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February 2003
Posts: 32
Location: Columbus, Ohio | With the more narrow neck of the Ovation's, fingerpicking is much more difficult for me. However, for strumming songs, chord progressions, Ovations with the more narrow neck make that much easier. Seems to be what they were made for. I seem to use my Taylor for fingerpicking songs as with most other non Ovation acoustics which have a wider neck. Anyone else find this to be the case. Thanks. |
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Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Al DiMeola, strumming songs? I don't think so. |
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February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | It's the player that determines the style, not the instrument. Ovation necks aren't especially narrow at the nut. You'll find that most guitar manufacturers including Ovation & just about everyone else use 1 11/16ths as a standard nut width. Taylor make 3 nut widths depending on model & body size: 1 11/16ths (same as Ovation's standard necks) 1 7/8ths (Taylor 12 strings, Ovation 12 strings & Ovation wide-neck 6 strings) A third size, 1 3/4ths, is used by Taylor on their smaller-bodied guitars, which is one 16th of an inch wider than an Ovation neck at the nut. String spacing at the nut along with neck shape & depth affect playing feel as much as nut width, especialy if you play only on the lower frets.
I play fingerstyle for 90% of what I do & while I prefer wider necks I have no problem with a 1 11/16ths nut width. |
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August 2002
Posts: 398
Location: So. Cal. | Ovation necks are no narrower or wider than the other brands. There are different styles and angles for different people maybe. I personally find Ovation even easier to do fingerstyle than most, and still does a great job with strumming.
Just me and my Adamas! |
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March 2003
Posts: 1
Location: San Diego, Ca | Oh yes, and let me remind you of Adrian Legg too....
Personally I find strummig is a waste of a good instrument, and with no pickguards Ovations are not built for it anyway. As for the neck layout, it appears to be a matter of personal taste and individual playing technique. I have never seen much advantage in wide necks, and playing fingerstyle on Ovations comes naturally for me because of their particualr neck layout. If it didn't I wouldn't own them. I know there are a lot of Ovation strummers out there, but I don't see the Ovation as a strummer's instrument at all.
:) |
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December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | absence of a pickguard has nothing to do with fingerpicking or strumming. If you scratch the guitar with the pick you have bad technique. |
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February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | "Pesonally I find strumming is a waste of a good instrument"
Tell that to just about every singer/songwriter out there. A good rhythm guitar player is the backbone of a band. Just about every hit song was written by someone strumming a handful of chords.
A guitar is just paint, it's the artist who produces the picture. |
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August 2002
Posts: 623
Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | "If you scratch the guitar with the pick you have bad technique."
Al, if you saw how gnawed away the leaf pattern by the cutaway of my elite is, you'd swear I was trying to eat the damn guitar. So much for good technique!
With that said, as a generally agressive strummer (fingerpick 30% of the time), one of the things that makes USA Ovations especially appealing to me is the incredibly solid feeling of the neck. Other guitars just feel fragile and weak, while O's have a strong, meaty feel, are incredibly dependable, and comfortable for every style I play.
And all this time I thought Ovation players do have a wider nut size!
-Johnny |
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Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Let's be fair. Lots of guys strum Ovations. Eddie Rabbitt was one of the greatest. |
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December 2001
Posts: 7247
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | "Strumming your Ovation," so that's whatcha call it these days. |
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October 2002
Posts: 23
Location: Kentucky | Just wanted throw my 2 cents in here.
“…with no pickguards Ovations are not built for it anyway”
Totally disagree. Obviously, everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion. I've been strumming, sometimes rather aggressively on my Elite-T for several months now. Happily, I’ve yet to leave a trail, scratch, or mark from my less than great technique. It’s not even wearing down the texture that I can see.
Also, I’m no expert, but it seems that a guitar with electric comparable action of an Ovation is well set for extensive barre chord usage.
Finally, seems like a pick guard would hinder vibration of the sound board, thus altering the sound somewhat. |
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December 2001
Posts: 7247
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | On acoustic I am an aggressive strummer. I just looked at my 1975 Medallion (which I purchased new back then) and there are no pick marks. I played that guitar enough to wear down the frets. Of course there are finish checks, a gouge from a mic stand falling on it, I think there is some sand from the beach in it, and the finsh on the fretboard is also worn off.... but no pick marks.. that's just technique. Good or bad technique I wouldn't venture to say, but it is ALL technique. |
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November 2002
Posts: 1196
Location: Lafayette, Louisiana | I strum like crazy, and my Ovations have no marks on them. I have a soft touch, and use a very thin pick. I find to many people play their guitars to hard. You don't have to beat sound out of them. Ovations ring with a soft touch also....Paul Hebert |
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August 2002
Posts: 623
Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | Playing solo, and as a duo, I play a lot of ballsy rock songs, not much Cum Ba-Ya type stuff. My agressive strumming came about from trying to compensate for no drummer, and a need to have a strong beat carrying the song, and a fullness behind my vocals.
I combine a thumping of my right hand on the body/strings (bass drum) with aggressive pick strumming (acting as a hi-hat), and also throw in fast strum "drum fills" in where suitable. Adding mild bass line stuff when possible fills out the sound a creates an illusionary "band" on one guitar. The attack is essential...no soft pick or strumming will work for me.
Combine that with the fact that I don't perform standing still, and the guitar takes a beating-scratches and all. Luckily, my O's are built like steel, and hold up just fine.
Call it bad technique, it usually works well, and generally gets a good audience response. I think this approach keeps things fresh and not boring for those listening, song after song. I've listened to a lot of guys play rock songs solo, and they're just strumming "1&2&3&4&" and it gets dull really quick. There's just no groove.
Johnny |
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August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | Hey Johnny, I just gotta say you killed on "Bring Me Some Water" at the OFC jam. You set the bar impossibly high right out of the gate. Play it with gusto! ... if that's what's inside, that's what needs to come out. I thought your technique was right on, especially for what you were playing, and the Adamas filled the room. Definitely not boring!
P.S. Thanks for letting me play your axe and goading me to get up there. Can't wait until next year, and I promised myself I will practice beforehand. |
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August 2002
Posts: 623
Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | Bro,
Thanks so much. It means a lot, really. I had so much fun (cept for nearly losing my pick in the middle of the guitar break of that song in front of a room full of players!!!), but had an even better time listening to everyone else! What a great bunch of musicians!
Was so glad you got up to play! ...and damnit, WOW! You were great! The way you were so shy about getting up there I didn't think you were gonna knock socks off like ya did! You were great, and really looked like you were enjoying yourself. Great presence and playing, and dynamite song choices!!! Good voice too! Thanks for playing!
Catch ya next year! I'll be practicing too!
Johnny |
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December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | JOhnny
I think we will all be practicing |
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Ovations for strummers mainly?
