The Ovation Celebrity series guitars are a good batch to look at if you’re looking into getting a nice entry/mid-level acoustic guitar. I hope to offer some pointers on the series in this blog that can help anyone curious about these instruments.
A lot of information on the models and the specs of each can be found on the official ovation page: click here.
Ovation Celebrity Series: Some Features
One of the key features of the Ovation series is that they come with a round plastic bowl back. They have three main shapes: shallow, mid and deep bowl. Some players find it quite uncomfortable to play with the shape but in my experience, it actually fits quite nicely to your body. Putting it up on a stand can sometimes pose a problem though.
I own a CC-24S mid-depth cutaway, pretty much the entry level model of Ovation Celebrity series guitars. The CC-24S features a cutaway body style, solid spruce top, centre sound hole and rosewood fingerboard. It comes with an OP4BT preamp, which offers a +-12db adjustment for bass, midrange and treble frequencies.
The first thing that struck me when I played it in the shop was that it was extremely playable, was very easy to move around the neck and the price was affordable. I wanted to try the series and was looking for an entry/mid-level acoustic, so after I tried a few other brands I decided to purchase it. I have been playing on it for about a year now and done quite a few gigs with it. One of the main things to be aware of with the Celebrity series overall is that they can get ‘tinny’ if not EQ’d properly.
High End
The high end can be quite fierce. I did a gig recently and one of my friends from one of the bands in the line-up complained about the tinny tone. I think the reason behind this is that the series has the plastic bowl and unlike full wood body guitars, the tone can lean toward being more tinny. Having said that, if you EQ it properly beforehand you can get a very sweet sound out of it, plus the high end can be great for cutting through a mix! Here is an audio demo of the model so you can hear the tone: click here.
In fact, I really enjoy Ovation guitars (when EQ’d right) and for my next purchase, I’m aiming to get a Celebrity CE44P-FKOA. The Koa top has a nicer sound to it in my opinion: a bit less intense high end, has the OP4-BT pre-amp (most of the celebrity models come with OP4-BT pre-amp and Lyrachord body), and once again the series is more affordable than other models. The look is also quite appealing to me but remember to not judge a book by its cover. Here is a review of the Celebrity Koa CK 047 so you can hear the difference in tone with the Koa top: click here.
Conclusion
All in all, I think it’s a preference thing when it comes to the series. It’s definitely not for everyone. I have friends who swear against the brand and others who praise it. Tone is a very personal pursuit for a guitarist. Unlike a singer who is born with a tone, a guitarist has to spend time experimenting until they find their sound. Some people love Elvis or Thom Yorke’s voice, and others hate it! The same will also apply to a guitarist’s tone.
I hope this blog can help a little on your journey and can give a little bit of insight on the Ovation Celebrity series. I will leave you with a final video that has a demo and discussion of the Ovation Celebrity Series: click here.
Hi, Enjoyed your article. I own 3 Ovation guitars.
Each sounds a little different.
But I think most people don’t like them because
the body of the guitar slides around on your lap.
You know, the molded polymer body has
no edges for one’s body to hold it securely.
SOMEONE needs to invent something that is detachable
and can fill in the gaps between the guitar and
the guitarist.
Something like a cushion or pad with memory foam
Maybe Velcro?
Hay inventors … there’s a need.