Mark, With sincere and all due respect, your purchasing methodology seems a bit strange to me. How many kudos and from whom do you need to hear them from before you decide that spending the current prices on new, and or vintage Adamas or Ovations is a good idea? Do you want the guitars for investment or to play them? You write that you have, in the past, purchased other high end and custom guitars. Did you worry about the same loss of value issue when you bought those other high priced guitars?

I think new, USA-made, vintage and special or limited Adamas and Ovation guitars are absolutely worth the price they go for.

Your post seems to translate to: "I am looking for a high end USA-made, vintage Ovations or Adamas guitars , but because they are Ovations and Adamas guitars, I am not willing to pay much for them."

You also mention that you are not a "cheap bastard" ~ I don't think anyone called you that yet (ha), but um, you seem to be disrespecting the brand of guitars this forum is quite enthusiastic about, although I cannot speak for the other members here.

Speaking for myself only, I am enthusiastic about them for good reason ~ they are great instruments.

I am also not so sure that Ovation and Adamas guitars have lost their popularity, either. Yeah, maybe for a while, but since the company's sent production overseas, the tide has turned, me thinks. In fact, since they are no longer produced in the US (except custom orders), it seems to me they have become even more sought out.

However, while I do hunt and watch on Ebay, CL, and other places, I do not and have not studied the company's sales statistics. The seasoned members on this forum would know much more about that than me.

I do know that Ovation has a pretty vigorous sales campaign going on. If you don't believe me, check it out for yourself by starting with Ovation Guitars on Facebook, where you'll read about thousands of happy owners of both new, vintage and custom made O's and A's. Tons of photos with happy owners and big smiles on their faces!

Hey, you know, there is nothing wrong with wanting a "good deal"!" We all love those! But I'm wondering where you've been looking, because I've even seen a few on here. Have you looked at the "For Sale" section during your search?

If you are patient and watch, you can find truly excellent used guitars at "ridiculously" low prices ~ often because financially strapped people have been forced to practically give away, pawn or trade their beloved instruments in because they had no choice. I own a couple of O's and A's, and when I got divorced I had to sell a few. I hated doing it, but I needed the money. Once in a while, I'd trade one ('cause I had doubles, ha).

I have seen several, lovely vintage Adamas and Ovation guitars for sale on the web in the last few months at GREAT 'grab 'em' prices. In fact, I have seen several I wished I could buy ... IMHO they were "ridiculously" underpriced!

As for Al, I am pretty sure there is a reason he has the selling reputation he does. I have purchased guitars from him, as have quite a few others on this forum, and I have been thrilled with my purchases! His prices are good. He is fair. He is always available. He may not answer his phone right away, probably because he is a very busy businessman, performer and has a private family, too. He has always been very prompt and professional about answering any of my inquires and I ask some dumb questions! Oh! and he sells LOVELY guitars and other goodies. I don't know what happened in your interaction with him and wouldn't speculate. I only know how my purchases from him went, and that I  was very happy when all was said and done.

You write that you "... live local to Al...", but you also write that "... no one local has any to try" Those are contradicting comments, so I am a bit confused reading them.

If you can't find any O's or A's locally available for you to try out, I think there may be some retailers on the web that will let you try one out and return it if you are not happy with your purchase. You may have to pay some restocking fees, but you know, at least then you will know for sure. Maybe someone on this forum lives near you and you could make arrangements to meet and play one or two.

I hope you manage to find the guitar you are looking for.

STEPHEN!  Did you HAVE to mention the Country Artist (ha, and GROAN, I want it, ha!)

Willa

Clarification:  I meant to suggest that US built models, vintage as well as newer models, are being sought after.

Willa

Mark, I (and most individuals here) agree with you on the resale value issue. Moaning and groaning about the resale value of an O or A that was purchased new, doesn't even feel good the first time if you are the seller. Yes, I have purchased/ordered numerous guitars new without playing them first. Knowing what you need and want is the first step in avoiding buyer's remorse. YMMV, but Al has always been the most helpful at working through specs with me. I am on the other side of the Country and have never been to his place. He's a seasoned player and his extensive knowledge of the guitars and what can and can't be done, equates to priceless advise. 

I play 'em because I like how they play, how they sound, and more importantly, their consistency/stability under varied conditions. My preference of features is very evident in the O's and A's that currently reside with me. Many of these instruments were special orders/limited editions or custom mods by the Factory. They were purchased as tools to be played and enjoyed... and I accept that there is a cost involved.

It has also become increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to find and try out different USA Ovation/Adamas guitars in retail establishments. Road Shows and get-togethers seem to be the remaining source for variety. Advancements in production techniques have graced us with performance consistencies among features, which allow us a higher success rate at spec'ing out a custom guitar. Every special order/limited edition/custom-mod that I've purchased, has exceeded my expectations.

Be patient and hammer out your requirements. What's the chance that one guitar can meet all your needs? Once you know the features you are looking for, run them by individuals with the most experience that you can find. Let them guide you towards models, mods, and custom orders. There are a lot of resources here, just figure out how to get the most out of them.

I'm not sure how "communication dies" with Al. If I have a card number ready, he's always been quite attentive to me... and most times even when I'm just kicking' tires.

All together now, I've had close to 40 different wood and composite topped roundbacks over the past several years. One of the last purchases was a brand new 1581 Adamas Reissue from Al for a ridiculous low price... sight unseen... and it is by far the best I've had, hands down.

Quit your bitchin' about resale value, pull out the card, and buy one if he has any left.