Find the current Blue Book value and worth of your new and used guitars, both acoustic, electric and amplifier. The number one source of guitar and amplifier pricing and information so you can find the price and value of your used guitars and amplifier. Use this site for a pricing guide and source of information on all guitars. The serial number of an acoustic is located on the label inside the sound hole of the guitar. All acoustic serial numbers begin with the letter 'A' and are followed by the two digit year prefix. Peavey (Back to top of page) Serial numbers correlate to shipping dates of US models only.
- Ovation Guitar Serial Number Search
- Ovation Guitars Serial Number Search
- Ovation Balladeer Serial Numbers
- Ovation Guitars Look Up By Serial Number
A series of tables and lists that summarise serial numbers, model codes and colors of the Ovation guitars from the beginning to the end of the 20th Century.
Years and models
Original series from 1966
| Range | Date | Comment |
| 006-319 | 1966 | three digits in red ink |
| 320-999 | 1967 (Feb.-Nov.) | New Hartford; three digits in red ink |
| 1000- | 1967 (Nov.)-1968 (July) | four digits in black ink, no letter prefix |
| 10000- | 1970 (Feb.)-1972 (May) | five digits, no letter prefix |
| A + three digits | 1968 (July-Nov.) | |
| B + three digits | 1968 (Nov.)-1969 (Feb.) | |
| B + five digits | 1974-1979 | Magnum solidbody basses |
| C + three digits | 1969 (Feb.-Sept.) | |
| D + three digits | 1969 (Sept.)-1970 (Feb.) | |
| E + four digits | 1973 (Jan.)-1975 (Feb.) | solidbodies |
| E + five digits | 1975 (Feb.)-1980 | solidbodies |
| E + six digits | 1980 (late)-1981 | some UK IIs (does not reflect production) |
| F, G prefix | 1968 (July)-1970 (Feb.) | |
| H, I, J, L prefix | 1970-1973 | Electric Storm series |
Ovation: six digits series from 1971
| Range | Date | Comment |
| 000001-007000 | 1972 (May-Dec.) | |
| 007001-020000 | 1973 | |
| 020001-039000 | 1974 | |
| 039001-067000 | 1975 | |
| 067001-086000 | 1976 | |
| 086001-103000 | 1977 (Jan.-Sept.) | |
| 103001-126000 | 1977 (Sept.)-1978 (Apr.) | |
| 126001-157000 | 1978 (Apr.-Dec.) | |
| 157001-203000 | 1979 | |
| 211011-214933 | 1980 | |
| 214934-263633 | 1981 | |
| 263634-291456 | 1982 | |
| 291457-302669 | 1983 | |
| 302670-303319 | 1984 | Elites only |
| 315001-339187 | 1984 (May-Dec.) | Balladeers only |
| 303320-356000 | 1985-1986 | |
| 357000-367999 | 1987 | |
| 368000-382106 | 1988 | |
| 382107-392900 | 1989 | |
| 403760-420400 | 1990 | |
| 421000-430680 | 1990 | |
| 400001-403676 | 1991 | |
| 430681-446000 | 1991 | |
| 402700-406000 | 1992 | |
| 446001-457810 | 1992 | |
| 457811-470769 | 1993 | |
| 470770-484400 | 1994 | |
| 484401-501470 | 1995 |
Adamas: from September 1977
| Range | Year |
| 0077-0099 | 1977 |
| 0100-0608 | 1978 |
| 0609-1058 | 1979 |
| 1059-1670 | 1980 |
| 1671-2668 | 1981 |
| 2669-3242 | 1982 |
| 3243-3859 | 1983 |
| 3860-4109 | 1984 |
| 4110-4251 | 1985 |
| 4252-4283 | 1986 |
| 4284-4427 | 1987 |
| 4428-4696 | 1988 |
| 4697-4974 | 1989 |
| 4975-5541 | 1990 |
| 5542-6278 | 1991 |
| 6279-7088 | 1992 |
| 7089-8159 | 1993 |
| 8160-9778 | 1994 |
| 9779-11213 | 1995 |
Model numbers
The model 4 digit codes for the original models. Everything changed and became sort of messy from the Seventies, so the best way to be shure is using the Ovation Decoder.
