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| So, who was the brain child for this great site and how long has it been up and running? It's interesting to me that is it so good, current, high tech, packed with great information, easy to use....and free!
The thread search option is really great!
Standing Ovation and thanks to the creator and those who maintain it!
Lisa |
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Location: NJ | just read the front page |
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Location: Upper Left USA | Click the Yellow "Welcome" to your left.
Earlier you mentioned a Library. Pick up "The History of Ovation" by Walter Carter.
The book |
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Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | Yeah, what Mike said!!!.....the Carter book is the Ovation "bible". Well worth having. It has the story on the aluminum-neck guitars, too!
Roger |
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| Oh thanks! Sorry, some how the welcome page was an over sight, my mistake!
Love, love, love the tip on the book! Definately on my "to do" list!
My gratitude to the creators and those who maintain it still stands! |
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| M Woody....Curious...the sound holes on the Ovation on the cover of that book are up high and there are several of them. I've never tried an Ovation like that. Does it need to be plugged into an amp for good sound? |
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Location: NJ | lisa
they have a different sound from the center sound hole guitars and it is not required that they are plugged in.
those guitars with the epaulets are the Adamas and the elite. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Cliff, I see what you mean.
Lisa, maybe they have a book at the factory you can pickup. Soft cover is maybe $35, I don't remember. Make sure you get the non-signed copy, they're much better. |
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Location: SoCal | I've got a copy of the book inscribed to "Preston"(?) and signed by somebody named "Bill"? Just ruins the value of it. |
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Location: NJ | Know whatcha' mean . . . . at least mine was for some guy with the same name! . . . totally ruined the pic of the cowboy boots, tho . . . |
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Location: Midland, MI | Originally posted by alpep:
lisa
they have a different sound from the center sound hole guitars and it is not required that they are plugged in.
those guitars with the epaulets are the Adamas and the elite.
And we all know that Elite's RAWK! Most especially the ones with the five-piece neck. Or maybe I'm biased... |
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Location: Upper Left USA | Aw, come on you guys. You know that the multi-holes were an accident. I'll give you $10 a piece cause I feel bad for you! $12 for those LXs because they look nice on the wall. ;) |
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Location: Midland, MI | Originally posted by MWoody:
Aw, come on you guys. You know that the multi-holes were an accident. I'll give you $10 a piece cause I feel bad for you! $12 for those LXs because they look nice on the wall. ;)
Cliff,
Please stop posting as Mwoody.
Thanks,
Cruster
:D |
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Location: SoCal | nope, that's not Cliff...it's just that we all learn from the more "senior" members. |
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| Thanks Tony....I didn't think so, but I wasn't sure. I looked at Cliff's band's website and he doesn't look a thing like David Cassidy. |
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Location: NJ | I'm going for more of the "Susan Dey look" |
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Location: Yucaipa, California | Cliff,
I was just looking at the site pictures of both you and St. Al (really slooooow day!) and a vague image poped into my mind: remember the "Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers"? ...of course, I don't!...ahem :rolleyes: |
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Location: NJ | Al and I are "Twin Llamas from Different Mamas". |
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Location: Yucaipa, California | ...I got wind of it! :eek: |
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Location: NC | I think this site is very informative as well. Found it after I started looking at "O's"! :D |
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Location: NJ | Tim
Cliff is giving Mr. natural a run for his money but then again we always have devil girl and flakey foont! |
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Location: NJ |  |
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Location: Yucaipa, California | ...yep,... but why did I know Cliff would have that graphic :cool: :rolleyes: ....but, Al, wasn't Mr. Natural bald? or am I having a flashback? :eek: |
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Location: NJ | tim
keep on truckin! |
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Location: Yucaipa, California | right arm! |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Twin Yamas from different mamas and now they're working on the follow up, no resemblence whatsoever. (If you haven't heard that you should it's great) |
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| Lisa Glad you found the site and just so you know right up front;
Were all Nut's!
Well I'm not but the rest of these guy's "Just Ain't Right".
If you do not have an Ovation Buy an American Made model you won't go wrong! I figure you must be looking at, or perhaps already own one, if this site is of interest so Enjoy. And feel free to ask Questions anytime Some of these guy's never sleep! I have heard that somewhere? Randy |
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Location: Midland, MI | Originally posted by cliff:
I'm going for more of the "Susan Dey look"
Is that the "Partridge Family" Susan Dey, the "Little Women" Susan Dey, the "Malibu" Susan Dey, or the "LA Law" Susan Dey?
