Why I dislike Solar Guitars
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- Опубликовано: 25 янв 2021
- Since getting my Solar a few years, I've never really used it and it was for various reasons. After a few little changes that I literally did right before making this video, I now LOVE this guitar. That front horn strap being repositioned is everything, the next was sanding down the sharp frets that were popping out on the side. Everything I mentioned about fixing my frets I learned from Phillip McKnight. Click on the link below, along with Ceriatone Amplification and Solar Guitars
Phillip McKnight:
• How To Fix Sharp Fret ...
Ceriatone Amplification:
ceriatone.com/hot-rodded-plexi...
Solar Guitars:
solar-guitars.com
Truck Driver Shawn:
/ @truck_driver_shawn
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Louis Torres is a New York based Hardcore/ Metal guitarist who formed DARKWRENCH. Has filled in with Sob from Merauder during writing sessions, was in Rampage with guys from Candiria, founded Karma, was in Blindside with Jerry Ex, formed Out of Line (Brooklyn) with Frank from Confusion, had a short stint in Confusion! and is one of the founding guitarists of Indecision. NYHC for Life!!
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Развлечения
This dude has more amps than riffs that I know
Hahahaha! Same here! :)
It would take me a week just to choose which amp to use
not a compliment
@@musicmore5169 Understood but haters are gonna hate! The biggest haters are upset because I have all this gear. They should work harder so they can buy literally anything they want as well.
@@louistorres true , two mountains meet ?, lol............i do love the gear and the passion you have for metal, i just actually got really hurt by your comment , i didn't want it to , but it did, i love music and metal big time , but i actually pushed harder after you said that though sooooo, thank you AND I WILL HAVE A VIDEO FOR YOU TO CHECK OUT AND HAVE MY PERMISSION TO JUDGE IT , FAIRLY, tty tomorow, later bro.
"I have a Solar guitar..."
And literally everything else.
That wall of amps is bucketlist material for sure.
Was up, was up, Jerome! It's definitely a passion just trying to find some of these and a lot of luck. Thanks for the comment, brother! Hope you and your family are safe!
Tons of guitars fretboards shrink causing fret tangs to become sharp including expensive USA models.
I think I have another guitar with sharp fret tangs but my Solar was really bad, that's why I never used it. I've been playing it every day since this video!! Didn't realize it was from the fretboard shrinking. Haha! Figured someone didn't feel like filing them down and just went to lunch and forgot! Hahaha!
@@louistorres my USA Charvel socal had the same issue. I hate sharp fret tangs.
@@louistorres I had a gibson sg standard do it after it was about 7 years old. I live in a super dry state. Utah.
Oh man I almost got one of those Ola washburns years ago, got a used Schecter with stock nazgul and sentients instead, no regrets!
Schecters are great too!!
@@louistorres Schecters are the best guitars you can easily get used for cheap. The six I have probably cost me less than that Ola and that's includes my Loomis.
I think that strap peg is going to eventually break off. Not a whole lot of structure there for it. Especially with the strap locks which put even more leverage on the screw. If you'll notice Ibanez does their strap pegs with the screw at an angle to get into the meat of hte upper horn. I was looking at the Keith Merrow sigs, and I hated the strap peg location on those too, but Im guessing that's why they're doing it. Hopefully yours holds up. That Ceriatone sounds fantastic!
I ordered one of those amps. He is making me a custom one with more gain than standard. Thanks man!
I have a Solar S1.7PB directly ordered from their website last October. It was super fast to get delivered (ok sent from Spain to Switzerland so not so "far" to go). For a guitar coming out of Indonesia the QC was impeccable. My fretboard has no issue of sharpness, the guitar had no issue with paint and was super in tune thanks to the evertune bridge. Frankly I had a Jackson around the same price point which I had to bring to a luthier for fretwork (that one you could cut yourself...) and the whole action of the strings was wonky, made me think twice of buying another guitar made in Indonesia.
The only thing I dislike on the Solars are the Duncan Solar pickups (they do sell models with Fishmans Fluence now), Ola made them to fit his tone and they are great for that but for me they are too flat, I have an ESP KH2 and when you plug it in you get more of a "wow" effect than the Solar, but maybe I am biased with active pickups. Nevertheless I ordered some Bareknuckle Ragnaroks and will have them fitted in my Solar.
If you are in the market for a metal guitar that looks cool and has a good price/quality ratio then Solar Guitars is really a good choice.
No, you are right about the solar duncan. They get the job done but they lack power compare to other great pickups. Specially the neck one. I have a pair of Invaders and those are more powerfull and full. Great guitars nonetheless
honest question.... doesnt the power output of your amp is important to consider "if" the pickups dont have enough output?...i run EMG 81/60 through my PRS MT 15 and they have too much output for this high gain lunchbox "rec Type" tube amp.
