I have owned many Ovations over the years, from lower priced models to the "Adamas", the flagship of the Ovation line, and like most guitars, you get what you pay for. The lower end models that had a laminate top were a bit thin sounding, and their overall craftsmanship while OK was nothing special, in essence, a guitar that was built to meet a price-point, not an instrument built to fill a need to perform the best music it's player could muster.
In short, a low end Ovation, like any guitar, will hold it's player back...the limitations of the instrument should never exceed the limitations of the player. (Which is why I sold my "Adamas"....it deserved somebody better than me!)
If you are a beginner, a Celebrity line import Ovation will serve you well, but you WILL out-grow it.
I recommend a solid top USA built Ovation, (any of them!), for a guitar that will allow YOU to grow into IT!
Musician's Friend is having a great sale right now....Ovations that listed for almost $1500 selling for $600 (USD), and others at similar savings. You can also find great deals on Ovations on ebay....they aren't considered "collectible" most of the time, so you'll escape the clutches of the "Gibson/Taylor/Martin/ETC. collectors", and get yourself a fantastic guitar at pennies on the dollar. The last Adamas I bought on eBay, last year, I paid $511 for! A guitar that lists for about $3,000!!
Hope this helps!!