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Joined:
January 2004
Posts: 17
Location: Ontario, Canada | I bought an ovation about 20 years ago. I admit, although I play, I don't know a lot about guitars themselves. The model # is 1139 and I can't find it anywwhere on the ovation site. I brought it in to get the neck adjusted (action is too high) and the guy told me it can't be adjusted...it has an aluminium neck. Can anybody tell me anything about this guitar. It's been great up till now, but is no longer fun to play.....any suggestions? |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | While neck adjustment has a minor influence on action, it is not the primary function of a neck rod. Action should be adjusted at the nut & saddle & the rod adjusted to the appropriate releif for the string guage & playing style. Your guitar, which is either an Ultra or a Balladeer special (use the search function above and you'll find a lot of information) has an aluminium neck and cannot be adjusted. The theory being that it should never need adjusting. If the saddle is as low as it will go then the guitar will require some surgery, either at the bridge, and/or at the neck joint. Both jobs require skill & some knowledge of the construction of Ovations. |
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Joined:
January 2004
Posts: 17
Location: Ontario, Canada | Thanks Paul. There is definitely a "bow" in the neck, so I guess the theory about aluminium never needing adjusting is wrong. Thanks also for the info on the model. I'll let you know if I can get if fixed or not. |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Guy, call the guys at B&J in Toronto, they might be able to help. |
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Joined:
January 2004
Posts: 17
Location: Ontario, Canada | Thanks CWK2. I'm going to call today!
I love this site! |
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Joined:
January 2004
Posts: 648
Location: Florida | Well... you can always try lighter gauge strings, or even strings with smaller steel cores of the same gauge, etc etc.
The idea is less tension, less "bow" |
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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 782
Location: Waurika OK | I don't know anything about alum. neck guitars, but it seems that the same process that is used to true up shotgun barrels would have an application on alum. neck guitars. It is basically something to rest each end of the barrel on and a threaded rod with a wooden block is screwed down on the center of the barrel until it is once again straight. Why wouldn't this work on a metal guitar neck?
The statement "I have owned a guitar for 20 years, but don't know much about guitars" caught my attention. A teenage boy is coming to my house once a week and I am showing him some chords, scales, etc. I am not a teacher, don't know enough, but in addition to the playing, I started yesterday showing him how to change strings, clean up his guitar, what the various parts of the guitar are called and their function. For most people, knowing something about the guitar itself will help them in the future, even with their playing. Probably a lot of the guitars that are stored in closets or under the bed are there because the strings went dead or the truss rod needed adjustment or the saddle needed lowering or the intonation was off and without understanding what makes a guitar work, they were written off as just a no-good guitar.
Noel |
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Joined:
January 2004
Posts: 17
Location: Ontario, Canada | Thanks to CWK2 Paul Templeman, Charlie B and xnoel. I know it's been a long time since I first posted my problem. I finally sent the guitar back to Ovation. It had a limited life time warranty. I got it back a week ago and it's great. I had to pay for the labour but that wasn't too bad. Frankly it's the best it's been since I got it. Nobody would touch it around here. They adjusted the neck, dressed the frets and cleaned it up. It looks great and plays even better. Again thanks for the replies. You got me going on the right track. |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 1817
Location: Minden, Nebraska | All's well that ends well, as it is said. Enjoy your guitar.
Most of us who have many Ovations sooner or later get to know about sending one to the mother ship. |
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Info on my ovation - my first posting