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Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 14
| All you folks out there considering to buy a new Ovation better check it out really carefully. Here is my story. Bought brand new(ended up coming straight from the factory) 1778 Elite LX. Things happen so I put in the closet until just the other day. Boy was I stupid in not checking it out when I first received it. To make a long story short a brand new guitar needs major neck and fret work. Think this might be my last Ovation. :mad: |
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August 2006
Posts: 2804
Location: ranson,wva | its under waranty they will make right on it. ovation's got the best customer service in the business....jason |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 10581
Location: NJ | exactly. if it is a new guitar they will fix any problems you may have with it.
I have seen some problems and returned a guitar a couple of months ago but it was a minor problem |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15654
Location: SoCal | Sorry to hear about this. For the many many guitars that go out of the factory every year every once in a while, one will slip out that shouldn't. Jason is right, that Ovation will make it right if it's under warranty if you give them a chance. Don't let that sour you on Ovations.
How did your guitar come straight from the factory and not from a dealer? It's my understanding that Ovation doesn't sell guitars directly from the factory. |
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Joined:
September 2004
Posts: 777
Location: East Wenatchee, WA | Certainly any manufacturer will have their slip ups and Ovation isn't perfect, but you at least have to give them the opportunity to make it right.
I would guess that half of everything musically I have bought new had issues. But Ovation/Adamas has been the only one to go beyond the call it putting things right. |
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Joined:
September 2004
Posts: 777
Location: East Wenatchee, WA | "...Just got my brand new Honeyburst LX ELITE. What a fantastic guitar she is. This is my second Ovation(sold the other one) and by far what an improvement with the new scalloped braced top. What is your opinion? ..."
This is your post from August 17th. Is this a the same or a different guitar? What happened in your closet to change your opinion so drastically. The above post leads me to believe you at least played the guitar a bit, but I may be wrong. Was there excess humidity, or another anomoly that caused a problem?
Tell us more so that we can get a feel for what is going on. Thanks. |
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Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 4394
Location: East Tennessee | Originally posted by moody, p.i.:
How did your guitar come straight from the factory and not from a dealer? It's my understanding that Ovation doesn't sell guitars directly from the factory. I bought one a couple of years ago from a store they then must have gotten a hold of the factory and had it shipped to me. |
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December 2003
Posts: 13984
Location: Upper Left USA | Music 123 and Musiciansfriend/GC drop ship some orders.
Let's hear the full Paul Harvey on this one! |
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Joined:
May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | On most items, you should test it out right away,
you wouldn't buy a car, a computer or whatever and not test it, especially past the warranty period, so why did you wait?
Also, things, like guitars are meant to be used, if they aren't used they decay. You wouldn't leave a car in a garage for a month and expect to work great would you? You wouldn't leave a computer on a desk for six months and expect it to work, would you? (The little bits of maganet break down if not used) You wouldn't leave a guitar in a closet and not use it for a year and expect it to work, would you?
If you don't use it, you should sell it and let someone who actually needs a guitar fix it and use it. Sorry that you couldn't use it. If you don't believe what I'm saying, try not using your car for a month and see what happens. Or better yet, buy a Martin and put in your closet for the same amount of time. 'Betcha the same thing happens.
What have you done to get it in shape? |
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March 2005
Posts: 12750
Location: Boise, Idaho | Too late. I have 12 and like every one of them. The only one we bought new is still like new after 30 years. Some have issues, but none from factory defects. Send it to the factory for repairs before you sell it. The second owner won't have the benefit of the excellent warranty. I don't think temperature or humidity extremes are covered by the warranty, but your closet shouldn't have those. |
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Joined:
August 2005
Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | Well, I must have got the other 'lemon' from Ovation this year.
My 2005ES neck is way out of line. I unbolted it myself and packed the heel (about 2mm) and got the action to about where it needed to be. Before you criticize me for doing my own work, Ovation won't honor the warranty unless the guitar is returned to the store from where it was purchased.
So now the action is close to where it should be, (still not as close as my 1768) and now I find the frets need dressing. I was under the impression that Ovations came out of the factory ready to go? I've never played a bad ovation until this one. However, It won't be the last one I buy - they're just too good. |
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March 2005
Posts: 12750
Location: Boise, Idaho | But isn't this the one you left in the garage, hoping you could sneak it in when your wife wouldn't notice? |
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August 2005
Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | Yup. |
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December 2001
Posts: 10581
Location: NJ | Originally posted by Mark in Boise:
But isn't this the one you left in the garage, hoping you could sneak it in when your wife wouldn't notice? and you bought gray market from the USA to save a ton of money? |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | OH that. |
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Joined:
June 2006
Posts: 7307
Location: South of most, North of few | Originally posted by MWoody:
Music 123 and Musiciansfriend/GC drop ship some orders.
Let's hear the full Paul Harvey on this one! I'd hate to know how the term "drop" got in drop ship :D |
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Joined:
April 2006
Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Still is considered a major fault,odd though..
Vic |
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Joined:
November 2005
Posts: 1126
Location: Omaha, NE | Six years ago or so, I decided to buy an Adamas. My local dealer had one, but it sold before I made my move. So I decided to buy one through Music123.
When it arrived, there were two distinct problems: First, one of the "ears" on the upper epaulet had been broken off, and then re-glued back on in a very sloppy manner. Honestly, my five year old could have done better.
More seriously, there were two cracks in the heel of the neck. Right on the curve, they were perpendicular to the skunk stripe, and each about 5/8" long.
I called Music123, and they were helpful. Eventually, I ended up in touch with a guy at Ovation. I wish I could remember his name. He was really great. I do recall the conversation. He was more than a little embarassed that the guitar had gone out that way (I sent him photos).
They sent a replacement, and it was fine, and that was that.
In the end, it was rather puzzling. I suppose the neck cracks might have not been there at the factory, and represented shipping damage. I have no idea if that's possible or not, but I'm inclined to give the factory the benefit of the doubt. The epaulet however is inexcusible. There is no way that was shipping damage. It left the factory that way, and believe me it wasn't remotely close to being ok. It was at least 1/8" off from where it was supposed to be, and there was excess glue squeeze out all around it. I'm not an overly picky person. But this was bad. In order for it to leave the factory that way, multiple people had to be involved (the guy that broke it, the guy that reglued it, the guy that set it up, the guy that did the final inspection, the guy that put it in the case*) and none of them happened to care enough on that day to toss it in the "dud" pile.
Bottom line for me: Ovation made it right. No company manages 100% perfection. The real standard is how they handle things when corrections are needed, and Ovation is first rate.
* It may be that alot of those tasks are performed by the same guy. But I can't imagine that this defect didn't pass through at least two sets of hands on its way out the door. |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 1421
Location: Orange County, California | I once saw a S771-4C at GC had hanging on the wall at eye level for sale. It had major bridge lift with a buckled top, and some other evidence that it might have been dropped. The manager was willing to sell it to me for their net cost with a full warranty, stating that I could just send to the factory and get it replaced. For free. No kidding.
Here's the deal. It's in the volume dealers' best intrest to sell it any way they can. I believe this includes the MF/M's123 type of places too. They want to avoid the whole DMR/RMA hassle, so they sell them anyway, and rather than claim shipping damage, or that they got it that way. Since they don't inspect each and every (or even) one of the guitars they get, they are not at all culpable for the condition of the guitar, the setup, any problems with the pre-amp etc.
My Advice: SUPPORT YOUR FAVORITE OVATION DEALER!!! |
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Ovation quaility control still questionable
