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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13997
Location: Upper Left USA | Here's the latest installment of what I like to refer to as a local music store romp. Some ups and downs on this one.
Ted Brown in Tacoma:
I got to try the 2005 Collector - didn't expect to see it and nearly missed it. I did not find any issues with the one I held. Looked over the binding, edges, top and such. Very clean. Very Subtle beauty with the top wood and the inlay. Sounded good but didn't call my name. Felt comfortable. About $1400.
Celebrity Koa Top single Epaulet - For $630!
The looks of this one screamed to me and I had to run through the mental lists of unfinished projects already on my plate just to put it back up. Action was great and sound was just OK but the single epaulet and richness of the Koa was just luscious. Looked about 2" thick and had a wide depth of color in the top. If it came as a Balladeer Special with an OP PRO...
The brand new "96" Book Elite with the ding on the top and a price tag of $1900 on sale was still there.
A SS Celeb 12 string which felt great and sounded endurable.
The 6778 LX sounded better than all of them to me.
On to the Guitar Center. If you ever hear the sad news that someone shot my A#@, chances are it was in a GC because I couldn't keep my Ovation loving mouth shut!
This young man and his friend are agonizing over making a choice between two $300 guitars. So cost is a factor. I was good for as long as I could stand it. He said the Takamine smelled good and felt good. He liked the price of the Fender box. I said "Which one is talking to you?" He asks his friend for a quarter. After three flips it is still the Takamine. "Dude, there's you answer"! Still undecided.
By now I have moved past being another customer in the GC and I'm graduated to "Opinionated Guitar Player". Soon I confess that I am an Ovation Nut and I offer my services. I play the Fender in front of him - Basic Box, blah, blah, blah. I am fingerpicking and strumming with my thumb. I play the Takamine - same style - much warmer, better voice when up the neck. Tell him my choice (the one he really wanted). He's buying it. I see it had a cedar top so I reached up and grabbed the S771 Cedar Top Balladeer and give the same demo. they remark about projection and tone. It was $699 and out of range...
...this time! |
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Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 4394
Location: East Tennessee | Way To Go!!! :cool:
A lot of people in this area like Martins & Taylors. I would agree they make good and sometimes great sounding guitars. I usually will tell people who ask that For The Money, Ovation has the best track record. I can usually find a decent sounding Ovation for around $500-$1200. Real hard to find Martins & Taylors in that price range that sound good.
I usually shop more than I buy. :D
I've tuned enough guitars in stores to be on their payroll. |
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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | I like the label "Ovation Advocate" for myself. I just have to remember not to become known as "that crazy Ovation guy". |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12761
Location: Boise, Idaho | Our GC has an S771 on clearance for $475. They also have an 84 Balladeer that they have marked for $600, right next to the S771 and another new Balladeer for $699. I don't think they try hard enough to sell their used ones. I'm thinking about a 1867 Legend they have marked at $750, but I just bought an Ultra GS by mistake and I'm getting close to being shot by my wife again. The GC is kind of on the way home and I was in their 3 times last week. I'm usually the only old guy in the place and often the only one in the acoustic room. |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 417
Location: Cicero, NY | Don'tcha love...I mean hate, HATE (sorry, the wife just passed by) when one follows you home by mistake? |
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Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 4394
Location: East Tennessee | As posted by Mark in Boise;
I'm usually the only old guy in the place and often the only one in the acoustic room.
It is often Lonely at the top. :D |
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Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Last time I was in GC (waaaay too often in my wife's opinion) I was talking to a guy looking Taylors in the 'quiet room'. I had him do a blind listening test to the 6778 I was about to buy and a Taylor off the wall. After listening to 'A' and 'B' he said 'B' was marginally sweeter and had a little better bottom end. I told him that was fine. 'A' was my 6778 at $850. 'B' was a Taylor at $2500.
When I left him he looked like he was thinking hard about that. |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13997
Location: Upper Left USA | Plant the Seed! That's all you can do! |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Y'can also FERTILIZE it by . . . .
. . . aaaahh, never mind! |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 1071
Location: Carle Place, NY | I was at the local GC yesterday. I was very surprised that they had a 6778LX in the Taylor area. As I was comparing the LX to the Taylors, a nice salesperson directed me to a Gibson that was on a stand where they usually keep the most expensive models. I don't know the model number, but it was a slope shouldered dreadnought, spruce top, rosewood back and sides, sunburst finish, no electronics. I gasped at the $1899 sticker. I've never thought much of Gibson acoustics in the past, but I picked it up and played some fingerstyle. WOW, this guitar had a level of responsiveness that I've never experienced before. It made every Taylor and the LX sound dead by comparison. Hammer-ons and pull-offs were crisp, clear and vibrant. I'm not a pro, so there's little justification for me having a guitar like this, but I was tempted. |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15682
Location: SoCal | Gibson, since they started making their acoustics again in Montana, have been putting out some very nice guitars. |
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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | I'm inspired.
