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Location: New Hartford CT | After 35 years I've finally quit smoking and it's time for a reward.
Looking for subject matter in very good condition. I am open to suggestions on which model to buy as my knowledge of this style is somewhat limited. I have kind of fallen in love with fingerpicking recently. I guess a nylon string is not a necessity...?
I've seen them come up for sale here but missed out. Patch had a couple of nice ones for sale here not long ago.
I promise not to come back looking for an answer in .24 seconds..... |
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Location: Denver, CO | Congratulations, Geo! I think quitting smoking is one of the toughest accomplishments. My wife has tried about 6 times, and just never can make it stick. |
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Location: SoCal | What's your budget?
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Location: Boise, Idaho | There are many options, so buy one of each. Think of how much money you'll save on cigarettes.
If you are looking for a good fingerstyle guitar, don't limit yourself to nylon strings. I started to tell you my favorite fingerstyle guitar was the Folklore, but then I thought of the Ute and then the LAV Koa. Each is a steel string with a wider fretboard, making it easier to pluck single notes. The Folklore is the widest of those three. Each has some radius on the fretboard, which helps with barre chords. Each has the fretboard attached to the body at the 12th fret, which allows the strings to vibrate over more of the body.
A "standard" nylon string has a 2 inch flat fretboard. I have a tough time fretting all the notes in a barre chord on a flat fretboard, but I love my Classic (1713). A standard nylon string guitar also has a cedar top, which seems to sound better with nylon strings. At least that's what this guy named Bill told me when I first consulted this board. Most nylon strings sound small to me, but the Classic doesn't. Classical guitars are typically smaller. I studied up on the differences between classical guitars and flamenco guitars once, but forgot everything I learned. Ovation also made a classical guitar in spanish pine, another form of cedar. I think it was the 1613. You might want a cutaway if you want to fret up at the 12th fret. Those used to be numbered with a 6 as the third digit (eg. 1763).
Ovation also makes the Country Artist 1624. I don't know the current iteration. It has a radiused fretboard, slightly wider than standard, 14 fret neck and a shallow, not supershallow, bowl. Less bass than a 1713 and it has a spruce top. It's sort of a combination guitar for nylon strings. Easy to play. I didn't like the sound as much as I like the 1713, but it was my fingerstyle learning guitar for awhile.
If you really want to reward yourself, look for a wide necked version of the 97 Collector. Fingerstyle parlor guitar. That would be fantastic. I've never played one, but I love my 97 Collector with the regular neck. I've probably missed a few options, but I agree that a nylon string isn't a necessity, but if you can't have one of each, I'd recommend something of the Folklore variety.
Edited by Mark in Boise 2013-02-13 10:10 AM
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Location: Central Massachusetts | If it's in your budget, check out my folklore deluxe FD14 which is listed here for sale. steel string, 12 fret, 1 3/4" neck, great fingerpicking guitar. And I'm only a couple of hours away. |
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Location: New Hartford CT | That FD14 is incredible dvd. I was thinking more along the lines of under a grand for a budget...but considering the dollar cost alone of smoking is about $300/month I'm going to leave my options open for now.
Mark thank you for your thorough and considerate reply. All things considered a good old 1713 might just be the ticket. Then again a 6774 is unique in appearance and unlike anything in my collection. This won't be easy.
As far as quitting the smokes...I was knocked out with the flu for several days a little over a month ago. Hardly got up for 4 or 5 days, lost over 20 pounds. When I finally started getting better I realized I hadn't had a cigarette in 5 days; a perfect time to quit it was. Someone told me to reward myself so it's got to be another Ovation right? |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | George Frey - 2013-02-13 10:14 AM
As far as quitting the smokes...I was knocked out with the flu for several days a little over a month ago. Hardly got up for 4 or 5 days, lost over 20 pounds. When I finally started getting better I realized I hadn't had a cigarette in 5 days; a perfect time to quit it was. Someone told me to reward myself so it's got to be another Ovation right?
That Flu is GREAT, huh?
I caught that H1N1 (swine) Flu in 2009.
I laid in bed for 5 days and couldn't smoke a cigarette, although I tried!
And like you, once I got better I realized that I was half-way quit anyway.
I still had cartons of cheap cigarettes from the Ukraine in my possession too.
Congrats on the Smoking...
Best of Luck with the Search.
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Location: Flahdaw | arthurseery - 2013-02-13 1:44 PM
I still had cartons of cheap cigarettes from the Ukraine in my possession too.
