New Hartford Ovation--worth it?

[Thundersteel]

My local music store (Guitar Center) has an Ovation Standard Elite, in new condition with original case, for $950. I played it, and besides needing new strings and a slight truss adjust adjustment, it didn't disappoint. Is the price too high for a New Hartford-made instrument? The dealer won't budge on price.

Oh, and they tried to sell me their $249 "Protection Package" against any future problems. He said Ovations were notorious for having the bridges pop off.  

 

 

[RobB]

That’s a good price.  Before you purchase, ask to speak to the manager. Politely ask him to confirm if they have the OHSC in stock. If not, ask for a 10% discount. 
 

 

[crunchee]

Weren't most if not all Ovation acoustics made in New Hartford, going back at least to the 70's, to until when New Hartford closed?

[Thundersteel]

11 minutes ago, RobB said:

That’s a good price.  Before you purchase, ask to speak to the manager. Politely ask him to confirm if they have the OHSC in stock. If not, ask for a 10% discount. 
 

 

They do have the case; I've seen it. However, it's not a plastic hard case; rather, it is a reinforced padded case--sort of like a hybrid between a hard case and a padded gig bag.

[DaveH]

Pretty.

[RobB]

28 minutes ago, Thundersteel said:

They do have the case; I've seen it. However, it's not a plastic hard case; rather, it is a reinforced padded case--sort of like a hybrid between a hard case and a padded gig bag.

In that case, full steam ahead!

[Dutchman]

I have 3 Ovations and 1 Adamas. I have never experienced any bridge issues. All of them have the New Hartford sticker. From what I've been told the Adamas had one builder and was a Custom order. 

If you can't tell, I like Ovations. Just make sure there's a strap on it all the time.

[hamerhead]

Of the 3 I've had, none ever had bridge issues.

That one looks pretty sweet.

[JGale]

+1 for strap-ons!

[DaveL]

I have a 2000 elite that I bought new from mars music in Boston.   By far the guitar I’ve owned for the longest.    Saying something given that I go thru guitars faster than Liz Taylor went thru husbands.   Deal?    Depends.    Is it one with the 5 piece neck and also. These guitars are going  on twenty years,  how are the frets?

 

    I’ve seen ovations really cheap at gc.  $950 is kind of high unless it’s in stellar shape.  
 

 

here’s a couple with the 5 pc necks but I think it depends on condition   Fretwear, top bulge etc   

 

https://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/Ovation/ELITE-Acoustic-Electric-Guitar.gc?rNtt=Ovation elite &index=1

 

https://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/Ovation/1868-Elite-Acoustic-Electric-Guitar.gc?rNtt=Ovation elite &index=20

 

 

[Thundersteel]

It does have the 5-piece neck, and the frets show no wear at all. The guitar looks as if it was barely played; I didn’t see a mark on it anywhere. 

It has a slight top bulge; but every acoustic guitar I played at GC today had the same bulge, if not worse.

As for the Guitar Center links, they don’t specify where they were made. Some Elites were made overseas. Circa 2014, IIRC, Ovation moved manufacturing from USA to Asia. 

[DaveL]

4 minutes ago, Thundersteel said:

It does have the 5-piece neck, and the frets show no wear at all. The guitar looks as if was barely played; I didn’t see a mark on it anywhere. 

If it has been well preserved like that then that’s definitely a plus.    Mine plays great…. Holds its tuning well too. 

[crunchee]

I have two early-mid '80's NH Ovation 1111s that I plunk on now and then, they sound good to my ears for what they are.  The 1111 is the plain no-piezo acoustic version, and for home use it's plenty loud.  I'm not a fan of the Ovation piezo bridge PU/saddle, one of these days I'll get around to replacing the small plastic saddle on mine with bone, and have a more modern acoustic PU installed.

The worst thing about shopping for a good used older Ovation acoustic is that they're not always easy to find in good shape...people tend to mistreat them and think they're indestructible because of the Lyrachord back, such as storing them in the trunk of their car in cold weather, then bringing them indoors much too fast to a much warmer climate.  That's a great way to put a big ugly crack in the finish of the spruce top, and I've seen it happen to other people before.  

Edited to add: never heard of bridges 'popping off' being an issue either, at least not on older Ovations. Sounds to me like they just wanted to tack on another $249 to the bill.  How old is the guitar in question, anyway?

[Steve Haynie]

You can get a bridge repair for $249 if you ever need it.  Save your money.

