Posted 2021-06-29 10:26 PM (#555792 - in reply to #555785) Subject: Re: Sweet water Gearfest 2021 OVATION GUITARS
Joined: February 2016 Posts: 1802
Location: When??
Not long back Sweetwater seemed to have a fairly decent selection of Ovation guitars on their website where the customer was able to select the exact unit from a choice that included specific photos and specs for each one. I have never been disappointed with any purchase from Sweetwater. Their customer service is excellent and they send the thick catalog twice each year (great gear porn). I hope that the relationship with them and GEWA is one that will aggressively promote sales to folks who may not have otherwise shopped for an Ovation. We shall see.
Posted 2021-06-30 10:30 AM (#555800 - in reply to #555785) Subject: Re: Sweet water Gearfest 2021 OVATION GUITARS
Joined: November 2002 Posts: 3611
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire
Well, still, I hope GEWA makes some salutary sales volume, or Ovation gets dropped (again!) like a hot potato. The loyal & faithful, "true believer", geezer population won't last forever.
Posted 2021-06-30 4:53 PM (#555808 - in reply to #555785) Subject: Re: Sweet water Gearfest 2021 OVATION GUITARS
Joined: September 2006 Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR
Just to state the obvious.... Ovation/Adamas needs to be in the Showroom for people to PLAY.
Otherwise.... Potential customers are flooded with rumors of guitars slipping off of your lap.
Posted 2021-07-01 4:07 PM (#555809 - in reply to #555808) Subject: Re: Sweet water Gearfest 2021 OVATION GUITARS
Joined: July 2015 Posts: 118
Location: New Britain, Ct
Old Man Arthur - 2021-06-30 5:53 PM
Just to state the obvious.... Ovation/Adamas needs to be in the Showroom for people to PLAY.
Otherwise.... Potential customers are flooded with rumors of guitars slipping off of your lap.
Posted 2021-07-01 10:46 PM (#555812 - in reply to #555785) Subject: Re: Sweet water Gearfest 2021 OVATION GUITARS
Joined: February 2016 Posts: 1802
Location: When??
@Arthur - >>>Ovation/Adamas needs to be in the Showroom for people to PLAY.<<<
The instrument showrooms at Sweetwater incorporate many acres under roof, and their whole campus is a sprawling huge tourist attraction (even has its own restaurant) with no shortage of Ovations there for customers to play, but as far as I know the one in Indiana is the only "location" they have (does anyone know of another?). Everything else is online. As for "showrooms-at-large" in America, Guitar Center is about the only common-laced ones I can picture, and the last time I was in one there were maybe 4 Ovations out of around 100-or-so acoustic guitars. Sadly, not a very good sampling.
Posted 2021-07-02 1:21 PM (#555816 - in reply to #555813) Subject: Re: Sweet water Gearfest 2021 OVATION GUITARS
Joined: August 2002 Posts: 597
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA
Hello, Everyone,
The major music retailers here in CANADA, are Steve's Music, and Long & Mcquade Music. They actually still do stock a very limited number of USA made Ovations, but again, to concur with alpep, the models in store are mostly imports. I always check out Kijiji Ottawa, and/or Reverb.ca, for the so called, "Legacy Models" as the Ovation website terms them now, and every so often a good deal does show up. " Just keep your eyes peeled." I sold my previous Ovation guitar, and bought my current Ovation on Kijiji Ottawa, but I haven't shopped on Reverb.ca, as of yet. You can always make a good deal with a fellow musician that you know, and trust, from playing with them, too. I've done that quite often in the past to get the gear I needed for both teaching and playing, and yes, I am a loyal Ovation geezer.
Mike S.
Ottawa, ON.,
CANADA
Posted 2021-07-02 2:44 PM (#555817 - in reply to #555785) Subject: Re: Sweet water Gearfest 2021 OVATION GUITARS
Joined: February 2016 Posts: 1802
Location: When??
@alpep >>>so they stock imports......<<<
I've seen USA Ovations in Sweetwater's lineup.. but as for Guitar Center, I don't recall seeing a USA Ovation actually on display in any of their stores for years. At least not out west. The newest USA Ovation I own is a 2000 that I bought at a private-owned shop like yours, out here in CA, but it doesn't play/sound as well or impress me near as much as my 70's and 80's USAs.
Posted 2021-07-02 4:20 PM (#555818 - in reply to #555785) Subject: Re: Sweet water Gearfest 2021 OVATION GUITARS
Joined: September 2006 Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR
Talking about "imports"... I have a White 1778TX-6, that looks interesting.
I allowed a stray street musician play it for a bit.
He said: "That does not sound like the Ovations that I remember."
He is correct.
That said, I have owned many Celebrity guitars that sounded Great... for Celebrity guitars.
But they don't sound as good as an USA Ovation.
Posted 2021-07-03 7:56 AM (#555822 - in reply to #555785) Subject: Re: Sweet water Gearfest 2021 OVATION GUITARS
Joined: June 2002 Posts: 6197
Location: Phoenix AZ
Ignoring my love for Ovation and just looking at the business side, this is a very tricky puzzle for a real brick and mortar guitar shop ...
1. you need inventory that you can turn quickly with favorable payment terms from the supplier
2. you need inventory that is high demand but scarce enough that you can make a decent margin
3. you need inventory that does not have a large number of competing distribution channels
A good example of this would be Harley-Davidson. The country is covered with HD dealers that have a significant amount of inventory. I'm not a "bike guy" but my jaw drops every time I pass my local shop who must easily have a million dollars (retail) of bikes on display. How is this possible? Well, it probably has something to do with points 1-3 above.
Now imagine if the same scheme could be applied to guitars ...
Posted 2021-07-03 8:27 AM (#555823 - in reply to #555822) Subject: Re: Sweet water Gearfest 2021 OVATION GUITARS
Joined: November 2002 Posts: 3611
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire
Pursuant to "conjectural analysis", GEWA needs to somehow remind & convince the guitarplaying populace that Ovation remains "the better mousetrap", whether of domestic or foreign manufacture. Probably need a new propaganda genius for that scenario. And, a lotta bucks.
Posted 2021-07-03 4:16 PM (#555825 - in reply to #555785) Subject: Re: Sweet water Gearfest 2021 OVATION GUITARS
Joined: May 2008 Posts: 1555
Location: Indiana
Well, the brand is still alive. That's a good thing.
The person overseeing is a fan. That's good as well.
Knows how to pronounce Kaman. Bonus.
Best of luck... Viel Glück... GEWA.
Sweet water Gearfest 2021 OVATION GUITARS
