OLP MM1

This is the 62nd review for this guitar, so by now you know the deal. Like many of the previous reviewers, I also own an authentic MM Axis (see my review there). I bought the OLP out of curiosity and for back-up. If you gig with a Floyd Rose, you damn well better have a backup, because changing a string can take a while. So the big difference between the original and the OLP: No Floyd Rose, which is fine by me. I miss the micro-tuners at the tail, but the Schaller knock-offs on the headstock are more than adequate. My Musicman is a special order natural quilt maple, so there's a big difference between that look and the OLP, which is a picture of tobacco-brown quilt maple. The matching headstock is a very nice touch for a budget guitar. The first thing you'll notice when playing the OLP is the difference in neck feel. The original birds-eye maple neck is finished and smooth. The OLP is non-birdseye maple: straight, comfortable, but unfinished on the fingerboard. It can feel a little scratchy, particularly if (like me) you like to bend the strings a lot. Overall, this is a fantastic feature set for a budget instrument.

It sounds a LOT like the original. Tons of sustain, maybe a little more el-distorto on full tilt. Whoever wound these pickups better be paying a license fee to DiMarzio too, because they nailed it. Some reviewers have lamented the absence of tone controls. Pussies! I play this one just like the original: The one and only knob cranked to get the most from the hot pickups. Toggle to go from one pickup to the other, and get any other tone from the amp. I use a rack system with Dean Markley 12AX7 pre-amp, vintage Tube Driver and a McIntosh 75 (many tubes, including 2- 6550s(KT88s). I blow it out through 4-10s - 2 Celestions and 2 vintage EV SROs. When I don't feel like carrying all that stuff around, and for rehearsals, I use an old Fender Princeton 65.

Unlike many reviewers, mine came in with a great setup. This could be because I bought a "blem" factory reconditioned item from Musician's Friend. I know it was shipped directly from the Ohio facility where they bring 'em in and do repairs and such. The blem consists of a scratch on the back of the headstock - big deal. As I mentioned, the action is great, but I prefer the feel of a finished fretboard, so I'm going to sand and finish it myself. The metal parts seem OK for now. The one thing I'll replace is the plastic volume knob. It's identical to the one on my real MM Axis, and that's the problem. The one on my MM broke after a year, and I replaced it with a knurled chrome-dome Fender Bass style knob. This is a major upgrade on both the original and the OLP -- Do it. You'll be able to work the volume knob better while playing and it looks great. Depending on your finish, you can go for other color options, too. The OLP is a well-made guitar. The quality is on a par with many US-made instruments and blows the Mexican Fenders out of the water. If I had my choice, I would have gone for a simpler real finish instead of the photo finish. Mine looks great from a distance (on stage) but way stoopit up close in the light.

I haven't played it enough to really tell, but my guess is that the hardware wil start to require replacements in 5-7 years of active playing. Of more concern: If you don't finish the neck, make sure your hands are clean and you wipe the neck down after playing. An unfinished neck will accumulate gobs of crap along the frets and board. It will look like a computer keyboard in a factory in 6 months. Solid wood parts and great fit. I would use this on a gig without backup before I'd use my original MM Axis because of the original's string-replacement hassles due to the the Floyd Rose.

I'm an old fart with a dozen guitars, including a vintage 335, Ibanez Satch-style and Taylor acoustic. Been playing for 40 years, and currently play in a big horn band doing Steely Dan, classic soul and sophisticated blues. Also play rock, blues, jazz and I jam a lot. I have a large pedal board with a lot of effects, but I mainly use chorus with the MM and OLP. No need for compression, overdrive or distorion if you play it right through a good amp. I love the OLP price and build quality. I hate the unfinished fretboard (easy fix) and "quilted" photo finish. Now that I see how good these cheap-ass Chinese knock-offs are, I'm going to try a few others.