@@oldfart6938 sure but when I leave all the settings exaclty all the same and switch from my ESP with EMG 81 and 60A to the Ibanez with BKP aftermaths and then to the solar, I really prefer the sound coming from the 2 first and this is running through a boost into my Mini Rectifier and then an EQ in the loop. That's why I waited a bit before orderering the BKP Ragnaroks, even without the pedals I am not that pleased with the sound, I mean Ola designed them to his liking which is probably to have them the most neutral possible in order to run through his effects, modelers and IRs. But the guitar is still at the shop so not sure yet how the BKPs are going to come out 🤷🏻🙏🏻
nice to hear a detailed answer. well that makes perfect sense. thanks alot.. i ll buy a Solar A2.7 and consider the upgrade with the pickups then. Keep Shreddin and stay save
I agree with the Jackson comment...I own a few, and my 1992 soloist far surpasses ANY new made Jackson's I've wrapped my paws around. However, to the point, I picked up one of these Washburn's at my local Guitar Center a few months ago. I WAS NOT impressed at all. I immediately put it back on the rack and grabbed an ESP KH purple sparkle...of course that ESP was $4000... But even the $1400 LTD models are fucking badass.... Washburn needs to step it up in my opinion...their not what they used to be either
Also just noticed those strings are installed in reverse... I always thought the reinforced ends were better at the bridge end, but have read many with FRs string them that way. How often do you change your strings?
My 2 year old Solar was pristine. It sucks that Covid affected their quality control. That being said, they’re offering refunds/replacements and are working on correcting the QC problem. Not much more they can do IMO.
The problem with the new guitars (but not all of them, eg Ibanez) is that the wood is dried in specialized machine dryers (it looks like either a metal cauldron, or a mini room / chamber connected by a pipe with warm air and a condenser, etc.). The wood dries quickly and does not look natural, it also loses the natural amount of moisture very quickly. As a result, in the following years, strange things happen in its structure, e.g. frets protruding from the top or side, warping of the wood of the guitar's fingerboard,
Basically, sometime between 1990 and 2008, when you bought a guitar, you had no problems with the frets sticking out. Because the wood was stored for a long time in piles in warehouses where it was dried (even for 10 years). Of course, it was not only about the right warehouse, but also the right internal and external climate. I have 2 older Washburns bought straight from the store / distributor. The first WG580 from 1999, made in Korea, bought in 2011! (it hung in the shop for over 10 years, all dusty) - no problems with anything, in particular frets, sound, tuning.
Second Washburn X40 guitar produced in Korea in 2008-2010 more or less, bought new in 2013 - no problems with anything, especially frets, timbre, tuning.
However, I already had a few new guitars with problems with tuning and frets, for example:
1. Samick made in Indonesia in 2013, the frets on the fretboard are uneven - one higher, the other normal, the sound is deaf in several places.
In general, warping often occurs after leaving the factory, because the wood is briefly stored in the original factory, and also intensively dried. Even after completing the instrument, the guitars leave the factory very quickly and are shipped to the distributor in a container. There is no time to analyze the problem, because these instruments will have problems with the tuning, sound, and bridge and its setting anyway.
It is worth buying a used, proven instrument that has already arranged itself naturally. And if the new one is either Gibson, or Fender or Ibanez, Jackson from high models (even the USA).
argh, why am I baited into clicking when I see the word "clickbait"??!
DAMN YOU, LOOOOOOOU!! \o/
Hahahaha! BROOO!! I swear I did some clickbait thing a few weeks ago and guys were PIIIIIIISSED at me! Hahaha!! This is the first video I wrote, "clickbait," so no one gets angry. Hahaha!! I swear I'm laughing out loud right now. Hahaha!!
I have two Solar guitars and I am very happy with the purchases!
Mine have no flaws and are really well done!
As for the sound, I used them for the first two albums with results, although in my opinion, excellent!
So 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻 for Solar and Ola !!!
Most guys are happy, the biggest issue is the logo flaking off, which seems weird but when they had the fret issue, lots of happy users were calling fretdemic guitarists a bunch of whiny babies. Solar seems to have fixed their Quality Control and are catching things early and are owning up to problems.
I wanna play dominos with all of your gear.
Hahahaha! At times, it feels like one small move will did just that.
I have a Washburn Parellaxe pre Solar and love it.
Yes, I love mine!
@@louistorres I was thinking of some 81/85s in it. Might offer more crunch.
The Solar i got from TDS is flawless and amazing, love it.
The normal guy here
with all those amps stacked on each cab how do you pick the amp head ? Do you just reach behind and plug the right head in or do you have some kind of amp switcher hooked up ?
If you look closely, each amp has a 1/4" that's plugged in. That's literally the speaker cable that's plugged to the front and I have three long 1/4" cables that I then connect the head I want to the cabinet I want to run out of. : ) There's an episode where I talk about KHE Switches and go over how I run everything. Do a search in my channel with KHE and it's the only one. : ) It's pretty crazy! Haha!
I used to have a Washburn and have a Solar now and didn't have any issues with either. I imagine with Washburn at least the QC was hit or miss. Harley Benton is notorious for that problem.
Hey Lou,
I also own one of these older Washburn Solars but the 7 string V model, the balance issue is also a thing on this one, it neck dives much more than my Jackson King V. No other issues on mine.
Also, this is one of your best sounding tones so far. If you like Ceriatone, check out a Splawn Quick Rod, another killer Marshall Plexi - JCM800 inspired amp, they can be had sometimes for cheap used. Got mine with KT88s not too long and it sent my JVM210H packing.
Un abrazo hermano.
That fret sprout/sharpness can happen even on old wood. I had a guitar re-fretted in the summer (very humid here) and I got a little fret sprout on it over the winter (very dry). It happens.
Wow! So from one season to the next. :'( Wow. Only my Solar was this bad and it was like that from the day it arrived.
