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| The Ovation Fan Club | ||
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| Random quote: "Got time to breathe, got time for music." --Briscoe Darling. |
 Would would you like to see playing ovation guitars???
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| Forums Archive -> The Vault: 2002-2003 | Message format | |
alpep |
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Joined: December 2001 Posts: 10581 Location: NJ | I know that Ovation has a bunch of endorsors past and present but is there anyone you would like to see playing ovation guitars???? My choice is Richard Thompson. I don't know how many of you are familiar with his work but he is a stellar songwriter and guitarist. He is a great electric and acoustic guitaritst in his own right but proabably is best known for his work with fairport convention. check out his album mock tudor it was released about 2 years ago and there is not one bad tune on it OK who would you choose???? [ March 06, 2002: Message edited by: alpep ] | ||
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| Mr. Ovation |
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Joined: December 2001 Posts: 7210 Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Thanks for this question... Upon thinking of an answer I notices that most of my favorite artists have played an Ovation at one time or another... Either I have good taste or they do... | ||
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| Beal |
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Joined: January 2002 Posts: 14127 Location: 6 String Ranch | The correct answer is that somewhere between 30-60% of all popular artists today should be playing Ovation. They're not. The company has a problem, and it's a big one and I don't think they appreciate the magnatude of it. They are more concerned with "return on investment" hence all the imported guitars and lack of committment to the New Hartford Factory (read US production). Hamer isn't any different. The words they should be focused on are "market share". I doubt anyone is asking the question "what do today's artists want in a guitar today and tomorrow? Where is the market going? What can we build that will give us a jump on everybody and make us the coolest guitar that everyone will HAVE to have?" Unfortunately the question they ask is "what's hot that we can copy in Koreea, or wherever, and sell containers full so our numbers look good to corporate so we can get bigger bonuses this year. This is what happens when bean counters get put in charge. It's a whole corporate philosophy issue, not an Ovation issue. Sad but true, and as Freddie King said "It's a shame and a sin" | ||
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| elias |
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| Joined: February 2002 Posts: 119 Location: Philadelphia, PA 19107 | I am so glad you brought up this issue, Bill. Though not a specialist, but a huge Ovation fan, and a very modest Ovation collector, I totally agree with your statement. Unfortunately this is the current situation with Ovation production, market share and Ovation guitars. It is so sad facing a reality where young people walk into music stores to buy a cheap guitar (see Ovation), a Celebrity one or a Balladeer, an Ovation with super-shallow bowl (in most of the stores I cannot even find a mid-bowl Ovation any more), with laminate top, that has nothing, absolutely nothing to do with the old glory! Sadly most of the young players have never seen or played earlier Ovations. They know nothing about the real ovation thing, nothing about the great history of these guitars. Unfortunately the logic "plug it in" is not enough and leads nowhere. Bottom line, Kaman Co. can import from Korea or China maybe, or why not, Afganistan, a flat plastic (Lyrachord) piece with 6 strings and a pickup to plug it in. That will do for the Corporation. I am mostly an acoustic guitar player. I love acoustic guitars, the pure acoustic sound. I often visit most of the music stores in the Philadelphia area, my favorite is Medley Music, in Ardmore, PA, with very high quality guitars like Martin, Collings, Santa Cruz, Petros, Goodall, etc. I talk to people and I realize that for the acoustic guitar players there is a wave "back to the acoustic roots" origins. People love to get high quality wooden guitars, not necessarily to plug in, and enjoy playing. In our days most of the guitar makers make acoustic/electrics, with excellent qualities at low prices. For example Martin, Taylor, etc. Ovation HAS to come up with something NEW! Something genuine, a guitar that will combine the traditional qualities with a new perspective. Supershallow bowls, with laminate color (green, blue, etc) tops, for $250-300 won't do it. It looks and feels very cheap. Something else: In order for this thing to happen you need NOT a Corporation-based philosophy, but a family-based thing, or a smaller guitar maker. "It's a shame and a sin" but then what? I would love to hear your comments? [ March 07, 2002: Message edited by: elias ] | ||
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| Mr. Ovation |
