Thoughts on the old Ovation electric guitars?

[Cliff Fiscal]

 

Whatcha think of the old Ovation solid body electric guitars?

 

Viper, Deacon, etc.......

[csm]

In the 70s, Steve Marriott appeared in ads for the Ovation Deacon. According to legend, he took the money, sold the guitar and was never seen on stage or heard on record playing it.

[Jaron]

im not sure which one he had, but a guy i used to play at church with had one. the neck was super nice, but i dont rem it being the spectacular sounding. he was always talking about how he wanted to put the neck on a different body

[vcnyls]

I played a Breadwinner once and was not impressed.

[Cliff Fiscal]

 

I played a Breadwinner once and was not impressed.

 

 

 

What didn't you like about it?

[Tweedledee]

Brian Krashpad has one, IIRC. For some reason I like the shape of the Viper, but the Breadwinner/Deacon axe shape seems a bit too intense for me.

 

I've never actually played one, but I wish I could find one somewhere to try out. Like others have said, I've heard they tend to play well but sound like poo.

[3red]

wasnt there one shaped like a SG with rounded horns?

[benzem]

I have a Deacon. They are amazing gtrs. THE MOST comfortable to stand and play. The balance is perfect and the shape brings the neck to a position where upper fret notes on the bottom strings are easy and don't require your wrist to bend so much.

 

I can't comment on the preamp. Mine was stripped and a standard hum was cut into the bridge and the neck is stock. This was fine w/me as I hate dealing w/batteries.

 

24 frets, ebony board, beautiful mahogany back, ax shape.

 

Kinda wierd but I like it- def a quality ax from the mid 70's USA

[Cliff Fiscal]

The preacher

[blueshawk1]

I always wanted one of each, the Breadwinner, Deacon, Preacher, and Viper. Would be happy to have one of them, but never had any and don't expect to.

[csm]

In 1977, or thereabouts, my buddies in the Count Bishops had their Fenders stolen. The rhythm guitarist in my band, who at the time worked for Rose-Morris, who had the Ovation UK distribution, borrowed them a coupla Ovation solids (a Preacher and a Viper) to get them through their next few gigs. Fortunately, their Fenders were retrieved.

 

Which was just as well, because they didn't like the Ovations much.

[tms13pin]

I've owned two Preachers over the years. The first in HS, tobacco

sunburst. Loved the neck on it. I sold it to get money for my strat

that I bought my Sr. year (1981). Later, while in grad school in Boston

in the mid-80's I found a beat up one at a Daddy's Junkie Music up

there and got it cheaply. It was a nice office guitar, one I didn't have

to worry about anyone ripping it off. I routed the pickguard to put

in my Arp Avatar hex pickup and also installed a third center 'bucker.

It was good guitar to mess with mods on. I sold it to a kid a few

years later.

 

The stock pickups weren't much to write home about, but I loved the

slim necks on them. A bandmate while I was an undergrad in the early

80's had a natural finished Viper. I'd still like to snag one of those

sometime if I ever come across one for a decent price. Bit of nostalgia

for me, those old Ovation electrics.

 

thanks for the trip down memory lane!

 

--Tom

 

P.S. I might still have my old little owner's pamphlet that came

with them somewhere at home in the stuff I saved from my youth.

I should see if I can dig it out.

[Cliff Fiscal]

A bandmate while I was an undergrad in the early 80's had a natural finished Viper.

 

like this?

 

[BlackHatHunter]

The Deacon, the Preacher... what the hell, was Joe Naylor in charge of naming their guitar line at the time?

[Cliff Fiscal]

okay okay.......I own the Viper pictured above......I just wanted to hear the unadulterated scoop.

[DenverDave]

I have a friend who has an Ovation Breadwinner 12 string. I like it and it sounds pretty good!

[HeatherAnnePeel]

I always thought they were cool. Credit has to be given to David Cassidy's use of them on The Partridge Family. That exposure made them tremendously popular and boosted sales greatly. It's the first place that I and millions of others saw Ovation guitars. Ovation had an endorsement deal with the show and I remember it said "Instruments and Amplifiers by Ovation" in the show's closing credits.

[Cliff Fiscal]

I like my viper.

 

It's got a very thick neck....fat acoustic like U shape....that flattens out farther up the neck. It's got 24 smaller vintage frets, and a quasi-flat board radius. The tuners are "ovation" brand, but they remind me of Gotoh type tuners. The bridge is also unique to Ovations......kind of like a TOM mixed with a brass tele bridge...with 6 saddles.

 

The biggest thing are the pickups.......they're pretty bright......just like a tele should be. I'd even say the Viper 'out teles" a standard tele. At least it's what I think a good tele should sound like. Snappy, little bit of grind, and a fat neck PU tone.

 

The looks of it are what really got me interested in them.......That LP mixed with a Tele body scheme, and I've always loved the shovel headstock. Don't forget the unique vol and tone knobs.

 

Overall, I can see why some praise it and some denounce it.....it's a unique guitar. I'd like to pick up a preacher with the dual HBs.......

 

[tlbonehead]

I have a 2 pickup and a 3 pickup Viper. Very cool. I also have a UK II. Amazing guitar with very hot mini-buckers and phase switches on each pickup.

[tim gueguen]

Steve Hackett was probably the best known UK II user.

[Loxley]

Not terribly old, but there was only 400 made, and Josh Homme has 3 of them.. I always thought it was a cool looking guitar.

 

[deaner33]

I have a Deacon & it is a great guitar. Super comfortable to play & if you understand the electronics, very versatile. Very innovative & I believe it is one of the first guitars to have active electronics. All of the parts are very high quality & it is certainly unique looking.

[lowendnyc]

It's not a guitar, but I have an Ovation Magnum I electric bass, and it is The Bass. Neck's super long and tick, and the beast weighs on ton. I put on flat wounds for dub and that massive neck humbucker just kills. One of my favorite instruments. That said, I hate their acoustics.

[jhall]

The preacher

 

My brother had one of those back in the 1970s and it was amazing. I also had two Breadwinners. It was the top of their heap and was way ahead of it's time. If they were introduced tody, They'd be good sellers I'm sure. Ovation in those days were cream of the crop guitar makers. I can't even count how many headlining acts were using their acoustics in the old days. I have several of those old ovations. I also have a few of their Asian made solid body electrics and wouldn't even think of parting with them.

I have an Ovation Patriot serial # 59 out of only 1776 made. It is kind od Hokey looking but is a fantastic guitar. I also have a similarly vintaged Ultra (top of the line for their acoustics in 1977) that has a few firsts such as Stereo inputs and incredible sound projection and tuning stability after all these years. There is NO COMPARISON between those Ovation guitars and those of today.... NONE.

If you have the chance to snag one of the true 1970s Ovations (either electric or acoustic) in good shape at a good price... Do it.

Buddy of mine who owns a mom and pop music store sold them in those days and regrets not keeping one of each model he had.

[Cliff Fiscal]

I've been waiting for them to jump up in price.....but I haven't seen that happen yet.