Ovation Matrix 1632-4 Headstock Repair

[Picton]

Howdy, all. First post here. I figured, since I couldn't find much info on how to do this repair when I looked the other day, I might as well join up and post this for future searchers.

So I'm an electric bassist, primarily, converted from a Tele player... but I got my start playing acoustics in college. Back then, the best one I had access to was my cousin's Ovation; recently, a bandmate and I decided to play some Irish folk for a fundraiser, so I figured I could jump in on acoustic guitar.

Which would also allow me to buy an acoustic!

I searched out some Ovations, decided what I wanted (and didn't want), and found myself captivated by the Ovation Matrix, an odd duckling made in the late '70s/early '80s. For those who don't know, the only wood is the top and the bridge; the rest is all plastic or aluminum, including a cast-aluminum fretboard with immovable integral frets.

The price was right, I was intrigued, and I waited for the guy to ship. The moment I saw the box, I knew there'd be damage; alas, the tip of the headstock was broken off.

Ouch.

Nasty...

So. I reached out to the seller and we're waiting to see how long it'll take the 'verb to figure out how to compensate me for the poor packing job.

Meanwhile, I reckoned there was no reason not to do something with this.

[Picton]

You'll note in those pics that there's an aluminum strut in the headstock, which is cast as a part of the neck; these guitars are famously strong and resistant to any kind of neck movement. You'll also see that the bulk of the neck is, well, foam. And that there is a resin shell surrounding it all.

I was in despair when I looked at this break, but I soon realized that the tuners were fastened to the aluminum structure inside the plastic, meaning that as amazing as it seems? This break seems to have very little impact on the playability or tuning stability of the guitar.

I brought it up to pitch and left it there for a couple days, while wondering whether there was anything I could do to fix it up; I didn't reckon I could make it any worse, anyway. And all the pieces were mostly there!

See?

Interestingly, the "ferrules" for the tuners are merely plastic molded into the headstock surface and then painted silver. There's nothing structural about them at all, as far as I can tell.

So. I started pondering ways and means. I quickly realized I could make a metal "spar" or rod, fasten it to the top of the aluminum strut inside the headstock, and then poke it into the broken section at the tip of the headstock. I bought some bar stock, drilled into the aluminum, and did some fitting.

Hole in the aluminum.

Hole in the tip of the headstock.

Fitting the "spar."

[Picton]

I was sure this would hold the whole thing together... but how to deal with the cracked surface? My first thought was the fiberglas the entire front and back of the headstock, which I would have done if it needed the structural integrity. But it didn't. So?

Enter: the Japanese concept of kintsuge.

The idea here is that breakage and damage is a part of the history of an object. So, when repairing it, one should not try to hide the repair: in contrast, one should emphasize it. That way, the user can show that the object is valued, and can also show an awareness of the inevitability of use and change.

Well, allrighty then. I went out, found some epoxy and some silver mica powder, and assembled everything I thought I'd need.

I made a checklist on the paper towel, then got ready to go.

The goal? The cracks, repaired with epoxy but shining with silver, to match the Ovation logo and the tuners. I figured I'd epoxy my spar into place, then paint the epoxy onto the surfaces of the foam and the resin shell, and then stick everything together. I reckoned that would provide the strength needed for the actual fix, and that I could go back later and make sure the gaps were filled.

I had never worked with mica powder before. It had the effect of turning the epoxy EXTREMELY thick.

It looks like silver paint, but with only five minutes' open time, I couldn't take many pics.

I stuck it on easily enough.

Then, I started to fill the gaps.

Slowly, as the epoxy started to set up...

[Picton]

It's now setting aside, taped up and thinking about its sins.

I expect I'll have more gaps to fill tomorrow, and I'm not sure just how "nice" I want it to look. But working with the mica was pretty easy, and the color looks fine.

Anyway. It's been a fun project so far, and it's a small price to pay to get it marginally functional again.

[Earl49]

Hi Picton, and welcome! It is hard to imagine how that headstock got broken like that. Normally a "whiplash" break snaps off the entire headstock at the nut / truss rod pocket because that is both a stress riser and the thinnest part of the neck. But breaking cleanly across at the farthest tuning pegs is a head-scratcher.

