Ovation - Korean vs US

[Max_Autobrake]

Hi all,

I've decided the mandolin I need is a secondhand Ovation. I've had their guitars before (still have a cracking US 12-string shallow bowl) and get on well with what they're good at. Since I've not been playing mandolin very long I thought I'd look at an Ovation Celebrity MCS148. Problem is they're really hard to find in England, but I have found a couple of MM68 models.

There was a time when US was best, no question. But nowadays, Korean workmanship is every bit as good on the top flight instruments if they put their mind to it, IMO anyway. So tell me, what will I get over and above an Ovation Celebrity that makes the US-made model worth an extra $400? The Korean mandolin has a solid top and, I'm told, exactly the same electronics.

Appreciate any input.

[mandocello8]

search the "repair" subforum, ovation mandolins discussed quite often. I recently "completed" the "repair" of my ovation mandolin (now working on it's frets) and I left some comments on what I think are design faults that are common to all versions of the instrument: balls at string ends work as wedges to split the bridge along the string holes, bridge itself is glued to the top finish, not to the top wood (maybe not all models are like this?), if bond between top finish and top wood fails, the bridge pops, potentially tearing up top wood. sign of failure is cracks in top finish.

other than that, it is an excellent all-weather mandolin, mine is very stable, stays in tune indefinitely. as others reported, electronics have good reputation.

[jimmy powells]

The USA MM68 has 30mm Nut. I think the Celebrity is narrower. Maybe quality of frets. Pearl nut on the MM68. Better tuners. I have an MM68 and much louder acoustically than Celebrity I think.

[PaulS]

Hold the phone....

You have a mandolin with a glue on bridge? Didn't know such a thing existed, mandolins normally come with a floating bridge, and the strings fit into a tailpiece. Glue on bridges is a guitar thing. Probably an idea that saved the manufacturer a few cents on manufacturing, but has cost musicians hundreds if not thousands of dollars on maintenance later on, when the thin wood of the top failed, especially after poking a bunch of holes in it. Heck even cheap mandolins come with a floating bridge and a tail piece.

[CES]

In general, and based more on my experience with guitars, the ones made at the mothership in the US tend to have better top woods and more attention to the fine details of finishing and fret work. I’ve only played 1 MM68 when I was young and the $650 seemed like a fortune. In hindsight I should have bought it, but I wasn’t really playing out and couldn’t justify the expense to myself. I did own a Korean made 6 string that lacked some of the finer finishing touches and had a laminate top, so acoustic tone wasn’t much to speak of, but it sounded great plugged in and was stable in the elements, living up to their reputation.

I agree that Korean craftsmanship can be as good as anyone else’s, and sometimes even better. But, I don’t know that that’s the expectation in a factory designed for cost savings.

[mandocello8]

Glue-on bridges is a guitar thing.

Ovation mandolins are miniature ovation guitars. google "ovation mandolin", look at photos.

But all combinations exist, glue-on bridges are popular with guitar-body octave mandolins (GBOMs), gypsy jazz guitars have floating bridges and I have a vintage guitar-body mandolin that has a floating bridge (mandolinetto from 1890-ies).

[Max_Autobrake]

The USA MM68 has 30mm Nut. I think the Celebrity is narrower. Maybe quality of frets. Pearl nut on the MM68. Better tuners. I have an MM68 and much louder acoustically than Celebrity I think.

Hi Jimmy,

I'm still pondering about your MM68. It looks glorious and it's only the case that's holding me back. I need a decent Mandolin for a while but am worried I'll struggle to get my money back if I can't sell with its original case. I like flight cases, much easier to stack and I can't afford (or justify) a roadie!

Roland

[Max_Autobrake]

In general, and based more on my experience with guitars, the ones made at the mothership in the US tend to have better top woods and more attention to the fine details of finishing and fret work. I’ve only played 1 MM68 when I was young and the $650 seemed like a fortune. In hindsight I should have bought it, but I wasn’t really playing out and couldn’t justify the expense to myself. I did own a Korean made 6 string that lacked some of the finer finishing touches and had a laminate top, so acoustic tone wasn’t much to speak of, but it sounded great plugged in and was stable in the elements, living up to their reputation.

I agree that Korean craftsmanship can be as good as anyone else’s, and sometimes even better. But, I don’t know that that’s the expectation in a factory designed for cost savings.

Sage words, thank-you!

[jimmy powells]

Roland. If you need a hard case for a 'road instrument' then you must be getting some gigs so let's say you played it for a year and then lost £50 on it. That would be tax deductable so no big deal really in the grand scheme of things.

However, if you must have a hard case then this is not for you. The case is very protective but not like a rock hard wooden case.