Funny and sad at the same time for ME. In the early seventies I bought my first Ovation (BEFORE they had electronics!) LOVED it, so in 1975 I bought 3 MORE (a 6-string GC Custom, a 12-string GC Custom, and the NYLON 1624 Country Artist). In 1980 I purchased a GORGEOUS Natural Custom Legend. I then had FIVE (5) Ovations that I loved... By 1984 I had FOUR (4) Ovations with SPLIT TOPS, in the SAME PLACE!!! (from the bridge to the bottom of the lower bout, STRAIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE on 3, STRAIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE, then turned right towards the treble side and lifted about 3 inches on the CUSTOM LEGEND!) The ONLY one that hasn't split is the NYLON one, which I still play TODAY. Sorry Ovation, ONE would be a "FREAK THING", TWO would be a "COINCIDENCE", but FOUR is way BEYOND acceptable... I had no choice but to take my business ELSEWHERE, and never looked back. Still love my NYLON, and on the 'bright side", believe it or not, the CUSTOM LEGEND with the "lifted top", STILL holds TUNE! LOLOLOLOL... GO FIGURE!
Combining dissimilar materials in the way Ovation did was a guaranteed recipe for structural trouble once a few years of hot and cold, dry and moist have had their way. Even extreme, well loved Ovations can crack and do weird things with cracks, braces coming away, neck angles and twists. All very exciting!
No issues with mine. I have kept a humidifier in the case in dry areas and kept it in stable temperatures. I understand they put a sheet of polyurethane on the top wood then baked it to melt together? One reason the bridge might be mounted to finish instead of direct to wood? I have seen bridges pulled off them. One reason I keep mine de-tuned. Nice action and amazing pre-amp control set in the side of the guitar. I use a couple solid state Peavey amps. Played backup to youth choir. Never explored the possibilities. I got direct from Kaman. I was a test pilot in CT and knew to say hello.
My brother in law never had a problem with his Legend, but my friend Bill who is a luthier and CF Martin accredited says he has seen a fair bit of trouble. Our very dry Australian weather may not help sometimes.
Your videos always give us the best views of what you’re doing. So many other repair videos do not provide satisfactory view angles or lighting. You explain very well what you’re doing and why. I am not only super impressed with your repairs, but the power and hand tools you make are impressive as well. Thanks for posting.
Thanks for the video. I play Ovations and have since the early 90s. Love them. But a lot of folks hate em haha. But ill always love my Ovations for sure. :-)
The only guitar that needs a guitar strap when sitting down. I have never liked the synthetics sound they produce. Thanks for your unconditional love of guitars Jerry! You do such great work and I can’t get enough of your channel.
much appreciate the repair tips on that ovation guitar, i was able to apply some of your techniques on my model 1111 which was in bad shape as i acquired it salvaged and was able to refinish the neck and recondition the frets as required. also, the tip on the bolt helped too, i was going to overlook the torque on that...still i have a ways to go on my beach guitar but im learning as i go along...once again thanks for the vids and your practical application without being too technical about it...regards
Great video. I came to see how the Ovation cracks were repaired and learned a bunch more... Great job. I've got an Ovation 1615 with quite a few cracks that I have to keep. Might just tackle this job after watching.
Thank you for sharing these videos. I'm learning a lot which means I have a lot to learn about repair guitars. That doesn't scare me out of learning though. My daughter has an ovation similar to the one in this video. She has had a buzzing issue from day one. Bolts on the bridge are centered on the bridge about an inch apart and behind where the strings come on and over the bridge. It has a little belly bulge beggining. The frets along the B & E strings are worn excessively. My Hondo that I've had for over 40 doesn't have that much wear and I play a lot. I can see the fret board is not very flat, slightly higher were the fret board meet the body. The one thing I can't figure out is the A string will completely unravals where it contacts the bridge. Only the A string,brand new sting and its happened more than once. I never cared for the ovation, and now I know why. the real mystery for me is that A string. What would cause the A string to completely fail like that? thanks again for the videos and sharing you knowledge with us. You are one, if not the best, videos repair and restoration I have seen.
When I was a teenager back in the seventies my friends and I thought the ovation was a first class pro guitar. That one has good intonation thanks to your fine work. Its sounds great on the pick up too, for sure it sounds nice and clear.
