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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Ditto on what Al said... I have nothing "officially" to do with any shows... I just use them as an excuse to take a drive and hang out with Al and Sue and some other folks I met along the way. Al puts me to work, and pays me in donuts and pretzels which frankly, all things considered... is a pretty damn good gig!!!
With the advent of eBay, the shows are mostly a social thing for me. I wish I had known about them BE (before eBay). They must have been something!!!
I also agree on the comments about dealers hurting the Ovation name. There are some smaller stores where folks know something about the Ovation guitars they sell. But I visit music stores and pawn shops in every town/country I go to, and it is rare that someone really trys to "sell" an Ovation. To a newcomer, an Ovation must be "sold." If they are shopping for a guitar, chances are all they know about is what they have seen and heard and that's probably Martin or Guild or Yamaha or Takamine.
I was just going through the Elderly instruments catalog, and THEY sell their guitars including Ovations. The descriptions are nice and clear. RE: SMT "... Great high frequency responce without compromising bass and mid-range." tells me something. "Optima preamp with built in tuner" tells me something.. as opposed to the "has a 3 band eq and gain control" that most ads read.. or worse yet "....has Optima pre-amp".. that tells me a lot... NOT!!!
I notice several other guitar ads seem to have ads and info prepared by the manufacturer for use as the same "blurb" shows up in every ad. I wonder if Ovation does that too, or is it up to the vendor? |
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Location: NJ | Miles
you forgot about the world's best sicilian pizza... |
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Location: Los Angeles | I only play Ovation guitars. I do not agree with the unenlightened. However, can I get some responses to the comment about Ovation guitars value dropping faster than a new car driven off the lot? How well do the newer Adamas and Custom Legends really hold their value? By the way I love that this forum has been made available. Thank you |
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Location: NJ | almost everything you buy takes a major hit when you go to resell it. Yes some take more of a hit than others. If you think Ovations take a large hit I think that if you looked at other manufacturers you will find the same. It is also model specific too. |
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Location: NJ | You think guitars take a hit...
...has anyone ever gone out and bought a new BOAT?? (cringe!) |
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Location: SoCal | This is why I'll never buy another new car. Buy a lease turn in and let somebody else take the hit.
Of my main guitars, I only bought one new, my Adamas 12. And it sat on a wall for 18 months while people were buying the Guild and Taylors around it. I got it for half retail price. Everything else I have I bought used and am very happy with them.
Take a look at various guitars on ebay. There are great deals on Taylors, Martins, Larivees, etc. Even a Martin has to be pre WWII to appreciate in value significantly. Everything else looses value as soon as it hits the streets. |
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Location: Scotland | A slightly different take on the depreciation thing.... If you bought a used '70's acoustic Balladeer it would cost around the same or a little more now than when it was new. Not only is that a great guitar for the dough, but it's held it's value exceptionally well.
SMT's CVT's and the higher-end guitars seem to hold their value pretty well. You shouldn't really use the list price as a yardstick, the street discount price is more realistic. I've seen those guitars go for slightly more used, than some of the big discounters sell them new.
Paul |
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Location: Miami | Hi
Just read through some of the posts in Vintage Guitar and have come to the realization that elitism and ego boosting based in name recognition is very important if not indispensable to many in our hobby. I also noticed that playability and sound were either minimally important or not at all. One poster even beleaguered the fact that our bowls do not smell good if you sniff real close to the holes. (I hope he is talking about our guitar bowls - :)
Anyway, I have owned or currently own many of the guitars currently being celebrated on that site, but what I use as a critical determinant of which is best (for me) is "Of the several excellent models I have to choose from, which one do I most repeatedly pick up to play when in the mood." (Again, let me clarify... guitar playing mood -:, even though there have been times, more than I care to remember, that I was in the mood for something else, but had to settle for guitar playing-well at least my guitars never say no) Invariably, the #1 pick is the Ovation Longneck, the #2 pick is the PRS Custom 10 top 24 (When I just have to crunch)
My first Ovation purchase happened as a fluke. I had always, for one reason or another, stayed away from them, but that fateful day, I was in the market for a 12 string. I asked my son to accompany me to the guitar store because I needed his help selecting a guitar. His function would be to hand me different twelve string guitars while I sat blindfolded and played them. It was there that I discovered the Melissa 12. The action was incredible, the effort needed was the same as a good six string, and when I saw it, I realized it was gorgeous. Where tone and playability was concerned, second best, a Gibson, was far behind. The Martins, only the top dollar one would even be considered. The other Martins were unplayable (to me anyway-see I suffer of the early stages of carpal tunnel syndrome) and the effort was unbearable... just to keep the strings from rattling, the action was almost 1/4 inch away from the fingerboard (or so it felt like it was)
Effort was made to keep me from discerning that the guitar was an Ovation or an Adamas. Anyway, the choice was obvious, and even though Melissa was a little more than I could spend that day, I knew that she was in my future. But walking away emptyhanded from a guitar buying moment was not to be. I always had a problem singing some of the Clapton tunes because of his quirky high voice, and when I discovered the Ovation Longneck, and I played it and heard it, I had to have it.
