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Joined: February 2004 Posts: 1634
Location: Warren,Pa. | I get the suspicion this Board is growing in popularity with the employees. We've gotten quite big in a short time, and there's a LOT of fun going on here. I don't pay attention to any other boards...just this one,but I'd imagine this one's worth paying attention to compared to what other guitar companies have going.
Maybe they should put up monitors here and there around the factory with the current posts. |
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Joined: November 2003 Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | it's kinda like a car wreck. |
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Joined: August 2006 Posts: 3145
Location: Marlton, NJ | Hopefully the company lawyers don't find out... we'll have to sign waivers, non-competes, non-disclosures... |
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Joined: April 2006 Posts: 1017
Location: Budd Lake, NJ | I hope they are watching; after all, they get a ton of free feedback without amps and without the benefit of pollsters, postage costs, or processing return envelopes. Want to know what the Ovation-playing public at large thinks of your high-end to low-end products? New products? Options? Electronics? Aestetics? Glitches? We aren't just a club--we're a resource! Opinions cheerfully offered, good, bad but never indifferent. ;)
--Karen |
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Joined: July 2002 Posts: 1900
| All the 'factory' and 'employee' talk has made me curious.. who among our members are current Ovation/Adamas employees?..(or are they allowed to identify themselves to the rest of us common folk?.. :) ) |
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Joined: September 2003 Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | That think that get's a little sticky. (Like Kenny Roger's palm.)
I always thought that employee participation here was not encourged. |
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Joined: March 2002 Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | It Isn't. |
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Joined: September 2003 Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | And there are probably any number of good reasons. |
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Joined: July 2002 Posts: 1900
| I've never considered the OFC such a subversive organization that the factory employees would be warned to stay away from us...it's not like we're trying to slither away with any 'trade secrets'... ;) (the clandestine stuff is reserved for the factory tour right...oops..ssshhh) |
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Joined: November 2005 Posts: 4827
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | The nice thing about the internet is that everyone can be annoymous.
The worst thing about the internet is that everyone can be annonymous.
I think we should stick to the best reasons...and leave all who care to be...annonymous.
The blowback from staff posting as staff in a fan site could be....a poor career choice... |
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Joined: January 2002 Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | I think the thought process (or lack thereof) goes like this. You are employed by Kaman therefore if you say something there it could be construed as coming from an "official" source. Unless you're above a certain level (and who knows what that is) you're not allowed to speak on behalf of the company. Never say anything that could be viewed as an opinion that may have to be changed later, thereby creating embaressment (yes I know that's spelled wrong) to the company and your boss. Never do anything that would piss of GC. Never comment on ideas or suggestions, this gives the impression that the company didn't think of them first. And on and on in this paranoid frame of mind.......... |
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Joined: December 2003 Posts: 13987
Location: Upper Left USA | I do think that the "OFC" would make a great reality/documentary/prime time show if well written.
I'd also like one of those Designers to help me redo the Music Room. Not the queer ones or the one that made that glued feather wall though! |
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Joined: December 2001 Posts: 10582
Location: NJ | Originally posted by MWoody:
I do think that the "OFC" would make a great reality/documentary/prime time show if well written.
yup sorta like flavor of love meets the manson family |
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Joined: February 2005 Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by fillhixx:
The nice thing about the internet is that everyone can be annoymous.
The worst thing about the internet is that everyone can be annonymous.
I think we should stick to the best reasons...and leave all who care to be...annonymous. I knew there was something inherently wrong with an anonymous Canadian correcting my grammer. |
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Joined: October 2006 Posts: 42
Location: New Hartford, CT | As an ex employee and new to the site, i haven't been exposed to anyone on here who (currently) works at Ovation...That said, the work force at Ovation and Hamer is pretty small...the folks that work there that experss their opnions on this site are probably well known. I would think the employees that speak favorable about the product and the company, and use this site as a tool to help the company improve the product, Is good for everyone! Including the employee...If employees or ex employees are showing up on here just to vent their frustration with the company, or post information that would not be in the best interest to the company or OFC, I don't think they have an opinion worth listening to in the first place. |
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Joined: December 2001 Posts: 7222
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Our oldest most loyal followers are from the Factory. They have been there from the begining. Most do not post, but they read often. Anyone who has been on the annual tour can testify that they indeed are up-to-date on our daily chit-chat. |
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Joined: June 2004 Posts: 580
Location: NW NJ | Yep. |
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Joined: July 2005 Posts: 3410
Location: GA USA | About the TV show idea. I was thinking about what a great PBS special could be made about Ovation history. Unique Voices is really a commercial, but if say, Angela Calman or somebody produced a show about the unique story of O, it would be every bit as good as the show about great BBQ joints, or noodling. I don't know... the noodling show is pretty good. Have you northern guys seen it? |
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Joined: November 2005 Posts: 4827
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Originally posted by The Wabbit Formerly Known As Waskel:
I knew there was something inherently wrong with an anonymous Canadian correcting my grammer. My grammar is in excellent health...my speling's 'sic' tho.
Victim of too many years in broadcasting. |
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Joined: March 2005 Posts: 12754
Location: Boise, Idaho | Bill's comment about the paranoid frame of mind, unfortunately seems to be the mantra of American business. The desire to stay in the mainstream must be taught in business school or inherent in those that go into business these days. Lexus has an ad that talks about all the advancements since the old days, and then advertises a car that parks itself. Hardly up there with the invention of the telephone, but vanilla enough that they may sell a ton of cars. Sorry, senile ramblings again. |
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Joined: January 2002 Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Karen, you're right, it should be used that way.
Woodrow, you can't say queer anymore (not that there's anything wrong with that), maybe try opposite gender challenged.
Flumeman, there is reality and theory. All that you say is true but it leans toward the second.
Mark, our friendly lawyer understands. |
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Joined: December 2003 Posts: 13987
Location: Upper Left USA | Sorry Bill but their gender challenged Law and Agenda Team can locate me through my Paypal address if they want. Currently the Navy is pushing its "Diversity" campaign. It sounds great and inclusive to attracting a lot of skill and talent and putting it to use (an American concept?). The down side is when they get carried away trying to legislate tolerance for the non-contributors. Wait, how did I get started on this...
I love the way different people show up on this site and make it interestinger! We don't need no spellcheck.
Welcome again Grant, er... Flume! |
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Joined: December 2004 Posts: 4394
Location: East Tennessee | For those of us who are spelling challenged here is a link to help.
Internet spell check download |
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Joined: April 2004 Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Mark, I saw where Boise made the national news yesterday.
Seems some idiot from your neck of the woods robbed a local (Boise) store. Problem was it was a survelience(sic) and security camera store....and the idiot did not cover his face except with a hood.
So....guess what....only about 10 camera angles caught him in the act of robbing the store. |
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Joined: November 2005 Posts: 1126
Location: Omaha, NE | A number of years ago, I worked for a billing company here in Omaha. I was the Lead Project Engineer for what was supposed to be their next generation system. This is big stuff: Systems designed to manage 50 million cable television accounts.
