The standard for budget guitars: Pickups aren't microphonic. Frets don't cut you. Stays in tune. Upper frets are reasonably accessible. Not hard to play fast. No major manufacturing flaws. Basically nothing to get in the way of playing.
@@D14V0R05 Regardless of price, that is the bare minimum. The premium guitars would be expected to be flawless in construction and have labor-intensive features.
@@D14V0R05 Won't be surprised if Gibson tries to market poor QC some day in the style of "every guitar we make is unique in some way" or "our guitars are cut by real humans, not by those INAUTHENTIC CNC cutting units".
@generalrodcocker1018 I own several jacksons and played tons of their budget models since I used to work at a music store. I have yet to play a Solar, but these S by Solar guitars look like they offer way more for the money than any cheap Jackson I've played. My Brandon Ellis Kelly is a great guitar though.
Don't mind the black neck at all. I think it's really cool you can get such a cool guitar for that price. My first guitar was terrible and it almost made me quit. It wouldn't stay in tune, the neck was warped and it was an over all crap guitar. If you get a good instrument from the start, it's gonna be so much more fun. I think it's a very cool move from Solar.
Yeah I feel like I’m probably the minority here. It’s actually not that bad on this guitar, but some guitars/finishes it looks so bad. My assumption was always they painted them so they could use less desirable pieces of wood (like with flaws) for the neck but IDK 🤷♂️
my first guitar was a bc rich warlock(because metal XD) and it was one of their cheapest. the setup on it was awful. probebly because its a very different climate in china vs in sweden XD. it was really hard to play so when my sister got a gibson les paul studio i started playing on that because that played great. i eventually bought one of my own and a couple of years ago i figured i should look up how to set up guitars. now my warlock play great too. it has a way thinner neck and it has 24 frets so its better for shredding :)
it is absolutely awesome! really love the way it turned out. It is a really great first guitar also, because you want something decent to learn on that shall help you be a better player. Stack up a notch against all of those other budget guitars. Although could use it for performances and studio as well, just like you showed us, it sounds great. You can upgrade this platform as well with all of the parts. The fretboard seems to work good. You could always install a flatmount Kahler tremelo easily. Of course if you want an original or 1000 series floyd it would need to be routed. The pickups do their job decent and are all balcked out. A nice touch. What i am recommenden is putting on a blacked out S logo or greyish color. Well laterZ.
If you close your eyes and listen to both the Solar and the S, you'll hardly notice any difference. I don't have one of these myself, but it's on the radar.
4:50 I was like "WHAT?!" I personally detest natural clear coated necks. It looks so cheap. Like the neck wasn't even made for that guitar and was just a stock neck picked up as a replacement. Imo, necks should always either match, or contrast with the body. Just like how headstocks should always match the body.
It's because guitar manufacturers (sometimes) paint necks when the wood grain isn't pretty enough for a clear/natural finish. also it allows for defects to be fixed with filler so you don't have to reject so many damaged ones. Basically - cheaper guitars have painted necks, so I get what he's saying. but then when you get past the $1000 range you start to see nicely painted necks to match the body.
This sounds completely foreign to me. I am not lying when I say that with the exception of one single Harley Benton, and a cheap 80s guitar from my uncle, I have never, ever seen a sub-500 guitar with a painted or stained neck. All cheap guitars I've ever seen aside from those two have had clear coated necks. I can't imagine what you're referring to is anything other than an old phenomenon that was the case maybe back in the day before CNC machines or maple wasn't universal on necks.
I really want to get an S by Solar but sadly no distribution for Canada maybe they will one day. The panted neck does not bother me at all and I think it looks awesome but I think that is a personal preference. Your videos are great and I appreciate everything you put into them \m/ Thanks again!
I'm interested! I play live shows every weekend and don't particularly love the idea of taking my expensive solar's out to get damaged I'd like to pick one up for a live guitar that I can beat up and not feel bad about. Thanks for making this!
I got one this week, I' m telling you it is legit. It honestly plays as well as my "real " Solars. I was shocked! They left out my whammy bar for the Floyd but I will let it slide....
