# Solar Guitars by Ola Englund



## zarg

hi guys!

Ola finally made a video announcing his new guitar brand - solar guitars. As a fan of Ola I'm really stoked for them, prices seem very fair and specs are really interesting.
they look pretty dang awesome!

http://www.solar-guitars.com/ 



Some models:


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## MrBouleDeBowling

I'm drooling so bad for the Solar explorer.


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## Chokey Chicken

That explorer is sexy, and I thoroughly enjoyed his washburn model, so I have high hopes for these. If my finances permit it, I'll definitely be buying one of those explorers.


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## ZombieLloyd

Just a heads up, the 2.0 guitars do not have glow in the dark side dots. It was added as a mistake, only the top of the line 1.0 models do. I plan on saving up for the V1.6 and the blue and red A2.6 guitars.


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## Lemonbaby

Website's not available... forum DDOS?

Aahhh-mhmm, it's just awfully slow. The inlay is so annoying - is that necessary? He should consider an inlay-free model...


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## oc616

Site is down for me, just times out. Anyone give me the skinny on whether he has 7/8 string models and price ranges?


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## Metropolis

Does anyone know where are these made, Indonesia or Korea?



oc616 said:


> Site is down for me, just times out. Anyone give me the skinny on whether he has 7/8 string models and price ranges?



Only sevenstrings, but I could see eights coming at some point if there is demand. A1.7ET is 1199€ and A2.7 is 699€, which are very affordable.


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## Triple-J

He's definitely produced a winner with A2.7 as it's selling for £625 he's also changed scale length to 26.5" on the 7's which is pretty interesting.


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## Dyingsea

Website is acting a bit rough... will check back in when they figure that out.


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## scrub

that white one


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## Lemonbaby

Had some time to look around. Don't see any difference to other guitars from Chinapines or wherever those are produced. Also don't like that lack of transparency while others clearly communicate the country/factory that's manufacturing their instruments. For 600-1200 Euro you get what everybody else is selling: cheap bridge, non-locking tuners, cheap pickups, nickel frets, thin quilted maple veneers.


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## zarg

apparently they are made in the Idonesian WMI factory


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## odibrom

... I'll probably be cursed out of here, but... more of the same?

I mean, what is the REAL novelty here? It's just his design (visual part only) without any thing new to add besides some eventual micro-semi-custom options. What will dictate its success will be quality control... as with any thing.

Don't get me wrong, good for him, good to know that there are new brands coming out. But in the end, these are just more of the same... IMO, of course. Not excited.


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## Sermo Lupi

Are the ebony fretboards lacquered? Notice the mirror-like reflection of Ola's hand in his demo vid of the V. 

Also, who's the guy demoing the A and S (the strat shapes)? The dude is a beast! Holy shit!


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## DredFul

Sermo Lupi said:


> Are the ebony fretboards lacquered? Notice the mirror-like reflection of Ola's hand in his demo vid of the V.
> !



The are probably just polished with really fine sand paper. I have polished a rosewood board close to a mirror shine myself as crazy as it sounds


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## blacai

I do like the A1. 7ET, but we're talking about a 1200€ guitar, MII, without even gig bag... If this is the downside of having evertune bridge, well... :|
https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/electric-guitar-a1-7-et/


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## Wizard of Ozz

Anyone else notice... Solar... has Ola in the name?

S"OLA"R... things that make you hmmmm....


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## KnightBrolaire

man that explorer looks great, too bad it only comes in black. I DEMAND FLUORESCENT PINK


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## Fred the Shred

They look like fine metal oriented guitars for the budget conscious. Price isn't bad given the hardware at all, and Ola does have a keen eye for a cool take on shapes. Whether I like them or not, only playing one will tell, but it's likely to only happen when the Haunted play in my hometown in February or so.


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## ZERO1

Is it just me or does the Explorer shape look a bit off? or is it just the bevels?


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## Selkoid

That blue s1.6 is pretty sweet looking, if only it wasn't for that fugly inlay!!


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## manu80

1200 for the explo ? come on..indo stuff...like the wylde 's at 1500 euros in korea, or some chapman...sometimes i wonder the logic behind those brands....
Still, that explo looks nice i agree


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## bostjan

With all due respect to Ola, why the hell is everyone going crazy over these? The shapes and even the headstocks are really generic, and I don't think the pricing is anything to set these apart from any of the other things out there. Please explain to me what I'm missing here. What sets this apart from a Kiesel/Jackson/Ibanez/or even a Harley Benton, aside from the name?!

Meanwhile, hundreds of luthiers out there are making genuinely novel stuff and no one cares.


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## mikah912

bostjan said:


> With all due respect to Ola, why the hell is everyone going crazy over these? The shapes and even the headstocks are really generic, and I don't think the pricing is anything to set these apart from any of the other things out there. Please explain to me what I'm missing here. What sets this apart from a Kiesel/Jackson/Ibanez/or even a Harley Benton, aside from the name?!
> 
> Meanwhile, hundreds of luthiers out there are making genuinely novel stuff and no one cares.



These do seem rather pricey for Indonesian guitars. The new (arriving in America January of 2018, I think...) Chapman ML1 superstrats also have a few maple veneers and reverse headstocks and they're $399, not $1099 like the Solar S1.6ET superstrat. And they're made in the same Indonesian WMI factory, if I'm not mistaken.

I mean, the Solar has a Evertune bridge, but I don't think that's a $700 add-on......


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## bostjan

mikah912 said:


> These do seem rather pricey for Indonesian guitars. The new (arriving in America January of 2018, I think...) Chapman ML1 superstrats also have a few maple veneers and reverse headstocks and they're $399, not $1099 like the Solar S1.6ET superstrat. And they're made in the same Indonesian WMI factory, if I'm not mistaken.
> 
> I mean, the Solar has a Evertune bridge, but I don't think that's a $700 add-on......



At least I'm not alone. 

I mean, the A, to me, looks like a Kiesel Aries. And the A1.6 seems to be basically the same price, but with fewer options and made at WMI, which has an okay-ish reputation for QC... 

The explorer really looks like a Jackson Explorer, which imports in from wherever for $300 USD, but with a bridge that retails for $300... ok, cool... a $300 bridge on a $300 guitar to make a $1000 guitar? I guess if that's what floats your boat, then  everyone wins. I'll take a hard pass, though.


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## cip 123

I'm more interested in these than you're regular Ibanez, but it's still got a lot of competition, the only thing drawing me is the Evertune thats about it.



bostjan said:


> At least I'm not alone.
> I mean, the A, to me, looks like a Kiesel Aries. And the A1.6 seems to be basically the same price, but with fewer options and made at WMI, which has an okay-ish reputation for QC...



Sorry they look nothing a like other than the fact they're superstrats...

With Kiesels QC and customer service I'd rather take my chances ordering an Ola. However I'd also probably have something before ordering an Ola since nothing is blowing me away.


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## bostjan

cip 123 said:


> I'm more interested in these than you're regular Ibanez, but it's still got a lot of competition, the only thing drawing me is the Evertune thats about it.
> 
> 
> 
> Sorry they look nothing a like other than the fact they're superstrats...
> 
> With Kiesels QC and customer service I'd rather take my chances ordering an Ola. However I'd also probably have something before ordering an Ola since nothing is blowing me away.



https://www.evertune.com/shop/bridges.php if the evertune can justify a $700 markup, then just install it yourself, IMO.

Nothing alike? How are they different? I'm honestly curious.

I mean, Kiesel's CS is horrible. Ola has a good reputation. I think that's a fantastic point, but then if they look nothing alike to you, then it doesn't matter. Although, keep in mind that Ola isn't making these guitars, WMI is. Is WMI's reputation > Kiesel's reputation?!

Maybe I'm just way out of line here, but my knee jerk reaction to these prices was (not in a good way)


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## Metropolis

mikah912 said:


> These do seem rather pricey for Indonesian guitars. The new (arriving in America January of 2018, I think...) Chapman ML1 superstrats also have a few maple veneers and reverse headstocks and they're $399, not $1099 like the Solar S1.6ET superstrat. And they're made in the same Indonesian WMI factory, if I'm not mistaken.
> 
> I mean, the Solar has a Evertune bridge, but I don't think that's a $700 add-on......



Set-neck construction, ebony fretboard, Duncans and Grover tuners will raise the price of these, Evertune alone is 275 dollars. Price isn't any different than Iron Label Ibanez series for example, which have similar specs to these. Are those Solar pickups even real made in Usa Seymour Duncans, or are they based on some Duncan Designed model?


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## manu80

I like what Ola's doing, and respect the guy for his playing and achievement, but like said, no real big deal on those guitars. Still when you see some comments on his facebookpage , he could sell whatever he like to some people....
well, like other actual brands....the hype those dayz...


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## mikah912

Metropolis said:


> Set-neck construction, ebony fretboard, Duncans and Grover tuners will raise the price of these, Evertune alone is 275 dollars. Price isn't any different than Iron Label Ibanez series for example, which have similar specs to these. Are those Solar pickups even real made in Usa Seymour Duncans, or are they based on some Duncan Designed model?



The $399 Chapman also has an ebony fretboard, and I'm pretty sure those are "Duncan Designed" caliber pickups.

Ibanez is definitely overcharging for the new exotic Iron Label axes too, but at least that has a burl top, 11-piece neck, stainless steel frets, Luminlay side dots and real US Dimarzios.


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## Metropolis

mikah912 said:


> The $399 Chapman also has an ebony fretboard, and I'm pretty sure those are "Duncan Designed" caliber pickups.
> 
> Ibanez is definitely overcharging for the new exotic Iron Label axes too, but at least that has a burl top, 11-piece be, stainless steel frets, Luminlay side dots and real US Dimarzios.



Numbers of Solar pickups are HB114B & HB114N, which are kind of numbers used in Duncan Designed pickups.


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## cip 123

bostjan said:


> https://www.evertune.com/shop/bridges.php if the evertune can justify a $700 markup, then just install it yourself, IMO.
> 
> Nothing alike? How are they different? I'm honestly curious.
> 
> I mean, Kiesel's CS is horrible. Ola has a good reputation. I think that's a fantastic point, but then if they look nothing alike to you, then it doesn't matter. Although, keep in mind that Ola isn't making these guitars, WMI is. Is WMI's reputation > Kiesel's reputation?!
> 
> Maybe I'm just way out of line here, but my knee jerk reaction to these prices was (not in a good way)




There's no Signature kiesel bevel (which looks a lot like Schecters bevel they had on the Deluxe series before the aries). The Ola's have way more pronounced horn bevels and are a lot pointier. I can kinda see how they might be similar due to both models having kinda long horns but even at that the Ola's look longer. Ola's has recessed pots, and the headstock isn't too similar either. And probably not best to go in to how similar Kiesel's headstock is to certain other brands. Really the only similarity I see (and not much to go on at that) is the long upper horn.

WMI reputation honestly, I'd say comparable. I've seen bad Schecters come out of there and then get rectified by Schecter. I've also never owned a bad WMI guitar.

I've seen bad Kiesels come out and....

We've also all seen the way Ibanez are going with their QC as of late (Just want to throw this in there as Ola is in direct competition with them now). If the Ola's play well then it's a good first step, but they are definitely lacking in features.

I do own a Carvin, and while it's very pretty and one of my dream guitars, not much else sets it apart from a very well set up Korean guitar. In fact my previous Indo Schecter played just as well. I don't say this lightly, maybe I got super lucky, the quality definitely wasn't the same but man that thing played like butter.


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## KnightBrolaire

cip 123 said:


> I'm more interested in these than you're regular Ibanez, but it's still got a lot of competition, the only thing drawing me is the Evertune thats about it.
> 
> 
> 
> Sorry they look nothing a like other than the fact they're superstrats...
> 
> With Kiesels QC and customer service I'd rather take my chances ordering an Ola. However I'd also probably have something before ordering an Ola since nothing is blowing me away.


Oh cut the shit kiesel doesn't have as bad of qc as indo factories. That's just straight hyperbole. Yeah, they've messed up stuff, particularly in the CS department (the way they've handled some of these situations is part of the reason I don't want to buy another guitar from them) but I've gotten 4 different kiesels and all of them are on par with my custom guitars.



bostjan said:


> At least I'm not alone.
> 
> I mean, the A, to me, looks like a Kiesel Aries. And the A1.6 seems to be basically the same price, but with fewer options and made at WMI, which has an okay-ish reputation for QC...
> 
> The explorer really looks like a Jackson Explorer, which imports in from wherever for $300 USD, but with a bridge that retails for $300... ok, cool... a $300 bridge on a $300 guitar to make a $1000 guitar? I guess if that's what floats your boat, then  everyone wins. I'll take a hard pass, though.


It's nothing like an aries other than it's a super strat. If anything it's got more in common with the ran crusher/jackson dinky/juggernaut due to the scooped horn bevels.


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## cip 123

KnightBrolaire said:


> Oh cut the shit kiesel doesn't have as bad of qc as indo factories. That's just straight hyperbole. Yeah, they've messed up stuff, particularly in the CS department (the way they've handled some of these situations is part of the reason I don't want to buy another guitar from them) but I've gotten 4 different kiesels and all of them are on par with my custom guitars.



I didn't say they were as bad as indo, trying to state the reverse almost. The level that comes out some of these factories is on par with some high end stuff. WMI Korea makes Strandberg and those play really nicely, quality is really good too. 

Even when I stated my Indo Schecter played as good as my Carvin I said the quality wasn't the same.

It all depends on the brand. I wouldn't touch an indo Ibanez if someone paid me. Every one I've touched/owned has been pretty awful. I will happily buy another indo Schecter knowing the quality isn't the highest but knowing it can play really well. I won't touch a kiesel on the off chance something goes wrong (since i'm overseas) especially when as stated I can get a guitar that plays as well as one for a fraction of the price.

To bring this home so I'm not just ranting with no point, these Ola's are overpriced, but I'll take probably be more likely to buy one over an Ibby. Less likely to buy one over a Schecter, Jericho, or any other brand I know makes a good guitar, because there is simply not enough features to make me buy one.


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## KnightBrolaire

cip 123 said:


> I didn't say they were as bad as indo, trying to state the reverse almost. The level that comes out some of these factories is on par with some high end stuff. WMI Korea makes Strandberg and those play really nicely, quality is really good too.
> 
> Even when I stated my Indo Schecter played as good as my Carvin I said the quality wasn't the same.
> 
> It all depends on the brand. I wouldn't touch an indo Ibanez if someone paid me. Every one I've touched/owned has been pretty awful. I will happily buy another indo Schecter knowing the quality isn't the highest but knowing it can play really well. I won't touch a kiesel on the off chance something goes wrong (since i'm overseas) especially when as stated I can get a guitar that plays as well as one for a fraction of the price.
> 
> To bring this home so I'm not just ranting with no point, these Ola's are overpriced, but I'll take probably be more likely to buy one over an Ibby. Less likely to buy one over a Schecter, Jericho, or any other brand I know makes a good guitar, because there is simply not enough features to make me buy one.


ah, fair enough, the wording in your other post made it sound as though you thought indo qc was better. My avenger 8 is a better guitar than either of the OS8s I had. Personally I'd also take a MIK schecter over nearly any other non MIA guitar. All of the newer models that I've played have been excellent quality.


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## cip 123

KnightBrolaire said:


> ah, fair enough, the wording in your other post made it sound as though you thought indo qc was better. My avenger 8 is a better guitar than either of the OS8s I had. Personally I'd also take a MIK schecter over nearly any other non MIA guitar. All of the newer models that I've played have been excellent quality.



Yea the factories nowadays are really hitting it out the park imo. Did you have one of the new WMI OS8's?


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## Chokey Chicken

Just kinda glanced over the thread so perhaps this has been addressed, but $300 buys you the hardware, not installation of the hardware. You cant just slap an evertune on any old guitar. You have to hack away a lot of wood/pay somebody to hack that wood away. That said, I'm more interested in the cheaper models. I like the explorer shape, and it's not super outlandishly priced.


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## KnightBrolaire

cip 123 said:


> Yea the factories nowadays are really hitting it out the park imo. Did you have one of the new WMI OS8's?


no both of my OS8s were the old MIK ones.


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## JimF

I was excited for these and I really wanted to like them. Especially in that appealing 500-1000 bracket. But they just lack that certain something. I’m more excited about the chance of non-satin finishes on the pro series Jackson HT6 that these. They just seem a bit bland.


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## DudeManBrother

These are confusing. Did he cut out Washburn or are they just re branding the Guitar line?


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## HeHasTheJazzHands

He's not with Washburn anymore. He just took his sig guitar designs and made a new company with them.


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## ixlramp

I was excited to see the announcement of a new line of metal guitars, as i always am. Then it was good to see "We strongly believe in innovation;" (but no they don't). But then a disappointment: the guitars are generic mainstream superstrat / explorer / V with absolutely no body / headstock design originality or individuality. Agile's have more character. Essentially, just another metal superstrat line that looks like hundreds of other luthier's metal superstrat lines.

Evertune is a clever but dubious innovation anyway, there are far better things to do with your money in terms of hardware.


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## Metropolis

It seems to be kind of re-branding at this point, Ola probably had rights for that design and started his own company after parting ways with Washburn. Guitars are manufactured in same factory as the previous indonesian made Washburns.


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## ExDementia

bostjan said:


> The explorer really looks like a Jackson Explorer, which imports in from wherever for $300 USD, but with a bridge that retails for $300... ok, cool... a $300 bridge on a $300 guitar to make a $1000 guitar? I guess if that's what floats your boat, then  everyone wins. I'll take a hard pass, though.


This is a crack up. The body shape looks similar to a low end Jackson... so it must also cost $300? By that logic a USA made Jackson Kelly shouldn't cost anymore than the Solar, right?

No, that would be stupid. The body shape does not dictate the price, the quality of the build and materials used does.

Personally I think the pricing is pretty fair. I'm just waiting on more options for finishes and would like to see some reviews before dropping down cash. I have no issues with Indonesian built guitars, though. My Indonesian Iceman is flawless, and one of my favorite guitars I've played.


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## Ordacleaphobia

I think you guys aren't really seeing the big picture.
Of course they're generic. If he catered primarily to a bunch of ERG nerds on a metal forum, his shiny new brand would probably flop. You can't charge out of the gate with stainless steel frets, multiscale, true temperament, 11 piece neck, 5A topped, BKP equipped, MiJ / MiA guitars and expect to post a solid profit. The tried and true are tried and true for a reason, these designs make money. The baritone and the evertune are a good first step, I'm sure if things pick up we'll start seeing more options pretty quickly.

That said, the only model that I can get along with price-wise is the baritone 6. For $700 new, looks like a solid piece of kit. Might pick one up depending on how broke I'm feeling after Christmas.
But again, that's kind of to be expected. You can't start cutting prices until you know you're going to move volume. This was about what I saw coming from his initial announcement; cool to see he's moving forward. I'd much rather give Ola my money than Ibanez and encourage their MiI-at-MiJ-pricing mindset they've got going on


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## bostjan

ExDementia said:


> This is a crack up. The body shape looks similar to a low end Jackson... so it must also cost $300? By that logic a USA made Jackson Kelly shouldn't cost anymore than the Solar, right?
> 
> No, that would be stupid. The body shape does not dictate the price, the quality of the build and materials used does.
> 
> Personally I think the pricing is pretty fair. I'm just waiting on more options for finishes and would like to see some reviews before dropping down cash. I have no issues with Indonesian built guitars, though. My Indonesian Iceman is flawless, and one of my favorite guitars I've played.



You totally put words in my mouth, but whatever, if you think these are fairly priced, then buy 'em up, by all means.

My point was that a WMI-made guitar with basic features+evertune bridge for that price is not something I'd ever consider. For people considering them, I think they could get a guitar with comparable design and comparable build quality cheaper, or a similarly priced guitar with comparable design and more options.

It just seems to me that people are really wide eyed over these because of Ola's name. If Ibanez released this exact guitar (which they basically did already with some of the Iron Label line) made in this factory (same) for this price (pretty much, maybe even a tad cheaper), people would have thrown a fit over the price (which they did).

So yeah, I don't get it.


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## ExDementia

bostjan said:


> I think they could get a guitar with comparable design and comparable build quality cheaper, or a similarly priced guitar with comparable design and more options.


I don't know where you're getting the idea that other Indonesian built guitars are so cheap. Sure, there are a lot of low end models coming out of there, but Ibanez was charging $900 for my ICT700 back in 2012, and just looking around at stuff now, and they're charging $1600 for the JEM77P, and that is built in none other than Indonesia.

I personally won't be laying down any money until there are some more options and the reviews check out. I honestly wish they had other options for inlays than the standard Solar part design. I understand the fact that he has to start of conservative in designs, though. Crazy, new, out there designs are risky for a new company. The good part is that the market will decide. 

Anyway, the Ola connection is what it is, but it certainly isn't a con for me. I feel like a lot of people are pushing back because it's Ola just as much as the people who are all for it for the same reason.


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## Hollowway

I know we’re a geeky bunch, but throw me in the, “Yawn” bucket. If you guys follow some of the stuff on FB, mainly the MeraGuitars, “For the moment, our hardware is being used by...” you know the true innovation out there. Small time luthiers are doing some AMAZING designs. I know it’s mainly that our group is just burned out on the traditional designs, but I’d rather save up $1200 x2, and get one Padalka, etc, instead of two of these. I like Ola, but these are too plain Jane for me. It doesn’t bother me that they’re MII, other than we would normally expect a cheaper labor market to deliver lower prices. I guess the market will dictate the price, but I won’t be getting one. I do think it’s smart that he’s going it alone, though. I just wish he’d do a cool flagship version with some innovation.


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## diagrammatiks

Hollowway said:


> I know we’re a geeky bunch, but throw me in the, “Yawn” bucket. If you guys follow some of the stuff on FB, mainly the MeraGuitars, “For the moment, our hardware is being used by...” you know the true innovation out there. Small time luthiers are doing some AMAZING designs. I know it’s mainly that our group is just burned out on the traditional designs, but I’d rather save up $1200 x2, and get one Padalka, etc, instead of two of these. I like Ola, but these are too plain Jane for me. It doesn’t bother me that they’re MII, other than we would normally expect a cheaper labor market to deliver lower prices. I guess the market will dictate the price, but I won’t be getting one. I do think it’s smart that he’s going it alone, though. I just wish he’d do a cool flagship version with some innovation.



We also know that multi scale and stuff is completely possible at 500 dollars.

I demand more cool shit from everyone!!


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## blacai

I like plain designs. Actually all models are very nice in my opinion. I am tired of "kiesels" and shinny guitars. 
There are lot of luthiers and companies offering special finishes, shapes....if you need it. I think it is ok what he is doing. He owns his design and tries to run a business. 
Price is little big overpriced, but he wanted the evertune everywhere and that costs too much. I would buy the A1. 7ET if my car didn't break last week just before Christmas 

Sometimes I don't get it, someone is trying to run a business and making money in the music industry and others complains he is trying to make money and do a life of his passion. People nowadays is clever enough and have internet to check whether anything's price is fair or not.


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## Hollowway

Yeah, I don’t think anyone wishes him ill will. What we are saying is that he’s entering a market with a lot of heavy hitters, and only has his name to rely on. These guitars don’t offer anything novel, nor are they cheaper than others. Typically, when one begins a business, he should be able to answer the, “why should I buy from you?” question easily. Otherwise, one can only hope to get a small slice of the pie. Ola has his name to fall back on, but otherwise these designs are easily found in other brands, and the price isn’t crazy good. I wish him well, but having something unique to his brand would really help draw people in. Even if it’s just one option.


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## marcwormjim

Speaking as someone who only knows Ola’s name from all the brands he’s jumped between, the only principle difference I’m seeing between his brand and Wylde Audio is hype - Which happens to be the currency ss.org deals in. I hope the guy isn’t banking everything on that.

The following is my internal narration while browsing the site:

“Not loading? F5. Okay...why is there a ‘community’ header for a five minute-old brand? Click the ‘Guitars’ page...Is he taking for granted that everybody likes that inlay? I assume there’s a value designation between the 1.xx and 2.xx models that they’re not making apparent...No stainless frets...Rounder fingerboard than Ibanez...Evertune is nifty, but the price doesn’t jump out as being competitive...*Stares at photos of middle-aged metal guys, closes tab*.”

Out the gate, the brand has left itself with only QC to build a reputation with...So...Best of luck to Mr. Englund in his endeavors, but I won’t be buying company stock.


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## JimF

To be fair the “middle aged metal guys” are both guitarists from At The Gates, so for me at least, that’s kind of a big deal.


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## A-Branger

dont get the hate to the models. I think they look cool and unique. And before you jump on "its a superstrat RG!!!" yup, every Fng guitar out there its a superstrat, unles theya re a tele, or a Gibson related one. With the odd shape like an iceman or something weird.

But still I found this shape unique to any others, maybe its the 3D cutaways of the horns?, that xmm difference in radius on the body shape vs an RG (and one can tell a difference, insert any LP copy put there, and how many actually look good? ) or maybe its the paint/stain, headstock?, blank board look?, or maybe its the combination of all of those taht makes this guitars/brand what they are. ....."but ibanez had a black RG", yeah but it does not looks like this black solar, and I can spot both from far away

And the V?, how many Vs are out there with that specific shape, bevel, cuts, heastock, horns look? still its one of my favourite Vs shape out there by a mile. I would love to see a seafoam green one with a pearl pickguard, but then its not the brands look.. And thats what I find cool, seems to be a "theme" which can be both cool and bad?, for now it helps to stablish the brand, if hes smart he would build a comunity either on FB or his page I think hes doing it and build the brand using peoples feedback on finishes and colors


I dont think price is bad. Hes a small shop, hes not moving big numbers and who knows the whole deal. The country of origin doesnt say anything. Every factory can have different levels of quality, you can build a 200$ guitar or a 2000$ one from the same place. What its important is to see how picky he (or his team) would be at QC. Its up to them to be sure the people at the factory are doing things the right way in order to get a quality guitar. And for taht we would need to wait for reviews and people's experience with the gutiars


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## lewis

I think people are being harsh on him.
His designs obviously first and foremost suit him. It wont be until his line is established that other more quirky designs likely follow. All these guitars to start with are basically just his signature model. Lets give him time yeah?.

Also, when Chapman was launched he too dropped a load of generic, rock, looking garbage and I never remember seeing him get hate like this?. Infact wasnt it the opposite?.


Also tbh, Chapman still has not released anything other than so called "generic" guitars in the years that he has been building guitars and again wheres that companies hate?.

People really do have a weird contradictory standard they use to judge things with.


----------



## marcwormjim

Particularly if they’re contrarians.

TL;DR version: The promise of more innovative products is why I want the brand to succeed, but if there’s no standout in the present to buy toward getting it there, then it may never reach that point.

Time-killing rant version:
Coming into the thread prepared to defend the brand makes all the difference, here - I’m not seeing hate so much as general indifference to the launch. You don’t see Chapman being mentioned in _any _respect on this board (Same for the other “personality” brands WMI produces for, such as Wylde Audio), and it’s a very real danger that Solar will fall off the radar in similar fashion, unless Ola uses his Bedroom YouTube Guitarist-niche demographic marketing mojo to get Rob Scallion and other Influencers/Cancers to fluff _his _black Korean superstrats, specifically.

I understand the launch line being essentially just his Washburn model (along with a V for Variety) - It’s a proven seller in a marketplace that doesn’t necessarily need _another_ black Korean superstrat; and the safe bet for jumping into the crowd with both feet.

In that situation, marketing is all you can bring to the table - And playing it safe with the decision to forego a NAMM reveal in favor of just kind of having the product out there for the Winter Holiday Buying Season only reinforces that perceived lack of innovation among those of us willing and waiting to be wowed.

This brand still has the potential to be marketed as The Artist Taking The Bull By The Horns or Little Guy Cutting Out The Middleman - But the absence of front-loaded presentation means that those of us entering with nonexistent expectations can’t be expected to raise them. Those who already have loyalty to the guy will give him points for this being his first rodeo - But he needs those to translate to dollars. And if they don’t, then the opportunity to have more interesting products “down the line” will never manifest.

The free market is an infinitely larger threat than “haters” - This brand could only stand to benefit from controversy while it’s still toeing the line of being stillborn.


----------



## angl2k

I like the evertune guitars but there's only matte finish options so that's a deal breaker for me.

The S1.6ET ltd looks nice though a bit expensive.. 1300 buys me a MIK ltd mh-1000et.

A1.7ET is really cool because it's the only 26.5" scale evertune 7 out there so you get the benefit of larger scale length and tuning stability of the evertune. Will pick one of these up if they put out a gloss finish.. maybe in the near future.


----------



## will_shred

its cool but like... Does the world really need more black superstrats?


----------



## Mathemagician

There’s a white superstar with maple fretboard in there too. So at least SOMEONE is offering some white and maple.

If I was in the market at this price point these would have my attention.

But also, I “could” go less expensive and look for comparably spec’d Agile’s. $0.02. 

This really rests on reviews of the QC. If people are happy then word should spread.


----------



## cip 123

To be honest, if he just put that red stain colour on the 7 I'd be more interested...Just no more black 7's!


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## prlgmnr

marcwormjim said:


> I understand the launch line being essentially just his Washburn model (along with a V for Variety)



Washburn did his V as well, so in this case they've added an E for Even More Variety.

tbh I could be tempted by an E shape with 25.5" scale.....which I've just checked and discovered they haven't made

I could go for a decent 6 string baritone as well but it would need to be 28"+


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## bostjan

ExDementia said:


> *I don't know where you're getting the idea that other Indonesian built guitars are so cheap. Sure, there are a lot of low end models coming out of there,*



Umm...no offense, but this is the most self-contradictory sentence I think I've ever read.

I'm not saying that you are particularly saying this (although it's a little difficult to follow a post that starts off the way yours did), but I hear the mentality all of the time, and it pisses me off, from a logical standpoint - the idea that it's somehow nationalistic or racist or worse to believe that companies are opening manufacturing facilities in Indonesia in order to take advantage of the budding industrialization there and that the movement has anything to do with anything at all other than cheap labour and low overhead, or the idea that cheap labour and low overhead associated with an economy new to industrial manufacturing is somehow a guarantee of some level of quality.



ExDementia said:


> but Ibanez was charging $900 for my ICT700 back in 2012, and just looking around at stuff now, and they're charging $1600 for the JEM77P, and that is built in none other than Indonesia.



Yet people on this very message board almost universally complained about it...



ExDementia said:


> I personally won't be laying down any money until there are some more options and the reviews check out. I honestly wish they had other options for inlays than the standard Solar part design. I understand the fact that he has to start of conservative in designs, though. Crazy, new, out there designs are risky for a new company. The good part is that the market will decide.
> 
> Anyway, the Ola connection is what it is, but it certainly isn't a con for me. I feel like a lot of people are pushing back because it's Ola just as much as the people who are all for it for the same reason.



And I never said I hated this brand, and in fact, I don't. I am just bewildered by the obvious bandwaggoning going on here. In a world where Ibanez can have a very strong name based on decades of quality building, and release a product line of just above intermediate pricing, MII, and people crap all over it, then Ola, who, by the way, has been with countless brands before today, attaches his name to this absolutely new brand of MII guitars with evertune bridges and even higher price tags, people are lining up with their checkbooks filled out. I think it's fair to ask why. And the fact that asking why or asking how this is any different gets such defensive and even more bewildering responses just proves that this is only about two things:

1. Ola's name
2. The Evertune

If that's all it is, then that's fine. If not, and I'm wrong, then I just wanted to know what else was so attractive about these.


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## CerealKiller

I think they look decent, but the inlay is not for me. Whether the prices are good or bad obviously depends on their build quality. 
Evertune is a big draw... stainless steel frets and no inlay, and I would be tempted to try it out.


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## Power2theMetal

Lemonbaby said:


> Had some time to look around. Don't see any difference to other guitars from Chinapines or wherever those are produced. Also don't like that lack of transparency while others clearly communicate the country/factory that's manufacturing their instruments. For 600-1200 Euro you get what everybody else is selling: cheap bridge, non-locking tuners, cheap pickups, nickel frets, thin quilted maple veneers.



I completely agree with you. The lack of SS frets kind of dissuades me from buying in. I'm extremely surprised that the artist models don't come with them. On a sidetone, how difficult are the everyone bridges to get along with? I live out in the boonies and want to check them out but am very hesitant due to not knowing a darn thing about them.


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## mpexus

Hollowway said:


> Small time luthiers are doing some AMAZING designs. I know it’s mainly that our group is just burned out on the traditional designs, but I’d rather save up $1200 x2, and get one Padalka, etc, instead of two of these.



When the vast majority of guitar players dont leave their bedrooms and from those I assume the majority after a certain age care less on playing Live and have a Band, should they fork out 2-3K for a Guitar? 

Personally I would never buy a 2k+ Guitar (even 1.5k is a huge stretch), not worth it in my book, you can play good on a cheap 300 euros Indo guitar as you can play on a 5K USA/Japanese one. Since I dont Tour have a Band (nor I plan too... long gone those days) a Guitar to me is something to grab when Im home and want to relax. 

Like me theres thousands of people that happily accept that simply being able to afford a nice looking Guitars is already a good thing (taste is subjective).

Ibanez/Jackson/Fender/Gibson etc dont only survive on selling dozens of 5K guitars, they survived and have grown huge by selling thousands of cheaper Guitars. Sure theres smaller brands selling 2k+ Guitars (Suhr etc) but those are a minority and yes theres dozens of small Luthiers taking 18 months to build you a Guitar that Im pretty sure is exactly like a 1K Korean made one but with the added choice of your woods and colors and pickups.

Tell me how Guitars have innovated since the late 80s to early 90s, what was that BIG Innovation you have seen in Guitars in this past 30 years? Shapes are ALWAYS the same: - Strat's
- LP's 
- V's
- Explorer's

Apart from a different shape (BCRich) here and there all guitars follow these shapes. You have now CNC Machines that can take human error out of the equation and could come up with really NEW shapes and Designs but we still insist on the same old 4 shapes (and materials)

Pickups only recently seem to have come up with a new approach (Fluence with the two voicings)... but 99% of the pickups are exactly the same tech used 40+ years ago... Wire and Magnets.

Love it or Hate it the Evertune is an Innovation.

Ola is starting a Business, you dont start a Business by aiming only to the "rich" unless you have a very good financial backup with connections already established and guaranteed that you will sell to them. He seems to have preferred to gather to the thousands that can afford his Brand than to the dozens that hypothetically could.

Now all of this doesn't of course invalidate that if I wish to own a 5-6-10K Guitar and if I can afford it that I shouldn't get it. But saying I need a 3k + Guitar to do my Music is total bullshit IMO... and yes I know no one said that (yet).

I would like to have a specific Solar guitar, like I would like to have a specific Chapman guitar, because I like the models I saw, they suit my aesthetic taste and im 100% positive sure that if they play bad its not because of the Guitar itself but its because I totally suck on doing it 


I think Ola was very smart on his Business approach and Im sure he will do fine or at least I hope so, see what he accomplished in 7 years. From a Bedroom no talk Amp demo guy to an extremely recognizable person on the Metal community with his own massive YT channel, two bands and now with a Guitar brand. Thats respect in my book even if I dont "like" or think its more of the same.


----------



## exo

Total honest opinion? Yup, Chapman's withe an Evertune bridge, and insert Bret Hatt 4/10 meme here...

Wasn't THAT impressed with the Chapman's I've played. You used to get a LOT of guitar in the $1k ballpark. Not so much, anymore, I guess.

I HATE inflation. Hope these do well for Ola, but I'm not holding my breath.....


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## bostjan

mpexus said:


> Pickups only recently seem to have come up with a new approach (Fluence with the two voicings)... but 99% of the pickups are exactly the same tech used 40+ years ago... Wire and Magnets.



Disagree. There are tons of new designs in pickups, but the companies pushing these innovative new designs always fail because 99.7% of guitarists simply prefer "conventional" over new.



mpexus said:


> Ola is starting a Business, you dont start a Business by aiming only to the "rich" unless you have a very good financial backup with connections already established and guaranteed that you will sell to them.



This is where I'm really honestly scratching my head. Why are so many people hailing these as inexpensive. They are not the least bit competitive from a pricepoint. Maybe it's because of the Evertune and the name attached, ...but in all honesty, this is where I think the points you made about bedroom guitarists is really playing *against* this whole idea. If I have a budget of a few hundred bucks for a guitar, what am I going to buy? A) An Ibanez/Schecter/LTD/Washburn with a name that's been around for decades and can provide me with a $300 guitar with very limited basic options, B) An Agile/Grote/Samick/Harley Benton, which has more options, poorer reputation, but will only run me $200, or C) A Solar, which is made in the same factory as the poorer reputation guitars, is a brand new company with no reputation, and will cost me $1500, but has a really fancy schmany bridge that I probably don't even understand.

I don't get why bedroom player guitarist X would ever choose option C, because that choice literally makes zero sense.

What about a bedroom player looking for a cheap guitar that has an Evertune? Well, really if said guitarist has a lot of free time on his or her hands, why not take the tinker-y road and play around with different hardware, maybe installing an evertune himself/herself? Further to the point, though, is why would a bedroom guitarist have any use for the Evertune in the first damn place? Playing in your bedroom for yourself and your guitar strings start stretching out - take a break and tune up. Simple.

I think the appeal for these is more for the touring guitarist who wants an instrument with specific features, that won't cost a fortune, and has the Evertune. That's the only thing that makes logical sense to me.



mpexus said:


> Tell me how Guitars have innovated since the late 80s to early 90s, what was that BIG Innovation you have seen in Guitars in this past 30 years? Shapes are ALWAYS the same: - Strat's
> - LP's
> - V's
> - Explorer's



Horseshit. First off, this argument follows through to nothing (no new ideas, therefore come up with something old and call it new - makes no sense). Secondly, it isn't at all true. Look at the Parker Fly, the Steinberger Trans-trem or Trans-scale, the Teuffel (multiple designs), the Gittler, the Oni, the Klein, etc. etc. etc... This is *exactly* what I was griping about earlier. There are literally thousands of cool novel ideas out there that postdate the superstrat. Rare earth pickups, triple-locking trems, locking tuners, new composite materials, tangless frets, stainless frets, multiscale, piezo pickups, optical pickups, laser pickups, ergonomic shapes, softwood necks, carbon fiber, glass fiber, delrin plastics, boron impregnated plastics, headless necks, ergonomic necks, etc. etc. etc.

So, if someone is looking for something exciting in a innovative way, I don't see this company delivering that. It looks to me like conventional designs and conventional materials at a sort-of-premium price point. Maybe my assessment is wrong, but don't go calling this something new when it's not, and don't go saying there's nothing new out there to get excited about when there is.


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## diagrammatiks

bostjan said:


> Disagree. There are tons of new designs in pickups, but the companies pushing these innovative new designs always fail because 99.7% of guitarists simply prefer "conventional" over new.
> 
> 
> 
> This is where I'm really honestly scratching my head. Why are so many people hailing these as inexpensive. They are not the least bit competitive from a pricepoint. Maybe it's because of the Evertune and the name attached, ...but in all honesty, this is where I think the points you made about bedroom guitarists is really playing *against* this whole idea. If I have a budget of a few hundred bucks for a guitar, what am I going to buy? A) An Ibanez/Schecter/LTD/Washburn with a name that's been around for decades and can provide me with a $300 guitar with very limited basic options, B) An Agile/Grote/Samick/Harley Benton, which has more options, poorer reputation, but will only run me $200, or C) A Solar, which is made in the same factory as the poorer reputation guitars, is a brand new company with no reputation, and will cost me $1500, but has a really fancy schmany bridge that I probably don't even understand.
> 
> I don't get why bedroom player guitarist X would ever choose option C, because that choice literally makes zero sense.
> 
> What about a bedroom player looking for a cheap guitar that has an Evertune? Well, really if said guitarist has a lot of free time on his or her hands, why not take the tinker-y road and play around with different hardware, maybe installing an evertune himself/herself? Further to the point, though, is why would a bedroom guitarist have any use for the Evertune in the first damn place? Playing in your bedroom for yourself and your guitar strings start stretching out - take a break and tune up. Simple.
> 
> I think the appeal for these is more for the touring guitarist who wants an instrument with specific features, that won't cost a fortune, and has the Evertune. That's the only thing that makes logical sense to me.
> 
> 
> 
> Horseshit. First off, this argument follows through to nothing (no new ideas, therefore come up with something old and call it new - makes no sense). Secondly, it isn't at all true. Look at the Parker Fly, the Steinberger Trans-trem or Trans-scale, the Teuffel (multiple designs), the Gittler, the Oni, the Klein, etc. etc. etc... This is *exactly* what I was griping about earlier. There are literally thousands of cool novel ideas out there that predate the superstrat. Rare earth pickups, triple-locking trems, locking tuners, new composite materials, tangless frets, stainless frets, multiscale, piezo pickups, optical pickups, laser pickups, ergonomic shapes, softwood necks, carbon fiber, glass fiber, delrin plastics, boron impregnated plastics, headless necks, ergonomic necks, etc. etc. etc.
> 
> So, if someone is looking for something exciting in a innovative way, I don't see this company delivering that. It looks to me like conventional designs and conventional materials at a sort-of-premium price point. Maybe my assessment is wrong, but don't go calling this something new when it's not, and don't go saying there's nothing new out there to get excited about when there is.




ya what. that entire post you quoted was nonsense.


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## MatiasTolkki

bostjan said:


> https://www.evertune.com/shop/bridges.php if the evertune can justify a $700 markup, then just install it yourself, IMO.
> 
> Nothing alike? How are they different? I'm honestly curious.
> 
> I mean, Kiesel's CS is horrible. Ola has a good reputation. I think that's a fantastic point, but then if they look nothing alike to you, then it doesn't matter. Although, keep in mind that Ola isn't making these guitars, WMI is. Is WMI's reputation > Kiesel's reputation?!



I've had great experiences with Kiesel Customer service. My problem comes from Jeff always bashing "Asian" guitars, when my new RG550 destroys anything his factory can muster. MIJ>MIKiesel any day.


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## MatiasTolkki

ExDementia said:


> This is a crack up. The body shape looks similar to a low end Jackson... so it must also cost $300? By that logic a USA made Jackson Kelly shouldn't cost anymore than the Solar, right?
> 
> No, that would be stupid. The body shape does not dictate the price, the quality of the build and materials used does.
> 
> Personally I think the pricing is pretty fair. I'm just waiting on more options for finishes and would like to see some reviews before dropping down cash. I have no issues with Indonesian built guitars, though. My Indonesian Iceman is flawless, and one of my favorite guitars I've played.



tell that to Jeff Kiesel, who raised the prices on ALL of his pointy guitars by like 200 bucks last year. ONLY the pointies mind you, NONE of the other models got a price increase, and the excuse was that more wood was used to make the pointies than other guitars.


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## bostjan

MatiasTolkki said:


> I've had great experiences with Kiesel Customer service. My problem comes from Jeff always bashing "Asian" guitars, when my new RG550 destroys anything his factory can muster. MIJ>MIKiesel any day.



The thing about customer service, though, is that, if 80% of your customers don't complain about customer service and 20% do, that's bad customer service. On this forum, we've seen, what, four, probably more, examples of glaringly bad CS from Kiesel. From my personal perspective, even one example of "We fucked up your guitar. Not sorry. Too bad for you." is inexcusably bad CS for the entire company. If your CS gets worse the higher up the chain of command you go, then that also reflects poorly on your company's reputation in general.

...but I digress. We already have a dozen threads for bashing Kiesel. Also, I happen to really want to like Kiesel, I just have no business defending their track record.


----------



## MatiasTolkki

bostjan said:


> The thing about customer service, though, is that, if 80% of your customers don't complain about customer service and 20% do, that's bad customer service. On this forum, we've seen, what, four, probably more, examples of glaringly bad CS from Kiesel. From my personal perspective, even one example of "We fucked up your guitar. Not sorry. Too bad for you." is inexcusably bad CS for the entire company. If your CS gets worse the higher up the chain of command you go, then that also reflects poorly on your company's reputation in general.
> 
> ...but I digress. We already have a dozen threads for bashing Kiesel. Also, I happen to really want to like Kiesel, I just have no business defending their track record.



Oh I know all about that guitar fuck up thing. That dude tried to talk about it on the Kiesel forums and he got shot down like right away, then when he started talking about it here, he became some sort of enemy of the state.

I'm similar in a way because, as you might've seen in the Kiesel thread, I was REALLY aggressive in trying to get that fool Jeff to notice that people were pissed about the discontinuation of the old pups, since he challenged people by saying "I havent seen anyone complain about these pickups being phased out." So I am completely on your side in this matter.

On topic though, I have some concern of Ola starting a new guitar line of his own in a market that's dwindling, but has so much saturation because so many tiny little places are popping up now. I hope his QC is better than Ibanez's Indonesian QC, but even if it is, I don't know how many people will actually buy into his products. I want to see him succeed though.


----------



## icipher

Are any of these offered with stainless frets?


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## feraledge

What "innovation" is everyone waiting for?? Evertune is an innovation. People are hating on it. It's a guitar. How many new things can or even should be done to it? 
As per price point, Iron Labels aren't really that cheap anymore. The only ones that are priced higher here are the Evertune models and that's clearly why. If the SD Solars are just Duncan Designed pickups, that's pretty lame, but outside of that, they seem priced pretty appropriately. 
Would I buy one? Probably not, I didn't care for that headstock on Washburns either. The inlay is gaudy. Could have dropped that money into proper SDs. 
On the contrary, the best looking of the bunch is $850 and has a Floyd 1000 bridge with brass block:





Of all the uproar though, no one else seems to be wondering why it's 2017 and we're still seeing painted necks.


----------



## feraledge

marcwormjim said:


> *Stares at photos of middle-aged metal guys, closes tab*.”


When you're trolling comment ends with referring to dudes from At The Gates and the Haunted as "middle aged metal guys" on a forum like this, you're just trolling yourself really.


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## feraledge

Power2theMetal said:


> The lack of SS frets kind of dissuades me from buying in.


Why do people keep demanding SS frets on mid-range guitars!! 
Look, I have SS frets on my Sully and they play great and bend amazingly. But Sully can do a master fret job. I've had to do fret work on a lot of mid-range guitars, which you can do on nickel frets with fairly inexpensive tools and make it play amazing. SS frets don't mean that the people doing fret work are magically better, it just means you'll have nicer frets that take more expensive tools and time to feel the benefit of. 
But seriously, I've had 20 year old guitars with nickel frets, filed, recrowned and polished them and still amazing. My custom ESP cost twice what my Sully did, has nickel frets and no issue. 
What are you people doing that you NEED every guitar to come with SS frets? And, again, given that they'll most likely need work to be perfect, they're just of a hassle IMO.
/rant


----------



## Fred the Shred

Regarding the pricing thing, truth is that most of the options presented here don't really hold true unless you are living in the USA, which is of course hardly a negligible market, yet not the only one. The ET fitted guitars, for example, can be seen like this in Europe:
- an LTD EC-1000 with an Evertune costs 1299 EUR vs. the Solar's A1.6 Artist LTD's 1199 EUR;
- something like a LTD MH-1007 with said Evertune is close to 1500 EUR, vs. the Solar's A1.7ET's 1199 EUR;

This is where you'll see some people not even begin to flinch at the price - it's actually cheaper than a lot if not all of the equivalent offer in the EU / UK. Granted, if you don't need or want Evertune bridges, there's a lot more competition to face, but then again, it's pretty par for the course at close to 700 EUR anyway, so it's basically appealing to the fans of the original Washburn sig models with a few more models added. 

EDIT: saw Bostjan's comment regarding innovation, and I have to add that I agree with him: innovating and the concept catching on are completely different things. Many brands have tried to add fresh concepts to everything one can think of regarding electric guitars, but very few were successful, and this in the most varied price ranges.


----------



## Wolfhorsky

I just don’t understand the hate here. Ola is our friend, here on ss.org. To those that are bitching about the design: try to do some novelty. It is not that easy. I personally like his superstrat shape. I like that quilt blue model, but on youtube You can see the binding of the neck, wheseas on their site no binding is visible. 
The pricing is OK imho. Maybe SS frets should be used on their pricier models. If You don’t like the shape, don’t buy it. If it is too expensive, just don’t buy it. It is that simple. Time will tell if Ola is right with His pricing and designs.
And I don’t care if it is Indo. If it sounds good, it sounds good wherever it is being made. The key factor for me is the QC. If they can make impeccable guitars, then i don’t care about the origin. I only care for product’s quality, eco awareness and business fair play.
More maple fretboards, please ;-)


----------



## bostjan

Wolfhorsky said:


> I just don’t understand the hate here. Ola is our friend, here on ss.org. To those that are bitching about the design: try to do some novelty. It is not that easy. I personally like his superstrat shape. I like that quilt blue model, but on youtube You can see the binding of the neck, wheseas on their site no binding is visible.
> The pricing is OK imho. Maybe SS frets should be used on their pricier models. If You don’t like the shape, don’t buy it. If it is too expensive, just don’t buy it. It is that simple. Time will tell if Ola is right with His pricing and designs.
> And I don’t care if it is Indo. If it sounds good, it sounds good wherever it is being made. The key factor for me is the QC. If they can make impeccable guitars, then i don’t care about the origin. I only care for product’s quality, eco awareness and business fair play.
> More maple fretboards, please ;-)


Who said anything hateful about Ola? Who even said anything hateful about this product? I only see some people saying "wow, so innovative/unique" or else "meh, I don't get it."
You've never seen my guitar designs, not that you'd care to - they'd be too different for you anyway, probably.
The point about the quality is that these are a new product, but this is not a new builder. The lack of immediate transparency seems to have been taken by one poster as something shady, I didn't take it so much as that, but it's still not really a positive testiment for the product in general.
I guess the idea that seems to be floating around in this thread about the upper models is that the Evertune justifies a $700 upcharge. My mistake in my thinking was that a new guitar with a $300 bridge installed should be $300-400 more, since the manufacturer has to install a bridge anyway, regardless of how complex the installation is. ET charges $300 to install, so really, you could take whatever guitar, ship it to Evertune, have the bridge installed, and have it shipped back, and it would cost you about $700±100 anyway. I guess you either get it or you don't get it, but why would I factor shipping and installation into the price of the upgrade on a newly built guitar that offers this as a standard option?  I don't see how the same logic applies to anything else.

Honestly, I wish Ola the best. I think he's a cool dude. Maybe I haven't said that in this thread yet.


----------



## feraledge

bostjan said:


> I guess the idea that seems to be floating around in this thread about the upper models is that the Evertune justifies a $700 upcharge. My mistake in my thinking was that a new guitar with a $300 bridge installed should be $300-400 more, since the manufacturer has to install a bridge anyway, regardless of how complex the installation is.


Where are these numbers coming from?? 
A1.6ET is $949. A2.6 is $699. 
E1.6ET is $1099. E2.6 is $699.
S1.6ET LTD is $1099. S2.6C is $649. 
So $250, $400 and $450. The $450 jump includes a maple top. Don't know what the other tier differences are between the E1 and E2 besides the Evertune, but it seems logical that if there are tiers (1 & 2) that there would be other contributing factors. Even then, we're talking about $250-400 markup, which is pretty on point. Is the $700 upcharge about a different company or based on the bullshit presumption that these are all effectively worth $300 by some odd metric?


----------



## bostjan

The price listed yesterday on the A1.7ET was $1420 and now it's listing $1049, dropping almost $400.

EDIT: I will say that $1049 is a fair price. I should have rechecked the pricing today, as I was unaware of the huge change.


----------



## Power2theMetal

feraledge said:


> Why do people keep demanding SS frets on mid-range guitars!!
> Look, I have SS frets on my Sully and they play great and bend amazingly. But Sully can do a master fret job. I've had to do fret work on a lot of mid-range guitars, which you can do on nickel frets with fairly inexpensive tools and make it play amazing. SS frets don't mean that the people doing fret work are magically better, it just means you'll have nicer frets that take more expensive tools and time to feel the benefit of.
> But seriously, I've had 20 year old guitars with nickel frets, filed, recrowned and polished them and still amazing. My custom ESP cost twice what my Sully did, has nickel frets and no issue.
> What are you people doing that you NEED every guitar to come with SS frets? And, again, given that they'll most likely need work to be perfect, they're just of a hassle IMO.
> /rant



I can see your point, and I've played numerous guitars with nickel frets that felt amazing. I just enjoy the aesthetic of them personally, plus it seems as if they hold up a little better over the long run. It basically comes down to my personal preference, and I think everyone can understand that. >-\_(@[email protected])_/-<


----------



## feraledge

bostjan said:


> The price listed yesterday on the A1.7ET was $1420 and now it's listing $1049, dropping almost $400.
> 
> EDIT: I will say that $1049 is a fair price. I should have rechecked the pricing today, as I was unaware of the huge change.


Makes sense, that's a huge jump. 
I think there's some unfinished work before the launch. The guitars that get gig bags, for example, seem super spotty. I think they just haven't worked out some of the details in full. Some of that stuff might have just been the pricing not changing correctly by region or whatever too.


----------



## bostjan

Heck, my biggest dissonance with these was the pricing, but everything seems cheaper today than it was yesterday. Granted, I only really paid attention to the seven string A series, but now I think I understand what everyone was saying and why I was confused all along. 

Carry on.


----------



## rahnvu

On my phone the page posting was $599 but then a pop-up showed up were it Said $749 or something. The price is always correct when added to cart so i think the website had some sort of glitch. 

Hope the pickups are the USA SDs. Shipping to me in Norway was only $13 and for a gitar that's a helluva refreshing sight for me


----------



## mpexus

bostjan said:


> This is where I'm really honestly scratching my head. Why are so many people hailing these as inexpensive. They are not the least bit competitive from a pricepoint. Maybe it's because of the Evertune and the name attached, ...but in all honesty, this is where I think the points you made about bedroom guitarists is really playing *against* this whole idea. If I have a budget of a few hundred bucks for a guitar, what am I going to buy? A) An Ibanez/Schecter/LTD/Washburn with a name that's been around for decades and can provide me with a $300 guitar with very limited basic options, B) An Agile/Grote/Samick/Harley Benton, which has more options, poorer reputation, but will only run me $200, or C) A Solar, which is made in the same factory as the poorer reputation guitars, is a brand new company with no reputation, and will cost me $1500, but has a really fancy schmany bridge that I probably don't even understand.




They are on the same price Point as mid Indo Ibanez at least in Europe. Cheaper by a significant amount compared to regular Petrucci Sterlings since all of these are Set Necks. Other sig models that I can say from the top of my head that are cheaper are the EVH Wolfgangs MiI and the Jackson SDX. None of those that have FR bridges bring the FR 1000 or 2000, they bring the FR Special. Same for the Schecter's on that price point and none of the Sig models.

Just because I said Bedroom player (which is what I am) doesnt mean I cannot wish to have a more "beefy" Guitar instead of the regular sub 300 euros one, that usually are guitars that you need to invest some effort to make them more decent. I know I bought and sold a few.

Also theres Solar models that go from 599 to 1299 euros, being the average 699-899 so why did you only mentioned the most expensive ones?



bostjan said:


> I don't get why bedroom player guitarist X would ever choose option C, because that choice literally makes zero sense.



Why? They like Artist (Ola in this case), they like the design of his Sig or simply they want to support him. Same way theres hundreds of people copying the Frankenstrat on a daily basis and buying the MiM EVH Stripped series. Same way people will went nuts on the Jems 30 years ago, same way I went nuts on Ibanez 30 years ago. My Idols used them and I craved for them.




bostjan said:


> What about a bedroom player looking for a cheap guitar that has an Evertune? Well, really if said guitarist has a lot of free time on his or her hands, why not take the tinker-y road and play around with different hardware, maybe installing an evertune himself/herself? Further to the point, though, is why would a bedroom guitarist have any use for the Evertune in the first damn place? Playing in your bedroom for yourself and your guitar strings start stretching out - take a break and tune up. Simple.
> 
> I think the appeal for these is more for the touring guitarist who wants an instrument with specific features, that won't cost a fortune, and has the Evertune. That's the only thing that makes logical sense to me.



Not all models have Evertunes... but if a Bedroom player wants a Guitar with one why not? I keep seeing lots of bedroom players with Axe Fx's/Helix's/Kempers's and rooms full of Valve Amps, if they can afford them and want them why not?




bostjan said:


> Horseshit. First off, this argument follows through to nothing (no new ideas, therefore come up with something old and call it new - makes no sense). Secondly, it isn't at all true. Look at the Parker Fly, the Steinberger Trans-trem or Trans-scale, the Teuffel (multiple designs), the Gittler, the Oni, the Klein, etc. etc. etc... This is *exactly* what I was griping about earlier. There are literally thousands of cool novel ideas out there that postdate the superstrat. Rare earth pickups, triple-locking trems, locking tuners, new composite materials, tangless frets, stainless frets, multiscale, piezo pickups, optical pickups, laser pickups, ergonomic shapes, softwood necks, carbon fiber, glass fiber, delrin plastics, boron impregnated plastics, headless necks, ergonomic necks, etc. etc. etc.
> 
> So, if someone is looking for something exciting in a innovative way, I don't see this company delivering that. It looks to me like conventional designs and conventional materials at a sort-of-premium price point. Maybe my assessment is wrong, but don't go calling this something new when it's not, and don't go saying there's nothing new out there to get excited about when there is.



How much were those Parker Guitars? where are they now? This goes back to my original post...

Ola most certain for now is not gathering to the super expensive stuff, even he said on ones of his videos he tours with the 800 dollar Washburn Guitars and not with the US made ones... other people are touring with even less expensive gear, so why not gather to those too? Not everybody craves for super expensive gear. I cant play for shit and im honest I cant play for shit, but I LOVE Guitars. if i could I would buy one each week and I prefer to have 10 Mid to Mid High priced ones than a super duper expensive one that Im even afraid of touching so I dont ruin it. Doesnt mean that i also dont wish to have an expensive one, and trust me that i dream of a lot of expensive Guitars but I cannot justify it even if I have the money to get one or two.

My impression is that it makes some confusion to people why another person enters the market if they have nothing "new" to offer.. well they have.. they have their own thing even if they are similar to what everybody else is doing for the past 20 years. I see hatred for Chapman and never got why...

Its guitars made on a Guitar Factory that does Guitars for ALL major brands... but those major brands are ok because ya know they are here for 20-30-40 years, but being a new guy that want to have its own Guitar line, same color schemes and whatever pickups and a name on a headstock then no... no sir... sorry but no because you are new and dont have it. Even if their guitars are exactly the same quality as all other brands because they are made by the same people and the better they are the more brands will go there.

If theres a market for it let it be, we know there is one. All Indo and Korean Guitars are made on same factories so buying a LTD or a Schecter or a Jackson or Brand X is in reality the exact same, we buy because we prefer the look of a brand or the color or the combination of Color/Specs/Headstock/Whatever.


----------



## icipher

feraledge said:


> Why do people keep demanding SS frets on mid-range guitars!!
> Look, I have SS frets on my Sully and they play great and bend amazingly. But Sully can do a master fret job. I've had to do fret work on a lot of mid-range guitars, which you can do on nickel frets with fairly inexpensive tools and make it play amazing. SS frets don't mean that the people doing fret work are magically better, it just means you'll have nicer frets that take more expensive tools and time to feel the benefit of.
> But seriously, I've had 20 year old guitars with nickel frets, filed, recrowned and polished them and still amazing. My custom ESP cost twice what my Sully did, has nickel frets and no issue.
> What are you people doing that you NEED every guitar to come with SS frets? And, again, given that they'll most likely need work to be perfect, they're just of a hassle IMO.
> /rant



I can get SS frets on a Korean Schecter.

I got my first SS fret guitar a couple years ago and now won't buy anything else. By comparison, nickel starts to feel gummy/sticky after a while. SS frets stay slick and beautiful with minimal playing resistance. Just my experience.


----------



## bostjan

mpexus said:


> How much were those Parker Guitars?



It appears that the site has some issues, and the pricing is all over the place, or at least it was yesterday, and that was the source of most of our discussion.

But, as a matter of fact, Parker made all different priced guitars, from the US-made Fly Artist down to the imported P-series, so, if you wanted a Parker, you could pay basically as much or as little as you wanted and get something of proportional quality.



mpexus said:


> Just because I said Bedroom player (which is what I am) doesnt mean I cannot wish to have a more "beefy" Guitar instead of the regular sub 300 euros one, that usually are guitars that you need to invest some effort to make them more decent. I know I bought and sold a few.



You buying one of these?



mpexus said:


> Not all models have Evertunes... but if a Bedroom player wants a Guitar with one why not? I keep seeing lots of bedroom players with Axe Fx's/Helix's/Kempers's and rooms full of Valve Amps, if they can afford them and want them why not?



Because it serves little purpose for them, as I already mentioned. A guitar that stays in tune when you put it under hot stage lights or travel around in different climates is great for a touring guitarist, but it's really just a novelty for a bedroom player. So once again, why?

As for the expensive amps, obviously you are comparing apples and oranges. A nice amp sounds nice. A nice amp that sounds nice a thousand different ways still works. A special bridge that keeps a guitar in tune in extreme environmental changes is kind of one of those things that's just not really going to do much of anything for you if you never leave your bedroom.



mpexus said:


> They like Artist (Ola in this case), they like the design of his Sig or simply they want to support him.





mpexus said:


> EVH...Jem...



I like Ola. ...but an argument that relies on comparison between Ola's popularity and the popularity in the 1980's/1990's of Eddie Van Halen? Or to draw an equivalency between an entire brand and a signature model by an established brand is really missing the mark.



mpexus said:


> but being a new guy that want to have its own Guitar line, same color schemes and whatever pickups and a name on a headstock then no... no sir... sorry but no because you are new and dont have it.



No one here made that point. Who are you arguing with?


----------



## mpexus

Why? Because people want it thats why... why does anyone wants a 1K phone when a 200 euros does the same? Because they can afford it and want it. Why do I have 4-5 Guitars if I dont have a Band?Why do I have FR Guitars and block them all? Because I like FR's looks and tunning stability and because I also like to block them (not on all guitars). So why have them? None of anyone Business is it? 

I havent bought a SOLAR yet because I travel a lot and pass several month in a row away from home(work) and I want something I can carry with me... being a Set neck its impossile to put it on a suitcase. The red one calls me since day one but buying it and then having her and not be able to use it its kind of a moot point, doesnt mean i wont buy one, just not right now but who knows if in a week I say: ahhh f*** it and press the buy button.

I didnt compared Ola to Eddie, it was an example on why people buy/copy build Sig guitars, as once you pretended to not see that to make your stament.

Im not arguing with anyone, I simply told my opinion on what I think about SOLAR brand and directly replied to you, could had been anyone else but you seem to be most vocal on why you are not pleased with it. You were expecting more... fine they arent what you expected so what? Move on. When I dont see value on something or think its all the same and doesnt grab my attention I forget.


----------



## MatiasTolkki

I like Ola, he seems like a cool dude and is really passionate about what he does. We need people like him out there. Jumping into a market on the decline just seems a little scary, unless he's really limiting production of these guitars.

The place I take guitar lessons at, the guys who work there have been telling me how poorly gibsons are selling, even here in Japan. I know Gibson has problems beyond any other guitar company now, but Fender is suffering as well, and Ibanez releasing the 2018 RG550s shows how much they need a quick influx of money. Ola jumping into an industry at this precise moment concerns me, not because I want to see him fail, on the contrary, I want to see him succeed.


----------



## Matsunaga3

I just ordered the explorer type with evertune. I’m confident it will be worth the money, seeing that Ola actually knows what makes a good metal guitar and tours with real bands, unlike some other YouTube “celebrities” with their own guitar brands.. I’ll post a review when it arrives.


----------



## A-Branger

funny how people complain about the pickups, yet chances are they are gonna change them regardless.


My only complain would be with the lack of locking tunners, difference in price I dont think its that big in order to not have them, same as the Champans, which I think they added more? since the release of the new look?

and to answer taht question theres around on why a bedroom player would pay X amount of money if hes not giging. I answer why the hell not?. I play everyday at my house, so why I wont spend money on my hobbie/passion and to have something that plays better and looks amazing?, why do I have to "be on a band" to justify it?. Why people spend money on a car that can do 300km/h when the higways are on a 100 limit?, why would you get a 50"tv when a 40" can do the job jsut fine?, ect ect. 

if not I see mroe bands/touring having mid priced "workhorse" guitars rather than expensive stuff. And I think this is his vision with the brand, and good workhorse guitar that would do the job fine but wont break the bank.

As we all are saying, we need to wait till these hit the streets to see the real quality on them. Just because it says "indonesia" doesnt mean anything. It all depends on the level of quality you select at the factory and how you do the QC and supervise the build process


----------



## MatiasTolkki

Matsunaga3 said:


> I just ordered the explorer type with evertune. I’m confident it will be worth the money, seeing that Ola actually knows what makes a good metal guitar and tours with real bands, unlike some other YouTube “celebrities” with their own guitar brands.. I’ll post a review when it arrives.



If you like extreme metal maybe. For me however, most of the guitarists I like nowadays all use EMGs, but I hate those things, so finding something with just the right amount of punch is kinda hard in the current scene. Well I always have my fallback, Dimarzio Evos


----------



## Vyn

It's a pretty good line-up - Definitely built to a price point but it looks like there's been compromises in the right places. Personally between the trans-red 6 and that baritone 6 the wallet is looking pretty empty...


----------



## marcwormjim

Wolfhorsky said:


> I just don’t understand the hate here. Ola is our friend, here on ss.org.



He was banned seven years ago for spamming his YouTube channel. I don’t know if you’re redefining friendship to include or omit that.


----------



## MatiasTolkki

marcwormjim said:


> He was banned seven years ago for spamming his YouTube channel. I don’t know if you’re redefining friendship to include or omit that.



Ola was banned from here? That kinda sucks but if he broke the rules, then I don't see a problem with him not being here.


----------



## Hollowway

mpexus said:


> My impression is that it makes some confusion to people why another person enters the market if they have nothing "new" to offer.. well they have.. they have their own thing even if they are similar to what everybody else is doing for the past 20 years. I see hatred for Chapman and never got why...
> 
> Its guitars made on a Guitar Factory that does Guitars for ALL major brands... but those major brands are ok because ya know they are here for 20-30-40 years, but being a new guy that want to have its own Guitar line, same color schemes and whatever pickups and a name on a headstock then no... no sir... sorry but no because you are new and dont have it. Even if their guitars are exactly the same quality as all other brands because they are made by the same people and the better they are the more brands will go there.
> 
> If theres a market for it let it be, we know there is one. All Indo and Korean Guitars are made on same factories so buying a LTD or a Schecter or a Jackson or Brand X is in reality the exact same, we buy because we prefer the look of a brand or the color or the combination of Color/Specs/Headstock/Whatever.



I think you're confusing criticism with "hatred." No one has said anything about hatred here. But how do you know there's a substantial market for more black and white superstrats? My point (and I think others here) is that there is no reason people will be drawn to these, other than it's Ola's brand. We're not saying he's not allowed to make it. Most people on here respect Ola, and are literally looking for any excuse to buy another guitar. But I, personally, do not think coming out with a guitar that is very much like all the other brands you mention, and all coming from the same factory, is a good way to move a lot of product. My guess is that if we were to go to WMI, or any of these other Easter builders, they wouldn't allow a new account to create something off the wall. So we end up with these sorts of generic guitars. The trick is to find some way to tweak it to be unique enough to capture more marketshare. Like Perry Ormsby did, for instance. 

So, no one is saying you can't buy one, or that he's not permitted to make whatever he wants. But do you honestly look at these and thing, "Wow, I gotta buy one!" I don't, and a lot of us on here don't. So, we're kind of worried and wondering what is going to happen. My money says Ola saw these discussions, and that alone caused him to drop the price on some models. He's doing his research and homework, and hopefully this all blows up big for him.


----------



## marcwormjim

*In a good way.


----------



## BangandBreach

I hope he sells a million of them.


----------



## BangandBreach

KnightBrolaire said:


> man that explorer looks great, too bad it only comes in black. I DEMAND FLUORESCENT PINK


I see another refinishing thread in your future...


----------



## Anquished

I wish Ola the best of luck and hope that his new company does well. He seems like a genuine hard-working guy.


----------



## Wolfhorsky

marcwormjim said:


> He was banned seven years ago for spamming his YouTube channel. I don’t know if you’re redefining friendship to include or omit that.


He is my friend. He was banned here, but on other forums He is/was active. Move on.

And one more thing. When Washburn released Solar series most of guys here were like WOW. Ola made His brand based on the same designs plus added some more and...?
The problem with Washburn was avaibility. Direct sales is a great idea, but there must be some good return policy. BTW the prices are about the same as Washburn ones.
What i find „new” or original in His guitars: very very nice superstrat body shape, reversed headstock, evertune bridge, aesthetics of matte swamp ash or that „Misha blue” quilt, ebony fretboards, good pickups (i presume that they’re US made ones). What i wish: more color options (maybe in future), more maple fretboards, locking tuners and ss frets.


----------



## angl2k

bostjan said:


> The price listed yesterday on the A1.7ET was $1420 and now it's listing $1049, dropping almost $400.
> 
> EDIT: I will say that $1049 is a fair price. I should have rechecked the pricing today, as I was unaware of the huge change.



Just checked the solar website and the A1.7ET is 1199 euro shipped to the Netherlands 

Wtf I changed my shipping region to US and price is $1049 but in the cart itself it is $1269.29.. for 1000 euro I'll be willing to try it out but 1300 I will save up for the LTD brian welch model.


----------



## manu80

I would like more details about the pickups...DD? real duncans ? seems blurry.
I must admit the white one with maple neck is sexy. I like the black binding around the body..just the matt finish isn't my stuff...


----------



## Fred the Shred

angl2k said:


> Just checked the solar website and the A1.7ET is 1199 euro shipped to the Netherlands
> 
> Wtf I changed my shipping region to US and price is $1049 but in the cart itself it is $1269.29.. for 1000 euro I'll be willing to try it out but 1300 I will save up for the LTD brian welch model.



I think the price bostjan saw was wrongly including EU VAT on what is an exportation to a non-EU country, hence the artificial hike. In the EU, we eat whatever VAT is applicable, hence the difference in price (it's supposed to be subjected to whatever import duty the destination has, if applicable). If you set shipping to the US, shipping value is likely to go up. Was that what you saw?

I added an A2.6 to the cart, and shipping was 15 EUR for me, which makes sense.


----------



## dr_game0ver

Duncan Solar for everyone.


----------



## p0ke

I'm not super exited about these, but if there was a 7-string version of the S1.6ET with the Quilted Ocean Blue finish, I'd totally be gassing for one. Like someone pointed out, the Explorers look somehow "off", I don't know why but they just do. An explorer with ET would be awesome though (preferably with the Ocean Blue finish too)


----------



## KailM

I really like the looks of that V. But then again, one can never own too many black Flying V guitars... I'm seriously considering one of those though, damn.

I wish Ola the best of luck. Seems like a genuinely great guy, and has definitely paid his dues. Kudos for even trying to enter this guitar market. 
Also, if these are good enough for At the Gates, they're good enough for me.


----------



## rahnvu

Im going to contact them about the VAT just to check if its automatic or not. Also, the lower horn on the explorer points further out from the body. That's what makes it "off" and sadly a dealbreaker for me, even tho explorer is my favorite shape. The 2.6 tho, is really tempting Captain Budget! That's me btw.


----------



## bostjan

Fred the Shred said:


> I think the price bostjan saw was wrongly including EU VAT on what is an exportation to a non-EU country, hence the artificial hike. In the EU, we eat whatever VAT is applicable, hence the difference in price (it's supposed to be subjected to whatever import duty the destination has, if applicable). If you set shipping to the US, shipping value is likely to go up. Was that what you saw?
> 
> I added an A2.6 to the cart, and shipping was 15 EUR for me, which makes sense.



I think you may be onto something. The first 3-4 times I visited the site, it didn't ask me about my region, but yesterday, it did. My ISP often routes me through Switzerland, so it might have included Swiss taxes or something like that. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions so quickly over the price. I was in a sour mood the other day (no excuse), so I just saw the price below the guitar and reacted. To be fair, though, I could see the way prices are displayed (if that's how it's typically going to be on the site) as a bit of a problem for people just browsing the site. Maybe they expect a guitar for a thousand bucks and see one for 1400 instead, or maybe they are expecting 1200 bucks, see it for 1100, think it's a great deal - might as well buy it, then go to check out and it's 1400 and they get angry. Just thinking out loud. Maybe there's no good way around this.


----------



## manu80

Yeah duncan solar... but duncan crap or duncan good ?
I asked him on FB
We'll see


----------



## Zoobiedood

The Duncan Solars are based off a 59' and a Custom 5.


----------



## Fred the Shred

bostjan said:


> I think you may be onto something. The first 3-4 times I visited the site, it didn't ask me about my region, but yesterday, it did. My ISP often routes me through Switzerland, so it might have included Swiss taxes or something like that. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions so quickly over the price. I was in a sour mood the other day (no excuse), so I just saw the price below the guitar and reacted. To be fair, though, I could see the way prices are displayed (if that's how it's typically going to be on the site) as a bit of a problem for people just browsing the site. Maybe they expect a guitar for a thousand bucks and see one for 1400 instead, or maybe they are expecting 1200 bucks, see it for 1100, think it's a great deal - might as well buy it, then go to check out and it's 1400 and they get angry. Just thinking out loud. Maybe there's no good way around this.



If the store has issues determining location (well, if using a foreign based proxy, it does have an excuse), then it can become troublesome in some cases, for sure - I can't speak for others, as I've tried it from within a corporate network and my own house and it resolved my location correctly, but still that is one issue one doesn't really want.


----------



## cwhitey2

I just priced checked a A2.6 and shipped to my house costs $639.79....BUT then I saw this

" Total 
deliveries to all non EU countries are subject to additional duties and taxes payable directly to UPS (or other appointed carrier) upon delivery "

This is near the checkout button...I wonder how much the fees will be if there are any 


That being said I still may try one.


----------



## TheTrooper

cwhitey2 said:


> I just priced checked a A2.6 and shipped to my house costs $639.79....BUT then I saw this
> 
> " Total
> deliveries to all non EU countries are subject to additional duties and taxes payable directly to UPS (or other appointed carrier) upon delivery "
> 
> This is near the checkout button...I wonder how much the fees will be if there are any
> 
> 
> That being said I still may try one.


Nothing new, that's what the Customs do.
The fee is around 28% in my country, probably similar in the USA


----------



## cwhitey2

TheTrooper said:


> Nothing new, that's what the Customs do.
> The fee is around 28% in my country, probably similar in the USA




If it's 28% then I more then likely would buy another 652 variation as I _know_ I like those.


----------



## Metropolis

cwhitey2 said:


> If it's 28% then I more then likely would buy another 652 variation as I _know_ I like those.



It is not that high in Usa, in Finland fee is 25% and site shows automatically price with fee, and for that guitar it is 699 euros. Total price of yours might be around 700 dollars, but don't know how importing taxes work in Usa.


----------



## mpexus

VAT fees are only applied to EU countries, anything outside wont pay them (I think this is pretty normal in all items). Then of course theres the Customs fee. In Portugal anything from outside the EU and over 25-30 euros is taxed 30% of total value of the package (shipping price included) + some other stupid fees if they want to act retard and they will most of the times.

In EU all items have to have the VAT Fees included on the price unlike US and Canada where they are added after, or at least it used to be like that in Canada.


----------



## mpexus

By the way Ola just posted a FAQ video about the SOLAR's


----------



## Metropolis

Ola looks tired, and he's drinking coffee to not be


----------



## MFB

AlexCorriveau said:


> I'm drooling so bad for the *Solar explorer.*



New stoner-rock band name I call it!


----------



## Zalbu

I don't get where the complaints are coming from, assuming that the pickups and QC are as good as Ola is hyping them up to be then I don't really see anything from Ibby/Schecter/Jackson that can compete at €599 with the ebony fretboard and reverse headstock. €599 doesn't even get you into Ibanez Premium territory, let alone Iron Label.

It's going to be interesting to see what features they're going to be offering down the line when the ball is rolling though. I'd wait until they offer some better features like locking tuners, I really can't gel with the Evertune and locking tuners is more than enough for me.


----------



## cip 123

Okay I really do wish that blood red was available in 7...


----------



## Lindmann

angl2k said:


> The S1.6ET ltd looks nice though a bit expensive.. 1300 buys me a MIK ltd mh-1000et.


 I even got mine for 1000 brand new. 
(the older model with the chrome hardware and the opaque finish though.)


----------



## rahnvu

I just hope that someone joins in on the initial ones. If everyone is on the fence, the brand won't last long. 

I'm planning on a 2.6A, just have to wait until krampus time is over. And then, if Solar brings out a tele- or jm-based design with some of the brands signature looks, i will lose my shits. Yes plural.


----------



## MatiasTolkki

Zalbu said:


> I don't get where the complaints are coming from, assuming that the pickups and QC are as good as Ola is hyping them up to be then I don't really see anything from Ibby/Schecter/Jackson that can compete at €599 with the ebony fretboard and reverse headstock. €599 doesn't even get you into Ibanez Premium territory, let alone Iron Label.
> 
> It's going to be interesting to see what features they're going to be offering down the line when the ball is rolling though. I'd wait until they offer some better features like locking tuners, I really can't gel with the Evertune and locking tuners is more than enough for me.



Ibanez releasing the 2018 550s, MIJ, at the price point they have is a BIG deal. Just playing devil's advocate.


----------



## TheTrooper

cwhitey2 said:


> If it's 28% then I more then likely would buy another 652 variation as I _know_ I like those.


3%
Import duties in USA are 3% (Most of the times, according to various website and Wiki)
That's incredible, I had no idea it was so low, good for You boys.


----------



## Hollowway

Wolfhorsky said:


> And one more thing. When Washburn released Solar series most of guys here were like WOW. Ola made His brand based on the same designs plus added some more and...?
> The problem with Washburn was avaibility. Direct sales is a great idea, but there must be some good return policy. BTW the prices are about the same as Washburn ones.
> What i find „new” or original in His guitars: very very nice superstrat body shape, reversed headstock, evertune bridge, aesthetics of matte swamp ash or that „Misha blue” quilt, ebony fretboards, good pickups (i presume that they’re US made ones). What i wish: more color options (maybe in future), more maple fretboards, locking tuners and ss frets.



Yeah, I think when those came out people were into it because they were fairly unique. When Ibanez came out with the RG2228, people were tripping over themselves to buy those, two, and at a healthy price point. But now you can buy black 8 string superstrats just about anywhere, and it's not a super novel thing anymore. Similarly, I, as a fan, was super into buying a Solar8 years ago. And I can still buy solar, or formerly-solar, guitars from Strictly7 and Washburn. So when I saw Ola came out with his own brand, I was bummed to see it was the exact same thing he had when they debuted 6 years ago. I, personally, would have liked to have seen something that I couldn't easily find elsewhere. Now, I get that there's a reversed headstock and evertune option, but that is barely evolutionary, much less innovative. 

Don't get me wrong - I like Ola, I like that he's doing his own thing. And I would buy a Solar style guitar from him before I'd get one from S7, Washburn, or a Chinese knock-off company. I want to support him. But, I really think it would help him to get something unique. We see Skervesen, Blackat, Padalka, Kiesel, etc. with super cool designs. No reason Ola couldn't come out with something that literally couldn't be had anywhere else. Even if it were just a flagship model.


----------



## MatiasTolkki

Hollowway said:


> We see Skervesen, Blackat, Padalka, Kiesel, etc. with super cool designs.



Kiesel hasn't made a cool design since they came out with the JB200. All of their newer designs (aries, vanquish, crescent) are ugly as sin.


----------



## Hollowway

MatiasTolkki said:


> Kiesel hasn't made a cool design since they came out with the JB200. All of their newer designs (aries, vanquish, crescent) are ugly as sin.


Lol, no disagreement from me! But, they are unique, and some people like them. But I agree - there appears to be something off with the designs. Like, "a swing and a miss!" every time.


----------



## MatiasTolkki

Hollowway said:


> Lol, no disagreement from me! But, they are unique, and some people like them. But I agree - there appears to be something off with the designs. Like, "a swing and a miss!" every time.



My friend ordered a multiscale crescent. He is an endorser though so he kinda has to promote the brand, but when I played his aries 6, the neck joint was less than what Jeff made it out to be, and missing the flame top where the bevel is is just tacky.


----------



## Zynicon

I like the V Shape but i miss a Floyd Rose on it, since i'm a trem guy.
I'm exicited if there will be a floyd version 6string available. Maybe with a longer scale. That would be nice


----------



## A-Branger

Hollowway said:


> I want to support him. But, I really think it would help him to get something unique. We see Skervesen, Blackat, Padalka, Kiesel, etc. with super cool designs. No reason Ola couldn't come out with something that literally couldn't be had anywhere else



but he does have something unique

??

people keep comparing this guitars to a black ibanez RG. yet I find the two to be miles apart and different enough from each other. Hes jsut starting the brand out of his previous sig models, lucky theres a blue and a red one. I bet yoiu more colors and finishes would come later. Specially if he does the right thing with the comunity page. But not every brand needs to be a full on exotic/raibow color stains/highliy figured stuff. Some people might want a basic one color stained ash. And to be honest a finish like that would be the alst thing I would order if I get a custom Mayones, Skerseven, Ormsby. But for some reason I really dig it here. Even with the neck stained too I still like it, something I hate on LTDs now.

He could have dropped the models to Washburn (which you wont be able to find anymore, as you can barely do now) and create something from 0...... oh he already did (yes it was from s7 and evolving into the solars with washburn trough the years, but he did on a way, plus the adition of the V and now the explorer), so what else you want?, how can you change/improve the shape? go and make one from 0 see what you come up to.... He has a really good shapes in body/headstock, with a "theme" for now, only thing its let to play with different finishes, colors and woods. Which I guess it would happen in the future, specially if he ask for input on his comunity board. Which I recommend to join if you are really keen on these and want to have a say on a finish.

heck even stuff like a MAyoness duvel is on a way a rippoff of a RGA, yet everyone loves them here and you can spot the two from far away. Mayones does thing different and unique to their own way, The Solar would be unique in their own way to a RG or any other "superstrat" The diference might jsut come down to the cutaways on the horns on the top of the body (and stuff like hipshot-style-lookiing bridge, black pole pieces pickups, direct mount, logo inlay and no dots, ebony, and mate finish) but thats his "brand" and thats his difference with Ibanez or others, if you search you can find 1 or 2 RGs pretty similar, but thats not usually what Ibanez is about and they do more stuff. Its also the overall look of the brand. Like why I dont like Schetcher due to the cross inlays and abalone (and the fact I cant pronounce the anme or write it), they ruined the brand for me.


At the end of the day we are a lovely bunch over here who are too nerdy on specs. The commond guy out there would see a cool guitar and would buy it. 5 years ago me would have had that mentality "oh cool I like it", now thanks to this forum Im like "oh but this feature, and this builder, and that spec, and this mm, and taht factory, blajh blah"... you guys ruined the joy of GAS for me lol (or make it better?)


----------



## blacai

A-Branger said:


> you guys ruined the joy of GAS for me lol (or make it better?)


hahaha... well I agree. I spend a lot of time during the week checking guitars here and there. In the end I just buy the same LP's I've always loved. 
People talking about "innovative" designs in Skervesen, Mayones and other luthiers/companies...maybe I am blind, but all looks really similar to me. 
Nowadays all look like one of these: RG, LP, Stratocaster, Telecaster, Blackmachine, Strandberg, Flying, Explorer. 
What kind of innovation are people expecting? If someone needs a custom shape/color, there are a lot of custom shops out there.

The Mayones Hydra is even uglier than the kiesel...


----------



## TheBloodstained

I'm really tempted by the red A2.6! 

I've been seriously thinking about buying a fixed bridge super strat with passive pickups lately, and that one ticks pretty much ALL my boxes. It's a bit more expensive than what I was thinking about putting into a new guitar, but... yeah... so tempted!


----------



## cwhitey2

TheTrooper said:


> 3%
> Import duties in USA are 3% (Most of the times, according to various website and Wiki)
> That's incredible, I had no idea it was so low, good for You boys.


Yeah that's not too bad then.

I honestly don't buy anything from across the pond so I have no idea what the fee's could/would have been.


----------



## manu80

must admit that the white/black binding/maple fretboard is tempting, the more i hink of it....do i really need another superstrat ???
...


----------



## cip 123

TheBloodstained said:


> I'm really tempted by the red A2.6!
> 
> I've been seriously thinking about buying a fixed bridge super strat with passive pickups lately, and that one ticks pretty much ALL my boxes. It's a bit more expensive than what I was thinking about putting into a new guitar, but... yeah... so tempted!




Do it...just to be SSO's guinea pig!


----------



## Metropolis

A2.6 with blue ash finish made me want it, 26,5" scale would be nice for drop C.


----------



## TheUnknownOne

They seem really well priced for us European folks since all the Agile/Kiesel/Good mid-price-metal-guitar stuff is highly taxed...

However, those inlays are ugly as sin... Plain fretboard would look so much better, at least as an option. 
I wouldn't mind having the Solar on logo on the back of the headstock though.


----------



## rahnvu

TheUnknownOne said:


> However, those inlays are ugly as sin...



Am i the only one who likes it? At least lts way more interesting than the infinity thing thats inlayed on all chapman guitars.


----------



## Metropolis

TheUnknownOne said:


> However, those inlays are ugly as sin... Plain fretboard would look so much better, at least as an option. I wouldn't mind having the Solar on logo on the back of the headstock though.



It's not bad, fits to aesthetic of these guitars quite well. So, I don't mind it. It could be way worse and tacky.


----------



## TheUnknownOne

rahnvu said:


> Am i the only one who likes it? At least lts way more interesting than the infinity thing thats inlayed on all chapman guitars.



Chapman inlays are a bit goofy, but a bit more stealth. Plus you can look at them as an "8" for "Octave". Not really a fan of them however.
Solar's logo seems like a bad tribal band logo, a bit reminiscient of Slipknot's. I find it quite loud since the guitars are elegantly shaped, plus it is like REALLY big imo... That's quite a turnoff for me.

I hope Ola will offer more choices concerning inlays in the future


----------



## ArtDecade

I like the inlay.


----------



## TheBloodstained

Well... I was curious about what shipping would cost and tried adding that sweet red A2.6 to the cart. When I checked the cart I found that the price had dropped to 593 euro (incl. shipping) instead of the 699 euro listed on the site.

I just couldn't resist it at that price, so yeah, I have now ordered one of those sweet red A2.6! 

Now I just hope that it'll live up to the hype! 

And yes, I will make a NGD thread and review (possibly with video and my bad playing) when it shows up.


----------



## BusinessMan

I think ola borrowed Ibanez model naming system


----------



## Zalbu

rahnvu said:


> Am i the only one who likes it? At least lts way more interesting than the infinity thing thats inlayed on all chapman guitars.


Yup, it's a hundred times better than the Chapman logo, but hopefully there's going to be the options to have just dots or a blank fretboard later on.

If Ola offers a hardtail HSH model then I'll buy 5 of them, but it seems like I'm pretty much the only person on here who prefers HSH to HH. Ibanez has this weird fix where they need to put trems on 99% of their HSH guitars and hardtails on 99% of their HH guitars for some reason, and I'm not quite ready to blow 3 grand on a Suhr Modern yet.


----------



## Hollowway

A-Branger said:


> but he does have something unique



Well, we're just going to have to agree to disagree on this. You said that the average guy just looks at a guitar, and buys it. So the average guy is not going to scour the internet looking for a black superstrat that's so unique it's got little bevels where an RG doesn't. I'm sorry, but these guitars are not unique. Red and blue are not unique colors. There is absolutely nothing that will make the average player specifically seek out Ola's guitars and buy them. If you think they're unique, then you have a narrow view of what constitutes a guitar. But put his guitars up next to any of the other dozens of black super strats, and ask the average player "which one of these is not like the other," and I doubt they'd all immediately point to his. So, my point is, who are these designed for, other than Ola fans? I don't know what the actual target market is. I don't see Ola saying, "you know what, everyone is clamoring for XXX features, so I'm going to do it, and get those people." Instead, I see Ola wanting to do his own thing, and the factory saying, "you can't, for a reasonable amount of money, do anything crazy." Which sucks, but that's what I bet is going on. Otherwise I think we'd see an 8 string, and maybe some other options.


----------



## mpexus

TheBloodstained said:


> When I checked the cart I found that the price had dropped to 593 euro (incl. shipping) instead of the 699 euro listed on the site.



How the heck did you managed to get that price?

I tried changing my country to diferent ones just to check and they were all around the 720-730 euros mark (with VAT and Shipping)


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Ola sounds like he wants to expand the brand as much as possible, but wants to keep it at the bare minimum while since it's just starting. Same exact thing Rob Chapman did with his brand. Only started with one model (The ML1), and eventually expanded the line to include more things. Pretty much why I don't wanna join the "EVERYTHING'S SO DJENERIC" brigade as of yet.


----------



## bulb

I think this is a really smart move for Ola. Not surprised to see a lot of haters here either haha, probably means the guitars will actually do quite well!


----------



## A-Branger

Hollowway said:


> I don't see Ola saying, "you know what, everyone is clamoring for XXX features, so I'm going to do it, and get those people." Instead, I see Ola wanting to do his own thing, and the factory saying, "you can't, for a reasonable amount of money, do anything crazy." Which sucks, but that's what I bet is going on. Otherwise I think we'd see an 8 string, and maybe some other options.


yeh I know, theres nothign "unique" on specs appart from the evertune. Heck not even locking tunners for now. But I still find the aesthetics of the guitar and the theme of them different enough from other brands, not talking jsut about the colors. 

Like HeHasTheJazzHands mentions, seems to him starting on a pretty basic point. And he even trow a couple of different colors and even a figured veneer top to test the watters. (Which BTW I hate when they dont mention that its a veneer). I bet more finish options would come on the future, he needs to start small to see where it goes. Again this could come from the input of his community. If everyone cryes for an orange guitar, he would make it happen, or at least thats the idea.


----------



## Hollowway

A-Branger said:


> yeh I know, theres nothign "unique" on specs appart from the evertune. Heck not even locking tunners for now. But I still find the aesthetics of the guitar and the theme of them different enough from other brands, not talking jsut about the colors.
> 
> Like HeHasTheJazzHands mentions, seems to him starting on a pretty basic point. And he even trow a couple of different colors and even a figured veneer top to test the watters. (Which BTW I hate when they dont mention that its a veneer). I bet more finish options would come on the future, he needs to start small to see where it goes. Again this could come from the input of his community. If everyone cryes for an orange guitar, he would make it happen, or at least thats the idea.



Yeah, I would really like to see an 8 string. I'm kind of surprised there isn't one in this first batch, because that was right there at the beginning in the S7G and Washburn days. All things being equal, I'd get an Ola Solar8 before any other plain black 8, because the money goes at least partially to a musician, not just all businessmen. 

And, for the record, the inlay is one of the things I DO like. The things I figured these had going for them more than anything is no rosewood FBs and no white FB dots. That is the most unique thing to me, and it kind of looks "custom" with that inlay. 

Anyway, I would love to see him do well, but I worry that after the initial splash his stuff will get lost in the hundreds of other guitars people can buy.


----------



## A-Branger

yeh same, I love that inlay wiht a blank ebony board. That with the headstock and the horns cutaways thing is what I love


----------



## Wolfhorsky

bulb said:


> I think this is a really smart move for Ola. Not surprised to see a lot of haters here either haha, probably means the guitars will actually do quite well!


I think i know which model You like the most 



PS. Me too


----------



## mpexus

Thing is 8 String guitars are a very niche market and need to be made in much smaller quantities, making them more expensive to make.


----------



## TheBloodstained

mpexus said:


> How the heck did you managed to get that price?
> 
> I tried changing my country to diferent ones just to check and they were all around the 720-730 euros mark (with VAT and Shipping)


I'm surprised as well... I just chose my country when I visited the site (Denmark) and then it gave me that price 

Sweden and Denmark are sharing borders, so there's no VAT or anything between us, and shipping costs are minimal, so that may be why I could get it so cheap?

Anyway, I haven't received an ETA yet. I hope that I can get it before christmas. Keeping my fingers crossed!


----------



## ZombieLloyd

TheBloodstained said:


> I'm surprised as well... I just chose my country when I visited the site (Denmark) and then it gave me that price
> 
> Sweden and Denmark are sharing borders, so there's no VAT or anything between us, and shipping costs are minimal, so that may be why I could get it so cheap?
> 
> Anyway, I haven't received an ETA yet. I hope that I can get it before christmas. Keeping my fingers crossed!



Ola said this first run of guitars will be shipped around the 5th because he wants to quality check them personally. So you should get it long before Christmas.


----------



## lewis

bulb said:


> I think this is a really smart move for Ola. Not surprised to see a lot of haters here either haha, probably means the guitars will actually do quite well!


haha too true.
Is it a generational thing?. So much doom and gloom these days.

These look super slick. I cant wait to see some NGD threads that show them off more.


----------



## lewis

TheBloodstained said:


> I'm surprised as well... I just chose my country when I visited the site (Denmark) and then it gave me that price
> 
> Sweden and Denmark are sharing borders, so there's no VAT or anything between us, and shipping costs are minimal, so that may be why I could get it so cheap?
> 
> Anyway, I haven't received an ETA yet. I hope that I can get it before christmas. Keeping my fingers crossed!


very well played sir!. The red is tasty!.
Cannot wait to see your thread when it arrives.


----------



## TheBloodstained

My christmas holidays is going to be awesome this year!
Recently bought a used amp, on black friday I bought a new DAW and now I have a new guitar coming in!


----------



## mpexus

TheBloodstained said:


> Sweden and Denmark are sharing borders, so there's no VAT or anything between us, and shipping costs are minimal, so that may be why I could get it so cheap?
> 
> Anyway, I haven't received an ETA yet. I hope that I can get it before christmas. Keeping my fingers crossed!



OK that explains it... lucky bastard 

Ola said they will only start shipping after December 4-5. He wanted to do a final inspection on all of them before shipping.

Please make a review and NGD because thats the one Im also drooling over


----------



## rahnvu

If someone here could buy a healthy chunk of my vinyl collection so i can get one before Christmas, that'd be great.


----------



## lewis

mpexus said:


> OK that explains it... lucky bastard
> 
> Ola said they will only start shipping after December 4-5. *He wanted to do a final inspection on all of them before shipping*.
> 
> Please make a review and NGD because thats the one Im also drooling over



So so refreshing!. He is completely honest and actually cares about the people who have helped him acquire the status he now has. They have rewarded his own hard work and I completely trust him and this venture.

I will put money down right now that from this first batch, not one will be a lemon.
Sure people may end up just not liking them after they arrive, but I can be pretty sure it will be because of their own tastes rather than because they were garbage.


----------



## Chokey Chicken

bulb said:


> I think this is a really smart move for Ola. Not surprised to see a lot of haters here either haha, probably means the guitars will actually do quite well!



He's already fielding a shit load of questions via e-mail, so the interest is there. I'm willing to bet that at the very least he'll have decent short term success. And I'm certainly hoping he'll have long term success as well.


----------



## Zalbu

I wonder if he's going to sell them on other sites than the Solar website down the line, he could probably move a decent amount of guitars if they're on a site like Thomann just from the aesthetics alone, there aren't many other brands in that price range that gives you the custom shop looks.


----------



## lewis

Poor Ola. He has been mugged and had his camera and laptop stolen....


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Zalbu said:


> I wonder if he's going to sell them on other sites than the Solar website down the line, he could probably move a decent amount of guitars if they're on a site like Thomann just from the aesthetics alone, there aren't many other brands in that price range that gives you the custom shop looks.



Like Chapman, I imagine if they become popular enough, he'll probably find some international distributors.


----------



## Hollowway

lewis said:


> I will put money down right now that from this first batch, not one will be a lemon.
> Sure people may end up just not liking them after they arrive, but I can be pretty sure it will be because of their own tastes rather than because they were garbage.



Hopefully, but even Perry had issues to contend with, and they inspected everything. The issue is not that there are lemons and not-lemons. It’s that there’s a spectrum of perfect to crap. Ola will have to draw the line at what he considers acceptable, because it’s untenable to throw away guitars that aren’t perfect. The problem comes when someone expects a higher degree of quality than Ola decided on. Ola Strandberg has to contend with this, Perry Ormsby does, Nick does it with all of his Axe Palace guitars, etc. it’s more of a customer service issue than a quality control issue. Ola’s a solid guy, so I think he’s going to be good at this part, but it’s not something out can avoid.


----------



## Matsunaga3

I just got notice that mine is about to ship. Hopefully I’ll have it within the next two weeks.


----------



## Hollowway

Did you guys see the new finish Ola posted? NOW we’re talking! It’s a blue fade with natural binding. If he keeps going in this direction - aka moving away from generic black guitars - I think he’s doing to move some serious product!

https://scontent-sjc2-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=e3456b26e5f2ba2448d1741f7b8eb2ca&oe=5AD5CA17


----------



## Wolfhorsky

Hollowway said:


> Did you guys see the new finish Ola posted? NOW we’re talking! It’s a blue fade with natural binding. If he keeps going in this direction - aka moving away from generic black guitars - I think he’s doing to move some serious product!
> 
> https://scontent-sjc2-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=e3456b26e5f2ba2448d1741f7b8eb2ca&oe=5AD5CA17


It was there all the time 
https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/s1-6et-ltd-quilted-ocean-blue/
BUT no neck binding....and that is a deal breaker for me. If it had creme binding of the headstock and the fretboard i would probably have ordered it already.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Hollowway said:


> Did you guys see the new finish Ola posted? NOW we’re talking! It’s a blue fade with natural binding. If he keeps going in this direction - aka moving away from generic black guitars - I think he’s doing to move some serious product!
> 
> https://scontent-sjc2-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=e3456b26e5f2ba2448d1741f7b8eb2ca&oe=5AD5CA17



Bro...


----------



## TheBloodstained

I can only speak for myself, but I think he absolutely nailed it with those designs, colors and specs!


----------



## Descent

They look good, probably best looking design on metal guitar out there right now. 
I thought so about the Paralaxe, I think the first run was USA made under $1K. 
On the demos they all sound cheap though, like the Chapman guitars, it just doesn't have that lush sonic depth of a Jackson neckthru, or I just might be wrong. Gotta order one to find out.


----------



## Hollowway

Well holy hell, I totally missed it the first time around! But, the shot on his FB feed looks waaaay better than the one in the photos. They need to promote that one! And make it in an 8 string.


----------



## TheUnknownOne

To be honest i'm really looking forward the first reviews of those because, aesthetics preferences aside, the pricing seems really fair.
The only thing that surprises me is the choice of pickups designed after the duncan SH14 in a mahogany body : this calls for a really scooped mids sound on the paper... Let's see how it does for real now


----------



## TheBloodstained

I received my final order confirmation today. The guitar is supposed to be shipped within the next 48 hours!


----------



## ZombieLloyd

TheBloodstained said:


> I received my final order confirmation today. The guitar is supposed to be shipped within the next 48 hours!


Nice! I'm looking forward to the NGD post.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Gotta give props to Ola here. Within the span of 5-6 months, he's gotten a brand new guitar company off the ground and is already shipping guitars out only a few days after announcing the brand.


----------



## lewis

we need more maple on everything he puts out....
BUT holy hell these all look so so siiiick.


----------



## Smoked Porter

These look cool, but nothing screams "buy me now", for my tastes anyway. I'm hoping one of the body styles he can eventually offer is a take on the Dime Stealth shape. The old Washburns aren't super easy to get and I'm not buying an import Dean.


----------



## Hollowway

I saw the picture on FB of all of the Solars going out. This is great for him, but hopefully these came pristine from the factory, because there’s just no way he has time to open them up and do anything other than look at all of them in 24 hours. I was thinking he’d do a set up or something, like how Perry does with the GTRs. But, if he has a good system in place at the factory, he might be ok to just give them a quick once over.


----------



## TheUnknownOne

Hollowway said:


> I saw the picture on FB of all of the Solars going out. This is great for him, but hopefully these came pristine from the factory, because there’s just no way he has time to open them up and do anything other than look at all of them in 24 hours. I was thinking he’d do a set up or something, like how Perry does with the GTRs. But, if he has a good system in place at the factory, he might be ok to just give them a quick once over.



Well, maybe this is all about _storytelling_ : he might have QCed everything a few weeks ago, but in order to make some buzz, he is posting this content to make us believe everything went really fast, hence he is creating a sense of urgency and hype _(Quite the opposite of Chapman's who took months to upload pictures on his website and to announce prices)_. This is quite a common marketing tactic. 

He has probably started to ship ordered guitars this week-end, however.


----------



## myrtorp

Some closer looks at a few models and Ola talks a bit about them


----------



## 70Seven

These look great, love everything I've seen from this brand. Hoping I can fit one of these in my budget sometime next year...


----------



## vansinn

Well, they may look like so many other axes in the market; I have no detailed info on how they might be better crafted than others.

However, I really like seeing (on most models) the volume knob placed for pinky swellings, and the pup switch placed away from knobs so one actually can do fast switching 
Good lück with your new series Ola


----------



## Matsunaga3

Mine is on its way, tracking says it’s in Barcelona. I wonder how soon it will arrive.


----------



## Hollowway

TheUnknownOne said:


> Well, maybe this is all about _storytelling_ : he might have QCed everything a few weeks ago, but in order to make some buzz, he is posting this content to make us believe everything went really fast, hence he is creating a sense of urgency and hype _(Quite the opposite of Chapman's who took months to upload pictures on his website and to announce prices)_. This is quite a common marketing tactic.
> 
> He has probably started to ship ordered guitars this week-end, however.



Yeah, good point.

I hate making these comments, because I feel like being a dick for doing so, but I am really hoping he has his ducks in a row. I'd hate for him to be another also-ran. I am 100% in favor of musicians getting revenue from music, but we're generally not good with business stuff. (As evidenced by the ridiculous number of brands that have come and gone in the last 10 years.) So I feel like I have this teacher/paternal relationship going, where I'm criticizing everything he does that isn't 100% guaranteed for success in my eyes. Despite the fact that I don't know what the hell I'm talking about.


----------



## Lindmann

vansinn said:


> However, I really like seeing (on most models) the volume knob placed for pinky swellings


...you mean for inadvertent volume reduction ;-)
(This is what happens to me when the volume knob is too close to the bridge...I have bad playing technique)


----------



## M3CHK1LLA

Lindmann said:


> ...you mean for inadvertent volume reduction ;-)
> (This is what happens to me when the volume knob is too close to the bridge...I have bad playing technique)



that's me...

while palm muting my pinky will inadvertently mute the entire guitar lol.


----------



## A-Branger

Wolfhorsky said:


> It was there all the time
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/s1-6et-ltd-quilted-ocean-blue/
> BUT no neck binding....and that is a deal breaker for me. If it had creme binding of the headstock and the fretboard i would probably have ordered it already.



yeh its a bit weird that one, because the stock photos and that pic Holowway posted both dont have neck binding. Yet its advertised as having wood binding on the neck, and you can see ti on the youtube demo



plus all the Type S guitars have neck binding. So its kinda a thing of the line, so it should have, but no idea why it doesnt now. Maybe a mistake of the factory on this first batch?, last minute change? who knows. But yeh these would look awesome no with a creme binding, but with an ivoroid one, or white.... I hate creme bindings


----------



## InHiding

Almost as good looking as Zakk Wylde's signatures


----------



## marcwormjim

Low blow. Unlike Solar, Wylde Audio stuff is built by WMI Korea for branding by a niche metal player and sold on the strength of his image alone to set itself apart from competitors, rather than specs or competitive pricing. Plus all of Wylde’s guitars have a stupid loud graphic on the front that only his message board-restricted fanbase would find aesthetically appealing. Even then, the fans that can only convey praise by repeating how “sick” his guitars are, rather than a metric meaningful to anyone else, either can’t afford to buy one or don’t genuinely support the guy enough to put their money where their mouth is.

How you can look at either and say they’re similar is beyond my intelligence.


----------



## Wolfhorsky

marcwormjim said:


> Low blow. Unlike Solar, Wylde Audio stuff is built by WMI Korea for branding by a niche metal player and sold on the strength of his image alone to set itself apart from competitors, rather than specs or competitive pricing. Plus all of Wylde’s guitars have a stupid loud graphic on the front that only his message board-restricted fanbase would find aesthetically appealing. Even then, the fans that can only convey praise by repeating how “sick” his guitars are, rather than a metric meaningful to anyone else, either can’t afford to buy one or don’t genuinely support the guy enough to put their money where their mouth is.
> 
> How you can look at either and say they’re similar is beyond my intelligence.


You didn’t quote Him nor reply, so i think He won’t even read Your great post.


----------



## marcwormjim

My priorities are all out of order.


----------



## mpexus

On that last Ola video interview posted he shows that Blue guitar without Neck Binding, so that "Promo" video must have been made with a pre-production Model and they removed the Binding later on.

Personally I prefer Necks without any binding if I can choose.

About the Wylde comparision post... welll.. dont feed the TROLL


----------



## InHiding

It was just a joke.


----------



## cwhitey2

InHiding said:


> It was just a joke.



We don't take to kindly to Zakk Wylde jokes in these parts.


----------



## btbg

Jokes are supposed to be funny. FYI.


----------



## marcwormjim

btbg said:


> Jokes are supposed to be funny. FYI.



They “liked” the joke for being unfunny?


----------



## MFB

cwhitey2 said:


> We don't take to kindly to Zakk Wylde jokes in these parts.



You mean besides his career post-Blessed Hellride?


----------



## btbg

marcwormjim said:


> They “liked” the joke for being unfunny?



Let me assist your lack of observation - nobody liked the “joke”.

But, anything for you to be a sarcastic dick, right


----------



## KnightBrolaire

marcwormjim said:


> Low blow. Unlike Solar, Wylde Audio stuff is built by WMI Korea for branding by a niche metal player and sold on the strength of his image alone to set itself apart from competitors, rather than specs or competitive pricing. Plus all of Wylde’s guitars have a stupid loud graphic on the front that only his message board-restricted fanbase would find aesthetically appealing. Even then, the fans that can only convey praise by repeating how “sick” his guitars are, rather than a metric meaningful to anyone else, either can’t afford to buy one or don’t genuinely support the guy enough to put their money where their mouth is.
> 
> How you can look at either and say they’re similar is beyond my intelligence.








if it didn't have the ass horn to dig into my thigh and the unbelievably tacky inlays I would totally buy one of these used (provided they ever come to fruition/end up on the used market).


----------



## mpexus

Perfect example on why Products need Designers... So that a napkin sketch can be a simple idea to be refined and not the final product.


----------



## feraledge

KnightBrolaire said:


> if it didn't have the ass horn to dig into my thigh and the unbelievably tacky inlays I would totally buy one of these used (provided they ever come to fruition/end up on the used market).


I think Zakk just has to assume that the customer provides their own leather chaps and bad taste.


----------



## 70Seven

I love the guitars, as I've said.. But these are the exact same as his Washburn signature. Did he own the design? These are the same guitars with Solar on the headstock, made in indo instead of USA and lesser SD pickups?

Were people this exited when his Washburn sig came out? Even if Ola said otherwise himself, I'm starting to believe these are Washburn guitars masked as a new company...

http://www.olaenglund.com/2013/12/13/washburn-announces-new-ola-englund-signature-series/


----------



## technomancer

70Seven said:


> I love the guitars, as I've said.. But these are the exact same as his Washburn signature. Did he own the design? These are the same guitars with Solar on the headstock, made in indo instead of USA and lesser SD pickups?
> 
> Were people this exited when his Washburn sig came out? Even if Ola said otherwise himself, I'm starting to believe these are Washburn guitars masked as a new company...
> 
> http://www.olaenglund.com/2013/12/13/washburn-announces-new-ola-englund-signature-series/



They were his designs... they are probably coming from the same Indo factory as the Washburns were though that is a guess. The USA Solars were only available in very limited quantities and were not around $1k... the Washburn USA shop closed quite a while ago, shortly after the Solars were introduced.

Washburn along with Randall are more or less out of business at this point.


----------



## 70Seven

technomancer said:


> They were his designs... they are probably coming from the same Indo factory as the Washburns were though that is a guess. The USA Solars were only available in very limited quantities and were not around $1k... the Washburn USA shop closed quite a while ago, shortly after the Solars were introduced.
> 
> Washburn along with Randall are more or less out of business at this point.




Ahhh... this is all news to me. Makes sense. I didn't know about Washburn and Randal doing so bad. In that case, anyone think the Randal Satan will be sold by Solar sometime soon?


----------



## ZombieLloyd

70Seven said:


> Ahhh... this is all news to me. Makes sense. I didn't know about Washburn and Randal doing so bad. In that case, anyone think the Randal Satan will be sold by Solar sometime soon?


The Solar Satan does have a good ring to it. Maybe they'll finally bring out a production model of that 50W that Ola always uses.


----------



## bostjan

I owned several Washburn guitars, myself. My first electric was a MIK MG-24, and my backup seven was a MIK Washburn seven string. Just in my experience, when they moved most of their lower price lines to Indonesia, just about every Washburn I demo'd at a store was a piece of junk. That was a long time ago, so I am certain that adjustments were made since then, but my perception was that they were always a step behind Ibanez, and when they moved production, they sealed their fate.

I really do wonder, though, if this sub-brand was not successfull enough to pull Washburn, a 100+ year old company, out of financial trouble, how will it stand on its own as a unique brand? Maybe okay, since it seemed like the parent company of Randall, Washburn, etc., had some serious failures in management.

I'd love to see these take the world by storm, I'm just questioning the validity of that thought at its premise in the year 2017, when guitar-oriented music is basically in its death throes, and new brands are coming and going in all business sectors without a second thought.


----------



## feraledge

bostjan said:


> I really do wonder, though, if this sub-brand was not successfull enough to pull Washburn, a 100+ year old company, out of financial trouble, how will it stand on its own as a unique brand?


Huge difference. He doesn't have their debt, their stock, and the rest of a failing line. Their company is set up on such a massively different scale that pairing down wouldn't be an option. For Ola though? He's in the perfect position. He designed a line that they barely delivered on, but got interest and attention. He's maximized that, at this point, the factories have their own credibility, so you know what quality tier you're looking at before touching one. And he can stream line the parts that work with minimal overhead and probably far fewer investors and just do the part that he likes and knows works. He would have been wasting his own work with Washburn to not do what he has done. He'll be infinitely more successful than Washburn could have been just because, at this point, the company itself was dead weight.


----------



## bostjan

feraledge said:


> He'll be infinitely more successful than Washburn could have been just because, at this point, the company itself was dead weight.



Let's hope so.

With any company, the best business managers know when it's time to cut a product line, even if it's a flagship. I thik you are correct that the parent organization missed the boat completely on that; however, having investors and debt is only a bad thing if you can't manage your funds. Not having debt means not being able to adapt capital as quickly when you need it. I think the rest of what you said is a pretty loose argument, but, since I can't predict the future, and I hope you're right, I won't bother arguing with you.


----------



## feraledge

@bostjan note: infinitely more successful than Washburn COULD have been

In other words, if this line was going to succeed, as long as his QC is set and he's got a good sense of how to run a business, he's in a much better position without the dead weight of Washburn as a whole. I hope he is successful, but, as we've all seen, there's more than one way to destroy a guitar company. No guarantees and we haven't seen a single NGD day yet, so I'm not trying to do a market prediction, just my assessment of the bare bones circumstances.


----------



## Ataraxia2320

feraledge said:


> @bostjan note: infinitely more successful than Washburn COULD have been
> 
> In other words, if this line was going to succeed, as long as his QC is set and he's got a good sense of how to run a business, he's in a much better position without the dead weight of Washburn as a whole. I hope he is successful, but, as we've all seen, there's more than one way to destroy a guitar company. No guarantees and we haven't seen a single NGD day yet, so I'm not trying to do a market prediction, just my assessment of the bare bones circumstances.



Wasn't Ola an accountant before he started doing youtube full time? 

I would imagine this would help him a lot.


----------



## Matsunaga3

Tracking has my guitar in a warehouse in Spain. Also says:

Additional documentation is required on the merchandise description.
Not sure what that’s all about, hopefully it’s being handled.


----------



## Wolfhorsky

mpexus said:


> On that last Ola video interview posted he shows that Blue guitar without Neck Binding, so that "Promo" video must have been made with a pre-production Model and they removed the Binding later on.


That’s the exactly the same impression as mine. For me that blie one should have a neck binding. Ivoroid would be wishful thinking.


----------



## A-Branger

bostjan said:


> I really do wonder, though, if this sub-brand was not successfull enough to pull Washburn, a 100+ year old company, out of financial trouble, how will it stand on its own as a unique brand?



apart from things already mentioned. They (he) has the advantage of a brand new name/company. Start from 0 and create their own name in the industry. Washburn already had a "name" out there. For me I always saw that brand as the cheap stuff you see at the mom/pop shops, a brand you knew by name but you never see anything out or artist playing something, it always gave me that "beginer/cheap" feeling, mostly because of my experience with what my friends bought and showed me, and th fct I never saw anything else from them. The paralaxe and solar line was a "oh finally something cool, lets see if it helps to change the image of the company", but again it held up to my perception of the Washburn name of "I cant find them anywhere"

Now Solar as a brand would strike me as Chapman is/did. And we would see what the future holds



feraledge said:


> we haven't seen a single NGD day yet,



EDIT: Ima idiot who read that post upside down and took the wrong meaning of it


----------



## feraledge

A-Branger said:


> maybe because the brand was just released few days ago?, what you expect?. Actually there is already couple of people on this tread saying they order one. You know guitars would take a few days to ship no?, like they dont teletransport magically into your hands once you hit the buy button


Jesus dude, how did you possibly read what I said as a slight?!? Fucking eggshells up in here! Allow me to be crystal clear:

-Ola is doing a good thing here.

-I think he stands to excel without the dead weight of Washburn.

-I know or presume nothing about his business skills. 

-It is stupid to project the fate of the brand before anyone has even played one yet.

It’s not like I’m being snarky, just stating what I think the benefits of shaking Washburn loose might be. Hype down.


----------



## A-Branger

feraledge said:


> Jesus dude, how did you possibly read what I said as a slight?!? Fucking eggshells up in here! Allow me to be crystal clear:
> 
> -Ola is doing a good thing here.
> 
> -I think he stands to excel without the dead weight of Washburn.
> 
> -I know or presume nothing about his business skills.
> 
> -It is stupid to project the fate of the brand before anyone has even played one yet.
> 
> It’s not like I’m being snarky, just stating what I think the benefits of shaking Washburn loose might be. Hype down.



oh crap, my bad dude. I re-read your post again, yup it makes sense now, and I get what you were trying to say. Sorry dude, seems it too early in the morning to understand proper english for me


----------



## cip 123

To jump in on the business side here. Ola also lives in Sweden, and they're pretty good at trying to help out their people and their businesses. I'm sure there is government help to finance startups.


----------



## marcwormjim

KnightBrolaire said:


> if it didn't have the ass horn to dig into my thigh and the unbelievably tacky inlays



What have you got against rosewood inlays?


----------



## KnightBrolaire

marcwormjim said:


> What have you got against rosewood inlays?


nothing, I'd just prefer a pure Mother of Pearl fretboard just to further cement the utter tackiness of everything zakk wylde has touched.


----------



## TheBloodstained

I was starting to get worried because I had not heard anything from Solar since I received my final order confirmation. I was kinda expecting them to e-mail me when my order would be shipped.

However, I just got a mail from UPS! Mine will arrive tomorrow! 

I guess communications between Solar and customers could be better, but it's still a new company so I guess that there are still things that need sorting out or tweaking?

Also, it sounds like it have been a busy first week and a half for Solar 
I have high hopes for this brand


----------



## iamaom

KnightBrolaire said:


> nothing, I'd just prefer a pure Mother of Pearl fretboard just to further cement the utter tackiness of everything zakk wylde has touched.


Mother of Pearl is my favorite tonewood.


----------



## Andromalia

I think it's good than someone else than LTD sells "affordable" evertune guitars.


----------



## lewis

Andromalia said:


> I think it's good than someone else than LTD sells "affordable" evertune guitars.


im still yet to try Evertune.
Ive heard that the only con is a lack of sustain but the pros speak for themselves?

Affordable models certainly help me thats for sure. These Solar's are bad ass.


----------



## prlgmnr

I had the Washburn solar 7 string with evertune for a bit, and a couple of the saddles rattled which could only mean they were taking some energy from the strings and thus reducing sustain, but I don't think you'd run into any trouble for high gain type stuff.


----------



## Lemonbaby

lewis said:


> im still yet to try Evertune.
> Ive heard that the only con is a lack of sustain but the pros speak for themselves?


They won't take more or less sustain out of the string than a Floyd/Edge vibrato. The springs have to pull with the same force as the strings, it's all in balance.


----------



## lewis

Lemonbaby said:


> They won't take more or less sustain out of the string than a Floyd/Edge vibrato. The springs have to pull with the same force as the strings, it's all in balance.


oh great to know!!!


----------



## MrBouleDeBowling

Just placed my order!


----------



## StrmRidr

I am really interested in these. I kind of want to wait for a few opinions once people start receiving them before pulling the trigger. The V1.6 with the evertune has my name all over it.


----------



## bostjan

A-Branger said:


> apart from things already mentioned. They (he) has the advantage of a brand new name/company. Start from 0 and create their own name in the industry. Washburn already had a "name" out there. For me I always saw that brand as the cheap stuff you see at the mom/pop shops, a brand you knew by name but you never see anything out or artist playing something, it always gave me that "beginer/cheap" feeling, mostly because of my experience with what my friends bought and showed me, and th fct I never saw anything else from them. The paralaxe and solar line was a "oh finally something cool, lets see if it helps to change the image of the company", but again it held up to my perception of the Washburn name of "I cant find them anywhere"
> 
> Now Solar as a brand would strike me as Chapman is/did. And we would see what the future holds.



Regarding Washburn, here are some of their endorsees of the past, you can't tell me you never heard of any of these:

Paul Stanley of Kiss
Nuno from Extreme
Dimebag Darrell Abbot
Jennifer Batten
Waren Haynes of Gov't Mule

In the 90's, Washburn was big. They made many if not most of the acoustic guitars played in MTv's popular "Unplugged" televised concert series. The innovated the Buzz Feiten tuning system and extended cutaways. They also had a patented electronic control that could supposedly pan between single coil and humbucker tones continuously, although I never personally tried it.

By the time Ola was involved with them, they were a throwaway company, I guess, but their legacy going back 120 years before that and standing for innovation at a fairly low cost. Piss poor management by US Music Corp, just like every other company under that umbrella (Digitech, Randall, Parker, Warwick - all companies whose products were much coveted in the 90's), has spelled their impending doom for the past decade and a half or so. Another contributing factor is lack of support from Guitar Center. Honestly, those mom and pop stores that stocked Washburn guitars were driven out of business by GC, and GC worked little with Washburn for most of that time.


----------



## Lindmann

Lemonbaby said:


> They won't take more or less sustain out of the string than a Floyd/Edge vibrato. The springs have to pull with the same force as the strings, it's all in balance.


Yeah...I never had sustain issues with the evertune.


----------



## bostjan

The mechanical energy of the strings on the evertune, in theory, should be better contained than with a FR trem, so you should, in principle get more sustain.

So, with an evertune:
The string vibrates.
Some energy is transferred to the support.
The support may act as a resonator, storing some of the vibration, which may flow back into the string attached to that support.

With a FR:
The string vibrates.
Some energy is transferred into the support.
The support may act as a resonator, storing some of the vibration, which may flow into all of the strings, which are attached to the same support.

So, better sustain and less cross-talk between strings. Both pluses. Especially with an ERG. More strings = more places for vibration to dissipate with the FR.

There might be lots of interference from practical things, porous wood, friction between parts, etc., which might place more emphasis on maintenance and quality materials...but good physical principles is always a good start.


----------



## ZombieLloyd

Lindmann said:


> Yeah...I never had sustain issues with the evertune.


I haven't had any sustain issues with mine either so far. But I've only had it for a couple of weeks.


----------



## Andromalia

> In the 90's, Washburn was big.



I was already purchasing guitars in the 90es and Washburn wasn't a big name, it was already associated with cheapo asian guitars and to our teenager opinion their competitors were the BC Rich and Aria pro II made to abysmal quality standards.
Yes, there was Nuno, but 90es poor european teenagers and US models didn't go well together.

For my evertune post, it's not so much I like it, I just appreicate more options being brought to the market. I don't plan to buy a guitar anytime soon, for a change.


----------



## bostjan

Andromalia said:


> I was already purchasing guitars in the 90es and Washburn wasn't a big name, it was already associated with cheapo asian guitars and to our teenager opinion their competitors were the BC Rich and Aria pro II made to abysmal quality standards.
> Yes, there was Nuno, but 90es poor european teenagers and US models didn't go well together.
> 
> For my evertune post, it's not so much I like it, I just appreicate more options being brought to the market. I don't plan to buy a guitar anytime soon, for a change.



I already made a better case than what you addressed, please try again.


----------



## A-Branger

bostjan said:


> Regarding Washburn, here are some of their endorsees of the past, you can't tell me you never heard of any of these:


yeh I knew someone was going to reply to my coment with that. Reason why I tried to word my post as in my own perception of the brand. What I saw, and what I experience, starting with a mate of mine buying some cheap as 6 string bass, and only seeing cheap and ugly guitars in shops. I started playing music around 1999/00

and for me Paul Stanley was always an Ibanez Iceman man, and Dime was Dean. I know they change at some point but never knew or cared.

and later on, prob by 2005-8 when I started to constantly window shop brands websites and GAS, I enver crossed Washburn site and if I did, it made a pretty bad impression. Same as going trough the mayor online stores too.

for me I never took them serious until I saw the paralaxe series thanks to Ola and that was like "oh they trying to revive the brand, thats awesome, lets see where it goes"

so yeh, maybe WAsburn was huge in the early 90's, but for me they always were that unicorn brand who no-one knows, no-one stock them, and you dont see anyone talking or playing, but you know they are out there..... so "meh"


also I have no idea about the acoustics and their world as I never owned or played one. So no idea on who are the big names, the expensive, the tradition, the old, the new, the fancy, the value, the cheap, and the knock-off of that world


----------



## mpexus

Andromalia said:


> Yes, there was Nuno, but 90es poor european teenagers and US models didn't go well together.



In Portugal and in the Metal community Washburn was Dimebag and perhaps a bit of Nuno, those where the models that sold, the rest no one really cared. N2s sold really well because of their cheaper price against the super expensive N4. The Dime models were the cheap Korean ones and people bought them because of who used it, but that was it basically.

Ibanez was the major brand to go in those days, everybody who was anybody was there, Vai, Satriani, Pettruci, Gilbert, Skolnick etc. Lots of known(and unknown) metal band players were using Ibanez (Suicidal, Carcass,KOrn etc)

Ibanez totally dominated the market back then, amazing Guitars at a much more affordable prices than US imports, even the Floral Jem was cheaper (not by much) than an N4. Although Metal bands would go for the cheaper RGs550's


----------



## Matsunaga3

Mine is finally moving again, and should be here Monday. Can’t wait.


----------



## Matsunaga3

..


----------



## TheBloodstained

Look what showed up just now! 
I do plan on doing a proper NGD and review - maybe even a video review? - but for now behold the glory of the mighty A2.6! 

I must add... it feels absolutely amazing out of the box! The craftmanship is solid! It's super cold right now, so I won't give any kind of reviews before it has climatized a bit, and I've had a chance to play it for more than a few minutes! 

But come on, man... that is one sexy beast (the guitar... not me! I'm just a fat nerd)!


----------



## marcwormjim

Is the red that lipstick-y in person? I personally dig it - I was just expecting more of a blood-red.


----------



## ZombieLloyd

TheBloodstained said:


> Look what showed up just now!
> I do plan on doing a proper NGD and review - maybe even a video review? - but for now behold the glory of the mighty A2.6!
> 
> I must add... it feels absolutely amazing out of the box! The craftmanship is solid! It's super cold right now, so I won't give any kind of reviews before it has climatized a bit, and I've had a chance to play it for more than a few minutes!
> 
> But come on, man... that is one sexy beast (the guitar... not me! I'm just a fat nerd)!
> 
> View attachment 57631
> View attachment 57632


Well now I'm definitely saving up for one or 2 of those.


----------



## Lorcan Ward

Congrats to Ola! The chap has really put in the work over the years and this was quite a surprise.


----------



## StrmRidr

TheBloodstained said:


> Look what showed up just now!
> I do plan on doing a proper NGD and review - maybe even a video review? - but for now behold the glory of the mighty A2.6!
> 
> I must add... it feels absolutely amazing out of the box! The craftmanship is solid! It's super cold right now, so I won't give any kind of reviews before it has climatized a bit, and I've had a chance to play it for more than a few minutes!
> 
> But come on, man... that is one sexy beast (the guitar... not me! I'm just a fat nerd)!
> 
> View attachment 57631
> View attachment 57632



I usually don't like red guitars, but that one is awesome. I kind of want to wait out to see if anything else interesting comes out at NAMM, but I am pretty much sold on these.


----------



## bostjan

A-Branger said:


> and for me Paul Stanley was always an Ibanez Iceman man, and Dime was Dean. I know they change at some point but never knew or cared.


Interesting.

Dimebag was with Washburn from 1994-2004, for ten years, and throughout the height of his career. But you're right, most people younger than my age don't really know or care.


TheBloodstained said:


> Look what showed up just now!
> I do plan on doing a proper NGD and review - maybe even a video review? - but for now behold the glory of the mighty A2.6!
> 
> I must add... it feels absolutely amazing out of the box! The craftmanship is solid! It's super cold right now, so I won't give any kind of reviews before it has climatized a bit, and I've had a chance to play it for more than a few minutes!
> 
> But come on, man... that is one sexy beast (the guitar... not me! I'm just a fat nerd)!
> 
> View attachment 57631
> View attachment 57632



Congratulations! Can't wait for the review!


----------



## Matsunaga3

Awesome! I have to wait until Monday for mine.


----------



## MrBouleDeBowling

TheBloodstained said:


> Look what showed up just now!
> I do plan on doing a proper NGD and review - maybe even a video review? - but for now behold the glory of the mighty A2.6!
> 
> I must add... it feels absolutely amazing out of the box! The craftmanship is solid! It's super cold right now, so I won't give any kind of reviews before it has climatized a bit, and I've had a chance to play it for more than a few minutes!
> 
> But come on, man... that is one sexy beast (the guitar... not me! I'm just a fat nerd)!
> 
> View attachment 57631
> View attachment 57632



Shiiiiit, that's gorgeous. I hope my guitar will be as good as yours. Can't wait!


----------



## mpexus

TheBloodstained said:


> Look what showed up just now!



We need a NGD Thread ASAP!!!! 

I'm itching to get me one of those!!!!


----------



## feraledge

People keep talking about Washburn like it wasn't big in the 90s and forgetting something crucial: 





Right?


----------



## Zalbu

I would bet that Dimebags legacy was the one of the biggest, if not the biggest reason for why Ola decided to go with Washburn, even though the brand has gone downhill since the 90's. It would actually be pretty cool to see Ola put out a Dimebag influenced shape even though I'd probably never own one myself.

As for Evertune, I wouldn't go with one unless you know you're going to keep the guitar in one tuning only. It was too much of a hassle for me to retune and restring it and I didn't really have much of a benefit from the tuning benefits since I only play at home nowadays anyways, it's not like turning a knob is a lot of work if your guitar goes out of tune when you're playing at home.


----------



## lewis

TheBloodstained said:


> Look what showed up just now!
> I do plan on doing a proper NGD and review - maybe even a video review? - but for now behold the glory of the mighty A2.6!
> 
> I must add... it feels absolutely amazing out of the box! The craftmanship is solid! It's super cold right now, so I won't give any kind of reviews before it has climatized a bit, and I've had a chance to play it for more than a few minutes!
> 
> But come on, man... that is one sexy beast (the guitar... not me! I'm just a fat nerd)!
> 
> View attachment 57631
> View attachment 57632


HOLY SHIT.....

easily the best "red guitar" ive seen...
unreal man congrats!.


----------



## bostjan

feraledge said:


> People keep talking about Washburn like it wasn't big in the 90s and forgetting something crucial:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Right?


As if!

And don't forget that Kip Winger briefly played Washburn basses and even had a signature model. 

Actually, looking back, Washburn had some really cool stuff in the 80's and 90's. 3 octave fretboards, all access cutaways with novel heel designs, headless guitars, graphic finishes, monkey grips, one of the first manufacturers to implement kahlers and also wilkinsons...


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Zalbu said:


> I would bet that Dimebags legacy was the one of the biggest, if not the biggest reason for why Ola decided to go with Washburn



He was endorsed by Randall, so another reason could be because Randall and Washburn are pretty close brand-wise.


----------



## cip 123

Zalbu said:


> It would actually be pretty cool to see Ola put out a Dimebag influenced shape even though I'd probably never own one myself.



Ola's a massive Dime fan, but you'll probably more likely see a Dime finish rather than a Dime shape, it'd be much easier and he could do a little spot run for Dime fans.


----------



## Metropolis

Metropolis said:


> A2.6 with blue ash finish made me want it, 26,5" scale would be nice for drop C.



Aand... I'm almost decided to go for one of these, just have to sell some of my stuff first, here we go again.


----------



## Vyn

TheBloodstained said:


> Look what showed up just now!
> I do plan on doing a proper NGD and review - maybe even a video review? - but for now behold the glory of the mighty A2.6!
> 
> I must add... it feels absolutely amazing out of the box! The craftmanship is solid! It's super cold right now, so I won't give any kind of reviews before it has climatized a bit, and I've had a chance to play it for more than a few minutes!
> 
> But come on, man... that is one sexy beast (the guitar... not me! I'm just a fat nerd)!
> 
> View attachment 57631
> View attachment 57632



That looks amazing. Time to bend the credit card over...


----------



## rahnvu

Someone please buy some records from me i want one asap!


----------



## Esp Griffyn

These look like a load of bland, generic chunga-chunga metal guitars. Nothing for me to get too excited about but then I guess I'm not the target audience.


----------



## DredFul

Esp Griffyn said:


> a load of bland, generic chunga-chunga metal guitars



 I'm at the end of my work day and haven't eaten in way too many hours so I laughed at this much more than I should have. Made my day!

On topic: I'm really digging the sleek metal machine type look of these. I'm currently looking to buy a PRS SE but incase the limited edition maple fb one I want gets sold out I might consider picking up a blood red A2.6. It's pretty much what I would want in a signature guitar if I had one


----------



## cip 123

Esp Griffyn said:


> These look like a load of bland, generic chunga-chunga metal guitars. Nothing for me to get too excited about but then I guess I'm not the target audience.


I'm sure he'll bring out a tribal graphic one soon


----------



## Andromalia

bostjan said:


> I already made a better case than what you addressed, please try again.



No, you didn't. (Should I add "neener neener" to stay on the same level of argumentation ?)


----------



## StrmRidr

The more I look at them, the more I like the trans white A1.6. Also, a lot of the models seems to be sold out already. You have to hand it to Ola for a very successful launch so far!


----------



## lewis

Esp Griffyn said:


> These look like a load of bland, generic chunga-chunga metal guitars. Nothing for me to get too excited about but then I guess I'm not the target audience.


----------



## Zalbu

I know right, why doesn't Ola make more camo and blood splatter guitars instead of something that actually looks classy???


----------



## Smoked Porter

cip 123 said:


> I'm sure he'll bring out a tribal graphic one soon





Zalbu said:


> I know right, why doesn't Ola make more camo and blood splatter guitars instead of something that actually looks classy???



Who said anything about blood splatter and tribal graphics? It is actually possible to just not be that excited by these, and I feel bad saying that, cause I like Ola and I'm rooting for him. These aren't nearly as attractive to me as Schecter, PRS SE, LTD, Charvel, or Jackson models in similar price ranges. Especially Schecter.


----------



## cip 123

Smoked Porter said:


> Who said anything about blood splatter and tribal graphics? It is actually possible to just not be that excited by these, and I feel bad saying that, cause I like Ola and I'm rooting for him. These aren't nearly as attractive to me as Schecter, PRS SE, LTD, Charvel, or Jackson models in similar price ranges. Especially Schecter.


My comment was just a joke about Esp Griffyn saying these were chugga chugga guitars while having a slayer avatar, I don't really care what you think about the looks.


----------



## mpexus

So... some already got theirs guitar 24 hours or more ago... where are those NGD day threads with lots of pics and opinions?


----------



## Esp Griffyn

cip 123 said:


> My comment was just a joke about Esp Griffyn saying these were chugga chugga guitars while having a slayer avatar, I don't really care what you think about the looks.


----------



## Esp Griffyn

cip 123 said:


> My comment was just a joke about Esp Griffyn saying these were chugga chugga guitars while having a slayer avatar, I don't really care what you think about the looks.



I changed my avatar to this the day that Jeff Hanneman died. I couldn't tell you the last time I listened to Slayer, it would be have been years ago now.


----------



## ArtDecade

I haven't listened to LA Guns in years either. I should probably get on that this afternoon.


----------



## Wolfhorsky

StrmRidr said:


> The more I look at them, the more I like the trans white A1.6. Also, a lot of the models seems to be sold out already. You have to hand it to Ola for a very successful launch so far!


Make that trans white with maple fb without inlay and black headstock. It would be 99,99% perfect for me


----------



## A-Branger

bostjan said:


> Interesting.
> 
> Dimebag was with Washburn from 1994-2004, for ten years, and throughout the height of his career. But you're right, most people younger than my age don't really know or care.



yeah, Although I love Pantera, I never really jumped into them, specially early in my music path. I knew they were there and were cool and heavy but never bought a CD or follow them. And by the time I started to read about brands and what not, Dime was already with Dean, or better said Dean was still producing his guitar after he passed away, so my assumption was that he always played those, even when that was not the case


----------



## TheBloodstained

mpexus said:


> So... some already got theirs guitar 24 hours or more ago... where are those NGD day threads with lots of pics and opinions?


I plan on doing mine tomorrow (or later today? Timezones are confusing!)


----------



## Matsunaga3

mpexus said:


> So... some already got theirs guitar 24 hours or more ago... where are those NGD day threads with lots of pics and opinions?


Well I would but UPS are idiots and sent my guitar from Philadelphia (very close) to Kentucky for some reason. Now they’re estimating Tuesday..


----------



## TheBloodstained

http://www.sevenstring.org/threads/ngd-solar-a2-6-pics-and-first-impression.326731/


----------



## bostjan

Andromalia said:


> No, you didn't. (Should I add "neener neener" to stay on the same level of argumentation ?)



As I pointed out, you didn't even address any but one of the points I made, and the one point you did address was based off of something factually inaccurate anyway. So we can go back and forth with the whole "duck season/rabbit season"-looney tunes style argument, or not. But when you respond to one of my posts with



Andromalia said:


> I was already purchasing guitars in the 90es and Washburn wasn't a big name, it was already associated with cheapo asian guitars and to our teenager opinion their competitors were the BC Rich and Aria pro II made to abysmal quality standards.



Also, knocking the company for offering affordable guitars and then knocking the company for also offering premium guitars that you couldn't afford is highly inconsistent. You either make nice guitars, cheap guitars, or both. WTF are you even expecting?

I think my counter to your response to me was well justified.


----------



## Matsunaga3

It’s here! And here’s the obligatory unboxing video:


----------



## TheBloodstained

Matsunaga3 said:


> It’s here! And here’s the obligatory unboxing video


Gratz dude! The E's and V's look so cool too 
I was looking for a superstrat this time, but I could totally see myself playing an E or V at some point in the future


----------



## A-Branger

bostjan said:


> So we can go back and forth with the whole "duck season/rabbit season"-looney tunes style argument, or not


----------



## A-Branger

some pics posted on the FB page from behind the scenes

If ou wondering which factory hes using, you can take a guess here on which other brands are using it too


----------



## Vyn

A-Branger said:


> some pics posted on the FB page from behind the scenes
> 
> If ou wondering which factory hes using, you can take a guess here on which other brands are using it too



Ha, Schecter! Epic. That explains the quality people are experiencing.


----------



## oc616

Looks like LTD and some of the more classic-rock shaped Ibanez models right?


----------



## A-Branger

seems to be some PRS SE Standards at the left, as those are made in Indo


----------



## zarg

A-Branger said:


> seems to be some PRS SE Standards at the left, as those are made in Indo



no - PRS SE is exclusive to south korean WMI factory


----------



## mikah912

zarg said:


> no - PRS SE is exclusive to south korean WMI factory



Not the Standard line. That's why it's less than the others.


----------



## zarg

didn't know that! cool!


----------



## A-Branger

yup I though they change that, but jumped into a pic from sweetwatter and the abck of the headstock says indo


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I've heard good things about them. Not as good as the MiK ones, but good for the cash. Kinda wanna get a blue or black CU24 down the line. 

Sorry Ola, just not too much into the kvlt br00t pointies anymore


----------



## Metropolis

I was just wondering, how is the neck profile in these? Ola said it's little bit thicker than Ibanez Wizard, maybe more towards ESP thin-u, or what Schecters have nowadays. But does it have any shoulders and flat surface in the middle, or is it more like a round c-shape? Also when is the next run of guitars coming? Most of the models are sold out, so good for Ola, maybe I should just send e-mail to them.


----------



## Petar Bogdanov

If it's like his Washburns, it's a thin C with zero shoulders.


----------



## Metropolis

Petar Bogdanov said:


> If it's like his Washburns, it's a thin C with zero shoulders.



Thanks! I don't like shouldery necks.


----------



## PunkBillCarson

These Duncan Solars, are these Seymour Duncans or are they Duncan Designed?

Nevermind, just watched the video.


----------



## A-Branger

Metropolis said:


> I was just wondering, how is the neck profile in these? Ola said it's little bit thicker than Ibanez Wizard, maybe more towards ESP thin-u, or what Schecters have nowadays. But does it have any shoulders and flat surface in the middle, or is it more like a round c-shape? Also when is the next run of guitars coming? Most of the models are sold out, so good for Ola, maybe I should just send e-mail to them.


check the 6 string sub-forum, theres a NGD already of one of the models, you better asking him there


----------



## Metropolis

PunkBillCarson said:


> These Duncan Solars, are these Seymour Duncans or are they Duncan Designed?
> 
> Nevermind, just watched the video.



They aren't either, Ola said that in his Solar Guitars FAQ video. But they aren't made in USA Duncans, so they are specifically made for him, and Solar Guitars in somewhere Asia, Korea maybe. Specs are based on Custom 5 and Jazz pickups.


----------



## lewis

i personally think his demo tone has gone down hill since he started using his solar pickups.
everything is overly crunchy/fizzy and they do seem to sound like lower end stock pickups you want to replace.

We know its not the amp as his Satan sounds fantastic but something about this new tone just does not work for me. Its his weakest tone yet imo.

The guitars look absolutely stunning but from the sounds of things, I would want the Solar pickups out ASAP.

Just my 2 cents.


----------



## Ataraxia2320

I thought the same thing personally.


----------



## TheBloodstained

lewis said:


> i personally think his demo tone has gone down hill since he started using his solar pickups.
> everything is overly crunchy/fizzy and they do seem to sound like lower end stock pickups you want to replace.
> 
> We know its not the amp as his Satan sounds fantastic but something about this new tone just does not work for me. Its his weakest tone yet imo.
> 
> The guitars look absolutely stunning but from the sounds of things, I would want the Solar pickups out ASAP.
> 
> Just my 2 cents.


I've been using EMGs and SD Blackouts exclusively for the last couple of years. When I plugged in my Solar and started recording with it I actually felt that it improved my tones 
Guess it's a matter of personal preference? (...and rig? ...and signal chain? ...and playing style?)


----------



## lewis

TheBloodstained said:


> I've been using EMGs and SD Blackouts exclusively for the last couple of years. When I plugged in my Solar and started recording with it I actually felt that it improved my tones
> Guess it's a matter of personal preference? (...and rig? ...and signal chain? ...and playing style?)


yeah thats why i said his tone has changed and imo for the worse. Not everyones will i just personally dont seek those characteristics in my own sound 

awesome though that it works for you. These guitars are awesome. In love with the red one


----------



## Soya

I just wish I could purchase the pickups separately for other guitars, I quite liked them in the solar 17etc I had.


----------



## cip 123

lewis said:


> i personally think his demo tone has gone down hill since he started using his solar pickups.
> everything is overly crunchy/fizzy and they do seem to sound like lower end stock pickups you want to replace.



I think they work well in a mix, but I don't like them solo. But then Ola is always recording and playing in a band so something that just sits nice will be what he's after.


----------



## Metropolis

Soya said:


> I just wish I could purchase the pickups separately for other guitars, I quite liked them in the solar 17etc I had.



Seymour Duncan Custom 5, Custom or Pegasus should be in the same kind of scooped sound.


----------



## WintermintP

Very sad that the A2.7 will cost me $1K total, and the first thing I'll have to do to it is change the pickups...

WintermintP


----------



## Matsunaga3

I don’t like the pickups. They are the only thing I don’t like, I’ll be replacing them soon.


----------



## lewis

Matsunaga3 said:


> I don’t like the pickups. They are the only thing I don’t like, I’ll be replacing them soon.


same opinion of me based off tone demos. Overly crunchy/fizzy.
However some top end pickups in these solars is going to be a complete winner!


----------



## Metropolis

lewis said:


> same opinion of me based off tone demos. Overly crunchy/fizzy.
> However some top end pickups in these solars is going to be a complete winner!



His recent use of 2x12" cabs and SM58 microphone has somehting to do with general fizzyness. But Ola has always sounded like himself, no matter what the pickups are.


----------



## WintermintP

lewis said:


> same opinion of me based off tone demos. Overly crunchy/fizzy.
> However some top end pickups in these solars is going to be a complete winner!



I wouldn't say they're overly crunchy, but they are lacking in note definition. Crunch-wise, it could've just been finetuned a little bit.

Thanks,
WintermintP


----------



## btbg

WintermintP said:


> Very sad that the A2.7 will cost me $1K total, and the first thing I'll have to do to it is change the pickups...
> 
> WintermintP



Why? The Solar pickups are fantastic pickups. Hell of a lot better than d activators  Try it first with your own rig. Assuming you need to change something before even having played them yourself is dumb.

Judging pickups based on someone else’s demo is unbelievably flawed.

I’ve had a Washburn solar now for just over a year and the solar pickups are some of the nicest sounding I’ve heard through my rig.


----------



## WintermintP

btbg said:


> Why? The Solar pickups are fantastic pickups. Hell of a lot better than d activators  Try it first with your own rig. Assuming you need to change something before even having played them yourself is dumb.
> 
> Judging pickups based on someone else’s demo is unbelievably flawed.
> 
> I’ve had a Washburn solar now for just over a year and the solar pickups are some of the nicest sounding I’ve heard through my rig.



?

WintermintP


----------



## cwhitey2

WintermintP said:


> I wouldn't say they're overly crunchy, but they are lacking in note definition. Crunch-wise, it could've just been finetuned a little bit.
> 
> Thanks,
> WintermintP





Not everyone likes the stock pups that come in every guitar...


----------



## WintermintP

cwhitey2 said:


> Not everyone likes the stock pups that come in every guitar...



The default pickups on that E-II FRX were the 89/89R set, and the only thing I would've done to that is swap the positions.


----------



## cwhitey2

WintermintP said:


> The default pickups on that E-II FRX were the 89/89R set, and the only thing I would've done to that is swap the positions.


 That kind of proves my point!

I habe honestly only needed to change pups in 1 guitar that I have owned.


----------



## btbg

cwhitey2 said:


> That kind of proves my point!
> 
> I habe honestly only needed to change pups in 1 guitar that I have owned.



No, but did you make your decision to change them based on videos or did you try it through your own gear and decide “Yeah, these could be better.”?

That’s the point I’m making.


----------



## Unleash The Fury

The only thing worse than a beer snob is a gear snob. Lmao just kidding. Obviously your not a gear snob because you dont like certain pickups.

But it is mild cork-sniffery at best to judge pickups without having tried them through your own rig


----------



## cwhitey2

btbg said:


> No, but did you make your decision to change them based on videos or did you try it through your own gear and decide “Yeah, these could be better.”?
> 
> That’s the point I’m making.



Through my own gear because they were Duncan design and truly sucked. I changed them like 12 years ago...


----------



## btbg

cwhitey2 said:


> Through my own gear because they were Duncan design and truly sucked. I changed them like 12 years ago...



Point made.


----------



## WintermintP

@cwhitey2 No, that does *not* prove anything because the two pickups I would have in the model would essentially be the exact same pickups, just swapped into the opposite positions.


----------



## dr_game0ver

Solar guitar are now on sale at Thomann.


----------



## Matsunaga3

lewis said:


> same opinion of me based off tone demos. Overly crunchy/fizzy.
> However some top end pickups in these solars is going to be a complete winner!


I don’t know about overly crunchy/fizzy... they are just super low output, and the neck pickup sounds extremely hollow. I swapped in some emg’s last night, now I’m all set.


----------



## Matsunaga3

lewis said:


> same opinion of me based off tone demos. Overly crunchy/fizzy.
> However some top end pickups in these solars is going to be a complete winner!


I don’t know about overly crunchy/fizzy... they are just super low output, and the neck pickup sounds extremely hollow. I swapped in some emg’s last night, now I’m all set.


----------



## TheUnknownOne

Matsunaga3 said:


> I don’t know about overly crunchy/fizzy... they are just super low output, and the neck pickup sounds extremely hollow. I swapped in some emg’s last night, now I’m all set.



Could I ask you which model do you play ?


----------



## WintermintP

dr_game0ver said:


> Solar guitar are now on sale at Thomann.



DANG!

WintermintP


----------



## TheUnknownOne

dr_game0ver said: ↑
Solar guitar are now on sale at Thomann.

Idk if this is a mistake or Thomann's margin but some models cost a hundred bucks more


----------



## Metropolis

This was very good and honest review about A2.6. I love that Duncan kind of tonal crunchiness it has.


----------



## MatiasTolkki

I like Arnold, he doesnt bullshit anyone.


----------



## Ola Englund

Didn’t know this thread existed. Thanks for the kind words guys!


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

We still need a baritone E2.6.


----------



## Andrew Lloyd Webber

Evidently, bans expire after seven and a half years.


----------



## Ola Englund

Andrew Lloyd Webber said:


> Evidently, bans expire after seven and a half years.


It’s because my memes have been so dank lately...


----------



## Albake21

Ola Englund said:


> Didn’t know this thread existed. Thanks for the kind words guys!


Didn't know you even browsed this forum, awesome to see! You should defnitely stick around as I'm sure many of us have thoughts on the guitars. Maybe give us some VIP sneak peeks into the future of Solar guitars 

I will definitely be picking up either the 26.5" scale blue one, or the normal 25.5" scale red one once they are for sale again.


----------



## Deadpool_25

@Ola Englund Any idea when more will be available? I want that A6.2


----------



## Ola Englund

Deadpool_25 said:


> @Ola Englund Any idea when more will be available? I want that A6.2



we're opening up the preorders sometime now in April. Shipping out to customers will be end of may!


----------



## MatiasTolkki

Ola Englund said:


> we're opening up the preorders sometime now in April. Shipping out to customers will be end of may!



Hey Ola, will you be working on some new colors for the OFR Solars anytime soon?


----------



## ArtDecade

This thread is Haunted.


----------



## Deadpool_25

I just preordered my A2.6


----------



## Albake21

Man they aren't shipping till June 8th. That is way too far away for me to preorder it. Hell I could get a Kiesel custom built in that time frame. Not that I would lol, but still the thought.


----------



## ArtDecade

^ 
Ladies and gentleman, I present you FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS. Here we have a guitar player reluctant to wait almost two entire months for a guitar to be built in foreign lands before it needs to be shipped across the world. Perish the thought. Perish it.


----------



## Albake21

ArtDecade said:


> ^
> Ladies and gentleman, I present you FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS. Here we have a guitar player reluctant to wait almost two entire months for a guitar to be built in foreign lands before it needs to be shipped across the world. Perish the thought. Perish it.


I just meant that I don't want to wait 2 months for a $600 guitar. If it was a custom shop then sure.


----------



## Dcm81

Albake21 said:


> I just meant that I don't want to wait 2 months for a $600 guitar. If it was a custom shop then sure.


Ola did state the end of May for the pre-orders. From there to June 8th is only a week or two...


----------



## ArtDecade

It is a production line. They build a run of _guitar x_ followed by _guitar y_ followed by _guitar z_. That's the reason why it is a 600 dollar guitar.


----------



## Albake21

ArtDecade said:


> It is a production line. They build a run of _guitar x_ followed by _guitar y_ followed by _guitar z_. That's the reason why it is a 600 dollar guitar.


I get that... I don't know why everyone is getting so defensive. I'm just saying that to me preordering isn't worth it.... TO ME. That's all.


----------



## Dcm81

Albake21 said:


> I get that... I don't know why everyone is getting so defensive. I'm just saying that to me preordering isn't worth it.... TO ME. That's all.



Not getting defensive man, I’m won’t be ordering any. No offense meant


----------



## Vyn

Albake21 said:


> I just meant that I don't want to wait 2 months for a $600 guitar. If it was a custom shop then sure.



Welcome to what most non-US guitarists have to deal with on a regular basis


----------



## KnightBrolaire

Albake21 said:


> I just meant that I don't want to wait 2 months for a $600 guitar. If it was a custom shop then sure.


lmao I've been waiting over a year for my ormsby headless guitar. it's a production line guitar


----------



## Albake21

KnightBrolaire said:


> lmao I've been waiting over a year for my ormsby headless guitar. it's a production line guitar


Lol and I think it's crazy how long people wait for those Ormsby Hype runs. Takes way too much patience that I don't have.


----------



## Vyn

KnightBrolaire said:


> lmao I've been waiting over a year for my ormsby headless guitar. it's a production line guitar



It's not Ormsby's fault (fuck you CITES) but I'm pretty sure the Goliath run takes the medal for the longest wait for a production guitar. Worth it though. the GTR line is phenomenal from the examples I've seen/played in person.


----------



## MatiasTolkki

Albake21 said:


> Lol and I think it's crazy how long people wait for those Ormsby Hype runs. Takes way too much patience that I don't have.



I feel the same way about an ESP or Jackson custom shop guitar. 6-12 months is WAY too long.


----------



## KnightBrolaire

Vyn said:


> It's not Ormsby's fault (fuck you CITES) but I'm pretty sure the Goliath run takes the medal for the longest wait for a production guitar. Worth it though. the GTR line is phenomenal from the examples I've seen/played in person.


pretty sure run 1 and 2 took around a year, and that was before CITES was even an issue. The Hot Rod run is going on something like year 4 or so iirc, but they're semi-customs.


----------



## Vyn

KnightBrolaire said:


> pretty sure run 1 and 2 took around a year, and that was before CITES was even an issue. The Hot Rod run is going on something like year 4 or so iirc, but they're semi-customs.



I thought it was coming up on nearly two years for some of the Goliath orders but I could be completely wrong there.


----------



## KnightBrolaire

Vyn said:


> I thought it was coming up on nearly two years for some of the Goliath orders but I could be completely wrong there.


Yeah you're right, I found the emails from when I ordered a run 4 and a run 6. they're dated june 2016 and dec 2016 respectively. Fucking hell, 1.5-2years is straight up custom guitar wait times


----------



## Vyn

KnightBrolaire said:


> Yeah you're right, I found the emails from when I ordered a run 4 and a run 6. they're dated june 2016 and dec 2016 respectively. Fucking hell, 2 years is straight up custom guitar wait times



Haha, worth it though. My local luthier/guitar tech had a burl top 6 Hype GTR in for a service yesterday and was kind enough to let me have a look at it. I can't believe how well made they are for an import guitar, and how well Perry's QC/setup-work is.


----------



## KnightBrolaire

Vyn said:


> Haha, worth it though. My local luthier/guitar tech had a burl top 6 Hype GTR in for a service yesterday and was kind enough to let me have a look at it. I can't believe how well made they are for an import guitar, and how well Perry's QC/setup-work is.


it better be good, I waited longer for it than both my knightros and kiesels


----------



## Vyn

KnightBrolaire said:


> it better be good, I waited longer for it than both my knightros and kiesels



I haven't played a Kiesel because they are a pain to get over here (by the time shipping and import taxes hit they aren't worth the money so no-one bothers with them), be curious to see how the two compare!


----------



## KnightBrolaire

Vyn said:


> I haven't played a Kiesel because they are a pain to get over here (by the time shipping and import taxes hit they aren't worth the money so no-one bothers with them), be curious to see how the two compare!


I'll definitely be comparing it to my strandberg and kiesels. I'm curious to see how well it holds up and how comfy it is.


----------



## MatiasTolkki

Vyn said:


> I haven't played a Kiesel because they are a pain to get over here (by the time shipping and import taxes hit they aren't worth the money so no-one bothers with them), be curious to see how the two compare!



one nice thing about Japan is that we have no VAT. when I got my V220, all I had to do was pay applicable consumption tax, which back then was only like 6000 yen iirc.


----------



## Deadpool_25

Lol. Hijacked!


----------



## Albake21

Deadpool_25 said:


> Lol. Hijacked!


Haha I totally forgot what thread I was on for a minute there.


----------



## MatiasTolkki

Albake21 said:


> Haha I totally forgot what thread I was on for a minute there.



Yeah me too, I didnt even realize it until your post right now


----------



## Flappydoodle

Andrew Lloyd Webber said:


> Evidently, bans expire after seven and a half years.



Except he wasn't banned. He stopped posting


----------



## Andrew Lloyd Webber

Flappydoodle said:


> Except he wasn't banned. He stopped posting



https://twitter.com/fearedse/status/25762400889


----------



## Sogradde

Vyn said:


> Welcome to what most non-US guitarists have to deal with on a regular basis


This so much! I asked at my local store about some Ibanez. They said: "oh well, the next shipment is expected to be around August".
FML


----------



## ArtDecade

Flappydoodle said:


> Except he wasn't banned. He stopped posting



#derp


----------



## Flappydoodle

ArtDecade said:


> #derp



His Twitter claims he was banned

But his last post in 2010 was 'no more posting on SSrg then'. Seems like a quit rather than a ban unless something happened after and posts were deleted.


----------



## Andrew Lloyd Webber

Flappydoodle said:


> His Twitter claims he was banned
> 
> But his last post in 2010 was 'no more posting on SSrg then'. Seems like a quit rather than a ban



https://twitter.com/fearedse/status/25764157880

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/threads/haha-ss-org-can-suck-my-balls.627769/



> Ola Englund is gone permanently. He was asked to post his clips in the proper place, and responded with a quip about not posting to the site anymore. He got his wish.


----------



## Andrew Lloyd Webber

Andrew Lloyd Webber said:


> Evidently, bans expire after seven and a half years.


----------



## Flappydoodle

Andrew Lloyd Webber said:


> https://twitter.com/fearedse/status/25764157880
> 
> http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/threads/haha-ss-org-can-suck-my-balls.627769/



Internet drama yay


----------



## Albake21

Flappydoodle said:


> Internet drama yay


Ehh old news now. Does anyone really care anymore if even then?


----------



## Andrew Lloyd Webber

Let’s get back to not talking about his guitars.


----------



## gunch

Why does this crank you so hard when you are ban evading with an alt account anyways


----------



## Andrew Lloyd Webber

Someone quoted me, and I googled something for him. If you think that’s hard cranking, I’ve got some gay porn to show you.

Speaking of which, all but the V and Explorer seem to be sold out (on the US site, anyway). Seems odd there aren’t more NGDs here.


----------



## ArtDecade

Just gonna repost my derp.

#derp


----------



## Ola Englund




----------



## gunch

Hey Ola any chance for multi-scale models? (esp. a 6)


----------



## Albake21

Ola Englund said:


>



Very cool! Although it's too bad those colors are exclusive to just the lefty models.


----------



## Ordacleaphobia

silverabyss said:


> Hey Ola any chance for multi-scale models? (esp. a 6)



I really don't need another guitar but I would totally buy one of these.
My wallet can already feel the disrespect.


----------



## Zalbu

Are there any plans on making locking tuners standard on the guitars? That would be the only thing that could make guitars in this price range better IMO, although it's not a huge hassle to install them yourself.


----------



## Albake21

Zalbu said:


> Are there any plans on making locking tuners standard on the guitars? That would be the only thing that could make guitars in this price range better IMO, although it's not a huge hassle to install them yourself.


I thought they had Grover locking tuners?

They are the Grover 18-1 self locking ones.


----------



## Metropolis

Evertune models have locking tuners.


----------



## Albake21

Metropolis said:


> Evertune models have locking tuners.


Never mind you're right, it specifies the ones that do as "The Locking Type"


----------



## lewis

SHIT.
That blue model is SCREAMING for white pearloid tuner buttons, white pickups and white pearloid topped knobs!....


----------



## Zalbu

Isn't it pretty redundant to have locking tuners on the Evertune models?


----------



## DredFul

Zalbu said:


> Isn't it pretty redundant to have locking tuners on the Evertune models?


Depends on how you look at it. I think locking tuners are already worth it for making string change a breeze!


----------



## Vyn

DredFul said:


> Depends on how you look at it. I think locking tuners are already worth it for making string change a breeze!



+1. Every guitar should have locking tuners, they make life easy as


----------



## spudmunkey

I have an acoustic with locking tuners. They are a tiny bit heavier than non-locking, but string changes are easier/quicker.


----------



## M3CHK1LLA

hey ola,
+1 for a multi-scale 6er. prefer it in the v but any shape offered i would buy asap!


----------



## Deadpool_25

Is it my imagination or have most models that were open for preorder sold out again already?


----------



## feraledge

Ola Englund said:


>



Bravo, that video is hilarious.


----------



## ZombieLloyd

Deadpool_25 said:


> Is it my imagination or have most models that were open for preorder sold out again already?


That's exactly what happened with the last pre-order batch. You pretty much have to have one ordered right as the announcement comes up or they're almost all gone by the time you get to the website.


----------



## blacai

I think new batchs will offer less and less number of items, to avoid going into undesired over-stock, which costs lot of money. So everytime he opens the preorder, people should buy it quickly. He knows how sales fluctuation is doing.


Deadpool_25 said:


> Is it my imagination or have most models that were open for preorder sold out again already?


----------



## Albake21

Does anyone know if there is a difference between the Washburn ones and the Solar version? The only thing that seems different is the bridge not being a hipshot (or has evertune on certain models). Also I thought I read somewhere they were still being made in the same factory so quality is the same.


----------



## lewis

can someone PLEASE get both the Red and the blue and have them together in the same photo so it can create a huge GAS and make me want to buy them.


----------



## ZombieLloyd

lewis said:


> can someone PLEASE get both the Red and the blue and have them together in the same photo so it can create a huge GAS and make me want to buy them.



Funny you should ask, I'm actually going to be buying both at some point this year; if no one else has done it by then I'll do a double NGD with photos of them next to each other. First, I NEED that Jensen signature in my life, so that comes first.


----------



## dr_game0ver

lewis said:


> can someone PLEASE get both the Red and the blue and have them together in the same photo so it can create a huge GAS and make me want to buy them.


Ask Ola. He has both.


----------



## WintermintP

A bit sad that the 2.7 model is gone forever... I wouldn't have been able to afford it anyway.

WintermintP


----------



## lewis

ZombieLloyd said:


> Funny you should ask, I'm actually going to be buying both at some point this year; if no one else has done it by then I'll do a double NGD with photos of them next to each other. First, I NEED that Jensen signature in my life, so that comes first.



our savior is here!.
yessss

I cant wait for that NGD!
man they are both stunning. For me, you cant order one without the other.

Infact I would love my band to use the red/blue combo live...


----------



## WintermintP

lewis said:


> our savior is here!.
> yessss
> 
> I cant wait for that NGD!
> man they are both stunning. For me, you cant order one without the other.
> 
> Infact I would love my band to use the red/blue combo live...


Hold on, are you actually left-handed?

WintermintP


----------



## lewis

WintermintP said:


> Hold on, are you actually left-handed?
> 
> WintermintP


wait what?

Are they just lefty models?!?!


----------



## Albake21

lewis said:


> wait what?
> 
> Are they just lefty models?!?!


The 7 string ones are sadly.


----------



## lewis

Albake21 said:


> The 7 string ones are sadly.


noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo


----------



## lewis

wait the red and blue 6ers right handed are both 26.5 scale.
thats fine for me.
Niiiiiice


----------



## Albake21

lewis said:


> wait the red and blue 6ers right handed are both 26.5 scale.
> thats fine for me.
> Niiiiiice


I'm pretty sure only the blue one is 26.5 while the red one is 25.5. At least that's what it was during the first batch. It might have changed though.


----------



## ZombieLloyd

lewis said:


> wait what?
> 
> Are they just lefty models?!?!



No, there are A2.6s that are red and blue as right handed, Wintermint must think you're talking about the new left handed ones.


----------



## Albake21

Also I just realized they do have a red right handed 7 string. so you just have to get the red 7 string and the blue 26.5" 6 string.


----------



## lewis

Albake21 said:


> Also I just realized they do have a red right handed 7 string. so you just have to get the red 7 string and the blue 26.5" 6 string.


thats what im thinking!!!


----------



## ZombieLloyd

lewis said:


> our savior is here!.
> yessss
> 
> I cant wait for that NGD!
> man they are both stunning. For me, you cant order one without the other.
> 
> Infact I would love my band to use the red/blue combo live...



Haha, thanks, I guess.

I can't wait for it either.

I totally agree, that's why I'm getting both at the same time haha.

That would look awesome. Though the blue one is 26.5 scale length so you'd need thicker strings to match their tuning, or the other guy might need lighter strings, you get the idea.


----------



## WintermintP

Albake21 said:


> Also I just realized they do have a red right handed 7 string. so you just have to get the red 7 string and the blue 26.5" 6 string.



Hold on, a *red* right-hander seven? Thanks for not coming up with a blue one, jeez. ._.

And no, for me, a normal 6 ain't going to cut it.

WintermintP

P.S. (sigh) I get that Solar are a small company, but they really need to come up with multiple colour options for each model.


----------



## Tisca

Albake21 said:


> Does anyone know if there is a difference between the Washburn ones and the Solar version? The only thing that seems different is the bridge not being a hipshot (or has evertune on certain models). Also I thought I read somewhere they were still being made in the same factory so quality is the same.



Ola answered in a recent FAQ video "no". But that's all he said so not sure there was any sarcasm. Think they come from the same factory anyway.


----------



## Albake21

Albake21 said:


> Does anyone know if there is a difference between the Washburn ones and the Solar version? The only thing that seems different is the bridge not being a hipshot (or has evertune on certain models). Also I thought I read somewhere they were still being made in the same factory so quality is the same.





Tisca said:


> Ola answered in a recent FAQ video "no". But that's all he said so not sure there was any sarcasm. Think they come from the same factory anyway.



Yeah I do remember this, but I wasn't sure if I should take it serious or not. Plus I was hoping for a more detailed answer. @Ola Englund Care to answer this a little better, unless when you say no you truly mean they are the same? Thanks!


----------



## Ola Englund

Albake21 said:


> Yeah I do remember this, but I wasn't sure if I should take it serious or not. Plus I was hoping for a more detailed answer. @Ola Englund Care to answer this a little better, unless when you say no you truly mean they are the same? Thanks!



The design is the same basically(since I designed it in the first place) with minor improvements specwise. Factory is the same too!


----------



## Ola Englund

WintermintP said:


> P.S. (sigh) I get that Solar are a small company, but they really need to come up with multiple colour options for each model.



I understand your frustration, but having different color options for every different Type with a different type of bridge, amount of strings etc would result in us needing to have more than a 60 different models. It's not a sustainable business model. I think that for a company that has not been alive for more than 6 months, we're doing an ok job, we're not done just yet.


----------



## WintermintP

Ola Englund said:


> I understand your frustration, but having different color options for every different Type with a different type of bridge, amount of strings etc would result in us needing to have more than a 60 different models. It's not a sustainable business model. I think that for a company that has not been alive for more than 6 months, we're doing an ok job, we're not done just yet.


So as the company gets bigger we get to see more options such as Floyds and maybe turquoise finishes with a special burst like the new British ML-2 from Chapman? O3O

WintermintP


----------



## Albake21

Ola Englund said:


> The design is the same basically(since I designed it in the first place) with minor improvements specwise. Factory is the same too!


Awesome I appreciate the quick answer!


----------



## Ola Englund

I went to QC batch #4 last week. Here's a video if anyone cares:


----------



## Andromalia

If those are tele shaped with an Evertune I'm buying one. The red guitars look pretty good, too.


----------



## Metropolis

Do you inspect every guitar of specific batch, and is that common thing to do as a company owner in guitar industry? If it's not, that is some serious dedication for what you're doing Ola!


----------



## Albake21

I'm curious to know what new guitars there could be. If it's a new shape, really the only shapes I can think of would be an SG, Les Paul, or Tele style. Would be cool to get a new color! Hey Ola, when will we know about some of the new guitars?


----------



## MFB

Albake21 said:


> I'm curious to know what new guitars there could be. If it's a new shape, really the only shapes I can think of would be an SG, Les Paul, or Tele style. Would be cool to get a new color! Hey Ola, when will we know about some of the new guitars?



You'll get nothing and like it!


----------



## Ancestor

I like him. Good playing. Good personality. Very down to Earth. I'm sure the guitar is good too. I think I was watching a him do some stuff with a Kemper? Anyway yes good stuff.


----------



## Backsnack

Albake21 said:


> I'm curious to know what new guitars there could be. If it's a new shape, really the only shapes I can think of would be an SG, Les Paul, or Tele style. Would be cool to get a new color! Hey Ola, when will we know about some of the new guitars?


I'd love to see Ola's take on a tele shape. Spec it like the red swamp ash A2.6 model and that'd be hard to resist for me. 

I'm late to the party on this thread, so I'm guessing it's already been asked: any plans on offering models with locking tuners?


----------



## Albake21

Backsnack said:


> I'd love to see Ola's take on a tele shape. Spec it like the red swamp ash A2.6 model and that'd be hard to resist for me.
> 
> I'm late to the party on this thread, so I'm guessing it's already been asked: any plans on offering models with locking tuners?


All of the models with evertune bridges have locking tuners.


----------



## Backsnack

Albake21 said:


> All of the models with evertune bridges have locking tuners.


Should have specified: locking tuners without evertune bridges.


----------



## Albake21

Backsnack said:


> Should have specified: locking tuners without evertune bridges.


Ah yeah that I'm not sure of. There was no mention of it at least.


----------



## Mathemagician

I’d like to see his take on a star shape. But honestly I don’t see it selling that well - it doesn’t normally do much in sales for anyone else who offers one. Not going to hold out for that.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Mathemagician said:


> I’d like to see his take on a star shape. But honestly I don’t see it selling that well - it doesn’t normally do much in sales for anyone else who offers one. Not going to hold out for that.



Ola's a huge Pantera/Dimebag fanboy, so I'd imagine it'll be inspired by the ML/Stealth shape.


----------



## Mathemagician

Which I haaaaaaate. Primarily because of deans headstocks. All of them. But also because ew that shape. And I know that’s an unpopular opinion on ML’s. But you are right in that he’s a huge dimebag fan. He has a few ML’s that sometimes make their way into Instagram clips, etc.


----------



## MFB

Backsnack said:


> I'd love to see Ola's take on a tele shape. Spec it like the red swamp ash A2.6 model and that'd be hard to resist for me.
> 
> I'm late to the party on this thread, so I'm guessing it's already been asked: any plans on offering models with locking tuners?



Maybe Ola can finally be the Tele savior we all want and deliver us an affordable model with a forearm contour?


----------



## feraledge

MFB said:


> Maybe Ola can finally be the Tele savior we all want and deliver us an affordable model with a forearm contour?


$389





$699




$899


----------



## ZombieLloyd

feraledge said:


> $389
> 
> 
> 
> 
> $699
> 
> 
> 
> 
> $899



There's a TE-200 available in red, it looks stunning. Does anyone know if it's any good? I'm really tempted to pick one up.


----------



## spudmunkey

Chapman ML3 Modern? $399
https://www.riffcityguitaroutlet.co...MI_uCt6oaH2wIVjbjACh3BFgutEAQYAiABEgIeNfD_BwE


----------



## feraledge

ZombieLloyd said:


> There's a TE-200 available in red, it looks stunning. Does anyone know if it's any good? I'm really tempted to pick one up.


Very briefly had an older one. Would need to update some hardware and the nut, but solid modding platform.


----------



## ZombieLloyd

feraledge said:


> Very briefly had an older one. Would need to update some hardware and the nut, but solid modding platform.



I've been considering getting a guitar for modding. Thanks for letting me know!


----------



## MFB

feraledge said:


> *$389*
> 
> $699
> 
> $899



While I could certainly afford the $700 or $900 ones, for a hobby that I'm currently barely entertaining, to drop that kind of coin would be absurd, and even nearly $400 is double what I'm looking at for used guitars. I understand that what I'm looking at did go for the same price brand new, so it's all relative, but the fact that a guitar as barebones as that second Tele is going for $700 seems a bit baffling; especially since Tele purists consider them to be the most minimal of design.


----------



## feraledge

MFB said:


> While I could certainly afford the $700 or $900 ones, for a hobby that I'm currently barely entertaining, to drop that kind of coin would be absurd, and even nearly $400 is double what I'm looking at for used guitars. I understand that what I'm looking at did go for the same price brand new, so it's all relative, but the fact that a guitar as barebones as that second Tele is going for $700 seems a bit baffling; especially since Tele purists consider them to be the most minimal of design.


