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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | The details of these guitars, first seen in a display at NAMM last month, are described in Ovation's February Newsletter. The guitars are interesting and colorful works of art with themes based primarily on DJ ASHBA's body tatoos. Directed toward a different segment of the consuming public than most of us are used to here on the OFC, and maybe not everybody's fancy, they're still fascinating to look at. Suppose these things are all one-off air brushed, or is it a graphic piece of film like those we see affixed to the sides of cars and busses for advertising purposes? |
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Location: Flahdaw | web page |
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| I must be going gaga in my old age. I like them and the guy can play.
Well done Ovation. Hope you sell bucket loads of them. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | I think this is just the shot in the arm that Ovation needed. |
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Location: East Tennessee | Hopefully this will inspire a new generation to pick up an Ovation the way Campbell, Croce, and others did us. |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Hey... $500 with a gig bag ain't that bad. ($600 with hard case)
Y'figure, most Celebrity Guitars don't come with any case and cost the same brand-spankin' new.
But it does only have a OP4BT preamp, but it'll do the job.
At the NAMM show they had a shiny bowl version with barbed-wire all the way around...
But I think that might have been a one-of-a-kind thing. |
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Location: Tennessee | I've got some pictures of the guitars they had at NAMM over on my ning site. You can see them here: NAMM Album
For me it was Dave Mason and Jim Messina. |
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| Certainly not the older crowds typical taste but if Ovation had to rely on this crowd they would not have survived this long.
These are a great product for the times, and they will do well with these, me thinks. |
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Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | Probably good marketing.
Probably a good idea.
I appreciate they're shooting for a demographic and respect them for it.
But..................................ugh! 
(I'm not getting old. I'm not!) |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | "Certainly not the older crowds typical taste"
I see this statement and similar ones a lot. I don't understand what they mean. What age is "older crowd?" I'm in my 50's, and for that matter DJ Ashba is almost 40. There are metal bands that are still relevant/touring with members in their 60's... Even Dan Lawrence is almost 60, and is still creating great alternative/death metal genre art.
Soooo... I guess after a life of metal, at age 80, all art looses color and we start listening to elevator music??
I'm just say'n... |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | well I guess I'm in the older crowd.
I look at these and say
1. I am so glad I'm not part of "THIS!!!"
2. What real musicisn would play this piece of shit?
Yeah, the older crowd, no doubt about it. |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | I was referring to the crowd that follows this artist and others like him. Personally, I like the artwork. The fact that it is being applied to a less expensive guitar also targets a younger, more budget-conscious crowd. In producing a product that is targeted for a specific segment of consumers, there will be many others outside that segment that may also find it appealing, but rest assured they did some market research to identify who is most likely to buy this product and why. Being in my late 50's, I'd bet good money that I'm not in that market segment, although my love of guitars and art probably blur the lines a little. |
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Location: Tennessee | Here's a picture of the endorsing artist who was on the booth at NAMM when I was there. This is Mick Thomson, aka #7, guitarist for Slipknot.
How does this map to your demographic? #7 is your modern day Jim Croce. |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Bingo. They must be University of Texas alums. |
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Location: NJ | hmmm . . . I was JUST having this VERY SameDiscussion on AnotherBoard . . . . |
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Location: Round Rock, TX | Originally posted by ProfessorBB:
Bingo. They must be University of Texas alums. Nope. Hands turned the wrong way, fingers at the wrong angle. |
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Location: Upper Left USA | Makes you wonder at how the next Gen will either double down their "Death Metal Nasty" or go with a complete reversal motif.
Personaly I don't like the "Darker than Thou" art but its just another genre. |
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Location: Atlanta, GA. | Every generation feels they have to take their subculture/rebellion to another depth in society in order to be recognized and shock the "establishment".
We did it, our parents did it, our kids did it or are doing it now.
