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Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | I am guilty of making snide remarks about Celebrity's...
I just bought a cheapie CC24. It ain't perfect, but it is a really Nice guitar.
I took it outside and it played nice and loud with No Amplification.
I just put new strings on it and it sounds better.
I have many USO's but this thing actually sounds nice.
So I just wanted to remind myself that there are some Nice imports made under the Ovation name.
Or at least they sound great for the price! :p
Just a reminder for all y'all USA Ovation Snobs. :D
It came with all this other stuff too!  |
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Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | Unfortunately, I'm a dyed in the wool US 'O' snob and no amount of 'they actually sound OK' will convince me that Celibacies and Applesauces deserve the 'Ovation' name on the headstock. |
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Posts: 4081
Location: Utah | OMA, good post. It's easy to be a USA O'snob because the USA guitars are so good. But the lower price point instruments are excellent for their price point as well.
Sara just bought a Jasmine, the lowest end of Takamine, for a dorm/beach guitar. It cost $69 at the big box store. It needed a couple of hours of adjusting the nut and leveling some frets to make it play really nice. Even so, what a bargain. And the guitar sounds really good, easily competing with wood boxes costing 10X as much.
Technology and cheap skilled foreign labor are giving us great guitars at every price point. |
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March 2010
Posts: 370
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba CANADA | This is a very hard subject to get into without getting 'political' but here goes...
Yes, the Chinese are starting to 'get it right'.... they are making good (not great!!) quality guitars at a very reasonable price. This is why China has gained 100 years worth of ground on the US in a decade. I could get into all sorts of economic and political stuff here but...
Strictly OT... Ovation is doing itself a great disservice by marketing NOTHING but their bottom end of the range. As I have said numerous times before, if 99.9% of everything you sell is cheap, Chinese manufactured guitars and you invest NOTHING in promoting your flagship models, it is only a matter of time before you lose your hard won reputation that was built on decades of finely crafted AMERICAN guitars!!
This is not to say that they need to stop selling Chinese-built (cheap and cheerful) Ovations... just have them say CELEBRITY by Ovation on the headstock (so there is no misunderstanding...) and start investing in the promotion of the better quality AMERICAN-MADE instruments.
In the last week I have lost count of all the major players I have seen on TV with Taylors in their hands. That is the place to start. Major names using Adamas' (ME & KK sell LOTS of 'O's...), just as they did in the 70's and 80's. Sure, you're going to have to eat the cost of a bunch of guitars, but the free advertising is worth it...
Just go ask Taylor... |
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April 2003
Posts: 608
Location: Caribou, ME | I've only got one non-US Ovationesque product, a blueburst Korean AA-31. It's nice a far as workmanship, and they did put a more traditional neck on it instead of Moosupium.
It just doesn't have much zing. Could be just that one I guess. It's not bad, it just doesn't have that 'empty 55 gallon drum' tone I hear with Moosupium Laminate. |
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Posts: 7307
Location: South of most, North of few | Get the first time buyer to buy an Ovation (even from China) and they will have a good chance to be a repeat buyer. (that's how I got started on O's. First an Applause, then a Celeb, then, well, you all know the rest.) I think that's why they're promoting the "affordable" ones. |
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Posts: 27
Location: Arizona | I've been happy as a clam (and about as dexterous) with the Celebrity GC 057 I got a few months ago. Looks good, sounds good (better than I expected unplugged) and plays easy. It's my first "Ovation" after Yamahas and Seagulls (and a craigslist Fender 12-string, not sure if it counts.)
I've caught a whiff of "that's not a real Ovation" since discovering this forum, but I can take it. Like the man said, I won't be surprised if someday I get the itch to move up with the help of learning more about Ovations from ya'll. |
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Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | I have a List that I keep of all the guitars that I have owned...
The first Ovation is/was a Korean 4861.
Then came the 1115 and the 1112 (both gone).
