This past spring, a friend of mine asked me if I'd take a look at his Nakao Elite. He had just purchased a Martin DRS-1 and really liked it. He was contemplating getting rid of the Nakao! Although I talked him out of it, I sure wasn't the one to perform the repair on such a nice and sought after O. With the Mother Ship gone (not anymore!), nobody in Japan was willing to touch an O for anything other then general work like nuts, bridge saddles and frets.

Neither of us thought that O USA was really going to be gone for long; and so, we decided to wait it out. Well just as news of O USA's Independence Day resurrection was resonating around the world, I had to take a short trip to the good 'ol USA. I packed light and grabbed my friends Nakao and headed for Narita. My itinerary was intense, and the only opportunity to get out of the airport and ship the guitar to NH was in my port of entry, Portland. So, I caught a cab to the Fed-Ex location just outside of PDX. They didn't have a box that fit the deep bowl O case; but since I couldn't miss my flight out to O'hare, I taped up the case, and shipped it without a box! I know...bad, bad, idea...so, I prayed and prayed and prayed...

Today, I got word that the guitar arrived at the Mother Ship in good shape! Oh yes! Thank you God! I'll be back in the States for four days in August. Mr. Budny thinks he'll be able to get it to my CA address in time for a hand carry back to Japan! Man I can't wait to play the Nakao when it's all fixed up! So here's some "before" pics...

Love these handwritten labels!

My friend's daughters used the guitar as a slide...ouch...cracking the top and jarring the soundboard loose from the bowl!

Serial Number puts her in the 1996 production runs...

Even with the cracked top and severed bowl, she's a beauty, but she's lost her resonance and sustain. I can't wait until Mr. Budny and the folks at the Mini Mother restore her to her intended magnificence! Oh, you know, on the way into Portland, I saw a dream that I visited OMA...no kidding! His residence was filled with every kind of Ovation imaginable. Lol! Sure would be cool to join one of your O gatherings over there one of these days.

Back in Japan with my friend's "Mini Mother restored" Nakao Elite. You all knew this would happen, but I am just thoroughly impressed and deeply grateful to Mr. Budny and his crew for restoring this beautiful guitar!

There are no signs of her previous condition. Mr. Budny said that the guitar was 98% new, but I am here to tell you that she sounds better than she ever has, and she even smells like she's brand new...

...not even the slightest indication that the soundboard had cracked or broken loose from the bowl. Mr. Budny said, they removed the neck, bridge and epaulets, reglued the soundboard to the bowl, repaired the crack, sanded the whole top lightly to even out the finish, and then re-sprayed the clear coat...

They obviously replaced the old epaulets with new ones...

...and even sprayed the back with new black paint. All the little bitty dings and scratches are no where to be found.

I'm pretty sure they buffed the headstock as well...

...just squeaky clean all around!

The price for all this tender loving care was on the slightly lower side of reasonable, and the care and detail they put into the restoration is IMHO industry leading. Just immaculate Service. To top it off, Mr. Budny and gang finished the work in time for the hand carry back to Japan. I'll post a video of how she sounds in a couple of days, but her resonance and sustain are just unbelievable. So rich is her resonance that she looks like she'll start singing just by looking at her!

Okay, so you can tell I'm excited. I can't wait to return her to her rightful owner. She is just going to blow him away! Thank you Mr. Budny, Mike and Sherwood! Over 115 years of combined experience, and boy does it show! You guys are the best!

Awesome!  Keep it away from lil' miss-adventure.