Ovation’s affordable offshoot Applause has announced the arrival of the Jump series of flatback acoustic guitars.
The Ovation brand first rose to prominence in the ’60s, becoming famed for producing innovative parabolic (round-backed) acoustics that utilised a variety of unusual composites and resins in the place of traditional tonewoods.
The Jump Series therefore represents something of a departure from its reputation for innovation, focusing on sustainably sourced tone woods and a more traditional flatback design, albeit finished in a range of modern color choices.
The first two Jump guitars include the Jump OM Cutaway Electro and the Jump Slope Shoulder Dreadnought. Both builds feature solid spruce tops, ovangkol back and sides and maple necks, with more ovangkol on the fingerboard and bridge. Finally, the OM Electro is equipped with an Applause AP3PT preamp, with a built-in tuner.
While the guts of the Jump build might seem (quite literally) straight-laced compared with anything else from the Ovation stable, there is, on closer inspection, a little flair to be found.
First up, there’s the OV Pinless Bridge – a brand speciality that allows you to thread strings through the bridge and do away with frustrating pins. Then there are some fetching aesthetic touches, such as maple binding, matte chrome hardware and the Jump-branded pickguards.
We also have a lot of time for the bright finishes, which will no doubt split opinion, but feel genuinely fresh.
“We are thrilled to introduce the Jump series to our line of guitars,” says Ovation’s CEO, Marcel Messner. “The Jump series is the perfect choice for young guitarists who want to cut through the mix. With its superior craftsmanship, premium materials, sustainable woods and modern colors, the Jump series is sure to appeal to music enthusiasts of all levels.”
The Applause by Ovation Jump Series is available now, with prices ranging from £271 to £313, so we’d expect US tags to be around the $300 mark. Head to Applause distributor GEWA Music for more information.
