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Posts: 23
Location: Perth Amboy, NJ | In the winter of 82~83 I bought two Ovations from Madolin Brothers on Staten Island. An acoustic 12 string in dark sunburst with a slotted peghead (deep bowl), and an '83 collectors series. I still have all the original paperwork - the receipt for the 12 string shows I paid $494 (in 1982 dollars!), the Collectors series 6 was more. I contacted them recently and they basically said used Ovations have no real value. Just keep on playing them and enjoy them. The reason? The sound doesn't improve with age. I don't know. The 12 just booms ... it sounds like a harpsichord to me. And the 6 has sweet action and sounds great too. I see from this BBS that used Ovations don't seem to hold their value. Is this a true statement? Are the new ones that much better? Or are they a better value now? Hmmmm ... |
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Posts: 1196
Location: Lafayette, Louisiana | Gene, whoever told you Ovations don't sound better with age is full of CRAP! I really hate it when I hear stuff like that. My 1975 Custom Balladeer is one of the best wood top Ovations I have ever heard. Gene I know you will see that alot of members in here feel the same way. |
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Posts: 105
Location: San Francisco, CA | Paul, how's the 1537 you bought? |
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Posts: 23
Location: Perth Amboy, NJ | That's my opinion too. Spruce tops age nicely and sound better the older they get. What about the newer models? I know the electronics are a lot better, but the ones I recently played at the local Guitar Center sounded real good. I guess I have to lurk here to see what has changed in the construction (bracing especially) in the past twenty years. It says something that it's been 20 years since I even looked at the newer models. |
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Posts: 10581
Location: NJ | I guess that just leaves more room for me to sell them on the used market.
IF Mandolin brothers is an authorized dealer that was a pathetic thing to say. |
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February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Interesting that such bullshit comes from a store that once had a '67 shiny bowl ticketed at over $3k. While it's probable that any changes in a carbon-topped guitar will be imperceptible, a wood-topped Ovation will go through the same changes as any "real" guitar (the quotation marks are intended to indicate sarcasm) It should be noted that changes in wood occur mostly via vibration due to playing, not just the passage of time. |
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Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | Mandolin Bros are whores to the appreciation in "name" guitars. They are not related in any way to the original Mandolin Bros who valued guitars for their sound. You are now dealing with what I would call a "stockbroker" with all the negative connotations. At one time there were some dealers who loved instruments, they have either died or been fired by the modern bookkeepers that think profit is what a picker plays for and would fire anybody who thinks an instrument should be judged by how it plays instead of what it is worth on the "MARKET" that arbiter of wealth.
Bailey (they deserve to have a LLoyd Loar shoved up their ass so thay can die in ecstacy at being impaled on such a valuable instrument) |
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Posts: 7211
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | "I see from this BBS that used Ovations don't seem to hold their value."
Although there are exceptions, I see quite the opposite usually. Now there are bargains to be had, no question... but in general Ovations do not loose thier value, they just don't seem to increase in value as some others. In the big scheme of things I don't see this a bad thing.
I just searched gBase and see the early 80's collectors edition guitars listed in the $600 - $800 range. Realizing that gBase prices are a little on the high side usually, I see this as "holding their value" nicely. |
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Posts: 15654
Location: SoCal | If you search ebay, you'll find many "brand" name guitars that are selling for about half of what they sold for new. Ovations are no different. |
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Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Bailey, Mandolin brothers has always been owned by Stan Jay, there has to my knowledge been no changes to the ownership or for that matter attitude. I think Jay is among the better vintage dealers around. The store stocks a wide range of new, used & vintage instruments, including ovations, and their attitude in this case is pretty typical (though wrong about the improving with age thing) If they want to sell you a '67 Shiney Bowl it'll be $3K. If you were trying to sell the same guitar to them you'd be lucky if they offered $300. That's how dealers like Mando Brothers, Gruhn (yuk) & the rest stay in business.
That said if good used Ovations are going on Ebay
for a few hundred dollars, then they are pretty worthless to a major dealer, not that I think ebay is a true barometer of worth. But, if a buyer knows he can get say a '97 collectors on ebay for around $500, why would he want to fork out it's true value (maybe a grand+) to a dealer like Mandolin Brothers. |
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Location: Perth Amboy, NJ | You jogged my memory. Stan Jay was the gentleman who sold me the guitars, but I honestly don't know the name of the person I talked to there (it was on the phone) when inquiring about their used value. I lived on Staten Island at the time and Mandolin Bros was the place to go for better instruments. I bought the 12 string after hearing one and playing one that belonged to a friend at work. The 6 was more of an impulse buy - the Guitar Player ad of Ann Wilson (Heart) and their albums (this was before CD's!) made me go back and try one. I walked out with it ... LOL. And twenty + years later I am still glad I did. |
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Location: NJ | <<< If they want to sell you a '67 Shiney Bowl it'll be $3K. If you were trying to sell the same guitar to them you'd be lucky if they offered $300. That's how dealers like Mando Brothers, Gruhn (yuk) & the rest stay in business.
