OLP MM1

OLP MM1 made in China. Mine has a sparkling red body , short neck with 22 frets. Bought it second hand.
Body is Basswood (Linde).
Only one volumecontrol ,with a very small pot inside the body.
3 way switch.
2 zebra pick ups with a lot of output.
Maple? neck with glued maple fretboard.
Tremolo.

Indeed it has a sound on its own. Great sustain thanks to the wood and the pickups. Rich full tone and loud. I use a Fender de Luxe 85 amp.
No noisy at all.

Fretwork well done.

To anyone who has tuningproblems with this guitar, or any other guitar, do this.................
Just screw the nut on each tuner on the headstock a bit tighter with a 10 mm spanner, that's it. Your tuningproblems are gone...........
Most forgotten thing by adjusting your guitar!!!! Wood is shrinking a bit in years so this must be done some time.

I can lower the strings without any problem, no fretbuzz.

This guitar will last many years to come as the hardware will do.
Finish is nice and well done.

Don't know.
OLP's are no longer made from january 2009.

I play for 40+ years now.
Sometimes there are guitars around that won't cost that much and are a great deal for the money. This is one of them.
I would buy it again because they are rather cheap and well built. Prices will definately rise in the near future because it's such a great deal for the money and are no longer made.

I have 3 of these sunburst/black quilt and ginger quilt...after changing the nut for a Tusq/Re-fretting to improve on the chinese 30% champher/replacing volume pot with 500K CTS with .001 capacitor re:Telecaster and setting up properly...all of them are probably the best 'budget' guitars available...the most noticable thing is the sustain from the pickups!...with none of the usual rasp! you usually get with some others...It really should be renamed Musicman!...I cant see any difference except for maybe real quilt maple instead of foto-film...I find it incredible to believe that they have ceased production?...perhaps because they are scared of losing sales of Musicman top priced models eh?...

its very adaptable to all styles...ME70 plus 2 Fender combos in stereo...it isnt noisy in use....hasnt got the classic bite of a fender,but has a sound of its own and is versatile...dont really like the circular back end?...but it grows on you...fantastic value for money?...thats why I've snapped up 3 on Ebay 1st.one was ??85! 2nd.??120! and 3rd.??150!...have you seen the latest rubbish from Fender and its multi-national copies?...I have...I reckon my ??355 for 3 super quality guitars was spent well...

superb...neck is a little bit raw but i have a can of clear laquer and do it myself...pickups were adjusted ok from stock...no problems with the woodwork...except small adjustments used in the factory to clean up the neck slot(could have been resealed and not left raw)...hmmm...the fretting is a bit over champherred...but i refretted all of them to my own liking(I think the fretting champher angle is the only problem) but then any chinese guitar will be the same,someone should tell them about it?

yep!...hardwear is similiar to most guitars cheap or expensive...good finish it will last...strap buttons are better than my fender skinny ones!...My brother uses one of them in his 'full time'Status quo tribute band with no problems!...wot would you use for a back up?...probably another one the same,silly question...

I do my own set-ups and repairs!...these dont need much...OLP are no longer...but no worries

Ive been playing for 45 years!...my other gear is 8 various guitars incl.Gitane Gypsy jazz/5 string bass/7 string guitar/Stringbender albert lee guitar/and the usual strat and tele/88 note electric piano/several different effects me50/me70/Alesis midi-verb/Lexicon delay/Trace elliot bass combo/2 fender 65w combos/behringer 210 (2x60w stereo)digital modelling combo...and a small car!!!

I recently did a setup in one of these and was impressed enough to write a review.
This example is a OLP (Music Man) MM1 guitar.
Basswood body, maple neck with no finish - just oiled, small headstock with 4+2 tuning machines, 2 x zebra buckers, 3 way toggle, single vol control. Vintage style trem.
Clearly this guitar is based upon the ernie ball guitar used by Van halen in the 80s/90s; the body shape and features are very similar save for the Floyd Rose which is replaced by a vintage-style trem.
I believe Floyd models were available at some point; the OLP brand was retired as of 2009.
This one was finished in a candy apple red finish.
Overall the guitar appears solid. It has a good wieght (although it does not balance on your knee!).
Particularly impressed with the feel of the oiled neck - very fast.

I'm reviewing this based upon the post set-up sound.
The sound of this guitar is definately original. Not strat, LP, Tele sounding... I have heard other MM guitars and the OLP MM1 captures that sound very nicely. It has the fullness and compression of a Les Paul, but a little less bassy and more chimey. Very balanced sound.
The humbuckers deliver - I have measured them but they are high output. As stock pickups I can't imagine they are the best in the world but they do a good job.
As I mentioned, clean they are chimey and muscial. They dont turn to mush when pushed through the gain channel of my Laney.
The balance between the pickups is fine.
The single vol control wont suit everyone. Doesnt allow for great tonal variety, but the tones that are produced a solid.

Ok - here's where the main of my critisisms are.
The owner of this guitar asked me to look it over as he was experiencing tuing issues. He bought it second hand, and to his knowledge it still had the factory setup.

By the way I am not a pro tech - but I have learned how to setup my guitars through years of semi-pro playing - I think its good to know how to get the best from your instrument and know how to adjust it to suit your playing.:

The nut on this guitar was terribly cut. The string slots were too deep within the nut, but slots were still too HIGH in relation to the frets!! This combination of excessive nut material and high nut action was causing pinching and intonation problems.

In addition the strings were not ringing from the front of the nut - the guitar would not tune properly.

So the nut was severely screwing up the potential of this instrument. Before adjustment this guitar could not be tuned well enough to be gigged with. After adjustment the guitar sang like an angel. Its very unfair to let guitars out of a factory in this condition. Guitars like this cause countless hours of frustration to players - particuarly beginners who will be buying guitars in this price range.

Prior to the setup this guitar was a nightmare.
However, to its credit, with a setup this guitar is solid and dependable and I would gig without a backup.
I've no idea how old the guitar is - I would estimate between 3 and 4 years. All electonics/mechanics still working fine.
Review marking is based upon post-setup realiability.

n/a. OLP has been retired.

