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| I purchased a Ovation Elite model 1537 a few months ago for $180 at a local pawn shop. It has a lot of cracks in the finish but from what I can tell no damage to the actual wood itself. It plays well and came with the original brown hard shell case. From what I can tell this was an amazing deal, but I was looking at having it refurbished. I saw other members positing about a "mothership" refurbish, and I was wondering what this means, how much a decent refurbish would cost, and where I could have it done. I will try to add pictures to this post but I've been having trouble navigating the site so we'll see if I can figure it out. Any information or tips for owning one of these guitars would be greatly appreciated.
So far I love the sound and appearance of this guitar, and it has drawn me into looking at other Ovation guitars, a brand which I didn't know existed before I found this guitar.
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Location: Canada | This looks like checking that is often seen in Nitro finishes, so to affect an Ovation it must have experienced some huge temperature changes. I think they can strip the old finish and put a fresh one on but probably best to send them an email for an estimate. Please keep us up to date on this project. |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | The Mothership is the Ovation factory in New Hartford, Conn. The only way to get an idea of the cost is to contact the factory, John Budny. You can probably find his contact information elsewhere on this site or the Ovation website. I would guess the top would have to be stripped and refinished, but only the factory could tell you. |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Whadda Deal! 
If you never knew about Ovations, that is the model to start with.
You are inspiring me to go to my local pawn shop and look around.
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Location: Frozen Tundra of Minnesota | I don't know what it costs to have it redone, but I recently bought a refurbished by the Mothership 1537, and it looks like it just rolled off the line! Brand New, and the sound is Phenomenal!
These guitars don't come up all that often, especially in fantastic shape. You got one heck of a deal on yours, if it is not cost prohibitive, it might well be worth the time and money to have it brought back to it's former Glory, and John and the Boys in New Hartford are the ones to do it for you! 
Those are the most *active patterned* cracks I have ever seen on any guitar, unusual to see them going sideways like that, and so many! If it still sounds great, you have a good one!  |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | I'd leave it
the factory is real busy now trying to get things going
the cracks are cool looking, rare to have them going cross grain like that.
A redo would take off the bridge and eppis and basically it would be a new guitar. I'd rather have the 36+ year finish than something new. It's all about tone, isn't it? If the top is smashed that is something else, but just to have it look better, eh....not. |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | +1 What Beal said!
If I had bought that for $180 I would just take it out and play it and say Thank You!
Don't take this wrong... But if you send it off and pay $800+ to get it rebuilt...
It won't be a cool $180 guitar any longer. 
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Location: 6 String Ranch | well said OMA |
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| I didn't know so much was changed during the restoration process! You make some good points and I'm definitely considering leaving it as is. The strings are looking a little worn though, does anyone have any recommendations for a good sounding strings for the 1537? |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | D'Addario EJ16 or EXP16 are about the standard.
Otherwise go by your own personal preference.
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Location: Always beautiful canyon country of Utah | $180 is unbelievable for a 1537 -- just play it and love it!! |
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| You can bet I do. I didn't know how great of a deal this was at the time. I just saw the design and when I picked it up to play it I just fell in love! |
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Location: south east Michigan | Yeah... as long as it plays and sound right, let it be.
Just make up some kind of absurd, cool, and convoluted story to go along with it. |
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Location: USA | It can become your "trigger"! Leave it as is, play the heck out of it and imagine the history she must have been through. |
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Location: south east Michigan | OMA would just get out the can of spray paint and have at it. |
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| Good ideas all around. Now I think I have to leave it as it is if nothing else just because it's unique.
Slipkid - 2016-04-27 10:43 AM
Yeah... as long as it plays and sound right, let it be.
Just make up some kind of absurd, cool, and convoluted story to go along with it.
And that's a great idea, haha. Hopefully people believe whatever I make up considering the guitar is over a decade older than I am. Anybody have any ideas for a crazy story that would lead to cracking like this? |
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Location: Atlanta, GA. | The previous owner played it like a cello and it didn't know which way was up??? |
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Location: Muenster/Germany | The cracks appear to are due to temporarily too cold temperatures. The bowl was shrinking and the pressure on the shorter side was higher than on the longer. Maybe the guitar was stored in a barn in winter.
I would either give it to John Budny or leave it like it is, it´s up to you. But I would take a closer look on the crack on the left side of the lower bout. That might be or become a top crack, right there is a stress point of the top on many old 1537. |
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| A few questions:
Would a top crack affect the sound? Would it be fixable with a refurbish? How do I prevent this from becoming a top crack? |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | it's cross grain finish cracks. wood cracks are with the grain. |
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Location: Taxed To Death State | A refinish at the factory is definitely going to run 800 or more and it won't have the original bridge or epi's on it. For $180 I'd just play it. Those finish cracks really loosen the top up and get it moving and they sound great. Good grab that's for sure. Enjoy! |
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Location: Always beautiful canyon country of Utah | Guess I need some of them finish cracks to get my top loosened up. Gonna store it in the walk in freezer! |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Hey... And nobody will want to steal it.
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Location: Muenster/Germany | Beal - 2016-04-28 2:29 AM
it's cross grain finish cracks. wood cracks are with the grain.
You are right, but there´s one crack on the left side where all the others end and this one might be bad.
You can have this inspected by a luthier and if it´s a top crack it can easily be fixed.No great effect on the sound, but here is the place where you hold the guitar with your arm and if you don´t fix a top crack at this point it may cause more damage with the time.
But in fact I experienced that sometimes surface cracks seem to open the sound of older Ovations, my best sounding oldies have some. Besides that: any old guitar may have cracks and scratches, and your guitar with cracks and scratches is still better than millions of brand-new shiny cheap guitars, you have one of the best! |
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Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | It's junk ... Sell it to me for 200 and you won't have to worry about it anymore. |
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Location: Tennessee | tablesaurus - The strings are looking a little worn though, does anyone have any recommendations for a good sounding strings for the 1537? GHS Laurence Juber light guage. Simply the best on my 1537. |
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Location: Suisun City, Ca | You get another one Bobbo? |
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Location: Tennessee | Nope. The best one ever got away.
But I do have a 1547 and the Jubers kill on that one, too. |
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Location: SoCal | Bobbo's screwed up on strings. Just wrong. Put on Elixir 80/20's nano medium gauge. Brings out the best....... |
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Location: Tennessee | I'm screwed up on a lot of things, that's for sure. Did you ever put a set of Jubers on your 1537 or are you still talking out of your ***? |
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Location: Jet City | stonebobbo - 2016-05-11 2:07 PM Nope. The best one ever got away. WRONG! I have the best 1537 ever |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | Damon67 - 2016-05-11 9:27 PM
stonebobbo - 2016-05-11 2:07 PM Nope. The best one ever got away. WRONG! I have the best 1537 ever
I tend to agree. I love the burst and I know you stole it. |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Damon67 - 2016-05-11 8:27 PM
stonebobbo - 2016-05-11 2:07 PM Nope. The best one ever got away. WRONG! I have the best 1537 ever
Plus, I think that yours is Lighter than mine.
Don't know why, I remember that yours seemed quite light to me when I played it.
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Location: Jet City | Mine is light... if you compare it to a Sherman tank.
It's not light at all. Heaviest round back in the bunch I'm sure |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Okay... My memory may not be what it once was.
Mine is pretty heavy also.
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