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Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | When I was at the factory at the end of May, John Budny mentioned that he hoped to have at least a little good news for us eventually. He also asked that I wait until this month to pester him about it. So pester I did.... For the first time in a while, we have some good news, not great, but definitely better than nothing. Their capabilities are much more limited than before as it is just John, Mike (repairs) and Sherwood (finishing), but the good news is that they are there right now setting up shop at the old factory and will be fully open for business hopefully by the end of July. First, here is John's reply to my first email today:
"We should be good to go by the end of the month. We are setting up the work shop now for repairs. Mike has his area almost complete and is working on some repairs but limited. Should be spraying in a couple weeks too. It is a work in progress and we won’t be able to do everything as in the past. Less top and neck replacements and more top and neck repairs."
Second, here are some quotes from a follow up email from John asking him to provide specifics: - "We are keeping a repair shop here for service and repairs on Ovation and other KMC fretted products."
- "We will be able to do most everything we did except replace necks or tops if they need to be built. We relied on manufacturing for these new parts but don’t have that now."
- "We have a spray booth and...a great finish guy."
NOW FOR THE CAVEAT! John made it plain that there is no telling how long this resource will be available. So I think it would be a good idea to make sure they can show enough demand to the powers-that-be to justify keeping them on board into the future. |
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| Fantastic news!  |
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Location: south east Michigan | I have an LX that needs a neck re-set.
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And ... we really need to come up with our own nick name for this new service center. (like "mothership" )
Preferably something with "Budney" in it.
Budney Guitar Hospital
Budney's Roundback Restoration Facility (Ooooo ... I like that one!)
Something like that.
Edited by Slipkid 2014-07-08 3:25 PM
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Location: Jet City | great news. I was wondering where I was going to get some warranty work done on the adamas 2
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Location: Boise, Idaho | I think we all need to learn to spell Budny if we're going to name something after him. |
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Location: south east Michigan | details, details.... I'm a Big Picture kinda guy. |
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Location: Flahdaw | It should provide an acronym, such as...
Budny's
Restoration
Extravaganza
And
Support
Team |
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Location: south east Michigan | closed circuit to John...
sorry about the name thing. |
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Location: Jet City | darkbarguitar - 2014-07-08 3:00 PM It should provide an acronym, such as... Budny's Restoration Extravaganza And Support Team Budny's Obsolete Ovation Body Shop With an additional space for the... Adamas Service Shop To any ladies that might be viewing, I apologize in advance for my adolescent behavior
Edited by Damon67 2014-07-08 5:54 PM
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Location: Upper Left USA | You guys are like sooo immature!
How about the "D" Fenders? |
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Location: Flahdaw | My point, immature as it was, is that acronyms are always better it seems. Surely someone can come up with an appropriate one |
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Location: Atlanta, GA. | If I could pry the Custom Legend from the Ex, I'd send it in to have the "Typical Ovation Crack" in the top repaired.
I never wanted the top and bowl replaced. |
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Location: sitting at my computer | darkbarguitar - Surely someone can come up with an appropriate one aw gee, I kinda like those inappropriate ones! I bet they'd get lots more recognition. And they're soooo easy to remember!! |
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Location: Yokohama, Japan | Now that is some great news! To send the 1117-4 or not...that is the question! Now that she's in Japan...gosh, if I could have, I would have kept her in the States! By the way, it's interesting that responses to news of this nature is expressed in acronyms limited to body parts? Is that an American thing or what? |
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Location: Tuscany, Italy | This is really good news in all respects..... |
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Location: Tennessee | Excellent. I have a job for them.
I think I'll call them Legendary Repairs and Service. Kinda says it all for me.
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Location: SoCal | I vote to keep it short and simple ----- T.F.B.
The F*ckin' Best |
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Location: SoCal | Appears that this a repair service by Fender and unknown how long it may be available. That is a positive for the customers and the guys continuing on the payroll. However, based on Fender's past actions, this may not be a long-term solution. Hope that if Fender shuts it down, John and the guys can continue on their own... |
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Location: Tennessee | Buzz kill.  |
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Location: Taxed To Death State | I'm sure they will have warranty work to do as well. I know I'm gonna get my neck reset job down there ASAP. |
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Location: Flint Hills of Kansas, USA | Great to hear this news!! |
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Location: Nova Scotia, Canada | This is awesome news given what has happened to the company.
