"Beautiful guitar, great value."
This reviewer purchased this item from Same Day Music.
Sound:
Way surpassed my expectations. Bought it to play plugged-in with the band, did not expect it to sound so good unamplified. Responds equally well to fingerpicking and hard strumming with a pick. Good dynamics, warm tone, bright highs. Compares favorably to more expensive all-wood guitars. Plugged-in it is as good as your amp or PA will allow. Loud, bright, no feedback, just what you need from an acoustic-electric in a band. Play it through my ME-50 multieffect, sounds great with chorus, reverb, phasing, flanging, etc. Even dial in distortion and play through my Crate 2-12, it performs well as a rock rhythm guitar.
Feature:
Straightforward, no frills. Gain control and 3-band EQ work fine. As far as I can tell the only real difference between this and the more expensive Ovation version is the Ovation has the built-in tuner. I prefer a separate tuner so I don't miss it. Save a couple hundred bucks on the guitar and buy a $20 tuner.
Ease of Use:
Could not be easier. I went for the super-shallow bowl for ease of playing on stage. It's light and easy to play standing up all night. More like playing a lightweight electric than an acoustic guitar. Action was set up fine right out of the box, haven't had to adjust it.
Quality:
Very well made for such a low price. Action and intonation were correct right out of the box. Electronics work fine. Details look great, feels and handles great. It does feel somewhat fragile, I don't think it would stand up to much abuse, but I treat my guitars with care anyway. It doesn't have the solid feel of more expensive guitars, but it sounds and plays so well for its price, and if does get broken you can afford to replace it.
Manufacturer Support:
The first one arrived with a lot of damage, right where the outer carton showed an impact. It really should be packed and shipped with more padding and a sturdier box. I called Same Day Music and they immediately arranged free return shipping and sent me another guitar which arrived in only 2 days. Great service, thank you Same Day Music! Have not dealt with Applause or Ovation (Kaman Corp).
Value:
Excellent value for the price. I haven't played everything in its price range, but I haven't played anything better.
The Wow Factor:
I love the look of this guitar. Women come up and tell me it's beautiful - what more could you want?
Overall:
Bought this as a stage guitar that would perform reliably and sound OK and be inexpensive enough to not worry about taking it out for gigs. Got a much better instrument than I expected. Sounds great, plays great, looks hot on stage. Love to play it unplugged at home as well. If lost or destroyed I would replace it immediately with the same model. Don't see why I would want to buy a more expensive guitar until I'm rich and famous (right). Whether you are a working musician looking for a good all-around acoustic-electric, or just starting out and looking for something to jam with, I highly recommend the AE-148.
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