A good solid guitar that I would recommend to beginners and semi-pros without question. Has good looks and great sound even with stock hardware.
Setup recommended though to make this guitarreally shine.
In terms of value for money. At ??149 this guitar is a bargain. Compared to others in its price bracket (e.g. Squier Tele at ??150), the MM1 smokes the competition.
The owner of this guitar managed to acquire it for ??80!! He's pretty chuffed nows its been setup.

This is a follow up review. I've had this guitar for quite a few months now and absolutely LOVE IT! I have kept this guitar "stock" for the most part but did replace the pickup out for a Dimarzio "tone zone" and replaced the volume knob with a steel one. Basic setup; one volume, two pickups, toggle. perfect for my needs.

Sounds amazing with the new Tone Zone pickup. The old one was pretty good but had a slight "twangyness" to it like a Tele or a single coil strat that was annoying after a few days of owning it. I'm running this guitar into a pedal board with a Boss SD-1, MXR Flanger, MXR Phase 90, Digitech Digidelay set for a slight slapback repeat. Amps are a Peavey 5150II and EVH 5150III heads into two cabinets. Also use a Hughes & Kettner Matrix on occasion. Big sounding guitar that remains quiet through my rig. Love it!

After a few months of lowering/raising the action I've got it set to a nice height. Medium seems to work best with this guitar for me as opposed to ultra-low like I'm used to. The frets make it really easy to play so it's not necessary to have the action low IMO. I love how the stock bridge sounds. Lots of bottom end that you don't get with a floyd rose. I will never change this bridge unless it breaks or stops functioning correctly.

I recently road tested this guitar and took it to Parker, AZ for 6 outdoor shows in 90 degree heat near the river.. This was a perfect opportunity for me to see how well it worked under "not so good" conditions. The last time I played Parker my Washburn Idol kept going out of tune.. so I figured why not give the OLP MM1 a shot. At first I had a few tuning issues after the first song but after I re-tuned the MM1 outside (which I should've done to begin with) it stayed perfectly in tune throughout the entire weekend's six shows. I didn't bring a backup guitar so that it would force myself into giving a true test and this baby passed with flying colors... It's hard to get a nice full souond outdoors to begin with but I had no problem dialing in a great sound.. Although, having great amps helped. I never usually do a gig without a backup guitar but it would'nt bother me if I forgot to bring a spare. The MM1 kills! and I'm glad I own one.

Haven't needed them yet, probably won't.

Been playing for 30 some odd years. I also own a Peavey Wolfgang, Washburn Idol, Peal acoustic. I'm looking to buy another MM1 in the future. Great guitar! Check out my music at;

http://myspace.com/nicolari

Don't know when it was made, sorry! Basswood body with Maple veneer top, unfinished maple neck, single volume control, two humbucker/three position selector. Vintage trem that I will never use, so I blocked it! I actually have two, one red and one trans-orange.

I use these through a Peavey Valveking 112 with probably too much processing gear. The stock pickups were far better than I anticipated. I bought a set of DiMarzio Breed for one of them, but I may put them on E-Bay. Neck is quite powerful with decent sustain and harmonics. Neck is kinda like a PAF Pro, but not quite as good sounding.

Guitars were both bought off Ebay and were setup and taken care of by two guys who knew their stuff. Great low action with no buzz at all. I like how the pickups are mounted directly to the body. The neck on this guitar rivals that of a much more expensive guitar.

I don't gig, so these guitars are just great for me. I think you could use them regularly with some regular upkeep and care.

Never needed, and they don't make these anymore.

I've been playing for about 10 years, the last three very seriously. These are not the EBMM Axis guitars by any means, but they are outstanding for the money. Mine seem well built and sound pretty darn good stock. If lost or stolen I would be angry, because they don't make'em anymore as stated above. They will not replace my more expensive Ibanez's and Fender, but are none the less allot of fun to play. Definetly worth grabbing if you get the chance.

Transparent gold film top, single cut away, vintage strat bridge, standard tuners, 22 medium jumbo frets, neck relief tools and cable included, 2007, 3 way selector switch, and one volume knob, 2 humbuckers OEM, basswood body

Solid rock sound, has a fat tone to it, good for most genre's of music. Use a Vox XL modeling amp, and Fender Bullet 150 for practice. Very quiet guitar, Rich sound, could be a little brighter. This guitar is very agile and can pull off any sound a hardtail can. The bridge tremolo feature will throw the guitar out of tune. This can be fixed by installing a floyd rose system or a wilkinson bridge. The guitar's neck to body fit is outstanding, great alignment, and the fret work is good. Drawbacks are the pickups elevations cannot be adjusted as they are directly mounted to the body. You would have to shim under the pickups to raise, or route the body cavity deeper to adjust pickup elevation. This affects your adjustments for string action above the fret board. Minimum string action cannot be obtained as the strings will engage the pickups. Still adjusted action to a happy medium, could be lower though if this were fixed.

The guitar set up was ok, it was set high. The pickup selector switch seems bent and of poor quality. It works but I will change this out with a better switch.

With the exception of the selector switch and bridge, the guitar is a sound investment. The tuners will last and the bridge will be ok as long as I don't use the tremolo arm. I have had this guitar a month now and it stays in tune very well. The finish is well done, nice looking guitar. Strap buttons are standard and solid. I have practiced with this guitar twice, so it seems like it will do. I wouldn't use this guitar without a backup. But then again I wouldn't gig without a backup regardless of the make of guitar.

Haven't used company support yet.

I have been playing for 25 years, and own a Strat and a Les Paul. Each have thier own unique sound. I did alot of research on this particular model and knew what I was getting. This is a solid guitar you can upgraded and feel comfortable with. Great neck and pickups. The rest can be fitted with higher quality components. I would buy this guitar if lost or stolen again. I have compared this guitar to Epi LP-100's and Fender Squieres. It has a better quality in regards to neck and body fit. Stays in tune alot better. For a low budget you cannot do much better. I wish this guitar was made with a tunamatic bridge. I wanted a brown sound to play with and this guitar does that. It has a sound in between a Strat and Les paul. I bought this guitar over the web, so I feel real lucky I didn't get a lemon.

This is a follow up to my previous review.. I have since added a Dimarzio "Tone Zone" pickup in the bridge position to my OLP MM1 guitar. It now sounds just as good, if not better than my Peavey Wolfgang guitar. I a/b'd both guitars after the installation of the Tone Zone PU.. The Peavey is tighter and less distorted, the OLP is richer, fuller and fatter with the exact same amount of mids as the Wolfie pickup.. I am very happy with the OLP. A great guitar for the money and only a few extras made this as good as a $1,800 guitar.

