Production of renowned Ovation guitars to resume in US

A Connecticut factory that produced Ovation guitars for nearly a half century before closing last year will resume making the renowned instruments, thanks to the efforts of factory employees. Four workers remained on the payroll after the New Hartford plant closed, and one of them, Darren Wallace, spent hundreds of hours of his own time setting up what equipment was left so it would be ready if production ever began again. After Ovation was sold in December, the new owner planned to move the remaining operations to California but decided to keep them in New Hartford after seeing what Wallace had done. The factory had earned a reputation for turning out high-quality acoustic guitars praised for their tone and craftsmanship. Music legends who have played Ovations include Paul Simon, Cat Stevens, Glen Campbell, John Lennon, Mick Jagger and Eddie Van Halen. The factory has the basic machines and tools needed for production, but the workers will have to build some special equipment to replace machinery and tooling that was removed from the factory after it closed. Employees have started building prototypes and intend to ramp up production this month. They're also getting ready to produce 50th anniversary editions for next year's Ovation milestone. While the cheapest Ovation models made in Asian factories generally cost the consumer between $300 and $400, Ovations made in New Hartford will run between $3,000 and $5,000 because of the quality difference, Wallace said.