Solar A1.6 Artist Guitar Review: Actually, let's just talk about this Evertune bridge.
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- Опубликовано: 20 окт 2018
- Ola Englund's own brand, Solar Guitars, has been busy creating modern metal guitars sold direct to customers. How do they hold up? With a high MSRP and an Indonesian factory, do these deliver on their brutal promise? Or do they BURRRRRRRRRRRRP~
I forgot to mention the neck shape in this video. It's because it's right in the middle -- a medium/thin C neck similar to other guitars in this class.
Have a guitar you want me to review? Email me, address is on my channel's about page. If you have something funky and fun, I'll cover shipping.
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We appreciate the review and great feedback! The buzzing sound you heard is what we call bendstop buzz, it only happens when the saddle is located directly on the bendstop/the point between zone 2 and zone 3, where the saddle will resonate against the bendstop when the string is hit, which mostly happens with larger gauge strings. The solution is to simply back off the saddle from the bendstop/zone3 just slightly enough, so that it will not touch the bendstop any longer. This buzzing sound is also only heard acoustically and will never come through the pickups. We're always doing our best to improve upon our designs and future products will not have any bendstop buzz at all anymore.
I also want to add that while string bending might require some time to adjust to, once the string goes past zone 3 it reacts and behaves exactly like a string with any fixed bridge. Most guitarists will after some time actually prefer the string not bending right away, and in fact we actually suggest setting up the EverTune with a slight buffer before the string can increase in pitch, since it will help to balance out hard fretting, heavy picking, wrongly cut nuts and finger pressure, causing the notes to be much more in tune across the whole fret board, which is also why the intonation is noticeably better when using an EverTune bridge.
Thanks Evertune, appreciate the clarification. That makes sense. Really enjoyed the bridge, and couldn't believe how well it worked...especially for this chuggy metal stuff. Keep up the awesome work!
EverTune8 Very interesting information! My next Solar guitar will definitely be a EverTune one. Very cool system 🤘
Thanks for the support!
@@EverTune8 will you be working on a system that will easily drop into a strat or super strat ? Or like a one for all replacement (s) models to get more of us enjoying this killer idea? Also would love to know if you offer any other drop in apts for ease of steady tuning. Thanks
I only really see metal players with Evertune bridges. Are they suitable for regular rock and even softer types of music?
Hey man, didn't see this until now. Thanks for the review!
You bet, and thank you for making a super-brutal-all-black-everything metal guitar that isn't a piece of crap. I was skeptical of the Indonesian factory but you proved that it's 100% up to the quality control and materials, not the country of origin. These are killer.
Indonesia guitar factories are the best
The Guitar Pit Ola travels there and quality checks them. I dont know if he checks every one but he checks them.
Hey man, can we plug in wammy to 1.6 series guitars with evertune?
Yes! Ola Englund Solar guitars are great!! Great review my friend!! Rock on brother
Bruuuuuuuuuuuuuutal
it is cool to hear the faceless being played, that's a bonus!
This guy plays Faceless riffs more often than Michael Keene does
Great video man, I've been in love with my Solar A1 Baritone 6 string since I pulled it out of the box. The EverTune system is an absolute game changer! It's GREAT for recording!
Great review, man! Thank you! Like for evertune insights!
for anyone readint this concerning luminlay dots.
go on amazon (or wherever) and get battery powered LED strip lights. you can get double stick tape and install it into your guitar case, or in a large foam tube (like the ones you play with in a pool) or get crazy with some PVC pipe. the two latter options lets you charge your luminlay while your guitar is in a stand.
i like the case option.if you charge your dots for 5-10 min before going on stage youll get a set out of them, which for me is 45 minutes.
that's awesome, i wouldn't have thought to do that
@@jakeqwaninne8502 what i can i say. im full of "bright" ideas wacka wacka.
pay me back, check out facebook.com/vavavoomrock were on spotify as well!
This guitar was designed by Ola for Ola. What a machine! Great review! The buzz sounds like the spring when it's compensating. Open that cavity and add foam pieces where needed.
Yeah he's as metal as this guitar is. And good tip, I'll check that out. It seems like it only happens on the low string, at the verrrry edge of "position2/3" if that makes sense. I'll fiddle with it a bit more and try to nail it down.
I really dig this video man! You explained the Evertune well and it is really selling me on buying a Solar potentially soon.
Thanks Brian. I had a blast with the evertune. The next custom I order will have one I think.
How hard is it to change tunings with? Might be a silly question but I really don't fully get how it works.
You need to use an allen wrech to change tunings. The headstock tuners basically just take slack off the strings...otherwise they don't do much. If you wanted to drop D for example, you'd use an allen key on the Evertune to drop down to D. So it's probably not something you'd do on stage but it's certainly not difficult. Here out this diagram: photos.app.goo.gl/8trsL7kGpweMGYb47
@@TheGuitarPit The main thing I want is something easy to work with. When I can, I will jump onboard.
