Ovation 1861 Standard Balladeer

Fairly recently made in the USA. It's a fairly shallow contoured plastic back (which slides down your leg when you play sitting - it's pretty annoying) 20 frets. Black laminated top.
Bass, Mid, Treb, EQ status, mid-shift, pre-shape and volume controls. Fantastic pickup, not sure what type. Beautiful neck wood (looks like cedar, but probably mahogany). Fantasitic tuners stay in tune for 6+ weeks. Soft V-profile neck (the fastest neck you'll ever play!!!). Got an Ovation case with it.

Beeeaautiful. Its not loud unamplified (a compromise for the shallow body), but it is one of the best sounds you'll ever hear from an acoustic guitar. It's full, rich, and oozing with perfection, and it's even better plugged in! Buy one and see.

Brilliant.

Action? Perfect.
Buzzing? Zilch
Uneven frets? Non existent
Flaws in general? None at all.

Brilliant.

I would use this guitar live any day, and the hardware would last a hundred years. There is actually a flaw here - There is no scratch plate, and the finish would be scratched to oblivion if care isn't taken. The guitar is built fairly solidly, even with the plastic back. It is extremely dependable, but I would always have a backup guitar when gigging because anything can happen to a guitar at anytime, even one as good as this.

Never dealt with them. Cant remember about the warranty. I won't need it anyway (:

I own a maton (another great guitar) and a vantage, both semi-acoustic, a number of classical guitars. I would definately buy another if stolen. This is just a fantastic guitar. People buy Martins for $10,000 when they can get this with a case, new, for just over a fifth of that. Remember the name "Ovation".

Made 2001 in New Hartford Ct. Solid Sitka Spruce top, shallow bowl with great hard shell matching case. The /preamp/pickup is OP24. The neck is spectacular with two piece mahogony and rosewood fretboard/20 frets. It has a black finish with a pretty bad ding above the sound hole which is why I only paid $400 for it. It has Ping tuners that stay consistantly in tune. White plastic binding and a plastic ring at the sound hole with design. The plastic ring has started to come up and buzzes a little when played loudly. The strap fits well over the holders that are large enough to keep the strap on without falling off.

Unplugged this guitar will surprise you with tone. It isn't very loud but it sounds great. When you plug it in, it is an entirely new guitar. The tones are rich and full. There is no loss in tone on any specific string. I play it plugged into Boss GT3 and out stereo to a Fender Acoustisonic and Fender Deluxe Reverb. I know, anything you plug into that set up will sound good but it beats my Takamine Natural to pieces. I find that I don't need alot of effects to make "my sound". It also does not feed back easily especially with a sound hole cover. I lead worship and plug it into the Boss GT3 and out stereo to the house system. The tone just doesn't stop. I strum pretty hard and use alot of bar chords as well as finger picking and I am always satisfied with the ability this guitar provides me to get that perfect sound at any given moment.

The fret work on this guitar is wondeful. The neck woods are some of the best I have seen on any guitar. The black finish would be great if the ding wasn't there but I covered it with black marker and it is not as noticable. From the factory I can see that the finish was awesome. The action is low without buzz. It strums well without vibrating against the frets. I have had to learn to strum with less aggression because the pickup is so hot, you don't have to. I tried some electric strings on it and I was really impressed with the quality of tone it provided while adding the playability of an electic. The shallow bowl allows the guitar to rest close in so you have that relaxed feel while you hold the guitar.

I have only had this guitar for a couple of months but it feels solid and seems well made considering the abuse it received at the hands of its former owner. I feel like I rescued an abused animal. The neck is perfect even though this kind of abuse would have ruined a lesser guitar.

No experience but the Ovation web site is very extensive and helpful.

I have played for about 15 years and I have owned several guitars and played many of the best. This guitar is not a Martin, Gibson, or a Taylor but it is exactly what it claims to be, an Ovation. I was not shopping for this guitar when I bought it. It was hanging on a wall in the pawn shop. When I picked it up I was surprised. When I plugged it in, I was sold. I hate that someone else had it before me. I love the preamp most of all and I only wish that it had a rear access panel, just in case. If it had one, it may not be good for tone. If it were lost, I would definately replace it but I would consider the upgrade to the LX Balladeer.

My Balladeer was made in 1998, I bought it used from a person on Ebay. It has the OP-24+ preamp, solid spruce soundboard, with the Cherry-Cherryburst finish. It has standard strap buttons, chrome Ping tuners, and a fresh set of Elixir light gauge strings. (Nanoweb)
It came with a very nice Ovation hardshell case that fits the guitar like a glove. I will give this guitars features a 9. A 9 only because it doesn't have a built in tuner.