Anyway, for a variety of complicated reasons, the project was a disaster. $40 million down the tubes. Problem was senior management kept telling the story about how great it was going to be.
I finally had enough and left. But I still had a bunch of stock options and a non-disclosure in place. It was frustrating as all hell: I would read messages on various investing boards where people would talk about how they just dropped a bunch of money into the stock because they heard that this new system was going to be great. It was hard to keep quiet. But I did.
In my first job, I worked at Wisconsin Public Service, an electric utility in Green Bay. We lived and breathed by our "rate case", which was the annual regulatory event where our rates were set by the state. Wall Street analysts would cold call into the company, fishing for inside info on how things were going.
One day I happened to be on the phone with a friend of mine when my boss (a senior VP) walked into my office. I pretended not to notice him and said into the phone "I really don't know, but the word around the campfire here is that its bad. All the suits are selling stock like crazy. I'm starting to worry....oops gotta go. Call anytime".
"Who was that?" My boss asked.
"Some guy. Said he was from Goldman Sachs"
Shoulda seen him turn white.
The irony in the market today is that customers value transparency more than just about anything else. They are also pretty reasonable most of the time. But they can also be ruthless. In any case, the desire for secrecy can be pretty destructive. The reality is that most of the time, the secrecy keeps companies from realizing just how out of the loop most employees are.
One of the early mantras of the internet was that "information can not be contained". I'm not sure that is literally true, but you will never catch me betting on a secret.
Enough idle thoughts for tonight. |
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Joined: April 2006 Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Interesting thread,end sins Ai doont neet noo schpell cheque,I dare to ask ( as ignorant as can be )being well aware that the good people in hartford after a hard days work are too tired to hang out in this joint,anyone know if "JUMBO " sized guitars are scheduled for production soon ? ,I asked this before ,I know ,hopefully I`ll get an answer this time :)
(JUMBO sized Elite,triple A grade top,sunburst,gold hardware,ambercolored bean style knobs,walnut fretboard,valve equipped pre-amp (a la TAKAMINE)with a case that accomodates trussrod adjuster ) :) I`ll have 1 regular & 1 cutaway.. :)
AnyOne Else who would be interested ??
and oh sure,an ADAMAS would be okay too I guess.. :)
Vic |
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Joined: August 2006 Posts: 122
Location: Tucson, AZ | ...as the 'hillbilly' Lawyer advice goes: "...it's ALL legal...until your get CAUGHT; then, it's all ILLEGAL." |
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Joined: April 2006 Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Tele..Aint that the truth :p
Oma..perhaps ,just maybe ,your thoughts are not so idle ;)
Vic |
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Joined: March 2005 Posts: 12754
Location: Boise, Idaho | Originally posted by stephent28:
Mark, I saw where Boise made the national news yesterday.
Seems some idiot from your neck of the woods robbed a local (Boise) store. Problem was it was a survelience(sic) and security camera store....and the idiot did not cover his face except with a hood.
So....guess what....only about 10 camera angles caught him in the act of robbing the store. I saw that on the news, but didn't realize it was local. He came back in several times after breaking out the front door with a rock.
We had another rocket scientist crime the other night. Please don't think I'm a racist, but this is true. 3 black kids walk into a Mormon church hall and play basketball with the Mormon kids. You might guess that the odds of seeing a black kid in a Mormon church is only a little better than the odds of seeing one at an Arian Nations or KKK meeting. Anyway, they leave early and a lady later finds her purse missing. The only ones who left early were the 3, and the lady was the wife of a Deputy US Attorney. One of the 3 kids was a church member and he identified the others. The one who they caught had an unusual name that I won't mention and wore diamond earrings. They questioned him at school the next day and he fessed up and showed where he stashed the purse. The lady didn't have one cent of cash in it. |
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Joined: February 2005 Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | We had one here yesterday where a guy tried to hold up a convenience store wearing a pair of black halloween boxer shorts with a pumpkin on them over his head. No gun. Demanded money, the owner told him 3 times to get out. When he started around the counter, the guy ran for it, and slammed into the door 3 times before he made it out. Seems it's hard to read 'Pull' with boxers over your head. |
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Joined: March 2006 Posts: 1634
Location: Chehalis, Washington | Possible "leaking" of info regarding new models, technology, etc could possibly hurt the company's plans and control of the market. It's kind of like in the 80's when they were filming Return of the Jedi, and they had a fake movie title and script as a cover to throw off the media...I don't think Kaman wants to allow for the possibility that information could get out too early to the consumers/competition and screw up their release and promotional plans. Much better to hit something new with a bang than let it trickle through the gossip-mill a little at a time. |
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Joined: December 2003 Posts: 13987
Location: Upper Left USA | It's all about who is speaking "for" the Company.
As a Shipyard Worker/Government Employee I know that they absolutely hate it when the News Crews are taking interviews of Workers as they come out the gate. That 5 seconds of misinterpreted opinion becomes the "Navy" statement for listeners. |
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Joined: January 2006 Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Unfortunately, even though workers may have nothing but good intentions at heart and really believe they are speaking only the truth, they may be wildly uninformed or, worse yet, misinformed. When incorrect or misleading information provided by a well-meaning but nonetheless uninformed staff member is subsequently released by the media, it is presumed to be factual by most readers and listeners. This then leaves the proper authorities within the organization stuck in the unenviable defensive position of having to correct the bad information without revealing too much about what really might be happening due to any number of reasons. I know this from personal experience. I am the official spokesperson for my employer and I have been in the position of having to explain many things that were not what they were initially represented or reported to be. |
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Joined: November 2003 Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Blah, Blah, Blah, BLAH....
When was the last time any of you trusted what an "designated representative" of any corporation/political party said?
We are living in an era of target market strategy and plausible deniabilty. The folks on the line are at least as trustworthy as the Corp. Officers and likely more so. |
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Joined: September 2006 Posts: 713
Location: Alberta, Canada | oops |
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Joined: November 2005 Posts: 1126
Location: Omaha, NE | Originally posted by Jeff W.:
The folks on the line are at least as trustworthy as the Corp. Officers and likely more so. Bingo.
Things like "Corporate Communications" departments are just ways for the suits to try to put their own spin on the story. The front line folks may not know the spin, but they do know what is really happening. Often, that's more than can be said for the suits. |
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Joined: November 2003 Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Originally posted by colt357:
oops ???
Colt, I missed the gist of your meaning. Care to elaborate?? |
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Joined: February 2005 Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by Jeff W.:
Blah, Blah, Blah, BLAH....
When was the last time any of you trusted what an "designated representative" of any corporation/political party said?
We are living in an era of target market strategy and plausible deniabilty. The folks on the line are at least as trustworthy as the Corp. Officers and likely more so. Originally posted by colt357:
oops Jeff, you may be having visitors.
... oh, and if they say "Alcohol, tobacco and firearms"... they're not making a delivery... |
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Joined: January 2006 Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | At least as trustworthy and likely more so, yes. Well-intended, yes. Meaning no harm, very likely. As well informed, probably not. Despite the headlines, not all organizations are run by bad managers. After reading some of these posts, I'm not sure I would care to work for the "suits" referenced in your posts. I like to think my suit is of a different color. |
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Joined: November 2003 Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | "Jeff, you may be having visitors."