@@louistorres yup. The luthier who did the re-fret offered to do it but I just did it myself since it doesn't take too long and isn't hard. But, it can happen, and not just on cheap guitars, new wood, etc. *shrug*
I wonder if that is why Gibson does those 'nubs' on the ends of either frets with the binding wrapping over them?
Anyway, I've never had a Solar, just saying it can happen, not necessarily a sign of poor quality, built, etc. On a new guitar I'd look more at how does the manufacturer (or reseller) handle something like that.
@@louistorres I had it happen on another guitar too, a Charvel. *shrug* Hasn't happened to any other guitars. Minnesota has some pretty big extreme though from hot humid summer to cold dry winter. Poor guitars.
My Solar story: This happened about a year after Solar started. I was interested in ordering a guitar with an Evertune but, due to nerve damage in my hands, can't play .009-gauge strings. I emailed their customer service department and explained the situation then asked if they could put on a set of 11s and reset the intonation (since I had no experience with the Evertune). I offered to pay for the strings and any shop time required since I knew it would take a little time. About a week later I received this email response: "No." I then asked it the guitar came with a manual for the bridge so I could do it myself. Absolutely no response. About that time I started seeing dozens of videos online of issues with their guitars (mostly fretboard cracking, etc.) and decided to wait for another manufacturer to offer the Evertune. I don't blame Ola personally but that's some pretty crap customer service. Even if they didn't want to do the work, or couldn't for whatever reason, there are much more professional ways to treat your customer.
It seems like they resolved those issues, thank God.
I believe it. Rondo was like that with me once too. Other times they've updated their site based on my questions. Just depends if you draw the short straw of reps or not.
Also. Personally speaking. Screw evertune... You dodged a bullet imo. Should save that money for your rig instead. Solar only needs it if you're planning on swinging it around by the strings lol
Amazing wall of sound.
Thanks brother! It's a love for tone. :) If only this shit were cheaper!! Lol
Wow what an amazing amp collection. And what a killer bunch of ESP's, gear heaven right there.
Thanks, brother. Once covid is finally over, I'll have guitarists come by to try out a bunch of my gear. :)
@@louistorres where do u live Lou? What state bro? U and I have a bunch in common I see already
Bro. Wood can sit in Indonesia for a lifetime. As soon as it's shipped outside that humid climate the relative humidity changes. This isnt a hard concept to grasp.
Each company chooses what woods to use in production at this outsourced factory. Cheap vs better quality wood is at every guitar brand's disposal, that's how all this works behind the scenes. Of all the many guitar brands that are made in this specific factory, at the time, Solar guitars was the only brand with this consistent issue. After speaking to luthiers with dozens of years of building experience at Fodera, Ibanez, Jackson Custom and ESP Custom, they all had the same reason. When bad wood comes out, it's because bad wood went in.
All guitars are subject to fret sprout, especially if you don't maintain the humidity in your house and/or in your guitar case. I just fixed the fret ends on my 2018 Strat yesterday. It had been sitting untouched all winter as I was slowly gathering parts to upgrade with. I got it out last week and it was a hand shredder. I went a little slower than Phil, doing each fret end individually. It gets really dry here in NY in the winter and I don't have a full house humidifier.
The true is here ! Thx for that :)
Thanks Mike! You are the mann, bro! I hope you're having a fun day! I think it's time to drink already! :)
3:00 - Many Warlocks, especially the 7 string versions, don’t have that balance with all straps. They can certainly have neck dive.
My platinum series warlock has a bit of a issue with that.not to the point where it's always diving like a dam SG but it's noticeable
what does the neck feel like
I have literally none of the issues you’re mentioning... i personally hate it when the strap is on top and i don’t have problems with it tilting over and i was the first one to buy one in Belgium. The only thing i’ve changed recently are the pickups now it’s fitted with fishman fluence modern. 👍
That slight tilt forward was the main reason I didn't use my Solar but since changing it to the top horn, I play it almost daily now. Everyone loves their Fluence pickups! I'm glad you upgraded them!
Hey Louis, how come you never play the riffs that are in your intro in any of your videos? Also, do you use the same string gauge in all of your guitars?
just subscribed. I'm interested in knowing more about Kiesel guitars, have you tried or reviewed one?
This is my second Kiesel and I've had I think three Carvins, maybe four. Yeah, I have videos where I chat about them. Do a search and type in Kiesel. :)
Phillip McKnight and he lives in AZ!! Mind blowing collection of heads and cabs. I wouldn’t even know how to act in that room!! 🤣
I'll walk by it and will laugh at my craziness. Like who needs all this!!? Three heads, fine. Eight heads may be a bit much. 15 is crazy, and I'm at 32! Lmao.
@@louistorres you can never have too many amps!
the conehead mcknight and seems like your his brother? LOL
Sounds good to me. Unless anyone buys a Steinburg, Music Man or PRS theres going to be some manufacturer drawbacks. These seem more like minor issues 🤔
ESP wrote the book on perfection in the 90s man.
I'd get a Ceriatone but I just bought an ENGL Fireball, Danielle would kick my ass if I bought another amp now... but im looking at the Yeti, Chupacabra and the JCM800 2203 HW
Gonna check out the Ceriatone’s site but damn I want that Bogner! Great vid man.
