NUGD: Ovation 1861 Standard Balladeer

[Gil Janus]

My new used guitar and it's companion. A dear friend is getting on in years, and has decided that he can't play anymore - his hands hurt too much and he can't really concentrate - so I've acquired his 2 guitars - it was a good trade - some electronics acquired for him in return for 2 guitars with cases.

I picked them up when I went down to NYC to see The Dead perform at the IZOD Center - a very good show, but that's a tale itself. We took Amtrak in both directions - it was funny, when we got on the train in Penn Station, there were at least 5 other folks getting on the train with guitars. Enought with the back story.

The first one is his 1998 Ovation 1861 Standard Balladeer in Natural. After a good cleaning and polishing, treating the fretboard with some lemon oil, and a new set of strings - it sounds very good, both acoustically and thru my Super Champ XD using voice 16. You can tell that this is a used guitar - a couple dings here and there, but the soundboard almost looks brand new. It has a nice feel, but I'll have to get used to the bowl, it wants to slide around on my gut !

I'm probably going to try some different strings, I put on a set of Elixir Coated 12-53s that my friend had in the case, and they are a little heavy - so I'll be trying something smaller, like 10-47s - it would be nice to get this acoustic near to my electrics - that way it will be easier to switch between them. I'll also have to pick up a truss rod tool, since it is adjusted thru the soundhole.











I apologize - this ending section is about an electric guitar. His 2nd guitar was a 2001 Squier Affinity Stratocaster in Baltic Blue - a great color. This guitar needed a really good cleaning and polishing, it's neck needed to be cleaned and given some lemon oil, and a new set of strings. This guitar is going to my daughter - she's learning bass (I got her one last Christmas along with an amp), but she has picked up one of my guitars now and then, so she looking forward to enjoying this new old guitar. She too loves the color. I need to take some shots outside to show off the color.

It needs some more work - someone had replaced the normal Strat knobs with Tele domes - which she and I don't like on Strats - so I'll be picking up some knobs. You really want to know what the levels are for the Volume and Tone controls : The other thing is that the Trem is screwed down tight as drum on this guitar, after my daughter plays it for a while, we will see about freeing it up. It could be it was done to allow the guitar to stay in tune better - we will see.







Gil

[player***]

Both Sweet Gil.lost a 60's Balladeer in a cane in the South(04).man I wish I still had it nearly identical in color and style too.seems the strings were odd or off as well.they were roundwound 11 - 44 by GHS Boomers(cannot locate them anymore).made for interesting tone and sound though. like dat strat