ALL THE GUITARS I REVIEWED HERE @ everysingleguitars.com VIDEO TIMELINE: - Why I HATED Ovation Guitars @ 0:40 - Ovation’s signature “Bowl Back” Impression @ 2:40 - My First Impressions of this 1968 Ovation @ 3:45 - Tuners First Impression @ 4:25 - Neck Profile First Impression @ 5:25 - TONE TEST REVIEW @ 6:00 - TONE Analysis/First Impression @ 8:10
ive got one from 1973 super deep bowl and it sounds beautiful it was my grandpas he gave it to me a year ago and have been learning songs since first guitar ever and will probably be my favorite forever every song i play on it was super nice and when i heard the song on any other guitar it just sounded wrong for some reason. I have only seen two other ovations in person not very popular considering how great (I think they sound great at least) sound
The point of The Ovation bowlback design was to give to an acoustic guitar the sophistication of frequency response that bowlback instruments like lutes and Neapolitan mandolins had - yet without the cost of having to labouriously construct it from wooden staves. I've always loved that about the Ovation, and yet I do not like the sound that a graphite back (essentially plastic) gives to the sound, in lieu of wood. It's too soft, opaque, and mute. That said, this particular model has been so heavily varnished that most of that plastic quality in the sound is not there, which is one reason why I like it, as do you.
The Ovation headstock is designed for a better intonation. The angle of the strings at the nut is much less than the rest of acoustics. The bowl is Lyrachord, a composite material/ BTW, the Deluxe Balladeer is what we call now Legend.
One feature of that design is more efficient, cheaper use of wood. Nothing wrong with that if it gets you the instrument you want, at the same time. Ovation had features that have only become generally popular, decades after their appeared on Ovation guitars. Obvious examples are the soundhole/port design; the larger area for use on the soundboard; and the composite body. All composite guitars are rather popular these days, yet combining a composite body with with wooden parts is an excellent approach, but one does not see it much.
Those "skunk stripes" have been on classicals for a long time. They strengthen the neck. You don't know very much about guitars TBH to be assuming you can do useful reviews. Also I kinda hate how many times you said you hate Ovations when you don't know squat about them and based your distaste on the headstock. That's just so superficial. Maybe you should give that great guitar to someone who will appreciate it?
Can't say I agree with you on the headstock, definitely one of the most innovative and unique headstocks out there, unfair to compare it with Gibson or Fender headstocks IMHO. As for the bowl design they can tend to slide a bit depending on how you play. Definitely not a design flaw, I would hold on to that guitar because of how sought-after they are these days regardless whether or not you play it lol, keeper!
Yeah like my 1990 Ovation Elite in LIKE-NEW condition which is worth only $600 (and which I traded in for only $375) last month. The orignal MSRP in 1990 was $1199, which adjusted for inflation is $2,605. So that's a loss of 77%.
maybe you should say it is just your opinion. i happen to have an early 80's balladeer. it is an amazing guitar. very nice live sound. has a good sound electric too. just up the treble somewhat and up the bass slightly. it will ring. i happen to like the headstock design. dont use real heavy gauge strings on it. i also have an early left handed ovation balladeer. serial number is 4104 0r 4140. not electric. the wood has gotten very dark. looks amazing and sounds great. i bought it for my daughter, who is a lefty. i play right handed. have left it strung lefty. didnt want to change it in any way. i bought it from joe chambers in , i think when his store was just outside smyrna, bought a ibanez roadstar electric for my son and the ovation for my daughter for christmas in 1986. still looks and sounds great. joe is a real class act. also bought a 1987 red made in mexico strat. which was an awesome guitar. wish i still had it. it played so great and sounded great too. bought many things from joe is a good guy. i played out a great deal when i lived in murfreesboro. would stop by his store every time i played out. bought picks, strings and various things for the just in case scenario. played in a band called bulletproof. played all over murfreesboro, nashville, lebanon.
I agree 100%, in 1978 I bought a custom balladeer for $1500 and the case for $130, brand-new in a guitar store in Colorado Springs. Absolutely loved how it played and sounded, I'm 68 years old now and started playing when I was 12, I have owned so many guitars in my life it's ridiculous. That guitar was stolen from me, but I never forgot it, like a mistress that lingers in your memory. Last night I ordered from Sweetwater a new ovation, I'm looking forward to renewing the love affair and picking up where we left off. There was just something about the tone that struck those notes that hide in your soul and bone marrow, a place where great music hides and longs to be brought forth. Ovation guitars are one of the most unique instruments I have ever come across, And honestly the only instrument that ever left an impression that overruled the countless numbers of instruments I have played and owned. A voice that is recognizable in an instant, like a whisper in the wind.
@@livergen I bought an Ovation celebrity caribbean blue quilt last year from Sweetwater....great guitar!!! Action was too high, but I removed the shims(2 to 3 shims under the saddle from the factory)under the saddle and now it plays great. Good luck with yours, brother!!! Glad your back pickin' again!!! God bless!!!😁👍🙏🙏🙏🤘🎸🎶🎵🎼
Very interesting review. For me Ovation USA is one of best sounding acoustics. Just see who played Ovation through the years. It is legendary guitar. Playability is fantastic, you can play it as acoustic and electric style as well ! I do not share your opinion about Headstock as I find it attractive....for some girls you would be attractive and handsome, but there are others that will consider you not quite nice or even worse. That's why it is always tricky to comment aesthetics of musical instrument 😁. Personal taste should be respected. Thanks for nice tone presentation, that was done very good. Keep playing and...stay safe. Best regards 👏
Who plays has more to do with support and endorsement deals. Taylor is a real deal guitarmaker who started small, and will help other luthiers in late night parking lot discussions. But one of his artists (and the same rationale appears with fishing rods!) said the main reason he used a Taylor was because he could get a replacement instantly if his guitar got broken on tour. Very real issue, but it's mainly a scale thing.
Back when Ovation got into making guitars, they would give them to any pro musicians they could. Many acoustic guitars on albums were Ovations. Once they sent manufacturing overseas their quality started to drop. Their top shelf guitars stayed in Connecticut including Adamas that die hard fans would pay top dollar for. Same with every other guitar company
this is one of the most wanted ovation models they made! It is very high quality! the sustain and projection on these is amazing. if you want to sale it let me know! Beautiful piece of history in your hands. im jealous.
Dennis Locorriere "Dr Hook" beat hell out of his. Robert Fripp" New Standard Tuning " NO !. th-cam.com/video/MB_dodhR7bQ/w-d-xo.html Roland the roadie Maybe not that model.
John Denver....the list is more impressive than he knows. I won't own anything but Ovations bcuz the play and sound great. Adamas is a whole nother level above
The Kaman Corporation, an aerospace company had lots of scientists, engineers, and technicians, plus the owner was a guitar enthusiast. So they decided to engineer the most efficient guitar shape (for getting the most sound back out of the sound hole), and sell it under a subsidiary named Ovation Guitars. They claim to have found out that a semi parabolic back (shaped like an amphitheater) is the most efficient shape, and produced a sound that was full and rich from top to bottom of the scale. But it’s very difficult to get wood to take a rounded guitar back shape, so they began testing other materials for the back and eventually invented a material they called Lyrachord, still used for Ovation Guitar backs to this day. I personally like the Ovation headstock, and because it is different it makes Ovations very recognizable. I have owned one Martin, one Taylor, and also a Breedlove, but I have come to the conclusion that I prefer my acoustics to be Ovations, and my electrics to be Fenders. They just feel right for me.
Would love to have your source reference on that! I have 1st hand evidence to support your summary: Growing up in Colorado Springs, I’m very familiar with Kaman Corporation, and they were amongst top military contractors there. High end (aka secret) projects. Year 2006-ish, I bought a 6751 standard balladeer 12-string. Kaman-labeled, Ovation-branded, made in CT USA. I can’t remember all the brochure details, but “parabolic shape” and “composite materials” come to mind. Certainly suggests these are an engineer’s guitar!
@@nohrtillman8734 Kaman used the same material used for chopper blades to create Lyrachord. He was a great friend of my Luthier. I have another post here that tells a brief and sloppy synopsis of Ovation
You got me as you said David Gilmour ist your Guitar Hero ;) Nice review ! I own an Ovation by myself and i like it very much somehow. Greetings from Germany !
i have to tell you there are thousands of guitar collectors that would buy this guitar from you in a minute .i have one of the first 33 made of ovations cutaway its second to none keep your guitar its a collectors item charlie cap
Hey ESG, nice review and love the acoustic licks you played. First, Ovation is the only acoustics brand I play, I have 4; including a 94 American made Legend and another American-made 2015 Legend, and 2007 VXT. The necks are amazing; the "skunk stripe is actually a 5 piece maple/mahogany neck, very unique and solid. They play like electrics, and the internal preamp/pickups are great. That deep bowl you are playing should sound nice. The "bowls" are updated, contour now, and roughed bevel to prevent the slipping when seated. All Ovation tops are wood, the Adamas (by Ovation) have other options. Headstocks? Have you seen PRS headstocks, way ugly! Cheers
Have to say I don’t understand why people hate ovations. Still now in 2023 I can hear when someone plays a ovation. And to you whom made this video. Get the guitar in tune😏😷
The headstock design is actually superior to most acoustic guitars who create a sharp angle at the nut and therefore more friction and tuning instability.