Bro, if you want to save money.. legit, wait until Doug from Jet City Amps builds his company again because he's going to work with Epic Tones so you can order the Uberschall mod already in the amp! It's going to be nuts!! : )
badass amps bro!
Thanks bro! They're fun to have but it's crazy to look at. Every day I realize how mental I am! Hahaha! :) Thanks for watching, brother! :)
I played a Washburn once and I liked it. Not the nicest guitar I have played but I liked the feel of it
quick question, but first i wanted to say i absolutely love your style and all your videos, im definitely a fan please keep up all the amazing content!! my question is, since you own a original 5150, why do you have two 6505s? ive played a few 6505s and to my ear they sound just a bit worse than any 5150 even both of my EVH 50w 5150iii’s and if the tone isnt worse ive heard the q.c can be spotty, to your ear what do you think, and is the stories of the qc and lack of durability true? thank you in advance! 🤝🤘
Great question! The 5150 is a monster, for sure. Peavey made a few adjustments to the 5150 and created the 5150 II but I couldn't find one, so I bought the Peavey 6505+ which is identical to the 5150 II circuit board. Funny enough, someone was selling a regular 6505, which is basically the 5150, at such a low price that I figured I'd get it, just to compare it to the OG 5150. For the most part, they're literally all the same, what I feel tends to vary are the preamp and poweramp tubes guys put in them. The only way my 5150 and 6505 sound different is if I use JJs in one and Mullards in the other. The difference in tone that you heard, I'll attribute that to three varying factors: the age of the tubes being used, the preamp tubes and the poweramp tubes. The EVH models are, to me personally, refined better versions of the older Peavey Eddie line of amps. Have you seen the never 2021 EVH 5150 model that looks exactly like the old Peavey? Hahaha! Check out Wolfgang's Instagram! There's a photo where you see it tucked in the background. Someone called him out on it and he confirmed it! :)
Dude, I still just can’t get over the wall of amps 🤘🏻😎🔥
Trust that I'll walk by it and I'm still shocked at how crazy it looks! Haha! Happy Wednesday, David!! :)
Where's the THR10x :(
Damn... sorry to hear you had a bad experience with Solar, I'm picky and except for the cheap finish (chips easily), I couldn't be happier with mine! (S2.6c)
I love my Solar. Just two little things, that's all but I fixed them and I'll be using it much more often than I have in years!
@@louistorres Still... sharp frets on a guitar of that price range is not acceptable. Have fun with it! But I must tell you one thing since you love the C# tuning, mine came perfectly intune in E std., but when I tried to put it in C# std, I had A LOT of fretbuzz... I was a bit discouraged, but I just tried other tunings and B std didn't had any buzz, so I now play in B std because of that (also because I'm fucking poor and can't afford a 2nd guitar). I'm not complaining though, I prefer B/drop A now. Did you have any fretbuzz issue so far?
@@quasibene I had to check haha I always use it at 100%. It's like you said, first half not much happen, not linear, at 3/4 you might get 50% volume then it goes up quickly.
@@quasibene It's not a perfect guitar, but I never enjoyed playing guitar as much as playing this one. The LTD Deluxe and ESP might have a better finish, but my hands don't float on them like on my Solar. Also, those pick ups are more than decent, they have a huge dynamic range. I like to hit hard, and thoses pickups are perfect for this type of playing. Hit those strings hard and you'll love the tone, guaranteed. (I use 13-65 in B standard and Drop A)
I bought a solar AB1.6S and I am really not having a good time with it. The volume pot is scratchy and cuts out in some places and the maple fretboard developed a tiny crack which I imagine will grow. Solar has offered to pay for the repair but I think I am just going to return it depending on how much shipping is. Even if I get this fixed this isn't a guitar I can trust anymore.
Wait, when did you buy it? Let me know when you get the chance and I'm sorry that happened to you. It's a great guitar; some production years had issues with the fretboard which was unacceptable. With the scratchy pot, hit it with some Deoxit, that will resolve that issue. :) If you're going to ship it back, get an RMA number so THEY pay the shipping. You shouldn't have to cover that cost, especially since it's a write-off for them. Hope that helps, bro!
@@louistorres I bought it from Thomann music and it arrived a few weeks ago. I sprayed some wd40 contact cleaner but it didn't fix the issue. I am extremely annoyed because this is my first "professional" guitar. I'm gonna get it repaired and then I'll decide.
I too use those picks! Great versatility.
Aren't they great picks!!! I'm glad you use them also! :)
which ones are they?
Dude, why don't you put on a DiMarzio clip-lock? That would reduce the momentum for axial damage with about 90%
All of my straps have Seymour locks for convenience switching from one guitar to the next. :)
It was his signature guitar. Hence why he uses the same design.
I knew that but lots of Solar fans didn't know the body style was first used with Washburn, but food for thought, Ola's previous signature model was an entirely different style.
bro this dude just attacked my playing when i called him out bro look at this channel he hearts crazy number of people so people viewing don't see , im highlighted only cause he put my playing up there captioned noodiling around , and NEVER said shit about what i called him out on, man-child.
All of my solar guitars are flawless. Not the biggest fan of Duncan Solar pickups, but that’s easy to fix. They are selling like hot cakes, and the company is so nimble they always coming out with new guitars. I haven’t seen many bad reviews.
gracias jefe .....dig the honesty...what washburn model is that?
