The standard for budget guitars: Pickups aren't microphonic. Frets don't cut you. Stays in tune. Upper frets are reasonably accessible. Not hard to play fast. No major manufacturing flaws. Basically nothing to get in the way of playing.
@@D14V0R05 Regardless of price, that is the bare minimum. The premium guitars would be expected to be flawless in construction and have labor-intensive features.
@@D14V0R05 Won't be surprised if Gibson tries to market poor QC some day in the style of "every guitar we make is unique in some way" or "our guitars are cut by real humans, not by those INAUTHENTIC CNC cutting units".
Don't mind the black neck at all. I think it's really cool you can get such a cool guitar for that price. My first guitar was terrible and it almost made me quit. It wouldn't stay in tune, the neck was warped and it was an over all crap guitar. If you get a good instrument from the start, it's gonna be so much more fun. I think it's a very cool move from Solar.
Yeah I feel like I’m probably the minority here. It’s actually not that bad on this guitar, but some guitars/finishes it looks so bad. My assumption was always they painted them so they could use less desirable pieces of wood (like with flaws) for the neck but IDK 🤷♂️
my first guitar was a bc rich warlock(because metal XD) and it was one of their cheapest. the setup on it was awful. probebly because its a very different climate in china vs in sweden XD. it was really hard to play so when my sister got a gibson les paul studio i started playing on that because that played great. i eventually bought one of my own and a couple of years ago i figured i should look up how to set up guitars. now my warlock play great too. it has a way thinner neck and it has 24 frets so its better for shredding :)
it is absolutely awesome! really love the way it turned out. It is a really great first guitar also, because you want something decent to learn on that shall help you be a better player. Stack up a notch against all of those other budget guitars. Although could use it for performances and studio as well, just like you showed us, it sounds great. You can upgrade this platform as well with all of the parts. The fretboard seems to work good. You could always install a flatmount Kahler tremelo easily. Of course if you want an original or 1000 series floyd it would need to be routed. The pickups do their job decent and are all balcked out. A nice touch. What i am recommenden is putting on a blacked out S logo or greyish color. Well laterZ.
I got one this week, I' m telling you it is legit. It honestly plays as well as my "real " Solars. I was shocked! They left out my whammy bar for the Floyd but I will let it slide....
No offense brother just my opinion but what would you rather have an ESP or an LTD didn't mean to seem like I was screaming at everybody sorry...LOL!!😂😂
@@ronnielobosmith4870Its easier to manage things if you have two corporate entities. S by solar has already been active in Brazil for a year, its just easier to have a budget brand for countries like that.
I'm interested! I play live shows every weekend and don't particularly love the idea of taking my expensive solar's out to get damaged I'd like to pick one up for a live guitar that I can beat up and not feel bad about. Thanks for making this!
I really want to get an S by Solar but sadly no distribution for Canada maybe they will one day. The panted neck does not bother me at all and I think it looks awesome but I think that is a personal preference. Your videos are great and I appreciate everything you put into them \m/ Thanks again!
If you close your eyes and listen to both the Solar and the S, you'll hardly notice any difference. I don't have one of these myself, but it's on the radar.
You're just used to seeing a clear bolt-on neck cause it's default on 99% of bolt-ons, reason being a) on budget guitars they're both bolt-on and clear coated because it's cheap; and/or b) historically all bolt-ons trace back to evolving from imitating Fender. I would actually praise this guitar for having a matching neck cause it's more rare/different and doesn't give off "entry level import" vibe like for example what cheapest LTDs are to more expensive LTD/ESP models.
Im considering buying one, just to have one. So far im impressed with how the entire line sounds. I love tinkering with budget guitars to make them better.
I bought a set of 7 string Solar Pickups off of Reverb like a year ago to put in one of my 7 string Ibanez's. But now I'm thinking of buying the AB4.7C S by Solar, and putting those pickups in there. And swapping the locking tuners over from my Ibanez onto the AB4.7C. Medium frets are no problem. That would be a sweet guitar. Even if it just become my backup for now. Now Ola NEEDS to make a higher end S by Solar series with Evertune bridges, and locking tuners in the $600-$700 range. LOL.
Higher end budget guitars. You remind me of the people who wanted epiphones to be more like gibsons the got mad when the prices went over a grand. …um pick one. Not both
@@Ottophil What they F you talking about? I have 2-7 string Solars with Evertunes. 2-Gibson Les Paul's. 2-Epiphone SG's, 3-7 string Ibanez's, 3-6 String Ibanez's. 1-6 String Schecter, 1-7 string Schecter, all ranging from a few Hundred dollars up to several Thousand dollars. I've been a relatively successful musician for decades. My entire guitar collection is worth over $15,000. Not to include the $12,000 in amps I own. So shut up. I only made a suggestion to help people who cannot afford $1200-$2500 guitars have access to something a bit higher. What do you got, a Squire that won't intonate properly?
