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Joined:
January 2004
Posts: 627
Location: Cherry Hill, NJ | Went in the local GC to buy some strings, and made the rounds. Always gotta check how many O's hanging, when the salesman grabbed me. After my plugging O's he took me over the the VXT set up. A splitter jack, with one into the acoustic amp, and the other into a tube Peavy model amp. Played around with it for awhile and got to like it. It's a great on stage instrument, as the electronics allow for an acoustic sound using the Fishman system, and Humbuckers, for that rockin sound. Great workmanship. Looks like the Hammer touches were put on this baby. I could see myself with one of these babies. Just need a stage gig to justify the purchase. Gotta hand it to the folks at Ovation, they've put out a great guitar to compete with the best. |
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Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Hamer, one M. Yes, those touches are all over it. |
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Joined:
October 2002
Posts: 170
Location: The Shop | why does everyone keep saying that the VXT has Hamer touches all over it? |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Saw two (one black, one burst) in a local GC t'day when I took MasterTempleman there for a new pedal for his lapsteel. Nice. I liked the feel/playability of it. I didn't wanna plug it in as I wasn't in the mood for GC staff ineptitude, and I wouldn't have "heard" anything above the ambient din of "Radio Guitar Center", anyway.
Looked/felt nice, tho . . . |
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Joined:
March 2007
Posts: 665
Location: Tychy, Poland | i don't understand why there is so much hype on vxt. my friend has 2 electric guitars with acoustic piezo added (fender strat '94 & yamaha pacifica) which sound as good as this VXT (at least for what i've seen on youtube).
If i'd have to buy such a combo, i'd rather take line6 variax 700. |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 1421
Location: Orange County, California | LBJ,
You need to go play one yourself. The youtube videos suck. It doesn't sound like an electric with a piezo bridge. It sounds like a freakin' dreadnought. As an electric guitar, the Variax isn't fit to be tuned by the same roadie. Period. This thing has real Mo-Jo, not modeled mojo. |
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Joined:
March 2007
Posts: 665
Location: Tychy, Poland | probably i won't have possibility to play one in my whole life. there is no ovation dealer in poland, and in europe ovation's are much more expensive. |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 1421
Location: Orange County, California | Sorry,
I forget how small the internet makes the world. I sincerely hope you can come "out west" to visit someday.
Maybe you could become the first authorized Ovation dealer in Poland :D :p :D :p |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12761
Location: Boise, Idaho | Sometimes I think Boise is one of the most remote places around. But mostly it's just remote from stuff I don't want. |
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Joined:
October 2006
Posts: 51
Location: Arizona | Stopped by GC today and played their demo VXT. It was hooked up to an electric amp (don't remember exact model) and an old Fender Acoustic amp. Battery was dead in the guitar, so had to wait for someone to round up a batt, then spent a long time trying to figure out why I could only get sound out of the electric amp...there's a tiny switch on the back next to the battery cover that says "Mono/Stereo". Gotta flip that to "Stereo".
I thought it felt and played nicely. The acoustic sound is very nice, but the tone control and pickup select are inoperative when you turn the blend to the acoustic side. Why there's no acoustic tone control I don't understand...you get what you get or you tweak it via your amp, as there's essentially no electrical control of the acoustic sound from the guitar.
It's mostly an electic guitar, and sounds like you'd expect a double-humbucker to sound. I thought the tone control was kind of weak on the electric side, too, but that's just me.
I don't think there's much surprising about this guitar, but it is nicely put together and has a very decent sound to it. I could play an F pattern and transition to Fm very easily, which is something I personally look for to test the action and fingerboard. It's actually a little nicer than my T5 in that regard (but not much), which is saying a lot.
Only the EAD strings are wound, as one would expect on a primarily electric guitar. I wanted to check the intonation but didn't have a tuner handy...one of the things that amazes me about my T5 is that the intonation has been absolutely *perfect* right out of the box, as tested with a tuner via open, twelfth fret, then harmonic on each string. I'd like to see how the VXT compares, but couldn't this time.
