Applause AA-31

Made approx 1987 (bought used in 1988)

Solid top I think.

No pickup fitted but have added an Artec MSP50 (single-coil passive). Seems to be solid spruce top - nice inlaid rosette. Ovation style deep bowl (5" deep). 20 frets

Suits my mostly flatpicked/strummed style for folk-ballad stuff. Plugged in to home-made amp (a bit like a Pignose) with the Artec it makes a nice sound when overdriven - would love to try with a good valve amp for electric guitar.

Acoustically I think it sonds way better than equivalently priced all - wood guitars. Some of the other reviews here seem to judge it relative to higher spec guitars.

Bought used and was set up fine. I lowered the action a bit by shaving down the bridge nut. Finish was fine too.

Havre played occasionally in pub session - not very loud on its own. Hardware and finish have lasted for about 17 years but with light use. Body strap button a bit loose in the plastic body but will not fall out I'd say.

Never needed it.

Playing 19 yrs or so. No other guitar. If lost/stolen, probably buy something else.

Hs great sentimental value. I like the sound. I hate the shape of the headstock. Would like if it had an under-saddle pickup. Like the shape for playing sitting down but not for standing up.

In my opinion this guitar sounds very full. It sounds a lot better than any of the Fender or Ibanez acoustics at Guitar Center. This acoustic has a lot more volume and bass than any of them and it projects very well. VERY WELL. Give it a chance (if you can even find it) and you'll hear what I'm talking about.

To sum everything up:
1. Projects well
2. Nice bass
3. Sounds full
4. Has two, count them, two strap locks instead of one like on some acoustics
5. Good beginner/intermediate guitar. not THE pro guitar sound every would like to have, but a LOT better than other "brand name" acoustics.

The only con I can think of is that the first fret is kind of hard to press down--but I guess you can just use that to strengthen your fingers. :)

No idea when it was made, I picked it up in 1992 or 93. Made in Korea or somewhere over there. Round back with glossy black wood top. No electronics, but I changed that. I put in a Fender jackplate, mini 3 way switch, and Seymore Duncan split humbucker. Even made a steel bridge for it to ground the strings when it's plugged in. Hey, the guitar was so cheap it didn't bother me to drill through it (it's not like it'll be a collector's item someday). Neck looks like mahogany with a rosewood fretboard. Typical rosewood bridge. And the crappiest tuners ever!

I play anything from open tunings, slide, fingerpicking, etc. Folk, metal, whatever. This guitar sounds average. If it was in school, it would be the kid in the back of the room picking his nose. It seems like the treble has deserted this instrument, and the lows are hollow. The midrange is lackluster. This guitar couldn't really be bothered to sustain, either. The addition of the steel bridge helped somewhat.

The action was so high that I pulled out the bridge and removed the shims under it. That lowered the action from 'skyscraper' to merely 'high-rise'. The tuners rattled a lot, and sometimes came loose. I took a set my friend changed out of his old Yamaha and used those. Much better.

I wouldn't be caught dead on stage with this. I doubt it would fall apart, but damn it's so cheap sounding.

I've been playing for 16 years and have an Ibanez Performer 12 string, some South American classical guitar, a Fender Lead II electric, a Kramer DMZ 6000G Electric, Roland Supercube 60 amp, and a Yamaha effects processor. I've had this guitar long enough and will be replacing it in the very near future. It's a beginner's guitar and I've totally outgrown it.

This is a nine year old standard depth roundback (entry level Ovation) that I bought "new" three years ago from someone who received it as a gift and left it in the closet. Basic acoustic, no cutaway, laminated top, bolt on neck, NICE string-through bridge and TWO strap buttons. The pick guard is fairly small, but edges high enough to catch the hit points. It came with a soft case.

If you prefer the typical Ovation sound this is a fine guitar. It's a little bitey which is good for picking and ok for light strumming around the campfire, but it gets a little gravelly if you pound on it. If you push it around a bit it can give you some really nasty blues. Basically, the bottom end is thin, but overall it is clear, harmonics are ok and intonation is good.

Even six years old this guitar was good when I bought it (it hadn't been used). There were no flaws in the rich tobacco burst finish and everything fit just right with the minor exception of the neck taper at the nut. The treble side missed by about 1/32" but did not affect playability. The action was acceptable, but improvable. I made a minor adjustment of the neck truss and shaved the bottom of the bridge saddle just a bit. Now it plays like a real Ovation.

I bought this guitar for my daughter to learn on and take away to college. The mechanical aspects of the Ovation design seem well suited to the rigors of travel and the University environment, plus girls love roundbacks - they fit better. After three years of being one of the decent guitars on campus (everybody plays it), she just brought it home again for Summer break and it is rock solid, looks good and stays in tune.

I never needed help with this guitar, but they did confirm the age as represented by the seller from the serial#. The same company owns Takamine and was very helpful with my F340S, so they get a good rating from me.

For a beginner this guitar is tough to beat. It's simple, durable, very playable (that's real important when you're just figuring it out), the sound is ok (very good in the price range) and it even looks good. My daughter and her friends love it and after three years it still hasn't appeared on the "fix it" list. Adjusting for price it probably deserves a 10 plus, but head to head against some really fine stuff it still gets a solid 7!