RED FAUX QUILTED TOP SPECS SAME AS OTHER REVIEWS

I AM A EVH MUSIC MAN OWNER, AND LOVER SO I HAVE BEEN INTRIGUED ABOUT THIS GUITAR(OLP MM1)SINCE I FIRST HERD ABOUT THEM.
FIRST THINGS FIRST I PLAY CLASSIC ROCK TO METAL AND PROGRESSIVE AND THIS MM1 SUITS MY STYLE TO A T.
I RUN THIS INTO A JCM900 ON THE CLEAN CHANNEL INTO A BOSS METALZONE PEDAL, BOSS DD3 DELAY , BOSS CHORUS,IBANEZ PHASER.THIS GUITAR IS NOT NOISY,CLEAN IT HAS A GREAT TONE NECK AND MIDDLE P/UPS WORK GREAT FOR STOCK DIMARZIO RIP OFFS, BRIDGE A BIT THIN FOR CLEAN WORK.
NOW FLIP ON THE EFFECTS AND THIS BABY SCREAMS MOANS AND DOES IT ALL.
THE BRIDGE BUCKER IS LETHAL I LOVE IT, NECK IS WARM AND HAS GREAT DEFINISION.
SO I WOULD SAY IT HAS PLENTY OF VARIETY MORE THAN YOU WOULD THINK ON A GUITAR WITH MINIMUL FEATURES.
STOCK BRIDGE WORKS OK NO EDDIE ANTICS HERE THOUGH,BUT THATS TO BE EXPECTED.
P/UPS I THINK SOUND FINE, I MAY CHANGE THEM OUT DOWN THE TRACK BUT I WANT TO PLAY THIS FOR A WHILE BEFORE I DO.(THEY SOUND GREAT SO FAR?)
STRAP BUTTONS I WILL REPLACE,SAME WITH INPUT JACK.(JUST A PERSONAL THING)

THE GUITAR WAS PRETTY ROUGH OUT OF THE BOX, BUT QUICKLY SET UP BY THE STORE OWNER/ LUTHIER PHIL HAWORTH.
P/UPS WERE PROPERLY ADJUSTED.THE PHOTO FLAME FINISH LOOKS GREAT I CAN,T SEE ANY OBVIOUS FLOORS.

THIS GUITAR WILL HOLD UP LIVE , NO WORRIES.
THE HARDWARE IS FINE BUT WHERE NOT TALKING ABOUT A 4000.00 PRS HERE.
HOW LONG WILL THE FINISH LAST, WELL ONLY TIME WILL TELL I WILL LET YOU NO IN 12 MONTHS.
I THINK YOU CAN DEPEND ON THIS GUITAR, I T PLAYS AND FEELS WAY BETTER THAN A LOT MORE EXPENSIVE GUITARS I HAVE OWNED OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS.
I WILL USE IT AT A GIG, BUT I ALWAYS HAVE A B/UP NO MATTER WHAT GUITAR I AM USING AT THE TIME.

HAVE NOT HAD TO DEAL WITH THEM SO FAR.
12 MONTHS WARRANTY I BELIEVE.

I HAVE BEEN PLAYING OVER 20 YEARS, ALSO OWN EVH E/BALL M/MAN AND THE GEAR DESCRIBED ABOVE.
IF STOLEN I WOULD BUY AGAIN, IN FACT I,M THINK I MAY GET MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER TO BUY ME ANOTHER ONE FOR MY B/DAY THIS YEAR.
I WILL MAYBE PUT A FLOYD ON IT , BUT THATS ABOUT ALL IF THE P/UPS WORK LIKE THEY ARE NOW I WON,T EVEN CHANGE THEM.
I TRADED A 2 MONTH OLD CORT M700 FOR THIS THE CORT WAS GREAT AND A LOT MORE EXPENSIVE, BUT THIS LITTLE BABY SLAYED IT AND MY GODIN SOLIDAC.
WITH OUR EYES CLOSED IN THE SHOP NONE OF US COULD HARDLY PICK THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MY M/MAN AND THE MM1.
I HAVE BEEN PLAYING A LONG TIME AND WISH I HAD BOUGHT ONE OF THESE SOONER, I THINK ITS AMAZING THE QUALITY THAT IS CIMING OUT OF CHINA E.C.T. THESE DAYS.
IF YOU BUY ONE YOU WILL NOT BE DISSAPOINTED,THIS IS NOW MY MAIN AXE AND I,M PROUD TO SAY SO.

2003 China made. 22 frets. Top is a photocopy of a flametop which looks good from far and far from good. Joking. It looks very nice. Even has binding on the body - unusual at this price. Three way switch. Volume control. No tone knob. two humbuckers.One piece maple neck. Useless trem. Tuners work well. Great feel and weight. Much more comfortable than my Gibson or Fender. A player designed this.

