Ovation Celebrity Deluxe CS257-RRB Acoustic Electric Guitar > Reviews (2)

If you have read some of my other guitar reviews, you will know im a bit of a collector of guitars. In fact, you could almost say its an obsession.
Therfore no collection would be complete without an axe from one of the world's finest and best known acoustic producers. Ovation.

I own the Ovation Celebrity Deluxe which i believe is the finest looking in the Ovation range. However, you will also know that from my other reviews, Im left handed with the guitar which narrows your choice in colour.
For a Right hander, the choices include, Black, Natural, Wine, Green and a sunburst effect top and also available in vasious mapel finishes. Im afraid to say my only choice was Black. Still it does look rather fetching and contrasts well with the Marquetry effect leaves around the multiple sound holes.

Being an Ovation, it does come with the customary rounded backs. Look great and contribute to the sound quality

and resonance but be warned.....Can be a bit of a pig to get used to sitting on your knee without a strap. They tend to wonder all over the shop unless you have a tight grip and good posture.

Build quality is phenomonal and what you would expect from Ovation. Mine is now nearly 4 years old and looks as good as the day it arrived. The structure itself is rock solid thanks to the bracing inside the instrument which although is minimal, is built in such a way as to strengthen the entire body.
The neck is very slim which aids playing and helps you slide around a bit more on the rosewood fingerboard. The frets are a sensible height as is the playing action. You dont need to be superman to push down on the strings and the sound is clean with minimal fret buzz.

One issue i thought i was experiencing with the guitar is intonation which thankfully was down to a stretched string. Apart from that the intonation has been spot on and it stays in tune magnificently.

Amplification and tonal balance is again brilliant. The OP-30 controls that come with the guitar give the musician complete flexibility in sound recreation and adjustment. Whether its a fully fat bass resonating sound or a clean crisp top heavy treble for soloing you need, this delivers both. It comes with volume, Mid, Bass and Treble settings as well as a Preshape and Mid Shift function. The built in tuner is a blessing and means its one less device you need to plug in!

Playability? Fantastic. Like i have already mentioned, the action is low yet clean sounding and the unamplified sound resonates around the instrument perfectly. The low gauge strings i use tend to cut into the bridge slightly but do not affect the sound at all. It is comfortable to use after adjusting to its rounded back.

Price? My advice is to order one in from USA. I had a really good deal and paid £406 with an Ovation hard flight case 3 years ago. They retail in UK for double that. If interested, I can put you in touch with the dealer i used.

Overall? A fantastic guitar for intermediate players who want a great sounding and playing guitar without selling their house to do so! Brilliant!