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Posts: 75
Location: Portland, OR | Just heard back from Ovation on an 1867 Legend (natural top, SSB) that I bought back in 1996 for about $750. About 2 years ago, I got a crack right down the middle of the top from the sound hole to the butt of the guitar. Bridge popped off, etc. After hearing how many of you sent your guitars in, I was really hoping for something reasonable! According to them it requires: Replace top bowl, replace bridge, level dress frets, restring, adjust action, check electronics.. Grand total $500.. Plus shipping, $535. Now, maybe that is reasonable to them? But seeing the deals on O's these days, I can get a sweet 12 string for that much, or an early adamas for a couple hundred more. Just seems like a wast of money, which is a shame, since it was my first "real" guitar. I was looking forward to having it around as an alternate tuned guitar.. With the SSB, my other 1680 and 2078 blow it away acoustically, so I just don't think I'm willing to pay more than $300 to have it fixed. Now i'm wondering what the heck to do with it.. Honestly, I know now that I won't get it fixed, so why even pay the $35 to have it shipped back to me?? Suppose I'll tell them to just keep it, or toss it. Any thoughts from those who have gone the mothership repair route? SUCH a bummer!!!! |
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Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | What you paid for the guitar and what you are prepared to pay for a repair is irrelavant, as is the price at which dealers are prepared to liquidate stock. $500 equates to less than 1/3rd the list price of a comparable new Ovation. Considering they're replacing at least 50% of the entire intstrument it seems pretty reasonable to me. |
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Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | $500 sounds about right . . . |
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Posts: 75
Location: Portland, OR | Hmm.. really? But your going by list price.. What do you think an 1867 would go for now? I mean, if we go by list price, the FS section on this board is a regular fire sale... but we know that no ovations go for list price, rather, far far from it, which is just one of many reasons why we like them, right?!! I don't know.. even after writing that post, i'm swaying back and forth.. For sentimental reasons.. maybe its worth $500.. crapola.. |
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April 2008
Posts: 2336
Location: Brighty in Blighty | I had a similar experience with a 1997 Collector, picked it up cheap but Mother says it needs a new top. Picked up another (MINT) one for around what they want to repair so it's probably for the bin (trash) unless someone here wants to make me an offer ($300).
It's not Mothers fault, thats what it costs :) |
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Posts: 160
Location: Montana | Ouch, I can see your predicament, but with that much of a repair you would basically have a new guitar with your old mojo attached.
I'm just curious, was this damage the result of an accident or did it just self-destruct for no apparent reason? |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Twelve years ago, I went through the exact same thing with my CustomBalladeer. I was my first "real" guitar.
Top split/bridge, same thing . . .
Back then, I think $375 was th'MagicNumber.
I bought the guitar (in'76) for TwoFiddy.
Had it fixed.
Never regretted the decision. |
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June 2006
Posts: 7307
Location: South of most, North of few | Times are changing, you can buy a guitar in mint shape now for what you would pay for a beater a couple years ago. Don't go by recent market value, it's all in what the guitar is worth to you. |
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Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | That is about what I paid for the repair/rebuild on my Pacemaker.
The economy was better then. The times they are a-changing.
Right now you can buy another, maybe newer, guitar for that much, but that might not be the case three months from now.
As TJ sez, it is all about how much the guitar is worth to you.
You will never recoup your money on a rebuild, but you will get your old guitar back all fixed-up. |
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December 2001
Posts: 7211
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Originally posted by dweezil:
It's not Mothers fault, thats what it costs :) EXACTLY!!! Just because you can buy a used guitar for some rock-bottom price, does not negate that if you want them to fix yours, it costs $500.
And frankly.. $500 IS a bargain for the work to be performed. You would be lucky to find a quality shop to do JUST the refinish for that price, and it's doubtful they would have the correct tools to deal with the bridge and fretwork.
In addition to what PT mentioned, not only are you getting 50% of your guitar replaced, it would likely appear to be a NEW guitar when you got it back.
If there is sentimental value, have them repair it. If not, just find a replacement.
I have been in a serious quandary about a similar issue for several years. I'd love to have my old Medallion rebuilt. It would need a new top, fret dressing, etc.. But paying $500 to restore a guitar that was only MSRP at $300 or so when new... is a tough choice. On the other side of things.... I have never seen another one of these guitars for sale. |
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Posts: 840
Location: CA | Not sure you could get an Adamas for a 'couple hundred more' than $535, but anyway...
Guitars are kind of like women. There is not a lot logical about them — and they're also going to cost you a lot of money that you don't think you should spend. Mine wanted a tummy tuck in the worst way. She didn't look bad (not at all), but we went ahead with it. I was out big bucks but she was happy, which made me happy. Life was good.
I bought an old SSB Legend awhile back for $350. What a bargain! Except it needed a neck reset. Sent it to mothership and $435 later it returned, not exactly like new, but lightyears better than it had been. And the action was perfect. Result: I played it a lot where before I didn't play it at all. Plus I had the karma of giving an old warrior a new lease on life. I sold it last year for $400 — a loss of $350 on the deal for me. But was happy to get that. And the new owner was happy. Life was good.
Before you make a decision, you should search the archives here (keyword 'mothership' or 'factory') for examples of what Ovation service facility is capable of. There is no guitar maker anywhere — well, at least that I'm aware of — that can hold a candle to their level of craftsmanship.
