Matty, I have some guitar questions for you.....

[Archie]

do you know anything about Ovations?

my fiancee has this 12 string Ovation that her dad gave her when she was a teenager. She thinks it is prob from the late 70's or so.

and she claims the base matter of it, is made from helicopter rotors that were used in viet nam?

I can't find anything on google about it

I have an acoustic gibson from 1958ish range, its beat to hell

I told her my guitar would be worth way more money than her guitar

can you settle this?

 

[Matty]

Fok Ovations, post pics of your Gibson.

But yeah, the early Ovations all have a rounded back made out of some composite material. It gives the guitars a very distinctive, snappy tone. I like them for the ergonomic back - I just retrieved my Yamaha acoustic in Montreal this weekend and it's a thick Martin-style body that I'm not comfortable with. Would love to locate an old lefty Ovation.

It's not entirely impossible that an early Ovation would be worth more than a mass-produced low-end Gibson from the late 50's.

Post pics, damn it.

 

[Archie]

I'll try to make a vid

 

[Archie]

ok just got home gonna make it now

 

[Matty]

 

[betplom]

I'll try to make a vid

Archer, if you do go ahead and make a video please refrain from showing your monster kok in it, in case you haven't noticed your kok is quite distracting.

 

[Mudcat]

I remember farting around with Ovation guitars way back when and really liking them.

 

[Archie]

been awhile

 

[Matty]

That Gibson is awesome Arch. It's a low-end model judging by the plastic tuner buttons and the painted-on logo (vs. inlaid on higher-end models) Looks like a barebones version of the J-45. Any serial number or model designation inside the soundhole?

I just checked eBay and old Ovations aren't worth much money, $500 to $750. It's a pro-level instrument though and it's certainly worth keeping in good playing shape. I would take it to a luthier to have the neck and frets checked - the neck might need resetting (prolly not) and the frets probably need to be replaced. It'll cost around $200. If a guy quotes any less than $150 for a fret job, take it to someone else, he's a hack.

 

[Mudcat]

I am confused by the concept of a 12 string with no pick guard. It's like a 12 string classical for finger picking? I guess so. I always think of my 12 string as an instrument for wailing away on but I guess some people have a different approach.

 

[Archie]

Gibson number is very faded

looks like s1322 34

I think the tuner knobs were replaced when my dad "fixed" it up for me in 96

the little things that hold the strings in are like 2 bucks from some little music store.... its pretty amateur stuff

 

[Matty]

High-end bridge pins cost like $20. Negligible effect on tone but bone pins look nice and shit.

Looks like you have a 1959 J-45, pal. Not a highly-prized guitar but it's worth a lot more than the Ovation, even in rough condition. It's hard to tell for sure based on your video - I could provide you with a better estimate with some clear pics. It's worth anywhere between $2k and $5k.

 

[Matty]

I am confused by the concept of a 12 string with no pick guard. It's like a 12 string classical for finger picking? I guess so. I always think of my 12 string as an instrument for wailing away on but I guess some people have a different approach.

Pickguards are mostly cosmetic. If you have a heavy strumming hand and you keep playing the same one instrument for decades yer gonna end up digging the wood either way.

 

[Matty]

bump for pics

 

[Archie]

ok

[/IMG]

[/IMG]


you can see how fuked up the back of the guitar got in this light.

I might do like my dad did with me....and just let my son (or daughter) just bang around with it as a 6 year old.

I once played it as the "lead" 3 string guiter of the band Argyle Socks.... the guy with the washboard stole the show though

 

[Matty]

ok

[/IMG]

[/IMG]


you can see how fuked up the back of the guitar got in this light.

I might do like my dad did with me....and just let my son (or daughter) just bang around with it as a 6 year old.

I once played it as the "lead" 3 string guiter of the band Argyle Socks.... the guy with the washboard stole the show though

What are those scratches? They look like paint streaks. The back is fixable, but it would need to be refinished to repair the crack.

As is, it's probably worth $1500-$2000. Cool guitar. :

 

[Matty]

I once played it as the "lead" 3 string guiter of the band Argyle Socks.... the guy with the washboard stole the show though

Saw these guys in NOLA in January. Washboard chick was a hit too.