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Sound:
I've always been an Ovation fan but my finances have never allowed me to acquire a high end one, like an Adamas with a carbon top; so I always had the middle of the range units; my first guitar was a standard balladeer which I got after returning an Epiphone at the store; my original Ovation did not have a cutaway and it was not an electric but it was loud, full and very easy to play; I gave it to a friend in need and that guitar still sounds amazing, actually better than when it was new 20 years ago. This Elite TX sounds very much like the original but it has a cutaway and an excellent pre-amp with an integrated tuner, which is very accurate; also this model doesn't have the center hole which I thought would take away from the fullness of the sound, but I was wrong; this guitar is loud and clear. The Elite 1778TX came with Daddario EXP16 strings but I replaced them with a brand new set since the ones that came installed were rusted, mainly on the high side; there is no doubt in my mind that the guitar will sound better as time goes by, sitka spruce tends to age very well, and the scalloped bracing helps a lot with vibration on this kind of instrument; I took the back cover off (you have to do this to adjust the truss-rod when needed) just to inspect the interior of the sound chamber and I was impressed with the quality of the craftsmanship; there is no excess glue anywhere and the wiring for the jack and pre-amp is all neatly installed; I was surprised to see that the bridge is also secured to the top with two screws and nuts, besides being glued, adding to the strength of the bridge, I suspect this also helps with sustain; the strap locks are also installed this way, they're not going anywhere. I agree with the gentleman who wrote the previous review; the sound of this guitar is up there with the high end guitars. I am very satisfied with this instrument's sound; in this price range, I doubt that I could find a better guitar.
Feature:
The guitar came in a cardboard box imprinted with the company's logo; which in my mind it's always a sign of pride by the manufacturer; plain cardboard boxes just give me the feeling I'm getting something cheap which is not necessarily so; anyway, no fancy accessories, just the instruction manual, the warranty card, the truss-rod wrench and the guitar itself; I was pleased to see an attached inspection tag with the signature of the person who gave it the final go at the factory, again, a sign of quality in my eyes.
As you can see from the picture, the neck has no markers on the front, only on the side of the board; the fret-board is made of rosewood and the bridge is made of walnut (as far as I know), both have been stained black, which I think looks awesome; the Ovation website states that the fret-board and bridge are ebony, but that is not accurate; I know what ebony looks and feels like and this is not ebony; but no big deal; the binding is also black as well as the nut,which appears to be made of plastic, same thing for the saddles.
The top of the sound board is covered in some kind of enamel finish; it makes the guitar look out of the ordinary, but it is made of real sitka spruce; which you can verify by taking the back cover off; the neck is maple finished in satin and it is very smooth and thin, typical Ovation quality, fast and great looking, it is a pleasure to play; it really feels like the neck on my Jackson electric, very very nice; I think the neck is the best feature on this great guitar, at least it is what keeps me coming back to this brand.
Changing the strings gave me the opportunity to lower the action, which on Ovation guitars is a piece of cake, just carefully (it is tight) lift the pickup out of its groove and take out one or two of the shims that are installed under it, put the pickup back in the groove and that is it; no trip to the guitar tech. The neck is completely flat, so there is no need to mess with the truss-rod; I only took one of the shims out and the action was lowered exactly to my taste, about 1/32 lower than factory setting; perfect; no buzzes or rattles; just beautiful, I do play a lot with the tips of my fingers and this is perfect for me.
The combination of materials and the design of the neck and the bowl are outstanding; I can tell a lot of thought went into the design; and as I said before, the craftsmanship is excellent (made in Korea); I can only imagine what the USA made Ovations are like since this is really a great unit; I have to start saving for an Adamas!! Maybe one day when I grow up....
Ease of Use:
Some people don't like thin necks, but I do, this is the easiest guitar there is to play, at least for me; it is very well made, no rough frets, the binding is perfect, the neck is natural maple and it's very smooth, and the sound is awesome, and the shape of the guitar's back is extremely comfortable; they have actually made it better; a thin strip of rougher material was left on the bottom so it doesn't slide from your lap when you play sitting down; these people have thought about every detail; the tuner is extremely easy to use but it has an auto shut off; so I had to turn it on a couple of times when I tuned it, but no problem. The pre-amp is actually better than what I had on my GC057; I believe this is when the magic happens if you play an Ovation, the plugged in sound is amazing, no noise, no feedback, it just sounds like it sounds unplugged but louder, plus it has a great EQ.
Changing the battery is also very easy, there is a small button that you have to press and the whole pre-amp comes out, the battery compartment is in the back of the pre-amp, just be careful and don't pull too hard, the wire is kind of short.
Quality:
I am sure it could be better but for the money I don't think I would be pleased with anything else; I was undecided as to what to get after I returned the Hohner mini jumbo, that was a disappointment; so I looked at Yamaha, Takamine, Ibanez, Epiphone and the more expensive brands such as Taylor and Martin; during all my research I found out that Kaman music does not only own Ovation but Takamine as well, and both companies make some of the most affordable high quality guitars in the world; anything made in China gives me the creeps, and if it is not made in the USA the next possible best option is Korea; where this 1778TX is made; I was not disappointed, plus I had two Ovations before this one and the quality has always been top notch; I don't think anything will brake with time, Ovation stays in tune for a long time, months at a time, the Lyrachord bowl is still made in the USA and they made it lighter by adding glass spheres to the composite material, it is a tough material, definitely stronger than wood, my original Ovation is still going strong after 20 years, it might need new frets, but it is still a great instrument, the tone is fantastic and nothing comes close to that neck, oh man, the neck...awesome.
