OLP Tony Levin Signature

What year was it made? 2008
Where was is made? China

This bass was purchased as a project bass. I've had several 5 strings and wanted something inexpensive that I could modify to what I want.
I play Contemporary Christian Music and found the bass to be a bit better than what I expected.
I'm using a Behringer V-Amp Pro Bass with an earbud system. The sound is pumped through a JBL sound system which includes two 18" subs, two dual-15" subs, and six full range 15"/horn cabinets.
I'm using it with all three tone controls in the center position and volume wide open.
The bass lacks a bit of punch overall. In it's current configuration the bass doesn't allow for much variety in sound. Instead of enhancing the sound when the tone knobs are adjusted, they seem to have very little effect until they're maxed out. At that point they seem to be a bit notchy, affecting certain frequencies more than others.
When adding low end, it does get a bit deeper but still lacks punch as I mentioned before.

The strings (at the bridge) were adjusted fairly high. I was able to lower the strings quite a bit to get a lower/quicker action. The pickup position was fine.
I've yet to find any cosmetic flaws. In fact I think the bass is a bit better cosmetically than many basses that sell for over $1000.

This bass is in the process of becoming one of my favorites. The hardware looks fairly good but I'm not much on chrome. It will eventually be replaced with black hardware for two reasons (1) looks, and (2) reliability and function. While I believe the hardware is good I don't see it holding up for a long period of time. I noticed that I'm needing to tune this bass more than my other ones. The first hardware to be replaced will be the tuners.
I'm surprisingly impressed with the neck. It needed no adjustment when received and after lowering the action I have no fret buzz period.

Company is out of business so I doubt there is any warranty unless Ernie Ball would cover it.

I've been playing for over 40 years. I have two other basses at present, a Schecter 4 string C-4 with Basslines pickups and a Tobias Growler 4 string.
I would buy this bass again in a heartbeat. I love the color and the solid feel of the bass. I would prefer the neck to be a bit thinner to fit my small hands.
I looked at the Schecter Stiletto Custom 5, Fender Standard Jazz 5 string, Ibanez SR905, G&L Tribute L-2500, Peavey Grind 5 string. Out of all of these the Peavey Grind was my favorite because of the feel and the beautiful woods used in the bass. However it would need active electronics added and the pickups replaced. The electronics wouldn't be a problem but it's fairly difficult to find replacements for the pickups due to their dimensions.
The Tony Levin has a fairly standard size pickup that seems fairly good. I will, however replace all the electronics and I'll probably use Bartolini.
If you;re looking for a bass that is priced well below it's actual value, this is it. You'd better grab one quick because the company is out of business and there are very few new ones left out there.

What year was it made? 2007

Where was is made? China

How many frets, or is it fretless? 22 frets

How many strings? 5 string

Solid-Top? Laminated top? No top, solid body.

Which controls are given? Volume, Low, Mid, High (with halfway knob stops)

Pickup configuration? 5 Strig MM style Pole exposed Pup

Active or Passive electronics? Active

Body and neck materials? Alder Body, Maple Bolt On Neck, Rosewood Fretboard

Finish color? Peach (Barbie flesh peach)

Body style? MM Stingray5 style

Bridge style? MM standard Stingray5 style

Tuners? Standard HeartKey Tuners

Neck/Scale? Thin neck with 22 jumbo frets. Maple Neck with Rosewood board and dot inlays.

Any included accessories? No, Just the bass itself.

How does it suit your music style? Great all around sound. Very close to a Musicman American Stingray 5. I can see why Mr. Levin would put his name on it.

What amps and effects are you using it with? Fender Bassman 250 2x10 w/ horn. I only use a compressor on the bass.

Is it noisy? On what settings? The Sheilding isn't the best. Which is my only complaint, but it is an easy fix. So if you crank the tone knobs it can get some noise. However, It has enough UMMMPPHH that you dont need to push the tone. I use my amps tone to balance it out. It is noisy when you push the high end tone.

