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Location: south east Michigan | Every once in a great while I vist a couple other acoustic guitar forums. I do a search on "Ovation" and see what has been said. It does not take long to fly back to the OFC.
Someone elses opinion is just fine with me. And internet bulletin boards give a voice to all of them. However, the opinion of Ovations on these boards seem out of proportion to the real world. And I'm not counting the OFC as part of the "real world". I'm talking about the large number of people you run into by chance or fate, who just happen to play an Ovation. For the most part these people have no need or desire to spend time on an acoustic guitar forum. There're satisfied just to play. These numbers just don't compute.
Like BrianT likes to say, "Ovations are the Rodney Dangerfield of guitars....they get no respect".
So....although many Ovation models rank right up there with best of the more traditional guitars, is Ovation destined to always be, for the most part, the quintesential "Blue Collar", working man's guitar? |
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Location: Upper Left USA | From what I got out of "The Book" was that that was CKI's vision. The Everyman instrument.
But that was Episode I... |
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Location: Midland, MI | ...is Ovation destined to always be, for the most part, the quintesential "Blue Collar", working man's guitar? G-d, I hope so. I've had great success watching which way the crowd is going and then heading the opposite direction. If the crowd started liking/buying Ovations, I'd have to find something else. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | I would agree. Ovation is like the everyday silverware. It gets the job done, reliable, nobody goes hungry ... then when the guests are coming over you pull out the good china and silver. But guess what - sometimes the food tastes better with the everyday silverware! Dave |
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Location: Evansville,IN | I would agree also. I don't own an acoustic guitar, yet. I do have 6 electrics, but out of all of them the Ovation Deacon is the easiest for me to play, and it's only vintage guitar I own, but I may have to have a Breadwinner to keep it company. :) |
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Location: East Tennessee | As posted by Standingovation
I would agree. Ovation is like the everyday silverware. It gets the job done, reliable, nobody goes hungry ... then when the guests are coming over you pull out the good china and silver. But guess what - sometimes the food tastes better with the everyday silverware! Dave
Best answer yet. :cool: |
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Location: Upper Left USA | When served, it says "you are home"! |
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| So, where does Adamas fit on that menu? |
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Location: Orange County, California | When you come home to find your wife waiting for you at the door in lingerie with a cold beer in her hand, and you favorite meal is already on the table. Nice. Very nice. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Originally posted by Englishplayer:
So, where does Adamas fit on that menu? I consider Ovation and Adamas one in the same. Ovation is Toyota, Adamas is Lexus.
Dave |
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Location: Midland, MI | Given the principals involved, maybe more like Mercedes and Maybach.
:D |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Originally posted by cruster:
maybe more like Mercedes and Maybach. Well ... ummm ... probably depends on who you ask or what messege board you're reading.
If you asked "Ovation" (whoever or whatever THAT really is), what they saw themselves as within the guitar industry. I doubt they would say that they perceived themselves as the Mercedes of guitars or even had a plan or ambition to be the Mercedes of guitars. That's not meant to be a slap against Ovation. When I think of Ovation I think of solid, reliable, workhorse, fun, easy to play, quality, value for the money. I've driven a LWB S-class in city traffic. It isn't pretty.
Dave |
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Posts: 370
Location: Isle of Man, UK | I live on a small Island, roughly 20km wide and 53 km long. I bought my first O over here 8 years ago, and the (only) music shop still stocks and promotes them (met the UK distributor rep there just the other day).
We had Matt Smith over just a few months ago (an experience I'm so happy to have had). Most of the musicians here know each other, if only by face.
Now then, given the above - does anyone else find it strange that I have never met anyone else who plays an Ovation? Even at the Chop Shop, the only O's there were Matt's, two of mine, and those being demo'd.
It just doesn't make sense to me. If there's anyone else here from the Isle of Man, please let me know!!
That said, I was gigging last week, and a relatively young lad from the audience came up afterwards, and said "Your guitar's just beautiful, mate." (I confess that we were in a pub, and it was 0100 in the morning - go figure!)
(as a point of interest, some pictures from the other weekend are: http://www.bigwheelblues.com/2005_Mines_Sunday_Stonechas.jpg
and
http://www.bigwheelblues.com/2005_Mines_StoneChase2.jpg
one of the Breadwinner, one of the Celeb Deluxe)
JB |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | I expect that EVERY guitar player has an Ovation that they keep quietly in the closet. They only play it with the shades drawn tight. Those of us that love them, collect them, promote them, etc. are a minority. Yes, the Rodney Dangerfield of guitars. And who among us can say they honestly have never related to Rodney ??? Dave |
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Location: NJ | The Adamas is probably the most innovative guitar of our time.
Not only does it combine the "spaceage" technology of the bowl, but it adds the carbon fiber top and relocated the sound holes to a position the was not usual but unique to guitar and is probably now the most copied positioning around.
High tech glues hold the guitar together, and the pickup system is considered "the standard" for acoustic electric playing. The Adamas has massive sound and a distinctive voice. I will always maintain that it is unfair to compare it to a wood top guitar. Is it better? no always but it is different. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Sounds like a salesman. |
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Location: NJ | SOMEBODY's gotta "Market" these things!! . . . |
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Location: NJ | me a salesman?
maybe the world's worst |
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| So what does that say about your customers? |
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Location: NJ | they have class |
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Location: Midland, MI | Dave, I have to disagree. There's even a paragraph in 'The Book' where Bill paraphrases Charlie as saying, 'Ovation guitars are the best in the world, everything else is junk.' (OK, I'm paraphrasing the book, quoting Bill, paraphrasing Charlie...wow) Heck, even the rosettes cost more to fab/install than what Martin was (is still?) doing.
Is that the attitude and actions of someone who's trying to build the Maybach or the Chevrolet? (remember, I live in union country...I know that 'Chevrolet' attitude pretty well) |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Boney, I think we actually agree without saying or knowning it. Ovation tries to build the "best" guitar in the work. And succeeds, depending on your definition of "best". They definately are not trying to be Maybach - something that's wildly impractical and nobody can afford. Charlie is right, Ovation is the "best" guitar in the world and everything else is junk. Depending on your definition of "best".
A lot of people can't accept a "top of the line" guitar that does not carry a heafty price tag. I know it sounds crazy and snobbish, but there are seriously people that think anything under $5000. isn't worth talking about. The ironic thing is that Ovations relatively low price may actually hurt their reputation. I predict that if they slapped a $3000. price tag on a custom legend that sales would increase!
Dave |
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Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | It might, but in addition, they would need to put more "bling" on it (scalloped fretboard, higher quality, smooth-edged, glossy binding, maybe a fake-wood grain bowl, make the 5-piece neck a little more obvious with thicker segments) and get more signature endorsement models, like Martin does. Just my opinion.
Roger |
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Posts: 13986
Location: Upper Left USA | There will always exist a multi-layered system of Consumers ready to spend their allotment. Marketing tries to hit them all while production carrys them.
IMHO what is missing at Ovation is the marketing of their Custom Shop (they don't use that term). I pick up the Carvin catalog for a ponderous sitting and it is all about choices and combinations so that my instrument is hand-picked and fresh. Ovation is doing custom work but they aren't trying to become "the" custom shop.
If they did they would have to ramp up staffing in this arena and it may change their product as well as their image. A "careful what you ask for" quandry.
Personnaly I am glad that we are the only ones in the world that can appreciate them. I run out of money as it is!
A friend came to me yesterday and said he played one of the Elite T's and nearly bought it. I asked Al for a price - it came in $100 lower than what he had seen!
Al is a lousy Salesman, bless his heart! |
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Blue Collar Guitar?
