so i need a new guitar as im playing loads more and want one that is more of a pleasure to play - especially as i really need to be posting some videos up!
i currently have a low end entry level guitar which has done me well up until now but my buddy has a super nice Takamine which i find a joy to play.
I have been looking at Taks for a while but then i spotted a couple of ovation guitars... these things look insane with three small sound holes instead of one centralised one and, although i have not yet picked one up, apparently they are very nice to play.
Does anyone have any experience with ovation guitars who could throw some advice my way?
Thanks, Matt
ovation guitars?
Hey Matt, Checkout http://www.ovationfanclub.com lots of good info there. I have 2 Ovations. A 1983 acoustic Anniversary (model #1157) and a 1982 acoustic/electric Anniversary (model #1657). I love my '83. I'm the original owner and was offered $10k for it this weekend (mostly in jest) but I turned it down. I love that guitar. I think the best Ovation is the Custom Legend but others (at OvationFanClub.com) swear by the Adamas (the guitar with the mulitple soundholes). Good luck with your search.
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mattroutley
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thanks mate, i'll check that site out now 
Matt- I've owned a couple of Ovations and they area okay. I just couldn't get past the rounded back. They wouldn't sit on my lap without sliding out. Ovation has modified the back shape to make it more user friendly but I haven't played one. If you play standing up it isn't an issue but it was a big issue for me.
They have a nice sound and a good neck and seem well made. But I always look to what the pros are playing even if I couldn't afford a pro-level guitar. And other than Melissa Ethridge's famous 12-string you just don't see them much anymore. I think the pros have moved on to other guitar makers.
I think Tak's are good, solid guitars and are known to be bullet-proof. Plus they have lots of levels so depending on your budget they are accessable.
If money is tight, I would look hard at Seagull, a very well made Canadian guitar. Their S-6 is a real bargain in my book.
As most everyone knows I am a huge Taylor fan and this great guitar maker now has several really nice lower priced guitars. You buy Taylor for their brilliant sound, great necks and consistant quality. I have never recommended a Taylor to anyone who didn't come back later and tell me they were in love with it, reagardless of model.
Plus the pros are all playing them now which is significant because Taylor has never paid professional musicians to play their instruments. They have to buy them just like we do!
Good luck with your search. Guitar quality has skyrocketed with the advent of the computerized milling machines so go find one you like, play it and if it's right for you buy it and enjoy it! It's hard to go too far wrong nowadays!
Cheers! :cheer:
They have a nice sound and a good neck and seem well made. But I always look to what the pros are playing even if I couldn't afford a pro-level guitar. And other than Melissa Ethridge's famous 12-string you just don't see them much anymore. I think the pros have moved on to other guitar makers.
I think Tak's are good, solid guitars and are known to be bullet-proof. Plus they have lots of levels so depending on your budget they are accessable.
If money is tight, I would look hard at Seagull, a very well made Canadian guitar. Their S-6 is a real bargain in my book.
As most everyone knows I am a huge Taylor fan and this great guitar maker now has several really nice lower priced guitars. You buy Taylor for their brilliant sound, great necks and consistant quality. I have never recommended a Taylor to anyone who didn't come back later and tell me they were in love with it, reagardless of model.
Plus the pros are all playing them now which is significant because Taylor has never paid professional musicians to play their instruments. They have to buy them just like we do!
Good luck with your search. Guitar quality has skyrocketed with the advent of the computerized milling machines so go find one you like, play it and if it's right for you buy it and enjoy it! It's hard to go too far wrong nowadays!
Cheers! :cheer:
Great advice here..
I would add...try every guitar regardless of price on the low side within your budget, brands you would not normally glance at sideways..do this because you will be shocked at some of them and how well you gel with them...not all but some,..
My 400 buck Guild is dead set better than almost all the guitars I have picked up that cost up to 5000 bucks..I kid you not..and the guy who put me on to this particular guitar, was a professional and succesful punk rock band member, who drove me in his Maserati down to the store..he had 2 of them, and I saw his collection...it included one off prototypes from the biggest names in the business, he felt this guitar was so good...400 bucks..!!
So try all of them out..and the one that "feels" like you could play it all day...that is the one...regardless of what name is written on the thing...
I would add...try every guitar regardless of price on the low side within your budget, brands you would not normally glance at sideways..do this because you will be shocked at some of them and how well you gel with them...not all but some,..
My 400 buck Guild is dead set better than almost all the guitars I have picked up that cost up to 5000 bucks..I kid you not..and the guy who put me on to this particular guitar, was a professional and succesful punk rock band member, who drove me in his Maserati down to the store..he had 2 of them, and I saw his collection...it included one off prototypes from the biggest names in the business, he felt this guitar was so good...400 bucks..!!
So try all of them out..and the one that "feels" like you could play it all day...that is the one...regardless of what name is written on the thing...
Hello Matt.You can see my Ovation in video s from me.
I have the Celeberty 168cc.
Boucht this guitar fore 50% seal,that whas my chanch to do it.
This serrie is made in i mean Corea.
The other serries made in the U.S.A.
