1978 Ovation Magnum Setup

MusicMan27 · #1 11-27-2010, 02:54 PM

I bought an old ovation magnum I and im trying to get action nice and low and even. I took it in to a local luthier and he did a set up on it. He cut the nut a little lower and made adjustments. He may have also adjusted the bridge height because this bass has an adjustable height bridge. It came back only slightly lower and I still get some buzz on the upper frets. He told me that was the best he could do because at some point the fretboard had been removed and reglued so there is a bow in it. I can see glue on the edges of the fretboard so I think it was reglued at some point in it's life. So when he adjusted the truss rod he put too much relief in it for me.

The frets are in great shape so I asked if he could just level the frets (ie set the neck straight, then grind the frets level) but he said "no, all I could do is to remove the frets, level the board and refret." He said that would be a few hundred bucks.

I want this to be a real player and I'm willing to put some money into it. But I don't want to do more than I have to or mess up this nice old bass. Is the luthier right? What do you guys think I should do? Thanks

JLS · #2 11-27-2010, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MusicMan27

I bought an old ovation magnum I and im trying to get action nice and low and even. I took it in to a local luthier and he did a set up on it. He cut the nut a little lower and made adjustments. He may have also adjusted the bridge height because this bass has an adjustable height bridge. It came back only slightly lower and I still get some buzz on the upper frets. He told me that was the best he could do because at some point the fretboard had been removed and reglued so there is a bow in it. I can see glue on the edges of the fretboard so I think it was reglued at some point in it's life. So when he adjusted the truss rod he put too much relief in it for me.

The frets are in great shape so I asked if he could just level the frets (ie set the neck straight, then grind the frets level) but he said "no, all I could do is to remove the frets, level the board and refret." He said that would be a few hundred bucks.

I want this to be a real player and I'm willing to put some money into it. But I don't want to do more than I have to or mess up this nice old bass. Is the luthier right? What do you guys think I should do? Thanks

I think it's more likely that it was cooked in a car trunk. And, if your "luthier" said that was the best he could do--did he offer to charge less for the setup?--, I'd find someone else to do any subsequent work.

By, "upper frets", do you mean the highest ones, closest to the bridge?

You *may* be able to get it heat-straightened, and then have a level/recrown done. Depending on how badly bowed it is w/o
string tension, fingerboard planing is an option, too. In any case, this will be a multi-hundred dollar undertaking.

Benjamin Strange · #3 11-28-2010, 08:53 AM

I have two of these basses, and I know a few tricks with them that I bet your "luthier" didn't address.

I very much doubt that the fingerboard has been removed and reglued. Most likely it just got cooked in a car. A heat press and a fret level should take care of the issue.

I find that shimming the neck back on these basses can help with getting a proper string break angle at the bridge. The entire bridge moves as a single unit, and if you're going for super low action you may not have enough downward force against the bridge saddles.

MusicMan27 · #4 11-30-2010, 10:33 AM

Thanks for the responses guys.

He charged me $32 for the work- probably too much but hey, live and learn. It had good reviews online and i got a personal reference from a bass store so i thought it'd be ok. It's more of a guitar place i guess- but in general i didn't like the guys attitude- I mean I am there to *pay* him to do a service. He started by telling me it buzzes because I play with bad technique. This before I played it for him! I've been playing 15 years and technique is not the problem. But enough ranting...

Yes by upper I meant above the 15th fret or so. (higher pitch)

I think I should just break down and buy a level and some calipers and see what I can do. Then i could at least provide you guys with some dimensions. I'm also planning to do some work to my fretless so they will come in handy. Any other basic tools you'd recommend?

Last night after reading some more posts on here, i looked down the neck and I can see that the upper board is definitely higher than the rest of the board. I guess he adjusted it that way to make the lower frets playable.

Is shimming something I could do myself? I have minimal wood working tools. And does a heat press heat the wood or are you heating the glue in fret slots to make them adjustable?

