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Location: Warren,Pa. | Just read a thread (and posted there myself) on the Tacoma forum. The feeling in that group seems to be that Fender isn't interested in keeping the Tacoma brand alive. Guild yes, but Tacoma no. Any inside information on this?
The mood on their website is understandably depressed. They've watched as Fender has whittled away at the product line, eliminating the center-soundhole models (IMHO the paisley soundhole is the distinguishing feature anyway). There was one report of the employee there who put the finishing touches on the last 2 Tacomas...as machines were being silenced and the place shut down. A sad day for them.
John <>{ |
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Location: big island | i had read those sentiments also, john. we shall see... |
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Location: Scotland | Originally posted by bauerhillboy:
The feeling in that group seems to be that Fender isn't interested in keeping the Tacoma brand alive. Guild yes, but Tacoma no. Any inside information on this?
Why would there be any "inside information" here? All the speculation on this board not too long ago about the demise of Ovation turned out to be way off the mark. This is just more completely pointless, totally unfounded negative speculation by a bunch of people who know absolutely nothing, good or bad, about what is actually happening at corporate level, so they just fear the worst and post a bunch of crap about it. Whatever is going to happpen, will, and it's beyond their's, or anyone outside Fender's control.
Personally I see the move of both brands to Ct as a positive indicator of future production, but then that's just more speculation by someone who knows nothing. Let it happen and pick the bones out of it later. |
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Location: Chehalis, Washington | I haven't checked out the forum, but a lot of locals here are not happy with the move, basically figuring that a Tacoma guitar not made in Tacoma doesn't seem to make a lot of sense. That, and with Fender already cutting a lot of signature models, my biggest fear is that with moving them east, they will just be reduced to a lower-end version of a Guild.
As you said, we shall see...but we will miss them here in the NW. |
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Location: Warren,Pa. | There are people here who are in close proximity to what goes on at the factory. If someone is physically making open space to situate machinery and stock being moved from the other side of the country, I thought it might be possible that someone actually SAW this happening. I imagine at some point there will be necks being unwrapped that have a Tacoma or Guild logo on them. That's the information I'm talking about...not inside corporate info. I don't yell and scream about corporate decision making. I just thought someone might have seen stuff being moved in.
So have a drink Temp.
John <>{ |
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Location: Omaha, NE | My money's on the Tacoma brand going bye-bye. |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | On a more somber note...
I feel for the employees, trying to keep it together with all this crap going on around them...
Another bunch of skilled workers who had planned on their car/house/kids' college payments coming from Guild and Tacoma for the rest of their Lives.
That's what they signed-up for...
[aw... Why you gotta be such a downer, Arthur :( ] |
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Location: Nashville TN. | Its suppose to move after Guild is up and running |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | A Brit not wanting to speculate and pontificate on gloom and doom????? What's up with that???
No seriously, at least for the moment Paul T is right. I don't even think Fender thought of moving Tacoma and Guild to Connecticut until they saw the numbers of the final audits. I'm actually pretty good at these "guessing" games, and I didn't see that one coming at all.
I agree, a Tacoma from Connecticut, although I'm sure it will be a fine guitar, just seems a little odd. Of course.. plenty of people buy sparkling wine from California and call it Champagne so I guess we'll just adapt. |
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| Seems to me this is a discussion group about Ovations. With that said; considering the big big news of Fender buying up all these guitar companies, including Ovation, some speculation and gossip about these companies and the news of their relocation would, and should, end up in here. Who are we anyway? Are we causing some damage to this move? If you see my point; who actually gives a dam about some gossip in some fan forum, what we say means very little to anyone but this bunch at the end of the day.
Personally I know absolutly "nothing" about this and have no friends working for any of these companies so my opinion is worth even less then the rest in here, but I would say it does not make a lot of sense that Fender would buy a good guitar company and then let it dissappear.
I am sorry to hear about the "Move" this must be real hard on the family men & women who have worked there for some time.
