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Joined:
September 2009
Posts: 144
Location: SW Washington | Okay, I don't know how to assign a tag to this link so here is the entire URL I copied and pasted from my address bar. Anyhow, this is a 1983 Collector series with some cracks in the face. I have a complete woodshop that I am in the process of converting to a Luthiery (is that a word?) How difficult would it be to repair these cracks and how permanent would the repairs be? I have a couple antique violins that are family heirlooms and in the 80's I had to take them to a luthier for repairs of cracks in the top. The luthier glued thin 'cleats' on the underside of the faces to bind the cracks together and it worked great. They still play fine. Would that be an option here? Or would the cleats affect the tone or sustain substantially? And really, from looking at the pictures here, it almost appears to me that the cracks are superficial...they don't seem to follow the grain pattern of the wood. Any thoughts? Thanks!
David
Anyhow, here is the URL for the ebay listing...I am considering offering $175 or something like that... I really don't need any more projects, but if I can get it cheap enough, it may be worth it.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Ovation-1983-Collectors-guitar-WOW_W0QQ... |
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Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 3969
| If they're finish-only cracks, repair is relatively easy if you're at all handy. A pretty complete guide for such repair is in the FAQ , about 2/3rds of the way down. The FAQ also has instructions on how to embed pics and links in your posts. |
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Joined:
August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | Hi David ... welcome.
It's hard to know for sure, but I'm willing to bet those are just lacquer cracks and there would be no need to cleat the top. Lacquer cracks do not affect the sound or structural, and can be easily filler (lots of folks here have done it). But ask the seller for a picture of the cracked rosette so you can see what is really going on. |
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September 2002
Posts: 806
Location: Seymour, Tennessee | You need to check out the 88 Collector's on there too it's only at $219 and it looks to be in great shape.
I added this info to your other post to.
I love my 88, I think you'd enjoy it too even if it is a super-shallow bowl. |
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Joined:
March 2008
Posts: 2683
Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | Even if the cracks go all the way through, if you're not concerned about looks, the guitar will probably still sound as good. My 1617 Legend has had worse cracks in the wood than that for 27 years, and it's still the best sounding Ovation I have ever encountered.
I DID notice from the pics that there is a crack in the fretboard. Not a big deal by itself, but that indicates to me that the guitar was not kept humidified. There might therefore be other problems associated with too dry conditions. |
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May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | cracks in the fretboard can be fixed too. |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12761
Location: Boise, Idaho | I bought an 83 Collector last year for my daughter. There are a bunch of them out there, which keeps the value down. Therefore, one with cracks has even less value, even if they're just in the finish.
The ad is pretty accurate, except they aren't "boomers", compared to a deep bowl. It does sound balanced, though without the big bass of a deep bowl. After a fret dress and set up, the 83 I got plays as well as any of my Ovations. |
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Joined:
September 2009
Posts: 144
Location: SW Washington | Okay, the seller sent me pics of the crack in the rosette (and he posted them on the sale too) and the crack is perpendicular to the strings and therefore also perpendicular to the grain direction of the wood, so I doubt it is from the wood underneath it cracking. However, if as Mark says, there are a bunch of them out there, maybe I will risk insulting him and offer $125 and see what happens. |
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Joined:
April 2008
Posts: 2336
Location: Brighty in Blighty | Personally I wouldn't bother unless you wanted to do it for the sake of doing it, i.e. for the experience of repairing a guitar. Personally the 83C does nothing for me. |
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Difficult to repair? or possibly worth it?
