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Location: Texas | Why don't more pros play Ovations and Adamas?
Al Di, Melissa E., Kaki, .....................sometimes Glen, ???
While there used to be that most touring acts had at least 1 Ovation being played on stage, TV, award shows, etc. now many pros play Taylor, Collings, Bourgies, or other buitique builders.
Why don't more pros play newer Ovations and Adamas like the Custom Legends, Adamas collectors, reissues, etc?
:cool: |
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| Who cares? If it works for you . . . |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Ovation ain't the only one with good preamps nowadays...
And they still got those annoying round backs!
If they would just make them square like Taks, Taylors and Collings, they'd be alright. :rolleyes: |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Simple. Ovation used to be the only plugged in game in town, so people had no choice but to put up with the pastic bowl back. But today is different. There's numerous plugged in choices and given what's available far less people are going to choose for the plastic bowl back. Ovation would increase their marketshare overnight if they would just get rid of the plastic bowl and build a wooden guitar. |
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Location: Flahdaw | Originally posted by Gallerinski:
Simple. Ovation used to be the only plugged in game in town, so people had no choice but to put up with the pastic bowl back. But today is different. There's numerous plugged in choices and given what's available far less people are going to choose for the plastic bowl back. Ovation would increase their marketshare overnight if they would just get rid of the plastic bowl and build a wooden guitar. Has Ovation ever test marketed an all-wooden acoustic guitar? |
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Location: Nashville TN. | Yes the Viper acoustic |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | no |
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Location: Nashville TN. | Originally posted by Gallerinski:
Simple. Ovation used to be the only plugged in game in town, so people had no choice but to put up with the pastic bowl back. But today is different. There's numerous plugged in choices and given what's available far less people are going to choose for the plastic bowl back. Ovation would increase their marketshare overnight if they would just get rid of the plastic bowl and build a wooden guitar. The rounded back is the trademark image of Ovation. I suppose the countout bowl was an attempt to address the issue.
Personally I don't care deep conture in feel
or the sound.
An Ovation Neck Bridge top and electronics on an all wood body would likily be killer guitar. |
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Location: NJ | I play an adamas out at least twice a week.
I get all kinds of looks and snickers
then they hear it |
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Location: Nashville TN. | One of the problems with Adamas is few people know what it is. Never seen one.
I went to pick out a guitar strap for the W598 at Guitar Center.
I brought the guitar because its hard to match up the Greenish/Blueish woven top.
While I was checking the clerk asked if I bought the Ovation there. I told him it was Adamas and don't have them in the store. Why don't you try it.
The expression on his face was he started to play was priceless as he said HOOLLYY SSSSs.......WOW! |
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Location: Weaverville, NC | The draw for me to Ovation was the unique design and the willingness of a person to go beyond the norm. If Ovation went to a all wooden design then they would just be..............well, like every other guitar.
I hope they stay the way they are. I like the round lyracord back and the unique looks of this guitar! To any designer at "O"............don't change a darn thing! |
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| Originally posted by Mike1970:
The draw for me to Ovation was the unique design and the willingness of a person to go beyond the norm. If Ovation went to a all wooden design then they would just be..............well, like every other guitar.
I hope they stay the way they are. I like the round lyracord back and the unique looks of this guitar! To any designer at "O"............don't change a darn thing! +1
I don't own one (yet), but I've long appreciated their unique look.
Michelle |
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Location: SoCal | Annie, here's your Ovation. A braced (you can see it in the pics), late 70's to early 80's Legend. Classic look, great sound. And dirt cheap. You can't go wrong.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Ovation-Legend-1617-A-E-Guitar-AAA_W0QQitemZ320369125271QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item4a977ce797&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2|65%3A10| 39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50 |
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Location: south east Michigan | Today on The Babe Winkelman's Good Fishing Show we have a special guest. You might think that the desert around Phoenix Arizona could never produce one of the best fisherman on the planet, but you'd be dead wrong.
Dave Witko... women want him... fish fear him.
Dave has been blessed with an uncanny ability to throw out that one bait that nothing can resist. Let's see what he is up to today.
Dave... where are ya buddy??
*
Thanks Babe... thanks for having me on your show. I'm out on Big Bowl Lake anchored up under the bridge and today I'm going to let your viewers in on one of my best secrets.
Folks... when you are picking a lure the trick is not to pick one that you believe in. Doesn't seem logical I know, but that's the secret. It don't matter if YOU beleive in the lure or not. All that matters is that the FISH beleives in it. You get that right and you'll get the reaction you want every time. Let me show you what I'm talking about.
Whiiiip....zzzzzzing...... plop.
