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May 2011
Posts: 101
Location: USA | Hello all,
Can Ovations handle tuning to open e with the added stress on the neck? Speaking about my Book Elite. I know I can tune down and capo but I prefer the tone of open e.
Thanks,
Steve |
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August 2009
Posts: 1137
Location: Germany, where delicious wine is growing (Rheinh) | The guitar has a Kaman-Bar neck and a pinned bridge, so there I'd not expect issues. The only thing is the top behind the bridge. Mine got two awful cracks, only using 12er strings.
So if I'd tune up to open E I'd use 10er or 11er (max.) strings....
Bernie |
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December 2006
Posts: 6995
Location: Jet City | I tune to open E all the time. How else can you play She Talks To Angels? |
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December 2015
Posts: 287
Location: Katmandu | It depends on the string gauge and guitar. It's not a problem on any guitar with Lights. However, if your concern is putting too much stress on the neck (rare vintage guitars being the usual suspect), you can also tune to Open D tuning instead (D A D F# A D), and capo at the 2nd fret -- that gives you the same result, only with way less stress on the neck. |
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Posts: 287
Location: Katmandu | bburg - 2016-04-28 12:21 PM
The guitar has a Kaman-Bar neck and a pinned bridge, so there I'd not expect issues. The only thing is the top behind the bridge. Mine got two awful cracks, only using 12er strings.
So if I'd tune up to open E I'd use 10er or 11er (max.) strings....
Bernie
Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is likely to be caused by how Ovation attaches the bridges to their tops? They glue down the bridge on top of fixating it firmly with two screws. This seems to be detrimental to me, since, once the glue starts coming off (which it seems to do with some of the older Ovations eventually), so does the bridge except that it's still being held in place firmly by the two screws, which in turn rip up the top, causing cracks away from and towards the bridge.
Edited by leonardmccoy 2016-04-28 1:46 PM
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Posts: 1137
Location: Germany, where delicious wine is growing (Rheinh) | Don't ask me-I don't know!! 12er Strings are not that hard..., but...I bought my guitar from Florida where the humidity is almost high and it came in Winter where the humidity in our area is almost low... Otherwise the bracing maybe is a point... The great tops with fine grain..... It was the only one I bought in USA which had cracks shortly after the arrival, so I don't believe it's an issue caused by the construction of Ovation.
Bernie |
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Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | screws were only usually used on stained tops since the stain made it a little more difficult to get a solid bond between top and bridge. Naturals usually don't have screws |
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December 2015
Posts: 287
Location: Katmandu | Beal - 2016-04-28 2:22 PM
screws were only usually used on stained tops since the stain made it a little more difficult to get a solid bond between top and bridge. Naturals usually don't have screws
Thanks, that explains why I've been seeing some with and others without bridge screws. |
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May 2011
Posts: 101
Location: USA | Thanks for all the info. I might just tune down to open d and capo at the 2nd just in case. |
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September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Okay... You tune two strings up a step, and one string up a half-step.
This should not be a big deal!
If you are really concerned, de-tune those three strings when you aren't playing it.
Helpful? 
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Location: Cicero, NY | Damon67 - 2016-04-28 12:23 PM
I tune to open E all the time. How else can you play She Talks To Angels?
Damon - with what string gauge? |
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December 2006
Posts: 6995
Location: Jet City | Same that are on most of the acoustics, EJ16
Edited by Damon67 2016-04-29 11:45 AM
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Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | ". . It depends on the string gauge and guitar. It's not a problem on any guitar with Lights. However, if your concern is putting too much stress on the neck (rare vintage guitars being the usual suspect), you can also tune to Open D tuning instead (D A D F# A D), and capo at the 2nd fret -- that gives you the same result, only with way less stress on the neck . ."
I just use a Kyser PartialCapo(only capo's strings 2-thru-5).
Clamp-it-on @2ndFret and both E's remain OPEN strings instead of de-tuned/capo'd . . . |
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Open E Tuning
