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Joined:
November 2002
Posts: 1196
Location: Lafayette, Louisiana | Last year I met a very nice older man who builds the most beautiful guitars. Come to find out his name is Paul Hebert also, and we really hit it off. Last week I took an Ovation over for him to take a look at and to lower the action at the nut. I kind of got a strange feeling from him when he said "another Ovation?" in a kind of sarcastic way. I told him yes they are all I play, and he didn't have a responce. What happened next really got to me. His wife walked in the room and looked at the guitar. Then she said " you keep making the same mistake over and over". That ticked me off! At that time I told him to go and get any guitar he had made. I got my Legend LX and compared it to five guitars he had there. The only responce I got from him was "it does sound good for a plastic back". His wife didn't say a thing. I tell you that I almost told that old lady something I might have felt bad about later on. Seems to her Ovations are "mistakes". But I proved to her and her husband how good my "mistake" can sound. I think I will stay away from their house for awhile. |
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Joined:
November 2002
Posts: 266
Location: Tampa, Florida | Paul,
Who Cares? We love our Ovations and that's all that matters. Ovations (especially LX's) rock and we know it. People hate change and anything different. Enjoy that Legend and when you really lean into it, just smile. Know it sounds THAT GOOD. |
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Joined:
January 2004
Posts: 648
Location: Florida | There's no accounting for some peoples tastes.
Hey, he makes guitars? No wonder he poo-pooh'd Ovation. I mean whadjya expect him to say. Aparantly he has the same criteria when choosing a wife, all form and no stubstance.
Wait... maybe that wife thing isn't too bad....!! |
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Joined:
July 2003
Posts: 8
Location: Finland | I must say, first I didn't like the plastic back on my Ovation, but then i plugged her, played, and fell in love!!! It's just great!! If it requires plastic for a sound like that, go ahead!! :D |
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September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Yngwiefanatic,
I know your intentions are good but "Plastic" and "Ovation" in the same sentence is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. A lot of thought and science goes into those bowls. By the way...what is a Yngwie Fan?
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Paul...I just figured it out why this guy has a Ovation bias. You say he has the same name as you, right? He must be bizzaro-Paul Hebert from an alternate, opposite universe. We need to help him find his way back to his own plane of existance.
Brad |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Yngwie played Ovations at one point, maybe still does.
There are some people who hate Ovations, no matter what just like there are some people who will vote for the democrats no matter what. If their mind is that closed you won't open it, dont waste your time. |
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Joined:
August 2003
Posts: 27
Location: Palm Desert, CA | I wouldn't get too pissed off and here's why:
1. I feel secure w/ my Ovation Custom Legend
2. I'm not trying to convert the world.
If you don't like Ovation, who cares? I like
them, so I buy them.
3. The guy's an old timer, he deserves to say what
he wants.
4. He builds guitars by hand which I totally
respect (the time, effort, attention to detail)
You can't do that w/ an Ovation (w/o the vacuum
seal gizmo---maybe I'm wrong---anyone try it?)
* Yngwie still plays Ovations, esp in concert. |
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Joined:
July 2003
Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | Someone who works with wood, who builds guitars, is not going to like Ovations. That is understandable. I wouldn't dump on the guy because of it.
I would not be closed-minded about the value of all-wood guitars, though. Ovations have a band of sound that they can achieve, from the Balladeers through the Elites, Legends and the Adamas. But that band of sound is not the entire range of sound possible from an acoustic guitar, and there are valid reasons for having other brands of all-wood guitars in addition to Ovations.
I personally like the sound of Balladeers, Legends and Adamas. But for a specific C&W sound, you need a Gibson(or at least a maple body guitar), and for an authentic blues sound, a mahogany body guitar is optimum(IMHO). Mahogany has a darker sound that I've not heard an Ovation recreate well.
I have five roundback guitars and I like them. But there is value in all-wood guitars. I wouldn't make the same mistake this luthier has made in writing off Ovations.
I've gotten to where I don't worry about "converting" people. If I can play an Ovation for someone that might listen, I will, but I've found that any one who dumps on Ovation generally has already made up their mind.