???? |
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Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | $300 a month?! Wow, that's a lot of cigs! I buy the "cheap" cigs - $5.09 a pack, and I'm spending less than $28 a week. I wish I could quit too. I've tried seveal times. I want to warn you, be careful at the three month and six month anniversaries. For some reason they say those are the hardest times. I know they were for me. Twice I got to three months and then started again, and once I made it all the way to six months.
Anyway, I have been fingerpicking ever since I started playing guitar, and I have never needed a nylon string guitar OR a wider neck. Try fingerpicking on what you've already got and then your choices for a reward will be wide open. You might just find a nice standard neck steel string at the right price. |
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Location: Flahdaw | I started fingerpicking with 1-11/16" gits, and got fairly good with the Ovation necks. Then I decided I MUST have 1-3/4" nuts, so my next 3 guitars were all wider necks. Now I just bought a new 1-11/16" for gigging and I LOVE it. I pick just as good, in some ways even cleaner, than with the wider necks. WTH? |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | A lot may depend upon how big your fingers are. I have difficulty playing an A in the open position with 3 fingers, but that's the way my guitar teacher does it. My way, with two fingers, makes it difficult to do pulloffs.
Anyway, it sounds like you could easily rationalize dvd's FD-14. Great guitars and not easy to find. It should give you the motivation to at least stop smoking long enough to make it a free guitar. Maybe I should pick up a bad habit, so I could quit and buy guitars. Not going to happen. I already gave up mistresses for Porsches, so I only have the guitar habit left. |
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Location: Flahdaw | Mark in Boise - 2013-02-13 5:12 PM
I already gave up mistresses for Porsches
And all the women of Idaho's Weight Watchers Club still speak kindly of you.... |
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Location: New Hartford CT | Well the math in CT is different....$8+/pk if you go through a carton/wk=$320/month.
I think an entire thread could go on about quitting but those moderators are tough heh
I'm on the hunt for that guitar before the idea goes up in smoke... |
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Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | It isn't what you're smoking, it's what you're getting smoked by.
Comes down to 2 questions: Are you willing to do what it takes? For as long as it takes?
I'm still in that dilemna with my guitar playing, after 20 years.
Persevere. |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | darkbarguitar - 2013-02-13 3:26 PM
Mark in Boise - 2013-02-13 5:12 PM
I already gave up mistresses for Porsches
And all the women of Idaho's Weight Watchers Club still speak kindly of you....
They didn't have to worry. The choices were really SWMBO or Bimbo, Porsche or divorce. I took the cheaper options. |
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Location: Always beautiful canyon country of Utah | Just curious. Which options are cheaper?? |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | nerdydave - 2013-02-14 9:26 AM
Just curious. Which options are cheaper??
Sometimes I'm not so sure. |
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Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | The old joke of maintaining women & battleships: "Paint & Powder" |
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Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | OK there GEO...I found you a nice one...: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ovation-Concert-Classic-Acoustic-Electric-G...
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Location: New Hartford CT | Oh man I blew it on this one...hesitated.
There was a buy it now for $349+50 ship. I asked about the S/N and whether any top cracks.
Seller posted an answer and before I could get the buy it now in bidding began. Buy it now went away and now it's a bidding war.
I guess every Ovation fan there is knows about it now LOL I'll keep looking.
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Location: Texas | That EBay one has a foil label, if it's all original, wouldn't that make it older than the "1980" listed? |
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Location: New Hartford CT | Right, it's a 1977. |
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Location: New Hartford CT | The 1977 1616-4 Concert Classic is on the way. This particular guitar sat in a store until owner bought it in 1980.
Quitting smoking has its rewards....thanks to all for your input. |
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Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | So are you saying you just scored the one on EBay? |
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Location: Canada | Hi Geostorm98,
I have an Ovation 1624-4 Nylon string with original pickup and case. The guitar is joined at the 14th fret. It's in A-1 condition, from the mid 1970's... I think it's either a 74 or 76. I'm asking $500 for it from any member of the OFC. I've PM'd you with my email address. If it's what you're looking for just let me know. 
Take care.
Rhy |
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Location: Canada | Hey there Geo,
My bad.
I didn't read the last post before my last reply. Enjoy your new (to you) Classic. Should you just happen to want ANOTHER nylon string Ovation....let me know. 
Take care,
Rhy |
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WTB Ovation classical/nylon string