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Location: NoHo, CA | Alright people let's start talking electrics again. I've sold all my other electric and now all I have are my GP's. But given their rarity and escalating cost I'm a little nervous about taking them out to play. Anyway, how's the UK II? Never played one but I like the overall idea. I've had a preacher and a viper - any similarities? (I would guess if there are any it would be closer to the preacher). Just how hard can one rock with a UK II?
Thanks!
-T |
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Posts: 7247
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | <>
I wrote an article on the UKII at the Ovation SolidBody and Storm Series site. Just click on UKII. I don't like the preacher pickups, unless they are WITH the pre-amp like on the Preacher Deluxe or Deacon. I feel the original large Breadwinner pickups sound more like humbuckers than these mini-humbuckers on the later Deacons and Preachers. I like the Viper pickups a lot too. The UKII pickups rock, and can also go nice and clean too. |
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Posts: 146
Location: Ct./ USA | Ickygoo whats up with you? Thanks for bringing back memories of Ovation electrics/solid bodies. I had the prveelidge to play them "all" wile working on them, outstanding. I would not mind owning a Decon or a UKII, I am looking to buy one.
To bad we can not build somemore of them!!!!! |
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Posts: 873
Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | the ukII is about the only solidbody i play anymore. i can't say enough good about this guitar and i am currently gigging with it 6-8 times a week. it consistantly delivers the sound i need with its versatile pickups and the unique single coil emmulating switches. the quality of the workmanship is up there with what would cost major bucks in a guitar today. the neck is superb. they look good. the technology alone will even have the sheep listening, and they will allow you to find some stuff in your fingers you might not have thought was there.
i recently was in los angeles buying another amp for our local gigs, and the guy at guitar center said grab anything to test the amps. i grabbed a 4k les paul with clean strings, and it had nothing over my ukII and was as heavy as a truck rim hanging on my neck. the craftsmanship of the paul was ford like compared to the primo fitup of the ukII. i haven't had the fortune to run into a gp yet, but it would be hard to imagine a better guitar for what i do than a ukII. i WOULD trade ukII for the paul, sell it, buy another couple of ukIIs and an adamas longneck and try to keep from laughing out loud at my good fortune.
i can only find a few things i would change, that don't affect their normal playability. the intonation with the all metal schaller style bridge is difficult to set without modificationto the bridge pickup to allow access to the adjusting screws, or by loosening the strings to get to the screws, or by removing the bridge pickup and using the neck pu only to set intonation. luckily, if you use the same strings consistantly, this is rarely in need of subsequent adjustments. the other things are minor and only require regular inspection and care. the brass nut isn't fixed and one time i bent the low e really hard on the 2nd fret and the nut moved causing the tuning to be off on all strings. not cool during a gig. there are several possible remedies. i used a tiny drop of superglue. you also want to keep an eye on the brass nut and saddles for burrs which cause the strincs to break prematurely. i do allot of palm muting and am constantly adding palm sweat to the galvanic thing happening at the brass saddle/steel string interface. add a little coastal salt air and that high e is lucky to last through 5-6 hours of hard gigging. i have tried lots of stuff to prevent this from happening with some success. my next plan is a sacrificial zinc like used on boats, attached to the underside of the bridge assembly. either that or start playing something less punishing than the style i use.
anyway, amigo, if you have a shot at a ukII, YOU WONT BE SORRY!!! if you ever make it down this way bring a gp and we'll make a live comparison.
by the way i have vipers, breadwinner,eclipse, gs, several ukIIs and even a (the) brownbird 12 string as well as a couple of dozen other ovations. O's rule!! |
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Location: Scotland | I'd guess that in a few years, when the world has forgotten the one guy who made the GP hip for a while, the UK11 may seem like a better investment.
AS for "rockin' hard" the UK11 has some of the highest output pickups ever and it's difficult to make loud pickups that sound good |
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Location: San Bernardino, California | Just in case you don't get the one your bidding on:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2515153979&category=2384 |
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Posts: 114
Location: NoHo, CA | Thanks all for the useful info. You guys are awesome. So check this out - I head off to Guitar Center Hollywood. I know, I know I hate that damn place but they have the tone pros locking bolts I want for cheaper than I can buy from WD music. SO I head in there and as usual it's the ego audition fest in full swing. You got your business guys there playing their white boy blues on PRS's, your shedder guys trying to impress their bored girlfriends, and several other jack asses that wouldn't know a great guitar if it was hanging in front of them. Speaking of which a beat to hell UK II is hanging in there. A quality guitar mixed amoung the cookie cutter electrics. Well, I reached right up and went for it. I mean you guys are helpful but playing one in person is the ultimate test. Now matter what crappy amp (IMHO Guitar Center has no amp worth buying) I played it through it sounded awesome. Now I'm not a world class player, I good but I also don't try and make people check me out in a guitar shop. The tone made people take notice, me especially. Damn what a great guitar! I've never heard a bolt on sustain for so long. I liked the guitar so much I played it throug a Line 6 amp for 1/2 an hour and I hate Line 6 amps (it was the only one not in use). Now this being Guitar Center they wanted waaaaay too much for it especially since it was beat to hell and back. I could see the frame in a few spots. But I am so buying a UK II it's not even funny. Which reminds me. I'm off to e-bay...
