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TrollInvestigtr 05-06-2003 02:31 AM

another guitar question
 
i have an awesome ovation electric acoustic... except that the action (the space between the fretboards and the strings) is like an inch high which makes playing it nearly imposssible. is there a way to get the strings lowered? and if so, how much around would it cost?



thanks!

apetaster 05-06-2003 02:14 PM

Not a guitar guru by any stretch of the imagination, but I don't know that you can get to truss rod easily with the roundbacks. I would call a dealer and ask how much they would charge - should be nominal if they are a dealer and practice smart business as a simple truss rod adjustment is all that is needed. Even on my strat, I'm wary of tensioning the rod (steel vs. wood, steel wins.)

Dealers should be performing those tune ups after the break-in period, so I can't imagine they would charge much if you don't need any attention at the bridge, etc.

Fearless_Hyena 05-06-2003 04:49 PM

yeah it's a fairly simple adjustment, but it's gotta be done by a professional. your action sounds REAL high (hehe i know it's not literally 1" but it still sounds bad) so maybe it needs a little more work....

try to ask around and find out from local guitarists to see who's one of the better guitar techs/luthiers/whatever-they-wanna-be-called and take it to them. i forget what the price for that sort of thing is, probably less than $50, almost definitely less than $100 even if the damage is bad but repairable. the price is generally the same wherever you go but the skill level of the person doing the work can vary a whole lot.

you might as well have the bridge intonated (or adjusted...i think that's what it's called) while you're at it...that goes along with adjusting the action.

one other thing to keep in mind, make sure the strings you have on them are the gauge you prefer, and either newer or old, however you like them. all that can have an effect on the "health" of the neck when it's adjusted.

good luck!

merkerguitars 05-06-2003 06:00 PM

There are many ways of fixing this.
First you could try tightening the truss rod up. Turn it clockwise to making it tighther... don't be weary about it do about an 1/16th of a turn at a time and it might take some time for it to adjust.
If worse comes to worse you might have to sand the saddle down a bit...but thats tricky and once you fuck it up it's a pain in the ass to shim it. Try the truss rod thing first...can't hurt at all.

TrollInvestigtr 05-06-2003 07:45 PM

thanks guys ill probably just take it to a professional beacuse i dont have the right tool to tighten it and i'd be afraid i'd fuck it up as well. thanks again.

cJoe 05-08-2003 02:42 PM

An inch off the fret board sounds like you may have real problems with your guitar neck. Take it to a shop and have the pro look at it.

TrollInvestigtr 05-08-2003 04:04 PM

yeah i actually measured it after i posted. its more like 1/4 inch but its still enough to make it highly unplayable.

Dimebag 05-09-2003 05:53 PM

if the neck bows a lot, you have to adjust the truss rod. can you adjust the bridge height? you could lower that too. try lighter strings.

Lebell 05-09-2003 11:19 PM

Use a professional.

Poor action could require anything from fixing bent neck to adjusting the truss rod to putting a new nut on the neck to lower it.

gibber71 05-11-2003 04:03 PM

If you've got an inch between the strings and fingerboard,take off the hardware and throw the piece of shit in the garbage. I had a semi acoustic Ovation and I gave it away cuz I wouldn't lay my reputation on the line to even attempt to sell the piece of shit.And on the ninth day,God gave us Gibson guitars.

jujueye 05-13-2003 03:04 PM

Fearless has a good point: the tension of the strings can make or break a neck (pun intended...) When you arrive at your local repair shop or dealer, they may ask you which ones you have.

On the other hand, you might also want to keep playing it for a while. I heard stories that Stevie Ray Vaughan's action was seriously high, but his fingers were strong as hell to overcome it. That's partially what gave him his great sound..That and the strat...

crumbbum 05-15-2003 07:37 PM

It shouldn't be too expensive, if the only adjustment needed is the truss rod. If it's more than that alone can fix, like was said above, a little bridge sanding might be in line. It shouldn't be too much of a problem. Also, try lighter strings.

battery 05-16-2003 08:40 AM

dont fuck around with your truss rod, get a professional to do it.

crackpot 05-17-2003 06:35 PM

And if all else fails, it can be your designated slide guitar.

Oh yeah, Gibsons <i>are</i> heaven-sent!

Midnight_Son 05-19-2003 08:51 AM

ok, I do this for a living. I know very little as a whole but as far a music gear and guitars go, I know more than I should.
if your serious about the action being 1 inch.....sorry but more than likely your guitar is to far gone to be repaired. that is a extreme amout of space. did you drop it in a lake or somthing?

rideough 05-20-2003 05:26 AM

just bring it to your local music store (not GC!!!)and they should be able to give it a decent set up in less than an hour for about $40. no big deal but i've seen alot of young or new players get discouraged by their "piece of shit" guitars when all they needed was a decent set up and boom instant great guitar!:)

smegal 05-20-2003 08:35 AM

I agree with the above post...a cheap guitar is a false economy.

ike 05-29-2003 06:04 PM

loosen the strings all the way.loosen the truss rod located in the sound hole all the way.tighten the truss rod just untill you feel resistance.from this point tighten the truss rod no more than 1/4 inch and pull back on the neck to help the truss rod.if you tighten it any more you can damage the neck.it will compress the wood at the nut.also make sure you are tuning properly.personally 1/4 inch near the 12th fret is not that bad in my opinion.

ike 05-29-2003 06:11 PM

sorry only turn the truss rod 1/4 turn from the point of first resistance.not 1/4 inch as i said in my post i sent the post before i double checked my info.don't be afraid to work on it yourself i find that a lot of people that work in major music stores don't know shit.ask 5 people in the music store and get 5 different answers.get a DAN ERLIWINE book from stew-mac.com

platypus 05-30-2003 06:59 PM

At Sam Ash here in NY, it's about 50 bucks for a tweaking job - if it's a basic truss adjustment and maybe a fret or two shaved down.

I love my Ovation, but it doesn't scream like my Gibson...Les Paul that is.


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