I love the head stock designs later on the applause line of ovation guitars copied the head stock and it's more simple and bulky. The Adamas version are the fanciest one and they really are unique. To me from applause to ovation than to adamas it looks like a digimon or pokemon style evolution. I wasn't a fan of ovations headstock til I seen the others and it made sense to me why they left ovation always the same and in the middle of their line of guitars
All my buddies bad mounth Ovation for the bowl. I came across one simaler to yours that I saw as a good deal to flip. I traded a MIM Strat for it. I though I would sell it and make some cash and buy a better Strat. I played it once and it became my favorite Accoustic, I love the neck and to me sounds better and plays easier than my Martin. I did get an American Strat , but i kept the Ovation, it is not for sale.
I bought one of these in 70's, and still have it today. Mine is an Acoustic/Electric model and unlike almost everything made today , it was made here right in the good ole' USA. I have to disagree about the Headstock as I think the headstock is one of the coolest designs out there , but that's just my opinion. The guitar plays as well today as it did when i bought it.
Interesting comment on the headstock. The headstock design is one of my favorite things about Ovation. To me the Fender Strat or Tele headstock design are the least attractive of any guitar.
Thanks for the info Amigo ! I just found an ''Ovation - Celebrity CC24 Ruby red '' in the trash with a busted bridge & saw a fun project so I was able to glue the 2 pieces back with Titebond & after some love, She is back & I got an epic guitar , intonation was on , love the neck ,mid size bowl ,epic tuners . For a lower Ovation model is still a solid guitar ,looks like some one just reel the strings to death with ,this Celebrity CC24 is a nice Laminate top with Fan bracing too maybe around the 1990s I got a 9v battery & plug her in and the electronics work fine . Def strong guitars should last for a while .
I have the poor cousin to the Ovation line, and enjoy that its something that I'm not intimidated by the fact that it still sounds good, but I'm not frightened to take it places. If you have hundreds or thousands invested, you really don't feel comfortable carrying it around much, and if you only have breaks at work to practice, as I've had to do, just who's going to trust some meat puppet to not steal your gear while your working in the plant. The top is Spruce, and the neck on mine is aluminum, but its still sound good enough for practice purposes. My co-workers hated that I would prefer spending time practicing than listening to their stupid stories, or watching them play with their thousand dollar cells. Music, my music is more important than that contrived, superficial, horseshit.
The fiberglass (now a lyrachord hard thick plastic?) bowl reflected the sound of the strings back up towards the top of the guitar quick instead of being muffled by your body or absorbed by the wood it sounded louder and more pronounced towards and out of the sound hole. The head stock shape angle made the guitar strings vibrate straight all the way down the neck like on a fender instead of cockeyed to the side as on most or all of the others (better). The guitar was the first engineered/design of the modern box guitar. The back and sides of a wood guitar poorly served to reflect the sound up and out unless they were hard wood like walnut or maple, which were more expensive and louder where softer woods gave the guitar a more muffled or warmer sound but did not reflect towards the top which is the most important wood on the guitar for sound vibration. Woods give personality for the guitar, but the hardness and age of all woods resonate better. I have 2 ovations an Adamas 1992 special edition birds' eye maple top, and I love it. It has a sound that birds stop, and perk up their ears and listen too, I've heard them actually sing along as well. Not lying... That was an amazing experience. The other is a twelve-string deep bowl balladeer, it's just a bit louder also but not as impressive. Sorry I rattled on, but they are a complex design but for a reason. Enjoy
I bought my Ovation/Applause guitar in 1979. It has very similar styling to this one but a different headstock. It has the bowl back but is the textured material like the other one he showed. The bowl back is made of fiberglass, by the way. The top is a starburst design. Really pretty. I have carried my guitar with me everywhere I have gone in my life. And still have it. I’m about to restring it. The rich loud tone is due to the bowl back design. This is the second guitar I ever owned in my life and it’s like my baby. I also have that same case.
I glad you like your guitar but it's one of the cheapest guitars they ever made! Even the necks are not wood on those models. The only guitar I claim is worse are those models with the one piece metal fretboards. The frets are molded along with the rest of those fretboards and there's nothing you can do to fix them once the frets wear down.
@@tenlittleindiansI think you must have this Ovation confused with another model or make. I have owned a similar Ovation model and the neck is a conventional wood guitar neck, with the standard wire frets pressed into the fretboard. The neck profiles are akin to an electric guitar neck in as far as the feel.
@@glennjames7107 No confusion on my part. He stated he has 1979 version. They didn't start adding wood necks until later. guitarz.blogspot.com/2013/05/1970s-kaman-music-corporation-metal.html
The plastic fiberglass bowl is indeed kind of weird I agree. But apparently these Ovation Fiberglass bowls make this guitar indestructible. Like the wood on the top might crack but the body will always retain its structure. But I still prefer "traditional" acoustic guitars with actual wood all around. Nice review though.
And who can blame you! Though all plastic guitars are surprisingly cool, sometime even when imported copies. So as with most things, some ideas are stylish and others aren't, what makes a better instrument is rarely the issue. So one particularly admired classical guitar used such heavily laminated wood in the body that it might as well not be wood at at all. A nice Carbon fiber body would get you all you need, including no hassles at borders, but faking the funk on the Brazilian rosewood front is a must have. Making a carbon fiber, or other composite body, while not particularly difficult is a lot more of a challenge that a wood body, which is about as simple as making a cigar box. When I used to make guitars I soon discovered that, as an example, about 20 years ago, It cost me over 100 dollars a back and side set to get decent maple. But I could get rosewood for 40-60 dollars a set, for simple Indian rosewood. I could get at least 500 dollars more for a rosewood guitar at the time, and often more, and this was simple rosewood, the upcharge could keep climbing for the right piece.
@@connorcambur1286 No, it actually has a similar resonance to wood. You can get guitars made entirely of carbon fiber and they sound fine (brands like Rainsong). They're also indestructible and unaffected by temperature and humidity, so if you live in an arctic or desert climate they're a godsend. Honestly, I expect that in the future they'll take the place of wood instruments entirely.
I bought my Balladeer in 1980. My back is dull black, not shiny. About 1990 the face wood cracked and I babied this thing. A coworker had the same issue with the same age. A few years later the bridge lifted. I got it repaired and still play ti this day. When I play, it sounds ok but when other people play it, it sounds sweet. Turns out, it projects the sound out, not up so much. Here in the Philippines, a local guitar maker makes a wood back guitar. They call it a turtle back guitar. Never played it.
I have one and love the design/aesthetics and its sound. I. Once sat in a hall and we had a few moments of silence. I felt the vibration of the wind outside on it’s strings. They are unique, extremely high quality, beautiful sound and were used by many artists who loved it for everything I have mentioned and more. In fact, it actually stands out and can be identified by it’s excellent tone etc. Kaman, it’s origanal designer, used space age material for it’s unique character re vibrations, etc. Deluce on the paperwork is an obvious misprint (autocorrect remains one of the most fallible inventions of the tech era, but one that most people -including myself - continue to use to their own annoyance….)
@@judilynn9569 Nice guess but I don't think so! You forget that there have been mass produced paper labels for boxes and cans decades prior to 1968. A simple silk screen is just one option to print labels back then or even still today. Another option would be a custom made rubber stamp to print with ink or paint. And they had printing presses for hundreds of years too.
The round back is a very double-edged sword. I think it contributes a fair amount to the tone, same as a mandolin or a lute but it also makes them a gigantic pain in the ass to play while sitting down.
I never had it slip once, and wondered why everyone said that online. Then I had a fat friend try to play and as soon as it hit his belly it slid right off his knee. Now when I read one of these comments, I get this sneaking suspicion...
Just bought a 1111-4 balladeer on reverb will be here Monday :) my buddy had one and we played it through our teens and it was an amazing acoustic. What was that song you played in the intro?
Charles Kaman spent his life working on his aeronautical career in helicopters he decided not to pursue music. He did however invent these round back guitars
One of Kaman's (Kaman Aerospace) products was trim tabs for Helicopter rotors. This required the development of a polymer. This is the material of the back of an Ovation Guitar. I had the pleasure of meeting Charlie Kaman (and his German Sheppard) at one of the R&D facilities in CT. Full Disclosure, I own a Model 1717-5 Legend. I bought it at Guitar Showcase In San Jose California in the mid 80s for $750.
Hello Paul , As a follower of Ovation since hearing Neil Diamond's on that greatest of all live albums - HOT AUGUST NIGHT , I've been a fan . I wrote a 'thank you' letter to Mr. Kaman around '77 after buying Neil's 'follow up' live recording 'Love at The Greek' which for the first time , introduced the Ovation Adamas guitar in both that remarkable chiming sound and stunning looks. I received back the most polite , considerate and warm reply by letter ( the joy of 'letters'!) quite obviously dictated and signed by Mr. Kaman . Both regretfully and foolishly I burned it , as we sometimes do , when clearing out before one of far too many moves . What was he like to meet in person ? ... A true gentleman I presume? ...
@@donaldcook3112 I did work with Kaman In Connecticut years ago (business trips). Charlie would come around to check on the helicopter status. He always brought a couple of German shepherds with him. His wife was into organizing a guide dog institute. Very humanitarian. Charlie was never loud or aggressive as I’ve seen other high level managers in Aerospace where I worked for almost 40 years.
@@philam1973 Thank you very much for that personal insight and testament to Mr. Kamen - and indeed his wife . I am not at all surprised to read of their ... ' humanitarianism ' ... it is my usual finding that folk who care for animals correctly are most often , not self - obsessed . I , also have met with some of the ... ' shouters ' and similar in business - it is never a ' good look ' and only diminishes that person and their perceived standing .
