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Posts: 27
Location: Mid-Atlantic | I really dig Ovation guitars. Always have. I sure wish I was in the buying mode for these right now cuz it looks like some can picked up for a song. Even on trade-ins, dealers don't want them. We are talking about pristine condition USA made Ovations. I know the economy has been down but I know of no other guitar brand that has such a huge disparity between used and new. This cannot be a good sign for the company either. A couple of questions.
1. What would be an expected price range on a used custom legend in near mint condition?
2. same question for an Elite LX?
3. How can the brand keep going if Ovation still wants $1700 and up for these guitars new right now?
Man I wish I had some cash right now, cuz I would buy about 2 or 3 USA Ovations used. I have noticed that some of the used custom or signature models are being sold for relatively high sums. But no one is buying them. Other guitars are down too as with the economy but nothing like this. Its as if the brand it being treated like a cheap import. |
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Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | It is the Economy. It ain't just Ovations. You can buy used anything for cheap right now.
Just do a quick evilBay search for Taylors or Martins...
I mean do a 'Completed' listing search, not what they are asking.
It is still a buyers market out there for used guitars.
Rich people can still go in to buy a new Ovation Legend and negotiate that $1699 down.
And on any trade-in you are the one going begging.
Unless you came in looking to buy an expensive guitar, the seller has no motivation to give you a fair price. You came to Him! He has Guitars.
Sure the company is 'stable'... It is owned by Fender! :D |
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Posts: 27
Location: Mid-Atlantic | Old Man, I'm going to have to beg to differ a bit. I live on the edge of a rural area where there is still big city influence (about 100 miles from both baltimore and dc).
For example what I am seeing are gibson SGs and Les Paul studios still bringing in a grand used. Same as they were 3 or 4 years ago. I deal with many music stores and they have been very fair in taking late model usa fenders, gibsons, and even a Dan Armstrong Ampeg guitar I had for trades on relatively higher end stringed instruments. You are right in thinking that most of em have us by the shorts for trades (yet not all), Im thinking of two stores in my head right now that I have learned never to deal with cuz they want 30 cents on the dollar as trade for your gear then sell it at max buck. Hey I know how thats how they make money. But Carpenters music is Hagerstown and K&B in martinsburg did me good on my trades and new prices of their stuff is exactly the same as musicians friend or music123 etc. if that's a plug then so be it. they are fair people as opposed to Bills Music House in Catonsville MD. wont budge for a customer.
But back to the good and fair dealers I use - both shook their heads ruefully when I tried to introduce an ovation into deals. One of them is an authorized ovation dealer. The other said he has had em, but has not sold an ovation in years.
While its a buyers market for sure, people are not getting squat for their lyracord wonders while the rest of the brands still at least move. On the othe hand, I have also noticed on ebay that few people will get off many of the ovations unless they get near new prices. the auctions die out. I want another custom legend (had one in the past). I am trying to sell my Elite 1868LX shallow (as near to mint as can be). Nobody touched over 10 days auction asking $865. I need bass gear rite now too, main reason I am selling. We will see if I can get $765 for it. just relisted.
And yes while I shamelessly passing the word along about my guitar for sale, I'm mitigating the shame by seriously seeking someone elses used custom legend for sale. Of the two guitars, I love them both, its just that the legend has some sentimental influence on me. long lusty tales of long ago. |
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Posts: 5567
Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | Welcome to the club...You answered your questions in the first paragraph...whatever you can get...research it and good luck with it.
BTW: Some Food for Thought
Kicking a Yellow Jacket hive only disrupts and disturbs the Yellow Jackets...they live there; they are not happy at the intrusion and disrespect (lyrachord wonders); they will rebuild it; BUT you will definitely get stung: Big Time!