This guitar suits my playing style very well. I play a lot of country music, some bluegrass, and some blues. The OP-24+ preamp is dead silent, there's no noise at all when moving the EQ sliders, and the controls are very effective in dialing in the right sound.
I was really a little bit skeptical about the unplugged sound at first. I thought that being a super-shallow bowl guitar, it wouldn't have much bass or much resonance. I was wrong. This guitar sounds very good unplugged. I guess the bowl shape makes up for the lack of interior volume. Overall it has a very nice, well balanced sound. There doesn't seem to be any tendency for the bass, midrange, or treble to "stick out" in the mix. This guitars sound is excellent!

I bought the guitar used, but the action had not been altered. The action from the factory is a little bit high for my style. Whenever I buy a guitar one of the first things I do is replace the strings.
When I replaced the strings on this guitar I removed the shim from under the bridge saddle. This brought the action down just enough, now it is perfect for me. The overall fit & finish is really very good. No problems whatsoever.

This guitar will definitely withstand live playing, afterall that's what it was designed to do! The Ping tuners are top notch, holds the tuning very solid. The finish seems to be fairly thick, but still very nice. It is evenly applied, no runs, no sags, no missed spots.
The strap buttons are just plain old strap buttons, nothing special. I'll probably upgrade them to Straploks.
Gigging without a backup is never a really good idea, you just never know what kind of crazy stuff might happen. Always have a backup.

I've never had to contact them, so I don't know.
Their web site is helpful for researching their products.
http://www.ovationguitars.com

I like this guitar a lot, and if it were ever lost or stolen I would buy another one. This guitar is a great value. About the best price you can get it for new, is $699. I got lucky and got mine for $445.
It was in flawless condition. It could easily pass for a new guitar, not a scratch or ding on it anywhere! And it came with the original case. Bottom line is: very good guitar, great value, do ypurself a favor and buy one!

This is a 2002-3 USA made Ovation 1861 Balladeer. I am not going to repeat the list of features as it has been well covered by others. Mine do come with the newer OP-30 pre-amp and controls. I just have to mention that I love the built in chromatic tuner, accurate and oh-so convenient.

It also comes with an Ovation molded case (made by SKB). Case is tough as a tank and is flight lugguage certified.

"Plug it in!" the advertising material says... I am looking for a guitar to be plugged in 90% of the time. Ovations are meant to be plugged in. The sound of the guitar plugged in is awesome. There is good bottom end even when the EQ is off. The highs and mids are clear. This is much better than the Celebrity's which i was looking at. The sound from all six strings are also very balanced. Chords ring in unison. Not bad for an acoustic electic in this price range.

Many mentioned "the Ovation Sound". Ovation do generally sound brighter and coupled with the piezo pickup, you get a slightly squaky bright tone. But it is nothing the preamp cant fix tho.

The EQ - my favorite part. This EQ is so flexible. EQ on/off, Midshift, pre-shape which cuts the mid and boosts the lows and highs. Bass mid high equalizer control. Volume control. All these buttons gives you almost complete control at a press of a button. you can be playing chords, hit a button and dive right into your searing acoustic lead and switch back when you are done. Ovation definitely got it right with the EQ controls. I really wanted the Notch control (available on the OP-40) but I had to pay alot more for a Legend for that. Well, I will make do with the OP-30.

I know of many better sounding guitars out there but for what it is meant to do and at this price range, it is great and you can't do better.

Boy is this guitar easy to play. Action is pretty low compared to my other acoustic guitars. Somehow, the strings felt lighter. I usually use Light (0.012) and this comes with D-addario 12s but somehow it just feels so much lighter.

My balladeer sports a black finish. It is flawless and almost mirror like. The bindings are perfect too. I also like the satin like feel of the neck. This guitar is a simple beauty.

Another reason I went for an ovation is their reputation for guitars that last. With the lyrachord back, this guitar is extremely tough and will hold up well in all situations. I would definitely gig it without a backup although i usually gig it an electric.

Never had to deal with them.

This guitar is one of the cheapest U.S. made ovation you can get. The sound, feel and worksmanship is much better than the celebrity line that is made in Korea. I am not even going to talk about the Applause line which is a joke (I owned one back in 89). If you are serious about your sound (plugged in of course) and having a guitar that is good value, stop looking - this is it.