That said if good used Ovations are going on Ebay
for a few hundred dollars, then they are pretty worthless to a major dealer, not that I think ebay is a true barometer of worth. But, if a buyer knows he can get say a '97 collectors on ebay for around $500, why would he want to fork out it's true value (maybe a grand+) to a dealer like Mandolin Brothers>>>>>
just kill me now...
last 3 ovations I bought for resale I spent over 1.2K each |
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Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | My experience trying to sell a used guitar in the New York City area, is that unless it's a high end name, ie Taylor or Martin, and it's one of their high end products, it's tough to get a fair price from a music shop. (I only went to two stores, so I don't know if you can extrapolate from that but I got discouraged and just said to hell with the music stores) Your best bet is to sell it yourself, or find someone willing to do a trade who cherishes the particular brand you have. There may be some people who post on this board who are interested in your guitar if you're serious about parting with it. Just go over to the sell trade area. I just sold my Yuval with an Ad on craigs list. I don't if the price I got was fair or not, but it's the best I could do, and at least the people who came by to look at it at least appreciated it without bothering about the name. It makes feel good that it's found a good home, and will be used, and not being viewed as an investment like a stock certificate. |
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Location: south east Michigan | I have a very old, pre-electric Balladeer. For years I have sampled new guitars. As much as I like the new designs, I have not found a new guitar I would rather have. A few of the very expensive ones (1.5k & up), sound good, but not good enough to change.
And like the a post above....It should not be about an investment. It is fun to know the age & history of my guitar, but the two guitars I have had for over 30 years are not going anywhere. |
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Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | When I first acquired my SlotHead, I tried to ascertain SOME kind value with MandoBros. They were both uninformed and uninterested. Especially since it didn't even have a model and/or serial number on it. I got the standard ". . well, Ovations just don't appreciate in value, or hold a high resale value like M's or G's do . ."
NYC is probably the worst place to go for trying to sell to a shop. |
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Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | Damn it
Guitars are worth the value that results because they make good sound. NO, and I mean NO, guitar is worth $10,000 to somebody who plays. We keep confusing relics with instruments. If you are a rich Beatles fan, go ahead and buy their castoffs; if you are a picker look for what you can afford that sounds good and has quality construction. Pray Hosannas that Ovations don't become relics, we can still afford them.
Bailey |
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February 2003
Posts: 299
Location: Netherlands | I think Mandolin Bros were right. Ovation guitars are worth -second hand AND new- next to nothing.
That's why I would recommend anybody to send me theirs so I can properly dispose them.
Martin :D :D :D |
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Posts: 69
Location: UK | Thank goodness it is a buyers market for Ovation. How else can you get hold of a top end acoustic which knocks the spots of anything double or treble the price?
Those readers who have ridden the market wave of the last 30 years will know what Stan Jay knows: what comes around goes around.
Prices achieved by Ovations in the second hard market may be relatively poor now but sooner or later the great buying public will wise up to their undervalue and then prices will move upwards.
You only have to look on e-Bay to see a range of gorgeous 'O's at risible prices to see what incredible value they are.
Not a time to sell but definitely a time to buy! |
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August 2002
Posts: 39
Location: Bethel, Me | I think a more compelling argument is value vs worth. The O's I've collected are more valuable to me than what they're worth, but I also think they're worth several times more than the price I've paid. |
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March 2002
Posts: 15654
Location: SoCal | There's very little you can buy that doesn't loose some value right off the bat, from cars to guitars. My Ovations have held their monetary value over the years. But as earlier posts have pointed out, they are priceless to me in terms of the enjoyment I get from them. And absolute bargins for what I got and what I paid. |
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Posts: 178
Location: New York, NY | Used Ovation = No Value
This reminds me of some other equations I've encountered from salesman at music stores:
Ovation = Plastic = Crap
Ovation + Unplugged = Crap
I sometimes feel like my sanity is being questioned whenever I go into a music store and inquire about Ovations. Thanks, guys, for keeping my sanity in check, or at least knowing that they are others as insane as I am...about Ovations! |
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May 2002
Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | TonyPD
If some trogdolyte in a music store doesn't understand the value of a good Ovation, tell him that he has no business in the music world and would be better off playing chimes in kindergarten (Use your best Arnold imitation) YOU Should be Playing CHIMES in KEENTERGARTEN) |
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Posts: 782
Location: Waurika OK | My 2 cents worth. The value of a guitar for me is its looks, sound, playability and will I pick it up and play it every chance I get?
I only got my Legend a few weeks ago. I traded way too much stuff for it. But I don't regret it! I was happy and the guy I traded with was happy also. Isn't that the formula for a good deal?
This guy also has 900 guitars of all types and prices. I like having a place to go and look, touch, you know what I mean.
Having a bunch of equip. you don't play much is not nearly as vaulable as having a guitar you can't wait to pick up.
The big music stores don't seem to be interested in a used guitar unless it is of extreme value and then why sell to them? You could get more by selling it yourself.
As far as Ovations holding their value, in my limited looking around, they seem to hold their value as good as other instruments in the same price range. To me the big bargin is that they are way better than any others! |
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March 2002
Posts: 15654
Location: SoCal | Ovations are a great bargin. On Elderly Instruments, they have two 12 strings up in their recent arrivals. One is a Custom Legend, deep bowl for $850. The other is a Sailor for about twice that. The Ovation is the better guitar, and if the guitars were played acoustically back to back for a blindfolded audience, the Ovation would win hands down. Plugged in, no contest.
To my way of thinking, that makes the Ovation one hell of a great value. |
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May 2002
Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | Paul and All
That is the key phrase, there is VALUE, and there is PRICE. Often, it seems, they are not anywhere near the same. I have a vague reccolection of mandolin bros being a center of quality acoustics some years ago, the place the serious picker went to get his lifetime instrument, maybe a LLoyd Loar, or a Martin 00, etc. The way they sound from those here who have visited recently, is like every other failing music store with clerks who don't know any instruments that aren't seen on MTV videos. |
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Used Ovation = No Value???