Just trying to be helpful...it's a sensitive bunch here :rolleyes: |
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Posts: 27
Location: Mid-Atlantic | thank you for the welcome. lost you with kicking the hive..... did I kick anybody's hive?
checked for politeness and fair discussion.. I curious, fill me in. |
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Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | And: it's the Economy!!! |
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Posts: 27
Location: Mid-Atlantic | you may have misuderstood. - I AM an OVATION person. |
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Posts: 5567
Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | ASG: just a note to help you...yes, you were/are polite and fair...but it's been discussed many times and many are very sensitive as this is read by many, many folks: "if you get my meaning, if you get my drift"
As for the hive part, that may come...
Welcome...just put yourself in many of the members places: everyone is concerned but treading on eggshells is a tough gig...so you might want to avoid the doom and gloom as many workers read this as well...Seriously! |
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Posts: 7237
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Hey alienstarguest,
Well if you read the welcome page, you pretty much just summed it up. Even in their heyday, Ovation's never garnered the respect they deserved. I think if you look closely at places like eBay for "completed" auctions, the prices for the same guitar are all over the map. New ones sell, old ones sell, and while they don't sell as many new ones as they used to, they don't make as many either, so it's all good. Supply and demand. With Fender now behind them, I doubt they are going away any time soon. Just not quite the time for re-birth yet. |
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Posts: 5567
Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | you may have misuderstood. - I AM an OVATION person. I understand that and so are we all...
Miles put it very well!
We are all hoping for things to turn around...I personally think it's starting to get better... |
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Posts: 27
Location: Mid-Atlantic | also FYI. I survived many months out of work buying and selling music gear. Just finished reading the SOUL OF TONE which might be my 30th book on gear. Not flying any flags except that I have focused on such things as the topic we are discussing. As a freelance dealer I came close to brokering a deal on a 54 strat with a matching fender deluxe all bought at the same dealer in california on the same day, with the original receipt still in existance (same person ofcourse). The freakin case while aged had a newness to it, unreal. My work with the two or three parties fell through and I missed making about 7k commission. Can you imagine this gear!? It was picked up and played once or twice. The amp still has the hang tag on it. Sorry, just a side story I though to be interesting.... and while I usually do ok with my endeavors I can never seem to pop the big one.
Anyway my point is that I have examined this market pretty hard for a long time. And of any known brand, I have to say that Ovations are as dismally stagnant a guitar trade wise, as I have every seen. And again, I love them. I have a very dear place in my heart for them, vowing to get me a custome legend back into the stable. |
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Posts: 27
Location: Mid-Atlantic | oops I did not get a chance to read the other posts before I wrote. But I'm on your side, so it should not matter. And if I have my way I'm going to add to the well being of the company. If this one insurance check comes in I will go down to my dealer and put smiles on both our faces for one off of his wall. then I can buy my used elite lx. come on spring time (a lucky spring me hopes). |
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Posts: 747
| Originally posted by MusicMishka:
BTW: Some Food for Thought
Kicking a Yellow Jacket hive only disrupts and disturbs the Yellow Jackets...they live there; they are not happy at the intrusion and disrespect (lyrachord wonders); they will rebuild it; BUT you will definitely get stung: Big Time!
Makes it sound like the yellow jackets are just one step away from a group psychiatric episode. |
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Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | Originally posted by alienstarguest:
And if I have my way I'm going to add to the well being of the company. (snip) ... then I can buy my used elite lx. Buying used won't help one bit. You ought to buy a new USA guitar. If you're a fan, you'll keep it forever anyway ... so you don't need to worry about resale value.
Sometimes I get to thinking that a major contributing factor to the low resale value is the behavior of the ardent enthusiasts themselves ... way too many Ovationistas seem to bottom feed and only snag guitars at bargain basement prices. This is really screwing up the classic business/marketing model ... and one that is enjoyed by the likes of Martin, Collings and Taylor. If the real Ovation/Adamas afficiandos were buying new USA guitars, and forking over the bigger bucks that most of them rightfully should be priced at, then the resale used market would follow. But when your loyal target buyer base is only buying Ovations and Adamas' on the used market when they fall to relative chump change, you've got a steep hill to climb.
Oh, yeah. Welcome to our planet ASG. |
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Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | The Nice Thing about buying Used Ovations is that you can get a Nice Used Ovation for Cheap.
