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Location: Atlanta,Ga. | Brad, the original benchmark for ovation was a martin D28 and Jim Rickards pre war D45.So that was "the original intention and idea" ..So if ovation was to build a wood guitar then maybe they can accomplish what they set out to do 40 years ago..But this not what i would want from a wooden ovation.Not a copy of martin,taylor ,larrivee.I would want it to have its own unique voice and sound..
As far as the "Q" i have played two prototypes and they were pretty good but not going to send shivers up anyones spine.There is a reason why it has never been produced even though it was introduced in 1997.I dont think Ovation has ever been satisfied with it.. |
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Location: Midland, MI | Originally posted by Standingovation:
...but isn't it possible that JUST MAYBE if they could take off the blinders and compete with Martin and Taylor on an equal footing that they might just suceed? ... As I frequently remind my boys, 'Anything is possible, it all comes down to probability.'
Yes, Ovation probably could make an all wood acoustic or acoustic-electric and compete with the GibMarTayDers of the guitar world. It would not be on an equal footing, however, as Ovation has always been the black sheep, tupperware building, plastic bending, fiberglass reinforced underdog.
How do you like your Preachers, Deacons, Vipers and Breadwinners? Was the quality of those Ovation electrics less than, the equal of, or superior to the quality of what Gibson and Fender were turning out in the 70s? How did they sell? How are they viewed now? Why do you think the result with an all wood acoustic or acoustic-electric would be any different?
Besides, if Ovation were to go that route (heh!), they'd be in direct competition with Takamine, and I highly doubt the agreement is going to allow for that. As long as I'm on that topic, how are Takamines viewed in the market? What's that? The MarTayGibDer crowd call them 'Take Mine!' But, they're superior to the A-Es that TayDerGibMar make! How can they not respect them? Oh, wait, they're imported, so they have a strike against them already...they're not starting on an equal footing. Yet, Ovation would be?
I think O should make the best damned guitar they can...by innovating. A wood box like everyone else is making is not innovation.
Maybe I'm just cynical. |
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Location: Warren,Pa. | The factory is making guitars as fast as they can. They've added more employees. What's the problem? It doesn't look like the world has lost interest in Ovations. If I want to buy a wood guitar, I have 150 brands to choose from. There seem to be plenty of people interested in Ovations to keep the Company happy. Let's get away from this negative tunnel vision. Me' I'd like to see an easily obtainable Cedar top model or two. |
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Location: North Texas | The uniqueness of the Ovation is it's Lyrachord bowl. The engineering is what gives the guitar it's resonance and projection. Why would Kamen want to produce a wooden guitar which, at best, could match the Martin/Taylor models? They could have produced one forty years ago. The company has had great success doing what they do. I don't see the incentive for producing the same basic product that hundreds of other established guitar builders are manufactoring. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Let's face it...
Carbon Fiber is going to be the new standard (until we develop biological membranes suitable for instruments)...
Many stringed instruments are now being made of CF; Bass, Cello, Viola, Violin...There are many classical musicians playing these instruments as I type.
Guitar will follow.
"Q" should be the Ovation of 1968 in 2007 |
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Location: North Texas | I don't know what the "Q" is, but if it sounds good I'm all for it. |
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Location: Orange County, California | Bill,
Where's that pic of the Q you put up before? |
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Location: Orange County, California | Originally posted by bauerhillboy:
The factory is making guitars as fast as they Me' I'd like to see an easily obtainable Cedar top model or two. My local GC has the Baladeer Special with an inlaid rosette and Cedar top for $699. I took a noob into the "expensive room" with it, and HE was astonished that it sounded every bit as good as a $2799 Taylor with a cedar top. It also had more warmth and a different character than just about every other O in the place. The only other really unique voice they have is an '05 collectors. |
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Location: San Bernardino, California | http://www.ovationfanclub.com/photos/cliff_31449_q10.jpg |
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Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | You guys have hit on it....Ovation should be innovating into an all-carbon-fiber guitar as fast as they can. Wood is not the future. Carbon fiber is.
If Ovation came out with an all-wood guitar they would be LAUGHED AT. It's like the dorky kid that suddenly buys "cool" clothes to try to fit in at school....it doesn't work.
The direction should be a "box guitar" shape with "normal" sides and back, but in carbon fiber. OK, maybe contour the back a bit. THAT is the direction they should go.
An all-wood roundback is also a valid direction, but with shrinking wood supplies, plus cost of production, a waste of time, I'm afraid.
All I know is every time I go to Elderly, I play the all-carbon Rainsongs (they are next to the Os), and I really like them.....
Roger |
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Location: Atlanta,Ga. | I think this is one of the better topics weve had here in a while.Lots of good thoughts thrown around .Heres another thought.If Ovation was to offer traditional wood back guitars and make them a stand alone line like "Adamas" and still offer its traditional roundback models for those die hard ovation fans then who have they hurt? no one..The line could be as follows.
1-Ovation traditional roundback line
2- Adamas models (graphite top)
3- A all graphite model line (like CA or rainsong)
4-traditional wood side and back guitars with ovation single soundhole and muliti soundhole design.Have distinct ovation features like leaf rosette and apelettes,carved trus covers and bridges.. |
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Location: closely held secret | I like it, Roger. I prefer the sound of Adamas over Rainsong, and would really be excited to see what they could do with an all-fiber guitar.