I now have come to the realization that I would never again buy a guitar without doing the blindfold playability and sound test, after all, aren't those the main determining factors involving a guitar purchase? Cosmetics and quality of build would only then be considered. Even though I feel that quality of build is reflected greatly during the playability and sound test.
Ovation has a new fan, and the fact that it is off the beaten path, only makes it that much more attractive to me. Maybe that is why when I go for a putt around town, I do it in my '47 Indian Chief and not a recent vintage popular whatever?...
Well all this talk has put me "in the mood" ... maybe? ... well maybe not? ... from the look of things around here, I'd better go get the guitar...
Have a good one |
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Location: CT | The best point made is that many of these people have never really *played* Ovations. Even the ones who have taken the time to pull one off a rack and strum it like their trusty Martin, make a stupid face, and put it back, have never PLAYED an Ovation, and taken it for what it is. With any product, and especially with a product that differs considerably from the mainstream, the user has to become acclimated before he or she can do much with it. Give the average automobile driver a motorcycle. He'll crash it in first gear, then tell you he prefers four wheels. Can't much blame him, but still not a valuable opinion.
The Ovations are very different animals. They need to be played in like any other guitar - maybe moreso - but even then they need to be approached with a slightly different technique - or at the very least, feel - than the average "box".
(By the way, the Ovations don't smell funny because of the bowls, it's because they've got PU's.) |
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Posts: 389
Location: RI. That small State out East | I made a note a few days ago about the "dealer" or lack of dealer prep. I my fevor of the recent past ovation search... Some authorized Ovation dealers pointed out other models... Being in sales I understand you sell what you make the most $s. You might sell what you have the longest inventory... |
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Location: NJ | a 47 Indian now that has been my deam machine since I was a kid... There is just something that smells of class with an Indian from the lighted fender to the wide fenders to the fringe on the seat.... Wow do I wish I could get one of them or even one of the new ones. In fact I think I will put that on my list next to the Avanti I need to buy...
darc you said some interesting stuff. All gutiars need to be played and I usually don;t always buy into that mojo mumbo jumbo....but your point about people not giving Ovations a fair shake is true. Unfortunately it lies in the bluring of the line between the imports and USA models.
I have sold several 2001 collector's series guitars by just opening the case saying try this and standing back and watching the expression on their face. Aside from an Adamas I have never been able to endorse a guitar more than that model the redwood top IS magic.
AS Ovation fans we look outside the norm and are more into sound and playability as opposed to tradition and marketing. It is hard to make others see the light.
As for Vendors selling other guitars sure that is a point well taken. You go into a shop and see 4 Ovations and 3 are impots well they are going to try to sell you what they have. On the other hand I usually have 8-10 Adamas guitars around to try... it is all perspective. |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | '47 Indian.. reminds me of something off-topic. I was in the Philippines in Jul 1978 - Aug 1980 and had the pleasure/challenge of driving (and I use that term loosely) one of the Indians the army "lost" in an airplane transport accident that occured in the 40's (or there abouts). Suicide shifter, manual advance/retard sheesh... so many moving parts, I was happy to get it into 2nd. The guy that worked on my bike was one of the guys hiding this stash of bikes. I don't remember all of the details, but I wonder what happened to them. I have a feeling they might have been buried by the Volcano around 1990?? as although I don't know the exact location of where the bikes were being hid... I assume it was not far from Clark Air Base probably in the jungle to the North.
