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Joined:
October 2006
Posts: 5576
Location: big island | i've been inundated with a rash of email ads from guitar sellers about their ovation blow-out sales. seems all the real deals are on the models getting ready for import status. |
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Joined:
March 2008
Posts: 22
Location: Pennsylvania | out of ignorance, what ones won't be made in the USA now? The super duper expensive ones and the Adamii?
Sounds like my first Ovation may be my last. And it isn't even built that great, even for USA. Sad to think what'll happen when they let underpaid 14 year old kids to build them in Korea.
Hence I may indeed just return mine and get my money back and buy a guitar that is finished correctly and built decently. With the sloppy wood cut on the soundhole, bad painting, sloppy lines on the white finish strip, I think I deserve a better built guitar. |
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Joined:
January 2005
Posts: 4903
Location: Phoenix AZ | Originally posted by alleghenymountains:
... Hence I may indeed just return mine and get my money back ... Fortunately there are a lot of good choices out there. You might want to check out Takamine. They build some very nice stuff for good prices.
Dave |
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Joined:
March 2008
Posts: 22
Location: Pennsylvania | True, Takamine makes some nice guitars. I do really really like the lightweight-ness and the shallow bowl construction of the Ovation 1861 lx though.
I'm just disappointed in some of the workmanship in the guitar. Now an Elite series with the cherry cherry burst and a shallow bowl might.......
Maybe I'm uber picky, but I do have my critiques of this guitar.
--- I know Takamines are made in Japan. However the difference is they have been making guitars in Japan for years and the workers in Japan get worker's rights and labour rights and a fair salary.
Something that doesn't exist in South Korea, China.. |
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Joined:
August 2006
Posts: 2804
Location: ranson,wva | my advice would be a used older us made ovation...jas' |
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Joined:
February 2008
Posts: 747
| Originally posted by alleghenymountains:
Maybe I'm uber picky, but I do have my critiques of this guitar.
I'm not really up on the market but I think that if I was considering another Ovation I'd be looking for a good US built used one. |
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Joined:
February 2008
Posts: 747
| Originally posted by Jason_S:
my advice would be a used older us made ovation...jas' lol, I didn't see your post until after I submitted mine; but yeah, a used older one for sure. |
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Joined:
August 2006
Posts: 2804
Location: ranson,wva | best shallow bowl i owned was a 1982-83 1567 legend ssb...biggest sounding woodtop ssb ive ever had the pleasure of "attemtping" to play lol
it now resides in canada and ive not found another but it was a great sounding guitar for $150.00 |
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Joined:
August 2003
Posts: 4619
Location: SoCal | Had a Balladeer 4861 which was made in Korea...bought and sold for less due to non-USA guitar but it was a very nice guitar (especially for the price). We are talking about the Balladeer, assume that will also mean the Standard Elite...doubt that the quality will suffer unless they stop the solid wood top.
A problem that we have had but important to say...the real problem will be Celebrities and former USA guitars if they maintain the Ovation logo and headstock. Doubt if you will see a "real" USA Ovation product in a guitar store...heck, almost impossible now to find a Custom Legend, Custom Elite, or Adamas in a store. Why should a guitar store hold one in inventory that competes with their wood boxes when they sell the heck out of the $299-399 Celebs?
Most guitarists will not lay down the high $'s without playing the guitar 1st. Their experience justifies the caution...not uncommon to play four or five of same model guitars until you find the one to buy. If not available to play, why order with a four to six month delay?
I was in a GC on a Sunday morning (10:45am-11:30) - not busy as it would be Saturday afternoon. Saw 5-6 Celebs rung up at the register in 45 minutes. Couple of them at $299.
This board, the OFC, is (indirectly) the primary marketing source for the upper nylon, Custom Elite, Custom Legend, and Adamas lines. Even with Fender marketing, there is no marketing, artist relations, or other effort to push the upper level of Ovation wood tops. I see no difference with the Adamas line. Even if someone doesn't read the OFC posts, a search on the internet will pull up the OFC comments.
The result, special order only, eventual phase out of the "Custom" wood top line, possibly even textured top Adamas. |
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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Even with Fender marketing, there is no marketing, artist relations, or other effort to push the upper level of Ovation wood tops. Maybe to early to tell.
I really don't like the way your scenerio ends and hope it does not come true. |
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Joined:
July 2004
Posts: 812
Location: Hicksville, NY | My very first Ovation guitar was a shallow bowl, U.S. made, 1861 standard balladeer. True it had its limitations - unplugged - but a completely different story once plugged in for the Op 24+ preamp can do so many wonders with it. I was quite pleased with mine, and had no plans of parting with it, until ...
... the opportunity to own a deep-bowl custom legend came into sight :)
I started with only one Ovation, I guess that's the way it will be for quite some time. |
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Joined:
August 2003
Posts: 4619
Location: SoCal | re: I really don't like the way your scenerio ends and hope it does not come true.
I don't like it either - hope I am wrong but the internet has changed the industry...we'ce talked about mom & pop stores, most of the OFC'ers have bought from Al or an internet store, often sight unseem. When is the last time someone went into a store and was able to play an Adamas textured top 6 and 12-str, a Custom Legend 6 and 12-str, and a Custom Elite 6 and 12-str ALL in the same visit?? Same store, same time. My money is that no one has in at least the last five years. Heck, find one in a store and we talk about it on the OFC. Will Fender get artists to start playing Ovation...might be able to but I'm not holding my breath. Will Guitar Centers order hundreds of Custom Elites and Custom Legends at NAMM?
Negative about the product, more positive that the staff of the factory may be able to continue making quality guitars, whatever the headstock says. |
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Joined:
February 2008
Posts: 747
| "Most guitarists will not lay down the high $'s without playing the guitar 1st. Their experience justifies the caution...not uncommon to play four or five of same model guitars until you find the one to buy. If not available to play, why order with a four to six month delay?"
Bottom line right there.
When I was looking for a LP back in the 70s I tried lots of new and used ones most of which were set up pretty good but I didn't like any of them. One day my friend and I went into a music shop in a small town and I pulled down this ugly red/yellow sunburst LP and started playing; my friend says to me "that's the one you should buy" and he was right. |
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USA lower end ovations
