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Location: Kentucky | My wife and I made our first Ebay purchase the other day. It's a Folklore 1114. We got it for a little over $500 (she was an enthusiastic first time bidder). While it's a nice guitar in appearance, only a few dings here and there, I can't play it.
The action is way high on it. The saddle has almost disappeared into the bridge. Neck looks straight, but I've been wrong before. Talked to a nice fellow at Ovation yesterday. He gave me some prices on putting it back in shape ranging from a couple hundred dollars to many hundreds of dollars depending on what they find. Also, if a lot of money was spent putting it back in order. it'd have to have a new case. The case that came with it doesn't close properly.
Anyway, the wife and I are debating where to go with it from here. She thinks we should send it off to Ovation to at least get the estimate on the cost of putting it right. And no matter what the estimate, in her unique and charming way of thinking, the guitar will have to be repaired "since it's already there." Me, I'm thinking we might be better off just chalking it up to a lesson learned, give it to a kid to bang on, and look for something in better shape. Any advice is greatly appreciated. TIA, Don |
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Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Tough call. It's a great model. I would be inclined to take the hit and have it repaired (I'm guessing $300-$400 tops). It will be near as new when it comes back to you. And to get another guitar of it's quality (once repaired), you're likely going to spend as much or more money...but you will know what you're getting with the factory repaired one. |
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Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | My advice is keep your wife! She sounds great. |
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Posts: 1421
Location: Orange County, California | Have you measuered the string height? What guage strings are on it? I would at least see where it's set up compared to The Ovation manual . If it's too far out to be adjusted, send it in. No one has complained about a guitar they spent a couple of hundred on at the mothership. Rumor is you always get more than you bargained for (in a good way) |
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Posts: 4
Location: Kentucky | Excellent advice from everyone. Plus she wants it to go where it can get the best possible care. No complaints from me; I'll end up with a nice guitar. So back it goes. I'll let you know how it turns out. And "an4340", I'll be hanging on to her as long as she'll have me. Thanks again, everybody. Don |
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Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | You'll be pleased with it. Kim and Jonn and crew do outstanding work---very reasonably priced. |
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Posts: 15654
Location: SoCal | Actually, word has it at the factory, that Glen's mom comes back in and does the actual repairs. And she's really good.....
Send it back to the factory and spend the money. You will be very very pleased with the guitar that comes back. |
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February 2004
Posts: 1634
Location: Warren,Pa. | Let's hijack this thread and respond seriously to this question: Who among us would give our right arm to have our wives feel about guitars the way Don's wife feels about guitars? I'll start. This could be the longest thread in our history. |
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March 2002
Posts: 15654
Location: SoCal | I've already posted that my wife has often said "I cannot condone the selling of a guitar" when I talk about selling something to get something else. I am blessed...... |
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Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | Don's wife is so rational about guitars. When I talk about guitars it's like the irrational switch goes off, and then it takes all my diplomatic skills. I've just come to accept this as the normal situation and that's the way women are. |
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Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | lady stonebobbo's first interaction with her life partner-to-be was in 1978 on a train from Amsterdam to Heidelberg after I pulled out my Takamine and started playing some tunes. From that moment forward guitars have had a special place in her heart. She lived through having to sell the Tak to make enough bones to pay the rent, and still views that as making the ultimate sacrifice for her and our family all those years ago. She has a knack for reining me in if I'm about to make a bonehead move on a guitar, and enthusiastically supports every guitar that's ever made its way into our house. She's never once insisted on trading something "for her" in response to a guitar acquisition, nor has she ever implied that we already have enough guitars (or other gear) around. She was the one that insisted we send the Viper back to the factory to have it refinished, even if the monetary value could never justify the expense. The only thing she asks is that the guitars be played and enjoyed, not hoarded.
If I ever had to make a choice between her and a guitar, they would all be gone in a heartbeat and I would never look back. |
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Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Pam said, "The EliteLX is nice but I think you should get the Al DiMeola."
There ya go.
Fingers...In for a penny, in for a pound. At least send it in for a quote. Perhaps it will make a special guitar even more so.
Here's a tip. Time it so that it's finished about the time of the tour. That way you just have to pick it up in person to save all those bothersome shipping charges. It only makes sense. |
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Posts: 33
Location: vienna, west virginia | stonebobbo, that post strikes a chord here... i started giving "guitar lessons" to the woman who became my wife when she and i were in our very early teens... she was with me when i bought my breadwinner while i was playing sock hops at all the local high schools. she has been responsible for the last 6 guitars that have come into this house. our 15 year old's guitars include an SR305 DX 5 string ibanez bass and a samick sw630 hs acoustic electric, our 3 year old has a little carlos 1/2 size classical which he drags out several times a week to accompany me when i practice... and 3 of my last 4 guitars... a guild f-48, a breedlove ac25 sr+, and the last one , a jay turser 12 string craviola that reminded her of the breadwinner (that she recently guided me into refurbishing).... and then there is the 1200cc screaming chrome yellow sportster... but thats another story... i was very very good in a past life.... :D |
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July 2003
Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | My wife is EXTREMELY understanding, but.....she thinks that I shouldn't have more guitars than we have ROOM......and that makes sense. So NINE looks like the number I will be staying at.
But.....a wife that puts up with NINE guitars???? (one being the "old Applause" that lives in a corner of the living room, and has been with me longer than we have been married) I am blessed.
Roger |
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Posts: 146
Location: Germantown, MD | Ginger (aka Mrs. Amstphd), five months pregnant at the time, walked a mile each way with me on the morning after a blizzard so that I could get a President's Day deal on my 1117. Years later, she managed to get me into the car, despite a post-operative knee infection, to take advantage of a Labor Day sale on my Balladeer 12-string. And she says she's still not tired of my songs. And she hopes we can make it to the factory tour this time around. In between, she got me through my doctorate.
She also makes the best lasagne I've ever tasted.
Who's up next? |
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March 2002
Posts: 15654
Location: SoCal | I should also point out, regarding my wife, that almost 10 years ago, when we had no money (still don't) and I couldn't play a 12 string, told me after she heard me play an Adamas I 12 in a small music store, that I should get it even tho' it was the most expensive guitar I had ever purchased. Suffice to say, I got it, and my 3 chords sound quite proficient on ol' Big Blue. |
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July 2005
Posts: 176
| If you got it just the other day, I'd talk to the person that sold it.
$500 for the 1114 with no saddle height and high action seems like a bit of a rip.
Is it this one? If so I'd say it was mis-represented. |
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November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Nick,
interesting the seller of the guitar you've linked refers to the bowl as "aluminum." |
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February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Musta bin one a them there "proto-types". Also works great as a wok... |
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November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | and Alzheimers |
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Looking For Advice
