|
|
Joined:
January 2008
Posts: 58
Location: west | hi all. I did receive the 1778T and it looks real nice. Cept, it looks like the bridge area has belly'd a little. How much bridge lift is acceptable? The action is rather high. I'll get spec's tomorrow. But I can say my Martin has much lower action at the 12th fret.
The neck has a little much forward bow to it and I need to adjust that out too.
Is there any way a top that has risen some can be made flat again?
Im hoping I dont have to return this guit.
Are Ovation tops perfectly flat?
Thanks for the help. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Not flat like glass, at least... But flat, without a bunch of warpage by the bridge.
Pictures would help...
If it is a relatively new guitar, there should be no lift!
If you got it from some kind of eSeller, and he listed it as New... Send it back, and tell him to send you another.
Does that help? |
|
| |
|
Joined:
February 2008
Posts: 747
| This is what my 1974 looks like although it's tuned to E flat in these pictures. About 1/32 gap as you can see:
 |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 1673
Location: SoCal | They aren't called flat-top guitars for nothing :cool:
Wood tops are "living things" and belly-up a little as time goes on due to string tension. If all the wood stays glued together, the belly reaches its max and hopefully that's it.
To compensate on an Ovation, you can remove a shim, thus lowering the saddle... but lowering the saddle too much decreases the break angle of the strings, decreasing downward pressure thus decreasing the force that energizes the top.
When lowering the saddle and adjusting the neck relief does not yield the required results, resetting the neck puts it all right again.
The Ovation neck is a bolt-on and the Factory does the best neck resets.
Read-up on neck angle. Here are links to a few articles: http://www.frets.com/FRETSpages/Musician/Guitar/Setup/NeckAngle/nec...
http://www.guitartips.addr.com/tip97.html
http://www.guitartips.addr.com/tip82.html
Now to your 1778T... the guitar can't be that old and should not have these issues.
First, what's the relative humidity? I'd tune it down a step and let it acclimate to a comfortable relative humidity around 50%. Then tune it up, check the neck angle and see what the top looks like.
Post some pictures. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2008
Posts: 58
Location: west | I'll get some pics later today. The guitar is new and came from a GC in Virginia. Thanks for the pics of the straight edge on the O-top. I'm pretty sure this one has what I'd call more than normal bellying. I can actually see the faint outline of a couple of the vertical braces right behind the bridge on the black textured top. To me it looks like adjusting the neck relief to minimum and removing shims wouldn't get the action to factory specs or even close.
I'll have pics and measurements later today. thanks for the help. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 1673
Location: SoCal | "The guitar is new and came from a GC in Virginia."
I'd have them retrieve their guitar at their cost and refund all my money. A new guitar should not have issues. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2005
Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | Welcome to my world, GVJIM.
Look on the bright side. At least you're in the same country as the Mother Ship. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | My local GC has a no questions asked return policy. If it bugs you, return it. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2008
Posts: 58
Location: west | thanks guys - I just go home from my morning run (job) and took some pics. I think I will be calling the GC to get a pickup and a refund. Here are some pics of the problem. The bridge is raised significantly, so even after adjusting the truss rod with neck near perfect straight, it;s too high and from what I have read here the neck would need a reset to work properly. The measurement between big E and 12th fret is .102 which is still a little over spec.
Let me know what you think.
 |
|
| |
|
Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Yep, that's a little high... :rolleyes:
I had a similar (yet different) problem with a Legend LX I used to have (I think Brian T had the same issue). The top under the bridge had actually rolled back (sucked in behind it, lifted in front of it). Didn't effect the playability (in fact, it was a cannon) but the strings were almost contacting the front edge of the bridge, and there were no shims left to remove.
Mine was an FRG - if yours was sold as new, it definitely needs to be replaced. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2008
Posts: 58
Location: west | I contacted the GC and am waiting on a return phone call from them concerning a pickup request and return. Needless to say I'm a little disappointed to be going through this..
Got myself to blame though.. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2008
Posts: 24
Location: Los Angeles | That's wayyyy toooo much! It almost looks like a cello. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2005
Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | Originally posted by GVJIM:
Is there any way a top that has risen some can be made flat again? I'd like to find out if anyone knows if this is possible too. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2008
Posts: 58
Location: west | Muzza - the thought crossed my mind to try this.
Loosen tension on the strings. Cradle the guitar and support the neck. Add moisture to inside the body, with a sponge or similar. Place a towel over the area behind the bridge and then place some light weight there, like a book or something. Keep moisture inside. Let the guitar sit like this until the top has relaxed back to being flat. Then let it dry a period of time before putting tension back on the strings. How long, I don't know. A week even a month maybe. This would take some time, especially if the guitar is old. Then there's the JLD bridge doctor. Don't know if it could be adapted to an Ovation.
Just my thoughts. Maybe someone else here has some ideas.
What guitar are you having bellying-up problems with? |
|
| |
|
Joined:
August 2005
Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | 2005 Engleman Spruce. I've had no end of problems with it, but I can't bear to sell it.
Apart from the fact I'd lose a bomb, it sounds great and I'm hoping to correct all the faults eventually.
Just noticed last night that one of the braces has come adrift.
Long story, everyone here's tired of hearing about Muzza's '05 woes. |
|
| |
bridge area question
