|
|
Joined:
January 2009
Posts: 4535
Location: Flahdaw | Oops
Edited by BobG 2013-12-05 9:53 AM
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2009
Posts: 4535
Location: Flahdaw | "Maybe not a licky as we'd like to be"
Personally, I consider myself lucky that I'm still as licky as I was 30 years ago. My "parts" aren't leaky (if you know what I mean), and I'm surely no one's lackey. Well, looky there....I 'm pretty lucky after all. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13991
Location: Upper Left USA | I hope my original rant communicated that I was broke but still optimistic and that I find comfort in the company of you sick B!%#^... Besides... abstinence makes the heart grow fonder...
Edited by MWoody 2013-12-05 10:05 AM
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | When Dave said his wife had 6 sisters, I immediately felt sorry for him, possibly for the first time. Holiday gatherings must have been a real blast. I felt lucky that my wife only had one sister. But then when he said he wasn't as licky as he used to be, I just got distracted. I didn't need any cheering up, but he did it anyway. I just wish he would have done it with a different visual. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7225
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | MWoody - 2013-12-05 8:04 AM
I hope my original rant communicated that I was broke but still optimistic and that I find comfort in the company of you sick B!%#^... Besides... abstinence makes the heart grow fonder...
I got it.. and me too  |
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | Broke but not broken
Lucky but down on my luck
Not troubled by my trouble
Not missing what I miss
Won't give in to giving up
Won't get down over being down
Just playing what I play
Just loving what I love
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
November 2002
Posts: 3625
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | If that's not a lyric, or prescription for Life; it shoud be.
Edited by seesquare 2013-12-05 2:38 PM
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4055
Location: Utah | Despite the conspiracy of CEOs and DC politicians to squash the wages of my and my wife's professions, we have a decent standard of living compared to 99.9% of humans who have ever lived.
I'd sure love to buy the NOS Breadwinner offered recently, or Al's a/e Patriot with the new FET preamp. And I sure would love to order the perfect custom Adamas.
With all 3 kids being seniors this year, I feel I am on the cusp of having disposable income commensurate with my achievements. Which has to be balanced against mandatory retirement in 12 years without the pension this profession used to have.
There's always hope. Meanwhile, there are some nice instruments in this house already. So I can't really complain. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2011
Posts: 887
Location: Always beautiful canyon country of Utah | What Standing said is truer than true. We are a privileged lot indeed and we are fortunate to own and play some of the finest guitars ever made. Desire is the root of suffering,however, and many are not content with the blessings which they have been privileged to experience.
The glass can be half empty or totally full depending on how the holder wishes to perceive it. It is all up to us!! |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13991
Location: Upper Left USA | I think Arthur was saying his glass was half frozen! |
|
| |
|
Joined:
November 2005
Posts: 4832
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | I'm a bit more 'Provincial' in my outlook. but need more space in the music room before I could get another guitar in there.
Edited by fillhixx 2013-12-10 12:31 AM
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | being on a fixed income will limit you but I think I'll splurge after the new year's celebration and get one of those new black Snarks. I hear they are great. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
July 2005
Posts: 1609
Location: Colorado | I'm fortunate...a couple nice guitars, good friends,,,a love for good golf playing (not realized yet)...amazing friends I see every few years with a common interest in rich tonewoods and sometimes lyrachord backs...put to use to try to make music - and try to make better music.I've played the top notch stuff, but there is still joy in noodling on a beater. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2013
Posts: 15
| Yowzer..... interesting to see how many here are facing challenge. I can say that good guitar sales are really hurting... my region's oldest and best Gibson dealer is feeling the hurt.. and it looks like big Box Guitar Center might even fall down...
I started my own business years ago, so I can't say I feel the pain of being out of work, or laid off.... but I can say it hurts bad here too. I went from buying Glorious instruments to..... cheap stuff at the pawn shop to fix. Sometimes I stumble across a winner though. Craptastic economics aren't helping too many people....
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | IMHO, today you can buy a $400 guitar that 25 years ago would cost $800. Even the entry lowest level guitars are far better than the cheese cutters I started with. With a few exceptions I think that with any guitar over $2000 you're paying for fancy inlays, a fancy finish, an endorsement deal, or worst of all... to have a qualified luthier take an ice pick, a lite cigarette, and a bicycle chain to make it look "relic".
.
Which brings us back around to the thread topic.
Ovation lived it that meat & potatoes range of $800 to $2000. That part of the market has taken the worst beating and has to be the main reason for the demise of the USA made Ovation.
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7225
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Spot on Brad..
