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Joined:
August 2005
Posts: 616
Location: cincinnati, ohio | Hi, everybody--
This board is a wonderful resource, and I want to pick the brains of the army of knowledgable Ovation fanatics who check it out.
Looking for some suggestions for a couple of semi-minor tech issues. I have a scratch on the bowl of my 1971 Ovation Balladeer. It's been there for a number of years, put there by the belt buckle of an oblivious (and careless) borrower. It's fine and thin, but it's long. I know; nobody can see it. But I can, and it's a constant reminder of the insensitivity of the person who borrowed it, and of my own stupidity for letting the guitar out of my sight (never since, and never again). Lately it's really been bothering me. Anyway, I was at an AutoZone store the other day and noticed the polishes and scratch cover products available for fiberglas body cars like Corvettes. I was wondering if anyone had tried this for a similar problem on an Ovation bowl, or if there's something out there that would work better (it's a black bowl)?
Also, the original 35-year-old tuning keys on the guitar have become a little cranky lately. I know how to take them apart, but what's a recommended lubricant for the worm gears? Should I clean them with alcohol first, or something else, or not clean them at all?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Rick |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | I have much more experience with cars than guitars and I can't imagine any of the scratch remover products would work on a rough sandpaper. On cars, they basically sand the clear coat or fill in fine scratches. Frankly, I haven't found any that work too well on cars, either.
Don't know about the gears, but there are a ton of gear lubricants out there. You might try a dab of Vaseline. |
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Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 1116
Location: Keller, TX | I would just try the 3-in-1 oil. Can find it at most auto/hardware stores. |
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Joined:
February 2006
Posts: 12
Location: Hayes, Virginia | If your scratch is just in the surface you may be able to make it less noticeable by cleaning it well. Fine scratches tend to be more apparent when they are filled with dust and dirt. The white powered poly or epoxy resin that was scratched out really makes the damage pop out. Avoid guitar cleaners with abrasives since they will collect in every scratch and crevice. After cleaning if the scratch is still obvious, you can try using a matching indelible marker to color it in. The marker trick is used by piano movers and less reputable guitar makers to cover dings and scratches.
If the scratch is pretty deep and you really want to fill it you could try the scratch filling epoxy available at boat stores. All it is a small amount of top coating epoxy and a bunch of color tubes you use to match the color of the fiberglass. I have used it on fiber and epoxy boats with good results. It takes a while to get the color matching figured out but it can make scratches much less noticeable. It may be more difficult since the bowl’s surface is textured, not smooth like a boat’s hull. |
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Joined:
June 2002
Posts: 863
Location: Central Florida | Originally posted by rick endres:
It's fine and thin, but it's long. If it's a "clean" scratch and you just want to match up the color, a black Sharpie may be all you need. I've had really good results using these for minor bowl touch ups. The key is to kinda dab the tip of the pen down the length of the scratch, wiping off the excess with a rag as you go. This helps blend it in better.
As for the faulty tuner, I can't really help you there. If it were me, and my 35 year old tuners were starting to act up I'd probably just replace them. But if you're really committed to keeping the guitar "all original" then maybe someone else here can advise on how to rejuvenate an old tuner. Good luck and I hope this helps. |
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Joined:
June 2002
Posts: 863
Location: Central Florida | Originally posted by Bluecrabboy:
The marker trick is used by piano movers and less reputable guitar makers to cover dings and scratches. Or by us less retentive types that don't want to spend gobs of money and manhours trying to cover a minor cosmetic flaw. ;) |
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Joined:
February 2006
Posts: 140
| Most vintage instrument owners and collectors put on new tuners, and keep the old ones. Look at the vintage news at Mandolin Brothers (www.mandoweb.com) or elderly Instruments (www Elderly.com) for examples. This will not devalue your instrument. It will only make it play better. Just remember to keep the old tuners in a safe place. |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13996
Location: Upper Left USA | Ditto.
Watch out for the location of the retaining screws on replacement tuners. There are a few variations out there. |
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Joined:
August 2005
Posts: 616
Location: cincinnati, ohio | Thanks, everybody. These are all great suggestions. The Sharpie never occurred to me; I like the simplicity of it, and that's less involved (and less tricky) then getting into major work with epoxy coatings. I may consider the coatings if I get really ambitious.
As far as the gears go, even though they're the originals, I don't think they're quite ready for the boneyard yet. I did a little research; www.frets.com (a luthier site) recommended oiling them. They said any oil (like 3 in 1) would do, but they liked Tri Flo, mostly because of the container and the applicator. I'll try oiling first. If that doesn't do the trick, I do a lot of business with Elderly Instruments. Sounds like a good source for new tuners.
Thanks for all your help. |
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Scratch on Lyrachord bowl/Ovation tuners
