Ovation Magnum Bass Serial Numbers
Ovation Magnum Bass. Vintage Mid-70s - T hese were made from 1974-1979; the serial number of this one is B00894, so I’m assuming it was produced earlier rather than later, in either '74 or '75. Made in the U.S. In New Hartford, CT.
Kim Gordon in Sonic Youth used to play a Magnum bass during their first few years, you can hear it on the albums 'Confusion Is Sex/Kill Yr Idols', 'Bad Moon Rising', 'Evol' & 'Sister' (if you're into Sonic Youth. No, but I got that date, based on the serial number, from that 'History of Ovation Guitars' book. I was wondering if i could get some help on 2 things regarding my Magnum 3 bass. Firstly, i checked the serial numbers on this site and there doesnt appear to be a letter B with 4 digits. Only B + 3 or 5 digits. My Mag 3 number is stamped B 4921. Secondly, the pickguard is well fubarred, in fact theres a. 94 Vintage Ovation Guitars - 1970 Ovation Matrix Natural Guitars Flattop Electric Acoustic, Vintage USA 1713 Classical Acoustic Guitar Custom Build Ultra GP Les Paul Tribute, VINTAGE MADE Applause AA14 Aluminum Neck 200.
Mahogany Sunburst finish. The foam 'bridge mute' works as it should (see photos 20 & 21). This bass appears to be all original except for the following issues:. It's been converted to a fretless bass with fret markers (see close-up photos of the fretboard). It could fairly easily be converted back to original by having it refretted. It's missing the large neck pickup. You could either use it with only a bridge pickup or acquire a replacement neck pickup for it.
A previous owner had a block of wood cut to fit the empty pickup cavity (see photos 18 & 19) but I think it looks much better without it, so the wood block is included in the case compartment if you'd rather reinsert it. The bridge pickup is only giving a reading of 3.63k on my multimeter, so I would assume it needs repair or rewinding, unless there's something I don't know about these pickups (perhaps the 9-volt wires for each pickup have something to do with it, but I simply don't know).
The pickup does produce sound, but you have to crank the amp way up to hear it. The three EQ sliders are extremely sticky, but they function as they should. The volume pot works perfectly & quietly, although the knob is obviously a non-original replacement. Functionally this bass plays great & feels great, but as described above it needs electronics attention to get it working correctly as an electric instrument.
Cosmetically it's in very nice condition for a 40+ year old bass, but it does have many signs of age & wear (see all photos). Comes in its original Ovation hard shell case. The case definitely shows its over 40 year age (see photos) but it's fully functional. All four latches & hinges work as they should. Please look carefully at all of the photos and feel free to contact me with any questions before buying.
In addition to my 100% 5-star feedback rating here on reverb.com, I also have a 20 year, 100% positive feedback rating on eBay (from nearly 1000 ratings-user name 'scedro'). Note: The set-up on any guitar is subjective & a matter of personal taste, which of course varies for every player. While each instrument I sell is professionally set-up prior to being listed on Reverb, that set-up may not be exactly to your particular taste 'right out of the box' & (as with any instrument that you buy anywhere) you should expect to possibly make adjustments to the action, string gauges, etc. To suit your exact tastes. Further, after instruments are set-up & photographed for listing here on Reverb, they are detuned before storage to prevent undue stress on the neck. Then before shipping, all instruments are detuned further until the strings are almost 'slack,' as is recommended for safety during shipping.
During the time that the instrument is detuned, if it has a truss rod, the neck may be pulled into a slight back-bow, as the strings are not providing the opposing force to maintain the usual slight relief (or flat position in some cases). When you receive the instrument, therefore, the strings may buzz at first because of this temporary slight back bow. Simply tune it up to proper pitch (440) & give it a few hours to adjust back to the proper string tension. Also, because of differences in climate between Michigan & where the guitar is shipped to, as well as differences in season (temp./humidity) between when the set-up was performed & when the instrument was sold, the instrument may require minor adjustments (e.g.
To the truss rod, etc.) upon arrival to you. None of the above has any impact on & does not in any way relate to the 'condition' of the guitar as specified in the above listing. Product Specs Condition: Brand: Model: Finish: Categories: Year: Made In: United States.
Vintage Ovation Bass
Full text of ' Magnum means performance. There are two, new solid body electric basses from Ovation: Magnum 1 and Magnum 2. One has stereo output. The other, a graphic equalizer. Both put the 'one bass, one sound' idea to rest.
Both are built to perform. Magnum 1 & 2. The Basses from Ovation. 1. Glued and bolted neck attachment. ^.Magnum neck pickup with indi- vidual volume adjustment for each string. Magnum bridge pickup with U- shaped pole pieces for greater sustain, cleaner treble response.T^Cast aluminum tailpiece, slotted for quick string replacement and calibrated for exact compensation.
A clean, bright 'piano bass' sound with the sustain you need. U-shaped pole pieces in the bridge pickup generate a stronger signal.
You hear more of the string's higher overtones and less midrange to muddy the tone. Stereo output on Magnum 1.
A separate jack for stereo lets you plug Magnum 1 into two amps, or two channels of one amp. Pickup output is split for a wider tonal range. (See figure 1.). A graphic equalizer on Magnum 2. Three slide controls adjust bass, midrange (400 Hz), and treble (± 12 db).
A built-in preamp gives you volume compensation for all tone changes. (See figure 2.) fig- 1. A neck pickup that eliminates string imbalance.
Four volume potentiometers let you adjust the level of each string individually. You can get the same punch in every range- bass, mid and treble. A neck that stays straight and playable. Three strips of a new material called carbon-graphite reinforce the neck. With a steel tension rod, they make it more than twice as strong as wood alone. Accurate intonation.
A cast aluminum tailpiece with solid brass saddles gives you over an inch of compensation adjustment. Magnum accommo- dates any kind of bass string. And, intonation is correct all the way to the 20th fret. Other Magnum features: A1-piece, Honduras mahogany body; a lever-action mute; a glued and bolted neck mounting for enhanced sustain; chrome- plated tuning hardware with 22:1 ratio; 34' scale length. Limited Lifetime Warranty Ovation Instruments, Inc. ('Ovation') limitedly warrants to the original retail purchaser that guitars manufactured by it shall be free from defects in materials and workmanship for the lifetime of the original retail purchaser. This warranty shall not apply to the following components and properties of Ovation's guitars: strings, tuning hard- ware, worn plating or electric components, or normal fret wear, service parts and accessories including amplifying devices (other than factory-installed devices which shall be subject to their individual warranties, where applicable).
Ovation Magnum Bass Serial Numbers
Additionally, tone, because it is a sub- jective matter, is not warranted. The obligation of Ovation hereunder is limited to the repair of such product claimed to be defective (through the use of standard materials and processes in effect at the time of repair) f.o.b.