Just makes me wonder how far it will go before it starts the cycle all over. |
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Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | The next thing ya know, they'll be putting Davy Crockett on lunch boxes... |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Originally posted by cholloway:
Every generation feels they have to take their subculture/rebellion to another depth in society in order to be recognized and shock the "establishment". We did it, our parents did it, our kids did it or are doing it now. For some of us, its our grandkids now doing it. |
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Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | The important thing is, once the people who are attracted to this artwork PLAY one, they will realize what great guitars Ovations are. Then they'll be hooked on the playability and the sound and the great electronics. Most of them will probably go on to buy more Ovations, and eventually when we old farts die off, these will be some of the people keeping the OFC alive. Welcome Metalheads!! |
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Posts: 2791
Location: Atlanta, GA. | Originally posted by ProfessorBB:
Originally posted by cholloway:
Every generation feels they have to take their subculture/rebellion to another depth in society in order to be recognized and shock the "establishment". We did it, our parents did it, our kids did it or are doing it now. For some of us, its our grandkids now doing it.
And just SMILE!!! |
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Location: big island | they say, "if you can't say somethin' good about it, don't say anything at all".
well...i'm not sayin' anything at all.
(although i just typed a mouthful) |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Originally posted by cholloway:
Every generation feels they have to take their subculture/rebellion to another depth in society in order to be recognized and shock the "establishment".
I think of my Vietnam Vet buddies who were talking bad about the Spiky-Green-Haired Punkers in the 80's...
I said, "Dude... Their parents get high and listen to Pink Floyd, ELP, and the Grateful Dead... They gotta rebel somehow!"
Then the generation after that is wearing platforms, bell-bottoms, and sixties Army Surplus.
It is all cyclical... But the Blues last forever! :cool: |
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Location: Utah | Originally posted by 2ifbyC:
The next thing ya know, they'll be putting Davy Crockett on lunch boxes... His rifle is on display in the Alamo. You can look right down the sights on it. Pretty cool. |
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Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Me, I'm still waitin' for skinny ties to come back.
I only got two left that aren't worn out and one of them's white leather.....
The Vapors - Turning Japanese |
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Location: South of most, North of few | The one on Bobbo's ning site painted on the bowl looks nice. Is this how they all are or is it just a promotion thing? I'd buy one of these.
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Location: SoCal | You know, I understand the marketing thing, but I worry that Ovation's going to get typecast as the hard rocker guitar and that others (the vast majority of buyers) are going to look at them and decide that they want a "real" guitar and go buy a Snailor.
Or maybe they're doing that now..... |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Ovation's niche was "the plugged in acoustic guitar". Unfortunately over time they lost that to companies with better electronics or bigger endorsement dollars.
So they need to find a new niche. And I think like it or not DJ ASHBA, SEVEN, KITTY and BERNIE WILLIAMS are it. They might also get some mileage out of the Subaru crowd.
But personally I think they should go after the church crowd. Seriously, think about it. Seems like a lot of preachers like Ovations, from what I've seen on this forum or seen with my own eyes. They should go for it. Do a John 3:16 fretboard inlay, crucifix TRC or a crown of thorns rosette. I think it would sell very well.
I know the San Angelo Maggot was planning a run of praise guitars. Actually wouldn't be surprised if he took deposits. But anyway I think it's a cool idea and an untapped market segment that Ovation could exploit.
Just my opinion. |
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Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | Originally posted by Gallerinski:
But personally I think they should go after the church crowd. Seriously, think about it. Seems like a lot of preachers like Ovations, from what I've seen on this forum or seen with my own eyes. They should go for it. Do a John 3:16 fretboard inlay, crucifix TRC or a crown of thorns rosette. I think it would sell very well.
I think it's a cool idea and an untapped market segment that Ovation could exploit.
I've been playing Ovations in church for 25 years now. It would still depend on the packages available of course, but I would look at something like that even more closely than I usually do. I can't afford custom inlays, but I've seen some neacks with stunning inlays of rosaries, guardian angels, celtic crosses and the like that have probably tacked on a little purgatory time for me when it comes to that "envy" thing. :rolleyes: :cool: |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | This guy makes a cool TRC
http://axetremecreations.com/index.php?prod_id=584 |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | I guess I don't see Metal as a niche market any more than Country or Blues is a niche. I guess niche doesn't have to be small.. Anyway, to my understanding the praise musicians are already a huge part of the Ovation sales demographic. So please excuse the pun, but why waste marketing dollars preaching to the choir?
DJ's music now spans at least two generations of metal. The "acoustic" driven metal ballad is an essential ingredient to most of the genre as "that" tune is most likely to get airplay for them. If you need any proof, most of you self proclaimed old farts know that Aerosmith was rocking for years, but "Angel" and "I don't want to miss a Thing" are there two highest charting tunes almost 10 years AFTER they had already stopped filling stadiums.