Sweet review!! Just picked up the blue baritone last week used. Doesn’t have the evertune but I figured why not I never owned a baritone. I will get one of these with the evertune. Your review is spot on it is a purpose built chuggin’ machine. I like it.
Cool on the baritone! I've yet to try one. Hopefully some day, but I always talk myself out of them.
I'll sell ya this one if you're interested :) Yeah, chug city for sure! Very cool guitars.
The Guitar Pit.. interested in a trade? Possibly for the blue baritone?
Need the cash on this one to fund a Strandberg :(
I've watched some of the best guitarists in the world play evertune and their bends sound killer.
Great review!! You sound awesome! Love the riffs!! Good ear!
Such a good review of one of the most interesting guitars. I was wishing ESP would embrace the Evertune. I love looking at that Suhr. It stole the whole video. Showed my Texan fam your channel. You're now part of the fam club. I got my shirt, Red. She loves it.
I'll be in Texas last week of April. Family gathering. Let me know if I can stop by, I'll bring all my sweeties. Killing it Chris! Happy Tuesday!
ESP has a couple Evertunes but I believe they're all on the LTD models, correct? I wish it was more available too. I think Kiesel will put it on a couple models too. I thought it was super interesting. Glad you like the shirt! :) And lemme know man, I'll see if I'm around that week when it gets closer!
That thing sounds good. cool riffage too. I was interested in the evertune thanks for going over it. That thing with the bending of the strings is kind of weird but It seems like a cool system.
It didn't take me too long to set up or get used to. I'd say it's worth checking out, not the usual snake oil making big claims. It does what it says, and it does it pretty well. Some minor downsides, but it's worth the trade off depending on what kind of player you are.
Nice playing Chris. Definitely a unique looking guitar that sounds great. If I could play metal, I'd think I'd consider this if not for the evertune.
Solars without Evertune seem to be around the $600 range on Reverb, but there aren't many for sale and the prices are all over the price. The Evertune is a really cool system. ESP makes a couple models with them as well. Because the bridge itself is about $300, they tend to be on guitars in the $900+ price range though. And thanks for the view and compliments, Mitch!
Lumilays work well in the metal scene because almost every gig has some kind of black light near the stage. As long as you have some uv spectrum, i.e. purple stage lighting they stay bright as hell all night long and take next to no time at all to get going. Basically if its a light that makes white fabric glow itll charge them passively.
Thank you so much for this laboratory review of solar guitar and analyzing evertune bridge, i would like to ask, do you tune drop c through the locking tuners or evertune bridge?
Impressive video sir! I enjoyed this review and guitar brother!
Inner Circle going for most prolific youtube posters of all time! Thanks MrBHBjr!
@@TheGuitarPit haha, indeed!
Dude awesome video good job playing ! That Solar guitar is super cool I am gonna get the Apex precision pedal i believe that has all the same features as the the Precision pedal right ?
I believe it's similar but also has some simultation stuff built in. Not super familiar to be honest though. The precision drive really tightens up muddy stuff so it's great for that kinda thing.
thanks I think i am gonna get the Apex I dont know alot about them either
Hey
I would like to clear up a question about Peavey HP2.
Is it my visual impression or is the size (length) of this guitar smaller than the others you have there?
how does he compare to others?? Could inform me?
thanks
Love it😳 Seriously Cool 💪
Best review Ive seen on this guitar. Ty for what feels like a non promotional honest review.
As for the tuning mechanism bridge . If a Guitar has no structural or mechanical issues & it is a normal functioning guitar, using the Jadar winding illiminate tuning issues. for 6 string its 60-50-40-30-20-15 wraps started small E to big E . Anything less is wrong.
Thanks! Everything on my channel is non promotional. I personally purchase all of them, so what you see is my opinion and nothing more. Never heard of the Jadar system. I'll do some reading!
Hey man, I like your video. Keep it up man..-Rvfus from Reverb
Thanks man!
my favourite thing about it is the shape, it is absolutely badass looking, even though its metal looking its not over the top, i love how it looks
Great shape with those aggressive carves on it. Really dig it.
Great review!!!
Will the springs in the bridge, loose tension in time?
Good question. Since they're just springs, I'd assume it would be similar to what you see on a regular trem. So minor that maybe after a year or two you might need to give it a quarter turn or something? It'd be easy to change, you'd just give the tuner on the string saddle a little adjustment.
Yes, luminlays working extremely well. Even with little charge you'll see them quite well.
Ah very neat. I've never played on stage but I would assume that comes in extremely useful when it's dark.
I wonder if the luminlays are not meant for long term use but useful in a setting where the lights are out for an intro or a bridge on a song when your completely blacked out and you don't know where you hands are on the neck, not necessarily for a full set. They should capture all light sources, that being the case you only need it for a few mins at a time?
