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Joined:
June 2014
Posts: 15
Location: Long Island, NY | Hi all,
I have an early 80's Custom Legend 12 string that looks like a model 1618. It has been sitting in the case for a long time and I just started playing it again. (Decided to learn Hotel California). When I plugged it in, the mono jack didn't work at all and the stereo jack only amplified every other string. I also need new knobs. The preamp is the Single Knob with volume in the middle and tone on the outside.
I brought it to Guitar Center two weeks ago and they haven't touched it. They say they are waiting for a schematic. (They emailed Ovation once and didn't get a response). Are there schematics available? I believe the part # is 708935-x. Does anyone know if the knobs are available? I'm considering picking up the guitar and working on it myself, or looking for an Ovation Repair center instead of Guitar Center.
Thanks in advance for any thoughts/ideas/advice.
Brian |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13987
Location: Upper Left USA | Welcome Brian,
The stereo preamp draws on the stereo Piezo pickup in the saddle and it is wired with two lines that read 1-3-5 and 2-4-6 string vibrations.
That said, it sounds like one of the lines has a break and not so much the preamp.
Take a look at www.ovationtribute.com you'll find schematics and pictures of the various knobs. Yours sounds like at single knob, dual ring.
Myself or someone here may have a replacement. Yes, you should find an Authorized Ovation Repair person.
Check out the BFLG section where I'm ressurecting a 1615 12 string and changing out the preamp. |
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Joined:
April 2003
Posts: 557
Location: Burbank | You dont have a custom legend you have a Glen Campbell 12 string. |
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Joined:
August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | You need a stereo plug in the stereo jack for it to work properly, a mono plug and you'll only get every other string. But that doesn;t explain the mono jack no giving you any output.
If you have a Custom Legend, then the model number is 1658 ... which does indeed look like a 1618 with 12 frets to the body and a slot head, but will have abalone purfling around the top and a carved bridge. Those are very nice guitars and highly treasured by some of the folks here.
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Joined:
June 2014
Posts: 15
Location: Long Island, NY | I just got the guitar back from Guitar Center. They were able to get the mono jack working, but the stereo jack is still giving me every other string. We tried it with two mono cable and with two TRS cables, both plugged into separate amps.
Bobbo - you are right, once I got it back, I looked at the label and it's a model 1658, ser # 244332 which means it's from 1981. It is one beautiful guitar! It does have the carved bridge as well as a carved truss rod cover. I purchased it from Sam Ash music just before I got married. I figured if I didn't get it then... I would never get it! I actually went in looking for a Guild 12-string, and the salesman showed me this beauty. When I plugged it in, I had to have it!
I'm not sure how or why I would use the stereo output anyway, so I'm not too upset about it not working. I would be interested in hearing how and why someone would use the stereo out.
Brian |
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4042
Location: Utah | The stereo gives it a big presence. I haven't played a whole lot yet with the stereo on my newly acquired 1537. So far it seems best with each channel panned just slightly off center. For some fingerstyle songs it sounds good panned hard left and hard right. |
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Joined:
June 2014
Posts: 15
Location: Long Island, NY | FlySig - so how do you have it hooked up? Bobbo said that you need a stereo cable which makes sense, but I'm still not sure how to run the cable. Since you are talking about panning, I'm assuming that you are going into a mixing board, not an amp. Are you using a single stereo cable that then splits into 2 mono cables? I actually have a pretty decent background in sound, but I've never used a stereo guitar so I'm stumped. I still haven't figured out if my guitar electronics are broken or if operator error is causing the problem. Thanks! |
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Joined:
June 2014
Posts: 15
Location: Long Island, NY | Found my answer in an old thread. Thanks to Damon67, he said:
Assuming that's a stereo setup... Only one jack is used at a time. If you use the stereo port, you need a split cable (same as 'insert cable' you'd use to insert effects into a channel on a PA). The 'Y' side goes to 2 separate channels or amps and splits the string signals. Strings 1, 3, and 5 go to one channel, 2, 4, and 6 to the other.
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Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6994
Location: Jet City | Glad you got it all going. That's a great guitar. You don't see them up for sale often. |
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Joined:
July 2008
Posts: 185
Location: Long Island, N.Y. | I had bought a `78 Cust. leg. 6 string and it came with the original stereo wiring. I should of kept it. |
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Early 80s Custom Legend 12 string electronics
