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Location: Kentucky | Noticed this Ford Truck commercial that has been playing a while here in the Bluegrass State. I'm pretty sure it's Toby Keith, singing "I'm a Ford truck man, that's all I drive..." First thing I noticed was his cool dreadnaught acoustic with American Flag painted on the the top. Then after seeing the commercial a few times, I realized that the case he carries in the commercial looks like it says Takamine on it. Has anyone/everyone seen this commercial? Not sure if it's a regional ad or national.
What I think is a little odd is the guy seems as american as you can be (and pissed off!), but he's playing a Japanese guitar right? Or are Takamines made in US now?
Anyway, I was reading a read a thread about endorsements (the Shania & Elton) and it got me thinking.... |
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Location: NJ | I saw the commercial How can you miss it? Not sure on the guitar but Tak sounds right and nope they are still made in Korea and Japan. |
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Location: NJ | Maybe ol' Toby thinks that "Takamine" is an Native American name!
(While he's at it, he should look under the hood and see where all those components are being manufactured.) |
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Location: SoCal | It's a Tak he plays. Seems to have the same flag stencil as the limited Legend that was sold earlier this year. Funny having the flag on a Japanese guitar. |
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Location: Tennessee | I've carefully watched that commercial a dozen times ... while there are three different acoustic guitars being played on the video portion, I can't hear anything but electric guitars on the soundtrack. Go figure.
As far as I know, all off the higher end Taks are made in Japan. My first guitar was a Takamine F-400S, solid spruce top and solid rosewood body 12-string, bought new in 1975. Beautiful guitar and looked just like a Martin, right down to the script on the headstock. I understand the lawyers all got rich on that one. Had to sell the beauty to scramble some rent and food money some years back ... it was that or the Ovation. Despite the pain I occasionally still feel, I made the right choice. Besides, when fortunes turned around, I bought a Custom Legend 12 string to help forget the long lost love. |
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Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | Admittedly off track of the original thread, but illustrates the old adage, "That which does not kill us, makes us stronger" (F. Nietsche, circa 1900). Adversity is the crucible of wisdom, I suppose. Glad you were able to persevere!! I remember the original Takamines very fondly. I had several friends in Uncle Sam's Flying Club opt to purchase them over Guilds, Martins, Gibsons, and other "high-end" brands, and never regretted it. |
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Location: Kentucky | >Native American = Hillarious!
The whole thing is just too much of a double standard or too ironic for me.
He's implying "Buy American", right? If so, why the heck isn't he playing an American guitar?
Oh well, guess I should not get so fired up about it. But he seems to be a representative of the "piss on foriegn cars/trucks" demographic. |
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Location: NJ | Perhaps Ovation should look into some of the possible "licensing" opportunities available.
One of the tradeshows that I work on in Manhattan is Licensing International. Basically, a show where you (as a manufacturer or distributor) could buy the licensing rights to various names, characters, images, emblems. YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE the stuff that is up for grabs!!! From the usual Disney and Nickelodeon to 007, Jeep, Harley Davidson, ELVIS! (Graceland actually has a booth to sell licensing rights to "the king's" name/image, KISS (Gene Simmons = big whore), NBA, NFL, NASCAR, Mary Kate & Ashley Olson.
What if Ovation were to take the concept of the Elite T, and instead of that grey textured finish, a nice gloss black (or red) with a Corvette logo, or a Harley logo, Chevy Trucks, Jeep, or even Volkswagen!! A few years ago, Trek bicycles made a HUGE fortune by marrying up their bikes into packages with Volkswagen. Some GenX-er goes out and buys a new Jetta and sees in the Volkswagen catalog that he can get a COOL LOOKING guitar that matches his car? - fugghedaboutit!!
Jeep would be another likely avenue (playing up the whole "durarability" angle). Don't even get me STARTED on those out there that play guitar and own (or wanna own) a Harley Davidson!! (How 'bout a black Custom Legend with a chrome rosette w/a HD "wings" design engraved in it!).
"...Hello!,....Connecticut!......."
"....is this thing on?...." |
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Location: NJ | one word: survivor |
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Location: NJ | I understand your point Al, but:
For the "Survivor" angle to work. Ovation would have to jump on it NOW. (As much as I LOVE the guitars and the company, they are NOT known for possessing "cat-like reflexes". Case in point: two new guitar models have been unveiled - have not seen AD ONE for EITHER of them and NEITHER one of them are on their webpage. I'm not even going to mention the continued lack of an operating Adamas page,...STILL).
Secondly, as much as "Survivor" is kinda "new", kinda "now", kinda "wow!" (kinda "Charlie!"), the so-called "celebrities" that the show has produced don't really enjoy any credibility/longevity. Who can you name from the first "Survivor" that has any kind of viability as a recognizable endorsee?
There's that Keith Famie character on the Food Network (but frankly, I could even cook him under the table). I don't know who this "new guy" is (the show lost me half way through the first season when it changed from a "challenge" to a marathon "hissy fit"),and I DO hope I'm proven wrong, but come next season (IF there is one)I think he'll go the way of "Rudy" and the "fat, naked, gay guy". |
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Location: NJ | Cliff
you have to wait until he is voted off the island to contact him so far he is still there.
my vision:
Kaman Namm show booth has a "survivor" theme some fake palm trees tiki hut etc. serve non alcoholic pina colados etc to the thirsty namm show people. Also give out free hawaiian shirts with the survivor OVATION logo. Have the survivior guy there signing autographs and taking photos. Make a dealer "survivor" package with guitars strings hercules stands etc to promote the guitars. License the logo and use it on some guitars and print advertising. You are correct the window is small and you have to jump through it fast. The show has about 5or 6 weeks to go so once it is over it would be perfect timing for the namm show. Just use "puke" as my middle name.
