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March 2005
Posts: 12750
Location: Boise, Idaho | Mike's (fugot) post reminded me of this. My 30th CL has a bridge that is the same thickness on the high E side as on the low E side. All my other Os have a thinner bridge on the high E side. Tony's was also the same thickness. When I tried to take out a shim or 2, the high E string buzzed on the bridge.
Does everyone's have this? Since I got mine used, I will probably just sand down the bridge on the one side, or send it in for a repair of a ding and have them fix the bridge.
(This is close to my 5000th post, so I figured I'd use it for something substantive for a change. |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12750
Location: Boise, Idaho | I'm bumping this because of the lack of response and also because yesterday I played a used Custom Legend that was probably about a 1974 vintage. The action was great and the bridge tapered down so that it was thinner under the high E than it was under the low E. Anyone care to check their CLs and let me know? |
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Posts: 847
Location: Munich, Germany | Marc, just my opinion - not that I know exactly:
Compare it to any other Ovation you have, that should do it as well. The bridge on your 87C should be quite the same as the one on your CL - the carved one.
I did not understand your post first, thought you ment the saddle, but after checking some of my guitars I know what you mean. The bridges on all of my guitars are a little more sanded down on the high E-string. So to say, the curve is heavier.
EDIT: No, the curve is smoother.
Regards,
Kurt |
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March 2005
Posts: 12750
Location: Boise, Idaho | All of my other Ovations have bridges that taper more toward the high E than they do toward the low E. It is easy to see, plus I measured all of them. It makes the saddle in the 30th sit really deep in the bridge. |
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Posts: 65
Location: Connecticut | The current carved bridges are level across the front with no taper ,that way they can be used for either left or right hand guitars.I believe the teardrop slots are made to go either way also. |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | Thanks, Dave. It's good to know it's not a defect, but now I've got to figure out how to lower the action. |
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Posts: 2487
| Very glad to see that repair will be done on that little annoying ding. I loved that guitar and the top was so nice if it was just repaired?? I sure hope they can do something with it it is such a small crack in the top it seems as though there must be a way to make that like new.
Randy |
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March 2005
Posts: 12750
Location: Boise, Idaho | We have to see what happens to the Mothership by the time I get around to fixing it, Randy. I should have taken your advice and had you send it straight there, but then I still would have had the problem with the bridge. It gets played every day. If I was flawless it might bother me. |
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March 2005
Posts: 12750
Location: Boise, Idaho | An update. I pulled the strings and pickup and took a rasp and some sandpaper to the high side of the bridge. Used a little pecan stain that I had laying around and it seems to match perfectly. Took out the thicker shim, but left the thin one in and restrung it.
The action is much better now with no buzzing. I think it's still a little higher than my others, but I may need to do some more sanding to take all the shims out. For now, I'll call it a success. I don't know if I'll ever get the ding fixed now, Randy. It doesn't bother me nearly as much as the high action. Ovation should rethink making the carved bridges for righties and lefties. If it's a lefty, just sand the other side down. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Mark,
Help me out here... Though I understand perfectly that most bridges are asymmetrical...
in terms of action, the parts that would really affect that are the saddle, the shims and the bridge slot that the saddle fits into... not the top of the bridge itself??? What am I missing here?
Does the saddle sit that low in the bridge, that the strings are contacting the leading edge of the bridge?? |
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Posts: 12750
Location: Boise, Idaho | Exactly. If I did all my posting at home like I should and had some photography or photo skills, I'd show you. If you look down the neck at the bridge, all of mine except the 30th have bridges that are narrower at the high E side than on the low E. The saddles are also higher on the low E side than on the high E. When I took even one shim out of the 30th, the saddle sat so low in the bridge that the high E string rubbed across the top of the bridge. By sanding the bridge in front of the high E string I can now take out a shim and have enough clearance that the string doesn't rub on the bridge.
Bring your fishing gear up sometime and I'll show you what I'm talking about before I get someone to show you where to fish. |
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Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | eesh... sounds like it really should have a neck reset.
Oddly enough, I was SUPPOSED to be in Idaho (Lewiston) the last 10days to hook up with my fishing bud, Dave, we were then going to drive to the Deschutes to meet another good bud from Portland... and do a little late season fishing... But NOOOOOOO I gotta work instead...
Boise would do... I've fished the south fork and had a blast. |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | I can guarantee it's not a neck reset problem. The difference between the bridge on the 30th and all my other Ovations is blatantly obvious and there is no reason why you shouldn't be able to take the shims out without the saddle dropping down below the level of the bridge. Tony's 30th was the same way, but I don't know how many shims were in his. I'm just surprised I'm the first to notice the problem.
Somebody thought they'd save a step by not tapering the carved bridges, but didn't account for the fact that the saddle on the high E side is thinner, so the bridge on that side has to be thinner. |
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Posts: 4619
Location: SoCal | "Does the saddle sit that low in the bridge, that the strings are contacting the leading edge of the bridge??"
I'm not sure what the problem is...at least on mine (I have two, had six), the clearance is 2/32nd from the high E string and the bridge. I have never had intonation problems, buzz, or any other problem whether finger pick, strum, light play or "thump".
Setup, at least for me, is excellent. Of all of my guitars, when I can slow down enough to play for a couple of minutes late in the evening, the 30th Anniv CL is the one I pick up. |
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Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | On my CC255 (yes, I know it is a Celebrity, but read on anyway) the strings almost touch the wood coming off the saddle. I'm guessing that someone shaved the saddle, but I haven't changed the strings yet, so I haven't looked under there yet. When I do, I will fix it.
Either that, or it is put in bass-ackwards.
Maybe yours has a similar problem, but without pics, I'm justa guessin'... |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12750
Location: Boise, Idaho | Yes the saddle sits that low in the bridge that I have no clearance on the high E, except with 2 shims. The saddle obviously sits deeper in the bridge than any other guitars. I thought the one of Tony's that I tried looked the same. If you didn't have so frikkin many guitars to play with, Tony, I could have taken some detailed measurements, but then I would have had to bring my reading glasses. Mine now has less than one shim's worth of clearance between the high E and the bridge, so if I take a shim out it will hit the bridge. I agree with Tony on the sound. It's the one I keep in the family room and the tone is wonderful. True Ovation sound. |
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30th Anniversary Custom Legend question
