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Joined:
November 2003
Posts: 56
Location: Edmond, Oklahoma | I received a brand spankin' new Folklore/6774LX yesterday. There were some mixed emotions on my part, because I had custom ordered a Folklore 6774 FIFTEEN MONTHS AGO, and now I receive a different model. Naturally, I want the LX upgrade, but the LX only has a 1-3/4" wide nut, while the 6774 has a 1-7/8" nut. And a primary reason for selecting that model was for it's suitability for fingerstyle. Regardless, I'm willing to overlook that, since the FolkloreLX is sooo sweet.
HOWEVER... (and this is a biggy)... I ordered an XLR jack, such as the Adamas models have, and I'm sure it was ordered as such, and with the OP50 preamp specified. But this instrument has the OP40 preamp instead. I figured that was okay, until I tried out the XLR connection with my home mixer (with phantom power) last night. I do not get any sound out of the XLR output of the guitar. There is some "electrical noise" when I touch the jack (hum, etc.), so it's not dead. But there's no music.
Is it possible that the OP40 is incompatible with the XLR configuration? Do I need to get it swapped with an OP50?
Do I need to have the wiring checked?
Suggestions, please!!! |
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Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | If you use the XLR, you need to make sure you have the right cable, which has pin 1 connected to the metal shell.
Try using the XLR with a 1/4" cable plugged into the 1/4" jack (but not plugged into anything else). If the XLR works then, you probably need a different XLR cable. Let us know what happens. |
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Joined:
June 2002
Posts: 6202
Location: Phoenix AZ | None of my business, but I'm curious 1) why did a custom order take 15 months and 2) why did they not send you what you ordered. I'd be disappointed too. Dave |
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November 2003
Posts: 56
Location: Edmond, Oklahoma | I would really, really like to know also. I checked with the dealer 5 months ago, and was told the order (with others of his) had been sitting on a processor's desk for many months, and had just finally been submitted. But that doesn't explain why it's taken an additional five months since that time. Makes me very leery about special ordering in the future. |
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March 2002
Posts: 15678
Location: SoCal | I'd go back to your dealer and complain. You didn't get what you ordered. The dealer should either make it right or take the guitar back.
I don't think the OP40 has XLR capabilities. Just the OP50 and OP Pro. Somebody check me on that as I'm not certain.... |
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Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Well, I've pulled my OP40 can on my 1867 (just curious, y'know) and there is an XLR jack on it, very similar to the one on my OP-Pro can. I tried putting the OP40 on my Elite, which I added the XLR to, but apparently it's not compatible with the OP-Pro can. The tuner light just starts flashing. Same with putting the OP-Pro in the OP-40 can.
That being said, I think the XLR ability has more to do with the board which the XLR & the 1/4" are mounted on (which appears to be the basic equivalant of a DI box), and the interface with the can, than the preamp. The preamp simply amps the signal given it.
IMHO. FWIW. ICBW. |
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Joined:
November 2003
Posts: 56
Location: Edmond, Oklahoma | It's too late. I already love this guitar. Actually, the dealer did tell me I didn't have to take it. and I did look at some other Ovations & Adamas. But I really like this, and chose to keep it.
But I do like the idea of swapping the OP40 for the OP Pro. I like the tuning indicator better on the Pro. According to the 6774LX product page on Ovation's web site, the Pro is standard for the 6774LX, but I wasn't sure if it supported the XLR. |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15678
Location: SoCal | I've got a good buddy who special ordered a lefty Folklore a year ago. Says it's one of the best guitars he's ever played. |
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Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Yes, it supports XLR. My advice would be to contact Customer Service (Kim Keller) at Ovation, explain the situation and tell them you would like an OP-PRO AND CAN for this guitar.
My guess is you'll get it. |
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Joined:
November 2003
Posts: 56
Location: Edmond, Oklahoma | Is the "can" the receiving section that the removable preamp plugs into? How hard is it to remove? |
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Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Yes.
Not hard at all. As you loosen the screws inside the can at each end, "wings" inside the body drop and fold into the sides of the can. When they've dropped enough to clear the body, it should lift out easily. |
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Joined:
November 2003
Posts: 56
Location: Edmond, Oklahoma | :cool: Case closed (maybe and mostly).
Thanks for the tips and advice!!! I called the dealer this afternoon, to see if they knew about the "special cable" for the XLR. It turns out that one of the guys was aware of it, since it had recently happened to another customer, and they had one more of the Ovation cables in stock. I went to the store, and we set out to figure out the problem.
We swapped the OP40 to and fro with another Ovation and its OP50, trying all combinations of cables, preamps, and also two acoustic guitar amplifiers, one with phantom power and the other without. Although we easily got the can out of my guitar (thanks for the instructions!), it looked like the ribbon cable did not want to detach. So I didn't force the issue. If we could have seen how to cleanly detach it, I probably would now have an OP Pro. Anyway, I'll spare you descriptions of most of the permutations. Suffice to say we tried almost every possible combination of two guitars, an OP40 and OP50 and a 1/4" instrument cable, an Ovation XLR cable and a standard mic cable.
Eventually we decided there was something wrong inside my guitar, the dealer noticed that he had not reconnected the wire that he HAD been able to disonnect. Then he thought that it had come off pretty easily (too easily), which led us to hypothesize that that wire was loose all along (inside the guitar, incompletely plugged into the can). D'oh! Once the wires were properly and snugly connected, the gospel choir sang and everything fell into place. The XLR jack now works with the Ovation cable, generic cables, yadda-yadda. We couldn't get it to NOT work in the store.
But I decided to buy the Ovation cable (even though both cables were working), for security. Good thing I did, I guess. After testing at home, with my mini Alesis mixer, the Ovation cable works great. The standard mic cable does not work. Guess I'd better rig a couple of extra cables with the pin 1 connected to the metal shell.
Conclusions:
Problem was attributed to loose wire connection in the guitar.
OP40 works with the XLR output! The OP40 sounded just as good as the OP50, and significantly better (and louder) than the standard 1/4" output.
The reason I said "maybe and mostly" case closed above, is that I'm still waiting to hear for some feedback from Ovation's Support folks. I still think I deserve an OP Pro.
Thanks for all the comments and suggestions! |
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Advice Needed! Folklore LX
