New Bracing and a Lighter Back
The material used to construct the back of the Ovation LX is much lighter than before. Tiny microspheres, glass bubbles, make this possible. The Lyrachord is just as strong as its predecessors and weighs so much less. Though the guitar back is machine-molded, hand craftsmanship is applied during shaping and finishing of the neck. The bowl is of a perfect designed to accommodate the neck. An incredibly accurate machine attaches the neck to the body.
The Ovation LX has a solid spruce soundboard with a laser carved X pattern. The vibration of points to be carved is plotted into the machine along with negative areas. It is amazing that the bracing is so exactly radiused to create a slight arch on the guitar top. As the wood expands in humid conditions, the guitar expands out. This stops concave areas from forming and warping the guitar’s shape.
The wood epaulettes around the sound holes of the Ovation LX. This is inlaid on top providing a plush feeling. A birch back gives support to the area around the sound holes.
Neck Development
The Kaman bar is a revolutionary item in neck technology. The guitar neck is stable and consistent but not heavy. With a lighter body, the Ovation LX necessitates a neck that is lighter. Ovation liked the Kaman bar’s stability. Its replacement is a jointed neck system that combines bolt-on strength and set neck precision. A precision-fit joint at the neck is held in place by bolts that extend to the Lyrachord area on the bowl and into an aluminum block on the heel.
The LX truss rod is made from a steel rod threaded on either side into tiny blocks welded into a parallel rod. The end result is a very mobile rod that adjusts the bow of the neck and pulls the head back. This eliminates loose truss rod problems.
Ovation LX fretboards do not touch the soundboards; this prevents warping that is common with a glued on fingerboard. The design makes replacement simple as integrity of the neck is preserved. This technology is an innovation among acoustic guitars.