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January 2004
Posts: 2
Location: northants | Hi Guys,
I'm a new guy on here from the (cold!)
UK!.. having had loads of guitars over the years
(i'm 56) electric, acoustics, 6&12 string..ect..
i have just bought my first Ovation (off Ebay!)
its a Legend 1767 made in 1990!
I havent got it yet, but i'm thinking..will this guitar blow me away! will it fill my expectations! or will i hate it! after all it is hard to explain how a guitar sounds, is'nt it?
I bought it because i've never had one before, i
only know what i've read about them?
So, can you Ovation Legend fans tell me what you think?? :rolleyes:
When it arrives i will give you my verdict!! :) |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | Welcome the the board. Lot of good people here and I think you'll enjoy it.
What you're asking is difficult to answer. Most of the people here will tell you that you'll love your Legend. We had a discussion here about 2-3 weeks ago on that very model. Somebody bought one on ebay and a lot of good info came up. You might search thru the archives for that thread. It was started by Mary.
As to whether you are going to like your new guitar, that's a question only you can answer. If you're looking for a guitar that sounds like a Martin, you probably won't be happy. But if you like a guitar with a great neck, a good balance of sound from top to bottom, sounds great acoustically or plugged in, I think you'll be happy. There are a lot of people here who started out playing other brands and switched to Ovations.
When you get your guitar, post some pics and give us a review. We'll all be interested. |
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December 2003
Posts: 420
Location: On the beach in Southwest Florida | I'm voting you'll love it, but let us know your opinion. |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 95
Location: Fort worth Texas | I know you will love it, the action is awesome,great feel to the neck, beautiful tone.
What more could you ask for. |
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Joined:
January 2004
Posts: 2
Location: northants | Hi Guys,
Its here, ive got my ovation Legend!..so what do i think! i think its a solid well built guitar,
and as for the sound..ill be honest with you, i
did'nt like it at first it sounded a bit clangy?
a matalic sound? a sound i'm not used to in
acoustic guitars! but ive been playing it all day
and getting used to it now! the neck a little narrow at the top for my fat fingers, but i'm getting used to that also?
Now the real gripe?..i think the action sucks!
its crap! i dont know why, but by the look of it
the bridge looks way to high!! i dont know if its
ajustable?? maybe someone on here knows!! it
has Elixir coated strings on it that they call,
light gauge! but they look like 12s to me?
The neck is wonderfull!! its made so well, the
strings dont slip off the edge when fingering the
"Es" ? its just a pitty about the action! if this was rectified it would be perfect?
I would be gratefull for any info or idea's on
my problem!! but other than that its an amazing
guitar? |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | There are thin plastic shims underneath the saddle. The removal of one (or two - but try it with one first) will lower the action.
Do a SEARCH under "shims" and there should be a thread or two describing the procedure in depth.
It's relatively easy. |
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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | I know the subject of strings has been beat to death but if you don't mind another whack.....I really like Martin Marquis - Extra Light.....for what its worth.
Brad |
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June 2002
Posts: 6197
Location: Phoenix AZ | Dear Aqualung, Your experience is exactly the opposite of what I would have expected. The #1 thing most people rave about Ovation guitars is how well they play - neck, action, etc. Some people love the sound and other hate it. That's a personal thing. But if your Legend isn't the BEST playing acoustic guitar you've tried then something is wrong. If you can't dial it in yourself, take it to a good shop. Some people selling on ebay don't maintain their Ovations very well. A well setup Ovation is a thing of joy. I have owned several different Legends and I for one love the sound, but that's just my opinion. I use DA EXP lights. Dave |
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Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | Where's "Northants"? |
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March 2002
Posts: 1380
Location: Central Oregon | I would be surprised if you can't get the setup you're after by removing one or two shims (as was already suggested) & possibly tweaking the truss rod a bit. The adjustability of Ovation guitars is amazing. Tweak it till you like it. They put the wrench for adjusting the neck in the new Ovations in a special place in the case. Anyway my 2003 1858 had one in it. It looks like a giant allen wrench & makes the job really easy, especially on the round hole models. You can poke the wrench in between the D & G strings & get a quarter turn easily. I wouldn't go more than a quarter turn at a time.
