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November 2005
Posts: 1126
Location: Omaha, NE | My new MF catalog just arrived. The VXT is featured with a "Hands On Review", which you can also read online right here.
I thought the VIP was essentially a licensed version of the Fishman Aura, but there's no mention of that. Instead, quite a bit of praise for the VIP. |
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January 2005
Posts: 4903
Location: Phoenix AZ | You know, working in marketing (as a profession and also as an unpaid consultant) I have some problems with this. Sure on the face of it, it's GREAT that Ovation got what is basically a FULL PAGE AD. But read it - isn't it exactly the same thing that's written on the website or myspace? If something says "hands on review", I expect to read the pros and cons of someone that actually played it and has something constructive to say. Of course that's not what these pages in MF catalogs really are, so OK I'll except it.
Interesting they go on about the VIP. "Virtual Image Processing is Ovations... forey into DSP based acoustic sound modeling." Seems last year when the VIP first came out and we mentioned the word "modeling" we got slapped. What gives? Does Fishman just make the whole friggin VIP thing for ALL ovations that use it?
I really think this is a cool guitar and I sincerely hope it turns out to be WILDLY successful for them. Personal opinion - this entry level model is "nice" but it's kind of plane jane, which is fine. I would suggest juice it up a little and come out with the 2008 COLLECTORS as a VXT. Koa grained top, abalone trim, gold hardware, ... I'm SERIOUS! I'd probably have to buy one.
Dave |
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December 2001
Posts: 7247
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | I may be missing something, and so may the VXT :(
I didn't realize there was a non-tremelo version of the Fishman PowerBridge but thought it was just my bad memory so I went to the Fishman site, and there are no non-trem Powerbridges except for the Tele and of course the Tunamatic solution that I found. I sure hope that there is to be a w/tremelo version of the VXT. |
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Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | Originally posted by Tupperware:
I would suggest juice it up a little and come out with the 2008 COLLECTORS as a VXT. Koa grained top, abalone trim, gold hardware, ... I'm SERIOUS! I'd probably have to buy one.
Dave Me too. Or how about a very nice flamey maple top in maybe a transparent amber?
The "hands-on" is kinda odd. I think this is the first "hands-on" I've ever read from MF that doesn't talk about being hands-on. Usually they talk about gigging with it, what they played, etc. :confused: Nice to get the press, though. |
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September 2006
Posts: 347
Location: Reno, NV | I think they did themselves a favor not pricing it to high for the average Joe musician. Granted if you are a musician by trade, good tools are essential and the sky is the limit. However, IMO its priced just where it needs to be. Enough that its still considered a high end instrument, but low enough it doesn't compete with the T5. Leave the Flame and Birds Eye maple, Koa, etc... to the custom shop. |
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November 2005
Posts: 1126
Location: Omaha, NE | As far as I can tell, the VTX is just fine for what it is...but I really don't get this genre. I switch between acoustic and electric multiple times per set. It would be REALLY great to be able to just flip a switch, but there is so much more to it than just the guitar. The electric gets run through my tube amp, which is then mic'd into the board. The acoustic goes straight to the board with no processors. I don't see how those could be combined.
But in any case, I hope they sell VTX's by the boatload. |
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Posts: 7247
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | I think the "genre" are tunes that need both sounds in the same tune. Most of the tunes I really like, have some extreme in them. They are either primarily a hard rock song with 8-bars of an acoustic sound in there someplace, or primarily an acoustic song with a screaming electric lead. In most cases, just playing an electric clean works just fine.... but the possibilities to have those parts sound acoustic are just too cool.
The first example song that comes to my mind at the moment, is "More Than A Feeling" by Boston. How cool would it be to play that tune on a VXT.
Being able to blend takes it up an extra level. |
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December 2003
Posts: 1889
Location: Central Massachusetts | Originally posted by Omaha:
As far as I can tell, the VTX is just fine for what it is...but I really don't get this genre. I switch between acoustic and electric multiple times per set. It would be REALLY great to be able to just flip a switch, but there is so much more to it than just the guitar. The electric gets run through my tube amp, which is then mic'd into the board. The acoustic goes straight to the board with no processors. I don't see how those could be combined.