Rich/Full sound? Dark sound? Warm sound? Bright sound? All of the above. I can get about any sound I was looking for with this baby. It has nice low low's and very bright cutting highs.

What kind of sounds can the bass make? How much variety? I would say it can bring you just about anything you are looking for. It has a good solid tone. Palm muting and slapping are perfect on this. It has a good solid bass tone and good for soloing.

Is it noticeably better for the stage or the studio? I would say it would be a great studio bass. Being so versitile I think it would do very well as a studio bass. I would use it live too though. The color of the bass is very nice. So I wouldn't want to hide it away. It's definetly a bass you can show off on stage.

Likes and dislikes? I love the tone of this bass. It is just like a Stingray5 at a fraction of the price, and is also a signature series of a great bassist. Both color schemes are great. As I said above. My only complaint is the sheilding of the electronics

How well was the bass set-up at the factory? I bought this and had it shipped. I am guessing it was set up before shipped to me, but if it was by teh factory it was PERFECT. Nice low action with tight new strings that stay in tune very well. A+ for this one.

How well were the pickups adjusted? I like how it was adjusted. I have heard complaints about it being to low to the body but I found everything to be set up like a $2500 bass. I loved how it played the minute I picked it up.

Did the bass contain any flaws? Nope, everything was excellent

Will this bass withstand live playing? Yes, It seems very durable. I can slap pretty hard when playing slap bass and it stays in tune fine. I don't play basses that hard but it seems to be built like a tank.

Does the hardware seem like it will last? I would say that some day I might want to upgrade the tuners, but they seem to work very well and do the job. They aren't cheap.

Is the finish good enough to last, or does it seem thin and easy to wear off with lots of playing? The finish is excellent. I am hoping after years of having this it will fade some in the light and get a more "Tony Levin" vintage look. It looks like his Stingray5...except new.

Are the strap buttons solid? Yeah, they are great

Can you depend on it? How often does the neck/truss rod need to be adjusted? I would use it as a main bass. I have only had it for about a week, but havent seen any problems at all.

Would you use it on a gig without a backup? No, but I wouldnt use any bass without a backup...that could always be a disaster.

If you've dealt with the company, how helpful/friendly were they? I have no opinion...I havent had to deal with them.

Ever try and get it repaired? Was it under warranty? No I haven't, but it does have a good warranty.

How long have you been playing? What other gear do you own? I have been playing for about 10 years. I have had tons of equipment. American Fender Deluxe Jazz, Fender Custom 24 Jazz, Fender Aerodyne Jazz, Ernie Ball Stingray, Warwick Streamer Stage II, Warwick Thumb 5 Neckthru, Warwick Thumb 5 BO, Modulus Flea 5, Fender Mark Hoppus, Fender Musicmaster, Benevente Custom, & this list goes on and on.

Is there something you wish you had asked before buying this bass? No, I read alot of reviews on here and on some forums about what to expect. So I wouldnt be disappointed

If it were stolen or lost, would you buy it again or get something else? I would buy it again. It is a very reasonbly priced item for what all you get.

What do you love about it? What do you hate? What is your favorite feature? I love the tone, The look, and the finish. I overall love the entire thing. I dont really hate anything about it. My favorite feature is probably the tight B string. It isn't floppy and gives you a solid low end thump.

Did you compare it to other basses? Which ones? Why did you choose this one? I would say it compares closely to my Ernie Ball 4 string in overall sound and look. Electronics-wise it is similar to my Fender Aerodyne Jazz. It had the same noise issue.

Anything you wish it had? A hardcase...but at the price I cant complain

One MM-style pickup, 5 strings, 3 band EQ.
"Barbie Flesh" color...when I bought it, no one seemed to want the natural finish, so it was harder to find in that finish.
It's a pretty basic 5-string, feature-wise.
I upgraded the tuner for the B string with a hipshot.

