Opinion on Ovation Guitars

[TORQED]

I am looking to purchase a electric Acoustic guitar . I have a couple of friends that play

different types of guitars one Ovation And one a offbrand acoustic i love the feel of the Ovation but are they worth the money?

[katopp]

 

I am looking to purchase a electric Acoustic guitar . I have a couple of friends that play different types of guitars one Ovation And one a offbrand acoustic i love the feel of the Ovation but are they worth the money?

 

 

I like them.

They are robust, they have nice necks, they sound good - to the audience, that is - and they are good performers, especially when played over an amp.

 

Cons are that the bowlback might not suit everyone and that the thinner models sound weak, when played acoustically. From mid-bowl upwards, they have a decent sound - but you have to like it.

 

Sound is personal preference anyway. Some like Martin and despise Taylor sounds, some like Taylors and despise Gibsons... I like Ovations for what they are.

 

So, IMHO, nobody will be right or wrong telling you to buy or to avoid. Even though I - personally - like them, all I can say is: Play around, play everything you can afford and a tad more and if you still like the Ovation (and probably you will), it's the one for you...

[garthman]

Hello & Welcome

 

 

I like them. They are robust, they have nice necks, they sound good - to the audience, that is - and they are good performers, especially when played over an amp. . . .

 

 

Yes. I like them too.

[Terry Allan Hall]

Used to own a couple...great instruments to take on the road, and they sound good plugged in, but not so great unplugged.

 

The sound I'd get by plugging in and micing them, simultaneously, wasn't bad at all. if the soundperson knew his/her stuff.

 

The six-string had a nice neck, the 12-string didn't, but these were older instruments (about '73, if I recall correctly), and the current 12-strings have vastly better necks. The problematic 12-strings had a 12-fret-to-body neck, the good ones have 14-frets-to-the-body.

 

Note the slotted head...avoid this series!

 

Solid head...generally a keeper!

[mike003]

I absolutely love my '76 Ovation. It has the original deep bowl, and I was quite skinny when I got it. 35 years later, I also have a deep bowl on my front, and it's just not the same, especially sitting down. But I love Ovations and want to try the new Contour Bowl to see if that works out better. Here's the different backs.

http://www.ovationguitars.com/howtochoose

[missedmyexit]

I don't like them at all, don't like the look, the feel, hate that when on the lap they slide right off because of the rounded bowl and not a big fan of the tone unplugged. That said to each their own, I've known plenty of people who own em and love them. One positive thing I can say is they seem to be built pretty solidly. Haven't heard of any falling apart or any complaints in the longevity department. My ear is certainly not the end all be all so I'ld suggest trying them out in the store and judging for yourself. Guitars are worth what you are willing to pay for them and that can change person to person.

[Freeman Keller]

I don't like them at all, don't like the look, the feel, hate that when on the lap they slide right off because of the rounded bowl and not a big fan of the tone unplugged. That said to each their own, I've known plenty of people who own em and love them. One positive thing I can say is they seem to be built pretty solidly. Haven't heard of any falling apart or any complaints in the longevity department. My ear is certainly not the end all be all so I'ld suggest trying them out in the store and judging for yourself. Guitars are worth what you are willing to pay for them and that can change person to person.

 

I happen to agree with all of this. I'll add that I've worked on a couple and find them almost impossible to work on. I'm not crazy about non-pinned bridges and they are impossible to reset the the neck (one that I worked on needed it, that was the first and I hope last time that I'll ever shave a bridge).

 

Here is the bracing on a Balladeer - might be why some people don't like their acoustic tone

 

[blue2blue]

 

I like them. They are robust, they have nice necks, they sound good - to the audience, that is - and they are good performers, especially when played over an amp. Cons are that the bowlback might not suit everyone and that the thinner models sound weak, when played acoustically. From mid-bowl upwards, they have a decent sound - but you have to like it. Sound is personal preference anyway. Some like Martin and despise Taylor sounds, some like Taylors and despise Gibsons... I like Ovations for what they are. So, IMHO, nobody will be right or wrong telling you to buy or to avoid. Even though I - personally - like them, all I can say is: Play around, play everything you can afford and a tad more and if you still like the Ovation (and probably you will), it's the one for you...

 

I'm with this. I have an Ovation/Celebrity shallow, cutaway auditorium. For the money ($300US when new) it's served me very well. I got it because it had a built in transducer -- I can't say that sounds very good, but I almost never hear transducers or acoustic p/u's that do -- even those that cost hundreds just for the pick up. There are a few. I also have an Applause full depth with no cutaway that's a real workhorse.

 

The shallow one doesn't sound great just playing it -- although it sounds better from the auidence side, to be sure -- but it records really well from some perspectives. I often find myself momentarily surprised by tracks I've used it on. The full depth model records pretty well as I remember it, as well, but it's been a while. YMMV.