Congratulations, this might be one of the most baffling posts on this forum, ever.
1) you asked about a tele with a forearm cut, then talk about tele purists as though the guitar should cost less
2) what does “barebones” have to do with the price? Unless you think the original teles were uncarved hunks of wood, the number of pickups and features or carves doesn’t say much about skill and craft. A barebones guitar could be a Squier Affinity or a Blackmachine. If you feel the aesthetic of the guitar determines the price, then your world is a simpler one (that my bank account might envy).
3) who looks at new pricing and complains about it compared to used?!?
4) If Ola isn’t at or over $699 on a tele design, should he do one, I’d be shocked. 
5) if a well built and playable guitar for $699 new isn’t “affordable” then there needs to be a bigger conversation about what things cost.
6) again, you asked...
7) if you consider playing guitar to be a hobby (currently barely worth entertaining!), why are you on a guitar forum and why should your level of interest cost or value?


----------



## MFB

feraledge said:


> 1) what does “barebones” have to do with the price? Unless you think the original teles were uncarved hunks of wood, the number of pickups and features or carves doesn’t say much about skill and craft. A barebones guitar could be a Squier Affinity or a Blackmachine. If you feel the aesthetic of the guitar determines the price, then your world is a simpler one (that my bank account might envy).
> 2) who looks at new pricing and complains about it compared to used?!?
> 3) If Ola isn’t at or over $699 on a tele design, should he do one, I’d be shocked.
> 4) if a well built and playable guitar for $699 new isn’t “affordable” then there needs to be a bigger conversation about what things cost.
> 5) if you consider playing guitar to be a hobby (currently barely worth entertaining!), why are you on a guitar forum and why should your level of interest cost or value?



1. Less features realistically _should_ mean lower cost, in that you have less components you have to put into the guitar and spend time putting into. If you as a manufacturer don't have to route, wire, and purchase a neck pickup, that's time and money you've saved on a guitar. I feel like people used to talk about it with Tele's all the time that they're the simplest body to make, since it's a quick cutout, and then a little bit of rounding on the edges for _some_ comfort - it's that and the neck to deal with. Oh heavens! Obviously a custom made guitar is going to be different since that's going to be hand-cut and dealt with, but that's a whole different class of guitar and understood when looking at.

2. Aside from myself? I'm sure heaps of other people, and probably a good chunk of others on here. I was saying I'm looking at used guitars currently, and if I saw something that was close enough to the price range I'm already looking at, yeah, I'd spend the money for something new; in this case, when the new pricing is 1.5 to 2x what I was already looking at, then it makes no sense to jump up unless I really wanted it to be new and that model. How many times have you ever looked at a guitar that was brand new and then thought you could get the same thing cheaper because it's used and sure enough, there it is on Reverb/Ebay for 2/3 of the price?

3/4. Guitar costs continue to go up and up, and yet they're the same guitars we were buying 5-10 years ago. I get that there's inflation, current market prices for wood, labor costs, etc... but at what point does the bubble burst? And I think there should be a conversation about what things cost. As we've seen with stuff from Rondo, they somehow manage to come out with newer models that have some of the same features as higher end guitars that are much more coveted, for 1/5th of the price (with the average consumer understanding the build quality they'll be getting at that price point) - so how much smoke and mirrors is there for roasted maple, or stainless steel frets?

5. If you so kindly look at my join date, I've put over a 1/3rd of my life into this forum (fuck, that's weird to say [28 for the record]) and it's one that I now mainly stick to the OT/Movies/etc... it's nice to poke my head back in to the portions where I used to spent nearly all my free time (and basically every paycheck I made working retail) and see what's changed. Looking at general music, it seems like nothing new is really being brought to the table and it's all just the same re-treading of topics/bands, and there's not much you can do to shake up the guitar world, so it's stagnation; so I guess it's back to keeping my head down and not bothering.


----------



## bostjan

feraledge said:


> 4) If Ola isn’t at or over $699 on a tele design, should he do one, I’d be shocked.



That's where I'm at a loss as well. The answer:



MFB said:


> And I think there should be a conversation about what things cost. As we've seen with stuff from Rondo, they somehow manage to come out with newer models that have some of the same features as higher end guitars that are much more coveted, for 1/5th of the price (with the average consumer understanding the build quality they'll be getting at that price point) - so how much smoke and mirrors is there for roasted maple, or stainless steel frets?



Dude, try building a guitar yourself if you think it's that cheap to do. I honestly don't know how Kurt manages to sell Douglas import guitars for less than the price of so much firewood, but that doesn't mean that all guitars should be selling for $150. And this is totally trying to avoid the main point. Solar isn't going to start selling a sleek modern version of a tele for what Kurt charges for a vintage-style tele. Solars are going for the $800-1600 range and Rondo is marketing to the <$1000 range. Their teles are aiming at an even lower price market, so it doesn't make any sense at all to wish for Solar to start making a tele that will, by anyone's best guess, look a lot more like the $700 LTD that @feraledge posted, and, by anyone's best guess, probably have a sticker price of $800+, then to complain that the $400 LTD is too expensive.


----------



## Lax

Those Solar explorer shaped are really beautiful, I'm happy to see EU "originated" guitars like these, so we are not forced to get a**-f**** by importers for US products each time !
I would be very happy to try one.


----------



## ZombieLloyd

Lax said:


> Those Solar explorer shaped are really beautiful, I'm happy to see EU "originated" guitars like these, so we are not forced to get a**-f**** by importers for US products each time !
> I would be very happy to try one.



I want the Jensen model and the new red one, they both look awesome.


----------



## Flappydoodle

MFB said:


> While I could certainly afford the $700 or $900 ones, for a hobby that I'm currently barely entertaining, to drop that kind of coin would be absurd, and even nearly $400 is double what I'm looking at for used guitars. I understand that what I'm looking at did go for the same price brand new, so it's all relative, but the fact that a guitar as barebones as that second Tele is going for $700 seems a bit baffling; especially since Tele purists consider them to be the most minimal of design.



I was going to point out that you have 11,000 posts on a forum for "a hobby you're currently barely entertaining", until I realised that it's all talking about gaming, football and politics.

Ever looked at reddit? A far better place than this for that sort of general discussion.


----------



## vilk

Flappydoodle said:


> Ever looked at reddit? A far better place than this for that sort of general discussion.



Not in my opinion. I know you haven't been around here long enough to really know, but the political discussions held on this website are some of the best and most intelligent of all that I have seen online.


----------



## Ordacleaphobia

vilk said:


> Not in my opinion. I know you haven't been around here long enough to really know, but the political discussions held on this website are some of the best and most intelligent of all that I have seen online.



Agree. A good chunk of my post count was from the Unpopular Opinions thread discussing some pretty controversial topics with fellow members here.
Things get a little heated sometimes but everyone here is usually really respectful and more interested in the topic rather than in 'winning.'

In fact, I think I've gone back and forth with you quite a few times, Vilk


----------



## Flappydoodle

vilk said:


> Not in my opinion. I know you haven't been around here long enough to really know, but the political discussions held on this website are some of the best and most intelligent of all that I have seen online.



I checked in. I see about 5 active posters, all sharing a similar ideology, all agreeing in various forms about how much they hate the president - along with peddling weird conspiracy theories about him hiding mental illness. Not exactly great discussion to be honest.


----------



## vilk

Lol ok


----------



## bostjan

Flappydoodle said:


> I checked in. I see about 5 active posters, all sharing a similar ideology, all agreeing in various forms about how much they hate the president - along with peddling weird conspiracy theories about him hiding mental illness. Not exactly great discussion to be honest.



That's me. 

There are plenty of examples of my political ideas clashing with the general consensus of the board, and especially with @vilk , but that's a totally different topic.

I wonder if Solar is going to expand their offerings next season. I'm pretty much not the demographic for the products, being situated in the USA and not having enough interest in the Evertune to justify the higher pricetag, but I do think these are quite stylish instruments and have some useful options and, best of all, are lacking in the stuff-I-don't-want category.


----------



## Andrew Lloyd Webber

Flappydoodle said:


> I checked in. I see about 5 active posters, all sharing a similar ideology, all agreeing in various forms



That’s every subforum here. There are multiple ongoing threads of ss.org regulars complaining that there’s nothing new under the sun (all guitarists sound the same, all YouTube vids the same, no new music, no one innovating guitar design, no guitar heroes, etc.), when all they have to do is look at a different website. 

For whatever reason (Stockholm syndrome?), it’s very easy for regulars to forget that this site is for people who want their shit fed to them on a spoon that djents.


----------



## bostjan

Andrew Lloyd Webber said:


> That’s every subforum here. There are multiple ongoing threads of ss.org regulars complaining that there’s nothing new under the sun (all guitarists sound the same, all YouTube vids the same, no new music, no one innovating guitar design, no guitar heroes, etc.), when all they have to do is look at a different website.
> 
> For whatever reason (Stockholm syndrome?), it’s very easy for regulars to forget that this site is for people who want their shit fed to them on a spoon that djents.


I know, sometimes it almost seems like the new users are the same as the old ones, though.


----------



## Andrew Lloyd Webber

How do you do, fellow kids?


----------



## Randy

Wow, I didn't realize how unenlightened we are. Please link me these notably more relevant forums and subreddits.


----------



## iamaom

Randy said:


> Please link me these notably more relevant forums and subreddits.


www.reddit.com/r/The_Donald/


----------



## M3CHK1LLA

back on topic guys...

just watched ola's last vid. saw there was a new model coming out...was there any mention of when it would be announced?


----------



## ZombieLloyd

M3CHK1LLA said:


> back on topic guys...
> 
> just watched ola's last vid. saw there was a new model coming out...was there any mention of when it would be announced?



I remember seeing him post on Facebook that he will announce the new model in July.


----------



## M3CHK1LLA

ZombieLloyd said:


> I remember seeing him post on Facebook that he will announce the new model in July.



thanks man...

i saw where some guys are hoping for a tele style. i noticed on his website he was fond of eclipses at obe time and owned a few. might be cool to see his take on an lp.


----------



## ZombieLloyd

M3CHK1LLA said:


> thanks man...
> 
> i saw where some guys are hoping for a tele style. i noticed on his website he was fond of eclipses at obe time and owned a few. might be cool to see his take on an lp.


No problem.

Yeah, I was one of those people haha. I'm sure whatever he brings out will be just as great as everything else. What I'm really hoping he'll announce at some point is a V1.7ET or a V2.7 in that blood red colour.


----------



## p0ke

I checked out his latest QC-video today too, those guitar look like quality stuff! Those trans-colors look sweet, I especially dig the blood red one.
I do wish he had some more FR models though - specifically an E model. I don't understand why all Explorer type guitars always have 22 frets also, I wish he'd go against the grain and make one with 24 or even 27 frets... And a Floyd. Then I'd buy one, straight away.


----------



## ZombieLloyd

p0ke said:


> I checked out his latest QC-video today too, those guitar look like quality stuff! Those trans-colors look sweet, I especially dig the blood red one.
> I do wish he had some more FR models though - specifically an E model. I don't understand why all Explorer type guitars always have 22 frets also, I wish he'd go against the grain and make one with 24 or even 27 frets... And a Floyd. Then I'd buy one, straight away.



Yeah, the trans red and blue colours are awesome. I really want to pick up a trans red E2.6 at some point this year. But first I'm saving up for a Randall Satan. After that, I might get the E2.6.


----------



## M3CHK1LLA

p0ke said:


> I checked out his latest QC-video today too, those guitar look like quality stuff! Those trans-colors look sweet, I especially dig the blood red one.
> I do wish he had some more FR models though - specifically an E model. I don't understand why all Explorer type guitars always have 22 frets also, I wish he'd go against the grain and make one with 24 or even 27 frets... And a Floyd. Then I'd buy one, straight away.



a friend just picked up a 27 fret xiphos, so a 24 fret explorer should be no sweat to build.


----------



## bostjan

p0ke said:


> I checked out his latest QC-video today too, those guitar look like quality stuff! Those trans-colors look sweet, I especially dig the blood red one.
> I do wish he had some more FR models though - specifically an E model. I don't understand why all Explorer type guitars always have 22 frets also, I wish he'd go against the grain and make one with 24 or even 27 frets... And a Floyd. Then I'd buy one, straight away.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

bostjan said:


>


Good luck finding one of those.


----------



## TheShreddinHand

p0ke said:


> I checked out his latest QC-video today too, those guitar look like quality stuff! Those trans-colors look sweet, I especially dig the blood red one.
> I do wish he had some more FR models though - specifically an E model. I don't understand why all Explorer type guitars always have 22 frets also, I wish he'd go against the grain and make one with 24 or even 27 frets... And a Floyd. Then I'd buy one, straight away.



Jackson Kelly should fit the bill.


----------



## p0ke

TheShreddinHand said:


> Jackson Kelly should fit the bill.



Yeah, except I don't consider those Explorers. I like the more "classic" explorer look  I have also been considering a Kelly though 
Also that Gibson Explorer with 24 frets doesn't have a floyd, so I won't go looking for one.
I actually have two Explorers, and one of them has 24 frets and a floyd, but it's self assembled from scrap parts and would need some extra routing to be properly playable. I mean, it works as is, but the neck joint would need some adjustment in order for it to intonate etc. properly.



M3CHK1LLA said:


> a friend just picked up a 27 fret xiphos, so a 24 fret explorer should be no sweat to build.



Yep, I've got one myself and it's awesome apart from being slightly neck heavy.


----------



## M3CHK1LLA

p0ke said:


> Yep, I've got one myself and it's awesome apart from being slightly neck heavy.



do you have the od green one? his is flat black, first 27 fret one ive seen in the that color.

i own 3 xiphos already, and that is one model i would love to have


----------



## p0ke

M3CHK1LLA said:


> do you have the od green one? his is flat black, first 27 fret one ive seen in the that color.
> 
> i own 3 xiphos already, and that is one model i would love to have



Yep, green. 
I didn't think I would like the color at first, but after seeing it live, it's actually really nice. I've swapped the bridge for an Edge Pro since this pic was taken:


----------



## lewis

Why, why, why do Ibanez NOT MAKE A 2018 neck through IRON LABEL OR PRESTIGE XIPHOS?!?!?! (with reverse headstock and direct mount pickups please)


----------



## p0ke

lewis said:


> Why, why, why do Ibanez NOT MAKE A 2018 neck through IRON LABEL OR PRESTIGE XIPHOS?!?!?! (with reverse headstock and direct mount pickups please)



Well, I'm wondering why they don't focus more on the Xiphos instead of having tens of millions of different RG/RGD/RGA/blablabla models. They don't seem to have any Xiphos in production at the moment... Not that I would buy one though, I already have the one I want  And don't get me wrong, I love the RG-range too but there's just too many versions of those IMO.

Oh and sorry for going offtopic  Anyways, I'd love an Explorer with the other general specs of that Xiphos, so if one came from Solar Guitars, I'd get in queue to get one straight away.


----------



## manu80

Still i even wonder where are the iron label xiphos xpir that were supposed to be released like 4/5 years ago
Saw one on ebaywith a blemish then nothing. None in shops , none pre owned...
Flat black with ebony board no inlays, 2 direct mount emg’s....
The jacklaope guitar


----------



## Albake21

I feel like there isn't a big enough market to make a Xiphos anymore. It's way too niche now a days.


----------



## Mathemagician

Last time there was a Xiphos in production it was like 2014 and iron label and all black.


----------



## bostjan

There are plenty of six string xiphoses (xiphoi?!) on ebay on any given day. I don't think they were too well loved by the general public. The sevens are much more difficult to come by, but I have seen those come up from time to time.

Since ss.o seemed to be the one place the xiphos was almost universally loved, and this seems to be the place Ola gets the most attention, maybe a xiphos-like Solar would be a hit. Then again, Solar is already doing some shapes that are otherwise difficult to come by.


----------



## lewis

any custom guitar builders that have a license for the Xiphos shape? haha

tbh I can imagine it looking awesome as a headless guitar too (like that Arnold review from a while ago)
and that would be my preference. Im on a huge headless kick these days. Kinda like a "once you go headless you cant go back" type situation.


----------



## Lukhas

p0ke said:


> Yeah, except I don't consider those Explorers. I like the more "classic" explorer look  I have also been considering a Kelly though
> Also that Gibson Explorer with 24 frets doesn't have a floyd, so I won't go looking for one.





TheShreddinHand said:


> Jackson Kelly should fit the bill.


I hear you. Dean has Dave Mustaine signature Zero series with 24 frets, which is basically an Explorer with sharper edges. However I've read they have a somewhat chunky neck, not like common super Strats and other shreddy guitars. They also have a pretty present neck heel joint.

Otherwise, there's the Sam Totman signature Ibanez Iceman that loosely resembles an Explorer...


----------



## Flappydoodle

Man, some of you have SUPER specific needs - you might just want to look at a custom shop!


----------



## ZombieLloyd

There's a new model on the website. A white A1.6ET with a maple fretboard. Looks awesome.


----------



## KnightBrolaire

lewis said:


> any custom guitar builders that have a license for the Xiphos shape? haha
> 
> tbh I can imagine it looking awesome as a headless guitar too (like that Arnold review from a while ago)
> and that would be my preference. Im on a huge headless kick these days. Kinda like a "once you go headless you cant go back" type situation.


funny you mention a headless xiphos, I was kicking around that idea as one of my next builds. Well, either that or a headless explorer, I haven't really decided yet.


----------



## lewis

KnightBrolaire said:


> funny you mention a headless xiphos, I was kicking around that idea as one of my next builds. Well, either that or a headless explorer, I haven't really decided yet.


do both!!!!!!!

the twins!!


----------



## PunkBillCarson

I'm heavily considering a Solar guitar, I just don't know about the Solar pickups. From what I've read before, they're not actually made by Seymour Duncan?


----------



## Metropolis

PunkBillCarson said:


> I'm heavily considering a Solar guitar, I just don't know about the Solar pickups. From what I've read before, they're not actually made by Seymour Duncan?



This has been discussed almost at the beginning of this thread. Model numbers are similar to Duncan Designed pickups, which are made somewhere in Asia. So they are not made in USA Duncans, but they're not really Duncan Designed either. Pickups are similar to Seymour Duncan Custom 5 & '59 set, but the bridge pickup should be little bit more balanced than regular Custom 5.


----------



## Albake21

Seems like everything on the site has been restocked/more available for preorder. There are also 2 new models. The white one with the white finish and floyd is super tempting. Also the 26.5" blue one.


----------



## p0ke

Flappydoodle said:


> Man, some of you have SUPER specific needs - you might just want to look at a custom shop!



If you mean me, I'll have to say I don't think an explorer with 24 frets (or more) and a Floyd is exactly super specific  And I have my needs sorted out already, I'm mostly just wondering why Explorers almost exclusively have 22 frets and hardtail bridges.


----------



## Lukhas

p0ke said:


> If you mean me, I'll have to say I don't think an explorer with 24 frets (or more) and a Floyd is exactly super specific


Anything that isn't a Strat/super Strat, that possesses has 24 frets and a Floyd is pretty specific to be honest.  Most of the alternatives are Flying Vs; and besides Strats and Vs, there's not much to be found. Charvel has a couple Tele style, ESP has the Eclipse (LP style), and if you go for classifieds you might find a few Viper (SG style) with a Floyd. Other than that, it's very scarce. Ah yeah, there's the ML/Razorback because of Dimebag. I mean, I don't think you guys would seriously consider a BC Rich anyway...  Just kidding. Maybe.


p0ke said:


> And I have my needs sorted out already, I'm mostly just wondering why Explorers almost exclusively have 22 frets and hardtail bridges.


Probably because of this guy. 






More seriously... while I find the idea of a 24 frets Explorer very sexy, most Explorer shaped guitars I tried don't exactly have phenomenal upper fret access due to the shape of the horn, and since it's part of what makes an Explorer, well, an Explorer, you can't really negotiate around that. In the end, hardly anything beats the boring yet practical Strat/super Strat shape when it comes to pure, uncompromised playability. Explorers look cool but that's really it unfortunately. That said, I honestly would like to see more Kelly competitors.


----------



## Vyn

24 frets on an explorer is as useless as tits on a bull. Good luck with the fret access.


----------



## A-Branger

its an Explorer/Firebird but this is as close as you would ever get. And its also a 25.5" scale


----------



## A-Branger

Lukhas said:


> Probably because of this guy.


not really, its because thats what Gibson did/does.... hardtail 22 frets guitars.


----------



## p0ke

A-Branger said:


> not really, its because thats what Gibson did/does.... hardtail 22 frets guitars.



That's true, yep. But other companies make explorer shaped guitars too, I don't see why they'd need to copy that from Gibson... Jackson didn't. 

And yeah, sure, the upper fret access might be pretty bad on those, but I guess the horn could be moved down a little to improve that. I mean, the Xiphos has a similar horn, yet the 27th fret is definitely accessible. I don't think moving the horn would change the shape too drastically...


----------



## Vyn

p0ke said:


> That's true, yep. But other companies make explorer shaped guitars too, I don't see why they'd need to copy that from Gibson... Jackson didn't.
> 
> And yeah, sure, the upper fret access might be pretty bad on those, but I guess the horn could be moved down a little to improve that. I mean, the Xiphos has a similar horn, yet the 27th fret is definitely accessible. I don't think moving the horn would change the shape too drastically...



The Xiphos doesn't have a giant block of wood for a neck heal though. Even the cheap bolt on series had nice fret access. About the only 'explorers' I've seen with good upper fret access are Jackson Kelly's.


----------



## Velokki

Hey everyone - I've been out of the loop on these. What's the quality like on these guitars? Fret ends rough at all? Overall quality of craftsmanship and finish?


----------



## p0ke

Vyn said:


> The Xiphos doesn't have a giant block of wood for a neck heal though. Even the cheap bolt on series had nice fret access. About the only 'explorers' I've seen with good upper fret access are Jackson Kelly's.



Sure, but I don't see why an Explorer made by a company other than Gibson/Epiphone would have to imitate that shitty part of the instrument  The heel isn't exactly a defining element of the guitar anyway


----------



## Vyn

p0ke said:


> Sure, but I don't see why an Explorer made by a company other than Gibson/Epiphone would have to imitate that shitty part of the instrument  The heel isn't exactly a defining element of the guitar anyway



They don't, but it's cheaper to have a square cut piece of wood than a shaped heel. Something to consider in a bodyshape that's rather polarising and unpopular (when I say unpopular, I mean non-super Strat).


----------



## Lukhas

A-Branger said:


> not really, its because thats what Gibson did/does.... hardtail 22 frets guitars.


You're no fun man.


Vyn said:


> The Xiphos doesn't have a giant block of wood for a neck heal though. Even the cheap bolt on series had nice fret access. About the only 'explorers' I've seen with good upper fret access are Jackson Kelly's.


Almost a chicken and egg problem when you think of it: the shape isn't practical, but since there's no demand to alter said shape either... The funny thing is that when there were requests of a signature Kelly after the Monark, IIRC Jackson said they were aware but that Marty Friedman wasn't interested. Explorers simply aren't associated with soloists (pun unintended).


----------



## p0ke

Lukhas said:


> Explorers simply aren't associated with soloists (pun unintended).



Yep, that we can agree on. I still want one with said specs, though


----------



## A-Branger

Lukhas said:


> You're no fun man.


ehehehehe

if it makes you feel any better the only reason why I have a GAS for an explorer is thanks to him. And hopefully I would buy one by the end of this year if Sully release his take on it I have seen pics of. I could never gel with the finishes offered by Gibson. Never liked the pickguard either. I almost bought a second hand body only of that guy sig of the cartoon metal show, the silverburst one so I could re-finish it into something cool. Money was tight at that point so I bailed out. Kelly's could be cool? but I think they are way too "melted" for my taste. And the LTD's its jsut wrong, nope, just nope.... the JH sig snake bite is pretty cool tho. But Im dont like the Gibson scale on it, plus I dont like black guitars, white is ok?..... same with the Chapman, short scale is a nope

I aslo have a set of EMG Het-Set


----------



## bostjan

A-Branger said:


> not really, its because thats what Gibson did/does.... hardtail 22 frets guitars.





bostjan said:


>


Except when they release something like the above, only make a few, then discontinue it, because reasons.


----------



## drmosh

Velokki said:


> Hey everyone - I've been out of the loop on these. What's the quality like on these guitars? Fret ends rough at all? Overall quality of craftsmanship and finish?



Mine is flawless, great guitar for the price


----------



## Velokki

drmosh said:


> Mine is flawless, great guitar for the price


Nice! Thanks for the input.

Would be great to hear of other people's experiences as well.


----------



## Andromalia

bostjan said:


> Except when they release something like the above, only make a few, then discontinue it, because reasons.



Well, hinestly, this is more the exception than anyting else. That's as relevant as arguing that Gibson is an Ibanez competitor.
http://www.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Designer/Gibson-USA/M-III.aspx


----------



## M3CHK1LLA

m-lll?

no thanks, ill stick with my m-ll...


----------



## M3CHK1LLA

so now we have a thread to discuss the 24 fret explorer...and let this one get back on topic lol.

heres the link ---> http://sevenstring.org/threads/would-you-be-interested-in-a-24-fret-or-more-explorer.329936/



p0ke said:


> I checked out his latest QC-video today too, those guitar look like quality stuff! Those trans-colors look sweet, I especially dig the blood red one.
> I do wish he had some more FR models though - specifically an E model. I don't understand why all Explorer type guitars always have 22 frets also, I wish he'd go against the grain and make one with 24 or even 27 frets... And a Floyd. Then I'd buy one, straight away.





bostjan said:


>





HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Good luck finding one of those.





TheShreddinHand said:


> Jackson Kelly should fit the bill.





lewis said:


> Why, why, why do Ibanez NOT MAKE A 2018 neck through IRON LABEL OR PRESTIGE XIPHOS?!?!?! (with reverse headstock and direct mount pickups please)





manu80 said:


> Still i even wonder where are the iron label xiphos xpir that were supposed to be released like 4/5 years ago
> Saw one on ebaywith a blemish then nothing. None in shops , none pre owned...
> Flat black with ebony board no inlays, 2 direct mount emg’s....
> The jacklaope guitar





Albake21 said:


> I feel like there isn't a big enough market to make a Xiphos anymore. It's way too niche now a days.





Mathemagician said:


> Last time there was a Xiphos in production it was like 2014 and iron label and all black.





Lukhas said:


> I hear you. Dean has Dave Mustaine signature Zero series with 24 frets, which is basically an Explorer with sharper edges. However I've read they have a somewhat chunky neck, not like common super Strats and other shreddy guitars. They also have a pretty present neck heel joint.
> 
> Otherwise, there's the Sam Totman signature Ibanez Iceman that loosely resembles an Explorer...





Flappydoodle said:


> Man, some of you have SUPER specific needs - you might just want to look at a custom shop!





KnightBrolaire said:


> funny you mention a headless xiphos, I was kicking around that idea as one of my next builds. Well, either that or a headless explorer, I haven't really decided yet.





Vyn said:


> 24 frets on an explorer is as useless as tits on a bull. Good luck with the fret access.





A-Branger said:


> its an Explorer/Firebird but this is as close as you would ever get. And its also a 25.5" scale





Vyn said:


> The Xiphos doesn't have a giant block of wood for a neck heal though. Even the cheap bolt on series had nice fret access. About the only 'explorers' I've seen with good upper fret access are Jackson Kelly's.


----------



## ZombieLloyd

Ola is announcing the new guitar tomorrow.


----------



## Albake21

ZombieLloyd said:


> Ola is announcing the new guitar tomorrow.


Oh boy, I'm excited. Also where did you hear that from?


----------



## ZombieLloyd

Albake21 said:


> Oh boy, I'm excited. Also where did you hear that from?



Ola himself on the Facebook Solar Guitars group.


----------



## ZombieLloyd

Here's the new guitar, guys. https://www.solar-guitars.com/produit/a1-6baritone-atg/


----------



## p0ke

Not very excited to be honest. Yeah, it looks like it's probably a great no-nonsense guitar, but that's it. I kinda like the stealth-look, but not enough to awaken any GAS.


----------



## Andrew Lloyd Webber

_When I heard Jolly-Ola-Englund was announcing “*another guitar*”, I didn’t think it would be the model name! Wakka Wakka!_


----------



## Metropolis

Looking too much these stealthy and bad ass looking guitars has awakened my secret soft spot for guitars such as these. They're boring black guitars, but there is just something simple and likable in them.


----------



## Flappydoodle

I like it. Coolest guitar in the range so far IMO


----------



## Albake21

So it's just another 26.5" but with a black finish and Fishman pickups. I think I'd rather just buy the blue one not only for look but then install Fishmans myself for cheaper, but that's just me.

EDIT: Actually I take that back, it also had a genuine hipshot bridge which makes it pretty worth it then.


----------



## lewis

I think whilst so far the lineup has been epic for THAT style of guitars, to ensure that momentum is kept, we are going to need more than just these same style of guitars.

Like where are the Xiphos style body shapes? LP styles, and the dipping the toes into the Headless model market?

Lets be fair, a headless, stealth Solar model, with Hipshot bridge/headpiece, would be sweeeet.


----------



## WiseSplinter

Guitar looks nice, but for me personally an extra inch does not a baritone make.
Also, Ola is awesome.


----------



## bostjan

lewis said:


> I think whilst so far the lineup has been epic for THAT style of guitars, to ensure that momentum is kept, we are going to need more than just these same style of guitars.
> 
> Like where are the Xiphos style body shapes? LP styles, and the dipping the toes into the Headless model market?
> 
> Lets be fair, a headless, stealth Solar model, with Hipshot bridge/headpiece, would be sweeeet.


As someone who came off as being hard on this brand when it was first released (albeit 99% of that was due to some confusion over pricing on the website), I think the "headless Xiphos or bust" mentality is far too constrictive. If there's a strong enough market for that, you could always pick up the phone and call WMI to launch the new "Lewis" brand of guitar and focus on weird shit like that, but, the word on the street is that a matte black no-bullshit superstrat will sell better.


----------



## lewis

bostjan said:


> As someone who came off as being hard on this brand when it was first released (albeit 99% of that was due to some confusion over pricing on the website), I think the "headless Xiphos or bust" mentality is far too constrictive. If there's a strong enough market for that, you could always pick up the phone and call WMI to launch the new "Lewis" brand of guitar and focus on weird shit like that, but, the word on the street is that a matte black no-bullshit superstrat will sell better.


where did i say xiphos headless?

I mean he just needs to expand the model shapes and styles rather than have the whole range look the same.

thats what i meant


----------



## bostjan

lewis said:


> where did i say xiphos headless?
> 
> I mean he just needs to expand the model shapes and styles rather than have the whole range look the same.
> 
> thats what i meant



Right in the quote, you said "Where are the Xiphos style body shapes?" and then suggested that they should enter the headless market.

The fact of the matter is that Ibanez couldn't sell enough Xiphos to keep that model alive, that the headless guitar market is still niche and is now pretty well saturated, and that RG-type guitars are helping companies like Ibanez, Jackson, Rondo, and HArley Benton rake in enough cash to stay afloat in an aggressive market.


----------



## Ola Englund

Just a little response to the people who want other shapes etc, just keep in mind that we’ve only been opened for 6 months. Making a new shape is not something you slap together in 2 hours, if I’m going to make a new shape I’m going to take my time and make sure I get everything right. I just think the expectations are just a tad too high. But it also makes me happy to see that people are passionate about the brand. Makes me extremely proud. Thanks guys.


----------



## lewis

Ola Englund said:


> Just a little response to the people who want other shapes etc, just keep in mind that we’ve only been opened for 6 months. Making a new shape is not something you slap together in 2 hours, if I’m going to make a new shape I’m going to take my time and make sure I get everything right. I just think the expectations are just a tad too high. But it also makes me happy to see that people are passionate about the brand. Makes me extremely proud. Thanks guys.


yeah agreed. Sorry.
Completely guilty of getting ahead of myself Ola haha.

Im just saying, at some point whever that may be, the idea of a headless solar with this style and spec sheet would be incredible. Until then, me and my bands other guitarist will be gas'ing for the red and blue models haha


----------



## Flappydoodle

lewis said:


> I think whilst so far the lineup has been epic for THAT style of guitars, to ensure that momentum is kept, we are going to need more than just these same style of guitars.
> 
> Like where are the Xiphos style body shapes? LP styles, and the dipping the toes into the Headless model market?
> 
> Lets be fair, a headless, stealth Solar model, with Hipshot bridge/headpiece, would be sweeeet.



From a business point of view, I think what he's doing makes sense. He's building the brand, and obviously starting from his Washburn signature model makes sense. If he becomes THE brand for THAT type of guitar, he will already be extremely successful.

Plus, having less models massively reduces his costs and makes managing production and inventory much easier too. More models, all in colour options, is going to make things even harder for him to manage.

They're a metal brand, so having the super strat, V and explorer makes sense. Once he starts doing T shapes, LP shapes etc there becomes less and less differentiating Solar from all the rest of the guys doing that.

EDIT: I see Ola himself chipped it, saying more or less the same thing haha


----------



## manu80

there's maybe a slot to take in Xtrem shape as BC rich is now gone, but yeah you have to be careful in what you release as, whatever happens, a RG shape will appeal to more people than a Warironbeastwavelock...
Good luck Ola. I must admit you explo sig is really tempting


----------



## Vyn

Actually if anything Ola is on the money with this one. An extended scale (26.5) 6 with Fishmans and Hipshot is delicious.


----------



## Metropolis

I placed my order to Thomann for A2.6TBLM in trans blue finish, it's gonna be very long couple of weeks for waiting it to arrive!


----------



## BusinessMan

I would love to see more of those red 7 string guitars myself.


----------



## p0ke

Metropolis said:


> I placed my order to Thomann for A2.6TBLM in trans blue finish, it's gonna be very long couple of weeks for waiting it to arrive!



Damn, I guess I'll have to pay you a visit once that arrives 

And yeah. I'm sure what Ola's doing is "on the money" in terms of business, but it's a bit boring. I'm not saying he shouldn't do it that way, but I still hope he'll expand later and do more stuff that no-one else's doing. Like for example an E-model with 24-frets and a floyd (joking around of course, please don't latch onto this again and run the whole thread of the rails  ). One reason why I wish Solar Guitars in particular would release a guitar like that is because I'd love to support Ola while getting the axe I want


----------



## LeviathanKiller

I can't decide if I want to get rid of my 25.5" scale Washburn Solar with EverTune and get one of the 26.5" ones (possibly without EverTune) in the actual Solar brand or not. Such a tough choice


----------



## KnightBrolaire

LeviathanKiller said:


> I can't decide if I want to get rid of my 25.5" scale Washburn Solar with EverTune and get one of the 26.5" ones (possibly without EverTune) in the actual Solar brand or not. Such a tough choice


an inch can make a big difference


----------



## ZombieLloyd

LeviathanKiller said:


> I can't decide if I want to get rid of my 25.5" scale Washburn Solar with EverTune and get one of the 26.5" ones (possibly without EverTune) in the actual Solar brand or not. Such a tough choice



I'm thinking about the same decision myself haha. It's a hard choice because that means going without such a great guitar for another couple of months.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

KnightBrolaire said:


> an inch can make a big difference





ZombieLloyd said:


> I'm thinking about the same decision myself haha. It's a hard choice because that means going without such a great guitar for another couple of months.



Yeah and I'm wondering if there's anything I play easier on 25.5" and that I shouldn't get rid of it because of that. I wish I could just keep it and get another Solar in addition to it but I'm racking up too many guitars at this point and need to make decisions to move out certain ones in favor of others. It would be easier if I enjoyed playing it more but the pickups are very lackluster for me so I don't have it in my hands a lot.


----------



## ZombieLloyd

LeviathanKiller said:


> Yeah and I'm wondering if there's anything I play easier on 25.5" and that I shouldn't get rid of it because of that. I wish I could just keep it and get another Solar in addition to it but I'm racking up too many guitars at this point and need to make decisions to move out certain ones in favor of others. It would be easier if I enjoyed playing it more but the pickups are very lackluster for me so I don't have it in my hands a lot.



Yeah, I feel like I'm starting to have too many guitars now too. I like the pickups, so I can't relate there. I play the guitar every day for at least half an hour or so. It's easily my favourite guitar I've ever owned. But that Jensen E1.6 is calling to me haha.


----------



## Wizard of Ozz

So... anybody buy one yet? Care to share?


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Wizard of Ozz said:


> So... anybody buy one yet? Care to share?



Someone just order a blue one actually in the "next purchase" thread. Hopefully they'll do a NGD.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Dislike the 25.5" scale but this is pretty nifty...

https://www.solar-guitars.com/produit/s1-6et-ltd-solar-burst-matte/


----------



## Albake21

LeviathanKiller said:


> Dislike the 225.5" scale but this is pretty nifty...
> 
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/produit/s1-6et-ltd-solar-burst-matte/


225.5" scale??? That thing is massive!

Jokes aside, I saw this earlier. I like it a lot. It looks a lot better in person/video then the stock images. I would love to see more bursts like this in different colors in the future.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Albake21 said:


> 225.5" scale??? That thing is massive!
> 
> Jokes aside, I saw this earlier. I like it a lot. It looks a lot better in person/video then the stock images. I would love to see more bursts like this in different colors in the future.



Lol, I fixed it before I even saw your reply. 
Couldn't imagine getting a case and strings for something of that size. lol


----------



## Soya

Well at least you'd only need a .003" gauge string for that low E heh.


----------



## Ordacleaphobia

225.5 is alright but I'd really prefer a 227...the tension on a 225.5 is just a bit too low if you tune to Drop G⁻⁶¹ like my band does.


----------



## spudmunkey

Ordacleaphobia said:


> 225.5 is alright but I'd really prefer a 227...the tension on a 225.5 is just a bit too low if you tune to Drop G⁻⁶¹ like my band does.



Drop G⁻⁶¹? What, do you play music for school children or the elderly? Still not good low enough for _real_ music...in Dropped L⁻∞


----------



## drmosh

I wish there was a baritone 6 with an evertune


----------



## myrtorp

That one is hot!


----------



## Metropolis

Wizard of Ozz said:


> So... anybody buy one yet? Care to share?





LeviathanKiller said:


> Someone just order a blue one actually in the "next purchase" thread. Hopefully they'll do a NGD.



NGD coming tomorrow


----------



## blacai

One question... after you make a preorder, when is your bank account being charged? When you place the pre-order or when the order is ready to be shipped?


----------



## Metropolis

blacai said:


> One question... after you make a preorder, when is your bank account being charged? When you place the pre-order or when the order is ready to be shipped?



If you order directly from Solar it's charged immediately, but if from Thomann you can choose different options for payment types and charging.


----------



## Metropolis

Quick NGD inside!
http://sevenstring.org/threads/ngd-solar-a2-6tblm.330258/


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

So
Uh
Ola got fucking *Blind Guardian* on his roster.

https://www.solar-guitars.com/artists/marcus-siepen-blind-guardian/


----------



## Albake21

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> So
> Uh
> Ola got fucking *Blind Guardian* on his roster.
> 
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/artists/marcus-siepen-blind-guardian/


Damn good for Ola! Side note, that guitar he's holding is absolutely my favorite Solar, but the damn thing has a gloss neck


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Albake21 said:


> Damn good for Ola! Side note, that guitar he's holding is absolutely my favorite Solar, but the damn thing has a gloss neck



The gloss neck isn't a problem for me. it's the price tag.  It's such a killer-looking and killer-specced guitar. 

And I know it isn't Andre, but still, Marcus ain't no slouch.


----------



## Metropolis

That's pretty big news, and Blind Guardian is one of my favourite power metal bands.

I think world needs more green guitars. A-type with swamp ash body, moss green finish and maple or ebony fretboard would look absolutely killer.


----------



## Vyn

Metropolis said:


> That's pretty big news, and Blind Guardian is one of my favourite power metal bands.
> 
> I think world needs more green guitars. A-type with swamp ash body, moss green finish and maple or ebony fretboard would look absolutely killer.



Side note, trans green with gold hardware is my guilty pleasure at the moment and it's all Wintersun's fault haha.


----------



## p0ke

That's my favorite Solar too, awesome. I haven't listened to Blind Guardian much lately but that's big news for sure. At this rate everyone will be playing Solar guitars soon


----------



## Metropolis

Vyn said:


> Side note, trans green with gold hardware is my guilty pleasure at the moment and it's all Wintersun's fault haha.



Yeah Jari's Daemoness is a beauty, they are buliding another one for him at the moment. Oh I almost forgot that Teemu and Asim have gold in their Ibanez's too. Another color that goes well with gold hardware is white. It goes even better with green if it's little bit on the yellow side. But many people don't fancy gold hardware, so it's quite specific thing to have in a guitar.


----------



## Fred the Shred

Excellent addition to the roster - quite happy for Ola!


----------



## myrtorp

2 new models, this and a 7 in the same finish. Kinda bland looking but it fuels my GAS, looks like a solid metal machine


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I mean if it was just regular old gloss or satin black, I'd agree.

But that open-pore look just gives it SUCH a mean fucking look.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

I want the BOP finish 7 so bad


----------



## Bdtunn

Damn I like that one!


----------



## Spicypickles

Albake21 said:


> Damn good for Ola! Side note, that guitar he's holding is absolutely my favorite Solar, but the damn thing has a gloss neck




That is easily remedied by a bag of steel wool


----------



## buriedoutback

myrtorp said:


> 2 new models, this and a 7 in the same finish. Kinda bland looking but it fuels my GAS, looks like a solid metal machine


Definitely my favorite solar so far.


----------



## Albake21

Damn! That new black one is so awesome looking.


----------



## blacai

Only thing I don't like about the solar guitars... I don't want to buy one because I am constantly waiting for a newer cooler model to show up.
If he were releasing the models every year it would be ok, but he does it every two months more or less. I understand he wants to keep the hype up there but man, some people just don't pull the trigger because of this. 

In any case, I do love all models. Simple metal guitars.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

blacai said:


> Only thing I don't like about the solar guitars... I don't want to buy one because I am constantly waiting for a newer cooler model to show up.
> If he were releasing the models every year it would be ok, but he does it every two months more or less. I understand he wants to keep the hype up there but man, some people just don't pull the trigger because of this.
> 
> In any case, I do love all models. Simple metal guitars.



You're only solution is to buy the coolest of each batch then


----------



## Albake21

Also quick question, is anyone else getting euro instead of USD? I know it used to show USD for me before, but it only shows euro now.


----------



## Lemonbaby

What's the point of a “stealth“ colour scheme with that inlay killing the whole look?


----------



## myrtorp

Without logo would be pretty awesome, but I can also see getting white pups and tuners for that classy look.


----------



## Ordacleaphobia

Lemonbaby said:


> What's the point of a “stealth“ colour scheme with that inlay killing the whole look?



I think the inlay ties the whole thing together and I totally love it.


----------



## Metropolis

Here's a video of Wintersun's Jari Mäenpää comparing Duncan Solar & EMG 81/85 sets which are equipped in Solar S1.6.


----------



## JimF

I’ve never been the biggest fan of an EMG 81 but the Duncan Solar wins that easily for me. Similar but less fizzy.


----------



## JimF

I’ve never been the biggest fan of an EMG 81 but the Duncan Solar wins that easily for me. Similar but less fizzy.


----------



## Metropolis

JimF said:


> I’ve never been the biggest fan of an EMG 81 but the Duncan Solar wins that easily for me. Similar but less fizzy.



They may sound similar only because of AxeFX II  And he said there was too much gain dialed in amp for EMG's, but 81 is like having a compressor, hi-pass filter and hi-mids exciter built in a pickup. I also heard that Solar bridge has significantly less output, it doesn't kind of play by itself and you really have to dig in with picking. Only good thing about 81/85 set is that they are very consistent for recording and cut through mix pretty well, and that's why Jari likes them.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

I wish Ola would do stainless frets (at least on a few models)


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

The Solar is supposed to be based on a Duncan Custom 5, and if it's anything like a regular Custom, those pickups are *not* high output.


----------



## Zoobiedood

A Custom (and its variations) are generally pretty hot when compared to most vintage output pickups. They are twice as powerful..maybe not as hot as actives or things like the SLUG or Invader, but they are still very hot.


----------



## ArtDecade

Metropolis said:


> Here's a video of Wintersun's Jari Mäenpää comparing Duncan Solar & EMG 81/85 sets which are equipped in Solar S1.6.




^ Constipation Face.


----------



## HungryGuitarStudent

I hope Ola eventually makes an 8-string. I didn't watch all his videos, did he mention 8-strings somewhere ? Is Ola still banned from these forums or is he back ?


----------



## Metropolis

eayottes said:


> I hope Ola eventually makes an 8-string. I didn't watch all his videos, did he mention 8-strings somewhere ? Is Ola still banned from these forums or is he back ?



They've been asking 8-strings all the time in his FAQ videos, Ola is very suspicious about it and not confirming anything yet... and he's back in here.


----------



## HungryGuitarStudent

Metropolis said:


> They've been asking 8-strings all the time in his FAQ videos, Ola is very suspicious about it and not confirming anything yet... and he's back in here.



Thanks for the info. It's great to hear that he's back ! What's his username ? (Thanks)


----------



## Albake21

eayottes said:


> Thanks for the info. It's great to hear that he's back ! What's his username ? (Thanks)


His username is just "Ola Englund"


----------



## HungryGuitarStudent

Have any of you owned guitars with ever tune ? If so, what has been your experience ?

I've heard they require annoying maintenance. Since my source isn't the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to guitar maintenance, I'd be grateful for any feedback.



Albake21 said:


> His username is just "Ola Englund"



lol ok, lazy ass I am. Thanks


----------



## LeviathanKiller

eayottes said:


> Have any of you owned guitars with ever tune ? If so, what has been your experience ?
> 
> I've heard they require annoying maintenance. Since my source isn't the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to guitar maintenance, I'd be grateful for any feedback.
> 
> 
> 
> lol ok, lazy ass I am. Thanks



Little or no (no, in my personal use) maintenance is what I've seen.
Without a doubt less often and less time consuming than it would be needing to tune with normal bridge.
The initial setup is what takes just a bit. You'll set it and maybe have to tweak it a couple of times in order to get it set to your playing style.


----------



## MKII

These guitars look pretty nice for the money. More options out there are a good thing. Just wish they had more floyded ones! These guitars are born of metal, i love metal and i love the overall shape. Sick of the same old esps ibbys and jacksons, though i will say schecter is killing it right now, and i never liked their guitars before. The c7 elite is probably the nicest featured retail guitar i've ever seen in 30 years. I mean i can't think of anything even close for the money in all that time.

Do not like 12th fret logos though. Really hated esp for that though i loved their super start MII's and others the damn logo killed it for me. It's more about any kind of lettering. The solar logo i might be able to deal with but it does detract from the decision to buy one. It's not terrible though. I prefer just small white fret dots, so it otherwise would be perfect without the logo. I'm looking at the s2.6c. Doesn't have floyd in black unfortunately, but i still have one old stock circa 1988 black floyd to put on something.

I appreciate that Ola goes and hand checks the guitars and plays them. It's what i would do as well and means something imo. I mean that is a level of detail you really only get from _good_ customs, or you would hope PRS, Suhr ect, and these are much cheaper. Where they are made doesn't matter. How it's made does. The pickups seem good. At least it's not emgs. And if they are based off duncan customs then they can't be bad. Curious what the fretboard radius is, anyone know? Looks about 14" to me eye in pics.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

The Explorer shape really grew on me. Was debating on getting one before I found an LTD EXP-200. Still have to get one down the road, maybe.


----------



## BusinessMan

The dudes in orbit culture are endorsed by solar guitars now. Check them out they’re sick


----------



## Andrew Lloyd Webber

Thank you, business man.


----------



## spudmunkey

His name reminds me of this Rifftrax joke from Flying Stewardesses


----------



## Ethenmar

Maybe a 8 strings version needs a new headstock design. 4+4 would be perfect, 8 in line is huge.


----------



## TheBloodstained

Ethenmar said:


> Maybe a 8 strings version needs a new headstock design. 4+4 would be perfect, 8 in line is huge.


There actually was an 8-string Washburn Solar/Parallaxe made at some point (possibly custom?), and the headstock looked like this:


----------



## Albake21

TheBloodstained said:


> There actually was an 8-string Washburn Solar/Parallaxe made at some point (possibly custom?), and the headstock looked like this:


And it was ridiculously big looking...


----------



## TheBloodstained

Albake21 said:


> And it was ridiculously big looking...


Could be worse...


----------



## Sermo Lupi

TheBloodstained said:


> Could be worse...



Sick wrist shots with that thing though! 

First brand to add a toe curve is totally going to change the game.


----------



## Metropolis

I think it's little bit too big, but still fine. Sometimes even 7-string in-line headstocks look bigger than this when you look at proportions.


----------



## Seabeast2000

Sermo Lupi said:


> Sick wrist shots with that thing though!
> 
> First brand to add a toe curve is totally going to change the game.


Yikes, I hope those are lockers.


----------



## Sermo Lupi

Metropolis said:


> I think it's little bit too big, but still fine. Sometimes even 7-string in-line headstocks look bigger than this when you look at proportions.



I think the proportions are fine. It's a good-looking guitar.

In the video he says that the 'bridge, pickups and neck are recessed into the body, so it's a very well-balanced guitar if you're using a strap'. I assume (especially from his hand gesture as he makes that point) that he means that the bridge, pickups and neck are just mounted further back on the body so that the overall length of the guitar is shorter and thus the headstock isn't so far away from the 'fulcrum' (strap pin), making it less heavy. Recessing can affect all of those components as well, but usually means routing depth.

It's 27" scale, but the bridge placement reminds me of the 29" scale Meshuggah guitars. I'm surprised it isn't more common for manufacturer's to take this approach.


----------



## Ethenmar

I have drawn a 4+4 version (yes, i'm bored). Looks better than the in-line headstock.


----------



## Albake21

Ethenmar said:


> I have drawn a 4+4 version (yes, i'm bored). Looks better than the in-line headstock.


Yeah that definitely looks a lot better. Maybe even a tiny bit smaller would be nice, but regardless the 4+4 just always looks better than inline on an 8 IMO.


----------



## buriedoutback

Ethenmar said:


> I have drawn a 4+4 version (yes, i'm bored). Looks better than the in-line headstock.


That is sexy AF.


----------



## Masoo2

I'm hoping if he does release an 8 string it will be either 27.5" (like the old S7s) or 28, especially now that the 7s are 26.5 rather than 25.5 of the Washburns.


----------



## Albake21

@Ola Englund if you're still here. If you plan on making an 8 string, please do a 4+4 headstock. Or at the very least do a poll of asking what style headstock and what scale length.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

WTF

Just as I'm about to pull the trigger on the A1.7 Black Open Pore 7-string, THEY SELL OUT.
I really want to replace my 25.5" Washburn Solar but now I can't think of any other decent options.
Maybe I'll find something better (something with stainless steel frets).

You either have to get something that comes with an EverTune (that A1.7 BOP is probably one of the few ever made that was longer than 25.5"), get a custom guitar made with one (more expensive than what I want to spend on an EverTune-equipped guitar), buy a guitar then send it to EverTune ($300 installation fee, no thanks), or use the EverTune custom installation process (only the $325 price of the bridge BUT it has to be an easy-to-get guitar that they can get from one of their distributors).

The custom installation process sounds like my best bet now unles Solar releases another good EverTune 7. I don't want the 1.7ET because of that satin/matte black finish. It always wears through on the treble side near the controls were my pinky rests when playing.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

LeviathanKiller said:


> WTF
> 
> Just as I'm about to pull the trigger on the A1.7 Black Open Pore 7-string, THEY SELL OUT.
> I really want to replace my 25.5" Washburn Solar but now I can't think of any other decent options.
> Maybe I'll find something better (something with stainless steel frets).
> 
> You either have to get something that comes with an EverTune (that A1.7 BOP is probably one of the few ever made that was longer than 25.5"), get a custom guitar made with one (more expensive than what I want to spend on an EverTune-equipped guitar), buy a guitar then send it to EverTune ($300 installation fee, no thanks), or use the EverTune custom installation process (only the $325 price of the bridge BUT it has to be an easy-to-get guitar that they can get from one of their distributors).
> 
> The custom installation process sounds like my best bet now unles Solar releases another good EverTune 7. I don't want the 1.7ET because of that satin/matte black finish. It always wears through on the treble side near the controls were my pinky rests when playing.



Maybe contact Solar (or @Ola Englund) to see if they plan on re-stocking it?


----------



## Vyn

TheBloodstained said:


> There actually was an 8-string Washburn Solar/Parallaxe made at some point (possibly custom?), and the headstock looked like this:



Inline-8 looks amazing if done right as the Solar 8's proved.


----------



## Sermo Lupi

Ethenmar said:


> I have drawn a 4+4 version (yes, i'm bored). Looks better than the in-line headstock.



Thanks for putting them side-by-side. I still prefer the inline headstock, though.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Here's a video of the 8-string.


----------



## Vyn

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Here's a video of the 8-string.




You were ninja'd by @Metropolis a day ago  That being said, the 180 demo is probably one of my favourite Ola demos.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Vyn said:


> You were ninja'd by @Metropolis a day ago  That being said, the 180 demo is probably one of my favourite Ola demos.



Whoop,s didn't see that. Just saw a dead link for an image and thought that was someone showing what it looked like. Didn't realize it was a mockup.


----------



## Ethenmar

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Whoop,s didn't see that. Just saw a dead link for an image and thought that was someone showing what it looked like. Didn't realize it was a mockup.



I don't know why the img link fails. I realized a 4+4 design for show to the thread an in-line alternative. I attach the file to the post.
Make an 8 string headstock that doesn't look huge and disproportionate is not easy.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Ethenmar said:


> I don't know why the img link fails. I realized a 4+4 design for show to the thread an in-line alternative. I attach the file to the post.
> Make an 8 string headstock that doesn't look huge and disproportionate is not easy.



Hello Jackson Juggernaut


----------



## Ethenmar

LeviathanKiller said:


> Hello Jackson Juggernaut


Yes, the Jackson head was my inspiration.


----------



## TheBloodstained

I still prefer the inline 8 headstock! 

I always loved the Stephen Carpenter ESP that had that huge inline 8 reverse headstock, and come on, it's not THAT much bigger than, say, the current 7-string design...


----------



## LeviathanKiller

The 8 string version needs to be a 2x1x5 obviously
2 on top, 1 straight out the end, 5 on the underside/treble-side

Someone please put this together in Photoshop please haha


----------



## Ola Englund

LeviathanKiller said:


> WTF
> 
> Just as I'm about to pull the trigger on the A1.7 Black Open Pore 7-string, THEY SELL OUT.
> I really want to replace my 25.5" Washburn Solar but now I can't think of any other decent options.
> Maybe I'll find something better (something with stainless steel frets).
> 
> You either have to get something that comes with an EverTune (that A1.7 BOP is probably one of the few ever made that was longer than 25.5"), get a custom guitar made with one (more expensive than what I want to spend on an EverTune-equipped guitar), buy a guitar then send it to EverTune ($300 installation fee, no thanks), or use the EverTune custom installation process (only the $325 price of the bridge BUT it has to be an easy-to-get guitar that they can get from one of their distributors).
> 
> The custom installation process sounds like my best bet now unles Solar releases another good EverTune 7. I don't want the 1.7ET because of that satin/matte black finish. It always wears through on the treble side near the controls were my pinky rests when playing.




It is restocked now...


----------



## Albake21

Ola Englund said:


> It is restocked now...


Still seems to be out of stock for me.


----------



## lurè

I honestly like both the inline and the 4+4 lol.
Why not a model with passive PU and inline configuration and a model with active pickups and 4+4 config?


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Ola Englund said:


> It is restocked now...





Albake21 said:


> Still seems to be out of stock for me.



It is technically restocked but not showing on the website. I know this because I actually sent in an email and got a response today. Will be purchasing one from the September run soon.


----------



## Ola Englund

LeviathanKiller said:


> It is technically restocked but not showing on the website. I know this because I actually sent in an email and got a response today. Will be purchasing one from the September run soon.


dude sorry I went into the site and clicked the A1.6 Artist, not the A1.7... Yeah more coming in September!


----------



## Albake21

New post on the Solar Guitars Instagram with the caption "Something new coming Monday..."


----------



## Zalbu

Wasn't the barebones A superstrats available in both blue and red or am I hallucinating? 

I'm looking at picking up a barebones 6 string superstrat with a hardtail and the red A2.6 seems like the best bet, I'm starting to lose track of all the different models that are becoming available. I wish there was a way to sort the guitars by price range or a comparison tool on the Solar website.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Zalbu said:


> Wasn't the barebones A superstrats available in both blue and red or am I hallucinating?
> 
> I'm looking at picking up a barebones 6 string superstrat with a hardtail and the red A2.6 seems like the best bet, I'm starting to lose track of all the different models that are becoming available. I wish there was a way to sort the guitars by price range or a comparison tool on the Solar website.



They were IIRC but maybe they're not offered now. There are categories and filters when browsing the site on a computer. If you don't want the EverTune and you want the normal 25.5" scale, the trans blood red one or carbon matte are your only options. The red one is swamp ash while the carbon matte is mahogany jsyk.

Here's all of the A-type 6-strings they have right now that are right-handed:
3 EverTune models
https://www.solar-guitars.com/produit/a1-6-artist-ltd/
https://www.solar-guitars.com/produit/a1-6etc/
https://www.solar-guitars.com/produit/a1-6et/

2 Baritone
https://www.solar-guitars.com/produit/a1-6-baritone-atg/
https://www.solar-guitars.com/produit/a2-6-baritone/

2 basics
*https://www.solar-guitars.com/produit/a2-6-tbrm/ (the red one)*
https://www.solar-guitars.com/produit/a2-6/


----------



## Zalbu

LeviathanKiller said:


> They were IIRC but maybe they're not offered now. There are categories and filters when browsing the site on a computer. If you don't want the EverTune and you want the normal 25.5" scale, the trans blood red one or carbon matte are your only options. The red one is swamp ash while the carbon matte is mahogany jsyk.


Thanks for the write up, seems like the red A2.6 is the way to go then. I know that they have filters on the website, but there's no way to filter by price bracket or anything like that. Even just displaying the price when browsing through the guitars would be nice.


----------



## TheBloodstained

Zalbu said:


> Thanks for the write up, seems like the red A2.6 is the way to go then. I know that they have filters on the website, but there's no way to filter by price bracket or anything like that. Even just displaying the price when browsing through the guitars would be nice.


I have a first run A2.6 and I'm still blown away by the way it performs. Super solid axe all the way! 
Recently restrung it with thick strings and tuned it to drop A. No problems whatsoever!
It pretty much sounds like doomsday now!


----------



## Andrew Lloyd Webber

Albake21 said:


>



All I can glean from this, in my capacity as a consumer, is Ola giving me the finger. WHAT IS THIS MAN TRYING TO TELL US?


----------



## Ola Englund

Andrew Lloyd Webber said:


> All I can glean from this, in my capacity as a consumer, is Ola giving me the finger. WHAT IS THIS MAN TRYING TO TELL US?


Guitars that are already fucked up when received! Pre-fucked condition! Could become a thing...


----------



## MFB

Ola Englund said:


> Guitars that are already fucked up when received! Pre-fucked condition! Could become a thing...



You've never heard of Gibson?


----------



## manu80

Guitars are up. 4 new colors, blue, red, yellow & grey.
https://www.solar-guitars.com/shop/

the red would have had a black binding i was sold...Hello mick thomson


----------



## Sogradde

I want this in my life


----------



## LeviathanKiller

I would've been really close to placing an order if these had been made available in 7-string form


----------



## FetzEgemony

Sogradde said:


> I want this in my life



Same here mate... struggling to keep the finger far far from the "buy now" link...
always loved the shapes of Solars + always been a sucker for neon green..


----------



## Albake21

Ohh I really like the grey one. As far as I can tell, there's no difference in these models besides new colors, right?


----------



## p0ke

That lemon neon one looks like it's fast as fuck  I'm not really into the shape in general but that one brought out some serious GAS...


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Is there a difference between Duncan and Seymour Duncan?
These aren't part of the "Duncan Designed" line but I wonder why Ola is shortening the name of the brand when everyone else does not.


----------



## Albake21

LeviathanKiller said:


> Is there a difference between Duncan and Seymour Duncan?
> These aren't part of the "Duncan Designed" line but I wonder why Ola is shortening the name of the brand when everyone else does not.


From what I remember, they are not affiliated with Seymour Duncan at all.


----------



## Zoobiedood

Solar pickups _are_ Duncan Designed HB114, based on a '59 and Custom 5.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Albake21 said:


> From what I remember, they are not affiliated with Seymour Duncan at all.





Zoobiedood said:


> Solar pickups _are_ Duncan Designed HB114, based on a '59 and Custom 5.



I figured it out. Duncan is in the name because of collaboration with Seymour Duncan regarding designing them.
They aren't the "Duncan Designed" line and they are not the Seymour Duncan US line either. They're custom pickups called "Duncan Solar" pickups. Bridge is based off the Custom 5 AlNiCo.


----------



## Albake21

LeviathanKiller said:


> I figured it out. Duncan is in the name because of collaboration with Seymour Duncan regarding designing them.
> They aren't the "Duncan Designed" line and they are not the Seymour Duncan US line either. They're custom pickups called "Duncan Solar" pickups. Bridge is based off the Custom 5 AlNiCo.



Okay that's what I thought, although I didn't know Seymour Duncan had a role in them at all. Very cool!


----------



## Zalbu

Well damn, screw the red A2.6, that neon yellow model is perfect. 

How come it's €50 cheaper than the red A2.6?


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Zalbu said:


> Well damn, screw the red A2.6, that neon yellow model is perfect.
> 
> How come it's €50 cheaper than the red A2.6?



Mahogany instead of swamp ash


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Ay dios mio.


----------



## lewis

Ok so its official. I 100% want the lemon neon.

I dont think i can afford the first pre order batch sadly but im hoping to jump on the 2nd in the future
(Gotta prey they are still doing them haha)


----------



## lewis

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Ay dios mio.



This metallic blue is crazy nice.

@Ola Englund dude please tell me the neon lemon will be running indefinitely?
I just bought an Ax8 so cant afford this first batch but want one on the 2nd batch.

Also, any cool plans to do other neon colours?. 
These nods to 80s vibes are reeling me in.


----------



## Floppystrings

LeviathanKiller said:


> I figured it out. Duncan is in the name because of collaboration with Seymour Duncan regarding designing them.
> They aren't the "Duncan Designed" line and they are not the Seymour Duncan US line either. They're custom pickups called "Duncan Solar" pickups. Bridge is based off the Custom 5 AlNiCo.



So...Duncan Designed without having the name "Duncan Designed" on them...got it.


----------



## Andrew Lloyd Webber

Actually:


----------



## Floppystrings

Andrew Lloyd Webber said:


> Actually:


Or the, Duncan Detection series! Custom made btw.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Floppystrings said:


> So...Duncan Designed without having the name "Duncan Designed" on them...got it.



Basically lol


----------



## Zoobiedood

LeviathanKiller said:


> Basically lol



Indeed. The model number is in line with other DD models, too. They aren't made in the US at the Duncan factory.


----------



## I play music

LeviathanKiller said:


> Basically lol


Could be a different type if contract though. For example licence fee to SD per pickup (that's what I'd imagine for the Duncan Designed) vs. one time payment to SD for development work of the exact specs.


----------



## MFB

Some in action footage of Ola with the neon yellow in this guy right hurr, around 8:30 mark


----------



## ZombieLloyd

I really want to get this plugin. I guess this is what I'll spend next week's wages on haha.


----------



## Albake21

MFB said:


> Some in action footage of Ola with the neon yellow in this guy right hurr, around 8:30 mark



Jeeeez that sounds mean!


----------



## ZombieLloyd

Albake21 said:


> Jeeeez that sounds mean!


This might keep me going until I can afford the Randall Satan 50 haha.


----------



## I play music

MFB said:


> Some in action footage of Ola with the neon yellow in this guy right hurr, around 8:30 mark



This would be very cool in a pedal like the Mooer ones. I'd buy that. I don't always like to use my DAW when I just jam. 
Also, I like the new colors!


----------



## Albake21

ZombieLloyd said:


> This might keep me going until I can afford the Randall Satan 50 haha.


Sadly no amps for me with apartment life, but I love the Satan. I might pick this plug in up in the future. Hopefully it can go on sale.


----------



## ZombieLloyd

Albake21 said:


> Sadly no amps for me with apartment life, but I love the Satan. I might pick this plug in up in the future. Hopefully it can go on sale.


That sucks, man. Couldn't you get something like the Satan 50 with a 1x12? Or maybe even Blackstar's 4x8 cab?


----------



## Albake21

ZombieLloyd said:


> That sucks, man. Couldn't you get something like the Satan 50 with a 1x12? Or maybe even Blackstar's 4x8 cab?


Eh maybe, but what fun is an amp if I can't crank it? For now I'm happy with my Axe FX through my monitors.


----------



## ZombieLloyd

Albake21 said:


> Eh maybe, but what fun is an amp if I can't crank it? For not I'm happy with my Axe FX through my monitors.



Ah. Well an Axe FX is far better than nothing haha. I might get an AX8 next year after I get the Satan 50.


----------



## Seabeast2000

I gotta say... that yellow axe is teats. Any resell channel for these in the US or all direct still?


----------



## lewis

Im contemplating debt to grab that yellow


----------



## Albake21

lewis said:


> Im contemplating debt to grab that yellow


Same but with the blue or gray... Just watch, you guys will be seeing a post this weekend about me buying one because I'm dumb.


----------



## ZombieLloyd

Albake21 said:


> Same but with the blue or gray... Just watch, you guys will be seeing a post this weekend about me buying one because I'm dumb.


Can you buy me the blood tangerine one? Haha. Seriously though, that's probably my favourite of the 4.


----------



## lewis

Albake21 said:


> Same but with the blue or gray... Just watch, you guys will be seeing a post this weekend about me buying one because I'm dumb.


Im likely going to stupidly be doing the same. Ive all but paid off my ax8 debt now and my card is beckoning me to be used again for this yellow solar....

Damn credit cards are dangerous haha


----------



## ZombieLloyd

lewis said:


> Im likely going to stupidly be doing the same. Ive all but paid off my ax8 debt now and my card is beckoning me to be used again for this yellow solar....
> 
> Damn credit cards are dangerous haha



This is why I don't have a credit card haha. How is the AX8? Thinking of getting one after I eventually get the Satan 50.


----------



## lewis

ZombieLloyd said:


> This is why I don't have a credit card haha. How is the AX8? Thinking of getting one after I eventually get the Satan 50.


Haha i know right. Ive gone 28 years without having one.
Got one for the ax8 with the view to pay it off and then cut the card up...

Now this solar comes along...haha

Yeah the ax8 is killer. I havent had a chance to run it through a proper p.a yet at gig volume as my band has been doing all the recording stuff instead recently. But its build quality, sound and effects are just so good. Also the editor is a life saver. Wish my Kemper had one.

Highly recommended.


----------



## Ola Englund

Glad you dig the colors guys. There’s just something about the neon guitar that makes me want to play thrash metal 24/7


----------



## lewis

Ola Englund said:


> Glad you dig the colors guys. There’s just something about the neon guitar that makes me want to play thrash metal 24/7


Yessssss!!!!

Also, ola, will that neon yellow always be available?. Im worried if i dont get in on this now i will regret it if the colour stops being made in the future.


----------



## Ola Englund

It’s not a limited model if that’s what you mean 



lewis said:


> Yessssss!!!!
> 
> Also, ola, will that neon yellow always be available?. Im worried if i dont get in on this now i will regret it if the colour stops being made in the future.


ited


----------



## lewis

Ola Englund said:


> It’s not a limited model if that’s what you mean
> 
> 
> ited


Thanks Ola! 
Means i dont have a need to try to desperately afford this first pre order batch and can save money instead and buy it in a few months time etc.


----------



## ZombieLloyd

lewis said:


> Haha i know right. Ive gone 28 years without having one.
> Got one for the ax8 with the view to pay it off and then cut the card up...
> 
> Now this solar comes along...haha
> 
> Yeah the ax8 is killer. I havent had a chance to run it through a proper p.a yet at gig volume as my band has been doing all the recording stuff instead recently. But its build quality, sound and effects are just so good. Also the editor is a life saver. Wish my Kemper had one.
> 
> Highly recommended.



Ah, now the question is, Kemper or AX8, I've been looking at both and profiling the Satan 50 after I get it sounds super appealing. But also the 4 cable method with the AX8 sounds like a great idea for me too.



Ola Englund said:


> Glad you dig the colors guys. There’s just something about the neon guitar that makes me want to play thrash metal 24/7



Love the colours Ola, the blue and red ones are my favourites but I do like the other colours as well.


----------



## Flappydoodle

lewis said:


> Im contemplating debt to grab that yellow



It's super nice, but no guitar is worth going into debt over


----------



## Albake21

ZombieLloyd said:


> Can you buy me the blood tangerine one? Haha. Seriously though, that's probably my favourite of the 4.


The blood tangerine one is actually my favorite too, but from what I can tell the the whole guitar including the neck is gloss which is not my thing. Is this true @Ola Englund ?



ZombieLloyd said:


> This is why I don't have a credit card haha. How is the AX8? Thinking of getting one after I eventually get the Satan 50.


If you ever plan on getting anything digital, get the AX8. I tried a couple products before Fractal including the Line 6 Helix. I just wasn't too big a fan of them, they were nice, but I felt like it was missing something. I will never forget the day I plugged in my AX8 for the first time. I was absolutely blown away at the difference in feel and sound to the Helix. The AX8 felt soooo much better and it had this realistic bottom end that the Line 6 just didn't have. I'll say this, Fractal Audio are the only digital products I'll ever buy.


----------



## ZombieLloyd

Albake21 said:


> The blood tangerine one is actually my favorite too, but from what I can tell the the whole guitar including the neck is gloss which is not my thing. Is this true @Ola Englund ?
> 
> 
> If you ever plan on getting anything digital, get the AX8. I tried a couple products before Fractal including the Line 6 Helix. I just wasn't too big a fan of them, they were nice, but I felt like it was missing something. I will never forget the day I plugged in my AX8 for the first time. I was absolutely blown away at the difference in feel and sound to the Helix. The AX8 felt soooo much better and it had this realistic bottom end that the Line 6 just didn't have. I'll say this, Fractal Audio are the only digital products I'll ever buy.



I didn't notice the gloss neck. If I'm going to get one, a glossy neck won't stop me. I can always sand it down to a matte finish. I've played my Washburn Solar so much that it's going glossy haha.

Yeah, I tried Helix Native on my PC and was kind of "There's a lot of fun effects but, meh" about it. I've never been able to try the Kemper or anything out because I'm in the ass end of nowhere and there are no musical equipment shops around me unless I take a train for an hour and I can't be bothered with that haha. I don't have the time, or the money. I'll have to get one, I guess then haha. Or I could not get the Satan and get the Axe FX 3, but the Satan is my dream amp so I really want to get it haha.


----------



## lewis

Flappydoodle said:


> It's super nice, but no guitar is worth going into debt over


Hehe i meant just a normal credit card purchase haha. But yeah agreed.
Its why im glad the yellow isnt limited. I can save for a few months and pick one up outright.


----------



## Decapitated

I am really gassing HARD for the blue metallic matte A2.6. Anyone order one yet? Anyone ever get a coupon?


----------



## Albake21

Decapitated said:


> I am really gassing HARD for the blue metallic matte A2.6. Anyone order one yet? Anyone ever get a coupon?


You and me both. I actually made a smart decision for once and I'm holding off until I have the proper funds for one.


----------



## Decapitated

Albake21 said:


> You and me both. I actually made a smart decision for once and I'm holding off until I have the proper funds for one.



The struggle is real.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

I received my Solar today. It is nothing short of awesome.
I'll do a review after the honeymoon phase. Give me about a month or two.


----------



## Albake21

LeviathanKiller said:


> I received my Solar today. It is nothing short of awesome.
> I'll do a review after the honeymoon phase. Give me about a month or two.


Oh come on man, by that time I'll probably make a poor financial decision and buy one lol.


----------



## Decapitated

LeviathanKiller said:


> I received my Solar today. It is nothing short of awesome.
> I'll do a review after the honeymoon phase. Give me about a month or two.



Nice! Which model did you get? I keep gassing over the A2.6 but that ATG baritone is sweet too although I have never played a baritone.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Albake21 said:


> Oh come on man, by that time I'll probably make a poor financial decision and buy one lol.



I'll try to get it reviewed asap
I have a backlog though already lol



Decapitated said:


> Nice! Which model did you get? I keep gassing over the A2.6 but that ATG baritone is sweet too although I have never played a baritone.



A1.7 Artist BOP


----------



## Metropolis

Decapitated said:


> Nice! Which model did you get? I keep gassing over the A2.6 but that ATG baritone is sweet too although I have never played a baritone.



26,5" is not really a baritone, it's just longer than regular and coming from 25,5" Ibanez wasn't too big change for me when I got a A2.6 TBLM. So you'll be fine with it.


----------



## AC.Lin

Metropolis said:


> 26,5" is not really a baritone, it's just longer than regular and coming from 25,5" Ibanez wasn't too big change for me when I got a A2.6 TBLM. So you'll be fine with it.


I wish Solar would make a real baritone.

Something like the Ibanez RGIB6, which is 6 string with a 28" neck.
Because since the rosewood limitation, they changed the fretboard to jatoba which is a pretty fugly wood in my opinion. It's way too bright visually.
Moreover, the RIGB6 lacks cool features and would need a better construction quality and better pickups choice.

There is the PRS 277 alternative but the look of it is kinda meh. Not the best for some Vildhjarta or Humanity's Last Breath riffs.

Something like a 6 string solar, with a 28" neck, neck-throught AND an ebony fretboard would totally fill up that _vacant _place in the market.
Solar design already being awesome, it would be an instant buy from me.

You hear me @Ola Englund ?


----------



## Albake21

AC.Lin said:


> I wish Solar would make a real baritone.
> 
> Something like the Ibanez RGIB6, which is 6 string with a 28" neck.
> Because since the rosewood limitation, they changed the fretboard to jatoba which is a pretty fugly wood in my opinion. It's way too bright visually.
> Moreover, the RIGB6 lacks cool features and would need a better construction quality and better pickups choice.
> 
> There is the PRS 277 alternative but the look of it is kinda meh. Not the best for some Vildhjarta or Humanity's Last Breath riffs.
> 
> Something like a 6 string solar, with a 28" neck, neck-throught AND an ebony fretboard would totally fill up that _vacant _place in the market.
> Solar design already being awesome, it would be an instant buy from me.
> 
> You hear me @Ola Englund ?


Agreed, at the very least 27" scale. 26.5" can definitely do a lot. Hell I was able to get to Drop G on my 26.5" Aries, but the sweet spot is only Drop Ab and I know a lot of guys like going further with their baritones.


----------



## Decapitated

Metropolis said:


> 26,5" is not really a baritone, it's just longer than regular and coming from 25,5" Ibanez wasn't too big change for me when I got a A2.6 TBLM. So you'll be fine with it.



Sweet! Thank you.


----------



## I play music

AC.Lin said:


> Something like a 6 string solar, with a 28" neck, neck-throught AND an ebony fretboard would totally fill up that _vacant _place in the market.


As you said yourself a 6 string with 28 scale is not such a vacant place. However, a 7 string with that scale length...


----------



## AC.Lin

I play music said:


> As you said yourself a 6 string with 28 scale is not such a vacant place. However, a 7 string with that scale length...


Well, there is only 2-3 guitars with that kind of specs that are decents, but far from enjoyable.
Otherwise, you'll find a chapman guitar and some DaneElectro........ Brutal i know.

So yeah, it's pretty vacant.
But damn right, a 7 string with 28" is pretty much impossible to find, or you'll have to go for Agile which i don't consider a good option (please, don't kill me).
Or at least, i would like to find more 7 string 27".


----------



## I play music

AC.Lin said:


> Well, there is only 2-3 guitars with that kind of specs that are decents, but far from enjoyable.
> Otherwise, you'll find a chapman guitar and some DaneElectro........ Brutal i know.
> 
> So yeah, it's pretty vacant.
> But damn right, a 7 string with 28" is pretty much impossible to find, or you'll have to go for Agile which i don't consider a good option (please, don't kill me).
> Or at least, i would like to find more 7 string 27".


Yeah for us Europeans Agile is not a good option. 
Schecter has the Hellraiser C-VI with a 762mm scale but yeah there are not soo many options for a baritone 6. However, for a 7 with a long scale length there is nothing.


----------



## Seabeast2000

I play music said:


> Yeah for us Europeans Agile is not a good option.
> Schecter has the Hellraiser C-VI with a 762mm scale but yeah there are not soo many options for a baritone 6. However, for a 7 with a long scale length there is nothing.



I'm fixated on owning an SRC6 some day for this.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

I play music said:


> As you said yourself a 6 string with 28 scale is not such a vacant place. However, a 7 string with that scale length...





AC.Lin said:


> Well, there is only 2-3 guitars with that kind of specs that are decents, but far from enjoyable.
> Otherwise, you'll find a chapman guitar and some DaneElectro........ Brutal i know.
> 
> So yeah, it's pretty vacant.
> But damn right, a 7 string with 28" is pretty much impossible to find, or you'll have to go for Agile which i don't consider a good option (please, don't kill me).
> Or at least, i would like to find more 7 string 27".



I've got two 28.625" sevens from Agile and they are really great, just wish the pickup routes were deeper for passives. They come with actives and aren't routed very deep. I just _barely_ got my passives to go down far enough that they don't bump my strings when I palm mute really hard. I haven't swapped the other one over yet but we'll see if the depth is the same on it.


----------



## A-Branger

get a cheap squier or knockoff brand that at least have a humbucker route (affinity strats do if im not wrong), and get a warmoth 28.8" conversion neck for it


----------



## I play music

A-Branger said:


> get a cheap squier or knockoff brand that at least have a humbucker route (affinity strats do if im not wrong), and get a warmoth 28.8" conversion neck for it


Not such a good option IMO the bridge should be moved back for a baritone.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I play music said:


> Not such a good option IMO the bridge should be moved back for a baritone.


The Warmoth conversion neck works on a 21/22 fret 25.5" guitar.


----------



## Decapitated

So I am now intrigued by this 26.5 scale ATG Solar - anyone know what string guage/tunings this comes stock?


----------



## I play music

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> The Warmoth conversion neck works on a 21/22 fret 25.5" guitar.


I know, what I mean is that the additional frets are added to the left and it would be more comfortable to move the whole thing more to the right. Look at where the Ibanez M80M has its bridge for example. Hope it's understandable what I mean.


----------



## A-Branger

I play music said:


> I know, what I mean is that the additional frets are added to the left and it would be more comfortable to move the whole thing more to the right. Look at where the Ibanez M80M has its bridge for example. Hope it's understandable what I mean.



yeh I get what you mean, but well reason why its a conversion neck. Its a quick fix. And a relatively cheap one (if you already own the guitar body with hardware/pickups)

cool thing is you can pick whatever you want, customize your guitar.

No idea on balance tho. Never played one. I like the idea of it, but the scale lenght its bit too big for what I want. Wish they did a 27.5" instead

bridge position its quite ideal. Im more used to have the bridge on that spot when I put my guitar on my lap. VS on my Ormsby goliath were the bridge ends up being too far back, so I have to get used to it. Classical position is perfect, but on my right leg, my hand feels tinny bit weird reaching out too far back..... I eventually got used tho, but my left hand is perfect, so I guess its a bit of compromise. But being a bass player mainly, Im used to have the neck too far left and have to reach out, so I rather have the guitar being shifted to my left than to my right


----------



## Metropolis

Decapitated said:


> So I am now intrigued by this 26.5 scale ATG Solar - anyone know what string guage/tunings this comes stock?



Solar doesn't list string gauges anymore in spec list, why? That was a nice thing to have. If I remember it correctly strings should be 11-64 D'addario NYXL's tuned to B-standard. Artist models have their own individual tunings, such as "baritones" come tuned in B-standard and everything else is in standard tuning.


----------



## Decapitated

Metropolis said:


> Solar doesn't list string gauges anymore in spec list, why? That was a nice thing to have. If I remember it correctly strings should be 11-64 D'addario NYXL's tuned to B-standard. Artist models have their own individual tunings, such as "baritones" come tuned in B-standard and everything else is in standard tuning.



Thanks, yeah, for some reason, I thought it did list those specs at one time, but I cannot find them on the Solar site or Thomann.


----------



## Fader

Anyone have one? What do you think?


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Fader said:


> Anyone have one? What do you think?



They're great. Better than the old Washburn ones.
The pickups sound really good in the swamp ash model I bought.
Neck is very comfortable.
Fretwork was done well.
All of the controls (vol, tone, 5-way switch) are very very solid.
The finish is fantastic (black open pore).


----------



## Albake21

LeviathanKiller said:


> They're great. Better than the old Washburn ones.
> The pickups sound really good in the swamp ash model I bought.
> Neck is very comfortable.
> Fretwork was done well.
> All of the controls (vol, tone, 5-way switch) are very very solid.
> The finish is fantastic (black open pore).


I thought Ola said they are built in the exact same factory as when they were under the Washburn brand. Also the dimensions are the same, shouldn't they be the exact same then?


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Albake21 said:


> I thought Ola said they are built in the exact same factory as when they were under the Washburn brand. Also the dimensions are the same, shouldn't they be the exact same then?



Scale length is different, better QC, not alder, better fretwork, switch feels better, board and inlay looks better


----------



## Albake21

LeviathanKiller said:


> Scale length is different, better QC, not alder, better fretwork, switch feels better, board and inlay looks better


Well that's awesome to hear!


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Albake21 said:


> I thought Ola said they are built in the exact same factory as when they were under the Washburn brand. Also the dimensions are the same, shouldn't they be the exact same then?



I'm guessing since they're made in smaller batches, the QC is better. I also heard the Washburn Solars got better before Ola ended his endorsement.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I'm guessing since they're made in smaller batches, the QC is better. I also heard the Washburn Solars got better before Ola ended his endorsement.



Then I'd hate to have gotten one of the first ones because mine was purchased new the same month Ola announced Solar Guitars. lol


----------



## Decapitated

Just saw on Solar’s FB page that they now sell hardshell cases. Ola, you’re killing me!!! They look sick.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Decapitated said:


> Just saw on Solar’s FB page that they now sell hardshell cases. Ola, you’re killing me!!! They look sick.



Oh btw everyone, mine came with a gig bag that was of really good quality. I didn't know it was coming with one. Definitely impressed me!


----------



## Decapitated

LeviathanKiller said:


> Oh btw everyone, mine came with a gig bag that was of really good quality. I didn't know it was coming with one. Definitely impressed me!



Sweet. You ordered directly from Solar, correct? Are you in the US? If so, did you have to pay additional fees? I had to in the past when I ordered a guitar out of the country.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Decapitated said:


> Sweet. You ordered directly from Solar, correct? Are you in the US? If so, did you have to pay additional fees? I had to in the past when I ordered a guitar out of the country.



Yes, direct from Solar. Yes, from the US. I had to pay $75.95 in customs fees. Better than paying near 10% tax on a guitar in the US actually so I can't really complain with customs being about a 5.5% fee.


----------



## lewis




----------



## Metropolis

I've come to a conclusion that Duncan Solar bridge pickup is too bassy for me, and it doesn't have enough output. I just want to have some more gain from the pickup itself with colder and edgier tone. Maybe Black Winter is the answer...

@Ola Englund also I'm hoping green coloured guitars for the Solar line. With same type of finishes they have now, just moss green or something like that. There is not enough green guitars, and I would love to own one.


----------



## Ivars V

I just want a green (think Michael Keene's washburn) a2.6 baritone. One can dream though...


----------



## Metropolis

Ivars V said:


> I just want a green (think Michael Keene's washburn) a2.6 baritone. One can dream though...



Get your neon sparkly metallic pearlescent things elsewhere... just kidding  that could be cool too but not entirely my taste. My perfect vision is matte moss green in top of swamp ash or flame maple veneer with maple fretboard. Or maybe gloss top and headstock, and everything else matte finished.


----------



## Albake21

Metropolis said:


> Get your neon sparkly metallic pearlescent things elsewhere... just kidding  that could be cool too but not entirely my taste. My perfect vision is matte moss green in top of swamp ash or flame maple veneer with maple fretboard. Or maybe gloss top and headstock, and everything else matte finished.


I'd totally rock a moss green Solar, but that's pretty much the only green I like. Like you said, a moss green with ash (like the current ash ones) would be so damn cool.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Metropolis said:


> I've come to a conclusion that Duncan Solar bridge pickup is too bassy for me, and it doesn't have enough output. I just want to have some more gain from the pickup itself with colder and edgier tone. Maybe Black Winter is the answer...
> 
> @Ola Englund also I'm hoping green coloured guitars for the Solar line. With same type of finishes they have now, just moss green or something like that. There is not enough green guitars, and I would love to own one.



What Solar model do you have? (more specifically, what wood?)
I have found the wood makes a enormous difference with this pickup set.

I'll record some clips later and post the difference between the Duncan Solar set in swamp ash vs alder.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

LeviathanKiller said:


> What Solar model do you have? (more specifically, what wood?)
> I have found the wood makes a enormous difference with this pickup set.
> 
> I'll record some clips later and post the difference between the Duncan Solar set in swamp ash vs alder.



Recorded them now

Spacing from the strings is the same (didn't measure with a caliper though)
The A1.7 Artist doesn't have a tone knob and is an inch longer in scale (26.5 vs 25.5). Those are 2 other factors but still seems like a huge difference to me.

Swamp Ash
http://www.mediafire.com/file/bjv1b6k1jdte3w8/20180915_134954_solars_in_swamp_ash.wav/file

Alder
http://www.mediafire.com/file/uocfaw6askm10f7/20180915_134954_solars_in_alder.wav/file


The swamp ash one doesn't sound as muddy and seems slightly lower in gain or just has more clarity.


----------



## Metropolis

LeviathanKiller said:


> What Solar model do you have? (more specifically, what wood?)
> I have found the wood makes a enormous difference with this pickup set.
> 
> I'll record some clips later and post the difference between the Duncan Solar set in swamp ash vs alder.



A2.6 TBLM is swamp ash, it sounds very articulate yet bassy because of the pickups and combined with 26,5" scale. It's nowhere muddy, just quite a lot of low end but still having good amount of note separation and clarity. I just prefer more output and gain from the pickups, otherwise they're good.

Swamp ash and 26,5" scale sounds much better in those examples  25,5" and alder is kind of ripply and not as articulate in note separation.


----------



## binz

That lemon neon looks really really cool, but it was sold out in very short time. Where could I find info whether they are going to make more of them? There is hope because they have it still listed on their website
https://www.solar-guitars.com/produit/a2-6-lime-neon-matte/


----------



## Decapitated

binz said:


> That lemon neon looks really really cool, but it was sold out in very short time. Where could I find info whether they are going to make more of them? There is hope because they have it still listed on their website
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/produit/a2-6-lime-neon-matte/



You can get notified when they are back in stock. Click on “notify me when the guitar will be available.”


----------



## littlebadboy

I wish Solar comes up with a single cut 6 just like the Washburn PXL20 that Ola used to play.

But then... I'm poor. I won't be able to buy one anyway. I'll just be content with watching Ola's demos on YT. I'm glad he visits us mortals in these parts.


----------



## manu80

a dime slime one would be great...


----------



## p0ke

Let's see how this one turns out, announcement apparently coming tomorrow:


----------



## LeviathanKiller

p0ke said:


> Let's see how this one turns out, announcement apparently coming tomorrow:


Only 6 strings
Mucho disappointo

But, KM-7 MK-III Black Burst but with EverTune??? hehehe
Looks pretty dang close


----------



## Albake21

LeviathanKiller said:


> Only 6 strings
> Mucho disappointo
> 
> But, KM-7 MK-III Black Burst but with EverTune??? hehehe
> Looks pretty dang close


You never know, he could announce a 7 string version with this one.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Albake21 said:


> You never know, he could announce a 7 string version with this one.



I hope so, but he's really favored 6-string models a lot. I guess because that's just where he's at right now with his business (6s definitely outsell 7s). I would have LOVED to have gotten a tangerine blood 7-string model. Any of those 4 recently released colors were amazing honestly. But no 7 variants


----------



## Albake21

LeviathanKiller said:


> I hope so, but he's really favored 6-string models a lot. I guess because that's just where he's at right now with his business (6s definitely outsell 7s). I would have LOVED to have gotten a tangerine blood 7-string model. Any of those 4 recently released colors were amazing honestly. But no 7 variants


Which who knows, maybe that's a good reason for him to release this in a 7. He sure has released a lot of 6 strings lately.


----------



## Vyn

LeviathanKiller said:


> I hope so, but he's really favored 6-string models a lot. I guess because that's just where he's at right now with his business (6s definitely outsell 7s). I would have LOVED to have gotten a tangerine blood 7-string model. Any of those 4 recently released colors were amazing honestly. But no 7 variants



Something to keep in mind is that Ola is mainly a 6 string guy. Even in his vids most of the time he's using 6s.


----------



## TheUnknownOne

please ola, ditch that horrible central inlay


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Vyn said:


> Something to keep in mind is that Ola is mainly a 6 string guy. Even in his vids most of the time he's using 6s.



He's pretty balanced on both actually. I'm pretty positive he uses the A1.7 for his clinics and stuff usually. He just really loves the neon green 6 lately.


----------



## Soya

TheUnknownOne said:


> please ola, ditch that horrible central inlay


He said he's not going to.


----------



## p0ke

LeviathanKiller said:


> Only 6 strings
> Mucho disappointo



My thoughts exactly. The top looks really nice though.


----------



## blacai

I thought burl tops were already obsolete.


----------



## TheUnknownOne

Soya said:


> He said he's not going to.



I get the need to differenciate, etc... But with a burl top there is too much going on to put that kind of inlay.
Plus I really think the Solar logo is looking awesome, but the font does not match at all with that kind of tribal graphic


----------



## p0ke

"Today we announce 4 new models, the first Solar Guitars to have Stainless Steel Frets and Neck Through construction. These are the S1.6 Poplar Burl Limited Edition. With features such as Grover Locking Tuners, Luminlay Side Dots, Evertune bridge or Hipshot USA bridge, Duncan Solar pickups and so on. Shipping starts Mid October."

If I was looking for another guitar of that shape, I'd definitely grab one of those. All the colors look awesome IMO


----------



## Metropolis

Mossy green I hoped just came a reality! I really like them, give me these two


----------



## Albake21

That moss green one is so badass.... Plus SS frets and neck through!


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Finally he did stainless steel frets but it's only on 6-string models. ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhh


----------



## R34CH

I like Ola's business model with Solar where he continually puts out new colors and slight spec tweaks. Basically just keep your cash in hand and pull the trigger when something that agrees with you pops up.

Gotta admit, all the colors on these poplar burl models look great. Hoping for a couple more 7 options in the future but I could be convinced that the stable needs another sixer...


----------



## Ordacleaphobia

God I wish I had the cash to dump on more guitars right now. Both the green and blue ones look absolutely awesome.


----------



## lewis

If i had unlimited funds i would buy the Neon Lemon, Metallic Blue, Green Burl and Blue Burl all Asap!!


----------



## Bdtunn

Man these are a home run!!


----------



## LeviathanKiller

They look so good that I considered buying a 6-string haha


----------



## manu80

I’ll just say the green one fuckin slays...


----------



## lewis

the ONLY Gripe is a distinct lack of Purple options. Everyone else is damn killer!.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Major props to for not using the (literal) shit tier burls like other companies do.


----------



## Ordacleaphobia

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Major props to for not using the (literal) shit tier burls like other companies do.



I have faith in Ola but let's not jump to conclusions yet. Ibanez has some good stock photos of their burl models but a lot of customers get famously atrocious tops.
Very real possibility these have lackluster veneers too. Fingers crossed until we start seeing some of these in the wild.


----------



## lewis

Ordacleaphobia said:


> I have faith in Ola but let's not jump to conclusions yet. Ibanez has some good stock photos of their burl models but a lot of customers get famously atrocious tops.
> Very real possibility these have lackluster veneers too. Fingers crossed until we start seeing some of these in the wild.


i get what you mean but the video of him playing them shows its not going to be a case of "shit stock models" Like Ibanez are guilty of.


----------



## lurè

The green one is gorgeous and finally SS frets.




But


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Ordacleaphobia said:


> I have faith in Ola but let's not jump to conclusions yet. Ibanez has some good stock photos of their burl models but a lot of customers get famously atrocious tops.
> Very real possibility these have lackluster veneers too. Fingers crossed until we start seeing some of these in the wild.



I mean there's a chance these are just bullshots... But nah, I disagree Ibanez has great stock photos of their bike guitars. 

The Solar stock photos look great 
This on the other hand...


----------



## Decapitated

That blue one is CALLING MY NAME!!!! Ask my fiancee to take a look at it and she says..."I like the green one better...." FML. First world problems.


----------



## I play music

Decapitated said:


> That blue one is CALLING MY NAME!!!! Ask my fiancee to take a look at it and she says..."I like the green one better...." FML. First world problems.


Your fiance must not have seen the Evertune on the green one


----------



## Decapitated

I play music said:


> Your fiance must not have seen the Evertune on the green one



Funny enough, I actually had the thought of saying...”but the green one has an ever....” then I realized she would have no fkn clue as to what the hell that meant.


----------



## Metropolis

Decapitated said:


> Funny enough, I actually had the thought of saying...”but the green one has an ever....” then I realized she would have no fkn clue as to what the hell that meant.



I've told to my girlfriend how an Evertune bridge works... don't know if she really got it


----------



## PunkBillCarson

That's only part of what I love about my wife. She pays attention to any new piece of gear I get. She knows I don't like tremolos and things like that. One time, she came in after I got my Ibanez Iron Label with EMG's and she heard me playing it through my 6505+ and she said "damn, that sounds really good!"


----------



## PunkBillCarson

Also, give me that blue burl with that bridge in seven string format.


----------



## Ola Englund

I had a question on my FAQ from a wife asking which Solar guitar she should buy for her husband next. Like where do people find these wives?!?!


----------



## PunkBillCarson

Ola Englund said:


> I had a question on my FAQ from a wife asking which Solar guitar she should buy for her husband next. Like where do people find these wives?!?!




I'll tell you if you give me the blue burl guitar.


----------



## Albake21

PunkBillCarson said:


> I'll tell you if you give me the blue burl guitar.


Are you.... trading your wife for Ola's guitar? That's a true SSO member right there.


----------



## PunkBillCarson

Albake21 said:


> Are you.... trading your wife for Ola's guitar? That's a true SSO member right there.



No, I told him that I'd tell him where to get a wife like mine. Not trading my wife, hell no. I love her too much.


----------



## Decapitated

Ola...if I buy one of the S1.6 LTD Blue Burst Matte guitars, will you personally Olla it for me? Oh, and sign the back plate as well? PRETTY PLEASE?!?!?!?


----------



## Siggevaio

Great features for a great price! It's amazing that Ola can charge so little for all those features when for example Ibanez Premiums with less features are more expensive. Maybe a run like this is nonprofitable but it just shows what a fantastic fellow Ola is. Might get the blue one, mmmmmmmm.


----------



## Decapitated

Siggevaio said:


> Great features for a great price! It's amazing that Ola can charge so little for all those features when for example Ibanez Premiums with less features are more expensive. Maybe a run like this is nonprofitable but it just shows what a fantastic fellow Ola is. Might get the blue one, mmmmmmmm.



Agreed, I have been holding off buying one for a while and I don't think I can hold off any more. The blue one has the exact features I have been looking for.


----------



## Furtive Glance

Damn, that blue one. Looks sweet AF.

Incidentally, here I was about to rant about how I keep reading you guys asking for random specs on a relatively brand new line of guitars that's still being established and _now, _all I can think is ... I wish the blue one had an Evertune. I am become hypocrite, destroyer of burls.


----------



## Ola Englund

NOOB OLA 2


----------



## Ola Englund

Furtive Glance said:


> Damn, that blue one. Looks sweet AF.
> 
> Incidentally, here I was about to rant about how I keep reading you guys asking for random specs on a relatively brand new line of guitars that's still being established and _now, _all I can think is ... I wish the blue one had an Evertune. I am become hypocrite, destroyer of burls.


truth be told, If it was the other way around, the green had hipshot and the blue had evertune, people would've asked for a green with evertune.


----------



## PunkBillCarson

Ola Englund said:


> truth be told, If it was the other way around, the green had hipshot and the blue had evertune, people would've asked for a green with evertune.



What are the chances of getting that blue burl in 7 string with hipshot?


----------



## Ola Englund

PunkBillCarson said:


> What are the chances of getting that blue burl in 7 string with hipshot?


IF we do it won't be any time soon. Just being real here, a lot of people have specific interests and preferences. It's hard to cater to everyones preference. I just go after what I think is a cool guitar and what people might like.


----------



## Decapitated

Ola Englund said:


> truth be told, If it was the other way around, the green had hipshot and the blue had evertune, people would've asked for a green with evertune.



The Instagram responses to the new guitars are too funny: “if it had a Floyd, it would be perfect...why the fret markers?...wish it was a 7 string...I wish it was an 8 string...” Cant make everyone happy.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Ola Englund said:


> IF we do it won't be any time soon. Just being real here, a lot of people have specific interests and preferences. It's hard to cater to everyones preference. I just go after what I think is a cool guitar and what people might like.



I don't care what you come up with because they've all been amazing, but more special 7 string models would be nice. I've wanted one of everything released in the past few months but only the BOP LTD was available in 7 string.


----------



## Decapitated

Blue Poplar Burrrrrrl ordered.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

The solar burst is fire. Really

All of the new 6s...


----------



## Decapitated

LeviathanKiller said:


> The solar burst is fire. Really
> 
> All of the new 6s...




Yeah, they are all awesome. The Poplar Burst already sold out.


----------



## Fenceclimber

Hey everyone, I might bite and get one of theese soon actually. My recent GAS has gotten the best of me. I was just wondering if anyone knows ( I guess Ola does, hejsan!) how thick these necks are. I've got pretty big hands and I find really thin, Ibanez and Jackson-ish necks to be too thin for me these days.

Thanks!


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Fenceclimber said:


> Hey everyone, I might bite and get one of theese soon actually. My recent GAS has gotten the best of me. I was just wondering if anyone knows ( I guess Ola does, hejsan!) how thick these necks are. I've got pretty big hands and I find really thin, Ibanez and Jackson-ish necks to be too thin for me these days.
> 
> Thanks!



The 7-string I have isn't that thin. The Schecter KM series and SLS series have thinner necks. I would say these are comparable to the Apocalypse or Hellraiser Hybrid Schecters.

Feels like a C-shape


----------



## Metropolis

Fenceclimber said:


> Hey everyone, I might bite and get one of theese soon actually. My recent GAS has gotten the best of me. I was just wondering if anyone knows ( I guess Ola does, hejsan!) how thick these necks are. I've got pretty big hands and I find really thin, Ibanez and Jackson-ish necks to be too thin for me these days.
> 
> Thanks!



I would say it's 19-20mm from the first fret, modern C profile, no big shoulders and round from the middle. Thicker than Ibanez or Jackson without flat spot in the middle. Width of a nut is 43mm and string spacing is about the same with Ibanez. I've got a six string Solar.


----------



## Fenceclimber

Thanks guys, sounds good. Will probably get one soon


----------



## Decapitated

Question for Ola: Will you be going back to the factory in Jakarta to QC the new batch of the Poplar Burl guitars? If so, are you going to make another vlog?


----------



## Ola Englund

Decapitated said:


> Question for Ola: Will you be going back to the factory in Jakarta to QC the new batch of the Poplar Burl guitars? If so, are you going to make another vlog?



Those batches have already been QC by my good buddy Xavier and are on it’s way to our warehouse.. I will go back a couple times a year but Xavier goes every month. Here’s one of them off the bench.


----------



## Decapitated

Ola Englund said:


> Those batches have already been QC by my good buddy Xavier and are on it’s way to our warehouse.. I will go back a couple times a year but Xavier goes every month. Here’s one of them off the bench.



Sweet! Thank you! Cannot wait to get mine.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Ola Englund said:


> Those batches have already been QC by my good buddy Xavier and are on it’s way to our warehouse.. I will go back a couple times a year but Xavier goes every month. Here’s one of them off the bench.



I LOVE the asymmetrical tops! Looks so much more natural


----------



## Metropolis

Looks nice when the more burly part is centered towards arm cut 

Here's a video of Glenn Fricker unboxing A2.6 TBLM


----------



## manu80

I'm contemplating the metallic tangerine (kinda Mick thomson vibe on it) but I'm so afraid to see a neon green or pink guitar appear that I'm holding myself...


----------



## LeviathanKiller

manu80 said:


> I'm contemplating the metallic tangerine (kinda Mick thomson vibe on it) but I'm so afraid to see a neon green or pink guitar appear that I'm holding myself...



Same situation. I want the blood red swamp ash 7, but am thinking he's going to release some new 7s soon since he hasn't in a while.


----------



## Grumul

@Ola Englund Hey, Ola. Stop hogging all the guitars and send some to thomann. I'm sick of waiting for my guitar. angryface.jpg


----------



## MFB

Grumul said:


> @Ola Englund Hey, Ola. Stop hogging all the guitars and send some to thomann. I'm sick of waiting for my guitar. angryface.jpg



Actually, he's HUGGING all the guitars before they're sent out, so you know each one has his patented "li'l bit o' love" on it


----------



## Andrew Lloyd Webber

Falbo said it was buffing compound!


----------



## Ola Englund

Grumul said:


> @Ola Englund Hey, Ola. Stop hogging all the guitars and send some to thomann. I'm sick of waiting for my guitar. angryface.jpg


why didn't you order direct from the Solar website? Then you would be sitting with your guitar already...


----------



## Grumul

Ola Englund said:


> why didn't you order direct from the Solar website? Then you would be sitting with your guitar already...


Because I ordered other stuff as well. And I didn't know you were such a guitar hog


----------



## Ola Englund

Grumul said:


> Because I ordered other stuff as well. And I didn't know you were such a guitar hog



It’s not that I hog them, I just have to “olla” them all...


----------



## Grumul

Ola Englund said:


> It’s not that I hog them, I just have to “olla” them all...



Well, now I'm worried.


----------



## Albake21

Grumul said:


> Well, now I'm worried.


I'm excited.


----------



## Decapitated

Albake21 said:


> I'm excited.



Well, I do recall Ola at one point saying all Solar guitars have been touched by a Swede....so...


----------



## Metropolis

They're now sOLLAr guitars...


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Don't get me wrong, I really really like the Duncan Solar pickups. Probably the best found-as-stock-only pickups I've ever used with maybe the PRS SVN 85/15 "S" ones coming in second. But I've decided I'm going to take them out of my A1.7. They sound much better in the A1.7's swamp ash body than they do in my Washburn Solar 17ETC's alder body but they don't really cut it for me when it comes low end bite. They sound more compressed with less string separation than my Guitarmory sets or Fishman Fluence Keith Merrow set. Since I was debating on which guitars to buy for a few set of pickups I have coming in, it just makes the most sense for me to get rid of these (and put one of my new sets in) since I was on the fence from day one. Now that I've compared them directly against others, I just find them lacking a bit for my needs. I think anyone who doesn't have the money or pickups on hand to swap immediately or doesn't want to have to swap, would be really happy with these as stock.

Now I just need to decide if I want to load a Bare Knuckle Impulse set in here, a MojoTone Black Magic set, or one of my Guitarmory sets (alncio Foxbats or custom ceramic/alnico hybrid Atlases)


----------



## Ola Englund

LeviathanKiller said:


> I think anyone who doesn't have the money or pickups on hand to swap immediately or doesn't want to have to swap, would be really happy with these as stock.


 I guess that’s me!


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Ola Englund said:


> I guess that’s me!




Like I said really great pickups. Just wasn't me enough percent% to buy another guitar for my incoming pickups. It was a tough decision. I'm actually not even going to sell them just because I do like them quite a bit and could end up putting them back in at some point.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

WTF
I'm not sure if @Ola Englund is serious or not but check out 10:26 -> in this video below...


----------



## Albake21

LeviathanKiller said:


> WTF
> I'm not sure if @Ola Englund is serious or not but check out 10:26 -> in this video below...



Wow... I totally missed that "couple weeks" comment when I watched it this morning. Hmm.... what does Ola have up his sleeve? He also could be trolling because you can't take much of what he says as serious lol.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Albake21 said:


> Wow... I totally missed that "couple weeks" comment when I watched it this morning. Hmm.... what does Ola have up his sleeve? He also could be trolling because you can't take much of what he says as serious lol.



Usually he's more readily dismissive of ideas he knows he doesn't want to do though. Only Ola himself knows the truth (unless it's true and whoever else is involved also knows lol)


----------



## MKII

Something like pre payed or down payed limited runs would be ideal i think, from a business perspective. Less possible hassle. But with those things it's always 90% awesome, and one thing you absolutely hate due to whatever is the in thing at the moment and the majority votes for, lol.

My opinion, ...oh, and Hi! Yes i been watching this unfold for a while now silently so i figured i'd say something in the interest of Ola knowing who and what is lurking out there. I'm sure he's had no shortage of requests. He's doing a phenomenal job, and at a wicked pace, maybe too fast? But i am admittedly queuing up for when the right thing drops. I would have been in on these last LTD models with SS, but he put the evertune on the wrong color, lol. Naw, but i probably would have bit on the poplar burst if it had a regular bridge, the evertune doesn't interest me.

My personal want would have been to have a floyd on the original Solar Burst LTD, or at least a standard bridge and SS frets, but i think it's pretty obvious that a floyded version of that lime green model would sell like a mofo even though it's not my thing.

I admittedly don't know how much of a draw it is, but i would narrow down the evertune models, and keep SS frets on the LTD or artist whatever models as standard. I think SS frets with a cheaper bridge would appeal to more people. Really would have been cool if these last LTDs neck throughs were split up so that a hipshot was on each color and an evertune was on each color.

At any rate, killer stuff all around though. I've always absolutely hated logos or letters/words on fretboards, but i think the Solar logo looks pretty good on these guitars if there is to be one. I just can't do no fret markers, never could get used to it.


----------



## Metropolis

MKII said:


> I just can't do no fret markers, never could get used to it.



I usually look side dots to see where I am going in the fretboard, you will get used to it.


----------



## MKII

Metropolis said:


> I usually look side dots to see where I am going in the fretboard, you will get used to it.


Eh maybe 10 years ago, but my eye sight is not what it used to be. In fact it's something i've realized recently. I was playing a Schecter SLS 7 a few weeks ago and it has the smallish dots but they are like mop or abalone or whatever on the fretboard and side and they blended in, i couldn't see them hardly at all in a lit room. Also played a Jackson with the piranha teeth inlay and i couldn't see them either. So i really kind of realized it right then and there, and old habits die hard, it was unnerving and i'm not trying to get used to a new thing at this point in my life.


----------



## Decapitated

Since when did people start liking Floyds? I thought a lot of people hated them. Most of my guitars have them (simply because there was no other option), but I love the fact that most of the Solar line don’t have them.


----------



## Vyn

Decapitated said:


> Since when did people start liking Floyds? I thought a lot of people hated them. Most of my guitars have them (simply because there was no other option), but I love the fact that most of the Solar line don’t have them.



If they had floyds people would be asking for hardtails and if they were hardtails people would be asking for floyds.

Welcome to SSO.


----------



## Decapitated

Vyn said:


> If they had floyds people would be asking for hardtails and if they were hardtails people would be asking for floyds.
> 
> Welcome to SSO.



Yeah, I posted in this thread a few days ago talking about that. The Instagram page is a perfect example of that.


----------



## Vyn

Decapitated said:


> Yeah, I posted in this thread a few days ago talking about that. The Instagram page is a perfect example of that.



The YouTube comments on the FAQ videos are pretty good as well. Def popcorn worthy.


----------



## Decapitated

Vyn said:


> The YouTube comments on the FAQ videos are pretty good as well. Def popcorn worthy.



Exactly! Ola’s responses to some of those questions are hilarious.


----------



## MKII

Start liking them? I've owned dozens of guitars in the last 33 years and like 3 of them have not had floyds or some sort of locking tremolo, lol. I don't even really use them much any more, more of a habit really, but it just feels weird not having it. Aside from that i just find it the most comfortable bridge to lay my hand on. Plus the locking and fine tuners and that they rarely go out of tune. Kind of feels almost like an incomplete guitar not having it. There is obviously merit in not having one, alternate tunings ect. As long as i have one guitar with one, maybe two. Like a 7 with and without. Plus there is a huge catalogue of music that has utilized them so if you want to jam some slayer or vai, there's that.


----------



## Ola Englund

Me saying anything in any video should be valued as true as an article in the Onion...


----------



## manu80

Damn some questions are almost trolling more than everything else. you got patience...
just love the reaction on the SONAR guitar thing.
Does that mean that your new logo will replace the other one on the 12thFret ?


----------



## blacai

manu80 said:


> Damn some questions are almost trolling more than everything else. you got patience...
> just love the reaction on the SONAR guitar thing.
> Does that mean that your new logo will replace the other one on the 12thFret ?


If I got it... the current logo is the one that will remain for SOLAR guitars as brand and the new ola logo is for his person/merch.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Ola Englund said:


> Me saying anything in any video should be valued as true as an article in the Onion...



Problem is the Onion isn't too far off from the truth these days.


----------



## Ola Englund

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Problem is the Onion isn't too far off from the truth these days.


exactly...


----------



## Ola Englund

blacai said:


> If I got it... the current logo is the one that will remain for SOLAR guitars as brand and the new ola logo is for his person/merch.



Correct, I will personally leave the Original Solar logo with Solar Guitars, hence it's not a symbol I will use personally anymore. It's a Solar Guitars logo now...


----------



## Albake21

By the way @Ola Englund I just want to thank you for being so active on here. I really wish more guys with companies would do the same.


----------



## MFB

Albake21 said:


> By the way @Ola Englund I just want to thank you for being so active on here. I really wish more guys with companies would do the same.



Careful, you don't want to risk another Engage type scenario on here do you


----------



## Albake21

MFB said:


> Careful, you don't want to risk another Engage type scenario on here do you


Engage?


----------



## MFB

Albake21 said:


> Engage?



Worked for Keisel, still might, pretty much the epitome of Holloway's "selling DEAD MINT" thread


----------



## Flappydoodle

Albake21 said:


> By the way @Ola Englund I just want to thank you for being so active on here. I really wish more guys with companies would do the same.



Do what? Come to promote their products? I think there's a dedicated subforum for that.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Flappydoodle said:


> Do what? Come to promote their products? I think there's a dedicated subforum for that.



I think he means engage with his customer community. Ola isn't in this thread advertising, he's here just answering our questions and stuff. I agree with @Albake21, I wish more companies would be involved in a helpful manner like this instead of _only _dishing out "BUY OUR NEW PRODUCT TODAY!" posts that ignore everyone's questions. There's plenty of vendors on here that stick to the vendor subforum and advertising is the only thing they do if they're even on here to begin with. Ola knows we watch his videos and _that _is where he does the advertising.


----------



## spudmunkey

LeviathanKiller said:


> I think he means engage with his customer community. Ola isn't in this thread advertising, he's here just answering our questions and stuff. I agree with @Albake21, I wish more companies would be involved in a helpful manner like this instead of _only _dishing out "BUY OUR NEW PRODUCT TODAY!" posts that ignore everyone's questions.



I think we should really stick to questions about my new movie, _Rampart._


----------



## Decapitated

I haven’t seen Ola advertise anything in this thread, mostly answering questions, unless I am mistaken.


----------



## Albake21

LeviathanKiller said:


> I think he means engage with his customer community. Ola isn't in this thread advertising, he's here just answering our questions and stuff. I agree with @Albake21, I wish more companies would be involved in a helpful manner like this instead of _only _dishing out "BUY OUR NEW PRODUCT TODAY!" posts that ignore everyone's questions. There's plenty of vendors on here that stick to the vendor subforum and advertising is the only thing they do if they're even on here to begin with. Ola knows we watch his videos and _that _is where he does the advertising.


Yup this is exactly what I meant. Like @Decapitated said, I don't think Ola has advertised once yet. He's just been hanging out answering questions with us like a normal user. I appreciate that over the typical sales pitch we get.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

When you spend time treating your customers properly and authentically engaging with them, they do the advertising for you.


----------



## Flappydoodle

Albake21 said:


> Yup this is exactly what I meant. Like @Decapitated said, I don't think Ola has advertised once yet. He's just been hanging out answering questions with us like a normal user. I appreciate that over the typical sales pitch we get.





LeviathanKiller said:


> When you spend time treating your customers properly and authentically engaging with them, they do the advertising for you.



He re-emerged after years of being banned, and only posts in threads about his guitar brand, his signature amp, or occasionally posts links to his videos. That *IS* advertising (as part of public relations, managing your reputation etc)

The last post he made that wasn't related to his company or his youtube channel was in April. A single sentence about the ENGL Savage. 

As for him being helpful in this thread - you could get answer to basic questions by hitting "contact" on Solar Guitars website. He isn't revealing anything else about future plans.

Same with Misha to be honest. Guy only posts about his signature guitars, his signature amp, his signature plugins, his pedal company, his band, or links to his music.

Seems like people get starstruck when some "celebrity" comes here to peddle their stuff.


----------



## Albake21

Flappydoodle said:


> He re-emerged after years of being banned, and only posts in threads about his guitar brand, his signature amp, or occasionally posts links to his videos. That *IS* advertising (as part of public relations, managing your reputation etc)
> 
> The last post he made that wasn't related to his company or his youtube channel was in April. A single sentence about the ENGL Savage.
> 
> As for him being helpful in this thread - you could get answer to basic questions by hitting "contact" on Solar Guitars website. He isn't revealing anything else about future plans.
> 
> Same with Misha to be honest. Guy only posts about his signature guitars, his signature amp, his signature plugins, his pedal company, his band, or links to his music.
> 
> Seems like people get starstruck when some "celebrity" comes here to peddle their stuff.


Except Ola isn't really a star... (no offense Ola), he's just a dude like any of us. As a business owner, he could easily not do anything with his customers, he could also do the typical sales pitch (kinda like how Misha does) and only talks about his products. But he doesn't... even if he only posts in threads about him.


----------



## Decapitated

Flappydoodle said:


> He re-emerged after years of being banned, and only posts in threads about his guitar brand, his signature amp, or occasionally posts links to his videos. That *IS* advertising (as part of public relations, managing your reputation etc)
> 
> The last post he made that wasn't related to his company or his youtube channel was in April. A single sentence about the ENGL Savage.
> 
> As for him being helpful in this thread - you could get answer to basic questions by hitting "contact" on Solar Guitars website. He isn't revealing anything else about future plans.
> 
> Same with Misha to be honest. Guy only posts about his signature guitars, his signature amp, his signature plugins, his pedal company, his band, or links to his music.
> 
> Seems like people get starstruck when some "celebrity" comes here to peddle their stuff.



Now I understand why people like Ola wouldn’t want to come to a site like this - people like you. Oh and your “celebrity” quote...yeah, we are all just fawning all over him. Thanks for your insight. Very helpful.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Misha actually does post in threads other than ones about his stuff even. You see him if you work your way around the site enough.
Why in the world would the subject matter expert avoid threads about his stuff? That's where you'd go first. If he decides he doesn't have time to talk on other threads, that HIS schedule. The vendors/sellers that blast their crap on SS.org are annoying. Ola is neither blasting his own stuff or being annoying.

Some people, I swear


----------



## jaxadam

Flappydoodle said:


> Same with Misha to be honest. Guy only posts about cars, his cars, other people’s cars, awesome cars, sweet cars, or links to his cars.



FTFY


----------



## LeviathanKiller

jaxadam said:


> FTFY


----------



## Flappydoodle

Decapitated said:


> Now I understand why people like Ola wouldn’t want to come to a site like this - people like you. Oh and your “celebrity” quote...yeah, we are all just fawning all over him. Thanks for your insight. Very helpful.



Oh boohoo. Hope I don't hurt his feelings by calling him out for promoting himself everywhere. And it wasn't "people like me" who drove him off the first time. It was himself, who got banned for repeated rule-breaking, then he criticised SSO everywhere online. And after years of absence, it's funny how he came back right after launching his guitar company, and then only posts talking about it. Guess that's just coincidence.

And yeah, people are rushing to his defence because he's internet-famous. Yuck.



LeviathanKiller said:


> Misha actually does post in threads other than ones about his stuff even. You see him if you work your way around the site enough.
> Why in the world would the subject matter expert avoid threads about his stuff? That's where you'd go first. If he decides he doesn't have time to talk on other threads, that HIS schedule. The vendors/sellers that blast their crap on SS.org are annoying. Ola is neither blasting his own stuff or being annoying.
> 
> Some people, I swear



I didn't say he should avoid commenting on his own products. Nor did I say he was annoying. Please don't put words into my mouth.

The initial quote was: "I just want to thank you for being so active on here. I really wish more guys with companies would do the same."

But that statement is total nonsense. He is ONLY "active" when he is promoting himself. If he was actually active, posting on a whole bunch of stuff, and also chipped in to answer questions about Solar, that statement would be fine. But when someone comes here to increase their video view count and build hype for their products, then you are thanking him doing PR here.

Get it?


----------



## MKII

I was forced to come here somehow not of my own accord...

Apparently the guy can never reply in a forum thread with his own name in the title, that he didn't even start.


----------



## Decapitated

Wow Flappydoodle. Butthurt much? Do you often go into threads of things you obviously don’t like and spread your distaste?


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Flappydoodle said:


> Oh boohoo. Hope I don't hurt his feelings by calling him out for promoting himself everywhere. And it wasn't "people like me" who drove him off the first time. It was himself, who got banned for repeated rule-breaking, then he criticised SSO everywhere online. And after years of absence, it's funny how he came back right after launching his guitar company, and then only posts talking about it. Guess that's just coincidence.
> 
> And yeah, people are rushing to his defence because he's internet-famous. Yuck.
> 
> 
> 
> I didn't say he should avoid commenting on his own products. Nor did I say he was annoying. Please don't put words into my mouth.
> 
> The initial quote was: "I just want to thank you for being so active on here. I really wish more guys with companies would do the same."
> 
> But that statement is total nonsense. He is ONLY "active" when he is promoting himself. If he was actually active, posting on a whole bunch of stuff, and also chipped in to answer questions about Solar, that statement would be fine. But when someone comes here to increase their video view count and build hype for their products, then you are thanking him doing PR here.
> 
> Get it?




Only defending him because you're unjustly accusing him. I'd do the exact same for anyone else on here.
I'm not putting words in your mouth. I'm saying there's a type of vendor that is annoying and only promotes their stuff (not answering questions and other things) and that type of vendor is annoying. Ola isn't that so I don't see why anyone should complain about him being in the thread about his guitars. NeuralDSP popped into their thread about the Fortin Nameless Suite to help a couple of guys who were having issues. Didn't pop in to say "Hey, pre-order our stuff." or "hey, here's discount codes." What they did was something WE LIKE TO SEE from a company/seller. THAT'S what we want more of, THAT is what we consider active. If your post can be put on a billboard, then it's an ad and it's cold advertisement and we don't like that in our _discussion _threads and there's rules that do not condone it. That's not what's going on here. It's the fact that it's not cold advertising that makes a world of a difference.


----------



## Decapitated

Each night before I go to bed, I pray to my Ola shrine I have in my spare bedroom. I pray that Ola will like my posts, or even better, quote me and comment. He is such a famous celebrity and I feel so lucky to have him even read my posts. We are all truly blessed to have him here. Amen.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Decapitated said:


> Each night before I go to bed, I pray to my Ola shrine I have in my spare bedroom. I pray that Ola will like my posts, or even better, quote me and comment. He is such a famous celebrity and I feel so lucky to have him even read my posts. We are all truly blessed to have him here. Amen.



He's just upset his Solar wasn't Olla'ed before it got sent out.


----------



## Soya

Flappydoodle said:


> Oh boohoo. Hope I don't hurt his feelings by calling him out for promoting himself everywhere. And it wasn't "people like me" who drove him off the first time. It was himself, who got banned for repeated rule-breaking, then he criticised SSO everywhere online. And after years of absence, it's funny how he came back right after launching his guitar company, and then only posts talking about it. Guess that's just coincidence.
> 
> And yeah, people are rushing to his defence because he's internet-famous. Yuck.



To be honest, I think people are defending him because they like him more than you


----------



## Obsidian Soul

Misha has started a few threads that have nothing to do with his sponsors including the Cars Thread if I'm correct.


----------



## p0ke

Obsidian Soul said:


> Misha has started a few threads that have nothing to do with his sponsors including the Cars Thread if I'm correct.



Yep or at least he's the most frequent poster there. The "Anyone into watches?" thread is another one.


----------



## blacai

last page makes it clear why some artists don't write in music-related forums.

I don't own a solar guitar but I really like feared (a lot more than the haunted, tbo) and I meet him during the musikmesse. Absolutely 0 fanboy from my side. I took a photo and just said hi, because I don't like to disturb/annoy artists on events but I saw how he was treating the people and I how he interacts with the community and I decided to support him on his private youtube membership. Even when I don't do mixes, record myself... just because I think he is a good guy and deserves to make a life with his music.

Maybe some people forget what's internet about and the current business models. You need web presence and although I do think some answers are indirectly promotion, it is ok to have more channels to communicate with potential customers.


----------



## Ola Englund

have you seen my merch by the way? http://olamerch.spreadsomeshit.se


----------



## Ola Englund

I'm not an active forum reader, I wish I had the time for it like I did back in the Andy Sneap Forum days where I basically hung out all day learning shit. But since I've gotten kids and I work almost all the time, I just have reprioritised. But I still lurk around a lot through the forums.

Yes the main reason why I'm here is because of this thread. This thread right here is making me proud as hell. Seeing people even want to talk about my guitars or what I do is hard to imagine. However I knew it would be a problem for people with me responding in here so I'm refraining from doing so, but when people need help or have questions I answer them. And whatever I do and whatever I say, someone will make it a problem, I'm fine with that personally. 

So yeah there it is...


----------



## lurè

I would propbably be happy about that instead of upset.

Also what's the amp behind you in your latest FAQ ?


----------



## ArtDecade

*More Ola.*
Less Misha. Or, no Misha. Just have fun with it.


----------



## RevDrucifer

lurè said:


> I would propbably be happy about that instead of upset.
> 
> Also what's the amp behind you in your latest FAQ ?



http://www.synergyamps.com/


----------



## Flappydoodle

MKII said:


> I was forced to come here somehow not of my own accord...
> 
> Apparently the guy can never reply in a forum thread with his own name in the title, that he didn't even start.



I never said that. Why do people keep hallucinating things which I didn't say?



Decapitated said:


> Wow Flappydoodle. Butthurt much? Do you often go into threads of things you obviously don’t like and spread your distaste?



I do like the Solar guitars. I left several favourable comments already. They look awesome.

I'm just calling out the weird gratitude for a guy taking the time to come and market his stuff.



LeviathanKiller said:


> Only defending him because you're unjustly accusing him. I'd do the exact same for anyone else on here.
> I'm not putting words in your mouth. I'm saying there's a type of vendor that is annoying and only promotes their stuff (not answering questions and other things) and that type of vendor is annoying. Ola isn't that so I don't see why anyone should complain about him being in the thread about his guitars. NeuralDSP popped into their thread about the Fortin Nameless Suite to help a couple of guys who were having issues. Didn't pop in to say "Hey, pre-order our stuff." or "hey, here's discount codes." What they did was something WE LIKE TO SEE from a company/seller. THAT'S what we want more of, THAT is what we consider active. If your post can be put on a billboard, then it's an ad and it's cold advertisement and we don't like that in our _discussion _threads and there's rules that do not condone it. That's not what's going on here. It's the fact that it's not cold advertising that makes a world of a difference.



Fair point. Again, I never complained that he posts here. I just ridiculed people *thanking* him for posting, as if it was some sort of charity and not promotion.



Soya said:


> To be honest, I think people are defending him because they like him more than you



Probably. Good job that I don't crave for random internet people to like me.



blacai said:


> last page makes it clear why some artists don't write in music-related forums.
> 
> ...
> 
> Maybe some people forget what's internet about and the current business models. You need web presence and although I do think some answers are indirectly promotion, it is ok to have more channels to communicate with potential customers.



I wouldn't want to discourage Ola from posting. All I pointed out is that people thanking him for gracing us with his presence is just weird. He's helping (albeit indirectly) to market his stuff - it's not charity.


----------



## Soya

Flappydoodle said:


> Probably. Good job that I don't crave for random internet people to like me.



Probably couldn't hurt, you might not be such a cynical jerk then.


----------



## Flappydoodle

Soya said:


> Probably couldn't hurt, you might not be such a cynical jerk then.



But if I craved for Internet popularity I'd be a narcissistic attention whore instead


----------



## Andrew Lloyd Webber

Flappydoodle said:


> I just ridiculed people *thanking* him for posting, as if it was some sort of charity and not promotion.



It _is_ charitable to some of these losers, and they let you know it. I say let them have their circle-jerk, or else they’re liable to put that quality of attention into disrupting something that matters. There’s no victim here.


----------



## Hollowway

Eh, flappy’s not wrong. I mean, I have zero problem with people trying to promote their brand. But, he’s right in that it’s odd to thank someone who owns a company for promoting their company. Ola’s a regular guy, with a small company. It’s not like Steve Jobs posted on Macrumors or something. If he’s hot the bandwith, why wouldn’t he talk with his customers? Seems odd to praise him for it. As if forums are only for losers who can’t make money by selling products. Fact is, Ola has figured out a way to make a living out of what he loves. It’s not like he’s risen above us, and wouldn’t deign to fraternize with the plebs.

And, of course, Andrew LW stated it with more focus and style than I ever could.


----------



## Andrew Lloyd Webber

Suicide hotline operators are instructed to thank callers for calling. Every day, someone’s last interaction is being patronized.

Many of these fine young site contributors thanking Englund for promoting his peanut company or whatever he does have been trained to devalue graciousness with platitudes from the time of their earliest memories of Sesame Street; thanking undeserving people for everything, if for no reason other than the recipient has been trained to feel hurt in the absence of such insincerity.

It is only a formality. There’s nothing more to it to take personally; good or bad. Compulsively elevating strangers is often the _least_-offensive quality of any fanboy. Seems like low-hanging fruit, to me.


----------



## Decapitated

So now that all of the smart, cool kids have said their piece, can I go back to my hero worship? It really makes my wonder why those that have recently commemted care what us “losers” say in a thread obviously made to discuss said person/product. But I’m the loser. Got it.


----------



## Ola Englund

Decapitated said:


> So now that all of the smart, cool kids have said their piece, can I go back to my hero worship? It really makes my wonder why those that have recently commemted care what us “losers” say in a thread obviously made to discuss said person/product. But I’m the loser. Got it.


yeah it kinda sucks because it further just pushes the agenda of making me seem like I'm a fucking douchebag celebrity, it's weird as fuck when people talk about me like that, I'm just a human being like everyone else in here. So loser if you have anything you want to ask but don't want to be considered a loser, just send me a PM.


----------



## Albake21

Well I guess I'll go fuck myself then for thanking someone for taking their time out of their day to answer our questions and post when he doesn't have to do anything like that. I'm thanking him as a business owner..... because business owners don't always talk with their customers on a personal level. 

But fuck me I guess.


----------



## Andrew Lloyd Webber

I suppose failing to grasp how things are delegated within a one man-operation leaves room for surprise at who’s answering the letters to Santa. This is like getting bent out of shape over seeing the used car salesman from the 3am commercial on the affiliate station when you go down to the lot. “Crazy Eddie himself sold me my Accord! He even autographed the bill of sale!”


----------



## Albake21

Andrew Lloyd Webber said:


> I suppose failing to grasp how things are delegated within a one man-operation leaves room for surprise at who’s answering the letters to santa. This is like getting bent out of shape over seeing the used car salesman from the 3am commercial on the affiliate station when you go down to the lot. “Crazy Eddie himself sold me my Accord!”


I see you're still failing to grasp my point...


----------



## Andrew Lloyd Webber

My loss.


----------



## Decapitated

Andrew Lloyd Webber said:


> I suppose failing to grasp how things are delegated within a one man-operation leaves room for surprise at who’s answering the letters to Santa. This is like getting bent out of shape over seeing the used car salesman from the 3am commercial on the affiliate station when you go down to the lot. “Crazy Eddie himself sold me my Accord! He even autographed the bill of sale!”



Have you ever met Crazy Eddie? The man is a legend. HOW DARE YOU INSULT HIM...HOW ABSOLUTELY DARE YOU, SIR!!!


----------



## Decapitated

Ola Englund said:


> yeah it kinda sucks because it further just pushes the agenda of making me seem like I'm a fucking douchebag celebrity, it's weird as fuck when people talk about me like that, I'm just a human being like everyone else in here. So loser if you have anything you want to ask but don't want to be considered a loser, just send me a PM.



Nah, fuck those guys. If they don't like it, they can leave.


----------



## myrtorp

Anyways Im probably gonna get en Ollad guitar sooner or later, there have been several ones that appeal, the BOP 6 might be my fav so far.
When funds allow 

Maybe I should get a job lol


----------



## prlgmnr

I'm not sure who to thank first for this last page or so.


----------



## ArtDecade

Can we please save this thread by spelling _loser_ as _looser_? Also, we need some _your_ where we would usually use _you're_.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

If every company we willing to do what Ola does here (answering questions, DESTROYING OUR THEORIES ABOUT A CUSTOM SHOP, etc) then we probably wouldn't be thanking him.

There's too many crap companies out there that (like I've said before) do cold, impersonal advertising that don't give a single thought about you after you've bought their product. I mean geez, EverTune never even got back to me on the order quote submission I placed through their website.

I just prefer when a company (even if it's not the owner himself) to have someone that comes to you where you're talking about things in a relaxed setting rather than YOU having to go to them and do it through email where they're only accountable to you. Here, EVERYONE sees the replies and what gets said/promised/denied/whatever.

So THANKS Ola, for not being like 90% or more of the other companies out there that don't reach out to customers/potentials but rather sit back and wait for the customer to email them if they have a problem, maybe decide to reply back within the month, and promise the world but deliver only half if even that.


----------



## Ola Englund

Ok sorry but I'm going to spam right now because I just became the proudest guy in the history right now, Music Radar / Total guitar / Guitarist Magazine chose a Solar A2.6 as the best Metal Electric Guitar right now. Not that I take that much care into lists like this, but it makes me incredibly proud anyways. Hope its ok to share my happiness without getting butchered.
https://www.musicradar.com/news/the...of-the-best-guitars-for-beginners-and-experts


----------



## Albake21

Ola Englund said:


> Ok sorry but I'm going to spam right now because I just became the proudest guy in the history right now, Music Radar / Total guitar / Guitarist Magazine chose a Solar A2.6 as the best Metal Electric Guitar right now. Not that I take that much care into lists like this, but it makes me incredibly proud anyways. Hope its ok to share my happiness without getting butchered.
> https://www.musicradar.com/news/the...of-the-best-guitars-for-beginners-and-experts


Damn.... the number 1 spot! You should absolutely be proud of that.

What's even more surprising is that it beat out the Ibanez RG550 and LTD EC1000.


----------



## Decapitated

Ola Englund said:


> Ok sorry but I'm going to spam right now because I just became the proudest guy in the history right now, Music Radar / Total guitar / Guitarist Magazine chose a Solar A2.6 as the best Metal Electric Guitar right now. Not that I take that much care into lists like this, but it makes me incredibly proud anyways. Hope its ok to share my happiness without getting butchered.
> https://www.musicradar.com/news/the...of-the-best-guitars-for-beginners-and-experts



You deserve to be very proud.

Signed,

Your biggest loser fan


----------



## ZombieLloyd

Congrats Ola, that's awesome news. I plan on picking up the red A2.7 soon.


----------



## Albake21

There's a red A2.6 for sale locally in Chicago and I'm really debating on grabbing it.... I really don't need another 6 string hard tail though lol. Ola we need more trems!


----------



## I play music

Yeah I'd also be so proud to be an the same list as the Wylde Audio Odin 
I mean you can be proud of the guitar which looks nice and all but that list...maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan


----------



## ArtDecade

Ola Englund said:


> Ok sorry but I'm going to *spam* right now


----------



## Decapitated

I play music said:


> Yeah I'd also be so proud to be an the same list as the Wylde Audio Odin
> I mean you can be proud of the guitar which looks nice and all but that list...maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan



I dunno, I think it's a pretty cool accomplishment for a company that has only been around a year or so.


----------



## Ola Englund

I play music said:


> Yeah I'd also be so proud to be an the same list as the Wylde Audio Odin
> I mean you can be proud of the guitar which looks nice and all but that list...maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan


Yeah that’s why I wrote the last part of my message  not sure how these lists are being made. Still proud though!


----------



## ArtDecade

Ola Englund said:


> Still proud though!


----------



## MKII

Basically these guys are just being douchebags, attempting to flex what in their opinion is their mental superiority over everyone else. Must be a slow day on reddit.


----------



## littlebadboy

Call me an ass kisser, but I admire Ola for being level headed and feet still planted on the ground. He doesn't sugar coat things and speaks the truth. He inspires me.


----------



## Albake21

littlebadboy said:


> Call me an ass kisser, but I admire Ola for being level headed and feet still planted on the ground. He doesn't sugar coat things and speaks the truth. He inspires me.


Be careful, the pitchforks might come out


----------



## Decapitated

littlebadboy said:


> Call me an ass kisser, but I admire Ola for being level headed and feet still planted on the ground. He doesn't sugar coat things and speaks the truth. He inspires me.



Loser!!!


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Decapitated said:


> Loser!!!



You updated your title as "Loser"


----------



## Decapitated

If the shoe fits...


----------



## littlebadboy

Well, the only thing I don't like about Ola, not actually himself, but his Randall amp named Satan because I'm a devout Christian. Flame if you want, I really care less.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

littlebadboy said:


> Well, the only thing I don't like about Ola, not actually himself, but his Randall amp named Satan because I'm a devout Christian. Flame if you want, I really care less.



Just buy the Fortin Natas then. It's not satanic if you don't keep mirrors around it.


----------



## spudmunkey

LeviathanKiller said:


> Just buy the Fortin Natas then. It's not satanic if you don't keep mirrors around it.



And don't do the jet City REDRUM mod in that case, either.


----------



## Albake21

littlebadboy said:


> Well, the only thing I don't like about Ola, not actually himself, but his Randall amp named Satan because I'm a devout Christian. Flame if you want, I really care less.


So you can't play an amp that's just a name like Satan because you're religious...? It's just a name..... for a guitar amp...


----------



## Ola Englund

Albake21 said:


> So you can't play an amp that's just a name like Satan because you're religious...? It's just a name..... for a guitar amp...


Asked Sweetwater the same thing when I was there doing a clinic.


----------



## ArtDecade

littlebadboy said:


> Well, the only thing I don't like about Ola, not actually himself, but his Randall amp named Satan because I'm a devout Christian. Flame if you want, I really care less.


----------



## Metropolis

Word "satan" is offending someone... now I've seen everything.


----------



## Albake21

Ola Englund said:


> Asked Sweetwater the same thing when I was there doing a clinic.


Wow.... well that's Fort Wayne, Indiana for you. Is that why they don't sell it? lol


----------



## Andrew Lloyd Webber

Metropolis said:


> Word "satan" is offending someone... now I've seen everything.



I’ll bet you haven’t seen an SSO poster play guitar at a time they could be claiming offense.


----------



## prlgmnr

littlebadboy said:


> Well, the only thing I don't like about Ola, not actually himself, but his Randall amp named Satan because I'm a devout Christian. Flame if you want, I really care less.


'But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You shall form an essential part of my backline"'


----------



## binz

Damn how did this thread get so out of hand?  

I actually have something thread-related. I'm going to out myself as a complete guitar noob, but can somebody explain to me what is the main difference between the A1.6 and A2.6 models making up the 350 price difference,? It is just the evertune bridge, because even the pickups are the same (Duncan Solar Bridge/Neck)? It's really just curiosity because I can't see it, I've already fallen in love with the lemon green finish form those A2.6.

Is there any advantage customer service / sending it back-wise to order at Thomann instead of the site directly? (I'm in spain if that makes a difference)


----------



## Metropolis

binz said:


> Damn how did this thread get so out of hand?
> 
> I actually have something thread-related. I'm going to out myself as a complete guitar noob, but can somebody explain to me what is the main difference between the A1.6 and A2.6 models making up the 350 price difference,? It is just the evertune bridge, because even the pickups are the same (Duncan Solar Bridge/Neck)? It's really just curiosity because I can't see it, I've already fallen in love with the lemon green finish form those A2.6.
> 
> Is there any advantage customer service / sending it back-wise to order at Thomann instead of the site directly? (I'm in spain if that makes a difference)



Evertune itself is very expensive, locking tuners, luminlays, different woods, and ss-frets in those four new models.

I bought from Thomann and they have 3 year warranty, direct from Solar it's 2 years for EU customers and terms might be different but I expect them to be quite similar.
https://www.solar-guitars.com/warranty-terms/


----------



## Floppystrings

Sweetwater isn't a Randall Dealer.



Albake21 said:


> Wow.... well that's Fort Wayne, Indiana for you. Is that why they don't sell it? lol



Sweetwater isn't a Randall dealer.


----------



## crankyrayhanky

Metropolis said:


> Word "satan" is offending someone... now I've seen everything.


I’m surprised that anyone is surprised

That’s like being bewildered at how an elephant eats so many peanuts


----------



## crankyrayhanky

Metropolis said:


> Word "satan" is offending someone... now I've seen everything.


I’m surprised that anyone is surprised

That’s like being bewildered at how an elephant eats so many peanuts


----------



## mpexus

littlebadboy said:


> Well, the only thing I don't like about Ola, not actually himself, but his Randall amp named Satan because I'm a devout Christian. Flame if you want, I really care less.




Ahhh dont worry m8. Remember that God Almighty is the Creator of all things, Satan included. So its ok to buy it and play it. I heard you can even use it to do Exorcisms.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

I play a Satan, so that Satan doesn't play me.


----------



## Seabeast2000

crankyrayhanky said:


> I’m surprised that anyone is surprised
> 
> That’s like being bewildered at how an elephant eats so many peanuts



Thousands of elephants are putting pen to paper in protest to your legumist comments.


----------



## littlebadboy

Albake21 said:


> So you can't play an amp that's just a name like Satan because you're religious...? It's just a name..... for a guitar amp...


Not that I can't, but I will not.

Back on topic, where can I check out or buy a Solar? I am poor and actually not buying soon, but I'd like to start saving for one.


----------



## ZombieLloyd

littlebadboy said:


> Not that I can't, but I will not.
> 
> Back on topic, where can I check out or buy a Solar? I am poor and actually not buying soon, but I'd like to start saving for one.


Solar-Guitars.com or Thomann.de/gb


----------



## drmosh

littlebadboy said:


> Not that I can't, but I will not.



Just out of interest, why not?


----------



## ICSvortex

drmosh said:


> Just out of interest, why not?



Probably because of the same reason some people dont play guitars with TOM bridges or poplar burl tops^^
Just personal preference i guess...


----------



## blacai




----------



## Metropolis

Back on track guys, it's Ollaween! I'm not a v-kind of guy, but these are badass.


----------



## ZombieLloyd

Metropolis said:


> Back on track guys, it's Ollaween! I'm not a v-kind of guy, but these are badass.



I am absolutely saving up for one of these. I have been asking for a red V for so long haha. Ola, are these limited edition or will it stay in the catalogue?


----------



## Decapitated

October 10th is right around the corner...cannot wait for my blue poplar burrrrrl to arrive.


----------



## ZombieLloyd

Decapitated said:


> October 10th is right around the corner...cannot wait for my blue poplar burrrrrl to arrive.


Nice, dude! I love that one, and the green one.


----------



## Decapitated

ZombieLloyd said:


> Nice, dude! I love that one, and the green one.



Thanks! It was a toss up between the two.


----------



## ZombieLloyd

Decapitated said:


> Thanks! It was a toss up between the two.


Well, it would be a hard choice for me haha. Right now though, I am saving up to get that new red V in case it is limited edition, then I'm getting a Randall Satan 50. After that I will see if I can get the green S1.6


----------



## ZombieLloyd

Double Post.


----------



## Decapitated

ZombieLloyd said:


> Well, it would be a hard choice for me haha. Right now though, I am saving up to get that new red V in case it is limited edition, then I'm getting a Randall Satan 50. After that I will see if I can get the green S1.6



Yeah, I need to stay away from the Solar website if I have had a few beers...that green one could accidentally end up being ordered.


----------



## ZombieLloyd

Decapitated said:


> Yeah, I need to stay away from the Solar website if I have had a few beers...that green one could accidentally end up being ordered.


Pfft I get it man. Never before has a guitar company made me want their entire lineup haha.


----------



## Albake21

I'm not a V guy at all, but damn those look pretty sweet! Love the red inlay.


----------



## MFB

When I think "Halloween," orange springs to mind vs. red; so I offer my 'expertise' for next year: black V with orange grain filler, and orange inlays.

That said, those V's are still probably my go-to if I were to pick up a V guitar


----------



## Albake21

MFB said:


> When I think "Halloween," orange springs to mind vs. red; so I offer my 'expertise' for next year: black V with orange grain filler, and orange inlays.
> 
> That said, those V's are still probably my go-to if I were to pick up a V guitar


As cool as that sounds, that would be a harder sell over this all red V. The orange would be very niche. Schecter did this a few years ago with DCGL and they were still for sale 2 years after.


----------



## MFB

Albake21 said:


> As cool as that sounds, that would be a harder sell over this all red V. The orange would be very niche. Schecter did this a few years ago with DCGL and they were still for sale 2 years after.



Yeah, I get that, and I blanked before with the red not being a standard option for the V's like it is for the 2.6/2.7s, which is why I was so baffled at such a minor change and thought it should be more "Halloween"ish. In this case, the red does make sense to do in that regard.


----------



## manu80

I was thinking about orange all over toi like a rico vixen i saw back in the day
But yeah harder to sell


----------



## Albake21

I think if it was just straight orange just like the normal red an blue ash models it could work. Still a harder sell though.


----------



## Decapitated

Black headstock with red Solar script....yeahhhhh


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Fuck. I'm a sucker for colored inlays.


----------



## blacai

This is a schecter damien "halloween" ... and I find it ridiculous. There is a thin line between "badass" and "childish"


----------



## lewis

Good God Ola just gets it right every single time.

To the point now where Solar are starting to make a mockery of alot of the huge companies who have been at this for centuries.

Every single guitar Solar has announced and got for sale, is a stunner I would love to play. I dont even like Explorers yet theirs at least looks nicer than other companies take on it.

I stopped being a flying V guy when I was early 20s, yet this latest Halloween Red V is stunning.
Crazy to have such a strong catalogue this quickly. What a legend.


----------



## Decapitated

Just noticed the red v comes with a gig bag. Cool.


----------



## Siggevaio

If it wasn't for the inlay I would probably own 3-4 Solar guitars by now. I already have all guitars I need so now I just buy guitars that I REALLY want. Might seem petty but a big inlay, especially a tribal one, kills my interest straight away. But other than that the guitars are pretty much a slam dunk every single time. From an economic standpoint it's a good thing that I'm not buying a lot of Solar guitars though. 



Decapitated said:


> Just noticed the red v comes with a gig bag. Cool.



Most of them do, right? Or maybe only the LTD ones, I know the poplar burst came with a gigbag.


----------



## Decapitated

Siggevaio said:


> If it wasn't for the inlay I would probably own 3-4 Solar guitars by now. I already have all guitars I need so now I just buy guitars that I REALLY want. Might seem petty but a big inlay, especially a tribal one, kills my interest straight away. But other than that the guitars are pretty much a slam dunk every single time. From an economic standpoint it's a good thing that I'm not buying a lot of Solar guitars though.
> 
> 
> 
> Most of them do, right? Or maybe only the LTD ones, I know the poplar burst came with a gigbag.



Yup, the LTD models do, along with the signature models I think. Not that I really need a gig bag, but it’s a cool extra. The inlay doesn’t even bother me in the least, but I understand.


----------



## MFB

blacai said:


> This is a schecter damien "halloween" ... and I find it ridiculous. There is a thin line between "badass" and "childish"



Yeah, but the color isn't the problem with the inlays, it's the entire concept of them; if it was a singular bat at the 12th fret with a blank board, it'd be much cooler and play into a minimalist Halloween theme, but to have an entire fretboard with bat inlays - and colored at that - is definitely a problem in itself


----------



## vilk

MFB said:


> Yeah, but the color isn't the problem with the inlays, it's the entire concept of them; if it was a singular bat at the 12th fret with a blank board, it'd be much cooler and play into a minimalist Halloween theme, but to have an entire fretboard with bat inlays - and colored at that - is definitely a problem in itself



I just wish they never changed the bats. The bats used to look different, less big and gaudy. They were still super big and gaudy... just less than now.


EDIT: ok there is a maple fb version that is wayyyy better


----------



## MFB

Yeah, that's not nearly as bad, but I'd still roll with a single bat inlay at the 12th and just reduce the rest of the board to blank; and I say that as someone who's blind as a bat when it comes to fretboard visualization  If you HAD to do inlays with it, small side dots would probably be the least egregious with something like a big 12th fret inlay.


----------



## Albake21

vilk said:


> I just wish they never changed the bats. The bats used to lookThis different, less big and gaudy. They were still super big and gaudy... just less than now.
> 
> 
> EDIT: ok there is a maple fb version that is wayyyy better


This is better? This looks so awful to me lol. This was the one I was referring to.


----------



## vilk

Albake21 said:


> This is better? This looks so awful to me lol. This was the one I was referring to.


Yeah, relative to the dark version, IMO. I think everything about the damien guitar shape, headstock, and inlays looks terrible. It was my first 7 string though... but with skinny bats!


----------



## Decapitated

Back on topic...so i am thinking 10-46 for D standard tuning. What say you, SSO?


----------



## MFB

That's like, the standard string set for D tuning, so I'd say it should be fine; but if you wanted maximum tightness, go for a light top heavy bottom set, 10-52.


----------



## Decapitated

MFB said:


> That's like, the standard string set for D tuning, so I'd say it should be fine; but if you wanted maximum tightness, go for a light top heavy bottom set, 10-52.



Good thinking. I will give those a try as well.


----------



## Ola Englund

10-52 is what I use for D-standard. 

And sorry for not responding guys, i don’t hate you, It’s just that I'm in mother Russia fighting bears right now.


----------



## BusinessMan

I wish I could buy a solar right now


----------



## littlebadboy

Who distribute Solar guitars stateside?


----------



## LeviathanKiller

littlebadboy said:


> Who distribute Solar guitars stateside?



I don't know of any US distributor yet
I'll be happy when he makes it to that stage but he doesn't have a store-supported presence over in the US yet


----------



## Ola Englund

littlebadboy said:


> Who distribute Solar guitars stateside?


no one... at the moment...


----------



## Albake21

Ola Englund said:


> no one... at the moment...


Is that a wink wink, nudge nudge? lol


----------



## Ola Englund

Albake21 said:


> Is that a wink wink, nudge nudge? lol


No just that there isn’t one at the moment


----------



## manu80

in a couple weeks...oh no sorry lol


----------



## Albake21

Ola Englund said:


> No just that there isn’t one at the moment


Damn, well hopefully one day you can bring them to the states.

Oh and I've been wanting to ask, are you planning on getting a booth at NAMM next year? If so, you should slide me one of those passes haha


----------



## littlebadboy

Ola Englund said:


> no one... at the moment...


Well, that means more time for me to save up. If I can. I'm poor. Hope to see them soon in our parts!


----------



## ArtDecade

I'll be your US distro - just send me a bunch of those A2.1's, 4C.13's, 1A3.3's and a few P3.14's with the Ever_toon_ Rooney bridgebuckermcwhatevers. I'll sell them out of my garage and mail you a check on occasion. Keep it on the DL so we can skip out on those taxes / fat vatties.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

ArtDecade said:


> I'll be your US distro - just send me a bunch of those A2.1's, 4C.13's, 1A3.3's and a few P3.14's with the Ever_toon_ Rooney bridgebuckermcwhatevers. I'll sell them out of my garage and mail you a check on occasion. Keep it on the DL so we can skip out on those taxes / fat vatties.



Marks shipment as "empty guitar boxes for shipping guitars"


----------



## Hollowway

There will be no further advancements in that company until Ola develops a Solar 8 string. It has been thus decreed.


----------



## Albake21

Hollowway said:


> There will be no further advancements in that company until Ola develops a Solar 8 string. It has been thus decreed.


I guarantee you'll see one sometime soon. Maybe start of 2019 the latest. He had one before, and I see a lot of requests for it.


----------



## KailM

Hollowway said:


> There will be no further advancements in that company until Ola develops a Solar 8 string. It has been thus decreed.



Nah, his guitars are so brVtal and cVlt they only need 6 or 7.


----------



## TheUnknownOne

Hey Ola, would you mind answering a stupid question ? 

I wonder in which country Solar Guitars are selling the best ?


----------



## Ola Englund

Albake21 said:


> Damn, well hopefully one day you can bring them to the states.
> 
> Oh and I've been wanting to ask, are you planning on getting a booth at NAMM next year? If so, you should slide me one of those passes haha



We will not have our own booth but we will be in a booth, also I have a performance at the Seymour Duncan booth at the Saturday.

So I will be there, and people will be able to try them out


----------



## Decapitated

Blue Burst Matte - Poplar Burl - Sold out!!! Ola is killing it! So glad I ordered mine when I did.


----------



## Hollowway

And, since I am determined to keep the 8 string thing alive...

Ola, make an 8 string V with trem. I can't guarantee you'll sell a lot, but I can guarantee you'll sell one!


----------



## Ola Englund

Hollowway said:


> And, since I am determined to keep the 8 string thing alive...
> Ola, make an 8 string V with trem. I can't guarantee you'll sell a lot, but I can guarantee you'll sell one!


I had no idea people still used trems! I'll look into it...


----------



## Albake21

Ola Englund said:


> I had no idea people still used trems! I'll look into it...


Please do! 

I love my trems, and I know many others do too.


----------



## Hollowway

Ya, I think it’s just cyclical. People start getting bored of the same things, then someone comes along and makes an old thing popular again. I just personally like trems and 8 strings. And the Venn diagram for those things is just a sliver of crossover, unfortunately.


----------



## A-Branger

Hollowway said:


> I just personally like trems and 8 strings


and pink


----------



## manu80

So a single cut is the next one to have the solar treatment ?


----------



## p0ke

Ola Englund said:


> I had no idea people still used trems! I'll look into it...



Yeah, I for one am not buying a guitar without a trem anytime soon. Although I have to admit I'm really tempted to try the Evertune...


----------



## Ola Englund

yeah I'm just joking, I'm using trem from time to time, but I have seen a decrease of interest the past years.


----------



## PunkBillCarson

Okay so this might sound like a stupid question but... How does one go about ordering a Solar guitar exactly when the currencies are different? Do they automatically convert if you have a debit card or? I'm only asking because I've never ordered anything or tried to order anything from overseas.


----------



## KnightBrolaire

PunkBillCarson said:


> Okay so this might sound like a stupid question but... How does one go about ordering a Solar guitar exactly when the currencies are different? Do they automatically convert if you have a debit card or? I'm only asking because I've never ordered anything or tried to order anything from overseas.


yes


----------



## Ola Englund

PunkBillCarson said:


> Okay so this might sound like a stupid question but... How does one go about ordering a Solar guitar exactly when the currencies are different? Do they automatically convert if you have a debit card or? I'm only asking because I've never ordered anything or tried to order anything from overseas.


well if you're ordering from outside of EU(and not using a proxy) you will pay in USD


----------



## Decapitated

UPS man just left this...hmmm...what could it be?


----------



## Decapitated

Proper NGD posted in the 6 string/Standard section...


----------



## Decapitated




----------



## chopeth

a sheer beauty


----------



## Decapitated

Link to my NGD in the standard section: http://sevenstring.org/threads/ngd-solar-guitars-s1-6blb-ltd-blue-burst-matte.332316/


----------



## binz

The lemon green 2.6 is finally back (well, for pre-order) - this time I didnt make the same mistake of hesitating until its gone again and placed the order! Now I just gottar wait two months


----------



## Albake21

I didn't even notice this until now, but the new poplar burl ones come with a gig bag unlike any of the other ones.


----------



## Metropolis

Albake21 said:


> I didn't even notice this until now, but the new poplar burl ones come with a gig bag unlike any of the other ones.



V's, E's and Artist models come with gig bag too


----------



## Albake21

Metropolis said:


> V's, E's and Artist models come with gig bag too


Interesting... I wonder why not all of them come with one. I wouldn't mind having the price bumped up just a tiny bit so all models get a gig bag.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Albake21 said:


> Interesting... I wonder why not all of them come with one. I wouldn't mind having the price bumped up just a tiny bit so all models get a gig bag.



If I were one to buy the cheaper models, I wouldn't. It could potentially bump the price over the $800 mark which would then incur customs fees. So a gig bag could cost you $50 or more in addition to the price of the bump.


----------



## Decapitated

It is a pretty sweet gig bag though...


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Decapitated said:


> It is a pretty sweet gig bag though...


Same level of quality as the PRS SE bags imo
The outside doesn't feel quite as durable though as the PRS ones
The Solar bag's inside neck velcro loop is a nice feature


----------



## Decapitated

LeviathanKiller said:


> Same level of quality as the PRS SE bags imo
> The outside doesn't feel quite as durable though as the PRS ones
> The Solar bag's inside neck velcro loop is a nice feature



Yeah, I think this is the first guitar I have ever bought that came with a gig bag as opposed to a hard shell case.


----------



## Ola Englund

Mainly all the LTD and Artist guitars + extreme ahapes(V and E) comes with Gigbag.


----------



## p0ke

LeviathanKiller said:


> If I were one to buy the cheaper models, I wouldn't. It could potentially bump the price over the $800 mark which would then incur customs fees. So a gig bag could cost you $50 or more in addition to the price of the bump.



That + if you're like me and have a gig bag + case for pretty much each guitar, you don't want any more of them lying around  I also very rarely transport my guitars anywhere, so it'd be enough to have one gig bag that'd fit any of the guitars (I have one that's intended for a really long V-shaped guitar that all my guitars and even my bass fit into). Cases are a different story though, at least the ones I have are molded so you can't use them for any other guitar.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

p0ke said:


> That + *if you're like me and have a gig bag + case for pretty much each guitar, you don't want any more of them lying around*  I also very rarely transport my guitars anywhere, so it'd be enough to have one gig bag that'd fit any of the guitars (I have one that's intended for a really long V-shaped guitar that all my guitars and even my bass fit into). Cases are a different story though, at least the ones I have are molded so you can't use them for any other guitar.



EXACTLY
My closet has been overrun with cases


----------



## manu80

anyone got the tangerine one ? any pics ?


----------



## Decapitated

I see Solar just announced a new Floyd Rose equipped guitar. I wish it were an 8 string with a maple neck, had a Hipshot bridge, was a different color other than black, and had EMG pickups in it. Other than that, it’s perfect.

https://www.solar-guitars.com/produit/a1-6frc-carbon-black-matte/


----------



## Albake21

YES! Ola is listening! Or.... this was planned months ago lol


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Albake21 said:


> YES! Ola is listening! Or.... this was planned months ago lol



He said in a video that whenever he announces something officially, it's already been in the works because he likes to already have some on hand to send out or be really close to receiving them at the warehouse house. So it's had to have been in the works for at least a month probably.


----------



## ArtDecade

Chapman v Solar. #deathmatch


----------



## Albake21

ArtDecade said:


> Chapman v Solar. #deathmatch


Solar hands down in my opinion, but I'm also a metal guy.


----------



## ZombieLloyd

Albake21 said:


> Solar hands down in my opinion, but I'm also a metal guy.


I have to agree, I like the Chapman Guitars range, especially that purple V, but Solar will always be my prefered brand.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Solar for metal, Chapman for other stuff
I like that Chapman has stainless steel frets. Hopefully Ola revamps the entire lineup with this. It's the new standard imo. Carbon fiber reinforced necks are gonna be more and more commonplace too I think


----------



## Albake21

The biggest reason for my as to why I don't care for Chapman guitars is because of the neck profile. It's way too thick for me. They get up to 23mm thick which 22m is my limit and already pushing it to be too thick.


----------



## Duosphere

Decapitated said:


>


I hate everybody who has that sexy beast


----------



## Vyn

Albake21 said:


> The biggest reason for my as to why I don't care for Chapman guitars is because of the neck profile. It's way too thick for me. They get up to 23mm thick which 22m is my limit and already pushing it to be too thick.



I'm yet to play one as they aren't common over head but I hear that apart from the weight (apparently rather weighty) the neck profile is surprisingly comfortable despite the dimensions on paper.


----------



## Albake21

I tried one. While I wouldn't say it was uncomfortable, it was just too thick for my taste. Sure I could definitely play it, but it's just not what I prefer.


----------



## binz

I got a surprising mail today that my A2.6 neon lemon, where in the pre sale it said its going out beginning december, is getting "ready to ship within the next 48 hours". The Email was automatically generated though, might this just be the system having processed/accepted my payment (order was places 10 days ago) or does it sometimes happen that they are going out much earlier than anticipated?


----------



## Decapitated

binz said:


> I got a surprising mail today that my A2.6 neon lemon, where in the pre sale it said its going out beginning december, is getting "ready to ship within the next 48 hours". The Email was automatically generated though, might this just be the system having processed/accepted my payment (order was places 10 days ago) or does it sometimes happen that they are going out much earlier than anticipated?



Maybe send them an email to clarify? They are usually very quick to respond. Great customer service, in my opinion.


----------



## BusinessMan

So my tax return this coming year is going to a new guitar. Now the choice is a used prestige, an esp/Ltd, or that sweet blood red 7 string solar


----------



## Ola Englund

binz said:


> I got a surprising mail today that my A2.6 neon lemon, where in the pre sale it said its going out beginning december, is getting "ready to ship within the next 48 hours". The Email was automatically generated though, might this just be the system having processed/accepted my payment (order was places 10 days ago) or does it sometimes happen that they are going out much earlier than anticipated?


It's because we got the shipment in early, so we're shipping early


----------



## MASS DEFECT

I wish Solar would do semi custom orders in the near future. Id like an A model in that nice Ash body but with just one humbucker and a TOM string thru bridge and no inlays. Yum.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

MASS DEFECT said:


> I wish Solar would do semi custom orders in the near future. Id like an A model in that nice Ash body but with just one humbucker and a TOM string thru bridge and no inlays. Yum.



It wouldn't make everyone happy, but doing the voting periods like Chapman does would be pretty cool. Even if he did it for just one or two "runs".


----------



## binz

Ola Englund said:


> It's because we got the shipment in early, so we're shipping early



Haha damn what a nice surprise! You just made my week / month! (and ruined my employer's  )


----------



## LeviathanKiller

23:40 mark ???


----------



## Decapitated

We need Solar branded string dampeners. Maybe...the foam ones with Solar in different colored writing perhaps? I see the Velcro wrap type ones too but never tried those.


----------



## MKII

Decapitated said:


> We need Solar branded string dampeners. Maybe...the foam ones with Solar in different colored writing perhaps? I see the Velcro wrap type ones too but never tried those.



That's a good idea actually...

Ola MERCHlund! ... ah, that one killed me.


----------



## Albake21

LeviathanKiller said:


> 23:40 mark ???



He said in the video this was before he left for China, so I'm pretty sure that's the just new floyd model or the new 25.5" ash in blue.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Albake21 said:


> He said in the video this was before he left for China, so I'm pretty sure that's the just new floyd model or the new 25.5" ash in blue.



Ahhh, maybe maybe
It'd be cool if the bassists got their wish

I'm still waiting for a new souped-up 7-string with SS frets.


----------



## ilovefinnish

I just got this today!
A Solar A1.6 ATG


----------



## Decapitated

Love it! Tell me all about it. This was my first choice if I buy another Solar. I was hesitant about the pickups though, so I cannot wait to hear about them.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Decapitated said:


> Love it! Tell me all about it. This was my first choice if I buy another Solar. I was hesitant about the pickups though, so I cannot wait to hear about them.



I see your profile pic. You better post a NGD, loser.


----------



## Decapitated

LeviathanKiller said:


> I see your profile pic. You better post a NGD, loser.



http://sevenstring.org/threads/ngd-solar-guitars-s1-6blb-ltd-blue-burst-matte.332316/


----------



## A-Branger

LeviathanKiller said:


> EXACTLY
> My closet has been overrun with cases



build a forth!!



Albake21 said:


> YES! Ola is listening! Or.... this was planned months ago lol



yeah it was.... or he listen to you guys months ago  ...... but yeah the way hes doing the brand is by pre-ordering the guitars himself, then when I assume they are on the building stage, he opens the "pre-orders" as at that point he can have a pretty accurate ETA of them, plus one that it is in a short time, so people wont loose the hype of their purchases. I also assume he order small batches, as in to play it safe, reason why they "sold out" so quickly

its a great way to manage the brand, as you get your guitar right away (or fairly quick), only thing is that you need to guess how many you need to produce. Which I guess he does small batches to start with, which have the added benefit of being able to say "sold out" 

as opposed to other brands where when you "pre-order" you are indeed pre-ordering. In which they order the amount of guitars they sold on the pre-ordering stage. Less risky, but people would need to wait for a long time to get them

Happy to see Solar growing and releasing more and more finishes other than black


----------



## LeviathanKiller

A-Branger said:


> build a forth!!



More like an entire house at this point


----------



## sirbuh

At the gates rocked Solars last night for some pointy guitar goodness. 
Very cool to see some in person.


----------



## binz

I just moved to another country and was living here and there and had to look at the closed package for the last two weeks. Now I got my own place so I can at least look at this stunning colour. Yet still I dont have anything to play here yet, which is absolutely frustrating  I'll do a NGD when I get my stuff and can actually say something about the beauty, for the meantime here (sunglasses advised though):


----------



## ArtDecade

^ Had a BC Rich Warlock in that color back in the 90s.


----------



## lewis

binz said:


> I just moved to another country and was living here and there and had to look at the closed package for the last two weeks. Now I got my own place so I can at least look at this stunning colour. Yet still I dont have anything to play here yet, which is absolutely frustrating  I'll do a NGD when I get my stuff and can actually say something about the beauty, for the meantime here (sunglasses advised though):
> 
> 
> View attachment 64862
> 
> View attachment 64863


It really is the sickest finish ive ever seen.

New year im going to HAVE to get one.


----------



## btbg

Got mine yesterday. The A2.6 trans red. Great feeling guitar. I was a bit surprised at how much glue was seeping out of the fret slots honestly, but it doesn't affect the playability. Comfort is definitely top knotch and the build feels extremely sturdy.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

binz said:


> I just moved to another country and was living here and there and had to look at the closed package for the last two weeks. Now I got my own place so I can at least look at this stunning colour. Yet still I dont have anything to play here yet, which is absolutely frustrating  I'll do a NGD when I get my stuff and can actually say something about the beauty, for the meantime here (sunglasses advised though):
> 
> 
> View attachment 64862
> 
> View attachment 64863



Axe-Palace has that Ibanez run with Desert Yellow Flat but it's $2k. I could easily spend $1k on a finish like this though if they would just release it in a 7-string


----------



## Albake21

LeviathanKiller said:


> Axe-Palace has that Ibanez run with Desert Yellow Flat but it's $2k. I could easily spend $1k on a finish like this though if they would just release it in a 7-string


I think my biggest problem with that run is how easy and cheap it would be for me to do that myself. I could buy an RGD2127 for $900 and get it refinished in that exact same color for around $250 to $350. There's nothing really unique about it.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Albake21 said:


> I think my biggest problem with that run is how easy and cheap it would be for me to do that myself. I could buy an RGD2127 for $900 and get it refinished in that exact same color for around $250 to $350. There's nothing really unique about it.



Yeah exactly. I'd grab a normal RGD if they offered one with stainless steel frets in something other than basswood.

I don't see what's justifying the $700 price increase otherwise


----------



## MaxOfMetal

Albake21 said:


> I think my biggest problem with that run is how easy and cheap it would be for me to do that myself. I could buy an RGD2127 for $900 and get it refinished in that exact same color for around $250 to $350. There's nothing really unique about it.



That's goes for just about any guitar really. If you're willing to do a lot of the footwork, and have patience any guitar can be refinished for about $300. You'd be able to get whatever color you want too. 



LeviathanKiller said:


> Yeah exactly. I'd grab a normal RGD if they offered one with stainless steel frets in something other than basswood.
> 
> I don't see what's justifying the $700 price increase otherwise



Unfortunately, the unit price goes up when putting in special orders, so to make money they, the dealer, has to pass on the price to the customer.

I think they should have given them maple boards, something to further differentiate them.


----------



## Vyn

Albake21 said:


> I think my biggest problem with that run is how easy and cheap it would be for me to do that myself. I could buy an RGD2127 for $900 and get it refinished in that exact same color for around $250 to $350. There's nothing really unique about it.



Reverse headstock - Apart from the DCM it's the only 'production run' of an RGD with a reverse headstock.


----------



## Albake21

MaxOfMetal said:


> That's goes for just about any guitar really. If you're willing to do a lot of the footwork, and have patience any guitar can be refinished for about $300. You'd be able to get whatever color you want too.


If it's a solid color, absolutely. But all of the past Ibanez runs were a top with a nice trans finish which can't be just "refinished" like a solid color can. That's why I don't find this one worth the price compared to previous runs.



Vyn said:


> Reverse headstock - Apart from the DCM it's the only 'production run' of an RGD with a reverse headstock.


True, but is that reverse headstock really worth that much money? Just my  is all. 

Sorry last post, I don't want to derail this thread too much.


----------



## binz

Do I have to worry about stands that arent compatible (due to chemicals in the soft foam) with nitro lacquer for solar guitars, i.e. the A2.6LN? On thomann they are making quite a fuzz out of it in the ratings/comments which is now making me nervous. I didnt find anything on the solar website


----------



## Sogradde

binz said:


> Do I have to worry about stands that arent compatible (due to chemicals in the soft foam) with nitro lacquer for solar guitars, i.e. the A2.6LN? On thomann they are making quite a fuzz out of it in the ratings/comments which is now making me nervous. I didnt find anything on the solar website


Some stands contain plasticizers in the rubber/foam parts to keep them from drying up and those chemicals can mess up nitro finishes iirc (I've never owned a nitro finished guitar though so all my info is hearsay). It would probably be enough to put a rag over it but there are manufacturers like Hercules who say that their stands don't contain plasticizer.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Just an FYI, Bare Knuckle pickups wouldn't fit into my Solar A1.7. The base plates were too large. I put in a Guitarmory Foxbat (alnico 5) set instead without any issues. The pickup routes are tight on these. Also, the bridge pickup cavity has no bottom, you see the EverTune bridge instead and foam blocks are between the pickup and the EverTune parts. I'll post a picture I took later on if I remember to.


----------



## spudmunkey

binz said:


> Do I have to worry about stands that arent compatible (due to chemicals in the soft foam) with nitro lacquer for solar guitars, i.e. the A2.6LN? On thomann they are making quite a fuzz out of it in the ratings/comments which is now making me nervous. I didnt find anything on the solar website



Are the guitars really nitro? That surprises me.


----------



## lewis

LeviathanKiller said:


> Just an FYI, Bare Knuckle pickups wouldn't fit into my Solar A1.7. The base plates were too large. I put in a Guitarmory Foxbat (alnico 5) set instead without any issues. The pickup routes are tight on these. Also,* the bridge pickup cavity has no bottom*, you see the EverTune bridge instead and foam blocks are between the pickup and the EverTune parts. I'll post a picture I took later on if I remember to.




Thats really weird? Is that a common thing with evertunes? Ive never seen a guitar where a pickup cavity is all the way through. How the hell does it mount to foam properly?


----------



## p0ke

lewis said:


> Thats really weird? Is that a common thing with evertunes? Ive never seen a guitar where a pickup cavity is all the way through. How the hell does it mount to foam properly?



I guess the screws go directly into the evertune and the foam is just there as insulation?


----------



## LeviathanKiller

lewis said:


> Thats really weird? Is that a common thing with evertunes? Ive never seen a guitar where a pickup cavity is all the way through. How the hell does it mount to foam properly?





p0ke said:


> I guess the screws go directly into the evertune and the foam is just there as insulation?



Once I post the picture you'll see. The screws go into wood that is at the side where the screws should be.
The middle of the pickup cavity is bottomless though so it's pickup -> foam -> bridge internals.

I feel like this has to affect the sound somehow. If most EverTune-equipped guitars are this way, maybe that's why some people say they sound metallic. Vibrations are going through the bridge internals through foam and back into your pickups. Neck pickup cavity has a bottom though so the sound shouldn't be so directly affected if at all by the bridge.

Everything sounds fine to me right now though so YMMV.


----------



## spudmunkey

lewis said:


> Thats really weird? Is that a common thing with evertunes? Ive never seen a guitar where a pickup cavity is all the way through. How the hell does it mount to foam properly?



Evertune route in a strat-style guitar:


----------



## lewis

spudmunkey said:


> Evertune route in a strat-style guitar:


there is something horrible going on with your Evertune mate?

Might need oiling or something haha


----------



## MaxOfMetal

Every Strat and Les Paul (and the countless copies of both) have had the pickups connected to the guitar by thin pieces of plastic. This is a non-starter.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

MaxOfMetal said:


> Every Strat and Les Paul (and the countless copies of both) have had the pickups connected to the guitar by thin pieces of plastic. This is a non-starter.



