Heartwarming news from New Hartford
dobro
Posted 2015-08-30 12:59 PM (#514882)
Subject: Heartwarming news from New Hartford



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Location: Chicago

I know this is not late-breaking news, but so good to read anyway. Saw this article for the first time courtesy Alpep on FB.

 

http://www.courant.com/business/hc-ovation-guitars-reopening-new-hartford-20150830-story.html

 

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d'ovation
Posted 2015-08-30 1:21 PM (#514883 - in reply to #514882)
Subject: Re: Heartwarming news from New Hartford


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That is a very interesting looking custom Adamas in the pictures. Those soundholes are nifty, wonder how it sounds.
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Nancy
Posted 2015-08-30 3:09 PM (#514886 - in reply to #514883)
Subject: Re: Heartwarming news from New Hartford



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merlin666 - 2015-08-30 1:21 PM

That is a very interesting looking custom Adamas in the pictures. Those soundholes are nifty, wonder how it sounds.


Very Interesting!!!!
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moody, p.i.
Posted 2015-08-30 5:05 PM (#514887 - in reply to #514882)
Subject: Re: Heartwarming news from New Hartford


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That Adamas is a very early prototype, I believe. It hung in engineering for a long time......
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Matt_B
Posted 2015-08-30 5:30 PM (#514889 - in reply to #514882)
Subject: Re: Heartwarming news from New Hartford


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Location: Urbana, IL
Everyone loves a good comeback story.

Edited by Matt_B 2015-08-30 5:34 PM
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Nancy
Posted 2015-08-31 9:17 AM (#514895 - in reply to #514889)
Subject: Re: Heartwarming news from New Hartford



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Let's try this one, I kept getting the Subscribe page too, but Peggy Budny posted this one on FB:

http://www.courant.com/business/hc-ovation-guitars-reopening-new-ha...
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jay
Posted 2015-08-31 9:59 AM (#514897 - in reply to #514895)
Subject: Re: Heartwarming news from New Hartford



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For some reason, if the subscription still comes up, I copied out to HERE

 

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Mark in Boise
Posted 2015-08-31 10:11 AM (#514898 - in reply to #514882)
Subject: Re: Heartwarming news from New Hartford


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I got to it through the Ovation facebook page linked on the front page of this site. Al, when's the factory tour?
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Standingovation
Posted 2015-08-31 10:33 AM (#514899 - in reply to #514882)
Subject: Re: Heartwarming news from New Hartford



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Location: Phoenix AZ
Some interstng tidbits to gleen from that article. Factory will be around 25% the size of the old factory and employ around 10 people. They will intially focus on 50th anniversary guitar and Adamas and somewhere more than 2-3 guitars a day. This is all good news but sounds like you will still have to search high and hard for a new USA ovation and it certainly won't be a mainsteam guitar. But that's OK.

Personally, I think the factory should just be Alpep's personal shop. Al can trickle them enough standard and custom orders to build a handful of guitars a week and make Lost Art Vintage and USA Ovation essentially one in the same. If the shop is running a little low from time to time they can pitch in on restoring his Pontiac and remodelling his bathrom.
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Mark in Boise
Posted 2015-08-31 11:27 AM (#514900 - in reply to #514882)
Subject: Re: Heartwarming news from New Hartford


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I think Al should shift his focus toward convincing GM to reopen a Pontiac factory.
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moody, p.i.
Posted 2015-08-31 11:40 AM (#514901 - in reply to #514882)
Subject: Re: Heartwarming news from New Hartford


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If they do that, Al should talk GM into building a 40th anniversary Rockford Pontiac Firebird.....
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360Ovation
Posted 2015-08-31 1:00 PM (#514904 - in reply to #514901)
Subject: Re: Heartwarming news from New Hartford


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immoody - 2015-08-31 11:40 AM

If they do that, Al should talk GM into building a 40th anniversary Rockford Pontiac Firebird.....


"LIKE"

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Old Man Arthur
Posted 2015-08-31 2:24 PM (#514906 - in reply to #514899)
Subject: Re: Heartwarming news from New Hartford



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Standingovation - 2015-08-31 8:33 AM

Personally, I think the factory should just be Alpep's personal shop. Al can trickle them enough standard and custom orders to build a handful of guitars a week and make Lost Art Vintage and USA Ovation essentially one in the same.