@@everysingleguitars I like them too, they look more graceful than the one from Ovation. Gibson just looks RLLY good, and it's my favorite headstock design, Fender also has some really good ones, The tele and strat have that 6 inline tuners, which look rlly rocking, and their acoustic headstocks are nice too. I think why I like ovation headstocks, is because they're not like any other headstock from a manufacturer, which makes it more unique.
Once I added a strap that went all the way to the headstock, it fixed two issues with this Ovation. The one you mentioned, the guitar wants to slide away from your lap and also "cures" the balance from head stock to the bridge, caused by the neck being heavier than the body part of the guitar. Guitar sounds are very subjective, and it's nice to have a lot of them (7), and enjoy what each one has to offer. A big plus of the Ovations, is resistance to climate changes, if you tour a lot, and relative cost to say a RainSong, a carbon fiber. Glen Campbell played Ovations a lot. Ray Davis of the Kinks too.
Had the same issue with mine. The angle when playing standing wasn't straight like with a flat backed guitar. I installed a strap pin on the underside of the heel of the neck and that helped greatly.
the bowl is lyracord not carbon fiber .. the top is sitka spruce .. the neck is 5 piece , with a 10" radius .. i have a 1991 legend 1867-4 .. [ super shallow body ] the -4 is the top finish .. natural like yours .. plug it in or mike it up ..rings like a bell .. strung with .011 - .052 . guitar is 30 years old !
I was in the exact same boat about a year ago. I hated Ovation, my dad and my grandpa have them, each time I played theirs (the deepest bowl), it would slide off my lap and I’d get frustrated by how that felt. Fast forward and I found a $250 1975 Balladeer with a mid-sized bowl. I took a chance and bought it, and wow! It sounds almost louder than the deep bowl, but doesn’t slide down your leg at all! Ovation definitely deserves a chance in your life if you’re an acoustic player. I think they get written off too quickly by most people just as I did
The "striped neck isn't to hide a truss rod like on a Fender guitar. Sure, it's got a truss rod but it's not installed from the back on an Ovation. Being in the helicopter industry you can bet the company's founder spent time around airports. Those stripes you mentioned are common in airplane propellers that have wooden props. They been making them that way for over a hundred years. They laminate thin pieces of wood together using glue to form thick blanks from which they carve out the propellers. A laminated propeller (or guitar neck) is stronger and more stable to prevent warping. While you won't be spinning your guitar around at 4000 rpm's I think it will hold up to airplane travel in all kinds of weather. Another common use item that still has the laminated skunk stripes are wooden canoe paddles. The cheaper paddles with less laminations tend to warp over time from a combination of water exposure and the hot sun. Leave your paddles laying in the puddle of water in the bottom of your boat all summer while the sun bakes away will cause warping, delamination or both.
Just borrowed an ovation from the 60"ies from a Friend. It blew my mind. Honestly the best sounding guitar i ever played. Just never knew how good they were. Easely sounds like a guitar 3 og 4 times the price
This guy is obviously quite an expert. He actually worked out , after online research, that even though he knew ‘ that Ovation was !always around ‘ (?) , he didn’t know it was older than Fender or Gibson ( and then he said that he thought that it might not be)’. Well seeing Fender started in 1947 and Gibson in 1903, it probably wasn’t , if it was producing guitars in the late 60s. Of course this guy thinks the 60s were after the 90s? Love the description of the fiberglass bowls as feeling like plastic, except for those that don’t and ‘ that it isn’t wood’ ( no sh.t , Einstein?). Love the way he described other ovation bowels as feeling like Gator cases ( which are injection modeled nylon/ pvc). Give up making videos until you go back to school and learn English, math , logic and read some books ( you know books, the things that aren’t plastic and talk to you but, you have to read instead of clicking a button?) This guy can play a bit but , knows little or nothing about guitars,Ovation and logical English expression .
My, but you are a negative, insulting sorry ass… please guide me to your knowledgeable YT channel…. Oh, I see your total existence in the internet-stratosphere is this sorry remark - almost as if you passed by earth randomly at a higher velocity of the speed of light… Yes, one needs to research facts when you want to make any remark, but kindness remains a virtue appreciated by all. I prefer the company of people that try their hand at something new, or simply share their excitement over discovering something new, than the company of bombastic, sarcastic, insulting narcissists. Get a life….
I've always loved Ovation, the sound just can't be beat. I've been playing on an Applause AE-28, but my brother just gave me a beat up old 1971 Balladeer to fix up (he knows I love a project.) The shape of the body doesn't bother me because I learned how to play on round back guitars in my high school guitar class.
That's a really nice one. I've never seen that finish on the back of the deep bowl. My Ovation has that odd plastic finish. I like the headstock but it's a bitch to keep a clip-on tuner. They sound good un-plugged but are meant to be played electric but I find that it's way too bright for me taste. Also the guitar is a 68' N guitars either get better or worst over time. I have a Yamaha classical from 1966 n the sound is perfect, cool also check Their All electric models they made in the mid 70's...
I have a 80's Ovation and it annoys me how it sounds a lot better then my Martin and a few Taylor's that I've played. In my opinion they sound better then they look, and holds tune a lot better. The headstock is made strange so it holds tune, thats why Music Man guitars hold tune really well and Gibson's and Fender always goes out of tune ( electric ). As for the round back its for tune and it dose sound's amazing, only problem I can think of is that the edges are sharp and hurts your arms when you play it.
In addition to 18 other Ovations (and countless Martins, Taylors, Gibsons, etc.) , I also own that same 1968 Deluxe model (but mine is a sunburst). I have also amassed a photo collection of world-elite musicians (100+ individuals) playing Ovations over the course of the past six decades to present.. so based on that, alone, anyone who cares to can freely stuff the notion that Ovations are not a high-end, professional product into the depth of their dark crevice. As well, if headstock design.. of all things.. is a deal breaker on overall guitar evaluation, then someone of such ilk is likely not even a "guitar player", much less a "guitarist". The shiny bowls were only in the very first couple of years of Ovation production, then went over to the textured Lyrachord that is still in use today.. and is essentially the same material that the Kaman Aircraft Company uses for their helicopter blades since the harmonic balance is required to be absolutely perfect (too techie? sorry. but please don't call it 'plastic'.) Oh, and the wood is New England spruce (USA Ovations are made in Connecticut). Which brings us to the history of the Kaman Music Company's founder, Charlie Kaman, and its technical evolution, of which is.. no doubt.. the most fascinating of any guitar story and an American treasure... so maybe read up on that and get back to us later (if you dare). And it's not like I am picking on the poster here since he did, after all, seem to eventually come to his senses.. but if David Gilmour is, in fact, your "guitar hero", then you obviously have not done your homework on him yet either or you would surely know that he originally wrote "Comfortably Numb" and several other Pink Floyd classics on an Ovation. I could go on.. but.. well.. point made for now.
I was a teen back in the '70s and '80s and Ovation acoustic guitars were the industry standard back then. Just about every famous guitarist had one. At one point, Ovation outsold the previous industry standards (Gibson and Martin). The problem with acoustic guitars in the '50s and '60s was that they had to be miked. Guitarists couldn't be mobile on stage, they had to sit there with a microphone in front of the soundhole. Also, feedback was a big problem. Ovation came along in the late '60s and changed everything. Ovation also made their guitars feel more like electric guitars with slim necks and low action. I've always loved Ovations.
Here are some other people, a short list, who played Ovation guitars over their careers. Glenn Campbell was a big endorser of them. Al Di Meola was an Ovation player. Brian May…. Roy Orbison…. Larry Coryell…. Melissa Etheridge….. Mark Knopfler…. Preston Reed…. Neil Diamond… Shania Twain… Cat Stevens…. Eddie Van Halen…. Steve Lukather…. Steve Vai…. Kenny Rogers…. Chet Atkins…. John Mac Laughlin…. Alex Lifeson…. Paul Simon…. Shakira… both John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Roger Waters and David Gilmour of Pink Floyd. Yngwie Malmsteen had a signature line with Ovation. Tom Shultz of and the guys in Boston….remember their album covers?
Its not a skunk stripe. And that headstock make its tuningstability if you are a heavy bender much better than what it is with a Gibson or similar. The back as far as i know even on that 60's model is carbon fiber
I remember a time that if you saw someone playing an acoustic guitar on TV, it was more likely than not an Ovation. From the early seventies through the nineties Ovation guitars were played by anybody that was somebody, and musicians don't often play an instrument just because it was put in their hands, their funny like that, it has to be good.
At first I was like "what a stupid reason not to give a guitar a chance." But then I remembered the headstocks on the EVH Wolfgangs and I totally feel where you're coming from.
I've always loved Ovation's sound, but like you I hated that round plastic back and the headstock reminded me of some old violin or something. But when I played them the rounded back would force me to support it with my left hand while trying to play so it didn't slip. Maybe 10yrs ago, a friend of a friend had a 2000 Collectors Edition and needed money. He actually gave it to me as collateral to lend him $100(canadian dollars too!), then I never heard back from him, just like I'd assumed would happen. I ended up just getting a strip of rubber and put it on the underside(not permanently stuck on, it comes off and sticks back on easily). It worked great and now it my favorite acoustic I own. I've been thinking of getting an Ovation 12 string too. Great video!
I actually bought a lefty so it was super slippery and I put some Emory cloth it but it sands my leg… not kidding, not smart. I was much younger… What exactly did you use?
