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Location: LewistownPA | I just bought a 12 string Legend off ebay (see thread "looking for a 12 string" in the sell/trade section). The neck is strait until the neck joint ,then slopes down 1/8" by the end of the board due to the top sinking. Is there any cure for that? It seems to me that would be a factory job and it would be expensive. I'm trying to get the seller to either take it back or give a partial refund. Opinions appriciated. |
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Location: Upper Left USA | Call Customer Service and discuss options. How high is the bridge/saddle setting? |
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Location: Carle Place, NY | How's the action? If it's high, see if there are shims under the saddle. I wouldn't fix the guitar unless the action cannot be lowered to 3/32". |
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Location: East Tennessee | You got it for a fairly good price. I agree with MWoody a Factory fix would give you a Killer of a 12 String at still a good price. |
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Location: Anchorage, Alaska | I have one with the same problem (and got it the same way, sight unseen). But... The guitar still sings and plays just fine. I got it for a good price as well so I haven't even thought much about getting it repaired. Please post what the "Mothership" quotes you for a price to fix it. If it's not "over the top" I might consider it for mine. |
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Location: boulder | factory know best, but they are on vacation till the first of august. If you return it, it's probably your shipping dollars (really twice, once coming, once returning). so any refund is gravy, I know this is overly simple suggestion, but would it help to adjust neck by truss rod. if it were kinked in other direction (flat on soundboard, then kinked outwards away from guitar soundboard, you are looking at a neck replacement, which for a 6 string = $450 for complete neck assembly replacement (neck, fretboard, frets). good luck ,mike |
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Location: Anchorage, Alaska | My neck is fine. It is the top that has the problem on mine. I may have misunderstood the problem with Play4fun's guitar. Shipping is another reason I doubt that this one will be sent back for repairs. With insurance it is at least $100.00 each way to and from Alaska!!! |
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Posts: 76
Location: LewistownPA | To clarify,like Alaskan Fly guy's, it's not a neck problem...it's the end or "tongue" of the fret board that curves down. An 1/8" (which means the strings are 1/4'' above last fret even though the action at the 12th fret is good) doesn't seem like much on paper but it sure is obvious when you see it. The action isn't bad and it looks like it there's probably a shim that could be removed;I'm waiting for some mail order strings before I do any adjustments. Truss rod adjustment would have no effect on the end of the fret board. The bottom line here is that even givin the good price,the guitar was advertised in excellent condition with no mention of this warping,and that just pisses me off. I still haven't heard from the seller so I may be filing a complaint through ebay. |
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Location: Carle Place, NY | I wouldn't call a curving down of the tongue a serious flaw because generally a twelve string is never played above the 14th fret.
My 12 string Custom Balladeer has that same sloping as well as some warping of the top in the area around the bridge. These "flaws" were not directly disclosed in the eBay ad when I bought the guitar. The guitar plays and sounds great and that's all that I'm interested in.
I don't think you'll get anywhere with a complaint to eBay or a request to the seller for a partial refund. You bought the guitar for less than half of what it cost new. If it really bothers you that much you probably can find someone at this site who will take it off your hands for what you paid for it. |
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Posts: 76
Location: LewistownPA | Originally posted by Mitchrx:
I wouldn't call a curving down of the tongue a serious flaw because generally a twelve string is never played above the 14th fret.
My 12 string Custom Balladeer has that same sloping as well as some warping of the top in the area around the bridge. These "flaws" were not directly disclosed in the eBay ad when I bought the guitar. The guitar plays and sounds great and that's all that I'm interested in.
I don't think you'll get anywhere with a complaint to eBay or a request to the seller for a partial refund. You bought the guitar for less than half of what it cost new. If it really bothers you that much you probably can find someone at this site who will take it off your hands for what you paid for it. Resale value is my greatest concern. Over the past few years I have bought and sold quite a few guitars on ebay;usually upgrading as cash flow allows. If I deside to sell this one I would not misrepresent it and doubt that I would get my $400 back. It's a buyers market right now.
Maybe a persuit of a compromise with the seller will work and maybe it won't but I don't roll over that easily. I had a problem similar to this before and I did get a partial refund. If anyone here wants to buy it just let me know. |
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| Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I am told that Ovation deliberately builds this drop in their fretboards at the point where the neck meets the body. It is explained in my owner's manual under "neck angle". I bought a brand new Legend in 1982, and it's always been that way, and my other ovations are all the same way. Maybe I'm not understanding your question, but if the top isn't sunk in, I wouldn't worry about it.
Mike |
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Location: Carle Place, NY | My greatest concerns are sound and playability. My 12 string Balladeer has been seen and played by serveral guitarist friends and nobody has ever mentioned or noticed the sloping fretboard.
That 12 string Legend is well worth $400. Serious flaws that effect resale value are big dings and cracks in the top. I paid $425 for the Balladeer. |
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Posts: 55
Location: lewisburg ohio | I have a 1985 custom balladeer and it does the same thing at the neck you could try taking out a shim at the saddle if there is one |
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November 2003
Posts: 76
Location: LewistownPA | Mitchrx,you make a valid point and I thank everyone for their input and helping me take a more objective viewpoint. Yesterday my strings arrived so I took the old ones off,re-attached the battery compartment that was flopping around,steel wooled the gunk off the frets,cleaned and lemon oiled the board,took out one of three shims ,polished the top, put the new strings on and plugged in to my small pa for a couple hours. Sounds very nice,plays just fine so I'm feeling much better about this. Still bugs me that the the seller was not totally honest,but at least I don't feel like it's as big a deal when I first saw it and hit the panic button. |
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Oh No! Sunken Top!
