Ovation Typhoon F-Hole Short Scale Fretless Reviews 
5 / 5 based on 1 reviewsParkway Music Clifton Pk NY about $250.
I've always wanted an thin hollow fretless
but was holding out for a long scale, of
which I had found none in over 2 yrs. The
price made me check this one out and even
with the short scale, it said to me "What
are you still holding out for ?"
It's light and being short scale I had no
real problem getting a gigbag for it. Its
absolute best feature is its voice, like it
wants to be an upright when it grows up but
it's stuck in late adolescence. The board
has fret lines which I find helpful.
Even though I settled for short scale, it's
a dual pickup bass, a feature I prefer just
as much as a longer scale. So I didn't
have to compromise everything.
The tailpiece type of bridge arrangement is
reassuring after seeing what can happen to
guitar tops with the string tension borne
by bridges attached only to the guitar top.
Also, since action on hollow bodies can be
affected by minor environmental changes, I
like that the bridge height adjusts easily
via thumbwheels, no tools needed.
You have to be rather more cautious about
knocking it around, compared to a solid
bodied bass, and I've never really liked
the strap button location on this type of
instrument [at neck joint] but they're all
alike on that score.
It's a thin bodied hollow bass with f-holes,
bolt-on neck with tilt adjust and adjustable
action via neck rod and bridge. I don't
know what kind of wood, but it's 30yrs old
and has only some minor finish cracks [run
parallel to grain]. Style is symetrical
double cutaway.
Bridge is tailpiece style, adjustable for
height and tilt via thumbwheels, saddles
adjust for intonation via screwdriver.
Schaller tuners.
The pickups are passive, seem to be small humbuckers, and have the usual easy height
adjustment of humbuckers.
It sounds great, and it's not just a one
trick pony tone-wise.
It's easy and comfortable to play.
While I'm more cautious with it than I am
with a typical solid body, it doesn't seem
overly fragile.
Although I had originally wanted a longer
scale, it has won me over.
Golem rated this unit
on
2003-04-04.
