Ovation Announce New Ultra Series

February 6, 2023

The Ovation Ultra guitars were mainly produced between 1983 and 1994 as cutaway and non-cutaway versions in various colours, finishes and body depths.

For the new edition of this model series, the non-cutaway version with a mid-depth bowl was chosen. The aim was to build a real singer-songwriter guitar that lies comfortably close to the body, but can still deliver enough volume for a convincing, purely acoustic sound.

Following in the successful path of Ovation’s well-loved special field, the electro-acoustic sound, two new components come into play: the newly developed K-21CT preamp with a 2-band tone control and chromatic tuner, as well as the newly developed OCP-2000 pickup, which knows how to convince you with its immense punch. The basic sound of the preamp is designed in such a way that the guitar, in combination with other instruments, cuts through the mix with clearly defined mids and can create its own well-audible niche next to drums and basses. Whether strumming or fingerpicking, the strikingly good string separation enables a clear perception of the individual chords and also contributes an important part to the guitar’s convincing, overall sound. With treble and bass controls, you can adjust the sound to your own equipment and local conditions.

With the newly developed OCP-2000, the output volume could be increased enormously through an improved mix of materials for the piezo, a more precise placement of the piezo elements, as well as a new material mixture with increased glass content for the string saddles, which reduce wear and grant a better vibration transmission to the piezo elements. This gain in volume allows the preamplifier to be driven lower, which in turn reduces the noise level and enables a crystal-clear sound image.

The material of the string saddles has been provided with an increased glass content, which reduces wear and tear and grants a better vibration transmission to the piezo elements.

All Ultra guitars are equipped with a thermo-treated A-grade spruce top of German origin; the woods used are FSC certified and come from sustainable cultivation. The thermal treatment simulates 15 years in the change of seasons, the resins in the wood partially evaporate, thus creating a mature sound. The thermal treatment also reduces the absorption and release of moisture in the wood, so the top reacts less to the fluctuations in humidity during the change of seasons.

The guitars are lacquered with environmentally friendly UV lacquer. This contains only 4-5% reducing agent and can be applied in a thickness of just 6-7 microns, which is optimal for the sound of the guitar, in combination with the thermal treatment. All Ultra guitars are delivered in a design-strong, 20mm padded soft case.