I just counted ten Celebrity's, including a Bass, two CK047-Koa's and a CV68 Viper.
[More, if you count Ultra's in with Celebrity's]
I bought the CC24 cuz it was cheap and relatively new (and has a really neat case).
I figured that the laminate would survive really cold weather (and it already has the first crack).
And what more do you want for $248?
[Yes, I have bought USA Ovations for less]
But this is still a nice sounding cheap guitar.
Plus I wanted to find a way to brag about a Celebrity...
And I believed this was a good subject for discussion. |
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Posts: 3111
Location: Nashville TN. | Imports are a deal for the money.
Just not my thing. |
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October 2008
Posts: 39
| +1 on the CC24 Celebrity. They are great guitars. I sold mine 2 months ago and wish I hadn't.
It was a brand name, Chinese-made acoustic that got me started on guitar in the first place. If it hadn't been a well known brand at a great price, I would not have made the leap. I then would not have made subsequent guitar purchases, including Ovation, Martin, and Taylor.
IMHO, few beginning guitarists will make that $750 - $1000 dollar jump the first time.
I disagree with putting another name on the headstock. Name recognition and identification is a big part of marketing and repeat-purchase. "XYZ by Ovation" erodes brand loyalty.
There is a lot of competition out there. Don't give them a reason to go elsewhere. |
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June 2003
Posts: 1792
Location: Rego Park, NY, | Originally posted by Old Man Arthur:
Just a reminder for all y'all USA Ovation Snobs. :D I guess that makes me a chinese USA Ovation snob. :p |
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July 2002
Posts: 280
Location: Waterloo, IL | I wanted to by a Celebrity for several years,as that was all that I could afford new. I ended up getting my Balladeer used with case for the price of a new Celebrity with case. I could not afford a new US made Ovation, but did not know where to find a decent used guitar. When I found the Balladeer for sale at Mars Music, I plunked down all I had to get it. It made a nice gift to myself before my ship sailed out on deployment to the Middle East. |
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January 2003
Posts: 146
Location: Ct./ USA | This is in reply to member #6689. Many American guitar workers have lost their jobs. With respect to what they have done it is only fitting that offshore bilt Ovation instremts NOT have Ovation on the headstock, But the powers that be will do what hey have to; to survive. WAR SUCKS
"I disagree with putting another name on the headstock. Name recognition and identification is a big part of marketing and repeat-purchase. "XYZ by Ovation" erodes brand loyalty.
There is a lot of competition out there. Don't give them a reason to go elsewhere". |
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Posts: 4996
Location: Phoenix AZ | It's a tough call. Lots of autoworkers in detriot have lost their jobs. Chevy's built in mexico are still called Chevy's. Go figure.
To me, no matter what name you put on the headstock, all those roundbacks built overseas were never considered "Ovations" to me. The best weapon we have is our wallet. If you don't like the idea of overseas Ovations, then just don't buy them.
For their price range they are pretty good guitars for the money and have a lot of fans. Just not me. |
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December 2006
Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Originally posted by Gallerinski:
... all those roundbacks built overseas were never considered "Ovations" to me. Bingo!!! |
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March 2010
Posts: 370
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba CANADA | I did the 'Saturday music store tour' today and spent a lot of time looking at walls and walls of guitars from virtually every major manufacturer.
I found it really disconcerting (and I'm sure I'm not the only one this has happened to...) to look up at a wall of supposedly brand name guitars... Gibsons, Fenders, Ovations, Gretschs etc. and find myself looking at them all that much more closely trying to figure out which were 'real' (ie. USA-made ones...) and which were offshore 'sellout' models from Mexico, Korea, China, Vietnam, Indonesia etc.
To me, a Fender guitar is one made in the USA... a Gibson guitar is one made in the USA... If it says Fender or Gibson (or Ovation...) and it is made in China, it is an imposter... and always will be (no matter how good an imitation of the 'real thing' it is).
