[Mrvile]

Just picked this guy up yesterday from Guitar Center.

"Ibanez EWC30QHERLG1201"

I played all the acoustic-electrics at GC that were within (and a little above) my price range. They were all pretty similar, though some of the higher end Martins played pretty well. The Ovations were terrible...they seemed pretty interesting and have a pretty impressive fan base but they don't play that well and I hate that they're made out of some weird plastic. I fell in love with this guy...all the other Ibanez "exotic wood" guitars were actually pretty bad, especially knowing that the looks were all achieved through veneers (epic fail). This one is all mahogany, body and neck, satin finish (I was getting a little tired of the whole shiny finish thing) although the top is laminated and not solid. Originally cost $450, but I talked the guy down to $400. The reliable Ibanez action makes this guitar a really fun and easy guitar to play, and it doesn't sound half bad either...satisfyingly bright, especially compared to the massive Fender dreadnought I'm upgrading from.

Hooray for impulse buys motivating me to get back into playing a lot of guitar

 

[Steve The Egg]

That wood and finish combo is gorgeous. I've got a mahogany Walden that I just love. Enjoy hearing the tone mature. I know mine has! Every couple of months my mom will say wow...will compliment the tone and richness of the sound. And I'm fairly confident it's the solid mahogany top. Even though yours isn't solid. I still think it should sound pretty darn good.

 

[krmathis]

What a beauty!

I really love the dark wood.

 

[micaela]

Congrats!! Nothing more fun than getting a new toy -- especially a music one

You are inspiring me to get mine out of the closet & get back after it. Its been several years since I've played to any degree. I have a 25 + yro Ovation & I do like it - but it needs some work. Your new baby is a beauty - enjoy!!

 

[Cool_Torpedo]

Wonderful guitar mate. I wish you have a helluva fun playing it

Rgrds

 

[intoflatlines]

It looks really really nice. Don't worry about the laminated top, it just means it won't improve with age like solid tops do. Hopefully it sounds as good as it looks! It kind of reminds me of a nicer looking version of my Fender. Do you fingerpick or flatpick on it?

You must have played some messed up Ovations or maybe the cheaper Applause or even Celebrity/Ultra (Korean made, USA assembled) if you thought they played terrible. They have the best action and intonation, not to mention great sound, in my opinion. Which Ovations did you try?

I got an Ovation 1771LX on clearance for $699 and it originally had a sale price at GC anywhere from $800-1200 (MSRP $1649) so I thought it was quite a steal. It was by far my favorite in that price range. I always loved my dad's 70's Ovation. The plastic bowl meant that it wasn't as sensitive to humidity and temperature, especially compared to my dad's sensitive (and expensive!) Martin and 12 string Taylor.

The tuners look bad because I left the protective film on it. I love the five piece mahogany/maple neck.

 

[Mrvile]

About Ovations...

Now I do think Ovations are interesting guitars. I'm pretty intrigued by the bowl shape and I think they look pretty nice overall. I especially like the head...it's a very seductive organic piece instead of the standard guitar head. When I played them (I played a Celebrity and an Ultra because those were in my price range) the action felt pretty good but for some reason a lot of the frets either buzzed or didn't make any sound at all...as if I had muted the string instead of pressing it down, which confused me and steered me away from Ovations. Also, the sound was a little bit strange, a little weak, but I'm sure it's from the design and they're kind of designed to do that, so that was actually expected. I didn't get to play any of the higher end Ovations because they were high up and I didn't bother to get someone to help me bring them down.

I had originally planned to go to the store and come home with an Ovation, because on paper they look like great guitars and have a lot of great reviews. I also really like how they look. I guess the lower end models just don't do the brand justice.

 

[TSi]

oh gawd damn! both of them look really really nice =P

 

[intoflatlines]

Yeah, for the price I would have stayed away from the cheaper Ovations. If I was in your situation I would have chosen that beautiful Ibanez as well.

 

[Gh0s7]

Definitely some nice looking instruments.

 

[tjkurita]

Congratulations on your new guitar!

