The iconic Ovation Guitars Factory located in New Hartford, Connecticut has officially reopened its doors and resumed USA production of its innovative, round back, “acoustic/electric” guitars, basses, mandolins and ukuleles. The announcement was made by the company’s new owner, Oxnard, California-based instrument manufacturer Drum Workshop, Inc.  In celebration of this auspicious event, Ovation Guitar “super-fans” from around the world have been invited to the Ovation factory building to attend a private, acoustic performance by Kevin Cronin and members of the multiplatinum-selling rock band, REO Speedwagon. Cronin, a long-time endorser of Ovation guitars, will officially mark the reopening of the previously shuttered factory by strumming the first-off-the-line, Limited Edition 50th Anniversary Commemorative Custom Elite Guitar which will be produced exclusively in New Hartford.

“The Ovation USA factory is the foundation of the brand, and the craftsmen working there have nearly 200 years of combined knowledge of the brand. Our ‘Made in America’ philosophy is what helped build the DW brand and we firmly believe the same philosophy will help define Ovation moving forward,” explained Drum  Workshop president/CEO Chris Lombardi. “The fact that Ovation Guitars will celebrate its 50th Anniversary in its long-time home and under the stewardship of the same artisans who have contributed so much to its legacy means a great deal to us – as well as the artists and fans who have loved Ovation for half a century.”

With the reopening of its USA factory, Ovation plans a rollout of new guitar models that will retain many of the brand’s classic features including; the brand’s distinctive parabolic shape, Sitka spruce soundboards, and innovative onboard electronics. The new models will also feature exotic wood and mother of pearl inlays, as well as Ovation’s emblematic inlaid wood epaulets and multiple sound holes that increase the instrument’s volume and reduce feedback during amplification.

A number of signature models for Ovation artists are planned for production including REO Speedwagon lead singer, Kevin Cronin’s gloss-black Ovation Viper featuring an ebony fret board and tortoise shell-inspired, custom wood epaulets – as well as signature model guitars for guitarist/composer Kaki King and GRAMMY® and Academy Award®-winning, singer/songwriter Melissa Etheridge.