Ovation Guitars
Ovation first went into production in the late 60s and caused quite a stir with their composite plastic back. You loved them or otherwise. However, they developed quite a fan base despite the usual traditionalists whining.
They have had some well-known players: Cat Stevens, Brian May, Chet Atkins, Glen Campbell, John Lennon, Eddie Van Halen, and Mark Knopfler.
Applause
They were never cheap, and a lot of young players who wanted them couldn’t afford them. Ovation introduced the Applause series as its cheapest, entry-level guitar. Now there are waiting lists in some places to get them. They are made in China, which makes them more affordable.
The Applause has undergone some design changes over the years, but the quality is still there. Unlike the high-end acoustics of the Ovation Balladeer, Legend, or Elite, the Applause is it’s own instrument, with its own appeal.
The Applause, is an entry-level Ovation guitar. It has all the looks of its expensive cousins but it has been constructed with less detail and fine points. Recent designs have a multi-sound hole design instead of a single sound hole. This particular model plays beautifully, and the electrics offer an extra dimension. Guitarists of ant level will be impressed and enthused by how it plays and how it sounds.
The sound doesn’t suit every taste, but everyone is different. The Ovation sound is unique, this is due to its composite back. The guitar is wonderfully intonated, creating clean, balanced tones, up and down the fretboard. The roundback design may take some getting used to. But it has a very solid build and setup, and a reputation for its value.
Body
This guitar has a layered spruce top. Some will recognize that a laminated top may, in some circumstances, hinder the sound. But it is not always a bad design. Solid wood tops for the soundboard can be subject to changes in weather conditions and humidity. This can cause them to warp or become slightly misshapen. Layered woods are less likely to do that and are more durable.
The top though, still has that resonant spruce sound that creates such an impact. The soundboard is given a scalloped, quarter-sawn X-bracing. The bracing is also an important design feature for creating a great sound. The exact amount of vibration of the spruce top wood is required to create the best tone.
Scalloped X-bracing, when well made and fitted, offers the chance for the Spruce top to do its job and sing.
The rest of the body is a mid, not full, depth Lyrachord. This is a composite material that is essentially fiberglass. The formation and structure have been manipulated a little to give it acoustic tendencies. The round back shape is designed to give the guitar a deeper sound that will resonate. Emphasizing not only the highs from the neck end but lower frequencies from the bridge end. Together they combine with the spruce top to produce that Ovation sound.
It is a design that is voiced for a natural acoustic response. There is a good powerful volume and balanced sound that is not too bass-heavy. If you are looking for a wood body and wood side, you will be surprised to find there is no traditional sound hole. There are four, laser-cut, smaller sound holes towards the top of the body, by the neck. They are called Ovations’ multiport sound, which creates the unique sound of an Ovation guitar.
There is a single-cutaway that gives full access to the neck, and the body is finished in a plain wood style, with a vintage-looking varnish.
They can feel strange to play, at first. But the sound is all there. Not as crisp and clean as the high-end Ovation guitars, which are great models. They are all well-made, with good materials and great designs.
Neck
The neck is made from Nato. This is a variant of Mahogany and is derived from the Mora tree. It has similar attributes to Mahogany but without some of the finer nuances. The neck material is strong, straight and looks nice.
The soft, ‘V’ neck styling makes it easy to hold and play. It has a satin finish, so movement up and down the neck is smooth and quick. It is a full scale of 25 inches.
There is an Ovangkol fingerboard. That might be a new wood to some. It is a native of West Africa and is a member of the Indian Rosewood family of trees. Similar coloration then and with the same feel and hardness as standard Rosewood.
It has 23 frets, but due to the shape of the fingerboard, only 17 are fully available. There are the standard dots on the fingerboard but also on the top edge. The top and bottom edges of the neck have a white binding. It has an adjustable truss rod.
There is a nicely designed headstock that gives it a sleek look. And there are sealed and shaped die-cast machine heads, as well as an Ovangkol hardtail bridge. Simple and nothing to write home about. But also plain and functional. Nothing much is needed except to have accurate tuners, and they are.
Always a difficult area for an acoustic-electric guitar to get the sound right. And you can’t really recreate the pure acoustic sound of any guitar with the pickup built-in. Having said that, Ovation is known to be ‘stage-friendly,’ and this guitar certainly has some sound positives.
They have installed an Ovation CE304T preamp and combined it with an Ovation slimline piezo pickup. The sound is clear and quite defined, and it has a decent tonal balance. Controls are situated on the top of the body near your elbow. They feature some basic tone controls and a volume. There is a built-in tuner, which is always a nice addition.
Playability
It can feel a little strange to play at first. The shape of the body, is different and you will have to adjust how you hold the guitar.
Some people complain that it slides off their lap and it is hard to balance. You will need to make adjustments, until you find a comfortable position. Once you get used to it, the guitar is actually well-balanced and easy to hold. It is also very lightweight.
It plays nicely, with the quality of an Ovation. The neck has a smooth, electric guitar feel, which makes it easy to move around the fretboard.
Sound
They have combined the composite body and Spruce top with a design that gives a great sound. The sound of Ovation guitars does not suit everyone, but they appeal to a lot of people. Unplugged, it has a very clear sound. It doesn’t have the deep, richness of a Dreadnought, but there depth and clarity. It produces a clean, top-end quality, that results in a unique sound, only an Ovation can make.
SHOP OVATION GUITARS
Guitar & Gear Articles
