Ovation Legend eats Larrivee for lunch...

[ronmac]

Good points. Here are some others...

I don't consider this to be my, or our, house. It is Zach's. Period. We are all guests. Doesn't matter if you have 5000 posts, or 1, we are still guests.

Inexperience sometimes lead us to "shoot off" before we should. Perhaps tragocaster could have chosen a better moment to air his views.

All that aside, how would you react if it were his 1000th post when he made those comments? Differently?

I don't know tragocaster from Adam. I am not here specifically to defend him, but more to defend the right for someone to express their opinion. If you go back through this whole thread you will see that tragocaster's comments are among the most rational and unemotional of the lot.

If I were a guest in someone's home and I saw a bunch of other guests beating up on another, for no real apparent reason (a comment such as that made by tragocaster isn't a reason, in my book), who do you think I would avoid?

Perhaps tragocaster should be called a troll, if you need to label him. My label for those that feel the need to belittle him, even if he is a troll, is "bully".

Think about it...

[bob_d]

True, this is Zach's forum but it wouldn't be much of a forum without members, and it WASN'T Tragocaster's 1000th post. It WAS his first. Hypotheticals don't count, facts do.

Tragocaster's FIRST thread and comments were geared to foment confrontation. The essence of trolling behavior is to appear to be rational and unemotional while you intentionally incite those who you are certain will disagree with you. Tragocaster came here looking for a confrontation and he got one. That's why my advice in the first post I made in this thread was to ignore him. Then his inflammatory post would have dropped off the front page and into oblivion just as it should have.

But now I'm sure Tragocaster is enjoying his success at trolling this forum for going on six days and approaching 100 responses and 900 views. I've said all I have to say so I'm going to take my own advice and ignore this troll just as all trolls should be ignored.

:)

[dbirchett]

Thanks dbirchett! This is what I am talking about!

Having said all that I did, let me now make a few other points.

1. An objective music fan with a good ear will prefer the sound of a sold wood guitar at least 99% of the time, IMHO.

2. Ovations definitely have their place and purpose but that place and purpose comes in more with playability and sturdiness rather than acoustic sound, although I will give you that they sound pretty good for a plastic guitar.

3. Most professionals that explained why they used Ovations told stories about how their Martins were demolished in handling on tour. (That's something I can really understand right now, although I have never toured  :<>)

4. Quite frankly Tragocaster, your initial comments about your Legend viz-z-viz the Larrivee and your dogged determination to convince everyone about how right you are tells me more about you than about the guitars.

5. If I ever thought that my Larrivees sounded worse than an Ovation, I would first schedule an appointment with an otolaryngologist.

6. But you are entitled to your own opinion of quality sound regardless of how that differs from mine or anyone.

Now move on, please.

[Denis]

I haven't posted on this thread yet.  I'd just like to say that we are all taking Tragocaster's word that this fabled A-Bing of the Ovation Legend and Larrivee OM actually happened.  Yes, it is possible that it happened but we weren't there to see it, more importantly, to hear it.   Maybe he just made it up so he could post on this forum and to get under some of the members' skin which seems to be what has happened.  Maybe it did happen but the Larrivee actually sounded better than the Ovation and he just wants to save face?  Maybe the Larrivee had dead strings, dead extra light gauge and the Ovation had mediums? 

All I know is I don't know Tragocaster from Adam and trust him about as far as I can throw him.  I think we should have all taken his comments with a grain of salt.

Personally, I've never been a fan of Ovations.  I like an all wood guitar's tone much better.  Furthermore, whenever I have played an Ovation, the round back always seems to slide away from me.  Just my $.02.

[roknroll]

Yeah, I could never keep that rounded back from sliding either, denis.  VERY ANNOYING.

[rpg51]

My good friend has an ovation.  I like it a lot.  It would take me a bit to get adjusted to the fingerboard which has a lot more radius to it than my Larrivee.  I honestly think it does have very nice tone compared to my OM-50.  It is more open sounding.  The only thing I don't like is that it slides out of my lap when I play in a seated position.

[roknroll]

Why don't they make the back squared like a normal guitar?  I'm sure it wouldn't sacrifice THAT much tone. 

[tragocaster]

Kaman started with a composite squared back ovation guitar, but soon after they realized that the roundback is much better (soundwise and with regard to stability).
The smooth, hard composite Lyrachord rounback body improves projection and reflects top vibrations better than any traditional material/guitar. It is stronger too.

[jeremy3220]

  I think we should have all taken his comments with a grain of salt.

I believe that's just what we did.

[Tycho]

I agree that Tragocaster came here looking for trouble.  But hopefully we can convince him that the dominant spirit here is "differet strokes for different folks" and that it's not a question of who eats whose lunch.

I've never owned an Ovation -- in fact I think I've only played one once or twice in my life.  But Ovations have a real history, and if their fans are proud of them and like the sound, more power to 'em.  Guitars would be boring if they all sounded the same.

[tragocaster]

But Ovations have a real history, and if their fans are proud of them and like the sound, more power to 'em.