Great for rock or blues. Sounds good on mu Marshall 8080 Valvestate or direct to the board. Surprisingly quiet. Best with distortion or fuzz.

No complaints. Plays better than guitars I paid four times as much for. No obvious flaws. Looks like an expensive guitar.

Seems solid but you never know until you drop a guitar whether it's made of solid stuff. I'm not planning to test it that way.

I've been banging away for about 20 years. This has become my main axe. Does anyone want to buy a red Les Paul Junior or a sickly caramel Telecaster. The oriental guitars are way better than people give them credit for. The myth that a guitar needs to be made in North America to be good needs to die. It's frankly racist.

The frets are not as finished as a Fender but hey this is 1/7th the price of my Fender too. They through in an extra spring for the bridge for those who like 10 gauge strings. One thing that only time will tell is how the one piece maple neck will react to the weather changes since it is unfinished. Because it is smaller that makes it easier to play while on the computer. Volume control, basswood body with maple neck and workable tuners.

Sound, at first I didn?t care that much for it at all but I think that?s because I like to spin the tone and play with the settings, knob envy? But it grows on you or it did me anyway you just have to play with the volume and use the right PU selector too tweak the tone. I know it will sound better when I cut away the factory strings but the body has a nice ring to it and the neck feels great. Sounds a little more like an axe with p-90s then Les Paul like. The bridge pickup almost sound like a Telecaster type bridge pickup to me which isn?t bad. That could be the setting I?m using on my Cyber twin too. But I play most of my guitars using the same settings. The way it?s built it would be good for going experimental on but it sounds good right out of the box.

Fit is pretty good. The neck was straight and didn?t buzz out anywhere which surprised me. Mine is the red and has a nice look to it, don?t see any runs in the paint or anything like that. The frets are not as finished as a Fender but hey this is 1/7th the price of my Fender too

If I were to play at a biker bar this would be a great axe for the gig. Built real solid and if you had to use to swing your way out you could replace it without taking out a loan. It should hold up but something about the neck being one piece of wood that I will have to watch, think pool stick leaning against the wall for a long period of time. No rattles buzzes or extra pieces and the paint was dry, what more do you need?

Musicains Friend has a great rep, no worries here.

It was in the scratch and dent bin not a bad little axe for the bucks didn?t need another guitar but what the heck. When I travel I like bring alone a Guitar and this will be perfect for that, it looks good too. Would I buy another one? Sure why not, it should hold up well if you take care of it and the wife thinks it cute too. For the price and what you get in the way of sound and that's what should count the most I rate this a

I own 2 of these , one is from when they first came out
in late 2001 and one I just bought in Oct 03.

2001 has the photo quilt top that has black in it - not a good looking top at all
2003 has a photo top that has no black in it - this top looks great!

2001 I have is

I added a tone knob to both of these , pups have a full dark tone that I like

The 2001 was setup great right out of the box. I think the very early models were done right since they were just entering the market.

I did notice that QC seemed to go down during 2002 and right up to the new color quilt top of OCT 03 , saw many bad examples of this guitar , bad frets , bad alignment on the bridge . Seeing the
new color top made me get one of the newer 2003 models but I had to look through 3 boxes of them . One had a neck with dark mineral deposits on it which looked like wood I would have burned .
Another thing bad on the new necks, the fingerboard seems to be almost raw wood . Heres the reply about it from Customer service for OLP
"The fingerboard is finished but the finish has been thinned out a bit to give it more of a natural feel. Murphy's Oil Soap does a great job cleaning it up.

Tim Keyes
Customer Service/Warranty Claims
B.C.Rich Guitars / OLP Guitars "

Great , thats what I want to do is clean my fingerboard all the time .

I give the 2001 OLPS a 9 and the 2003 a 4 - nicer top , but fingeboard gets dirty after playing 1 hour with no finish .

Granted EB Axis have unfinished back of the necks but you dont use an unfinished fingerboard , its not right .

Will this guitar withstand live playing?
Yes
Does the hardware seem like it will last?
I would change out the bridge and saddles and pots
Is the finish good enough to last, or does it seem thin and easy to wear off with lots of playing?