I appreciate your enthusiasm and spirit to embrace the imperfect. But now that you have modified the guitar, all of your leverage to return or get price adjustments is gone. You fixed it and it is now yours, for better or worse. Fingers crossed for you.

[David Eastwood]

Well done. I love reading stuff like this. I admire your ingenuity.

Hope it all stays together when you tune up all 6 for the first time!

[Picton]

Originally Posted by Earl49

Hi Picton, and welcome! It is hard to imagine how that headstock got broken like that. Normally a "whiplash" break snaps off the entire headstock at the nut / truss rod pocket because that is both a stress riser and the thinnest part of the neck. But breaking cleanly across at the farthest tuning pegs is a head-scratcher.

I appreciate your enthusiasm and spirit to embrace the imperfect. But now that you have modified the guitar, all of your leverage to return or get price adjustments is gone. You fixed it and it is now yours, for better or worse. Fingers crossed for you.

Yeah, and if so, I'm not concerned about that. The seller has already admitted fault and I expect an adjustment, based on my earlier documentation. Plus, I like a project.

This is a weird break, but it's easier to understand once you realize it happened right where the aluminum "understructure" ends. Ovation engineered the cast-aluminum strut to end about two inches short of the tip, right where those D/G tuners sit, and that's where the break occurred.

This guitar lacks a truss rod. Or, viewed another way, the entire fretboard and the strut beneath it IS the truss rod.

[Earl49]

Ah, good point. I failed to consider that, not being terribly familiar with these Ovations. Their round back and my roundish belly have never "played well together".

[Picton]

Originally Posted by Earl49

Ah, good point. I failed to consider that, not being terribly familiar with these Ovations. Their round back and my roundish belly have never "played well together".

Lol, and this one's unusual even among Ovations, due to all the foam and plastic. I think a normal wooden-necked Ovation would have broken in the usual way, though to be fair last time I was playing them I wasn't all that knowledgeable about how guitars are actually constructed.

[Earl49]

The one thing that I do know from many tales is that the molded-in aluminum frets cannot be replaced, without replacing the entire fretboard. And the guitar is probably not worth that level of effort. When the frets are worn, your guitar is effectively done.

It is not unusual to have a foam core for shape encased with a composite layer for strength. I have flown in homebuilt experimental airplanes using this exact build technique. The Long EZ that John Denver died in was built that way, but the construction did not contribute to the accident (pilot error, sad to say).

[Picton]

Yes, the fret thing gave me some pause until I got a close look at these. I am not hard on my fingerboards, as a rule, and these should last me.

In addition, I've got a second guitar coming soon. So this one is going to wear light-gauge strings and be a beater. I reckon I can deal with any other scuffs and cracks the same way I dealt with this: the kintsugi way!

And it's a weird little beast. I like unusual instruments.

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by Earl49

It is not unusual to have a foam core for shape encased with a composite layer for strength. I have flown in homebuilt experimental airplanes using this exact build technique. The Long EZ that John Denver died in was built that way, but the construction did not contribute to the accident (pilot error, sad to say).

Yes, RainSong carbon and carbon/composite guitars have an inner core of foam in the neck/headstock.

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by Picton

Lol, and this one's unusual even among Ovations, due to all the foam and plastic. I think a normal wooden-necked Ovation would have broken in the usual way, though to be fair last time I was playing them I wasn't all that knowledgeable about how guitars are actually constructed.

Being an Ovation/Adamas aficionado, and having had a Matrix when they first came out in the late 1970s, I wouldn't recommend this model to anyone other than to use as a campfire guitar.

[Picton]

Originally Posted by SpruceTop

Being an Ovation/Adamas aficionado, and having had a Matrix when they first came out in the late 1970s, I wouldn't recommend this model to anyone other than to use as a campfire guitar.

That's fair, though I saw as many posts by folks who agree with this as folks who said the opposite. The Internet is sometimes inconclusive.

But it's why I bought two Ovations; the other is a Legend. Like I said, I enjoy unusual things, and the price was right.

[Fixedgear60]

Wow... I remember these... I wanted one soooo badly as a kid and thought they were the ultimate cool guitar in the 70s...That cool headstock, bowl and guitar case. Still puts a smile on my face! I remember a friend had one and I could never come up with the $$$ for one. Thanks for sharing and I am amazed at your ingenuity!