Been playing for 15 years. Currently I have:
Acoustic:
Fender San Marino dreadnought
TF Morris TF-80 dreadnought (Martin D-45 look alike)
Dean Markley sound hole pickup.

Electric:
Rickenbacker 360, ESP LTD H-1000, Fender Strat (Mexican)
Digitech GNX3

2002 Ovation Standard Balladeer
Shallow bowl, cutaway, A grade spruce top, rosewood fretboard, walnut bridge, mahogany neck(soft v shape), thinline under-saddle pickup, & the NEW Ovation OP30 preamp w/ built tuner. -MADE IN USA- Came with the nice and rugged Ovation hardshell case.

While in the market for my first quality guitar, having only been playing for 2 years, my guitar teacher recommended I check out Ovation. I was skeptical at first as they aren't "all wood". After playing several at my local Guitar Center, I found that they felt comfortable, and sounded very nice. Right now I am really into the music of Al Di Meola and various other jazz/fusion artists. But I also listen to and play everything from Clapton to Radiohead. This is a wonderful guitar that feels solid. I feel I got my money's worth on this baby.

I love the sound of the Ovation's. It's a difficult sound to describe, sort of a clear and bright/beautiful sound. The sound is very different compared to that of a Martin or Taylor, very unique. You really just have to go and play one to see if you like it.

The guitar came with D'Addario EXP16's. It was set up perfectly and played wonderfully after tuning up. The strings on it were nice, but I found them a little too heavy for my taste. Right now I use D'Addario EJ15 Phospher Bronze's.

I purchased the black finished Balladeer. The finish is absolutely stunning. It is flawless and beautiful, a black mirror of sorts. I looked the guitar over very carefully and did not notice any flaws.

I don't gig, so I can't speak as to whether or not this baby will live through live playing. But for what I use it for, playing at home and travelling to a lesson once a week, it is perfect. However, I'm sure that it would hold up very well if I should ever try to gig/play live. Seems to be very dependable.

Haven't had to deal with them. However, I would not recommend MusiciansFriend.com to anyone. I did not have any problems ordering this Ovation from them, but I have had two other quarrels with them regarding orders.

Simply a wonderful guitar that I recommend everyone atleast check out if they are looking for a nice acoustic. I know some people complain about the shallow bowls falling off of their knee's, but I've gotten used to holding on to it whenever I lean over to pick up something, etc. I've been playing for two years now, and this is my first 'real' guitar. This Ovation 1861 Balladeer is perfect for me.

1999 version (serial # 527xxx) of the Balladeer. In 1972 I bought an Ovation (model 1111-1) and played it off & on for the next 30 years. Great guitar and you can imagine how bad I felt when I opened the case the other day and discovered that the bridge had come off the guitar--moral: never put your axe in a case and leave it sitting near a baseboard radiator for months! What an idiot. Anyway, instead of trying to get it repaired (it had 2 cracks in the top as well), I went shopping on EBay and ended up with this new Balladeer. Wow. What improvements Ovation has made in the ensuing 30 years. This 1861 model is really a nice guitar. Thin bowl, OP-24+ electronics, rosewood neck, all the features every other review here has mentioned.

The sound is so nice unplugged and unbelievable when plugged into an amp. It sounds great in my little battery-operated pignose and even better when running into my practice amp (a blues junior with a celestion vintage-30 speaker installed). As I was shopping for this guitar I tried a Guild DV-52 in a local pawn shop and just about bought that as it had the deepest, sweetest sounding chords I had heard in a while...but decided to stay with Ovation. This guitar isn't as deeply resonant as the DV-52 but there's a crispness to the sound that the Guild didn't have. Neck is nicer too. Won't give it a 10 because I'm sure there are better sounding guitars out there but not in this price range ($699 new at most of the usual places).

Nice action. Fatter neck than the older 1111 model I had but plays really well...very comfortable and still a fast neck. Finish on frets very clean, no finish flaws. I have the cadillac green model (looks more like greenish gold to me--thought cadillac green was darker).

Looks like it will last.

I've been playing since 1964 or so. I spend most of my time playing my old strat but find that Ovations make the nicest neck for the electric guitarist who picks up his accoustic from time to time--not a dramatic shift in feel. The 1861 does have a fatter neck than the old 1111 model, more like a les paul or SG and a little less like a fender.

Mine dates from the mid 1980's - before they called them 'Standard'. It's a super-shallow cutaway with a natural spruce top, beautifully figured and laquered shiny (as guitars were in those days). It has an FET-3 preamp, which I'm sure I could upgrade if it mattered - which it doesn't.

