Question: Ovation acoustics...

Peeker

Peeker

jerkass
seem to be generally disliked around these parts.

why? :confused:

I don't really know much about them.
so, please inform me.
 
I don't care for their sound and you really can't play them sitting down, they slide off your leg, at least when I play them. I haven't played one in probably close to 20 years.
 
okay, yeah, I did encounter that sliding issue when I tried one years back.
annoying as hell.

I don't remember the sound at all though.
 
the necks warp and seperate from the body. but not before the fingerboard develops a giant hump in it between the 12th fret and the soundhole.

the top is covered in epoxy and it cracks as the guitar ages.

the electronics sound like shit by today's standards.

the bowl back makes the instrument slide into a wedged kinda position that makes fretting uncomfortable.
 
My kid has one. A shallow bowl Celebrity with cutaway.
Pros..Electric-like neck, easy playability, sound good plugged in, lw maintenance, not finicky about weather.
Cons...Don't sound all that great unplugged. Not awful, just...different. You don't get those big booming sounds like you would out of a nice dread or something. The round back can slide around on your lap while sitting.

They were made to played plugged in and that's what they're good at. They don't feed back easily and they're light.

Good at what they do, but if you're after a nice acoustic to play unplugged, this isn't it.

EG
 
I knew a guy back in the 80's that had one. A pretty good guitarist really, but he had such a boner for Ovation (which is apparently the only way it'll stay on your lap) and couldn't shut up about how much better the rounded back was for sound that I avoided him until he finally disappeared forever.
 
Help!I'maRock! said:
the necks warp and seperate from the body. but not before the fingerboard develops a giant hump in it between the 12th fret and the soundhole.

the top is covered in epoxy and it cracks as the guitar ages.

the electronics sound like shit by today's standards.

the bowl back makes the instrument slide into a wedged kinda position that makes fretting uncomfortable.
Click to expand...

Fucking this. I sold my Ovation and was stoked. They were cool when I was in high school and didn't know any better.
 
When ovations first hit the music scene in the 70's they served a great purpose of being a quality stage instrument that had a decent amplified tone and had plug-in ease (as opposed to standing in front of a mounted mic to get the sound to the PA). The epoxy back also helped make the guitars less susceptible to the heat and moisture issues that often make acoustics go out of tune in stage situations. They have never had a good 'acoustic' tone on their own though, but some players just love them. I owned an Ovation 12-string for probably ten years and liked it. I do not really care much for them any longer...
 
I had one that just recently got stolen.

I had it since new in '90 or so.....

It was a deep-dish model.

I hated it.

My biggest gripe with a plastic-backed guitar is that there is no "warmth" to it, and it was nigh on impossible to play sitting down.

Plastic doesn't "age" or break in, it just sort of "is".
 
To pile on, they:

Sound ok to decent plugged in
Sound like moist ass acoustically
PITA to play sitting down
Playing one, you like ya came straight off the set of Hot Tub Time Machine


I bought one when I was in Jr high...I think I traded it in on another guitar with in a year or two.
 
I like mine. I did have the neck removed and reglued but once done, the guitar was like magic again - in even better. The electronics also are decent.
 
I've actually played a couple that sounded pretty good, even acoustically. :shrug:

I owned a Dillion copy for a long time. It was an okay enough gigging acoustic. Played really well and sounded okay plugged in. That one did sound like moist ass acoustically though.

P1020572.jpg
 
Peeker said:
I do like the look of the top on that....
Click to expand...

those Ovation copies had a multitude of names on the headstock before they were issued a cease and desist. we have one at the music school that's a New York Pro, and it's one of the better Ovations i've ever played. course, that's like saying it's the least smelly piece of shit, but you get the idea.
 
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