Awh, FUDGE!
I'm still cleaning up from the last time... |
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Joined: July 2002 Posts: 1900
| Blah blah blah, I agree...that's greek for 'everyone learn to read between the lines'..
And I think it would actually be an interesting concept to design an Ovation jumbo series. Jumbo not meaning a deeper 'deep' bowl, but a jumbo shaped series similar to the other premium guitar models...(but I'm not holding my breath..) |
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Joined: November 2003 Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Originally posted by ProfessorBB:
At least as trustworthy and likely more so, yes. Well-intended, yes. Meaning no harm, very likely. As well informed, probably not. Despite the headlines, not all organizations are run by bad managers. After reading some of these posts, I'm not sure I would care to work for the "suits" referenced in your posts. I like to think my suit is of a different color. Prof,
I'm a "Corporation" too. The PROBLEM with LARGE corporations is that it is very difficult to hold individual persons accountable for the actions of the corporation, which by law is "seen" as an individual. It's too easy to play-off the "self-interest" of a corporation against the larger public good, because it is difficult to hold individuals within a corp accountable. |
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Joined: January 2006 Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Under the guise of profit and market share, we all have read about corporate managers who do things, some illegal, primarily for personal greed and power. While keeping tabs on managers is the responsibility of Boards of Directors and an informed group of shareholders, it starts with the personal values of the managers themselves. While I do know something about leadership, I don't profess to know anything about corporate culture. I have been with the government a really long time, and we, too, have our share of misguided managers. However, they have a tougher time avoiding accountability in the name of profit and market share.
My point is a simple one. Not all managers are bad. Let's hear it for the good leaders! |
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Joined: April 2006 Posts: 972
Location: PDX | I think (most of) the information on this site would be of great value to Ovation. Whether they have folks from the company posting or not. It just seems to me that it would be in their interest to find out what avid and knowledgable Ovation fans are saying about the guitars; past, present, and future.
_____
gh1 |
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Joined: January 2006 Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | gh1: I concur that it would of interest to Ovation. Maybe they are monitoring the discussions and we just don't know about it. However, keep in mind that this group is already on their bandwagon. Might it not be just as valuable, or maybe more valuable, to monitor the boards of the other guitar maker fan clubs and see what supporters/customers of the competition are thinking?
This is one reason why Harley Davidson came out with the V-Rod. The model isn't intended for the hard core Harley aficionado who already have the logo tattooed on their chest, or play like they do. Rather, Harley is trying to produce a model that will appeal to a younger customer that heretofore prefers to look to Japan's Big 4 for speed and handling. With an aging customer base, their future depends on it. |
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Joined: April 2006 Posts: 972
Location: PDX | Professor:
very interesting point. A valid viewpoint i did not consider. I'm not sure what Ovation's marketing strategy is, nor their overall corporate objective. They are a publically traded company so growth is almost a given objective. And if they are to grow they do need to reach a broader consumer base.
I guess the way i see it is that the information found here can provide insight as to what works and what doesn't. I would think that could significantly focus development efforts for new products, and "re-issues". Maybe not.
One thing this board can't provide is a way to get the message out. As you say, we've already drank the cool-aide.
_____
gh1 |
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Joined: November 2003 Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | There is NO DOUBT whatsoever, that traditional, quality tonewood guitars are going to be ever-more-expensive and less available to the average guitar player.
New uses of wood and composite designs are going to be the popular choice for guitars in next decade...
Ovation SHOULD be so-way-ahead of this inevitable trend.. |
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Joined: September 2006 Posts: 713
Location: Alberta, Canada | Originally posted by Jeff W.:
Originally posted by colt357:
oops ???
Colt, I missed the gist of your meaning. Care to elaborate?? Jeff, my appologies. I should've marked that as edited, but I was running my dinner hour late and got in a hurry. I was trying to make a smart a$$ reply to a post and when it came up I thought I replied to the wrong post, so I edited it. I'll try it again, so you're not in the dark, now that I've discovered how to reply with a quote. |
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Joined: September 2006 Posts: 713
Location: Alberta, Canada | Originally posted by The Wabbit Formerly Known As Waskel:
We had one here yesterday where a guy tried to hold up a convenience store wearing a pair of black halloween boxer shorts with a pumpkin on them over his head. No gun. Demanded money, the owner told him 3 times to get out. When he started around the counter, the guy ran for it, and slammed into the door 3 times before he made it out. Seems it's hard to read 'Pull' with boxers over your head. That's what happens when you have your head occupying space where your a$$ should be. |
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Joined: December 2001 Posts: 10582
Location: NJ | I can tell you that the factory does watch this page. they pick up on trends and ideas and even some blunders.
be nice. |
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Joined: November 2005 Posts: 4827
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | They're grownups, they can take it.
It's the children we have to protect...
Cliffie, don't read this! |
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Joined: April 2006 Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Sigh,... |
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Joined: April 2006 Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Did I miss somethin`here :confused: ,very strong points were put on the "table",and the word JUMBO was mentioned and.. well described :) ,and it was n`t even I that expressed the "J" word,does that mean that it`s okay to progress from piano to Fortissimo, :eek: that is GREAT :p when are they gonna make my friggin Jumbo`s or should we throw a poll :confused: after all,with all that un-employment goin`on,we`re offering work here,nichtwar.. ;)
Vic |
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Joined: February 2004 Posts: 2487
| Well then... How about MAKING IT EASIER FOR AN AMERICAN CONSUMER TO BUY THE GREAT GUITARS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THE ASIAN MARKETS?? I know these are not the American made guitars and you'll never loose the Americans who want these products but DAM! I could not find anyway to buy a double neck CDS-215 (if I have the numbers correct) And you guy's only seem to allow the Americans to buy the Celebrity 255 or 225 in the black cherry color???? I actually have a stage need for one...That makes no sense to me. Now what reason would there be from a factory to keep a certain style of guitar away from any market??? That is an answer I'd like an honest answer too?? why can't I buy a guitar with a BLUE TOP or BLACK. if I want it..............Why have I forced to buy Black Cherry RED......... WHATZZZZZ UPPP with that??? Do you figure the American market will be satisfied with that same color on every single double Neck made......Give me a break guys! I can say for a fact you lost one sale right here with me... I bought a "215" Used... only way I could find one, and I searched everywhere I could for one new!
If your worried about keeping the Americans buying American guitars then why don't you PLEASE PLEASE give us some of the great woods used for tops, stains and color choices that are available to the rest of the known world right here in the USA on the ELITE models or on the celebrities available here. It is my understanding that Adamas 1's have been manufactured for the Asian market while they were not made available to the Americans in the past.??? More than once???? Someone correct me if I am wrong here. But if any of this is correct then perhaps I have a point??
Great Guitars guy's! Really. Do Not get me wrong! I just do not understand the marketing logic?? There should be loopholes made to appease the poor slobs like me who want something a little different?