That's true. The pickup isn't touching metal itself so it shouldn't have a different sound than what's been experienced among models already.


----------



## feraledge

MaxOfMetal said:


> Every Strat and Les Paul (and the countless copies of both) have had the pickups connected to the guitar by thin pieces of plastic. This is a non-starter.







This whole time, pickguards and pickup rings have been ROBBING OUR TONE.


----------



## lewis

why are we talking about tone?
When i first asked about it, it was because of me being unsure how pickups mounted to the guitar with the cavity going all the way through haha

I dont give a flying crap about what tone changes there may or may not be having an evertune. There are too many variables and far too much gain in my case to even worry about it haha


----------



## spudmunkey

feraledge said:


> This whole time, pickguards and pickup rings have been ROBBING OUR TONE.



This guy sure thinks so. 
https://www.pickuprings.com/

"The effect on your sound is noticeable - plastic rings have nothing to do with tone - wood does. There is much debate about this but the science tells you simply - "Everything has an effect on Everything". And it really is this simple: It's either Plastic, sometimes metal orWood for your guitar. Which would you rather have working for you? Wood is the best choice when you think about it - The visual effect is amazing - your guitar goes from stock to OMG!!. Your guitar will increase in value, sound, beauty and individuality once the rings are installed."

The underlined portion is my favorite because it's such a non-measureable thing. "I detect an increase in sound. Is that more tone, I hear?"


----------



## MFB

For those who are on the MG side as well, is that Ced poking through the cavity?


----------



## LeviathanKiller

spudmunkey said:


> This guy sure thinks so.
> https://www.pickuprings.com/
> 
> "The effect on your sound is noticeable - plastic rings have nothing to do with tone - wood does. There is much debate about this but the science tells you simply - "Everything has an effect on Everything". And it really is this simple: It's either Plastic, sometimes metal orWood for your guitar. Which would you rather have working for you? Wood is the best choice when you think about it - The visual effect is amazing - your guitar goes from stock to OMG!!. Your guitar will increase in value, sound, beauty and individuality once the rings are installed."
> 
> The underlined portion is my favorite because it's such a non-measureable thing. "I detect an increase in sound. Is that more tone, I hear?"



Will a wooden truss rod improve tone though?

Asking for a friend.

MEANWHILE, I'm still really hoping for a new 7-string model with stainless frets before the end of the year.
We just had the 6-string Floyd Rose model a little bit ago. I feel it's about that time that he drops a new model on us. Black Friday special haha


----------



## Surveyor 777

MFB said:


> For those who are on the MG side as well, is that Ced poking through the cavity?



I think it is.


----------



## M3CHK1LLA

MFB said:


> For those who are on the MG side as well, is that Ced poking through the cavity?



for a second there it looked like dave mustaine lol...





LeviathanKiller said:


> MEANWHILE, I'm still really hoping for a new 7-string model with stainless frets before the end of the year.
> We just had the 6-string Floyd Rose model a little bit ago. I feel it's about that time that he drops a new model on us. Black Friday special haha



i sure hope he doesnt call it a black friday run...

i still whence when i hear that phrase used with any guitar sale on this forum


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Just announced... 

15% on selected black guitars (6-string models only sadly)


----------



## LeviathanKiller

I just realized, Solar Guitars may be one of the only production lines that offer a 26.5" scale EverTune guitar.


----------



## Decapitated

Ola, congratulations on Solar Guitars 1 year anniversary. I love mine!


----------



## deigo

If someone interested, you can have 15% discount today for several 6-strings and one 7-string (red) model.


----------



## TheUnknownOne

Am I the only one to expect a natural wood finish ? It would look so sick with swamp ash !


----------



## TheUnknownOne

So, any hints for the 2019 models ?

Please, please Ola, give me that natural finish !


----------



## Flappydoodle

LeviathanKiller said:


> Will a wooden truss rod improve tone though?
> 
> Asking for a friend.
> 
> MEANWHILE, I'm still really hoping for a new 7-string model with stainless frets before the end of the year.
> We just had the 6-string Floyd Rose model a little bit ago. I feel it's about that time that he drops a new model on us. Black Friday special haha



I don't know about truss rods, but Dylan from Demoness and Tom Waghorn both told me that the material used for reinforcing the neck does make a difference. Some manufacturers use carbon fibre, some use titanium etc.


----------



## RiffRaff

Really hoping for some Solid Gloss finishes with some of the new 2019 models.


----------



## lewis

think 8 strings might see their birth this year. Natural finishes could be cool too.

Also, if we get a Neon Pink to go with Lemon Neon, Im probably going to be all over both those this year. Plus, Im kinda hoping we get the same models but with different fretboards. For example, Maple fretboard with neon Lemon would be amazing.


----------



## HungryGuitarStudent

As a lead player, my hope would be for a 25.5'' scale length 7-string with possibly a "thin" neck profile (if required) for those wide stretches.

Speaking of which, do any current Solar owners have opinions/experience to share concerning the neck profile for 6 and 7 string models (e.g. points of reference to other brands) ? Would a thinner neck profile be something worthwhile (e.g. for lead players) or is the neck profile fine ?

I really hope that in 2019 there'll be a Solar distributor near me (Canada or USA) so I can test drive and hopefully buy one.


----------



## binz

I dont know everytime I see a 7 string with 25.5" I think what a waste.. Doesnt it make more sense to have a longer neck with the low string being at least down to b?

I think I couldnt resist a neon pink just like the neon lemon one. Is there any plans for fanned frets though?


----------



## Hollowway

I'd be shocked if we saw a pink anything, or much in the way of 8s. I think Ola is going for the most popular style of instruments, not niche stuff. I would LOVE a pink 8, but I don't think anything like that is in the cards.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Hollowway said:


> I'd be shocked if we saw a pink anything, or much in the way of 8s. I think Ola is going for the most popular style of instruments, not niche stuff. I would LOVE a pink 8, but I don't think anything like that is in the cards.


But then again he did that bright neon yellow. That's niche imo


----------



## M3CHK1LLA

be cool to do a pink run of the most popular 6 & 7 models w/maple fret boards, introduce a pink 8 with similar specs. charge extra for the short run and donate part of it to breast cancer reasearch.

also, do 1 of each of a 6, 7 and the 8 without the solar inlay, but instead use their "I <3 boobs" logo and auction those off. would be great advertisement and go to a great cause...


----------



## lewis

Photoshop time!!











I mean its serious eye candy with the maple too


----------



## mpexus

lewis said:


> Photoshop time!!
> 
> I mean its serious eye candy with the maple too



It sure is.

I took your idea further and hope you dont mind.


----------



## cwhitey2

mpexus said:


> It sure is.
> 
> I took your idea further and hope you dont mind.


----------



## lurè

They should sell them with just primer and a separate spray can of your favorite colour.


----------



## Albake21

mpexus said:


> It sure is.
> 
> I took your idea further and hope you dont mind.


Fuuuuuuuuuck these look so much better with a maple fretboard. I would love one of those light blue ones.


----------



## gunch

Def would fuck wit a shell pink or lavender one


----------



## lewis

silverabyss said:


> Def would fuck wit a shell pink or lavender one








ME TOO <3


----------



## mpexus

lurè said:


> They should sell them with just primer and a separate spray can of your favorite colour.


----------



## M3CHK1LLA

you know, someone who was clever with photoshop could tilt ola's logo slightly so that the 2 circles would be the o's in the word "boobs"


----------



## Siggevaio

mpexus said:


> It sure is.
> 
> I took your idea further and hope you dont mind.


 They all look fantastic but that god damn inlay. I almost get an aneurysm every time I see it. Tribals haven't been cool since the 90s and I would really like to buy a Solar guitar but it just won't happen with that inlay. Maybe one day he'll have a run with blank fretboards so I can buy all of them.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Siggevaio said:


> They all look fantastic but that god damn inlay. I almost get an aneurysm every time I see it. Tribals haven't been cool since the 90s and I would really like to buy a Solar guitar but it just won't happen with that inlay. Maybe one day he'll have a run with blank fretboards so I can buy all of them.


Maybe.

But Ola was dead set on keeping it. He said he saw no reason to ditch it since they're still selling like crazy.


----------



## Art

I got mine some weeks ago. Very good guitar for the price. I changed the pickups because I prefer DiMarzios to Duncans but the stock pickups don't sound bad.


----------



## Siggevaio

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Maybe.
> 
> But Ola was dead set on keeping it. He said he saw no reason to ditch it since they're still selling like crazy.


Yeah, I doubt it would happen. I know he's dead set on keeping them, I just wish he never chose that logo in the first place.  

Great playing Art!


----------



## Vyn

Siggevaio said:


> They all look fantastic but that god damn inlay. I almost get an aneurysm every time I see it. Tribals haven't been cool since the 90s and I would really like to buy a Solar guitar but it just won't happen with that inlay. Maybe one day he'll have a run with blank fretboards so I can buy all of them.



As far as inlays go, it's still less offensive than any ESP/LTD 12th fret inlay done ever. It suits the guitars well.


----------



## Smoked Porter

mpexus said:


> It sure is.
> 
> I took your idea further and hope you dont mind.


Love the look of this army/swamp green one. So manly looking, for lack of a better word.


----------



## Decapitated

mpexus said:


> It sure is.
> 
> I took your idea further and hope you dont mind.



Those look great. Could you do a black/grey/lighter grey camo mock up?


----------



## mpexus

Decapitated said:


> Those look great. Could you do a black/grey/lighter grey camo mock up?








Pattern is not optimal but it kinda passes the idea.




About the Logo Inlay. Initially I didnt liked it either then it kinda grown on me, and now a mockup with a Blank Fretboard looks kinda "naked" and with something missing on the Solars.














By the way I really hope Ola is not minding all of this mockup butchery I'm doing on his guitars.


----------



## Decapitated

mpexus said:


> Pattern is not optimal but it kinda passes the idea.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> About the Logo Inlay. Initially I didnt liked it either then it kinda grown on me, and now a mockup with a Blank Fretboard looks kinda "naked" and with something missing on the Solars.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> By the way I really hope Ola is not minding all of this mockup butchery I'm doing on his guitars.



Very nice job! Love it.


----------



## Decapitated

Ola. The Camo one. Do it. Please.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

IMO: Dimebolt V or E. Dimebag tribute guitar.


----------



## Hollowway

lewis said:


> Photoshop time!!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I mean its serious eye candy with the maple too



Not bad! I mean, you forgot the other two strings and the Floyd, but otherwise, spot on!  But seriously - those are HOT!


----------



## PunkBillCarson

Ola, get your ass in here and look at your guitars with maple fretboards! My wallet's yours if you can make that happen!


----------



## Hollowway

PunkBillCarson said:


> Ola, get your ass in here and look at your guitars with maple fretboards! My wallet's yours if you can make that happen!


----------



## KnightBrolaire

maple fretboards would be dope. blank maple or ebony fretboards would be the tits though.


----------



## HungryGuitarStudent

binz said:


> I dont know everytime I see a 7 string with 25.5" I think what a waste.. Doesnt it make more sense to have a longer neck with the low string being at least down to b?



For sure, low strings sound better on a 7-string with a longer scale length. However, most shred lead players I know of (Paul Wardingham, Per Nilsson, etc.) who play on 7-strings have a 25.5" scale length, no fanning and a thin neck. IMHO the "no fanning" is mainly justified by the fact that it's generally easier to do tapping arpeggios without fanning than with fanning. The thin neck and small scale length really make a difference for runs with stretches. For that reason, my rhythm 7-string is 26.5" and my lead 7-string is 25.5".


----------



## Vyn

HungryGuitarStudent said:


> For sure, low strings sound better on a 7-string with a longer scale length. However, most shred lead players I know of (Paul Wardingham, Per Nilsson, etc.) who play on 7-strings have a 25.5" scale length, no fanning and a thin neck. IMHO the "no fanning" is mainly justified by the fact that it's generally easier to do tapping arpeggios without fanning than with fanning. The thin neck and small scale length really make a difference for runs with stretches. For that reason, my rhythm 7-string is 26.5" and my lead 7-string is 25.5".



Having played and owned both 25.5 and 26.5 I don't think there's much difference except for feel/comfort (personally I prefer 25.5) and being able to run lighter gauge strings for the same tension as there is a point where strings over a certain thickness and tension just sound dull as hell. 

Instead of focusing on scale length, I'd focus on neck joint construction. There's a more noticeable difference between neck construction when it comes to the low register.


----------



## Mathemagician

Yellow or pink plz and thank you. Also, do they all (hopefully) have those tiny dot inlays along the FB, or is it just specific models?


----------



## Seabeast2000

Mathemagician said:


> Yellow or pink plz and thank you. Also, do they all (hopefully) have those tiny dot inlays along the FB, or is it just specific models?


You haven't heard the news about inlays?


----------



## Mathemagician

?


----------



## Seabeast2000

Mathemagician said:


> ?


Word is, standard dot inlays make you play better and cry less. I read it somewhere.


----------



## blacai

I do hope solar guitars doesn't turn into kiesel ... Although some colors look nice, I don't see how they fit with the "general" brand concept.


----------



## Obsidian Soul

Does blending two rhythm tracks with two separate guitars of different scale lengths sound good or does the flubbier one overshadow the other?


----------



## CovertSovietBear

I'd be content if Ola came out with a 7 string trem model. That white one with a maple neck and trem combo looks beautiful.


----------



## Bearitone

mpexus said:


> It sure is.
> 
> I took your idea further and hope you dont mind.



I fucking LOVE army drab green.


----------



## lewis

Bearitone said:


> I fucking LOVE army drab green.


its awesome right?!


----------



## Bearitone

lewis said:


> its awesome right?!


Yes! The maple neck and black hardware make it perfect. 

Unrelated but, i hope he does an even longer baritone eventually and in that color (i can dream)


----------



## lewis

Bearitone said:


> Yes! The maple neck and black hardware make it perfect.
> 
> Unrelated but, i hope he does an even longer baritone eventually and in that color (i can dream)


yeah like 28inch + would be perfect


----------



## Bearitone

lewis said:


> yeah like 28inch + would be perfect


Yeah, 28.625” like Warmoth and Agile necks would be my ideal.


----------



## crankyrayhanky

Obsidian Soul said:


> Does blending two rhythm tracks with two separate guitars of different scale lengths sound good or does the flubbier one overshadow the other?



You would think that would be cool diversity, but in a limited experience for me it was not good:
7 string Epi 24.75 scale and Kiesel AM7 (27in scale)
Both in drop A

I liked them both by themselves double tracked, but together it was real weird
The Epi had a thick phat Zakk-ish tone and the AM7 had a more modern precise attack tone.

That's kind of extreme, so if the scales were closer, the string gauges would likely be closer and maybe would pair better than the above (?)


----------



## Obsidian Soul

crankyrayhanky said:


> You would think that would be cool diversity, but in a limited experience for me it was not good:
> 7 string Epi 24.75 scale and Kiesel AM7 (27in scale)
> Both in drop A
> 
> I liked them both by themselves double tracked, but together it was real weird
> The Epi had a thick phat Zakk-ish tone and the AM7 had a more modern precise attack tone.
> 
> That's kind of extreme, so if the scales were closer, the string gauges would likely be closer and maybe would pair better than the above (?)


I know with a clean tone with a bunch of effects it can get a little "lost,"but with a barebones clean tone to play the notes under it it will sound alot more articulate without sounding weird as you say.

But yeah,I was thinking more like 25.5 with a 27


----------



## lewis

HOLY SHIT
New single cut SOLAR!!! :O



omg thats the most ive ever gas'd for a guitar before


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

lewis said:


> HOLY SHIT
> New single cut SOLAR!!! :O
> 
> 
> 
> omg thats the most ive ever gas'd for a guitar before




I love it

I love everything about it

6 in line head stock included.


----------



## manu80

Looks good. Curious if there will be an open poreversion
(Still people will drool over those and find the washburn parallaxe or the jackson monarkh ugly...weird.....)


----------



## cardinal

Looks great. I have a soft spot for single cuts with crazy inline headstocks. Gibson has made a few LPs with Explorer headstocks that are boss.


----------



## BlueTrident

lewis said:


> HOLY SHIT
> New single cut SOLAR!!! :O
> 
> 
> 
> omg thats the most ive ever gas'd for a guitar before



I‘m hoping for it to be 25.5“


----------



## lewis

BlueTrident said:


> I‘m hoping for it to be 25.5“


personally I want at least 26.5


----------



## p0ke

I'm not even into single cuts but that one looked nice


----------



## blacai

I like the SC. It's funny how he said a couple of weeks ago, there was no plan to launch a SC and then this... We must admit, he is very good at doing business and online hype.
I would love to buy the "LP" but it is always the same, I see a new model coming and 1 month later a cooler one so I just keep waiting for a definitive one.

It would be nice if he can create a "year" catalog, but this idea doesn't work well with his approach of keeping the hype alive every moment  
I must admit there is no actual brand that has so many models I would buy without hesitation


----------



## Acaciastrain360

That is probably only single cut I find attractive too! Loving the little notch out near the rear strap button! Looks noice!
The only single I did like were those 8 string eclipse but I think that solar tops it  x


----------



## lewis

Can someone clarify for me how the hardcase situation for these works?
In each models description it says what the hardcase is made from, which suggests they come in a hardcase. But alot of unboxing vids just show double guitar box packaging instead?
I would want a hardcase with it and this is a little confusing to me.


----------



## Metropolis

lewis said:


> Can someone clarify for me how the hardcase situation for these works?
> In each models description it says what the hardcase is made from, which suggests they come in a hardcase. But alot of unboxing vids just show double guitar box packaging instead?
> I would want a hardcase with it and this is a little confusing to me.



Artist models, limited edition, and V/E-type come with a soft gigbag. I don't know why it says in the specs of other guitars something about hardcase if you're referring to this; "CONSTRUCTION HARDCASE - WOODEN HARDCASE". Again the person who is managing Solar guitars website should fix it... So no hardcase included, it has to be bought separately.


----------



## lewis

Metropolis said:


> Artist models, limited edition, and V/E-type come with a soft gigbag. I don't know why it says in the specs of other guitars something about hardcase if you're referring to this; "CONSTRUCTION HARDCASE - WOODEN HARDCASE". Again the person who is managing Solar guitars website should fix it... So no hardcase included, it has to be bought separately.



I tried to find hardcases on the site under accessories and it only appeared to show cases for Explorer and V type guitars? So i got even more confused haha.

Agreed about the website. The line about hardcases should be removed from descriptions.
I want the Blue Baritone but want it in a case ideally.


----------



## Metropolis

lewis said:


> I tried to find hardcases on the site under accessories and it only appeared to show cases for Explorer and V type guitars? So i got even more confused haha.
> 
> Agreed about the website. The line about hardcases should be removed from descriptions.
> I want the Blue Baritone but want it in a case ideally.



They've must been sold out, Thomann doesn't have them either.


----------



## Ola Englund

lewis said:


> Can someone clarify for me how the hardcase situation for these works?
> In each models description it says what the hardcase is made from, which suggests they come in a hardcase. But alot of unboxing vids just show double guitar box packaging instead?
> I would want a hardcase with it and this is a little confusing to me.



Where is this on the website, can you send me a link and I'll look into it.? I tried looking but couldn't find this info.

And yes the cases for the A went really fast. We're sold out, but more coming.


----------



## Lynfast

Ola Englund said:


> Where is this on the website, can you send me a link and I'll look into it.? I tried looking but couldn't find this info.
> 
> And yes the cases for the A went really fast. We're sold out, but more coming.



For example on the S limeburst it says hardcase in the description. 

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/s1-6et-ltd-lime-burst-matte/


----------



## Albake21

Another single cut spotted.


----------



## Siggevaio

Albake21 said:


> Another single cut spotted.


 Hell yeah! That one looks MEAN.


----------



## Ola Englund

Lynfast said:


> For example on the S limeburst it says hardcase in the description.
> 
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/s1-6et-ltd-lime-burst-matte/


Cheers thank you. That is indeed an error. I’ll look into it.


----------



## Papaoneil

I would like to see a white, maple boarded 7 string.


----------



## Miek

I'm shocked that the in-line head works as well as it does.


----------



## blacai

8 strings...


----------



## gunch

I think a bolt-on maple neck and natural finish ash body A type would slay


----------



## Hollowway

One day I will check in on this thread and see an 8 string Solar. Today is not that day.


----------



## Decapitated

blacai said:


> 8 strings...


----------



## Hollowway

Like I said, today is not that day. Apparently yesterday, was, though.  How TF did I miss that?! Anyone have any info on it? I'll take a yellow one. Plz and thx.


----------



## lewis

Holy shit
8 string single cut 27inch scale would be perfect


----------



## lewis

Im going to be big for solars this year. I want at least 2 as i transition over into them being my primary gigging and recording axes


----------



## Andromalia

The body looks bigger than a LP in the video, more kinda Framus-like. But in the NAMM pic it looks more like an Eclipse. Was one a prototype, do I need some glasses, miss something ? 

Note: I'm not sorry for the post black metal joke.


----------



## SovereignSun

I didnt comb through this whole thread, but is this brand going through some of the same challenges as a brand like Legator as far as quality control is concnerned? I mean without a representative on site, how can Ola ensure that all of these guitars are coming out to a the expectations of today's fastidiously scrutinizing shredder?


----------



## Decapitated

SovereignSun said:


> I didnt comb through this whole thread, but is this brand going through some of the same challenges as a brand like Legator as far as quality control is concnerned? I mean without a representative on site, how can Ola ensure that all of these guitars are coming out to a the expectations of today's fastidiously scrutinizing shredder?



I am sure Ola can answer this, but it is my understanding there is someone who checks each guitar before it goes out the door. Ola also goes to the factory to do some QC work as well. I am sure the occasional issue happens, but my experience so far has been excellent. I would not hesitate to buy another guitar from Solar.


----------



## SovereignSun

Well it's good to hear that expectations are being met. QC is a must, so it's good that there's an effort being made and I hope that no one has the same issues that other outsourced guitar manufacturers are running into.


----------



## Metropolis

SovereignSun said:


> I didnt comb through this whole thread, but is this brand going through some of the same challenges as a brand like Legator as far as quality control is concnerned? I mean without a representative on site, how can Ola ensure that all of these guitars are coming out to a the expectations of today's fastidiously scrutinizing shredder?



Judging by all reviews quality has been very consistent, Ola inspected first 1-4 batches by himself and my A2.6 TBLM is inspected by him too. Nowadays final inspection is done by a worker he knows, who is working only for Solar guitars... don't remember where he said it, maybe in FAQ videos or something.


----------



## Decapitated

Ola Englund said:


> Those batches have already been QC by my good buddy Xavier and are on it’s way to our warehouse.. I will go back a couple times a year but Xavier goes every month. Here’s one of them off the bench.



Here it is.


----------



## Ola Englund

SovereignSun said:


> I didnt comb through this whole thread, but is this brand going through some of the same challenges as a brand like Legator as far as quality control is concnerned? I mean without a representative on site, how can Ola ensure that all of these guitars are coming out to a the expectations of today's fastidiously scrutinizing shredder?


We go to Indonesia and the factory with every production cycle so almost once a month. 
EVERY guitar has been checked by either me or Xavier. I was there checking late December last time.

But with that said, we are human so there will most definitely be issues here and there, but nothing we can’t solve.


----------



## Decapitated

Ola, watched your VLOG for NAMM 2019 last night...awesome stuff. However, you left out the best part of your videos when you travel long distances: the part when you get home and see your kids.


----------



## chopeth

Ola, invite Suizmec to your next coffee with ola and put an end to so much pain!


----------



## manu80

2 new sigs for morbid angel’s axeman
https://www.solar-guitars.com/new-dan-vadim-of-morbid-angel-signature-guitar/

Love the green one


----------



## Albake21

Dammit I finally see a 7 string with a floyd and it's super ugly... At least the green is a metallic.


----------



## Gravy Train

Not a fan of the matte black on the inside of the cutaway bevels. Other than that, it looks great! We need more green guitars.


----------



## Albake21

Oh damn I just realized the neck is not painted, it's just maple. Now that definitely has me more interested even with that color.


----------



## Decapitated

Not looking for a seven string, but I like it. Dimarzio Blaze pickups...cool.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I really dig it. It goes along with Trey's Ibanez Universe.


----------



## Mathemagician

The matching red 6 string V is also awesome.


----------



## KnightBrolaire

the red v is sick. not really into the green with the black bevels on the other though.


----------



## Chrisesp

Can anyone think when Solar guitars may possibly have another sale? I'm really wanting a baritone 6!


----------



## Bdtunn

That green!!!!!!!!!


----------



## cardinal

I love that the 8 has an inline headstock. I don't see any model on the website?

Solar: plz do a 27" scale 8 with a Floyd Rose! No one else is doing it, you'd own that entire market! Ok, it's maybe 12 people in size, but still.


----------



## Decapitated

Congratulations on your new home, Ola. Talking about your childhood growing up in a home hit me in the feels. I grew up in the country and loved being able to roam in the woods and fields. Very happy for you.


----------



## Ola Englund

Decapitated said:


> Congratulations on your new home, Ola. Talking about your childhood growing up in a home hit me in the feels. I grew up in the country and loved being able to roam in the woods and fields. Very happy for you.



Thanks man, it's a dream come true for me. I was feeling that my kids are growing up WAY too quick, so the time is now...


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Ola Englund said:


> Thanks man, it's a dream come true for me. I was feeling that my kids are growing up WAY too quick, so the time is now...



We expect louder videos in the future


----------



## Hollowway

cardinal said:


> I love that the 8 has an inline headstock. I don't see any model on the website?
> 
> Solar: plz do a 27" scale 8 with a Floyd Rose! No one else is doing it, you'd own that entire market! Ok, it's maybe 12 people in size, but still.



Literally had to look to see if I posted this.  Count me among the 12!


----------



## p0ke

Ola Englund said:


> Thanks man, it's a dream come true for me. I was feeling that my kids are growing up WAY too quick, so the time is now...



Yeah, congrats man! Owning your own house is definitely awesome - I bought ours roughly a year ago and have been super happy with it so far. Even though I sometimes have nightmares about having to renovate the sewage system  (which is mostly original, aka. built in 1952)
There's an unlimited amount of stuff to do all the time, that you just have to learn to ignore to keep your sanity, but once you learn that, then it's all fine. I mostly grew up living in a detached house too and never really felt at home in a "lägenhet".


----------



## Lindmann

p0ke said:


> and never really felt at home in a "lägenhet".


Back in my university days I learned Swedish for one semester.
"Lägenhet" is one of the few words I still can remember.
So I totally understood the sentence you where writing which makes me feel so sophisticated right now.
How awesome is that...?


----------



## Andromalia

Call me stupid but I didn't find how to pay in € on the solar website. Yes, I *can* buy on Thomann but the less intermediaries the better. (decided on a V1.6ARTIST LTD in the end. One more V for the stable) (And yes I can pay in $ but then my bank murders me)


----------



## I play music

Andromalia said:


> Call me stupid but I didn't find how to pay in € on the solar website. Yes, I *can* buy on Thomann but the less intermediaries the better. (decided on a V1.6ARTIST LTD in the end. One more V for the stable) (And yes I can pay in $ but then my bank murders me)


I see prices in € on the Solar website. Maybe you're using some VPN that makes it look like you're outside Europe to the site?


----------



## Andromalia

I'm at work and it's a possibility, I'll check from home then.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Andromalia said:


> I'm at work and it's a possibility, I'll check from home then.


Add something to the cart, put your shipping address in, then go to the home page. That's what I did when the site was in euros by default before I bought something and had an account that remembers my address.


----------



## littlebadboy

Ola Englund said:


> Thanks man, it's a dream come true for me. I was feeling that my kids are growing up WAY too quick, so the time is now...


Yep, watched the video too! Nerf wars are fun! Congratulations! Bought my first 2.5 years ago too. But, there's a power struggle with the wife if the basement room should be my music room or her craft room. Dammit...


----------



## p0ke

littlebadboy said:


> But, there's a power struggle with the wife if the basement room should be my music room or her craft room. Dammit...



Haha, I just told my wife "this will be my man cave or GTFO" and that's the end of that story  It's still full of boxes though.


----------



## Andromalia

Checked yesterday for that $ stuff and yes it's IP dependent. I'll make the purchase this week end.


----------



## Bdtunn

Holy heck 
Shipping in March!!!!!!


----------



## M3CHK1LLA

Bdtunn said:


> View attachment 67011
> 
> 
> Holy heck
> Shipping in March!!!!!!



i did not need to see that right now...

...please tell me there is not a matching explorer lol


----------



## binz

The neon lemon now also as a 7 (a2.7 ln) 

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a2-7-lemon-neon-matte/

I'm seriously tempted even though I have this one as a 2.6 already Couldn't you have made it pink / purple what ever crazy color so wouldn't feel weird of having the same guitar twice (as a 6 and 7)?


----------



## spudmunkey

binz said:


> I'm seriously tempted even though I have this one as a 2.6 already Couldn't you have made it pink / purple what ever crazy color so wouldn't feel weird of having the same guitar twice (as a 6 and 7)?



I assume part of the conversation about color was determining which was more likely: someone holding off on the yellow because thhey really wanted a 7, or someone who bought the 6 even though they wanted a 7 because of the color, and then would buy a 2nd guitar but want the 7 in a different color.


----------



## Dayn

I want that lemon neon just to lick it. It looks so tasty.


----------



## JimF

I don't want to be another "if only that had X and Y then I would buy it", but I can't play without fret markers...
But I'm seriously considering one of those. Hopefully they come out with dots and an evertune!


----------



## lewis

if the lemon neon was available as baritone scale 6 string. I would buy right now.
I just dont need a 7


----------



## Ola Englund

JimF said:


> I don't want to be another "if only that had X and Y then I would buy it", but I can't play without fret markers...
> But I'm seriously considering one of those. Hopefully they come out with dots and an evertune!



Side-dots?


----------



## Metropolis

I need this guitar: green see-through finished swamp ash body with A or S-shape, maple fretboard, fixed bridge, 25,5" 6-string or 26,5" 7-string. Or something similar with purple to blue'ish burst would be awesome, or just more green, blue finishes with maple fretboards in general. Green with maple board looks a bit aquired taste, but it should sell.

Kiesel example, except fretboard in this one is zebrawood.






Maybe someone would like this also:


----------



## musicman61554

Metropolis said:


> I need this guitar: green see-through finished swamp ash body with A or S-shape, maple fretboard, fixed bridge, 25,5" 6-string or 26,5" 7-string. Or something similar with purple to blue'ish burst would be awesome, or just more green, blue finishes with maple fretboards in general. Green with maple board looks a bit aquired taste, but it should sell.
> 
> Kiesel example, except fretboard in this one is zebrawood.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Maybe someone would like this also:



Yea that purple one is super sexy


----------



## JimF

Ola Englund said:


> Side-dots?



Sadly sir I am a simple man, I need navigation points in the face of the fretboard.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

JimF said:


> Sadly sir I am a simple man, I need navigation points in the face of the fretboard.



Have you ever tried guitars with either a single inlay or no inlay? I thought I'd have the same problem, but I adapted to sid dots super quickly.


----------



## Cynicanal

No inlay also drives me nuts; I'm fine looking at the edge on the lower frets, but above frets 12, I always get lost without markers on the fretboard itself.


----------



## mpexus

https://www.inlaystickers.com/collections/fret-markers


----------



## JimF

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Have you ever tried guitars with either a single inlay or no inlay? I thought I'd have the same problem, but I adapted to sid dots super quickly.


I had a Jackson with the small piranha inlays on the bass side of the fretboard, and I’d frequently get lost when playing the higher frets on the treble strings.
Don’t get me wrong guitars with no inlays look great, but it’s a risk for me to get this amazing piece of equipment and then be frustrated immediately.
My playing is enough of a frustration lol


----------



## binz

Cynicanal said:


> No inlay also drives me nuts; I'm fine looking at the edge on the lower frets, but above frets 12, I always get lost without markers on the fretboard itself.



can totally relate to that, i always get lost above fret 12 on my a2.6


----------



## Albake21

I was like that for a while. I absolutely needed full dots. Eventually as I started playing more and more guitars, I started to forget about the dots. Now I pretty much only look at side dots. While I prefer all dots, it doesn't change my mind on a purchase.


----------



## Albake21

mpexus said:


> https://www.inlaystickers.com/collections/fret-markers


These work surprisingly well. They don't look too bad and you definitely can't feel them when playing.


----------



## sirbuh

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I really dig it. It goes along with Trey's Ibanez Universe.



As a MA fanboy looking forward to owning a A1.7DVV...too bad Trey is out on the whole endorsement thing.


----------



## Ola Englund

I think if you’re a standing guitar player(playing live more) you rely on sidedots more I guess. A bunch of the S type has dots though!


----------



## JimF

They’re the ones I have my eye on


----------



## lewis

anyone know if the EMG 7H passive mount pickups size wise would fit in the Solar cavities?
Im planning the new Lemon neon 7 (i backtracked on my initial stance of not needing a 7) and Im an EMG guy so long term would be making a swap


----------



## Mathemagician

One of my V’s has giant pentagrams and I still go “man if only these were a tad more visible”. Maybe I should talk to the glasses man. Dot inlays ftw.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

lewis said:


> anyone know if the EMG 7H passive mount pickups size wise would fit in the Solar cavities?
> Im planning the new Lemon neon 7 (i backtracked on my initial stance of not needing a 7) and Im an EMG guy so long term would be making a swap



Doubt it. Corners are rounded to fit snug around passives.


----------



## Soya

Ola Englund said:


> I think if you’re a standing guitar player(playing live more) you rely on sidedots more I guess. A bunch of the S type has dots though!


Pretty much. I mostly play sitting in the classical position so I'm always peering over the front of the fretboard, I actually almost never use the side dots heh.


----------



## Hollowway

Enough with the pleasantries, give me the fucking 8 string! In yellow, plz


----------



## Fred the Shred

I like side dots and they're generally enough for me to get around, but the moment my tapping stuff starts happening, there's my hand and / or arm all over them, so that can get really nasty to track, to be honest!


----------



## lewis

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Doubt it. Corners are rounded to fit snug around passives.


Ah bummer.
Another reason why EMG needed to have started pumping out open coil versions of 81-7x and pickups like that.


----------



## Ola Englund

Hollowway said:


> Enough with the pleasantries, give me the fucking 8 string! In yellow, plz


Here you go:


----------



## Albake21

Ola Englund said:


> Here you go:


Headless Solar 8 strings confirmed?? /s


----------



## Ola Englund

Albake21 said:


> Headless Solar 8 strings confirmed?? /s


His name is also Ola so close enough I guess


----------



## sharedEQ

Does anyone here own a Solar with a Floyd? It looks like they only have two models, in white or black.

i have to admit, I like the guitar designs but would like more FR colors.


----------



## Hollowway

Ola Englund said:


> Here you go:



 perhaps I should have been more specific!


----------



## Lindmann

The good thing about solar guitars is that you can get a custom guitar for the price and return policy of a production model.

But instead of filling a custom order spec sheet you just post your request in this thread and a couple weeks later, your guitar is available at your local guitar dealer.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Lindmann said:


> The good thing about solar guitars is that you can get a custom guitar for the price and return policy of a production model.
> 
> But instead of filling a custom order spec sheet you just post your request in this thread and a couple weeks later, your guitar is available at your local guitar dealer.



I heard if you say "Floyd Rose 8 string" 3 times in front of a Sam Ash, Ola walks out and gives you a Solar 8 string with a tremolo. 

@Hollowway


----------



## Ola Englund

for me it's the other way around, if someone says, "it would be awesome with an 8-string with floyd" I'll give my damnedest to NEVER make one... Management by asshole


----------



## ImNotAhab

Ola Englund said:


> for me it's the other way around, if someone says, "it would be awesome with an 8-string with floyd" I'll give my damnedest to NEVER make one... Management by asshole



We are hoping you can be less No-la Englund and more Bro!!!(la) Englund.


----------



## Xaeldaren

Can anyone confirm that the A1.7ETC has stainless steel frets? The Solar website seems to suggest it does, but on retailers like Thomann there's no stainless steel frets listed.


----------



## Ordacleaphobia

Ola Englund said:


> for me it's the other way around, if someone says, "it would be awesome with an 8-string with floyd" I'll give my damnedest to NEVER make one... Management by asshole



Hey Ola- never make a multiscale model. Ever.
And if you did, it'd be a real shame if it came in teal. I would be especially upset if it was a 6 string.

PS- Loved the chat with Tosin. Cheers!


----------



## Albake21

Ordacleaphobia said:


> Hey Ola- never make a multiscale model. Ever.
> And if you did, it'd be a real shame if it came in teal. I would be especially upset if it was a 6 string.
> 
> PS- Loved the chat with Tosin. Cheers!


Dude that sounds like the shittiest guitar ever... I would _never _buy multiple of those! Do you hear that Ola, _never _make such a guitar.


----------



## PunkBillCarson

Ordacleaphobia said:


> Hey Ola- never make a multiscale model. Ever.
> And if you did, it'd be a real shame if it came in teal. I would be especially upset if it was a 6 string.
> 
> PS- Loved the chat with Tosin. Cheers!




Why the fuck was this not liked sooner? I got a genuine laugh out of this.


----------



## Ordacleaphobia

Albake21 said:


> Dude that sounds like the shittiest guitar ever... I would _never _buy multiple of those! Do you hear that Ola, _never _make such a guitar.



Bro I know that's why I gotta make sure it never gets made.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Xaeldaren said:


> Can anyone confirm that the A1.7ETC has stainless steel frets? The Solar website seems to suggest it does, but on retailers like Thomann there's no stainless steel frets listed.



Interesting. My A1.7 LTD BOP Artist didn't even have SS frets.
The Satin finishes spot glosses really quick. If it weren't for that, I'd order one with SS frets.


----------



## BusinessMan

Any hope for a 7 string explorer? I really would like one. If not, I may just have to grab an e2.6 and throw some thick strings on and chug away


----------



## Ola Englund

BusinessMan said:


> Any hope for a 7 string explorer? I really would like one. If not, I may just have to grab an e2.6 and throw some thick strings on and chug away


Like this one?


----------



## p0ke

Ola Englund said:


> Like this one?



Oh man, so much GAS right now... But good thing it has only 22 frets so it doesn't quite match my requirements  Then again, at the moment I don't need 24 frets on my 7-string stuff, so ... ... fuck, just give me one already


----------



## Anquished

Hell yes.


----------



## p0ke

Anquished said:


> Hell yes.



Dude, that's just beautiful too...


----------



## MrBouleDeBowling

YES

YES

YESSSSS


----------



## Mathemagician

No fret markers! I live to shop another day. That V tho...... hnnnngh.


----------



## Albake21

AlexCorriveau said:


> YES
> 
> YES
> 
> YESSSSS


Not a big fan of those shapes, but damn I want to see those finishes on other models. Love the flame!


----------



## StrmRidr

That V! I'm in the market for a new 7, I absolutely love V's, and I want to try an Evertune. This one is a major win in my book.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

AlexCorriveau said:


> YES
> 
> YES
> 
> YESSSSS




...fuuuuuck.

I have some complaints about the specs, but you know what, fuck it. The more 7-string Explorers, the better.


----------



## BusinessMan

Ola Englund said:


> Like this one?




My god...


----------



## Kovah

Hope this is not a limited edition, need to save up for that V.


----------



## cardinal

The explorer looks awesome. Love the 22 frets. The V is nice too.


----------



## p0ke

Goddamn you Ola  I don't recall pretty much ever suffering this bad from GAS, and those guitars don't even match my specs 100%. Fuuuuuuuuuck! I want both of those 7-strings right now!


----------



## Acrid

Killertonetexas got a sweet new single cut!


----------



## Kaura

Albake21 said:


> Not a big fan of those shapes, but damn I want to see those finishes on other models. Love the flame!



This so much. I hate Explorers and V-shapes but that flame is awesome. A 7-string superstrat with that finish (although maybe in some other colour than the ash grey/black) and I would seriously consider buying it since I've been planning to get a new 7-string for some time now but nothing that interesting has come up especially in the price range I'm looking at.


----------



## Ataraxia2320

That V is hands down the sexiest 7 string V I have ever seen. 

Explorer looks dope too, and I am not a fan of most off brand explorer shapes. 

Fair play to OLA, he's making me consider seriously consider a solar.


----------



## PunkBillCarson

Fortunately, my wallet has been saved by the inclusion of Evertune bridges.


----------



## Bdtunn

That single cut is sweeet 
Hope it’s a short scale


----------



## drmosh

Bdtunn said:


> That single cut is sweeet
> Hope it’s a short scale


I hope it's baritone


----------



## myrtorp

New model. Looks pretty sweet, I can totally see me getting a Solar this year


----------



## Albake21

myrtorp said:


> New model. Looks pretty sweet, I can totally see me getting a Solar this year


Sold.... @Ola Englund you have a new Solar customer. That is 100% exactly what I've been waiting for.


----------



## DredFul

myrtorp said:


> New model. Looks pretty sweet, I can totally see me getting a Solar this year



I don't need it.

But I want it. Real bad.


----------



## cardinal

8 string players have needs too, you know.


----------



## KnightBrolaire

cardinal said:


> 8 string players have needs too, you know.


 stop trying to make" 8 string with a floyd" happen, it's not gonna happen


----------



## MSS

I’m waiting on a 25.5 scale fixed bridge 7 string type A body type. Ola, pretty please?


----------



## Ola Englund

KnightBrolaire said:


> stop trying to make" 8 string with a floyd" happen, it's not gonna happen


TOO late.. never gonna happen now...


----------



## chopeth

Ola, I need a 8 swamp ash as light as possible, (huge back pain problems) don't need a FR... don't care about the bridge (though I prefer fixed hipshot). Are you making one for me?


----------



## Fenceclimber

That red S1.6 is great looking! I've been looking for a red super strat with a trem to fill the void left after my old Ibanez Premium, this might be it!


----------



## AwakenNoMore

It's tempting to pull the trigger on a Lefty A2.7, but I'd really like to see one in blue or white instead of black or formerly red on the last run.


----------



## Soya

chopeth said:


> Ola, I need a 8 swamp ash as light as possible, (huge back pain problems) don't need a FR... don't care about the bridge (though I prefer fixed hipshot). Are you making one for me?


Strandberg bro


----------



## AwakenNoMore

What's the weight like on the A2.7's? Been trying to keep guitars on the lighter side these days.


----------



## chopeth

Soya said:


> Strandberg bro



I don't know about the endureneck or whatever is called, I have heard bad opinions about its weirdness... plus, the price of Strandberg is crazy expensive for such Korean guitars, aren't they?


----------



## Soya

I think they are (and I've owned one). I was indifferent about the endurneck, I didn't mind the changing profile as much as the thickness, my OS7 was 25mm at the first fret if I remember. I like Schecter c shapes so thicker than Ibanez etc but it was too much for me.


----------



## littlebadboy

I was wondering if a reversible guitar is possible which could be righty or lefty depending on how you string it. Symmetrical body, hard tail, with minimal controls in the center behind the bridge.


----------



## Andromalia

littlebadboy said:


> I was wondering if a reversible guitar is possible which could be righty or lefty depending on how you string it. Symmetrical body, hard tail, with minimal controls in the center behind the bridge.


I think you could do a SG like that.


----------



## Kaura

Bdtunn said:


> That single cut is sweeet
> Hope it’s a short scale



I don't like single cuts but a short scale model would be sweet. I'm so used to my short scale Mustangs that I'm having hard time with my 25,5" Ibbies these days. One can only dream...


----------



## Bdtunn

Kaura said:


> I don't like single cuts but a short scale model would be sweet. I'm so used to my short scale Mustangs that I'm having hard time with my 25,5" Ibbies these days. One can only dream...



Haha I’m the same with my 24.75, 25.5 feels like a baratone


----------



## Soya

Andromalia said:


> I think you could do a SG like that.


Wes borland had a lefty Jackson v converted to right handed controls and played that for a few years.


----------



## Metropolis

I just browsed Thomann website and there is coming an A2.6 model baritone version with black flame burst matte finsh. Pretty cool if you want a 26,5" scale length 6-string.
https://www.thomann.de/fi/solar_guitars_a26fbb_baritone.htm


----------



## Vyn

Ola teased the fuck out of the Solar 8 in the latest FAQ. Comedy gold haha!


----------



## Decapitated

White S2.6...wowzers.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BvQyAYgBF1V/


----------



## Albake21

Decapitated said:


> White S2.6...wowzers.
> 
> https://www.instagram.com/p/BvQyAYgBF1V/


Very tasty!


----------



## hand amputation

I WILL have a Solar in 2019. Let it be known.


----------



## Mathemagician

Decapitated said:


> White S2.6...wowzers.
> 
> https://www.instagram.com/p/BvQyAYgBF1V/



Tune it to B standard and play slipknot on it. 


For unrelated reasons.


----------



## p0ke

In case someone missed this:






https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a1-8c-carbon-black-matte/


----------



## Vyn

p0ke said:


> In case someone missed this:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a1-8c-carbon-black-matte/



Well.

Think an 8 string is in order.


----------



## mrdm53

Now i know where's my Duncan Solar 8 Pickups in my custom guitar were came from! 

Make it in white color and i'll GASing really hard


----------



## p0ke

I'll have to add that that's basically the first 8-string I've ever had any GAS for. That looks like something I'd totally get if I was planning on getting another guitar. Somehow Ola even managed to make the inline headstock work, it must be huge though


----------



## Anquished

p0ke said:


> In case someone missed this:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a1-8c-carbon-black-matte/



Damn, that's hot.


----------



## binz

Absolutely love when 8s have that reverse in-line headstock, makes it look like a literal axe!


----------



## Doug N

I'm pretty sure I'm getting a Solar soon, Ola just keeps releasing hotter guitars.


----------



## Albake21

I'm not an 8 string player and that thing is pretty cool looking. I was so on board for the red flamed one, but sadly they sold out already.


----------



## buriedoutback

If he does a V8 like that... I think I'll start saving my CAD (2k+ worth)... after I change my pants... and try to explain to the wife why I ejaculated while looking at a guitar on the internet


----------



## Bearitone

Am i blind or is the scale length for that 8string not shown in the specs?

Anyone know the scale length of that bad boy?


----------



## Fred the Shred

It's in the description: 27".


----------



## xwmucradiox

Its in the description. 27"


----------



## LeviathanKiller

p0ke said:


> In case someone missed this:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a1-8c-carbon-black-matte/



An 8-string with an EverTune...

* tuning stability intensifies *


----------



## Decapitated

Typical Instagram reaction: “Wow...REALLY love the new 8 string. It would be even better if it wasn’t black, had a Floyd Rose, had fret markers, no logo, and was a seven string...other than that, it’s perfect.”


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Decapitated said:


> Typical Instagram reaction: “Wow...REALLY love the new 8 string. It would be even better if it wasn’t black, had a Floyd Rose, had fret markers, no logo, and was a seven string...other than that, it’s perfect.”



Oh, and the scale length is wrong. Needs to be 28 40/112".


----------



## Decapitated

LeviathanKiller said:


> Oh, and the scale length is wrong. Needs to be 28 40/112".



Yes! Forgot the scale. How daft of me.


----------



## Hollowway

Well, now I’m scared to say I want it in the yellow color and without the evertune.  But, I’m stoked he finally released this!


----------



## Joose

I’m ordering an A1.7BOP Artist LTD tomorrow and I’m sooooo stoked.


----------



## chopeth

I had my hope in swamp ash, hipshot, any other colour than black... this will weight a ton and my back is ill. Everything above 7 lb/ 3kg kills me. And ... multiscale is what I was looking for, too. Nice axe though


----------



## Surveyor 777

Not sure if this has already been posted (I didn't see it) but Solar Guitars has an 8-string:

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a1-8c-carbon-black-matte/


----------



## ChugThisBoy

Yeah, I saw it yesterday. Now I'm thinking about selling my Ormsby and getting this as I always wanted an axe with Evertune and never played 8 string. From some time I feel a weird urge to learn some Meshuggah too..


----------



## Pietjepieter

Hollowway said:


> Well, now I’m scared to say I want it in the yellow color and without the evertune.  But, I’m stoked he finally released this!



Yes, this! Yellow or the green color would be cool! Also without evertune! anyway i'm in general not a fan of standard super strats, but this one just looks great! love the reversed inline headstock!


----------



## Metropolis

chopeth said:


> I had my hope in swamp ash, hipshot, any other colour than black... this will weight a ton and my back is ill. Everything above 7 lb/ 3kg kills me. And ... multiscale is what I was looking for, too. Nice axe though



6-string Solars are about 3,5kg's... and Evertune doesn't help in that matter.


----------



## pahulkster

Waiting for that single cut


----------



## LeviathanKiller

We just need a 8-string neon yellow single cut with a Floyd and we're all happy right?

Seriously though, although I would not buy a single cut model myself, it would be cool to see them offered in the colors that have been released on other models before.


----------



## NickS

LeviathanKiller said:


> We just need a 8-string neon yellow single cut with a Floyd and we're all happy right?
> 
> Seriously though, although I would not buy a single cut model myself, it would be cool to see them offered in the colors that have been released on other models before.



There is "virtually" no chance I would buy that (at least right now), but I would love to see what that would look like!


----------



## KnightBrolaire

I for one, hope ola never has them make a road flare red guitar with a maple fretboard. It would probably sell horribly.


----------



## Hollowway

LeviathanKiller said:


> We just need a 8-string neon yellow single cut with a Floyd and we're all happy right?


----------



## Xk6m6m5X

I want a solar ml!


----------



## MASS DEFECT

Wow 8 in line headstock. I hope your strings are long enough.


----------



## mrdm53

MASS DEFECT said:


> Wow 8 in line headstock. I hope your strings are long enough.


 27 is still enough for most strings. 0.80' NYXL is wound until 38' and cut at 41'


----------



## Ola Englund

KnightBrolaire said:


> I for one, hope ola never has them make a road flare red guitar with a maple fretboard. It would probably sell horribly.


Nice try...


----------



## Iron1

Ola, ever going to have a dealer in the US? Is that in the works, or are you going to stay strictly direct-ship?


----------



## Passtheapathy

I’m baffled why there is still that hideous inlay on every model they sell. I literally would have bought the green 6 string with Evertune if it weren’t for that. It was in my cart but I just couldn’t pull the trigger because of the inlay.


----------



## Joose

Well, I had intended to order a Solar yesterday... I unfortunately had to spend a lot on some unexpected shit, but I still want to order one in the next week, hopefully.


----------



## Decapitated

Passtheapathy said:


> I’m baffled why there is still that hideous inlay on every model they sell. I literally would have bought the green 6 string with Evertune if it weren’t for that. It was in my cart but I just couldn’t pull the trigger because of the inlay.



I understand some people don’t care for the inlay. It doesn’t bother me. One thing I will say is that I don’t even think about the inlay when I am playing.


----------



## Flappydoodle

The 8 string looks awesome. Might have to pick one up. I’d never spend serious money on an 8 string, but I also know that a super cheap Ibanez or Schecter will be a horrible experience. This is a good spec and a price which is very reasonable for a fun guitar.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Passtheapathy said:


> I’m baffled why there is still that hideous inlay on every model they sell. I literally would have bought the green 6 string with Evertune if it weren’t for that. It was in my cart but I just couldn’t pull the trigger because of the inlay.



Early on, Ola said that he likes the inlay and that he sells enough to justify keeping it. So unless sales see a sharp turnoff, then the inlays are staying.

Also, Ola needs to release the fucking singlecut.  I wanna see how it looks. I've been torn between getting another ESP/LTD Eclipse, wait for the Balegaur Hyperion Standard, or wait and see the Solar singlecut.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

That inlay is better than generic middle of the board 1/4" dots. Nothing screams basic more than those. Even though the Solar guitars are in the basic price range, they look much better.


----------



## Kovah

LeviathanKiller said:


> That inlay is better than generic middle of the board 1/4" dots. Nothing screams basic more than those. Even though the Solar guitars are in the basic price range, they look much better.



What about those horrid ESP/model name inlays on some ESP/LTD guitars?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Kovah said:


> What about those horrid ESP/model name inlays on some ESP/LTD guitars?



ESP finally got rid of those in the majority of their lineup. They out the model name on the truss rod cover now


----------



## Passtheapathy

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Early on, Ola said that he likes the inlay and that he sells enough to justify keeping it. So unless sales see a sharp turnoff, then the inlays are staying.
> 
> Also, Ola needs to release the fucking singlecut.  I wanna see how it looks. I've been torn between getting another ESP/LTD Eclipse, wait for the Balegaur Hyperion Standard, or wait and see the Solar singlecut.



The problem is, they have no way of tracking their missed sales from people being turned off by the inlay. Their sales wouldn’t necessarily decline from not removing the inlay, but they probably would see an increase if they did. 

Misha will be the first to tell you that while the crazy “P” logo on some of the first runs of his sig was beautiful, it needed to go. It’s not marketable to the masses, and Misha being the marketing genius he is, understood that and got rid of his name on the models.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Passtheapathy said:


> The problem is, they have no way of tracking their missed sales from people being turned off by the inlay. Their sales wouldn’t necessarily decline from not removing the inlay, but they probably would see an increase if they did.
> 
> Misha will be the first to tell you that while the crazy “P” logo on some of the first runs of his sig was beautiful, it needed to go. It’s not marketable to the masses, and Misha being the marketing genius he is, understood that and got rid of his name on the models.



Given Solar Guitars sells their guitars in batches (I believe?), he probably doesn't really need to sell guitar after guitar like a company like Jackson. 

Hell why not ask him here since like, he as an account?


----------



## gunch

His company and his designs


----------



## cip 123

That 8 is wild, first one that has really drawn me besides the RG2228. Evertune is a good call too for that low string movement.


----------



## Decapitated

Passtheapathy said:


> The problem is, they have no way of tracking their missed sales from people being turned off by the inlay. Their sales wouldn’t necessarily decline from not removing the inlay, but they probably would see an increase if they did.
> 
> Misha will be the first to tell you that while the crazy “P” logo on some of the first runs of his sig was beautiful, it needed to go. It’s not marketable to the masses, and Misha being the marketing genius he is, understood that and got rid of his name on the models.



Major difference is that Misha’s guitar was a signature Jackson. Solar guitars are Ola’s brand. There are signature Solars of course, but it’s still a Solar. I would guess the majority of buyers don’t mind the inlay compared to those that do. The inlay isn’t Ola, it’s Solar.


----------



## PunkBillCarson

And the comments about the inlay further prove my point about the pickiness involving guitars. I was actually called picky in the Schecter thread because I don't like Fishmans despite the fact they actually play a part in the sound of the guitar; I would love to hear what that person thinks about inlays.


----------



## MetalHex

I want a solid green, no flame, glossy, double cut, maple fretboard, black offset dot inlays, black hardware, fixed bridge guitar.

Ola, can you make me this custom solar......ah heck dont even call it custom, call it a extremely limited edition just for me guitar! Hahah


----------



## Hollowway

Passtheapathy said:


> The problem is, they have no way of tracking their missed sales from people being turned off by the inlay. Their sales wouldn’t necessarily decline from not removing the inlay, but they probably would see an increase if they did.
> 
> Misha will be the first to tell you that while the crazy “P” logo on some of the first runs of his sig was beautiful, it needed to go. It’s not marketable to the masses, and Misha being the marketing genius he is, understood that and got rid of his name on the models.



Right? It's like when Vai had a handle on his guitar, and those crazy disappearing pyramid inlays. They weren't selling, so he took them off, being the marketing genius that he is. Oh, wait....


----------



## Passtheapathy

Decapitated said:


> Major difference is that Misha’s guitar was a signature Jackson. Solar guitars are Ola’s brand. There are signature Solars of course, but it’s still a Solar. I would guess the majority of buyers don’t mind the inlay compared to those that do. The inlay isn’t Ola, it’s Solar.



I hear you, but with every single Solar having that inlay, the _entire_ assortment feels like it’s an Ola sig. I would make something else the “signature look” of the Solar guitars, like the grooves in an Aristides (which also are a little controversial). But, if Solars are selling fine, good for Ola. I just think he has an opportunity to capture more sales by removing the inlay.


----------



## M3CHK1LLA

Passtheapathy said:


> I hear you, but with every single Solar having that inlay, the _entire_ assortment feels like it’s an Ola sig. I would make something else the “signature look” of the Solar guitars, like the grooves in an Aristides (which also are a little controversial). But, if Solars are selling fine, good for Ola. I just think he has an opportunity to capture more sales by removing the inlay.



to be honest the inlay does not bother me...in fact i like it myself. if i were to get a solar (which will prob happen soon because - gas!) i would get one with it if it were "optional".

we understand ola is building a brand here...a "metal" brand and the logo fits the part. just like people buy apple products (which is a dumb apple with a bit taken out of it) or nike with the "swoosh" etc, i think this logo appeals to a lot of metal heads.

i know these days there is a lot of love for no fret markers or a minimal look fretboard, but at the end of the day ola is not running a custom shop. sure if he decides to, he can offer it both ways in the future, but its his brand and design.

my suggestion at this point for those that really dont like the look, would be for him to offer the logo in a black or darker colore to match the fretboards. that would prob satisfy most here. 

oh, and ola, if in the future you do offer a maple fb, please use a black inlay please! haha...


----------



## A-Branger

ChugThisBoy said:


> Yeah, I saw it yesterday. Now I'm thinking about selling my Ormsby and getting this as I always wanted an axe with Evertune and *never played 8 string. From some time I feel a weird urge to learn some Meshuggah too..*


----------



## trem licking

Can y'all do me a favor and bug Ola to make an 8 string with a floyd plz thx


----------



## MASS DEFECT

I just want Ola to sell as much and be successful so he can open up a semi custom shop like what Agile did. So those of you who want a Solar without the inlay logo can have one made. And i can get an Atype with just a bridge pup and a string thru tom bridge.


----------



## Bearitone

I really want to try those Solar pickups. Is buying a Solar guitar the only way to get them?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Bearitone said:


> I really want to try those Solar pickups. Is buying a Solar guitar the only way to get them?



That or look around and see if anyone still stocks the Washburn Ola sig models.


----------



## M3CHK1LLA

dbl post (djod was here)


----------



## M3CHK1LLA

trem licking said:


> Can y'all do me a favor and bug Ola to make an 8 string with a floyd plz thx



we'll be sure to put that on the list of "top 75 guitars ola doesn't build, but that sso would buy if he made them"


----------



## Dayn

M3CHK1LLA said:


> we'll be sure to put that on the list of "top 75 guitars ola doesn't build, but that sso *said that they *would buy if he made them *but only hypothetically*"


Thought I'd amend it to be more accurate.

In other news, I feel like I'm cheating on my RG2228 by looking at that 8-string.


----------



## ChugThisBoy

A-Branger said:


>




Hahah I laughed so hard on this  I'll propably start with something easier for right hand tho.


----------



## A-Branger

ChugThisBoy said:


> Hahah I laughed so hard on this  I'll propably start with something easier for right hand tho.


 

you know you gonna get it, play some 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0 and then be like "wut now?"


----------



## ChugThisBoy

Honestly, I'm playing seven string for most of the time and I'm rarely playing only 0's. Eight string seems to have more chord shapes to mess with. 0's too, of course


----------



## trem licking

ChugThisBoy said:


> Honestly, I'm playing seven string for most of the time and I'm rarely playing only 0's. Eight string seems to have more chord shapes to mess with. 0's too, of course



absolutely! you can do SO much more with an 8+ string. that's why i want more 8s with floyds... it's the perfect amount of strings while still being able to go nutty with open notes. I still play 6 and 7 strings as they still have a place with me, but 8s are my main jam now.


----------



## ChugThisBoy

trem licking said:


> absolutely! you can do SO much more with an 8+ string. that's why i want more 8s with floyds... it's the perfect amount of strings while still being able to go nutty with open notes. I still play 6 and 7 strings as they still have a place with me, but 8s are my main jam now.



I know that it mostly depends on neck radius etc. but since you have both 7 and 8 string, is it hard to change from 7 to 8?


----------



## Dayn

ChugThisBoy said:


> I know that it mostly depends on neck radius etc. but since you have both 7 and 8 string, is it hard to change from 7 to 8?


I'm not who you replied to, but I went from 6 to 8 with only a little bit of adjustment. I now have only 7 and 8 string guitars. I go between a long scale 8-string and a multiscale 7-string easily enough. The 7-string has a floating bridge as well. There's really not much to it. There's only one extra string. If anything, it depends on how familiar you are with it and how similar they are. If anything, I find it harder to play any guitar I'm not familiar with.


----------



## ChugThisBoy

Dayn said:


> I'm not who you replied to, but I went from 6 to 8 with only a little bit of adjustment. I now have only 7 and 8 string guitars. I go between a long scale 8-string and a multiscale 7-string easily enough. The 7-string has a floating bridge as well. There's really not much to it. There's only one extra string. If anything, it depends on how familiar you are with it and how similar they are. If anything, I find it harder to play any guitar I'm not familiar with.



Thanks. I'm torn within because I have nice Ormsby TX with wide mulctiscale and I'm thinking about new Solar 8. Pros for me would be the Evertune and similar scale length but I'm worrying about build quality and overall feel of the guitar. I love my Ormsby, I just never played an 8 and I always wanted gtr with Evertune. Ehh first world problems


----------



## Anquished

My only concern with the 8 string is the Evertune limiting the string gauge. The Evertune website lists the maximum string gauge as a 74. Whilst that's totally fine for tuning how I'd personally use it, most 8 string sets I've found with a low 74 have really stupid gauges for the other strings. The main D'addario set having a 64 for B and 54 for E, which seems ridiculously tight in comparison to the low F#. Because of this I default to the 9-80 set. 

The only set I've found which seems to make sense is the 9-74 La Bella HRS-81 set, I've never used La Bella strings so I have no idea how good they are (someone maybe can clarify?). Sure you could drill the saddle to take a bigger string gauge, but I have neither the tools nor the courage to do that. 

It's a shame because I'm really interested in this 8 string, especially with the Evertune.


----------



## ChugThisBoy

Anquished said:


> My only concern with the 8 string is the Evertune limiting the string gauge. The Evertune website lists the maximum string gauge as a 74. Whilst that's totally fine for tuning how I'd personally use it, most 8 string sets I've found with a low 74 have really stupid gauges for the other strings. The main D'addario set having a 64 for B and 54 for E, which seems ridiculously tight in comparison to the low F#. Because of this I default to the 9-80 set.
> 
> The only set I've found which seems to make sense is the 9-74 La Bella HRS-81 set, I've never used La Bella strings so I have no idea how good they are (someone maybe can clarify?). Sure you could drill the saddle to take a bigger string gauge, but I have neither the tools nor the courage to do that.
> 
> It's a shame because I'm really interested in this 8 string, especially with the Evertune.



Hmm it's a shame, indeed. My 7th string is a 74 now and it's perfect for almost 28" scale. And as I cay see on their page, default set comes to 64 on low E so..


----------



## trem licking

ChugThisBoy said:


> I know that it mostly depends on neck radius etc. but since you have both 7 and 8 string, is it hard to change from 7 to 8?



Not a problem at all. Only problem you'll have, after initially getting used to it, is writing songs on an 8 that you wont be able to play on a 7 haha. Hence, just switching to 8 strings full time.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

While the last page is gushing about the 8 string, im still waiting for the singlecut.


----------



## binz

Anquished said:


> My only concern with the 8 string is the Evertune limiting the string gauge. The Evertune website lists the maximum string gauge as a 74. Whilst that's totally fine for tuning how I'd personally use it, most 8 string sets I've found with a low 74 have really stupid gauges for the other strings. The main D'addario set having a 64 for B and 54 for E, which seems ridiculously tight in comparison to the low F#. Because of this I default to the 9-80 set.
> 
> The only set I've found which seems to make sense is the 9-74 La Bella HRS-81 set, I've never used La Bella strings so I have no idea how good they are (someone maybe can clarify?). Sure you could drill the saddle to take a bigger string gauge, but I have neither the tools nor the courage to do that.
> 
> It's a shame because I'm really interested in this 8 string, especially with the Evertune.



I only play la bella and really like them. I gotta say I don't have much experience to compare to. The main reason for me is like for you that their gauges make much more sense to me.
I change strings roughly every 1-2 months before they sound dead to me. Overall they seem to last quite long, comparable to the daddario XL but for half the prize (that's more what I read online)


----------



## Anquished

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> While the last page is gushing about the 8 string, im still waiting for the singlecut.



I'm waiting for it too man. 



binz said:


> I only play la bella and really like them. I gotta say I don't have much experience to compare to. The main reason for me is like for you that their gauges make much more sense to me



Cool - I could give them a shot on my Ibby and see if I like them.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Bearitone said:


> I really want to try those Solar pickups. Is buying a Solar guitar the only way to get them?



Or see if someone is selling a pair they took out. I have a set actually but I'm holding onto them for now because once they're gone, I don't really have a way of getting another set.


----------



## Bearitone

LeviathanKiller said:


> Or see if someone is selling a pair they took out. I have a set actually but I'm holding onto them for now because once they're gone, I don't really have a way of getting another set.



Well if you ever want to sell them


----------



## lewis

Am i the only one who actually really liked the April fools headless solar??? Hahah


----------



## ChugThisBoy

In case somebody didn't noticed, two new models arrived on the site today: the E1.6FRW and S1.7PB. And here comes the GAS..


----------



## Velokki

Yeah. Not too hot for the overly saturated market of burl guitars, but I've been GASsing for a white Explorer for a while. Dang, I just don't need a 16th guitar.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

ChugThisBoy said:


> In case somebody didn't noticed, two new models arrived on the site today: the E1.6FRW and S1.7PB. And here comes the GAS..



Half-seriously debating on if I want to swap my A1.7 BOP LTD Artist for the burl one...
probably not


----------



## ChugThisBoy

LeviathanKiller said:


> Half-seriously debating on if I want to swap my A1.7 BOP LTD Artist for the burl one...
> probably not



It has the same specs, right?


----------



## LeviathanKiller

ChugThisBoy said:


> It has the same specs, right?



Mostly but also has the stainless steel frets I wanted. I'm super keen on eventually switching my collection to only SS just because the feel is quite different, in my opinion, and the durability is much better as well.


----------



## ChugThisBoy

LeviathanKiller said:


> Mostly but also has the stainless steel frets I wanted. I'm super keen on eventually switching my collection to only SS just because the feel is quite different, in my opinion, and the durability is much better as well.



Yeah, SS frets are the shit


----------



## Flappydoodle

Soooooo... anybody ordered that 8 string yet?

No reviews of it anywhere that I can see yet


----------



## ChugThisBoy

Flappydoodle said:


> Soooooo... anybody ordered that 8 string yet?
> 
> No reviews of it anywhere that I can see yet



Yes, please. I wonder if Arnold will review it


----------



## Bearitone

lewis said:


> Am i the only one who actually really liked the April fools headless solar??? Hahah



Definitely looked badass but you need tuners at the top for an evertune so that was the giveaway for me


----------



## lewis

Bearitone said:


> Definitely looked badass but you need tuners at the top for an evertune so that was the giveaway for me


Didnt stop that (etherial was it?) That made a headless you couldnt tune
Hahahahah


----------



## Kouhia666

Got email from UPS that my sOLAr is on its way.... Yay

Have to wait it for a week


----------



## Mathemagician

lewis said:


> Didnt stop that (etherial was it?) That made a headless you couldnt tune
> Hahahahah



Hey when you’re tesselating your thumb you don’t need any fancy intonation.


----------



## Fierce_Swe

I just did a video of my Solar guitar that I bought some monts back. I really like that guitar and the Evertune is a dream when you are recording. I highly recomend those who haven't tried one yet to do so!
Cheers!!!


----------



## binz

Dream in terms of what for recording? Intonation accuracy or stability? (I actually have no clue what an evertune is meant to do so bear with me )


----------



## ChugThisBoy

binz said:


> Dream in terms of what for recording? Intonation accuracy or stability? (I actually have no clue what an evertune is meant to do so bear with me )



Your guitar is basically always in tune, literally.


----------



## DaZoner

Ola, is there any plan for a 2.6 A series guitar made with alder instead of mahogany. Or are the 1.6 series the only ones that will be made of alder?


----------



## spudmunkey

binz said:


> Dream in terms of what for recording? Intonation accuracy or stability? (I actually have no clue what an evertune is meant to do so bear with me )



It automatically adjusts tension to keep the open note ringing true. It's up to you to set/adjust intonation just like any other guitar, but once you set the bridge to a certain tension aka pitch, it'll stay there...and you can even it so that it'll even keep the same pitch if you press down on the frets too hard, or bend, or pick too hard, or accidentally loosen a tuner a little, etc...or you can set it so that it will still allow intentional bends.


----------



## Cynicanal

Wow, huge acquisition signing The Chasm to an endorsement deal! One of my favorite bands of all time.


----------



## jbllarsen

Bearitone said:


> I really want to try those Solar pickups. Is buying a Solar guitar the only way to get them?



It´s basically a Duncan Designed Custom 5....


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

I've been perusing this forum for years and only got around to making an account. I've simply not felt the need to make one until now.

I have to hand to to Ola over the sheer quality of the guitars he offers at any price, let alone for the money.

I replaced the 81/85 set in the Jensen with a set of 57/66's and replaced the Duncan Solars with D-Activators in the poplar burl 7. The D-activators are awesome. So balanced and articulate. The Solar's weren't bad pickups as they were very versatile but I thought they sounded a little too dark and a bit weak in output.


----------



## Woocifer

Curious why I haven't seen ANY reviews for the Solar e1.7 fbb... like not ONE since they were sold out and then recouped their stock.

Anyone have one of these beasts? Every other guitar has a review...why not this one? They hype die down?


----------



## Albake21

Woocifer said:


> Curious why I haven't seen ANY reviews for the Solar e1.7 fbb... like not ONE since they were sold out and then recouped their stock.
> 
> Anyone have one of these beasts? Every other guitar has a review...why not this one? They hype die down?


At the end of the day, it's the same as any other .7 model at Solar just with a different body shape.


----------



## Mathemagician

Has he done a 26.5 6 string? Just curious.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Mathemagician said:


> Has he done a 26.5 6 string? Just curious.


Yes, the baritone models


----------



## Decapitated

Nice! Floyd fans rejoice.

https://www.solar-guitars.com/shop/


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

I find it weird (and pretty awesome) how the Floyd version is exactly the same price as the one with the Hipshot. Despite the Floyd being much more expensive to the manufacturer in parts and to rout.

Can it be mentioned for one moment just how crazy low a price 1000 euros is, for a neck through guitar with a popular burl top, binding, Floyd 1000 with a big block, stainless steel frets, locking tuners, the whole shebang?


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Repost
















Dem fret ends doe


----------



## Albake21

Damn so close! I've been wanting one of those green burls but with a floyd. Super glad Ola got rid of the dots.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Must be what Ola is calling the new single cuts now.

G for Gibson.


----------



## Mathemagician

LeviathanKiller said:


> Yes, the baritone models



Thank god, just black. Safe.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Shits happening. Nothing is populated in the Type G tab yet though. Too bad that the singlecut is so ugly. Sorry Ola.


----------



## icipher

kind of surprised he hasn't configured a baritone 7 string with hipshot and SS frets. Seems like that configuration would be very popular. I'd certainly buy one.


----------



## possumkiller

I will be so happy when burl gets put on the endangered list.


----------



## Adieu

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> I find it weird (and pretty awesome) how the Floyd version is exactly the same price as the one with the Hipshot. Despite the Floyd being much more expensive to the manufacturer in parts and to rout.
> 
> Can it be mentioned for one moment just how crazy low a price 1000 euros is, for a neck through guitar with a popular burl top, binding, Floyd 1000 with a big block, stainless steel frets, locking tuners, the whole shebang?



Actually... the Hipshot hardware costs more.

The 1000 is Korean, not German. It's essentially yet another Floyd Special. They tested the waters a
with selling it OFR prices *retail*, probably feeling out the market anout dropping the made in Germany originals entirely.... but wholesale, they're clearly selling it to Floyd Special-type customers at Floyd Special-level prices (~$50/unit)


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Adieu said:


> Actually... the Hipshot hardware costs more.
> 
> The 1000 is Korean, not German. It's essentially yet another Floyd Special. They tested the waters a
> with selling it OFR prices *retail*, probably feeling out the market anout dropping the made in Germany originals entirely.... but wholesale, they're clearly selling it to Floyd Special-type customers at Floyd Special-level prices (~$50/unit)


I suggest that you do more research on the subject. A Floyd Rose 1000 is not 'yet another Floyd Special'.

The baseplate is made from C45 high carbon steel. The same grade of steel that's used on the German OFR's. The baseplates on the specials are only heat treated at the knife edges while the rest of the plate is just regular mild steel. The saddles on the FR1000 are made from the same grade of steel too. Unlike the Special, which is made from pot metal. The block on the FR1000 is made from brass. The Special again uses pot metal.

A Hipshot bridge is a piece of cast aluminium with half a dozen of pieces of steel used for each saddle. Much cheaper to manufacture such a simple bridge design vs. a Floyd Rose 1000. And if you're using wholesale prices as the basis for your argument, you've neglected to consider what kind of wholesale discount that Hipshot gives to manufacturers too.


----------



## Tisca

What's the difference between S and A series? I know the decimal says how many strings but what's 1. and 2. ?


----------



## Adieu

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> I suggest that you do more research on the subject. A Floyd Rose 1000 is not 'yet another Floyd Special'.
> 
> The baseplate is made from C45 high carbon steel. The same grade of steel that's used on the German OFR's. The baseplates on the specials are only heat treated at the knife edges while the rest of the plate is just regular mild steel. The saddles on the FR1000 are made from the same grade of steel too. Unlike the Special, which is made from pot metal. The block on the FR1000 is made from brass. The Special again uses pot metal.
> 
> A Hipshot bridge is a piece of cast aluminium with half a dozen of pieces of steel used for each saddle. Much cheaper to manufacture such a simple bridge design vs. a Floyd Rose 1000. And if you're using wholesale prices as the basis for your argument, you've neglected to consider what kind of wholesale discount that Hipshot gives to manufacturers too.



Yeah ok and Ping or Jin Ho tuners are essentially the same exact thing, too


Except old Gotoh Japans from the 70s and 80s always still work... old Schallers, usually also. much younger Koreans, not so much

Discount hardware is the whole reason Hipshot, Schaller and their ilk can charge 3-digit prices for stuff


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Tisca said:


> What's the difference between S and A series? I know the decimal says how many strings but what's 1. and 2. ?


The S's have binding around the body and headstock and they tend to have more exotic finishes. While the A's have simpler finishes and no binding but have heavily carved out cutaway scoops on the front. That's it.

The first number designates the spec level. Stainless steel frets, luminlays, Evertune bridges, Floyds, locking tuners etc. are reserved for the 1.x's. while the 2.x's are somewhat more generic.


Adieu said:


> Yeah ok and Ping or Jin Ho tuners are essentially the same exact thing, too
> 
> Except old Gotoh Japans from the 70s and 80s always still work... old Schallers, usually also. much younger Koreans, not so much


You're misunderstanding the point.

If someone has broken a 1000 bridge, they would've broken a German OFR under the same circumstances too. The metallurgy of both bridges are exactly the same.


> Discount hardware is the whole reason Hipshot, Schaller and their ilk can charge 3-digit prices for stuff


Why haven't you provided any factual statistics on the wholesale prices that all these brands sell to manufacturers to yet? Or are you just pulling all these numbers out of your ass like you did when you claimed that the 1000 and the Special are the same bridge?


----------



## Adieu

OK ok it's not cheaper or different at all, it just exists and carries a different name because it's the same and for sh!ts and giggles




....PS if it cost them more than $95, you DO know they'd just use the Japanese Gotoh 1996T yes?????


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Adieu said:


> OK ok it's not cheaper or different at all, it just exists and carries a different name because it's the same and for sh!ts and giggles


The fact its made in Korea instead of Germany and the fact that it was originally made to be sold wholesale to manufacturers only and not directly to consumers is why they have a different name. You can buy 1000's at the consumer level now, but that didn't used to be the case.


> ....PS if it cost them more than $95, you DO know they'd just use the Japanese Gotoh 1996T yes?????


They don't probably because Gotoh only sells the 1996T at the consumer level, not wholesale to manufacturers in bulk.

What stops a company like Gotoh from selling a product wholesale doesn't just boil down to cost. It also boils down to how many units they can produce to meet demand.


----------



## mrdm53

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> They don't probably because Gotoh only sells the 1996T at the consumer level, not wholesale to manufacturers in bulk.
> 
> What stops a company like Gotoh from selling a product wholesale doesn't just boil down to cost. It also boils down to how many units they can produce to meet demand.



Try to explain why Suhr and Vola Guitars has Gotoh 1996T in their standard model...


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

mrdm53 said:


> Try to explain why Suhr and Vola Guitars has Gotoh 1996T in their standard model...


Because those companies sell low volumes of guitars. Very simple to understand.

Read: "Not wholesale to manufacturers in BULK."


----------



## MaxOfMetal

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> Because those companies sell low volumes of guitars. Very simple to understand.
> 
> Read: "Not wholesale to manufacturers in BULK."



They [Gotoh] do, or at least they did. 

I've worked at two retailers who stocked Gotoh hardware. Sometimes orders would be late and they'd be out of stock, but authorized retailers were able to put in for large quantities. Not to mention, for a long time it was easier to get Gotoh units like the 1996T than good German, Schaller made Floyd Rose units. 

Gotoh has very strong manufacturing capabilities. It's easy to forget that they make a ton of OEM hardware, such as the Edge and Edge Lo-Pro units for Ibanez. 

But I agree with you on the 1000 series FRs. They've proven to be solid. They need some work when you first get them, especially if you buy the unit á la carte, but mainly just working the parts and lubricating.


----------



## manu80

As much as i dig the SS shape, the SC doesn’t do it for me
Too much washburn pxl or jackson monarkh looks. And everyone s....ts on the monarkh shape so i wonder if this one will work...


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

MaxOfMetal said:


> They [Gotoh] do, or at least they did.
> 
> I've worked at two retailers who stocked Gotoh hardware. Sometimes orders would be late and they'd be out of stock, but authorized retailers were able to put in for large quantities. Not to mention, for a long time it was easier to get Gotoh units like the 1996T than good German, Schaller made Floyd Rose units.
> 
> Gotoh has very strong manufacturing capabilities. It's easy to forget that they make a ton of OEM hardware, such as the Edge and Edge Lo-Pro units for Ibanez.


I guess that's true for Ibanez, I did forget that Gotoh do make a lot of bridges for Ibanez.

That still leaves the question of why the 1996T isn't more popular with manufacturers in general though. Not just Solar.

It can't have anything to do with branding. Everyone knows that Gotoh makes high quality products and nobody minds buying a licensed Floyd when they're the company who makes them. Just look at Ibanez for the past 30 years. And as high quality bridges go, the 1996T is relatively cheap in price. So what's the deal? If Gotoh only makes the 1996T in low volumes only now, that would explain everything.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> I guess that's true for Ibanez, I did forget that Gotoh do make a lot of bridges for Ibanez.
> 
> That still leaves the question of why the 1996T isn't more popular with manufacturers in general though. Not just Solar.
> 
> It can't have anything to do with branding. Everyone knows that Gotoh makes high quality products and nobody minds buying a licensed Floyd when they're the company who makes them. Just look at Ibanez for the past 30 years.



We, internet guitar nerds, know the difference between a cheap unbranded LFR and a Gotoh unit, most guitarists don't. So branding is most definitely a factor. 

But, the Chinese and Korean made "Original Floyd Rose" bridges like the Special and 1000 are absolutely dirt cheap in bulk. Much cheaper than even the modestly priced 1996T. 

Doesn't hurt that 99% of accessories on the market are aimed at OFR as well.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

MaxOfMetal said:


> We, internet guitar nerds, know the difference between a cheap unbranded LFR and a Gotoh unit, most guitarists don't. So branding is most definitely a factor.


If casual guitar players would prefer to buy into a brand like 'Floyd Rose' and want to avoid bridges that are generically stamped with the guitar manufacturer's name, how does that explain the popularity of Ibanez's Floyds? If brands are what the average consumer cares about more?


MaxOfMetal said:


> But, the Chinese and Korean made "Original Floyd Rose" bridges like the Special and 1000 are absolutely dirt cheap in bulk. Much cheaper than even the modestly priced 1996T.


How much they actually cost Gotoh to make and what they sell wholesale to manufacturers is still pure speculation though.


> Doesn't hurt that 99% of accessories on the market are aimed at OFR as well.


Again, what makes Ibanez and their popularity exempt in your example?


----------



## littlebadboy

Anybody needing a cookie?


----------



## MaxOfMetal

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> If casual guitar players would prefer to buy into a brand like 'Floyd Rose' and want to avoid bridges that are generically stamped with the guitar manufacturer's name, how does that explain the popularity of Ibanez's Floyds? If brands are what the average consumer cares about more?
> 
> How much they actually cost Gotoh to make and what they sell wholesale to manufacturers is still pure speculation though.
> 
> Again, what makes Ibanez and their popularity exempt in your example?



Ibanez is something of an anomaly. But even then, it's not like they're the biggest fish in the sea, and many players don't even know that the "Floyd Rose" on their Ibanez is actually an Edge unit.

I've been around this stuff for decades, and worked on hundreds of guitars for hundreds of players. Players now, more than ever, are conscious about the parts of their guitars, but even then, most are somewhat oblivious...as long as it works.

As for wholesale pricing, I've seen the numbers given to dealers, and have seen what the OEM cost is. Unless something has changed dramatically in the last three years, you'll just have to take my word for it...or not. 

Either way, I think going with 1000 series bridges was the right move here.


----------



## Fred the Shred

To be honest, the 1000 series bridge is actually pretty decent, easy to upgrade, and should things go south for whatever reason, replace. As an example, the one in my C2 Caparison only needs some knife edge care now, and I've had it for 5 years. In my experience, in most cases I've seen people complain about bridge X, the issue was either not the bridge at all or there were noticeable setup errors preventing it from going back to its position, giving the guys the impression knife edges were worn or the trem somehow "detuned the guitar".


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

MaxOfMetal said:


> Ibanez is something of an anomaly.


Given that Ibanez is one of the most popular guitar brands in the world, especially in heavy metal circles where Floyds are by far the most commonplace, that's a mammoth exception indeed.


MaxOfMetal said:


> As for wholesale pricing, I've seen the numbers given to dealers, and have seen what the OEM cost is. Unless something has changed dramatically in the last three years, you'll just have to take my word for it...or not.


Sharing those numbers with us would be a very interesting read. Not in the interest of trying to call you out as a liar, but so that this discussion offers something informative for those reading it. I understand if you want to keep that info secret to protect people's interests tho.


Fred the Shred said:


> To be honest, the 1000 series bridge is actually pretty decent, easy to upgrade, and should things go south for whatever reason, replace. As an example, the one in my C2 Caparison only needs some knife edge care now, and I've had it for 5 years. In my experience, in most cases I've seen people complain about bridge X, the issue was either not the bridge at all or there were noticeable setup errors preventing it from going back to its position, giving the guys the impression knife edges were worn or the trem somehow "detuned the guitar".


Well its C45 steel according to FR literature so if they need sharpening now, a German Floyd would've needed the same under the same conditions.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

In other news, the type G guitars have been launched. Get your barf bags ready.



































https://www.solar-guitars.com/categorie-produit/type-g/


----------



## MaxOfMetal

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> Given that Ibanez is one of the most popular guitar brands in the world, especially in heavy metal circles where Floyds are by far the most commonplace, that's a mammoth exception indeed.



An anomaly in the sense of making a bridge that is, on its own, popular amongst players who use that type of bridge.

I never said Ibanez wasn't a mainstream guitar manufacturer.



> Sharing those numbers with us would be a very interesting read. Not in the interest of trying to call you out as a liar, but so that this discussion offers something informative for those reading it. I understand if you want to keep that info secret to protect people's interests tho.



I'll put it this way:

Floyd Special = "cheap"
Floyd Rose 1000 = "cheap +50%"
Gotoh 1996T ="cheap x 2.5"

That's roughly what it looks like for a large guitar OEM (Cortek) when purchasing bridges wholesale. Again, those numbers aren't the most current, but I don't see any reason why they'd be significantly off.

The difference in amounts isn't earth shattering on their own, but over hundreds or thousands of instruments, it adds up.


----------



## KnightBrolaire

ah, finally a singlecut to surpass the monarkh in terms of hideousness.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

KnightBrolaire said:


> ah, finally a singlecut to surpass the monarkh in terms of hideousness.



No such thing. 

Honestly, I don't think these are that bad. It's nice to see something that's not trying to be a Les Paul.


----------



## Ola Englund

Here's another barf picture...


----------



## Albake21

I'm not a single cut guy, but hey I think they are pretty cool. Definitely a way to make a single cut unique without just being a LP clone.


----------



## KnightBrolaire

MaxOfMetal said:


> No such thing.
> 
> Honestly, I don't think these are that bad. It's nice to see something that's not trying to be a Les Paul.


I honestly don't mind the body shape, there's just something off putting about a pointy inline headstock on an LP style body. I like teles with pointy headstocks, but I think the proportions of LP style singlecut bodies makes them seem weird (something about the big ass on them).


----------



## MaxOfMetal

KnightBrolaire said:


> I honestly don't mind the body shape, there's just something off putting about a pointy inline headstock on an LP style body. I like teles with pointy headstocks, but I think the proportions of LP style singlecut bodies makes them seem weird (something about the big ass on them).



I think it works with the cutaway and the "nubbin" on the end.


----------



## Anquished

I think if it was just a regular singlecut shape with the solar headstock I'd have hated it, but this shape matches it quite nicely. Now I'm gassing for that 7 with the Evertune..


----------



## Fred the Shred

To be honest, I loved the red one at NAMM (although I think it was a 22-fretter? Ola will know), and I think it looks awesome, but I can see why a departure from a more traditional approach with the inline headstock and all may be offputting to some.


----------



## MrWulf

huh a Les Paul with a reverse headstock. GAS immediately at the highest point now. 

no 7 string Type S with non Evertune bridge though


----------



## Ola Englund

Fred the Shred said:


> To be honest, I loved the red one at NAMM (although I think it was a 22-fretter? Ola will know), and I think it looks awesome, but I can see why a departure from a more traditional approach with the inline headstock and all may be offputting to some.


24 frets my good brum


----------



## Fred the Shred

Aha! That's what "just one beer" with Jason and Jocke will do.  Guitar was kickass regardless!


----------



## trem licking

other solar shapes are sweet... this just looks off. not TERRIBLE, but not buyable either. no one will make a singlecut les paul look as good as gibson or ESP.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

I actually really like the 7-string single-cut. I just know that shape isn't the most comfortable for me, otherwise I'd buy one.


----------



## Ordacleaphobia

I gotta be honest, as someone who's been _*super*_ into everything Solar so far, these singlecuts absolutely are not doing it for me.
That's fine though- I'm not a SC guy anyway, some guys will dig 'em, and like Max said, it's nice to see something that isn't just wishing it was a LP. Feels like a good addition to the Solar lineup.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

The GC2.6 will be mine.

But at the same time I kinda want the GF, because it makes me nostalgic for my old LTD EC-50.


----------



## MFB

KnightBrolaire said:


> ah, finally a singlecut to surpass the monarkh in terms of hideousness.





MaxOfMetal said:


> No such thing.
> 
> Honestly, I don't think these are that bad. It's nice to see something that's not trying to be a Les Paul.



I played a Monarch before buying my SG, and I was horrendously surprised at how willing I was to walk out the door with it; the only thing that stopped my was the flat edges on the body, if it has some sort of curve to soften the forearm angle, I would've been onboard right then and there.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

MFB said:


> I played a Monarch before buying my SG, and I was horrendously surprised at how willing I was to walk out the door with it; the only thing that stopped my was the flat edges on the body, if it has some sort of curve to soften the forearm angle, I would've been onboard right then and there.



I've played a Monarkh (ugh, it's even spelled ugly) and it's not a bad guitar, just frightfully ugly.


----------



## MASS DEFECT

^The Marty Friedman sig design worked quite better though. It has a better horn cut and a body arch.


----------



## aesthyrian

ooooh a Gotoh 1996T discussion hidden in a Solar Guitars thread? This my shits!


----------



## MetalHex

Paging Ola.....I need an 25.5 SG shaped Solar right the fu*k now. Whos with me? Lets make this a thing!


----------



## Flappydoodle

Sooooo... anybody got their hot little hands on the 8 string yet?

Haven't seen a single youtube video, forum post about it since it was released in March


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

MetalHex said:


> Paging Ola.....I need an 25.5 SG shaped Solar right the fu*k now. Whos with me? Lets make this a thing!


Not me. That would look abominable.


----------



## Mathemagician

Ola Englund said:


> Here's another barf picture...



I am loving that small forearm bevel. Reminds me of the flat EC’s ESP pretends don’t exist. That looks really good IMO.


----------



## LordHar

Absolutely love the G model line, that 7 string is just insane!


----------



## lewis

I was waiting on these to release but Ive seen 24.75 scale?
I was hoping we would get at least 1 with the 27 inch baritone scale. (unless There is one and ive missed it?)

Ah well


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Only thing I'm kinda disappointed about is the mahogany neck. I understand why, but I wish there was a maple neck.

Fuck it, still getting it. I actually dig the shape.


----------



## cardinal

I like the single cut thing. Moar strings and less Evertune would have me interested!


----------



## Siggevaio

I was excited for this model when he teased it before, but I'm not in need of another six string. One model with seven strings is not enough. But I'm not in a hurry, still a fan of the G model and hopefully more options will come.


----------



## Bdtunn

I’d be all over the G series with the Floyd, if it were lefty


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Most of you guys are probably all scrambling for your wallets to post it, but for the rest of you...
Two models have been released 27" 8-string wit EverTune again but this time with the black open pore finish (which is way better than the satin matte black that gets that finger smudge spot after a bit)







The other model is something a few of you guys were asking for
A baritone 6-string. 27" scale. Poplar burl top. EverTune bridge.






https://www.facebook.com/solarguitars/posts/2343096692625795


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

That baritone is awesome.

The 8 string eeh no so much. Its just a dumbed down version of the A1.8 at the end of the day. They could've made it more distinctive by giving it a longer scale than 27".


----------



## Albake21

I want that baritone so badly! It's the ultimate baritone with a 27" scale and evertune bridge.


----------



## Ordacleaphobia

I _reallllllllllllly _wish I played my 8 string enough to warrant getting a nice one. That 8 looks _*fantastic*_.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> That baritone is awesome.
> 
> The 8 string eeh no so much. Its just a dumbed down version of the A1.8 at the end of the day. They could've made it more distinctive by giving it a longer scale than 27".


Ahh I see. It appeared to be an EverTune at first glance. It is indeed a dumbed down version.
It should have been the other way around like the A1.7 LTD Arist BOP model. That finish is much more durable than the satin, ime.


----------



## Soya

Hmm the Evertune baritone interests me greatly, may replace the Ibanez rgib6 on my gas list.


----------



## soldierkahn

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Only thing I'm kinda disappointed about is the mahogany neck. I understand why, but I wish there was a maple neck.
> 
> Fuck it, still getting it. I actually dig the shape.



whats wrong with a mahogany neck? im genuinely asking because its the neck wood i favor....


----------



## soldierkahn

trem licking said:


> other solar shapes are sweet... this just looks off. not TERRIBLE, but not buyable either. no one will make a singlecut les paul look as good as gibson or ESP.



I think PRS trumps them in SC/LP style....


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

soldierkahn said:


> whats wrong with a mahogany neck? im genuinely asking because its the neck wood i favor....



In my experience, Maple neck guitars tend to have more attack. 

Also the only guitar that I've ever broke the neck of was a mahogany-necked guitar.


----------



## trem licking

soldierkahn said:


> whats wrong with a mahogany neck? im genuinely asking because its the neck wood i favor....



there's nothing wrong with a mahogany neck, but they are roughly half the hardness of a maple neck. That wont be an issue unless you are REALLY rough on your guitars and/or drop them occasionally. Gibson necks are mahogany and while the construction method may be more to blame than the mahogany itself, i'm sure the softer nature of mahogany doesn't help.


----------



## trem licking

And come the fuck on Ola! make at least a small run of 8 strings with floyds! My wallet is ready


----------



## Mathemagician

I asked about baritones and I received. And they already had a small run once which I believe was 26.5. I don’t think 27 versus 26.5 would matter much to me as it’s only a half inch.


----------



## soldierkahn

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> In my experience, Maple neck guitars tend to have more attack.
> 
> Also the only guitar that I've ever broke the neck of was a mahogany-necked guitar.



i see where you are coming from and it makes sense. I choose the mahogany necks because of that darker "SG" type tone, which is why im doing a mahogany neck with maple stringers on my Duvell in January. I have a ton of 27" scale, basswood body, maple necked, bolt-on Ibanezes, so having a Duvell with an all mahogany body, mahogany/maple 5pc 27" neck should afford me a much darker body tone. I want to see how the Bareknuckle Juggernauts will sound in that monster!


----------



## soldierkahn

trem licking said:


> there's nothing wrong with a mahogany neck, but they are roughly half the hardness of a maple neck. That wont be an issue unless you are REALLY rough on your guitars and/or drop them occasionally. Gibson necks are mahogany and while the construction method may be more to blame than the mahogany itself, i'm sure the softer nature of mahogany doesn't help.



i could totally see that, yeah its definitely not as dense as maple. Perhaps some KTS rods in the neck might make it more solid?


----------



## soldierkahn

Mathemagician said:


> I asked about baritones and I received. And they already had a small run once which I believe was 26.5. I don’t think 27 versus 26.5 would matter much to me as it’s only a half inch.



it made a decent difference to me when I compared my DCM100 (26.5" scale) to my 1077XL (27" scale), but I do agree, it wasnt MUCH of a difference. Most folks wont even notice an extra .5lb of tension. What i like more about the extended scales is the added fret spacing, and the special attribute it adds to those thicker strings. they are much much easier to handle (bending, vibrato, etc) than a standard scale with the same amnount of tension using thicker strings. I did not however, notice a difference in attack between the two though, they were both still pretty snappy


----------



## Mathemagician

Yeah I just picked up a 22 fret 25.5 and I really like that extra room. I would have preferred 26.5 for a 6 but yeah if I end up getting a baritone that .5 difference will just comes down to who offers specs/a color I like more.


----------



## Hollowway

trem licking said:


> And come the fuck on Ola! make at least a small run of 8 strings with floyds! My wallet is ready


As is mine!


----------



## Flappydoodle

trem licking said:


> there's nothing wrong with a mahogany neck, but they are roughly half the hardness of a maple neck. That wont be an issue unless you are REALLY rough on your guitars and/or drop them occasionally. Gibson necks are mahogany and while the construction method may be more to blame than the mahogany itself, i'm sure the softer nature of mahogany doesn't help.



When I spoke to Tom Waghorn, he said mahogany is one of the strongest for neck construction. But it all depends on that piece of wood and how it's been treated

PRS also makes lots of necks from mahogany and they don't have a reputation for breaking. With Gibson it's because they use one piece, have a back-angled headstock and no scarf joint. So you have a spot where it's thin but also the grain is running parallel with the stress (weakest), rather than perpendicular (strongest)


----------



## Mathemagician

It’s a tone-headstock-joint. And Gibson is the only one brave enough to do it. 

But that actually makes a ton of sense as aren’t MOST PRS guitars mahogany/mahogany?


----------



## Albake21

Mathemagician said:


> It’s a tone-headstock-joint. And Gibson is the only one brave enough to do it.
> 
> But that actually makes a ton of sense as aren’t MOST PRS guitars mahogany/mahogany?


Kind of. Their core series is mahogany while their CE and SE are maple necks.


----------



## Flappydoodle

Mathemagician said:


> It’s a tone-headstock-joint. And Gibson is the only one brave enough to do it.
> 
> But that actually makes a ton of sense as aren’t MOST PRS guitars mahogany/mahogany?



Haha, well I imagine that if Gibson could go back and change it, they probably would. But that headstock is a classic now. If they changed the TOM bridge, neck angle, headstock angle, and made the D and G strings have less of an angle out of the nut, people would go insane - even if it was a better playing, more in tune guitar!

And yes, I think most PRS are. And it's the most expensive ones usually which use mahogany. Despite maple being seen as premium, it's pretty much the most common wood grown in the USA to my knowledge.


----------



## spudmunkey

Flappydoodle said:


> When I spoke to Tom Waghorn, he said mahogany is one of the strongest for neck construction. But it all depends on that piece of wood and how it's been treated
> 
> PRS also makes lots of necks from mahogany and they don't have a reputation for breaking. With Gibson it's because they use one piece, have a back-angled headstock and no scarf joint. So you have a spot where it's thin but also the grain is running parallel with the stress (weakest), rather than perpendicular (strongest)



Also, because of the tilt-back headstock AND neck, if the guitar falls backwards, it lands on the headstock.


----------



## Bearitone

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> In other news, the type G guitars have been launched. Get your barf bags ready.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/categorie-produit/type-g/



The flat ones look decent to me


----------



## MetalHex

Flappydoodle said:


> Haha, well I imagine that if Gibson could go back and change it, they probably would. But that headstock is a classic now. If they changed the TOM bridge, neck angle, headstock angle, and made the D and G strings have less of an angle out of the nut, people would go insane - even if it was a better playing, more in tune guitar!


I could actually see Gibson slowly implementing these features over the years with the Modern series. Its totally doable and they would totally make a killing doing it.


----------



## trem licking

Flappydoodle said:


> When I spoke to Tom Waghorn, he said mahogany is one of the strongest for neck construction. But it all depends on that piece of wood and how it's been treated



I definitely agree that construction method and quality of wood selection matter more, but it is a fact that maple is much harder than any mahogany. just look at the janka hardness scale. I personally dont care what the neck is made out of... as long as its not basswood/poplar/alder lol. oh wait, they dont make necks out of those woods... also why they shouldnt make bodies out of them either


----------



## pfizer

So, are these worth the hype? I'm kind of considering getting one to replace my Ibanez RGA321 for D standard and Drop C -- the thing's more of a collector's item and I'm a little paranoid about it getting damaged, plus it doesn't have locking tuners and I don't really want to go through the trouble of replacing them. 

I'm deciding between a Solar S1.6HLB, a Charvel DK24, an Ormsby Hype GTR, a PRS SE Custom 24 and possibly a Chapman ML2 Pro. I think all of them are made in Korea except for the Charvel which is made in Mexico IIRC.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

trem licking said:


> I definitely agree that construction method and quality of wood selection matter more, but it is a fact that maple is much harder than any mahogany. just look at the janka hardness scale. I personally dont care what the neck is made out of... as long as its not basswood/poplar/alder lol. oh wait, they dont make necks out of those woods... also why they shouldnt make bodies out of them either



You don't exactly want the hardest material for necks. If things don't flex, they crack, shatter, and break.

Softer woods, when constructed properly, and reinforced with a truss rod, are more ideal than very hard, less flexible, more crack prone materials.

Snakewood is almost three times harder than hard maple, which on paper would make it seem ideal for neck construction, but if you ask any builder they'd tell you Snakewood is a nightmare as it cracks so easily.

But, most woods commonly used are just fine. An extra couple hundred pounds of force on the Janka Scale doesn't really mean a whole bunch in this application.


----------



## Metropolis

pfizer said:


> So, are these worth the hype? I'm kind of considering getting one to replace my Ibanez RGA321 for D standard and Drop C -- the thing's more of a collector's item and I'm a little paranoid about it getting damaged, plus it doesn't have locking tuners and I don't really want to go through the trouble of replacing them.
> 
> I'm deciding between a Solar S1.6HLB, a Charvel DK24, an Ormsby Hype GTR, a PRS SE Custom 24 and possibly a Chapman ML2 Pro. I think all of them are made in Korea except for the Charvel which is made in Mexico IIRC.



Quality control is pretty good in the price range, and they're made in Indonesia. Are you picky about neck shapes? Because Solar neck is thicker than Ibanez without flat spot in the middle, so Ibanez Wizard is more like a D-shape while Solar is a C-shape. Solar has a forearm contour in body, which probably makes it more comfortable than rest of those. In RGA's that I've owned it didn't really matter because body is so thin.


----------



## Albake21

pfizer said:


> So, are these worth the hype? I'm kind of considering getting one to replace my Ibanez RGA321 for D standard and Drop C -- the thing's more of a collector's item and I'm a little paranoid about it getting damaged, plus it doesn't have locking tuners and I don't really want to go through the trouble of replacing them.
> 
> I'm deciding between a Solar S1.6HLB, a Charvel DK24, an Ormsby Hype GTR, a PRS SE Custom 24 and possibly a Chapman ML2 Pro. I think all of them are made in Korea except for the Charvel which is made in Mexico IIRC.


While I think they are great for the price, they won't compete with your Ibanez Prestige. All of those choices won't compete with an RGA Prestige. I think they could be a great backup, but if you want to replace that RGA, you're going to want to get another Prestige or maybe a Kiesel. To be honest, I've seen used Prestiges for the same price, if not cheaper, for the price of a new Solar.


----------



## pfizer

Metropolis said:


> Quality control is pretty good in the price range, and they're made in Indonesia. Are you picky about neck shapes? Because Solar neck is thicker than Ibanez without flat spot in the middle, so Ibanez Wizard is more like a D-shape while Solar is a C-shape. Solar has a forearm contour in body, which probably makes it more comfortable than rest of those. In RGA's that I've owned it didn't really matter because body is so thin.



Not super-picky about the neck shape although I do prefer them to be on the thinner side. I'm planning to use it mostly for metal so having a thin neck would help. 



Albake21 said:


> While I think they are great for the price, they won't compete with your Ibanez Prestige. All of those choices won't compete with an RGA Prestige. I think they could be a great backup, but if you want to replace that RGA, you're going to want to get another Prestige or maybe a Kiesel. To be honest, I've seen used Prestiges for the same price, if not cheaper, for the price of a new Solar.



Yeah, I figured as much. I think I might wait a bit for NAMM and see my options there; once I get the RGA back from the luthier, I'll probably continue to use it for my Drop C/D Standard tunes.


----------



## Ordacleaphobia

Albake21 said:


> To be honest, I've seen used Prestiges for the same price, if not cheaper, for the price of a new Solar.



We get it, you post on SSO! 
Seriously though, it's a meme for a reason. 9 times out of 10 it's probably gunna be your best option.

You're replacing a 321, have you thought about trying to track down one of the RGA121s? They're a lot cheaper and there's usually at least one on the market. Not sure if you're an ESP guy either but there's one of the LTD Elite Horizon III's on Reverb right now for like $700 that I would have grabbed yesterday if I didn't just order a custom. Those things are MiJ and should be on par with your RGA quality-wise.

@pfizer, I haven't tried a Solar so I can't comment on these specifically, but I did just recently pick up a HypeGTR and as someone who's used to having a rack full of Ibanez, the Hype slipped right in. Feels just as solid as my Prestiges, to be honest; although the Hype was new and the Prestiges were all used, so a mileage thing could be at play.


----------



## Albake21

Ordacleaphobia said:


> We get it, you post on SSO!
> Seriously though, it's a meme for a reason. 9 times out of 10 it's probably gunna be your best option.
> 
> You're replacing a 321, have you thought about trying to track down one of the RGA121s? They're a lot cheaper and there's usually at least one on the market. Not sure if you're an ESP guy either but there's one of the LTD Elite Horizon III's on Reverb right now for like $700 that I would have grabbed yesterday if I didn't just order a custom. Those things are MiJ and should be on par with your RGA quality-wise.
> 
> @pfizer, I haven't tried a Solar so I can't comment on these specifically, but I did just recently pick up a HypeGTR and as someone who's used to having a rack full of Ibanez, the Hype slipped right in. Feels just as solid as my Prestiges, to be honest; although the Hype was new and the Prestiges were all used, so a mileage thing could be at play.


Definitely agree on looking for a used RGA121. You can find them used for pretty solid prices.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Albake21 said:


> While I think they are great for the price, they won't compete with your Ibanez Prestige. All of those choices won't compete with an RGA Prestige. I think they could be a great backup, but if you want to replace that RGA, you're going to want to get another Prestige or maybe a Kiesel. To be honest, I've seen used Prestiges for the same price, if not cheaper, for the price of a new Solar.


To be honest I played a number of Ibanez Prestiges at Andertons just yesterday and truthfully, quality of the fretwork on all of them wasn't as nice as any of the Solars that I own. The ends just weren't as well rounded over and the fretboards weren't as smooth. I have played better examples of MIJ Prestiges than those and even then, my Solars can definitely hang with them. I was so impressed with the quality and playability of my 1.6 Jensen when it first arrived that I just had to get another.

Just my experience. YMMV of course. I can totally understand SSO's love for Prestiges as they definitely are a safe option.


----------



## Metropolis

I sold my RGA121 a year ago to get a Solar... really not any regrets


----------



## MaxOfMetal

Did some housekeeping.


----------



## pfizer

Ordacleaphobia said:


> We get it, you post on SSO!
> Seriously though, it's a meme for a reason. 9 times out of 10 it's probably gunna be your best option.
> 
> You're replacing a 321, have you thought about trying to track down one of the RGA121s? They're a lot cheaper and there's usually at least one on the market. Not sure if you're an ESP guy either but there's one of the LTD Elite Horizon III's on Reverb right now for like $700 that I would have grabbed yesterday if I didn't just order a custom. Those things are MiJ and should be on par with your RGA quality-wise.
> 
> @pfizer, I haven't tried a Solar so I can't comment on these specifically, but I did just recently pick up a HypeGTR and as someone who's used to having a rack full of Ibanez, the Hype slipped right in. Feels just as solid as my Prestiges, to be honest; although the Hype was new and the Prestiges were all used, so a mileage thing could be at play.





Albake21 said:


> Definitely agree on looking for a used RGA121. You can find them used for pretty solid prices.



I actually owned an RGA121 as my first Ibanez and sold it off to pay some bills -- one of the biggest regrets of my guitar-playing life. My problem is where I live - I live in the Philippines and getting decent gear here isn't exactly easy. RGA Prestiges are a little hard to come-by and a lot of them aren't exactly in the best condition.

I've never owned an ESP but I do like the ones I've tested -- I might actually take up that suggestion of yours. Also considering a used Kiesel or one of those Schecter Keith Merrow models.


----------



## Albake21

pfizer said:


> I actually owned an RGA121 as my first Ibanez and sold it off to pay some bills -- one of the biggest regrets of my guitar-playing life. My problem is where I live - I live in the Philippines and getting decent gear here isn't exactly easy. RGA Prestiges are a little hard to come-by and a lot of them aren't exactly in the best condition.
> 
> I've never owned an ESP but I do like the ones I've tested -- I might actually take up that suggestion of yours. Also considering a used Kiesel or one of those Schecter Keith Merrow models.


You definitely can't go wrong with either of those choices. Hell even a Solar is a good option, I was just advising you about the difference in quality between the Prestige and a Solar. My suggestion would be to take your time and look around for a few options. Look for some nice Prestiges, if you find nothing look for an ESP or Schecter. If you are dead set on a Solar, I think it's worth a shot.


----------



## pfizer

Albake21 said:


> You definitely can't go wrong with either of those choices. Hell even a Solar is a good option, I was just advising you about the difference in quality between the Prestige and a Solar. My suggestion would be to take your time and look around for a few options. Look for some nice Prestiges, if you find nothing look for an ESP or Schecter. If you are dead set on a Solar, I think it's worth a shot.



Yeah, there _is_ a pretty substantial price difference with the options I mentioned. Instead of getting one of the higher-end models with SS frets, I might get that neon-green/yellow Solar A2.6LN instead as a workhorse guitar.


----------



## littlebadboy

pfizer said:


> I actually owned an RGA121 as my first Ibanez and sold it off to pay some bills -- one of the biggest regrets of my guitar-playing life. My problem is where I live - I live in the Philippines and getting decent gear here isn't exactly easy. RGA Prestiges are a little hard to come-by and a lot of them aren't exactly in the best condition.



Mabuhay ang pinoy!

Yeah, I remember having limited choices over there. It's whatever Perfect Pitch stores have or the used market, or order from someone who is going to Hong Kong and buy it at Tom Lee's.


----------



## littlebadboy

I think that after Ola's coffee talk with Ola Strandberg, he will NOT come up with a Solar headless line!


----------



## Bearitone

Bummer.
There’s still a huge gap in market for entry level headless guitars. Someone will fill it soon though i guess


----------



## Andromalia

The problem with "entry level headless" is the hardware. If you make a 400$ headless there's a good chance the hardware will be horrible, given it's more specialised and made in smaller numbers. There's no point in making a 400 headless that doesn't stay in tune nowadays.


----------



## Bearitone

Andromalia said:


> The problem with "entry level headless" is the hardware. If you make a 400$ headless there's a good chance the hardware will be horrible, given it's more specialised and made in smaller numbers. There's no point in making a 400 headless that doesn't stay in tune nowadays.



Yeah true. I guess i just like cheap modding platforms. Maybe i’ll grab a kit from eBay


----------



## armand

littlebadboy said:


> Mabuhay ang pinoy!
> 
> Yeah, I remember having limited choices over there. It's whatever Perfect Pitch stores have or the used market, or order from someone who is going to Hong Kong and buy it at Tom Lee's.



Audiophile has always carried some decent stock, no?


----------



## MASS DEFECT

armand said:


> Audiophile has always carried some decent stock, no?



Yep. Decent stock with rusty strings and discolored hardware if they were in cosmo black. Their customers and even the salesguys just demo the heck out of the good ones.


----------



## armand

MASS DEFECT said:


> Yep. Decent stock with rusty strings and discolored hardware if they were in cosmo black. Their customers and even the salesguys just demo the heck out of the good ones.


It's the humid Manila weather. 

Now, you can treat the entire store for humidity control but I don't think anyone really does that...


----------



## lewis

Bearitone said:


> Yeah true. I guess i just like cheap modding platforms. Maybe i’ll grab a kit from eBay



https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/263698683103

These look cool its the NK guitars basically.


----------



## littlebadboy

armand said:


> Audiophile has always carried some decent stock, no?


Oh yeah I remember Audiophile too. How's RJ doing?


----------



## armand

littlebadboy said:


> Oh yeah I remember Audiophile too. How's RJ doing?


Last time I was there which was like almost ten years ago, I remember only seeing them at Makati and it was rather small.
For me, it was Audiophile for Ibanez and JB Music for the rest. Perfect Pitch had the odd selection every once in a while and PJC at Ortigas Home Depot had the hard to find ones. Then I learned about the online drops from Philmusic.


----------



## myrtorp

Is it just me who would buy a single pickup model? Super strat. A guitar that only gives a single fuck! lol 
I was looking a the ESP LTD Black Metal but im afraid of trems.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

myrtorp said:


> Is it just me who would buy a single pickup model? Super strat. A guitar that only gives a single fuck! lol
> I was looking a the ESP LTD Black Metal but im afraid of trems.


Some people just like the aesthetic of only having 1 pickup and don't want the added versatility that an extra pickup gives.

People are weird.


----------



## gunch

HEY OLA

I THINK IT WOULD BE SICK TO MAKE A RADIUS TOP A SHAPE

THAT WOULD BE DOPE AND YOU WOULD BE SHOOTING RIGHT AT ALL THE DUVELLS AND 4APs AND KM MK. IIIs OF THE WORLD

YOU'RE WELCOME


----------



## Bearitone

Question is, would you be willing to pay for the price increase of a radius top? While i think the only increase in cost would be due to extended time on the router to ball-end the top, that cost would still probably be transferred to you, the customer.


----------



## gunch

Bearitone said:


> Question is, would you be willing to pay for the price increase of a radius top? While i think the only increase in cost would be due to extended time on the router to ball-end the top, that cost would still probably be transferred to you, the customer.



I would. And IIRC Schecter already has made the C6 pro at the Indo WMI factory so it wouldn't be _that _huge of a stretch???


----------



## Bearitone

@Ola Englund,

Have you considered doing longer scale length versions of your E-Type guitar?


----------



## JimF

@Ola Englund my man, are there any plans for any new finishes in the S1.6ET range in the near future? I’m in the market for something with an Evertune but would hate to compromise if something with dot inlays, Evertune & solid non-black finish was around the corner.


----------



## Andromalia

littlebadboy said:


> Well, the only thing I don't like about Ola, not actually himself, but his Randall amp named Satan because I'm a devout Christian. Flame if you want, I really care less.


We won't grill you, _He_ will.


----------



## Ola Englund

JimF said:


> @Ola Englund my man, are there any plans for any new finishes in the S1.6ET range in the near future? I’m in the market for something with an Evertune but would hate to compromise if something with dot inlays, Evertune & solid non-black finish was around the corner.


Of course !


----------



## Ola Englund

Andromalia said:


> We won't grill you, _He_ will.


HAIL SATAN!


----------



## littlebadboy

Ola Englund said:


> HAIL SATAN!


----------



## Andromalia

Ola since you're there, any chance of a white V1 6 ? Yes, I know, "*another* guy asking for a random color", but you made it for the explorer. T_T


----------



## JimF

Ola Englund said:


> Of course !


Thanks for replying! Still amazes me you have this level of interaction! Hope the thumb is ok


----------



## Ola Englund

Andromalia said:


> Ola since you're there, any chance of a white V1 6 ? Yes, I know, "*another* guy asking for a random color", but you made it for the explorer. T_T


Definitely not a random color at all. I don't have anything planned right now but maybe!



JimF said:


> Thanks for replying! Still amazes me you have this level of interaction! Hope the thumb is ok


Still need to have a cast in 3 more weeks. Then we'll see. Problem is holding the pick and having any kind of resistance or friction, so all chugging is a no no right now


----------



## Andromalia

Time to make a video with your tongue.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Ola Englund said:


> Still need to have a cast in 3 more weeks. Then we'll see. Problem is holding the pick and having any kind of resistance or friction, so all chugging is a no no right now



Sorry to hear that, man. That really blows


----------



## Fred the Shred

Ola Englund said:


> Still need to have a cast in 3 more weeks. Then we'll see. Problem is holding the pick and having any kind of resistance or friction, so all chugging is a no no right now



That sucks. Get well soon, man!


----------



## lewis

Ola Englund said:


> Definitely not a random color at all. I don't have anything planned right now but maybe!
> 
> 
> Still need to have a cast in 3 more weeks. Then we'll see. Problem is holding the pick and having any kind of resistance or friction, so all chugging is a no no right now


 
"today on WILL IT CHUG"
"0:01 stop the clock - it will not chug"

get better soon Ola's hand (enjoyed the Washburn/Dean guitar showcase vid you just dropped. They all sound so aggressive and biting! Love it)


----------



## JimF

Ola Englund said:


> Still need to have a cast in 3 more weeks. Then we'll see. Problem is holding the pick and having any kind of resistance or friction, so all chugging is a no no right now



A cast... that sucks.


----------



## trem licking

Ola... please make run of 8 strings with floyds! anyone who would want one chime in, so we can show that there is some demand


----------



## StevenC

trem licking said:


> Ola... please make run of 8 strings with floyds! anyone who would want one chime in, so we can show that there is some demand


And make it a V!


----------



## lurè

StevenC said:


> And make it a V!



And fretless!


----------



## spudmunkey

lurè said:


> And fretless!



And headless, but instead of a typical locking headpiece/nut, make it another Floyd.


----------



## Seabeast2000

I would like a head-mounted Floyd and a Hipshot Trem. MAB gonna shit his pants yo.


----------



## Ordacleaphobia

spudmunkey said:


> And headless, but instead of a typical locking headpiece/nut, make it another Floyd.



You've seen the double locking trem, now meet the double floating trem system!


----------



## Seabeast2000

Ordacleaphobia said:


> You've seen the double locking trem, now meet the double floating trem system!



My quip was an unintentional copy of spudmonkey's. I can't redeem myself anymore with Edit. 

But.... I'd like Evertune integrated into the double floating trem setup or I'm not buying. It would be like nerdy MMA fighting on a guitar.


----------



## trem licking

Ha ha. Y'all funny


----------



## gunch

Also get your thumb well soon


----------



## Randy

spudmunkey said:


> And headless, but instead of a typical locking headpiece/nut, make it another Floyd.



Joking aside, I wish the FR Speedloader was adapted to take ball ended strings.


----------



## MAJ Meadows SF

The big question here is, what will Ola draw on his cast????


----------



## Dayn

MAJ Meadows SF said:


> The big question here is, what will Ola draw on his cast????


Cats. Catscast.


----------



## Xaeldaren

Hey all, does anyone know what locking tuners would fit an A2.7?


----------



## littlebadboy

MAJ Meadows SF said:


> The big question here is, what will Ola draw on his cast????


A Dimebag caricature.


----------



## Boojakki

Xaeldaren said:


> Hey all, does anyone know what locking tuners would fit an A2.7?



Something like these: https://www.ebay.ie/itm/7-x-Vanson-...887496?hash=item1eb7c0d788:g:uscAAOSwMgdX0Ffi
Just remember, that these things weight quite more than the standard tuners on your guitar, so it can get a little neck diving...


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Xaeldaren said:


> Hey all, does anyone know what locking tuners would fit an A2.7?


Any Gotoh or Gotoh copy will work.


----------



## Luafcm

More gloss black please and how bout some pickup rings. Do it before it's cool again. And a version with a volume knob close coupled to the bridge pickup for proper thrashers who don't strum all over their guitars randomly hitting controls.

Love the neck and headstock binding!


----------



## BlackSG91

I like to see robo-tuners as an option on Ola guitars.


;>)/


----------



## lewis

GuitarSetup said:


> wish there were solar guitars dealers and distributors on my country


Thomann sell them and arent they international?

Edit also dont solar themselves from their website ship worldwide?


----------



## Albake21

Yeah I'm a bit confused here, you can just buy direct from Solar. They ship world wide. I never understood why people want distributors. All distributors will do is jack up the prices for customers. Buying direct will always be the cheapest price and supports the company.


----------



## LeviathanKiller

In many ways, a distributor results in misrepresentation of the product. Guitar Center, for example, doesn't usually properly care for their instruments on display thus lowering the perceived quality/feel of the instrument. I can't take a Guitar Center experience with an item as the whole truth really. It's great if you want to find out the shape of a neck, or maybe the sound of the stock pickups IF they have an amp similar to what you're used to.


----------



## myrtorp

Here's my professional mockup !!


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

GuitarSetup said:


> want to try it first on local guitar shop


Its not very realistic to demand that such a small company as Solar to put guitars in brick & mortar stores in the Philippines, especially when the brand is already competing in such a heavily saturated market.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

GuitarSetup said:


> im not demanding , im just want to try guitar myself first before buying its my preference and choice and its also possible someone here have it to for me to try it, assuming that im demanding is not right


Pretty much everybody is going to seize the luxury of trying guitars out before buying them if that luxury exists. But brick & mortar stores simply cannot justify the cost of putting such a small fledgling brand like Solar on their shelves when those shelves can be populated with more easily saleable guitars like Gibsons, Fenders, Epiphones, PRS SE's and cheap Ibanez's instead. The amount of risk the store is taking doesn't justify the reward.

Unless you know someone who happens to own a Solar guitar that you can try yourself, buying online is pretty much your only option. It's a calculated risk that you just have to be prepared to take with small brands. It sucks but that's life. Nothing you can do about it.


----------



## Vyn

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> Pretty much everyone is going to seize the luxury of trying guitars out before buying them if that luxury exists. But brick & mortar stores simply cannot justify the cost of putting such a small fledgling brand like Solar on their shelves when those shelves can be populated with more easily saleable guitars like Gibsons, Fenders, Epiphones, PRS SE's and cheap Ibanez's instead. The amount of risk the store is taking doesn't justify the reward.
> 
> Unless you know someone who happens to own a Solar guitar that you can try yourself, buying online is pretty much your only option. It's a calculated risk that you just have to be prepared to take with small brands. It is what it is. Nothing you can do about it.



Also throwing out there that the cheapest Solar is $599US plus shipping which while I can understand is a significant some of money to some people, in the scheme of taking a risk and not liking it it's probably the safest and cheapest option out there at the moment buying sight-unseen. Plus I highly doubt it would take long to move on the used market if you didn't like it.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

GuitarSetup said:


> by the way there is a dealer here in my country, thanks to fellow countrymen who suggested, again your assumption that im demanding is totally not right sorry thanks


Good for you but it still makes no business sense to stock a store with guitars of a relatively esoteric brand such as Solar unless its a truly gargantuan store with a big enough inventory turnover to shoulder the risk. Which the vast majority aren't. Deny it all you want but that doesn't make it untrue.

What is the name of this store, btw? Just curious. The only places I know of where you can buy Solars retail are Thomann and Solar's website itself.


----------



## Merrekof

Damn, that's in the Philippines?

Also, I've been following up the BC Rich thread on SSO at the moment. While those BC Riches look nice and all..I'm still gassing for a 7 string Solar with an evertune bridge.


----------



## Masoo2

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> Good for you but it still makes no business sense to stock a store with guitars of a relatively esoteric brand such as Solar unless its a truly gargantuan store with a big enough inventory turnover to shoulder the risk. Which the vast majority aren't. Deny it all you want but that doesn't make it untrue.
> 
> What is the name of this store, btw? Just curious. The only places I know of where you can buy Solars retail are Thomann and Solar's website itself.


it's surprising to see how many stores there are in SEA that stock a _*ton *_of extremely high end/boutique brands and otherwise smaller brands like Solar and Ormsby

i'm honestly curious what the sales numbers are, because even in the US it's hard to find high end guitars that aren't the usual Gibsons/Fenders and i'm sure sales aren't super high


----------



## spudmunkey

Masoo2 said:


> it's surprising to see how many stores there are in SEA that stock a _*ton *_of extremely high end/boutique brands and otherwise smaller brands like Solar and Ormsby



Not to derail the thread too far, but if I had time to make one stop, and if I'm near Stewart and 6th, where's one place I should Ubar/Lyft to for that sort of thing?


----------



## R34CH

spudmunkey said:


> Not to derail the thread too far, but if I had time to make one stop, and if I'm near Stewart and 6th, where's one place I should Ubar/Lyft to for that sort of thing?



I could be waaaay off here but I think he meant South East Asia (SEA) whereas you're talking about Seattle?


----------



## spudmunkey




----------



## Masoo2

R34CH said:


> I could be waaaay off here but I think he meant South East Asia (SEA) whereas you're talking about Seattle?


nah I mean South East Asia

haven't been personally but I've looked through stock at a ton of stores in a multiple countries, they're seemingly all over the place and have a ton of really nice pieces

I can't think of a single worthwhile music store within 500+ miles of my hometown, save for Red Dragon but we all know how it went down with them not too too long ago

I know some aren't a fan of this, but does Solar and/or Thomman allow for effectively question-free returns ala Guitar Center? That could be an option to test out the guitar, albeit a costly and non-hassle free method


----------



## Ikaruga

myrtorp said:


> Here's my professional mockup !!
> View attachment 71113


I can only dream!


----------



## MASS DEFECT

Nice to see my homeland (Ph) getting some Solars and Ormsbys! Most of these shops are by order basis though. They might have small stock for customers to sample and try. The pricing for the Solars are good too, comparable to US pricing. Might be a bit cheaper since it SHOULD be easier to ship from Indo to Ph. Barring any post office third world style corruption, of course.


----------



## DudeManBrother

spudmunkey said:


> Not to derail the thread too far, but if I had time to make one stop, and if I'm near Stewart and 6th, where's one place I should Ubar/Lyft to for that sort of thing?


The answer is The Guitar Store on 83rd and Aurora


----------



## J_Mac

I'm on the fence about buying an A1.7C. Has anyone here got one? Can you comment on the quality and how is the Evertune to use for downtuning to G#?


----------



## LeviathanKiller

J_Mac said:


> I'm on the fence about buying an A1.7C. Has anyone here got one? Can you comment on the quality and how is the Evertune to use for downtuning to G#?


I have an A1.7 BOP LTD Artist and it's pretty amazing. I've only had it in drop A though. I haven't tuned it but once since I bought it last year.


----------



## Merrekof

> I haven't tuned it but once since I bought it last year.



This...this is awesome.
I remember my first guitar starter pack, that bitch needed to be tuned after 2 mins of playing.


----------



## TheUnknownOne

Dear sir Ola,

P
L
E
A
S 
E

R E L E A S E 

N
A
T
U
R
A
L

finish !


----------



## jmill00

J_Mac said:


> I'm on the fence about buying an A1.7C. Has anyone here got one? Can you comment on the quality and how is the Evertune to use for downtuning to G#?



I have a A2.7TBR and love it. No Evertune, so can't comment on that. But I'm very happy with the quality and sound of the guitar. I've had mine for a year now and it has become the only guitar I use for recording. I've had it tuned to drop A and drop Ab.


----------



## ImNotAhab

The Satan always sounded pretty decent in videos at least. Would anyone be surprised to see Solar Amps in the future?


----------



## littlebadboy

ImNotAhab said:


> The Satan always sounded pretty decent in videos at least. Would anyone be surprised to see Solar Amps in the future?



Ah, finally... I'm not a fan of the amp's name...


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

TheUnknownOne said:


> Dear sir Ola,
> 
> P
> L
> E
> A
> S
> E
> 
> R E L E A S E
> 
> N
> A
> T
> U
> R
> A
> L
> 
> finish !


The Poplar Burls are already pretty natural...


----------



## Hollowway

ImNotAhab said:


> The Satan always sounded pretty decent in videos at least. Would anyone be surprised to see Solar Amps in the future?




I wouldn't be surprised, as it seems like a logical step. But, he's already had NATAS, then SATAN, so sticking with the letters alone, the next version would be SANTA.


----------



## TGN

Hollowway said:


> I wouldn't be surprised, as it seems like a logical step. But, he's already had NATAS, then SATAN, so sticking with the letters alone, the next version would be SANTA.


----------



## ryanougrad

Masoo2 said:


> it's surprising to see how many stores there are in SEA that stock a _*ton *_of extremely high end/boutique brands and otherwise smaller brands like Solar and Ormsby
> 
> i'm honestly curious what the sales numbers are, because even in the US it's hard to find high end guitars that aren't the usual Gibsons/Fenders and i'm sure sales aren't super high


Where in SEA? I'm in Vietnam and it's a gear desert.


----------



## Andromalia

ImNotAhab said:


> The Satan always sounded pretty decent in videos at least. Would anyone be surprised to see Solar Amps in the future?



IMHO, unlikely. It's probably not cost efficient to have a factory producing *one* amp, especially a pretty niche one. I don't know if amp makers share factories the same way guitar brands do.


----------



## Merrekof

Andromalia said:


> IMHO, unlikely. It's probably not cost efficient to have a factory producing *one* amp, especially a pretty niche one. I don't know if amp makers share factories the same way guitar brands do.



I believe they do, to a much lesser extent. I used to have a Londen city tube combo amp, I have no idea what model it was. And Musicstore in Germany sold the exact same amp under the Fame brand. Layout, knobs, specs,.. all exactly the same except for the front plate. Fame was gold, LC was silver. Bogey is another one of those brands. This is basically only with budget or beginner models but I wouldn't be surprised if a brand like Solar "buys" an amp and stick it's name on it. At least if they keep the QC up..


----------



## MaxOfMetal

Andromalia said:


> IMHO, unlikely. It's probably not cost efficient to have a factory producing *one* amp, especially a pretty niche one. I don't know if amp makers share factories the same way guitar brands do.



They do. 

There are large scale amp/effects/electronics OEMs, just like guitar factories. 

Pretty much everything coming out of China is one of three facilities, and look up Boutique Amp Distribution for the higher end stuff.


----------



## J_Mac

Pulled the trigger on the A1.6C. Excited.


----------



## myrtorp

3 new ones, this one looks the best of this model i think


----------



## MFB

..._motherfucker
_
My wallet hurts


----------



## LeviathanKiller

myrtorp said:


> 3 new ones, this one looks the best of this model i think



Looks Authentic


----------



## J_Mac

My A1.6C arrived and it’s awesome. I left a full review on the Solar Guitars discussion page on Facebook. I am amazed at the quality for under £1000. If anyone is on the fence about Solar you need not worry.

Link to Dropbox pics: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/oe5kjtzstnjwfnd/AAAVssCgv6DeNPpajbrUqZgMa?dl=0


----------



## Albake21

J_Mac said:


> My A1.6C arrived and it’s awesome. I left a full review on the Solar Guitars discussion page on Facebook. I am amazed at the quality for under £1000. If anyone is on the fence about Solar you need not worry.
> 
> Link to Dropbox pics: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/oe5kjtzstnjwfnd/AAAVssCgv6DeNPpajbrUqZgMa?dl=0


This does not help my GAS for an evertune guitar! I'm hoping to snag one with either a floyd or an evertune. How smooth is the neck? Is it sticky at all? I've found some satin/matte necks to have some slight stickiness to them compared to bare wood.


----------



## J_Mac

Albake21 said:


> This does not help my GAS for an evertune guitar! I'm hoping to snag one with either a floyd or an evertune. How smooth is the neck? Is it sticky at all? I've found some satin/matte necks to have some slight stickiness to them compared to bare wood.


Hahah do it!  I didn’t realise how much I would love the Evertune bridge, it’s amazing. 

The neck is great actually, smooth and thin. Can’t fault it!


----------



## Bearitone

@Ola Englund 
Any chance of a Bass VI style guitar?


----------



## Alex79

Merrekof said:


> I believe they do, to a much lesser extent. I used to have a Londen city tube combo amp, I have no idea what model it was. And Musicstore in Germany sold the exact same amp under the Fame brand. Layout, knobs, specs,.. all exactly the same except for the front plate. Fame was gold, LC was silver. Bogey is another one of those brands. This is basically only with budget or beginner models but I wouldn't be surprised if a brand like Solar "buys" an amp and stick it's name on it. At least if they keep the QC up..



AFAIK they Fame amps from Music Store were made by Laboga in Poland.
I could be wrong though.


----------



## Merrekof

Alex79 said:


> AFAIK they Fame amps from Music Store were made by Laboga in Poland.
> I could be wrong though.



You could be right, I could be wrong. I am just talking about that specific model I had. Fame also made tube amps. It is not unlikely Fame bought a Chinese built amp design for the solid state combos and had a Polish company build their tube amps.
Same with the Fame Forum guitars wich are built by Mayones.

AFAIK Fame is just a brand name that doesn't necessarily build its own products. Thomann has the t. brand, Piens music had Cool, the USA has Trump...


----------



## sylcfh

That headstock belongs on a T-style single cut, not a LP style.


----------



## Merrekof

sylcfh said:


> That headstock belongs on a T-style single cut, not a LP style.


Yeah, my thoughts exactly. It feels wrong in my head, just like those SG/flying V mockups some years ago..


----------



## Alex79

Merrekof said:


> You could be right, I could be wrong. I am just talking about that specific model I had. Fame also made tube amps. It is not unlikely Fame bought a Chinese built amp design for the solid state combos and had a Polish company build their tube amps.
> Same with the Fame Forum guitars wich are built by Mayones.
> 
> AFAIK Fame is just a brand name that doesn't necessarily build its own products. Thomann has the t. brand, Piens music had Cool, the USA has Trump...



I had a look at their website and I think they probably switched to a different manufacturer at some point. I only remember the very first Fame tube amps back before 2007 (?); I considered buying one at one point.


----------



## Bearitone

GuitarSetup said:


> Can someone explain to me a simple way to understand how to bend on evertune? sorry maybe the first time i buy the guitar with evertune



Keep turning the tuning key until the string goes sharp. Back off 1/4 turn. Done.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

GuitarSetup said:


> Can someone explain to me a simple way to understand how to bend on evertune? sorry maybe the first time i buy the guitar with evertune





Bearitone said:


> Keep turning the tuning key until the string goes sharp. Back off 1/4 turn. Done.



Yup. The tuning keys are used for tension. The actual tuning is done at the bridge.


----------



## Vyn

GuitarSetup said:


> then when i bend the evertune will keep tuning also?



Incorrect. The evertune has a finite range where the spring system compensates for pitch. By having it on the limit of it's range you can have it stay in tune and then when you bend you exceed the compensation range and it just functions like a normal guitar.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

GuitarSetup said:


> can i do any type of bend and vibrato without lossing the evertune function?



https://www.espguitars.com/videos/2032732
It seems like it.


----------



## BearOnGuitar

Check out our only 4-page manual and the graphic on the first page to understand how to enable string bending. When the string enters zone 3 it behaves like a regular fixed bridge and after the bend, when it returns into zone 2, the bridge will continuously balance it so that it stays in perfect tuning. https://www.evertune.com/manuals/pdf/Evertune__UserManual04.pdf


----------



## Axiom451

Anyone got a Solar A1.8 8 string and can share some experience?
Really thinking about getting one soon


----------



## skmanga

GuitarSetup said:


> I want to do any bend and keep the tune correct, how can i do that with evertune? im just planning to buy and want to know
> 
> i mean after doing any bending does does it go to correct tuning?


Yes.
Check out the manual posted and see for youself.


----------



## dhgrind

Solar thread folks tell me about the V. Any gripes, also if anyone can illuminate on the neck shape, C shape on my previous Aristides didn’t gel at all.


----------



## Metropolis

dhgrind said:


> Solar thread folks tell me about the V. Any gripes, also if anyone can illuminate on the neck shape, C shape on my previous Aristides didn’t gel at all.



What kind of neck do you prefer? It's 43mm nut, so width is same as Ibanez but it's a round C-shape, there is no flat spot in the back and I couldn't gel with that when I had a Solar A2.6 TBLM. I prefer even more flat radius than 14" what Solar has in their 6-strings, like 17". Solar necks aren't bad by any means, but I personally prefer something more flat.


----------



## dhgrind

Metropolis said:


> What kind of neck do you prefer? It's 43mm nut, so width is same as Ibanez but it's a round C-shape, there is no flat spot in the back and I couldn't gel with that when I had a Solar A2.6 TBLM. I prefer even more flat radius than 14" what Solar has in their 6-strings, like 17". Solar necks aren't bad by any means, but I personally prefer something more flat.



I’ve been playing a PRS S2 standard 24, 10 inch radius, D profile and nut width about a 42 mm. 

Preference-wise i prefer D shaped profiles and 25.5 inch scale, I like compound radii or anything between 12-20. Nut width about 42-43


----------



## Metropolis

dhgrind said:


> I’ve been playing a PRS S2 standard 24, 10 inch radius, D profile and nut width about a 42 mm.
> 
> Preference-wise i prefer D shaped profiles and 25.5 inch scale, I like compound radii or anything between 12-20. Nut width about 42-43



PRS Pattern Regular looks like it's not the thinnest possbile D-shape, so you might actually like Solar neck in comparison.

PRS profiles...






Compared to Solar and bunch of others in this thread:
https://www.sevenstring.org/threads/ngd-solar-v2-6.328730/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/27038811948/


----------



## AkiraSpectrum

GuitarSetup said:


>



Just watched the video. Yeah that Purple Poplar Burl is killer!


----------



## dhgrind

AkiraSpectrum said:


> Just watched the video. Yeah that Purple Poplar Burl is killer!



If this translates to a V with a maple top I’d be down.


----------



## Albake21

My god that purple.....


----------



## Hollowway

Good lord. I need that purple in an 8! And I get three wishes, right? So, #2 would be put a Floyd on it, and #3 would (of course) be unlimited number of additional wishes.


----------



## StevenC

Hollowway said:


> Good lord. I need that purple in an 8! And I get three wishes, right? So, #2 would be put a Floyd on it, and #3 would (of course) be unlimited number of additional wishes.


With #4 through infinity can you wish for it to be V without the poplar burl?


----------



## Hollowway

StevenC said:


> With #4 through infinity can you wish for it to be V without the poplar burl?


You know, I've never owned a V, so I will definitely wish for that! 

In all seriousness, I'd love to see a fanned 8 string V from Ola. I'd buy that in a heartbeat. I was hoping the metal V's from Ormsby would be available in an 8, but that never happened.


----------



## littlebadboy

I want to see Ola with a clean haircut.


----------



## Metropolis

GuitarSetup said:


>



Dat purplar burl!  Ola the purplerer.


----------



## Seabeast2000

littlebadboy said:


> I want to see Ola with a clean haircut.



Doesn't match with the raiding and longship lifestyle.


----------



## possumkiller

littlebadboy said:


> I want to see Ola with a clean haircut.


I want to see him with a man bun and hipster glasses with a local unknown craft beer in one hand and a big douchey vaping machine in the other hand while talking into the edge of his phone on speaker.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/s1-6pp-poplar-purple-burst-matte/






https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/s2-6fbl-flame-blue-matte/


----------



## LeviathanKiller

No 7


----------



## Xaeldaren

Does anyone have neck thickness measurements for the Solar seven strings? I'm used to my Ibanez wizard neck, and the deciding factor between a Solar and a Schecter is that I know the Schecter's measurements, and it's pretty damn thin. I'm a bit concerned the Solar will be a bit too thick for my tastes.


----------



## Decapitated

Xaeldaren said:


> Does anyone have neck thickness measurements for the Solar seven strings? I'm used to my Ibanez wizard neck, and the deciding factor between a Solar and a Schecter is that I know the Schecter's measurements, and it's pretty damn thin. I'm a bit concerned the Solar will be a bit too thick for my tastes.



https://www.sevenstring.org/threads/solar-a2-7-neck-thickness.336029/


----------



## Xaeldaren

Decapitated said:


> https://www.sevenstring.org/threads/solar-a2-7-neck-thickness.336029/



Thanks a tonne, exactly what I wanted!


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

it was a pretty day today.


----------



## binz

Images broken


----------



## Seabeast2000

binz said:


> Images broken



I think its the black E sig model. Hit Reply to see.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

binz said:


> Images broken


That's very weird. imgur has never given me any trouble in the past.


----------



## Albake21

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> That's very weird. imgur has never given me any trouble in the past.


Imgur doesn't work on SSO sadly. The best solution I've found is Flickr.


----------



## littlebadboy

Albake21 said:


> Imgur doesn't work on SSO sadly. The best solution I've found is Flickr.


And imgbb!


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Albake21 said:


> Imgur doesn't work on SSO sadly. The best solution I've found is Flickr.
















Hope that helps.


----------



## CheapSkate

Solars are really good. Unfortunately, I'm refunding mine. I got a sudden unexpected guitar budget increase so I'm looking for a used Prestige Ibanez instead. Hopefully I don't regret it. I really liked that guitar.


----------



## TheUnknownOne

Hey Ola, 

Have you planned any new color scheme for the S-ETC line ? I'm craving a flame top or natural one so bad !


----------



## Ola Englund

TheUnknownOne said:


> Hey Ola,
> 
> Have you planned any new color scheme for the S-ETC line ? I'm craving a flame top or natural one so bad !


maaaaaaaybe, or maaaaaaaybe not


----------



## TheUnknownOne

Ola Englund said:


> maaaaaaaybe, or maaaaaaaybe not



So much suspense I can't handle


----------



## grinder

If you are reading this then *"Damn you Ola"*!!   I 've tried earlier today the A2.6 (the one with the swamp ash body in red). I honestly didn't expect such a good instrument! Well done!

Problem is that I was targeting a Charvel Pro-Mod DK24 HH in Burgundy Mist, since all of my guitars are 100% metal (both the looks and the specs) and I thought to do something completely different this time, but I also reserved a Solar here in my local music shop to try as well. Both guitars are      especially if you consider the money.

They can both do all the styles with the Charvel being more versatile with all those different pickup settings and the Solar being a little bit better for those heavy mental sounds  Great build quality for both instruments, great pickups and great necks (I slightly prefer the Solar in that respect).

I 'm really confused now about what to get  On the other hand do I really need another guitar? Certainly not. Maybe just sell my Bugera Trirec and the Rivera RockCrusher Recording and get a Boss Katana (I used both of those amps in the shop trying the guitars today)? Or do absolutely nothing and just start practising again (due to reasons I haven't played the guitar for over a year now, maybe more).

PS1 Also, tried the Chapmans (ML1 Standard and Pro). Not bad, but they didn't get me as excited as the Charvel and the Solar. I believe that these are a lot better.
PS2 Belated happy birthday Ola


----------



## CheapSkate

Anyone know when the guys will be back from QC in Indonesia? Trying to be patient for my refund, lmao.


----------



## CheapSkate

Can't wait to get a Evertune Solar! This Christmas ;P


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Nobody is talking about these yet?

Pretty cool how they've relic'd the hardware somewhat.

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a1-6d-ltd-natural-aged-distressed/











https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a1-7d-ltd-natural-aged-distressed/


----------



## Ordacleaphobia

Goddddd my Solar GAS is endless. These new distressed models look so sick!
If only I didn't have more guitars than I should already...
I suppose it's about that time in the GAS cycle to start flinging stuff at Reverb again.


----------



## manu80

Wish Ola would do a Voodoo kind of finish on some open pores one
Like the recent prs too


----------



## CheapSkate

That's gorgeous


----------



## AC.Lin

I think Ola is trying to remind us that: *clap* christmas is coming guys *clap*


----------



## TheUnknownOne

Damn I nearly had a seizure !!!
Ola you did it ! It looks sooooo coool 

Can't wait to order it


----------



## gunshow86de




----------



## Albake21

I've been on watch with Solar for an evertune but I wasn't too big on the current choices of evertunes... THIS THOUGH, Ola my god this is amazing looking! Now the difficult choice of 6 or 7 string.


----------



## Vyn

Albake21 said:


> I've been on watch with Solar for an evertune but I wasn't too big on the current choices of evertunes... THIS THOUGH, Ola my god this is amazing looking! Now the difficult choice of 6 or 7 string.



Why not both?


----------



## Albake21

Vyn said:


> Why not both?


Shit if I was strapped for cash I'd buy both AND more Solars haha


----------



## Metropolis

That is badass... those need covered pickups with same finish as the hardware.


----------



## WiseSplinter

That distressed 7 string look amazing, seriously thinking about picking one up.
The only thing that gives me pause is the thought that as soon as I pay up Solar with announce a multiscale 7 string


----------



## myrtorp

I WOOD not mind owning one of those hoho!
Seriously hot though, reminds me a little of RAN. I Always wanted one of those. 
I still cant get over my fantasy if a single pickup version.


----------



## Merrekof

Me: psshhhht, I don't get it. Who would want relic guitars? Paying new price for a "looks used" instrument. This is soooo stupi...hmm, that Solar looks nice though. That looks really cool.
....

Damn you Ola!


----------



## Ordacleaphobia




----------



## Andromalia

Looks like a guitar for the "I sacrificed to Belenos before it was cool" hipsters. Meaning, WHY isn't it a V. I've helf off Solars waiting for a white V but I'd have picked a V like this in a heartbeat.
*goes fetch a goat*


----------



## mpexus

Ordacleaphobia said:


>




Ahahahahaha spot on!


----------



## Nik_Left_RG

Just went the Solar website and really thankful that they have a 6 & 7 string Left handed. But come on, any color other than black would have been better. Would love to see either a 6 or 7 Distressed Lefty.

Has anyone tried either of the Left Handed models ?


----------



## TheUnknownOne

That new finish is a true success


----------



## LeviathanKiller

TheUnknownOne said:


> That new finish is a true success




The stain differs quite a lot from piece to piece on that body. Seems poorly done to be honest. Which is unusual, since everything else I've seen Solar do looks great (even if not my personal preference).


----------



## gunshow86de

LeviathanKiller said:


> The stain differs quite a lot from piece to piece on that body. Seems poorly done to be honest. Which is unusual, since everything else I've seen Solar do looks great (even if not my personal preference).



It's not the stain, but the different wood grains. It looks like a 5 piece body. I understand it's a (somewhat) budget conscious import, but they should have probably saved that one for an opaque finish.






The seven string on the website looks like a 3-piece body, so, slightly better?


----------



## Darchetype

I wish he would offer different inlay options.


----------



## Cynicanal

Darchetype said:


> I wish he would offer different inlay options.


Completely agreed. That "V" shape is delicious and I'd be tempted to look into these more closely, but I always get lost above fret 12 without "on-the-fretboard" inlay markers.


----------



## Darchetype

Cynicanal said:


> Completely agreed. That "V" shape is delicious and I'd be tempted to look into these more closely, but I always get lost above fret 12 without "on-the-fretboard" inlay markers.


It just makes total sense. He understands there are a shit ton of people who dont like the inlay, so why not capitalize on that by making guitars without that hideous inlay? That would be a smarter business practice I would think.


----------



## Albake21

Darchetype said:


> It just makes total sense. He understands there are a shit ton of people who dont like the inlay, so why not capitalize on that by making guitars without that hideous inlay? That would be a smarter business practice I would think.


I think he should at least make one of the types without the inlay. I feel like the Type A line works fine with it but the Type S Line would make more sense without it. At least give the option.


----------



## Ordacleaphobia

Albake21 said:


> I think he should at least make one of the types without the inlay. I feel like the Type A line works fine with it but the Type S Line would make more sense without it. At least give the option.



Huge fan of the inlay, but I agree. A blank board is pretty sometimes and the Solar design would lend itself to that, I think. Especially on one of the black, open-pore top models? Oooooooooh. Options never hurt.


----------



## Darchetype

I would like to see some Carvin style block pearloid inlays on a blacked out type A model


----------



## LeviathanKiller

At least with a blank board you can add stickers just where you want them. I've been getting away with this on my Jericho 7 that had no inlays and they haven't come off thanks to careful placement.


----------



## Darchetype

LeviathanKiller said:


> At least with a blank board you can add stickers just where you want them. I've been getting away with this on my Jericho 7 that had no inlays and they haven't come off thanks to careful placement.


I put sticker inlays on my Agile septor, over 3 years ago.....they are just now showing signs of wear.


----------



## Bdtunn

Or just make the inlay smaller to only fit the 12th or first like the majesty. It wouldn’t put me off from buying one at all because it’s just cosmetic but I can see how some would be turned off.


----------



## Ancestor

That's a nice looking guitar. I like those ET bridges.


----------



## Seabeast2000

I like the Solar inlay.


----------



## binz

Please stop hating on the inlay here. I also really don't like it but I feel like there's a strong anti correlation between people bitching about something on here and Ola doing it


----------



## Merrekof

I don't mind the inlay. I completely understand that Ola does this, it's his brand so he can do what he wants. I bet if he came out with a blank fb, he'd get shit from other folks complaining about it.


----------



## KnightBrolaire

binz said:


> Please stop hating on the inlay here. I also really don't like it but I feel like there's a strong anti correlation between people bitching about something on here and Ola doing it


so you're saying there is no correlation?


----------



## Darchetype

Merrekof said:


> I don't mind the inlay. I completely understand that Ola does this, it's his brand so he can do what he wants. I bet if he came out with a blank fb, he'd get shit from other folks complaining about it.


That doesn't make much sense. Thats like saying right hand guitarists would give him shit because he offers left hand guitars too.

Options are better.


----------



## Ola Englund

Nik_Left_RG said:


> Just went the Solar website and really thankful that they have a 6 & 7 string Left handed. But come on, any color other than black would have been better. Would love to see either a 6 or 7 Distressed Lefty.
> 
> Has anyone tried either of the Left Handed models ?


Just wanted to pitch in on the Left handed discussion. When we first offered left handed we made a poll to see what features lefties would want and we released a red 7-string and one blue 6-string with an Evertune based on the survey. Not too many sales, then we release a black 7 and we sell a lot. I would love to be able to offer many different models but we’re still a very small company, and even though 10% of the people out there are left handed, many choose to play right handed. So that means less than maybe 5% play left handed. With those figures it’s really hard to hit the nail on the head the first time.


----------



## Bdtunn

Ola Englund said:


> Just wanted to pitch in on the Left handed discussion. When we first offered left handed we made a poll to see what features lefties would want and we released a red 7-string and one blue 6-string with an Evertune based on the survey. Not too many sales, then we release a black 7 and we sell a lot. I would love to be able to offer many different models but we’re still a very small company, and even though 10% of the people out there are left handed, many choose to play right handed. So that means less than maybe 5% play left handed. With those figures it’s really hard to hit the nail on the head the first time.



Ughhhh Lefties are the worst (btw I’m a lefty) all the community does is complain we don’t get guitars and f this brand and f that brand. Then that brand offers them something and it’s the wrong colour or the binding is wrong thus resulting in no one buying and then the circle of complaints starts again. It’s painful too me as I’ve been playing for 30 years and to have this amount of choice, back then I would have killed for even a quarter of the choices offered today!! Thanks for offering us something, it’s appreciated. It’s also funny that the black would sell as 70% of bitching is about only being offered black....


----------



## Andromalia

Darchetype said:


> That doesn't make much sense. Thats like saying right hand guitarists would give him shit because he offers left hand guitars too.
> 
> Options are better.


They're also more expensive, because then you need two assembly lines for the fretboard, raising the overall price.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

I for one love the inlay. It's a design that fits the aesthetic of the brand and it makes the guitars more distinctive.

If his guitars used inlays that were otherwise more generic then there would be less to cosmetically distinguish Ola's guitars from anyone else's.

I think its cool that it exists on every model as it gives his guitars more consistency in their design language. In the same way that every guitar he sells has the same reverse headstock design.


----------



## Nik_Left_RG

Ola Englund said:


> Just wanted to pitch in on the Left handed discussion. When we first offered left handed we made a poll to see what features lefties would want and we released a red 7-string and one blue 6-string with an Evertune based on the survey. Not too many sales, then we release a black 7 and we sell a lot. I would love to be able to offer many different models but we’re still a very small company, and even though 10% of the people out there are left handed, many choose to play right handed. So that means less than maybe 5% play left handed. With those figures it’s really hard to hit the nail on the head the first time.



Thanks for your input Ola. Much appreciated. Means a lot when the owner of the company himself would comment on such things. I completely missed the train on the red and blue 7/6 string versions. It is interesting to me that your sales are better with the black colour scheme. I guess it does make sense.. In my case, after getting my first decent guitar, which coincidentally, was a black Ibby, I have shied away from black guitars and that particular guitar is the only black guitar in my collection. However, I have been looking at the A2.7C Left handed for about ten times since yesterday and it is growing on me . Once again, thank you and I am bigger fan now.


----------



## Ola Englund

Nik_Left_RG said:


> Thanks for your input Ola. Much appreciated. Means a lot when the owner of the company himself would comment on such things. I completely missed the train on the red and blue 7/6 string versions. It is interesting to me that your sales are better with the black colour scheme. I guess it does make sense.. In my case, after getting my first decent guitar, which coincidentally, was a black Ibby, I have shied away from black guitars and that particular guitar is the only black guitar in my collection. However, I have been looking at the A2.7C Left handed for about ten times since yesterday and it is growing on me . Once again, thank you and I am bigger fan now.


As a lefty you could also just get a right handed guitar and a mirror.

(-50 Respect)


----------



## Fred the Shred

GuitarSetup said:


> sir Ola any advice on Evertune maintenance dos and donts, cleaning?sorry sir for asking it my firs time to have evertune guitar



Think of an Evertune in a similar way as a tremolo like a Floyd Rose. It's basically a matter of cleaning up the bridge nicely when you do the periodic setup (no abrasive cleaning fluids as many will actually wreck the finish on them!), and don't forget to do so on the screwheads as well. A cotton swab is great for that, for instance. Other than that, it doesn't require massive maintenance at all.


----------



## littlebadboy

GuitarSetup said:


> Just waiting the Music Gear Distribution shipment for my first Solar



Would that be a customer service question/inquiry/comment than on this thread? I know you're excited and all...


----------



## MASS DEFECT

GuitarSetup said:


> sir Ola any advice on Evertune maintenance dos and donts, cleaning?sorry sir for asking it my firs time to have evertune guitar



There's a LOOOOOT of Evertune threads in this forum. Ola is not an Evertune customer rep.


----------



## littlebadboy

GuitarSetup said:


> The place here is humid and dusty lots of accumulated dirt here in my country, want to be proactive and preventive, few luthier here my country maybe dont know evertune thank you there dis forum i can ask questions and people know


Get in touch with Evertune Support perhaps?


----------



## Fred the Shred

GuitarSetup said:


> The place here is humid and dusty lots of accumulated dirt here in my country, want to be proactive and preventive, few luthier here my country maybe dont know evertune thank you there dis forum i can ask questions and people know



Any bridge will have some degree of resistance to corrosion. Usually, the bits that will suffer the most from humidity and accumulated dirt tend to be the screws and, if you are really neglecting things, the plating on the areas where you mostly rest your hand will deteriorate much faster, exposing the area to corrosion. Just make sure you keep things clean (during string changes, for instance), and you're good to go.


----------



## Fred the Shred

Yup! Also remember to just run a nice dry cloth over it to wipe off the dead skin / oils from the surface when you're done playing. Remember: no abrasives whatsoever.


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

I like the inlay, kind of reminds me of a derivative "infinity" symbol.


----------



## BearOnGuitar

GuitarSetup said:


> someone who works for evertune told me use brush to clean the dust and thats enough , will see il will post here fast as soon as i got it, it just waiting 2 weeks for me



I personally wipe it down with my planet waves microfiber cloth and a soft make-up or camera lens brush to get the dirt and dust in between the saddles out. I also like applying lubricant to the contact points on the saddles and the nut, to reduce friction and prolong string life. As long as you wipe it down regularly especially after use and don't wipe away the dampening grease on the inside of the bridge, it will remain in great condition for a long time. If you're performing and things get really sweaty you want to make sure you have some replacement action and intonation screws available in case they would get rusty.


----------



## SandyRavage

Am I the only one hoping solar release a pointy star shape here in the next few months?


----------



## Ola Englund

SandyRavage said:


> Am I the only one hoping solar release a pointy star shape here in the next few months?


️


----------



## binz

I think this is one of the very few things nobody has asked for here yet,


----------



## StevenC

Ola Englund said:


> ️


Ola, what happened to the 8 string V with a Floyd?


----------



## KnightBrolaire

SandyRavage said:


> Am I the only one hoping solar release a pointy star shape here in the next few months?


A 7 string star would be pretty dope tbh


----------



## Vyn

KnightBrolaire said:


> A -insert guitar with my exact specs that I'm still not going to buy- would be pretty dope tbh



Not ripping on you @KnightBrolaire (your comment was just at the end of the thread after I'd been catching up on haha), however I've seen THAT many of these comments flying around lately regarding Solar (not just on this forum but other as well) that it's getting beyond a joke.


----------



## KnightBrolaire

Vyn said:


> Not ripping on you @KnightBrolaire (your comment was just at the end of the thread after I'd been catching up on haha), however I've seen THAT many of these comments flying around lately regarding Solar (not just on this forum but other as well) that it's getting beyond a joke.


Probably has to do with Ola directly catering to this site and the metal/pointy audience. Solar isn't a massive operation so they can manage to do cool niche shit that companies like Jackson or ibby gave up on. 
Besides, I'm serious about the 7 string star. I have a massive hard on for star shapes and a 7 string one would be a neat unicorn to mount into my rack. The only other way to get one would be go custom or build my own (which I don't have time for currently ) tbh.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Nobody talking about these yet either? Tsk tsk. 

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a1-6bd-artist-ltd-black-open-pore-distressed/







https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a1-7bd-artist-ltd-black-open-pore-distressed/






https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a1-6rd-artist-ltd-blood-red-open-pore-distressed/






Dat red doe. If only the inlay was also red like the Halloween V


----------



## Merrekof

Oh man, that black 1.7...


----------



## NickLAudio

Belated NGD! Solar A2.7 TBRM.


----------



## RiffRaff

Come on Ola, Please read my mind and a do a guitar with with H-S pickup config!
New guitars look pretty cool though.


----------



## JimF

I'm so happy Solar are expanding the range with these mini runs and variations etc.
I suppose if the specs for your guitar are in circulation across the models, surely its only a matter of time until they make one with the correct hardware & colour?
Its a clever business model when you think about it, because using myself as an example, I have the means to buy a Solar, but I really shouldn't (buying a house soon, clearing debt etc), so I'm being sensible and refraining. However with every new Solar release I want one more and more, and if my perfect spec of Neon lemon lime and an Evertune 6 string A series is released, out of desperation I would probably whip out the credit card.


----------



## NickS

What is the nut width on these? Mostly interested in the A models both 6 and 7, but also wanting to know if they are the same numbers for all the models.


----------



## Metropolis

NickS said:


> What is the nut width on these? Mostly interested in the A models both 6 and 7, but also wanting to know if they are the same numbers for all the models.



6-strings 43mm, 7-strings 48mm. Damn that seven is wide, my Ibanez seven is 47mm. Should be same across all the guitars because neck profile is same in every guitar with similar amount of strings. Neck joint might be only different feeling thing, neck-through vs. set-neck, and of course singlecuts, v's and explorers have the joint in different spot.


----------



## c7spheres

These look awesome. I like the inlay but I really wish it was an option because I just don't want the inlay. I want blank fretboard. I see Ola has some in videos without an inlay. I wonder if they would do a no inlay model.


----------



## Andromalia

Those are probably protos, where they don't need to bother with the inlay. I recall Ola saying the inlays were part of the brand identity.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a2-6fr-ln-lemon-neon-matte/






https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a2-7fr-ln-lemon-neon-matte/

First reaction was busting a nut to this.

But upon further reading, it turns out they only use FR Specials, standard side dots and nickel frets. That's lame. 

I would have very happily paid extra for SS frets, luminlays and an FR 1000 tbh. No luminlays on a guitar with an insanely *florescent *finish like this? Seriously? That's a huge missed opportunity if you ask me.

Hopefully this will all be addressed next run and made into an A1.6/7. Then i'd buy one.


----------



## binz

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> Then I'd buy one.



Sure you would.


----------



## Sollipsist

I love the look of the black open pore artist, but the Evertune spoils it for me. I appreciate what it does, I just find it too big and blocky, and I'm not a fan of prominent logos on hardware. Kinda wish they'd develop a more streamlined version, but I don't know if that's even possible.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

binz said:


> Sure you would.


I've already bought two, poindexter. 






I'd be more than happy to buy a third if its the right guitar with the specs I want.


----------



## Seabeast2000

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> I've already bought two, poindexter.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'd be more than happy to buy a third if its the right guitar with the specs I want.



Grass fed no less.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

The906 said:


> Grass fed no less.


That's my former landlord's problem.


----------



## c7spheres

Andromalia said:


> Those are probably protos, where they don't need to bother with the inlay. I recall Ola saying the inlays were part of the brand identity.


 Yeah I can see that, but then take off the Logo on the headstock : ) I'm just anti-logo unless it's my art or words.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/e2-6bop-black-open-pore/






https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a1-7fr-fb-flame-trans-black-matte/


Explorer is basically a downgraded version of the Jensen.

The A1.7 with the flametop is p nice tho.


----------



## Masoo2

So psyched they made a Jensen with passives and without the huge inlay


----------



## Carl Kolchak

Are they all still made in Indonesia?


----------



## Sollipsist

c7spheres said:


> Yeah I can see that, but then take off the Logo on the headstock : ) I'm just anti-logo unless it's my art or words.


Agreed. When I see a product with prominent branding, I automatically start to wonder if that's the only thing that distinguishes them from the competition.

Then again, it's not necessarily because I'm against advertising other people's brand. I wear band t-shirts all the time. But it's not because I think the t-shirt itself is high quality


----------



## littlebadboy

GuitarSetup said:


> Buying the solar guitar tomorrow , still waiting for the actual photos from the distributor , will post here


Gosh you've been saying that forever! Just post your pics when you have finally made up your mind man!


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Masoo2 said:


> So psyched they made a Jensen with passives and without the huge inlay


To be a lot more accurate., its actually just an E2.6TBRM in black instead of red.






I personally like the impact wave markers on the Jensen. Not to mention the super cool sidebars in the Jensen are gone on this model as well.

And the locking tuners.
And the stainless steel frets.
And the switch position being in a super ergonomic place.

But its a lot cheaper so.


----------



## manu80

Always found the horn too low and not close enough to the neck, a bit off center in fact, looks weird...


----------



## Passtheapathy

c7spheres said:


> These look awesome. I like the inlay but I really wish it was an option because I just don't want the inlay. I want blank fretboard. I see Ola has some in videos without an inlay. I wonder if they would do a no inlay model.



I’ve been saying this since these guitars were introduced. It’s, frankly, insane to not offer models without the inlay. It’s a fact that they have missed sales because they are too stubborn to remove it.


----------



## Merrekof

Personally I understand why they want to keep that inlay on all guitars. It's their thing, like the Ovation headstock for example. Ovation also missed sales because of it..
It's their logo, even though it is on a place where you normally wouldn't put one.


----------



## Viginez

i think it's just a business plan. sell them first with inlay, then sell them again w/out inlay.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Like I said, the inlay is a core part of the brand's identity.

If it didn't have the inlay, it wouldn't be a Solar.


----------



## I play music

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> Like I said, the inlay is a core part of the brand's identity.
> 
> If it didn't have the inlay, it wouldn't be a Solar.


It still would say "SOLAR" on the headstock ...


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

I play music said:


> It still would say "SOLAR" on the headstock ...


Yes. But it still wouldn't be a Solar without the inlay.


----------



## gunch

I still don’t know why you guys are pooping your pants over this, if you don’t like it don’t get a Solar


----------



## Chanson

I'm sure if the sales weren't doing so good and there was enough demand for no inlay they would switch, but it seems like they're doing just fine. I like the look of the few models they have with the signature inlay as well as the small dot inlays


----------



## Metropolis

On the next FAQ; would Solar still be a Solar without an inlay at 12th fret?


----------



## Vyn

gunch said:


> I still don’t know why you guys are pooping your pants over this, if you don’t like it don’t get a Solar



Unfortunately SSO only lets a post be liked once, however this x10. The market that Solar Guitars is aiming at doesn't really care about whether the inlay is there or not - if anything they wear it like a badge of pride for supporting the brand/Ola. If you don't like the inlay then you're not the intended market.


----------



## c7spheres

I would love to see an A1.7bd with no inlay, a bolt-on neck, a floyd, a regular not reverse headstock, along with either EMG, Fishmans, or Blackout type soapbar pickups. So basically a totally new model.


----------



## NickLAudio

I'm really digging my Solar A2.7 TBRM although GASing for a FR model now...

Made a video testing out Facebook live on my iPhone going from the headphone out of my interface into the iPhone mic in and decided to jam on the Solar.


----------



## Threadnaught

GuitarSetup said:


> https://www.musicradar.com/news/who-is-the-best-online-guitar-personality-of-2019
> 
> Done Voting



Old Englund is ye beste.


----------



## Merrekof

Threadnaught said:


> Old Englund is ye beste.


Good Old Englund!


----------



## HungryGuitarStudent

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a2-6fr-ln-lemon-neon-matte/
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a2-7fr-ln-lemon-neon-matte/
> 
> First reaction was busting a nut to this.
> 
> But upon further reading, it turns out they only use FR Specials, standard side dots and nickel frets. That's lame.
> 
> I would have very happily paid extra for SS frets, luminlays and an FR 1000 tbh. No luminlays on a guitar with an insanely *florescent *finish like this? Seriously? That's a huge missed opportunity if you ask me.
> 
> Hopefully this will all be addressed next run and made into an A1.6/7. Then i'd buy one.



I would also have liked the specs you mentioned, but I ordered one anyways (7-string).

My rationale: for that price, there’s a lot I can modify over time. By “I”, I mean my trusted local luthier. 

Also, it’s one of the few Solar 7s with a 25.5 scale length, which is great for shredders who like stretchy licks.

Floyd Rose Special:

I’m no Arnold Brainschweizer, so I don’t think I’ll bend or break some parts of the special FR because they’re made of zinc instead of steel. Also this is a trem, not a bench press bar, so I doubt it’ll go through metal warping tensions. Worst case: replace in a few years.

Nickel frets:

Nickel frets are marginally cheaper than stainless steel, but way harder to work with and may generate more labor costs (my guess as to why they were used to keep price down). It’s annoying but I can live with a re-fret in a few years. I’ll probably put in Jeskar SS 57110.


----------



## Wolfhorsky

That neon yellow one should be offered with the maple fretboard (with centered black dots) and black matte headstock with neon yellow logo \m/


----------



## Albake21

HungryGuitarStudent said:


> I would also have liked the specs you mentioned, but I ordered one anyways (7-string).
> 
> My rationale: for that price, there’s a lot I can modify over time. By “I”, I mean my trusted local luthier.
> 
> Also, it’s one of the few Solar 7s with a 25.5 scale length, which is great for shredders who like stretchy licks.
> 
> Floyd Rose Special:
> 
> I’m no Arnold Brainschweizer, so I don’t think I’ll bend or break some parts of the special FR because they’re made of zinc instead of steel. Also this is a trem, not a bench press bar, so I doubt it’ll go through metal warping tensions. Worst case: replace in a few years.
> 
> Nickel frets:
> 
> Nickel frets are marginally cheaper than stainless steel, but way harder to work with and may generate more labor costs (my guess as to why they were used to keep price down). It’s annoying but I can live with a re-fret in a few years. I’ll probably put in Jeskar SS 57110.


The Floyd Rose Special is by far the worst trem/floyd I've ever used so that's an instant no go from me. That bridge turned me off from Floyds years ago thinking all Floyds were like that. Never again.


----------



## c7spheres

Wolfhorsky said:


> That neon yellow one should be offered with the maple fretboard (with centered black dots) and black matte headstock with neon yellow logo \m/


----------



## Wolfhorsky

c7spheres said:


>


YMMV
For me lots of guitars look like puke. But for someone else they look nice. Tastes vary, mate.


----------



## c7spheres

Wolfhorsky said:


> YMMV
> For me lots of guitars look like puke. But for someone else they look nice. Tastes vary, mate.


 I know, I was just joking. Different strokes and all that.


----------



## Wolfhorsky

c7spheres said:


> I know, I was just joking. Different strokes and all that.


I get it. My idea was to emphasize that 80s vibe. It would look cool with that neon body and supersized black solar logo on the body. I mean logo bigger than a body and placed under slight angle.


----------



## HungryGuitarStudent

Albake21 said:


> The Floyd Rose Special is by far the worst trem/floyd I've ever used so that's an instant no go from me. That bridge turned me off from Floyds years ago thinking all Floyds were like that. Never again.



How does it compare to standard FRs in terms of playability and tuning stability? Every SFR player I’ve talked to said they’re basically the same as OFR.


----------



## c7spheres

Wolfhorsky said:


> I get it. My idea was to emphasize that 80s vibe. It would look cool with that neon body and supersized black solar logo on the body. I mean logo bigger than a body and placed under slight angle.


 Now you got me thinking about Stryper!


----------



## Wolfhorsky

c7spheres said:


> Now you got me thinking about Stryper!


Bingo. NYC Cab yellow would be better than neon yellow imho.


----------



## Albake21

HungryGuitarStudent said:


> How does it compare to standard FRs in terms of playability and tuning stability? Every SFR player I’ve talked to said they’re basically the same as OFR.


I think you're mixing it up with the 1000 series. In quality from best to worst it goes Original, 1000, then Special. The Original and 1000 are identical besides the fact that the 1000 is made in Korea while the Original is still being made in Germany. The Special on the other hand can be found on $300 Jacksons. The tuning stability is not great and the parts are made from very cheap material. Day one with mine and I stripped one of the locking screws. I am super delicate when it comes to setting up my Floyds but that think was super finicky. At the end of the day, I'm sure you can get away with it, I just had a bad time with the two that I had. Let us know what you think of it when you get it.


----------



## HungryGuitarStudent

Albake21 said:


> I think you're mixing it up with the 1000 series. In quality from best to worst it goes Original, 1000, then Special. The Original and 1000 are identical besides the fact that the 1000 is made in Korea while the Original is still being made in Germany. The Special on the other hand can be found on $300 Jacksons. The tuning stability is not great and the parts are made from very cheap material. Day one with mine and I stripped one of the locking screws. I am super delicate when it comes to setting up my Floyds but that think was super finicky. At the end of the day, I'm sure you can get away with it, I just had a bad time with the two that I had. Let us know what you think of it when you get it.



It sucks that you had a bad experience.

The materials and plate are different, but I was under the impression that they were similar in playability & stability.

I’ll let you know how it goes when I get it.


----------



## HungryGuitarStudent

On another topic, do you guys have any specific hard case and gig bag recommendations for an A2.7 FR ?


----------



## ChugThisBoy

HungryGuitarStudent said:


> On another topic, do you guys have any specific hard case and gig bag recommendations for an A2.7 FR ?



I guess they're selling Solar cases on their website


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

HungryGuitarStudent said:


> I would also have liked the specs you mentioned, but I ordered one anyways (7-string).
> 
> My rationale: for that price, there’s a lot I can modify over time. By “I”, I mean my trusted local luthier.
> 
> Also, it’s one of the few Solar 7s with a 25.5 scale length, which is great for shredders who like stretchy licks.
> 
> Floyd Rose Special:
> 
> I’m no Arnold Brainschweizer, so I don’t think I’ll bend or break some parts of the special FR because they’re made of zinc instead of steel. Also this is a trem, not a bench press bar, so I doubt it’ll go through metal warping tensions. Worst case: replace in a few years.
> 
> Nickel frets:
> 
> Nickel frets are marginally cheaper than stainless steel, but way harder to work with and may generate more labor costs (my guess as to why they were used to keep price down). It’s annoying but I can live with a re-fret in a few years. I’ll probably put in Jeskar SS 57110.


It isn't hard to add luminlays, stainless steel frets and an OFR. I just wish it was on the guitar stock.

May as well get the SS over and done with right now than a few years later. There's little point in waiting.