Another great video! I hope my Ovation Legend never gets that bad! I never used to like them, the idea of plastic and the guitar just didn't sit right with me....not to mention my first guitar (when I was 15, i'm now 50)was an Applause with a metal fret board and I can still feel the pain in my fingertips thinking about it! But now I have 2 Ovations! ;-) Take care!
Ovations are notorious wintertime case queens, and tend to dry out, shrink, and eventually crack after a few seasons of exposure to the furnace drying the air out. I was taught this lesson when my '77 Balladeer cracked right down the middle. But any acoustic guitar can dry out and crack if neglected. Humidify your guitar with a commercial instrument humidifier, and take the time to case your guitar during the cold months when the furnace is running. It'll save you lots of aggravation! Less than 40% humidity in your home will eventually crack your guitar, unless you put it in a case with a guitar humidifier between the strings. Check out these Music Nomad guitar humidifiers. They're really easy to use!
Nice job, Jerry. I think the crack repair turned out very well, and in my opinion, the fact that it's still slightly visible is ok for a 40 year old guitar! Bet that guitar plays great after the setup you did...
Nice job on the intonation adjustments! That was easy and accurate! I have to agree with you though, I HATE when those batteries "growed" on ya too though... ;Q Pickups... If the sound DOESN'T sound like the fiddle does naturally, but louder, something is VERY wrong. Built-in preamp pickups (are a pain) with all kind of junk to mess up the pure, unmangled high quality natural sound of the entire fiddle itself, that's another main reason I love "pure passive, multip transducer" pickups like the new ones on the Yammi's. I'm gonna make a belieber out of you yet, Jer! LOL :) You HAVE to go play one next time you're at the toy store (local fiddle center).
Hi ken my heart was in my mouth when you was taking that fret board of at the bottom end bit turned out well as cracking little repair on that little fiddly bit at the end
Rosa String Works yes sorry jerry don't know what happened there the only think a can think of was a was to slow and your video started after a watched some one taking a fret board of a ovation electric guitar 😊
Almost every Ovation of that vintage I have ever seen has that EXACT same crack. Mine too. Doesn't seem to affect sound. Wonder why? I enjoy your videos very much. Thanks for posting them!
I had one of these guitars. It was the most unplayable pieces of crap I've ever owned. I'm sure you did a great job on it Jerry. Keep up the good work.
10 cents on the 2 bass strings is within tolerances of what James Taylor tuning us about. And what you had there for the 4 treble strings. The logic there, open strings are cents flat or dead on, chords are spot on or cents sharp. I've found it's a trade off for tune & intonation between a truss rod adjustment for neck/fretboard relief & saddle height action. I avoid grinding out a nut, flattening frets & grinding a bridge on inexpensive & lower hours played budget beginner level instruments. But you had that 1970's guitar to work with and who knows what it was put thru 1970's-2016, 37-46 years and you can probably get a pre-owned Ovation for a fraction of what the effort it took to figure out how to do that much in work-arounds on a guitar that most likely should be retired as wall art ? It's worth maybe $ 500 pristine ? And if I can get a Celbrity/Applause brand new for $ 300-sub $ 500, I'd rather go that direction. If it was played by anyone noteworthy like Duane Allman's Layla Gibson gold top, obviously that's worth money. That one is a campsite by the fire, bonfire on the beach or outdoor pavillion at a park instrument at this stage of it's useful life. I understand attachments, sometimes it takes someone removed from emotional attachment to know when to let it go and move on. The new Applause & Celebrities are pretty fine instruments & a new lease on life for guitar play.With my electric guitars, they may soon be beyond anything more than cannibalizing parts for another instrument. That's the issue with an Ovation though, the bowl should last forever, the neck & fretboard on my 2011 Applause appear to be glue set, not a bolt on glue set ? The tuners, as long as they aren't shot, are Ovation laser etched logo, that's probably what a poor condition Ovation is worth ? Just me, but I see pre-owned Celebrity/Applause for between $ 100-200 all day long online here in 2019 & 2020. My 2011 Applause AE128 was $ 175 in late 2019 as almost rarely if never used just as an example & I wasn't fighting anyone to get it first, even looking hard for an Ovation in that price range. Not sure what is charged, but that money is better spent buying a pre-owned vs shipping & handling back & forth for. Nobody should be playing a 50 year old instrument if it has real value as a collectible and this one seems to have been working off & on since the 1970's. guitargear.org/2017/02/10/ill-be-damned-james-taylorss-tuning-works/
I bought a Balladeer in 1971 and liked it a lot. In 1980 I came across a used Glen Campbell Shallow Bowl acoustic. I liked it a lot. Sorry I sold it off. It had great acoustic sound and super playability. I don't like the newer crop of Ovations as I much prefer the vintage models.
