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Location: NJ | ok guys i have hijacked the kaman internet access and I am here at the namm floor reporting on the new guitars. there is a new elite t series that is basically a stripped downed usa made racer that has a maple neck holes on the bass bout only and bowl paint over the entire body not thick but a thin coat it plays well and has a cool look. I thik at 999 list it is a real winner it comes with the standard preamp that they are now offering. it is a killer guitar for the cash and a great way top enter the guitar world with a usa made guitar.
the second guitar is a limited edition folklore with a slot headstock and deep bowl. this guitar has electronics but are not user adjustable. very cool limited to 100 guitars at a list of 1999. 12 frets clear the body.
now remember that it is not easy to hear any acoustic instruments on the namm show floor.
more details to follow. |
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Location: Scotland | Al, cutaway or not? |
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Location: SoCal | Al:
If this folklore has the acoustic sound that I suspect it has, then they have got to get it into the hands of performers and get some exposure. |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | non-cutaway. not sure how many 'players' hands it will get into with only 100 having been made. |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Al with Folklore
Al with Elite-T |
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Location: SoCal | Does that Folklore have a cedar or spruce top?
How about posting some photos of the whole Ovation area?
[ July 20, 2002: Message edited by: moodypi ] |
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Location: NJ | the top is cedar
I am here on the floor of the namm show again. it is interesting to see the martin graphite top guitar and some of the other roundback knockoffs. I guess they just don;t get it.
the folklore is exactly what everyone here has been whineing about for the past 6 months deep bowl slott headstock etc.
according to rick hall there are 40 already for the international market so that leaves 60 for the us market. put your order in now. |
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Location: SoCal | Al:
Do you get a sense that the people at Ovation even care about selling to the acoustic market, as opposed to the acoustic electric market?
Has anybody given a reason for only 100 of the folklores to be made?
Has anybody at Ovation even looked at this website? Have they talked at all about putting an Adamas top on that folklore and trying to reproduce the Adamas slothead magic at a realistic price? |
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Location: Baton Rouge, LA | I think that Paul Moodypi and I should be placed on retainer by Ovation as creative consultants. Like Paul, I believe Ovation has lost some of its creativity and common sense. I have some of the same questions about Ovation's marketing strategy and product lines that Paul does.
The "new" Folklore looks beautiful. I wish it had the traditional rosette soundhole design. That would probably be the only suggestion I'd make. |
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Location: Las Cruces, NM | I think the elite t is a step in the right direction. If it is quality and has good sound, this is what a musician on a limited budget (as all but the most successful are) would be looking for. The price is attractive for an American made guitar, you could take it on a job without an armed gaurd. This could be Ovation's modern version of Martin's D-18, the reason almost every musician had one in the old days was because they could have Martin sound and quality for the minimum price, no frills. Also the fear of dents and scratches goes away, it is an American made guitar to play, wail on, not a collecter's item. At it's price, the novice who sees a favorite local musician wailing on one, can, with a little stretching, maybe persuade his/her parent to buy them one, as it is not that much more than an import. I like it, let's see how it does.
Bailey |
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Location: NJ | it is 4 30 I just got in from Nashville.
a couple of comments the elite T is available in shallow or mid bowls.
Guess what guys YES OVation does listen to us and therefore the limited edition folklore. Why only 100 well they want to test the market and see what if people will actually go out and buy what some of us have suggested.
I had a number of conversations with the folks at ovation and YES they really do care about what the guitars sound like and how they play. Your voices are not going unhead. We discussed how the preamps are going to get redesigned so they are warmer sounding and the current pickups that is used and some inherent problems etc.
This folklore is a step in the direction that many on the board want to see them take ie a more traditional acoustic instrument. I honestly could not make an evaluation on the sound since the Namm floor is so damn loud but I encourage you to find these in your local stores check them out and post what you think.
From what I can gather the Ovation Fan Club is not only read by the people at Ovation but is taken very seriously by them. Sure not everything we want can happen but we have a voice use it and use it wisely.
affordable and Adamas should not be used in the same sentence. If you want a rolls royce you are not going to pay for a VW |
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Location: NJ | Nice report, Al!! |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | I got the same impression as Al about the folks at Ovation reading the board. I doubt they spend as much time as some of us (they actually have jobs to do) but they are definately aware. A few months ago we were still at roughly 2 new members a day or about 60 a month. Now we are gaining 100 new members per month, and most of us with opinions.
To address if they are listening... you do the math.. The #1 "issue" I have read since the start of this board (and frankly heard most of the last 10 years in discussion) is that unless you have "big bucks" you can't afford a USA made Ovation. Well, now you can... coincidence, I think not. |
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Location: NJ | I forgot to mention that the binding on the folklore is tortise. Now how cool is that ?????? |
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Location: Las Cruces, NM | Al
That is cool. Also, let's not forget the store owner who needs to stock these new guitars, are they getting something they can afford to stock and promote. Remember, a $4000 collectors guitar ties up some thousands of a dealers money on speculation, and he shivers each time some congenital idiot wants to test it out against his idea of guitar destruction music, that idiot might, because of the randomness of life, have the bucks to buy it, or NOT. I still like the elite t, it might let Americans buy an American guitar and still buy groceries. If the dealers don't stock them, it won't work. I went to a NAMM show in the late seventies with my friend who owned a store, all I can remember is Jeff (skunk) Baxter, skinney, tall, with a big nose, walking around the floor being nice to all, but did it change anything? He probably got free guitars but I didn't.