----------



## HungryGuitarStudent

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> It isn't hard to add luminlays, stainless steel frets and an OFR. I just wish it was on the guitar stock.
> 
> May as well get the SS over and done with right now than a few years later. There's little point in waiting.



I’d like to test the stock jumbo frets before swapping them for Jeskar 57110. If they’re ok, why not wait until they’re worn down? It’s a pretty symmetrical situation (install SS frets now or later).



ChugThisBoy said:


> I guess they're selling Solar cases on their website



Cases have been sold out for a while, hence my question.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

HungryGuitarStudent said:


> I’d like to test the stock jumbo frets before swapping them for Jeskar 57110. If they’re ok, why not wait until they’re worn down? It’s a pretty symmetrical situation (install SS frets now or later).


I mean if you're intending to get your local tech to do all those upgrades anyway, you may as well do them all in one go.

FYI, the Solars use Dunlop 6000-sized frets. 58118 is the equivalent Jescar size.


----------



## HungryGuitarStudent

Oh ok, I didn’t get your point earlier.

I agree, I’ll do the OFR and frets all at once, probably not day 1.

Thanks for the heads up about the 58118, I’ve never tried them.


----------



## Mraz

I have read some posts that the manufacturing has some issues.. Unfinished or rough edges.. Is this still the case?

I am currently between the:
A1.7BD Artist LTD and S1.7PB.. 

I like the Ash body, since this is basically the same options as I wanted to get as a custom with Kiesel Guitars (their CS sucks, so I decided against it), sadly it is also limited and I am not sure if I wil lbe able to order it in time.

Planning on putting in the SD Black Winters, anyone know if it is a clean swap or do I have to change around things?

Thoughts?(and prayers)


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Mraz said:


> I have read some posts that the manufacturing has some issues.. Unfinished or rough edges.. Is this still the case?


Both my Solars are absolutely perfectly made fwiw.

I think based on my own personal experience, I have no problem whatsoever in Giving Ola my money again in the future.


----------



## Hollowway

I'm currently torn between the A2.8FR LN and the V2.8FR LN, neither of which exist yet.


----------



## phantom81

I've fallen in love with Solar S2.6C so I decided to buy it aaand, god damn.. thomann told me it will arrive "maybe" around 30th of january.
Now I'm sad


----------



## Mraz

Anyone installed fishmans in theirs?


----------



## couverdure

Mraz said:


> Anyone installed fishmans in theirs?


Not mine but the A1.6 ATG (At The Gates) model comes stock with Fluences.


I don't know if anyone here noticed but Daniel Vadim Von recently jumped ship to Ibanez.





It's very strange since he just had _*two*_ signature Solar models released earlier this year.


----------



## Metropolis

phantom81 said:


> I've fallen in love with Solar S2.6C so I decided to buy it aaand, god damn.. thomann told me it will arrive "maybe" around 30th of january.
> Now I'm sad



You could try to cancel that order and get it directly from Solar guitars website.

"Shipping around December 20, 2019"
https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a2-6/


----------



## phantom81

Metropolis said:


> You could try to cancel that order and get it directly from Solar guitars website.
> 
> "Shipping around December 20, 2019"
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a2-6/


The one I'm interested in is Solar S2.6C
But it says "Shipping around November 20, 2019" Is it too late to order?


----------



## Metropolis

phantom81 said:


> The one I'm interested in is Solar S2.6C
> But it says "Shipping around November 20, 2019" Is it too late to order?



Oops, sorry. Sometimes dates aren't too accurate, and it would be better to ask by e-mail for example. Couple of times I ordered from Thomann products were awailable much more earlier than it was informed, and other of them was a Solar A2.6.


----------



## phantom81

Metropolis said:


> Oops, sorry. Sometimes dates aren't too accurate, and it would be better to ask by e-mail for example. Couple of times I ordered from Thomann products were awailable much more earlier than it was informed, and other of them was a Solar A2.6.


So should I just order it from Solar official website? I just got a message that they have some in stock right now and would be able to ship it this week. But wouldn't it be, idk, safer, to order it from retail store?


----------



## Metropolis

phantom81 said:


> So should I just order it from Solar official website? I just got a message that they have some in stock right now and would be able to ship it this week. But wouldn't it be, idk, safer, to order it from retail store?



I don't see any risks in it, since you're in EU. Thomann has warranty of 3 years, and Solar gives 2 years when bought directly. Almost same warranty and purchasing terms either way.
https://www.solar-guitars.com/warranty-terms/
https://www.solar-guitars.com/right-of-withdrawal/


----------



## HungryGuitarStudent

Ordered my A2.7FR LN last week.

It arrived at my doorstep (Canada), yesterday. Wow !! I expected months of waiting (and that would have been fine).

Played with it yesterday evening and it played/sounded great.

It passed my visual inspection test: pristine condition, neck straight, FR works and is set up properly.

Strings were oxidized, but who cares.

I sent it to my luthier for a more in depth checkup. I'll do a NGD video (here, YT, IG) when I have a bit more time.

If all orders are fulfilled like that, then I must say you're managing one kickass company Ola ! Congrats !


----------



## GuitarMegaFan

Hello!
Come listen and watch a Solar guitar in a genre that is NOT made for! ^^


----------



## HungryGuitarStudent

Finally had a minute to do a video of my new A2.7 FR LN.

Tone: Plini Artchetype.

In the wake of all the recent fakery stuff, full disclosure: live take DAW audio, no EQ, no comping, no edits, etc..

I put the raw audio from my desk mic on my youtube channel for those who want to hear pick sounds .

Link to the NGD thread for further discussion: https://www.sevenstring.org/threads/ngd-solar-a2-7-fr-ln.339247/


----------



## JimF

@Ola Englund Just a few questions, you don't need to answer.

1) Is the weathered finish Evertune a permanent feature now, or just featuring on these current runs?
2) Is the plan to keep offering small runs of new and interesting combinations of colours and specs, or would you say you'll loop back around and start doing some of the early specs & finishes again? i.e. the S1.6ETQ in gloss blue, A1.6ET in all black. Just wondering whether to keep waiting for the ultimate spec to be launched or choose one of the existing ones.
3) Are there any plans to offer 3rd party finance options via the website? Or would we be better off buying through an agent such as Thomann?
4) Keep it up! You are literally the only company I feel is entirely for the end user, and not the board of directors. Hero status.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

LOADS of new 7 string models! Neat!

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/e2-7c-carbon-black-matte/







https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a2-7w-white-matte/






https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/v2-7c-carbon-black-matte/






https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a1-7tbr-trans-blood-red-matte/


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE




----------



## ghostOG

HungryGuitarStudent said:


> How does it compare to standard FRs in terms of playability and tuning stability? Every SFR player I’ve talked to said they’re basically the same as OFR.


I have both, the special on my LTD doesn't stay in tune if I use it, the dive bar screws on and has slop, and it makes metallic twangy noises sometimes that I haven't been able to track down (I have foam behind the springs). From my understanding the design/patent is just licensed out to some sweat shop in a 3rd world country that manufactures the "copy" trem. You can have QC issues like where the bridge pivots on the studs, not being fine/sharp enough so it returns to the exact same center every time.

On my real FR, it stays in tune better, the dive bar presses in and has no play and has a retaining screw to adjust retension, and it makes no metallic twangy noises.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

ghostOG said:


> I have both, the special on my LTD doesn't stay in tune if I use it, the dive bar screws on and has slop, and it makes metallic twangy noises sometimes that I haven't been able to track down (I have foam behind the springs). From my understanding the design/patent is just licensed out to some sweat shop in a 3rd world country that manufactures the "copy" trem. You can have QC issues like where the bridge pivots on the studs, not being fine/sharp enough so it returns to the exact same center every time.
> 
> On my real FR, it stays in tune better, the dive bar presses in and has no play and has a retaining screw to adjust retension, and it makes no metallic twangy noises.



The FR Special is made in South Korea by Sung Il, who also makes the 1000 series FRs and tons of other hardware from Tone Pros and Wilkinson. 

The differences between the Special and 1000 are material and tolerances of certain components. 

Speaking from experience, replace the arm holder, fine tuners, and string lock bolts with Schaller equivalents (~$30 altogether) and use threadlocker on the plate/block bolts. Much, much better in feel and longevity afterwards. Beat the tar out of it and then drop in a Gotoh 1996T for $120 in a few years.


----------



## Obsidian Soul

Albake21 said:


> The Floyd Rose Special is by far the worst trem/floyd I've ever used so that's an instant no go from me. That bridge turned me off from Floyds years ago thinking all Floyds were like that. Never again.


The trem to make me hate trems;I do want to get another guitar with a trem just to dip my toes in again.


----------



## Albake21

Obsidian Soul said:


> The trem to make me hate trems;I do want to get another guitar with a trem just to dip my toes in again.


Go with an Edge from Ibanez, by far the best trems if you were turned off by the Special. If you aren't a fan of Ibanez guitars, give a normal Floyd a try. I guarantee you'll change your mind on Floyds.


----------



## Tisca

So what's the verdict on the value of Solar guitars? Are they worth the price?
I'd like to try Evertune so it would be a 1.0 series. Just over 1k €. What about those 600-700€ ones? Would I want to change tuners or other hardware?
It's not like I could try before I buy but I could send it back if I choose such a dealer.


----------



## Hollowway

Dang, no trems on that V or explorer. I want a 7 or 8 V with a Floyd.


----------



## JimF

Albake21 said:


> Go with an Edge from Ibanez, by far the best trems if you were turned off by the Special. If you aren't a fan of Ibanez guitars, give a normal Floyd a try. I guarantee you'll change your mind on Floyds.



This.

I was a hardcore trem hater after several hardtails just required less maintenence and found my collection one day was trem-less and stayed that way for numerous years. Then my first foray into a decent 7 string (after a Jackson JS32 to make sure I liked them) was an Ibanez Prestige with an Edge trem, leading to me buying a 6 string equivalent for my main guitar.
A life changing trem 



Tisca said:


> So what's the verdict on the value of Solar guitars? Are they worth the price?
> I'd like to try Evertune so it would be a 1.0 series. Just over 1k €. What about those 600-700€ ones? Would I want to change tuners or other hardware?
> It's not like I could try before I buy but I could send it back if I choose such a dealer.



I've been keeping an eye on classifieds & eBay and there's very few for sale, which leads me to think that they're either surpassing people's expectations and they want to keep them, or when they do come up for sale they move very quickly.
Either way I don't expect you to have an issue. I cant speak from experience but apparently the QC is what makes them, and they're supposed to be the best guitars out of that factory.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Albake21 said:


> Go with an Edge from Ibanez, by far the best trems if you were turned off by the Special. If you aren't a fan of Ibanez guitars, give a normal Floyd a try. I guarantee you'll change your mind on Floyds.



That or a Gotoh GE1996T. It's like 3x cheaper than an aftermarket Edge, and it's made by Gotoh, who also makes the Edge.


----------



## BusinessMan

I really want that E2.7
I’m really liking explorer shapes as of late.


----------



## binz

God damn I told myself after missing the white 2.7 last year I'd get one as soon as its back. And now it even has a maple fretboard. GOD DAMN! I hope this doesnt get sold out before my bank account fills up a little (I recently moved)


----------



## bostjan

That white seven is really sharp! Especially nice for he price.


----------



## aesthyrian

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> That or a Gotoh GE1996T. It's like 3x cheaper than an aftermarket Edge, and it's made by Gotoh, who also makes the Edge.



You forget to mention that it's also better than the Edge as it has all the best features of the Edge, but other improvements that Ibanez has failed to make in 20 years such as a usable trem arm, brass block, saddles that won't slip off while intonating, etc..

and like you said, it's cheaper!


----------



## Ola Englund

JimF said:


> @Ola Englund Just a few questions, you don't need to answer.
> 
> 1) Is the weathered finish Evertune a permanent feature now, or just featuring on these current runs?
> 2) Is the plan to keep offering small runs of new and interesting combinations of colours and specs, or would you say you'll loop back around and start doing some of the early specs & finishes again? i.e. the S1.6ETQ in gloss blue, A1.6ET in all black. Just wondering whether to keep waiting for the ultimate spec to be launched or choose one of the existing ones.
> 3) Are there any plans to offer 3rd party finance options via the website? Or would we be better off buying through an agent such as Thomann?
> 4) Keep it up! You are literally the only company I feel is entirely for the end user, and not the board of directors. Hero status.



Sorry man didn't see this until now, I don't understand many things in life.

1. It's a new option so if a model calls for it, I will use more. I personally love the distressed look. It's just a matter of balancing tacky and cool.
2. Well some models will stay forever, like a simple A2.6C . But most of the line will change here and there. 
3. This is a tough one, since we're an international company offering to sell almost all over the world, there is not a single finance option to cover all customers.
So if we would implement one solution for one country, we would need to do the same for others etc. It's a lot of work. I just tell people to use their credit cards instead.
4. Dude thank you so much man... <3


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

@Ola Englund You've probably already heard this from millions of people already but its 100% true. Everybody here enormously appreciates you taking the time to answer people's questions on this pokey little thread despite how crammed and unrelentingly stressful your schedule is.

I haven't forgotten how you immediately sent me a second signed copy of Synder when there was a suspected CD mix up on the first one I received last year. I'm not quite sure how you're able to micromanage it all. But thank you so much.


----------



## Andromalia

I'll be fine with a natural distressed too.


----------



## Ola Englund

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> @Ola Englund You've probably already heard this from millions of people already but its 100% true. Everybody here enormously appreciates you taking the time to answer people's questions on this pokey little thread despite how crammed and unrelentingly stressful your schedule is.
> 
> I haven't forgotten how you immediately sent me a second signed copy of Synder when there was a suspected CD mix up on the first one I received last year. I'm not quite sure how you're able to micromanage it all. But thank you so much.


Thank you! Don't worry about me man, I'm trying to fix my situation. Good start is my wife is doing all the merch and orders...


----------



## BusinessMan

Hey Ola, how long will the E2.7 be around? I really want but don’t see myself having the funds for one in the near future but would love one.


----------



## JimF

Ola Englund said:


> Sorry man didn't see this until now, I don't understand many things in life.
> 
> 1. It's a new option so if a model calls for it, I will use more. I personally love the distressed look. It's just a matter of balancing tacky and cool.
> 2. Well some models will stay forever, like a simple A2.6C . But most of the line will change here and there.
> 3. This is a tough one, since we're an international company offering to sell almost all over the world, there is not a single finance option to cover all customers.
> So if we would implement one solution for one country, we would need to do the same for others etc. It's a lot of work. I just tell people to use their credit cards instead.
> 4. Dude thank you so much man... <3





Thank you so much for taking the time to answer! Balancing us idiots, a business, your solo project, your YouTube channel, and writing for new Feared & The Haunted albums must be ruining you. Don't burn yourself out!


----------



## ghostOG

MaxOfMetal said:


> The FR Special is made in South Korea by Sung Il, who also makes the 1000 series FRs and tons of other hardware from Tone Pros and Wilkinson.
> 
> The differences between the Special and 1000 are material and tolerances of certain components.
> 
> Speaking from experience, replace the arm holder, fine tuners, and string lock bolts with Schaller equivalents (~$30 altogether) and use threadlocker on the plate/block bolts. Much, much better in feel and longevity afterwards. Beat the tar out of it and then drop in a Gotoh 1996T for $120 in a few years.


I was thinking of "Licensed Under Floyd Rose" tremolos.
https://floydrose.com/blogs/tech-talk/licensed-vs-authentic

My LTD does have the Special though, and it has the issues I talked about.


----------



## c7spheres

Ola Englund said:


> Sorry man didn't see this until now, I don't understand many things in life.
> 
> 1. It's a new option so if a model calls for it, I will use more. I personally love the distressed look. It's just a matter of balancing tacky and cool.
> 2. Well some models will stay forever, like a simple A2.6C . But most of the line will change here and there.
> 3. This is a tough one, since we're an international company offering to sell almost all over the world, there is not a single finance option to cover all customers.
> So if we would implement one solution for one country, we would need to do the same for others etc. It's a lot of work. I just tell people to use their credit cards instead.
> 4. Dude thank you so much man... <3


 Hola Ola, I'm sure this came up before but I didn't find anything about it. Is there any chance to buy a Solar without the inlay at 12th fret? I like the inlay but prefer no inlay on neck. I understand it's a logo for company but guitar will still have name on headstock. Any input is appreciated if this is an option. As a side note, I realy enjoy your videos and am glad someone knows how to dial in a metal tone. Good job man. 
BTW, am I the only person who hears Ola's voice in my head when reading his messages? : )


----------



## MaxOfMetal

ghostOG said:


> I was thinking of "Licensed Under Floyd Rose" tremolos.
> https://floydrose.com/blogs/tech-talk/licensed-vs-authentic
> 
> My LTD does have the Special though, and it has the issues I talked about.



The thing is "LFR" covers pretty much everything that isn't a Floyd Rose brand product. 

So a Schaller Lockmeister and Gotoh 1996T are "LFR" units, while the cheaper Floyd Rose Special is a "real" Floyd. 

It has never been a great determinant of the quality of unit.


----------



## sezna

c7spheres said:


> Hola Ola, I'm sure this came up before but I didn't find anything about it. Is there any chance to buy a Solar without the inlay at 12th fret? I like the inlay but prefer no inlay on neck. I understand it's a logo for company but guitar will still have name on headstock. Any input is appreciated if this is an option. As a side note, I realy enjoy your videos and am glad someone knows how to dial in a metal tone. Good job man.
> BTW, am I the only person who hears Ola's voice in my head when reading his messages? : )


Addressed ad nauseum, it shan’t happen


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

sezna said:


> Addressed ad nauseum, it shan’t happen


I feel like Ola's the type of person to be LESS likely to remove the inlay if you keep asking him to.


----------



## c7spheres

sezna said:


> Addressed ad nauseum, it shan’t happen





HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I feel like Ola's the type of person to be LESS likely to remove the inlay if you keep asking him to.



- I can't find anything about it.
- If I use the search function on this website and search this thread title, type in Ola's user name there is nothing on it. In fact there is only 2 posts that even come up from Ola in this thread, and if I search the word inlay and the thread title there is nothing that comes up out of 88 pages in this thread. If I type inlay and search his user name and search the website there are no results. Maybe the search engine is broken or something? Where has this been addressed ad nauseum? I have never asked anyone before about it, only expressed along with others how it would be nice to have one with no inlay. Who keeps asking him to remove the inlay? Seriously. I can't find anything about it and I've never asked him before about it. Probably just not in the serach engine or something.


----------



## Hollowway

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I feel like Ola's the type of person to be LESS likely to remove the inlay if you keep asking him to.


True. If he did remove it, he'd put an inlay of a big ol' dick, just to fuck with you.


----------



## Vyn

c7spheres said:


> - I can't find anything about it.
> - If I use the search function on this website and search this thread title, type in Ola's user name there is nothing on it. In fact there is only 2 posts that even come up from Ola in this thread, and if I search the word inlay and the thread title there is nothing that comes up out of 88 pages in this thread. If I type inlay and search his user name and search the website there are no results. Maybe the search engine is broken or something? Where has this been addressed ad nauseum? I have never asked anyone before about it, only expressed along with others how it would be nice to have one with no inlay. Who keeps asking him to remove the inlay? Seriously. I can't find anything about it and I've never asked him before about it. Probably just not in the serach engine or something.



The inlay question has been in addresses in one if not two FAQs with the answer being "It's staying"


----------



## c7spheres

Like I said. I can't find it anywhere. That's why I asked. Search engine not finding it. I'll assume everyone is right about it then unless I get a reply stating otherwise.


----------



## Vyn

c7spheres said:


> Like I said. I can't find it anywhere. That's why I asked. Search engine not finding it. I'll assume everyone is right about it then unless I get a reply stating otherwise.



Ah, misinterpreted, my bad. He's stated it on his YouTube FAQs, not on the forum.


----------



## Ola Englund

BusinessMan said:


> Hey Ola, how long will the E2.7 be around? I really want but don’t see myself having the funds for one in the near future but would love one.


I think this model as long as it sells, that it will probably stick around. It's almost a base model at this point. But never say never right...



JimF said:


> Thank you so much for taking the time to answer! Balancing us idiots, a business, your solo project, your YouTube channel, and writing for new Feared & The Haunted albums must be ruining you. Don't burn yourself out!


No problem man, occasionally I remember to stumble in here, after all forums is something I truly miss in this day and age where everyone wants a quick social media fix. I grew up on forums. And yeah I'm currently not sorta writing for Feared or The Haunted  I still have a lot of shit on my plate.



c7spheres said:


> Hola Ola, I'm sure this came up before but I didn't find anything about it. Is there any chance to buy a Solar without the inlay at 12th fret? I like the inlay but prefer no inlay on neck. I understand it's a logo for company but guitar will still have name on headstock. Any input is appreciated if this is an option. As a side note, I realy enjoy your videos and am glad someone knows how to dial in a metal tone. Good job man.
> BTW, am I the only person who hears Ola's voice in my head when reading his messages? : )


Cheers man, I know what you're saying but removing the logo sort of removes the point with the company. I'm building a brand and with that I need things that make us a brand that stands out from the rest, with the logo, the headstock, the shapes etc. So far so good. People can say all they want that it's stupid because we would sell more guitars without it, but then we would loose the face of the brand basically. I would love to be able to make everyone their favorite guitar but I also have a vision in where I want the company to be in 5-10 years. Hope you understand!


----------



## BusinessMan

Ola Englund said:


> I think this model as long as it sells, that it will probably stick around. It's almost a base model at this point. But never say never right...
> !



Guys buy these so I can buy one here in a wide seshmo


----------



## c7spheres

Ola Englund said:


> Cheers man, I know what you're saying but removing the logo sort of removes the point with the company. I'm building a brand and with that I need things that make us a brand that stands out from the rest, with the logo, the headstock, the shapes etc. So far so good. People can say all they want that it's stupid because we would sell more guitars without it, but then we would loose the face of the brand basically. I would love to be able to make everyone their favorite guitar but I also have a vision in where I want the company to be in 5-10 years. Hope you understand!


 I totally understand that. I'm really considering that A1.7FR FB model till though. That is very nice and the price is nice too. Good times, keep chuggin.


----------



## HANIAK

The fretboard logo kicks ass, imho.
Really can't make my mind between the S2.6W and the A1.6BDA... So classy and inspiring guitars...!!


----------



## berlams

People, I'm looking a 7 strings axe, I have some candidates, one of them is Solar S1.7pb, another one is looking for a used prestige around the same price ( budget 1200 aprox ), I have found a RGD3127 although the bridge is different from Solar ( fixed bridge vs floyd) Solar has SS,luminlays, locking tuners... Ibanez has... great neck feeling and "made in japan". What do you think about ibanez prestige vs solar ?, Quality construction.., necks ?, feel.. ? made in japan vs indonesian..
Thks.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/gc1-6tbr-trans-blood-red-matte/







https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/gc1-6taw-white-matte/






DUNCAN SOLAR ACTIVE PICKUPS? Say waaaaaaht

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/gc2-6fbl-flame-blue-matte/


----------



## MASS DEFECT

Ooooohhh...Duncan Solar Actives. I like that!


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

I'm gonna assume the Solar active pickups are Blackouts copies until further notice.


----------



## mlp187

The color-keyed inlay is a really nice touch!


----------



## ImNotAhab

<Flexes Dad joke muscles>
Solar Blackouts? Seems like they should be called Eclipses amiright?








Anyone?
.... Anyone?


----------



## GuitarMegaFan

*E Phrygian Guitar Solo on Solar Guitars E2.6 TBR.*

Hello guys!
This week I travelled from Chicago blues to Egyptian Phrygian!
Hope you’d enjoy!
Bye!


----------



## Albake21

I went to Solar's site right now just to check out their stuff only to see they have two new models. The top one is flamed walnut and costs $777?


----------



## manu80

Love the walnut one !
A bit hard to pick one as you never know what will come up next week or tomorrow It’s a good selling strategy...or not idk
You always wonder til which point a finish will be stretched ( not saying on a bad tone)
New shape for 2020 maybe ? A star-like shape would be dope


----------



## cardinal

Looks great without the bevels/horn scoop things.


----------



## trem licking

cardinal said:


> Looks great without the bevels/horn scoop things.


Agree. Although I don't mind the bat-solar, the Batman delete looks a little better. Now make an 8 with a Floyd ola (lol)


----------



## MASS DEFECT

yes. a star/ warrior/xiphos take for solar will sell well!


----------



## Vegetta

cardinal said:


> Looks great without the bevels/horn scoop things.



Yeah i really like the looks of that one much much better than the ones with the bevels.

EDIT just checked it out and it doesn't have stainless frets


----------



## TheUnknownOne

Now we need the same walnut top S model with evertune and stainless frets !


----------



## Albake21

Man this neon pink is awesome! Sadly I'm really only in the market for trems or an evertune. I'm sure it will sell well though.


----------



## mlp187

That is beautiful. Wish I could justify another guitar right now!


----------



## manu80

I stopped justifying after the third one...


----------



## Hollowway

Don’t encourage Ola with comments about that pink sixxer, guys. Media blackout until we get a pink 7 with trem or a pink 8!


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Steel Panther crossover when?


----------



## manu80

I’m about to pull the trigger on the pink one but i’d prefer a floyd one
Will it ever been released ? No one knows
The yellow one is now in floyd so....
That’s the main problem with releasing guitar every week ...you wanna wait...all the time !!


----------



## manu80

well already sold out...guess it's a good sign  thx guys !!!!


----------



## c7spheres

GuitarSetup said:


> Bad news and bad luck for me i got gig few hours


 Don't you just unscrew the locking tuner from bottom and the clamp part moves out of the way to put string in hole? You got locking tuners, right?


----------



## c7spheres

GuitarSetup said:


> i just unscrew it, does the locking buttton be remove, because i got tuners brands on my other guitars it can be remove, but the solar cant


 I don't know. I've never owned a Solar, but every locking tuner I've ever saw or owned it just was a pole that went up and down in the middle to clamp the string with. Maybe try unscrewing it all the way while pushin the pole down?


----------



## c7spheres

GuitarSetup said:


> i have experienced a lot of locking tuners , i know that the locking mechanism can be pulled out, the solar cant is it normal it stay hanging after


 I'm sorry, I just don't know. I never owned or seen one.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

I have a set of Solar locking tuners on my 1.7PB and I don't understand what your problem is either.

You just unscrew the thumb wheel, feed the string through the post and tighten the thumb wheel back down again. It's not hard.


----------



## c7spheres

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> I have a set of Solar locking tuners on my 1.7PB and I don't understand what your problem is either.
> 
> You just unscrew the thumb wheel, feed the string through the post and tighten the thumb wheel back down again. It's not hard.


 His post is stuck in the up poition inside the tuner but he dont' want to do anyhting to it to fix it or possibly mess it up more from what I gather. He's waiting for manufacturere reply I think.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Not sure how that is possible unless he massively over-tightened the thumb wheels himself and stripped the threads.

I can't say I've ever managed to do that myself.


----------



## Masoo2

Jari signature when

Guarantee there would be at least SOME sales compared to that Green 7 and Red V for the Morbid Angel guy who just up and abandoned Solar after only a few months


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I never wanna hear y'all djent fucks complaining about EMGs ever again.


----------



## littlebadboy

GuitarSetup said:


> i managed to fix it myself but is it normal to have a pin detachble to the wheel there a seperate steel pin, or should i remove it from the inside?


picture?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

GuitarSetup said:


> i managed to fix it myself but is it normal to have a pin detachble to the wheel there a seperate steel pin, or should i remove it from the inside?



It sounds like the pin that clamps the string down broke? Yeah, you need to show us pics.


----------



## lewis

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I never wanna hear y'all djent fucks complaining about EMGs ever again.


This...
So much this

Best djent tone ive ever had. People are either lying or dont know what they are doing with them


----------



## mlp187

lewis said:


> This...
> So much this
> 
> Best djent tone ive ever had. People are either lying or dont know what they are doing with them


Or genuinely don't like them. I like them though - therefore I am not a liar, so I must know what I'm doing. But I don't know what I'm doing. So am I a liar? Oh fuck.


----------



## Kobalt

lewis said:


> This...
> So much this
> 
> Best djent tone ive ever had. People are either lying or dont know what they are doing with them


It's not so much people lying as it is people just following every little trendwagon that the industry and YouTubers shove into their faces. Fishman Fluence is the new flavor, must mean EMG's are garbage now.


----------



## lewis

Kobalt said:


> It's not so much people lying as it is people just following every little trendwagon that the industry and YouTubers shove into their faces. Fishman Fluence is the new flavor, must mean EMG's are garbage now.



I know people who have taken to the internet to slag off products to fit in with a crowd - and they havent even owned or tried them. Some of the EMG bashers are these too. Its unreal.


----------



## pahulkster

GuitarSetup said:


> if its i need to disassemble it, but i dont want to, but solar will sent me already the replacement , maybe your right



Loosen the thumb wheel and try to get the post to drop with the end of a G string or something similar.


----------



## MadYarpen

Wow, I didn't know Solar Guitars are so popular here. Great news for me haha.

I wanted to buy 6 to have along my xiphos 707, but I wanted something not-mahogany, with passive pickups, 25.5, or 26.5 inch scale (the guitar will be in D or C#), preferably reverse headstock, and a V would be a dream (I play in classical position so Vs are more ergonomic for me). Not a lot to choose from in my price range... So my first choice was RGDIX6 (the "skervesen for poor people" version, aka SBB), but then I stumbled upon this https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/v2-6-halloween-trans-blood-red-matte/. And... just wow. Almost everything is how I want it to be, only TOM bridge is a bit meh. And it looks insane, IMO.

So I changed my pants, and now I have it in my basket and will be pulling trigger next week when I'll be able to pick this up from a courier.

Anyway, I couln't find a lot about them. Didn't think about this place, so I am an idiot of course. But now I see this is a safe purchase. I love the approach to the customer. Can't wait to finally have it.

If I like it I will try to exchange xiphos for V 7, but that thing is impossible to sell, even though it is a killer axe...


----------



## natedog_approved

Anyone notice this and can confirm? The description for the A2.7FR LN says it has a 25.5" scale. It seems like all the other seven's from Solar are 26.5".


----------



## Ivars V

natedog_approved said:


> Anyone notice this and can confirm? The description for the A2.7FR LN says it has a 25.5" scale. It seems like all the other seven's from Solar are 26.5".
> 
> View attachment 75982


Saw this today, while browsing the site. Super bummed, as I was really into that guitar (assuming that it had 26.5" scale).


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

That has to be a typo. The other green one has a 26.5'' scale.


----------



## KnightBrolaire

lewis said:


> I know people who have taken to the internet to slag off products to fit in with a crowd - and they havent even owned or tried them. Some of the EMG bashers are these too. Its unreal.


ironic considering how you were hyping pickups you'd never tried (BKPs and fluences) at one point.


----------



## natedog_approved

Ivars V said:


> Saw this today, while browsing the site. Super bummed, as I was really into that guitar (assuming that it had 26.5" scale).



Same! Not that I can afford it right now anyway but I definitely wouldn't pick this one up if its 25.5", I'd just go for the hardtail.



HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> That has to be a typo. The other green one has a 26.5'' scale.



I would think so too. If it is I'm sure it'll be corrected. Maybe it just hasn't been pointed out to Solar yet? Not trashing the website by any means, but it's not like it's the best put together one there is.


----------



## sirbuh

sirbuh said:


> As a MA fanboy looking forward to owning a A1.7DVV...too bad Trey is out on the whole endorsement thing.



Well he bailed on Solar for Ibanez quickly.


----------



## lewis

KnightBrolaire said:


> ironic considering how you were hyping pickups you'd never tried (BKPs and fluences) at one point.


Where do you get that from?
I have fishmans and before them i tracked my bands entire debut ep with a friends Mayones with bareknuckle Blackhawks


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

sirbuh said:


> Well he bailed on Solar for Ibanez quickly.



I noticed that. Sucks because his Solars looked killer.


----------



## ExplorerMike

If anyone is interested in an A1.6 lefty for a killer price in the Dallas/Fort Worth area this is sitting at Sam Ash in Dallas. I stopped in this afternoon on my way home from work and would have bought this in a second but it’s left handed. It’s tagged as used and $550. That’s pretty solid I think. Evertune and the whole deal, super nice guitar for a nice price. Even though I couldn’t buy it due to it being left handed I checked it out for a good bit. Great build quality and this looked brand new. I’m guessing someone didn’t like the Evertune and dumped it. Sweet score for someone! I’ll even waive the finders fee lol.


----------



## c7spheres

- Man, lefties have it hard in the world of righties.
- Is it easier to live left handed in the world or would it be easier to just learn to be a righty? Deep thoughts.


----------



## ExplorerMike

c7spheres said:


> - Man, lefties have it hard in the world of righties.
> - Is it easier to live left handed in the world or would it be easier to just learn to be a righty? Deep thoughts.



I hear ya man. My dad is left handed and just started playing guitar. He’s always done everything right handed to avoid having to get lefty/specialty stuff. He’s playing right handed guitars no problem. I would have grabbed this for him if he was actually playing lefty haha.


----------



## c7spheres

ExplorerMike said:


> I hear ya man. My dad is left handed and just started playing guitar. He’s always done everything right handed to avoid having to get lefty/specialty stuff. He’s playing right handed guitars no problem. I would have grabbed this for him if he was actually playing lefty haha.


 I'm glad I'm not a lefty. Both my parents are lefty and they actually got held back grades in school because they couldn't be "trained" as righty. Back then apparently being a lefty was a sort of mental disorder or something. Apparently they might have been right looking at recent research findings, plus my parents have always been a bit "odd". It makes me think sometimes. At least it's a good excuse. : )


----------



## ExplorerMike

c7spheres said:


> I'm glad I'm not a lefty. Both my parents are lefty and they actually got held back grades in school because they couldn't be "trained" as righty. Back then apparently being a lefty was a sort of mental disorder or something. Apparently they might have been right looking at recent research findings, plus my parents have always been a bit "odd". It makes me think sometimes. At least it's a good excuse. : )



Wow that’s crazy man! My dad can be a bit irregular too so there might be something to that haha.


----------



## c7spheres

ExplorerMike said:


> Wow that’s crazy man! My dad can be a bit irregular too so there might be something to that haha.


 It's weird. I'm really not poking fun or anything. If you type into Google "lefties have mental disorders" all kinds of stuff comes up. Wierd stuff. Eiher way, I'm glad I don't have to try a thousand time harder to find a good guitar : )


----------



## ExplorerMike

c7spheres said:


> It's weird. I'm really not poking fun or anything. If you type into Google "lefties have mental disorders" all kinds of stuff comes up. Wierd stuff. Eiher way, I'm glad I don't have to try a thousand time harder to find a good guitar : )



I’m with ya on that man!


----------



## binz

Just randomly checked solar website and saw that gorgeous pink. After that white 2.7 with maple fretboard now this. Solar is killing it (and killing me!) with these, an absolute dream. 

Does anybody know if there are plans for a pink 2.7? Wouldn't be a surprise as the same 'happened' with the neon lemon one. I didn't buy the lemon 7 because I already have the lemon 6 and found it kind of lame. I can't justify buying another 6 atm and would rather have a pink 7, but if it's only going to be out as a 6 I would damn myself for missing it.


----------



## Headbanger

anyone else seriously dissapointed in the neck of their Solar? I have one of the cheaper A2.6 models and the neck on it is really unstable. Even the lightest hand movement when playing will bend the neck resulting in the strings going out of tune even by 5 cents. Basically it will never play perfectly in tune because of the super flexible neck. The neck is, as far as I know, a 3 piece mahogany neck but my LTD with similar neck doesn't suffer from this problem at all. I really can't recommend buying the non-evertune Solars if they have necks this unstable.


----------



## JimF

That to me sounds like a setup issue or hardware issue more than the guitar itself.
I don't know how technical you are, so please don't take offence:
Have you tried adjust the truss rod? Sounds like it may be completely loose and under no tension perhaps?
Are the strings suitable for your tuning? I.e. not 8s tuned to drop G, or 13s tuned up to standard pitch or something mad like that.
Are the locking tuners all locked down sufficiently? Have you put too much string around the tuner post?
I've been following these Solar posts online quite closely and I've not heard this comment from anyone.

Come on SSO, lets get this guitar sorted out!


----------



## Metropolis

Headbanger said:


> anyone else seriously dissapointed in the neck of their Solar? I have one of the cheaper A2.6 models and the neck on it is really unstable. Even the lightest hand movement when playing will bend the neck resulting in the strings going out of tune even by 5 cents. Basically it will never play perfectly in tune because of the super flexible neck. The neck is, as far as I know, a 3 piece mahogany neck but my LTD with similar neck doesn't suffer from this problem at all. I really can't recommend buying the non-evertune Solars if they have necks this unstable.



Mine was fine, no complaints about tuning stability, but this one I owned had a three piece maple neck. I'm thinking could too loose truss rod cause this, or rod has some other problem? Maybe you just got unlucky and this particular guitar had very inconsistent woods from the factory. How much you can change the pitch up by bending the neck from headstock without using too much force? I could make lower strings go up about 25 cents with my Ibanez RGR652 which has a reverse headstock. Very non-proof way to do it, but it should tell something. I can't really change the pitch with this guitar by even slapping back of the neck with my thumb.

This if hardware and nut is functioning how they should be and you have string gauges which are suitable for used tuning. Trying out with a new string set could sort out at least one of these.


----------



## Headbanger

JimF said:


> That to me sounds like a setup issue or hardware issue more than the guitar itself.
> I don't know how technical you are, so please don't take offence:
> Have you tried adjust the truss rod? Sounds like it may be completely loose and under no tension perhaps?
> Are the strings suitable for your tuning? I.e. not 8s tuned to drop G, or 13s tuned up to standard pitch or something mad like that.
> Are the locking tuners all locked down sufficiently? Have you put too much string around the tuner post?
> I've been following these Solar posts online quite closely and I've not heard this comment from anyone.
> 
> Come on SSO, lets get this guitar sorted out!


I've adjusted the truss rod so that the neck is almost dead straight. I'll could tighten it a bit more to see if it makes any difference, but I think the guitar will be unplayable then. No Locking tuners or problems with wraps around the tuners. I use standard gauge strings.


Metropolis said:


> Mine was fine, no complaints about tuning stability, but this one I owned had a three piece maple neck. I'm thinking could too loose truss rod cause this, or rod has some other problem? Maybe you just got unlucky and this particular guitar had very inconsistent woods from the factory. How much you can change the pitch up by bending the neck from headstock without using too much force? I could make lower strings go up about 25 cents with my Ibanez RGR652 which has a reverse headstock. Very non-proof way to do it, but it should tell something. I can't really change the pitch with this guitar by even slapping back of the neck with my thumb.
> 
> This if hardware and nut is functioning how they should be and you have string gauges which are suitable for used tuning. Trying out with a new string set could sort out at least one of these.


I'm suspecting the woods used are the problem. I've had this gutiar for a year and changed the strings multiple times. The neck is also straight. I can change the pitch on the low string by 5 cents or bit more when I gently, with very little force, wave the neck back and forth. This is only holding the guitar from the neck. When I'm playing, and my right hand is resting on the guitar body I suspect the pitch change could be more dramatic. It isn't as bad as on your RG, but still something that shouldn't be happening at all.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Headbanger said:


> anyone else seriously dissapointed in the neck of their Solar? I have one of the cheaper A2.6 models and the neck on it is really unstable. Even the lightest hand movement when playing will bend the neck resulting in the strings going out of tune even by 5 cents. Basically it will never play perfectly in tune because of the super flexible neck. The neck is, as far as I know, a 3 piece mahogany neck but my LTD with similar neck doesn't suffer from this problem at all. I really can't recommend buying the non-evertune Solars if they have necks this unstable.


I can't say I've had this problem with either of my Solars whatsoever. The necks on them are rock steady.

The one on my S1.7PB has such a stiff and strong neck that even when under full string tension, the truss rod needs to be used to encourage the neck into a forward bow to give it enough relief. But when there's no truss rod tension and no string tension, the neck is arrow straight.

My Jensen isn't quite that stiff but still, I only need a very small amount of truss rod tension to compensate for a couple of thousanths of relief to get it in the butter zone. Nothing unusual about that.

I dunno man. You seem to be the only one.


----------



## natedog_approved

binz said:


> Just randomly checked solar website and saw that gorgeous pink. After that white 2.7 with maple fretboard now this. Solar is killing it (and killing me!) with these, an absolute dream.
> 
> Does anybody know if there are plans for a pink 2.7? Wouldn't be a surprise as the same 'happened' with the neon lemon one. I didn't buy the lemon 7 because I already have the lemon 6 and found it kind of lame. I can't justify buying another 6 atm and would rather have a pink 7, but if it's only going to be out as a 6 I would damn myself for missing it.



I'd like to hear more about finding it lame! I've been eyeing the neon lemon since they released, more so the 7 now, but still. 

Not too many negative Solar reviews, so I'm curious what you didn't like.


----------



## cip 123

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I never wanna hear y'all djent fucks complaining about EMGs ever again.


Not to go off topic but this video has been out for 9 years now -


EMG's are pretty darn easy to djent if you know what you're doing


----------



## binz

natedog_approved said:


> I'd like to hear more about finding it lame! I've been eyeing the neon lemon since they released, more so the 7 now, but still.
> 
> Not too many negative Solar reviews, so I'm curious what you didn't like.


Haha misunderstanding mate! I love my 2.6 neon lemon but would have found it lame to get basically the same guitar as a seven (i.e. The 2.7 LN)


----------



## c7spheres

Headbanger said:


> anyone else seriously dissapointed in the neck of their Solar? I have one of the cheaper A2.6 models and the neck on it is really unstable. Even the lightest hand movement when playing will bend the neck resulting in the strings going out of tune even by 5 cents. Basically it will never play perfectly in tune because of the super flexible neck. The neck is, as far as I know, a 3 piece mahogany neck but my LTD with similar neck doesn't suffer from this problem at all. I really can't recommend buying the non-evertune Solars if they have necks this unstable.


 
It sounds like you're doing what you can. Maybe hit up Solar and see what they recommend? The only thing I can think is that maybe the neck took on some moisture or wasn't fully dried out before it was built. A 3 piece neck with truss rod regardless of wood type should be stable.


----------



## Ola Englund

Headbanger said:


> anyone else seriously dissapointed in the neck of their Solar? I have one of the cheaper A2.6 models and the neck on it is really unstable. Even the lightest hand movement when playing will bend the neck resulting in the strings going out of tune even by 5 cents. Basically it will never play perfectly in tune because of the super flexible neck. The neck is, as far as I know, a 3 piece mahogany neck but my LTD with similar neck doesn't suffer from this problem at all. I really can't recommend buying the non-evertune Solars if they have necks this unstable.



Sorry to hear about this. Do all strings go out of tune? Would love to bone this out.


----------



## Flick

I’m hoping for a 6 string baritone E series with an evertune. I’d like to get a 6 string with 26.5 or 27 scale length. Going to hold out a little while longer to see if there will be an E or V series. I have a few superstrat style guitars and would love to branch out.


----------



## LongBlackTie

Looking for a 6 (or 7) string explorer with Floyd ... and options are limited. The Solar E1.6 FRW is on the list. Was doing some research and came across this thread, not knowing much about Solar or Ola beforehand. Specs look good on the E1.6 with stainless steel frets etc. I'm ok with the floyd rose special.

What's the forum opinion on this guitar?
pickups? (I often swap anyway...)
is the explorer body shape same size as traditional Gibson? I'm not a big fan of the smaller explorer body sizes like the Kelly.
neck size? I don't like Ibanez thin, I'm prefer a medium thickness.

thanks all!


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

LongBlackTie said:


> Looking for a 6 (or 7) string explorer with Floyd ... and options are limited. The Solar E1.6 FRW is on the list. Was doing some research and came across this thread, not knowing much about Solar or Ola beforehand. Specs look good on the E1.6 with stainless steel frets etc. I'm ok with the floyd rose special.


It's a 1000 Floyd, not a Special. And with an upgraded big block no less.


> What's the forum opinion on this guitar?
> pickups? (I often swap anyway...)
> is the explorer body shape same size as traditional Gibson? I'm not a big fan of the smaller explorer body sizes like the Kelly.
> neck size? I don't like Ibanez thin, I'm prefer a medium thickness.
> 
> thanks all!


I own a lot of really nice guitars and the Jensen I own has risen to the top of the pile. It looks fucking killer, sounds savage and it plays and feels absolutely effortless. My only abject criticisms on it is that it's a little on the heavy side at 9.3 pounds, and that the ultra thin open pore finish is a little fragile.

The Duncan Solar pickups sound almost exactly the same as a Duncan Custom 5/59 set. If you know what those pickups sound like, you'll have a good idea of what the Solars sound like too. The majority of people who own these guitars prefer to keep them in.

The E-type bodies that the Solars have are about the same size as a Gibson's. But the Solar E bodies are a lot more ergonomic. They have a heavily sculpted access heel and an arm bevel.

The neck profiles on the Solar guitars are pretty thin but not overly so. The one on my Jensen is about the same thickness as the neck on my Jackson DK2M (according to my calipers) but it's C shaped instead of D shaped.


----------



## manu80

Hi Ola
Will there be a 2020 program or will you still go little series by little series on a sudden basis during the year ?
New shape coming ? ( you know that a star/stealth shape is a must do right ?  )
Thx


----------



## LongBlackTie

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> It's a 1000 Floyd, not a Special. And with an upgraded big block no less.
> 
> I own a lot of really nice guitars and the Jensen I own has risen to the top of the pile. It looks fucking killer, sounds savage and it plays and feels absolutely effortless. My only abject criticisms on it is that it's a little on the heavy side at 9.3 pounds, and that the ultra thin open pore finish is a little fragile.
> 
> The Duncan Solar pickups sound almost exactly the same as a Duncan Custom 5/59 set. If you know what those pickups sound like, you'll have a good idea of what the Solars sound like too. The majority of people who own these guitars prefer to keep them in.
> 
> The E-type bodies that the Solars have are about the same size as a Gibson's. But the Solar E bodies are a lot more ergonomic. They have a heavily sculpted access heel and an arm bevel.
> 
> The neck profiles on the Solar guitars are pretty thin but not overly so. The one on my Jensen is about the same thickness as the neck on my Jackson DK2M (according to my calipers) but it's C shaped instead of D shaped.



that's really helpful. I'm cool with custom 5 / 59, those are versatile pickups. and I'm happy to hear about the body size.

I'd like to try out the neck based on your comment. Are these sold in B&M stores in the US? What are the ordering options in the US? or I thought I read in this thread they sell direct as well?


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

LongBlackTie said:


> that's really helpful. I'm cool with custom 5 / 59, those are versatile pickups. and I'm happy to hear about the body size.
> 
> I'd like to try out the neck based on your comment. Are these sold in B&M stores in the US? What are the ordering options in the US? or I thought I read in this thread they sell direct as well?


Buying direct from their site is the way to go.


----------



## Headbanger

Ola Englund said:


> Sorry to hear about this. Do all strings go out of tune? Would love to bone this out.


yes. thanks for the concern! I'll try to record a video soon.


----------



## Tisca

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> Buying direct from their site is the way to go.


Except the one I'm interested in was cheaper from a major etailer. Maybe site sales get priority, I dunno.


----------



## Andromalia

Tisca said:


> Except the one I'm interested in was cheaper from a major etailer. Maybe site sales get priority, I dunno.


Usually in retail, if you're going to stock the goods of company A, it's not to have them undercut you on their own website, so usually manufacturer sites are as expensive or more than retail shops. That kind of thing is usually covered in distribution contracts.


----------



## Boofchuck

c7spheres said:


> It's weird. I'm really not poking fun or anything. If you type into Google "lefties have mental disorders" all kinds of stuff comes up. Wierd stuff. Eiher way, I'm glad I don't have to try a thousand time harder to find a good guitar : )


I'm a lefty and I genuinely feel like my mind is inside out compared to the righties around me. O_O


----------



## Soulmate

Hi guys, my first post here!

I just received my A1.6BD Artist.

Fit, finish and setup are all great and overall the guitar is really solid, however I’m somehow disappointed in the looks and body wood matching. I 100% get that wood - especially swamp ash - varies a lot in grain size and shape and with the open pore finish inconsistencies are kinda the thing.








I just feel that deep circular grain pattern around the volume knob sticks out a bit too much especially when the top piece of wood is so understated. In its defence, it makes the guitar unique from all the other open pore Solars I’ve seen.

What do you guys think? Am I being a total dumbass for not getting the beauty of it?


----------



## Albake21

Soulmate said:


> Hi guys, my first post here!
> 
> I just received my A1.6BD Artist.
> 
> Fit, finish and setup are all great and overall the guitar is really solid, however I’m somehow disappointed in the looks and body wood matching. I 100% get that wood - especially swamp ash - varies a lot in grain size and shape and with the open pore finish inconsistencies are kinda the thing.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I just feel that deep circular grain pattern around the volume knob sticks out a bit too much especially when the top piece of wood is so understated. In its defence, it makes the guitar unique from all the other open pore Solars I’ve seen.
> 
> What do you guys think? Am I being a total dumbass for not getting the beauty of it?


Eh, I really don't see a big deal here, especially since it also looks like you took a picture from an angle that emphasizes the grain. Much like burl tops, ash wood has major variations. For most, that's what makes it unique and loved so much.


----------



## Soulmate

Albake21 said:


> Eh, I really don't see a big deal here, especially since it also looks like you took a picture from an angle that emphasizes the grain. Much like burl tops, ash wood has major variations. For most, that's what makes it unique and loved so much.



Yeah, I know it’s not an imperfection, I’m just being one really critical mofo. I’ll hopefully get used to it pretty quickly, it’s just something I didn’t expect, lol.






This is the angle where the grain shows the least.


----------



## Albake21

Soulmate said:


> Yeah, I know it’s not an imperfection, I’m just being one really critical mofo. I’ll hopefully get used to it pretty quickly, it’s just something I didn’t expect, lol.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This is the angle where the grain shows the least.


Alright I see now and I could definitely see how that would bother you. I think it would bother me a little bit at first, but after some time I feel that you will get used to it and maybe even like it more for being so unique. I mean in a way, that's extremely one of a kind which makes it really cool in my eyes. It definitely wouldn't make me want to return it or anything.


----------



## ICSvortex

Soulmate said:


> Hi guys, my first post here!
> 
> I just received my A1.6BD Artist.
> 
> Fit, finish and setup are all great and overall the guitar is really solid, however I’m somehow disappointed in the looks and body wood matching. I 100% get that wood - especially swamp ash - varies a lot in grain size and shape and with the open pore finish inconsistencies are kinda the thing.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I just feel that deep circular grain pattern around the volume knob sticks out a bit too much especially when the top piece of wood is so understated. In its defence, it makes the guitar unique from all the other open pore Solars I’ve seen.
> 
> What do you guys think? Am I being a total dumbass for not getting the beauty of it?



ooof thats a rough one...
i personally couldnt get used to this.
I would email them and ask if you could get another one... even if it costs you 1 way shipping i'd be wort it for me.
But if you're into unique looking woods and guitars, maybe it would be a keeper.

But dang, i'd send that straight back


----------



## Metropolis

Soulmate said:


> Hi guys, my first post here!
> 
> I just received my A1.6BD Artist.
> 
> Fit, finish and setup are all great and overall the guitar is really solid, however I’m somehow disappointed in the looks and body wood matching. I 100% get that wood - especially swamp ash - varies a lot in grain size and shape and with the open pore finish inconsistencies are kinda the thing.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I just feel that deep circular grain pattern around the volume knob sticks out a bit too much especially when the top piece of wood is so understated. In its defence, it makes the guitar unique from all the other open pore Solars I’ve seen.
> 
> What do you guys think? Am I being a total dumbass for not getting the beauty of it?



I don't really fancy that look... it's uneven in a wrong way in my eyes. Like body is split in half or something


----------



## natedog_approved

Soulmate said:


> Hi guys, my first post here!
> 
> I just received my A1.6BD Artist.
> 
> Fit, finish and setup are all great and overall the guitar is really solid, however I’m somehow disappointed in the looks and body wood matching. I 100% get that wood - especially swamp ash - varies a lot in grain size and shape and with the open pore finish inconsistencies are kinda the thing.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I just feel that deep circular grain pattern around the volume knob sticks out a bit too much especially when the top piece of wood is so understated. In its defence, it makes the guitar unique from all the other open pore Solars I’ve seen.
> 
> What do you guys think? Am I being a total dumbass for not getting the beauty of it?



Yeah man, I couldn't dig that. From what I hear Solar is pretty understanding about returns. Though this is purely aesthetic, it's still worth asking to exchange. If you want to, that is.


----------



## Soulmate

Returning it isn’t a problem, I live in Europe so I can take advantage of the 14 day no questions asked return policy.

Too bad they look to be out of this model at the moment. I was debating between the A1.6FB and this though when ordering, so if I end up returning it I might choose that instead.


----------



## Soya

Make a custom pickguard for it


----------



## mlp187

Soulmate said:


> Yeah, I know it’s not an imperfection, I’m just being one really critical mofo. I’ll hopefully get used to it pretty quickly, it’s just something I didn’t expect, lol.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This is the angle where the grain shows the least.


That's a hard pass for me. I hope you end up with a solar you love.


----------



## c7spheres

Soulmate said:


> Hi guys, my first post here!
> 
> I just received my A1.6BD Artist.
> 
> Fit, finish and setup are all great and overall the guitar is really solid, however I’m somehow disappointed in the looks and body wood matching. I 100% get that wood - especially swamp ash - varies a lot in grain size and shape and with the open pore finish inconsistencies are kinda the thing.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I just feel that deep circular grain pattern around the volume knob sticks out a bit too much especially when the top piece of wood is so understated. In its defence, it makes the guitar unique from all the other open pore Solars I’ve seen.
> 
> What do you guys think? Am I being a total dumbass for not getting the beauty of it?


 It looks wierd, but why shame it for it's birthmark? It can't help it was made that way. : ) Seriously, It seems that if anything it should have been on the back not the front.


----------



## Soulmate

c7spheres said:


> It looks wierd, but why shame it for it's birthmark? It can't help it was made that way. : ) Seriously, It seems that if anything it should have been on the back not the front.



I thought the same when I inspected it. Especially when the grain pattern on the back is more consistent and even.


----------



## c7spheres

Soulmate said:


> I thought the same when I inspected it. Especially when the grain pattern on the back is more consistent and even.


 Oh wow. I guess it's hard tell how it will ultimately turn out or something.


----------



## zenonshandro

Boofchuck said:


> I'm a lefty and I genuinely feel like my mind is inside out compared to the righties around me. O_O



Lefties are to Righties what musicians are to the rest of the world.



Soulmate said:


> Hi guys, my first post here!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> What do you guys think? Am I being a total dumbass for not getting the beauty of it?



I wanted to say 'Ah, man that's nothing, embrace its unique qualities', but the more I look at it, the more I could understand you not accepting it.


----------



## Soulmate

That’s not all, folks! As I was fiddling with it I noticed this sound coming from the bridge cavity. There’s something loose in there, this doesn’t happen with my other Evertune guitar.

I guess this seals the guitar going back. (Open video clip to unmute)


----------



## Ola Englund

I can also see that people might be thrown off by that look, that's the hard thing about open pore is that there is so many variables of different looks, some like a certain grain, some like a super pronounced one. Very selective, but with that said I totally understand if you don't like that one in particular.

Regarding what makes a sound in the cavity did you try and open it up and check what it is?

Anycase send an email through the website!


----------



## Soulmate

Ola Englund said:


> I can also see that people might be thrown off by that look, that's the hard thing about open pore is that there is so many variables of different looks, some like a certain grain, some like a super pronounced one. Very selective, but with that said I totally understand if you don't like that one in particular.
> 
> Regarding what makes a sound in the cavity did you try and open it up and check what it is?
> 
> Anycase send an email through the website!



Thanks for chiming in, Ola!

Like I said I totally get that wood is an organic material and imperfections are a part of it. I would just prefer mine to look a bit more... balanced. 

Took the back plate off and kept turning the guitar but couldn’t see anything moving while it still made the sound. Didn’t want to start disassembling the bridge to see better.

Meanwhile, my S1.6PB is perfect 

I’ll shoot an email to you guys.


----------



## Soulmate

Just shipped the guitar back.

Does anybody have or know of any additional pictures of a solar guitar with flame black matte finish? I’d love to see how the finish looks outside studio lighting and how subtle or visible the flame on the veneer is.


----------



## ChugThisBoy

Soulmate said:


> Just shipped the guitar back.
> 
> Does anybody have or know of any additional pictures of a solar guitar with flame black matte finish? I’d love to see how the finish looks outside studio lighting and how subtle or visible the flame on the veneer is.



Hey man. Try to ask on Modern Guitarist and/or Music Discussion Group on FB.


----------



## natedog_approved

Soulmate said:


> Just shipped the guitar back.
> 
> Does anybody have or know of any additional pictures of a solar guitar with flame black matte finish? I’d love to see how the finish looks outside studio lighting and how subtle or visible the flame on the veneer is.



Maybe Instagram?


----------



## Soulmate

natedog_approved said:


> Maybe Instagram?



Thanks, found some cool ones of the baritone version!

I think I’m gonna go with the A1.6FB, they have that in stock and even though I kind of prefer solid color tops I love how the finish on the FB is translucent on the back too. Top veneer seems subtle enough, I have the PB one for showing off.


----------



## lumena

Just a question for anyone who has a solar A1.6 with Evertune.
What is the distance between the edge of the Evertune and the back of the bridge humbucker. I am thinking of getting an A1.6 and having the Roland GK3 mounted on it if there is enough space. No cracks please sometimes I use the guitar synth for keyboard parts if there is need.
thanks


----------



## Soulmate

lumena said:


> Just a question for anyone who has a solar A1.6 with Evertune.
> What is the distance between the edge of the Evertune and the back of the bridge humbucker. I am thinking of getting an A1.6 and having the Roland GK3 mounted on it if there is enough space. No cracks please sometimes I use the guitar synth for keyboard parts if there is need.
> thanks



On my S series 5mm to the edge of the pickup cavity, about 8mm to the pickup itself.


----------



## lumena

Soulmate said:


> On my S series 5mm to the edge of the pickup cavity, about 8mm to the pickup itself.


Thanks for taking the time to measure.
The Roland GK3 is 7.8 mm so just barely.


----------



## Rev2010

Soulmate said:


> I just feel that deep circular grain pattern around the volume knob sticks out a bit too much especially when the top piece of wood is so understated. In its defence, it makes the guitar unique from all the other open pore Solars I’ve seen.
> 
> What do you guys think? Am I being a total dumbass for not getting the beauty of it?



No, not a dumbass at all... I would've sent it back too. That looks plain odd and I too would never get over it. LOL.


Rev.


----------



## Ola Englund

Soulmate said:


> Just shipped the guitar back.
> 
> Does anybody have or know of any additional pictures of a solar guitar with flame black matte finish? I’d love to see how the finish looks outside studio lighting and how subtle or visible the flame on the veneer is.


Hey man send me a PM and I’ll send you some FBB pics. I can’t seem to figure out posting pictures here from my phone


----------



## Soulmate

Ola Englund said:


> Hey man send me a PM and I’ll send you some FBB pics. I can’t seem to figure out posting pictures here from my phone



It’s fine, I actually ordered an A1.6FB the same day I shipped the other one back. Should be here in Finland on Monday.

I’ll post pics of mine here when I get it.


----------



## DickyTripleD

GuitarSetup said:


> sir just waiting for the replacement Xavier told me



Have you tried to pry the locking pin back down? It's such an easy fix.


----------



## MadYarpen

I received my V2.6 this week, and while I love the guitar, I have a little problem with it. But first let me tell you it looks awesome, and it is soooo comfortable to play seated.

Anyway, I have changed the strings, and the tuning (C# standard using EB 11-54 set, with 2 of the strings replaced to keep the tension eaven). Set it up as I like and it turns out I was barely able to set the length of the third string. The saddle in the bridge just ran out of space, I can't move it any further. As I said, it is barely correct. With my hearing I don't hear anything bad even with hi-gain distortion, but I think in reality it would need to be moved tiny bit more. 

Do you have any suggestion what could I do? I guess tuning it up to D standard and using thinner strings is one way to go, but the point was to have this in C#. I was thinking about turning the saddle the other way around (they are not symmetrical, so the edge maybe would move a bit), but I don't think they can be taken out and put back in. So I don't know. Changing the brige? Thats not a good start for a new guitar.


----------



## Nicki

MadYarpen said:


> I received my V2.6 this week, and while I love the guitar, I have a little problem with it. But first let me tell you it looks awesome, and it is soooo comfortable to play seated.
> 
> Anyway, I have changed the strings, and the tuning (C# standard using EB 11-54 set, with 2 of the strings replaced to keep the tension eaven). Set it up as I like and it turns out I was barely able to set the length of the third string. The saddle in the bridge just ran out of space, I can't move it any further. As I said, it is barely correct. With my hearing I don't hear anything bad even with hi-gain distortion, but I think in reality it would need to be moved tiny bit more.
> 
> Do you have any suggestion what could I do? I guess tuning it up to D standard and using thinner strings is one way to go, but the point was to have this in C#. I was thinking about turning the saddle the other way around (they are not symmetrical, so the edge maybe would move a bit), but I don't think they can be taken out and put back in. So I don't know. Changing the brige? Thats not a good start for a new guitar.


Sorry... are you trying to intonate or set the string height?


----------



## MadYarpen

Nicki said:


> Sorry... are you trying to intonate or set the string height?



Intonate, that's the English word!

I should move the saddle even more backwards (further away from the headstock) to have the note in tune on 12th fret, but I have ran out of space for the saddle.


----------



## Nicki

MadYarpen said:


> Intonate, that's the English word!
> 
> I should move the saddle even more backwards (further away from the headstock) to have the note in tune on 12th fret, but I have ran out of space for the saddle.


That sounds... odd...

Did you recently change strings and if so, have they stretched out and settled? Another thing to consider is that the string could be getting caught at the nut. If that's the case, I would loosen the string to the point where you could unseat it from the nut, grab a pencil and just add some graphite into the slot (or colouring in the slot with the pencil if that makes more sense). It sounds more like you've over corrected the intonation and need to just reset the saddle closer to the string before it, re-tune and try again.

Also keep in mind that adjusting the saddle will also adjust the tuning so you have get it balanced between turning the tuning peg and moving the saddle. Don't just move one or the other, but both in small increments.


----------



## MadYarpen

Well yeah, I chaged from the stock 9-46 strings (AFAIR) to 11-54, and changed tuning from E standard to C# standard, and I messed with the truss rod to have it how I like. So this is why I had to intonate the guitar. I also know how to do it, that you need to tune the strings every time you move the saddle Bass strings are still a bit unstable, but the 3rd one is OK.

I guess it is normal when you use thicker stings, to intonate you will have to move the sadddles away from the headstock. It's just that with 0.20 gauge on 3rd string, tuned to E in this case, the saddle has to be moved all the way back. I checked again, and it seems to be just enough, but If I wanted to use any thicker string, I think I'd be in trouble. As if the bridge was 1 mm to close to the headstock.

Also it seems they had some dirt in the air when painting this one, there are few places where it feels like a grain of sand is under the paint. One is especially annoying, on the 10th fret where my thumb rests - but I'll just sandpaper this away. Hopefully it helps.

Other than that I don't have anythig bad to say about this guitar. If anyone is wondering, it does not have neckdive issues, at least with a wide strap (I think mine has 10 cm in width). 

Pickups have less output in comparison to my Nazgul, but that's OK, I need to learn how to play them lol.

And it is very comfortable for me, I play in "classical" position, so that's why I prefer Vs. This way my right hand is less tense. But what is outsanding with this one is this simple profile instead of the sharp edges. Fantastic. The neck is also nice, I know it is somewhere around 1.5 mm thicker than the neck in my Xiphos7, but I think it alows my thumb to be more relaxed.


----------



## possumkiller

So has anyone leaked the 2020 Solar catalogue yet?


----------



## Nicki

MadYarpen said:


> Well yeah, I chaged from the stock 9-46 strings (AFAIR) to 11-54, and changed tuning from E standard to C# standard, and I messed with the truss rod to have it how I like. So this is why I had to intonate the guitar. I also know how to do it, that you need to tune the strings every time you move the saddle Bass strings are still a bit unstable, but the 3rd one is OK.
> 
> I guess it is normal when you use thicker stings, to intonate you will have to move the sadddles away from the headstock. It's just that with 0.20 gauge on 3rd string, tuned to E in this case, the saddle has to be moved all the way back. I checked again, and it seems to be just enough, but If I wanted to use any thicker string, I think I'd be in trouble. As if the bridge was 1 mm to close to the headstock.


I dunno. To me, it seems cranking the saddle all the way to the back of the bridge seems excessive, no matter the guage of string. I don't think it's an issue with the guitar, given that all other strings intonate just fine.

Maybe give the strings one final stretch, then instead of tuning to pitch, tune half an octave higher and leave it overnight. Then, in the morning or whenever you get the chance, tune up and try intonating again. Maybe also invest in one of these to help with stretching the strings.


----------



## zenonshandro

DickyTripleD said:


> Have you tried to pry the locking pin back down? It's such an easy fix.



Have you seen the whole thread about this?


----------



## MadYarpen

Nicki said:


> I dunno. To me, it seems cranking the saddle all the way to the back of the bridge seems excessive, no matter the guage of string. I don't think it's an issue with the guitar, given that all other strings intonate just fine.
> 
> Maybe give the strings one final stretch, then instead of tuning to pitch, tune half an octave higher and leave it overnight. Then, in the morning or whenever you get the chance, tune up and try intonating again. Maybe also invest in one of these to help with stretching the strings.



I will look at it again when the strings are stable, for sure. But at the moment it intonates OK with the saddle all the way back, so I don't know how would it change.

And you know, other saddles are also further back than with the stock strings. Actually, as always, they are in the groups of three. 1st - 3rd and 4th-6th. And the way 3rd string / saddle is, is consistent with the others.


----------



## MadYarpen

Have a look yourself https://imgur.com/a/SIH6O8X


----------



## Winspear

MadYarpen said:


> Have a look yourself https://imgur.com/a/SIH6O8X


It looks to me the guitar was designed with wasted bridge travel. Pretty common but definitely a shame if somebody wanted to tune even lower than you are. The high E will always be the most far forward, and even if you were to go down from 12 to 8 gauge (the thinnest people use), there would still be a couple of mm unused at the front of the bridge. So they could have placed it that far further back to allow extra travel. Or used something like the Hipshot TOM which has as much travel (including movable posts) as the regular Hipshot hardtail!
If you are using a plain 3rd string, a wound 3rd (I'd suggest one gauge higher for equal tension) should intonate much further forward, like, infront of the D string. I'd always reccomend a change from plain to wound at 20 anyway for tone.
Still, it's a shame this guitar wasn't designed to intonate more than maybe a 56 on the bottom.
Also yes, flipping the saddles is a thing people do and it would give an extra couple of mm travel.


----------



## c7spheres

MadYarpen said:


> Intonate, that's the English word!
> 
> I should move the saddle even more backwards (further away from the headstock) to have the note in tune on 12th fret, but I have ran out of space for the saddle.


- How far off (how many cents on the tuner) is it off? 
- The first thing I would try is a new string. Sometimes the string is just a bad string.


----------



## Winspear

c7spheres said:


> - How far off (how many cents on the tuner) is it off?
> - The first thing I would try is a new string. Sometimes the string is just a bad string.


The string seems fine, check out the photo, the pattern is normal - it's just poor bridge placement. Though it's worth noting that thick plain strings can begin to exhibit intonation issues on guitar scale lengths due to inflexibility anyway


----------



## MadYarpen

Winspear said:


> It looks to me the guitar was designed with wasted bridge travel. Pretty common but definitely a shame if somebody wanted to tune even lower than you are. The high E will always be the most far forward, and even if you were to go down from 12 to 8 gauge (the thinnest people use), there would still be a couple of mm unused at the front of the bridge. So they could have placed it that far further back to allow extra travel. Or used something like the Hipshot TOM which has as much travel (including movable posts) as the regular Hipshot hardtail!
> If you are using a plain 3rd string, a wound 3rd (I'd suggest one gauge higher for equal tension) should intonate much further forward, like, infront of the D string. I'd always reccomend a change from plain to wound at 20 anyway for tone.
> Still, it's a shame this guitar wasn't designed to intonate more than maybe a 56 on the bottom.
> Also yes, flipping the saddles is a thing people do and it would give an extra couple of mm travel.



wound 3rd string seems a great solution, thanks man! Didn't think about it. Looking at the bridge it seems it is not possible to flip the saddle 

It is a shame, considering it is C# - it isn't extremely low, and unusual for 25.5 scale...


----------



## c7spheres

Winspear said:


> The string seems fine, check out the photo, the pattern is normal - it's just poor bridge placement. Though it's worth noting that thick plain strings can begin to exhibit intonation issues on guitar scale lengths due to inflexibility anyway


 Yes, I mention because I've had some just come out of the package bad. They look normal and fine but for whatever reason they aren't. Like the tinsile strength is bad in a section and it is thinned out or something. I've only ran into it a few times in the last 30 years but just a thought. 
- Also make sure to check witness points too. 
- If it's bad bridge placement then not a lot you can do and the guitar was designed for a specific thing I guess.


----------



## Winspear

MadYarpen said:


> wound 3rd string seems a great solution, thanks man! Didn't think about it. Looking at the bridge it seems it is not possible to flip the saddle
> 
> It is a shame, considering it is C# - it isn't extremely low, and unusual for 25.5 scale...



Indeed!
Hmm, what makes you say that about the saddle? I've never really looked into it but I can't imagine any way in which it would be made other than a removable saddle with a hole in it that can be flipped. Unless they've made it somehow impossible to remove the screw?


----------



## MadYarpen

Winspear said:


> Indeed!
> Hmm, what makes you say that about the saddle? I've never really looked into it but I can't imagine any way in which it would be made other than a removable saddle with a hole in it that can be flipped. Unless they've made it somehow impossible to remove the screw?


Yeah exactly, I think it is not possible to take the screw out.

E: don't ask me how it was put there in the first place


----------



## Winspear

MadYarpen said:


> Yeah exactly, I think it is not possible to take the screw out.
> 
> E: don't ask me how it was put there in the first place


Ahh, it'll be those little washer type things on the underside of the screws that hold them in place. How to remove those, I am unsure. I'd try the wound 3rd first and see what you think, but those little retainers can certainly be removed somehow should it come to it


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

MadYarpen said:


> Have a look yourself https://imgur.com/a/SIH6O8X




Just flip the saddle 180 degrees and you'll be good to go.


----------



## Soulmate

Here it is...

and it’s absolutely gorgeous.


----------



## littlebadboy

Soulmate said:


> Here it is...
> 
> and it’s absolutely gorgeous.


It's so beautiful that I hate you...


----------



## manu80

So no star guitar for 2020  ?


----------



## Se7enHeaven

My only issue with Solar is that no matter the guitar, the playability of the neck is about the same and they pretty much all use the same pickups. If you buy more than one it's because you want 7-strings instead of 6, or a different body shape/color.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Se7enHeaven said:


> My only issue with Solar is that no matter the guitar, the playability of the neck is about the same and they pretty much all use the same pickups. If you buy more than one it's because you want 7-strings instead of 6, or a different body shape/color.


If you love thin C-shaped necks (and let's face it, most metal players find them perfectly workable), then it's kind of a blessing.

It means that you can get a guitar in any finish or body style or cosmetics you want without having the neck being fucked with. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Having a wider diversity of stock pickups would be nice but many people on SSO have very specific preferences for the kind of pickups they want anyway. So even if they did offer a wider diversity of pickups to choose from, they're still probably going to get swapped. SSO being SSO.


----------



## Merrekof

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> If you love thin C-shaped necks (and let's face it, most metal players find them perfectly workable), then it's kind of a blessing.
> 
> It means that you can get a guitar in any finish or body style or cosmetics you want without having the neck being fucked with. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
> 
> Having a wider diversity of stock pickups would be nice but many people on SSO have very specific preferences for the kind of pickups they want anyway. So even if they did offer a wider diversity of pickups to choose from, they're still probably going to get swapped. SSO being SSO.


^ Exactly my thoughts.


----------



## Viginez

manu80 said:


> So no star guitar for 2020  ?


i think it's quiet a challenge to make a likeable star shaped guitar
not the easiest thing


----------



## c7spheres

Se7enHeaven said:


> My only issue with Solar is that no matter the guitar, the playability of the neck is about the same and they pretty much all use the same pickups. If you buy more than one it's because you want 7-strings instead of 6, or a different body shape/color.


 I actually kinda like that if it's accurate. If I end up liking the neck feel then I'd have no worries about getting another because I would want that nice familar comfortable feel. Ibanez gets pretty close but I find they are all a bit different still. You gotta try several to get two that are close to each other.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

manu80 said:


> So no star guitar for 2020  ?


I don't think it would be a wise choice.

Making something resembling a Charvel Star but with sharp points so it matches the aesthetic of the rest of the brand's lineup would be very difficult to make look good.

It would also run the risk of trolls falsely accusing Ola of trying to copy the Dean Razorback or Washburn Dime shapes. The Dime shapes are _apparently _hallowed ground and _apparently _anyone who dares try to make even a vague facsimile of one will _apparently _be forever crucified on the internet.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands




----------



## Se7enHeaven

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> If you love thin C-shaped necks (and let's face it, most metal players find them perfectly workable), then it's kind of a blessing.
> 
> It means that you can get a guitar in any finish or body style or cosmetics you want without having the neck being fucked with. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
> 
> Having a wider diversity of stock pickups would be nice but many people on SSO have very specific preferences for the kind of pickups they want anyway. So even if they did offer a wider diversity of pickups to choose from, they're still probably going to get swapped. SSO being SSO.



Someone else made reference to my comment and liking it being 'stock' (particularly the neck). That's fine, but often when I buy another guitar it's not to duplicate or replicate what I already have. For example, having a Les Paul and then buying a Strat... the purchase is for something different with different sonic capabilities. I like having different 'Metal' guitars that have difference voicings and personalities. Since I currently have one of the best Solar's in the collection, no sense getting another. I don't need to spend $1000 (or whatever) for a different color.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Se7enHeaven said:


> Someone else made reference to my comment and liking it being 'stock' (particularly the neck). That's fine, but often when I buy another guitar it's not to duplicate or replicate what I already have. For example, having a Les Paul and then buying a Strat... the purchase is for something different with different sonic capabilities. I like having different 'Metal' guitars that have difference voicings and personalities. Since I currently have one of the best Solar's in the collection, no sense getting another. I don't need to spend $1000 (or whatever) for a different color.


If you don't want the guitar to sound the same then swap the pickups. It's not hard.

You also need to acknowledge that these guitars are made to the specs of a guitar that Ola would actually play live. If he likes that particular neck feel and likes those particular pickups, who is to judge him? It's a perfectly valid preference and at the end of the day it's his brand and he can do whatever the hell he wants with it.

What I've learned the most about this discussion is how it's impossible to please everyone.


----------



## Albake21

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> What I've learned the most about this discussion is how it's impossible to please everyone.


Welcome to SSO!


----------



## Se7enHeaven

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> If you don't want the guitar to sound the same then swap the pickups. It's not hard.
> 
> You also need to acknowledge that these guitars are made to the specs of a guitar that Ola would actually play live. If he likes that particular neck feel and likes those particular pickups, who is to judge him? It's a perfectly valid preference and at the end of the day it's his brand and he can do whatever the hell he wants with it.
> 
> What I've learned the most about this discussion is how it's impossible to please everyone.



I get all that. Obviously Ola's guitars are based on his specs... I'm not arguing that... nor having to invest MORE money into pickups (plenty of guitars that play as well or better, and so I might as well pop pickups that may play better). I'm just saying, it's pretty much the same guitar with some minor differences (e.g., single cut vs. double cut), which makes them less interesting to own multiple of.


----------



## Bearitone

If i had a guitar company aimed specifically at metal i would also use the same pickups in all models. It just makes sense to me


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Se7enHeaven said:


> I get all that. Obviously Ola's guitars are based on his specs... I'm not arguing that... nor having to invest MORE money into pickups (plenty of guitars that play as well or better, and so I might as well pop pickups that may play better). I'm just saying, it's pretty much the same guitar with some minor differences (e.g., single cut vs. double cut), which makes them less interesting to own multiple of.


You're entitled to your opinion but as I've already said, the guitars share common pickups and neck specs for good reason.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.


----------



## Se7enHeaven

Bearitone said:


> If i had a guitar company aimed specifically at metal i would also use the same pickups in all models. It just makes sense to me



You can play Metal with both active and passive pickups... two completely different animals. There are Metal guitars by Strandberg that sound nothing like Solar pickups (I had a Singularity and speak from experience). Yes, I know, swap out pickups. Not everyone's into that.


----------



## Se7enHeaven

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> You're entitled to your opinion but as I've already said, the guitars share common pickups and neck specs for good reason.
> 
> If it ain't broke, don't fix it.



Yes, exactly, it was merely an opinion and the Ola fans get defensive. Heck, I own two Solars and check out my photo.


----------



## Bearitone

Se7enHeaven said:


> You can play Metal with both active and passive pickups... two completely different animals. There are Metal guitars by Strandberg that sound nothing like Solar pickups (I had a Singularity and speak from experience). Yes, I know, swap out pickups. Not everyone's into that.



Yup. Totally understand. I’m saying, from a manufacturing point of view, it makes more sense.


----------



## natedog_approved

Bearitone said:


> If i had a guitar company aimed specifically at metal i would also use the same pickups in all models. It just makes sense to me



I see your point but "metal" varies for a lot of people and sonic preferences more so. 

Options would be nice, but I understand why there's not. I still want a Solar; if I hate the pickups (doubt I would, I like what I've heard for a vast array of sub genres), I'd invest in different ones


----------



## Se7enHeaven

natedog_approved said:


> I see your point but "metal" varies for a lot of people and sonic preferences more so.
> 
> Options would be nice, but I understand why there's not. I still want a Solar; if I hate the pickups (doubt I would, I like what I've heard for a vast array of sub genres), I'd invest in different ones



Then why not get a good playing guitar with the pickups you would have purchased (at a few hundred bucks) in the first place? Not sure how many people recall Solar in the early days (not long ago) when Ola offered pickup choices... and recall that slime green Floyd Rose signature model that was on his site only months ago that did NOT have Solar pickups. Ola was not always 'consistent,' and I almost bought one of those signature models (before they sold out) simply because it was a different guitar in different ways besides the pickups. In any case, have a good night.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I mean the sole reason it had different pickups is because it was a signature model for someone else. 

Hell the (possible) Jason Frankhouser/Killertone sig model will have Duncan Alt 8's in it.

Also the Duncan Solar pickups are Korean-made. Basically Duncan Designed pickups. He probably also put them in the non-signature guitars to save money


----------



## Se7enHeaven

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I mean the sole reason it had different pickups is because it was a signature model for someone else.



If you RE-READ what I posted, before posting the laughing emoji, I clearly stated that Ola once offered more than one type of pickup. It was only after lack of interest sales that he stuck with only his preferred type. Consequently, he was not married to the idea of having only Duncan Solars in his stock (non-signature) models.


----------



## natedog_approved

Se7enHeaven said:


> Then why not get a good playing guitar with the pickups you would have purchased (at a few hundred bucks) in the first place?



For me, it's all the other specs, aesthetics and affordability. Even tacking on another couple hundo for pickups if I wanted, the guitar would still be cheaper than a lot of other comparable ones. 

There's also the used market. Sell old pickups to offset some of the cost or pickup the ones you want from someone in the opposite boat at a lower price. 

This truly isn't a uncommon scenario, and again, all comes down to preference, you know? Maybe I love everything about a guitar, except the pickups. If it's worth it (to me), then yeah, I'd shell out more cash to have what I wanted.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Se7enHeaven said:


> If you RE-READ what I posted, before posting the laughing emoji, I clearly stated that Ola once offered more than one type of pickup. It was only after lack of interest sales that he stuck with only his preferred type. Consequently, he was not married to the idea of having only Duncan Solars in his stock (non-signature) models.



I recall since the beginning that the Solar pickup was going to be the standard pickup for the entire line. I don't ever remember hearing him saying he was gonna switch to anything else. Hell I remember the complaining since the beginning that the Solar pickups were used on EVERY guitar. 

Unless it appears to be a signature model. You talked about that green one, which was the signature model for a band known for using Dimarzio pickups. 

I mean I'm looking at the webpage right now and I see a guitar with EMGs, and another with Fluences.


----------



## KnightBrolaire

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


>


pretty much the perfect star shape.


----------



## manu80

Amen to that


----------



## Se7enHeaven

HeHas... No one said he was SWITCHING to anything other than his brand. He offered to put in different pickups and had a different set available at the time (a person can choose to go with the other pickups). That was only during the initial months since few people likely asked for them.


----------



## BusinessMan

Has anyone tried the E2.7 yet? I’m GASing pretty hard for one but I haven’t seen anyone with one. I’m assuming it’s near the same (quality wise) with the E2.6?


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

BusinessMan said:


> Has anyone tried the E2.7 yet? I’m GASing pretty hard for one but I haven’t seen anyone with one. I’m assuming it’s near the same (quality wise) with the E2.6?


It's basically an E2.6 with 7 strings and a 25.5" scale. So anything that can be said about that guitar can be said about the 7 string version.


----------



## dorqus

So I just picked up a (used) Solar A2.7 in transulcent blood red matte, and it looks amazing. I also have an A2.6 in gun metal grey. I'm using a SKB SKB-66 case for the 6 string, looking for a case recommendation for the 7 string. I think it will fit in the SKB-66, but the prices have gone up on those cases quite a bit since I got it just over a year ago. Was also considering a Gator TSA case, not sure if a) it will fit or b) if they are any good. Don't really gig, but just carry it to/from rehearsal, really just want to keep it safe. Right now I have it in a gig bag, but that's not the best protection for it. Thanks!

EDIT: Looks like the SKB-66 is a little too tight....the headstock digs into the foam at the top, so not going to work long term.


----------



## Se7enHeaven

dorqus said:


> So I just picked up a (used) Solar A2.7 in transulcent blood red matte, and it looks amazing. I also have an A2.6 in gun metal grey. I'm using a SKB SKB-66 case for the 6 string, looking for a case recommendation for the 7 string. I think it will fit in the SKB-66, but the prices have gone up on those cases quite a bit since I got it just over a year ago. Was also considering a Gator TSA case, not sure if a) it will fit or b) if they are any good. Don't really gig, but just carry it to/from rehearsal, really just want to keep it safe. Right now I have it in a gig bag, but that's not the best protection for it. Thanks! EDIT: Looks like the SKB-66 is a little too tight....the headstock digs into the foam at the top, so not going to work long term.



I can't speak for the size, but I have a few Gator cases and they are well made... certainly decent enough to go to and from gigs. Also, check out the various heavy padded gig bags (with shoulder straps) over at https://gruvgear.com/


----------



## dorqus

Se7enHeaven said:


> I can't speak for the size, but I have a few Gator cases and they are well made... certainly decent enough to go to and from gigs. Also, check out the various heavy padded gig bags (with shoulder straps) over at https://gruvgear.com/



OK good to know re: Gator Cases, and thanks for the tip on gruvgear, I'll check it out!
Looks like the official Solar case will be available at the end of February:
https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/hardcase-for-type-a-s-guitars/
Maybe I'll just wait, this way I can be 100% sure that the guitar will fit correctly.


----------



## Mattykoda

Oh man here we go


----------



## c7spheres

GuitarSetup said:


> guys i kept on breaking first string on the evertune bridge, is the bridge sharp what can i do to fix the issue?


 You could lightly file or sand the saddle part to make it smooth. This will remove any burrs that might be on there and breaking the string.


----------



## KnightBrolaire

GuitarSetup said:


> guys i kept on breaking first string on the evertune bridge, is the bridge sharp what can i do to fix the issue?


make a thread about it and then keep posting without actually listening to anyone's advice


----------



## DickyTripleD

KnightBrolaire said:


> make a thread about it and then keep posting without actually listening to anyone's advice


I think I remember someone doing that recently. GearSetup, or GuitarWork or something.


----------



## c7spheres

GuitarSetup said:


> Btw there are funny people here and helpful people with sense thank you again


 It's all in good fun.


----------



## Seabeast2000

c7spheres said:


> It's all in good fun.


I would get a Skype call with Evertune and the string manufacturer. Bring in their raw materials chain suppliers too to determine root cause.


----------



## c7spheres

GuitarSetup said:


> whats the best string for solar guitar, im a harsh picker and harsh bender


 GHS Boomers


----------



## c7spheres

GuitarSetup said:


> Thats best better than slinky's ,elixirs and daddario xt?


 It's all opinion but I like them. The main differnce it they tend to last long because they are stainless steel. They sound good and last long.


----------



## DickyTripleD

c7spheres said:


> It's all opinion but I like them. The main differnce it they tend to last long because they are stainless steel. They sound good and last long.


Ok, Boomers.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

GuitarSetup said:


> since i bought this , i still have the stock blacksmith strings, the first string only is changed because i loosen up and i detach it from the post accidentally i didnt break it


Oh dear.

Better request some free replacements from Blacksmith. The ones from the factory are obviously defective.

Choosing to completely ignore this advice only adds to the punchline.


----------



## Riverrunsred

This should be epic.


----------



## ArtDecade

Yes! *GuitarSetup* is here!


----------



## c7spheres

DickyTripleD said:


> Ok, Boomers.


 I'm not that old! Only in my 40's


----------



## Mattykoda

Google is amazing you know:
“_When going from a higher to a lower string gauge, tune the strings to about a half step sharp of the desired note with the tuning pegs at the headstock. Then decrease the saddle tension with the hex key in the tuning hole behind the saddle until each string is in tune. This will avoid breaking strings by trying to get saddles into Zone 2 when the tension is set too high for the smaller string gauge." 
_
I’m going to try to help this one time. If you don’t take my advice, I’m packing up my guitar case and leaving.


----------



## ThisBrokenMachine

c7spheres said:


> GHS Boomers



OK (GHS) BOOMER


----------



## ArtDecade

No coincidence. Blacksmith did this so you would see it.


----------



## Lukhas

I can't help but think about Mustaine when I see a silver V. Even if the overall config isn't the same!  A grand for a V with Floyd, stainless steel frets, DiMarzio pickups, a nice neck joint and Luminlays... there have been worse deals. I'm just not into Vs.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

The factory must've had a load of surplus pickups, hardware and bodies when Dan Vadim Von pulled out as an endorser. So Ola's decided to make this low volume run to get rid of all the surplus inventory.

I'm also very surprised at how cheap they are. These guitars are going to go out of stock _in a real hurry_. Ola must really want these re-finished DVV's _gone_.






https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a1-7frc-ltd-carbon-black-matte/





https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/v1-6frmr-ltd-blood-red-metallic-gloss/






https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/v1-6frmds-ltd-dark-silver-metallic-gloss/






https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/v1-6frag-ltd-army-green-matte/


----------



## Ola Englund

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> The factory must've had a load of surplus pickups, hardware and bodies when Dan Vadim Von pulled out as an endorser. So Ola's decided to make this low volume run to get rid of all the surplus inventory.
> 
> I'm also very surprised at how cheap they are. These guitars are going to go out of stock _in a real hurry_. Ola must really want these re-finished DVV's _gone_.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a1-7frc-ltd-carbon-black-matte/
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/v1-6frmr-ltd-blood-red-metallic-gloss/
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/v1-6frmds-ltd-dark-silver-metallic-gloss/
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/v1-6frag-ltd-army-green-matte/


Pretty much, we had made orders for more but he left quick, so we decided to just make a couple of one offs and offer them for a good deal.


----------



## Albake21

Damn pretty much the only thing holding me back from getting his signature model was the green, but damn it's my perfect 7 string! I wish more Solars had the plain maple neck and more 7 strings were 25.5". Sadly I don't have the cash right now, so they'll probably sell out before I can grab one


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

I wonder if you sanded down the body if you would see the green paint hiding under the black.


----------



## Ola Englund

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> I wonder if you sanded down the body if you would see the green paint hiding under the black.


They were not refinished, just ordered, then after order has been placed you place parts order. We had a lot of time of changing and deciding for colors before the guitars were produced even.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Please
More silver
I beg


----------



## MASS DEFECT

That army green is a pretty shade of army green. Almost like the current Mustang Bullitt car.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Ola Englund said:


> They were not refinished, just ordered, then after order has been placed you place parts order. We had a lot of time of changing and deciding for colors before the guitars were produced even.


Yee fair play. Just playing devil's advocate.


----------



## akinari

Damn, that A1.7 with the Blaze pickups sounded massive!


----------



## Soulmate

I demand an A1 series see thru black plaintop baritone with Evertune!


----------



## MadYarpen

Mhhhm that army green. If it was v2.6 in this color, I'd be tempted. I hope they will keep this color in their offer. Still hoping to buy v2.7 one day.


----------



## Louis Cypher

That A1.7RFC is gorgeous front and back, love that neck finish


----------



## Ordacleaphobia

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Please
> More silver
> I beg



For real. I've been trying to talk myself into snagging a Solar since the brand launched, but that sweet new silver K7 reissue is whispering sweet nothings in my ear. Considering I've already got incurable GAS for one of the new RGs this year, I'd really like to reallocate my silver superstrat GAS to a Solar that I already wanted anyway


----------



## manu80

Wouldnt have bought my kv5 i’d have taken the silver V solar
Like said above , silver is sooooo Mustainish  

so new shape soon ? Lol


----------



## Metropolis

Nice blue burst on this one.


----------



## Albake21

Absolutely love it.... except it's a glossy neck. That's a no go for me.


----------



## phantom81

Metropolis said:


> Nice blue burst on this one.


I'd love to see it with a green burst


----------



## Soya

Albake21 said:


> Absolutely love it.... except it's a glossy neck. That's a no go for me.


Steel wool, bro


----------



## Albake21

Soya said:


> Steel wool, bro


True, and I've done it before. Still, I'd rather not take the chance at damaging a guitar or doing a sloppy job. I just try to stay away from gloss necks to make things easier.


----------



## Downfall

Hi guys

Does anybody knows if Ola have planned to create Solar multiscale guitars ? If so, do you know when they might be available ?
I saw that Ola answered directly on this post. If you can give me an answer, it would be awesome.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Downfall said:


> Hi guys
> 
> Does anybody knows if Ola have planned to create Solar multiscale guitars ? If so, do you know when they might be available ?
> I saw that Ola answered directly on this post. If you can give me an answer, it would be awesome.


The answer is that it is pretty unlikely.


----------



## wakjob

Which Duncan's would be the closest to these Solar pu's?


----------



## wakjob

Albake21 said:


> True, and I've done it before. Still, I'd rather not take the chance at damaging a guitar or doing a sloppy job. I just try to stay away from gloss necks to make things easier.



Nothing to it my friend. 
Just tape off the ends for a nice clean line, and have at it.
Or get some of that citrus gel paint remover and take it down to the bare wood + some tung oil.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

wakjob said:


> Which Duncan's would be the closest to these Solar pu's?


Custom 5 / 59.


wakjob said:


> Nothing to it my friend.
> Just tape off the ends for a nice clean line, and have at it.
> Or get some of that citrus gel paint remover and take it down to the bare wood + some tung oil.


Paint stripper doesn't work on poly finishes. It doesn't do a particularly good job on nitrocellulose either.

You use a heat gun and a scraper to remove it.


----------



## wakjob

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> Custom 5 / 59.
> 
> Paint stripper doesn't work on poly finishes. It doesn't do a particularly good job on nitrocellulose either.
> 
> You use a heat gun and a scraper to remove it.



Agree on the poly...but I've had good luck with that citrus gel stuff on most others.

There's another stripper that escapes my feeble mind atm that works really good also....damnit, can't think of it.

+ 1 on the heat gun also!!! 
Those things are great. Use one all the time at work.


----------



## Soya

Albake21 said:


> True, and I've done it before. Still, I'd rather not take the chance at damaging a guitar or doing a sloppy job. I just try to stay away from gloss necks to make things easier.


I know, I just find it odd that you lust after many guitars on here, saying they're perfect etc just to cross them off the list because of a gloss neck when in reality it's an unbelievably easy and cheap fix. Or maybe you use the gloss neck as an excuse to not spend money on guitars? In which case I wholly endorse that mindset.


----------



## Albake21

Soya said:


> I know, I just find it odd that you lust after many guitars on here, just to cross them off the list because of a gloss neck when in reality it's an unbelievably easy and cheap fix.


You're not wrong. I guess I just like to live as comfortable and easy as possible, guitars included. If it's something that's literally perfect to me but has a glossy neck, I'd still consider it. Plus I just always prefer the feel of a tung oiled neck with the exception of Ibanez (which I still use steel wool on).


----------



## LeviathanKiller

Soya said:


> I know, I just find it odd that you lust after many guitars on here, saying they're perfect etc just to cross them off the list because of a gloss neck when in reality it's an unbelievably easy and cheap fix. Or maybe you use the gloss neck as an excuse to not spend money on guitars? In which case I wholly endorse that mindset.


I'm just the same. I just don't feel like messing with it and essentially "devaluing" the guitar monetarily just to increase it's value to me. I've never been much of a modder on guitars other than pickups.


----------



## Downfall

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> The answer is that it is pretty unlikely.


Any suggestion why this is unlikely enough? Would the price of guitars get too high or is it technically difficult to set up?


----------



## ChugThisBoy

Downfall said:


> Any suggestion why this is unlikely enough? Would the price of guitars get too high or is it technically difficult to set up?



I think that this is related to similar situation as with lefties - not a huge demand for this kind of guitars from Solar. They stick with what sells best.


----------



## Merrekof

ChugThisBoy said:


> I think that this is related to similar situation as with lefties - not a huge demand for this kind of guitars from Solar. They stick with what sells best.


True, but on the other hand: they make guitar models in low volumes or batches, as I understand. So if they were to make one or two multiscale models, they wouldn't take a big risk. If they fail, the cost can be limited to just one or two batches wich will probably sit on the shelf a lot longer than usual. 
It will also depend on how capable or comfortable Solars manufacturer is with multiscale guitars.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Downfall said:


> Any suggestion why this is unlikely enough? Would the price of guitars get too high or is it technically difficult to set up?


My best guess is that it's simply not compatible with Ola's vision for the brand.

His vision for the brand is to use Evertune bridges on the majority of higher-end models. Evertune bridges are not compatible with multiscale instruments. Not unless you employ fans that have the neutral point at the bridge saddles themselves. Which would mean that the angle of the frets would need to be ridiculously extreme near the nut to facilitate having the neutral point of the fan at the opposite end of the guitar. Which would cause crippling design/ergonomic problems.

The way the Evertune bridge works helps to compensate for the problems that using lighter gauges of strings in lower tunings brings anyway.

Until the day comes that Evertune designs a version of the bridge that _is _compatible with multiscale instruments, the answer will remain unlikely.

It is what it is.


----------



## Downfall

Merrekof said:


> True, but on the other hand: they make guitar models in low volumes or batches, as I understand. So if they were to make one or two multiscale models, they wouldn't take a big risk. If they fail, the cost can be limited to just one or two batches wich will probably sit on the shelf a lot longer than usual.
> It will also depend on how capable or comfortable Solars manufacturer is with multiscale guitars.



I fully agree, I don't think it's a big risk to make one or two models.
I also wonder if the manufacturer of Solars is capable of making multi-scale guitars.




T00DEEPBLUE said:


> My best guess is that it's simply not compatible with Ola's vision for the brand.
> 
> His vision for the brand is to use Evertune bridges on the majority of higher-end models. Evertune bridges are not compatible with multiscale instruments. Not unless you employ fans that have the neutral point at the bridge saddles themselves. Which would mean that the angle of the frets would need to be ridiculously extreme near the nut to facilitate having the neutral point of the fan at the opposite end of the guitar. Which would cause crippling design/ergonomic problems.
> 
> The way the Evertune bridge works helps to compensate for the problems that using lighter gauges of strings in lower tunings brings anyway.
> 
> Until the day comes that Evertune designs a version of the bridge that _is _compatible with multiscale instruments, the answer will remain unlikely.
> 
> It is what it is.



Thank you for your clarification, I understand better now. I still hope that Ola will come to give us an official answer!


----------



## Ola Englund

You have to understand there’s a lot more to it than just to sling out a new multi scale guitar just to HAVE a multi scale option. It takes a lot of time prototyping, making sure to work out any quirks etc. we’re still a very small brand growing slow. 

IF we have a multi scale option it would be for the right reasons.


----------



## Downfall

Ola Englund said:


> You have to understand there’s a lot more to it than just to sling out a new multi scale guitar just to HAVE a multi scale option. It takes a lot of time prototyping, making sure to work out any quirks etc. we’re still a very small brand growing slow.
> 
> IF we have a multi scale option it would be for the right reasons.



Thanks for your answer Ola.


----------



## c7spheres

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> You use a heat gun and a scraper to remove it.


 Heat guns work wonders for sure but they can screw up you guitar with one bad move. You just gotta be extremely careful or comfortable with one.


----------



## aesthyrian

c7spheres said:


> Heat guns work wonders for sure but they can screw up you guitar with one bad move. You just gotta be extremely careful or comfortable with one.



Nah, then it just becomes an obviously intentional BSB and/or Root Beer Jem finish


----------



## Soulmate

Ugh, I’m torn between ordering either the A1.6ATG or A1.7.

I want a longer scale guitar for tuning to B standard, they’re both 26.5”.

I don’t really have much experience with 7 string guitars (had one cheapo Ibanez briefly some 15 years ago) and my main concern is that I’d have a hard time getting used to the wider neck.

The A1.6ATG is perfect in every way except that it doesn’t come with the Evertune bridge, which I absolutely love.

S1.6-27 is unfortunately not an option, I just prefer the A-type visually and alder or ash as a body wood.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Soulmate said:


> Ugh, I’m torn between ordering either the A1.6ATG or A1.7.
> 
> I want a longer scale guitar for tuning to B standard, they’re both 26.5”.
> 
> I don’t really have much experience with 7 string guitars (had one cheapo Ibanez briefly some 15 years ago) and my main concern is that I’d have a hard time getting used to the wider neck.
> 
> The A1.6ATG is perfect in every way except that it doesn’t come with the Evertune bridge, which I absolutely love.
> 
> S1.6-27 is unfortunately not an option, I just prefer the A-type visually and alder or ash as a body wood.


7 string guitars are always going to be more versatile than 6 string guitars in terms of how they can be tuned. By simple virtue of the fact that there are more strings to modify. There's absolutely nothing stopping you from tuning a 7 string exactly like a baritone 6, but not the other way around. So logic dictates to get a 7.

7 string was something I grew to get used to relatively quickly but of course, that varies from person to person.

Go to a guitar store and play a 7 string guitar for a while. If that's not an option, the next most pragmatic thing is to buy a used cheap 7 string, keep it a while and after you've made up your mind, flip it.


----------



## dave_kindo94

Hello, have someone experience with Solar A2.8 BOP 8 string guitar? Looks great but I cant find review or demo...


----------



## Walter W.

Metropolis said:


> Nice blue burst on this one.


If that blue burst came in a purple burst I'd have a jizz burst


----------



## Soulmate

Walter W. said:


> If that blue burst came in a purple burst I'd have a jizz burst



Haha, it sure is a pretty guitar but too flashy for me personally. Would look great on a wall though! For some reason I’ve never liked quilt tops nearly as much as flame tops.


----------



## Walter W.

Soulmate said:


> Haha, it sure is a pretty guitar but too flashy for me personally. Would look great on a wall though! For some reason I’ve never liked quilt tops nearly as much as flame tops.



I got a thing for purple guitars, others too but purple is my favorite.


----------



## littlebadboy

Soulmate said:


> I don’t really have much experience with 7 string guitars (had one cheapo Ibanez briefly some 15 years ago) and my main concern is that I’d have a hard time getting used to the wider neck.



I was in the same situation. I tried 7-strings twice (on cheapos) but couldn't get used tobthe wider neck with my tiny hands. I settled on a 28" baritone and liked it better!


----------



## AndiKravljaca

Solar is one of those companies I want to give a chance, I want to buy one of Ola's guitars just because he's from here and I want to support him. But Ole, please build seven string guitars with shorter scales! All I want is a 25.5 with a Floyd Rose, so I can keep shredding, and then do the seventh string once in a while.


----------



## Metropolis

AndiKravljaca said:


> Solar is one of those companies I want to give a chance, I want to buy one of Ola's guitars just because he's from here and I want to support him. But Ole, please build seven string guitars with shorter scales! All I want is a 25.5 with a Floyd Rose, so I can keep shredding, and then do the seventh string once in a while.



At the moment there is two models with floyd and 25.5" scale. Though the lemon A2.7 is with Floyd Rose Special which is not the best option for a floating bridge.

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a1-7frc-ltd-carbon-black-matte/
https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a2-7fr-ln-lemon-neon-matte/


----------



## Soulmate

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> 7 string guitars are always going to be more versatile than 6 string guitars in terms of how they can be tuned. By simple virtue of the fact that there are more strings to modify. There's absolutely nothing stopping you from tuning a 7 string exactly like a baritone 6, but not the other way around. So logic dictates to get a 7.
> 
> 7 string was something I grew to get used to relatively quickly but of course, that varies from person to person.
> 
> Go to a guitar store and play a 7 string guitar for a while. If that's not an option, the next most pragmatic thing is to buy a used cheap 7 string, keep it a while and after you've made up your mind, flip it.



Went and tried another 7 string, as expected felt weird at first but didn’t take too long until the neck started feeling manageable.

Played it until I was comfortable enough to make a decision and just placed an order for an A1.7C. It was a tough choice between that and the A1.7 Artist, but I’ve learned that when deciding between appearance the more boring one usually is better in the long run.


----------



## AndiKravljaca

Metropolis said:


> At the moment there is two models with floyd and 25.5" scale. Though the lemon A2.7 is with Floyd Rose Special which is not the best option for a floating bridge.
> 
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a1-7frc-ltd-carbon-black-matte/
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a2-7fr-ln-lemon-neon-matte/



This is really interesting. For some reason I had it in my mind that they were 26.5''? This requires serious budget discussions


----------



## Metropolis

AndiKravljaca said:


> This is really interesting. For some reason I had it in my mind that they were 26.5''? This requires serious budget discussions



They started with 26.5, but since E, G and V sevens came they started doing 25.5 more because they had necks already. So E, G and V are also 25.5. And the A1.7 I linked is a leftover Dan Vadim Von signature with added dot inlays and matte black finish, which was discussed few pages back. Good thing that it costs 200 less than original model with different finish and without being a signature model.


----------



## Bearitone

LeviathanKiller said:


> I'm just the same. I just don't feel like messing with it and essentially "devaluing" the guitar monetarily just to increase it's value to me. I've never been much of a modder on guitars other than pickups.


Life is too short too stay stock. Mod away and be free!


----------



## HungryGuitarStudent

AndiKravljaca said:


> Solar is one of those companies I want to give a chance, I want to buy one of Ola's guitars just because he's from here and I want to support him. But Ole, please build seven string guitars with shorter scales! All I want is a 25.5 with a Floyd Rose, so I can keep shredding, and then do the seventh string once in a while.



I bought the A2.7 FR LN for exactly that reason. Had it refretted with Jescar Super Jumbo SS frets and voila! 

Only things missing for shred (for my tastes), are satin/tung oil back of neck finishes and fretboard dots (it gets pretty hard with fast position changes mixed with tapping arpeggios). 

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a2-7fr-ln-lemon-neon-matte/


----------



## natedog_approved

dave_kindo94 said:


> Hello, have someone experience with Solar A2.8 BOP 8 string guitar? Looks great but I cant find review or demo...



Pretty sure Andrew Baena does a review. Look it up on Youtube.


----------



## Walter W.

Soulmate said:


> Went and tried another 7 string, as expected felt weird at first but didn’t take too long until the neck started feeling manageable.
> 
> Played it until I was comfortable enough to make a decision and just placed an order for an A1.7C. It was a tough choice between that and the A1.7 Artist, but I’ve learned that when deciding between appearance the more boring one usually is better in the long run.



Nice, what finish did you get


----------



## Soulmate

Walter W. said:


> Nice, what finish did you get



A1.7C, the carbon black matte one.


----------



## possumkiller

When can we expect some Solar basses?


----------



## Soulmate

Just a short clip with the A1.6FB, love it!

https://i.imgur.com/8DGMedn.mp4


----------



## Soulmate

NGD again!






Does anybody know the stock string gauges on the Solar 7 string guitars? Just says 09-62 on the website... I like the feel of these and when the time comes I want to be sure to restring it with a set that feels as close as possible.


----------



## Merrekof

Soulmate said:


> I’ve learned that when deciding between appearance the more boring one usually is better in the long run.


For real, that's why I never complain that there are too many black guitars. I never get tired of black guitars! 

Nice, good luck when you get it!


----------



## Metropolis

Soulmate said:


> NGD again!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Does anybody know the stock string gauges on the Solar 7 string guitars? Just says 09-62 on the website... I like the feel of these and when the time comes I want to be sure to restring it with a set that feels as close as possible.



Congrats!

Probably same gauges as these, I could be wrong though if they used different set for thinnest six strings.
http://www.blacksmithstrings.com/products/read.jsp?reqPageNo=1&shospital_fk=1&no=741

But if you want to try something else because you don't find Blacksmith strings anywhere and not want to build a whole custom set, then any 9-42 or 9-46 set with individual 62 should be close enough.


----------



## Soulmate

Metropolis said:


> Congrats!
> 
> Probably same gauges as these, I could be wrong though if they used different set for thinnest six strings.
> http://www.blacksmithstrings.com/products/read.jsp?reqPageNo=1&shospital_fk=1&no=741
> 
> But if you want to try something else because you don't find Blacksmith strings anywhere and not want to build a whole custom set, then any 9-42 or 9-46 set with individual 62 should be close enough.



Ah, browsed the Blacksmith site but for some reason that set didn’t catch my eye, thanks!

Wasn’t planning on buying Blacksmith anyway, NYXL and Ernie Ball are my go to strings.


----------



## musicaldeath

@Ola Englund needs to make a reverse Solarized F-Bird, ala:






Or even just a Solarized F-Bird. Standard Solar specs are fine (just needs to be 25.5 scale length). Even maybe just have a single bridge humbucker??

Always loved that FBird that Marty plays in Anarchy in UK video here:


----------



## MadYarpen

I am wondering if they will include this army green in their offer permanently. I am GASing for V2.7C, but if there was an army green one, I'd probably choose that one...


----------



## Albake21

MadYarpen said:


> I am wondering if they will include this army green in their offer permanently. I am GASing for V2.7C, but if there was an army green one, I'd probably choose that one...


I'd love to see that army green or the silver used on an A or S model.


----------



## Soulmate

Gotta say - even though I wasn’t 100% sure about getting a 7 string at first - that the A1.7 has been one of, if not the most inspirational piece of equipment I’ve bought for a long, long time.

Bridge pickup was a bit too mushy on the low strings for my tastes so I swapped it for a Black Winter. Holy hell. Love the clarity and punch.


----------



## Rocktoe

Whoaaa, last time I posted was in 2011, time to get back at it! Solars seem pretty damn solid specs-wise, I just placed an order for an S1.6PP with an Evertune bridge and can't wait for its delivery in April.


----------



## Tisca

Rocktoe said:


> Whoaaa, last time I posted was in 2011, time to get back at it! Solars seem pretty damn solid specs-wise, I just placed an order for an S1.6PP with an Evertune bridge and can't wait for its delivery in April.



I've had my eye on that one for a while. Used to be cheaper on Thomann than direct but now they're the same. Not sure which party adjusted price. Let us know when you get it.


----------



## Rocktoe

Tisca said:


> I've had my eye on that one for a while. Used to be cheaper on Thomann than direct but now they're the same. Not sure which party adjusted price. Let us know when you get it.



Will do! I ordered straight from the Solar website about a week ago and it seems I was just in time, since it now shows that model as sold out.


----------



## Soulmate

Rocktoe said:


> Whoaaa, last time I posted was in 2011, time to get back at it! Solars seem pretty damn solid specs-wise, I just placed an order for an S1.6PP with an Evertune bridge and can't wait for its delivery in April.



Nice! My S1.6PB was very nice although quite heavy, probably because of the mahogany body.


----------



## Rocktoe

Soulmate said:


> Nice! My S1.6PB was very nice although quite heavy, probably because of the mahogany body.



I'm kinda kicking myself for not getting the limited green poplar top model earlier, but purple looks pretty tasty too. As long as the the weight is below 5kg, it's all good to me.


----------



## MadYarpen

Purple one is perfect. I would choose this if I was buying a strat shape. I hope you will say how is the finish and all.


----------



## Rocktoe

MadYarpen said:


> Purple one is perfect. I would choose this if I was buying a strat shape. I hope you will say how is the finish and all.



I'll let you know in April!


----------



## CptSlyboots

So I just received my S1.6PP today and I've got to say, I'm a bit let down by the finish. It's not quite what I was expecting given the images/videos I've seen so far, but I can't find anyone in the wild who has one to compare with. Thoughts? I've reached out via email to Solar, but if this is by design I guess I can live with it? Other than the finish it feels like a stellar instrument!


----------



## Tisca

CptSlyboots said:


> So I just received my S1.6PP today and I've got to say, I'm a bit let down by the finish. It's not quite what I was expecting given the images/videos I've seen so far, but I can't find anyone in the wild who has one to compare with. Thoughts? I've reached out via email to Solar, but if this is by design I guess I can live with it? Other than the finish it feels like a stellar instrument!



Wood grain will always be different but this one has less purple paint in the middle than expected. I even had to look up which model this is supposed to be.


----------



## CptSlyboots

Tisca said:


> Wood grain will always be different but this one has less purple paint in the middle than expected. I even had to look up which model this is supposed to be.


Yeah, that's what I mean. I'm totally fine with the burl itself, totally get they'll always vary, but the lack of stain in the center is a bummer. It looks more like the blackburst models which I'm not as much a fan of, as the all stained green version.


----------



## Rocktoe

CptSlyboots said:


> So I just received my S1.6PP today and I've got to say, I'm a bit let down by the finish. It's not quite what I was expecting given the images/videos I've seen so far, but I can't find anyone in the wild who has one to compare with. Thoughts? I've reached out via email to Solar, but if this is by design I guess I can live with it? Other than the finish it feels like a stellar instrument!



That's weird. They've marked guitars B-stock for lesser finish flaws than this. I really hope my guitar will have purple center when it arrives in April.


----------



## Rocktoe

I just received an email from Solar saying they're getting ready to ship within 48 hours: I guess the shipping time for Purple Bursts was moved up?


----------



## Rocktoe

CptSlyboots said:


> I've reached out via email to Solar, but if this is by design I guess I can live with it? Other than the finish it feels like a stellar instrument!



Did Solar ever comment the finish issue of your guitar?


----------



## Mraz

I am torn...

I have a purchase of a 7 string coming up..

I am between the KM-7 MKIII TBB and a
Solar 1.7A LTD (I would equip it with KM Fluences).

The solar is cheaper with the upgrade and routing.. and it has an evertune, but I am not sure about the build quality.

I hope I find someone on here who maybe owns both.. and can help me out with this.

Also Solar 1.7A experience reports.. (please no fanboying, but real talk.. pos/neg)

How is the build quality from Solar in general?
I heard there are some issue with QC, necks not being properly aligned, logos falling/peeling off and finishes being unperfect.


----------



## Flick

Mraz said:


> I am torn...
> 
> I have a purchase of a 7 string coming up..
> 
> I am between the KM-7 MKIII TBB and a
> Solar 1.7A LTD (I would equip it with KM Fluences).
> 
> The solar is cheaper with the upgrade and routing.. and it has an evertune, but I am not sure about the build quality.
> 
> I hope I find someone on here who maybe owns both.. and can help me out with this.
> 
> Also Solar 1.7A experience reports.. (please no fanboying, but real talk.. pos/neg)
> 
> How is the build quality from Solar in general?
> I heard there are some issue with QC, necks not being properly aligned, logos falling/peeling off and finishes being unperfect.



I own a KM6 MkIII. Bought this last summer. It’s one of the best playing guitars I’ve played. The neck is very comfortable and fast. The pickups deliver a huge punch and maintain clarity. Finish looks great. 

I do plan on ordering a Solar baritone in the near future. I don’t think you can go wrong with either.


----------



## JimF

Rocktoe said:


> Did Solar ever comment the finish issue of your guitar?


If this is the one with the odd grain matching in the 2 piece body (pic hasn't loaded) then yes. Ola said to contact him through the website, and the owner sent the guitar back for a refund.


----------



## Rocktoe

JimF said:


> If this is the one with the odd grain matching in the 2 piece body (pic hasn't loaded) then yes. Ola said to contact him through the website, and the owner sent the guitar back for a refund.



It was about the purple poplar burst that had very pale coloring in the center. Glad to hear Solar is actively dealing with these situations. 

Meanwhile, this thing arrived today and completely ruined my work at the home office. Can't find anything to complain about, it's an excellent instrument and I'm in love with the Evertune bridge.


----------



## Soulmate

JimF said:


> If this is the one with the odd grain matching in the 2 piece body (pic hasn't loaded) then yes. Ola said to contact him through the website, and the owner sent the guitar back for a refund.





Rocktoe said:


> Glad to hear Solar is actively dealing with these situations.



lol, I sent it back on my own expense within the 14 day EU right of withdrawal period. They never admitted it was any kind of a fault. *Solar didn’t do anything besides providing an address to ship the guitar back to. *So in the end I lost 40€. At least the A1.6FB I bought instead is perfect.


----------



## JimF

Soulmate said:


> They never admitted it was any kind of a fault.


Technically, the finish didn't have a fault on it. I vaguely recall reading about a rattling you had in the bridge, but if I remember correctly you returned it because you didn't like the finish.
I wouldn't have liked it either, but I wouldn't say you could call it a fault.


----------



## natedog_approved

Soulmate said:


> lol, I sent it back on my own expense within the 14 day EU right of withdrawal period. They never admitted it was any kind of a fault. *Solar didn’t do anything besides providing an address to ship the guitar back to. *So in the end I lost 40€. At least the A1.6FB I bought instead is perfect.



So it was the black open pore with the odd grain? Yeah, I wouldn't say it was a "fault". I think the majority of people would find it unappealing, true (I know I did), but that's still subjective.

Definitely unfortunate, and it would be cool if they covered the shipping, but can't blame them. Glad your new one is to your liking!


----------



## Soulmate

JimF said:


> Technically, the finish didn't have a fault on it. I vaguely recall reading about a rattling you had in the bridge, but if I remember correctly you returned it because you didn't like the finish.
> I wouldn't have liked it either, but I wouldn't say you could call it a fault.



Yeah, I’m not salty about it. I also mentioned about the bridge rattle but didn’t get any response regarding that. I think they would’ve compensated a check up at a guitar technician if I had pushed it, but I still would’ve wanted to send it back.

Just wanted to reply to Rocktoe’s comment about Solar actively dealing with issues.

I would also guess that the purple S with the unusual coloring isn’t considered faulty.


----------



## JimF

Would you say your experience on the whole was positive? I can see myself going that way in the future (buying a Solar I mean)


----------



## Soulmate

JimF said:


> Would you say your experience on the whole was positive? I can see myself going that way in the future (buying a Solar I mean)



Yeah, I have nothing bad to say about them.

I had a minor issue on my A1.6FB which I reported and if I hadn’t already taken care of it myself before their reply they would’ve compensated the fix at a professional technician. Instead they offered me a discount code which I used on the A1.7 I got shortly after that.


----------



## CptSlyboots

Rocktoe said:


> It was about the purple poplar burst that had very pale coloring in the center. Glad to hear Solar is actively dealing with these situations.
> 
> Meanwhile, this thing arrived today and completely ruined my work at the home office. Can't find anything to complain about, it's an excellent instrument and I'm in love with the Evertune bridge.


Looks killer!

I decided to keep it, as I was told by Solar that I could get a refund, and then buy another but it would most likely be simialr to the one I received. I'm glad yours turned out pretty close to advertised. 

Outside of the finish it's up there with any of my other guitars. definitely going to snag another solar down the line at some point. If they ever make an E type artist with 25.5" I'm there in a heartbeat.


----------



## Rocktoe

CptSlyboots said:


> Looks killer!
> 
> I decided to keep it, as I was told by Solar that I could get a refund, and then buy another but it would most likely be simialr to the one I received. I'm glad yours turned out pretty close to advertised.
> 
> Outside of the finish it's up there with any of my other guitars. definitely going to snag another solar down the line at some point. If they ever make an E type artist with 25.5" I'm there in a heartbeat.



I'm really happy with mine as well: I think it's a combination of using EverTune for the first time and the fact that the build quality of the guitar is really solid. Might have to grab another ET model at some point, maybe an A1.6.


----------



## CptSlyboots

Rocktoe said:


> I'm really happy with mine as well: I think it's a combination of using EverTune for the first time and the fact that the build quality of the guitar is really solid. Might have to grab another ET model at some point, maybe an A1.6.


I've got a Jericho with an evertune so I knew what to expect, but the neck on the solar is pretty spot on to what I'm looking for going forward, while the Jericho is a bit of a baseball bat... Which I love, but not for what my current group is playing. Probably going to hunt around for someone to do a bit of stain work on the top of this guy down the line though, to get it closer to that all over purple I was expecting.


----------



## Rocktoe

CptSlyboots said:


> I've got a Jericho with an evertune so I knew what to expect, but the neck on the solar is pretty spot on to what I'm looking for going forward, while the Jericho is a bit of a baseball bat... Which I love, but not for what my current group is playing. Probably going to hunt around for someone to do a bit of stain work on the top of this guy down the line though, to get it closer to that all over purple I was expecting.



Solar neck shape is really comfortable, somewhere between Fender modern C and Jackson speed neck I guess? Combined with stainless steel jumbo frets it is one of the best necks I've ever owned.


----------



## Louis Cypher

I am so late to the party on the Solar guitars, they just seem like great guitars from this thread, the sound on Ola's videos etc etc, one is def on the list of future purchases for me, then I saw this today and I'm gutted I missed out on one of these last year...
The A1.7DVV





I'm sure these are all over a few pages in this thread way back last year ( tl;dr sorry) but this is a gorgeous guitar
Here's hoping Ola has this design resurrected in someway soon


----------



## natedog_approved

Louis Cypher said:


> I am so late to the party on the Solar guitars, they just seem like great guitars from this thread, the sound on Ola's videos etc etc, one is def on the list of future purchases for me, then I saw this today and I'm gutted I missed out on one of these last year...
> The A1.7DVV
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'm sure these are all over a few pages in this thread way back last year ( tl;dr sorry) but this is a gorgeous guitar
> Here's hoping Ola has this design resurrected in someway soon



This was an artist guitar I believe. The guy kinda abruptly left Solar from what I gathered, so I doubt this will be coming back.


----------



## Cryovillain

Louis Cypher said:


> I am so late to the party on the Solar guitars, they just seem like great guitars from this thread, the sound on Ola's videos etc etc, one is def on the list of future purchases for me, then I saw this today and I'm gutted I missed out on one of these last year...
> The A1.7DVV
> 
> 
> 
> I'm sure these are all over a few pages in this thread way back last year ( tl;dr sorry) but this is a gorgeous guitar
> Here's hoping Ola has this design resurrected in someway soon



https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a1-7frc-ltd-carbon-black-matte/

Same guitar different finish, cheaper too.


----------



## JimF

For all those who have Solar guitars, how does the neck compare to say, an Ibanez Prestige Wizard?


----------



## Metropolis

JimF said:


> For all those who have Solar guitars, how does the neck compare to say, an Ibanez Prestige Wizard?



Solar is thicker and C-shaped and gets thicker after 12th fret because they're set-neck or neck-through, Wizard is more like a thin D-shape and it doesn't get that thick in the higher frets. Prestige Wizard and Wizard HP are thinnest necks I've had in 6-string guitars, but I found the profile to be very comfortable and easy playing. I think there is about 2mm difference in thickness, which is quite a lot when talking about guitar necks.


----------



## Soulmate

JimF said:


> For all those who have Solar guitars, how does the neck compare to say, an Ibanez Prestige Wizard?



It’s not flat at all. It’s like a slightly thinner Fender C.


----------



## Albake21

JimF said:


> For all those who have Solar guitars, how does the neck compare to say, an Ibanez Prestige Wizard?



The Solar neck is the total opposite of an Ibanez Wizard. It's actually very close to a Music Man JP neck, maybe slightly rounder though. It's incredibly round with no flat spot at all.


----------



## Rocktoe

JimF said:


> For all those who have Solar guitars, how does the neck compare to say, an Ibanez Prestige Wizard?



Solar neck is rounder and deeper compared to the neck of my RG3120, doesn't feel as wide either. Actually it's rounder and deeper than the neck of my DT420 as well, and that neck is one of the thicker Ibanez necks.

Really comfortable for me since I learned to play with Strats: It's like a slimmer Fender modern C shape in my opinion.

Edit: Heh, seems like everyone already said the the same thing. Darn forum view showed no other replies when I started to write mine.


----------



## binz

Good to see 27" scales are coming O 

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a1-6d-27-ltd-natural-aged-distressed/


----------



## JimF

Thanks for the replies on the neck! think I'll need to try one out, I've fallen for the Prestige Wizard neck shape and might need to reconsider.


----------



## Tisca

I saw Kirk Windstein with a Solar. What's the deal?


----------



## CrimsonStar

Hello there! Had to sign up, since there aren't that much discussion going on about Solars. Got a question: are the back of the necks gloss or satin? The S1.6PP has a matte finish all over the front, but you never know with these...


----------



## Albake21

CrimsonStar said:


> Hello there! Had to sign up, since there aren't that much discussion going on about Solars. Got a question: are the back of the necks gloss or satin? The S1.6PP has a matte finish all over the front, but you never know with these...


Solar's are consistent with their finish. Meaning if it's matte on top, the back of the neck will also be matte. If the top is glossy, sadly the neck will also be glossy.


----------



## CrimsonStar

Albake21 said:


> Solar's are consistent with their finish. Meaning if it's matte on top, the back of the neck will also be matte. If the top is glossy, sadly the neck will also be glossy.



Alright, thank you for answering! Well, it seems that I'll be ordering one for myself, even though I already have 3 guitars all in standard tuning, but like Yngwie says: more is more...


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I mean if you think the guitar is a keeper for sure, sand down the back of the neck.


----------



## CrimsonStar

Ordered my S1.6PP about a week ago, can't wait to have it as it starts shipping on 11th of April! Although, I can't deny that I'm not a little bit worried about the color! The website clearly shows that the whole body is purple and the burst edges are darker in color - same with the purple burst Ola uses in his Boss Tube amp Expander video, but the pics I've seen here give a somewhat different image...Well, I hope for the best!


----------



## CrimsonStar

I wonder if the Covid19-situation has finally started affecting shipping around EU, as the Solar website now states that for the S1.6PP shipping starts at the end of May...


----------



## natedog_approved

CrimsonStar said:


> I wonder if the Covid19-situation has finally started affecting shipping around EU, as the Solar website now states that for the S1.6PP shipping starts at the end of May...



Last I heard from Ola was that they were shipping as normal. Could just out of stock at the moment?

Or it's entirely true. I work in supply chain logistics for a major ocean carrier and can confirm that we're impacted heavily all over the place.


----------



## Blakan

CrimsonStar said:


> Ordered my S1.6PP about a week ago, can't wait to have it as it starts shipping on 11th of April! Although, I can't deny that I'm not a little bit worried about the color! The website clearly shows that the whole body is purple and the burst edges are darker in color - same with the purple burst Ola uses in his Boss Tube amp Expander video, but the pics I've seen here give a somewhat different image...Well, I hope for the best!



Same, the S1.6PP looks amazing on the website but i've seen like one other video and a few pictures with a finish i don't really like.


----------



## Soulmate

Looks like they made a running change and started finishing them in the same style as the blue bursts.


----------



## Blakan

Sorry if this is annoying, but could @Ola Englund comment on the S1,6PP's finish? I'm really close to buying but I just want to make sure


----------



## Decapitated

Blakan said:


> Sorry if this is annoying, but could @Ola Englund comment on the S1,6PP's finish? I'm really close to buying but I just want to make sure



This may be quicker. https://www.solar-guitars.com/contact/


----------



## Rocktoe

It also seems they've made changes to A1.6D and all distressed finishes: They now have this funky black paint in the center of the body:


----------



## CrimsonStar

Soulmate said:


> Looks like they made a running change and started finishing them in the same style as the blue bursts.



I don't know, maybe I'm oldfashioned but if this is the case, it would be kinda nice to get some information from Solar and Ola and get some updates and everything. As of now, I've paid my 12 months of savings in advance to preorder a guitar that might come out completely different looking than what was advertised and what I thought I was getting. If the S1.6PP comes out looking like what i've seen, of course that'll be a hassle of returning it. On other note, weird that Lime Green bursts have been nice from what I've gathered. I want to like Solars and Ola, but if the designs have been changed middle of preorder, while they have succesfully made guitars with the original purple burst desing, it's just big bs in my opinion.


----------



## Rocktoe

CrimsonStar said:


> I don't know, maybe I'm oldfashioned but if this is the case, it would be kinda nice to get some information from Solar and Ola and get some updates and everything. As of now, I've paid my 12 months of savings in advance to preorder a guitar that might come out completely different looking than what was advertised and what I thought I was getting. If the S1.6PP comes out looking like what i've seen, of course that'll be a hassle of returning it. On other note, weird that Lime Green bursts have been nice from what I've gathered. I want to like Solars and Ola, but if the designs have been changed middle of preorder, while they have succesfully made guitars with the original purple burst desing, it's just big bs in my opinion.



Yeah, it's understandable. I ordered a A1.6D two months ago and am kinda nervous now that I've seen new distressed models coming out with that big black center instead of the original natural finish.


----------



## c7spheres

I would probably like the all natural finish personally. This guitar looks like someone air brushed black in the middle. It wouldn't be to hard to refinish it at least if you wanted. It's a nice looking chunk-o-wood. Nice looking guitar.


----------



## Rocktoe

c7spheres said:


> I would probably like the all natural finish personally. This guitar looks like someone air brushed black in the middle. It wouldn't be to hard to refinish it at least if you wanted. It's a nice looking chunk-o-wood. Nice looking guitar.



It's not a big deal I guess: If they deliver something other than what I purchased, there's a 14 day return policy that I can use. Kinda sucks that Solar makes you pay for the returns, but oh well.


----------



## CrimsonStar

Rocktoe said:


> It's not a big deal I guess: If they deliver something other than what I purchased, there's a 14 day return policy that I can use. Kinda sucks that Solar makes you pay for the returns, but oh well.



Yeah that kinda sucks too! The biggest problem here for me, is the lack of communication: if they indeed have changed designs on preorder guitars, would it really been too much to ask that they email those who have already paid for the preorder along the lines of "hey, we changed this and that because reasons 1-10, now the guitar will look like this: Is this new design ok with you, or do you want your money back or maybe change your order to something that is more aligned with what you want". End of rant, I'm just nervous and worried but I do my best to stay hopeful that when the guitar arrives in a week / beginning of june, I'll be blown away by the purple radiance.


----------



## c7spheres

Yeh, If you ordered one specific guitar, then then send you a different guitar, then you either don't have to pay shipping back if you don't want to keep it, ot you get reimbursed for it. But this depends on the deal you made when you purchased it. It might be in terms somwhere that these changes are possible on preorders etc. IF it's not and you have a protection program through your bank you can get everything righted that way. It seems to me that Solar is a good company nand fair from wheat I've read and hear. I wouldn't worry or specualte about anything before that ship has sailed. They might just be smart enough to know where to draw the line with customer orders before implementing the changes. Makes sense to me. Technically a new finish would be a new model number extention so I'm guessing it's probably handled that way.


----------



## Iron1

Ola's good people. I've only heard one story of someone not having a great experience and Ola jumped through hoops to make it right for them. But, you might want to get out ahead of this and send them an email with your thoughts/concerns in advance instead of waiting to discover whether it's all good or your fears come true.


----------



## CrimsonStar

Iron1 said:


> Ola's good people. I've only heard one story of someone not having a great experience and Ola jumped through hoops to make it right for them. But, you might want to get out ahead of this and send them an email with your thoughts/concerns in advance instead of waiting to discover whether it's all good or your fears come true.



You're 100% right and I completely agree with you, it's easy to start blaming things before things have even happened and I'm more than guilty in that sense. And you're right also in that sense that why I didn't even think about writing an email to Solar? I must be getting finally old, I'll write to them later tonight and ask about the colors and shipping dates etc.


----------



## Ola Englund

hey Guys, sorry for not responding too often, I don’t hang here that often(I got an email from someone in here about this current discussion so here I am). As many of the awesome people in here have said, sending us an email is the best way to get a safe and proper answer from us , it’s for a reason we’d like to keep it like that because it’s easier for us to handle. 
Cheers!


----------



## CrimsonStar

Big salute for Ola and Xavier and all the guys at Solar, answering within two hours of sending them an email, that is kinda rare these days!


----------



## Kovah

Does anyone here know what the body thickness of Solar Vs is? I'm GASing really hard for a V1.7 FBB but they look thick.


----------



## Rocktoe

CrimsonStar said:


> Big salute for Ola and Xavier and all the guys at Solar, answering within two hours of sending them an email, that is kinda rare these days!



I didn't receive any answer yet, but here's hoping they'll answer soon.


----------



## Rocktoe

Rocktoe said:


> I didn't receive any answer yet, but here's hoping they'll answer soon.



And that's indeed what they did! Too bad they told me the finish of natural aged/distressed guitars includes the black center now, so I ended up cancelling my order.


----------



## CrimsonStar

Rocktoe said:


> And that's indeed what they did! Too bad they told me the finish of natural aged/distressed guitars includes the black center now, so I ended up cancelling my order.



I ended up cancelling my order on S1.6PP too, kinda shame but oh well... I'll try ordering again in a month or two, and maybe I'll order it from Thomann, just because their policy on return shipping and maybe order other stuff at the same time - and I'm not dissing Solars policies at all here, as I don't have experience on Solars policies as I cancelled my order before they had even shipped anything to me. 

Overall, I'm more than happy with my experience with Solar, their fast answer time on emails is something worth of praise! And they didn't even seem to be that much annoyed with my questions about colors and everything, so all good in my book.


----------



## Cryovillain

Burst / Burl finishes can be inconsistent, although i think ti would be nice if the site had a gallery of multiple specimens from different runs. I too would be disappointed if the purple burst wasn't super purple looking.


----------



## Rocktoe

CrimsonStar said:


> I ended up cancelling my order on S1.6PP too, kinda shame but oh well... I'll try ordering again in a month or two, and maybe I'll order it from Thomann, just because their policy on return shipping and maybe order other stuff at the same time - and I'm not dissing Solars policies at all here, as I don't have experience on Solars policies as I cancelled my order before they had even shipped anything to me.
> 
> Overall, I'm more than happy with my experience with Solar, their fast answer time on emails is something worth of praise! And they didn't even seem to be that much annoyed with my questions about colors and everything, so all good in my book.



I think I'll look into ordering some other Solar model as well: They're still excellent guitars with options that are difficult to find elsewhere.


----------



## CrimsonStar

Rocktoe said:


> I think I'll look into ordering some other Solar model as well: They're still excellent guitars with options that are difficult to find elsewhere.



Agreed, the control layout if perfect, and overall look and options are really killer! I'll be waiting to summer to get myself the purpleburst, unless Solar releases the Lime Green version in 6 string variant again...


----------



## manu80

We need a slime version
Like ...quick !


----------



## Andromalia

Ordered a V1.6D LTD. Was on the fence about the Vs for a long time but didn't want black or red. White would have done it, but the natural ones do too, since I enjoy brown/natural finishes. Stated ship date is April 20. (I actually ordered late march)
My first guitar in 3 years believe it or not. Time flies.


----------



## doc.parka

Hey guys.
Hope everyone's well and keeping safe.

So I've just received my new A1.6ATG Baritone guitar ordered directly from the Solar Guitars website (because they're so hard to find here in Australia). UPS was quick and efficient. The guitar had travelled from Spain through Germany, USA and finally Australia. Took less than a week.

Having heard and seen mostly positive reviews regarding Solar guitars, my expectations were high to say the least. Unfortunately, there were issues with the fret edges from 18 to 21 on the treble side.

It's an ebony fretboard. I've never had one before as my other guitars are all rosewood (briefly had a maple one too). Is it likely due to QC issues or the sudden change in temp and humidity going through all those countries in a short span of time?


----------



## Soulmate

doc.parka said:


> Hey guys.
> Hope everyone's well and keeping safe.
> 
> So I've just received my new A1.6ATG Baritone guitar ordered directly from the Solar Guitars website (because they're so hard to find here in Australia). UPS was quick and efficient. The guitar had travelled from Spain through Germany, USA and finally Australia. Took less than a week.
> 
> Having heard and seen mostly positive reviews regarding Solar guitars, my expectations were high to say the least. Unfortunately, there were issues with the fret edges from 18 to 21 on the treble side.
> 
> It's an ebony fretboard. I've never had one before as my other guitars are all rosewood (briefly had a maple one too). Is it likely due to QC issues or the sudden change in temp and humidity going through all those countries in a short span of time?



Have the frets popped up from the slots?

https://www.solar-guitars.com/warranty-form/

Fill the form, they will most likely refund you the cost of the fix at a local luthier.


----------



## Xk6m6m5X

manu80 said:


> We need a slime version
> Like ...quick !



SOLAR ML!!!!!


----------



## Soulmate

NGD


----------



## Soulmate

Shot a short clip just because of NGD


----------



## JimF

Nice! Reminds me of A Wilhelm Scream.


----------



## Soulmate

So yeah, I guess it’s time for some feedback of the 5 Solars I’ve owned or played:

1. S1.6PB

This one only had one issue, bad fret ends. Unless the other ones didn’t have good fret jobs I wouldn’t have complained about this. It wasn’t as bad as Fenders for example. Sold it to get another Solar.

2. A1.6 Artist BP

This one you might remember, it was the one with the ugly choice of body wood. Other than that, no issues. Sent it back.

3. A1.6FB

This one had pickups wired backwards and the pickup selector doesn’t feel as solid as on the others. Fixed the wiring myself and got a coupon for the Solar website. Evertune bridge had some problems at first with one string not staying in tune, fiddled with the saddle a bit and it started working. No other issues. Still own it.

4. A1.7C

This one has a small drop of excess paint on the back of the neck near the fingerboard edge. The High e saddle on the evertune leans towards the middle so the string completely misses the neck pickup pole. Not a functional issue, just looks weird. No further issues. Still have it.

5. A2.6LN

This one has finish issues with several dark specs of dust, wood chips and excess paint. The part where the neck joins the fingerboard has a noticeable ridge on both sides, as if the fingerboard is too narrow. The lower horn scoop is carved a bit off. Frets have not been polished very well. I’ll most likely keep it since I can’t feel the fingerboard ridge while playing, and to be honest at this point I don’t want to take the risk of getting an even worse one in some other way in return.

So based on my experiences either I’m super nitpicky or the quality control is clearly not where it needs to be. This A2.6 will probably be my last one as I don’t want to take another chance ordering them online.

Absolutely love the neck shape and playability of them though.


----------



## CrimsonStar

Soulmate said:


> So yeah, I guess it’s time for some feedback of the 5 Solars I’ve owned or played:
> 
> So based on my experiences either I’m super nitpicky or the quality control is clearly not where it needs to be. This A2.6 will probably be my last one as I don’t want to take another chance ordering them online.
> 
> Absolutely love the neck shape and playability of them though.



How was the return process? I'm in a situation right now, where I cancelled my order and it seems that Solar has a new batch of guitars in store, so I might just order again and hope to get a good looking guitar and just return it if the guitar isn't what I wanted. But if I need to pay for the returning, it's kinda gamble, even if the shipping the guitar back doesn't cost that much...

Still dreaming about that s1.6PP tho, but I'm not getting my hopes up at the moment. After going through the Internet in the past weeks, I have yet to see a purpleburst that looks like the guitar that is sold on the website (apart from the guitar that is in the promotional video of course) - every purpleburst that I could find have either very light purple coloring on the edges that fades into almost orange, pink or natural or the purple is almost right on the edges of the body, but the middle part of the body is colored natural. But maybe I'm just nitpicking and frustrated...


----------



## Soulmate

CrimsonStar said:


> How was the return process? I'm in a situation right now, where I cancelled my order and it seems that Solar has a new batch of guitars in store, so I might just order again and hope to get a good looking guitar and just return it if the guitar isn't what I wanted. But if I need to pay for the returning, it's kinda gamble, even if the shipping the guitar back doesn't cost that much...
> 
> Still dreaming about that s1.6PP tho, but I'm not getting my hopes up at the moment. After going through the Internet in the past weeks, I have yet to see a purpleburst that looks like the guitar that is sold on the website (apart from the guitar that is in the promotional video of course) - every purpleburst that I could find have either very light purple coloring on the edges that fades into almost orange, pink or natural or the purple is almost right on the edges of the body, but the middle part of the body is colored natural. But maybe I'm just nitpicking and frustrated...



You have to pay for the return shipping yourself. From Finland the cheapest option at the moment is about 90€ IIRC. They only refund the UPS shipping to you.


----------



## CrimsonStar

Soulmate said:


> You have to pay for the return shipping yourself. From Finland the cheapest option at the moment is about 90€ IIRC. They only refund the UPS shipping to you.



It's an expensive gamble then... I guess it's better for me to wait for a while before ordering again, sucks but I guess it's better to be safe than sorry. Thank you for answering!


----------



## mpexus

Or buy from Thomann


----------



## nickgray

Soulmate said:


> The part where the neck joins the fingerboard has a noticeable ridge on both sides



Hmmm, my A2.7 has that, but you can only feel it in certain parts and it's very-very subtle except for near the heel on the bass side, there it's quite noticeable. It's as if they didn't quite sand it right or something. I don't feel it when playing since I just don't touch this part of the neck (especially near the heel), so I kinda wrote it off as a minor cosmetic issue. Interesting that my guitar isn't the only one with this issue.

Tbh, after having frets popping out on an LTD Deluxe, I've been thinking that maybe buying MiJ is not exactly overpaying. The Koreans and Indos have skyrocketed in price, but not exactly skyrocketed in QC, to put it mildly.


----------



## Adieu

Soulmate said:


> NGD



Whoa...is that... the default bikini color from Japanese pron???


----------



## Soulmate

nickgray said:


> Hmmm, my A2.7 has that, but you can only feel it in certain parts and it's very-very subtle except for near the heel on the bass side, there it's quite noticeable. It's as if they didn't quite sand it right or something. I don't feel it when playing since I just don't touch this part of the neck (especially near the heel), so I kinda wrote it off as a minor cosmetic issue. Interesting that my guitar isn't the only one with this issue.
> 
> Tbh, after having frets popping out on an LTD Deluxe, I've been thinking that maybe buying MiJ is not exactly overpaying. The Koreans and Indos have skyrocketed in price, but not exactly skyrocketed in QC, to put it mildly.



Yeah, it’s like the paint layer is super thick and when they removed the masking tape from the fingerboard edges it left a ridge. As I said it can’t be felt while playing but it’s definitely lazily finished.

Fret edges have been very good on all of my Solars, one of the most consistent brand of guitars I’ve come across in that regard.


----------



## MAJ Meadows SF

I found one!!!! A1.7DVV!!! Look at that Slime Green glory! Fucking plays like a champ. Has a minor paint smudge by the lower horn base, meaning it was a B-stock. But, perfect otherwise. I’m definitely swapping the bridge pickup for a Guitarmory Matador 7 I have laying around. Now all I need is a JCM900, LWA Plague Rat, and dial in my MXR 10 band (not hunting down a Rane) to riff out to Summoning Redemption!


----------



## RiksRiks

MAJ Meadows SF said:


> I found one!!!! A1.7DVV!!! Look at that Slime Green glory! Fucking plays like a champ. Has a minor paint smudge by the lower horn base, meaning it was a B-stock. But, perfect otherwise. I’m definitely swapping the bridge pickup for a Guitarmory Matador 7 I have laying around. Now all I need is a JCM900, LWA Plague Rat, and dial in my MXR 10 band (not hunting down a Rane) to riff out to Summoning Redemption!



Congratulations!!! How would you compare the playability vs the Ormsby??


----------



## Louis Cypher

MAJ Meadows SF said:


> I found one!!!! A1.7DVV!!! Look at that Slime Green glory! Fucking plays like a champ. Has a minor paint smudge by the lower horn base, meaning it was a B-stock. But, perfect otherwise. I’m definitely swapping the bridge pickup for a Guitarmory Matador 7 I have laying around. Now all I need is a JCM900, LWA Plague Rat, and dial in my MXR 10 band (not hunting down a Rane) to riff out to Summoning Redemption!



Congrats mate, that is a gorgeous guitar! I want one so bad!


----------



## MAJ Meadows SF

Louis Cypher said:


> Congrats mate, that is a gorgeous guitar! I want one so bad!



Dude you ain’t kidding. I am so lucky to find one and so thankful!



RiksRiks said:


> Congratulations!!! How would you compare the playability vs the Ormsby??



Thanks so much! So, compared to Ormsby: I own a bunch of GTRs and a custom 7, plus I’ve played several 6s & 7s from Solar. Both brands are rock solid and undergo solid QA/QC. The biggest difference (other than the fan) is the neck. Ormsby’s have a thin U shape based on a D shape profile. Shoulders are noticeable but not steep. All of them are fast and incredibly comfortable. The Solar Guitars have more of a C shape, but equally comfy and both brands play very fast. I can tell with both, but focusing on Solar here, that the goal was to make affordable and highly feature packed “players guitars”. Ola clearly has a ton of input into his brand and isn’t just associating his name with a factory instrument for brand royalties. They play like butter, have great tonal capabilities, and are designed to be used professionally as much as in the home. The attention to fretwork, materials, balance, and setup are on point. As far as affordable professional grade instruments go, these are easily part of the top tier you can buy. The A1.7 feels a little like an Ibanez RG but still has it’s own flavor. I have no problem with the Blaze pickups but they aren’t the flavor I’m looking for. Classic, and I did jam “Where the Slime Live” and “Weeping China Doll” riffs right away, but the Guitarmory’s are going in for more OSDM vibes. That said the Duncan Solars I’ve played are great, versatile, all around pickups; not just a cheap “Duncan Design” forgettable copy. I might hunt down a set down the road. It would be nice if Solar offered them alone someday.

BLUF, TL/DR: the Solar plays great and feels like a professional workhorse. The Ormsby modes are equally excellent but with a different neck profile. Choices go down to personal taste, but you can’t go wrong either way for the money. I love the Solar design, contours, and playability. I definitely want to grab an Evertune loaded model. I’m impressed and really glad Ola has done all the right things with his brand for all of us players, be it stage bands or bedroom metal heads.


----------



## RiksRiks

MAJ Meadows SF said:


> Dude you ain’t kidding. I am so lucky to find one and so thankful!
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks so much! So, compared to Ormsby: I own a bunch of GTRs and a custom 7, plus I’ve played several 6s & 7s from Solar. Both brands are rock solid and undergo solid QA/QC. The biggest difference (other than the fan) is the neck. Ormsby’s have a thin U shape based on a D shape profile. Shoulders are noticeable but not steep. All of them are fast and incredibly comfortable. The Solar Guitars have more of a C shape, but equally comfy and both brands play very fast. I can tell with both, but focusing on Solar here, that the goal was to make affordable and highly feature packed “players guitars”. Ola clearly has a ton of input into his brand and isn’t just associating his name with a factory instrument for brand royalties. They play like butter, have great tonal capabilities, and are designed to be used professionally as much as in the home. The attention to fretwork, materials, balance, and setup are on point. As far as affordable professional grade instruments go, these are easily part of the top tier you can buy. The A1.7 feels a little like an Ibanez RG but still has it’s own flavor. I have no problem with the Blaze pickups but they aren’t the flavor I’m looking for. Classic, and I did jam “Where the Slime Live” and “Weeping China Doll” riffs right away, but the Guitarmory’s are going in for more OSDM vibes. That said the Duncan Solars I’ve played are great, versatile, all around pickups; not just a cheap “Duncan Design” forgettable copy. I might hunt down a set down the road. It would be nice if Solar offered them alone someday.
> 
> BLUF, TL/DR: the Solar plays great and feels like a professional workhorse. The Ormsby modes are equally excellent but with a different neck profile. Choices go down to personal taste, but you can’t go wrong either way for the money. I love the Solar design, contours, and playability. I definitely want to grab an Evertune loaded model. I’m impressed and really glad Ola has done all the right things with his brand for all of us players, be it stage bands or bedroom metal heads.



Thanks for the info man! I own a 7 string GTR but I'm also looking to get an Evertune loaded 6 string, and Solar is the best option so far. Today they announced a Lemon Neon Matte that is tempting me sooo hard.


----------



## Soulmate

Solar QA/QC is *not* where it needs to be, at least yet. I sincerely hope they will work hard to get there because I really like the guitars.

I have never seen such a bad paint job on any other guitar as on my A2.6. And it wasn’t even a b-stock.


----------



## MAJ Meadows SF

RiksRiks said:


> Thanks for the info man! I own a 7 string GTR but I'm also looking to get an Evertune loaded 6 string, and Solar is the best option so far. Today they announced a Lemon Neon Matte that is tempting me sooo hard.



Oh lord that sounds awesome!!! The E1.6D LTD has my eyeballs fixed. I said I would buy one if they came out and then later that week, my bluff was called. Damn.


----------



## MAJ Meadows SF

Soulmate said:


> Solar QA/QC is *not* where it needs to be, at least yet. I sincerely hope they will work hard to get there because I really like the guitars.
> 
> I have never seen such a bad paint job on any other guitar as on my A2.6. And it wasn’t even a b-stock.



I think the majority of them are fine. I’ve played at least 6 in stores, and the A1.7DVV has the worst paint errors by far, all on the lower horn: the tip and inside the carve wasn’t taped well between the black and green. It takes a very close look to see, but it’s there. Every other inch of it is perfect. One of my Ormsby’s has a stain smudge/bleed in the pickup cavity ear. Small cosmetic blems like that are common in factory guitars. I see it in shops all the time, especially when I worked at a GC. Some brands based on factories are worse than others. Anything really bad was returned.

I have seen the stain differences on here with the poplar burl top Solars; I’d be disappointed too. If your paint job is really worse than a “blem” issue, and wasn’t a B-stock, that’s worth noting. I can’t disagree the controls could be better, but it’s nothing I haven’t seen many times. For transparency, obviously the biggest brands have had the least blems I’ve encountered, but they are there.


----------



## Andromalia

nickgray said:


> The Koreans and Indos have skyrocketed in price, but not exactly skyrocketed in QC, to put it mildly.



Try some indos from the early 2000s and we'll talk about it. And, unbfortunately, everyone is jacking the prices way over the average rate, given this is mostly a hobbyist market. ie, they don't just want your money, they want all of it. From the highest end boutique builders to Squier and Cort.


----------



## nickgray

Andromalia said:


> Try some indos from the early 2000s and we'll talk about it



I do have a cheap Cort from those years, and amusingly, while it has problems, cosmetically the fretwork is better than on a Japanese Ibanez that I have. It's all down to luck in the end.


----------



## Soulmate

IMHO, this alone should’ve qualified the guitar as a b stock... Anyway, working on getting the issues settled.


----------



## lewis

Soulmate said:


> IMHO, this alone should’ve qualified the guitar as a b stock... Anyway, working on getting the issues settled.



Woah thats pretty poor


----------



## Soulmate

There’s specks of dust and excess paint all over the finish


----------



## Albake21

Soulmate said:


> IMHO, this alone should’ve qualified the guitar as a b stock... Anyway, working on getting the issues settled.


Damn that's very unfortunate. It looks like something you would see on someone's DIY spray paint job.


----------



## CrimsonStar

Soulmate said:


> There’s specks of dust and excess paint all over the finish



Damn, that's very unfortunate! I really hope that you'll be able to get things settled nicely, be sure to post what you can about the outcome! 

Just some of my thoughts:

These kind of mistakes in finishes still seem so weird to me, I've owned several 1000-series LTDs which are in the same price point and there's never been anything like this but maybe I've been lucky. I'm not bad-mouthing anyone here, but it would be really cool to get some real answers to these problems and inconsistencies from Solar - for a company that seems to be really in touch with their customers thru social media, they would really stand out if the customers could get public statements about why the finishes are sometimes really different from what's been advertised and why QC has been going down (or so it seems to me atleast). You don't have to diss your own company but getting some comments about these things would be really nice, and it could help even their own work to answer these kinds of questions on a public forum (facebook or otherwise) rather than answering only in emails of which contents people can't really talk about online. Or maybe I'm missing something really essential here, if so please do tell me!


----------



## Soulmate

After all this whining it’s time to play my A1.6FB which, believe it or not, I have no complaints about


----------



## Soulmate

I guess the fact that I know they’re capable of producing near flawless instruments makes me frustrated seeing these hastily finished and inspected ones.

I really, really, really hope they’ll get more consistent in this regard. Especially now that they came up with that A1.6LN I need...


----------



## CrimsonStar

Soulmate said:


> I guess the fact that I know they’re capable of producing near flawless instruments makes me frustrated seeing these hastily finished and inspected ones.



Thank you, this is exactly what I've b een feeling ever since I've made my decision to get a Solar as my next guitar - and that decision haven't changed. Frustration is the right word, and anxiety, for I'm afraid that they'll stop producing those poplar burl tops with cool colors before they get their QC back to the game (and before I'm confident enough to purchase one).


----------



## Rocktoe

I ended up installing a Dimebucker on my 1.6PP. The original Duncan Solar bridge pickup was actually really good, but I couldn't help myself: I'm a railsbucker kind of guy. (Additionally, I really need to vacuum that carpet... dang.)


----------



## mbardu

nickgray said:


> I do have a cheap Cort from those years, and amusingly, while it has problems, cosmetically the fretwork is better than on a Japanese Ibanez that I have. It's all down to luck in the end.



That's not fair game though. In the early 2000s, Cort and entry level Yamaha were pretty much the best value, and certainly the highest quality you could get under 500$.


----------



## nickgray

mbardu said:


> That's not fair game though. In the early 2000s, Cort and entry level Yamaha were pretty much the best value, and certainly the highest quality you could get under 500$.



Haha, the other problems more than make up for it. The neck pocket isn't flush with the neck, trem is a total pos, the saddles are not conforming to the neck's radius properly, the hardware is garbage that rusts (or rather, rusted) super easily (including literally every screw). The fret ends are nice though, no complaints there.


----------



## mbardu

nickgray said:


> Haha, the other problems more than make up for it. The neck pocket isn't flush with the neck, trem is a total pos, the saddles are not conforming to the neck's radius properly, the hardware is garbage that rusts (or rather, rusted) super easily (including literally every screw). The fret ends are nice though, no complaints there.



That sounds like a dream guitar compared to some of the Squiers from that time still 
More seriously though I'm surprised, The G90 and M...something (not sure of the series but looked like an ESP potbelly) I kept for many years had nowhere near any of those issues.


----------



## lewis

Rocktoe said:


> I ended up installing a Dimebucker on my 1.6PP. The original Duncan Solar bridge pickup was actually really good, but I couldn't help myself: I'm a railsbucker kind of guy. (Additionally, I really need to vacuum that carpet... dang.)


VIDEOS FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!

Please dude!
Im gas'ing massively for that SH13 again and would love to hear this!
Looks badass in there too


----------



## Kovah

CrimsonStar said:


> Damn, that's very unfortunate! I really hope that you'll be able to get things settled nicely, be sure to post what you can about the outcome!
> 
> Just some of my thoughts:
> 
> These kind of mistakes in finishes still seem so weird to me, I've owned several 1000-series LTDs which are in the same price point and there's never been anything like this but maybe I've been lucky. I'm not bad-mouthing anyone here, but it would be really cool to get some real answers to these problems and inconsistencies from Solar - for a company that seems to be really in touch with their customers thru social media, they would really stand out if the customers could get public statements about why the finishes are sometimes really different from what's been advertised and why QC has been going down (or so it seems to me atleast). You don't have to diss your own company but getting some comments about these things would be really nice, and it could help even their own work to answer these kinds of questions on a public forum (facebook or otherwise) rather than answering only in emails of which contents people can't really talk about online. Or maybe I'm missing something really essential here, if so please do tell me!



Ola used to do some QC himself in the factory in Indonesia (at least the very first batches). Not sure if he's still inspecting some guitars, especially with lockdown all around the world.


----------



## Soulmate

Kovah said:


> Ola used to do some QC himself in the factory in Indonesia (at least the very first batches). Not sure if he's still inspecting some guitars, especially with lockdown all around the world.



I’m 100% sure he hasn’t got the time to inspect any batches at this point.

As with all brands, they have a certain set of guidelines and tolerances the guitars have to pass through final inspection at the factory. Either the tolerances are high in some areas or the inspectors are passing some guitars maybe too easily.


----------



## hamster

I think that something is radically changing in the guitar market : As other members previously said, its seems that every brand is trying to increase their margins and profitability on each guitar sold, and they are doing so by going the easy way :

The prices of the Indonesian made guitars are really exploding, we are currently starting to see made in Indonesia guitars sold between 1000 and 1500 USD with branded hardware, yes ; but their overall craftsmanship, quality and QC are still equivalent to what the 400-600USD Made in Indo guitars (with unbranded hardware and stock pickups) offered a few years ago!

For example, brands like Ibanez are pushing their Premium series (produced by Cort in the Jawa Timur Plant) into the 1000-2000USD price bracked, and their FujiGen guitars are slowly but surely and mechanically pushed above the 2000USD price bar ! We have to keep in mind that a few years ago, one could easily buy a brand new Prestige Ibanez (with a nice case and DiMarzio pickups) between 950 and 1200 USD, and this price range is currently the price range of the Premium guitars ! They are even trying to push their cheaper 250-300USD models into the 700-800USD price range, just by putting a Dimarzio pair of pickups on them, and recycling some fancy finishes from the Cort catalog : this is the new "High Performance" series !

Going back to Solar, I don't know a lot about the brand, but I think that the rules that us, customers, apply to other brands should also apply to them :

Guitars made in Indonesia can be great, Indonesia is an amazing country for manufacturers because producing guitars there is really really cheap, workforce is really cheap, the fact that nowdays most important manufacturing processes are based on CNC and computers enable workers without any real formation related to musical instruments manufacturing to be able to work in the factory, keeping the manufacturing costs down, but from the customer point of view, buying Indo is a little bit like playing a lottery, especially when it comes to little details for which people have rightful expectations when they spend a lot of cash on a guitar...

From the distributor point of view (and I'm not a distributor so what I will write below is just my own modest opinion on the question) I think that when you sell limited volumes, you can still afford doing QC, either yourself or with a small team (about QC, I also want to add that it seems that even Hoshino relies on its distributors for the QC of all their guitars, including the made by Fujigen ones) but when you start selling big volumes and don't want to waste money managing a large "B-STOCK" inventory, you don't have many possibilities :

1) Making a deal with a BIG distributor, and let them take care of the QC and after sale service.
For example, I think that Thomann's QC is 100% BS, they sell so many guitars that they cannot waste time unboxing and checking every guitar, but their major asset is that they can rely on a huge structure, and can consequently handle without any problem a large B-STOCK inventory made of the guitars returned by the customers.

Anyways, only a small fraction of the people receiving guitars with defects (that should have been labeled as B-STOCK) use their right to send back the guitar and get a replacement or their money back, so the odds are always in favor of the big distributor in these situations.

2) Discouraging the customer to send back the instrument in case of minor defects is another option : restocking fees, customer has to pay to send back the product.... Handling a large B-STOCK inventory when you don't have an adapted structure must be a real pain !

Sorry for the long rant, I will just add one thing : I really believe that we have to accept the fact that the 1000-1500USD price range will soon be the new price bracket for mid-range guitars (especially in terms of craftsmanship and QC).

What we will get in return are fancy woods, finishes, branded pickups and hardware.

Is this really a change for the better ?


----------



## lewis

hamster said:


> I think that something is radically changing in the guitar market : As other members previously said, its seems that every brand is trying to increase their margins and profitability on each guitar sold, and they are doing so by going the easy way :
> 
> The prices of the Indonesian made guitars are really exploding, we are currently starting to see made in Indonesia guitars sold between 1000 and 1500 USD with branded hardware, yes ; but their overall craftsmanship, quality and QC are still equivalent to what the 400-600USD Made in Indo guitars (with unbranded hardware and stock pickups) offered a few years ago!
> 
> For example, brands like Ibanez are pushing their Premium series (produced by Cort in the Jawa Timur Plant) into the 1000-2000USD price bracked, and their FujiGen guitars are slowly but surely and mechanically pushed above the 2000USD price bar ! We have to keep in mind that a few years ago, one could easily buy a brand new Prestige Ibanez (with a nice case and DiMarzio pickups) between 950 and 1200 USD, and this price range is currently the price range of the Premium guitars ! They are even trying to push their cheaper 250-300USD models into the 700-800USD price range, just by putting a Dimarzio pair of pickups on them, and recycling some fancy finishes from the Cort catalog : this is the new "High Performance" series !
> 
> Going back to Solar, I don't know a lot about the brand, but I think that the rules that us, customers, apply to other brands should also apply to them :
> 
> Guitars made in Indonesia can be great, Indonesia is an amazing country for manufacturers because producing guitars there is really really cheap, workforce is really cheap, the fact that nowdays most important manufacturing processes are based on CNC and computers enable workers without any real formation related to musical instruments manufacturing to be able to work in the factory, keeping the manufacturing costs down, but from the customer point of view, buying Indo is a little bit like playing a lottery, especially when it comes to little details for which people have rightful expectations when they spend a lot of cash on a guitar...
> 
> From the distributor point of view (and I'm not a distributor so what I will write below is just my own modest opinion on the question) I think that when you sell limited volumes, you can still afford doing QC, either yourself or with a small team (about QC, I also want to add that it seems that even Hoshino relies on its distributors for the QC of all their guitars, including the made by Fujigen ones) but when you start selling big volumes and don't want to waste money managing a large "B-STOCK" inventory, you don't have many possibilities :
> 
> 1) Making a deal with a BIG distributor, and let them take care of the QC and after sale service.
> For example, I think that Thomann's QC is 100% BS, they sell so many guitars that they cannot waste time unboxing and checking every guitar, but their major asset is that they can rely on a huge structure, and can consequently handle without any problem a large B-STOCK inventory made of the guitars returned by the customers.
> 
> Anyways, only a small fraction of the people receiving guitars with defects (that should have been labeled as B-STOCK) use their right to send back the guitar and get a replacement or their money back, so the odds are always in favor of the big distributor in these situations.
> 
> 2) Discouraging the customer to send back the instrument in case of minor defects is another option : restocking fees, customer has to pay to send back the product.... Handling a large B-STOCK inventory when you don't have an adapted structure must be a real pain !
> 
> Sorry for the long rant, I will just add one thing : I really believe that we have to accept the fact that the 1000-1500USD price range will soon be the new price bracket for mid-range guitars (especially in terms of craftsmanship and QC).
> 
> What we will get in return are fancy woods, finishes, branded pickups and hardware.
> 
> *Is this really a change for the better* ?



for my personal situation and feelings on this - No it isnt


----------



## iLike myMetalBlack

Rocktoe said:


> I ended up installing a Dimebucker on my 1.6PP. The original Duncan Solar bridge pickup was actually really good, but I couldn't help myself: I'm a railsbucker kind of guy. (Additionally, I really need to vacuum that carpet... dang.)


Little late but the Dimebucker looks KILLER!


----------



## Rocktoe

Well, I received this guy today and it's pretty much everything I wanted it to be, nothing to complain. The distressed Evertune key and Schaller straplocks that came with it gave me a slight chuckle: Way to stick with the theme!


----------



## Rocktoe

...And since I'm a rails kind of guy, here it is with a nicely worn Duncan El Diablo:


----------



## lewis

Rocktoe said:


> ...And since I'm a rails kind of guy, here it is with a nicely worn Duncan El Diablo:


rails look amazing in these guitars damn!


----------



## MAJ Meadows SF

Rocktoe said:


> ...And since I'm a rails kind of guy, here it is with a nicely worn Duncan El Diablo:




Agreed! Rail pickups look pretty sweet in there; catching some JP vibes which is never a bad thing. 

If you’re a rail connoisseur, I’d recommend the Avedissian Railsplitter. I have one in a Chuck Tribute Stealth and it is excellent. Tone is on the warmer side but still powerful.


----------



## Andromalia

hamster said:


> For example, I think that Thomann's QC is 100% BS, they sell so many guitars that they cannot waste time unboxing and checking every guitar, but their major asset is that they can rely on a huge structure, and can consequently handle without any problem a large B-STOCK inventory made of the guitars returned by the customers.



It's circumstantial, but the three flawless Gibsons I got came from thomann. Is it luck or did they catch the bad ones ?

About the Solar prices, I'm fine with what I got. The Evertune still is a specialty bridge which is pretty expensive. Other brands LTDs with stock evertunes are priced in the same 1200€ ballpark.


----------



## Rocktoe

Andromalia said:


> About the Solar prices, I'm fine with what I got. The Evertune still is a specialty bridge which is pretty expensive. Other brands LTDs with stock evertunes are priced in the same 1200€ ballpark.



This is how I feel as well. I wanted a strat shaped guitar with a C-profile neck, stainless steel frets, locking tuners and most importantly EverTune. Solar is the best deal around if you want those specs. For regular hardtail or locking trem guitars there are a lot more options for sure.


----------



## Senensis

Quick question, as I read a lot (ok not all) pages from this topic and I am eyeing a solar... Are there any qualitative differences between a series 2 and a series 1 beside hardware? As in, do the 1 have a better fretjob and overall QC?


----------



## DickyTripleD

Senensis said:


> Quick question, as I read a lot (ok not all) pages from this topic and I am eyeing a solar... Are there any qualitative differences between a series 2 and a series 1 beside hardware? As in, do the 1 have a better fretjob and overall QC?



They're made in the same factory, so apparently not. It's only the feature set that changes.


----------



## VGK17

Senensis said:


> Quick question, as I read a lot (ok not all) pages from this topic and I am eyeing a solar... Are there any qualitative differences between a series 2 and a series 1 beside hardware? As in, do the 1 have a better fretjob and overall QC?


I have an E1.6 and an E2.6. Both are fantastic guitars, no blemishes or anything on either, no fretwork needed, etc. I've had them for over a year already, absolutely love them. The only differences are in the features, as the guy before me stated. I did swap out the stock tuners on the 2.6 for locking tuners, that's really the only thing I think the 2 series is missing.


----------



## Senensis

VGK17 said:


> I have an E1.6 and an E2.6. Both are fantastic guitars, no blemishes or anything on either, no fretwork needed, etc. I've had them for over a year already, absolutely love them. The only differences are in the features, as the guy before me stated. I did swap out the stock tuners on the 2.6 for locking tuners, that's really the only thing I think the 2 series is missing.


 thanks a lot, very informative. I do not care for the Everyone and SS frets so a slightly upgraded series 2 might make more sense.


----------



## Miggzzor

Hey guys! So i just got a Solar A2.7 first guitar ive bought in 10years i used to own several guitars when i was in my teens and mid 20s my main guitar for all those years was a lovely fender AM strat that i beat up for many years gigging and jamming i loved it and eventually had to sell it along with an ibanez artstar 335 style guitar due to different life circumstances, and i got gifted an alright beater prs SE from a friend that ive been playing on for past year.

Well anyways i thought it was finally time to get myself a new guitar and seeing as my countryman Ola had his own line of guitars and ive been hearing nothing but good things from his brand i thought id take the plunge and get myself a nice player guitar, ive never owned a seven string before so i felt it would be a nice change and source of inspiration and motivation to get better due to instrument being so different from anything ive ever owned before!

The guitar looks amazing for starters! Sounds great it does need abit of a setup because i have some buzz on some frets on the thicker strings and also it came with a really high string height with the bridge setup at max height which i found abit odd but should be able to setup fine, it has a really nice bright and snappy sound on the lighter strings i really enjoy for chords and the C shaped neck feels great!

One QC issue i found was that the nut saddle is a tad bit short on the high E string and the fretboard pokes out abit at the end im not sure if this could cause any issues and warrants me contacting thomann, maybe you guys could give some insight on if its worth the trouble and if any owners have seen anything similar on their models. Anyways new to the forum and it feels fun to delve into guitar related communitys again! 

Cheers.


----------



## Atefred

Miggzzor said:


> One QC issue i found was that the nut saddle is a tad bit short on the high E string and the fretboard pokes out abit at the end im not sure if this could cause any issues and warrants me contacting thomann, maybe you guys could give some insight on if its worth the trouble and if any owners have seen anything similar on their models. Anyways new to the forum and it feels fun to delve into guitar related communitys again!



Not the same model, but i have a solar A1.6. the nut lines up fine with the neck. (Sounds like a minor cosmetic issue to me)


----------



## jephjacques

That's just a cosmetic whoopsie, it wouldn't bother me on a guitar at that price point.


----------



## Soulmate

Decided to send my A2.6 back.


----------



## CrimsonStar

I just happened to browse Solar website, and noticed that some models from 2019 were back to store... Next thing I know, I'm filling out my shipping information on the S1.6 PB LTD, which is (based on my observations) exactly the same guitar as the 'non-LTD' version of the S1.6PB, with the exception of fret markers (which I really like). It's not purple, but it seems like a cool guitar and with the fret markers I'm totally sold on the thought that this is the perfect studio guitar. The neck might not be as thin as Thin U of Esp, but I'm willing to go out of my comfort zone for this, as everything else seems like a spot on for me.


----------



## MadYarpen

Has anyone heard anything about ash V 7-string? I would like a 7 in addition to the six I already have, but all are mahogany. 

BTW, I keep having problems with mine, it probably needs to go back to thomann for repair, something is broken with the neck pickup. Or with the switch, in any case this isn't something I can do myself. I really hope after that nothing more happens.


----------



## Rocktoe

CrimsonStar said:


> I just happened to browse Solar website, and noticed that some models from 2019 were back to store... Next thing I know, I'm filling out my shipping information on the S1.6 PB LTD, which is (based on my observations) exactly the same guitar as the 'non-LTD' version of the S1.6PB, with the exception of fret markers (which I really like). It's not purple, but it seems like a cool guitar and with the fret markers I'm totally sold on the thought that this is the perfect studio guitar. The neck might not be as thin as Thin U of Esp, but I'm willing to go out of my comfort zone for this, as everything else seems like a spot on for me.



For a moment they had a Lime Burst available as well: Really wanted that one but I can't justify any more new guitars this year.


----------



## CrimsonStar

Rocktoe said:


> For a moment they had a Lime Burst available as well: Really wanted that one but I can't justify any more new guitars this year.



Oh man, I totally missed that! That would've been even more better than what I ordered... Oh well, it's better not to dwell on what I could've gotten, or so I try to say to myself haha

I just hope that everything goes well with the order, as the url for the guitar I ordered (S1.6ETPB LTD) has "b-stock" in its url when viewed on the website, but nowhere else it states that the guitar I ordered would be a b-stock, neither does it state it on the receipt... Maybe I'll send them an email just to be sure, I payed it already tho...


----------



## CrimsonStar

CrimsonStar said:


> I just hope that everything goes well with the order, as the url for the guitar I ordered (S1.6ETPB LTD) has "b-stock" in its url when viewed on the website, but nowhere else it states that the guitar I ordered would be a b-stock, neither does it state it on the receipt... Maybe I'll send them an email just to be sure, I payed it already tho...



And this has been already cleared up, I was worried for nothing! I guess the lockdown has made me really paranoid... Alright, more guitars, less worrying!


----------



## Lada The Great

Solar released pretty sweet looking 8-string. Looks way better in live shot that Ola has on his Facebook page, but for some reason I can't post it here.


----------



## Rocktoe

Lada The Great said:


> Solar released pretty sweet looking 8-string. Looks way better in live shot that Ola has on his Facebook page, but for some reason I can't post it here.


 
I wish they had kept the original, more natural finish. That black center is the reason I cancelled my order.


----------



## A-Branger

hamster said:


> What we will get in return are fancy woods, finishes, branded pickups and hardware.



yup, and thats why the prices are up. Those are things that cost money

those big factories (in indo, korea, china, whatever) dont work with a "one price for all" , just becasue you paid X$ for your LTD200 with a plain black paint job and generic hardware, doesnt mean every single guitar coming from the same factory has to cost the same regardless of specs.

Think about those factories like a Kiesel ordering menu but on steroids. The more options you pick, the more your guitar is gonna cost to build.

They could happily build you a 200$ piece of firewood, or they could build you a $2000 one. The more specs you choose, the more is gonna cost you. At one point the guitar brand has to draw a line before either the cost of the instrument is going to be too high, or their mass produced guitar is going to clash with your custom made stuff, or with your other lines of guitar build in other factories.

why these guitars cost more, you just say it yourself in that coment. "but 10 years ago I could buy a prestige RG", yeah but looka t the specs of such RG, plain solid color, cheap woods(or the most popular comon available), ease of construction, and propetiary hardware. Yes, Ibanez bridges are amazing, but there are "their" bridges, so what they pay for it is not what another brand has to pay to get "name brand" hardware

you want fancy woods, high specs, branded pickups, branded hardware, unique color combinations, SS frets, ect ect?, then be prepared to pay the price for it

Also is the numbers. Ibanez/LTD can manage to build XXXXX amount of guitars (the more you order, the better the price), but Solar can only order XXX at a time. Smaller "unique" orders is always gonna cost more


would be Solar be charging too much?... donno, and who cares. Guitars are great value, they need to make a living too, jsut because you want a cheap guitar because "Indo guitars should be X$" doesnt mean the people at Solar has to live making a 5$ profit from them. Also its the perceived value of things. If these were sold to you at cost, you prob would be like "why they are so cheap?, is something wrong?, too cheap to be any good"


----------



## Senensis

I am in the market for a 6 and seriously considering Solar. My experience with neck through construction is null, same as with ash as a body wood.

