Ovation’s Viper Returns: Two Limited Electrics, Two Different Bridges
Two limited Vipers share 24 frets and coil-splitting electronics, but differ in body wood, finish and bridge. Here is what the official specifications establish.
Ovation’s solid-body Viper is back in two limited-edition versions, with a practical choice at the heart of the range: a fixed bridge or a tremolo. The Viper IV-DTD-G and IV-1-G share a 25.5-inch scale, 24 frets and coil-splitting electronics, but their bodies and bridges take different routes.
Shown at September’s Guitar Summit, the Viper is back in the spotlight with fresh coverage on October 21. GEWA’s current product listings provide the useful detail: each version is limited to 60 instruments.
Blue Burst: the hardtail version
The IV-DTD-G pairs a basswood body and maple veneer with a Babicz Fixed 6 hardtail bridge. Its Blue Burst finish and black pickguard give it a visibly different identity from the other model. For players comparing the two, the fixed bridge is the clearest starting point.
Honey Burst: the tremolo version
The IV-1-G uses an alder body and a Babicz FCH-2 Point tremolo. Official photographs show its Honey Burst finish, cream-coloured pickguard and tremolo arm. It is the option for players who want pitch movement from the bridge rather than the fixed-bridge arrangement of the blue guitar.
There is one catalogue wrinkle worth flagging: the official IV-1-G page’s producer-item field repeats the IV-DTD-G code alongside “Honey Burst”. Its page title, specifications and photographs identify the tremolo version. Anyone ordering should confirm the exact model with the dealer rather than relying on that conflicting field alone.
What both Vipers share
Both have bolt-on maple necks, Java rosewood fingerboards and Black Tusq nuts. GEWA lists US-made Lace Sensor Hot Gold Dually pickups, a three-way selector, master volume and a push-pull tone control for coil splitting. Chrome hardware and an Ovation Viper gig bag complete both packages.
The interesting comparison is therefore not just blue versus honey. It is basswood with maple veneer and a hardtail versus alder and a tremolo, within a shared scale length and electronics layout. Those are meaningful specifications to compare; how either instrument feels or sounds still calls for playing one.
Want to explore the other side of Ovation’s catalogue? The Viper is a solid-body electric, while our Celebrity Elite CE44 guide explains the brand’s roundback acoustic-electric approach, construction and onboard electronics.