Wayne |
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Location: Des Moines, Iowa | And here I was just about to post my own string about Mr. John Budny, because of his incredible awesome-ness, but saw his name in this message strings subject line and figured I'd just add my praise and appreciation for John to this one.
I do recall reading a message from someone here who had mentioned the AWESOME-NESS of Ovation's customer service AND I believe they had a similar need as mine. One of my older Ovation's (actually my very first Ovation, okay... I guess technically my old Matrix guitar was actually my first, but I'm not counting that) is missing and has always been missing the inside the hole oval factory label. Since everything else on the guitar is original and complete, I had made a mental note at that time to contact Ovation customer service sometime to see about getting me a replacement label.
So, when I learned a few months ago, just like all of us did, that Fender was closing the last and only Ovation/Adamas USA Factory, I figured I'd better act quickly, which I didn't do. It wasn't until about three weeks ago that I was on the Official Ovation website browsing and came across the contact info for customer service and figured I'd better act now or it'll be too late. Well, knowing that any USA customer service MIGHT be gone or might be gone soon, I wrote to them and explained that I had an old 1979 Ovation Legend LTD Model 1651 that was missing that inside label. Of course I opened my email with my condolences on the closing of the Harford factory and also just expressed my love of Ovation, before I inquired about getting the label for my VERY old Ovation guitar.
I offered up a credit card to pay whatever was needed (the label, manpower, shipping costs, etc.), but Mr. John Budny was the one who wrote me back and told me that all he needed was just my address and he'd send me a blank label right away. Now tell me what other company on this planet would pick, pack, and ship ANYTHING to ANYONE for FREE? It's not like this guitar was still under warranty OR even one I'd bought from the factory, since I'd picked it up used in a pawn shop, but John didn't hesitate and was true to his word cause I got my replacement label quite quickly. So now with just a little positioning of that label on a piece of printer paper and I'll be able to print the model number info on this label in the same font and style as the factory once did. It'll help provide that finishing touch to one of my oldest Ovations to help make it completely complete.
Hats off to John and his crew and I do hope they find a way to keep going as long as they can. As far as a name, sorry MWoody but any name with "Fender" in the title would be a name I'd prefer not using OR mentioning. Ovation was much more personal, intimate, and unique in their care, diligence, workmanship, quality, craftsmanship, and experience. I could be wrong, but I'm betting that Fender doesn't have artists who've worked for them for 20, 30, or 40 years or more. I've watched several of the factory tour videos and comparing that to a Fender or Gibson factory tour, well... I just can't compare them because there IS no comparison.
Hey Patch, if you talk to John again soon you might mention to him that I said THANKS (and mention me and the label). I replied to his email and thanked him already, but I figure it doesn't hurt to thank these friendly and dedicated special artisans of Ovation/Adamas guitars just one more time again, and again, and again.
I'll never see them as Fender and I was happy to see that John's signature doesn't mention Fender either, just "Customer Service Manager; Ovation, Guild, Hamer, Guitars, USA."
What I want to know is what happens to all those aerospace industry specialized tools and devices that Mr. Kaman personally designed and created exclusively for building/repairing Ovation/Adamas guitars? What happens to all of those specialty items that are still located in Hartford? I say let John and his crew take a few sets of these tools/devices with them, should their days with Ovation finally end. They could even consider it as a very small part of their severance, which I'm hoping Fender took care of these people quite generously who had given so much for so long quite generously, too.
But what do I know, I'm just a...
SillyLittleBoy |
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Location: Nashville TN. | News I been hoping for!!! |
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Location: south east Michigan | Maybe this thread, or at least the new service center contact info could be pinned up at the top.
Kinda good info to ... 1) promote and 2) have within a quick reach.
Edited by Slipkid 2014-07-28 10:06 AM
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IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: USA Ovation Services as of July 2014; as per John Budny.
