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Location: NJ | I had dinner with Rick Hall last night and we talked at length about the factory tour. This year we are thinking that it will happen in May obviously not Mother's Day weekend but one of the weekends in May. The final date has not been set in stone so suggestions from the group will be fielded.
As for the event, I have been planning to make it into something bigger and better. The fact that we stay up until 2 am on Friday night after the jam indicates to me that we need the event to last 2 days and be more involved.
Some plans for this year include. A bus trip of interesting points in New England for wives who do not wish to go to the factory. This may be repeated on Saturday for those who wish to explore New England.
Guitar workshops. I have promises from 2 individuals to teach workshops on Friday morning so if you have already seen the factory you can hone your playing/ songwriting skills.
A master class with Matt Smith. If you have seen Matt play, you will have to be there. Matt is a popular instructor at the National Guitar Workshop every year.
A possible display by genz benz amps. Many of us play amplified and this can give you an opportunity to check out the amps and maybe help in their development and research.
Ovation is hooked up with the National Guitar Workshop and we may be able to get some tie in with them for some lessons or workshops.
Ovation has a tie in with the Webster Theater. There is the possiblity of bringing in a National Act on Saturday or Friday evening. (don't worry we will still have our jam session)
We talked about maybe being set up to pick a top for a custom order guitar that you would want to have built, we talked about having representatives from wood distributors come in and talk about the qualities of different wood.
The whole idea of this is to not only celebrate the factory and do the tour but to help us become better players and give a more rounded experience to all involved. After the last event, I felt the need to make it more than it currently is. I think that going to the factory is a big part of it and is a necessary part of the equation, but I can tell that our group can benefit from even more and I am interested in what type of presentations you may want to see.
This community has grown and the factory event has become our "reunion" so to speak. This means it must change and keep up with the needs of our cyber community. Hopefully you will find some of the ideas that I have and that Rick and I kicked around last night inviting and interesting. |
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Location: Upper Left USA | Al,
You are amazing!Very forward thinking.
Thoughts on this:
- Great option for the Ovation Widows!
- Seminars, classes and multiple day events involving the local merchants and Kaman base.
- Multiple (2-3) Jam session opportunities. Main and side-show unplugged.
- A local church sponsored service on Sunday (Tim can show up on Saturday :rolleyes: ) that may want to work with some of our PW Musicians.
- A fee to ensure the sucess and longevity of this event.
Taking this from a gathering of salavating enthusiasts to a World-wide (in 5 years?)event is a natural and worthy progression.
Oh yeah - Don't leave out the paint Al's Garage & Barbeque Day! |
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Location: NJ | Good News, Al!!
Keep in mind, that if we're gonna do it in May:
Friday, May 12th will bring you into the aforementioned Mother's Day weekend.
Friday, May 26th brings you into Memorial Day weekend - which CAN work to an advantage, but I suspect would be a hinderance in regards to family vacations & such.
That kinda' leaves the 5th and the 19th . . . .
THANKS Al!
Lemme know if there's anything I can help out with. |
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Location: Fayetteville, NC | Great Thoughts Al. Let us know for sure when things are iorned out so we can plan. |
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Location: south east Michigan | Great ideas Al!!!
Let me know how I can help. |
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Location: closely held secret | Wow, Al! You two are thinking big! :eek:
Sounds like great ideas, all of them. Thanks for your hard work. |
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Location: south east Michigan | All this sounds fine and dandy.
However.....will there be another guitar to boot??? |
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Location: closely held secret | Only if you bring yours. |
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Location: Cherry Hill, NJ | Sounds real exciting and I'm looking forward to it. Only you forgot to mention one change: This year, I'm going to get lucky and win the raffle guitar. |
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Location: SoCal | Man, I really wanted to win this year's raffle guitar (Adamas I with OP Pro).
Al, I think your ideas are good. Thanks to both you and Rick for thinking ahead. When ever it is, I'll be there.
By the way, did you get to ask Rick where my guitar is? |
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Location: Upper Left USA | "By the way, did you get to ask Rick where my guitar is?"
What he said!
:rolleyes: |
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Location: Fort Worth, Texas | Wow, sounds great. I like the "workshops" idea. And the "New England Tour" would certainly be a hit with my wife (shoot, maybe can even bring the kids along!). Genz-Benz presence would be great. And this is my "on" year for making the tour, so sorry guys, raffle is MINE, MINE, ALL MINE... :mad:
:D |
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Location: Rocky River, Ohio | PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE make it any other day but the 5th....
Great ideas on the plans AL !!
Ernie |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Great ideas Al.
Nice to know you are always looking out for us! |
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Location: Vermont USA | Al thank you. You and Miles put in a lot of hard work to make this event happen and I thank both of you.
