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Location: Snåsa, Norway | My dear Custom Legend's top seems to be stressed by the heating season again. Bellys up behind the bridge and sinks in along the braces on both sides of the soundhole. I'm thinking about mounting something like this Bridge Doctor inside to relieve some of the stress from the pull of the strings on the bridge. Does anyone round here have a Bridge Doctor in your Ovation, or any thoughts about if it's a good idea? :confused: |
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Location: closely held secret | I don't see how that could do anything but stop the top from moving, so I'm not sure what they mean by "enhances volume".. |
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Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | Before drilling holes, try humidifying your guitars. Get yourself a hygrometer. Put it in overnight and see what the humidity is. If the humidity is low, and even if it's not low, try putting in a humidifier. See if there's any improvement after two weeks. If it hasn't gotten better, then think of something else. As for putting in a bridge doctor, I'm not so sure. I'm not saying it couldn't work, but I've never met anyone who's used one. |
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Location: CT | 
That looks cool in the pic, the block rests nice and flat on the bottom of the guitar brace. However, if it rests on the bottom of a bowl, the things likely to connect to the bridge at some odd angle. |
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Location: Caribou, ME | I'm not sure it's supposed to rest on the back brace... maybe so, but about 10 years ago I made a homemade bridge doctor for an old Suzuki 12 string. It worked wonders but I really didn't have any basis for comparison as to tone.
I'd avoid it like the plague. I put the bridge doctor in the same category as silicon boobs. I'd rather have a short honest time with a weak guitar before it blew up instead of a prolonged time never knowing what it's true tone potential is.
Did that make sense? |
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Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by brainslag:
the block rests nice and flat on the bottom of the guitar brace. Exactly my point. How is the top supposed to vibrate freely with that wedged between the top and the back (bowl)? |
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Location: Tychy, Poland | i think loss of sound caused by this "doctor" will be significantly greater than loss of sound created by sinking top. |
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Location: South of most, North of few | Wouldn't it then be a "solid body". Kind of like a thick strat. |
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Location: closely held secret | A deep dish Viper. |
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Location: Caribou, ME | An opium smoking pizza?
Sorry, the coffee's wearing off.... |
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Location: Carle Place, NY | I have a Custom Legend that the good folks at the factory re-furbished. I noticed that they put in an extra piece of bracing. It's the horizontal piece with the hole to access the truss rod that is used on all Ovations with the Kaman bar.
It's probably not practical to send the guitar to the factory from Norway. My "good idea" would be to bring it to a qualified luthier and see what can be done. I think the Bridge Doctor is not a good solution. |
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Posts: 217
Location: Snåsa, Norway | Originally posted by Mitchrx:
It's probably not practical to send the guitar to the factory from Norway. My "good idea" would be to bring it to a qualified luthier and see what can be done. I think the Bridge Doctor is not a good solution. After a closer examination of the interior of my CL, I also concluded that there will be some problems with fitting a bridge doctor.
The luthier option is not very tempting, I've had one to look at it and he suggested to replace the top at a cost that would give me a decent new guitar. So it will stay in the case with a humidifier, and for the moment even with strings slackened. It's just that I like having my guitars hanging on the wall ready to play, so I guess I'll have to check on some room humidifier solution, might even be good for me and also my wooden house. The floor and wall boards does also shrink in the winter time! :D |
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Posts: 1634
Location: Warren,Pa. | OK...I have installed these in several guitars over the years. I also have one installed in my '79 Pacemaker. Lots of success stories.
The top on the Pacemaker was badly out of shape. With the Bridge Dr installed it's perfectly flat. I can tell you more later, but right now my wife is yelling at me to get off the laptop.
John <>{ |
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Posts: 782
Location: Waurika OK | I installed one in an Alvarez, they work. An Ovation is a little more involved, I think you have to put a block of wood at the back for the rod to fit against, the Lyrachord is to slick.
For what it's worth, Breedlove puts a modified version in their guitars. GC usually has a Breedlove cut away showing how they do it.
I'm sure John will have more info when his time on the laptop comes around. |
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Posts: 12757
Location: Boise, Idaho | Originally posted by Scott W. Englund:
I'd avoid it like the plague. I put the bridge doctor in the same category as silicon boobs. I'd rather have a short honest time with a weak guitar before it blew up instead of a prolonged time never knowing what it's true tone potential is.
Did that make sense? I'd rather try the silicon boobs. |
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Location: Warren,Pa. | In my discussions w/Kim Keller before the installation he said they had wondered about the glue joint between the top and bowl coming apart with the "push" of the rod against the bowl near the strap button. I proceeded with some fear and have had no problems. I did put a small piece of wood against the bowl after sort-of shaping one side of it to roughly the contour of the bowl.
I don't think the sound is enhanced by using this device except that the guitar was unplayable before and now is the easiest-playing 12string I've ever had my hands on.
And the device doesn't touch anything inside the guitar but the bridge and the bowl where it's designed to. If you have a shallow depth wood guitar or a shallow bowl Ovation, the device can be easily modified to make it fit.
Good night. |
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November 2006
Posts: 217
Location: Snåsa, Norway | John, thanks for your success story, I ordered a Bridge Doctor today. I'll even consider following your example and drill a soundport in the side of the guitar as well, which you showed in a thread I started a while ago. Still hesitating about that one, though! :D |
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November 2006
Posts: 217
Location: Snåsa, Norway | BD arrived today, Glued in a plate over the middle three braces under the bridge, to have support for the BD. Will probably install it tomorrow, pics will follow! |
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Bridge Doctor for my O?