Let's Talk About Solar Guitars (Endorsements & QC)
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- Опубликовано: 20 окт 2020
- Today I explore the validity of a viewers concerns regarding Solar guitars quality control and their endorsement policy.
Thanks to Ola Englund and the artist I talked to.
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I wish brands would just throw in a hard shell case. I think it’s ridiculous for a $900-$1200 guitars to come with ‘premium’ gig bags lol
I have always thought this same thing for decades now and it's a real shame.. Seriously, these companies should feel shame.. And I would like to see a brand / company offer all of their instruments with a HSC stock along with the instrument as a standard option with possibilities being better or upgraded cases being premium options. That's a statement that can distinguish a company from the crowd.
Honestly I think it's because they are trying to make the guitar as accessible in price as possible. I bought one of the S1.6 models (the top tier ones) and I took it to a tech to have it run through for prime setup. He was floored by how inexpensive it was for the features it had. They are super nice playing and feature rich guitars for the money.
@@SavedbyGraceAlone84 I understand that, I would happily pay $150-200 more for better packaging. I used to collect sneakers growing up, I loved keeping the boxes. I just kind of wish guitars would take a page out of other premium companies and step up the quality of the packaging. Epiphone did a 1959 les Paul that’s beautiful for $700 and it comes with a real beautiful case and papers.
@@macbruce7562 I totally understand and honestly I would have paid the extra coin for the guitar with the case as well. I was just playing a little devils advocate.
@@macbruce7562 You think that's ridiculous? Look at some of the high end boutique bass dealers. They provide a gig bag for basses ranging between $4-$12k. Imagine paying $12k for a Marleaux contra bass.. and it shows up in a $100 gig bag. Oof.
Whew, I was afraid there was some scandal with Solar, but I relieved to see that it’s nothing like that at all
exactly dude!! its a relief
EVERY1 thinks there's a 'conspiracy' around every corner!
@@DMSProduktions woah bro! Wtf? Are one of those 4chan flat earth trump supporters?! 😤
@@PARAMONARIOS NO idea! NONE of us are American, so it really shouldn't concern us!
@@PARAMONARIOS , you believe the narrative
Ola did mention how the QC process has been affected by covid over the last 6 months in his last video... I think you’re right about how the travel restrictions have had a negative impact on QC
Well he also said that they check them as well as before but they do it in Spain and it is just more time-consuming.
@@peterrovaniemi138 That’s very true 👍
I was just offering some impartial perspective. I certainly don’t know anywhere near enough to ‘take sides’, just thought the info in Ola’s latest vid may offer some insight and maybe worth a watch for anyone interested
@@DreamTroll sure thing. Just pointed out what he said also :) I have no stakes in the Solar thing at all, I have no solar guitar, non on the way etc.
Yeah it was covid 😂 once quality is an issue in any company its with good reason. Avoid and spend up for proper quality..
@@stevedgolfer might be, might not be, I definitely claim to know
I bought a V last month brand new from Thomman it came with one fret end was like a razorblade i actually cut my fingertip properly clean open, i emailed thomman and just let them know that it had a seriously sharp fret and i had it sent back, apparently they got a replacement directly from Solar not just from their stockroom or another of the same model, it arrived within 6 days and it was perfect, so if that's true then that shows you Solar/Ola do care about customers and you should be in safe hands if anything gets fucky. Although of course my experience isn't everyone else's but i hope everyone's issues got solved
was this to the UK? Trying to find out what the return process is like if buying from Thomann to uk post brexit, e.g did you have to pay for the return shipping?
Cool story dude
@@sterex9805 sorry for the late reply bud you've probably gotten a solar by now lol but yes indeed to the UK, and when i found it had that major fret issue and after i emailed thomman about it i was instructed to retape the original box and send it back in that, believe it or not thomman covered that charge themselves, all i had to was provide an authorisation code and the customer number they sent through Email * Edit * i forgot to mention the getting my replacement guitar back, i had to pay either 22 or 23 pounds to have it shipped again, which being honest i didn't mind at all, my initial impression of the guitar was absolutely fantastic, but I'm no luthier i can't fix a fret that could double as a Stanley blade, not could i find a repair shop close enough that was actually open due to covid ( cunt) so i though fook it ill just get a replacement, turned it to be one of the best guitars ive ever owned and i regret nothing :)
@@fergusmacleod9540 :)
@@MrMadtv123 thanks for the reply, I do intact now own one, s1.6pp. luckily it has zero issues and the frets are finished and polished very well. Only setup it needed was strings lowering a tad.