The action was too high on my 1612 when I got it (partly because the truss rod nut had shaken loose in shipment). I pulled a shim & tightened the truss rod nut a little at a time. I went a little too far at one point & got a buzz so I backed it off a smidge. Now it's very nice.
The first time I played an Adamas was at a store & I was really disappointed in the way it played & I said so. A few weeks later when I went back they had pulled a shim & tightened the rod & it was really nice.
Your Legend can be adjusted the same way. I wonder if you can order a wrench from the factory? Probably can. Anybody with even one Ovation should own one of these wrenches.
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March 2003
Posts: 555
Location: Wooster, Ohio | Agree on the above. I got a used collectors last month and I had two shims underneath. One thick and one thin. I took the thicker one out and it brought it down just right. I didn't have to adjust the trush rod. The above posts are correct, Ovations are the best with playability. Once I get them the way I want them they also tend to stay that way.
Steve |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 77
Location: Texas | My S771 Baladeer has 2 shims, one "flat" and the other "ramped". The ramped shim is thicker at the high-E side, thinner at low-E. I guess this shim was needed to get a uniform string height off the neck.
Watch out, one of your shims may be ramped, I would think you would have to leave that one in.
-Gary K |
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Joined:
July 2003
Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | Nils, the wrench size is probably standard and can be gotten at any Sears or hardware store in the U.S. Just gotta find out what size it is.
I just checked the wrench that came with my Melissa Etheridge 12-string.....it looks to be between 4 and 5 mm, so it could be a 3/16".....or a metric 4.5mm, if such a thing exists...never seen one myself.
Roger
1976 Applause AA14-4 6-String
2001 Adamas 1598-MERB Melissa Etheridge 12-String
2003 Celebrity CC01 Spruce Top 6-String
NOW HERE - 1981 1118-1 Glen Campbell 12-string |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 66
Location: Minnesota | Hey Aqualung,
My ovation is a 1677 built in '82.
I really like it but did have to lower the action. I actually took out 2 shims and now it
is perfect. Word of advice though, be careful when you go under the saddle pickup to remove them. It didn't take much for me to ruin my saddle pickup so I can only play acoustically until the new part comes in from ovation. |
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November 2002
Posts: 1300
Location: Madison, Wisconsin | Mary,
What did you do the pickup? |
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November 2003
Posts: 100
Location: Warren, OH | If you want to buy an "official" truss rod wrench, Ovation has them on their site, under the accessories link (I think). But for the roundhole models, an Allen wrench should do fine. They have a different wrench listed for the Elites - anyone know why? Does it have a funky dogleg or unusual length? |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Aqualung My Friend . . . .
(sorry, but I just HAD to be the one t'do that!:-)
Best Bet:
Take the strings off or just get 'em so loose that their practically "hanging" off the tuners (I prefer to take mine off, 'cause they just get in the way and may scratch the top).
Reach inside the sound hole and feel around for the saddle's wire harness on the underside of the top.
GENTLY push up on the wire harness up while GENTLY lifting the opposite end of the saddle up out of the bridge. The white plastic 6 element saddle will come out possibly the two black plastic "plugs" that go on either end of the saddle and have pins on the bottom(s). It's okay if these come out, but it might be a safe bet to not "mix 'em up" when it comes time t'go back in.
You'll see the shims right underneath the saddle.
g'luck. |
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Joined:
July 2003
Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | Probably because of having to reach from the side sound holes, it takes a longer one. The wrench for my Adamas is a VERY long one.
Roger
1976 Applause AA14-4 6-String
2001 Adamas 1598-MERB Melissa Etheridge 12-String
2003 Celebrity CC01 Spruce Top 6-String
NOW HERE - 1981 1118-1 Glen Campbell 12-string |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 66
Location: Minnesota | Willard.......
wires came loose from the saddle pickup..........tried to repair and made it worse.
Needless to say, I need a new pickup. |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 1380
Location: Central Oregon | Originally posted by Old Applause Owner:
Nils, the wrench size is probably standard and can be gotten at any Sears or hardware store in the U.S. Just gotta find out what size it is.
I just checked the wrench that came with my Melissa Etheridge 12-string.....it looks to be between 4 and 5 mm, so it could be a 3/16".....or a metric 4.5mm, if such a thing exists...never seen one myself.