Yeah very good point, that could be it. I just remember hearing when they first came out "oh they last for an hour" and that seems far from the truth. Either way, pretty cool feature though :)
Luminlays can save you when there's a stage lighting blackout between songs or inside a song so you can find the right fret easier. It's not supposed to be lit for hours. I've seen many players put some fluorescent tape behind the neck so they can find seventh or 12th fret etc. easier in super dark conditions.
Ah that makes sense. Or I know the RIngs of Saturn guy put HUGE white tape "block inlays" on the 3/5/7/etc fret...hard to miss :P
Another great review. Always was curious on the evertunes. Kiesel is offering them now. Always trying to figure out my favorite color and that black would be one. I like to see the wood grain.
Thanks! I was surprised to see Kiesel doesn't really have an upcharge for it. It's a $300 option, but the Evertune bridge is $295 from the Evertune website. I think they offer it on Aries and Crescents? Not sure if you can get them on other models yet.
As far as I've read it's the Aries and cresent models. it's not really something I'd want. i like to keep things simple. If it stays reasonably in tune that's good enough for me and the hipshot does that well enough.
Although I also prefer the simplicity of a hipshot, it's really a bonus for down-tuned metal rhythm players. It's probably also nice in studio settings where your tuning has to be 100% on, every time. I saw Joe Satriani has one on a JS Ibanez, so clearly it has some wider appeal than metal players.
Absolutely agree. in fact i think the eddie Van halens would shy away for the lack of a whammy bar. Seems it would be more suited for rhythm heavy rockers like George thourogood or a chuck Berry type and of course Jazz.
I think there’s actual light you can buy to “charge” the luminlays. They need to be “charged” for a quite a while in order for them to last a decent amount of time.
Yeah you could probably blast em with a super high power LED flashlight or something too.
What's the tuning this comes with just cos the artist edition comes in standard d
Nice review, I've got one of these myself and the only issue I have with it is that the volume nob doesn't really seem to clean up the guitar when it's rolled off. Does anyone else find this to be the case?
Yeah, I found similar, but to be honest I was playing it pretty high gain the entire time. I'm not sure if that'd be a feature of the pot itself, the pickups, or some combination of both.
@@TheGuitarPit it just probably is a regular pot and not an audio pot, different curves.
A batch of these came with the wrong pot. Mine did. Solar sent me a new pot. I switched the pickups to james hetfield emg's though so I put in the volume that came with those.
Do you have a link to this exact model? I'm not seeing it on their web site. They have one that's similar but it has a volume and tone knob.
Afraid not. I believe they do limited runs of each. This one, for example, was before they included stainless frets. Looks like the one you found is the current "preorder" version of this model: www.solar-guitars.com/product/a1-6bd-artist-ltd-black-open-pore-distressed/
@@TheGuitarPit Yep that's the one I saw. Basically the same but I prefer the look of the black Evertune bridge and volume knob. Thanks for the info and replying.
3:40 is that Devin Townsend (Ziltoid) Coulor Your World? To me it sounds almost exactly like this part of the song at about the 3:52 mark on that video you'll hear it. 👍
Very similar! Here's what I was playing (poorly): ruclips.net/video/S6ggyvN7hYc/видео.html
What are you playing at 6:10? It sounds so familiar and I can't place it? Great review, btw!
Thanks! It's the riff from The Faceless - Autotheist Movement I: Create, but played clean...and poorly :P
@@TheGuitarPit Nah, dude. You played it flawlessly. I knew that I knew it. Just couldn't place it. One of my favorite bands. Just wish dude would get his shit together. Cheers!
@@MartyDadRiffs No kidding, me too. Such a great album, but that dude is a mess. I paid him for skype guitar lessons a couple years back. He didn't show up 3 times in a row...when I asked for a refund he said he had already spent the money lol.
Shine a UV light on the Luminlay side dots and they light up for hours
To answer the Luminlay question, not all luminlay is created equal. Some are better than others. I have a Kiesel and the side dots will glow for about 30-45 minutes (if in sunlight for a while before gig) before being unnoticable while another guitar I had did not glow after 20.
These pickups remind me of a Jackson Sound . Super clean 🧼
Another guitar I'll never own. Awesome. Thank you for crushing my dreams. 😁
Get one used! You can make it happen :)
@@TheGuitarPit Man, there's so much I want...guess patience and hard work might get me there!
My next guitar is gonna be a Solar. The last one I bought was a Chapman, didn't play it before, a bit disappointed. I hope it's not gonna be the same with the Solars since there's nowhere to play them before in my town or nearby.
Eh I was pretty happy with this thing man. The used price was great, it had plenty of cool hardware, and felt great. It's probably on the same tier as a Chapman Pro guitar. Were you disappointed with the standard or pro chapman?
Hey buddy, where did you see one in reverb?? I’ve been searching for quite sometime. There’s nothing!!