Endorsements all together are so weird, I’ve seen companies basically create pyramid schemes just by giving endorsements to small local musicians. (I’m not saying solar is doing that at all) The company you’re endorsing is basically just turning you into a revenue tool, which is fine if you’re getting something out of it.
Basically, if you can walk into a guitar center and no one recognizes you, be very Skeptical if you get hit up for an endorsement. Don’t just take it because it “makes you cool” or whatever.
Great vid My man!
Two gods at the same place, what a great moment
Yeah it's always struck me as weird that people almost nobody knows are getting deals. However all propel should recognise you and the uncle Judy sig in the future
I hope Ernie Ball contacted you for an endorsement after the pick video, Uncle Judy!
Ly Judy
Woah!! Kdh AND Uncle Judy!!!
Collab please.
Ola telling ArnoldPlaysGuitar to give an honest review and reveal any mistake he finds made me absolutely respect ola in regards to his company. I know ola isn't being shitty or shady here.
As far as the featured artist thing, that i think will pay off for solar. In the public view, thats a company that showing gratitude for you purchasing their product by posting you on their website and posting your material on their Instagram. PR speaking, it's a win for the company and the artist. That kind of stuff attracts more customers.
Agreed. It's mutual advertising at a very low level. If I were in a band playing a Solar, I'd definitely be interested in the potential of my music reaching a wider audience through the company's social media.
@Philbo baggins He ISN'T???? :o0
Meanwhile, I ordered a Solar, and it showed up with forklift holes going through the shipping box and hardshell case. When I left comments just stating the condition of the guitar I received Ola starts messaging me and telling me to quit talking shit. Ola's a liar, I even called him out on it when he told me they don't use forklifts and proceeded to post a pic of his warehouse employees using forklifts. Don't trust Ola. The other thing that really pisses me off is his fans are such fanboys. I posted the step by step pics of me opening the box on IG and all his fans just wanted to call me a liar and try to say I made the whole thing up when there's pics on my IG of the hole thing. Sucks for them when the buy a defunct guitar.
@@DrScrambles whats your ig handle?
@@DrScrambles nvm, I found it. You just posted pics of the box, none of the guitar, none of your messages, no video of the guitar cutting out. That seems sketchy dude. You're not doing anything to prove any of what you just said.
It seems like the "Solar Artists" are less of endorsements per se, and more of a shout out for buying a guitar. You buy a guitar, meet some minimum criteria, get a little publicity from a company.
Solar Artist here. PATHØS of Symphony Of Heaven. I can honestly say I have been nothing but 1000% satisfied with my Solar. Ola and Louise are running a great operation over there and I hope to meet them in person one day. I plan to continue on with them and have zero plans to even look at getting other guitars. Ola genuinely cares about the metal community and wants to make quality products for other players. If there was something wrong with my guitar I would not hesitate to tell anyone. But completely honest, its perfect and the best instrument I've ever held in my own hands. If you want a company that cares about you as a player, and makes awesome instruments, get a Solar. And as far as revealing what the arrangements are between the company and the artist, I wouldn't reveal that either, it's no one else's business except the parties involved. Not everything has to be posted on RUclips, but if you emailed Louise I'm sure she would be open about the process completely. I have brand loyalty, but for very good reasons. 😁😁🤘🤘
Ola addressed the quality control in a recent video. The guitars are sent to Solar HQ in Spain to be QC'ed. Ola is also not JUST a RUclipsr......He has been an international touring artist within the metal scene.
I bought a solar from time period when ola himself did final inspection.... It's the best guitar I've ever had. And I call it an instrument with pride. If his demand has become stressing an he may need more final inspection . but normally his b stock is nicer than other brands a stock
Hi KDH, I took your advice on achieving an 80s metal guitar tone, you were right. Thanks for the advice.
I have a friend who was in a metal band a few years back that got an endorsment with Mayones. The deal sounds almost identical to the Solar deal. You buy the gear, no discount but you get your name featured on the site.
Which is free advertising for the player and their band as well as for Solar. It's a mutually beneficial deal. No joke, I have looked up other bands that I have never even heard of until I saw that they were playing a Solar, just out of curiosity. I probably would have never heard of them or only heard of them later in their career so for them it worked out because they got a new fan of their music.
Interesting take on the endorsements! I’ve always thought of the smaller Solar endorsements as a way that Ola can thank his customers that like and support his brand. They may not get any monetary discount but like you said, if they are in a band their music would have a broader audience through the Solar community. He does seem to genuinely care about his customers and community.
Note: We are “members” of Ola’s but not Solar players. We are essentially exclusive ESP/LTD players.