I'm thinking you're more of a "Corvette Summer" Danny Bonaducci...
:p |
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Location: NJ | Bill;
If I'm not mistaken, The ". . Twin Llamas . ." came from a picture inside of "No Resemblence Whatsoever", and you're right - it's a great CD!
(Dan Fogelberg/Tim Weissberg - follow-up (by like 20+ years) to "Twin Sons of Different Mothers"). |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | You are correct. The twin llamas picture was great, didn't the llamas have groucho glasses on? |
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Location: NJ | You are correct, sir.
(A parody of the pic of them wearing the same glasses on the first album) |
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| Cruster.....that was Wynonia Ryder in Little Women, unless you're talking about another Little Women, that I might not want to know about.
Randy...Thank you for the welcome and the warning. Everyone here has been first rate and top-notch. Everyone....
I do have one question this morning. Please bear in mind that as a general rule I avoid music shops and I don't have friends who are musicians, much less Ovation savvy.
My husband and I did a lot of research prior to purchasing my 1712-C Balladeer, which in some ways was directed by a price range. Three years ago when our research started (my C/A was in bad shape, but I still wanted to continue learning), I nervously went to a music shop and tried an Ovation that was in my price range. I don't remember if it was Applause or a Celebrity. Although the sound was better than my sickly C/A I couldn't envision it as "my guitar" because of the plastic neck. Plus, I don't use an amp and the sound wasn't full, like I was hoping for. There was however an Ovation at the shop that was extremely way out of our price range that I very much could see as loving and owning, I don't remember what it was, but it was amazing (as well as amazingly unattainable!).
So I kept fixing my C/A and continued researching which came to a fruitful end last Wednesday with a solid-cedar-top USA Balladeer dream come true.
Now to the question: I just can't imagine (other than fancy inlays and such) that it could get better than my guitar. I would very much like to understand what could make the Elite's and the Adamas that I read about on this site, better guitars? Do they sound better? Are they easier to use? Is it like the difference between owning a Jetta and a BMW (both good cars, but one has prestige associated with it?)
Please forgive me in advance if this is an insulting question. I believe that guitars in general reflect personal preference, I was just wondering what was so special about the "top of the line" only in regards to sound and playability.
Lisa |
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Location: NJ | Lisa;
Being "better" is kind of subjective. More "different".
The Adamas features a top that consists of composite birch/carbon fiber top. Very thin, very resilient. It was also the first guitar to use the multi soundholes, which ALLOWED for the thinner top and different bracing pattern. These guitars (especially the old ones) are TONE MONSTERS! I have one of the very earliest ones, and it's an absolute STUDY in the use of physics to efficiently create "sound" (and also some INCREDIBLE craftsmanship/artistry).
The Elites borrowed some of the ideas of the Adamas into wood-topped Ovations. If you had the time to do the appropriate searches on the subject, you'll find numerous lengthy (and oft times "heated") debates over the comparison of center-hole/multi-hole guitars, as far as which is "better". It's really all just "ice cream". It's what YOU like. Another consideration is the amount of accoutrements you want (want to pay for) - bindings, purflings, inlay, abalone, hardware, carvings, etc. |
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Location: Midland, MI | Originally posted by Lisa:
Cruster.....that was Wynonia Ryder in Little Women, unless you're talking about another Little Women, that I might not want to know about.
I seem to recall Susan Dey in 'Little Women' in the mid-70's. If Wynona Ryder was in a re-make, I haven't seen that one. As I age (much like the spruce top on a well made guitar, I just keep getting louder and warmer, but unfortunately not 'richer') , I find that everything 'pop' seems to be remakes or rehashes of what has come before. I just don't get it. For instance, on my way home for lunch one day I turned on the local country radio station. Of the three songs I heard, two were remakes. On my way back, I had on the local 'pop-top40' station and again there were a couple of remakes. What the heck? Doesn't anyone write anything original that's worthy of putting on the air anymore? (Don't answer that, it's rhetorical) . I think I posted on here a while back about my experience with a young guy in the acoustic room at the local Guitarget (er, Guitar Center). He was doing a decent job playing 'Behind Blue Eyes.' When we left I commented to my wife that I couldn't believe someone that young was into 'The Who.' She asked what I was talking about, so I explained that 'Behind Blue Eyes' was a big tune for 'The Who.' She looked at me kind of funny and said, 'No, it's not, it's by .' Turns out someone did a recent remake of it and it got a lot of airplay. Oh well.
