OLP MM1

Made in China, can't find any serial number on it so I have not idea when it was made.

As far as features, you can read the other reviews for more details..

2 humbuckers, no tone, volume control, tremolo. Basic stuff.

It really does sound pretty good. The neck pickup is pretty dark sounding. Sound a bit muted but when you get used to it, it really grows on you. The Bridge is actually quit bright. Almost like a Fender. Very surprised that it sound like this.

As with all humbuckers, it sound better when you crank up the gain.
Lots of sustain and a good hard rock sound.

I bought it used off of eBay so it needed a bit of work when I got it. Had to clean it up and do a full setup with a new set of strings.

It has a photo maple designed top that actually looks decent, and nice binding on it.

Everything fits fine and it's very playable. It does have a fret buzz at the 12 fret. May need a good level, but since I intend to play this overdriven all the time, it's not that noticeable.

There is a bit of slop in the tuners, but the guitar surprisingly stays in tune even with radical string bending.

There are a few finish rough spots on the back of the neck that you feel a times.

Seems decent. Does not appear to be fragile in any way.
I'll know after I own it longer.

NA

I've been playing a long time. I also stated recording a couple of years ago. I own mostly Fenders, but I wanted a humbucker based guitar for really heavy sounding rock rhythm.

It fills the bill. I like it. I think it's really decent compared to other guitars in the $200.00 new price range.

It has no tone control, but honestly, I never use them anyway.

I got the amber finish version, It has two humbucker pickups, a basswood body, dot inlay frets, and a standard brigde. I based the quality on the price I paid therefore im giving it a 9

Its supperior to all other 200 dollar guitars, I'll give it that, the tone has a lot of bite giving it a raunchy feel, however, it lacks sustain and warmth which is an essential quality to have a great sound. The pitch on the bridge pickup seems to bright but it still sounds good regardless. The chords ring to high when putting it through a lot of distortion however, it manages to maintain a reasonable shape. Being that this guitar costed only $179 dollars, this is the best that can expected of it so im giving it a 9

Ive been playing for 5 years on and off and overall I find this guitar to be a good value. it would be ideal for blues,country ,rockabilly, some 80's metal, and some rock music. Dont count on it to provide a grinding powerfull rock or metal tone since its wood neck and pickups lack the necessary attributes to provide warmth and sustain however, if your looking for a punchy sound, this is the guitar to get. For a $200 guitar it sounds great and as good as many 450-500 dollar guitars. Not as good as an 800 - 1000 dollar guita, I don't want you to think your getting that good of a value. I'm going to sell this guitar because ever since I got my Gibson, I can't accept any sound that isnt as fluid, rich and warm. Everything else sounds like a toy.

2004 model, trans. purple with photo-quilt top on a basswood body. Bolt on neck, H/H pickup config, Ernie Ball Axis style body, non-locking bridge. OLP Gig bag included with purchase.

Perfect for classic rock or metal. Pickups enhance the mids and highs, but they sound like the Dimarzio's on the EBMM Axis. 1 volume control. In short, it sounds great.

Trans. Purple finish looks great! I had to set the guitar up, and intonate the guitar, but once I did that, it plays excellent. The strings are almost on top of the frets, and there is no buzzing. Stays in tune really well. Can't see any flaws. Guitar plays great.

It's a very light guitar. I would never gig without a backup, but it's going to be my main stage guitar. It feels very gig worthy.

Haven't dealt with OLP.

This is a great guitar for $199.00. This thing plays great, and sounds great too. It looks fabulous, and is perfect for the beginner and the seasoned pro. Neck is fast and slim like the EBMM Axis.

Please see all the reviews below. This guitar isn't about features.

This is my second OLP MM1. It is only slightly brighter than the first one, but that may be attributed to a bad day for the pickup winder or the wood used. There's not a lot of difference in sound between the two I have. This thing absolutely rips! It sounds very much like it looks: a cross between a Tele and a Les Paul. I love these cheap little guitars.

The action on this one (2004) is a little lower than the first one. To be honest, I like medium action and this one is a little too low for me. I'll raise the saddles a tad to get it to my liking.