So... Anyone able to tell me what to expect tonally from the A and from the S series, as they have the same pickups? Anyone with both?


----------



## Soulmate

Senensis said:


> I am in the market for a 6 and seriously considering Solar. My experience with neck through construction is null, same as with ash as a body wood.
> 
> So... Anyone able to tell me what to expect tonally from the A and from the S series, as they have the same pickups? Anyone with both?



I’ve owned an S1.6 and had an ash body A1.6 for a moment.

The biggest difference between them is weight. Mahogany body will weigh more than ash. Sound wise ash is a bit more balanced while mahogany has more mids, but then again the tonal differences are so minimal it’s hardly a factor, especially with heavy distortion.

Personally I find the stock pickups too bass heavy and mushy. They’re not bad, just kinda meh, maybe it’s the scooped eq.


----------



## Andromalia

I found the pickups good enough to not want to change them. I play tuned in E and use the axefx III pitch shifter for D, B etc. (yes, it works)


----------



## Rocktoe

The A1.6 and S1.6 I have weight virtually the same. S1.6 was 3.5kg on the nose while A1.6 was a hefty 10 grams less. The stock pickups sounded a bit muddy at first but playing with the pickup heights as well as the pole screws helped quite a bit.


----------



## Soulmate

I’m torn, I’d love to order the A1.6LN, finally a bright colored model with evertune but tbh after all the qc crap I’ve gone through I’m hesitant. What if the paint finish and woodwork is as crappy as on the A2.6?


----------



## Alexa run my life

It would behoove Ola to offer different inlay options......one of them being no inlay at all. I know alot of people like no inlays but I do like them and I just want some dots or blocks.


----------



## josh1

Alexa run my life said:


> It would behoove Ola to offer different inlay options......one of them being no inlay at all. I know alot of people like no inlays but I do like them and I just want some dots or blocks.



The 12th fret inlay or logo as it really is, is what's holding me back. I think it's so ugly. I would buy the pink Solar in a heartbeat if it had simple dots or no inlays at all.


----------



## MadYarpen

I find it very surprising how some don't like this inlay. I mean, the neck looks best (IMO) when there are no inlays and no markers, but this way it still looks much cleaner than regular markers.

I don't know, but when I look at my guitar, I really don't mind the inlay. Maybe it helps it is red, so it is not so visible. But even if it is white in most cases, I don't really care. 

Of course it is 100% personal. I would just never guess this particualr thing could stop someone from buying the guitar.


----------



## Edika

I was just reading in the Ola discussion Facebook page a guy posted about his guitar that bought a bit over a year the the fretboard cracked from about the 9th fret all the way to the to the 24th. 

He contacted the customer service and they more or less told they told him that it is not covered under warranty. Now I know ebony I prone to cracking but from the 10+ I've owned over the years with ebony boards none of them had an issue let alone something as extreme as that. He was going to contact Ola about this but for this kind of damage I do think the warranty should cover for defective materials.

I'm not sure if it's ok to share the guy's photo as it's not my guitar so maybe a mod could way in on that. Not trying to steer things up as per the quality of the instruments as there are several Solars with no functional issues but I'm curious to see how this is handled by the company.


----------



## MadYarpen

Would love to hear more. I bought mine from thomann, and I'm glad I did. I have an issue with the switch or some other electronic problem, and they accepted it for warranty repair only on the basis of a short video I sent them. Also they agreed to have it repaired locally in my country, instead of risking shipment. I will see how it eventually turns out, but their customer support is very good.


----------



## josh1

MadYarpen said:


> I find it very surprising how some don't like this inlay. I mean, the neck looks best (IMO) when there are no inlays and no markers, but this way it still looks much cleaner than regular markers.
> 
> I don't know, but when I look at my guitar, I really don't mind the inlay. Maybe it helps it is red, so it is not so visible. But even if it is white in most cases, I don't really care.
> 
> Of course it is 100% personal. I would just never guess this particualr thing could stop someone from buying the guitar.



I don't want his name on the inlay. They're basically all signature guitars with his name front and center.


----------



## Cryovillain

Soulmate said:


> I’ve owned an S1.6 and had an ash body A1.6 for a moment.
> 
> The biggest difference between them is weight. Mahogany body will weigh more than ash. Sound wise ash is a bit more balanced while mahogany has more mids, but then again the tonal differences are so minimal it’s hardly a factor, especially with heavy distortion.
> 
> Personally I find the stock pickups too bass heavy and mushy. They’re not bad, just kinda meh, maybe it’s the scooped eq.



The pickups are meant to be boosted to the max. Otherwise id say they are unusable for lower tunings.


----------



## JimF

josh1 said:


> They're basically all signature guitars with his name front and center.



Well, it _is_ his company, selling a superstrat shape he designed (amongst other shapes), made to his specs...
Whether you like the logo or not, you can't fault him for using it. Its a small touch that sets Solar apart from it's competitors, and is easily recognisable.


----------



## josh1

JimF said:


> Well, it _is_ his company, selling a superstrat shape he designed (amongst other shapes), made to his specs...
> Whether you like the logo or not, you can't fault him for using it. Its a small touch that sets Solar apart from it's competitors, and is easily recognisable.


It says Solar on the headstock. A guitar doesn't need two logos.


----------



## Rocktoe

I think it's good that not all guitars are similar: There are already a million brands that don't have the logo on the fretboard. What's the point of making the same thing that's already been done to death?


----------



## JimF

josh1 said:


> It says Solar on the headstock. A guitar doesn't need two logos.



Perhaps, but Ibanez find the vine inlay very popular, Daemoness are famed for their fancy inlay work, I guess people like inlays.
There's got to be something to set you apart from the competition 
Edit: Rocktoe beat me to it


----------



## josh1

That's true. I didn't ask to eliminate their inaly all together but an option would be nice.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

If everyone in here who asked for no inlays threw down the median cost for a Solar you'd probably be able to order a "totally not a Solar, guys" with blank boards from WMI or Cortek or wherever these are made.


----------



## JimF

I keep wondering if Ola will offer a Ormsby type "pick your own spec" run of builds, with people voting for a spec (no inlay, OFR, Trans black top etc), or even people being able to choose from a few specs (i.e. 6 or 7 string, lefty as an option, Evertune or OFR) etc.
Not for it to end up like Kiesel with their infinite options list, but just to see if there'd be interest. I for one wanted a combination of Solar guitars that didn't exist, until they released the neon yellow Evertune one.


----------



## Rocktoe

JimF said:


> I keep wondering if Ola will offer a Ormsby type "pick your own spec" run of builds, with people voting for a spec (no inlay, OFR, Trans black top etc), or even people being able to choose from a few specs (i.e. 6 or 7 string, lefty as an option, Evertune or OFR) etc.
> Not for it to end up like Kiesel with their infinite options list, but just to see if there'd be interest. I for one wanted a combination of Solar guitars that didn't exist, until they released the neon yellow Evertune one.



There would have to be quite a lot of people ordering one, though OR the new specs would have to be very simple such as a different color or just one pot instead of two. It wouldn't be viable if there were just a half dozen guys ready to order them.


----------



## Soulmate

JimF said:


> I keep wondering if Ola will offer a Ormsby type "pick your own spec" run of builds, with people voting for a spec (no inlay, OFR, Trans black top etc), or even people being able to choose from a few specs (i.e. 6 or 7 string, lefty as an option, Evertune or OFR) etc.
> Not for it to end up like Kiesel with their infinite options list, but just to see if there'd be interest. I for one wanted a combination of Solar guitars that didn't exist, until they released the neon yellow Evertune one.



I would have loved to get the A1.6LN but for now there’s no way I will order direct from them, the quality is just too hit or miss and finish wise it seems like almost anything that leaves the factory is considered flawless. So you get a shoddily crafted and finished guitar and either keep it and be pissed about paying full price for it or send it back and lose 70€, no thanks.

The A2.6 I had was absolutely unacceptable. They simply can not let something like that slip through quality checks. Same goes with the wiring screw ups people (including me) have had.


----------



## JimF

I was thinking if he said you can have
6 string or 7 string
White or pink,
Evertune or Floyd.
Lefty or "normal" 

I suppose using my lacking maths skills, that's actually giving 16 different guitars (if I'm not completely wrong). That would mean 16 separate work orders, 16 production runs, so presumably there'd need to be a minimum of 20 of each? 

Not going to happen is it. Shame really. The whole semi-custom thing makes great sense to me, when choosing from a list of pre-existing options such as colour or hardware.


----------



## CrimsonStar

Okay, I've been wondering now that the arrival of my S1.6PB Ltd draws closer, that I want to make it my personal ultimate studio/recording guitar. I've been playing close to 15 years, without ever releasing any guitar related music, because working the guitar with vsti synths requires (in my mind atleast) very stabile tuning to fit in with all the synth orchestration I like to work into my music, and Evertune hopefully will help with that compared to Floyds I've played until this point. So I've wondered about the pickups, because I really like the sound of Fishman Fluences, especially the Devin Townsend signature set with different voicings it comes with. 

Now the question I have in mind is: Would it be possible to wire the Fluences so that when I'm in positions 2-4 on the pickup selector, they would be the second voicing of the pickup(the low gain, singlecoil style voicing), and when I'm in bridge or neck positions the pickups would be in the first voicing which is the metal voicing? This way I wouldn't have to add any switches to the guitar, and I could switch fluently between different voicings while I play - I've been watching way too much Yngwie in my lifetime, so I switch between pickups alot when soloing, and I really like the sound of metal humbucker in the bridge and a single coil in the neck, and with this kind of setup that would be possible and would add lots of tonal options to choose from while playing. 

For reference, my main guitar at the moment has EMG 85 in the bridge and two EMG SA-singlecoils, and I really love the sounds from them, and would love to achieve those tonal worlds with the fluences as they are active pickups aswell... Any thoughts would be appreciated!


----------



## JimF

Bit of a sidetrack from this Solar discussion but I suppose its relevant!
Rather than wiring it like that, it would be much easier to wire the voicing to a push/pull volume knob. Also, if you're using this for recording, simply cut your take down into a section for one voice, and switch to a different track for the section in another pickup voicing.


----------



## CrimsonStar

JimF said:


> Bit of a sidetrack from this Solar discussion but I suppose its relevant!
> Rather than wiring it like that, it would be much easier to wire the voicing to a push/pull volume knob. Also, if you're using this for recording, simply cut your take down into a section for one voice, and switch to a different track for the section in another pickup voicing.



Yeah, sorry for sidetracking... But I guess you're right! Push-pull would be most simple solution and I might go with that, not that I would do the wiring by myself... Although I need to investigate this further, as I recall reading here or somewhere else that there have been some issues with Fluences being too big for the pickup holes in Solars, although it's entirely possible that I remember things wrong.


----------



## Soulmate

I’d use a push/push pot. Easier to use, you can toggle it with one finger and it looks better.


----------



## BusinessMan

I have a chance to order a solar guitar. However, I was wondering if there will be any import or duty fees. I was going to order to the E2.7. The total comes to $818 with shipping. I was trying to calculate any fees using online calculators. My question is what country do theu ship from?


----------



## Soulmate

BusinessMan said:


> I have a chance to order a solar guitar. However, I was wondering if there will be any import or duty fees. I was going to order to the E2.7. The total comes to $818 with shipping. I was trying to calculate any fees using online calculators. My question is what country do theu ship from?



Spain.


----------



## BusinessMan

Finally took the plunge!! Just gotta wait until 6/30 for shipping time.


----------



## WillyTheMLGPro

2 new guitars coming out!

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/ab1-6s-antique-silver-matte/
https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/ab1-7c-carbon-black-matte/


----------



## Xaeldaren

Roasted maple and bolt-on? Fuck yes.


----------



## Merrekof

WillyTheMLGPro said:


> 2 new guitars coming out!
> 
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/ab1-6s-antique-silver-matte/
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/ab1-7c-carbon-black-matte/



Holy shit, that silver grey one with a neck single coil... I want it


----------



## Metropolis

It sounds brighter than usual set-neck Solars... or Ola just dialed in different kind of tone.


----------



## littlebadboy

WillyTheMLGPro said:


> 2 new guitars coming out!
> 
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/ab1-6s-antique-silver-matte/
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/ab1-7c-carbon-black-matte/



Dayem. Where can I sell a kidney?


----------



## lewis

Im going to get that Silver one for sure.
I cant help it.

Its a stunner.


----------



## Albake21

It's damn near perfect! That silver one is absolutely stunning, sadly I have a feeling it's going to sell out well before the ship date.


----------



## Metropolis

...

And under a grand for a six string? First I was like 1200-1300 until I saw the price on their website.


----------



## Selkoid

lewis said:


> Im going to get that Silver one for sure.
> I cant help it.
> 
> Its a stunner.



Yeah these are so sick, I wish the inlay wasn't so obnoxious though... 

Also give me a matching headstock please Ola


----------



## Bdtunn

Dual home runs with those! That silver one is just amazing and a 25.5” 7 yes please(I hate anything longer then that, fight me haha).


----------



## Albake21

I love this model so much, I thought I'd try some other colors I like. This shell pink is my perfect Solar.


----------



## Ataraxia2320

That silver guitar is by far the sexiest solar guitar so far. 

Specs are absolutely perfect. If I hadn't just bought a guitar like 2 weeks back it would tick all my boxes. 

Were Solar's always made in Indonesia? Or is this a new development? I'm assuming Cortek?


----------



## Louis Cypher

Loving the Maple and the pickup config too. 



Albake21 said:


> I love this model so much, I thought I'd try some other colors I like. This shell pink is my perfect Solar.



All three of those colours look fantastic imo. I'll take the Blue one.


----------



## Rocktoe

Merrekof said:


> Holy shit, that silver grey one with a neck single coil... I want it



No kidding! I don't need a third Solar guitar, but DAMN that thing looks good and is cheaper than regular A-Series model and the roasted neck looks super nice and the five bolt neck joint seems awesome and...


----------



## DredFul

lewis said:


> Im going to get that Silver one for sure.
> I cant help it.
> 
> Its a stunner.



I might have to get one too.. I can allow myself this one impulse purchase and my birthday is conveniently next month..

I've been gassing hard for a matt silver guitar with maple fretboard. This is like a match made in heaven for me


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

I fucking hate super strats.......but Ola really knocked it out of the park with his guitars. Those new bolt ons are fine as hell and I'd love to try one


----------



## jephjacques

those bolt-on models are fucking dope as hell


----------



## nedheftyfunk

Ataraxia2320 said:


> Were Solar's always made in Indonesia?



Yes, Indonesia since the beginning.


----------



## Alexa run my life

I love the silver, but can do without the ET bridge personally.


----------



## littlebadboy

nedheftyfunk said:


> Yes, Indonesia since the beginning.



Really? I thought they were made in effin China (not racist, I'm half Chinese).


----------



## Electric Wizard

These bolt ons with a color-matched inlay ala RG565 would be even more amazing, but the silver one is very cool and I'm excited to see what will follow.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

littlebadboy said:


> Really? I thought they were made in effin China (not racist, I'm half Chinese).


Nope. PT Wildwood factory in Indonesia.


----------



## mpexus

Electric Wizard said:


> These bolt ons with a color-matched inlay ala RG565 would be even more amazing, but the silver one is very cool and I'm excited to see what will follow.



Like this?


----------



## Wolfhorsky

Albake21 said:


> I love this model so much, I thought I'd try some other colors I like. This shell pink is my perfect Solar.


That seafoam green. OMG.


----------



## Alexa run my life

I'm normally against sea foam green but that mockup looks pretty nice. It would look better without a giant black block that is the Evertune


----------



## nsimonsen

Someone get those pics in front of Ola, because I would buy a Pink and Seafoam version of this model immediately!


----------



## Felvin

Super sexy. Hope I can resist til Tele style.


----------



## Jarmake

mpexus said:


> Like this?
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 81021




WHY YOU DO THIS TO ME?!

Damn that's hot.


----------



## Rocktoe

The only thing that I can use to stop myself from buying that silver AB is the color: I have blood red and purple burst solars and I'd prefer a model with S/H routing, EverTune, baked maple neck and some colorful finish.


----------



## Mathemagician

Dat seafoam needs to come in a 26.5 7 string.


----------



## Alexa run my life

I would like to see some metallic finishes. Matte or gloss doesn't matter.


----------



## MadYarpen

Omg that roasted maple looks awesome.


----------



## Wolfhorsky

This roasted maple is just in perfect color. Not too dark or brown. It looks more like vintage Fender. LIKE !!!


----------



## RiksRiks

Albake21 said:


> I love this model so much, I thought I'd try some other colors I like. This shell pink is my perfect Solar.



I just ordered a Charvel DK24 2PT HSS in Shell Pink and have a pre-corona Aristides build with light richlite in Shell Pink too. If Solar were ever to release them I would buy the Shell Pink immediately.



mpexus said:


> Like this?
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 81021



On a second thought, yellow fits really good in here.

But seriously, even the silver one looks really sexy, in the past I hated the look of HS guitars but this one immediately started to grow on me.


----------



## Alexa run my life

Wolfhorsky said:


> This roasted maple is just in perfect color. Not too dark or brown. It looks more like vintage Fender. LIKE !!!


I've been thinking the same thing. Now if we can get some proper inlays for it. I would take some standard silver dots even


----------



## c7spheres

HOLY CRAP! bolt-on and 25.5 scale! Now on my radar. THANK YOU Mr. OLA! Can't wait to see what lies ahead. Please do a bolt version of the A1.7FR FB in and still make it a 25.5 scale! also make it dark green flame or green flame burst! Pretty please.


----------



## MadYarpen

I'll just leave this here:


----------



## Alexa run my life

c7spheres said:


> HOLY CRAP! bolt-on and 25.5 scale! Now on my radar. THANK YOU Mr. OLA! Can't wait to see what lies ahead. Please do a bolt version of the A1.7FR FB in and still make it a 25.5 scale! also make it dark green flame or green flame burst! Pretty please.


I have been in a green kick lately so I second the green ideas


----------



## MAJ Meadows SF

MadYarpen said:


> I'll just leave this here:



Oooooh you’re a terrible person. Damn that is nasty! That neck on an E1.6 will do me in. E1.7 will be hard to say no to either.


----------



## Ataraxia2320

MadYarpen said:


> I'll just leave this here:


In the words of Paris Hilton. 

That's Hot


----------



## MadYarpen

Hopefully *someone* will be inspired by this haha


----------



## c7spheres

I like that the roasted looks roasted and normal unlike some other roasted stuff I see that looks orange.


----------



## Alexa run my life

c7spheres said:


> I like that the roasted looks roasted and normal unlike some other roasted stuff I see that looks orange.


It could just be lighting or something but yeah it's the best roasted look I've seen yet


----------



## josh1

The inlay looks even more of an eyesore on the roasted maple.


----------



## myrtorp

25.5 7 string, awesome! I've been waiting for it


----------



## bythepainiseetheothers

Does anybody know which locking tuners do I have to use to replace the stock ones from a Solar 2.7c? Thanks!


----------



## jl-austin

Okay, poll, how long will this last until one of the huge guitar companies decides to buy the brand?

I want the silver one sooo bad, but I am not sure I would like ET bridge, and 1K is a little much to "experiement" with a new brand. I am definitely not saying they aren't worth it. They seem killer values, just that, I probably should have already bought a cheaper neck-thru already.


----------



## binz

May I ask what's the fuzz about having bolt on now? I thought neck-thru was 'better' or at least more expensive? I really have no idea, honest question, why do people prefer one or the other?


----------



## Fred the Shred

It's mostly a tonal thing - there's more snap to a bolt-on guitar, making your attack feel a tad different, more present if you will. In the grand scheme of things, we're talking about tonal nuance first and foremost, so it's a matter of preference and, in many cases, even caring about that sort of thing.


----------



## MadYarpen

bythepainiseetheothers said:


> Does anybody know which locking tuners do I have to use to replace the stock ones from a Solar 2.7c? Thanks!


I am currently thinking about replacing them in mine v2.6 and it seems gotoh sg381 series should fit. They mark locking models Mg-t or mg. Right hand side as the head is reversed.

https://g-gotoh.com/product/sg381/?lang=en


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

binz said:


> May I ask what's the fuzz about having bolt on now? I thought neck-thru was 'better' or at least more expensive? I really have no idea, honest question, why do people prefer one or the other?


My guess is that people wanted it because it makes the guitar look more Suhr-like along with other guitars that also use roasted maple necks. Thus aligning more closely with customer expectations.

It's disappointing to me tbh. It would've been much sexier if the guitar was neck through. Not to mention better fret access.

I don't subscribe to the nonsense that different neck joints affect tone. It's more of a placebo effect than anything.


----------



## MadYarpen

I wonder if it is actually any cheaper to make. Surely it gives them some flexibility with finishes.


----------



## Fred the Shred

Neck joint construction has been studied a bunch of times, and you even know what is going on from an energy transfer perspective to affect the tone. This isn't opinion, it's a fact. Where opinion definitely comes in is on the "how relevant is it", and I genuinely think anything from "I don't care at all" to "I can't live without [insert preferred construction method here]" is valid. Personally, I think a lot of people tend to put excessive emphasis on what amounts to be relatively trivial aspects of the whole picture of a guitar, but I can respect that.


----------



## Metropolis

What even affects to tone anymore... for me bolt-on guitars have always different kind of attack and emphasis on mid/upper frequencies. Neck-through or set-neck guitars have been bit murkier and have this "solid" quality how they sustain, attack is also bit softer at the beginning.

Fret access is not a problem with bolt-on neck joints which are carved to a comfortable sleek shape. With a joint like that you don't even know it's there. Glued construction is not neccesarily making it more effortless at all, and often neck just gets significantly thicker at higher frets.


----------



## Albake21

Well... The silver one sold out already and it's not even June yet. Now I'm really eyeing the lemon drop one with the evertune.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Fred the Shred said:


> Neck joint construction has been studied a bunch of times, and you even know what is going on from an energy transfer perspective to affect the tone. This isn't opinion, it's a fact. Where opinion definitely comes in is on the "how relevant is it", and I genuinely think anything from "I don't care at all" to "I can't live without [insert preferred construction method here]" is valid. Personally, I think a lot of people tend to put excessive emphasis on what amounts to be relatively trivial aspects of the whole picture of a guitar, but I can respect that.


Since we're having this discussion in the context of an amplified solidbody electric guitar, the effect of placebo far outweighs any difference the neck construction is going to be making. I agree with you; the difference is utterly trivial and not worth caring about.

It might be a different story for acoustic guitars. But solid body electric guitars are not constructed like acoustics and do not produce sound like acoustics do, and ergo shouldn't be treated as such.


----------



## RiksRiks

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> My guess is that people wanted it because it makes the guitar look more Suhr-like along with other guitars that also use roasted maple necks. Thus aligning more closely with customer expectations.
> 
> It's disappointing to me tbh. It would've been much sexier if the guitar was neck through. Not to mention better fret access.
> 
> I don't subscribe to the nonsense that different neck joints affect tone. It's more of a placebo effect than anything.



But are people preferring these ONLY or MAINLY because they're bolt ons? I don't think so. I guess the roasted maple plays a bigger role on getting consumers attention. 

I for once don't really care a lot about the neck joint as long as it is done right, and to me that bolt on doesn't look half bad. And prefer the roasted maple because I literally prefer anything over dark colored boards.


----------



## c7spheres

You can set up a bolt on exactly like you want because of the option to shim. There's always a compromise with non bolt guitars unless you get lucky or they cater to your setup preferences. This doens't make sense or matter to most people but if you like our setups wierd like me then you gotta have a bolt on to acheive that. 
- Bolt on-definitely are different how the energy travels through it, not necessarily better but ceratinly different. It's all preference.


----------



## Wolfhorsky

I made blond test with my friend. We both guessed which ones were neck through just by strumming and riffing to the 7th fret...


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

RiksRiks said:


> But are people preferring these ONLY or MAINLY because they're bolt ons? I don't think so. I guess the roasted maple plays a bigger role on getting consumers attention.
> 
> I for once don't really care a lot about the neck joint as long as it is done right, and to me that bolt on doesn't look half bad. And prefer the roasted maple because I literally prefer anything over dark colored boards.


I never made any such claim that was the only reason. Or even the main reason.

You're arguing against a claim I never made.


Wolfhorsky said:


> I made blond test with my friend. We both guessed which ones were neck through just by strumming and riffing to the 7th fret...


A totally scientific test indeed. The fact it was 'blond' made it even more so.


----------



## RiksRiks

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> I never made any such claim that was the only reason. Or even the main reason.
> 
> You're arguing against a claim I never made.



Did I even say that you made such claim? Whatever dude, chill. I'm not even trying to argue, the one arguing against non existent claims is you.


----------



## WillyTheMLGPro

Another new one!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAxM6WKguG7/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAxQx0CApxW/
https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/ab1-6frnb-natural-brown-matte/


----------



## Wolfhorsky

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> A totally scientific test indeed. The fact it was 'blond' made it even more so.


 misspelling, funny indeed


----------



## Albake21

Love the floyd, the HS, and the roasted neck, but that poo brown body does not work well here.


----------



## Louis Cypher

Ola Using the new AB1.6FRNB


----------



## cip 123

Albake21 said:


> Love the floyd, the HS, and the roasted neck, but that poo brown body does not work well here.


If you stop associating brown with poo you might have less problems in life


----------



## Fred the Shred

Personally, I think it looks great. Also, specs are on point.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

RiksRiks said:


> Did I even say that you made such claim? Whatever dude, chill. I'm not even trying to argue, the one arguing against non existent claims is you.


Oh the irony. You're now making claims of denial against non-existent claims I didn't even make. If you keep digging this hole any deeper you'll find yourself emerging the other side, in the Indonesian factory manufacturing these guitars. 

Maybe you should just stop.


----------



## RiksRiks

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> Oh the irony. You're now making claims of denial against non-existent claims I didn't even make. If you keep digging this hole any deeper you'll find yourself emerging the other side, in the Indonesian factory manufacturing these guitars.
> 
> Maybe you should just stop.



You're right, you didn't make any claims, my bad. But you definitely came out like I was trying to put words in your mouth, which I clearly didn't. If that wasn't the case, you were just pointing out you didn't make a claim that I didn't say you did, huh? So I don't understand why you quoted me in the first place.

For what it's worth, I giggled at the Indonesian factory thing.


----------



## Wolfhorsky

That brown model would look super cool if it was painted with see thru white with all the ash grain visible.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

RiksRiks said:


> I don't understand why you quoted me in the first place.









Because your message was quoting to my earlier post?


> For what it's worth, I giggled at the Indonesian factory thing.


It doesn't seem like a terrible outcome either.


----------



## Albake21

cip 123 said:


> If you stop associating brown with poo you might have less problems in life


Haha very true. It's more so I just don't like the look of the roasted maple with a brown swamp ash body. Just doesn't look great to me. To me, roasted maple necks look best with the contrast of a colorful body. But two shades of brown on a guitar just looks terrible to me. Just my


----------



## manu80

Guess I'm the party crasher that is just a bit eager to never see a full line up released instead of a new guitar every two weeks. Still I dig the new roasted line.... but I don't wanna buy one as I may see another cool finish the week after.
it's a way af selling for sure but I'd rather see a full line up like in Namm, telling "here's what's out in 2020, pick your poison" instead of "buy the pink, we may release the green next week, or not. You bought the silver one? you like natural look? too bad we're releasing one just now"
but yeah it's a commercial technique too.


----------



## Alexa run my life

manu80 said:


> Guess I'm the party crasher that is just a bit eager to never see a full line up released instead of a new guitar every two weeks. Still I dig the new roasted line.... but I don't wanna buy one as I may see another cool finish the week after.
> it's a way af selling for sure but I'd rather see a full line up like in Namm, telling "here's what's out in 2020, pick your poison" instead of "buy the pink, we may release the green next week, or not. You bought the silver one? you like natural look? too bad we're releasing one just now"
> but yeah it's a commercial technique too.


I kinda agree. Also, every new color that comes out, I lose interest with the previous one. So I am continually being turned disinterested with yesterdays (literally yesterday) flavor.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Holy shit this looks fucking amazing.

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/ab1-6frnb-natural-brown-matte/


----------



## mlp187

Uh-oh. I need that. Fuck.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Man if Ola goes all-out fr00t colors with this new line of guitars, he's got pretty much all the bases covered.


----------



## Alexa run my life

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Man if Ola goes all-out fr00t colors with this new line of guitars, he's got pretty much all the bases covered.


He does have the lemon one doesnt he? He has a bright pink too


----------



## Wolfhorsky

I don’t like that brown color tbh. To paraphrase Ola from His vid: it looks like a piss into poo 
But seriously, I think that this roasted bold on series should expand into high gloss teritory with hot solid colors. And alder bodies...


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Alexa run my life said:


> He does have the lemon one doesnt he? He has a bright pink too



Yeah but they're standard H-H set-neck or neck-thru (don't remember).

I mean maple neck, bolton, H-S. A throwback to the old Ibanez RG565 or other bolt-ons of yesteryear.


----------



## Alexa run my life

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Yeah but they're standard H-H set-neck or neck-thru (don't remember).
> 
> I mean maple neck, bolton, H-S. A throwback to the old Ibanez RG565 or other bolt-ons of yesteryear.


Ah gotcha


----------



## Wolfhorsky

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Yeah but they're standard H-H set-neck or neck-thru (don't remember).
> 
> I mean maple neck, bolton, H-S. A throwback to the old Ibanez RG565 or other bolt-ons of yesteryear.


This
In black gloss or white. I wish that roasted maple hadn't that logo, but the logo thing was discussed earlier.
I like Solar body shape a tad more than RG's.


----------



## Wolfhorsky

My mock-ups:


----------



## Alexa run my life

That green!


----------



## c7spheres

Wolfhorsky said:


> My mock-ups:


 I would love one witout inlay like these. I know, he ain't gona do it. I also want 7 string with ebony board too. Yes keep the single coil. Like and EMG SA-7 would be cool. Nobody will build this guitar. I swear it's illegal or something. Nobody will do it for some reason.


----------



## Alexa run my life

c7spheres said:


> I would love one witout inlay like these. I know, he ain't gona do it. I also want 7 string with ebony board too. Yes keep the single coil. Like and EMG SA-7 would be cool. Nobody will build this guitar. I swear it's illegal or something. Nobody will do it for some reason.


Yeah it does look so mich better without the inlay, and overall cooler with the singlecoil.

I want a guitar that has a glossy pearl finish. Does such a thing exist? Not white, not silver, but like a shiny pearl


----------



## c7spheres

Alexa run my life said:


> Yeah it does look so mich better without the inlay, and overall cooler with the singlecoil.
> 
> I want a guitar that has a glossy pearl finish. Does such a thing exist? Not white, not silver, but like a shiny pearl


 I don't know. That does sound nice though.


----------



## Wolfhorsky

Alexa run my life said:


> Yeah it does look so mich better without the inlay, and overall cooler with the singlecoil.
> 
> I want a guitar that has a glossy pearl finish. Does such a thing exist? Not white, not silver, but like a shiny pearl


----------



## Parcival

Hi, first time poster.

I'm considering a Solar right now and I'm pretty much settled on an A2.6, glad there's a few leftys for me.
But I'm still not sure if I shouldn't go for the A1.6. Aside from wood, the main difference would be the Evertune and locking tuners/SS frets.
I very much love locking tuners. With what I read about the Evertune and my constant bending I guess it won't make that much sense for me, although I could set the bass strings with the Evertune and the high strings in zone 3 to behave like a hardtail. No opinion on the frets tbh.

Any opinions? The 2.6 should tick all my boxes, but there's the little voice in my head that goes "yeah, but...."


----------



## couchguitarplayer

There's one thing that bugs me with this new line (AB). When there was only the A model. The price difference was about 200$ for a Evertune model and a Floyd model. Which makes sense to me because the evertune itself is a lot pricier than a floyd and there's more wood losses in the process. 

Now enter this new line of bolt-on. Which is cheaper. That's normal because of the construction. Altough there's 50$ difference between the evertune model an the floyd. My question is : Is the neck through really worth 150$ more ? I wish that floyd model was a bit cheaper.


----------



## thebeesknees22

couchguitarplayer said:


> There's one thing that bugs me with this new line (AB). Is the neck through really worth 150$ more ? I wish that floyd model was a bit cheaper.



oh yeah absolutely. Neck through's are a lot more expensive than bolt ons. Making a neck through is more involved and is a lot longer process vs just bolting on a neck that's ready to go.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

thebeesknees22 said:


> oh yeah absolutely. Neck through's are a lot more expensive than bolt ons. Making a neck through is more involved and is a lot longer process vs just bolting on a neck that's ready to go.



In an industrial setting, bolt-ons are more efficient to build.

You can separate the process, have a dedicated neck line and body lines, and QA/QC rejects are easier to reclaim/rework. You can also then use those separate components on different SKUs.

Modularity in manufacturing is a huge cost saving.

Whether that savings is applied consistently is a different matter.


----------



## littlebadboy

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> Holy shit this looks fucking amazing.
> 
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/ab1-6frnb-natural-brown-matte/



The configuration reminds me of Greg Howe's Laguna signature.






And later on, Carvin's Greg Howe signature guitar.


----------



## couchguitarplayer

thebeesknees22 said:


> oh yeah absolutely. Neck through's are a lot more expensive than bolt ons. Making a neck through is more involved and is a lot longer process vs just bolting on a neck that's ready to go.



I understand that! Then why there's 200$ difference between a A1.6 with evertune and a A1.6 with floyd? They're both neck through construction. It should mean the evertune is a 200$ upgrade. Then this AB model is only 50$ between the evertune and the bolt on... I don't understand.


----------



## thebeesknees22

i just did a quick glance since I'm working, but I see a $100 difference in the A1.6 C's.

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a1-6c-carbon-black-matte/
https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a1-6frc-carbon-black-matte-2/

and yeah I see the $50 difference in the bolt on's. Hmmmm.... Interesting!

..damnit... I'm trying not to buy a new guitar right now, but looking at the new stock makes me want to pull the trigger on a solar. I want a type E though just because I've always wanted an explorer shaped guitar.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

couchguitarplayer said:


> I understand that! Then why there's 200$ difference between a A1.6 with evertune and a A1.6 with floyd? They're both neck through construction. It should mean the evertune is a 200$ upgrade. Then this AB model is only 50$ between the evertune and the bolt on... I don't understand.



You're not really paying directly for specs/materials, so thinking in those terms on production guitars just doesn't track. 

Most pricing is based on line-price with similar items on the market. 

Materials are dirt cheap, and wholesale/OEM hardware is a fraction of retail price.


----------



## Flappydoodle

couchguitarplayer said:


> I understand that! Then why there's 200$ difference between a A1.6 with evertune and a A1.6 with floyd? They're both neck through construction. It should mean the evertune is a 200$ upgrade. Then this AB model is only 50$ between the evertune and the bolt on... I don't understand.



Because it's based on the target price which they think customers will pay for that configuration. Some products will have better margins than others. It isn't fixed and directly related to the cost.


----------



## Louis Cypher

Regarding the Gloss finishing a couple of posts have mentioned, Ola actually answers that point in his latest Sunday with Ola video


Video link is time stamped but in case its 20m 35secs in


----------



## gunch

Really wishful thinking and I understand it takes time and $$$ Ola probably doesn't have yet to R&D and produce but man a analogue to an RGA, Duvell, Jackson Stealth/SLS or Sabre in the Solar line would be very welcome to me. I respect what he's doing and appreciate him and they are his design babies at the end of the day but nothing really grabs like like "Fuck, gotta have it"

Also does anyone know his stance on like composites and wood alternatives like Richlite?


----------



## Alexa run my life

Wolfhorsky said:


>


It still looks white to me in that pic


----------



## Rocktoe

Parcival said:


> Hi, first time poster.
> 
> I'm considering a Solar right now and I'm pretty much settled on an A2.6, glad there's a few leftys for me.
> But I'm still not sure if I shouldn't go for the A1.6. Aside from wood, the main difference would be the Evertune and locking tuners/SS frets.
> I very much love locking tuners. With what I read about the Evertune and my constant bending I guess it won't make that much sense for me, although I could set the bass strings with the Evertune and the high strings in zone 3 to behave like a hardtail. No opinion on the frets tbh.
> 
> Any opinions? The 2.6 should tick all my boxes, but there's the little voice in my head that goes "yeah, but...."



You can set the EverTune to work just like a normal hardtail bridge while also keeping the tuning.


----------



## Parcival

Rocktoe said:


> You can set the EverTune to work just like a normal hardtail bridge while also keeping the tuning.



Yeah, I've read about that, but also some reports of it requiring frequent fiddling to keep it that way. I once tried a Floyd and spent more time adjusting it than playing the guitar, so I'd rather keep it simple.


----------



## Rocktoe

Parcival said:


> Yeah, I've read about that, but also some reports of it requiring frequent fiddling to keep it that way. I once tried a Floyd and spent more time adjusting it than playing the guitar, so I'd rather keep it simple.



Once you've set the tuning it just requires you to tighten the strings from the headstock's tuners about once a month or so.


----------



## BusinessMan

The roasted maple 7 string looks sweet. I still want my E2.7 to hurry up and get here though. How faithful are the shipping dates on the website? The wait is agonizing


----------



## Parcival

Just pulled the trigger on an A2.6 lefty, can't wait.
I usually don't like black as a finish (so many lefties only come in black) but I love the looks on the Solar.

I decided against the A1.6, because ultimately I'd have bought it for the Evertune. Not becauseI need it but out of curiosity and I couldn't justify the price difference for that.


----------



## Dust_to_Dust

Just got this ex-demo Solar A1.7C Evertune from GuitarGuitar today! Got a fair bit of damage on it that I wasn't expecting, but it seems like a solid guitar!

The Evertune is a bit of a learning curve.. but I've got it set to Drop A with the bends so far, going to need new strings for sure, especially for Drop G#.






Will get better pictures when it's sunny again


----------



## MAJ Meadows SF

cip 123 said:


> If you stop associating brown with poo you might have less problems in life





Albake21 said:


> Haha very true. It's more so I just don't like the look of the roasted maple with a brown swamp ash body. Just doesn't look great to me. To me, roasted maple necks look best with the contrast of a colorful body. But two shades of brown on a guitar just looks terrible to me. Just my



Hey I look at some green guitars a Gerber Baby Poop, and I still love them. And brown is beautiful, even like a melted snickers... if Ola released a FDE (flat dark earth) or desert dirt color model that matched a Geissele Super Duty M4 in DDC, as Al Pacino would say “I, will lose, my mind”.


----------



## Metropolis

Another new model  I have wanted a purple guitar for some time and this tickles many boxes...


----------



## lewis

Metropolis said:


> Another new model  I have wanted a purple guitar for some time and this tickles many boxes...


For me, its the best Solar they sell.


----------



## manu80

I'll wait til next week ...again lol


----------



## Felvin

But... but if I order that purple one... what do they come up with next week?

Damn that thing is beautiful... -.-


----------



## Metropolis

Then you will never get a Solar :^) Better just buy one than wait, it's just a guitar.


----------



## Niccho

The bolt-on's are so sweet. I do wish they'd make a 1.7 in other colours than black.


----------



## Kovah

Am I the only one who sees pink and not purple (not the edges)? According to the name of the finish - Trans red purple burst - I guess it's supposed to be red?


----------



## manu80

I see purple and light purple too. Perfect guitar to match my Jaguar XJR14 model kit


----------



## Felvin

Metropolis said:


> Then you will never get a Solar :^) Better just buy one than wait, it's just a guitar.



Ok. I don't know if this forum is the right place to say 'it's just a guitar' but... I just ordered that pink red purple burst. 

Btw i guess next weeks release will be a color burst hipshot 7.


----------



## manu80

Ola should have a option "you buy a axe and if next week you see another one you like, return the previous one ! "  lots of turnovers ensues....


----------



## Merrekof

manu80 said:


> Ola should have a option "you buy a axe and if next week you see another one you like, return the previous one ! "  lots of turnovers ensues....


Or this: rent axe for only 59$ a month and you can switch colours up to 4 times a year!


----------



## mbardu

Metropolis said:


> Another new model  I have wanted a purple guitar for some time and this tickles many boxes...



Well now obviously I'm more than on board with that color scheme...


----------



## BusinessMan

How faithful are the ship dates?


----------



## Rocktoe

BusinessMan said:


> How faithful are the ship dates?


Both my guitars arrived either on time or earlier.


----------



## Metropolis

Felvin said:


> Ok. I don't know if this forum is the right place to say 'it's just a guitar' but... I just ordered that pink red purple burst.
> 
> Btw i guess next weeks release will be a color burst hipshot 7.



It depends on what kind of sense it's being said  Buying a new one is highly encouraged in here, saying that on particular guitar is different, or guitar as a whole subject etc. But maybe you get the point.

It's interesting because other companies don't do model releases like this through out the year, I'm sometimes pleasantly surprised and want to buy a guitar. @Ola Englund is that your plan?


----------



## binz

BusinessMan said:


> How faithful are the ship dates?


I got my a2.6 ln a month or two earlier than anticipated  I have the impression they are rather careful with the dates they say and let you positively surprised than the other way around


----------



## Soulmate

New one would be cool if it was either one of those colors by itself rather than a burst.


----------



## manu80

Neon green matching headstock ftw !


----------



## Louis Cypher

HS, Hipshot, bolt on, baked maple... I even love the colour... prob is, will I love next weeks colour more...


----------



## Mike_R

I've been searching what seems like an eternity for a super strat with a direct mount HS pickup configuration, a real Floyd, and 24 frets. The roasted maple neck, reverse headstock and stainless frets are a bonus! I prefer neck through guitars, but the neck joint looks pretty unobtrusive. I think the new AB1.6FRNB is going to be my next guitar!


----------



## BusinessMan

binz said:


> I got my a2.6 ln a month or two earlier than anticipated  I have the impression they are rather careful with the dates they say and let you positively surprised than the other way around





Rocktoe said:


> Both my guitars arrived either on time or earlier.



Thank you both! Just the wait is killing me. The E2.7 is the first piece of gear I’ve bought in a LONG time (aside strings and picks of corse).


----------



## jephjacques

Seriously tempted by those bolt-ons, would love to try a guitar with an Evertune at a reasonable price


----------



## jclogston

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> Holy shit this looks fucking amazing.
> 
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/ab1-6frnb-natural-brown-matte/



I am seriously considering this but am hesitant as I cannot try before buying. How are the necks? What are they similar to in terms of readily available guitars?

Thanks in advance
Jeff


----------



## Soulmate

jclogston said:


> I am seriously considering this but am hesitant as I cannot try before buying. How are the necks? What are they similar to in terms of readily available guitars?
> 
> Thanks in advance
> Jeff



Like a slightly slimmed down Fender C.


----------



## GoldDragon

jclogston said:


> I am seriously considering this but am hesitant as I cannot try before buying. How are the necks? What are they similar to in terms of readily available guitars?
> 
> Thanks in advance
> Jeff



It does look great.

Only hesitation, only.. is not fret marker inlays. I think I would be confused playing it.

But I like the 12th fret inlay and I get that is the solar trademark look.


----------



## jclogston

GoldDragon said:


> It does look great.
> 
> Only hesitation, only.. is not fret marker inlays. I think I would be confused playing it.
> 
> But I like the 12th fret inlay and I get that is the solar trademark look.



Same here but you can always buy decals for them


----------



## Soulmate

I only look at the side dots when I play


----------



## jclogston

Any neck measurements available? Like thickness and width at various frets?


----------



## Soulmate

jclogston said:


> Any neck measurements available? Like thickness and width at various frets?



Nut width 43mm
1st fret ~20mm
12th fret ~22mm


----------



## aesthyrian

if that HS bolt-on was available in a 7... I might be interested in buying one. I never would because I just don't need more guitars, but that thing is near perfect to me. Ola's a good man for only making it in 6 and keeping my temptations in check.


----------



## Aliascent

If we could get the AB1.6S with the bridge and price of the AB1.6HTPB that'd be perfect. The evertune is the only thing preventing me from pulling the trigger.


----------



## MadYarpen

GoldDragon said:


> It does look great.
> 
> Only hesitation, only.. is not fret marker inlays. I think I would be confused playing it.
> 
> But I like the 12th fret inlay and I get that is the solar trademark look.



I don't think you will. I am a total begineer by most people's standards and it is no problem at all.

Also, I don't really like how the reveal new models. I will be ordering a new 7 string in a month or two, and Solar is the most possible option. But I can't really pul the trigger if every time something better could be revealed "next week". 

I wish I knew if they planned 26.5 inch V 7 for example...


----------



## thomas.reuter

Anyone have any experience with putting Bare Knuckles in a Solar? I think it would look killer to have the same colors of the BKPs in the Juice Burst Qatsi in my 2.6LN, but I'm debating which pickup to go for.


----------



## Atefred

thomas.reuter said:


> Anyone have any experience with putting Bare Knuckles in a Solar? I think it would look killer to have the same colors of the BKPs in the Juice Burst Qatsi in my 2.6LN, but I'm debating which pickup to go for.


I'm interested in hearing about that as well. I really don't like the stock solar bridge pickup, especially for heavily downtuned stuff. Sounds too round/loose. 
Never changed pickups myself before though. Would bkps fit without additional routing or filing of the pickup baseplate? Is the wiring pretty much the same as the Duncan solars?


----------



## Massive Sound Productions

Happy new guitar day ! Got my new and first Solar guitar delivered last week, the Solar A1.6 Artist LTD in black. After playing it intensively over the last few days and doing some recording I did a Review video of it sharing the sounds I got using it with you and of course give my opinion on this beast. Especially the Evertune bride once again is such an amazing tool which helps you so much in your daily guitarist life. I was a bit skeptical if I shall spend so much money on an Indonesian made guitar but am overall very happy with my purchase. Hope you like my short video ! What are your thoughts about Solar guitars? Anyone else playing the Artist model?


----------



## MadYarpen

Atefred said:


> I'm interested in hearing about that as well. I really don't like the stock solar bridge pickup, especially for heavily downtuned stuff. Sounds too round/loose.
> Never changed pickups myself before though. Would bkps fit without additional routing or filing of the pickup baseplate? Is the wiring pretty much the same as the Duncan solars?


I just replaced mine. I can measure the stock one later if it helps. You can probably find some diagrams of bkps. In any case, pole pieces in a regular seymour Duncan bridge 6 string are a little narrower. So it is not perfectly aligned. But close enough, I don't think trembucker is necessary.


----------



## Cryovillain

Metropolis said:


> Another new model  I have wanted a purple guitar for some time and this tickles many boxes...



Anyone have an idea how that neck pickup is like?


----------



## jephjacques

Atefred said:


> I'm interested in hearing about that as well. I really don't like the stock solar bridge pickup, especially for heavily downtuned stuff. Sounds too round/loose.
> Never changed pickups myself before though. Would bkps fit without additional routing or filing of the pickup baseplate? Is the wiring pretty much the same as the Duncan solars?



Judging from photos, they should fit in the existing routes. BKPs come with standard 4-conductor wiring, the color coding might be different than the Duncans but wiring them up is a simple job if you know how to use a soldering iron. If you're looking for something tighter and more controlled, an Aftermath or Juggernaut is a good choice. If you want something with more output, you could do with a Ragnarok or Blackhawk set.


----------



## Atefred

MadYarpen said:


> I just replaced mine. I can measure the stock one later if it helps. You can probably find some diagrams of bkps. In any case, pole pieces in a regular seymour Duncan bridge 6 string are a little narrower. So it is not perfectly aligned. But close enough, I don't think trembucker is necessary.



thanks, good to know! As long as it's close enough and sounds right.



jephjacques said:


> Judging from photos, they should fit in the existing routes. BKPs come with standard 4-conductor wiring, the color coding might be different than the Duncans but wiring them up is a simple job if you know how to use a soldering iron. If you're looking for something tighter and more controlled, an Aftermath or Juggernaut is a good choice. If you want something with more output, you could do with a Ragnarok or Blackhawk set.


Good to hear, thanks for the info! Not soldered anything since school, should be a fun project. Aftermath it is!


----------



## Metropolis

Cryovillain said:


> Anyone have an idea how that neck pickup is like?



I have no idea which Seymour Duncan pickup it's based on, or which is close. Ola is playing it here. Could be Hot Rails?



But I ordered one, and will probably know how it's like at the beginning of July.


----------



## binz

Anybody here that has experience with both the solar pickup and dimarzio fusion edge that are typically in the equally-prized Ibanez Indonesian built guitars? (I only know the solar ones and generally have no clue about pickups) 

I'm talking about the bridge pickup. Not sure if I'm just not having any use for the neck one or that solar one is just crap.


----------



## goremotel

Hello! I have a Solar V2.6C and I want to have some upgrades done to it.

First, I'd like to change the stock tuners to locking ones. I found an older thread from 2018 in which someone suggested to go with Grover locking tuners (albeit for an E2.6 model): https://www.sevenstring.org/threads/solar-guitars-replace-tuners.331699/

Does anyone know if the Grover 406BCL6 tuners could be installed without drilling new holes into the headstock?

Another thing I want to do is to replace the stock nut with a Graph Tech BLACK TUSQ nut. Maybe someone has done this before? From my (not very precise) measurements the PT-6643 version should be a good fit.

And last but not least, I'd like to change the pickups. Will there be any problems replacing the stock Solars with a Nazgul/Sentient set? Or to put it in another way, are original Seymour Duncan pickups a drop-in replacement for Duncan Designed pickups?

Thanks!


----------



## Metropolis

binz said:


> Anybody here that has experience with both the solar pickup and dimarzio fusion edge that are typically in the equally-prized Ibanez Indonesian built guitars? (I only know the solar ones and generally have no clue about pickups)
> 
> I'm talking about the bridge pickup. Not sure if I'm just not having any use for the neck one or that solar one is just crap.



Fusion Edges have typical ceramic modern DiMarzio charasteristics, a bit cocked wah mids and not very much bass, but still quite balanced. Nothing special, but they do their job. I would say they're like less pronounced Titans or D Activators. More output than Solar pickups, but not too much. Definetly different sounding and feeling pickups than Solar which are scooped, have less output and Alnico 5 magnets.



goremotel said:


> Hello! I have a Solar V2.6C and I want to have some upgrades done to it...



I would say those tuners are going to fit, their measurements, orientation and screw places should be same as stock Solar Grover tuners. What they now have is just a copy of them. Doesn't it have Graph Tech nut already, or are there other reasons to change the stock nut? Measurements of stock pickups should be really similar to Seymour Duncans and cavities in these aren't very shallow, shouldn't be a problem to install Nazgul/Sentient set.


----------



## Chanson

I've been a bassist on and off for about 10 years or so, and only dabbled occasionally with guitar. I'm thinking about picking upa Solar, as they seem good quality and fair prices. I'm looking at some of their higher end models, and most come with Evertune, as you probably already know.

For someone who has little experience setting up guitars, how easy is it to adjust for different string gauges or tunings with an Evertune? Is it something a novice can do or is it fairly involved?


----------



## Antiproduct

I too think about getting a guitar with evertune so while I didn't setup one yet I watched some videos and read about it. Apparently it is a little bit more fiddly than tuning the normal way. You put the evertune in one of the zones (forgot which one) with your normal tuners and then you use an allen key (or at least I hope it's allen and not some special evertune key) to tune it to pitch. So drop tuning between songs might take too long.
Action and intonation is not more difficult than on other bridged, so it seems.


----------



## Rocktoe

Frostod said:


> I too think about getting a guitar with evertune so while I didn't setup one yet I watched some videos and read about it. Apparently it is a little bit more fiddly than tuning the normal way. You put the evertune in one of the zones (forgot which one) with your normal tuners and then you use an allen key (or at least I hope it's allen and not some special evertune key) to tune it to pitch. So drop tuning between songs might take too long.
> Action and intonation is not more difficult than on other bridged, so it seems.



Tighten the strings from the headstock enough that the pitch doesn't change. Tune the string with an allen key. Tighten the strings to the edge where the pitch starts to rise again if you want to bend normally, and you're done.

As for maintenance, if the bends start to feel hard you can tighten the strings from the headstock once a month or so.

Edit: For drop tunings you can setup the bridge for drop tuning and just "overtighten" the string to standard when you need it. You'll lose the evertune from one string but otherwise it's fast and easy.


----------



## MadYarpen

goremotel said:


> Hello! I have a Solar V2.6C and I want to have some upgrades done to it.
> 
> First, I'd like to change the stock tuners to locking ones. I found an older thread from 2018 in which someone suggested to go with Grover locking tuners (albeit for an E2.6 model): https://www.sevenstring.org/threads/solar-guitars-replace-tuners.331699/
> 
> Does anyone know if the Grover 406BCL6 tuners could be installed without drilling new holes into the headstock?
> 
> Another thing I want to do is to replace the stock nut with a Graph Tech BLACK TUSQ nut. Maybe someone has done this before? From my (not very precise) measurements the PT-6643 version should be a good fit.
> 
> And last but not least, I'd like to change the pickups. Will there be any problems replacing the stock Solars with a Nazgul/Sentient set? Or to put it in another way, are original Seymour Duncan pickups a drop-in replacement for Duncan Designed pickups?
> 
> Thanks!


Few posts back I posted a link to Gotoh model which should fit.

I was also thinking about changing them in mine, but after a proper setup by technician, the stock tuners are working perfectly. I had issues with guitar detuning during playing, and it seems using something which I think in english is called silicone grease on the nut solved the problem. So if you are changing them because of that, just make sure you really need this.


----------



## Soulmate

There’s one “issue” with Evertune regarding intonation. If you set the intonation with the saddles right on the edge of zone 2 (when you want to be able to both bend and get the evertune feature) and suddenly want to “loosen” the strings further to zone 2 the intonation will go off as the saddles move back. Same happens with fresh strings as they loosen up. It’s not a big thing but something people should be aware of.


----------



## Metropolis

Well that was a nice surprise... these were supposed to ship around june 30th, but mine shipped today  It will be here in a week.


----------



## lewis

Metropolis said:


> Well that was a nice surprise... these were supposed to ship around june 30th, but mine shipped today  It will be here in a week.


Im so so jealous!

NGD thread?


----------



## Metropolis

lewis said:


> Im so so jealous!
> 
> NGD thread?



Yeah, why not


----------



## Louis Cypher

I'm really loving the "My Guitar" videos Ola is doing. Latest is his Washburn Solar, 1st guitar ever made with his body design apparently


----------



## RiksRiks

aesthyrian said:


> if that HS bolt-on was available in a 7... I might be interested in buying one. I never would because I just don't need more guitars, but that thing is near perfect to me. Ola's a good man for only making it in 6 and keeping my temptations in check.



Like the black one they announced? Are they sold out already or something??


----------



## Metropolis

RiksRiks said:


> Like the black one they announced? Are they sold out already or something??



Prototype was with two humbuckers and they had pictures of it in Solar website. They just updated the pictures with real ones, it is now with neck single coil. I think there was bit of misunderstanding because of that... and they're still available.


----------



## RiksRiks

Metropolis said:


> Prototype was with two humbuckers and they had pictures of it in Solar website. They just updated the pictures with real ones, it is now with neck single coil. I think there was bit of misunderstanding because of that... and they're still available.


 Yeah I remember Ola saying in a video that the production model was going to have a single coil. Just replying to the guy saying he would buy one if there was a 7 string.


----------



## aesthyrian

RiksRiks said:


> Like the black one they announced?



If it has the single coil then yeah, but all the pics and the announcement shows it with HH. And now apparently they do come with HS and not HH? Which is it, what the hell is up? Solar needs to sort that shit and get their marketing corrected. I mean, if you are doing a product launch why would you use photos of the incorrect item?

I think I'll just believe that Ola saw my post and figured "fuck that guy, I'm gonna make him buy one!".


----------



## Metropolis

aesthyrian said:


> If it has the single coil then yeah, but all the pics and the announcement shows it with HH. And now apparently they do come with HS and not HH? Which is it, what the hell is up? Solar needs to sort that shit and get their marketing corrected. I mean, if you are doing a product launch why would you use photos of the incorrect item?
> 
> I think I'll just believe that Ola saw my post and figured "fuck that guy, I'm gonna make him buy one!".



I think they were in a hurry, schedules just didn't meet and manufacturing was way ahead. They're still photographed in Ola's office by his wife I think. Other bolt-on models had updated pictures as well.


----------



## RiksRiks

aesthyrian said:


> If it has the single coil then yeah, but all the pics and the announcement shows it with HH. And now apparently they do come with HS and not HH? Which is it, what the hell is up? Solar needs to sort that shit and get their marketing corrected. I mean, if you are doing a product launch why would you use photos of the incorrect item?
> 
> I think I'll just believe that Ola saw my post and figured "fuck that guy, I'm gonna make him buy one!".



I don't know what's up with the picture, probably the above poster is right and they were in a hurry, but Ola already stated that it will be HS as well and not HH as shown by the site.


----------



## MadYarpen

On the website you had big ass font saying the photo is of a prototype HH and the guitar will be HS. 

Probably to make it possible to order before they had a finished guitar to make a photo...


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

aesthyrian said:


> If it has the single coil then yeah, but all the pics and the announcement shows it with HH. And now apparently they do come with HS and not HH? Which is it, what the hell is up?


Did you not notice the giant text right at the top of Solar's website listing for that guitar, stating the guitar pictured was only a prototype and that the production model would be HS?

It was pretty hard to miss.


----------



## Edika

I was disappointed with his last Sunday with Ola where he basically validated what the Essex Recordings guy did with the Mustaine guitars. I don't know if it was a sponsored video by that Ganon guy but his take was "oh these guitars are expensive and I can't afford them but I wish I could!". And that the guy is selling them because he probably is in financial troubles due to Covid.

I mean I didn't expect him to do an expose piece on the guy but I didn't also expect him to brush it off like he has no idea what was going on with the guy and think the prices he's asking are reasonable. Anyways really disappointed with his take o the matter.


----------



## manu80

Covid or not his prices are always ridiculous.
Only Mustaines worth are Jacksons anyways


----------



## binz

Will I be able to put active fishman's in a A2.7? And with I, I mean somebody that knows how to do these things, as I have two left hands and no tools whatsoever. So the question is whether thats possible in principle and sorry if that is a really dumb question. I just want to spice things up and not have the same pickups as in my second solar.


----------



## aesthyrian

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> Did you not notice the giant text right at the top of Solar's website listing for that guitar, stating the guitar pictured was only a prototype and that the production model would be HS?
> 
> It was pretty hard to miss.



I sure did!  I just saw shiny pictures and got all distracted.


----------



## Soulmate

binz said:


> Will I be able to put active fishman's in a A2.7? And with I, I mean somebody that knows how to do these things, as I have two left hands and no tools whatsoever. So the question is whether thats possible in principle and sorry if that is a really dumb question. I just want to spice things up and not have the same pickups as in my second solar.



Physically, yes.

Without a soldering iron and a screwdriver, no.

Even if you had the tools but never switched pickups on a guitar before it’s a project I wouldn’t recommend starting with, especially if you want to have all the different voicing options.


----------



## WillyTheMLGPro

Louis Cypher said:


> I'm really loving the "My Guitar" videos Ola is doing. Latest is his Washburn Solar, 1st guitar ever made with his body design apparently



Same! I actually sent Ola some guitar care products from a luthier here in Melbourne that I use for him to use in this series


----------



## MadYarpen

binz said:


> Will I be able to put active fishman's in a A2.7? And with I, I mean somebody that knows how to do these things, as I have two left hands and no tools whatsoever. So the question is whether thats possible in principle and sorry if that is a really dumb question. I just want to spice things up and not have the same pickups as in my second solar.


You will need different potentiometers so it is not plug and play


----------



## AxRookie

I like Ola but he sure has a thing for reverse headstocks which I don't like at all, BUT they look like great guitars!

Man, there are SO MANY great guitars out there these days and more just keep on coming! This is the golden age of Guitars!


----------



## Metropolis

AxRookie said:


> I like Ola but he sure has a thing for reverse headstocks which I don't like at all, BUT they look like great guitars!
> 
> Man, there are SO MANY great guitars out there these days and more just keep on coming! This is the golden age of Guitars!



Heretic!    I think inline reverse headstock is the most badass look you can have in a guitar with a headstock.


----------



## AxRookie

Metropolis said:


> Heretic!    I think inline reverse headstock is the most badass look you can have in a guitar with a headstock.


Am I Evil??? lol


----------



## lewis

well now...


----------



## Merrekof

Oh boy...


----------



## Metropolis

Looks very classy, even neck mounting and cavity cover screws are gold


----------



## binz

love that binding! bindings ftw!


----------



## manu80

Now we're talking


----------



## WillyTheMLGPro

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBVL4kbAeqt/
https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/sb1-6frfm-flame-natural-matte/
https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/sb1-7frfm-flame-natural-matte/


----------



## Parcival

Any more lefties? Please? Maybe an E shape?
Or any other model?
Except maybe a single cut, don't get along with these.


----------



## lewis

Parcival said:


> Any more lefties? Please? Maybe an E shape?
> Or any other model?
> Except maybe a single cut, don't get along with these.


The lack of options in general globally for anything Left handed, would annoy me into just learning right handed haha


----------



## Albake21

Wow! @Ola Englund if you're still checking up on here, these new bolt on models have been absolutely unreal. I hope you keep making ones like these in the future. I'd buy one if I didn't have my brand new KM7 stolen


----------



## couchguitarplayer

I just wish those had real top instead of veneer. The chapman I used to have (Modern Pro V) was in the same price range and has a true thick flamed maple top. Same hardware (hipshop locking tuners and floyd rose 1000).


----------



## MaxOfMetal

Albake21 said:


> I'd buy one if I didn't have my brand new KM7 stolen



Holy shit dude, is everything okay?


----------



## Parcival

lewis said:


> The lack of options in general globally for anything Left handed, would annoy me into just learning right handed haha



If I could I would, believe me....
It sucks being a lefty guitarist




Albake21 said:


> Wow! @Ola Englund if you're still checking up on here, these new bolt on models have been absolutely unreal. I hope you keep making ones like these in the future. I'd buy one if I didn't have my brand new KM7 stolen



That sucks! Hope you get it back somehow!


----------



## MAJ Meadows SF

binz said:


> love that binding! bindings ftw!



Figured maple binding around the fretboard or go home.... LOL jk those look fantastic! Insta-GAS


----------



## Albake21

MaxOfMetal said:


> Holy shit dude, is everything okay?


I posted about it in the KM7 thread. The dumbass looters in Chicago got into my building and stole a KM7 I had delivered. When I went to my mail room all I was met with was an empty broken into box. Guitar Center won't do anything about it... still waiting to hear back from UPS or PayPal to see if they can do anything about it.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

Albake21 said:


> I posted about it in the KM7 thread. The dumbass looters in Chicago got into my building and stole a KM7 I had delivered. When I went to my mail room all I was met with was an empty broken into box. Guitar Center won't do anything about it... still waiting to hear back from UPS or PayPal to see if they can do anything about it.



Sorry, man. Hopefully it gets resolved.


----------



## AxRookie

I'm a neck though guy myself and no reverse headstock and you'll have my attention...


----------



## Trashgreen




----------



## Deep Blue

I'm really liking these bolt-ons with Floyds.


----------



## Vyn

Ola hit the nail on the head. Those things are fucking fire.


----------



## c7spheres

c7spheres said:


> HOLY CRAP! bolt-on and 25.5 scale! Now on my radar. THANK YOU Mr. OLA! Can't wait to see what lies ahead. Please do a bolt version of the A1.7FR FB in and still make it a 25.5 scale! also make it dark green flame or green flame burst! Pretty please.







Trashgreen said:


>





It's like Ola himself is reading this thread and starting to listen to us or something. Thank you Ola!


----------



## trem licking

best looking solar to date ^


----------



## couverdure

Would be nicer if it had covered pickups.


----------



## WillyTheMLGPro

couverdure said:


> Would be nicer if it had covered pickups.


Can always have a technician install them.


----------



## Soulmate

WillyTheMLGPro said:


> Can always have a technician install them.



Or just replace the meh Solar pu’s with a decent covered set.

These last two new guitars aren’t doing anything for me, too flashy (in the wrong way) with the super textured veneer and gold hardware. Cool to see them offering new colors and finishes though.


----------



## Louis Cypher

I'm seriously thinking about ordering the purple bolt on.... would someone let me know if it's better to preorder direct from Solar or through a shop in your own country, the UK in my case, or if it makes no difference at all. I'm thinking more along the lines of the ease of dealing with any issues with the guitar rather than initial shipping/cost/vat etc.
Cheers in advance


----------



## Anquished

Trashgreen said:


>



Me: Oh man these look amazing! 
-25.5" scale 7 string- 
Me: Nevermind....


----------



## Soulmate

Louis Cypher said:


> I'm seriously thinking about ordering the purple bolt on.... would someone let me know if it's better to preorder direct from Solar or through a shop in your own country, the UK in my case, or if it makes no difference at all. I'm thinking more along the lines of the ease of dealing with any issues with the guitar rather than initial shipping/cost/vat etc.
> Cheers in advance



UK store absolutely, especially if they have a free return policy. Solar won’t compensate return shipping if you’re not satisfied.


----------



## Louis Cypher

Soulmate said:


> UK store absolutely, especially if they have a free return policy. Solar won’t compensate return shipping if you’re not satisfied.



Cheers mate. I'm looking at guitarguitar which is actually on half hour drive from me anyway so I wouldn't even need to ship it back which only dawned in me shortly after posting my question


----------



## Soulmate

Louis Cypher said:


> Cheers mate. I'm looking at guitarguitar which is actually on half hour drive from me anyway so I wouldn't even need to ship it back which only dawned in me shortly after posting my question



Not sure what the consumer right policy is in UK now but I guess if you order online (even if you pick up at the store) you should still get a 14 day no questions asked right to return.


----------



## soul_lip_mike

Soulmate said:


> with the super textured veneer



Are you saying that's a fake top?


----------



## Soulmate

soul_lip_mike said:


> Are you saying that's a fake top?



All the Solar textured flame and quilt tops are thin veneers.


----------



## Metropolis

soul_lip_mike said:


> Are you saying that's a fake top?



It's a veneer, about 2-3mm thick. It's a rarity to have thick over 5mm tops in a price range of 1000€$.


----------



## cip 123

AxRookie said:


> I'm a neck though guy myself and no reverse headstock and you'll have my attention...


This isn’t the Kiesel thread


----------



## Soulmate

Metropolis said:


> It's a veneer, about 2-3mm thick. It's a rarity to have thick over 5mm tops in a price range of 1000€$.



More like .5-1mm thick...


----------



## Metropolis

Soulmate said:


> More like .5-1mm thick...



Let's say 1-2mm 

http://www.wiredguitarist.com/2018/06/26/top-vs-veneer-whats-the-difference/


----------



## Soulmate

Metropolis said:


> Let's say 1-2mm
> 
> http://www.wiredguitarist.com/2018/06/26/top-vs-veneer-whats-the-difference/



On my A1.6FB the veneer is as thick as the depth of the volume and tone pot recesses....


----------



## MadYarpen

Is it me or delivery of some guitars was just pushed back to July 30th?


----------



## AxRookie

cip 123 said:


> This isn’t the Kiesel thread


Then why are YOU talking about them??? I sure wasn't.

If you want to talk about them please go to one of their threads...


----------



## Mathemagician

Solar has the one headstock. I don’t really think that’s up for debate...


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Mathemagician said:


> Solar has the one headstock. I don’t really think that’s up for debate...



yep, you aren't getting a standard headstock unless Ola wants one.


----------



## Mathemagician

To be fair, reverse headstocks should be the standard and it’s the kids these days that are wrong.


----------



## cip 123

Not a fan of the natural one but still super close to snagging one of those HS 7's.



AxRookie said:


> Then why are YOU talking about them??? I sure wasn't.
> 
> If you want to talk about them please go to one of their threads...


You weren't talking about Solar either.


----------



## AxRookie

cip 123 said:


> Not a fan of the natural one but still super close to snagging one of those HS 7's.
> 
> 
> You weren't talking about Solar either.


Oh really??? Is that because you say so?

Go ride someone else so I can get back to what I came here for which is to talk about guitars... ALL guitars...

I'm a big fan of Ola and I was very moved when he flew all the way to Dimes house and paid his respect, Don't try to tell me what I was talking about...


----------



## cip 123

AxRookie said:


> Oh really??? Is that because you say so?
> 
> Go ride someone else so I can get back to what I came here for which is to talk about guitars... ALL guitars...
> 
> I'm a big fan of Ola and I was very moved when he flew all the way to Dimes house and paid his respect, Don't try to tell me what I was talking about...


No it's because every Solar has a reverse headstock, and the Set necks are so freaking Set you don't need neck thru unless you want to arbitrarily drive the price up.

Little tip, most people will get annoyed here when you join threads just to say "I'd like these guitars if they weren't actually these guitars" 

How in the heck does Dime have to do with anything I or you were talking about? You can respect either one all you want, I'm happy to talk about guitars but maybe actually do that rather than going "I'd like a Solar that isn't a Solar" 

If you wanna talk Neck Thru, probably ain't gonna happen considering Ola has his price point pretty dialled in to compete with every major brand there is. His set neck design is essentially seamless to the point you couldn't tell either way, so there's no point in adding an expensive feature like that as it'd really cut back on the hardware he can offer if he wants to be competitive.


----------



## AxRookie

cip 123 said:


> No it's because every Solar has a reverse headstock, and the Set necks are so freaking Set you don't need neck thru unless you want to arbitrarily drive the price up.
> 
> Little tip, most people will get annoyed here when you join threads just to say "I'd like these guitars if they weren't actually these guitars"
> 
> How in the heck does Dime have to do with anything I or you were talking about? You can respect either one all you want, I'm happy to talk about guitars but maybe actually do that rather than going "I'd like a Solar that isn't a Solar"
> 
> If you wanna talk Neck Thru, probably ain't gonna happen considering Ola has his price point pretty dialled in to compete with every major brand there is. His set neck design is essentially seamless to the point you couldn't tell either way, so there's no point in adding an expensive feature like that as it'd really cut back on the hardware he can offer if he wants to be competitive.


Well you are annoying me which started with you taking a shot at me just because I shared my opinion on reverse headstocks, I don't feel the need to explain myself just because you think I was somehow talking about Kiesel, Look go kick rocks and pick a fight with someone else!


----------



## AxRookie

"How in the heck does Dime have to do with anything I or you were talking about?"

AND I was talking about OLA and Solar guitars ARE OLA! How did you miss that when I literally said "I'm a big fan of Ola and"???


----------



## cip 123

AxRookie said:


> "How in the heck does Dime have to do with anything I or you were talking about?"
> 
> AND I was talking about OLA and Solar guitars ARE OLA! How did you miss that when I literally said "I'm a big fan of Ola and"???


Yea still ain't got anything to do with neck thru or reverse headstocks. I like The Haunted I didn't bring them up?

Chill tf out dude, did I take a shot yes, because the only interactions I have with you are from a Kiesel thread it's once again a joke.

If you wanna talk guitars let's talk guitars, do you really need neck thru when most of his guitars are Set-thru?


----------



## c7spheres

Soulmate said:


> More like .5-1mm thick...





Metropolis said:


> Let's say 1-2mm
> 
> http://www.wiredguitarist.com/2018/06/26/top-vs-veneer-whats-the-difference/


 
They actually look thicker than that even. Maybe 3-5mm even. When I look at the edge of the body it looks as thick as the whammy bar. Either way it's a vaneer but it just don't look that thin to me, imo.

I really wish Solar would make this 7 string bolt on but without that forearm contour so it's more like on the other models. Put some black hardware on it and call it a day. Leave the finish clearish. Then I could mod the horns and finish to my liking. Still may look into doing it with this model though.

These guitars are looking better all the time and for the price I can see them being a huge competitor to Ibanez. At this point I'd rather buy this model for the $1099 than an rg752 for full price for $1599. For the $500 savings I could mod this how I want and depending on build and wood quality have a better guitar. I'v never played one but they seem to get good praise for playability, and aside from the occassional defect or something they seem to be pretty consistant.


----------



## AxRookie

cip 123 said:


> Yea still ain't got anything to do with neck thru or reverse headstocks. I like The Haunted I didn't bring them up?
> 
> Chill tf out dude, did I take a shot yes, because the only interactions I have with you are from a Kiesel thread it's once again a joke.
> 
> If you wanna talk guitars let's talk guitars, do you really need neck thru when most of his guitars are Set-thru?


Well gees dude you gave no indication it was a joke, In the future, you could add something like "lol" instead of just "This isn’t the Kiesel thread" and you just said "did I take a shot yes" so was it meant as a joke or not???


----------



## Soulmate

c7spheres said:


> They actually look thicker than that even. Maybe 3-5mm even. When I look at the edge of the body it looks as thick as the whammy bar. Either way it's a vaneer but it just don't look that thin to me, imo.



That’s the binding. The top is not as thick as the binding height.


----------



## Soulmate

You can clearly see the veneer thickness at the volume and tone knob recesses. That darker shade is the body wood.


----------



## c7spheres

Soulmate said:


> That’s the binding. The top is not as thick as the binding height.


 Oh, so the body and neck are bound then. Probably help if had read that earlier! : ) Anyways. As long as it's not paper thin and 1-2mm thick it should work out pretty well for looks. That paper thin stuff is what can be an issue because if you get a dent then it goes right thorough and is hard to fix if wanted, or if you wanna refinish the guitar it's almost impossible. If it's 1-2mm then it should be ok for that types stuff.


----------



## c7spheres

-


----------



## Soulmate

c7spheres said:


> Oh, so the body and neck are bound then. Probably help if had read that earlier! : ) Anyways. As long as it's not paper thin and 1-2mm thick it should work out pretty well for looks. That paper thin stuff is what can be an issue because if you get a dent then it goes right thorough and is hard to fix if wanted, or if you wanna refinish the guitar it's almost impossible. If it's 1-2mm then it should be ok for that types stuff.



It is basically paper thin.

I can see the body wood color differences through the top veneer on my A1.6FB between the pieces glued together.

The top veneers are strictly for looks on all Solars.


----------



## c7spheres

Soulmate said:


> It is basically paper thin.
> 
> I can see the body wood color differences through the top veneer on my A1.6FB between the pieces glued together.
> 
> The top veneers are strictly for looks on all Solars.


Still a kick ass looking guitar though. Looks like a great guitar for the money really. Even without any top it looks like a deal. Still very interested in these.


----------



## Soulmate

c7spheres said:


> Still a kick ass looking guitar though. Looks like a great guitar for the money really. Even without any top it looks like a deal. Still very interested in these.



Yeah, good looking guitar, just not my cup of tea, lol

Still interested in the A1.6LN and the new purple one, I just don’t want to order direct because of the issues I’ve had.


----------



## AxRookie

c7spheres said:


> -


What happened to your post? I don't see anything?


----------



## c7spheres

AxRookie said:


> What happened to your post? I don't see anything?


 I must have accidentally delete it when I went to edit. or something. Are you talking about that top picture I put up?


----------



## AxRookie

c7spheres said:


> I must have accidentally delete it when I went to edit. or something. Are you talking about that top picture I put up?


No I'm talking about this post that is blank... https://www.sevenstring.org/threads/solar-guitars-by-ola-englund.326469/page-118#post-5148947


----------



## c7spheres

AxRookie said:


> No I'm talking about this post that is blank... https://www.sevenstring.org/threads/solar-guitars-by-ola-englund.326469/page-118#post-5148947


 I deleted it. It had a really thick flamed maple top body in it.


----------



## AxRookie

Got ya...


----------



## soul_lip_mike

Ever since seeing a Jackson PC1 in natural I had a soft spot for naturals with gold hardware. However, I am pretty biased against cheap imports -- nothing wrong with them if that is all that you can afford but I don't own a lot of guitars now I and I tend to go for quality over quantity. At one point I owned like 6 LTD's, a few boogie street exclusives and like 1 USA Washburn and 1 Japan ESP. I got rid of all of them because I felt like there was no point in owning so many lower end guitars and now only own a few USA Jackson Misha guitars. I kind of want one of those though....are they trash quality?

Edit: I am not trying to sound like a shit poster by any means just trying to gauge the quality of solars.


----------



## Soulmate

soul_lip_mike said:


> Ever since seeing a Jackson PC1 in natural I had a soft spot for naturals with gold hardware. However, I am pretty biased against cheap imports -- nothing wrong with them if that is all that you can afford but I don't own a lot of guitars now I and I tend to go for quality over quantity. At one point I owned like 6 LTD's, a few boogie street exclusives and like 1 USA Washburn and 1 Japan ESP. I got rid of all of them because I felt like there was no point in owning so many lower end guitars and now only own a few USA Jackson Misha guitars. I kind of want one of those though....are they trash quality?
> 
> Edit: I am not trying to sound like a shit poster by any means just trying to gauge the quality of solars.



Quality's on par with other guitars in the same price range, although based on the 5 Solars I’ve played fretwork seems to be better than on most other brands.


----------



## jclogston

On par with Charvel?


----------



## Soulmate

jclogston said:


> On par with Charvel?



My Mexican Charvel DK24 has worse fret ends than my Solars but some similar finish inconsistencies.

I’ve found out that current guitars in the ~1000€/$/£ price range are great spec wise but there’s always a chance of some finish and qc issues.


----------



## jclogston

Thanks. Trying to decide between
https://www.charvel.com/gear/shape/so-cal/style-2/pro-mod-so-cal-style-2-24-hh-2pt-cm-ash/2966511503

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/ab1-6frnb-natural-brown-matte/


----------



## AxRookie

Soulmate said:


> My Mexican Charvel DK24 has worse fret ends than my Solars but some similar finish inconsistencies.
> 
> I’ve found out that current guitars in the ~1000€/$/£ price range are great spec wise but there’s always a chance of some finish and qc issues.


I now believe that the most important thing above all else by a very wide margin is finding a guitar that at its core is constructed with the best materials your money can buy and use the best process that is currently known and in that way, anything else like finishing work can be easily corrected later IF needed...

If you follow that you can never be disappointed with that guitar, and you can only be possibly irritated for a limited amount of time if the rest isn't perfect as most things in life aren't.

In the end, you will have the guitar you had hoped for no matter how bad the little things are because you hoped you wouldn't have to deal with them but they are easily corrected if need be...


----------



## couchguitarplayer

I kinda disagree with that statement. It's really frustrating to get a guitar that has issues from the beginning. That's why I now skip most large selling companies. 

I bought a Jackson HT-6 pro 2 years ago and this guitar had so many issues, that it was frustrating. The shop where I got it told me they will fix it. The Frets needed to be leveled and after a while I've noticed that the bottom E string was not well aligned. There was also electronics failure.

I also bought a Chapman MLV pro 2 years ago (online). My luthier told me the neck was slightly warped and that the nut (floyd rose) was set too high. He fixed it, but it was still not perfect. 

I had an Ibanez AZ premium who was great for playability. But there were some flaws on the finish and tuning stability (nut). 

I've paid (in CAN $), 1200$ for the jackson, 1600$ for the chapman and the Ibanez was over 2000$. This gets me to why some brands don't have issues ? Ever heard issues from Fender, Musicman, PRS (even SE) ??? I had a 2013 American deluxe Strat (1500$ CAN) that was spot on! Would you get your brand new car back to the seller or to another garage to fix it if there was issues?

I'm not saying all Brands are bad. Honestly I haven't played any solar yet (but I will). But QC issues makes me go away. I will never buy again a Jackson because of that.




AxRookie said:


> I now believe that the most important thing above all else by a very wide margin is finding a guitar that at its core is constructed with the best materials your money can buy and use the best process that is currently known and in that way, anything else like finishing work can be easily corrected later IF needed...
> 
> If you follow that you can never be disappointed with that guitar, and you can only be possibly irritated for a limited amount of time if the rest isn't perfect as most things in life aren't.
> 
> In the end, you will have the guitar you had hoped for no matter how bad the little things are because you hoped you wouldn't have to deal with them but they are easily corrected if need be...


----------



## Spicypickles

I wouldn’t write off any brand for 1 or 2 guitars that were sketchy QC-wise. There are lemons and small imperfections at nearly every tier of guitar quality, but there are also diamonds in the rough at every tier as well. Depending on which tier you’re looking will determine how few and far between they are. 

I’ve played many a shitty LTD in a guitar center that had sticky tuners and gum on the volume knob but was otherwise perfect, then played a Gibby LP custom with clearly wrongly cut nuts, etc. then you turn around and the same exact models are garbage and/or awesome as hell. You just gotta keep looking out for the good ones.


----------



## AxRookie

couchguitarplayer said:


> I kinda disagree with that statement. It's really frustrating to get a guitar that has issues from the beginning. That's why I now skip most large selling companies.
> 
> I bought a Jackson HT-6 pro 2 years ago and this guitar had so many issues, that it was frustrating. The shop where I got it told me they will fix it. The Frets needed to be leveled and after a while I've noticed that the bottom E string was not well aligned. There was also electronics failure.
> 
> I also bought a Chapman MLV pro 2 years ago (online). My luthier told me the neck was slightly warped and that the nut (floyd rose) was set too high. He fixed it, but it was still not perfect.
> 
> I had an Ibanez AZ premium who was great for playability. But there were some flaws on the finish and tuning stability (nut).
> 
> I've paid (in CAN $), 1200$ for the jackson, 1600$ for the chapman and the Ibanez was over 2000$. This gets me to why some brands don't have issues ? Ever heard issues from Fender, Musicman, PRS (even SE) ??? I had a 2013 American deluxe Strat (1500$ CAN) that was spot on! Would you get your brand new car back to the seller or to another garage to fix it if there was issues?
> 
> I'm not saying all Brands are bad. Honestly I haven't played any solar yet (but I will). But QC issues makes me go away. I will never buy again a Jackson because of that.


Those issues go well beyond what I consider to be "finishing work".

"Ever heard issues from Fender, Musicman, PRS (even SE) ???" well yes I have, I've read bad stories about almost all of the well-known brands BUT how many of those stories are accurately relaying what happened remains to be seen so I treat them at such, just stories...

BUT I agree no new guitar should ever have issues, especially not considering what they cost which could be anywhere in the neighborhood of a few thousand dollars and up to $6,000.00 or more! for that kind of money, it should paint your house and fart rainbows, not give you a headache!


----------



## couverdure

Mathemagician said:


> To be fair, reverse headstocks should be the standard and it’s the kids these days that are wrong.


The kids these days are actually the ones who are all about reverse headstocks. Boomers would get an aneurysm if they see this.


----------



## jl-austin

couverdure said:


> The kids these days are actually the ones who are all about reverse headstocks. Boomers would get an aneurysm if they see this.



As if there were no reversed headstocks in the '80s, LOL!!!! We invented the reverse headstock!!!


----------



## BusinessMan

My guitar has been shipped and is in the US! I’m really excited! But at the moment it’s “being held in the warehouse”. This happen to anyone else? And how long did it take to leave said warehouse?


----------



## mpexus

couverdure said:


> The kids these days are actually the ones who are all about reverse headstocks. Boomers would get an aneurysm if they see this.


Anyone played one of these? If so how is it?

First thing i would do was cut that awful Headstock into a normal one but im curious since its basically impossible to get a production guitar with a reverse fender Headstock .


----------



## kaossurge

couverdure said:


> The kids these days are actually the ones who are all about reverse headstocks. Boomers would get an aneurysm if they see this.


Get rid of the Floyd and I'm all in on that.


----------



## AxRookie

kaossurge said:


> Get rid of the Floyd and I'm all in on that.


That's funny, Without the Floyd I'm out of there...


----------



## kaossurge

AxRookie said:


> That's funny, Without the Floyd I'm out of there...


I've never had one, tbh, and I'm afraid of them. I change tunings a lot and use some higher gauge strings... (at least on my 6 strings) so I figure it's not for me.


----------



## trem licking

Floyds are half the reason to electric guitar


----------



## MadYarpen

Some guitars now pushed back to August. I wonder what is this about. 

Or simply V 7 strings are selling out before they are in stock?


----------



## Spicypickles

kaossurge said:


> I've never had one, tbh, and I'm afraid of them. I change tunings a lot and use some higher gauge strings... (at least on my 6 strings) so I figure it's not for me.


Floyd’s are really easy but if you change tubings constantly then no, not for you. Also, big gauges are safe for the most part, I’ve never had an issue up to .70’s.


----------



## AxRookie

kaossurge said:


> I've never had one, tbh, and I'm afraid of them. I change tunings a lot and use some higher gauge strings... (at least on my 6 strings) so I figure it's not for me.


The gauge of the strings doesn't matter because you still set it up the same way BUT if you change tunings a lot that would be a pain in the ass tbh...


----------



## Metropolis

This purple goodness arrived for me today.

https://www.sevenstring.org/threads/ngd-solar-guitars-ab1-6htpb.342631/


----------



## mbardu

Metropolis said:


> This purple goodness arrived for me today.
> 
> https://www.sevenstring.org/threads/ngd-solar-guitars-ab1-6htpb.342631/



it's pink, not purple. Not that there's anything wrong with that


----------



## Metropolis

mbardu said:


> it's pink, not purple. Not that there's anything wrong with that



It's sort of pink or magenta in middle part of the burst, darkest parts are definetly purple


----------



## BusinessMan

Still waiting on mine because solar didn’t submit a TSCA document and that’s why it’s being held.


----------



## MadYarpen

I'd rather order from thomann to be honest.


----------



## BusinessMan

How good is solars customer service? I’ve sent a couple of emails regarding my guitar being held in the warehouse regarding the TSCA form that UPS said they needed to fill out. UPS said (when I called them a couple days ago) to email the shipper regarding the issue and ask them to fill it out myself. I haven’t heard from solar at all regarding the issue nor have I EVER received an email response from them in the past when I’ve sent in questions. 

From what I’ve read here they seem pretty good but maybe they’re really busy?


----------



## sirbuh

BusinessMan said:


> How good is solars customer service? I’ve sent a couple of emails regarding my guitar being held in the warehouse regarding the TSCA form that UPS said they needed to fill out. UPS said (when I called them a couple days ago) to email the shipper regarding the issue and ask them to fill it out myself. I haven’t heard from solar at all regarding the issue nor have I EVER received an email response from them in the past when I’ve sent in questions.
> 
> From what I’ve read here they seem pretty good but maybe they’re really busy?



Corresponded with them multiple times, responsive and generally replied within 24 hours.


----------



## MadYarpen

Had the same experience, but I was asking about ordering a guitar, not for a problem to be solved...


----------



## BusinessMan

MadYarpen said:


> Had the same experience, but I was asking about ordering a guitar, not for a problem to be solved...



I’ve sent emails in the past asking about ordering a guitar too but I never got any kind of response from them.


----------



## kerryymm

mpexus said:


> Anyone played one of these? If so how is it?
> 
> First thing i would do was cut that awful Headstock into a normal one but im curious since its basically impossible to get a production guitar with a reverse fender Headstock .



I had one, it was a great guitar. Basically a Charvel Pro-Mod SoCal for half the price: great neck, great pickups, and the Floyd stayed in tune really well. I don't have it any more, and if all the guitars I've flipped in the last couple of years it's the only one I miss. I even like the bigger headstock, I think it works really well reversed


----------



## goremotel

Metropolis said:


> I would say those tuners are going to fit, their measurements, orientation and screw places should be same as stock Solar Grover tuners. What they now have is just a copy of them. Doesn't it have Graph Tech nut already, or are there other reasons to change the stock nut? Measurements of stock pickups should be really similar to Seymour Duncans and cavities in these aren't very shallow, shouldn't be a problem to install Nazgul/Sentient set.





MadYarpen said:


> I was also thinking about changing them in mine, but after a proper setup by technician, the stock tuners are working perfectly. I had issues with guitar detuning during playing, and it seems using something which I think in english is called silicone grease on the nut solved the problem. So if you are changing them because of that, just make sure you really need this.



Thanks for the replies!

To answer your questions, no nothing _needs_ changing on the guitar, as it plays really well (was actually good to go out of the box, and excellent after a proper setup). But this one is a keeper, so I want to do some improvements to it when I can afford to.

Good news about the tuners, someone left a review on Thomann stating that the Grover 406BCL6 Mini Locking Rotomatic fit perfectly on a Solar A2.6 so they should work fine with the V2.6 as well.

Regarding the nut, from my understanding Black Tusq is better than the simple graphite nut that the V2.6 comes with because it's self-lubricating.

But now I have found something new and I have another question: while looking on Thomann I found a bridge with many good reviews, the TonePros T3BT-B Tune-o-matic. It looks exactly like the bridge I have, and from my measurements it should be the same size. The only difference is that the TonePros bridge has two small holes at the posts, while the one on the V2.6 does not. They state that they use a patented locking technology. What exactly does that mean? I couldn't find a clear answer anywhere on the web.

To understand exactly what I am referring to, look at a pic of the TonePros T3BT-B Tune-o-matic and compare it with a pic of the Gotoh GE103B-T BC TOM-Style Bridge. You'll see the holes that the TonePros has and the Gotoh doesn't (that Gotoh looks exactly like the bridge on the Solar).


----------



## xzacx

goremotel said:


> Thanks for the replies!
> 
> To answer your questions, no nothing _needs_ changing on the guitar, as it plays really well (was actually good to go out of the box, and excellent after a proper setup). But this one is a keeper, so I want to do some improvements to it when I can afford to.
> 
> Good news about the tuners, someone left a review on Thomann stating that the Grover 406BCL6 Mini Locking Rotomatic fit perfectly on a Solar A2.6 so they should work fine with the V2.6 as well.
> 
> Regarding the nut, from my understanding Black Tusq is better than the simple graphite nut that the V2.6 comes with because it's self-lubricating.
> 
> But now I have found something new and I have another question: while looking on Thomann I found a bridge with many good reviews, the TonePros T3BT-B Tune-o-matic. It looks exactly like the bridge I have, and from my measurements it should be the same size. The only difference is that the TonePros bridge has two small holes at the posts, while the one on the V2.6 does not. They state that they use a patented locking technology. What exactly does that mean? I couldn't find a clear answer anywhere on the web.
> 
> To understand exactly what I am referring to, look at a pic of the TonePros T3BT-B Tune-o-matic and compare it with a pic of the Gotoh GE103B-T BC TOM-Style Bridge. You'll see the holes that the TonePros has and the Gotoh doesn't (that Gotoh looks exactly like the bridge on the Solar).



Those holes are basically just set screws to lock it to the posts. Not really an improvement IMO, as I’ve never had a TOM move on me and I haven’t noticed any difference in sound via swapping, but it doesn’t hurt anything either.


----------



## Spicypickles

Literally the only difference those locking posts make is if you change all your string at one time and clean the guitar once they’re off (me, every time). Running a rag between the posts and bridge pickup will spin the screws on the bridge, lowering/raising it from your prior settings. With the locking posts that doesn’t happen obviously, but it’s not a tremendous help, just a slight plus.


----------



## lewis

Ola confirmed in todays Video, he is planning for Solar to eventually offer spare parts (bodies, necks etc etc) and now he is offering Bolt ons etc he likes the idea of people being able to buy separate stuff and mix and match to customise their Solars

well that is music to my ears

13:30 minutes in



Other possibility is the idea of buying just a Solar Neck for random project bodies you have if the Heel measurements match etc.

endless possibilities


----------



## Merrekof

lewis said:


> Other possibility is the idea of buying just a Solar Neck for random project bodies you have if the Heel measurements match etc.


This was literally the first thing I thought about. Slap a slightly modernized Tele body on it and we are good to go


----------



## lewis

Merrekof said:


> This was literally the first thing I thought about. Slap a slightly modernized Tele body on it and we are good to go


absolutely!!!


----------



## JimF

Has he literally just solved the modern problem of "Well I'd buy it if it was XYZ..."


----------



## lewis

JimF said:


> Has he literally just solved the modern problem of "Well I'd buy it if it was XYZ..."



Someone had to tbh.
He is the master of literally just giving the people what they want


----------



## JimF

He is a legend. Genuinely want him to succeed in everything he does.


----------



## natedog_approved

Does anyone know if Ola has ever responded to the question of whether not Solar will ever have a dealer in the US? I dont mind buying direct, but in the off chance something is wrong, I'd hate to deal with shipping back and forth overseas.


----------



## Señor Voorhees

I recently went on a nostalgia trip and started listening to Mushroomhead's XX and XIII albums and found out they released an album recently. Nothing too spectacular, but I like it better than their last 3 or 5 albums... (I've lost track of what they've been up to since they gave the boot to the old guitarist.) 

I bring it up here because there was a particular shot in this video:  

Kind of a meh video, but the guitarist holds the guitar up and I was like... Is that a fucking Solar inlay? lol Checked the guy's facebook patge and sure enough, he's rocking a Solar E of some sort. The one on his facebook looks like it's got white active soapbars in it with an evertune, but the one in the video looks maybe stock? At least the pickups don't look white. Anyway, I just thought it was kinda cool seeing a band I was a fan of so long ago mingling with my more modern interests.


----------



## jl-austin

That can't be a Solar...... It has a gloss finish......


----------



## Señor Voorhees

I stand corrected, looking deeper into his facebook, it turns out he had an E1.7 (doesn't quite look flamed, so perhaps an older model from what's on their site now?) sent off to Evertune and they routed the guitar for Fishman Fluence Moderns, not EMG like I initially thought. I might like the looks of it if I didn't just despise soapbar pickups.

https://www.facebook.com/tommytankx/photos/a.183462552299096/596695200975827

https://www.facebook.com/tommytankx/photos/a.183462552299096/590589848253029


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a2-6fr-pn-pink-neon-matte/


----------



## Albake21

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a2-6fr-pn-pink-neon-matte/


Floyd Rose Special


----------



## Blytheryn

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a2-6fr-pn-pink-neon-matte/




Oh god I actually NEED this.


----------



## manu80

damn....


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Albake21 said:


> Floyd Rose Special


I know, it sucks.

The most basic 2.6 models are a great value but the more expensive 2.6's not so much. You get more for your money with the 1.6's at that point.


----------



## Fred the Shred

It's not the most resilient bridge out there, but at the price point, there would almost certainly need to be concessions regarding hardware. This guitar will cost 749 € as opposed to the FR1000, brass block fitted A1.6FRC's 949 €, with the core differences in hardware being that and the A2's non-locking tuners vs the A1 having locking tuners.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Fred the Shred said:


> It's not the most resilient bridge out there, but at the price point, there would almost certainly need to be concessions regarding hardware. This guitar will cost 749 € as opposed to the FR1000, brass block fitted A1.6FRC's 949 €, with the core differences in hardware being that and the A2's non-locking tuners vs the A1 having locking tuners.


You forgot about the 1.6's having stainless steel frets and luminlays as well.

The 1.6's are ultimately the better value in this case.


----------



## Fred the Shred

Oh, I definitely agree with you, but I also destroy hardware easily, which further compounds my preference for spending a bit of extra coin in exchange for not disintegrating a random part very often.


----------



## MadYarpen

Can someone owning Type A guitar measure the distance between the strings and... rear edge of the body? I hope you know what I mean. 

I am wondering how much further I would have to reach with left hand to the 1st fret if I played this in classical position - in comparison to type V. The bridge is closer to the rear in the V, and it has shorter scale.


----------



## JimF

I don't have that guitar, but you could work it out using a picture of the guitar and the known height of a pickup, or the Evertune bridge for example.


----------



## JimF

Just did it for ya, approx. 130mm front rear most point of the guitar body (where the strap pin is) to the saddle height adjust screws on the low E string of the bridge. That was using the A2.6 with the Hipshot style bridge. Hope that helps you!


----------



## MadYarpen

Thanks. That's quite a difference, it's ~85 mm in my type V.


----------



## Mathemagician

Just waiting for this pink one to be a hardtail 7. Heck there may have been a run of them originally and I just missed it then. I do see the laser lemon, I just want this perfect shade of pink.


----------



## JimF

MadYarpen said:


> Thanks. That's quite a difference, it's ~85 mm in my type V.



Don't take my word 100%, I could be wrong - its happened before. Once 

But there does appear to be a difference.

It may also be worth measuring the distance from the bridge to your thigh when the guitar is in playing position, as unless you have triangular legs, your leg won't be exactly in the centre of the V. Might only be 20mm difference, but it means the 130mm of the Type A is not as far away.

Also, as a VERY rough photo-botch, see below:
(I couldn't get the scale on both pictures to fully align)


----------



## MadYarpen

JimF said:


> Don't take my word 100%, I could be wrong - its happened before. Once
> 
> But there does appear to be a difference.
> 
> It may also be worth measuring the distance from the bridge to your thigh when the guitar is in playing position, as unless you have triangular legs, your leg won't be exactly in the centre of the V. Might only be 20mm difference, but it means the 130mm of the Type A is not as far away.
> 
> Also, as a VERY rough photo-botch, see below:
> (I couldn't get the scale on both pictures to fully align)


Thanks.

During corona times I am getting... Softer. Or fluffier. Sourdough baking and stuff. So it may actually be touching my thigh lol.

It's couple cm at the bridge plus longer scale in 7 string, so it may not be so comfy for me.


----------



## JimF

Yes that could be a lot to get used to, a big change! It could be worth trying out a similar long scale superstrat guitar at a guitarstore when things open up again. Won't be exactly the same, but you'll be able to find out if you get on with it or not.


----------



## BusinessMan

Finally got my e2.7 a few days ago. Plays great and aside a few finish burls and an unfinished/sanded ~1in section on the fretboard, its great. The neck is super comfortable. I have a new problem with this guitar though. The 7th string has literally no tuning stability (the others are stable enough for my purposes). After a couple minutes of playing it goes out of tune.

What are some good in line, reverse headstock 7 string tuners (possibly locking) that have good tuning stability? Would any 7 string in line tuners work?

A bit disappointing that I already have to upgrade some parts on the guitar. I may also need to change the pups, as they are not the best.


----------



## Metropolis

BusinessMan said:


> Finally got my e2.7 a few days ago. Plays great and aside a few finish burls and an unfinished/sanded ~1in section on the fretboard, its great. The neck is super comfortable. I have a new problem with this guitar though. The 7th string has literally no tuning stability (the others are stable enough for my purposes). After a couple minutes of playing it goes out of tune.
> 
> What are some good in line, reverse headstock 7 string tuners (possibly locking) that have good tuning stability? Would any 7 string in line tuners work?
> 
> A bit disappointing that I already have to upgrade some parts on the guitar. I may also need to change the pups, as they are not the best.



Tuners are rarely the issue... you could change strings and stretch them throughly, then give it a setup if you already didn't. Tune-o-matic saddle pieces can be problematic sometimes, for example slot in the saddle is not big enough and causes tuning issues. Or it's the nut where string isn't sitting properly in bottom of the slot, or it has otherwise too much friction.


----------



## MadYarpen

My solar was constantly getting out of tune until I had some lubricant applied to the nut.

I was also thinking about replacing the tuners, turned out I don't need to at all. Guitar stays in tune.

So a proper setup saved me some money.

As regards the pickups that's a different story. I replaced bridge pickup to have more punch. But stock aren't too bad imo.


----------



## BusinessMan

Metropolis said:


> Tuners are rarely the issue... you could change strings and stretch them throughly, then give it a setup if you already didn't. Tune-o-matic saddle pieces can be problematic sometimes, for example slot in the saddle is not big enough and causes tuning issues. Or it's the nut where string isn't sitting properly in bottom of the slot, or it has otherwise too much friction.



I changed the strings already as the ones that came on it were not to my liking. what issues should I look for in the nut? Just not being entirely smooth?



MadYarpen said:


> My solar was constantly getting out of tune until I had some lubricant applied to the nut.
> 
> I was also thinking about replacing the tuners, turned out I don't need to at all. Guitar stays in tune.
> 
> So a proper setup saved me some money.
> 
> As regards the pickups that's a different story. I replaced bridge pickup to have more punch. But stock aren't too bad imo.



What kind of lubricant?


----------



## BusinessMan

I think someone may have put the bridge on the wrong way. The intonation screws are on the pickup side instead of the outside towards the tailpiece?


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

BusinessMan said:


> I changed the strings already as the ones that came on it were not to my liking. what issues should I look for in the nut? Just not being entirely smooth?


The problem might stem from using a bigger gauge of string than what the guitar was originally using at the factory, leading to the strings getting pinched in the nut slots. This isn't a manufacturing defect. Nut slots may need to be widened slightly to accommodate heavier gauges of strings.


BusinessMan said:


> I think someone may have put the bridge on the wrong way. The intonation screws are on the pickup side instead of the outside towards the tailpiece?


It makes zero functional difference whatsoever which way around the bridge is installed. All that matters is that the saddles are positioned to where the guitar intonates correctly. There is no de-facto 'right' or 'wrong' way.


----------



## MadYarpen

BusinessMan said:


> What kind of lubricant?



Not sure what product the technician used but there are dedicated products such as this... https://m.thomann.de/pl/big_bends_nut_sauce_05_cc.htm



BusinessMan said:


> I think someone may have put the bridge on the wrong way. The intonation screws are on the pickup side instead of the outside towards the tailpiece?



I don't think that's mistake, I have mine installed the same way. It doesn't get in the way when you are setting intonation so don't worry.


----------



## soul_lip_mike

MadYarpen said:


> Not sure what product the technician used but there are dedicated products such as this... https://m.thomann.de/pl/big_bends_nut_sauce_05_cc.htm
> 
> 
> 
> I don't think that's mistake, I have mine installed the same way. It doesn't get in the way when you are setting intonation so don't worry.



Love me some nut sauce.


----------



## Fred the Shred

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2681803872088407&id=1727682944167176&d=null&vh=e

Killertone's sig model is officially out. He's a lovely bloke and knows his shit - pretty stoked for him!


----------



## BusinessMan

MadYarpen said:


> Not sure what product the technician used but there are dedicated products such as this... https://m.thomann.de/pl/big_bends_nut_sauce_05_cc.htm
> 
> 
> 
> I don't think that's mistake, I have mine installed the same way. It doesn't get in the way when you are setting intonation so don't worry.



I’m going to have to try that lube or something. For some reason I can’t get the 7th string on this guitar to hold tuning after a couple minutes of playing for the life of me. New strings are stretched, neck is nice and straight, it is indeed intonated (the harmonic and fretted at the 12th are perfectly in tune) so I have no idea wtf is wrong.


----------



## I play music

Fred the Shred said:


> https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2681803872088407&id=1727682944167176&d=null&vh=e Killertone's sig model is officially out. He's a lovely bloke and knows his shit - pretty stoked for him!





Fred the Shred said:


> https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2681803872088407&id=1727682944167176&d=null&vh=e Killertone's sig model is officially out. He's a lovely bloke and knows his shit - pretty stoked for him!


Is that the first Solar without Solar inlay?


----------



## Ataraxia2320

Fred the Shred said:


> https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2681803872088407&id=1727682944167176&d=null&vh=e
> 
> Killertone's sig model is officially out. He's a lovely bloke and knows his shit - pretty stoked for him!



Who is this guy? All I can find is that he played killer riffs at the Randal and Fortin booth. 

Seems like a strange endorsement for a small company, but I trust that Ola knows what he is doing.


----------



## BusinessMan

Ataraxia2320 said:


> Who is this guy? All I can find is that he played killer riffs at the Randal and Fortin booth.
> 
> Seems like a strange endorsement for a small company, but I trust that Ola knows what he is doing.



He’s got a pretty killer YouTube channel.


----------



## josh1

I play music said:


> Is that the first Solar without Solar inlay?



They replaced the gaudy Solar logo inlay with an even worse one.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

Ataraxia2320 said:


> Who is this guy? All I can find is that he played killer riffs at the Randal and Fortin booth.
> 
> Seems like a strange endorsement for a small company, but I trust that Ola knows what he is doing.



Outside of being a real good player with really good tone, he's got a good deal of industry experience and connections given his "day job". 

He used to post here fairly often. Good dude.


----------



## A-Branger

BusinessMan said:


> I think someone may have put the bridge on the wrong way. The intonation screws are on the pickup side instead of the outside towards the tailpiece?


thats how TOM bridges are. You can see some with the screws on the opposite side, but 90% of the gutars usually they are on the pickup side. And if you check Solar site all their TOM guitars are like that

makes it "easier" to intonate specially if you have a string trough guitar or a close tail piece with 0 access to the screw unless you take the whole string off. This way you can still access it by loosing and pushing the string a bit. One of the reasons why I dont like TOMs


----------



## HungryGuitarStudent

Ataraxia2320 said:


> Who is this guy? All I can find is that he played killer riffs at the Randal and Fortin booth.
> 
> Seems like a strange endorsement for a small company, but I trust that Ola knows what he is doing.



I don’t know who he is, but I like that his custom Solar has fret dots. With the modular necks (bolt-ons), I hope fret dots become a more common option.


----------



## MadYarpen

Covid hit them really hard in Indonesia it seems. Guitars' shipment postponed another month, now it says September 30th...

That sucks. I am on the fence regarding new solar vs some used KM-7 or whatever, and this doesn't the help Solar option 

E: not all it seems. Hope restored!


----------



## Atefred

Question for you lot, on the offchance someone knows:
I have an A1.6 with an evertune, which I have tuned to F#F#BEG#C# (the "architects" tuning). The evertune is kind of handy here to keep the bottom string in tune despite the short 25.5 scale. I have a 70 gauge string for the low F#.
I just had the bridge pickup replaced, and the tech who did the work mentioned that the neck will likely get warped if I use that type of string gauge on the low string for any extended period of time. Claimed the wood wasn't high enough quality / strong enough to withstand the pressure.

Does that sound legit? I have similarly thick strings on my 7 string ibanez prestige, no signs of issues. Of course the neck there is 5 piece maple and walnut I believe, vs the 3 piece solar maple neck (and of course possibly different quality wood in general). Also, does the gauge actually matter? tuned down that low, the tension should be ~13.3 pounds, which isn't high at all.


----------



## Mathemagician

Unless there is something structurally wrong with that specific guitar, that guy is full of shit. 

I once had a tech adamantly tell me that floyd roses were not supposed to have anything heavier than 9-42’s and definitely not drop tuned. Not surprisingly he worked for Guitar Center.


----------



## Metropolis

Atefred said:


> Question for you lot, on the offchance someone knows:
> I have an A1.6 with an evertune, which I have tuned to F#F#BEG#C# (the "architects" tuning). The evertune is kind of handy here to keep the bottom string in tune despite the short 25.5 scale. I have a 70 gauge string for the low F#.
> I just had the bridge pickup replaced, and the tech who did the work mentioned that the neck will likely get warped if I use that type of string gauge on the low string for any extended period of time. Claimed the wood wasn't high enough quality / strong enough to withstand the pressure.
> 
> Does that sound legit? I have similarly thick strings on my 7 string ibanez prestige, no signs of issues. Of course the neck there is 5 piece maple and walnut I believe, vs the 3 piece solar maple neck (and of course possibly different quality wood in general). Also, does the gauge actually matter? tuned down that low, the tension should be ~13.3 pounds, which isn't high at all.



It won't do anything to the neck, tension is equivalent to 0.042 string at standard E. And Solar necks are very solid anyway, where these myths even come from?


----------



## Atefred

Thought so, made no sense given the tuning. Thanks for confirming


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Atefred said:


> I just had the bridge pickup replaced, and the tech who did the work mentioned that the neck will likely get warped if I use that type of string gauge on the low string for any extended period of time. Claimed the wood wasn't high enough quality / strong enough to withstand the pressure.


The fuck is he talking about?

Seems like any uneducated dipshit can call themselves a 'tech' these days.


----------



## I play music

Atefred said:


> Question for you lot, on the offchance someone knows:
> I have an A1.6 with an evertune, which I have tuned to F#F#BEG#C# (the "architects" tuning). The evertune is kind of handy here to keep the bottom string in tune despite the short 25.5 scale. I have a 70 gauge string for the low F#.
> I just had the bridge pickup replaced, and the tech who did the work mentioned that the neck will likely get warped if I use that type of string gauge on the low string for any extended period of time. Claimed the wood wasn't high enough quality / strong enough to withstand the pressure.
> 
> Does that sound legit? I have similarly thick strings on my 7 string ibanez prestige, no signs of issues. Of course the neck there is 5 piece maple and walnut I believe, vs the 3 piece solar maple neck (and of course possibly different quality wood in general). Also, does the gauge actually matter? tuned down that low, the tension should be ~13.3 pounds, which isn't high at all.


Change your "tech"


----------



## Dust_to_Dust

Atefred said:


> Question for you lot, on the offchance someone knows:
> I have an A1.6 with an evertune, which I have tuned to F#F#BEG#C# (the "architects" tuning). The evertune is kind of handy here to keep the bottom string in tune despite the short 25.5 scale. I have a 70 gauge string for the low F#.
> I just had the bridge pickup replaced, and the tech who did the work mentioned that the neck will likely get warped if I use that type of string gauge on the low string for any extended period of time. Claimed the wood wasn't high enough quality / strong enough to withstand the pressure.
> 
> Does that sound legit? I have similarly thick strings on my 7 string ibanez prestige, no signs of issues. Of course the neck there is 5 piece maple and walnut I believe, vs the 3 piece solar maple neck (and of course possibly different quality wood in general). Also, does the gauge actually matter? tuned down that low, the tension should be ~13.3 pounds, which isn't high at all.


Load of bull mate. I used to run with a .74 on my Les Paul Custom for years in Drop B, neck is still perfectly fine to this day.
Same with my Esp!


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/e1-6-priestess/
















Cool and subtle design feature is the stepped body like a Firebird's.

Also 25.5" scale too.


----------



## Louis Cypher




----------



## Fred the Shred

Yeah, Marzi is big into the Firebird raised center thing. His guitar looks pretty killer!


----------



## manu80

Still waiting on the stealth’s take by solar


----------



## MASS DEFECT

Solar needs a Warrior/Xiphos fighter.


----------



## lewis

MASS DEFECT said:


> Solar needs a Warrior/Xiphos fighter.


maybe a slightly different shape to avoid problems - similar to the failed Matt Heafy Dean Prototype? -


----------



## MASS DEFECT

^I don't consider Dean ML shapes to be similar to Warrior/Xiphos/BC Rich Stealth shapes. MLs are their own thing. While the Warriors have some offset horns. 

But considering Ola is a Dime fan, that possibility is not far off.


----------



## Rotatous

Enjoying seeing these Solar's without the OLA inlay.


----------



## lewis

MASS DEFECT said:


> ^I don't consider Dean ML shapes to be similar to Warrior/Xiphos/BC Rich Stealth shapes. MLs are their own thing. While the Warriors have some offset horns.
> 
> But considering Ola is a Dime fan, that possibility is not far off.



Me either bro hence why I wrote "maybe a slightly different shape to avoid problems"

 
They are there own shapes for sure


----------



## I play music

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/e1-6-priestess/


That low horn just looks wrong to me. The angle looks off. 
Also move that bridge further towards the ass...


----------



## mbardu

I play music said:


> That low horn just looks wrong to me. The angle looks off.
> Also move that bridge further towards the ass...



The upper horn is not much better. And the body is not really a good match for the headstock either.
I love explorers but at least IMHO this doesn't look as good as most explorers, and it doesn't look as good as most Solars either.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I might be wrong but I think the reason the E-series looks like that is because it takes heavy inspiration from the Washburn Stealth (one of Ola's favorite guitars).


----------



## KnightBrolaire

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I might be wrong but I think the reason the E-series looks like that is because it takes heavy inspiration from the Washburn Stealth (one of Ola's favorite guitars).


If solar ever makes a pointy star shape like a stealth or culprit my wallet would be in trouble


----------



## MASS DEFECT

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I might be wrong but I think the reason the E-series looks like that is because it takes heavy inspiration from the Washburn Stealth (one of Ola's favorite guitars).



Ooooooohhhh! It all makes sense now.


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

Honestly if Ola ever did a decent looking ML style guitar I would DEFINITELY try it. I'm stuck with Deans just by default but I would love for a company like Solar to give me options. And PLEASE an ML shape and not a damn Xiphos style thing. There's enough of those


----------



## KnightBrolaire

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> Honestly if Ola ever did a decent looking ML style guitar I would DEFINITELY try it. I'm stuck with Deans just by default but I would love for a company like Solar to give me options. And PLEASE an ML shape and not a damn Xiphos style thing. There's enough of those


this is blasphemy, there are never enough xiphos and star shapes. NEVER.


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

KnightBrolaire said:


> this is blasphemy, there are never enough xiphos and star shapes. NEVER.


Shhhh. Stop being wrong so loudly!


----------



## KnightBrolaire

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> Shhhh. Stop being wrong so loudly!


star/xiphos >>>>>> any other shape


----------



## Seabeast2000

KnightBrolaire said:


> star/xiphos >>>>>> any other shape



Never had one but this means I really need to get that Tartarsauce have been gassing for.


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

KnightBrolaire said:


> star/xiphos >>>>>> any other shape


MLs are vastly superior. Everyone knows this.


----------



## KnightBrolaire

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> MLs are vastly superior. Everyone knows this.


MLs are just bastardized stars 


Seabeast2000 said:


> Never had one but this means I really need to get that Tartarsauce have been gassing for.


My tartarus is sick. I love it.


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

KnightBrolaire said:


> MLs are just perfected stars


Fixed


----------



## manu80

Just looking from the top, the solar explo looks off to me
Upper horn and lower horn should be aligned like the stealth
Here the horn close to the neck is going down too much


----------



## Seabeast2000

manu80 said:


> Just looking from the top, the solar explo looks off to me
> Upper horn and lower horn should be aligned like the stealth
> Here the horn close to the neck is going down too much




Yeah, its just a small tweak from being a Music Man/Space Age design IMO. Which I'd be totally cool with TBH.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Given how much a Pantera fanboi Ola is, I'm surprised we haven't gotten an ML/Stealth/Star shape yet.


----------



## JimF

He's actually addressed this before on his YouTube channel.
Ola won't be doing one. Not in a "we won't do XYZ" then next week launches a guitar with XYZ.
He mentioned he wouldn't do it out of respect to Dime's family and the Dimebag "estate", essentially he'd be ripping of a design massively associated with Dime. 
I think he mentioned that the only way he'd do it was if he came to an agreement with the family, but he wasn't looking to do that. 

Obviously I know its a more Washburn/Dean that would go after him for any reason rather than the family, but all guitars rip off another guitar's design, and it seems to be more out of respect for Dime et al.


----------



## mbardu

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I might be wrong but I think the reason the E-series looks like that is because it takes heavy inspiration from the Washburn Stealth (one of Ola's favorite guitars).



Welll I'llll beee.
Now not only do I not like the shape, but I also know that the reason I don't like it is actually because part of the design is actually ripped of from the wrong guitar


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

JimF said:


> He's actually addressed this before on his YouTube channel.
> Ola won't be doing one. Not in a "we won't do XYZ" then next week launches a guitar with XYZ.
> He mentioned he wouldn't do it out of respect to Dime's family and the Dimebag "estate", essentially he'd be ripping of a design massively associated with Dime.
> I think he mentioned that the only way he'd do it was if he came to an agreement with the family, but he wasn't looking to do that.
> 
> Obviously I know its a more Washburn/Dean that would go after him for any reason rather than the family, but all guitars rip off another guitar's design, and it seems to be more out of respect for Dime et al.



Yup. This is why I'm stuck being a Dean player. *sigh* At least until I get enough money to have ESP Japan make a "signature" guitar for me.


----------



## manu80

Didnt know all that
Thx for the clarification JimF


----------



## Duraesu

I bought a E1.6 Jensen and it looks way better in person, I get what people say about the "explorer" shape being a bit off (although it looks cool to me) but thats because we are used to see the classic shape, photos dont make justice to it and the upper bevel was a smart move, its super comfy!

Still looks better than the ESP/E-II EX shape and the chapman ghostfret IMHO!


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

I've personally never cared for people's complaints regarding the shape. I acknowledge it's different and people aren't used to seeing it, but I don't see how that makes it inherently bad in any way. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯


----------



## lewis

_velkan said:


> I bought a E1.6 Jensen and it looks way better in person, I get what people say about the "explorer" shape being a bit off but thats because we are used to see the classic shape, photos dont make justice to it and the upper bevel was a smart move, its super comfy!
> 
> Still looks better than the ESP/E-II EX shape and the chapman ghostfret IMHO!


Damn that looks sweet!

Love the EMGS in that too


----------



## Duraesu

lewis said:


> Damn that looks sweet!
> 
> Love the EMGS in that too



thanks! Yeah, I like EMGs so I was not bothered by having this set again 
I was surprised to see that its not a "quick connection" type installation from factory but it makes easier to transform that tone pot to a second volume, at least according to a friend of mine who is a luthier/tech and its giving the Jensen the first setup


----------



## MadYarpen

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/v1-7-canibalismo/

Fuuuck this is hard to say no to this. There is also 6 string.


----------



## JimF

Took me a while to figure out what the colour was! I love that.
Okay I'm gonna say it:

THIS MAN CAN DO NO WRONG


----------



## MadYarpen

Why isn't it 26.5 though... 

I am really on the fence with 7 string in drop A...


----------



## A-Branger

_velkan said:


> thats because we are used to see the classic shape,


yes, but also becasue the "clasic shape" is more symetrical so more pleasant to the eyes. The front lower horn follows the same angle as the back upper section. On the Solar the lower front horn goes on a completely different line than the back of the guitar, thats what makes it look "off" 

after the comment with the Washburn Dimebag it makes sense on the why it was made like that. Makes sense, but it still looks "wrong" in my eyes. Not because it doesnt looks like an Explorer, but because it looks like someone bent the lower horn too far

but that justs me  we all like different things


----------



## Lukhas

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/e1-6-priestess/
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Cool and subtle design feature is the stepped body like a Firebird's.
> 
> Also 25.5" scale too.


To be honest, the upper fret access on an Explorer is so awful that I'm more than happy to call this an improvement.  If the angle of the lower horn makes the guitar work, why not.


----------



## TrevorT

MadYarpen said:


> Why isn't it 26.5 though...
> 
> I am really on the fence with 7 string in drop A...



With the Evertune though you can probably get away with floppier strings than you're used to. Just something to consider!


----------



## MadYarpen

TrevorT said:


> With the Evertune though you can probably get away with floppier strings than you're used to. Just something to consider!


Sure. But ET is so complex issue, and the guitar is so expensive (for my needs), that I decided to buy 26.5 scale schecter to be honest. Not a V this time, maybe sometime in the future I'll get this.


----------



## RobPhoboS

I'll definitely be in the market for a Solar once I know what the hell is happening in my field of work.
However, my *only* gripe is with the paint options, I wish they just had a bunch of colours available for all of their shapes.


----------



## Albake21

RobPhoboS said:


> I'll definitely be in the market for a Solar once I know what the hell is happening in my field of work.
> However, my *only* gripe is with the paint options, I wish they just had a bunch of colours available for all of their shapes.


What exactly are you looking for? I feel like they have a pretty damn good selection for such a small business.


----------



## RobPhoboS

Albake21 said:


> What exactly are you looking for? I feel like they have a pretty damn good selection for such a small business.



As I say, it's just my criticism because I will support the dude and grab one when I can !
To reiterate what I mean, the colour range is great but it's not available on every shape.

I love transparent/flame/burst finishes, so the green/blues look amazing to me but aren't on every shape. 
I don't want another black guitar/wood finish.


----------



## I play music

JimF said:


> He mentioned he wouldn't do it out of respect to Dime's family and the Dimebag "estate", essentially he'd be ripping of a design massively associated with Dime.
> I think he mentioned that the only way he'd do it was if he came to an agreement with the family, but he wasn't looking to do that.


When I look at all the gaudy Dean stuff with Dimebag's name on it .. that Dimebag "estate" can't be all too holy .. 
In the end it's all about the money I guess


----------



## JimF

Its not about the Dime estate's attitude to marketing, its down to Ola's attitude towards the Dime estate.


----------



## binz

I've been eyeing this A2.7W with the Maple neck and fretboard for a while now. Somebody that pulled the trigger on here already?
I am bit confused, the solar website says it will ship around october. On thomann it now went from 6-7 weeks to 2-3 weeks. Whats also strange is the 65€ difference (it was 700 on thomann but now its even 675 due to covid tax decrease in germany I guess).
I recall that my A2.6LN also was supposed to arrive in December 2018 but I got it a month earlier or so, so at least I know that the dates on the solar website are quite tentative towards not pissing people off by setting shipping dates too early.

I would love a A1.7W version with an Evertune, but waiting and hoping this will be the next addition is kind of naive (but not too much since theres a new model like every 3 weeks  )


----------



## MadYarpen

I asked about the shipment date, and generally it looked like thomann will have these guitars when solar shop has them. More or less. It is generally the same batch. 

I also asked for the reason of delays directly @ solar (some guitars were originally planned for june and pushed back several months), and it is due to COVID situation. 

You may write to them to ask how it is now. I lost patience and bought something else.


----------



## Runander

That V Canibalismo looks awesome. It might be too hard to resist


----------



## Trashgreen




----------



## Rocktoe

Really itching to buy this one but I don't know if I need a third Solar. 



Trashgreen said:


>


----------



## Runander

Rocktoe said:


> Really itching to buy this one but I don't know if I need a third Solar.



"Need" is word I try to avoid when thinking about buying gear. Try substitute it with "want" instead and see how it goes


----------



## blacai

I do like "all" in these "LP" models, but the asymmetric base is a no-go for me


----------



## Rocktoe

Runander said:


> "Need" is word I try to avoid when thinking about buying gear. Try substitute it with "want" instead and see how it goes



Well obviously I want everything ever made and then some. 

However, I already have an S1.6 and an A1.6 with EverTune, so I'm not sure if the G-body shape is enough to offer me anything different.


----------



## Maximal

Is Ola really too lazy to design a new headstock? I like it on his superstrats, it's okay-ish on the pointy guitars but it looks like crap on an LP. What's next, a 335 copy with reverse headstock?


----------



## JimF

I, on the other hand love it on the LP! Its also his "thing", its his brand identity, along with the inlay. Both divide people, both are loved by Ola.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Marcus from Blind Guardian rocking his Solar during the Wacken livestream.


----------



## MadYarpen

This gold hardware looks really classy. But I agree the headstock doesn't really suit this shape. I like it in all other models, it's just the single cut type. But maybe it would grow on me, who knows. 

Meanwhile I keep wondering why aren't they making any 26.5 inch V 7.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Maximal said:


> Is Ola really too lazy to design a new headstock? I like it on his superstrats, it's okay-ish on the pointy guitars but it looks like crap on an LP. What's next, a 335 copy with reverse headstock?


To accuse him of laziness is pure ignorance.

He had experimented with multiple headstock designs before settling on leaving it unchanged, having come to the conclusion that they didn't suit the brand's visual identity. The different designs didn't look 'Solar' enough.

With that said, the design is still hideous. But I fully understand Ola's position. He's right, it wouldn't look like a Solar if he did something different. Which is precisely why he should've never made the singlecut shape in the first place. It was doomed to be an aesthetic failure from day 1.

I will gladly die on this hill.


----------



## I play music

MadYarpen said:


> Meanwhile I keep wondering why aren't they making any 26.5 inch V 7.


So that your wife does not get angry at you for buying one ;-)


----------



## jephjacques

That headstock doesn't work on the singlecut at all imo.


----------



## MadYarpen

I play music said:


> So that your wife does not get angry at you for buying one ;-)


She already did, just bought a schecter lol. But if there is a Solar V with that scale I am selling it immediately.


----------



## mbardu

jephjacques said:


> That headstock doesn't work on the singlecut at all imo.



Different strokes for different people I guess.
The shape is unique enough to go well with the headstock IMO.
I really wouldn't mind that singlecut if it had a string through (not evertune) bridge.


----------



## I play music

mbardu said:


> I really wouldn't mind that singlecut if it had a string through (not evertune) bridge.


I think this exact model is also available with a TOM bridge for 200€ less than the Evertune one.


----------



## mbardu

I play music said:


> I think this exact model is also available with a TOM bridge for 200€ less than the Evertune one.



I know i know.
I'm done with stop tails though.

Edit: Although you never know. The more I look at it, the more I like it. Has a bit of Ravelle in it, in a good way.


----------



## Runander

I don't think brands should do multible headstocks generally (I'll make an exception for strats and teles) because a unique headstock is like a trade mark or calling card or whatever you want to call it. It signifies that this is a Solar, Ibanez, Fender etc... Personally I think it's great that Ola sticks with that headstock through all the different models, I think it really makes it a Solar Guitar.


----------



## Snarpaasi

One of the reasons I bought a Jackson back in the days was the headstock  Ola has been mostly playing superstrats so why make such a body shape where the headstock doesnt suit well. Not saying that they would be his signature models or anything, actually he just talked about the signature topic on the latest sunday series.


----------



## blacai

Ola makes the models the people are asking for... what's totally legit and common sense.
He said he wouldn't make guitars that:
-weren't black or had a burl top.
-were LP models.
-8's strings
-natural top
-single coils

Obviously if you pretend to survive in the guitar market, you need to offer what people want. It's not bad.
It is just a matter of time that he launches basses and a headless(although I think the headless trend is almost gone...)


----------



## I play music

mbardu said:


> I know i know.
> I'm done with stop tails though.
> 
> Edit: Although you never know. The more I look at it, the more I like it. Has a bit of Ravelle in it, in a good way.


So you want string through instead? Is this because of looks or is there any technical disadvantage of the stop tail?


----------



## soul_lip_mike

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Marcus from Blind Guardian rocking his Solar during the Wacken livestream.



Are these artists playing factory indonesians that normal people like us buy or are they better in any way?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

soul_lip_mike said:


> Are these artists playing factory indonesians that normal people like us buy or are they better in any way?



I don't think Ola ever talked about there being any other factory. It's just the one former Washburn factory


----------



## mbardu

I play music said:


> So you want string through instead? Is this because of looks or is there any technical disadvantage of the stop tail?



A bit of both, and it's more a subjective feel too. Don't particularly like changing strings with a stop tail either. At the end of day I've always preferred the guitars with string-through on average vs their almost equivalents with stop tail.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

soul_lip_mike said:


> Are these artists playing factory indonesians that normal people like us buy or are they better in any way?



It's not really all that difficult to make any properly built guitar play like something typically much more expensive.

A lot of musicians use mid-tier production instruments live. It's less risky to tour with and cheaper/easier to replace if something is lost, broken, or stolen.


----------



## nickgray

soul_lip_mike said:


> Are these artists playing factory indonesians that normal people like us buy or are they better in any way?



I'm pretty sceptical of the whole "they're playing a secret custom shop" thing. If you gave, say, Steve Vai a Squier in a decent technical condition (meaning no fret sprout or twisted neck or anything like that, just a playable barebones guitar), and a practice amp, I'm dead sure he'd play the shit out of it. But if you, or I, or most of us really, got access to Steve Vai's equipment and guitars, we won't suddenly play like Steve Vai.

Bottom line is, it's not the guitar, it's the guitarist. As long as the guitar is in a good technical condition, that's all you really need. The rest is just gas.


----------



## soul_lip_mike

nickgray said:


> I'm pretty sceptical of the whole "they're playing a secret custom shop" thing. If you gave, say, Steve Vai a Squier in a decent technical condition (meaning no fret sprout or twisted neck or anything like that, just a playable barebones guitar), and a practice amp, I'm dead sure he'd play the shit out of it. But if you, or I, or most of us really, got access to Steve Vai's equipment and guitars, we won't suddenly play like Steve Vai.
> 
> Bottom line is, it's not the guitar, it's the guitarist. As long as the guitar is in a good technical condition, that's all you really need. The rest is just gas.



Yea I don't believe the higher end the guitar the better you play, more that professionals would prefer a higher end instrument.


----------



## littlebadboy

soul_lip_mike said:


> Yea I don't believe the higher end the guitar the better you play, more that professionals would prefer a higher end instrument.


I think pro players wouldn't mind playing a good quality mid-priced guitar. Nor do I think they prefer a higher-end guitar. I think it's more of... whatever tool fits their needs best.


----------



## Chokey Chicken

nickgray said:


> I'm pretty sceptical of the whole "they're playing a secret custom shop" thing. If you gave, say, Steve Vai a Squier in a decent technical condition (meaning no fret sprout or twisted neck or anything like that, just a playable barebones guitar), and a practice amp, I'm dead sure he'd play the shit out of it. But if you, or I, or most of us really, got access to Steve Vai's equipment and guitars, we won't suddenly play like Steve Vai.
> 
> Bottom line is, it's not the guitar, it's the guitarist. As long as the guitar is in a good technical condition, that's all you really need. The rest is just gas.




This is correct. A lot of people seem to think there's some sort of magic in higher end guitars. Too many tone chasers worrying about stuff like tone wood and such when, regardless if true or not (let's not debate that,) a guitar can sound great if played by a competent guitarist. Like you said, give Vai a well set up $200 chibson and he'll make it sing. Most people have their guitars set up one way or another after buying, and that'll typically fix any sort of truly meaningful qc issues.

Custom shop or Chinese made, a well known artist will have their guitar set up by a great tech that can make the worst playing off the shelf import play just as well as the most expensive domestic made axe. So long as the wood is in the shape of a guitar, it's structurally sound and they get along with the neck carve and such, a guitar is a guitar.


----------



## jl-austin

I have a few inexpensive Ibanez and I like them for what they are, but when it comes to recording and being creative, I do find that I am more creative on a more expensive guitar. Polished frets have a huge influence on how I play.


----------



## I play music

jl-austin said:


> I have a few inexpensive Ibanez and I like them for what they are, but when it comes to recording and being creative, I do find that I am more creative on a more expensive guitar. Polished frets have a huge influence on how I play.


I agree but get one of those inexpensive guitars refretted with stainless steel and it may play like an expensive guitar. I have done that once. Feels weird though when the refret costs more than the guitar...


----------



## Lukhas

I play music said:


> I agree but get one of those inexpensive guitars refretted with stainless steel and it may play like an expensive guitar. I have done that once. Feels weird though when the refret costs more than the guitar...


You can make a heap load of guitars play well as long as the wood isn't garbage and the neck doesn't change shape three times in the two minutes it takes to go from backstage to main stage. You most likely won't because it takes time and money to fix a cheap instrument; saying that as someone who had an Harley Benton Fusion Pro get the PLEK treatment. Realistically, even once added the cost of PLEK and the pickups, it's still a good price/performance ratio; but the neck isn't as stable as more expensive instruments. Getting a more expensive guitar generally compounds a lot of things: better woods (or at least better dried), better hardware, better finish, hopefully better setup... For less than the price of doing all those things to a cheap guitar costs.

In other words: yeah the pros could play better than you on a piece of fire wood; and you can make a piece of fire wood play just fine. It's just a pain in the ass! 

That being said, I doubt Solar has a Custom Shop tier or something. A bit more attention for the endorsed pros? Maybe. Doubt they can afford a lot more considering you're seemingly getting a pretty good instrument as is.


----------



## Alex79

soul_lip_mike said:


> Are these artists playing factory indonesians that normal people like us buy or are they better in any way?



I assume they are, possibly just with a bit of extra care and attention here and there. Some might have had a tech look over them as well and replace some parts.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

soul_lip_mike said:


> Are these artists playing factory indonesians that normal people like us buy or are they better in any way?


No. If they have a signature model, they typically play the final prototypes, but they're essentially identical to what you can buy in every way.


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

Honestly I think that Solar is the best looking LP shape out there. The headstock is great.


----------



## Omzig

Chokey Chicken said:


> This is correct. A lot of people seem to think there's some sort of magic in higher end guitars. Too many tone chasers worrying about stuff like tone wood and such when, regardless if true or not (let's not debate that,) a guitar can sound great if played by a competent guitarist. Like you said, give Vai a well set up $200 chibson and he'll make it sing. Most people have their guitars set up one way or another after buying, and that'll typically fix any sort of truly meaningful qc issues.
> 
> Custom shop or Chinese made, a well known artist will have their guitar set up by a great tech that can make the worst playing off the shelf import play just as well as the most expensive domestic made axe. So long as the wood is in the shape of a guitar, it's structurally sound and they get along with the neck carve and such, a guitar is a guitar.



This video of joe on a nasty cheap ass shitty strat copy and pratice amp sum's this comment up perfectly



Still sounds just like joe satch....i mean not even someone trying to sound like joe but 100% joe.

As for Solar haven't had chance to check out any of there gear but it looks like they fill their niche prefectly,id love to grab and check out the neo pink NT from a few pages back.


----------



## MadYarpen

I just bought a schecter 7 string, which is like 2x the price of mine solar V2 (when you compare new), and the quality, in some of the parts that matter, i.e. the neck and frets quality, Solar is much better. I had a rough start with it, but now I quite love it - and I am a quite frustrated with the schecter. Unlike with the Solar, those are not cosmetic issues. I just dropped it to the technician for the second time, and I am afraid it will eventually need the frets to be leveled (it is basically a new guitar with stainless frets...). I know Solar guitars have some issues, even mine had (minor and cosmetic), but generally I think those guitars don't lack anything to be used professionally to be honest. No need to correct frets for example, in my case (other than polishing some fret edges which were a little rough).

So at the moment I would be much more comfortable with spending my money on some Solar type something.1, than lets say korean made schecter for similar price...


----------



## binz

binz said:


> I've been eyeing this A2.7W with the Maple neck and fretboard for a while now. Somebody that pulled the trigger on here already?
> I am bit confused, the solar website says it will ship around october. On thomann it now went from 6-7 weeks to 2-3 weeks. Whats also strange is the 65€ difference (it was 700 on thomann but now its even 675 due to covid tax decrease in germany I guess).
> I recall that my A2.6LN also was supposed to arrive in December 2018 but I got it a month earlier or so, so at least I know that the dates on the solar website are quite tentative towards not pissing people off by setting shipping dates too early.
> 
> I would love a A1.7W version with an Evertune, but waiting and hoping this will be the next addition is kind of naive (but not too much since theres a new model like every 3 weeks  )



Got a reply from both solar and thomann saying that it was the first batch that is now sold out. Thomann said the next order is planned for end december, Solar says there'll be another one for october.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Omzig said:


> This video of joe on a nasty cheap ass shitty strat copy and pratice amp sum's this comment up perfectly
> 
> 
> 
> Still sounds just like joe satch....i mean not even someone trying to sound like joe but 100% joe.
> 
> As for Solar haven't had chance to check out any of there gear but it looks like they fill their niche prefectly,id love to grab and check out the neo pink NT from a few pages back.




Main issues with that video is that the audio is the quality of a potato, and he says the guitar was painful to play. 

ALSO

New sig guitar. For Tommy from Coroner.






Plain looking, but the specs seem cool.

Fluence Moderns, SS frets, and a FUCKING GOTOH FLOYD ROSE.


----------



## Omzig

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Main issues with that video is that the audio is the quality of a potato, and he says the guitar was painful to play.
> .



And yet the tone is 100% joe & even though it's a POS and painful to play he still makes it sings....which is the reason why it was posted as and example..........


----------



## cip 123

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Main issues with that video is that the audio is the quality of a potato, and he says the guitar was painful to play.
> 
> ALSO
> 
> New sig guitar. For Tommy from Coroner.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Plain looking, but the specs seem cool.
> 
> Fluence Moderns, SS frets, and a FUCKING GOTOH FLOYD ROSE.


Gotoh Floyds are absolutely awesome for anyone who hasn’t had experience with them


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

cip 123 said:


> Gotoh Floyds are absolutely awesome for anyone who hasn’t had experience with them



Yep, basically Gotoh's way of selling an original Edge for 1/3rd the price.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Yep, basically Gotoh's way of selling an original Edge for 1/3rd the price.



Not really. They're completely different units. They're much closer in feel, dimension, and materials to a Schaller/OFR. 

Really, besides provenance, the only thing the Edge and 1996T share are locking posts and a (different) pop-in arm.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

MaxOfMetal said:


> Not really. They're completely different units. They're much closer in feel, dimension, and materials to a Schaller/OFR.
> 
> Really, besides provenance, the only thing the Edge and 1996T share are locking posts and a (different) pop-in arm.



But you're still getting a trem on par with an Edge for 1/3rd the price.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> But you're still getting a trem on par with an Edge for 1/3rd the price.



The 1996T is better spec'd overall, even the finish is nicer. 

I love me some Edge, but they have their quirks. 

I have a feeling Gotoh is more stringent on QC/QA for their own branded products than Hoshino holds them to.


----------



## cip 123

MaxOfMetal said:


> The 1996T is better spec'd overall, even the finish is nicer.
> 
> I love me some Edge, but they have their quirks.
> 
> I have a feeling Gotoh is more stringent on QC/QA for their own branded products than Hoshino holds them to.


Can wholeheartedly agree with this. The care Gotoh put in to just the simple design aspects, tiny details you only notice when you’re fiddling with one screw, is amazing.

Their QC, design and overall work in my experience anyway has just been top notch.


----------



## Trashgreen




----------



## myrtorp

SINGLE PUP! YES more of this!!!


----------



## Hollowway

@Trashgreen sees new *green *guitar from Solar...”this is what we’ve been training for, let’s do this!” 

that color is pretty killer. I’d love to see this in other string combos. I’m still waiting to see the specs that force me to buy an 8 string Solar. (Aka I need an excuse...)


----------



## Wuuthrad

Love looking at Solar guitars, but I’m too particular about neck shape to actually buy one. That green does look really good!

I can’t see where the jack is. For me a V needs a top mounted jack. Any guitar really, not a nock on Solar by any means, but a front mounted jack is essential, especially as I get more familiar with an age related condition sometimes called couch position.


----------



## Andromalia

Wuuthrad said:


> Love looking at Solar guitars, but I’m too particular about neck shape to actually buy one. That green does look really good!
> 
> I can’t see where the jack is. For me a V needs a top mounted jack. Any guitar really, not a nock on Solar by any means, but a front mounted jack is essential, especially as I get more familiar with an age related condition sometimes called couch position.



Unfortunately, the jack is in the inside on the _lower _horn. It can be pretty annoying, depending on how vertical the guitar is when you play it standing. I had to adjust because it was straight up bumping on my leg. Guitar is otherwise very good.


----------



## I play music

Andromalia said:


> Unfortunately, the jack is in the inside on the _lower _horn. It can be pretty annoying, depending on how vertical the guitar is when you play it standing. I had to adjust because it was straight up bumping on my leg. Guitar is otherwise very good.


Does not make any sense at all to me. I think it should be upper horn like Jackson etc.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Wuuthrad said:


> I can’t see where the jack is.


----------



## JimF

If I was still gigging I'd buy that in a heartbeat. It looks cool as fuck but still restrained!


----------



## Wuuthrad

T00DEEPBLUE said:


>



Nice design right there! I’ve always preferred the traditional front mount which makes it easy to use practice headphone amps and right angle cables .


----------



## MrBouleDeBowling

I'm actually selling a guitar to buy this. Single pickup barebone metal guitars are the shit


----------



## SandyRavage

The Gotoh floyd and the single pup are the first I’ve actually been genuinely excited about. Very hard to not order the pair of them.


----------



## Exit Existence

That satin olive drab, army green V is RIDICULOUS. I NEED IT


----------



## Furtive Glance

If that guitar had gold hardware it would be like a Master Chief edition.


----------



## soul_lip_mike

Serious question - at what point does Solar make too many models?


----------



## Hollowway

soul_lip_mike said:


> Serious question - at what point does Solar make too many models?


Not until they make a Floyd 8, as far as I’m concerned.


----------



## trem licking

I made it into one of ola's FAQ vids askin about an 8 string floyd rose... He was not receptive to the idea


----------



## Metal Mortician

soul_lip_mike said:


> Serious question - at what point does Solar make too many models?


Ola’s guitar releases are limited and staggered to keep interest. I think it’s a great change to the stale NAMM release schedule. 

Much like how some Artists are choosing to release music piecemeal on Spotify rather than dropping an entire album all at once. 

Side Tangent: REALLY wishing I got in on the V run with Floyds and DiMarzios. That sold quick and I hope it gets a re-release.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a1-6frb-black-gloss/

Black gloss finish but w/ a satin neck and binding.


----------



## Hollowway

trem licking said:


> I made it into one of ola's FAQ vids askin about an 8 string floyd rose... He was not receptive to the idea



I swear, asking people about putting a Floyd on an 8 string is like letting out a fart in church. It’s met with a surprising amount of incredulousness and disdain. I just don’t get it. I guess dropping the pitch on those additional 5 notes is just asking waaaay too much of the music world.


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

I hate superstrats...but Ola's guitars look super nice and I would really love to try one. Those look really good..like...REALLY good


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> I hate superstrats...but Ola's guitars look super nice and I would really love to try one. Those look really good..like...REALLY good



Yep, there's something about the A shape that's just
Dayum


----------



## nickgray

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a1-6frb-black-gloss/
> 
> Black gloss finish but w/ a satin neck and binding.



Oh, man. This, but with a bolt on natural satin neck. And small dots (why does Ola hate dots anyway?). Massive ESP M-II vibes.


----------



## soul_lip_mike

Metal Mortician said:


> Ola’s guitar releases are limited and staggered to keep interest. I think it’s a great change to the stale NAMM release schedule.



Oh they're limited? I was under the impression they were just adding more to the permanent lineup all the time. Thanks!


----------



## fcv

Am I blind, or did the prices go way up on these? I pulled up the site today and the numbers look about the same as I remember, but the prices are all in Euros now, whereas I'm pretty sure they were in USD before.

EDIT: Disregard that, turns out if you add something to cart, and use the calculate shipping tool, it'll then switch the currency over. Not sure why there isn't something on the main listing page to view it without involving the cart, but that gets the price back to what I remember.


----------



## Metropolis

New colors for most affordable bare bones A2.6.


----------



## lewis

Metropolis said:


> New colors for most affordable bare bones A2.6.



Jesus christ

everything he touches turns to gold.
These colours are banging!

he is yet to put out a bad guitar haha


----------



## jephjacques

Hollowway said:


> I swear, asking people about putting a Floyd on an 8 string is like letting out a fart in church. It’s met with a surprising amount of incredulousness and disdain. I just don’t get it. I guess dropping the pitch on those additional 5 notes is just asking waaaay too much of the music world.



If you watch his videos it's pretty clear that he basically hates 8s in general


----------



## Vyn

Metropolis said:


> New colors for most affordable bare bones A2.6.



Looks like someone was inspired by the Ibanez Pia haha


----------



## Albake21

Just came here to post about the new colors, that silver is super tempting although I'd really like to get that silver with a floyd or evertune. Even the green and orange look awesome and I'm not normally into bright looking guitars.


----------



## MadYarpen

It is all thanks to the base model being really well designed, I think. Be it superstrat or V, they all are great. Then the colour usually looks good for someone, it is a matter of taste after all.


----------



## Merrekof

I don't like V's but the colour scheme is awesome. Ola is still going strong with his brand!


----------



## fcv

Merrekof said:


> View attachment 84634
> 
> I don't like V's but the colour scheme is awesome. Ola is still going strong with his brand!


Wow that is really nice. If it wasn't for the scale length I'd be really tempted to pick that up.


----------



## Furtive Glance

Ola needs a poster set up in his room that says "If it wasn't for ____, I'd buy it." And then just have 500 things listed like colour, inlay, bridge type, scale length, fretboard radius, pickup selector, output jack location, hardware finish, fretboard wood etc.


----------



## mbardu

Furtive Glance said:


> Ola needs a poster set up in his room that says "If it wasn't for ____, I'd buy it." And then just have 500 things listed like colour, inlay, bridge type, scale length, fretboard radius, pickup selector, output jack location, hardware finish, fretboard wood etc.



True, but at least "it's not a scale length that's comfortable for me" is understandable as a reason. Not like those "the material of the control knobs is not the right shade of black so I gotta pass"  .


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

That black gloss one was pretty dang sweet.


----------



## HungryGuitarStudent

Furtive Glance said:


> Ola needs a poster set up in his room that says "If it wasn't for ____, I'd buy it." And then just have 500 things listed like colour, inlay, bridge type, scale length, fretboard radius, pickup selector, output jack location, hardware finish, fretboard wood etc.



Hahaha, for sure.

I hope the bolt-on production will enable Solar to offer wider range of options when it comes to neck and fretboard (scale length, radius, and yes, inlays for the idiots like me hehe).


----------



## Isolationist

Furtive Glance said:


> Ola needs a poster set up in his room that says "If it wasn't for ____, I'd buy it." And then just have 500 things listed like colour, inlay, bridge type, scale length, fretboard radius, pickup selector, output jack location, hardware finish, fretboard wood etc.



I'm one of the pickiest guitar buyers out there, but I'm also one of the most boring because all I've wanted from Solar guitars since the beginning was a gloss black A2.7. That's it.

A gloss black S2.7 would be better though.


----------



## Vyn

HungryGuitarStudent said:


> Hahaha, for sure.
> 
> I hope the bolt-on production will enable Solar to offer wider range of options when it comes to neck and fretboard (scale length, radius, and yes, inlays for the idiots like me hehe).



I doubt those specs will change as that's one of the selling points of the guitars - radius and neck profile are kept the same throughout the line so that regardless of what Solar you pick up, it feels the same.


----------



## HungryGuitarStudent

Vyn said:


> I doubt those specs will change as that's one of the selling points of the guitars - radius and neck profile are kept the same throughout the line so that regardless of what Solar you pick up, it feels the same.



I don’t understand that argument at all, since many companies offer a spectrum of scale lengths and radii, to cater to a wider player base. Anyhow, it’s not a hill I want to die on heheh


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I think people need to realize that Solar Guitars isn't your typical company. It's more of a passion project, and a lot of the shit Solar Guitars releases is stuff that either Ola likes or thinks is cool.


----------



## mpexus

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I think people need to realize that Solar Guitars isn't your typical company. It's more of a passion project, and a lot of the shit Solar Guitars releases is stuff that either Ola likes or thinks is cool.




Until they start growing the specs will be basically the same. It's just changing Bridges and Colors right now basically.

Last video Ola kinda _hinted_ a "Strat". He was watching the latest Fender all Rosewood Neck special edition (from Protected Species to Special Edition.. oh well) and he was saying "Now that's cool maybe I should look at it more serious and make one too", something along these lines. So I either suspect a Pickguard Solar Strat like or a Full Rosewood Neck...


----------



## Quiet Coil

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I think people need to realize that Solar Guitars isn't your typical company. It's more of a passion project, and a lot of the shit Solar Guitars releases is stuff that either Ola likes or thinks is cool.



I’ve been working my way through his YouTube channel and he answered a question regarding why he doesn’t/will he ever have a Solar sig. I was genuinely surprised that he didn’t answer “the whole brand is my sig model”. Seriously, unless it’s a sig he made for another artist they’re ALL Ola sigs!


----------



## Carl Kolchak

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I think people need to realize that Solar Guitars isn't your typical company. It's more of a passion project, and a lot of the shit Solar Guitars releases is stuff that either Ola likes or thinks is cool.


Hopefully, he was smart enough not to have implemented a Chapman-esque return policy.


----------



## Merrekof

Carl Kolchak said:


> Hopefully, he was smart enough not to have implemented a Chapman-esque return policy.


Wich was what?


----------



## HungryGuitarStudent

Vyn said:


> I doubt those specs will change as that's one of the selling points of the guitars - radius and neck profile are kept the same throughout the line so that regardless of what Solar you pick up, it feels the same.



My 2 cents: many companies offer bolt-on production models with various options for scale length, fretboard radius and neck thickness (Suhr, Kiesel, Ibanez, etc.). Whether it’s financially viable for solar to do in the future is pretty hard to know for us SSO members IMO (excluding Ola).

I was simply saying that there seems to be a segment of the market that would be interested in that.


----------



## MASS DEFECT

I kinda wish Dino Cazares signed with Solar instead of Ormsby. Just imagine a single hum archtop or beveled A-Type with off-set side dots. Arrrrggghh


----------



## I play music

HungryGuitarStudent said:


> My 2 cents: many companies offer bolt-on production models with various options for scale length, fretboard radius and neck thickness (Suhr, Kiesel, Ibanez, etc.). Whether it’s financially viable for solar to do in the future is pretty hard to know for us SSO members IMO (excluding Ola).
> 
> I was simply saying that there seems to be a segment of the market that would be interested in that.


Or maybe you overestimate the amount of people who know what fretboard radius they want and buy nothing else.


----------



## HungryGuitarStudent

I play music said:


> Or maybe you overestimate the amount of people who know what fretboard radius they want and buy nothing else.



Possible, it's all speculation... The players I know are pretty specific about neck profiles, but maybe my sample isn't representative of the market.

That being said, I doubt other companies would offer those options if they weren't profitable.

All I'm saying is offering bolt-ons opens up flexibility on that end, in principle at least, which is something positive


----------



## Vyn

I play music said:


> Or maybe you overestimate the amount of people who know what fretboard radius they want and buy nothing else.



I think this is more likely. This a personal anecdote however I own guitars of varring radi from 12" to 17", some compound some constant and it's something I don't notice unless I'm really trying to look for it. The profile of the neck on the otherhand is a make or break and what a lot of players generally attribute to the feel of their guitars.


----------



## HungryGuitarStudent

Vyn said:


> I think this is more likely. This a personal anecdote however I own guitars of varring radi from 12" to 17", some compound some constant and it's something I don't notice unless I'm really trying to look for it. The profile of the neck on the otherhand is a make or break and what a lot of players generally attribute to the feel of their guitars.



For me, fretboard radius has an impact on playability (for vibrato, bends, etc.). Neck profile also, including thickness and neck width (and shape, obviously). There’s a range of these parameters I like, and a range I dislike. Same for all guitarists I know. Obviously scale length is another important neck playability related parameter.

Maybe the common denominator in the 1-1.5k$ market doesn’t care about these things, I have no clue.

Anyhow, anecdotes gonna anecdote.


----------



## Vyn

HungryGuitarStudent said:


> For me, fretboard radius has an impact on playability (for vibrato, bends, etc.). Neck profile also, including thickness and neck width (and shape, obviously). There’s a range of these parameters I like, and a range I dislike. Same for all guitarists I know. Obviously scale length is another important neck playability related parameter.
> 
> Maybe the common denominator in the 1-1.5k$ market doesn’t care about these things, I have no clue.
> 
> Anyhow, anecdotes gonna anecdote.



One thing I've found interesting is using the same base (same strings, same tuning, same pick) on a variety of scale-lengths, radi, neck profiles, bridges, nuts, tuners, neck constructions (you get the idea) and enjoying the differences for what they are/how they force me to play around them.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

MASS DEFECT said:


> I kinda wish Dino Cazares signed with Solar instead of Ormsby. Just imagine a single hum archtop or beveled A-Type with off-set side dots. Arrrrggghh



Okay yeah a Dino-designed solar would be fucking ***awesome***. 
But he seems plenty happy with Ormsby. Plus he was buddybuddy with him for awhile


----------



## c7spheres

MASS DEFECT said:


> I kinda wish Dino Cazares signed with Solar instead of Ormsby. Just imagine a single hum archtop or beveled A-Type with off-set side dots. Arrrrggghh






HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Okay yeah a Dino-designed solar would be fucking ***awesome***.
> But he seems plenty happy with Ormsby. Plus he was buddybuddy with him for awhile



- I agree. I'd rather see him with Solar too, but only if they make a bolt neck and an RGA like the one @zombloth just showed for his new guitar day! 
- Seriously. Ormsby's seem great but seem like a pain to deal with from what I can tell, real limited numbers and higher costs too. I'm more comfortable with the idea of doing business with Solar/Ola. 
- Either way, I want Solar to make an RGA bolt neck 7 string, ebony board, bass wood body. EMG pickups etc.


----------



## Vyn

c7spheres said:


> - I agree. I'd rather see him with Solar too, but only if they make a bolt neck and an RGA like the one @zombloth just showed for his new guitar day!
> - Seriously. Ormsby's seem great but seem like a pain to deal with from what I can tell, real limited numbers and higher costs too. I'm more comfortable with the idea of doing business with Solar/Ola.
> - Either way, I want Solar to make an RGA bolt neck 7 string, ebony board, bass wood body. EMG pickups etc.



FWIW and IIRC, Ormsby Run 14 will be the last pre-order run for the GTR line. All subsequent batches will be ordered fully and then released for sale once they arrive and have been QC'd (going to a more traditional model), which I suspect will make the brand more viable/palatable.


----------



## Andromalia

I play music said:


> Or maybe you overestimate the amount of people who know what fretboard radius they want and buy nothing else.


Debatable. People might not know their neck is a xx" neck with a xx° radius, but a lot of people are "I want a 60es Les Paul neck", "I want the Fender Clapton neck", etc which amounts to the same thing, really.


----------



## I play music

Andromalia said:


> Debatable. People might not know their neck is a xx" neck with a xx° radius, but a lot of people are "I want a 60es Les Paul neck", "I want the Fender Clapton neck", etc which amounts to the same thing, really.


That wouldn't help Ola, he can't put "with 60s Les Paul neck" in the description. Also do you really think Solar customers will say "I want a Fender clapton neck"? They want a guitar that chugs ;-)


----------



## Andromalia

I play music said:


> That wouldn't help Ola, he can't put "with 60s Les Paul neck" in the description. Also do you really think Solar customers will say "I want a Fender clapton neck"? They want a guitar that chugs ;-)


I answered your quote, nothing more, nothing less. My point was, people unable to point out in tech-savvy terms what they like... still like something and will find other ways to name them. I illustrated those with exemples of brands who have multiple neck offerings and whose customers know exactly what they want. Which is why I said that your point was debatable. 

Was that clear and concise enough ?


----------



## possumkiller

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a1-6frb-black-gloss/
> 
> Black gloss finish but w/ a satin neck and binding.


That motherfucker is fucking classy as fuck!


----------



## Albake21

Four new models. Really loving those floyd models.


----------



## binz

https://www.instagram.com/p/CFHeeVcAWpb/?igshid=1v7jwr3c6vnda

Also this S one,, not on the website yet though, just on instagram


----------



## Metropolis

binz said:


> https://www.instagram.com/p/CFHeeVcAWpb/?igshid=1v7jwr3c6vnda
> 
> Also this S one,, not on the website yet though, just on instagram



It's this one, lighting in the picture just makes it look so much darker.
https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/s2-6fwa-flame-walnut-matte/


----------



## Dumple Stilzkin

possumkiller said:


> That motherfucker is fucking classy as fuck!


It’s the first Solar to catch my eye. Gassing for a gloss black with neck binding and a Floyd.


----------



## MadYarpen

The more I think about it the more I want to sell my schecter sls and buy a 2nd Solar instead. 

Mine V2 plays so nice.


----------



## Metropolis

Three new Ola models, H-S pickup configuration is just so bad ass looking.


----------



## Louis Cypher

Loving the black on swamp ash


----------



## manu80

tasty looking.


----------



## binz

Can't get into open pore / wood with color finishes .. The fact that the second AB1.7 is also 25.5" reduced my hopes for a 26.5" or 27" AB1.7 with evertune

Also somebody understands why the AB1.7C and Ola one are 200 difference? Except the finish they're identical no?


----------



## Metropolis

binz said:


> Can't get into open pore / wood with color finishes .. The fact that the second AB1.7 is also 25.5" reduced my hopes for a 26.5" or 27" AB1.7 with evertune
> 
> Also somebody understands why the AB1.7C and Ola one are 200 difference? Except the finish they're identical no?



Ola model comes with a gig bag and has swamp ash body wood. Other than that almost identical, except the tone knob on AB1.7C. There is always little bit of extra on artist/signature models also.


----------



## JimF

I don't know which Ola one you're referring to, but the new AB models are bolt on if that helps?


----------



## MadYarpen

So, according to the last Sunday with ola there will be no swamp ash guitars in 2 series, due to the shortage otlf the tonewood. They will be using some local replacement. 

I am glad I managed to get a swamp ash one. Not saying the replacement will suck but it is an unknown at least for now...


----------



## binz

3 new models













I really dont get why make they another essentially equal red and black A1.7. Especially the red one, there is already this one




and since there is a new batch coming in December it doesnt look like the new red is replacing the old red one. Probably I am just hating because I cant stand the "wood-with-color" finishes.


----------



## JimF

Perhaps the old batch of the same colour is never to be repeated? So its a "oh you missed the red one? Well you can't get open pore but you can get satin trans red"...
I'd write a "I hope they do a XXX finish" type statement but I'm not in the market for a guitar so its a moot point really.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

One is plain. One is veneer.


----------



## Boojakki

New one is Alder w/ flame maple veneer, old one is Swamp Ash... Maybe bec. o/t ash shortage...


----------



## Louis Cypher

I love this series Ola has been doing


----------



## JimF

I spotted this in a previous video and wonder what the deal was. I'm really loving painted guitars with natural rears at the moment. I'd love something like that.


----------



## lewis

BRAND NEW MODELS


----------



## manu80

Took some time to have a slime version, sooo obvious it was gonna happen !!


----------



## I play music

lewis said:


> BRAND NEW MODELS



dime slime but the shape is wrong


----------



## JimF

Oh shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit I need that V


----------



## KnightBrolaire

yeah that slime V is HAWTTTTTT


----------



## binz

New models every Friday confirmed?
Is thst official or just a trend?


----------



## Metropolis

Bad. Ass. Next superstrats with slime finish plz.


----------



## Vyn

These will be popular as fuck, hit the nail on the head.


----------



## mbardu

lewis said:


> BRAND NEW MODELS




I like the demo video!
Chugga-chugga-chugga-chugga-chugga-chugga-chugga-chugga....Chuuuuuggington!

Oh and the color is not bad either, but still not jiving with the E design,sadly.


----------



## Chanson

That finish but with a roasted maple fretboard/neck


----------



## lewis

Chanson said:


> That finish but with a roasted maple fretboard/neck


surely bolt ons with those necks instead are incoming???


----------



## lewis

Avocado burst just looks so nice.
Ive watched the vid so many times


----------



## MadYarpen

still no 26.5 V 7...


----------



## Atefred

MadYarpen said:


> still no 26.5 V 7...


Still no multiscale options for much longer scales... 26.5 isn't enough


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I'm actually surprised there isn't more baritones since Ola seemed to have a newfound love for them. 

Chances are low for a multiscale, though. He never came off as someone that wanted or needed them.


----------



## Atefred

A shame. I've grown to really like my a1.6 after I swapped the pickups, but now want to get a 27.5 or more. I would definitely go with another solar if there was one for this, as is it looks like an ormsby hype gtr is the thing that ticks the boxes (never tried one though, and people here seem to not be keen on them, so unsure...)


----------



## I play music

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I'm actually surprised there isn't more baritones since Ola seemed to have a newfound love for them.


where do you have that from? can't remember him playing anything falling into baritone category since his S7G videos


----------



## Vyn

MadYarpen said:


> still no 26.5 V 7...



25.5" is fine for a 7? Unless you're playing on tuning down past A or want that extended range, 'djent' tone there's no real need for it.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I play music said:


> where do you have that from? can't remember him playing anything falling into baritone category since his S7G videos





I guess it wasn't like... a newfound love, but his reaction ~19:55 when he started riffing. He didn't like the lead sounds, but the riffing blew his mind.



Vyn said:


> 25.5" is fine for a 7? Unless you're playing on tuning down past A or want that extended range, 'djent' tone there's no real need for it.



There's that extra magic an extra inch can give IMO


Spoiler



Phrasing!



My two baritones have an extremely clear low end and attack for drop tunings, as well as all the previous ones I've tried.


----------



## Vyn

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> There's that extra magic an extra inch can give IMO
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> Phrasing!
> 
> 
> 
> My two baritones have an extremely clear low end and attack for drop tunings, as well as all the previous ones I've tried.



For sure. I just think there's a bit too much "I need this exact scale length otherwise things just won't work." They will work, it will be different however it's always worth experimenting and trying.


----------



## Metal Mortician

Wow! The Avocado Burst V is already sold out. Sad face


----------



## Quiet Coil

Solar is probably the first brand I’ve been interested in based solely on its founder. And while it’s just as well I can’t afford jack squat anymore as I don’t need another guitar, I think I’d feel genuinely good about supporting Ola. Maybe someday, when the Mrs. goes back to work and I’m even more decrepit.


----------



## MadYarpen

Vyn said:


> 25.5" is fine for a 7? Unless you're playing on tuning down past A or want that extended range, 'djent' tone there's no real need for it.


Drop A, actually. I know 25.5 works, but 26.5 is a bit better. Being able to use 0.64 string for the low A is nice.


----------



## Vyn

MadYarpen said:


> Drop A, actually. I know 25.5 works, but 26.5 is a bit better. Being able to use 0.64 string for the low A is nice.



For Drop A I've played everything from 24.75" to 27.5" with string gauges ranging from .058 up to .074 for the low A (have tried all of those gauges on all the popular lengths of 24.75", 25.5", 26.5", 27" and 27.5") and the answer I've come up with has been owning multiple guitars of different lengths strung with the same gauge of strings for the same tuning as they all have something to offer.


----------



## I play music

Vyn said:


> 25.5" is fine for a 7? Unless you're playing on tuning down past A or want that extended range, 'djent' tone there's no real need for it.


I always associate that typical djdjent tone as in prriphery with too short scale length for the tuning so the djdjent goes all booooing sharp when you hit it
It's kinda the opposite of Meshuggah


----------



## I play music

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I guess it wasn't like... a newfound love, but his reaction ~19:55 when he started riffing. He didn't like the lead sounds, but the riffing blew his mind.
> 
> 
> 
> There's that extra magic an extra inch can give IMO
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> Phrasing!
> 
> 
> 
> My two baritones have an extremely clear low end and attack for drop tunings, as well as all the previous ones I've tried.



I'd love me some longer scale Solars but I dunno he also says it's difficult to play so he does not seem 100% convinced yet :-(
I just never get when people say longer scales are so hard to play .. have they never seen a bass or what?


----------



## mmr007

This might piss off the Ola fans but honestly isn't the Solar just a ripoff of the Washburn sig he had them build him? Then he took that guitar to a factory in Indonesia and made it his own without the expense of truly developing a design....Washburn did that for him. If I'm wrong...let me know.


----------



## Vyn

mmr007 said:


> This might piss off the Ola fans but honestly isn't the Solar just a ripoff of the Washburn sig he had them build him? Then he took that guitar to a factory in Indonesia and made it his own without the expense of truly developing a design....Washburn did that for him. If I'm wrong...let me know.



The guitars Washburn built him were his own designs. He brought the designs into Washburn then took them when he left. Washburn just built them.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

mmr007 said:


> This might piss off the Ola fans but honestly isn't the Solar just a ripoff of the Washburn sig he had them build him? Then he took that guitar to a factory in Indonesia and made it his own without the expense of truly developing a design....Washburn did that for him. If I'm wrong...let me know.



Yep you're wrong. Ola owns all the designs he made with Washburn. He co-designed them with a graphic's designer not affiliated with Washbhurn. EDIT: Found out it's the guys from Razor Images, who does the artwork for Feared.

In fact, when he left Washburn, Michael Sweet had to redesign his sig model, since it was basically the Solar V.

Before:






After:


----------



## mmr007

I know he "designed" it...it is his design as I said, but BUILDING a guitar is a different thing and costs money. That's why I am asking...based on watching Ola's videos (going all the way back to when he wore a yellow body suit and played his riffs through a Vetta), it seemed he had Washburn build him a guitar to his stated specs and then immediately went and made the same guitar with the same specs but a Solar badge.

I know he severed ties with Randall and it makes sense, but the move from Washburn always seemed sketch to me...like I said. I could be wrong


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I don't get it?  Ola owned all his designs. He knew what specs he wanted. He was with them for 4 years. Dude's contract was probably up, and Washburn isn't a thriving company (Look at all the other brands owned by USMC... Randall, Parker... not exactly happy days) and lost their USA custom shop, so I don't blame him for jumping ship. It's not like he's legally obligated to stay with Washburn, or for them to keep the designs he owned, just because they made his first mass-produced sig model.


----------



## Andromalia

mmr007 said:


> it seemed he had Washburn build him a guitar to his stated specs and then immediately went and made the same guitar with the same specs but a Solar badge.


He stayed with Washburn for a few years, that "immediately" is unwarranted. That's Tosin Abasi and Ibanez you might think of, Ibanez didn't even have the time to put the guitar into production.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Andromalia said:


> He stayed with Washburn for a few years, that "immediately" is unwarranted. That's Tosin Abasi and Ibanez you might think of, Ibanez didn't even have the time to put the guitar into production.



Yeah, I'd say 4 years is long enough to decide whether a brand is worth staying with or not, and with how down in the dumps Washburn was (lost Strandberg, USA shop closed, partner brands closing/struggling), I do NOT blame Ola leaving in favor of his own brand where he has full creative control


----------



## nickgray

mmr007 said:


> but BUILDING a guitar is a different thing and costs money



The point being? It's your average superstrat, any guitar factory that deals with electrics can build them. It's not like they had any real R&D costs.



mmr007 said:


> it seemed he had Washburn build him a guitar to his stated specs



His design, not just stated specs, the dude literally owns those Solar designs, and obviously Washburn knew that. I don't see what you're getting at here, there's nothing sketchy about the whole thing at all. He stayed with Washburn for a few years too. Not to mention that this sort of stuff always has a contract that both parties sign, so they both knew what they were getting into.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

This is... an extremely weird way to spin things to make Ola look like a greedy theif.


----------



## mmr007

So....if I am understanding this correctly I am so full of crap on this issue?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

mmr007 said:


> So....if I am understanding this correctly I am so full of crap on this issue?



More or less.  Ola had some designs in mind, went to Washburn, they made the designs. Ola stayed with them for 4 years until (MOST LIKELY) his contract was up and he decided to make his own guitar brand. 

Keep in mind he was also with Strictly 7 Guitars, so I'm sure he had first-hand experience with a mismanaged company.


----------



## nickgray

mmr007 said:


> So....if I am understanding this correctly I am so full of crap on this issue?



In a nutshell 

Just for fun,

Late 2013, seems like the earliest vid of a Washburn Solar:



Late 2017, first Solar Guitars video on the official channel:



So between 3-4 years. Also, I remember Ola saying that the reason he quit was because he had way more ideas than Washburn could actually put out. Seems like he stuck to it - Solar makes a shitton of models nowadays, it started out small, but the sheer amount of models it has now is pretty impressive. Pretty sure there's absolutely no way it could've happened with Washburn.

The artist roster is crazy too.


----------



## Andromalia

nickgray said:


> but the sheer amount of models it has now is pretty impressive


Actually, not that much: all the nonblack/white guitars are limited runs. Ola doesn't restock all the models he had built at some point, once they're gone, they're gone.
The blue A2.6 from your video is not available any longer for exemple.


----------



## soul_lip_mike

Vyn said:


> The guitars Washburn built him were his own designs. He brought the designs into Washburn then took them when he left. Washburn just built them.



Kinda like Mustaine with the Jackson Y2KV


----------



## manu80

You got the choice to release your own stuff and make money with it or stay with a dead brand, not available everywhere etc...what do you do ?


----------



## JimF

Ola Fanboy here with a stupid memory for irrelevant facts:

Happy to be corrected, but what my brain is telling me after watching all the vids over the years, is that Washburn got new owners/management reshuffle, that didn't want to expand his line or work closely with him. Basically he wanted to expand, and they wanted to scale down his range. He started Solar guitars with his friend/business contact at Washburn who had left.


----------



## nickgray

Andromalia said:


> Actually, not that much



https://www.solar-guitars.com/shop/

There are ~90 models currently available.



Andromalia said:


> Ola doesn't restock all the models



Yes, but he just comes up with new ones, and the amount of available ones is expanding.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

JimF said:


> Ola Fanboy here with a stupid memory for irrelevant facts:
> 
> Happy to be corrected, but what my brain is telling me after watching all the vids over the years, is that Washburn got new owners/management reshuffle, that didn't want to expand his line or work closely with him. Basically he wanted to expand, and they wanted to scale down his range. He started Solar guitars with his friend/business contact at Washburn who had left.



The latter sounds right (Solar being former Washburn guys, and even a former Washburn factory), but I don't recall the former (New management).


----------



## soul_lip_mike

nickgray said:


> https://www.solar-guitars.com/shop/
> 
> There are ~90 models currently available.
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, but he just comes up with new ones, and the amount of available ones is expanding.



I know it seemed like every week I was getting a youtube alert that he was pushing another solar model but god damn that is kind of ridiculous. 90 different models is kind of silly, no?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

soul_lip_mike said:


> I know it seemed like every week I was getting a youtube alert that he was pushing another solar model but god damn that is kind of ridiculous. 90 different models is kind of silly, no?



Seems like they build those in batches. A lot of them have to be preordered. I'm guessing if they reach a certain quota, they build them and keep shipping them. But if the demand runs out, they can stop making batches of them.

I don't know anything about Solar's sales model, just a guess.


----------



## Metropolis

Kind of silly, but it's nice to have variety. Ola can probably do that because manufacturing numbers aren't that big, and you can combine hardware, different shapes and finishes easily because their construction is similar to each other. Only three different neck shapes for example which vary only with scale length if you think measurements. Some models just come and go, then in some time new variations come available.


----------



## nickgray

soul_lip_mike said:


> 90 different models is kind of silly, no?



More is more.


