Random quote: "Believe me when I say that some of the most amazing music in history was made on equipment that's not as good as what you own right now." - Jol Dantzig
Ovation Guitars Everywhere
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Posted 2015-03-30 2:54 AM (#508147) Subject: Ovation Guitars Everywhere
Joined: December 2001 Posts: 7222
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest
Maybe it's because I'm watching a lot AXStv lately (Great CURRENT concerts and Interviews by the way) or maybe I'm just more sensitive to it... or maybe it really is a case of "you don't know what you have until it's gone" and artists using them more... but I'm seeing Ovations all over like it was 80's again. Now granted some of the Artists were considered 80's artists.. but but they are STILL TOURING TODAY.
An interview with Melissa Ethridge at her home it was obvious what brand guitar she plays. REO Speedwagon... I counted THREE in the same show at Red Rocks with Chicago. Of course to top it off I caught an early version of Red Dwarf and there's an Academy at the foot of Lister's bed. There is of course Al D, Kaki, DJ Ashba, and host of others who play Ovations TODAY. I just don't remember seeing as much of them until more recently.
Posted 2015-04-01 11:12 AM (#508266 - in reply to #508147) Subject: Re: Ovation Guitars Everywhere
Joined: March 2005 Posts: 12754
Location: Boise, Idaho
We went to a singer-songwriter forum last night. There were more than 20 performers, doing 1 song each. There were 3 Ovations in that group and one guy who I know normally performs with an Ovation, brought his Martin instead. I overheard a comment from the table behind me about the first Ovation on stage. A guy said, "He makes it sound pretty good, though." Like he was surprised. One of the Ovations had a Dean Markley soundhole pickup and it had some issues that he couldn't hear from the stage. I'm sure some thought it was a problem with the guitar.
Posted 2015-04-05 1:12 AM (#508417 - in reply to #508266) Subject: Re: Ovation Guitars Everywhere
Joined: August 2002 Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee
Mark in Boise - 2015-04-01 9:12 AM We went to a singer-songwriter forum last night. There were more than 20 performers, doing 1 song each. There were 3 Ovations in that group
Posted 2015-04-06 2:29 PM (#508459 - in reply to #508147) Subject: Re: Ovation Guitars Everywhere
Joined: January 2006 Posts: 2120
Location: Chicago
Not so lucky (me). But there really seems to be healthy respect for Ovation (and the many varieties of music associated with the brand) in countries like Poland, Russia, Germany. I suspect that here, in the US, the 1970s Ovation trend was more narrow. When fashion changed, so did the axes! DiMeola is a case-in-point: forty years ago, he was a ***, he was Ovation, top of the polls everyhwere. Now, he says he can hardly get a gig in the US. Recent generations have never heard the name! The Europeans, however, remember him and give him lotsa love.
Posted 2015-04-07 1:25 PM (#508502 - in reply to #508417) Subject: Re: Ovation Guitars Everywhere
Joined: March 2005 Posts: 12754
Location: Boise, Idaho
stonebobbo - 2015-04-05 12:12 AM
Mark in Boise - 2015-04-01 9:12 AM We went to a singer-songwriter forum last night. There were more than 20 performers, doing 1 song each. There were 3 Ovations in that group
Were you one of them, and if so, how did it go?
I was just a watcher. I've never written a song, so I didn't qualify.
Posted 2015-04-13 5:15 PM (#508805 - in reply to #508757) Subject: Re: Ovation Guitars Everywhere
Joined: December 2003 Posts: 848
Location: Canada
Hovard Heimdal - 2015-04-12 9:05 PM Al D is now promoting Sigma Guitars built in Germany. Big poster at my local store. A changing world...
So the Canadian Sigmas are the German one which are built in China, which are called "Kindred" in the U.S. where they have a different Sigma brand ... that's very confusing for a U.S. based artist to get involved in promotion. I can't find anything on their websites related to this.
Posted 2015-05-11 3:09 PM (#510182 - in reply to #508147) Subject: Re: Ovation Guitars Everywhere
Joined: December 2001 Posts: 7222
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest
I was again watching a bit of AxsTV, and they have a "profiles" feature where they just discuss the usual about a particular artists History. In different clips on that and other shows I'm seeing artists who started out with Ovations, but no longer are associated with them. The one that surprised me the most was Taylor Swift !!! Yes folks, THAT Taylor Switft... ya know, the one who was the ONLY platinum selling artist of 2014!!! The Profiles feature had pictures of a very young TS, playing a nice Ovation 12-String they were inferring as the guitar she learned to play on !!!!
edit... Thank you Mr. Google. "This is Taylor Swift's first guitar. It is a 12-string Ovation 1755 Balladeer. Her parents bought it for her for $350 from a guitar teacher."
Posted 2015-05-11 3:13 PM (#510183 - in reply to #508147) Subject: Re: Ovation Guitars Everywhere
Joined: June 2012 Posts: 2315
Location: Pueblo West, CO
SWMBO is an avid fan of General Hospital. A recent episode featured one of the 'stars' singing a song with an accompanist playing, either an AII or an Elite.
Posted 2015-05-11 3:50 PM (#510186 - in reply to #510183) Subject: Re: Ovation Guitars Everywhere
Joined: December 2006 Posts: 6994
Location: Jet City
I understand most people here in this forum are stuck on their 60s and 70s guitar heros. Unfortunately, Campbell, Croce, Simon, etc have no real or very little relevence when you're trying to win over the new wave of up and commers. I love Al D, Melissa's OK, Kaki is a fantastic musician, and Malmsteen was one of my guitar heros in the 80's but still, there's 3 has-beens and a relatively unknown as the only endorsers. I don't know too much about the DJ dude, and I don't think a whole lot of others do either.
But this band is one of the absolute TOP grossing bands in the last 20 years...
Yep, he started playing Ovations exclusively with an occasional Chet Atkins thrown in. Taylor offered him the world and he switched. This guy has a rabid following (me included). I can't even imagine the kind of sales he would have generated had Ovation signed him.
In my mind this is a great target audience for Ovations. You can play cowboy chords pretty much the same on any lame-*** wood box, but if you're moving up and down the neck past those first 3 or 4 frets (I realize this is excluding the Moody's of the world) you can really tell the difference between us and the other guys.
Posted 2015-05-11 4:16 PM (#510187 - in reply to #508147) Subject: Re: Ovation Guitars Everywhere
Joined: September 2011 Posts: 402
Location: New Hartford CT
Damon you're absolutely correct, Ovations play better than any other. Including the first 3 or 4 frets. As far as what the new owners have in store for artists, from what I have seen they are plugged into the latest in musical culture. Their artist roster (on the drum side) is cutting edge AND they have the veterans...they've converted so many it's astonishing. It's all about bringing the talent in and working with them...and everything that goes with that. It takes experience and savvy but most of all a great product. Expect some serious modernization in that regard. I hope we all keep an open mind. (Though I lust after a brand new 3 planker inlaid rosette wide skunk Deluxe Balladeer with killer electronics...) I have my Dad's '67 DB and a K1111 RI but can't get enough of those shiny bowls.
OK I'm getting WAY too far ahead here. It's a passion I admit it.
Posted 2015-05-21 7:22 AM (#510755 - in reply to #510754) Subject: RE: Ovation Guitars Everywhere
Joined: January 2009 Posts: 1249
Location: Texas
It looks like Doyle will still show up with an O, having had guitars made for him by Taylor and Guild (have they made one guitar since moving west?). He may be playing the Olson regularly now...thats what he had when I saw him.
Ovation Guitars Everywhere
