Ovation 1578-4

This review is for my Ovation 1578-4 Guitar. The guitar is made in the Connecticut USA Ovation Factory and is a fabulous bargain in my book. It has a AAA Solid Sitka Bear Claw Spruce Top on the Mid-Depth cutaway Lyrachord Body. The top has a super slick gloss clear finish. The figure in the bear claw on mine is really nice and I get lots of comments on it. It has a two piece mahogany neck that is fast and easy to play. The diamond inlays on the fingerboard are really pretty pearls. The tuners are gold hardware with nice large pearl buttons that make the guitar easy to tune. The neck has nice white binding. The body binding is white but the top binding is the abaone pearl top purfling and it looks awesome when the lights hit it at night. The guitar has a fully adjustable truss rod and this makes it easy to adjust where it can have a nice low action so it doesn't have to be painful when I play. It has the top of the line Ovation USA electronics called the OP Pro and it has a great sound and a digital tuner onboard. I love the tuner because it makes it so easy to be spot on in the tuning of the guitar even when everyone else in a Jam is playing.

I have been really amazed at the sound of the guitar. It is my first bearclaw top guitar and the sound is super balanced with really strong bass response yet the mids are clean not muddy and the highs are easily heard and clear. My bass player says it is really punchy, which he says is good because it doesn't have a thin acoustic sound. It is good for clean clear rhythem cords as well as acoustic electric lead lines. It plays easily and quickly and cleanly in all registers and all the frets are well dressed and fast.

Because the guitar is an Ovation that was complete assembled in the USA Ovation Factory the fit of the neck to the body is excellent. The lines are clean and tight and accurate. The bridge set perfectly on the top and the height is exactly right. There are no rattles or buzzes like I have experienced in other acoustic electric guitars.

I have had dozens of guitars over the last 20 years but never one that is as versatile as this instrument. I used to have to carry two guitars to a gig because if I did folk or ballad songs I would want a woodzy acoustic sound, and if I did Rock I wanted a ballzy sound, but this guitar does both. It has very versatile electronics which is what Ovation is really know for and the OP Pro is their latest and greatest and I can see why. It is sweet and clean at lower volume and it can have a bite to it a high volume if I want it. I have not been able to overdrive it so far and the quality seems as good or better than any I have ever had.

The guitar comes with a Lifetime Ovation Warranty like all their guitars. I have not had to have any work done on it yet but I have heard they are among the best to work with when I do.

I have been playing about 20 years and I have several guitars that I have gone through over the years that I even still own. Like lots of old guys, I have an old Martin and a Taylor from the 80's and even an old Gibson J45 that my Dad had when he was younger. I play a 65 Telecaster when I need an electric solid body guitar. However, I find myself playing this Ovation 1578 even when just sitting around the house rather than picking up any of the others. It is just so easy to play and sounds sooo goood. I even had Custom Legend a few years back that got damaged in a car wreck, but it didn't play or sound like this one and the electronics are waaaaaaaaaaaaay better on this one. I have spent a ton of money on guitars in my life but I have never felt like I got the bargain that I did this time. I can't believe they can make the guitar in Connecticut for this price. It is awesome. I ordered it online and it came in only a few days, ready to rock immediately and I have not looked back!