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Joined: December 2001 Posts: 7210 Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | CWK2, I agree with you in so many ways. It's unfortunate that... we'll call them folks.. apply the rules to a product that is/was (or at least should be) made by hand as they would to sell a car. This response was actually about a page long, but I shortened it... to a simple... AARRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! Thanks for listening. | ||
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| Beal |
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Joined: January 2002 Posts: 14127 Location: 6 String Ranch | It's a shame and a sin... What can you do?? You can send cards and letters to the president of the corporation and tell him it's all wrong.......for all the good it will do you. Me, I've moved to Florida and sell jet fuel, hard to develope an emotional attachment for jet fuel. I still play my Hamers and for acoustics I've got several Nationals from the 20's and 30's. Other than that there's a couple of Collings, a Gurian, HD42-K and a slot head, 83proto, 87, long neck Adamas and a few others but I never play them, just the nationals. It really is sad to see what is happening to Ovation. That's why I'm glad to see this site and how much activity there is. Maybe you all can get something started. If not, then someday all Ovations will be Vintage. Except the green and blue and purple imported shit, that will never be vintage | ||
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| elias |
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| Joined: February 2002 Posts: 119 Location: Philadelphia, PA 19107 | Bill, I would guess (correct me if I am wrong) that things started to go down after you left. Or may be earlier? Someone could say that the Ovation Golden Era was during Charlie's time (how is he doing really?), I want to believe that the glory days continued with you, taking over after your father, but when exactly things changed? Before you left Ovation? After that? Why did you leave the company? After all, the Kaman family created Ovation, and Kaman Co, but you went away. O.K., your father was at certain age, he had to leave anyway, but you!? Why did you leave so early? What is the story? | ||
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| lyrachord |
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Joined: March 2002 Posts: 1 Location: Coral Springs, Florida | I can only say that I've owned (but more importantly played) an Ovation for almost 30 years. I bought it because I was a typical young electric guitarist that wanted a guitar that played reasonably like my solid body (a Les Paul), sounded good, and cost "what I had in my pocket" (under $400). The Balladeer (1111-1) is still with me. (And I still play it) Fast forward to today, I own about 40 guitars, (and while I was primarily an electric player in the past, I'm now primarily an acoustic player) many of them are very rare vintage instrument that represent 25 plus years in the vintage guitar business. I still own 5 Ovations. These older models are fine guitars and while my pre war (that's WWII, not 911) Martins and Gibson's are nice, I wouldn't think of playing anything other than one of the Ovations at the local coffee "house" open mike. It's not because I'm afraid of damaging the Martins or Gibson's, but the Ovation will never let me down. Always performs perfectly, no messy mike or pickup failure. I have tried to make my friends see the light, but most of them have “too much money” to understand the “value”, rather than the “price” of a new guitar. In the old days my friends bought and loved Ovation because of the price point. Today these 40+-year-old buyers have $4000 “in their pockets” so they gravitate to Taylor, Santa Cruz, Collings, some even go for Martin's. The entry level guys (with the $400) have so many options for good flattops in that price range that Ovation (imports) have much more competition, and with a consumer that reads as much as guitarist do, the first question will usually “disqualify” the Celebrity right off, “is the top solid?” Also add the finish used on the back of the neck, which doesn't look or feel like a natural material, and you begin to see why Ovation is viewed the way it is by new buyers. | ||
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| Paul Templeman |
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Joined: February 2002 Posts: 5750 Location: Scotland | We shouldn't lose track here, of the fact that the current high-end Ovation USA guitars are very fine instruments, which will stand up acoustically with anything in thier price range. Most of my Ovations are from the 70's (and I've seen & played the occasional dog from that period) but I'd happily buy a new Custom Legend or Custom Elite or Folklore. My SMT is a killer guitar. On a different subject, I'd be interested to know why the original-design Adamas guitars seem to have been deleted. Paul [ March 07, 2002: Message edited by: Paul Templeman ] | ||
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| alpep |
