Ovation 1717 Legend

1985 serial number, made in Hartford, CT USA (blue decal), deep bowl (black), black finish (one small surface crack above upper side of bridge), ebony board with diamond inlays, fingerboard bound, circular soundhole, gold Schaller tuners (still look like new), OP24 preamp with volume and 3 band EQ, output jack on lower section of body, purchased Ovation 9518 hardshell case separately on eBay (perfect fit), the simplicity and directness of the earlier model controls is worth the sacrifice over the fuller range of adjustment offered in the newer model Ovations.

Very rich, full, and balanced tone when played acoustic or electric with Fender strings, super quiet electric operation even when played through a Boss Japan CH-3 stereo chorus (if you only buy one effect pedal this is it) and a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe (USA model) amp with a single 12" Fender speaker, deep bowl projects louder acoustically than most all wood guitars I have ever tried (the best reason not to consider the thinner bowl models), overall I attribute the great sound of this 20 year old guitar to the fact that it was made in the USA, the somewhat unique and lively Ovation sound is definitely still there as if it were day one.

This is the easiest guitar to play I have ever picked up, (67 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe, 89 Fender Telecaster American Standard, 70 Sigma/Martin DR7), have not had to change the strings yet (looks difficult), very low action with no buzz (possibly setup by East Coast Music Mall in Hartford, CT, a super seller on eBay), finish has the one surface crack in clearcoat about 1" long mentioned above, otherwise the black top seems to be holding up well and was obviously maintained by the previous owner, the neck seem to be the perfect thickness for fast playing or those with smaller hands, most of all I like the fact that it stays in tune no matter what.

The Legend was designed for live performance and lives up to that specification, very rugged, and easy to hold sitting or standing for long sets, super dependability, long battery life, bridge design is not great for quick string changes though (then it does not seem to break strings as often as other guitars.

Ovation website, although out of date, was helpful to me when choosing which model I wanted to look for, I just hope if I ever do need service it will be available as I am quite attached to this particular guitar now.

I now consider this instrument irreplaceable and would seek another if God forbid something should ever happened to it. The quality weight and feel is hard or impossible to find in the instruments being mass produced everywhere today. The few decent ones still made here are priced out of sight. Let's face it, all of the manufacturers have sold out, so either find and buy a vintage guitar or learn to play golf instead.

1985, AA sitka top, deep bowl (brown), ebony board with diamond inlays,fingerboard bound, circular soundhole, gold schaller tuners, OP 24 preamp with volume and 3 band EQ, output jack on lower section of body

Loud, full, even sound. Circular soundhole along with deep body gives this a real nice acoustic sound, much better than the thinner-bodied Ovations or the models with the 'Adamas' series soundholes. Tone is very balanced. It is close to a wooden body guitar but has a bit less 'oomph'. Once you plug it in you get that famous Ovation performance.

As always, USA made Ovations are solid guitars and well built. I bought this guitar used so I cannot say how good the factory set-up was, but if you play a new one at a store you can tell they do it right. It plays very fast for an acoustic-either with a pick or fingerstyle.

This guitar is 20 years old and is rock solid. No cracks or finish flaws. All the electronics operate perfectly. Ovations are meant to be played live and this guitar is good to go.

I have emailed Ovation about various other guitars I was dealing with and they are fantastic. They usually email back within a few hours. Their website offers a ton of great info about current and past models.

I use this guitar mainly as an acoustic instrument and I really like the sound of it. Sure, it doesn't sound like a Martin D-28, but that isn't what I wanted it for anyway. I wanted a good sounding guitar that could take the punishment of playing live night after night and the Ovation is a great choice. Plugged in this guitar is even better. With some Eq'ing and a good PA you get a sound that is as good as any. Ovations are a good guitar for an affordable price.