Eastwood Guitars Ovation Ultra GP Tribute

I thought long and hard before getting this guitar. I played an Ovation a few years ago and was really impressed. Once I saw that Eastwood made this tribute, I was excited to try it and now I am excited to play it every time. I've only had it for 2 months so my review is really initial impression. The case costs $99 more, so keep that in mind if you order one...

I play Kyuss and QOTSA along with Tool, other metal, hard rock, Muse, Radiohead and my own stuff which is all down tuned and this guitar does it well. For how light this guitar is, it feels and sounds great and has sweet sustain. You have a lot of tonal control which is nice. With 2 humbuckers and 2 volume / 2 tone you can adjust a lot out of it before it even hits the amp or while you play with out getting lost in pedals.

I do have a dead fret on the 18th, only noticable on the highest string. Adjusting the bridge has helped, but I may need to get the fret filed. The neck is straight, so hopefully it will either "settle" in, or I'll need to file it. I had this problem once with a Jackson and after 3-6 months of play it settled in and was perfect. The 5-Way Adjustable Wrap-Around Bridge is great for tone, but a can be a pain. It's what you get and I knew that, so I am not complaining, just know it requires knowledge and if you do not re-string correctly you can accidentally adjust the action. The tuners seem fine so far and it stays in tune. It actually came in tune all the way from Canada in the winter, so that makes me happy for the future.

So far so good. It seems to be well built so I have faith. I no longer perform live, so for practicing with the band and alone it will last...The tobacco sunburst finish is beautiful...

Email response to my order and request for allen wrench for inotation, were all great. Very quick response and very nice.

I'm 32 and have played for 20 years and have too much gear. Right now I mostly use a Roland Cube30 (sick amp), Vox AC30 and an old Marshall bass head w/ some old cabinet - Boss TU2, Vox Wah, Metal Muff, Vzex Fuzz, MXR 10 band and I am about to get a Shifter for harmony. I use the Roland the most right now. The guitar and amps alone give me no buzz and so far the I think the pickups are great. Overall it gets a great review and is a great sounding guitar for $699. If the dead fret issues was gone, it would get a 10...If you want a Les Paul like guitar without the price for the name, check one of these out...

I have owned this guitar for almost a year now. I waited to post a review to get a true feel and after the honeymoon period. A solid body double cutaway Les paul type guitar with very good quality for the money. I fully expected to have to change tuners, pickups, and pots in order to be happy. I am an experienced pro player with nitpicky high standards. I have yet to change any parts on this guitar. Unknown brand standard chrome Grover style tuners hold tune well. Humbuckers are strong and articulate. My only complaint is a little noise in the pickup selector switch, but I keep it in the lead/bridge position 99% of the time so it hasn't been enough of an issue to replace it. neck is a very comfortable medium C profile and fretwork is polished and accurate. Intonation can be set dead on.

I play contemporary country and southern rock in two different bands and a duo. I use several guitars and find myself grabbing the Eastwood more and more. I play thru any one of three Silverface 70's Fenders, a Princeton Reverb, Deluxe Reverb or a Vibrolux. I have a Pedalpad powered board with an array of high end analog effects (Keeley, CMATMODS, Analogman, Fulltone) that I rotate and change depending on what I need at the time. This guitar is as strong as any Gibson for a fraction of the money. Full rich Humbucker sound, with good sustain and feel. I would like to see the volume control just a little closer to the bridge so I could grab it with my pinky, but that's true of a lot of guitars.

I have never received a guitar setup from the factory the way I like one, so this one was no exception. The adjustments to get it the way I like it were simple and easy and worked as they should. Intonation is accurate up and down the neck and action is smooth Fretwork is excellent for any guitar, especially for one in the $500 range. I used to worry about where a guitar was made, but quite frankly in this day I don't think it matters as much as it once did.

I never gig without a backup. Regardless of reliability. After one year of playing just about every day, either rehearsals or gigs the Ultra has not let me down. Finish shows no signs of wear as yet. I replaced the strap buttons with Schaller straplocks that I use on all my guitars.

Haven't needed any support as yet, however I did write Mike inquiring about another model and my question was answered very courteously and promptly.

I have been playing for many years and own Gibsons and Fenders from the sixties and seventies that I would never take on the road. This guitar gives me the sound I need. I would replace it with another if it were stolen without doubt.

