These cracks typically fall into the category of closed cracks cracks. Interchangeability with other ovation pickups is not guaranteed. I use these guitars for gigs and they seem stable, but i worry about the crack spreading. Aug 06, 2014 this is my first rodeo guys, but i am quite proud of the results. How to repair a crack in a solid top acoustic guitar our. By touching or rubbing the crack, you are working dirt and oils into the area, and this can make things much more difficult when gluing it back. Its only we of little patience who would repair a cracked top with superglue we have guitars to play. Repair cracks in tops and sides of an acoustic guitar. Hi ive owned an ovation ultra 1517large bowl for over 20 years, and it is a very durable guitar indeed, and though the electrics are now in need of a fix my fault, not due to accidental damage it still plays very well indeed, and has a unique sound.
Before you apply the glue, open up the crack a little bit. Now you can upload photos with your repair estimate request. Tips on repairing acoustic guitar cracks proaudioland. Mar 11, 20 the last consideration is whether the market for a good old guitar would be happy or appalled that somebody made a repair to a crack that only the hands of insert you preferred legendary luthier here even worked on, with the implication that it is no longer the masterss work and the original finish etc. It cost me about 100 bucks and although the crack is not completely gone its covered up pretty well. Finish cracks in acoustic guitar tops ask the hfc experts.
Most of the worst and hardesttorepair cracks happen on a guitars top. Im not a fan of broken ovation guitars but i am a fan of saving money and repairing what is broken. Ovation primarily manufactures steelstring acoustic guitars both 6 and 12string versions and nylonstring acoustic guitars, often with pickups for electric amplification. I was recently given an ovation guitar, but it is nearly unplayible because where the neck attaches to the body, it has come apart a little bit so that the strings are too high above the fretboard. Handling each brace is sometimes necessary to locate the mystery brace as the crack can be very fine with no gap or. Oct 17, 2008 not sure if i should be posting this here or in dyi, but here goes. If you have any doubts about your ability, or you are afraid of rendering your guitar unplayable, please see a qualified luthier or repairer.
To prevent cracks developing in a guitar, a guitar player should store his guitar in a room where he can. Acoustic guitar top crack repair continued, leveling and. My guitar is a greyburst so it will never be 100% but its a good 95%. The guitar specialist is or has been an factory authorized guitar repair and warranty service center for most major manufacturers which have included. The following songs are used, in order, without permission.
The top was very warped and had several long deep cracks. This usually happens when the guitar is allowed to dry out, causing the two halves of the top to come unglued at the center seam. Sometime during the life of an average acoustic guitar, it will likely develop at least a small crack. Simply, reach into the shell of your guitar and press outwards slightly. Apr 23, 2018 whether the crack is caused by humidity or by impact, there is no immediate danger to the guitar. Ovation and takamine warranty service is available if purchase was made at guitar center or musicians friend. In an effort to avoid a repeat, and keep the new adhesive from pulling up wood fibers if removed again, this bare area of wood beneath the guitar is usually sealed with finish.
Instrument repairs, maintenance and modifications guitar. There are different types of adhesive that you can select for this fix, including epoxy adhesive and waterbased wood glue. While inspecting the braces with an interior light and mirror a split brace may give no cosmetic clue as to its whereabouts. I have an applause ae28 electricacoustic guitar that plays pretty well, but doesnt look so great.
Sep 07, 2010 you bring it inside and immediately open up the case to see your new beauty. The ovation elite has what i refer to as a grape cluster sound hole configuration. The lengthy crack on this guitar tops lower bout is due to low humidity, but dont fretthese types of cracks can be repaired. It doesnt seem like there are any cracks in the wood itself, just the. I have a balladeer and a custom balladeer, both from the 80s, that have the typical cracks. Dec 07, 2009 this ovation lx was in serious trouble when its bridge lifted off. Gibson, taylor guitars, santa cruz, ovation, fender, martin guitars, epiphone, guild, american achtop, foster guitars, tacoma, gretsch, jacksoncharvel, takamine and benedetto. In my last column humidityfriend and foe, march 2018, we defined the parameters of the safe humidity zone. Acoustic guitar top crack repair cleating cracks n sealing. There are a couple of cracks in the thick plasticy finish. There is a screw on the inside of the guitar that is screwed through the side of the guitar into where the neck joins the body, and i dont know if i can just screw that tighter to fix it or if i.