This is quilt film top colored in a beautiful trans red MM1 which comes with a vintage trem. The body is basically a musicman Axis exact copy. The body is light thanks to its basswood material.

It comes with die cast sealed chrome tuners (changed to sperzel locking tuners, more details ahead...).

The Neck is maple with maple fingerboard and it's a 25.5 scale neck.
The frets look like a medium jumbo to me. The neck radius is flat comparing to musicman's neck profile... I've tried these...
The fretboard has 22 frets which was part of the reason for the purchase. I don't like 24 fret guitars...

The guitar came with tools like a rod which can be used to adjust the neck and it came with a instrument cable and a trem arm.

I have no idea when it was made, I can probably inquire the company and find out... don't mind really, it's made in China like most products that you buy these days...

The controls are really basic: just your typical volume knob and a 3 way toggle switch. 2 direct mount humbuckers which to my opinion are extremely surprising pickups, I actually put them back on the guitar after many pickup replacments I've tried, later on that...

These are passive pickups with extremely high resistance around the 18K, I've measured it. Also it uses ceramic magents.

To be honest, as I write this review I have doubts about keeping this guitar and I'll try to explain later why...

This guitar has a really full sound thanks to its really good pickups, and it's very well balanced, it gives a really sweet round and clean distorted tones, which is a part of why on the other hand I have second thoughts about it, I miss this dirt in the sound you have on Les Pauls and strats... but it's much more comfortable guitar to play than those I've just mentioned to my opinion.

To my surprise the pickups are extremely quiet! It's so great!
I did make modifications like rewiring the components using high degree materials and it changed the sound actually, made it quieter and much more detailed.

This guitar can pretty much nail obviously the Van Halen era, not much the 80's metal genre though, and it can definitely play as fun as a Les Paul without the weight hassle...

So you don't get bells and whistles here, but you get an extremely good guitar which is worth every dime I paid for it.

I wish it had a middle single coil pickup for versatility and a tone knob for more jazzy tones... this is a straight rock guitar.

It will definitely nail those Petrucci tones, which is also a part of the reason why I think to part ways with it, I'm tired of that tone...

The guitar now sounds bright, round, punchy, detailed, too clean to my opinion and not enough character for bluesier tones and styles.

I made so many pickup changes: Dimarzios, even active EMG's and got back to the original pickups, that's how good they are to my opinion.
No other pickup actually changed the character of the guitar to my disappointment and I begin to feel a need for another guitar.

The tremolo which I'll talk about later really changed the sound of the guitar, the stock trem was really bad actually, impossible to maintain tunning and it made the guitar sound cheap.

The amp that I use is a Peavey delta blues 210... I didn't feel need to mention the gear and all because I don't find it relevant, I will tell you that I use a pedal board that goes to a clean channel on the amp, my sound is basically a lot of 80's metal and saturated distortion sounds for lead, think Satch and alike...

The setup was non existing, I naturally set it up to my liking so I don't give score here.

The pickups cannot be adjusted actually as they're direct mount, the only way would be to put some washers and screw it back in to gain more height but that's about it.

The bridge, well, it's a story.. the stock one is really bad. Not properly installed and low quality materials... it made the guitar sound dark, and cheap. I installed a wilkinson VS100G instead and it made things much more different. a stock MM1 would get a 5, modified gets an 8

Other than that, all was well from the start, the components, The assembly and great fret job!

The stock tuners were replaced for sperzel locking tuners, as I really wanted to make things easier and better for me, it works...

It will withstand live playing, it already did :) I replaced the strap buttons to strap locks, I never play without them.

The finish is good enough and it will definitely last, it does have scratches on it but it still looks awesome!

Can I depend on it? yes, do I want to depend on it? good question...

I never use just one guitar live, I always use backup so this question is irrelevant.

As I said there were modifications made to make it better.

1. the stock trem which was terrible got replaced with a wilkinson vs100g, the gotoh version... It's fantastic!

2. Sperzel locking tuners... great tuners!

As for the company they always replied my mails so I credit them for that...

I've been playing for the past 5 years, but I'm a musician for my entire lifetime, I have many skills that I use, I'm a sound engineer, a musical arranger and producer, I have another electric guitar, acoustic and a piano, and a home studio...

I have a pedalboard with too many pedals, and a Peavey Delta Blues 210 combo tube amplifier...

To be honest I wasn't even supposed to buy this guitar, it wasn't part of the plan but it just happened... so I cherished the moments with it... I really think it's time to let it go...

I didn't compare it with other guitars, I don't use this method unless we're talking about a life time decision which it definitely wasn't and financially it was dumb purchase, I'm not in a great financial condition at all... but I have this disease of buying guitars all the time...

I don't think there's anything to change about it, this guitar is exactly what it should be, a well worth the money and incredible quality for the price, and it can definitely be used with more professional applications, totally...

The thing I liked about it most is the neck profile, it's comfortable, my taste as far as sound goes changed obviously, I'd never imagine of letting it go if that wasn't the cause.

If it was stolen, I wouldn't buy it again because I don't believe this is the guitar of my dreams, I don't think I have one actually...

I just got my transparent blk MM1 today. Standard trem, hard mounted custom pickups, one volume knob, 3-way toggle switch, 22 frets. Package came with allen wrench for saddle adjustments, trem bar, instrument cable, truss rod wrench. I didn't give it a ten because the features are simplified... A ten for my needs but someone else might like a tone control.

I own a Peavey Wolfgang guitar after setting the OLP MM1 up to my needs I A/B'd it through my new EVH (Fender-made) 5150 III amp head and cab. First I played my trusty Wolfgang through the 5150 III head for several minutes, then I plugged the OLP into the head. To my amazement it sounded nearly identical. What a surprise! The OLP had a tad bit more high end and was a bit brighter. The low end was there as well and the "tight" chunck was the same as my Wolfy. Very quiet guitar and well worth every penny I paid for it. I'm thinking of getting a few more in different colors. What a great sounding guitar! Better than any other guitar I've heard in it's price range. Infact it's close to my $1,800 Wolfgang.