*I just got a $215 neck through super strat made in Vietnam with a Wilkinson trem and tuners that is every bit as good as what people pour $1000 into. Ultimately, most guitars are built by CNC, or at least high rate duplicator routers, so that's how they can make something top of the line for entry level pricing. Even the pickups are high end, but that's one of the most deceptive components on an instrument when compared to selling costs.* Coupled with the fact that they're using species of trees that are plentiful in Asia and a cousin variety to what we have in the east, their costs are just so low that the major names can barely compete anymore. *I would hate to see Gibson go out of business, but they have made a lot of poor business decisions, haven't remained current and competitive, and a 3,000 Les Paul is really just an old man's guitar that will be used as a trophy piece rather than a daily played instrument.* It's only old farts that can afford them in enough abundance to keep Gibson from shutting their doors completely!
I have played off and on for a decade and a half and could never really afford more expensive instruments. Most of my experiences have come from cheaper guitars being upgraded into metal monsters. Cut to Solar announcing the S line. I instantly ordered the T style and I already have plans to mod it to absolute hell. I think the most expensive guitar I've ever had was a Schecter Hellraiser I got used for $400. I am really stoked about my S by Solar to arrive. Awesome tones and video as always my dude. Happy Holidays to you and yours! 🖤
I like brands who cater to a wide range of budgets, bc typically they put more effort into their lower models than Donner/Ivy/Ect.. I have a maxed out Hagstrom that I love; but to be completely honest, my budget line jackson remains one of my most played guitars. I do wish that neck was set though. I was looking at the teles and just thinking man, that would look so much nicer set in. The black namebrand Solar tele with the set neck is often sold out. Let's see if I can hold out or will I cave to the S.
I find this model attractive. Mostly because I like to mod my guitars, and making radical changes to a high price guitar is stomach turning. Especially if you find you don’t like the mod when your finished, or if you suck at luthier tinkering.
the perfect cheap starter guitar for a kid right now in my opinion is the one I just got my son the Mitchell m100 short scale. I got mine used at guitar center perfect condition 75 bucks. had my guy set it up touch a few things and im actually pretty impressed with how it plays and stays in tune pretty good even dropping it down to d. It sounds good so far no complaints and for the amp I got him a fender champion 20 because its simple sounds good and has effects. my sons 5 he's gunna be rocking in no time!!
Looks and sounds great. The Solar and the LTD or ESP 'EX' are only "Explorer" shapes I like outside of the real deal Gibson's. The finished neck looks nice on it too, bonus if it's a satin smooth type finish.
I just got a cheap guitar just because the paint and was blown away at the craftsmanship I paid $87 shipping tax and all budget guitars sure have come a long way
I love how they made the neck match the body on those guitars. I really dislike how a natural looking neck looks on a metal type guitar. Fenders and gibsons sure, but on this, i love how it looks. I might get the 7 string as a back up / beater guitar, something I wont worry too much about.
Great video! I have to kind of agree with you about the painted necks on a bolt on guitar. I have a Kiesel Carvin neck through body and even it doesn't have a painted neck. I prefer unpainted but I have a few that are painted also.
I don't mind a painted bolted neck so long as it isn't a gloss finish. If it is, I hate it and I wonder why they would go through the extra effort just to make something less playable for the majority of people. (I'm looking at you LTD!)
To my ears. Ceramic just sounds almost completely lacking a mid range. Perfect if. That's what your aiming for but otherwise that thing looks great after sanding the neck to something not so sticky i would swap pickups and love it forever
Looks nice sounds good.. See West Creek Guitars similar price... Not really fair to Donner DMT 100 Since the Solar Guitar is 50%more Money 🤑... You could Guyker Tuners $20 Donlis Pickups $22 a set so you are at $240 vs $299 $59 savings plus taxes savings. Guyker Tuners & hardware are quality Chinese Made Will compair with Name Brand TUNERS. & Hardware. At significant savings same with the pickups.... Cheers 🍻🥃🥃 🎸🎶🎶
COMPLETELY AGREE about the neck. 100% I have a sweet A2.6 in Neon Lemon that feels beautiful. I was curious about the S brand. I don't have a need for another guitar, but does that ever stop a guitarist? lol EVER?