Originally posted by Gallerinski:
Ovation would increase their marketshare overnight if they would just get rid of the plastic bowl and build a wooden guitar. There we go.
Lets just sit here sipping on some sun tea and wait a minute two. |
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Location: Tennessee | Because all the young hip artists (that used to play Ovations) have turned old and conventional and now play what all the other old conventional people play, unless they are really wild and crazy and play a wooden box with an offset soundhole.
There are plenty of artists playing Ovations ... it's just that most of us around here aren't listening to young hip artists, we're listening to the old conventional artist who now play old conventional guitars.
Go here and scroll through the pages. Ovation Artists . I know, you don't know very many of these people. But my folks had no idea who Steve Marriott, or Dave Mason, or Eric Clapton, or John McLaughlin, or Jim Messina, etc, etc were. The people they all listened to played conventional guitars. |
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Location: SoCal | You know, that's about the best explanation I've heard.
Sometimes I think Bobbo's brilliant. Sometimes not..... |
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Location: Texas | I'll tell you.
Anytime I see my favorite artists in person, or on magazines, TV, web, news, etc, I always wish they were playing an Ovation.
I travel often to Nashville, LA, New York, Miami, and play on many recording sessions and other productions, and many of my friends talk about the Ovation good old days, when it was the best ax for the job.
What happened?
And I can say that many still use them! |
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Location: big island | most of the professionals here in hawaii use ovation/adamas guitars and ukuleles. not all, but most.
...of course, life is a bit slower here. |
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Location: Texas | RANDY, GOOD TO HEAR FROM YOU!
HOW ARE YA!
;) |
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Location: Tuscany, Italy | Originally posted by Mike1970:
The draw for me to Ovation was the unique design and the willingness of a person to go beyond the norm. If Ovation went to a all wooden design then they would just be..............well, like every other guitar.
I hope they stay the way they are. I like the round lyracord back and the unique looks of this guitar! To any designer at "O"............don't change a darn thing! +2 ;) |
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Location: Nashville TN. | There really is no reason you can't have the roundbacks and wood bodies.
Other companys have made fiberplass bodies.
Yamaha GTX and Fender made a strat looking acoustic with a fiberglass body.
Given there no deep non-cut aways made now with wood tops you be be going after those currently not buying Ovation. If you arched the back still somewhat rounded back. It might even really cut into Taylors marketshare. If your really honest about it Taylor added features like a pinless bridges tough finishes modern glues and more playable necks. Basically it gave
similure features to Ovation without the rounded fiberglass back. You either love rounded back or hate the rounded back. People love the bright clear tone of the fiberglass body, Some people think a little thin.
There are are enough unique features to Ovations like the necks bridges assembly and pickups, sound holes, bracing, preamps that wood body unquely Ovation take on a traditional guitar.
It would not take a whole lot of money to try a wood Ovation as a proto type. You already have the machine tools to make wood sides and backs because of Guild. Many of the other parts would nos parts or current parts.
Use a set in K-bar neck. A bracing & LX BRACING I'm sure it would sound a lot different. Worst that happens you you lose a few grand on the expirement. I am sure here would it buy the proto types if it doesn't work out.
If it does work out a rising tide lifts all.
I think it worth the expirement. |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | I think that we have trodden this path before...
Adamii, Ovations, Ultras, Matrices, Celebrity's, Academy's, Applauses...
They have round fiberglass backs.
That is what makes them what they are.
If you want a wooden guitar, go buy one.
If you are concerned about Kaman's market-share, they have Takamine.
And now Guild, Tacoma, and who knows what else.
That boils down to that statement, "I like Ovations, if only they didn't have that round back!"
If they did not have the round back, they would not be Ovations.
When someone copies an Ovation, they refer to it as 'Ovation-style' bowl, sound-holes, bridge, whatever.
If you copy a Les Paul, you refer to it as a Les Paul style body, pups, whatever...
Same with a Strat, Gibson 335, or any other Style of guitar.
If you think that your Ovation would have been better with a wooden bowl, you coulda got a Tak.
I have always been intrigued by the roundback since I saw my first one in the 70's...
I don't feel a need to apologize for the Ovation shortcomings... Cuz I don't see that it has any.
Alot of people do not like the bowl... I just laugh.
"You don't have to like it, this is not Your guitar!" :p |
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Location: South of most, North of few | Wait a minute Serge, you're a professional and you play one or two don't you? :D |
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Location: Nashville TN. | Originally posted by stonebobbo:
Because all the young hip artists (that used to play Ovations) have turned old and conventional and now play what all the other old conventional people play, unless they are really wild and crazy and play a wooden box with an offset soundhole.