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Joined: December 2001 Posts: 10581 Location: NJ | Wow I guess I did not anticipate the slant this thread would go but since it went in that direction..... I think we all know why Ovation imports guitars it is to make money. I am not a "bean counter" but a musician collector and business owner and I can probably tell you that the accountants will tell you that the imports keep the US brand alive. that is all well and good but the problem lies in that there is no clear distinction currently made between the US and import models that have Ovation on the headstock. when they said celebrity fine you knew the difference now the line is muddy and even in the catalog the distinction between import and US is not always a clear one. As a result most casual guitar buyers that have an interest in an ovation may look at a celebrtiy and play it and not like it not knowing that it is not the same quality of the US made instruments. This cloning if you will makes it sometimes difficult for dealers to sell usa guitars. I used the example of the mandolin before and again bring it up here to illustrate my point. the guitar buying public changes currently thin body acoustic electric guitars are what are in vogue. The ovation fits that bill exquisitely. IMHO the best preamps out there are the takamine and the ovation. You just need to plug in the guitar and with minimal tweaking they are ready to go and sound great. Ovation started as an acoustic company using an old d 45 as the standard of the gutar to beat. Some criticism of the brand by those that are clueless is "a plastic guitar will never sound as good as wood" well half right ...it could sound better. the wood top is what vibrates and causes the sound the back and sides just project the sound and if I am correct the round back eliminates dead spots found in traditional guitars. the guitar buying public now wants a guitar that can be used both acoustically and electrically. this means that you will need to have a guitar that has a more even tone so it can be amplified more easily. this I believe is where the adamas smt fit in. the smt no where has the acoustic sound projection or definition of the woven top guitars yet it is a fantastic guitar to plug in. there are few acoustic guitars made even by traditional companies like martin that are not equiped with preamps and pickups now. Well ovation still does it the best. I have sold a number of 2001 collector guitars with the redwood top by just opening the case and having some one look at the instrument pick it up and play it. The guitar booms and plays itself. A truely wonderful guitar. the majority of people that criticize Ovation never played one of the high end models. so what does all this long winded post mean? for me the bottom line is I know why the imports are produced and why they are necessary I just would like to see more of a distinction made between the lines so that the general public will know which is which. Gibson makes this distinction with the epiphone line and am sure that epi is keeping them in business but you know now if you buy an epi it is an import and if you buy gibson (after mortgaging your house) you get a usa instrument. I LOVE the woven top adamas guitars. I think that if they were again made they would sell but who knows in what quantity. the q seems like it will really be iteresteing when and if it is ever reintroduced I played a couple I thought they were outstanding. I thought that when the adamas name was pulled off the model a few years ago that it was a big mistake. Even though some of you will argue the smt is not an adams it is still a good instrument. every company sells entry level gutars. I hate when I go to some coffee houses and see all these martins with pressed wood tops and people think they are buying a real martin well they are not. prs imports the santana model and has a big disclaimer on the back of the headstock. BUT ultimately the quality of the import guitars has risen to stellar heights since when I was a kid and parents bought an unplayable piece of crap from the local muic store it is a wonder that I even learned how to play or stuck with it. Guitar companies survive by selling new guitars. Let's face it most of you with large collections did not buy all those guitars new but used. that does not contribute to the sales of the company. Sure we including myself can say bring back the woven top adamas but I did not buy any new nor do I think most of the collectos here have not. so if they came out with a woven top would you buy one? I would because the electronics in the early guitars are not as sophisticated as the ones in the new guitars. the used price and value of a guitar also contributes to the sales of the new instruments. if a guitar costs 2K and 3 months later it is valued at 500 bucks there is a slim chance of the company selling tons of guitars. the higher used values are the more appealing a new instrument looks. Unfortunately cirrent economic conditions prohibit many from buying many instruments so they need it to function in a variety of situations. sorry for this long post I promise not to post for a while | ||
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| Beal |