Thanks again for all the help - i've been playing a while but this is my first adventure into vintage bass setups.

JLS · #5 11-30-2010, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MusicMan27

Thanks for the responses guys.

He charged me $32 for the work- probably too much but hey, live and learn. It had good reviews online and i got a personal reference from a bass store so i thought it'd be ok. It's more of a guitar place i guess- but in general i didn't like the guys attitude- I mean I am there to *pay* him to do a service. He started by telling me it buzzes because I play with bad technique. This before I played it for him! I've been playing 15 years and technique is not the problem. But enough ranting...

Yes by upper I meant above the 15th fret or so. (higher pitch)

I think I should just break down and buy a level and some calipers and see what I can do. Then i could at least provide you guys with some dimensions. I'm also planning to do some work to my fretless so they will come in handy. Any other basic tools you'd recommend?

Last night after reading some more posts on here, i looked down the neck and I can see that the upper board is definitely higher than the rest of the board. I guess he adjusted it that way to make the lower frets playable.

Is shimming something I could do myself? I have minimal wood working tools. And does a heat press heat the wood or are you heating the glue in fret slots to make them adjustable?

Thanks again for all the help - i've been playing a while but this is my first adventure into vintage bass setups.

"Shimming" isn't going to help this, a seriously FUBARed neck. It's going to need to be straightened, by either a heat press, or a replane/refret, and will be expensive.

Heat pressing heats both the glue joint, allowing it to slip, and the fibers of the wood itself. It's one of the repair things that's
closer to necromancy, than science, as it's hard to quantify how much backclamping to do, to achieve the results you want.
A level/recrown is necessary after this is done, about 110% of the time.

MusicMan27 · #6 03-20-2011, 01:56 PM

Finally got some pics together... let me know if you need a different angle or better shot

MusicMan27 · #7 03-20-2011, 01:57 PM

more...

MusicMan27 · #8 03-20-2011, 01:58 PM

one more...

JLS · #9 03-20-2011, 03:01 PM

The only photo that gives any useful info, is the second one.

It looks like the fingerboard has been cooked loose in a car trunk.

MusicMan27 · #10 03-20-2011, 03:42 PM

It definitely may have been car cooked (carbroiled?) at some point in it's life. But I can tell you now it's solidly attached and sealed on there now.

Upon further inspection I'm really not happy with the way he cut the nut. Besides leaving little plastic chips/dust, it looks like it's cut wider than it should be. Just looks like sloppy work. I noticed it when he did it but didn't want to give it back to him.

It is definitely playable as is but I'd like to get the action lower and remove all buzz. What other pics/dimensions would be helpful in determining a course of action?

Thanks again...

JLS · #11 03-20-2011, 04:22 PM

Yup, but warped--that's what happens to a trunk-cooked neck.

"Carboiled"--that's good!

Like I said a few months ago, this is a seriously FUBARed neck. It's going to be quite expensive to get it into primo playability. The fingerboard/neckshaft joint looks "gappy", from what I can see from the photo.

Phew...best of luck on this project. This is one of those instruments, where, IMO, it would be worth it if you could do the work yourself; I'm in agreement w/ Benjamin Strange, who expects to do what would be several hundred dollars of work to used basses, when he gets them.

MusicMan27 · #12 03-22-2011, 01:40 PM

Thanks for the help all. I'm going to take it to someone new or do the work myself.

And for reference the BAR in FUBAR means beyond all repair which this one certainly is not. So it's just FU'd =)

Benjamin Strange · #13 03-22-2011, 09:01 PM

Yeah, it looks like it needs help, but it's certainly not without hope. A competent tech should be able to help you out without too much trouble.

MusicMan27 · #14 11-18-2011, 03:36 PM

Ok, its been a while on this one, but I just sent this off to Benjamin Strange's SF Guitar Works shop in San Fran. He is going to take pics of the process. i'll post them up here as they come in - stay tuned!