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Post subject: Anyone seen this: Fender closing plant in Connecticut?
Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 7:12 pm
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"Scottsdale-based Fender announced Tuesday that it will no longer make its Ovation brand guitars in the United States at its facility in New Hartford, Conn.

Domestic production of the Ovations will cease in June but the Fender Musical Instruments Corp. will continue making the guitars in China, South Korea and Indonesia.

"We are committed to providing the same high quality musical instruments our artists, consumers and customers expect and demand, and will continue to support the brands that are currently being produced in New Hartford," Richard McDonald, Fender senior vice president said in a statement.

Fender explained that insufficient market demand for the guitars prompted its decision.

Ovation guitars are an acoustic-electric hybrid with a round back, a carbon-graphite top and built-in sound pickups so the instrument can be played through amplifiers.

Fender's New Hartford guitarmaking plant in western Connecticut will continue to make Fender acoustic and Guild instruments but that production will move to another facility at a later date.

One former factory worker called it "the end of an iconic American brand."

Fender said 46 employees in New Hartford will be provided severance packages and assistance in finding other jobs when the facility closes."

Sad to hear! My first EBay purchase was an Ovation CS 257 in 2002. It is an amazing acoustic guitar to play through an amp - the on-board electronics sound amazing! Sad to know soon it will no longer be "USA"... I didn't realize that Fender owned Ovation & Guild until I saw this.

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Post subject: Re: Anyone seen this: Fender closing plant in Connecticut?
Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 7:26 pm
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46 more jobs sent overseas, with more to come.

And this also means the death of Fender Acoustic Custom Shop as it exists today.
Those with loose change might want to grab one today, cause the future seems none too promising.


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Post subject: Re: Anyone seen this: Fender closing plant in Connecticut?
Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 7:41 pm
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:mrgreen:

This is the consequence of their greed and also low quality production that reduced the sales.

:shock:


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Post subject: Re: Anyone seen this: Fender closing plant in Connecticut?
Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 8:05 pm
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sad news indeed


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Post subject: Re: Anyone seen this: Fender closing plant in Connecticut?
Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 8:10 pm
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That thoroughly sucks ... I love my MIM Strat & MIC Squier Tele, but any guitars I buy going forward need to be MIA.

I had a job in the nuclear power industry up until last year when my Scottsdale employer had to close the doors due to the serious downturn in the nuclear industry caused by (1) the 2011 tsunami that caused that nuclear disaster in Japan, and (2) low natural gas prices. It is really sad to see so many Americans either looking for work, or under-employed. Very sad all across the board ...

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Post subject: Re: Anyone seen this: Fender closing plant in Connecticut?
Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 8:42 pm
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Another one bites the dust.

:cry:

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Post subject: Re: Anyone seen this: Fender closing plant in Connecticut?
Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 10:48 pm
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This doesn't surprise me at all. Naturally, they include the usual bull statement to go with it. Truth be told, they probably bought out that brand just to shut it down, and sell the crap with their own name on it. Par for the course with Fender, it seems.

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Post subject: Re: Anyone seen this: Fender closing plant in Connecticut?
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 3:43 am
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I wonder if Guild and Hamer guitars will still be made there - I drive by the factory a few times a week, Maybe i'll stop and ask.

I own 3 Ovation guitars that were made in New Hartford and owned a few made in Korea - The overseas models were all junk.

The list of artists who played Ovation acoustics is quite large and maybe more than any other guitar, A real shame they are leaving.


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Post subject: Re: Anyone seen this: Fender closing plant in Connecticut?
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 4:12 am
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That is sad news. No matter what, I will always be loyal with most Fender products. My sympathy to those affected by the closing of the plant.


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Post subject: Re: Anyone seen this: Fender closing plant in Connecticut?
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 5:10 am
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The New Hartford location replaced the Westerly R.I. location for Guild.... I'm not surprised that shutting it down is in it's future....
Personally I always thought Fender should expand the Guild line to compete with Huss and Dalton, high end Larrivee's, upper end Taylor's, Froggy Bottom etc...
There is already enough low end ( but well made ) acoustic manufacturers out there but the $2,500 to $5,000 acoustic market demand is alive and well...
Guild once was highly revered, it is unfortunate that it was left to flounder for so long
Granted that may mean that it would be a downsize, but it would not be a total shut down...
Fender Custom Shop is doing well so an acoustic version should also be well received...

As for Ovations, I have never been a fan of either the tonality, which reminds me of the 80's synthesized sound. Granted on stage in an amplified environment they do perform but as an unamplified acoustic, their tone spectrum is limited and that body shape is next to impossible to play comfortably....

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Post subject: Re: Anyone seen this: Fender closing plant in Connecticut?
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 5:54 am
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This seems to be the way of things. In regards to players this will simply divide them along lines of those that are willing to pay for the higher end instruments that will still be made here. Likely in another shop where Fender is already doing this here in the US. And the people who are comfortable with the value to quality ratio of the imports. There are plenty of import Fenders that can hold their own against American made. However, there is also a lot of lesser quality pieces to sort through in your search for those.

As for keeping labor here, I think unless you're talking about supporting independent privately owned luthiers it's a pretty moot point. Large corporations and the governments that sanction their existence aren't likely to "take one for the team" when it comes to profit. Because collectivist notions of nationalism, and it's kin are just tools sold to the ignorant in an effort to make them easily controllable. They're on the same team. There's a big table, and you don't have a seat. As long as people keep using the violence of government to shape their society. That violence will keep getting sold to the highest bidder.

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Post subject: Re: Anyone seen this: Fender closing plant in Connecticut?
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 7:07 am
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arth1 wrote:
46 more jobs sent overseas, with more to come.


+1

A total decline in industry is one of the leading edges of a fallen nation. We're on a road trip, whether we walk, drive or fly, we're still headed to the same place.


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Post subject: Re: Anyone seen this: Fender closing plant in Connecticut?
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 7:35 am
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Although I admire the abilities of some of the players of those instruments (Glen Cambell in particular), I have never been a fan of Ovation guitars. I don't particularly like the sound and I absolutely hate the feel of the body.

Having said that, it's disappointing that more jobs will go away. I'm just as guilty as anyone for not worrying about the country of origin (three of the four things on my GAS list are made overseas), it's becoming apparent that the US is now a service-based (instead of a manufacturing-based) economy...and since very few items are repairable/serviceable (most are disposable), there will soon be very little to base the economy on.

My only hope is that some of those 46 people have the skills and funds to set up a new manufacturer...a new upstart company rising out of the ashes of this one would be cool...Phoenix Guitars, anyone?

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Post subject: Re: Anyone seen this: Fender closing plant in Connecticut?
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 8:11 am
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Very sad indeed as more work leaves, I guess in the future we will see the USA made Ovation guitar on CL and eBay skyrocket in price for used ones
mud


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Post subject: Re: Anyone seen this: Fender closing plant in Connecticut?
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 8:42 am
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It's a shame. I agree with SA, I could never bond with an Ovation guitar. It's a shame about the job loss. I wish all those affected by the closing a quick and successful job search. I bet if these employees would be willing to relocate, Martin, Taylor etc would snag them up. Martin Guitar hires quite a bit. Personally, I've been buying American made products whenever I can. Even the Tele I made. The body comes from Ohio. Local lumber too. This latest action just makes me want to go the extra mile. I will try my hardest to by American. I even by my food from small, local, organic farmers. I just feel it's the right thing to do.

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