The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #30674 Message #397849
Posted By: Jim the Bart
14-Feb-01 - 10:21 AM
Thread Name: Ovation Guitars
Subject: RE: Ovation Guitars
I got an Ovation back when I was playing in a country/country rock band in the early 70's. I had tried every type of amplification available at that time and hated them all; no brilliance without feedback, in most cases. The Ovation was great for implying an acoustic sound with a band. It was also very good for playing flatpicked leads; it really cuts through the sound of a bunch of acoustic guitars playing together.
Eventually, I sold it to buy an old Telecaster. In the end, the Ovation wasn't acoustic enough or electric enough to suit either need.
I now have a Takamine and really like it for any situation where amplification is required. Like the Ovations, it is distributed by Kamen, and I have to commend them on the no-muss/no-fuss electronics on their guitars. The Takamine isn't a great guitar for sitting around and picking in your living room (it's a bit dead sounding, which is probably why it takes a lot to get it to feedback amplified). When I play places that get a good sound mic'ed, or when I record, I use my Guild.
With the world's store of hard woods disappearing, I think you'll see more and more attempts to find an alternative material for building instruments. The Raintree guitars, which are made out of graphite, are an interesting approach to the problem. I have a friend who has one that I have played and it sounds pretty sweet.