Ovation 1431E-Ultra GP

1984 Wine Red Ovation GP. Made in Korea, assembled in USA. Has the two Korean knock-off Dimarzio Super 2's, and they sound incredible. Has really cool inlays. Tuners are Grovers. Schaller bridge. I would call this guitar the perfect combination of a les paul and a jazzmaster.

Best sounding guitar I have ever played. Has an extremely wide range. Really really cool tone!

This is where I really love this guitar. It is seriously the most comfortable guitar I have every played. The best part about it is the neck blends perfectly into the body, so playing on the upper frets is a dream. Has a great belly-cut in the back. Also, unlike a Gibson, the guitar is perfectly balanced, not top-heavy. Perfect player's guitar.

Never had a problem with it, and before I got it, it was sitting in a case for 10 years.

Never tried.

I've been playing for about 10 years. I'm 21 now and have gone through many guitars. I will be playing this one till the day I die.

I assume from reading several other reviews that this guitar was made between 1983-85. Also, it has the real DiMarzio's in it. I'm pretty sure of this because it has the circular input jack. It has Schaller tuners which say "made in W. Germany," which I found amusing. The body is either mahogany or ash. I'm not an expert on woods, but a piece of the headstock has been knocked off and a small section of paint about 1" long X 1/2" wide. The neck wood is light brown and fine grained, so it's probably mahogany. The body is of a lighter shade but also fine grained. Maybe it's just a yellow mahogany. The finish is a very slick, solid black, but I can see the path of the woodgrain through it (I suppose this has to do with its treatment and age). I think it has all original parts (except for three of the volume/tone knobs which have been knocked off at shows). The cool thing about the pots in this guitar is that they absolutely have to be high quality. Never before have I played a guitar with brass attachments for the knobs.

This guitar suits a very wide style of playing. I first got the thing in my junior year of high school on New Year's Eve 2002. Having never known Ovation to make solid body electric guitars, I was thoroughly surprised to see one hanging on a wall next to a bunch of really crappy guitars. When I got it, I was playing in a punk sort of band, in which I usually had my guitar pretty heavily gained through a Marshall JCM 900. I still play it through the same Marshall and use it for bluesy stuff, stoner rock, my friend Aaron borrows the guitar and amp frequently for a very dancy new wave/electro/punk sort of band. What I like about the sound so much is that it can go from really trebly to really bassy. Great midrange response too. Also, the pickups are very sensitive to pinch harmonics (is it pinch or pitch?). You know, that squealy sounds that Billy Gibbons makes in a lot of his solos. For about three weeks, I consider trading it for a les paul junior, but soon realized the LP didn't have nearly the tonal capability of this guitar. I had considered trading it because I didn't like the nasty microphonic feedback the I often get. Now, however, I know not only how to avoid the microphonic feedback, but how to use it to my advantage as well. I've never heard a guitar growl like this one. I have played it through several Marshalls, Peaveys, Fenders, Oranges , etc. Always, it delivers accordingly to each amp. I prefer playing it through Marshalls and Fenders because it can sound like a twangy Tele or Gretsch though a Fender and a ballsy array of high gain/distortion through a Marshall, Orange amps are a luxury. I may be mistaken, but I think I have been able to re-create the exact tones of Johnny Ramone to Eric Clapton's Cream sounds to Slayer to Carl Perkins and so on. Tonal response to my Vox wah pedal is ver drastic. Wah with this guitar can go from the most ear piercing trebles to the most out of phase lows. Scrape your pick on the lower strings rapidly whilst fiddling with the wah in a high gain setting. What you will hear is monkeys, cheetas and demons screaming.

