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Location: North East England | I need help/advice. i'm the second user of a 2007 Collectors model. I'm becoming increasingly unhappy with the sound of the two unwound strings. They sound muffled. I've had the guitar looked at by a luthier who can find no obvious physical reason for this sound. I purchased a standard 'white' saddle to replace the graphite saddle but no improvement. It sounds as though the first two strings are not producing the full range of harmonic overtones. The wound strings sound great. I have a couple of other Ovations that I'm perfectly happy with. I've tried different string makes and gauges. |
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Location: Utah | I would suspect the nut slots first. |
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Location: Denmark | Could also be if the bridge/pickup isn't seated correctly. You could try removing the bridge insert and check the groove and condition of any shims underneath. Is the sound muffled when fretting the string or when picking the open string? |
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Location: Flahdaw | Are the strings muffled playing plugged in or unplugged, or both? |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | look at the nut slots |
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Location: closely held secret | It might be the nuts slots (do you sense a theme here?).
And maybe try a different luthier. |
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Posts: 3619
Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | Nut slots first. Seating of the saddle next. I had to have the bridge on my 1581 slightly out routed one time for the same problem on my low E string. It was done by a very competent acoustic guitar luthier at Elderly instruments in Lansing MI. Apparently there was a very slight flaw in the area where the bridge seated. After that, and a little fretboard work, it is now perfect. |
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Location: nashville | What up with the Junior Member's Member number. Did Kieth kill member 818 and take his number.. have I unknowing joined some type of "guitar gang". I love Sons of Anarchy. Watch you back Beal 7 is my luck number. |
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| Nothing nefarious, unless you consider registering on the site in 2002 and then only making 5 posts since sinister. |
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Location: North East England | Thanks for the replies. The nut was looked at by the luthier and he could find no problems. Also when I fret and play a note - thereby eliminating the nut - I still get the muffled sound. I would try another luthier but finding a local one is difficult.
Can't see what's nefarious in only making five posts since 2002. I've been married since 1985 and have probably only spoken to my wife five times. |
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Location: Newington, CT | That happened to me with the legendary OFC II...the solution: the nut slots. |
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Location: Upper Left USA | What's a slut-not? Oh, my bad...
Take a look at this tutorial and it may help.
Slotting the Nut
And welcome! |
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Location: Colorado | Get Temp to look at it |
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| Temp moved to Scotland. |
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Location: SoCal | Originally posted by Waskel:
It might be the nuts slots (do you sense a theme here?).
And maybe try a different luthier. Nuts..... |
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Location: closely held secret | Nuts to you too. |
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Location: Scotland | Originally posted by Keith Dryden:
The nut was looked at by the luthier and he could find no problems. I would try another luthier but finding a local one is difficult. Keith, I was planning to be in your area this week, but gig commitments have scuppered those plans. My wife is there, but she's useless with nuts and even worse with peurile innuendo.
Who looked at the guitar? Email me if you'd rather not post the name publicly. I can recommend a couple of guys I trust who are near to you. |
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Posts: 4536
Location: Flahdaw | Originally posted by MWoody:
Take a look at this tutorial and it may help.
Slotting the Nut
And welcome! |
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Location: Upper Left USA | Its all in the tools... |
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Location: Flahdaw | Originally posted by MWoody:
Its all in the tools... I should let you handle my nuts from now on, since you take so much care to do the job right. |
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Location: New Thermopylae | Originally posted by dark bar:
I should let you handle my nuts from now on, since you take so much care to do the job right.  |
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Location: Nashville TN. | rotflmao!!! |
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Location: Flahdaw | Nevermind....I'll find someone local. |
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Location: Sunshine State, Australia | Sounds like its NOT the nut if he gets the same problem when fretting the strings.
My suggestion would be to look at the break angle over the saddle. |
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Posts: 4081
Location: Utah | First thought is to be sure there are new strings on it. Really obvious but should be said. Second thought if not the nut would be the saddle. It would be simple enough to swap the saddle from another O and see how it sounds. I'd also look at the shims. Then the bottom of the saddle slot to be sure it is flat and smooth. Is the bridge securely attached to the top with no gap showing around the edges?
Check that the tuning machines are tightly attached to the headstock.
Either the higher frequency vibrations aren't getting to the body of the guitar, or something is soaking up those energies. Possibly a loose brace could absorb energy, but I would expect a buzzing noise for that. |
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Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | I'm wondering if it could just be the guitar. I know how much a lot of you love these, but I was not impressed with the one I had. To me the treble strings sounded "nasal". There was a lot of bass, but the trebles had no ring to them. I sold it, and the guy was happy with it, but I was glad to get rid of it so I could buy something else. |
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Location: Newington, CT | I have two of these, and absolutely love their sound. Big, bold, well-rounded and consistently delightful up and down the neck.
Of course, assessments of the sound quality are purely subjective, but I never noticed even the slightest hint of "nasal;" except when that was what I was trying for by picking closer to the bridge. Might it have been the strings causing the nasally sound? |
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Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | No, I tried different brands of strings. Maybe that particular guitar was just a stinker. Must've been made on a Monday. Could've been too much glue on the treble side braces. Might have just been that piece of spruce. Who knows? |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | If that's the same one I played at Hot Springs, I agree with Alison, although "nasally" wouldn't have come to my mind. It just didn't rock my boat. The 05 Collector was a different story, but I think I prefer the center soundhole Ovations. |
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Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | That was the one, Mark. |
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Location: Newington, CT | Hmmmm...strange. Now, I have to recheck! I hope that the power of suggestion doesn't come into play here! |
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Location: Flahdaw | Originally posted by AlanM:
Hmmmm...strange. Now, I have to recheck! I hope that the power of suggestion doesn't come into play here! I noticed on "Drill, Ye Tarriers, Drill" that your E string sounded a bit dull, but I didn't want to say anything. |
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Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | I've got a good one. But it could just be suited for what and how I play. Or maybe it's a Thursday child. Either way, it feels real good to me.. |
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Posts: 1851
Location: Newington, CT | Originally posted by dark bar:
Originally posted by AlanM:
Hmmmm...strange. Now, I have to recheck! I hope that the power of suggestion doesn't come into play here! I noticed on "Drill, Ye Tarriers, Drill" that your E string sounded a bit dull, but I didn't want to say anything. |
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December 2002
Posts: 8
Location: North East England | Finally got round to replacing the nut a week or so ago. Now the new strings have settled in I can confirm that the new nut has made a big difference.
The sustain has improved and the strings ring for much longer. I don't understand how it's affected the fretted string sound but it has because, even fretted, the sound is much better.
I managed to get a graphite coloured nut so it hasn't affected the look of the guitar.
A huge bouquet of thanks to everyone who offered their suggestions. |
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Poor sound