2007 eastwood GP in black.2 volume,2 tone controls.It has 22 frets and all the other specs mentioned in the other reviews.Its just like a les paul,but double-cutaway,which makes playing so much more fluid and easy.I personally find les pauls too heavy and chunky.Compared to an LP this is much lighter and accessible.Tuners do what it says on the tin and the weird bridge is great.I can't stress this enough:the neck is fantastic.It may not have the blended heel of the original ovation,but man is it playable.

this is where the GP shines.It is truly versatile.It does wonderful cleans,but distortion is what it's made for(hey,that's just my opinion).As you've all guessed,I'm a massive fan of QOTSA,the desert sessions,kyuss and i consider josh homme one of the geatest men alive.I love his sludgy fuzzed up tone,and his signature sound relies on a GP.Thanks to this i can nail it even on my dodgy practice amp.Not to say i want to imitate his sound,but man,i love it.I currently run it through utter crap,although my one and only pedal is fantsatic(proco RAT modded by the wonderful robert keeley-someone give that man a medal!-).I am expecting a new amp soon(cant wait for it to arive)and i expect it will finally render my GP justice.To sum up the sound,it is truly unique and the best i've ever heard.

Don't be put off by the made in korea stamp,my GP is incredibly solid.the finish is thicker than my brother,and it came perfectly set up.It has flown all the way from canada to the UK,and it was in tune when it arrived!!No flaws whatsoever,and i expect the guitar to outlive me.I swapped the 10's out for 12's,do i could tune down to C (i play stoner rock)and no adjustments were needed to the neck.It is really strong.This guitar is made as well as any USA made guitar.

will this guitar withstand live playing ? what an odd question.Of course it will!Its tougher than mike tyson for christ's sake!
everything is immaculate and strong,and i am really comforted to know than i can rely on this guitar.I also have a squier strat,that's s***,and compared to my GP is as sturdy as an old person's hip.Would use my entire life without a backup.

Mike is an incredibly nice guy and deserves a medal.warranty is one year ,i think, but i can extend it. however i am too lazy to do so.Who needs warranty with a guitar as reliable as this anyway?

i've been playing for 3 years now,and i own a shit amp and a shit guitar,both squier.Im finally getting my new amp soon(a vintage ampeg-cant wait-)and its tube lovelyness will make my sound so much better.I only own one pedal(a keeley RAT) but am getting a boss delay(i tried one and it oscillates like crazy!it sounds so whack)and a fuzz in the nearby future.Im not such an experienced player,but i can tell,this guitar is a keeper.It has such an amazing vibe about it to.I love this guitar for its sound, looks and the question I keep asking myself:'why the F??$?? would anyone pay one thousand quid for a gibson that's not even as good as a guitar cheaper than it?'.
This guitar is the s***,it has inspired me and many others,including one very well known red headed stoner god(you know who Im talking about).'Nuff said.

Body is mahogany double cutaway, Looks kinda like a Les Paul double cutaway but one of the horns is a bit bigger. The neck has block inlays and a black and white stripe border around the whole thing. The whole guitar feels great. The bridge is a unique design, but i haven't had to restring it so i don't know how effective it is. Feels great looks great. The head is the only thing that does not look like the original, but in my eyes that is good because i think the ovation headstock is ugly.

This guitar sounds great it is amazing i don't know how else to describe it. It may not have as many sounds as my Danelectro Hodad but this guitar has a much better sound that fits into all types of music, while my danelectro is usually only used for surf and ska.

I got it used so there was some little scratches and such but other than that i was very impressed with how this guitar looks.

This guitar seems really solid, i would totally gig with it with out a backup. everything seems good but i am gonna put straplocks on just in case (better safe...). The only complain i have I will attribute to poor care from the previous owner. there is some rust on the frets, pickups and bridge (a little more than i like to see), but that is what happens to metal.

I sent an email and got a response in under 12 hours.