Bailey |
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Location: NJ | Bailey I agree. It is difficult for dealers to stock many high dollar guitars. (unless you are an absolute lunatic like me) Most people go in and see a bunch of celebrities now I think they may see some elite t's. they would represent the USA line.
As for collector's edition guitars well the nature that makes then collector's editions is that they are hard to get. But in my experience it is the smaller store that is more likely to take a risk on some of these than the larger chains. Mars that closed up in Jersey had a bunch of Ovations 1 of half the top models and a dz of the celebrities that they had great prices on. For the larger stores they tend to sell what they can buy in bulk and offer lower prices than the smaller stores.
if 100 of these are made 40 are set to be sent overseas that leaves 60 there are 50 states so you have a small chance of seeing one. But I saw and played on at Namm posted what I thought and there will be others that will seek these out find them play them and post their opinions. it just takes time.
the list is 1999 which is not out of line with other USA made ovations.
[ July 23, 2002: Message edited by: alpep ] |
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Location: Atlanta,Ga. | I think it was smart of ovation to build only 100 of these guitars in the beginning..After all not everyone likes 12 fret to the body or wider neck or slotted headstock..So, im sure they wanted to start with a small production to see how they would be recieved at the NAMM show...If dealers put in orders for them and if they sell all 100 quickly,they could always make more..Thats what they did with the 97 collectors model..They sold well and the next year there was a parlor model that looked just like the 97 collectors with a sunburst finish...Overall the new folkolore deluxe
is a step in the right direction for ovation and it sounds like they are listening to ovation fans and this site..In fact im very sure they are reading and listening to this site... |
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Location: SoCal | You know Sam, you are probably right about Ovation's thinking on the new folklore. But I'd like to see something on the Ovation website about the guitar, and if I was them, I'd get some of the guitars to the acoustic guitar magazines for rewview. Get the word out.
[ July 24, 2002: Message edited by: moodypi ] |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | moodypi,
Good ideas indeed, but remember... they are only making 100 at this point. The profit from selling all 100 probably wouldn't even pay for the artist and editor to create the page on the website, and by then... none would be left. |
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Location: SoCal | Miles:
I understand what you are saying, but Ovation has a marketing budget (if they don't then that would explain a lot of their problems) and while the sales wouldn't justify the marketing cost, the information learned would. They need to find out if people are going to be receptive to this new folklore and they need to know what people think when they play it.
Also, you and Miles said that the project cost of the guitar was going to be 2 large. In the recent issue of Guitar World Acoustic, with the former person, George Harrison on the cover) there was a review of a new magohany bodied Martin, the D-15S. This is a unadorned, 12 fret to the body slothead. The price is just under 12 hundred. I think either Ovation is going to have to show that the new folklore is a much better guitar, or they are going to have to be price competitive.
Keep in mind, I may not know of which I speak. I am just a small time thug. However, my heart is pure therefore my strength is as the strength of ten. |
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Location: NJ | If they were smart, they'd have an in-house person just for that particular purpose. The costs incurred of having to outsource your webpage maintenance often deters a lot of companies to keep it current. Our company page is done in-house and is updated on a weekly basis.
As far as the magazine coverage goes, the "New at NAMM" reviews of late tend to concentrate more on the more current "flavor of the month" guitars for the DaveMatthewannabees: smaller bodied, single cutaway model A/E's. So there'll be the plethora of Taylors, Martins, Tacomas, Lowdens and Ovation usually gets an "also ran" mention.
Last time it was a whole gamut of these guitars and "..oh yeah,..Ovation had some new black thingie that was geared for electric players had had little sound holes and a shallow bowl..."
I honestly hope that I'm proven wrong. |
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Location: NJ | A&M;
You guys sounded like you spent a decent amount of time at O'Booth, how were these new models received?
Was there any interest piqued by them in the attendees? |
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Location: NJ | cliff
I did not speak to any of the sales men regarding sales but I did see many of the customers both picking up both guitars and trying them. I also recall many of the salesmen taking the customers over to the rack and showing the guitars off and pointing them out as their new models.
from my standpoint there was a good interest in both guitars and I think the elite T being a usa guitar with a price to compete with the import celebrity is a HUGE selling point. |
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Location: Las Cruces, NM | Gentlemen
Raise our 400 voices for Ovation, I think Martin is reading our web site. The war may have started, Martin doesn't know how to make an acoustic/electric, and they don't want to know how. Don't fire until you see the whites of their puny pickups. The Elite t will win the battle, the folklore is a reward to you collectors for supporting the Brand. (a cowboy would say we ride for the Brand). Modern guitars have to be good acoustic electric, and Ovation knows how to do that.
Bailey |
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Location: NJ | bailey
add martin does not know how to make a graphite top guitar to the list too..... |
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namm show nashville 2002
