|
|
Joined:
February 2009
Posts: 16
| I purchased an Ovation CDX24 a little over a year ago from the local music store. I bought it for my 14 year old daughter. BTW... I haven't a musical bone in my body :) .
So... about 10 days ago the low and high E string began to buzz pretty bad for no apparent reason (meaning it didn't get banged around). It's a very well taken care of guitar.
I took it back to where I bought it. The FIRST time they shimmed the bridge. They didn't try it before I picked it up I guess because when I got home my daughter tried it and it was still buzzing on the low E string. So I go back and this time they filed a few frets down. Again I take it home... same issue exists. Back again and this time they reseated or fixed an improperly seated fret.
Three things: 1st... when I took the guitar the first time I asked them to put new D'Addario strings on it but the second visit they broke the low E and replaced it with a non D'Addario string and it was USED! 2nd: He told me on the last visit that most lower end guitars buzz up high... I thought that was a load of crap but then again the guy knows that I don't know guitars. 3rd: I think they adjusted the truss rod.
They also scratched the fret board in several places.
Sorry for boring you guys with this story but I thought I'd vent to someone that knows something about Ovations.
Finally I took it to a real guitar tech and he said my problems are "Heal hop" and "the top is coming up". He also mentioned that it looks like someone adjusted the truss rod. He was very thorough and I could tell he was knowledgable, he explained everything to me.
He mentioned that the heal hop may be a manufacturers defect, could this be warranty related or would I be completely ridiculous?
He is going to fix the fret board, a fairly inexpensive fix.
Any thoughts from anyone?
Thanks! |
|
| |
|
Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Welcome Fusion! :cool:
First, the people who first worked on your guitar were jerks... but you know that.
Did you buy it New? If you bought it new, Celebrities should come with a 5-year warranty.
It has been less than five years.
Be a Jerk, go back to where you bought it from and tell them that their guitar died and that they should send it back for you and get it repaired/replaced. If the factory warranty people say that the guitar was damaged by faulty repair-work, it is still the store's fault and they should replace your guitar at their own cost.
CDX are top-of-the-line Celebrities. The major difference being they have a dove-tail neck. [I think!] When the jerk tells you that is is a 'low-end' guitar, remind them that it is a $600 guitar and that They Sold It to you.
If the other guy is gonna fix it for you and you are happy, that's cool. But I woulda jumped all over the Store. (I'm just like that, y'know) |
|
| |
|
Joined:
February 2009
Posts: 16
| Thanks OMA... I don't know what to do. I hate arguing over something that I don't know much about... thanks for your advice! |
|
| |
|
Joined:
February 2009
Posts: 16
| The strange thing is when I did take the guitar back for the 3rd time I called Ovation... and talked to a guy there. I asked if it would be acceptable for a guitar shop to file frets and shim the bridge of a year old Ovation. He seemed find with it... said it was a "pacific rim" guitar not a USA. More or less felt as though it was an insignifigant guitar with little value. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 3969
| fusion, please don't get the wrong impression. Ovation USA stands behind every guitar they make in Connecticut, and their customer service is second to none (speaking from experience).
BUT, the Celebrity series are made in Korea and/or China, and are meant to be a high volume lower quality entry-level guitar. The US factory has no control over production standards of these imports - that's a matter for higher corporate concerns - and they don't service the imports, only the ones they make here.
We on the board often lament the situation, and many of us say that these imports shouldn't carry the Ovation name on the headstock, just like Takamine's Korean-made entry-levels are branded Jasmine, or Martin's Sigma. Nobody mistakes Jasmine or Sigma for the higher quality (and more expensive) parent guitar. But most people only know Ovations as the import Celebrity series.
My advice is to do as Old Man Arthur stated. Make yourself such a PITA with the store you bought it from that they give you a new one just to make you go away. Then promptly sell it and use that money to fund the purchase of a US made Ovation or Adamas.
