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MGR/Grahame B. « Ovation Viper »
Published on 11/09/06 at 15:00I have been playing guitar and bass since I was 12 (I'm almost 30 now). I learned a few things from my dad, who has been playing both for most of his life, but much of my education came from spending hours upon hours playing along with my dad's collection of Beatles and Beach Boys LPs. I've been blessed with a good ear, so picking things up is really easy for me, and is mainly how I learn. My main influences, besides the Beatles, are Wilco, Pedro the Lion, The Byrds, Sufjan Stevens, the Beach Boys, and Kings of Convenience. If we're talking specifically about bass, my influences would also have to include Ben Folds Five.
I've also played drums now for about 10 years or so. Ringo Starr is my single biggest influence in this arena. He is the drummer's drummer, and never let his ego get in the way of a great song.
I'm currently in between bands as I'm finishing college. But I've been in several different bands, each playing a different style of music.
My dad actually got two Vipers at a pawnshop in Northern Minnesota. He got the two guitars and a case for $150.
One of my favourite things about the guitar is that it's not popular. I saw a picture one of the guys from Abba playing one, but other than that I've never seen anyone, celebrity or otherwise, playing one publicly.
The neck has 24 frets, which is really nice if you're into playing high on the neck. If you're primarily a rhythm player, you may not like the longer neck, but it never bothered me.
The tone you get from this instrument is fantastic. The two single-coil pickups provide a great sound not unlike a Telecaster. The magnets in the bridge pickup are even angled like a Tele.
And speaking of pickups, both are mounted on the pickguard, which covers most of the front of the guitar. Removing the pickguard will allow access to all the electronics.
Vipers are fairly light and well-balanced guitars. It's a slab-body design like an SG or Tele, or even a Gretsch Corvette if you remember those.
There isn't much about the guitar I don't like. One tough spot is the lack of available repair parts. Fortunately, I have a friend who is an absolute wizard with guitars and guitar electronics, but I'm sure most people don't fare so well. If your pickups happen to conk out, you might be able to replace it with a mini-humbucker (if a simple re-wiring job won't do the trick).
Also, I would move the strap button to the back of the neck base, like on the SG, but the chrome plate prevents that from being done easily. Given the angle of the upper bout curve, a non-locking strap can sometimes slip off easily, but it's not a major point of contention.
Like I said, the guitars are a slab-bodied single-cutaway design with two pickups (the Viper II has three). The wood and materials are high-quality, and workmanship is excellent. Two large knobs provide volume and tone control, and pickup switching is done by a small three-position switch similar to the one on Gibson models. The 1/4-inch jack is on the front facing out. The headstock has the trademark Ovation style and logo, with off-set tuning pegs installed three per side.
You will probably only see this guitar in a pawnshop or second-hand music store like Music-Go-Round. Some can be found on eBay. If you happen to see one of these, you would do well to buy it. Mine is definitely one of the nicest that I've ever played.
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com
I've also played drums now for about 10 years or so. Ringo Starr is my single biggest influence in this arena. He is the drummer's drummer, and never let his ego get in the way of a great song.
I'm currently in between bands as I'm finishing college. But I've been in several different bands, each playing a different style of music.
My dad actually got two Vipers at a pawnshop in Northern Minnesota. He got the two guitars and a case for $150.
One of my favourite things about the guitar is that it's not popular. I saw a picture one of the guys from Abba playing one, but other than that I've never seen anyone, celebrity or otherwise, playing one publicly.
The neck has 24 frets, which is really nice if you're into playing high on the neck. If you're primarily a rhythm player, you may not like the longer neck, but it never bothered me.
The tone you get from this instrument is fantastic. The two single-coil pickups provide a great sound not unlike a Telecaster. The magnets in the bridge pickup are even angled like a Tele.
And speaking of pickups, both are mounted on the pickguard, which covers most of the front of the guitar. Removing the pickguard will allow access to all the electronics.
Vipers are fairly light and well-balanced guitars. It's a slab-body design like an SG or Tele, or even a Gretsch Corvette if you remember those.
There isn't much about the guitar I don't like. One tough spot is the lack of available repair parts. Fortunately, I have a friend who is an absolute wizard with guitars and guitar electronics, but I'm sure most people don't fare so well. If your pickups happen to conk out, you might be able to replace it with a mini-humbucker (if a simple re-wiring job won't do the trick).
Also, I would move the strap button to the back of the neck base, like on the SG, but the chrome plate prevents that from being done easily. Given the angle of the upper bout curve, a non-locking strap can sometimes slip off easily, but it's not a major point of contention.
Like I said, the guitars are a slab-bodied single-cutaway design with two pickups (the Viper II has three). The wood and materials are high-quality, and workmanship is excellent. Two large knobs provide volume and tone control, and pickup switching is done by a small three-position switch similar to the one on Gibson models. The 1/4-inch jack is on the front facing out. The headstock has the trademark Ovation style and logo, with off-set tuning pegs installed three per side.
You will probably only see this guitar in a pawnshop or second-hand music store like Music-Go-Round. Some can be found on eBay. If you happen to see one of these, you would do well to buy it. Mine is definitely one of the nicest that I've ever played.
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com