Ovation Review: Celebrity CC 057

History: I'm originally a piano player- picked up guitar about 10 years ago and have attempted every style up until now. I tend to naturally side with contemporary blues.

Purchase: I bought this for $299 at Guitar Center, I really wasn't sure what brand I was looking for. I just wanted a decent acoustic with a pickup, and a helper at Guitar Center suggested the Ovation as the best bang for the buck in that category so I took his advice.E

What I Like About This Ovation Celebrity CC 057: Great sound, both plugged and unplugged. I was a bit worried about the guitar being made in China, but it's really well crafted. Attractive design and detailing, a very beautiful guitar overall (I bought the red one). The projection is excellent for a guitar that's this thin- I'm not even sure how it works but I've played thicker guitars that don't project as well.

What I Do NOT Like About The Ovation Celebrity CC 057: Since the guitar has a hump-back, you really have to lean forward and step on something to play it without it slipping, but it's really not bad. The playability was my main concern- when I first bought it, the action was pretty high and made it very difficult to play fast. My friend's shop had to shave down the saddle and tune the neck to a comfortable level. Now that the action is lower, it plays much better and surprisingly, there's no buzzing or significant changes to the tone. It makes me wonder why they didn't start the guitar with this setup in the first place.

Ovation Celebrity CC 057 Quality Rating: I usually prefer American or Korean made guitars but playing the ovation and from the first impression, I didn't actually know it was made in China. I'm certainly impressed with the level of work here- it's definitely not the same cheap-o quality you'd expect.

Review Summary: Excellent for the price. Obviously it doesn't stand up to the playability of a $1000+ guitar, but the tone and projection surprisingly will. So the playability, you may have to customize for yourself- but the sound and build will definitely make you a smile.

Rating of this Ovation product: 5

This Ovation Celebrity CC 057 Acoustic Guitars Review Submitted By: Cal Chan

Review Date: 2008-01-18