Sorry about your experience, and best of luck resolving it to your satisfaction. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4026
Location: Utah | Filing frets, maybe or maybe not. I've touched up the frets on mid range guitars (non-O branded). The bridges get shims added or subtracted when new gauges or types of strings get put on. Truss rods get tweaked several times per year when different gauges of strings are installed or just due to weather changes.
So, I wouldn't be all upset that the guitar needed a shimming or tweaking. I would only be mildly upset if the shop charged me anything for filing a fret or two, that is something that they should do for free on a guitar that they sold you recently.
The crap work that the shop did was really the problem here. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
February 2009
Posts: 16
| Thanks everyone!
One issue I didn't see anyone talk about was the heal hop, is this a serious manufacturers defect or is it something all guitars have at some point?
It's funny, when this guitar was sold to me it was a high quality tough guitar that would be great for a 14 year old to play on for years to come.
The last day I was at the guitar shop the "guitar tech" said "you have no idea how glad I will be to get rid of this stupid guitar"... he jokingly said it but it was very unprofessional... especially since they sold it to me. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 3969
| Not exactly sure what you mean by "heel hop." Is the heel lifting from the bowl (is there a space between the heel and the top of the bowl where they meet)? A picture of the area would help. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
February 2009
Posts: 16
| To be honest G8r I don't know... I can't tell there is heel hop, I was only told that it has it. I could definitely see the top coming up and bridge tilting towards the fret board but I didn't see the "heel hop".
I will take some pictures this evening and post. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 3969
| I've had/still have roundhole Ovations with a bit of "belly bulge" at the bridge and they're perfectly fine. The constant string tension can slowly force the top to bulge slightly upward at the bridge with certain bracing patterns. It's usually not a concern so long as it doesn't happen quickly and the bridge itself isn't separating from the top. Many here say it actually enhances the tone.
That said, it IS very unusual in a one-year-old guitar. I can't imagine that you have extra heavy gauge strings on it (which would result in higher string tension) if the guitar is played by your 14-year-old daughter. Sometimes the tops can "warp" slightly depending on humidity level. They should be kept at a relative humidity between about 45-60%, and a dry guitar will usually flatten back out when properly humidified.
That in itself doesn't worry me as much as the supposed "heel hop." If the heel is indeed separating from the bowl that's a major problem, affecting playability and intonation. I don't know if these have a bolt-on neck, but if they do any halfway-competent guitar tech can tighten the neck bolts to get it seated correctly again. If it's a glued-in neck, that's a different story - a separation (if that's what it is) is a manufacturing defect and should be covered by the dealer warranty.
You can upload pictures to the OFC social networking site , or host them on another server (such as flickr), then post them here as follows:
1. Below the text box where you type in your message, if you don't see a whole bunch of buttons then click the button labeled "Full Reply Form"
2. Copy the URL of the picture you want to post to your clipboard, then press the "IMAGE" button.
3. Paste the picture URL in the text window that opens after you pressed the IMAGE button, then press "OK"
Please limit picture size to 800 pixels wide so they don't force a horizontal scroll off the screen. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
February 2009
Posts: 16
| Here's the pics, it's hard to get a decent picture... not sure if you can even tell what's going on from them.
Ovation Pics |
|
| |
|
Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 2120
Location: Chicago | Welcome, fusion! I can only add my rave review to what the "Mothership" (Conn. Factory) can do. My '74 Legend has been there TWICE (in '80 and in '06) and is still going very strong. Whatever they charge it is worth it! |
|
| |
|
Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 3969
| dobro - that's a Celeb - Mother only works on US models. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2008
Posts: 2683
Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | Fusion, you didn't give us any pictures of the heel. That is the part of the back of the neck that flairs out and joins the bowl. Close-up pics of the side and back of the heel would tell us more. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Okay... If what I am seeing is that the high-e string is really low, and that was causing to original buzz? (that was a question, not a statement)
First I would have put in an 'inclined' shim, then adjusted the truss rod. I don't know why that would have happened all of a sudden, but that looks like the problem now.