Looks like most of them got sold. They tend to go pretty quickly. Mine is for sale right now, and appears to be the only Solar on Reverb at the moment. Last month I saw about 3, but only 1 had the Evertune bridge. reverb.com/item/16035357-solar-a1-6-artist-ltd-2018-swamp-ash-open-pore-matte-black-evertune-bridge
The Guitar Pit already sold!!! Hahahaha
Yeah sorry man, it didn't last long. Seems like a very popular model. I think at the price, it's really hard to beat for a metal guitar with an evertune. LTD makes a couple too, but I prefered the Solar's finish.
The finish issue could just be that it was bought from the outlet at a discount.
I like Ibanez necks. Are these solar guitars the same neck ?
No, a fair bit thicker I thought. This was a pretty regular modern "medium" neck in my opinion. It wasn't on the mega thin side like Ibanez, ESP, etc.
dude holy crap all those sirens
I´m curious about those "dings" in the finish??!!!! the difference between the STUNNING black of the body but....what´s behind??? i´m scared! @_@
You can see some still images of it on my Reverb post. Check the last 2 pics. It almost looks like metal underneath haha. Maybe it's a primer coat? reverb.com/item/16035357-solar-a1-6-artist-ltd-2018-swamp-ash-open-pore-matte-black-evertune-bridge
Done! yes...seems like a primer coat which I DON´T LIKE IT AT ALL! lmao @_@
I´ll wait after buying one to see someone´s else TRASHED and we´ll see how looks like! xD
I love that guitar if definitely looks more metal than anything you have hanging on your wall
beautiful 😊
I have been looking at these guitars over a custom Jackson and this video sold me...$699 for a standard guitar or $1199 for one with the auto tune bridge....he’ll yeah. The guy who invented this bridge is a genius and if we keep buying it then hopefully he will keep working on it and it won’t just disappear. tuning is the worst time grab....how many times do we tune every time we play....i think it’s up to us to support new inventions or we will keep getting stuck with the same old stuff that the big companies are feeding us. So cool
Hell yeah man. The Evertune is the feature to get. I absolutely love it. After I played this thing, I was obsessed with finding a custom shop to make me an "ultimate" evertune guitar. It just arrived and will be reviewed soon :) Needless to say, I absolutely love it. instagram.com/p/B45qGxTneM4/
I wonder what that buzz is coming from the bridge? Other than that nice guitar man!!
Yeah I'll try to narrow down the variables and figure out what was causing it. What was weird is I heard it twice, total, and couldn't get it to happen again. I'll experiment!
The evertune guys clarified in the pinned comment at the top. It's basically the saddle buzzing against the edge of its limit since he has it so close to the edge for bends. The bridge moves with the vibrations so it is touching the edge a bit because he has it positioned perfectly at the edge for the easiest bending. If he backs it off a tiny bit more, the saddle will have slightly more clearance so that the movement that it has while vibrating doesn't touch the stopper and make a buzz. It's something that you should only hear unplugged though since it's a buzz coming from the back of the guitar, and not the string itself buzzing.
OH, if you figure out what that buzz is, please let me know. Thank you
It seems to only be on the low string, and when its VERY close to the posititon where it's about to go sharp. I'm going to experiment and try to ID exactly what causes it. If I solve it, I'll make another video.
@@TheGuitarPit Very cool, I look forward to it!
The Evertune guys clarified in the pinned comment. Basically, if he backs off the tension slightly, it will stop buzzing.
Beautiful guitar! Why don't they recess the covers?
I guess to save a small amount of money? I can't imagine it'd take that much longer to recess them though. Either way, cool guitar...totally metal.
That makes me feel that they take care of the products they provide. The recess shows that it's cheap and not well thought of. A lot of guitars take them off, but on this particular guitar c'mon. It has an ever tune. Just ad a khaler instead
C tuning?
And What amp do you use?
Awsome sound
Thanks! Dropped C for most, yes! All tones were from an Axefx 2, mostly Friedman BE or USA Lead.
@@TheGuitarPit
Thanks for your answering
Nice video!
I saw the thumbnail and was wondering why John Mayer was reviewing a Solar
What do you think about the pickups? I’ve heard mixed things about them.
They were alright for high gain but they certainly aren't top of the line. Ola said they are not made in the USA, but are also not "duncan designed." Unclear what they are, but they're modern and decent, totally usable pickups.
The Guitar Pit With that, what pickups would you recommend as a replacement?
If you want pure modern metal, maybe a Fishman Fluence Modern, or a Seymour Duncan Alpha/Omega set? People also like the SD Nazgul/Sentient combo, or any of the modern Bare Knuckle options.
The Guitar Pit What about a “jack of all trades” pickup pair?
Not sure Solar would be the right guitar for it, but I know people like the Suhr default pickups for a good all-around sound. Depends on exactly what you are looking for. Fishman Classics might be another option.
Seems like these guitars are aiming at the Ibanez and Chapman markets for the metal guys and shredders. Very unlikely to lure away your Fender and Gibson aficionados etc (including me). Got a cool look and a pleasant clean sound. Curious if these guys make a guitar with tremolo that has the Evertune system? That would be cool.
