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Location: Northwest Arkansas | The second post was from me telling him about the Off shore guitars. I was at least trying to accommodate. I've been throught the mill couple of times. I won't ask a stupid question again. |
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Location: Denver, CO | May I chime in here? My first acoustic was a 1980-something Yamaha FG335. I loved that guitar, and in my opinion it sounded every bit as good as my later Tak, as well as the handmade luthier guitar I just traded for the Balladeer. Now, I am a newb here, just acquired my very first Ovation, and I haven't read all 4 pages of this thread, just the last 20 or so posts, so I don't know everything that has been said, but...
I've always liked Ovation products, even though the only ones i had ever handled were the imports, and they, imho, absolutely blow away anything else in their price range, especially in the electronics department. I never bought one, though, because none of them felt/looked/sounded better than any of the guitars I already owned.
To be honest, when Dave offered to trade me this Balladeer, even though it has a sound and feel FAR superior to any import O I've ever handled, it took me a couple of days to warm up to the idea. Now that I've had it out a couple of times, messed around with mics and eq, I am very, very happy with the trade. I can fairly, and I hope objectively, say that this is a significantly higher quality instrument than any other O product I have any experience with, as far as tone, projection, fit, finish...you name it, this guitar shines in every way, and I understand better now why you guys are so in love with them.
I kind of see the USA Ovation situation like this: Guy rides his Star, or his Honda Shadow, or his Vulcan up to the Harley dealership, gets off, goes in, test rides a new Heritage, or a DWG...comes back out and suddenly HATES the Jap bike. Why? The H scooter is JUST THAT MUCH BETTER! That's kind of how my opinion is developing concerning the (at least the one I have) US-made vs import Os. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Hey dwg preacher,
what part of Denver are you located in? Do you play out?
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Location: Fort Worth, TX | dwg preacher - 2012-10-31 10:25 AM
To be honest, when Dave offered to trade me this Balladeer, even though it has a sound and feel FAR superior to any import O I've ever handled, it took me a couple of days to warm up to the idea. Now that I've had it out a couple of times, messed around with mics and eq, I am very, very happy with the trade. I can fairly, and I hope objectively, say that this is a significantly higher quality instrument than any other O product I have any experience with, as far as tone, projection, fit, finish...you name it, this guitar shines in every way, and I understand better now why you guys are so in love with them.
Hi John. Glad you found this place. Tons of highly valuable knowledge here. I couldn't be more pleased you are happy with the trade. I am as well, but won't rest until I have another Ovation... this time it will be a USA Elite. I have had your guitar to 2 luthiers since you left to address some concerns I had and was assured all is well. This guitar is far more suited to the music I am learning and have always liked playing. Also, I'm quite pleased you put a clear pickguard on it. I had nightmares of it ending up looking like Willy's guitar with your strumming technique! LOL. |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | So, dwg preacher, you're in Denver, love Ovations, probably would like to try out a few more, maybe even some relatively high end models, and you might even be a Harley guy. Sure sounds like somebody else I know. Send me a PM. |
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Location: Denver, CO | Hey, Stephen! I live in Littleton, work downtown. Playing out...well, it's been a few months since my last bar gig. I was in Rebel Echo, and then Tequila Creek, then started doing my own solo thing. I lead worship at Set Free church in Villa Park, I lead a Tuesday night worship at His Hands on S. Broadway, and I am talking about taking up another Sunday evening worship. I've done the 16th street mall thing, the Walnut Room, Andrew's on Lincoln, the Buffalo Rose, and a few other places, and I've worked with Jude Del Hierro a few times. You can see me at www.destinedtokneel.com. |
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Location: Denver, CO | Dave, now I have such a pretty instrument, I may be inspired to improve my technique! ;-) |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Cool, I am right off of Wadsworth and C470. Like Brad said.... between his music store type collection/selection and my more modest Adamas guitars, you could get a pretty good overview of what Ovation has to offer.
or you could just ignore me and spend all day at Brads  since he has everything most could want.
You should come out to DUKES this Friday night if you are free and catch the band I play in. We play from 8-12 and Duke's is a really fun sports tavern in Aurora off of Galena street (cross Mississippi and S Havana). |
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Location: Denver, CO | Ha ha! Thanks Stephen. I might try to make it out there Friday night. I think I've sang karaoke at Dukes before :-) Ever met a guy out there named Steve Ryals? Big dude, 6-2, 250, long brown hair? |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Possible.....but most nights we play at Dukes there are a bunch of people who fit that description!