Man I've played bass 30+years and due to arthritis I've went to playing guitars and I see ME buying this ..I'm intermediate/able to play guitar before I ever picked a 6dtring guitar up and this is easily ad nice as the Devlin I bought at same price but it's set neck and sweet as dead possum stench ...this I bought an Epiphone gothic lp ....seems like evrry guitar i owns gonna be matte blavk and im ok with that... Having to start over with different instruments at 45 I can buy 2 for what an entry level Ibanez or bc rich were in 88to 1990...you were. Lucky to find a post buyot harmony for 200at the pawn shop Floyd's were 250 ...a memphis samick made for Gibson were 299 to 700 and I sold the black charvel/Kramer clone for more than I paid for it ....inflation accounted for ...it's cheaper to buy a new student model than to buy a used .... anything...I'ma cop me +1 of these
I just wish Solar's exp had a normal downward pointing style headstock. It's the only thing that's putting me off buying one. Same as it was with Chapman's Ghost Fret. And I can't just put a bag over her head... stock? hue
You can always sand off the paint/sealer on the neck and maybe just oil it. I've done this to a number of guitars, even thinning some out or slightly changing the profile.
Sounds great, I already have a main brand Solar V much like yours, but if I was looking for my first guitar and just starting out I would definitely get this guitar. Best in that price range, unless you’re going second hand sales 🔥
Wish they had them last year. Bought a pacifica, im not complaining, that alnico 5 humbucker is great and it has that twang on single coils. Would have been cool to have a metal looking axe though.
5:00 - I'm supposing they're going after the matte black aesthetic really hard in including finish on the back of the neck. I like the look, but that's just me being a weirdo.
Hey mate ! You don't play standing, so does this guitar have a good balance ? In general, this kind of guitar like Explorer or SG or Viper have the neck which falls down when you are standing. How is it here, please ? Must we change the local attachments ?
Judging from the top strap button position, it will definitely have serious neck dive. Explorers need the button by the neck joint to counteract it. The only one I haven't had to move is a LTD.
Bro, take some tape and mask off the top and bottom of the neck on the back and sand it. I've done it to so many of my guitars over the years. It's really easy.
In two years when the parts are failing and the tuners can't hold a note for more than half an hour, you will know you bought a cheap guitar for a cheap price. Cheap guitars sound just as good as the premium when they are new, but they sure as hell don't last.
liked the video, your amped roots demo here was of very poor tuning and setup of speaker cab impulse responses and just overall gain that was much less when you used roots compared to the real amp.. just my two cents though buddy
the woodgrain on the neck is probably not the best, which is fine as long as its structurally sound right? that would be a cool thing to skimp on when making a budget guitar
The headstock is a deal breaker for me, I don't want a super strat-esc headstock on an explorer style guitar (the only shape i play). If they gave it something that at least resembles the typical hockey stick headstock I'd probably get one.
The problem is, that hockey stick headstock is copyrighted by Gibson. That's why this uses the Solar headstock 💁♂ Though some other brands do have more hockey sticky headstocks...
@@MaximusAdonicus I mean the body shape itself is pretty much an explorer with a few minor differences from the original, why not go all the way through with it and make a headstock that kind of looks hockey stick-ish.
@@ilikepotatoes1345 Welp, it's because for the same reason they did NOT wanna go all the way 🙉 Plus, I think Solar only has this 1 headstock, which is fine by me, and a good way to keep them unique 💁♂ I just don't personally like these pointy ESP type explorers, nor even the originals 😀 The Harley Benton version has a cool notch, which makes them appeal to me!
@@MaximusAdonicus I personally could never get down with the Harley Benton ones, the body shape I think deviates a bit too much for my taste, plus I think they come with actives, so at least I personally would have to rip those out, put new passives in, and rewire it which is too much of a hassle even though they're priced so cheap.
idk why people care about what gear is used to demo guitars, it's not like you have a baseline anyway. and also the guitar itself make up so little of the final sound when it comes to metal that it doesn't really matter at all. if the pickups aren't noisy and feedbacking like crazy, the guitar stays in tune and feels good to play, that's all that really matters
I watched a video of a guy giving pointers on how to get a great tone for beginners. The first thing he said was to get a Marshall jcm 800........some youtubers lose touch with the working man. Someone who is looking at 299 guitars wants to see a demo using gear they can afford.