Value:
As I said, for the money this is one of the best deals on an acoustic/electric guitar. I looked hard and could not find anything else for less than 600 dollars that would compare to the quality of this guitar; every other high quality instrument worth spending my hard earned money for, is either more than one thousand dollars or is not made in the US; I really wish I could buy an American guitar but their prices are prohibitive; I did find some Martin guitars that are less than one thousand dollars but they are made with high pressure laminates, even the necks, so I would rather have a solid wood guitar (at least the top, the braces and the neck are all solid wood), the only thing I would be willing to buy besides this would be a Yamaha or a Takamine (Korean made), in my opinion is better to pay a little more and get something solid, but not pay so much that you have to sell your car to get it. I even found some luthiers that make incredible instruments, but who has 26k to spend on a guitar? Not me, I don't even have the 600 dollars this Ovation costs, if it wasn't for the 4 payment deal I would have to save for a year to buy a new guitar.
Manufacturer Support:
The 10 is most definitely for Zzounds not the manufacturer, I sent an email to Ovation inquiring about the ebony statement on their website and I still haven't received an answer after 10 days (maybe calling them would be different, who knows); I still ordered the guitar not trusting their site, but Zzounds clearly states that the fretboard is rosewood with a black stain and not ebony as Ovation says; besides that, the guys at Zzounds offer the best customer service I have ever found; after I returned the Hohner I was willing to pay full price for this 1778TX and the case for it; but they gave me a killer discount on both items and the shipping was free and fast; I really didn't expect to pay less than what is quoted on the site but I did; to put the cherry on top, I got to pay for this axe in 4 equal payments with no interest and no tax (I live in California); so there you go, what an awesome deal!! I dare anyone to find a better price anywhere, as for the customer service, this company is simply the best, period.
The Wow Factor:
I don't think this, or any other guitar for that matter, has any sex appeal, unless you're crazy or have some serious problems; but the looks of the natural color of the maple neck against the flat black of the body on this unit makes it very desirable; I really like the industrial look and the sterile neck, it is just a great looking guitar and very unique, in fact nothing else looks like an Ovation or sounds like it.
Engineerically speaking, the design is awesome; think about it, there is nothing like it in the world; the merge of science and art in a rugged and cosmetically appealing instrument; this is a very cool axe, from the color to the design, to the sound, I am very well pleased. The only thing that comes close to an Ovation Adamas is perhaps a Rainsong, but they cost more than 2 grand; I know this is not an Adamas but it is still an Ovation, have you ever seen any Rainsongs for 600 bucks?
Overall:
Everything I was looking in an upgrade I found in this instrument; I sold my GC057 (super shallow bowl) to get this and I think it was one of the best decisions I have made in the last few years; the rest of my bad decisions I blame on my ex-wife...ha..ha..but seriously, this is a win win for all the parties involved, this guitar is worth every penny and I would definitely replace it if it was lost or stolen, I would still like to try some of the made in Japan Yamahas, but they are too expensive, I would rather buy an American Gibson instead.
11 of 11 people
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Sound:
The sound quality of this guitar is awesome... I was looking to buy a taylor but when i played this one i was hooked.... the electronics have to be some of the best on the market... you get all that nice low end without having that annoying feedback vibration that you get on other acoustic guitars.
Feature:
The built in tuner and preamp is pretty damn good the tuner is pretty basic does what you need it to do..... the preamp really adds to and lets you control your sound....
Ease of Use:
smooth.... need i say anything more....
Quality:
quality overall the build is good... still i have had it for only 6 months lets see how its playing 4 years from now.... it seems to be built strong...
Value:
you cant beat what you get for the price.... in comparison you could go spend 1900.00 on a taylor... but im getting amazing tone that rivals with more expensive acoustic brands... im not going to say higher end acoustic brands because being honest this thing is on that higher end of the spectrum it just so happens its affordable to.
The Wow Factor:
unique
Overall:
im a gear junkie... But i honestly feel 100% satisfied with this acoustic and feel no urge to purchase another.... but... down the road everyone has to have some more axes....i might buy a taylor i never know when im going to need a backup.
6 of 6 people
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Overall:
I've never been a big fan of Ovation guitars because of the rounded back. However, I was looking for an acoustic-electric in the $700-$1000 range and came across this gem. I ordered it with moderate hopes, thinking I would probably end up sending it back. But the first time I fretted it (with little more effort than an electric), and heard the crisp, clean highs, the full-bodied lows, I knew it wouldn't be going anywhere.
The action is exceptional for an acoustic. It really is almost like playing a well-set up electric. There is zero fret buzz. The unplugged sound is surprisingly full and the pre-amp captures that sound really well. The onboard EQ is quite responsive, and I absolutely love the onboard tuner. Very accurate and easy to use.
I'm still don't care for the rounded back, but have gotten over that due to the sound and playability of this instrument. I don't know that I've ever played an acoustic guitar this 'cheap' that played so well. With no price tag, I would have guessed this at $1500 +. It really is an exceptional value.
1 of 1 people
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Sound:
has a great sound plugged in or not
Feature:
I like the built in tuner and it is right on with my hand held tuner,,the electronics are really good I like the two different setting you can play it straight thru the amp or push the button in and adjust the sound to suite your taste ,, and it is the easiest guitar to replace strings I have ever owned
Ease of Use:
I think it is very easy to cord , I love the way it brings out the bass and mids because I am not much on the treble
Quality:
I really like the finish on this guitar it is plain but still looks great
Value:
worth every penny ,, I bought a blemished one , and it did not have a mark on it ,, looked brand new
Manufacturer Support:
Have not needed it yet but I have delt with Z Zound for a long time and have always been pleased with their service
Overall:
probably be the last guitar I will buy
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