How in the Hell did you get the pilot hole in that horn? I have a Solar as well. I hate the strap pin on the back for the same reason. I got set up to do it, but backed out of fear of screwing up the ax. Any tips would be helpful. Thank you.
Marty, you know how your guitar rolls a little forward? That's because, I suspect, the strap was always meant to be on the horn but after reviewing it, the potential of it cracking off was too great. That's why the balance is off. I just measured to the center and gradually went from a tiny drill hole and increased it ever so slowly from one step-up bit to the next. Then used my usual Seymour strap lock. Guess what, it's officially perfectly balanced! This is my daily guitar and it's what I have in my livingroom that I grab. I had dudes blasting me while others made the same adjustment and it's perfect! If it's on the tip of my Ibanez guitars without any issues, why wouldn't it be the same with my solar? Turns out, it's exactly the same AND it's balanced!
@@louistorres Thanks again. I'll give it another shot.
Yep, Phillip McKnight! Awesome dude. I bought my Ibanez RG1560MJB off Phil when he had his guitar shop in Arizona. Guy knows his stuff! "Know your gear"!
That guy knows so much about gear. I like him a lot. He's a very nice man.
I want a video where you plug every single amp in line with the guitar signal and play them all simultaneously 🙌
Hahahaha!! The entire house would burst!!
@@louistorres Would be so metal 😎
Thoughts please :) Im torn between a schecter c1 platinum for 599 vs a solar A2.6 for 699
Loved my my first Solar it cost around 1300$ brand new and I loved it so much I decided to get a 6 string from them as well. Both high end... beautiful, frets are nice.. most metal looking guitars I have.
Maybe you can get in touch with Ola to lend you a new Solar so you can compare the two.
Wow huge amp tone you got there.
That amp sounds amazing!!!! Also, is that guitar in C# standard?
Yes! :)
@@louistorres Nice, one of my favorite tunings. Thanks to Dark Tranquility haha.
I played around 20 solar guitars so far and own some myself. They are flawless.
I hear ya but I must know at least fifty guitarists who have major issues with theirs. There are also at least 250+ complaints on major problems on guitars that are currently posted on the Solar Facebook group. It's nothing new, it's been such an ongoing issue that several solar artists have complained about them as well.
....20 guitars & own a few & they're all flawless? Sounds like bullshit anyway 💁🏻♂️
@@Chugg.Norris bullshit? You're calling me a liar? Who are you? A louis torres fanboy.
I play guitar for almost 46 years now. I buy and sell em. I owned around 50 guitars so far. I am not a collector. Everytime i have the chance to visit thomann -who sell them- in germany i play solar guitars. Ilive relatively near to the thomann store. I bought exactly 5 and still have 3. All A or S models. A sevenstring fr is on its way now. Btw. These are all "real" solar guitars an not ex-solar. I read about those "major" problems. I did not had any problems with mine. Ok i am not touring or playi live. My guitars all stay in my house.
Bullshit. I can tell you whats bullshit. Drilling holes in guitars for no reason.
I've got a solar v6.2tbr on the way right now, and I can't wait. I played a friend's, and I couldn't believe what he had for the money. So I immediately ordered one of my own. Awsome guitars. And if something isn't quite right, I'll fix it. It's gonna look good next to my dean ml's, and my mustaine, angel of deth. 🤘😆🤘
Just keep an eye on the frets and the logo on the headstock. Those two seem like the big issues they have. :)
@@louistorres I've got an awsome fret leveling and dressing tool kit from crimson guitars. A little fret sprout would just be an excuse to use it again. Lol I love tinkering with guitars. A bit off topic, but I actually got a really cool pickup from tinkering for other people. A guy brought me a Korean Epiphone Les Paul to "fix" for him, and I liked it so much I offered to trade him even for an Epiphone ultra 3 that was set up and good to go. He jumped on it. Long story short, I ended up with a limited edition, Korean, ocean burst, flame maple Les Paul custom, that someone had put an 80's Duncan distortion in. The DD turned out to be wound by mj herself! 😃 I was blown away. Plus that Korean lp is one of the best guitars I've ever held. Definitely a one in a million guitar. Anyway, sorry for rambling. I just felt like sharing. I'm excited about a new guita, so Ive got that guitar high. 🤣
4:40 sorry but that's the truth, modern wood for guitars gets cut and artificially dried in a chamber or the new trend: roasted. companies don't have time for cheap guitars under 2k to get proper naturally dried wood. so it can still shrink. especially the guitars that lay in shipment containers on the top. just imagen sun burning down on the containers for days. if you don't have properly dried wood it will shrink. Then you have no end control before sale at big stores and online sellers. so you basically get the guitar without anybody looking at it since shipping. companies claim that they do but just imagen opening every guitar they got sent.... they don't even have the employee capacity for it. they calculate that some people will send guitars with problems back anyway and the ones they don't.... well it's their problem. So always go to small stores, the check the guitars and even set them up the way you like and at least in my region you get the same price as thomann or so.
Man, you nailed it. I didn't even think of the heat they can endure while in transit to the buyer. Ugh. That's terrible to have to deal with.
