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Joined:
May 2010
Posts: 2
Location: Oklahoma city | I like to jam with other acoustic players and my Martin D-15 is a good guitar, but it plays rather
quiet compared with other guitars, so I recently purchased an ovation because it sounded great, and although the laquer is cracked, it seems to be solid. Several of the frets are showing some wear, and I discovered that they can't be replaced because they are an integral part of the aluminum neck. I know the neck is a bolt-on, and I wondered if there are replacement necks, or fret-boards available. It is an Ovation Matrix manufactured in 1977, model 1132-1. (I have already purchased a bone saddle blank, shaped it, and replaced the plastic saddle which seems to have helped brighten the sound which was already much brighter than my Martin D-15) |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | I have a 1976. The replaceable neck was one of those ideas that never caught on, so they aren't available. It's probably as good as it's going to get. Not bad for a guitar with a laminate top, plastic back, with a plastic and aluminum neck, but there's only so much you can do with that. |
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Joined:
September 2008
Posts: 1281
Location: Ohio | The 2nd generation of the Matrix line had a standard neck /fretboard that could have the frets replaced when needed. With the aluminum neck, once the frets wore, it was a great slide guitar.
Overall, not a bad instrument. I had a 12 string that was a BOOMER!!!!!!!!!! |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | Can the aluminum fretboard neck be replaced with one of the newer necks? |
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Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 3969
| Mark, if by "newer neck" you mean a modern one, I don't think so, at least not easily or cheaply enough to make it worth it dollar-wise. I had a later incarnation of the Matrix with the rosewood fretboard. Still had the urelite neck and no truss rod, so probably a bolt-on neck. I doubt the MS has any urelite necks laying around somewhere. Weren't these made in NC before they moved production offshore?
Even so, I don't know that the bolt positions would be compatible with current bolt-on neck design, and even then you'd have to drill out the neck block for the truss rod. All doable with effort, and it might make a fun project, but having someone else do it might be cost prohibitive.
Best to keep it as a dedicated slide guitar. |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | No, I meant "newer" in terms of the urelite necks with the rosewood fretboard. My thought was that if you could find one of those on a trashed body, you could combine the two and have a neck where you could replace the frets. |
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Joined:
May 2010
Posts: 2
Location: Oklahoma city | Thanks for the quick response. I used it last night at a mixed (elec. and acoustic) jam, and was pleased with the volume out of a strictly acoustic instrument. The more I hear from people, the more I realize that the Matrix is like a bic razor (use it and lose it)... It's a shame Ovation didn't see any profit in making replacement parts for it.
Again Thanks.... |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | Mine is very special to me. $245 was a lot of money then. It was the entry level Ovation, just barely a step above the Applause with the goofy headstock. I liked the "high tech" idea of the replaceable neck combined with the roundback. It was our wedding present for me to play at the wedding. It's been hauled around in the back of several VW buses and played at a bunch of campsites. Still looks and sounds great.
I don't blame Ovation for pulling the plug on the replacement necks. Innovation doesn't always turn a profit. |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7224
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | My first real acoustic guitar was a "Medallion" which was pre-Matrix, bought in '75. Essentially the same except for the name.
I recommend carefully dressing/touchup the frets a little. I have done this to mine once a bunch of years ago, and it's been fine.
To give you an idea on how low my frets are (and it doesn't buzz) check out the fretboard near the money frets and some of the common lead areas.
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Just purchased a 1977 Matrix model 1132-1