Randy |
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Location: Vernon CT | I would like to give you all an "opposite" view of Guild and Tacoma comming to Ct. First, I do "feel" for the Men, Women and families that are losing their Jobs. We here in Ct have been going through this for a number of years now. Heck, I got layed off on 12/3/07 after 29 years of service at my former Co. It NOT an easy thing to go through. It's great news for our state that new jobs that don't pay $10.00/hr are comming here. Ct's Job "growth" has been nothing more then "retail" jobs at stores as opposed to "quality", decent paying opportunities. In my own situation, I'm hoping that with the move of Guild and Tacoma here that job's not only open up in New Hartford , but the Kaman Music offices in Bloomfield. I heard a statistic the other day that something like 60-70% of College Grads are leaving Ct because there are no jobs here. So, I guess from a very selfish point of view, I couldn't be happier!!! |
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Location: big island | yet statistics say connecticut still has more millionaires living there than any other state...
i believe they all have second and third homes they live in elsewhere during the cold months though. kinda sounds like someone on this forum :cool: |
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Location: Vernon CT | It sure as heck ain't me!!
:( |
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Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | Don't be so gloomy.
First let's recognize that Tacoma (guitars) is just a name cooked up by a Korean Company. They could've called it Orca or Space Needle. A rose by any other name will smell as sweet. So get real. There are a ton of guitars associated with New York, and I know they aren't made here. Do you think that post CBS Leo Fender had anything to do with Fender?
Second, let's recognize that Fender is rescuing this brand from oblivion. They couldn't compete, for whatever reason. And let me state they made great guitars.
Third, Fender has said that they are moving Tacoma production to Conn. They have given no indication that they have changed their minds.
Fourth, Tacoma is renowned for it's paisley hole, bolt on neck acoustics. As long as they make those, I'm happy. These are the guitars (and manolins) that Tacoma started with and made them famous. I own a papoose solid electric that is dynamite.
I believe the move is good news for guild and Tacoma. Another company will move into the old Tacoma factory, Tacomas will be made, and we'll move on. I hope Fender is generous with relocation and other termination benefits. I feel sorry for the guys at the Tacoma factory, but we all go thru this kind of move at least once in our lives. It sucks, but I survived, and it'll probably happen to me again. |
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Location: Upper Left USA | Here is a little more history from Wikipedia:
Tacoma Guitars
Papoose
The P1 Papoose was the first guitar model made by Tacoma. It was designed by Terry Atkins and George Gruhn. It has a relatively short 19.1" scale and is tuned to "A" rather than the conventional "E", making it equivalent to a conventional guitar with a capo on the fifth fret. It introduced the paisley soundhole and the Voiced Bracing Support system. It is available as a 6-string or a 12-string (P112) guitar.[5] |
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Location: Warren,Pa. | I thought you were blunt and unfeeling...but then I said "He's from New York." |
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Location: Upper Left USA | Blunt and to the point, but a good tipper!
I am anxious to see what rises up out of the ashes as far as New Luthiers or designs now. |
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Location: Nashville TN. | Originally posted by lanaki:
yet statistics say connecticut still has more millionaires living there than any other state...
i believe they all have second and third homes they live in elsewhere during the cold months though. kinda sounds like someone on this forum :cool: can you get an introduction to those Millionairs
daughters???
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GkJ4XWvnA0&feature=related |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | Don't believe those statistics, PEZ. A few years ago they said Idaho had the largest number of millionaires per capita. Probably just because we had so few people. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Most of those Money people are in south and western CT where they can be out of the NY tax area yet still close enough to go there every day for work. That's all that was around where our summer place is, New Yawkers. I hope one of them decides he needs a nice house with a view and jumps all over mine. Can't happen soon enough.
It's also one of the most expensive states to live in.
Tacoma can work anywhere. Kaman has Montana guitars and only a very few wind up there. It's just a brand name. If it does go away now I'll bet it comes back at some point. |
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Location: SoCal | Originally posted by Old Man Arthur:
On a more somber note...
I feel for the employees, trying to keep it together with all this crap going on around them...
Another bunch of skilled workers who had planned on their car/house/kids' college payments coming from Guild and Tacoma for the rest of their Lives.
That's what they signed-up for...
My ol' grandpappy used to say that job security was not having a job you could always count on but in knowing that you can always find work.
Also, always remember the words of that great philospher N. Holden, who said "In chaos, there is profit". Anybody want to take a guess at who N. Holden was? |
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Location: Cicero, NY | Sounds like he wasn't B. Holden. |
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Location: big island | was/is he 39 years old? |
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Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | I don't think I ever heard of N. Holden. |
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Location: Atlanta, GA. | There is a difference between job security and having marketable skills.
Job security in the U.S. is a thing of the past. |
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Tacoma Guitars: Dead or Alive?
