1975 Ovation Custom Legend 1119-4 Bowlback Guitar

Overview: Folks who've read the blog a long time know I'm an Ovation fan. Sorry! I bonded with them early. I love the big, full, and surprisingly-deep sound they often have. This Custom Legend is very similar to the Glen Campbell model (though fancier) and, surprisingly for a '75, is a factory pure acoustic instrument. It has a lot of extra cosmetic features compared to a normal Balladeer (lots of inlay in the board, some pearlescent trim around the top edge, upgraded tuners with faux-pearl buttons, a wood truss rod cover with inlay, and a bridge with diamonds in it on this particular one).

This one has the sound I describe above -- big and full with nice clarity despite it -- and has the usual, comfy neck with good fret access at the heel and a curvy, Fender-like radius to the fretboard. As a longtime Fender-neck fan, these always felt more at home for me than guitars with flatter boards because of that.

Repairs included: I re-repaired a center-seam crack on the top below the bridge and cleated two other hairline cracks on the top as well. I then leveled and dressed the frets and set it up. It's playing spot-on and ready to go.

• Weight: 4 lbs 14oz
• Scale length: 24 1/4"
• Nut width: 1 11/16"
• Neck shape: medium C/V
• Board radius: 10"
• Depth at first fret: .84"
• Depth at seventh fret: .89"
• Body width: 15 3/4"
• Body depth: ~5" deep bowl
• Top wood: solid spruce
• Back & sides wood: synthetic bowl
• Bracing type: fan/tonebar
• Bridge: rosewood
• Fretboard: ebony
• Neck wood: mahogany/maple multi-piece
• Action height at 12th fret: 3/32” bass 1/16” treble (fast, spot-on)
• String gauges: 54w-12 lights
• Truss rod: adjustable
• Neck relief: straight
• Fret style: medium/slightly wider

Condition notes: The top has a center seam crack that was filled (but not cleated) in the past. It's now cleated. It also has a smaller crack at the bass waist on the top that's now cleated and stable. It looks worse than it is because the thick finish on Ovations tend to fault-line and make the cracks look wide when they're not. There's also a short hairline crack between the bridge and soundhole that's cleated and stable, now. There are scuffs and scratches here and there throughout and the finish has some weather-check/cracking to it that's not in-wood cracking but just in the clearcoat.

It comes with: It has its original case that's in good shape but a little beat-up on the outside.

Consignor tag: CLLR