...well....this is exactly what I am talking about!...Ovations have a great history, they sound terrific-they cost less, why don't you give 'em a try.

[roknroll]

[bob_d]

...well....this is exactly what I am talking about!...Ovations have a great history, they sound terrific-they cost less, why don't you give 'em a try.

No thanks, Trollocaster. The last time I owned a plastic guitar I was about five years old.

Here's a little story from The 12th Fret about how Jean Larrivee still builds his guitars that will most likely keep me in the Larrivee camp.

http://www.12fret.com/new/larrivee_DV-09_BZ_brazilian_rosewood_pg.html

Ricky Thompson has been Jean Larrivee's international head of sales for quite some time now.  Ricky was in town last week and dropped in the store just to hang out a bit and to pick up his latest acquisition,  a 1975 Larrivee L-09.  Ricky has THE largest personal collection of Larrivee guitars in the world that span right from the very early '70s to the present and includes lots of interesting prototypes.  I thought that I was the biggest Larrivee fan in the world but I pale beside this guy!

     As usual,  our conversation eventually drifted around to talking about Jean and how he is still so incredibly involved in the building of Larrivee guitars.  Ricky was saying that the last time he visited the Vancouver shop,  he walked in as Jean was setting up the fence on a large bandsaw.  Jean shouted over "you're just in time,  get on the other side of this saw and stack necks as I cut them".  So the two of them spent the afternoon cutting and stacking neck blanks while discussing  new models and future projects!  Ricky also informed me that every single Larrivee top,  from the Vancouver AND the Oxnard shop,  are jointed by Jean himself.  He refuses to let anyone else do this!   I know also that every Sunday Jean and Matthew go into the Oxnard shop and hand fit all of the dovetail neck joints!  When I say this guy is still "hands on" ... I mean it!!!

Now tell me, how does Kaman build theirs? With a plastic extrusion machine?  :rolleyes:

[ducktrapper]

Dang! My guitar doesn't eat at all, although it does seem to drink quite a lot. At least that's my excuse for all the empty Sleeman's bottles.  :mellow:

[tragocaster]

Now tell me, how does Kaman build theirs? With a plastic extrusion machine?

The all new ovation LX series feature the Lyrachord lightweight GS body, there is also the deep contour body, not to mention the amazing Adamas reissue(especially the Adamas #47 slothead reissue), which is hand-made custom-built!!!!

http://www.ovationtribute.com/Adamas%20Models/Adamas_1187-247_RI/Adamas_Slothead_1187-247_RI.html

[roknroll]

Hey trag, I'm gonna ask you a few questions....

1)Do you have anything positive to add to this forum?

2)Why are you here?

3)All of your posts are in praise of ovations...you do know this is a LARRIVEE forum don't you? Do you need someone to spell it out for you? Hooked on phonics obviously didn't work for you.

4)Do you have a life?

5)Do the orderlys know you are abusing your computer time?  I thought they supervised mental patients better.

6)Could you do us all a favor and leave?

Thanks...

[stuco]

 

Just couldn't believe the length of this thread so I thought I'd ad to the madness.   Ovations are good for a few reasons

Humidity resistant, thin comfortable, good action, nice on board tuners and electronics and play similar to electrics.  But they also slide off your lap(how can you play a guitar that runs away from you I will never understand) and they have a restricted tone acoustically but I wouldn't mind having one anyway because I think they do have a history and place in the market and they are interesting and cool to look at.  Even if they never will sound like a traditional wooden instrument.

[roknroll]

sorry stuco, but I really need my post to be in the forefront so trag doesn't "accidentally" skip over it...

Hey trag, I'm gonna ask you a few questions....

1)Do you have anything positive to add to this forum?

2)Why are you here?

3)All of your posts are in praise of ovations...you do know this is a LARRIVEE forum don't you? Do you need someone to spell it out for you? Hooked on phonics obviously didn't work for you.

4)Do you have a life?

5)Do the orderlys know you are abusing your computer time?  I thought they supervised mental patients better.

6)Could you do us all a favor and leave?

Thanks...

[Caleb]

the other day as i was louning on the couch and channel-surfing i came across an old kiss unplugged concert on vh1. it had been a while since i'd heard any mullet-metal, so i figured i'd stroll down memory lane.

bruce kulick was playing an assortment of ovations. all of them sounded pretty good when he was strumming, but when he'd break for a solo the sound was awful. didn't sound like he was running any kind of effect to boost it. really thin sounding.

paul stanley was playing some sort of custom acoustic that didn't sound very good either. looked like some sort of ibanez with tons of abalone.

i can't believe i ever actually liked that music.

















sorry roknroll. guess you'll have to repost your rant.

[gtrplayer]

I'm with you roknroll.  This post has gotten way too much attention.  Maybe if tragocaster is so enamored with Ovation guitars he should stay on his side of the fence.  Incidently, I've never met an Ovation worthy of any comparison to Larrivee,

gtrplayer