Ovation crack repair top seperation from the bowl 1 light qball. Unfortunately ovation applause guitars are prone to stress and temperature cracks much more than allwood guitars where all the wood can move around sympathetically. A cracked guitar side is a difficult fix, especially when the sides of the split are uneven. Normally when gluing a bridge in place, bridge clamps. How to repair cracks in your acoustic guitar guitar alliance. A small grouping of holes in the top and bottom bouts, at the front end of the body. Ovation and takamine warranty service is available if purchase was made at. I just had my ovation repaired for a finish crack which ran across the lower half of the body. A closed crack is one that will leave no gap when the instrument is properly humidified. Good clamping is the secret to all good glue jobs and its not too much hassle to clamp most acoustic guitar tops. Gibson j160e john lennon acoustic guitar repair and setup duration. Conversly, an open crack exhibits a gap when properly humidified. Call john budny at the ovation repair shop 8603797576.
Mar 02, 2009 i was recently given an ovation guitar, but it is nearly unplayible because where the neck attaches to the body, it has come apart a little bit so that the strings are too high above the fretboard. Over the weekend my uncle gave me this beautiful ovation 1127 acoustic guitar, which he had no use for. I have more than 350 videos on you tube these are just a few. Ovation guitar manuals manualslib has more than 102 ovation guitar manuals click on an alphabet below to see the full list of models starting with that letter. Removing ovation guitar neck for reset crawls backward. Oct 14, 2010 thanks for the warm reception, its an ovation celebrity, model cc057, i just bought it a week ago off of craigslist, im pretty sure that it is the original pickup, the part where the strings anchor at the bottom of the guitar looks like its been filed to lower the strings, the bone colored bridge thing looks square then rounded off. If you have a picture of your guitars condition, upload it to our estimator platform and well be able to get you an even more accurate repair estimate. The guitar has a regular soundhole none of those blingy bubblelike holes around the neck joint. The ovation fan club is the brainchild of both mileskevin baron of. It sounded great, despite the old strings and the huge crack. Most cracks we see here at finger lakes guitar repair are related to improper climate control or impacts with foreign objects. Impact cracks are the result of a guitar taking a hit, and, like a lackofhumidity crack, they tend to appear along the grain line. Acoustic guitar top crack repair cleating cracks n sealing outter. Our 2000 square foot facility is fully equipped to service all of your repair needs.
Cracks below the bridge towards the bottom of the bout are easily stabilized and ones along the rounding on the bouts close to the edge too. Our business is to make your instrument the best it can be. Ovation guitar repair london graham parker luthier. One of the most common instances is actually not a crack at all, but a. Sure depends on the guitar as to rarity and intended use. Its definitely a proper ovation albeit a very plain unvarnished one. One of the most common instances is actually not a crack at all, but a centerseam separation. Repair of ovation balladeer bowed soundboard on ovation balladeer. Assume you are referring to crack into or through wood. Stringed instrument services is a full service guitar and amplifier repair shop. The ovations with the small soundholes are hell to work.
Its lyrachord body gave the instrument unprecedented projection and ringing. The ovation guitar company is a manufacturer of guitars. May 15, 2016 this guitar was destined for the landfill. Knowing how to evaluate the seriousness of a crack will allow you to determine whether to call a repair person immediately or whether it might be ok to leave it alone for a. Second, if you notice a crack, your first instinct may be to touch or rub it.
The first ovation guitar made its debut in november 1966. For about three seconds you see this beautiful mint guitar, and then a crack races across the top as the warm air in your house stresses the cold finish on the guitar. You can even snap a picture from your phone from here. Mar 11, 2008 hello everyone, first post at harmonycentral in years. Recently i was asked to do a repair job on a 2002 ovation elite, model 1868. Hello everyone, first post at harmonycentral in years. They had me over and after hearing that i played guitar they pulled out an old ovation. A finish crack makes zero difference in tone or structural integrity of an ovation. To repair these cracks the stress must be eliminated by removing the pickguard and reattaching or replacing it. If you have a picture of your guitar s condition, upload it to our estimator platform and well be able to get you an even more accurate repair estimate. On one guitar i had a crack that leaked you could blow air through it and it caused a strange acoustic anomaly. It had had intensive repair in the past and the bridge had been refitted twice by guitar techs in germany. These prices apply to guitars in otherwise good working order.
As to ovation if finish crack, heard that the seal and buff can do a good job for basically pennies. This ovation lx was in serious trouble when its bridge lifted off. It also needs a new knob and the electronics inside are always loose and falling around. Once a crack has been repaired badly, undoing the damage can leave your guitar in worse shape than before the repair. Top separation repair on bowlback ovation haze guitars. Instrument repairs, maintenance and modifications guitar center. Replacing guitar top on an ovation acoustic and hollowbody.