- First digit
- 1 – most models born before year 2000
- 2 – contour bowl
- 4 – Japanese Balladeers
- 5 – parlours and some Elites
- 6 -Standard Elites, widenecks, some Adamas
- Second digit is type of guitar:
- 1 Acoustic roundbacks (also semi-hollowbody electrics)
- 2 Solidbody and semi-hollowbody electrics
- 3 Ultra acoustics
- 4 Solidbody
- 5 Acoustic electric cutaway Adamas and II/Elite/Ultra electric
- 6 Acoustic electric roundbacks
- 7 Deep
- 8 Shallow
- Third digit denotes bowl depth on acoustic and acoustic electrics:
- 1 Standard bowl 5 13/16″ deep
- 2 Artist bowl 5 1/8″ deep
- 3 Elite/Matrix electric deep bowl
- 4 Matrix shallow bowl
- 5 Custom Balladeer Legend Legend 12 Custom Legend 12 Anniversary
- 6 Cutaway electric deep bowl
- 7 Cutaway electric shallow bowl
- 8 Adamas 6 1/16″ deep
- Fourth digit denotes model
- 1 Balladeer
- 2 Deluxe Balladeer
- 3 Classic
- 4 Josh White
- 5 12-String
- 6 Contemporary Folk Classic
- 7 Glen Campbell Artist Balladeer
- 8 Glen Campbell 12-String
- 9 Custom Legend (from 1974)
- Color code follows hyphen after model number (but I am not quite sure for all of them):
- 1 Sunburst
- 2 Red
- 4 Natural
- 5 Black H Honeyburst
- 6 White
- 7 LTD Nutmeg/Anniversary Brown/Beige/Tan
- 8 Blue
- 9 Brown
- B Barnwood (gray-to-black sunburst)
- H Honey sungurst
Model Chronology
The dates in this chronology reflect actual appearances of models, determined from price lists and the recollections of sales representatives and dealers. They may differ slightly from the first production or official introduction dates in the text.
Acoustic and Acoustic Electric
Ovation Guitar Serial Number Search
| 1964 | Charles Kaman chose a small team of aerospace engineers and technicians, several of whom were woodworking hobbyists as well, to work to invent a new guitar. One of these was Charles McDonough, who later created the Ovation Adamas model. Kaman founded Ovation Instruments. |
| 1965 | Engineers and luthiers work to improve acoustic guitars by changing their conventional materials. The R&D team builds and tests prototype instruments. Their first prototype has a conventional dreadnought body, with parallel front and back perpendicular to the sides. The innovation is the use of a thinner, synthetic back, because of its foreseen acoustic properties. The company is moved from the aerospace facilities of Bloomfield to a new location in New Hartford. |
| 1966 | Balladeer introduced. Has a natural top, Grover Rotomatic tuners, dot fret markers, white-black-white binding, small or thin rosette with figure-8 chain link motif and grape bunch at 4 o’clock position. Less than 100 made before February 1967 move to New Hartford factory. The very early have no rosette, some have extra diamond fret markers at twelfth fret. |
| 1967 (Feb.) | Deluxe Balladeer introduced. Essentially a Balladeer with diamonds at twelfth fret, Grover Rotomatics (Balladeer now has Kluson tuners), five-ply top binding. |
| 1967 (Sept.) | Classic introduced. No fret markers, twelve frets clear of body, flat fingerboard. Josh White model introduced. Twelve frets clear of body, wider neck, steel strings, dot markers with diamonds at twelfth fret. Shaded brown sunburst top introduced. Larger floral leaf rosette appears. Model numbers introduced:
|
| 1968 (Jan.) | Model #5 12-String introduced |
| 1968 (July) | Semi-hollowbody Electric Storm series introduced Model #6 Contemporary Folk Classic appears in the catalog, but is only produced as a prototype (probably during development of Glen Campbell model), with red, green or blue bowl color option |
| 1968 (Nov.) | Glen Campbell models and shallow “Artist” bowl introduced. Four-digit model numbers with K prefix introduced:
|
| 1970 | Josh White model deleted after his death |
| 1971 (May) | K-1124 Country Artist introduced. Similar to the Josh White but with shallow bowl, fourteen-fret neck, flat fingerboard, and nylon strings, replaces Josh White as the #4 model. Acoustic electric models introduced:
|
| 1972 (June) | Solidbody electrics introduced. K prefix deleted from model names
|
| 1974 |
|
| 1976 | New top finishes introduced: Red, White, or Blue Patriot Bicentennial introduced. Limited run of 1776 guitars, fancy version of Custom Legend with drum-and-flag decal and “1776*1976” on lower treble bout. |
| 1976 (Sept.) | Adamas introduced in prototype form for artists and select dealers. The first 26 are prototypes; #27-#61 are a non-tooling production run; #62-#76 have a new headstock design and the Kaman bar neck reinforcement. Wooden epaulettes around soundholes change to a photographic Mylar material. Extensive tooling begins Sept. 1977. Dealers receive first production models in Dec. 1977. First production Adamas sold is a Model 1687, #0077-95. Suffix is guitar’s natural frequency resonance. The first Adamas 12-String is #213. Charles H. Kaman signs the labels up to #600. At #600 C.W. (Bill) Kaman II begins signing labels.
