Beginner: are Ovation guitars bright guitars?

[FearMeWithMyLP]

Hello there!

 

I am a long time electric guitar player who is looking at buying a cheap acoustic guitar. I'm looking at less than $300 (I know, not a lot) and LOVE a bright, sharp guitar with a quick attack to it. To give you more perspective, the only guitar I can play is a Tele (haha extremely bright).

 

Anyways, a friend of mine suggested I check out Ovation acoustic guitars as they are pretty bright. I went to my music store, only to find out that they do not have any. I did a search in this forum, only to come up with a TON of other info about Ovations, but not specifically what I was looking for.

 

Are Ovations bright guitars? Are they snappy sounding? I don't need to have the best sounding acoustic out there, but something that is bright. A lot of the other acoustic guitars I have played are very muffled, dull, and dark sounding.

[rjoxyz]

Hard to think of Ovations as bright, but then they are not dark either. Their tone is not easily described in common terms. Most here will not likely find the them as desirable as other brands made of traditional woods.

 

If you want bright and "snappy", look for something with maple back and sides. Your price limit is going to constrain your choices. Play as many guitars in that price range and see if you can find a tone you like.

[T0MCAT]

I have an Ovation. O's are more bright than dark for sure, they are often described as tinny (sp) sounding, as in "tin" man. I think as an electric player you might like Ovations. I've always found they played very easily. The ones you'll be able to pick up in your price range are the Celebrity's, I don't like them too much at all, try them out though. Try to get an American made one, probably a Balladeer (sp), would be the cheapest.

[KATMAN]

Check out a Alverez jumbo,spruce top,maple back and sides.Bright sounding.Also,Takamines with spruce tops are pretty bright too. FWIW,try some Elixers on if you choose a Ovation,very bright strings.If you try a Ovation,go for the shallowest bowl you can find.They sound bright in my opinion.

[bloolight]

I had an Ovation Celebrity series accoustic with no onboard electronics, and I never found it to be a particularly bright instrument. Of course, it had a dreadnought body rather than the thin body you see on a lot of electric-accoustic Ovations. Those certainly tend to be brighter.

 

The irony is that, as the guitar aged, it turned incredibly dull and lifeless. I don't know if it was a flaw with my guitar, the Celebrity line, or Ovations in general. Whichever it was, I've sworn off of them for good.

 

I agree with the idea of looking for a guitar with maple back and sides. That will brighten up your sound, but I don't think you're going to get it cheap.

[DonK]

Bright, in their own way. Some might say tinny, though I'm not trying to rag Ovation. Some might say jangly. Certainly not bright as in - say - Taylor. I had a Legend and it was a nice enough guitar for what it was. Soundwise, I kind of think of them as the Rickenbacker of acoustic guitars.

[rhat]

Ovations are pretty good plugged in ,, they play easy. Typically I think the lighter a guitar is physically the brighter its going to sound. Give the top the tap test ,,if it really has the juice ,, typically its a brighter sounding guitar.. I have two dreds built by the same guy .. one is very bright and responsive...but also has very radical scalloping in the braces. I have to run light strings on it ,,, The other is not as bright ..... since they are basically the same guitar with differnt brace tuning. Both are great custom guitars..... but the the sounds and tone are alot different. Cheap and good is hard to come by in acoustic guitars.. seagulls are pretty nice sounding guitars for the price. I think with acoustics ,, you get what you pay for more than electrics. Totally different concepts . rat

[brahmz118]

I played an Ovation Celebrity in hospital rooms 5 days a week for 5 years. My first thought was that it's extremely dark sounding, especially after the 'new string' sound wears off.

 

However I could be mixing up my terms -- I would also describe the sound as quiet and thin (which was sometimes appropriate for playing at bedside). Not muffled or dull, necessarily, just weak. But it's hard to say. It's kind of like eating a crumb and trying to figure out if it's delicious. The flavor doesn't exactly jump into your mouth.

[moctzal]

Try out some Yamaha FGs (700, 720 and 730) and Art & Lutheries with spruce tops. Both have solid tops in your price range and are great guitar makers. Also 80/20 strings will brighten up most guitars a (little) bit.

 

Also try some local pawnshops and play anything in your price range. You just might find something you really like. That's how I found Art & Lutherie.

[Tony Burns]

your only talking about a 300 dollar guitar - if your a real electric guy ( which you are ) what quality electric would you expect for 300 bucks ? - in that price range low end Ovations or legends might be the one , good value, very durable - but not a great acoustic - fair maybe . They play like an electric so if your just ocassionally playing it , it might be perfect for you . ( but id get together a litle more cash and buy something better )

[babablowfish]

 

Try out some Yamaha FGs (700, 720 and 730) and Art & Lutheries with spruce tops. Both have solid tops in your price range and are great guitar makers. Also 80/20 strings will brighten up most guitars a (little) bit. Also try some local pawnshops and play anything in your price range. You just might find something you really like. That's how I found Art & Lutherie.

