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Joined:
February 2015
Posts: 70
Location: Western Sonoma County | I have a shallow body 1867 Legend made in 2002 with an OP40 preamp. Playing through my Marshall AS80 amplifier I get very little signal from my high E string, and uneven signal from the others. My other Ovation is fine. I'm guessing my pickup has seen better days.
What is the recommended replacement and where can I get one? |
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | First... Are there any Shims under the saddle?
That often causes a problem.
Next... What kind of pickup is it?
Skinny? Wide?
Thinline? Original Patented Pickup?
Or something weird like a Tru-Balance*?
*(Tru-Balance looks like a fat Thinline with steps on it)
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Joined:
August 2003
Posts: 4619
Location: SoCal | Had a situation with a CL (totally dead). Number of guys said it must be the pre-amp. Kim said it was the saddle - yep, good call even though he never saw the guitar. John Budny and crew may be able to send you a new saddle. |
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Joined:
February 2015
Posts: 70
Location: Western Sonoma County | Need a short primer, please.
Shims under saddle good or bad? To what effect? On my 178LX I've shaved the shim so that it tapers down from a bit at the low E to nothing at the G. Sounds and plays perfectly, amplified and not. I haven't looked yet under the Legend saddle -- got this one a few months ago and the action is so tight I doubt there are any shims under there. I like the way it plays save for the amplification issue. Anyway, I will check.
As for a new saddle... what might that accomplish? How does a saddle go bad?
Thanks.
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | I mentioned the Shims because if the shims are not properly seated (in place) it could cause poor contact between the saddle and the bridge thereby lessening the pressure from the string to the piezo.
How does a Saddle go bad?
The Piezo in the pickup could die.
Or... if it is a Thinline or Tru-Balance the metal housing could be pulled loose from the actual saddle.
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12754
Location: Boise, Idaho | I had the same issue on a Thinline when I didn't put the shims and white plastic thingy back in the correct order. With a high E problem, I'd suspect there is poor contact on that end of the saddle. |
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Joined:
February 2015
Posts: 70
Location: Western Sonoma County | OK. I pulled the saddle and took a picture (below) for reference. As suspected, there were no shims. To deal with the possibility of bad contact, I added a very thin shim Put it all back together with a new set of strings and tested. No change. Low and high E are muted. A is very strong. D, G and B somewhere in between. Is a replacement pickup called for, or is it perhaps in need of the new saddle? Opinions please. FWIW, the new strings are Ernie Ball 80/20 Bronze Rock & Blues 2008. 10/13/17/30/42/52 with a solid G string. They sound very nice and snappy. 
Edited by jbblunck 2015-05-07 10:16 PM
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Joined:
February 2015
Posts: 70
Location: Western Sonoma County | If I do need to replace the pickup, what would be suitable and where could I get it? Thanks!
Edited by jbblunck 2015-05-07 10:18 PM
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | That is a Tru-Balance pickup.
You could contact the "Mini-Mother" at 860-379-7575
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Joined:
March 2013
Posts: 359
Location: undisclosed | I agree abut the new pickup. My revived 1624 had lower output on the high e, once replaced, no problems. I've noticed that the transducers and connections can oxidize over time especially if moisture is present. Playing with the hand on the saddle for muting etc...speeds the corrosion up with that hot salty vapor. The pickup elements can also be crushed in a impact, reducing output. |
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Joined:
February 2015
Posts: 70
Location: Western Sonoma County | I contacted John Budny at Ovation Customer Service. Luckily he's able to help with a replacement. I expect that Drum Workshop knows what a gem they've acquired in Ovation -- attentive customer service is what ultimately maintains brands. So thankful Mr Budny and his staff are on it. |
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Joined:
February 2015
Posts: 70
Location: Western Sonoma County | <p>Ah, well, the pickup problem has been solved and rectified. Replacement arrived from Mr Budny and installed today. Take a look at the old one below. Looks like it got mauled by the previous owner or a ham-fisted luthier. Anyway, now my Legend sounds as sparkly on the amp as it does in my lap.</p><p> </p>
Edited by jbblunck 2015-05-25 11:44 AM
 (LegendPickupIck.jpg)
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 LegendPickupIck.jpg (46KB - 0 downloads)
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Joined:
August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | I love it when a plan comes together |
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