I don't know much about how well this guitar was set up at the factory since I bought it 20 years after it was made. But, everything seems to be in order, that is, aside from how I have abused it. Abundant with flaws, this guitar was certainly not in mint condition when I bought it. Plenty of whiskey marks on the neck, a chip of paint missing from the backside, little scratches and dings all over the place. I love the nasty look of it though. Only since I have owned it has it really come to look nasty. I mean, it's getting its due wear. This is not a guitar to be polished every day, put in the closet, hidden from visitors. This guitar is pure muscle, it withstands heat and cold very well. So it's a neck through? Would that explain why after all that I have put this guitar through that the neck remains perfectly straight? There is a lot of gunk buildup around the frets as it has been since I bought it. The Frets are also pretty well worn. The were in find condition when I got it, but the notches that I have made don't effect (affect?) the playability at all. It's definitely as good as an old old Les Paul and much better than a new one. The carved out contour on the back of the guitar makes it smoother on the stomach (less likelyhood of jabbing oneself when really rocking out). I like how heavy it is, actually, I don't even notice the weight of it until I put on another guitar. Most guitars feel terribly light compared to this one, but I don't usually notice that because this GPS-1 is basically the only guitar that I play.

Hell yes, this guitar is durable. I use it for gigs without any backup all the time. Strings only break on this guitar if the are really old, thin, or if you bend a note way to hard; like trying to reach the third octave on the high-E. I suppose that the string I break most often is the low-E, but that is only when the strings have been on for several weeks (I'm too cheap to buy strings all the time) and because I treat the guitar mercilessly when I play. Honestly, I feel sorry for this guitar, I beat the hell out of it. The hardware on this guitar is a little worn, but it doesn't look like it is going to wear out any time soon. The bridge pieces that hold the strings are brass coated nickel or steel. The tuners have never once come loose in any sense of the word. As far as the strap buttons are concerned, I am confused. Perhaps the previous owner repaired them to an extent. They spin freely on the screws but refuse to budge when I tug on them. And, whoever chipped the paint on this thing must have hit it with a hammer because I and nobody else who I know that have used it has done much more. The only piece that has been broken off of the guitar (aside from the volume knob covers) is a chunk of the headstock. I blame this partly on the shape of the headstock and partly on my friend Aaron because he abuses guitars far more than I do. I let him borrow it for a show, and when I pulled it out of the case (not an original case, it fits fine in my old explorer case, a little loose, but not enough to do any damage)the next day this chunk was missing. At first, I was pissed since I knew/know that this guitar is rare, but I got over it. The blemishes only add charm to this guitar.

I have been playing guitar since I was 12 or 13. I am now 20. All during this process of learning, playing, gigging and so forth, I haven't become so attached to a guitar before. Granted, I have owned few other guitars. I learned to play on my dad's really old Gibson acoustic that he got as a teenager. I have bought every instrument I have ever owned (except for harmonicas). First was a Cimar, which, at the time(no longer in existence/production), was made by Ibanez that I bought from a friend for 15 bucks. It was really crappy. I have also owned a Slammer(Hamer sub-brand) Explorer which I traded in to help pay part of the cost for a heavily modified 1982 Ibanez Roadstar (very heavy, very cool, sold to my dad) and an Epiphone Les Paul. I've played hundreds of other guitars though, so I am familiar with many of the tonal qualities and playability and so forth of many well known guitars, and few can compare to this one. It's the only guitar that I actually own right now. "Actually" own because it is truly mine, whereas all of the other guitars in my house belong to band members and friends who leave equipment around all the time. For amps I have owned a little solid state Fender which actually sounded really good, a little crappy crate combo and my Marshall JCM 900. My younger brother has a Fender twin and an old 70's musicman, both of which sound great. Every time I go home, I play around with them and search for new sound possibilities (happens every time!). OVERALL, before I digress too far, I have been nothing but pleased with this guitar. I bought it on a whim, only to find out a couple years later that one of the guys in Queens of the Stoneage plays the same model; only to find out a couple years later just how rare this guitar of mine really is; only to realize more and more just how important this guitar is to me. This guitar is the Hitori Hanso sword of all other guitars, due to its rarity, its craftmanship, its sound capability and playability (not to mention how cool it will make you look when you play it)! Yeah, so there are a lot of fancy guitars out there with five active pickups or really gawdy finishes or signatures or wacky body styles or a combination of all of these. This guitar of mine was built in a standard manner (although it may LOOK striking) with a simple black finish and high quality everything else. Lucky me. I didn't know I owned such a treasured piece of work. My guitar is meant to be scarred, and I will continue to take neccesary care and wear of it.

