Originally known as the Balladeer series, Ovation’s 1117 range was renamed the Legend series in 1972. Several variations included Glen Campbell signature models, a handful of 12-strings, Specials, Deluxes, Anniversaries, Vintages and Cutaways, but the best known and most popular have always been the Glen Campbell models.
Ovation in-house pickup system
Very few 1117-1s were fitted with a pickup & preamp, which our research tells us only became available – as a custom option, (and then usually only to name artists) – during the early part of 1974, making this a very early Legend with an Ovation in-house pickup system installed. Likewise, the Ebony fingerboard here was not available as a public option until the mid-nineties. So a very interesting guitar!
Artist level
Everything here is artist level, from the solid AAA-grade Sitka Spruce top to the fabulous five-piece Mahogany/Maple neck, with a terrifically playable (barely there) soft V-carve; 9½” radius, 25” scale. The medium depth body* also adds to the super player-friendliness of this great instrument.
Features
You also get genuine mother-of-pearl diamond & dot fingerboard inlays; Walnut headstock overlay; original gold Ovation tuners, (by Schaller); Rosewood bridge**, Ovation’s famous A-bracing; deluxe 5-ply body binding; and a 111⁄16" nut width, (more recent Tusq nut).
Lazy Sunday afternoon
A well loved, well played, great sounding acoustic-electric, bearing the revered Ovation name, that’s fully ready for the stage, the living room or the back porch on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Condition
Overall condition is Very Good, with probably less than expected playwear on what was most likely a pro-owned guitar. There’s a handful of fine lacquer cracks below the bridge, and slight marking on the back of the neck, like you get sometimes from a guitar hanger.
Free courier delivery
Built at Ovation’s facility in New Hartford, Connecticut, towards the end of 1974, the 1117-1 comes in its original Ovation hard shell case, with FREE COURIER DELIVERY included to any address in Australia. ($100 airfreight to New Zealand, and $175 to the US, Canada, UK and mainstream European countries)
*Normally shallow
**Normally Walnut
Just Guitars