I bought a b-stock single cut and it's wonderful.. very solidly built and sounds amazing. Way above what you expect from an import..
Great video and logical points of view!
Just curious but what made it a b stock?
@@bw1955 I don't know about his, but I recently got a B-Stock, and if Solar hadn't provided pics of the tiny dings, I doubt I would have found them on my own! Otherwise, guitar is top notch, one of the best instruments I've ever gotten to hold and play.
@@kamicosmos oh wow that's cool. I'll have to check into their b stocks!
@@bw1955 TBh I couldn't really find a reason for it. It was in pristine shape but that's how they sold it..
dont conflate guitars from Indonesia with MIJs (which are imports for you as well). MIJs are far superior in EVERY way. Even a b-stock Ibanez/ESP MIJ will blow away any indonesian guitar.
I bought a Solar S series back in April, I wasn’t really a huge fan of Ola, but only because I hadn’t watched much of his videos. I bought mine because one of my favorite guitarist Kristian Neiman from Sorcerer and One of the best Therion albums, Gothic Kabbalah, plays one. What he saying about the QC is true, mine had a few finish marks on the lacquer that weren’t quite what they should’ve been for a $1000 guitar. I emailed Solar and they gave me the option of either returning it and buying another one if I wanted to, or they would give me $100 back. It wasn’t really bad, in fact it’s probably on par with the normal wear and tear that will come from just owning and playing it. I ended up taking the $100 because it played amazingly and they didn’t have another one in stock that I wanted. I can’t speak for everyone but I love this guitar, dings and all and had an over all good experience with their customer service. Also It’s probably is one of the best playing guitars I’ve ever had.
I am glad to hear that there’s a reason behind any sort of QC issues, it doesn’t make sense for them to construct them as well and miss a few finish things.
I don't really see this as a problem. I expect endorsed players to endorse the brand, meaning talking about it positively. If I want a review of a guitar, I will not listen to an endorsed artist of course. Or am I missing something here?
Yeah i agree with you man. I do reviews but i dont want to be tied up with endorsments becuse that would feel weird for me and for the viewers =)
I think that's where the concern is coming from. So many people are endorsed that it might be hard to find a good review. Or RUclipsrs wanting an endorsement may not be as honest. Which is a problem no matter what products they are talking about.
Many times you don't even know if they are endorsed. It's quite well hidden in many videos. You have to know the person well to know if he is endorsed.
Yes I own 2 solars both bought as B stock with minor flaws, I've also noticed people are having issues. Maybe due to the rona or amount of models they are putting out. But anyway I've had no complaints, Ola did mention they are now doing QC at their warehouse in Spain so hopefully things will get noticed and sorted before going out to customers thanks for the shout out
I feel like just calling Ola a RUclipsr is a bit unfair. I mean, he is, but he’s a pretty well established professional guitar player
@Nim Well, my point of view: if he was just a good youtuber, they would invite him to be a presenter, cameraman or some other shit and value him for that. But e.g. on Larvik guitar festival, they invited him to have a performance, musical. Soo I think that he should be valued for more than being a youtuber but idk, just my opinion.
@@patrikjurica7727 the audience for his death metal bands is niche and tiny compared to his RUclips reach and popularity. I would have never heard of him had it not been for youtube
@Nim wdym?
@Nim okay, I guess you know more than me, its just that i really like Ola, thats all lmao
Ola is like 75 percentage of a RUclipsr guitarist though and the rest is some band playing
Honestly the fact that you seemed to get quick responses from Solar, and that they seem to want to make sure things are right makes me kind of want one of these things more.
Ola is all about the community and helping everyone out in it. His weekly videos he does a weekly riff challenge and players post their videos of what they come up with...some of the guys he shows are very good and he even posts who they are so you can check out their music. I found a few to follow because of their abilities as a players I probably never would have heard of otherwise...
Informative as always my friend! I've been curious about these myself, but this is definitely a good perspective on it and endorsements in general.
Love all these videos you put out. Interesting, informative and even handed content thank you 🤘🏼
Solar guitars has a lot of innovative industry practices and you bring up a lot of fair points on the credibility of endorsements. I hope Ola sends you a guitar for an unsponsored no-filter review; it would be beneficial for his brand since I think he’s trying to run a legitimate business that caters to many niches in the market and you have proven to be a credible online personality (and also an amazing and intelligent guitar player).
Thanks for making vids about people who aren't shady (at least, overtly) as well as some of the problem players in the community. I never heard of Solar, but now I have, and I learned a bit about endorsements in the process. Love the content, dude. Keep it up!