2 models, both 1984. One has the Dimarzio Super2's and the other comes with the Korean pickups (Both stock). The Super2 GP is Wine Red with a circular input jack while the Korean pickup equipped GP is Honey Sunburst with a square input jack. 2 volume & 2 tone controls. Pickup selector near the vol/tone knobs.

Mahogany Body, Maple Top, Rosewood Fretboard. Double cutaway body with schaller bridge and grover tuners.

This guitar was made popular by Josh Homme and they are extremely rare. You'll see one on ebay every so often and they are now fetching up to $3000.

These guitars are the ultimate tone machines. They deliver such a punch with the high output and the tone knobs seem to cover more of a range than any other guitar I've played. The cleans delivered from these guitars is amazing. Crystal clear. I didn't know a guitar could sound this good. Stick it in front of an overdrive and it will drive it better than any guitar you've ever played. Stick it in front of a fuzz for some of the heaviest sounds you've ever heard. I usually use the GP in front of a fuzz to get Tool, Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age type tone. This is an extremely large part to Josh Homme's tone...Yeah he's using more Maton's these days in concert but after seeing the Queens 6 times now, I can tell you his tone isn't as good as it used to be, except of course when he busts out his GP for some of the old Queens songs.

Now, as far as the pickups go, people like to call the Korean pickups "knockoffs"...I think "upgrades" would be more appropriate. These things just seem to sound a little better. Not taking anything away from the Super2's, they are amazing...just don't think they are a necessity. Side note: Josh Homme has a GP with korean pickups in it.

These guitars are very nice looking. You can't expect it to stack up against say a Gibson in visual features and quality because these guitars were originally priced at 400 dollars and were from what I understand, demo guitars. However, when you play it, you will realize the masterpiece it is. The neck is the most comfortable neck I've ever played and the guitar is quite heavy.

These guitars are 21 years old and they are both almost dead mint. They still play as if they are new. The only problem I've ever had was that I had to resolder the input jack on one of them. Aside from that, no complaints. These guitars are in it for the long haul.

Haven't ever dealt with Ovation

I'll give this guitar a 10. I've owned and played Les Pauls, Explorers, Strats, Jaguars...etc. I now only own two guitars because simply nothing will ever match up to these guitars. If you want an idea of what they are like, visualize a Les Paul on steroids. I originally bought one of these just out of sheer curiousity and hype. The other as an investment. It's not longer an investment...it's a part of me. Believe me, it's not hype...this guitar is the real deal. The kind of instrument you dream about. You don't see people complaining in their reviews that they payed too much. There is a reason Josh Homme owns like 5 of these (that we know of). This guitar is simply a 10, and it's rare. If it is lost or stolen, you'll find me in jail after I hunt down the person who tries to sell it on ebay.

Very heavy Mahagony Body with Sunburst finish , 2 Dimarzio Humbuckers and Schaller hardware.3-way switch, great playable Neck!

This Guitar is a Dream ! I Purchased it from E-Bay and after pluggin it in , the sound just blows me away ! I play for 6 Years now and this is the best sounding Guitar I ever played . I played an Gibson Les Paul Standard,Fender 71`Stratocaster ,Fender USA Jazzmaster,Fender Big Apple Strat and a Gibson SG and this Guitar rocks them all away ! Ican get all sounds from jazzy mellow to funky clean sounds and the Distortion Sounds like the sun is getting up...

This Guitar is 22 Years old now and the hardware works very well, the neck plays like a dream .I would use it on Gig without a backup.

If you find one of this rare Guitars , pick it up and you never let it away.This is my Dream Guitar and it were stolen or something else i will walk 20000 miles to replace it !

