Ovation 1616 Acoustic/Electric Classical

solid spruce top concert classic built in electric pickup, large body, heavy in weight,

I bought this guitar used $500. in the late eighties. Never really played it until this year 2009. The type of music I play most lends itself to nylon string traditional spanish/classical. My number one is an old cedar top Aria. It has the warmth and depth my ear demands but it is not electric. Much of the music I play is difficult to finger and I'm no Julian Bream who can punch out those notes. Playing the Ovation 1616 with a 100 watt pa amp and some chorus/echo at low volume gives me the punch I crave and allows my finger technique to be lighter and hence swifter. I feel I can get better nuances. It's natural sound with low amping and I mean low gives me the sound I could never get from any other guitar. The best word I can come up with is presence. too much electric and it becomes artificial an no electrics and it is a fair to mediocre guitar. Acoustically I would rather play the Aria. Its too bad they don't make this guitar any more. I think the 1616 should be reissued.

What I don't like. No eq. tends to feed back.

I find the action a bit too high but then again I am old and have arthritis. the quality of Manufacturing is very high. It has no defects that I am aware of.

I would gig this guitar if I didn't look so stupid playing it.I still haven't figured out my most comfortable position. I'm almost in the fetal position when I play Bach or Handel. It definitely is not as comfortable as the Japanese Aria circa 1960 something.

The durability of this guitar is exceptional. You would have to be a moron to break it.

I started playing in the 60's seriously with my first Aria copy of a Gibson Dove. I played the frets off that thing and had to have it re fretted.. My music of choice then was Mississippi Delta blues, and soft folk rock. that Aria was a ply top but a dead ringer for a Dove. It's action was beautiful. I still play that sucker and it sounds like a Dove. I could never play Bach on that guitar. It sounded too sketchy and scratchy. And I was constantly breaking my finger nails.
I can play just about anything on the 1616 and it sounds great. I play some rags on it and it seemed to be built for that kind of music. It is a very rich blues guitar. 'Better than my Martin D 35 circa 1966.

correction to my earlier review. The model is a 1116. With pickup added later. so not a 1616.
(thge model label is missing so this was not very obvious)

Ovation legend classical nylon string built around 1981 (according to the serial number lookup at the ovation website).
See the first review for technical specs.

I just love the sound of this guitar. It has a rich, warm sound, but still quite clear. It somehow has a slight chorus-like contour which adds to the fullness of the sound. It is also pretty loud, being a deep bowl model.
The original pickup did not sound too well, old technology from 1981. Because this guitar has a standard classical bridge, not a typical ovation bridge, the pickup could easily be replaced. I had a fishman built in a month after i bought the guitar. With that, also the amplified sound is superb. It probably produces feedback on high volumes, but at the volumes I play and perform there is no problem at all.
It suits my style, which is al sorts of music, translated to a guitar+singer setting, without other instruments.

If you are looking for a typical classical guitar sound, and play classical music, you will be better of with another guitar, like the prudencio saez i played in the shop or the takamine that i owned for a while.

Everything was perfectly set up for my tast, and for a guitar that is 24 years old it has amazingly few dents etc.

Well, the guitar was made in 1981 and doesnt show any sign of getting bad, loose, or whatever.
When i play on a gig a always bring a steelstring guitar too, because that suits some songs better. The guitars are each others backup, but i never needed it.

I contacted Ovation to ask if another pickup couild be built in, because i read on the web that that can be a problem with ovations, due to the typical ovation bridge. Ovation responded quickly, asked me to send in a photo to be sure and answered shortly after i sent the photo that it wouldn't be a problem. SO they were quite helpful.

If this guitar was stolen or lost I would try to find another one on ebay and buy it.
It was the sound and the feel of the guitar that made me buy it, although it was a bit more money than i planned on spending.

Features:
- Made in Connecticut, USA in 1981
- solid spruce top, ebony fingerboard, composite back sides, mahogany laminate neck, 19.5 (1 extra fret on hi e-string) frets, natural finish
- piezo pickup, single volume
- individual, machined , pearloid, tuning heads
- walnut bridge, balck and pearloid patterned soundhole ring, no pickguard
- deep bowl
- wide flat ebony fingerboard, truss rod, slotted headstock,
- gigbag

- I have been playing, teaching, recording and repairing guitars for 22 years. I have never been a fan of acoustic Ovations (OK for live) but this classical changed my mind.
- lots of volume and lows for a classical, sounds great plugged in - was used in professional studio recently and producer loved it.
- Not as bright as some classicals but very warm and good projection

- Guitar was bought second hand and setup was OK once new strings put on and fingerboard cleaned
- Beautifully naturally finished (polyeurothane) top with two minor finish cracks
- Plays very well but I still have trouble with the bowlback slipping. I am now using a strap which works well although traditional classical seating position is difficult

- Guitar is now twenty years old and after a good cleaning, new strings, new battery is playing and looking almost new
- Ovation poly finish on top is tough and the plastic back looks immaculate
- strap buttons are good
- I never gig without a backup but I have a lot of confidence in this guitar's construction

- Never dealt with Kaman
- Bought second hand no warranty

- I own 45 different stringed instruments and am gear slut - - I have a hoem recording studio and have released 4 CDs with my band "The Take"
- I'd buy another at the price I paid - I had intended to buy a traditional classical but the sound and features convinced me
- I like the versatility of being able to amplify a nylon string and the ovation delivers a great pickup system and beautiful guitar

- Lesson learned - Don't be prejudiced and trust your ears.

These seem to be getting rare and I had trouble finding any on the web. Recommended A +