The finish on this one is the new sunburst finish. Very '60s Strat, with the brown/red/yellow pattern. The gloss is very high on the body. I had to rub some of the shielding paint off the finish around the pickup routes, but that was easily done with some water, a soft cloth and some elbow grease. There is a small ding in the wood near the cutaway and there looks like there was a little screwdriver mishap near the lower strap button, but nothing serious. It'll look a lot worse after I gig with it a few times.

I think the neck may be just a little thinner than my older one, but that may be due to the lower action on this one. It's still a great neck shape.

These things hold up well. I've had the first one for close to a year. It's playing better now than when it was new. These guitars break in well. I used some 0000 steel wool on the back of the neck and the fingerboard and it is even better now than before. I highly recommend doing this, if you like the neck to be smooth and slick. While you're at it, polish the frets with the steel wool for silky bends. The leveling they do at the factory is pretty good, but the polishing is non-existant. Hell yes, I'll use it on a gig. I have it's older sister as a backup, though.

I never use the vibrato. I'm sure it's very similar to a Strat bridge. If you know how to make those work, you'll be able to figure this one out.

Huh? I don't care if there is customer support. Never dealt with them and honestly, if you can't take care of this simple guitar, maybe you shouldn't be playing. Any competent setup guy can make this thing work.

I've been playing for a few years. I think it's around 20. I own and have owned a lot of great equipment and some crap. I know good from bad.

I love this guitar. Great sound, the best neck I've played and it's stone simple. I hope nobody else catches on to how cool these things are.

2004 OLP MM1 (lefty).
Fake maple top
You know all the other features from the other reviews.

It sounds like a guitar costing a great deal more than $225. When given a goodly amount of gain it provides lots of sustain and nice crunch with a very minimal amount of noise. I play mainly blues & classic rock through a hopped up Fender Deluxe Reverb and a Pandora PX4 for effects.

Off the rack this one had good action and pup adjustment. Tuners nice & tight and a decent nut. Just a couple of very minor flaws in the finish around the pup holes. Took it home and set the intonation and she's good to go!

I don't gig live much but I think it would hold up.
Immediately replaced strap buttons with strap locks.
Never gig without a backup 'cause ya never know....

N/A

I've been playing for over 30 years and have accumulated a fair amount of gear including a 76 Les Paul Custom LH and a 2001 Fender American Deluxe Strat LH. Being a lefty severly limits choices available for guitars - mostly the usual suspects when cruising the music stores (Mexican Strats & Teles or an occasional Epi SG). I saw the MM1 hanging there and gave it a whirl. I was not expecting much because of the price tag but when I started playing it I didn't want to put it down. It felt comfy in my hands and was very easy to play. Then I plugged it into an amp and was surprised by the sweet sounds I was able to get. Needless to say, I purchased it on the spot! Took it home, tweaked it a bit and now it's the guitar I play the most. If it were lost or stolen I would definately replace it - actually if I see another lefty MM1 I will probably buy it for a backup.

same as others plus a locking trem

same with a locking trem

same with locking trem

same with better tuning stability!

great!

I wanted to let others know that OLP is going to be releasing a locking trem version of the MM 1 very soon,here is the Email i got,


thank you for your Email inquiring about a OLP MM 1 with a locking tremelo.
It has been discussed and you see it very soon. Retail and colors have not been determined yet so it will probably be at least around September or November before it is available. Thanks for your suggestion though, we already have it in process but at least it lets me know I am moving in the right direction.

Rock Clouser, Assistant Product Manager - Fretted Instruments
B.C. Rich guitars and OLP guitars
Email: RClouser@BCRich.com <mailto:RClouser@BCRich.com> or RClouser@OLPguitars.com <mailto:RClouser@OLPguitars.com>
Phone: 800-999-5558 Ext. 524 Fax: 888-442-6737