I think I saw Evertune mention they were looking into making something like that, but I'd assume its logistically difficult due to the way the Evertune works. Not sure it's possible, to be honest. When you bend down, wouldn't it adjust all the strings back to being in tune? Haha, no idea how that'd work.
That music man on the wall looks like the Nevermind album cover
I find the sound of solar guitars very very muddy! Your thoughts?
These pickups aren't bareknuckle quality, that's for sure. I found after adding the Horizon Precision Drive, it sounded pretty good with high gain sounds. It needed the extra attack from the pedal. I used the pedal in every high gain clip.
@@TheGuitarPit thanks. In my ears, with a ts9 engaged in the front as well it was still lacking of clarity
Yeah I could see that. I tweaked the tone a bit more than I usually do. Typically I use AxeFX Friedman BE. This one was USA Lead, with the precision drive's attack at about 2 o'clock.
If you want a good passive pickup that has clarity but sounds brutal as hell, try out. Nazgul set. Stuck a nazgul/sentient set in my shecter c7 apocalypse and man...what a difference. Ola did a pickup comparison video way back, saw it and when I heard the tone I was sold Haha.
Nice guitar.
The faceless👌🏻
Well, as close as I could get haha.
I don't really agree that the frets should be stainless at this price.. I mean there are not too many from other brands at this price.
$1199? Chapman, Schecter, and Kiesel can do it. Harley Benton can do it for $350, so I don't think it's a huge ask. Solar recently released a couple with stainless frets at the same price point, so that's awesome: www.solar-guitars.com/announcing-4x-guitars-with-stainless-steel-frets-and-neck-through-construction/
killer tone
Any info on the string gauge here?
I believe this had 10's on it, although I didn't measure. May have been 11's. My understanding is with a little adjustment, the evertune will handle most gauges just fine. Were you planning on putting some super heavy gauge strings on there?
The Guitar Pit not necessarily, the heaviest I'd go would be 11s, but for drop c im always torn between 10s and 11s. I liked the sound of that from the video so I was just curious what was on there for when I eventually get one.
@@eddiewiedemann591 Previous owner had it in dropped C when it arrived, and I'd say it felt like 10s or 11s. Probably 11's, if I had to guess. It's worth mentioning that this guitar really benefited from the extra gain on the Horizon Devices Precision Drive. The pickups on the Solar are workable, but I thought the pedal helped with the clarity a lot.
People should consider using Solar!!!!
You said you bought it on reverb... so was it NEW from Ola or USED?
Used! I paid something like $750~800 I don't remember. They are usually around $1250 for this model.
@@TheGuitarPit @ 9:05 confused me, if its a used guitar why do you think the chip happened at the factory?
Seems like those are cool guitars, I have been eye ballin' them for a few weeks now...
Fair. That's because there is a satin clear coat on TOP of the chips. You can't actually feel the clip with your fingers. The clear goes on last, so it shipped like that from the factory. It's very minor to be honest, and almost any guitar out of Indonesia is going to have tiny fit and finish items. My Strandberg Boden (at double the price) had them as well. These Solars are super metal and certainly worth checking out. I think it rocked.
@@TheGuitarPit Ok, just wanted to understand. It's a more common problem than you would think with "clear coat" paint jobs, that you can bump the guitar and the clear does not chip but the wood and finish below can sustain damage. If the damage was to the black paint prior to clear coat you would not see the clear coat lift off the black paint like that and become opaque as the clear would likely hide a ding that small and fill it in. I have seen this happen on cars and motorcycles were the metal is dented below the surface of the clear with out a chip to the clear or paint below but the clear coat lifts off the paint to cause that opaque. Now I know its very possible to be damage from the factory but I just wanted to let you know that it looks like a ding that happened after paint and clear coat. Sorry for the rant as I am not intending to start an argument as your experience is different from mine. I have purchased 4 guitars and 4 basses over the years and was always impressed that I never found any damage at all, guess I am lucky!
So I am thinking if you have these kind of dings on a known new guitar out of the box then some lame employee is doing some damage!
Good review of the Solar, not sure I want that bridge though...
@@eikbike No, that's a totally fair point. I've seen that happen as well, and while I don't *believe* that was the case here, it very well could be. I no longer have the guitar or I'd double check. As for the bridge, I had a blast with it, but it's probably not for everyone. The good news is the bridge itself is $300, so the regular hardtail Solars are significantly less expensive.
Is this a baritone? I don’t think you mentioned
I believe this one was 25.5" scale, if I recall.
Is that the same kind of bridge that they were using on Gibson
No, they're fairly rare. You'll find them on Solars, ESP LTDs, a couple other import builders, and custom shop stuff. I don't think any of the mainstream brands include these as an option at the moment. Incredible piece of hardware, I highly recommend checking one out if you can.
@@TheGuitarPit I might be mistaken but didn't Gibson have something similar to the evertune but was just complete crap .That's why I asked my previous question.
@@vincentrohmann1110 Maybe those robo tuner things? Pretty sure that was total jank and no one liked em, although I've never really spent time using them.
