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January 2005
Posts: 161
Location: Atlanta GA | I visited my local GC today in MArietta GA and went to the acoustic room and started looking around at the Os on the wall. Sales guy walks up and asks if I need any help. I played dumb (which I am good at) and asked him what he thought about the Ovations. He went into a 5 minute tirade on how Shi*$y Ovation guitars were and that they sound "tinny" compaired with wooden guitars. Anyway, I thought it was interesting that although GC sell the guitars they don't encourage their employees to offer good remarks about the products they sell. If I were selling guitars (or anything else) my sales people would be ENCOURAGED to offer favorable remarks about my inventory.Why else would I have it? |
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Joined:
November 2004
Posts: 4413
| Violence is often helpful in this situation.
Or saying, "Gee thanks for the heads up, I came in to buy 3 for my group."
Or possibly, "Is there an assistant here without his head up his ass?" |
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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Ovation General Manager Frank Untermyer stated that GC sells alot of Ovations. Imagine what they could do with and educated sales staff.
I have never seen any model above an Elite LX in my local GC. An '05C? An AD-II? Any Adamas? (ha-ha-ha) ...nope.
It used to be mostly Celebs. Now with the EliteT and the LX, most are U.S. made. But I don't think these "sales dudes" have ever been exposed to the models that might open their eyes (and ears).
That being said, if given a fair chance and EliteT would shine above most of the Taylors and Martins in the "special" room. |
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Joined:
August 2002
Posts: 623
Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | Does seem like a dumb-ass strategy.
Nice of him to potentially insult your taste in guitars while demonstrating his complete lack of intelligence and taste.
I suppose it was just his way of gaining rapport.
It takes all kinds...love 'em all.
Johnny |
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Joined:
June 2002
Posts: 6197
Location: Phoenix AZ | Don't confuse a large chain like GC with a privately owned mom and pop store. The sales guy at GC, as well as the store manager have absolutely no say over what they have to sell. Maybe they truely hate Ovations. But they are forced to sell them. If you owned your own small shop you could choose to only stock and sell your "personal favorites", but that isn't the case with GC. Asking a sales puke at GC for advice what guitar to buy is like going in the grocery store and asking the bag boy what you should buy and cook for dinner. |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | I've personally used Schroeder's second comment. Very satisfying...... |
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Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 2150
Location: Orlando, FL | Here in Orlando we have a GC and a Sam Ash Music. Both carry only low end ovations. There is one store out at the Disney shopping area that carries high end Ovation and Adamas. They barely know anything about their Ovations but at least they speak very highly of them. It's a fun place to visit, but I'd never buy from them, they sell everything for list! |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 1071
Location: Carle Place, NY | Originally posted by Slipkid:
That being said, if given a fair chance and EliteT would shine above most of the Taylors and Martins in the "special" room. As much as I love Ovations, a $750 Elite T does not compare with a $2,000+ Taylor. Ovations have the most bang for the buck and have great electronics. There is no $750 new guitar that has the sound, feel, quality, features of an Elite T. The high end Taylors are in a different class. They sound great, but require more care. Comparing Ovations to Taylors is like comparing Hondas to Porsches. |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | I like the third responce myself, if not just to see the look on his face. Then hit him with #2. |
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July 2003
Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | #2 stated with the proper inflection can make him FEEL like you said #3......
My local GC sold TWO 2005 Collectors....they put them in the high-end room with the Martians, Snailors and Gitsons.....
Roger |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 389
Location: RI. That small State out East | The "wooden" snob does compare the celeb. to the Martin. I know the "snob" often has never touched an Adamas 1. They don't know they exist.
I find that I have to look through 8 to 10 celeb brands before I find a USA made guitar.
I often bring up, (every visit) how are the Ovations selling? I ask if they have any sales lit? Then I go into my... I'm a big fan of Ovations... Could you show me the top of the line?
When they crash and burn... And they often do... I tell them about a new model that is killer and I was hoping to find it today...
I say that I can spend $2,500.00 tops for the best
Ovation. They don't know Ovation makes a model that can cost that much.
I have fun asking if any other guitar stores are near by that might carry an Ovation.
The snob does look at me as to say, "who in their right mind would ever spend $2,500.00 on an Ovation?"
Woz would. |
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Joined:
November 2003
Posts: 100
Location: Warren, OH | I got my 2005CE from the local Sam Ash. Except for an old stock (Optima preamp) Adamas 597, the nicest things at the GC up the street were the LX versions of the Elite and Legend.
The 2005CE was in the high-end room with the $3500 Taylors and such. Strangely enough, it was the one in the plexiglas display case! Oh well, it made for less abuse before I bought it... |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | The world is full of closed minds. This board is not.
Hey Woz, Betsy ever get over being pissed at you for your directions? |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12754
Location: Boise, Idaho | I was checking regularly at our GC for their Ovations and the only decent deal on one was an maybe an 85 Collector's which sold right away because it was priced too low. I got to know the sales manager, who told me he didn't like the plastic guitars and thought they slipped off his leg too much. I told him I hadn't noticed that problem in the 30 years I had one and that I thought I knew what I liked. Then he wouldn't come down to anything reasonable on the used Balladeer and Legend they had. I can't figure out why if they think they are such lousy guitars they want so much money.
Got him the last time when I told him I was just in to buy strings and guitar hangers because I bought 2 Ovations somewhere else. I've bought another 2 since, so I need to go in and rub it in again. |
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December 2004
Posts: 4394
Location: East Tennessee | Way to go Mark. :) |
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Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 2150
Location: Orlando, FL | Mark,
Let him know he has an impressive selection of hangers and stands, and the staff knows so much about them. :D |
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