No offense brother just my opinion but what would you rather have an ESP or an LTD didn't mean to seem like I was screaming at everybody sorry...LOL!!😂😂
@@ronnielobosmith4870Its easier to manage things if you have two corporate entities. S by solar has already been active in Brazil for a year, its just easier to have a budget brand for countries like that.
I bought a set of 7 string Solar Pickups off of Reverb like a year ago to put in one of my 7 string Ibanez's. But now I'm thinking of buying the AB4.7C S by Solar, and putting those pickups in there. And swapping the locking tuners over from my Ibanez onto the AB4.7C. Medium frets are no problem. That would be a sweet guitar. Even if it just become my backup for now. Now Ola NEEDS to make a higher end S by Solar series with Evertune bridges, and locking tuners in the $600-$700 range. LOL.
Higher end budget guitars. You remind me of the people who wanted epiphones to be more like gibsons the got mad when the prices went over a grand. …um pick one. Not both
@@Ottophil What they F you talking about? I have 2-7 string Solars with Evertunes. 2-Gibson Les Paul's. 2-Epiphone SG's, 3-7 string Ibanez's, 3-6 String Ibanez's. 1-6 String Schecter, 1-7 string Schecter, all ranging from a few Hundred dollars up to several Thousand dollars. I've been a relatively successful musician for decades. My entire guitar collection is worth over $15,000. Not to include the $12,000 in amps I own. So shut up. I only made a suggestion to help people who cannot afford $1200-$2500 guitars have access to something a bit higher. What do you got, a Squire that won't intonate properly?
Got the S by Solar V-model a while back because of a sudden obsession with flying v's. Looked like a perfect candidate cause i didn't want to drop a grand on a guitar when i wasn't sure i was going to like playing the shape. Turns out i fucking love the it and it was the best 300 bucks i've spent on music equipment since i bought my first guitar 15 years ago. For the price i have zero complaints.
*I just got a $215 neck through super strat made in Vietnam with a Wilkinson trem and tuners that is every bit as good as what people pour $1000 into. Ultimately, most guitars are built by CNC, or at least high rate duplicator routers, so that's how they can make something top of the line for entry level pricing. Even the pickups are high end, but that's one of the most deceptive components on an instrument when compared to selling costs.* Coupled with the fact that they're using species of trees that are plentiful in Asia and a cousin variety to what we have in the east, their costs are just so low that the major names can barely compete anymore. *I would hate to see Gibson go out of business, but they have made a lot of poor business decisions, haven't remained current and competitive, and a 3,000 Les Paul is really just an old man's guitar that will be used as a trophy piece rather than a daily played instrument.* It's only old farts that can afford them in enough abundance to keep Gibson from shutting their doors completely!
Im considering buying one, just to have one. So far im impressed with how the entire line sounds. I love tinkering with budget guitars to make them better.
You're just used to seeing a clear bolt-on neck cause it's default on 99% of bolt-ons, reason being a) on budget guitars they're both bolt-on and clear coated because it's cheap; and/or b) historically all bolt-ons trace back to evolving from imitating Fender. I would actually praise this guitar for having a matching neck cause it's more rare/different and doesn't give off "entry level import" vibe like for example what cheapest LTDs are to more expensive LTD/ESP models.
Great video! I have to kind of agree with you about the painted necks on a bolt on guitar. I have a Kiesel Carvin neck through body and even it doesn't have a painted neck. I prefer unpainted but I have a few that are painted also.
I am no import duty expert but I have never paid import duties from Thomann for orders in the $600.00 range. I have been told its a bit higher than that before they hit you.
Totally agree on the natural neck. Also agree on it being something I can get past pretty easily for $300 lol. I think I'd be pretty comfortable buying one of these for a younger relative metalhead!
If anyone lives in England in Cannock, there is a beautiful shop just next door in Walsall called T.R music. They have some brilliant budget guitars in there. I tried a 1999 epiphone Les Paul and it was brilliant and they have lots of others too. The staff are extremely friendly and their life’s goal seems just to be helping you get a good guitar for a good price. 100% recommend and I was not paid for saying this 😂
Looks and sounds great. The Solar and the LTD or ESP 'EX' are only "Explorer" shapes I like outside of the real deal Gibson's. The finished neck looks nice on it too, bonus if it's a satin smooth type finish.
