• Registered: 2025-10-24
  • Posts: 18

Topic: Your Opinions, Please?

Hi Friends!

Recently I had occasion to visit a Pawn Shop in order to purchase and have installed a battery for my wristwatch.

While waiting, I looked at the guitars (6 string acoustics) on display, when, to my surprise, my eyes locked upon an Ovation Roundback priced at $250.00 USD. Ja, not a mistake - it really was just $250.00.

Since the guy was busy with my watch and there was no one to hand it down for me to examine, I trusted these tired old eyes to check on blems and other.... "Hey! Hold on just a second!", says I to myself.

"Why are the top three strings missing?"

It sounded like a job for "Strummerboy" and , given the limitations I had to deal with, I came up with the following: See if you agree.

E, A and D are missing because the neck is bowed and the curves on that Ovation would be more obvious were it completely strung and that is why G, B, and E were the only ones light enough not to show the bowed neck.

So what do y'all think, my friends? Is it possible or am I completely out of my league as a sleuth? 

  • TIGLJK
  • Honoured Member
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  • Registered: 2010-05-11
  • Posts: 3,402

Re: Your Opinions, Please?

totally possible I believe bill

and putting them on in shop probably won't curve it right away
Just MHO
Jim

PS
Bill, I am overjoyed that you back on the Forum again.  You are an integral part - do what you can, we understand!!     

The price of anything, is the amount of life you exchange for it.   - H.D. Thoreau
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Make your life count, and the world will be a better place because you tried.
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  • Registered: 2025-10-24
  • Posts: 18

Re: Your Opinions, Please?

Thanks, Jim.

I have missed all of you as well, and sharing our music together was an important part for me too.

I have had some experience with a bowed neck on an acoustic bass I bought from eBay (I resolve not to make the same mistake in '26).  Apparently, the bow was so bad a guy who saw it on FB could even see it on his monitor.

This can happen when a company has poor QC and ships inferior instruments. Something I learned the "hard way"     

  • From: Perth
  • Registered: 2017-09-27
  • Posts: 1,618

Re: Your Opinions, Please?

If the strings have been off for a long time, it's possible the neck is bowed, you can sometimes resolve it with some truss rod turns, but sometimes you need to overtighten the strings and put it somewhere humid .. it's a bit risky as you can cause other issues, but with the fibreglass back, you might be ok .. it's not an overnight job, though, it can take months ...

Cheers

Richard     

-[ Musician, writer, guitarist, singer ]-
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  • Registered: 2025-10-24
  • Posts: 18

Re: Your Opinions, Please?

Your mention of the truss tod turns, reminded me of Paul McCartney's first Höfner "violin" bass - which had no truss rod, Richard, and he was constantly                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  having to tune and retune  that thing.

Another "tuning anecdote" involved  ARoger McGuinn. After Johnny Carson had introduced the band, the curtain opened on the band tuning their guitars to E.

Roger - then known as Jim - said, ""We tune because we care.", and went right back to hitting that E string.

The look on Johnny's face was priceless.