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Posts: 7
| Hello all,
This is my first post on the forum. I currently own a red Ovation Hurricane (yr unknown) that I am thinking of selling. I realize that the value can be hard to determine & I have looked through-out the other posts for info, but what what complicates things is that I think that mine may be a factory 2nd (there is a "2" stamped in the back of headstock). The guitar seems to be in rather good shape, but there are some cracks in the lacquer-coating.
Is this a factory 2nd and any ideas what that might mean? I was thinking of trying Ebay, but have never gone that route before.
Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Eric |
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Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Factory "2nd" could mean anything.
I am not sure what they did way back in the 70's, but more recently if something didn't pass inspection at the New Hartford Factory they would fix the problem then sell the guitar as a "Factory Reconditioned Guitar".
I would think that this is what was done for your "2nd".
I don't think that they would let a piece of crap out the door... They had a bandsaw for that.
Now... For picky people the factory 2nd might lower the value.
That's okay... Those people can just go buy one of the many others on eBay. (that's a joke)
But for the rest of the people who understand that this is a 30-40 year-old guitar, the 2nd won't matter.
Things like that only matter when you are buying new.
If you are not sure of the year... Look HERE
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | OMA is correct. Back in the day it is my understanding that if there was a blemish (really no matter how mild) or any other issue that rendered the guitar "not pristine" once it was completed, and it couldn't be easily turned into pristine (mainly finish issues back then if I recall), then it got a "2" stamp and was sold as a second. There were even some stores that dealt with Factory 2nds. But, it could simple be a guitar that was purchased and returned as well. If it checked out fine, they certainly still couldn't sell it as new again... so it became a 2nd. More recently FRG (Factory Reconditioned) covered all the scenario's but I think back in the day it was either something that didn't pass final inspection and was too much to mess with, or it came back on a return. My first Ovation was a Factory 2nd. It took me awhile to find the finish blemish, and it's one of those hold it up to the light, at just the perfect angle, and you can see a slight oddness to the finish. It was a Medallion so hardly worth refinishing. After nearly 40 years of playing... the other scratches and dings make it pretty hard to find the original blemish. |
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Location: Jet City | my '67 Tornado has a '2' on it. Whatever the blemish was, it's been outdone by all the other finish cracks.
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Posts: 7
| Thank you- that's a good point about factory 2nd. The guitar sounds and looks fine, never had a problem with tuning or intonation (just playing in the 1st position w/ that tiny neck- ha). Also, thanks for the serial number link. Looking at the guitar tonight I didn't see the serial number, but I'm guessing it's in a hard to find spot, like the heel of the neck going into the body or something. |
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September 2014
Posts: 7
| I forgot to ask- is it common for these guitars to develop finish cracks over time? I'm a little concerned about the three on this guitar & hope they don't extend through to the wood. For polishing the guitar, is there a type of polish to recommend or anything to stay away from using? |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Actually sorta yes and in most cases they are just the finish. Upon your response I will upgrade you to full member and move this over to the general section so others can comment more in-depth on taking care of the finish. |
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| Yes, I would greatly appreciate it if you would upgrade me to full member and move the post to the general section. Thank you for the help! |
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Posts: 4044
Location: Utah | Can you post pictures of the cracks? |
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September 2014
Posts: 7
| FlySig - 2014-09-05 11:43 AM
Can you post pictures of the cracks?
Hello FlySig, yes I am going to attach photos to this message (never tried to do this before on a forum). Not sure if the quality is good enough to tell much.
 (hurricane.jpg)
 (h2.jpg)
 (h3.jpg)
Attachments
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 hurricane.jpg (88KB - 0 downloads)
h2.jpg (72KB - 0 downloads)
h3.jpg (48KB - 0 downloads)
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Location: Utah | I think the crack is just in the finish from the way it crosses grain lines, plus it goes all the way to the edge of the binding. I would pull one or both of the pickups off and look under there. You might even be able to reach the underside of the wood to feel or see (with a mirror and flashlight) whether the crack runs all the through the wood.
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| Great ideas- thank you very much. I was able to check them out as you suggested and they definitely don't go through the wood.
