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April 2011
Posts: 15
Location: Philadelphia | Hello, I'd like to introduce myself, Jim Alexander. I became an Ovation fan rather late in the game, knew about them from the mid 60's on but didn't start playing Ovations until a few years ago. I just bought a CKO47 and put my iDea preamp into it. The iDea for Dummies Guide says that the iDea preamp is compatable with the OP20 but with a new battery installed it won't power on when placed in the OP-20 can. The OP-20 works perfectly in the CK)47. I would appreciate any advise you can give me. Thank you administrators for this site! I have always enjoyed reading various posts and have learned a lot of Ovation history here. Thanks! Jim |
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | An iDea preamp will NOT function in an OP-20 can
If you have done this, remove the module from the OP-20 can.
The contacts are not compatible and you might cause a short in the MP3 Player.
When they say that the iDea is compatible with an OP-20 (or 30, or 40, or 11)
they mean that the iDea CAN will fit in the HOLE left when you remove the OP-20 can.
(The iDea module is compatible with an OP-Pro can...
But an OP-Pro module is NOT compatible with an iDea can)
and Welcome Jim :cool: |
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April 2011
Posts: 15
Location: Philadelphia | Thanks Old Man Arthur! That solve the problem. Looks like I'll be switching the cans between guitars tomorrow. |
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September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Yeah... You can always put the OP-20 in the iDea CC54i guitar.
If you have Koa CK047, those are awfully purdy guitars. |
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April 2011
Posts: 15
Location: Philadelphia | Yep, that Koa is sure gentler on the eyes than the platinum finished iDea! It's no high ender but plays nicely enough for me and for $200 and a great gig bag I'm a happy guy but still not happy about following the information on the Ovation selling blub.
The iDea preamp stopped working, probably shorted out trying it in the OP-20 can. It came back, powered up 2 days later but I'll have to check to see if I lost any functions. Please let me know what you think, my neurons are still firing alright so I wondered if I misread the iDea For Dummies information about the compatability issue. I quote...
"The iDEA pre-amp is compatible with OP style of pre-amp "cans" - OP10, OP-20, OP-30, OP-40, OP-50, OP-Pro, OP-Studio and OP-VIP5. So if your guitar is outfitted with one of these existing pre-amps you can simply pop it out and pop the iDEA in its place.
Am I missing something here? Given both your considered response and my experience that this is simply not true and can wreck the iDea preamp.
Is this advise not dangerously misleading? I was advised to simply pop out the iDea preamp out of mine and to simply pop it into any of the mentioned cans.
Further, the installation information reaffirms the above compatability claim by saying that in order to get the most out of the iDea preamp it is a good idea, no pun intended, to install the iDea can that comes with the kit.
"Although compatible with existing OP style pre-amp housings, to take full advantage of the iDEA pre-amp including the AUX input, you will have to swap out your exiting can with the supplied iDEA can"
So Old Man Arthur, hopefully to become a Ovation Forum chum, is there something wrong with my brain these days in interpreting information or is the Ovation information incorrect? |
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March 2005
Posts: 12754
Location: Boise, Idaho | iDea for Dummies wasn't written by Ovation, it was written by an Ovation Fan. I doubt he had every preamp to check it out with and he might have made some mistakes. If you guys spot one, maybe you should write the author and get him to correct it. |
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Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Well, Like I said... The "CANS" can easily be removed and replaced.
If you just buy the module, it comes with a can.
So yeah... Maybe they should have stated that more clearly.
I have a Platinum CC54i.
I really just was looking for a cheap iDea module...
But at that moment it was cheaper to buy it with the guitar attached, than just the module.
I have never used the little AUX input.
The only thing that I have ever done with mine is solo over the Blues track.
My current iDea module is the THIRD one that I have owned... :p
I have bought two, and then sold them because I wasn't using them.
I have keep this one longer because it has a guitar attached.
On a side-by-side comparison the output of the iDea is greater (Louder) than the OP-Pro.
[But then again... the VIP and the OP-Pro Studio are both louder than the OP-Pro]
I hope that you iDea module survived the experience.
If it records and plays and makes music, it should be fine.
Not to be rude... But if you look inside at the connections in the two cans, they are different.
The Author of iDEA for Dummies is Dave Standing-Ovation Tupperware Gallerinski...
And we appreciate it! Hopefully he is hiding amongst the readers somewhere.
That site contains a wealth of information and was created by a Public Citizen, not affiliated with Ovation or Kaman.
That said, the Ovation people look to that site for info. |
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December 2006
Posts: 6994
Location: Jet City | Hi Alexander,
Welcome to the club. Sorry to hear about your preamp woes.
I've updated your status, so feel free to post throughout the site.
Damon |
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April 2011
Posts: 15
Location: Philadelphia | Thanks Damon67! Old Man Arthur and Mark have resolved my preamp woes with great information that has led to a quick and positive resolution.
My bad... I missed the red "The Unofficial" disclaimer on the top of the iDea For Dummies information piece. I should have contacted your knowledgeable members first about the preamp swap. I just finished trading everything, preamps,cans and all electronics between the iDea and my beautiful Koa CK047 and both guitars are happily working perfectly.
I learned some good lessons that should serve well in future Ovation adventures!
I too bought a whole iDea guitar just to get the preamp in the hopes of finding a suitable guitar to put it in. $219 to the door. I just put the iDea with the OP-20 on Craigslist for $169 but if someone here tells me the preamp and can are worth selling individually I have some people interested in the iDea as just an acoustic and can sell it to one of them. |
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Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | I know of people who bought the CC54i and split it...
One person kept the iDea Module and one person got the CC54.
But, Hey! You pretty-much need to send the CC54 out with some kind of preamp.
You need something to fill the hole! Any ole preamp will do...
The tuna and the pre-shape is nice on the Op-20.
And, being a deaf old fart, you need to be able to plug-in to play outside.
Maybe I NEED to go outside and play total acoustic.
Other people may not be as deaf as I am. |
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Joined:
April 2011
Posts: 15
Location: Philadelphia | I actually installed the OP-20 into the iDea guitar and like you said, it works! Then I started playing it acoustically and thought, "this guitar sounds and plays fine". I think, (right now) that I'll keep it as a camping acoustic and sell the OP-20. As for the open hole on the side it seems side port sound holes are getting popular among the custom guitar maker set. Tomorrow I'll see how it sounds with a hole in its side. |
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Idea OPI-1 iDea preamp into OP-20 CKO47 Can