The more I play this bass, the more impressed I am with its versatility.
Normally, I run the tone controls on the bass flat, but if I need extra low end for a slow song, it's there-almost too much!
And the mid control has been getting a lot of use lately-crank it up for some serious GROWL, or cut it all the way out for an impressive P-bass imitation(think "One of these Days" by Floyd)
My main rig is a Fender BXR Dual Bass 400 head and BXR Spectrum cab(2x10 and 1x18 in one cab) that I run biamped(lows and highs seperately) and I also have a Fender Bassman 100 from a few years ago(1x15).
The bass sounds great on either setup, but the 18 in the BXR is a little loose-the low end gets a little overboard! With the 15 it's nice and tight.
I play in a versatile praise band(classic rock to bluegrass to funk) a country/roots rock band, and also a progressive rock band, and I can find useful sounds for all of that from this one bass.
I have seen no sign of the noise others have dealt with...must be lucky.
I use a Hartke Bass Attack pedal sparingly for overdrive and a "stompable" second EQ.

The action was a little high from the factory, but not terrible.
A couple of the knobs have become a little loose, and some of them seemed to be crooked when I got the bass.
The output jack does not seem to fit the contour of the side of the instrument-there is a gap under it that bugs me! I also don't like where the jack is located, it gets in the way of putting the instrument on a stand.
The fretwork isn't perfect, but nothing glaringly wrong either.

The ONE real problem I've had with this bass is the tuners...specifically the one on the bottom. The tuners hold tune fairly well, but the problem is their durability.
To be fair, I dropped the bass right on the tuner on a hardwood floor a week after I bought it-put the strap on and let go, and I didn't have the rear button on as well as I thought.
The tuner shaft snapped.
After looking at the inside of the tuners, I don't really like them very much-they don't look reliable.
On the plus side, they ARE reversable-I was able to take the low B tuner and put it on the bottom for the G, which is why I got the Hipshot. I needed a new tuner, so why not? I have no REAL need to hit a low A...but it's FUN:D
Other than that, I've been using this bass without a backup for several months now-the easy access to the battery has come in handy, but nothing has gone wrong. I would like to at least have another bass for other sounds and/or a fretless along as well.

Haven't dealt with them...

I have been a musician for over 20 years.
I started on the sax, took piano lessons, took up guitar, learned recording, and now here I am on bass, which I've played for about 4 years.
My background gives me a unique approach-while I'm no technical master of the instrument, I have a knack for playing appropriate parts that add to the song.
This bass is a great first bass for me, as it gets around a lot of sonic territory, and has been quite reliable.
When I started playing bass, I borrowed my buddy's Fender Deluxe Active Jazz-V. That bass is a bit nicer than mine, and it has its own range of great sounds. After switching between basses for a while, I made myself concentrate on my own until I got used to it, and now the Jazz stays home. I might not get the same sounds, but I can get the OLP into the right territory for anything I need.
If this bass were lost or stolen, I might try to get one of the double pickup OLP Stingray copies. Or I might try to find the T. Lev in the other finish! Or I might try something else entirely-I like to find new sounds!!!

my olp tl sig bass was made in 2007,China.22medium jumbo frets.peach without top.1musicman style passive pickup with original 3band onboard preamp.basswood body and maple neck with rosewood fingerboard.all the hardware r made in korea.

I really like the sound it brings to me.both with preamp on or set flat.i did some mods to this bass.i added a on/on/on toggle to get series/split/parallel.at parallel the oupout is huge, deep bottom and strong midrage but less treble. when i use split i can get a jazzbass bridge pickup sound,clear treb and mid.tone change can be very versitle with this toggle.i don't have a stingray so i can't tell how close the tone sounds but the sound won't let you down. usually i use a pjb bassbudy and warwick bc30,i set all the eqs flat only use the original olp onboradpreamp a big warm sound i get.i believe this will be the best bass for the live show.

the factory set up was ok. fretwork r awesome,finish is quit good.
action is also as good as what i want. i just adjust the pickup height a little bit lower or the sound will be to loud for my room mate.

everything is ok till now.no problems.