 

One kvetch: when I was playing those guitars a lot, they wore out the right, top of thigh of my levis from the dang no slip surface. (Which, in the case of the shallow back is still not no slip enough. I finally just started using a strap, even seated, to keep the thing from slipping down and rolling face up in my lap.)

[WashburnGuy]

 

I don't like them at all, don't like the look, the feel, hate that when on the lap they slide right off because of the rounded bowl and not a big fan of the tone unplugged. That said to each their own, I've known plenty of people who own em and love them. One positive thing I can say is they seem to be built pretty solidly. Haven't heard of any falling apart or any complaints in the longevity department. My ear is certainly not the end all be all so I'ld suggest trying them out in the store and judging for yourself. Guitars are worth what you are willing to pay for them and that can change person to person.

 

 

My answer.....word for word!

[Terry Allan Hall]

I absolutely love my '76 Ovation. It has the original deep bowl, and I was quite skinny when I got it. 35 years later, I also have a deep bowl on my front, and it's just not the same, especially sitting down. But I love Ovations and want to try the new Contour Bowl to see if that works out better. Here's the different backs. http://www.ovationguitars.com/howtochoose

 

I finally moved the strap-pin a bit to make mine not move around while I played...back about 10" and halfway down the bowl...once played a festival that had Jerry Jeff Walker as one of the headliners, and he kindly turned me on to that trick.

[bluzboy]

 

One positive thing I can say is they seem to be built pretty solidly. Haven't heard of any falling apart or any complaints in the longevity department.

 

 

I actually like Ovations--I have two of them--but I've got to take issue with this observation. Both of my Ovations (a 1976 Balladeer and Celebrity AE from the 1990s) had problems with the bridge lifting up. Don't know if this has to do with the pinless constuction or something else, but as Freeman Keller already noted, they are a bitch to repair--as I understand it, due to Ovation's use of epoxy in manufacturing. Just wanted to give you a head's up on this.

[Chordchunker]

I like them, but like any brand of guitar there are I like more than others.. One of the finest acoustic guitars I`ve heard was a top of the line Adamas in the early mid 1980`s.. They work for Bireli Lagrene and Babik Reinhardt (django`s son).

 

uRCsydCSd2I

[recordingtrack1]

I've personally owned one and have played several. Higher end models are decent sounding plugged and not so much unplugged. Cheaper models sound thin and tinny plugged or unplugged (to me). Round bowl back is weird and uncomfortable standing and worse sitting. Like B2B says, if you don't wear a strap, it'll roll face up into your lap. I won't buy another. I actually gave mine away. There are a lot nicer guitars out there for the same money that sound good unplugged, which is the way you'll most likely play it most of the time.

[Tony Burns]

I owned two different custom balladeers at different times -kinda funny how they both found me- they were like magnets to me ( if that makes any sense ) bought one in the late seventies and the other around 1980 -for the time i had them they sounded great threw an amp - about the only guitar made with a decent pickup system at the time- the second one was traded for my OM28v back in 2005 . As an acoustic it was mediocre sounding, as an acoustic Electric it was good . But it was a guitar that never got any better in the sound area as it aged . They have some low end models that are not to pricey - maybe a good guitar for a beginner or a kid ( etc) Do i ever want another -no , unless one finds me again and its super super cheap .

[Verne Andru]

I had one of the thin bodied ones. It was my first "good" guitar. It was okay for what it was but with the high-quality of more traditionally made acoustics at the same or lower costs these days, there are much better choices if you shop around a bit.

[slodge]

I've had a Celebrity for 25 years. Love the feel of the neck. The thing's sturdy as hell, stays in tune like nobody's business, and sounds great plugged in. The soundboard projects nicely when played unplugged but the sound is a little weak for the player - I think that's due to the synthetic back material. The rounded back takes some getting used to.

[Diatonic madman]

My wife has one , a 1981 1612, that she bought in 1989 (yep, I’m old).  I play mostly electric, but some acoustic. And,  mediately, vintage guitar snob. Compared to my favorite vintage Martin D28, the sound is not inspiring (no surprise there), but man, does it have a nice playing neck.  As much as I would like to hate it, I have to say it plays very well and stays in tune. I’ve taken it on trips to the mountains, where I was concerned the temperature and humidity changes (we live fairly close to the ocean) would be a bit risky for the old Martin, and after spending a few days playing it I began to really appreciate it for what it is - a well made guitar.  It’s not a great guitar, but that’s something you pretty much will have to pay a lot more for. I would recommend them (the older ones anyway) to anyone who needs an inexpensive workhorse, or anyone who is otherwise looking for a reasonably priced guitar that won’t fall apart in a week.