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Location: Indiana | mileskb - 2012-10-12 3:38 AM
It is my understanding that most of the Ovation endorsers purchased their guitars. Maybe at a discount, or for some trade of using it in photos and such, but they seemed to have taken pride that if you saw them on the list of endorsers...
FWIW, I was given a significant discount... not free guitars. I know others who had different deals. Personally, I was proud to be an Ovation artist... Very proud, and equally proud to answer questions about these truly unique instruments after every show. Still am. |
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Location: Indiana | mileskb - 2012-10-12 3:38 AM
It is my understanding that most of the Ovation endorsers purchased their guitars. Maybe at a discount, or for some trade of using it in photos and such, but they seemed to have taken pride that if you saw them on the list of endorsers...
FWIW, I was given a significant discount... not free guitars. I know others who had different deals. Personally, I was proud to be an Ovation artist... Very proud, and equally proud to answer questions about these truly unique instruments after every show. Still am. |
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Location: Nashville TN. | Maybe there should an Ovation event so we call all talk in person |
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Location: SoCal | Al made a really good point earlier. A quality USA built Ovation/Adamas will cost. On ebay, the 1681 WT, which is a modern version of the 1537 has an ask of $3600. In 1983 they went for $1200. A new D-28 runs, what? $2400? A Gibson J-45 $2200?
I don't know how or what Fender is going to do. Go for the low end market? High end? Super shallow bowls? Deep/contour bowls? If I was going to buy a new Ovation/Adamii, I'd be looking for a great sounding acoustic guitar that I could plug in. But I doubt if I'm a target market.
The only thing that I'd really like to see is more differentiation between Ovations and Celebrities. There's not a lot now and when a lot of people think of Ovations, they are actually thinking of Celebrites.
One other observation. In videos put out by Ovation and on their webpage, they have celeb endorsements talking about why they play Ovations. But most of them are holding Celebrities. Why?
I suspect that things are going to change. It will be interesting to see how...... |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | immoody - 2012-10-13 11:40 AM
The only thing that I'd really like to see is more differentiation between Ovations and Celebrities. There's not a lot now and when a lot of people think of Ovations, they are actually thinking of Celebrities.
So, nowadays there is not much difference between a Korean Ovation and a Korean Celebrity.
I have a Brand-spankin'-New 1778TX. It compares well with my previous CSE Celebrity's.
It has a Solid Top and a 3-piece Dovetail neck. (I am getting ready to take it out in the drizzle)
Soon, (next Tuesday?) I will be blessed with a 2007 1778T, then I will be able to do a true side-by-side.
But nowadays USA Ovations a getting scarcer...
It has been Four Years since the move to Korea, so most USA Ovations are only available on the Used Market, unless you are Custom Ordering.
So most Ovations that people get to play ARE Celebrity's or renamed Ultras. 
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this is truly the unrealistic response I was hoping I would not get on this thread.
you want a USA made guitar with a premium top for under 1K msrp
sorry to jump over your post but this will NEVER happen.
Hang on, Al, but I never said it had to be USA made. Go read my post. All I suggested in a different top than spruce that would appeal to a different style of playing. All the Balladeers have an MSRP of about $1000. At Guitar Center, they sell new for $700. If you are going to tell me that simply putting Cedar or some other nice tone wood on one of those is impossible and keep the price at or under $1000, then there is something seriously wrong. There is no WAY it should cost $300 to put something other than spruce on a guitar, when all it is is the TOP.
There is more to guitar playing than Carbon Fiber, Spruce, and plywood tops with a fancy laminate top layer.
If you follow any other guitar forums you'll see plenty of people purchasing guitar that are NOT the stock Spruce over Mahogany or Spruce over Rosewood these days. Many, many, builders are trying out all sorts of woods and having success with them. An Ovation build is much simpler. Just a top piece.
I really hope this is not the sort of response I would get from Ovation.
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Location: Indiana | JohnW63 - 2012-10-13 5:18 PM
Hang on, Al, but I never said it had to be USA made.
Hi John... respectfully, did you miss the subject of this thread?
"New guitars from New Hartford" |
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| New Guitars from New Hartford is the same as "New Guitars from Ovation " , is it not ? If it means ONLY guitars from New Hartford, where are the GUILD ideas ?
If the goal of the post was to let us know Fender wanted input on the very top of the line and custom shop instruments, then the thread was lost from the get go. I found this elsewhere on the web.
"As far as USA models go, from here on out all USA-made Ovations and Adamas guitars are custom order only."
