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Joined:
November 2008
Posts: 15
Location: Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN | New guy with a question...
I wanted to lower the action on my new 2178, the inspection tags said 2.1 mm and 1.8 mm, yet It would have taken three or more 1.2 mm picks at the 12th fret.
Anyhow, after removing the saddle, I noticed three shims. Two white plastic tapered shims and one flat tan shim directly under the saddle. I took out the two white tapered shims and reassembled.
Everything is copacetic now but I am really curious if that tan shim is normal and what if any purpose does it serve. Also, are the inspection tags usually off by this much or did something go amiss in transit? |
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Joined:
March 2008
Posts: 2683
Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | Different colored shims are different thicknesses. And yes, alot can happen between the time the guitar is inspected and the time you purchase it. It has been exposed to different temperatures and different levels of humidity. I have seen some guitars that need shims added at one time of year, and removed at others, especially when they are new. After a couple of years, they seem to "settle in" and stay put. The best advice I can give you is, keep it in a room with a humidifier during winter, or in a case with a humidifier. If you put it in a stand for a few hours while you're playing off and on, make SURE it is nowhere near a heater vent. Keep it in temperatures that YOU would be comfortable in, without a coat. If you MUST take it out during winter, make sure the car is fully warmed up, and RUN to the car with it. And when it gets down to those below 0 temps you get in the twin cities, just don't take it out at all. Never leave it in the car at any time of year. Even in summer, you have to be careful. Hot temps are just as bad (glue softens) as cold. |
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4026
Location: Utah | All my shims have been tan. It is quite normal to have to remove shims on a new Ovation. For some reason they do seem to set the action a bit higher than most people like it.
None of my O's ever came with measurements that I noticed, but I admit that I never really looked all that closely at the inspection tags. |
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Joined:
November 2008
Posts: 9
| dxdgenert- I rec'd my 2178 Monday and have the same tag.
I'm deciphering it as saying T 1.8 and B 2.1 is the thickness of the white plastic shim under the saddle, even though it is written as the "ACTION at the 12th Fret". My white shim is tapered and this would apparently fit the size. T =Treble and B =Bass, explaining the orientation under the saddle.
I also have the tan (phenolic) shim. I removed them both (I only have the 2) and the action was too low although it rang clear until I really got with it. Anyway, I put the tan shim back in and am satisfied for now with the action.
It seems odd neither shim was a custom fit in the slot, so I may try a custom shim later. In fact the tan shim seems extremely small. Surely I'm losing tone.
Current action at the 12th Fret is
T 4/64"
B 5/64"
Also, I think they did list the thickness of the tan shim on the "1st FRET" line. Mine shows 0.6.
Now, to deciper the 8mm/3.5mm notation under the "Bridge/Saddle" line... |
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Shim question