Ahhhhhh yes that's what they were .So not the same type of design as that evertune. Just wanted to make sure maybe my future holds a guitar with a evertune bridge
"No robotic silliness." LOOOL
Can you imagine how bad it would suck if it took batteries and was doing gibson robotuners to adjust it? hahaha.
@@TheGuitarPit loooooooooooool!
Would you be OK to feature each others' channel on the YT widget thing?
I really like what you're doing!
(we place ourselves among the top of the list so we can give each other some visibility?)
@@Oilid Sure man you bet. I'll add you in a minute here.
@@TheGuitarPit I saw it, thanks bro!
Today, I watched your ESP EII Horizon, I'm eying it for a while now, prices are dropping drastically!
@@Oilid Yeah that thing is $950 at Guitar Center Used all the time. Build quality was insane. Looks like you've had a couple ESPs so you know what you're in for :) Only things I noticed is the stock pickups weren't my first pick for metal, and the clear coat was pretty thick. It didn't feel super resonant but it was still a killer guitar.
From which song is the first riff of this video?
Just some random thing I made up. Feel free to steal it lol.
@@TheGuitarPit Killer riff! Could have sworn I already heard it before.
@@donvito4275 I could have easily stolen it by accident somewhere! :)
I'm pretty sure I heard it on the album Henbane from Cult des Ghoules, and I can't imagine you listen to Polish black metal.
Anyway, I really enjoy the content from your channel!
The faceless
\m/
Solar website says these have stainless frets...
They do now. They didn't when I purchased this one. The first SS model had just come out when I made this video, if I recall.
I think you have it just slightly wrong... you have to have it just very slightly below the point where the string goes sharp . Then the bend is instant .
I thought these have Stainless frets??! Its on the Solar website.
This video is from 2018, which at the time, they did not.
@@TheGuitarPit oh gotcha! Do you by any chance know what year they started doing the stainless frets?
@@johannespaolo I think it was announced shortly after this video, if I recall, so I'd say something like 2019?
Some seriously aggressive horns on that guitar. The finish seems to resembles the Raw Tone Kiesel finish.
It looks similar to raw tone, but feels "thicker" if that makes sense. Raw tone looks and feels very thin. This is more like a flat thick matte paint maybe? Or maybe thats just the matte clear coat on top. But yeah, the horn shape is hilariously metal. Love it!
Do u know a guy called john mayer?
I thought all his guitars have stainless steal frets
This video was before that. They were added shortly after this model, if I recall.
Has anybody in the US ordered a Solar directly from the factory??? From Thomann? Trying to avoid a customs nightmare, otherwise ready to order
Bit late but to Canada $310 lol
@@Steadybeheady That sucks......$70 for me
Deth_ Dealer that is more in lines to what I was expecting, what a bum surprise
@@Steadybeheady I'm sure that solar was worth it though! Mine was
Deth_ Dealer I’ll be finding out at some point today, it’s out for delivery! I mean, I could have refused customs and let them take it back. I think I made the right call though! 🤘
It feels like a Chapman because it’s made in the same factory by the same people. Not a bad thing in my book, as said factory is pretty much up there with the best. You would have to go custom to get better quality materials and craftsmanship.
For those who are on the fence, the guitar is literally a steal at this price. You would have to spend $1800-$2000 on a Jackson, Esp, Ibanez to get the same.
My only complaint would be the bridge pickup. Although it delivers a good punch it lacks in high frequency clarity sounding muddy, at least for my taste. You can clear it up a bit dialing the EQ, still i prefer natural clarity. I’ll be replacing it with a Bareknuckle soon.
Very good review 👍🏼
Yeah a little muddy. I used a Horizon Precision Drive to get rid of the mud in most of the clips. They aren't bad by any means though. The higher end Chapmans are made in World Music Korea, but cost about what the Solar's do. That was my only minor complaint. The Evertune is $300 by itself though, so you gotta factor that stuff in. You can get a Kiesel Aries with an Evertune for about $1600 though...
Locking Tuners with Evertune Bridge.... Why?
Quicker string changes. Nice bonus, I'd say. I even like locking tuners on guitars with floyds. I mean hey, why not?
@@TheGuitarPit - okay, I'll buy that :) \m/ Ghost Fret vs Solar?
@@brianewert6667 I haven't played the Ghost Fret Pro, but the ML3 Bea was probably slightly better build quality (stainless frets, better fretwork, no blemishes)...but also more expensive. The regular $499 Ghost Fret seemed decent too, but the Solar had better pickups and the Evertune is awesome! Prices aren't really comparable, unfortunately :P
Of course the side dots don't glow for 1 hour and a half Einstein. You ever saw a gig with no lights for the entire time? They are meant to glow for just a while for moments when the stage lights are very low.
Takes more than 4 seconds of charging for luminlays to stay bright......