Bolt-on and not even recessed. And no stainless steel frets (believe it or not, the price difference between nickel and steel fret wire is VERY small, even more so, when bought by manufacturers in bulk). This makes me sad. :( Also, techwood is a just slightly more refined approach to plywood. All in all, it's still plywood. Not necessarily a bad thing, though, some of the lower-end 90s Japanese Charvel models were made from plywood, and they were great guitars, given that the hardware and pickups are swapped.
I wonder how much stainless steel frets would have affected the cost overall seeing as firefly is doing it for guitars even under $200. Also wonder why the E has 22 vs 24 frets, and why is it (Jackson does it as well) can't they just put HT bridges on guitars that aren't some version of strat shaped body? I would rather a HT saddle bridge (as on the donner) vs a TOM. would it really boost the cost? That nitpicking aside, I like that Ola is trying to offer a series at a lower cost point that has value. Another grip and it isn't against Solar or S. Other companies do this: putting the jack on the lower leg of the V? if the point is to get these into the hands of younger or beginners of any age... why not have the input in the upper part of the V. it's more comfortable, and the more comfortable a player is, the more they will play. is channeling through that much wood in the back make the cost go up that much? i mean they CNC these things.
I like the neck the way it is, I think natural neck would look stupid on this. I keep hearing that these S's have intonation problems, was this one ok?
1:55 Made in China for $299. Pass. You'll get better Ibanez or Cort from Indonesian factory in that price range. Plus that satin finish is already full of your fingerprints.
I think painted bolt on necks look great, much better than bare maple on blacked out guitars like this one. Also $299 is not THAT cheap, It's on the higher end of the ultra-budget
👕merch! Merch.taylordanley.com
The standard for budget guitars: Pickups aren't microphonic. Frets don't cut you. Stays in tune. Upper frets are reasonably accessible. Not hard to play fast. No major manufacturing flaws. Basically nothing to get in the way of playing.
That pretty much applies for guitars of any price range, bonus points if checks all the boxes at budget pricing!
@@D14V0R05 Regardless of price, that is the bare minimum. The premium guitars would be expected to be flawless in construction and have labor-intensive features.
@@greevarYup, and yet buyers still encounter QC issues on guitars way past the 1k mark .
@@D14V0R05 Won't be surprised if Gibson tries to market poor QC some day in the style of "every guitar we make is unique in some way" or "our guitars are cut by real humans, not by those INAUTHENTIC CNC cutting units".
@@Admiral_Bongo Too real.
Don't mind the black neck at all. I think it's really cool you can get such a cool guitar for that price. My first guitar was terrible and it almost made me quit. It wouldn't stay in tune, the neck was warped and it was an over all crap guitar. If you get a good instrument from the start, it's gonna be so much more fun. I think it's a very cool move from Solar.
Yeah I feel like I’m probably the minority here. It’s actually not that bad on this guitar, but some guitars/finishes it looks so bad. My assumption was always they painted them so they could use less desirable pieces of wood (like with flaws) for the neck but IDK 🤷♂️
@@TaylorDanleywas it smooth or like how a gloss neck really has to be sanded down? Ty
my first guitar was a bc rich warlock(because metal XD) and it was one of their cheapest. the setup on it was awful. probebly because its a very different climate in china vs in sweden XD. it was really hard to play so when my sister got a gibson les paul studio i started playing on that because that played great. i eventually bought one of my own and a couple of years ago i figured i should look up how to set up guitars. now my warlock play great too. it has a way thinner neck and it has 24 frets so its better for shredding :)
Painted necks are nice when they have a satin finish and match with the color of the body, much better than glossy finish on a natural neck.
And then paint comes off...
They look much better without that silly inlay on the neck. Solar should consider getting rid of it, seriously.
The only reason I haven't gotten one yet.
Looks like some 2004 nu-metal tribal bullshit.
these are great. If they do baritones and extended range down the line, I'll probably end up with a bunch of them lol
I hadn't considered it prior to this comment, but if they bring the 29" Solar into the S By Solar line that would be sick
I agree, even if they extend the 7 strings to a 27" scale from the 25.5" I think it would engage even more customers.
This
@@brandonlam1477 they already did this. they rave a 7 string with a 26.5 scale
"I dropped the tuning because... Satan." 😂
it is absolutely awesome! really love the way it turned out. It is a really great first guitar also, because you want something decent to learn on that shall help you be a better player. Stack up a notch against all of those other budget guitars. Although could use it for performances and studio as well, just like you showed us, it sounds great. You can upgrade this platform as well with all of the parts. The fretboard seems to work good. You could always install a flatmount Kahler tremelo easily. Of course if you want an original or 1000 series floyd it would need to be routed. The pickups do their job decent and are all balcked out. A nice touch. What i am recommenden is putting on a blacked out S logo or greyish color. Well laterZ.
