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February 2004
Posts: 58
Location: Brighton,MI | I'm new to the O club here & have learned alot in the last week, now I have a question for you guys.
I rec'd. 30th Ann. CL yesterday & I am not to impressed with quality. There are 2 black marks on front of headstock that look like a blk. marker about 1/4 inch long, top is not bookmatched, & the top seam sticks out like a sore thumb.Is this normal for a guitar with a $2500.00 list price. I have an older legend(5 yr)whose fit & finish put the CL to shame.What do you think? Thanks alot! |
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April 2002
Posts: 196
Location: Shelton, Washington, USA | i'd say it's time to contact Kim at the factory. Mine arrived flawless. but i have talked to one other board member who had a saddle height prob on his when it arrived. Kim told him to send it back for fixin.
i agree that with a 2500 shelf price, it should be flawless on arrival. not good that i've heard of two with problems when the run is only 300.... btw, i noticed that there is no "x of 300" notation anywhere on the guitar... any clues? how do we find out where in the mix our guitar is? |
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February 2004
Posts: 58
Location: Brighton,MI | Well I think my problems are probably beyond the service dept. I was debating on whether I should send it back or if I was expecting to much. I feel that it should be very near flawless at that price but I thought maybe I was being too fussy.Let me say that if I saw it in a store ahead of time I would not have bought it. |
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October 2002
Posts: 153
Location: Huntington Beach, CA | Definitely send it back. How can Ovation deal with quality control issues if they are not made aware of problems like this?
I have had similar problems with new/retail purchases. Luckily, GC handled them via full money back returns with no questions asked.
I have also had the factory do a warranty repair. Seems like it took forever... but they did a good job.
Good luck. |
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June 2002
Posts: 6192
Location: Phoenix AZ | Jim,
It doesn't sound ot me like your problems are ones that can be fixed (short of replacing the top and the peghead verneer). I would return the guitar to wherever you bought it and either request another one (check it first) or get your money back. If this is a mail order or something where you can't inspect it first, I would just get your money back and go someplace where you can see exactly what you are buying.
Dave |
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Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | I agree with Dave.
Not to pass judgement or anything, but personally I can't see how anyone could spend that kind of money on something (especially something as "personal" as a guitar) sight-unseen. I would (and have) drives HOURS to someplace where I could see/feel/hold/play first-hand before I'd even consider plunking down my hard-earned coinola. I just never COULD grasp the concept of "mail-order" guitars. But that's just me.
Good luck with your dilemma. |
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February 2004
Posts: 58
Location: Brighton,MI | These 30 th CL's seem to be hard to get except by mail, sight unseen. I'm in MI and have called just about every O dealer in the state and nobody has one.If anyone knows of one south of the bridge please let me know.
That being said mine is going back. |
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Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Two words:
Al
Pep |
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February 2004
Posts: 58
Location: Brighton,MI | I didn't know about Al or this club when I ordered mine otherwise I would have got it from Al. But I could have easily got the same guitar thru Al, after all he doesn't make them. Believe me if I was in NJ where Al is I would go to his store to look and feel them but I don't think he stocks them either. I will get mine resolved some how but the bottom line is it should have never left the factory. |
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Posts: 2246
Location: Yucaipa, California | Jimlew,
I got my 2001 Collector's Redwood from Al, sight unseen. I live on the West Coast and he lives on the East coast.
He examines and plays every guitar that leaves his grasp before it gets packaged. He never would have sent that one out..... if you can get you money back, give him a shout...
tim |
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Location: Brighton,MI | I may just do that Tim, thanks.
Just curious, how long do you guys think it will be before these are unavailable? |
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Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Being unhappy you should send it back to where it came from since it's a new guitar. They should take it back, no excuses.
Cliff, I agree that seeing is believing before dropping the cash. Talking out of the other side of my mouth, knowing what you're buying goes a long way too. It sounds funny but buying older vintage guitars there's less need to play them first, they're old, rare, this is the price, you want it or not? New stuff I think it's more important to make sure it's right. |
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Posts: 4619
Location: SoCal | I understand the concern by all of us that there should be the highest quality control. And, awful tough to have to send it back for replacement or repair.
Not totally on topic but still wanted to put my 2 cents in:
My only concern when I ordered my 30th through Al is that he would play it so much that he'd wear out the strings. Just kidding, I think.
Actually, I had told him he could keep it a week to show it around but he sent it right out.
Unfortunately, with the better Ovations, we can't get them at the local store...and there isn't an inventory of the 30th. Lucky that we order and they can ship in a couple of days. Notice that the 6759 CL 12-string is listed as 3 months wait. Not bad that the 1st 30th went out the next day after the order, the 2nd went out 2 days after the order. No wait! I believe I had the first 30th Anniv in the hands of a customer although a couple of dealers may have had one first.
I have now ordered two new O's from Al in the last 6wks - I will continue to buy from Al and recommend him to others...he has strong relationships with guys at Ovation, his quoted price was lower than anywhere else, and I respect his support of this board. He checked out the guitar, even posting pictures of it on the OFC and gave us his impression of it.
Just waiting to order the slothead Adamas from him. Heck, I was so impressed by my first order, I paid him more than he asked - told him I was buying dinner. Still paid less than eBay or other seller.