----------



## Metal Mortician

^ Except when it comes to a receding hairline.


----------



## I play music

Metal Mortician said:


> ^ Except when it comes to a receding hairline.


More hair is more hair.


----------



## Bearitone

I’m itching to see what he Ola is dropping for Halloween. Last years Halloween guitars were sick


----------



## josh1

Pretty ironic he called the Kirk Hammet inlays cringey while his is plain awful that ruins the guitars. Every guitar doesn't need Ola inlay. It already says Solar on the headstock.


----------



## SpaceDock

josh1 said:


> Pretty ironic he called the Kirk Hammet inlays cringey while his is plain awful that ruins the guitars. Every guitar doesn't need Ola inlay. It already says Solar on the headstock.



Thank you! Ditch that inlay for some offset or a blank board at least on a few models. I mean, Ola has like 100 different models can’t he switch up the inlays opts a bit???


----------



## josh1

SpaceDock said:


> Thank you! Ditch that inlay for some offset or a blank board at least on a few models. I mean, Ola has like 100 different models can’t he switch up the inlays opts a bit???


It makes them seem as all signature models. I don't want to play a signature model. I want a regular model. I really like some of the Solars but the inlay kills it for me.


----------



## jarledge

i am really in love with the new dimeslime E, but I have never had a chance to check out the solar stuff. Does it hold up for the price point ? I had seen a couple of negative reviews on the facebook group but I always like getting input from somewhere I think might be a little more objective about the quality and finish of them.


----------



## Vyn

josh1 said:


> Pretty ironic he called the Kirk Hammet inlays cringey while his is plain awful that ruins the guitars. Every guitar doesn't need Ola inlay. It already says Solar on the headstock.



The Solar Inlay is one of the least cringe-worthy designs to be slapped on a fretboard, and actually suits them.


----------



## Mathemagician

At this point it’s just the company logo. People are reading way too much into it IMO.


----------



## shadowlife

Mathemagician said:


> At this point it’s just the company logo. People are reading way too much into it IMO.



Agreed. It's like seeing clocks or a vine on a fretboard, it's part of the brand identity. Whether or not it's aesthetically pleasing is a personal thing.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

josh1 said:


> Pretty ironic he called the Kirk Hammet inlays cringey while his is plain awful that ruins the guitars. Every guitar doesn't need Ola inlay. It already says Solar on the headstock.









I really like the Solar inlay. It has an elegant symmetry and it helps give Ola's guitars a unique brand identity among an oversaturated market of Ibanez, ESP, Jackson, Schecter etc. Not an easy feat to accomplish.

Without the 12th fret inlay, the guitars would look too generic.


----------



## spudmunkey

Mathemagician said:


> At this point it’s just the company logo. People are reading way too much into it IMO.



Literally. He's officially stopped using it as his logo, and made a new one for himself, so that it could be just for the brand.


----------



## Decapitated

Wow. You mean to tell me there are people that don’t like the inlay? Gee. Never heard that before.


----------



## manu80

Another one
It’s friday


----------



## mbardu

manu80 said:


> View attachment 85783
> Another one
> It’s friday



I feel like if you're going for the "black beauty" spirit, you kinda need need the rest of the looks (pickup rings, bindings, maybe pickguard)...otherwise it looks a bit off or incomplete. And that's coming from someone who loves the GC shape!


----------



## manu80

to release a guitar every week, it’s all about costs cuts. So The simplier the better. Still that "every friday release" , is, to me, a brake to buy any solar guitar. I was ready to get the Slime green V, but i was like,"what if he releases it in gloss clear in a month? or make another neon serie for V line ? ", so I didn't pull the trigger. Too many options in a very short period.


----------



## MadYarpen

yeah, this is an issue. I bought the swamp ash V 6 because it was literally a perfect guitar for me. But I think I'll want to replace my schecter 7 string, and in this case I don't know what I will do. I hope he will release 26.5 inch 7 V (which would be unique on the market at the moment), so despite absolutely loving the canibalismo one, I know I will be hesitating...


----------



## nickgray

So let me get this straight, more models is bad because perhaps Ola will make an ever so slightly more suitable model (for you) in the near future? I honestly don't know what to say... guitar forums in a nutshell, I guess


----------



## Señor Voorhees

nickgray said:


> So let me get this straight, more models is bad because perhaps Ola will make an ever so slightly more suitable model (for you) in the near future? I honestly don't know what to say... guitar forums in a nutshell, I guess




Definitely a first world problem to have, but it sucks if you're like "this one is cool, but what if he makes one with this one more feature," then never does and you missed out on the model that was almost exactly what you wanted. 

I don't have that problem as I'm a perfect consumer... I see something close to what I want, I buy it... Then something closer to what I want comes out, I'll find a way to either get that too, or sell the one that was ALMOST what I wanted. As a perfect example, when schecter released the aquaburst, 6 string, flame veneer Avenger with the sustainiac, I was trying to find a way to get that same thing in a 7 with reversed headstock with quilt maple. Went so far as to buy an old cheap 7 string avenger with the intents of refinishing it, applying a veneer, and routing it out for a sustainiac. Decided that would cost too much and look like shit, so I forwent the 7th string, quilt, and reversed headstock (plus longer scale) and bought the six string version. (Now I owned the 6 that was almost perfect and a cheap 7 string Avenger) Like a month after I bought the 6, they released a 7 through DCGL and I sold the 6 before I had even fully paid it off so I could buy the 7. I was basically paying sweetwater for a guitar I bought from a local shop on reverb. lol

I have such a serious case of "if I don't jump on it now, I'll never get another chance, must buy now!" lol


----------



## Decapitated

I buy what I want. I want a guitar with an Evertune. Looks like I have options.


----------



## MadYarpen

nickgray said:


> So let me get this straight, more models is bad because perhaps Ola will make an ever so slightly more suitable model (for you) in the near future? I honestly don't know what to say... guitar forums in a nutshell, I guess


No, not really. The more the better. My personal problem is with the way he is announcing them, not all at once but 3 guitars or month or something like that? I know it is to keep people interested, but I would sooo much more preferred a catalogue for the whole year or something. 

His approach is working, because I am eagerly waiting what will they release next, but at the same time it will make it more difficult to actually pull the trigger, considering I have some *perfect* spec in mind, and such guitar was not announced yet. Because who knows, maybe they will announce one... next fucking week?


----------



## Bearitone

manu80 said:


> to release a guitar every week, it’s all about costs cuts. So The simplier the better. Still that "every friday release" , is, to me, a brake to buy any solar guitar. I was ready to get the Slime green V, but i was like,"what if he releases it in gloss clear in a month? or make another neon serie for V line ? ", so I didn't pull the trigger. Too many options in a very short period.


Other way around man. You don’t know what will ever be back it stock. So you HAVE to get that slime burst. Nom sayin?

For real though, Ola is dope for releasing this many models. If he made 28” or 29” baritones my wallet would be in serious trouble.


----------



## pahulkster

Ordering a singlecut soon. The new black one is very nice but I really like the ltd wood finish.


----------



## Andromalia

Señor Voorhees said:


> Definitely a first world problem to have, but it sucks if you're like "this one is cool, but what if he makes one with this one more feature," then never does and you missed out on the model that was almost exactly what you wanted.



It's an easy fix, do it like me: buy a house, and then you don't have enough money to (reasonably) purchase a new guitar for a few months. Problem solved.


----------



## Vyn

Andromalia said:


> It's an easy fix, do it like me: buy a house, and then you don't have enough money to (reasonably) purchase a new guitar for a few months. Problem solved.



Or give up booze, don't smoke, don't eat out and don't own a vehicle like me and you'll have all the money to buy all the guitars


----------



## Andromalia

Vyn said:


> Or give up booze, don't smoke, don't eat out and don't own a vehicle like me and you'll have all the money to buy all the guitars


I'm the same, but I bought a house litterally _two weeks ago_. In cash. Come tell me how I should buy a guitar _now_.


----------



## mlp187

Andromalia said:


> I'm the same, but I bought a house litterally _two weeks ago_. In cash. Come tell me how I should buy a guitar _now_.


Depending on where you live... so no mortgage? Just property taxes? Well, fuck yeah, buy more guitars!


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

manu80 said:


> View attachment 85783
> Another one
> It’s friday


That with gold pickup covers? Flawless victory.


----------



## MrBouleDeBowling

manu80 said:


> to release a guitar every week, it’s all about costs cuts. So The simplier the better. Still that "every friday release" , is, to me, a brake to buy any solar guitar. I was ready to get the Slime green V, but i was like,"what if he releases it in gloss clear in a month? or make another neon serie for V line ? ", so I didn't pull the trigger. Too many options in a very short period.



+1

I just ordered a A2.6W because it suits my needs but if he releases a V with this finish I'm going to be so pissed hahaha


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE




----------



## mpexus

T00DEEPBLUE said:


>



Curious to see your own Design of a LP. Enlighten us please with your most certain super Aesthetic vision.


----------



## mpexus

duplicate...


----------



## Albake21

Funny enough the Solar LP is one of the only LPs I actually like and would consider buying. I know many people don't like the headstock but I actually love it.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Still a better guitar than the Jackson Monarkh






Also I like the Solar LP. Sue me.


----------



## mpexus

Albake21 said:


> Funny enough the Solar LP is one of the only LPs I actually like and would consider buying. I know many people don't like the headstock but I actually love it.



This also to me.

Its a revamped take on an old shape. Its a _Metal_ take on a more conservative shape.

I almost bought a flat top Open Pore one since I prefer flat tops. Didn't hurry up and they all sold


----------



## mpexus

Find this one great looking to be honest.


----------



## I play music

T00DEEPBLUE said:


>


I kinda agree that a Les Paul body shape should be symmetrical (except for the cutaway) but this single cut still looks 100000 times better than the E-Style guitar in your avatar


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

mpexus said:


> Find this one great looking to be honest.



Yeah I would totally snag one of those if I had the money to swap out the pickups


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

mpexus said:


> Curious to see your own Design of a LP. Enlighten us please with your most certain super Aesthetic vision.


ESP did it for me.







I play music said:


> I kinda agree that a Les Paul body shape should be symmetrical (except for the cutaway) but this single cut still looks 100000 times better than the E-Style guitar in your avatar


It's called a meme dude. Relax.

The headstock shape fits the E-type really well. meanwhile 6-in-line headstocks on LP's can die in a hole.


----------



## soul_lip_mike

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Still a better guitar than the Jackson Monarkh
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Also I like the Solar LP. Sue me.





mpexus said:


> Find this one great looking to be honest.



The headstocks on both of these are what ruin it. For me an LP has to be a 3+3 LP shaped headstock.. It's just a law of LP's!


----------



## JimF

Strangley, as someone who dislikes LPs, the Solar is the only one I've come close to buying. And with piles of superstrats in my house, thats only getting more and more likely. 
Also, me likey the gold Evertunes. Just a shame they're not 25.5" scale


----------



## mpexus

soul_lip_mike said:


> The headstocks on both of these are what ruin it. For me an LP has to be a 3+3 LP shaped headstock.. It's just a law of LP's!



Does it also have to have 4 Knobs no one uses?


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

mpexus said:


> Does it also have to have 4 Knobs no one uses?


It would look wrong without them, so yes.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

I think the single cut looks pretty great. The V has a solid design too. 

I say that as someone who primarily plays boring super-Strats. 

If folks just want something so "same-y", just grab an LTD ECwhatever.


----------



## JimF

Yes! The more I see videos/further pics of the V the more I'm falling for those deep bevels etc.


----------



## lewis

VINTER MODEL _


----------



## JimF

OOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooo Fishmans!

Edit: I know there's another with Fishmans, but that was a sig model.


----------



## manu80

White friday !!!!


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Good to see the best Solar guitar come back.


----------



## Seabeast2000

Old: Evertune bridge
Bold: Nevertune bridge


----------



## r3tr0sp3ct1v3

mpexus said:


> Find this one great looking to be honest.



Same. Reminds me of the Fernandez single cut I cannot remember the name of


----------



## soul_lip_mike

Is an evertune similar to floyd that its a pain in the dick to change tunings like going from standard to full step down?


----------



## jarledge

r3tr0sp3ct1v3 said:


> Same. Reminds me of the Fernandez single cut I cannot remember the name of







Fernandes Ravelle Elite 

I like the fernandes shape quite a bit more. The Solar single looks a little too bubbly, in that the curves are a little too fat.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

soul_lip_mike said:


> Is an evertune similar to floyd that its a pain in the dick to change tunings like going from standard to full step down?



It depends. How hard do you find tying shoe laces? 

There's a process, but once you learn it, it's by no means difficult.

Do you adjust intonation every time you switch tunings?


----------



## mbardu

MaxOfMetal said:


> Do you adjust intonation every time you switch tunings?



I feel like this is a trick/shaming question like the dentist's "do you reaaaaally floss after every meal"


----------



## MaxOfMetal

mbardu said:


> I feel like this is a trick/shaming question like the dentist's "do you reaaaaally floss after every meal"



No shame, just some perspective.


----------



## mbardu

MaxOfMetal said:


> No shame, just some perspective.



Best answer anyway is to have enough guitars for all your tunings so you only have to intonate once.
What can I say though...as I'm old now I actually enjoy flossing so who knows...maybe soon I'll enjoy intonating too!


----------



## ZXIIIT

mpexus said:


> Does it also have to have 4 Knobs no one uses?


Exactly.



T00DEEPBLUE said:


> It would look wrong without them, so yes.











omg looks so wrong


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

ZXIIIT said:


> omg looks so wrong


Indeed it does. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.


----------



## MadYarpen

Sweet. https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a1-6vinter-pearl-white-matte/


----------



## MrBouleDeBowling

Just got my A2.6W. Pretty amazing guitar for the price!


----------



## Furtive Glance

MadYarpen said:


> *snip
> Sweet. https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a1-6vinter-pearl-white-matte/



This is sorely tempting. I love almost everything about it.


----------



## unadventurer

Well... I jumped on the bandwagon yesterday and ordered a A1.6FRFB in Flame Black Matte.

Hope I like the Duncan Solar's... I may eventually get a set of Black Winters but we'll have to see.

I recently picked up a used 7-string GOC Materia 2.0 (2019) but, it's not really doing it for me. I also miss having something with a trem (besides my strat). 

Now I just need to sell the GOC . Will probably list here soon. PM if you have any interest.

May the shipping from Spain be ever swift! *Ola burp*


----------



## BusinessMan

jarledge said:


> i am really in love with the new dimeslime E, but I have never had a chance to check out the solar stuff. Does it hold up for the price point ? I had seen a couple of negative reviews on the facebook group but I always like getting input from somewhere I think might be a little more objective about the quality and finish of them.



I bought the E2.7 and its pretty nice. There were some cosmetic issues like a scratch on the fretboard, a few paint bubbles and some glue sticking out of the higher frets. Plays super nice though. Id say it was worth it while you could still get them at the same prices in USD but not when everything switched to euros. I bought it when they were 777usd/777 euro but now everything is just in euros.


----------



## NicoMCH

I just joined the Solar family 2 weeks ago with my first 7 string, the S1.7 PB. Shipping and packaging were good and it went fast (Spain to Switzerland). QC on the guitar is really well done (fretboard is perfect, no sharp edges). Just saw a small blemish in the binding just above the jack input, if you are not looking for it you won't see it right away. 
The poplar veneer looks great, and the neck is fantastic, not too thick or thin just the right middle. The evetune is a fantastic tool as well, took some time to get completely acquainted with (intonation and then finding the edge of zone 2 to 3). Really surprised also by the pickups up to now (coming from my ESP KH 2 with EMGs or my Ibanez with Bareknuckles) they sound really good, might change them down the road but it is not a priority for the moment. in a nutshell really great price/quality ratio offered by Solar Guitars. Definitely will consider other purchases!


----------



## VGK17

BusinessMan said:


> I bought the E2.7 and its pretty nice. There were some cosmetic issues like a scratch on the fretboard, a few paint bubbles and some glue sticking out of the higher frets. Plays super nice though. Id say it was worth it while you could still get them at the same prices in USD but not when everything switched to euros. I bought it when they were 777usd/777 euro but now everything is just in euros.


You need to log into an account on the website to see US prices. Seems to be just a bug in the page encoding.


----------



## BusinessMan

VGK17 said:


> You need to log into an account on the website to see US prices. Seems to be just a bug in the page encoding.



Ah. I thought they just switched all the prices to euros. So is the price the same in euros (meaning 777 euros is gonna be 777usd or did they change that? I would say its more than worth it if you can get it at the same price in USD then. My e2.7 is schweeeet).


----------



## VGK17

BusinessMan said:


> Ah. I thought they just switched all the prices to euros. So is the price the same in euros (meaning 777 euros is gonna be 777usd or did they change that? I would say its more than worth it if you can get it at the same price in USD then. My e2.7 is schweeeet).


No unfortunately it goes to whatever the current exchange rate is.


----------



## JazzS

Solar A-Type basses are now available 

https://www.solar-guitars.com/categorie-produit/type-ab-bass-en/


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/ab2-4bop-black-open-pore-matte/

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/ab2-5an-aged-natural-matte/

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/ab2-5rb-roasted-brown-matte/


----------



## binz

35" on the 5 string models


----------



## Rocktoe

I need a Solar 5-string with stainless steel frets and a bass EverTune bridge!


----------



## blacai

Now he just needs to release headless guitars and maybe a SG so there are no more "I don't plan to release a..." left to go.


----------



## Sumsar

Anyone knows what those Solar Tesla pickups on the basses are? Some cheap junk that you need to replace or something that could sound good?


----------



## Rocktoe

Sumsar said:


> Anyone knows what those Solar Tesla pickups on the basses are? Some cheap junk that you need to replace or something that could sound good?



Tesla pickups are fine in my opinion. They're not made in the USA which explains the lower pricing, but they make a perfectly good product.


----------



## I play music




----------



## I play music

I play music said:


>


The new bass shape looks good but it has no feature to stand out from the thousands of other basses out there. At least stainless steel frets would be cool. The Ibanez costs not even half as much. Of course I have no idea how they compare quality wise.


----------



## jl-austin

How I wish that RGB would be available in the US.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

ZXIIIT said:


> Exactly.



Paul's face here





I ain't gonna lie, there's... nothing special about the basses as said before. Too many humbucker basses on the market.

...But if we eventually get a 5-string P/J. Fuuuuuck. Make a fr00t series bass with a P/J placement and go for an '80s throwback bass like the other bolt-on/fr00t guitars in the Solar lineup.


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

I play music said:


>



Honestly I'd go with the P/J combo but I'm partial to those tones.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> Honestly I'd go with the P/J combo but I'm partial to those tones.








Just yeah, not enough P/J love for me in the bass realm. Lots of humbuckers and J-J pickups, but no old-school PJ setups.

Bonus points if they go with the Spector reverse P/J, like that Ibanez.


----------



## Hollowway

Yeah, those basses aren’t making me smash the BIN button. There are so many super cool production basses out there now these will probably not sell as much as the guitars, I’d think. That said, it’s cool to see Ola coming out with a line of basses.


----------



## Chanson

Not at all interested in the basses, the aesthetics of the body and headstock don't work as a bass for me. I am hoping he continues to experiment with different shapes and specs, because there is potential but currently I doubt they are going to pull many bassists outside of a Solar fanboy guitarist who wants a bass or someone who is sponsored.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I honestly really love the looks of the bass. I just think we need more J/J or P/J metal basses. Like a modernized Jackson Concert or ESP Surveyor.


----------



## VGK17

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I honestly really love the looks of the bass. I just think we need more J/J or P/J metal basses. Like a modernized Jackson Concert or ESP Surveyor.



LTD AP-4 / AP-5 in black is pretty metal. I have the AP-5 awesome feel, great sounds.


----------



## Shask

I didn't realize PJ was so popular, lol. The main Ibanez SR bass I have owned for years is PJ, and always kinda wished it were humbuckers, lol.


----------



## Noodler

Not a fan of his basses. They lack imagination. Looks to me like he said "lets slap some bass picks ups in the bodies I already have and stretch the necks out".


----------



## MaxOfMetal

Noodler said:


> Not a fan of his basses. They lack imagination. Looks to me like he said "lets slap some bass picks ups in the bodies I already have and stretch the necks out".



Can't fault him too much for that, it's about as much thought as Strandberg put into thier basses.


----------



## Vyn

For what it's worth, the "Slapping some bass pickups on a stretched guitar body" works in this case. Zero issues with the design.

If you want a P or J, buy a P or J.


----------



## Jarmake

How about some explorer and V -style basses in 4 and 5 strings? Don't see those too often...


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

Jarmake said:


> How about some explorer and V -style basses in 4 and 5 strings? Don't see those too often...


Yeah...or even his Les Paul shape would be cool


----------



## lewis

Ola's main thing is brand awareness.
Its why his logo is on every fretboard (minor exceptions)
Its why its the same headstock on every guitar
and its also why these initial Bass releases have the same body/headstock shapes too

its just excellent (if obvious) brand awareness.
No one looks at any of his guitars and thinks "Damn what guitar brand is this?"
You know instantly.

And as un-interesting as some are claiming these new basses to be, they still are instantly identifiable as a Solar so its still a huge win for me from Ola again.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Vyn said:


> If you want a P or J, buy a P or J.



But why not both?  Like I said, my main complaint is there isn't a lot of aggressive basses with a P/J or J/J config. It's why i think that would be a big thing if they went that route.

Also a lot of Feared's music was recorded with a J bass, plus The Haunted's sound comes from Jonas' use of a J/J-loaded Warwick. So it's a sound that Ola's veeeeeery familiar with.

I'm not saying he needs to replace all the soapbars with single coils, but expanding the bass line a bit more to have more variety (J/J, P/J, maybe even a MM bucker config) would be pretty cool in the long run. The bass market is just extremely saturated with dual-soapbar basses.


----------



## I play music

Jarmake said:


> How about some explorer and V -style basses in 4 and 5 strings? Don't see those too often...


...for good reason. Neck heavy as fuck and totally uncomfortable to play.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

...Honestly after all I said; a soapbar-loaded E-type bass would be killer. A proper modernized Thunderbird.


----------



## Andromalia

I guess it will be like the guitars, if they are successful, at some point everybody will get something interesting, it might not just be fast. I had to wait a looooooooooooooooong time to get a non-black evertune V. I'm unfortunately very tight at the moment (new home, moving, new furnishings, new car etc) but I would have bought that white superstrat. Maybe will if there's some left in a few months.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> But why not both?  Like I said, my main complaint is there isn't a lot of aggressive basses with a P/J or J/J config. It's why i think that would be a big thing if they went that route.
> 
> Also a lot of Feared's music was recorded with a J bass, plus The Haunted's sound comes from Jonas' use of a J/J-loaded Warwick. So it's a sound that Ola's veeeeeery familiar with.
> 
> I'm not saying he needs to replace all the soapbars with single coils, but expanding the bass line a bit more to have more variety (J/J, P/J, maybe even a MM bucker config) would be pretty cool in the long run. The bass market is just extremely saturated with dual-soapbar basses.



EMG, Bartolini, Delano, Nordstrand, etc. make various J and P style pickups in soapbar housings. 

That's one of the reasons soapbar routes are still so popular, you can slot just about anything in.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

MaxOfMetal said:


> EMG, Bartolini, Delano, Nordstrand, etc. make various J and P style pickups in soapbar housings.
> 
> That's one of the reasons soapbar routes are still so popular, you can slot just about anything in.



yeah I'm familiar with the soapbar drop-ins.

Main issue is my favorite pickup set (The Duncan Quarter Pounds) are only available as your standard P and J setup. They make those pickups for a fucking Tele bass, but no soapbars.


----------



## soul_lip_mike

Basses seem pretty cool to me, but I don't play bass. If I ever do buy a bass for recording or something like that, it will be a dingwall Nolly because they look so freaking cool.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Looks awesome but would be terribly neck heavy.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

I play music said:


> ...for good reason. Neck heavy as fuck and totally uncomfortable to play.



I had a Hamer Standard bass back in the day that balanced just fine. I think of care is taken with strap placement it would be fine.


----------



## binz

Solar really slipping their game with no new models this week...


----------



## sirbuh

binz said:


> Solar really slipping their game with no new models this week...



i think ola took the week off


----------



## pahulkster

Have my ltd G series on order. Might have my wife hold it until xmas, but I'll see how tempted I get.


----------



## JimF

I was almost sold on the G series with the Evertune but I spotted the 24.75" scale length and was disappointed.


----------



## Stuck_in_a_dream

JimF said:


> I was almost sold on the G series with the Evertune but I spotted the 24.75" scale length and was disappointed.



Then get the 7-string, 25.5" and one additional string to boot .


----------



## JimF

Ha that's a good example of GAS logic!


----------



## binz

Just got surprised by Thomann telling me that my A2.7W has been shipped! It was supposed to come around Christmas (15.12.)! Was the same thing with my A2.6LN, also came a month earlier than anticipated <3 <3 <3
By the way it is available in stock at the moment on thomann, as opposed to February 2021 on the solar website.


----------



## bassplayer8

Everyone wanting a solar without the large bright inlay can now rejoice. Its there but in black on an ebony board which is a really nice compromise tbh


----------



## JimF

I think Ola has answered the prayers of those who don't like the inlay, whilst simultaneously not getting rid of it.
Black inlay on an ebony board... Genius.

27" scale, Fishman Fluence Moderns, Hipshot bridge
https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a1-6atg-baritone-carbon-black-matte-2/








25.5" scale Fishmans & Evertune
https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a1-6atg-carbon-black-matte/


----------



## josh1

Now that is killer


----------



## Albake21

JimF said:


> I think Ola has answered the prayers of those who don't like the inlay, whilst simultaneously not getting rid of it.
> Black inlay on an ebony board... Genius.
> 
> 27" scale, Fishman Fluence Moderns, Hipshot bridge
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a1-6atg-baritone-carbon-black-matte-2/
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 25.5" scale Fishmans & Evertune
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a1-6atg-carbon-black-matte/


If that's not proof that these guitars are still super recognizable even without the inlay, then I don't know what else I need to say to get Ola to remove the inlay off some models. On the other hand, this is a really good compromise that I'd love to see on other models.


----------



## slan

Huge fan of the blacked-out look. Really tempted to pick one of these up.


----------



## olejason

I know it will be a long ways off if it happens but a blacked out bass with roasted or painted neck would be an instant buy for me.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands




----------



## Chris Bowsman

Those ATG guitars are sweet, but I really want one of the old 26.5" ones.


----------



## BusinessMan

Chris Bowsman said:


> Those ATG guitars are sweet, but I really want one of the old 26.5" ones.



Ill take either one


----------



## slan

New AB model in Candy Apple Red just went up on their site: https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/ab1-6frcar-candy-apple-red-metallic/


----------



## manu80

ibanez RG465 vibe here


----------



## binz

There is also a carbon black A1.7 with Fishman moderns now. 
Glad solar caught up on that one Friday they didn't post new models and to keep face.


----------



## TheUnknownOne

Ola, are there any plans to release some models with a hipshot trem ?


----------



## myrtorp

Yellow one looking sweet


----------



## binz

AB models all have been on point so far (minus 25.5" for the 7s but eh)


----------



## mpexus

Yo_Wattup said:


> Im sorry but bald guys headbanging look like giant penises flopping around.





myrtorp said:


> Yellow one looking sweet




Why did it had to have the Evertune....


----------



## r3tr0sp3ct1v3

Need moar 8s


----------



## Ataraxia2320

All those new designs are amazing. Ola and his team keep on killing it.


----------



## Selkoid

I need the yellow one wow... what's the quality of these things? I don't know why I think they're just ibanez iron labels with different hardware...


----------



## Andromalia

Selkoid said:


> I need the yellow one wow... what's the quality of these things? I don't know why I think they're just ibanez iron labels with different hardware...



My Solar is much better in every way than my Iron Label, but it is also twice as expensive. Paid 1100ish for the Solar, paid 666€ (no typo) for the Ibby, which was my "let's see if I need a 7 string" test purchase.


----------



## viifox

Been thinking about picking up the A2.6. But without being to play one in person, i'm a little hesitant.

How is the build quality on these, generally speaking?


----------



## viifox

Does anyone know if these are neck heavy? They look so badass!

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/v2-6tbr-sk-trans-blood-red-matte/


----------



## Chad Denison

viifox said:


> Been thinking about picking up the A2.6. But without being to play one in person, i'm a little hesitant.
> 
> How is the build quality on these, generally speaking?


----------



## Chad Denison

I’ve had a 7 string solar for three months played it probably a dozen times and noticed the neck bowing more and more everytime I pick it up . Plus the finish is bubbling up in spots . This shouldn’t happen on a three month old guitar . Needless to say it’s headed back .


----------



## Stuck_in_a_dream

Chad Denison said:


> I’ve had a 7 string solar for three months played it probably a dozen times and noticed the neck bowing more and more everytime I pick it up . Plus the finish is bubbling up in spots . This shouldn’t happen on a three month old guitar . Needless to say it’s headed back .



Which model was that, just out of curiosity? I have the Artist ET 7-string, and didn't experience any neck issues at all.


----------



## Chad Denison

It is an A2.7 in the blood red


----------



## Obed1224

viifox said:


> Been thinking about picking up the A2.6. But without being to play one in person, i'm a little hesitant.
> 
> How is the build quality on these, generally speaking?


The build quality is pretty good. I got an A1.6 and it turned out to be a great decision. If you look at their B-stocks, the things that actually make them B-sticks are things other companies get away with on their regular stock. The Duncan Solar pickups sound really good as well and if you decide to replace them, theyre not hard to sell.


----------



## viifox

Does anyone know if they do Black Friday sales?


----------



## I play music

viifox said:


> Does anyone know if they do Black Friday sales?


Luckily Black Friday is not such a thing here in Europe.


----------



## Obed1224

viifox said:


> Does anyone know if they do Black Friday sales?


They don't but check out the B-stocks. Theyre super transparent as to the actual damage or blemish on the specific model and the discounts are not bad. If you can live with whatever they point out, you can prob get a nice deal on a guitar.


----------



## Seabeast2000

I play music said:


> Luckily Black Friday is not such a thing here in Europe.


Black pole pieces bro.


----------



## viifox

So what's up with people saying that Evertune bridges make guitars sound lifeless? Is there any truth to them affecting the tone?


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

viifox said:


> So what's up with people saying that Evertune bridges make guitars sound lifeless? Is there any truth to them affecting the tone?


They do affect the tone slightly. But whether or not it makes the guitar sound 'lifeless' is pure conjecture. For all anyone knows, the tonal difference the Evertune makes might well benefit that specific guitar's tonal characteristics compared to without it. It depends on what one's personal tastes are.

If it made Ola's guitars sound as terrible as some internet warriors are implying, I'm not convinced that Ola would enjoy using the bridge at all, let alone have so many high end models from his own guitar company have an Evertune.

Just another one of those opinions that get exaggerated and parroted from people who have no experience.


----------



## littlebadboy

I play music said:


> Luckily Black Friday is not such a thing here in Europe.


Yeah, it's embarrassing here in the US.


----------



## Andromalia

viifox said:


> So what's up with people saying that Evertune bridges make guitars sound lifeless? Is there any truth to them affecting the tone?



Nobody knows:

-If the guitar had a normal bridge and was retrofitted, it was substantially modified and it makes sense its tone is altered. Whether this is due to the evertune, the removed wood, loss of density, all of the above, can't be measured.
-The guitar has a native evertune and nobody knows how it would sound with another bridge. No, another guitar of the same model with a different bridge isn't a reliable test. Sound can be different enough with two "identical" ones.

You judge guitars individually. I've played Les Pauls brighter than strats, general rules don't apply to specific instruments, they're just averages.

Aboout Black Friday, we do have it, it's just not as important because we already have regulated sales periods. Zerg rushes like in the above video unfortunately also do happen in France.


----------



## Wuuthrad

Been kicking the tires far too much...

Solar A.x or Charvel Pro-Mod San Dimas?

...or Kramer Barretta? argh!


----------



## Mathemagician

Wuuthrad said:


> Been kicking the tires far too much...
> 
> Solar A.x or Charvel Pro-Mod San Dimas?
> 
> ...or Kramer Barretta? argh!



Solar simply b/c smallest heel. I know nothing of your tastes though.


----------



## dr_game0ver

Wuuthrad said:


> Been kicking the tires far too much...
> 
> Solar A.x or Charvel Pro-Mod San Dimas?
> 
> ...or Kramer Barretta? argh!



Yahama Pacifica 612.


----------



## Wuuthrad

Mathemagician said:


> Solar simply b/c smallest heel. I know nothing of your tastes though.


 
Glad you mention it! That’s one thing I’ve never played very much, such a small heel, and I would really like to check one of these out.


----------



## Wuuthrad

dr_game0ver said:


> Yahama Pacifica 612.



Cheers for that! 

Quick look reveals a Strat style HSS which I’ve had before, and will probably pass, but I do appreciate the suggestion. Looks like a nice all around Axe though!


----------



## JimF

Happy Friday, Solar-Fans. 
He's dropped these bad lads:





https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/ab2-4an-aged-natural-matte/







https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/v1-7d-ltd-aged-natural-matte/







https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/gc1-7d-ltd-aged-natural-matte/


IMO of course, but the bass shows just how good black hardware looks with that wood finish. Also the bass looks just like my dining table at home, and that's from the 1960s!


----------



## danbox

Man I want one of those wood finishes without an evertune bridge! Damn myself for not having enough guitars to keep them in a single tuning


----------



## I play music

JimF said:


> Happy Friday, Solar-Fans.
> He's dropped these bad lads:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/ab2-4an-aged-natural-matte/
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/v1-7d-ltd-aged-natural-matte/
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/gc1-7d-ltd-aged-natural-matte/
> 
> 
> IMO of course, but the bass shows just how good black hardware looks with that wood finish. Also the bass looks just like my dining table at home, and that's from the 1960s!


quite lame compared to his last releases


----------



## Bender.folder

Could someone enlighten me about the 7 strings neck profiles?

Same one across the whole line or slight changes depending on the shape?
Had a 2.6 V and really liked the neck profile but not the shape.
Also it was a first draft with grover tuners so no idea if any changes made as the neck is commented as thin by most but it felt like a c shape schecter or even a nice rounded C . Far more meat than an ibanez or esp thin u which I was surprised in a good comfy way


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/e2-6fbb-27-baritone-flame-black-burst-matte/

THE INSANE FUCKER DID IT

E-TYPE WITH A 27'' SCALE LENGTH


----------



## mbardu

I am neck dive incarnate


----------



## TheBlackBard

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/e2-6fbb-27-baritone-flame-black-burst-matte/
> 
> THE INSANE FUCKER DID IT
> 
> E-TYPE WITH A 27'' SCALE LENGTH




And my long period of no GAS has now just been broken... Jesus... this thing is screaming for melo-death.


----------



## vilk

mbardu said:


> I am neck dive incarnate


That title is reserved for ESP/ltd baritone vipers

Besides, does his E type even dive in the first place? I have a Gibson explorer, and of all guitar shapes I've ever played it has the most opposite of neck dive.


----------



## BusinessMan

I really want that A2.7 with the floyd


----------



## Mathemagician

TheBlackBard said:


> And my long period of no GAS has now just been broken... Jesus... this thing is screaming for melo-death.



Just think of all the single-note riffs and mid-tempo solos! I can practically hear them already.


----------



## Metropolis

It's friday again... I really like this color scheme.


----------



## Bearitone

Fuck, that blue one is smokin. I’m not a fan of burst finishes at all but, that one is just perfect.


----------



## JimF

Knocking it out of the park time and time again.
I wonder if the gloss flame finishes will make a comeback?


----------



## mbardu

Metropolis said:


> It's friday again... I really like this color scheme.



This is the Solar I would get (alongside the red GC).
I'm still curious on the quality of those though. Not easy to try one.
For 1k+$ the neck wood selection and however-many pieces body sometimes don't inspire confidence- yet some of them _do _look like they're pretty well built.


----------



## JimF

Word on the street is that 99% of them are great. There's also very few on the used market which would hopefully suggest they're worth keeping. Apparently the QC on these is better than other lines out of the same factory.
The only option for you would probably be to get one from Thomann and take advantage of their returns policy.


----------



## JimF

Also, without using that redundant trope of "If only this was XYZ", I wonder if there is much chance of a 'choose-your-spec' arrangement. Just for things such as changing pickups or hardware colour etc. All the options that are offered on other guitars but not on the same! E.g. open pore black, with gold hardwear, Evertune & Fishmans.


----------



## SpaceDock

I think it is odd that they pump out so many models but I rarely see any NGDs or ads on Reverb.


----------



## Spicypickles

Man, colored tops with natural sides/backs are absolutely my thing


----------



## soul_lip_mike

SpaceDock said:


> I think it is odd that they pump out so many models but I rarely see any NGDs or ads on Reverb.



There's a good amount on Ola's discord last I checked.


----------



## Bender.folder

Will vouch when my order arrives. Nothing fancy just a b stock A2.7 that had a q tip size chip of paint near a volume pot..
So far ordering process was a breeze , already on its way from spain after ordering thrusday evening.


----------



## ExplorerMike

I don’t own a Solar yet but I found a used left handed A1.6 at Sam Ash about a year ago. Would have bought it on the spot but it was a lefty haha. But build quality looked great and felt very nice and solid. My buddy owns two (a V and E type) and loves both of them. The E was a B stock and he said he can’t find any flaws on it. I think it would be rare to find a dud.


----------



## SandyRavage

The handful I’ve played are insane quality for the money and smoke guitars at higher price points.

Been said at nausea but the inlay kills it for me otherwise I would have several. That being said the ATG models have tempted me severely.


----------



## mlp187

SandyRavage said:


> ...at nausea...


Fantastic auto-correct!


----------



## Obed1224

I personally like the inlay but he's starting to release the inlays in black so theyre barely noticeable on those.

As to the quality, I have an A1.6 left handed model with the evertune, installed fishman fluences on it and for me, that thing freaking slaps. I've seen the argument that fluences can sound good or not depending on the guitar and I think the Solar type A is one of those. It makes for an amazing rhythm guitar. Tuned it down to drop C and I think it's the sweet spot for those guitars. I couldnt find flaws when it arrived. Swapped the graphite nut for a graphtech and couldn't be happier honestly.


----------



## Obed1224

Oh and as for any options on the guitars, they don't really do that. They're sold as-is so us lefties are kinda shit out of luck on that front.


----------



## Bender.folder

Received my A2.7C

Double carboardbox, strings detuned, head well secured in foam and protection around pressure points.
Saw micro bubble at back and micro chip of paint that made it b stock. Paid 550 usd for it delivered...

Neck is thin C but rounded far less painful than my KM7 that has this flat spot in the middle. Plays easy the frets are huge on the solar.
Sound wise its nice the stock pickups do the job quite well if not good. No reason to drop em out in my opinion except you re keen on active or have a predilection set of pickups. 

Setup from Solar is good, tune; plug and play. Nothing to say maybe one of the best out of the box setup I had. No fret popping out and the black sating finish is smooth and very pleasing to play.
Having owned a secondhand V from the first series I can attest it evolved in a good way. 
QC seems higher, even being B stock this feels far better quality than it suggests.
Except fancy finish it rivals more with the KM7 mk1 I have now than with the blackjack schecter C7 I had before. (needed heavy guitar tech magic to achieve decent action; duncan blackouts were mud fest and it never really sounded good even after setup and fishman fluence put there). 

Bridge hadware might be the least quality part compared to a hipshot or other branded stuff.
Tuners from solar feel as good as grovers, 18/1 ratio good feeling when you turn same for volume and tone pots that provide good turning resitance and linear function.

Nowadays guitarist on budget or that dont want to break the bank have nice options.
Reminds me of the washburn X50 series kinda guitar, nothing fancy on the shape or features but good pickups, stable tuners, good playability, neck profile nor too slim nor too big, friendly for most guitarists.

Ola nailed it with those A series, if the QC keeps steady Solar is definitively to consider along Schecter or other indonesian/korean built guitars.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Insert your witty comments below.


----------



## mbardu

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> Insert your witty comments below.



_Has Photoshop gone too far?_


----------



## Obed1224

I mean, what's a little distortion in the time space continuum right?


----------



## Metropolis

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> Insert your witty comments below.



A fake Solar? Nothing seems right in those body curves, also pickups and bridge are something else than it should have...

For reference, it's totally fake.


----------



## mbardu

Metropolis said:


> A fake Solar? Nothing seems right in those body curves, also pickups and bridge are something else than it should have...
> 
> For reference, it's totally fake.



Yeah, recently fakes are no longer limited to the "usual suspects" of Les Paul customs and Custom 24s.
Fakes of regular import guitars are becoming pretty common too.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

mbardu said:


> Yeah, recently fakes are no longer limited to the "usual suspects" of Les Paul customs and Custom 24s.
> Fakes of regular import guitars are becoming pretty common too.


Yeah they've been common for years and it makes perfect sense for cheaper guitars to be faked too. A cheap guitar is far less likely to fall under scrutiny than an expensive one. And the fact that people think counterfeiters faking cheap guitars is a waste of time leads them to implicitly assume that all cheap guitars must be genuine. Making them easy prey for counterfeiting.


----------



## Bearitone

SandyRavage said:


> The handful I’ve played are insane quality for the money and smoke guitars at higher price points.
> 
> Been said at nausea but the inlay kills it for me otherwise I would have several. That being said the ATG models have tempted me severely.


Been said ad nauseam*


----------



## Seabeast2000

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> Insert your witty comments below.


Bout time.


----------



## Decapitated

Decapitated said:


> Wow. You mean to tell me there are people that don’t like the inlay? Gee. Never heard that before.


----------



## gunch

Wishlist: just a plain oiled mahogany A 1.6/ A 2.6


----------



## Wuuthrad

Bender.folder said:


> Received my A2.7C
> 
> Double carboardbox, strings detuned, head well secured in foam and protection around pressure points.
> Saw micro bubble at back and micro chip of paint that made it b stock. Paid 550 usd for it delivered...
> 
> Neck is thin C but rounded far less painful than my KM7 that has this flat spot in the middle. Plays easy the frets are huge on the solar.
> Sound wise its nice the stock pickups do the job quite well if not good. No reason to drop em out in my opinion except you re keen on active or have a predilection set of pickups.
> 
> Setup from Solar is good, tune; plug and play. Nothing to say maybe one of the best out of the box setup I had. No fret popping out and the black sating finish is smooth and very pleasing to play.
> Having owned a secondhand V from the first series I can attest it evolved in a good way.
> QC seems higher, even being B stock this feels far better quality than it suggests.
> Except fancy finish it rivals more with the KM7 mk1 I have now than with the blackjack schecter C7 I had before. (needed heavy guitar tech magic to achieve decent action; duncan blackouts were mud fest and it never really sounded good even after setup and fishman fluence put there).
> 
> Bridge hadware might be the least quality part compared to a hipshot or other branded stuff.
> Tuners from solar feel as good as grovers, 18/1 ratio good feeling when you turn same for volume and tone pots that provide good turning resitance and linear function.
> 
> Nowadays guitarist on budget or that dont want to break the bank have nice options.
> Reminds me of the washburn X50 series kinda guitar, nothing fancy on the shape or features but good pickups, stable tuners, good playability, neck profile nor too slim nor too big, friendly for most guitarists.
> 
> Ola nailed it with those A series, if the QC keeps steady Solar is definitively to consider along Schecter or other indonesian/korean built guitars.



Hey nice review!

If you don’t mind my asking, how did you find B-Stocks? I don’t see them anywhere on the solar-guitars.com website when using my iPhone.

Cheers


----------



## Vyn

Finally got a notification from the dealer I purchased through (I ordered in September) that my V2.7C has been shipped and that the eta is the 6th of Jan! Now to chill and wait.


----------



## Mathemagician

Wuuthrad said:


> Hey nice review!
> 
> If you don’t mind my asking, how did you find B-Stocks? I don’t see them anywhere on the solar-guitars.com website when using my iPhone.
> 
> Cheers



They list them when they have them in stock. Like “also available B stock” and like $100 off or whatever.


----------



## Obed1224

Wuuthrad said:


> Hey nice review!
> 
> If you don’t mind my asking, how did you find B-Stocks? I don’t see them anywhere on the solar-guitars.com website when using my iPhone.
> 
> Cheers


In the site menu go to community then click on special offers and thats the b-stock


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

lol


----------



## Bender.folder

Will try to post pictures tomorrow and maybe one or two sound files on some tones through various vst and maybe throw some schecter km7 tones to give comparison material. 
To me the john browne vid on the solar A2.7 is a good sonic display also his ash mayones is played for one riff to compare. On a vst plugin it tends to sound mostly same . On a tube amp you feel more tonal subtilities in my experience.

As for Bstocks community->special offers on bottom of the Web page from solar Web site.
Was Lucky it poped randomly at 1am...was ready to order both the lime neon one and ash bodied tbr model from thomann and return the least liked but the deal was too good and curious about ordering in direct from solar.


----------



## binz

This is so close to perfection I might get over the 25.5" scale


----------



## crackout

The pole piece spacing on the neck single coil seems a bit small for the string spacing...


----------



## MaxOfMetal

crackout said:


> The pole piece spacing on the neck single coil seems a bit small for the string spacing...



Totally normal. There isn't a "neck" spacing option with pickups, especially 7-strings. It doesn't really impact anything though. So depending on scale, nut spacing, bridge choice, there will always be some variance.


----------



## atimoc

To those of you with Solars that have painted necks, how has the matte finish been for you in the long run, has it become glossy at all or does it feel sticky after longer playing sessions? I pulled the trigger on the stained A1.6D LTD, and it has been so freakishly good I'm thinking of getting another Evertune model to go with it. I'm not a huge fan of glossy necks so I'm thinking should I go for one of the bolt-ons, or would the matte painted ones be fine as well.


----------



## Obed1224

atimoc said:


> To those of you with Solars that have painted necks, how has the matte finish been for you in the long run, has it become glossy at all or does it feel sticky after longer playing sessions? I pulled the trigger on the stained A1.6D LTD, and it has been so freakishly good I'm thinking of getting another Evertune model to go with it. I'm not a huge fan of glossy necks so I'm thinking should I go for one of the bolt-ons, or would the matte painted ones be fine as well.


Ive had my A1.6 for over 6 months now with fairly regular playing and its still smooth.


----------



## manu80

Like...for real ?
https://reverb.com/item/37895247-wa...are&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=37895247


----------



## soul_lip_mike

manu80 said:


> Like...for real ?
> https://reverb.com/item/37895247-wa...are&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=37895247



He couldn't even clean the frets lol.


----------



## Bearitone

Wow. Ola is cool but, him owning a guitar previously wouldn’t be a selling point worth driving up the price imo. I’d rather have a clean new Solar.


----------



## Metropolis

it's a 500€ guitar.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

atimoc said:


> To those of you with Solars that have painted necks, how has the matte finish been for you in the long run, has it become glossy at all or does it feel sticky after longer playing sessions? I pulled the trigger on the stained A1.6D LTD, and it has been so freakishly good I'm thinking of getting another Evertune model to go with it. I'm not a huge fan of glossy necks so I'm thinking should I go for one of the bolt-ons, or would the matte painted ones be fine as well.


I've owned and extensively played my Solar Jensen for 2 years now and the satin finish on the back of the neck is still holding up well. I just wish the same could be said about me not putting so many dings in it during that time.


----------



## Atefred

atimoc said:


> To those of you with Solars that have painted necks, how has the matte finish been for you in the long run, has it become glossy at all or does it feel sticky after longer playing sessions? I pulled the trigger on the stained A1.6D LTD, and it has been so freakishly good I'm thinking of getting another Evertune model to go with it. I'm not a huge fan of glossy necks so I'm thinking should I go for one of the bolt-ons, or would the matte painted ones be fine as well.


I've had a red artist a.1.6 for over 18 months, played it a bunch, and as others reported the neck is still super comfy. No glossy areas, no stickiness at all.


----------



## Mathemagician

soul_lip_mike said:


> He couldn't even clean the frets lol.



The grime transfers Ola’s powers through you. It’s like gut bacteria. Or something.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

manu80 said:


> Like...for real ?
> https://reverb.com/item/37895247-wa...are&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=37895247



I swear to god I'm starting to believe the claims that COVID affects the brain.


----------



## pahulkster

Really liking my GC1.6D LTD. Really good overall and I love the way it looks in person. The only knock for me is the way the strings line up over the pole pieces on the bridge pickup, but certainly not a deal breaker. Only had to do a little bit of setup to dial everything in. 

Anybody know if you get a confirmation after registering?


----------



## Metropolis

Probably buying another Solar next week. A or S, six strings, most likely 25,5" scale length. The question is; Floyd or not to Floyd. Evertune? I don't know... no bends, or bends and not to really benefit how it works. Then it would be just a recording guitar or something.


----------



## Atefred

Metropolis said:


> Probably buying another Solar next week. A or S, six strings, most likely 25,5" scale length. The question is; Floyd or not to Floyd. Evertune? I don't know... no bends, or bends and not to really benefit how it works. Then it would be just a recording guitar or something.


With an evertune you can get tuning stability and bends, by just having a small range in between the zones, just means you need to bend a little more than you normally would for the same pitch shift.


----------



## Metropolis

Atefred said:


> With an evertune you can get tuning stability and bends, by just having a small range in between the zones, just means you need to bend a little more than you normally would for the same pitch shift.



But does it feel weird, I've never tried a guitar with Evertune.


----------



## possumkiller

Ugh... Still insistent on that inlay. I guess I will come back and check again next year...


----------



## JimF

Metropolis said:


> But does it feel weird, I've never tried a guitar with Evertune.



I have an Evertune converted Ibanez (away for paint now, so haven't played it for more than 20mins to set it up) and it felt just like a normal guitar. I managed to set it up to get no pitch drift from heavy picking, but still able to have vibrato and bends. Felt great. Probably no different in feel than using a Floyd after a fixed a bridge, and the "need to bend a little more" is no different than needing to bend a little more when using a thicker string gauge.


----------



## JimF

Ola,
Please make this. Its literally just a hardware change.
Thank you much love
Jim


----------



## JimF

possumkiller said:


> Ugh... Still insistent on that inlay. I guess I will come back and check again next year...



There is the following models with different/less obvious inlays:


----------



## Millul

The 1st one there is perfeccctttt!!!


----------



## JimF

It does still have the inlay, just in black!


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Fuck man that Priestess


----------



## Jarmake

JimF said:


> View attachment 88727
> 
> 
> Ola,
> Please make this. Its literally just a hardware change.
> Thank you much love
> Jim



Damn... A black beauty solar! That would make me seriously think of ordering one.


----------



## Decapitated

Decapitated said:


>



Wow. People don’t like the inlay.


----------



## JimF

It's the gold hardware against the black open pore finish that elevates it to dream level for me.
Also, all these parts are currently in use on other Solar models, so its not like I want something that couldn't be made.
Realistically I might get Evertune to fit a gold bridge to a non Evertune black open pore Solar (worked out as no upcharge when I enquired about the neon lemon/lime one) and fit the rest of the gold hardware when it arrives!


----------



## Hollowway

Anyone have a SB1.7FRFM? It’s the maple topped one with the gold hardware. Try to talk me out of it. I don’t need another guitar, but damn IT, that thing looks nice! What’s the fretwork on these like? How to they compare to a prestige?


----------



## OmegaSlayer

This one with a maple fretboard would get my money immediately


----------



## Quiet Coil

I don’t want Ola to change his business model, because it works wonderfully for him and I love what he does with his brand. I can say however, that the only thing keeping me from buying a Solar is the fact that I can’t put one on my “Gear Card”.

Seriously though - having your own signature brand small enough to try out just about anything you’d like?!? Friggin’ awesome.


----------



## Hollowway

So now I have two questions:

1) what’s the fretwork on these like? In comparison to a prestige, say.
2) what’s the upper fret access like on the SB model? It looks a little worse off than the other DC models. Anyone have one of these yet?


----------



## Obed1224

Hollowway said:


> So now I have two questions:
> 
> 1) what’s the fretwork on these like? In comparison to a prestige, say.
> 2) what’s the upper fret access like on the SB model? It looks a little worse off than the other DC models. Anyone have one of these yet?


While I can't compare an A1.6 with a Prestige since I haven't used one, I can say that the fretwork is pretty nice on the A1. I've checked it with the straightedge from Stewmac and the frets are on point. One thing I'd be interested is comparing the high end A1 or S1 models versus their more affordable variants (A2 or S2).

Can't speak for the S model, sorry man.


----------



## HungryGuitarStudent

I’ll post this once a year: I hope we see more Solars with fret dots. Spokesman for the legion of the blind.

@Hollowway fretwork on mine was great.


----------



## Metropolis

Hollowway said:


> Anyone have a SB1.7FRFM? It’s the maple topped one with the gold hardware. Try to talk me out of it. I don’t need another guitar, but damn IT, that thing looks nice! What’s the fretwork on these like? How to they compare to a prestige?



Fretwork is pretty good, fret ends are quite close to the edge of the fretboard but frets are well rounded. Here's my AB1.6 with stainless steel frets.


----------



## Justaguitarist

Metropolis said:


> Fretwork is pretty good, fret ends are quite close to the edge of the fretboard but frets are well rounded. Here's my AB1.6 with stainless steel frets.


I´m planning on buying the a1.6 later this year. I just have a question. I saw a video where the purple finish seemed red-ish. Is it purple or does it look more purple? Sorry for the stupid question. I can´t see it well from that picture. Also, do you like the pickups? Are they good?


----------



## Metropolis

Guitars from the very first batch of this model came out with sort of red magenta looking color, back and sides on top are purple. Mine is from the first batch. Now this model should look like it's photographed on Solar Guitars website.

I like Duncan Solar pickups, but sometimes they feel little bit dry, but that's just me and my playing. They might need more gain from the amp if you compare them to higher output pickups, output is considered medium with these. Note separation is good, there is good amount of lows going on with their scooped eq, but they still stay tight. Quite good dynamics also because output is not that high.


----------



## Justaguitarist

Metropolis said:


> Guitars from the very first batch of this model came out with sort of red magenta looking color, back and sides on top are purple. Mine is from the first batch. Now this model should look like it's photographed on Solar Guitars website.
> 
> I like Duncan Solar pickups, but sometimes they feel little bit dry, but that's just me and my playing. They might need more gain from the amp if you compare them to higher output pickups, output is considered medium with these. Note separation is good, there is good amount of lows going on with their scooped eq, but they still stay tight. Quite good dynamics also because output is not that high.


Thanks. From that description it seems like it´s perfect for me. I´m planning on swapping the neck pickup out for a true single coil instead of the stacked single coil for more pristine cleans. I´ll put an seymour duncan ssl1 in the neck. Thanks for answering!


----------



## Jarmake

HungryGuitarStudent said:


> I’ll post this once a year: I hope we see more Solars with fret dots. Spokesman for the legion of the blind.
> 
> @Hollowway fretwork on mine was great.



I think your prayers have been answered... On todays SWOLA Ola has a solar with dot inlays. Unless it's an older model, I'm not very familiar with all the models he's put out.


----------



## Metropolis

Jarmake said:


> I think your prayers have been answered... On todays SWOLA Ola has a solar with dot inlays. Unless it's an older model, I'm not very familiar with all the models he's put out.



It's an older model, S1.6 without stainless steel frets. Right now there is three models awailable with dot inlays, two S2.6 models and 1.6 27" baritone.


----------



## Jarmake

Metropolis said:


> It's an older model, S1.6 without stainless steel frets. Right now there is three models awailable with dot inlays, two S2.6 models and 1.6 27" baritone.



I see. Sorry, my bad.


----------



## NicoMCH

Metropolis said:


> I like Duncan Solar pickups, but sometimes they feel little bit dry, but that's just me and my playing. They might need more gain from the amp if you compare them to higher output pickups, output is considered medium with these. Note separation is good, there is good amount of lows going on with their scooped eq, but they still stay tight. Quite good dynamics also because output is not that high.



I feel the same about them, I like them but at the same time don't, especially if you are playing something else just before or after. My ears might be biased by 15 years of using EMGs, but when I play my EMGs before or even my Bareknuckle Aftermaths after playing the solar it's like another world, which I prefer a bit.

What would you put in instead of the solars? And is it easy to do without having to touche the cavities or the electronic too much? (obviously this kinda disqualifies active pickups but still open to the idea as well). Thanks


----------



## Metropolis

NicoMCH said:


> I feel the same about them, I like them but at the same time don't, especially if you are playing something else just before or after. My ears might be biased by 15 years of using EMGs, but when I play my EMGs before or even my Bareknuckle Aftermaths after playing the solar it's like another world, which I prefer a bit.
> 
> What would you put in instead of the solars? And is it easy to do without having to touche the cavities or the electronic too much? (obviously this kinda disqualifies active pickups but still open to the idea as well). Thanks



For the bridge pickup something with ceramic magnet for more output and compression. Which should get rid of that certain dryness. Actives can be little bit tricky to install in direct mount routes. Any of the Seymour Duncan trembuckers should fit right in. I haven't changed pickups on my two Solars I've had, so I don't know further.


----------



## Crumbling

Do Solar uses the standard pickup ring screw sizing for direct mount, or do they use woodscrews? Couple of direct mounts I've gotten my hands on all uses woodscrew, so pickup changes are a 1 way trip, and your old pickups aren't usable for people with pickup ring unless you swap out the baseplate.


----------



## NicoMCH

Metropolis said:


> For the bridge pickup something with ceramic magnet for more output and compression. Which should get rid of that certain dryness. Actives can be little bit tricky to install in direct mount routes. Any of the Seymour Duncan trembuckers should fit right in. I haven't changed pickups on my two Solars I've had, so I don't know further.



ya I was thinking Duncan too since they might have the same electrical wiring and would fit pretty well, just need to figure out which ones would give more output and compression. A lot of names out there seem to turn around the Duncan black winter or the Bareknuckle Ragnarok and some others


----------



## Obed1224

I l


NicoMCH said:


> I feel the same about them, I like them but at the same time don't, especially if you are playing something else just before or after. My ears might be biased by 15 years of using EMGs, but when I play my EMGs before or even my Bareknuckle Aftermaths after playing the solar it's like another world, which I prefer a bit.
> 
> What would you put in instead of the solars? And is it easy to do without having to touche the cavities or the electronic too much? (obviously this kinda disqualifies active pickups but still open to the idea as well). Thanks


I put Fishman Fluence moderns on mine and it didnt take too much effort to fit them in. They come with all the electronics needed as well. Bridge pickup is ceramic while the neck pickup is Alnico V.


----------



## JimF

I adore Ola's tone, and I've had similarly ear pleasing results from the SD Pegasus.


----------



## NicoMCH

Obed1224 said:


> I l
> 
> I put Fishman Fluence moderns on mine and it didnt take too much effort to fit them in. They come with all the electronics needed as well. Bridge pickup is ceramic while the neck pickup is Alnico V.



And you did not have to do any widening of the cavity to fit them in? for the BKP for example I would want the covered version which makes them look like EMGs or Fischmans a nice block so to say. looking at the dimensiosn I am having some concerns regarding the corners of the cavity if it will fit.


----------



## Obed1224

NicoMCH said:


> And you did not have to do any widening of the cavity to fit them in? for the BKP for example I would want the covered version which makes them look like EMGs or Fischmans a nice block so to say. looking at the dimensiosn I am having some concerns regarding the corners of the cavity if it will fit.


I did have to do a slight bit of routing in the corners but it really wasn't much.


----------



## SubsonicDoom99

I too wound up taking the Duncan Solars out of mine (A2.6 baritone) because they just didn't have enough oomph and personality for my liking.
Black Winters have been my go-to for a few years now for baritone tuning especially, so those win for me.
I try to avoid any routing or widening when I can help it.


----------



## NicoMCH

Obed1224 said:


> I did have to do a slight bit of routing in the corners but it really wasn't much.



And you managed to fit the battery in the existing electronics cavity? did you need to add extra volume and tone knobs (i've seen they deliver a set with knobs for both pickups). Kinda considering BKP and Fishman here, though getting fishmans in the there might represent more work than expected.


----------



## Obed1224

NicoMCH said:


> And you managed to fit the battery in the existing electronics cavity? did you need to add extra volume and tone knobs (i've seen they deliver a set with knobs for both pickups). Kinda considering BKP and Fishman here, though getting fishmans in the there might represent more work than expected.


So the pickups come with two regular pots and two push pull pots but I kept the old config (1 vol and used 1 tone) using a push pull for tone knob to change voicings. 

The battery fits in the cavity. A bit tight but not really an issue.


----------



## Obed1224

The hardest part was just using a dremmel to expand the corners a bit. The end result was worth it in my opinion.


----------



## NicoMCH

Obed1224 said:


> The hardest part was just using a dremmel to expand the corners a bit. The end result was worth it in my opinion.



a nice so keeping the original config is possible. Arg now I don't know what to do between BKP and Fishmans. They both sound great. Well I'll need to think this over, thanks for taking the time to answer my different questions


----------



## thebeesknees22

Has anyone tried a Solar bass yet?

I keep eyeballin' those.


----------



## MadYarpen

NicoMCH said:


> I feel the same about them, I like them but at the same time don't, especially if you are playing something else just before or after. My ears might be biased by 15 years of using EMGs, but when I play my EMGs before or even my Bareknuckle Aftermaths after playing the solar it's like another world, which I prefer a bit.
> 
> What would you put in instead of the solars? And is it easy to do without having to touche the cavities or the electronic too much? (obviously this kinda disqualifies active pickups but still open to the idea as well). Thanks



For the bridge I've put SH-15 in, it's bonkers and sounds great. My guitar is swamp ash though.

Output is higher than in fishmans modern ceramic, so beware (I think, as I have to reduce gain significantly in the interface for SH-15)


----------



## MadYarpen

I think I'll be selling my schecter after all.
My V2.6 TBR wants to have a sister:

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/v2-7tbr-trans-blood-red-matte/


----------



## grinder

Hello all. I 'm thinking to get an A2.6W. I did search the thread, but do you have any comments with regards to the following for the A2.6 series?

1. Tuning stability
2. Neck dive

Thanks!


----------



## binz

No problems in regards with either for my A2.6LN (2 y/o) or A2.7W (since last October so can't say much). My room is very poorly insulated (as to say not at all, welcome to Spain) and especially in winter there is a lot of temperature changes (when in it with the heater on or not). 

But honestly I'd say any brand's upperclass (<1k€) Indonesian built models won't have problems with that nowadays? (or am I just naive?)


----------



## grinder

Thanks Binz. Any further feedback with regards to tuning stability/neck dive of the A2.6W (or any A2.6 to that respect) will be much appreciated.

PS About 2 years ago I had tried the A2.6TBR in GuitarGuitar in UK (it was build with swamp ash back then). I liked it, but eventually did not proceed purchasing it.


----------



## ZERO1

I was looking into getting a E2.6. Anyone have any experience with it? Also if you have done any mods to it? Thinking of adding emgs to it, but Idk if there is enough space in the back cavity for it and if I would have to widen the pickup routes slightly so they would fit. Thanks


----------



## OmegaSlayer

MadYarpen said:


> I think I'll be selling my schecter after all.
> My V2.6 TBR wants to have a sister:
> 
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/v2-7tbr-trans-blood-red-matte/


I'll be totally all over this, but I decided that I won't buy a guitar unless it has a maple neck or it is a semi-hollow or hollow

On a side note, abiut the pick-ups, Sunday I watched the video in which Ola teaches to the Captain and Danish Pete "How to chug"
He says that he prefers pick-ups that are not so hot because he can have more headroom for Amp Gain
I hope this will explain something about the SD Solar


----------



## MadYarpen

It does have a maple neck,though. For a semi hollow V we need to wait 

unless you mean fretboard. But black and red go well together so I prefer ebony fretboard here.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

ZERO1 said:


> I was looking into getting a E2.6. Anyone have any experience with it? Also if you have done any mods to it? Thinking of adding emgs to it, but Idk if there is enough space in the back cavity for it and if I would have to widen the pickup routes slightly so they would fit. Thanks


I have an E1.6 Jensen.

I've upgraded the 81/85 set that came stock with 57/66's. Other than a set of Dunlop straplocks it's stock. There's nothing else to upgrade. 

You don't need to modify the pickup cavities to make them fit. However I think getting a 9v battery inside an E2.6 will be very tough. The bare control cavity alone is big enough to fit a 9v but after you've stuffed it with the solderless wiring kit you'll run out of room.

The 9v compartment they rout inside the body on the Solar models that come stock with actives is there for a reason.


----------



## ZERO1

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> I have an E1.6 Jensen.
> 
> I've upgraded the 81/85 set that came stock with 57/66's. Other than a set of Dunlop straplocks it's stock. There's nothing else to upgrade.
> 
> You don't need to modify the pickup cavities to make them fit. However I think getting a 9v battery inside an E2.6 will be very tough. The bare control cavity alone is big enough to fit a 9v but after you've stuffed it with the solderless wiring kit you'll run out of room.
> 
> The 9v compartment they rout inside the body on the Solar models that come stock with actives is there for a reason.


I wanted that model so bad, but I guess they're not selling it anymore. I am thinking of just getting the regular carbon and upgrading the pick ups. Unless they come out with a metallic red version that I been asking for... oh well.


----------



## binz

No new models the past two Fridays. What is this, Fender?


----------



## manu80

You got used to the friday Namm lol


----------



## bassisace

Anybody see this?



Are the QC issues that widespread? There are some mentioned in the Solar Facebook group. Is this due to Covid making QC more difficult since the regular people are not available?


----------



## Ataraxia2320

bassisace said:


> Anybody see this?
> 
> 
> 
> Are the QC issues that widespread? There are some mentioned in the Solar Facebook group. Is this due to Covid making QC more difficult since the regular people are not available?




Doesnt OLA do the QC himself? 

First I've heard of there being major QC problems. I've heard tales here and there of small quirks that Solar have dealt with pretty swiftly.


----------



## Dumple Stilzkin

That guy seems a bit clueless honestly. He is talking about issues that I’ve never heard of happening to Solar guitars(not saying they can’t or don’t exist). But he using a Washburn Solar guitar in the video. Which is not a Solar brand guitar. For as much stuff as he has to say he doesn’t really seem to understand guitar manufacturing like he thinks he does. To me he comes off as arrogant with no real knowledge to back it up. He could’ve made the video a fraction of the length and still failed to make a point.


----------



## jdecaire

bassisace said:


> Anybody see this?
> 
> 
> 
> Are the QC issues that widespread? There are some mentioned in the Solar Facebook group. Is this due to Covid making QC more difficult since the regular people are not available?




I might take what he says with a grain of salt, he also has a video called “why I dislike Solar guitars”, with the only reason being that they are the same as the Washburn Solars. 

From what I’ve read online, there have been some QC issues since the pandemic (sub par fretwork, cracking ebony fretboards). My understanding is that they have moved QC to Spain (unconfirmed, just read this in another thread) and things have improved. Someone just had a NGD of a gorgeous new SB1.6FOB with zero QC issues. 

I have an AB1.6HTPB on order, will let you know if it comes in with any issues!


----------



## Obed1224

Ola said in a video that since the pandemic started they cant do their QC like they used to in Indonesia. Now they have to ship the guitars to Spain to do QC there as well and he really isn't there to do so like before. This isn't really an excuse for the QC issues, just what I heard him say. People claiming to be luthiers say that the cracked ebony fretboards are due to shitty drying processes with the wood.

Tbh the fb group is kind of a joke now.


----------



## Matt08642

bassisace said:


>




- He can buy a car and have it delivered to him and if he doesn't like it, have it picked up at no cost to him

- "A Solar artist once told me that Ola cant fly from Sweden to Indonesia, but aside from that because of COVID he probably cant. And I went online, did some research on Indonesia, checked their news, and it's not as bad as it is in the United States. If you live here, there are ridiculous amounts of restrictions here in the US than in South East Asia, but aside from that, yes, he can't go to Indonesia and the guys that are in Spain aren't gonna make that trip to Indonesia either - so what do you do? You literally call the factory in Indonesia and you ask them "what the heck are you guys doing that you have all of my crew in the United States burned at the fact that they're getting guitars... that months later... their frets are breaking?" And I spoke to a few guys that are really in to wood, and they're just like "It typically means that it wasn't dried efficiently, and then it wasn't sealed properly afterwards" It could have just been the fact that it wasn't dried completely, it was just sealed and eventually split and cracked months after someone gets it here in the United States."

I stopped trying to transcribe it, but he also talks about humid climates like Indonesia drying wood like Ebony and then shipping it to places like Arizona, So-Cal, etc., it's going to crack.

His next point is to let the glue "cure longer in places like Malaysia and Indonesia" than it would for the glue to dry in Texas

So to fix fret sprout and ebony cracking, Ola must call the Indonesian factory every day and "Make them hate him" and train people at that factory to reject guitars with paint issues...


----------



## Dumple Stilzkin

Matt08642 said:


> - He can buy a car and have it delivered to him and if he doesn't like it, have it picked up at no cost to him
> 
> - "A Solar artist once told me that Ola cant fly from Sweden to Indonesia, but aside from that because of COVID he probably cant. And I went online, did some research on Indonesia, checked their news, and it's not as bad as it is in the United States. If you live here, there are ridiculous amounts of restrictions here in the US than in South East Asia, but aside from that, yes, he can't go to Indonesia and the guys that are in Spain aren't gonna make that trip to Indonesia either - so what do you do? You literally call the factory in Indonesia and you ask them "what the heck are you guys doing that you have all of my crew in the United States burned at the fact that they're getting guitars... that months later... their frets are breaking?" And I spoke to a few guys that are really in to wood, and they're just like "It typically means that it wasn't dried efficiently, and then it wasn't sealed properly afterwards" It could have just been the fact that it wasn't dried completely, it was just sealed and eventually split and cracked months after someone gets it here in the United States."
> 
> I stopped trying to transcribe it, but he also talks about humid climates like Indonesia drying wood like Ebony and then shipping it to places like Arizona, So-Cal, etc., it's going to crack.
> 
> His next point is to let the glue "cure longer in places like Malaysia and Indonesia" than it would for the glue to dry in Texas
> 
> So to fix fret sprout and ebony cracking, Ola must call the Indonesian factory every day and "Make them hate him" and train people at that factory to reject guitars with paint issues...


The dude is clown who doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Problem is other morons who don’t know any better might believe what he’s saying. That sucks. Cause I like Ola.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

bassisace said:


> Anybody see this?
> 
> 
> 
> Are the QC issues that widespread? There are some mentioned in the Solar Facebook group. Is this due to Covid making QC more difficult since the regular people are not available?




Couldn't sit through more than a few minutes. Dude seems clueless. About everything. 

I don't give a shit about Solar or Ola or whatever, but these don't seem bad and all the complaints have been fairly run of the mill for 1) any guitar in this price range and 2) typically from folks who have no idea what they're doing with guitar maintenance in general.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

This dude's stuff is making the rounds it seems. Every time Solar guitars are mentioned somewheres in Facebook groups, you see a lot of shit-talking about their QC and claiming that like 20% of their guitars are duds or something that like.


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> This dude's stuff is making the rounds it seems. Every time Solar guitars are mentioned somewheres in Facebook groups, you see a lot of shit-talking about their QC and claiming that like 20% of their guitars are duds or something that like.



yeah I've heard nothing but good about Solar for a while and now it's like they're Jackson JS quality out of nowhere


----------



## MaxOfMetal

The type of folks who bitch about how well seasoned the wood of thier ~$1k guitar are the same type of folks who call thier LTDs "ESPs". That should be all you need to know.


----------



## Dumple Stilzkin

Oh man! You mean I don’t get to call the LTD I want to buy an ESP?!? Dag nabbit. One day I will own the real deal, but just. Let me have this one.


----------



## Albake21

I recently acquired and sold a Solar S1.6. I was really hyped about this brand and was looking forward to finally trying one out, but I got to be honest, I wasn't too impressed. The guitar itself did play relatively well, at least, for an indo made model. I'd say the guitar was just slightly under the quality of Indo made Strandberg. While I know I'm going to sound nit picky here, it had the exact same issue that every single indo made guitar I've played has, and that's the finishing touches just felt cheap. The overall finish is good, but like every indo made guitar I've played, they always have this toy like finish to them. The finishing touches feel cheaply done. It's kind of hard to explain, but even though it doesn't play like one, it just feels like a very cheap guitar. From the finish itself to cheap feeling pots and switch. It almost feels too factory line-like.

I want to be clear though, if all you care about is a straight forward, pretty decent playing guitar, then I'd recommend Solar to a lot of people. Many should just stick to the cheaper 2 series though because my S1.6 did not feel like a $1k+ guitar, I'd say more so like a $650 guitar. For me though, a guitar is made up of three things. The feel, the looks, and the tone. It missed the feel for me, it got like a C+ in the looks, and overall tone was decent but it really could use a pickup swap. I'll maybe give the brand another shot in the future, but I think I realize I'm too spoiled by MIJ Ibanez or my custom Aviator to play indo made guitars anymore... At the same time, my MIM Charvel DK24 is still cheaper than this Solar and it's still one of my favorite guitars in my collection.


----------



## mmr007

I saw a few of his videos quite some time ago because I picked up a Randall 100W Diavlo HD and wanted to find some user videos of the head and hence found him...and found his videos to be an acquired taste I never acquired. He did seem to gush initially about Ola quite a bit regarding the Satan head...and then suddenly he didn't. Weird


----------



## aesthyrian

Kinda expected when you desire lamborghini looks with a honda budget. I think there was a reason that most production guitars used maple or rosewood and ebony was reserved for more boutique and exotic guitars. I get it, it looks cool.. until it cracks because it was a cheap cut, not properly dried, made in a massed produced factory that doesn't have time or care for such things, and made at an incredible budget price, and even then if the owner does not oil the ebony periodically and control humidity to a degree, then it still might happen. I would think it's still safe to buy solars with maple or rosewood boards, but I would hesitate with ebony on any cheaper guitar.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

aesthyrian said:


> Kinda expected when you desire lamborghini looks with a honda budget. I think there was a reason that most production guitars used maple or rosewood and ebony was reserved for more boutique and exotic guitars. I get it, it looks cool.. until it cracks because it was a cheap cut, not properly dried, made in a massed produced factory that doesn't have time or care for such things, and made at an incredible budget price, and even then if the owner does not oil the ebony periodically and control humidity to a degree, then it still might happen. I would think it's still safe to buy solars with maple or rosewood boards, but I would hesitate with ebony on any cheaper guitar.



Ebony gonna ebony. 

It's not a "seasoning" problem or about "good cuts". In fact poorly dried ebony cracks less, it just warps more. 

If you don't take care of your guitars or play them regularly it's susceptible to cracking. Most cracks you won't even see unless you really look for it. 

That said, unless you're paying a certain amount you're not getting jet black, uniform ebony, you're getting a piece of wood from the same general family that's then heavily dyed. Some species are more brittle than others.


----------



## MASS DEFECT

Just use richlite if they want uniform blackest black fretboards. It feels the same to me. I dont know why it hasnt caught up yet with mid tier brands.

I worked with a construction brand and they regularly source richlite. The prices are around $30-60 per square foot.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

MASS DEFECT said:


> Just use richlite if they want uniform blackest black fretboards. It feels the same to me. I dont know why it hasnt caught up yet with mid tier brands.
> 
> I worked with a construction brand and they regularly source richlite. The prices are around $30-60 per square foot.



Wood is still cheaper and more readily available in bulk, and there's no trying to convince people of its efficacy. 

It's not like they haven't tried. Remember "ebonol"? It's pretty much the same thing as Richlite that Cort was using for awhile.


----------



## Andromalia

Well, the problem is, Gibson fucked it up by putting it on vintage reproductions...
They could have instead used it for a *shudder* new modern model ? If Aristides can sell "Arium", then surely big name manufacturers can ? 
If you have a new revolutionary driving wheel design, you don't tack it on a 1930es Rolls Royce.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

Andromalia said:


> Well, the problem is, Gibson fucked it up by putting it on vintage reproductions...
> They could have instead used it for a *shudder* new modern model ? If Aristides can sell "Arium", then surely big name manufacturers can ?
> If you have a new revolutionary driving wheel design, you don't tack it on a 1930es Rolls Royce.



It was never used on reissue/VOS models, only on standard line LPCs. At the time they actually had four different LPCs available, not including artist models (VOS 54',57', 68', and the Custom) and only one had Richlite, the rest ebony. 

There's nothing really "new" about wood replacements. Products similar to Arium can be traced back to the 60's. It's just a standard guitar building operation isn't tooled up for it, and sourcing said tools and materials is very expensive relative to wood. 

What would be the benefit to moving toward non-wood options for a manufacture? They're somewhat trendy in niche circles, but is that worth the expense? Who is cross shopping Aristides and Gibson or Martin?


----------



## atimoc

Regarding that QC rant video, you may or may not like the dude who made the video as a person, but the issues are painfully real if you go to the Solar Guitars User Community FB group and wade through the first few pages of lame lemon oil memes (which, to be fair, started appearing because early on people with legitimate QC issues were told by other members of the group that they just needed to oil their ebony boards properly) to see pictures of the cracked fretboards.

I too sent my A1.6 back last month due to ebony fretboard cracks and a headstock logo that started to show signs of peeling. Those issues happened about 2-3 weeks in, before that the guitar was right up there with my USA PRS and Prestige Ibbys, simply fantastic to play, and I was contemplating which Solar to buy next (I think I actually enquired in this thread as well).

However, the return/refund experience ended up being such as total pain in the ass that I personally won't be doing business with them again. Long story short, Intra-EU sales come with certain responsibilities for the seller, one of which is covering the return shipping in case of faulty goods. The customer service attempted to dodge that responsibility twice and placed certain unfounded shipping-related blame on me, and only agreed to cover the costs after I brought up filing an EU consumer dispute.


----------



## mbardu

atimoc said:


> Regarding that QC rant video, you may or may not like the dude who made the video as a person, but the issues are painfully real if you go to the Solar Guitars User Community FB group and wade through the first few pages of lame lemon oil memes (which, to be fair, started appearing because early on people with legitimate QC issues were told by other members of the group that they just needed to oil their ebony boards properly) to see pictures of the cracked fretboards.
> 
> I too sent my A1.6 back last month due to ebony fretboard cracks and a headstock logo that started to show signs of peeling. Those issues happened about 2-3 weeks in, before that the guitar was right up there with my USA PRS and Prestige Ibbys, simply fantastic to play, and I was contemplating which Solar to buy next (I think I actually enquired in this thread as well).
> 
> However, the return/refund experience ended up being such as total pain in the ass that I personally won't be doing business with them again. Long story short, Intra-EU sales come with certain responsibilities for the seller, one of which is covering the return shipping in case of faulty goods. *The customer service attempted to dodge that responsibility twice and placed certain unfounded shipping-related blame on me, and only agreed to cover the costs after I brought up filing an EU consumer dispute.*



Not commenting on the quality of the guitars (Solar is among the guitars I'd like to try so I have my eyes peeled here), but that last part is kinda yikes...


----------



## VGK17

atimoc said:


> Regarding that QC rant video, you may or may not like the dude who made the video as a person, but the issues are painfully real if you go to the Solar Guitars User Community FB group and wade through the first few pages of lame lemon oil memes (which, to be fair, started appearing because early on people with legitimate QC issues were told by other members of the group that they just needed to oil their ebony boards properly) to see pictures of the cracked fretboards.
> 
> I too sent my A1.6 back last month due to ebony fretboard cracks and a headstock logo that started to show signs of peeling. Those issues happened about 2-3 weeks in, before that the guitar was right up there with my USA PRS and Prestige Ibbys, simply fantastic to play, and I was contemplating which Solar to buy next (I think I actually enquired in this thread as well).
> 
> However, the return/refund experience ended up being such as total pain in the ass that I personally won't be doing business with them again. Long story short, Intra-EU sales come with certain responsibilities for the seller, one of which is covering the return shipping in case of faulty goods. The customer service attempted to dodge that responsibility twice and placed certain unfounded shipping-related blame on me, and only agreed to cover the costs after I brought up filing an EU consumer dispute.



People in the same FB group also has posted several polls and in every one the vast majority of people voted that they had no problems. Unfortunately you did have problems, but the vocal minority was making it seem like every Solar was a pos. The warranty does state that "Damage to finishes or cracks, splitting, or warpage of wood due to changes in temperature or humidity, exposure to or contact with sun, fire, moisture, body salts and acids of perspiration, guitar straps, guitar stands/hangers made from vinyl, plastic, rubber or other synthetic materials, any other chemicals or polishes" are not covered. Now to be fair if I were you I would be unhappy and would hope that Solar was able to do a better job of resolving your issue. The warranty they have (as well as many other manufacturers of various items) is specific to cover their asses.


----------



## Wuuthrad

The Hagstrom Resinator fretboard is one of the best boards I’ve ever played! Just saying...

Even Ivar Peersen was playing Hagstrom back in the day!


----------



## CrimsonStar

Has anyone else here encountered a problem with the evertune, where one of the intonation screws just stopped working? If i try to tighten it up, it feels like the screw is going to get stuck, and if I loosen the screw if starts to come up from the intonation hole - without any effect on the intonation itself. Any help?

Edit: I loosened up the string, tighted the intonation screw, fiddled with the action screw and now it seems that the whole problem has gone away! I wonder what that was about....


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Wuuthrad said:


> The Hagstrom Resinator fretboard is one of the best boards I’ve ever played! Just saying...
> 
> Even Ivar Peersen was playing Hagstrom back in the day!



Yep, I dig the fretboards on the Hagstroms a lot. Only thing I hate about the hagstrom is the truss rod adjustment. Who the fuck thought a 2 - 2.5mm hex key would be enough to tighten a truss rod?


----------



## JimF

CrimsonStar said:


> Edit: I loosened up the string, tighted the intonation screw, fiddled with the action screw and now it seems that the whole problem has gone away! I wonder what that was about....



Sounds like something was a little stuck, but its free now so panic over


----------



## manu80

no new guitar for a while, no ?


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

MASS DEFECT said:


> Just use richlite if they want uniform blackest black fretboards. It feels the same to me. I dont know why it hasnt caught up yet with mid tier brands.
> 
> I worked with a construction brand and they regularly source richlite. The prices are around $30-60 per square foot.


 I'd love a richlite fretboard, personally.


----------



## soul_lip_mike

VGK17 said:


> People in the same FB group also has posted several polls and in every one the vast majority of people voted that they had no problems. Unfortunately you did have problems, but the vocal minority was making it seem like every Solar was a pos. The warranty does state that "Damage to finishes or cracks, splitting, or warpage of wood due to changes in temperature or humidity, exposure to or contact with sun, fire, moisture, body salts and acids of perspiration, guitar straps, guitar stands/hangers made from vinyl, plastic, rubber or other synthetic materials, any other chemicals or polishes" are not covered. Now to be fair if I were you I would be unhappy and would hope that Solar was able to do a better job of resolving your issue. The warranty they have (as well as many other manufacturers of various items) is specific to cover their asses.


I’m always hesitant about any reviews of gear tied to a personality with a cultish following. Ola has a ton of people who will buy and defend anything he pushes.

Plus I feel like if someone likes solar guitars enough to join a Facebook group about that they might be a tiny bit biased. I’m in a few other brand-exclusive fb groups and the hive mind mentality about the brand being perfect is pretty silly. Don’t dare mention the new Gibson Mustaine models, or say anything critical al at all about Dean on the Dean fb group....


----------



## Wuuthrad

soul_lip_mike said:


> I’m always hesitant about any reviews of gear tied to a personality with a cultish following. Ola has a ton of people who will buy and defend anything he pushes.
> 
> Plus I feel like if someone likes solar guitars enough to join a Facebook group about that they might be a tiny bit biased. I’m in a few other brand-exclusive fb groups and the hive mind mentality about the brand being perfect is pretty silly. Don’t dare mention the new Gibson Mustaine models, or say anything critical al at all about Dean on the Dean fb group....




Brand worship is weird. They’re just guitars, a musical instrument, a creative tool, and many guitars are made in the same factories and stamped with a different label as far as I understand. We have so many choices to get the job done. Whatever floats yer boat!


----------



## Wuuthrad

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Yep, I dig the fretboards on the Hagstroms a lot. Only thing I hate about the hagstrom is the truss rod adjustment. Who the fuck thought a 2 - 2.5mm hex key would be enough to tighten a truss rod?



There was a NOS F-200 (SG like) on Reverb for like 2 and change...oh man it’s gone now- Was up there for like a year! 

I’ve never even had to adjust the truss rod in over 10 years on my Swede. lol...

Hagstroms are the best mid range guitars imo. They end up being low prices used too, it’s bizarre how they don’t get the respect they deserve. So much quality! 

They had Lundgrens in recent models too, but I can’t remember which one. 

Bjornson from Enslaved used the Swede back in the day, now using a Futhark which Id love to check out.


----------



## josh1

I use to like Ola when he made videos in his apartment. He became full of himself and it really turned me off from his videos. Luckily I never bought one of those guitars. Also wtf is with "Ola Tasting Sh*t"? This a guitar show or food network?


----------



## Metropolis

josh1 said:


> I use to like Ola when he made videos in his apartment. He became full of himself and it really turned me off from his videos. Luckily I never bought one of those guitars. Also wtf is with "Ola Tasting Sh*t"? This a guitar show or food network?



Any examples why Ola is full of himself? Tasting food products is just a smalll part of his "sunday with Ola" series... it's just entertainment, and as you can tell Ola doesn't always take himself too seriously.

Ebony is gonna ebony. I had an Ibanez RGA, which cracked fretboard pretty badly in finnish winter. I transported it between home, rehearsal place and studio, and it was enough for that piece of shit. Oiled the fretboard almost every time I changed strings. This can happen to any guitar with ebony board.

There's been too much problems with ebony fretboards and Solar, but that Solar Guitars Users Community on facebook is just another example of internet echo chamber.


----------



## pahulkster

Lol Ola is the least full of himself "famous" player I've ever seen


----------



## Jarmake

josh1 said:


> I use to like Ola when he made videos in his apartment. He became full of himself and it really turned me off from his videos. Luckily I never bought one of those guitars. Also wtf is with "Ola Tasting Sh*t"? This a guitar show or food network?



Since when has Ola been full of himself? And SWOLA is supposed to be entertainment, not to be taken very seriously at all... I'm glad nobody's forcing you to watch his videos, mate!


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Are you sure you aren't watching videos of Fluff, Glenn, or Chappers? 

Olas just doesn't give a fuck and I mean that in the best way possible. He's always done what he want and changed his style because he became more comfortable showing who he is. Also he makes a good chunk of money off YT, which is why he's doing more than he used to do. 

Solar Guitars is whatever, but Ola himself is a cool dude.


----------



## Edika

I've seen a few photos of cracked fretboard and those are some serious cracks extending over a wide amount of the fretboard, more than 5-6 frets. And there has been a couple of cases of roasted maple with the same wide cracks.

While wood is going to crack, especially ebony and roasted maple, I think the problem here is the volume of instruments that have issues vs guitars sold, the time in which the issue appears, the extend of the cracks and how Solar has handled it so far. If someone buys a guitar from a retailer and the fretboard cracks on half the fretboard in a matter of weeks or months then the shop will take some responsibility. This is obviously a defective product. If it happens in 1 guitar out of a 100 then people might not pay that much attention. If it's 2 out of 10 then it's kind of bad odds. Now if the company acknowledges the issue and tries to rectify it then everything is cool. If they make it a bitch of an experience to get repairs, refunds or replacements the it will leave a sour taste to the consumer.

It seems these issues have become more prevalent since the pandemic which means the Indo factory seems to be putting non quality woods since there's no one physically there to inspect the guitars. Not a good practice from their part. I really like the aesthetics of the Solar guitars and I have been considering a V or an E type guitar. I think I'll leave it until there's some type of resolution from Solar about this, meaning addressing the issue and taking steps to minimize instances of cracked wood plus offering a better resolution if this happens. There are a few stores that do sell Solars in the UK so I might see about getting one from there.


----------



## soul_lip_mike

I love SWOLA. I watch it every Sunday morning while I feed my newborn. My wife calls it “my weird Swedish you tuber who needs a haircut.”


----------



## Wc707

Is an ebony fingerboard cracking something to worry about from any brand? Is there a special oil to use on it or a regimen that helps?


----------



## Millul

Yep I think the guy is fun and genuine - puts out good content, loves to chug.
Does that make him a perfect human being and business man, or does that avoid cracks in ebony? Not really


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

josh1 said:


> I use to like Ola when he made videos in his apartment. He became full of himself and it really turned me off from his videos. Luckily I never bought one of those guitars. Also wtf is with "Ola Tasting Sh*t"? This a guitar show or food network?



I'm not an Ola fanboi and honestly I hate his tonal tastes...but I like the dude. If anything I can say he's NOT a Youtuber that's full of himself which is hard to find. He's just goofy and runs his business. He seems to be pretty transparent about it all (as much as I would know, of course) and he's not annoying with it.

I even like his Solars and it's well noted that I hate superstrats with unbridled passion..but I'd check out one of his if I ever saw one in reality.

I'm not all the nuts about his music, I don't own any of his albums, hell I don't even really listen to any of the bands he was in, and I'm far from an Ola follower. But I really dig him and he's endearing in a goofy way.


----------



## couchguitarplayer

I love Ola and I think he's a genuine guy. Solar is an interesting company with cool and refreshing models. He's build for metal player. We've seen more and more new brands directly related to youtubers and artist (Solar, Chapman, Abasi, etc.). It seems like a cool way to do money for guitar players. We have to keep in mind that those are build at the same place than other brands. 

The cracked fretboard thing is scary. I've seen guitars with QC issues. Those are usually call lemons... But I haven't seen this much. KDH did a video on this on Youtube and Ola said to him that the numbers of deffects are in the same range as any other brands. Maybe it's just the internet...But the effect is that I won't buy until I feel safer.​


----------



## pahulkster

Just restrung my G series for the first time since getting it before Christmas. Not sure what strings it comes with (something with black ball ends) but I did a gauge change to my usual NYXL 10s with balanced tension. Not a problem switching on the Evertune compared to any other system. The board happily took two small applications of Music Nomad F One oil, which I think is the best fretboard product out there. It's a fairly cold winter here and my heat has been going strong. I try to keep the house around 40% humidity but it will fluctuate a bit. Definitely no problems with my board and overall the guitar is just excellent.


----------



## Mathemagician

Ola: *buys various import/inexpensive gear and tries to get it to sound metal because his fans ask him to*

Non-fans: “He’s so full of himself”


----------



## mmr007

My biased opinion...I enjoy some of his videos and he seems like a cool guy and you have to remember a public personality is not a REAL personality so if he seems full of himself it might be a role he plays because it sells subscriptions to his channel. I have enjoyed his old travel vlogs the most inluding going shopping in Japan...shopping for a bday strat etc....
I don't like his guitars but only because I'm not his target audience...I don't play seven strings anymore and I am gravitating towards less pointy guitars...also I don't care for evertune bridges. That's not a slight against his product...it's just my tastes. That said I certainly hope his company succeeds. Unless I hear that his factory is using child labor or poisons the local water supply with chemical waste I have nothing but hopes for his success.
However....this is a big however for me.....I do find most of his guitar reviews a bit snarky. Be a guitar manufacturer CEO or be a youtuber...don't be both. Or at least adjust your content to exclude reviews of other guitars. The heads of Gibson and Fender and ESP(LTD really) (his competition) don't do Solar guitar reviews (to the best of my knowledge) on youtube and then make little comments about aspects of the guitar. To me, and I could be wrong, it comes off as a passive aggressive way of shitting on a guitar that someone might be considering as an alternative to a solar. But again...if I'm wrong its only the 30th time today so I will forget about like all the others


----------



## KnightBrolaire

mmr007 said:


> My biased opinion...I enjoy some of his videos and he seems like a cool guy and you have to remember a public personality is not a REAL personality so if he seems full of himself it might be a role he plays because it sells subscriptions to his channel. I have enjoyed his old travel vlogs the most inluding going shopping in Japan...shopping for a bday strat etc....
> I don't like his guitars but only because I'm not his target audience...I don't play seven strings anymore and I am gravitating towards less pointy guitars...also I don't care for evertune bridges. That's not a slight against his product...it's just my tastes. That said I certainly hope his company succeeds. Unless I hear that his factory is using child labor or poisons the local water supply with chemical waste I have nothing but hopes for his success.
> However....this is a big however for me.....I do find most of his guitar reviews a bit snarky. Be a guitar manufacturer CEO or be a youtuber...don't be both. Or at least adjust your content to exclude reviews of other guitars. The heads of Gibson and Fender and ESP(LTD really) (his competition) don't do Solar guitar reviews (to the best of my knowledge) on youtube and then make little comments about aspects of the guitar. To me, and I could be wrong, it comes off as a passive aggressive way of shitting on a guitar that someone might be considering as an alternative to a solar. But again...if I'm wrong its only the 30th time today so I will forget about like all the others


lmao solar is nowhere near big enough to be any competition to esp, ibanez or the other big companies. They may be targeting similar demographics, but that's about it.


----------



## mmr007

I never said he was as big as those companies. Never hinted at it. Never suggested it. BUT they are his competition....somebody considering buying a Mick Thompson guitar or a Kirk Hammett guitar is likely the same target demographic for a solar guitar a.1.6 or wahtever the numbering system is.

Ferrari is nowhere near as big as Ford....but if the head of Ferrari had a youtube channel where he tried to give a review of a Ford GT race car I would have a hard time thinking he was an honest broker


----------



## nickgray

couchguitarplayer said:


> I've seen guitars with QC issues



Well, I got two Korean LTDs with issues, even though everybody raves about them. Or used to at least. It all depends on the individual guitar at the end of the day. Even my Prestige is just a workhorse guitar in terms of overall quality. The more you look for flaws - the better the likelihood of finding ones. If you start inspecting guitars super thoroughly with a bright flashlight in hand, you'll see all sorts of tiny problems.

It's also worth noting that $800-1200 range isn't what it used to be. I think people are still in denial of that, you still see things like "a $1k guitar shouldn't have these issues", but $1k used to be the price of Japanese ESP and Ibanez, for example. Nowadays they're more in the $1.5-2k territory. A $1k Indo is what a $500-700 ish guitar used to be. I remember Korean Schecters and LTDs selling for way less than they're now.

Plus, Ola is an internet dude, and I reckon most of Solar's customers got a guitar because they're familiar with his YouTube channel. It's not surprising to see more complaints than "usual". Not that I really know what the actual lemon percentage is, of course. But assuming it's not much more than similarly priced guitars, again, it's not that surprising to see more complaints.



mmr007 said:


> Be a guitar manufacturer CEO or be a youtuber...don't be both



I think it's well established by now that he doesn't take himself too seriously. And neither should you take a YouTube review of anything too seriously either.



mmr007 said:


> it comes off as a passive aggressive way of shitting on a guitar that someone might be considering as an alternative to a solar



It comes from a dude who has fart buttons. Honestly, if anyone is upset that a dude with fart buttons was a bit too snarky towards a guitar, they need some balls growing medicine asap.


----------



## mmr007

nickgray said:


> I think it's well established by now that he doesn't take himself too seriously. And neither should you take a YouTube review of anything too seriously either.
> 
> 
> 
> It comes from a dude who has fart buttons. Honestly, if anyone is upset that a dude with fart buttons was a bit too snarky towards a guitar, they need some balls growing medicine asap.



Let me see if I understand your logic....you are questioning the size of my testicles and also, I guess by extension....my manhood because I had an opinion on one aspect of a youtuber's content. I don't think any part of my statement was a childish rant...maybe go reread or take your bipolar medicine


----------



## TheBlackBard

Quick question: Given that Ola is a member here, could some of these comments be seen as member bashing?


----------



## mbardu

It's funny, I don't have a Solar, I'm not necessarily a fan of the guy (although he's entertaining and clearly good at what he does musically), but I don't think I've seen him bash other brands. Quite the opposite actually, the few vlog type of things I've seen from him, I often remember him _praising_ other brands and other guitars.
Even in his own collection he says a lot of good about "competitors", and I don't recall him saying things like "_except Solars are better because xyz_".

From a cynical perspective, I was actually surprised how _little _he pushed that angle considering the business owns...but I guess he does realize that he's not losing any business in doing it this way and trying to show an open-minded honest side.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

TheBlackBard said:


> Quick question: Given that Ola is a member here, could some of these comments be seen as member bashing?



Depends on if it crosses a threshold into harassment, bullying, threats of violence, over the top ad hominem attacks, and just generally overall malice vs. having not so favorable opinions on his branding or the way he conducts his business. 

If there's anything especially nasty folks are free to report it, I'm not going to go through 148 pages on my own, but would be happy to correct any instances worth action. 

Ola, and plenty of other musicians and entrepreneurs, choose to put themselves out there. Share music, thier views, products, etc. and that tends to welcome scrutiny. 

I always try to look at stuff like this with some perspective. Does Ola care that MetalCock3000 thinks his YouTube is stupid? Probably not.


----------



## manu80

I like him except too much of the burping and farting noises. At the end it’s boring .
But he’s positive, cool and welcoming, loves to share.
I like Leon Todd on the same level. Guys love to play, share infos, love the instrument...all good !


----------



## jdecaire

couchguitarplayer said:


> The cracked fretboard thing is scary. I've seen guitars with QC issues. Those are usually call lemons... But I haven't seen this much. KDH did a video on this on Youtube and Ola said to him that the numbers of deffects are in the same range as any other brands. Maybe it's just the internet...But the effect is that I won't buy until I feel safer.​



I'm honestly wondering if this is a product of them being direct to consumer sales. Makes returns etc. a pain, especially if you are outside the EU. If you bought a Jackson import from Guitar Centre and it had an issue you could just take it back and get a new one within the warranty period and I doubt a consumer would go posting on forums and FB groups to complain because you walked in with a defective one and walked out with a new/repaired one without issue. If you have a problem with your Solar (outside EU) you have to pay to ship it back and for the new one (I think). TBH I would be pissed too if it was a manufacturers defect and I had to pay $50 each way to ship.

On another note, I just received my AB1.6HTBP (just posted a NGD thread) and it is flawless. Was getting anxious with all the QC talk, but it came in absolutely perfect.


----------



## buriedoutback

buriedoutback said:


> If he does a V8 like that... I think I'll start saving my CAD (2k+ worth)... after I change my pants... and try to explain to the wife why I ejaculated while looking at a guitar on the internet



HE DID IT


----------



## Decapitated

Wc707 said:


> Is an ebony fingerboard cracking something to worry about from any brand? Is there a special oil to use on it or a regimen that helps?



Sir, this is an Ola/Solar bashing thread. Back on topic: how about that hideous neck inlay...amirite?!


----------



## MASS DEFECT

lol this guy is taking it way over the top...


----------



## Matt08642

MASS DEFECT said:


> lol this guy is taking it way over the top...
> 
> View attachment 91135



Dude writes like a 15 year old who just beat you in CoD


----------



## nickgray

Cracked *frets*? Oh wow


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

MASS DEFECT said:


> lol this guy is taking it way over the top...
> 
> View attachment 91135


----------



## mlp187

Goddamn it as much as I love the internet I hate it. Drama for points and likes.
I’m not defending anyone here, but I’d like to point out that Louis, by his own admission, allows the same gardener to continue work on his yard despite always “chopping” his roses. Big brain.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

mlp187 said:


> Goddamn it as much as I love the internet I hate it. Drama for points and likes.
> I’m not defending anyone here, but I’d like to point out that Louis, by his own admission, allows the same gardener to continue work on his yard despite always “chopping” his roses. Big brain.



Louis was pretty okay when he was just testing out gear and showing off lesser-known pedals on his channel. Now that he's got a kinda-sorta hint of popularity, his head went so far up his ass. He like he loves to get into drama beefs with people. Shit I think he tried to start shit with Keith Merrow one time.


----------



## couchguitarplayer

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Louis was pretty okay when he was just testing out gear and showing off lesser-known pedals on his channel. Now that he's got a kinda-sorta hint of popularity, his head went so far up his ass. He like he loves to get into drama beefs with people. Shit I think he tried to start shit with Keith Merrow one time.



True! Once I joined the fortin user group on facebook after getting the Zuul and the Grind pedals. I asked a question and Louis started insulting me. I left the group a bit pissed off and he sent me PM trying to say he was sorry. Well I guess he's not really good interacting with people. Some of his videos are great though.


----------



## Millul

Guy was fun at the beginning, getting annoying pretty fast


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I mean yeah, it fucking sucks. Cracked fretboards suck. Makes me wish we'd get more ebanol fretboards (I know, $$$). That or use dyed rosewood like Ibanez did for the Meshuggah guitars. Go back to using ebony once all the COVID stuff blows over for the most part.

I know it could be a small number of people facing these issues, but a loud minority that won't shut the fuck up can really hurt your image. Especially like Louis who will literally go on every YT and Facebook page he can and stir up shit, and have his fans and followers do the same.


----------



## Vyn

Louis is just a loudmouth tool that will hop on any bandwagon if it means he can get some exposure. Unfortunately there seems to be quite a few Louis types hoping on the band wagon with this one.

It is worth noting that despite the QC issues, I haven't heard of a case where people have struggled customer service wise with Solar to get a replacement or a refund so it sounds like they are at least addressing everything properly in that regard.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Vyn said:


> Louis is just a loudmouth tool that will hop on any bandwagon if it means he can get some exposure. Unfortunately there seems to be quite a few Louis types hoping on the band wagon with this one.



Sounds about right. What with the "I don't hate Mike Fortin, but I'll talk shit about him" thing he did for a good bit. Also I absolutely hate those record-a-selfie-video-while-blabbering-and-driving videos that everyone does.


----------



## Vyn

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Sounds about right. What with the "I don't hate Mike Fortin, but I'll talk shit about him" thing he did for a good bit. Also I absolutely hate those record-a-selfie-video-while-blabbering-and-driving videos that everyone does.



I did actually try giving the guy a chance and watched a couple of videos however he's just A-grade trash. In the Fortin Sigil video he was going on about how he'd smack someone around if he was in the OP's situation. Anyone who thinks resorting to violence over a customer service issue about a product is a fucking moron.


----------



## MASS DEFECT

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I mean yeah, it fucking sucks. Cracked fretboards suck. Makes me wish we'd get more ebanol fretboards (I know, $$$). That or use dyed rosewood like Ibanez did for the Meshuggah guitars. Go back to using ebony once all the COVID stuff blows over for the most part.
> 
> I know it could be a small number of people facing these issues, but a loud minority that won't shut the fuck up can really hurt your image. Especially like Louis who will literally go on every YT and Facebook page he can and stir up shit, and have his fans and followers do the same.



Im all for black dyed rosewood. The natural color of ebony is deep dark brown anyway like the undyed ones they put on Ltd black metal guitars. 

There's also a new trend of dyed purpleheart boards from sub $400 guitars like this Ibby Gio...


----------



## mastapimp

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Louis was pretty okay when he was just testing out gear and showing off lesser-known pedals on his channel. Now that he's got a kinda-sorta hint of popularity, his head went so far up his ass. He like he loves to get into drama beefs with people. Shit I think he tried to start shit with Keith Merrow one time.


Never heard of this guy until I saw the posts on this thread. Decided to look up one of his videos to see what his deal is and I see he's reviewing a Ran Crusher back in June 2020. He's oblivious that they're long out of business and is just gushing on the gear. People in the comments section tell him Ran is dead and he's certain they're alive cause they still have a website...

I don't think I'll be checking out any of his videos if he can't take the time to research or follow up. He's coming across as a yapping mouthpiece with no intention of ever changing his mind.


----------



## KnightBrolaire

mastapimp said:


> Never heard of this guy until I saw the posts on this thread. Decided to look up one of his videos to see what his deal is and I see he's reviewing a Ran Crusher back in June 2020. He's oblivious that they're long out of business and is just gushing on the gear. People in the comments section tell him Ran is dead and he's certain they're alive cause they still have a website...
> 
> I don't think I'll be checking out any of his videos if he can't take the time to research or follow up. He's coming across as a yapping mouthpiece with no intention of ever changing his mind.


he's diarrhea of the mouth personified. I can't stand his vids because he rambles so much and just comes off as a massive tool.


----------



## nightlight

I remember seeing a video of Ola reviewing other bands' songs/albums on a livestream and was a bit surprised that he chose to intersperse fart sounds while listening. For a band starting out or trying to grow an audience, that kind of mockery by a guy with a thriving Youtube channel could be devastating.

I used to watch his gear reviews for a bit, but then suspected everything was being embellished through studio magic. Nothing wrong with it, after all, his job is to sell products for companies. Still, it just comes across as propaganda as a result, and therefore is not worth watching without an extremely cynical perspective.

Did you guys see the video where Rabea compares the capture facility on the in-development Neural Quad Cortex versus the Kemper Profiler?

Kind of sums up the influencer phenomenon, they'll do whatever it takes to sell a product, even if it means sideswiping a competitor. That's why I agree with the comment that Ola reviewing other guitars and pointing out perceived shortcomings isn't kosher because there is a clear conflict of interest.


----------



## JimF

I'm not saying you're wrong, but giving them the benefit of the doubt I like to think that whole "making everything sound good" phenomenon in reviews can be contributed to the YouTuber wanting to produce good quality entertainment.
Also, I don't think I've ever seen Ola criticise another brand's guitar one he has it in his hands. Yeah he might look at an image of one and say "I don't like XYZ" but the only gear I've seen him come anywhere near close to "sideswiping" was saying that tiny Marshall was more of a toy.


----------



## nightlight

JimF said:


> I'm not saying you're wrong, but giving them the benefit of the doubt I like to think that whole "making everything sound good" phenomenon in reviews can be contributed to the YouTuber wanting to produce good quality entertainment.
> Also, I don't think I've ever seen Ola criticise another brand's guitar one he has it in his hands. Yeah he might look at an image of one and say "I don't like XYZ" but the only gear I've seen him come anywhere near close to "sideswiping" was saying that tiny Marshall was more of a toy.



Like I said, it isn't in an influencer's benefit to downplay any piece of gear that comes through their door. So in that sense, objectivity is off the table. And if Ola says, "I don't like XYZ", it's because they aren't paying him. 

There is indeed a temptation to watch Ola demo say the Mooer Black Truck and say it is the greatest thing since sliced bread, because it just sounds so good. Heck, I've given him tonnes of hits as a result. 

But at the end of the day, that ceases to be a review I can rely on, because it's more like propaganda than an honest 
review. 

I remember watching him knock a PRS Tremonti and saying it kept falling backward. Best part is that Ola doesn't even have a strap on (haha). And some kid who's going to make it big in the music biz someday is going to see Ola saying that and think, "Jeez, the PRS Tremonti has bottom dive".


----------



## Decapitated

I take every YT review/reviewer with a grain of salt. If you take everything someone says as gospel, you’re doing it wrong.


----------



## profwoot

Rabea compiles his youtube tracks and releases them as EPs, so of course he's going to work to make all the products sound good. 

At least some of the angst on this topic is due to a misunderstanding of what the youtuber is trying to accomplish. The vast majority of such videos are not actually "reviews" as some viewers often call them, but "demos". Yes, they [generally] avoid shit-talking the product they're being paid to demo, and for the most part I appreciate that. Give me an idea of what the product is and what it can do and I'll take it from there. I appreciate that youtube has some labeling requirements, as I agree this system could be deceptive, but the extreme suspicion or disregard of all youtube demos I sometimes see strikes me as naive.


----------



## JimF

Yes I agree, more demos than objective reviews as such. Ola is using the room mics in his videos more which go to show how the mic can make a huge difference. Also the effects of the cabinet etc are being highlighted, which I've noticed people are only just realising (at least Joe Public, if you've always known, well done).
Whilst these demo's are very subjective, they also go to show me that an Orange Dark Terror isn't my type of sound, regardless of the mic setup, cabinet or post processing. 

Back on track, in a recent vid Ola seemed to hint there were some big new models coming. Now this might just be instruments like that 8 string Evertune'd V, or even just some fresh finishes, but I think it would be exciting to think there would be some other new models coming, be that the mix & match spares services he's hinted at (and backed up with the introduction of the bolt on models). It would be interesting to see a variation on the core theme slightly. Obviously the Solar logo would remain, but perhaps a return of the dot inlays, and a tweaked superstrat shape so the S series isn't just the A without the scallops/cutouts on the horns would get my trousers fizzing.

But even though I'm saying all of this I'll probably buy another used Prestige


----------



## couchguitarplayer

I remember the old days of Ola when everyone said that his amp demos sounded the same. 

I think he has a vision of his tone and the way he tweaks his tone is about achieving that vision. I think he uses lots of gain on the amp with lower output pickups so he get a bit more of dynamics but the tone is still heavily saturated (which I like). You can't get the feel and the ''oomph''. Definatly not the best kind of tone for amp shopping with videos. You must try before you buy ...as always.

I really enjoy the new setup with in room mic sound. It's easier now to see the character of the amps and cabs.


----------



## Millul

I actually like that he has HIS sound, and all he does is trying to make stuff sound like...Ola.


----------



## JimF

Millul said:


> I actually like that he has HIS sound, and all he does is trying to make stuff sound like...Ola.



Same! Fortunately I love his tone!


----------



## Millul

JimF said:


> Same! Fortunately I love his tone!



I do too!


----------



## Decapitated

Samesies.


----------



## couchguitarplayer

+1


----------



## Wuuthrad

nightlight said:


> And if Ola says, "I don't like XYZ", it's because they aren't paying him.



That’s your opinion...


----------



## nightlight

Wuuthrad said:


> That’s your opinion...



It is! He seems to like everything he demos, so I'm not sure what to make of it really.


----------



## Dayn

nightlight said:


> It is! He seems to like everything he demos, so I'm not sure what to make of it really.


You can get good tones out of almost anything made these days. It's probably a manifestation of every guitarist's nightmare. "He likes a lot of gear? But... that means I need to practice more or get better at getting tones I want. No, he's wrong!"


----------



## nightlight

Dayn said:


> You can get good tones out of almost anything made these days. It's probably a manifestation of every guitarist's nightmare. "He likes a lot of gear? But... that means I need to practice more or get better at getting tones I want. No, he's wrong!"



Well, at least Ola can!

I do appreciate your trying to make this a reflection on me though, I really do.

The old "you suck" argument is just your typical ad hominem attack. Can't you come up with a better argument?

I mean, what? You guys have an Ola-signal that flashed into the night sky?


----------



## Wuuthrad

nightlight said:


> It is! He seems to like everything he demos, so I'm not sure what to make of it really.



I think Ola’s in a pretty unique position to make a career out of doing what he loves, and his channel reflects that. 

I look at it as a Metal/Guitar entertainment channel, and good one at that, rather than a guitar or gear review channel, which he also does, but it’s not the primary focus of the channel. I think Ola explains that pretty well, having watched him for quite a few years.


----------



## nightlight

Wuuthrad said:


> I think Ola’s in a pretty unique position to make a career out of doing what he loves, and his channel reflects that.



And given that, we can again shift the focus to Solar Guitars. 

I haven't ever played one. How do they compare to Chapman Guitars?


----------



## Wuuthrad

nightlight said:


> And given that, we can again shift the focus to Solar Guitars.
> 
> I haven't ever played one. How do they compare to Chapman Guitars?



I’m not the guy to ask having never played one, but I would say they are probably comparable mid range Indo guitars. I can only recommend these kinds of guitars having played LTD, PRS, and Ibanez which are all great guitars.

I guess it comes down to fit and finish. For me pickups and neck profile are the most important, with looks next.

That being said, I’ve seen a couple Solars that looked interesting- the natural wood Bolt on with blade neck pickup and the ATG baritone.

Will probably decide between the ATG and an Ibanez RGIB21 in the next year.

The pink Solar looks sweet too, I almost bought that on impulse last year, but reason kicked in... (do I really need another medium output passive with Floyd?) not really...
C shaped necks are kind of middle of the road, and a Wizard always outdoes one imo.

Also for me Evertune is of no interest. Guitars are never really in tune anyway so why lock that in? I also don’t know it will stand the test of time.


----------



## nightlight

Wuuthrad said:


> I’m not the guy to ask having never played one, but I would say they are probably comparable mid range Indo guitars. I can only recommend these kinds of guitars having played LTD, PRS, and Ibanez which are all great guitars.
> 
> I guess it comes down to fit and finish. For me pickups and neck profile are the most important, with looks next.
> 
> That being said, I’ve seen a couple Solars that looked interesting- the natural wood Bolt on with blade neck pickup and the ATG baritone.
> 
> Will probably decide between the ATG and an Ibanez RGIB21 in the next year.
> 
> The pink Solar looks sweet too, I almost bought that on impulse last year, but reason kicked in... (do I really need another medium output passive with Floyd?) not really...
> 
> Also for me Evertune is of no interest.



Someone was selling a Chapman Bea here, the one with the baritone 29"scale. Looked really interesting, but the guy wanted almost two grand for it, so I baulked.

I think it would be awesome for someone to do a shootout of Indonesian guitars - Chapman, Solar, Ibanez, Cort, Strandberg, etc, FWIW.


----------



## Wuuthrad

nightlight said:


> Someone was selling a Chapman Bea here, the one with the baritone 29"scale. Looked really interesting, but the guy wanted almost two grand for it, so I baulked.
> 
> I think it would be awesome for someone to do a shootout of Indonesian guitars - Chapman, Solar, Ibanez, Cort, Strandberg, etc, FWIW.



A baritone past 28 inches doesn’t make sense to my fingers, having played 27.5 acoustic 8 string, 27 LTD, and a 26.5 Ibanez. 

29 is getting into bass guitar territory! One of the advantages I’ve found of any EX range is more room higher up the fretboard obviously.


----------



## nightlight

Wuuthrad said:


> A baritone past 28 inches doesn’t make sense to my fingers, having played 27.5 acoustic 8 string, 27 LTD, and a 26.5 Ibanez.
> 
> 29 is getting into bass guitar territory! One of the advantages I’ve found of any EX range is more room higher up the fretboard obviously.



I find fanned frets help in the lower registers with those longer baritone scales. For example, the 28" low F# on my fanned fret 8 is a bit easier to reach than the low C on my 27", non-fan fret seven stringer

I saw the 8-string V that Solar is coming out with. Isn't that a first of some kind?


----------



## Wuuthrad

nightlight said:


> I find fanned frets help in the lower registers with those longer baritone scales. For example, the 28" low F# on my fanned fret 8 is a bit easier to reach than the low C on my 27", non-fan fret seven stringer
> 
> I saw the 8-string V that Solar is coming out with. Isn't that a first of some kind?



I dunno really, more of a 6 string player myself. I think it is having noticed something on here.


----------



## nightlight

Wuuthrad said:


> I dunno really, more of a 6 string player myself. I think it is having noticed something on here.



I've never seen an 8-string V. I don't think they're very common at any rate.


----------



## Wuuthrad

nightlight said:


> I've never seen an 8-string V. I don't think they're very common at any rate.



Check out Dean, their 2021 line has some really interesting guitars- fan 7 and 8s with Kahler tremolos, not sure if there’s a V though.


----------



## nightlight

I would buy this from Dean, but they want around $8k.


----------



## Jarmake

nightlight said:


> View attachment 91314
> 
> 
> 
> I would buy this from Dean, but they want around $8k.



Holy fck, ewww... 


Let me guess... Kerry King designed that?


----------



## Dayn

nightlight said:


> Well, at least Ola can!
> 
> I do appreciate your trying to make this a reflection on me though, I really do.
> 
> The old "you suck" argument is just your typical ad hominem attack. Can't you come up with a better argument?
> 
> I mean, what? You guys have an Ola-signal that flashed into the night sky?


It wasn't meant to be taken as a personal attack, but if you want to take it that way instead of a self-deprecatory poke at ourselves, you're welcome to. Guitarists are prone to chase gear instead of practice, so it's only natural that some will look for any reason to presume positive opinions on gear must be biased. Only you can tell if the shoe fits. If you find the shoe uncomfortable, well... put some socks on.

For what it's worth, I don't have a Solar, will never own a Solar, have no real opinion on Solar guitars, rarely watch Ola, have very little opinion or investment in Ola one way or the other, and I can't remember when I last commented in this thread. I took the opportunity to make a joke about guitarists. So you're kind of just yelling at clouds.


----------



## nightlight

Dayn said:


> It wasn't meant to be taken as a personal attack, but if you want to take it that way instead of a self-deprecatory poke at ourselves, you're welcome to. Guitarists are prone to chase gear instead of practice, so it's only natural that some will look for any reason to presume positive opinions on gear must be biased. Only you can tell if the shoe fits. If you find the shoe uncomfortable, well... put some socks on.



I'm not sure if you're a native speaker of English, but the insinuation in your first post and who it was directed at was clear, just as it is in the second. You did quote me after all.

What makes it worse is you link the assertion that no one can like all gear to people not practising enough. So I'm not sure what is self-deprecating, it's an insult and it makes zero sense. And now you're trying to cover up an ad hominem attack with another ad hominem attack.

It's just the typical misdirection that's become all too frequent in public discussion. Have a problem with someone's point of view? Mount a Chewbacca defence.

Most demos/reviews are positive, it's just how people are wired to think the gear we have is good.

When it's done professionally, however, to the extent that gear I wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole is made to sound unreal, it reminds me of a lot of guitar celebs endorsing gear and never using it. If that is fair game for criticism, so is (what I think is) people expressing opinions about Ola's demos/reviews.

There are plenty of videos comparing processor X to processor $ and saying they sound the same. It's disingenuous.


----------



## nightlight

Jarmake said:


> Holy fck, ewww...
> 
> 
> Let me guess... Kerry King designed that?



Yes. I'm guessing you don't like Dime's axe and flying Vs too.


----------



## Dayn

nightlight said:


> I'm not sure if you're a native speaker of English, but the insinuation in your first post and who it was directed at was clear, just as it is in the second. You did quote me after all.
> 
> What makes it worse is you link the assertion that no one can like all gear to people not practising enough. So I'm not sure what is self-deprecating, it's an insult and it makes zero sense. And now you're trying to cover up an ad hominem attack with another ad hominem attack.
> 
> It's just the typical misdirection that's become all too frequent in public discussion. Have a problem with someone's point of view? Mount a Chewbacca defence.
> 
> Most demos/reviews are positive, it's just how people are wired to think the gear we have is good.
> 
> When it's done professionally, however, to the extent that gear I wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole is made to sound unreal, it reminds me of a lot of guitar celebs endorsing gear and never using it. If that is fair game for criticism, so is (what I think is) people expressing opinions about Ola's demos/reviews.
> 
> There are plenty of videos comparing processor X to processor $ and saying they sound the same. It's disingenuous.


Every guitarist I know, including myself, has chased gear and tone instead of practising at one point or another. Many of us have come up with silly reasons to question whether certain gear is good or not instead of playing. Perhaps you could learn to not take yourself so seriously.


----------



## nightlight

Dayn said:


> Every guitarist I know, including myself, has chased gear and tone instead of practising at one point or another. Many of us have come up with silly reasons to question whether certain gear is good or not instead of playing. Perhaps you could learn to not take yourself so seriously.



Actually, I like to be self-deprecating, you know, like "We're all told we're going to be rockstars and movie God's, but I won't WITH THAT TONE".

I'll again navigate the thread towards Solar Guitars. I noted a separate thread where someone got a new Solar. Beautiful colour and the construction looks excellent, but I was wondering about the wood that was used. 

Being a transparent finish which exposes the grain, I was surprised that the wood looked to be from two separate pieces of lumber, or at least not consecutive slices from the same tree. 

I always subscribed to the idea that you should at least have body pieces bookmarked in order to achieve maximum resonance and tone (though I know some would say only the pickups matter).

What does everyone else think? Am I too finicky about wood to think this would be a QC with some of the larger companies? Or should they have just painted it in a solid colour?


----------



## MaxOfMetal

Muti-piece bodies are the standard, especially at this price point, regardless of brand or finish.


----------



## KnightBrolaire

MaxOfMetal said:


> Muti-piece bodies are the standard, especially at this price point, regardless of brand or finish.


Yeah I never see one piece bodies on anything except boutique builds.


----------



## jdecaire

nightlight said:


> I noted a separate thread where someone got a new Solar. Beautiful colour and the construction looks excellent, but I was wondering about the wood that was used.
> 
> Being a transparent finish which exposes the grain, I was surprised that the wood looked to be from two separate pieces of lumber, or at least not consecutive slices from the same tree.
> 
> I always subscribed to the idea that you should at least have body pieces bookmarked in order to achieve maximum resonance and tone (though I know some would say only the pickups matter).
> 
> What does everyone else think? Am I too finicky about wood to think this would be a QC with some of the larger companies? Or should they have just painted it in a solid colour?



I believe you are referring to my guitar. TBH - at this price point I think that would be getting too finicky. I would say most guitars in this price range would be laminated pieces (two or more). 

The guitar is certainly 100% ash, just laminated together. I'm not sure your familiarity with ash, but the grain varies greatly from tight lines to more open spaced grain. With the hipshot bridge it resonates about as well as my Gibson Les Paul, so I don't know how much you would be gaining from one piece of wood other than $1-2K added on the price tag. To each their own though!


----------



## Jarmake

nightlight said:


> Yes. I'm guessing you don't like Dime's axe and flying Vs too.



Actually ML's and Flying V's are awesome, but that one is one ugly mofo! I absolutely hate how it looks.


----------



## nightlight

Ah, I guess the time's they are a-changin'. I bought my RG1820X Prestige in 2007 iirc. 

Cost me more than a month's salary at the time, but it was under US$1000 at today's currency conversion rate (us$1500 at the currency conversion rate back then). Also, it was one of the basswood models. 

Kind of weird though, seeing you can still get RG Prestiges for about $1500 nowadays on Reverb. 

That said, the colour and fit and finish on @jdecaire's guitar looks outstanding. I was very impressed with the bevels along the arms, looks like top notch work. 

I see what you mean about the laminates as well, I just came across this Cort X500, and it is the one pictures on their website, so I suppose the stuff that is actually being sold would look nothing like that.


----------



## nedheftyfunk

Neck-thru are already laminate-construction with each wing separate, so the wings are often single pieces with no further lamination. I would expect that to be the case for that Cort, and have a recent bass from them for which that's true. 

KnightBrolaire was referring to set necks and bolt-ons where you'd need much bigger piece of wood, resulting in a lot more waste, to make a one piece body. If you look, for example, at Gibson's 2015 catalogue, they explicitly state that the LP Standard has a two-piece back vs, say, a Classic with multi-matched. The two piece is a brag on their part, as you shouldn't expect it, rather than a denigration.


----------



## nickgray

The funny thing is that nobody is bothered by maple tops, and the surface area of the glued part is way bigger there. Multi-piece necks fine and even desirable because of stability. Neck throughs' bodies are basically two wings that are glued to the neck. Also perfectly fine, and the age old myth goes that neck throughs have the best sustain (bolt ons have better attack, of course). It makes zero sense that multi-piece body on a bolt-on or a glued neck is somehow inferior. Sure, above a certain price it's something to be expected "just because", but I reckon it's about the last thing anyone should be worried about.


----------



## nightlight

I was always suspicious of the basswood wings on the mahogany body Majesties as well, so I guess it's just some weird kink I had in my head.

Does anyone like basswood, for that matter? I always used to suspect it was the cheapest of tonewoods, but it's used in a lot of high end axes. Light too, which I should have thought was a good thing, but I always was under the impression it was undesirable. Used prices for basswood guitars seem to reflect that, everyone wants swamp ash or mahogany or whatever.

I just noticed the headstock on the Solars. That's an amazing design, well done Ola.


----------



## Wuuthrad

nightlight said:


> I was always suspicious of the basswood wings on the mahogany body Majesties as well, so I guess it's just some weird kink I had in my head.
> 
> Does anyone like basswood, for that matter? I always used to suspect it was the cheapest of tonewoods, but it's used in a lot of high end axes. Light too, which I should have thought was a good thing, but I always was under the impression it was undesirable. Used prices for basswood guitars seem to reflect that, everyone wants swamp ash or mahogany or whatever.
> 
> I just noticed the headstock on the Solars. That's an amazing design, well done Ola.




Fender was using Ash because he got it cheap at the Lumber yard. Mahogany was sort of frowned upon by luthiers until steel strings became popular, who’s makers were also using cheap available wood. History and hindsight have made certain woods valuable. 

Is basswood “bad?” Absolutely not. Does the weight of a guitar effect the way it sounds ? No, but don’t tell anybody unless you want an endless argument! 

Pickups, strings and your fingers make the sound, everything else that isn’t an amp or a pedal has an effect but it’s not as much as people think really.


----------



## mbardu

nightlight said:


> I was always suspicious of the basswood wings on the mahogany body Majesties as well, so I guess it's just some weird kink I had in my head.
> 
> Does anyone like basswood, for that matter? I always used to suspect it was the cheapest of tonewoods, but it's used in a lot of high end axes. Light too, which I should have thought was a good thing, but I always was under the impression it was undesirable. Used prices for basswood guitars seem to reflect that, everyone wants swamp ash or mahogany or whatever.
> 
> I just noticed the headstock on the Solars. That's an amazing design, well done Ola.



Some people like basswood, but mostly chumps like Tom Anderson or John Suhr I guess 

Kidding aside, there's basswood and basswood...just like other families of woods, there are a lot of species that fall under the same umbrella, then there are a bunch of quality of suppliers and treatment. Not all basswood is created equal. You can find cheap "basswood" guitars, just like you can find cheap "mahogany" or "alder" guitars.


----------



## jdecaire

mbardu said:


> ...Kidding aside, there's basswood and basswood...just like other families of woods, there are a lot of species that fall under the same umbrella, then there are a bunch of quality of suppliers and treatment. Not all basswood is created equal. You can find cheap "basswood" guitars, just like you can find cheap "mahogany" or "alder" guitars.



Completely agree. Basswood seems to have a very wide range in terms of tonal quality. It gets a bad rap since it is (or was) cheap and widely available, and was used in a lot of entry level or budget guitars, where slab selection wouldn't be as important.

Ernie Ball has an interest writeup on why they use it as their primary tone wood

http://blog.music-man.com/instruments/why-we-use-basswood-for-our-instruments/


----------



## RevDrucifer

nightlight said:


> When it's done professionally, however, to the extent that gear I wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole is made to sound unreal, it reminds me of a lot of guitar celebs endorsing gear and never using it. If that is fair game for criticism, so is (what I think is) people expressing opinions about Ola's demos/reviews.



Huh? It’s disingenuous to make gear you don’t like sound good? If someone can take a $300 modeler and make it sound unreal, then I guess that modeler is capable of creating some unreal sounds and whether or not you dig that piece of gear has nothing to do with that. 

Now if you mean someone is EQ’ing the shit out of it in post, that’s a different story and I’d agree with you. But if someone is just taking a piece of gear that isn’t celebrated for it’s awesomeness and getting a killer tone from it, that doesn’t make anything disingenuous, it just shows that it’s possible to get a great tone from it. 

And all that shit about ad-hominem attacks....Jesus Christ people are f*cking touchy these days. Dude made a blanket statement, it was your choice to wrap yourself up in that blanket and then cry about it.


----------



## Quiet Coil

I’m in the US - anyone know of options other than directly through the site to purchase in the states?


----------



## VGK17

Quiet Coil said:


> I’m in the US - anyone know of options other than directly through the site to purchase in the states?


I've bought two direct from Solar, I don't think there is any other way in the US to get a new one. Both times the guitar arrived in three to four days, Spain to Nevada. However the last one was bought in 2019.


----------



## Wucan

jdecaire said:


> Completely agree. Basswood seems to have a very wide range in terms of tonal quality. It gets a bad rap since it is (or was) cheap and widely available, and was used in a lot of entry level or budget guitars, where slab selection wouldn't be as important.
> 
> Ernie Ball has an interest writeup on why they use it as their primary tone wood
> 
> http://blog.music-man.com/instruments/why-we-use-basswood-for-our-instruments/



I don't think the wood type matters as much as the selection by the manufacturer. My JP6 is basswood and sustains like a Les Paul despite being lightweight. On the other hand my "Partstang" is also supposed to be basswood, but is unusually heavy despite having a very slim body and not being very resonant. When I brought the guitar over to my local luthier for some custom wiring, he swore he was working with maple lol.


----------



## pahulkster

VGK17 said:


> I've bought two direct from Solar, I don't think there is any other way in the US to get a new one. Both times the guitar arrived in three to four days, Spain to Nevada. However the last one was bought in 2019.



Same for mine that was ordered in November. Meanwhile I still have some xmas cards that haven't got there yet.


----------



## soul_lip_mike

Anyone have one of their 5 string basses? I find myself needing a bass randomly when I record so I am interested in a 5 string that isn't a complete piece of shit.


----------



## Kellz

I'm currently debating which guitar to get. I'm stuck between Solar Guitars A1.7C or Schecter SLS Elite C-7 with fishman fluence moderns but without the evertune bridge for 115€ more than the solar. I'd appreciate some input on this, maybe people have tried both?


----------



## JimF

Would you miss the Evertune or the Fluences more? I can't comment on those particular guitars but I am an Evertune fanboy if you have any specific questions about that bridge.


----------



## Rev2010

Kellz said:


> I'm currently debating which guitar to get. I'm stuck between Solar Guitars A1.7C or Schecter SLS Elite C-7 with fishman fluence moderns but without the evertune bridge for 115€ more than the solar. I'd appreciate some input on this, maybe people have tried both?



Funny you ask. I have a Schecter SLS Elite C7 FR (Floyd Rose) that I am now selling on Craigslist for $800 as I got a Solar A1.7 FR FB. My two reasons for the switch was I write aggressive metal and I felt the color scheme on the Schecter to be a bit too bright and cheery for the "mood" when writing (I know, sounds stupid but whatev's) and second because the carve top dug into my arm a bit (probably also cause I have a bit of a beer belly lol) and caused a bit of soreness in my arm after a 2 hour studio session.

My opinions between the two? I like the way the Schecter resonates more than the Solar. The Solar "feels" a little deader but it doesn't _sound_ deader playing or recording. The Schecter feels a bit more like a premium instrument even though specs are very similiar - scale length, stainless frets, ebony board, same Floyd, etc. The Schecter has coated noiseless springs whereas the Solar has rubber tubing inserted into regular springs. I am swapping them out for coated. The Solar fretboard radius of 15.74" took me a bit of getting used to but now I have adjusted completely to it. I still prefer the compound radius of the Schecter as that's also what my Jackson's have. I also prefer the Fishman Fluence pickups on the Schecter but the Duncan Solar's are doing the job fine and still sound great recorded. On the Solar I prefer that the Floyd bar is screw on as I HATE the push in bar on the Schecter.

So overall, I kinda feel sad selling off my Schecter as it's a wonderful instrument but the two main issues affect me enough and the Solar has definitely grown on me. They are both fantastic! I know that doesn't help much and is in reference to Floyd based models.


----------



## Rev2010

soul_lip_mike said:


> Anyone have one of their 5 string basses? I find myself needing a bass randomly when I record so I am interested in a 5 string that isn't a complete piece of shit.



If I may recommend an additional option for consideration - LTD basses. I have an LTD 5-string bass, a much older F-205 with EMG HZ pickups, that I absolutely love, sounds fantastic, and their prices are around the $550 range. I've used my LTD bass on all of the songs on my Youtube page in my sig. I did both the guitar and bass parts.


----------



## soul_lip_mike

Rev2010 said:


> If I may recommend an additional option for consideration - LTD basses. I have an LTD 5-string bass, a much older F-205 with EMG HZ pickups, that I absolutely love, sounds fantastic, and their prices are around the $550 range. I've used my LTD bass on all of the songs on my Youtube page in my sig. I did both the guitar and bass parts.


Thanks. Turns out in the USA you can’t even buy a solar with a credit card and if you want to use PayPal it’s a 3% up charge. 
I literally tried 5 different credit cards from different banks ranging from chase to the apple goldman sachs card and all were declined. Their CC processor is in Spain so it’s probably some international thing with fraud prevention. I’ll look into a shitty LTD bass.


----------



## JimF

Thomann may be better setup to handle international payments, I know some USA folks have ordered via that website with success.

https://www.thomann.de/gb/cat_BF_solar_guitars.html


----------



## Rev2010

soul_lip_mike said:


> Thanks. Turns out in the USA you can’t even buy a solar with a credit card



I had zero issues buying mine with my Bank of America credit card. Have you tried reaching out to their customer service or your credit card company?


----------



## VGK17

soul_lip_mike said:


> Thanks. Turns out in the USA you can’t even buy a solar with a credit card and if you want to use PayPal it’s a 3% up charge.
> I literally tried 5 different credit cards from different banks ranging from chase to the apple goldman sachs card and all were declined. Their CC processor is in Spain so it’s probably some international thing with fraud prevention. I’ll look into a shitty LTD bass.


It's your credit card company or bank. I've used Chase in the past with no problems, but my credit union debit card wasn't being approved even though they cleared the fraud check. You can also do a bank transfer if you want to avoid the PayPal fees, and as much as I hate PayPal I used it to buy an A1.8 a week ago because I didn't want to wait two to three days for the bank transfer. Fees were only $39.00 and my import tax which I had to pay when it was received in the US was $91.00.


----------



## MadYarpen

Kellz said:


> I'm currently debating which guitar to get. I'm stuck between Solar Guitars A1.7C or Schecter SLS Elite C-7 with fishman fluence moderns but without the evertune bridge for 115€ more than the solar. I'd appreciate some input on this, maybe people have tried both?



I have Solar V2.6 and I had SLS C7 Elite Evil twin for a year at the same time, so I could compare them directly.

Believe it or not, my particular solar is a better guitar.

It stays in tune better (despite lack of locking tuners!) and the neck is more straight. Action can be set lower. 

But I have read Solars have some QC issues now (mine had some minor problems, but where it matters it's very good).

Also, solar pickups are not always appreciated, I replaced mine with SH-15 (it is a monster of a pickup, and I'm glad I did that). 

To cut long story short, I would not buy a schecter now. I'd rather risk another Solar, but in a shop with a good return policy.

But to be completely honest, I'd try to find a used LTD / ESP guitar


----------



## Kellz

MadYarpen said:


> I have Solar V2.6 and I had SLS C7 Elite Evil twin for a year at the same time, so I could compare them directly.
> 
> Believe it or not, my particular solar is a better guitar.
> 
> It stays in tune better (despite lack of locking tuners!) and the neck is more straight. Action can be set lower.
> 
> But I have read Solars have some QC issues now (mine had some minor problems, but where it matters it's very good).
> 
> Also, solar pickups are not always appreciated, I replaced mine with SH-15 (it is a monster of a pickup, and I'm glad I did that).
> 
> To cut long story short, I would not buy a schecter now. I'd rather risk another Solar, but in a shop with a good return policy.
> 
> But to be completely honest, I'd try to find a used LTD / ESP guitar



I had a the Solar A1.7C here this weekend, it's going back to Thomann today because the QC is really terrible as you can see here, for 1200€ I expect a flawless guitar to be honest. I also didn't really like the pickups. I'll give the C-7 a try aswell by the end of the month since it's on backorder for now but I might end up with a used 7 string as you recommended aswell.


----------



## trem licking

to each their own... ^but those aren't terrible QC issues for a 1200 guitar. if the rest of the guitar is good, that is nothing haha


----------



## BusinessMan

Kellz said:


> I had a the Solar A1.7C here this weekend, it's going back to Thomann today because the QC is really terrible as you can see here, for 1200€ I expect a flawless guitar to be honest. I also didn't really like the pickups. I'll give the C-7 a try aswell by the end of the month since it's on backorder for now but I might end up with a used 7 string as you recommended aswell.





E2.7 I have had a similar issues on the side of the fretboard only at the first fret. Mine was just a tool mark but i thought it was a major crack when I first saw it. But something like that is more understandable in that price range of the "_2" series. I've got a nazgul coming this week to replace the duncan solar and I'm excited for that.


----------



## nickgray

trem licking said:


> but those aren't terrible QC issues for a 1200 guitar



Not terrible, but it's definitely a B-stock, nobody should pay full price for such a guitar.

Plus, that bump on the neck doesn't seem like a minor issue. Seems like something you'll feel while playing and you'd have to take it to a tech (unless you happen to have the right tools and can fix it yourself) to fix it. The rest of the problems - 1-2 of those would've been fine I suppose, dirty knob (hehe) is the least offensive one, but all together in a new 1200 EUR guitar? That's a bit much.


----------



## Hollowway

trem licking said:


> to each their own... ^but those aren't terrible QC issues for a 1200 guitar. if the rest of the guitar is good, that is nothing haha



Yeah, 1200 Euro is nowhere near "flawless" guitar territory. Not to be a dick, but you're going to need to reset your expectations in today's market. You're going to see some of those things you pointed out on guitars 2x that price, as well.


----------



## trem licking

nickgray said:


> Not terrible, but it's definitely a B-stock, nobody should pay full price for such a guitar.
> 
> Plus, that bump on the neck doesn't seem like a minor issue. Seems like something you'll feel while playing and you'd have to take it to a tech (unless you happen to have the right tools and can fix it yourself) to fix it. The rest of the problems - 1-2 of those would've been fine I suppose, dirty knob (hehe) is the least offensive one, but all together in a new 1200 EUR guitar? That's a bit much.


By all means request a price cut, but you're in for a bad time expecting absolute perfection in this price range or even higher... might want to stick to used for that built in price cut and lowered expectation


----------



## nickgray

trem licking said:


> but you're in for a bad time expecting absolute perfection in this price range or even higher



I know, but still, 1200 EUR for multiple cosmetic flaws plus that nasty bump is pretty bad. I myself have a Solar A2.7 that has less issues, and I got mine at a discount.


----------



## Hollowway

nickgray said:


> I know, but still, 1200 EUR for multiple cosmetic flaws plus that nasty bump is pretty bad. I myself have a Solar A2.7 that has less issues, and I got mine at a discount.


The consistency, or “tolerance” for those sort of issues at this price level isn’t that tight. So I’m sure that some come out pristine, and others come out with a host of factors. I think it would be totally fine to ask for a little money back, or even keep swapping them out to get a better one. But it’s just not going to come with much consistency for little flaws. With such a large part of instruments being done by hand, little things are going to crop up all the time. And they’re not going to redo them routinely. Personally, I might ask for a price reduction (as it can’t hurt) but I’d FIRST check the fretwork and overall playability. That’s not going to be flawless at this level either, and he’ll have to see if he got lucky or unlucky on that.


----------



## trem licking

I've also had quite a few HUGELY messed up brand new instruments come through my hands, both high and mid priced, so that perspective has made me more lenient on very very minor cosmetic issues


----------



## Hollowway

trem licking said:


> I've also had quite a few HUGELY messed up brand new instruments come through my hands, both high and mid priced, so that perspective has made me more lenient on very very minor cosmetic issues


Me too. Plus, nine times out of 10 I smakc the damn thing on the corner of my desk within a week of owning it.


----------



## Wucan

Looking at Kellz' guitar, it's definitively B-Stock territory. Not the worst I've seen in a new guitar but I'd be very unhappy to have paid full price. I've bought B-stock Squiers that I couldn't find flaws on so at that price range I definitively don't want a fretboard like that lol.


----------



## MadYarpen

Kellz said:


> I had a the Solar A1.7C here this weekend, it's going back to Thomann today because the QC is really terrible as you can see here, for 1200€ I expect a flawless guitar to be honest. I also didn't really like the pickups. I'll give the C-7 a try aswell by the end of the month since it's on backorder for now but I might end up with a used 7 string as you recommended aswell.





Wucan said:


> Looking at Kellz' guitar, it's definitively B-Stock territory. Not the worst I've seen in a new guitar but I'd be very unhappy to have paid full price. I've bought B-stock Squiers that I couldn't find flaws on so at that price range I definitively don't want a fretboard like that lol.



Yeah, it is not ideal indeed. But zooming in so much could make it a bit worse than it is haha 

Mine had:

some finish imperfections, dust or sand grain was trapped under the paint in few places. I was able to correct this with a sand paper.
Fret ends needed correction, because they were rough.
Potentiometer was fucked and needed replacing. 

But the neck is straight and no fret sticks out. So that is what matters. And I paid 749 eur as it is "2" tier, so it was easier to accept that.


----------



## MadYarpen

trem licking said:


> I've also had quite a few HUGELY messed up brand new instruments come through my hands, both high and mid priced, so that perspective has made me more lenient on very very minor cosmetic issues


Exactly, I've come to the conclusion that after I buy a guitar I simply need to give it to a technician and check how good/bad it is. I am not skilled enough to check myself precisely even if I see it in person. In case a new one, then I can decide if I am keeping her or not. In case a used one, it tells how higher the ultimate price is 

But I think that if I get a new guitar which has some cosmetic issues, but is otherwise a good instrument, I'd keep it even if it costs 1000 eur or something. It just seems "perfect" guitars are nowadays much more expensive. 

Used are better in many ways, one of them is that if you buy >10 years old guitar you don't pay that much attention to cosmetics haha


----------



## Boofchuck

Shhhhhhhhhiiiiiiiiit


----------



## Kyle Jordan

^Ola or whoever is doing the designs has a really good eye. That looks good. I've never been huge on pointy Vs for some reason, but the Solar shape one works well for my eyes.


----------



## Vegetta




----------



## MFB

Straight up ditch that pickguard, doesn't fit with anything we've previously seen from them.

I'm getting some Washburn Renegade vibes from it


----------



## trickae

Having sold my 25 year old Ibanez collection, I'm strongly considering a solar V and a solar explorer.

How have they held with the QC issues people had the past year?

For those used to wizard shaped necks, how are they for shredding? Been a big fan of Ola and really keen on getting a few Solar's now.


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

Best metal inspired tele design I've ever seen hands down, so damn good and tied with the G shape for best metal styled traditional design I've ever seen


----------



## Vegetta

in the video it looked like the ash one in the background had a normal bridge and not an evertune..


----------



## Albake21

Vegetta said:


> in the video it looked like the ash one in the background had a normal bridge and not an evertune..
> 
> View attachment 94461


That is honestly one of the coolest looking production T models I've ever seen. That's like borderline Aviator, Skervesen, or any other boutique shop that makes a pointy T shape.


----------



## JimF

Thats a good looking guitar! I love the forearm contour/Jeff bevel, and the point lower horn and headstock finish it off nicely! I'd love to see one without the pickguard and with block inlays. Reminds me of the Aviator tele-shapes, and that's high praise!


----------



## MaxOfMetal

Kyle Jordan said:


> ^Ola or whoever is doing the designs has a really good eye.





All the non-super Strat stuff has been really good looking.


----------



## Kyle Jordan

Really starting to like that lower cutaway and horn. Almost completely out of the way. 

Side query: For those of you with an 8 string Solar, can you compare the neck to another 8 string makers necks? IE: Is it closer to Ibanez or ESP?


----------



## nickgray

Boofchuck said:


> Shhhhhhhhhiiiiiiiiit



I dunno, it's too weird. The bevel on the body. The bevel on the cutaway. The shape and the angle of the cutaway, and the relative thinness of the horn. The height difference between the horn and the left shoulder. The bum is a touch too fat (same problem with his LPs, but not as pronounced here at least).

But I only like vanilla teles. Even vanilla-esque, but HH or without a pickguard just don't look right to me. LPs are kind the same - if it's not a 3+3 old school headstock and the body shape is slightly different, it just looks weird to me.

I also wish he would stop with the logo gimmick. I like the logo, but does EVERY SINGLE GUITAR have to have it, seriously? The reverse headstock alone is pretty recognizable and that alone is a good brand identifier since he puts it on every single guitar (speaking of which... does every single have to have it? ). Classy small dots like on Ibanez Prestiges are super nice looking, just saying.


----------



## josh1

Jesus, that is one ugly guitar.


----------



## mbardu

nickgray said:


> I also wish he would stop with the logo gimmick. I like the logo, but does EVERY SINGLE GUITAR have to have it, seriously? The reverse headstock alone is pretty recognizable and that alone is a good brand identifier since he puts it on every single guitar (speaking of which... does every single have to have it? ). Classy small dots like on Ibanez Prestiges are super nice looking, just saying.


----------



## MASS DEFECT

I kinda like that ultra metal tele. It has that Viking feel of the Hutchinson medieval concept guitars.


----------



## Antiproduct

I would never buy that tele but I still love it. We have soo many Fender Tele copys that have are marketed as "metal" but in reality just have a slightly thinner neck, 2 humbuckers and maybe a funky finish.
This is the most "metal" tele I know without butchering the tele design too much. It's pointy where it should be, it looks br00tal af and has a decent quality (judging by the other models) and I am sure it will have a fair price point. What's not to like? At least it's different without straying too far from the original


----------



## Boofchuck

This is one of the first tele style guitars I actually want. Never been a fan of more traditional takes.


----------



## VGK17

josh1 said:


> Jesus, that is one ugly guitar.


Yeah, it's basically just a deformed G shape. The contour really throws the look off for me. Then again I've never been the biggest fan of Telecaster shape.


----------



## Chanson

Looks more appealing to me than the G shape, but I'm not a huge Tele or LP fan anyways. I think it's actually pretty classy and unique looking.


----------



## SandyRavage

Not my cup of tea but what can you do. Props for making something fairly unique.

Holding onto hope for a star shape...maybe one day.


----------



## binz

Personally wouldn't buy it, not my cup of tea and to me looks too much like an LP to be a tele. 

But definitely stands out and is somewhat esthetically pleasing, especially the withered finish in combination with the metallic pick guard and hardware.


----------



## High Plains Drifter

I don't think it's particularly ugly but it just seems like it's trying to be too many styles all at once. Meh... identity crisis?


----------



## TheBloodstained

I like that tele! It looks good and classy to me. I was instantly imagining myself cranking out Gojira style riffs on that badboy when I came across Ola's Instagram post! 

My first gen A2.6 have slowly become my go-to workhorse guitar. I'm kind of tempted to pull the trigger on the new tele shape, but I'm not entirely sure about the Evertune system. Never tried one, but I certainly recognize the benefits of the system. I usually keep my A2.6 in B-standard tuning anyway, and having a stable always-in-tune axe available at all times when recording is a nice thought! 

EDIT:
Btw, just checked the Solar website. There's a black one too


----------



## CrimsonStar

The black tele looks kinda cool, can't deny that. I hope that when these start to arrive at people, we can get a realistic view on these things and really talk about the pros and the cons honestly. Not saying that the discussion has been dishonest or anything like that, but sometimes I feel that the only opinions that are allowed are either "Solar is the second coming of Christ in form of an instrument" or "You can't complain about anything because these cost only a 1200 euros". 

I've had my S1.6 for over a year now, there are little cracks in the fretboard and the logo has been peeling off little by little - I still love it, it's the most stable guitar what I have (4 different guitars in the 1000-2000€ price range) and I love how low action I can get with it. Feels kinda 'lifeless' sometimes, but it could be because of the pickups, or because the guitar itself won't move or even lose tuning by itself, or I might just be talking out of my ass and really don't know about anything - that's the most likely reason tbh. Would love to swap the pickups to Dimarzio Tonezone+Air Norton combo or Petrucci set, or set of EMG 85s...


----------



## pahulkster

Black one is nicer. I wanted the Prestige Ibanez FR a few years ago but just couldn't find one. Over it now or I'd definitely order the black one.


----------



## Vegetta




----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

My initial reaction was the new T-shape was absolutely hideous. But the black version actually has a pretty decent aesthetic. No idea why.


----------



## Zhysick

T


Vegetta said:


>




On the background. Natural finish with black pickguard... Hnnnggggg... I was going to wait until 2022 for my next guitar purchase but fuck! This is getting hard...


----------



## littlebadboy

Ola has done super strats, LP, V, Explorer types, and now a T type. I wonder if he will ever come up with headless models?


----------



## TheBloodstained

littlebadboy said:


> Ola has done super strats, LP, V, Explorer types, and now a T type. I wonder if he will ever come up with headless models?


He said before that he basically makes stuff he likes, and I don't think he likes the headless design, so I doubt there will ever be a headless Solar.
I think it would be more likely to see a multiscale Solar before a headless. I'm just guessing though...


----------



## TheBloodstained

Hot damn!
My pants suddenly started feeling tight in the groin area! :LoL:


----------



## JimF

He's also said he's not a fan of multiscale. He has a Skervesen multiscale Swan and I remember him saying he likes the concept of multiscale but in practice he didn't feel the benefits. I could be misremembering, but the overall vibe from the vid was "this is a cool guitar, but its not one of my favourites, and the multiscale makes it harder swapping between guitars".

Star? That would be nice. Pointy star would be godly. Get Sammy Duet on board! 

Just spied this on their website too...


----------



## Kyle Jordan

A Star would be cool, but knowing Ola is such a Dime lover, my money would be on a hybrid Type E and Type V, symmetrical not offset. Leaning towards a Dean Stealth.


----------



## Albake21

TheBloodstained said:


> Hot damn!
> My pants suddenly started feeling tight in the groin area! :LoL:
> View attachment 94525


----------



## Ben Pinkus

The new T style looks really cool actually imo


----------



## couchguitarplayer

I'm actually not a huge fan of their T-shape style. It's too ''metal'' for me which is a weird statement.


----------



## manu80

Iirc he said that the stealth shape wont happen as he respects too much dimebag’s legacy
Still...it would sell


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Gimme a T2.6 in blue like the G-series please.


----------



## Stuck_in_a_dream

This ^, in 7-string, 26.5" scale, and my wallet is f'd!


----------



## TheBloodstained

Stuck_in_a_dream said:


> This ^, in 7-string, 26.5" scale, and my wallet is f'd!


I know it's the wrong color, but this just showed up!


----------



## Stuck_in_a_dream

TheBloodstained said:


> I know it's the wrong color, but this just showed up!


Well, not a big fan of the color imho, looks better than the antique one, but a black finish would have been 100 times better imho. I liked this image better, ymmv.


----------



## Albake21

TheBloodstained said:


> I know it's the wrong color, but this just showed up!


Sadly it's 25.5". Hopefully they can make a longer scaled one in the future. I'm not a fan of red, but it does look pretty cool here with the pickguard.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Still waiting for el cheapo.


----------



## TheBloodstained

Albake21 said:


> Sadly it's 25.5". Hopefully they can make a longer scaled one in the future.


it says 26.5” on the Solar website 
https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/t1-7tbr-trans-blood-red-matte/


----------



## Stuck_in_a_dream

TheBloodstained said:


> it says 26.5” on the Solar website
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/t1-7tbr-trans-blood-red-matte/



Great to hear! But still, the red trans color is a huge turn-off for me, a matte/satin black is optimal imho. Hopefully, they release one in the recent future.


----------



## NeglectedField

I love that red, personally. I'm undecided whether that T-shape is for me. I have a Tele fetish so I don't hate it but I'm not sure if I can picture myself with a 'metal' T-style guitar for some reason.


----------



## Andromalia

Don't really like it. I find that horn visually atrocious.


----------



## LostTheTone

I absolutely love the tele shape, and pretty much all the SOLAR colours. Much heart eyes. I can't afford to just randomly buy one, unfortunately, but at least some kind of SOALR is on my list if/when I ever get something new.


----------



## Albake21

TheBloodstained said:


> it says 26.5” on the Solar website
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/t1-7tbr-trans-blood-red-matte/


Wait what!? I can promise that site said 25.5" when it was first put up, maybe a fixed typo?


----------



## jephjacques

That tele shape is awful.


----------



## olejason

Has there been any word on new basses?


----------



## manu80

New week new color


----------



## TheBloodstained

That's a beautiful slab of wood


----------



## soliloquy

Not my video, but I'm liking the single coil neck pickup


----------



## danbox

Oh man I want a 7 string in any of the non-red colors


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Heck yeah heck yeah cheap version cheap versi-

*Only available in natural*


----------



## Stuck_in_a_dream

@HeHasTheJazzHands ....here comes the cheapo


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

About time.  Don't need the fancy stuff. That's perfect.


----------



## BusinessMan

Stuck_in_a_dream said:


> @HeHasTheJazzHands ....here comes the cheapo




The cheapo looks like the old Jim root Teles. Looks good.. Wonder if he's going to end up with one. Wouldn't be surprised if he does.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

BusinessMan said:


> The cheapo looks like the old Jim root Teles. Looks good.. Wonder if he's going to end up with one. Wouldn't be surprised if he does.


It is some interesting timing because he just got one of the Jim Root guitars recently.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/t2-7fbb-flame-black-burst-matte/


----------



## BusinessMan

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/t2-7fbb-flame-black-burst-matte/



If it didn't have a pick guard I'd get one


----------



## buriedoutback

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/t2-7fbb-flame-black-burst-matte/


k this looks good as a 7 string!


----------



## Empryrean

Whew, I think i like this solar tele geetar. Would love to see what interesting pickguards people put on theirs.


----------



## Stuck_in_a_dream

BusinessMan said:


> If it didn't have a pick guard I'd get one



I get it, but I like it as-is, still matte black would have been the way to go imho. My issue here is that I'd need to upgrade a few things right there on the spot, SS frets (I guess I've become a fret snob ), different pickups, maybe a hipshot bridge (one of those Ibby designs like on Schecter KM7 mkiii), plus I cannot justify another 7, not this year at least.


----------



## Zhysick

Stuck_in_a_dream said:


> I get it, but I like it as-is, still matte black would have been the way to go imho. My issue here is that I'd need to upgrade a few things right there on the spot, SS frets (I guess I've become a fret snob ), different pickups, maybe a hipshot bridge (one of those Ibby designs like on Schecter KM7 mkiii), plus I cannot justify another 7, not this year at least.



Then wait until the T1.7C is released so you get the mattle black, SS frets and proper Hipshot Bridge... well, that's me just guessing another "1" series will have a standard fixed bridge and not all of them will get the Evertune in the future...


----------



## nickgray

They got fucking Nocturno Culto somehow. Impressive.


----------



## ArtDecade

nickgray said:


> They got fucking Nocturno Culto somehow. Impressive.



Maybe they are neighbors.


----------



## RevDrucifer

BusinessMan said:


> The cheapo looks like the old Jim root Teles. Looks good.. Wonder if he's going to end up with one. Wouldn't be surprised if he does.



I’d imagine the deal with Fender is fairly lucrative. They’ve got billions behind them and he surely gets a pretty decent side revenue off his sig line. While it’d be silly for Ola NOT to send him one, it’d be a MUCH bigger benefit to Ola for Jim to move to Solar than it’d be for Jim to do it. 

Of course, I’m talking 100% out of my ass, but I think it’s safe to say that as badass as Ola is and how well he’s handled Solar, they aren’t quite up to FMIC money yet.


----------



## Jacksonluvr636

Can someone direct me to the page that explains the differences between the models?

Curious to try one but hard to decipher. For example what is the difference between an S and an SB? Doesn't seem to be baritone unless im reading the scale length wrong.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Jacksonluvr636 said:


> Can someone direct me to the page that explains the differences between the models?
> 
> Curious to try one but hard to decipher. For example what is the difference between an S and an SB? Doesn't seem to be baritone unless im reading the scale length wrong.



The B seems to mean "Bolt-on". 

And from what I can tell, a 1-series guitar has the higher-end bridges (Evertunes, true Hipshots, FR1000s) and locking tuners, while a 2-series guitars has lower-tier hardware (Generic hardtail, Floyd Rose Special, non-locking tuners).


----------



## mbardu

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> The B seems to mean "Bolt-on".
> 
> And from what I can tell, a 1-series guitar has the higher-end bridges (Evertunes, true Hipshots, FR1000s) and locking tuners, while a 2-series guitars has lower-tier hardware (Generic hardtail, Floyd Rose Special, non-locking tuners).



Biggest benefit of 1-series is stainless steel frets.
S and an SB, the difference is the shape...but they're so close I don't see the point of having both models.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

mbardu said:


> Biggest benefit of 1-series is stainless steel frets.
> S and an SB, the difference is the shape...but they're so close I don't see the point of having both models.



Nah the S and SB are also set neck/neck thru or bolt-on. All the SB necks are bolted while all the S vary between set-thru or neck thru.


----------



## mbardu

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Nah the S and SB are also set neck/neck thru or bolt-on. All the SB necks are bolted while all the S vary between set-thru or neck thru.



Wow I can't believe I typed that.

You are right of course. I meant difference between types A and S, not between S and SB.
Indeed, B means "bolt on"; and it's the A and S which are very close if not for some contours.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

mbardu said:


> Wow I can't believe I typed that.
> 
> You are right of course. I meant difference between types A and S, not between S and SB.
> Indeed, B means "bolt on"; and it's the A and S which are very close if not for some contours.



Ah that explains it.  Yeah the S is your standard Superstrat, while the A adds the shreddy scoops.

I might be wrong but Ola himself seems to prefer the A-series guitars.


----------



## JimF

Also some of the earlier 'scoopless' guitars had dot inlays in addition to the Ola Owl at the 12th fret.


----------



## Seabeast2000

I totally like the Ola Tele and would gladly own a T1.x if I had room for another guitar.


----------



## Tisca

I see new models pop up constantly. Does Solar have a fixed schedule or is it just whenever?
Reason I'm asking I'm looking at V's with ET and wonder if I should wait for what's next.


----------



## manu80

Thats what i’ve been saying for a year
At least when you know whats coming for a year you pick and buy and it’s done
Here you’re always afraid that something pops up the week after so you dont buy...especially for gasers like us
It’s a marketing move that can be good and bad at the same time...


----------



## Hoss632

The new T series shape is probably my favorite yet from the brand. I'm hoping that a "vintur" model is not too far behind. Though the satin white 2 series 6 string would be perfectly fine to me.


----------



## Tisca

How are "open pore" and "aged natural matte / distressed" finishes? I don't want thick coat of paint/lacquer, makes the instrument sound "dead". Chances are these aren't as heavily coated.

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/v1-6d-ltd-natural-aged-distressed/
https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/v1-6r-artist-ltd-black-open-pore/


----------



## binz

New models are introduced not _every_ Friday, but most Fridays. Before the Ts there was a long silence though.


----------



## I play music

Tisca said:


> How are "open pore" and "aged natural matte / distressed" finishes? I don't want thick coat of paint/lacquer, makes the instrument sound "dead". Chances are these aren't as heavily coated.
> 
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/v1-6d-ltd-natural-aged-distressed/
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/v1-6r-artist-ltd-black-open-pore/


The Evertune makes the instrument sound "dead" already IMO, the finish isn't important anymore then


----------



## Tisca

I play music said:


> The Evertune makes the instrument sound "dead" already IMO, the finish isn't important anymore then


That's a possibility.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Welp
It's time



24'' - 26''


----------



## Tisca

I'm sure we can assume there will be a FF 7 and possibly FF 8 versions also. Could we expect next version announced next friday or are new colors usually first up?


----------



## I play music

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Welp
> 24'' - 26''


Too short to get me excited


----------



## MaxOfMetal

I play music said:


> Too short to get me excited


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Tisca said:


> I'm sure we can assume there will be a FF 7 and possibly FF 8 versions also. Could we expect next version announced next friday or are new colors usually first up?



Probably within the next few days, or week. Usually when they introduce one thing, they introduce another thing a day or two later.


----------



## mbardu

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Welp
> It's time
> View attachment 95107
> 
> 
> 24'' - 26''



24_*.75"*_

And ermagerhd finally the scale lengths I've been waiting for.
Just waiting for the blue one now.


----------



## mbardu

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Ah that explains it.  Yeah the S is your standard Superstrat, while the A adds the shreddy scoops.
> 
> I might be wrong but Ola himself seems to prefer the A-series guitars.



I'll add to that because I never noticed it before looking at the multiscale...
But it also looks like the A is set-neck vs the S neck through? 
Not sure if that's the case for all of them?
Would certainly justify 2 models more so than just the small contours.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

mbardu said:


> I'll add to that because I never noticed it before looking at the multiscale...
> But it also looks like the A is set-neck vs the S neck through?
> Not sure if that's the case for all of them?
> Would certainly justify 2 models more so than just the small contours.


I think the reason for the models being different is that the S-type models usually have body binding but the A ones don't because of the scoops.


----------



## xzacx

mbardu said:


> 24_*.75"*_
> 
> And ermagerhd finally the scale lengths I've been waiting for.
> Just waiting for the blue one now.



Despite not being a big fan of Solar aesthetics, I’ve wanted a 24.75-25.5 scale 7 forever. If they keep this same fan on 7, that’d be close enough to try. I really only remember seeing them from PRS, and if I’m going to pay Private Stock money I’d want to pick everything myself (the tops/finishes I’d seen weren’t my taste). This definitely has my interest though.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

mbardu said:


> I'll add to that because I never noticed it before looking at the multiscale...
> But it also looks like the A is set-neck vs the S neck through?
> Not sure if that's the case for all of them?
> Would certainly justify 2 models more so than just the small contours.




Neck construction still gets confusing because uh, The S2 line is set-thru while the S1 is either neck-thru or set-thru. The A2 is set-neck while the A1 is set-thru.

In a bid to make things less confusing, we made them more confusing. 

Also to add to the problem the Wordpress website is blocking my ISP from browsing their website so I gotta use a fucking hotspot to use 4g to browse it. Cool. The past 10 minutes are the first time I've been able to browse the website which is why I got the scale length wrong. Someone else said 24 - 26'' so I went with their word.


----------



## Vyn

Looks like its 24.75- 26 scale and the parallel fret is around 8 or 9. Pretty sick choice, all the stretchy leads and low brutes in one


----------



## littlebadboy

Now, I could see a multiscale headless may probably come out soon!


----------



## Zhysick

I'm happy this one was not released earlier because between a multiscale and an Evertune... Hard choice. I'm glad because I really wanted to try the ET and I'm happy with it but now I want a FF ET and that's not happening anytime soon if ever...


----------



## CanserDYI

Damnit Ola. Now my bass fund is going to that new multiscale 6. I've literally been looking for a 6 string multiscale with a 26 or higher on top and a 24.75 on the bottom. Dammit. Only thing that'd be better is 25-26.5.


----------



## CanserDYI

Zhysick said:


> I'm happy this one was not released earlier because between a multiscale and an Evertune... Hard choice. I'm glad because I really wanted to try the ET and I'm happy with it but now I want a FF ET and that's not happening anytime soon if ever...


I'm pretty certain they have one in the books being worked on. I understand not having evertune tremolos, but all the strings are put under tension individually, so not sure why they haven't made one at this point, just single bridge individual saddle like Ibanez does with their multiscale and headless designs, each one moves independently as it is, all you'd have to do is orient them in a slant.


----------



## SteveFireland

I keep looking at the V's, thinking I might get one, then I remember the output jack is in the wrong place and I go back to my Jackson KV's where it's in the right place.


----------



## KnightBrolaire

SteveFireland said:


> I keep looking at the V's, thinking I might get one, then I remember the output jack is in the wrong place and I go back to my Jackson KV's where it's in the right place.


yeah I almost pulled the trigger on one of the cannibalismo Vs but the output jack on the back of the lower horn shut that idea down quick.


----------



## Tisca

@SteveFireland & @KnightBrolaire 

Do you want the jack on the upper side because you want to run the cable behind strap to keep it secure or for what reason?


----------



## SteveFireland

Tisca said:


> @SteveFireland & @KnightBrolaire
> 
> Do you want the jack on the upper side because you want to run the cable behind strap to keep it secure or for what reason?



When I use a cable, I want to do that, yes. When I use a wireless I still want it up there so I don't have to run a cable all the way to the bottom horn.


----------



## Albake21

Ola confirms here that the multiscale is available in a 6 and a 7. Not surprised obviously, but I'm very curious to know what scale the 7 will be in. I hope it's something unique like how the 6 is.


----------



## KnightBrolaire

Tisca said:


> @SteveFireland & @KnightBrolaire
> 
> Do you want the jack on the upper side because you want to run the cable behind strap to keep it secure or for what reason?


yep. Also I hate strat jacks, they tend to make the cables jut out at weird angles.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Albake21 said:


> Ola confirms here that the multiscale is available in a 6 and a 7. Not surprised obviously, but I'm very curious to know what scale the 7 will be in. I hope it's something unique like how the 6 is.




I'm betting it'll be like 24.75 - 26.5''. But if they go further and do 27''+ I'll be impressed.


----------



## Albake21

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I'm betting it'll be like 24.75 - 26.5''. But if they go further and do 27''+ I'll be impressed.


If it's a 26.5" on the low end, I'd be thrilled. I've always wanted a 26.5" multiscale 7, closest we've gotten outside of custom were a few Agile guitars.


----------



## VGK17

CanserDYI said:


> I'm pretty certain they have one in the books being worked on. I understand not having evertune tremolos, but all the strings are put under tension individually, so not sure why they haven't made one at this point, just single bridge individual saddle like Ibanez does with their multiscale and headless designs, each one moves independently as it is, all you'd have to do is orient them in a slant.


I'm pretty sure the reason that an angled Evertune hasn't been built yet is the cost factor of retooling to make them versus the number that would sell.


----------



## CanserDYI

Albake21 said:


> If it's a 26.5" on the low end, I'd be thrilled. I've always wanted a 26.5" multiscale 7, closest we've gotten outside of custom were a few Agile guitars.


I'm really hoping for a short fan, 25.5 to 26.5 is where I'm hoping.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Albake21 said:


> If it's a 26.5" on the low end, I'd be thrilled. I've always wanted a 26.5" multiscale 7, closest we've gotten outside of custom were a few Agile guitars.





CanserDYI said:


> I'm really hoping for a short fan, 25.5 to 26.5 is where I'm hoping.



If they keep the current fan but add a 7th string, I'm guessing it'll be 24.75'' on the high E and like 26.2 - 26.5'' on the low B. I was checking out other guitars and adding another string seems to vary between .2'' or .5'' depending on the fan.


----------



## c7spheres

A 7 string 24.75 to 26.0 or 26.2 on a bolt on model (like the bolt on 7 with floyd) would be killer.


----------



## Perge

Fingers crossed for a 24.75-26.5


----------



## Tisca

c7spheres said:


> or 26.2


Surely you mean 26.22" =(666mm)


----------



## c7spheres

Tisca said:


> Surely you mean 26.22" =(666mm)


 That'll work! 26.5 ispushing it for me, but I sure like the idea of these shorter regular scale fans. I still paly chords so those big fans or longger scales become a problem at low frets/low strings for me.


----------



## CanserDYI

Perge said:


> Fingers crossed for a 24.75-26.5


This seems like a much better alternative for people who stay in B/drop A and not have a really radical fan and just butter tension across the board


----------



## profwoot

I'd like to try a 7 that's 25.5-26.5, preferably with a parallel fret pretty close to the nut.


----------



## TheBloodstained

Damn! 





https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a1-7dbop-ff/

...the GAS is strong with this one!


----------



## Perge

TheBloodstained said:


> Damn!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a1-7dbop-ff/
> 
> ...the GAS is strong with this one!


25.5-27 is definitely usable. Put this out in his BOP finish and SCHWIING


----------



## TheBloodstained

Perge said:


> Put this out in his BOP finish and SCHWIING


I actually really dig the dark brown color. Guess I'm tired of black guitars


----------



## Perge

TheBloodstained said:


> Guess I'm tired of black guitars


Sir. This is a Denny's. 

In all seriousness, I'm just glad to see another production model fanfret that's 

A reasonable fan

Didn't cheap out on the top of the fretboard (looking at you, schecter and Ibanez)

And it's sub 1500

Ola swings, and the crowd, goes, WILD!


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Actually kinds wish they stuck with the 24.75 high strings and went with 26.5 or something on the low but fuck it I can dig this.


----------



## Ivars V

At 1100 euros, I say, we have a winner here!


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Seems like a very competently executed model.

25.5-27 is very sensible and the neutral fret is in a sensible place.

And thank god Ola saw sense to not go with this abomination of a fretboard design above the nut.


----------



## mbardu

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> Seems like a very competently executed model.
> 
> 25.5-27 is very sensible and the neutral fret is in a sensible place.
> 
> And thank god Ola saw sense to not go with this abomination of a fretboard design above the nut.



That Ibanez really was all sorts of wrong wasn't it? The Solar is way better.

That said, I won't give Ola _all _the credit either. He had the opportunity to do a 7 multiscale that would be truly unique with a shorter scale (25/24.75 or something) in the highs ... but instead he chickened out and basically decided to do the same as everyone else. Plus that brownish finish is getting a bit old IMO. It get that it's passable enough and basic enough that it probably rubs very few people the wrong way....but I don't know that it gets people excited either.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

mbardu said:


> That Ibanez really was all sorts of wrong wasn't it? The Solar is way better.
> 
> That said, I won't give Ola _all _the credit either. He had the opportunity to do a 7 multiscale that would be truly unique with a shorter scale (25/24.75 or something) in the highs ... but instead he chickened out and basically decided to do the same as everyone else. Plus that brownish finish is getting a bit old IMO. It get that it's passable enough and basic enough that it probably rubs very few people the wrong way....but I don't know that it gets people excited either.


Meh.

25.5" is good for most people on the treble side. 27" is good for most people on the bass side too. It's a popular choice because it makes sense. Following what makes sense is usually a winning formula. All too often I've seen manufacturers sell multiscale designs that are truly boneheaded and it ruins the entire guitar. This isn't one of them.

I rather like the brown finish too. It makes sense to not sell anything too garish to start with in case it puts people off the idea of a multiscale Solar in the first place. And I'm sure more colours will be available in the coming weeks depending on how much these guitars sell.


----------



## mbardu

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> Meh.
> 
> 25.5" is good for most people on the treble side. 27" is good for most people on the bass side too. It's a popular choice because it makes sense. Following what makes sense is usually a winning formula. All too often I've seen manufacturers sell multiscale designs that are truly boneheaded and it ruins the entire guitar. This isn't one of them.
> 
> I rather like the brown finish too. It makes sense to not sell anything too garish to start with in case it puts people off the idea of a multiscale Solar in the first place. And I'm sure more colours will be available in the coming weeks depending on how much these guitars sell.