@@-davidolivares I went to Home Depot and got this tacky rubber sheet stuff. It was in the bath and shower section and it so you put it down on the floor of the shower so you don't slip. It's not adhesive, its just sort of sticky but you can take it off and put it back on repeatedly and it won't leave any residue. Pretty much any material that creates friction will work. They make sand paper adhesive tape for factory stairs and walkways which would work well. Just don't stick it directly to the guitar. Put masking tape on the guitar than stick it to the tape. It'll peel off easily. Edit: just realized you'd tried Emory cloth. Any soft rubber is your best bet. Check the shower stuff.
Glen Campbell really put the Ovation Guitar's on the map back in the late 60s. Glen always had one playing Gentle On My Mind when he would open his TV show "Hello I'm Glen Campbell" was heard by over 30 million folks on TV along with Glen's Ovation Balladeer signature model. Glen liked them because the pickup was high tech and you could really play them loud lead tones and you wouldn't have the feedback issues.
I'm thinking the paper says DELUCE instead of DELUXE because it's a typo caused by the person who typed it and with the C and X being so close together on the keyboard.
The fricken headstock doesn't matter unless it won't hold tuning. Your right about the big bowl, the round devil will slip whether you're sitting or standing. That composite bowl material was first developed by Kamen for helicopter blades. As for sounds, the Balladeer and above have clear tones and great playability. I've seen electric guitars with worse fingerboards. That being said, I enjoyed your playing on this review.
Don’t change the strings for a few months and the tone levels out really nicely on an Ovation. A year and and you’re in Nick Drake territory using CGCFCE tuning (capo on 2 usually)
I don’t really care for Ovation Guitars either. When I went to go stay and live with my grandparents, my grand aunt lent me her Ovation guitar, because I had to leave my other acoustic guitar behind so I used it for a good 9 months, until I got an Epiphone Masterbilt Texan.
The back isn't fiberglass, It's a material specially designed for resonance and vibration. The shape was also designed for the best vibrational resonance. The put a year and a half of scientific research into developing it.
I agree the headstock design is a bit ugly, remided me a little of a duck's bill. Ovation seem to have shallow, medium and deep bowl models, this appears to be the deep bowl type. I think the idea with the textured back is to try and prevent slipping, which it does'nt. You definately need a guitar strap with one of these!
I really like my ovation headstock, a LOT more than my Les Paul. Only my ESP is a better headstock design for me. The ovation runs back takes some getting used to... my big 46 year old belly is repelling the guitar away from me 😞
The stripes aren't there for viewing pleasure ( But it does look sweet)Its a five piece neck. That buzz on the top e , mine does as well 12-15 are unplayable But I really don't need to play those notes there anyway.
Judging a guitar because you don't like the headstock is like hating a bottle of wine because you didn't like the shape of the bottle. It's made to be played.
I haven't read the other comments (I'm in a rush) so forgive me if this is redundant. You hate Ovation because you've probably only test played the non-USA made Celebrity series models, which DO sound plastic. Any USA Ovation with a center hole from '68 to '08 WILL sound like your "new" vintage. I've played the Acoustic-Electric series models since '72 and they all sound exceptional. I have 5 different models, each for a particular style of music. The only clunker is the Celebrity, which is my standard tuning stage backup. Plugged in, it's passable. Unplugged, ugh. I can't speak for any of the models made after the GEWA acquisition of Ovation, as I've not had the opportunity. I can only speak to the sound & playability of the Kamen Company owned original Ovation instruments, made in the USA. And, I stay far away from the foreign made "Adamas" style Ovations. Acoustically, they're not too good. The actual Adamas models are excellent. Carbon-fiber tops, carved exotic woods, premium electronics. EXCELLENT instruments. Hope this helps.
It sounds like you dislike the aesthetic dovetail shape of the end of the headstock, which is totally irrelevant to anything. If you did your research (Wikipedia would work) you would find out that the material that forms the body isn’t fiberglass, but an advanced material that is an early version of carbon fiber, stronger than steel and very light. Helicopter rotors were made of it. The paper inside the guitar isn’t original. The original had a metal plate saying Ovation. I have a 1973 Glen Campbell. It originally had a rubber patch to help keep it in your knee, but I just use a strap. It was the most advanced guitar of its time and maybe of all time and it was an expensive instrument. In 1973, it cost $480. You could get a Martin for less. That’s about $5,000 in today’s dollars.
I loved the sound of ovation guitars, but can't stand the round back because of the exact reason you said, even with a strap, it slips and is annoying to play.
Next time try to tune your instrument. I am owner of Ovation 6773 LX ,and I must say ,that it is great instrument, build from high level of wood with beautiful sound. About neck, you are wrong saying about two pieces of wood, infact this neck is made from five pieces. Al di Meola, one of the greatest guitarist, often play Ovation, he also has his signature model Ovation called Al do Meola.
Yeah, that awful headstock with the far straighter string pulls than Gibson.The backing of that, and all Ovation Guitars is called Lyrachord. Mr Kaman, Inventor and Owner of Ovation Guitars was a Helicopter technician, and thought he could use the same material used for helicopter blades to create Rigid Backs for guitars. This rigidness makes the Ovation Sustain very well, and it sings loud, but part of the trick is the curved back. You get a more rounded, warmer tone, especially from the models with epaulet sound holes, because the round back, mathematically matches the 2 halves of an Archtop Guitar. These were Highly Engineered. At one point it was either the neck or the fretboard that they experimented making from aluminum Billet. I have 2 mid-70s Ovations, and no, they aren't for sale..... Also note any time you see a late 60s-early 80s TV, Ovations are super prevalent. They were the guitar to have at the time. The reason yours is slick , is because it was before they applied spray texture, to deter the sliding problem.
I don't know if the American made Ovations are better, but I have a Chinese made CE44P-SM. I'm not that impressed with the sound, and after less than 3 years, the preamp is dead. I'll be lucky to get $50 for it now.
It doesn't look the way the ovations look that I have seen, I own an ovation Elite standard 6868 Hartford U.S which is nearly 40 years old and has a wood top, but the body doesn't look shiny like the one in video, which does look plastic and cheap and to be honest, it looks like a copy. If says ovation delux on the headstock but inside is written deluce, then I get more surspicious. The Label inside doesn't look like the label from Hartford U.S.A either.
Years ago I had an ovation celebrity, I think it was...purely acoustic...had no pick up. I don't think it sounded great and I passed it on quickly. Unlike you, I actually like the look, think it's interesting. I concluded that they really need a pick up to sound good.
![The Wall Song ร้องข้ามกำแพง | EP.215 | พาเวล นเรศ - พูห์ กฤติน | 17 ต.ค. 67 [1/5]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/IUzrjuf60P4/mqdefault.jpg)
ALL THE GUITARS I REVIEWED HERE @ everysingleguitars.com
VIDEO TIMELINE:
- Why I HATED Ovation Guitars @ 0:40
- Ovation’s signature “Bowl Back” Impression @ 2:40
- My First Impressions of this 1968 Ovation @ 3:45
- Tuners First Impression @ 4:25
- Neck Profile First Impression @ 5:25
- TONE TEST REVIEW @ 6:00
- TONE Analysis/First Impression @ 8:10
ive got one from 1973 super deep bowl and it sounds beautiful it was my grandpas he gave it to me a year ago and have been learning songs since first guitar ever and will probably be my favorite forever every song i play on it was super nice and when i heard the song on any other guitar it just sounded wrong for some reason. I have only seen two other ovations in person not very popular considering how great (I think they sound great at least) sound
The point of The Ovation bowlback design was to give to an acoustic guitar the sophistication of frequency response that bowlback instruments like lutes and Neapolitan mandolins had - yet without the cost of having to labouriously construct it from wooden staves.
I've always loved that about the Ovation, and yet I do not like the sound that a graphite back (essentially plastic) gives to the sound, in lieu of wood. It's too soft, opaque, and mute.
That said, this particular model has been so heavily varnished that most of that plastic quality in the sound is not there, which is one reason why I like it, as do you.
…..because you cant play at an elite level and prefer to blame the instrument?
The Ovation headstock is designed for a better intonation. The angle of the strings at the nut is much less than the rest of acoustics. The bowl is Lyrachord, a composite material/ BTW, the Deluxe Balladeer is what we call now Legend.
One feature of that design is more efficient, cheaper use of wood. Nothing wrong with that if it gets you the instrument you want, at the same time. Ovation had features that have only become generally popular, decades after their appeared on Ovation guitars. Obvious examples are the soundhole/port design; the larger area for use on the soundboard; and the composite body.
All composite guitars are rather popular these days, yet combining a composite body with with wooden parts is an excellent approach, but one does not see it much.
@@HondoTrailsideRain Song and Emerald do it a lot now.
Those "skunk stripes" have been on classicals for a long time. They strengthen the neck. You don't know very much about guitars TBH to be assuming you can do useful reviews.
Also I kinda hate how many times you said you hate Ovations when you don't know squat about them and based your distaste on the headstock. That's just so superficial.
Maybe you should give that great guitar to someone who will appreciate it?
Mine stays in perfect tune. 1986 Ovation elite white collectors 20th anniversary thin bowl
Can't say I agree with you on the headstock, definitely one of the most innovative and unique headstocks out there, unfair to compare it with Gibson or Fender headstocks IMHO. As for the bowl design they can tend to slide a bit depending on how you play. Definitely not a design flaw, I would hold on to that guitar because of how sought-after they are these days regardless whether or not you play it lol, keeper!