Make sure you take your time and keep safety front and center. It seems that many older ovations have a crack more than finish from the bridge to the rim, near the middle. It is only a couple of years old and was shipped over from germany. Purchase the item only if your guitar currently has a pickup that looks exactly like the photo. Hide glue is the obvious first choice for a proper, permanent repair. Depending on the severity and location of the crack, a repair is as simple as stabilizing the wood and applying glue to secure it. I was stumped on how to fix this crack on my ovation guitar.
This video i show how i level the guitar top cracks with single edge razor blade where i filled and sealed them with a very thin viscosity ca glue. Guitars with multiple cracks will be done at a discounted rate per crack. One thing to watch for on repaired cracks is that there is a good seal. When to avoid or accept soundboard cracks on old guitars. It is good reason to get a small discount on the purchase price due to the minor cosmetic. Basically speaking, its a matter of some glue and some good clamping.
I have proven here that anyone can either flip a guitar for a profit, or pick up a nice instrument for themselves to play on an extreme budget. Wonderful guitar, pristine condition both guitar and original hard case, we couldnt find any scratch marks or dents, no cracks, it has been kept in its case and humidified environment by its original owner and rarely if ever played, literarily brand new since the 1980s. Dec 15, 2015 if your acoustic guitar top is starting to separate or lift a little from the guitar sides, its usually a reasonably straightforward job to repair. Acoustic guitar top crack repair continued, leveling and buffing. Heres how to pull a crack together and glue it neatly and permanently. And its importance was stressed because humidity control is the single most crucial step a guitar owner can take to protect instruments. A friend of mine has an ovation with a crack in the soundboard. I have an ovation with 3 significant cracks in the finish on the top. I loaned it to my cousin when he sent it back it was damaged in shipping this was a few years ago ups pretty much screwed me by telling me i could not make a claim on it since my cousin sent it and they told my cousin he could not make a claim since he didnt own it. If you own an acoustic guitar long enough, chances are good that youll have to deal with the repair of a crack in the wood. Guitar repair specialist for martin, gibson, fender, guild, takamine, yamaha, ovation and adamas guitars may 24, 2009 graham parker luthier over three decades i have specialised in repairing martin, gibson, fender, guild, takamine, yamaha, ovation and adamas guitars. A cracked split brace can elude even the best eagle eyes.
So i recently met a great uncle and aunt i didnt know existed. This guitar had been previously repaired by ovation, however six months later the soundboard on this balladeer had bowed out to such an extent that the bridge had been lifted by about half an inch. What to do about cracks in guitar finish acoustic guitars. Oct 14, 2016 we recommend repairing promptly, to prevent the crack from. Acoustic guitar top crack repair continued, leveling and buffing randy schartiger. Removing ovation guitar neck for reset june 19, 2012 guitar builds and repair, necks, ovation, string instrument building and repair 20 comments there are two bolts that hold the neck to the body on the ovation.
So as to not accidently drop their guitar, the guitar player should attach the guitar to a neck strap. How to repair cracks in your acoustic guitar if you own an acoustic guitar long enough, chances are good that youll have to deal with the repair of a crack in the wood. It runs all the way from the base of the guitar to the sound hole. One starts at the bass side of the bridge and runs straight to the tail. Quick and accurate quotes for even the most complex guitar repairs. One of the whole intents of this design is to be environmentally as stable as a guitar can be so neck repair ability was abandoned in favor of a neck that should go with out needing reset or repaired.
Dec 15, 2008 hello, im new here and ive seen alot of posts that might help me. So the normal way of clamping the bridge for repair with c clamps was out of the question. My early 80s ovation custom electric legend has a crack from the bridge down to the bottom of the guitar face. I have no training in guitar repair other than watching several youtube videos. Hello, im new here and ive seen alot of posts that might help me. Cracked soundboard repair tutorial acoustic and hollowbody. Cracks in the body of your solid top acoustic guitar are often cause by physical damage to the guitar or shrinkage due to a lack of humidity.
When you have a rigid plastic bowl and a piece of wood attached to it which wants to expand and contract. I inherited two ovation from a bandmate that passed away without getting around to repairing them. Knowing how to evaluate the seriousness of a crack will allow you to determine whether to call a repair person immediately or whether it might be ok to leave it alone for a little while. Taylor warranty service is available in select locations.