Cool if you can make it.....should be a good time cause Dukes is a really fun place.
and if you do, make sure you come up and introduce yourself.....I will be the bass player. |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | Don't let Stephen fool you. Brad's band room is spectacular, but Stephen has a secret stash somewhere from which he can seemingly produce amazing guitars for you to try out. At least that's what it seemed like to me when I was there and fell in love with the #47RI.
Great guys. Look both of them up. |
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Location: Denver, CO | Ok so let me get this straight...I'm coming to see an Adamas man play bass... |
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Location: Flahdaw | Bring LOTS of one dollar bills... |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | LOL....yes, that is true....jack of all trades and master of none....and I also own the only known Adamas bass which was a prototype that I acquire a few years ago from a certain Mr. KK.....so there is some of the connection between bass playing and Adamas loving. As a matter of fact, the only Ovation non-Adamas I own is a '84 collectors that I have tuned Nashville style. Over the years I have sold off all of my wood top Ovations and I have owned at one time or another probably most of the models that they produced.
Edited by stephent28 2012-10-31 1:25 PM
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Location: Miami | dwg preacher - 2012-10-31 10:25 AM
I kind of see the USA Ovation situation like this: Guy rides his Star, or his Honda Shadow, or his Vulcan up to the Harley dealership, gets off, goes in, test rides a new Heritage, or a DWG...comes back out and suddenly HATES the Jap bike. Why? The H scooter is JUST THAT MUCH BETTER! That's kind of how my opinion is developing concerning the (at least the one I have) US-made vs import Os.
Do you think any of that reaction is psychological? I don't ride motorbikes, but I imagine that for those who do, the mystique surrounding Harleys would favorably dispose the rider before he'd even switched the engine on. Having played some Martins, I can't help but feel that some of their guitars sound a bit better for having CF Martin on the headstock. It'd be interesting to do a blindfold test between a US Ovation and an overseas one. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Timolin - 2012-10-31 12:53 PM It'd be interesting to do a blindfold test between a US Ovation and an overseas one.
let us know how that works out for you. |
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Location: Miami | stephent28 - 2012-10-31 2:03 PM
Timolin - 2012-10-31 12:53 PM It'd be interesting to do a blindfold test between a US Ovation and an overseas one. let us know how that works out for you.
I said it "would", not it "will". In fact, even when Ovation USA was still producing standard models, they didn't seem to make their way into mainstream US stores. |
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Location: Flahdaw | Or try a blindfold Harley vs Honda drive test. |
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Location: Miami | darkbarguitar - 2012-10-31 2:10 PM
Or try a blindfold Harley vs Honda drive test.
Nah, not worth the risk for a Chinese Harley!  |
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Location: Denver, CO | I'd pay for tickets to that one but I wouldn't volunteer! Incidentally, since we don't all know these things, how long has it been since Ovation produced "standard" model in the US? Does mine count, or as a re-issue does that disqualify it? |
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| Steve, I want to see that Adamas bass sometime. I think KK showed it to me, but I could be wrong. V. cool! Best wishes. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | You missed it Chazmo....... at the first LTG (3 years ago?) I had it there and it got passed around at the lobby jam. One of the well known guild members (who name escapes me) came up to the table and put down a full bottle of Jack Daniels and said "can I join you guys!.....to which we quickly rearranged the area to accommodate his bottle ( I mean him  ) he proceeded to bogart my Adamas bass for the rest of the evening......leaving me to pour the drinks and sing harmonies!
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | It'd be interesting to do a blindfold test between a US Ovation and an overseas one.
BTW-- Both Jukebox Joe and I have posted side-by-side comparisons of Elite T's and TX's.
A while back I did a side-by-side of a 6778LX and a Celebrity CSE44.
(I think that the CSE's were made in the same Korean factory as the Ultras and now the TX/AX)
The 6778LX and the CSE44 have almost the same specs, except the Celebrity has more Bling.
In a pic that I posted, the CSE44 and the 6778LX looked alike, except the CSE has mother-of-toilet-seat triangular fret markers.
