Ovation Guitar Saddle Set-up Trick
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- Опубліковано 11 вер 2024
- Ovation USA Electro-Acoustic Guitars "Under The Bridge" Presented by Dr Dale Harris. Demonstrating a common set-up trick at the bridge-end of the instrument. Making some vital saddle adjustments in order to lower the string height playing action as Ovation intended.
And remember to check the intonation after removing any shims from under the bridge!
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I just bought a 30 year old Celebrity Ovation CC57 - and took a risk because the action was so high and it was tough to play. Before messing around with truss rod and saddle, I figured, as the stings sounded totally dead anyway, I took them all off and, hey presto - 2 shims literally fell out! I know for a fact that the guy I bought it from has had it from new, and so he obviously had never twigged that he could lower the action that easy! My guess is that he's NEVER changed all the 6 stings at once (some folks don't) so simply never knew the shims were there! GREAT video - confirmed what I thought!
I own 3 Ovations. 2 from the 90s and one recent one that is made over seas. The 2 USA made ones from the 90's I did not have to take shims out (I bought them new directly from Ovation). But the newer one made over seas had action out of the box that was ridiculous. Low and behold there were the shims (like the video) and i removed them and restrung it and damn! guitar plays like Butter now. I really think people need to a) take the shims out and B) spend time with the electronics on an Ovation to really get it. I love my Ovations, been using them since the 90's. Ive owned Martin, Washburn, Yamaha etc and they imho do not play like the necks on Ovations do and even the upscale Martins imho do not sound as good plugged in. But hey different strokes for different folks.
Also John Hancotte, removing the bridge is very simple it requires no removal of screws etc. It pops right out, use. a tooth pick to pop out the shims and your done.
When I see Ovations at guitar stores with high action like this its no wonder people dont buy them, i think its laziness on the guitar shops for not removing these shims and its partly to blame on Ovation as well. They need to mention these shims and how to remove them etc so people understand the high action is not permeant issue with the guitar.
Hi Walt, I'm very glad that you sorted out your Ovation. I agree that they are great to play and it is no wonder that so many pros have played them over the years for good reason. I too am often very disappointed with other acoustic guitar brands, especially some of the higher end makes. All the best, Dale Harris
The ones made over seas are also 👍 the backs are still made here in the USA which if you look down in it will see stamp print into it made in USA. My husband was going to get me a Hummingbird which not the one made by Gibson was nice looking which felt way to light and made in China which same with the Fender I picked up was way to light also made in China most I came across in Guitar center we left gone checked out pawn shops and the Ovation even with the issue with saddle to high put a capo on and it just was the one I've got small hands and I'm small framed so I can hold it easier then any guitar I ever owned or picked up and played.
@@PammySue83 Under the bridge are shims on an Ovation (sometimes this can make the action seem wicked high), remove a few and put the bridge back on and he action will be lower. You may need to adjust the neck but on my newer one I just removed a few shims and the action was perfect and the guitar plays like my 90s Ovations.
Ovation sounds awesome..
Have a problem with my Ovation Celebrity 6 string and the neck may have 'warped' over the years. The action is now too low on the 1st and 2nd strings and needs to be raised. This sounds like the opposite of what you showed and need to insert a shim. Or is this a job to raise the saddle?
The solution to your problem is usually "glue and baking soda" in the nut slots. Then you carefully recut the slot. Best regards, Dale Harris
I have a 1778T elite black Ovation. I bought it a year ago from a private owner. He had his guitar tech do a clean up and set up before he put it up for sale. It had low action like he liked it, and it suited me perfectly. But after a year of playing 90 minute plus sets I'm now getting fret buzz and dead stings on the hi E B G stings. The only time I change strings is when I break them, and those 3 stings have all been broke a number of times. So the fix here is what?
In my humble, here's a few ideas ...
1. Check neck relief, use feeler gauges (0.008", etc.)
2. Inspect fretwire for wear, dents, etc. (Consider fret-dress).
2b. Give your frets a light clean (wire wool) and de-gunk the frets of other people's dead skin while you're there...
3. Check bridge height and have a look underneath to see that it is sitting flush.
4. Are you still using the same string gauges as was used in the set-up, because if your strings are now lighter, everything could be out of whack.
All the best, Dale Harris
Try graphite powder under the treble side of the saddle.
Old Luthier trick.
The graphite transfers the string vibration better than shims, without making a new saddle!
@@roenvalenzuela2492 I will look into that. Thanks so much for responding…I really appreciate it. I’ll let you know if that works.
@@EverythingGuitar23 hey thanks for getting back with me. I never saw this until right now. I’ll look into what you’re talking about. Thanks so much for the advice.
@@EverythingGuitar23 Thank Dale
I have an Ovation 12-string acoustic electric. I'm a bit weary to remove the bridge - that whole process seems hard, especially securing it in place after the removal. I wish you might have walked us through the entire procedure. For now I may just try to tighten the truss rod a bit more.
Hi John, just to be clear: would you like to remove the saddle in order to check if there's are shims underneath? I'm not talking about removing the entire bridge (I'm saying this in order to avoid confusion). I would just mark the bass side with a pencil so you can orient saddle correctly afterwards. As I see it, there's little that can go wrong as long as you proceed with extreme diligence and due caution. I hope this helps. Best regards, Dale
Yes Dale, thank you for the quick response. I was mistaken. As I have never done this, apparently it is fairly easy to lift the saddle up and out from the bridge once the strings are clear. I imagine it is also obvious whether or not there are shims to remove as well. I shall explore and make certain to reinstall in saddle correctly.
That's great. Let me know if there are shims under yours as well. The very thick saddles (where there are six blocks) often had them. I cannot say for sure if they did the same with the thin saddles (one continuous bone type saddle that is 3mm or so wide) but there is a simple way to cut those down too if it is just a case that they are set too high and the base is in direct contact with the transducer. In the latter instance, you sand the base of the saddle against some wet and dry paper (say 600 grit) placed on a flat surface. Sand and keep testing. I put a video out on Instagram a while ago showing that process. Best regards, Dale
I bought a Korean made Ovation Celebrity CC 024 in 2001… I took the “thin line” saddle out to try and lower the action but alas no shims to be found .. so I had to adjust the truss rod to improve the action.
Thanks for that info. My hunch would have been the same for those type of saddles. What you do is grind the bottom of the saddle on a VERY flat surface (I have demonstrated this somewhere on video). Use fine ish grade wet and dry sandpaper (600 grit) and measure as you go. Whereas, the wider mk1 types probably all had shims because I would guess that the saddles were purchased from a third party source and required fine tuning. Best regards, dale
The shims are 1mm each in thickness.
.031 [ 1/32 ] .. ovation legend 1867-4 . 1mm. = .039 . mine had 3 shims .
Thank you I have Ovation Celebrity and only issue I seen with it was the saddle sets to high which playing with capo can't notice it in sound which without capo I can tell sets to high which makes it harder to get a clear sound. I was just going to get a saddle and sand it til right height so I wasn't hack on the only one I have and possibly mess up which before I do that looks like I'll have to check out see if it's got shims. Thanks again for sharing this info
Also check the nut slot depth? And the neck relief; adjusting your truss rod. Best regards, Dale Harris
Also, if you do get a replacement saddle (and Carbon is the way to go) then sand it from the bottom on a flat surface (like a tiled chopping board) using 200 grit sandpaper and finishing with 600-800 grit. It is obvious to say to fiile evenly.
Doesn’t everyone know this by now?