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Joined: January 2002 Posts: 14127 Location: 6 String Ranch | Elias Charlie stopped having much to do with music in 1985. He stopped play testing the Adamas guitars at #200 although he signed the lables till #600. I tested them from 200 on until the mid 90's when it got to the point that I was signing the lables and not looking at the guitars. I stoped signing them because I thought it didn't make any sence anymore. All you guys would like it but it didn't really mean anything so I quit it. Marketing bitched but too bad. Charlie has had several strokes and is at home. He was retired from the company in 2001. On a good day has 50 cards in the deck, a bad day it's less. The bean counters started their assualt around 95-96. If there is a start point, this is it. I left the company on August 20, 1998. Since then their "return on investment" has gone up and market share down. The slide continues. It's a sad day when a Taylor (which, while a nice guitar, is as exciting as a glass of warm milk, Sorry Bob) can eat Ovation's lunch and smash the lunch box too and they sit in their offices and do nothing | ||
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| Beal |
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Joined: January 2002 Posts: 14127 Location: 6 String Ranch | Elias Charlie stopped having much to do with music in 1985. He stopped play testing the Adamas guitars at #200 although he signed the lables till #600. I tested them from 200 on until the mid 90's when it got to the point that I was signing the lables and not looking at the guitars. I stoped signing them because I thought it didn't make any sence anymore. All you guys would like it but it didn't really mean anything so I quit it. Marketing bitched but too bad. Charlie has had several strokes and is at home. He was retired from the company in 2001. On a good day has 50 cards in the deck, a bad day it's less. The bean counters started their assualt around 95-96. If there is a start point, this is it. I left the company on August 20, 1998. Since then their "return on investment" has gone up and market share down. The slide continues. It's a sad day when a Taylor (which, while a nice guitar, is as exciting as a glass of warm milk, Sorry Bob) can eat Ovation's lunch and smash the lunch box too and they sit in their offices and do nothing.. | ||
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| samova |
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Joined: January 2002 Posts: 970 Location: Atlanta,Ga. | Well, i guess i will throw my two cents in..I have been a long time(12 years) ovation collector and early ovation lover..I have over 50 early and rare ovation acoustics and solid bodies.My interest with ovation developed when my favorite artist(George Dalaras)was playing a 1978 Adamas on stage and i could not beleave the sound coming from that guitar.I had to get one.It was so amazing sounding and looking that i could not get that sound out of my head.I had to have one.When i bought my first adamas serial #328 i was hooked.I had to have more ovations guitars.Here i am 12 years later and over 50 ovation guitars later.Totally hooked on early ovations.. Having said all of the above,i want to say that i would not buy a new ovation today.Aside from the weavetop adamas which i like some but not enough to buy one,i would not buy any ovation produced today.I hope the management at ovation reads this.. Here is when ovation lost me and my business.In around 1978-1980 ovation went to a different bowl.It had more plastic in it than fiberglass in it.This changed the sound for the worse in my opinion.If you ever played any of the early guitars with the early bowls you will know what i mean...You can actually look inside the soundhole and see the difference in the bowls.The early ones had the mesh and fibers showing more on the early ones.The later ones were smooth inside and looked to be basically plastic bowls that a machine probably stamped out more economically.Then ,they took the beautiful "epaulets" design reserved for the high end adamas and elite and they start putting it on the cheap korean models.Suddenly no one can distinguish between the high end adamas and the cheap korean models.. When Charlie (and Bill later)ran the company,i was in tune with their thinking and i felt they designed and built guitars that were built for me.I was in line with the companys thinking and they were not only great plugged in guitar but sounded great unplugged..So, i agree with Elias when he says the "plug it in" slogan is a bunch of bull.There are a lot of guitar makers who have caught up with ovation on plugged in sound.There are some great electronics available on many acoustic guitars today.So, "plug it in" means nothing to me.I will plug in when i feel like it but how about when i dont want to plug in?? What do i play? a shallow bowl with no acoustic sound? Sorry, i dont buy it..I go to music stores and there is a sea of korean built "shallow bowl"ovation celebritys with really cool colors and lots of fake flame tops and other exotic woods and cool finishes but they just dont sound good.Not to mention the poor workmanship.I ran my hand below the bridge of several ovations at Mars music two days ago and there were huge waves in the tops.Some i could not beleave it ,you could see the wave in the top from 5 feet away without running