Pretty pointless if all they want is custom order ideas and not ones that will help their bottom line.
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Location: Tuscany, Italy | Very interesting thread indeed. However, I feel that it is becoming the usual discussion between the US vs. non-US Ovation...... |
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Location: Flahdaw | To be fair to JohnW63 (and everyone knows I'm ALWAYS fair), nothing in the opening post implied we were limiting the discussing to USA-made Ovations.
I took "New Ovation Product Manager" to mean a guy in charge of ALL Ovation R&D, US and Foreign.
So, to John's point, on paper it seems that Korea should be able to upgrade a current $700 spruce top Balladeer with a wide neck and a exotic top for $999.99 and call it a cheap "fingerstyle" guitar. Probably wouldn't sell tho, as fingerstyle players tend to be better players and buy higher end wood boxes. |
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| I would hope that finger style is more about the sound and thus what ever instrument produces the sound you want would be your choice. If a "wooden box" instrument sounds better to them, then maybe Ovation needs to work on that. Not a few people say the Maton guitars do not sound good unplugged, but with Tommy Emmanuel behind them, I see a lot of Maton's on you tube now with finger style players.
The problem with Ovation, as I see it, is that they were once big innovators, but have really don't nothing new in 20+ years. Look at the guitars you guys all recommend. Does anyone get excited about any of their new stuff ? Maybe the textured finish, but while it might make sense, from an engineering point of view, it's certainly NOT getting the rest of the guitar community to rush out. They think it's truck bed liner paint or something.
I hope they can come out with a guitar that is a reasonable price, that when it is reviewed, it doesn't have the usual asterisks. " If you like that sort of sound. " or " That appeals to some ". |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | JohnW63 - 2012-10-14 1:18 PM
They think it's truck bed liner paint or something.
I think that the discovery of the Textured Top was a Happy Accident.
People that love T's love the Sound that comes through that paint.
And you don't have to worry about pick-tracks or fingerprints.
The durability of the finish and the original price was also a Plus.
As far as innovation goes... Fender ain't producing "NEW" anything.
Fender continues to pedal reissues, SRV, Clapton and Gilmour Strats.
And the Squire Deluxe Hot Rails Stratocaster. (I got one)
Maybe they will allow the folks in New Hartford to be creative.
Nobody expected the VXT or the VIP or iDea preamp.
Maybe there will be another Happy Accident.
Or they could make s'more VXT's |
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Location: Texas | The premiere fingerpicking Ovation advocate was Marcel...he probably was as big as ambassador for fingerpicking as Glen was....w/o a doubt in France. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3i6ek_saturday-night-shuffle-marcel-dadi_music Buster started out with Ovation, but as he got more recognition, his guitars got woodier and blingier. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kBAvKxne_Q To score a Maton like Tommys is going to cost you a heck of a lot more than 1k...folks soon find out it is Tommy, not the guitar. |
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Location: Tennessee | JohnW63 - 2012-10-14 1:18 PM . The problem with Ovation, as I see it, is that they were once big innovators, but have really don't nothing new in 20+ years. Look at the guitars you guys all recommend. Does anyone get excited about any of their new stuff ? This the clearly the most ignorant statement I've read here in many years, perhaps ever. I don't even know where to start. But suffice to say, my top 5 go to Ovation guitars have all been made in the last 6 or 7 years, and nearly all of the guitars made before 2000 have moved on with the exception of a few very rare ones that I keep for different reasons. |
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Location: Flahdaw | JohnW63 - 2012-10-14 4:18 PM
The problem with Ovation, as I see it, is that they were once big innovators, but have really don't nothing new in 20+ years.
What acoustic guitar maker, in your opinion, has come out with any HUGE innovations in the last 20 years? |
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Location: Texas | "What acoustic guitar maker, in your opinion, has come out with any HUGE innovations in the last 20 years?" Game, Set, Match Nice one Jimmy Conners |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | I would have to agree with Bobbo's statement.
With the exception of my original slothead, all of my Ovation guitars have been sold except for the ones that I have purchased in the last 7 years (which to my ears sound clearly superior)....and they were all purchased NEW! |
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Location: SoCal | This is a good point. And huge innovations don't always translate into big sales. Side sound ports, double tops, beveled arm rests, different bracing patterns. All of these came from small builders --- Ryan, Olson, etc. Martin comes out with a lot of models, as does Taylor. Gibson hasn't done anything very innovative in a long time.
You know, maybe we're just a quirky group of people that like the strange.......
