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Location: Chicago | I got tired of encountering criticisms of Ovations in person and in the wide world (plastic guitar etc etc), so I spoke my mind today. Why DO I play Ovation? Check it out:
http://www.guitarsoffire.com/blog/ |
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Location: SoCal | Interesting. I disagree with this comment "I must say that if you sing tuneful songs and finger-pick intricate and delicate lines on your six-string, the Ovation is NOT for you."
I have sung many a delicate love song to my wife on my Ovations and never felt a need to buy a Martin or Taylor.... |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Originally posted by moody, p.i.:
I have sung many a delicate love song to my wife on my Ovations and never felt a need to buy a Martin or Taylor.... ... there goes the theory that a way to a womans heart is with a nice woody.
Dave |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | he did say, "Maybe"...
Greg, Have you ever played a FD14?? |
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Location: Scotland | I have to disagree also. If you do the singer-songwriter/fingerstlye thing you have many choices, including Ovations. For the kind of stuff Dobro plays, and to a large extent the way I use my guitars, then your choices become a lot narrower, with Ovation being at the top of a very short list. |
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Location: USA | I disagree as well.
The Ovations do exactly the opposite.
They do certainly add that accent and allure to compositions.
Its also has a lot to do with how the song is defined and structured.
haha...hate to use the term "learning how to use your instrument"
but it is very true. |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | I've always been more of a fan of the ballads or "soulful" love songs. Back in that same era, performers like Bread and Jim Croce were using Ovations. Although Jim used his Martin as well, the Ovation did very nicely with his finger style mixed with nice lyrics. |
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Location: Hiram, Georgia | Having finally read the blog, the intent, imho, is that Ovations have a "Bite" that wood guitars do not offer, but my experience is O's also have a ring that wood guitars cannot match, while picking, |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | I think it all depends on what you play, how you play, and what your ears/mind/body perceive as "right". Let's face it, we all buy certain models of guitars for different reasons. For someone to agree or disagree with dobro is crazy. His opinion is every bit as valid as your counter opinion. Dave |
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Location: Las Vegas, Nevada | I remember the first Ovation Balladeer I played in the very early '70's, passed to me by a member of Up With People, at a camp-out for a college friend's birthday. I played a couple of tunes and wanted one even more than I had as a teenager in the '60's as I had only seen pictures up 'til then. My first was actually an acoustic without electronics, 1114-4 ordered and received after a short wait in 1978; I had it for about 15 years. Never heard anything but "cool guitar; who makes it?" Innovative use of high-tech materials, sturdy build, and good looks which were secondary to a good sound were the things that got me to buy. I didn't buy one 'cause somebody played one. Never felt the urge to argue about what brand sounded better or to testify as to which guitar hero played one. The music of the artists we all associate with Ovations in the early days of Ovation, had much more influence on me than the guitars they played; it didn't matter what the strap was attached to, rather, it was how to play the tune or attempt to compose one similar. The Ovation guitars were just cool. Today, I only own 3 Ovations, but like 'em as well as the rest of the guitars I own. They are not better or worse, just different. I play 'em 'cause I like 'em.
So congratulations for writing the essay, dobro. It was an interesting read and you obviously put a lot of thought into the writing. |
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Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | Too long to read. |
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Location: Cherry Hill, NJ | Well Dobro, you're preaching to the choir. You know the old saying around here that: Ovations are for acoustic guitar players that play above the 5th fret, is still very true. Aside from folk and country finger picking, most of the acoustic players I see are right hand strummers, banging the crap out of their wooden boxes. Many popular performers, ie Dave Matthews, rely on strong rhythms. Many overuse the suspended chord patterns, and lack melodic changes, that you hear from a Dimeola or a McLaughlin or even Classic rock. This is just an observation on my part. It may have been prompted by my visit today at the local GC. While checking out a few O's, nearby customers were banging the crap out of some wooden box guitars; annoying me to no limit. Kinda like that little girl in the pizza palor, that set brother Al off on his rant. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | When listening to other's play, especially top name professional performers, you also need to keep in mind PAPD (Psycho-Acoustic-Pre-Disposition). I'm SERIOUS !!!
Our mind has a certain expectation of what something should look and sound like (also extends to taste and small). For example, if you bite into an apple that tastes like an orange and smells like an onion your mind does not know how to compute that and you end up with "noise", for lack of a better word.
With that in mind, I think you would interpret as "bad" the following scenarios, no matter how good/bad they actually sounded. For example:
CSN&Y playing unplugged all using Ovations.
Glen Campbell playing acoustic using a Gibby J-50.
Eric Clapton MTV unplugged playing Layla on an Elite.
Jimi Hendrix playing a PRS.
See what I mean? No matter how "good" they sounded, the whole experience would just be unsettling. When freaking Jimmy Page is playing Stairway, he damn well better be doing it on a Gibson doubleneck.
Dave |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | But does it apply to the wife wearing a blonde wig to bed????
(... and talks like Jessica Rabbit) |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | YES, Jeff I knew you would get it! That's a great example. Imagine a blonde wig on an intelligent brunette. Just does not compute.