your hand across the top.I cannot beleave they let these guitar out of the factory with these tops.. I look at ovations guitar magazine ads with young hip kids on snowboards advertizing an ovation in a shade of green i could not discribe. Im sure there is a market out there for those ,but not me?Ovation is obviously marketing to someone else,not to me...Maybe they dont care about me?Maybe its another market they are after? As along time fan of ovations when i got to music stores and gaze at their new offerings all i can think about is the earlier days of ovation when guys like Charlie Kaman and Jim Rickard were there designing guitars that really sounded amazing plugged in and unplugged.The adamas,adamas II,country artists,folklore,Glen Cambell model,Josh White models etc...Well,now that i've vented maybe someone at ovation can tell me why im wrong and should buy one of their guitars? | ||
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| Mr. Ovation |
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Joined: December 2001 Posts: 7210 Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | I want my Utopian society and I want it right NOW!. It's unfortunate that money drives everything. It's to some extent fortunate also, as greed has bred ambition which has resulted in many of the luxuries we have today. But more simply put Sam, is they can sell you one $1000 guitar, that probably costs $2000 to make (from lumber to shelf) or sell ten $300 guitars that cost $200 to make. Hmmm I just thought of something while typing this. I wonder why guitars are so inexpensive. Odd statement you say.. Follow me on this. Add up the parts, including the raw lumber, tuners and electronics. Add up the shipping and packaging, and add up maybe 40 hours of labor (I really have no idea how long it takes). It seems just the labor cost (with overhead for insureance, and OSHA stuff, and the support payroll and HR folks for the people doing the 40 hours of labor...) would be over $2000 per guitar. How does any "large" corperate manufacturer of musical instruments make any money?..... I guess most of the posts in this thread answer that. | ||
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| Paul Templeman |
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Joined: February 2002 Posts: 5750 Location: Scotland | I know I'm likely to get pilloried for this, & I'm not trying to defend Corporate bullshit, but I believe quality guitars are actually too cheap. Bearing in mind our averge wages now, a Strat or Les Paul probably costs comparatively the same or less than when they were introduced. A couple or three grand for a professional standard instrument, that will last a lifetime & have the potential to earn it's keep many times over is a very reasonable investment. Unfortuately the public do not see it like that. They should take a look at what a classical musician has to pay for a decent concert-grade Violin (tens of thousands for a cheap one!) or the kind of money Jazz players will happilly pay for a new handbuilt USA archtop ($30-40) The problems lie with the market being led by a public who want maximum bang-for-the-buck & the industry having a hard time leading them anywhere else. Sam, I think the bowl material issue to be so subtle in a real-world situation, i.e. miked, plugged in, recorded, eq'd, played alongside vocals & other instruments etc, to be of little consequence. The earlier, thinner bowls do sound different, but I'd challenge you to identify one from the other in a blindfold test. I aggree that the distinction between the USA models & imports is blurred, & that has to be hurting acceptance by the unconverted. Paul [ March 08, 2002: Message edited by: Paul Templeman ] | ||
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| Lcase |
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Joined: December 2001 Posts: 10 Location: Paradise | Hi Paul (and others) I understand the sentiments on the cost vs cost of living... But it still boils down to not "who can afford" but "who is the target." Bottom line is, you can still sell more $300 guitars than $3000 guitars. I think some of the smaller luthiers and guitar makers really have it made. They make a nice instrument (some) and they don't have to worry about a payroll of several hundred or more. If they make a few a year.. that's fine. One point to ponder... Ovation has been making guitars for now 37 years. Think about all of the companies with much larger market shares in their respective industries that have gone down the tubes in the last 37 years. Maybe things are different now, but the fact that they are still there and still putting out some decent instruments is pretty cool. Who knows, maybe someday they'll do like Fender and others and open a custom shop where it's "back to basics" while the rest of the company continues. I must admit that at the 2001 Winter NAMM I was very tempted to buy a set of pickups hand wound at the show by the lady who now works at the Fender custom shop and has been winding them for Fender since 1957. | ||
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| Mr. Ovation |
