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April 2003
Posts: 608
Location: Caribou, ME | Yeah, I sold my '90 1719 a couple years ago but I'm back. I bought a junk early Applause with a shattered top, splintered bridge and general ugliness for $12 on ebay. Lo and behold, and much to my surprise and chagrin, there was NO bracing on the top. It had all been removed for reasons unknown. Because of the splintered area of the top where the splintered bridge used to sit, and completely against conventional design, I made a fairly large bridge plate from maple and installed two large braces, somewhat like in an archtop, radiating out from the cross brace under the soundhole and also glued to the bridge plate. It then provided a stable base for the repaired bridge and I figured.... I only paid twelve bucks, how bad can I screw it up? Well, it surprised the crap out of me how good it sounds. I've had a half dozen older Applauses and this one just rumbles in your lap by comparison.
I also have an '81 1112 en route with a split top.
So I'm back in the Ovation fold..... |
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November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | You sound slightly insane... Welcome back! Glad the Applause is back among the living as well... |
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Posts: 5567
Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | Welcome back! |
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Location: South of most, North of few | Originally posted by Jeff W.:
You sound slightly insane... just like the rest of us. |
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November 2005
Posts: 4833
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | I thought that was the minimum entrance fee....
Scott, congratulations on the repair. Sounds like a good beater...in so many ways. |
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Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Good story, Scott. Don't take it personally, but I think you've set a new standard for the bargain hunting bottom feeders. |
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Posts: 12761
Location: Boise, Idaho | You and seesquare and MWoody should get together and swap strories--or guitar parts. |
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Posts: 4833
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Jason will be sooo envious when he gets back! |
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Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Has n`t Jason found his "Wellies" yet..?.. |
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Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Welcome Back Scott,and congrats with that applause-job...I`ll offer you 5o pesos for it :)
Vic |
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April 2003
Posts: 608
Location: Caribou, ME | Here's a pic of the carnage as I received it:
Here's the rough layout of the braces. Not trying to re-invent the wheel or anything; the braces were GONE and I figured... why not try something odd?
Here's a better pic of the braces... understand I just used scrap wood as an experiment!
Here it is up and running:
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April 2006
Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Well Done ..!!!.. :)
Vic
..70 pesos.. |
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November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | looks like it was trebucheted
nice job.... call it "Humpty" |
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Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Great work!
Send that to your Wood Shop teacher to show that you really were paying attention.
[The top on my 1112 looks like the before picture.] |
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Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | Scott
IT IS WONDERFUL THINGS LIKE THIS THAT KEEPS ME COMING BACK TO SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING!!
That is a great example of bringing the dead to life, are you related to Jesus?
We all are to some extent, do not take this as a totally religious post, many ordinary people perform miracles in this world in complete anonyminity.
Old damaged instruments and players deserve another chance at the musical life.
Bailey |
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December 2003
Posts: 13996
Location: Upper Left USA | Let it rise!
Love those second wind players. |
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Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | I guess that whole "Can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ears" saying has to be thrown right out the window.
Good job. |
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April 2003
Posts: 608
Location: Caribou, ME | I somehow manage to take on projects that others walk away from. Doesn't make me special, I'm just a champion of the underdog sometimes. Here's another example:
Wretched but loveable guitar
Back to the Applause.... this is not the first one with a lifted bridge that had catastrophic top failure. It's one thing for a bridge to pop, and can happen to any guitar I suppose, but man, they sure rip themselves up.
Now that it's back among the living I may splurge on some better tuners, as it came with the generic closed back garbage tuners of the 70s. I have no aversion to drilling out the headstock for screw-in bushing tuners (Schaller,Grover) but I've never done it to an aluminum neck. |
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Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Are those StringTubes in the Bridge? |
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Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | That looks disgusting!
The scratch plate, that is.  |
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September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Again... very nice.
The wear pattern above the low E string is interesting. Is it from resting the thumb there or just very aggressive pic work?
Either way, that guitar experienced a lot of playing hours before you ever got hold of it. |
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December 2004
Posts: 2150
Location: Orlando, FL | Nice work Scott! It's amazing you were able to resurrect those guitars. The Palomino is an interesting guitar, I've never seen one of those before. |
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April 2003
Posts: 608
Location: Caribou, ME | No string tubes. It's got saddles much like a Mustang. They pin in place and ride over the saddles just like a Telecaster. I would say they are tone killers but those old Rossmeisel Fenders had a lot more killing the tone than just the saddles!
