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harlandcox
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Joined: 12/18/14
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harlandcox
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Posts: 64
02/25/2015 9:39 pm
does anyone have any views on the acoustic guitar with the fibreglass back. Am thinking of buying one.
# 1
ChristopherSchlegel
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ChristopherSchlegel
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02/25/2015 9:58 pm
Originally Posted by: harlandcoxdoes anyone have any views on the acoustic guitar with the fibreglass back. Am thinking of buying one.

Ovation makes a great composite backed acoustic guitar. I played some of these carbon fiber acoustic guitars at a trade show. I was pleasantly surprised at how rich & warm they sounded.

http://www.compositeacoustics.com/

OTOH, I've played some Ovation type knockoffs & composite acoustic guitars that were substandard in tone. The construction was solid enough, but for whatever reason they didn't put the work into the tone of the instruments.

The only thing you should worry about is if it feels good in your hands (playability) & sounds good to you! Whenever possible try before you buy. Try lots of them. Even different units of the same exact brand & model.

Hope this helps! Have fun guitar shopping! :D
Christopher Schlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor

Christopher Schlegel Lesson Directory
# 2
john of MT
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john of MT
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02/25/2015 10:30 pm
I have nothing to add to Christopher's post but personal experience...which is admittedly limited.

Ovation guitars seem to have a pretty good rep. The sound is enhanced by the shape of the back's bowl, perhaps more than by the materials. For what it's worth, they have been/are played on stage by some well known musicians. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ovation_Guitar_Company

I've played three Ovation acoustic-electrics; a six string and two 12-strings (one of which I own). They all sound great by themselves or plugged in.

Don't know nutin' 'bout other brands... :D
"It takes a lot of devotion and work, or maybe I should say play, because if you love it, that's what it amounts to. I haven't found any shortcuts, and I've been looking for a long time."
-- Chet Atkins
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john of MT
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john of MT
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02/26/2015 1:02 am
FYI, thru last year the company that manufactures Ovation guitars (KMC Music) was a subsidiary of Fender. But in the last year or so Fender has been slimming down and sold off Guild and Takamine. KMC sold off Ovation early this year and now I think Fender has totally divested itself of the rest of KMC too.
"It takes a lot of devotion and work, or maybe I should say play, because if you love it, that's what it amounts to. I haven't found any shortcuts, and I've been looking for a long time."
-- Chet Atkins
# 4
harlandcox
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harlandcox
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02/26/2015 6:28 am
wonderful................that gives me something to think about....
# 5
compart1
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compart1
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02/26/2015 3:46 pm
I had an Ovation Applause. I didn't care for the round back.. Felt unstable to me. That was the only drawback .. Definitely try it with a strap. Sitting and standing..
I did try a twelve string a few minths back and still did not feel comfortable.
JM2CW...
# 6
john of MT
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john of MT
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02/26/2015 6:53 pm
The rounded back certainly takes some getting use to. Especially if one has a rounded gut oneself. ;) But it's doable and the 12-string is a dream.
"It takes a lot of devotion and work, or maybe I should say play, because if you love it, that's what it amounts to. I haven't found any shortcuts, and I've been looking for a long time."
-- Chet Atkins
# 7
SJWeissen
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SJWeissen
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02/27/2015 12:43 am
I have played an Ovation for about 10 years now and I will say I'm not sure the rounded back ever feels completely natural. Don't get me wrong I love my Ovation and it is my favorite acoustic that I own for several reason, the tone is great, it has a full rich sound for sing a-longs, the playability is more like my electrics, the built in tuner are some of the reasons I love that guitar. All that being said after 10 years I simply can not play it without wearing a strap, even just sitting in a chair strumming a few simple chords. It will just roll right off my lap. If you get use to that one thing I highly recommend at least trying an Ovation out and seeing how you like it.
# 8
jude_may
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jude_may
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02/28/2015 12:11 am
I bought an Ovation celebrity, thinking ovation was still American made, I have read many bad reviews, but the one I got was in good shape out of the box and keeps tune. sounds good, I think it is overall a good guitar for the money but from what I have read just about any guitar under 500 bucks is china made.
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john of MT
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john of MT
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02/28/2015 1:38 am
For a long time some Ovations were foreign made, some U.S.. But the U.S. production has been limited for a few years to signature models, limited editions and the Adamas models. Celebrity models were made in China and Korea. Then, the U.S. factory closed last summer and Fender sold KMC (the subsidiary that makes Ovations) to Drum Workshop this January.

Apparently, Drum Workshop intends to keep marketing Ovations and [U]may[/U] restart U.S. production but these changes are pretty recent and I imagine plans are still up in the air.

There's this: "Initial reports indicate that DW will be keeping the Ovation brand alive. Scott Donnell, VP of marketing at Drum Workshop, calls it a "fluid situation." "We're excited about the future of Ovation and what we can do with that brand," he says. He adds that, based on preliminary discussions, there is a "distinct possibility" that Ovation will be re-opening a U.S.-based production facility. Although DW will not be showing the Ovation brand at the 2015 NAMM show, they hope to have a presence for next year's event." http://www.acousticguitar.com/News/Ovation-Brand-Sold-to-Drum-Workshop?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=AG_Weekly_MasterTemplate%20(43)&utm_content=&spMailingID=11555819&spUserID=NTE3ODQ4MDk1OTYS1&spJobID=423767343&spReportId=NDIzNzY3MzQzS0
"It takes a lot of devotion and work, or maybe I should say play, because if you love it, that's what it amounts to. I haven't found any shortcuts, and I've been looking for a long time."
-- Chet Atkins
# 10
harlandcox
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Joined: 12/18/14
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harlandcox
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Posts: 64
02/28/2015 10:01 am
thnx everyone...................very helpful!!
# 11

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