2004 made in china 22 medium frets
solid body guitar with a film top wich looks good in sunlight, has 2 dirtyfinger style humbuckers that sould ok with lots of distortion "what do ya expect, dirtyfinger design-complete with tilted coils"
body is basswood,very light,but solid and sunstantial, the way it should be, the bridge is modled after a vintade fender syncronized trem "booooo" the neck is solid maple with a real maple fretboard, not frets pressed into the neck like some guitars i have worked on *fender cough cough* i'll give a rating of 7 on this cuz the body is decent

i play heavy metal with lots of palm mutes and harmonics and this guitar can put the rubber to the road,especially with a randall warhead amp, my neighbors hate me hehehehehehe
very surprising for a $200 guitar
i would like to install carvin scorchers into it, really make it gruff and thick

to be honest i expected it to look like it was build as a project by jerrys kids, but its actually good, the neck pocket is so tight aboutall ya can shove in betweenbody andneck is a sheet of paper, like a prom date, the tighter, the better!!!
the height on the pups are fine from the factory, very balanced, but lacking power but it did cum with stock strap buttons, i call tham ejectors!!! anyone not usin straploks is just beggin on bended knee for trouble and that bridge, dont even get me started!!!

this guitar "like any other guitar" will withstand a show, but i would have a backup
the hardware is good, the tuners seem tight and strong, i ust with it had a wilkensen dbl knife style or a kahler trem, one nice thing about this guitar, ya can customize it and make it yours, i dont see why ya cant add whatever components ya want pups,electronics, etc
very upgradable

i got it at GC, typical 1 yr warrantee, blah blah bah
if eyr smart, ya will already have it custom tailored to ya by that time

with the right components and good pups, ya can have a resy nice little axe

i have been playing for longer than most ppl will believe
i am not a very good player, i am a tech and luthier and can be quite critical i case ya didnt notice

i do wish it had good hot pickups and coil taps,

the only thig that really bothers me to no end is it has a fender style headstock, ya know, the "SPOON!!!!!" there ya have no down pressure and a nut the size if a matchstick, i'd rather see a $200 guitar with a tilt head than a $1,500 spoon head, c'mon, no pressure on the strings, ya lose tone,volume, sustain and good string springiness, its like puttin new wipers on the busted windshield of yer 1988 Yugo

i bought this guitar out of couriousity, and over all i am impressed with it, its a good started guitar, or a guitar to beat the hell out of, and if you are a beginer, its a guitar that you can hop op as you get better, there is no reason why ya cant make this guitar every bit as good as a real EBMM for less than half the price,
very worth the $200 tag,

2004, made in china
22 medium frets(not jumbo's)
blue photo film top
one volume 500K pot,gibson LP type 3 way toggle
two ceramic humbuckers that are voiced to sound like VH(bridge is 14.3K and neck is 9.4K)
multi piece basswood body and a maple neck/board
tele meets les paul shape(real cool look like a 57 chevy)
fender tradtional non locking tremelo bridge
schaller copy tuners
rounded neck with a 1/58' nut size(similar to wolfgang EVH guitar)
due to the lack of a locking tremelo and the cheaper tuners i give this catagory a 6

Stock this MM1 is very impressive,so i figured things could only get better.
so i put in a set of dimarzio EVH music man pu's i had from a Ebay score
needless to say the OLP MM1 now sounds EXACT to a real EBMM axis or EVH guitar. dont believe me? put in a set of these custom wound EVH dimarzio's and hear for yourself.
what a $200 OLP that now sounds the same as a $1700 EBMM? yeah i give it a solid 10!

set up from factory is what i expected,which was not very good.
but on the other aspects like neck joint,frets,bridge alignment,pickup routes,it is very good, way above average for a guitar in the $200 range so i give it a 8

I would gig with it no problem, very dependable!

had no problems getting answers to my questions.

been playing for 20 years own a few other guitars( EBMM axis,PRS,fender)Well even if i did not already own the EVH dimarzio's to put in the OLP i still would give it a great overall rating,the stock pu's are not bad at all and would cover many styles.
for me i put in a set of dimarzio custom wounds i got from Ebay for $150
so the guitar wound up costing me $300 total and it sounds just like it's much more expensive brother(the EBMM axis)
overall even stock it can be beat for this price!
made the other $200 guitars sound like true "i was made in another country and no one cared how i turned out" guitars

Earlier 2001-2202 black sparkle China.
You can read the 80 other reviews for this crap..