No real point to this post... just taking a tour down memory lane. Oh to be a sailor in Olongapo in the 70's again...
Now back to our regularly scheduled programming |
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Location: Shelton, Washington, USA | Miles, I made about two dozen stops in Olongapo from June 77 to Aug 79.... I agree.... oh, to be that young and ....well..... uh..... just thinking about it gives me a cravin for penicillin... |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | We were there at the same time.. 2 dozen stops.. what ship were you on? |
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Location: Shelton, Washington, USA | miles,
spent 6 years (5 yrs 11 mos 11 days) on the Kitty Hawk. You? |
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Posts: 7237
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | I actually never rode on the Chicken Hawk... I was "station dito" and did TDY... sooooo
Ranger
Enterprise
Constellation
Tarawa
Denver
Jouett
Ahhhhh Westpac... a wonderful thing.. You surface riders called it "port of call" I called it "transfer point to next ship heading out."
But I can't complain... I did get some decent ports too. Korea, Korea... then there was Korea.. :) I jest a bit. I really had a great time from what I can remember. In Subic the det hangout was "One 4-D Road" and I used to sit in with the local rock bands on the main strip outside the gate. |
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Location: Shelton, Washington, USA | two places come to mind.... Purple Haze (3rd bar out the main gate on the right) and Mama's Garden out on Magsaysay (or was it on Rizal?) .... then there was Korea...... memory is a little fuzzy there.... go figure...
[ May 13, 2002: Message edited by: Jiminos ] |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | As it seems no one else hear knows what we are talking about....
http://www.subicbaypi.com/
and
http://filipinawives.com/memorial.html
enjoy |
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Location: NJ | mee so hawney!!! |
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Location: Hawaii | huh |
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Location: Shelton, Washington, USA | bobby, ya had to be there.... |
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Location: TX | Maybe it's because my Ovation is almost 30 years old, but I wouldn't change with any other acoustic.I have had several woodies over the years and have never replicated the tone,projection,feel, and warmthness of my Ovation.It might be the deep bowl, and the resonance is unsurpassed in my opinion. Players are so used to hearing reviews on the so-called brilliant woodies that I believe that some(of course,not all)are going for the name.When I bought my Ovation, I went in preparing to buy a Martin(which is of course a fantastic guitar).But when I tried my Ovation Balladeer I couldn't get over the great sound and projection and kept coming back to the Ovation(despite the salesman explaining how great the Martin was(of course the Martin was more expensive which made his commision higher).I take the guitar elitest opinions with a grain of salt, because it ultimately comes down to the sound(not the name brand).I love my Ovation!!! |
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Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Found this on Adrian Legg's website
"As far as the occasional for/against Ovation debate on the newsgroups and elsewhere goes, I can only say that I believe that the primary function of music is as a form of human communication that has emotional and spiritual connotations that far outweigh any boys'club aesthetics, that are limited merely to the niceness or otherwise of the tools used to achieve that communication."
Quite. |
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March 2002
Posts: 873
Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | i got back in time to see you guys are still working on the same topic as when i left mexico 3 weeks ago. everything is a blurr at north of the border pace and i managed to steal a few minutes of computer time so i just wanted to say hi to all my amigos at the ofc site. it will take me awhile to read all of the posts over the last few weeks, and i have a few special guitars to report on----thanks bill--so i'll get back to the reading and check back in when i can steal some more cyber time. |
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Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | In various ways it's all been said here, guitars are very personal and given the chance will speak to you (and for you) The one that sounds best is the one for you.
A variation on this is that things change over time. Your styles of music, your tastes and preferences and your ears. From my personal experience I started on Ovations and for a while couldn't understand why people liked the sound of wood. After 15 years or so I began to appreciate what a wooden guitar had to offer and some of them sounded good, really good. Add another 20 years and now I love the way the Nationals ring. My playing style has changed too over the years contributing to this as well (it's still very sorry but that's another matter)
For what it's worth, there's another thought on sound. |
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How other (Ovation opponents) people feel about Ovation guitars?
