# NGD: Washburn Parallaxe Ola Englund Solar 16DLXC



## InstruMental Case (Sep 10, 2014)

Hello fellow gear nerds! I thought I'd do a post on my new Ola Englund signature model. This is the 6-string deluxe import model with the Evertune bridge. 







The pickups are Seymour Duncan USA-made Custom 5 alnico and a Custom '59 in the neck. The guitar has a 5-way switch with two coil-tapped options that sound great for cleans; very pretty and strat-like. The pickup switch is out of the way, as are the volume and tone knobs, which is a must-have feature for me these days (I hate accidentally flipping switches or rolling off my volume). Anyway, pickups sound really really good! 

The guitar resonates well and sounds strong even unplugged. The maple neck is finished, but it feels surprisingly good to me. It's not chunky and it's not super-duper thin either. Overall, the guitar plays effortlessly.

Prior to receiving the guitar yesterday, I had never actually had the opportunity to try an Evertune bridge. So far, I'm in love with this thing. The guitar arrived from halfway across the country still in tune! Learning to use it is about as easy as this. Adjusting the action and exacting the intonation was similarly simple. 

When you set it up for easy bending, it pretty much feels like any normal guitar. That's where I've kept mine so far, but you can also set the strings to not change pitch when you bend (that mode is supposed to be more stable intonation-wise). In the easy bending mode I've been using, if I set the fretted intonation at the 12th fret and then do a bunch of bends, it's tending to slip one or two cents flat (as measured by Axe-Edit's tuner function). But that intonation change only seems to be occurring at the fretted 12th, not the harmonic or the open string. My TC Polytune 2 doesn't detect it at all. 

The guitar also comes equipped with the Buzz Feiten Tuning System -- also a first for me. I'm no expert, but my understanding is that the modified nut is supposed to help improve intonation, particularly across the first 4 frets where many guitars apparently tend to go slightly sharp. After setting the intonation of this guitar the normal way, the first fret of each string shows a cent or two flat when not picking hard. I don't have perfect pitch, so I likely would never notice such a tiny tuning imperfection by ear. Many guitars will vary by a cent or two just depending on where you fret. I've heard that Buzz Feiten recommends you tune and intonate the strings off-set by one or two cents here and there, but I didn't try that method out yet. The guitar already sounds really in tune across the entire fretboard. 

Other specs include:

Alder body
Ebony fretboard
Grover locking tuners (18:1)
25.5" scale (feels shorter than my strat somehow)
24 jumbo frets
12th fret Ola inlay
Side dots
Comfort cut

I ordered from Sweetwater; great experience once again. My usual sales rep dude was super friendly, and even sent me a free $140 Gator hardcase with TSA-approved locks in honor of it being "guitar month" on their website.

Washburn Parallaxe Ola Englund Solar 16DLXC Demo - Sweetwater Sound - YouTube
Ola Englund "Time (Will Not Heal)" (Guitar Playthrough) - YouTube


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## beerandbeards (Sep 10, 2014)

Happy new guitar day dude. Ive been waiting for GC to carry this before I order it


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## MAJ Meadows SF (Sep 10, 2014)

Congrats! I'm glad to see these coming out. I really want the 7. I need a pickup demo guitar, and have been very interested in trying the EverTune. Great review too. And kudos for the Lovecraft book! 



beerandbeards said:


> Happy new guitar day dude. Ive been waiting for GC to carry this before I order it



Does GC carry Washburn? I thought only Sam Ash does but maybe I'm wrong. Either way I'd love them to get this in. I keep hounding them about getting the Randall Satan and PRS Archon. At least the Diavlo line. Damn stores don't know what's good for them. Or what will sell for sure.


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## Dawn of the Shred (Sep 10, 2014)

Congrats and hngd!


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## beerandbeards (Sep 11, 2014)

GC does carry Washburn. My buddy at GC said they should be available around mid September so keep a look put


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## InstruMental Case (Sep 11, 2014)

Quick recording... in honor of Ola...

[SC]https://soundcloud.com/daveyvsgodzilla/baby-no[/SC]


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## Forkface (Sep 11, 2014)

i have that same lovecraft book  nice reading choices 

hngd bro, it sure looks amazing.


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## manu80 (Sep 11, 2014)

great looking axe. Still can't believe they don't offer a bag or case for a 1500$ guitar range...


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## Randy D (Sep 11, 2014)

Happy NGD my friend. it seems like anything with the name Ola in it from a gear perspective tends to be bad ass......lol This once again is no exception. While it is missing a string or two ........lol .........it is one hell of a machine.

Congrats

Cheers

-Randy D


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## chassless (Sep 11, 2014)

congrats! it's a looker. and yeah the Buzz Feiten system works. on my good old Washie, for the past 5 or 6 years, after going through all sorts of tunings from tunings E standard down to drop G, from 46-10 strings to 68-17... i've never had not one intonation problem whatsoever


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## Wizard of Ozz (Sep 11, 2014)

Where are they made? China/India/Japan?


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## beerandbeards (Sep 11, 2014)

Wizard of Ozz said:


> Where are they made? China/India/Japan?