|
| 1978 | 1157 Anniversary and 1657 Electric Anniversary introduced |
| 1979 | 1587 Adamas cutaway and 1651 Legend Limited (electric only) introduced |
| 1981 | Adamas II models introduced. Standard Ovation neck and bridge, available as acoustic electric only.
|
| 1982 | Collectors’ Series inaugurated (see separate listing) and several new models, including cutaway models:
|
| 1982 (Oct.) | Elite appears on price list; production begins shortly thereafter. First catalog appearance is late 1983. |
| 1983 | Super-shallowbodies introduced |
| 1988 | Abalone trim added to Custom Legend and Electric Custom Legend |
| 1989 | Introduced Optima-3 preamp |
| 1998 | Introduced the Custom Legend Al Di meola. |
| 2004 | Introduced the LX series (for Light and X-Bracing) |
Colors
| 1 | Sunburst |
| 1Y | Sunburst Flame |
| 2 | Red |
| 2WFB | Red Waterfall Bubinga |
| 3 | Green |
| 4 | Natural |
| 4B | Natural Bird Eyes |
| 4C | Natural Cedar |
| 4G | Natural Graphite |
| 4GB | Natural Graphite Burst |
| 4HF | xNatural w/HEXFX Electronics |
| 4RM | Recording Model that features Optimax |
| 5 | Black |
| 5BQ | Black Blue (Quilted) |
| 5E | Ebony Stain |
| 5EY | Ebony Transparent Flame |
| 5F | Black Flake |
| 5HG | Black High Gloss |
| 5M | Birdseye |
| 5P | Black Pearl |
| 6 | White – Cream White |
| 6P | White Pearlescent |
| 7 | LTD Nutmeg, Anniversary Brown, Tan and Beige, Deep Red |
| 7QM | Nutmeg |
| 8 | Blue |
| 😯 | Opaque Blue |
| 8T | Blue Transparent |
| 8TY | Blue Transparent Flame |
| 9 | Brown Sunburst |
| 9FM | Brown Burst Flamed maple |
| 9B | Brown Burst Bird Eyes |
| 9Y | Brown Burst Cycamore |
| 30CM | 30th Anniversary Natural |
| AB | Autumn Burst |
| AM | Amber |
| ANB | Antique Brown Burst |
| ANR | Antique Red |
| AS | Antique Sunburst Bird Eyes |
| ASB | Aspen Blue |
| ASW | Angel Step Walnut |
| B | Barnwood (Gray-to-Black Sunburst) |
| BCB | Black Cherry Burst |
| BCBQ | Black Cherry Burst Quilt |
| BFT | Blue Flame Top |
| BG | Blue Green (Adamas) |
| BS | Blue Sparkle |
| BSB | Blue Surf Burst |
| BTA | Blue Tamo Ash |
| BZ | Bronze |
| CB | Cobalt Blue |
| CBV | Cobalt Blue with VIP Preamp |
| CCB | Cherry Cherry Burst |
| CCBQ | Cherry Cherry Burst Quilt |
| CG | Cadillac Green |
| CGB | Cadillac Green Burst |
| CRP | Crimson Red Pearl |
| CS | Cherry Sunburst |
| CTBFA | Cherry Transparent Burst Figured Ash |
| DBP | Dark Blue Pearl |
| DPQ | Deep Purple Quilt |
| DSQ | Deep Black |
| DTQ | Deep Turquise (Quilted) |
| FKOA | Figured Koa |
| FR | Figured Redwood |
| G | Burgundy Sunburst |
| GQ | Green Quilt |
| H | Honey |
| HT | Honey Sunburst |
| YB | Yellow Burst Flame |
| YS | Yellow Burst |
| IC | Iced Coffee |
| HB | Honeyburst |
| LFR | Legend Figured Redwood |
| LR | Lusty Red |
| M | Mahogany |
| NB2 | No-Burst Red |
| NB5 | No-Burst Black |
| NB8 | No-Burst Blue |
| NEB | New England Burst |
| NMQ | Nutmeg Maple Quilt |
| NWT | Natural Woven Top |
| OB | Opaque Burgundy |
| OFT | Orange Flame Top |
| P | Pewter |
| PB | Plum Burst |
| PTF | Purple Tribal Flame |
| PY | Plumburst on Sycamore |
| RB | Rootbeer |
| RF | Red Flame |
| RG | Ruby Graphite |
| RR | Ruby Red |
| RRB | Ruby Redburst |
| RRBY | Ruby Redburts Flame |
| RTD | Red Tear Drop |
| RTDB | Red Tear Drop Burst |
| RW | Rose White |
| RWB | Red Wineburst |
| RBBW | Ruby Burst Burled Walnut |
| SS | Silver Sparkle |
| SSP | Silver Satin Pearl |
| T | Turquise |
| T5 | Textured Black |
| TB | Tobacco Burst |
| TG | Teal Graphite |
| TDB | Teardrop Burst |
| TH | Transparent Honey |
| TN | Tangerine |
| TPB | Transparent Burgundy |
| TQ | Turquoise Quilted |
| USA | US Flag |
| VOQ | Vintage Orange (Quilted) |
| VY | Vintage Flamed Sycamore |