Roger |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13997
Location: Upper Left USA | Quote: "I've gotten to where I don't worry about "converting" people. If I can play an Ovation for someone that might listen, I will, but I've found that any one who dumps on Ovation generally has already made up their mind."
The line goes something like:
"How many Therapist does it take to change a light bulb? One, but the light bulb has to want to change!"
You presented the evidence as best you could. Now he must ignore, decide or avoid. Couple a hundred years ago you would have been burned at the stake.
I will add that having found a brace on my Applesauce guitar that needs reglueing I went and ordered a couple of jack clamps rather than a 12" soundhole clamp. Big Duh on my part! Dang ol roundbacks anyway. |
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Joined:
June 2002
Posts: 6202
Location: Phoenix AZ | The reason I play Ovation guitars is not to please others. Period.
Some people just have closed minds, that's fine. Maybe I'm one of them. My father was one of these "buy American" guys. And he had a fit when I bought my first new car and it was an import. I couldn't understand why he was so closed minded. 25 year laters later I've still have never owned an American car and probably never will. Now people would call ME closed minded.
You know what? WHO CARES !!! |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15686
Location: SoCal | Dave:
You still drive the same Toyota 25 years later????
The only person in this world that I actually try to please is my wife. I'm not concerned about anybody else. Some day I hope to succeed. |
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Joined:
June 2002
Posts: 6202
Location: Phoenix AZ | Ummm ... well ... no ... but just think, if I DID still drive the same old Toyota how much more money I would have available to spend on gas for it. |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 1380
Location: Central Oregon | Originally posted by moody, p.i.:
The only person in this world that I actually try to please is my wife. I'm not concerned about anybody else. Some day I hope to succeed.
Good luck Paul, good luck. If you manage please post how you did it. :)
/\/\/ |
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Joined:
January 2004
Posts: 627
Location: Cherry Hill, NJ | Paul, I could understand your frustration. A Few things about Ovations:
I was amazed at the amount of handcrafted wood wood work, soundboard, neck, etc that goes into each guitar, when I toured the factory. So the word plastic does not register.
Ovations are meant to be played above the 5th fret, unlike most wood acoustic guitars, as I also own Talyor and Gibson and other acoustics.
Some people can't think outside the box. The materials and quality of my 1619, far exceed many of the high end wood guitars...but heh.. I'm preaching to the choir...
Tommy |
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December 2003
Posts: 13997
Location: Upper Left USA | Moody - Your priorities are just fine! Much like guitar playing; words like Play, Practice, Work it through and tuning adjustment seem to fit. |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Originally posted by Legend-LX-Fan:
[QB]Last year I met a very nice older man QB]
Regardless of their luthierie skills, getting friendly with older men can be a bad move, as I'm sure Michael Jackson's prosecution layers will be attempting to prove.
With Ovations you either get it or you don't. It's pointless preaching to the un-convertable. |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 613
Location: Zion, Illinois | Originally posted by Glockaxis:
2. I'm not trying to convert the world.
If you don't like Ovation, who cares? I like
them, so I buy them.
I don't try to convert other also, but it is REALLY fun when you do.
Last year I attended a guitar social. The leader made a joke that "a guitar was required" when he saw me taking out my Adamas. One quiet song ended with an open E chord that I strummed smoothly, the great deep bass of my Adamas sang out above all the other guitars. When i strummed the chord, the leader lookup up suddenly and a small smile appeared on his face. He quietly mouthed one word : NICE
Bradley |
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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | I agree...Dislike Ovations if you want to. But please, dislike them for the right reasons.
Brad |
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Joined:
August 2003
Posts: 4619
Location: SoCal | Paul,
If I remember right, you had said he also repairs them...I can understand his affection for wood boxes, more opportunity for repair.
Be nice, he is probably related to you...lots of Heberts in LA but I believe they all come down from Antoine Hebert and Genevieve LaFranc. |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | what do you expect from someone named Paul Herbert??????? |
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Joined:
November 2002
Posts: 1196
Location: Lafayette, Louisiana | Not sure Al, I don't know anyone named Paul Herbert. I do know someone named Paul Hebert. |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Ah, yes . . . it's all this rapier repartee that keeps me coming back to this place . . |
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"MISTAKE"?????????