Ovation 70th Anniv. PSP 2078AXP-QMBB-G

I spent a couple of weeks playing the Ovation 70th Anniv. PSP 2078AXP-QMBB-G in rehearsal and a short live run to get a feel for how the instrument behaves unplugged and through a PA. I was looking for a roundback acoustic that combined the classic Ovation projection with a modern preamp - and this 70th anniversary take on the 2078AXP delivered a lot of what I hoped for while also showing a few of Ovation's usual trade-offs.

First Impressions

Out of the case the guitar immediately looked the part - the finish on this limited 70th anniversary run is eye-catching without being over the top, and the multi-soundhole layout and epaulet work give it a refined, modern appearance. The bowl - a Deep Contour Lyrachord style - felt familiar and comfortable against my thigh, and the 5-piece mahogany/maple neck had a flatter, fast feel that made fretting across the upper register easier than I expected. I noticed straight away that the action was set reasonably low at the factory for light strumming and fingerpicking, and the nut width felt in line with Ovation norms around 1 11/16 inch which suited my hands for capo work and quick chord changes.

Design & Features

Structurally this 70th Anniv. model is essentially a special-edition 2078AXP Elite Plus - that means a solid spruce top with scalloped bracing riding over a deep-contour Lyrachord roundback body, plus the multi-soundhole/epaulet aesthetic Ovation is known for. The neck is a 5-piece mahogany/maple construction and the fretboard and bridge on the Elite Plus platform are high-grade ebony or equivalent deluxe woods, which give the guitar a premium tactile feel and stable tuning behavior. Hardware is typical Ovation - sealed diecast tuners and a low-profile bridge setup - and the finish and binding work on this anniversary instrument were clean and consistent across the sample I played.

Electronics & Amplified Tone

On stage I relied on the built-in OP-Pro Studio preamp and OCP-series undersaddle pickup to push the signal to the desk, and the system was reliable and easy to dial in. The preamp gives the usual tools - a multiband EQ, expressor/drive controls and an onboard tuner - and when I needed a quick tweak the controls were intuitive and reasonably musical. Plugged in the guitar retained its Ovation character - tight low end, clear upper mids and a focused presence - though, as with many piezo systems, the direct piezo sound can be a touch percussive and a little brittle without EQ smoothing from the desk or a light chorus/room reverb on the send.

Playability & Comfort

The deep-contour bowl helps the guitar sit comfortably whether seated or on a strap, and the cutaway gave me full access to the upper frets when soloing. The neck profile is a modern slim-flat shape that encouraged faster playing and chord runs, and the fretwork on my sample was smooth with no sharp edges - the setup out of the box made barre chords clean and intonation was good across the neck. It is not the lightest acoustic out there - these deep-contour bodies carry mass - but I never felt constrained during a typical 60-90 minute set.

Real-World Experience

In rehearsal the acoustic projection was impressive for a bowl-bodied guitar - it cut through ensemble strumming without needing amplification and the sustain was even across the strings. In a small club run where I plugged into the house PA the preamp responded well to subtle EQ moves and the onboard tuner saved time between songs. I did find that for solo fingerstyle parts I preferred the unplugged tone - a little warmer and rounder - and for amplified rhythm work I leaned on the preamp low-mid control to tame a slight top-end edge that the undersaddle pickup accentuates when played hard.

The Trade-Offs

There are a few compromises to call out - the piezo-based amplified sound is useful and stage-ready but can sound a bit "quacky" or harsh without EQ, especially if you push the attack or rely on the on-board drive. The deep-contour bowl gives great projection but does add weight compared with a thin-bodied modern acoustic, so if you need featherweight comfort for long acoustic sets this might not be the ideal travel companion. Finally, the limited-edition nature of the finish means a premium over standard 2078AXP models - which is fine if the look matters, but budget-conscious players should compare standard variants before committing.

Final Verdict

The Ovation 70th Anniv. PSP 2078AXP-QMBB-G is a strong option if you want the classic Ovation projection and modern on-board electronics in a distinctive limited-edition package. I would recommend it for gigging singer-songwriters and players who need reliable amplified tone with immediate presence, and for anyone who values the ergonomics of the Lyrachord bowl and a fast neck. If you play mostly unplugged solo fingerstyle or need a super-light stage guitar you may prefer a different instrument, but for balanced stage versatility and a refined build this anniversary 2078AXP is hard to fault.