Ovation Applause Serial Numbers

Posted : admin | On 16-09-2021

Hello all, I recently stumbled across an early '80's Applause Ovation AE-40 fretless acoustic bass in a local music shop. It definitely shows signs of its age with numerous scratches and dings, though the fretboard was in good shape and it sounded quite nice and loud.
Ovation Applause guitars come pre-stringed with the Adamas Phosphor Bronze Light Gauge steel acoustic strings. With the added use of your Applause guitar, the parts will get worn down. It is important to change them out when you notice an unfavorable change in the quality and performance of your acoustic-electric guitar.

Ovation Applause Serial Numbers List
Ovation Applause Serial Numbers Identification
Ovation Applause Serial Numbers Free

Fiber-Glas replaces wood - Ovation guitars had a rounded Lyrachord back, a point that they emphasised in early advertising. See other vintage Ovation adverts here.

No serial number information was on these labels. Serial numbers were either on separate small white rectangular labels, carried over from the previous generation Oval Metal label days, or stamped into the back of the headstock. The Celebrity and Applause labels were variations of the Blue & White paper oval label.

The Ovation Breadwinner debuted in 1972, as the companies first solid body guitar

Ovation are relative newcomers to the world of guitars, only launching their range at the 1967 NAMM show in Chicago. Ovation started as an off-shoot of founder Charles Kamen's work in the aviation field, studying vibration and resonances in helicopter blades. Whilst other respected American manufacturers relied heavily of quality natural products and the artistry of their master luthiers, Ovation came very much from a science and engineering perspective: they used oscillographs to test existing instruments, and came up with the famous Ovation rounded back design, and suggested the use of a synthetic material, Lyrachord, claiming it to be more resonant that any wood.

The following description comes from the publicity for Ovation's NAMM show debut, Chicago 1967:

Ovation Instruments is a Division of Kaman Corporation, a major supplier to the United States government of military helicopters, rescue equipment, electronic components and other aerospace products. There are eight divisions of Kaman, participating in such diverse industries as commercial transportation, nuclear sciences, space medicine, education and social sciences, oceanography and, most recently, recreation.

Production was based in Hartford Connecticut, initially producing acoustic guitars, the first being the Ovation Balladeer, quickly following them with electric semi-acoustics such as the Ovation Thunderhead guitar and Typhoon bass.

Ovation solid bodies

The first solid body, the Ovation Breadwinner appeared in 1972, quickly followed by the Deacon. These guitars are easily recognizeable from their unique shape, and although not especially rare, are quickly snapped up by players and vintage guitar collectors alike.

The double cutaway Ovation Preacher was added to the line in 1974, with the single cutaway Viper added in 1977. These new models were also great guitars with their own looks, albeit less 'out-there' than the Breadwinner / Deacon.

Manufacture continued throughout the 1970s, and 80s with parent company Kaman expanding into other areas of musical instrument production (at points owning Hamer and Trace-Elliot). Today Ovation concentrate on their acoustics only.

Index of Ovation content

Ovation Guitars

Ovation Breadwinner
Ovation Deacon
Ovation Preacher
Ovation Viper

Ovation Basses

Magnum

Ovation Advertising

Ovation Catalogs

1971 Rose-Morris catalog (UK)
1975 Ovation solid-body catalog