Paul |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | Sounds like a lot of great ideas. I will probably be unable to make it because of work for most of the May weekends and a family wedding on Memorial Day weekend. Some day, I'll go just to meet some of you bozos. |
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Location: NJ | . . . here they come. . . . |
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Location: Cicero, NY | Yessss. Finally. An event that isn't planned on my anniversary. Al, already I luv ya, man. The rest of it sounds great too! Sure, it's early but I think I actually might be able to show for this one. Can someone start chillin' the mugs? |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Chillin' and willin' :cool: |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | The 19th would be much better.
Good thinking about getting Matt to help, good guy, good teacher. |
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Location: NJ | thanks guys I have a feeling this is going to go well and for a long time.
Any ideas are welcome.
mwoody
I am sure you realize that the OFC or Ovation could not sponsor a religious oriented event. I have no problem with you organizing it and having it open and available for members. To be honest I would have no clue how to hook up with local church groups nor which ones to contact. |
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Location: Upper Left USA | But Al, this is a religious event! I religiously log on every day!
Don't worry about a church event though. We'll see what opportunities are provided and figure it out. Just set your schedule and we'll plan in, around and through it!
Ovation widow coping skills seminars and options sound good too! |
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Location: SoCal | Uh, I may not be getting up early enough on Sunday to make church...... |
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Location: Upper Left USA | Just stay up all night like you did in your twenties!
You remember your twenties, right? |
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Location: NJ | moody has trouble remembering his name |
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Location: Rocky River, Ohio | CWK2 just made my day !!
Go for the 19th.... |
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Location: SoCal | huh? |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | ???????
It was just a suggestion, hopefully they go with it |
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Location: Rego Park, NY, | This may be a good reason to finally get a digital camera!! |
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Location: NJ | Oh.
FRIDAY the 19th . . .
. . . I thought you were suggesting the 19th Hole . . |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Originally posted by cliff:
19th Hole . . Where it was reported they had to extricate Cliff in a stupor, endlessly singing this song |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Which, might I suggest, be next year's OFC Tour Theme Song.... |
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Location: Orange County, California | Did everyone catch the hidden warning in the song?
:p :D :p :D |
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Location: New York State | My husband would probably volunteer to take care of the ladies while I'm at the factory tour. You know... outta the goodness and generosity of his heart :D
And actually.. I NEED to win the guitar since i'm Ovationless right now. So be nice and just let me have it. K?
susan |
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Location: NJ | hey that's my job!!!!!!!
why do you think I engineered this "wives trip"????? |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Go For It Al. |
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| I have got to make this one.
Workshops are fantastic.
I really would like to sit in on a jam session.
I get good around 2:00 am.
Randy |
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Location: NJ | ask everyone that was at the last one, that is about the time I start to play and with enough booze I may even sing |
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Location: Rocky River, Ohio | Bill, I know it was just a suggestion, but I can't make it on the 5th, and I figure your opinion probably carries some weight...
Anyway, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the 19th....thanks..
Ernie |
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Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | Al!
The new festivities sound awesome! I'm very psyched...and especially to hang with everyone again!
My only suggestion/request/hope is that Matt's master class doesn't conflict with any other 'class' so that no one has to miss it! If it's possible to schedule it that way it would be perfect...he's a brilliant teacher and I'm sure that any musical advice he has to offer will be extremely valuable for every player there. It's not often we have this kind of opportunity!
Will he be at the jam again?! That was extremely cool the first year to watch him play!
Thanks again for your continued enthusiasm, interest, and hard work to make this club and the annual tour outstanding and possible. You, Miles and Ovation put together one of the best events of the year! As far as I'm concerned, it's become an official 'floating' holiday on my calander!
Be well! |
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Location: SoCal | with enough booze I may even sing heck, might even shut down the business for that! |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Or maybe if the rest of us drink enough, we won't mind! :rolleyes:
Jes kiddin Al...jes kiddin :) |
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Location: NJ | I looked at the calendar and May 19th looks good so I submitted that date to Rick for confirmation. I have not yet heard back from him but at this point let's go with May 19th. If you need to make any plans make them for that weekend. |
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Location: south east Michigan | I take it that the planned events might extend into Saturday?? Or might it be Thursday / Friday?? |
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Location: NJ | At this point we are looking at Friday and Saturday. |
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Location: closely held secret | Al, thanks again for moving on this so fast, we know you're a busy guy. If you could let us know when Rick confirms the 19th, that would be awesome, I can start looking at flights while they're still cheap.
