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Joined:
April 2003
Posts: 608
Location: Caribou, ME | Pretty well known but just a 'bump' to remind you all to keep an eye out for dumpster bound US Applauses. Or nice ones for that matter. They don't go for much and I therefore don't like to pay much, but if you hit any yard sales.... |
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Joined:
December 2005
Posts: 1234
Location: Tidal Mudflats of Virginia | Are you only interested in acoustics or will you take an electric as well?
Applause AM18T
$75 plus shipping... |
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Joined:
April 2003
Posts: 608
Location: Caribou, ME | Only the US acoustics. |
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Joined:
May 2009
Posts: 364
Location: Bellevue, Washington | I occasionally see them for dirt cheap on Seattle Craigslist, and when they're that cheap they generally go pretty quick. If you'd like I can pick them up for you when I see them but you'll have to give me a max price you don't want to go above. |
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Joined:
April 2003
Posts: 608
Location: Caribou, ME | Gotta be cheap. I've paid (on average) $20-40 on ebay. I know that's not craigslist prices; people generally wouldn't bother posting them that cheap. But often people put them on ebay for 9.99 and they just don't go for much.
Some people (lately) have put old AA-14s on ebay with opening bids of $200, which is ludicrous.
I did pay $130 for the 1000th one made and $150 for a new-old-stock 1976 with the plastic still on the guard. But those are by far the exception.
Generally if they've been played with no catastrophic events, the "frets" wear out. Sometimes however, the bridges explode and wreak havoc on the top. I've fixed them in this state but I tend to go nuts when faced with a challenge like that.
In a perfect world I'd find one with a good neck (I have a nice clean bowl assemby waiting) and a good rosette (I have a rosette-less red AA-14) and a top that is so far gone that even I won't touch it. I want to sacrifice one so I can take some measurements and make some specialized clamping cauls for the braces; sometimes the braces come unglued and the tops warp badly. I've got 2 or 3 in the boneyard in that state, and it would be easier to repair them with some customized tools.
Obviously I'm not flipping them... just consider my house the AA-14 Orphanage. |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13987
Location: Upper Left USA | Haven't tried it yet but I wonder about a fix on the Aluminum fretbords: Flat sand, cut a groove and insert new frets with a little JB Bond. |
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Joined:
April 2003
Posts: 608
Location: Caribou, ME | That's on the 'to do' list. It would be easier if there was such a thing as tangless fret wire. It'd be like capping teeth! |
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Joined:
July 2005
Posts: 92
Location: Northeast Ohio | email sent |
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Joined:
November 2004
Posts: 367
Location: Eaton, Indiana | I have a old applause. It is a shallow bowl, white finish. I rebuilt it. It came to me in sad shape. It had no pickguard and the tuning keys were bad.
I replaced the pickguard with a pearl Ovation rosette. I replaced the tuners with Grovers. I added a LRBaggs pickup. I bought a Ovation Preamp/EQ unit and installed it. I also added a
Ovation case.
I have played this guitar in over 600 concerts. It is a very good player. The frets are in fine
shape. I have dressed them once. There are finish cracks.
I would sell it for $400 shipped.
Probably not what you are looking for but I thought I would let you know. |
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Joined:
April 2011
Posts: 97
Location: Marlton, NJ | Originally posted by ksdaddy:
That's on the 'to do' list. It would be easier if there was such a thing as tangless fret wire. It'd be like capping teeth! There is, though I don't know what they're called. On Parker Fly guitars, the stainless steel frets are glued onto the fiberglass fretboard without any tangs. |
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Joined:
April 2003
Posts: 608
Location: Caribou, ME | Seems like I heard that... wish I knew where to find the tangless wire they use. I'd give it a shot. |
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WTB junk Applauses