Only had my T1.6 2 months. Crack on fret board and along neck from fret sprout. Yes it sounds great and looks awesome, but don't fall into that trap. Take a pass on Solar. I should have returned it immediately, solar offered me money back to keep it and i did. Didn't expect it to get worse. Initially it only had a fret crack after 4 days in my possession. They also told me to keep it in a case. Like umm can i play it? Or will that hurt it. Last time i will by a guitar from a overseas distributor. I was gonna buy LTD but liked the solar looks. Bad decision. Especially because I watched this video before my purchase and thought what are the odds I get a bad one. Pretty good it looks like.
You sounded kind of unsure of yourself every time you described something on the guitar🤣. I’m sitting here thinking “Should I get one? Maybe not?”
Also, I dont know if I would call $1200 steep. That is a pretty affordable price for a decent guitar especially when you can easily spend $5000 on a PRS Private Stock or a Suhr Modern Custom.
It's a fine, medium-tier metal guitar. It's from Indonesia, and feels similar to other mid range stuff. So yeah, I'd rather have a Suhr, all day, every day. I see a few of them now (new) in the $1400+ range...that's used Suhr Satin money. Just depends on what features you want though I guess. Evertunes are pretty hard to get on guitars though, so if you really want a metal guitar with an Evertune, you'll have good luck with a Solar.
I bought a $3000 Ibanez jem 7v from Japan i thought about the $1700.00 Indonesia made ibanez jem 7vp and I'm glad I bought the Japan one there's no comparison the Japanese guitar is just better in everyway.i would never buy a guitar again unless it was made in Japan or the USA you cant beat the quality. Nice review though
Agreed. I've tried a couple premiums vs the prestige. Prestige all day... easy pick. Congrats on a cool guitar!
Love the sound it´s fucking solid and heavy and incredible on cleans. Beautiful clean sound!
Yeah the pickups, even though they aren't USA, sound pretty good for that genre, for sure. Ola is a badass player and dude, so I expected his guitar to be pretty damn metal. I much prefer the evertune to the floyd! Try one some day, it's a lot of fun. And yeah, he used to be the "guy" behind Washburn Parallax but he walked and took the design with him. Really great looking axe, imo. And I'm happy Ola is selling a quality product that totally rocks, not just some cheap cash-in scheme.
Completely agree! great attitude of being honest and not offering a crap like many others do ... although I am not sure what is behind the body painting finish (if you delay in selling yours and you do shit please show me those photos! lol) I could try one of those evertune's yep! :D
please review a Strandberg!
I will. I'm going to get a Boden 6 Original next. Hoping to find one with a roasted maple neck, stainless frets, and the suhr pickups. Hardtail, ideally.
do you review your own guitar only? maybe you could review my guitar and let your subscribers know what you think. I got a 2018 Kiesel DC700 with hipshot trem, Kiesel S7, and a Private Stock PRS JA-15.
Also a bit of advice if you're planning to buy a strandberg, get the 2018 version which is made in Indonesia. Before 2018 is made in Korea and honestly the 2018 version is much better.
I'd love to review your guitars (or anyone elses!) It usually comes down to shipping costs and where you're located. In the about tab on my channels page, you can find my email if you want to try to set up a review. I can cover shipping but can't offer much else.
Interesting. I don't know much about strandbergs. I was looking at the 2018 classic model, made in Indonesia. I read they moved from Seymour Duncan to Suhr pickups. Any other big changes?
Nice looking guitar. Just costs too much for an Indonesian made guitar. Korean made like a Schecter would have been better for that price.
Agreed, the price point is high. The only thing is the Evertune is a very expensive piece of equipment, so I'm sure that doesn't help the price. Either way, you can get an ESP LTD with an Evertune for a couple hundred dollars less, I think.
I looked up evertune there 499 bucks. I'm sure Ola and the factory that builds his guitars are getting them at a better price but I mean at dealer pricing still an expensive piece of hardware. Like buying the same truck ones 4 wheel drive and the other 2 wheel drive your talking 6 grand in price difference at least .So I do understand the cost of the guitar. Just have to ask your self is it worth it to you
Me I don't play gigs or in a band . It's a cool bridge but for me and my situation not worth it. Now traveling playing at shows or what not I would not hesitate on purchasing it.
When people say: "when people say it doesn't bend".
Imho these guitars are awesome .. i don't think 1400 USD is too much to ask .. Hell an American pro fender goes for close to 2k and its a bolt on neck .. even certain Mexican Strats are close to and upwards of 1000 ... good review tho !!!!
I'm pretty disappointed with the new price points on a lot of stuff. There are so many imports asking for $1500+ now...kind of insane if you think about it. I actually really liked the Solar (and the Evertune) but it's hard to say it's a better value than Kiesel or something used. That said, the Solar was top quality and felt great so there isn't much to complain about. And the used price was killer, I thought.
what about the sustain of the guitar? in the high notes
I thought it felt average. Not really noteworthy but I didn't feel like the everyone killed sustain or anything.
i dont have good experience with the sustain of evertune bridge, doing bendings at high notes they no last enough
I didn't play much lead on this, so I can't really say I noticed. Not saying it isn't true though.
thanks for the answer man great guitar
I love Ola nd his channel, his guitars look amazing but if that guitar costs like $1200 american than here in Canada it would be something like maybe $1500-$1600,thats fuckin insane!! Especially for a guirat made in indonesia!!! Hes being a bit greedy i think, i could buy a Japan or American made guitar for that price!! Ill wait till i can get one used!!!