Out of the box the action was a bit high.. Nothing a few minutes of tweaking didn't fix. After my adjusting it plays beautifully.. I set the action very low and had to lower the pickups a hair so the strings wouldn't connect with them. The photo finish looks great. I wouldn't have known it was a photo had I not read about it. My only complaint is that the trans black looks a tad greenish.. Still looks nice but I expected a darker black. No biggie, I like it and I already have many black guitars. Ha!
I had to loosen the plastic toggle cover so that the switch would function properly and not jog into the middle position on it's own. No biggie. I have several expensive guitars; Ed Roman Rockingbird, B.C. Rich Mockingbirds, Ironbirds, Washburn Idol, Peavey Wolfgang and the OLP holds it's own. Plays as well as my others and sounds great. Much better than my stock B.C. Riches sounded before I modded them. The MM1 is a killer stock guitar and with a few tweaks is amazing. I changed out the white volume knob and installed a steel black knob only because I like the way they feel.

The neck is solid, great construction. My guess would be you could beat the living crap out of it and it would still play nice and stay in tune. I changed the strap buttons to strap locks because I plan on playing it live onstage. I usually bring a backup guitar but if this thing passes my "string break" test I wouldn't have a problem bringing to a gig without another guitar as backup.
String Test; every new guitar I get I change the strings to Ernie Ball 9-42 gauge and don't change them until one pops. This gives me an idea how long it takes.

Haven't dealt with them and probably won't need to.

I've been playing 35 years and have played in many touring acts beginning in 1988. I love how the MM1 plays and sounds. At a price like this you can afford to collect different colors and styles. I compared this guitar with my higher priced guitars. Stellar construction and sound. I'm gonna get a few more! Hats off to OLP! Johnny Roxx
http://myspace.com/nicolari

It has a pretty paint job and that is about ALL! I bought this because of the reviews. I was wondering did all of these reviews come from retails store because the guitar isn't anything like the reviews.

The pickup are as thin as a piece of paper- they got heart. I suspect the rosewood neck didn't help anything either.

I play thru a crate amp with lots of effects and nothing sounds that good with this guitar. The guitar is very bright.

let me say for the money a Squier 51 IS A MUCH BETTER GUITAR. I told myself I'd never every buy a squier again but this one is part of their master series and it has some heart and soul along with some guts too.

Guitar seems to be made well apart from inferior materials (basswood body)

the finish is pretty and the neck is OK as far as being comfortable.

no comment

been playing bass and guitar for 4 yrs. If stolen I'd only be sad about the money I spent on it as far as missing the guitar not at all.

This guitar is a amazing guitar. Only paid 80$ for it [Was on sale at guitar center] Features a very smooth neck, perfect for shreading, and of course a whammy bar.

THIS GUITAR IS THE S%$#! You can play any kind of music on it. I'm a blues rock, and heavy metal player, this guitar is perfect for any kind, don't let the Eddie Van Halen body fool you.

There's only one tiny flaw in my OLP, and thats the tremolo. In is very creaky. But it dosen't matter that much. Thinking about changing the pickups to eastwood airline pickups, or maybe T.V jones.

This guitar is buil like a rock, I've dropped it a few times and it held up fine. I can honestly depend on it. I am trying to start my own band, and if we ever get famous this will be my signature.

I have been playing for a few years, honestly best guitar i have ever played. I would buy this again if smething happend to it. I love the body style, kinda reminds me of a telecaster. The day i bought this was at a one day only sale at guitar center. I played several other guitars including a epiphone sg and a solidbody grestch. I wish this guitar had better pickups though but thats okay

The features are the standard as already covered. I think the finish is an outstanding feature as well as the pickups. Every other guitar I tried out in this price range (Squire, Epiphone, Dean, B.C. Rich, Yamaha) was less impressive or of inferior quality. None even came close on the quality of the pickups or of the overall finish on the OLP.

I'm a weekend player and have been using my Dillion Tele religiously for the last two years. I must admit I didn't expect I'd like the sound of the OLP. I was very surprised. The pickups in this guitar are excelent, especially for the bridge position and this guitar will scream. It has a full bright sound with a slight warm taper on the high end. I have been playing with it the last two weeks and it's become like an addiction. I love the sound of this guitar. I'm playing through an 80's Peavey 4x10 tube amp with a blues distortion, and a few other effects. It's got no hum, buzz, or other annoying habits. It's quiet when you need it to be and as big and bad as you wanna be when you need it. I am impressed...

I bought this guitar from a friend who has 40 some guitars and assured me I'd love it. He is hard handed and had heavy strings on it and the action was terrible for my style. I just simply lowered the saddles and changed to a lighter string (E.B. Hybrid Slinky .09's)... ---Perfection--- It's easily as good a player as my $500 Dillion. No, it does not look like a $500 guitar should look. However, the quality is excelent. The saddles are better quality than any crap-O-Matic, Frets are very good, finish is durable, mine's used so it's got a little wear from use but will obviously hold up well long term. No noise from the vol pot, switch, or jack. All solid.
Obviously if you're a big whammy user get the Floyd Rose. This OLP stays in tune perfectly but I use it like a hard tail. I do not foresee having to upgrade anything but you could easily Frankenstein this guitar into just about anything you can imagine and it would outlive you. The only reason I didn't give a 10 for this category is that I think this model should be a hardtail since the Floyd Rose is available on the MM1"F".

I'm almost 40 and there is no doubt in my mind that I will be playing this guitar 20 years from now. I know that sounds ridiculous for a $200 guitar but I just can't see getting rid of it now. I put straplocks on it so I don't drop it when I get drunk and rowdy, I bought a new case for it since I can't seem to leave it at home, and I will be upgrading my crappy chrome guitar stand(that I was using back before high school) so it won't fall over. You'd think I was in love with this guitar...
Anyway, if I have to complain(and I always do...) I have one nit-pick. The stock strap buttons were solid but small. My strap is worn and the holes are slutty. I suggest putting straplocks on it. Although I suggest putting straplocks on just about everything(including the dog's leash) so you decide.

I dunno. I do know that my local guitar shop likes dealing with OLP better than several other of the manufacturers. His only comment was that "they're good with their products."

