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Joined:
August 2008
Posts: 234
Location: Corning, NY | I just got my 1989 1756 12 string back after a "Mothership" overhaul--new top and bowl and redressed frets--and boy they do nice work. It's set up better than I remember it the first time, too. Barre chords right up to the body are strain-free and the sound is great, of course. The top has the x-bracing so hopefully I won't get the finish cracks again.
I just wanted to put this out there for anybody considering sending your guitar into John and Kim. It's worth it, especially with the warranty covering the parts.
I had it for sale before the repair, but now I can't see parting with it. |
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Joined:
June 2006
Posts: 7307
Location: South of most, North of few | They should be using the thinner finish now, so you shouldn't have a problem with the cracks anymore. Congrats, now you know what everyone else is talking about with Ovation service dept. |
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Joined:
November 2005
Posts: 1126
Location: Omaha, NE | Ok, I'm beating a bit of a dead horse here, but I remain bewildered by this.
Sounds like you sent them the neck off your guitar, and they put it on a new top/bowl and sent it back.
How is that a "repair"? That sounds like a new guitar to me. How can any of the character of the original be preserved through such a process?
Anyway, I'm glad your guitar is working for you. Don't mean to be a wet blanket. It just seems to me that you sent them one guitar, and they sent you a completely different one back. |
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Joined:
August 2008
Posts: 234
Location: Corning, NY | Omaha,
That's why I used the term "overhaul". I did in fact send in the entire guitar with one larger finish crack and two smaller ones. They decided the top needed replacing, and the bowl and top are assembled as a unit. It's possible they reused my bowl, but if they did, it sure looks spanking new. The new top is braced differently from the original, but otherwise it is like having the brand new guitar with the great neck that I bought 19 years ago.
Trader Jim,
It's good to know they changed to a thinner finish. So I don't have to be paranoid about leaving it on a hanger now? |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15654
Location: SoCal | The materials and techniques used today should result in a better sounding, longer lasting guitar than was available from Ovation 20 years ago.
The bowls are lighter and vibrate more. The finish is thinner and allows the top to vibrate better while not suffering from the varnish cracks.
And a change not talked about much, the saddle slot is now routed down to the top of the guitar, which means that the saddle rests on the top, not on the bridge. I would guess that that also means better sound transfer.
I don't think putting older Ovations on the wall will result in laquer and wood cracks. I think it's the exposure to differing temperatures and humidity levels while hanging on the wall that will do it.... |
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Joined:
November 2005
Posts: 1126
Location: Omaha, NE | Like I said, I'm happy for you and am pleased that this is working out well.
But it still seems to me that this level of overhaul is tantamount to buying a new guitar, sight-unseen. How do you know what to expect? How do you know you will like it?
I wouldn't buy a guitar without playing it, that's all.
Anyway, glad it worked out for you! Sorry if I'm pissing in the soup here! :-) |
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Joined:
August 2008
Posts: 234
Location: Corning, NY | I guess what I meant is should I no longer be worried about occasionally leaving the guitar out of the case, not specifically on a hanger. The finish cracks on the old top first appeared literally overnight when I had the guitar on a stand and the temperature outside took a sudden swing, as it likes to do in these parts. I still remember the sick feeling when I saw it in the morning. |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12750
Location: Boise, Idaho | As long as you knew what you are getting and are happy with the result, that's what matters. Paul is right about the new finishes. I hope they're as durable as the old in terms of preventing scratches, but more durable in terms of finish cracks. I didn't know about the routing for the saddle. That would explain why my 30th CL sits so low in the bridge compared to my other, older guitars. |
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Joined:
August 2008
Posts: 234
Location: Corning, NY | Omaha,
I'll pass on the soup, but you're right, and I was pretty resistant to the idea of sending my guitar in. I was convinced by recommendations of members here. Also, the alternative was leaving my guitar in the the case unloved and unplayed. I won't buy a guitar without playing it first either, but I also wouldn't have bought my guitar as it was, which is why I had for sale for far less than it was worth. I was reluctant to make any adjustments for fear of making the top even worse. It still played well and sounded good with the cracks, but now it sounds excellent and plays like a dream. |
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Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 3969
| Originally posted by afortune:
now it sounds excellent and plays like a dream. And that's all that matters. Congratulations on reviving an old, beloved warhorse. WE WANT PICS! |
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Joined:
August 2008
Posts: 234
Location: Corning, NY | I'll have to take some. Right now I only have the "before" pics. |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 1889
Location: Central Massachusetts | Omaha, once the instrument has degraded beyond a certain point, what's the harm? Sure, it's going to come back as basically a "new instrument." We know the quality of work Kim and John and their team do, so getting back a quality product is not a risk. The only risk is, will you like the sound of the new guitar? If the original was so degraded, then the new one will almost certainly sound better. And if not, you could always sell it off and buy something else. Either way, you've saved a USA-built guitar from the dumpster. Cases in point, kotadawg's FD-14, my old Redwood Collector's.. Jack basically got a brand new FD-14 for cheap, and I got to add some modern features to an already great guitar. I knew the only original part I was going to get back was the neck.. but a) wow, it's a great neck that I wouldn't want to part with, and b) I ended up with a basically new guitar for much less than it would have cost me to buy/build new. |
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Joined:
November 2005
Posts: 1126
Location: Omaha, NE | Originally posted by dvd:
Omaha, once the instrument has degraded beyond a certain point, what's the harm? What's it cost to get this done? Could you buy new for similar dollars? If not, then I'll grant that it makes sense.