I have played off and on for a decade and a half and could never really afford more expensive instruments. Most of my experiences have come from cheaper guitars being upgraded into metal monsters. Cut to Solar announcing the S line. I instantly ordered the T style and I already have plans to mod it to absolute hell. I think the most expensive guitar I've ever had was a Schecter Hellraiser I got used for $400. I am really stoked about my S by Solar to arrive. Awesome tones and video as always my dude. Happy Holidays to you and yours! 🖤
the perfect cheap starter guitar for a kid right now in my opinion is the one I just got my son the Mitchell m100 short scale. I got mine used at guitar center perfect condition 75 bucks. had my guy set it up touch a few things and im actually pretty impressed with how it plays and stays in tune pretty good even dropping it down to d. It sounds good so far no complaints and for the amp I got him a fender champion 20 because its simple sounds good and has effects. my sons 5 he's gunna be rocking in no time!!
You can always sand off the paint/sealer on the neck and maybe just oil it. I've done this to a number of guitars, even thinning some out or slightly changing the profile.
To my ears. Ceramic just sounds almost completely lacking a mid range. Perfect if. That's what your aiming for but otherwise that thing looks great after sanding the neck to something not so sticky i would swap pickups and love it forever
Judging from the top strap button position, it will definitely have serious neck dive. Explorers need the button by the neck joint to counteract it. The only one I haven't had to move is a LTD.
I find this model attractive. Mostly because I like to mod my guitars, and making radical changes to a high price guitar is stomach turning. Especially if you find you don’t like the mod when your finished, or if you suck at luthier tinkering.
It'll be a couple more months before we can say if it's solid or hit n miss though, Raymond got one the other day and apparently it was horrendous. Could've been that the 3/4 scale is just inherently faulty in the design or he got unlucky, but on the bright side yours came in pretty solid so hell yeah! Also, I prefer natural open pore necks if it's a dark wood choice like wenge/purpleheart lol but if it's a boring ass 1 piece maple neck (not rock nor flamed) then yeah I'm all for it matching (on a flamed maple 1pc tho transparent tint finishes rule) lol
I just got a cheap guitar just because the paint and was blown away at the craftsmanship I paid $87 shipping tax and all budget guitars sure have come a long way
the woodgrain on the neck is probably not the best, which is fine as long as its structurally sound right? that would be a cool thing to skimp on when making a budget guitar
Hey mate ! You don't play standing, so does this guitar have a good balance ? In general, this kind of guitar like Explorer or SG or Viper have the neck which falls down when you are standing. How is it here, please ? Must we change the local attachments ?
I like brands who cater to a wide range of budgets, bc typically they put more effort into their lower models than Donner/Ivy/Ect.. I have a maxed out Hagstrom that I love; but to be completely honest, my budget line jackson remains one of my most played guitars. I do wish that neck was set though. I was looking at the teles and just thinking man, that would look so much nicer set in. The black namebrand Solar tele with the set neck is often sold out. Let's see if I can hold out or will I cave to the S.
I love how they made the neck match the body on those guitars. I really dislike how a natural looking neck looks on a metal type guitar. Fenders and gibsons sure, but on this, i love how it looks. I might get the 7 string as a back up / beater guitar, something I wont worry too much about.
Sounds great, I already have a main brand Solar V much like yours, but if I was looking for my first guitar and just starting out I would definitely get this guitar. Best in that price range, unless you’re going second hand sales 🔥
Man I've played bass 30+years and due to arthritis I've went to playing guitars and I see ME buying this ..I'm intermediate/able to play guitar before I ever picked a 6dtring guitar up and this is easily ad nice as the Devlin I bought at same price but it's set neck and sweet as dead possum stench ...this I bought an Epiphone gothic lp ....seems like evrry guitar i owns gonna be matte blavk and im ok with that... Having to start over with different instruments at 45 I can buy 2 for what an entry level Ibanez or bc rich were in 88to 1990...you were. Lucky to find a post buyot harmony for 200at the pawn shop Floyd's were 250 ...a memphis samick made for Gibson were 299 to 700 and I sold the black charvel/Kramer clone for more than I paid for it ....inflation accounted for ...it's cheaper to buy a new student model than to buy a used .... anything...I'ma cop me +1 of these
def feel the same about painted bolt on necks, I think its cause i started playing with those super cheapo epiphone starter pack guitars with painted finished and it just sucked lol I do like the looks on this one at least, and the heel looks infinitely better than how other brands do theirs with like a huge goofy square that doesnt even try being ergonomic. great video though, I kind of want to grab the V now
COMPLETELY AGREE about the neck. 100% I have a sweet A2.6 in Neon Lemon that feels beautiful. I was curious about the S brand. I don't have a need for another guitar, but does that ever stop a guitarist? lol EVER?