Yeah like my 1990 Ovation Elite in LIKE-NEW condition which is worth only $600 (and which I traded in for only $375) last month. The orignal MSRP in 1990 was $1199, which adjusted for inflation is $2,605. So that's a loss of 77%.
maybe you should say it is just your opinion. i happen to have an early 80's balladeer. it is an amazing guitar. very nice live sound. has a good sound electric too. just up the treble somewhat and up the bass slightly. it will ring. i happen to like the headstock design. dont use real heavy gauge strings on it. i also have an early left handed ovation balladeer. serial number is 4104 0r 4140. not electric. the wood has gotten very dark. looks amazing and sounds great. i bought it for my daughter, who is a lefty. i play right handed. have left it strung lefty. didnt want to change it in any way. i bought it from joe chambers in , i think when his store was just outside smyrna, bought a ibanez roadstar electric for my son and the ovation for my daughter for christmas in 1986. still looks and sounds great. joe is a real class act. also bought a 1987 red made in mexico strat. which was an awesome guitar. wish i still had it. it played so great and sounded great too. bought many things from joe is a good guy. i played out a great deal when i lived in murfreesboro. would stop by his store every time i played out. bought picks, strings and various things for the just in case scenario. played in a band called bulletproof. played all over murfreesboro, nashville, lebanon.
The guitar will "move" on you greatly depending on the size of your gut!!!😝😝😂😂 If you're fat, an Ovation is gonna move/slide for sure!!!
I agree 100%, in 1978 I bought a custom balladeer for $1500 and the case for $130, brand-new in a guitar store in Colorado Springs. Absolutely loved how it played and sounded, I'm 68 years old now and started playing when I was 12, I have owned so many guitars in my life it's ridiculous. That guitar was stolen from me, but I never forgot it, like a mistress that lingers in your memory.
Last night I ordered from Sweetwater a new ovation, I'm looking forward to renewing the love affair and picking up where we left off.
There was just something about the tone that struck those notes that hide in your soul and bone marrow, a place where great music hides and longs to be brought forth. Ovation guitars are one of the most unique instruments I have ever come across, And honestly the only instrument that ever left an impression that overruled the countless numbers of instruments I have played and owned. A voice that is recognizable in an instant, like a whisper in the wind.
@@livergen I bought an Ovation celebrity caribbean blue quilt last year from Sweetwater....great guitar!!! Action was too high, but I removed the shims(2 to 3 shims under the saddle from the factory)under the saddle and now it plays great. Good luck with yours, brother!!! Glad your back pickin' again!!! God bless!!!😁👍🙏🙏🙏🤘🎸🎶🎵🎼
Very interesting review. For me Ovation USA is one of best sounding acoustics. Just see who played Ovation through the years. It is legendary guitar. Playability is fantastic, you can play it as acoustic and electric style as well ! I do not share your opinion about Headstock as I find it attractive....for some girls you would be attractive and handsome, but there are others that will consider you not quite nice or even worse. That's why it is always tricky to comment aesthetics of musical instrument 😁. Personal taste should be respected. Thanks for nice tone presentation, that was done very good. Keep playing and...stay safe. Best regards 👏
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder ....
I lean toward function a bit. I like the straight string alignment of the headstock design and have long ago gotten used to the looks of these.
Who plays has more to do with support and endorsement deals. Taylor is a real deal guitarmaker who started small, and will help other luthiers in late night parking lot discussions. But one of his artists (and the same rationale appears with fishing rods!) said the main reason he used a Taylor was because he could get a replacement instantly if his guitar got broken on tour. Very real issue, but it's mainly a scale thing.
Back when Ovation got into making guitars, they would give them to any pro musicians they could. Many acoustic guitars on albums were Ovations. Once they sent manufacturing overseas their quality started to drop. Their top shelf guitars stayed in Connecticut including Adamas that die hard fans would pay top dollar for. Same with every other guitar company
this is one of the most wanted ovation models they made! It is very high quality! the sustain and projection on these is amazing. if you want to sale it let me know! Beautiful piece of history in your hands. im jealous.
How much are they worth. I have one
Agree on that
Wow, back in the 70's this was the pro's guitar! Glen Campbell, Peter White, Jim Croce, to name a few..
Dennis Locorriere "Dr Hook" beat hell out of his.
Robert Fripp" New Standard Tuning "
NO !.
th-cam.com/video/MB_dodhR7bQ/w-d-xo.html
Roland the roadie
Maybe not that model.
Larry Coryell, Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin
Melissa Etheridge , Peter Frampton...
John Denver....the list is more impressive than he knows. I won't own anything but Ovations bcuz the play and sound great. Adamas is a whole nother level above
Joan Armatrading
The Kaman Corporation, an aerospace company had lots of scientists, engineers, and technicians, plus the owner was a guitar enthusiast. So they decided to engineer the most efficient guitar shape (for getting the most sound back out of the sound hole), and sell it under a subsidiary named Ovation Guitars. They claim to have found out that a semi parabolic back (shaped like an amphitheater) is the most efficient shape, and produced a sound that was full and rich from top to bottom of the scale. But it’s very difficult to get wood to take a rounded guitar back shape, so they began testing other materials for the back and eventually invented a material they called Lyrachord, still used for Ovation Guitar backs to this day. I personally like the Ovation headstock, and because it is different it makes Ovations very recognizable. I have owned one Martin, one Taylor, and also a Breedlove, but I have come to the conclusion that I prefer my acoustics to be Ovations, and my electrics to be Fenders. They just feel right for me.
Would love to have your source reference on that! I have 1st hand evidence to support your summary:
Growing up in Colorado Springs, I’m very familiar with Kaman Corporation, and they were amongst top military contractors there. High end (aka secret) projects.
Year 2006-ish, I bought a 6751 standard balladeer 12-string. Kaman-labeled, Ovation-branded, made in CT USA. I can’t remember all the brochure details, but “parabolic shape” and “composite materials” come to mind. Certainly suggests these are an engineer’s guitar!
@@nohrtillman8734 Kaman used the same material used for chopper blades to create Lyrachord. He was a great friend of my Luthier. I have another post here that tells a brief and sloppy synopsis of Ovation
Parker felt like a modern version, no relation of course.
You got me as you said David Gilmour ist your Guitar Hero ;)
Nice review ! I own an Ovation by myself and i like it very much somehow. Greetings from Germany !
David Gilmour .... 1 of the greats ...
I saw an interview where he said his Ovation was an awful guitar.
@@everysingleguitars David played Takamine guitars for his “momentary lapse of reason” states tour. Just FYI.
i have to tell you there are thousands of guitar collectors that would buy this guitar from you in a minute .i have one of the first 33 made of ovations cutaway its second to none keep your guitar its a collectors item charlie cap
ya i sold it quicker than i expected
@@everysingleguitars Too bad..Hope for a lot of Money LOL
Hey ESG, nice review and love the acoustic licks you played. First, Ovation is the only acoustics brand I play, I have 4; including a 94 American made Legend and another American-made 2015 Legend, and 2007 VXT. The necks are amazing; the "skunk stripe is actually a 5 piece maple/mahogany neck, very unique and solid. They play like electrics, and the internal preamp/pickups are great. That deep bowl you are playing should sound nice. The "bowls" are updated, contour now, and roughed bevel to prevent the slipping when seated. All Ovation tops are wood, the Adamas (by Ovation) have other options. Headstocks? Have you seen PRS headstocks, way ugly! Cheers
Just subscribe!
PRS headstock kinda grew on me.........
Have to say I don’t understand why people hate ovations.
Still now in 2023 I can hear when someone plays a ovation.
And to you whom made this video. Get the guitar in tune😏😷
The headstock design is actually superior to most acoustic guitars who create a sharp angle at the nut and therefore more friction and tuning instability.
I love the head stock designs later on the applause line of ovation guitars copied the head stock and it's more simple and bulky.
The Adamas version are the fanciest one and they really are unique.
To me from applause to ovation than to adamas it looks like a digimon or pokemon style evolution.
I wasn't a fan of ovations headstock til I seen the others and it made sense to me why they left ovation always the same and in the middle of their line of guitars
All my buddies bad mounth Ovation for the bowl. I came across one simaler to yours that I saw as a good deal to flip. I traded a MIM Strat for it. I though I would sell it and make some cash and buy a better Strat. I played it once and it became my favorite Accoustic, I love the neck and to me sounds better and plays easier than my Martin. I did get an American Strat , but i kept the Ovation, it is not for sale.
What if someone offered you $1000 cash for the ovation
I bought one of these in 70's, and still have it today. Mine is an Acoustic/Electric model and unlike almost everything made today , it was made here right in the good ole' USA. I have to disagree about the Headstock as I think the headstock is one of the coolest designs out there , but that's just my opinion. The guitar plays as well today as it did when i bought it.
Interesting comment on the headstock. The headstock design is one of my favorite things about Ovation. To me the Fender Strat or Tele headstock design are the least attractive of any guitar.
Couldn't agree more, the ovation headstock is beautiful and innovative.
@@allofmybirds7525 I own a Ovation 1617, 1980 model. The headstock design is awesome, the guitar is awesome.
The headstock makes it unique just like Fenders etc.
Thanks for the info Amigo ! I just found an ''Ovation - Celebrity CC24 Ruby red '' in the trash with a busted bridge & saw a fun project so I was able to glue the 2 pieces back with Titebond & after some love, She is back & I got an epic guitar , intonation was on , love the neck ,mid size bowl ,epic tuners .