Some of the parts like the Evertune are very expensive, so while I understand the high price, I agree...I wish it was less. I thought I got a pretty good deal on this one used. It's more common to see $1k+ Indonesia guitars these days. Brutal trend!
@Prophetorium you gotta be fu@#ing kidding man,, i inspect guitars for workmanship and materials, indo guitars need upgrades and parts replacement to keep up, generally the materials used dont transfer vibrations well.. and how about the fact that you are supporting a country that still canes people for disobeying Islam? Fuck anything from Indo. I would rather support good people and pay more for better quality to help support my countrymen. Wheres you're national pride.? No loyalty? No principals? Speak with you wallet, its better than a gun.
@@realtruenorth yeah made in the us is so great instead lmao, like fender usa 7 pieces glued bodies with whatever scrap wood they can find laying around.
@@valebliz depends,, some are better than others, US fender are well made, Gibsons are overpriced,, but Keisel is quite a good value, and Japanese ibanez or US ibanez made Indo look like the crap it is.. I've played them all. Germans made pretty good guitars and basses. Even S Korea guitars are much better than indo.
@@realtruenorth yup you're right, kiesel is good value but it's a small shop. It's like saying warmoth is good quality, it surely is but it's also kind of a connoisseur guitar. What I can tell you is i have an old us made charvel, a MIJ Yamaha, a MIJ Ibanez and i recently got an indo Yamaha Revstar and it's as well made as the above mentioned ones. Maybe i got lucky.
The police are on to you! 😲
13:42 what in the world
Those nickle frets just pissed me , u have a right for that price they sould be steel, otherwise nice guitar
I believe they added them on some models shortly after this review. I'm not sure which models though.
@@TheGuitarPit yeah they add the nickle ones on the Baritone model., like u said for guitar of this price i would like to have steel frets and some top, not just mahagony , from my experience if mahagony doesnt have any top on that u will scratch that with almost anything. and i Mean this www.solar-guitars.com/product/a1-6-baritone-atg/
Hate evertune bridges just cause of how complicated they are to install & setup. Otherwise Ola's done a great job to take over washburns facility in indonesia to put out these guitars !!
The setup wasn't half bad, I promise! Much easier than a Floyd, in my opinion. The install...yeah, that's probably a big deal. I was really happy to see this was a quality guitar, not just cheap import junk. Ola is doing a great job making some truly brutal instruments.
You bought it on reverb probably where the flaws happened
They should be stainless steel frets. It seems like if you want stainless steel frets on a solar guitar, be willing to spend a crazy amount of cash. $1700+. Get a Harley Benton Amarok. They have better specs by far for a fraction of the price. Don't get me wrong. If like to have a solar guitar, but for the price, they are just not worth it.
800$ shipped and "it should be stainless" lolwut?
This guitar was probably $1199 new. I paid 800 used. And guess what, this video is old, and Solar now does include SS frets at the same price point. Guess I was right.
With no visible business address, no customer service phone number, and only email
that they respond to when and IF they choose, I’m just so relieved that I never gave
them one single dollar of my money. Buyer Beware !!!
My two tips for keeping drop c tuned guitars in tune WITHOUT an evertune (especially for metal guitarists!):
1. use heavy string gauges or a guitar with a longe scale lenght (or multiscale). in my opinion anything less than a 12-60 set is too floppy for me. it affects intonation when hitting the string.
2. tune to the ATTACK note! when tuning the string don't just hit the string once and let it decay and then tune. continuously hit the strings (either with 8th or 16th notes) and tune WHILE doing that. ideally you want to hit the note with the same velocity as you usually strum. (when I'm recording and I'm really anal about pitch-perfect intonation I will even tune according to the part I'm going to be recording. E.g. a part with only quarter notes? tune with quarter notes.)
Since I've been following these two rules I never had any problems keeping drop C tuned guitars in tune. BONUS TIP: Be sure to intonate your strings properly. For the low C you will need to push back that saddle back A LOT, usually almost as far as it can go. Apply the same tuning technique as in 2 while you're checking intonation at the 12th fret.
Great tips, thanks. I saw the "tune to attack" note in a GearGods video and have been trying that more often. It's a really great tip, and noticed a difference right away. I don't love 27" scales, so I'd probably need to go to 12's (or bigger!). I had an ML3 BEA which struggled to be in tune and intonated correctly. You can hear it in the video :( haha.
Sell me this.
Sold it already, sorry!
Do not use furniture polish but clean the fret board and body with oils made for guitar see what happens the fret board is extremely dirty.