Indonesia


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## Vigaren (Sep 12, 2014)

WOW!!! HNGD MAN!


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## Musiscience (Sep 12, 2014)

Very nice, HNGD! Do you notice tone alteration with the evertune? Also I really don't understand the models, it's really confusing to me. Like, what is the difference between the solar17DLXC and the solar7DLXC ? Are any of them made in the USA or are they all imports?

EDIT : sorry I just found my answer on metal guitarist. The solar7DLXC is the custom shop american made model. Disregard my question


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## beerandbeards (Sep 12, 2014)

Musiscience said:


> Very nice, HNGD! Do you notice tone alteration with the evertune? Also I really don't understand the models, it's really confusing to me. Like, what is the difference between the solar17DLXC and the solar7DLXC ? Are any of them made in the USA or are they all imports?





The the 6dlx and 7dlx are made in the USA

The others are imports but the 16 and 17 have better hardware and electronics than the 160 and 170

Dlx means it has the evertune bridge and buzz feitan system


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## InstruMental Case (Sep 13, 2014)

Musiscience said:


> Do you notice tone alteration with the evertune?



Since the guitar came from the factory with the Evertune I can't speak to how it may sound without it. But anyway, depending on how it's set up, the Evertune may limit how well subtle vibrato comes through. 

One thing I didn't know before I got it was that to go from E standard to D standard or lower, you have to change to heavier strings. For instance, I needed a 13 to hold an A note on the 3rd / B string. I'm not sure a 42 would hold anything lower than Eb on the 6th string. 

For Drop C I'm currently using NY XL's that are: 11-13-16-26-36-46. 

Axe-Fx II Tone Match || Red Seas Fire - "The Gold Room" - YouTube


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## Benjyy (Sep 13, 2014)

Lovely guitar man! Congrats


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## Wizard of Ozz (Sep 13, 2014)

beerandbeards said:


> Indonesia



So... $1400 for an Indonesian import? Seems really pricey. Am I missing something here? I'm sure that Evertone bridge is nice... but whoa!

Any other difference besides the bridge and pickups as compared to the $600 import model?


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## beerandbeards (Sep 13, 2014)

Wizard of Ozz said:


> So... $1400 for an Indonesian import? Seems really pricey. Am I missing something here? I'm sure that Evertone bridge is nice... but whoa!
> 
> Any other difference besides the bridge and pickups as compared to the $600 import model?



I dont think so


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## HeadofaHessian (Sep 14, 2014)

I just got the 17dlxc from sweet water and love it! I think I'm going to swap the tuners out though I can't fit anything bigger than a 56, and on a 7 thats just not a big enough string IMO. Really want to pick up the 16dlxc now!


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## InstruMental Case (Sep 15, 2014)

HeadofaHessian said:


> I just got the 17dlxc from sweet water and love it! I think I'm going to swap the tuners out though I can't fit anything bigger than a 56, and on a 7 thats just not a big enough string IMO. Really want to pick up the 16dlxc now!



I had that issue with a Jeff Loomis signature 7 I had, but the tech I bought it from modified the tuner quite easily with a drill to accommodate an extra heavy gauge. Not sure if it'd be just as easy with these vice-like locking tuners. A 52 should hold a normal low B though.


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## HeadofaHessian (Sep 15, 2014)

yeh thats what i was going to do but i called grover and they said it won't work with this style of tuner. I'm running a 56 for B now and it works but i really want to be in a lower tuning :/.


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## Cowboyfromhell (Sep 15, 2014)

Maaaan these guitars look really awesome! I need to try one out ASAP!! HNGD have fun with it!! Oh also i like the Ibanez Jem miniature


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## beerandbeards (Sep 17, 2014)

I just special ordered a 16dlx from Guitar Center


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## beerandbeards (Sep 17, 2014)

Btw what case do you use?


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## InstruMental Case (Nov 22, 2014)

beerandbeards said:


> Btw what case do you use?



Sorry! Just saw your post. The case is a Gator, and I think the model is: GPE-ELEC-TSA.

Congrats on the new axe!


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## beerandbeards (Nov 22, 2014)

Thanks for getting back brother!

I'm actually still waiting to receive it. I guess Washburn is backed up from orders. Should be first week of December now


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## demode_iowa (Nov 23, 2014)

Tried both this and the 7 at samash here in NYC the other day n it was a pretty cool axe. I wasn't able to bend notes but I'm guessing that can be fixed with adjustments to the evertune


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## manu80 (Nov 24, 2014)

that headtock just SLAYS !


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## mag8 (Nov 25, 2014)

wow!


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## Ludo95 (Nov 25, 2014)

HNGD, looks killer! I had the chance to try two Solar models, a 6 and a 7 string, and they both felt great! The neck was pretty comfortable and the access was great....the neck joint was super comfy too! Enjoy your axe though!


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## crystallake (Nov 25, 2014)

I'm late to the party, but sick axe! I'm just now finding out about these. Looks great!


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## jonsick (Nov 26, 2014)

I was hoping for a 7 string with a Floyd. Alas, it was not meant to be.


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## Ataraxia2320 (Dec 26, 2014)

I still have yet to see this model for sale in europe. .


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