The American Icon

The Gathering Storm

Ovation were already in the business of developing and marketing their innovative bowl back guitars when in 1967 they decided to introduce a line of semi-solidbody guitars.  These were archtop thin-bodies instruments, similar to Gibson’s ES-335/355 series, and called the Electric Storm.

Model

Tornado

Standard model.

Available with or without a vibrato.

Thunderhead

DeLuxe version

Hurricane

12 string

Typhoon

Bass

Several models  [1 through to 6].

Involving two different body shapes and fretless models

Eclipse

Budget model.

Coated in a rough black material [later used on the Breadwinner] with newer pick-ups.

Although the guitars were built in the US by Ovation only the necks were make by them.  The bodies came from the German Framus factory and most of the hardware – tuners, pickup and tailpieces –  were supplied by Schaller.  On early models the bodies were imported finished but these did not come up to Ovations high standards so they began applying the finishes themselves.  Production only lasted until 1969 but there were enough parts to continue marketing until 1972.

A Solid Start

In mid 1971 Ovation introduced their first electric guitars with solid bodies.   

Model

Breadwinner

Standard model

Deacon

DeLuxe version

Bound fingerboard, gold fittings  and varnish finish

Deacon 12

12 String

Breadwinner Limited

As the Breadwinner but with a redesigned body shape.

Like their developing acoustics the solid bodies were also very innovative.  Their bodies had the look of a medieval battle-axe rather than the usual electric guitar. Electronically, they had

onboard a FET (field-effect transistor) preamp that provided, what has come to be known as, "active electronics."  They were proba­bly the first commercially available solidbody guitars with active electronics.  Very few 12 string were made and production of the Breadwinner only lasted until 1979 and the Deacon a few year longer.  The FET was quickly adopted by many other guitar manufacturers, the radical body design was not.  A last ditch attempt to relaunch the guitar, by redesigning the body,, the “Limited”, failed to save it and production of the Breadwinner ceased in 1979 with the Deacon follow soon after.

Preaching the Cause

Ovation had been developing a new range of solidbody with more usual body shapes and these were introduce in 1977.  

Model

Preacher

Standard model

Stereo output

Preacher DeLuxe

Bound fingerboard and gold fittings.

Active FET electrics.

Preacher 12 String

As the DeLuxe

Viper

Twin single pole pickups

Viper III

Three individually switched pick-ups

Ovation had perhaps realized that the market was more conservative than they had originally thought and the new range follow conventional lines -  “guitar” shaped bodies, bolt on necks, a variety of humbucker and single pole combinations.  The only non-conventional design aspect was that Ovation made all the pickups for these guitars themselves.   Nothing too revolutionary about this except that they were they were smaller non-standard size! Although they were interchangeable between models other makes of pickups would not fit into an Ovation.   The fad among guitar players for changing pickups frequently was not possible, guitarists couldn’t put any pickup into an Ovation guitar except another Ovation pickup.  Preacher production stopped in 1978, although they remained available until 1982, and they were follow out of production, in 1983, by the Vipers.

UK for Ultra Kaman not the UK

Having tried innovation, with the introduction of the Breadwinner, and failed.  Have reacted by producing a range of conventional guitars and failed.  The pendulum swung back toward innovation.  The success story of Ovation acoustics using modern materials gave birth to the aluminum framed, lightweight ure­thane bodied UK II.  Personally I love this guitar but the public in 1979 did not.  Not ready for “plastic” guitars or just put off by the name?  What kind of name is that anyway – Ultra Kaman II?  Anyway, despite great feel and design, logical electrics and wonderful sound, it went the way of earlier models and followed them out of production in 1982