Ovation- I'm not dead yet

[JohnW63]

Cool little video:

 

[lungimsam]

First three seconds of the bowl back sliding so I could not hold the acoustic still while playing and I knew they weren’t for me. Cool looking headstocks, though!!

 

[walrus]

First three seconds of the bowl back sliding so I could not hold the acoustic still while playing and I knew they weren’t for me. Cool looking headstocks, though!!

Same here! Could not get used to the shape, or the "plastic" of it all...

walrus

 

[lungimsam]

The 80’s: the beginning of plastic, rubbery acoustic tone.
Remember all those live recordings and the acoustics sounded like rubber tone? I never understood that artistic decision, but it seemed to be the thing back then.

 

[chazmo]

John, thanks for posting that!

Guys, if you haven't played an Adamas... well, you should.

 

[walrus]

I still have a CD player in my car, I use a rake not a leaf blower, and I read books printed on paper.

My guitars have to be made of wood.

walrus

 

[GAD]

I still have a CD player in my car, I use a rake not a leaf blower, and I read books printed on paper.

My guitars have to be made of wood.

walrus

A CD player? What is this, the future?

 

[Westerly Wood]

I miss 8 track.

 

[davismanLV]

Thanks, John, for posting that!! Great video and I'm glad they're still around. I know you have a super cool and nice one. Not everyone's cup of tea, but the variation and choice of sound is a very personal thing.

 

[chazmo]

A CD player? What is this, the future?

I'm still looking for my Mr. Fusion!!!!!

 

[jp]

First three seconds of the bowl back sliding so I could not hold the acoustic still while playing and I knew they weren’t for me. Cool looking headstocks, though!!

That always bugged me too. I hated how they always would slide off your lap or leg requiring a strap to play them. I do remember how popular they were live because of their pickup system. They always sounded overly bright and harsh to me plugged in, but I thought they sounded great acoustically.

I think that the cheaper lines like Applause and Celebrity had molded plastic backs, but the Ovations and Adams backs are essentially the same as boat hulls. It appears that their Lyrachord material is simply a high grade of fiberglass that's in woven fabric sheets, just like carbon fiber. They seem to use the same process as making carbon fiber guitars, doing hand layup and curing in an autoclave. There was a quick shot of them using fiberglass prepreg, which is pre-impregnated with resin and comes frozen in a roll.

I'm glad they're still surviving, especially as an independent American guitar company. Also cool that they're still at New Hartford!

 

[fronobulax]

I'm glad they're still surviving, especially as an independent American guitar company. Also cool that they're still at New Hartford!

Ovation is currently owned by Drum Workshop (also with facilities in Oxnard).

 

[merlin6666]

Ovation is currently owned by Drum Workshop (also with facilities in Oxnard).

No they are owned by GEWA music, a German company. And the workshop in New Hartford only does the high end Adamas models that are around 8k.

 

[Nuuska]

I miss 8 track.

8-track cassette?
Or 1/2 inch 8-track ReVox C278 reel-to-reel?

 

[Westerly Wood]

8-track cassette?
Or 1/2 inch 8-track ReVox C278 reel-to-reel?

8 track cassette. When I was a kid, we had those and cranked it in our buick convertible car. lol
the only one i can remember is The Carpenters greatest hits. probably the summers of 75 and 76...maybe 77.

 

[jp]

Ovation is currently owned by Drum Workshop (also with facilities in Oxnard).

No they are owned by GEWA music, a German company. And the workshop in New Hartford only does the high end Adamas models that are around 8k.

Ah. I had no idea -- I should have known that they needed to belong to a larger company to survive these days. Either way, I'm glad they're still around and kicking!

8-track cassette?
Or 1/2 inch 8-track ReVox C278 reel-to-reel?

Anyone have one of these? We used to slam on ours all the time.

 

[davismanLV]

Tapes were awful. You want a song? Going forward or backward and how far and why? CD's are simple. Play track 4. Thank you very much. Of course I have a stack full of them that I never listen to because I can stream almost anything!!

 

[JohnW63]

I have never gotten my hands on an Adamas guitar, with the exception of a very thin one at a Guitar Center. It didn't impress. Some of the YouTubes of Adamases just don't sound right. A few do sound good. I would like to, some day play a deep bowl version.

One thing I learned is that the pickups were designed for on stage use and plugged into the amps of the 70s and 80s. ie big Marshalls with high impedance inputs. You can get the thin quacky sound if you don't keep that in mind.

I've never had trouble with my Ovations sliding off my lap. Maybe you basic blue jeans are grippy enough? Maybe I have my knee up higher
than others do.

As my first guitar was an Ovation Legend model, which it behind me now, I admit to having a soft spot for them. John Denver played an Adamas at times, so that helped.

 

[chazmo]

Interesting, John. I was blown away by a few that I got my hands on. But, yeah, it probably depends on the model, and I couldn't tell you those.

 

[fronobulax]

No they are owned by GEWA music, a German company. And the workshop in New Hartford only does the high end Adamas models that are around 8k.

Thanks. When I was searching to confirm my memory I found one reference to a German company but couldn't find it again. The fact that DW is owned by GEWA is obscured or not present on DW's web page so I stopped the chain of ownership at the point after which I didn't have a concrete source.

The brands under the GEWA umbrella are interesting.

Gewa International - Brands

Gewa International

int.gewamusic.com

But independent and American don't seem to apply anymore to Ovation which was my point.

Thanks again.