I must say, however, that (from here) the nut doesn't look too good. Perhaps have a good luthier/tech look at it. You might need to have it re-shaped or replaced altogether. See how the strings sit way down in the slots? They *might* be getting choked by the nut. If so, fixing it will give the guitar even better tone and keep the guitar in tune better. Believe me, it makes a significant difference. The shape of the nut is very important.

If there is enough space in those slots, maybe the strings are not getting choked. In which case this post is useless to you. However, for your reference, here are some pictures of a well shaped nut. They are of my very own Collings:

Notice how the nut is nicely rounded, but with enough surface area for the string to make good contact. Also, see how the strings sit nicely on the nut but are recessed enough so that the string does not slip out of the slot.

Again, if the slots are wide enough, the functionality of the nut on your guitar is probably not compromised. Still, the string could rattle around in there. Proper setup is THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT TONAL FACTOR in an otherwise healthy guitar (besides the player, of course!).

 

[F107plus5]

Great looking fiddle at that. As far as laminated tops not improving with age; gotta remember; they also aren't as likely to warp either!

....I had to put my Classical of 21years into semi-retirement here a few months ago due to a slightly warping soundboard.

Gave me a good excuse to get a new Gretsch though, while I slowly relax the strings and allow the soundboard of the Classical to return to relative flatness.

Yup; new guitars are fun! Congrats on your new acquisition!!

 

[Mrvile]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjkurita /img/forum/go_quote.gif Congratulations on your new guitar! I must say, however, that (from here) the nut doesn't look too good. Perhaps have a good luthier/tech look at it. You might need to have it re-shaped or replaced altogether. See how the strings sit way down in the slots? They *might* be getting choked by the nut. If so, fixing it will give the guitar even better tone and keep the guitar in tune better. Believe me, it makes a significant difference. The shape of the nut is very important. If there is enough space in those slots, maybe the strings are not getting choked. In which case this post is useless to you. However, for your reference, here are some pictures of a well shaped nut. They are of my very own Collings: Notice how the nut is nicely rounded, but with enough surface area for the string to make good contact. Also, see how the strings sit nicely on the nut but are recessed enough so that the string does not slip out of the slot. Again, if the slots are wide enough, the functionality of the nut on your guitar is probably not compromised. Still, the string could rattle around in there. Proper setup is THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT TONAL FACTOR in an otherwise healthy guitar (besides the player, of course!).

Hmm...

The strings do look like they're pretty far into the nut to me. How should this be affecting the sound? What should I be listening for?

The guitar sounds fine to me, but I wouldn't really know what it "should" sound like.

 

[tjkurita]

If it sounds good to you be happy and enjoy! When it starts to not sound good to you, bring it to a trustworthy shop and have them look at it.

Edit: The above is not the best answer to your question. What I mean is that, in a hobby, no one should tell you what sounds good. If it sounds good to you it IS good. However, there are issues that you can listen for. Of course, the best thing is to listen to good sounding instruments (usually played and recorded by professionals) on extremely high quality playback devices (it's our priority here, right?) and you can hear what good sounding instruments played well should sound like.

BUT tonal problems with the nut usually manifest themselves in the open strings. If the sound of the open strings is "choked" or not as good as fretted notes, there might be a problem. Buzzing on open strings can come from the nut. You can have problems with the guitar staying in tune when the strings bind in the slot. You can tell because the guitar will "ping" as you tune the guitar. This can cause big, random shifts in tuning when the string binds and unbinds in the slot.

 

[Mrvile]

Thanks for the info tjkurita.

I picked up some Martin extra light acoustic strings for the Ibanez. They play a lot better and give the guitar a brighter sound, which is a nice change from the dreanought. I did notice a little fret buzz if I strum to hard, but I'm not too bothered by that right now. I actually think it gives the guitar a more "raw" sound, which is fun.

Also, I found a use for the Fender...Since it was always so difficult to play (the action was really high and the strings were really stiff) I always had a hard time getting the guitar to do what I want and it discouraged me from playing acoustic. When I bought the Ibanez, I picked up a capo and a slide, but when I started messing around with the slide, I realized that it was pretty difficult in standard tuning. I took my Fender and tuned it to open D and wallah, a guitar tuned for just slide playing

Slide guitar is fun, but still beyond me at this point. Also my pinky cramps up if I'm using the slide for too long. I guess I'll just have to keep practicing.