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Posts: 27
Location: Conroe, Texas | I have a '93 Collectors Ovation & the bridge is not perfectly centered on the top. Just wondering if that has much impact on the sound &, if so how. The distance from the center line of the top & the 6th string is 1 7/32" & to the 1st it is 31/32". Right at 1/4".
Ok, I ordered this '93 from a dealer & when it came in it had some problems with the epaulets lifting off the top & other issues, so I sent it to Ovation & they replaced it with this one. It was the only guitar I had, so I didn't bother to address this bridge issue. Now that I am getting into building guitars, the misalignment bothers me more. Think Ovation will do anything about it now?
kev |
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Posts: 2683
Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | How are the strings on the fretboard? Are they crooked? If the bridge is off center, I would think your strings would be way inside the fretboard on one side and falling off the fretboard on the other. Can you show us some pictures? |
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Posts: 13996
Location: Upper Left USA | First, does it play well and sound intoned correctly?
Are the strings aligned along the fretboard correctly?
I know that an Acoustic bridge/saddle is not set up at a right angle to the neck, the bass strings are set back more.
Pictures would help a lot! |
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August 2009
Posts: 27
Location: Conroe, Texas | Oh, forgot to mention that the neck is properly aligned to the bridge. Intonation & such are fine & the strings are centered properly. Looks like the whole neck/bridge installation was done correctly, except in it's relationship to the top center line. Will try to add a picture soon. |
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Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | When you say "Center Line"...
Do you mean the center of the body measured from binding to binding?
Or the center line being where the book-matched pieces come together? |
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Posts: 27
Location: Conroe, Texas | 
Hope you can see the centerline of the top.
You can see that the neck is set a bit off from parallel with the edge of the body, but properly aligned to the bridge. |
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Posts: 4996
Location: Phoenix AZ | That's normal. Usually when the bookmatch doesn't quite line up they designate those for black finishes. Sand down a black guitar sometime and you'll be amazed what you might find. |
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Posts: 15680
Location: SoCal | It looks like you're judging the placement of the bridge on the grain, the cut of the bookmatch, and/or the cutaway, none of which should be your criteria for saying the bridge is placed in the wrong place.
The neck is attached to the body in a very precise way. I've never seen one attached incorrectly. The bridge is attached to the top very precisely. I've never seen one attached incorrectly.
I assume that you're not talking about the angle of the saddle which is also correct.
As long as the guitar intonates and plays correctly, then you can assume that everything is right. Don't judge by the placement of the bridge in relation to the grain in the wood or the line of the bookmatched top.
If it drives you nuts then you're listening to your guitar with your eyes. Not a good thing.... |
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Posts: 27
Location: Conroe, Texas | Originally posted by moody, p.i.:
It looks like you're judging the placement of the bridge on the grain, the cut of the bookmatch, and/or the cutaway, none of which should be your criteria for saying the bridge is placed in the wrong place.
The neck is attached to the body in a very precise way. I've never seen one attached incorrectly. The bridge is attached to the top very precisely. I've never seen one attached incorrectly.
I assume that you're not talking about the angle of the saddle which is also correct.
As long as the guitar intonates and plays correctly, then you can assume that everything is right. Don't judge by the placement of the bridge in relation to the grain in the wood or the line of the bookmatched top.
If it drives you nuts then you're listening to your guitar with your eyes. Not a good thing.... The 6th string is 5" from the upper side & the 1st string is 5 1/4" from its side & it appears that the top joint is 1/8" closer to the lower side. That tells me that the bridge is not placed in the center of the top! Yes, the neck is set properly in relation to the bridge/saddle placement. On another forum a luthier just informed that the difference in the sound would be negligible & likely too much work to fix for Ovation to do the work under warranty. |
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Posts: 61
Location: on the web | The upper bouts are asymmetrical in a cutaway. If your contention is that the bridge is off-center, why in the world would you measure (first) the string distance (and second) way up there? Put a straight-edge butt up against the top of the bridge, then measure from each edge of the bridge to where the straight-edge intersects the lower bout, where the bout is curving in toward the waist. You won't find any difference in either of those measurements. Your eye is fooling you because the joint line for the two halves of the top is not the true center-line of the body. |
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Posts: 15680
Location: SoCal | Look, the neck is attached to the body, not the top, with the K-bar. It's very very precise -- 2 bolts for the attachment.
