Ovation Guitars started life as a subsidiary of aerospace firm, the Kaman Corporation in New Hartford, Connecticut. Soon, the company was flying high when it found itself designing an acoustic guitar for a Beatle.
And, what started out as a special gift has since morphed into one of Ovation’s best-selling models, the Custom Legend.
Instantly recognizable for their unique, scythe-like headstocks designed to echo the firm’s world-first roundback guitar concept, Ovation guitars have more than made a splash in the industry.
Former Ozzy guitarist Gus G and Al Di Meola are both a signature artist. But their biggest tie-in – and arguably one that afforded Ovation many others – came about after a single phone call.
“One of the top three models is our Custom Legend, a dressed-up version of our Legend,” Rick Hall, CEO of GEWA Music USA explains in the new issue of Guitar World. The German developer and distributor acquired the brand in 2021.
“At one point, Linda McCartney called the company and wanted to order Paul a birthday present,” he adds. “She asked for abalone and other upgrades, and that’s what became our Custom Legend. It was originally made for a Beatle!”
The acoustic was most famously put to work during the Liverpudlian’s Wings era, especially on the 1975 Wings Over the World tour. Given its starry backstory, it was no surprise to see the Custom Legend create a legend of its own.
“That ended up evolving into the Al Di Meola model,” Hall details. “Believe it or not, 12-string guitars have become a big deal for us. We make an abnormally high percentage of 12-strings compared to other companies.
“For most brands, that would be only 5 percent of production. We’ve had icons like Freddie Mercury and Brian May playing our 12-strings. You can see one in Bohemian Rhapsody.”
We’ve had icons like Freddie Mercury and Brian May playing our 12-strings
Rick Hall
Both Mercury and May were drawn to Ovation’s Pacemaker series in particular, regularly using the guitars for live performances of songs including 39 and Love of My Life. It was an endorsement that served Ovation extremely well, and no doubt tipped the scales of its production even further towards 12-string acoustics. Yet it all started with Linda McCartney.
More recently, Ovation has been honoring one of its lesser known advocates in Jeff Buckley. The late singer-songwriter loved its peculiar Viper electric guitar, which has just been revived to mark the firm’s 60th anniversary.
Jake E. Lee is another notable player to have taken an Ovation electric under his arm, opting for one of its more obscure models. He said he’d always wanted one, and eventually pulled the trigger after a booze-fueled scroll on Reverb.
