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Joined:
September 2008
Posts: 58
Location: Just outside Dallas, TX | Well... I guess THERE IS an Ovation only BB!!!
I have had my 1994 Collectors Edition since well.... 1994. It was the 1st present I ever bought for myself (Kids, Divorce took lots of $$$)..
Anyway... I have always loved this thing, however, over the years, the Intonation of the 6th string has gone screwy!!! I have to tune it using the 5th fret (6th String=A) or all chords sound awful..
There is a guy at the Local GC that states he is an Ovation Factory trained repair Tech... I was planning on dropping her off with him for a complete tune-up (heck 14 years is about time huh?)
Question for the experts... Over the years I discovered the Pickup ribbon runs through the bridge saddle pieces, so he can't do much there right?? He'd have to work a custom Nut to fix tone issues???
Also 3 years ago, she was blown off a chair and a small piece of the curve at the end of the headstock broke off... Has anyone else had that happen (repair guy said it is more common than I would think)...
and FINALLY is there a way to refresh the sound of the OP_PRO??? I LOVE the XLR jack and sound from it... but XLR cables have ALWAYS been loose and I have to mess with them to get a solid connection...
Comments appreciated |
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Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 3969
| Welcome to the board, DRK HRSE. You can get an estimate from a local guy, but you should know that Ovation, unlike most other guitar makers, has a service department that does nothing but - and excels at - repair and restoration of older Ovations. Many of us have sent in guitars (myself included) with far worse issues than what you describe and have gotten back guitars that were BETTER than new.
Another thing to consider - if you bought the guitar new, & still have the sales receipt, then as the original owner some of the needed work might be covered by the lifetime warranty on the guitar.
Let us know and we can point you to the people you need to contact at Ovation. |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Don't dick-around w/GuitarCenter.
Let th'Factory "have at it" and DoItRight.
btw:
Welcome! |
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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Welcome!!
If you are the registered, original owner the intonation issue MIGHT be covered under warranty.
You could the entire day here reading about how great the Ovation Factory Service is. They can really work some magic.
And I'd guess that refitting that guitar to an OP-50 might be a little pricey compared to the value of the guitar. |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | Ditto all the comments. Go directly to the factory for help. It's worth it......
282.... Remember |
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Joined:
September 2008
Posts: 58
Location: Just outside Dallas, TX | HAH... I've been offered 1500 for her... The sound is amazing for a Bowl Back... the ONLY issue I have had sound wise (not intonation wise) is the wire from the internal Mic (XLR) would drop loose and buzz inside...
The Factory repair sounds good... Shipping a Guitar is always iffy to me... I just sold a RainSong Jumbo to a Kid in New Zealand... I spent 2 Days packing Foam around everything just to be sure... if something happened to her!!!!
The guy I'm talking about has his own repair shop and DOES have a certificate from Ovation for Repair training... I have watched him so a set-up on an Epi Les Paul that made it play better than a Gibson (took him 5 minutes)...
Somewhere I have the receipt (as my Wife says... I NEVER throw anything away - damn it!!!) ... I'd be willing to put up some $$ for a better (more natural) plugged in sound... so changing to the 50 (isn't that the same one on the Adamas ME 12-String?? (Had one of those too)
THX for the advice...
and LASTLY - I heard somewhere that Fender purchased Ovation (or Kaman)... true??? and if so, how will that affect future quality... I know what happened to Guild after that nightmare... |
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Joined:
August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | The 94 is one of my favorite collectors, especially in terms of sound (to go with the great looks). You should have an Optima in it right now ... many folks (myself among them) like those best of all the preamps. Alpep sells an XLR cable designed specifically for the Ovation guitar, you might want to pick one of those up.
The factory is a great way to go, especially since the guitar could still be under warranty, although it won;t cover your Van Gogh. They will be able to fix your intonation without having to go the trial and error route. That said, your local tech sounds like he is competent and trained so if you're comfortable with him, that's your call. |
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Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 3969
| Originally posted by DRK HRSE:
...and LASTLY - I heard somewhere that Fender purchased Ovation (or Kaman)... true??? and if so, how will that affect future quality... To summarize:
1. None of here has the inside track on FMIC, so anything stated or opined here is pure speculation.
2. Much of the lower end/entry level models will no longer be made in the US; their production has been moved to Asia.
3. The Service Department is just as competent and responsive as ever.
4. The Guild and possibly Tacoma brands will be made in the same building as Ovations.
5. FMIC is in the business to make money - they obviously recognized a potential for increased profits by buying KMC. So far, if anything's changed, I've noticed inklings of more aggressive Ovation marketing alongside Fender brands. As an example, in the recent roll-out of the David Gilmour signature Strat, the web site features a clip from a "Live in Gdansk" performance that prominently features an Ovation as the rhythm guitar.
We all have high hopes for the FMC-KMC marriage and are keeping a positive attitude about it. |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | What Serge is saying is that nobody really knows and we're hoping for the best..... |
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Joined:
May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | Anyway... I have always loved this thing, however, over the years, the Intonation of the 6th string has gone screwy!!! I have to tune it using the 5th fret (6th String=A) or all chords sound awful..
What? Are you saying the low E string won't intonate correctly? Is this when you play it open? Have you checked the nut and saddle heights? Is there warping in the neck? |
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Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by DRK HRSE:
The sound is amazing for a Bowl Back... Gosh, that's awfully generous of you... |
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Joined:
November 2004
Posts: 4413
| Justifies my existence. |
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Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | I knew there had to be something. But I was starting to wonder... |
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4044
Location: Utah | I thought it was all in the wrist. |
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1994 Collectors