 

 

 

Good suggestions. To that I will add that if you buy one of these and add brass bridge pins it will brighten up the tone a lot.

[DeepEnd]

If you're looking for something to buy new, check out an Ibanez AW20 http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Ibanez-AW20-Acoustic-Guitar?sku=519611, a maple dread with a solid spruce top for $260.

[moctzal]

Good suggestions. To that I will add that if you buy one of these and add brass bridge pins it will brighten up the tone a lot.

 

Doh, how did I forget brass bridge pins...good one.

Here are couple things to listen to:

 

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1534428&highlight=pin+test+brass

(pin test)

 

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1556148

(string test)

 

We have these thanks to the forum's mvp Freeman

[Raymar]

I tried out a $300 single cut Chinese Celebrity the other day with the shallow bowl and was impressed. I used to have an American ruby red '80 Celebrity with a large bowl and no cut and regret ever selling it but the new ones are really good for soloing, finger picking, and not boomy for strumming which alot of people live for. I seem to run across the blaring rock strummer guy when ever I try acoustics out, quite often they need to plug into an amp for more blare. But when you pick harder on the Celebrity it becomes more defined. Blues playing is particularly sweet.

 

Steve

[fred nurini]

I think for $300 it's gonna be a crap-shoot. Ovations are generally known as "durable" guitars- good for playing at the beach because they are made of plastic. They do have skinny necks for an acoustic, so if you don't care about sound they might play better for you. The good thing is that they are very cheap to buy.

[HairyScaryMark]

I have a Balladeer. Nice guitar. Sounds good acousticly as well as plugged in.

 

Also nice to play.

 

I wouldn't say it is particularly bright but I think it depends what sort of strings you use and what you play them through (when plugged in).

[Etienne Rambert]

If you can get a used upper-end Ovation like an Elite or a Custom Legend...or even a recent Balladeer for $300 - buy it. The electronics alone blow any guitar in that price range away.

 

I don't think they're bright. But they have great EQ's. I always thought of my Ovation Elite as sounding like an archtop on steroids.

[Rothlover]

I'd say that Marc is pretty dead on on most of those points. I just got an Original '82 Ovation Glen Campbell Balladeer (which are near impossible to find now), for 220 shipped. It sold for the equivalent of $1800 in today's money and the recent reissue, which has the same specs but a lower quality spruce top streets for 2K. Has a sort of mellow punch plugged in, sounds better than my Takamine '92 LTD cedar/koa plugged in (though the Tak sounds amazing unplugged.) The Ovation sound is pretty unique, especially if you get an Adamas. The necks play great, and most of the old models had schallers. A used USA one would be a lot for your money since they have terrible resale, and with its unique but kind of bright, (among other notes), tone, and with its neck profile, its probably one of the best acoustics for an electric player of your taste, but YMMV.

[pez1963]

 

Hello there! I am a long time electric guitar player who is looking at buying a cheap acoustic guitar. I'm looking at less than $300 (I know, not a lot) and LOVE a bright, sharp guitar with a quick attack to it. To give you more perspective, the only guitar I can play is a Tele (haha extremely bright). Anyways, a friend of mine suggested I check out Ovation acoustic guitars as they are pretty bright. I went to my music store, only to find out that they do not have any. I did a search in this forum, only to come up with a TON of other info about Ovations, but not specifically what I was looking for. Are Ovations bright guitars? Are they snappy sounding? I don't need to have the best sounding acoustic out there, but something that is bright. A lot of the other acoustic guitars I have played are very muffled, dull, and dark sounding.

 

 

It depends on string selection to some extent, but in general Ovations are have nice treble sides. The USA Ovation have very full sound.

Look for a used one of those.

gbase.com normally has a few listed

Guitar center has at least 150 used roundbacks.

[pez1963]

 

Hello there! I am a long time electric guitar player who is looking at buying a cheap acoustic guitar. I'm looking at less than $300 (I know, not a lot) and LOVE a bright, sharp guitar with a quick attack to it. To give you more perspective, the only guitar I can play is a Tele (haha extremely bright). Anyways, a friend of mine suggested I check out Ovation acoustic guitars as they are pretty bright. I went to my music store, only to find out that they do not have any. I did a search in this forum, only to come up with a TON of other info about Ovations, but not specifically what I was looking for. Are Ovations bright guitars? Are they snappy sounding? I don't need to have the best sounding acoustic out there, but something that is bright. A lot of the other acoustic guitars I have played are very muffled, dull, and dark sounding.

 

 

The top will make a big difference.

Many cheap acoustics have plywood tops.

Solid tops sound far better.

Ovation Celb's are imports and are good for the money.

Big difference between those and USA Ovation with hand graded AAA, AA, or A

Sitka Spruce tops.

 

Rather than getting a $300 guitar you will out grow.

Save a little more money get a better used guitar.

You will not regreat it.