Customer Reviews

The History of the Ovation Guitar

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am a fan of Ovation guitars, I already own two and will buy more. The History of the Ovation guitar is fascinating in itself as well as the great history behind it. Charley Kaman's accomplishments are impressive in the aviation industry, but are a renaissance for the guitar world.

Ovation dares to color outside the lines and the results are fantastic. History happens. Here is the story of a revolutionary instrument that had its beginning the 1960's.

Even if you are only interested in music, this book is enlightening in an unique area. The authors inclusion of his interviews with Kaman family members in his work is like sitting in on a story telling. You get a feel for the events as they take place. Particularly those of us who were around when the Beatles, Glen Campbell, Josh White and others rising. There are those ties that from Ovations' history that stir warm memories. In short, a good read.

No doubt whatsoever this is a great book at it's original price of $26.00 but to cover the price with
a white paper sticker and then charge me $100.00 is tosayb the least a bit cheeky some might say dishonest
as a matter of fact i think it's against the law here in Australia I own over a dozen Ovation's an i love them dearley but this has left a bad taste they say buyer be ware well i most certinaly will be next time but i doubt it will be on amazon i have bought several books on amazon in the past and have always without exception been 100% happy dont know what happened here maybe i held my mouth wrong or maybe i just struck a dishonist basket well there you have it imm not happy jan

This book sold in the mid 90s for $20 or so. It's been out of print a long time and any copies that become available usually command $100 or more. I got very lucky and found one with many wrinkles for $40. The information provided could easily have been produced in a web page. I'm not sorry I bought the book but I'm sure glad I didn't pay $100 for it. I wish they had provided more information as to construction methods, photos from inside the factory, interviews with current or former employees, anecdotes about the factory, production figures, dimensions, oddities, things like that. It seems they spent a lot of time on artist endorsements with a little technical fluff here and there.

Walter Carter is one of the finest writers of guitar history today. This book is a fine tribute to an innovative and customer-oriented company. Ovation is often overlooked in the guitar community because they are different in their design. They have always, and continue to, produce high quality instruments for the beginner and the professional player. After reading the history of Charlie Kaman and the dedication to building the best instruments in a non-traditional way, I hope that many guitarists take a second look at a great product. Different isn't always bad....and the reasons for Ovation's use of materials and design proves it.