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Location: Caribou, ME | That's like saying Tina Louise was the Katy Perry of 1965. |
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Location: Suisun City, Ca | amosmoses - 2012-06-12 7:47 AM " that know how good these guitars are" Strictly speaking of the Ovation line, I think I am of the "were" crowd. Plugged in, all O's are fantastic...but acoustically, (jmo) the earlier Ovations seem to capture a much fuller resonance than what Ovation has produced in the past 10-15+ years. Granted, I have not played any of the collector series, but the 1537, in my experience, was the last decent acoustic guitar to come out of New Hartford. New, does not necessarily equate to better, in my limited Ovation world. Ok, bring on the stoning. I have an 07C, very nice, (4) old ones incl 1537 and 1538 and the CE I bought new in'10. I know this may not be popular, but I think the new Custom Elite may be my best guitar and it is still opening up! She gets better and better every time I play it ajnd does everything I ask of it. After an adjustment( Thanks StoneBobbo) it's perfect. My 07C is about equal in my eyes with the 1537 and the 1538 12er is awesome, of course. Long winded, but the new O's are/were very good guitars and I have no regret for paying close to twice what I could have gotten her for a few months later on the 'bay... |
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Location: New Hartford CT | Nothing gets this place fired up more than the current state of affairs, where Ovation has become a custom shop (with a cell for Patch's guitars) and the balance of production has gone offshore. We've all seen the few outstanding examples of their recent (New Htfd) work, which is as good or better than it has ever been.
Keep in mind it was a FAMILY business and when that changed, everything changed. Passion and pride replaced by a corporate mentality driven by a bunch of bean counters. I dealt with a couple of them personally, as they handed me my hat. Once they came in it was out with the old and in with the new. A few years go by and suddenly it's over.
Never the less, I see some familiar faces in the article and am pleased they at least still have a job at the old factory. It would take someone with a lot of drive and deep pockets to bring production back home. Sales and marketing would be easy in comparison to finding a real go getter that could make things happen. Impossible? No, but not very likely.
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | George Frey - 2012-06-12 12:00 PM
Keep in mind it was a FAMILY business and when that changed, everything changed. Passion and pride replaced by a corporate mentality driven by a bunch of bean counters.
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Location: Massachusetts | Instead of calling 'em USA Ovations, let's just call "em NHO's. |
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Location: Utah | Standingovation - 2012-06-12 1:38 AM
The problem is that over the last 5 or so years Ovation made numerous attempts to revive the USA guitars within a very competitive market and each and every time the buyng public spoke with their wallets and said WE ARE NOT INTERESTED
- The Traditional Series
- Shiny Bowl Reissues
- Adamas Custom Shop
- Glen Campbell Artist Reissues
- Glen Campbell Artist AGAIN with a different 12th fret inlay
- Viper VXT
- Adirondak Limited
Each and every one of these were great guitars and we all know that. But the public wasn't interested. You can't blame Ovation, KMC or Fender for not trying. Blame the public for not buying.
I only partially buy that explanation. The bad economy was a case of bad timing on top of a declining demand.
But, how many times have we all complained on this forum about Ovations not being well represented in music shops? And I have never ever seen a new Adamas in a shop. From the mom/pop places to Guitar Center, about all that is regularly available, if anything at all, is a Celeb. Our GC would have one or two regular O's once in a while, but not for at least 5 years.
My daughter has sold at least a half dozen good new O's to fellow high school and college students. No, she doesn't work in a guitar store. She plays shows, she goes to shows, she jams in the student center with friends, and she hangs out playing whatever is hanging on the wall at various stores. All it takes if for young adults to see and hear an O or an A in person and they get the bug to own one. I have heard more than one young person say they are lusting for an Adamas after hearing Sara's Ute.
Edited by FlySig 2012-06-13 9:39 AM
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Location: Jet City | chicken egg... egg chicken...
It's a combination of all those things
I can say that I've seen brand new USA Os sit in a music store for 2 years before it finally gets marked down, below or at cost, then it moves. My 1778LX sat in the store for a good 18 months before I bought it for 1100 or something like that. They brought another one in and it sat for another 2 yrs at least. And they only had 1 or 2 USA models, so it's not like it was sitting there because there were so many to choose from.
Bottom line is the consumers weren't driven to the new USA models, and that's a marketing thing, be it lack of endorsers or lack of marketing in general, I dunno.
I do know that every artist and their brother played an Ovation back in the day, and that drove LOTS of sales. Now they have only a handful, and most of those folks are dated or obscure... or they're promoting Asian models.
One in particular that comes to mind is Dave Matthews. Hello marketing geniuses.. HE WAS ALREADY PLAYING OVATIONS!!! Did Ovation get him a deal? NO, Taylor stepped in and said play ours, so he did, and I know for a fact that's sold more than a few DMSMs and 914s.
So it is what it is now. The new Ovations are at the price point people seem to like them at. And honestly, I've been seeing some interesting models coming out with the AX or TX suffix. One in particular is a 1778 with a cedar top.
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Location: Massachusetts | Damon67, I've got to agree with you on this. The buying public wants a guitar that the stars play, and right now it's Gibson, Taylor and Takamine. If the Ovation people placed an Ovation in Kenny Chesney's hands it would start the ball rolling. |
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Location: Texas | Put Patches guitar in the hands of anyone in the top 10 and sales would pop, I am guessing. Of course, if it were put in my hands... I would be charged with burglary.
Edited by jay 2012-06-13 9:46 PM
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Location: Massachusetts | Put it in my hands, I promise to give it back, but really, it would look good on Taylor Swift |
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Location: Flahdaw | damon67 - 2012-06-13 3:28 PM
One in particular that comes to mind is Dave Matthews. Hello marketing geniuses.. HE WAS ALREADY PLAYING OVATIONS!!! Did Ovation get him a deal? NO, Taylor stepped in and said play ours, so he did
Wow, didn't know that! That may have been a slight snafu.... |
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Location: Nashville TN. | Standingovation - 2012-06-12 1:38 AM
The problem is that over the last 5 or so years Ovation made numerous attempts to revive the USA guitars within a very competitive market and each and every time the buyng public spoke with their wallets and said WE ARE NOT INTERESTED
- The Traditional Series
- Shiny Bowl Reissues
- Adamas Custom Shop
- Glen Campbell Artist Reissues
- Glen Campbell Artist AGAIN with a different 12th fret inlay
- Viper VXT
- Adirondak Limited
Each and every one of these were great guitars and we all know that. But the public wasn't interested. You can't blame Ovation, KMC or Fender for not trying. Blame the public for not buying.
The public never gets see them in stores....... the real problem. |
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Location: Nashville TN. | javaman - 2012-06-13 9:38 PM
Damon67, I've got to agree with you on this. The buying public wants a guitar that the stars play, and right now it's Gibson, Taylor and Takamine. If the Ovation people placed an Ovation in Kenny Chesney's hands it would start the ball rolling.
The USA guitars need to like a start up. They need a rep bring the instruments to performers. Hand it to then what do you think. |
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Location: Sydney, Australia | Get Damon to take the pictures for the Ovation website and they'd probably sell a few more. |
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