OLP SB5

this is an olp spector sb5 bass. 24 frets, 5 string, 2 volume controls, 1 tone control, 2passive EMG SSD pickups, rosewood fretboard, maple neck, basswood body with an awesome translucent finish ,ernie ball slinkys were equiped on my bass.

this bass would suit pretty much any style of music. i use it for metal [i mostly play metallica].it does make a bit of buzz, but only when the tone control is turned up , but this may only be a grounding problem that can be easily fixed. this bass has a very bright sound compared to my old bass.with the tone control turned down it souds rich and full [EMGs for ya] .there are two pick ups that are the same but if you combine the two pick ups you can create a whole range of different sounds.the only thing is that the pick ups are fairly quiet so buy a powerful amplifier or active pick ups.
this bass should hold up live really well.i havn't gigged it yet but i do intend to.i will probably do some recording soon with my new band.

this sb5 was obviously set up with care the action was perfect for me. the pick ups were fitted tigtly and sturdily.the wood looks excelent through the blue transluscent paint.nothing was wrong with my bass.this is the nicest looking bass i have ever seen.

this bass would be fine for live playing. hardware and finish should last.everything should be fine.i would gig it without a back up

i have been playing just over two years and i own a pro amp [never heard of them]bass amp.if it was stolen or lost i would probably buy another one or save up to buy a real spector. i love the finish on this bass and the sound.i chose this bass because it looks cool , it sounds great, its got emg pick ups and ernie ball stings.plus it was really cheap.i got this bass on the 24/2/05.i will probably keep this bass with me for many years to come for giging recording and just playing in my room

Sort of looks like 5-string Spector from a distance, but has many differences. For the price though, it's amazing!

OK, this is definitely NOT the world's ultimate bass, but considering that you can get MANY very useable sounds from this axe, it's a darned good sound for chump change. I wanted to find a used one for next to nothing, since I thought I might be disappointed as it's a cheap import, but the sound is the best thing about this bass. It has genuine EMG-SSD pickups as used on Spector's lowest priced import bass that retails at $500 and sells for at least $350 street before tax. You get this for $100 less with little loss of anything that I can tell. The controls are V-V-T like on a Jazz bass, and the neck feels more like a Jazz bass, and the neck is single piece flatsawn maple, like a Jazz bass. In other words, it does not have a Spector neck, and that's immediately apparent when you play it. I know, I own a European Spector ReBop made in the Czech Republic. However, there is a Spector vibe in the tones available and it has a low action like my Spector. It does NOT have the complete absence of wolf notes and flat notes like my Spector does, nor does it have as much sustain. You have to reach up to a bass with a reinforced neck and ultra solid bridge to achieve the solidity of tone that a ReBop possesses. That's 4 times the street price of an SB5, at least. The SB4 was compared to a cross between a Jazz bass and a low end Spector, and that's a good comparison. I'll take this over those Mexican Fender or Chinese Epiphone basses. The tone is warm yet crisp and punchy. The pickups are very quiet. Just plug in an Aguilar DB-924 preamp and you have a serious active bass for under $400. But the preamp can wait, because this bass is quite good for a passive bass. I think the basswood body has a lot to do with the warm yet punchy sound. The bridge is not a Steinberger bridge like a real Spector, but it is more solid than a lot of cheap import basses, and a snap to adjust. I have heard the MM2 Stingray copy by OLP, and I think the SB5 is better. Much more tonal colors available.

OK, we take a few points off here. Good for the price, but if you have a European Spector, and especially a USA Spector, you will know this is not a Spector. The only area this excels is the light weight, as it has a basswood body. The body is flat, yet thick, with contouring for the stomach area. The neck could be better finished and the sides are not super straight. I lightly filed a few fret ends and lightly sanded the back of the neck with ultrafine sandpaper. The nut sets the strings closer to the G string side of the neck, but that's OK as it leaves more room on the B string side to prevent the string from being pushed off the fretboard in frantic playing. If you ever noticed, John Entwistle had his Buzzard basses set up that way. The neck also achieves a low action almost as low as what Entwistle got on his Buzzard basses, if my closeup video shots of his last major concert is accurate. Since his Buzzard basses had EMG pickups as well, this would be a cheap way of getting into his style of playing on a 5-string, after adding an active preamp. The quilted maple top is gorgeous for a bass of this price, and mine is a transparent red finish. The tuners hold a tune really well. The nut was cut reasonably well and does not buzz on open strings like a lot of cheap basses do, and the strings are reasonably low to the first fret and intonate well. No need for nut work. The truss rod was adjusted several times over the first couple of months as there was way too much relief when I got it, and the action had to be lowered and the intonation set. This is NOT a bass that is ready to go when you receive it, unless the shop has done an initial setup. Every OLP owner I talked to said he had to do considerable setup work, but generally without much hassle. No loose or buzzing frets. I suggest you reinforce the wood at the strap lugs by removing the screws and putting in several drops of white glue, then reinstalling the strap lugs. When the glue hardens, the wood threads will be much tougher. Basswood is very soft and holds screws very poorly, but its an excellent tonewood for cheap basses. Even $3k Status Graphite Buzzard 2 basses use basswood body wings, as it warms up the graphite neck sound. The finish on the body is very smooth and evenly applied. The rosewood fretboard will probably need re-oiling with lemon oil when you get it, but easily done. There looks to be space in the tone control cavity for installing an Aguilar OBP-1 preamp, if you get the notion. This is the standard preamp in many European Spector basses. I may do that so the tone will more closely match my ReBop. The neck only has 4 bolts, compared to 5 on a Spector, and is not set in nearly as deep into the pocket, although the fit is precise.