You got yourself a subscriber. This was a very solid video. Most people don't even understand the concept of endorsement. The company doesn't endorse the artist, it's the artist who endorses the product. Most companies, like your said, will only indulge artists with an above average following, but with Solar, they do what BC Rich used to do back in the early 2000's. If you have a recording band and you played one of their guitars, you would be a BC Rich Artist. Basically that's not an endorsement deal, that's an artist using one of their products and the company is kind enough to give them a nudge by featuring them on their website. HOWEVER, only a fraction of people had an online presence at the time, while now it's basically everyone.
Let's just jump outside of Solar for a second to understand how other companies conduct their business. Some endorsement deals are given by brands themselves and others by their representatives. A few years ago, a Cort representative offered me an endorsement deal which consisted on a one time discount of 50% on a guitar of my choosing. For an unknown artist it wasn't much but it was something. However I wouldn't be a Cort endorsee.
There endorsee artists who get one guitar, or one discounted by the brand and become a brand artist. Those contracts are usually tied to an exclusivity clause which means that they can only play those guitars live and have to refer them in their album releases. Some may even have to attend events to represent the brand. Now as for artists with signature models, they usually get a percentage for each model that is sold. The guitars that they play are custom made, not street models. The brand can make a street model like theirs, but assembly line gear can have issues. If the factory producing them receives a shipment of defective parts or wood, all the guitars in that line made with those materials will most certainly be defective. Let's even imagine that the scenario where the korean factory where the guitars are made, is having a problem with the person in charge of the quality control. Several guitars of several brands will have problems. You know those weird things that happen at your work? They happen in other places too, sometimes even guitar factories. Now the way a brand like Solar handles the damage control, like recalling those guitars, fixing the issues, refunding the costumers or even, if the issues persist, moves production elsewhere, is what will dictate if the brand is good or bad. Sorry for the long post.
I love the straight up nature of this channel. rare
That was also my reason why I decided not to go for a Solar Guitar. I opted for a Schecter KM-7 MK III.
The Solar FB Group is just making bad "marketing" for the brand they are fans of..
Sad, because I really like Ola's videos and been enjoying his content for years!
The problems with open groups about anything is that it’s always the ones that has problem that writes the most. :(
@@Peter-ks8jjtrue. But if it wasnt this way, then the one who has problems wouldnt be noticed
Always interesting and well considered. Very enjoyable
You skinny peace of absolute brilliance.
Love your channel, love your vids, keep em coming bro.
Love and respect.
I appreciate that video. It should be obvious, but making the effort to contact both Solar and a Solar artist is a nice touch. Thank you for time spent creating this. And I understand your concern. I actually share it. Still, it does not change the fact I really want to get a solar guitar anyways ;)
You definitely need to play one..... They really are a step above
I sent back a Solar with (among others) the same problem as the fretboard (edges) on the picture, way before COVID. Not sure if it’s a recent thing, it might increase because of the pandemic, but it was common before.
I have a solar super strat and I absolutely love it. It looks and plays great. There is one small blemish but I believe it as from the previous owner. Other than the practically invisible blemish the guitar itself is flawless. Smooth fret ends. Smooth binding all around the instrument.
I’ve had a solar for almost a year and I’ve been loving it. A16FR. I haven’t had any issue with it and have barely adjusted it since I’ve had it. It came set up great out of the box. I’m sure if there’s any issues Ola and the company will
do their best to rectify them and prevent them going forward.
I just received my solar v2.6, and I can't believe how good it is. The build quality is fantastic. The sound is amazing. It was even intonated perfectly. I can't recommend them enough.
1. Solar Guitars
I own two of the more expensive Solars. I even did an unboxing of my newest one. Honestly, I do love my Solar guitars! I also think Ola is a great guy. I DID notice some small flaws in the QC process on my newest (the unboxing one) in terms of some scratches on my backplates and stuff, but I'm of the opinion that things like that are going to happen over time anyway, so in spite of spending $1300 USD on it, I'm not really one to complain. I love the guitar anyway, and having the scratches helps me not be so afraid to play it out of the box. Not everyone is like me.
2. Solar endorsements
When Solar hit, I thought it might be pretty cool to get to be big enough to become an artist, but the more I see, the more I realize that there's not really enough from Solar endorsements to sell my Jacksons and Schecters, or even the kit guitars I'm building, and so I've never even thought to apply for it. With that, I want to defend the anonymous artist a little bit here. I don't think that it was necessarily that he or she was afraid of losing an endorsement, or some sort of retaliation. That's not really Ola's style. I think it was more that they just didn't want to stir the pot, and wanted to be able to answer your questions. I could definitely be off base here.