Roger
1976 Applause AA14-4 6-String
2001 Adamas 1598-MERB Melissa Etheridge 12-String
2003 Celebrity CC01 Spruce Top 6-String
NOW HERE - 1981 1118-1 Glen Campbell 12-string
They're 3/16th". That is standard, it's the overall size that's unusual. The legs on mine are 2 1/2" & 10". Most 3/16th" allen wrenches are more like 1" & 3". I'm on the Snap-On truck every few weeks & I don't recall seeing anything like these on there, although they might make 'em. Obviously somebody does, we both have 'em. :)
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Posts: 280
Location: Waterloo, IL | While I was at sea last year, I needed to make a truss rod adjustment on my 1711 Balladeer. I had bought the Balladeer used at Mars Music before the deployment began. It did not have an allen wrench to adjust the truss rod with it. I sent an email to Ovation, and they sent me a truss rod at no charge. Great folks at the factory! :) |
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March 2002
Posts: 1380
Location: Central Oregon | Originally posted by Chuck:
While I was at sea last year, I needed to make a truss rod adjustment on my 1711 Balladeer. I had bought the Balladeer used at Mars Music before the deployment began. It did not have an allen wrench to adjust the truss rod with it. I sent an email to Ovation, and they sent me a truss rod at no charge. Great folks at the factory! :)
That's good news. Every Ovation owner should have one. The proper tool makes the job really easy. You could modify a regular allen wrench or use some sort of extension or (dare I say it?) *cheater bar*, but imo any time you have to use something other than the proper tool there is a possibility of disaster.
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | If you check HomeDepot (or a good tool catalog) you can get a long 3/16" hex wrench with a plastic "T" handle on the end. Makes for a lot smoother, finite "torque-ing". |
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February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Aqua, Action height & playing feel is a matter of personal preference and is not conditioned by make or model. All professional instruments, such as your Legend can be adjusted to your needs. If you are not happy with the action ask the dealer who sold it to set it up. He may reasonably charge for this.
Factory set-ups are "average" designed to appeal to most players, but they'll never please eveyone. As an example, all the guitars at the Kaman booth at NAMM were pretty low & light & played like butter, but personally I need a little more "fight" in the set-up. Many people find my guitars are set up too stiff for them |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Copied this from the bottom of an4340's "Singapore" post. thought it might fit here:
WHY DOES A NEW GUITAR NEED A "SET-UP" ?
Someone brought a guitar in the other day. The guitar was uncomfortable to play. High action, buzzing in the centre of the fretboard. "Why?" the customer asked, "This guitar is brand new!" Every guitar should start it's life with a proper set-up, but not every new guitar is set to tolerances that the average guitarist would be happy with. Why? There are a few reasons....
Players have different needs and expectations from a guitar
There is no one adjustment that is universal - the string height at the nut, but to a degree, neck relief can vary from guitar to guitar, overall string height can vary from player to player, and string gauge is a personal thing, which affects every setting.....
The climate a guitar is stored in affects the overall set-up
Wood absorbs and releases moisture. Guitar necks and acoustic guitar bodies swell and shrink with fluctuations in humidity. This causes subtle and sometimes dramatic changes in string height and neck curvature. In the ideal scenario, a guitar is always in a place where the relative humidity is around 50% and the temperature is 24 degrees. In reality, this is rarely the case. While some guitar makers require their distributors to store and show guitars in a climate controlled room, in reality not all do. A guitar set to close tolerances is going to be affected by any changes in humidity and temperature.
Even a "new" guitar may have been sitting for a while before you bought it
Guitars "settle in" over time and often need adjustment for this reason alone....
Some new guitars don't need a complete set-up, just an adjustment
Many guitars come out of the factory with a good but not great set-up, this combined with climatic changes, or a change in string gauge compared to is factory-installed, may require some minor adjustments. |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13987
Location: Upper Left USA | I propose we pass an Initiative that all Music Stores are required to tune/maintain/re-string and otherwise maintain their stock.
In Washington State we would gladly give you Tim Eyman for all your Initiative needs. |
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Legend?? Like or Hate!!