I also had a CSE24 side-by-side with a 1771LX Balladeer... Same thing, the CSE had more Bling.
But you can definitely tell the difference in the sound. (and I found the pic)
Nobody has said that Asian Ovations suck (at least not all of them) but their is a difference in quality.
If you search back to 2008 I was commenting that eBay was selling factory-reject TX and AX guitars before those models were even available at GC or MF.
Here is one obvious difference between USA and Asia manufacture...
If the New Hartford factory found a flaw, they would repair it and sell the guitar as a FRG.
If the Asian factory finds a flaw, they Don't Repair it and sell it anyway... by the container-load.
Hence, all of those "refurbished" Asian Ovations that are on evilBay.
Edited by Old Man Arthur 2012-10-31 2:51 PM
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Location: Denver, CO | Timolin - 2012-10-31 12:53 PM
Do you think any of that reaction is psychological? I don't ride motorbikes, but I imagine that for those who do, the mystique surrounding Harleys would favorably dispose the rider before he'd even switched the engine on.
Speaking only for myself, I can say unequivocably no. I try in all circumstances to avoid reaching any emotional attachment to a brand. In all situations, I try to evaluate products, be they cars, guitars, or blenders, on their merits. As a not-so-great musician, still I try very hard to make sure my instrument compliments me as much as possible, and even as a not-so-great musician, I believe my ears and hands can generally discern true quality.
I have found this same concept is (almost) invariably true with other American manufacturers who also build instruments overseas. Fender is an excellent example. You can rarely find a USA Fender that is basically crap, and you can occasionally find a Japanese or Mexican Fender that is outstanding. The Mexicans have really improved, but they are as a general rule NOT built to the same standards as the Americans. The rule rather than the exception is that the Americans are better.
I think our domestic market demands that the American products meet a higher standard. If a product costs less to produce in Korea or China or Japan or Argentina, from the raw materials to the labor to the factory floor, then it will naturally reach the market at a lower price. To compete, companies like Ovation, and Fender, and even Goodyear Tire must offer their domestic product at a higher price point than their overseas counterpart. The public is not going to pay more money for a comparable product right? So the manufacturer, in an attempt to make their American product more marketable, sets a much higher standard for production. The result is the domestic product develops a cult status that the overseas product can never achieve.
And BTW I've been on just about every scooter out there, and there are a few I would be happy to ride, but not a single brand has ever given me that mile-wide grin that a Harley can. As is music, cycling is a visceral and emotional experience. |
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Location: Miami | dwg preacher - 2012-10-31 3:03 PM
Timolin - 2012-10-31 12:53 PM
Do you think any of that reaction is psychological? I don't ride motorbikes, but I imagine that for those who do, the mystique surrounding Harleys would favorably dispose the rider before he'd even switched the engine on.
Speaking only for myself, I can say unequivocably no. I try in all circumstances to avoid reaching any emotional attachment to a brand. In all situations, I try to evaluate products, be they cars, guitars, or blenders, on their merits. As a not-so-great musician, still I try very hard to make sure my instrument compliments me as much as possible, and even as a not-so-great musician, I believe my ears and hands can generally discern true quality.
I have found this same concept is (almost ) invariably true with other American manufacturers who also build instruments overseas. Fender is an excellent example. You can rarely find a USA Fender that is basically crap, and you can occasionally find a Japanese or Mexican Fender that is outstanding. The Mexicans have really improved, but they are as a general rule NOT built to the same standards as the Americans. The rule rather than the exception is that the Americans are better.
I think our domestic market demands that the American products meet a higher standard. If a product costs less to produce in Korea or China or Japan or Argentina, from the raw materials to the labor to the factory floor, then it will naturally reach the market at a lower price. To compete, companies like Ovation, and Fender, and even Goodyear Tire must offer their domestic product at a higher price point than their overseas counterpart. The public is not going to pay more money for a comparable product right? So the manufacturer, in an attempt to make their American product more marketable, sets a much higher standard for production. The result is the domestic product develops a cult status that the overseas product can never achieve.
And BTW I've been on just about every scooter out there, and there are a few I would be happy to ride, but not a single brand has ever given me that mile-wide grin that a Harley can. As is music, cycling is a visceral and emotional experience.
Interesting comments! |
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What's the verdict on non-US made Ovations?
