Welcome to Glen Campbell Forums
Glen's time in Lindrith New Mexico (1951-1952)

Glen Campbell's Ovation EA-68 Viper

A look at the history behind many of the guitars Glen has used throughout his career.
Post Reply
User avatar
jay
Posts: 567
Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2014 6:31 am
Contact:

Re: Glen Campbell's Ovation EA-68 Viper

Post by jay »

Glen with a natural Viper.jpg
Glen with a natural Viper.jpg (29.9 KiB) Viewed 13224 times


User avatar
jay
Posts: 567
Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2014 6:31 am
Contact:

Glen Campbell and Jeff Dayton playing Ovation Vipers

Post by jay »

Glen and Jeff Dayton playing Ovation Vipers. You rarely see Glen with the white viper!!


Glen Campbell with a White EA-68 Ovation Viper
Glen Campbell with a White EA-68 Ovation Viper
Glen's White Viper.jpg (24.8 KiB) Viewed 16142 times


User avatar
jay
Posts: 567
Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2014 6:31 am
Contact:

Glen Campbell's Blue Ovation EA-68 Viper

Post by jay »

Glen began playing an Ovation Viper sometime around 2000. It is felt that Ovation sent Glen the blue viper first

Glen with Cal.jpg
Glen with Cal.jpg (42.38 KiB) Viewed 17580 times

Glen at Branson.jpg
Glen at Branson.jpg (400.8 KiB) Viewed 17580 times

Glen on the beach.jpg
Glen on the beach.jpg (113.86 KiB) Viewed 17580 times

Glen Stair Guitar Blue Viper.jpg
Glen Stair Guitar Blue Viper.jpg (379.14 KiB) Viewed 17580 times


User avatar
jay
Posts: 567
Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2014 6:31 am
Contact:

Glen's Viper at the Country Music Hall of Fame

Post by jay »

Glen's Ovation EA68 Black Viper at the Country Music Hall of Fame from The Art of Glen Campbell facebook page
Glen's Ovation EA68 Black Viper at the Country Music Hall of Fame from The Art of Glen Campbell facebook page
HOF Viper.jpg (77.3 KiB) Viewed 21080 times


User avatar
Cowpoke
Posts: 1480
Joined: Sat Oct 11, 2014 1:52 am

Re: Ovation EA-68 Viper

Post by Cowpoke »

Cool story Jay. I am glad you posted this. These are the kind of things that need to be written down and remembered. Glen's favorite guitars are an important part of Glen's career.


I'm a carefree, range ridin', driftin' cowpoke...
User avatar
jay
Posts: 567
Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2014 6:31 am
Contact:

Glen Campbell's Ovation EA-68 Viper

Post by jay »

The Ovation Viper EA68 was a solid body acoustic-electric guitar. Ovation produced the EA63 between 1995 and 2001. It was a design collaboration with the solid body experts at Hamer( a company owned by Kaman Music Company), because Ovation hadn't been very successful in the solid body electric market. This guitar was similar to the Gibson Chet Atkins line of solid body acoustic electrics. The Viper strong points were stage driven. It was extremely resistant to feedback and produced a very acoustic like response, similar to the Ovation acoustics. As with its Gibson counterpart, it had no musical value unplugged as an acoustic. It sounded like any electric guitar unplugged.

Sometime in the 90's, Glen transitioned from performing live with an acoustic, to using the Viper. For Glen, it seemed like a very nice fit. It had a fast neck and low action, and a thin body, like an electric guitar...but it produced the Ovation acoustic response. Glen used the viper, on stage, religiously until his very last concert, for an acoustic guitar.

He became so accustomed to the viper, that at one point during the Goodbye Tour, the neck was broken and during the time Ovation repaired it, he used his black Ovation Custom Legend. At one time, there was a video of the stagehand bringing him the Legend and Glen telling him that wasn't the right guitar. Ashley had to explain to him that his Viper was being repaired.
Ovation Viper.jpg
Ovation Viper.jpg (56.87 KiB) Viewed 21727 times
As this picture was taken shortly after the end of the tour, it is of no surprise that the black Ovation Viper is featured on the Malibu staircase photo.
viper.jpg
viper.jpg (198.59 KiB) Viewed 21723 times
But look! The natural Ovation Viper is also on the staircase!
blonde viper.jpg
blonde viper.jpg (177.89 KiB) Viewed 21711 times
He used this guitar, prior to the black one, in the 90's. Here is a clip with the Symphony in North Dakota


Post Reply