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Whether the name was derived from the phrase Standing Ovation or the appropriate word Innovation, Ovation guitars stack up beautifully against the competition. They feature a fine finish, exquisite sound and have been widely used for classic rock, rock, pop, folk, country and funk. Known for their unique, aerodynamic and scientific designs and features, Ovation guitars have also found their way into many well known hands.
- Melissa Ethridge
- Rex Brown
- Charlie Benante
- Ben Burnley
- Aaron Fink
- Jimi Bell
- Cyndi Lauper
- Ziggy Marley
- Dave Mustaine
Charles Kaman
Charles Kaman was a cutting edge inventor highly educated in aerospace engineering and a guitarist as well. He was born in 1919 and loved playing guitar while growing up. As a teen Charles often played gigs with local bands near his home, the Washington D.C. area.
After receiving his bachelors degree in aeronautical engineering, much of his early career revolved around helicopters and other aircraft which were much needed at the time. In fact, in 1945, at the age of 26, Charles started his own company, called Kaman Aerospace. His many inventions and improvements of existing planes and parts contributed greatly to the United States defense offices. But aeronautics were not Kaman's only passion.
When a division of his aeronautics company began to struggle, Charles decided to find additional means of success and impacting the world. And while on leisure, when he played his Martin guitar to the point of a warped neck, he took it in to CF Martin for repair and wound up with a tour of the guitar factory led by CF Martin himself. Taking notice of the primitive guitar making strategies of Martin, Charles offered to buy the factory and improve it. Martin refused twice and so Ovation guitars was born.
As an engineer with years of design experience, Charles deduced that the concept of vibration in wooden rotors could be applied positively to acoustic guitar making. To prove this, he created the round-backed Ovation guitar with a composite, or synthetic body in 1966, when he was 47. His first guitars, which are now very rare, can be set apart from others by their features like special preamps, onboard equalization and piezo pickups which made playing the acoustic much easier for live performers.
Charles Kaman also designed and released one of the first successful electric-acoustic guitars which is widely used today. He also created the solid-body guitar with synthetic materials which quickly caught on in the industry and affected how guitars are made even now.
Fun Facts
- In 1972 Ovation released the Breadwinner and Deacon solid body electric guitars.
- The Ovation guitar, UK II features stereo output and pickups with ten thousand winds.
- vIn 1977 Ovation released the Adamas.
- Kaman designed the leaf hole and featured it on many of his guitars.
- The Kaman leaf hole was designed to improve the volume and range of the instrument.
Final Thoughts
The Ovation guitar line, which can be further researched at www.ovationguitars.com, has a reputation for their cutting edge designs, patterns and appearances. The guitars have a unique, poppy sound which stays crisp and clear throughout the life of the guitar. Ovation guitars are also known for being very durable, especially those made from the synthetic materials that Charles bestowed upon them. Lastly, many of the models currently available feature all of the best designs and materials as only Charles Kaman would approve of.
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