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 Joined: January 2006 Posts: 2120
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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Joined: December 2003 Posts: 852
Location: Canada | That is a very interesting looking custom Adamas in the pictures. Those soundholes are nifty, wonder how it sounds. |
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 Joined: December 2014 Posts: 1713
Location: Frozen Tundra of Minnesota | 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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Joined: March 2002 Posts: 15677
Location: SoCal | That Adamas is a very early prototype, I believe. It hung in engineering for a long time......
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Joined: July 2010 Posts: 83
Location: Urbana, IL | Everyone loves a good comeback story. 
Edited by Matt_B 2015-08-30 5:34 PM
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 Joined: December 2014 Posts: 1713
Location: Frozen Tundra of Minnesota | 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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 Joined: January 2009 Posts: 1249
Location: Texas | For some reason, if the subscription still comes up, I copied out to HERE |
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Joined: March 2005 Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | 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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 Joined: June 2002 Posts: 6202
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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Joined: March 2005 Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | I think Al should shift his focus toward convincing GM to reopen a Pontiac factory. |
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Joined: March 2002 Posts: 15677
Location: SoCal | If they do that, Al should talk GM into building a 40th anniversary Rockford Pontiac Firebird..... |
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Joined: July 2015 Posts: 190
Location: SW Mintsoda | 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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 Joined: September 2006 Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | 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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 Joined: December 2014 Posts: 1713
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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 Joined: January 2009 Posts: 1249
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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 Joined: January 2002 Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | That was Adamas #23 |
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 Joined: December 2014 Posts: 1713
Location: Frozen Tundra of Minnesota | 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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 Joined: January 2002 Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Made in 1975 |
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Joined: July 2005 Posts: 1609
Location: Colorado | Maybe Al can get a new phone |
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 Joined: January 2006 Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | and he can start putting together the next OFC factory tour weekend. |
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 Joined: January 2006 Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | <p>Deleted.</p>
Edited by ProfessorBB 2015-09-01 8:14 AM
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Joined: December 2003 Posts: 852
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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 Joined: January 2002 Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | So 80-90% was all guild related maybe, so what was letf still works for Ovation |
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 Joined: September 2006 Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | 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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Joined: July 2015 Posts: 190
Location: SW Mintsoda | 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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 Joined: December 2006 Posts: 6996
Location: Jet City | Cordoba's there too. Maybe we can get some wood BACK |
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