| VT | Vintage |
| WB | Wine Burst Flame |
| WP | White Pearl |
| WS | Walnut stain |
| Z | All Black guitar |
Altro da leggere:
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| The Ovation Fan Club ->Welcome Center | Message format | |
| VintageBeatle1964 |
| |
Joined: November 2010 Posts: 6 Location: New Waterford Ns. | So I know it is impossible to figure out what year my Ovation celebrity CC057 is, because there is a 7 digit serial number making it an import, though the bowl is U.S made. I am just wondering how much these Ovations are worth in general? It has a honey burst finish and the preamp is an OP-20. Thanks. | |
| Gallerinski |
| |
| Joined: May 2008 Posts: 4996 Location: Phoenix AZ | Couple hundred | |
| VintageBeatle1964 |
| |
Joined: November 2010 Posts: 6 Location: New Waterford Ns. | Any number in specific..I'm thinking sell wise 450.00? | |
| Gallerinski |
| |
| Joined: May 2008 Posts: 4996 Location: Phoenix AZ | 220. | |
| G8r |
| |
Joined: November 2006 Posts: 3969 | You can ask that, sure, but if I was looking for one I'd quickly see that I could buy a brand new one for less. Do some research online - check the prices at several online and brick&mortar retailers. Then look at eBay, using the recently completed auctions search function to see what used ones sell for. 220 is optimistic. | |
| VintageBeatle1964 |
| |
Joined: November 2010 Posts: 6 Location: New Waterford Ns. | I emailed Ovation, it's a 2004, and retailed for 599.99. It's honey burst which makes it more appealing then most(in my opinion) so I think 450 is pretty reasonable. Thanks for the posts! | |
| G8r |
| |
Joined: November 2006 Posts: 3969 | Hard to imagine when you can get 4 of them from amazon.com starting from $200(very first place I looked), but whatever. Best of luck. | |
| nikon4004 |
| |
Joined: September 2008 Posts: 1281 Location: Ohio | Retail and selling priceare WAY different. Just picek up a Celb DLx RRBY w/roadrunner case 270.00 at GC. 450.00? I think you are wating ad space. | |
| VintageBeatle1964 |
| |
Joined: November 2010 Posts: 6 Location: New Waterford Ns. | There's also a huge difference from where you're selling. I'm not using ebay or anything like that. I'm using kijiji (Canadian) Online stores usually have things for 200 and such, (Cheap) that's what an online store is. But if I were to go into my local music store (Long and Mcquade) and wanted to pick myself up a used Ovation, it'll cost me 399 without the case. I have a case, and this baby is in mint condition. I've had offer, I think I know what I'm doing sell wise. | |
| VintageBeatle1964 |
| |
Joined: November 2010 Posts: 6 Location: New Waterford Ns. | Also don't forget theses online stores have sometimes 150.00 dollar shipping so that's just adding costs. | |
| G8r |
| |
Joined: November 2006 Posts: 3969 | Dude, whatever. The math I was taught still puts the lowest used price plus your figure for shipping at just about what I'd pay at my local GC for a brand new one. Please realize, there isn't anybody here who has a direct emotional or financial interest in what you can sell your guitar for. You came here presumably because you thought this group likely had the best knowledge about Ovation guitars and their market worth. You'd be dead right about that. Most of the active members here have bought/sold/traded collectively hundreds if not thousands of Ovation guitars, from the cheapest Chinese Celebrity's up to the rarest and most expensive first-issue Adamas previously owned by artists such as Paul McCartney, Jim Croce, etc. So yeah, we generally know what we're talking about, and we gave you a fair assessment of what your particular guitar might fetch on the