The funny thing is that we're making the same point (the 7 is ... meeeeh basically, kinda unremarkable but OK for _most _people) but you're making it as a positive 

I personally feel more comfortable with 25 or shorter on the treble side, and 26.5 is my limit for playing comfortably. And I'm sure there's dozens of us! I doubt making the guitar a 24.75 > 26.25 would cause any design or playability issue, and then it would be pretty uniquely cool and noteworthy.

I understand the choice in terms of general market appeal of course. Those will sell better that way...but I do find the 6 cooler with its shorter scale length


----------



## CanserDYI

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> Seems like a very competently executed model.
> 
> 25.5-27 is very sensible and the neutral fret is in a sensible place.
> 
> And thank god Ola saw sense to not go with this abomination of a fretboard design above the nut.



Are we pointing out the god awful triangle of rosewood past the nut under the headstock? Always hated that eyesore on every guitar that did it.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

mbardu said:


> The funny thing is that we're making the same point (the 7 is ... meeeeh basically, kinda unremarkable but OK for _most _people) but you're making it as a positive


 I think it is a positive. Ola could've dropped the ball and done something stupid. Like having the neutral fret be at the nut or at the bridge. Or have the difference in scale length be too big or not big enough. Instead he landed on the goldilocks. It's just right for me and the vast majority of people, yet being versatile enough to be workable even for the outer fringes.


----------



## mbardu

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> I think it is a positive. Ola could've dropped the ball and done something stupid. Like having the neutral fret be at the nut or at the bridge. Or have the difference in scale length be too big or not big enough. Instead he landed on the goldilocks. It's just right for me and the vast majority of people, yet being versatile enough to be workable even for the outer fringes.



Again, I get it. It would suit a good number of people and there's not much to say against the guitar. Objectively - the specs are a safe bet. But there's also pretty much no reason to get this over an LTD-1000 multiscale or Schecter Elite Multiscale. The LTD and even more so the Schecter are just superior in terms of finish and build, plus much much better pickup and electronics. And even the LTD now has stainless steel frets.

Whereas a slightly different scale length would have made it unique and noteworthy. And valuable for at least 2 or 3 people just in those last two pages alone, so there is a demand. There's no need for equating slightly shorter scale scale length with something stupid either. Just a 24.75 > 26.25 fan with same neutral fret; nothing else, nothing broken


----------



## profwoot

Well drag 26.5 is as long as I'll go unless I ever try an 8.

Does anyone know of a 25.5-26.5 7 with the parallel fret at 0? I'm imagining that the higher frets would still be a bit less slanted than an Ormsby (since their fan is 2.3") while not affecting lower fret chording, which is the only major compromise of a multiscale guitar, at least in my experience so far.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

mbardu said:


> Again, I get it. It would suit a good number of people and there's not much to say against the guitar. Objectively - the specs are a safe bet. But there's also pretty much no reason to get this over an LTD-1000 multiscale or Schecter Elite Multiscale. The LTD and even more so the Schecter are just superior in terms of finish and build, plus much much better pickup and electronics. And even the LTD now has stainless steel frets.
> 
> Whereas a slightly different scale length would have made it unique and noteworthy. And valuable for at least 2 or 3 people just in those last two pages alone, so there is a demand. There's no need for equating slightly shorter scale scale length with something stupid either. Just a 24.75 > 26.25 fan with same neutral fret; nothing else, nothing broken


I tend to disagree on the build quality and finish front. I own 2 Solars and they're literally perfectly made. With that said I bought those guitars pre-covid. As for pickups and electronics, that's a somewhat subjective point. I like the Duncan Solar pickups and the electronics on both are impossible to make objective complaints about. And besides, even if the pickups were something with a fancier brand name, there's no doubt anyone on SSO who would own one will swap them out anyway because SSO goes brrrrr

I don't consider a minor change in scale length of half an inch to be very noteworthy either way. And I prefer the aesthetic Solar is going for with the cutaway scoops and the awesome headstock. So I still think it has something different going for it. You're entitled to agree to disagree though.


----------



## mbardu

profwoot said:


> Well drag 26.5 is as long as I'll go unless I ever try an 8.



Hey look! One more of us! 
Dozens I tell you


----------



## profwoot

Heh yeah. I'm just not sure it makes sense for almost every brand to make all their multiscale 7s 25.5-27 when in at least some cases those same brands make all their straight scale 7s at 26.5. 

Perhaps they're assuming that if you want a multiscale it means you're tuning especially low? I guess we might have to wait for that niche to get saturated and then hope somebody other than strandberg decides to throw us G#+ normies a bone.

Still think it would have made more sense for Solar to try to find a different niche, given that 25.5-27 is already covered by Ibanez, LTD, Schecter, Kiesel, Mayones, Aristides, Agile, Legator, et al. Maybe Solar uses the same factory as some of these other brands and are therefore locked into the same scale lengths? The 24.75-26 of the 6 would seem to indicate otherwise. Shrug.


----------



## Perge

profwoot said:


> Heh yeah. I'm just not sure it makes sense for almost every brand to make all their multiscale 7s 25.5-27 when in at least some cases those same brands make all their straight scale 7s at 26.5.
> 
> Perhaps they're assuming that if you want a multiscale it means you're tuning especially low? I guess we might have to wait for that niche to get saturated and then hope somebody other than strandberg decides to throw us G#+ normies a bone.
> 
> Still think it would have made more sense for Solar to try to find a different niche, given that 25.5-27 is already covered by Ibanez, LTD, Schecter, Kiesel, Mayones, Aristides, Agile, Legator, et al. Maybe Solar uses the same factory as some of these other brands and are therefore locked into the same scale lengths? The 24.75-26 of the 6 would seem to indicate otherwise. Shrug.


I mean, I play my ormsby fanfret in b standard/drop a with regular slinkys. You don't have to tune super low on baritone lengths, you can just appreciate the added tension that comes with the scale length.


----------



## danbox

mbardu said:


> But there's also pretty much no reason to get this over an LTD-1000 multiscale or Schecter Elite Multiscale. The LTD and even more so the Schecter are just superior in terms of finish and build, plus much much better pickup and electronics.



I get what you are saying, but I hate the Ltd/esp multiscale headstocks, and am very meh with schecters (and their finishes)

I have a super crappy Harley Benton 25.5-27 that I got to see how multiscale is and am looking into more of a better one. Outside of paying $2k+ for a kiesel or other semi custom, this new solar is the first that I like aesthetically. Also wish more companies would do these natural wood finishes and reverse headstocks!

all this being said a 24.75-something else 7 string would have been awesome for standard, half step down stuff


----------



## I play music

profwoot said:


> Heh yeah. I'm just not sure it makes sense for almost every brand to make all their multiscale 7s 25.5-27 when in at least some cases those same brands make all their straight scale 7s at 26.5.
> 
> Perhaps they're assuming that if you want a multiscale it means you're tuning especially low? I guess we might have to wait for that niche to get saturated and then hope somebody other than strandberg decides to throw us G#+ normies a bone.
> 
> Still think it would have made more sense for Solar to try to find a different niche, given that 25.5-27 is already covered by Ibanez, LTD, Schecter, Kiesel, Mayones, Aristides, Agile, Legator, et al. Maybe Solar uses the same factory as some of these other brands and are therefore locked into the same scale lengths? The 24.75-26 of the 6 would seem to indicate otherwise. Shrug.


I play drop a on my 27" 7, no idea why you would want anything shorter


----------



## Wolfhorsky

Maybe slightly OT, but ET could be made as „single rail” concept. That way they could expand beyond scales and number of strings. I know it is difficult but not impossible.


----------



## CanserDYI

Wolfhorsky said:


> Maybe slightly OT, but ET could be made as „single rail” concept. That way they could expand beyond scales and number of strings. I know it is difficult but not impossible.


I genuinely don't think it'd be all that difficult seeing as they're all individual saddle springs anyways, just have to be oriented in a slant. Really surprised we havent seen a multiscale design yet.


----------



## Perge

CanserDYI said:


> I genuinely don't think it'd be all that difficult seeing as they're all individual saddle springs anyways, just have to be oriented in a slant. Really surprised we havent seen a multiscale design yet.


https://www.ormsbyguitars.com/gti/

Ormsby is doing one, but it looks like they just shortened the fan and put the parallel at the bridge.


----------



## Zhysick

Perge said:


> https://www.ormsbyguitars.com/gti/
> 
> Ormsby is doing one, but it looks like they just shortened the fan and put the parallel at the bridge.



That would probably be good enough for me. I don't know what's the fan on those but 25" to 25.5" should be pretty playable and good enough for me.


----------



## AltecGreen

profwoot said:


> Well drag 26.5 is as long as I'll go unless I ever try an 8.
> 
> Does anyone know of a 25.5-26.5 7 with the parallel fret at 0? I'm imagining that the higher frets would still be a bit less slanted than an Ormsby (since their fan is 2.3") while not affecting lower fret chording, which is the only major compromise of a multiscale guitar, at least in my experience so far.




This is close. 

https://www.digimart.net/cat01/shop1840/DS07032706/


----------



## mbardu

AltecGreen said:


> This is close.
> 
> https://www.digimart.net/cat01/shop1840/DS07032706/



How would this be anything _but_ awful for lower fret chording?


----------



## MaxOfMetal

profwoot said:


> Well drag 26.5 is as long as I'll go unless I ever try an 8.
> 
> Does anyone know of a 25.5-26.5 7 with the parallel fret at 0? I'm imagining that the higher frets would still be a bit less slanted than an Ormsby (since their fan is 2.3") while not affecting lower fret chording, which is the only major compromise of a multiscale guitar, at least in my experience so far.



Dean makes some 6, 7, and 8 strings with first fret perpendicular, 25.5" to 27" scale. 

Really, the difference between 26.5" and 27" is extremely minimal. It's only a <2% difference, and spread across the first five frets you're only going to see <.15" (under 4mm) distance increase. 

To each their own, but I wouldn't immediately rule out something based on such a minuscule difference. Especially considering that doesn't factor in stuff like adjusted intonation.



mbardu said:


> How would this be anything _but_ awful for lower fret chording?



I think folks greatly exaggerate the "problem" of having the 12th fret perpendicular, especially on fairly small <1.5" fans. There's some adjustment, yes, but it's not unplayable, or even that uncomfortable once muscle memory kicks in and your hand accounts for the slightly modified fingering.


----------



## Ordacleaphobia

Not Solar related, but I just received a duplicate package for Ola's new record. I got the ultimate bundle with the tab book and all that, and they accidentally sent me two. Figured I'd post it in here since you guys are likely fans- does anyone want it? If you'll cover shipping I'd be happy to send you the whole thing. Would be sent from central California, send me a ping.
--
Now that I'm here though, boy am I glad I didn't finally impulse buy that cheap neon yellow A.6 that popped up like a week ago. Multiscale would be _sweeeeet_. I _will_ regret not having that neon yellow finish though...


----------



## Ordacleaphobia

Ordacleaphobia said:


> Not Solar related, but I just received a duplicate package for Ola's new record. I got the ultimate bundle with the tab book and all that, and they accidentally sent me two. Figured I'd post it in here since you guys are likely fans- does anyone want it? If you'll cover shipping I'd be happy to send you the whole thing. Would be sent from central California, send me a ping.



Aaaaaand it's gone. Cheers guys.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

3 new lefties


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Hey I can browse the site again.  
3 new bolt-on S1.6s















https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/sb1-6fa-flame-amber-matte/
https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/sb1-6hfbr-flame-blood-red-matte/
https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/sb1-6hfg-flame-green-matte/


----------



## littlebadboy

Ola took a look at the new Ibanez Q headless series in one of his recent FAQ videos. Do you think he will come up with his own Solar headless models?


----------



## thebeesknees22

Good question. I'm not sure if he would do a headless or not. The Solar head stock is kinda like his thing that's on everything.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

littlebadboy said:


> Ola took a look at the new Ibanez Q headless series in one of his recent FAQ videos. Do you think he will come up with his own Solar headless models?





thebeesknees22 said:


> Good question. I'm not sure if he would do a headless or not. The Solar head stock is kinda like his thing that's on everything.



Didn't Ola say he's not the biggest fan of fanned frets? And then that ended up happening. 

TBH I initially though thtat Solar would be more of a vanity brand. Guitar with specs and designs he likes. But t looks like he's going out of his comfort zone with some of the newer guitars.


----------



## manu80

Lol waiting for the « i like the green but with the maple fretboard » 3,2,1...


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

manu80 said:


> Lol waiting for the « i like the green but with the maple fretboard » 3,2,1...



Normally I'd say that, but honestly the darker FB works perfect with that green.


----------



## Vegetta

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Didn't Ola say he's not the biggest fan of fanned frets? And then that ended up happening.
> 
> TBH I initially though thtat Solar would be more of a vanity brand. Guitar with specs and designs he likes. But t looks like he's going out of his comfort zone with some of the newer guitars.


Yeah and he said no bass and no t style as well.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Vegetta said:


> Yeah and he said no bass and no t style as well.



Well the bass is kinda half-assed in execution (sorry Ola  ) so I believe it, but I love the T shape he made.


----------



## Andromalia

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Didn't Ola say he's not the biggest fan of fanned frets? And then that ended up happening.
> 
> TBH I initially though thtat Solar would be more of a vanity brand. Guitar with specs and designs he likes. But t looks like he's going out of his comfort zone with some of the newer guitars.



If he wants to make some, what will make or break it is the cost of sourcing the hardware. AFAIK there is no "decent but cheap" headless hardware, it's either expensive or euphemistically not very good. I don't see him using alibaba knockoffs and raising prices wouldn't really fit his brand.
That said, he did pull it off with Evertune who aren't cheap either so who knows.


----------



## bostjan

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Well the bass is kinda half-assed in execution (sorry Ola  ) so I believe it, but I love the T shape he made.


If someone gave me one of those basses, I'd play it. It's more of a jack-of-all-trades sort of bass to me than what Rondo has offered, historically, and still preferable to anything Ibanez has in a similar price range, but, that said, I know what you are saying- there's nothing there to really get excited about.


Andromalia said:


> If he wants to make some, what will make or break it is the cost of sourcing the hardware. AFAIK there is no "decent but cheap" headless hardware, it's either expensive or euphemistically not very good. I don't see him using alibaba knockoffs and raising prices wouldn't really fit his brand.
> That said, he did pull it off with Evertune who aren't cheap either so who knows.


Decent but cheap headless hardware is one place there is a potential market opportunity. The problem is that the guitar buying market is fickle; if I had the financial means to open a metal factory to make headless hardware, I'd halfway expect headless to no longer be cool by the time I was up and running.


----------



## thebeesknees22

I was looking at a solar bass hard at one point, but the canadian exchange rate and import duties suck hard

I keep eyeballing the outlet shop now to try and offset that a bit.


----------



## danbox

Dang, I was hoping for a boring black open pore multiscale next!


----------



## jephjacques

Andromalia said:


> If he wants to make some, what will make or break it is the cost of sourcing the hardware. AFAIK there is no "decent but cheap" headless hardware, it's either expensive or euphemistically not very good. I don't see him using alibaba knockoffs and raising prices wouldn't really fit his brand.
> That said, he did pull it off with Evertune who aren't cheap either so who knows.



Yeah he's already putting Evertunes and Hipshot hardware on his guitars, I could see him using the hipshot headless bridge, or even the ABM ones that Mayones et al use. Considering how diverse the product line is, it seems pretty clear to me that he's making what will sell, not just what he personally prefers.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I forgot about the Hipshot system. For some reason I thought it was Kiesel exclusive, but I'm wrong. It's pricey though, and I wonder if Hipshot (and ABM) would make the parts in those quantities.


----------



## Hoss632

Well Solar has gone and done it. I may just go ahead and get one of these.


----------



## mbardu

Hoss632 said:


> Well Solar has gone and done it. I may just go ahead and get one of these.
> View attachment 95972



Yeah those are pretty neat.
I kinda like the yellow better, but very cool regardless.


----------



## RiksRiks

jephjacques said:


> Yeah he's already putting Evertunes and Hipshot hardware on his guitars, I could see him using the hipshot headless bridge, or even the ABM ones that Mayones et al use. Considering how diverse the product line is, it seems pretty clear to me that he's making what will sell, not just what he personally prefers.



One can only dream, but I'd love to see a solar with a Schaller Hannes


----------



## Ataraxia2320

Hoss632 said:


> Well Solar has gone and done it. I may just go ahead and get one of these.
> View attachment 95972



I love this but I want my next guitar to be an evertune. Hoping for that colour combo with an ET in a future run.


----------



## Vegetta

Hoss632 said:


> Well Solar has gone and done it. I may just go ahead and get one of these.
> View attachment 95972


Yeah those all looked fantastic Plus I prefer the Solars without the bevels by the horns


----------



## Ordacleaphobia

RiksRiks said:


> One can only dream, but I'd love to see a solar with a Schaller Hannes



Or just more Schallers in general, tbh. Such a cool bridge.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

RiksRiks said:


> One can only dream, but I'd love to see a solar with a Schaller Hannes





Ordacleaphobia said:


> Or just more Schallers in general, tbh. Such a cool bridge.



Didn't Schaller stop production on most of the Hannes bridges? I don't recall but I think they only make the 6 or 7 string one now.


----------



## I play music

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Didn't Schaller stop production on most of the Hannes bridges? I don't recall but I think they only make the 6 or 7 string one now.


John Brown from Monuments bought all the remaining ones


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands




----------



## Zhysick

Yes, Ola doing a good move!


----------



## Crumbling

I've been eyeing a couple of 7 strings a while now, and after missing out on 2 Blackjack ATX C-7 (that was actually made one after the other going by the serial, even though they were sold at 2 pawn shops ~200km away from each other) because of emergency lockdown here in Australia, the Solar's pricing are pretty attractive. I heard there's been QC issues recently due to the pandemic, has that been solved or is it still a thing? Also, how does the quality on them compare to 2011 MIK Schecter? And is the Evertune and Stainless Steel frets on the 1.7 worth the price bump over the 2.7?


----------



## RevDrucifer

I REALLY hope they make more of those naturally finished E-types with the Evertune. I’m waiting for my house to sell before I snag any new gear and I managed to talk myself down from a ‘79 LPC Silverburst to a new Solar or two.

If not, I’ll gladly do that black flame top one, possibly in a 6 and a 7 format.

Now that he’s got a guitar with a Sustainer…..ugh, gonna be hard not to scoop one of those up. Been waiting for Vai/Ibanez to get it together on that front for a while and at this point, I don’t see myself spending $3500 on an Ibanez unless it’s a limited or anniversary model I got a deal on. I’d take that green one above but it needs a Floyd. A Sustainer almost seems pointless to me without a Floyd.


----------



## Bender.folder

Crumbling said:


> I've been eyeing a couple of 7 strings a while now, and after missing out on 2 Blackjack ATX C-7 (that was actually made one after the other going by the serial, even though they were sold at 2 pawn shops ~200km away from each other) because of emergency lockdown here in Australia, the Solar's pricing are pretty attractive. I heard there's been QC issues recently due to the pandemic, has that been solved or is it still a thing? Also, how does the quality on them compare to 2011 MIK Schecter? And is the Evertune and Stainless Steel frets on the 1.7 worth the price bump over the 2.7?




Had this atx c7 and a2.7c.

Neck felt same c profile . Solar has maple neck c7 mahogany. 
Playability wise solar was dead Spot on from box. Schecter needed guitar tech job.
I prefer the solar. Ss frets once used to them difficult to come back


----------



## Bender.folder

Also sound wise c7 blackouts were mud fest too much output .
Had a km7 too and except this flat d shape neck it was superb. If the 1.7 solar are same quality its worth paying the price for ss frets imho


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

So... Nobody is discussing the new Solar X shape in the works yet?


----------



## thebeesknees22

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> So... Nobody is discussing the new Solar X shape in the works yet?



Saw that this morning too. I gotta say that looks pretty snazzy from the back.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

thebeesknees22 said:


> Saw that this morning too. I gotta say that looks pretty snazzy from the back.


Agreed. Actually looks really badass without being an ML ripoff.

The timing of this announcement seems unfortunate on one hand but makes sense to nip any speculation of collusion between Ola and Dime's estate in the bud in the other.


----------



## Perge

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> So... Nobody is discussing the new Solar X shape in the works yet?


You have my attention


----------



## CanserDYI

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> So... Nobody is discussing the new Solar X shape in the works yet?


Holy shit! That looks nuts!


----------



## mmr007

I'm only seeing the back obviously but with a shorter lower horn and a normal headstock I'm not getting a dime vibe off this at all...it actually looks like a 10x better version of one of my fav guitars...the Hamer Scarab


----------



## KnightBrolaire

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> So... Nobody is discussing the new Solar X shape in the works yet?


WANT


----------



## profwoot

That's a screenshot from his "Sunday with Ola" this morning wherein he also addresses the whole Dime situation (he has no interest in getting involved).


----------



## jl-austin

The new solar x looks a lot like a Peavey Vortex.


----------



## uni777

looks like a kramer voyager style but better proportions.


----------



## Viginez

not very original


----------



## Andromalia

Well it follows the usual convention for these: two halves of different guitars. The top looks like the current solar EXP type, coupled with a lower RR type. Same as the ML is explorer+V
Closest I can think of is an old Ibanez but I can't find pictures, it was red I think.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Viginez said:


> not very original


Just like your comment then?


----------



## mbardu

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> Just like your comment then?



Inb4 "It has the Solar headstock logo and headstock, booo" to get the _most _original comment in the thread


----------



## manu80

are people a bit stressed out/agressive those days ?...


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

manu80 said:


> are people a bit stressed out/agressive those days ?...


Someone forgot to tell SSO that NNN wasn't in August.


----------



## Zhysick

Not interested until I see a comfortable bevel on the front of the guitar like E or V series... not gonna get one anyway but...


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Wow imagine discontinuing the chad OG Jensen and replacing it with this virgin MkII crap.







https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/e1-6jensen-mkii/#topSiG

Way to get rid of the open pore ash finish that made the OG Jensen look and feel so awesome to play. Not to mention Evertunes on Explorers looking like garbage.

And the finish? Imagine wanting to rip off a Chapman Ghost fret.






Yikes.

So glad I bought the OG before they ruined it


----------



## manu80

It’s gonna be ok...
Usually even with passion some chats are full of energy but stay cool, but are people pissed those days ? That much ?


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> So... Nobody is discussing the new Solar X shape in the works yet?



It's kinda alright but I hate Vs with cut off legs so this is a no for me. I'd still check one out if I ever saw one in a store or something.

I'm not a big Ola fan but I gotta say something about his guitars I like even if the shapes aren't my thing.


----------



## soul_lip_mike

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> Wow imagine discontinuing the chad OG Jensen and replacing it with this virgin MkII crap.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/e1-6jensen-mkii/#topSiG
> 
> Way to get rid of the open pore ash finish that made the OG Jensen look and feel so awesome to play. Not to mention Evertunes on Explorers looking like garbage.
> 
> And the finish? Imagine wanting to rip off a Chapman Ghost fret.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Yikes.
> 
> So glad I bought the OG before they ruined it



IMAGINE!


----------



## thebeesknees22

I dunno why anyone would be freaking out about the mkII. Ola has a new style coming out like every other month. There'll be something new and different before you know it. 

I'm not a fan of fade finishes like that, but someone somewhere will like it. 

I do like the shape of those type E's though. I've wanted one for a long time, but the exchange rate and import duties kinda kill that for me. ..maybe someday though.


----------



## Perge

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> Wow imagine discontinuing the chad OG Jensen and replacing it with this virgin MkII crap.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/e1-6jensen-mkii/#topSiG
> 
> Way to get rid of the open pore ash finish that made the OG Jensen look and feel so awesome to play. Not to mention Evertunes on Explorers looking like garbage.
> 
> And the finish? Imagine wanting to rip off a Chapman Ghost fret.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Yikes.
> 
> So glad I bought the OG before they ruined it


Imagine bitching about someone else's signature guitar this much. 

Like I hate it, I think fade finishes are absolute garbage. But I bet old Jensen thinks it's sexy as hell!


----------



## MrWulf

People bitching about artist's signature model will never failed to amuse me in term of the sheer entitlement it showed.

How dare you design this guitar like this that is what you want and not what i want.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Perge said:


> Imagine bitching about someone else's signature guitar this much.


There's no need to imagine it. Happens in SSO every other day. Why single this complaint out in particular? How weird.

If the old model wasn't discontinued, I wouldn't bitch. But when a previously awesome product was discontinued and replaced with a new product that's far worse, people have every right to complain. The fact its a signature guitar is irrelevant. Ola designs every guitar he sells and people bitch about them all the time. Just because someone else collaborates with Ola to design another model suddenly makes it immune to criticism? What a weird double standard.


----------



## mmr007

You have the right to complain just as much as others have the right to disagree with your complaint either due to tone or content. I dont care about solar guitars one way or another but clearly the readers at this point of the thread dont share the enthusiastic disdain for a new guitar and said as much


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

mmr007 said:


> You have the right to complain just as much as others have the right to disagree with your complaint either due to tone or content. I dont care about solar guitars one way or another but clearly the readers at this point of the thread dont share the enthusiastic disdain for a new guitar and said as much


 I don't give a shit if my opinion isn't popular. I'll say what I want.

Not quite sure what your point is.


----------



## mmr007

So are they allowed to say what they want in response? Or does the messaging have to end because they dont agree? Im not trying to pick a fight I’m just trying to understand the limits of dialoging.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

mmr007 said:


> So are they allowed to say what they want in response? Or does the messaging have to end because they dont agree? Im not trying to pick a fight I’m just trying to understand the limits of dialoging.


 Of course they're allowed to say whatever they want. But it doesn't make what they say also immune to criticism. Why are you asking me this? Its common sense.


----------



## Decapitated

Aren't there a lot of Solar models that become discontinued after time - signature or not? If I am not mistaken, you can't get the model in my pic - at least not in that color combo.


----------



## mmr007

Maybe I am misunderstanding you but this was my interpretation of the recent thread posts
1. You were upset and venting about the cosmetic direction of a guitar you previously liked
2. There were some comments and blowback from others who didn't agree with your assertions for numerous reasons
3. You seemed to get upset that complaining on SSO is what people do and suddenly a double standard was applied to you

My take was simply that the members who are currently engaged in this thread differ from you. You didn't catch the members who feel the same about artist collaborations and artistic design OR feel as strongly as you do about this model. Every room and every crowd is different. You may see some others chime in soon who are more aligned with what you feel


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Decapitated said:


> Aren't there a lot of Solar models that become discontinued after time - signature or not? If I am not mistaken, you can't get the model in my pic - at least not in that color combo.


 Yeah there's plenty of them. One example being the A2.6's in those metallic gloss finishes that looked spectacular. They were cut from the line-up pretty fast. Not to mention the Dan Vadim Von signatures. But this is different because they discontinued the OG Jensen and released a new hideous one to replace it. Thus cementing the fact that the originals will never be reissued ever again. Hence the bitch.


----------



## Decapitated

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> Yeah there's plenty of them. One example being the A2.6's in those metallic gloss finishes that looked spectacular. They were cut from the line-up pretty fast. Not to mention the Dan Vadim Von signatures. But this is different because they discontinued the OG Jensen and released a new hideous one to replace it. Thus cementing the fact that the originals will never be reissued ever again. Hence the bitch.



I get what you are saying - there was a model early on (can't remember the model number) that I REALLY wanted, but they quit making it. In a way, I am kinda glad mine isn't readily available anymore. I get it - it's not some super limited model, but at least it is a little unique.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

mmr007 said:


> Maybe I am misunderstanding you but this was my interpretation of the recent thread posts
> 1. You were upset and venting about the cosmetic direction of a guitar you previously liked
> 2. There were some comments and blowback from others who didn't agree with your assertions for numerous reasons
> 3. You seemed to get upset that complaining on SSO is what people do and suddenly a double standard was applied to you
> 
> My take was simply that the members who are currently engaged in this thread differ from you. You didn't catch the members who feel the same about artist collaborations and artistic design OR feel as strongly as you do about this model. Every room and every crowd is different. You may see some others chime in soon who are more aligned with what you feel


 To clarify any confusion, I was never upset at anyone. Just that when people make criticisms that have faulty logic, I don't see why I cannot point that faulty logic out. I've seen that people don't disagree about some of my points. I'm just indifferent to their agreement. And to be honest, talking about how I feel about the design change is distracting from the real issue I've been criticising.


----------



## Amenthea

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> To clarify any confusion, I was never upset at anyone. Just that when people make criticisms that have faulty logic, I don't see why I cannot point that faulty logic out. I've seen that people don't disagree about some of my points. I'm just indifferent to their agreement. And to be honest, talking about how I feel about the design change is distracting from the real issue I've been criticising.



lol faulty logic, which appears to be disagreeing with your criticism of the new version. That's not faulty, that's a mere difference of opinion because there isn't anything actually wrong with the design, you just don't like it. I actually prefer this version over the old one, and surprise, actually like that Ghost Fret as well.

For someone that's not upset about it you've continued to post and prolong a non-event way past it's sell by date.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Amenthea said:


> lol faulty logic, which appears to be disagreeing with your criticism of the new version. That's not faulty, that's a mere difference of opinion because there isn't anything actually wrong with the design, you just don't like it. I actually prefer this version over the old one, and surprise, actually like that Ghost Fret as well.


 You clearly haven't bothered to read my previous posts then. The whole thing about faulty logic has nothing to do with the design. It has to do with people accusing me of entitlement for not liking someone else's signature. Despite the fact that people shit on Ola's guitar designs on this thread all the time. But when someone else happens to collaborate with Ola on the design, the guitar is suddenly hallowed ground and immune to criticism? It's a double standard that makes no sense. Who cares about protecting someone else's signature guitar from criticism? People do literally nothing but criticise Ola's shit here.


> For someone that's not upset about it you've continued to post and prolong a non-event way past it's sell by date.


 Not mad just disappointed. But please do continue to be ironic by complaining about how long this topic has been dragged on for while also prolonging it yourself by posting about it. Really helps your own cause. Maybe if you bothered to read my posts properly you wouldn't have wasted everyone's time.


----------



## soul_lip_mike

Imagine being so upset over cheap indo guitars.


----------



## Decapitated

Hey…can you imagine a Solar without that hideous neck inlay?! Amirite or what?! 

Thread back on topic.


----------



## aesthyrian

Yeah the Jenson model looks like childish shit.


----------



## KnightBrolaire

Decapitated said:


> Hey…can you imagine a Solar without that hideous neck inlay?! Amirite or what?!
> 
> Thread back on topic.


yeah or one with an actually good headstock hurhurr


----------



## Amenthea

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> You clearly haven't bothered to read my previous posts then. The whole thing about faulty logic has nothing to do with the design. It has to do with people accusing me of entitlement for not liking someone else's signature. Despite the fact that people shit on Ola's guitar designs on this thread all the time. But when someone else happens to collaborate with Ola on the design, the guitar is suddenly hallowed ground and immune to criticism? It's a double standard that makes no sense. Who cares about protecting someone else's signature guitar from criticism? People do literally nothing but criticise Ola's shit here.
> Not mad just disappointed. But please do continue to be ironic by complaining about how long this topic has been dragged on for while also prolonging it yourself by posting about it. Really helps your own cause. Maybe if you bothered to read my posts properly you wouldn't have wasted everyone's time.



And as if to prove my point you're still going. You are obviously the triggered sort that I imagine gets wound up on FB/Twitter and simply has to have the last word and everyone else is wrong lol


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Amenthea said:


> And as if to prove my point you're still going. You are obviously the triggered sort that I imagine gets wound up on FB/Twitter and simply has to have the last word and everyone else is wrong lol


 Pretty sure you're referring to yourself mate. I don't even use FB or Twitter lol


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

Now now, girls. You're both equally stupid. Now eat your whitebread and macaroni sandwiches and go get ready for the dance.


----------



## mmr007

soul_lip_mike said:


> Imagine being so upset over cheap indo guitars.



Don't have to imagine..... every thread I visit offers front row seating


----------



## Decapitated

Everybody is totally overlooking the fact that there are white bread macaroni sandwiches and I totally feel left out.


----------



## beerandbeards

I enjoy milk with pasta and marinara….


----------



## Kyle Jordan

beerandbeards said:


> I enjoy milk with pasta and marinara….



Like separately as a drink or added to?

Either way, it's a cheap and effective DIY Tomato Cream sauce mod.


----------



## CanserDYI

I'm just really not a fan of Ola's E shape. All the others are really nice, I don't like the bottom horn, looks WAYYYY too big IMHO but whatever. Not going to cry about it.


----------



## beerandbeards

Kyle Jordan said:


> Like separately as a drink or added to?
> 
> Either way, it's a cheap and effective DIY Tomato Cream sauce mod.



a glass of milk to drink, while eating the pasta. Neutralizes the acid. I don’t really drink milk anymore but something I did as a younger man


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

beerandbeards said:


> a glass of milk to drink, while eating the pasta. Neutralizes the acid. I don’t really drink milk anymore but something I did as a younger man


Jesus how acidic is your sauce? Just add a little sugar. Problem solved


----------



## Seabeast2000

Classico is acidic AF, no sir I don't like it.


----------



## beerandbeards

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> Jesus how acidic is your sauce? Just add a little sugar. Problem solved



hehehe I know it’s nuts but when you have acid reflux it doesn’t matter. The littlest thing can trigger heartburn.


----------



## beerandbeards

Seabeast2000 said:


> Classico is acidic AF, no sir I don't like it.


 I do use Classico roasted garlic


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

Seabeast2000 said:


> Classico is acidic AF, no sir I don't like it.


...you know that pasta sauce is just a base and you add stuff to it, right? You don't use it straight out of the container.


----------



## Seabeast2000

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> ...you know that pasta sauce is just a base and you add stuff to it, right? You don't use it straight out of the container.


Wrong


----------



## Kyle Jordan

A tiny bit of baking soda can neutralize the acid as well. But you have to be very careful. Too much and it'll ruin it completely.


----------



## KnightBrolaire

y'all don't make your own sauce? smh


----------



## beerandbeards

KnightBrolaire said:


> y'all don't make your own sauce? smh


This years crop has been terrible. It’s been really wet here in the northEast. I do enjoy taking the time and making it from scratch. I also enjoy making pasta from scratch but it’s time consuming albeit totally worth it.


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

KnightBrolaire said:


> y'all don't make your own sauce? smh


This too. Make your own damn sauce BUT if you use the bottled stuff please just don't pour it on pasta as is..for fuck sake stop eating like some slumming single guy from some 80s movie


----------



## mbardu

Mom's spaghetti


----------



## Seabeast2000

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> This too. Make your own damn sauce BUT if you use the bottled stuff please just don't pour it on pasta as is..for fuck sake stop eating like some slumming single guy from some 80s movie


i don't make the rules.


----------



## Flick

Really want one of the 6 string e series but not at a 24.75 scale length. Holding out for a 25.5.


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

Flick said:


> Really want one of the 6 string e series but not at a 24.75 scale length. Holding out for a 25.5.


Lulz. Scale length


----------



## Zhysick

Flick said:


> Really want one of the 6 string e series but not at a 24.75 scale length. Holding out for a 25.5.



This one is 25.5"

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/e1-6-priestess/







Also this one (but this may be a typographic error, the Priestess I'm 100% sure is 25.5")

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/e1-6d-ltd-natural-aged-distressed/








So you have a floyded one and a fixed one (Evertune)

Wanna want more? Just do it!


----------



## Flick

Zhysick said:


> This one is 25.5"
> 
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/e1-6-priestess/
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Also this one (but this may be a typographic error, the Priestess I'm 100% sure is 25.5")
> 
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/e1-6d-ltd-natural-aged-distressed/
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> So you have a floyded one and a fixed one (Evertune)
> 
> Wanna want more? Just do it!


The distressed one has 25.5 in the spec but 24.75 in the description. Looking for a fixed bridge here.


----------



## jl-austin

You can tell by the distance the humbuckers are apart from each other that the distressed is 25.5, and the white is 24 3/4.

Also note the position of the bridge Humbucker in relationship to the body.


----------



## nickgray

jl-austin said:


> You can tell by the distance the humbuckers are apart from each other



It's 24 vs 22 frets


----------



## Zhysick

jl-austin said:


> You can tell by the distance the humbuckers are apart from each other that the distressed is 25.5, and the white is 24 3/4.
> 
> Also note the position of the bridge Humbucker in relationship to the body.



Nope... Not sure about the distressed because of the 25.5" in the specs but 24.75" in the description BUT the white is 25.5" FOR SURE. Is the signature of that guy from that band and I remember in the "Coffe with Ola" that they talked about being the first E series with 25.5" scale lenght.


----------



## Zhysick

Flick said:


> The distressed one has 25.5 in the spec but 24.75 in the description. Looking for a fixed bridge here.



Block the Floyd... bah, nitpicky... 

Just kidding but HEY! there you go the first one... maybe one day not that far away...


----------



## Amenthea

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> Pretty sure you're referring to yourself mate. I don't even use FB or Twitter lol



Quite surprising, considering how butthurt you are over anyone disagreeing with your opinion on a piece of wood that was designed without you in mind in the slightest.
The fact that pretty much everyone else here thinks you're being a drama queen might tell you something.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

Amenthea said:


> Quite surprising, considering how butthurt you are over anyone disagreeing with your opinion on a piece of wood that was designed without you in mind in the slightest.
> The fact that pretty much everyone else here thinks you're being a drama queen might tell you something.


Calling me butthurt when you're the one attempting to characterise me because my opinion is different to yours is extremely childish dude.

Stop dragging this shit out unnecessarily. I got bored of this discussion days ago.


----------



## Warmart

CWAJGA? 

Lighten up everyone, life's too short for forum disagreements, just move on already.


----------



## manu80

It will start again tomorrow with the friday new model


----------



## vilk

Question! Sorry, I'm sure it might be somewhere in this thread already written, but if any of you Solar players could please indulge me:

How would you compare a Solar neck against an Ibanez, Jackson, or ESP? To which is it most similar? I don't imagine them being thin and flat like an Ibanez just based on pictures, but sometimes it can be hard to tell that kind of thing. Are they very shoulder-y like a Jackson? Are they thin but without the flatness like a Japanese Jackson? Or are they on the fatter side like an ESP? I know, ESP isn't terribly fat, especially compared to like an old Gibson or Telecaster. 

I'm just curious what these necks feel like, and I guess the best way for me personally to wrap my head around it would be to hear some comparisons against other major brands. But unfortunately really the only brands I'm quite familiar with are Ibanez, Jackson, and ESP. And Fender I guess.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

The neck profiles have a Jackson-like thickness but the roundness of a Fender C. 

That's been my experience.


----------



## gunch

Matt's using Solar now, neat


----------



## Zhysick

vilk said:


> Question! Sorry, I'm sure it might be somewhere in this thread already written, but if any of you Solar players could please indulge me:
> 
> How would you compare a Solar neck against an Ibanez, Jackson, or ESP? To which is it most similar? I don't imagine them being thin and flat like an Ibanez just based on pictures, but sometimes it can be hard to tell that kind of thing. Are they very shoulder-y like a Jackson? Are they thin but without the flatness like a Japanese Jackson? Or are they on the fatter side like an ESP? I know, ESP isn't terribly fat, especially compared to like an old Gibson or Telecaster.
> 
> I'm just curious what these necks feel like, and I guess the best way for me personally to wrap my head around it would be to hear some comparisons against other major brands. But unfortunately really the only brands I'm quite familiar with are Ibanez, Jackson, and ESP. And Fender I guess.



Have you ever played a LTD Thin U neck but with a 43mm nut? because it feels just the same. Normally LTD Thin U necks are 42mm nut width even with locking nut but if you can imagine that neck a bit wider feeling... that's it. On the other hand if you have ever played one of their Extra Thin U necks but with the 43mm nut width then just imagine the neck a hair thicker... 

I measured my Solar and the thickness is about 20mm for first fret and 22mm for 12th fret so pretty close to LTD Thin U neck BUT the most important thing is that, at least my Solar because that's the only one I have played, have a bit of a rounded fretboard edges that makes it a bit more comfortable than LTD's necks... if you can handle the extra width... 

Somedays I prefer my old LTD because of the narrow neck, somedays I prefer the Solar because of the smooth and rounder feeling...


----------



## Kyle Jordan

Zhysick said:


> Have you ever played a LTD Thin U neck but with a 43mm nut? because it feels just the same. Normally LTD Thin U necks are 42mm nut width even with locking nut but if you can imagine that neck a bit wider feeling... that's it. On the other hand if you have ever played one of their Extra Thin U necks but with the 43mm nut width then just imagine the neck a hair thicker...
> 
> I measured my Solar and the thickness is about 20mm for first fret and 22mm for 12th fret so pretty close to LTD Thin U neck BUT the most important thing is that, at least my Solar because that's the only one I have played, have a bit of a rounded fretboard edges that makes it a bit more comfortable than LTD's necks... if you can handle the extra width...
> 
> Somedays I prefer my old LTD because of the narrow neck, somedays I prefer the Solar because of the smooth and rounder feeling...



Thanks for sharing this. 

Sadly, it puts Solar likely off of my watch list as the main reason I've always preferred Jackson and Ibanez quite strongly over ESP/LTD is because the ESP neck shapes and I are at odds. 

This sucks because there are a good amount of Solar models I'd like to experiment with in the future.


----------



## asopala

Zhysick said:


> Have you ever played a LTD Thin U neck but with a 43mm nut? because it feels just the same. Normally LTD Thin U necks are 42mm nut width even with locking nut but if you can imagine that neck a bit wider feeling... that's it. On the other hand if you have ever played one of their Extra Thin U necks but with the 43mm nut width then just imagine the neck a hair thicker...
> 
> I measured my Solar and the thickness is about 20mm for first fret and 22mm for 12th fret so pretty close to LTD Thin U neck BUT the most important thing is that, at least my Solar because that's the only one I have played, have a bit of a rounded fretboard edges that makes it a bit more comfortable than LTD's necks... if you can handle the extra width...
> 
> Somedays I prefer my old LTD because of the narrow neck, somedays I prefer the Solar because of the smooth and rounder feeling...



Are all the models the same neck shape and thickness?


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

asopala said:


> Are all the models the same neck shape and thickness?


Yup. They're supposed to be all the same for models with the same number of strings.


----------



## vilk

Zhysick said:


> Have you ever played a LTD Thin U neck but with a 43mm nut? because it feels just the same. Normally LTD Thin U necks are 42mm nut width even with locking nut but if you can imagine that neck a bit wider feeling... that's it. On the other hand if you have ever played one of their Extra Thin U necks but with the 43mm nut width then just imagine the neck a hair thicker...
> 
> I measured my Solar and the thickness is about 20mm for first fret and 22mm for 12th fret so pretty close to LTD Thin U neck BUT the most important thing is that, at least my Solar because that's the only one I have played, have a bit of a rounded fretboard edges that makes it a bit more comfortable than LTD's necks... if you can handle the extra width...
> 
> Somedays I prefer my old LTD because of the narrow neck, somedays I prefer the Solar because of the smooth and rounder feeling...



Thank you very much for the thorough description. I did used to have a viper 400, I thought the neck was great. I also had a Grass Roots (Indo made ESP for Japanese market) Horizon which was pretty similar. I really really regret trading that one...

You're definitely not helping my GAS for a Solar... if they ever make that blonde headstock maple fb V with a Floyd I don't think I'd be able to stop myself from ordering...


----------



## Decapitated

I have a Solar, Jackson Custom Shop SL2H, Ibanez RG550, and an ESP M-II and I have no problem switching from each of them.


----------



## danbox

Man I really like those bolt on roasted maple necks on the black open pore - but don’t want to deal with evertune


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

danbox said:


> Man I really like those bolt on roasted maple necks on the black open pore - but don’t want to deal with evertune


You can use an Evertune just like a normal fixed bridge. Simply set up zone 2 to be way below the tension of the desired tuning (takes 1 minute per string to do) and you're done.


----------



## MrBouleDeBowling

Please Ola, don't ever release a V with that finish. I have bills to pay


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

AlexCorriveau said:


> View attachment 97648
> 
> Please Ola, don't ever release a V with that finish. I have bills to pay


Oh fuck, you just made me realize how fucked I am if they did a V or E in that color.


----------



## soul_lip_mike

Solar tops are just thin veneers right?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

soul_lip_mike said:


> Solar tops are just thin veneers right?


Yep. I wish more companies would do like PRS SE does and put plain maple under the veneers.


----------



## Emperoff

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Yep. I wish more companies would do like PRS SE does and put plain maple under the veneers.



I used to think that way, but I'm not so sure anymore. Let's be honest, we all want those tops for the pretty looks. I have an archtop Jackson with a one inch thick maple top and the thing is friggin' heavy and super bright. OTOH, my Jackson B7 with a maple veneer is light as a feather and much more tonally balanced.

I think that setup works best for the old Gibson/PRS vibe (full mahogany guitars + maple cap). On other combinations I don't see the appeal anymore.


----------



## Amenthea

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> Calling me butthurt when you're the one attempting to characterise me because my opinion is different to yours is extremely childish dude.



Mate, that's exactly what you are doing. Continuously rolling a 1 on self awareness isn't doing you any favours.
Tbh if you hadn't cried so hard about them making something you didn't like bad enough it could of had it's own thread and then talking down to anyone who disagreed I wouldn't have bothered with you. Also, your complete unwillingness to admit that people just like things you don't and utter dedication to having the last word is what's dragging this out lol 

You're just a random triggered person on a forum, get over it and go play some guitar or something lol


----------



## Amenthea

Has anyone heard about the cracked boards of late? That seemed to have been a big thing suddenly and then died down?

I quite like the look of the AB as maple is my thing, what are the SC's like in those? I would usually role the tone down for a rounder sound but can't really do that if it's one with only a volume pot.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Amenthea said:


> Has anyone heard about the cracked boards of late? That seemed to have been a big thing suddenly and then died down?.



Either the factories got a better load of ebony

or as some of us was saying in other thread; click bait youtubers and influencers trying to ride the drama for more attention.


----------



## Amenthea

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Either the factories got a better load of ebony
> 
> or as some of us was saying in other thread; click bait youtubers and influencers trying to ride the drama for more attention.



Thanks, I thought that might have been the case but it's hard to know, and it felt like YouTube had the knives out for him for a hot minute and it put me off getting anything.
As it was I'd just moved and it's a lot more humid here and I didn't want to become a statistic..


----------



## Emperoff

Amenthea said:


> Has anyone heard about the cracked boards of late? That seemed to have been a big thing suddenly and then died down?


Well, it makes sense that if your reputation is being tarnished, you do something about it and fix it. Ola probably reinforced (put more dollars) the QC after that.

Ebony can crack even on high end instruments anyway (even if well taken care off) under extreme climates. Too much time inside a hot car of a truck, sudden climatic differences while shipping, etc. Which is why I always loved rosewood despite internet's hate (very forgiving to mantain).


----------



## drb

It wasn't just Youtubers, the Facebook group was inundated with awful QC flaws, people even had cracks in roasted maple fretboards.

Ola _did_ do something about it, they changed the QC process drastically and they flooded hundreds of guitars onto their B-stock 'outlet' on the website. Since that change, the complaints have died down almost completely, other than people buying older stock from 3rd party shops.

I've had a 6 and 7 for about a year now, which bought in the height of the QC issues. The only problem I have had is a slight crack in the 7's fretboard which was fixed by GuitarGuitar in the UK, where I bought it. Otherwise they're fantastic instruments to play.


----------



## drb

Trying to talk about Solar guitars in the Solar guitars thread:


----------



## NoodleFace

drb said:


> It wasn't just Youtubers, the Facebook group was inundated with awful QC flaws, people even had cracks in roasted maple fretboards.
> 
> Ola _did_ do something about it, they changed the QC process drastically and they flooded hundreds of guitars onto their B-stock 'outlet' on the website. Since that change, the complaints have died down almost completely, other than people buying older stock from 3rd party shops.
> 
> I've had a 6 and 7 for about a year now, which bought in the height of the QC issues. The only problem I have had is a slight crack in the 7's fretboard which was fixed by GuitarGuitar in the UK, where I bought it. Otherwise they're fantastic instruments to play.


Good to hear. I think Solar is my next guitar and came to this thread to ask about this.

I couldn't care less about the peeling logo, but the cracked fret boards worried me.


----------



## drb

NoodleFace said:


> Good to hear. I think Solar is my next guitar and came to this thread to ask about this.
> 
> I couldn't care less about the peeling logo, but the cracked fret boards worried me.



Oh I totally forgot, both my logos are 'peeling', too. It's such a non-issue I rarely notice. It's under the finish so it's basically bubbles over the logo, you can't feel them or move them or anything and to be fair it looks quite cool.


----------



## Amenthea

drb said:


> Oh I totally forgot, both my logos are 'peeling', too. It's such a non-issue I rarely notice. It's under the finish so it's basically bubbles over the logo, you can't feel them or move them or anything and to be fair it looks quite cool.



Wait, is that the fretboard logo? I was going to ask about that yesterday, as I didn't know if it was a full inlay or just a sticker thing on top. I was looking at the maple fingerboard and stuff on top does tend to show up more than the darker boards.


----------



## NoodleFace

I was referring to the headstock logo


----------



## Emperoff

NoodleFace said:


> Good to hear. I think Solar is my next guitar and came to this thread to ask about this.
> 
> I couldn't care less about the peeling logo, but the cracked fret boards worried me.



Yeah. Because who cares of logos peeling off in 1000$ guitars


----------



## NoodleFace

Well you certainly can, I just don't


----------



## mmr007

Well you need to care about a peeling headstock logo. I heard that it can affect the tone even more than removing the trussrod cover


----------



## Seabeast2000

mmr007 said:


> Well you need to care about a peeling headstock logo. I heard that it can affect the tone even more than removing the trussrod cover


I find your views intriguing, please subscribe me to your newsletter.


----------



## drb

Amenthea said:


> Wait, is that the fretboard logo? I was going to ask about that yesterday, as I didn't know if it was a full inlay or just a sticker thing on top. I was looking at the maple fingerboard and stuff on top does tend to show up more than the darker boards.



As NoodleFace said, the headstock logo, it's a common issue to the point that if yours _doesn't_ peel that is the anomaly. The inlays on mine are done really quite well without any dodgy glue around it or anything noticeable, which is a nice surprise considering the issues they've been having.



Emperoff said:


> Yeah. Because who cares of logos peeling off in 1000$ guitars



Fortunately you need to really look for it, if you're more than 6 inches away from the logo you can't really see it. It's annoying but it is what it is. The guitars are absolutely effortless to play and I need all the help I can get so I can deal with some logo peelage


----------



## Bender.folder

Snagged a used E1.6ET after selling my gibson explorer.
So far liking it but evertune is curious. The scale is gibsonish but same gauge gives freaking more tension. Now mounted 9s for Eb tuning but its a little slack... Evertune seems to get tension more even than tune o matic so might need a custom set instead of my usual ones..

Set up was pretty much troublesome. Some saddle got stuck, 9s are barely enough tension so I'd need custom low tension modules but it locked in zone2 though. Im a bit bothered sticking another 100€ to get two ,modules for tension to be even..Other guitars sometimes need pro set up or fiddling around but dont need additional parts. Evertune was bonus and price was good and I'd liked to try it. Would not buy again with ET. Good locking tuners and good quality bridge is enough. Turning a tuning peg at home sometimes doesnt hurt to me. Also dont know why my D string saddle got almost no travel to adjust action. No response from evertune and nothing helpful from solar just standard commercial answer..

Neck is rounded C but not too thick, id say a tad close to a slim taper and slimmer than my 59 shaped explorer neck but same round profile. Lacks a cutaway or carved bevel on front; it pointier than a gibson and gets in your ribs while seating.

Pickups are really good on this one. The maple neck gives clarity and the sound is punchy and clear. had a previous V from first series. Neck was meatier but full mahogany which tended to mush things out when detuned and lacked punch. Dunno if they altered the winding or wire used.

I found those duncan solars hotter than the V I had and the 7 string version on my ex A2.7 .

Third solar so far; good metal guitars almost ready to play when delivered and nice features for the price.

SS frets are well done, on par with my KM7 from korea; except for some small tools dents on the last frets but nothing really bothering.

Overall satisfied but still find I get to fiddle alot more on neck; setup than with even cheap american or japan made guitars to achieve low action and evertune didnt wow me. I get why most here advise it more to touring or studio musicians rather than home guitarists .

Its a nice feature but not a must have indeed.


----------



## mmr007

Seabeast2000 said:


> I find your views intriguing, please subscribe me to your newsletter.





i run an honest rag filled with political truthiness but the back pages is all geared to guitarists with insightful tidbits like “are metal knobs better than plastic for 500k potentiometers?” and “Can you do jazz metal on a tele strung with 9’s without an ebony board?” Hard hitting and helpful is my motto. And always truthy.


----------



## Zhysick

Bender.folder said:


> Snagged a used E1.6ET after selling my gibson explorer.
> So far liking it but evertune is curious. The scale is gibsonish but same gauge gives freaking more tension. Now mounted 9s for Eb tuning but its a little slack... Evertune seems to get tension more even than tune o matic so might need a custom set instead of my usual ones..
> 
> Set up was pretty much troublesome. Some saddle got stuck, 9s are barely enough tension so I'd need custom low tension modules but it locked in zone2 though. Im a bit bothered sticking another 100€ to get two ,modules for tension to be even..Other guitars sometimes need pro set up or fiddling around but dont need additional parts. Evertune was bonus and price was good and I'd liked to try it. Would not buy again with ET. Good locking tuners and good quality bridge is enough. Turning a tuning peg at home sometimes doesnt hurt to me. Also dont know why my D string saddle got almost no travel to adjust action. No response from evertune and nothing helpful from solar just standard commercial answer..
> 
> Neck is rounded C but not too thick, id say a tad close to a slim taper and slimmer than my 59 shaped explorer neck but same round profile. Lacks a cutaway or carved bevel on front; it pointier than a gibson and gets in your ribs while seating.
> 
> Pickups are really good on this one. The maple neck gives clarity and the sound is punchy and clear. had a previous V from first series. Neck was meatier but full mahogany which tended to mush things out when detuned and lacked punch. Dunno if they altered the winding or wire used.
> 
> I found those duncan solars hotter than the V I had and the 7 string version on my ex A2.7 .
> 
> Third solar so far; good metal guitars almost ready to play when delivered and nice features for the price.
> 
> SS frets are well done, on par with my KM7 from korea; except for some small tools dents on the last frets but nothing really bothering.
> 
> Overall satisfied but still find I get to fiddle alot more on neck; setup than with even cheap american or japan made guitars to achieve low action and evertune didnt wow me. I get why most here advise it more to touring or studio musicians rather than home guitarists .
> 
> Its a nice feature but not a must have indeed.



You don't need low tension saddles for En with 9s on that guitar. Check videos on YouTube about how to setup the ET bridge. I have set up mine with 9s in D with the standard saddles, plenty of room to intonate, tune and move around zone 1 and 2. You just need some adjustment.


----------



## Bender.folder

Hey. Thanks for the tip. I managed to adjust the high 9s 11s and 16s into zone 3 without much hassle. Its the D saddle tuned to c# that i cant get much Travel to adjust string height. 
Ill still get a custom 10s set to get a hint more tension. 
Otherwise very satisfied . Sounds meatier and more defined than my Gibson explorer .
Might change pickups for something a hint but more biting in bridge but not that sure . The clarity is Nice and it chugs. Its more on intense picking and fast pull offs that it lacks a bit bite imho.


----------



## RevDrucifer

NoodleFace said:


> Well you certainly can, I just don't



Yeah, mine’s peeling, like maybe 2mm around a couple spots. Couldn’t care less. I bought it from the outlet store because I tiny little dent in it, which I probably put more of in it when setting it up last night. 

My guitars get beat to shit, I couldn’t care less about something like that.


----------



## RevDrucifer

Got this beast in yesterday and it’s EASILY my new favorite guitar!







I bought it from the outlet store because this tiny little 1mm ding next to a pickup that you practically need a magnifying glass to see. This thing is THE SHIT!!! 

My first experience with an Evertune and I’m totally sold/in love with it. Took me 25 minutes to get it set up in drop C. I didn’t stretch the strings at all, just put them on, tuned it up, intonated it and then started playing these big ass bends to see if I could knock it out of tune. Nope! Incredible!

I’ve been in love with the Fishman Devin Townsend pickups I put in an Ibanez SZ and was thinking I’d end up putting a set in this, but man, I’m REALLY impressed with these pickups! I tracked some guitars for some songs I’m working on, just to hear how they’d compare to the tracks I already put down and there’s a good chance I’m going to re-record the majority of my album with this guitar. 






Even getting into the more Friedman/Cantrell/Mastodon tones, it still sounds fucking great! 

I’m sold enough that I know the next 3-4 guitars I buy are going to be Solars. These fill the void that 90’s MIJ Ibanez’s left behind, for me. Price point and quality are in the same region, or cheaper. Sure, the logo is lifting off by 1-2mm’s, but I don’t give a single shit. If anything, it looks more like highlights around the edge of it. I literally only give a shit about the way it plays and if it were above $1500, I might gripe. For $1100, IDGAF. 

Getting a 7-string next, just not sure which one yet. I might just get the 7-string version of this, but I’d really like an A/AB type as well. 

The look on my face when I pulled it out of the case and strummed an open G….the damn thing was perfectly in tune after coming to Florida from Spain. It went through several temp changes on the way down here and was still dead nuts in tune. Fuckin’ crazy.


----------



## Trashgreen




----------



## Decapitated

Happy Birthday Ola!


----------



## RevDrucifer

How the fuck do pics work on here? Is it me or is this shit always changing?


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

RevDrucifer said:


> How the fuck do pics work on here? Is it me or is this shit always changing?


Yeah it is kinda broken. Pretty frustrating.

Fixed those pics for you though.


----------



## RevDrucifer

Oh FFS, fuck it. At least the pics are showing up now. 

I'm straight up in love with this thing! Evertune works like a charm and it's AWESOME to just rip through a recording without fucking tuning once! 

Tonally, I'm digging the pickups more than I thought I would and they're going to stay. Less output and more lower mids, but fuckin' rippin! If there were ever a guitar that 100% deserves to be called a riff machine, it's this thing.


----------



## CovertSovietBear

RevDrucifer said:


> Oh FFS, fuck it. At least the pics are showing up now.
> 
> I'm straight up in love with this thing! Evertune works like a charm and it's AWESOME to just rip through a recording without fucking tuning once!
> 
> Tonally, I'm digging the pickups more than I thought I would and they're going to stay. Less output and more lower mids, but fuckin' rippin! If there were ever a guitar that 100% deserves to be called a riff machine, it's this thing.


Wasn't showing up so copy/pasted a lower res image below, love the flame! I've never liked playing Explorers, my picking hand always manages to sit too high on the lower left horn.


----------



## RevDrucifer

CovertSovietBear said:


> Wasn't showing up so copy/pasted a lower res image below, love the flame! I've never liked playing Explorers, my picking hand always manages to sit too high on the lower left horn.
> View attachment 98152



It took a couple days to get used to, that's for sure. My right under-titty was achin' from the edge pressing into my chest, I'm glad that went away after a couple days. Figuring out where to mute with the Evertune was actually kind of fun, you've got a lot more room to to move around in that area and fine tune your chugs!


----------



## Dumple Stilzkin

Trashgreen said:


>



Never heard of him before, got gotamn! His right hand technique when he’s tremolo picking is flawless, looks like he’s miming along. Though he isn’t.


----------



## Xaeldaren

What's the consensus on Solar quality now? The last few months I've seen a lot of reports of inconsistent quality. 

I'm looking for a new 7 string, since the fretwork on my Schecter is pretty disappointing, and I'm trying to figure out if solar is worth my money.


----------



## Zhysick

Xaeldaren said:


> What's the consensus on Solar quality now? The last few months I've seen a lot of reports of inconsistent quality.
> 
> I'm looking for a new 7 string, since the fretwork on my Schecter is pretty disappointing, and I'm trying to figure out if solar is worth my money.



Mine was built this year and is spot on. Prefect frets, great finish (some imperfections but with the matte black is really really really hard to find the two minor spots... actually there are days I can't find them) and the setup out of the box was good enough to play without even needing to do it yourself except you are picky with setup and want "this action and this pickup height" like myself so I did it anyways, but I could have gone to a gig without even tuning it (Evertune).

Can't complain, specially for the price since in Europe a Solar with Evertune is about 400€ cheaper (or more) than a Schecter or LTD with Evertune.


----------



## flv75

hi guys, bought my first Solar a couple of weeks ago, a red v2.6.
The logo is peeling but the fretboard seems ok, with no crack.
The guitar looks great and is very playable. The neck is cool, Duncan Solar pickups are ok but not so hot to play extreme metal and it's strange for an instrument made to do it. 
The worst thing about this guitar is the fucking input jack. I can't understand why they chose this uncomfortable position 
It's a good guitar for the price, better than the indo King V pro I tried


----------



## nickgray

Xaeldaren said:


> I'm looking for a new 7 string, since the fretwork on my Schecter is pretty disappointing



Why would you buy a new guitar though? Take the Schecter to a tech for a fret level, problem solved.


----------



## Mathemagician

Just checking the thread now for updates on that rumor of a model “X”. Curious to see if there is another Xiphos competitor.


----------



## Mathemagician

nickgray said:


> Why would you buy a new guitar though?



Hey hey HEY. Don’t go attacking our religion ‘round here.


----------



## Xaeldaren

nickgray said:


> Why would you buy a new guitar though? Take the Schecter to a tech for a fret level, problem solved.



I'd love to! There's an amazing luthier in Dublin who did amazing work on two of my other guitars, but he's still closed because of Covid, and I haven't been able to find anyone else I'd trust with my money.


----------



## Lorcan Ward

Dumple Stilzkin said:


> Never heard of him before, got gotamn! His right hand technique when he’s tremolo picking is flawless, looks like he’s miming along. Though he isn’t.



Watch his pick angle and how he changes it to a much sharper angle than when he's down picking. People disagree with changing angle while playing but thats they key to tremolo picking. His consistency is from a lot of hard work.


----------



## Ataraxia2320

Xaeldaren said:


> I'd love to! There's an amazing luthier in Dublin who did amazing work on two of my other guitars, but he's still closed because of Covid, and I haven't been able to find anyone else I'd trust with my money.



Dolmen Guitars in Limerick is a great shout. The guy will make you absolutely anything for a reasonable price and the guitars are top notch.


----------



## /wrists

obligatory - these are garbage guitars with quality control issues and horrible customer support


----------



## SubsonicDoom99

flv75 said:


> hi guys, bought my first Solar a couple of weeks ago, a red v2.6.
> The logo is peeling but the fretboard seems ok, with no crack.
> The guitar looks great and is very playable. The neck is cool, Duncan Solar pickups are ok but not so hot to play extreme metal and it's strange for an instrument made to do it.
> The worst thing about this guitar is the fucking input jack. I can't understand why they chose this uncomfortable position
> It's a good guitar for the price, better than the indo King V pro I tried



I wanted to like the Duncan Solar pickups but they are just kinda "meh". Right now I've got a Duncan Custom SH-5 and a 59 in my Solar and the tone difference is night and day.
Other than that, thankfully I have had no issues with the guitar's construction other than that I decided to replace the pickup selector switch, it felt cheap to me and I knew I'd wear it out sooner than later so I took it out and put a better one in. Otherwise it feels and plays great.


----------



## H I G H W I N D

evade said:


> obligatory - these are garbage guitars with quality control issues and horrible customer support



woke take, they belong to the silly guitar thread.


----------



## RevDrucifer

SubsonicDoom99 said:


> I wanted to like the Duncan Solar pickups but they are just kinda "meh". Right now I've got a Duncan Custom SH-5 and a 59 in my Solar and the tone difference is night and day.
> Other than that, thankfully I have had no issues with the guitar's construction other than that I decided to replace the pickup selector switch, it felt cheap to me and I knew I'd wear it out sooner than later so I took it out and put a better one in. Otherwise it feels and plays great.



I assumed up front I was going to swap mine out for the Fishman Devin Townsend's, as I've got those in another guitar and really dig them. But once I plugged in the Solar, I was pretty stoked. They've got a bit more mids than I was expecting, but it lends itself to cleaning up palm mutes when you're doing the tight chugging stuff. Obviously, YMMV depending on what the rest of your rig is doing, but I think I'm going to stick with these.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

SubsonicDoom99 said:


> I wanted to like the Duncan Solar pickups but they are just kinda "meh". Right now I've got a Duncan Custom SH-5 and a 59 in my Solar and the tone difference is night and day.
> Other than that, thankfully I have had no issues with the guitar's construction other than that I decided to replace the pickup selector switch, it felt cheap to me and I knew I'd wear it out sooner than later so I took it out and put a better one in. Otherwise it feels and plays great.



Kinda surprised, since I thought the Solars and Customs were tweaked to be similar. What did you find better about the SH-5?


----------



## SubsonicDoom99

RevDrucifer said:


> I assumed up front I was going to swap mine out for the Fishman Devin Townsend's, as I've got those in another guitar and really dig them. But once I plugged in the Solar, I was pretty stoked. They've got a bit more mids than I was expecting, but it lends itself to cleaning up palm mutes when you're doing the tight chugging stuff. Obviously, YMMV depending on what the rest of your rig is doing, but I think I'm going to stick with these.



I know a few friends who have Solar guitars and just love the Duncan Solars, so you're definitely not alone. I've heard the Solar pickups when others play with them and they sound great to me. For me they just seemed to lack something. I tried raising/lowering the height etc. and just wasn't finding myself enjoying the tone as much as I hoped. Definitely not bad by any means, just not for me. Then again, sometimes with these "licensed" SD pickups the quality can be a bit inconsistent, I know I've had mixed results over the years with the Ducan Designed stuff (some were fabulous and others definitely not). That's cool that they seemed to work for you though!


----------



## SubsonicDoom99

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Kinda surprised, since I thought the Solars and Customs were tweaked to be similar. What did you find better about the SH-5?


I know, I was quite surprised myself as one of the things that initially appealed to me about the Duncan Solar pickups was that they were supposed to be modeled after the SH-5, which is one of my favorite pickups, so I thought it'd be a winner for me. Again, as I said in the other reply I posted above, it's not that they're horrible or anything they just seem to lack something. When I put the SH-5 in there it felt like there was a noticeable bump in the upper-mids, and the 59 neck pickup just has a more livey sound especially when playing clean compared to the Solar neck pickup. I actually intend on putting the Solar pickups into a different guitar at some point just to give them another shot and see what I think of them in a completely different guitar. It wouldn't be the first time that I've had my mind changed on a set I didn't like initially in one guitar but was much better in the next. We'll see!


----------



## Kellz

I think they finally got me with this one! It's got everything I want in a solar, getting mayones vibes from it.

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/s1-7app-poplar-purple-burst-matte/


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I noticed they're starting to put Fluences on a lot of non sig guitars. Wonder what the deal is there? Just to make you feel like you're getting your money's worth?


----------



## Kellz

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I noticed they're starting to put Fluences on a lot of non sig guitars. Wonder what the deal is there? Just to make you feel like you're getting your money's worth?


So you're saying solars are not worth their money? Honest question I'd like to know your reasons, I get that they are indonesian made but spec wise they are awesome for what you get no?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Kellz said:


> So you're saying solars are not worth their money? Honest question I'd like to know your reasons, I get that they are indonesian made but spec wise they are awesome for what you get no?



... Well that's one way to phase what I said..  People tend to hate on the Solar pickups.


----------



## Andromalia

I don't feel the need to change the pickups on mine, but then as an axe III user I can just make a patch for every single guitar I own and call it a day. They didn't "woah" me but they do the job.


----------



## RevDrucifer

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I noticed they're starting to put Fluences on a lot of non sig guitars. Wonder what the deal is there? Just to make you feel like you're getting your money's worth?



That seems to be happening across the board with most of the metal-based guitars, ESP, Ibanez, Schecter. Not sure if it's just following a market trend or Fishman has a "Buy 50 pickups and we'll give you 50 free" deal, but they're certainly showing up in a lot of fuckin' guitars lately.


----------



## mbardu

RevDrucifer said:


> That seems to be happening across the board with most of the metal-based guitars, ESP, Ibanez, Schecter. Not sure if it's just following a market trend or Fishman has a "Buy 50 pickups and we'll give you 50 free" deal, but they're certainly showing up in a lot of fuckin' guitars lately.



Marketing to what's fashionable at the moment.
Like Evertunes and poplar burls.


----------



## RevDrucifer

mbardu said:


> Marketing to what's fashionable at the moment.
> Like Evertunes and poplar burls.



I love the Evertune, but I'm ready for the poplar burls to go away anytime now.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

RevDrucifer said:


> That seems to be happening across the board with most of the metal-based guitars, ESP, Ibanez, Schecter. Not sure if it's just following a market trend or Fishman has a "Buy 50 pickups and we'll give you 50 free" deal, but they're certainly showing up in a lot of fuckin' guitars lately.



Little column A, little column B.


----------



## wakjob

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> ... Well that's one way to phase what I said..  People tend to hate on the Solar pickups.



I don't understand why... the tone/sound he gets at the open of all his videos using a Solar and that Plini plugin is fantastic.

His amp in the room or will it chug vidz are a good measure of the sound of those pu's also... sound good to me!


----------



## mbardu

wakjob said:


> I don't understand why... the tone/sound he gets at the open of all his videos using a Solar and that Plini plugin is fantastic.
> 
> His amp in the room or will it chug vidz are a good measure of the sound of those pu's also... sound good to me!



From what I can tell, the pickups are a tad lower output - which is not so usual in the universe of guitar players that his brand is targeted at.
Since he has tuned his signal chain to account for that (and let's face it, he knows his stuff) his tone ends up pretty massive.


----------



## Hollowway

wakjob said:


> I don't understand why... the tone/sound he gets at the open of all his videos using a Solar and that Plini plugin is fantastic.
> 
> His amp in the room or will it chug vidz are a good measure of the sound of those pu's also... sound good to me!


Ola could play through a banana and make it sound good in production. Which is kind of the problem. He’s so good at production he can fix anything in the mix.


----------



## CanserDYI

IIIRC Ola hires out for his mixing/mastering/post-production for his videos doesn't he? 

I know he edits them but I swore there was an episode he said he was waiting on his final mixes to get back from his engineer. Maybe that's just for his albums, could be wrong.


----------



## gunch

wakjob said:


> I don't understand why... the tone/sound he gets at the open of all his videos using a Solar and that Plini plugin is fantastic.
> 
> His amp in the room or will it chug vidz are a good measure of the sound of those pu's also... sound good to me!



Curious about this but don't have him subbed, care to link a couple?


----------



## RevDrucifer

gunch said:


> Curious about this but don't have him subbed, care to link a couple?



Just watch any SWOLA vid. He starts them all off with a small song he wrote using a drum track that he posts up for everyone else to do their own thing with.


----------



## RevDrucifer

CanserDYI said:


> IIIRC Ola hires out for his mixing/mastering/post-production for his videos doesn't he?
> 
> I know he edits them but I swore there was an episode he said he was waiting on his final mixes to get back from his engineer. Maybe that's just for his albums, could be wrong.



I think that might just be for the albums. I don’t think he’s doing it for the SWOLA’s and shit. He has to bang those out pretty quickly and I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s just got a template loaded up in Logic that has everything that works for him loaded into it. I know that’s definitely how I’d do it if I were in his shoes instead of starting every song from scratch. 

The Solar pickups definitely aren’t super high output. More like medium almost getting into high output. The midrange probably surprises a lot of people as Ola’s tones are generally fairly scooped, but that’s just a matter of turning the mids down on the amp/plug-in/whatever. 

I’ve got the Fishman Devin Townsend set in one of my guitars, switching to the Classic mode, it’s like a lower output version of the Solars, but not by much. They’re fairly close…maybe just a little less mids in the Fishman’s.


----------



## Adieu

Well Fishman actives are kinda awesome and tend to sound good plugged into a rando amp at Guitar Center volumes, so...


----------



## CanserDYI

I personally prefer a medium output humbucker too. One that will drive the front end a bit, but not turn every clean channel into a crunch channel.


----------



## Chanson

Looks like Johan Niemann (Evergrey bassist) is either getting a signature Solar bass or testing out a new model...he didn't confirm its Solar but he also posted a pick of the neck joint and it's definitely a Solar. Glad to see a Solar bass come stock with name brand pickups.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Yeeeees PJ with a reverse P


----------



## olejason

PJ with a pointy headstock and no inlays would be hard to pass up


----------



## Chanson

olejason said:


> PJ with a pointy headstock and no inlays would be hard to pass up



I hope this isn't their current A shaped bass model, as I am not the biggest fan of it for bass. He used Spector for years, so there is a small hope in me that thinks it might be a new body shape too something more rounded ala Spector.


----------



## LostTheTone

Adieu said:


> Well Fishman actives are kinda awesome and tend to sound good plugged into a rando amp at Guitar Center volumes, so...



Yeah it's sadly true that Fishman are pretty much the standard pickups of metal. Sure, other people like other pickups, but it's hard to go far wrong with them. It's both a good and a bad thing. Bad because a lot of off the shelf guitars sound super similar. But good because a lot of off the shelf guitars sound good, and you don't have to do the mental calculus of "Well, these are shitty stock pickups so once it's fixed up it'll sound like...".


----------



## manu80

I really would like to try them (fishman) but can't help thinking that it's just the new hype replacing EMG like 20 yrs ago...


----------



## LostTheTone

manu80 said:


> I really would like to try them (fishman) but can't help thinking that it's just the new hype replacing EMG like 20 yrs ago...



Oh you're kinda right about that. 

But to be completely fair, EMGs still shred and are very well respected. They aren't the new hawtness, but the hype around EMG was pretty accurate. Not to everyone's taste, but if you got an off the rack guitar with an EMG81/85 set then you'd be pretty happy with that back in the day. You might still change it, but even a discerning metalhead is going to say "Yeah, that'll work". 

Fishman's rise to fame has made them the cool new thing, but they are pretty damn good. The only real criticism you can give for an off the shelf guitar with Fishmans is that you have paid a bit extra than you had to if you definitely want to change them. And that's fair. But they are still good pickups, and you can probably make back a good few bucks on eBay when you take them out.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I haven't had the best luck with Fish man's. Only liked the moderns in one of several guitars I tried, couldn't really dig the KSE set's voice 1. Had more luck with the Classics but no one puts those in their guitars.


----------



## KnightBrolaire

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I haven't had the best luck with Fish man's. Only liked the moderns in one of several guitars I tried, couldn't really dig the KSE set's voice 1. Had more luck with the Classics but no one puts those in their guitars.


charvel puts classics in some of their guitars.
https://charvel.com/gear/shape/so-cal/style-2/pro-mod-so-cal-style-2-24-hh-ht-cm/2966561527


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

KnightBrolaire said:


> charvel puts classics in some of their guitars.
> https://charvel.com/gear/shape/so-cal/style-2/pro-mod-so-cal-style-2-24-hh-ht-cm/2966561527



There is a handful. Esp has some in some of their guitars. But it just seems like everyone wants to shove the Moderns in their guitars and come the fuck oooon


----------



## KnightBrolaire

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> There is a handful. Esp has some in some of their guitars. But it just seems like everyone wants to shove the Moderns in their guitars and come the fuck oooon


 i like the moderns and hated the classics. Thought it might have just been that specific guitar but then i tried the merrows in a km7 . Nope. I hate the classics.


----------



## CovertSovietBear

Really inconsequential: but after using EMGs and Blackouts I was tired of changing the battery, infrequently as it was so no Fishmans for me. Can you plug them in? Yes. Do i want to? No.


----------



## LostTheTone

CovertSovietBear said:


> Really inconsequential: but after using EMGs and Blackouts I was tired of changing the battery, infrequently as it was so no Fishmans for me. Can you plug them in? Yes. Do i want to? No.



Well thats fair enough - I too do not put actives in any guitar that I do not intend to play regularly. In fact I don't have anything with actives at the moment specifically because I don't play much.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

If you hate changing EMG and blackout batteries, you're gonna hate Fishmans. 

Emg: 3000hrs
Blackouts: 1750hrs
Fishmans: 250hrs


----------



## olejason

Chanson said:


> I hope this isn't their current A shaped bass model, as I am not the biggest fan of it for bass. He used Spector for years, so there is a small hope in me that thinks it might be a new body shape too something more rounded ala Spector.



Oh man I think you're right judging by those inlays. If that's the case I hope they do the typical headstock, that would look really weird.


----------



## Ataraxia2320

I have never played a guitar with fishmans that I liked the sound of. Most artists tone suffers when they switch over to fishmans too. 

Of the top of my head Tosin, and Josh Middleton are the only people using Fishmans who still have great tone. 

Stef Carpenter got much better tone on Ohms than on Gore but his EMG sounds were far superior imo.


----------



## manu80

Does the covid starts to impact solar releases/productivity ? No friday news for a while....


----------



## JimF

There were two new guitars launched recently: a purple-ish one with soapbar Fishmans and a green Evertune one


----------



## jrn1308

JimF said:


> There were two new guitars launched recently: a purple-ish one with soapbar Fishmans and a green Evertune one



Even more. I think those two were already two weeks ago. Last week have been a six string and a seven string with natural finish and today was a bass launched.


----------



## Perge

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> If you hate changing EMG and blackout batteries, you're gonna hate Fishmans.
> 
> Emg: 3000hrs
> Blackouts: 1750hrs
> Fishmans: 250hrs


Big fucking oof. I literally don't play my phoinex because of how much I was having to change the battery. Good to know it really is that bad and I'm not crazy.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Perge said:


> Big fucking oof. I literally don't play my phoinex because of how much I was having to change the battery. Good to know it really is that bad and I'm not crazy.



The blackouts are actually 1400hrs. Slight mistake.

Was also wrong about the Fluences.

The Fluences are UP TO 200hrs.


----------



## Chanson

olejason said:


> Oh man I think you're right judging by those inlays. If that's the case I hope they do the typical headstock, that would look really weird.



Sadly just the regular A shape, but the inlays and reversw PJ pickups are a huge upgrade. No announcement from Solar yet but confirned by Johan and Evergrey to be a signature series coming soon. Looks nice.

I wonder if he went with 35" scale since he plays in B standard and drop A. His Spectors were 34" though so maybe not.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Still a beautiful bass. Reminds me of a modern Kramer Forum (interestingly enough, was basically a Spector NS-2 in a Superstrat(?) shape).


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Chanson said:


> I wonder if he went with 35" scale since he plays in B standard and drop A. His Spectors were 34" though so maybe not.



Solar offers a "baritone" 35'' 4-string, so hoping it means they'll do more of them.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Solar's FB page just confirmed that's gonna be his signature bass releasing next year


----------



## Ataraxia2320

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Still a beautiful bass. Reminds me of a modern Kramer Forum (interestingly enough, was basically a Spector NS-2 in a Superstrat(?) shape).



That Archtop is HOT.


----------



## soul_lip_mike

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> If you hate changing EMG and blackout batteries, you're gonna hate Fishmans.
> 
> Emg: 3000hrs
> Blackouts: 1750hrs
> Fishmans: 250hrs



My Caparison CZQ has a usb charging port for the fishmans. It's pretty nice!


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Ataraxia2320 said:


> That Archtop is HOT.



Yeah those old Kramer Forums are slick. Like I said, theyre basically Spector NS2s for those that don't like the Gumby shape.  Only thing is they don't have the Reverse P. But otherwise it's the same construction and electronics. 



soul_lip_mike said:


> My Caparison CZQ has a usb charging port for the fishmans. It's pretty nice!



Yeah they're pretty necessary for the Fluences.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Well deserved sig model.

EDIT: First Solar without the Solar inlay?


----------



## Trashgreen

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> EDIT: First Solar without the Solar inlay?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

New G1.7 Vinter Edition

IDK about you but I fucking love a good Les Paul-shaped 7-string.


----------



## anunnaki

Played a solar in a shop recently (one of the pink/purple h/s hardtail models).
My verdict:

Neck - chunkier than an ibanez but not too big. the ss frets seemed pretty nice. fretboard was maple or roasted maple I think. didn't like the look of the fretboard personally. back of the neck looked good.
Pickups - the stock pickups sounded pretty nice, good output for metal tones. split coil pickups and clean tones weren't that impressive but not too bad.
Fit and finish - hardware seemed ok, nothing special there. paint job looked nice.
Overall impression - sounds good but didn't feel much more premium than my old Ibanez RGD 320Z, aside from the pickups which were much better in the Solar than ibanez stock pickups. After trying it, I probably wouldn't buy myself one seeing as I have an Ibanez Prestige RGA121, which feels and sounds better to me. I reckon ola makes some decent margins on these..
also weirdly when I put it back on the wall hanger a string snapped off and the guy in the shop said that kept happening on the Solars


----------



## exo

So…I also had the opportunity to briefly put my hands on a Solar 7 string “explorer” style guitar….neck profile was surprisingly comfy, and overall “feel” for the instrument was superior to the Agile
or Chapman “explorer” types I’ve messed around with…..


----------



## Zhysick

anunnaki said:


> also weirdly when I put it back on the wall hanger a string snapped off and the guy in the shop said that kept happening on the Solars



That's bullshit  I have had guitars with that problem but my solar is perfectly fine so...

A badly cut nut is not that strange...


----------



## bassisace

They better start making more models with fret markers. I suck too much to play without them


----------



## danbox

I just want like 10 of the existing models without evertune! Or the multiscale with different colors


----------



## pahulkster

Did they ever say anything else about a Nocturno Culto sig? Nocturno G series would be awesome.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

danbox said:


> I just want like 10 of the existing models without evertune! Or the multiscale with different colors



I get that Ola loves it, but yeah we could use a bit less Evertune so some of us can afford these guitars.


----------



## bostjan

bassisace said:


> They better start making more models with fret markers. I suck too much to play without them


Don't they all have standard side markers, though?


----------



## Decapitated

Genius. Ola got everyone focused on the Evertunes instead of the neck inlay…


----------



## NoodleFace

Pre-ordered this thing. I wanted a guitar with a hipshot (I like them), and it's tough to find a Solar without an evertune on it which I didn't want. The colors spoke to me for whatever reason, but I've always been into finishes that are a little different


----------



## kerryymm

NoodleFace said:


> Pre-ordered this thing. I wanted a guitar with a hipshot (I like them), and it's tough to find a Solar without an evertune on it which I didn't want. The colors spoke to me for whatever reason, but I've always been into finishes that are a little different



Really nice. I'm currently trying to resist the six-string version of that!


----------



## Seabeast2000

We need EverTuners vs. a bridge that can be easily replaced at will.


----------



## NoodleFace

BTW, any recommendations on a gig bag for this? They aren't for sale on the site.


----------



## I play music

NoodleFace said:


> BTW, any recommendations on a gig bag for this? They aren't for sale on the site.


should fit about any normal guitar gig bag or do you think it's too long with that headstock?


----------



## NoodleFace

Never owned a gig bag in my life so I got no idea


----------



## BusinessMan

NoodleFace said:


> BTW, any recommendations on a gig bag for this? They aren't for sale on the site.



Don't they come with one?


----------



## LostTheTone

BusinessMan said:


> Don't they come with one?



I don't think so - I believe they come just in a box. 

But, I do believe that most Solars will fit most any gig bag or hardcase. Yes, you might have to be a little bit careful, if you have both a weird body shape and also a really long scale length. But even then, there are plenty of cases that will fit a Flying V or Thunderbird style bass, and they would fit fine. 

I can't say for sure, but I have to imagine that gig bags or similar add too much to the cost to be worth it. Either you had to buy off someone else who makes gigbags, or you have to set up a whole new production line that is completely different to your guitar production. Either way, it adds more than the cost of materials to each order, and also adds frustrating shipping problems because you have to wait for other stuff to arrive before you can ship an order.


----------



## NoodleFace

Yeah I think first I'll see if it'll fit in my Kiesel case since it's not molded, and they're similar enough shapes. 

The MONO gig bags looked really nice, but for the price I'd just buy another HSC if it came down to it.


----------



## Rev2010

LostTheTone said:


> I don't think so - I believe they come just in a box.



They do not come with a gig bag, just in a box. My Solar 7 wouldn't fit in the Carvin gig bag I bought with my 27" scale 8-string. I had to use my bass gig bag when I took it to the studio.


----------



## jrn1308

The extreme forms like the E and V come with a gigbag, no matter if it is a 1. or a 2. The regular forms don't come with a gigbag.


----------



## Andromalia

BusinessMan said:


> Don't they come with one?


Some do, I checked my order to make sure and there's no separate gig bag order. 

It was that model:
V1.6D LTD - NATURAL AGED / DISTRESSEDApril 20, 2020

Maybe the more entry level Solard don't.


----------



## BusinessMan

Andromalia said:


> Some do, I checked my order to make sure and there's no separate gig bag order.
> 
> It was that model:
> V1.6D LTD - NATURAL AGED / DISTRESSEDApril 20, 2020
> 
> Maybe the more entry level Solard don't.



I was wondering because mine came with one. I wonder if it's just the longer scale models?


----------



## NoodleFace

From what the mod on reddit told me its just the artist editions that come with them


----------



## jrn1308

NoodleFace said:


> From what the mod on reddit told me its just the artist editions that come with them



That's not right. At least not fully. Artist editions come with a gigbag (but not the signature guitars!) and as I said V and E models always come with a gigbag. No matter if it's an entry or better model.


----------



## /wrists

i had an opportunity again to buy their $600 for $350 but was told to stay away due to the quality


----------



## pahulkster

My G series came with a really nice bag. Also after a year it's still just about perfect and an awesome guitar. Zero hesitation about ordering another.


----------



## kerryymm

I bought a Protection Racket 7050 gig bag for my Jackson, and it fits nicely, with plenty of padding around it too. The headstock is probably similarly pointy to the Solar, I think that would work. It's a good bag, semi-rigid sides and moveable pads so you can ensure the guitar doesn't move around inside.


----------



## soul_lip_mike

NoodleFace said:


> Yeah I think first I'll see if it'll fit in my Kiesel case since it's not molded, and they're similar enough shapes.
> 
> The MONO gig bags looked really nice, but for the price I'd just buy another HSC if it came down to it.



When the case costs almost as much as the indo guitar you're using it for.


----------



## NoodleFace

soul_lip_mike said:


> When the case costs almost as much as the indo guitar you're using it for.


Yeah.. I mean $150 a HSC still stings, but I can justify that. For a $250-300 gig bag I'd need to really need that gig bag desperately, which I'm not sure I do. But it's still a $900 guitar. 

My jackson case for the WR7 was like $200 or something and sucked.


----------



## CanserDYI

Does Kiesel not sell their padded bags separately? I thought they did. God my kiesel branded bag is absolutely the tits.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

> New for today! V1.6, V1.7, GC1.6 & GC1.7 AAN. All with Evertune bridges and Fishman Fluence Pickups.


----------



## STRHelvete

Is everything having an Evertune on it really that bad? Considering what it does I'd think that wouldn't be a spec that's a dealbreaker.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

STRHelvete said:


> Is everything having an Evertune on it really that bad? Considering what it does I'd think that wouldn't be a spec that's a dealbreaker.



I just want more Floyds and ToMs.


----------



## STRHelvete

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I just want more Floyds and ToMs.


Yeah..if you like Floyds it makes sense. That was kinda stupid now that I think about it lol. Totally forgot about Floyds


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

STRHelvete said:


> Yeah..if you like Floyds it makes sense. That was kinda stupid now that I think about it lol. Totally forgot about Floyds



I'm not trying to talk down the Evertune. It actually seems to work. But damn it seems like most of the new guitars lately have all had Evertunes, and I'm honestly fine with the standard bridges and am willing to save a few hundred dollars to stick with them.


----------



## STRHelvete

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I'm not trying to talk down the Evertune. It actually seems to work. But damn it seems like most of the new guitars lately have all had Evertunes, and I'm honestly fine with the standard bridges and am willing to save a few hundred dollars to stick with them.


Maybe I've just been lucky to have guitars that stay in tune. My string-thrus stay in tune pretty well and my guitar with the Gotoh 1996 stays in tune like a BEAST. That bitch just will not go out of tune. As someone who records more than they perform live, tuning is a big thing and I've been lucky to not have problems.

Do I need an Evertune? No, but I do wanna try one because I feel like it'd be a great studio tool. If I never touched an Evertune would I be alright? Yeah. I don't really need it.


----------



## CanserDYI

I really really really disliked my last evertuned guitar.

I think the tech works, but at a huge huge huge compromise of having to basically stay in one tuning, loss of sustain, and IDC what their website says, you can hear the springs vibrating at certain modes. You just can, and its annoying. 

Is tuning your guitar really that big of a deal? You know whats annoying? When the evertune drops a few cents (which it will after a few weeks) then you gotta grab the allen key and tune awkwardly with your right hand, can't attack tune, and if you leave the key in the slot while youre tuning, it drops the pitch a bit because of the weight of the key.

Man I really wanted to like the tech, but its just not ready.


----------



## STRHelvete

CanserDYI said:


> I really really really disliked my last evertuned guitar.
> 
> I think the tech works, but at a huge huge huge compromise of having to basically stay in one tuning, loss of sustain, and IDC what their website says, you can hear the springs vibrating at certain modes. You just can, and its annoying.
> 
> Is tuning your guitar really that big of a deal? You know whats annoying? When the evertune drops a few cents (which it will after a few weeks) then you gotta grab the allen key and tune awkwardly with your right hand, can't attack tune, and if you leave the key in the slot while youre tuning, it drops the pitch a bit because of the weight of the key.
> 
> Man I really wanted to like the tech, but its just not ready.


Yikes. Okay...maybe I'll just skip it then lol.


----------



## CanserDYI

STRHelvete said:


> Yikes. Okay...maybe I'll just skip it then lol.


I'm fully willing to admit if I got a shitty unit, as my sample size is a sample of 1, but yeah, it just seems like it causes more issues than fixes, as personally I enjoy the ability to be able to make micro adjustments on the fly, ESPECIALLY for tracking, as the guitar is an imperfect instrument, but luckily for tracking, you can track certain parts at different times, so if you have a part that your 25.5 scale instrument in drop A needs to play real high up the neck, you can tune to THOSE notes nice quick and easy, whereas with the evertune you'll have to change zones, get your key, tune it where you want, then when youre done tracking that part, tune it back to the open strings with the hex key, just imho solving a problem I'm not having.


----------



## xzacx

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I'm not trying to talk down the Evertune. It actually seems to work. But damn it seems like most of the new guitars lately have all had Evertunes, and I'm honestly fine with the standard bridges and am willing to save a few hundred dollars to stick with them.



Well if you won't talk them down, I will, because I'm not a fan and think a blocked Floyd offers 98% of the stability without all the compromise to dynamics. They also took the title from Wilkinson for the ugliest bridge ever, which shouldn't matter, but does—to me at least. That said, I do think they work how they're supposed to and can see a particular purpose where they're totally useful (like studio sessions....for people that want tracking to sound like it's been cut and pasted), it's just not something I have use for.


----------



## NoodleFace

I think they're nice, but the reason I went with a Hipshot is it's a no nonsense bridge that works great and feels great to play. I feel like an evertune might have a place for tracking rhythm guitars but I think Ola should try to offer more variety. Not everyone wants that slab of metal slapped on a guitar, and I feel like that has to be hurting sales in some sense. But... That's my shitty take. He's doing something right.


----------



## Mathemagician

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I get that Ola loves it, but yeah we could use a bit less Evertune so some of us can afford these guitars.



Waiting on a 7 strong 1.X series with hip shot hardtail in a color that I like. I just don’t like burls with colors. 

One day.


----------



## John

xzacx said:


> Well if you won't talk them down, I will, because I'm not a fan and think a blocked Floyd offers 98% of the stability without all the compromise to dynamics. They also took the title from Wilkinson for the ugliest bridge ever, which shouldn't matter, but does—to me at least. That said, I do think they work how they're supposed to and can see a particular purpose where they're totally useful (like studio sessions....for people that want tracking to sound like it's been cut and pasted), it's just not something I have use for.



I'm not a fan of them, either. Trem gang aside, it's such a relatively small niche unit they seem to have spammed at the cost of some variety.
Also, I'd vouch for the case of looks making a difference for better or worse- it's your money after all, might as well spend it one something you'd also actually like from an aesthetics point of view, no half measures, which in turn leads into the rabbit hole(s) over that goofy inlay and some of the off kilter shapes (ie- not a fan of their takes of an Explorer and LP) as additional turn-offs.


----------



## pahulkster

CanserDYI said:


> I really really really disliked my last evertuned guitar.
> 
> I think the tech works, but at a huge huge huge compromise of having to basically stay in one tuning, loss of sustain, and IDC what their website says, you can hear the springs vibrating at certain modes. You just can, and its annoying.
> 
> Is tuning your guitar really that big of a deal? You know whats annoying? When the evertune drops a few cents (which it will after a few weeks) then you gotta grab the allen key and tune awkwardly with your right hand, can't attack tune, and if you leave the key in the slot while youre tuning, it drops the pitch a bit because of the weight of the key.
> 
> Man I really wanted to like the tech, but its just not ready.



Why would it drop a few cents?


----------



## Adieu

Decapitated said:


> Genius. Ola got everyone focused on the Evertunes instead of the neck inlay…



What is that thing, anyway? Looks like literal balls


----------



## CanserDYI

pahulkster said:


> Why would it drop a few cents?


I'm not sure really how to answer this other than it just does? Give it a few weeks, strum it'll sound pretty in tune but hit it with a tuner and a few strings will be flat.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

CanserDYI said:


> I'm not sure really how to answer this other than it just does? Give it a few weeks, strum it'll sound pretty in tune but hit it with a tuner and a few strings will be flat.



It's from the strings aging. Oxidizing and building up crud, losing flexibility. The ET will compensate for that for awhile, but it'll eventually fall just outside of however you have the bridge setup. 

At least that's what I've noticed on my ET'd EC now that I've had it for a couple years.


----------



## trem licking

Why do guitars have to be PERFECTLY in tune? Slight tuning variations make for some huge sounds. Being very very close in tuning is almost better than being exact for stringed instruments


----------



## Decapitated

I've totally gone from yeah, I want my next guit to be an Evertune/Fishman equipped one to wtf was I thinking. SO glad I didn't pull the trigger.


----------



## Andromalia

trem licking said:


> I got one. Why do guitars have to be PERFECTLY in tune? Slight tuning variations make for some huge sounds. Being very very close in tuning is almost better than being exact for stringed instruments


*Organ player left the band*


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Adieu said:


> What is that thing, anyway? Looks like literal balls



It's his old logo that he turned into the Solar logo. He says he no longer uses it for personal stuff anymore. I THINK I recall the logo is supposed to spell out his name, so it kinda looks like "ola" if you look at it right? 


trem licking said:


> Why do guitars have to be PERFECTLY in tune? Slight tuning variations make for some huge sounds. Being very very close in tuning is almost better than being exact for stringed instruments



This is true. Shit we have effects that slightly detune guitars BECAUSE it makes them sound bigger (chorus, detune, spreader effects, etc).


----------



## NoodleFace

Decapitated said:


> I've totally gone from yeah, I want my next guit to be an Evertune/Fishman equipped one to wtf was I thinking. SO glad I didn't pull the trigger.


As much as I want to love active pickups, I find myself always going back to passive. My wr7 is the best sounding recorded guitar I have.


----------



## Hollowway

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I'm not trying to talk down the Evertune. It actually seems to work. But damn it seems like most of the new guitars lately have all had Evertunes, and I'm honestly fine with the standard bridges and am willing to save a few hundred dollars to stick with them.


Me, too. for a stage guitar (or even a recording guitar) it makes sense. But, for someone who just likes having guitars to play, I'd rather keep the cost down. Plus, I likes me a Floyd, anyway.


----------



## John

Decapitated said:


> I've totally gone from yeah, I want my next guit to be an Evertune/Fishman equipped one to wtf was I thinking. SO glad I didn't pull the trigger.



Same, I felt like I dodged a bullet after being so underwhelmed with Fishmans during a time I was interested in a couple limited run guitars elsewhere with them equipped.


----------



## Andromalia

There's no reason for Fishman to sound so much better than everything else. They were like the BKP craze a few years back when everybody and their mums wanted some even if they didn't know what they sounded like. (ie, "what BKP do I need to sound like XXX")
Regular old school pickups work very well and if you want a PAF voiced active, just get a PAF style pickup to begin with. Or an EMG 81 if that's your thing. 
The only boutique pickups I have is a Lundgren and I got it because it came with the guitar as a standard option. I might like Fishmans if I got a guitar with them in it, but I'm not going out of my way to get them installed in guitars I already own.


----------



## STRHelvete

Andromalia said:


> There's no reason for Fishman to sound so much better than everything else. They were like the BKP craze a few years back when everybody and their mums wanted some even if they didn't know what they sounded like. (ie, "what BKP do I need to sound like XXX")
> Regular old school pickups work very well and if you want a PAF voiced active, just get a PAF style pickup to begin with. Or an EMG 81 if that's your thing.
> The only boutique pickups I have is a Lundgren and I got it because it came with the guitar as a standard option. I might like Fishmans if I got a guitar with them in it, but I'm not going out of my way to get them installed in guitars I already own.



Yeah first EMGs were the thing..then Blackouts...then BKP..now Fluences.

And to be honest considering the tones people are chasing produced by the latest fad I'll skip it. This happens all the time, especially in this forum.

The ONLY reason these things are sought after is because most don't have them so they attribute every solution in their life to whatever the flavor of the month piece of gear is. Besides, pickups make such little difference in most metal applications that it really doesn't matter. NO ONE is gonna care about the pickups besides the person playing and brewing an obsession. You can't tell live or in recordings so to me it doesn't matter.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I had maybe one or two guitars that sounded great with Fishmans. The rest were underwhelming. Shit guys like Matt Heafy had their tone go to shit when they switched to Fishman IMO. 

No matter how much salesmen try to tell you, Fishmans do not *objectively* sound better than other pickups. I always went back to EMGs when I tried to compare them.


----------



## Schweick

Andromalia said:


> There's no reason for Fishman to sound so much better than everything else. They were like the BKP craze a few years back when everybody and their mums wanted some even if they didn't know what they sounded like. (ie, "what BKP do I need to sound like XXX")
> Regular old school pickups work very well and if you want a PAF voiced active, just get a PAF style pickup to begin with. Or an EMG 81 if that's your thing.
> The only boutique pickups I have is a Lundgren and I got it because it came with the guitar as a standard option. I might like Fishmans if I got a guitar with them in it, but I'm not going out of my way to get them installed in guitars I already own.


I've owned both a bass and a guitar that had them in it. I sold that guitar off, but kept the bass.

Why?

Personally, I prefer the Fishmans to the EMG-equipped instruments I've played over the years, finding them well-suited for the more articulate strains of metal, but maybe not the ideal choice for the slower, more tonally idiosyncratic stuff I tend to gravitate towards. 

In the bass though... Well, that's a different story entirely.


----------



## CanserDYI

I keep going back to passives. Idec about brand, I just can't do actives anymore of any type.

I would really enjoy trying some Duncan solars, what does everyone else think of them?


----------



## I play music

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I had maybe one or two guitars that sounded great with Fishmans. The rest were underwhelming. Shit guys like Matt Heafy had their tone go to shit when they switched to Fishman IMO.
> 
> No matter how much salesmen try to tell you, Fishmans do not *objectively* sound better than other pickups. I always went back to EMGs when I tried to compare them.


I think Heafy also started using Evertune at the same time as Fishmans, could be another reason for the tone going to shit
but I would agree that Fismans are not my favourites


----------



## HungryGuitarStudent

Personally, I dislike the Fluence Moderns but the Abasis sound really good to my ears.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I play music said:


> I think Heafy also started using Evertune at the same time as Fishmans, could be another reason for the tone going to shit
> but I would agree that Fismans are not my favourites


I dont think the Evertune is what gave Heafy that ugly mid heavy honkiness. That's 100% Fishman


----------



## olejason

I like the Merrow Fluence pickups in the KM-7 III but all things equal just give me an EMG 81/85 combo and I'll be happy. That set became ubiquitous for a reason, it's awesome.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

olejason said:


> I like the Merrow Fluence pickups in the KM-7 III but all things equal just give me an EMG 81/85 combo and I'll be happy. That set became ubiquitous for a reason, it's awesome.



The Merrow/Classics are great because they don't have the ugly mids of the Modern series. If you can look passed the really sharp high end, they're pretty good. 

I'm still wondering how tf Josh Middleton makes his Moderns sound so damn good.


----------



## danbox

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I dont think the Evertune is what gave Heafy that ugly mid heavy honkiness. That's 100% Fishman


To follow this thread - do you all dislike the tone on the record? I’ve liked how their studio sound… sounds  since shogun, but don’t particularly like how he sounds on stream. No idea if it has anything to do with the fishmans


----------



## KnightBrolaire

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> The Merrow/Classics are great because they don't have the ugly mids of the Modern series. If you can look passed the really sharp high end, they're pretty good.
> 
> I'm still wondering how tf Josh Middleton makes his Moderns sound so damn good.


It's called dialing back the mids on your amp. 

Matt regularly uses a XXX (which is already insanely mid forward unless dialed in right), so that plus moderns +v30s= all the mids.
I had to dial some mids out of the XXX when I played my schecter with moderns through it.


----------



## Ataraxia2320

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> The Merrow/Classics are great because they don't have the ugly mids of the Modern series. If you can look passed the really sharp high end, they're pretty good.
> 
> I'm still wondering how tf Josh Middleton makes his Moderns sound so damn good.



Josh Middleton could play a battery powered pignose in a high gain situation and make it sound good in the mix. 

On top of being an amazing player, he also has spent some as an engineer and has an amazing understanding of tone.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

danbox said:


> To follow this thread - do you all dislike the tone on the record? I’ve liked how their studio sound… sounds  since shogun, but don’t particularly like how he sounds on stream. No idea if it has anything to do with the fishmans



Both. I noticed since Sin that his sound was getting pretty ugly sounding. Almost unbearable when he does single-note stuff. 



Ataraxia2320 said:


> Josh Middleton could play a battery powered pignose in a high gain situation and make it sound good in the mix.
> 
> On top of being an amazing player, he also has spent some as an engineer and has an amazing understanding of tone.



Welp that's also true.


----------



## Ataraxia2320

danbox said:


> To follow this thread - do you all dislike the tone on the record? I’ve liked how their studio sound… sounds  since shogun, but don’t particularly like how he sounds on stream. No idea if it has anything to do with the fishmans



The Sin and the Silence is weird but not unbearable. The tone works well on the lower tuned tracks where the bass is loud like the wretchedness inside. 

The latest album sounds absolutely horrible to my ears. Very harsh, especially when you put it back to back with their earlier tones. 

I only really like Shogun and the Sin and Silence music wise but tone wise for me it goes - Shogun - Ascendency - The Crusade - Everything else.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Shogun sounds fucking massive. I don't recall what pickups he used. Apparently stock Dean passives?


----------



## STRHelvete

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Shogun sounds fucking massive. I don't recall what pickups he used. Apparently stock Dean passives?


Dean pickups ain't bad. The ones in my Modifier are definitely one of my favorite pickups. I can't speak for all of them but the Time Capsule pickups are great


----------



## Stephan

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Shogun sounds fucking massive. I don't recall what pickups he used. Apparently stock Dean passives?


I assume he used emg’s and a Peavey 6505.


----------



## Ataraxia2320

Stephan said:


> I assume he used emg’s and a Peavey 6505.



I am not 100% sure but I seem to recall reading it was some hot rodded Marshal on that one with passive pickups. 

But back to the topic at hand - When we gonna see this guy's Signiture solar?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Stephan said:


> I assume he used emg’s and a Peavey 6505.



Went back to reading and it was his Dean 7-string prototype with custom Dean passives running into a couple of boosted Peavey 6505+/5150IIs


----------



## JimF

I am an Evertune fanboy so I feel compelled to throw my 2c into the mix.

I bought a guitar with this controversial bridge for recording purposes, but not due to issues with the guitar falling out of tune over time or due to humidity changes etc.
My reasons to get an Evertune were due to pitch drift as a result of a heavy picking hand (especially on open strings), and having to repeatedly tune the guitar for different sections played at different positions of the neck.

*Disclaimer* Evertune bridges do nothing to address the functionally flawed intonation of the instrument. However I was finding myself more and more frustrated by having to tune to different areas, and it was getting to a point where I wasn't enjoying playing certain songs. This may have been down to a couple of my guitars needing a setup tweak, but its extremely satisfying to play a full chord at the 9th fret and it all to be in tune. I got so frustrated prior to this that I was looking into True Temperament re-frets. Now the Evertune bridge doesn't physically change the intonation like the TT frets do, what it does is "sweetens" the flawed intonation of the guitar so the note you fret is the note you hear, rather than being +/- a few cents.

I never heard the guitar without the Evertune fitted, so no comparison can be made. I will be predominantly using this for tracking rhythms and practicing, so who cares if there's a loss of sustain. If I want sustain for daysssss I can play another guitar. 

I've not noticed any tuning drift etc, but I have noticed is the bridge units can sometimes bind against each other slightly, meaning that if you back off the allen screw, the saddle unit may not move straight away. That may be what the person experienced who posted a few lines up. Also even if the strings "relaxed" a large amount, the guitar would have to be very close to the edge of the zone for that to affect the audible sound. (Not directed at the guy with the Eclipse who mentioned the grime on the strings)


----------



## Ataraxia2320

JimF said:


> I am an Evertune fanboy so I feel compelled to throw my 2c into the mix.
> 
> I bought a guitar with this controversial bridge for recording purposes, but not due to issues with the guitar falling out of tune over time or due to humidity changes etc.
> My reasons to get an Evertune were due to pitch drift as a result of a heavy picking hand (especially on open strings), and having to repeatedly tune the guitar for different sections played at different positions of the neck.
> 
> *Disclaimer* Evertune bridges do nothing to address the functionally flawed intonation of the instrument. However I was finding myself more and more frustrated by having to tune to different areas, and it was getting to a point where I wasn't enjoying playing certain songs. This may have been down to a couple of my guitars needing a setup tweak, but its extremely satisfying to play a full chord at the 9th fret and it all to be in tune. I got so frustrated prior to this that I was looking into True Temperament re-frets. Now the Evertune bridge doesn't physically change the intonation like the TT frets do, what it does is "sweetens" the flawed intonation of the guitar so the note you fret is the note you hear, rather than being +/- a few cents.
> 
> I never heard the guitar without the Evertune fitted, so no comparison can be made. I will be predominantly using this for tracking rhythms and practicing, so who cares if there's a loss of sustain. If I want sustain for daysssss I can play another guitar.
> 
> I've not noticed any tuning drift etc, but I have noticed is the bridge units can sometimes bind against each other slightly, meaning that if you back off the allen screw, the saddle unit may not move straight away. That may be what the person experienced who posted a few lines up. Also even if the strings "relaxed" a large amount, the guitar would have to be very close to the edge of the zone for that to affect the audible sound. (Not directed at the guy with the Eclipse who mentioned the grime on the strings)




If you want that sweetened tuning without paying the big bucks, you could always pick up a used ESP with the earvana nut, or a used washburn with the buzz feiten.


----------



## JimF

The Earvana nut was also on my list of things to try, but I got excited about the Evertune


----------



## NoodleFace

ugh shipping on the A1.7HTPB changed from Dec 15 to Jan 22... hoping mine ships out today, but otherwise I might cancel (if I can find out how). I loved the guitar... but not enough to wait another month lol


----------



## Rev2010

NoodleFace said:


> ugh shipping on the A1.7HTPB changed from Dec 15 to Jan 22... hoping mine ships out today, but otherwise I might cancel (if I can find out how). I loved the guitar... but not enough to wait another month lol



That shipping update is for new orders, not existing. Mine also changed and I got scared but it shipped when it originally was listed to ship.


----------



## NoodleFace

Rev2010 said:


> That shipping update is for new orders, not existing. Mine also changed and I got scared but it shipped when it originally was listed to ship.


Good to hear, I'll cross my fingers. I am impatient, lol.


----------



## Ataraxia2320

JimF said:


> The Earvana nut was also on my list of things to try, but I got excited about the Evertune



It's worth it imo. It's not an improvement for every key, but it does something magical for most keys. I've had one fitted to every guitar I own since I got one on an LTD400 back in the day. 

Compensated nuts are great.


----------



## CanserDYI

I had the ernie ball compensated nut on one of my old schecters. It was a pretty good nut, but didnt notice anything amazing from it.


----------



## DropTheSun

I reasently bought Solar S1.6 FSBM Limited Edition used and can say it is amazing guitar. I got a good deal IMO. For 600€ it was a bargain! 

I really like the Duncan/Solar pickups and they are very versatile. I was thinking of putting a pair of Bare Knuckles before I got this guitar, but after playing this thing, there is no need to swap the pickups. I setup the pickup height to 2.5mm from the strings when pressing last fret, this was a sweet spot for my taste.

Fretwork is perfect and I setup the string height to 1.8mm. Plays like a dream!

The finish and overall quality of this guitar is just perfect. I'm already looking a sevenstring Solars, because this guitar is one of those rare cases, where everything is like I would want my guitar to be out of the box. Another great guitar is my Charvel Pro-Mod DK24, that worked as good as this Solar for me.


----------



## Stiman

DropTheSun said:


> Fretwork is perfect and I setup the string height to 1.8mm. Plays like a dream!



Is this 1.8mm from the top of the 12th fret to the underside of the string? And do you set the same height for both high and low E (or whatever your low and high strings are tuned to)?


----------



## DropTheSun

Stiman said:


> Is this 1.8mm from the top of the 12th fret to the underside of the string? And do you set the same height for both high and low E (or whatever your low and high strings are tuned to)?



Yes, I measure the string height from the 12th fret to under the string. All the strings are at the same height. I like to line them equally.


----------



## DropTheSun

DropTheSun said:


> I reasently bought Solar S1.6 FSBM Limited Edition used and can say it is amazing guitar. I got a good deal IMO. For 600€ it was a bargain!
> 
> I really like the Duncan/Solar pickups and they are very versatile. I was thinking of putting a pair of Bare Knuckles before I got this guitar, but after playing this thing, there is no need to swap the pickups. I setup the pickup height to 2.5mm from the strings when pressing last fret, this was a sweet spot for my taste.
> 
> Fretwork is perfect and I setup the string height to 1.8mm. Plays like a dream!
> 
> The finish and overall quality of this guitar is just perfect. I'm already looking a sevenstring Solars, because this guitar is one of those rare cases, where everything is like I would want my guitar to be out of the box. Another great guitar is my Charvel Pro-Mod DK24, that worked as good as this Solar for me.



Here is a little clip with this guitar:


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

New SB. But it looks like they just took the old SB1.6 and installed Fluences.


----------



## Chanson

That needs a gold inlay.


----------



## Zhysick

It's beautiful in any case... but gold EMGs would have been better!


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Chanson said:


> That needs a gold inlay.


...I actually agree. Or a yellowed pearl inlay.


----------



## drb

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> New SB. But it looks like they just took the old SB1.6 and installed Fluences.


Are they not dying the fretboards black on these lighter models? Most promo pictures I've seen, and the 2 that I own, have absolutely jet black fretboards because the ebony has been dyed. That's not a criticism at all, it looks really good.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

T-Series Vinters.


----------



## thebeesknees22

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> T-Series Vinters.




damn, that looks nice.


----------



## Zhysick

Yes, absolutely beautiful. I wasn't expecting it to look that good


----------



## Decapitated

Very few, if any of the current models have any dot inlays. That’s a problem for me. Yes, I know there are side markers but that’s not enough for me to feel comfortable. Guess I won’t be buying a new Solar any time soon.


----------



## NoodleFace

Solar said the guitar would ship this week, but no dice yet. Damn me for preordering


----------



## lewis

What's this talk about the Vs falling to bits?
Good mate of mine showed me the body separating at the wings -


----------



## AMOS

What's the country of origin? Sweden or Asia somewhere?


----------



## Ataraxia2320

lewis said:


> What's this talk about the Vs falling to bits?
> Good mate of mine showed me the body separating at the wings -
> 
> View attachment 101411



Without any other context I would assume it had been dropped straight down and it cracked the body. In all my days I've never seen a body that been glued coming apart like that.


----------



## JimF

Ataraxia2320 said:


> Without any other context I would assume it had been dropped straight down and it cracked the body. In all my days I've never seen a body that been glued coming apart like that.



This. Or looks to have been dismantled and then reassembled with hulk strength.


----------



## Dumple Stilzkin

Without any background information I would reserve judgment about Solar guitars. People are dumb, and sometimes careless. This is the only guitar I’ve seen with this going on, so I’m doubtful there are more v’s.


----------



## NoodleFace

Very strange break that's almost perpendicular to the grain


----------



## Rev2010

Leaviathan said:


> What's the country of origin? Sweden or Asia somewhere?



Indonesia.


----------



## NoodleFace

Had to cancel the solar. Every time I contact them they say it's shipping next week. Would've been a fun guitar but their estimations were shit.


----------



## jl-austin

NoodleFace said:


> Had to cancel the solar. Every time I contact them they say it's shipping next week. Would've been a fun guitar but their estimations were shit.



They are in a container ship in the pacific waiting to be unloaded.


----------



## Rev2010

jl-austin said:


> They are in a container ship in the pacific waiting to be unloaded.



They go from the Indonesian factory to Spain for QC then ship out directly from Spain.

@NoodleFace - Sorry to hear that man. Maybe the current delays in production/supply issues and such that Covid has caused is the reason behind it.


----------



## NoodleFace

Rev2010 said:


> They go from the Indonesian factory to Spain for QC then ship out directly from Spain.
> 
> @NoodleFace - Sorry to hear that man. Maybe the current delays in production/supply issues and such that Covid has caused is the reason behind it.


It was a different answer every time. QC first time, then working on the guitars. It's probably fine, I'm just impatient


----------



## AMOS

Rev2010 said:


> They go from the Indonesian factory to Spain for QC then ship out directly from Spain.
> 
> @NoodleFace - Sorry to hear that man. Maybe the current delays in production/supply issues and such that Covid has caused is the reason behind it.


I wonder if they go through the US to get to Spain.


----------



## Seabeast2000

Leaviathan said:


> I wonder if they go through the US to get to Spain.



Only the hardware comes through US from China to Indonesia for assembly, both coasts are used.


----------



## Rev2010

Leaviathan said:


> I wonder if they go through the US to get to Spain.



... Can't tell if sarcasm or bad at geography...


----------



## Seabeast2000

Rev2010 said:


> ... Can't tell if sarcasm or bad at geography...



Actually, I think its sarcasm as was my reply. 
Someone here, maybe @spudmunkey was talking about how completely effed some supply chain was, maybe furniture. It was quite an impressive Rube Goldberg machine to save a few pennies on the bottom line.


----------



## AMOS

Rev2010 said:


> ... Can't tell if sarcasm or bad at geography...


You can go both ways like the Scarecrow says


----------



## Hollowway

Leaviathan said:


> You can go both ways like the Scarecrow says


:fistbump: for old school movie reference


----------



## Andromalia

Ataraxia2320 said:


> Without any other context I would assume it had been dropped straight down and it cracked the body. In all my days I've never seen a body that been glued coming apart like that.


I own one and the body isn't glued in the middle anyway. Body is multiple pieces glued wherever they needed, not two pieces glued in the middle.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/gc1-6afab-flame-solar-amber-burst/







Note: For some reason the online pictures have Solar pickups. The guitar will actually have gold-covered Fluence Moderns.


----------



## CanserDYI

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/gc1-6afab-flame-solar-amber-burst/
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Note: For some reason the online pictures have Solar pickups. The guitar will actually have gold-covered Fluence Moderns.


Make that a blueburst and throw out that evertune and its mine.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

CanserDYI said:


> Make that a blueburst and throw out that evertune and its mine.



Goddammit shut up you make me want that.


----------



## nickgray

HSS


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Ola you sexy swedish bitch


----------



## mrdm53

nickgray said:


> HSS


This with floyd rose is top tier GAS


----------



## Backsnack

mrdm53 said:


> This with floyd rose is top tier GAS


I actually wish he'd offer a non-locking trem option, but I'm picky. (Just don't really like Floyds tbh.)


----------



## pahulkster

If he does that finish on a G series I can skip the E-II Eclipse that has been delayed forever


----------



## Hollowway

Backsnack said:


> I actually wish he'd offer a non-locking trem option, but I'm picky. (Just don't really like Floyds tbh.)


You could block it to dive only, if you wanted that.


----------



## mrdm53

Backsnack said:


> I actually wish he'd offer a non-locking trem option, but I'm picky. (Just don't really like Floyds tbh.)



Hipshot trem?

That's the only one i think will looks good at any Solar guitars. Other than that is kinda out of place i think


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands




----------



## Kyle Jordan

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


>



My Halloween fanatic ass desperately wants to buy this.


----------



## LostTheTone

Kyle Jordan said:


> My Halloween fanatic ass desperately wants to buy this.



You don't need to be a ghoul to dig that man - Neon colours are officially metal, and this orange is fucking boss. Dayglo without being high viz. Chefs kiss.gif


----------



## Hoss632

Can anyone tell me what the neck profile on solar's is like? Closest comparison to another neck helps best for me. Since I can't try one state side before buying I'm curious what it compares to.


----------



## mxbraud

Hoss632 said:


> Can anyone tell me what the neck profile on solar's is like? Closest comparison to another neck helps best for me. Since I can't try one state side before buying I'm curious what it compares to.


I second This!


----------



## thebeesknees22

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


>




that black outline makes it look toonshaded 

I dig it


----------



## nickgray

Hoss632 said:


> Can anyone tell me what the neck profile on solar's is like?



Very similar to chunkier LTD necks (most LTD necks are like that).


----------



## BusinessMan

Hoss632 said:


> Can anyone tell me what the neck profile on solar's is like? Closest comparison to another neck helps best for me. Since I can't try one state side before buying I'm curious what it compares to.



Ltd thin U on the slightly thicker side I'd say. I think ola made that comparison as well a long time ago.


----------



## Hoss632

BusinessMan said:


> Ltd thin U on the slightly thicker side I'd say. I think ola made that comparison as well a long time ago.


Awesome thanks a bunch.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

"New from Solar Guitars. The A1.6 SOP Canibalismo. Black blood stripes on silver finished open pore swamp ash body, Evertune bridge, maple neck, stainless steel frets on ebony fretboard, Duncan Solar pickups, Luminlay side dots, locking tuners etc"


----------



## JimF

Holy F that's awesome! Like that Schecter finish but inverted. Strange that I hated that finish but love this! Can't wait till this type of finish is offered in contrasting neon hues.
Matt black with pink splatter?
Neon pink with hi-vis yellow splatter?
Seafoam green with black splatter?


----------



## LostTheTone

Jesus christ, my wallet hurts already.

That is a seriously gorgeous guitar.


----------



## thebeesknees22

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> "New from Solar Guitars. The A1.6 SOP Canibalismo. Black blood stripes on silver finished open pore swamp ash body, Evertune bridge, maple neck, stainless steel frets on ebony fretboard, Duncan Solar pickups, Luminlay side dots, locking tuners etc"




That it indeed pretty sick.


----------



## manu80

Archive 81 guitar
Nice finish !
The modern blood splatter


----------



## Zhysick

Very fffffking awesome. Not the most beautiful (that's probably the quilted blue S series...) but maybe the... coolest? 

I just know I want it but I can't buy it


----------



## MFB

Solar guitars trying to get a Ron Jarzombek endorsement or what?


----------



## Jarmake

Holy shit that's pretty...


----------



## Albake21

JimF said:


> Seafoam green with black splatter?



Now THAT would be something I'd love to see. Would be such a unique look, and I love seafoam green.


----------



## RevDrucifer

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> "New from Solar Guitars. The A1.6 SOP Canibalismo. Black blood stripes on silver finished open pore swamp ash body, Evertune bridge, maple neck, stainless steel frets on ebony fretboard, Duncan Solar pickups, Luminlay side dots, locking tuners etc"



Faaaakkkkk, silver open pore?!? I’d love to see a black open pore with silver blood stripes. Or just a plain, silver open pore E-type.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

RevDrucifer said:


> Faaaakkkkk, silver open pore?!? I’d love to see a black open pore with silver blood stripes. Or just a plain, silver open pore E-type.



Fuck it, give us both. 
The world needs more metallic silver guitars.


----------



## RevDrucifer

Hoss632 said:


> Can anyone tell me what the neck profile on solar's is like? Closest comparison to another neck helps best for me. Since I can't try one state side before buying I'm curious what it compares to.





mxbraud said:


> I second This!



A medium C-shape would be my best description. It fills your hand without being baseball bat-like. There’s not a flat spot on it, total opposite of an Ibanez JEM/Wizard neck. 

Comfortable enough that when I spec’d out my Gilmour replica Strat I had Musikraft make it with a medium C in hopes it’s close to the Solar.


----------



## RevDrucifer

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Fuck it, give us both.
> The world needs more metallic silver guitars.



Strongly, strongly agreed.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

RevDrucifer said:


> Strongly, strongly agreed.



If they release a satin silver (spatter) V, wew lad.  I've been debating on a V guitar and the Solar is looking to be one of the better choices.


----------



## Hollowway

I still want the cannibalisimo 8 string V


HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> If they release a satin silver (spatter) V, wew lad.  I've been debating on a V guitar and the Solar is looking to be one of the better choices.


Yeah, I want the cannibalismo 8 V. But, I keep not pulling the trigger because of all of the QC stuff about FB cracking at the inlay, logos peeling off, etc.


----------



## Emperoff

Hollowway said:


> I still want the cannibalisimo 8 string V
> 
> Yeah, I want the cannibalismo 8 V. But, I keep not pulling the trigger because of all of the QC stuff about FB cracking at the inlay, logos peeling off, etc.



Don't this guitars come with warranty or something?

Just don't get a B-Stock. I remember chcking the website and some had quite serious paint and wood issues to save you 100$

I'm not too much of a fun of their shapes, but the finish choices are always exceptional. Wish other manufacturers took notice. That metallic red one with maple board and HS config is fuckin sick.


----------



## Crundles

This is a wicked finish and all, but ... where X/Star shapes??

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a2-6frpn-canibalismo-pink-neon-matte/


----------



## Kyle Jordan

Crundles said:


> This is a wicked finish and all, but ... where X/Star shapes??
> 
> https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/a2-6frpn-canibalismo-pink-neon-matte/



Yeah... this is awesome.


----------



## JimF

JimF said:


> Matt black with pink splatter?
> Neon pink with hi-vis yellow splatter?
> Seafoam green with black splatter?



I almost called it!


----------



## myrtorp

I may overcome my fear of not knowing how to set up floyds and get a solar with one this year..


----------



## Decapitated




----------



## Zhysick

This finish is fucking amazing... Between Schecter, LTD and now Solar this year is gonna be tough to not spend my money on a new guitar I don't need


----------



## Hollowway

Are the solar problems with the logo clear coat issue and the fretboard cracking issues overblown, or a significant worry? I’d like one, but every time I get ready to order one another post of FB about a problem pops up.


----------



## Zhysick

Hollowway said:


> Are the solar problems with the logo clear coat issue and the fretboard cracking issues overblown, or a significant worry? I’d like one, but every time I get ready to order one another post of FB about a problem pops up.



I haven't had any problems with mine in about a year since I bought it (ebony board, flat matte black finish)... I just oiled the fingerboard the first day (as I haven't changed the strings since then... thanks Elixir) and the weather has been crazy this past year with lots of heat waves and humid winter if that's supposed to affect in any way. That's all I can say.


----------



## Decapitated

None of those problems with mine.


----------



## Andromalia

I'm also in the "no problems" camp. I've had it for more than a year now and it's become one of my most used guitars. My model is the V1.6D LTD, would 100% buy again.


----------



## pahulkster

No problems for me either (GC1.6D LTD). It's a really really nice guitar. Zero hesitation in buying another.


----------



## Metropolis

I was in the problems camp... all sold. First one is pre-covid build.

A2.6TBLM - fret sprout through sides of the ebony fretboard, logo issue. Fretboard on this one shrinked quite a lot.

AB1.6HTPB - cracked roasted maple fretboard, small crack on bolt on neck joint screw hole, logo issue.

SB1.6FOB - they drilled bridge pickup mounting screw holes on the factory two times, because in the first time they were misaligned. Tone is subjective, but this was really dead sounding instrument overall. Little bit of logo issue visible already.


----------



## Zhysick

3 out of 3? Stop buying guitars dude...  how unlucky can you be?


----------



## HungryGuitarStudent

Hollowway said:


> Are the solar problems with the logo clear coat issue and the fretboard cracking issues overblown, or a significant worry? I’d like one, but every time I get ready to order one another post of FB about a problem pops up.



Had zero problems with mine, it was mint. Sold it a while ago, but it was a great build, specially for that price.


----------



## profwoot

Metropolis said:


> I was in the problems camp... all sold. First one is pre-covid build.
> 
> A2.6TBLM - fret sprout through sides of the ebony fretboard, logo issue. Fretboard on this one shrinked quite a lot.
> 
> AB1.6HTPB - cracked roasted maple fretboard, small crack on bolt on neck joint screw hole, logo issue.
> 
> SB1.6FOB - they drilled bridge pickup mounting screw holes on the factory two times, because in the first time they were misaligned. Tone is subjective, but this was really dead sounding instrument overall. Little bit of logo issue visible already.



Do you have a humidifier? Fret sprout is usually user error.


----------



## mpexus

profwoot said:


> Do you have a humidifier? Fret sprout is usually user error.



I just bought a guitar that has a lot of fret sprout... can you tell me exactly how the F that was my error? How about we stop putting blame on Users on something they cant really control due to the nature of the Materials used.


----------



## Metropolis

profwoot said:


> Do you have a humidifier? Fret sprout is usually user error.



I don't have one, and it's quite common issue in here, since winters are very dry. I think moving the guitar to outside and playing it in rehearsal space would have been enough to create some shrinking. Of course you could try to prevent that with humidifier, but it's still not guaranteed. Guitar made in Indonesia comes from a totally different climate.

It wasn't really bad though, just a few first frets like 1st-7th.


----------



## atimoc

mpexus said:


> I just bought a guitar that has a lot of fret sprout... can you tell me exactly how the F that was my error? How about we stop putting blame on Users on something they cant really control due to the nature of the Materials used.



I have to kinda agree here... we as customers are shooting ourselves in the foot if we sweep quality control issues under the rug and call them just user errors. The more we do that, the less incentive any brand has to fix the underlying issues in the manufacturing process.

This was my A1.6D LTD a week or so after it arrived, shortly before it got sent back. Fretboard oiled on day one. Sure I could have filled the cracks with ebony dust + glue and ignored the logo and had a perfectly fine playing guitar, but for a 1100€ / $1200+ price tag we should expect better IMO.


----------



## LostTheTone

atimoc said:


> I have to kinda agree here... we as customers are shooting ourselves in the foot if we sweep quality control issues under the rug and call them just user errors. The more we do that, the less incentive any brand has to fix the underlying issues in the manufacturing process.
> 
> This was my A1.6D LTD a week or so after it arrived, shortly before it got sent back. Fretboard oiled on day one. Sure I could have filled the cracks with ebony dust + glue and ignored the logo and had a perfectly fine playing guitar, but for a 1100€ / $1200+ price tag we should expect better IMO.



I definitely agree that if your guitar has problems when it arrives, or soon after, then you should scream at the manufacturer until they get it fixed or give you your money back. Honestly you should complain with any price range of guitars, but with a "premium" one that is supposed to be top end then it's even more important. 

The company can't fix stuff if they don't know it's broken. They can't trace whether something is a one off, or whether there is a bad batch, or bad materials, or some dumbass working on them. You gots to tell them.

That said... Sometimes people do fuck up their own guitars, and that's on them. They are also pretty bad at admitting they fucked it up.


----------



## Hollowway

Fret sprout has to do with a guitar moving from a warm, humid climate to a dry, colder climate, correct? If that's the case, it should rarely be user error. We can't expect to keep our guitars in rainforest-like conditions to prevent fret sprout. I'd say it's on the manufacturers to have the guitars made in an environment more like the average, and less like a 90% humidity tropical weather place. I assume that they're doing what they can to prevent this, but these issues are all stemming from a guitar going from a more to less humid climate, right?


----------



## LostTheTone

Hollowway said:


> Fret sprout has to do with a guitar moving from a warm, humid climate to a dry, colder climate, correct? If that's the case, it should rarely be user error. We can't expect to keep our guitars in rainforest-like conditions to prevent fret sprout. I'd say it's on the manufacturers to have the guitars made in an environment more like the average, and less like a 90% humidity tropical weather place. I assume that they're doing what they can to prevent this, but these issues are all stemming from a guitar going from a more to less humid climate, right?



Presumably it's the user's error to not live in Brazil


----------



## nickgray

Hollowway said:


> Fret sprout has to do with a guitar moving from a warm, humid climate to a dry, colder climate, correct?



Well, not really, but the gist of is right. The wood is shrinking due to lower humidity levels, and the frets, of course, being made of metal, can't shrink together with the wood.



Hollowway said:


> and less like a 90% humidity tropical weather plac



The wood is dried beforehand though, plus they don't make them outdoors.

I assume it's just so-so wood that isn't being processed correctly (or as good as it should be). I mean, Solars in general are form over function if you ask me, their number one selling point is that they look cool. They don't offer much else really (oh well, I guess they do offer a lot of Evertunes if that's what you're going for).



Hollowway said:


> to have the guitars made in an environment more like the average



What is average though? Guitars are meant to be stored at around 45-55% humidity. If you store your guitar at 10-20% and there's fret sprout - that's completely on you, it's not the manufacturer's fault at all.


----------



## CanserDYI

Fret sprout is neither manufacturer issue nor user error. It's just physics, y'all.

But if I needed to answer which, I would say it's definitely closer to the users fault then the manufacturers.

Suhrs, Andersons, etc all will get fret sprout if the guitar isn't stored properly, and sometimes even if stored properly. Wood moves.


----------



## Hollowway

If we assume fret sprout, lifting clear coat, and cracked FBs are user error, doesn’t it seem weird that certain brands have more of it than others? I’m not seeing a lot of chatter about it with other brands I’m considering buying, but I’m seeing it a lot of Solar. So either Solar owners are too cavalier with the way they care for their guitars, they’re more vocal about it, or there is a higher than average amount of problems.


----------



## Stiman

CanserDYI said:


> Fret sprout is neither manufacturer issue nor user error. It's just physics, y'all.
> 
> But if I needed to answer which, I would say it's definitely closer to the users fault then the manufacturers.
> 
> Suhrs, Andersons, etc all will get fret sprout if the guitar isn't stored properly, and sometimes even if stored properly. Wood moves.



What can you do to "store it properly"?
I'm curious cause I'd like to fix sharp frets on one of my guitars. Do people use the wet spong thing inside a hardshell case for an electric guitar?


----------



## LostTheTone

nickgray said:


> I assume it's just so-so wood that isn't being processed correctly (or as good as it should be). I mean, Solars in general are form over function if you ask me, their number one selling point is that they look cool. They don't offer much else really (oh well, I guess they do offer a lot of Evertunes if that's what you're going for).



I think I'd point the finger at imperfect materials from suppliers rather than Solar buying things that are pretty but shit. It's not like their fretboards are types of wood that no-one else uses. And Solar sure as hell aren't going out to chop down trees. They buy lumber off the open market.

Solar are a smaller company though with way less buying power. It's hard to get both good prices and and good quality when you are a smaller buyer. And it's very hard to cover for lower quality woods on fretboards where it'll be bare. Compare to bodies, where they can choose the best ones for transparent finishes and the rest get paint jobs.

It would make some sense if some of their wood wasn't treated or dried properly and that's resulting in more sprouting.

I also think it's weird to say that Solar are all about form over function - They do some lovely paint jobs but as far as I know there isn't anything wrong with their paint. But they don't do outrageous body shapes just for the novelty, or weird for the sake of weird. They just make super strats, teles, LPs, Vs and explorers, tart them up with metal paint jobs and sell them for a reasonable(YMMV) price.


----------



## CanserDYI

Stiman said:


> What can you do to "store it properly"?
> I'm curious cause I'd like to fix sharp frets on one of my guitars. Do people use the wet spong thing inside a hardshell case for an electric guitar?


Yep, humidifier packs in the guitar, or you could just file them down with a fret end dressing file which is what I always do.


----------



## Viginez

CanserDYI said:


> Suhrs, Andersons, etc all will get fret sprout if the guitar isn't stored properly, and sometimes even if stored properly. Wood moves.


but does all wood move the same? or just poorly dried (cheap) wood?


----------



## LostTheTone

Viginez said:


> but does all wood move the same? or just poorly dried (cheap) wood?



All wood moves at least to some degree. Here in England we have plenty of really old houses, and you can see where these ancient oak beams have just slightly twisted and shifted over time. The beams were all properly seasoned back when they were put in, but even very good wood has pores and will react to moisture.

If you take any piece of wood you like, cheap or expensive, and lightly wet it you will raise the grain. That's just what wood does.


----------



## nickgray

LostTheTone said:


> Solar are a smaller company though with way less buying power



I highly doubt that they're buying any materials or have any input with regards to how their guitar are built and how the production lines are ran. Pretty sure they just give the specs to the factory, discuss certain details like QC and overall workmanship quality, and the factory builds the guitars.



LostTheTone said:


> I also think it's weird to say that Solar are all about form over function



Reverse headstocks look cool (though it's debatable), but they're objectively less ergonomic to use. Strap pin is placed on the back of the horn instead of on the edge - the horn looks sharp as a result (and cooler), but it's a less optimal pin position (look at Ibanez RG - the upper horn is rounded slightly so that the pin could be placed on the edge of it). The belly cut is pathetic, I have no explanation for this one other than just plain bad design and lack of thought. Same for the forearm contour - it's overly narrow. The nut is shit too, the 7th especially (on my particular guitar, at least) has tons of binding and requires babysitting every time I tune it.

The 7 strings also have a pretty shitty neck profile in that they start to taper from around 12th-13th fret and get very fat very quickly, which is just plain crazy. The lower horn cut also isn't as low as it could've been for no apparent reason. It's closer to a 22 fret LP than a superstrat. Why in the world Ola choose this design I haven't the slightest clue. Ironically, my 7 string Solar also has the least stable neck despite it being chunky af, I've lost count of times I came back to the guitar and found that the tuning went sharp by quite a bit for no apparent reason. None of my other guitars are even remotely as sensitive, and I don't really have any drastic day to day temp or humidity changes in the room (no cold dry winter either, just in case).

I guess I'm overly critical, it's not a bad guitar all in all, but after owning it for a while I feel it's a $400-500 instrument at best, $750 is a bit of a ripoff.


----------



## littlebadboy

I hope Ola comes up with resin based guitar bodies all the way to the neck ala Aristides that are season change proof!

I have a resin body guitar I got cheap and it is the only guitar I put out this winter.


----------



## Stiman

CanserDYI said:


> Yep, humidifier packs in the guitar, or you could just file them down with a fret end dressing file which is what I always do.



You place the sponge thing at the headstock end of the case I'm assuming?

I should look into getting the files and doing it myself. I don't know that I trust the store I bought the guitar from to do it (they offered to do it for free within 1 year of purchase).


----------



## Ataraxia2320

LostTheTone said:


> I think I'd point the finger at imperfect materials from suppliers rather than Solar buying things that are pretty but shit. It's not like their fretboards are types of wood that no-one else uses. And Solar sure as hell aren't going out to chop down trees. They buy lumber off the open market.
> 
> Solar are a smaller company though with way less buying power. It's hard to get both good prices and and good quality when you are a smaller buyer. And it's very hard to cover for lower quality woods on fretboards where it'll be bare. Compare to bodies, where they can choose the best ones for transparent finishes and the rest get paint jobs.
> 
> It would make some sense if some of their wood wasn't treated or dried properly and that's resulting in more sprouting.
> 
> I also think it's weird to say that Solar are all about form over function - They do some lovely paint jobs but as far as I know there isn't anything wrong with their paint. But they don't do outrageous body shapes just for the novelty, or weird for the sake of weird. They just make super strats, teles, LPs, Vs and explorers, tart them up with metal paint jobs and sell them for a reasonable(YMMV) price.



Solar aren't buying any materials. Cortek does, just like WMI does for Korean made guitars.


----------



## Hollowway

Ataraxia2320 said:


> Solar aren't buying any materials. Cortek does, just like WMI does for Korean made guitars.


I’m going to assume that their are different “tiers” to the materials, as well. I suppose it’s possible Solar is using a lower tier ebony FB blank.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

CanserDYI said:


> Suhrs, Andersons, etc all will get fret sprout if the guitar isn't stored properly, and sometimes even if stored properly. Wood moves.



Speaking to these builders specifically, they let their "fresh" guitars sit for a few weeks in a dry room, and sometimes months, and then check them for any change, a lot of higher end builders do this, as anything fairly newly built runs the risk of moving a bit. They'll fix any fret sprout or neck shifting before shipment.

But you're not going to see production companies do this, and certainly not those who have folks beating down the doors for guitars. They'll ship on day one, and that's why you see more of these issue.

As speculated, materials are not all equal. Boards sawn and then left to rest for decades in a humidity controlled environment, like those rooms full of wood you see on walk throughs at PRS or Suhr or Alembic, etc. are going to be significantly less prone to move, regardless of climate it ships to, vs. the stuff that's dried pallets at a time in industrial kilns to be used immediately. You're just not going to get as consistent a material that way.

Why does Solar, or any brand seem worse at this? Because it all comes down to how much they want to put into QA/QC. Solar makes huge margins vs. other Cort/World made stuff because they sell quasi-direct at prices still in relative parity with the competition. So they can dish out refunds or sell as B-stock vs. putting that money into the supply chain.


----------



## LostTheTone

nickgray said:


> I highly doubt that they're buying any materials or have any input with regards to how their guitar are built and how the production lines are ran. Pretty sure they just give the specs to the factory, discuss certain details like QC and overall workmanship quality, and the factory builds the guitars.



Fine, fuck dude, THE FACTORY got sent a dodgy batch of wood. It doesnt matter what name it is, does it?

The point was that Solar (or Cortek) don't have control over the whole supply chain and that they aren't making million and millions of guitars which always means getting a bit squeezed.



MaxOfMetal said:


> Why does Solar, or any brand seem worse at this? Because it all comes down to how much they want to put into QA/QC. Solar makes huge margins vs. other Cort/World made stuff because they sell quasi-direct at prices still in relative parity with the competition. So they can dish out refunds or sell as B-stock vs. putting that money into the supply chain.



It's not like Ola is going out there to check your axe himself. Solar are relatively new, which is a common cause of kinks and fuck ups in production. Plus they dont have big economies of scale so the per uni cost is naturally higher. 

It's also worth noting that largely selling direct cuts out a last link of QA, and the first link of customer service. A dealer won't put a busted guitar on their wall. And even if they don't check every guitar that goes through their webstore, if there are problems then customers come to them first and if its a legit problem the dealer will do a return/refund with no fuss. They can probably get you a new guitar in 48 hours or so. When you have to go to a company direct, and a company with no physical presence, then people are much more likely to go yell at Ola on Twitter or whatever.

Again, I dont think it's ok that they have some problems. If you experience a problem, you should scream the fucking house down. But all companies have occasional problems. That's just what happens with all products.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

LostTheTone said:


> The point was that Solar (or Cortek) don't have control over the whole supply chain and that they aren't making million and millions of guitars which always means getting a bit squeezed.



The large OEMs actually own or partially own a significant amount of the raw materials supply chain.



> It's not like Ola is going out there to check your axe himself. Solar are relatively new, which is a common cause of kinks and fuck ups in production. Plus they dont have big economies of scale so the per uni cost is naturally higher.
> 
> It's also worth noting that largely selling direct cuts out a last link of QA, and the first link of customer service. A dealer won't put a busted guitar on their wall. And even if they don't check every guitar that goes through their webstore, if there are problems then customers come to them first and if its a legit problem the dealer will do a return/refund with no fuss. They can probably get you a new guitar in 48 hours or so. When you have to go to a company direct, and a company with no physical presence, then people are much more likely to go yell at Ola on Twitter or whatever.
> 
> Again, I dont think it's ok that they have some problems. If you experience a problem, you should scream the fucking house down. But all companies have occasional problems. That's just what happens with all products.



One of the biggest selling points originally was that Ola was going to handle QA/QC personally, and had done so in some form until the pandemic made it untenable.

Solar is a newer, still over 4 years old, brand, but the OEMs building and QA/QC'ing are not. It's not like Cortek or World or Wildwood forget how to do that stuff when a new label is applied. They do just as much quality control as they are paid to do. If they're doing less it's because they are being paid as such.

Four years in, they've decided how they want to handle the business, which means that they're cool just making stuff "B-stock" or issuing a replacement or refund every so often than up QA/QC, which is fine.

It's worked thus far as there is a seemingly endless pool of Ola fans to fight for and make excuses for the brand.


----------



## nickgray

LostTheTone said:


> It's not like Ola is going out there to check your axe himself



Yeah, like Max said, that was actually a big selling point. Not Ola himself doing this every time, but either he or his partner would fly to Indonesia and do the check there. I don't really remember the details. Maybe they were supposed to check them in Spain. Don't quote me on the fine details, but the sales pitch of "we're doing the final QC" was absolutely 100% there.



LostTheTone said:


> It's also worth noting that largely selling direct cuts out a last link of QA



But that's exactly the point - the last link of QA was supposed to be Ola and co. inspecting the finished guitars. That was like their big thing when they started out. In practice, as it turned out, it seems they're your average guitar brand selling middle-of-the road stuff at a premium.



LostTheTone said:


> A dealer won't put a busted guitar on their wall



Of course they would, GC is infamous for that. We even have our own GCs in my country - nothing's in tune, rusty strings, horrible set ups, etc. I was in such a store recently, and there was an E-II Eclipse fucking covered in some kind of white dust like the paint on the ceiling had been peeling for half a year or something. On another one those cool looking brushed metal EMG pickups were just scratched to absolute shit, like someone took sandpaper to them. A long time ago I remember being at a different chain and there was this Ibanez RG2228 with such crusty strings... good god, those strings were crusty af.



LostTheTone said:


> then people are much more likely to go yell at Ola on Twitter or whatever



I think people are yelling at Ola because he's a YouTuber with an massive online presence.



LostTheTone said:


> That's just what happens with all products.



That's fair enough, I don't really have any particular beef with Ola or Solar (I own a Solar, I'm not a huge fan of it due to some design issues and a 26.5" scale, but that's largely in the subjective category).

That being said, like I've mentioned above, they didn't really deliver anything worth talking about at the end of the day. There's no bang for the buck to be found here, or very good QC. Unless you're a big Evertune fan though, in which case Solar is way more viable I suppose.

Cool looking guitars though, I'll give them that.


----------



## trem licking

Could just make the frets slightly smaller than the neck just in case... Too hard of a design?


----------



## MaxOfMetal

trem licking said:


> Could just make the frets slightly smaller than the neck just in case... Too hard of a design?



The frets aren't the problem, the board is. I suppose they could try over sizing the board, but I doubt they'd every get it predictable enough.

Folks talk about fret sprout like it's the end of the world, when it's super cheap and easy to fix. It's like when they say that "Floyds are difficult to setup" or "truss rods are scary", you know that person was going to have a rough time buying a guitar no matter what.


----------



## trem licking

MaxOfMetal said:


> The frets aren't the problem, the board is. I suppose they could try over sizing the board, but I doubt they'd every get it predictable enough.
> 
> Folks talk about fret sprout like it's the end of the world, when it's super cheap and easy to fix. It's like when they say that "Floyds are difficult to setup" or "truss rods are scary", you know that person was going to have a rough time buying a guitar no matter what.


yeah, board shrink isn't usually huge though. because the fret ends/tang are right up to the edge of the board, even the slightest of shrinkage would display issue. just cut the frets slightly shy of the board, sort of like with binding but not as extreme, and there would never be an issue. too much to task of factory builds being cranked out of the factory though, i reckon.
dealing with issues right out the gate after purchase is a pain in the ass for anyone though, yeah? i don't want to have to deal with fret sprout on a new guitar... and I've never had to. perhaps I'm in a guitar friendly location


----------



## MaxOfMetal

trem licking said:


> yeah, board shrink isn't usually huge though. because the fret ends/tang are right up to the edge of the board, even the slightest of shrinkage would display issue. just cut the frets slightly shy of the board, sort of like with binding but not as extreme, and there would never be an issue. too much to task of factory builds being cranked out of the factory though, i reckon.
> dealing with issues right out the gate after purchase is a pain in the ass for anyone though, yeah? i don't want to have to deal with fret sprout on a new guitar... and I've never had to. perhaps I'm in a guitar friendly location



It's not just the tang, but the fret as well, so unless you really undercut them they'll still poke out. 

A lot of the time they don't even make it past the binding or even the finish. 

The obvious answer is to just buy from a place that'll take care of it for you if it's such a concern. 

Unless you play with stock strings at medium action, chances are something is going to need be adjusted on a new guitar. That's a good thing right? That you can easily adjust guitars to your needs.


----------



## BusinessMan

Where X shape. Need teh pointy at this point


----------



## BusinessMan

nickgray said:


> Well, not really, but the gist of is right. The wood is shrinking due to lower humidity levels, and the frets, of course, being made of metal, can't shrink together with the wood.
> 
> 
> 
> The wood is dried beforehand though, plus they don't make them outdoors.
> 
> I assume it's just so-so wood that isn't being processed correctly (or as good as it should be). I mean, Solars in general are form over function if you ask me, their number one selling point is that they look cool. They don't offer much else really (oh well, I guess they do offer a lot of Evertunes if that's what you're going for).
> 
> 
> 
> What is average though? Guitars are meant to be stored at around 45-55% humidity. If you store your guitar at 10-20% and there's fret sprout - that's completely on you, it's not the manufacturer's fault at all.



Solar offers a lot. Like you mentioned aesthetics, but they also play really, really well. It's probably the second most comfortable neck (for my hand at least) I've played. It's smooth, fast and not overly flat like ibanez. My solar hasn't had any of the issues mentioned anywhere, I purchased mine in June 2020 (received in august), a few months after the coronaids epidemic really kicked in so maybe the timing had to do with that.


----------



## RevDrucifer

No problems with mine and I’d imagine if problems were to pop up, it’d be happening any time now. I’m in Florida, but our temps have been jumping from 80 on some days to 43 on others. 

My E-type quickly became my favorite guitar, super comfortable neck, it’s built like a tank and plays like butter. I got it as a B-stock but I could barely see the little “dent” in the finish when it arrived. My guitars get beat to shit anyway, so I don’t mind finish flaws at all as long as it’s playable. 

I’m in the Solar Guitars FB group and can’t say I’ve seen anything pop up recently indicating this was still a big issue, just people bringing up the older issues as if they’re still happening all the time. I’m not on FB for more than 20 minutes while I take my morning dump, so there’s that, as well.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

Yeah, most will be good, some will be bad and become B-stock, some fewer will be bad and not get caught, and then a few will be train wrecks. You know, like every similar brand.

It's never going to be a guarantee, so just buy with "plan B" in the back of your mind and have at it. It's just guitars. If you get a shitty one, return it. No big deal.

If you're not game for that, move on to a different brand perhaps.


----------



## JimF

Aren't there also some online retailers carrying some of the Solar range, and these are the ones with the more cast iron returns policy (e.g. Thomann) for the super cautious.


----------



## Zhysick

JimF said:


> Aren't there also some online retailers carrying some of the Solar range, and these are the ones with the more cast iron returns policy (e.g. Thomann) for the super cautious.



Yeah, I bought it from Thomann just in case. I'm glad I have had no issues at all.



MaxOfMetal said:


> Yeah, most will be good, some will be bad and become B-stock, some fewer will be bad and not get caught, and then a few will be train wrecks. You know, like every similar brand.
> 
> It's never going to be a guarantee, so just buy with "plan B" in the back of your mind and have at it. It's just guitars. If you get a shitty one, return it. No big deal.
> 
> If you're not game for that, move on to a different brand perhaps.



What brands are more likely to not have any of these issues on the price range? LTD maybe? Because we all have heard horrible stories of Jackson, not to talk about Sterling... PRS SE maybe too? Most of this brands will be about 200€ extra for the same or similar specs (well, you won't find a PRS SE with SS frets and Evertune if that's what you want).

Gibson have lot of issues, Fender the same... I would love to go ESP (Japan, but ESP no E-II), Suhr or Tom Andersson but that's a big stretch for me.

And yeah, I'm not one of those to complain if I have to turn a bit the truss rod because I know I am not buying a Suhr, for fucks sake. I'm absolutely with you in this, but actually the worst guitar I have bought in my whole life was a Prestige Ibanez (RGD2127Z? the one with the floating edge) and, obviously, I returned it (bought from Thomann to use the 30 days money back guarantee)... and that Ibanez was 350€ more than what this Solar cost me aaaaaaaaand with 8 years of inflation in the way...


----------



## Gabriel 1313

I cant' wait to try one. I am going for the 7 string. I watch him every morning. I'm watching him now talking about Namm in 2022. He is just fun. I also really like his solo stuff. For anyone that can answere this, are the 7 strings heavey, or are they just a good solid feel to them.


----------



## BusinessMan

Gabial said:


> I cant' wait to try one. I am going for the 7 string. I watch him every morning. I'm watching him now talking about Namm in 2022. He is just fun. I also really like his solo stuff. For anyone that can answere this, are the 7 strings heavey, or are they just a good solid feel to them.



I've got the e2.7 and it's got a nice solid feel to it. Definitely lighter than my other solid mahogany guitar that's for sure (that thing has to weigh around 13lbs). I think mine weighs around 8‐9lbs


----------



## Gabriel 1313

BusinessMan said:


> I've got the e2.7 and it's got a nice solid feel to it. Definitely lighter than my other solid mahogany guitar that's for sure (that thing has to weigh around 13lbs). I think mine weighs around 8‐9lbs


Thanks. I live in Montana, so the nearest Guitar Center is in Geat Falls, so I will go up there in aqbout a month.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

Zhysick said:


> Yeah, I bought it from Thomann just in case. I'm glad I have had no issues at all.
> 
> 
> 
> What brands are more likely to not have any of these issues on the price range? LTD maybe? Because we all have heard horrible stories of Jackson, not to talk about Sterling... PRS SE maybe too? Most of this brands will be about 200€ extra for the same or similar specs (well, you won't find a PRS SE with SS frets and Evertune if that's what you want).
> 
> Gibson have lot of issues, Fender the same... I would love to go ESP (Japan, but ESP no E-II), Suhr or Tom Andersson but that's a big stretch for me.
> 
> And yeah, I'm not one of those to complain if I have to turn a bit the truss rod because I know I am not buying a Suhr, for fucks sake. I'm absolutely with you in this, but actually the worst guitar I have bought in my whole life was a Prestige Ibanez (RGD2127Z? the one with the floating edge) and, obviously, I returned it (bought from Thomann to use the 30 days money back guarantee)... and that Ibanez was 350€ more than what this Solar cost me aaaaaaaaand with 8 years of inflation in the way...



Perhaps something easier to deal with return/exchange wise? At least in North America. 

We've seen the same complaint over and over: returns and exchanges are not really an option since there aren't any domestic dealers. 

So yeah, there's no guarantee an LTD or Ibanez or Schecter or whatever will be better, but there is a glut of committed dealers who can more easily make the situation right if something bad does happen. 

Just like I wouldn't recommend Agile/Rondo to certain folks.


----------



## Zhysick

MaxOfMetal said:


> Perhaps something easier to deal with return/exchange wise? At least in North America.
> 
> We've seen the same complaint over and over: returns and exchanges are not really an option since there aren't any domestic dealers.
> 
> So yeah, there's no guarantee an LTD or Ibanez or Schecter or whatever will be better, but there is a glut of committed dealers who can more easily make the situation right if something bad does happen.
> 
> Just like I wouldn't recommend Agile/Rondo to certain folks.




That's the thing... is knowing what to purchase depending in you situation... I don't buy Agiles anymore (because there is no guarantee for me as I am in Africa... Europe... whatever, not going to explain but this is african Spain) and I can't buy Solar directly so I bought it thru Thomann that way I have the 30 day money back guarantee and all that. I'm pretty sure there should be any north american dealer that can carry Solar and have the same kind of return policy.

I get it. If you can't get this kind of guarantee as I can get from Thomann to buy a Solar in the states then I would avoid it too. But I would do it with any brand... I'm not buying something I have no guarantee to return it if I am not satisfied. Period. I don't care if it is LTD, Solar or Suhr.

Cheers!


----------



## myrtorp

New V


----------



## Quiet Coil

myrtorp said:


> New V


Cannibalismo uh… chocolate mint swirl?


----------



## Zhysick

Fuck. Me. Hard.


----------



## STRHelvete

Oh damn..that's hot


----------



## JimF

Stunning! Wish I could play blank fretboards


----------



## STRHelvete

JimF said:


> Stunning! Wish I could play blank fretboards


Do you look at the fretboard when you play?


----------



## thebeesknees22

Zhysick said:


> Fuck. Me. Hard.
> 
> View attachment 103147
> 
> 
> View attachment 103148


daaaamn, that's nice.


----------



## KnightBrolaire

still no star? smh


----------



## Amenthea

STRHelvete said:


> Do you look at the fretboard when you play?


I do. I'm trying to relearn guitar from scratch again this year as I was originally self taught and although I can play 'like me', there are a lot of things I can't do because I never learnt it or do it wrong, with my picking hand being prime suspect.

Not sure if your comment is just a question or meant as a condescending jibe, but everyone looks at the board at some point as they play, even Vai etc so its not a bad thing really is it.


----------



## STRHelvete

Amenthea said:


> I do. I'm trying to relearn guitar from scratch again this year as I was originally self taught and although I can play 'like me', there are a lot of things I can't do because I never learnt it or do it wrong, with my picking hand being prime suspect.
> 
> Not sure if your comment is just a question or meant as a condescending jibe, but everyone looks at the board at some point as they play, even Vai etc so its not a bad thing really is it.


No I was honestly curious. It's funny because while playing yesterday I was looking down and took note that I was looking at the side markers. The thought occurs to me when talking about fret markers that I never remember exactly what I'm looking at while playing..so that was the first time when playing that I actually took notice. I can't even see the fretboard unless I make a specific effort to do so..otherwise it's just the side dots so whatever's on the fretboard doesn't matter for me.


----------



## Amenthea

STRHelvete said:


> No I was honestly curious. It's funny because while playing yesterday I was looking down and took note that I was looking at the side markers. The thought occurs to me when talking about fret markers that I never remember exactly what I'm looking at while playing..so that was the first time when playing that I actually took notice. I can't even see the fretboard unless I make a specific effort to do so..otherwise it's just the side dots so whatever's on the fretboard doesn't matter for me.


Cool I did hope that was it! 

I mostly use the side dots as well but when I get up past 12, especially if I'm learning something new or doing exercises in that area, I absolutely have to look at the board to make sure my little digits are actually in the right place. I have muscle memory of shapes and unless I'm really looking its so easy to just let them fall where they want.
I must say I'm not a massive fan of the single Solar marker myself, and I think I would have preferred it if it was lots of little ones like a PRS lol You can buy sticker overlays for boards to pop in markers anyway if needed so it's not a deal breaker.


----------



## HungryGuitarStudent

STRHelvete said:


> Do you look at the fretboard when you play?


I sometimes need to have a quick glance for wide and fast position changes (e.g. Taranto stuff), specially wide-fast changing tapping arpeggios. Does that mean I suck?


----------



## MaxOfMetal

HungryGuitarStudent said:


> I sometimes need to have a quick glance for wide and fast position changes (e.g. Taranto stuff), specially wide-fast changing tapping arpeggios. Does that mean I suck?



Nah, you don't suck. Not at all.

It's just usually really shitty for your posture and you train your muscle memory into making those odd stretches in painful ways. It's just not an ideal process.


----------



## narad

Zhysick said:


> Fuck. Me. Hard.
> 
> View attachment 103147
> 
> 
> View attachment 103148



I'm not too into SOLAR but when that came across my screen I had a brief moment of like... what $4k+ guitar is that? He even stealthed the inlay on it, which is my main SOLAR gripe.


----------



## CanserDYI

Ever since I got a bare ebony fretboard with no inlays, I realized how much I actually do look at the fretboard.


----------



## Andromalia

I use the side dots only, I don't think I ever really looked at the board markers. I have a few guitars with no/unconventional inlays and they're no trouble.


----------



## Antiproduct

Zhysick said:


> Fuck. Me. Hard.
> 
> View attachment 103147
> 
> 
> View attachment 103148


Dunno why but gives me Daemoness vibes, really looks nice


----------



## HungryGuitarStudent

MaxOfMetal said:


> Nah, you don't suck. Not at all.
> 
> It's just usually really shitty for your posture and you train your muscle memory into making those odd stretches in painful ways. It's just not an ideal process.


I hear you. Not great for the neck and upper back to have to bend a bit forward to see the inlays.


----------



## trickae

Does anyone have issues with tunning stablity with their E2.7 and V1.7's? I'm struggling with mine and I'm coming from about 2 decades with the Ibanez Edge series trems. 

Also, how does the V1.7 compare to an Alexi Laiho Signature ESP?


----------



## NoodleFace

If you're talking esp and not the ltd, the esp will blow away any solar


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

NoodleFace said:


> If you're talking esp and not the ltd, the esp will blow away any solar


I would agree with that if only I hadn't got my hands on my 1.6 Jensen tbh. That guitar is literally flawlessly made in every possible way. Finish is perfectly done, pickup routs are surgically clean, frets are buttery smooth, even under a microscope. I've played some Japanese ESP's that are more cosmetically flawed. Its a shame that Solar didn't stay cosmetically perfect for long since playing the snot out of it.


trickae said:


> Does anyone have issues with tunning stablity with their E2.7 and V1.7's? I'm struggling with mine and I'm coming from about 2 decades with the Ibanez Edge series trems.


Nope.


----------



## trickae

NoodleFace said:


> If you're talking esp and not the ltd, the esp will blow away any solar


Yep, my biggest reason for getting a V was for Alexi Laiho's playing. I think i'd be better of with an ESP, just wish they had a reverse headstock. 


T00DEEPBLUE said:


> Nope.


Damn, I'm not sure what's wrong with both my guitars. My Solar Explorer E2.7 as a stop tail, truss rods setup, and still it goes out of tune mid song. I think my attacks too strong when playing. Same goes for my V1.7, it's been a tunning nightmare.


----------



## Jarmake

trickae said:


> Yep, my biggest reason for getting a V was for Alexi Laiho's playing. I think i'd be better of with an ESP, just wish they had a reverse headstock.
> 
> Damn, I'm not sure what's wrong with both my guitars. My Solar Explorer E2.7 as a stop tail, truss rods setup, and still it goes out of tune mid song. I think my attacks too strong when playing. Same goes for my V1.7, it's been a tunning nightmare.



Have you checked if the nut is binding?


----------



## Zhysick

trickae said:


> Yep, my biggest reason for getting a V was for Alexi Laiho's playing. I think i'd be better of with an ESP, just wish they had a reverse headstock.
> 
> Damn, I'm not sure what's wrong with both my guitars. My Solar Explorer E2.7 as a stop tail, truss rods setup, and still it goes out of tune mid song. I think my attacks too strong when playing. Same goes for my V1.7, it's been a tunning nightmare.



Have you changed the string gauge for a bigger one without adjusting the nut's groves? Maybe strings are binding there... I mean, mine is Evertune equipped so I cannot comment on this, but I have had several guitars and the ones that have had tunning stability issues have been because of the nut, not tuners, not bridge... nut is #1 problem "always" (ok... maybe 92% of the times)


----------



## BusinessMan

trickae said:


> Does anyone have issues with tunning stablity with their E2.7 and V1.7's? I'm struggling with mine and I'm coming from about 2 decades with the Ibanez Edge series trems.
> 
> Also, how does the V1.7 compare to an Alexi Laiho Signature ESP?


I have had trouble since i got it. I've got an e2.7 and I would say that it holds tuning ok, Not great. Have to retune every 15 minutes or so and after every time I pick up the guitar. Not sure if it's the instruments part or because I tend to pick really hard. I've also had it professionally setup and intonated and it still has trouble. It always sounds "off" to me. Either a bit sharp or flat. It also takes AGES for me to get it in tune (that might just be the tuners and gear ratio stuff). However, it's not a huge gripe for me since I absolutely love the thing. Might just need new tuners


----------



## NoodleFace

I pick pretty hard too, not even intentionally just the way Ive always played, so I definitely get the striking notes out of tune part. It drove me nuts on a few of my guitars. I moved to very slightly lighter picks and that helped some (truth be told its probably moreso because I moved to ultex from stiff plastic)

If you're going out of tune every 15 minutes something isn't right. First thing I'd check is to make sure the nut is lubricated properly so the strings aren't bunching at the nut and slipping later. Then I'd look at tuners. Not sure what they put on 2 series, but assume it's not the high end locking tuners.


----------



## nickgray

BusinessMan said:


> Might just need new tuners



Nah, tuners aren't the problem. It's likely the nut. If the nut binds on the strings, you basically end up having ever so slightly different tension between the tuner and the tuner, and the nut and the saddle.

Lube the nut. Make sure to stretch the string after you use the tuner. Make sure to tune up to pitch (if you've overshot and you're tuning down, you're creating slack in the whole system, that's why it's a common advice to tune up).



NoodleFace said:


> I pick pretty hard too, not even intentionally just the way Ive always played



I was forced to move to way lower gauges due to an injury, and I was surprised by how fast (relatively) the adjustment was. But more to the point, I still seem to have some sort of residual memory thing going on for heavy handed picking, and a proper warm up where you really focus on what you're doing seems to help a lot. It's like when a good, deliberate warm up can really improve your hand synchronization for your playing session, if you're not too half arsed to actually do it.


----------



## JimF

STRHelvete said:


> Do you look at the fretboard when you play?



Late to reply to this, but yes. Not constantly like a beginner, but infrequently to check/confirm my position. I use the side dots sometimes and have been working to do that more and more, but I do know when I had a Jackson with the mini piranha inlays, I did used to get lost above the 12th fret on the higher strings. Not everything can be muscle memory.


----------



## STRHelvete

JimF said:


> Late to reply to this, but yes. Not constantly like a beginner, but infrequently to check/confirm my position. I use the side dots sometimes and have been working to do that more and more, but I do know when I had a Jackson with the mini piranha inlays, I did used to get lost above the 12th fret on the higher strings. Not everything can be muscle memory.


Lol, I think maybe it's just because I'm fat or something. I have to make an effort to look at the fretboard. It's easier for me to see the side dots. Perhaps if I was slimmer, my guitar would be closer to me and I'd be able to see the fretboard.


----------



## JimF

Better technique through body mass


----------



## Zhysick

I'm fat, I have better technique

Facts: Yngwie, M. Romeo, Shawn Lane... FUCK! IT MUST BE TRUE!!


----------



## jl-austin

Any update on the X shape guitar?


----------



## Zhysick

jl-austin said:


> Any update on the X shape guitar?


Yes, release date is XX-XX-XXXX


----------



## trickae

BusinessMan said:


> I have had trouble since i got it. I've got an e2.7 and I would say that it holds tuning ok, Not great. Have to retune every 15 minutes or so and after every time I pick up the guitar. Not sure if it's the instruments part or because I tend to pick really hard. I've also had it professionally setup and intonated and it still has trouble. It always sounds "off" to me. Either a bit sharp or flat. It also takes AGES for me to get it in tune (that might just be the tuners and gear ratio stuff). However, it's not a huge gripe for me since I absolutely love the thing. Might just need new tuners


Same, I absolutely love both my V1.7 and E2.7. I do play with a harsher attack compared to other guitars and the tunning always goes out. Usually, it's the 7th and 6th string are out when I pick it up after a long time. I play one with Ernie ball cobalts and the other with D'adddario NYXL's so I doubt it has to do with the strings.


----------



## trickae

Zhysick said:


> Have you changed the string gauge for a bigger one without adjusting the nut's groves? Maybe strings are binding there... I mean, mine is Evertune equipped so I cannot comment on this, but I have had several guitars and the ones that have had tunning stability issues have been because of the nut, not tuners, not bridge... nut is #1 problem "always" (ok... maybe 92% of the times)


I never had to adjust nut groves before. I've only gone from the factory loaded 9 gauge with a 10 gauge with a 64 for the 7th string. I don;t think it's that significant to need to file own nut groves.


----------



## Zhysick

trickae said:


> I never had to adjust nut groves before. I've only gone from the factory loaded 9 gauge with a 10 gauge with a 64 for the 7th string. I don;t think it's that significant to need to file own nut groves.


No, it's not a big change on the steing gauge but maybe it wasn't perfect to start.. in any case is the first point to look at.


----------



## profwoot

Welp I've ordered my first Solar. It's a used S1.6HLB that was priced about the same as any other 1.6, but previous owner had swapped all the innards with BKP stuff, including a Polymath (!) set.

Seeing as how the pickups are worth about half of what I paid for the whole guitar I barely care whether the guitar itself is any good, but it'll be fun to try out a Solar.


----------



## Rocka Rolla

Sorry if it's been covered already but what kind of import fees are associated with Solar models above $1k (to the US)? Thanks!


----------



## profwoot

Guitar showed up in like 25 hours and it sounds amazing. The QC isn't what I'm used to and a couple of the nut slots need a dab of super glue (whistling), but the neck feels good and it seriously sounds awesome. I don't have a guitar that needs pickups immediately so I might keep this one around for a minute.

These particular Polymaths are fully covered so don't have visible screws, and I wonder if that's related to a little less bass than I'm used to, but rather than freaking out about it I turned up a knob on my amp called "bass" a notch or two.


----------



## CanserDYI

profwoot said:


> Guitar showed up in like 25 hours and it sounds amazing. The QC isn't what I'm used to and a couple of the nut slots need a dab of super glue (whistling), but the neck feels good and it seriously sounds awesome. I don't have a guitar that needs pickups immediately so I might keep this one around for a minute.
> 
> These particular Polymaths are fully covered so don't have visible screws, and I wonder if that's related to a little less bass than I'm used to, but rather than freaking out about it I turned up a knob on my amp called "bass" a notch or two.


Shocking! Instead of ripping them out and throwing them away you just changed settings on your amp? Are you even a guitarist?


----------



## KnightBrolaire

profwoot said:


> Guitar showed up in like 25 hours and it sounds amazing. The QC isn't what I'm used to and a couple of the nut slots need a dab of super glue (whistling), but the neck feels good and it seriously sounds awesome. I don't have a guitar that needs pickups immediately so I might keep this one around for a minute.
> 
> These particular Polymaths are fully covered so don't have visible screws, and I wonder if that's related to a little less bass than I'm used to, but rather than freaking out about it I turned up a knob on my amp called "bass" a notch or two.


what is this "bass" you speak of? My amps only have mid knobs since the GuItAr iS a MiD fOcuSeD iNsTrUmEnT /s


----------



## myrtorp

Have Evertune F-type which I havent seen before


----------



## Bassman1

Hey guys,



I'm new to this thread, but I'm in the market for a new guitar and Solar seems to check a lot of my boxes. I just spent two days reading this entire thread... (Not kidding!) But, I still would love some thoughts on my potential new purchase. 



I have an Ibanez Iron Label in Drop C with a fixed bridge, and I love it. I am looking for a 2nd guitar now that ideally checks the boxes below:



-Locking Tuners 

-Floyd Rose (never had one! I thought it would be cool to change it up and have one for some fun recording leads)

-Passive Electronics (I plan to throw a Lollar DB in the bridge and a BKP Silo in the neck)

-Neck Through 

-Natural Wood appearance as opposed to a gloss or paint finish. 



My bass and guitar are both Ibanez. So, I'd like to change it up and have a different brand for my 2nd guitar. I was looking at Schecter, ESP, Jackson, and PRS. They mostly checked my boxes, but not all. The Schecter Sun Valleys are cool, but they come with active electronics. Not a big fan of actives for cleans...



Solar seems to offer a few guitars that check basically all my boxes. I've never played one. So, I've got some questions!



I'm mainly looking at the A1.6FRD LTD and the S1.6FR BLB .



I love the look of the A1.6, but it has a set neck. The S1.6 has a neck through, which I prefer, but the looks are not quite to my taste. 



Here are my questions:

1) Does anyone here have direct experience with these models? If so, what is your feedback? 



2) How does a FR1000 play? Is the tuning very stable when dive bombing ? I've read a lot of critique on the Floyd Rose special. But, I am wondering if the Floyd Rose 1000 is much better. Or, are they just a headache?



3) How does a set neck compare to a neck through or bolt on? I've never played a set neck guitar. What are the pros and cons? Is it similar to a neck through in terms of benefits like increased sustain?



4) What other thoughts, pointers, advice do you have considering this purchase and what I'm going for? Would you recommend Solar for what I'm going for?



5) Are there other Solar models or even other specific guitars you'd recommend for my desired specs instead? If so, why? 





I plan to exclusively set this guitar up in Drop C. I will record extensively with it, and I will use it to play original music with a drummer. I play mostly progressive metal and Djent. Bands and guitar tones I enjoy are: Tesseract, August Burns Red, Lamb of God, Invent Animate, and Killswitch Engage. 



Thanks in advance for any advice and insight !


