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Joined:
August 2002
Posts: 607
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA | Hello, BFLG,
The input jack on my NOS 1993 Collector's Series Ovation guitar has now become very noisy when I plug a guitar cable into it. My guitar is showing its age, I do believe. The guitar cable I use has a momentary/circuit-breaker switch button to prevent "pops", but I still get a scratchy sound when I'm just moving the cable plug in or out of the jack. It's a solderless cable and my friend Bruce already tried to repair it. Maybe the cable connection is still bad. My local music store suggested some contact cleaner, and I do have a can of compressed air for my computer keyboard, but it doesn't have a skinny nozzle. They also suggested spraying the contact cleaner and /or alcohol on a Q-Tip and cleaning it that way or getting a new guitar cable without a circuit breaker button. At this point, I'm stumped as to what to do next. I'm still looking for a guitar tech here in Ottawa to help with this situation, but I thought I'd run it by The OFC/ BFLG, as OVATION GUITARS are not well-liked here, and I've been turned down by one local guitar tech already. Thanks in advance for the help.
Mike S.
Ottawa, ON.,
CANADA
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Joined:
June 2012
Posts: 2320
Location: Pueblo West, CO | Did you try a different cable?
Did you try removing the jack for a visual inspection? |
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Joined:
August 2002
Posts: 607
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA | Hi, Dan,
Thanks for the quick reply. I tried Bruce's wireless "Guitar Bug", and there was a bit of noise with it, but not near as much as my NOS Planet Waves Circuit-Breaker cable. I have some other Canadian-branded right-angle cables I haven't tried yet. They don't have the circuit breaker feature. I don't have the proper tools, let alone skills to remove the jack for a visual inspection, although I could, with some help, look inside with a flashlight via the access door. I'm down to phoning my retired ex-guitar tech on this one. I'm hoping he may give me an early Christmas present by fixing this and not charging me too much for the house call to service my OVATION. He's done excellent work on it before, but he is very expensive, so we'll see what happens. The worst he could do is say. "No." Thanks again for the kind help and quick reply.
Mike S.
Ottawa, ON.,
CANADA
Edited by Mike S. 2024-11-24 4:13 PM
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Joined:
August 2002
Posts: 607
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA | Hey, Dan,
I phoned my now semi-retired guitar tech today. He's coming to my apartment Thursday morning to pick up my OVATION and give me an estimate on the repair cost and a timeline for the service involved. Yes, it will be costly because it's a house call, but it may also include some finish work. He said not to buy a new cable just yet if the jack needs repair. I'll keep you and the OFC posted.
Mike S.
Ottawa, ON.,
CANADA.
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Joined:
August 2002
Posts: 607
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA | Hey, Dan, and BFLG,
My guitar tech got my OVATION repair done and I got the guitar back yesterday, My OVATION is good to go, and he did extra work with lacquer/ finish cracks, too. His rates are a little expensive for me ($50.00 CDN), but the work is excellent, and he is giving me a discount from his regular rates, while actually picking up the guitar and bringing it back to me in the process, so it is a house call after all. Most guitar repair shops here in Ottawa charge almost twice what I paid. The input jack just needed a good cleaning, but I will invest in a new guitar cable for Christmas. I need a right-angle one because I play sitting down all the time. Do you think I paid too much for my service? What are the guitar repair rates in the USA? Thanks again for your kind help.
Mike S.
Ottawa, ON.,
CANADA
Edited by Mike S. 2024-12-06 10:37 PM
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Joined:
June 2012
Posts: 2320
Location: Pueblo West, CO | IMO, $50 or less is chump change. |
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Joined:
August 2002
Posts: 607
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA | Hey, Dan,
Thanks for the information. All the work, including lacquer, amounted to $50.00 CDN, or just over USD 35.00, so I got myself a bargain. I paid my guitar tech in cash, and we shook hands on the deal. Luthiers here charge $80.00-$100.00 CDN for a basic guitar set-up. How do the rates compare for luthiers in the USA? Is the Luthiers Guild like a union? All the guitar techs I know are independent businessmen here. Thanks again for your kind help.
Mike S.
Ottawa, ON.,
CANADA
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noisy input jack and/or cable?