Send an email to the factory and see what they say. If you still are bugged by the guitar, sell it and buy a Taylor. They look great. Sound like thin dog spoo, but they look great.... |
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Posts: 27
Location: Conroe, Texas | Originally posted by moody, p.i.:
Look, the neck is attached to the body, not the top, with the K-bar. It's very very precise -- 2 bolts for the attachment.
Send an email to the factory and see what they say. If you still are bugged by the guitar, sell it and buy a Taylor. They look great. Sound like thin dog spoo, but they look great.... Look, you seem to take this personally! I know how to use measuring tools, so regardless of what you say about the precision of the K-bar, this one is off! This was just an educational opportunity for me to understand the implications of this situation. I have learned that it doesn't make much difference in the sound & that you don't know EVERYTHING! |
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August 2009
Posts: 27
Location: Conroe, Texas | Originally posted by The Usual Suspects:
The upper bouts are asymmetrical in a cutaway. If your contention is that the bridge is off-center, why in the world would you measure (first) the string distance (and second) way up there? Put a straight-edge butt up against the top of the bridge, then measure from each edge of the bridge to where the straight-edge intersects the lower bout, where the bout is curving in toward the waist. You won't find any difference in either of those measurements. Your eye is fooling you because the joint line for the two halves of the top is not the true center-line of the body. |
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August 2009
Posts: 27
Location: Conroe, Texas | Originally posted by bugeyed:
Originally posted by The Usual Suspects:
The upper bouts are asymmetrical in a cutaway. If your contention is that the bridge is off-center, why in the world would you measure (first) the string distance (and second) way up there? Put a straight-edge butt up against the top of the bridge, then measure from each edge of the bridge to where the straight-edge intersects the lower bout, where the bout is curving in toward the waist. You won't find any difference in either of those measurements. Your eye is fooling you because the joint line for the two halves of the top is not the true center-line of the body. |
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Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Yes... and How does it Sound?
Do your fingers and the high-e string slip off of the fretboard?
How long have you had the guitar?
How long has that top been like that?
I understand what you are saying but, If it not a problem... What's the Problem? |
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August 2009
Posts: 27
Location: Conroe, Texas | Originally posted by Old Man Arthur:
Yes... and How does it Sound?
Do your fingers and the high-e string slip off of the fretboard?
How long have you had the guitar?
How long has that top been like that?
I understand what you are saying but, If it not a problem... What's the Problem? Sounds fine, had it since '93, been that way since '93 & it's not a problem since a luthier on AGF assured me that the sound should not be impacted. The responses on this forum have been mostly about how Ovation cannot make such an error. I am finished responding to this thread & will leave those who believe in Ovation's infallibility to their fantasies. |
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April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Well this is an ovation enthusiasts forum so you should expect some blind loyalty on the subject.
The main thing is that a luthier from the AGF said it was ok and we know that any information coming from that site is perfect and infallible.
CLICK |
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January 2006
Posts: 387
Location: Whitecourt, Ab | Welcome bugeyed,
I'm not sure if this will help, but it may open up some possibility. I've been told when placing a bridge on a guitar a luthier will "tone tap" the top to find the best location for the bridge in terms of best possible tonal vibration and response. I always assumed that meant forwards and backwards, and not side to side, but the possibility is there, that this one sounded better 1/8 of an inch more off centre than directly on centre. |
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December 2001
Posts: 7247
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Hi bugeyed,
Could you post a clear picture of the top that shows the whole top. It would be easier I think to get perspective if we could see the top, neck and bridge in one photo.
Thanks |
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Posts: 1634
Location: Warren,Pa. | As much as we love the work they do at the factory, nobody tone-taps anything. |
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Posts: 15680
Location: SoCal | Gee, guess I drove somebody away by knowing everything.... |
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Location: Bluffton, SC | Aw great, Paul. Nice going. Now i bet the whole place'll fall apart. |
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Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee |  |
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Location: Marlton, NJ | Does it work on mother's in law??? |
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Posts: 1673
Location: SoCal | Sure they work... but Paul worked his hands free and was able to reach the keyboard through the bars. |
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Ovation bridge is not centered on top.
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