|
|
Joined:
October 2002
Posts: 56
Location: Alabama | Doggone Ovation Fever, haven't even worn out the first set of strings on my new Elite 1778 and now I'm a Two 'O' papa. What do you think guys? Good deal or no?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=33029&item=9... |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15674
Location: SoCal | Good deal. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | more like a steal that guitar is worth twice that maybe three times. the 2001 IMHO is one of the best sounding ovations made |
|
| |
|
Joined:
October 2002
Posts: 51
| 2001 version has quite a lot of QA problems. The two 2001 Al selling look much better.
A couple of 2002's were sold for $750-830 on eBay last month. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | I buy from "alpeD" best bozo in the business. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
October 2002
Posts: 56
Location: Alabama | Quality Assurance problems Sunny? Could you elaborate please? Enlighten me with some specifics? Thanks |
|
| |
|
Joined:
October 2002
Posts: 51
| (1) Top separation due to bracing problem. Ovation did some experiment with "new" bracing without adequate testing. If you buy new with warranty, you can send it for repair. If you buy it used from eBay (warranty good for original owner only), good luck! It may explain why
there are a few factory second, blemished, & reconditioned 2001 flowing around. Alped has two factory second 2001 for sale, for example.
(2) Ovation did not have enough "good" redwood to make 800 2001. Only 3-400 used "good" redwood, and the rest used ... If you have photo editing software to lighten up pics, you can easily see that the 2001 on eBay does not have well-matched redwood, especailly under the bridge. Please compare it with
http://www.ovationguitars.com/?fa=detail&mid=29
Even the two factory second 2001 in Alped's Web page have better top.
http://www.lostartvintage.com/mainframe.asp |
|
| |
|
Joined:
October 2002
Posts: 56
Location: Alabama | Interesting Sunny may I ask how you came by this information? |
|
| |
|
Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Sunny, As far as I'm aware all Elite style guitars, including the 2001 collectors edition use the Quintaid bracing pattern. This is long established, is usually very stable & sounds great. It's unlikely that they'd release two versions to the public, one with prototype bracing & another with something they know is going to work.
I also find it very unlikely that they would not "have enough "good" redwood" to build a finite number of guitars, the quantity of which would be known before the wood was sourced. A factory second usually refers to a minor cosmetic fault rather than anything structural.
Maybe some of the factory staff should comment on this. Guys?
[ November 25, 2002: Message edited by: Paul Templeman ] |
|
| |
|
Joined:
October 2002
Posts: 56
Location: Alabama | Thanks Paul |
|
| |
|
Joined:
October 2002
Posts: 51
| Paul, we all know Ovation uses Quintad bracing for Elite style guitar. It's just a pattern. Did you see I used " " between new bracing? Ovation always tries to make improvements here & there.
The X-bracing system has been widely used on flat-top guitars. Do you think Taylor's bracing is identical to Martin's?
I wanted to get a 2001 last year, but was told the QA problem by a local guitar store. Two friends of mine had to send their 2001 back to Ovation for repair.
Don't be surprised by the "quantity problem". It happened to Taylor on JKSM signature model too. Life is not as simple as you think. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Sunny, You spoke with such authority on these "QA issues" that I thought you had some insider information, but unfortunately it turns out to be nothing more than hearsay. When you make potentally damaging statements about a company's products, production methods or quality control, you need to back them up with more than the alledged experiences of a couple of pals and the notoriously unreliable opinions of a dealer, some of whom are the most uninformed people in the industry and who will lie through their teeth to shift existing inventory rather than order something a customer may actually want.
You condesending statement about bracing speaks volumes. Ovation have used many bracing patterns over the years including a variant on the Martin-X. They now pretty much use 3, the Adamas brace, the quintaid which is a variant of that & the A. I am sure the factory can confirm that the experimental bracing you refer to, on a flagship instrument generally available to the public, is pure fiction.
Many companies subscribe to the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" school of bracing and Taylor is one of them. Taylor's X-brace is close enough to the Martin pattern not to make a difference
[ November 26, 2002: Message edited by: Paul Templeman ] |
|
| |
|
Joined:
October 2002
Posts: 56
Location: Alabama | Again Paul, Thank You. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
October 2002
Posts: 51
| Paul, which company does not have product without QA issues? Jaguar? BMW? Of course not! You miscontrued my local dealer. He had no intention to push any exisiting inventory 'coz I already bought all of the high-end Ovation/Adamas from him. He was told by his contact at Ovation about the issue. Two other friends got problems. Hey, there are only a few hundreds of 2001. Some are good, some are bad. I never had any quality issues with Ovation or Adamas in the past 30 years, however. They are built like tanks.
Please read carefully. I said Quintad bracing is used for Elite style Ovation. Elite style = multi sound hole Ovation. We, experienced Ovation/Adamas owners/collectors, all know that Ovation uses other bracing systems, but for other models. For example, A for single soundhole. You forgot to mention another one - Ovation classic.
By the way, is "Quintaid" a new bracing system for Ovation? You use it several times, so it should not be a typo. An improved version of Quintad? |
|
| |
|
Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Well spotted, I feel really small & pathetic now that you pointed out my spelling error. How can I ever live it down? |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | Well Paul you could point out his spelling error...
You know if this was not so funny I would be obligated under my powers as board administratot to ask you both to stop. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Al, you will now be known forever as "Alped the administratot"
Paul
[ November 26, 2002: Message edited by: Paul Templeman ] |
|
| |
|
Joined:
October 2002
Posts: 56
Location: Alabama | Just to update, my new 2001 collectors ed. arrived yesterday and it is beautiful. The top is gorgeous and great tone and sustain.There is no evidence of "quite a lot of QA problems" that I can tell. I am by no means a luthier, but I have worked both in Quality Assurance programs and Quality Control in several manufacturing facilities for over 30 yrs. Without putting a set of calipers on it, the bracing is identical to that in my 2002 elite 1778. The fit and finish is absolutely flawless inside and out. The redwood top is even to an untrained eye bookmatched and really stunning. I can't imagine such a well made instrument will ever fail me.
I noticed none of our Ovation employees and alums made a comment on the QA critisims in this thread, I would be very interested if any of you would like to comment. ;) |
|
| |
Oops I did it again