The last question I have is does anyone have a guitar polish and a fretboard cleaner they recommend? May seem like an odd question, but I don't know if there's anything to stay away from when dealing with a finish this old (especially w/ the cracks). I have a generic polish from a local music store that I've used on my acoustic with no ill-effects (yet). My guess is the fretboard cleaner I have is based off of lemon oil. |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | river man - 2014-09-07 11:56 AM
The last question I have is does anyone have a guitar polish and a fretboard cleaner they recommend? May seem like an odd question, but I don't know if there's anything to stay away from when dealing with a finish this old (especially w/ the cracks). I have a generic polish from a local music store that I've used on my acoustic with no ill-effects (yet). My guess is the fretboard cleaner I have is based off of lemon oil.
We hope it's not your last question ever 
Seriously... Dunlop #65. I've used it for years. I saw enough professionals trying to "show off" their guitars using this product. Use as directed and it works great.
Dunlop also makes a fretboard oil. Also a great product.
JMHO |
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Posts: 4044
Location: Utah | Another vote for Dunlop 65. They make a cleaner which does a nice job of getting the grime off. Or, you could just use a damp slightly soapy dish rag to clean it. Then Dunlop 65 wax to put a shine on it. But don't wax the back of the neck because it gets sticky from body heat when playing.
For the fretboard use a genuine lemon oil or mineral oil. Clayton's Lemon Oil is what I use and have been happy with it.
You can probably fill those finish cracks with thin cyanoacrylate glue (superglue). Get a thin version, not the regular stuff they sell in grocery stores. Either a local hobby shop or from stewmac.com. I would test a hidden area such as under one of the pickups first to be sure it is chemically compatible (it should be) and to practice wicking it in. If you get the StewMac glue, also buy their whip-tips which are cheap but work great. Regular acetone dissolves superglue, so you can wipe across the filled cracks if you need to smooth it out at all. It can make the repair invisible. But do test the acetone on a hidden part of the finish for compatibility. Acetone hasn't affected my 1970's Ovations but be sure it is safe on your guitar.
Edited by FlySig 2014-09-08 9:24 AM
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Location: SoCal | Most of the time, a crack like shown is not going any further and is too tight to do anything such as 'fill and sand, fill and sand'. You can, however, mitigate the visual of the crack by mixing acrylic paint (a little red, yellow, brown) to match the finish (as water based, mix the paint directly on nearby top until you get a match, then just wipe off what you don't use), rubbing/pressing it in with your finger. Crack is still there but not as noticeable. Again, crack is still there but you might feel a little better.
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Location: SoCal | "fill those finish cracks with thin cyanoacrylate glue (superglue)". Unlike the Storm series, CYA or clear drying water soluble glue is usually used on US Ovations (can mix acrylic into the glue) as the finish is catalyzed polyester. In this case, CYA remover can be used to remove any excess on the top without damaging the finish. I had fairly wide cracks on the back of a '332' style Wurlitzer 12-string that had dried out in Arizona. Then I did the fill technique with mixed paint to match the sunburst finish but that is a different problem than yours. In my case, with adequate humidity over a month, the cracks closed. |
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Location: Flahdaw | Riverman- you're thinking of selling it anyway. You'll probably get the best results here on the forum, and you'll get the same price whether you "repair" it or don't. The guitar is worth just so much, and there are people that want those gits. So just post it in the For Sale section. |
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Location: Jet City | it's not joan rivers. leave the cracks. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Yeah leave it probably a 67,68 or69. Cracks are no big thing and those aren't big. Look under the neck plate for the sn. The second at this late date is meaningless. Keep it and playit. |
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September 2014
Posts: 7
| Hey thank you all for the help! I will definitely have to try the Dunlop 65- sounds like a great choice! I do think I will leave the cracks alone, especially since they don't go through into the wood (and I'd feel a little cautious about experimenting on this guitar since I've never done any repairs like this). I'll have to check under the neck plate for the year- I've always wondered when this guitar was made. I may just post it here on the forum for sale. I haven't really had a chance to check out the whole Ebay process. Thanks again everyone! |
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Background info Hurricane models
