Glen Campbell needed mobility on stage, but he also wanted an acoustic guitar. In the late 1960?s, musicians could either be limited in their mobility with a stationary microphone or a primitive pickup device that really colored the sound of the guitar and neither one of them were good options. In the year 1971, Acoustic guitars were limited in a lot of venues because they could only produce so much sound and could only project so far. In 1971, Ovation helped innovate the acoustic guitar. Glen Campbell helped change the future of Ovation guitars.
The musicians that were the most well-known of that day were on the doorstep of Kaman Music Offices trying to get a guitar. Campbell championed the Roundback that has a shallow ?Artist? bowl that was debuted in 1968 along with the Glen Campbell model.Īfter his signature model was made, it seemed like everybody wanted an Ovation and the retailers could not get them into their stores fast enough. He had it all with his All-American looks, a welcoming personality, distinctive vocals, wicked guitar chops, and an Ovation guitar. However, it was television that made his career take off. He also was well-known for his songs ?By The Time I Get to Phoenix? and ?Wichita Lineman.? Glen Cambell and OvationĪ young entertainer, guitarist, and singer named Glen Campbell quickly became very famous with his song ?Gentle on my Mind? and his appearances on the Smother Brothers Comedy Hour. Glen Campbell was going to help these guitars become very well-known. They were unsure about making these guitars part of their inventory, but that was about to change. With these three guitars, Kaman had a product line to send out to guitar stores.Įven though they were great guitars, retailers did not buy many of them because they didn?t know what to think of Ovation guitars. In 1967, the Model #5, a 12-string Ovation, was introduced. With the Balladeer and Josh White models, Ovation was slowly becoming more known in the guitar industry. It is called the Josh White Signature Model. White?s name was on the peghead and this model was part of the Ovation line until he died in 1970, but they later brought it back in his honor. Kaman made with him in mind had fewer frets because that is what he was used to playing as a folk singer. He worked very closely with Charlie Kaman. He loved the prototype of the Ovation and how its rounded and synthetic back had a full-bodied sound. Josh White Signature Model Josh Whites 1966 Custom Ovation Acoustic Guitarīlues singer Josh White was the first musician to officially endorse this guitar. The first person to endorse this guitar was Josh White. These guitar parts were married to a slim and fast-five piece laminated neck that, even now, people look for when they purchase an Ovation guitar.Įven the bracing, that is not visible to the eye, was a very pretty sight. A dark walnut bridge sat in contrast to a light spruce top. The headstock was sculpted and sleek and the understated dot inlays on the fingerboard were made out of ebony. It had a composite, Roundback design and was perhaps the strongest ?back and sides? design world had seen. This guitar was very different than any other guitar. The first reactions that musicians had to this guitar were that it was ?smooth, full, rich, clear, and mellow.? The first guitar that Ovation produced was the Ovation Balladeer, which was named after a local folk group that got a standing ovation. The Early Ovation Guitars Ovation Balladeer Guitar (1968) Forty years after this business got their start, famous musicians such as Glen Campbell, Al DiMeola, and Melissa Ethridge have played an Ovation guitar, which is considered by some to be the strongest guitar in the world. This was a humble beginning for Ovation Guitars and also the start of their history in the music industry.
Guitar store, he decided to open his own guitar business that would be his own and would never belong to someone else. After turning down a job as the guitarist for the Tommy Dorsey and being turned down when he tried to purchase the Martin D. In 1965, he wanted to diversify his product line and finally decided on guitars, especially since he had loved playing the guitar for many years. Kaman was a ?free spirit pioneer? that built the Kaman Aircraft from scratch in 1945 with only $5,000 in equipment and $2,000 in cash. However, the people that knew him were not surprised by this at all. 2.4.1 Image Credits The Innovative Mr Kaman
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