PS:If you are a Qotsa Fan , try this . This is THE KEY to Josh Hommes Sound

1984 double cut-away mahogany solidbody with carved maple top, 2 DiMarzio Super2 humbuckers (not super distortion2), DiMarzio electronics (2xtone + 2xvolume + 1x3-way toggle switch and DiMarzio knobs).
Schaller tuners and Schaller 455 "wrap around" bridge.
the finish is cherry red sunburst (seems like most of them were made in this color)
typical angled ovation headstock
glued-in neck with rosewood fretboard and perloid block inlays (the same were used in the late uk II's), the scale is 24 3/4".
original leather hardcase that doesn't have any ovation label.

I'm playing alternative music like the old amphetamine reptile records bands (chokebore, cows, guzzard, helmet, god bullies and so on)

I'm very critical depending to the style a guitar is sounding like. but the DiMarzio Super2's in interaction with the glued-in neck and the positioning of the pu's are a real killer.
the bridge pu has a very clear output which is sounding nearly like a single coil, the neck pu is real fat and powerful. in cooperation both aren't loosing their power like most les paul do.
while you switch the pu's it seems like you split a pu but the bridge pu doesn't loose any power.
the sustain is bright and has a long delay with small decay.
It's just fascinating to hear this monster howl without loosing only one single, clearly hearable tone of each string.

arrangement of gear: ultra gp ->[ boss tu-2 -> jim dunlop jh-fw1 -> boss sd-1 -> boss os-2 -> ernie ball volume] -> mxr omni2 -> ampeg vt-22 + fender dual showman 4x12 cab

other guitars I use: Ovation UK II, Maton Phil Manning Stereo Custom (replaced original pu's with DiMarzio Super2's), Ampeg AMG-1

guitars I sold 'cause they failed: Hofner 166, Gibson SG Standard, Gibson Les Paul Custom

After configuring the string gap and pu loudness (what I do with every guitar to fit it to my requirements) this babe was perfect in every way. wonderful and very fast to play. well balanced in weight and dimensions. very good looking.
the only handicap is a small chip at the headstock.
nevertheless,if I'll sum it up it's a clear 10.

what a question!?! read the other comments or just watch the qotsa- go with the flow clip. josh let the guitar fall on its headstock and nothing happens. try this with a gibson! but better you don't try and just watch it ;)
I don't have any problems with the tuning also I often beat the shit out of this instrument.
using without backup? for sure, if I'd get old enough and wouldn't maltreat my strings the way I do. but I like the style I play and the ultra gp does it also.

never dealt with them

well, again I've got to say read the other comments.
it's kewl if you play a les paul but a ultra gp is playing in another league. it's just the ferrari among the volkswagen.
they are rare, real hard to find and in the meantime quite expensive.
but if you call one your own and/or hear it well played live you understand that every buck you pay is it worth more than 10 times.

1983, Made in the USA with Korean Parts
2 tone, 2 volume.
Dimazrio Super 2 pickups.

Without a doubt, the best sounding guitar I've ever played. This guitar was supposed to be a knock off of the Les Paul but it really just makes the Les Paul look like junk. The variety of tones you can get out of this guitar is amazing.

This is one of those guitars that just feels perfect in almost every way. Some of the designs it seems were made with cheap plastic but the wood is nice as is the finish. Definitely the prettiest guitar I've ever owned though.

Well, these guitars were made in 1984 and this one has barely been touched. So, the reliability is unkown being it hasn't taken that 20 year beating you might expect from a guitar of this age.

This guitar is the ultimate guitar. I guarantee that if you ever come into one of these babies, you're never letting it go.

Okay I figured it's time I submit a review for this guitar. Chances are if your looking at this review your a Queens fan. Me too. Here's what I know about these cool guitars. Made in 1984 for one year. Rumored to be only 250 in existence. Korean parts assembled in the U.S. Came in four colors: wine, honey burst, cherry burst, and solid black. Set neck with a mahogany body and maple top. The neck is rosewood with block inlays. The flame top on the transparent finishes are a veneer. Still looks good though. Three way switch, two tone knobs, two volume knobs. Two humbuckers - either Dimarzio Super 2's or later they were Korean knock offs. Bridge is a Schaller 455. Body is a longer and wider Les Paul shape with a second offset cut away. 24 3/4 scale length. Oh by the way GP stands for "Guitar Paul" as in Les Paul (just in case you wanted to know).

