Ovation is much better
known for its acoustics than
its electrics, so the Ultra GP
ceased production in 1984
with only a few hundred
made. You can blame
that on a market that was
pointed towards Super
Strats and Floyd Roses,
due to the success of guitar
shredders like Van Halen.
You can also blame that on
Ovation giving its electrics
non-interchangeable parts,
meaning even a simple
humbucker or bridge
upgrade became harder than
it should be.
The GPs were originally
meant to be Ovation’s answer
to Fender’s then-new budget
Squier series, but the plug
was pulled just as the first
batch of bodies arrived from
Korea, meaning the Ultra GP
was dead on arrival. Even the
marketing was half-hearted,
with suggestions of naming
them “Ultra Hard Bodies” to
give things an edge.
There’s a lot to like with
the GPs though. Because
they knew it would be a
limited run, the luthiers who
assembled them in America
added special features like
blended heels, set necks, top
notch hardware, DiMarzio
SP-2 pickups, and stylish
finishes. On the used market,
original GPs go for as much
as $2000 or higher, thanks
to the visibility given to it by
Josh Homme from Queens
of the Stone Age (who
considers the GP his go-to
guitar).
ToneReport.com
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