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Joined:
March 2011
Posts: 11
Location: Yokohama, Japan | Hello everyone. Haven't been registered long. I just bought my first Ovation (2078 Elite T) a couple of months ago. I live and work here in Japan and just recently evacuated the Tokyo area. I have other guitars that are a bit more "go-to" than my Ovation (like my Gretsch Tennessee Rose 6119-1962HT, or Gibson Flying V). But I had no idea how hard the travel would be on the guitar but figured the Ovation could stand up to it. I still dont know whats going to happen in the coming days, but I walked away from my Tokyo area home knowing it was possible I might not be able to return to it.
We've probably ALL seen that internet guitar forum question before... "If you could only rescue ONE guitar from your collection... which one would you choose?" I'll be honest I never thought I'd choose an acoustic... but I did.
Even though the Zero Gravity foam core case has served me well, (the guitar survived being checked for a flight in the case ONLY), I found a used hardcase in the city I'm staying in while I wait out the Fukushima power station... I feel much better about travel now. Though I need to find a good home now for this zero g case. I'll ask around at the office tomorrow and see if anybody has a naked Ovation needing a case (they LOVE softcases in Japan!!!).
I grew up on hair metal, but never learned to play any of it. Finally became able to play some Lenny Kravitz tunes, and figured to go back to my rock (and ethnic) roots and study the blues. This is how I got it into my head to buy acoustic! I cant think of any Blues guys playing Ovation... but then, I'm a big Black American guy that surfs, plays guitar and speaks fluent Japanese.
I'm accustomed to be the unusual guy in the room. |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7247
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Welcome..
I think I can speak for everyone here that it's one heck of an unfortunate way to find out that "If you could only rescue ONE guitar from your collection" it would be an Ovation. I'm guessing we're all glad you chose Ovation, just a little sad you were put into a position to make a choice at all. It's supposed to be a hypothetical question.
I hope you're safe and stay that way. The reactor incident seems to be overshadowing in the news the events leading up to it. Specifically the Pacific Ocean taking an overland shortcut to the Sea of Japan.
I know this is a little off topic, but I don't think anyone would mind if you let us know how the rest of the Country is doing aside from the reactor incident. I know there is a cultural difference, but I'm pretty sure the pictures I saw of Ships in fields, cars in rivers and houses in streets, does NOT reflect where those items are normally located. Are they making any headway in cleanup, or to even find what got washed away?
Again, welcome... |
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Joined:
April 2008
Posts: 1851
Location: Newington, CT | A hearty welcome to you! I'd like to echo Miles' sentiments! Tough times over there, and we'd all be interested (I'm sure) in your thoughts as to how the country is handling this body blow.
And, best wishes for a safe and early return to your home! |
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4081
Location: Utah | Kuroyama, welcome aboard! Stay safe. |
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Joined:
July 2003
Posts: 3111
Location: Nashville TN. | Welcome ! |
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Joined:
March 2010
Posts: 486
Location: Suisun City, Ca | Originally posted by Kuroyama:
I'm accustomed to be the unusual guy in the room. Well, good luck with that around here!
Welcome and know that our prayers are with everyone in Japan. |
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Joined:
November 2004
Posts: 367
Location: Eaton, Indiana | Thoughts and prayers are with you. I have a friend here whose sister is in Tokyo. Finally reached her and found she was safe.
scott lamperd b c (before computers) |
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Joined:
June 2008
Posts: 66
| Did the guitar get wet?Just thought I'd ask. |
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Joined:
November 2005
Posts: 4833
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Good choice, good luck.
Welcome.
Remember, in an emergency your Ovation in it's hardshell case makes a passable floatation device.