Interesting observation from another industry with the EXACT same problem. Bayliner/Meridian boats. Bayliner was analogous to Ovation and Meridian analogous to Adamas both owned by Brunswick which would be analagous to KMC or now FMIC. In any case, they had to stop making their big, made in USA boats not for lack of interest in the boats... which is also a niche crowd like Ovation?Adamas, but because they were their own USED boats Competition. Just like you can buy a really nice used Ovation that was retailing for over $700 for $300 now. It might even be in essentially unplayed condition. No manufacturer can compete with that and to make it worse, there is actually something to be said for a pre-owned, well cared for guitar. The real kicker with Ovation unlike boats.. and unlike most other guitars unless we're talking solid-bodies, Ovation's don't get old. We've seen it, we've owned them... the well played 30+ year old guitar that still plays like new. I think it's pretty safe to say that the percent of Ovation guitars that are still playable after 10, 20, 30 years... is WAY higher than any other brand. It's going to be a long time before the well runs dry enough for Ovation to jump back into the market in a big way unless something really changes in a dramatic way.
As far as some of the beauties in the For Sale section, those will eventually go to collectors who can swing it. The economy is just a cycle and will come back sooner than later. But that's not going to change the fact that the used market is flooded with Ovation guitars.
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2009
Posts: 4535
Location: Flahdaw | I'm pretty sure you can buy a used Taylor for about half the price of a new one, but they are still selling the hell out of new guitars. Just sayin'..... |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | I've listed many great bargains in the for sale section to NO replies |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7225
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | darkbarguitar - 2014-01-03 6:05 PM
I'm pretty sure you can buy a used Taylor for about half the price of a new one, but they are still selling the hell out of new guitars. Just sayin'.....
That is likely true, but it's a different market. Just go to Musicians Friend and narrow down to Taylor guitars and set it to Highest to Lowest Price... they start at $7,000+ and have over 120 models over $2000. Less than 50 models under $1000.
Now it's not really fare to compare new Ovation prices now although they have some of the highest ever, but no where's near, nor have they ever been near, $7000. Most of the line has been under $2000
This was where my analogy to boats came in. Ovation is the "everyone's" guitar. It's the workhorse, just like Bayliner. The boat equal to Taylor is something like SeaRay or even Nordic Tug who had to REOPEN after going out of business to meet the demand of people trying to buy boats that tip the million dollar scale.
For boats the market is under 30K or over a million, and for guitars I think the main market is under $500 or over $5000. I could be all wrong on this, I just think Ovation/Adamas never having a "high end" as in "high priced" prestige model, is biting them in the butt now. It's never been their way. It's always been about Affordable/Quality guitars.. but the market now is "looking for a bargain" or "more money than brains" nothing in the middle.
For the looking for a bargain group... there are plenty of Ovation's out there... and frankly Ovation never has really attracted the "more money than brains" crowd...
Fun topic... Interesting to see how it reads in another 10 years.
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | alpep - 2014-01-03 7:19 PM
I've listed many great bargains in the for sale section to NO replies
And I am sincerely broke... Or I woulda bought that 1778T.
Or one of those discount Adamii.
As to competition from Used Ovations...
I can find more that one LX on d'Bay for much less than a Taylor.
And price aside... I would rather have an Ovation.
Even at a good price... a Taylor is still a frikkin' Taylor.
And Fendrovation's competition is real Ovations.
I have a 40 year-old Artist that sounds great, is quite loud and cost me $118.
I have a 35 year-old Folklore that plays fine, sounds great, $252.
Or my '96 Folklore that I scored for $249... Whadda Deal.
Now Fendrovation expects me to pay over a Thousand Dollars for a re-branded Ultra?
Y'all realize that Al has some Adamii for the price of New Korean Elite. 
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2009
Posts: 4535
Location: Flahdaw | It's really mirrors the "State of the Country".
Mostly anything that sells to "middle America" is hurting right now. The media can try to spin it any way they want, but the economy is NOT good. The unemployment rate may be dropping, but the jobs are for lower pay, often part time (so they don't have to provided Obamacare), and people are reluctant or unable to spend any discretionary income on toys.
You want to see an industry that's hurting? Look at the golf industry, which REALLY benefited from the robust economy of the 90's and early 2000's. Many private courses are shutting down or losing big money. Many will try to go public to save themselves, but there are fewer middle class golfers able to spend time and money on the sport. If they ARE playing, they are happy with their old equipment....they are not buying the latest and greatest, trying to gain an extra 5 yards of distance.
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2005
Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | arthurseery - 2014-01-04 2:21 PM And I am sincerely broke... Thats never stopped you from buying a few guitars in the past, OMA! |
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2007
Posts: 1008
Location: Tuscany, Italy | Brad Durasa - 2014-01-03 12:34 AM
IMHO, today you can buy a $400 guitar that 25 years ago would cost $800. Even the entry lowest level guitars are far better than the cheese cutters I started with. With a few exceptions I think that with any guitar over $2000 you're paying for fancy inlays, a fancy finish, an endorsement deal, or worst of all... to have a qualified luthier take an ice pick, a lite cigarette, and a bicycle chain to make it look "relic".
.
Which brings us back around to the thread topic.
Ovation lived it that meat & potatoes range of $800 to $2000. That part of the market has taken the worst beating and has to be the main reason for the demise of the USA made Ovation.
+1 |
|
| |
State of the OFC Union...