5:00 - I'm supposing they're going after the matte black aesthetic really hard in including finish on the back of the neck. I like the look, but that's just me being a weirdo.
Satan (Dad) loves all tuning Taylor....but he loves E standard at the moment....due to it the anger it raises in Djent/Nu-metal player's....Dad's very old school 🤘😁😂
Pretty sweet guitar that’s my favorite guitar shape other than the strat. I’m more of a rhythm player than a shredder but I’m definitely considering it for my next guitar. Either this or a low budget schecter
I like the neck the way it is, I think natural neck would look stupid on this. I keep hearing that these S's have intonation problems, was this one ok?
The headstock is a deal breaker for me, I don't want a super strat-esc headstock on an explorer style guitar (the only shape i play). If they gave it something that at least resembles the typical hockey stick headstock I'd probably get one.
The problem is, that hockey stick headstock is copyrighted by Gibson. That's why this uses the Solar headstock 💁♂ Though some other brands do have more hockey sticky headstocks...
@@MaximusAdonicus I mean the body shape itself is pretty much an explorer with a few minor differences from the original, why not go all the way through with it and make a headstock that kind of looks hockey stick-ish.
@@ilikepotatoes1345 Welp, it's because for the same reason they did NOT wanna go all the way 🙉 Plus, I think Solar only has this 1 headstock, which is fine by me, and a good way to keep them unique 💁♂ I just don't personally like these pointy ESP type explorers, nor even the originals 😀 The Harley Benton version has a cool notch, which makes them appeal to me!
@@MaximusAdonicus I personally could never get down with the Harley Benton ones, the body shape I think deviates a bit too much for my taste, plus I think they come with actives, so at least I personally would have to rip those out, put new passives in, and rewire it which is too much of a hassle even though they're priced so cheap.
idk why people care about what gear is used to demo guitars, it's not like you have a baseline anyway. and also the guitar itself make up so little of the final sound when it comes to metal that it doesn't really matter at all. if the pickups aren't noisy and feedbacking like crazy, the guitar stays in tune and feels good to play, that's all that really matters
Man dude if it didn't have pickup rings. Is direct mount that much of a mark up? I see a new s series model that isn't but it has a floyd. Might get that but I hope in the near future they go ringless in all of them.
Bro, take some tape and mask off the top and bottom of the neck on the back and sand it. I've done it to so many of my guitars over the years. It's really easy.
I wonder how much stainless steel frets would have affected the cost overall seeing as firefly is doing it for guitars even under $200. Also wonder why the E has 22 vs 24 frets, and why is it (Jackson does it as well) can't they just put HT bridges on guitars that aren't some version of strat shaped body? I would rather a HT saddle bridge (as on the donner) vs a TOM. would it really boost the cost? That nitpicking aside, I like that Ola is trying to offer a series at a lower cost point that has value. Another grip and it isn't against Solar or S. Other companies do this: putting the jack on the lower leg of the V? if the point is to get these into the hands of younger or beginners of any age... why not have the input in the upper part of the V. it's more comfortable, and the more comfortable a player is, the more they will play. is channeling through that much wood in the back make the cost go up that much? i mean they CNC these things.
I don't mind a painted bolted neck so long as it isn't a gloss finish. If it is, I hate it and I wonder why they would go through the extra effort just to make something less playable for the majority of people. (I'm looking at you LTD!)
liked the video, your amped roots demo here was of very poor tuning and setup of speaker cab impulse responses and just overall gain that was much less when you used roots compared to the real amp.. just my two cents though buddy
I like the idea of modding a sub 100 dollar guitar and putting budget pickups on it with a fret job and setting it up to sound and play like it's a $300 guitar.
