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Posts: 15680
Location: SoCal | If somebody here were looking for an absolute killer acoustic Ovation, here's what I would do (actually did most of it).
Buy this guitar dirt cheap
http://cgi.ebay.com/Ovation-1117-4-Acoustic-Guitar-/300522287908?pt...
and send it to the factory. Take the neck off and trash the body. Build a new body w/ the following
1. Hand laid fiberglass bowl.
2. Adirondack spruce top
3. A braced
4. Bone nut and saddle
Electronics? Your choice. I kept mine acoustic only as I've got plenty of guitars to plug in.
You'd end up with a tone meister. The only thing I didn't do because I didn't think of it was to have the top make of Adirondack spruce. Mine is a high quality spruce. But I've no complaints.
Thoughts? |
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Posts: 3664
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | Great idea. Pure speculation- $156.82, as final bid. About what a good neck costs, anyway.
Mother's bill- $700.00
So, you're right again, Paul. |
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September 2005
Posts: 3619
Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | I have a friend who's daughter has been learning to play the guitar and he wants to upgrade from her present Walmart instrument. He doesn't have the money to buy her a decent guitar, so I may try to get this and just do some repairs on it and pass it on to her. It doesn't really look bad to me at all. |
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Posts: 2793
Location: Atlanta, GA. | But, but, but what TRC would you put on it???
You didn't mention the TRC! |
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Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | So, if the total cost really does put you into the $850 range, you'd find some pretty competitive models for company. |
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Posts: 15680
Location: SoCal | Not much in that catagory that would give you that much bang for the buck. Maybe a Big Baby Taylor (that and the Baby Taylor or the only Taylors I'd ever consider). You'd have to almost double the price to find something comparable...... |
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Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Taylors don't have cool truss rod covers |
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Posts: 4394
Location: East Tennessee | Originally posted by Beal:
Taylors don't have cool truss rod covers :D |
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Posts: 4536
Location: Flahdaw | Originally posted by seesquare:
So, you're right again, Paul. One in a row... |
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March 2002
Posts: 15680
Location: SoCal | Originally posted by dark bar:
Originally posted by seesquare:
So, you're right again, Paul. One in a row... |
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Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | I was thinking more within the brand. |
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August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | If you can get a custom built rebuild for $850, then why not just have a custom new guitar made for the same money. What am I missing here? |
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Posts: 3145
Location: Marlton, NJ | I'm with Bobbo on this one. It doesn't appear that the neck is in great shape either. When you factor in shipping and whatever other charges might pop up, then I think you'd be better off going with a new custom guitar as well. If you could get this one dirt cheap - buy it and enjoy it. |
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Posts: 15680
Location: SoCal | I priced out a custom built guitar. It costs. My suggestion is for doing it on the cheap for about a third of the cost. When I did mine, if I had had the bucks, I would have gone thru Al in a heartbeat. You won't find a better deal, either service or price wise, anywhere. Al is as honest as can be and works hard to satisfy his customers (I've got two guitars that Al had built for me).
But I had an old Legend to start with. Loved the neck, hated the body. And the way I went was what I could afford.
YMMV..... |
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March 2009
Posts: 416
Location: On the Coast - Halfway between SF & OR | Originally posted by seesquare:
Great idea. Pure speculation- $156.82, as final bid. About what a good neck costs, anyway.
Mother's bill- $700.00
So, you're right again, Paul. I like the idea Paul; I did much the same thing with a 1615 a while back and have never regretted the expenditure.
The $700 bill from Mother is a bit low though for a glass bowl, that hand-laid fiberglass adds about $300 to the total. |
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Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Sorry, Paul, I thought you were just throwing out the suggestion for feedback. I didn't focus on the part of your original message indicating you'd done it. You're ending up with a mostly custom, and most assuredly, a totally MS rebuilt model with some features you selected, at a reasonable cost. I would consider doing the same with my Legend Limited if faced with the same issues and alternatives, because it has sentimental value to me. |
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November 2002
Posts: 3664
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | My speculative figures are based on past projects with The Wizards. My 1115-rebuild was called "Six-oh-six" because that's about what the whole project cost. Essentially, saving the neck, and replacing the body. But, boy-howdy, what the MS can do, is just short of walking-on-water. |
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March 2002
Posts: 15680
Location: SoCal | Fletch, I won't comment on the price of the rebuild. Either I got a good deal and I don't want to brag about it, or I'd find out that I got ripped off and I don't want to give others bragging rights over me. Regardless, the price was fine for me.
Prof, I bought that Legend new in 1979 never realizing what a horrible sounding guitar it was. Over the years, it got to the point where the only reason I kept it was because my wife wouldn't let me sell it (she cried when I traded it in on my 1537 and I had to buy it back). I'm thrilled that now, I pick it up daily. I often think that I could sell everything except the Legend, the OFC slothead, Adamas I 12,and the 1773LX Custom. They would meet all of my needs. |
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Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Fud? |
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Posts: 1456
Location: Texas | The original guitar mentioned in this thread is an early model, presumably with a glued-in neck… can those old-style necks be easily attached to a modern bowl anyway? |
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Posts: 15680
Location: SoCal | That's another reason why you have a cloth bowl built..... |
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September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Standing asks:
The original guitar mentioned in this thread is an early model, presumably with a glued-in neck… can those old-style necks be easily attached to a modern bowl anyway? I had them rebuild a 1115 Pacemaker.
It had an old, glued-on neck.
And Y'know... I never looked inside to see if there were bolts in there.
But I believe that they just glue another bowl onto the neck.
They went so far as to install the old foil label into the new bowl, so they can do that. |
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Just a suggestion