|
|
Joined:
January 2012
Posts: 29
Location: Michigan | I noticed that the top on my 1972 Legend A-braced guitar is drooping / sagging in, especially around the soundhole. The neck dips downward starting from where it joins the body and I'm wondering if the dipping top is the culprit. When I put a straight edge to the top alongside the soundhole there is a noticeable gap where it dips, perhaps as much as a 1/8th or 1/16th or so - any issues with other A-braced tops?
I'm very rarely playing up that-a-ways anyway, and except for a really bad buzz on the high "E" at the tenth and eleventh frets (which may not even be related to this issue) it plays pretty well. No annoying vibratios or rattles so I don't think it's a loose brace -- may be just an artifact of a 40-year-old guitar.
Mike
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2008
Posts: 2985
Location: Sydney, Australia | My guess is a that a brace has come loose. Loosen the strings now and take it to a good luthier! I don't think the absence of a rattle or buzz can rule that out. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2012
Posts: 29
Location: Michigan | TAFKAR wrote:
My guess is a that a brace has come loose. Loosen the strings now and take it to a good luthier! I don't think the absence of a rattle or buzz can rule that out.
Thanks! |
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2008
Posts: 2985
Location: Sydney, Australia | No problems. Also, check that the luthier will straighten the dip BEFORE he reglues the brace (if that's the problem). A legend I picked up for AJ had that done to it (making the dip permanent), whereas other people will use a range of tools to push/pull the top back into flat before they reglue the brace. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 1673
Location: SoCal | Is this a new issue with the guitar? It could be from lack of humidity.
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6995
Location: Jet City | lambchop wrote:
I noticed that the top on my 1972 Legend A-braced guitar...
Hi Mike,
Not that it makes a difference with the issue you're having, but a '72 Legend has VT bracing. It was late 70's early 80's before anything but a Custom Legend had A-Bracing. What leads you to believe your Legend is A-braced? |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2012
Posts: 29
Location: Michigan | Damon67 wrote: lambchop wrote:
I noticed that the top on my 1972 Legend A-braced guitar...
Hi Mike,
Not that it makes a difference with the issue you're having, but a '72 Legend has VT bracing. It was late 70's early 80's before anything but a Custom Legend had A-Bracing. What leads you to believe your Legend is A-braced?
Thanks - basically it's my ignorance that lead me to this. I saw in an 80s catalog (that I still have from when I got it in 1980) listed the Legend with A-bracing so I assumed it always had it. Thanks for clearing that up for me - I appreciate it! Mike |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2012
Posts: 29
Location: Michigan | TAFKAR wrote:
No problems. Also, check that the luthier will straighten the dip BEFORE he reglues the brace (if that's the problem). A legend I picked up for AJ had that done to it (making the dip permanent), whereas other people will use a range of tools to push/pull the top back into flat before they reglue the brace.
Good point! Thanks! |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2012
Posts: 29
Location: Michigan | noah wrote:
Is this a new issue with the guitar? It could be from lack of humidity.
Not sure - I just picked it up. It was well played, I'll say that, yet only one finish check and a little finish blem - the top is, thankfully, not cracked at all. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 1673
Location: SoCal | It's heating season and low relative humidity is a wood guitar's enemy.
A photo would help. You can email photos to me if you can't post them.
Your description sounds like what happened to my FD14. She was vacationing with a friend and when she returned home, her top was sunken-in around the sound hole. The issue was most prevalent on the bass side and the area above the sound hole. The fretboard over the top was sinking into the sound hole.
I initially panicked, but remembered a post from one of the other guys (muz?), about an FD14's top and low humidity. I also realized that I was feeling the sharp ends of the frets along the neck. The appearance of sharp fret ends is one of the first signs of low relative humidity.
The top was not cracked and the bracing was fine. I relaxed her strings and hung her up in the music room, where we maintain the relative humidity at 45%-50%. The top of the FD14 slowly returned to normal. It does not happen overnight. It takes days and days for the wood to reabsorb moisture and equalize. You just have to be patient.
