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December 2005
Posts: 11
Location: California | I have found how to tweak strings (typically 1st & 6th) to bring their plugged in loudness up on the thinline pickup. Has anyone found a way to do this on the 'high output'or any other of the 'American' built ovation pickups? Part of problem is I spread strings as they pass over saddle significantly wider (2&3/8"+) for my fingerstyle. Using the pre-shape button or equalizer alone does not cure the problem enough for my taste. Thanks! |
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February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | One of the adavantages of the OPP high-output pickup is that string to string balance is rarely an issue. They use the same pickup for the wider neck models as the standard width and I've never encountered a string balance problem caused by string spacing on the OPP. |
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Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 4394
Location: East Tennessee | I have found how to tweak strings (typically 1st & 6th) to bring their plugged in loudness up on the thinline pickup. How? Inquiring minds want to know. :D |
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Joined:
December 2005
Posts: 11
Location: California | How to change loudness of one or more strings while amplified. A luthier told me the saddle over any transducer pickup should be microscopically loose, or have a tiny bit of play, because the plucked string translates it's energy by making saddle move forward & back, not side to side. So on thinline saddles I use my very tiny files and take a little thickness out of saddle directly over string that needs more loudness. It's easy to overdo, but not only brings loudness up but increases sustain. Succesfully done this on 4 pickups, not just Ovations. |
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Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 4394
Location: East Tennessee | Cool. :cool:
I have a 1972 pacemacker 12 string with a martin thinline pickup in it. I did change to a bone saddle but might try this with the original saddle. I want a little more bass sound to it. |
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December 2005
Posts: 4
Location: California | weighn5 could you explain what you did to balance the loudness in more detail? To make the saddle move a little more forward and back did you file the front and/or back of the saddle at the point where the string passes over the saddle? Thanks. |
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Joined:
December 2005
Posts: 11
Location: California | Individual string loudness cont... Some of what follows may not apply to all undersaddle pickups. Completely lift the thinline saddle from the narrow metal slot (which holds the transducer, a thin metal cover over the leangth of transducer, AND the saddle itself). Remove ONLY the saddle. The narrowing of the saddle to allow forward & back motion DOES happen on both sides of saddle directly under string that is too quiet where saddle is probably too tightly touching one or both sides of the bridge slot. ALSO, VERY SLIGHTLY narrow both sides of 1 of the 6 extentions which insert into the narrow metal slot. This allows microscopic play exactly where saddle touches transducer. A FINAL SUGGESTION: lengthening one or more of the 6 extension points of bottom of saddle puts more pressure on the transducer at that point and increases loudness, but don't overdo because string(s) adjacent may lose their own clarity or loudness. I apply thin strip of single ply facial tissue with super glue, then when completely dry, file edges and bottom slightly so it fits cleanly back into narrow metal slot. Finally, if #1 or #6 string (bass end)are the problem, file sides of saddle all the way to end of saddle to where it touches end of bridge slot. You'll notice thinline ovation saddles have extensions at each end reaching even further down below the 6 that insert into thin metal slot. These can be narrowed also. Anything impeding movement of saddle in direction of neck AND direction where guitar straps on at bottom (right hand) of guitar OR anything adding mass to saddle will impede it's movement at that point. I've ruined more than a couple saddles experimenting with this, but ovation saddles are cheap. The end result is a plugged in response and evenness rivaling anything on the market. My files are 1/4 inch wide and smaller. Found inexpensive set of 6 at Sears in 2003. I wouldn't try this with a normal size wood or sheet metal file. Also keep in mind, narrowing saddle under one string will slightly increase loudness of adjacent strings This is not necessarily bad because plugged in guitar will respond to a softer touch (like my fingerstyle when fingernails won't grow). As you can tell, this whole procedure can take hours of repeatedly putting saddle back in slot, retightening strings to check the plugged in sound and removing to try again. The thinline metal slot has super thin layer of plastic which is easily torn if not carefully inserting saddle each time. Don't force it in. Good Luck! |
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December 2004
Posts: 1116
Location: Keller, TX | OR, you could tie a zip tie to strings 2-5 at the nut! :D |
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February 2004
Posts: 2487
| Pick the 1st and 6th strings harder than you do with the 2,3,4,& 5.
Randy |
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October 2005
Posts: 5330
Location: Cicero, NY | Shouldn't be a problem with me - I've always told I have selective hearing so I'm thinking I should be able to compensate for the middle four... :D |
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I need 1st and 6th strings louder plugged in..
