Ovation CC057-H

I'm originally a piano player- picked up guitar about 10 years ago and have attempted every style up until now. I tend to naturally side with contemporary blues.

I bought this for $299 at Guitar Center, I really wasn't sure what brand I was looking for. I just wanted a decent acoustic with a pickup, and a helper at Guitar Center suggested the Ovation as the best bang for the buck in that category so I took his advice.E

Great sound, both plugged and unplugged. I was a bit worried about the guitar being made in China, but it's really well crafted. Attractive design and detailing, a very beautiful guitar overall (I bought the red one). The projection is excellent for a guitar that's this thin- I'm not even sure how it works but I've played thicker guitars that don't project as well.

Since the guitar has a hump-back, you really have to lean forward and step on something to play it without it slipping, but it's really not bad.

The playability was my main concern- when I first bought it, the action was pretty high and made it very difficult to play fast. My friend's shop had to shave down the saddle and tune the neck to a comfortable level. Now that the action is lower, it plays much better and surprisingly, there's no buzzing or significant changes to the tone. It makes me wonder why they didn't start the guitar with this setup in the first place.

I usually prefer American or Korean made guitars but playing the ovation and from the first impression, I didn't actually know it was made in China. I'm certainly impressed with the level of work here- it's definitely not the same cheap-o quality you'd expect.

Excellent for the price. Obviously it doesn't stand up to the playability of a $1000+ guitar, but the tone and projection surprisingly will. So the playability, you may have to customize for yourself- but the sound and build will definitely make you a smile.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I purchased this guitar at Guitar center, I paid $299.00 when it was on sale. It normaly cost $399.00. That is customer cost not list price.

Great sound and very comfortable to hold and play for me. The price was very reasonable for the quality of guitar. Action is very good, was able to lower action by removing shims under saddle. Holds tune and has a built in tuner.

The only problem I have is with it slipping out from you while playing. The plastic bowl tends to want to slip occassionally from your leg while sitting and playing. Not a big enough problem to keep me from purchasing another.

Very good quality construction for the price. Of course there is a plastic bowl on the back but does not seem to effect the great sound I get from this guitar.

Check this guitar out when you go looking for one! I love it. May want to remove shims from saddle to lower action a bit. Could get some buzz on D string after doing this, so take that into consideration before removing shims. I just put elixer strings on it and they rock.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I payed somewhere around 400 at Guitar Center, Seattle, WA. I started doing alot of solo gigs and needed an affordable acoustic/electric.

In general I find ovations vary attractive guitars. I did a lot of research in this price range and this ovation was by far the best value for the money. Excellent, highly acclaimed electronics, with a great built in tuner. Also very easy to use the eq and access the battery. The mids and highs ring beautifully. Fairly easy to play.

I've read alot of the other reviews about ovations and my dislikes are about the same. The shallow bowl is hard to play with out a strap. Unplugged the acoustics are just ok because of the shallow bowl. Its good for just practicing when not amplified. The low end is pathetic compared to a full drednaught. I also don't like the location of the input jack. I have fret buzz on the low e string that pisses me off. Not as noticeable when amplified. I read on this site that a Legend owner has the same problem with the buzz. Must be an ovation issue.

Overall, very good construction. I can get pretty abusive and careless when it comes to my gear. This is my second ovation and both are very durable to being knocked out of their stands, banged around, etc. haven't dropped'm... yet. Quality is top notch.

ovations are an aquired taste. If you want a deep full-bodied acoustic sound to jam around the campfire this is not your guitar. However, what you do get is a great looking, durable, acoustic/electric that sounds fabulous amplified. I suggest finding one used, or get a balladeer or legend used for about the same price as this one is brand new. Either way this is a great deal.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com