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May 2009
Posts: 21
Location: Weaverville, NC | I am new back on the boards and may have missed all the news lately or whenever it was but just read somewhere that Ovation was bought out by Fender and there will no longer be USA made O's since all production will be done or moved to China.
I hate to hear this and seems like I may have to pick up a USA made before they become extinct!
LIke I said............if this is old news I am sorry but have not heard this until earlier today. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | I think China and Korea. |
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| No big deal as there's lots of good used ones running around for next to nothing. |
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Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Some models... not all.
If I was the cynical type I'd add... yet.
But I'm not the doom & gloom type. |
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September 2005
Posts: 3618
Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | My advice is to buy up all the USA Ovations you can get your hands on, for ANY price (; |
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September 2005
Posts: 3618
Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | My advice is to buy up all the USA Ovations you can get your hands on, for ANY price (;
...Oh .. and send all the ones you own that need repairs in to the factory for rework while you still can. |
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February 2008
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| What happens with the life time warranty - will that be gone? |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | I see the value of my USO's going up! :D |
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Posts: 5563
Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | ...Oh .. and send all the ones you own that need repairs in to the factory for rework while you still can.
There is a 6 month wait currently before getting non warrenty work completed at the factory...hopefully it will get better but the window is nearly shut for now.... |
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November 2008
Posts: 83
Location: North Wales, UK. | I went through the CBS take over of Fender in the late 50's & 60's with the post nomination of Pre-CBS for Fenders made before the sale. In fact I did own a pre-CBS Jaguar for a number of years.
I now think I may have three Pre-Fender Ovations and one Pre-Ovation Fender. :confused:
dave |
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October 2008
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Location: NW of Philadelphia | Is that ALL production, or just certain models? |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | some |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | I believe today certain models are made in China, others in Korea, and some in the USA.
I would assume how that mix changes (or not) in the future will be a decision by Fender how they feel they can best optimize the Ovation product lineup and maxmimize profitability. |
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May 2009
Posts: 21
Location: Weaverville, NC | I hope they keep certain models here in the US. I hope to pick up another nice US made "O" in the future. Thanks for some clarification on this guys! |
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October 2002
Posts: 178
Location: New York, NY | My understanding is that low-end USA Ovations (Balladeer, Standard Edite, Elite T) went overseas. In the 2009 price list, those models now have AX or TX suffixes. High-end USA models that still have the LX suffix: Legend/Custom Legend, Elite/Custom Elite, Folklore/Country Artist, plus Adamas and VXT (I think) are still made in CT.
Or at least I hope that's still the case! I'm still bummed about the Balladeer. That was a "made in the USA" bargain. Now the "cheapest" USA Ovation (at least brand new) is the Legend. |
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Posts: 4996
Location: Phoenix AZ | This is touchy ... but ignore for the moment national pride, jobs, balance of trade, etc. Granted these are huge emotional issues.
BUT ignoring those things, why does everyone jump to the conclusion that building models in Asia is somehow inferior? Maybe an Asian balladeer is a BETTER guitar than a US made one. I know that nobody wants to consider that possibility, but I for one have not done a side by side comparison of AX vs. LX Balladeer. Our reference is the Celebrity made in Korea guitar, and yes those are pretty crappy. But maybe they'd be just as bad if they were built in the US as well. Maybe that's possible.
A wonderful example of this is to go back and read some of the BMW forums a decade or so ago. The Germans and hard core BMW fans absolutely had their panties screwed into knots because BMW was going to start building some models in the US. Dispite the initial outcry I would say it's gone pretty well and I doubt today that anyone goes into a dealer and says "I want to buy a BMW but it's got to be a German one."
It's a big wide world, get used to it. |
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March 2005
Posts: 12754
Location: Boise, Idaho | My Boxster was made in Finland. I don't know of anyone who has been able to show that they are inferior to the ones made in Germany.
The best cheap guitar I found for a friend a couple years ago was made in China. If we eliminate the political or nationalistic issues as Dave suggested, there's not much argument left regarding quality. If handmade is better than machine made, there are a lot more hands in China. |
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Location: south east Michigan | Well said Dave.
I'm know my opinions are based on my exprerience with the Korean Celebritys.
Give it some time, then we'll see how this shakes out. |
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July 2003
Posts: 3111
Location: Nashville TN. | I am sure there will be a Quality and Materals and attention to detail on the remaining USA made guitars that will not be in the imports.
Its seems Fender makes its high end stuff in USA.
I suspect the same will happen here.
Different price points made in different locations.
The USA models being the most expensive.
Fender does it with own guitars.
Its what they going on with Guild. |
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November 2008
Posts: 83
Location: North Wales, UK. | My 86c Ovation is the best quality by a slight margin with the Balladeer very, very close.
The Celebrity however is very well made but the downfall is that the laminated wood bit on the top is a bit on the thick side and so the acoustic volume for a mid-depth bowl is remarkably inferier to the two SSB USA made variants. That, taking bowl depth in to account should not really be so!
I must be guarded in what I say as I have .008's on the 86c and .012's on the Balladeer (both Diaggi's), with the latter having more volume. The Celebrity having a set of .010th D'aggi's is quite lacking in volume.
I have some new Nano's (.009 for the 6's and .010 for the 12) and am quite prepared to give my very modest appraisal if required.
dave |
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May 2009
Posts: 21
Location: Weaverville, NC | I have no real issue with overseas but like one post stated..........warranty work may become a problem if not authorized service depts. exist here.
I think other countries are more than capable of building great products. In fact I am a Toyota person myself and try to buy models made 100% in Japan when I can. My last was a 2002 4Runner made 100% in Japan which makes it more valuable if you are a Toyota person in the fact of country of origin. I recently sold it for more than book value due to that and bought another Toyota but it was US made and still better than most any American made other brand.
But I do hope that Ovation keeps some of their company here even if it is CS! But that is up to Fender I guess. |
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Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | Reverend Guitars are made in China and they are better than Fenders and Gibsons.
So I'm taking a wait and see. |
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January 2004
Posts: 627
Location: Cherry Hill, NJ | I'm sure Al could enlighten the OFC on the latest in the Fender takeover saga. Many of us lament the manufacture of our favorite models being made overseas. Business is business, and we'll soon see the changes the Fender group will impose on Ovation guitars. |
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November 2008
Posts: 83
Location: North Wales, UK. | Cast your mind back to the CBS take over of Fender and how Fender manufacturing in the US was curtailed allmost overnight. I hope this doesn't happen to Ovation as it took a long time for manufacturing to get back to the US.
They learnt their lesson eventually with obviously inferior Japanese made Fenders. Different times these now with huge differences in manufacturing costs twixt the US and the Far East.
Fingers crossed!
dave |
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June 2007
Posts: 3084
Location: Brisbane Australia | "They learnt their lesson eventually with obviously inferior Japanese made Fenders."
Are you kidding??
AJ |
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Fender moving "O" to China?
