|
|
Joined:
January 2009
Posts: 4535
Location: Flahdaw | For anyone who hasn't been to the Ovation Tribute site, here's an example of old stuff you'll find there.
Fun stuff to look thru...
http://www.ovationtribute.com/Catalogues/1969_Mid-Year_Ovation_Amps... |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6996
Location: Jet City | Interesting... That's a Deluxe Balladeer on the front page, the predecessor of the Legend. You don't see 'em too often. I used to have one, but it's residing in Italy with Riccardo now.
The thing was a cannon. I hope it's not one of his 'dead low E' guitars. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2005
Posts: 616
Location: cincinnati, ohio | Still got the original owner's manual for my 1971 Balladeer. Everything's sepia toned and hand-drawn; very makeshift and organic. I love it. There's a drawing of a hippie-looking guy playing an "O" who looks suspiciously like James Taylor back in the day.
By the time I got my '74 Pacemaker, they had gone to a slick full color manual...
Edited by rick endres 2013-02-15 4:31 PM
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15677
Location: SoCal | damon67 - 2013-02-15 11:51 AM
Interesting... That's a Deluxe Balladeer on the front page, the predecessor of the Legend. You don't see 'em too often. I used to have one, but it's residing in Italy with Riccardo now.
The thing was a cannon. I hope it's not one of his 'dead low E' guitars.
Actually, with the bound neck and inlays, it's more like a Glen Campbell Deluxe Balladeer. DB's wouldn't have a bound neck or as many inlays. Yet, there's no signed truss rod cover..... |
|
| |
|
Joined:
June 2002
Posts: 6202
Location: Phoenix AZ | Sorry, but that guitar is a Thunderhead Deluxe. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15677
Location: SoCal | Yup, you're right. What is there to be sorry about? |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6996
Location: Jet City | Good call Dave! I forgot all about those saying 'Deluxe' on them. I should have figured it out especially since the same guitar is below.
Moody, the DB had binding and some of the inlays were diamond, but you're right. The pattern is different...
 (DSCN0995.jpg)
Attachments
----------------
 DSCN0995.jpg (92KB - 0 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2009
Posts: 1249
Location: Texas | "Sorry, but that guitar is a Thunderhead Deluxe." A nice example can be seen here |
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2007
Posts: 1008
Location: Tuscany, Italy | Damon, the 1117 I got from you is here with me and it is truly a cannon. No dull low E here.
I replaced saddle and nut on it with new ones made of real bone, did a set up and it sounds fantastic. I love this guitar for the tone, the playability, the construction and also for its historic value...... |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2009
Posts: 4535
Location: Flahdaw | I can't imagine that Ovation actually manufactured their own mics and speakers. Wonder if they were private labeled Shure's and Alnico's? |
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2010
Posts: 823
Location: sitting at my computer | darkbarguitar - Fun stuff to look thru... +1 Jerome's site is an awesome (or Osome) place to wander, reminisce, dream, drool... |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15677
Location: SoCal | I should have known what guitar it is. I own a Thead Deluxe..... |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7236
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | darkbarguitar - 2013-02-16 4:54 AM
I can't imagine that Ovation actually manufactured their own mics and speakers. Wonder if they were private labeled Shure's and Alnico's?
The closest we've come to identity is CTS or University on the speakers and microphones, leaning toward university. I even sacrificed a speaker to get the details on it and none of the date or model codes match up to anything. And FWIW, their speakers are fantastic whomever made them.
I have yet, in 20+ years of serious collecting, to see an Ovation branded microphone in the flesh. In fact I think my first post on here when we started this forum was looking for Ovation Microphones.
The amps and speakers were/are fantastic as well. The only issue I can see is that they were overpriced and and everyone thought they were built by someone else. They seemed to forget what Kaman did besides building guitars. Electronically, as solid state amps, they were in many ways ahead of the game. Over-sized and over-rated parts, with heavy gauge wire on thick modular boards. My favorite amp is a beat up combo with a 12" speaker in it. I defy anyone to determine it's not a tube amp based on tone. But... they were expensive at the time. It's not that they weren't worth it. Maybe it was just timing. The people that used them probably still use them today. You rarely see them even on eBay compared to anything else and according to my source they made/sold 1000's of them. |
|
| |
Old Ovation Catalog for the 60's