My little small venue Gig's generate a lot of questions about your guitars. Even now I find musicians who are not familiar with their quality and sound, up close. They have only tried the shallow bodied celebs that are readily available at the guitar shops. None of these musicians bother to plug one in to see how good they sound through a nice little fishman amp or what have you... because the shallow body does not have the acoustic sound they want to hear first. If you could get these same musicians to try one of these instruments plugged in first! You'd sell twice as many as you do now! I say get the stores to leave one on a stand in front of an amp and ready to play! They will forgive the unplugged sounds if they went this route! An Adamas is like a holy grail. No one and I mean "No one" around my part of upstate NY has ever seen one in person. They love them when I show them and let them play one! And I'd say I have sent a dozen musicians looking in the past few months alone from my endorsemnt and the sound of these Adamas's! What do they find......... ONE OVATION CHOICE......A BLACK CHERRY CELEBRITY 6. AND THEY BUY THE TAYLOR.............. Get it...???
Now I wanted a CUSTOM MADE DOUBLE NECK ADAMAS 1 made..... I wanted a 4 string bass/6 string neck made in the origianl #7 color. I went through Al. his response was and I quote "They said they will have to tool up for something like this"
Excuse me????? I am honsetly considering paying around $8k and perhaps more... for a custom built guitar. I will never know we never got that far. Note the word "CUSTOM"... sometimes CUSTOM means tooling up. but for this kind of money just how much extra work would this really be???? Christ send the the necks and I'll carve the headstocks myself. The attachments to the body and the bracing for a bass neck can't be all that much different that a clever luthier could not figure out how to get this throught the line??? But hey I guess if it too much for you... I will spend this money elsewhere.... and in fact have been for the past few months. I have taken my tag line of guitars out of my posts because it is getting a little much! Well lets see so far the Factory lost their cut of $8k from me and the sale of a custom Adamas and a $1,200 double neck because it can't be bought by me in the US??
But I still love the guitars..... You do the math. I tried to buy from you guy's.
By the way I see the Asian markets have a lot of American made guitars hanging for sale in their shops.
I sure do want this to sound like Ovation bashing, I love the products you make! The luthiers working there have got to be some of the very best on the planet! I just do not understand a few things and perhaps it is something the guy's who brain storm around the sales table should reconsider??? Just a thought from one guy who wanted to buy something you make and could not.
I hope my fellow members do not think this is outright beligerance or some mutinious defiant stance on my part toward the factory. Please do not confuse a point of view with what it is not.
Messages like this can be more benificial to a company than a hundred pages of pleasant banter. Now perhaps my particular thoughts are not that valuable but they could be. I thought they were worth voicing.
Randy |
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Joined: March 2005 Posts: 12754
Location: Boise, Idaho | Throttle back, Randy. And Al, if the Ovation guys start wearing boxer shorts over their heads and running into doors, we'll know they read these posts. |
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Joined: April 2006 Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | NORTH..I hear ya..the same overhere,are we stepkids or ?..mebbe we should ah..Adunno..combine resources ?..do some lobbying perhaps..any others who wanna join a spiring movement.. NORTH ,what shall we call it .."StepKids Lobbers".."We Who Deserve Colors".."Jumbo Bumbo".. :)
Vic |
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Joined: January 2005 Posts: 4903
Location: Phoenix AZ | Randy, I hear your frustration. Hell, all I wanted them to do was charge me a few bucks extra and leave OFF the god damn label and they said NO. So my conclusion is that a custom order will only be accepted if the following three conditions are met: 1) it is technically possible, 2) you are willing to pay for it, and 3) they want to do it. If they don't want to build a double neck Adamas, or if they don't want to omit the ugly label, then it ain't gonna happen. Same holds true with other builders. I wanted something done on one of my martins that would have been easy to do and I was ready to pay for it, but they just didn't want to go it. Life goes on. Dave |
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Joined: August 2002 Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | Nasty economics at work here. Supply and demand. Resource availability and constraints. Effects of assembly line disruption. Cost of capital and assets. The way I see it, the factory is already running at full throttle. Ovation puts out a lot of guitars for what they are ... certainly a ton more than most builders with a lot of hand work involved. Martin and Taylor will do "custom" orders ... but they really aren't custom, just a different configuration of the materials and processes they have in current production. Knowing what I know about the Adamas production, $8K is way light for what you want Randy. Ovation's cost would probably be something well into the five figures, and then you have to have at least ten orders per year of the same magnitude to hire just one person to do the work. It's hard to make that happen. BUT, if you want a "custom" guitar based on available processes and materials, Ovation seems to be as flexible and accomodating as anyone. |
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Joined: December 2003 Posts: 13987
Location: Upper Left USA | I want to see a line of Dreadnaught Deep bowls in TT and AAA Spruce with the ANS neck!
Please...
If I ever get my garage back I want to start making some fiberglass bowls. I'll start with the "A" scale and eventually try a Dreadnaught with the 1537 type bracing. The worst I could do is waste some time and money! At least I don't have a fishing boat!
I am in the process of squeeking through on a Custom order for something not made yet. There is always hope. |
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Joined: March 2006 Posts: 1634
Location: Chehalis, Washington | Likewise. At first request, Koa was no longer available for production. With a little more questioning...let's just say I will be taking possession of one within a couple weeks. |
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Joined: February 2004 Posts: 1634
Location: Warren,Pa. | Like Al said..be nice.
For those who may be relatively new among us, the folks at Ovation have been extremely generous to the OFC. There is not one ounce of "us v. them" going on. We have a relationship that I don't think exists with any other guitar company. OFC history has proven this to be true.
So whatever else we have to say, let's remember to maintain an overall friendliness in our comments regarding Ovation as a company.
...and I recommend that during the first string change on a new Ovation, those interested in removing the label simply peel off what you can and work at the rest with some GOO-GONE. $1 at your local store.
John <>{ |
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Joined: February 2004 Posts: 2487
| I have edited my post to read a little more the way it was intended. And that was.... To be constructive critque.
This is how companies change and adapt. Someone has to point out a discrepancy then it can be addressed.
I think Thomas Edison said it best;
"Restlessness is discontent and discontent is the first necessity of progress"
"I am just trying to do my part" Randy!
Perhaps this helps, and perhaps it does not. I think there are some who think I am bashing Ovation, by the few negative emails at home that I have recieved. Funny actually, considering I own a room full of these fine guitars and am still buying more.
For everyone else......who's on the same page with me.... It's Thursday where I am, must be close to Thursday where you are right? Just trying to make it through another Go@@am Day........So pull up yer pants patrick, We're going home!
Randy |
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Joined: February 2004 Posts: 1634
Location: Warren,Pa. | Randy,
What made you think I was referring to you?
John <>{ |
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Joined: May 2003 Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | NorthCountry,
I don't think you had to worry about offending anyone because your post was so long, with strange edits and capitalizations that no one, except the most obsessive, actually read it completely. So cheer up! |
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Joined: July 2002 Posts: 1900
| I've read every post on this thread, and I understand the frustration. An enthusiast is an enthusiast, period. Personally, I've been planning on a future custom-order, so I hope they're already 'tooled-up' to make one for me... |
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Joined: October 2005 Posts: 4042
Location: Utah | I am frustrated by their poor marketing via Guitar Center. GC is probably one of the best opportunities to showcase their guitars, and our GC has a decent representation of the product line.
