ksdaddy Posted May 13, 2010 Share Posted May 13, 2010 Last night my youngest daughter went on the laptop I keep in the living room. She had connected to the internet but she was fiddling with the cords and getting a little exasperated. Can you tell me why this power cord isn't working? I monkeyed around with the cords, got my voltmeter (which is kinda brain dead), wiggled the plugs... nothing. I had an ebay auction ending in a half hour and began to panic. The battery isn't that hot and may not have lasted until the auction ended and I didn't want to bid that early. Yeah, I could have shut it off until Crunch Time but I was still panicky. I thought the adaptor plug was a little loose and thought it might have popped a solder joint or something so I began taking the screws out. This was after trying other adaptors in the house... just as if any of them put out the 19V needed. In a panic I threw in my bid and continued trying to get the computer apart. It was apparent at that point I needed to pull the battery to access some mystery screws. Just then my daughter commented that it was hard to tell if the power strip was on or off since there was no light on it. Um. My wife had just dusted that corner. Could she have bumped the button? I reached down and clicked the button on the power strip. Yes I felt stupid. Feel free to poke fun. And I did win the auction. My 10th Ovation, $15.51. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edawg Posted May 13, 2010 Share Posted May 13, 2010 Lol! It's ok I've done the same kinda thing. I took my laptop apart a couple of weeks ago because when I plugged it into the wall socket it failed to work! After about 30mins, 17 screws, and nearly an emotional breakdown I realized that the power cord was not plugged into the back of the laptop! But that's what you get for always having a "laptop" plugged in! After blaming the cat for this sabotage, as well as telling my wife I was just cleaning out the inside of my laptop, I think I got away with my dignity still in tact? So don't worry, we all do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChanMan Posted May 13, 2010 Share Posted May 13, 2010 Perhaps not all of us.... #1 rule in troubleshooting: try the easy stuff first! Glad you won your auction... was that a fully functional and in good shape Ovation for $15?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted May 13, 2010 Share Posted May 13, 2010 My son's buddy works for an outfit that makes computer house calls. Daily, I mean, daily they get this call: "My computer won't work. It was working yesterday. Now, today, it won't even light up. Can you come and fix it?" "Sorry to hear that Ma'am. Did you do any dusting behind the computer?" "Yes, how'd you know?" "Check that all the wires are plugged in. I'll hold." >sounds of fumbling and faint cursing< "By golly! that worked! Thanks! But, how did you know I was dusting?" "We get this kind of call ALL the time." If business wasn't so good otherwise, they wouldn't offer these freebies. I think they have a name for it: Dustus interruptus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted May 13, 2010 Author Share Posted May 13, 2010 was that a fully functional and in good shape Ovation for $15?? It is a US Applause from the Moosup Era (1976-82). Cosmetically good but with a hairline crack in the bridge, probably from an ill-fitted saddle, and a cosmetic-only crack in the urethane on the back of the headstock. I think I've bought 7 or 8 in the last couple months, both Applauses and Ovations, and the prices have ranged from $10 to $56. Personally I feel the aluminum necked US Applauses are superior to 'real' Ovations but I'm in the minority among the general population and I am a pariah in the Ovation community. Suppose you had a fleet of Sonex 180's and they blew away the average Les Paul? Nobody would believe you and you would be an instant outcast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChanMan Posted May 13, 2010 Share Posted May 13, 2010 I get ya. I have the much hated '83 Elite Strat. It's hard to sell folks on how good it sounds... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted May 13, 2010 Share Posted May 13, 2010 Why are you a parriah in the Ovation world Scott? Forget to take off your Birkenstocks when you walked in the room? I know I am a parriah, as my "O", as I call it is actually an "A"pplause and I don't drive a Volvo. I do like StarTrek, though, but that isn't enough to get me into "the Club" Do you frequent the Ovationfanclub forum? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted May 13, 2010 Author Share Posted May 13, 2010 I don't wear Birkenstocks, that might be part of the problem. I do frequent that forum but I don't get the comraderie that exisits here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrosurfer1959 Posted May 13, 2010 Share Posted May 13, 2010 Didn't know you were "The fan" for those Applause guitars but figured there had to be one out there somewhere I owned an Applause for a short time a couple months ago that I had received as part of a multi guitar deal there was a couple of guitars in the lot I was interested in. I honestly couldn't sell it for enough to be worth the effort and ended up donating it to a guitar club at a local school where it get's abused daily by a bunch of kids trying to learn guitar which should go well since it was nuilt like a tank. Can;t say I was impressed though it was very stiff and solid and had the strangest color Ive ever seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmiJAMM Posted May 13, 2010 Share Posted May 13, 2010 Yeah, I had one back in high school. That thing was practically indestructible. The entire neck was made of metal and looked just exactly like the one above, same color and all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted May 13, 2010 Share Posted May 13, 2010 Retro, yours' pick guard