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Location: Central Florida | I recently acquired (more for sentimental reasons than anything else) a 1976 GC 1627. I bought it knowing fully well that I've never cared for the acoustic tone produced by the artist bowl and VT-8 bracing combination---and this guitar is no exception. It has that same flat, lifeless tone of every pre-1980 artist bowl Ovation steel string I've ever played. But when plugged in, it's a completely different animal. Plugged in this guitar rocks!
Since I knew what to expect from it acoustically, I bought it mainly for plugging in, so in that regard I'm not dissatisfied with the purchase (especially for the price I paid). However, I'm wondering if anyone has any thoughts or ideas as to how I might improve the guitar's acoustic tone. Would replacing the plastic nut with bone or tusk give it more ring and/or sustain? Would a set of Elixer nanowebs brighten up the sound any?
I doubt there's much I can do to enhance the bass response, but if I could just brighten up the overall tone it would go a long way towards improving its acoustic voice, as this is an extremely mid-range intensive guitar. In fact, that's what's wrong with it in a nutshell... It's ALL mid-range.
Thanks for your help... |
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Location: SoCal | Put your foot thru the top and send it back to Ovation for a new A braced top. You'll love the results. Finance it by selling the Taylor. And have an OP Pro put in. The GC will be a better guitar than the Taylor.
Haven't we had this conversation before?
Serge Lara loves his 70's GC Artist. Serge, what kind of strings to you use? Any suggestions? |
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Location: Toronto | Hey Jeff, why not throw on a set of adamas 1818's? I find them much brighter than the more expensive Elixer's and EPs - they just don't last as long - but at such a cheap price, you can put on new set every week!!! |
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Location: Toronto | Okay - Moody has a much better idea! |
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Location: NJ | WhatEVER strings you use, make sure you use StringTubes when you install them . . .
. . . Witko tells me they increase the tone exponentially. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Jeff, the issue with the guitar is more significant than subtle changes in the nut or string type would correct. In my opinion the problem is not the artist bowl, but more the bracing.
If you got the guitar REALLY cheap, I might be tempted to try some radical things. Here me out on these:
1. Reach inside with a razor knife and shave down or remove a few braces.
2. Cover the sound hole with some kind of plug and experiment with tapping some multi holes in the side of the bowl on the upper bass bout.
I agree this all sounds pretty strange, but who knows maybe it would really help. Or totally destroy your guitar. I especially like idea #2. Someone at the recent factory tour did this to their Elite and it sounded darn nice.
Dave |
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Location: So. Cal. | Whatever you do to improve or otherwise the tone of the guitar acoustically, it will affect the tone when you plug in as well. Since you are "very" happy with the plugged in sound, think again before you tinker with the guitar in any way. |
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| Jeff, Tune down to D, and use medium guage bright bronze strings... I had an early campbell artist, they were advertised to have more 'cut' for lead players, but lacked in overall volume...a bone nut would help a little.. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Originally posted by playadamas:
Since you are "very" happy with the plugged in sound, think again before you tinker with the guitar in any way. DAMN, THAT MAKES SENSE!
Mike is like my old girlfriend. She doesn't come around too often, but when she does she sure delivers the goods.
Dave |
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Location: closely held secret | I'm with Witco. If you got it cheap enough, we could all benefit from your sacrifice and experimentation!
You might make a world-changing contribution to acoustic science!
Be sure to include photographic documentation. You know how picky those Nobel judges can be...
...and if the top self-destructs, there's always Moody's idea to fall back on. |
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Location: SoCal | After playing a GC RI, I still like my idea the best. |
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Location: Central Florida | Paul, yes, we have this conversation before. And yes, replacing the top is still an option I'm considering, but that's down the road a ways. I'm thinking more short-term fixes here. Although, it occurred to me that in order to replace the top, they'll have to replace the entire top/bowl assembly, which means I'd lose the artist bowl--which I'm not sure I want to sacrifce. If there was a way I could keep the artist bowl and just change the top and/or bracing that's the way I'd go, but I imagine it'd be fairly cost prohibitive... IF they'd even agree to do it that way.
As for the Taylor, it's not on very solid ground right now anyway, but not because I don't like it. Fact is, I may have to sell it to help pay for somehting else (non-guitar related).
Dave, I've already tried everything you've suggested and so far, nothing has worked to improve the sound, that's when I initiated this thread. :D |
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Location: closely held secret | Jeff, I'm pretty sure there would be no problem replacing the top without losing the bowl. |
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Location: Central Florida | Originally posted by moody, p.i.:
After playing a GC RI, I still like my idea the best. Well Paul, you know that's the guitar that got me jazzed about the 1627s again in the first place. If I could afford it (and more importantly, justify it), that's the one I'd have. And even before you suggest it... No, I'm NOT selling one of my Martins! :p |
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Location: closely held secret | The Taylor, then. |
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Location: Central Florida | Originally posted by Waskel:
Jeff, I'm pretty sure there would be no problem replacing the top without losing the bowl. I had a conversation with Kim Keller about 6-7 years ago regarding top replacements. At that time, he said if they determine that a guitar is in need of a new top, they just replace the whole top and bowl assembly, because it's less time consuming than to remove an old top from its bowl and re-attach a new one. Now, it's entirely possible that they've changed policies and/or methods since then, so I may be going on outdated information. |
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Location: Central Florida | Originally posted by Waskel:
The Taylor, then. What I'd get for the Taylor wouldn't even make up half the cost of the GC reissue. Besides, I'm probably gonna have to sell the Taylor to help with a non-guitar related expendature. |
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Location: SoCal | Call Kim or John and find out. |
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Location: Central Florida | I will call Kim or John, but I'd rather wait until I'm closer to being in a position to green light a work order. I just wanna know if there's anything I can do in the meantime to help it sound a little better acoustically. A top replacement will help it sound much better across the board, but for the time being, if I could just "brighten up" the high end a little more it'd be an improvement. Like I said, it's very mid-range intensive and the highs sound almost muted. No "ring" whatsoever.
Thanks for the replies so far... |
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Location: SoCal | What kind of strings are you using? |
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Location: Central Florida | D'Addario EJ16s (P/B lights). |
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Location: SoCal | Try the mediums. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | bone nut, medium gauge strings and raise the action a hair. |
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Location: Warren,Pa. | If it were me, I'd take a deep breath and send it to the factory. I'd have them put the same bowl on, an "A" braced top, and an OpPro.
What are they doing with the Glen Campbell re-issues? They're not using the VT bracing for those, are they? |
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Location: Warren,Pa. | If it were me, I'd take a deep breath and send it to the factory. I'd have them put the same bowl on, an "A" braced top, and an OpPro.
What are they doing with the Glen Campbell re-issues? They're not using the VT bracing for those, are they? |
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Any Suggestions To Improve The Acoustic Tone On a '70's Glen Campbell 1627?