Except, not a single Adamas! Get some into the GC high end room.
Also, as mentioned in an earlier thread, require GC to change the strings every month. Make it a contractual requirement, and hell even provide free strings to them to do it. Old strings on a guitar is like a dirty car on a dealer's lot. It just turns customers away. |
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Joined: March 2002 Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | That would be the scenario of the Dog wagging the Tail . . . |
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Joined: May 2003 Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | All I'm saying is, that when the posting is written in an unfocused manner, it's less likely to be read. Life is short enough. As far as I'm concerned people can be as enthusiastic as they want to be. Lord knows I am about ovations ... But that's different then having to parse thru a screed. |
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Joined: February 2004 Posts: 2487
| Well at least I am posting an original thought. Good or bad it has some merit. Your not the only other member in here and that comment you just made was mean spirited for no apparent reason. I have said nothing to you directly before ever as far as I remember. So whats wrong? you seem uptight?
My multiple posts are not focused on belittling someone elses thoughts! Nor the way in which they are conveyed! I was making a somewhat coherent thought. I am sorry if it did not meet with your grammatical standards.
Now, to address your messages content further; If life is to short to read a long message, then why would you think it is a good use of your valuable time to try and humiliate me. Fair queston I would say. Or was my thought to unfocused?
In case you thought that was to hard to read let me summarize; Your being a bit of an A$$ to me and I do not understand why.
Go$$amit Patrick don't take yer pants off I told you we were only going to be here for a minute!
Randy |
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Joined: May 2003 Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | LOL! |
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Joined: February 2004 Posts: 2487
| Yeah that was good. And I spell checked to be sure!
Randy |
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Joined: September 2003 Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Go$$amit Patrick don't take yer pants off I told you we were only going to be here for a minute!
I don't get the joke (if it is one), clever reference (if it is one), or context of the phrase.
And as to the use of "$$" and "@@" in place of letters to hide a perceived vulgarity. It does not hide anything. If you feel that you need to hide the word by mis-spelling it, maybe a different word should be used.
Or if you feel like you just have to swear, at least get it right. |
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Joined: March 2004 Posts: 629
Location: Houston, Texas | Give him an apology, Rick. His words were no harder to understand than yours.
Originally posted by an4340:
NorthCountry,
I don't think you had to worry about offending anyone because your post was so long, with strange edits and capitalizations that no one, except the most obsessive, actually read it completely. So cheer up! That's strange wording for a complete sentence. Try adding the word 'such' before 'strange edits', and move the second comma to after the word 'capitalizations'. That would make it easier to read.
Originally posted by an4340:
All I'm saying is, that when the posting is written in an unfocused manner, it's less likely to be read. Life is short enough. As far as I'm concerned people can be as enthusiastic as they want to be. Lord knows I am about ovations ... But that's different then having to parse thru a screed. In the last sentence, the word 'then' is incorrect. It should be 'than'. And 'thru' should really be 'through'.
Damn it, people. Are we going to have to get Al to start his grammar lessons again? :eek: :D |
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Joined: March 2002 Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Don't MAKE me get the f@%kin' RedPencil out!!! . . . |
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Joined: March 2004 Posts: 629
Location: Houston, Texas | Originally posted by Slipkid:
And as to the use of "$$" and "@@" in place of letters to hide a perceived vulgarity. It does not hide anything. And Brad, how about a comma instead of a .....
Aww, to hell with it! :rolleyes: |
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Joined: March 2004 Posts: 629
Location: Houston, Texas | This ought to get the factory to quit watching! :D
Now we can go back to our normal perversions. |
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Joined: March 2005 Posts: 12754
Location: Boise, Idaho | No wonder they never post. They'd have people correcting their grammar and spelling. |
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Joined: November 2005 Posts: 4827
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Originally posted by Slipkid:
Go$$amit Patrick don't take yer pants off I told you we were only going to be here for a minute!
........................
I don't get the joke (if it is one), clever reference (if it is one), or context of the phrase. Then you don't watch SpongeBob Squarepants. More's the pity... |
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Joined: April 2006 Posts: 1017
Location: Budd Lake, NJ | They may just start wondering exactly what kind of lunatics they're entrusting all their beautiful creations to. Think of it: each bowl exquisitely formed, each top shaped with precision, each neck carefully hewed, frets precisely dressed, finish coats gracefully sprayed, abalone delicately tweezed in, trim accurately applied, strings tunefully wound, lovingly cradled in their cases--and then the poor unsuspecting things leave the safety of the mothership to face the real world--us. ;)
--Karen |
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Joined: February 2005 Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Patrick (left) and Spongebob.
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Joined: September 2003 Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Oh... a Sponge Bob reference.
That makes everything clear now. |
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Joined: November 2005 Posts: 4827
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Originally posted by Jewel's Mom:
They may just start wondering exactly what kind of lunatics they're entrusting all their beautiful
creations to. C'mon, they're making instruments for musicians. How high can their standards of behaviour be, really?
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Joined: February 2005 Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Yeah. Ya bunch o animals.
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Joined: November 2003 Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Why don't Porky wear pants? |
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Joined: March 2005 Posts: 12754
Location: Boise, Idaho | This group is weirder than I thought. |
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Joined: November 2005 Posts: 4827
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Why thank you!
Why be normal? No one else is. |
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Joined: March 2004 Posts: 629
Location: Houston, Texas | What the hell is Patrick supposed to be? A sweetpotato? And are they gay (not that there's anything wrong with that), like those purple things that Falwell used to carry on about? I'm glad I grew up in the days of Sea Hunt and Clutch Cargo.
And frankly, I'm starting to get a little concerned that Waskel's boss is going to be questioning his constant googling of cartoon imagery. :D |
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Joined: March 2002 Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | I used to have a woman boss who was a real SeaHunt . . . |
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Joined: February 2005 Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Let not your heart be troubled, Rick.
...and Patrick's a starfish.
...and Porky's got no pants on cause... well, frankly, he's just a pig. |
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Joined: March 2004 Posts: 629
Location: Houston, Texas | Oh, well then. Does that make spongebob a sea sponge or a cellulose sponge? Inquiring minds want to know. |
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Joined: November 2003 Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | ...and Porky's got no pants on cause... well, frankly, he's just a pig.... oh... same reason I don't wear em... |
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Joined: March 2002 Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | . . . and is Bob "Sponge-Worthy"?? |
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Joined: March 2004 Posts: 629
Location: Houston, Texas | Originally posted by cliff:
I used to have a woman boss who was a real SeaHunt . . . Ahh, yeah, the kind that Can't Understand Normal Thinking? |
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Joined: March 2004 Posts: 629
Location: Houston, Texas | Originally posted by cliff:
. . . and is Bob "Sponge-Worthy"?? I don't think He and Patrick need them. |
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Joined: October 2005 Posts: 5328
Location: Cicero, NY | ...and can Squidward really play that clarinet as well as he says he can???