On the 2001 model , yes finish is fine. However on the 2003 on the fingerboard WHAT FINISH?

Are the strap buttons solid?
Yes
Can you depend on it?
Would you use it on a gig without a backup? Nope, thats why I bought 2

I have emailed 2 xs to OLP and I get answers back from

Tim Keyes
Customer Service/Warranty Claims
B.C.Rich Guitars / OLP Guitars

His answers are short and he does not elaborate on issues such as
no finish on the fingerboards .

Im also wondering when did B C Rich get involved with OLP ?

I like my EB Axis SS and I like these things they have a great neck to them , not a neck like the Axis at all but nice on their own.

For the money its a good buy.

brand new 2003 made in china, trans red,MM1 aixs copy.
all the features are the same as others. since the company that makes these do not offer a floyd rose model,i give this one a 6,because of the lack of a locking trem which ANY EBMM axis copy should have!

sounds suprisingly good! i like many others heard about the hype,comapring them to the USA EBMM axis models,so i ordered one for the hell of it! when doing a A/B with my EBMM,the axis has a sweeter,more high quality tone,gee i wonder why? could it be the price difference?($189 vs $1600!) well to be fair,this $189 axe is very good for the bucks,it mimics sound wise/playablity the much more expensive axis good enough to satisfy any one wanting a usa EBMM axis.
I gave it a 10 for the simple fact that it sounds very good!

I will not even go into this,the so called set up was horrid!

finish is not real durable,other aspects like the neck,bridge,tuners ,etc are good enough to play a show or go into the studio.
once a proper set up is done this is gig worthy

?

Overall,this is a guitar that i would have killed to have back in my beginning days(30 years ago!)i really dont like to use it up agianst the superior EBMM axis that cost me so much,but when comparing to other $200
guitars out there this thing is the reigning champ! it wasted the $200 squiers,jacksons,ibanez's,LTD's in all aspects.
I highly recomnnd them for those who crave a axis but dont have the pocket!

Tranparent Purple laminated finish (grape), uncovered dual humbuckers, front body binding, single volume knob with 3 way switch ( neck/both/bridge),bolt-on maple neck, 22 frets, THIS DOES NOT HAVE JUMBO FRETS LIKE THE PROMOS SAY - they are medium, string-through body and 6 piece adjustable bridge, non-locking grover-type tuners.
Made in China probably @2002. comes with a cable and a non-locking tremolo ( that you won't want to use if your wise).

It sounds good for an inexpensive guitar - plays like and Ernie Ball Axis, which it is a knockoff of. For those that don't know, OLP stands for "Officially Licensed Product", licensed by Ernie Ball to essentially build the Axis oversees at EB specs for $200 versus $1200 for the American made Axis.

I usually play jazz/blues/fusion, use everything from no pedals to a Roland GR33.
For just having a volume and three way switch, it has a wide range of sound. If you want changes, all you have to do is some EQ on the amp, or raise/lower the pickups during setup. I know I have had multiple knobs and switches on a number of guitars. When I play a certain guitar, I usually use only one setting that I use most of the time. This guitar sounds good just as it is ( I may adjust pickup height after I use it for a while).

This is where I have to laugh. This guitar must have been strung and set up by a Panda. When I took it out of the box, all the strings were very loose ( no neck tension ), the B actually FELL OFF the tuning peg ( I salvaged it), E (1st) nearly fell off but I grabbed it and tightened it. Although the neck is maple/flat fretboard, the Panda had the bridge set for an oval-top neck, low at the sides, high in the middle. Further more, even after tightening the strings to check the bridge, every string BUZZED AT ALMOST EVERY FRET - WAY TOO LOW ACTION. Needless to say, this was the most pathetic set up I have ever seen.

THe bridge pickup looks a little high. After the bridge set up, I need to take a look at the neck pickup and decide.

The Finish is very nice, front binding is a nice touch. The best part of this this guitar is the neck - and I usually don't much care for maple necks.

I have to give a lower score here because of the lousy string and bridge setup.

Hardware and every thing seems good, strap buttons solid, finish looks good. It would play it live, but ALWAYS have a backup.

I think, like any other musical instument, if you don't misuse or mistreat it, it would be relatively durable.

Don't know anything about 'em, but I know their website www.olpguitars.com.

