|
|
Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13986
Location: Upper Left USA | I know that we are primarily Ovation USA and for good and known reasons but I have to ask the question. Where is/are the manufacturing plant for the Pacific Rim Instruments? Being on the Left Coast I probably have as much chance at visiting it as I do the RI Mothership.
They are still real people that put the Celebs together! They just get a different set of marching orders.
what do you guys know? |
|
| |
|
Joined:
May 2002
Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | I am going to reveal this under the cloak of anonymity, if a whistle creeps into the narration it's not my fault. Those guitars and mandolins are produced in an abandoned gem mine by seven very short artisans who whistle while they work, they used to be run by a female entrepeneur (goddam french words) who left them for a Prince (not sure which one it was, but she will no dought surface as Queen of England when it is revealed). There are seven little guys that you and I would probably not be to impressed by, playing Celebreties and singing "Whistle While You Work". Blatant Commercialism, has Disney ever did anything else? |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Go to China and take a left. Go striaght for 153 miles and turn right. It's the third factory on the right. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2003
Posts: 555
Location: Wooster, Ohio | I think it is interesting how little is known about what is going on overseas. I am curious as well. The reality is that I would not have a doubleneck if I had to rely on the USA factory. I love my USA ovations believe me but,the reality is that the Korean doubleneck I believe is the only available doubleneck acoustic now: period. A $8,000 USA option is not much comfort or reality. When I inquired from the company on their websight of any information of the limited run doubleneck I purchased, they were clueless. I would be interested if that factory could be
contacted directly. Is the factory for ovation
only, do they manufacture other brands. It is just natural curiousity.
Steve |
|
| |
|
Joined:
February 2004
Posts: 1634
Location: Warren,Pa. | Come on...Sombody in this club must know something about this! Or isn't it politically correct to talk about this subject? John(not my real name).<>{. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2003
Posts: 555
Location: Wooster, Ohio | I find the silence here curious as well. I really don't think people know. Probably if you go to the Korean factory, they spend two weeks making Ovation, than two weeks making Fender, than two weeks making Epiphone, etc.
Steve |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13986
Location: Upper Left USA | Or Nike sneakers?
The less I hear the more I want to know??? |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7222
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | I'm just guessing, but I would think there is a good possibility that no one really knows except the foriegn sales rep. At one time, Ovation was at least a part owner in a factory overseas in Korea, or at least that is what I recall someone saying. But at this time, I would assume there is a sales rep staff for the company in the states that deals with all the paperwork and translation and specs. As long as stock ends up in the warehouse, although it seems a little silly when you think about, why would anyone care where the factory is. I guess on an even further level, it may be several places, and with global communications as they are, I would also guess the last thing they (the foriegn factory) wants is anyone finding out their phone number and involving them in customer service at some level. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Never had any financial interest in a foreign factory. It was always we bring the orders and the designs and you provide the parts and labor(except the bowls). In the beginning there was only one factory in Korea we dealt with but then there was a second, then the first went away. This does not include the pinnacles that were made in Japan. They probably still get models some from Korea. I think some may come from Indosneezya or China or somewhere else. In any case, it's multiple factories from multiple countries. They probably are making other guitars as well. When you go to a foreign factory you usually are buying a block of production space that is some percentage, 5, 10, 25, of their capacity. These factories usually don't have a brand, or if they do it's not one we'd recognize. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
November 2002
Posts: 1196
Location: Lafayette, Louisiana | Bill, were you involved in the process of setting up Ovations being made overseas? |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | yes, so were alot of others too. I picked the Saehan factory because the factory owner came to the first meeting wiping the grease from his hands from fixing a production machine. He had dirt under his fingernails and understood what it took to build guitars.
I have spent enough time over there that vacation plans will never go further west that Hawaii, although Korean food is great. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2004
Posts: 11
Location: Lombard, IL | Originally posted by 45flint:
I find the silence here curious as well. I really don't think people know. Probably if you go to the Korean factory, they spend two weeks making Ovation, than two weeks making Fender, than two weeks making Epiphone, etc.
Steve This could be closer to the truth than you realize; I've just read that something along the lines of 90% of ALL asian-built guitars sold domestically are manufactured by Samick, regardless of what it says on the headstock.
Then in the same mag there's a half-page ad for Samick Guitars- why would they bother? :p
As a lefty my 'affordable' options are greatly reduced, and a foreign-born Celebrity was the nicest "off-the-rack" guitar I ran across. It suits me fine.
And when I think about my own father's service at the behest of heedless men I'm compelled to leave on the chintzy "Made in Korea" sticker, and wear it proudly. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2003
Posts: 4619
Location: SoCal | re: "And when I think about my own father's service..."
no one serves more heroically than the medic |
|
| |
|
Joined:
July 2003
Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | As for why Samick would bother, I offer the tale of the Taiwan bicycle company Giant. They got into the U.S. bicycle market by making bicycles for Schwinn under the Schwinn name back in the 80s. They had no interest in marketing their own bikes, Schwinn bought all they could make. The Giant-made bikes were considered the best quality units sold by Schwinn.
Then Schwinn decided in the late 80s that they could get cheaper bikes from Korea and Yugoslavia. This left Giant with excess capacity, so they decided to start their own brand in America and market them themselves. Within a few years, Giant was the no. 3 bicycle company in sales in the U.S., and Schwinn was bankrupt(the first time, in 1992).
My point: Samick would certainly prefer to market the guitars themselves and pocket the extra money. And get bigger.
Don't know if any of you have looked, but Samick does make a good guitar for the money. And they are trying to get respectable with the Greg Bennett series.
Roger
1976 Applause AA14-4 6-String
1978 Ovation 1617-4 Legend 6-string
1981 Ovation 1118-1 Glen Campbell 12-string
2001 Adamas 1598-MERB Melissa Etheridge 12-String
2003 Ovation 1777-NAT Legend 6-string |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Samick was hugh in the 80's doing Hondo and Kramer and their own brand and any others that their US sales agent brought them. The GP and all those were made there. NO roundbacks though. Most Asian factories are this way like I said before, you just book some percentage of production time and tell them what design and name you want on the peghead. |
|
| |
The Other Plant