I think the VXT is priced right, it's a very, very nice guitar and IMHO would be a very good selection for somebody who wants to have the electric/acoustic versatility. Between the VXT and the T5 I'll still take my T5, but I don't think that's too surprising. If the VXT had the equivalent of the typical Ovation A/E pre-amp with some tone control or EQ, it would definitely help. Without it it seems a little bland with the blend all the way to the acoustic side...is it trying to fool someone into thinking it's an acoustic-only? |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7247
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | I was very impressed with the VXT. Besides that it's just nice to see that headstock back on a solidbody, it's nice to see a "new" guitar that lives up to the hype. They didn't try to build a "do everything" guitar. Forget the technology for a moment, they built an electric solidbody two-humbucker, setneck guitar with a contoured back that has a bridge pickup that produces a beautiful big body acoustic sound. Rather than a switch to go between the two basic sounds, you can blend one to the other and everything in between.
This is all fine and dandy, and what the guitar is designed to do, however, there is so much more.
Just playing this guitar into a single electric guitar amp rather than sending the acoustic sound and humbuckers to different amps, opens up a world of sounds. Starting with the amp in just a basic clean with some reverb... Starting on the acoustic side, and blending in various amounts of either or both of the humbuckers allows you to create Strat, Tele, ES 335, Birdland you name it!!!!! Plenty of unique tones in there too. My actual comment to Al while Darren was playing the VXT into a Mesa Dual Rectifier was something like "that does a better Strat into a Fender Twin than an actual Strat through a Fender twin" which will make this guitar a "must have" tool for the studio.
On the other side of the spectrum, I was noodling around with the VXT into a Line6 emulating some very Laney sound amp on full tilt. Sure those '59 humbuckers can scream, produce some huge rhythm chunk, but then, without touching the amp, and not affecting the volume, you have the ability to add definition to that chunk by just blending a little of the acoustic pickup into it.
For me, this guitar came across as so much more than an electric solidbody that can sound acoustic. There are plenty of dual-humbucker guitars out there, and you can stick a Fishman bridge on a guitar too, but the circuit that allows you to blend them together, without having to worry about any level changes, is pure magic that allows you to create so many classic tones and at the same time, so many unique ones also.
To be fair, I was not fond of the neck thickness, but frankly, with everything else that the guitar does... I'll get over it.
I played it, and I carefully listened and watched many other people play it too, in all sorts of styles and all sorts of talent levels. Ovation hit a home-run with this one as far as I'm concerned. Not one person that I saw had to "figure it out". They just picked it up and played it. Strummers to shredders, finger pickers and flatpickers, all seemed to get a sound to their liking in short order.
Almost everyone's demo seemed to follow some variation of picking it up and playing a few riffs with the blend maxed one way or the other, then they would move it 100% opposite, and noodle some more, then make one more "blend" and break into a tune with a very satisfied look on their face that they just dialed in exactly what they were looking for like they had been playing it for years. |
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Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Originally posted by cms-man:
why does everyone keep saying that the VXT has Hamer touches all over it? After seeing maybe a hundred of the VXT models up close and personal in various stages of production at the factory, and after touring the Hamer shop, the comparison to Hamer is, IMHO, in the build and finish quality, particularly the neck joint, and all the hands-on attention to detail. |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13996
Location: Upper Left USA | My question is when is the GC run over and we can custom order a VXT in our prefered wood top and and trim???? |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | It's on the horizon . . .
We saw some (and there might BE some pics posted, I just haven't seen 'em, yet) of some VXT's in the Factory with just the intial clear "sealing" coat on the raw wood, and they are just absolutely STUNNING!! |
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Joined:
January 2005
Posts: 4903
Location: Phoenix AZ | Mike, I think they said in July they would open the VXT up to all dealers. But I'm not sure about custom orders. Looks to me like they are overloaded just building the two basic (ugly) ones they currently have.