If it costs a lot less, I have to wonder about Ovation pricing. How can they afford to "hand make" these "repaired" guitars for less than making new? |
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | I sent my ebarf Pacemaker to the Mothership for a neck reset, and generally asked what they thought...
It had some real cracks...
I got a new top/bowl, bridge, Abalone rosette, and a Custom Paint Job. Also a fret dress, and obviously got the neck reset... To a new body.
And they put the old Silver Label and serial number sticker back in the bowl.
As for the "Custom Paint Job"... I mentioned Honey-Burst but I also said "Just something to make it match the old headstock."
This does not look like any stock Honey-Burst that I have tried to compare it to...
"How can they afford to 'hand make' these 'repaired' guitars for less than making new?"
I believe that they just enjoy rebuilding the guitars, and try to do a good job for Ovation Owners then pick a price that sounds reasonable at the moment.
[Plus, no marketing, shipping, re-tooling, stocking, or any of that business stuff.]
So I got the old neck and tuners put on a new guitar... I'm happy! :D
Without shipping, they charged me $425 for all that. And cannot Buy a New Pacemaker! :p |
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Joined:
November 2005
Posts: 1126
Location: Omaha, NE | Now that's interesting.
How much of an Ovation do you have to send them? I'd guess that you couldn't send a tuning knob and say "build the rest of the guitar around this". Seems like a neck is the minimum. Does it have to be attached to a bowl/top? |
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Joined:
August 2008
Posts: 234
Location: Corning, NY | As the original owner, I only had to pay for labor because of the lifetime warranty, so my total cost (not counting shipping) was $225. It would have been double with the parts cost, which puts it right in line with Old Man Arthur's Pacemaker. I didn't ask for a custom paint job because I wanted it to match the original natural sitka spruce top, but I'm sure they would have. The Legend 1756 isn't made anymore, so I couldn't buy a new one anyway, but the cost for me was only $75 more than a luthier quoted to merely refinish the top. |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 5563
Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | 
My signature guitar for the past 20 years has been a white (-6p) 1758 12 string Elite...my original was purchased new when I became part of the Key man Endorsee program in late 1988...I sold my original in 1998 and kicked myself almost immediately...I finally found in May of last year and it had some issues...I got into it cheap and from day one decided to have it sent to the factory for refurbishment...it had two semi repaired stress cracks on either side of the bridge and the finish was starting to be affected in that area...John B and Co. decided (with my approval) to refinish...problem was, the original PPG paint was unavailable anymore and what they had was not proving satisfactory...after two tries, they decided to punt: John found a top and bowl assembly NOS in a box on a shop shelf finished in white pearl (-6p)...it was the last 1758 done in that color and had the small battery box cover instead of the screw lock battery box of my '88...this one dates from '90...they also fixed a bad ding on the side of the neck and refinished the top of the peg head getting rid of the road rash...For $400, I got a completely refurbished 12 string in a ultra rare NOS color that blows away any other wood 12 string Ovation (and some Adamas)that I have ever played...including my original...it is perfect and I love it...is it 100% original? Who cares? It is w/o damage, looks fabulous, has the original label and serial number and it sounds unreal...What more could one ask for....
It is so rare to find a Company that cares about each individual instrument to the point of repair / replacement to insure complete satisfaction and because they care that much about all things Ovation...I value that...It makes me proud to play these instruments and gives me a talking point to my audiences to educate them about the instruments and the company that makes them...I am blessed to own some of the finest tone wood acoustic and electric instruments made and none mean any more than these round back guitars from a cool old factory in Ct. Pride in doing what's right regardless of the cost involved simply because it's the thing to do....I have owned over 25 O's and A's that have gone back to the mother ship in the past few years...I have never been disappointed and cannot say enough about John B and Co. They are one class act!
1758-6p |
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Joined:
August 2008
Posts: 234
Location: Corning, NY | Omaha,
You'd need to send them an entire guitar, whatever shape it's in. I would guess that a new neck would be where the price jumps significantly. If you're the original owner, the lifetime warranty covers labor costs after the initial full warranty period. |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12750
Location: Boise, Idaho | Afortune, for $225, you got an incredible deal. That's a great reason for buying a new one with the lifetime warranty. |
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Joined:
August 2008
Posts: 234
Location: Corning, NY | Absolutely. I didn't appreciate it at the time I bought it, but I sure do now. I didn't even have the original receipt, but I called the music store and they called John up to vouch for me--great place. Of course, I still regret trading in a Gibson ES-335 12 string toward it. At the time, they weren't worth much, but now I could buy a few nice ovations with that trade-in. :rolleyes: :( |
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Mother does great work!
