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
| 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 |