Ovation Celebrity Elite Plus CE44P-SM Mid-Depth Acoustic-Electric Guitar - Natural Spalted Maple Reviews

I have five acoustic guitars, this is one of them. Each one of them has a different tone. This Ovation is what gets played the most. I love the bright tone that the composite back provides, and the spalted maple top is pure art.The neck of this guitar fits my hand perfectly.

It projects so well it sounds plugged in when it is not. The spalted maple is rustic and just grabs your attention! Playability is very close to electric, you can pull off most solos with this guitar. I got the low set up and it's worth it.

For those who complain about the action being to high, this is done on purpose so that a potential buyer, who might miss handle it while trying to,play, won't get the " buzzing" there are shims under the bridge to allow the action to be lowered by simply removing some of the shim.

I've owned this model for 6 months now and have to say how much I enjoy playing it. I always thought Ovations were electric guitars, disguised as an acoustic. I know they sound great plugged in, but my biggest surprise is how bright it sounds unplugged. The clear, crisp tones and the sustain seems to go on for 12 - 15 seconds!

I do wish that Ovation would make some sort of humidifier that could be used with this model. I'm using the Humidipaks by removing the access circle on the back and drop a small pak in. It works, not the best solution, but better than nothing during Wisconsin's dry winter.

It would also be nice to have an owner's manual with this guitar that explains the onboard electronics, and how they recommend caring for the fretboard, solid top, etc. I asked and was told to "go online and find an older manual; they're pretty much the same"!

I think it would also be a good idea to up the price $ or so and include a hardshell case. But for a $ guitar, a very solid value. You won't be sorry.

Always wanted an Ovation, the pictures did not do it justice. Guitar is absolutely beautiful!! Plays awesome, stock, no add ons. Built in tuner is sweet.

Foremost, Sweetwater, Jacob, customer service like I've never seen before!! Outstanding! Thank you.

I just received this new guitar Jan 3, 2023. I have owned another Ovation, an Alvarez, a 12 string Taylor, a Takamine, and a Martin. This guitar just feels better in my hands. The quality is outstanding. It's beautiful. I play every weekend, use a medium pick, and I am a pretty heavy strummer.. it stays in tune. The low/ mid range tone is very full and smooth. I recommend it for the money and overall performance.

Absolutely love it plays and looks incredible sounds perfect can't wait to get a 12 string

I can't tell you how impressed I've been with this Ovation Celebrity Elite maple top guitar after owning it over a year now. I owned a deep body as my first made in the USA Ovation back in the 80s. Loved it but it had pretty bad feedback problems back then. I later bought a brand new Ovation Elite made in the USA that was at the time in the 90s over 1500 bucks. It was a shallow bowl and it sounded great, played great had a solid spruce top and was beautiful all around. The hardshell case was nice also and it sounded better plugged in and had no feedback issues at all. My son has that guitar now and he has the first one too. I still see those two and play them now and then and let me tell you this Celebrity Elite stands neck and neck with the other ones I had in every way but the one thing I have come to love is the mid depth bowl! It's more like the thickness of a normal guitar you play and for me it stays in my lap without the roll much much better. Besides being beautiful and I can't believe I'm going to say this but this guitar with the maple top has a better sound unplugged than the 1500 dollar one my son has. They are hard to tell apart plugged in a blind test using three of us musicians also. Overall for the money I can't recommend a better guitar to people.

Some of my friends proclaim they are all about the sound in their speakers they buy for their home stereo or their cars or trucks and of course for their guitars. I have nice solid wood guitars and access to Martins and Taylors and more from time to time and I'm all about the sound also! And if you are truly honest with yourself and not letting a personal bias get in the way of your judgements the fact is that the Ovation has the best sound period! Nothing in my house has a better fuller range covering every note so evenly as this guitar. So anyway, this thing rates man! If you are hesitating don't. Everything about this screams quality! The abolone or mother of pearl trim whatever it is is beautiful and yet subtle without taking attention away from the wood and its truly like a piece of furniture in the house. When I hang this one behind the door to my closet and block the view of it my wife asks me to put another guitar there and move it out where it can be seen it's that striking looking. Also, I've bought guitars and then paid a pro to 'set it up' with better easier action many times but this one came as well set up as many I've paid to have done and I didn't feel the need to adjust it further. For whatever it's worth. I realize this is my third comment on this guitar just know you really can't fully appreciate this guitar until you have it in hand and play it and hear it! It's a big WOW at that point. And I also have come to love the strings that come on this one. They are perfect and in my experience have worn well.