3. Thanks for another analytical look at the musical world around us.
4. FUCK YEAH LEE ARMITAGE! Hi Lee!
Great comment dude! I honestly dont care about the micro flaws as long as the guitar plays well too.
@@sidiox7857 Yeah, I'm that way. I understand why people aren't, but it's just easier to embrace the flaws as part of your guitar's personality.
@@CoreyAllgood absolutely
For what they offer, Solar is actually really good. And the fact that they are taking care of people with issues is amazing because we all know they have a LOT of companies that dont do that. In the age where guitar prices are starting to go up, they are good prices and good specs. My friend is actually a Solar Artist. Him being an artist didnt really effect my view on the brand as I have been following ola for over 10 years at this point.
I bought the A1.6 and it’s absolutely awesome. I checked it for flaws the moment it arrived and was pleased with everything I saw. She’s a shred beast and looks the part as well. It’s currently my favorite guitar I own. I want another one but can’t justify having 5 guitars. 😅
Does it need to be justified? 🤔 I only have one guitar so far (started not so long ago) but I can already see myself hoarding them. 🤣 And if covid doesn't cancel my plans, I'm gonna start building a guitar in the January, so another one is coming my way. :))
I bought a B stock off of their site and it was in amazing condition. Pictures were available of the imperfection, barely noticeable, which I took as a plus to their quality control.
I have an S1.6 ET PB LTD and it plays great, love the neck and evertune. So far:
1) I have the logo issue but don't really notice or care for it
2) There is a finishing mistake on the painted on trim, bass side of the neck heel, it's not well ended and messy.
3) The ebony fingerboard cracked but it's my first ebony neck and I probably messed it up
4) I find in general the evertune doesn't ground well which leads to a noisier guitar, I tried fiddling with the ground wire and it helped a lot
However none of those things take away the fact I play it more often than my E-II, my j.custom or my Epiphone Les Paul Custom Blackback Pro upgraded with BKPs, combined, likely. That should say something.
Oh man, good shout with the TTM guitars. Levi Clay has some hilarious videos on them
I've had a Solar A1.6FRC for 1 month now and so far I really like it. The pickup routing is pretty good but not perfect. Otherwise the guitar has exceeded my expectations. I built a guitar 1 month ago also so I have an idea of the work that went into this guitar. The ss frets are level and there are no dead spots. I hope others have the same experience.
I purchased my Solar about this time last year and I absolutely love it. The only QC issue I could find was a couple of frets that could have used a little more polishing, which obviously was pretty easy to rectify. Other than that it looks beautiful, plays great and I especially love the fact that I don't have to spend more money to replace the stock pickups because they sound fantastic.
I believe a certain number of people are going to find QC issues regardless of the manufacturer. I have even seen reviews where people had issues with their custom-made kiesel guitars. I know there is some difference in the quality of some of the materials used but getting a guitar from kiesel with the same specs as my $1000 Solar would have cost me over $2,500. I honestly couldn't be happier with it.
Kiesel Guitars actually have notoriously bad QC (if the internet rumors are to be believed).
@@Thruuuth kiesel is more of a hit and miss (recently being more miss than hit). I ordered a CARVIN (pre-kiesel brand change) jb200 and a KIESEL V220. Honestly, the jb200 was far better but it had a paint issue where too much paint got into the OFR cavity on the side and prevented it from functioning properly. had someone sand down the affected section and it played just fine after that. The kiesel had a few more issues, like them forgetting to cover up all of the primer going from the body to the neck (v220 is a neck-thru) so you could see a little white primer sticking out at the point where the neck and body met, and i think i found a couple other issues... besides the fact i could just never bond with that guitar (my jb200 is my baby however). Something about that V220 felt off for some reason so i eventually sold it.
暗黒騎士 Those are very serious issues!
Agreed. I got a Solar V around June and absolutely love it. My favourite guitar I’ve ever owned
@@Buttface1981 I've been on and off thinking about getting one, what's your opinion on the placement of the cable socket? It seems like it would be impossible to put my wireless adapter in there because i would just bump against it all the time
Good stuff as always
Love all your content man, keep it coming
I have the Solar single cut Evertune and it’s so great! Flawless! I love it!
Great episode!!
Te odio
I've seen plenty of posts on music forums from 16-year-olds asking about how to get endorsement deals, as though that should be their ultimate goal. You're right: there really is a sort of mystique surrounding the idea of endorsements with young and aspiring musicians.