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Joined: December 2001 Posts: 7210 Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | LOL... I must be asleep.. that previous post was me. Lisa was logged on and I didn't realize it. | ||
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| alpep |
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Joined: December 2001 Posts: 10581 Location: NJ | Sam please do not take this as a personal attack it is not meant to be. It is solely meant as a continuation of your discussion and points that you raised in your post. you mentioned that you have been into collecting Ovations and were first turned onto them 12 years ago. Well this puts your involvement with the company way past your self proclaimed (but most likely true) golden years. At the time you were turned on to the Adamas guitar you could still have purchased an Adamas new from the factory. Sure it would not have the carved headstock but it would have fullfilled your wish for a guitar. When I was a kid I wanted a les paul just like duane allman I had no clue he played a 58 les paul so I went to the local store picked out a cherry sunburst les paul that looked just like duane's (in my mind anyway even though it was not the same gutiar) and took it home and played the hell out of it. My point is that although you are vey informed and have a large collection of ovations if you have not purchased any new guitars ever then you are not exactly part of the solution. Walking into mars and checking out the tops on celebrity guitars and comparing them or trying to compare them to usa intruments is ludicrious. I know you are saying that these guitars represent the Ovation line and it is not up to your standards but may I ask did they have any USA made guitars ? did you try them? how was the level of craftsmanship on those guitars? I can probably say the same thing about many imports and their usa counterparts. Let us NOT compare apples and oranges but apples and apples. I had a conversaion with Rick Hall and he told me that less than ONE percent of ovations are made without electronics and this has been true for at least 12 years and that this was dictated from the buying public starting in 1972!!!!! this falls within your golden age of Ovation period. I do not disagree shallow bowl guitars do not have the projection of the deep bowl but the difference between deep and mid is only 1/4 inch (according to Rick Hall) and the adamas line is made in mid bowl (excluding the melissa etheridge model I think) and lets face it if you are buying the guitar for performance and want a certain look you will probably want a shallow bowl since the guitar is used plugged in. The only instrument currently produced with the deep bowl is the al demiola model. The buying public wants a guitar that they can plug in and Ovation was one of the first and still one of the best in that area. Now I am not saying that the current usa guitars today do not sound good acoustically they do we will exclude he shallow bowl guitars. the last 3 years 2000 2001 and 2002 were stellar years for the collector's series in my opinion. these guitars were not only beautiful but had not good but excellent acoustic sound. I hope you get the opportunity to try one. I don't think ovation is blind to building guitars for you but perhaps YOU are not looking for that guitar in the right place. I am positive that if you gave them the specs ovation would build you a guitar and it could be deep bowl with no electronics but when the general buying public wants shallow with electronics why should you deny the marketplace??? unfortunately for you the buying public liked the idea of plugging guitars in and getting a useable acoustic electric sound with very little trouble. the goal is to make money and they make money by selling new guitars. Since you by your own admission have not bought any new guitars then you never contribute to the advancement or the degredation of the company. I am not sure about the bowl construction making that significant of a difference in the guitars but I will agree that every change does alter the sound. as for snowboarders etc in the ads hey we all get old and times change. put glen campbell or roy clarke in an add now and you might as well flush the ad money down the toilet. Personally I would love an old woven top adamas with the textured top brown sparkle bowl with the carved headstock with MODERN electronics so I could use it out with a label signed by bill kaman....hmmmm next years collector's series maybe????? but that is a wish and I WOULD buy one. Again do not take this post personally I just felt the need to question and clarify some of the points you made. I too have my issues with the import line and the way the difference is blurred I think we are more in line with each other than apart. I just wanted to try to make you see an alternative view. [ March 08, 2002: Message edited by: alpep ] | ||
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| elias |
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| Joined: February 2002 Posts: 119 Location: Philadelphia, PA 19107 | Hello everyone! I think we should put aside all of our disappointments, hard feelings, bad experiences, and sad thoughts and look at the future with more optimism! We should look at that future with the same optimism as the guy (mdarling@ptdprolog.net), who posted his 1990 Collectors in ebay! Look at that!!!! Is there any better than that?! May be the lady holding the guitar while sitting on a Harley Davidson! Enjoy the pics and no hard feelings!  | ||