I got one this week, I' m telling you it is legit. It honestly plays as well as my "real " Solars. I was shocked! They left out my whammy bar for the Floyd but I will let it slide....
No offense brother just my opinion but what would you rather have an ESP or an LTD didn't mean to seem like I was screaming at everybody sorry...LOL!!😂😂
@@ronnielobosmith4870Its easier to manage things if you have two corporate entities. S by solar has already been active in Brazil for a year, its just easier to have a budget brand for countries like that.
@@ronnielobosmith4870 I totally get what you’re saying…. I just hope this doesn’t hurt the Solar brand.
How was the frets ? Ty
@@JoeHasGas I don’t notice anything different from the real Solar. Very nice feel.
that big ol matte finish body is just cryin for some Slayer, Metallica, Thrasher, and local thrash metal band stickers.
I'm interested! I play live shows every weekend and don't particularly love the idea of taking my expensive solar's out to get damaged I'd like to pick one up for a live guitar that I can beat up and not feel bad about. Thanks for making this!
I really want to get an S by Solar but sadly no distribution for Canada maybe they will one day. The panted neck does not bother me at all and I think it looks awesome but I think that is a personal preference. Your videos are great and I appreciate everything you put into them \m/ Thanks again!
Damn, are you serious? I'm in Canada too 😩
I didn't get it at first, but now I figured it out - The more you LOOK like you don't like something, the more you actually like that thing
If you close your eyes and listen to both the Solar and the S, you'll hardly notice any difference. I don't have one of these myself, but it's on the radar.
Dude my first guitar in like 2002-2003 was a first act and for those who dont know walmart used to sell guitars 😅. Wish they had these back then
You're just used to seeing a clear bolt-on neck cause it's default on 99% of bolt-ons, reason being a) on budget guitars they're both bolt-on and clear coated because it's cheap; and/or b) historically all bolt-ons trace back to evolving from imitating Fender. I would actually praise this guitar for having a matching neck cause it's more rare/different and doesn't give off "entry level import" vibe like for example what cheapest LTDs are to more expensive LTD/ESP models.
Im considering buying one, just to have one. So far im impressed with how the entire line sounds. I love tinkering with budget guitars to make them better.
I bought a set of 7 string Solar Pickups off of Reverb like a year ago to put in one of my 7 string Ibanez's. But now I'm thinking of buying the AB4.7C S by Solar, and putting those pickups in there. And swapping the locking tuners over from my Ibanez onto the AB4.7C. Medium frets are no problem. That would be a sweet guitar. Even if it just become my backup for now. Now Ola NEEDS to make a higher end S by Solar series with Evertune bridges, and locking tuners in the $600-$700 range. LOL.
Higher end budget guitars. You remind me of the people who wanted epiphones to be more like gibsons the got mad when the prices went over a grand. …um pick one. Not both
@@Ottophil What they F you talking about? I have 2-7 string Solars with Evertunes. 2-Gibson Les Paul's. 2-Epiphone SG's, 3-7 string Ibanez's, 3-6 String Ibanez's. 1-6 String Schecter, 1-7 string Schecter, all ranging from a few Hundred dollars up to several Thousand dollars. I've been a relatively successful musician for decades. My entire guitar collection is worth over $15,000. Not to include the $12,000 in amps I own. So shut up. I only made a suggestion to help people who cannot afford $1200-$2500 guitars have access to something a bit higher. What do you got, a Squire that won't intonate properly?
*I just got a $215 neck through super strat made in Vietnam with a Wilkinson trem and tuners that is every bit as good as what people pour $1000 into. Ultimately, most guitars are built by CNC, or at least high rate duplicator routers, so that's how they can make something top of the line for entry level pricing. Even the pickups are high end, but that's one of the most deceptive components on an instrument when compared to selling costs.*
Coupled with the fact that they're using species of trees that are plentiful in Asia and a cousin variety to what we have in the east, their costs are just so low that the major names can barely compete anymore.
*I would hate to see Gibson go out of business, but they have made a lot of poor business decisions, haven't remained current and competitive, and a 3,000 Les Paul is really just an old man's guitar that will be used as a trophy piece rather than a daily played instrument.*
It's only old farts that can afford them in enough abundance to keep Gibson from shutting their doors completely!
where did u get something at that price??
