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Location: CA | I've asked this before but the thread has gone awry with unrelated posts. So here goes again:
How do guitar makers such as Ovation INSURE that cheaper models do not sound as good as more expensive ones. If, as they claim, they use the same USA-made bowls in Celebs as, for example, Balladeers, then why couldn't a solid-top Celeb sound as good as a Balladeer. Or better for that matter? I realize that the higher up the food chain you go, the nicer the spruce used in tops. But if you use the same glue, similar bracing, same thickness of spruce, same finish (or not?) and same bowl — I never thought what the neck was made of made much difference to sound — then how do you make sure that one sounds better than another. Which is part of the point of having different price-points, is it not?
I'm not knocking any model, and love my Celeb as much as the others. Just curious. |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | I played a couple of the last of the Ultras and thought they sounded great. USA made Ovations with laminate tops don't seem to ever open up and resonate like the solid tops do. |
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Posts: 12761
Location: Boise, Idaho | I played a couple of the last of the Ultras and thought they sounded great. USA made Ovations with laminate tops don't seem to ever open up and resonate like the solid tops do. |
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Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Whose to say WHICH sound is better?
If you like it better, then it's better.
Your ears, your opinion.
Which is better, Chocolate Ice Cream? Vanilla?
Maplenut Ripple? If one was best why bother making the rest?
Pick your flavour and enjoy. Try a different flavour once in a while, just so you're not becoming a Chauvinist about it. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Who says a celebrity doesn't sound as good as a balladeer? |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | My CK047 sounds unique... And it is a laminate top.
My (long gone) 4861 Korean-made, solid-top Balladeer sounded Great.
My Ultra 2171 had a solid-top and a dove-tail neck joint...
It sounded nice and the new owner was happy.
Which sounds better is totally subjective.
To someone who does not know where it was manufactured or how much it cost...
That doesn't matter.
So I see no reason why a Solid Top CDX24 might not sound just as good as a 1771AX.
Just like in wood-box guitars, it might be a matter of the top wood and the inherent mojo! |
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Posts: 196
Location: Shelton, Washington, USA | i don't know that any measures are taken to "ensure" a lesser sound. they may use a lower grade of material, but ... sometimes, no matter what they do, the guitar sounds great.... just as some high end guitars manage to slip through the QA process and hit the market with less than the expected sound...
... roll of the dice, i suppose...
be well,
jim |
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Posts: 7247
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | They main differences that I see/hear between the entry level and high end guitars has almost NOTHING to do with sound, although that may be a result.
The entry level guitars have a limited warranty and are mass produced. The higher end guitars have full warranty and a lot of handwork.
All things being equal such as same wood, same neck etc.. (I don't know if there is an identical entry level and hand finished models), just based on manufacturing process, and warranty, there would be a huge gap in price.
Now add in fly top vs solid, and the price gap gets bigger. As far as "sound" one could argue that the guitar with more handwork and closer inspection criteria will be more consistent than it's more economical mass produced counterpart.
But in any case, I think they try to make the best sounding guitar they can as each price point. I would guess the majority of the price point is in handwork and warranty, NOT in material. |
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Location: CA | Yeah yeah, I know all that 'ear of the beholder' stuff already. That's what everyone said last time I asked this question.
Thanks to Miles for actually answering the question — and whose answer makes the most sense. I just thought there might be a "mechanical" reason, like the foreign bowls might be slightly different, or the bracing purposely 'not as good' or something like that. But lacking any other 'insider information', your "best sounding guitar at each price point" really is the most logical explanation. Thanks for that insight. |
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December 2009
Posts: 143
Location: Ontario Canada | Hello Oddball,
Thanks for the thread regarding materials, sound, quality and prices of our various models.
Mr. Ovation certainly covered all the bases.
Whenever I was a Balladeer, strummin' and hummin' for my supper I played a Pacemaker 1615-4, I never did become a Celebrity and now that my ears are older and my inside pacemaker works all day long I am just so happy listening to all the models. As others have stated ....
"If the sound of Your guitar is what you love then it is priceless."
Regards
Jim |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | The imports have an extra quart of suck added. |
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Location: hitchhiking | That's why I've always had a thing for Asian women |
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Location: hitchhiking | Originally posted by Beal:
The imports have an extra quart of suck added. Where's Mitzdawg? |
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Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by Beal:
The imports have an extra quart of suck added. They use it to replace the quart of mojo they leave out. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | The raw materials are not nearly as important has how they are put together. Taylor proved this by building a guitar out of scrap pallet wood. They paid a lot of attention to the assembly and sure enough ... it sounded just as shitty as their regular guitars. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | it looked good though........ |
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| This is why I always play as many as I can before I buy it. I probably played a half dozen of the same model and several of the other models before I bought my Ovation. I know I played all of the Fenders they had before I bought the best one I found.
I asked the guys at the music store why the one I bought sounded better than the rest including several higher priced models and they said they knew it happened every now and then but they didn't know why either. |
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Posts: 1008
Location: Tuscany, Italy | Originally posted by Gallerinski:
The raw materials are not nearly as important has how they are put together. Taylor proved this by building a guitar out of scrap pallet wood. They paid a lot of attention to the assembly and sure enough ... it sounded just as shitty as their regular guitars. :D :D :D |
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Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Sometimes , Mfg.rs , hit " bulls-eye " , like , in the case of AKG , when they made the C535EB , and followed up on it by making the 535 WL wireless mic,. , However , Ovi , after producing the 1537 , went a different route ...
Vic
.. tjah .. |
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Location: Chicago | Then again, when we pay more we need to believe that it IS, in fact, superior. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | if you believe, it is. |
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Posts: 747
| I have a 1975 1621-4 and I've yet to pull any Ovation (or variation of same) off the wall in a music shop that sounds anywhere even nearly close as good as mine. A lot of the cheap ones that I've heard sound like tin. I'm sure that the high end rigs are better but they don't have them in the shops so they might as well not exist from where most people are at. |
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What makes the difference?