I've had one of these now for over two years now and absolutely love it! I had the action done on it as low as it'll go when I bought it and highly recommend it !
The best action I've ever played and gorgeous looks . Electric sound great . My two complaints are the fret dots are so small they hide under the strings I personally put in larger ones 1/4" ( MOP WHITE ) much better . Even the side dots are hard to see in low light conditions.
The end of the fretboard has this pleasing shape over the body but I wish it was squared off instead to get to the higher notes . This.is my third Ovation and by far the best . I even changed out the tuners for the Daddario locking tuners that cut the excess string off . The originals were fine , this was a preference on my part . You won't poke your finger on a sharp string end because it hides it , they are great .got them from Sweetwater also .

My previous review I said the tuner that's built in did not work very well. The truth is I just didn't know how to use it very well. Once I learned it actually is spot on. This is a super guitar as easy to play as my electric the next a little narrow but fortunately I sing high in most of my stuff is with a capo. The sound of this guitar is amazing everybody that's heard it turns around and has to listen because it is so crisp! And the amount of bass well not just the base but all the ranges that comes out of it, well it's really amazing. But I wanted to correct the last review because everything I said is true but the tuner was just different to me and I didn't exactly know how to use it so it was operator error and not the fault of the guitar.

My third Ovation. I've owned one of every bowl size now and I think I like the mid depth best of all! It's closer to the guitars I was already playing in thickness. Only thing kind of laughable about this guitar is the rather inept tuner built in. I still use my Snark because it is faster easier and better not to forget accurate unlike the one built in sadly. Anyway, other than this you will struggle to find fault with this. Flawlessly made. I spent a good deal of money to make another guitar I own a player I was very pleased with until this one arrived better than that one out of the box, no set up done on this one at all. It just came with a roughly 1.5 mm height at the 12th fret! I don't care how much money I've spent I've not run into this before! I couldn't be happier and it looks like a piece of furniture. Great purchase and my first from Sweetwater! Thanks James you took care of me! I'll be back!

An absolutely stunning guitar. Even shipped in the winter and left in the box inside for awhile, it still was in tune. And it has stayed in tune. It has a great full-bodied sound that is retained when amplified (Marshall MG50). The neck feels great and the string spacing is fine, even for my small hands. You can't go wrong getting this guitar … and ordering from Sweetwater. My sales engineer, Chris Mosley, as usual was fantastic.

I can't believe how much I'm enjoying this guitar. Not only am I happy with the full sound but the action is spot on and don't let me forget to tell how beautiful it is, like a new piece of furniture.

I was very hesitant to order a guitar online . But Sweetwater changed my mind !
I am compleatly in love with this guitar . It's my third Ovation . Had a second hand Ovation with an aluminum neck before the applause series came out , ( gave it to an aspiring newbie ) got a lot of miles and learned so much on that one . Got a beautiful green tint one new at a local music store 12 years ago
But it somehow got a hard knock on the 13 fret and was able to get most of the buzz out but it still drove me crazy ( I'm sure you know what I mean ! ) .
I kept my eye on this one for awhile but they ran out of stock and had to wait for nearly two months before new ones arrived . It was so so worth the wait ! Flawless . The mother of pearl binding adds such a wow factor to that Spalted Maple that shines . Got ahold of Kurt Martin ( customer Rep ) and he got the setup done on it by the guitar techs as low as it'll go with my choice of Martin 12 ga. Strings ( forgot the number may be 740 , but they're Tommy Emanuel endorsed ) and sound fantastic on it . It also sounds great electric and the built in tuner is a nice option . Bought the soft / hard case also . Lots of pockets . It really is a hard case with material around it and great embroidery (Ovation logo ) . I like this one much better !
Gonna play out with it today for the first time ! Can't wait .

I forwarded your email to my son Chris for whom I bought the guitar but he was unable to fill out the review since the purchase documentation was in my name. He is very pleased with both the appearance and sound of the guitar. He has used it in several performances in the Jacksonville, FL area. He emailed me to tell you it was "five star awesome!!!"

After owning this guitar for a couple of weeks I can tell you it is fabulous!! Playing the heck out of it. The tone is rich, not a thing I would do to tweak it. Perfect set up. My sweetwater rep Mike Arango stayed in touch all along the way to make sure all was good. 10 stars to Mike and sweetwater!

i just got this guitar a month ago amazing guitar the sounds and design are truly magnificent. and the sweet water with the help of alex are really professional. 5 star up for sweet water.

The Spalted maple is beautiful!! Playability and tone are excellent. A word about the Sweetwater staff...These folks are a top-notch, professional group. Dedicated to providing a first class experience. I'm not one to write reviews but I've got to give credit where credit is due. Thanks!!!

I just bought this ovation acoustic very pleased with my guitar and so glad Ovation came back I have seen pictures of 12 string versions of this guitar its great to play and with a lot of different alternate tuning open E,G,Drop D and many more dadgad

I bought this guitar after drooling over it for a year. The Spalted Maple tops are incredibly beautiful! When I saw one I really loved, I finally bought one. I probably would never have purchased one if I couldn't choose the exact guitar I wanted, since the tops are all so different.