I play 80's shred mostly..
I have a Crate gx-212.. A REAL Guitar player only needs 4 things to play.. A guitar, a chord, an amp and desire.. No effectshere folks..
I own a 2000 Axis and these two guitars do not sound alike. NOTHING sounds like the custom Dimarzios in the AXIS guitars. THese pups sound fine for the money, they are just NOT AXIS pups. I find em a little thin sounding and lacking in sustain.

The factory set-up was HORRID! I've seen lower telephone wires!
I'm a guitar tech so it only took 10 minutes of adjusting to get her down to exceelent action and perfect intonation.
The paint looks cheasy on all these OLP's.. It's a foto finish for God's sake-It's supposed to look like ASS!
I could rip any guitar to shreds in a review because I am a tech and very particualr. With that said, to the average guitar consumer this guitar is relatively ready to play right out of the box with the exception of the factoy set-up.
THis is one of the best low-dollar guitars I've seen in awhile..

I'm too old for that live playing stuff plus I suck as a player anyway..
The guitar and it's componets are as sturdy as just about anything out their. The guitar will withstand normal playing with the best of them.

Never dealt with them..

I've been playing for 10 years
I might bye one in each color and experiment with different pickup configurations..
I love the cost and solid built.
I hate the the cheesy neck. It is too strat-like instead of Ernie Ball like.
I only compare it to my Ernie Ball Axis as that is what the guitar is supposed to be mimicking. Not bad for the money-It's no AXIS but cool guitar none-the-less.
I think solid colors or real figured tops would be nice too. I'd shell out another $75 for a real quilt top..
I also wish this guitar had more tremolo options. A strat trem on a guitar built in the spirit of Eddie with a strat bridge? WTF?
I would like to seee this guitar in a stop bar version as well as a Floyded version.

It has been argued that guitars manufactured offshore (ie. Korea) as popular knock-offs, have come a long way in terms of fit,finish, quality and oem accuracy. I agree and attest as I myself have several. I also have a beat USA made '88 Fender standard strat. As beat as it is, it still sounds silky and warm. It is my opinion that the strat is best characterized by Eric Johnson. Of course, there is a long list of venerable players that have personified the strat with their own legacy of musicianship. This cannot be denied or overlooked. Before I go off on a tangent, I wanted to note that I also use my strat as an approximate standard to compare it's manufactured quality against that of an import and in order to validate the former argument. Tonal personality is obviously different from design to design.
All of my instruments are left handed, as am I. As so, this significantly reduces the number and variety of stock instruments available to my displeasure. Try getting a lefty Peavey Wolfgang. There has been much protest, but I believe Peavey still stands by its regard of the lefthanded community as unmarketable due to volume constraints. Thus, we have the next best thing, OLP's knockoff of the Music Man by Ernie Ball made famous by Eddie Van Halen. OLP (Officially Licensed Product(s)) is manufactured in China under License and approved USA design. On with the review!

Features of the MM1: Current year production 2004

Solid Basswood body (not glued multipiece body like Yamaha Pacifica or Raven West's PRS McCarty knockoff)

Body Color: Black laquer (non-translucent)

Faux quilted maple top (laminated picture on basswood body)
single ply cream binding for show only
Faux top color: very nice gold

22 fret Maple neck with truss rod NOTE: the neck is 2 piece maple with the second piece being a little thicker than a normal rosewood board glued to the solid neck over the rod. A little disappointed with that. I kinda expected a SOLID maple neck like my Fender Strat has.
This neck is polished, but not finished with laquer so I wonder how long before the dirt builds up from finger acids and the like. The neck also has small black dot inlays probably about a third of the size of the inlays in the strat. The headstock has the OLP logo and is the same color as the faux quilted top (gold). The back of the headstock displays the Ernie Ball trademark to olp.

I cannot remember the type of tuners, but they seem solid enough and not cast like some cheap shite I've seen on other more expensive instruments. The upper nut is plastic, but seems decent enough. The frets could be a little smoother, but break in playing will take care of that. I cannot remember the scale however, it seems smaller than that of the Strat.