Stay safe, play often. |
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Joined:
November 2004
Posts: 382
Location: USA | Greetings and Welcome... |
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Joined:
September 2005
Posts: 3619
Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | Welcome aboard Kuro. I did two tours in Japan (80's) during my Marine Corps career (Iwakuni, Tokoyama, Hiroshima) and I loved the country and its people. Glad you're safe and still have a great guitar. I can truly say that I have great sorrow for such a great loss of people, their families, and their homes. I can't get the picture out of my mind of the man they found floating at sea on a section of his roof, crying at the loss of his wife. I hope it all really brings us all back to a new perspective of life and what's important. |
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Joined:
March 2011
Posts: 11
Location: Yokohama, Japan | Thanks to everyone for your show of support!! I feel more than a little bad about receiving well wishes though. I've been put out to some extent by all this, but at the end of the day, I've been inconvenienced. To see the devastation up North. (EDIT) ...sorry, I was getting a little dark there. My point being that there are people still stuck in shelters with no heat, little food, little water. No decent sanitation to speak of. With all these people boxed in like this, disease is not far away.
I know that people have been donating MONEY... but I think at this point the government needs to start launching more helicopters with food, water, supplies, and doctors for these people.
And of course, I'd really really like to see them fix the broken nuclear reactors at Fukushima. Now that radiation has entered the food and water... they really need to speed up repairs so the already found contamination can start half lifing its way to nothing. But as long as the radiation just keeps-a-flowin... I dont expect this will get better before it gets a lot worse.
Because surviving the 5th largest recorded quake in history back to back against a 10M Tsunami isnt bad enough... |
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Joined:
November 2005
Posts: 4833
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Good the hear you're safe. Don't worry about the downer parts, we're all (I think) interested on what's going on that the news isn't covering.
Because many of us love on the other side of the same techtonic plate. |
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Joined:
March 2011
Posts: 11
Location: Yokohama, Japan | I don't know that my last post reads the way I intended it to... which is that I and my family have merely been inconvenienced by this disaster. Others have lost their possessions, their homes, their lives. When looking at the bigger picture, we really have many blessings to count and be thankful for! |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7247
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Hi Kuroyama,
I think we got it. It must be hard to deal with knowing you are "inconvenienced" while many have lost so much. We get it. At the same time, believe it or not, it's barely a news item here anymore. The only time the tsunami is mentioned is on local news if some school or business is raising money for the relief effort. There is usually a daily update on the Nuclear plant, but that's it. At the same time, we saw the initial video, we know 1000's are still missing or dead, we assume people are helping, but honestly we don't know anything really cause as I said, it's not even a headline anymore.
I don't think we meant to jump you when walked into the room.... we're all just so starved for any real news... your story was good enough.
We're glad you are safe. Glad you consider it only an inconvenience, and yes really glad you grabbed your Ovation :)
Again... welcome... You did mention some high end guitars you have. Do you play professionally, or just play when you can? |
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Joined:
March 2011
Posts: 11
Location: Yokohama, Japan | Just happen to like a lot of guitars... and much to my wifes dismay, moved close to a guitar shop with a huge and consistently revolving inventory. Incredible guitars in GREAT used shape for sale are the norm. Insanely low priced deals pop up about once a month or more. This is probable why I bought and sold over 12 guitars last year.
Only two things wrong with this setup:
1) while guitars can be had at GREAT prices in Japan, parts and labor are prohibitively high. I bought a busted Fender Twin in perfect PHYSICAL condition with cover, cables, and footswitches... for $90. Because it would have cost the shop more than the cost of a new TWIN to get to old one recapped tubed and biased. I plan on putting some Lollar P90s into my Gretsch Tennessee Rose. In Austin I expect that to cost me about $350-$400. In Japan I was quoted $2100.
2) The shop got shut down by the earthquake. The sidewalk all the way around the block was ripped in half so the whole building stands like a small island. I don't know if its reopened since... |
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Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | I had a Hamer Monoco III built with Jason Lollar P90s. They're wonderful pickups. Very responsive, even more so than the SRV Texas Specials on a Strat, but not at all harsh, more bell-like, particularly in the 2nd and 4th positions. Maybe the Monoco III's semi-hollow/chambered body configuration adds to the tone. |
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Hello from Japan (intro repost)