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Location: Flahdaw | immoody - 2012-10-14 6:33 PM
And huge innovations don't always translate into big sales. Side sound ports, double tops, beveled arm rests, different bracing patterns.
Ovation could do all that to a new model and increase their sales numbers by.......three. |
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Location: Sydney, Australia | stonebobbo - 2012-10-15 7:25 AM
JohnW63 - 2012-10-14 1:18 PM . The problem with Ovation, as I see it, is that they were once big innovators, but have really don't nothing new in 20+ years. Look at the guitars you guys all recommend. Does anyone get excited about any of their new stuff ? This the clearly the most ignorant statement I've read here in many years, perhaps ever. I don't even know where to start. But suffice to say, my top 5 go to Ovation guitars have all been made in the last 6 or 7 years, and nearly all of the guitars made before 2000 have moved on with the exception of a few very rare ones that I keep for different reasons.
I've bought 3 new Ovations in the last 4 years. The new features include contour bowl, VIP preamp, post-Kaman bar neck (2008C), 12 fret to the body (1680) and a Koa top with "blowhole" soundhole. Yes these are all high-end models, but some of this stuff flowed through to the cheaper models as well. |
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Location: Flahdaw | stonebobbo - 2012-10-14 5:25 PM
This the clearly the most ignorant statement I've read here in many years, perhaps ever.
Dang! I thought I had 1st place secured for years with my rant on "supergroups"....only lasted one friggin' day. |
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Location: SoCal | stephent28 - 2012-10-14 3:32 PM
I would have to agree with Bobbo's statement.
With the exception of my original slothead, all of my Ovation guitars have been sold except for the ones that I have purchased in the last 7 years (which to my ears sound clearly superior)....and they were all purchased NEW!
Let's see... my go-to 6 string was built in 1983 (1537). My go-to 12 string was built in 1993 (Adamas I 12). The electric on my wall was built in 67-68 (Thunderhead). My OFC I slothead was built in 2007 but is a recreation of a guitar built in 1976. My sentimental favorite (A braced Legend) was rebuilt for me in 2009 but has retro features going back to the 1970's.
Not a modern Ovation/Adamas in the pile. It's not that I look down on modern O's/A's, it just that I'm happy with what I have.....
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| This the clearly the most ignorant statement I've read here in many years, perhaps ever.
You can thank Patch for pointing me in your direction.
Then tell me why all the advice I have seen here, current and in the threads I have searched all say, " Buy a USA made model. " and very few have good things to say about all the Korean models ? The best I have read is something along the lines of , " It's pretty good, but it's no American made Ovation. " List me the things they have out now, they didn't have in 1990.
Let me try starting the list:
1) Contour body as a choice.
2) Preamp that can record short clips
Your up next.
( Geez, All I did was suggest they might put something OTHER than spruce on an affordable guitar and try to recapture the "innovator" status, and you'd think I threw monkey poo at the Mona Lisa. )
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Location: Tennessee | In the last 20 years:
Carved chambered mahogany body with spruce top (EA series)
Mid-depth bowl
On-board tuner on preamp (optima)
Combined piezo/microphonic pickup (hex-fx)
Advanced Neck System (LX series)
Microsphere glass bowl (advanced Lyracord)
Interchangeable preamps (OP series)
SMT and CVT Adamas tops
Contour Bowl
Set neck designs (2008C and OFC2)
New sound hole designs (2080, Collectors 2006, +)
Laser cut inlaid epaulets
On board preamp "boost" button
Wood top Adamas with suspension ring
iDea preamp
These are the significant achievements that come immediately to mind ... I'm sure I left some important ones out. And I'm not including the wide variety of different woods that got used for tops, or general cosmetic stuff.
The engineering team was very active in pushing the envelope and probably still is. I will double down on my praise for the guitars from the last 10-12 years. There are plenty here that love the old stuff ... and I'm sure they'd yell at me to get off their lawn if I was walking by. ;-). That's OK, I know people who love to collect Corvairs, too. Sure, the old Ovations were great guitars. But for me, the new ones are flat out stinking great guitars.
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | stonebobbo - 2012-10-14 10:32 PM Sure, the old Ovations were great guitars. But for me, the new ones are flat out stinking great guitars. Once again, I totally agree but you said it much better than I could. The big problem is that most recommendations come with the "under $500 or in rarer cases under $1000" condition in which case, yes the older USA models are the best deal for the money in that price range but not necessarily the best gutars that Ovation makes by a long shot. |
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New guitars from New Hartford?