It is really tough when there is something wrong. However, I am very impressed with the staff of Ovation. I just sent the 1658 CL slothead 12-str and the 6759 CL 12-str back this morning. Told Kim what we needed to do but also check them out and we'll do whatever they recommend.
I don't have that support with my Martin. I am 6 miles from Taylor but I know from others that I couldn't have that support. When I wanted help sealing the silver pen where Les Paul wrote "To Tony, keep pickin' Les Paul" on the ebony Les Paul Studio he gave me (yes, gave), Gibson referred me to Stew-Mac so that I could spray the top myself - heck, can't even find a local luthier who will take the risk. Gibson seemed reluctant when I suggested sending the guitar to them. |
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Posts: 1196
Location: Lafayette, Louisiana | I think that when you introduce a guitar like the 30th anniversary Custom Legend, all the details must be correct before they are released. After all, Ovation has been making Custom Legends since 1974. The 30th anniversary Custom Legend is a celebration of one of Ovations most popular guitars, and yet they let them out of the factory with weird problems. Mine is on it's way back to the factory, and I hope I can get back a guitar that plays half as well as my old 1619 Custom Legend does. :confused: |
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Location: SoCal | Paul what's wrong with your guitar? |
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Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | Holy cow!!! Two 30th Ann. CLs with quality problems just within this board????
I totally feel with Jimlew on this...I live in Canton Township, MI, which is 40 miles or so away from him....there ain't nowhere to look at this stuff in Michigan!!!! Elderly Instruments in Lansing and Huber and Breese in Fraser are it, and they're not THAT great. I know Elderly has not bothered to get a 30th Ann. CL for stock.
There are other dealers, but they don't carry much, usually pretty much Celebrities. If one wants something like a 30th Anniversary CL, you HAVE to order it, no choice. Since I have a "play before you buy" policy, that rather limits what I can buy.....
Jimlew, I'll yell hello as I and my wife go by Brighton on I-96 on our way to Elderly tomorrow..... :)
Roger
1976 Applause AA14-4 6-String
1981 Ovation 1118-1 Glen Campbell 12-string
2001 Adamas 1598-MERB Melissa Etheridge 12-String
2003 Celebrity CC01 Spruce Top 6-String |
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February 2004
Posts: 58
Location: Brighton,MI | Have fun at Elderly's tomorrow Roger, its a fun place. I always seem to find something I didn't know I needed when I go there. That actually makes 3 of us with 30th CL problems, myself, Paul, and earlier in the post there is a member with saddle problems.He has sent his back to the factory for repair. |
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Posts: 1196
Location: Lafayette, Louisiana | Jimlew, mine is the one with the saddle problem. |
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Posts: 58
Location: Brighton,MI | Oops! That puts us back down to two. |
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Posts: 1380
Location: Central Oregon | Holy Mack'el Andy, one & one was makin' three de'ah fo a minute on da' b'oad d'eah.
/\/\/ |
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Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | ". . seeing is believing before dropping the cash . .
Just got back in from John B's gig (John; great set . .sorry about the cigar smoke, but - as you said - it's my night "off" - and I wasn't singing ;) ).
On the way home I stopped at a little local place where another friend of mine was finishing her last set. She had a guy sitting in with her that JUST bought the brand new Martin that he was playing. After they had finished, he and his wife proceeded to tell me about the SIX hours they had just spent shopping for that guitar where he had played the same exact model in 4 different stores before finding the one that "clicked" (and both he AND his wife KNEW it when they FOUND it). "That's it . . . wrap it up . . . I'll take it home".
When you get to be (a-hem!) "our age", the guitar you buy today will probably be with you the rest of your life (egad!), so it's gotta have not only have the "sound" and "feel" to it, but also that "zen quality" before you know it's right (Okay, this is probably the "black&tans" and the cigars dipped in myers rum talkin' here, so I'll end this and go t'bed, . . BUT, . .the point(?) I'm disappointingly trying to make is that at the end of it all, he found "IT" and is sleeping VERY happily tonight . . . . . where I should be.)
-g'nite. |
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Location: Upper Left USA | Cliff
Amen brother. |
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Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | Cliff, I totally agree...this is why I have the "play before you play" policy....if I order it and don't like it, I'm STUCK. Unless I take a bath on it and get rid of it.....
I did get fairly lucky on the GC 12-string buying it off of eBay. It does have a twist in the neck, but that proved able to be dealt with. The upside is that it sounds FABULOUS. The Adamas ME 12-string, though, has that "zen" quality. It plays very nicely and sounds great. It's a keeper....here for the duration..... :)
Roger
1976 Applause AA14-4 6-String
1981 Ovation 1118-1 Glen Campbell 12-string
2001 Adamas 1598-MERB Melissa Etheridge 12-String
2003 Celebrity CC01 Spruce Top 6-String |
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February 2004
Posts: 58
Location: Brighton,MI | Thats a great theory "Try before you buy" but it does not work for the 30 th CL. If you could find a store that had one to try, you certainly couldn't compare to another one because you will not find two in the same state.Or if you were not happy with the ONE you found you are back to ordering sight unseen. |
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June 2002
Posts: 6192
Location: Phoenix AZ | With limited run guitars such as the CL30 you probably won't find a store where you could try more than one of them, But at least you could see and play THE one you are thinking of buying. If it doesn't seem right to you, you pass on it.
Buying mailorder has it's advantages, but you have to be sure you can return for full refund for any reason.
Dave |
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30 th Anniversary Quality
