Ovation has revived its Ultra series of electro-acoustic guitars with a non-cutaway model with a mid-depth bowl back. The new Ultra is designed as a singer-songwriter guitar to bring the instrument closer to the musician's body and features a new preamp and pickup design for the stage.
The K-21CT preamp features a two-band bass and treble tone control and chromatic tuner. The OCP-2000 pickup features improved materials and output volume; Ovation says there's a more precise placement of the piezo element and increased glass content for the string saddles, "which reduce wear and grants 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," claims the company. Judge for yourselves in the short demos below with the electro sound.
All the new Ultra guitars are equipped with a thermo-treated and FSC-certified sustainable A-grade German spruce top.
The thermal treatment simulates 15 years of ageing to promise a more mature response that's less susceptible to the negative effects of humidity change.
The bowl back is made from Lyrachord – a type of fibreglass optimised for its acoustic resonance.
The new Ultra models will ship with a 20mm padded soft case and finishes include Yukon Spray, Vampira Red, Silver Shadow, Dusk Til Dawn and Pitch Black,
The Ultra series models are priced at £723 each. More info at Gewa Music (opens in new tab).