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Ovation Timeless Balladeer Deep Contour Acoustic-Electric Guitar - Black

6-string Acoustic-electric Guitar with Spruce Top, Lyrachord Back and Sides, Mahogany/Maple Neck, and Pau Ferro Fingerboard - Black
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Ovation Timeless Balladeer Deep Contour Acoustic-Electric Guitar - Black
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Pays Homage to a Historic Design

The original Balladeer was the center soundhole model that started it all for Ovation back in the 1960s. The Timeless Collection Balladeer pays homage to this historic design, while incorporating contemporary features and craftsmanship. A solid Sitka spruce top combines with scalloped X-bracing and a Deep Contour composite body to provide you with maximum tone and enhanced projection. Experience generous playability, by way of the Timeless Balladeer's 5-piece mahogany/maple neck. And an OP-Pro preamp lets you take the stage with confidence. Complete with a traditional, inlaid oak leaf rosette and eye-grabbing pearloid fingerboard inlays, the Ovation Timeless Collection Balladeer is an acoustic-electric guitar that’s tailor-made for the most discriminating players.

Deep Contour bowl composite body maximizes acoustic output

Featuring a hand-selected AA solid Sitka spruce top with scalloped X-bracing, the Ovation Timeless Collection Balladeer’s Deep Contour bowl composite body maximizes acoustic output and is ergonomically designed to keep you comfortable in any playing position, sitting or standing. The guitarists here at Sweetwater have found that the Timeless Collection Balladeer will get you heard on whatever stage you choose to play on.

Ovation Timeless Collection Balladeer
Ovation OP-Pro electronics

OP-Pro preamp provides state-of-the-art performance with useful features

Delivering exceptional plugged-in performance, the Ovation Timeless Collection Balladeer's OP-Pro preamp was designed in collaboration with jazz guitarist Al Di Meola and acoustic rocker Melissa Etheridge. Providing you with a plethora of useful features such as a 3-band EQ, a preset tone enhancement circuit, a battery status light, and a chromatic tuner, the OP-Pro preamp was designed with the professional guitarist in mind. The OP-Pro, in concert with an OCP-1K pickup, makes the Ovation Timeless Collection Balladeer one of the best-sounding stage-ready acoustic-electric guitars out there.

Ovation Guitar Company — a brief history

Founded by Charles Kaman in 1965, the Ovation Guitar Company is known for producing instruments with composite synthetic bowls, rather than conventional wood backs and sides. An aeronautical engineer by trade, Charles felt that there were weaknesses in traditional acoustic guitar designs, and that some of the composite materials he used to build helicopters could be used to control the instruments' vibrations. By utilizing the distinctive parabolic bowl that Ovation guitars have since become known for, Charles found that he could drastically reduce feedback, allowing for greater amplification onstage. Since the development of onboard electronics, Ovation guitars have become one of the most popular brands of acoustic-electrics in the world, endorsed by such artists as Glen Campbell, Nancy Wilson, Steve Lukather, Al Di Meola, and Melissa Etheridge.

Ovation headstock logo

Ovation Timeless Collection Balladeer Features:

  • AA solid spruce top provides excellent projection, balance, and focus
  • Comfortably contoured composite Lyrachord body responds naturally to dynamics
  • Soundhole with beautiful oak leaf rosette projects rich tonal qualities plugged or unplugged
  • Deluxe 5-piece mahogany/maple neck with fast satin finish
  • Articulate pau ferro fingerboard with matching bridge
  • Eye-grabbing pearloid fingerboard inlays
  • Stage-ready Op-Pro Studio preamp with onboard EQ, compression, and tuner

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Tech Specs

  • String Type: Steel
  • Number of Strings: 6
  • Left-/Right-handed: Right-handed
  • Body Shape: Deep Contour
  • Back & Sides Wood: Lyrachord
  • Top Wood: Sitka Spruce
  • Finish: Gloss
  • Color: Black
  • Body Bracing: Scalloped X-bracing
  • Binding: White ABS
  • Neck Wood: Mahogany/Maple
  • Neck Shape: Soft V
  • Radius: 11.8"
  • Fingerboard Material: Pau Ferro
  • Fingerboard Inlay: Pearloid Dots/Diamonds
  • Number of Frets: 20, Nickel Silver
  • Scale Length: 25.315"
  • Nut Width: 1.692"
  • Nut/Saddle Material: ABS/ABS
  • Bridge Material: Pau Ferro
  • Tuning Machines: Ovation Closed Gear
  • Electronics: Ovation OP Pro
  • Strings: Adamas, .012-.054
  • Case Included: Sold Separately
  • Manufacturer Part Number: .OV551.107

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Customer Reviews

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Rated 5/5

Ovation still great.

Got my Ovation timeless balladeer. I was impressed how well built it is. It has some weight to it . I got the demo,no problem there. I been wanting to get another Ovation for some time , my other is the 1776/1976 bicentennial model.The time was rightand a screaming deal on sale. Some my not like the tone , its different and not loud .But I've seen other Ovations at jams and i could hear them , and I tryed my bluegrass on it and it can perform louder if needed . Ive been also doing finger style for a couple years and thought the slim neck and big hands would be a problem.Its not,infact I play better and the slim neck.It makes the thumb over thing easier which ive had problems doing.
Music background: Over 50 years playing rock, country, gospel .
Rated 4.5/5

Very Nice Guitar - But... NOT A TIMELESS Balladeer

I do like this guitar, but it is being listed as a TIMELESS Balladeer, and it is in reality a STANDARD Balladeer. I received mine today, and all of the paperwork states it is a Standard Balladeer Model - Manufacturer # 2771AX-5 (which matches the listing).

I am not unhappy at all - I really like this guitar. I own several upper end Gibson's, a Taylor, a few Epiphone Masterbilt, and needed something that was quite different in feel, sound, and playability than my current guitars. This Ovation delivers!!

I have played Ovations in the past, and the ones I played and fell in love with long ago had a regular round sound hole - so I chose the Balladeer model simply because of the beautiful sound, and the round sound hole. I am not disappointed, and this thing plays wonderful.

The contoured back is very, very comfortable sitting in my lap, and it is very easy to control (doesn't want to "wander" off my lap while I am playing). The intonation, playing height feel really good, and the fret ends feel smooth.
Music background: Write, record, and play Christian Music. Not a professional by any means, but more than a Beginner or Novice.
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