I'm sure there will be groans from many who say 'those days are gone' and 'you're living in the past', but do we really want to live in a 'made-in-China clone world'. I know I don't.
If we continue on our present course, any kind of 'real' (read 'made in the USA'...) guitar will 30+ years old, cost $15,000 and the rest of the guitar world will be populated by cheap Chinese imposters that will sound sort of like a 'real' guitar, will look sort of like a 'real' guitar (if you can see past the not-quite-right colours and plastic-y finishes...).
Getting used to a steady diet of Chinese knockoffs is akin to poisoning ourselves (albeit very slowly...). By the time we come to our senses and say enough is enough, this is NOT the world that we want to live in, our economies will be ravaged, our manufacturing sectors will be gone and most of us will have forgotten what it was we used to have... and pissed away looking for the easy, cheap way out. |
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Posts: 5
Location: Central California, USA | Are you KIDDING me?? There is NO Ovation if it's not an "Ovation".. alone.. period.. by itself.. no other name anywhere on it.. and, yes.. made in the USA! Anything beyond that began the downward gradiant to the weaker of the species as far as I am concerned. Like, if the only car Chevrolet ever made was the Corvette, then the Camaro came along.. sure, it's a Chevy, but it's not a Corvette. Same thing with Ovations. |
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May 2008
Posts: 4996
Location: Phoenix AZ | If the only two choices were:
A) Shut down the Ovation name completely and cease production of all models world wide
B) Shut down USA production and continue to sell Asian made models under the name "Ovation"
Which would you choose ? |
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September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Originally posted by Gallerinski:
If the only two choices were:
A) Shut down the Ovation name completely and cease production of all models world wide
B) Shut down USA production and continue to sell Asian made models under the name "Ovation"
Which would you choose ? If either A or B happens, I will still have some really nice USA Ovations.
Will they suddenly be worth $15,000?
BTW-- I sold that CC24-4 that started this thread, now I got a CSE24-5 instead. |
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March 2010
Posts: 370
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba CANADA | There is a real simple way to fix the dilemma we are in...
Make the complete Dollar amount of importation from ANY country be tied directly to the amount (or a percentage thereof...) of exports to the same country (ie. new balance-of-trade legislation...).
Set a reasonable bottom threshold (for non-strategic or crital imports) allowing foreign exporters to ship to the USA and the minute that threshold is crossed (ie. where American exports to the same country are less) and the exporter country is NOT taking American goods in the same amount... NO MORE imports from that country to the US would be allowed.
Not only would this be emminently FAIR to everyone, if you even THREATENED to do this, you would see how fast the whole system would change.
This system (tit-for-tat or more topicly, guitar-for-guitar) has worked for thousands of years. Now we just need some governments in the west to say enough is enough. Everyone talks about equitable trade practices and free trade, but so far that's all it's been... talk. |
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Location: south east Michigan | yeah... right. |
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Posts: 370
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba CANADA | Are you against the idea because it is bad economics, or because you don't think anyone would have the balls to enact it?
I'm pretty sure how things are going to end up if we continue on exactly as we are now. Is that preferrable?
How could anyone (other than Walmart, perhaps, who would be forced to buy more American products to balance things out...) possibly argue against a system that on the surface is perfectly fair to both sides? |
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Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Originally posted by Avatar4550:
Everyone talks about equitable trade practices and free trade, but so far that's all it's been... talk. The only people who ever talked about Free Trade were the corporations whose original intent was to make cars and guitars in Mexico and China. Any American trying to visit Canada or Mexico without a Passport will soon discover that our borders are only open to Corporations. Remember, China didn't suddenly decide to start making Celebrity's and Stratocasters... They were contracted by American companies to do that. And those companies are given tax breaks to do this.
