>> AFTER IT WAS SOLD AND THE FACTORY CLOSED DOWN LAST YEAR IT
LOOKS LIKE THE END OF THE LINE OF THE FAMED OVATION GUITAR
BRAND IN CONNECTICUT. ALL PRODUCTION WAS TAKEN TO
ASIA. IT WAS PURCHASED BY DRUM
WORKSHOP AND A PITCH WAS MADE TO THE NEW OWNERS TO BRING THEM
BACK AND THEY DID. REOPENING AND THE ICONIC OVATION
BRAND WILL BE ONCE AGAIN PROUDLY PRODUCED IN CONNECTICUT.
>> REALLY, OVATION WAS THE FIRST ACOUSTIC ELECTRIC GUITAR.
IT WAS STARTED BY CHARLIE COMMAND WHO MADE HELICOPTERS.
HE HAD A PASSION FOR GUITARS AND DECIDED LET'S BUILD SOME
GUITARS. HE USED THE SAME MATERIAL USED
FOR HELICOPTER PROPELLERS AND MADE IT FOR THE BODY OF THE
GUITAR. IT RESONATES WITH A SPECIAL
SOUND. >> I NEEDED TO GET THE SOUND OF
AN ACOUSTIC GUITAR IN THE REO SPEEDWAGON LIVE CONCERT.
I NEEDED SOMETHING THAT THE SOUND CUT WAS ALSO KIND OF
MOBILE. OVATION CREATED THIS, AND THAT
WAS SOMETHING WE WORKED ON BACK IN THE 1980s.
SO I'VE BEEN PLAYING THEM EVER SINCE.
>> PAUL MCCARTNEY, SIMON AND GARFUNKEL, MELISSA ETHRIDGE,
GLEN CAMPBELL, THROUGH THE AGES BECAUSE THEY REALLY WERE THE
ONLY ACOUSTIC ELECTRIC AT THE BEGINNING.
EVERYONE WANTED TO PLAY THEM. >> THIS IS THE FAMOUS ROUND BACK
PART OF THE OVATION INSTRUMENT, WHAT MAKES IT SO SPECIAL.
AND SO ACOUSTICALLY PLEASING WHEN YOU PLUG IT IN.
IT'S THE BEST SOUNDING GUITAR YOU COULD EVER HAVE LIVE.
IT STARTS OFF AS A PIECE OF A CLOTH FIBER AND GETS INLAID AND
MANY, MANY, MANY HOURS, IT COULD TAKE UP TO 40 HOURS TO BUILD ONE
OVATION GUITAR. >> THIS IS THE WAY LUTHIERS DO
IT. >> WE HEARD THE STORY ABOUT HOW
THEY HAD CLOSED DOWN THE FACTORY AND THAT WAS REALLY SAD.
>> THE WORKERS HAD BEEN LAID OFF, ALL EXCEPT FOUR OF THE
GUYS. >> I WAS THE GUITAR BUILD FORE
OVER 30 YEARS. ONE OF THE THINGS I REALLY HAD A
HARD TIME WITH WAS THE THOUGHT THIS FACTORY WOULD BE GONE
FOREVER. >> SO DRUM WORKSHOP WAS LUCKY
ENOUGH TO PURCHASE OVATION AS BRAND.
>> MY THOUGHTS WERE THE ONLY SHOT WE HAD OF EVER KEEPING THIS
PLACE OPEN WAS TO HAVE IT LOOK LIKE IT WAS READY TO GO.
>> WHEN HE WALKED IN THE DOOR, THE FOUR GUYS THAT WERE LEFT SET
EVERYTHING UP IN A PRODUCTION LINE PRETTY MUCH LIKE IT IS OVER
THERE NOW. IT WAS AMAZING TO SEE.
[APPLAUSE] >> I HAVE BEFORE YOU 200 YEARS
WORTH OF MAKING OVATION GUITARS. >> WE REALLY DIDN'T GIVE UP
HOPE, PUSHED FOR IT. LUCKILY SOMEONE LIKE D. W. CAME
IN AND WERE WILLING TO GIVES US SHOT.
>> SO MANY PRODUCTS HAVE GONE OVERSEAS AND I THINK IT'S
IMPORTANT FOR CONNECTICUT AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITY TO GIVE
THESE FOLKS NOT JUST A JOB BUT TO KIND OF RECONNECT THEM WITH
THEIR PASSION. >> WE TOURED THE FACTORY EARLIER
AND JUST THE JOY THAT I FELT FROM EACH ONE OF THESE GUY
AGENTS PRIDE THEY TAKE IN MAKING THESE INSTRUMENTS, YOU KNOW, WE
TAKE IT FOR GRANTED BECAUSE WE JUST PLAY THEM.
BOY, WHEN YOU SEE THE GUYS ACTUALLY PUTTING THEM TOGETHER
IT'S PRETTY SPECIAL. >> RIGHT NOW WE'RE VERY SMALL.
WE'VE BROUGHT THREE GUYS BACK THAT WERE LAID OFF.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US GROW AND BE ABLE TO BRING MORE PEOPLE
BACK TO WORK AND ADDITIONAL PEOPLE, AS WELL.
>> I'M AN AMERICAN, AND I LIKE THE IDEA OF THE GUITARS I PLAY
BEING MADE BY AMERICANS WHO ARE SUPPORTING AMERICAN FAMILIES AND
THAT'S WHAT WE NEED MORE OF. I'M REALLY PROUD AS EVER, MAYBE
MORE SO THAN EVER, TO BE PLAYING OVATION GUITARS.
BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY ARE DOING, IT'S WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN
ALL OVER THE PLACE IN OTHER INDUSTRIES.
[APPLAUSE]