-T |
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Posts: 873
Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | well done ickygoo. looks like you scored a nice clean ukII. if you are like me it will become your favorite guitar. if there were to be a solid body re issue at ovation, this would be what represents what ovation is all about. technology that makes the sound and playing better. why build or reissue something similar to the other wooden guitars out there when you already have something this good. i hope that the ovation decision makers consider this.
cwkII, your baby, the ukII, imho is in the top 10 of the coolest solid bodies ever built. by the way, you know that owners manual that no one seems to have ever seen? well, i have one. i hope to find a scanner or photograph it and i'll send it to alpep for the reference section.
icky-----type ukII into search here at the top of this page and learn more about that star wars axe you just scored. |
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Location: Lafayette, Louisiana | Icky, all this UK2 stuff is bummimg me out. I had a black one years ago. In fact there is a picture of me playing it at our high school musical. It remains one of those "why did I ever sell it?" guitars. I remember it ended up in a local music store for years. I wish I knew what finally happened to it. AAAAAWWWWW DAMN, now I am all bummed out again. Might have to go track me down a UK2!!!!!!....Paul Hebert |
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Location: Lafayette, Louisiana | Icky, cool you got the white with the natural finished neck. Very cool, let us know how you like it....Paul Hebert |
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Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | oooooooooh! the black ones with that gold hardware look elegant and scream like a panther in heat. did you have the bow tie mots inlays or the rectangular mother of pearl paul? man, you must have really needed the duckets to part with it. i started collecting them until i decided i was bidding against my amigos here on the ofc and backed off, and i already have enough to keep me my son and grandson going already. hope you find another one and dont experience "a momentary lapse of reason" again. my black one is touring in texas with my twin nephew's band "texas renegade". |
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Posts: 114
Location: NoHo, CA | So now I'm waiting for the guitar to come. It's that weird anxious feeling. It's not even here yet and all this talk about a black one makes me want to get a black one too. Black and white, how cool would that be? I have serious GAS issues... |
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Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | actually, the grey blackburst ones are pretty cool too. i have one for gigs and a truely mint one for recording in this color. see the gallery. i also have a brown one w bowties, a white one with rectangles, and a white one with dots and chrome hardware. they are in proof condition.
gotta go my ride to today's gig just arrived |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | But do you have a UK III as I like to call it? How about a UKII with a WOOD top? |
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Location: San Bernardino, California | When I stumbled on this ( www.farnellguitars.com ) my first thought was that someone was trying to reinvent the UKII. |
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Posts: 114
Location: NoHo, CA | Miles,
I saw those on your collection page. Awesome! Are you asking me if I want to buy one? If that wood top UK needs a new home you just let me know... |
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November 2002
Posts: 1196
Location: Lafayette, Louisiana | Icky, wouldn't you love to go over to Mile's place and play all those guitars! Mile's should call his plave OSH, that is Ovation Solidbody Heaven!....Paul Hebert |
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Location: Lafayette, Louisiana | Miles, can you give us some history of the wood top UK2. That is one cool guitar!...Paul Hebert |
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July 2002
Posts: 327
Location: Houston, TX | If anyone is interested in buying my UKII, email me for pics and we can talk about price.
It's a brown sunburst with a pick guard and bow-tie inlays, gold hardware. Couple of body dings (on the back), which I will clearly show in the pics. Plays fine, no problems - I just haven't "made the connection" with this guitar. I have about ten guitars, and this one just hasn't stayed in the rotation. I have no complaints about the UKII, it's just that I have others that I find myself gravitating toward.
I'm just thinking that if I'm not going to play it, it may as well go to someone else who will.
It looks just like the one in the ad for UKII's on Miles' Ovation Storm and Solidbody page.
Let me know by email - intermetroman@msn.com |
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Location: Nova Scotia, Canada | Hey Miles, are those guitars stock? Very cool, either way.
Thanks!
Wayne |
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May 2002
Posts: 1445
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada | Hey Miles, are those guitars stock? Very cool, either way.
Thanks!
Wayne |
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January 2003
Posts: 1498
Location: San Bernardino, California | Did someone mention a black UKII?
( http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2515512779&category=2384 ) |
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Location: Nova Scotia, Canada | Here is a pic of a Bluebird with UK2 electronics, with the exception of single volume/tone controls.
Wayne |
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Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | Would UKII pickups fit a Viper without modification? |
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May 2002
Posts: 1445
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada | Yes Bailey, they are identical in size and mounting points. The coils of a UK2 pickup has individual leads for each coil so you can hook them up in series or parrallel, or use toggle switches to get both options.
Wayne |
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To UK II or not UK II that is the question...