I was buying and selling guitars trying to find the right one, i had a Peavey t-60, westone fat strat, i played epiphones, fenders and i was trying to find the best bang for the buck, the T-60 was close but it didn't have the look i wanted and it weighs a ton. I came across this guitar at a low price and i picked it up, just because it does not have Made in USA stamped on it that does not mean it isn't a quality instrument. My friend who is a better guitar player than me walked into my dorm picked it up and instantly said "I like the feel of this guitar" after playing it he told me not to sell it.

solid black mahogany double cutaway guitar.ridiculously easy neck.The whole guitar has a les paul vibe to it,the feel of it, although lighter, cheaper and ultimately, better.The double cutaway makes high notes a piece of cake(unlike the,ahem,lp) the interesting bridge makes for very easy restringing.The black colour looks niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice.Again, the neck is beautifully natural in hand.When playing it fells freakin'luxurious.

obviously i play a lot of QOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!i also venture occasionnaly into some blues.It suits my style perfectly.This baby can nail hard rock, indie rock,classic rock,blues,pop, you name it.But its better suited for heavy types of music.I use (lucky me) an orange AD3OR amp(f*****g sweet),a carl martin crush zone and a dunlop wAhWaAaAaH!!!(all good stuff by the way).Its got a very trebley and bassy sound, perhaps too trebley for some people but fine for me.I would say it sounds 'full' .Goes from light saturation to full on distorted crunch,to brilliantly smooth clean settings.Those super 2's sing.

absolutely no nicks or scratches.those blokes from korea know what they're doing.when i got it the pickups were slightly too high, creating a buzz, but it was fixed soon after.Action was low, how i like it.The frets were deliciously paralell.STAYS in tune.

A f***ing TANK.Dropped from a 3 foot high amp at my mates house.not even a scratch.I expect this guitar to last a loooooong long time.I always gig with a backup,i take no risks,but its very dependable.

3 month warranty, which is pretty shit.i've had the guitar past the warranty and i have'nt dealt with the company.

I've been playing over 6 years.I also own an epiphone dot,a telecaster and a mexican srat.if it was stolen i'd track down the bastard who nicked it,beat the crap out of him and make him listen to good charlotte for 16 hours.I'd definitely buy again if lost.My mates got a genuine les paul custom and my GP outclasses it in every single way.the sound,weight,look,neck,feel all for a fraction of the price.compared to strats,les pauls,or all other guitars for that matter,it undoubledly wins.I applaud eastwood.

solid guitar

alot like a less paul vintage led zep

flawless

seems to be very well built

they sent me the wrong color i sent it back then i got the one i wanted.

this thing FN rocks

Colour: Black
Body: Mahogany
Neck: Mahogany, Built Neck Thru
Fingerboard: Rosewood, Block Markers
Scale Length: 24 3/4"
Width at Nut: 1 11/16"
Pickups: Dual Super-2 Humbuckers, after vintage DiMarzio Super2
Switching: 3-Way
Controls: 2 Volume, 2 Tone
Bridge: 5-Way Adjustable Wrap-Around
Hardware: Gotoh Nickel/Chrome
Strings: D'Addario #10

I think it is very beautiful tone! Very rich/warm, very nice and fat! I can produce lots tones with my GP - from extremely trebley to very deep bass. The bridge pickups is very bright and trebly but I think it is still good for me. The neck bridge is bassy as hell but again I think it is very nice bass and no muddy sound.
Actual setup is: Eastwood GP->EHX BigMuff???>DeucetoneRAT->EHX SmallClone->EHX Holy Grail->Roland Cube
I'm a big fan of QOTSA, Kyuss, Desert Sessions ... I love stoner rock music!

GP came with great set-up ... travelled from Korea to Canada, Germany and Czech Republic. It was in tune when I got it. Pickups was adjusted well done and I still didn't any repairs on those pickups. Generally, it was prepared perfect for me! :)

There nothing to say about it. I think all is great and perfect!

I can say only the best things about Mr. Brill from Taranaki Guitars shop. He is great guy! I've exchanged more then a few emails, he was very helpful, friendly and he always replied within a day!

I love my GP. I'm very satisfied with it! I own my GP for 5 months and I'm very happy (today too :D)

Two very good and well placed pick ups. the shape and finish of the guitar is unlike any other guitar. Similar to the les Paul model, it has perfected that style and the fact it is a double cutaway makes playing delicate and high pieces a dream.

Everyone goes on about the les pau for sound, well i own a genuine Gibson Les Paul and and i prefer the Eastwood GP. does the job no other guitar can. brilliant at the bass notes, amazing at the high notes. This guitar does what the Les Paul promises to do and does it better. I've used Phaser, Delay, Reverb, Distortion, Reverse pedals with this guitar and it never ceases to amaze me.

no guitar that i've played (and i've played and own a fair few) can compete with this guitar

Now i started out as a classical guitarist and i (unusually) prefered high action. i Have a les paul but that was only for live blues gigs. but for some reason i can't find a fault with this guitar. the action was low when it arrived and i love it. brilliant for playing. it's just so responsive

Since getting the guitar, i've moved from classical still to blues to rock and i assure you the thing is a juggernought. i've punded the crap out of it, one time he strap broke while i was on top of an amp, fell all the way down and hit the floor, it took no damge from that. it has acquired a scratch on the back and genuinely have no idea how it got there. very pleased with the durability

Factory warranty on the guitar is 3 years standard and can be extended for for free. i dont know how long the free warranty extension is coz i'm too lazy to fill out forms but the fact that they offer one is ver encouraging

THIS IS THE BEST GUITAR IN THE WORLD!!!!