Dave |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | I can see that being confusing... at least to the upper brain. |
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Location: south east Michigan | Very insightful, Dave.
Here's another example just for the purpose of illustration...
Imagine Paul Moody.... in a long sleeve, plaid flannel shirt. |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | re: Praire Dog's post-- Sitting in a circle in the Library Park in Falmouth MA in the early 70's, someone handed me an Ovation. 30+ years later, I picked one up at a music store. I was reminded of my earlier experience. I had an electric, and I wasn't impressed by any affordable wood boxes I had seen. Said to myself, "Self... I still want one of those." Now I have three. |
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Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by Slipkid:
Imagine Paul Moody.... in a long sleeve, plaid flannel shirt.  |
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Location: SoCal | Don't worry guys... ain't gonna happen... |
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Location: NJ | Unless he's cruising the lesbian bars . . . |
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Location: SoCal | And Clifford's back......
Relax. Even I'm not butch enough to pull off the plaid flannel shirt in the gay bar scene (maybe Jeff W....) |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | I've pulled it off... |
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Location: Chicago | A word on tuneful singing and intricate finger-style: I totally suck at both, hence my comments on that area come from ignorance. I am delighted that there is serious support for Ovation in that department also. Again: long live the mighty roundback (at ANY fret)!! |
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Location: Cicero, NY | Originally posted by Jeff W.:
I've pulled it off... I have to ask...cruising Clifford's back or the lesbian bars? |
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Location: NJ | StopThat. |
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Location: Cicero, NY | ( :D ) |
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Location: ranson,wva | my personal thouight on this matter is as fallows....99.9% of the "mojo" comes from the
person who is playing the guitar. ive played
wood boxes that ive fallen in love with. including a old classical martin that dad has and my woodbody reso. the guitar has some effect on the proformance but most is the player. ill be the first to admit that my playing does no justice to the guitars i own...just my thoughts...jason |
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Location: USA | I reread...I fall into that maybe :)
Well written article. It really does show the fueled passion you have for the guitars and music. |
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Location: North Carolina | Electronics have really changed everything. I've heard many a Martin or Bling-Encrusted Botique Guitar that sounded like absolute crap in the PA, destroyed by the player or the soundman or both - rare tropical woods not withstanding. I can get any of my Ovies to sound exactly the way I think an acoustic guitar should sound. So why in the world do I have to wrestle with a Martin and pay extra for the privilege? Answer: I don't. |
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Location: Sunshine State, Australia | Dobro, I tried to read it, but you've GOT to put in a few paragraphs or line breaks.
Its just a mass block of text and really uncomfortable to scroll through. |
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Location: Sunshine State, Australia | Originally posted by Tupperware:
I think you would interpret as "bad" the following scenarios, no matter how good/bad they actually sounded. For example:
CSN&Y playing unplugged all using Ovations.
Glen Campbell playing acoustic using a Gibby J-50.
Eric Clapton MTV unplugged playing Layla on an Elite.
Jimi Hendrix playing a PRS.
See what I mean? No, I don't see what you mean.
Any of those scenarios would sound great. Where does the 'bad' come it to it? |
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Location: Round Rock, TX | Originally posted by muzza:
Dobro, I tried to read it, but you've GOT to put in a few paragraphs or line breaks.
Its just a mass block of text and really uncomfortable to scroll through. You gotta remember, we're musicians. So, most of us are so ADD that we'll - hey have you seen the new James Bond flick? |
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Location: Chicago | I noticed a reference to the FD14. Google tells me that it's a "Folklore Deluxe"; I see some very strong opinions on it here but have NEVER seen or heard one. Is it comparable in power to an ancient Balladeer or Legend? How about the vaunted Adamas U681T? I have a DVD on which Larry does some great playing on the latter (Super Guitar Trio = Coryell, Di Meola, Lagrene) |
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Location: SoCal | Figure the FD14 as a wood topped (cedar) version of a U681. |
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Location: Chicago | Thanks Moody. Do you have an impression of the effect/sound of the cedar top?
As for the earlier post: now there are breaks in the text, if that means anything to ya. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | .... that can't be over-driven like many other Cedar tops under violent pick attack. It's also little warmer/more mellow than the U681T.
Drawback for you, Greg, would be 12fret non cutaway... |
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Location: SoCal | Dobro, Jeff's pretty well called it with his post.
As to your breaking up your post with paragraphs, it didn't bother me before as I had English all through high school and college and I read and talk English good (I thought I write in a way that Jeff W could understand). |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | me understand |
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Location: Sunshine State, Australia | Understanding English isn't the problem, not even 'American' English. It's my eyesight that's the problem!
And thanks Dobro, that's much easier to keep track of where I am. Will read it after lunch. |
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Location: Chicago | I think breaks are good. So are pictures (I stopped loading the blog with images: too hard to pull up).
Hey, my ancient Legend has no cutaway, my Di Meola does but I still stick to the superior vintage axe. Got a long pinky... |
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Why I Play Ovation: Dobro Testifies