(And no, Jeff, we don't want to hear how well you or anyone else can toot your own horn.) |
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Joined: November 2005 Posts: 4827
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Originally posted by Weaser P:
(And no, Jeff, we don't want to hear how well you can toot your own horn.) Jeff is really Ron Jeremy?!?! |
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Joined: March 2004 Posts: 629
Location: Houston, Texas | I can see Waskel googling away right now for an animated gif of Clutch Cargo. |
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Joined: March 2002 Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Just go with Greta Van Sustren . . they were seperated at bith. |
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Joined: November 2003 Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | guess what I'm googlin' ?? |
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Joined: October 2005 Posts: 5328
Location: Cicero, NY | A hedgehog? |
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Joined: March 2002 Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | The neighbor's PotBelly Pig??
(Oh, . . I'm sorry . . that's what the neighbor calls YOU . . .) |
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Joined: March 2004 Posts: 629
Location: Houston, Texas | |
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Joined: March 2002 Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | CLUTCH!! |
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Joined: November 2003 Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Originally posted by cliff:
The neighbor's PotBelly Pig??
I said, "Googlin' " not "Ooglin' " |
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Joined: November 2003 Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | looks like Clutch got a little Greta round the mouth... |
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Joined: March 2004 Posts: 629
Location: Houston, Texas | I didn't just read that, did I? |
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Joined: February 2004 Posts: 2487
| Amazing where these go, ain't it? |
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Joined: July 2002 Posts: 1900
| Just thought I'd check back with this thread...man, we really opened up a can o' worms with this one...but, there's definitely not a more passionate guitar club on the net, that's for sure.. |
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Joined: March 2002 Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | Oh man... Clutch Cargo? The last time I felt this sense of nostalgia about my childhood was when we started discussing Supercar...... |
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Joined: December 2003 Posts: 1889
Location: Central Massachusetts | |
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Joined: December 2001 Posts: 7222
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | dvd you made my day... my week... !!!!! LOL |
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Joined: December 2003 Posts: 13987
Location: Upper Left USA | |
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Joined: March 2004 Posts: 629
Location: Houston, Texas | Well, hopefully we can entertain the factory a little in return for all the entertainment they give us with their guitars. :cool: |
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Joined: March 2002 Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | Woodrow, I just drove thru that freeway intersection yesterday..... the 8 west to the 5 north... |
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Joined: December 2003 Posts: 13987
Location: Upper Left USA | you mean "I-8" to "I-5"?
:) |
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Joined: October 2005 Posts: 5328
Location: Cicero, NY | Great. There goes the thread. |
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Joined: April 2006 Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | SIGH !! |
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Joined: March 2005 Posts: 2791
Location: Atlanta, GA. | VEERING OFF AGAIN!
On spellcheck...
Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are. The olny iprmoent tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer is in the rghit pclae.
The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm.
Tihs is bauseae we do not raed ervey lteter by itslef, but the wrod as a wlohe.
Pnctuatoin is a wlohe dffiernet tihng!!! |
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Joined: August 2006 Posts: 2804
Location: ranson,wva | wow i never noticed that....jason |
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Joined: April 2006 Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Sigh |
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Joined: April 2006 Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Been away for 24 hrs,....great posts by N & Joyful N,clear,sober & to the point,and the reference to Thomas Alva Edison,stroke o`genius,simply ( U a man o`electrics N ? What is this thread really about :confused: innovation ..Okay..Once upon a time there was a man..let`s call him Charlie,who played guitar and discovered flaws on them,now He (being a man of zest and resources )decided to overcome those flaws, by building his own,..after many sleepless nights o`tinkering,the OVATION guitar was born,something radically different,yet familiar enough to be of practical use to many others,from then on ,several innovations were introduced,for Charlie saw further,an acoustic guitar that could be amplified,without the inherent problems that other guitars were suffering ( feedback for one )yet retaining their acoustic sound,no small feat indeed !! ;) Improvements were added along the way, too numerous to be mentioned here
However..there is still room for improvements,that can be based upon ,not only from Charlie`s brilliant mind,but also from ,among many other places, this board ,for many of us ,play these "soundmachines" on a regular basis,and just like their creator,discover little quirks,( if only this ,or only that )our comments might be worth listening too,for they would add to further innovation a word I gather,ranks highly with a true GENIUS :) trying to silence the voice of constructive critycism by ..sneering..booing..etc. ,will not stop an inventive mind.I can imagine that Charlie has been told by people who "knew" that "it" could not be done,and that musicians would not be interested,yet He persevered,and the result is being enjoyed by many the world over :p some of those "users" however ,have (small ) wishes ( if only this / that .!.)..I am one o` those ,and know others,who would like ..( anything from difference in colors,to difference in models ) to see our wishes come true,the reasons can be many,
I would like a JUMBO,and in an other post I described one,the reason for me wanting it, is simply that ,when sitting down,I "crouch" over the guitar,a bigger guitar would be more comfortable to do so,I also would like a longer scale,so that fret distance would increase,this would be a Big help for people with "Beefy Hands" ( playing an "A" is a rather crowded afair for my fingers ) now ,I just mentioned some practical things,but there is also the esthetic part,how the guitar looks like can be rather important to the "user" for different reasons,many who purchase one do it exactly because of That ,witness the fact that many buy a copy instead of the original ( it looks so nice,and the sound is probably not that different )that tells how strong the perception of beauty can be,I suppose much more can be said but we all need our beauty sleep , save for alpep & I ( true insomnians ) :) but I do hope that it will be accepted as food for ( constructive ) thought ;)
Thank you for the Audition ;)
(personal note) J N ,you are true to your "nick",your noise is joyful to read :)
(personal note)NORTH you do " coffee gigs" ?
(personal note)TupperWare ,how about making your own label,may I suggest merlot background / gold lettering,saying : TupperWare`s Own beware of the Dog
Later people...
Vic |
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Joined: February 2004 Posts: 2487
| Yep. Coffee Gig's at Pub's! and a few local outdoor events/party's. Hope to continue and build into a trio when we can sell it or perhaps a four piece? Yet, all the while, keeping the Duo as a little money maker that is less hassle and still fun. There are a few others in here who do this too. I think at my age, it is as far as I will ever get with playing music "On Stage" and it is enough.
Thanks for the view from across the big pond Vic.
Randy |
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Joined: February 2005 Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Where's Rick when we really need him? |
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Joined: March 2006 Posts: 1634
Location: Chehalis, Washington | Even being an English major, I have forced myself to refuse to make grammatical corrections or observations online - absolutely no point at all, as the normal rules of grammar and punctuation are completely irrelevant anymore.
My only regret is that this phenomenon has spilled over into other aspects of society, like schools, newspapers...
That being said, please return to your reg'lar stuff y'all!
