isn't takamine the budget model of ovation?  Like squire is to fender?
(or have i got it backwards, it's been ages since I've read a guitar mag)
Ironically Kaman the parent company to the ovation/takamine/hamer music division isn't that far from where I work (but since they do some defense stuff it's not the type of place I think you drop in and look at guitars, larf! 
I've always had crap guitars, and some day I want to get a les paul or perhaps a PRS or something.  I just never had a guitar that had good action and held intonation very well. *shrug*
rampy