Ovation Magnum Bass For Left Handed??

Wow, I didn't know they existed, either. Sure looks legit to me, it's the right shape and hardware (reversed).

 

Definitely a legit Magnum, I've never seen a left-handed one though, so yeah you're likely to purchase an extreme rarity there...

Great and unique-sounding basses these are IMO. May it serve you well.

 

Are we sure the body is a magnum body? It doesn't resemble a 1 or 3. The pickup spacing is different, the neck pickup is flipped, there is no pickguard.

Is it a prototype?

 

Plus, no one is going to go to that much trouble to build a knock off of a bass no one knows about.

 

My guess is a custom body using all bona-fide components, but then again, there is no telling what ovation may have built

 

It's more like a reversed 3, but not quite. It may well be the only lefty they ever did, and therefore custom by definition.

 

Similar to...

 

i don't find them that similar in shape, layout, or anything. the body matches the headstock perfectly though, and it looks very professional from the pics. i could easily see it being a prototype. the current ovation company would be useless though, and likely have no information on it, as they weren't the ones who built em.

this is mine flipped. the body is quite different.
View attachment 3108885

 

its like a wal and a magnum 1 had a south paw baby! i would buy it just to see how that massive quadbucker sounded in that position.

 

Big question...how much is he asking for it?

 

My guess, and that's all it is: Somebody made a left handed body for that bass and looks like they did a good job. The wood doesn't have much grain, probably alder, as opposed to what Magnums usually look like. The tuning keys are position just like a RH model. The bridge mute handle is inverted, as are the poles on the humbucker. Granted, since all the hardware is proprietary, it would be costly to manufacture them for a small LH run. But the body shape, while cool, is far from traditional Magnum shapes.

 

If it's a legit manufactured body by ovation, it's likely worth every penny. If not, it's up to your preferences. I would attempt to contact kaman and get it verified.

 

+ 1

OP did contact them, but the problem IMO is that no one who's currently there has any recollection of past going that far, not to mention that serials on Ovation's electrics and basses are a "best guess" practice in most if not all cases.

The hardware and neck alone would likely recoup the investment - once again, IMO - if OP decided to part the bass out.

My $0.02 only...

 

There was an email for a guy that still works for the mother company that was there then, and he has closely dated them. You could email Steve wishnevsky from wishbass. He was a designer for them and may know. May not. Who knows.
Wishbass@bellsouth.net

 

Wish was a designer for Ovation!?!?!? this explains a lot...