Members archiemax Posted August 28, 2008 Members Share Posted August 28, 2008 Back around 1985 I bought a used Deacon "on sale" at Ace Music in Santa Monica for about $300 if I recall correctly. A good playing guitar but I later switched to country & didn't want such a weird-looking ax. What made this one different was that it had a transparent cherry finish and--I kid you not--on the lower end of the "shark fin" was a pearl inlay, about 3" in diameter, of the planet Saturn with a lightning bolt going through it. Wonder who's got it now?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members The Rossness Posted August 28, 2008 Members Share Posted August 28, 2008 I played a single one with a pu and a kahler. Great guitar, with a horrible pickup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cliff Fiscal Posted August 28, 2008 Author Members Share Posted August 28, 2008 I like the stock pickups:idk: Why all the hate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Patuney Posted August 28, 2008 Members Share Posted August 28, 2008 I played a Breadwinner 6 string in our local pawn shop last winter. It was in really good condition and everything worked-BUT-they have a full two octave set of frets in a short scale. Anything above the 12th fret was impossible to ring cleanly with fat fingers like mine. A "not for chubsters" model. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tlbonehead Posted August 28, 2008 Members Share Posted August 28, 2008 I've been waiting for them to jump up in price.....but I haven't seen that happen yet.The Vipers have come up considerably. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cliff Fiscal Posted August 28, 2008 Author Members Share Posted August 28, 2008 How much they worth now? $350 with OHSC? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tlbonehead Posted August 28, 2008 Members Share Posted August 28, 2008 How much they worth now? $350 with OHSC? Yep, right in there. 3-4 years ago I'd see them on the bay with an opening bid of like $150 and they wouldn't even get a hit. I bought my 2-pickup one for $110 w/case, just like new and my 3-pickup one w/o case for $90 in pretty good condition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cliff Fiscal Posted August 28, 2008 Author Members Share Posted August 28, 2008 I got a little snowed on mine then....$275 2 years ago.... ....but mines in really good condition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cliff Fiscal Posted August 28, 2008 Author Members Share Posted August 28, 2008 Are those Eastwood Ultras any good? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ScienceFriction Posted July 11, 2010 Members Share Posted July 11, 2010 I'm new here, hope no one minds that I dig up an old post. I love Ovation's solid body guitars, I'd go far enough to say they are my favorite electric guitars to play. I currently only have a beautiful blond Ovation Viper from the early 70s , but I love it. Some people don't go for the pups in those guitars but I love the unique sounds, body shapes, and playing ease. If I had to get any other Ovation electrics I'd go with a Preacher, UKII, Breadwinner Ltd., and a Mangum Bass (if I can count that in this post). It's a shame the prices have jumped on them so much, but it's good at the same time that they are starting to get some respect.. even if it's only a little. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BryanMichael Posted July 11, 2010 Members Share Posted July 11, 2010 EASTWOOD guitars makes a knockoff of the breadwinner currently: In a few colors. I'd actually like to find one of those old MARTIN solidbodies: For no other reason than the guitar shop we went to growing up had one for sale there forever, and everyone used it to demo amps and effects... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tupelo Son Posted July 11, 2010 Members Share Posted July 11, 2010 I owned a Viper III and a Preacher Deluxe XII back in the day. Both top notch and both I deeply wish I still had.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jelloman Posted July 11, 2010 Members Share Posted July 11, 2010 I had a Breadwinner LTD for awhile...traded it for a Fender Lead2...both guitars I wish I had back... ...every time someone starts a thread like this I end up depressed... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ScienceFriction Posted July 11, 2010 Members Share Posted July 11, 2010 I've been looking to get some Martin electric guitars as well, but Ovation's are my main passion when it comes to electric guitars. A Viper III & Breadwinner Ltd are two guitars I would never part with! I hear a lot about people parting with Ovation electrics, hopefully they find there way to people who enjoy them. I find that my Viper is very versatile, even though it's a two pickup model. I'd really like to get a UKII though to play with that sustain and out-of-phase stuff. I'm not much for eastwood guitars. I toyed around with the idea of getting one of there breadwinner reissues and switching out the pups for originals, but I can get a vintage Breadwinner for cheaper! I missed out on that Ovation Condor + Synth that popped up on ebay last NOV and that still depressing the heck out of me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JMR Posted July 12, 2010 Members Share Posted July 12, 2010 The preacher i kinda dig this look and the look of the viper. I've never played one myself, so I don't know how they sound or feel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Lump Posted July 12, 2010 Members Share Posted July 12, 2010 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. why does it have two output jacks? Was it a hybrid? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MorganB Posted July 12, 2010 Members Share Posted July 12, 2010 I had a Viper.the neck was a little cramped as far as the strings were very close together. The ease of playing made up for it as it was very comfortable and the action was great. Changed the bridge pickup to a Dimarzio dual sound (reguired a litttle routing) and the guitar sounded like a super hot Fender....lent it out to an Elvis imperonater I used to jam with and never got it back! The stock single coils had a sound I would describe as Spank with no clank..The modification I made made it much better.As before it was bright with no bite...but got mean! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Flogger59 Posted July 12, 2010 Members Share Posted July 12, 2010 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. Except for the pilot (Cassidy's hair was flat, didn't have the "turnip" yet) where they used Fenders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brian Krashpad Posted July 12, 2010 Members Share Posted July 12, 2010 I have an early Breadwinner, before they changed to humbuckers. The pickups are the same size as standard HB's, but are in fact singles. They can be very noisy in a live environment with any kind of gain, due to the active pre-amp in the guitar. The tonal settings are way different from most any other electric I've had. Starting point needs to be as bassy as possible, with occasional bumps up, rather than working from treble cranked as the standard and occasionally backing off. The sunken bridge is rather a pain for string changes. All that said, it has the lowest/best action of any guitar I've ever owned. Since it was my first giggable electric and in fact my main guitar for the first decade or so I was in bands, despite all it's quirkiness, mine ain't goin' nowhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ScienceFriction Posted July 13, 2010 Members Share Posted July 13, 2010 I really like the sound of the Viper, and while the neck is a bit thin I don't find it anymore difficult to play than my friends 1973 Les Paul Custom or my 2005 Epiphone Dot Archtop (to give two random examples). I'm used to playing a wider neck classic guitar, but the low action does make it even easier to play. About the standard Preacher, I don't think it's hybrid.. but only 'cause I don't understand exactly what you mean. It just had two input jacks, one in mono and one in stereo (which just splite the signal). I'm not exactly sure how it works or sounds because I've never played a standard Preacher, but it's a pretty cool feature. The UKII has the same setup, but has better pickups and sustain I believe. I prefer a Preacher though, love the body shape. I'd like to get a Preacher Deluxe 12 String electric, but I wonder how they compare in sound to Rickenbackers. I know it's easy to play for a 12 string, which is reason enough to own one. As much as I love Ovation guitars, you don't see too many in person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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