I'll get off my soapbox now. :) |
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Location: Midland, MI | Originally posted by cliff:
Lisa;
Being "better" is kind of subjective. More "different".
No, it's not subjective! If you look up 'better' in the BigBookOfOvationDefinitions, it clearly says:
Multi-sound holes; five piece neck. {see: Elite}
So, anyone that has a non-five-piece neck, non-Elite, please let me know and I'll give you $100 for it, as it's clearly not 'better.'
:p
(Note: This offer does not apply to applesauce or celibacy models) |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | when you're at the factory ask to go to the inventory room right behind service and look at all of them there. Play them and you'll start to get an idea about the differences.
The have someone explain the ice cream story because they are all ice cream. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | And then...........
you'll have to go over to Peaches and Cream on 202 right on the Torrington/Litchfield line. Their ice cream is the best (yes I have done extensive research on this subject) |
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| You guys are all funny! I get it….I never (in all three times in the last three years) tried any Ovation near to or close to a grand. I'm a firm believer in not playing with toys that you can't afford to break (or fall for!). I guess that's why I'm clueless about the Adamas & Elites.
I would though, have to see (hear) for myself that a bunch of little sound holes could be as good as one big one. But I don't want to get you guys all started up. Seriously, don't go there on my account....not worth your typing time. I would need to hear it to believe it...
Cliff…actually I did read a few of those heated threads, but, when you guys get hot about something, you all digress into a dialect I'm not able to discern or translate. To tell you the truth, even when you guys are all calm, there's still a lot of verbiage used that isn't in my Dummies book. I'm definitely going to upgrade to the History of Ovation book. I'm thinking I would do well to get some Ovation catalogues as well.
To tell you the truth Cruster, I'm not much bothered by remakes of anything created after 1940 and who gets credit for them. It does bother me however, that we don't seem to have many (or any) Beethoven's, Bach's and Mozart's in our time….. Can someone correct me?
Thanks one and all…..
Lisa
PS W-2.... Peaches and Cream ice cream IS outstanding! |
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Location: NJ | ". . . we don't seem to have many (or any) Beethoven's, Bach's and Mozart's in our time….. "
George Gershwin
Leonard Bernstein
Aaron Copeland
Michael Tilson Thomas
Keith Emerson
John Williams
Michael Kamen
Paul McCartney
Rick Wakeman
Ian Anderson
Alan Parsons
George Martin
. . . there are others, but in able to recall them, various chemical compounds would be required . . |
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Location: SoCal | Jimmy Webb
Paul Williams
a number of film composers that I'd have to look up.
Music has changed, and the way it's presented has changed. But great music is great music.
Oh yeah, Brittney Spears. Not. |
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Location: NJ | Jerry Goldsmith and Lalo Schifrin also come to mind . . . |
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Location: Midland, MI | Originally posted by cliff:
". . . we don't seem to have many (or any) Beethoven's, Bach's and Mozart's in our time….. "
George Gershwin
Leonard Bernstein
Aaron Copeland
Michael Tilson Thomas
Keith Emerson
John Williams
Michael Kamen
Paul McCartney
Rick Wakeman
Ian Anderson
Alan Parsons
George Martin
. . . there are others, but in able to recall them, various chemical compounds would be required . .
Prokofiev is conspicuously absent! I mean, come on, he lived until 1953 and turned out some very good stuff, IM!HO. |
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| Hmmmm......I'll need to do some research before I stand corrected.
One comment made to me in a music shop, while shopping for my O, once I disclosed that I only knew about 15 chords was "Hey...you could play with a band and get rich knowing 5 or less." I can't help but feel that that comment might hold water to some of the names listed.
Respectuflly submitted,
Lisa |
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Location: NJ | Prokofiev RULES!!!