For a lower Ovation model is still a solid guitar ,looks like some one just reel the strings to death with ,this Celebrity CC24 is a nice Laminate top with Fan bracing too maybe around the 1990s
I got a 9v battery & plug her in and the electronics work fine .
Def strong guitars should last for a while .
I have the poor cousin to the Ovation line, and enjoy that its something that I'm not intimidated by the fact that it still sounds good, but I'm not frightened to take it places. If you have hundreds or thousands invested, you really don't feel comfortable carrying it around much, and if you only have breaks at work to practice, as I've had to do, just who's going to trust some meat puppet to not steal your gear while your working in the plant. The top is Spruce, and the neck on mine is aluminum, but its still sound good enough for practice purposes. My co-workers hated that I would prefer spending time practicing than listening to their stupid stories, or watching them play with their thousand dollar cells. Music, my music is more important than that contrived, superficial, horseshit.
The fiberglass (now a lyrachord hard thick plastic?) bowl reflected the sound of the strings back up towards the top of the guitar quick instead of being muffled by your body or absorbed by the wood it sounded louder and more pronounced towards and out of the sound hole. The head stock shape angle made the guitar strings vibrate straight all the way down the neck like on a fender instead of cockeyed to the side as on most or all of the others (better). The guitar was the first engineered/design of the modern box guitar. The back and sides of a wood guitar poorly served to reflect the sound up and out unless they were hard wood like walnut or maple, which were more expensive and louder where softer woods gave the guitar a more muffled or warmer sound but did not reflect towards the top which is the most important wood on the guitar for sound vibration. Woods give personality for the guitar, but the hardness and age of all woods resonate better. I have 2 ovations an Adamas 1992 special edition birds' eye maple top, and I love it. It has a sound that birds stop, and perk up their ears and listen too, I've heard them actually sing along as well. Not lying... That was an amazing experience. The other is a twelve-string deep bowl balladeer, it's just a bit louder also but not as impressive. Sorry I rattled on, but they are a complex design but for a reason. Enjoy
I bought my Ovation/Applause guitar in 1979. It has very similar styling to this one but a different headstock. It has the bowl back but is the textured material like the other one he showed. The bowl back is made of fiberglass, by the way. The top is a starburst design. Really pretty. I have carried my guitar with me everywhere I have gone in my life. And still have it. I’m about to restring it. The rich loud tone is due to the bowl back design. This is the second guitar I ever owned in my life and it’s like my baby. I also have that same case.
I glad you like your guitar but it's one of the cheapest guitars they ever made! Even the necks are not wood on those models. The only guitar I claim is worse are those models with the one piece metal fretboards. The frets are molded along with the rest of those fretboards and there's nothing you can do to fix them once the frets wear down.
@@tenlittleindiansI think you must have this Ovation confused with another model or make. I have owned a similar Ovation model and the neck is a conventional wood guitar neck, with the standard wire frets pressed into the fretboard. The neck profiles are akin to an electric guitar neck in as far as the feel.
@@glennjames7107 No confusion on my part. He stated he has 1979 version. They didn't start adding wood necks until later. guitarz.blogspot.com/2013/05/1970s-kaman-music-corporation-metal.html
The plastic fiberglass bowl is indeed kind of weird I agree. But apparently these Ovation Fiberglass bowls make this guitar indestructible. Like the wood on the top might crack but the body will always retain its structure. But I still prefer "traditional" acoustic guitars with actual wood all around. Nice review though.
And who can blame you! Though all plastic guitars are surprisingly cool, sometime even when imported copies. So as with most things, some ideas are stylish and others aren't, what makes a better instrument is rarely the issue.
So one particularly admired classical guitar used such heavily laminated wood in the body that it might as well not be wood at at all. A nice Carbon fiber body would get you all you need, including no hassles at borders, but faking the funk on the Brazilian rosewood front is a must have.
Making a carbon fiber, or other composite body, while not particularly difficult is a lot more of a challenge that a wood body, which is about as simple as making a cigar box. When I used to make guitars I soon discovered that, as an example, about 20 years ago, It cost me over 100 dollars a back and side set to get decent maple. But I could get rosewood for 40-60 dollars a set, for simple Indian rosewood. I could get at least 500 dollars more for a rosewood guitar at the time, and often more, and this was simple rosewood, the upcharge could keep climbing for the right piece.
@@HondoTrailside Wouldn't Carbon Fiber ruin the sound of an acoustic guitar? Very metallic sounding?
@@connorcambur1286 No, it actually has a similar resonance to wood. You can get guitars made entirely of carbon fiber and they sound fine (brands like Rainsong). They're also indestructible and unaffected by temperature and humidity, so if you live in an arctic or desert climate they're a godsend. Honestly, I expect that in the future they'll take the place of wood instruments entirely.
You talk like Lars Ulrich. /Runs and hides
lol the drummer from Metallica? How so
I can't unhear it
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I bought my Balladeer in 1980. My back is dull black, not shiny. About 1990 the face wood cracked and I babied this thing. A coworker had the same issue with the same age. A few years later the bridge lifted. I got it repaired and still play ti this day. When I play, it sounds ok but when other people play it, it sounds sweet. Turns out, it projects the sound out, not up so much.
Here in the Philippines, a local guitar maker makes a wood back guitar. They call it a turtle back guitar. Never played it.
I have one and love the design/aesthetics and its sound. I. Once sat in a hall and we had a few moments of silence. I felt the vibration of the wind outside on it’s strings. They are unique, extremely high quality, beautiful sound and were used by many artists who loved it for everything
I have mentioned and more. In fact, it actually stands out and can be identified by it’s excellent tone etc. Kaman, it’s origanal designer, used space age material for it’s unique character re vibrations, etc. Deluce on the paperwork is an obvious misprint (autocorrect remains one of the most fallible inventions of the tech era, but one that most people -including myself - continue to use to their own annoyance….)
In 1968 there were no computers or auto correct. That label was created on a typewriter. The person spelled it wrong. :)
@@judilynn9569 Nice guess but I don't think so!
You forget that there have been mass produced paper labels for boxes and cans decades prior to 1968.
A simple silk screen is just one option to print labels back then or even still today. Another option would be a custom made rubber stamp to print with ink or paint.
And they had printing presses for hundreds of years too.
The round back is a very double-edged sword. I think it contributes a fair amount to the tone, same as a mandolin or a lute but it also makes them a gigantic pain in the ass to play while sitting down.
And if your belly is just as round as the Ovation’s box, boy, it becomes a battle, even standing up! 😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣 I know….
I stuck a silicone strip to the area that fits over the leg. It helps it not to slip.
I never had it slip once, and wondered why everyone said that online. Then I had a fat friend try to play and as soon as it hit his belly it slid right off his knee. Now when I read one of these comments, I get this sneaking suspicion...
Just bought a 1111-4 balladeer on reverb will be here Monday :) my buddy had one and we played it through our teens and it was an amazing acoustic.
What was that song you played in the intro?
Charles Kaman spent his life working on his aeronautical career in helicopters he decided not to pursue music. He did however invent these round back guitars
One of Kaman's (Kaman Aerospace) products was trim tabs for Helicopter rotors. This required the development of a polymer. This is the material of the back of an Ovation Guitar. I had the pleasure of meeting Charlie Kaman (and his German Sheppard) at one of the R&D facilities in CT. Full Disclosure, I own a Model 1717-5 Legend. I bought it at Guitar Showcase In San Jose California in the mid 80s for $750.
Hello Paul , As a follower of Ovation since hearing Neil Diamond's on that greatest of all live albums - HOT AUGUST NIGHT , I've been a fan . I wrote a 'thank you' letter to Mr. Kaman around '77 after buying Neil's 'follow up' live recording 'Love at The Greek' which for the first time , introduced the Ovation Adamas guitar in both that remarkable chiming sound and stunning looks. I received back the most polite , considerate and warm reply by letter ( the joy of 'letters'!) quite obviously dictated and signed by Mr. Kaman . Both regretfully and foolishly I burned it , as we sometimes do , when clearing out before one of far too many moves . What was he like to meet in person ? ... A true gentleman I presume? ...
@@donaldcook3112 I did work with Kaman In Connecticut years ago (business trips). Charlie would come around to check on the helicopter status. He always brought a couple of German shepherds with him. His wife was into organizing a guide dog institute. Very humanitarian. Charlie was never loud or aggressive as I’ve seen other high level managers in Aerospace where I worked for almost 40 years.
@@philam1973 Thank you very much for that personal insight and testament to Mr. Kamen - and indeed his wife . I am not at all surprised to read of their ...
' humanitarianism ' ... it is my usual finding that folk who care for animals correctly are most often , not self - obsessed . I , also have met with some of the ... ' shouters ' and similar in business - it is never a ' good look ' and only diminishes that person and their perceived standing .
@@donaldcook3112 neil young is one of the most overrated musicians of all time. Bob Dylan is the superior musician and player
Have a 70's vintage Ovation as well as a Martin D 18. Love them both.
Nothing like a Martin
Both great guitars
How balanced is it? What I mean, is the neck heavier than the body, ..any neck dive?
Honestly I really like that headstock lol
What do you think of the fender or Gibson headstock?
@@everysingleguitars I like them too, they look more graceful than the one from Ovation. Gibson just looks RLLY good, and it's my favorite headstock design, Fender also has some really good ones, The tele and strat have that 6 inline tuners, which look rlly rocking, and their acoustic headstocks are nice too.