The bridge On My Guitar actually split apart where all the strings went through. A technician from Guitar Center said he can fix it. Now they are buying me a new guitar. They failed at fixing it.
Nice work, appreciate the tips. I'm working on a friend's Celebrity where the truss rod nut is missing and the end of the truss rod appear's to have been striped. So I'm looking for the correct sizes for these part's.
Thanks Jerry, And thanks to all the commenters. I learned a lot...is the cracking caused mainly by low humidity? Is a humidifier placed inside the guitar a recommended "preventative" to cracking? My 1976 Ovation looks good so far, but now I'm worried.
i learned so much from this video bout workin on a guitar that i believe now i can fix and repair my own guitar's with out havin ta drive to the one and only music shop that exists in this one horse town that i live in. And i am a carpenter [ roofing contractor ] and have ery tool none ta man kind' what da he#l was i thinkin'' and i hunt kill with bows and arrows that i make myself. 90% of wild meat is what me and my family live on and have enough bone and antler than i can count, All my home interior is dead' lol,, and if you ever need any feel free ta ask'' a black bear's bones are some of the hardest bone ive ever used in my life' i also teach archery and bush craft wilderness survival etc.and i do eat and yuse ery part of the animal's that i harvest,, o yeagh did i mention that i also play guitar'' lol thanx for the video's , you now have a new subscriber.,.,
Had my Ovation over 10 years and no cracking. However the top E string is now touching the frets if I fret higher then the 10th fret, so something has changed and I am not sure what!
As I mentioned on the intro video to this guitar, I don't really like them because they all seem to have these same issues. But you had a very good out come. I did the same kind of crack repair, even cleated it it you can't make them out.
I recently found an Ovation 1114 Folklore model from the early '70s in a junkstore for the equivalent of about $40. It was in poor shape, but I re-fretted it and set it up. The top is warped and cracked and the slotted headstock was broken, but glued and pinned it and got the guitar working, and the damn thing sounds really good. Lacking in harmonics, but really loud and even across the frequencies.. I own 2 fine hand-made acoustics, but neither of them come close to this plastic piece of crap for volume and projection. The construction is a total disgrace, and I really want to hate it, but as my wife pointed out, I find myself reaching for it time and time again. I may need therapy....
Greetings sir. I enjoy your informative videos. You are so thorough. Where do you get the Lighted Extension Mirror? Trying to do my own inspections on my guitars.
Ovation guitars are far and away the most notorious for top cracking. I suppose that it's caused by the combination of natural wood and synthetic materials (top and bowl back) and the 2 don't expand and contract together as all-wood guitars do.
Maybe Duco cement is a possible solution if you're referring to bonding dissimilar materials, and polyurethane glue works but the foaming creates a mess, but I was referring to the synthetic bowl not allowing the top to expand and contract properly. I've never seen such a rampant problem of top cracking with other makes of guitars and I don't suppose that it's due to improper aging of the wood or poor climatic control at the factory. It's interesting that synthetic materials used to substitute for wood have always been a problem in guitar construction, from phenolic bridges prone to warping and other issues along the way. I'm unsure how well carbon fiber guitars are faring.
TREYSONZ that's a good question. Generally speaking if I can clamp it easily, and have time, then I use Titebond. If I cannot clamp it, and I have to hold it by hand, then I generally use CA glue. Thank you for watching my friend.
Ovation started having problems with the tops cracking after they started putting two screws threw the bridge and tops. They further made a mess of things when they started gluing the bridge to a finished top. Eventually what would happen is the bridge would start to break the finish from the top only leaving the two screws holding the bridge to the top. Within a short period the tension from the strings would cause the top to bow then eventually crack. If you have an Ovation with two pearloid dots in your bridge. Remove them then remove the screws underneath and reinstall the pearloid dots. Your guitar will be a lot better off. you can have it fixed before they break and they will never break after the fix.