As someone who works in design/manufacturing in US and Asia. 100% the travel restrictions have made things extremely difficult with QC and just in general.
Reflection on glasses is making me crazy. Content wise +++ tho' :)
You should definitely do a video on Legator guitars. Would love to see what you find and what you think about their guitars and customer service
I know you know this but i think its unfair to label ola a mere youtuber. Hes a professional guitarist and lead guitarist for the haunted. He was musician first and a youtuber second.
Solar isn't the only company to handle "endorsements" in that way. Several years ago with my old band, my rhythm guitarist and I reached out to D'Andrea Music Products. I had, and still use, a Snarling Dogs wah, and both of us used their Snarling Dogs Killer Brain picks. We hyped ourselves up as much as a local band with zero following could, probably name-dropped our drummer's endorsement with a different brand, and we got a fairly immediate approval as "D'Andrea Artists." It actually came with a direct purchase discount as well. I think I talked to our AR guy one time regarding incorrect items received on an order, and we became mostly inactive as a band shortly after that so that's where it ended. They don't currently have an Artists section on their website, and I don't think we were ever formally listed in any media at the time. It was more like "ok sure kid, buy some picks direct." Fuck it, we still listed the endorsement on our own website. Looked cool to us!
Solar has been on my Wishlist for quite a while
Please give this guy a freaking subscribe. I literally want him to be bigger any of the other guitar channels I can’t stand.
Cudos to you for doing the Rob Chapman video 😎👍
I have the Solar A1.6 At the Gates model and its amazing. No issues there.
Ola is a top shelf guy.
I’ve got a solar guitar which I actually really really like. They’re genuinely nice guitars to play ..and to look at!
Lee is a cool guy....I m subbed to him...😁😁😁
Ola isn't just a "RUclipsr" give him the credit that is due to him.
Nah, Ola is a RUclipsr that has joined The Haunted. Like it or not, he's mainly a RUclipsr. I'd go as far as saying that he's also an influencer and an advertiser.
@@CarcPazu he played in big bands(for death metal) before he was famous on youtube tho.
@@CarcPazu we're all guitar players at the end of the day. Some make RUclips video's some play in big bands.
As a member of Ola's Channel for over 2 years, some may call me biased, but honest review from me here.
I had a Washburn Solar, Was an Excellent guitar played great and quality was very good for the price, not flawless.
I have played numerous Solar Guitars and found the exact same quality, however I did see one with flawed fretboard edges, i think due to an over zealous fret polish at the factory. so i would presume that like any guitar brand there will be the odd one that slips through the net.
Like my LTD SC607b-1 which I received with the same problem as above and a heat damaged fret.
I would like to think people would consider budget and quality on the same level (to a degree) as sometimes you get what you pay for. i.e. My ESP is flawless but my LTD (half the price) had some issues.
Hopefully that was useful insight, or just a Scottish mans ramble, either way I would fully support the fact Ola is trying his best, also remember Solar are a young company, there are always learnings to be made.
Remember Ola has a partner to at Solar who used to work for Washburn.
My friend has 2 Washburn Solar.
He says QC is superb.
Excellent and great craftsmanship.
I very much enjoy my Solar guitar! I didnt have any QC issues. It's unfortunate others did not have the same experience.
Interesting video again! I'm on the same side about endorsements. My idea of it was that it was restricted to pro touring artists. They could get some guitars for road use and at the same time the company gets exposure. The kind of endorsements that Solar seems to give is only about exposure (from what we know).
I don't know if anyone remembers all the huges stories for huge stars like Mustaine or Laiho at the time who have both leaved Jackson to ESP. Mustaine had a better deal of like 10 guitars per years or something and Laiho could get a custom shop faster with ESP than Jackson. It's a whole another level of endorsements there.
New to this channel, but I am subscribing. I like the work you are doing to uncover some of this nonsense.
I love this channel. Waiting for this guy to sky rocket to 1M subs.
The only thing wrong with Solar QC is the returning process - you have to pay for the shipping yourself, even if you're returning it because of QC problems. And that can get quite expensive, espicially if you're living somewhere northern Europe for example.
I didn’t know Ola even founded the company until a year after I found them, and one of my favourite guitars is a solar.
By the way, Lee Armitage is the man!! And I do love your channel KDH!!