Metal is making a resurgence, but this time, thanks to YouTube and the like it has a twist. It's NOT being driven by big promotion companies. There's a love of the art, that has been proven over time that rises above the "lets see how fast I can play" nonsence.
If you want a real shocker, at least it was for me (ok NOW I'm showing my age).. Metal is definately NOT a boys club. Search "female shred" on Youtube. My favorites are Flash Bathory who unfortunately left the stage too soon, and Orianthi.
If that isn't enough, search Orianthi and Vai and you'll come up with this Highly Strung . Steve is 50, Orianthi is 25.
Sorry boys and girls.. but the Kelly, Milley, etc crowd is the niche. Metal is getting back into the mainstream and it's nice to see Ovation right there in the flow. |
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Posts: 4080
Location: Utah | Originally posted by Mr. Ovation:
praise musicians are already a huge part of the Ovation sales demographic. So please excuse the pun, but why waste marketing dollars preaching to the choir?
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Metal is making a resurgence, but this time, thanks to YouTube and the like it has a twist. It's NOT being driven by big promotion companies. There's a love of the art, that has been proven over time that rises above the "lets see how fast I can play" nonsence.
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Metal is getting back into the mainstream and it's nice to see Ovation right there in the flow. It seems that the favorite guitar in the praise band these days is a Taylor. There is a lot of room for growth of market share. A few easy mods in this age of CNC would result in "praise instruments". Truss rod covers, 12th fret inlays, custom epaulets in shapes appealing to various denominations, etc.
Metal coming back? I never paid it much attention the first time around. Locally it seems that there is a resurgence amongst the early middle age crowd wanting to play the music of their youth. The younger kids are doing the more extreme flavors with less musicianship. If someone wants to play an Ovation doing it then it is a good thing keeping the craftsmen of New Hartford employed building quality instruments. |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | TJ, I don't believe the typical models available to the public will include full bowl paint. These were the NAMM display models and I recall reading somewhere that the wraparound paint was special. Then again, maybe some will be offered for a premium, like the flamers. |
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Location: NJ | these guitars don't bother me. It is not for me but I am not the target audience. I think that the more they attract people the better. My concern is the number of models now made overseas will severely limit the usa line available. |
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Location: Flahdaw | I think the "Gospel Gits" could really be the way to go. When you think of the market niche...
"There are over 450,000 churches in the United States according to Premier Tourism Marketing's website and a few others." (WikiAnswers)....that's a pretty large target to shoot at. |
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Location: Nashville TN. | I think they sell some to teenager.
I saw them in person.
They look better in person then in picts. |
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Posts: 3111
Location: Nashville TN. | Originally posted by alpep:
these guitars don't bother me. It is not for me but I am not the target audience. I think that the more they attract people the better. My concern is the number of models now made overseas will severely limit the usa line available. 2nd that
Plus they need fill in that huge price gap between
with a USA guitar.
AX streey under a grand then Legend up around 2 grand. |
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Posts: 161
Location: Atlanta GA | Apparently SAGA already thought of the religous angle. From all reports, it is a great guitar.
http://www.sagamusic.com/pdf/BR-343_Christian_Musician_Jan_04.pdf |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | I would like that "Crown of Thorns" rosette idea. That would be Nice.
But be forewarned. As a Christian, I find most "Christian-themed" ideas tacky!
Amongst the churches this is known as Jesus-Junk.
That "Cross & Chalice" headstock motif on the Saga? Well, it Sucketh!
The pseudo-Audi inlays don't speak trinity to me, therefore I would not buy it.
I would go for the Led Zeppelin TRC thingy instead... 
Of course, you need to have a guitar that Has a TRC to do that.
click here! |
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Posts: 4996
Location: Phoenix AZ | Originally posted by Old Man Arthur:
As a Christian, I find most "Christian-themed" ideas tacky!
Amongst the churches this is known as Jesus-Junk.
Good name for a band. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Speaking of which, any of you seen the movie "Looking for the Wrong Eyed Jesus"
Kindsa like a documentary of what it's like to be a hard core southerner. I highly reccommend it. Rent it at BlockBuster. |
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Location: Paris/France | The INFORMATION SHEET from Japan with all the specs.
Nice guitars!! ;)
J :) |
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Ovation's DJ ASHBA Demented Collection