Oh, BTW Woody, have you ever DRIVEN through that mess? I truly feel for you, Paul, if you have to go there regularly. We visit my wife's relatives every year down in El Cajon, and that's just not fun...and I'm from Seattle! :eek: |
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Joined: March 2004 Posts: 629
Location: Houston, Texas | Vic, I think that you've touched upon the one big drawback to Ovation guitars that I had never considered before. Up until now, I didn't really think there were any drawbacks, other than alot of ingnorant bias against them.
I guess back in the early days when the bowls were hand laid fiberglass, you would have stood a pretty good chance at convincing Ovation to try a jumbo. The fact that they have the bowls molded now from an outside company kind of limits them as to what new types of bowls they can try.
I'm sure that the development of the contour bowl was pretty cost intensive and something that they wouldn't have attempted if they didn't think that the market would accept it immediately. It does offer several improvements over the other bowls even though it could be considered sort of a compromise.
I'm not sure what sort of market share jumbos have in the overall acoustic guitar market, but my guess would be less than about 20%. When you consider the developmental costs of a jumbo bowl with the additional tooling costs for the different shaped tops, I would think that they would have a really hard time justifying the expense for a limited market.
The injection molded bowls developed for mass production has kind of limited their ability to produce too many different types, unlike a standard wooden box, which would require some tooling costs but nothing on the order of the tooling costs for a new bowl design.
Maybe I'm all wrong on this, but I don't think they have retained the ability to produce hand laid bowls in house for small quantity production of special models. In fact I would be interested in knowing more about how they went about developing the contour bowl. Did they do hand laid fiberglass prototypes? Maybe Al or someone else knows.
I sympathize with you, but I'm sure Ovation realizes they aren't as nimble in creating different designs as they might like to be.
Are we back on topic yet? |
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Joined: April 2006 Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Where`s Rick when we really need him
Do U mean Rick Endress ? Do U want him to seal this thread with his bucket o` SoopahGlooh :p
But yeah..where is he..getting some more from the store Ya think ?? ;)
Vic |
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Joined: April 2006 Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Hi there Rick ( J N ) :)
Thanks for your input ,and you are right , yes, it would cost,but then again,any endeavour is perillous,however,prototypes are handmade,but the real costs are in design/developing /testing,now,I do n`t know either how big the marked share there is for JUMBO`s , but it seems as if it`s growing,C F Martin came out with some budget models about ,what ,10 years ago ( J 15 & J12-15 ) the latter one being a 12 string even :) yet retaining their costly line ,and Gibson making more than ever , Guitar Shop over here ( chain business )claims that their most sold Gibsons are the J-45 (dread around2.900 usd ) and the SJ-200 (Jumbo around 4.500 usd )
and the only Epiphone`s ( Gibson copies )that they have in stock are..Jumbo`s ! There are famous artists sporting them , Emmy Lou Harris for one :) So them J`s are not exactly an Obscure breed ;) My guess is that it opens up possibilities , a new angle to "attack" the market,yes certainly I want 1 , 2 even ,actually , I`m scheming & dealing to get a J 15 from my Better Half and or Kids for X-mas ( There is that used SJ 200 Artist , but 3000 dollars ?! ) Ouch !! :rolleyes:
Anyways , there`s a reason for my using the 1537 as my main acoustic ( and wanting 1 in J-format ), so I would like to see a certain Charles ( not the English one )to come out of retirement and roll the dice once more , for I am convinced that He could make many a player happy to be the proud owner of a JUMBO with unsurpassed Acoustic / Electric properties ,see that`s the key ,all the other J`s are prone to FEEDBACK ,now that`s where ovation excels ,..the Lack off it ( Apart from stunning good looks )So Judging by it all , it seems as that there is a Huge Market for ovation J`s , Soooh ..C`mon..gimme a Big One..Size does matter !! ;) ( When performing I could charge twice as much ) :rolleyes:
(personal note ) J N : That TAKAMINE got a valve powered pre-amp ?
( personal note )NORTH : what amp. U`re using ?
Later People..
Vic |
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Joined: April 2006 Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | B T W
I Do realize that there are a Zillion reasons for Employees / Bosses not to "speak out of turn " but I also realize that some Ovation people read our posts , so I took the opportunity to air my views ,as one post so eloquently commented :" I hope they`re watching ; after all, they get a ton of free feedback " (Jewel`s mom ) . :)
Therefore I did not /do not expect any one affiliated with the company to answer / argue / knock me over my head . :)
However..!!...I was hoping that others would come with suggestions too , since that does not seem to be the case , I will quietely lick my wounds , and continue to dream of what could have been ,and peer through a magnifying glass at my 1537..."hulk"... :(
thank you for the audition...
Vic |
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Joined: December 2001 Posts: 7222
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Interesting about the Jumbo's. I'm curios if a 2080 or the reissues are already louder, have better balanced tone (as in not bass heavy) and maintain volume up the neck more than any of the jumbo's already. And plugged in... well an Ovation really doesn't have any competition if someone knows how to use the preamp and how to put it into the mix. So although there's some logic to why the traditional guitar makers would want a jumbo, I'm seeing Ovation just not needing one. |
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Joined: February 2004 Posts: 1634
Location: Warren,Pa. | On the tour this spring I was listening to a conversation Rick Hall was having with someone about Left-Handed GS bowls not being available YET. Rick discussed the high cost of tooling up for the new technology guitar design (LX). I don't remember if he said the cost of a bowl mold was $75,000 or $175,000, but that's just one fraction of the cost of the LX change.
I don't think the millions it cost for the new design were just sitting in the bank. This was an investment in Ovation's future. So newer bowl configurations probably have to wait, though I'm sure it's on their minds.
John <>{ |
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Joined: February 2004 Posts: 2487
| I don't know guy's I do custom made things like this all the time as my job. Not a guitar specifically but some amazing one of a kind things that are specific to one Museum or another. I guess this is why I have a different view about a lot of things.
With that said my attitude is... What happened to the old molds?? How hard would it be to add an inch of material over this entire mold or whatever thickness it would be to build a Jumbo sized body ? Did they stop making fiberglass?? Is there any reason a good luthier can't build a top slightly oversized and join it to a larger sized body? OK so the sound engineers did not kick the tires and study it for six months but just how bad can it be. We are talking about a top and body that is perhaps 10%- 15% larger. And assuming this customer willing to pay a custom price for one?? This could be looked at by the factory as a possible custom request in the future again so the cost of redirecting a luthier for a week or so to work on this could be layed off in the future if a few more were sold?? We should not be talking about "Tooling Up" for a new production run. This is just some custom work. The guy's doing the math will never see the benefit of paying "one" man to build "one" guitar. You loose a real special part of a company when this happens.
When the masses dictate the direction a company travels you are in danger of mediocrity and becoming lost in a sea of marketing points.
I say you have to keep your options open for any custom desires. It is part of the Heart of any company. I can see a photo w/caption of a Custom built Jumbo Acoustic Guitar made by Ovation for Vic in a blurp in some Acoustic guitar magazine. The next day the Factory will have a dozen requests to make more. And you will already know the process. Forgive my ignorance concerning guitar manufacturing I do not pretend to know "ALL" I am just looking at one custom order and I am seeing that it could be done. And should be for more than just the Cost/Profit sheet. These custom projects keep people talking about "Ovation" and their "Diversification" and "Ingenuity" and "Customer Relations" just as much as that great repair shop they have does. Perhaps more?
