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Location: New Orleans | I bought my Elite 1778T in September of 2004 and a couple of months ago I noticed that I already have 3 frets with not mild but moderate wear. By the looks of it, it seems that in another 6 months I'll have SERIOUS fret wear on those 3 frets. Is this normal? Is this covered by warranty or not? |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Definitely not normal if you bought it new.....unless, of course, you have already played a few years worth in only 8 months. That's alot of playing... or are using carbide strings.
I'd call your dealer. Normal fretware isn't covered. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | But overly excessive wear might be.
Jeff, remember that thread from about 2-3 months ago where the fellow was having excessive fret wear issues but did not want to send it back to factory for evaluation?
Wonder whatever happened on that one, |
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| ...another good reason for stainless steel fretwire..
Steve |
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Location: NJ | I talked to the guys at the factory and they found that excessive wear issue very unlikely but they wanted to look at the guitar. I am not sure if it ever made its way back. |
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Location: New Orleans | Thank you so much for responding. Since purchasing the guitar brand new, I have alternated between Black Diamond Coated Plain Locktwist Acoustic Steel Strings. They are steel and phosphor bronze wound.(theyre 12's) and Elixir Nanoweb Acoustics(12's) trying to figure out which strings I preferred. The Black Diamond have a deeper more resounding bass to them and they're black (which look really nice on the Elite T) but the coating on the Elixirs lasts longer therefore they sound better, longer. The Elixir are what I intend to use forever. I play between 12 to 20 hours per week depending on my available time. I don't know what these frets are made of. I thought they were steel but could they be nickel? Is nickel softer? I will contact my dealer and see where to go from here. It could be excessive playing that has caused this and what a bummer that would be because it'll just happen again. I've never had any fret work done on any of my guitars before and don't know what the process entails, could someone please explain it to me? How long might it take and how do they figure a cost? Thanks again, I appreciate. |
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| Definitely worth talking to your dealer. I don't know what the normal mileage on frets is supposed to be, but at 4 or 5 hours a day you ought to go well into a second or third year I would have thought.
steve
agree about stainless wire. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Originally posted by stephent28:
remember that thread from about 2-3 months ago where the fellow was having excessive fret wear issues but did not want to send it back to factory for evaluation? What was the model in that thread-Elite T? |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Seems like it but when I did I quick search I did not come up with anything.
Al, do you remember? |
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Location: New Orleans | I did a search and found a few posts to this thread:Serious fret wear on 3-month old 1771LX.
Unfortunately, there's been no followup on it. I'll check with my dealer and see what happens. I expect that I'll have to pack it up and see it off for evaluation and repair. I'm sure gonna miss my 'baby' while it's gone! I have fret wear on a 30 year old guitar but for the Elite T, it's just too soon. Sigh. |
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Location: New Orleans | Heck, I just took off the strings to have a closer look and it's 6 frets not 3. Can't wait until Monday so I can call. Thanks to all of you for your input. I'll post what happens from here. |
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Location: Fayetteville, NC | Did anyone hear what the outcome of this post was?
Curious as to what LeStrange1 found out. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Steve, it's only been one day! |
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Location: closely held secret | These kids. No patience at all.... :D |
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Location: Fayetteville, NC | Yeah I know. I just get too eager sometimes in my quest for knowledge. :rolleyes: |
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Location: New Orleans | I spoke with someone at Guitar Trader which is where I purchased the guitar and they told me that since I live in Louisiana and they are in California, to just bring the guitar to any Ovation dealer (even if I didn't buy it from them?)and go from there. This just doesn't sound like 'proper procedure' to me. I don't know who he conferred with about the issue but he wasn't very helpful, seemed clueless and I'm just disappointed as hell. Can't I just call the Ovation manufacturer itself and have THEM instruct me as to how to handle this properly? Please advise. Thanx. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | I suppose you could just send it back to Ovation for repair...but, I would think, the dealer would be needed in order to deal with any warranty issues if, in fact, there are any warranty issues. I could very definitely be wrong that.
Either way you could contact the factory to see what they recommend |
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Location: NJ | WHY people here just don't "Buy from Al" is beyond me . . . . |
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Location: SoCal | Al who? |
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Location: Fayetteville, NC | Mr. Pepiak,
Moody's picking on you again. Are you going to let him get away with that? :rolleyes: |
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Location: NJ | moody did me a favor today so I have to let him slide |
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Location: New Orleans | Cliff, I didn't buy from Al because I didn't know who Al WAS when I was looking to buy. |
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Location: Fayetteville, NC | Now you know.. So we'll let you slide. :) |
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Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | While I've never used the warrenty, wouldn't you bring it to an authorized repair shop, maybe guitar trader is not authorized, have them look at it, and if they agree send it to the factory? I dunno. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Frets are frets. If yours are wearing out that much faster than everyone else's it's probably in how (and how much) you play and the strings you use.
Yes I know that there are different types of wire but as far as I know the Big O uses all the same kind. Different wear patterns and speed are in the hands (so to speak) of the player. |
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Location: NJ | Strange;
D'ya use a capo alot by any chance? |
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Location: closely held secret | or is your real name Steve Austin? |
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Location: New Orleans | LOL! No, No Steve Austin here...justa hard rockin' woman and I haven't used a capo because my amp has a digital capo that actually works! Thanks for all of you're input you guys because I know I have a world of information at my fingertips with y'all and it's NICE. I'm bringing the guitar to an authorized dealer Friday for an evaluation. Hopefull I can get to the bottom of this and have it repaired. I've played for 33 years and have NEVER seen fret wear like this. I tried taking close pictures to post here but my digital camera is useless. I can't seem to get enough light into the pics. I'll keep posting though! |
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| Take the lens cap off. |
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Location: New Orleans | Ha~ my camera is so cheap that it HAS no lens cap! It's tall and skinny, costed $20.00 and I have no idea why I still have it. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | ...Jamie Sommers, then? |
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Fret Wear