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November 2006
Posts: 62
Location: Canada | Some of you here may recall my posting here of finding a vintage Glen Campbell 12 String for just under $200.00.
Well, although I still think I got a deal, it turns out the low price was not without justification. Basically, the neck has a slight upward bow that the truss rod can't or won't counter. Permanently high action, in other words. Not unplayable but not as comfortable as it should be.
I brought the guitar into a pro shop today for assessment and after about a 1/2 hour with a very knowledgable and helpful luthier I was told that - outside of lowering the saddle any further - there wasn't much that could be done.
It's not the greatest thing to learn that your truss is at the max. I'm hoping the lighter tension strings I'm using as well as the few turns that were left in the truss that were given to it today might yet yield some results.
That said, I'm still pleased with my guitar but am also keeping an eye open for a better Ovation.
To me it seems a neck reset would solve the problem but the two luthiers I talked to did not seem to want to even attempt it. They don't get many Ovations coming in, I understand.
I need to find an Ovation specialist up here! |
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | "Some of you here may recall my posting here of finding a vintage Glen Campbell 12 String for just under $200.00."
Yes, and I missed it by an hour-and-a-half.
I'm real sorry that you found-out WHY it was such a good deal.
I know nothing about Luthier-ing (MC/Auto Mechanics is my forte) but what about no strings and a humid room for a month?
As for finding qualified Ovation Repairmen, my local music shop dude kinda grimaced when I started a question: "I've go this Ovation..."
Hopefully you will find the right people, who will jump at the oppurtunity to help you fix it. |
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Joined:
August 2005
Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | My understanding is that the problem is because necks are stuck on with epoxy, not wood glue. So they're hard to get off.
The good news is that there ARE some luthiers out there that will do a reset on an O.
Bad news is that it'll cost ya. |
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Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 62
Location: Canada | As for finding qualified Ovation Repairmen, my local music shop dude kinda grimaced when I started a question: "I've go this Ovation..."
Hopefully you will find the right people, who will jump at the oppurtunity to help you fix it. [/QB] I hope so too. I got the same kind of reaction at this place (about Ovations in general) when I bought in that Applause. Luckily today I got an ex-owner of two Ovations who appreciated their quirks and even-ness of sound.
There is an Ovation dealer near me but they're a little pricey across the board. I may pay them a visit too but after today, I'm certain it's a big job. |
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Joined:
June 2005
Posts: 274
Location: Maryland, USA | I hear people think the world of the Ovation Factory.
Why not send it to them? I bet you'll be extremely happy with the results! |
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Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 62
Location: Canada | I refuse to give up on this guitar! It's too pretty and sounds great.
I have a late '60s VOX Phantom XII electric (like the band The Hollies used) and it's a great player now but the neck is backbowed (slowly coming back though). Sometime in its past someone jacked the truss rod right up tight and you can even see where it was going to pop through the ebony fingerboard). I'm willing to bet that the backbowing was a slow process that probably began with someone trying to correct the same problem I have at present.
How's that for optimism?
The luthier I spoke to remarked that it looked as if the neck had had some work done in its past. It looks like the fingerboard past the 12th fret had been reglued to the top. Right at the 12th, there's a noticeable angle - peak if you will - where the fingerboard slopes away in either direction. My problem is what it does on those first 12 frets. As I say, a little bowing that's making it hard to play Johnny B. Goode!
1st position chords are fine.
My overall impression of this guitar is that it was not played very often and that it was strung with heavy guage strings and spent much of its time in storage.
It's possible too that the work that was done to it to correct whatever problem it had may have in turn caused its current situation.
At any rate, it likely won't be my only Ovation - I will need a six stringer as someone here rightly pointed out. |
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Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 62
Location: Canada | Originally posted by Stephen P:
I hear people think the world of the Ovation Factory.
Why not send it to them? I bet you'll be extremely happy with the results! That's a great idea that I would certainly pursue. If any one can let me know how about doing this, let me know! |
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Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 62
Location: Canada | Okay. I took out the shim again and reinserted the saddle I had sanded down. Like I said, the truss rod was turned a few good turns tight today (right up to making a ratchet-ing sound...but it was the luthier doing it so it's still good. However his words were "You hear that sound then it's time to stop!"). It actually plays pretty good now. Still a little bowed.
Call me crazy but I believe that playing a guitar not only keeps things right, it also sets them right. I think this old Glen Campbell is suffering from neglect more than anything else.
The truss rod may have nowhere else to go but my hands and sweat from playing every day from here on will get that neck straight again.
Love the sound. |
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Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 217
Location: Snåsa, Norway | Originally posted by Oster:
... Call me crazy but I believe that playing a guitar not only keeps things right, it also sets them right. I think this old Glen Campbell is suffering from neglect more than anything else. ... Well, here's another "crazy man", my Ovation was put away in it's case for ten months with loose strings and a humidifier to cure similar symptoms due to drying out. I took it out about a week ago and was dissappointed with the sound, but I feel it's improving when I play it.
Maybe a humidifier (like Planet Waves or Kyser) is an idea for your guitar as well? I suspect that the ebony fretboard shrink more than the other parts of the neck (believe I read something about this somewhere on the web), and that will cause a bowed neck. |
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June 2006
Posts: 659
Location: Hiram, Georgia | I'm crazy, too! |
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Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 62
Location: Canada | Originally posted by HobbyPicker:
I suspect that the ebony fretboard shrink more than the other parts of the neck (believe I read something about this somewhere on the web), and that will cause a bowed neck. I think that I'm going to treat the fretboard to some Lemon Oil during my next strings change.
Ebony's a very hard wood that needs TLC so I wouldn't be surprised if what you describe has factored into things. |
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Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 62
Location: Canada | Breakthrough today. After giving that thirsty board some Lem Oil and switching strings to D'Addario (word to the wise: D'Addario's Extra Light 12s are significantly lighter than Martin's Extra Light set) I have achieved 3/32" (at the 12th) action!
I'm not 100% sure if the oil played a big part but I had read that moisture generally causes expansion or back-bowing (plus HobbyPicker's post on ebony shrink). I think my neck had been too dry for too long with too heavy strings and needed something to counter it's forward bowing.
It's little increments but together these things make all the diference.
3/32"! That's good enough for me. I played for well over an hour tonight. If I can keep the action around this point, I'll be a happy guy. |
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Joined:
August 2006
Posts: 2804
Location: ranson,wva | good,glad to hear that you got it down...less talk more playing lol..i just finished setting up my old balladeer,i changed the saddle to a taller bone saddle to get a better break angle,put on a fresh set of DR.red devil ned heavy's,tuned she has a big booming sound now..another one rescued from a trip to the dumpster and another one off the work bench..not too shure i wanna put this ugly sob on the wall tho lol..jason |
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Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 62
Location: Canada | ...less talk more playing lol..
Amen to that!
i just finished setting up my old balladeer,i changed the saddle to a taller bone saddle to get a better break angle,put on a fresh set of DR.red devil ned heavy's,tuned she has a big booming sound now..another one rescued from a trip to the dumpster and another one off the work bench..not too shure i wanna put this ugly sob on the wall tho lol..jason That balladeer of yours looks really cool. |
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Joined:
August 2006
Posts: 2804
Location: ranson,wva | id like to send it to the 'ship to be retoped but i dont wanna wait 30+yrs for the top to open up..if the top gets worse im gonna have to have ti retopped or stripped dow to the bare wood,seal the cracks then re-finish...who knows...jason |
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Found My Ovation - Part 2