Controls:
3 way switch
1 volume control only, no tone control (I like it!)

Pups:
2 direct body mounted Humbucking (not able to get specs)

Bridge:
chrome Vintage style vibrato for diving etc. Standard chrome plated saddles. Better quality bridge than other more expensive instruments

Accessories:
Shipped double boxed with soft shell gigbag, 6ft cable, trem bar, extra vibrato tension spring and allen wrench complete with .009 Ernie Ball Slinkys and not crap strings like every other import.

I haven't played it a whole lot yet, but so far, so good. The setup wasn't bad. I will have to adjust the action down a bit. No biggie! Pups seemed alright height-wise for now. It is pretty quiet sitting on the stand. The MM1 delivers nice full sound and I can tell that it will work well with my other equipment. I might consider changing the pups eventually, but for now they sound sharp and I am not disappointed with any of the settings. The sound is somewhere in the middle of pup variety. I also like the fact that there is no tone control. Take the bias right out of the instrument and let the outboard gear shape the tone. Beautiful!
I don't play out, so I cannot comment on its attributes with respect to the stage. My application is purely studio. I use a variety of effects with my main effects board being the Boss GT6 and my backup being the Line6 Pod 2.0. I also have some nice high quality analog pedals to try out with the MM1. These will better reveal the true dynamics of the instrument, as opposed to the highly digitized processing utilized by the other two I own. It seems to me that every guitar I've tried with the Pod sounds the same. The Gt6 offers more in the way of sound sculpting and I still have a lot of exploration to do with that processor.
I feed a pair of Marshall 15watt solid state practice amps L and R channels from whatever processor I'm utilizing. Good for the studio, but lack of power and driver size barely make the delivery.
I use the computer heavily for recording and also have a heavy duty 4 track recorder by Audio Technica (they don't make 'em like this anymore).
I concentrate on a style similar to new age. I may need to qualify the category with an explanation considering the evolution of this particular category. When I first interested myself in new age, it was mostly a category reserved for keyboard music and a style born of classical roots, yet not as polished or organized, an improvisation of classical if you will and a bit strange at that. Through the years, new age has become a crossroads for several genres of music that didn't quite fit into any one particular category. Then after the keyboard explosion it became mood music, and now an ever-shrinking genre, practically the flamenco category. So, I fit in the part of new age that represents a progressive and technical melding of blues,jazz and rock. That cleared it up right? NOT!
Oh! One more thing. My kingdom for a tremelo instead of the vintage vibrato. Oh well! Leftys can't be choosers.

Okay, here's where I won't be as complimentary as I've previously been. Most of my complaint is credited to cosmetic problems.
The laminated quilted top is cheesy, but I'm sure that it was a cost saving measure on the part of the manufacturer. There are visible body colored paint spots in the laminate around the pup cavities where the body paint meets the laminate.
The rearside of the guitar body had all kinds of small scratches in the laquer. Not a glaring defect, but hey it's the only import I've received new with any sort of scratch in the body laquer. I mentioned some of the other flaws earlier.
The biggest complaint I have is the maple neck. It looks like it was sanded by a five year old around the headstock and there is a tiny knot in the neck by the 4th fret near where you would rest your thumb. Not the greatest specimen of maple used for the neck, but I have a tendency to be critical.

As I stated earlier, I do not play out. However, it is my opinion that the guitar would be suited to live playing. The hardware of the instrument seems a little higher quality than other more expensive instruments I have owned. We'll have to see about the finish and the test of time. The instrument seems reliable enough to depend on regularly. Personally, if I did gig, I would never play out without a backup, period.

There is a website, but other than initial research, have not had to contact customer support. http://www.olpguitars.com/usa/mm1_trans.htm
The above link will take you to the exact page for this guitar.
Not sure about the warranty, maybe 1 yr.

Overall, this is great guitar at a modest price even though I got ripped for being a lefty. The color looks great even for a picture.
I expect to play and own this instrument for years to come.
It's too bad that the MM1 only has two pups, there is certainly enough space in the center for a third pup. If this guitar was stolen or damaged, I would most likely replace it with another one.