[Disturber]

Would 500$ be a good price for a Ovation Custom Ballader from 1975, model 1612-1? No original hard case, only a gig bag. Guitar seem to be in good shape.

[Jeff R]

I've only seen one bridge separation on an Ovation cross my bench. Granted, I don't get a lot of Ovations in for repair but I get enough of them to know "Ovations were notorious for having the bridges pop off" is fullashit. Percentage wise, I see a lot more Martins with bridge separations than Ovations. Mostly due to hide glue deterioration over time.

What I do see with older Ovations more frequently, however, is not only soundboard cracks for reason crunchee stated; but neck geometry shifting over time, sinking soundboards around the soundhole, and the subsequent developing of high action that requires a neck reset to correct.

BE SURE to check the guitar's setup and make sure it is set up to your liking before you commit. If you've already done all you can with an Ovation's truss rod and/or nut slots, and removed any factory shims from under the A/E saddle (which can't be ground down like a traditional saddle) ... the only remedy for crap action is a neck reset, which often costs more than the value of the typical used Ovation. I have never attempted an Ovation neck reset and I don't plan to - I know enough about the design to realize that in my hands at least, as much can go wrong as can go right.

[Thundersteel]

Well, I bought it. The strings that were on it were kind of funky, so I asked if they'd throw in a few sets of strings--no dice. They would give me a set only if I bought their Protection Plan. 🤨 Time to clean it up and play!

Edit: Inside the case were all the manuals and tools--and a new set of strings!

[Dave Scepter]

19 minutes ago, Thundersteel said:

Well, I bought it... Time to clean it up and play!

Congratulations!.. now you can play some Heart tunes... 🤘

[Thundersteel]

Another GC has an Ovation 12-string.  Tempting...

 

[Dave Scepter]

 

3 minutes ago, Thundersteel said:

Another GC has an Ovation 12-string.  Tempting...

 

Take that money and buy a Alvarez Yari instead 😃

[hamerhead]

25 minutes ago, Dave Scepter said:

 

Take that money and buy a Alvarez Yari instead 😃

Had a 6-string Yari. Easily the biggest- and fullest-sounding acoustic I've ever played. An absolute cannon. Shoulda kept it.

[Dave Scepter]

55 minutes ago, hamerhead said:

Had a 6-string Yari. Easily the biggest- and fullest-sounding acoustic I've ever played. An absolute cannon. Shoulda kept it.

Yup, the fine craftsmanship and excellent woods "some of the finest" used will rival any Taylor/Martin... another monster Japanese made instrument that often gets overlooked 

[Thundersteel]

When I was in GC that day, I played an Indonesian Yamaha, as well as a Chinese Breedlove. Both instruments sounded fantastic, and had great build quality. A Canadian Seagull sounded great as well. I was really tempted to get the Breedlove instead, but the "Made in China" stigma still bugs me. YMMV.

I've done more research on Breedlove, and it seems they are Breedlove in name only, sort of like how Guild and D"Angelico currently are.

[Jeff R]

I am a big fan of Seagull, I made a lot of money gigging with them in the 1990s. They kind of remind me of the acoustic version of Heritage. Made here (okay, North America), solid materials and solid workmanship = a solid instrument. And a hideous headstock as an Achilles heel and a subsequent marketplace speed bump LOL. Seagulls are incredible values on the new market when A/Bed with others at their price point, and steals are commonplace on the used market. The latter scenario is a great way to get a "cheap acoustic" that's only cheap on the price tag.

[Biz Prof]

1 hour ago, Jeff R said:

I am a big fan of Seagull, I made a lot of money gigging with them in the 1990s. They kind of remind me of the acoustic version of Heritage. Made here (okay, North America), solid materials and solid workmanship = a solid instrument. And a hideous headstock as an Achilles heel and a subsequent marketplace speed bump LOL. Seagulls are incredible values on the new market when A/Bed with others at their price point, and steals are commonplace on the used market. The latter scenario is a great way to get a "cheap acoustic" that's only cheap on the price tag.

This^^^

I bought a Seagull parlor size guitar partly because I wanted a decent sounding/playing acoustic that would be easy to take on weekend trips or to keep on a stand in the living room. Ugly-ass headstock aside, it has excellent build quality, a expertly applied satin finish, and sounds great. For what I spent on it, I have no incentive to sell it, so the would-be horrible resale value is not a factor.