Weather and humidity causes more changes to the neck than a Spector with reinforced neck, but no worse than most flatsawn wooden bass necks. You can play live with this bass, and it should last several years while doing it. I would change out the pots for premium ones at the first sign of trouble, however. I had to tighten all my pots when I got it, as the wood had shrunk back in storage and shipping. The basswood body will dent up much faster than an alder or maple bodied Spector bass. All these cheap import basses need a backup bass, in my opinion.

Never contacted OLP.

I played in the 70's then quit and got back into playing the last couple of years. Didn't want any more Fenders. Basses have really improved since then, and Fender's grip has really slipped. I wouldn't give a Mexican Fender a second glance as long as one of these are around. This is a great starter bass for any rock style of playing, as long as you don't need an active bass. Just add an Aguilar preamp if you do, and it should sound fairly close to a Spector. Maybe there is a better rock bass for the price, as there are a lot I haven't tried yet. Against the ones that I have, this is the best at the price. A really good bass for the price of a cheap practice amp is a real bargain, and you will probably have to spend quite a bit more on a bass amp to get one equal in quality to the sound of this bass. Oh, this would make a great country bass as well, especially for the newer harder styles of country, as long as you realize that Spector basses are rarely seen hanging from a country player's strap, but that's their loss for not using Spector and OLP Spector copy basses. There is that Tony Hall guy that plays a Spector bass in Emmy Lou Harris's band. Can't comment on jazz and most black styles as I hardly do any of that. I think it could fit into R&B with an Aguilar preamp, soundwise, but if you showed up with anything but a Fender they might run you off. Spectors are well respected in the rock world, so this copy will set you in good with most rock bands you might want to play in. My final rating is considering the price. If you could snag a ReBop for around $500 or less used, I would advise going that route because the ReBop is truly a top notch bass that puts a lot of basses that cost twice as much out to pasture...........for rock music at least. If you can't find one on the cheap, the OLP copy will do until your Spector ship arrives.

After buying an olp mm3 stingray 5 copy a year and a half ago I had been checking out the olp website when i spotted the sb5, a copy of a 5 string Stuart Spector NS . Having played a few Spectors I must say the feel of this bass is quite different, the most obvious being the non contoured body (which only came apparant after i straped it on) however i was delighted with the over-all look of this bass and the sound. The translucent finish is amazing with a flame maple top that few basses in this price range can match. The passive emg soapbars are a great sound for my style and as "active" sounding as i like them. The bass came with slinkys so this also added to the brightness, quite like the tone of some Warricks i have played. The bridge seemed to be kind of the same as a Spector however the bright chrome hardware does let it down (but hey for this price you wouldn't expect to much in those kind of details , and to be honest it dosen't take away from the look of this beast.)
The neck ,24 frets on a fairly average piece of rosewood with a few minor blemishes (that came out with a touch of oil) had a nice feel, not to wide for a five and a great looking headstock sporting the olp logo.

The sound for me is a very usable,nice deep full sound with both pick-ups selected and a cool "jazz" tone for neck position. The bridge pick-up has not quite got the same bite as an active ssd emg but is fine for really funky slap tone. I have played it just through studio monitors and was impressed by its sounds, quite like a spector (enough to get away with). Played through my david eden head into a 4x10 cab this thing is the juice , fat, rich, punchy it works a treat.

The action on this bass was far from perfect on arival however with a few adjustments to the bridge saddles was working out really good. I plan to put her in the shop for adjustment soon. Small blemishes on the 23rd and 24th fret positions (that came up ok with a bit of oil) showed a maybe 'to soft' bit of rosewood. Apart from that the overall look of this bass was fantastic.

time will tell, however im feeling good about this one.

your on your own , this is a bass without a name, but who wants to pay for a name ?

I have been filling in the bottom end in a few bands with various styles for about ten years, I love a bass i can get the sounds out of i need to create music, Olp have given me with both in the mm3 and the sb5 instruments that sound really really good look great and are fantastic value for money.

I bought this bass in 2003. It's a Stuart Spector Designs copy. The body has a laminated maple quilt top on a basswood body. It's got a 5 string maple neck with 24 frets and 35" scale. The pickups are passive soapbar style (EMG-SSD). The body is not the typical contoured body you see on most SSD basses. It's more like the lower end models with a flat body.

The sounds is perfect for me. It really cuts through the mix well. I play through an Ashdown head and a Bullfrog 2x10 cabinet. So I get a real nice punchy sounds out if it. The sounds is closer to a jazz bass. It's got nice growly mid range and a tight sounding B string.

The action is perfect for me and my playing style. I did have to tweek it a little when I first for it (it was buzzing on the first fret). But I have no complaints. For the price I paid, You cannot ask for more concering the fit and finish. This is a well made instrument.

I used this bass all the time without a backup. It's fairly lightweight but very solid. It doesn't fall out of tune easily. The strap buttons are large so my strap never comes lose. I have only adjusted the neck once but might need to do it again seeing the seasons have just changed. But so far the neck is great.

I have not had to deal with OLP. I have no idea on what the support is like.

I have been playing on and off for 25 years. When I bought this bass I was looking for something with better tone and less weight than my Music Yo Tobias. Being a cheap skate I did not want to spend to much money and this was a deal too good to pass up. I wish it had the countored body SSD has on other models. But I guess that would raise the price conserably. I also wish it had active electronics. But for <$200 who's to complain. I think this is a great bass and have seen basses for 2-3 times as much money that were not this nice. OLP seems to do a nice job.