Wow. Ever wonder how Josh Homme gets that super unique, thick guitar tone? Well, I do. Here's a pretty big piece of the puzzle. After three years of searching and searching I now own three of these guitars (yes, I am that obsessed). One has the Dimarzios in it, one has the Korean knock offs, and the other have some custom made Bill Lawrence pick ups that I put in (the previous owner installed EMG's. Yeah, I don't know either). The Dimarzios are hot and have a nice bite, so you can play tuned low and still cut through. The Koreans are a little rounder and a bit bassier too which I also like. The Bill Lawrence?s are really cool as well. They are very well balanced and have a lot of output. I like a heavy low mid sound so I find I have to do a little more EQ-ing with the Lawrence?s to have it match the sound of the other pickups. Still good though and worth the 5-10 extra seconds to make small adjustments. Here's the bottom line though - even with the different pick ups in all three they all still sound unlike anything else out there. Ovation really got it right with these guitars. Too bad they never caught on and too bad they stopped making them.

This is a hard question to answer. Well, these guitars were made to be "student guitars". I believe the list price was like $400. Basically the three I own were all in pretty rough shape when I got them. On one the inlays keep lifting. The routing and stuff is all well done but I have noticed that on the earlier Dimarzio equipped guitars that it's really easy for the 1st string to fall of the fret board. That's a really pain in the ass if you're trying to do some vibrato stuff or just trying to fret notes. Quick tip: you can tell the difference from the Dimarzio guitars and the Korean knock offs by looking at jack. If it's just a small metal circle, it's from the Diamrzio period. If it's mounted to a plate, it's a Korean knock off.

This guitar will not die. Kyuss and Queens have been all over the world not to mention out in the Palm Dessert. These things stand up and won't quit. You may have to do a little pot cleaning or resoldering here and there, but that's to be expected. The stock strap buttons are okay, but I change all my guitars to Dunlop strap locks.

Ovation hasn't made this guitar for almost 20 years. They still will answer questions and provide support. One of my guitars didn?t have a truss rod cover. I called customer service to ask if I could buy one. Kim took my call and called me back on the company's dime. He answered my questions about the guitar and sent me a free truss rod cover. All for a guitar I didn't even buy first hand. That's service. That's awesome.

This is an amazing guitar. Like most guys my age I found out about the GP because of Josh Homme. While I admire his playing and love his band(s), I don't want to be an exact copy of him. He's better and being Josh than I'll ever be. But he has turned people on to this unique and awesome guitar. Now that I own one (well, three) of these I'd love it even if they guy in Lincoln Park played one - although I'd be a little embarrassed we had the same guitar. It just has it's own voice - something you cant really put into words. If this guitar was lost or stolen...I don't know, insert lame analogy for revenge here. Luckily I have more than one. I've been playing for about 10 years. I've owned a lot of other guitars. PRS's, G&L's, Fenders, Gibsons...they're all gone. Now it's just me and the GP's. Aaron said it best in his review. Find one and you'll understand. Otherwise this glowing review probably doesn't make a lot of sense.

The review submitted by aaron pretty much sums it up, Korean made parts assembled in the US. Mine is a gps-1 according to Ovation... 's' for sunburst. Part of the short lived Ultra Hardbody series. That was all the info they could give me, except that it was made for one year 1984.

It has a carved, flame maple top, really sweet and feels like a mohogany body...this is heavier than my Les Paul. This is a neck through body guitar that is very playable, the neck amd fretboard play like no Les Paul I've ever played. My only problem with this guitar is the binding color, which is yellow...pretty weird, kinda ugly, but the rest of the guitar is so nice I can forgive them for that. Also it has a plastic nut. Bone would really be much nicer, but don't forget here....this was a $400 list guitar in the 80's. It was supposedly an entry level guitar I suppose.....nicest entry level I've ever found.

the stock-pickups were replaced before I bought it, the guy gave them to me saying they sounded like crap. I don't think they were the Dimarzios mentioned by aaron. I think the were cheapy korean knock offs. Since then I've put in Rio Grande Bastards. P-90's that fit in humbuck cavitys. They really rip and make the guitar just that much more special, I think mine is definately one of a kind.