I think why I like ovation headstocks, is because they're not like any other headstock from a manufacturer, which makes it more unique.
What about Ernie Ball Musicman headstock?
Once I added a strap that went all the way to the headstock, it fixed two issues with this Ovation. The one you mentioned, the guitar wants to slide away from your lap and also "cures" the balance from head stock to the bridge, caused by the neck being heavier than the body part of the guitar. Guitar sounds are very subjective, and it's nice to have a lot of them (7), and enjoy what each one has to offer. A big plus of the Ovations, is resistance to climate changes, if you tour a lot, and relative cost to say a RainSong, a carbon fiber. Glen Campbell played Ovations a lot. Ray Davis of the Kinks too.
Had the same issue with mine. The angle when playing standing wasn't straight like with a flat backed guitar. I installed a strap pin on the underside of the heel of the neck and that helped greatly.
the bowl is lyracord not carbon fiber .. the top is sitka spruce .. the neck is 5 piece , with a 10" radius .. i have a 1991 legend 1867-4 .. [ super shallow body ] the -4 is the top finish .. natural like yours .. plug it in or mike it up ..rings like a bell .. strung with .011 - .052 . guitar is 30 years old !
I was in the exact same boat about a year ago. I hated Ovation, my dad and my grandpa have them, each time I played theirs (the deepest bowl), it would slide off my lap and I’d get frustrated by how that felt. Fast forward and I found a $250 1975 Balladeer with a mid-sized bowl. I took a chance and bought it, and wow! It sounds almost louder than the deep bowl, but doesn’t slide down your leg at all! Ovation definitely deserves a chance in your life if you’re an acoustic player. I think they get written off too quickly by most people just as I did
I got a cheap shallow Ovation. It played better than the Gibson I tried the same day. Walked out with it. No regrets.
The "striped neck isn't to hide a truss rod like on a Fender guitar. Sure, it's got a truss rod but it's not installed from the back on an Ovation.
Being in the helicopter industry you can bet the company's founder spent time around airports. Those stripes you mentioned are common in airplane propellers that have wooden props. They been making them that way for over a hundred years.
They laminate thin pieces of wood together using glue to form thick blanks from which they carve out the propellers.
A laminated propeller (or guitar neck) is stronger and more stable to prevent warping.
While you won't be spinning your guitar around at 4000 rpm's I think it will hold up to airplane travel in all kinds of weather.
Another common use item that still has the laminated skunk stripes are wooden canoe paddles. The cheaper paddles with less laminations tend to warp over time from a combination of water exposure and the hot sun. Leave your paddles laying in the puddle of water in the bottom of your boat all summer while the sun bakes away will cause warping, delamination or both.
Just borrowed an ovation from the 60"ies from a Friend. It blew my mind. Honestly the best sounding guitar i ever played. Just never knew how good they were. Easely sounds like a guitar 3 og 4 times the price
This guy is obviously quite an expert. He actually worked out , after online research, that even though he knew ‘ that Ovation was !always around ‘ (?) , he didn’t know it was older than Fender or Gibson ( and then he said that he thought that it might not be)’. Well seeing Fender started in 1947 and Gibson in 1903, it probably wasn’t , if it was producing guitars in the late 60s. Of course this guy thinks the 60s were after the 90s?
Love the description of the fiberglass bowls as feeling like plastic, except for those that don’t and ‘ that it isn’t wood’ ( no sh.t , Einstein?). Love the way he described other ovation bowels as feeling like Gator cases ( which are injection modeled nylon/ pvc).
Give up making videos until you go back to school and learn English, math , logic and read some books ( you know books, the things that aren’t plastic and talk to you but, you have to read instead of clicking a button?)
This guy can play a bit but , knows little or nothing about guitars,Ovation and logical English expression .
My, but you are a negative, insulting sorry ass… please guide me to your knowledgeable YT channel….
Oh, I see your total existence in the internet-stratosphere is this sorry remark - almost as if you passed by earth randomly at a higher velocity of the speed of light…
Yes, one needs to research facts when you want to make any remark, but kindness remains a virtue appreciated by all. I prefer the company of people that try their hand at something new, or simply share their excitement over discovering something new, than the company of bombastic, sarcastic, insulting narcissists.
Get a life….
How can you say I don’t have “logical English expression” when your comment is full of grammatical errors and run-ons….. 😂😂😂
Nice review bruhh. I have actually played some ovation acoustics , and they played nice, but the looks were meh.
@Tekcy For Guitars, Sometimes it is...
I ve owned one for a long time
I've always loved Ovation, the sound just can't be beat. I've been playing on an Applause AE-28, but my brother just gave me a beat up old 1971 Balladeer to fix up (he knows I love a project.)
The shape of the body doesn't bother me because I learned how to play on round back guitars in my high school guitar class.
That's a really nice one. I've never seen that finish on the back of the deep bowl. My Ovation has that odd plastic finish. I like the headstock but it's a bitch to keep a clip-on tuner. They sound good un-plugged but are meant to be played electric but I find that it's way too bright for me taste. Also the guitar is a 68' N guitars either get better or worst over time. I have a Yamaha classical from 1966 n the sound is perfect, cool also check Their All electric models they made in the mid 70's...
I place my tuner just below the low e string pin.
I have a 80's Ovation and it annoys me how it sounds a lot better then my Martin and a few Taylor's that I've played. In my opinion they sound better then they look, and holds tune a lot better. The headstock is made strange so it holds tune, thats why Music Man guitars hold tune really well and Gibson's and Fender always goes out of tune ( electric ). As for the round back its for tune and it dose sound's amazing, only problem I can think of is that the edges are sharp and hurts your arms when you play it.
Ovation Guitars was founded in 1965 by Charles Kaman in New Hartford, Connecticut. You have a really nice piece of history there Dude.
In addition to 18 other Ovations (and countless Martins, Taylors, Gibsons, etc.) , I also own that same 1968 Deluxe model (but mine is a sunburst). I have also amassed a photo collection of world-elite musicians (100+ individuals) playing Ovations over the course of the past six decades to present.. so based on that, alone, anyone who cares to can freely stuff the notion that Ovations are not a high-end, professional product into the depth of their dark crevice. As well, if headstock design.. of all things.. is a deal breaker on overall guitar evaluation, then someone of such ilk is likely not even a "guitar player", much less a "guitarist". The shiny bowls were only in the very first couple of years of Ovation production, then went over to the textured Lyrachord that is still in use today.. and is essentially the same material that the Kaman Aircraft Company uses for their helicopter blades since the harmonic balance is required to be absolutely perfect (too techie? sorry. but please don't call it 'plastic'.) Oh, and the wood is New England spruce (USA Ovations are made in Connecticut). Which brings us to the history of the Kaman Music Company's founder, Charlie Kaman, and its technical evolution, of which is.. no doubt.. the most fascinating of any guitar story and an American treasure... so maybe read up on that and get back to us later (if you dare). And it's not like I am picking on the poster here since he did, after all, seem to eventually come to his senses.. but if David Gilmour is, in fact, your "guitar hero", then you obviously have not done your homework on him yet either or you would surely know that he originally wrote "Comfortably Numb" and several other Pink Floyd classics on an Ovation. I could go on.. but.. well.. point made for now.
I love Ovations, this model must be one of the best! A real slice of history too!
Hey man what’s that you were playing at the beginning
Heart of life by John Mayer
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 dude... same here totally agree on everything.
I have a deluce too
I was a teen back in the '70s and '80s and Ovation acoustic guitars were the industry standard back then. Just about every famous guitarist had one. At one point, Ovation outsold the previous industry standards (Gibson and Martin). The problem with acoustic guitars in the '50s and '60s was that they had to be miked. Guitarists couldn't be mobile on stage, they had to sit there with a microphone in front of the soundhole. Also, feedback was a big problem. Ovation came along in the late '60s and changed everything. Ovation also made their guitars feel more like electric guitars with slim necks and low action. I've always loved Ovations.
Dude, tune up!
Srry 😅
Damn i aint evet heard of an ovation guitar
My actual dream guitar, straight outta the Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour... Man what a legendary guitar...
I love the headstock on these guitars
Here are some other people, a short list, who played Ovation guitars over their careers.
Glenn Campbell was a big endorser of them.
Al Di Meola was an Ovation player.
Brian May…. Roy Orbison…. Larry Coryell…. Melissa Etheridge….. Mark Knopfler…. Preston Reed…. Neil Diamond… Shania Twain… Cat Stevens…. Eddie Van Halen…. Steve Lukather…. Steve Vai…. Kenny Rogers…. Chet Atkins…. John Mac Laughlin…. Alex Lifeson…. Paul Simon…. Shakira… both John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
Roger Waters and David Gilmour of Pink Floyd.
Yngwie Malmsteen had a signature line with Ovation.
Tom Shultz of and the guys in Boston….remember their album covers?
Malmsteen… the older I get the more I respect the man lol
Its not a skunk stripe. And that headstock make its tuningstability if you are a heavy bender much better than what it is with a Gibson or similar. The back as far as i know even on that 60's model is carbon fiber
It's a 5-piece neck.
I remember a time that if you saw someone playing an acoustic guitar on TV, it was more likely than not an Ovation. From the early seventies through the nineties Ovation guitars were played by anybody that was somebody, and musicians don't often play an instrument just because it was put in their hands, their funny like that, it has to be good.
At first I was like "what a stupid reason not to give a guitar a chance." But then I remembered the headstocks on the EVH Wolfgangs and I totally feel where you're coming from.