I have played off and on for a decade and a half and could never really afford more expensive instruments. Most of my experiences have come from cheaper guitars being upgraded into metal monsters. Cut to Solar announcing the S line. I instantly ordered the T style and I already have plans to mod it to absolute hell. I think the most expensive guitar I've ever had was a Schecter Hellraiser I got used for $400. I am really stoked about my S by Solar to arrive. Awesome tones and video as always my dude. Happy Holidays to you and yours! 🖤
Always great reviews man. Keep it coming.
I'd rather buy an Ibanez RG.
I like brands who cater to a wide range of budgets, bc typically they put more effort into their lower models than Donner/Ivy/Ect..
I have a maxed out Hagstrom that I love; but to be completely honest, my budget line jackson remains one of my most played guitars.
I do wish that neck was set though. I was looking at the teles and just thinking man, that would look so much nicer set in.
The black namebrand Solar tele with the set neck is often sold out. Let's see if I can hold out or will I cave to the S.
I find this model attractive. Mostly because I like to mod my guitars, and making radical changes to a high price guitar is stomach turning. Especially if you find you don’t like the mod when your finished, or if you suck at luthier tinkering.
I love pickup rings. Ever tried cleaning the dust and crud from around humbuckers? It sucks!
the perfect cheap starter guitar for a kid right now in my opinion is the one I just got my son the Mitchell m100 short scale. I got mine used at guitar center perfect condition 75 bucks. had my guy set it up touch a few things and im actually pretty impressed with how it plays and stays in tune pretty good even dropping it down to d. It sounds good so far no complaints and for the amp I got him a fender champion 20 because its simple sounds good and has effects. my sons 5 he's gunna be rocking in no time!!
Looks and sounds great. The Solar and the LTD or ESP 'EX' are only "Explorer" shapes I like outside of the real deal Gibson's. The finished neck looks nice on it too, bonus if it's a satin smooth type finish.
I like the Harley Benton EX the most! 🤩🤘
You've given me the urge to buy some long t's with sleeve designs. I miss fun sleeves.
They're the best... except in summer.
Never clicked on a video so fast before
That PRS Archon 50 looks so good
The control row on the top is really classy
Yeah I will do something with it here soon. It's a pretty cool amp!
He plays the guitar while making a bassist face bro. That’s unheard of.
I just got a cheap guitar just because the paint and was blown away at the craftsmanship I paid $87 shipping tax and all budget guitars sure have come a long way
I love how they made the neck match the body on those guitars. I really dislike how a natural looking neck looks on a metal type guitar. Fenders and gibsons sure, but on this, i love how it looks. I might get the 7 string as a back up / beater guitar, something I wont worry too much about.
Great video! I have to kind of agree with you about the painted necks on a bolt on guitar. I have a Kiesel Carvin neck through body and even it doesn't have a painted neck. I prefer unpainted but I have a few that are painted also.
From a quick glance at the website, it looks like the explorer style is the only s-series that has 22 frets, all the rest have 24
I don't mind a painted bolted neck so long as it isn't a gloss finish. If it is, I hate it and I wonder why they would go through the extra effort just to make something less playable for the majority of people. (I'm looking at you LTD!)
I love the archon
Pickups are definitely lower output than the higher-end models. Can hear it in the video, but other than that it looks like a win.
Nice open with slipknot btw
To my ears. Ceramic just sounds almost completely lacking a mid range. Perfect if. That's what your aiming for but otherwise that thing looks great after sanding the neck to something not so sticky i would swap pickups and love it forever
I definitely agree with you on the neck, but luckily the white version which I’m getting has a natural neck 😁
Kinda surprised they didn't flush mount the pickups, but with it being a bolt on neck I guess it leaves room for adjustment in case of off neck angles
Hmm. I actually like all the "composit" fretboards like on a few gibsons or hagstrom
Awesome, I did a review on the westcreek Revenge. I'd like to hear your input on those since u tried thos o e out too. Amazon shipped for like 230
always down to review budget guitars!
Looks nice sounds good.. See West Creek Guitars similar price... Not really fair to Donner DMT 100 Since the Solar Guitar is 50%more Money 🤑... You could Guyker Tuners $20 Donlis Pickups $22 a set so you are at $240 vs $299 $59 savings plus taxes savings. Guyker Tuners & hardware are quality Chinese Made Will compair with Name Brand TUNERS. & Hardware. At significant savings same with the pickups.... Cheers 🍻🥃🥃 🎸🎶🎶
As a beginner I would love to buy this guitar! Sounds good - looks hot! 🤝🏼
COMPLETELY AGREE about the neck. 100% I have a sweet A2.6 in Neon Lemon that feels beautiful. I was curious about the S brand. I don't have a need for another guitar, but does that ever stop a guitarist? lol EVER?
