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 Comparing A to B to C: '87C vs. 1537 vs...wait for it......'01C
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Joined: May 2006 Posts: 4233 Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | Yesterday someone made this inquiry in a PM: "Oh, and once you've gotten used to that great '87 Collector's, I'd love to hear your thoughts after A/B'ing it with your '01. I think the '87 is about the only guit I'd consider giving up the '01 for." My short response was: "My first impression of the '87 is exactly what you hear about it from everyone else. Having heard both, I also think that in 20 years, the 2001 will be held in the same esteem soundwise as the '87 and the 1537. The deeper bowls have a little more volume and brass, but the '01 has a resonance and mellow timbre that is in a class by itself. Given options, I'd flatpick the deep bowls and fingerpick the '01. Then I'd defy anyone to definitively state one is superior to the other." Tonight I actually had a few quiet minutes to get them out side-by-side along with a friend's 1537. (Mine's not here yet.) Really, tone just doesn't get any better than this!  The surprise for some of you will be that the 2001 held its own just fine against these two deserved reputations. That being said, it bears mentioning that it has a totally different wood making up the top and is a mid-depth bowl. So it comes down to what sound are you looking for? Or in my case, what tone fits the song? With the 1537, you get a loud but incredibly balanced sound that can cut through gales. The highs are crisp and the bass is punchy while the mids mold the two together and blend the sounds of this powerhouse so smoothly that you have no idea how loud you really are! LORDY, this guitar sounds fine! It truly sings like a chorus!  Take up the 1987 Collector's and listen to a lady who really knows how to sing! I presume the smaller epaulette at the cutaway lends to the greater bass response, but there is no doubt that this one has the brightest tone of the three. Each note, whether flat-picked or finger-picked, is perfectly distinct from the others. It's like listening to a well-seasoned and impeccably trained voice. She's loud. She's bright. She rings as clear as a bell all the way up the fretboard! If guitars were sopranos, with all that voice and all that bling, she'd be THE diva.  And then there's the 2001 Collector's. Other threads had mentioned the incredible tone of this model, but I had not thought of comparing it to the vaunted tonal duo of the 87C and the 1537 until I got that PM. Being a cedar, the redwood top has an obvious, mellow timbre to it. It's balanced like the 1537, but has a nuance that is tough to describe. As much as the 87 is a "she," this one's a "he," no doubt about it. The sound is warm and confident in a way that commands attention. Like anything that is truly powerful, it does not need volume to garner respect. The tone is in no way reminiscent of its spruce topped competitors, and it really could care less. Even without that jaw-dropping figure in its grain, it makes its statement and lets you make up your own mind; if you like it or not, well, that's your choice. It's kinda like the first time Bob Dylan carried an electric guitar on stage.  I'll say it again. The 1987 Collector's and the Elite 1537 deserve every single bit of praise they have gotten over the years. But I would bet good money that in 20 years, Ovation buffs will be including the 2001 Collector's in ANY discussion about the best sounding wood-toppers Ovation ever built. Now I would like to say that these three comprise the Holy Trinity of acoustic tone within the Ovation line-up. But there's a spoiler out there; yet another progeny of New Hartford; an upstart newcomer to the clan with a reputation that precedes it and a look that separates it from most of its contemporaries.  Maybe someday I'll get the opportunity (not to mention a fair amount of dispensable cash) to do a side-by-side-by-side-by-side comparison. So...anyone out there got an FD-14 they want to sell me cheap?  | ||
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| stephent28 |
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 Joined: April 2004 Posts: 13303 Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | |||
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| lanaki |
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| Patch |
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Joined: May 2006 Posts: 4233 Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | |||
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| 2ifbyC |
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| Day-um Patch, If one was to replace guitar model numbers with 'roasted peppers and garlic' or wine, I'd swear that I logged onto the Food Channel site!  Nice job!  BTW, what are ya doin' up so late?  | |||
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Joined: May 2006 Posts: 4233 Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | Originally posted by 2ifbyC: If you had a 1537, an 87C, and an 01C staring you in the face, you'd be up late to! :cool:BTW, what are ya doin' up so late? | ||
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| 2ifbyC |
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| moody, p.i. |
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| Mark in Boise |
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Joined: May 2006 Posts: 4233 Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | |||
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Joined: May 2006 Posts: 4233 Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | I started this post in the middle of last night, so I thought I would snap a quick picture of the three amigos today just to show how tough competition can be. ;)  | ||
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| moody, p.i. |
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| Tony Calman |
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Joined: August 2003 Posts: 4619 Location: SoCal | |||
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| 2ifbyC |
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Originally posted by Patch: Mommmmie, can I go over to Patche's house to play? Pleease! a quick picture of the three amigos  | |||
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| couchflyer |
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| moody, p.i. |
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| stonebobbo |
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Joined: August 2002 Posts: 8307 Location: Tennessee | |||
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| moody, p.i. |
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| Patch |
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Joined: May 2006 Posts: 4233 Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | |||
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| moody, p.i. |
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| couchflyer |
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