I have a solar guitar. I love it, but I changed the the position of the the neck bolt as well. Neck dive as well as back pain was an issue with that set up. Annoyed the fuck out of me. Sounds fantastic but it was a back breaker. I was like guys “how come nobody mentions these guitars are heavy as fuck???” Love mine. This greatly annoyed me as well. Everything else about the guitar is flawless. I must say it was challenging to drill on that tip of the horn lol! I can’t believe no one else had this issue.
Ceriatone! As a Malaysian, I'm so proud!
Some of the best amps I've ever used! I love Nik and Ceriatone! Best value in amps and incredible quality!
Lol... You’re a trip bro.
Always enjoy your videos!!!
Ryan! You are the man! Thank you so much for leaving a comment, bro. I'm glad you liked this video! Hahaha!! I'm so silly sometimes. LOL!!
You look like you've won every first fight you've ever been in. Also, goddamn, that's a lot of nice gear.
I may have lost a few fights in my life but I've learned from them. Sometimes you've gotta dodge and weave a little faster! Haha! Happy Friday, brother!! Keep an eye on Craigslist, there are always ridiculous deals! :)
Dude please get and review the Peavey Valveking 100w. Put a nice boost in front of it and see what you think
Oversized frets are a common thing. Wood will shrink and expand depending on the humidity and temperature.
Now I have heard of quality control issues with Solar guitars, but overall they are pretty decent guitars. Any of the issues I’ve seen, are resolved quickly.
Yeah, everyone loves theirs and like you said, most of the issues they're having seem like easy fixes. :)
I feel that's a fret dress issue, they need to round them off like quality companies do. Prs for example.
@@Chugg.Norris solar guitars don’t have the man power like PRS or other companies. Ola is even seen to be in there and helping out when he can. Also, I’ve seen and felt oversized frets from quality companies like Ibanez and ESP. It happens every now and then.
I would've taken the rear strap-lock and put it on the back and placed more down near the output jack to compensate for the imbalance instead while having a cleaner look not seeing straps on each end of the guitar... it works nicely as I do this to every guitar I have!🤘😁
I think I'm used to all the front locks being on tip of the top horn. As odd as it may look, it finally feels perfect. :) It always felt weird when I would use it but I'm actually playing it more often now. :)
@@louistorres hellyeah man totally whatever is clever and floats an individuals boat is my theory when it comes to personal preferences... kind of like having a Les Paul and being a nontraditional stringer and top wrapping the strings over the stop-tail!🤘😁
~🎶°🆘️•🎸•🆘️°🎶~
If you want to give a chance to other good kind of straplocks, try Loxx, they are the smallest and closest strap to the guitar! They are top quality, the've doing similar things in other fields like naval and now are into guitar straps thing too.
I just pulled them up, I've never heard of Loxx but they look great! Man, I have 45 guitars! That would be nearly $1,000 to swap them all out. Hhmmm... Not sure if I should reach out to the company! They may think I'm crazy asking for a discount to replace them all! Lol
@@louistorres haha the good thing is that they sell parts too, don't need to buy complete sets, if you have 2 straps and 45 guitars, you could buy just what you need
I had an interest in Solar Guitars, but now Jackson announced Dinkys made in Japan for $2kish. This is the guitar I've been waiting for. I never cared for the S solar models with the deep scallops on the horns or the headstock shape. Solar guitars look like great value though, and the specs are pretty competitive at the price.
Someone just mentioned that to me the other day but holy smoke, they're going to be $2,000!!! Yes, the Solar models for what they offer is great. For me, I wish they offered different tops that are thicker, like a 1/2 flamed maple top. I would probably get an ash body, because you can't create the ash design with a veneer. Although Jackson has fake ash bodies that are literally grinded to make it look like ash! Hahaha! That's crazy!
The s models don't have the cuts on the horns. The a models have the cuts. So if your curious about solars and don't like the cuts, Look at the s models. Also. If you want to save a few bucks. Look at the b stocks. Click on community, then click on special offer. Idk why the process isn't as easy as being labeled b stock. But oh well.
@@AaronMorgan666 You are right, I got the models mixed up. Still I prefer the non scalloped models, but it seems the A model is where the focus is.
@@shredmonster76 next i want a 7 string e model idk why. Its only 25.5 scale. For some reason I want a 25.5 7 string and the e model is unique enough. Sick of the strat body. I have an 8 and 9 string as well and yep. Both strats. My legator 7 is also a strat... but it was cheap ($350 new) and a premier model so they didn't mess it up. Back when legator cared.
Same here, was looking at the Solar Coroner guitar, which was like 1400, but I'm going for an MJ Soloist now. Japanese Jacksons always have been amazing, I have a DXMG that I bought in 2003, which I modded to my taste. Best playing guitar I've ever had.
:) I love Solar Guitars!!! I love Washburn Guitars!! I love all together!! Never had problems with these guitars.......is true!!
literally i just wish they had blankj fretboards. thats it. then theyd be flawless. but the inlay is so gaudy it makes every guitar seem like an ola englund signature
I agree! I feel like if their thing is a large logo around the 12th fret that each artist should have their own. Even my old Randall Satan had the Ola logo and to me, it represents him and not Solar guitars. Like you said, it's a bit over the top and could be smaller. :)
The only thing that's held me back from buying one is the fact I'd have to buy it without playing it first and I so very rarely feel comfortable doing that. I've been burned before. I've never had a chance to play a Solar but they've interested me for a long time because as far as import guitars go, they have a TON of options and they're all sort of spec'd and built the way I want a guitar to be as far as my tastes go. Reverse headstock, hipshot bridge, direct mount H-H pickup config, ebony board, stainless steel frets, luminlays, I mean they're just very modern purpose built "metal" mass production guitars. They're definitely sort of carving out a niche in the import market that other brands aren't fully capitalizing on imo. Not that the bigger brands don't make guitars with these kinds of specs, they do, but they're usually fewer and far between, or a signature guitar, or the finish options are way more limited, etc.
