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November 2003
Posts: 231
| I have heard some mention getting the neck reset on their Ovations, and am curious as to what that involves, as well as cost. I am familiar with the procedure on a conventional all wood guitar. |
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November 2006
Posts: 3969
| Not sure what it physically involves on O's, but I had one done on my 1869. Cost should be ~$200-300, depending on what else might need to be done (YMMV). My cost was a little more as I had some additional work done at the time (frets dressed, hairline crack on peghead repaired, new rosette). JB or KK can give you a pretty accurate estimate. |
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November 2003
Posts: 231
| I have several older 70's/80's model Ovations, and neck angle seems to be fine on all of them, but was just curious as to what is involved. I've removed the neck from a CL to salvage it, but wasn't trying to save the top of the guitar. I would assume it would involve using shims of some sort. |
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March 2005
Posts: 12761
Location: Boise, Idaho | There are several here who have had it done and there was a recent link to a good article on how to tell if you need a neck reset. I think it might have been on StewMac's website. Almost any old guitar will need one, if it had strings on it over it's lifetime, simply because of the physics of the strings pulling the headstock. |
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November 2002
Posts: 3664
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | Bowl-bend, not for the faint-of-heart, & certainly not for a collective. I did a nice tweaking on a CC13 a few years ago. Last I heard, its doing fine in the Virgin Islands.
Best advice, though- send it to The Wizards @ The MotherShip. |
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November 2003
Posts: 231
| I know how to tell if a guitar needs a neck set, and none of mine do at this time. Just wondering what I might encounter when the time does come, and the cost involved. |
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June 2006
Posts: 7307
Location: South of most, North of few | I think Jeff uses a big vice, a heat gun, and a come-along. :D |
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Joined:
November 2002
Posts: 3664
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | Neck resetting- when you run out of height on your saddle, and the string height, at the 12th fret, is above 3/8" (or is just too difficult to play).
As for cost, the guys have given you some ballpark estimates. Couldn't refute them, since I've never paid to have it done. |
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February 2002
Posts: 1817
Location: Minden, Nebraska | Originally posted by Roundback:
I know how to tell if a guitar needs a neck set, and none of mine do at this time. Just wondering what I might encounter when the time does come, and the cost involved. You will know when the string height is too high to play comfortably and there are no more shims to remove in order to lower it. But you know already.
What is involved unless you have a competent local luthier able to do the work is sending to the factory. The current rate for resetting a Kaman bar neck is $200 + shipping both ways. |
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Joined:
July 2002
Posts: 1900
| Paul,
The neck on my 1767 has great action, but it appears to have started 'canting' to the treble side. I have to sit the high E string farther 'in' on the saddle or it will slide off the frets when I play in the upper register. I imagine a reset is unavoidable?... |
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November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Originally posted by Trader Jim:
I think Jeff uses a big vice, a heat gun, and a come-along. :D Well, of course!! What the hell else ya gonna use? |
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January 2009
Posts: 9
Location: Dallas,Texas | Has anybody had a neckset done at the Ovation factory? Comments appreciated. Thanks Joe in Dallas. |
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Joined:
August 2004
Posts: 709
Location: Germany | If the Ovation/Adamas has a Kaman bar or the newer neck system it's quite easy for a luthier to perform the neck reset (screwed neck). If an older Ovation has a truss rod (clearly recognizable at the TRC) the neck is probably glued. As this glue can not be loosened a neck reset can be a big problem if not impossible without destroying the top/bowl. Ask the service department at the factory. They can tell you what is best for your guitar. |
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December 2008
Posts: 1456
Location: Texas | What year did Ovation start bolting on necks? |
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March 2002
Posts: 15680
Location: SoCal | early 80's... |
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February 2004
Posts: 2487
| I work on my guitars all the time.
For a reset from the Factory for $200 plus the shipping, that's way worth sending out to have done.
No brainer, box it up. |
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December 2008
Posts: 1456
Location: Texas | Originally posted by moody, p.i.:
early 80's... Thanks! |
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December 2008
Posts: 1456
Location: Texas | Originally posted by Northcountry:
I work on my guitars all the time.
For a reset from the Factory for $200 plus the shipping, that's way worth sending out to have done.
No brainer, box it up. I'm not sure that it would be that low of a price for a pre-80's model that requires a bowl-bend…
…would it? |
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Joined:
July 2003
Posts: 3111
Location: Nashville TN. | Originally posted by jotele:
Has anybody had a neckset done at the Ovation factory? Comments appreciated. Thanks Joe in Dallas. I did on my 1988 Thunderbolt.
It was partcially covered by the warrenttee, as I am orginal owner.
Comes back playing like a new guitar.
Just call service.
They will take care of ya |
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Joined:
March 2007
Posts: 843
Location: CA | About 3-4 years ago, I had Mother do a neck reset on a SSB Legend from the early 90s. It cost $400. I don't know exactly what they do or how they do it, but in my case, I was surprised to receive the guitar back with a dead-nuts straight fretboard to about where the neck meets the body. Then, the fretboard dipped radically to the center hole. I don't play up that high anyway, but wished I'd have been told about this before I had it done. It may not have been obvious to most people, but looked like that Olympic ski jump to me. I did inquire and was told basically that it would have been much more expensive to repair the whole neck. Again, I'm not complaining. I just wished I'd have known this going in. So if you do choose to send to the Mothership for an estimate, make sure you are very clear on exactly what they are going to do and not do. BTW, they also repaired the pickup on this guitar and polished it to a gloss I thought was long gone — at no extra charge. |
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Ovation Neck Reset