The Ovation with the 3 little sound holes,that 3 holles make the same diameter as one sound hole.
I hope you understand my writing.
greetz Anton
I have the Celeberty 168cc.
Boucht this guitar fore 50% seal,that whas my chanch to do it.
This serrie is made in i mean Corea.
The other serries made in the U.S.A.
The Ovation with the 3 little sound holes,that 3 holles make the same diameter as one sound hole.
I hope you understand my writing.
greetz Anton
BigBear wrote:
If you look at my avatar, you will see my Applause (by Ovation) in the Adamas style (but not my belly). The design has a great cool factor, but I wouldn't get it again with the experience I have today.
I heartily second the Bear's recommendations
There is a problem with round-back guitars and round-front guitar players (even standing up). I say this from personal experience... B)...I just couldn't get past the rounded back. They wouldn't sit on my lap without sliding out. Ovation has modified the back shape to make it more user friendly but I haven't played one. If you play standing up it isn't an issue but it was a big issue for me...
If you look at my avatar, you will see my Applause (by Ovation) in the Adamas style (but not my belly). The design has a great cool factor, but I wouldn't get it again with the experience I have today.
I heartily second the Bear's recommendations
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all_thumbs
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I have had, and currently own, several Ovation guitars. My very first was a Custom Balladeer purchased new in 1980. That very first Ovation had the sweetest neck and I have for ever compared my guitar necks to that one as a benchmark. Obviously I would not have so many if they were not good and even great guitars. I stayed away from the Applause line for obvious reasons even though I sometimes could pick up one that sounded and played reasonably for as little as $25US, they just lack overall quality. Ovations are famous for the roundback bowl body. The bowls come in several depths, the deeper the bowl the bigger the bottom end sound. If you are going to play out without the aid of amplification then a deep bowl is the way to go, otherwise a shallower bowl and pick-up will make up for the difference in natural sound.
It takes a little getting used to playing a round back guitar. Playing strapped and standing, once you play it for an hour or so, is easy and comfortable and I feel that I have more control over the guitar when I sling it a little right on my body. Sitting down is a very different story. The round body does not rest well on a leg, and tends to slip out occasionally. This is mostly when you sit erect with stick straight posture. I tend to play mostly standing but when I do play sitting I sit lazy, kind of relaxed and even bent a little forward over the guitar. This is very comfortable with a round back in fact, it is easy to end up fully involved and wrapped around the guitar. I feel that for every sitting position made difficult with a round back, there are two new ones that are perfect for one. Picture these for instance, in a hammock on your back or sitting accross it, slouched in a big fat comfortable chair or sitting in the sand on a beach. Any time your body cannot comfortable fold around the square edges of a traditional guitar is a time for an Ovation. This is not to say that an Ovation is suitable only were other guitars are not.
My advice is to go to a store and play several. My favorite overall is the S778 Elite Special. For the money it is one of the best guitars they make. There are certainly more expensive ones but dollar for dollar this is my pick. It is a medium depth body acoustic/electric with no finish on the top or neck. It is smooth as silk and I feel that the sound, with the lack of a lacquer finish on the top, is full, natural, almost angelic and still commanding in any setting. You know it is an Ovation when this guitar is playing, even from another room. Check it out if you get a chance.
Ovation factory makes nice, predictable, affordable and good sounding guitars. If you have the extra cash though, go for an Adamas. Adamas is the custom line for Ovation. Every guitar is perfect and a joy to play. I have a Mellisa Etheridge carbon fiber 12 string from Adamas. It can sound like a six string or a full chorus of 12 strings. Amazing guitar. You can hear it on her album entitled "Skin". The carbon fiber top is magic for sound variation. You can now take muting up to your forearm by either damping or clearing the top with your forearm or elbow. It actually changes the volume noticeably.
I have a few more but the last one I will mention is the double neck. I bought this just because it was cool. It is a beast to play unless you hook a weight to the strap lock on the tail. The necks make it way top heavy and the guitar wants to dive to the floor head first all the time. The fix is the weight hanging from the tail but this makes it feel heavier than I like. I hardly play that one.
Another good acoustic guitar line to look at, believe it or not, is Dean. Their acoustics are less expensive, built nearly perfect and if you get a maple body version you get crisply defined high end while you can beat on the low end without losing the highs. I bought a Dean Zen when they made that once in a lifetime 500 unit numbered copy run. I wish I had bought a dozen of them. If you can find one snatch it up, maybe e-bay.
Lastly, the only hit I can put on the Ovations is perhaps electronics. Of course, if you have ever played the Expression setup from Taylor no other acoustic/electric electronics meet the grade. I have twenty something guitars and six of them are from Ovation. That says something I guess. I have Martins, a Taylor, a Yari, couple Fenders and one from Robin. Each guitar, with the exception of the Zen and the ME 12 string, were played for hours before purchase. That is what it really takes. Grab a friend and head to a guitar shop. Sit on the stool and close your eyes. Have your friend just pick guitars and hand them to you. Play them, feel them, listen to them. Buy the one that feels and sounds the best, regardless of make and within your budget. Can't go wrong there.