this thing looks huuuuuge! I think the Jackson Kellys are the better deal, because of stainless steal frets and over all quality
Man I've played bass 30+years and due to arthritis I've went to playing guitars and I see ME buying this ..I'm intermediate/able to play guitar before I ever picked a 6dtring guitar up and this is easily ad nice as the Devlin I bought at same price but it's set neck and sweet as dead possum stench ...this I bought an Epiphone gothic lp ....seems like evrry guitar i owns gonna be matte blavk and im ok with that... Having to start over with different instruments at 45 I can buy 2 for what an entry level Ibanez or bc rich were in 88to 1990...you were. Lucky to find a post buyot harmony for 200at the pawn shop Floyd's were 250 ...a memphis samick made for Gibson were 299 to 700 and I sold the black charvel/Kramer clone for more than I paid for it ....inflation accounted for ...it's cheaper to buy a new student model than to buy a used .... anything...I'ma cop me +1 of these
I just wish Solar's exp had a normal downward pointing style headstock. It's the only thing that's putting me off buying one. Same as it was with Chapman's Ghost Fret. And I can't just put a bag over her head... stock? hue
I'll be picking up a few different S models, you can always upgrade the tuners and pickups but it sounds great in this demo
You can always sand off the paint/sealer on the neck and maybe just oil it. I've done this to a number of guitars, even thinning some out or slightly changing the profile.
5:58 "this is what it sounds like". Sounds like your setup, considering the guitar would make negligible difference to the sound.
Seems like if you are picky at all about anything in an instrument, then a starter guitar isn't for you.
Sounds great, I already have a main brand Solar V much like yours, but if I was looking for my first guitar and just starting out I would definitely get this guitar. Best in that price range, unless you’re going second hand sales 🔥
We obviously have different definitions of clean sounds.
That's the cleanest this amp gets, sorrry bro.
I dig the painted neck
I don’t know if its my speakers, the clean tone sounds a bit brittle
Dropping the Tune because of...
'Satan'
is one of the steps for the Doom Metal way
Sounds decent, definitely a bang for the buck.
Wish they had these in 2006 though heheh
same!
Wish they had them last year. Bought a pacifica, im not complaining, that alnico 5 humbucker is great and it has that twang on single coils. Would have been cool to have a metal looking axe though.
Great review. Thanks. Regarding your neck pet peeve…I don’t share your view. Do you own/have you reviewed any baritone guitars?
Not yet!
5:00 - I'm supposing they're going after the matte black aesthetic really hard in including finish on the back of the neck. I like the look, but that's just me being a weirdo.
I like bolted on painted necks … if the set neck is painted the bolt one should be too, tho only cost cutting should be the joint itself
Hey mate ! You don't play standing, so does this guitar have a good balance ? In general, this kind of guitar like Explorer or SG or Viper have the neck which falls down when you are standing. How is it here, please ? Must we change the local attachments ?
Hey man, great review! How about the weight of the guitar also can you advise if there is any neck dive?
Judging from the top strap button position, it will definitely have serious neck dive.
Explorers need the button by the neck joint to counteract it.
The only one I haven't had to move is a LTD.
Bro, take some tape and mask off the top and bottom of the neck on the back and sand it. I've done it to so many of my guitars over the years. It's really easy.
I like the murdered finish, i like the neck
In two years when the parts are failing and the tuners can't hold a note for more than half an hour, you will know you bought a cheap guitar for a cheap price. Cheap guitars sound just as good as the premium when they are new, but they sure as hell don't last.
Solar use extra jumbo fret..S by Solar use jumbo fret
liked the video, your amped roots demo here was of very poor tuning and setup of speaker cab impulse responses and just overall gain that was much less when you used roots compared to the real amp.. just my two cents though buddy
Awesome video I personally would like this guitar but 24 frets
Thaw archon is great for the price. Has a crazy good clean channel.
I was gonna ask of s by solars website is down? Looks like a few people here said the same .. i was looking to buy the AB4.6C.
the woodgrain on the neck is probably not the best, which is fine as long as its structurally sound right? that would be a cool thing to skimp on when making a budget guitar
How's the frets ?
The headstock is a deal breaker for me, I don't want a super strat-esc headstock on an explorer style guitar (the only shape i play). If they gave it something that at least resembles the typical hockey stick headstock I'd probably get one.
The problem is, that hockey stick headstock is copyrighted by Gibson. That's why this uses the Solar headstock 💁♂ Though some other brands do have more hockey sticky headstocks...