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| samova |
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Joined: January 2002 Posts: 970 Location: Atlanta,Ga. | Elias, "nice epaulets" the guitar ain't bad either!!! | ||
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| alpep |
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Joined: December 2001 Posts: 10581 Location: NJ | maybe the new slogan could be ovations and bimbos perfect together actually elias I prefer Indians and bmw's to harleys | ||
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| elias |
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| Joined: February 2002 Posts: 119 Location: Philadelphia, PA 19107 | he, he, he ,he!!! That could do too Al!, he, he, he..... Anyway... | ||
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| brannon |
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Joined: March 2002 Posts: 2 Location: USA | Phil Keaggy would be a great candidate to play Ovation.... | ||
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| samova |
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Joined: January 2002 Posts: 970 Location: Atlanta,Ga. | Al, i did not take your post personally and i understand your point.Although i do not agree with all of it.No one wants Ovation to succeed more than me.I love the guitars more than anyone at this site.I own more than 50 ovations.Some i bought new.I feel like i care more about ovation than the guys running the show at ovation. I started collecting ovations at 30 and am now 42.so, im not exactly past my prime(at least i hope not).I would hope that ovation is still marketing to guys like me and not just the hip young snowboarders.I fully understand why ovation is building korean built celebrity models.They do have a place in the market.I would never buy one because for $300-600 i am buying a seagull or a yamaha.better quality,better sound.And i dont expect ovation to use Glen Campbell in ads or Roy Clark.That would be foolish and a waiste of money..But the ads they use dont speak to me.Im sure i know the market they speak to.. Al, Here is where i have a problem with ovation and do not fully agree with you... What has ovation done with its high end American line?..Example:They discontinue the Adamas and adamas two(two of their best sounding guitars).You do not even get the option of ordering one custom made..Then they offer us a watered down model called the adamas SMT..They take away the the distinctive carved headstock and bridge.They take away the adamas binding,they put no fretboard inlays and they take away the option of a deep bowl..OK,now the custom legend,they take away the carved bridge and trus cover,they reduce the size of the diamond shape inlays to a microscopic size,they cheapin up the rosette with a smaller inlayed rosette...Do you get my point.They take away nice features and keep the price the same or raise the price.They continue to take away the high end features and qualities while adding more and more cheper models...What have they offered lately? "The tangent"..That is(as Bill said) a peace of dog @##$%..This is the new model the guys at ovation offer us?? How about offering something new and exiting on the higher end..The collectors series are "just OK" in my view .Ovation simply finds a new exotic wood for the top every year and this is supposed to sweep us off our feet.I have played them and sorry im not impressed! They look fine but they all sound the same to me..Babbinga,lacewood ,whatever,it all sounds the same...Here is where i feel ovation has gone wrong..They should start with a guitar that has great acoustic sound first and then ad the electronics to it after they have acheaved the acoustic sound first..I agree every ovation should have elctronics but first design the guitar for acoustic sound and then ad the electronics later....And now the most important thing..The guitars that i was telling you about with the bad workmanship and waves in the tops below the bridge were "american models".Very expensive guitars..They are allowing these guitars to reach music stores in that condition.Neck problems ,bad set ups,waves in the top.That is shameful !!I hear from ovation owners all the time. Somewhere ,something has gone terribly wrong with the guitar company i love.These things cannot be overlooked any longer..Is ovation just cranking out these guitars without an eye for details?Are they just simply rushing things along the assymbly line for $$$sake? Someone has to come out and say it and it might as well be its biggest fan."ME".....Ovation ,Watch your quality and listen to your guitars!!! There are far too many quality guitar makers out there on your heels...Sam Stathakis(ovation collector) | ||
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| alpep |
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Joined: December 2001 Posts: 10581 Location: NJ | hey elias it brings new meaning to the slogan "plug it in" | ||
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