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Location: North East England | I need help/advice. i'm the second user of a 2007 Collectors model. I'm becoming increasingly unhappy with the sound of the two unwound strings. They sound muffled. I've had the guitar looked at by a luthier who can find no obvious physical reason for this sound. I purchased a standard 'white' saddle to replace the graphite saddle but no improvement. It sounds as though the first two strings are not producing the full range of harmonic overtones. The wound strings sound great. I have a couple of other Ovations that I'm perfectly happy with. I've tried different string makes and gauges. |
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Posts: 4081
Location: Utah | I would suspect the nut slots first. |
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Posts: 581
Location: Denmark | Could also be if the bridge/pickup isn't seated correctly. You could try removing the bridge insert and check the groove and condition of any shims underneath. Is the sound muffled when fretting the string or when picking the open string? |
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Location: Flahdaw | Are the strings muffled playing plugged in or unplugged, or both? |
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Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | look at the nut slots |
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Location: closely held secret | It might be the nuts slots (do you sense a theme here?).
And maybe try a different luthier. |
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September 2005
Posts: 3619
Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | Nut slots first. Seating of the saddle next. I had to have the bridge on my 1581 slightly out routed one time for the same problem on my low E string. It was done by a very competent acoustic guitar luthier at Elderly instruments in Lansing MI. Apparently there was a very slight flaw in the area where the bridge seated. After that, and a little fretboard work, it is now perfect. |
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Location: nashville | What up with the Junior Member's Member number. Did Kieth kill member 818 and take his number.. have I unknowing joined some type of "guitar gang". I love Sons of Anarchy. Watch you back Beal 7 is my luck number. |
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Posts: 3969
| Nothing nefarious, unless you consider registering on the site in 2002 and then only making 5 posts since sinister. |
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Posts: 8
Location: North East England | Thanks for the replies. The nut was looked at by the luthier and he could find no problems. Also when I fret and play a note - thereby eliminating the nut - I still get the muffled sound. I would try another luthier but finding a local one is difficult.
Can't see what's nefarious in only making five posts since 2002. I've been married since 1985 and have probably only spoken to my wife five times. |
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Location: Newington, CT | That happened to me with the legendary OFC II...the solution: the nut slots. |
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December 2003
Posts: 13996
Location: Upper Left USA | What's a slut-not? Oh, my bad...
Take a look at this tutorial and it may help.
Slotting the Nut
And welcome! |
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Posts: 1609
Location: Colorado | Get Temp to look at it |
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Posts: 4413
| Temp moved to Scotland. |
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Location: SoCal | Originally posted by Waskel:
It might be the nuts slots (do you sense a theme here?).
And maybe try a different luthier. Nuts..... |
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Location: closely held secret | Nuts to you too. |
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Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Originally posted by Keith Dryden:
The nut was looked at by the luthier and he could find no problems. I would try another luthier but finding a local one is difficult. Keith, I was planning to be in your area this week, but gig commitments have scuppered those plans. My wife is there, but she's useless with nuts and even worse with peurile innuendo.
Who looked at the guitar? Email me if you'd rather not post the name publicly. I can recommend a couple of guys I trust who are near to you. |
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January 2009
Posts: 4536
Location: Flahdaw | Originally posted by MWoody:
Take a look at this tutorial and it may help.
Slotting the Nut
And welcome! |
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Location: Upper Left USA | Its all in the tools... |
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Posts: 4536
Location: Flahdaw | Originally posted by MWoody:
Its all in the tools... I should let you handle my nuts from now on, since you take so much care to do the job right. |
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Posts: 56
Location: New Thermopylae | Originally posted by dark bar:
I should let you handle my nuts from now on, since you take so much care to do the job right.  |
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Location: Nashville TN. | rotflmao!!! |
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Location: Flahdaw | Nevermind....I'll find someone local. |
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Location: Sunshine State, Australia | Sounds like its NOT the nut if he gets the same problem when fretting the strings.
My suggestion would be to look at the break angle over the saddle. |
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October 2005
Posts: 4081
Location: Utah | First thought is to be sure there are new strings on it. Really obvious but should be said. Second thought if not the nut would be the saddle. It would be simple enough to swap the saddle from another O and see how it sounds. I'd also look at the shims. Then the bottom of the saddle slot to be sure it is flat and smooth. Is the bridge securely attached to the top with no gap showing around the edges?
Check that the tuning machines are tightly attached to the headstock.
Either the higher frequency vibrations aren't getting to the body of the guitar, or something is soaking up those energies. Possibly a loose brace could absorb energy, but I would expect a buzzing noise for that. |
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Poor sound