Jerry, If a crack runs right beside a brace, is it ok to put another piece of bracing right beside the existing brace? And would you use spruce for that too? This is a great video man, I learned tons from it.
Roger Parker yes you would use Spruce but instead of an actual brace what you generally do is take a small thin piece of spruce and go across the grain across the crack even if it is right next to the brace. But I'd have to see it to know exactly how I would tackle it. Good luck
Good work, I have an Ovation Celebrity the action is real high toward the body and the neck cannot be adjusted anymore and the shims under the bridge are gone. I am contemplation taking the fretboard off to see if there is something broke on the truss rod. Have you encountered anything like this?
I'd like to help you. Unfortunately I'm booked beyond belief. I really am not accepting any more instruments. It'll probably be a couple of years before I get through the backlog.
I have a 1998 Ovation 12 string Hex-FX special effects. It has a special pre-amp with 2-4, 3-3, and alternating string play with the ability to send the sound around the room with the stereo pickup. Two strokes, a heart attack, broke my neck three times, palsy and paralysis in my hands. De-Tensioned the strings for storage. Original case and maybe shipping box. I love your work, cannot play it and would love it to go to a good home. Do you have any contact with the Lt Dan band with Gary Sinese or the VA disabled bands? I don't play, haven't for years, and a lot of potential with this instrument. Appreciate any help finding a home. 100% disabled after breaking 26 bones and 43 scars helping recover people. Cancer a problem and don't want it going for junk in an Estate sale. I certainly admire your work. I was born in 53 so you are a year younger!
My Hx FX has never cranked on finish blemish. I keep it waxed and oiled while maintaining even temp and humidity. No grooves, cuts or 'digs from strings and always kept my fingernails cut. All original paperwork, hang tags (Hex F×, Ovation book, catalog, ect.) and original case for this shallow body guitar.
I pull the battery out of my Ovation unless I need it. Left it in to long once and acid leaked from the battery and I had to replace the entire battery holder.
Man, you're like a caveman, the way you work on frets. Everyone else ,at least, tapes off the fretboard. I'm sure you get to the same end, but wow... 600 grit to take file marks/chatter out? At the end, I'm down to 0000 steel wool, and then I polish them with a dremel. I don't even do work for others. How do you stay in business, working like that?
Richard Jagger I do it both ways. I have found that if you apply super glue and you wait an additional 10 seconds, then apply accelerator, you don't get the white foam. Thank you for watching.
I love the work you do. I'm no where near a luthier. But, as a ex model rc airplane repair guy, I have to question your use of accelerator as it makes the glue brittle.
Jerry is not a big fan of Ovation. I can hear it in his voice. I have a AA10 Applause from two thousand (the year) and it cost two-four-oh bucks which is, like 500 bucks modern. It will go to a needy child. These adventures write themselves. I fell on it in the rain and broke the head and the parts went back together with crazy glue nine years ago - that's called a field repair. I put my entire 107 pounds on that neck/head as the glue set - many drops from a fresh Krazyglue pen - the ones with the little green pushpin and cost one-oh-9 (a dollar nine) in El Lay. The wood top is a bit seasoned now and the plastic bowl feels alright - just get the strap perfect and it plays fine. I much prefer that Baby Taylor that I want more than life itself. Ovation off, Taylor in. Taylors are...loud.
Jerry, do you see all of the dust on the body of the guitar? Now how much dust has gone into your lungs? Not one spec of dust is good for your lungs, please start wearing a mask, before you can not breath any more. All the best, Edgar from Canada
The made in China or made in Indonesia Applause may have a shim under the saddle. Next time you change the bridge, lift the saddle and check. If there is not, use a file or sandpaper to remove a small amount of the saddle (roughtly twice the distance you want to lower the action). Do this in small increments so as not to need to shim it back up if you remove too much.
All of those Ovations cracked, because the body is made out of plastic and doesn't flex and move with the weather, like the top does. So it creates stress on the top and it cracks.
That is wrong for 98% of the brand's instruments, acoustic or electric. Only on a model of the Applause and the Matrix is the fret board aluminum and the neck polyurethane.
