The Magnum is, well, different from most other basses of the time. Combined with the classic Ovation headstock, the look of the Magnum Series is certainly unique. The funky “retro Jetsons” body shape, beautiful transparent- maroon finish, and futuristic hardware really give the Magnum its own visual identity. The rectangular aluminum pickup surround looks cool in a high-tech way and works well as a thumbrest. The bridge is truly a masterpiece, prefiguring future bridge designs. It all goes to show that by the mid ’70s, bass building had evolved dramatically from the rough-and-ready designs of the late ’50s and early ’60s. The bridge has a lever-controlled felt mute, calibration marks to monitor intonation (a nice touch), and brass saddles that no doubt contribute to the instrument’s massive sound. Ovation’s Magnum II has the same body shape and style, but it possesses an active tone circuit and multi-band graphic EQ—once again, ahead of its time.
This thing is built like a tank, and though it is a bit on the heavy side, it sure is fun to play. The upside of the weight is that the one-piece mahogany body’s mass comes across in the tone; even acoustically, the Magnum has a thickness that is hard to come by. The 34"-scale neck has a wide, flat, chunky feel, and the Schaller tuners still work well after 30 years.
Sonically, the Magnum has an interesting combination of Fender and Gibson traits. The huge front pickup has the classic Gibson “mud tone,” but with a more present and open top end, similar to a Fender. The adjustable pickup-height screws really help dial in string-to-string balance. The tone knobs provide a wide range of adjustment on both pickups. At times the Magnum’s growl is reminiscent of a Rickenbacker or a Thunderbird. For even more fun, you can run stereo into two amps: Crank the distortion on one pickup, and run the other clean through your bass rig. Now that’s a sound!
Ovation didn’t compromise in its attempt to go after the bass market, but unfortunately the Magnum series did not succeed in breaking through to the mainstream of the bass world. This undoubtedly had more to do with marketing and the stranglehold that Fender and Gibson had on the market at the time than in any deficiency in these instruments. Regardless, the Magnum basses represent a very interesting side road on the bass highway. Until next time, drive carefully!
DAVE POMEROY
Dave Pomeroy has released nine solo and band projects on Earwave Records. His latest CD is Three Ring Circle, an instrumental trio with Rob Ickes on dobro and Andy Leftwich on mandolin. It’s available at www.davepomeroy.com.