@@MaximusAdonicus I'm sure they could have made something similar looking but not with the exact same measurements. Whatever tho, no biggie.
@@MaximusAdonicus I mean the body shape itself is pretty much an explorer with a few minor differences from the original, why not go all the way through with it and make a headstock that kind of looks hockey stick-ish.
@@ilikepotatoes1345 Welp, it's because for the same reason they did NOT wanna go all the way 🙉 Plus, I think Solar only has this 1 headstock, which is fine by me, and a good way to keep them unique 💁♂ I just don't personally like these pointy ESP type explorers, nor even the originals 😀 The Harley Benton version has a cool notch, which makes them appeal to me!
@@MaximusAdonicus I personally could never get down with the Harley Benton ones, the body shape I think deviates a bit too much for my taste, plus I think they come with actives, so at least I personally would have to rip those out, put new passives in, and rewire it which is too much of a hassle even though they're priced so cheap.
My 300Euro Harley Benton is way better then my new 300Euro S by Solar ....the frets are so fking scratchy , itz insane how this made it thru the QC
I would much rather have a satin neck. Bare necks are cool, but the all black look is too flush and appealing to my eyes to pass up.
idk why people care about what gear is used to demo guitars, it's not like you have a baseline anyway. and also the guitar itself make up so little of the final sound when it comes to metal that it doesn't really matter at all. if the pickups aren't noisy and feedbacking like crazy, the guitar stays in tune and feels good to play, that's all that really matters
12:34 the Ola riff
P.S. Hope in country of origin it cost third the price here otherwise I'm going to cancel Ola.
I watched a video of a guy giving pointers on how to get a great tone for beginners. The first thing he said was to get a Marshall jcm 800........some youtubers lose touch with the working man.
Someone who is looking at 299 guitars wants to see a demo using gear they can afford.
Yeah that's kind of silly. I understand that logic, that's why I did the demo through a free plugin at the end.
@@TaylorDanley 👍 That was not directed at you in anyway. That is why I watch your channel. 🤘🤘
Bolt-on and not even recessed. And no stainless steel frets (believe it or not, the price difference between nickel and steel fret wire is VERY small, even more so, when bought by manufacturers in bulk). This makes me sad. :(
Also, techwood is a just slightly more refined approach to plywood. All in all, it's still plywood. Not necessarily a bad thing, though, some of the lower-end 90s Japanese Charvel models were made from plywood, and they were great guitars, given that the hardware and pickups are swapped.
In Ga Techwood is a place you don't go after dark. iykyk
for a $299 guitar, just sand the paint off the back of the neck, wipe on some tung oil, and send it
lol, didn’t see the difference between standard solars, same shit
I'd like to see a comparison with a Jackson Kelly JS32T.
Why don't I see this on there website?
Never cared for any solar guitars. Great video though man.
Do you review any vintage, or lawsuit guitars? 😉🤘🤘🤘
☠️☠️☠️☠️COOL☠️☠️☠️☠️
I wonder how much stainless steel frets would have affected the cost overall seeing as firefly is doing it for guitars even under $200. Also wonder why the E has 22 vs 24 frets, and why is it (Jackson does it as well) can't they just put HT bridges on guitars that aren't some version of strat shaped body? I would rather a HT saddle bridge (as on the donner) vs a TOM. would it really boost the cost? That nitpicking aside, I like that Ola is trying to offer a series at a lower cost point that has value. Another grip and it isn't against Solar or S. Other companies do this: putting the jack on the lower leg of the V? if the point is to get these into the hands of younger or beginners of any age... why not have the input in the upper part of the V. it's more comfortable, and the more comfortable a player is, the more they will play. is channeling through that much wood in the back make the cost go up that much? i mean they CNC these things.
Lol...FYI stainless steel frets are cheap dude.....like very affordable. It doesn't cost much at all to add ss frets.
@@beefnacos6258 Just makes it more irritating then, that they aren't being put on the budget line of big name guitar brands.
Locking tuners will fix tunning issues ...
Let’s go!
I like the neck the way it is, I think natural neck would look stupid on this. I keep hearing that these S's have intonation problems, was this one ok?
I hate painted necks...same
Love a painted neck
I prefer painted necks for sure
1:55 Made in China for $299. Pass. You'll get better Ibanez or Cort from Indonesian factory in that price range. Plus that satin finish is already full of your fingerprints.
I think painted bolt on necks look great, much better than bare maple on blacked out guitars like this one. Also $299 is not THAT cheap, It's on the higher end of the ultra-budget