That was probably two years ago. Within a month I was playing her. She has had no problems since. I was playing her the other day and she is still fine. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2009
Posts: 686
Location: Route 66, just east of the Cadillac Ranch | lambchop wrote:
I noticed that the top on my 1972 Legend A-braced guitar is drooping / sagging in, especially around the soundhole. The neck dips downward starting from where it joins the body and I'm wondering if the dipping top is the culprit. When I put a straight edge to the top alongside the soundhole there is a noticeable gap where it dips, perhaps as much as a 1/8th or 1/16th or so - any issues with other A-braced tops?
Mike,
Not sure if this might ease your mind, but here's a picture of the top on my early 70's 1111 (X-bracing) with a glass rod across the top. The rod is touching the binding on both ends and you'll notice the raised rosette is not even close to touching the rod. There's nothing structurally wrong with the guitar, in fact it was worked on by the factory about two years ago when the replaced the neck (1 3/4"). I've seen several guitars with sagging tops, though this is probably the worst I've seen. It doesn't matter though, the action is perfect, it plays and sounds fantastic, and is one of my favorite guitars.
[img:center]http://www.javanamfg.com/ovation/1111SaggingTop_sm.JPG"> |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2012
Posts: 29
Location: Michigan | Nick B. wrote:
Mike,
Not sure if this might ease your mind, but here's a picture of the top on my early 70's 1111 (X-bracing) with a glass rod across the top. The rod is touching the binding on both ends and you'll notice the raised rosette is not even close to touching the rod. There's nothing structurally wrong with the guitar, in fact it was worked on by the factory about two years ago when the replaced the neck (1 3/4"). I've seen several guitars with sagging tops, though this is probably the worst I've seen. It doesn't matter though, the action is perfect, it plays and sounds fantastic, and is one of my favorite guitars.
Yes, this helps - Mine plays well, too. Just the little fretting out on the high E string between ninth and twelfth frets. Maybe it's just a truss rod adjustment - I think I need to loosen it 1/8 turn as the neck is pretty flat. Mike |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2012
Posts: 29
Location: Michigan | Nick B. wrote:
Mike,
Not sure if this might ease your mind, but here's a picture of the top on my early 70's 1111 (X-bracing) with a glass rod across the top. The rod is touching the binding on both ends and you'll notice the raised rosette is not even close to touching the rod. There's nothing structurally wrong with the guitar, in fact it was worked on by the factory about two years ago when the replaced the neck (1 3/4"). I've seen several guitars with sagging tops, though this is probably the worst I've seen. It doesn't matter though, the action is perfect, it plays and sounds fantastic, and is one of my favorite guitars.
One question though - does your neck look like it is dipping downward after the 14th fret like mine is? I mean, it is a pronounced drop, or at least looks that way due to the top dipping, and the strings rise much higher over the 14th thru 20th frets than they do 1 thru 14. Thanks |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2009
Posts: 686
Location: Route 66, just east of the Cadillac Ranch | lambchop wrote:
One question though - does your neck look like it is dipping downward after the 14th fret like mine is? I mean, it is a pronounced drop, or at least looks that way due to the top dipping, and the strings rise much higher over the 14th thru 20th frets than they do 1 thru 14. Thanks
Yup, that's pretty much what mine looks like. If I lay a straight edge along the fretboard, it's practically flat up to about the 16th fret and then gradually rolls off with about 1/32" or more gap at the last fret. As I remember, it was even worse before I had the neck replaced (neck joint failed). As long as the braces are tight, neck joint looks good, and you can play it comfortably, I wouldn't worry about it. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2012
Posts: 29
Location: Michigan | Nick B., you are indeed a great comfort. It does play and sound well and once I get that high spot fixed, it'll be great. Thanks to everyone for their wonderful advice. Mike |
|
| |
Drooping / Sagging top on an A-braced Legend