Yup... Just make Adamii and Custom Orders.
Sounds like a Plan.
(not a profitable plan... but a plan nonetheless )
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Nancy
Posted 2015-08-31 4:26 PM (#514908 - in reply to #514906)
Subject: Re: Heartwarming news from New Hartford



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Location: Frozen Tundra of Minnesota
"In Connecticut, they'll build some 50th-anniversary limited edition guitars and some Adamas guitars, which have carbon graphite tops; other models are yet to be determined. They'll also continue to do repairs.
In the last year before the plant closed, the crew of 47 was generally making 14 guitars a day, but most were Guild or Fender; only one or two were Ovation. Though production will be low in New Hartford, it still will be higher than two guitars a day.

Full production will start in October."

Doin' The Happy Dance!!!!! I can't wait to see what the 50th Anniversary will be!!
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jay
Posted 2015-08-31 5:54 PM (#514909 - in reply to #514908)
Subject: Re: Heartwarming news from New Hartford



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Location: Texas

I can't wait to see what the 50th Anniversary will be

 

Can you imagine the pressure of taking over a historically innovative guitar company that, at one time, ruled the world and having your first production task of designing a guitar to celebrate the 50th Anniversary? It isn't a 9th inning, bases loaded, 2 out scenario...but it's darn close!  Exciting stuff!

 

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Beal
Posted 2015-08-31 6:50 PM (#514910 - in reply to #514882)
Subject: Re: Heartwarming news from New Hartford



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Location: 6 String Ranch
That was Adamas #23
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Nancy
Posted 2015-08-31 7:46 PM (#514912 - in reply to #514910)
Subject: Re: Heartwarming news from New Hartford



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cwk2 - 2015-08-31 6:50 PM

That was Adamas #23


The antiquing on the wood looks Incredible! Especially with the black top!
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Beal
Posted 2015-08-31 8:28 PM (#514913 - in reply to #514882)
Subject: Re: Heartwarming news from New Hartford



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Made in 1975
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elginacres
Posted 2015-08-31 10:31 PM (#514914 - in reply to #514882)
Subject: Re: Heartwarming news from New Hartford


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Location: Colorado
Maybe Al can get a new phone
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ProfessorBB
Posted 2015-09-01 8:12 AM (#514917 - in reply to #514882)
Subject: Re: Heartwarming news from New Hartford



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and he can start putting together the next OFC factory tour weekend.
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ProfessorBB
Posted 2015-09-01 8:12 AM (#514918 - in reply to #514882)
Subject: Re: Heartwarming news from New Hartford



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<p>Deleted.</p>

Edited by ProfessorBB 2015-09-01 8:14 AM
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d'ovation
Posted 2015-09-01 9:32 AM (#514919 - in reply to #514882)
Subject: Re: Heartwarming news from New Hartford


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Location: Canada
The article is a bit odd. First they say that 80 to 90% of the equipment was sold (mainly to Cordoba/Guild), and then they carry on to say that the supposedly remaining 10% are sufficient to carry on with production. Does that imply that there were many multiples of the same production equipment so guitars can still be built, just not in as large quantities?

I'm also wondering about supplies of wood for necks and tops ... is there still inventory or where would that come from?
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Beal
Posted 2015-09-01 10:50 AM (#514920 - in reply to #514882)
Subject: Re: Heartwarming news from New Hartford



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Location: 6 String Ranch
So 80-90% was all guild related maybe, so what was letf still works for Ovation
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Old Man Arthur
Posted 2015-09-01 3:19 PM (#514930 - in reply to #514919)
Subject: Re: Heartwarming news from New Hartford



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merlin666 - 2015-09-01 7:32 AM

I'm also wondering about supplies of wood for necks and tops ... is there still inventory or where would that come from?

On another thread, Al said that the wood was all sold. Some to Martin.
Fender is an investment company.
I am sure that they squeezed-out every penny they could before letting Ovation go.
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360Ovation
Posted 2015-09-01 3:35 PM (#514931 - in reply to #514930)
Subject: Re: Heartwarming news from New Hartford


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arthurseery - 2015-09-01 3:19 PM

merlin666 - 2015-09-01 7:32 AM

I'm also wondering about supplies of wood for necks and tops ... is there still inventory or where would that come from?

On another thread, Al said that the wood was all sold. Some to Martin.
Fender is an investment company.
I am sure that they squeezed-out every penny they could before letting Ovation go.


If Ovation needs wood, I suggest DW go down the street in Oxnard to Larrivee and buy some wood for tops from Jean... he personally goes all over the world selecting the wood for his company's guitars, but he also sells quite a bit to other guitar companies.

Seems like a convenient solution...since they're neighbors.
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Damon67
Posted 2015-09-01 4:32 PM (#514933 - in reply to #514882)
Subject: Re: Heartwarming news from New Hartford



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Location: Jet City
Cordoba's there too. Maybe we can get some wood BACK
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