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Re: Which Ovation is considered the best?

Post by jay »

Kvalois,

This is just my opinion, but Ovation's current Glen Campbell "signature" guitar has nothing to do with Glen, other than the signature. Do a little research and I think you will see what I am talking about.
From Ovations PR and ad release...
Ovation has meticulously hand-crafted a precise recreation of Campbell's iconic “1771” model guitar


Glen never played an Ovation 1771, iconic or otherwise.

70’s vintage-style electronics to recreate the identical guitar tone of Campbell’s original six-string
Glen's
original six-string
was acoustic only. If Ovation is referring to Glen's first steel string Ovation acoustic electric...that would be the Ovation Glen Campbell Artist Balladeer Model1627.
features a shallow, "Vintage Style Lyrachord" body used on early Ovations from the 60's and 70's
Well, maybe Ovation was using "Lyrachord" as the material, the bowls from the 60's and 70's were totally different, not only in appearance but how they were made.
In 1969, Glen Campbell became one of the first-ever Ovation Guitars endorsers and via his nationally syndicated television program, “The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour”
Glen was using Ovations in 68...which may have been on the "nationally syndicated" Smothers Brothers replacement show...So I will give them a slight pass on that.
A contemporary version of the electronics that launched the Adams acoustic/electric line in 1979
It is "Adamas", not "Adams"
The line was launched in 78

All of that to say, the new Ovation should have spent a little time to polish up on, not only Glen's history, but their own.

As far as...
"which models are considered the best-sounding and best-made?"
You cannot go wrong with any deep bowl, A braced Ovation...such as a Custom Legend (which Glen LOVED to the very end)...or you can go to the Ovation Fan Club and look through the archives. There is a ton of information about many Ovations, that are considered best sounding...you will do well to do a little investigating on this. As far as "well made" ... all of the American made guitars are going to be well made.


kvalois
Posts: 19
Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2016 10:30 pm

Which Ovation is considered the best?

Post by kvalois »

Hi, everyone:

I am interested in buying a Glen Campbell Signature Ovation. I know a little about the history. There have been "signature" models throughout the years. BUT, now in 2017, Ovation has come out again with American-made and Korean-made versions.

Can anyone tell me which models are considered the best-sounding and best-made?

Thanks,

Karl


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