Hey Rick Hall you know where to forward my consulting fee. |
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Location: Alabama | Did you hear this guy perform on last weeks show? I don't think this is an endorsee Ovation wants to persue. |
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Location: NJ | I heard him play and I disagree, I think he will bring tons of exposure to the product. Ovation needs to latch onto his 15 minutes of fame. Can he be any different then the surfer punk they have in the ads with the flag guitar now? |
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Location: Las Cruces, NM | First time I ever tried to get you all back on the subject, I was the first to mention our patriotic country stars playing their black Takamines, then I was reminded that Kaman is the US distributor for these ubiquitous gittars, but I didn't want to break this innocent fellow's heart. Say no more.
[ November 07, 2002: Message edited by: Bailey ]
[ November 07, 2002: Message edited by: Bailey ] |
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Location: Georgia | On November 6, 2002 Cliff wrote <
Jeep would be another likely avenue (playing up the whole "durarability" angle). Don't even get me STARTED on those out there that play guitar and own (or wanna own) a Harley Davidson!! (How 'bout a black Custom Legend with a chrome rosette w/a HD "wings" design engraved in it!).>>
HAHAHAH!!! I won't get you started if I can keep myself from doing the same!! Especially when talking about the "new" Harley posers..ooops I mean riders. Hey.. this idea would definately fly! (pardon the pun). Just ride on the soft tails of Harley marketing and Ovations will be the Phat Boys! Born To Be Wild just isn't the same without a guitar. (Black leather gig bag optional of course).
Live to Ride.. Ride to Live .. Fawkengrooven!
Oh yes.. about the "American Made" and ska-roo the foreign makers? Well, Harley carbs are made in Japan. Most of Ford's parts are not American either. But, yes.. "Buy American" (convenient finance plans available).
"Ovation. Like a rock." (only stronger!) |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Now they could do the REAL USA motorcycle/guitar combo.. as the only USA Motorcycle company that can actually wear the MADE IN USA emblem today is Victory. I will admit, not even my Vic is 100% USA, but 94% is close enough for me... (as opposed to H-D's 70ish% USA). I don't mind a USA company that goes elsewhere to get better parts at a better price (like Victory) but H-D goes outside to just get a better price then STILL shafts it's loyal and fanatic customers. |
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Location: NJ | Lauren!!!
I was afraid that we had scared you off
Welcome back!! You were sorely missed!
(Great story by the way, about YOUR Legend - it's really cool when shit like that happens every once in a while!)
The semantics of foreign/domestic aside, imagine the VISIBILITY and and branding "recognition" of partnering Ovation with a Chevy/Jeep/Harley!
Like the line goes:
"$18,000.00 don't make you a BIKER!",
but it does make you someone who has somewhat disposable income, has a penchant for expensive "toys", and is somewhat driven by "brand" recognition. Face it, if a car manufacturer came out with a "limited edition" (that term again)"Adamas" model of vehicle (replete with "sound hole" ports and an istrument cluster surrounded by lush wood eppaulets, and some trick Ovation graphics, you WOULD consider it! There are enough friggin' fanatics in this group (myself included) that would actually consider BUYING one of these (unless of course it was a Dodge Neon)!
A "Weekend Biker" goes to his favorite dealer to maybe get some parts, polish, or checks out some leatherware. He sees a display of this really cool looking "officially licensed" Harley shallow bowl guitar in an official Harley color with chrome trim around the sound holes and emblazoned with the H-D logo. This guy also happens to play guitar (or wants to). Or even better yet, his GIRLFRIEND plays guitar (or wants to)! Throw in a Harley/Ovation Stevie Nicks black lace camisole and you got a DEAL!!!
Or.... a Chevy Truck-licensed Ovation that comes with a special case that'll stash behind the front seat of the truck.
OR......a Jeep-licensed guitar that can be stowed in an interior compartment AND can be "plugged in" at the dash to the optional Trace Acoustic sound system!
("...convenient finance plans available....." - THANKS, Lauren!!)
my head hurts............ |
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Location: Minneapolis, MN | ayayayayayayayayay
that was a a mouthful Cliff!
Welcome back Lauren, your posts always get a laugh outta me!
-Rich |
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| Made in Japan today equates to Made in USA some years back, standing for craftsmanship and quality. The Japanese manufacturers face the same cost pressures as does the US, with increasing numbers of products being manufactured in lower cost countries (China, Thailand, etc.). It still is amazing to see an ad with a Japanese Takamine airbrushed by US Ovation! |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Perhaps one of the greatest paradoxes is how Nashville totally fell in love with the Takamine. Yes that ad is playing in Florida all the time. All these Good Ole USA Boys playing a Japaneese guitar. I don't think they ever got it. But once it took off everyone had to have one and now that's about all you see. You gotta love that, happening in the big G's back yard! However give them their due, you do see more and more J-200's and the J-45's and whatever the other ones are. Also alot of Taylors. One of the oldest Taylor dealers is there and a good one too, the name escapes me right now (the guy just recently died). He always had about 30-40 Taylors in the shop. Back when they were real guitars, not these satin finish machine made things they sell now. And of course before all the Taks (that nickname came from Nashville by the way) there was Ovation with Eddie Rabbitt and all the rest but we're talking serious history now. Back then even Gruhn's was an Ovation dealer! Things sure have changed. |
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Location: Dallas | ...The flag on the guitar in the commercial is a Texas flag.....and watching closely, I could SWEAR that one of the guitars has an Ovation machinehead on it.... |
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| The US flag on Tobys box was painted in the states along with the Ovation 1779-usa limited run they were painted at the ppg center here in ct |
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Mr Ford Truck & Takamine
