another Ovation dilemma...

[Mike Kolb]

Jeesh, March has been 'Ovation Month' for me around here... and here's the latest puzzler.  Arriving into the shop this weekend was an older Ovation "Matrix", model #1132 with some  common problems... the bridge is warped and pulling-up, the nut has been cut too low and ---oh yes-- could I please redress the frets?  And that's where the fun starts.

It seems that the Ovation Matrix has a metal fretboard set into a wood (mahogany?) neck. The fretboard is cast aluminum and... by all appearances... the frets were cast right along with the fretboard when it was made. The request for a fret dress was brought on by small chips in the frets. Those chips appear to be dings in a layer of chrome plating that was applied over the top of the cast aluminum frets.

Regarding cast frets and their chrome plating... are my observations correct?  And, of course, the biggest question... now what?!  If a standard fret dress were performed, the chrome would go bye-bye and the strings would be sitting on frets of defenseless aluminum, right? 

Could a fellow grind-down the frets, mills some slots and then install standard frets in this beast? Or am I really missing something here? Did I mention I'm learning to really dislike Ovations?  This guitar, by the way, has steel strings with fan bracing... and it sounds terrific.  All help appreciated.

[mike carne]

Mike,
Fascinated to know the end result of this.Used to know a guy who bought one of these back in the day.He'd previously strung an Epi 12 with a bolt on neck with strings that bent it in two.The Matrix I think got traded in for a white-faced Ovation!

[Mike Kolb]

Happy to report that there's been a fine solution to this mess. One of the board members (Joshua Levin-Epstein) was parting-out an Ovation "Ultra" and ...after comparing specs with the aluminum "Matrix" neck... agreed to sell me the neck at a reasonable cost. It arrived today and it fits great on the Matrix body. In addition to having a regulation wood fretboard, it gives the whole guitar a much-improved overall balance.

The only downside (I suppose) is not having the "thrill" of milling a series of fret slots into an all-aluminum fretboard. But that's a kick I'll learn to live without. Thanks, Joshua... I appreciate the sale and the customer will love his guitar.

And now, there's a new aluminum oddity to hang on the shop wall -!

[Rob Mercure]

Mike,

Well since I've always thought that the best use of Ovation guitars was an instrument for a canoe trip - saves bringing along a spare paddle perhaps you could mount an actual paddle on the neck!

Rob