I don't like the sharp edges of a box guitar. But a box guitar with softly rounded edges (ShutUpWhitehead!) would be much more comfortable.
Now, what if they put the bowl inside the box to take advantage of the acoustic properties? |
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Location: Utah | I'd love to see a solid body electric. It's a tough market, though. But I think that there is a real market for a more upscale fit-and-finish type of electric that would be played by aging enthusiasts, whereas most electrics seem to appeal to the teenager. |
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Location: SoCal | Hamer |
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Location: Utah | Originally posted by samova:
I also want to say that i find it interesting that many complain about Ovation not getting the respect they deserve and i walk into music stores and see ovations with florescent orange and purple colors and flames on them.Kinda hard to take a company serious with that crap hanging on the wall.Hell, why not put a clown nose on the bridge and mickey mouse ears on each shoulder while your at it. Sam, I think you are missing the marketing aspect of the flame tops. My 13 yr old daughter needed a new guitar and was instantly sold on the Elite T due to the red flame top. Bammo! Ovation created a new customer. She categorically rejected the textured top Elite T, btw.
Had the guitar been for me, I would have chosen one of the nicely inlaid natural wood topped guitars. (We'll ignore for now the fact that I play her guitar daily...)
I don't think that there is a problem with a company marketing to several demographics. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Originally posted by Waskel:
I don't like the sharp edges of a box guitar. But a box guitar with softly rounded edges (ShutUpWhitehead!) would be much more comfortable. Ehh...err...ah.... |
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Location: Midland, MI | Originally posted by moody, p.i.:
Hamer Second that, if you're in the Gibson market. If you're in the Fender market, try G&L (yeah, I'm a recent convert, so sue me). |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | I'm with Flysig. Although my daughter may be a little less radical than yours, she really wanted a green guitar, since green is her favorite color. The Celebrity Deluxe in Nutmeg Quilted Maple may not have been her first choice and would not have been mine, but it was good enough to make her Christmas and hence mine. Ovation will probably now have another lifelong fan. She also believes that the roundback is much more comfortable for women.
Ovation needs to have some bling to appeal to the youngsters. |
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| I would like to know why You think it would be so expensive to produce a wooden round back???? really????? Certainly if some like myself was going to make one it would take a great deal of time. I'd need to do this with power tools held by hand and constant monitoring of my work using large calipers. And therefore the great expense....that is if I needed to make one to sell. One for myself would be a labor of love.
But at the factory.... I am quite sure you could come up with a great laminating jig and an automated cutting machinethat would cut the inside and outside shapes to very close tolerances and then a few minutes worth of light sanding and shaping by hand to send it on to the finishing room?? A body like this should not be much more labor intensive than say an adamas 1 neck.
For something completely new and something no other company has.... tool up.... and make some of these real nice laminated wood bowl backs! The colors of the strips would be endless. You could use up some scrap wood like this as well?? I would be very, very curious to see what a wood back would sound like through a carbon top??
If you make these I want the first one!
My request is a matching Adamas 1 Carbon Top matching 5 string Bass, and 6/12 Guitar set. in the original #7 color with a bowl made from laminations of maple and walnut. And the marketability aspect of this, is this (for me anyway) and I'll bet a few more...I'd sell all my older Ovations to fund a purchase such as this..there is no other guitar made anywhere that could get me to do this! Think about it.... you make a guitar that has the old Adamas 1's beat and you'll get guy's like me to buy a brand new factory made guitar. Now that just has to be a thought worth something to the board room??? A very big part of your higher end American guitar market already owns the guitars they plan to keep until they are gone. If you want new purchases from this market then you'll have to give them something that is over the top???? I just can't imagine how beautiful a black custom legend with all the MOP inlays would be with an ebony round back!!!... I'd bet you'd get a bunch of guy's selling their old Legends to come back to the factory for one of these!
Randy
Ohhh yeah I want the "planets" inlays in the necks as well. ! not asking to much am I?? |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Originally posted by Waskel:
Now, what if they put the bowl inside the box to take advantage of the acoustic properties? I actually proposed that about 4 years ago (some place in the Vault). Make it LOOK like a traditional guitar on the outside, but use the space age plastics on the inside.
Dave |
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Location: Cicero, NY | I've got a bit of a question too - at the outset of this thread (which I also think is a good one), along with a few of what seems to be relatively standard (12 fret, slothead, etc.), a couple of the guys specifically mentioned "pure acoustic". My question - why "pure acoustic"? Why wouldn't you make a great sounding acoustic guitar, then drop good electronics into it? I would agree that electronics never seem to capture the true essence, but wouldn't it still be pretty darn good for an a/e? |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Weight and pre amps do effect the way air moves inside the guitar. |
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Location: Cicero, NY | No question, and I may be showing some "inexperience" here but, that significantly? Would it turn an outstanding acoustic into a lesser a/e? |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | If you think in terms of volume (space not sound) and the area that the pre amp occupies as a ratio of the total volume of the box, you get a pretty significant percentage of the box that isn't contributing to sound... |
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Location: closely held secret | Maybe 5%? |
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Plant a seed
