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Location: Chicago | We've discussed how Ovations have fallen out of favor since their heyday. Currently it is MORE than simply "I prefer Taylor/Tak/Breedlove whatever". The O reputation seems tainted with a definite STIGMA. What is REALLY going on? The inevtiable fall of a Great Titan and 70s icon? Anti-plastic snobbery or allergy? Are you a "clone" of this or that player if you play one? Dumb trend and fashion? Ignorance? I am really baffled.
Good story: Our Studio guru all but refused to record us when he heard we were bringing Ovations. When he heard their SOUND however, his jaw dropped and he never said another word. In fact, he's a convert now. |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | The Truth? Snobbery.
Most people who talk bad about Ovations have never played one.
People say that they don't like Ovations because they have heard other people say that.
Those people want to be part of the "in" crowd...
And the "in" crowd plays Martins, Taylors or Takamines on TV.
But even people who used to play Ovations aren't anymore.
And my local Ovation dealer won't carry Fendrovations.
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Location: Utah | arthurseery - 2013-04-28 4:39 PM
The Truth? Snobbery.
Most people who talk bad about Ovations have never played one.
I think that is mostly what is going on. Maybe they think Ovations are old tech, and thus must be inferior to the newer popular brand. There is that well known psych principle that whatever the cool people have must be the coolest stuff, so when they see current stars playing Taylor/Gibson/Fender it is natural to think those are the better brands.
Sara's guitar teacher was a guitar performance major in college. He's been a performing local pro for maybe 15 years now, and is a killer player. He turned his nose up at Sara's red flame, saying something about plastic blah blah blah. But he liked how it sounded and how it played. Then she showed up with her Ute. Over the years she's taken every one of our O's and A's including the solid body electrics. Now he is a fan of the brand. It just took some hands on experience.
Edited by FlySig 2013-04-28 5:07 PM
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Location: Phoenix AZ | I often think of, and contrast, two pioneers in their fields who brought forth radical inventiosn that really changed their worlds. And contrast what has happended with their companies (products, endorsements, marketing, etc.) since. Phil Knight and Charlie Kaman.
Charlie used high tech aerospace stuff to build a revolutionary guitar. You know the rest of the history, so I can stop here.
Phil Knight built a better running shoe by forming the sole using a waffle iron in his kitchen. 45 years later the Nike name and logo (heck, even Kaman copied the "swoosh" ) are legendary. Why didn't the same happen to Kaman? In my opinion the reason is Marketing. Nike didn't just grow into a bigger sneaker company, they built a Marketing Machine par none. Endoresments? Um, how about Michael Jordan, Lebron James, Tiger Woods, John McEnroe, etc. Even Lance Armstrong dispite all the doping stuff was a huge ambassador for the brand.
Availability? You can NOT walk into a sporting goods store without finding tons of Nike gear. Oh, and does anyone conmplain that the stuff is made in Vietnam? Not even the snobs complain.
Yes Nike was a running show company, but they know that was not a sustainable business so they branched into Basketball, Football, and Clothing. They branched in to Golf Clubs, Basketballs, Volleyballs, you name it. And they never did it by just "putting a toe in the water". I think of the Ovation VXT (gee, maybe if we build a few T-5 clones somebody will notice and buy one). Freck No - Nike went BIG. They never entered a market without the explicite goal of dominating it.
No disrespect to Charlie. He built a hell of a guitar and at one time Ovation WAS iconic. But as the new century reared it head, it became obvious that a good invention alone is not permanently sustainable as a business and we as fans have been dealing with the slow demise ever since.
Edited by Standingovation 2013-04-28 5:08 PM
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Location: SoCal | Thank you Dave! Well said. I will now go and play my KA17 FRG slothead. I think I left it outside on the hammock last night  |
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Location: New Bern, NC | marketing, or lack thereof. Sad. Somebody really dropped the ball on that. |
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Location: Flahdaw | On the other hand...
Almost ANYONE will buy a pair of shoes, or a shirt, shorts, etc. Adults/kids/women/men/rich/poor. You can't say the same about a guitar.
The profit margins on a pair of Nikes as a % are astounding vs a guitar. So the profits roll in by the bucketfulls.
