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Joined:
February 2004
Posts: 70
Location: kansas | Hi!
I've had an aluminum neck Applause for the last 30 years and wore the frets down to the neck so I decided it was time to get a new one...
This time I went with the AE48 model.
After removing the strings I attempted to check out the saddle to see if I could replace it(I had used a brass saddle on the old Applause) and I thought I might try replacing it with a TUSQ saddle. Well, the saddle sat in a metal housing and it slide out a bit on the one side and did't seem to want to move(I didn't force it) on the other side where the wire input goes into the saddle area.
Well, I couldn't find a picture or description of the DJ2 electronics on the web and wondered if someone could point me to someone/somewhere who could clue me in...
In any case, I restrung it and the DJ2 electronics are "stellar" as advertised; no batteries required, and I like the 'unplugged' sound quality(compared to my old applause), but I wonder how much 'better' it might sound with a different saddle(if its possible with the origninal DJ2 electonics)? :confused: |
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Joined:
February 2004
Posts: 70
Location: kansas | I found this on another board and has helped me figure out a bit of what I'm dealing with:
"since purchased my own guitar, an Acoustic/Electric Applause by Ovation. Well, after some time playing, and playing with other peoples guitars, I noticed that my action seemed really high. I am beginning to learn to fingerpick, and mostly strum with my thumb and stay away from harder picks. So I decided I would adjust my action by filing down the little bar under the strings on the body of the guitar. So I took my strings off, and went to pull it up, and when I did, little metal plates fell to the ground! There were two metal plates that went the length of the bar, 1 plastic bar that had 6 little metal/plastic rectangle pieces in it (2 of which fell out, but I was able to put them in, thanks to the 4 that were left, I was able to tell which way they went in, as one side was a silver metal plate and the other was a copper/brass/bronze metal plate) I had no idea the pickup's were located here, and I didn't
know that all this stuff would come apart when I took off the bar, I figured it would be straight forward and I would be able to just file it down on a flat surface with sandpaper. Anyways, there was a U shaped metal piece that wrapped around the bottom-side of the bar, and it had a metal thin plate running down the interior of it, which was connected
to a piece of wire going into the guitar. The wire was soldered in such a way that there was a gap between the U and that bar, So I figured
that the plastic piece with the 6 little metal/plastic pieces inside it went between the U and the bar. My question is, how does this plastic piece lay inside there? Does the silver side of the 6 metal/plastic pieces face towards the U or the metal bar? Also, the 2 long metal bars do not fit inside the U, so I believe those are the shims which were underneath the U, which I would have had to remove to lower my action. I do not have an amplifier so I cannot plug it up to test the sound, although I have hooked it up to an amp before and it had amazing sound. "
still not sure if I can 'safely' replace the saddle without disturbing the pickups? From the sound of this post, the saddle has holes/slots that the piezo chips rest in... plus I've seen that the saddle is reduced in width to allow the metal U-frame surround it and remain at 1/8".
Any additional help in this area would be appreciated... |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | The saddle & the pickup are an integral unit. The action is adjusted by removing or replacing shims, or by routing the saddle slot, but definately not by any surgery to the saddle/pickup assembly. That post from whatever board your found it on is hilarious. A little knowledge can be a very dangerous thing |
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Joined:
February 2004
Posts: 70
Location: kansas | I found this and discovered what I was needing to know:
http://www.ovationguitars.com/img/OVmanual.pdf
1) the saddle can be removed without disturbing the under saddle transducers(if you are careful) and
2) I can replace the saddle with a TUSQ version with (some addjustments on the version I have:
PQ-9200-C0 )
see:
http://www.graphtech.ca/product_display.asp?SearchType=brand&brand=TUSQ
Actually the PQ-9650-00 may have worked with the least amount of rework to match the current saddle)
I have a dremel drill press and a set of micrometers and I'll see what I can do... |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | The manua has an exploded veiw of the CP100 thinline pickup in order to show the construction, but this does not mean that it is intended to be user servicable. Good luck. |
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DJ2 electronics