There are plenty of artists playing Ovations ... it's just that most of us around here aren't listening to young hip artists, we're listening to the old conventional artist who now play old conventional guitars.
Go here and scroll through the pages. Ovation Artists . I know, you don't know very many of these people. But my folks had no idea who Steve Marriott, or Dave Mason, or Eric Clapton, or John McLaughlin, or Jim Messina, etc, etc were. The people they all listened to played conventional guitars.
or singers who sometimes play an acoustic guitar.
Most people are not big drawers.
I read Pollstar
http://www.pollstar.com/
I know who drawing audiences.
Slipknot & Shakira are biggest draws on the list.
Its niche marketed into a corner.
I don't see too many alt rock, folk rock, country
and acoustic rock players. Thus the problem. |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Originally posted by PEZ:
...Most people are not big drawers.
I read Pollstar
http://www.pollstar.com/
I know who drawing audiences.
Slipknot & Shakira are biggest draws on the list. |
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Location: Tennessee | Originally posted by PEZ:
As you look through that list overwhelmingly the acts on that list are primarily NOT acoustic players. Most are acts primarily electric players
or singers who sometimes play an acoustic guitar.
Most people are not big drawers.
I don't see too many alt rock, folk rock, country
and acoustic rock players. Well, there 'ya go. Nothing's really changed in 40 years. |
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| Definitely a nice guitar. The only thing is that I'm thinking about possibly getting a guitar that I could swap out the current pre-amp with the newer iDEA pre-amp.
Michelle |
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Location: Weaverville, NC | Michelle.........just noticed your sig. line that you have a Walden. That was my first guitar before I discovered Ovation as well. Walden's are great for the money but once you pick up the "O" you are hooked. |
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Location: Weaverville, NC | I have seen the copies on E-Bay and I have to say.......the best form of flattery is imitation! I have a "O" because I like the way it feels in my lap and the sound it produces. I would also be lying if I did not say I like the unique looks of the tops with the multi hole "angel wings" as I call them. That is just plain sexy on a guitar. I do prefer the multi hole guitars by "O" better than the traditional single round hole. But given if "O" quit the multi hole I would still buy "O" because the lyrachord rounded back just sits well in my lap! I am a beginner and will be nothing but since I am self teaching myself again after a short haitus from lessons and starting to play late in life. Being not that good and fumbling on the fret board because my mind knows what my fingers need to do but the fingers just no cooperating, the round back makes it easier. |
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| Originally posted by Mike1970:
Michelle.........just noticed your sig. line that you have a Walden. That was my first guitar before I discovered Ovation as well. Walden's are great for the money but once you pick up the "O" you are hooked. You're not kidding Mike! Waldens are nice sounding guitars, but when you compare an Ovation neck to a Walden neck, the Ovation is much more comfortable, IMHO.
Michelle |
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Location: Omaha, NE | FWIW, I get lots of positive comments about my Koala. |
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Location: Nashville TN. | Originally posted by Old Man Arthur:
I think that we have trodden this path before...
Adamii, Ovations, Ultras, Matrices, Celebrity's, Academy's, Applauses...
They have round fiberglass backs.
That is what makes them what they are.
If you want a wooden guitar, go buy one.
If you are concerned about Kaman's market-share, they have Takamine.
And now Guild, Tacoma, and who knows what else.
That boils down to that statement, "I like Ovations, if only they didn't have that round back!"
If they did not have the round back, they would not be Ovations.
When someone copies an Ovation, they refer to it as 'Ovation-style' bowl, sound-holes, bridge, whatever.
If you copy a Les Paul, you refer to it as a Les Paul style body, pups, whatever...
Same with a Strat, Gibson 335, or any other Style of guitar.
If you think that your Ovation would have been better with a wooden bowl, you coulda got a Tak.
I have always been intrigued by the roundback since I saw my first one in the 70's...
I don't feel a need to apologize for the Ovation shortcomings... Cuz I don't see that it has any.
Alot of people do not like the bowl... I just laugh.
"You don't have to like it, this is not Your guitar!" :p That reminds me of CF Martin III saying, We don't make acoustic electric guitars if you want an acoustic electric guitar buy an Ovation.
THey almost went out business untill that attitude changed with CF Martin IV.
After 40 years you know some people love the round back. I am one of them. I have 3 Adamas 4 Ovations
1 Martin 1 Guild. There is a place for the roundback. Why not try to bring new people to the brand? It would not be Tak if executed correctly.
The bowl back is not the only unque feature to Ovation.
The fact marketshare does determine if you live or die as a company.