Personally, I think what killed Ovation was that everyone else caught up with their electronics. THEN they dropped the ball on marketing. |
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Location: Upper Left USA | I couldn't find the "like" button on Noah's post!
When I pull an O out of the case and have to adjust the string just to make sure the tuner is working... yup!
Sarcasm: The gap between what I said and what they still don't understand! |
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Location: south east Michigan | There was a time when it was a family business.... then there was a time it was not.
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Labeling "Celebritys" as "Ovations" didn't help much either.
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I would have never guessed that the New Hartford made Ovation would dwindle to the point it is now.
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And StandingO always offers the best take on this topic.</p>
Edited by Slipkid 2013-04-29 2:02 PM
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Location: Nashville TN. | Lower end ovation hurt the name many sounded bad. People of them sound like that. Marketing flopped...some other stuff. Other companies paying endorsers.
Lots of things |
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Location: Sunshine State, Australia | Brad Durasa - 2013-04-30 4:58 AM Labeling "Celebritys" as "Ovations" didn't help much either. You got it right there, Brad. All the other explanations and excuses offered in this thread are just more nails in the coffin.
Edited by muzza 2013-04-29 4:18 PM
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Location: NJ | brought my adamas to a jam yesterday
the guy running it looked and said "that is an interesting looking ovation" I replied it is an Adamas He just looked blankly
but they all thought my guitar sounded great |
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Location: Miami | What kills me is the disparity between guitarists and audiences. Guitarists by and large scoff at any Ovation guitar. Audiences, on the other hand, still come up to me and are utterly fascinated by the Ovation, for both the look and the sound. When I tell them it's an Ovation they're impressed, as if Ovation was still the luxury guitar. When I tell them it's an Adamas, they have a blank look. Then I tell them it's made by Ovation and their eyes light up. "Oh! I knew it was one of those!" The WOW factor simply does not fade.
I wish Ovation was as respected amongst the user community as it is amongst the audiences I have played for over the last 7 years. Oh well.
Edited by Jukebox Joe 2013-04-30 7:48 AM
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Location: Chicago | I'm getting the picture. A few years ago, I pulled a really low end O off the rack at Guitar Center and tried it out. My heart sank: it was as if BMW had put their logo on a Chevy Lumina. Oh yeah... for the last decade I NEVER, EVER (to quote TS) saw an Ovation ad in the mainstream anything. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | What killed it? How about the corporate bean counters that strangled it from the inside. The philosophy that return on investment is more important that market share or being best. And the way the entire industry was getting Walmarted by GC and the others so you run oversaes to get them cheaper so the people in chargte of overseas get the credit and the domestic get snarled at cause they cost too much. Oh and don't forget to cut the marketing budgets to help the ROI. FTFF. |
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Location: Flahdaw | Wait! Who is this Beal character, and why should we trust HIS opinion??? |
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Location: Jet City | bean counters suck |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | In the early 90s, after I figured out that bean counters were taking over the world, I told my daughters that they should study to be auditors, so they'd always have a job. I'm glad they didn't listen to me then, either. |
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Location: SoCal | Wait! Who is this BobG character, and why should we trust HIS opinion??? |
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Location: SoCal | In the mid '80s, I realized that I could be right... or Lady Noah and I could be happy, so I wrote software systems for the bean counters. |
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Location: Chicago | The cover art of the first Boston LP is evidence of a connection between Ovations and UFOs. Let's talk about the government coverup and the conspiracy behind all of this (reverse engineering of alien technology, Area 51 experiments on Radar Love etc.) Basically Marti(a)n "Guitars" vs. U.F.O(vation) and the Great Sighting at New Hartford. You know what I'm talking about. |
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Location: Sunshine State, Australia | Dobro, put the straw down and step away from the mirror... |
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Location: Upper Left USA | Why would a hungry young lad ever trade a cow for a few beans?
To live the dream baby! |
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Location: Flahdaw | I see a lot of semi-professionals playing Ovations out publicly in clubs and bars, but the celebrities aren't. Why? Probably 'cos they ain't getting PAID to play 'em.
How much would it cost to have, say Taylor Swift, strap on an Ovation when she performs on stage? |
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Location: south east Michigan | To little ... to late.
The fat lady has sung and the skinny one plays a Taylor. |
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The "O Stigma": getting the truth