I got an hour to kill tonight so I think I'll hang out in the GC acoustic room and cause some trouble. |
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Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Go easy. With this club it might take some time to raise your bail... |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13997
Location: Upper Left USA | ...raising bail on Ebay...
Brad, would you mind getting a small tattoo in some unused area? |
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Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Oooo, good idea, Woody! Maybe we can get a local bail bondsman to advertise on his, um...
Well, an area that might be exposed in a jail cell... wide, kinda like a billboard... |
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Joined:
November 2004
Posts: 4413
| Always making with the wise cracks..... |
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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | If it came down to bail money for Brad or cash for sombodys GAS.....Well, all I can say is... "Nobody knows the trouble I've seen..nobody knows my sorrow". |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13997
Location: Upper Left USA | "Doom, despair, and agony on me.
Deep, dark depression. Excessive misery..." |
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Joined:
February 2003
Posts: 2178
Location: the BIG Metropolis of TR | .....OOOHhhhhhhaaaaa :D |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13997
Location: Upper Left USA | I thought it was Hee-Haw!
Where's Goober when you need him? |
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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Where or where are you tonight
Why did you go and leave me alone
I searched the world over and I thought I found true love.
You met another and pfhtttt you were gone!
God help me but I do miss it. ;) |
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February 2005
Posts: 349
Location: Snellville, GA | Hey Grandpa, what's for supper... |
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May 2004
Posts: 2850
Location: Midland, MI | Bring back the 'All Jug Band.'
:D |
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Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 4394
Location: East Tennessee | I always liked the HeeHaw Gospel Quartet.
They said it wouldn't last. They were about as right as the weatherman.
I also enjoyed seeing a lot of the country singers & pickers. One time they featured a young guitar player who did Dueling Banjo's. By himself used a nylon string guitar made it look easy. Wish I could Remember his name.
I know I've strayed from the topic, so what else is new. :D |
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Joined:
April 2003
Posts: 2503
Location: Fayetteville, NC | Since this topic was already started I'll go ahead and post my recent romp..
Itook a drive up to Raliegh to the Guitar Center. I had to pic up ome strings, while there I wondered into the acoustic room. There in from of me when i walked in was a great Display of The Ovation LX Line. Easy to reach pull down and play. They had a 6778LX, a 1771 LX, a 1778 LX
Plus to my surprise a Misplaced Celebrity Model where the1778LX should have been. They also had a Black Elite T, A Red Flame Elite T for $999, This one had just the front dons in flame and featured an Op30 pre-amp. They also had a Balladeer Special Model, a Balladeer 12 string(Non LX), and about 4 additional Celebrity Shallow Bowls.
All models were in reach to take down and Play to your hearts Content, I even had the chance to jam with a few guitar hunters who took down Ovations to Play. Now the downside to the trip...No guitar center Sales rep was available to help answer questions . It seemed they were all in the Martin Room. The Ovations Had great Unplugged sound, But when Plugging in, None of them worked. Probably Dead Batteries or faulty pre-amps, But no rep volunteered to try new batteries, they just walked off back to the martin Room.
Now,..just how do you think the Ovation Sales are at his location..Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out.. |
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Joined:
April 2005
Posts: 42
Location: Ohio | Drove a few miles to the suburbs and visited a store that I had learned about at my barbershop several weeks earlier from the GC's owner sitting next to me. Brought my FD-14 with me and had to show off since I saw no O's. He said he wasn't familiar with my instrument and wanted to look it up in the "BlueBook". I laughed and said I doubted it would be in that publication since FD-14 was a run of 50. He kinda gasped and stepped back. I guess it is a slow process of education and some bragging. Anyway, I had some fun and met some intersting people. |
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Joined:
February 2003
Posts: 2178
Location: the BIG Metropolis of TR | Good job,Novice!!
Btw....Welcome to the board |
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Joined:
April 2005
Posts: 42
Location: Ohio | Trboy...thanks for the welcome...you r the first and I appreciate it...looking forward to discovering the personalities here on the bb...and looking to learn a whole bunch about making music...again, thanks for your welcome! |
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Local Music Store romp