Ovation/other acoustic-electric pickups

[pinkieandtherev]

Awhile back I mentioned a New York Pro guitar that my wife was looking at in the pawn shop. Today we found out why the guitar is still sitting in the shop.

It sounds FABULOUS unplugged, but...the electronics don't work. Not sure what the problem is, but the battery check light doesn't even come on, and it should whether the guitar is "on" or not. We plugged it in, so it should have at LEAST blinked at us. Even if the jack went bad, the check light should have come on.

This NYP is modeled on the Ovation acoustics (although thinner) soooo...I figure worst-case scenario, I gotta replace the preamp. I'm thinking Ovation preamps (the older three-band rectangular jobs) ought to fit, but I can't figure out where to get the parts. Anyone know? (and please don't ask me to Google it...I tried that....with no luck.)

Thanks!

 

[Light]

It will be basically impossible to find a replacement preamp which will be a drop in fit.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[pinkieandtherev]

sooo...i'm basically looking at a major mod job.

depends on where i can find a preamp without paying an arm and a leg. if it's gonna be an expensive fix, it offsets the savings of having bought a pawn shop guitar.

 

[stevieb]

It will be basically impossible to find a replacement preamp which will be a drop in fit.

True, but only part of the story.

Get one that requires a slightly bigger (or much bigger) hole. Then just open up the hole. We are not talking a70-year old Martin here, it's a freakin' OVATION, ferchrissake. A better pre-amp will only INCREASE it's (modest, at best) value- and even a cheap, FUNCTIONAL pre-amp is worth more than a top-shelf, INOPERATIVE one.

Time to break out the saber saw and Dremel!

Or, screw ALL that- bypass the on-board pre-amp and use a floor-sitter or belt-clip pre-amp.

 

[Milnoque]

True, but only part of the story.

Get one that requires a slightly bigger (or much bigger) hole. Then just open up the hole. We are not talking a70-year old Martin here, it's a freakin' OVATION, ferchrissake. A better pre-amp will only INCREASE it's (modest, at best) value- and even a cheap, FUNCTIONAL pre-amp is worth more than a top-shelf, INOPERATIVE one.

Time to break out the saber saw and Dremel!

Or, screw ALL that- bypass the on-board pre-amp and use a floor-sitter or belt-clip pre-amp.

It will be a challenge to get an aftermarket unit to match the curve of the ovation style bowl back. the suggestion to bypass the preamp could be the only practical solution.

 

[Jakedafake]

It sounds FABULOUS unplugged, but...the electronics don't work. Not sure what the problem is, but the battery check light doesn't even come on, and it should whether the guitar is "on" or not. We plugged it in, so it should have at LEAST blinked at us. Even if the jack went bad, the check light should have come on.
Thanks!

A electronic part in the preamp has probably died. Taking the preamp out and having it fixed is probably the easiest and cheapest solution.

 

[pinkieandtherev]

A electronic part in the preamp has probably died. Taking the preamp out and having it fixed is probably the easiest and cheapest solution.

This was my thought as well...my dad is my electronics expert...i'm figuring with a meter, a soldering iron, and a screwdriver, he could probably fix this sucker.

We may just wind up slapping it on layaway next weekend....after I get the pawn shop owner to come down on the price a bit because of the work we're gonna have to do to it.

 

[pinkieandtherev]

True, but only part of the story.

Or, screw ALL that- bypass the on-board pre-amp and use a floor-sitter or belt-clip pre-amp.

belt-clip preamp? Forgive my lack of guitar knowledge (I'm a DRUMMER and a SOUND GEEK not a guitarist, hehehe...) but what is this and how does it differ from one of the external sound-hole pickups? (Sound-hole pickups wouldn't work with this guitar because it doesn't have the normal soundhole, it's more like the Celebrities that have the sound holes bunched near the edges.)

I'm thinking if we can work out a decent sounding solution and talk the owner down in price a bit, we might have a winner.

 

[pinkieandtherev]

It will be a challenge to get an aftermarket unit to match the curve of the ovation style bowl back. the suggestion to bypass the preamp could be the only practical solution.

I thought of that...the only ones I could think of were gonna be the ovation ones, and the ones I can find on eBay are the $250 one that records as well...i don't need her guitar to record itself; that's what the mixer is for.

 

[Tadpui]

i don't need her guitar to record itself; that's what the mixer is for.

Actually that's what a microphone is for Is she going to be gigging with this guitar? If not then I'd suggest forgetting the pickup and preamp altogether and mic the guitar like most people do. Those piezo pickups always sound so terrible anyways, although for live performances they're basically a necessary evil.

 

[pinkieandtherev]

Actually that's what a microphone is for Is she going to be gigging with this guitar? If not then I'd suggest forgetting the pickup and preamp altogether and mic the guitar like most people do. Those piezo pickups always sound so terrible anyways, although for live performances they're basically a necessary evil.

haha...yeah, that's what a microphone is for, but that's the point. She's basically a live guitarist (although she'll probably be doing some of the rhythm work for my next album)...we play for a worship band doing several services each month. For recording (if and when we do), I'll mic her into the board.

 

[rayc]

Ovations don't mic too well - a bit boomy I found.

 

[stevieb]

belt-clip preamp? Forgive my lack of guitar knowledge (I'm a DRUMMER and a SOUND GEEK not a guitarist, hehehe...) but what is this and how does it differ from one of the external sound-hole pickups? (Sound-hole pickups wouldn't work with this guitar because it doesn't have the normal soundhole, it's more like the Celebrities that have the sound holes bunched near the edges.)

I'm thinking if we can work out a decent sounding solution and talk the owner down in price a bit, we might have a winner.

From my experience, add-on sound hole pups don't need a pre-amp, plugging into a guitar amp is enough. Internal acoustic guitar pups usually do- ones like in Ovations already have one (the EQ and level controls are part of it), piezo's that install below the bridge saddle don't always have one, and need one to send enough of a signal to the amp. Fishman and others make a pre-amp that clips onto your belt or guitar strap- if I ever go with a dedicated acoustic pre-amp for the Fishman that is in my Martin, that is probably the way I will go- I just can't bring myself to cut holes in the side of my guitar.

Meanwhile, I usually use a stomp-box EQ, and go into a acoustic-guitar amp (or the Acoustosonic voice of my Super Champ XD- VERY nice tone.) Piezo's sound like CRAP without some pretty heavy electronic help- thin, quacky enough to embarrass even a Strat. I recently got an ART MP, the manual says they can work well as a DI box, so I will try that, soon.

Perhaps the most economical solution might be to get one of those Boss Acoustic simulator pedals- of course, seems just stupid to "simulate" acoustic sound, from an acoustic instrument...