open market. But now it seems you just came here to get affirmation for what you'd already decided was the price you thought you should get for your guitar. We could blow smoke up your ass and agree with you, but that'd just be that - blowing smoke up your ass. The 'market value' of a guitar (or anything) lies somewhere between what the seller would like to get for it and what any given buyer is willing to pay for it. There are quite a few things you don't seem to be considering in deciding what you already expect your guitar should be worth. [list] [*]Is it especially rare, hard to find, unique, or hard to replace? No, these were made by the thousands (if not tens of thousands) overseas. [*]Is it high-end? No, these were designed as mid-entry level guitars, using cheaper materials in order to meet a specific price point, rather than for high build quality and tone. This particular one is a laminate top, putting it even lower down the scale of quality and desirability for someone who knows the least bit about guitars. [*]Were any special materials/construction techniques/electronics, etc. used? No, see above. [*]Is there collector interest? Not at all, for the reasons stated above. [*]What's the likely target market for it? In this case, a trade-up from the $100 learner's guitar the 12-year-old got for his birthday, but not too far up since he might yet give up on his guitar lessons. [*]Is this used one a particular bargain? At your ideal price, not in the least, considering I could get a comparable brand new one for the same or less. [*]Are these guitars well respected and sought after? Absolutely not. The general guitar buying public is convinced that Ovations are pieces of junk only fit for canoe paddles. We know better, and a lot of these snobs who've never so much as tried an Ovation quickly change their minds when they hear and play a higher end model, but again this ain't a higher end guitar you've got. [/list] I honestly, truly hope you could get your asking price. That would mean all of us would be instantly richer (on paper, anyway). I said it before, and I still mean it: best of luck. But again, nobody's trying to dis you. You asked for a fair assessment, and you got it. Sorry if that didn't meet you expectations, but it is what it is. | |
| moody, p.i. |
| |
Joined: March 2002 Posts: 15486 Location: SoCal | Read what G8r said and pay attention. He's also giving you (along with an extremely accurate picture of the situation), a fair evaluation. If the price differential between Canada and the U.S. is really far apart, then why ask us for our opinion? Ovations are extremely undervalued in the used guitar market. We buy them because we love them, not to try to make money off of them or (sad to say), even break even. A used Celeb just doesn't bring in much money on the used market. But at least you can't say that they are way over priced for what you get, like a Taylor. It makes them great bargins. Sorry..... | |
| VintageBeatle1964 |
| |
Joined: November 2010 Posts: 6 Location: New Waterford Ns. | What I am saying is that no one is wrong in the situation. I'm just stating that I've had plenty of offers, so I know what I can get out of it. I'm not taking offense to this in any way. I'm not educated on the Ovation what so ever. I just know what I can get through the people who are replying to my add. Thanks for the replies though! | |
| Waskel |
| |
Joined: February 2005 Posts: 11837 Location: closely held secret | Nice list usage, Serge... | |
| G8r |
| |
Joined: November 2006 Posts: 3969 | For my next trick, embedded lists. At least until I can hack CSS for ubb.code... |
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