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October 2005
Posts: 26
Location: Dallas | I received this wonderful guitar yesterday. The color is teardrop burst and is absolutely beautiful.
However, there is a noticeable buzz on the treble strings beginning on the 12th fret all the way up the entire fretboard extension. It seems as though the fretboard extension is lifted up too high from the soundboard causing the fret-buzz. It came with the Ovation warranty but I am wondering if this will be a big deal, such as a neck-reset. Any advice? |
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Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6996
Location: Jet City | Originally posted by jbucklin:
It came with the Ovation warranty ... You bought it brand new? I'd start with the seller, but if he doesn't have another to trade, the factory should be able to set it straight. They did for me on my Adamas 2080, same issue.
Congrats on the new guitar, it's a good one when setup properly (I have one too). |
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Joined:
September 2011
Posts: 260
Location: Spain | Sorry to jump in with a dumb question but, fretboard extension is "lifted too high"...
What, is it supposed to be lifted at all? mine is glued....? (but then again it's 20 years old, maybe they do it better now?) |
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October 2005
Posts: 26
Location: Dallas | Martinez,
From what I understand, the fretboard extension is no longer glued to the top, at least on the LX models. In fact, it supposedly does not touch the top at all. Wish I could explain it more.
Damon, I bought it online and the dealer has none left.
I contacted Ovation and someone emailed me back suggesting that I take it to an authorized service center. There are a few here in the Dallas area, so I'll try that first. |
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Joined:
September 2011
Posts: 260
Location: Spain | Ah right, so they used to be glued and now aren't.
Congrats on a lovely guitar by the way man! LX are beautiful! |
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4072
Location: Utah | How is the setup? Is the guitar in a humidified home? How long have you had it?
It could be something as simple as low humidity or a bad setup. There are shims under the saddle to adjust the height of the strings over the upper frets. If the saddle is too low you will get buzz on the frets as you described. A dried out guitar can result in the top changing dimensions and the setup getting out of whack.
You could try adding a shim to see if it helps. Then adjust the truss rod for the middle fret clearance. If you need any hints on how to do this, just ask. It is easy to do even if you don't have experience.
If there is a real problem with the guitar the factory will take care of you properly. |
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 26
Location: Dallas | Actually the humidity is quite high here in Dallas, as it has been raining for days. It was shipped from Oklahoma and I believe they've had rain there lately as well. So I'm thinking that the top may have risen from the excessive humidity. We'll see.
I just took it to a guitar tech at Charley's Guitar Shop---listed on Ovation's website as an authorized service center. He said there is a bit of a ramp where the FB extension begins but the buzzing could be fixed by raising the action and leveling one fret that's a little high. He would have to keep it for a week or so and I told him I'd wait since I just got the guitar two days ago. I might also send it back to the factory and let them reset the neck so it will be "perfect". |
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Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 53
Location: Boston | I would stick with the local guy rather then ship round trip to New England in December. They don't heat those UPS/FedeX cargo areas. Nothing good will come of that trip (although of course the Mothership does Excellent work as one would expect). |
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Joined:
October 2011
Posts: 16
Location: Surrey, BC, Canada | Originally posted by jbucklin:
Martinez,
From what I understand, the fretboard extension is no longer glued to the top, at least on the LX models. In fact, it supposedly does not touch the top at all. Wish I could explain it more.
Congratulations on getting the LX model. I have the red tear drop AX model. On mine, I believe the fretboard extension is indeed glued to the top, and in my research before buying, I thought the LX was similiar. Could you post a pic if it's not too incovenient?
Sorry hear about the problem you've had. I hope it works out for you! |
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 26
Location: Dallas | Here's the Ebay auction where i found the guitar. I hope the link works. Nice pics.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Ovation-USA-Made-Custom-Elite-C2078LX-C... |
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October 2005
Posts: 26
Location: Dallas | Damon, what was the turnaround time on your Adamas? |
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January 2009
Posts: 1249
Location: Texas | Damon, I bought it online and the dealer has none left. For that type of skin, I would think that you should get a guitar that you don't have to run all over Big D trying to resolve a very concerning, not to mention disappointing, flaw.
I am surprised that the folks in El Reno didn't offer to take the guitar back to resolve the issue or offer a refund. They sent you a flawed instrument.
They say in their auction...
Your satisfaction is always always our priority here at Oklahoma Vintage Guitar. After receiving this instrument from Oklahoma Vintage Guitar you have a full 72 hours to inspect it, play it and fall in love with it. They, not you, should be the ones addressing the issue.
But, that's just me. Your mileage my vary. |
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October 2005
Posts: 26
Location: Dallas | Jay, you are probably right. However, this model has been discontinued (as have all USA Ovations) and is very hard to find. I went through this six years ago with an Al Di Meola Model. It took till the third guitar to get one without any flaws! Finally I got Kim Keller on the phone (I think it was him). He told me there were none left and that three were being made. He promised that once they were ready for shipment he would handpick the best one of the lot and it was perfect. I still have that incredible guitar. I was impressed with the customer service but the QC leaves a little to be desired. |
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Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6996
Location: Jet City | You have the right contact to talk to over there. Turn around was a couple of months, but I would imagine that varies with how much of a workload they have. Give Kim a call, he'll get you a better answer. |
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December 2009
Posts: 686
Location: Route 66, just east of the Cadillac Ranch | I've sent several guitars to the MS in the past couple of years including new, used, wood top, and Adamas guitars. As I recall the turnaround has always been about 8 to 12 weeks including transit time, which was pretty much inline with what I was quoted. I've seen others post of faster turnaround and I've also read of major restorations that took even longer. The MS service is great, but I wouldn't expect next day service. |
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Joined:
January 2009
Posts: 1249
Location: Texas | jbucklin...that is the type of customer service that Ovation seems to offer all their customers. From my personal experience with them, they are top notch...regardless of whether you bought new or "experienced". That type of customer service is rare in most companies today.
I hope you are able to find a decent resolution to your dilemma. |
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 26
Location: Dallas | I left Kim a voicemail message today and am confident he will get back to me. I am inclined to just send it to the MS. I want it to be right. It deserves it. :)
I'll probably wait till after the holidays though. It sounds great all the way to the 12th fret! And besides, I've only had it for two days. :/ |
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2010 C2078lx Custom Elite