Wish they had them last year. Bought a pacifica, im not complaining, that alnico 5 humbucker is great and it has that twang on single coils. Would have been cool to have a metal looking axe though.
"This is the beginning of the signal chain; if this sucked, there's no way that anything after it is going to magically fix it. That's not the way signal chains work." While you're not wrong in saying that, it's also pretty lousy logic to apply to an electric guitar. 90% of what you're going to hear from the instrument is going to be a direct consequence of how the pickups are manufactured, and how the thing is wired. As long as you don't have microphonic pickups, and you're not suffering a ground loop problem... it's going to sound pretty damn close to anything else you run through that setup. The biggest difference is going to be determined by SC vs HB pickups... I like the video, the guitar looks promising, but that statement kinda rubs me the wrong way. The largest determining factors in whether or not a guitar is any good aren't going to be the things you see or hear.
👕merch! Merch.taylordanley.com
The standard for budget guitars: Pickups aren't microphonic. Frets don't cut you. Stays in tune. Upper frets are reasonably accessible. Not hard to play fast. No major manufacturing flaws. Basically nothing to get in the way of playing.
That pretty much applies for guitars of any price range, bonus points if checks all the boxes at budget pricing!
@@D14V0R05 Regardless of price, that is the bare minimum. The premium guitars would be expected to be flawless in construction and have labor-intensive features.
@@greevarYup, and yet buyers still encounter QC issues on guitars way past the 1k mark .
@@D14V0R05 Won't be surprised if Gibson tries to market poor QC some day in the style of "every guitar we make is unique in some way" or "our guitars are cut by real humans, not by those INAUTHENTIC CNC cutting units".
@@Admiral_Bongo Too real.
I personally love the painted satin neck. I think its a great way to complete the all-black look without the expense of a set neck or neck-thru.
Is it a gloss, painted part is throwing me off. I know it's not glossy but is where it will 'stick'
@@JoeHasGas yep, cheap satin necks get really sticky really fast
@generalrodcocker1018 I own several jacksons and played tons of their budget models since I used to work at a music store. I have yet to play a Solar, but these S by Solar guitars look like they offer way more for the money than any cheap Jackson I've played. My Brandon Ellis Kelly is a great guitar though.
@generalrodcocker1018also it feels pretty weird to call Ola greedy compared to Jackson (Fender).
Don't mind the black neck at all. I think it's really cool you can get such a cool guitar for that price. My first guitar was terrible and it almost made me quit. It wouldn't stay in tune, the neck was warped and it was an over all crap guitar. If you get a good instrument from the start, it's gonna be so much more fun. I think it's a very cool move from Solar.
Yeah I feel like I’m probably the minority here. It’s actually not that bad on this guitar, but some guitars/finishes it looks so bad. My assumption was always they painted them so they could use less desirable pieces of wood (like with flaws) for the neck but IDK 🤷♂️
@@TaylorDanleywas it smooth or like how a gloss neck really has to be sanded down? Ty
my first guitar was a bc rich warlock(because metal XD) and it was one of their cheapest. the setup on it was awful. probebly because its a very different climate in china vs in sweden XD. it was really hard to play so when my sister got a gibson les paul studio i started playing on that because that played great. i eventually bought one of my own and a couple of years ago i figured i should look up how to set up guitars. now my warlock play great too. it has a way thinner neck and it has 24 frets so its better for shredding :)
Painted necks are nice when they have a satin finish and match with the color of the body, much better than glossy finish on a natural neck.
And then paint comes off...
I mean.... sounds like a good workhorse. Cheap, playable and doesn't look like shit.
An amazing budget guitar I got a few years ago was the Jackson dinky seven string only cost £199 and its honestly a beast!
I got a 6 str Dinky couple years ago, I like it even more than my Epiphone Les Paul. Very happy customer
it is absolutely awesome! really love the way it turned out. It is a really great first guitar also, because you want something decent to learn on that shall help you be a better player. Stack up a notch against all of those other budget guitars. Although could use it for performances and studio as well, just like you showed us, it sounds great. You can upgrade this platform as well with all of the parts. The fretboard seems to work good. You could always install a flatmount Kahler tremelo easily. Of course if you want an original or 1000 series floyd it would need to be routed. The pickups do their job decent and are all balcked out. A nice touch. What i am recommenden is putting on a blacked out S logo or greyish color. Well laterZ.