I have to metion that i only payed less than 300$ to carry it home.i love it even than my tune twb6.a warm bass sound is all the bass play like to get.i used to have 3 cheap basses this one is the king.

Tony Levin 5 String in Flame Maple Top -
basswood body active electronics 3 band EQ.
Tight string spacing, very light weight.
Maple neck and maple fingerboard, smallish
vintage style frets

Sounds great! But there is a TOTAL LACK of shielding
for the electronics - NO base of foil under all the pots
so that is the FIRST thing to add. If you pull the
electronics off the guard, put down the adhesive foil
that should have been there, and shield the cavity - you
will make it very quiet!

This bass came with a great finish and look, but a bummer neck!
Can NOT set up the neck with the correct relief as it will
go into an "S" warp before you get there...I have been waiting
for a replacement bass from Sparks Music Nevada and OLP since
JULY!!! Still no sign of one...They both say I will get
one "someday" But OLP has nothing coming out of the factory.
OLP REFUSES to just swap out the bad neck - I would just send it in
to them and take another neck from the warehouse full of returned
units (many for body damage problems)they say the have, but they
"can't do that".
The neck also needed serious fret dressing to be even as playable as it is...

The hardware is "budget" to be sure - not very durable.
The frets are smallish vintage type which will not last
as long as larger more typically sized ones.

Nice enough on the phone, but not coming through with results!
Sparks Music in nevada seems to be a "stand up" bunch but
without stock from OLP they can't help fix the situation.
Making me wait 6 months for a replacement bass is a bit much
when they have necks just sitting there in Florida.

Been playing 35 years.
Own - Hagstrom 1967 8 string, 1978 Fender P Fretless,
1990 Kubicki X Factor, 1977 Guild B301, Cort Curbow Fretless,
1984 Kubicki Fender-style PJ,2006 Reissue 1962 Fender Jazz .
1969 SVT head and cab, Line6 BaspodPro XT, Stewart World 1.2
power amp, Hartke cabs, Avatar cabs,

I bought this new off the internet in '06. It was kinda hard to find. 5 string, active stingray copy. Others have said that the string spacing is different from the Music man, I don't know, I've only had the pleasure of playing a 4 string Stingray and I know that's wider. I got the peach color with the rosewood fretboard. It doesn't have quite all the whistles and bells of the MM.

I love the sound of this bass. It is really solid and pretty versitile. It can get as dark or as bright as you want, warm and punchy. The treble pot is a bit noisy or at least thats where the noise shows up. It doesn't have the shielding that the Music Man has an this is the only thing I don't love about it.

The action was great right out of the box. I may try to fiddle with it at some piont as it's a bit high for tapping but I'm not sure because I'm otherwise completely happy with it. There's a couple spots in the finish on the side of the neck but who cares? The treble knob is slightly skewed.

I haven't played live with it but it definately seems solid and reliable. I can't see where it would fail. I've never taken a backup bass to a gig and I wouldn't worry with this one. Of course I would probably take a fretless as an alternate.

I emailed OLP with questions before I bought it and they did respond. I think it was about thier web site and info about the bass. I don't know how helpfull they would be if there were a problem.

I've been playing 22 years, mostly fretless, but I really love this bass. It sounds better than my previous fretted basses. If I could afford a Music Man I would get one but this seems like a pretty close second. I do wish it had the shielding but otherwise I'm really happy. I played a couple Fender 5 strings but didn't like them as much and some Ibanez which were too light weight.