almost looks like a Fender flat-top guard.. maybe it's the lighting. Here is my "O" AE-33 Fairly deep bodied as "O"s go. Bridge is pulling up, which seems to be normal for "O"s She has one busted brace due to being drilled through for the pick-up. She's still in the same state as when I got her, less the strings. Maybe I can get some work done on her this week-end while I babysit my sump pumps. Rained like a SOB last few days. More today, possibly more by Monday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FirstMeasure Posted May 13, 2010 Share Posted May 13, 2010 It is a US Applause from the Moosup Era (1976-82). Cosmetically good but with a hairline crack in the bridge' date=' probably from an ill-fitted saddle, and a cosmetic-only crack in the urethane on the back of the headstock. I think I've bought 7 or 8 in the last couple months, both Applauses and Ovations, and the prices have ranged from $10 to $56. Personally I feel the aluminum necked US Applauses are superior to 'real' Ovations but I'm in the minority among the general population and I am a pariah in the Ovation community. Suppose you had a fleet of Sonex 180's and they blew away the average Les Paul? Nobody would believe you and you would be an instant outcast. [/quote'] Great deal! or should I say Deals. I know what you mean, BTW. I happen to believe the old Nighthawks blow the Les Paul out of the Tone water. But that's just not Cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artie Owl Posted May 13, 2010 Share Posted May 13, 2010 One time a buddy borrowed my car and dropped it off to me at work so I could drive it home. About ten minutes before my shift ended my girlfriend calls my cell and I get this one "I cut myself cutting up raw chicken it really hurts, will you be home soon?" (Me being a hypochondriac) "Oh man, are you ok!? Did you wash it out? I'll be home asap" Running up to my car in the garage, I get in, turn the key, nothing. ^$*#&@ I say out loud and try again. Nothing, I whip out my phone and call my buddy, "You ^$#*& you drained the battery, you left something on, I HAVE to get home" Him "Uh, pretty sure I didn't" Me "well it's not working" Suddenly the panic subsides enough to realize that I'm not pushing down the clutch Me "uh nevermind, carry on" My girlfriend was fine by the way, it wasn't anything too serious after we took care of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted May 13, 2010 Author Share Posted May 13, 2010 Retro, yours is identical to my favorite O product. Favorite being defined by best-playing best-sounding. It was $12 on ebay. Apparently it was a flipped guitar and they didn't even bother taking off the yard sale sticker... for FIFTY CENTS. http://www.angelfire.com/me4/ksdaddy/applause.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tman Posted May 13, 2010 Share Posted May 13, 2010 One time a buddy borrowed my car and dropped it off to me at work so I could drive it home. About ten minutes before my shift ended my girlfriend calls my cell and I get this one"I cut myself cutting up raw chicken it really hurts' date=' will you be home soon?" (Me being a hypochondriac) "Oh man, are you ok!? Did you wash it out? I'll be home asap" Running up to my car in the garage, I get in, turn the key, nothing. ^$*#&@ I say out loud and try again. Nothing, I whip out my phone and call my buddy, "You ^$#*& you drained the battery, you left something on, I HAVE to get home" Him "Uh, pretty sure I didn't" Me "well it's not working" Suddenly the panic subsides enough to realize that I'm not pushing down the clutch Me "uh nevermind, carry on" My girlfriend was fine by the way, it wasn't anything too serious after we took care of it. [/quote'] When my son was three and could barely speak he came outside to see me with a large rock in my hand about to break the garage window because I had locked myself out. He screamed "No!", then ran to the car parked up the driveway and reached in and pressed the garage door opener. It's hard to top that one for "Duh" effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted May 14, 2010 Share Posted May 14, 2010 When my son was three and could barely speak he came outside to see me with a large rock in my hand about to break the garage window because I had locked myself out. He screamed "No!"' date=' then ran to the car parked up the driveway and reached in and pressed the garage door opener. It's hard to top that one for "Duh" effect.[/quote'] "... and a child shall lead them." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted May 14, 2010 Share Posted May 14, 2010 Yes I felt stupid. Feel free to poke fun. And I did win the auction. My 10th Ovation' date=' $15.51.[/quote'] The second part negates the first by a clear margin! Congrats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dleth Posted May 14, 2010 Share Posted May 14, 2010 I've got another duh and it was more than a little embarrassing. I had just got my MIJ les paul copy back from the shop after some extensive work (new pups, all electronics, fret crowning etc.) and was jamming with a buddy at the cottage and all went well for the evening. Went to play my guitar the next day and got no sound off the neck pickup. I was a little ticked off as I had just spent over $700 retooling it. I marched into the shop the following Monday to have it looked at grumbling all the way. The tech took it into the back and came back about one minute later. Couldn't find any problem. The fricken volume knob had been turned down to zero. I felt so stupid for wasting their time that I felt I had to buy something, so the 30 year old guitar got a new case. The really embarrassing part? I'm a troubleshooter by trade. In the computer field but the principle is the same. Eliminate the simple stuff before digging too deep. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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