Ovation Applause Mandolin

[junglejoe]

I'm considering an Ovation Applause roundback mandolin. Does anyone have any experience with this instrument? I live in an area with high humidity for 6 months and then low humidity for 6 months. The radical changes can be hard on a mandolin. The round plastic back sounds like this might be a good thing to have.

[Doc]

Well, I don't personally own one, but a friend of mine and I used his to record a cd with, and I thought it played pretty well, especially for going through the output jack to the recorder. It has good action and a wide fingerboard. I am in Houston where it's almost always humid, and it looked like it ws in good shape for being several yers old. One thing I noticed is that the bridge is like an acoustic gtr, and the original strings have a ball end instead of looped. I guess they want you to buy their strings as well, but not as available as looped. He used looped strings on his by just looping the strings over the bridge saddle.

[Bandersnatch Reverb]

www.ovationfanclub.com has a few folks using the Applause and Ovation mandos

[steve in tampa]

I am in Tampa, and it is very humid in the summer. Own both a MAE148 and a MM68. If you can get an MM68, it is a much better instrument. The big thing to look for is a good neck on the Korean ones. The MM68 has a 5 piece neck w/ Kaman bar. The MAE148 has a grafted headstock neck. Neither has an adjustable trussrod. I will keep my MM68 for the rest of my life. The MAE148 is destined for a pawn shop.

[Ted Eschliman]

The right tool for the right job...
Ovation mandos have been misunderstood for two reasons, one the questionable quality control level of the entry level models, the Applause & Celebrity, with the role of the dice which accompanies occasionaly shoddy import product, and two, how the instruments are best applied.
These are not an intimate "porch" instrument. Acoustically, they may leave a lot to be desired, but the upper end Ovations, the MM68s are superior in electo-acoustic environments. The American-made MM68s are solid, well crafted, and offer some of the best "plugged-in" sound in sonically hostile environments. This is why you see so many New Country artists toting these.
They are a great stage instrument; touring they are rugged, and because of their advanced pick-up system, they don't feedback in band situations where you are competing against the collectively high decibels of drums, several electric guitars (amps on "11"), and intense stage monitoring.
They endure the taunts of traditionalists, who expect the look and feel of an F-5, and simply can't overlook the funny feel of round fibreglass against their chest, despite these electro-acoustic benefits.
I've had a custom-made MM68 for several years, and will use it as the ultimate weapon of mando-loudness, with virtually no feedback.
Mine.

[sbarnes]

have never played their mando - but i have an applause guitar (as well as several upper end guitars too) and i think it's great....plays well, sounds good - what more could you ask a guitar to do......
maybe i just got lucky - i bought it on the internet (musicians friend) and never had it in my hand 'til it arrived) - lots of talk about inconsistencies among same brand imports but mine is great - especially for the money....
so if their mandos are anything like their guitars - i'd say go for it......
of course i have the fender acoustic/electric mando and like it as well so......

[Dru Lee Parsec]

My opinions represent that of a former Ovation Guitar owner. I have not owned an Ovation mandolin.

I've played an Ovation Custom Balladeer (sp?) for about 25 years and I finally got to the point of just about screaming "I Need A Real Guitar!!" The tone was decent, but not great by any means. I just bought a Breedlove guitar and it kicks the Ovation's butt ( and most Martin's as well) as far as tone. The few Ovation Mandolins that I've played in stores all sounded pretty thin and weak to me. Pretty much the same as their guitars. The other odd thing I noticed about my Ovation was that it seemed to eat strings pretty quick. They wouldn't break, they'd just go dead in a couple of days. My thought is that the round plastic back is so stiff that it doesn't really contribute to the tone of the instrument. So once the strings die enough that they arn't driving the top with all possible overtones they whole instrument just dies. I'd change the strings and the next day I could hear that the tone is different. A week later they just sounded dead.

Now amplified, that's another story. When I played in a band I loved playing the Ovation because I could pop in a sound hole plug, plug the guitar into an amp and I was ready to jam with the guys with their Les Pauls. When I saw Robert Fripp and his League of Crafty Guitarist they all had matching Ovations and their tone was identical from player to player. So amplified they're nice to have. But for just sitting on the couch and playing Ovations really seem to be missing something.

An issue that is probably not as much of an issue with the mandolins as with the guitars is that the round back tends to want to slide off of your lap. I had to play with a strap sitting down just to keep the guitar upright. With a mandolin that's probably not an issue since you will probably always play with a strap, even sitting down.

IMHO YMMV. (In My Humble Opinion, Your Mileage May Vary)

[Greg H.]

A friend of mine has an Ovation mandolin and has become quite disgusted with it. That being said, he bought it to learn on and play acoustically. Had he wanted it for use in a band with electric guitars and drums that might well be different, but he plays guitar in a bluegrass band and the tone from the Ovation just doesn't cut it. If you are wanting something to play around the house or otherwise play acoustically I think you would still be better off in the long run with a standard wood mandolin. (By standard I am not trying to designate any particular shape, as I've played some wonderful Rigels and both Pheonix and Breedlove get very good reviews). Also, my understanding is that if the mandolin has enough of a transition period between dry to humid climate it can make the adjustment fairly well. So, if you are going to play it with an electric band then an Ovation may well be a good choice for you, but if not. . . .I think you ought to play a lot of mandolins--both Ovations and others--and make sure you're willing to make that tonal sacrifice. All of this is, of course, IMHO.

[steve in tampa]

The amplified tone of an Ovation mandolin can be very very nice. Obviously they are not traditional bluegrass instruments, so to compare the sound is really not fair. They are meant to be amplified.

I have a matching Ovation 1868 guitar and enjoy both the Ovations in the right environments.

The best application for the Ovation mandolin is to accompany other acoustic instruments playing folk/rock beach bar/pop type music. Hootie and The Blowfish are currently using them in their act. I use mine to accompany beach bar music.

I run the thing through a chorus and an Aphex Acoustic Exciter into a Roland keyboard amp. I also play it unplugged and am happy with the sound because I don't expect it to sound like an F body Gibson. They are also excellent to strum chords on. Have played the main rhythm on a few songs that way with great success.

Took it to a bluegrass festival once. Goes over there like a fart (or to be more current a cell phone) in church.


The MM68 is a very well made American instrument. Stays in tune no matter how the weather changes. The Korean made vary from instrument to instrument, and some are pretty good, just don't have that feel of quality like the MM68.

Like the fellow said previously, "The right tool for thre job".