Hope this was useful and informative.
It takes a little getting used to playing a round back guitar. Playing strapped and standing, once you play it for an hour or so, is easy and comfortable and I feel that I have more control over the guitar when I sling it a little right on my body. Sitting down is a very different story. The round body does not rest well on a leg, and tends to slip out occasionally. This is mostly when you sit erect with stick straight posture. I tend to play mostly standing but when I do play sitting I sit lazy, kind of relaxed and even bent a little forward over the guitar. This is very comfortable with a round back in fact, it is easy to end up fully involved and wrapped around the guitar. I feel that for every sitting position made difficult with a round back, there are two new ones that are perfect for one. Picture these for instance, in a hammock on your back or sitting accross it, slouched in a big fat comfortable chair or sitting in the sand on a beach. Any time your body cannot comfortable fold around the square edges of a traditional guitar is a time for an Ovation. This is not to say that an Ovation is suitable only were other guitars are not.
My advice is to go to a store and play several. My favorite overall is the S778 Elite Special. For the money it is one of the best guitars they make. There are certainly more expensive ones but dollar for dollar this is my pick. It is a medium depth body acoustic/electric with no finish on the top or neck. It is smooth as silk and I feel that the sound, with the lack of a lacquer finish on the top, is full, natural, almost angelic and still commanding in any setting. You know it is an Ovation when this guitar is playing, even from another room. Check it out if you get a chance.
Ovation factory makes nice, predictable, affordable and good sounding guitars. If you have the extra cash though, go for an Adamas. Adamas is the custom line for Ovation. Every guitar is perfect and a joy to play. I have a Mellisa Etheridge carbon fiber 12 string from Adamas. It can sound like a six string or a full chorus of 12 strings. Amazing guitar. You can hear it on her album entitled "Skin". The carbon fiber top is magic for sound variation. You can now take muting up to your forearm by either damping or clearing the top with your forearm or elbow. It actually changes the volume noticeably.
I have a few more but the last one I will mention is the double neck. I bought this just because it was cool. It is a beast to play unless you hook a weight to the strap lock on the tail. The necks make it way top heavy and the guitar wants to dive to the floor head first all the time. The fix is the weight hanging from the tail but this makes it feel heavier than I like. I hardly play that one.
Another good acoustic guitar line to look at, believe it or not, is Dean. Their acoustics are less expensive, built nearly perfect and if you get a maple body version you get crisply defined high end while you can beat on the low end without losing the highs. I bought a Dean Zen when they made that once in a lifetime 500 unit numbered copy run. I wish I had bought a dozen of them. If you can find one snatch it up, maybe e-bay.
Lastly, the only hit I can put on the Ovations is perhaps electronics. Of course, if you have ever played the Expression setup from Taylor no other acoustic/electric electronics meet the grade. I have twenty something guitars and six of them are from Ovation. That says something I guess. I have Martins, a Taylor, a Yari, couple Fenders and one from Robin. Each guitar, with the exception of the Zen and the ME 12 string, were played for hours before purchase. That is what it really takes. Grab a friend and head to a guitar shop. Sit on the stool and close your eyes. Have your friend just pick guitars and hand them to you. Play them, feel them, listen to them. Buy the one that feels and sounds the best, regardless of make and within your budget. Can't go wrong there.
Hope this was useful and informative.
TGMatt wrote:
Not brown nosing here but this is the best advice to date.. try and try and try before you buy.Great advice here..
I would add...try every guitar regardless of price on the low side within your budget, brands you would not normally glance at sideways..do this because you will be shocked at some of them and how well you gel with them...not all but some,..
My 400 buck Guild is dead set better than almost all the guitars I have picked up that cost up to 5000 bucks..I kid you not..and the guy who put me on to this particular guitar, was a professional and succesful punk rock band member, who drove me in his Maserati down to the store..he had 2 of them, and I saw his collection...it included one off prototypes from the biggest names in the business, he felt this guitar was so good...400 bucks..!!
So try all of them out..and the one that "feels" like you could play it all day...that is the one...regardless of what name is written on the thing...
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mattroutley
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Sun Sep 20, 2009 5:27 am
- Status: Offline
Thanks for all the advice guys, you've excelled yourselves!!
Bear - I'll check out seagul guitars. I've never heard of them and don't know if they are even in the uk but I will keep my eye out.
Matt - guild guitars I have heard of but I have always passed
them off as cheap tat without playing them. I'll look at them differently from
now on.
I have the uk equivalant of about $500 to spend so I will tour the shops
this weekend and see what I can find.
Thanks again for the advice all and I'll let
you know what I end up with
Bear - I'll check out seagul guitars. I've never heard of them and don't know if they are even in the uk but I will keep my eye out.
Matt - guild guitars I have heard of but I have always passed
them off as cheap tat without playing them. I'll look at them differently from
now on.
I have the uk equivalant of about $500 to spend so I will tour the shops
this weekend and see what I can find.
Thanks again for the advice all and I'll let
you know what I end up with