Solar is cranking out TONS of guitars, tons of finishes, hardtail, floyd or evertune, extended scale, multi-scale, 27+ frets, you name it. If I do eventually pull the trigger on one and buy it, it's going to be the S1.6H. Solar has one in a sort of flame top blue burst that looks gorgeous. And for basically a grand, the specs are VERY competitive and seem like a good deal as far as a NEW guitar goes. The only other thing making me cautious is all the drama surrounding cracking fretboards with Solar guitars. Ola says the rate of this issue occurring falls well within "industry norms" or whatever, but no one wants to buy a guitar only to wind up with a cracked fingerboard after a year. I can't say I've EVER had a fingerboard crack on me like some of the pictures I've seen floating around. Whether it was a $300 guitar or a $2500 guitar.
One thing i don't like in the Solar is the contours on the front side of the cutaways....i
The only thing I needed for my solar was a proper setup.
That's so good bro, I feel like most guys had no issues at all.
@@louistorres I love solar guitars but I have heard of some duds and I would be upset if I got one. Such a disheartening experience one guitar player could feel. I personally don't care about the logo but can see your point of view on it. Nice vid and have a great one!
Dude, I work in a guitar shop. Guitars of all levels have fret ends poke out, especially in the fall/winter. We charge $25 to file em. No thing! I do it on pretty much every guitar that comes through the shop this time of year.
Oh shit, really? I didn't know. Lol! I haven't had a guitar with that fret issue before. :)
Are you like one of those rock stars or an amp sales rep? Why do you have so many amps?
Bryan (sp?) McKnight? One of our guitar players had that same Washburn Solar. He loves it.
It was Phillip McKnight. I think Bryan McKnight was a singer. : ) Yeah man, the Washburn model is a fun guitar and I think it was $400 when I bought it. It was just when Ola left the company, so they had a flash sale!
@@louistorres that’s right 😂😂😂😂😂
Dude, I always get so jealous looking at your arsenal!
the thumbnail makes you look like jared dines
I think we look totally different, I think it's funny but the only similarity is that we wear hats backwards. I've been wearing my hat that way before Jared's parents even dated! Lol.
I need the dots on the fretboard, I realized. All of their guitars lack dots on the fretboard.
Louis, you should get a actual solar from solar guitars. I got a pink a2.6 and its great. I'm only worried about the fretboard bc it seems to be a popular issue. But I'm thinking its an issue on the older models. Mines brand new as in just made in 2020.
I'm so jealous!! I swear if I ordered one it would be one of two. Either all pink, like the one you have, because I think it's bad ass and I always wear pink polos during the Summer or an all black matte with maple fretboard and headstock. I've seen their pink and it's a great color that they use.
You don't like the gloss green or the gloss orange? Or the flat safety yellow? (ola calls it lemon but it's like a yellow green) what do you think of the v models? There's one with only a bridge pickup, kind of a military green. But I also want the lemon v so bad as well.
My Solar 2.7 tbr got after a month a cracked fretboard, the replacement had a brocken neck pickup, the next one fretsprout. These are all known issues that should be mentioned.
Do Solar guitar neck actually crack after some weeks or months or getting a brand new guitar or does it give any other kind of problems?? I am planning on getting a new solar guitar.. please guide me sir.. thank you.. 😄✌🏻
I'm not in the Solar Guitars Facebook group anymore. You should join it and see what recent owners have been saying and find out what their experience has been like with their new guitars.
@@louistorres ok sir.. thank you.. 😄✌🏻
If wood isn't cured and dried properly, it'll move, expand and/or shrink based on moisture and temperature. When guitars are too quickly made, especially in far eastern factories, they can have those issues. It sucks, but it's an easy-ish fix. The more worrying problem from quickly milled and improperly processed lumber is the neck twisting or warping to the point a truss rod adjustment won't fix it.
After I posted this video, a few guys sent me photos of their ebony frets literally cracked down the center. Yikes!! That's crazy but like you said, guitars made in a humid country may have an issue when it gets here and dries. :'(
@@louistorres yea :((
Fuck me there';s some shit comments here, all wood shrinks and expands with climate changes, no matter how dry, and ebony boards have been cracking since ebony was used as fretboard material, google it and read...
@@louistorres As i said above, ebony fret boards have been cracking since they were used as fretboard material, it is NOT specific to any guitar brand, {look it up} I have one very expensive Les Paul with a small fretboard crack, I use fretboard oil to give the fretboard a "drink" and it closes up till it dries again, well that's if i let it dry. And if you feel inclined to mouth off as you have to others in this thread, i'm no noob, I'm a 60 year old guitarist that's been playing and modding guitars for over 45 years
I have a 7 String Washburn. I like it. I can’t find what size the truss rod wrench is. Nothing fits!