Bottom line: If you really like this guitar, and you decide not to get it fixed, you will always regret it. For the level of work they're proposing, $500 is not bad at all. |
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Posts: 1486
Location: Cincinnati | You need to decide how much you want to spend and what you will get for your money if you go for a different guitar. Then compare that with getting your 1867 restored to a basically new guitar. |
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Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | either pay it or toss it and get another one. |
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April 2008
Posts: 2985
Location: Sydney, Australia | For the amount of time and parts you're getting, $500 is a bargain. This is similar to having work done on your car. My car is due for a major service (needs new timing belt) and the estimate is $1,200. If the car was worth less than that and wasn't an emotional attachment then I could just scrap it an buy another. As it stands, the car is worth significantly more and the alternative (having the engine implode) would set me back a lot more. Hence, I pay and whinge.
For you, I think it comes down to the emotion - do I love that guitar $500 or would I rather spend the money on a second hand one. |
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January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | I totally agree with Miles. As it is, you have a complete neck and some electronics that might be of some value to somebody who has the skills to properly remove it from the attached damaged parts. The rest of the guitar is trash. For $535 (assuming the electronics don't need any repairs), you'll essentially have a new guitar. Notwithstanding the additional sentimental value it might hold for you personally, some people would certainly be willing to pay that kind of money for that particular guitar fresh from the Mothership. |
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Posts: 4817
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | The price is the price, it's just a question of which way has more value to YOU.
You can get a really good deal on Ford, GM, etc right now. You'd be kinda miffed if you bought new last year...but that's the market.
This time of year, every year, guitars are going cheap after Christmas and before tax time. Be a different story Fall of 2010.
Mothership is famous for Quality and Service. When price is an issue, you can choose the dope-smoking guitar tech in your home town...along with his in house warranty. |
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February 2007
Posts: 75
Location: Portland, OR | Oh for peets sake.. you all have such good points. I'm going to have it repaired.. Really, thanks OFC for yet another outflow of cash that I never considered before! Hahaa.. no really, thanks for the replies. To answer a few questions -- the guitar just busted on its own accord. A result of 13% humidity in my house for an extended period a while back. There was an adamas W597 that went on the bay for $800 just recently, which is what I was thinking of when I said I could get one for a few hundred more. I guess the good news is that it would be pretty much brand new. Though, the loss of of 12 year old top will be a bummer. Cliff, you really hit the nail on the head.. I think I would regret it if I never had it fixed.. and honestly, 3-4 months from now, let alone a years, that $500 will not even be thought of. |
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Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | One more advantage of buying new . . . the warranty on something like this is for a lifetime. |
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August 2007
Posts: 494
Location: Location Location Location | I spent $650 to have my ’69 Glen Campbell restored by the mothership . For a brief few minutes I thought the quote was a bit high. They replaced the neck and put a new wing bridge on. The guitar came back as a completely refurbished 40 yr. old masterpiece. A neck reset from a local guitar tech would have cost $400. A fret job another $200, and I don’t know what it would have cost to have someone remove the old cracked bridge, fashion a new one and then reattach it. So dollar for dollar I thought I did much better than well, and I never looked back. I also feel I’ve made a friend for life in John. I’ve contacted him on other matters about 3 different times, and he has sent me over $100 in Ovation parts for free. I never asked for those things for free.
Like others have said, I can’t think of another major guitar manufacturer that gives you such personal attention. I guess if I didn’t want the work done I’d have asked him to send me the guitar back and it would just have cost me the shipping. |
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January 2006
Posts: 1477
Location: Michigan | I happen to be in the automotive refinshing business here in Michigan and I see tons of people that are buying up older cars that we might of had back when we were younger and they are putting two to three times the amount of money into what these cars are worth but to them when they are out crusing or at a car show or just plain using them all that fear of what it cost to fix it up goes away and its nothing but Shits & Giggles when your enjoing something you love.
If you love that guitar DO IT if your concerned about trying to reason the financial value of it just bring it to the next OFC event where the OFC trebuchet is & everyone can have some fun watching it get launched across a parking lot.GWB
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Uu-381M6Nw |
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February 2007
Posts: 75
Location: Portland, OR | Originally posted by ProfessorBB:
One more advantage of buying new . . . the warranty on something like this is for a lifetime. Well, apparently its not on this guitar! I did buy it new in 95/96 (somewhere around there, can't exactly remember). I told ovation this when I called, and I suppose they determined it wasn't a warranty issue. THey didn't even ask for the receipt (which I don't have anyway.
Brooklyn -- I appreciate your post.. Seems like the best part of an ovation, the top, was saved on yours, so indeed, you did receive a "brand new" 40 year old guitar. In my case, they are replacing the top.. So the only 15 year old part would be the neck. I do now think the sentimentality of it all is worth it though.. new top and all. |
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March 2005
Posts: 12750
Location: Boise, Idaho | I like GWB's viewpoint on this one. There's just something that feels better about restoring something old than throwing it away and replacing something new. Especially when the restoration involves skill, craftsmanship and "art". Many people pay more for restorations of different objects than the original cost. |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | ". . I did buy it new in 95/96 . ."
yeah, but did you send-in the WarrantyCard?? . . . |
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March 2005
Posts: 5563
Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | I have had several (well, maybe a few more than several) guitars repaired/refurbished/rebuilt in the past three years...every one came back better than I hoped: and they always did some things I did not ask for or expect...I have the destroyed Pacemaker at the mothership now getting rebuilt...expensive? Not compared to buying a new one or a reissue on sale...and I have the satisfaction of saving a great guitar from oblivion...and playing it before passing it on to a new generation...
That's Priceless! |
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December 2001
Posts: 10581
Location: NJ | expert repair for a reasonable price.
try that at ANY other guitar company. I bet you will be crying real tears.
if you feel the guitar is not worth it buy another.
I hate changing strings everytime I break one I throw the old guitar in the dumpster (skip, or bin for our UK readers) |
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Quote from mothership rather dissapointing