Saw some in the production area that were just clearcoated over the bare (and beautiful) wood. They looked amazing. The next step is to cover this thing of beauty with black spray paint. Go figure. But I guess that's what GC wanted.
I won't be getting one. I don't need an electric guitar (and it sounds to me nothing like an acoustic guitar), but IF I was then it would be a natural finish trimmed in fake tortie with maple elite fretboard inlays.
I'm sure these guitars will sell VERY well.
Dave |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13996
Location: Upper Left USA | I am thinking that the Koa top, Rosewood or Maple FB, Tourtoise-esque binding and an oval blowhole would be just sumptuous!
I am still taking in all of the pictures as they post. WOW!
I saw alot of highly figured necks on some of the acoustics and pallets of special Billet wood for the VXT's.
Very exciting future ahead!!! |
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Joined:
December 2002
Posts: 939
Location: Fort Worth, Texas | I'll have to try one out. From what I'm reading here and seeing on the Ovation web site, this instrument is what I need for gigs as I switch between acoustic and electric guitars (and bass) and consequently lug a lot of instruments around.
And it will be a nice compliment to my Viper Bass...
I like the black finish, but a natural finish would be sweet.
Off to Guitar Center.... |
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Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 1116
Location: Keller, TX | Paul, I think you would like it. Wait for them to release a not-ugly version tho. |
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Joined:
December 2002
Posts: 939
Location: Fort Worth, Texas | I went to our Fort Worth GC and they did not have any in stock... |
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Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 234
Location: Phoenix, AZ | Originally posted by Tupperware:
I won't be getting one. I don't need an electric guitar
Dave What is this "need" thing you speak of? |
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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | The Naked VXT....
I got lazy and didn't carry my camera through the factory. Now I have to depend on someone else to post pics of the VXTs with the clearcoat finish.
Wait till you see what lies beneath all that black paint. It should be a major felony to cover up that fantastic mohogany and spruce grain. Let's face it... as much as we obsess over tone, the "eye-candy" factor is a major part that attracts us to a guitar. Those of you who think the VXT looks rather plain just wait until the factory unleashes examples what this guitar is capable of looking like. It will knock your sock off.
Somebody please... POST A PIC!!! |
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Joined:
May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | I have to agree with slipkid, while I didn't go on the tour and see the raw wood, a clear finish over even the most plain wood, is beautiful. It's only over ugly wood, or mismatched pieces, in my opinion, do you want to cover up with paint. |
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Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 1116
Location: Keller, TX | Originally posted by cliff:
... MasterTempleman there for a new pedal for his lapsteel. . . What was that pedal he was playing at the tour? |
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Joined:
August 2006
Posts: 2804
Location: ranson,wva | id love to have one but ive got too many electrics that i dont play as it is..altho i could probly see my teles off and buy a vxt...jason |
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Speaking of 'Not playing electrics much', I just picked-up my Pseudo-Strat,
and damn I'm good! :p
It is so much easier to play barre chords and such. Lighter strings and all...
(and overdrive covers alot of sins!)
It's nice to have a coupla solid bodies around...
But I ain't going back. :cool: |
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Joined:
December 2002
Posts: 939
Location: Fort Worth, Texas | I went back to GC today and this time talked to an employee (he was busy selling a guitar/strap/picks/case/music stand to a teacher for his student), they had no VXTs.
While I was waiting to talk to the guy I picked up Taylor T-5 (they had one new one and one used). Plugged it into an amp (can't remember the brand) and played it for a little while.
I wasn't $2500 inpressed.....
The guy told me they sold the two VXTs they had but both came back for repair, something to do with the piezo at the G string.........
He admitted he wasn't a big Ovation fan, thought the VXT was too heavy. He pointed out the used T-5 to me a couple of times. He was up-front telling me he wasn't a fan of the Ovation sound. I think I need to go in there when a VXT is available and set up two amps and then do a comparison.
I told him I'd check back when they have another one in stock and I wanted to compare them side-by-side.
And ,I'd like to see a natural finish also......
:) |
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The VXT