Other than a notable small mark on the bass side of the profile near fret 2, the neck profile is incredibly clean. There are some expected minor nicks and faint scratches on the body, mostly relegated to back and lower bout. The original Walnut gloss finish on the bass itself is glossy and clean, with wear through the black plating on the aluminum hardware. The individual adjustable sliding brass saddles have reference scales on the bridge for easy intonation and adjustment recall, with a very “Brannock Device” aesthetic. The proprietary tailpiece is bolted to the body and features a functional string mute system with original foam still intact. A large aluminum bezel spaces the pickups and provides a stable thumb and finger rest. Under the hood, the wiring harness is untouched, with original solder joints on the CTS pots which date to '78. The pickguard features a replacement quartet of knobs, and there is a small pickguard repair at the output jacks. When in Stereo mode, Left and Right outputs are split between the neck and bridge pickup. On the body, the electronics work as they should with individual Volume and Tone controls for each pickup, a three-way pickup selector switch, and Mono and Stereo output jacks. On the headstock, the gold Ovation logo is present along with a set of chrome Ovation-branded tuners that turn smoothly and hold their pitch well.
#1978 ovation magnum bass full#
The scale is a full 34” long and the nut measures 1 9/16“ in width. The thick slab ebony fretboard features a 9 1/2“ radius and the stock flawless fretwire. 835” deep at the first fret and filling out to 1.028” at the 12th. The graphite-reinforced mahogany neck has a comfortable medium C shape with rounded shoulders and lightly rolled fretboard edges, measuring. Professionally setup here at Mike and Mike’s Guitar Bar, this Magnum is dialed in with half round strings, spot on intonation, and comfortable action. Due to the copious metal hardware and solid construction, this bass weighs in at a hefty 10lbs 2oz. The unique bridge pickup has individual U-shaped pole pieces, with a strong output that channels more of the strings higher overtones with a focused piano string-like quality. The neck pickup has four separate and adjustable coils, one for each string, overwound and wired in a humbucking design. The Magnum pickups are designed for high output, tonal versatility, and a balanced response. With a graphite-reinforced solid mahogany body and neck, a thick slab ebony fretboard, and set of half round strings, this bass offers a consummate blend of natural thump and punch. The bass is incredibly sturdy and sonically versatile, with Stereo and Mono outputs, a set of specially designed Ovation pickups, and an oversized “Brannock Device” bridge. 100% original aside from a new quartet of knobs, this Magnum bass was superbly overbuilt and crafted in New Hartford, CT, designed under the highest scrutiny at a time when Ovation was pushing to carve out their own solid body niche. Up for sale, a 1978 Ovation Magnum 1 electric bass guitar in excellent condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original case.