Go to their website and send Washburn a message with the info to the model of your guitar and see if they can share the exact size you need for it. Hope that helps!
If it's a two way truss rod it can be in the zone where the nut is turning freely with no resistance, so even if the proper wrench is used it seems to spin within the nut, but the wrench fits correctly and the nut is spinning. I had this happen, took me awhile and trying every possible wrench to figure out what was going on.
Hi Louis! At the beginning I though that you were going to have "issues" with Truck driver Shawn!!!! He has a bunch of Solars, all kida beasts! I was tempted to buy a Solar but...I have no space in my apartment...so I got a Boss SD1 instead...(yep I´m like a child...We all are!!), and yes...I´m a dirty mind jerk face!!! :)
Hahahaha! Dan, you are the best, bro! You always make me laugh bro
I've owned my platinum series warlock since 5th grade(I'm a junior in highschool now)and i think it's metal as fuck dude.that's also a lot of badass amps dude I would kill for some of those stacks
I hate this Solar guitar too! Nothing better than a ESP and a Jackson custom shop
Man, those Jackson custom shops made at CMC guitars in New Jersey are monsters!
Mannn!!!! you have alot of gear, have you ever had the chance to demo/test out the Peavey XXL A) it was supposed be their rendition of the Mesa Rectifier B)I think it was gonna be George Lynch's amp
Are all these heads yours?
Hahahaha! Yes sir. Recently borrowed a Fortin Sigil from my man, AJ and my buddy Madison is lending me his Soldano SLO but the rest, about 30 amps and 13 cabinets are all mine. :)
Of you have an arsenal of ESP guitars, you won’t find much in a Solar guitars unless you’re not handing them over to pro luthier to have it playable.
Agreed.
Frets... Steve Vai article years ago on guitar necks. Stated that if you cannot pull the strings around the edge of the fretboard and play a note on the back edged of the neck, it's no good. Lousy fret job. That edge has to be perfectly smooth.
Vai loves those off the fret notes. Make sense.
Ive been following the Solar FB group. The sharp frets are a common problem. QC issues.
Oh no! Is it!!? Man, that was the number issue I always had. The sharp fret edges but I literally fixed it tonight! It feels so much better! I added the link to the description to Phillip's video, so others can do the same. : )
My solar is perfect. Plays better than my Esp MI.
@@Wormed101 same
I see you have the PRS Paul Reed Smith MT-15 how do you like it?
Get a newer model, seems like they fixed the noise issue that affected earlier models but I love that thing a ton!! With a 412 cabinet, it's a beast and loud as balls, since it opens up with its larger tubes!
@@louistorres Thank you very much for your reply....
@@louistorres It's me again forgot to ask you what cab. and speakers would you recommend?
That room is a gear junkies wet dream. Sending love from another new yorker. 🤘
This is exactly why I completely stopped playing my Ibanez, the neck dive is damn ridiculous..... But I play my Solar everyday \m/
Ola isn't going to like this...
Dude fucked up dissing King OLA
Ola is gonna chug him out of existence, and then burp on whatever is left of him.
He's only doing it for views. Taking shots at the king of chug - cheap move. Get some self respect
I've played 2 Solars. The E type I found generally well balanced on a strap but imo the design feels as if the guitar is positioned too far to my left (right handed). Fit and finish on the one I played was great, the S type not so I'm afraid. My general 2p worth is I don't really like the idea of spending a G on a guitar and have 'Duncan Designed' pickups rather than the real deal or buying effectively a rebadged Washburn. Seems a bit lazy sticking a 6 a side on LP type guitar rather than actually design something unique. However I think the the 7 string blood splatter V they do is awesome
They aren't the cheap "duncan designed" pickups mate, they are built by seymore duncan to ola's specs, they are medium output alnico 5 pickups based around, i think its the custom 5 pickup and 59 in the neck, he records all his music with these pickups and it sounds awesome....
If you were a fan of Washburn and you like the solars whats wrong with buying something that is "effectively" rebranded washburn?
Ola only wants to know “if it will CHUG” lol
Hahaha! It's true! Lol
wuahaha loved it bro!!!!
"Dirty mind jerk face" HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Hahahaha! I think it's funny when I get a brain freeze and stumble on easy things like SAND PAPER! Hahaha!!!
OK before I go scrolling thru it all.... how far down is OLA's comment?
I would get mad but I don't own a Solar guitar so I can't. I prefer Jackson and ESP/LTD and some Dean.
Yo! I just got two LTD M-1000s and I swear I love them just as much as my ESPs! And I have a few Jacksons also from the early 1990s that are just as amazing! You should try one of the LTD 1000 models from the early 2000s. They are LITERALLY exactly like my ESP Customs but instead of costing $2,500 they're just $450!! Mindblowing!
Actually many of those old Washburn Solars were made by Parker.
I think you're referring to US Music in South Korea who was building guitars for both Parker (fly models) and Washburn. When Ola and Washburn parted ways, the first few batches of Solar guitars were literally rebadged Washburns before they landed a better deal with another manufacturer where Solar guitars are still made today. Ken Parker built about 35,000 Parker guitars in the US before outsourcing production to Korea, that was years before Ola was with Washburn. That's why I think you're thinking of USMusic. :)
@@louistorres Yup I was under the impression that US Music in Illinois was under Parker. Either way that’s a pretty dope guitar brother.