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  #1  
Old 05-28-2018, 05:37 AM
trekker trekker is offline
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Default Slippery Ovation?

(I'm not sure if this question should go in this particular forum, moderators, so feel free to move it if it does not.)

This is, to me, a "repair" question because though Ovation guitars certainly have some great designs, they have this fatal build flaw of wanting to constantly slip off the lap. Even when I put a strap on mine, it still wants to twist and put the soundhole facing the ceiling. Grrr!

Nevertheless, I love the sound and playability of this guitar. The neck is awesome! It shines plugged in. But it wants to run away from home.

Has anyone found a good way to deal with this problem? My bass is the older one with a deep bowl and no contour to the body. It is a wonderful bass, but a constant fight to try to keep in the proper playing position.
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Old 05-28-2018, 06:13 AM
mirwa mirwa is offline
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I see quite a few ovations and bowlbacks where people have attached Gaffa tape across the back in strips.

Steve
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Old 05-28-2018, 07:44 AM
RustyAxe RustyAxe is offline
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Keep a square of shelf liner in your accessory box. Put it on your lap and the guitar won't slip ... it's available in black, too.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Duck-12-in-...-Liner/3137981
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Old 05-28-2018, 03:28 PM
trekker trekker is offline
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I found some 3M self-adhesive slip resistant tape at my local hardware store. It's pretty anti-skid stuff. I cut a length of it and applied it to my bass where it sits on my lap. The problem seems to be solved! Thanks to everyone for their advice!
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Old 05-29-2018, 04:38 AM
B. Howard B. Howard is offline
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Skateboard grip tape
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Old 05-30-2018, 08:12 PM
Peegoo Peegoo is offline
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Skateboard tape and stick-on rubber mat is a band-aid approach.

The dead-simple and elegant solution to Ovations slipping off the lap while seated (I had a Balladeer many years ago and did this) is to use what's known as a sound-hole guitar strap, like this:

https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qim...51be86f9fc98-c

There's no way for the guitar to rotate out of position when using this type of strap.

Cheers!
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Old 05-31-2018, 02:52 AM
mirwa mirwa is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Peegoo View Post
Skateboard tape and stick-on rubber mat is a band-aid approach".............................https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qim...51be86f9fc98-c

The soundboard needs to vibrate and transfer string energy, fitting anything to the board to restrict that ability is IMO the wrong thing to do

Steve
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Old 05-31-2018, 08:55 PM
trekker trekker is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mirwa View Post
The soundboard needs to vibrate and transfer string energy, fitting anything to the board to restrict that ability is IMO the wrong thing to do

Steve
I agree, Steve. From what I've heard from guitar experts and engineers, the soundboard (top of guitar) is what really needs to vibrate to make the guitar's sound, as it serves as an amplifier for the strings. From what I've read in the "History of Ovation" book, the Lyrachord body, while focusing the sound, doesn't really vibrate much. So I didn't mind putting a fairly thin strip of anti-skid tape on the bottom of the body, in the convex where it sits on my leg. I can't tell any difference in sound at all, though I certainly haven't hooked up an oscilloscope to monitor the before/after response. But I'm certainly no engineer. Just someone who really loves the sound and playability of this bass and wants to find a way to keep her home at night.
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