Not a skunk track....5 piece lamination on Ovation neck.... fender just wood strip to cover tension rod .
Read the history of the Ovation guitar, it might help you understand the concepts better.
Great , what are strings there at this guitar?
I own one..the round back is my least favorite part on this guitar .I don't like playing it standing
I've always loved Ovation's sound, but like you I hated that round plastic back and the headstock reminded me of some old violin or something. But when I played them the rounded back would force me to support it with my left hand while trying to play so it didn't slip.
Maybe 10yrs ago, a friend of a friend had a 2000 Collectors Edition and needed money. He actually gave it to me as collateral to lend him $100(canadian dollars too!), then I never heard back from him, just like I'd assumed would happen. I ended up just getting a strip of rubber and put it on the underside(not permanently stuck on, it comes off and sticks back on easily). It worked great and now it my favorite acoustic I own. I've been thinking of getting an Ovation 12 string too. Great video!
I actually bought a lefty so it was super slippery and I put some Emory cloth it but it sands my leg… not kidding, not smart. I was much younger…
What exactly did you use?
@@-davidolivares I went to Home Depot and got this tacky rubber sheet stuff. It was in the bath and shower section and it so you put it down on the floor of the shower so you don't slip. It's not adhesive, its just sort of sticky but you can take it off and put it back on repeatedly and it won't leave any residue.
Pretty much any material that creates friction will work. They make sand paper adhesive tape for factory stairs and walkways which would work well. Just don't stick it directly to the guitar. Put masking tape on the guitar than stick it to the tape. It'll peel off easily.
Edit: just realized you'd tried Emory cloth. Any soft rubber is your best bet. Check the shower stuff.
@@RByrne
I will, thank you.
Makes more sense. It’s not a great place for a whole in your jeans!
Glen Campbell really put the Ovation Guitar's on the map back in the late 60s. Glen always had one playing Gentle On My Mind when he would open his TV show "Hello I'm Glen Campbell" was heard by over 30 million folks on TV along with Glen's Ovation Balladeer signature model. Glen liked them because the pickup was high tech and you could really play them loud lead tones and you wouldn't have the feedback issues.
Wow! Are used to watch Glen Campbell back then and didn’t realize that he was playing Ovation. I was just a kid.
I'm thinking the paper says DELUCE instead of DELUXE because it's a typo caused by the person who typed it and with the C and X being so close together on the keyboard.
LOL u rly think so? That’d be hilarious if true 😂
The fricken headstock doesn't matter unless it won't hold tuning. Your right about the big bowl, the round devil will slip whether you're sitting or standing. That composite bowl material was first developed by Kamen for helicopter blades. As for sounds, the Balladeer and above have clear tones and great playability. I've seen electric guitars with worse fingerboards. That being said, I enjoyed your playing on this review.
I have that!!
Nice dude. What year?
Don’t change the strings for a few months and the tone levels out really nicely on an Ovation. A year and and you’re in Nick Drake territory using CGCFCE tuning (capo on 2 usually)
I have a balladeer as well. Love the look, martins look to boring for me.
I don’t really care for Ovation Guitars either. When I went to go stay and live with my grandparents, my grand aunt lent me her Ovation guitar, because I had to leave my other acoustic guitar behind so I used it for a good 9 months, until I got an Epiphone Masterbilt Texan.
Headstock is fine dude. Chill out
Not my style
The back isn't fiberglass, It's a material specially designed for resonance and vibration. The shape was also designed for the best vibrational resonance. The put a year and a half of scientific research into developing it.
I love my ovation. Cuz it fits my smaller Asian frame. 😂 And it sounds dope.
You should play a 12string around the same year. Most beautiful guitar I’ve ever played.
Melissa Ethridge
He doesn't know his guitars.....
I agree the headstock design is a bit ugly, remided me a little of a duck's bill. Ovation seem to have shallow, medium and deep bowl models, this appears to be the deep bowl type. I think the idea with the textured back is to try and prevent slipping, which it does'nt. You definately need a guitar strap with one of these!
You obviously don't know much. I worked for Charlie Kaman for years. He also created Gibraltar drums using Aerospace material, (honeycomb)
I really like my ovation headstock, a LOT more than my Les Paul. Only my ESP is a better headstock design for me. The ovation runs back takes some getting used to... my big 46 year old belly is repelling the guitar away from me 😞
If you watch repeats on TH-cam of the Midnight Special from the early 70s you will see a lot of Ovation guitars
I once played an ovation at Guitar Center. Strings snapped on me.
Very unlucky lol
The stripes aren't there for viewing pleasure ( But it does look sweet)Its a five piece neck. That buzz on the top e , mine does as well 12-15 are unplayable But I really don't need to play those notes there anyway.
Judging a guitar because you don't like the headstock is like hating a bottle of wine because you didn't like the shape of the bottle. It's made to be played.
They aren’t great to play sitting down but on stage they are amazing and cut through the mix when a martin or taylor would give too much feedback.
A great way to tell how a guitar is going to sound is to to tune it.
Very insightful…..
I haven't read the other comments (I'm in a rush) so forgive me if this is redundant. You hate Ovation because you've probably only test played the non-USA made Celebrity series models, which DO sound plastic. Any USA Ovation with a center hole from '68 to '08 WILL sound like your "new" vintage. I've played the Acoustic-Electric series models since '72 and they all sound exceptional. I have 5 different models, each for a particular style of music. The only clunker is the Celebrity, which is my standard tuning stage backup. Plugged in, it's passable. Unplugged, ugh. I can't speak for any of the models made after the GEWA acquisition of Ovation, as I've not had the opportunity. I can only speak to the sound & playability of the Kamen Company owned original Ovation instruments, made in the USA.
And, I stay far away from the foreign made "Adamas" style Ovations. Acoustically, they're not too good. The actual Adamas models are excellent. Carbon-fiber tops, carved exotic woods, premium electronics. EXCELLENT instruments.
Hope this helps.
Ovation made solid body electric guitars briefly in the 70's, but they never sold well so they stopped making them
It sounds like you dislike the aesthetic dovetail shape of the end of the headstock, which is totally irrelevant to anything. If you did your research (Wikipedia would work) you would find out that the material that forms the body isn’t fiberglass, but an advanced material that is an early version of carbon fiber, stronger than steel and very light. Helicopter rotors were made of it. The paper inside the guitar isn’t original. The original had a metal plate saying Ovation. I have a 1973 Glen Campbell. It originally had a rubber patch to help keep it in your knee, but I just use a strap. It was the most advanced guitar of its time and maybe of all time and it was an expensive instrument. In 1973, it cost $480. You could get a Martin for less. That’s about $5,000 in today’s dollars.
I loved the sound of ovation guitars, but can't stand the round back because of the exact reason you said, even with a strap, it slips and is annoying to play.
Install a strap pin to the underside of the neck heel. That helps a lot.
After the 9th "dude" I clicked off.
Srry dude
MY step mom owns one and i'm trying to get it off of her it's sounds decent.
do whatever it takes to get it.......
those tuners are brass the best they ever made
Sounds out of tune or something
Next time try to tune your instrument. I am owner of Ovation 6773 LX ,and I must say ,that it is great instrument, build from high level of wood with beautiful sound. About neck, you are wrong saying about two pieces of wood, infact this neck is made from five pieces. Al di Meola, one of the greatest guitarist, often play Ovation, he also has his signature model Ovation called Al do Meola.
maybe your right.but for me,i love ovation nylon string classical guitar.not of those steel string
The reasons why you didn't like Ovation guitars are the exact reasons why i have always liked them a lot.
Yeah, that awful headstock with the far straighter string pulls than Gibson.The backing of that, and all Ovation Guitars is called Lyrachord. Mr Kaman, Inventor and Owner of Ovation Guitars was a Helicopter technician, and thought he could use the same material used for helicopter blades to create Rigid Backs for guitars. This rigidness makes the Ovation Sustain very well, and it sings loud, but part of the trick is the curved back. You get a more rounded, warmer tone, especially from the models with epaulet sound holes, because the round back, mathematically matches the 2 halves of an Archtop Guitar. These were Highly Engineered. At one point it was either the neck or the fretboard that they experimented making from aluminum Billet. I have 2 mid-70s Ovations, and no, they aren't for sale.....
Also note any time you see a late 60s-early 80s TV, Ovations are super prevalent. They were the guitar to have at the time. The reason yours is slick , is because it was before they applied spray texture, to deter the sliding problem.
There is an all wood Ovation!
YM 68 K with a Mahogany back.👍
Helps if you tune it proper brother.
Tune it for me
I don't know if the American made Ovations are better, but I have a Chinese made CE44P-SM. I'm not that impressed with the sound, and after less than 3 years, the preamp is dead. I'll be lucky to get $50 for it now.
It doesn't look the way the ovations look that I have seen, I own an ovation Elite standard 6868 Hartford U.S which is nearly 40 years old and has a wood top, but the body doesn't look shiny like the one in video, which does look plastic and cheap and to be honest, it looks like a copy. If says ovation delux on the headstock but inside is written deluce, then I get more surspicious. The Label inside doesn't look like the label from Hartford U.S.A either.
Tune up please.
Years ago I had an ovation celebrity, I think it was...purely acoustic...had no pick up. I don't think it sounded great and I passed it on quickly.
Unlike you, I actually like the look, think it's interesting. I concluded that they really need a pick up to sound good.
I loved the headstock.
"You hate them till you play them" - Ovation