The guitar arrived set up perfectly and ready to play. It is incredibly loud unplugged with a beautiful rich tone. This is my first Ovation, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I love everything about this guitar.

Amazing piece of work. Plays beautifully and looks astounding. Tone and playability are key features of this exceptional guitar. The Spalted Maple top is an individual fingerprint and truly one of a kind with its distinctive lines and patterns that make this one of the most unique instruments available on the market today. The resonance of the shell is unmistakably Ovation and the quality outstanding. Truly a remarkable addition to my collection. Thank you Sweetwater for your (as always) excellent service.

I have known about Ovation guitars for years. I decided this past year to purchase one and was not disappointed. I had some concerns about being made in Korea but my rep Mark alleviated those fears. This guitar is perfect. The spalted maple is a one of a kind piece and the playability is great. I have enjoyed this one so much I purchased a second Ovation, this time a sunburst twelve string. I love them. The tone is so crisp and bright which is what I was looking for over a traditional guitar. As far as Sweetwater? There is no reason to go anywhere else for anything related to music. Mark Magdich is an exceptional person to work with.

First ovation I ever had but probably won't be the last. Plays so good right out of the box. The Tech's at Sweetwater did a good job of setting the guitar up so I could play right away. The salted maple wood is nice to look at, and the sound is really sweet.

I love this guitar. I bought it as a travel guitar and backup guitar for playing and using in open D and G tuning. It works like a charm and the people at SW were great all along the way. I have gotten many comments on the guitar as well. It is definitely an eye catcher and has a beautiful sound. Thanks Sweetwater!

I've wanted to own an Ovation guitar for some time, Mark M. made it easier to decide. It is great to actually choose the exact guitar you would be buying, and when mine arrived it did not disappoint! As many other people have said, it was even better up close! The sound is what I was looking for, a brighter tone compared to most traditional acoustics I've played. I just connected it to my little Epiphone amp tonight and wow, it blew me away! Buy one of these, you will NOT be disappointed!

I've played Ovations before and I liked them but I wasn't overly impressed until I saw it in spalted maple.
Wow! This guitar is GORGEOUS! The best part was that I got to pick the grain pattern thanks to Sweetwater's photo gallery. The fit and finish is exceptional. The action is acceptable although I will probably take it to my luthier to tweak it a little. Overall, I am very pleased, You may want to order the case with it. It does not fit in a standard hardshell case. Thanks again to Joshua Dillon (my sales rep) for handling my order quickly and professionally.

I had previously ordered this style guitar from Amazon, it was a fail and arrived damaged. After searching for a pattern I liked, I found this. It arrived exactly with the pattern I chose, the sound was brilliant and the shipping was flawless. I would 10/10 buy from Sweetwater again.

I have played many acoustic guitars and have to say the sound that this ovation puts out even unplugged is all by itself unique and full bodied. I would recommend this guitar to any player that has been looking for a unique and beautiful sound from an acoustic guitar. I cant put this thing down. My Father surprised me with this as a Christmas gift and I think its the best present I have ever received Thank you Dad

Easy to play.

Beautiful.

Great ring unplugged.

Sweetwater service top shelf.

As advertised. Photo doesn't do justice of finish. Perfect small frame acoustic that has a lot of ring. Tuner box adequate. Overall great practice to performance guitar.

Have had this for a few days now and played it for several hours. All I can say is I'm in love with this guitar already. It's beautiful and it plays and sounds great. The Sweetwater inspection is awesome. All I had to do was tune and start playing.

Love this guitar. This is the first time I've bought an instrument on-line and was worried about the shipping. The guitar came on time, and as promised. The tone is great, and was set up nicely. For its price point, this guitar is worth every perry.

guitar sound great the only thing I m not sure about is that rounded back I
find it hard to hold on to wants to slip off my leg not sure I like that but nothing a good strap
cant fix but all and all very nice guitar for the money

this guitar was not only beautiful but plays and sound amazing through my Bose system.

Beautiful figured spalted maple top. Everyone that see's it, loves it. After lowering the action, the feel is similar to my Adamas. Bought this guitar to travel with on vacations, figuring I can't go wrong for the price.
I play through a Bose L1 system and I'm able to dial this Celebrity in and it sounds great for the money. I do miss the notch filter that the Adamas electronics has. Unplugged, I'm using this guitar for practice, it has a good tone and projection. I wouldn't be afraid to play it live. 1st time I've played D Addarrio EXP11 strings, which are stock on this guitar, feel, tone and ring are great - we'll see how they stand up - time will tell. Overall -great looking guitar and good playability once the action was adjusted.

This guitar is beautiful, Built extremely well, Sounds great. Only complaint is the play-ability right out of the box sucks.
The string action at the nut is way to high, And the overall string action is ridiculously high.I understand every guitar needs to be set up, But I think ovation can do a much better job out of the factory.