----------



## myrtorp

New V 26.5"


----------



## JimF

myrtorp said:


> Have Evertune F-type which I havent seen before



Evertune F type is just the standard flat top Evertune.
They do F type, G type (fits to Tune-o-Matic studs) or a T type (like a Telecaster with a pickup surround).


----------



## myrtorp

JimF said:


> Evertune F type is just the standard flat top Evertune.
> They do F type, G type (fits to Tune-o-Matic studs) or a T type (like a Telecaster with a pickup surround).


Ok thanks for informing, i thought it looked smaller and haven't realized the different models so i made assumtion!

Cheers!


----------



## JimF

I think that's just because the Solar E... is absolutely enormous.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

myrtorp said:


> New V 26.5"


fuck


----------



## BusinessMan

JimF said:


> I think that's just because the Solar E... is absolutely enormous.


But it's hella cool


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I wonder if Ola will ever go nuts and do a 28''+ baritone 6 or 7


----------



## myrtorp

2 new


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

The tobbaco one's pretty cool, but that red one. lawdy


----------



## myrtorp

Yeah I think i prefer the tobacco one, the gold pups is a little too much for my taste!


----------



## jl-austin

Wow, there for a second I thought I walked into a country and western bar in Texas.


----------



## Lada The Great

I wish they would release more 7 string teles. IMO the shape works really well with 7 string neck, but not just huge fan of current finishes available for 7 string versions, while 6 string versions have plenty of cool finishes.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Still want Ola to go insane and release some 28+'' baritones.


----------



## NeglectedField

Just keeps bringing out more and more models, I love it!


----------



## myrtorp

I made this mockup a way back and here it is again again! I would really like another single pickup axe, I dont like the green on the current one available
Disregard pickup selector 
Edit: 2 more mockups (yes i used paint! i cant photoshop)


----------



## BusinessMan

Where X ola? Me need x shape ola


----------



## Crundles

BusinessMan said:


> Where X ola? Me need x shape ola


For real; I've been holding onto some minor cash in reserve, in the vain hope that someone, *anyone at all*, *PLEASE *just release a lower end 7-string X-shape with 26.5 scale and a hardtail.

Of course I'm fully mentally prepared for Ola to slap it at 22.5 inches or somehow invent a floating TOM specifically for the X, but still - hope.


----------



## manu80

pretty sure thet with the Metal series at ESP, a single HB serie would work very well


----------



## profwoot

Didn't Ola post a teaser for an X like a year ago? I know they'd been designing it for a while so maybe they decided more tweaks were necessary.


----------



## JimF

Funnily enough I was catching up with older Ola vids I'd missed and he was testing a sample of the X recently. Certainly after the 2nd office move.


----------



## SonicBlur

I wish Ola would suspend releasing a new guitar every 10 minutes and resolve the fretboard cracking issues, fret sprout, peeling logos, etc....my 2021 A1.6FB is a mess. Being that it was purchased second hand from Reverb, I'm SOL but it's a good business card to show that a guitar not even a year old is already messed up. Never again.


----------



## Jeffrey Bain

I wish he made some other headstocks. Just a little variety


----------



## myrtorp

manu80 said:


> pretty sure thet with the Metal series at ESP, a single HB serie would work very well


Man I have been GASing hard at the Arctic Metals, and also the Black Metal. I think I remember them being cheaper back then too, I saw used one for like 550 euro a few years ago and I regret not grabbing it.


----------



## PhantomLord

Got Mail today


----------



## Albake21

PhantomLord said:


> Got Mail today
> View attachment 104387
> View attachment 104385
> View attachment 104384
> View attachment 104386


I've never been one for splatters but this one is so badass, HNGD!


----------



## myrtorp

Looks great man HNGD!


----------



## Tree

Needs a highlighter yellow, or green strap to go with it. 

Maybe some neon pickups as well. Congrats!


----------



## Decapitated

SonicBlur said:


> I wish Ola would suspend releasing a new guitar every 10 minutes and resolve the fretboard cracking issues, fret sprout, peeling logos, etc....my 2021 A1.6FB is a mess. Being that it was purchased second hand from Reverb, I'm SOL but it's a good business card to show that a guitar not even a year old is already messed up. Never again.


Did you try reaching out to Solar?


----------



## Perge

New pickup for metal


----------



## BusinessMan

Perge said:


> View attachment 104429
> 
> New pickup for metal




Somehow it sounds muddier than the original to my ear.


----------



## Perge

BusinessMan said:


> Somehow it sounds muddier than the original to my ear.



Sounds like he saw the complaints about it not being hot enough and had Duncan make a pickup that does MOAR.

Be interesting to see actual eq analysis etc.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Sounds very similar EQ wise, but yeah obviously a lot more output. High end does seem a little more rolled off, but not by much. That 7 string did sound really fucking dark compared to the 6 string one, though, but I'm guessing that's the guitars themselves.


----------



## BusinessMan

Perge said:


> Sounds like he saw the complaints about it not being hot enough and had Duncan make a pickup that does MOAR.
> 
> Be interesting to see actual eq analysis etc.


I always knew ola was just trolling us. Solar guitars aren't even real


----------



## drb

I don't think I've seen a single person claim they were avoiding getting a Solar guitar due to their dislike for the Duncan Solar pickups; they just change them to whatever suits their tastes.

I have, however, seen another increase in QC issues on social media regarding Solar guitars that are actively keeping away customers. I know I'm too risk averse to buy another one.

That being said, I'm happy enough with my 2 Solars but they aren't without their flaws. Instead, I think they would benefit significantly more from addressing the QC issues both publicly and within their processes and procedures before continuing with their commitment to 1 or more new guitars every week and more pickup options like this.

It's similar to the NeuralDSP Quad Cortex (hilarious all these issues stem from the acronym QC), whereby customers are disgruntled with deeply rooted issues that are just getting ignored in lieu of pushing out more cash cows.


----------



## JimF

Perhaps things have been put in place behind the scenes to address the QC but shouting about it would almost admit that minority of owners having issues is now a majority...


----------



## manu80

Wonder what the ratio is between issues/satisfied....
like all sites, happy people never say they'e happy....


----------



## MaxOfMetal

Why does it seem like everyone who buys a Solar buys a b-stock? 

I get that they don't have wide distribution and sell outlet a lot, but it really seems skewed.


----------



## JimF

manu80 said:


> Wonder what the ratio is between issues/satisfied....
> like all sites, happy people never say they'e happy....



Very much this. Vocal minorities and all that.


----------



## Decapitated

For me, what I want to know is those that have had QC issues - did any of them reach out to Solar, and if so, what were the outcomes?


----------



## SubsonicDoom99

Hmmm, pretty interested to hear more from these new Solar + pickups.
I wound up being pretty unsatisfied with the regular Solars I had in my baritone A2.6, swapped those out after giving them a try for a while to no avail.
I like Alnico 8 magnets, I think it does tend to roll off the high end a bit more (in a good way).
I always thought the Alternative 8 pickup was akin to the JB but with some of the less-desirable frequencies toned down.
Hopefully these new ones solve the problems I had with the original Solars. We'll see.


----------



## SonicBlur

Decapitated said:


> Did you try reaching out to Solar?


I did. Being that I am not the original owner, they won't help. I'm just going to sell it and swear off Solar guitars forever. I encourage people to do the same.


----------



## SonicBlur

This was not a B-stock. This thing isn't even a year old. It's a 2021 model. What I have learned through this process is that if you complain on Social Media about this piss-poor QC from Solar, they ban you and scrub all your comments, complaints, and thoughts THEN they say it's a small majority of people. Well of course it is a small majority. They've all been BANNED.

For reference, I have over 16 guitars, 100's have passed through my hands in my lifetime. They are ALL kept in the same place, same conditions, same maintenance schedule. And yet, this Solar is the ONLY guitar to do what it is doing. It's shame because it looks awesome, still plays well but I just can't stand to look at it knowing I spent so much on it and it's falling apart. What will be left in 5 years if in less than a year this is what it looks like!?0

Be wary everyone, this is your fate with any Solar guitar.


----------



## Ataraxia2320

SonicBlur said:


> This was not a B-stock. This thing isn't even a year old. It's a 2021 model. What I have learned through this process is that if you complain on Social Media about this piss-poor QC from Solar, they ban you and scrub all your comments, complaints, and thoughts THEN they say it's a small majority of people. Well of course it is a small majority. They've all been BANNED.
> 
> For reference, I have over 16 guitars, 100's have passed through my hands in my lifetime. They are ALL kept in the same place, same conditions, same maintenance schedule. And yet, this Solar is the ONLY guitar to do what it is doing. It's shame because it looks awesome, still plays well but I just can't stand to look at it knowing I spent so much on it and it's falling apart. What will be left in 5 years if in less than a year this is what it looks like!?0
> 
> Be wary everyone, this is your fate with any Solar guitar.
> 
> View attachment 104697
> View attachment 104698
> View attachment 104699
> View attachment 104700
> View attachment 104701


So you bought a second hand guitar that was a lemon and you somehow want the manufacturer to give you what? A refund? 

If you claim the QC was bad then the guitar arrived to you that way and you should have disputed with the reverb seller and should have seen it in the pictures.

If it didnt turn up that way and the fretboard cracked later then I'm not sure how you expected the QC to have caught that - they aren't psychic.


----------



## olejason

Dumb question, why would Solar guitars have more QC issues with ebony splitting as compared to other guitars made in the same factory? I always assumed they used the same pile of wood for every guitar built at the same "tier" regardless of brand but maybe that isn't how it works.


----------



## SonicBlur

Ataraxia2320 said:


> So you bought a second hand guitar that was a lemon and you somehow want the manufacturer to give you what? A refund?
> 
> If you claim the QC was bad then the guitar arrived to you that way and you should have disputed with the reverb seller and should have seen it in the pictures.
> 
> If it didnt turn up that way and the fretboard cracked later then I'm not sure how you expected the QC to have caught that - they aren't psychic.


I reached out to them knowing full well they wouldn't help but it was worth a shot. As far as buying 2nd hand, there was nothing in the pics on indicated there we issues other than the logo peeling, which I knew going into this. I was fine with that. Since the seller listed his item on Reverb as "Item is sold as is," Reverb sided with the seller and also reused to help. This is a case of live and learn. Like I stated before. I have some guitars that are more than 10 years old and not a single issue like this. My reasoning for being pissed is not to get a refund or whatever but to address the rather large number of guitars that continue to be shipped to people that Solar KNOWS have issues but they don't address it in the slightest. 

Ola makes a video showing how to fart and burp but god forbid he even talks about his guitars that are obviously not being dried properly before being built into guitars and the number of unhappy customers. On top of that, if you're in the US they make you pay for shipping back to and from Solar as well as duty fees for a warranty issue. 

You don't need psychic QC people when there are countless claims with evidence showing the same issue over and over....and NOTHING is being done.


----------



## SonicBlur

olejason said:


> Dumb question, why would Solar guitars have more QC issues with ebony splitting as compared to other guitars made in the same factory? I always assumed they used the same pile of wood for every guitar built at the same "tier" regardless of brand but maybe that isn't how it works.


These issues happen for a few reasons but mainly because Ola pumps out so many guitars so fast, the wood is not properly dried before construction. This caused the wood to expand and contract as temps change when shipped throughout the world. Also, the logo at the 12th fret has a very sharp point and it's notorious for cracking there as well. Long story short, he's totally into quantity over quality. Keep that in mind before buying one.


----------



## Ataraxia2320

SonicBlur said:


> I reached out to them knowing full well they wouldn't help but it was worth a shot. As far as buying 2nd hand, there was nothing in the pics on indicated there we issues other than the logo peeling, which I knew going into this. I was fine with that. Since the seller listed his item on Reverb as "Item is sold as is," Reverb sided with the seller and also reused to help. This is a case of live and learn. Like I stated before. I have some guitars that are more than 10 years old and not a single issue like this. My reasoning for being pissed is not to get a refund or whatever but to address the rather large number of guitars that continue to be shipped to people that Solar KNOWS have issues but they don't address it in the slightest.
> 
> Ola makes a video showing how to fart and burp but god forbid he even talks about his guitars that are obviously not being dried properly before being built into guitars and the number of unhappy customers. On top of that, if you're in the US they make you pay for shipping back to and from Solar as well as duty fees for a warranty issue.
> 
> You don't need psychic QC people when there are countless claims with evidence showing the same issue over and over....and NOTHING is being done.


QC people look over the guitars for visible errors. They are checked in the Cortek Factory and again when they get to Europe. If it's not shipped out cracked there is nothing the QC department can do. 

The Issue is that ebony is a hard as fudge wood and it can crack. I've seen this in all manner of ebony instruments in all price ranges from ball family reserves to these cheaper solars.

I absolutely agree that there was a large batch of Solar guitars that went out with cracking ebony though. The problem is this: 

Cortek buys a batch of ebony and builds x number of guitars with that batch. Loads of guitars from that batch go out to manufacturers and show no signs of problems. The company goes out and ships these out to customers, the ebony boards then start to crack months later. 

Nobody could have seen that coming. That is of course, assuming it was a problem with a batch of ebony and not a sped up drying process, which seems to be the case. 

The million dollar question: Is solar offering partial refunds or fulfilling its warranty on these guitars with the original owners, or offering partial refunds?

If yes then they are doing right by the customer. If not then that kinda sucks.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

olejason said:


> Dumb question, why would Solar guitars have more QC issues with ebony splitting as compared to other guitars made in the same factory? I always assumed they used the same pile of wood for every guitar built at the same "tier" regardless of brand but maybe that isn't how it works.



A lot of it has to do with the limits of what the company who contracts with the OEM will accept. 

The more stringent the QC/QA the higher the per-unit cost, or you handle the QA/QC in-house, like the larger manufacturers, which is still more expensive and requires your own facility, staff etc.

If I had to guess, it's a combination of being hands off and wanting better pricing that so many Solars reach customers as either kinda junky or declared "B-stock" from the beginning. 

There's a reason you don't see LTDs or Schecters like this as often, and that's because they put more into QA/QC and have the scale to hold the OEM to it.


----------



## sylcfh

That single cut shape combined with that headstock is kinda cancer.


----------



## JimF

In a good way?


----------



## atimoc

MaxOfMetal said:


> Why does it seem like everyone who buys a Solar buys a b-stock?
> 
> I get that they don't have wide distribution and sell outlet a lot, but it really seems skewed.


With the B-stocks you get to see pretty good pics of the exact guitar they're sending out to you, so at least theoretically you get some peace of mind, which was at least why I ordered one back in the day. Also some of the flaws in the B-stocks are super minor cosmetic ones, mine had a 100€ discount because of a barely visible dent and some discoloring in the body (which had a rugged/aged finish to begin with). Unfortunately the fretboard cracking and logo peeling happened after the axe got shipped out so the pictures did not help, but I can definitely see the appeal of handpicking the exact guitar you want from the B-stock selection. 

That said, looking at Solar website's list of b-stocks right now, there seem to be 160+ guitars listed there, that number is kind of yikes.


----------



## SonicBlur

atimoc said:


> With the B-stocks you get to see pretty good pics of the exact guitar they're sending out to you, so at least theoretically you get some peace of mind, which was at least why I ordered one back in the day. Also some of the flaws in the B-stocks are super minor cosmetic ones, mine had a 100€ discount because of a barely visible dent and some discoloring in the body (which had a rugged/aged finish to begin with). Unfortunately the fretboard cracking and logo peeling happened after the axe got shipped out so the pictures did not help, but I can definitely see the appeal of handpicking the exact guitar you want from the B-stock selection.
> 
> That said, looking at Solar website's list of b-stocks right now, there seem to be 160+ guitars listed there, that number is kind of yikes.


If Solar was honest, 98% of their guitars should fall under B-stock status, lol


----------



## John

sylcfh said:


> That single cut shape combined with that headstock is kinda cancer.


Even their take on that singlecut shape itself is underwhelming, at best.


----------



## sylcfh

John said:


> Even their take on that singlecut shape itself is underwhelming, at best.




It'd only look marginally better with a 3x3.


----------



## RevDrucifer

MaxOfMetal said:


> Why does it seem like everyone who buys a Solar buys a b-stock?
> 
> I get that they don't have wide distribution and sell outlet a lot, but it really seems skewed.



Only answering for myself; I tend to be pretty hard on my guitars and as long as it still plays fine, I don’t really care about scratches and dents. They’re gonna get there anyway. When my E-type showed up it took me 5 minutes to find the ding in the finish that designated it a B-stock because it was so small. If I looked again I’m quite certain I’ve already done more damage to it just playing it in my house. 

In comparison to the used gear market, where beat to shit gear is selling at new or above new pricing, regardless of the condition in some cases, I got $100 off for something I wouldn’t have even cared about if it weren’t B-stock.


----------



## JimF

Similarly for me, I wouldn't really mind getting a B-stock if it was just cosmetic and in an area I wouldn't notice, e.g. a scratch on the rear, or a discolouration on the neck, or back of the headstock. Combined with saving money and going in eyes open, I'd be willing to do it (i.e. I wouldn't be happy if I received a guitar like that if I didn't order a B stock, but that's not what we're saying).

Perhaps they have so many B stock guitars because they're a relatively small player at that factory and they aren't afforded the same leeway with returns. I doubt that they are receiving any greater amount of sub-par instruments than someone else using the factory, its just that the bigger boys can say "These 25 guitars are coming back and you'll credit the invoice".


----------



## NoodleFace

I'm sorry but the cracking fretboard thing has been going on so long I'm pretty turned off by the brand. All this shit is going on and new models are announced almost every week. I love Ola's content, but dude needs to hire some people to figure out what the hell is going on before his brand fails


----------



## Dooky

NoodleFace said:


> I'm sorry but the cracking fretboard thing has been going on so long I'm pretty turned off by the brand. All this shit is going on and new models are announced almost every week. I love Ola's content, but dude needs to hire some people to figure out what the hell is going on before his brand fails


Sounds like he needs to hire you. You seem to know everything.


----------



## STRHelvete

Dooky said:


> Sounds like he needs to hire you. You seem to know everything.


This legit made me snort


----------



## NoodleFace

Dooky said:


> Sounds like he needs to hire you. You seem to know everything.


Can I use you as a reference?


----------



## CanserDYI

Dooky said:


> Sounds like he needs to hire you. You seem to know everything.


I mean, is he wrong? I'm sure there are plenty of great Solars, but he's right, there are too many QC issues that haven't been grabbed head on by Ola for me to ever buy a solar in the near future.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

JimF said:


> Perhaps they have so many B stock guitars because they're a relatively small player at that factory and they aren't afforded the same leeway with returns. I doubt that they are receiving any greater amount of sub-par instruments than someone else using the factory, its just that the bigger boys can say "These 25 guitars are coming back and you'll credit the invoice".



That's definitely a factor. 

QA/QC has to be done. There's no getting around that. 

The options are:

1) Pay the OEM to do it for you. This is the easiest, but typically the most expensive way to do it, since you're pretty much at the mercy of the OEM, and they'll definitely let you know it. Most brands don't bother with this because of cost. 

2) Do it yourself. This is probably the most common amongst larger brands. You need to facility and staff, which isn't cheap, but there's a reason companies like PRS and Dingwall choose this method. 

3) Similar to above in both expense and frequency of use is to have an interested third party handle it. This is what Ibanez and a lot of foreign brands do. Have your distributor do it. They have a vested interest in delivering good instruments, and can help facilitate both sales and returns. 

4) Some companies choose a hybrid of two or more of the above.


----------



## Ataraxia2320

MaxOfMetal said:


> That's definitely a factor.
> 
> QA/QC has to be done. There's no getting around that.
> 
> The options are:
> 
> 1) Pay the OEM to do it for you. This is the easiest, but typically the most expensive way to do it, since you're pretty much at the mercy of the OEM, and they'll definitely let you know it. Most brands don't bother with this because of cost.
> 
> 2) Do it yourself. This is probably the most common amongst larger brands. You need to facility and staff, which isn't cheap, but there's a reason companies like PRS and Dingwall choose this method.
> 
> 3) Similar to above in both expense and frequency of use is to have an interested third party handle it. This is what Ibanez and a lot of foreign brands do. Have your distributor do it. They have a vested interest in delivering good instruments, and can help facilitate both sales and returns.
> 
> 4) Some companies choose a hybrid of two or more of the above.



Again it's not a qc issue when the guitars ship out ok and the ebony cracks later.

As far as I know solar have Cortek do QC and Solar do QC and setup again when the guitars land in Europe.

Has the ebony cracking thing really been going on forever or have more and more guitars from that same run just started to crack now? 

Do new Solars actually have that problem?

Not even an Ola fanboy but people would swear this is Slate VSX levels of crappy design.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

Ataraxia2320 said:


> Again it's not a qc issue when the guitars ship out ok and the ebony cracks later.
> 
> As far as I know solar have Cortek do QC and they do QC and setup again when the guitars land in Europe.
> 
> Also has the ebony cracking thing really been going on forever or have more and more guitars from that same run just started to crack now? Do new Solars actually have that problem?
> 
> Not even an Ola fanboy but people would swear this is Slate VSX levels of crappy design.



Is that what's happening? It seems most complaints are "got guitar, has cracked board" and not "I've had the guitar for...board suddenly cracked". I could be wrong, but that's the impression I've gotten from here and some other threads. 

It's not like QC is this monolithic thing that's either done or not. You can have shitty QC, for a lot of reasons. 

As for the cracking itself, it usually happens shortly after construction, as things are settling into place. The longer a board goes without cracking, the less likely it'll eventually take place, barring something extreme happening. So if these guitars are making multiple trips abroad, it's likely been long enough for issues to develop. 

We've been hearing about the cracking boards for months now. That's far too long for it to be caused by an isolated "bad batch". 

I was fairly sympathetic to Ola and Solar when this first popped up, but it's getting harder to consider it bog standard or isolated.


----------



## RevDrucifer

Ataraxia2320 said:


> Has the ebony cracking thing really been going on forever or have more and more guitars from that same run just started to crack now?
> 
> Do new Solars actually have that problem?



I’m curious about this as well. I’m in the Solar group on FB and I think I’ve seen maybe 3-4 posts about it last year and a LOT of people talking about it repeatedly as if it’s a continuous issue. That said, I’m rarely on FB for longer than a 15 minutes a day and don’t purposefully check that group, so it’s possible I’ve missed it being brought up.

I get the impression the several cases of it occurring have turned into the internet-lore type of thing where it gets brought up repeatedly even though it only occurred a handful of times.

Edit- I just went back to July 31st in the Solar discussion group on FB, unless someone is actively deleting any negative/QC posts, there isn’t a single one discussing issues, just lots of NGD’s and demos/reviews.


----------



## Ataraxia2320

MaxOfMetal said:


> Is that what's happening? It seems most complaints are "got guitar, has cracked board" and not "I've had the guitar for...board suddenly cracked". I could be wrong, but that's the impression I've gotten from here and some other threads.


I'm not sure but all the posts I have seen are along the lines of "After x amount of time, my solar's fretboard board cracked". Can't speak for everyone though as I'm not in the Solar forums or facebook groups.



> "We've been hearing about the cracking boards for months now. That's far too long for it to be caused by an isolated "bad batch"."



Unless all the guitars we are hearing about all came from roughly the same time period of course. I genuinely don't have an answer, this is why I'm asking if the newer Solar guitars have the same issues.


----------



## jrn1308

RevDrucifer said:


> I’m curious about this as well. I’m in the Solar group on FB and I think I’ve seen maybe 3-4 posts about it last year and a LOT of people talking about it repeatedly as if it’s a continuous issue. That said, I’m rarely on FB for longer than a 15 minutes a day and don’t purposefully check that group, so it’s possible I’ve missed it being brought up.
> 
> I get the impression the several cases of it occurring have turned into the internet-lore type of thing where it gets brought up repeatedly even though it only occurred a handful of times.
> 
> Edit- I just went back to July 31st in the Solar discussion group on FB, unless someone is actively deleting any negative/QC posts, there isn’t a single one discussing issues, just lots of NGD’s and demos/reviews.



March 13th is a posting with cracked fretboard, March 6th, March 7th two postings, March 4th, February 7th. Most people seem to enjoy their Solar without issues but there seems to be an unusual high amount of quality issues.

Personally I got a V2.6 that I love and that has zero issues. Because of that I ordered a V1.6 with bad fretwork, noisy pickups and a pickup switch that didn't work properly. After sending it back I tried my luck with a A1.6 which also had really really bad fretwork and paint stains all over the pickups and the tuning pegs. Despite loving my V2.6 and loving the overall design of Solar I won't try my luck again in the near future with Solar. It's too much of a gamble.


----------



## Giest

jrn1308 said:


> paint stains all over the pickups and the tuning pegs.



Lol, WTF.


----------



## JimF

jrn1308 said:


> paint stains all over the pickups and the tuning pegs.



Was it a Cannibalismo finish?


----------



## jrn1308

JimF said:


> Was it a Cannibalismo finish?



No. Satin Black and the paint stains were gloss black.


----------



## JimF

Very strange!


----------



## SonicBlur

RevDrucifer said:


> I’m curious about this as well. I’m in the Solar group on FB and I think I’ve seen maybe 3-4 posts about it last year and a LOT of people talking about it repeatedly as if it’s a continuous issue. That said, I’m rarely on FB for longer than a 15 minutes a day and don’t purposefully check that group, so it’s possible I’ve missed it being brought up.
> 
> I get the impression the several cases of it occurring have turned into the internet-lore type of thing where it gets brought up repeatedly even though it only occurred a handful of times.
> 
> Edit- I just went back to July 31st in the Solar discussion group on FB, unless someone is actively deleting any negative/QC posts, there isn’t a single one discussing issues, just lots of NGD’s and demos/reviews.


100% they are deleting threads! I have been banned from one of them for posting pics and trying to get resolution. That's what infuriates me though....I get it, these are made from wood and whatever but the company has never even ONCE addressed it any way. They claim it's a very small number but you can't accurately gauge because they're literally deleing online complaints and photos. It really seems as they know but because the fanbois defend Solar to the death, they just keep pumping out multiple guitars every week with an emphasis on quantity over quality. 

The issues with Solars are common knowledge and it's like buying a mystery box when you have a Solar. Will it be a nice guitar for years? Will it show up in pieces? Will it just disintegrate in your hands? No one knows. But as long as dumb people like me keep shelling out cash they won't stop...and why would they?


----------



## JimF

SonicBlur said:


> But as long as dumb people like me keep shelling out cash they won't stop...and why would they?



In the case of full disclosure, was yours new or used?


----------



## manu80

What’s the ratio between good solars and the ones having problems ?
I was waiting to see how long it would take before people diss ola’s brand once the hype is gone, like other brands…
Sure he needs to adress qc and maybe release less stuff every week to focus on factory issues, but i’ve never seen such a backlash over gibson’s ebony that shrinks, and cracks at the fretboard/neck junction…but maybe it’s only 3 on 10….still not at the same price which make it worse….
I dont watch ola’s vid all the time but did he speak about the problem in one ?


----------



## SonicBlur

JimF said:


> In the case of full disclosure, was yours new or used?


My first one was new but my 2nd was used, however I will add that my 2nd isn't even a year old yet.


----------



## JimF

Did you have issues with the first one? Its a shame if you were 2 for 2.


----------



## SonicBlur

JimF said:


> Did you have issues with the first one? Its a shame if you were 2 for 2.


Yes, I had finish issues on the back. At the time it was super minor and I was just happy to have a Solar. I bought my 2nd one knowing full well the issues that could have affected it but I thought "nahh, I'll be fine." Lo and behold I an dealing with a cracked fret board in 2 spots, a peeling logo, frets sprouting (some spots bad enough that I cut my hand open). Being that it was purchased 2nd hand I'm on my own with it. Live and learn.


----------



## soldierkahn

SonicBlur said:


> 100% they are deleting threads! I have been banned from one of them for posting pics and trying to get resolution. That's what infuriates me though....I get it, these are made from wood and whatever but the company has never even ONCE addressed it any way. They claim it's a very small number but you can't accurately gauge because they're literally deleing online complaints and photos. It really seems as they know but because the fanbois defend Solar to the death, they just keep pumping out multiple guitars every week with an emphasis on quantity over quality.
> 
> The issues with Solars are common knowledge and it's like buying a mystery box when you have a Solar. Will it be a nice guitar for years? Will it show up in pieces? Will it just disintegrate in your hands? No one knows. But as long as dumb people like me keep shelling out cash they won't stop...and why would they?



so glad Ive stayed away..... and I thought indo Ibby's were garbage lol


----------



## NoodleFace

Unfortunately I have also heard they've been deleting threads. Only the mods of those groups truly know. 

There have been a few YouTubers with the issues as well, but I haven't kept up on recent stuff.


----------



## wakjob

... this thread.

Was really looking forward to trying one someday.


----------



## Dooky

NoodleFace said:


> Can I use you as a reference?


I feel that would be appropriate.
In all seriousness though, I was just having a little joke. I can't help myself sometimes.


----------



## Quiet Coil

wakjob said:


> ... this thread.
> 
> Was really looking forward to trying one someday.


I like my AB1.7bop. Yes it’s got a peeling logo (that they sent me a replacement for), no it doesn’t have a cracked board. In my case it has sentimental value as it was a special gift from my wife (it’s one of the black open pore artist editions).

I’m an admitted Ola fanboy (more his YouTube stuff than his music). The hardest part about this whole situation is that due to the nature of the Solar business model - trying before you buy and/or easy returns just aren’t practical, and for import guitars those options really are a must.

I’d say don’t give up on trying one, but be patient and wait for the right opportunity.


----------



## RevDrucifer

SonicBlur said:


> 100% they are deleting threads! I have been banned from one of them for posting pics and trying to get resolution. That's what infuriates me though....I get it, these are made from wood and whatever but the company has never even ONCE addressed it any way. They claim it's a very small number but you can't accurately gauge because they're literally deleing online complaints and photos. It really seems as they know but because the fanbois defend Solar to the death, they just keep pumping out multiple guitars every week with an emphasis on quantity over quality.
> 
> The issues with Solars are common knowledge and it's like buying a mystery box when you have a Solar. Will it be a nice guitar for years? Will it show up in pieces? Will it just disintegrate in your hands? No one knows. But as long as dumb people like me keep shelling out cash they won't stop...and why would they?



Which group was it? While Ola’s been a distant forum buddy for a long time, I’d rather not participate in a group actively deleting legit issues.


----------



## AMOS

Are there any rumors of a Solar 8 string?


----------



## Iron1

Like Rev, I've interacted with Ola a fair bit on another forum, and prior to Solar being a thing, used to email back and forth with him a lot. Always been a good guy. Then, as Solar came online it piqued my interest and another forum buddy started buying a lot of them and reselling them here in the US. Never once did he ever voice a concern about anything wrong with them. I bought my first Solar from him, and it's amazing. 

I now have three of them, including one I got a week ago, and no issues with any of them. Great playability, excellent fretwork, flawless finishes, and all that. And, when I ordered the one I just got, it shipped from Spain and was on my front porch in MN less than 3 days later - I buy stuff from stores/companies in the US that are less than a day's drive from me and they can't get it here that fast. So, for all that, I personally love the brand. 

However, seeing the negative feedback of those who have received messed up guitars definitely gives me pause and diminishes my overall opinion of Solar. If I shelled out $750-1500 for a guitar and it showed up with a cracked fretboard or some of the other issues I've seen, I'd be pretty pissed as well. If you're one of those people, sorry that happened to you - it must totally suck. 

Overall, I don't think this is a Solar only issue. I've picked up brand new $1200 Ibanez and nearly sliced my hand open on the razor sharp fret ends. I pulled a Jackson off the wall at a shop about a year ago and it was priced in the same range but was nearly unplayable and the treble side bridge pickup tab was snapped off. It happens to all of them. Unfortunately, with Solar you don't have a retail store who is going to decide this isn't going out for sale, (or worse you have ones that do) to shield the general public from some of the more horrific issues. Not to mention Solar isn't owned by a giant company like Fender, Hoshino Gakki or Yamaha - it's a guy who got Youtube rich and decided to take that and make some guitars he thought metal guitar players would enjoy. 

And, like Rev said earlier, the "internet lore" thing is a real deal. I've seen at least a dozen people totally flaming Ola and Solar for war crimes on the guitar community only to see that same person admit they've never even seen a Solar in person, much less touch one. Trolls be trolling. 

At the end of the day, every company makes their percentage of jacked up product. How they step up and take care of it is what really matters to me. So far, I've mostly seen reports of Solar taking care of things and/or the person never comes back to update their experience. But, like someone mentioned upstream, I'd love to see the actual stats on all of it...


----------



## BusinessMan

AMOS said:


> Are there any rumors of a Solar 8 string?


Have you looked at their website? Plenty on there.


----------



## BusinessMan

SonicBlur said:


> Yes, I had finish issues on the back. At the time it was super minor and I was just happy to have a Solar. I bought my 2nd one knowing full well the issues that could have affected it but I thought "nahh, I'll be fine." Lo and behold I an dealing with a cracked fret board in 2 spots, a peeling logo, frets sprouting (some spots bad enough that I cut my hand open). Being that it was purchased 2nd hand I'm on my own with it. Live and learn.


Didn't you buy it from a reverb shop that stated "sold as is" or "all sales final" something like that and try to get a refund? Seller was probably trying to just get rid of it and lied. Happens more often then not, especially online. I get why you'd be upset but buying second hand anything automatically voids most manufacturers warranties so double SOL there. 

The only place I ever see these issues are in this thread and on this forum so that's how i know about stuf. Although, I'm not looking up solar on social media nor trying to be a part of any of that toxic group shit. Mine did have some issues, but nothing crazy and is still holding up well.


----------



## Decapitated

Iron1 said:


> Like Rev, I've interacted with Ola a fair bit on another forum, and prior to Solar being a thing, used to email back and forth with him a lot. Always been a good guy. Then, as Solar came online it piqued my interest and another forum buddy started buying a lot of them and reselling them here in the US. Never once did he ever voice a concern about anything wrong with them. I bought my first Solar from him, and it's amazing.
> 
> I now have three of them, including one I got a week ago, and no issues with any of them. Great playability, excellent fretwork, flawless finishes, and all that. And, when I ordered the one I just got, it shipped from Spain and was on my front porch in MN less than 3 days later - I buy stuff from stores/companies in the US that are less than a day's drive from me and they can't get it here that fast. So, for all that, I personally love the brand.
> 
> However, seeing the negative feedback of those who have received messed up guitars definitely gives me pause and diminishes my overall opinion of Solar. If I shelled out $750-1500 for a guitar and it showed up with a cracked fretboard or some of the other issues I've seen, I'd be pretty pissed as well. If you're one of those people, sorry that happened to you - it must totally suck.
> 
> Overall, I don't think this is a Solar only issue. I've picked up brand new $1200 Ibanez and nearly sliced my hand open on the razor sharp fret ends. I pulled a Jackson off the wall at a shop about a year ago and it was priced in the same range but was nearly unplayable and the treble side bridge pickup tab was snapped off. It happens to all of them. Unfortunately, with Solar you don't have a retail store who is going to decide this isn't going out for sale, (or worse you have ones that do) to shield the general public from some of the more horrific issues. Not to mention Solar isn't owned by a giant company like Fender, Hoshino Gakki or Yamaha - it's a guy who got Youtube rich and decided to take that and make some guitars he thought metal guitar players would enjoy.
> 
> And, like Rev said earlier, the "internet lore" thing is a real deal. I've seen at least a dozen people totally flaming Ola and Solar for war crimes on the guitar community only to see that same person admit they've never even seen a Solar in person, much less touch one. Trolls be trolling.
> 
> At the end of the day, every company makes their percentage of jacked up product. How they step up and take care of it is what really matters to me. So far, I've mostly seen reports of Solar taking care of things and/or the person never comes back to update their experience. But, like someone mentioned upstream, I'd love to see the actual stats on all of it...


I love my Solar but agree that it sucks if the issues are not being addressed and threads are being deleted. That won’t make it go away.


----------



## AMOS

BusinessMan said:


> Have you looked at their website? Plenty on there.


I did a while back, all I saw was 6 and 7's


----------



## SonicBlur

BusinessMan said:


> Didn't you buy it from a reverb shop that stated "sold as is" or "all sales final" something like that and try to get a refund? Seller was probably trying to just get rid of it and lied. Happens more often then not, especially online. I get why you'd be upset but buying second hand anything automatically voids most manufacturers warranties so double SOL there.
> 
> The only place I ever see these issues are in this thread and on this forum so that's how i know about stuf. Although, I'm not looking up solar on social media nor trying to be a part of any of that toxic group shit. Mine did have some issues, but nothing crazy and is still holding up well.


My first Solar was directly from them, it was the green burl top S1.6HLB. That one did have finish issues but it was nothing worth hassling about. This was also before this became a known issue with Solars so I assumed that it was just a one-off thing. But I do remember checking a few times if I got a B-stock by accident. Ultimately it was not too bad so I felt confident that the 2nd one I got (off Reverb this time) was fine. But as you stated, the Reverb one was as-is etc. so Reverb didn't help with that. Just shitty luck on my part, I guess.


----------



## SonicBlur

RevDrucifer said:


> Which group was it? While Ola’s been a distant forum buddy for a long time, I’d rather not participate in a group actively deleting legit issues.


It was the "Solar Guitars User Community" Facebook group. That group is riddled with people with the same problem. I imagine I must have been TOO vocal and that gave me the boot, lol


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Man it's so weird having this thread in the Standard Guitars section. 

Anyways, apparently Ola said in a livestream that an X/Star shape IS actually down the pipeline? I don't watch livestreams but yeah, I just read that somewhere.


----------



## Iron1

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Man it's so weird having this thread in the Standard Guitars section.
> 
> Anyways, apparently Ola said in a livestream that an X/Star shape IS actually down the pipeline? I don't watch livestreams but yeah, I just read that somewhere.


He's been teasing that since like late last summer. Last I saw, he said it was coming this spring.


----------



## trickae

manu80 said:


> What’s the ratio between good solars and the ones having problems ?
> I was waiting to see how long it would take before people diss ola’s brand once the hype is gone, like other brands…


I have two solars a V1.7 and an E2.7.

Honestly, I haven't had any QC issues and both play really well. I did have problems in the past where the setup and tunning stability was an issue. Redid the setup multiple times and now it plays like a dream.


----------



## JimF

Iron1 said:


> He's been teasing that since like late last summer. Last I saw, he said it was coming this spring.



I watched a video recently where he had received the prototype, and also more recently than that I saw a blurred out section in some of the videos which usually means his kids, or an unreleased guitar, and it wasn't his offspring... Could be sooner than we think.


----------



## JimF

To clarify, there was a box on a table and he said "I've received the X shape prototype", rather than any images or more info. 
I just hope it doesn't have the ML-angle lower horn like the E type does.
If its a bevelled Ironbird I will literally buy 7


----------



## CanserDYI

AMOS said:


> I did a while back, all I saw was 6 and 7's


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

V1.6FRC+ - Carbon Black Matte - Solar Guitars- Website


This premium feature-loaded six-string guitar belongs to the Solar Type V1 top of the line range, offering outstanding elegance and performance.




www.solar-guitars.com





Has the Duncan Solar+ in it.


----------



## manu80

this in silver, and I think i can finally buy a Solar


----------



## Iron1

manu80 said:


> this in silver, and I think i can finally buy a Solar


The Solar silver finish is on point.


----------



## Zhysick

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> V1.6FRC+ - Carbon Black Matte - Solar Guitars- Website
> 
> 
> This premium feature-loaded six-string guitar belongs to the Solar Type V1 top of the line range, offering outstanding elegance and performance.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.solar-guitars.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Has the Duncan Solar+ in it.


OK I wasn't thinking in buying another Solar but I might consider...


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Who's Devin Townsend's co-guitarist for his current solo lineup? Devy posted a bunch of pictures of their rig and his other guitarist is using a lineup of Solars. 

Also thought it was interesting how Devy also had a couple of Aristidies teles with his Framuses.


----------



## Kyle Jordan

^Pascal showed off a White T/0 they made for Dev on the last Facebook livestream I saw. Loved that it had a completely clear backplate. Inspired me to ask about something like a red acrylic backplate from them.


----------



## mastapimp

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Who's Devin Townsend's co-guitarist for his current solo lineup? Devy posted a bunch of pictures of their rig and his other guitarist is using a lineup of Solars.
> 
> Also thought it was interesting how Devy also had a couple of Aristidies teles with his Framuses.


Stephen Platt


----------



## Iron1

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Who's Devin Townsend's co-guitarist for his current solo lineup? Devy posted a bunch of pictures of their rig and his other guitarist is using a lineup of Solars.
> 
> Also thought it was interesting how Devy also had a couple of Aristidies teles with his Framuses.


All the animal fur on the guitar rack makes me think it's someone who's credits have the words "Ex-Man O War" in them...


----------



## RevDrucifer

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Who's Devin Townsend's co-guitarist for his current solo lineup? Devy posted a bunch of pictures of their rig and his other guitarist is using a lineup of Solars.
> 
> Also thought it was interesting how Devy also had a couple of Aristidies teles with his Framuses.



Yeah, Dev got a few different guitars during the pandemic. In some of his livestreams he’s basically said “Framus makes my ultimate guitar and I’ll always go back to that, but if companies want to send me stuff to try out I’m not going to say no.” 

And I don’t blame him a single bit because more is more.


----------



## pahulkster

Devin's Framus stuff is absurd so if he is playing a Solar at all it's a testament to the brand. I don't remember the exact figure but in an interview he talked about how he was going to insure one of his Framus Vs and asked them for a quote. It was something like $25-40k and he just said fuck it because he didn't want to pay the premium.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

pahulkster said:


> Devin's Framus stuff is absurd so if he is playing a Solar at all it's a testament to the brand


Dev's not playing the Solars, it's his backup guitarist's (Stephen Platt) rig. Dev's still playing his Framuses and a couple of Aristides Teles. Stephen is a Solar endorsee as well.









Stephen Platt - COLLIBUS/GHOST KEEPER - Solar Guitars- Website


Stephen Platt is a Guitarist from the United Kingdom and is the founder of the UK Metal band Collibus. Having won the 2013 Parliamentary Rock the House Discretionary Metal Award, Collibus made history by becoming the first heavy metal band ever to play a set in the House of Commons...




www.solar-guitars.com


----------



## pahulkster

I looked up that interview (with Ola actually) and that V was 43k euros lol. I think in the same interview he said he wants Evertunes for his band so them using Solars definitely makes sense.

Pretty sure I'm going to order one of the 27" E series. Just looked and the shipping date went from April 2022 to January 2022 since I looked at it a week or so ago. Not sure what that is about but they were supposed to be shipping around now. I'll give it a few days to see if it changes.


----------



## trickae

Great seeing these Solar Guitar mods. What other mods have you guys tried out?

At this stage I'm looking at simple changes like swapping out the Duncan Solars for Nazgul/Sentients and Juggernaughts.


----------



## Iron1

trickae said:


> Great seeing these Solar Guitar mods. What other mods have you guys tried out?
> 
> At this stage I'm looking at simple changes like swapping out the Duncan Solars for Nazgul/Sentients and Juggernaughts.


Since I have two A2.6's, I swapped the Duncan Solar set in one for a set of Elysian Trident IIs. Love those pickups. Going to install a set of locking tuners once I figure out which ones are direct replacements and have a little extra cash to burn.


----------



## trickae

Iron1 said:


> Since I have two A2.6's, I swapped the Duncan Solar set in one for a set of Elysian Trident IIs. Love those pickups. Going to install a set of locking tuners once I figure out which ones are direct replacements and have a little extra cash to burn.


How do the Elysian's sound? Did it feet smoothly in the pickup cavities?

I have a V1.7 and E2.7. I'm hoping the duncan solars can be swapped out easily for the nazgul/sentients. I'm thinking of 500k pots and a black tusq nut. Maybe try a paint job like the Aleix Laiho Hexed signature.


----------



## STRHelvete

trickae said:


> How do the Elysian's sound? Did it feet smoothly in the pickup cavities?
> 
> I have a V1.7 and E2.7. I'm hoping the duncan solars can be swapped out easily for the nazgul/sentients. I'm thinking of 500k pots and a black tusq nut. Maybe try a paint job like the Aleix Laiho Hexed signature.


Do Solars come stock with 250k pots?


----------



## Iron1

trickae said:


> How do the Elysian's sound? Did it feet smoothly in the pickup cavities?
> 
> I have a V1.7 and E2.7. I'm hoping the duncan solars can be swapped out easily for the nazgul/sentients. I'm thinking of 500k pots and a black tusq nut. Maybe try a paint job like the Aleix Laiho Hexed signature.


The Elysians sound great, as they have in every guitar I've put them in. Imagine a more articulate, beefier Duncan Distortion. Like a Black Winter without the ice-picked high thing BWs have.

And, they fit perfectly. I know that's not always the case with aftermarket pickups, but they dropped right in. 

This is my first set of them, but in my 91 Ibanez 540SLTD: 



I think KnightBrolaire has a few Elysian sound samples in his shootout thread.


----------



## pahulkster

STRHelvete said:


> Do Solars come stock with 250k pots?


All that I have looked at without EMGS say 473k under capacitor lol. The EMGs have an .022uf spec for the capacitor which also isn't the capacitors for EMGs so I think that is all just a weird language issue or something. Never measured the pots in mine but they are definitely regular 500k.


----------



## SonicBlur

Slyrister902 said:


> Bought an A2.7LN in 2019. Neck was straight, nice fret finish, pick up sound really good.


Nice! You're one of the rare, lucky ones, LOL


----------



## Xaeldaren

I've been following Solar for a while, and it definitely seems like the pandemic hit them like a truck in terms of QC. In the earlier days of the brand, you can find videos of Ola flying out to Indonesia to perform QC himself. Seems like they still haven't yet got back to that level of consistency. I'm considering a Solar for my next 7-string to dip my toes in the Evertune waters, but I'm watching them carefully while I save up the funds to make sure it's not going to be a trainrweck. At least Thomann have a good return policy.


----------



## soul_lip_mike

When will people stop using "the pandemic" as the easy excuse?


----------



## xzacx

soul_lip_mike said:


> When will people stop using "the pandemic" as the easy excuse?


I plan on using it for the foreseeable future for social events I don't want to attend.


----------



## RevDrucifer

soul_lip_mike said:


> When will people stop using "the pandemic" as the easy excuse?



Maybe when the effects of it stop coming into play. 

I rely on vendors at my job for a LOT of shit that we can’t do in-house, getting them out to the property, even longtime vendors who we’ve worked with for decades, has been a major pain in the ass. While none of them say “It’s the pandemic”, all of them took massive hits to their staffing and have been largely unable to fill the gap since. 

I run a commercial campus and while we’re back to 80% capacity, the 20% that hasn’t come back yet is citing the pandemic as a reason for not being comfortable working in an office space. Whether that’s coming from the staff themselves or someone higher up the chain I don’t know, I just get told every other month “Next month we’re coming back” and then it gets repeated month after month. And I’m in Florida, go figure.


----------



## Chris Bowsman

soul_lip_mike said:


> When will people stop using "the pandemic" as the easy excuse?


I work for one of the major auto parts retailers, and we're still having supply issues. There are brands/weights of oil we haven't received in over a year.


----------



## STRHelvete

soul_lip_mike said:


> When will people stop using "the pandemic" as the easy excuse?


Do you think the pandemic and its effects have suddenly vanished from reality?


----------



## Chris Bowsman

STRHelvete said:


> Do you think the pandemic and its effects have suddenly vanished from reality?


Despite what I posted above, I get the eye roll reaction to everyone blaming the pandemic for everything. True or not, when you are expected to perform at 100%, it gets old.


----------



## STRHelvete

Chris Bowsman said:


> Despite what I posted above, I get the eye roll reaction to everyone blaming the pandemic for everything. True or not, when you are expected to perform at 100%, it gets old.


Well a worldwide pandemic that's still currently shutting parts of the world down is definitely a legit excuse. It's going to be a while for things to get back on track


----------



## Iron1

STRHelvete said:


> Do you think the pandemic and its effects have suddenly vanished from reality?


Sadly, a LOT of Americans do. I talk to folks weekly who make demands that the laws of space time are altered so they aren't inconvenienced by COVID related supply chain delays... then they act like you're lying when you explain the reasons for the delays...


----------



## soul_lip_mike

STRHelvete said:


> Do you think the pandemic and its effects have suddenly vanished from reality?


Saying the QC dipped "because of the pandemic" is such a cop out. They are still building the guitars fine, but suddenly they decided to start cutting corners on the QC before it leaves the factory? It's a BS excuse that has nothing to do with supply chain issues cited above.

Solar is getting a reputation for shitty QC on the internet and I don't think it's because of supply chain issues related to covid. That is my point. It was mostly responding to the person trying to justify the drop in QC using covid as an excuse:



> I've been following Solar for a while, and it definitely seems like the pandemic hit them like a truck in terms of QC


----------



## NoodleFace

Could be a myriad of issues. Maybe they can't keep staff, maybe they're training new people constantly, maybe they're at a reduced work capacity because of local restrictions - who really knows.

We have a global team at my very large tech company and stuff like Shanghai being completely locked down hurts us and will have ripple effects. Taiwan was also shut down for a few days and is having ripple effects.

I'm tired of the pandemic too, but on a global scale it's tough to measure how it has affected other areas of the world.


----------



## Xaeldaren

soul_lip_mike said:


> Saying the QC dipped "because of the pandemic" is such a cop out. They are still building the guitars fine, but suddenly they decided to start cutting corners on the QC before it leaves the factory? It's a BS excuse that has nothing to do with supply chain issues cited above.
> 
> Solar is getting a reputation for shitty QC on the internet and I don't think it's because of supply chain issues related to covid. That is my point. It was mostly responding to the person trying to justify the drop in QC using covid as an excuse:


I wasn't trying to justify it; I've no dog in this fight whatsoever beyond wanting a relatively cheap Evertune 7-string at some point  I just presumed that if the QC process involved the CEO of the company flying from Spain to Indonesia, that was likely impacted by the fact that there was a large amount of time where people couldn't fly whatsoever. The spotty-QC issues are exactly why I'm wary of grabbing one of these in future, as attractive as the specs/price point may be.


----------



## STRHelvete

soul_lip_mike said:


> Saying the QC dipped "because of the pandemic" is such a cop out. They are still building the guitars fine, but suddenly they decided to start cutting corners on the QC before it leaves the factory? It's a BS excuse that has nothing to do with supply chain issues cited above.
> 
> Solar is getting a reputation for shitty QC on the internet and I don't think it's because of supply chain issues related to covid. That is my point. It was mostly responding to the person trying to justify the drop in QC using covid as an excuse:


Considering that there are a number of factors that could actually be effected by the pandemic, I'm not sure why you think it's a lie.
Travel got fucked, inventory got fucked, manpower got fucked, finances got fucked. Now take that and apply it to Solar.
Now, take that and apply it to EVERY single company that Solar works with.
Take that and apply to EVERY supplier that Solar works with. I could be wrong but Solar seemed to be doing fine with no complaints for a good while, and then the issues with QC started happening. Even if those issues weren't pandemic related, trying to fix them can certainly be hindered by the pandemic.
If nothing else, it sure as hell doesn't help things. It's more logical to believe that Ola and the powers that be have a lot on their hands and they're trying to fix the issue, but covid is making things difficult. It's not as logical to believe that Solar is just purposely pumping out crap that will damage the company and ruin it even though there's nothing stopping them from fixing it.


----------



## RevDrucifer

Xaeldaren said:


> I wasn't trying to justify it; I've no dog in this fight whatsoever beyond wanting a relatively cheap Evertune 7-string at some point  I just presumed that if the QC process involved the CEO of the company flying from Spain to Indonesia, that was likely impacted by the fact that there was a large amount of time where people couldn't fly whatsoever. The spotty-QC issues are exactly why I'm wary of grabbing one of these in future, as attractive as the specs/price point may be.



I just got a lesson today in what happens when I‘m not able to keep my eyes on everything my staff does. It happens to me at least once a week, despite these guys knowing better. Just today I made the mistake of assuming they did the bare minimum and checked a breaker panel for a down AC, mainly because they told me they did. I have our electrical vendor come out and we both assume the bare minimum effort was put in and we start checking conduits, climbing in ceilings and disrupting tenants. After an hour and a half of getting no where, I check the breaker panel and the fuckin’ thing was tripped.

So I can definitely understand what happens when the main guy isn’t able to put eyes on things. Half my damn job is double checking my staff’s work, even though they’re more than capable of doing it properly, if given an inch, they’ll take a mile.

That said, whoever is overseeing the Solar FB page must be doing a REALLY good job at deleting anything remotely negative because I still haven’t seen any issues pop up in quite a while, just people saying the issues are still existing on forums.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

So Ola did a new video revisiting the Laney Ironheart, and he brought out his old S7G.


Someone brought this up and I agree it would be cool; a Solar based on the specs of his old S7G. Full-guitar binding, 27.5'' scale length, 26 frets, Duncan Distortions. Almost like Matt Heafy's doing with his Origin sig guitar.


----------



## Tree

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> So Ola did a new video revisiting the Laney Ironheart, and he brought out his old S7G.
> 
> 
> Someone brought this up and I agree it would be cool; a Solar based on the specs of his old S7G. Full-guitar binding, 27.5'' scale length, 26 frets, Duncan Distortions. Almost like Matt Heafy's doing with his Origin sig guitar.



I’ve always wondered why he hasn’t done this since starting Solar. I haven’t watched the video yet, so I could be completely off base, but maybe those specs aren’t really to his liking anymore? That was about a decade ago wasn’t it?

That said, I would actually scoop one up just for nostalgia reasons and it being a sick design.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Tree said:


> I’ve always wondered why he hasn’t done this since starting Solar. I haven’t watched the video yet, so I could be completely off base, but maybe those specs aren’t really to his liking anymore? That was about a decade ago wasn’t it?
> 
> That said, I would actually scoop one up just for nostalgia reasons and it being a sick design.


He talks about it around 5:35 in the video. Harder for him to play + higher strings sound harsh.


----------



## Hollowway

RevDrucifer said:


> That said, whoever is overseeing the Solar FB page must be doing a REALLY good job at deleting anything remotely negative because I still haven’t seen any issues pop up in quite a while, just people saying the issues are still existing on forums.


Lightbulb moment: Let's get THAT guy out to the factory to do QC. Nothing gets past him!


----------



## STRHelvete

Hollowway said:


> Lightbulb moment: Let's get THAT guy out to the factory to do QC. Nothing gets past him!


But can he see why kids love the taste of Cinnamon Toast Crunch?


----------



## CrimsonStar

Not exactly a Solar issue, but since the guitar in question is my Solar, I'll just ask here. My S1.6 has Evertune, which keeps the tuning really well. But ever since I got my guitar 2 years ago, I've noticed that most of the days the touch feels different, and I thought the problem is with the Evertune. But I was wrong, the problem is with the tuning pegs! The tuners for my e and b strings are more loose and easier to turn than other pegs, so they 'slip' during the night by themselves and since I like to be able to bend as easily as on a regular bridge, I always notice the difference in touch. I know, it's not a big deal to find the sweet spot everytime I pick up the guitar, but I was wondering if anyone here had the same issue, and is there a way to tighten up the tuning pegs so they wouldn't lose any tension?


----------



## Zhysick

CrimsonStar said:


> Not exactly a Solar issue, but since the guitar in question is my Solar, I'll just ask here. My S1.6 has Evertune, which keeps the tuning really well. But ever since I got my guitar 2 years ago, I've noticed that most of the days the touch feels different, and I thought the problem is with the Evertune. But I was wrong, the problem is with the tuning pegs! The tuners for my e and b strings are more loose and easier to turn than other pegs, so they 'slip' during the night by themselves and since I like to be able to bend as easily as on a regular bridge, I always notice the difference in touch. I know, it's not a big deal to find the sweet spot everytime I pick up the guitar, but I was wondering if anyone here had the same issue, and is there a way to tighten up the tuning pegs so they wouldn't lose any tension?



I havent had that problem myself actually, but one of the things I do as soon as I get a new guitar is to tighten all parts including the tuners although the Solar locking tuners were great but I do it mainly to avoid nose of parts vibrating. Normally if a tuner turns too easily you can tighten it up with the screw you can see in the tuning peg. Tighten it bit by bit since you will feel it can get too hard to turn and that's not good either. 

Apart from that, do this happen always or just if the strings are new? Because the Evertune "compensates" for the tuning so if the string is new and stretches the tuning will stay spot on but the "zone 2" will move backwards hence the more difficulty to bend... but if the string is already stretched and still happens this then it might be the tuner.


----------



## BusinessMan

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> So Ola did a new video revisiting the Laney Ironheart, and he brought out his old S7G.
> 
> 
> Someone brought this up and I agree it would be cool; a Solar based on the specs of his old S7G. Full-guitar binding, 27.5'' scale length, 26 frets, Duncan Distortions. Almost like Matt Heafy's doing with his Origin sig guitar.



His washburn sigs had a model that had the binding and looked awesome. I'd get one in a heartbeat (either washburn or solar) if the did it.


----------



## JazzS

New 29-Inch Baritone -


----------



## pahulkster

Not for me but that thing is sick. Still trying to decide if I really want the 27" E series.


----------



## PuriPuriPrisoner

JazzS said:


> New 29-Inch Baritone -
> 
> View attachment 107625



I hope they release a version without the ugly veneer. A 7 or 8 at 29+ inches would be very nice as well. They're basically impossible to get without a custom order.


----------



## Masoo2

JazzS said:


> New 29-Inch Baritone -
> 
> View attachment 107625



need not want n e e d

wish the bridge was up against the edge of the body though ;( seems like it'll be a stretch to play even when on the right leg


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH OLA
Now gimme a cheapo version with a standard hardtail and a white finish.


----------



## soldierkahn

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> He talks about it around 5:35 in the video. Harder for him to play + higher strings sound harsh.



he talks about how 27.5" is harder to play + higher strings sound harsh. his genius solution, release a 29" guitar llmfao


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

soldierkahn said:


> he talks about how 27.5" is harder to play + higher strings sound harsh. his genius solution, release a 29" guitar llmfao


...no shit huh.  
I mean I got no issue with it. :loll. The more 28''+ baritones, the better.


----------



## bostjan

PuriPuriPrisoner said:


> I hope they release a version without the ugly veneer. A 7 or 8 at 29+ inches would be very nice as well. They're basically impossible to get without a custom order.


If that thing came in a solid colour with seven strings, I'd have a tough time resisting!


----------



## BusinessMan

X shape when ola? Plis


----------



## mrdm53

Someone with any model of 8 string Solar with Evertune bridge please confirm:

What maximum gauge can you put in 8th string without any modification?


----------



## Andromalia

Isn't Evertune *and* long scale overkill ? The point of getting an evertune for me was to not need long scale and big strings to play lower without flub.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

Andromalia said:


> Isn't Evertune *and* long scale overkill ? The point of getting an evertune for me was to not need long scale and big strings to play lower without flub.



Gotta hit spec BINGO.


----------



## drb

Andromalia said:


> Isn't Evertune *and* long scale overkill ? The point of getting an evertune for me was to not need long scale and big strings to play lower without flub.


What so Evertune also increases string tension of thinner strings on shorter scale lengths? Or by flub do you mean pitch drift?


----------



## JimF

drb said:


> What so Evertune also increases string tension of thinner strings on shorter scale lengths? Or by flub do you mean pitch drift?



No it just eliminates some issues caused by low tunings with thinner strings and shorter scale lengths.


----------



## Xaeldaren

drb said:


> What so Evertune also increases string tension of thinner strings on shorter scale lengths? Or by flub do you mean pitch drift?


I presume it means you can get away with using lighter gauge strings that don't generate as much bass reponse without having their noodle-like state affect tone or pitch drifting etc.


----------



## drb

Well yeah, then Evertune + longer scale length still makes sense if you don't like spaghetti strings.


----------



## danbox

I’m down for more 28+ 6 strings. I’m learning meshuggah on a 25.5-27” 7 and it’s 3 strings too many


----------



## 8195229

Andromalia said:


> Isn't Evertune *and* long scale overkill ? The point of getting an evertune for me was to not need long scale and big strings to play lower without flub.


A combo of Evertune and long scale length isn't overkill. You get a couple of benefits depending on the way you setup the bridge. In one setting, lets say you're recording rhythm and you have a heavy picking hand. With the evertune you can combat the pitch going sharp regardless of how hard you pick.

Now even with an appropriate gauge and long scale without evertune, you'll still get a sharp pitch shift if you pick hard. And of course the overtones main ability to stay in tune. Which when recording is an annoying process to constantly adjust.


----------



## Andromalia

8195229 said:


> Now even with an appropriate gauge and long scale without evertune, you'll still get a sharp pitch shift if you pick hard.


Well, it takes _really _over the top picking for it to happen with my 27" Ultratone, tbh. I picked an ET guitar so I could play downtuned but with lighter strings and keep the ligher string attack. 
Nowadays it's all moot as I use the fractal pitch shifter when needed, all my guitars are in E.


----------



## soul_lip_mike

Since there weren't already enough Solar models, today they announced they are selling them with sustainiacs!


----------



## STRHelvete

I hate super strats but I'd really like to try a Solar. Just something about them I like.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

An E with the sustainiac or another 29''+ baritone but with a "proper" bridge would slay me rn.


----------



## T00DEEPBLUE

So... nobody has posted this leak yet?

Don't mind if I do then


----------



## Crundles

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> So... nobody has posted this leak yet?
> 
> Don't mind if I do then


Praying to any and all possible deities for 26.5 inch 7-string.


----------



## KnightBrolaire

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> So... nobody has posted this leak yet?
> 
> Don't mind if I do then


finally a solar i'd buy


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> So... nobody has posted this leak yet?
> 
> Don't mind if I do then



If it's real... I fucks with it.
Basically a Stealth but they put a Rhoads on the ass end instead of a symmetrical V.


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> So... nobody has posted this leak yet?
> 
> Don't mind if I do then



Holy what the fuck gimme a floyd one 

Ola fucks with sustainiacs too and if he puts out a 7 with both of those I will invest so fast 

it's honestly the best pointy X I've seen, second best X only to the stealth


----------



## Andromalia

As I'm fully satisfied with my first solar, I'd buy one with sustainiac + evertune
I could have one installed but I actually like that the neck pickup is just a tad more bassy and not a sludgefest like most other guitars so I wanna keep it.


----------



## soul_lip_mike

TheBolivianSniper said:


> Holy what the fuck gimme a floyd one


Luckily solar puts out 12 versions of each guitar with Floyd’s evertunes etc. you should be fine.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

soul_lip_mike said:


> Luckily solar puts out 12 versions of each guitar with Floyd’s evertunes etc. you should be fine.


Although lately it's been nothing but Evertunes and Fishmans it seems like


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Although lately it's been nothing but Evertunes and Fishmans it seems like



once again fuck evertunes, gimme a TOM all day bc that shit comfy


----------



## NoodleFace

I prefer the low profile of an evertune or hipshot because I'm a Floyd man. But seriously can we stop equopping every guitar with fishmans


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

NoodleFace said:


> I prefer the low profile of an evertune or hipshot because I'm a Floyd man. But seriously can we stop equopping every guitar with fishmans



Yep. I actually wish he stuck to puttiing Duncan Solars in everything because at least they keep the price down and you can replace them with your own favorite pickups. I liked that mindset when Chappers initially started Chapman Guitars; cheapo pickups you can replace.


----------



## NoodleFace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Yep. I actually wish he stuck to puttiing Duncan Solars in everything because at least they keep the price down and you can replace them with your own favorite pickups. I liked that mindset when Chappers initially started Chapman Guitars; cheapo pickups you can replace.


Yeah that was kind of the deal with Ibanez years ago. Shitty v7/v8s that you basically knew when you bought it you'd replace. 

Some of us don't like actives


----------



## profwoot

Compared to





I think I still prefer the Xiphos body shape. The Solar is close but just a bit incongruous with the rectilinear front half and curvilinear back half. The Solar headstock is basically a modernized Ibanez headstock and will probably have somewhat better specs though.


----------



## Perge

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> If it's real... I fucks with it.
> Basically a Stealth but they put a Rhoads on the ass end instead of a symmetrical V.


Be the closest we get to a "modern ml" me thinks.


----------



## Naxxpipe

Would have preferred if the front lower horn was mirrored from the rear lower horn, giving it a more "oneness". That being said, I will be hard to resist if this has a version with a TOM bridge.


----------



## manu80

That lower horn under the neck still needs to be raised a bit to look good visually to me, it’s pointing downwards too much
I’ll wait for a floyd version


----------



## Kyle Jordan

T00DEEPBLUE said:


> So... nobody has posted this leak yet?
> 
> Don't mind if I do then



I dig it.


----------



## STRHelvete

Yeah I wish the legs were both symmetrical, but that's just ne being an ML fan


----------



## JimF

I was so hyped for this but now I've seen it I'm not sure... I don't know what I'd change but something feels off to me...


----------



## MFB

JimF said:


> I was so hyped for this but now I've seen it I'm not sure... I don't know what I'd change but something feels off to me...



It needs the upper bass side horn to make it an actual 'X' shape vs. a Rhoads-esque ML; right now it's really neither, and gets a lukewarm reception as such from me.


----------



## KnightBrolaire

profwoot said:


> Compared to
> 
> 
> View attachment 109070
> 
> 
> I think I still prefer the Xiphos body shape. The Solar is close but just a bit incongruous with the rectilinear front half and curvilinear back half. The Solar headstock is basically a modernized Ibanez headstock and will probably have somewhat better specs though.


It's not a xiphos derivative, it's more of kramer striker or more aggressive kelly star


----------



## RevDrucifer

I was thinking my next guitar would probably be a Solar 7-string, the Sustainiac just solidified that for me. I’ve been wanting one for years now. Might hold out a while and see if they’ll use any other colors on it.


----------



## JimF

KnightBrolaire said:


> It's not a xiphos derivative, it's more of kramer striker or more aggressive kelly star



I literally just realised the Kelly Star likeness!


----------



## KnightBrolaire

JimF said:


> I literally just realised the Kelly Star likeness!


Kramer voyager/striker 500st:


----------



## MAJ Meadows SF

JimF said:


> I literally just realised the Kelly Star likeness!


Yeah that’s gonna be an insta-buy for me. And whenever he releases one with a Floyd. Single humbucker floyd model would be perfect.


----------



## JimF

KnightBrolaire said:


> Kramer voyager/striker 500st:
> View attachment 109101



Oooooh yeah that's even closer!
I just wanted an ESP SD2 with a 25.5" scale


----------



## MAJ Meadows SF

TheBolivianSniper said:


> once again fuck evertunes, gimme a TOM all day bc that shit comfy


YES! I remember when people poopoo’d TOMs when everyone wanted a Hipshot or whatever else. When I bought my first KxK I was not thrilled it had one... until I played it. Recessed TOM is the most comfortable bridge period.


NoodleFace said:


> I prefer the low profile of an evertune or hipshot because I'm a Floyd man. But seriously can we stop equopping every guitar with fishmans


I despise Fishmans. Too honky for me. They need to go back to EMGs or mix it up a little at least. I get their benefit, but the tone just grates my ears. The most recent KsE live album is a great example of the cocked-wah honk.


----------



## JimF

MAJ Meadows SF said:


> YES! I remember when people poopoo’d TOMs when everyone wanted a Hipshot or whatever else. When I bought my first KxK I was not thrilled it had one... until I played it. Recessed TOM is the most comfortable bridge period.



I always found the sharp edge of the saddle digs into the edge of my hand (karate chop area)


----------



## STRHelvete

MAJ Meadows SF said:


> YES! I remember when people poopoo’d TOMs when everyone wanted a Hipshot or whatever else. When I bought my first KxK I was not thrilled it had one... until I played it. Recessed TOM is the most comfortable bridge period.
> 
> I despise Fishmans. Too honky for me. They need to go back to EMGs or mix it up a little at least. I get their benefit, but the tone just grates my ears. The most recent KsE live album is a great example of the cocked-wah honk.


I feel like we've entered the age of way too much mids. It's only a matter of time before we push through and go back to the 10-0-10 eq formula. Everything is a cycle.


----------



## josh1

This in neon pink


----------



## JimF

STRHelvete said:


> I feel like we've entered the age of way too much mids. It's only a matter of time before we push through and go back to the 10-0-10 eq formula. Everything is a cycle.



When does the HM2 10-10-10 phase start again?


----------



## STRHelvete

JimF said:


> When does the HM2 10-10-10 phase start again?


Hell if I know..but I'm starting to see more and more people complain about mid abuse on albums and in live tones so I think we're gonna start seeing the scooped mids reaction pretty soon


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

STRHelvete said:


> Hell if I know..but I'm starting to see more and more people complain about mid abuse on albums and in live tones so I think we're gonna start seeing the scooped mids reaction pretty soon


People took the "guitars are a midrange instrument" advice too seriously.
"But I cut through the mix" yeah and now you sound like a 1940's radio commercial.


----------



## MFB

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> People took the "guitars are a midrange instrument" advice too seriously.
> "But I cut through the mix" yeah and now you sound like a 1940's radio commercial.



All I can picture in my head now black-and-white Disturbed and Dave Draiman keeps singing "Do-wop-op-op-op"


----------



## Zhysick

JimF said:


> I always found the sharp edge of the saddle digs into the edge of my hand (karate chop area)



You know you gan file the edges of the saddles and make them rounder so it feels nice on your hand, right?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Zhysick said:


> You know you gan file the edges of the saddles and make them rounder so it feels nice on your hand, right?


Even as a fellow ToM defender, it sucks when you have to do this to gold or black ToMs because it ruins the finish.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

Zhysick said:


> You know you gan file the edges of the saddles and make them rounder so it feels nice on your hand, right?



Or just get GraphTech saddles that are already rounded over.


----------



## MAJ Meadows SF

JimF said:


> When does the HM2 10-10-10 phase start again?


I never left it. Frankly I almost always have a tad amount of HM-2 within every signal chain I run for metal. THAT helps cut through any mix (if it’s balanced well), plus I always get my mids from the amp and pedals. Mid heavy pickups just sound too nasally, chirpy, or honky. With this Solar X, I’ll be swapping to a Het Set & playing both mid scooped & HM-2 glory until my neighbors call the cops! 


HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Even as a fellow ToM defender, it sucks when you have to do this to gold or black ToMs because it ruins the finish.


The TOMs on KxKs are already rounded. Probably have different saddles than stock. Conversely, I’ve had sharp saddles in Hipshots that needed replacing.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

MaxOfMetal said:


> Or just get GraphTech saddles that are already rounded over.


I actually just remembered I got a random ToM 7 string that has string saver saddles on them. I may need to transplant those saddles onto a guitar that has sharp saddles...


----------



## Kyle Jordan

STRHelvete said:


> I feel like we've entered the age of way too much mids.





HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> People took the "guitars are a midrange instrument" advice too seriously.
> "But I cut through the mix" yeah and now you sound like a 1940's radio commercial.


If I could like these posts a thousand times over, I would. I’ve said similar many, many times.


----------



## sylcfh

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> People took the "guitars are a midrange instrument" advice too seriously.
> "But I cut through the mix" yeah and now you sound like a 1940's radio commercial.





That's an insult to the artists and producers from the 1940's. No way was that music anywhere near as compressed as the garbage you hear today. There's been literally zero dynamics in recorded metal tone for the last 15+ years.


----------



## Hoss632

And solar pretty much just built the perfect guitar. There's a 7 with the same specs as well. I love white with roasted maple. I think this is their first set neck guitar. interesting choice for the scale length. It's 24.75 on the high strings to a 26 inch on the low strings for the 6 string. The 7 is a bit more traditional, 25.5 to 27 inch on the fan.


----------



## soul_lip_mike

Perfect but a solar?


----------



## Taikatatti

would buy if it wasn't a solar


----------



## Andromalia

Is the pink one with a rosewood neck on todays Sunday with Ola new or did I miss something ?


----------



## narojo

Hoss632 said:


> And solar pretty much just built the perfect guitar. There's a 7 with the same specs as well. I love white with roasted maple. I think this is their first set neck guitar. interesting choice for the scale length. It's 24.75 on the high strings to a 26 inch on the low strings for the 6 string. The 7 is a bit more traditional, 25.5 to 27 inch on the fan.
> View attachment 109723


That is sexy. Bet the neck is super stable!


----------



## danbox

Andromalia said:


> Is the pink one with a rosewood neck on todays Sunday with Ola new or did I miss something ?


It’s the above white model, just with the pink/purple office lights making it look pink. Unless there was another guitar I didn’t see


----------



## mbardu

Hoss632 said:


> And solar pretty much just built the perfect guitar. There's a 7 with the same specs as well. I love white with roasted maple. I think this is their first set neck guitar. interesting choice for the scale length. It's 24.75 on the high strings to a 26 inch on the low strings for the 6 string. The 7 is a bit more traditional, 25.5 to 27 inch on the fan.
> View attachment 109723



Hate the finish and color, love the specs.


----------



## xeno99

Is there any solid info on the release of the X/ML-shape Solars or is it just leaks and rumors so far?


----------



## JimF

Just disappointing leaks and optimistic rumours as of yet.


----------



## Roncore

xeno99 said:


> Is there any solid info on the release of the X/ML-shape Solars or is it just leaks and rumors so far?


This was the last thing I've seen regarding.


----------



## Tree

TC204 said:


> Who services these guitars if they have issues?


Like, after you, the consumer has purchased one? Any tech willing to take your money, I guess.


----------



## STRHelvete

Roncore said:


> This was the last thing I've seen regarding.


God I wish those legs were even


----------



## JimF

I read somewhere that was a fan-made photoshop... Hopefully.


----------



## Powernet

Hi guys! 
Im planning to buy one/two Solar Explorers, but there few models where we can take swamp Ash, mahagony and alder at Jensen Signature, which I like how it looks, but not Fishmans. 
I think I will buy E2 Lime and second I want take Red color guitar like another E2 with Sungkai. good choice? 

All the time I played almost only at mahagony guitars and Im playing Amon Amarth songs, where you know we need fat, massive sound. and they use mahagony guitars of course.

But can i get swamp Ash or Alder guitar and be not disappointed of their sound? because every wood has own sound even we can change pickups. can i get almost the same fat sound at ash/alder? 

Yesterday I heard a lot of videos where Ash guitars has sonorous and high - pitched which I dont like. 
Please help me with your high experience and links to samples/videos.


----------



## Hollowway

Powernet said:


> Hi guys!
> Im planning to buy one/two Solar Explorers, but there few models where we can take swamp Ash, mahagony and alder at Jensen Signature, which I like how it looks, but not Fishmans.
> I think I will buy E2 Lime and second I want take Red color guitar like another E2 with Sungkai. good choice?
> 
> All the time I played almost only at mahagony guitars and Im playing Amon Amarth songs, where you know we need fat, massive sound. and they use mahagony guitars of course.
> 
> But can i get swamp Ash or Alder guitar and be not disappointed of their sound? because every wood has own sound even we can change pickups. can i get almost the same fat sound at ash/alder?
> 
> Yesterday I heard a lot of videos where Ash guitars has sonorous and high - pitched which I dont like.
> Please help me with your high experience and links to samples/videos.


My opinion is you’ll be just fine.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I owned a couple of ash bodied guitars and TBH I found them really thick sounding.


----------



## nickgray

Powernet said:


> because every wood has own sound



No, it contributes nothing or next to nothing.

Fwiw, I have a Solar and I found the pickups to be fairly middy and dark, the output is kinda medium. It's a swamp ash too. Meanwhile, my all mahogany LTD with a Custom 5 is way, way brighter.



Powernet said:


> where you know we need fat, massive sound



In a metal mix guitars are pretty thin, the fat and massive sound comes from the bass primarily, and the kick and snare as well.


----------



## Powernet

Thanks, guys. So no i have looking on two Solars:
E1.6 CANIBALISMO (Swamp Ash)​E1.6 JENSEN MKII (Alder)​
Both looks nice, have Evertune, but problem is that no reviews/demos of Jensen MKII and im afraid it will have less body sound in compare to mah/ash.
And at any Solar samples where used Alder guiat i feel/hear this a less power of sound....


----------



## nickgray

Powernet said:


> but problem is that no reviews/demos of Jensen MKII



I know this is futile, but I'll still try.

Reviews/demos give you ZERO information on how the guitar sounds. Even if you got DIs from that guitar it will still give you next to no information because it's not you playing - not your technique, not your setup, not your pick. Do you understand how many variables there are between the reviewer playing the guitar and you the listener? It's like retelling something a friend of a cousin of your uncle's coworker said 10 years ago.


----------



## Powernet

nickgray said:


> I know this is futile, but I'll still try.


oh okay)
btw, how to get response from Solar company? i send few tickets with with pre-purchase questions and no response for few days but it was weekends. today only monday passed.
do you have another contact where i can write them? maybe their email?


----------



## RevDrucifer

nickgray said:


> I know this is futile, but I'll still try.
> 
> Reviews/demos give you ZERO information on how the guitar sounds. Even if you got DIs from that guitar it will still give you next to no information because it's not you playing - not your technique, not your setup, not your pick. Do you understand how many variables there are between the reviewer playing the guitar and you the listener? It's like retelling something a friend of a cousin of your uncle's coworker said 10 years ago.



This. 

I honestly think that 9x out of 10 when people come to conclusions about tone it’s got more to do with some kind of mental/feel thing than anything else. They might have a guitar that’s particularly loud unplugged which lends itself to them believing it’s got more balls when plugged in, or they pick up a heavy ass guitar and end up believing the guitar sounds ‘heavier’ as a result. 

My E-type is a heavy bastard, easily the heaviest guitar I own. Does that translate to it being a “heavy sounding guitar”? No. But it certainly lends itself to me playing heavy ass shit on it because it feels like that’s what needs to be played on it.


----------



## nickgray

RevDrucifer said:


> it’s got more to do with some kind of mental/feel thing than anything else



It's also the same stuff being repeated over and over again. Like mahogany is dark sounding. You see it repeated a couple of times, and sure enough - you plug a guitar with a mahogany body in, you expect it to sound dark, and it does. Purely because you expected it.



RevDrucifer said:


> But it certainly lends itself to me playing heavy ass shit on it because it feels like that’s what needs to be played on it.



Oh yeah, I've been gasing for a black LP, which I absolutely do not need, but I just can't get it out of my head how cool it would be to play some evil sounding shit in B standard on a black LP. It's ridiculous, but that's just typical GAS.



RevDrucifer said:


> hey might have a guitar that’s particularly loud unplugged



You know, after a few years of playing through closed back headphones, I'm convinced this is the way to go. Having the unplugged sound bleed in with the amped tone is just bad, especially with high gain, because you absolutely will be reacting to the unplugged sound, and distorted tones just do not behave in the same manner. Even cleans, unless you dial them absolutely pristine with no compression at all, won't respond the same - because of compression.


----------



## Powernet

guys, can i install simply EMG 57 into Fishman modern wire system at 3 pin? is then emg will works fully as needed? or will lose some sound? thanks


----------



## JimF

Can't say for definite but I doubt they'd be compatible. That's normally rule no.1 on proprietary wiring connectors.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

the perfect shade of blue


----------



## nickgray




----------



## Quiet Coil

Powernet said:


> guys, can i install simply EMG 57 into Fishman modern wire system at 3 pin? is then emg will works fully as needed? or will lose some sound? thanks


Works the other way around, should be just fine (obviously no push-pull functionality).


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Yeah EMGs are compatable with Fishmans. You'll just have some spare unused pins and switches. 

The other way around isn't true because Fishmans need a bridge ground.


----------



## Quiet Coil

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Yeah EMGs are compatable with Fishmans. You'll just have some spare unused pins and switches.
> 
> The other way around isn't true because Fishmans need a bridge ground.


Got me there. I will say that most guitars I’ve had that came stock with EMG’s usually had them grounded (whether necessary or not).


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Quiet Coil said:


> Got me there. I will say that most guitars I’ve had that came stock with EMG’s usually had them grounded (whether necessary or not).


It's not always a guarantee. I bought a PRS Torero that someone put Duncans in and it was noisy as fuck. Turns out a bridge ground was never installed. Had to drill a hole and everything.


----------



## BusinessMan

When did solar stop offering the gig bags with the guitars? Was browsing the website and the models I was looking at don't come with them anymore.


----------



## Zhysick

BusinessMan said:


> When did solar stop offering the gig bags with the guitars? Was browsing the website and the models I was looking at don't come with them anymore.


As far as I have always seen it was only some Artist models that came with gig bags... but maybe I didn't start checking them soon enough...


----------



## BusinessMan

Zhysick said:


> As far as I have always seen it was only some Artist models that came with gig bags... but maybe I didn't start checking them soon enough...


I got my e2.7 in mid 2020 and it came with those nice solar gig bags. As far as I know, all the solar used to come with one. Browsing the website, everything seems to be marked "unavailable", even the more expensive models.


----------



## Hoss632

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Yeah EMGs are compatable with Fishmans. You'll just have some spare unused pins and switches.
> 
> The other way around isn't true because Fishmans need a bridge ground.


I always read that you can hot swap FIshman's into an EMG equipped guitar with the quick connect. You're just limited to voice 1 on said pick up.


----------



## Zhysick

BusinessMan said:


> I got my e2.7 in mid 2020 and it came with those nice solar gig bags. As far as I know, all the solar used to come with one. Browsing the website, everything seems to be marked "unavailable", even the more expensive models.



This signature model says included... That's how I has seen all of them since I started checking the brand to buy one and las year, early 2021, I bought one and no gigbag was included...









A1.6ATG Baritone - CARBON BLACK MATTE - Solar Guitars- Website


A1.6 Baritone ATG features an original Hipshot bridge and a pair of Fishman Fluence Modern active humbucker pickups revealing pure and musical tone.




www.solar-guitars.com





But yeah, still some signature/artist models says not available so maybe there are some kind of sourcing issue...


----------



## cowboystring

I would love one


----------



## Laanscapes

Hi guys,
New to the forum. Long-time lurker. I've seen a ton of messages surrounding the attached image. Was it fake, photoshopped, a leak or an actual release...

Being a photographer and an adept Photoshop user, it's a mock-up I made based on the backside of an early X-shape preview that Ola shared in a video and was subsequently found on Metalmusicians. I combined with elements taken from the E- and V-type AAN finishes. I wished it would look something like this and one of the first releases would be a 6-string AAN, that's why I wanted to visualize it. However, I'm here to claim the creation of this mock-up. Either like it or hate it - it's all speculation.

Maybe on SWOLA #100? 

Best,
Daniel
Laanscapes.com


----------



## JimF

Props to you for coming here! And great work!


----------



## RevDrucifer

I got a gig bag with my E-type last September. Funnily enough, just two days ago I remembered it came with one when I was trying to find the truss rod wrench. Really need to get a hard case for this thing.


----------



## manu80

Looks very good
Still if the angle are sharp on the sides, to me the bottom should be the same instead of that light curb like a concorde
And then we arrive at a dime stealth shape  ah ah


----------



## MFB

Personally, I'd half that treble side lower horn so it's less Dean ML and more X shape like you typically see with a Xiphos/Warrior/Stealth, etc


----------



## StevenC

When did that 8 string V get announced? Other than the ET it is absolutely perfect.


----------



## JimF

StevenC said:


> When did that 8 string V get announced? Because of the ET it is absolutely perfect.


FTFY


----------



## JimF

Ola out here beating Ibanez at their own game







I just wish I wasn't a fretboard inlay using caveman. I don't even lean over the neck to see what's going on. Don't know what I do lol.


----------



## mpexus

JimF said:


> Ola out here beating Ibanez at their own game


Top one should also have a matching Headstock.
Also to beat Ibby's on its own game it needs a proper Floating Bridge, remember the Ibbys have the real Edge


----------



## JimF

Two points I can't argue with!


----------



## MFB

For real, he's doing a huge disservice to that laser blue by going with an unfinished headstock; even black would be better.


----------



## Xaeldaren

Fuck all of you; fretboard matching headstock > body matching headstock gang for life. There are dozens of us! Dozens!


----------



## jrn1308

Frogleapstudios posted a short video on Instagram:







Hopfully the official reveal of the X-type isn't too far away.


----------



## MASS DEFECT

Laanscapes said:


> However, I'm here to claim the creation of this mock-up. Either like it or hate it - it's all speculation.
> 
> Maybe on SWOLA #100?
> 
> Best,
> Daniel
> Laanscapes.com
> View attachment 112737



In light of the Insta posts above, I call BS that it's "all speculation". 

lmao


----------



## MAJ Meadows SF

jrn1308 said:


> Frogleapstudios posted a short video on Instagram:
> 
> View attachment 113278
> 
> 
> View attachment 113279
> 
> 
> Hopfully the official reveal of the X-type isn't too far away.


Damn slime green? I gotta get on that wagon right away. Looks like an Evertune, which is cool, but I need one with a Floyd too. I’m stoked either way. This will dull the sting from all the BCR Ironbirds that I can never land because they never produce enough/any.


----------



## Mathemagician

MAJ Meadows SF said:


> Damn slime green? I gotta get on that wagon right away. Looks like an Evertune, which is cool, but I need one with a Floyd too. I’m stoked either way. This will dull the sting from all the BCR Ironbirds that I can never land because they never produce enough/any.



Yeah I’d be ok with either a hipshot or floyd version. Been waiting on BCR for what feels like forever. I’ll forgive 1-2 years because of the whole world production etc. but still.


----------



## MAJ Meadows SF

Mathemagician said:


> Yeah I’d be ok with either a hipshot or floyd version. Been waiting on BCR for what feels like forever. I’ll forgive 1-2 years because of the whole world production etc. but still.


Not me. They’re dead in my eyes. I’ll buy a used USA made model when the prices chill and refinish it in Ultraviolet and call it good. And I love their legendary models, but I just can’t pander to their brand anymore. Buy used and make it better.


----------



## Mathemagician

Oh agreed. I meant more like “I’ll let it be and not worry anymore”. I’m def not waiting on something coming that I’d actually want to buy.


----------



## Ikaruga

Xaeldaren said:


> Fuck all of you; fretboard matching headstock > body matching headstock gang for life. There are dozens of us! Dozens!


for real, painted headstocks are ugly af


----------



## Perge

Interested to see what he does as far as scale length. Itching for a 24 3/4 like an ML, as those are getting harder to find lately. Do not like the input jack placement.


----------



## MFB

Fuck man, I had a surge in Warrior GAS last week and that thing would also be rad as hell to have for an X shape. Tune that down bad boy down to C and let the melodeath fly.

Edit: nevermind, strap pin is at the neck joint not on the upper horn, god damn it. get ready for neckdive.


----------



## jl-austin

Interesting, but I don't feel like dealing with importing.


----------



## mehegama

looks like an ML with some Xiphos vibes on the asymmetric horns on the bottom. Not very original but a nice implementation


----------



## RevDrucifer

jl-austin said:


> Interesting, but I don't feel like dealing with importing.



The only thing I had to do was pay a $60 import fee (I think it was $60?) that was prompted via e-mail. Didn’t feel like I had to ‘deal’ with anything.


----------



## 4x3

RevDrucifer said:


> ... Didn’t feel like I had to ‘deal’ with anything.


Maybe if you're state-side. I'd be charged 21% VAT of total + courier customs processing fees

I've been jones'n for an x-shape (Warrior, Xiphos, ML, etc) and while it would not at all be in the spirit of Dime, I'd want a 7 with either multi-scale or straight 27". Really digging that neon green too


----------



## danbox

Has anyone gotten the 29” model? Debating whether or not to pick one up…


----------



## JimF

4x3 said:


> Maybe if you're state-side. I'd be charged 21% VAT of total + courier customs processing fees
> 
> I've been jones'n for an x-shape (Warrior, Xiphos, ML, etc) and while it would not at all be in the spirit of Dime, I'd want a 7 with either multi-scale or straight 27". Really digging that neon green too



The Solar distribution centre is in Spain... Just drive down


----------



## Duraesu




----------



## Naxxpipe

Looks pretty cool, IMO. Hopefully we will get some more info now that it is "officially" teased.


----------



## 4x3

JimF said:


> The Solar distribution centre is in Spain... Just drive down


I saw his video when he had to fly to Madrid to take care of Solar stuff, but I had since forgotten what it was about. If it's a distribution center, I'd be surprised if there's a storefront and allowed entrance to the general public

Just checked the site and I didn't see any mention of it, but if they ship from the EU, I wouldn't be charged customs fees


----------



## KnightBrolaire

oooh I want that slime green X shape. I've been jonesing for another pointy.


----------



## JimF

4x3 said:


> I saw his video when he had to fly to Madrid to take care of Solar stuff, but I had since forgotten what it was about. If it's a distribution center, I'd be surprised if there's a storefront and allowed entrance to the general public
> 
> Just checked the site and I didn't see any mention of it, but if they ship from the EU, I wouldn't be charged customs fees



Yeah no storefront but just wondering if you shot them an email if they’d make an exception


----------



## MFB

Looking at that new photo, all I can see is a slightly refined Razorback, or maybe even a slightly fucked up Ironbird; curious to see what the official photos from Solar will end up like, and if it's enough to give it it's own profile.


----------



## jl-austin

looks like a Peavey Vortex 1 from the 80's.


----------



## Seabeast2000

danbox said:


> Has anyone gotten the 29” model? Debating whether or not to pick one up…


Which model is that?


----------



## Naxxpipe

Ola mentioned the X-shape in yesterdays Sunday with Ola video, but it boils down to "yes it exists, but we're not saying more atm".


----------



## Andromalia

Looks like Ola didn't get the memo about the proper jack placement being under the upper horn. It's the only gripe I have with my current solar V.


----------



## JimF

Naxxpipe said:


> Ola mentioned the X-shape in yesterdays Sunday with Ola video, but it boils down to "yes it exists, but we're not saying more atm".



Looks like the Frogleap Studio pic leak must have been genuinely accidental then.


----------



## Naxxpipe

Maybe. He did use it when he played with Frogleap live, and showed a clip from the concert to tease the X-shape during the SWOLA.


----------



## JimF

Ah okay, ignore me. I'm a little behind with the SWOLAs!


----------



## Naxxpipe

JimF said:


> Ah okay, ignore me. I'm a little behind with the SWOLAs!



I usually never watch them, but it did say X-shape tease in the title, so I had to.


----------



## JimF

As mentioned before, I'm behind with my Ola videos, but has there been any mention of the parts shop idea he had? Where you could buy a neck and body separately and make your ultimate Solar combination? Or is he just planning to release every possible combination as a limited run?


----------



## zw470

JimF said:


> As mentioned before, I'm behind with my Ola videos, but has there been any mention of the parts shop idea he had? Where you could buy a neck and body separately and make your ultimate Solar combination? Or is he just planning to release every possible combination as a limited run?



An actual storefront like a Build A Bear for guitars would be cool.


----------



## neptoess

That X shape reminds me of the Guild X-88 "Flying Star"








Guild X88 1984 Flying star Purple burst | Reverb


This Guitar sounds and plays great and is a rare collectors piece, It has blemishes in the finish as shown in the pictures and a crack in the pickup ring but all the hardware and electronics are in original mint condition and work as they should




reverb.com


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands




----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands




----------



## JimF

I like that, the single hum setup makes the odd angle of the lower horn less noticable.


----------



## Jarmake

A model for GOD DAMN KIRK WINDSTEIN. Let the riffing begin!

Can't say that I'm the biggest fan of the Solar explorer model, it's a bit odd looking one for sure... But hey, this is for the rifflord himself. I hope to see it on the stage with Down.


----------



## jrn1308

And another signature guitar: Fucking Nocturno Culto.









A bit more basic than the Kirk Windstein but holy shit, I totally love that Tobacco Burst.


----------



## pahulkster

I really like the Nocturno model too. He announced that quite a while ago and I was curious what it would be like.


----------



## gunch

His X shape is ok, like the middle ground between a Warrior and a ML/Razorback

Angles don't match up with the EX shape so it doesn't look as good. Good for Kirk though. 

"Kirk Windstein Logo"


----------



## MFB

Something about the Nocturno with silver hardware looks cheap, even though it's a lateral move from my EC-1000; can't quite put my finger on why though.


----------



## MFB

Given that this is now almost 200 pages and they're spread throughout, has anyone put together a list of Solar issues and whether or not they're still happening? Part of me is considering their baritone, but I truly can't remember if there's major QC issues or if it was the traditional 'ebony fretboard streaking' and 'inlay peeling' etc...


----------



## SonicBlur

MFB said:


> Given that this is now almost 200 pages and they're spread throughout, has anyone put together a list of Solar issues and whether or not they're still happening? Part of me is considering their baritone, but I truly can't remember if there's major QC issues or if it was the traditional 'ebony fretboard streaking' and 'inlay peeling' etc...


Spend your money elsewhere. I'll never buy anything from Solar again....your experience may vary.


----------



## MFB

SonicBlur said:


> Spend your money elsewhere. I'll never buy anything from Solar again....your experience may vary.



Yeah, the more I look around the more I think there's more vetted brands out there, I'm just desperate to end my search for a baritone


----------



## Andromalia

All you'll get is a collection of individual experiences. Mine was fine, it's sort of 2 years old at this point and nothing bad happened.


----------



## Decapitated

Mine is fine as well.


----------



## Shawn

That white one is sharp! Really love the headstock design too.


----------



## tpl2000

Aloha, all! If I should put this into my own thread, please just let me know.
I intend to put in an order for an S1.6PP some time this weekend, but wasn't sure about customs costs. I live in the US; does anyone know if there's a separate customs charge from the order cost? 
Also, does anyone have an opinion they could give me about the HS cases? I'm looking into getting the case fitted to the A/S series, but they're a little bit pricy.

¡Gracias!


----------



## Roncore

The video of Ola playing the green X looks pretty bad with the bevels, but the recent video with it on the wall looks amazing. I'm curious what the final product is going to look like.


----------



## Perge

Roncore said:


> The video of Ola playing the green X looks pretty bad with the bevels, but the recent video with it on the wall looks amazing. I'm curious what the final product is going to look like.
> 
> View attachment 118321


I just hope he puts the input jack inside the long horn instead of the short horn. I get it saves money from a labor/time perspective, but it's the one thing that has me on the fence for when they drop.


----------



## mehegama

Why so much fuss about the X shape? It looks like a wonky ML, in order not be sued. It looks pretty meh


----------



## NoodleFace

mehegama said:


> Why so much fuss about the X shape? It looks like a wonky ML, in order not be sued. It looks pretty meh


TBH I am sure he is just trying to hit every part of the guitar market. I used a warrior for awhile and I hated to have such a massive, awkward shape on me playing live.


----------



## STRHelvete

NoodleFace said:


> TBH I am sure he is just trying to hit every part of the guitar market. I used a warrior for awhile and I hated to have such a massive, awkward shape on me playing live.


MASSIVE? Those things look small as fuck


----------



## neptoess

STRHelvete said:


> MASSIVE? Those things look small as fuck


Certainly smaller than an ML. Most SSOers are in love with super strats though. Even a V might be “big and unwieldy”, and something like a BC Rich Beast might be “literally impossible to play”

I wonder if bassists have this issue?


----------



## STRHelvete

neptoess said:


> Certainly smaller than an ML. Most SSOers are in love with super strats though. Even a V might be “big and unwieldy”, and something like a BC Rich Beast might be “literally impossible to play”
> 
> I wonder if bassists have this issue?


MLs are my preferred style. I have noticed they look huge on some people. I had a guitarist in my band and him wearing one of my guitars was laughable. It was literally almost as big as him. Meanwhile guitars like the BC Rich Mockingbird and stuff like that are way too small for me and feel like toys.


----------



## KnightBrolaire

I've been waiting forever for the solar X shape. It's legit the only solar I would consider buying. 
It has more in common with the longhorn kramer voyager than an ML visually ime.


I've said it in a bunch of threads but nothing beats an X shape in terms of comfort imo. They just sit perfectly for playing in the classical position.


----------



## neptoess

KnightBrolaire said:


> I've been waiting forever for the solar X shape. It's legit the only solar I would consider buying.
> It has more in common with the longhorn kramer voyager than an ML visually ime.
> 
> 
> I've said it in a bunch of threads but nothing beats an X shape in terms of comfort imo. They just sit perfectly for playing in the classical position.


Oh man some of those Kramers looked straight up HR Giger. Shit was hilarious. But, also, some of them were super huge and pointy. Which makes them badass, by definition lol


----------



## KnightBrolaire

neptoess said:


> Oh man some of those Kramers looked straight up HR Giger. Shit was hilarious. But, also, some of them were super huge and pointy. Which makes them badass, by definition lol


I own an 80s longhorn voyager and it's one of my favorite guitars. The longhorn versions are super hard to come by anymore.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

mehegama said:


> Why so much fuss about the X shape? It looks like a wonky ML, in order not be sued. It looks pretty meh


Because stars fucking rule


----------



## neptoess

KnightBrolaire said:


> I own an 80s longhorn voyager and it's one of my favorite guitars. The longhorn versions are super hard to come by anymore.


Something like this? If so, I love it


----------



## NoodleFace

STRHelvete said:


> MASSIVE? Those things look small as fuck


small but massive in the long way


----------



## STRHelvete

NoodleFace said:


> small but massive in the long way


You uhh.....use that excuse a lot, don't you?


----------



## NoodleFace

STRHelvete said:


> You uhh.....use that excuse a lot, don't you?


I'm not just noodleface if you catch my drift


----------



## KnightBrolaire

neptoess said:


> Something like this? If so, I love it


yeah same body but with the inline birdbeak headstock. Here it is next to my charvel custom and my partscaster star I painted:


----------



## Kyle Jordan

KnightBrolaire said:


> I've said it in a bunch of threads but nothing beats an X shape in terms of comfort imo. They just sit perfectly for playing in the classical position.



If I could find an X/Explorer shape that didn’t interfere badly with upper fret access or didn’t end up looking super goofy with the lower cutaway and long lower horn, they would be my vastly preferred shape. Most comfortable sitting and standing guitar shapes I’ve found. The Kelly Star in particular. I also love that you can control the body hang with your right arm or by running the strap in front of the guitar.


----------



## neptoess

Kyle Jordan said:


> If I could find an X/Explorer shape that didn’t interfere badly with upper fret access or didn’t end up looking super goofy with the lower cutaway and long lower horn, they would be my vastly preferred shape. Most comfortable sitting and standing guitar shapes I’ve found. The Kelly Star in particular. I also love that you can control the body hang with your right arm or by running the strap in front of the guitar.


Trey does fine with his Ironbird. And it’s a bolt on


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

Kyle Jordan said:


> If I could find an X/Explorer shape that didn’t interfere badly with upper fret access or didn’t end up looking super goofy with the lower cutaway and long lower horn, they would be my vastly preferred shape. Most comfortable sitting and standing guitar shapes I’ve found. The Kelly Star in particular. I also love that you can control the body hang with your right arm or by running the strap in front of the guitar.



BCR stealth and Ormsby X both have great upper fret access. The Ormsby isn't quite super strat level of easy but I can still play Erra riffs on the 7th string 20-24 on it. The stealth is even easier.


----------



## Naxxpipe

The good ol' Jackson Warriors with neck-through have good upper fret access IMO. Even better if it is the beveled version and not the flat-top.


----------



## odibrom

KnightBrolaire said:


> yeah same body but with the inline birdbeak headstock. Here it is next to my charvel custom and my partscaster star I painted:


The grass shadows over the white one look nice, you should replicate that in the guitar's paint... if it's not a colectible, that is...


----------



## RevDrucifer

I’ve got no probs hitting the 22nd fret on my E-type!


----------



## Matt08642

Surprised nobody posted this yet:




Says it's delayed in the new SWOLA video, but looks sick!


----------



## BusinessMan

Ya it looks cool but the jack placement is just awful. Lower horn, and didn't look angled to me. You can see the cable sticking up and out in the video. 

Edit: At 18 seconds in the video, you see it plain as day sticking right up. Not sure if this is still a prototype, but hopefully that gets changed.


----------



## NexusMT

BusinessMan said:


> Ya it looks cool but the jack placement is just awful. Lower horn, and didn't look angled to me. You can see the cable sticking up and out in the video.
> 
> Edit: At 18 seconds in the video, you see it plain as day sticking right up. Not sure if this is still a prototype, but hopefully that gets changed.


its for those reasons and QC issues that i will not buy again Solar. My E1.6 Vintera started to crack the neck near the fret joints and the pickup selector died a few weeks ago. The guitar was adquired in Nov. 2021.

I never had such issues even on Harley Benton guitars which cost 1/3 of the price. I love Ola Channel but the guitars left a lot to desire.


----------



## Emperoff

NexusMT said:


> its for those reasons and QC issues that i will not buy again Solar. My E1.6 Vintera started to crack the neck near the fret joints and the pickup selector died a few weeks ago. The guitar was adquired in Nov. 2021.
> 
> I never had such issues even on Harley Benton guitars which cost 1/3 of the price. I love Ola Channel but the guitars left a lot to desire.



Not defending Solar (never played one), but I would never bash a guitar company for a pickup selector dying. They all die more sooner than later, even Switchcraft ones.

It's like people saying this or that amp has bad QC because a tube dies two weeks after purchase. Tubes also suddendly die.


----------



## BusinessMan

I have an e2.7 and I have no issues with it and is my favorite guitar i own. I bought it in 2020, middle of all the lock down stuff so I think I avoided the bad qc/right as it was starting. Now would I buy another one right now? Probably not just because of all the qc stuff going on.

Now, the x-type jack placement is just bad design. I'm hoping it's still being finalized. I would get one, but it's a gamble at this point. Based on my experience, I would try another but good luck with solar customer service. When I had some questions about my guitar (when it shipped, what was it waiting on before it was shipped, etc), I emailed them several times. I received ZERO response from anyone at solar. The guitar literally just showed up one day. It was a great day and aside a tool mark on the edge of the fretboard about 1in long, guitar was perfect.


----------



## neptoess

Emperoff said:


> Not defending Solar (never played one), but I would never bash a guitar company for a pickup selector dying. They all die more sooner than later, even Switchcraft ones.
> 
> It's like people saying this or that amp has bad QC because a tube dies two weeks after purchase. Tubes also suddendly die.


Switches are cheap and easy to replace, but I’ve literally never had one die. They’re such simple electromechanical devices. The oldest guitar I have is a 1985. Original Switchcraft 3-way still works perfectly. As does the 3-way on my 2004 China-made Epiphone.

I’ve also never had a tube die. But I do agree that everyone squawking about “bad QC” often has no clue what they’re talking about though. In either case (switch or tube), the fix is cheap, and just about any manufacturer will foot the bill for it.

As for bashing guitar companies, I’m a huge Gibson fan, and I think no one gets more bashing than them lol. Nothing funnier than reading about people saying it’s impossible to find a good Gibson, “even the custom shop stuff”, and then seeing they play a Schecter C-1 or something. Not that C-1s are bad, but it’s not hard to find a good Gibson if you’re looking at the custom shop stuff. Every R9 I’ve picked up has been a downright excellent Les Paul. But I digress


----------



## Andromalia

Matt08642 said:


> Surprised nobody posted this yet:
> 
> View attachment 118772
> 
> 
> Says it's delayed in the new SWOLA video, but looks sick!


Output jack in the lower horn, I pass. This is the one thing I don't like about my current Solar V, I can deal with it but it's really a weird idea, jack hits my leg all the time.


----------



## neptoess

Andromalia said:


> Output jack in the lower horn, I pass. This is the one thing I don't like about my current Solar V, I can deal with it but it's really a weird idea, jack hits my leg all the time.


Right angle cable help?


----------



## Andromalia

neptoess said:


> Right angle cable help?


Didn't try yet, but it's on the to-do list. It's more of a minor annoyance than a real drawback so I'm not in any hurry, although my Gibson Flying V could also use such a jack.


----------



## neptoess

Andromalia said:


> Didn't try yet, but it's on the to-do list. It's more of a minor annoyance than a real drawback so I'm not in any hurry, although my Gibson Flying V could also use such a jack.


I actually prefer a straight cable on the Gibson V because the jack is so close to the bridge volume knob. The only guitar I prefer a right angle cable on is my RG. Risky to play it sitting down with a straight cable


----------



## NexusMT

Emperoff said:


> Not defending Solar (never played one), but I would never bash a guitar company for a pickup selector dying. They all die more sooner than later, even Switchcraft ones.
> 
> It's like people saying this or that amp has bad QC because a tube dies two weeks after purchase. Tubes also suddendly die.



i have guitars with >20y and i never had an issue with cracks on the frets joints nor pickup selector. Maybe im lucky, but i never had a guitar with such issues. If you get a Solar i hope you don't run into the same issues and change your mind about them.

Solar forums is full of people complaining about QC issues.


----------



## Emperoff

neptoess said:


> Switches are cheap and easy to replace, but I’ve literally never had one die. They’re such simple electromechanical devices. The oldest guitar I have is a 1985. Original Switchcraft 3-way still works perfectly. As does the 3-way on my 2004 China-made Epiphone.
> 
> I’ve also never had a tube die. But I do agree that everyone squawking about “bad QC” often has no clue what they’re talking about though. In either case (switch or tube), the fix is cheap, and just about any manufacturer will foot the bill for it.



Either you guys are very lucky or I'm jixxed 



NexusMT said:


> i have guitars with >20y and i never had an issue with cracks on the frets joints nor pickup selector. Maybe im lucky, but i never had a guitar with such issues. If you get a Solar i hope you don't run into the same issues and change your mind about them.
> 
> Solar forums is full of people complaining about QC issues.



I did not mention cracks. I mentioned switches. I changed two of them in the last couple of months and I have two left to change. Maybe you guys are lucky, but switches DO break. The guy I take my guitars (a very renowned luthier in my country who has built tons of guitars for artists here) agrees, and I remember him saying: _they all fail, it's just a matter of "when"_.

With that being said, no, I would not buy a Solar. I know a lot of folks like theirs, but they're not my thing anyway so I don't even have to think about it twice.

Also, there is a huge problem with Solar, IMHO. Solar openly sells B-stock guitars with terrible flaws. The OG buyer may be ok with them, but they will eventually shift hands and some sellers will hide the flaws. Either way, the used market will eventually see a ton of Solars with flaws that just wouldn't be sold if they were in found in other companies.


----------



## neptoess

Emperoff said:


> Either you guys are very lucky or I'm jixxed
> 
> 
> 
> I did not mention cracks. I mentioned switches. I changed two of them in the last couple of months and I have two left to change. Maybe you guys are lucky, but switches DO break. The guy I take my guitars (a very renowned luthier in my country who has built tons of guitars for artists here) agrees, and I remember him saying: _they all fail, it's just a matter of "when"_.
> 
> With that being said, no, I would not buy a Solar. I know a lot of folks like theirs, but they're not my thing anyway so I don't even have to think about it twice.
> 
> Also, there is a huge problem with Solar, IMHO. Solar openly sells B-stock guitars with terrible flaws. The OG buyer may be ok with them, but they will eventually shift hands and some sellers will hide the flaws. Either way, the used market will eventually see a ton of Solars with flaws that just wouldn't be sold if they were in found in other companies.


What’s the dealer situation like with Solar? Are they all sold direct? I know of a few dealers that actually inspect and play every guitar they sell. They might fix some small things themselves, but most true defects get sent back to the manufacturer. And they have solid return/exchange policies in case they do miss something and you aren’t happy with it.


----------



## Emperoff

neptoess said:


> What’s the dealer situation like with Solar? Are they all sold direct? I know of a few dealers that actually inspect and play every guitar they sell. They might fix some small things themselves, but most true defects get sent back to the manufacturer. And they have solid return/exchange policies in case they do miss something and you aren’t happy with it.



What I mean is that Solar sells their own B-stock through their website. No matter how much dealers inspect the guitars (most don't). Those B-stock guitars will eventually hit the market.


----------



## marke

Making guitars cheap in Indonesia isn't easy. Maybe it shouldn't be even done. No matter the supposed moisture control of those manufacturing facilities, the place is still a rainforest and the wood they use with these kind of prices is gonna move and cause issues. I guess Ola wants to offer nice specs for everybody, but it's simply not doable with the quality people are expecting. PRS is doing it I've heard, but their specs are not quite the same and the operation is likely much larger.

Tried a Solar V a week ago, and let's just say I won't be buying a Solar. Glad for people who have a good one and are happy with it, but based on one example they're certainly not for me. I can give them another chance, but it wasn't the quality issues why I was so disappointed. The design was just quite clumsy.

I do like the guy though.


----------



## neptoess

marke said:


> Making guitars cheap in Indonesia isn't easy. Maybe it shouldn't be even done. No matter the supposed moisture control of those manufacturing facilities, the place is still a rainforest and the wood they use with these kind of prices is gonna move and cause issues. I guess Ola wants to offer nice specs for everybody, but it's simply not doable with the quality people are expecting. PRS is doing it I've heard, but their specs are not quite the sama and the operation is likely quite a bit larger.
> 
> Tried a Solar V a week ago, and let's just say I won't be buying a Solar. Glad for people who have a good one and are happy with it, but based on one example they're certainly not for me. I can give them another chance, but it wasn't the quality issues why I was so disappointed. The design was quite clumsy.
> 
> I do like the guy though.


I’m also pretty skeptical about the Solars. As far as making top notch guitars in Indonesia goes though, I think that’s very doable. Climate control exists. They make semiconductors in Southeast Asia, after all.

I think it’s just the price point / specs thing you touched on. Solars have more expensive (in both parts and labor cost) features like Evertunes and stainless frets, but aren’t charging much of a premium for them. Since I’m sure they still turn a profit, it’s not out of the question that they’ve accepted an arrangement that nets them lower cost per guitar, e.g. maybe their acceptable defect rate is substantially higher than something like the PRE SE line.


----------



## Powernet

Guys, I can install Dimarzio Ecstasy bridge which is F-Spaced to my Solar E1.6FBB easily, no issues? thanks.


----------



## neptoess

Powernet said:


> Guys, I can install Dimarzio Ecstasy bridge which is F-Spaced to my Solar E1.6FBB easily, no issues? thanks.


F spacing doesn’t matter. Just measure the spacing between the ears and how tall and wide the pickup itself is. If you have both, it shouldn’t take long at all to figure this out


----------



## Powernet

neptoess said:


> F spacing doesn’t matter. Just measure the spacing between the ears and how tall and wide the pickup itself is. If you have both, it shouldn’t take long at all to figure this out


thanks, bro. but main thing im worry that one guy said me that mounting holes need to be enlarged on Dimarzio and only after this I can install it in Solar instead of original solar pickup. 

did you know, I really need to do this or not needed?


----------



## neptoess

Powernet said:


> thanks, bro. but main thing im worry that one guy said me that mounting holes need to be enlarged on Dimarzio and only after this I can install it in Solar instead of original solar pickup.
> 
> did you know, I really need to do this or not needed?


I don’t actually know. I don’t own a Solar. But if others are reporting this, I would trust that info. It wouldn’t be terribly difficult for a shop to handle (either enlarging your existing pickup’s ears or possibly routing and installing mounting rings). If you have one you trust, I’d suggest hitting them up. You can always just take one screw out of the existing pickup and see if it fits in your Dimarzio to check.


----------



## RevDrucifer

I dunno about the QC issues, but any company I can buy a guitar sight unseen and it shows up with SS frets that look like this is going to get my business again.




That thing was sold as B-stock because of a tiny little spec of a dent in the finish that took me 5 minutes to find when I got it. It seems they’re putting out a shitload of guitars, so I’m not surprised if some issues pop up here and there, but the level of quality on that E-type doesn’t display a single thing of a company not putting out quality products. The fact it was in the Outlet store is even more telling, I wouldn’t even have seen the thing or just brushed it off as something that occurred in shipping.

Edit- I’ve changed a shitload of switches in the past, but all 5-ways and that’s mainly because all I played for years were 5-ways. I beat the shit out of those things, there’s no ‘elegant’ way to hit them when you’re soloing and that E-type is a bitch (but holding up fine). That’s my only ’gripe’ about it, but that’s a personal preference thing. I want every guitar to have the Ibanez JPM layout.

Edit II- All the guitars in the Outlet have cosmetic issues, not electronic ones. Stuff that would require stripping the whole guitar and sanding it to repair. I’ve never seen an electrical issue listed, anyway. I don’t think I’d agree with a company selling guitars with electrical issues, B-stock or not.


----------



## neptoess

RevDrucifer said:


> I dunno about the QC issues, but any company I can buy a guitar sight unseen and it shows up with SS frets that look like this is going to get my business again.
> 
> View attachment 118873
> 
> 
> That thing was sold as B-stock because of a tiny little spec of a dent in the finish that took me 5 minutes to find when I got it. It seems they’re putting out a shitload of guitars, so I’m not surprised if some issues pop up here and there, but the level of quality on that E-type doesn’t display a single thing of a company not putting out quality products. The fact it was in the Outlet store is even more telling, I wouldn’t even have seen the thing or just brushed it off as something that occurred in shipping.
> 
> Edit- I’ve changed a shitload of switches in the past, but all 5-ways and that’s mainly because all I played for years were 5-ways. I beat the shit out of those things, there’s no ‘elegant’ way to hit them when you’re soloing and that E-type is a bitch (but holding up fine). That’s my only ’gripe’ about it, but that’s a personal preference thing. I want every guitar to have the Ibanez JPM layout.
> 
> Edit II- All the guitars in the Outlet have cosmetic issues, not electronic ones. Stuff that would require stripping the whole guitar and sanding it to repair. I’ve never seen an electrical issue in the Outlet store. I don’t think I’d agree with a company selling guitars with electrical issues, B-stock or not.


Don’t stainless frets always look like that?


----------



## RevDrucifer

neptoess said:


> Don’t stainless frets always look like that?



Not if they’re not put in well, those things are _flawless. _


----------



## CanserDYI

Yeah those frets look great


----------



## myrtorp

Gotta say I like the looks of this!


----------



## neptoess

myrtorp said:


> Gotta say I like the looks of this!


Oh boy. Another single hum super strat. And it doesn’t even have a whammy bar. And it’s a bolt on. And they used a strat-style hardtail instead of a tune-o-matic. Yeah, this one isn’t for me.


----------



## RevDrucifer

neptoess said:


> Oh boy. Another single hum super strat. And it doesn’t even have a whammy bar. And it’s a bolt on. And they used a strat-style hardtail instead of a tune-o-matic. Yeah, this one isn’t for me.



Does Solar have an absurd amount of single pickup superstrats? Pretty sure this is the only one.


----------



## CanserDYI

No offense but saying "whammy bar" is the text version of holding a guitar with your four fingers underneath the leg rest and strumming with your thumb.


----------



## neptoess

CanserDYI said:


> No offense but saying "whammy bar" is the text version of holding a guitar with your four fingers underneath the leg rest and strumming with your thumb.


I certainly can’t play like Wes Montgomery. I would use the term “vibrato”, as the six screw strat trem and the Kahler are my favorites, but I can’t see Ola putting either on a Solar. It would be a Floyd (and likely not an OFR or a Gotoh, but a 1000 series). And Floyds are definitely more whammy bars than vibratos.


----------



## neptoess

RevDrucifer said:


> Does Solar have an absurd amount of single pickup superstrats? Pretty sure this is the only one.


Solar doesn’t, but there are a shitload of them on the market. It feels like the guitar market is mostly some type of double cut with a 25.5” scale length and a humbucker in the bridge, and likely a fairly thin neck.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

neptoess said:


> Solar doesn’t, but there are a shitload of them on the market. It feels like the guitar market is mostly some type of double cut with a 25.5” scale length and a humbucker in the bridge, and likely a fairly thin neck.


Besides the ESP Black/Arctic Metal series and the Ormsby Dino sig I can't think of anything else?


----------



## neptoess

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Besides the ESP Black/Arctic Metal series and the Ormsby Dino sig I can't think of anything else?


25.5” scale double cuts with humbuckers in the bridge (not necessarily single pickup guitars)? Just off the top of my head: Ibanez, ESP, Schecter, Solar, Jackson, Charvel, Fender, Friedman, Carvin, Suhr, Kramer, BC Rich, EBMM, EVH. It’s basically every guitar manufacturer except Gibson and PRS.


----------



## Albake21

neptoess said:


> 25.5” scale double cuts with humbuckers in the bridge (not necessarily single pickup guitars)? Just off the top of my head: Ibanez, ESP, Schecter, Solar, Jackson, Charvel, Fender, Friedman, Carvin, Suhr, Kramer, BC Rich, EBMM, EVH. It’s basically every guitar manufacturer except Gibson and PRS.


I'm confused, what is it you're looking for then? Your first comment sounded like it was insinuating you didn't want a single hum setup. But you're just saying you don't want a hum at all in the bridge. 

If that's the case, most of the makers you listed make single coil options, or if they have a pickguard, they can be modified/added.


----------



## Emperoff

CanserDYI said:


> No offense but saying "whammy bar" is the text version of holding a guitar with your four fingers underneath the leg rest and strumming with your thumb.


----------



## ArtDecade

It is a wiggle stick.


----------



## Emperoff

I miss the days when it was called "whoop whoop" in here


----------



## neptoess

Albake21 said:


> I'm confused, what is it you're looking for then? Your first comment sounded like it was insinuating you didn't want a single hum setup. But you're just saying you don't want a hum at all in the bridge.
> 
> If that's the case, most of the makers you listed make single coil options, or if they have a pickguard, they can be modified/added.


I shouldn’t have listed all the other specs as complaints. I mostly would just like to see more stuff that isn’t a double cut, and more stuff that isn’t 25.5” scale. I have an Eric Johnson strat. I love it. But I also love my Gibson V and my Jackson Rhoads (with a Kahler ). Variety is the spice of life. When I walk into most guitar stores, that variety tends to be in short supply, unless I go to the super high end one which stocks effectively nothing but custom shop Gibsons, Fenders, and Martins. But then that place makes me feel young… and poor


----------



## NexusMT

marke said:


> Making guitars cheap in Indonesia isn't easy. Maybe it shouldn't be even done. No matter the supposed moisture control of those manufacturing facilities, the place is still a rainforest and the wood they use with these kind of prices is gonna move and cause issues. I guess Ola wants to offer nice specs for everybody, but it's simply not doable with the quality people are expecting. PRS is doing it I've heard, but their specs are not quite the same and the operation is likely much larger.
> 
> Tried a Solar V a week ago, and let's just say I won't be buying a Solar. Glad for people who have a good one and are happy with it, but based on one example they're certainly not for me. I can give them another chance, but it wasn't the quality issues why I was so disappointed. The design was just quite clumsy.
> 
> I do like the guy though.


If ESP can do it with the LTDs built in Indonesia why can’t Solar do the same ? 
i don’t remember to see anyone complaining about fretboard cracks with other guitar brands.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

NexusMT said:


> If ESP can do it with the LTDs built in Indonesia why can’t Solar do the same ?
> i don’t remember to see anyone complaining about fretboard cracks with other guitar brands.



Because ESP has a network of distributors and dealers tasked with doing second and third tier QA/QC, and enough of an order allotment to flex what does and does not make it and how it's credited. 

Folks bring up PRS SE similarly, but PRS, in addition to the same multi-tier network, also has an entire wing of their factory devoted to checking and fixing SEs before they even hit dealers.


----------



## nickgray

NexusMT said:


> If ESP can do it with the LTDs built in Indonesia


Well, I was in a shop recently and saw 2 EC 256 with massive fret lift, both from 2021. Like, so high you can press them down with your thumb kind of fret lift. All the 1000 series I've seen were also very so-so. The two Solars I've tried (yep, they had Solars) were nicer built, though also nothing amazing. Oh, I've also seen a 1000 Viper with a botched neck angle (and it's a set neck, so good luck fixing that), the bridge was nearly bottomed on the treble side while the action was still really high on the last fret, and not due to neck relief, that was definitely a neck angle thing.

I dunno, ultimately it's on a case-by-case basis. But seeing serious defects like those ones is quite upsetting. I saw a cheapass Ibanez RG421 that was better built than literally every guitar with binding that I saw, including Gibsons. Because it had no binding, hence nothing to botch. Why the hell there aren't any affordable 24.75" superstrats? 

You know, if I were to get into guitar building business, I'd build dead simple bolt ons with frets put in straight, no binding, no filler, just simple Fender style fret job. Harder to mess up. No one would buy them of course because no shiny stuff and bolt-on is an instant -50% to attractivity 'cause guitarists be crazy.


----------



## neptoess

nickgray said:


> Well, I was in a shop recently and saw 2 EC 256 with massive fret lift, both from 2021. Like, so high you can press them down with your thumb kind of fret lift. All the 1000 series I've seen were also very so-so. The two Solars I've tried (yep, they had Solars) were nicer built, though also nothing amazing. Oh, I've also seen a 1000 Viper with a botched neck angle (and it's a set neck, so good luck fixing that), the bridge was nearly bottomed on the treble side while the action was still really high on the last fret, and not due to neck relief, that was definitely a neck angle thing.
> 
> I dunno, ultimately it's on a case-by-case basis. But seeing serious defects like those ones is quite upsetting. I saw a cheapass Ibanez RG421 that was better built than literally every guitar with binding that I saw, including Gibsons. Because it had no binding, hence nothing to botch. Why the hell there aren't any affordable 24.75" superstrats?
> 
> You know, if I were to get into guitar building business, I'd build dead simple bolt ons with frets put in straight, no binding, no filler, just simple Fender style fret job. Harder to mess up. No one would buy them of course because no shiny stuff and bolt-on is an instant -50% to attractivity 'cause guitarists be crazy.


Idk if I buy that last part. Telecasters sell well. And those are like the most basic guitars imaginable


----------



## nickgray

neptoess said:


> Telecasters sell well. And those are like the most basic guitars imaginable


True, but they're Telecasters. As in, it's a brand, it's recognizable. A random simple superstrat, but well built and with well thought ergonomics? Meh, no one would care.

I mean, look at Solar. Poor ergonomics, so-so builds with occasional fatal flaws, but hey, they look cool. Reverse pointy headstock. Sharp horns. Pointy logo at the 12th fret.

But built quality wise, how do they differ from $300-500 models from other manufacturers exactly? If you think about it, no guitar manufacturer, at least to my knowledge, actually advertises build quality. It just doesn't sell. Versatile pickups sell. Fingerboard that gives you sharp attack sells. Specs sell for sure (SS frets, Seymour Duncans, locking tuners...).


----------



## neptoess

nickgray said:


> True, but they're Telecasters. As in, it's a brand, it's recognizable. A random simple superstrat, but well built and with well thought ergonomics? Meh, no one would care.
> 
> I mean, look at Solar. Poor ergonomics, so-so builds with occasional fatal flaws, but hey, they look cool. Reverse pointy headstock. Sharp horns. Pointy logo at the 12th fret.
> 
> But built quality wise, how do they differ from $300-500 models from other manufacturers exactly? If you think about it, no guitar manufacturer, at least to my knowledge, actually advertises build quality. It just doesn't sell. Versatile pickups sell. Fingerboard that gives you sharp attack sells. Specs sell for sure (SS frets, Seymour Duncans, locking tuners...).


A superstrat with well thought ergo? Like an Ibanez RG? Or a Jackson Soloist? Those sell well.

Solars look kinda bland. They sell because of who Ola is and their specs. And a lot of those specs are gimmicks. Locking tuners, SS frets, Duncans, etc. The vast majority of players are not going to see any tangible difference. Also what is “fingerboard that gives you sharp attack”?

As for advertising build quality, that would definitely be a fool’s errand. For the most part, ANY guitar should be playable and have functional electronics. Beyond that, expectations go up with price.


----------



## jonsick

Powernet said:


> thanks, bro. but main thing im worry that one guy said me that mounting holes need to be enlarged on Dimarzio and only after this I can install it in Solar instead of original solar pickup.
> 
> did you know, I really need to do this or not needed?


Like almost any guitar on the market with direct mount pickups, most likely the route will require some modification. It's one of my biggest bug bears these days is the proliferation of direct mount pickups. I don't understand the trend at all, think it's a pain in the butt. I hate it.

I have worked on plenty Solars with pickup replacement jobs. And yes, modification required. 

It is all perfectly possible to do. On the easiest ones, it's just required a little depth being added to the pickup cavity and altering the location of the mounting screws for the new pickup. This isn't hard to do with the right tools of course, but for the average joe will either mean a bodge job or having to turn it over to a technician to do it. The down side is depending on what pickup is going into it, it's likely not very easily reversible should you want to go back.

I do miss the days of mounting rings. They sound better for a start, honestly I don't think most pickups on the market were designed with direct-mounting in mind. Most are voiced to sound their best being suspended with a mounting ring. Just my view of course, I'm sure many will disagree. The second is adjustability. A lot of these direct mount pickups are going to sit where they land. While there are methods of properly getting direct mount pickups adjusted to their correct heights, most manufacturers don't do much more than throwing some stiff foam which means zero adjustability. Mounting rings? As much as you want. And finally, as we are discussing, ease of replacement. I don't recall having to modify many routes for guitars with mounting rings. Maybe one or two in my time. 

So yep, I actually avoid a guitar now that has direct mount pickups, I just don't want to have to mess with it. Of course if someone is paying me to hack their guitar up then all grand, but I do tell them what is needed before I start.


----------



## Kyle Jordan

Mounting rings >>>>>>>>>> direct mounted.


----------



## STRHelvete

Kyle Jordan said:


> Mounting rings >>>>>>>>>> direct mounted.


Yeah I gotta agree. I don't get why people don't like them. Direct mounted always looks unfinished or like a shitty job or something to me.


----------



## CanserDYI

Man ya'll are wrong. The only thing pickup rings look correct on are Les Pauls. Everything else is objectively better without them. I'll die on this hill.


----------



## RevDrucifer

neptoess said:


> A superstrat with well thought ergo? Like an Ibanez RG? Or a Jackson Soloist? Those sell well.
> 
> Solars look kinda bland. They sell because of who Ola is and their specs. And a lot of those specs are gimmicks. Locking tuners, SS frets, Duncans, etc. The vast majority of players are not going to see any tangible difference. Also what is “fingerboard that gives you sharp attack”?
> 
> As for advertising build quality, that would definitely be a fool’s errand. For the most part, ANY guitar should be playable and have functional electronics. Beyond that, expectations go up with price.



What specs are gimmicks? The SS frets that don’t wear down? The locking tuners that do their job? A pickup brand?


----------



## jonsick

CanserDYI said:


> Man ya'll are wrong. The only thing pickup rings look correct on are Les Pauls. Everything else is objectively better without them. I'll die on this hill.


You can like the look all you want. Functionally and sonically, they are far inferior. I don't really like the look either but beauty is in the eye of the beholder I guess. 

Either way I won't buy a guitar without mounting rings, really I have passed on guitars for that reason.


----------



## CanserDYI

jonsick said:


> ... sonically, they are far inferior...


I'ma let you finish if you want, but I promise I won't be paying attention after dropping this one.


----------



## BusinessMan

RevDrucifer said:


> Not if they’re not put in well, those things are _flawless. _


Need the DP inspection on that one to actually prove this claim. (IYKYK)


----------



## Albake21

neptoess said:


> I shouldn’t have listed all the other specs as complaints. I mostly would just like to see more stuff that isn’t a double cut, and more stuff that isn’t 25.5” scale. I have an Eric Johnson strat. I love it. But I also love my Gibson V and my Jackson Rhoads (with a Kahler ). Variety is the spice of life. When I walk into most guitar stores, that variety tends to be in short supply, unless I go to the super high end one which stocks effectively nothing but custom shop Gibsons, Fenders, and Martins. But then that place makes me feel young… and poor


Fair enough. Unfortunately, I think it just has to do with the times and what exactly is in demand. I think what you're looking for is more niche now a days (outside of traditional stuff) and just wouldn't sell well off the shelf.


----------



## ArtDecade

CanserDYI said:


> Man ya'll are wrong. The only thing pickup rings look correct on are Les Pauls. Everything else is objectively better without them. I'll die on this hill.


Greg Koch did this just to annoy you. He told me how much he hates you in an email.


----------



## Emperoff

ArtDecade said:


> Greg Koch did this just to annoy you. He told me how much he hates you in an email.



That is not a pickup ring, it's a pickupguard!!

What can I say, it looks classy and enhances the aesthetics of the guitar. Literally the opposite of what a regular pickup ring does!


----------



## CanserDYI

ArtDecade said:


> Greg Koch did this just to annoy you. He told me how much he hates you in an email.






Better.


----------



## neptoess

CanserDYI said:


> Man ya'll are wrong. The only thing pickup rings look correct on are Les Pauls. Everything else is objectively better without them. I'll die on this hill.


And Vs, Les Pauls, Jacksons, BC Rich, Dean, etc. The only place no mounting rings looks good is when the pickups are pickguard mounted.

Also, to the people not buying the sonic argument for mounting rings: he’s right, but he’s not saying the mounting ring itself is directly affecting the sound. It’s just damn near impossible to get the mounting height spot on when direct mounting a pickup. If you adjust your pickup heights by ear on all your guitars, and then measure with a ruler, you’ll likely notice that guitsrs/pickups rarely have the same “ideal” height. Actives seem to be more forgiving, in that they still sound good through a pretty wide range of height settings, but a lot of passive pickups sound totally different 1/32” closer to or further from the strings


----------



## ArtDecade

I've gotta be honest. I never really give that much thought to pickup rings.


----------



## CanserDYI

Ngl guys, I couldn't give two shits about pickup ring tonal differences. I've said it before and I'll say it again, if you _can _hear that, it's a detriment, not a gift. Tonewoods, pickup rings, fancy cables, etc.


----------



## neptoess

RevDrucifer said:


> What specs are gimmicks? The SS frets that don’t wear down? The locking tuners that do their job? A pickup brand?


The gimmick is that these things are an objective improvement.

Stainless frets do wear down, it just takes longer. And most players simply cannot wear through good nickel silver wire. Good is the key word here. Some cheap guitars have soft, cheap, fret wire. Wearing through that doesn’t mean you need stainless frets. Even then, those guitars still sell quite well, and I doubt most players could ever wear through it enough to need a refret.

Now, for people who do wear through frets fast, or people who really love that super slick feel of a highly polished fret, stainless is a godsend. I don’t personally think this is the majority of guitar players though.

Locking tuners only make string changes faster. They don’t improve tuning stability. If your strings are slipping at the tuner, you need to read how to properly wind strings around a tuning peg. A lot of tuning issues that get attributed to tuners are actually related to the nut. And I somehow doubt Solar is doing anything more than any other manufacturer with regard to nut filing.

Seymour Duncan makes great pickups. There’s no two ways about it. If you know you like how Duncan JBs sound, and the guitar you’re looking at has one, that’s a good indicator you’ll like how it sounds. That said, there’s no magic in what Seymour Duncan is doing, and not everyone agrees that they make the “best” pickups for them. So this idea that guitar A is nicer than guitar B because A has Duncans and B has “stock pickups” is flawed. Yet consumers do it, and guitar companies know that.


Basically, go play the damn guitars you’re looking at. There are many highly specced guitars that feel like shit in your hands. My recent experience with that was the Dean Select series. On paper, these things ticked all the boxes. In person? Felt like a cheap guitar, even compared to the Epiphones in the shop (which cost less).


----------



## neptoess

CanserDYI said:


> Ngl guys, I couldn't give two shits about pickup ring tonal differences. I've said it before and I'll say it again, if you _can _hear that, it's a detriment, not a gift. Tonewoods, pickup rings, fancy cables, etc.


Take a pickup and lower it as far as it can go. Play the guitar. Now raise it a bit. Play some more. Keep doing it until you’re damn near touching the strings. That range of sounds (from anemic and weak to overpowering and causing intonation issues) should be audible to almost anyone. And, when you go direct mount, you lose that adjustment range. With your action and neck relief preferences, you might end up with the pickup at a distance that it sounds good at. If you don’t, well that kinda sucks.


----------



## ArtDecade

neptoess said:


> Stainless frets do wear down, it just takes longer.



Most people around here don't keep a guitar long enough for a string change let alone a fret replacement.


----------



## STRHelvete

CanserDYI said:


> Man ya'll are wrong. The only thing pickup rings look correct on are Les Pauls. Everything else is objectively better without them. I'll die on this hill.


That's fine......just as long as you die...


----------



## CanserDYI

neptoess said:


> Take a pickup and lower it as far as it can go. Play the guitar. Now raise it a bit. Play some more. Keep doing it until you’re damn near touching the strings. That range of sounds (from anemic and weak to overpowering and causing intonation issues) should be audible to almost anyone. And, when you go direct mount, you lose that adjustment range. With your action and neck relief preferences, you might end up with the pickup at a distance that it sounds good at. If you don’t, well that kinda sucks.


I didnt say pickup height wasn't audible.....I said hearing the difference of how a pickup is mounted is a detriment, not a gift. My direct mounted guitars have no issues getting close to the strings .


----------



## bostjan

Make pickup rings out of truss rod covers and conquer the world!


----------



## neptoess

CanserDYI said:


> I didnt say pickup height wasn't audible.....I said hearing the difference of how a pickup is mounted is a detriment, not a gift. My direct mounted guitars have no issues getting close to the strings .


I would bet money that, with a wax potted pickup, no one can reliably hear the difference between direct mounted and mounting ring mounted pickups adjusted to the same height in a blind test. That’s just lunacy


----------



## Dr. Caligari

Pickup rings are great, direct mount pickups suck!


----------



## neptoess

Dr. Caligari said:


> Pickup rings are great, direct mount pickups suck!


What about pickup rings over a pickguard?
Worked for this guy lol


----------



## CanserDYI

neptoess said:


> I would bet money that, with a wax potted pickup, no one can reliably hear the difference between direct mounted and mounting ring mounted pickups adjusted to the same height in a blind test. That’s just lunacy


That is exactly what I'm saying, my guy. Like my entire point.  

The dude before me said sonically pickup rings are superior. I was saying he's incredibly incorrect, and even if he actually can hear something, it'd be a bad thing, not a good thing, as it would be a shitty life to live listening to records like "No! He completely ruined this album by using direct mounted pickups!".


----------



## neptoess

CanserDYI said:


> That is exactly what I'm saying, my guy. Like my entire point.
> 
> The dude before me said sonically pickup rings are superior. I was saying he's incredibly incorrect, and even if he actually can hear something, it'd be a bad thing, not a good thing, as it would be a shitty life to live listening to records like "No! He completely ruined this album by using direct mounted pickups!".











Direct Mount Pickups: Why Direct Mount your Pickups?


Some players have noticed a subtle but palpable difference between direct-mounted and traditionally mounted pickups. Read about direct mount pickups here.




www.seymourduncan.com





Unfortunately, there are people on both sides of the fence arguing a sonic benefit. I could see it with unpotted pickups, but, as you mention, once the full band gets going, you’re never picking this stuff out in a mix. Same thing with body, neck, or fretboard wood or fret material. On an electric guitar, in a mix, there’s just no way you can hear this stuff. And there are countless examples of people hearing things on records with their eyes. Jimmy Page’s telecaster, Wolf Hoffman’s strat, and Scott Ian’s Gibson V are often “heard” as Les Pauls, Gibson Vs, and Jacksons, respectively. I’ll go out on a limb and say the people that think they can pick out a direct mounted sound from a mounting ring sound couldn’t even reliably determine if a recorded guitar is using a single coil or a humbucker in a blind test


----------



## jonsick

CanserDYI said:


> I didnt say pickup height wasn't audible.....I said hearing the difference of how a pickup is mounted is a detriment, not a gift. My direct mounted guitars have no issues getting close to the strings .


I would take the pepsi challenge on that one.

Like it or not, I can name a few pickups that just do not sound right direct mounted. The humble Duncan JB being one of them! And absolutely EMG pickups too!

In fact, in a soon to be refuted Glenn Fricker video where he calls me a moron, Glenn, I got the air fare, my hotel everything. Date and time, I'll show up and tell ya!


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

As someone who changes pickups a lot
fuck direct mounted pickups to the deepest pits of hell.


----------



## KnightBrolaire

I change pickups more than most of you change your underwear. There is no major difference sonically between direct mount and pickup rings/pickguards ime. 

Aesthetically I would prefer well done direct mount options, but pickup rings are just too damn convenient comparatively.


----------



## neptoess

KnightBrolaire said:


> I change pickups more than most of you change your underwear. There is no major difference sonically between direct mount and pickup rings/pickguards ime.
> 
> Aesthetically I would prefer well done direct mount options, but pickup rings are just too damn convenient comparatively.


Mounting rings can add to the overall aesthetic too. They are usually just boring black plastic, but these look great IMO


----------



## MaxOfMetal

Every day we stray further from Dio's light.


----------



## neptoess

MaxOfMetal said:


> Every day we stray further from Dio's light.


Dio did associate with guitarists with great taste


----------



## Kyle Jordan

KnightBrolaire said:


> I change pickups more than most of you change your underwear.



We all know tone is in the balls, so do boxers sound different from briefs? 

And is commando the more aggressive and eventually saturated sounding?


----------



## KnightBrolaire

Kyle Jordan said:


> We all know tone is in the balls, so do boxers sound different from briefs?
> 
> And is commando the more aggressive and eventually saturated sounding?


tight briefs enhance the highs 
boxers enhance the low end 
commando is the most balanced


----------



## neptoess

KnightBrolaire said:


> tight briefs enhance the highs
> boxers enhance the low end
> commando is the most balanced


I would think boxer briefs would bring the balance. Commando can be grating


----------



## jonsick

So long as they're Calvin Kleins! Really, I've never had a more comfy boxer short! They cost a bit but, ya know, balls are worth it!


----------



## Mathemagician

Pair of thieves at Target. Great price/comfort ratio.


----------



## neptoess

jonsick said:


> So long as they're Calvin Kleins! Really, I've never had a more comfy boxer short! They cost a bit but, ya know, balls are worth it!


Never cut corners on your balls. You heard it here first, in the Solar guitars thread on SSO


----------



## jonsick

neptoess said:


> Never cut corners on your balls. You heard it here first, in the Solar guitars thread on SSO


What is a guitar forum that doesn't also offer healthy tips!

Buy once cry once, buy cheap buy new balls.


----------



## Matt08642

I for one think that single hum model looks sick.


----------



## neptoess

Matt08642 said:


> View attachment 118965
> 
> 
> I for one think that single hum model looks sick.


Homer’s pretty based. Wonder what he thinks of this one


----------



## RevDrucifer

neptoess said:


> The gimmick is that these things are an objective improvement.
> 
> Stainless frets do wear down, it just takes longer. And most players simply cannot wear through good nickel silver wire. Good is the key word here. Some cheap guitars have soft, cheap, fret wire. Wearing through that doesn’t mean you need stainless frets. Even then, those guitars still sell quite well, and I doubt most players could ever wear through it enough to need a refret.
> 
> Now, for people who do wear through frets fast, or people who really love that super slick feel of a highly polished fret, stainless is a godsend. I don’t personally think this is the majority of guitar players though.
> 
> Locking tuners only make string changes faster. They don’t improve tuning stability. If your strings are slipping at the tuner, you need to read how to properly wind strings around a tuning peg. A lot of tuning issues that get attributed to tuners are actually related to the nut. And I somehow doubt Solar is doing anything more than any other manufacturer with regard to nut filing.
> 
> Seymour Duncan makes great pickups. There’s no two ways about it. If you know you like how Duncan JBs sound, and the guitar you’re looking at has one, that’s a good indicator you’ll like how it sounds. That said, there’s no magic in what Seymour Duncan is doing, and not everyone agrees that they make the “best” pickups for them. So this idea that guitar A is nicer than guitar B because A has Duncans and B has “stock pickups” is flawed. Yet consumers do it, and guitar companies know that.
> 
> 
> Basically, go play the damn guitars you’re looking at. There are many highly specced guitars that feel like shit in your hands. My recent experience with that was the Dean Select series. On paper, these things ticked all the boxes. In person? Felt like a cheap guitar, even compared to the Epiphones in the shop (which cost less).



I’m not sure you understand what the word gimmick means, also not sure why you wrote that out as if you were teaching me something. I never said anything about locking tuners holding tune better or strings slipping through the nut? Ok…

You just listed off a bunch of features some people prefer to have and even called them objective improvements. Again, not sure you have a grasp of the word ”gimmick”, but you don’t need to clarify. I’m good with lessons I didn’t ask for, but thanks.


----------



## neptoess

RevDrucifer said:


> I’m not sure you understand what the word gimmick means, also not sure why you wrote that out as if you were teaching me something. I never said anything about locking tuners holding tune better or strings slipping through the nut? Ok…
> 
> You just listed off a bunch of features some people prefer to have and even called them objective improvements. Again, not sure you have a grasp of the word ”gimmick”, but you don’t need to clarify. I’m good with lessons I didn’t ask for, but thanks.


Wasn’t trying to teach or anything. Sorry it came off that way. I’ve heard the term gimmick used this way at work https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/marketing-gimmick-examples


----------



## MaxOfMetal

RevDrucifer said:


> I’m not sure you understand what the word gimmick means, also not sure why you wrote that out as if you were teaching me something. I never said anything about locking tuners holding tune better or strings slipping through the nut? Ok…
> 
> You just listed off a bunch of features some people prefer to have and even called them objective improvements. Again, not sure you have a grasp of the word ”gimmick”, but you don’t need to clarify. I’m good with lessons I didn’t ask for, but thanks.



I mean, they are used to drum up attention by padding spec sheets, which is what a gimmick is.

Especially considering the utility is nebulous, even if in a vacuum or on paper there is some objective benefit.

Which is to say that sure, stainless steel frets need less maintenance, but for most players, and I'd be willing to bet the greater majority by a significant amount, just won't ever have the opportunity to perform maintenance regardless of fret material.


----------



## STRHelvete

neptoess said:


> Wasn’t trying to teach or anything. Sorry it came off that way. I’ve heard the term gimmick used this way at work https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/marketing-gimmick-examples


You've got a point though.
Lots of these features speak to the guitarist players IMAGINE themselves as more than they speak to the reality of the player.

"Yeah I need SS frets because they last longer! I need an Evertune so my guitar stays perfect! Locking tuners make for great string changes on the fly! I gotta have Fluence pickups because I need super articulate pickups! I need strap locks so my guitar stays on when it gets crazy!"


Bitch you play sitting down in your bedroom for 20 min a month through a shitty overly distorted practice amp doing 1 finger power chords to pop punk songs you can't keep tempo to. What the hell do you need pro level specs for? In such a guy's mind he's tearing it up at Madison Square Garden at a sold out gig when the reality is he's playing Madison Square Bedroom and can't even get the dog to hang around in there during all the noise.

The thing is companies will push high end features and they are gimmicks to a certain extent. The majority of the people they market these specs for are people who will never really use them to full potential but it just sounds good. Companies have to drop the modern buzzwords (or buzzbrands) to get attention so they do it. The age old myth ALWAYS applies to the guitar world. "If I have -x spec/object- it'll make me as good as professionals". That's the whole gimmick.


----------



## Albake21

Calling SS frets a gimmick is so odd to me. I have played plenty of guitars and currently own guitars with indents in the nickel frets. I cannot say the same with all of the SS fretted guitars I have owned or currently own. 

Just because x number of players don't need it, doesn't make it a gimmick. Do you need it? Of course not. But if given the choice, yeah, I'm going to take the SS frets. The material is harder and requires less maintaince. Simple as that.


----------



## STRHelvete

Albake21 said:


> Calling SS frets a gimmick is so odd to me. I have played plenty of guitars and currently own guitars with indents in the nickel frets. I cannot say the same with all of the SS fretted guitars I have owned or currently own.
> 
> Just because x number of players don't need it, doesn't make it a gimmick. Do you need it? Of course not. But if given the choice, yeah, I'm going to take the SS frets. The material is harder and requires less maintaince. Simple as that.



"Gimmick:
_noun_
noun: *gimmick*; plural noun: *gimmicks*

a trick or device intended to attract attention, publicity, or business."


That is what "Hey we have SS frets!" is. It's quite literally a gimmick. Even if it's arguably useful it's still a gimmick.


----------



## neptoess

Albake21 said:


> Calling SS frets a gimmick is so odd to me. I have played plenty of guitars and currently own guitars with indents in the nickel frets. I cannot say the same with all of the SS fretted guitars I have owned or currently own.
> 
> Just because x number of players don't need it, doesn't make it a gimmick. Do you need it? Of course not. But if given the choice, yeah, I'm going to take the SS frets. The material is harder and requires less maintaince. Simple as that.


No doubt stainless is harder. In your case, because you’ve actually worn nickel frets in the past, if you’re doing a custom build, it’s definitely worth the upcharge for stainless. It will save you money on fretwork + refrets in the long run.

What’s bizarre to me is seeing stainless on cheaper import guitars. It’s almost universally true that these guitars don’t get top tier fretwork as it is. Hell, even my >$2k EJ strat could have used a fret dress the day I got it brand new (where my Gibson and Martin were legitimately perfect). So… if these import guitars have less than perfect fretwork with softer, easier to work nickel silver wire, are we expecting guitars made in the same factory, selling at the same price point, with harder working stainless wire, to have _better_ fretwork?


----------



## profwoot

CanserDYI said:


> ...even if he actually can hear something, it'd be a bad thing, not a good thing, as it would be a shitty life to live listening to records like "No! He completely ruined this album by using direct mounted pickups!".


You're not wrong, but all you're describing is a "producer's ear", which, on balance, is fucking awesome to have. It's amazing the shit that I never had any idea about in my first 40 years of music fandom once I started trying to produce and therefore actually _listening_. While I appreciate a "toan is in the truss rod cover" joke as much as anybody, I don't think either "nothing affects tone ever" or "if you've trained your ears to notice any subtleties then fuck you" should be the default position of the SSO commentariate. Most individual factors won't be significant to most people, but that represents different levels of listening skills, not some objective reality. 

Granted, these skills are hard won, so there are likely a bunch of enthusiasts pretending to hear differences when they haven't put in the work, and my ear isn't half as good as anyone actually doing it on a day-to-day basis. The more subtle the differences under discussion the fewer people will be able to meaningfully discuss it, which doesn't make good message board fodder absent a critical mass of expert discussants.


----------



## Albake21

STRHelvete said:


> "Gimmick:
> _noun_
> noun: *gimmick*; plural noun: *gimmicks*
> 
> a trick or device intended to attract attention, publicity, or business."
> 
> 
> That is what "Hey we have SS frets!" is. It's quite literally a gimmick. Even if it's arguably useful it's still a gimmick.


Still genuinely don't agree here, as most companies don't point to SS frets and go "look at us, we have SS frets now, we're so much better!". They just have them as an option. That's all it is, an option. It's just another spec to choose from. You're essentially saying every single spec on a guitar that has another option for it is a gimmick. It's just ridiculous to say as such.

With that said, this is obviously a very silly, unimportant topic to discuss semantics with, so I'll just leave it there.


----------



## STRHelvete

Albake21 said:


> Still genuinely don't agree here, as most companies don't point to SS frets and go "look at us, we have SS frets now, we're so much better!". They just have them as an option. That's all it is, an option. It's just another spec to choose from. You're essentially saying every single spec on a guitar that has another option for it is a gimmick. It's just ridiculous to say as such.
> 
> With that said, this is obviously a very silly, unimportant topic to discuss semantics with, so I'll just leave it there.


You don't have to agree with the definition..it's still the definition. That's the beauty of fact.


----------



## Albake21

STRHelvete said:


> You don't have to agree with the definition..it's still the definition. That's the beauty of fact.


I didn't argue the definition, but the context of it being used. But nice try.


----------



## STRHelvete

Albake21 said:


> I didn't argue the definition, but the context of it being used. But nice try.


You missed the point. Ah well.


----------



## jonsick

I kinda have to agree with the gimmick thing. I mean, Solar are not the only ones. I'm fairly outspoken about direct mount pickups and how against them I am, but I do think it is a gimmick. Guitar players have decided they absolutely need them because reasons. I can agree to disagree in terms of aesthetics, I mean plenty Gibson players like nickel covers on the pickups, Bare Knuckle, DiMarzio and Seymour Duncan even offer this as an option on most of their models. 

SS frets on cheaper imports? I get the SS trend, but let's break down the reality. I have had to do some fretwork on some cheaper SS fretted guitars and it does make the job harder. Like it or not, you will pay me more to do fretwork on one. Not only a time thing but some SS frets can be brutal on the tools I use meaning I will have to replace a crowning file quicker for example.

But let's compare them to nickel frets. I currently own about 35 guitars (I honestly don't remember the number) of which three have SS frets. However I have either performed myself or had performed exactly three refrets on my own guitars in my life. My BC Rich Warlock from Japan from around 1992 needed a refret but I partially blame that on a technician of auld. I had the frets levelled and crowned but the tech took the frets down so far, there was barely anything left. It played fine, but it wasn't right. The only solution was a refret. The second was an old strat from the early 1990s again but it had seen probably three or four previous owners before me. The frets lower down the neck were down too far to realistically get playing OK so I decided to refret the whole thing. And finally a Kramer which was involved in a slight accident involving an amplifier cabinet which caused dents on several frets. I was initially going to do a partial refret but decided as I was there, I may as well do the whole thing. OH I did forget my Les Paul Custom which I still have, I just felt the original frets were too small for me and I had it refretted with jumbos (this was before I started doing fretwork myself). That was done around 2006 or so, nickel frets, still going strong.

OK so what about plain use. Well, I have a Jackson Stealth again from the 1990s. It's had a couple of recrowns and maybe a level, but the original frets are still there and going strong. 

So really, how necessary are SS frets? The one thing I can say is that the guitars I have with SS frets do sound brighter. It's subtle and I wouldn't go with ear-piercingly more treble in the overall sound, but I do hear that spike.

I ordered a Jackson Custom Shop V going back about 10 years now. I opted for nickel simply as it's what I know, it's what I like and I just don't feel the need for SS frets. 

If you like them and you gotta have them, then great go for it. But it is a marketing ploy. Really, outside of some catastrophic event or severe amounts of use over a couple of decades, the likelihood that your guitar will ever require a refret is low. 

Straplocks I get, but I use Schallers. My newest Jackson DK2 came with the Dunlop system. While it's perfectly fine, all my straps already have Schaller straplocks, so I did replace the strap buttons for Schallers. I doubt they are any better than Dunlop, but if you're already bought into one system, you know how it goes. 

A lot of these things are gimmicks, it is what it is. Hell, even Floyd Rose being stamped on the Special bridges are a gimmick in itself. The Special bridges are just bad full stop. I've had more than enough to know that they just need outright replacement. 

Most of us are here because we want a cool guitar, one that plays well and whether you have thousands to spend or hundreds, you need something that will do the job. We can't all afford Jackson Custom Shops, Solar has a market just like any other manufacturer in this price point. If you dig Solar's vibe then go for it. Personally, I would sooner expect a guitar manufacturer to spend more on the bits that matter, such as quality bridge that stays in tune, better woods and not 3-4 piece laminate bodies, if going bolt-on for cheaper manufacturing costs means better woods or paint, then do that. 

Cutting corners on the bits that matter and dressing it up with SS frets, EMG as stock pickups, Direct Mounting pickups to appeal to third-hand EVH type claims of sonic superiority, stamping a tinfoil bridge with Floyd Rose, etc. That's my biggest bug bear with most guitars coming out right now. A guitar can come with all that fancy stuff, but if it's dead as a doornail to play or no matter how much you try and get it looked at by a guitar technician, it'll never play like buttah, personally I think it's a bad deal. Keep the pickups which most players will want to change anyway, keep your SS frets, spend more of the manufacturing cost on better woods and a better bridge. Keep the gimmicks!


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## pahulkster

So how about those Solars?


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## jonsick

pahulkster said:


> So how about those Solars?


We already discussed boxer short selection. Surely that's all you need to know?

Solars are fine. They have had some QC issues which as far as I understand are now resolved, but there are some dogs in the world somewhere. I did return the one and only Solar I bought for some pretty egregious issues, but the ones I have seen have been generally fine.


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## neptoess

jonsick said:


> I kinda have to agree with the gimmick thing. I mean, Solar are not the only ones. I'm fairly outspoken about direct mount pickups and how against them I am, but I do think it is a gimmick. Guitar players have decided they absolutely need them because reasons. I can agree to disagree in terms of aesthetics, I mean plenty Gibson players like nickel covers on the pickups, Bare Knuckle, DiMarzio and Seymour Duncan even offer this as an option on most of their models.
> 
> SS frets on cheaper imports? I get the SS trend, but let's break down the reality. I have had to do some fretwork on some cheaper SS fretted guitars and it does make the job harder. Like it or not, you will pay me more to do fretwork on one. Not only a time thing but some SS frets can be brutal on the tools I use meaning I will have to replace a crowning file quicker for example.
> 
> But let's compare them to nickel frets. I currently own about 35 guitars (I honestly don't remember the number) of which three have SS frets. However I have either performed myself or had performed exactly three refrets on my own guitars in my life. My BC Rich Warlock from Japan from around 1992 needed a refret but I partially blame that on a technician of auld. I had the frets levelled and crowned but the tech took the frets down so far, there was barely anything left. It played fine, but it wasn't right. The only solution was a refret. The second was an old strat from the early 1990s again but it had seen probably three or four previous owners before me. The frets lower down the neck were down too far to realistically get playing OK so I decided to refret the whole thing. And finally a Kramer which was involved in a slight accident involving an amplifier cabinet which caused dents on several frets. I was initially going to do a partial refret but decided as I was there, I may as well do the whole thing. OH I did forget my Les Paul Custom which I still have, I just felt the original frets were too small for me and I had it refretted with jumbos (this was before I started doing fretwork myself). That was done around 2006 or so, nickel frets, still going strong.
> 
> OK so what about plain use. Well, I have a Jackson Stealth again from the 1990s. It's had a couple of recrowns and maybe a level, but the original frets are still there and going strong.
> 
> So really, how necessary are SS frets? The one thing I can say is that the guitars I have with SS frets do sound brighter. It's subtle and I wouldn't go with ear-piercingly more treble in the overall sound, but I do hear that spike.
> 
> I ordered a Jackson Custom Shop V going back about 10 years now. I opted for nickel simply as it's what I know, it's what I like and I just don't feel the need for SS frets.
> 
> If you like them and you gotta have them, then great go for it. But it is a marketing ploy. Really, outside of some catastrophic event or severe amounts of use over a couple of decades, the likelihood that your guitar will ever require a refret is low.
> 
> Straplocks I get, but I use Schallers. My newest Jackson DK2 came with the Dunlop system. While it's perfectly fine, all my straps already have Schaller straplocks, so I did replace the strap buttons for Schallers. I doubt they are any better than Dunlop, but if you're already bought into one system, you know how it goes.
> 
> A lot of these things are gimmicks, it is what it is. Hell, even Floyd Rose being stamped on the Special bridges are a gimmick in itself. The Special bridges are just bad full stop. I've had more than enough to know that they just need outright replacement.
> 
> Most of us are here because we want a cool guitar, one that plays well and whether you have thousands to spend or hundreds, you need something that will do the job. We can't all afford Jackson Custom Shops, Solar has a market just like any other manufacturer in this price point. If you dig Solar's vibe then go for it. Personally, I would sooner expect a guitar manufacturer to spend more on the bits that matter, such as quality bridge that stays in tune, better woods and not 3-4 piece laminate bodies, if going bolt-on for cheaper manufacturing costs means better woods or paint, then do that.
> 
> Cutting corners on the bits that matter and dressing it up with SS frets, EMG as stock pickups, Direct Mounting pickups to appeal to third-hand EVH type claims of sonic superiority, stamping a tinfoil bridge with Floyd Rose, etc. That's my biggest bug bear with most guitars coming out right now. A guitar can come with all that fancy stuff, but if it's dead as a doornail to play or no matter how much you try and get it looked at by a guitar technician, it'll never play like buttah, personally I think it's a bad deal. Keep the pickups which most players will want to change anyway, keep your SS frets, spend more of the manufacturing cost on better woods and a better bridge. Keep the gimmicks!


You mention a Jackson custom shop in here. I picked up an 85 Jackson earlier this year. As was typical of the Rhoads of the era, it has “small” frets (.045” H x .080” W). It had never had the frets leveled before I bought it, and it definitely needed it. But… the frets are still .044” high post leveling. And this guitar has been played A LOT. So, even with these short, narrow, nickel frets, I can’t ever see me wearing them enough to warrant replacing.

This is why I always try to stress that there are both good and back nickel wire, just like I’m sure there’s good and bad stainless wire. I think the widespread use of cheap wire and bad fretwork on imports contributed big time to stainless’s rise in popularity.


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## CanserDYI

I just personally enjoy how SS feels, and when I'm comfy I play better music.


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## MAJ Meadows SF

jonsick said:


> I kinda have to agree with the gimmick thing. I mean, Solar are not the only ones. I'm fairly outspoken about direct mount pickups and how against them I am, but I do think it is a gimmick. Guitar players have decided they absolutely need them because reasons. I can agree to disagree in terms of aesthetics, I mean plenty Gibson players like nickel covers on the pickups, Bare Knuckle, DiMarzio and Seymour Duncan even offer this as an option on most of their models.
> 
> SS frets on cheaper imports? I get the SS trend, but let's break down the reality. I have had to do some fretwork on some cheaper SS fretted guitars and it does make the job harder. Like it or not, you will pay me more to do fretwork on one. Not only a time thing but some SS frets can be brutal on the tools I use meaning I will have to replace a crowning file quicker for example.
> 
> But let's compare them to nickel frets. I currently own about 35 guitars (I honestly don't remember the number) of which three have SS frets. However I have either performed myself or had performed exactly three refrets on my own guitars in my life. My BC Rich Warlock from Japan from around 1992 needed a refret but I partially blame that on a technician of auld. I had the frets levelled and crowned but the tech took the frets down so far, there was barely anything left. It played fine, but it wasn't right. The only solution was a refret. The second was an old strat from the early 1990s again but it had seen probably three or four previous owners before me. The frets lower down the neck were down too far to realistically get playing OK so I decided to refret the whole thing. And finally a Kramer which was involved in a slight accident involving an amplifier cabinet which caused dents on several frets. I was initially going to do a partial refret but decided as I was there, I may as well do the whole thing. OH I did forget my Les Paul Custom which I still have, I just felt the original frets were too small for me and I had it refretted with jumbos (this was before I started doing fretwork myself). That was done around 2006 or so, nickel frets, still going strong.
> 
> OK so what about plain use. Well, I have a Jackson Stealth again from the 1990s. It's had a couple of recrowns and maybe a level, but the original frets are still there and going strong.
> 
> So really, how necessary are SS frets? The one thing I can say is that the guitars I have with SS frets do sound brighter. It's subtle and I wouldn't go with ear-piercingly more treble in the overall sound, but I do hear that spike.
> 
> I ordered a Jackson Custom Shop V going back about 10 years now. I opted for nickel simply as it's what I know, it's what I like and I just don't feel the need for SS frets.
> 
> If you like them and you gotta have them, then great go for it. But it is a marketing ploy. Really, outside of some catastrophic event or severe amounts of use over a couple of decades, the likelihood that your guitar will ever require a refret is low.
> 
> Straplocks I get, but I use Schallers. My newest Jackson DK2 came with the Dunlop system. While it's perfectly fine, all my straps already have Schaller straplocks, so I did replace the strap buttons for Schallers. I doubt they are any better than Dunlop, but if you're already bought into one system, you know how it goes.
> 
> A lot of these things are gimmicks, it is what it is. Hell, even Floyd Rose being stamped on the Special bridges are a gimmick in itself. The Special bridges are just bad full stop. I've had more than enough to know that they just need outright replacement.
> 
> Most of us are here because we want a cool guitar, one that plays well and whether you have thousands to spend or hundreds, you need something that will do the job. We can't all afford Jackson Custom Shops, Solar has a market just like any other manufacturer in this price point. If you dig Solar's vibe then go for it. Personally, I would sooner expect a guitar manufacturer to spend more on the bits that matter, such as quality bridge that stays in tune, better woods and not 3-4 piece laminate bodies, if going bolt-on for cheaper manufacturing costs means better woods or paint, then do that.
> 
> Cutting corners on the bits that matter and dressing it up with SS frets, EMG as stock pickups, Direct Mounting pickups to appeal to third-hand EVH type claims of sonic superiority, stamping a tinfoil bridge with Floyd Rose, etc. That's my biggest bug bear with most guitars coming out right now. A guitar can come with all that fancy stuff, but if it's dead as a doornail to play or no matter how much you try and get it looked at by a guitar technician, it'll never play like buttah, personally I think it's a bad deal. Keep the pickups which most players will want to change anyway, keep your SS frets, spend more of the manufacturing cost on better woods and a better bridge. Keep the gimmicks!


That's a proper take. A lot of luthiers and techs I've talked to over the years think well of SS frets, but they abhor doing work on them. Hell, installing them destroys tools much quicker, and I have yet to see Craftsman or Snap-On make lifetime warranted fret wire cutters. I wear out strings so much quicker. Pros and cons. The business-side pitch reminds me of hybrid car adds and discussions ("you don't have one yet? They are the only thing anyone should drive"), with almost smug insinuations that in reality only provide diminishing returns depending on the intent or user. Kind of like underwear. Have we had a luxury name-brand vs. Walmart debate yet? And then there is Duluth Trading (I highly recommend the Armachillo line if you work outdoors in the summer).

I swear every time I take a hiatus from the internet forums and pop back in, I feel like the parents coming home unexpectedly to a high school Rager a la "Old School". This went from Solars to undergarments pretty quick. But then I'm like that parent that decides to do one beer bong and later wants to streak through the quad.

I love direct mount pickups. I love the perceived resonance and sustain especially in flat top guitars. I HATE THE LOOK OF PICKUP RINGS, even on Les Pauls and PRS. They are super easy to adjust and provide more flexibility. I'll counter with if your carved top guitar design didn't force the angle to fretboard requiring the rings (deep pickup routes, top mounted bridge) then you wouldn't need them. A lot of "direct mount" pickups are actually short leg, sitting up on springs with a foam pad underneath (getting it to sit evenly is a bitch; I'll agree with that gripe).

I also can't play guitars with high rings for long (LPs), because I rub my knuckles on them, and they always get in the way of my picking thumb. Same goes for mid-position single coils. With harmonics and touch dynamics being a thing of millimeters much like string height, pole adjustments, and truss rod turns, the lack of pickup rings matters a lot to me. Most of my guitars don't have them. Ormsby's: direct mount seated on foam. KxK's: direct mount (I measured the exact height I wanted sonically and placed small wood blocks directly underneath the pickups; perfection to my ears). Ibanez JEM/JS/RG: direct mount. Daemoness': direct mount (Valkenbyrd is more resonant than a Norlin Era Les Paul). LTD BM EX: direct mount. The rest have rings and I play on them a lot less, except for that Cantrell Epiphone Wino but I'm jamming big chords and shit, not tons of chugging, tremolo runs, or alternate picking (totally rad guitar for the money). All of those direct mount guitars have low profile or recessed bridges (recessed TOM is probably the best thing since sliced bread. Toasted. With chunky avocado and chili honey).

Another thing on direct mount: pole adjustments. I got into this from the BKP forum and chatting with Tim Mills and his team. In the absence of springs and rings, making minute adjustments to the pole screws or bolts height made a difference and got me more of what I wanted from each pickup. You obviously are doing fine tuning, not enough to unscrew the coils, but it allows you to add response along with your intonation adjustments.

I think overall the best use of direct mount pickups is to design a guitar around them, hardware and all, and around a specific sound. If you have to or intend to make a lot of adjustments to the height, then this is not for you. I've also learned the mid to high output pickup ranges regardless of brand work best because it requires just minute adjustments instead of dramatic height changes. I have a couple guitars I swap pickups in and out of, both ring loaded and direct. I honestly get more annoyed dealing with the rings than direct mount, but that's just personal preference.


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## MAJ Meadows SF

Back to Solar: I've mentioned before I own an A1.7DVV. I've had it a couple of years, and it's never had a single issue. It was a B-stock I bought second hand (to add to those comments, it can and does happen), but only a minor paint goof in the upper horn pocket. No cracks, dings, scratches, etc. Neck is still solid and never needed a truss rod adjustment. Fretboard has not cracked; frets are still good. It's honestly stage worthy. It royally sucks that so many people have had QC issues with recent guitars. Makes me gun-shy to grab a Solar Type E Vinter and AAN sixers. I will risk it all on the X, though. Been waiting forever for that one to add to the massive pointy axe collection, which are superior in every way for playing death metal. Big ass brands do have better QC and layers of it. Not a lot of smaller importers can afford it or take the hit financially for imperfections. Maybe if they had a semi-custom shop, they could fix a lot of these problems. Perry Ormsby was QC'ing every GTR in house when he first started, and they really put in an effort to correct things or just completely refinish the instruments in a one-off. Perhaps the WMI makes better structural instruments in house than the Indonesian shop Ola uses, because I've almost never seen a wood or routing issue with the older PRS SEs, LTDs, Schecters, etc. 

As far as the jack placement, my Valkenbyrd has a lower horn jack as well, and I use an angled cable with it. It's my only gripe about that guitar, but since I didn't think hard enough about that when it was designed, I adapted. Ola plays on his hip like a caveman so I can see how it doesn't affect him (yes, I play classical position with a footrest and raise my picking hand pinky because I'm a classy broad). Standing up it's not a noticeable problem for me.

I vote boxer briefs for everything, direct mount pickups, and pointy guitars rule. Especially with single humbuckers and a tremolo bridge.


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## RevDrucifer

The word “gimmick” is being used in a far more cynical sense in this thread, IMO, once something has an actual benefit to it, it’s no longer a gimmick and becomes a feature. Furthermore, Solar doesn’t force anyone into buying guitars with this stuff, they almost have a cheaper version of all their models that are a several hundred bucks cheaper if someone doesn’t want that stuff.

What’s it matter if someone is playing in their bedroom or MSG? If they’re a heavy handed player, they’re going to wear frets down regardless of the venue they’re in. That’s like saying “You don’t need an AxeFX, it’s overkill if you’re just playing in your apartment.” The room someone is playing in does not dictate what amps/effects they want to use. Never understood that one at all.

I’ve had to refret several of my guitars over the years because I’m a heavy handed player and I’ve dented quite a few before they’ve needed a refret and just dealt with it until the guitar was worn down. SS removes that almost entirely for me, they’re far from a gimmick. And that’s not to mention how great they feel to play. You can buff out nickel all day long, play them for a week and they’re back to feeling like they used to.

I love the Evertune, the amount of time I save when recording is immense. I’m a tuning nut and use a lot of VST’s and layer the shit out of things so I’m checking my tuning between _every _take, because something off by .2 cents, once layered up, will start causing issues.

I’m not a fan of peg winders, especially on reverse headstocks because my wrist takes a beating stringing up guitars without locking tuners, being able to stick a string in the hole, lock it, cut it and be done with it in 10 seconds, I’ll take that any day over 1-2 minutes a string and doing a luthier’s knot. Small benefit, but it’s still a benefit. I’ve upgraded all my guitars without locking nuts/vintage-Fender tuners to locking tuners.

I’m going to go off my experience of actually owning a Solar and seeing how flawless the fret job was done on it, rather than speculating that it might not be good without touching one. In all the issues I’ve heard people experience, fretwork hasn’t been one of them. But ya’ll do you.


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## STRHelvete

RevDrucifer said:


> The word “gimmick” is being used in a far more cynical sense in this thread,


No it isn't. A gimmick is still a gimmick even if it's useful. That has nothing to do with the definition of the word. The problem is people assume gimmick = garbage. Not the case. If called a feature, no one complains. It's quite literally not liking how one word makes one feel so they want to replace it with a softer word. It's the same thing for the most part.
But back to Solar as I feel the aforementioned topic can be argued forever, and really who wants to do that....Solar makes the only super strats I'd actually like to try. I don't know what it is but I find myself checking out the new Solars even though I know I'm not buying one and I don't want one. They just look good and I can't really explain why since it's the same shape I've seen a million times.


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## RevDrucifer

STRHelvete said:


> No it isn't. A gimmick is still a gimmick even if it's useful. That has nothing to do with the definition of the word. The problem is people assume gimmick = garbage. Not the case. If called a feature, no one complains. It's quite literally not liking how one word makes one feel so they want to replace it with a softer word. It's the same thing for the most part.
> But back to Solar as I feel the aforementioned topic can be argued forever, and really who wants to do that....Solar makes the only super strats I'd actually like to try. I don't know what it is but I find myself checking out the new Solars even though I know I'm not buying one and I don't want one. They just look good and I can't really explain why since it's the same shape I've seen a million times.



I get the dictionary explains it that way, but that’s certainly not how 99.9% of the English speaking world has used it in the 40 years I’ve been alive. Every use of the word has been to describe basically snake oil. 

And if you asked everyone for the definition of snake oil, what would the answer be? I’d be willing to bet the majority of answers will include the word ”gimmick”.

This is fucking stupid.


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## drb

Which guitar brands don't sell with gimmicks if every attempt to provide better specs is classed as one?


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## neptoess

They all do it to some extent. Whether its Fender’s “handwound” pickups, Jackson’s compound radius fretboards, Gibson’s hot hide glue construction, Martin’s Adirondack spruce tops, etc. Any guitar brand moving serious volume uses marketing gimmicks


drb said:


> Which guitar brands don't sell with gimmicks if every attempt to provide better specs is classed as one?


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## bostjan

Kind of meta, but pointing out the dictionary definition of gimmick in this way, which has now gained the attention of several other posts, is, itself, a gimmick.


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## BusinessMan

Gotta market that reply somehow


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## neptoess

CanserDYI said:


> I just personally enjoy how SS feels, and when I'm comfy I play better music.


Also a fair point. If you like the highly polished feel, either get stainless or you’re going to spend a lot if time polishing your nickel frets


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