A simple Value Added Tax on imports would cure the problem. And they might move the Zenith Television Factory back from Juarez into the USA. It would also mark a return of Stratocasters to the USA. Remember that it is American Corporations like Zenith, Maganavox, Stanley, Ford and Fender that have chosen to manufacture products out-of-country and sell them in the USA.
And then they wonder why suddenly the American Consumer has no Buying Power.... Hello? No Jobs! |
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Posts: 4996
Location: Phoenix AZ | Dear god we are doomed ... |
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Posts: 370
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba CANADA | Originally posted by Gallerinski:
Dear god we are doomed ... :D :D ;) |
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March 2005
Posts: 12761
Location: Boise, Idaho | Let's not talk politics. I just got back from the local mom and pop guitar shop and noticed the lack of inventory. A mother was fending off her son's attempt to get her to buy a guitar by trying to talk him into one of the cheap models. I asked one of the owners what happened to some of the Asian Guilds that they used to have (figuring it would be a good compromise for the mom and son battle) and she said they couldn't get them from Fender. She went on to say that it seemed Fender was always trying to get them to carry stuff that didn't sell and would never ship the stuff they could sell.
Fender may not be the only problem for the retailers. The same store used to stock a bunch of higher end Taylors and Martins, but have very few now. If the low end stuff is all that sells, they have to sell it or go out of business. |
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Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by Gallerinski:
Dear god we are doomed ... Kinda looks that way. |
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January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | People had similar criticisms about Japanese products in the 1950's and 1960's. By the late 1970's, these perceptions had changed. Ten years from now, certainly within twenty, many of the world's best manufactured products will be from China. The forces are now in place to almost guaranty the likelihood of this happening. Their resources, capacity for infrastructure, and institutional support systems seem limitless. |
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Posts: 370
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba CANADA | Perfect case in point...
Between comments, I am running back and forth outside where I am painting a couple of wood shelf units for my studio.
I originally wanted them to be made of perforated aluminum mesh. Could I buy that here... No. Could I order some from the US... No.
Chances are very good that the aluminum itself was smelted here in Quebec and then finished in the US. Could I order this product from China? Well, of course I could!!
I repeated the whole process again when I went to my second choice... tempered glass. Could I buy it in Canada?... etc. etc.
So now, John in Canada... who very much wants to help his neighbour's economy will have plywood shelves (painted black...).
Will they hold up his gear...? :confused: Sure.
Will they look as slick?... Not a chance. :(
Did the Chinese get any of John's money? :D
Not this time... ;) |
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Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | But I can buy really good Chinese food.. made right here in the US. I love the irony. |
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September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Yes Professor, but I am not criticizing the Quality.
This thread started with me saying that I got a nice Chinese guitar for under $200.
Now that Japanese products are not cheap knock-offs, they are not Cheap either.
My earlier complaint was that American companies are shipping American jobs elsewhere.
They continue to try to sell the same stuff to us, even though they have taken the jobs elsewhere.
I also have two Indonesian "Parker" branded guitars that I will put up against any other guitar manufactured anywhere. I had a Morgan Monroe that was made in Indonesia. Great Guitar.
As to China, my computer was probably made in China. (HP?) I know that my Samsung LCD TV was, and my phone, and my microwave, and my clock radio, and... I could go on.
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add-on: John--- They do not make Demin in the USA any longer.
If you want raw denim to make jeans, it must be imported.
My Mom's area in Tennessee used to be flooded with clothing and jean factories.
Now they are gone.
Denim for Levi's is Not made in the USA. And 99% of the jeans aren't either. |
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May 2008
Posts: 4996
Location: Phoenix AZ | Originally posted by Avatar4550:
Between comments, I am running back and forth outside where I am painting a couple of wood shelf units for my studio. I certainly hope you are not using spray paint and ruining our environment. |
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Posts: 370
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba CANADA | :o :o
And destroying brain cells by the thousands... but you already figured that out.
:eek: :eek:
:p |
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Thanx to all the Chinese folk who make Celebrity Guitars