I've been playing as a hobby for 20 years and in bands off and on for 12 years. I own 6 guitars and regularly play a Custom Dillion Tele, a Dean "Boca", and a Takamine Flame top. I play through a Peavey 4x10 tube amp from the 80's or a Ibanez MIMX150H head on a Marshall MG412 Cabinet. I use an odd ball assortment of pedals, mostly Voodoo Lab and Danelectro stuff. This guitar sounds great through my setup. I love the pickups! Did I say I love the pickups? I can get huge crunch or warm and sticky licks out of my OLP. I love the pickups.(I promise I won't say it again)
I'm going to look for a second one for my son. He plays on a Squire Fat Strat that usually has more pieces on the floor than on the guitar. In fact I am looking at his volume knob on top of the PC monitor...strange. Anyway, go buy one!

What a crazy cool cheap guitar this is! I have two of these a red one with normal tremelo and a golden wood colour with floyd rose. Both are basically identical and botn play awesome!! Both my OLP's have maple fretboards and the stock pickups. These are two of my cheapest guitars and I play them all the time.

the sound is awesome! The pickups impress me to no end considering their price. They are ballsy, silky and get that high gain metal rawness. I use this with a Peavey JSX combo and various effects. It gives a beautiful range of tones flicking between neck, bridge and in between. You can go from almost a strat to almost a les paul which is what eddie van halen wanted in this design. The sound can be a bit tinny due to the cheap construction... it not a bad thing... but the pickups pick up any clanks and bangs the tremelo produces. Harmonics in this guitar are easy. Its a light small guitar too...it feel comfy and easy to play with and the longer Ive had them the better their style is in terms of looks. They have really grown on me. The sound is both rich, full and bright...maybe not as deep as Id like but thats also maple fretboard guitars for you. its seriously an awesome pice of equipment for the price!

I love the action and feel of these guitars. Very precise and easy to play, the standard temelo one I own hardly goes out of tune. Both of mine sounded superb straight off the shelf and I only had to adjust the action height a little to suit me. Honestly I can't flaw these guitars - I wish they were around when I was learning!

They are built pretty well although some of the hardware is cheap, particularly the input jacks. Those sort of things are easily replaced or upgraded but Id use a spare guitar if playing live. The actual guitar materials are well built though and will last. The natural fretboard finish gets dirty quick and is a little bit more effort to clean.

Never dealth with them...these are so cheap I wouldn't bother - just buy a new one!

Absolutely awesome guitars. I often take this to rehearsal because of the range of sounds I get. If I need a strat tone it does the job, if I need to play a neck HB les paul tone, it does it, and if I need to play shred van halen stuff it comes to the party wearing leather. When I rest it back in its stand it patiently awaits to be played again with a quiet elegance. Ive been playing 20 years and the two MM1's I own are played often and I use thenm frequently for recording. Great great great playing and outstanding value!

Simple guitar, 2 Humbuckers, One Volume know and all that. Its what i wanted! Lets face it, the electric guitar is one of the few items that was perfected in about the first 2 years of its existance, it borrow a little from the les paul but just does it cheaper.

Amazing. I have two of these guitars. One is a orange flame top with the stock pickups, this works great for blues, classic rock style stuff. The second is the odd, but awesome, mint green finish. This one i replaced the pickups with an EMG 81/85. Great metal guitar now. I've seen shecters, ibanez, epiphones, fenders that cost 4 times as much and are terrible. This thing is awesome

Both the setups were perfect on mine when i got them. However, be sure to play it in the store. One guy on here said he bought it without playing it in the store and he got a lemmon, i've also played some in stores and noticed the neck wasn't as nice as mine. I think if abused (like any guitar) the neck will warp really bad, so be sure you're getting a good one.

had one for 3 years and one for 3 days. Both have had no problems at all.

No idea...probably enver need it...for 90 bucks what do you want?

Excellent, this is a fantastic guitar and i would reccommend to anyone. A few snobs will criticize and say their PRS is better, but screw them...this guitar can be had for 100 bucks! Don't be a brand name snob and pick one of these up.

beautifully finished guitar with gorgeous curly maple. One volume, no tone control but a great short guitar. Other have allready listed all the speckd but I am astounded by this little guitar that cost 139.00 new!!!!(musicians friend had a sale on them)

Very impressive guitar for the money it's unbelievable. The pickups are plenty powerfull and have a nice tight sound. Very nice sound. You'll try guitars in a music store that easily will tripple this price and they sound like crap. I was very surprised and impressed

Mine was flawless. Binding, top, neck is a little chuncky but doesn't fell uncomfortable at all. Factory setup was pretty good. I lowered the action slightly but that's a personal preference. Guitar was ready right out of the box. A very pleasent surprise when buying such an inexpensive guitar.

seems to be built well but time will tell. Feels very sturdy and compact.

This was the most pleasent surprise of any guitar (outside my Parker nightflyM) right out of the box I've ever had. I bought based on all the posotive things I've read about it here and elsewhere. I own too many guitar to run down the list here but this is a GREAT little beater. I would never perform at any venue with it, too mant other much more gig worthy guitars available. But for what it is you could pay 4 times what this cost and get less guitar. One of (if not the best) guitars out there for the money, bar none. Please note this doesn't replace any REALLY good guitar but you can hand it over for someboby to jam with and never have to worry about it looking or sounding cheap. For the money the MM1 is a 10.

mm-1
purchased in late 2006
photo finish
I rate this catagory an 8 because of its stupid low price of $129.00

It suits me fine for blues and rock. At first I wasn't sure about the pickups but I was using a couple crapy cords. After replacing them with all George L's it sounds fantastic. I run the MM-1 into a Vox clyde mccoy wah - Boss CS-1 (T-von mod) compressor - Boss DS-1 (T-von mod) distortion (These Boss pedals now rule!)- Rockman chorus - Rockman echo - stereo into Crate VC-20 (jj tubes 12" Alnico speaker) Crate V58 The sound is simply amazing. If these pickups are shit then I guess I like shit pickups. I have been playing on and off for 40 years and these are great for the sound i'm getting and that sound is huge. As for clean sounds it is equally fantastic. I love the pickups! No dislikes here. I have some great guitars, 71 gibson SG, 85 contemporary Telecaster, Stratocaster, and several others that are sweet players. I have owned many high end new and vintage guitars over my 40 years of playing but now I can't stop playing this inexpensive OLP its unreal!

