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May 2008
Posts: 4996
Location: Phoenix AZ | Maybe the GC "issue" is Ovation/Fender and not GC.
Maybe Ovation/Fender doesn't WANT to promote and sell the higher end stuff because they make way more profit selling 4 Celebrities than they would selling 1 Legend.
My own job is EXACTLY like that. Our newest high tech stuff is cool as hell, but has crappy margins. Still recouping R&D costs and Mfg startup costs. My bonus is actually weighted towards selling the LOW TECH stuff because it's an absolute cash cow for the company. |
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April 2008
Posts: 1851
Location: Newington, CT | Makes good sense. I wonder if John or Kim would be willing to let us in on the answer to the question: "Which are the better margin guitars?" Might go a long way to alleviating some OFC frustration. Or exacerbating it. |
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February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Well, gosh, that's a tough one...
I guess I would have to say "the ones mass-produced in Asia" over "the ones hand-built in CT". |
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October 2005
Posts: 5331
Location: Cicero, NY | I would seriously doubt that anyone at Fender would let a fan club even slightly into their financials. |
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November 2006
Posts: 3969
| I wonder if John or Kim would be willing to let us in on the answer to the question: "Which are the better margin guitars?" Might go a long way to alleviating some OFC frustration. Or exacerbating it. Really? You actually expect that the CS representatives who've been with KMC for decades before FMIC took over would commit career suicide by publicizing FMIC business practices to "alleviate...frustration" of a bunch of aging guitar homos who won't shell out the money for a NEW Ovation or Adamas, but who WILL buy, trade, sell, re-buy, and re-sell ad infinitum et ad nauseum the same 30-year-old guitars to one another? Really? |
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December 2001
Posts: 7237
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Originally posted by ProfessorBB:
Just my $.02 worth, but some of these comments are based on a presumption that Ovation has an over abundant supply of new Adamas models that they need to move, or that they otherwise want or need to produce and sell more. I'm not sure I subscribe to this thinking. Last time I toured the factory, the Adamas custom shop consisted of a couple of workbenches in the corner. There were 2 or maybe three people working in the area. It looked like there were maybe a dozen models in the process of being built. With such limited resources and labor-intensive processes in place, I'm not sure Ovation wants to increase their production of Adamas models. If they're able to sell most everything else off their product lines, maybe they don't need to sell more Adamas models. Maybe they can't afford to increase production. I do know that at present, if you want a new custom Adamas, they will still make one for you, and for that, I am grateful. ding ding ding..
I find these discussions interesting. There is always "more sales is better" attitude, mostly from people who do NOT own businesses. I don't know of any warehouses holding 100's or 1000's of high-end Ovations. In fact, to the best of my knowledge, they sell every one they make. THAT is the ONLY thing that really counts.
As long as they keep selling every one they make, Ovation's will be around for a long time to come. |
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Joined:
April 2008
Posts: 1851
Location: Newington, CT | Originally posted by G8r:
I wonder if John or Kim would be willing to let us in on the answer to the question: "Which are the better margin guitars?" Might go a long way to alleviating some OFC frustration. Or exacerbating it. Really? You actually expect that the CS representatives who've been with KMC for decades before FMIC took over would commit career suicide by publicizing FMIC business practices to "alleviate...frustration" of a bunch of aging guitar homos who won't shell out the money for a NEW Ovation or Adamas, but who WILL buy, trade, sell, re-buy, and re-sell ad infinitum et ad nauseum the same 30-year-old guitars to one another? Really? |
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April 2008
Posts: 1851
Location: Newington, CT | Ya never know until ya ask. |
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March 2010
Posts: 370
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba CANADA | Personally, I couldn't care less what Fender's margins are on the sales of their better quality guitars, versus their offshore models... They are simply the 'caretakers' of a long and distinguished tradition.
The argument is pretty simple... Everyone wants to support a WINNER!! By choosing to buy, play and covet Ovations, we are already in THAT group.
End of...
Taylor users can lineup, single-file... from here to China and no one would ever convince me their guitars were preferable.
We should all take solace in being able to recogize each other when we meet (being 'guitar homos'...as G8R stated), wink knowingly and share in one of the longest running gags ever perpetrated on the guitar buying community...
"Yeah, buddy... that (wooden box... fill in the blank) sounds just AWESOME... This is a really GREAT store... They stock ten different brands of acoustic guitars and the all look and sound EXACTLY the SAME!! Couldn't ask for more than that..."
;) |
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September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | I've discussed Ovations with the owner of our very nice local store.
He knows Adamas and the high end Ovations are great guitars. The bottom line, as he stated it, was that he just can't get people to spend 2k, (let alone 3k for the 30th)... on any kind of Ovation. No bias against Ovation, just basic business. |
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July 2008
Posts: 14
| Going back to the original post on this, makes me kind of sorry I don't have any GCs nearby. That might be kinda fun... |
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Guitar Center scene