(Provided that you are still getting a high-e buzz)
Also, it looks like the neck has TOO much relief,
I don't have my hot-little-hands on it, But I would put in a inclined shim, may raise the whole saddle, and tighten the truss rod to get rid of some of the relief.
That might make it abit higher at the 17th fret, but... It might stop the buzz.
I would like to see a photo of the saddle... y'know from the butt-end down the strings. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4026
Location: Utah | It is tough to diagnose over the internet, but the belly bulge looks normal. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
February 2009
Posts: 16
| I'll get a pic of the saddle and heel.
Thanks! |
|
| |
|
Joined:
February 2009
Posts: 16
| Ok... the update is the store sent it away instead of using their guitar tech. The guitar tech that it was sent to was recommended by the local Ovation rep. I talked to the tech that got it and he said that it desperately needed to be set up and he did that but so when they shipped it back to me... it got damaged... so long story short they are replacing it.
My question now is... what Ovation (mid depth) would I buy if I wanted to break into the US made Ovation line? Can someone suggest a model for me... around the $1000 mark (if it exists)? Also if you could please suggest one with a centre hole and one with the multiple holes.
Thanks! |
|
| |
|
Joined:
May 2008
Posts: 160
Location: Montana | Hi Fusion, I think there are many models that will fit your needs and budget... and many here with more knowledge than I will happily advise you as to how to spend your money. I just want to second your desire for the mid-depth bowl. I held my first one yesterday and my first thought was oooh and my second thought was this is the perfect guitar for a girl or anyone of shorter stature (such as myself). Someone else can explain it better than I but be aware that in the older models the mid-depth may have gone under different names, and when you go to the ovation site they may even describe it as deep bowl (like the 1617, right? It's clearly shallower than my Elite). |
|
| |
|
Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Originally posted by fusion:
Also if you could please suggest... one with the multiple holes.
Thanks! You might wanna look at this... Not quite new, around $700 maybe
Maybe less... You'd have to ask about shipping. It is a Contour Bowl...
Just trying to be helpful. :D |
|
| |
|
Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4026
Location: Utah | I've got a 6778LX for sale in your price range. If you aren't interested in that one, look for a 1778T, otherwise known as an Elite T. They made some in Red Flame that the kids (and adults!) really like. My 16 yr old has one and plays shows all the time with it. The T is a great guitar for the money. If your daughter likes the industrial look, the black or red textured finish on the T is also available and is a super guitar, because it's a T.
The guitar that Old Man Arthur linked to is a fine instrument. Just be aware that it is the deep contour bowl. My current go to acoustic is a deep contour and I love it, but it is definitely deeper than a mid bowl. For your daughter it might not be comfortable. You should try to get her to a store to try out a contour bowl before committing to one.
Here's my 6778LX
Here's a Red Flame Elite T aka 1778T-RF. On the left of the Red Flame is the other daughter's black T.
 |
|
| |
|
Joined:
February 2009
Posts: 16
| Thanks everyone...
This will be a store credit (mostly) so I won't be buying privately.
I'm gonna go to a store with a better selection of Ovations and see what we can find.
Turns out my daughter doesn't like the multihole design which I didn't at first but it grew on me.
I have learned in the past few months that guitar shopping isn't easy. I have a number of people telling me to stay away from Ovation... but then again there is a number of people that tell you to stay away from every other guitar brand around. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4026
Location: Utah | Well, definitely stay away from Esteban brand guitars, or anything next to the Wal-mart checkout with a cowboy painted on it! Other than that, you will generally get what you pay for. We are partial to Ovations and think that they offer better features and function for a given $ amount, but ultimately your daughter has to find the guitar that she likes. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
February 2009
Posts: 16
| What about a standard Balladeer Model 1771 AX?
Is it US made? Is it a decent enough upgrade on a Celebrity? |
|
| |
|
Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4026
Location: Utah | AX is Asian made. |
|
| |
Year old Ovation CDX24 - Advice anyone?
