1974 Vintage Ovation Nylon String Fingerstyle Guitar

[@allthegigswewant]

Nice playing - have liked a number of your videos. Am a huge fan of Jobim's compositions. Been playing Wave (and others)for decades. I have owned quite a few Ovations - but never a deep bowl model until I heard your videos and tone you got - inspired me to pick up a 1613. KZbin is helpful in seeing what guitars sound like if you can find good demos. If you know what I mean. So thanks. So found one on GC - sounded and played well - great neck - even liked the deep bowl - felt more like the archtops I play. Unfortunately some major problems with electronics so had to return it. We perform many of Pat Metheny's tunes as well and I know Pat played Ovations for years - thought highly of them - I agree - great guitars. Though now he mostly plays Linda Manzer's guitars. I just bought an 1863 shallow bowl classical - very nice - but not quite the deeper warmer fatter tone I could get from the 1613 - bigger body - more air - so I will find another. Do you know if yours is with cedar top or spruce? Sounds like yours is from the 70's? I've discovered there's a 1613 and a 1613-4. 70's and 80's models all USA. Hoping they all get that same beautiful tone. Anyway - thanks for posting. My band last 25 plus years - The New York Guitar Cats. GR

[@swiftymorgan8764]

I've watched most of your videos, you guys sound great and look like you're having a lot of fun! Thanks for liking my videos, I'm glad they were helpful. I always thought mine has a spruce top but I'm not 100% sure. It looks like spruce and doesn't smell like cedar but don't think it's mentioned in the documentation. I bought mine new in 1974. I also considered a Baldwin nylon with a piezo pickup which was the only other amplified nylon I was aware of at the time. The only negatives are it's shape and extra weight make it difficult to hold and the strings must be loosened to change the battery. I recently discovered a rechargeable lithium 9V battery with a charge jack which I may try. I also have a 1968 Fender Deluxe Reverb amp that my parents bought new for me when I was a kid which is a good match for my ovation. I'm considering a Cordoba Stage Traditional for recording and I've watched every video I can find to judge it's qualities but still unsure, they seem a bit "piezo..ish". I'd like to try one before buying. Acoustic energy from the Ovation body is picked up by the bridge pickup which affects the tone kind of like the Cordoba but not adjustable, My Ovation will feedback at high amp settings. Thanks for commenting.

[@allthegigswewant]

Thanks for letting me know you watched our videos - and thanks for the compliment - yes we've played together on hundreds and hundreds of gigs - most of the hotels and restaurants in Southwest Florida- some clubs, and a local hall where we played before many headlining bands - Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, Joe Bonamassa, Herbie Hancock, Steely Dan, Tony Bennett, Diana Krall, Steve Miller, Joe Satriani, Neil Young, The Beach Boys, Moody Blues, etc., etc., - what a gig!! I really like the combination of guitar and piano - but for alot of years also performed - as a guitar duo - with a great guitarist and longtime friend. And yeah we have had alot of fun. You play well - and get a beautiful tone - for me especially from the Ovation. I'd read that it came with cedar or spruce - not sure I could hear the difference between the two. Re: the Cordoba Stage - I tried them out several times - and you can get a pretty good sound from them - they have a piezo and a pickup - I guess it's a microphone in the body - so you can mix them or use them separately. Pretty good sound and very light weight - comfortable but I didn't love the neck. It's a 16" radius. It's decent - just didn't love it. Same as Godin guitars - 16" radius necks. And why I have never owned a Godin for long. I liked the Ovation 1613 neck. And the tone - really is better on the ovation - sounds like a real classical guitar to me. I am also very used to playing archtop guitars which mostly have a 12" radius - very comfortable to me. Don't know if you ever buy gear from guitar center used - I have and still do buy from them. They probably have 10 Corboba Stage guitars at any one time. You can buy one - and you have a 45 day window to return it if you don't like it. And what's great - you can return it to your local Guitar Ctr no matter where in the US you bought it and where it was shipped from.. You might already know this. I have returned things - but mostly it works out. But it's a great way to find out if it's piece of gear that works for you. By the way - I watched an interview of Pat Metheny's guitar tech - Pat installs an additional microphone in the bodies of all his guitars acoustic and electric.

[@ludwigguitar]

Very beautifully played, my friend! Enjoyed listening. All the best, Ludwig

[@Carloscrosario]

Great sound and super playing. Thanks for identifying the strings. I just purchased mine online with a 1973 serial number so now I know what strings to get for it before it arrives.

[@swiftymorgan8764]

Excellent, I'm glad that was helpful

[@domenico_sortino]

Great playing and great guitar. I have the exact same model and I love it, will never let it go. Never.

[@aleksandrnowak8020]

great stuff!

[@briancassidy7510]

Love it

[@billbettencourt7053]

So nice, the playing, the tone, the arrangement, the guitar. Good for you that you kept it all these years. It looks like new…you have taken great care of it. I’ve always enjoyed the Ovation nylon guitars but never owned one myself. Maybe someday I’ll find one that has been saved just for me. A question - did they build these with an adjustable truss rod ?

[@swiftymorgan8764]

Yes, they do have an adjustable truss rod which I have never adjusted. Thank you for commenting

[@domenico_sortino]

Does your guitar have the stereo or mono output? Mine is one with the mono jack and black bowl rather than the more common mono system/brownish bowl.

[@swiftymorgan8764]

Mono

[@domenico_sortino]

Thanks for answering. Your guitar sounds amazing!

[@swiftymorgan8764]

@@domenico_sortino I'm glad you watched, I wanted to post something on it's 50th birthday :-)