Ovation top bellying / slight bridge lift...
Von Face
Here's my situation....
I have a 1989 Ovation Custom Legend.
Outstanding tone.
There is a slight "bellying"
right below the bridge....
And the back end of the bridge
has a gap the width of a pick.
So, my action is on the high side.
It's playable...but I can't adjust
the action at all by removing shims.
If I did, the strings would lay on the
bridge & intonation would be a nightmare.
Any suggestions on exactly what repair
needs to be done?
And the approx. cost.
I've tried contacting the "mothership"...
No reply.
I am the 2nd owner of the guitar.
I really want to get the action lower...
Because the guitar sounds fantastic.
Any help?
Thanks!
RichL
Good luck. I have exactly the same guitar and it has exactly the same
problem. I took it to the same luthier who has worked wonders with some
of my other guitars, he did what he could in terms of tweaking it but
basically it's limited by the problems you mention.
Arlowe
The top may have come loose from its bracing.
It can be repaired.
Nil
I've heard this is common with Ovations. I'm the original owner of an
'81 Collectors, and it shows the same symptoms as yours, but not as
severe - the action is still OK. I don't know of a cure.
I've never been able to get a response from Kaman, either, though it's
been many years since I tried.
Tony Done
"Von Face" <ragsra...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:721e8524-bb06-4ba7...@a39g2000yqc.googlegroups.com...
The lifted bridge needs fixing, and bellying looks ugly, but the high action
is more likely caused by overall deterioration of the guitar's geometry. -
Ie it has gone banana-shaped. This is usually fixed by a neck reset, which I
have read is difficult on Ovations; it might cost more than the guitar is
worth. If you ask in rmmga, and give your location, someone might be able to
suggest a good luthier or repairer in your area that you could get an
estimate from.
HTH
Tony D
Twibil
> There is a slight "bellying"
> right below the bridge....
There's supposed to be. And so long as it remains "slight" there's no
problem. For instance: 1/16" of bell is fine.
> And the back end of the bridge
> has a gap the width of a pick.
Okay, so you need to have the bridge removed and reglued by someone
who knows what they're doing. On an Ovation it's something of a pain
in the ass, but it can be done.
> So, my action is on the high side.
> It's playable...but I can't adjust
> the action at all by removing shims.
> If I did, the strings would lay on the
> bridge & intonation would be a nightmare.
Ovations come from the factory with either two or three shims of
varying thicknesses beneath the saddle, and unless someone's lowered
the saddle itself -or routed the saddle slot deeper, which would be an
unlikely happenstance- it's usually impossible to remove enough shims
to cause the strings to rest on the bridge itself.
> Any suggestions on exactly what repair
> needs to be done?
See above.
> And the approx. cost.
Repair rates vary like crazy. Nobody can give you an estimate except
the guy who you choose to do the work.
> I've tried contacting the "mothership"...
> No reply.
Call them. 860-509-8888 They *do* answer the phone, and although your
guitar isn't under warranty they can probably direct you to an Ovation
warranty repair guy who will have seen the problem before and will
know how ro fix it. (Or if it's worth fixing. Because Ovations are
designed with a modern "replace-it-rather-than-repair-it" philosophy,
and there are various problems that simply aren't worth fixing from a
financial standpoint.)
~Pete
The Repair Guy
Hi
I'm an authorized Ovation/Kaman repair guy.
How long has the bridge been lifted?
Email me some photos of the bridge & top -
I'll be able to tell more.
From what you've said, it sounds like a neck reset.
Ovation necks bolt onto the body, so it's not like a
"real" neck reset. Tricky part: lifting the fingerboard
off the top.
The Repair Guy
repairguy1993 dot netfirms dot com
sa...@dog.com
Seen it many times. You have two somewhat related problems. The bridge
needs to be removed and then reset. The belly is probably not going to
be cost effective to fix. What can be done to work around it is to
"relieve" the area of the bridge in front of the saddle. Then you can
remove the shims, and even file down the saddle itself if needed. If
the strings are laying on the bridge, you just remove some wood until
it clears. I've done quite a few this way, and it worked out okay.
I've successfully reduced the belly somewhat a few times without major
surgery, but it's not something that can be explained in usenet posts,
and could trash the guitar if not done correctly. If the belly is so
bad that resetting the bridge and modifying it as described above
isn't enough, then I would say it's time to look for a new guitar.
Patrick Keenan
news:721e8524-bb06-4ba7...@a39g2000yqc.googlegroups.com...
This likely isn't a trivial repair. For me, your description does not
reveal key factors that would be apparent when actually looking at the
guitar, such as the neck angle, any stress deformation around the neck
joint, the condition of the braces and the top.
And a very important piece of information regards the type of neck joint.
Some use bolts, some use glue. If the joint uses bolts, repair costs drop
relative to glued joints - but this still doesn't necessarily mean that the
repair is worthwhile.
ISTR that those bridges are actually bolted on, which you can verify by
reaching inside - you'll need to loosen the strings first. A mirror would
also be helpful. If the bridge is bolted on, and if the bolts are secure,
at least the bridge isn't likely to pull off.
Unfortunately repair costs can exceed the value of the guitar. It's
impossible to say for sure without looking at it, but you need to be aware
of that. Ovations can be difficult because of their design and
construction methods.
I would suggest that you find a good repair shop that can evaluate it for
you, and then make a decision based on that information.
If you post your general area, someone here may be able to suggest a shop.
HTH
-pk
papa.carl44
"Von Face" <ragsra...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:721e8524-bb06-4ba7...@a39g2000yqc.googlegroups.com...
I was surprised to hear that Ovation / Kaman didn't respond because I've
always had the exact opposite occur. I have 5 Ovations and would buy more
because of the great customer service I've gotten. I always start out by
emailing as...@ovationguitars.com . They direct me to someone that can
take care of my issues. Recently I suggested to a friend that he follow
this route with his Glenn Campbell 60 something model...he did and they
responded immediately, he sent them the guitar, and they did a fantastic job
on it. Only my experience, Papa Carl