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January 2010
Posts: 6
Location: atlanta | Hi folks -- I hope someone here can help me with info on this guitar my older sister gave me when she was in hippie college -- very early 70's. I was told it was a protoype. The serial number is 292. It is in serious need of a neck reset at least since it plays like a dobro at the moment. Basically I'm trying to figure out if it has any historic or collectible value because that would affect if and how I looked into having it repaired. Here are some pics of the beast.
ancient balladeer |
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Posts: 7307
Location: South of most, North of few | Welcome! The only place to get it repaired would be the factory. I wouldn't trust it to anyone else. Looks to be around a 1966 if I'm not mistaken, which I may be. Someone else with more knowledge will be along shortly. |
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Posts: 416
Location: On the Coast - Halfway between SF & OR | Nice Balladeer!
I certainly don't have more knowledge than TJ, but I agree, the only place to get it repaired is at the factory - a neck reset will mean heating and reshaping the bowl; not something I would trust to the shop down the road.
If you decide to sell it instead, be sure to let me know.
Oh, and welcome to the board! |
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January 2006
Posts: 1120
Location: NW Washington State | The experts on old Ovations will arrive soon. Looks to me like it's worth a trip to the factory, especially if it has sentimental value. In the meantime, we can check out Fred\'s tunes. Nice work!
-Steve W. |
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Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | An old Deluxe Balladeer.
Send it to the factory for a set up.
Welcome. |
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Location: South of most, North of few | ...and he should know. |
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Posts: 1556
Location: Indiana | When I die I want a five point rosewood bridge on my urn. |
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Posts: 15665
Location: SoCal | Originally posted by Jonmark Stone:
When I die I want a five point rosewood bridge on my urn. You mean like this one?
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Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | You store ashes inside that Ovation guitar??? :eek:
Sandwich (mind if I call you Reuben?), you have a pretty early guitar. What Beal said. It's worth it to send it to the old factory and have them give it a once over. They'll let you know what may need to be done. Stick around and let us know how it turns out, Rueben. :cool: |
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Location: South of most, North of few | Rueben.....funny.... |
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Posts: 2711
Location: Vernon CT | Welcome, good advise above. Good luck! |
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Posts: 806
Location: Seymour, Tennessee | Welcome, nice to see another old shiney bowl has turned up.
Send it back and have 'em look at it.
I'm sending my Dad's 1968 DB back when I get home. |
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January 2010
Posts: 6
Location: atlanta | Wow -- this place is active! Thanks so much, good people. Looks like a consensus to get in touch with the factory. (And yes, I'll answer to any sandwich -- provided I've heard of it ;) |
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December 2006
Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | First of all, welcome to the Ovation Hive Mind!
Second, nice job on your first post linking to the pics, plus the sig line!!
Lastly, SEND IT OFF TO THE MOTHERSHIP!!!  |
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Posts: 2791
Location: Atlanta, GA. | And yes, I'll answer to any sandwich -- provided I've heard of it Muffuletta??? |
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Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Originally posted by cholloway:
Muffuletta??? Day-um Colin, don't type with your mouth full... |
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Location: Atlanta, GA. | As seen on the Factory's Repair Shop Door...
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November 2009
Posts: 177
Location: Milford, MI | I will give you $50.00 for it, if you pay for shipping... Just kidding! Very nice even if it does need a neck reset.
Keep us posted please. |
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May 2009
Posts: 43
| Slow down on this neck reset and factory work,take it slow.I have fooled with guitars all my life and have made alot of dumb mistakes.
Take that guitar and remove the strings,wipe it down a little with a clean cloth.Dont take anything apart.Put new strings on,tune up and then loosen.Put a quality humidifier in it,put it in the case and forget about it for a couple of months.Just keep that humidity up.These guitars are always dried out.This guitar is 40 years old,take your time.After awhile,tune up and work the truss rod a little.Tune,check action,and adjust truss rod,over and over.Remember,1/4 turn on a truss rod nut is alot.This has worked for me.Too many times I have ripped apart cool stuff to make it "Better".Cars,guitars,cycles,furniture,you name it. |
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Posts: 3969
| Ultrafan - with all due respect, you don't know what the hell you're talking about. You've been here all of 8 months (with 25 posts in that time). The people who are giving this advice have YEARS of experience with Ovation and Adamas guitars of every era, model and condition. Most of them (myself included) have had the factory repair/restore/tune up guitars with fantastic results. It gets REALLY old saying this, but do a bloody search for all the testimonials.
NO other major guitar maker does that kind of work. Even for warranty work, they send you to a local luthier (if you're lucky to live near one) who's been "certified" to work on that builder's products. Most luthiers are not equipped to do more than the most simple setup jobs on Ovations because of their round backs. The Ovation factory, on the other hand, has a service department fully and uniquely tooled to work on their guitars, and the corporate culture and imperative (for the moment) to do so.
Shiny bowl Balladeers are a rare breed, an icon of American innovation, and an example of a product that changed the music industry for professionals and consumers alike. A specimen in salvageable condition needs the loving care that only the people who built it in the first place can give it, and they WILL treat it with the respect it deserves.
EDIT: I just read thru the whole thread again. One of the people whose advise you recommend blowing off probably built this guitar, then went on to run the company. Probably worth listening to. |
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Posts: 815
Location: Colorado | Gotta go with G8r here. |
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Posts: 492
Location: California | Just wondering, what is involved in the setup at the factory, what kind of things do they do? |
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November 2006
Posts: 3969
| Originally posted by hwebster:
...what kind of things do they do? Everything. From something as simple as polishing the frets and the top, to adjusting neck relief and action, to repairing finish cracks, to repairing top cracks, to top re-finish/(re)painting, to neck resets, to shaving fretboard to get rid of divots, to fixing broken "ears" on the paddle headstocks, to re-attaching broken headstocks to the neck, to replacing the bridge, to repairing loose/broken braces, to complete top replacement. They're only limited by how much you wanna spend.
Seriously, search the archives for testimonials about the various repairs and restorations people have had done. |
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Posts: 6
Location: atlanta | I've sent an email to the mothership. Will advise.
--mufuletta |
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July 2004
Posts: 766
Location: New Hampsha | Originally posted by G8r:
Ultrafan - with all due respect, you don't know what the hell you're talking about. You've been here all of 8 months (with 25 posts in that time). The people who are giving this advice have YEARS of experience with Ovation and Adamas guitars of every era, model and condition. Most of them (myself included) have had the factory repair/restore/tune up guitars with fantastic results. It gets REALLY old saying this, but do a bloody search for all the testimonials.
NO other major guitar maker does that kind of work. Even for warranty work, they send you to a local luthier (if you're lucky to live near one) who's been "certified" to work on that builder's products. Most luthiers are not equipped to do more than the most simple setup jobs on Ovations because of their round backs. The Ovation factory, on the other hand, has a service department fully and uniquely tooled to work on their guitars, and the corporate culture and imperative (for the moment) to do so.
Shiny bowl Balladeers are a rare breed, an icon of American innovation, and an example of a product that changed the music industry for professionals and consumers alike. A specimen in salvageable condition needs the loving care that only the people who built it in the first place can give it, and they WILL treat it with the respect it deserves.
EDIT: I just read thru the whole thread again. One of the people whose advise you recommend blowing off probably built this guitar, then went on to run the company. Probably worth listening to. Too bad on the reread you couldn't have turned the "polite" knob up to "2".
There's nothing in the advice that was given to warrant that tone and rudeness. He merely told the person to take things slow. And he did it politely.
But wait - it's G8R - rude and combative?
that's normal. |
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My ancient Ovation