Y'know, I've mentioned it here several times (as have Al and StandingO), but in the mid-70's there was a british ArtRock band called Renaissance. They were REAL big in NY and Philly and I don't THINK that they were popular at all (if so, MARGINALLY) elsewhere in the US. GREAT stuff!!!
John Tout - Piano/Keyboards (VERY much influenced by PROKOFIEV!)
Michael Dunford - Acoustic (some electric) Guitar (Used Ovations/Adamases EXTENSIVELY!)
John Camp - Bass (phenomenal bassist!! used it like a "lead" instrument!)
Terry Sullivan - Drums/Percussion
Annie Haslam - Vocals (absolutely "crystalline" vocals! Classically-trained, SEVEN OCTAVE singing range!!)
Like I said, back in their "heyday", I don't think that they got ANY of the resepect that they deserved (where have I heard THAT before! :-) outside of NY/NJ.
The advent of Techno/Punk kinda brought about their demise (as it did with the whole genre - and Ovation sales, for that matter ;-)
I'd probably say if there was ONE album of there's to have, it'd be "Live at Carnegie Hall" (recorded live with an orchestra). |
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Location: NJ | ". . I can't help but feel that that comment might hold water to some of the names listed . . "
Gimme the names and I'll gladly refer you to appropriate pieces to research . . . |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | CWK2, did you ever do any of your "research" as "Walts Ice Cream" (or maybe "Walls" in East Hampton ? |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | No, maybe further research is necessary......
But till then, P&C is still the best! |
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Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | Cliff, regarding your reference to the group Renaissance: I recall that, a few years before the mid-1970's, when I was living in Jamaica for awhile (sampling a lot of the local plant life, of course), I got hold of a Renaissance album that had different personnel. I can't remember all the names, but the lead vocalist was Keith Relf (ex-Yardbirds), and I think the pianist's last name was Hawken. It was definitely a British "art rock" group in terms of sound; I was particularly taken with one cut called "Kings and Queens." I guess by the mid-1970's they'd gone through significant personnel changes. |
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Location: NJ | John Hawken (who went on to replace Rick Wakeman in the Strawbs), Keith Relf, Jane Relf, Jim McCarty, and Louis Cennamo. They produced only one album "Renaissance" in 1969.
Disappointed with the results of the album, the band gradually fell apart and little by little, morphed into a totally different (and IMO, "better") lineup.
The new lineup came out with the "Prologue" album in 1972, and progressed/changed and eventually disbanded in the mid-80's.
There's a compilation CD out called "1,001 Arabian Nights (Vols. I & II)", but there's a "wider-reaching" compilation (features some of the "original" lineup) called "Da Capo" on Repertoire Records (REP 4571-WO) that's quite good, has some never-released stuff, but is somewhat difficult to find. I had inadvertently (and happily) "stumbled" upon it a SoHo record shop. |
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Location: Fort Worth, Texas | RE: The title of this thread
Thought I'd remind folks that you can help support this site and get great OFC swag (swag definiton).
Click on "The OFC Store" link on the left and check out the "Credits" link.
:) |
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Location: Yucaipa, California | ...Hi, my name is Tim and I'm a Swag-ite, uh, Swagicite? Swag-ion? Swagoniun? :confused: |
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Location: NJ | Was just re-reading through this thread and noticed something that Lisa said:
". . . we don't seem to have many (or any) Beethoven's, Bach's and Mozart's in our time….. "
We just "lost" another one:
Elmer Bernstein
who did a VAST amount of film scores just recently passed.
One of my personal faves:
"Th Great Escape"
G'night, Mr. Bernstein.
Thanks. |
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Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | Elmer Bernstein died? Now I'm sad. Loved his music. His score for "To Kill a Mockingbird" makes my eyes mist every time I watch that movie. |
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Location: Yucaipa, California | :(
Bernstein |
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Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | Thanks, Tim. By the way, I got myself thoroughly banged up in my Tuesday night martial arts class, so I stayed home last night, which gave me the chance to write out my arrangement of The Christmas Song. I ended up doing it all in tab; it wasn't as time-consuming as I thought it would be. So, let me know the address to mail it to you. |
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Location: Yucaipa, California | Thanks!
timothy.chapman@ttisg.com
....I always knew that Martial Arts were good for something! :D ;) |
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Great site?