Hardware is a schaller bridge and grover tuners, again replaced before I bought the guitar...

I bought the guitar back in '88 for $250 with a hardshell case, doubtful it was the original.

This guitar is FAT, no way around it. A good friend of mine who happens to be golden ears audio engineer type recently visited and played it, about five notes into playing it he stopped, grinned and said "Tone King" then continued to play. I think that sums it up. The Rio Bastards are noisy, but with all that tone....so what. I'll use a noise gate if I have to.

Almost everthing about this aspect of the guitar is perfect. The bridge is killer, easy to set up. Action is easy and fast. It has some finish flaws, but you'd almost be nit-picking. One of the inlays on the neck is a little crooked, but hey....keepin mind that original $400 list and what I actually paid for it and these are really not issues....more like distinct features.

I admit when I first got the guitar, I pretty much beat the hell out of it. I played a bunch of live shows, I practiced in an unheated garage for a year leaving the guitar overnight on many occasions. This thing has really stood up. Two strats (my back-ups) crumbled under these conditions. So I think now that I'm keeping her safe and warm she should last a good long time.

they answered my e-mail about what kind of guitar it was. Pretty much gave me zero info as to what it's original specs were. Apperently they don't really know. Like aaron almost all my info comes from other owners and research. Walter Carter, who wrote the book "The History of Ovation Guitars" gave me some info as well.

I also own a Les Paul Classic, an ES-175, a strat, a tele, and an epiphone 335. This guitar tops 'em all really. I like my Les Paul, but the Ovation is just so unique it just stands out. I have a picture of mine if anyone cares to see what this is all about, i'd be happy to e-mail it to you. If lost or stolen....I don't even want to think about it.

These were made from '84-'85 - the body parts were made in Korea and the guitars were assembled in North Carolina. 22 Frets, set neck, 3way toggle, 2 Vol, 2 tone....Assembled with Dimarzio Super Distortion p/u's and Dimarzio pots. My guitar appears to be an ASH body with a maple top and a Mahogany neck...my friend's honey burst finish is a mahogany body/maple top/mahogany neck. Finishes: these came out in Black, Wine Red, Honey Burst and Cherry Burst. What do you call this body style? well, sort of an offset double cut les Paul...Long body ->over 17 1/2" from strap button to strap button....and a little fatter than a les paul in width.
These came stock with a Schaller wrap-around bridge (killer!) and Schaller machines. Typical 24 3/4" gibby scale. Try and find one with an original case...or just try and find one period.

These guitars are great...much more balsy than a les paul...very bass heavy in the neck position. Great for rock/blues/fusion/metal -anything where you need OUTPUT...this guitar has *almost* too much! Very quiet p/u's -like I said, very bassy in the neck position and cuts like a knife in the bridge position. Very Rich sound - quite varible -would probably be even more versitile with different pickups...but why mess up a great unique tone?

Mine was set up by Skip Goez at Goez String Instruments in Maplewood MO (how's that for props?) and well...it's perfect, I'm running it with .010-.054's and it plays like BUTTER (standard tuning BTW)
My guitar was used...but well loved and flawless....nothing less than a really well made and taken care of guitar.

I do belive this thing will stand up for the long one. I'm not Pete Townsend...I don't like to run my guitars along mic stands or amps.
The finish looks killer still, and I don't doubt that it is as durable as any well crafted guitar.
Yes, would gig w/o a backup

Ovation could not tell me much about this guitar. They really never got too far into the electric solid body market. I've found out the most by simply talking with other owners and comparing specs.

I've owned/still own Gibsons...played many a LP...and I must say there is a certain magic about this guitar. If lost or stolen? HUNT down the MF'er and kill to get it back. Really. I'd find another one if I had to, though it would be hard and costly.
I love the color, I love the playablity, I love the neck, I love the tone...I'm sure there are similar guitars...but NONE exact.
Find one, you'll understand...