This guitar came set up well. I couldn't believe it as I usually take off the strings right away and have to do many adjustments on almost all guitars I have purchased in the past. Even the strings are ok for a couple days. People who complain about strings amuse me as all strings must be changed often. This guitar has no flaws unless you consider the photo finish. It looks ok I guess but I don't really care for it but its the playability i'm interested in. I use it in my studio as a player and that's exactally what its intended for. Its a smaller guitar and may look toy like but I don't give a rats ass when I hear it sing. This thing actually inspires me to play and it helps my playing alot. what the hell more can you ask for? When I play I smile big!

So far it seems like it can take abuse very well. Some of the parts are cheap but it cost $129.00 HELLO!!! I can aford to upgrade it when needed.

N/A

I may have to purchase a couple more of these. Not sure if I would be as lucky to get great ones like this one but sure couldn't hurt to have backups. Its just a joy to play and if it were lost I would look for another. A great tool for free. Yes its a gift. I think some people who rated this guitar may be inexperienced or perhaps they did get bad ones but mine is killer and plays like a dream.

Not may bells and whistles here, but that's what I wanted. A plain and simple guitar at a great price.

I play through one of the new Digitech RP 250's, and sometimes an amp, and it sounds great either way! I think the pickups are very good for a "less than 200 buck" guitar. I definitely won't need to change them out. Good clean sound and great with distortion.

Not to good of a set-up from the factory. Strings way to high, frets unfinished and a touch of overhang on the edge of the fretboard and some buzzing. Once I gave it my own set-up it was great. Also, a rough job on the routing around the pickups. That would be my biggest complaint. I still can't complain for what I paid.

I think it is very well built. I don't gig, but if I did, I wouldn't doubt it. Very solid guitar

Never needed

I've owned this guitar about a month and love it. If it got gone, I would buy another one today. No doubt

Basswood body, Ernie Ball MM body, maple neck, medium jumbo frets, sealed die-cast tuners, chrome hardware, two humbucker pickups, 3-way pickup switch, 1 volume knob, vintage tremolo bridge, and no tone control knob. I give it a 10, because I love all aspects of this $200 guitar.

I really like the sound of this $200 guitar. The stock pickups provide
good clean and distortion tonality. The guitar sound is vibrant. It rings acoustically. I do plan on replacing the pickups with either seymour duncan or Genesis Mr. Brownie EVH pickups, but the stock pickups are very good. I just have money to spare after only spending $200 on this guitar. I installed Power Slinky strings (48-11) and the tonality
is great and the instrument stays in tune song after song.

The playability of this guitar, at least for me, is incredible. I've owned a Les Paul, a Music Man Steve Morse, and a stratocaster american deluxe guitar and the OLP MM1 plays the easiest. Not only is the neck perfect for my left hand, the action runs low without buzzing, and the string tension for my picking right hand is sweet. I bought a second OLP MM1 to use as my performing guitar, while I keep my three year old MM1 as my practice guitar, which I will continue to beat to death.

I have had my first OLP MM1 for three years with no problems whatsoever. I play the heck out of it and it still doesn't need a fret job. The stock tuners are good, but i upgraded them with locking tuners for ease of string replacement.

Never dealt with them and I doubt that I will need to.

I love this guitar! For me it is the ultimate guitar for playability. The stock hardware is very good. The stock pickups are great! I would strongly recommend this guitar to players of all skill sets. I would particularly recommend this axe to the guitarist that wants a guitar that is effortless to play.

You know all the features by now, i give it an 8 because i think everything is great, dont need a tone or seperate volume controls just the photo finish, although it looks great, its still a photo finish and lets the guitar specs down a bit

I really like the sound of this guitar, it isnt great for heavy downtuned riffs but just for dropped D and rock n roll riffs and soloing is sounds absolutely great. I also have an epiphone flying V which has a price tag of double this guitar and i had to replace the pickups in that with a seymour duncan and a schaller because i hated the sound! but iam not touching these pickups! they are awesome!

Action, awesome although i put heavier stings on it, 10 - 46, as soon as i got the guitar and the inotation was as spot on as it could ever be, the neck on this thing is incredible, sit down and play one for a while and you will forget you are playing a guitar that has such a small pricetag. The finish is a bit weird in some areas of the binding but for the cost it is definantely not a worry and hardley noticable

it feels solid, wont fall apart although the finish might chip easily

never dealt with them, doubt i will need to

i have been playing 8 years, if this guitar was stolen i would buy another one, if it got badly damaged i would buy another one..you cant beat it for the price especially in australia, i chose it over an epiphone les paul because epiphone pickups are horrible and it would of cost me about a grand to get the guitar i want with an epiphone, or $395 for an olp :)

This is my second MM1. I gave a very good review of the first one I had. I got the first one off of eBay and it was excellent. This one? Not so good.

I got this new one because I really missed my first MM1. I expected this one be as good.. no way.

Features.. you can see it all in the other reviews.

Fantastic, as I expected. I love the pickups in the MM1's. I asked if you could just buy the pickups but they said they were designed for the MM1's only. Almost worth it to buy the guitar and gut the pickups out of it and trash the rest.

I never leave anything stock as far as setup. I don't even tune the thing with the factory strings. I pull the strings and go to work on every guitar I buy, so I can't comment on factory setup.

With that said, here are my findings...

After putting a set of 10's on it, I found that either the tuners are shorter than the old MM1 I had, or the headstock is set at a deeper angle. This causes the bass strings to have an excessive break angle over the nut. This is actually good if you don't plan to use the Tremolo. If you do, this angle makes it just about impossible for the strings to return to pitch.

I'm not talking about a cent, but like half of a note. If you use the Trem.. it's over. You have to re-tune. You can't fake it and keep playing, its just out way too much.

I of course tried all the tricks, lubrication, nut slots, etc.. So I just put five springs in it and flattened it down on the body and took the arm off.

Next part, the nut. The B and high E slots were way too wide. When you bend strings, they would actually slide back and forth in the nut. I fixed this with the old baking soda and super glue routine, but I hate to have to do that with a brand new guitar.

Now lets talk about the neck. I set strings 1-4 at 4/64", and 5-6 at 5/64". Normal height as they say. I got excessive string buzz on the D string at the 9th fret and the G, B, and high E strings buzzed excessively on the 12th to the 14th fret. And when I say excessive, I mean excessive.

