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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7247
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Hey folks,
While adding the link in the announcements section to the newsletter, I was looking at the ovation site. Now as a developer, other than a facelift and some more up-to-date information, I think it's a pretty good site. We've certainly voiced our group opinion on everything from guitars to marketing, and there have been some complaints about that site. But how about some constructive input for their site developers... They may not listen, but that sure hasn't stopped us in the past from voicing our opinions.
Some things that come to mind for me that I'd like to see is some real specs somehow. Not the canned marketing numbers but maybe an idea of the sound the different models make. Maybe qoutes from the artists on what they like in a particular madel.
As example.. "PRE-EQ: Selects or bypasses a preset tone enhancement ciruit." While this is true, it doesn't tell anyone that both the in and out positions are "presets" of sorts based on the sounds of two different style players. I don't know if they can actually go as far as saying that with the EQ flat, one position is how Melissa E. likes it and the other is how Al D. likes it but something more than basically saying.. "the pre-eq switch is a switch that turns the pre-eq on and off" which is really all that is being said with fancy words.
Another description example might be the "redwood" top has a very earthy, rich and unique wood tone as opposed to the brighter "spruce" top tone.
It's all subjective and just another form of marketing mumbo jumbo, but maybe more "real player" words might inspire more folks to go out a try the different models than to assume they all sound about the same an just look different and have different upgrades. |
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Joined:
November 2004
Posts: 4413
| Neck dimensions - not just width at the nut. Most serious guitar sites list thickness, profile and width at the 12th fret. Martin and one or two others include cross-section drawings of each of their available neck profiles.
I agree on the pre-amp descriptions. Go to Fishman's site to see how it should be done. Fabulous stuff.
There should be at least one photo of the three bowl sizes togethjer to allow a visual comparison. |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13997
Location: Upper Left USA | I like the "set up" of the Ovation Guitars site as well. But...
It needs to have an update or addition at least once a week, 2 weeks maximum. This separates the "archive" sites from the "active" sites. Even if it is a rotation of pictures.
If there is a guitar on the wall in GC or on a website somewhere else like Elderly - IT NEEDS TO BE IN THE WEBSITE AS WELL! |
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Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | I would also like to "hear" sound samples of the various guitars. If all the guitars sound alike, then why bother to make them?
Most of the better guitar sites have sound bites. |
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Joined:
December 2002
Posts: 939
Location: Fort Worth, Texas | It's improved over the years.... I signed up for the newsletter a long time ago and it seems like I've only gotten one ever (e-mail address has been the same for 5+ years now). |
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Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | We'd like to see them do a lot of things better. Looking back over the last several years there have been a few forward steps taken without any backsliding. Let the record show I just said something nice.
click. |
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Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Click
Was that the gun cocking for saying something nice? :D |
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Joined:
June 2002
Posts: 6202
Location: Phoenix AZ | Dear Mr. Ovation (and I mean that to Miles as well as the Company). There are all kinds of glitzy things that people would like such as sound samples, 3D fly-throughs of the guitar bodies, etc. As a web designer myself, although on a very small scale, I can tell that that it's better to do a few small things WELL, than just load it up with bling bling garbage.
I spend a lot of time on another guitar companies website (name not mentioned to avaod the onslaught of snide comments). But it is a wonderful site packed with really USEFUL information, yet simple, easy to navigate and very classy. Ovations website is in the same ballpark with two glaring exceptions that I would like to se them address - and neither is difficult or ground breaking work.
1. Complete and accurate specifications. This has been mentioned earlier. The info called "specs" on the Ovation site is little more than a few lines of marketing fluff. They need detailed and complete specs. Nothing subjective, just the facts. On the other site, the specs are so complete that after reading them I almost feel like I could build the guitar myself (which is of course not true). What IS the radius of the fingerboard, what IS the nut made of, how much does the guitar weigh, etc.
2. Detailed photos. The pictures on the Ovation site I would not even call "photos". What are they? Look almost like artist renditions. It's not difficult to make nice detailed photos from a number of different views. With this the reader can almost "feel" the instrument in their hands. Ovation guitars are beautiful, why not show it off.
Neither of these two suggestions are dificult to implement. A number of us on this board could do it ourselves with a few days work. It would really bring the Ovation site up to par with the others.
Dave |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7247
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | I was just looking at some of the ideas and got to thinking, maybe even more important than specs... Something I really think would be helpful/useful on the site would be an emphasis on the build process. Again, unless you've gone to the Factory tour, the general public thinks these guitars are put together by machine, especially the Adamas line. Most folks don't realize the USA Models are basically hand assembled and hand finished guitars. Frets are dropped in one by one, and dressed by that guy that sits just to the left when you walk in the door to the main floor. The lady they keep locked in that room that does the inlay, one piece at a time. The guy that does the binding with that cool suction machine, one piece at a time etc etc etc... Actually, off the top of my head... the only "machine" work is the precision cuts on the top for the neck and sound holes, and the laser cutouts of the epaulets.. There's some other special tools and jigs that everyone uses to hold things in place, but I think those are the only ones that actually do anything "by themselves" sortof. The build process is probably the biggest myth about Ovations. |
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Joined:
April 2003
Posts: 2503
Location: Fayetteville, NC | I signed up a couple of years back and i believe I've only recieved one too. I signed up again though and maybe I'll see more of them this time around. |
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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | I'm looking forward to seeing the build process in person. It's a shame that someone would have to visit the factory to know that.
After giving it some thought it seems to me that Ovation has always been sold as (1)Inovative technology (2)Celebrity Endorsement (3)Craftsmanship ...in that order. If that type of "hands on" building exists, it should be promoted.
I have learned alot about Ovation craftsmanship but I did not learn from the web-site, catalogs, or dealer network.
In other words...Miles is right. |
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Joined:
January 2005
Posts: 91
Location: Valparaiso, FL | I go to the webiste a lot checking on different old O's, but really don't like the looks of it at all. It's dull. Colors are horrible. I've lost count of how many times I've clicked on something to be rewarded with an empty popup.
Must haves -
Sound samples
3D looks at the guitars inside and out
mouseover changes guitar color
decent wearables and service (took two weeks to return an email)
Make me want to buy one! I cannot go to the Fender website without getting GAS. Ovation's isn't a problem. |
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Joined:
November 2002
Posts: 3666
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | I think The MotherShip Melodians need to put out a concert CD- from the factory. There's gotta be talent there. Hell, just that guy puttin' each critter "through the paces" before its shipped is a testimony to their artistry. I'll bet that gal doin' the inlays plays a mean Delta slide! |
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Joined:
May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | OK, I'm no expert on this, but here are my two cents:
NUMBER ONE!!!!!
Sound samples. Look at the fernandes website, but do an acoustic take on it. You won't need to sample every model, just give the surfer an idea. No need for celebs unless their names are on the guitar.
Only secondarily, a more elaborate section on guitar care, which inlude a how to string it section (see daddario website), how to best use the onboard pre-amp in given situations (Ovation should be original on this one, start from unamped in your living room, to the coffee house, to the church, to the small bar, to the large bar (ask kaki king about this at the knitting factory she had really good sound), the small hall, the large hall, small outdoors, large outdoor venue, large indoor arena, etc. how to humidify etc (I'm thinking Martin or Taylor website on this one) oh well that's enough ...
The idea would be to make the site a one stop place for all your guitar questions, such that you wouldn't want to leave.
I have to agree with CWK, though, the website has been evolving nicely, I'm sure they had all these things planned anyway. |
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Ovation Website