Now before I get nasty messages about this post?? I am just sending a simple message to the guy's at the factory saying; could you please lighten up with the bean counting in the custom shop just a little. You get more benefit from this work than just the price of the guitar. And remember the "Other" guy's do custom orders. You can loose long time customers with this attitude. Or did the bean counters figure out that the losses will be minimal already? I do not think I will cause anyones "arms" to fall off at the factory nor will they start putting their shorts on their heads and begin running into walls from my dribble.
By the way that Celebrity Double neck that the Americans were not allowed to buy has arrived from Steve. It is a fantastic instrument. Plugged in through a nice acoustic amp it will be used for many songs during any given night. The sound is stellar! Acoustically it is better than many celebrities because of the volume of the body I think?? But when I get questions about where to buy one,(and I always do) I will tell them to look in any guitar shop in Tokyo or Hong Kong.(You guys are lucky) You won't find one here. I guess we are not ready for a good looking stage guitar that has that genius electronics design with the "Shape" button, that I always liked the most, and a tiger maple top that does not make one little difference in sound once it is plugged in.
Randy |
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Joined: March 2002 Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | The original Adamaii I's were 1/4" deeper than regular Ovations due to their mounting ring. Wonder what a wood topped O would sound like if it were 1/4" deeper? |
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Joined: March 2004 Posts: 629
Location: Houston, Texas | Originally posted by V-elite:
(personal note ) J N : That TAKAMINE got a valve powered pre-amp ?
No, this is a bottom of the line all acoustic Takamine that I bought for about $225 new to replace a very old but excellent Alvarez that met an unfortunate fate. Excellent sounding instrument and quite playable but the intonation is just a hair off, which is why I bought my S771 a couple of months later.
I've seen those "cool tube" technology pre-amps on the higher end Taks, but have never tried one through an amp. I personally think its kind of gimicky. I'm sure they work well, but I guess I just don't really see the point of it. |
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Joined: November 2005 Posts: 4827
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Originally posted by V-elite:
( playing an "A" is a rather crowded afair for my fingers ) Learn to make a 'one-finger' A chord by bending the first finger backwards to cover the three strings. This also leaves the other fingers free to doodle to your hearts content.
For the insomnia, drink a whole pot of chamomile tea at bedtime. You'll get up a lot over night but you'll sleep...and dream.
Anything else I can help with? :cool: |
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Joined: November 2003 Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | hmmm, the one finger chord... |
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Joined: May 2004 Posts: 2850
Location: Midland, MI | Originally posted by Jeff W.:
hmmm, the one finger chord... Google 'potsy chord'. Next. |
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Joined: November 2005 Posts: 4827
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | This one
Not this one
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Joined: November 2003 Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | well, that clears me up... |
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Joined: February 2004 Posts: 2487
| Did Johnny Cash just give me the finger? I think he did.......Now I am unsure how long it will take for me to remove that image from my brian! |
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Joined: August 2006 Posts: 3145
Location: Marlton, NJ | .......Now I am unsure how long it will take for me to remove that image from my brian!
I don't even know what you would use to get something out of your brian... does StewMac make something for that?? :D |
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Joined: November 2005 Posts: 4827
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | That pic just reminded me that Rank & File didn't invent Country Punk. Reminded me to go home and crank 'Long Gone Dead' re-eal loud too! |
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Joined: February 2004 Posts: 2487
| Well Mike, considering I typed Brian instead of Brain and none of the grammer nazi's nailed me on it. I'd say I am ahead of the game. Thanks for being easy on me.
The solution to the removal question would be a bullet, and that may have the pleasant side effect of creating some happy people.
If I were the shooter I'd make sure it was a silver bullet though, the full moon does often keep me up all night.
Randy |
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Joined: April 2006 Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Thank You All for the terrific input :) , I guess I wont be needing to learn how to play " Oh lomesome me " ( by Connie Francis ) by the way....I`m 16 ..never had a date.. ;)
J N .. yeah..valve amps are maybe overrated :rolleyes:
Fillhix : molto gracie mi amigo , will try that gymnastic thingie U came with..& the Tea :) ( did not know I could play Johnny Cash though ) :eek:
Vic |
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Joined: April 2006 Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Lo n esome......friggin #¤%%&/ keyboard :( |
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Joined: March 2004 Posts: 629
Location: Houston, Texas | Originally posted by V-elite:
J N .. yeah..valve amps are maybe overrated :rolleyes:
Uh, there are major differences between a power amplifier and an acoustic guitar pre-amp. |
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Joined: December 2004 Posts: 1116
Location: Keller, TX | Originally posted by Northcountry:
With that said my attitude is... What happened to the old molds?? Did they stop making fiberglass??
Randy Actually, the bowls for the #47 reissue were hand laid, right? |
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Joined: March 2006 Posts: 1634
Location: Chehalis, Washington | Originally posted by Joyful Noise:
No, this is a bottom of the line all acoustic Takamine that I bought for about $225 new to replace a very old but excellent Alvarez that met an unfortunate fate. Excellent sounding instrument and quite playable but the intonation is just a hair off, which is why I bought my S771 a couple of months later.
I actually just got the chance to try for the first time a Takamine EG-544SC ac/el in a GC the other day. Nice "concert" body, preamp with tuner, sweet Koa back & sides and satin cedar top. Sound was absolutely amazing for a cheaper guitar, and the neck was about as close as I've played to a good Ovation neck. All in all, I was really impressed.
I played it up against a couple Breedloves (which were nice) and a couple mid-range Taylors ($1800 - $2200), and even without the cost difference figured in, I'd take the Tak as first choice of everything I played. I forget sometimes that Kaman just makes good products all around - not just O's and A's.
BTW, V-elite, the best way around the whole A-chord dilema is to substitute an A2 plus maybe a hammer-on...just remove your fourth finger (from the strings ;) ) and play open, and you've got a nice versatile chording pattern that's easy to do moves and transitions from. It's a cheat...but a good one! :D |
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Joined: March 2004 Posts: 629
Location: Houston, Texas | Kaman basically just bought Takamini (Originally a Japanese company) out at some point in time. I don't know much of the history or how much influence Kaman has had on them. For all I know Kaman might be responsible for initiating these cheaper Taks which are made outside of Japan. But they seem like pretty good guitars overall, at least the ones I've tried. I just keep mine tuned to open E and pick it up every now and then when the mood hits me. |
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Joined: April 2006 Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Edensharvest :Thanks ,will start cheating right away :p
Joyful N :Actually what I meant was, at the moment ( at least overhere )there`s a craze goin`on concerning valve amps ,no matter how much "hum" or "hiss" there is , if there`s a valve in it ,then it`s gotta be good ,I would like to discuss with You the technical merits off Valve Pre / Power amp versus transistorized circuitry but alas...this board may not be suited for that subject :)
Vic |
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