I have three Solar's and they are all fantastic
I have an endorsement with an amp manufacturer and a pedal company. It's a two way thing. It's not a huge deal. I basically ask for things that I would like to see and they agree or not. I don't pay for the gear, which is nice. I'd buy it anyway, because they make things that are pretty much exactly what I want. But I do spend a lot of time in the r&d stages. I do demos and videos when they want. I also know musicians who have endorsements. Generally they fall into 3 categories. 1 We'll design you what you want from the ground up. 2 play our stuff and you can have it. 3 we'll support you on your tour, here's a discount. Great. The buy something and you're an artist is new to me, but maybe it's working for Solar. If someone buys one and they can sell another one or two others by getting some sort of official recognition then that's going to benefit Solar. Maybe 10% would be a good thing though. One hand washes the other.
i would think that any company as new as solar would have "issues" whether QC or something else. The fact that they are acknowledging the issues and correcting them show that they are committed to quality products and customer support.
Great vid, why isn’t your channel bigger?! Brilliant content but I just want you to become a Solar artist now 😂🤘🏻
On terms of quality control, I have one of the limited edition Solars they released with Hipshot bridges and poplar burl top.
This was one of their top of the line models and a potential collector's item to boot.
Some issues include:
> Black paint splatter on the side of the guitar.
> Frets showing through the neck binding.
> Lots of fret glue on the fretboard and sides.
When contacting the company via email, I was told that this is normal and that the guitar I had *doesn't even have a neck binding*.
(So, what is this? Trying to cover up the fret glue with... thick black paint?).
It's fortunate that it is a very attractive guitar, the cheapest you can find with stainless steel frets, and the pickups sound great.
I bought a Solar A2.7C back in April and I love it, but if I'm being completely honest, there are a couple of QC issues with it. First one is that I can't properly intonate the low B string because I moved the saddle as far back as far as it goes, but It would have to be moved even more to properly intonate, which leads me to believe that the bridge was mistakenly placed a couple of millimeters closer to the neck than it should be in the factory. And the second issue is with that strip of copper shielding, or whatever it is, around the bridge pickup coils which is exposed in the space between the two coils. For some reason, it completely rusted and turned green within the first couple of months, probably because it wasn't coated well enough to protect it from corrosion, which doesn't really affect the tone, but looks kinda ugly now to the point where I'm considering replacing the perfectly good pickup that I love tone-wise purely for that reason.
I've had a couple of endorsements over 35+ years; one was with a company called Born To Rock and the other was with Hamer near the end of their run in Illinois. Both had quite good instruments and received all but two Hamers free. I played them because I felt an obligation and they played and sounded great. That said, I've been playing ESP guitars almost exclusively since 1987. Mostly Japanese built, but I also have two LTD models. I own 10 (8 Japanese, 2 LTD). I do not, nor never have, a formal endorsement with ESP, although I was gifted three Japanese models after meeting an executive in Japan. I play these guitars because they feel great in my hands and sound great in my ears. I had an opportunity to endorse Gibson, but was more interested in Epiphone, so that went away. I also endorsed Mesa and Dean Markley for a few years. All Mesa endorsers would get a discount; I had a discount with Markley at first, then started getting them free. I've never endorsed a product that I wasn't going to actually use, which was the case in the '80's. If I like a brand, I tend to stay with it until they give me a reason not to. I haven't had the chance to try a Solar, but I'd like to. I've owned at least one model from almost every manufacturer (except Parker, Jackson, Schecter and Suhr).
As I've said, if I like a brand, I'll almost exclusively use it. Would I like an ESP endorsement? Absolutely! But I'm ok without one.
When did the flip happen?
Endorsements are when the artist endorses, or lends their name to the company.
...not the company endorsing the artist...
I'm confused
Just a really good go to market strategy. For what its worth solar does appear to be still relatively cheap and inexpensive for the options on the guitar. I dont see any issue with people being hit up to be an artist.
Yep, the QC has to do with travel restrictions, he addressed it recently. You're also right on their great (and quick) services. As a owner and having friends with Solars, the con with this brand is that their finishes wears off or chips easily. But even with this problem, they are really good and fun to play guitars. I'd recommend them.
Funny that i see your comment here, i've been looking closely to buy a Solar in the last week and wanted to meet with you and get some of your feedback, rock on Giraffe!
@@TheInfectedWreck Buzz me anytime if you want to try it out, she's all set to plug it in Neural DSP in seconds, unless you want to use any other tuning than Drop A or B std, no problemo haha
I noticed the weird endorsements at solar maybe a year ago, after i came across them as possibly a cool company to try and work with. After 30 minutes of looking on their website i noticed many “artists” that were up on the website but had a very small following, some even under 100 followers. I think its nice that they support a large range of people but I definitely feel they are doing this to make people emotionally connected to the brand. Altho i feel that this really isnt the right way of doing it.
