Ovation Guitars

!±8± Ovation Guitars

History

Making guitars might not be rocket science, but Charlie Kaman applied aerospace and aeronautical science to the manufacturing of the Ovation guitar. Kaman, an aerospace engineer, was a long-time guitarist and wanted to diversify his aerospace company. When he took his Martin guitar to be repaired for a warped neck, he was offered a tour of the factory. He was surprised to find the luthiers there using hand tools, animal glues, and low-tech approaches to guitar making.
Interestingly he offered to buy the Martin guitar company, but was refused -- twice. So he decided to expand his company into guitar production. Like most engineers he approached the problem of making a guitar with engineering precision. He formed a team of people who analyzed problems, formed solutions, and tested them. The Ovation Balladeer was the result of their efforts.

Body

One of the first things people notice about the Ovation guitars is the round back. This was one of those engineering discoveries that Kaman's group made. According to their research, the regular guitar's flat back actually hindered the sound projection. So they chose a round back. In addition they made the back out of a synthetic material -- a composite plastic that Kaman was familiar with due to his experience manufacturing helicopter roto blades. This was another interesting innovation in guitar manufacturing.

Pickups

The acoustic guitars of the day suffered greatly from feedback when guitarists attempted to amplify them. The Ovation guitar was an early adopter of preamps, onboard equalization and piezo pickups. This provided a fantastic improvement in the reduction of feedback. And the sound of Ovation was far more realistic and adjustable than what had been available for standard acoustic guitars. The piezo pickups were another Kaman innovation for the Ovation that was developed through engineering and manufacturing techniques that were standard in the aviation industry.
I am sure the engineers knowledge of aviation electronics helped too.

Celebrity Endorsements

Celebrity endorsements are common in the music industry. Guitar manufacturers feature the celebrities in advertising and often the celebrity's name may appear on a special model guitar in the manufacturer's line. Glen Campbell, a popular entertainer in the 60s who was known for his guitar playing, endorsed the Ovation guitar and frequently played the Ovation on his variety show.
This contributed to Ovation's early success.

Summary

Since the company's inception Ovation guitars have exhibited innovative engineering and design.
From its beginning and continuing to the present, it has created guitars that are still some of the most sought after and desirable acoustic/electrics in the world.