For the most part you do not have A grade acts who are primarily acoustic acts using Ovation.
You do not have acts like Croce, Loggins & Messina, Glen Campbell, Dave Mason, America, etc of today. Last year I play a country music fest
with 30 other national & reginal acts. Well over 100 acoustic guitars and 1 Ovation.
It was mine.
Ask yourself this, how many people on this list bought new wood body guitars in the last year?
Quite a few as I remember.
Most of them high end instruments.
Why try to expand your universe? |
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Location: Sydney, Australia | The problem is that there are literally millions of guitars that could be a Martin (or a Tak, or a Gibson or a ...) when you see an artist playing one on stage. What this means is that the big brand wooden guitars don't get much specific big name endorsement either, apart from the general observation that such and such plays a standard acoustic guitar.
It's a bit like trying to pick the Macintosh out of the general run of PCs. There aren't a huge number of Macs out there, but they do look rather different and stand out. On the other hand, there aren't a lot of each specific other brand (HP, Dell etc) out their either, they just all look the same so they get lumped together. e.g. people's choice becomes "Mac or PC", not Mac or Dell or HP or ...
So it sort of becomes wood-back v. Ovation, rather than thinking of Ovation as one in a wide range of brands, none of which has market ascendancy. |
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Location: Utah | Originally posted by Country Artist:
Why don't more pros play newer Ovations and Adamas like the Custom Legends, Adamas collectors, reissues, etc? There are still some out there. Here's the opening act for the upcoming Salt Lake concert of Seabird, a national touring band:
She's not a big time pro, but she makes money and draws an audience.
There are a lot of very good A/E guitars out there, and trends by definition change. Glenn Campbell may have inspired sales of Ovations 30 years ago, but then that became the status quo which had to be rejected by the counter-culture.
The smart pros will still perform with Ovation/Adamas! |
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Location: Maine | Since I've always been around Ovations, they've just been second nature and I love them.. I'm very lucky to have an older Martin , but it is unplayable. The bridge is lifting, neck needs reset. All of the older Ovations guitars I have are playable w/ the exception of a 3/4 size classical prototpye which also needs the neck reset, but it's bolt on so it should be easy. That's not to say some couldn't use a good setup.
Anyway.. I too have always wondered why the thought of a "technically advance guitar" wouldn't be more desired? Try to sell all wood skis,sports equipment, high performance auto gear that isn't CAD modeled and/or CNC machined. The more composite the better. Same for Mt bikes and Tennis rackets, golf clubs.. you name it. One place I can quickly think of that falls into the "old" is better is the love of wooden boats.
Take a listen to this clip... The folks at Ovation knew back in the 70's then that a paradigm shift was needed to be viable.
12-Engineering.mp3
(look for My Music on the left side, mid way down..)
also... Here's snipit from the web
Same tendancies here too.
www.canoeing.com/canoes/choosing/materials.htm
Fiberglass Composites
In the world of canoes, “Composites” means fibers formed in a mold and bonded with resins to make a hull. Any marriage of fibers and resin is a composite, but the most well known material is “fiberglass”. The term “fiberglass composites” is often incorrectly applied to all composite hulls; true fiberglass composites are many layers of strategically cut, woven fabrics with fiberglass and resin, carefully crafted by hand. Be wary of canoes that use fiberglass alone, as the end product may be brittle. Fiberglass Composite canoes are light, rigid and strong. When compared to other materials, they can be shaped more finitely making cleaner entry lines, resulting in an efficient and quiet ride. Canoes made of fiberglass are easy to repair; a properly applied patch is hardly noticeable.
Wood
A fine wood canoe can be both a work of art and a joy to paddle. Most are handcrafted, using traditional canoe forms and construction techniques. All are laborious to build, and a bit fragile, but wood construction also yields high performance. Wood canoes are surprisingly versatile–from lake to river, wilderness to expedition tripping–paddlers in almost every discipline treasure these crafts. The manufactured weight will vary with selection of wood, the exterior skin, paint and varnish. Wood canoes are easy to repair and live a hundred years or longer when properly cared for and stored in the off-season. Hand-built canoes will be on the higher end of the price scale, but their fans say that if you paddle a well-designed wooden canoe, you never look back.
..Talbot |
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Location: SoCal | Is the older Martin the D-45? |
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Location: Tennessee | Terrific clip, Talbot. Thanks for sharing that. "No holes in the guitar" ... sums it up pretty well I'd say. |
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Location: Maine | Originally posted by moody, p.i.:
Is the older Martin the D-45? I would only be so lucky... |
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Why don't pros play Ovations and Adamas?