You could say this is a beefed up version of the standard OLP 5 string MM copy. It is supposed to be a copy of Tony Levin's original peach coloured MM 5 string. There's one version that actually has a similar color, a rosewood fingerboard and a white pick guard. Mine is the "alternative version" with a natural quilted top, a maple neck and a red tortoised pick guard. Tony's 'bald head sig' is on the headstock. Tony himself praises this bass for being "a good instrument". Nevertheless, the bas is not an exact copy. First of all, the string spacing is only 16 mm. That is quite a shock for someone who previously owned a real MM (being me). It's kinda tricky if you're used to wider spacing, but if you got smaller hands, this must be your bass. Second, the pickup is not the same type as MM. The genuine MM humbucker can be switched in series, parallel and as a single coil. The one on this OLP bass has not. Fair enough: decent features for a bass, but some flukes towards being a real copy.

As Tony says himself, this bass does not have the growl like his original bass has (what would you expect from a cheaper copy anyway). Nevertheless, the sound is adequate and cuts through well. The neck is heavy and has no dead spots, so the sound is very present and overall very even, even on the G string. The B is tight and packs a punch. The Eq is also very powerful. Boosting bass will have your sound tech praying for a limiter. And like the previous reviewer said: shielding apparently wasn't a priority for this bass. Make sure your power supply is grounded or be prepared for major interference. When grounded, the bass is quitet, sounds quite woody but thick and can be warm. Slapping also sounds well (if you can do it with a string spacing this narrow).

Splendid for a cheaper bass. The neck joint is tight, inside the cavity everything is tidy and the soldering has been done well. The quiled top on the body is not AAAAA but looks beautiful anyway. String action is good.

I refuse to abuse basses, unless they are not mine. This OLP however will withstand a rough time on stage (or in the studio if you're *that* kinda band). But remember this is an active bass with no passive option. So depleting the battery will deplete your sound quite abruptly. The battery can be changed easily though. A spare battery is still a lot travel friendlier than a backup bass, isn't it?

Like with most manufacturers: pray you'll never have to deal with them directly unless they built you a custom bass (and even then). The OLP website is present, but you won't find a lot of help there.

Buy this bass if you do not have a lot of cash to spare but still want a good active 5 string. There's no comparison to a real MusicMan, but those are 4 times the price anyway. This bass sounds decent, plays decent and will give you a decent value for money. It is way better than your average brand-name-copy-bass like Squires (I despise those). Just do not expect this bass to give yoy instant Tony Levin because it won't. To get that you should practise more, use a shitload of effects and shave your freakin' head :o)

2006, made in China under licence from Ernie Ball
5 string basswood body with a flamed maple top, plain maple bolt-on neck and fretboard. Cheap Schaller copy machineheads, 3 band eq and volume, nice looking fake tortoiseshell pickguard. Good quality chrome bridge, single musicman type humbucker pup. Active elecs. High gloss body finish, but virtually unfinished neck, other than the headstock face which is veneered to match the body. Fat neck.

Really growly, and a good selection of tones available from the pup and 3 band eq. Used with Ampeg gear it has good weight. Very poor earthing. Catching fingers against the pup causes audible problems. Very Stingray sound. With its faults remedied, it could be a good stage bass. The strings are horrific. Need replacing.

An ok setup from the factory. Pickups cannot be raised high enough for me...the foam under the pup is obviously too small to allow this, or has very little springiness. Neck is good, but I wanted to put a genuine Musicman pup on it (a secondhand one I have) and the string spacing does not allow this. It's a good 1/4 inch narrower than a real stingray. Shame. This mod could elevate it to the next level.

It is fairly heavy and strong looking. I don't foresee any problems on stage, other than as noted above. Hardware good. Strap buttons seem well anchored. At the price, if you wanna use it live, buy a spare!

The company are difficult to locate...they have a website with basic info, but I suspect they are not customer oriented...look at the price...!

It's worth replacing, cos it's a good'un. The 'I don't have to worry too much at this price...I can mod it all I want! I am keeping mine and gradually modding it. What do I love about it? The growl. The sustain. So I'm not particularly worried about anything else. For the money, it's got to be a 9.