So I had to do a very aggressive fret level on it, in fact, I did it four times to finally take enough off so it would not buzz. It actually plays and sound really good, as far as the fretboard now. But your average person is not going to have the recourses to do this themselves, and if you take it to a shop to do, it will cost you $125.00.

When I did the fret level, I found that at the factory, someone for some reason tried to spray an extra thick coat of Poly on the neck as a last measure. The problem is, some of it stared to crack off. When I pulled the masking tape off from the fret level, huge chucks of the stuff pulled off with the tape.

I then had to chip off as much as I could, because most of it was not sticking to the finish below. This left a huge level difference. I had to sand the thick finish down quite a bit so there was little perceivable difference in height between the lower and upper finish, then polished it so it was smooth. This was a big and irritating job.

Now, the Fretboard finish. It appears that on this neck, there is no finish on the fretboard. I feels like raw wood. I found it really hard to play this way. OLP said to use Butcher Block oil on it. I could not find that so I used Watco rejuvenating oil on it. It did an excellent job.

But the body and is in GREAT shape!

Since I've done a huge amount of work on this thing, and know it backwards and forwards, I'd say it's really well built, and it will hold up to whatever you throw it's way.

They are very quick to respond.

If you don't use the Trem, and you hand pick one out, you can find a great one. I made this one into to a decent player.

I still like them for a straight ahead rock guitar, or even blues, or whatever.

The photo film top is excellent. They do a really good job on the tops.

The problem is, for $79.00 more you can the MM1F with the Floyd Rose. The quality is much better, the Floyd stays in tune, and you can actually use the Trem. and it has a REAL flame maple top, not a photo film top. The top alone is worth the extra $79.00, and add the Floyd to it, it's that much better of a value.

That's why I have to sell my MM1. I bought the MM1F and have to offset the cost of the new one. I'd like to keep the MM1 because it plays really good now, but I still can't use the Trem.

2005 made in china

I want to clear something up that has been mentioned here several times that the stock OLP pu's are the same as the custom wound DMZ's
the stock pu's on the OLP MM1 are very good without a doubt for the money this guitar goes for but simply CANNOT be compared to the custom wound dimarzio's in the EBMM evh or axis guitars
first off the OLP's pu's use a large ceramic magnet and the DMZ's use a alnico 5(a world of difference!)
the bridge OLP pu' is wound to 14K and the dimarzio is at 17.5K
the neck OLP pu' is at 9.5K and the dimarzio neck is at 15K
and is a airbucker.
the OLP pu's are very good for a stock item but if you really want the MM 1 to shine on the tone department get the tone zone and air norton set for it
which is the closest production set to the custom wound dimarzios in the EVH or axis
I also know the tweak to do to the tone zone to make it EXACT to the custom wound dimarzio, this is what i did to mine to make it sound like my EVH and axis guitars
if you are interested in the tweaked tone zone Email me and i can tweak a tone zone for you if you want that exact tone the bridge pu gets in the axis or evh guitar
the air norton stock is so close tthat any tweak's are not necessary

please read my review on the OLP MM1 floyd rose model
http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Data4/OLP/MM1FR-1.html

http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Data4/OLP/MM1FR-1.html

they are great for getting answers about thier product

like i said in my review for the OLP MM1FR
these are a great bang for the buck even stock they are worth the money if you cant afford a real deal ernie ball/music man

I think everyone already knows what these things have...purchased few years ago,maybe 4 or 5

I must say the humbuckers aren't very hot...not good for any kind of metal. The thing is also pretty noisey in high gain settings,good luck trying to shred on this mammoth

the guitar from factory came like dung,action was a mile high...hell even after adjusting the action myself it's still very high. intonation is a pain (I use D'Addario .11) I have not once got it to intonate perfectly,I suspect a fret or two has been filed wrong,playing past the twelth fret produces half dud notes (of course this is solved by raising the action,but then it's so high you can't play anything at all) The guitar surpisingly had shielding!! I'll give it a point for that,but that's as high as it's gonna go for this guitar

well...this baby has never failed me,I gig with it regularly as it's currently my only guitar

I've been playing for quite a long time,I've owned all kinds of gear,big and small name. Always searching for that perfect gem that just keeps eluding me...I would not buy this guitar again if it got lost/stolen/broken. The previous guitar I had before this one was a million times better than this one and it only cost about $100 more,which is an extra week at work. So save yourself the trouble and work that extra week and get a better guitar. Don't get me wrong,I advocate cheap gear,but this guitar just can't cut it compaired to other low cost equipment...OLP needs to get back into the shop and work out the kinks with the action and elecotronics,I'll give them 2 brownie points for working hard though

I believe it's an 04 model... it is a certain mega-store's exclusive being that is red in color. I like the fact that it is a different color. I was told that it was a quilt top veneer (like on the Wolfgang) but suspect it's a photo film top - which is fine as neither really adds anything tonally. We all know the specs by now, Basswood body, maple/maple neck, H/H, 1 Volume, etc. The one thing that really blows my mind is the quality of the fingerboard wood... it appears to be a slight (2A - 3A) quilted maple they used for the fingerboard - I guess I lucked out as I have yet to see any others with quite as nice of a fingerboard. The website says it has a satin finish on the neck but mine came without any finish - you can tell by how quickly the neck picks up dirt. I have since finished it with gun-stock oil and it plays like butter now. It's got all the features I could want - being an EVH freak I don't see a need for bells and whistles (coil tapping, tone knob, etc). Also, being an EVH freak I have a need for a locking trem so I did replace the vintage style trem with a Floyd Rose (licensed) trem. The whole job took less than an hour and cost me around $50 or so. The tuners appear to be decent although if I hadn't added the locking trem I may have replaced them. Tuners are a moot point once a locking trem is on the guitar. All the other hardware (Volume pot, output jack, p'ups, etc) all seem top notch. It didn't come with a gig bag but talked the saleman into throwing one in for free.

The sound is amazing, especially when you factor in the price. The pickups are built to the same specs as the EBMM EVH model. They are surprisingly hot - but not too hot. IMO - they are just right. I'm playing it through a 5150 half stack with a pinch of chorus and reverb as well as a Rocktron Hush. It definately has a full rich sound to it. I did raise the p'up's a hair to get them a but hotter sounding, but were fine in the stock location.