Been playing Jazz/Blues/Rock/Fusion for about 35 years. This guitar caught my eye because of the Ernie Ball licensing and the low price, so I gambled. It's a nice little ax for the price - and I also wanted one more maple neck ( the only other one I have is a Yamaha Mike Stern). A well made maple neck is a nice occasional departure from rosewood.

This guitar is really similar to the Axis, carries like a lighter telecaster. I may buy another one with different finish now that I've played it, and especially considering the price.

Reminds me also of a story about Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter, lead guitarist for Doobie Bros and Steely Dan - He made it a point to play cheaper guitars because he thought high end guitars were overrated. His main point was a very good guitarist can make a cheap guitar sound expensive - a hack guitarist can play a $5000 custom model, but he still sounds like a hack.

2002 trans purple,one volume knob,fender type trem,maple neck/fingerboard, direct mount humbucking pickups, med. frets,
3 way gibson type switch,fake quilt photo top,basswood body,22 frets,
4+2 tuners at headstock also matching the color of the body which looks really nice.

Pickups are fairly hot. No problems getting vanhalen tone out of this. However pickups are a little muddy when played clean through my amp. I had to back the neck pickup away to getting better clean tone.
I heard the pickups are actully based on the same specs as the ones on the axis, but made cheaply. I run it through a Zoom Fire 15 amp at home and a Marshall JCM900 at practice. Sounds good either way, I' have guitars that are over twice this price and honestly don't sound as good or as full, great tones from rock,to blues, to metal.It gets a 10 for sound at $200

Action, fit, and, finish are Excellent for the price. Fake top looks great. Forget using the trem for dives and all that, won't stay in tune like a locking floyd rose system but neither will a Fender strat. I just tightened the trem springs to bring the bridge flush with the body with no movemnet up or down and don't bother with the bar. That's when I get out an ibanez with an edge trem. Only problem I noticed was intonation was out pretty bad. I restrung it got the intonation in and it sings now.

should hold up fine live, hardware passable, time will tell, finish ok,guitar is very solid, not thin or cheap looking or feeling at all. I would use this as a backup guitar live.

no idea, if it breaks buy another one

I've been playing 15 years and have a lot of expensive guitars and some cheap ones. This is the absoulute best guitar you'll find for around $200. Only thing that compares might be an Esp Ltd,but those usually are more.

2003 trans purple,one volume knob,fender type trem,maple neck/fingerboard
3 way gibson type switch,fake quilt photo top,basswood body,22 frets
4+2 tuners at headstock, gloss black back.
if it has a floyd type trem i would have gave it a 10.

Best i heard at the music store,for this price range! sound resembles the much higher priced ernie ball/music man axis.

the one i tried at guitar center was set up good. can be fine tuned with little effort

excellent for a inexpensive guitar

never had to deal with them?

I walked away very impressed! i own 2 music mans a red axis(quilt top) and a blue one(flame top) this is a god send for those who want a axis guitar but are a bit lacking in the pocket! I would buy one!
I cant beleive the guitars you can get these days for cheap!

all the same features are previously mentined in other reviews.

for the money it is a good guitar sound wise,but does not compare to the EBMM axis or peavey wolfgangs USA models.
on its own without trying to A/B it to those other guitars,it is real good much better than any other $189 guitar out there new!

sub par parts,tuners dont hold well,switch is cheap,nut slots not cut at the right height,bridge is a cheap copy of a fender vintage trem.
the action supplied from the factory is fair,can be set much lower with good results. frets are OK,but could use a dress/crowning, ugly feeling finish on back of the neck and fingerboard that gives the guitar a "toyish cheap" feel! took the finish off and used gun stock oil,feels great!
I am basing my rating on the fact this is a $189 guitar so i gave it a 7 for it's potential

after hot rodding it i would play it live,stock no way!

in stock form the OLP MM1 is not a junk heap,but it could be a lot better which is why i put in a few extra bucks to make it a 10.
for a beginner this thing is the deal of a lifetime,damn i started out on a real POS that made the OLP look like a vintage les paul!
for the intermediate to advanced players,who dont want to shell out $1500 for a axis or wolfgang,it can be brought up to par for much less.
I personally recomend a die hard fan of the wolf or axis to get either a used wolf special(USA) or go here for a much better copy of the axis. www.meanstreetguitars.com