Guitar Stories: My Ovation Collector's Edition

I purchased my 2000 Ovation Collectors Edition in the same year it was built. It’s a medium depth acoustic/electric guitar. Coming from a primarily electric background, I wanted an acoustic that would make my hands feel right at home.

Back then, I wasn’t as much of a tone nerd as I am now. So I went more for looks and feel, something Ovations were known for. The Collectors Edition of that year had a soft V shape neck with a satin finish that I could play really well on it. The rosewood fretboard with inlay only on the 12th fret, was both smooth and had a cool vibe. I also was intrigued by the 15 smaller sound holes, an Ovation original design.

Though I was drawn to its looks and playability, the guitar didn’t disappoint in the sound department. I may have been going for feel at the time, but luckily I ended up with an instrument that boasted great electronics.

The built-in stereo preamp does an awesome job of amplifying the acoustic sound, while keeping the tone clear and transparent. It’s 4 band EQ, notch filter, and accurate tuner add extra convenience and tone shaping possibilities.

The electronics and on-board tuner ended up being great features that made the guitar a complete package. At the time, there weren’t as many guitars with built-in tuners as there are now. The ability to take the guitar anywhere, tune up, and then plug in when needed made it an important asset.

With both a ¼ output and a balanced XLR ouput, the Ovation offers multiple routing options for practicing, recording, and performing.

Fast forward to today and I still use my Ovation Collectors exclusively for acoustic gear demos and many other acoustic applications. I’ve bought and sold many guitars over the years, but this one will be staying in my collection for a long time.

Justin Horenstein is a guitar instructor and musician in the Washington, DC metro area who graduated (cum laude) from the Berklee College of Music in 2006. He plays in Black Clouds, a 3-piece atmospheric/experimental band. Their debut album was recorded by J Robbins (Jawbox, Burning Airlines). Justin’s 18 years of musical experience also includes touring the U.S., a record deal under Sony, starting his own teaching business, recording several albums, and playing club shows with national acts including Circa Survive, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Biffy Clyro, United Nations, Caspian, and more.

More about Justin at 29thCenturyGuitar.com and BlackCloudsDC.bandcamp.com