Cracked/Broken Acoustic Guitar

yag

yag

Still Newbie
Hi guys...

Today, I have been saddened by the accident that happened to my guitar. And I would really appreciate any useful advise (Muttley are you there?)

Long story short, my acoustic guitar that I have taken care of better than I have taken care of myself, is broken because I have dropped it (it was in its softcase that was hanging on my shoulder and while I was trying to adjust the strap lock of the case one-handed, it gave way and the guitar went down vertically). And yes, I normally keep it in a hardcase, but at that time the hardcase was checked-in.

The guitar is an ovation and the luthiers around here (Izmir, Turkey) are not very experienced with composite-bowl acoustics...

The top wood is cracked, and is not connected to the bowl at two points. One at the bottom (point of hit) and one at the cutaway (opposite of point of hit). The vertical crack goes as far as the bridge and the opening at the cutaway is very small (~3 cm) while the opening at the bottom is quite large (~25 cm). And here are couple of pictures..
 

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That should be fixable, can't tell you much more than that because I've never done that repair on an Ovation. On a normal acoustic, I'd pull the binding on that side, clean the old glue from the seam, glue and reinforce the top cracks then glue it back to the body.

The main problem would be if the glue Ovation uses is not water soluble.

Hopefully someone with more Ovation experience will check in.
 
yag said:
...The guitar is an ovation and the luthiers around here (Izmir, Turkey) are not very experienced with composite-bowl acoustics...
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Just take it to a boat repair shop- the only skills necessary to fix an Ovation is how to work with fiberglass and resin...:p

Sorry, I couldn't stop myself. Really, I feel for you. Hope you can get it fixed.
 
Bummer about your guitar but the good news is it should still be playable until and if you get it repaired. I have seen Ovations in far worse shape still in active duty for years and years.
 
Hey, how did you get your reflection in the guitar, and the sweater and jeans you are wearing, in the same picture?
 
bassbrad said:
Bummer about your guitar but the good news is it should still be playable until and if you get it repaired. I have seen Ovations in far worse shape still in active duty for years and years.
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I released the tension of the strings fearing that the tension might rip off/damage the wood. So I am not thinking of playing it (because I do not think I am that lucky)


As for the picture&reflections: The guitar lays on a bed, I sit on the same bed and lean on the guitar to get a frontal view. So near the guitar is my leg, and my head is in the reflections..


by the way: I have contacted the Ovation dealer in Turkey and they have given me their luthier's phone number, but I am unable to reach him...
 
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Ouch,

That really is one for a good luthier and preferably an Ovation guy.:o

I have little experience of working on them so my advice here is based solely on what I have gleaned from half a dozen instruments over many years. Sorry but I have to put my hands up when I'm not certain and I really don't like working on them.

From what I remember they have a several different bracing patterns and it looks as if that has not only split the top but it may well have popped of the braces as well. The top block crack I wouldn't be too worried about that will go back OK but the lower bout one really needs to be looked at by someone and dealt with accordingly.

Be prepared for a costly fix and accept the resulting cosmetic feature.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help but if you brought that in to me I would ask how much you were prepared to spend on it.

I wish I could be the bringer of better news and I really hope it isn't as bad as it looks..:o
 
Thanks..

I am thinking of bringing it back to US for repair maybe... I'll decide on that after I talk with the luthier...

The popped braces are what I am afraid of as according to my limited understanding they are kind of the skeleton... What I wish from the repaired version is cosmetic flaws (at this point I do not care about that), change in unplugged sound and minor change in plugged sound (the pickups can not pick up all the sounds, right?)

The guitar created the loudest sound I have heard from an acoustic stringed instrument, when it fell...
 
Well, Muttley, I gotta say, I am impresssed. Seriously, I commend you on the humility and restraint you have shown in this thread- I must admit, I had come to think of you as a huge ego who had learned how to repair guitars, rather than a luthier who had an ego- if you understand the difference. Now, I am wondering if I haven't confused you with someone else. If my criticism of you has been harsh, I am now prepared to apologize for taking you to task.

And if that is the Freak Brother's Fat Freddy's Cat in your Icon, I am truly awed...
 
I took some more pictures with a smaller camera. The inside bracing looks OK to my untrained eye.
 
stevieb said:
Well, Muttley, I gotta say, I am impresssed. Seriously, I commend you on the humility and restraint you have shown in this thread- I must admit, I had come to think of you as a huge ego who had learned how to repair guitars, rather than a luthier who had an ego- if you understand the difference. Now, I am wondering if I haven't confused you with someone else. If my criticism of you has been harsh, I am now prepared to apologize for taking you to task.

And if that is the Freak Brother's Fat Freddy's Cat in your Icon, I am truly awed...
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lol dude. I've been building and repairing guitars for a living for nearly twenty five years, I have nothing to prove and no ego to feed.. If I say I don't have much experience on some aspects of it it's because I don't. Ovations are a different beast entirely and I would never steer some one wrong deliberately. I don't go round telling people which mic to use or the best way to record vocals because I don't know that shit. Others know far more that me on that stuff. Guitars though..;)

If I come across as an ego on some stuff thats because I do know my shit, at least on the stuff I post advice about (cave posts excluded). In the final analysis I couldn't give a damn what someone on the interwebz thinks of me, all I try to do here is keep this little corner of the intewebz from being chock full of bullshit like so many others..

That is indeed FFC in teh avatar. Time for a change me thinks.:)
 
no ego to feed?
www.MessenTools.com-Humor-jijiiji.gif


that was funny
:)
 
hey tell us how long you've been making guitars again...I've forgot coz you've only mentioned it once today :D
 
yag said:
I took some more pictures with a smaller camera. The inside bracing looks OK to my untrained eye.
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It may be okay to play but better to be safe and get it checked out. I have a lot of experience with Ovations and that can certainly stand up to abuse and damage, I know several players that regularly use instruments with similar or worse damage that still sound and play fine for many years, despite the looks.
 
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