Solar Guitars by Ola Englund

[Zhysick]

I bought one A1.6 with evertune the same time my bandmate bought one LTD MH1000 with evertune also.

I replaced the pickups in my solar because I like them HOT and the stock ones are to be used with a booster and I could not care less about pedals, so I installed EMG 81 (neck) and 85 bridge. Same pickups on my bandmate's LTD but he kept the 81 in the bridge and 85 in neck.

Not only my Solar felt and sounded A LOT better than his LTD but, when I moved out of the country and talked about selling it, he bought my Solar and sold the LTD.

Basically the same guitar (woods, shape except the carve, pickups, bridge, neck shape...) but the Solar felt and sounded a lot better, with a lot more sustain and more responsiveness for the picking. Absolute blast.

On the other hand, that's the only Solar I have had but I have several friends from other bands that started buying Solars after I bought mine and now they are only using them, they absolutely love them.

 

[jephjacques]

I only have experience with the Solar b-stock I bought to try out an Evertune, but I'm still impressed by how well built and well set up that guitar was.

 

[Tisca]

Kinda how that works for any company, guitars come in, they check for functionality and finish, if it’s all good that’s all there is to it, if it’s in perfect working order but has a blemish in the finish it becomes B-stock.

I dunno about you, but I’d rather they identify the b-stocks instead of the customers doing it for them after they’ve received the guitar, which is how Gibson does it.

Makes sense when you put it like that. It does say "passed" and not "done" or similar. Passed makes it sound like it passed. Also they have never answered me about it when I've asked. I hope you're correct.

 

[JimF]

Does the "Passed" thing not come from the factory, and that its passed their minimum requirements as a functional instrument? I.e. Solar could pay them to do a more stringent QC check but instead prefers to do it themselves and make the savings that way.

 

[hatena6]

it looks like solar guitars begins entry brand S

https://www.soundhouse.co.jp/search/index?s_maker_cd=3151&i_type=m

 

[Nightside]

it looks like solar guitars begins entry brand S

https://www.soundhouse.co.jp/search/index?s_maker_cd=3151&i_type=m

FINALLY

Regular fucking dots. Now I'm interested.

What are the solar pickups like?

 

[Whoman Bean]

it looks like solar guitars begins entry brand S

https://www.soundhouse.co.jp/search/index?s_maker_cd=3151&i_type=m

Is that official? Or some chinese copy of Solar?

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

Is that official? Or some chinese copy of Solar?

They do look kinda cheap lmao
Well wait and see if Ola does a video soon to confirm it. Guess that means I'm gonna try a E series if these are stupid cheap

 

[Antiproduct]

Aren't these S by Solar guitars? As far as I can remember this was made for certain restrictive markets like Brazil for example.

Well wait and see if Ola does a video soon to confirm it. Guess that means I'm gonna try a E series if these are stupid cheap

 

[CanserDYI]

Those Brazil S guitars have been out for a minute I thought? I remember seeing those like last year.

Wait what the hell, is that first guitar actually only ¥28,500??? That's like 150 bucks if I converted correctly.

 

[Nightside]

And what? Does he not know poor people exist outside of Brasil?

 

[Whoman Bean]

Wait what the hell, is that first guitar actually only ¥28,500??? That's like 150 bucks if I converted correctly.

That's too cheap, below Harley Benton level, can't be any good.

 

[Nightside]

Why pickup rings on the 7 but not the 6?

So cringe...

 

[Leuka]

Why pickup rings on the 7 but not the 6?

So cringe...

The hardtail version has pickup rings, but the FR version does not. Weird.

 

[The Spanish Inquisition]

So all in all they are fine guitars but nothing absolutely must have right? Cause price here in Europe is tempting, much more than LTDs and Schecs, and I dig the very basic look. What are the problem usually seen on them? Do they feel plastic-y? Or sound dull? Frets?

Are stock pickups keepers? Or is the swap mandatory? What about the overall hardware, is it on par with high end Schecs and LTDs?

Let me chip in, if you are still looking. The QC is a bit hit or miss, not bad by any means but some stuff just slips through. Not really weird stuff. What I did notice on almost every Solar that I've played or seen, is that there will be some breakage of strings due to sharp edges somewhere: on the Evertune, tuners, or nut maybe even. They are solid players with good specs for the money, and they are very comfortable to me, a bit rounded neck, not too chunky and not too thin. Frets felt fine, the 1-series have stainless frets and they are dressed very nicely. Pickups sound good and versatile.

Here's a tip: keep an eye on the outlet section on the Solar webshop, they usually have pretty good deals for instruments that have little problems like fit and finish which I personally can look past. And they have pictures of the actual guitar you're gonna receive, so you can be a bit more selective. Happy hunting

 

[bloodjunkie]

Was listening to that new 2 hour interview with Nocturno Culto and they were talking specifics about his signature. The interviewer said 25.5” scale and NC didn’t correct him; the site says 24.75. Can anyone confirm what it actually is?

 

[MFB]

Since we're in 200+ pages, and I can't be bothered to look up where else in this mess we've discussed it: how does the neck profile compare to other brands?

I'm assuming thinner than a Schectee, probably same as Wizard 3 just without the god awful shoulders?

Edit: hey look at that, found the specific thread search on mobile; looks like it's slightly thicker than an LTD and just as imagined, no shoulders. Probably gonna pull the trigger on one for a C standard riffer then.

 

[JimF]

@IbanezDaemon did an NGD where he describes the neck profile in probably the best way I've read. Easy to get your head round.

 

[RevDrucifer]

Since we're in 200+ pages, and I can't be bothered to look up where else in this mess we've discussed it: how does the neck profile compare to other brands?

I'm assuming thinner than a Schectee, probably same as Wizard 3 just without the god awful shoulders?

Edit: hey look at that, found the specific thread search on mobile; looks like it's slightly thicker than an LTD and just as imagined, no shoulders. Probably gonna pull the trigger on one for a C standard riffer then.

Can’t say I find them comparable to any Wizard neck. Wizard are too wide/flat in comparison. My E-type is a rather round, medium C shape. Definitely comfy. I think I expected something smaller before I played it. Fills up your hand without being overbearing at all.

 

[MFB]

Can’t say I find them comparable to any Wizard neck. Wizard are too wide/flat in comparison. My E-type is a rather round, medium C shape. Definitely comfy. I think I expected something smaller before I played it. Fills up your hand without being overbearing at all.

Sounds like my Contemporary Tele then, which is totally fine by me if its similar; now comes the part where i have to list another guitar for sale (as well as the OTHER one I sold and is being refunded) before i can actually order it, lest I be overrun with guitars.