Machine heads are chrome with black plastic casings. Originally they had chrome Ovation logos on the back, but the gears got worn and I managed to get identical Schaller-stamped replacements.

I upgraded from a Japan-built Pinnacle model of similar age, which was, well, OK. The US Balladeer has an amazing tone from such a shallow body. Other slimline electro's really can't cut it unplugged, but the Balladeer has warm bass, masses of sustain and that clear treble which shoots out of the soundhole and knocks out anyone in front of you.

Not a guitar for sitting down and playing to yourself, the Balladeer is just too loud and clear to use in the sitting-room. But you could easily play to a crowd of 50 without amping. When you do plug in, the 3-band EQ settings only need a subtle tweak to get the right sound. I like to add a little 'phaser' from my MidiVerb, but keep it very discreet so as not to mask the guitar's tone.

Whereas the Japanese model was immaculately presented, the US model has more of a handmade feel. The bridge is about 5mm off the centre-line of the guitar, so I've had to bend the strings at quite an angle over the saddle to get them running parallel with the sides of the fretboard. Having said this, there has been no problem with it. maybe they just put the saddle there because it sounded better?

I used to break strings all the time on previous guitars, but in 10 years owning the Balladeer, I have not broken a string whilst playing!

The action is great, having had it worked on quite a bit when I bought it 2nd hand with a sadly-warped neck. Tuning is good, way up the fretboard, It plays smooth and fast.

I have already mentioned the plastic-cased machine heads, not found on today's models. I may need to replace them again at some stage. There is almost a split between the two halves of the neck, below the 1st fret, but it never seems to get any worse, so I'll put it down to abuse by the previous owner.

It is a completely dependable guitar for live work. Just pick it up and play every time without any niggles. Your basic pro instrument.

Never been to Ovation, but their UK disributor was helpful when I called.

I originally wanted to buy the Balladeer in 1986, but the dealer wanted to sell me the Pinnacle, which he claimed was the same thing, but #300 cheaper because it was built in the Far East.

Six years later, I resold the Pinnacle and got the Balladeer. Something about the tone and sustain told me that even though it needed a lot of work to restore it's neck/tuning/action, I just had to have it. And I did.

Black finish, single cutaway, Ovation piezoelectric pickup, preamp with three-band EQ, supershallow bowl back, hardshell case. Purchased new in April 2002. Made in the USA. This is the standard package for this model. I give it a 10 because I knew what it had when I bought it, and it had what was most important to me. Some Ovations have a tuner built into the preamp control panel. This would be nice, but I don't think I would have paid extra for it. I would like to see the jack for the guitar cord relocated so that it is easier to put the guitar on a stand with the cord attached, but maybe they did this to remind you to unplug it so you don't run down the battery (?). I'd like a high-quality on-off switch, so I don't have to unplug the guitar every time I quit playing it.

I bought it because I thought I would like the sound through an amp. I've always thought Ovations sounded better than other amplified acoustic guitars, giving a big full acoustic sound that is just wonderful. This guitar meets my expectations. The 3-band EQ is a convenient, effective way to adjust the tone. The guitar is surprisingly resistant to feedback--amazingly so considering the acoustic performance of the guitar. The shallow bowl makes playing the guitar extremely comfortable, and it probably reduces the low frequencies of the guitar when played acoustically, but I am still pleasantly surprised by the loudness and nice sound of the guitar when played acoustically. There is plenty of bass when the guitar is played through an amp, however, and the shallow bowl appears to have no bad effect through an amp. When played through a clean amp and a good speaker, the guitar will produce an authentic acoustic sound at a loud volume. I love acoustic guitar, but I want it as loud as an electric guitar. This guitar provides that. I've had the guitar for a week now, and it is sounding better as the top loosens up from playing. If you want beautiful, loud acoustic guitar, this is a great instrument. Ovation describes the neck shape as a "soft V" or something like that. I like a rounded neck shape, and this guitar neck is fine--very comfortable all the way, and the cutaway makes it easy to play to the highest fret. I would like to have a couple of additional frets, however. The Ovation case is very nice. It fits the guitar like a glove, providing good protection, and it's light and easy to carry. The aluminum molding around the lid is tongue-and-groove when the lid fits the rest of the case, which should provide reasonable protection from a quick walk in the rain from the car to the building. I have an expensive acoustic guitar that I've tried two different piezo pickups on, and both pickups were so bad that the sound was completely unusable. If you want loud acoustic guitar, I say get an Ovation. I think people who are complaining about the sound are unreasonably picky.