Are we staying at the Homewood Suites again? |
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Location: NJ | homewood suites works for me. |
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Location: Cicero, NY | Originally posted by alpep:
At this point we are looking at Friday and Saturday. Hate to get too anal here but, as a first timer, I gotta ask - the festivities Friday would start in the morning and run all day and into the evening? Or start Friday evening to continue through Saturday? |
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Location: NJ | Everything starts Bright and Hungover on Friday Morning . . . . |
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Location: NJ | you will need to be ready at 7 am friday and we end when the last beer is finished and no one can strum anymore on friday night/saturday evening |
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Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by alpep:
you will need to be ready at 7 am friday and we end when the last beer is finished and no one can strum anymore on friday night/saturday evening Actually, Al, you kept playing a little longer than that. I think they were bringing breakfast in... :eek: |
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Location: NJ | Hopefully, the pool will be accessible this time around . . . . it'll come in handy for that 7thInning(2AM) Sober-Up . . .
(for those who weren't there . . we couldn't use the pool last year, as one of the llamas had a bit of an . . . "accident" in it) :rolleyes: |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | ...so we can have have accidents in it... |
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Location: closely held secret | ...I thought those were chocolate covered raisins... |
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Location: NJ | chocolate covered raisins don't float . . . . |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | and don't taste like llama poop. |
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Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by Jeff W.:
and don't taste like llama poop. ...and, not surprisingly, you know the difference... |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | you only make THAT mistake once.... |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Ouch! |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Actually Bill, it doesn't hurt... just hard to get out from between your teeth. |
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Location: NJ | . . the kids enjoyed 'em, tho . . . |
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| "we end when the last beer is finished and no one can strum anymore "
That sounds like a transatlantic challenge to me.
Seriously - no moving from the 19th. I will be there. This gives you all plenty of time to think of reasons why you won't be there. |
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Location: Midland, MI | 19th would work for me. Honestly, I'd come. Hope that doesn't scare anyone away. |
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Location: closely held secret | The 19th would be great, even if Schroed does come. :D |
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Location: Cicero, NY | Looks like the 19th is getting lots of votes. Al, are you and Rick going to be able to give that date the final 'O'fficial blessing so that travel plans can start being made, alcohol can be stockpiled, work excuses can be polished, etc. So far I've got -
Me: "I really don't think I can come in..."
Boss: "Let me get this straight - you know you're not going to be feeling well in May? IT'S ONLY DECEMBER!"
Ok, so maybe I've got a little work to do there... |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Weeze,
Build a dummy resembling yourself...honestly, who'd know? |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | ....just be sure to put the DUMMY in your office chair and YOU in the car pointed toward Connecticut. |
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Location: Cicero, NY | Thanks, JW. Boy, if i had a nickel for every time THAT'S happened. |
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| Bump - even tho it's always on top.
Are we near to confirming the 19th? |
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Location: Fayetteville, NC | I hope so. I dig the The 19th date as well. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Probably doesn't work for me due to NYU graduation. But I'll be close enough that I could most likely swing by and drop off a few ukuleles and kazoo's for you guys to enjoy. Just a little something to make my presence felt. Dave |
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Location: NJ | Just received a small package in the mail that I was expecting from Master Keller . . .
. . . when I took the scalpel out of my desk drawer and zipped open the envelope, I could SMELL the Factory.
To a lot of people (the "unenlightened"), they'd probably say, "wow, that stinks!", but having worked in numerous sign/paint/carpentry/modelling shops, I've developed an olfactory appreciation for such environs.
Besides, being that the Factory is one of my favorite places, I don't mind having the open package infusing my office on a snowbound Friday afternoon . . .
(sssssssssnnnnnnnnnifffffff)
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh . . . . . |
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Location: Upper Left USA | In response to a quick comment John Budny sent me some sawdust samples for an Ovation Potpourri!
Spruce, Mahogany and Ebony I believe!
Your olfactory memory program is one of the strongest your brain runs and relies on.
Breathe, breathe in the air... |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Keller sent me a small package once. Turned out to be a sting operation and I was in hand-cuffs before I know what was happening. Dave |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Just shows that Keller is a wise man! ;) |
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Location: Ontario Canada | I`d be interested in joining you folks, I have a friend that lives in New London Connecticut... Maybe I`ll pay him a visit that weekend, & try & catch up with you people there???
I`ll keep watching for updates.. |
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Location: Cicero, NY | You mean like the update that says the 19th is a firm date? |
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Location: boulder | ever since benedict arnold burned the city of new london down, it just hasn't been the same.
there new slogan is "welcome to New London, where your house is ours".
But my favorite new london story is from the radio. There was a guest musician pluggin' the local radio station. His plug went like this."when I am in New London, which is never, I listen to Wxxx"
but the OFC tour is something I am already looking forward too.peace mike |
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Location: Ontario Canada | Originally posted by Weaser P:
You mean like the update that says the 19th is a firm date? Holy smokes every forum has a wiseacre....
It`s a long way to May, things change...
I`ll keep watching to see if any changes get made.. |
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Location: NJ | I have not yet heard from Rick |
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Location: Tampa, FL | I thnk the 19th is a great day.
Oh, you probably meant a different Rick...
Never mind |
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06 OFC Factory Tour Day