Ovation USA closes down

[Django Fret]

Charlie Kaman passed on at 91 in 1991 having reinvented the guitar. I believe he commented in an interview along the line of how he worked hard to get the vibration out of helicopter blades, while working as hard to put vibration into ovation's products.

Have never been a fan of their Celebrity or Applause mandolins, the nut width feels off to me, but have loved the Hartford, CT. made in USA ones. Ovation USA made a great stage mandolin.

Thanks for the post Ted!

Just to set the record straight, Charlie Kaman passed away on January 31, 2011 and he had sold the KMC Musicorp company to Fender in 2008. The Ovation repair shop is still in operation in CT, but production ceased at the end of May of this year.

[stevedenver]

long ago I had a glen campbell model, like in 1973, it was my travel /college guitar so my beloved Martin didn't get beaten, broken or stolen. I The Ovations neck was just like my Martins in feel, which is what sold me, and, I could sit on wet lawns, rocky areas etc with abandon, leave it overnight in the Colorado winter if need be, etc.. I liked the guitar a lot. I gave it to a needy friend a few years later. It was always a bit of a challenge to sit with as they tend to roll out, even with the little rubber grip pad they sometimes had.

I went looking for another high end ovation and almost bought an adamas, again to travel with and stage but for Ovation's terrible reputation regarding repair and warranty work. Hard to buy a high end instrument with confidence.

Oddly I have always liked the low end ovation mando, for the simple reason that within its price range, it is a nicely playing and well intonated instrument, despite its odd sound.

[delsbrother]

Is the repair shop at the same address as before? Or did they move shop?

[Django Fret]

I believe that they moved to a different location within the same building but I don't know if the address has changed. Best bet is to contact John Budny at john.budny@kmcmusic.com and they are open for business after about a month delay due to the move. There is additional information about what they can provide for repairs at this link.

[Pasha Alden]

What a pity. The ovation has even had an effect on mandolins, so I am sad to hear about the guitar factory closing down.

[allenhopkins]

Ovation will build them in "China, South Korea and Indonesia," the USA Today story says, so there'll still be plenty around. Sad to hear that 46 US jobs have been lost, but Microsoft's dropping 18,000 and Hewlett-Packard 16,000 this year alone, so "drop in the bucket" comes to mind.

There's an apparently unstoppable migration of certain types of manufacturing to Asia and Eastern Europe. Bright side is that the instruments produced in these regions continue to improve in quality. Downside is that US workers with certain skills and experience can't work for the firms that shutter their facilities here.

But as Kalamazoo Gibson spun off Heritage, and Montana Flatiron/Gibson spun off Weber, some of these closed or relocated manufacturers leave us with talented workers who continue to build. Let's hope.

[nickster60]

A very sad statistic but 5000 companies have moved or went out of business since the great recession in the state of CT. Residents have also been leaving also about 300,000 in the past decade.

[Charlieshafer]

A little too negative, there, Nickster. Living in Connecticut (for close to 60 years), there are still plenty of companies making a ton of money. Businesses disappear every year in every state, many because they simply weren't managed well, were undercapitalized, or their product simply was outdated. There are thread mills, brass mills, and other assorted old abandoned hulks all over the state. But, right next door to them are newer business that are doing just fine. I can walk through the woods and see the ruins of old paper mills, saw mills, barns, houses, all nothing but overgrown foundations now. The state didn't disappear as they did, it's just economic evolution. As far as population goes, it's stable. No houses for sale in my neighborhood, and down along the train line into NYC, there's a rush that hasn't been seen in decades. All those bankers that supposedly lost their jobs are working for hedge funds. Manufacturing may be down, but that's true with many states. I know I'm as busy as ever. Are my rates way up? Nope, still holding steady at what they were 7 years ago, but outside of C.E.O.'s and computer programmers, that's true with just about everybody.

When the recession hit the real estate market, many builders I know had to let most of their crews go. As things picked up over the past year, they tried to hire them back, but couldn't. Why? Most had started their own home improvement business, had their own employees, and were making more money on their own.

As far as the unemployed luthiers at Ovation; yes, it's a bummer for sure. But, maybe just a few of them will start their own shops and go on to become the next Dudenbostels. I'm pretty sure Lynn started his business after he had lost his "day" job.

[nickster60]

Most of my friends who I went to college with have already left including myself. Of my remaining friends more than half would like to leave and are making plans to do so. Madison is a lovely town but the picture isn't as bright in Central Ct. The numbers I quoted are readily available and this has been a trend for decades. Charlie there is a recent Forbes article discussing the state of the Ct business environment.

[nickster60]

The article is below. I have always loved my Ovation instruments and was proud to own instruments that were made in my home state.



https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...76943099,d.eXY

[Django Fret]

Yesterday was a great day in New Hartford, CT with the official reopening of the Ovation Factory in the USA! REO Speedwagon performed, the politicians kept the speeches short, and a good time was had by all in the Parrott Delaney Tavern which is where the old factory was located.

http://www.wfsb.com/story/30354429/o...ctory-reopens-...

http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/l...337259841.html

USA built Mandos will be available as a custom order, but probably not until after the run of 50th Anniversary Guitars are completed. Those will start shipping in January, 2016.

[mandroid]

My Ex Yankee Friends say the Property Costs and taxes are Punitive for the Labor class. In CT ,

particularly LI Sound View Lots. former Fishing Villages now summer homes for that

Hartford remains in weak Shape Because Yale Is treated like a Church. Exempt.




I expect the Kaman products Like Helicopter blades for the DOD is till OK..

[DavidKOS]

Wasn't it Glen Campbell who made Ovation famous by playing/endorsing an Ovation guitar on his show The Glen Campbell Good Tme Hour in 1968?

I think Cat Stevens used one too back in the day.

Yes, because the real reason Ovation got so much use early on was NOT the molded backs, but the fact that they were one of the first workable acoustic-electric guitars.

Now, acoustic-electrics are commonplace and the pickups and built-in EQ are quite good - unlike when Ovation hit the market.

[Explorer]

I think the rounded back does produce a different sound than a flat-back instrument. I have both Ovation instruments and a few of the Hohner Eclipse guitars, which use woven wood for their backs.

[Charlieshafer]

My Ex Yankee Friends say the Property Costs and taxes are Punitive for the Labor class. In CT ,

particularly LI Sound View Lots. former Fishing Villages now summer homes for that

Hartford remains in weak Shape Because Yale Is treated like a Church. Exempt.




I expect the Kaman products Like Helicopter blades for the DOD is till OK..

Yale is in New Haven, and is a major source of jobs there, and very highly skilled ones at that. Anything on the water in any part of the country is considerably more expensive than inland, and therefor get hit with higher taxes. Can we just talk about the fact that Ovation is back in business? Even if it's just a small factory at this point, it's back in business in the USA.