The Crappy Thing about selling Used Ovations is that you can get a Nice Used Ovation for Cheap!
But y'all knew that... :rolleyes:
I could go into how many people get Celebrity confused with Ovation. And the fact that Most Ovations are made in Korea now does not help the image. People who are not Ovation Aficionados don't know the difference between a 2078LX and a 2778AX and couldn't understand why one costs a Thousand Dollars more than the other.
But you can get a Top Of The Line Ovation for the price of a mediocre Taylor, Larivee, or Martin.
So if you are buying you are happy that there are some good deals out there.
If you are selling, Maybe not so happy.
I don't care about PR... Ovations don't get the respect they deserve and get bad-mouthed on other forums... But nobody has ever come up to me on the street and told my that Ovations Suck. (they may have thought my playing suct) They may play something else, but they always speak fondly of Ovations. :cool:
And Amen to what Joe is about to say next! |
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February 2008
Posts: 747
| Originally posted by stonebobbo:
You ought to buy a new USA guitar. If you're a fan, you'll keep it forever anyway ... so you don't need to worry about resale value.
Why would anyone pay 2,000 for something that's going to be available for 6 to 800 in a year or two whether it's a guitar or a laundry machine - it's not a realistic expectation. |
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Location: Brisbane Australia | If everyone subscribed to that theory there wouldn't be anything new sold!!
AJ |
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February 2008
Posts: 747
| Originally posted by AussieJames:
If everyone subscribed to that theory there wouldn't be anything new sold!!
AJ So what ? Who cares..lol
You're not under an obligation to subsidize business corporations - they either sink or swim on their merits. |
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Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | by AussieJames:
If everyone subscribed to that theory there wouldn't be anything new sold!!
AJ True, but rich people have always wanted something new.
Whereas poor people knew that a 3 year-old car was a better deal! |
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February 2008
Posts: 747
| Originally posted by Old Man Arthur:
... a 3 year-old car was a better deal! Yep, let someone else take the hit on depreciation; buy used and then run it into the ground..lol |
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Posts: 4413
| The company stable is full of llamas.
But the pretty ones are spoken for. |
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March 2009
Posts: 27
Location: Mid-Atlantic | Originally posted by Joe Rotax:
Originally posted by stonebobbo:
You ought to buy a new USA guitar. If you're a fan, you'll keep it forever anyway ... so you don't need to worry about resale value.
Why would anyone pay 2,000 for something that's going to be available for 6 to 800 in a year or two whether it's a guitar or a laundry machine - it's not a realistic expectation. |
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March 2009
Posts: 27
Location: Mid-Atlantic | Why would anyone pay 2,000 for something that's going to be available for 6 to 800 in a year or two whether it's a guitar or a laundry machine - it's not a realistic expectation.
exactly. why am I going to go round looking for the highest price to pay in order to support god knows who. Its just plain foolish if you break your back like I do to earn a few shillings. I'll get a like-new guitar for half of the price of new if I can. Loyalty to the brand does not equate to stupidity. |
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May 2008
Posts: 4996
Location: Phoenix AZ | Ovation guitars are TOOLS. Just like a Stanley hammer or screwdriver. They do a great job for the purpose they were designed. Nothing more, nothing less. You don't buy a screwdriver as an investment, nor would you buy an ovation as an investment. With very few exceptions the value of a new ovation drops significantly over time. So yes, in that regard there is money to be saved in buying used. If you want a used guitar. If you want your guitar to be an "investment" then you need to look at other brands. |
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November 2008
Posts: 1119
Location: Michigan | There is a 1116 on ebay right now going for more than it did new. Does this prove anything? No..
As Miles noted the prices can be all over the map. Why folks will not buy an Ovation with "signiture surface cracks" and yet others will shell out tens of thousands for old Martins with cleated body cracks is a mystery to me. Are the new ones worth the money, IMHO yes very much so. Do they hold their value? Only time will tell. Will the company stay in business? If I knew that about any business these days I would be a wealthy man. |
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How long has the value of Ovations been this depressed and is the company stable.
Members Forums -> General Posting