I didn't find a single flaw in this guitar. The action was set up pretty well from the factory but as with any guitar, it can usually be a bit better. I did lower the action a bit but I just needed to lower the saddle about 1 full turn of the allen screws each - not bad.

I wouldn't hesitate to gig this guitar. My only concern is to be able to remove the OLP logo from the headstock. I mean, yeah, it's a cheap guitar and I am proud of the deal I got and how well it plays, but I don't need other guitarists thinking I'm a newbie for playing such a cheap guitar. Honestly though, I would put this up against alot of more expensive guitars on the market.

It comes with a 1 year warranty although I'm sure I voided it within the first week I had it by ripping off the vintage trem and adding the Floyd locking trem haha

I've been playing for nearly 20 years and have 14 or so guitars ...maybe 15, I have to re-count. This is my 3rd favorite behind my Peavey Wolfgang and Kramer 1984 re-issue. It is my cheapest guitar though which definately makes it the best value. Even after adding the Floyd (licensed) trem I still have under $300 into this guitar. Not bad for such an unbelievable player. I would rate this guitar a 9 overall ... but when you factor in the price I believe it deserves a bit more so I give it a 10!

basswood body, maple neck (it must be maple, because the one i'm looking at over to GC has BIRDSEYES), 2 hums, 1 vol, vintage style trem, photo phlame top. looks dead on like a EBMM axis. decent showroom setup. cheap materials, but what do you expect from a $200 guitar that can be had for $150? the REAL kicker, to me, is that it has the same neck profile as my real EBMM axis super sport....verrrry comfy.....

no finish on the neck, and that DOES make the neck look cheap.....go ahead and lemon oil it(NO SILICONE!)...( i do all of mine....for years...)....it won't hurt it....will prolly make it look better......and, as far as resale value.......i wouldn't EVEN give THAT ISSUE a second thought........THIS GUITAR IS NOT AN INVESTMENT PIECE.....NOR WILL IT EVER BE! just play it....

trem: forget about vintage trems.....they NEVER stay in tune....this one is no exception..... "lock it down" and pretend it's a hardtail w/ a built in reverb tank (that's what eric clapton does.....;^). )

it sounds quite ADEQUATE.

let me make something clear......i don't own one.....i am currently shopping for a killer deal on one, and trying lots of them out in the process.....i OWN a real EBMM axis super sport, and want an MM1 for backup....and for FEEL, more than for tone!

for my purposes, it sounds just fine. i played it thru several different amps and effects.....for what it is....no complaints. i play ALL styles on it!

again....for what it is....great! when you get yours, take it out and play it hard.....concentrate on your music and NOT on what makes this axe inexpensive.....it'll do the job.....don't nitpick it to death! (although, i do agree with the other fella that a new set of 10's will make a world of difference.)

when you become EDDIE......THEN...you can nitpick!

not to blow my own horn.....HONK!......but, i've been at this awhile.......and i can just TOUCH a guitar and tell if it's good......i feel very comfortable buying one of these (for $150 and no more). i would like to have a backup....but that's a good idea in any situation. it'll last long enough for you to get your money's worth out of it.

i wouldn't expect too much, but then, i've been surprized before!

it feels and looks like my expensive ernie ball axis.......and soooo much cheaper.......i am looking forward to having one as my backup. whatever it doesn't have, i'll put in....like a tone pot, better tuners......i think it will be worthwhile. and i believe it will be reliable!

the only "hate issue", is that the neck really does LOOK cheap.

solid body, cheap trem, 22 frets, non-locking tuners, dual humbuckers, volume pot, pickup toggle, short-slim neck. I have owned this guitar a year, well past the honeymoon stage. At first I loved it, then I hated it, now I love it again. I learned a few things about how to make this baby into a sweet instrument. see below. I wish it had a tone pot...
cheap looking photo-top meant to look like the music man axis. But the newest release of this guitar looks amazing (the MM1 with Floyd Rose trem).

The stock bridge pickup is pretty weak. It doesn't pickup the higher harmonics in the strings, so the guitar doesn't scream out of the box. That is unfortunate because its built for face-melting rock n roll. If you replace the bridge pup with any decent pickup, it improves this guitar immensely. I put a Dimarzio super distortion DP-100 in there. You don't have to go as hot though, any good pickup will improve this guitar %100. I know of another guitarist who put a Dimarzio PAF in the bridge, and it sings.
Plus, using skinny, soft strings will make this guitars intonation unfixable. See below.
The neck pickups aren't so good. I wouldn't use the neck pickups for anything. They are all bass, zero bite. Actually I'm lying. I used the neck pickups one time for a chord comping part when I wanted to meld in the background.

This guitar is designed for EVH speed, and high gain. In that respect, it rocks. I had serious troubles with the intonation until I made a head-slapper: (figured something out)
Originally I had been using Ernie Ball super-slinky strings (9-42). The guitars intonation was horrendous. When tuning, you could watch the pitch indicator in the tuner dance around. Hence, the guitar held a tune like a bad American Idol auditioner (William Hung?).
Here is what I just figured out. Since this guitar is shorter than most, the tension on the strings to reach a specific pitch is much less. Thus the guitar couldn't hold a pitch very stably, and there were transients in the vibrations. I was using 9-42 guage ErnieBall super slinkys. I just switched the strings to Ernie Ball 10-46 guage regular slinkys. Simple physics (look up the wave equation): heavier strings = higher mass = higher tension. Now this guitar really holds a pitch solidly, no more tuner dance. The heavier strings improved the intonation too.

For a $200 guitar, this baby seems to be rock solid. I have gigged with it a bit (blush), and it has never failed me. I'm a little leary of the bridge, my low E string still has sharp intonation despite my having cranked it as far as it goes. If you use lots of string bends, this baby tends to flatten out, and you need to frequently retune. That was with 9-42 strings though, I bet the 10-46's hold up better.

no idea

In then end, after applying a little common sense (slim strings = bad intonation, stock pups = crap), I really like this piece. I bring it to gigs, and use it for high gain songs (thats why I put the super distortion humbucker in the bridge).
It's a sweet, cheap guitar. It's a nice change of pace, because of the short, sleek neck. I like to use a bit nicer guitar as my main axe, but this is a great buy. If you're looking to buy your first guitar, you should try playing an OLP at your music shop.