Unusual Guitar

spantini

spantini

COO of me, inc.
I had seen the Tonight Show back in 1973 with Glen Campbell where he came out center stage by himself with an unusual looking guitar. Not an acoustic, this was an Ovation Breadwinner in white, which at the time I had no idea of what it was or interest in that instrument, nor was there any internet to quickly help identify the model. Well, I just rewatched this as a rerun and I noticed the Ovation headstock and I looked it up and found this :

reverb.com

1970's Ovation BREADWINNER White with very early features | Reverb

Olivia's Vintage would like to present this early version of a 1970's Ovation Breadwinner in its original White textured finish. It has a great playing neck with great frets. It's all original and 100% complete along with its original hardshell case featuring rare purple lining. This Breadwinner ...
€1,633.38
reverb.com reverb.com

In all the intervening years from then to now I have never seen anyone else using one of these.

WATCH ON YOUTUBE
 
Last edited:
Probably some others I don’t recall right now. But those two instantly came to mind.
 
RFR said:
Probably some others I don’t recall right now. But those two instantly came to mind.
Click to expand...
Thanks! In those days, I wasn't one who went to all the concerts and bought hundreds of albums - I was fairly isolated as far as this went. All my friends bought all the albums, so I got to at least hear lots of music while visiting.
 
Cool guitar. Makes me wonder what they sound like or compare to? There's a bunch on the bay right now. I also see that the body shape changed during the 70's.
 
I remember trying a few out back in the day and I thought they were unplayable just from the ergonomics of that shape. But that's what I also thought about their bowl back acoustics. Just wasn't my cup of tea.
 
I had one of those bowl-back acoustic-electrics and playing rhythm while standing was a PITA. Since I draped my forearm over the top, pushing it into my body, and the guitar rotated due to the slippery backside. I spent more time concentrating on that than playing. For a lot of reasons, that was the worst guitar I ever owned/played. It wound up being donated to a children's music school during the period of my "great liquidation".
 
Something I always wanted to try but never have is the Ovation Adamas - ever since I saw Nancy Wilson with hers back in '78.

n.jpg
 
I'm getting the impression that the artists using these Ovation models were probably being paid to promote them by their public displays. If the guitars weren't all that hot, why use them instead of a Gibson, Fender, etc...? I guess some just liked to be, or one of the, first to have one so's to show it off and be cool.
 
I remember reading about a guitarist who loved the Ovation because he said it always sounded the same. His wood guitars changed sound based on temp and humidity, which caused issues, especially with outdoor shows. Glen Campbell played Ovation guitars. They were also early adopters of adding pickups to acoustics back in the 70s which was great for playing in live situations.



I have a friend with a Rainsong carbon fiber guitar, and it sounds really good. He said it never changes, stays in tune and won't crack if he goes from cold to warm temps.
 
FM Mahogonay Rush? (Tom) had one of those breadwinners.
I owned one ovation acoustic, one of their high end "dreadnoughts". Didn't sound good, didn't play well.
Bridge lifting, guitar beginning to fall apart, action high.
When I sold it I told the guy I sold it to that I wouldn't pay that for this guitar but I guess they seem to hold their value.
I know I will never buy another.
 
Last edited:
I saw Al Di Meola burning up an Ovation acoustic-electric and that's what made me buy mine.

Notice how Al's leg is propped up to keep that b****h from sliding out from under his arm :LOL:

 
dogooder said:
I'm getting the impression that the artists using these Ovation models were probably being paid to promote them by their public displays.
Click to expand...

RFR said:
Bingo
Click to expand...
I know Clarence White was given them. He eventually told them to keep them. I am pretty sure Glen got his for free?
I worked with a musician for years that would get free guitars to promo.
 
in fairness the Ovation acoustics were the first , and for a long time, the only acoustics with pickups that worked well live without feedback problems.
You could get a decent sound on stage without too much trouble.

But in the last decade or 2 there have been such advances in acoustic/electrics that you can get much better sound from lots and lots of other guitars.

It's hard to remember now but there was a time when it was almost impossible to get a good and loud acoustic sound on stage.
In the earliest days we were all blown away by the Ovations because of that one thing
 
The first serious singer-songwriter I hooked up with in 1975 had a Nagoya dreadnought into which he placed a soundhole pickup (can't recall the brand). Acoustically, that was (is) a fantastic sound. The pickup didn't help that any, but it did amplify it - though not as well as an Ovation.

washingtoncitypaper.com

Nagoya Guitars: A Piece of D.C. Music History

Fifty years later, the Nagoya guitars sold by D.C.-area retailer Veneman Music are still prized, sought after, and played.
washingtoncitypaper.com washingtoncitypaper.com
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top