Ovation Legend Floating fingerboard?

[The Smurf]

Hi All,

I am guessing some of you might know the answer to this...

I have a 1979-1980 Ovation Legend (serial is 207***) and I am wondering if the fingerboard is supposed to be floating on this model. It looks as though this one was glued at some point (it is currently loose) but I can't tell for sure.

Thanks in advance. :)

[Tim Mace]

Never seen a floaterFB on an Ovation..

[The Smurf]

Thanks Tim.

Is there bare wood underneath the fingerboard if I use wood glue? Is some other adhesive in order?

[Joshua Levin-Epstein]

The fingerboard extension on many ovations did not seat flush onto the face of the soundboard and there could be considerable fall-off (like on a guitar that has had a neck reset). I would try to clean the underside of the fingerboard and the surface of the soundboard, then glue it with titebond and clamp the bejesus out of it.
Does it need a neck reset? If so, cleaning the aforementioned surface might be the least of your problems.

Joshua

[The Smurf]

Thanks Joshua,

The neck angle looks ok on this. The fingerboard extension is flush at the neck joint (in fact I am having a very hard time getting under it), but there is a slight hump peaking at the 17th fret. It is slight and I believe this will level out if it is glued down and there should be some fall off after the 17th fret. Or so I hope :)

I tried to get a thin putty knife under there and was able to work it in. This is coming in from the sound hole. The putty knife came out with sticky reddish adhesive on it. I don't know if this is from the factory or a previous attempt at repair. I thought I read somewhere that some Ovations had the extension put down with a double sided tape.

[Tim Mace]

Sounds like it was put down w/something at one time but poorly or it suffered a jolt under tension and popped up.Do a good fretjob after it sets. Never heard of the double sticky
tape mass assembly routine. Hope not.