But in any case, I hope they sell VTX's by the boatload. I thought one of the reports from the German trade show was that the switch on the back gave you 2-channel output with a splitter cable -- one acoustic channel and one electric. If that's the case, you could run the single guitar to both setups and switch back and forth simply with the blend knob. |
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Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | The VXT is about "sonic options." |
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Location: Tidal Mudflats of Virginia | Hummm...something else I didn't need but.... |
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November 2005
Posts: 1126
Location: Omaha, NE | Originally posted by dvd:
you could run the single guitar to both setups and switch back and forth simply with the blend knob. If that's how it works, then that would be killer! |
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Posts: 1889
Location: Central Massachusetts | Omaha, good news, see the VXT Manual thread. |
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October 2006
Posts: 51
Location: Arizona | Originally posted by dvd:
I thought one of the reports from the German trade show was that the switch on the back gave you 2-channel output with a splitter cable -- one acoustic channel and one electric. If that's the case, you could run the single guitar to both setups and switch back and forth simply with the blend knob. Hmmmm...that gives me an idea for a nice mod to the T5... ;) |
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November 2004
Posts: 382
Location: USA | I like what I see and have read,,,now I just have to do my own hands on review...
The price...a tad iffy...but could very well be worth the $$$...
Im one of those guys who always tend to find things on guitrs that I'm not happy with...lol for me to get sold on something...It has to sell me 100 percent. |
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July 2003
Posts: 3111
Location: Nashville TN. | I played one today.....
Its amazing.....
Guitar center has them.
You must play with one.
Its like a Les Paul/Legend |
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October 2006
Posts: 51
Location: Arizona | Got my MF catalog today, and I was amused to see that the VXT review was printed on the other side of the page with the Fender VG Strat review.
Too bad they already reviewed the T5, they could have put that on the facing page. ;) |
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November 2004
Posts: 382
Location: USA | I received my GC mini catalogue with th VXT write up and review.
I wasnt in the market for another guitar so soon having just recently purchased the Elite T...but...this is getting interesting... |
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December 2004
Posts: 65
Location: Phoenix | This would sure make my gigging life a little easier...but 1600 bucks??? It doesn't LOOK like a $1600 guitar, it's awfully plain for that kinda money. Even imports that sell for 1/4 of this price, have a lot more "bling" factor...I'm not saying it's a bad guitar, just the price seems awfully steep for a "plain jane" looking guitar.
Maybe when they don't sell and MF blows them out for $800, then I would buy one. |
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Posts: 382
Location: USA | Im leaning towards the sunburst model... |
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August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | Does anyone know details on the VIP preamp ... specifically, is there only one model on the VXT or is there a menu of choices? I can't see any place to select different models from the pictures, and I tried to download the manual but my computer doesn't know what to do with a .sit file ... and neither do I. :rolleyes: |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Email sent Bobbo... |
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October 2005
Posts: 5332
Location: Bluffton, SC | Whoa - I didn't realize there were different versions of the VIP...are there? |
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December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | Originally posted by Bill C:
This would sure make my gigging life a little easier...but 1600 bucks??? It doesn't LOOK like a $1600 guitar, it's awfully plain for that kinda money. Even imports that sell for 1/4 of this price, have a lot more "bling" factor...I'm not saying it's a bad guitar, just the price seems awfully steep for a "plain jane" looking guitar.
Maybe when they don't sell and MF blows them out for $800, then I would buy one. where are you coming from? for a usa guitar it is CHEAP |
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April 2006
Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | I do not like that tear-drop sunburst,...
but 1600 usd is n`t too bad for US made,and HumBuckers are Allways interesting,and getting a good acoustic tone out of it as well,makes it interesting on a crowded stage..
Vic :cool: |
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August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | Thanks Jeff. Got it. :cool:
Manual (hahaha ... it's a two page tri-fold marketing flyer) doesn't help much. There is this statement they make:
"The key to the realistic acoustic sound signal in the VXT is technology based on VIP, or Virtual Image Processing. Custom recordings of world-class acoustic instruments are analyzed and processed to provide a framework from which the piezo pickup output is modified. The result is a real time emulation of the recorded tones of the touchstone instrument."
There's no indication anywhere that you can select an image. So I'll assume there is only one image on the guitar ... anyone know what the reference ... uh, touchstone ... instrument is?
FWIW ... I think $1600 is a very decent price for the kind of instrument coming from the craftspeople in New Hartford. |
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Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | Given the competition, it's definitely in the range. |
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March 2003
Posts: 555
Location: Wooster, Ohio | PEZ are the acoustic sounds realistic, if so this does combine my favorite electric the Les Paul and puts it in one package. That would be amazing.
Steve |
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VXT in Musician's Friend