Ovation Guitars Welcomes Home Richie Sambora

PRESS RELEASE: (Tuesday, April 3^rd, 2018– New Hartford, CT) Ovation Guitars proudly welcomes home legendary artist Richie Sambora with the launch of two new signature guitars benefitting youth music programs. The famed Bon Jovi songwriter/guitarist and 2018 Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame inductee will donate royalties from the sales of the all-new Richie Sambora Signature Series Elite Double Neck guitar to the non-profit organization Notes for Notes which builds, equips, and staffs after-school recording studios in Boys & Girls Clubs across the United States. In addition, Ovation Guitars, in conjunction with the DW Music Foundation (DWMF) will debut the RS Rockstar™ guitar. This six-string, “RS” model guitar will be donated to each Notes for Notes location along with a DW drumset and an LP cajon to equip each studio with professional level musical instruments. The DWMF will also work with other partnering charities to donate RS Rockstar™ model guitars to music education programs in underserved communities worldwide. “Richie is continuously lending his support to important causes and organizations that resonate deeply with him and we are honored to help create these two new guitar models which not only directly support Notes for Notes, but carry on his musical legacy and hopefully inspire the next generation of guitarists,” said DW Music Foundation Executive Director, Elizabeth Lang. Made most famous with the release of Bon Jovi’s 1986 Top 10 hit song, “Wanted Dead or Alive,” Sambora’s double neck Ovation became one of the world’s most instantly recognizable guitar models. The all-new acoustic/electric Richie Sambora Signature Series Elite Double Neck model features a Sitka Spruce top in Gloss Black, Ebony fingerboard inlaid with mother of pearl stars, Teak/Paduk/Walnut/Mesquite inlaid rosette/epaulettes, gold hardware, a mother of pearl star inlay on the body and finished with Sambora’s signature in gold on the headstock. “My relationship with Ovation Guitars goes back to the very beginning,” said Sambora. “They worked with me to help create my original acoustic double neck when nobody else could even figure out how to make one! It’s all come full circle now that these new models will help benefit the next generation of players.” The RS Rockstar™ guitar by Ovation is an acoustic/electric hybrid single neck, 6-string, guitar features all the essentials of the classic Ovation Elite sound and style, with a loud and focused voice, supreme playability. Premium RS Rockstar™ features include a laminated spruce top with Elite-style multi-soundholes for clearly articulate tone, and a mid-depth body for greater volume and projection, excellent balance and supreme durability. The guitar also features fast, comfortable action and an easy-playing neck profile, multi-hardwood epaulettes for the classic Elite aesthetic, and an Ovation CE304T pickup/preamp system with 3-band EQ and built-in tuner for superior amplified tone and performance. The RS Rockstar™ model also features Ovation’s groundbreaking roundback design. Scientifically developed in 1964 by Ovation founder, Charlie Kaman along with his team of aerospace engineers, Ovation’s patented Lyrachord® roundback models were unquestionably the strongest guitar in the world. Designed for durability, sonic responsiveness and an unparalleled ability to stay in tune – the RS Rockstar™ is the ultimate guitar for young players, school music programs, or guitarists of all levels who live an active lifestyle. On Saturday, April 7^th, Richie Sambora along with Australian guitar virtuoso Orianthi will be performing a not-to-be-missed headlining RSO set at Celebration Day Powered by PNC at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a community event with free admission that will kick-off Rock Week in Cleveland. Members of the Cleveland chapter of Notes for Notes will join Sambora and Orianthi on the PNC Rock Hall Live Main Stage for a special moment during the show. RSO, the acclaimed genre-spanning musical duo project from Sambora and Orianthi, have announced the release of their full-length album Radio Free America out May 11.  # # # ABOUT OVATION GUITARS Founded in 1965, Ovation Guitars is an American manufacturer of acoustic-electric guitars, basses, and mandolins. Known for their distinctive parabolic-shaped, composite backs, multi-wood epaulets and integrated electronics, Ovation guitars have been played by such legendary artists as Glen Campbell, Melissa Etheridge, Mick Jagger, John Lennon, Richie Sambora, Jimmy Page and Kevin Cronin among others. For more information, visit www.ovationguitars.com ABOUT RICHIE SAMBORA: Over the course of his 30-year career, American rock icon Richie Sambora has been lauded for his indelible songwriting, powerful vocals and world-class guitar playing. He has sold over 130 million albums worldwide and has co-written over 20 Top 40 hits and 11 Top 10 hits, including “Livin’ On A Prayer,” “You Give Love A Bad Name” and “Wanted Dead or Alive.” Sambora has created some of the most instantly recognizable guitar sounds and penned many of the greatest rock anthems in a generation. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2009 and will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on April 14, 2018. In addition to his work in Bon Jovi, he is also an acclaimed solo artist who has toured the globe extensively, collaborated with superstar artists and released three solo albums (1991’s Stranger in This Town, 1998’s Undiscovered Soul, and 2012’s Aftermath of the Lowdown). Most recently, Sambora joined forces with Orianthi (who has shared stages with the likes of Michael Jackson, Santana, Prince, ZZ Top and was the first female member of Alice Cooper’s band) for their new, genre-spanning musical duo project RSO, encompassing elements of rock, blues, pop, R&B, and country and putting a fresh spin on male-female duets. RSO, first introduced in 2017 with the Rise and Making History EPs, sees these two platinum-selling singer-songwriters and world-class guitarists coming together as a versatile duo, delivering top-notch musicianship, stadium-ready melodies, and uplifting lyrics that are meant to bring people together and make them feel good. A full length RSO album is slated for release this Spring. For more on RSO, visit www.RSOOfficial.com. ABOUT NOTES FOR NOTES Notes for Notes® is a non-profit organization which builds, equips, and staffs after-school recording studios packed with guitars, drums, keys/synths, DJ gear, digital music stations and full recording studios offering youth completely FREE access to explore, create, and record music. Notes for Notes currently has 21 studios in Boys & Girls Clubs and after-school sites in Santa Barbara, Nashville, LA, Brooklyn, San Francisco, Ventura, Atlanta, Detroit, Cleveland, Memphis, New Orleans, Minneapolis, Austin, DC, Chicago, Bronx and coming soon to the Bronx, Harlem, Denver, and Seattle. Beyond creating music the organization also educates about the multitude of careers around the industry and the positive paths the music can be the catalyst to. Please visit notesfornotes.org for more information and to see how Notes for Notes is Producing Tomorrow’s Musicians® ABOUT THE DW MUSIC FOUNDATION The DW Music Foundation is a non-profit organization that connects qualified, inspired artists and educators with music education programs in communities of need. We work to create opportunities for people of all ages to access real music in the real world. We believe that music is a gift that lasts a lifetime and access to quality music education has the unique capacity to unlock creativity, develop critical thinking and leadership skills as well as boost self-confidence, and enhance learning in core academic subjects. Music is a lifelong skill that unites us and can be enjoyed from early childhood to end of life. www.dwmf.org