|
|
Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 848
Location: Canada | Does anyone know how the in-store price of a Pacemaker would have compared to a Martin D18 in the late 70s to early 80s? |
|
| |
|
Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Much Cheaper. In 1971 a Balladeer was $265.
In 1971 we rented a 3BR house for much less.
HERE his a price list from that era.
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2011
Posts: 887
Location: Always beautiful canyon country of Utah | OMA knows everything! |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 848
Location: Canada | I was asking about the D18 because I got close to buying one around that time. But in hindsight I think a Pacemaker is what I would have loved if I had known about it. Was wondering if I could have been able to afford it. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
May 2011
Posts: 755
Location: Muenster/Germany | Back in the 70´s we would have given a leg for an Ovation. Way too expensive, we played Höfner and Framus. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
February 2016
Posts: 1802
Location: When?? | Up until the mid 80's Ovations just seemed to end up in my stash with very little purchasing. Mostly trades or shares, and mostly electrics. But I did respect the acoustic models greatly beginning as a young teen. Once I aged to acquire a likeness of the acoustic playability and sound, and actually analyzed the value-to-cost of purchasing new ones, it seemed quite logical to go in that direction. If all of my Ovations were to suddenly fall off a cliff and die today, I will still have played my money's worth out of them many times over. I am far, far from being a "good and accomplished" player, but for those who have used Ovation guitars as a tool in their prowess the value surely extends greatly beyond that of my own experience.
Edited by Love O Fair 2021-07-27 1:19 PM
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 848
Location: Canada | So was a new Pacemaker more expensive than a new D18 or cheaper? |
|
| |
|
Joined:
February 2016
Posts: 1802
Location: When?? | I found one posted reference for a brand new 1985 Martin D-18 at $1,490 MSRP (per what the poster said was from the 1985 Vintage Price Guide). The MSRP price listed for the 1115 Pacemaker just four years earlier in 1981 was less than half that much at $650, and for the 1615 Pacemaker in 1981 it was $780 (according to the Ovation listings Arthur posted). Hope this helps answer the Q.
Edited by Love O Fair 2021-07-27 8:52 PM
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2011
Posts: 887
Location: Always beautiful canyon country of Utah | I have a Martin from 1968 but it is a toy compared to my Ovations! Although it is good for fingerpicking! |
|
| |
|
Joined:
October 2012
Posts: 1034
Location: Yokohama, Japan | DetlefMichel - 2021-07-26 7:01 PM
Back in the 70´s we would have given a leg for an Ovation. Way too expensive, we played Höfner and Framus.
Hear ya DetlefMichel! Same here in Japan. We played Morris' and Yamaha's. Nobody could afford Os except the military kids stationed with their parents on the U.S. Bases. That's where we got to see Fenders, Gibsons and an Adamas! You could actually buy a car or two for the price of an Adamas! |
|
| |
|
Joined:
February 2016
Posts: 1802
Location: When?? | Hey, Ken... what about Lyle guitars? Those were made in Japan in the 1960's and were pretty decent quality. The only ones I ever knew were acoustic, so I don't know if they made electrics, too. My brother brought one home from Vietnam and gave it to me, complete with a Lyle case. Do you know that brand? Not sure what the price range was on them. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Someone turned me on to this....
Attachments
----------------
 ovation price index.pdf (1893KB - 14 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
February 2016
Posts: 1802
Location: When?? | @Arthur - >>>Someone turned me on to this...<<<
An interesting read. Quite an abrupt fork on the graph starting in 1994. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
October 2012
Posts: 1034
Location: Yokohama, Japan | Love O Fair - 2021-07-28 12:12 AM
Hey, Ken... what about Lyle guitars?...
Yeah Al, Lyle Guitars were produced by the Japan Vintage giant, Matsumoku in Nagano. They produced guitars or sub-assemblies of guitars for pretty much everybody. We mostly see acoustic Lyle's, but they did make electrics too. Today, the electrics are called "Bizarre Vintage" guitars. They were well made and very playable guitars. Prices ranged from 5,000 to 50,000 JPY (50 bucks to 500 bucks). Matsumoku sold guitars under a bunch of different brand names, but their Aria Pro II brand was probably their biggest.
I'm pretty sure the Japanese Ovations were made at Terada Instruments in the late 80s and early 90s. By that time, prices came down and you could get a Balladeer in Japan for about $3,000. The MIJ Os were called Pinnacles and sold for about half the price of a U.S. made O with pretty much the same specs. Over here, the Pinnacles are still highly sought after. Interestingly, a 1687 in 1980 sold in Japan for the equivalent of about $10,000! |
|
| |
|
Joined:
February 2016
Posts: 1802
Location: When?? | @arumako - >>> but their Aria Pro II brand was probably their biggest<<<
Thank you for the info, Ken. Interesting! I had one of those Arias, too.. bur no idea at the time that it was Japanese made. Bought it brand new in Utah around 1971 for $150. Hollow body electric with trapeze and F holes, pretty red stain. Decent, but nothing too amazing. Lasted about as long as to be expected under adolescent use and care. The old days prices in Japan for Ovations sounds like it was a pretty rare thing to see in someone's collection.. but on that same hand I remember seeing the new 1982 Toyota Supra at the LA Car Show and falling over at the price tag. We bought one anyway, but they were probably pretty cheap over there. |
|
| |
Historic Ovation Prices