I got the black finish because I think the natural-finish Ovations look cheap, especially because of the cheesy plastic rosette around the soundhole. But with the black finish, the rosette looks fine,and I think it's the best looking Ovation I've seen. The wood on the neck and headstock have a natural finish, somewhat like a plain tung oil finish. It's simple, but I think it's beautiful. The action is fine. It's not low action, but I think it's where it should be. It allows you to play hard without string buzz, but it's low enough that it's comfortable. I'd say it's just right. The profile and finish on the frets is excellent. It appears to be well made and solid.

So far, everything appears to be appropriately durable. Ovations have a reputation for durability, and this one appears to be built to last. A backup is probably a good idea with any instrument, if you can afford to take one. But where do you draw the line? Do you take two of everything in case anything doesn't work? This guitar appears as reliable as any other I know of.

I had a question that I emailed to Ovation on their Web site. They got back to me within minutes with the information I wanted. Some of the information on their Web site is incomplete or outdated, so this could be improved.

I've been playing for over 30 years. I have several guitars and amps. If something happened to this guitar, I would get another one like it. I don't know of a better guitar for a beautiful, loud acoustic sound.

2001 1861 Standard Balladeer made in Connecticut. 6-String Acoustic/Electric Body Type: Shallow Cutaway Top: Bracing: Scale Length: 25 1/4" Scale: Fretboard: Rosewood Fret Inlay: Bridge: Walnut
Rosette: Hand-Inlaid Pickup: Thinline Under-Sadle Nutwidth: Machines:

It sounds amazin pluged in. It sounds better than my Yamaha APX-5A. I am the lead singer of a Latin Rock band and I use this guitar as my back-up. I plugin directly through the PA - no effects needed. It gives me a full rich accoustic sound.

The only thing is that it doesn't sound that great unplugged. My Yamaha APX-5A sounds much better unplugged. I just can't believe that an accoustic guitar that is part plastic sounds this good.

The guitar came in perfect condition from the factory. The action on this guitar is amazing for an accoustic. It's much better than my APX-5A. It fits me very well.

This guitar will definately withstand live playing. The other guitar player in my group has been using it for over 5 months now. We have a couple of tunes that are accoustic and this guitar shines. The strap buttons are solid.

Haven't had to deal with them.

I recommend this guitar for the working musician. It carries sound very well. When you plug this baby in you can swear you are playing with a higher end accoustic such as a Taylor. This thing sounds amazing plugged in.

Mine is a brand new 2001 model made in New Hardford Connecticut. This is a special edition for Mars Music in the Blue starburst finish. The top is Solid Sitka spruce. The back is the rounded Lyrachord body which gives the ovation its unique sound. The neck is 2 piece mahogany with the Kaman bar, rosewood figerboard with 20 frets and inlayed dots. The tuners are chrome and encased in chrome. The bridge is Walnet with the CP-100 pick up. The OP-24 Pluse preamp and controls are upper side and feature volume, three equilizer controls.
The guitar came with the custom hard sided case.

I have tried all types of guitars and I still think the Ovations have the best overall tone and volume. What surprised me about my new guitar is the volume the shallow body has. It almost matches my wife's full body Ovation. Before I bought it a friend recommend I try it plugged in. With the wide range of tone control I can almost make it sound like my Hagstrom.

The action is great for an accustic. My Hagstrom solid body is the only guitar that has a better action. The only flaw was that the factory strings were bad and the store gave me new ones. Fit and finish is great. If you are buying a cheaper Ovation made in Korea, I check it over carefully. I tried one at the store for comparision. One of the ones I saw had cracking between the fingerboard and the neck. It still sounded find, but I'd want one withour flaws.

One reason I bought this guitar is because of the excellent quality and service we've had with our original Ovation. With the exception of minor scratches it look and sounds just like it came out of the box. I expect my new Ovation will be just as

None. I haven't need to contact Ovation.

I've been playing guitar for 35 years. I own a Fender California 3/4 size 6 string, a Harmony Stella 12 string, a Yamaha 6 string classical, a Hagstrom 6 string electric. I bought my wife an Ovation Matrix model 1132-1 in 1975 and I think I've played it more than she has. I tried all kinds of guitars, Taylors, Gretchs, Takamines, Larivees, Yamahas, Washbuns, Deans and while they were good. I don't think any of them compared to the look and sound of my new Ovation. The shallower body makes it more comfortable to play. The addtions of the electic pick up and electronics makes it the most versital guitar I have.