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| This is what I found when I removed the pickup from the bridge. The dark one is 37 thousandths and lighter one is 28 thousandths. I don't believe they are original. What do you think? I know the shims are used to adjust the action either up or down. But can the shims affect the quality of the sounds straight acoustically as well as thru the pre-amp?
One last question. Where would I source original equipment shims?
Thanks....Les
Edited by cool66 2015-10-18 3:05 PM
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Location: Jet City | those are original shims from the factory. |
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Location: Cologne/Germany | ...same in my Ovations.... |
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| How about that. So they're original. Guitar plays easy and sounds nice both plugged in and unplugged. I have only one of the end cover pins but I don't think it makes a difference mechanically. Just visually.
Thanks for the info! |
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Location: Cologne/Germany | Why not asking the Mini Mother for a spare? They might still have them, though the newer pickups are made a bit different. Maybe they are too busy at the moment preparing the big party next week but after that.... |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Red-Twins, the "big party" is Next Month (November 21st).
But JB and friends might have one of those pins.
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Location: Boise, Idaho | OMA, the party is October 26. I saw November 21, too, but that appears to be when registration closes. It doesn't make much sense, but it probably has something to do with a computer program. |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Wow... If I hitch-hiked all that way and showed-up on 11/21 I would have been pissed! 
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | cool66 - 2015-10-18 12:49 PM
I know the shims are used to adjust the action either up or down. But can the shims affect the quality of the sounds straight acoustically as well as thru the pre-amp?
I'm surprised no one jumped in on this, but the leading statement might be a little mis-leading.
The shims adjust the height of the bridge to ensure the strings match the neck angle. While the result has an affect on the action, the properly adjusting the action is done in concert with the neck angle and neck relief.
Why am I being picky? Because neck angle and neck relief can affect the playability and possibly the sound "straight acoustically as well as thru the pre-amp" where the string height might affect the sound more plugged in only as the strings are closer or further from the vibrating soundboard. I'm not sure you would "hear" the difference in any of these scenarios, but it's possible. Not really sure how you are measuring "quality of sounds" anyway.
What you could do while waiting for shims from the factory or elsewhere is just make your own shims out of just about anything. I've used long matches, or cardboard, or plastic. It might not be the best materials, but it would be interesting to see if it changes your "sound" good, bad or indifferent and might shed some light on other issues if there are any.
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Location: Cologne/Germany | <p>OMA, that would have been a disaster, lucky you were.</p>
Edited by red-twins 2015-10-19 1:32 PM
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| Thanks Miles and OMA and R-T and damon. I contacted Mr. Budny and he's going to hook me up with an end cover pin and other stuff. As far as "sound" quality, well that's just what my old ears can tell me. But when I get the stuff from the Mini-Mothership I'll do all those string measurement things but it'll really boil down to what feels good to me fingers and what sounds good to me old ears. Being a hobbyist woodworker making shims shouldn't be that big of a deal. But then I've never done 'em before. 
Thanks....Les
Edited by cool66 2015-10-19 6:18 PM
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Location: Muenster/Germany | I made all shims for all of my Ovations by hand. So I can adjust more precisely and I found out that there´s a slight difference not only in tone but in attack when I used different materials. I use hardwood like rosewood or ebony for Adamas and sitka spruce for the other wood-top guitars.Sometimes the drilling holes for the cables are too big under the pickups and you have -nothing- under the E 6th string, so a little wider solid wooden shim can improve bass response dramatically. |
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| I've got a couple almost finished. White cedar, super soft old fencing. Brazil black walnut, super hard old flooring. As it stands now with the original factory shims installed and strung with Martin Acoustic SP PB Lights, the "G" string seems to be more dominant. Or maybe it's just me ears. I've a gig tonight in a small venue, so I'll ask a couple of folks there, that would know, how it sounds. I am very curious if the shim material will make difference in sound. Thanks for the tip on the bass E side. I'll be sure to make it a snug fit. |
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Location: Cologne/Germany | Good luck cool66!
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| Well the gig went well with the factory shims. So I suspect it was just my ears foolin' with me. And then the post came today and there was a care package from John B.:
 Can't mess the CL for another week or so, so I just have to wait to see how the homegrown shims work. |
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Shims #2