When I bought the guitar off ebay I asked the seller if they had any history. He gave me the name of a woman in MS that brought it in and sold it to him. Apparently it was owned by her ex or late husband. I wrote her a letter but no reply. I just wanted some history and to answer the question, just HOW does a guitar get to be this banged up?
Oooo oooo oooo! My 1112 should be here soon! Time to polish up the loupe and get the clamps ready.... this one should be easier though.
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September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | I wrote her a letter but no reply. I just wanted some history Maybe it's worth one more try. Send her the pics you posted here. Being that it was her late husbands guitar there might be some sad feelings attached to it. Now that some time has passed, and with all the effort you put into it, you might get a response this time.
You know, it's funny how we can paint our own mental picture of a situation.
In this case I have this lonely old widow shuffling into a local music store with her late husbands guitar in hand. It's plain to see by the wear that many hours of music has come out of that old Fender. Because of it's condition I would assume that there had to be a lot of sentimental value attached to it or it would have found the fireplace long ago.
The old lady is reluctant to give it up because so much of who her dear husband was is pushed deep into the woodgrain. Or perhaps that's the reason she just can't stand to have it around the house any longer. To see that old Palamino patiently waiting for Harold(?) to strum an few chords might be just to much for her.
Or..
A rage filled old broad storms into the music store guitar in hand. Carelessly she catches the edge of a Deluxe Reverb and puts yet another hefty crack in the top of her late husband's favorite guitar. She just buried that schmuck Harold yesterday after a lenghty illness that frankly, took to much time out of her busy day.
She swore the first thing she would do is get rid of that damn guitar.
Bitter?? Damn right. She had a right to be bitter. All he ever did was play that damn guitar. "Someday I'll make a fortune with this guitar!" he would promise. But the promise was empty and because of it Harold and Rebecca's life together was never nearly as happy as it might have been.
Becky gave up all hope with the advent of the computer age. Any time that Harold had ever put aside for her was now spent with guitar tab sites and YouTube lessons. Most of all she wishes he would never have found that damn "Fender Palamino FanClub". Just the time he spent posting was bad enough but then came the first of many annual "Visit the Palamino Factory" weekends. Just how many times do you need to walk through the old same building??
Then came the semi-local mini gatherings. Then the weekend seminars. Then of all things, the offical "Fender Palamino FanClub Golf Outting". "Oh the hell with it!! I'm giving up on you Harold!!!" she would cry as he once again packed his bags for a long weekend.
Now Rebbecca can start over. Late is better than never. When Harold was "on the road", old Jeb from down the road would sometimes check in on Becky to see if she needed any "help" around the house. Maybe she would have Jeb over for dinner real soon. He knows how to treat a lady. After all.... he's a drummer.
Sorry... sometimes I get carried away |
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April 2003
Posts: 608
Location: Caribou, ME | Superb! |
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September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Thanks..
It's those voices in my head starting up again.
Hey Jeff... can ya spare any of that Haleperidol????
But you really should try writing her one more time. There might be a story here. Maybe even better than the one I made up. |
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May 2002
Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | Slipkid missed the most obvious
Poor guy setting up all night learning songs on his Palomina, just ready for the "big time" at the local dive, having been invited by his bud to sit in and back "Wanda, the topless country Beauty" on her Sat show.
His Palomina was found under his Plymouth van, mysteriously run over on Friday. He was found on Sat morning mysteriously shot to death by a 12 guage outside Wanda's apartment. The 12 guage and the Palomina were sold on Ebay, the 12 guage sold for twice what the idiot paid for the wrecked Palomina.
The kind person who revived the Palomina tried to contact the bereaved widow, but she had taken the massive insurance settlement and headed for Buffett country in the Keys never to be seen again except on a few Jimmy Buffett videos.
BUT, the Palomina lives on!!! |
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March 2002
Posts: 15680
Location: SoCal | Great stories but the obvious point is that Brad's bored at work.... |
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September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Hey Columbo...be a good little P.I. check the time stamp.
Saturday morning, baby!! ;) :cool: |
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March 2005
Posts: 5567
Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | looks like it was trebucheted
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I'm back!