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January 2004
Posts: 123
Location: Massachusetts | I bought a US Ovation Balladeer S771 in 2000/2001. In the store it sounded great and was ok even with string changes for a few years. It still sounded good. I wish it had more bass but what can you do. Anyway...
Lately it sounds as dead as a doornail. I know I have to tweak the neck to give it relief cause fretted strings are buzzing but it is definetly dead sounding with old strings and new Adamas 1818 strings I just put on.
For kicks I pulled out my 1979 Yamaha with dead strings and it was louder, fuller and brighter than the Ovation.
I can't figure this out why it sounds like crap now. UNPLUGGED. Plugged in of course it is the same.
People have suggested maybe the nut which seems ok at this point but what about the saddle? It has grooves worn into it from the 3 years of playing. Is that a problem with loss of tone?
People including Ovation said there could be bracing damage. I don't see, feel or hear anything like that.
It has the best neck I have ever played on any guitar period. But the sound is driving me nuts.
Can a guitar get worse with age? Any thoughts? |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15678
Location: SoCal | Unless there is damage, guitars don't get worse with age.
I'd send it off to Ovation to find out what's wrong. It could be problems with the bracing. |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 1380
Location: Central Oregon | Your problem sounds somewhat similar to the problem I had with my 2002 Collectors. I'm with Moody, send it to Ovation. See my post in 'Thank you Ovation service dept'. The Ovation Service Department (Kim Keller) is fabulous!
/\/\/ |
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May 2002
Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | Corvairfan
I agree with everyone here, but would like to suggest one other thing that I have noticed with acoustic guitars. Sometimes during a rainy season, the humidity will make an acoustic sound like a banjo with a slack head, AWFUL. I avoid taking out my acoustic during rainstorms to avoid this. The only cure is to let it dry up in a warm area away from the rain.
Bailey |
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December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | i have a 66 corvair convertible that needs to be restored |
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July 2004
Posts: 338
Location: Omaha | Corvairfan,
Have you been playing or listening to other high end guitars lately? Sometimes it's not the guitar that changes, but our ears. Hopefully you won't feel insulted by this suggestion; I know all of us around here know 'good tone' when we hear it, but sometimes we 'move on,' so to speak, and our guitars just don't do it for us any more...this also happens with amps, cars, etc. (I won't say anymore for fear of getting some of you started on Laurie Dhue on this post!)
I also agree with the humidity comments; sometimes in the middle of summer (if the air hasn't been on much, or my guitars have been downstairs) mine can sound awful; a week later, they will sound great, without a string change or any kind of tweaking...just from having the air on for several days pulling the humidity out. |
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Joined:
October 2002
Posts: 153
Location: Huntington Beach, CA | 1. If its a humidity problem, you can tell by feeling the underside of the soundboard. Should be dry, almost dusty feeling.
2. Sometimes even good strings sit on shelves too long and go dead.
3. If it sounds dead when open and no strings are hitting frets, I'd check string contact with saddle and/or nut. Should be one point of contact and not full width of either nut or saddle. That can cause dull sound.
4. Last, check frets for wear, tarnish or gunk. Angle of string due to fret wear effects vibration, tarnish or gunk deaden strings.
The S771 has pretty good bass usually, due to thin satin urethane finish, mid depth bowl and rosewood fretboard. It troubles me to hear that you have no low end.
I've had fairly good luck with Ovation warranty centers (check Ovation website). Good luck.
D. |
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April 2004
Posts: 795
Location: Texas | Sell it.
Buy an Adamas!
Serge ;) :p
www.sergiolara.com |
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May 2002
Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | Corvairfan
having seen and ridden in Corvairs in the 60's, one of my work buddies had a cherry '64 Spyder, I think, and being impressed with the final design with fully articulated rear suspension that should have been the car of the future except for Ralph Nader, what prompted your moniker?
Bailey |
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Joined:
January 2004
Posts: 123
Location: Massachusetts | Thanks for replying all.
It has been somewhat humid in the house. I will hit GC this week to try some other guitars to see how they sound. Maybe it is my ears.
Could the grooves in the bridge saddle be a problem at all?
One off topic question...there aren't 2 holes/pins on the bridge of this model. Is that a bad thing?
A month after I bought this GC had an Adamas for $850 I played it for an hour to see if it would be worth trading up to. Tempting but I didn't. I'd love a Custom Legend..blue..like Ray Davies plays. The reason I bought Ovation. They don't make the blue ones anymore. His must be an early to mid 90's.
Oh, my car is a 63 Monza 4 speed coup. Fun car real cheap and a few great Corvair clubs in my state and tons of parts available for the car.
An affordable way to drive a classic car that gets thumbs up from everyone on the road. You don't get girls, only geezer guys. LOL. |
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December 2003
Posts: 13996
Location: Upper Left USA | Q: "2 pin/hole bridges"
A: Better adhesive. Better living through chemistry.
Stand by for Steve(Smurfy Guitars R Us)Chapman. There's a few die hard blue bowlers out there. |
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Joined:
November 2002
Posts: 266
Location: Tampa, Florida | Originally posted by Bailey:
Sometimes during a rainy season, the humidity will make an acoustic sound like a banjo with a slack head, AWFUL. I avoid taking out my acoustic during rainstorms to avoid this. The only cure is to let it dry up in a warm area away from the rain.
Bailey
I sure don't have this problem with my CA! |
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Joined:
April 2003
Posts: 2503
Location: Fayetteville, NC | Ovation will be glad to do a custom finish on any guitar. I had my 1858 Mid Bowl 12 String done in 8T Transparent Blue.
They had to know i'd respond. Especially since i'd been summoned. :D
Smurf's??? oh yeah,.. they were blue! :) |
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Joined:
October 2002
Posts: 153
Location: Huntington Beach, CA | Yes, grooves in the saddle can make a difference. First, the strings should ride on the saddle, not "within" it. If anything, there should be only small "nicks" just to keep the strings from moving on the saddle during play.
If the string is drawn across a flat surface, even a small one, they will produce the frequency of the front most point, the rearmost point and everything in between. That makes for a muddy sound.
This sometimes occurs when one goes from a heavier gauge string to a lighter gauge. If that is what you did, you may have to reshape the top of the saddle to accommodate your string choice.
Take it to a repair place and get their opinion. Shouldn't cost you anytyhing. Good luck.
D. |
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Joined:
May 2002
Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | Not to change the subject of guitars, but I believe my buddy's Corvair was a
Monza, it was in the 80's when I last saw it.
Bailey |
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My S771 sound dead
