Celebrity guitar question

[Cat Nap]

What kind of acoustic electric did Freddie Mercury use on the Saturday Night Live show where he sang "Crazy Little Thing Called Love?" It looked acoustic but had a black hood of some sort on the back - not your typical straight back, plain wood. Anyone know what that type of guitar is?

[Kevin Taylor]

Sounds like Ovation...very nice guitars.

http://www.gpassociation.com/ovation/caisse_ovation.jpg

[Cat Nap]

I picked up on that myself. Why does Ovation made guitars in this shape? I've noticed no one else does.

[aschleman]

In Europe, in the middle-ages... "guitars" were shaped like that... It wasn't really until the English countries shared lutherie techniques with the Spanish countries that you have the acoustic guitars that you know today. Which were based off the style of classical guitars that the Spanish built.

Ovation makes their guitars like that becasue they say they resonate better... I have an Ovation 12 string and I personally am not very fond of the sound that it emits... I don't like the composite back...

[ren]

I find they slide off my leg all the time when playing sat down, so I have always had 'traditional' acoustics....

I always figured Ovation went for this approach because it's cheaper to injection mould the back for mass production than it is to bend and glue pesky pieces of wood....

[Kevin Taylor]

> I find they slide off my leg all the time when playing sat down, so I
> have always had 'traditional' acoustics....

heh... that's why I stopped using Ovations too.
Friggin thing would drive me nuts :)

[tehplatypus]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=GjxRVr4wFmI


that guitar?


can't really tell myself...

[Kevin Taylor]

Yeah, it's an Ovation 12 string.

[Cat Nap]

I didn't consider it running off the leg. Why hasn't Ovation picked up on this? Would a thin body help or do you need to play it with a strap always?

[ren]

I didn't consider it running off the leg. Why hasn't Ovation picked up on this? Would a thin body help or do you need to play it with a strap always?

I guess it must only be a problem for me and schmange! One of my mates has an ovation, and plays it sat down without a strap.... I guess you adjust your posture to prevent it flying away from you. It's a knack I don't have... If I liked Ovation guitars more, maybe Id try harder... :D

They wouldn't be so popular if this was a genuine flaw in the design...

[Kevin Taylor]

All I could figure was that the sound was good enough to put up with the hassle. A strap is about the only solution I could think of, but I don't like using one. I never tried the thin body type either.

I found the problem wasn't so bad when playing it, but rather when you stop between takes. I'll tend to rest my right arm on the top of the guitar and lean on it. Just when ya least expect it... whoosh, it goes flying.

[DAMAGED ONE]

Heres a little secret loop a piece of duct tape sticky side out a stick it to the bottom of the guitar so when you put it in you lap it kinda sticks to your leg.
Works for me! :cool:

[dvenetian]

Yeah, it's an Ovation 12 string.
Absolutely, Ovation all the way. Looks like a Custom Legend 12-string, Model # 1158, popular in the 80's. I believe that model was discontinued. A lot of musicians don't care for Ovation Deep Bowl models and the 1158 is one of them. It is a great sounding 12-string.