EASY!

I'm entering a second review, basically updating my first one, my GP guitar is now a year old.

The neck isnt as fat as a gibson, but it isnt as thin as an ibanez, its a perfect balance in between imo.
you know the spiel (below)

I noticed that it is actually built NECK THRU, i was looking at the back, and i noticed 2 long lines reflecting at me, from the neck joint, all the way down to the strap button. I dont know if this is a flaw, or if its standard, but its awesome considering the price. less than 800$ canadian for a full out neck thru model? thats a steal!
I've upgraded features to a 10 after noticing this neckthru detail.

Now, to make the correction, before i mentioned it being too trebly and not enough output... well that was through a line6 Spider 2, which doesnt speak very well for ANY guitar. This thing has better output than ANY gibson i've played, and the trebel of the super 2's helps it cut through the mix when your gain knob is set high (unlike gibson pickups).
These days i'm still playing hardcore, hard rock, stoner rock (duh), metal, mostly decently heavy stuff... electric wizard, the sword, priestess, open hand... some weezer and cannibal corpse here and there.
The amp i have now is an old Marshall 6100LM, and this guitar just increases the awesomeness. The guitar is absolutely silent through the amp, and the tone is amazing, the guitar's mahogany body has the bass to get my 4x12 thundering, and the pickups have the treble that makes the crunch oh so sweet. I have seen the light: I now live by Super 2's and will never play another EMG in my life. I still haev both super 2's in the guitar, and they're staying that way.
Tone > Output. Nuff said.
Due to future upgrades in my setup (like long cables and some pedals) the long chain will start to eat away my beautiful trebel, and i'm going to be switching out the 250K pots for some 500k's so it can keep singin.
The one thing i don't like is i find there arent enough mids or trebel(i know, i've had a change of heart). My friend installed a super 2 into his Ibanez AX (500K pots) and its louder, has more output, and more trebel compared to mine. Basically, when run through the same setup, my guitar sounds like its going through a 20ft cable, and his sounds like its through a 3 footer... Just another reason for a pot change.

when i first got it --> see below

Only flaw i found these days is a continuous buzz over the 2nd fret from all the strings, but that was fixed by lowering the pickups (i set them REALLY high before) and adjusting the truss. I'm also afraid that the nut is taking a beating from the strings, and i'm probably going to get it replaced. Other than that, this thing has held up perfectly to 500+ hours of play.

This is my gigging guitar, nice weight, and built like a brick. My V is as sturdy as a rotting tomato compared to this thing.
Hardware is still chrome with no signs of blemish, i've never had to tighten the strap buttons, and i dont need a backup for this puppy.
I am however thinking of buying another one. :)
Knowing how much i play this guitar, and seeing/feeling no real change in this guitar has raised its durability rating to a 10. It has taken punishment, and still looks and plays brand new.

after my first mishap (see below) i've had no problems. I should have mentioned this before, Mike Robinson (the my rare guitars guy) did send me directions to purchase the guitar in the first place thouhg :)

been playing for a bit over 3 years, i run this guitar straight into my marshall 6100 with nothing in between, and it handles perfect cleans, and perfect distortion, though for metal playing i'm going to need a tube screamer soon. I'm thinking of buying another GP if i dont find another guitar that compares in build quality. I've gone through schecters, gibsons, fenders, jacksons and B.C. Rich's and havent found anything that gets even close in build quality, unless i were to dish out an extra 1000$...
The only changes i'd make to this guitar are 500k ohm pots, and i'd move the pickup switch somewhere... else. Other than that, i have a sweet mahogany and maple NECK THRU guitar which serves my every need

Like everyone else here, I am also a QOTSA fan. When I saw this guitar I was stunned at how great it looks compared to Homme's guitar.

I just bought this and played it with my Marshall MG100X amp and it sounds amazing.


A definant 100% must buy guitar.