Man I've tried 2 of their guitars and they are fucking solid, they are crazy backed up on orders so getting one is kinda difficult based off of that man i think Ola is really just giving back and helping others grow, he has a band , a successful RUclips channel and a guitar company all making him money, this is one of the few instances i think the head of a company just has his heart in the right place and not trying to capitalize on people but i might be wrong.
Any news on the qc problems
What about Kononykheen guitars? I got an "endorsement" offer once, but thought it was more of a marketing scheme.
Would it make sense to assume QC went down when they moved from World Music (Korea) to Indonesia?
How much are they? Thought about one
My first solar had the lacquer coming off the neck and the poplar finish was starting to bubble. Sent it back but I never got another one, paid a lot for that guitar, kinda pissed me off if I'm honest, maybe get one later in down the line, anyways I ended up getting a schecter, never had any problems with those guitars!
I like my a 2.7 tbr, but I did install some locking tuners on it which I feel should be standard on any fixed bridge instrument. Oh and a scratchy volume pot...meh still plays good though
I've got a 7 string G model ( was a B stock) I couldn't find anything wrong with it. It's the best guitar I own, by far!
Don’t own one, but my friend has one and the quality is impeccable
Don't you remember? growing pains are so hard. and lucky builders will get to dip their toes into the depths of mass production.. and all of the woes and the rewards that go with.
Man I'm happy to see that whole Rob Chapman debacle served you well. You totally deserve the attention you're getting!!!
I think you need to do a coffee with Ola, it would really make 2020 not so bad. He's one of the only people that are open to dialogue and we all love him for that. Great video brother, keep it up!
Or even just an interview on a Sunday w/ Ola would be cool.
unfortunately, KDH's channel output is making him a bit toxic to brands as he mainly points out flaws and dishonesty. I hope he keeps it up, but for guitar brands it would be like inviting a lion into your cave (unless you are squeaky clean)
I just got my Solar a few days ago (S1.6 FRQOB) its looks amazing but has a few issues.
There is a weird edge at the lower end of the fretboard below the 24th fret, amost looks a bit chipped away (doesnt affect playing but looks a bit weird when you are closer than 40cm to it)
It has a few issues with buzz around the 5th fret.
below the low E there is a small scratch in the beautiful finish.
There was some sticky stuff on the bridge humbucker.
it already had a few scratches in the ebony fretboard.
The sticker on the headstock is already faded a bit (it was like this when i unboxed it)
The high gloss neck feels kinda sticky when playing fast (They dont offer high gloss necks anymore afaik so maybe the learned from it)
i couldnt send it back and get a new one since its so rare, and i bought the last one thomann had, so they could only offer me a full refund.
I decided to keep the guitar because it also has lots of upsides for me.
Amazing Tone.
Overall pretty great feeling
the best looking guitar ive ever seen
very great tuning stability with the Floyd Rose 1000 bridge
Overall, Im still happy with the purchase although i probably have to take it to a luthier for a complete check
I've been a part of the Solar forum for a while and there have been several complaints. I personally ordered a V and had a couple issues but nothing that I would really return it for. I contacted Solar and they made it right immediately! However, I have seen some horror stories but a lot of them (not all) were from people who purchased from Thomann or Ebay or another 3rd party.
I will also add that what I received from Solar was 10x better than what I've received from Guitar Center in some instances.
I own an A2.6LNM. I can’t speak for the current state of QC issues (I bought mine well over a year ago), but mine hits well above its price class.
I don't know, now looking at the Solar website they have three tiers: signature, featured and solar artists
What you mentioned about endorsed artists is really interesting, mainly considering why I felt interested in Solar guitars: Kevin Frasard. He complemented the guitars a lot, and he is not featured by Solar, literally, just a very happy costumer. Maybe there is something about "too much" marketing going on in here.
I think it’s a cool thing to make a customer an artist. If you’re buying a guitar and then that company appreciates you doing so that’s cool. No contracts no money. Free advertising makes sense to me
Solar seems decent...just decent. Big brands like Jackson have QC issues on 4k guitars. Hell, Gibson still can't get it right. Since I'm left handed I have gone to high level custom guitars and they are perfect, but they don't come cheap. I remember my first guitar, a Yamaha Pacifica 112J had some pretty damn good quality to it though
I can say the endorsements are similar to paintball, I was under a few gear sponsorships, it accounted to a small discount on products and some help on events. Solar is basically building a brand, posting their music for them etc is a cool little adon to make the buyer feel good.
i bought the cheapest one, 1 year ago, and it's only guitar i play since then. It is not the best guitar i ever played but it's one of the best.