If you close your eyes and listen to both the Solar and the S, you'll hardly notice any difference. I don't have one of these myself, but it's on the radar.
these are great. If they do baritones and extended range down the line, I'll probably end up with a bunch of them lol
I hadn't considered it prior to this comment, but if they bring the 29" Solar into the S By Solar line that would be sick
I agree, even if they extend the 7 strings to a 27" scale from the 25.5" I think it would engage even more customers.
This
@@brandonlam1477 they already did this. they rave a 7 string with a 26.5 scale
4:50 I was like "WHAT?!"
I personally detest natural clear coated necks. It looks so cheap. Like the neck wasn't even made for that guitar and was just a stock neck picked up as a replacement.
Imo, necks should always either match, or contrast with the body.
Just like how headstocks should always match the body.
It's because guitar manufacturers (sometimes) paint necks when the wood grain isn't pretty enough for a clear/natural finish. also it allows for defects to be fixed with filler so you don't have to reject so many damaged ones. Basically - cheaper guitars have painted necks, so I get what he's saying. but then when you get past the $1000 range you start to see nicely painted necks to match the body.
This sounds completely foreign to me.
I am not lying when I say that with the exception of one single Harley Benton, and a cheap 80s guitar from my uncle, I have never, ever seen a sub-500 guitar with a painted or stained neck.
All cheap guitars I've ever seen aside from those two have had clear coated necks.
I can't imagine what you're referring to is anything other than an old phenomenon that was the case maybe back in the day before CNC machines or maple wasn't universal on necks.
@@WolfieboyMachi yu "WOKE" ? 🤔🫵🏽🧐
@@edirmacedu What on earth does being woke have to do with anything, what???
@WolfieboyMachi Did you get nervous about a question?🫵🏽🤣🤧 MAGA🫰🏽🤣
that big ol matte finish body is just cryin for some Slayer, Metallica, Thrasher, and local thrash metal band stickers.
I really want to get an S by Solar but sadly no distribution for Canada maybe they will one day. The panted neck does not bother me at all and I think it looks awesome but I think that is a personal preference. Your videos are great and I appreciate everything you put into them \m/ Thanks again!
Damn, are you serious? I'm in Canada too 😩
I'm interested! I play live shows every weekend and don't particularly love the idea of taking my expensive solar's out to get damaged I'd like to pick one up for a live guitar that I can beat up and not feel bad about. Thanks for making this!
I got one this week, I' m telling you it is legit. It honestly plays as well as my "real " Solars. I was shocked! They left out my whammy bar for the Floyd but I will let it slide....
No offense brother just my opinion but what would you rather have an ESP or an LTD didn't mean to seem like I was screaming at everybody sorry...LOL!!😂😂
@@ronnielobosmith4870Its easier to manage things if you have two corporate entities. S by solar has already been active in Brazil for a year, its just easier to have a budget brand for countries like that.
@@ronnielobosmith4870 I totally get what you’re saying…. I just hope this doesn’t hurt the Solar brand.
How was the frets ? Ty
@@JoeHasGas I don’t notice anything different from the real Solar. Very nice feel.
Always great reviews man. Keep it coming.
I bought a set of 7 string Solar Pickups off of Reverb like a year ago to put in one of my 7 string Ibanez's. But now I'm thinking of buying the AB4.7C S by Solar, and putting those pickups in there. And swapping the locking tuners over from my Ibanez onto the AB4.7C. Medium frets are no problem. That would be a sweet guitar. Even if it just become my backup for now. Now Ola NEEDS to make a higher end S by Solar series with Evertune bridges, and locking tuners in the $600-$700 range. LOL.
Higher end budget guitars. You remind me of the people who wanted epiphones to be more like gibsons the got mad when the prices went over a grand. …um pick one. Not both
@@Ottophil What they F you talking about? I have 2-7 string Solars with Evertunes. 2-Gibson Les Paul's. 2-Epiphone SG's, 3-7 string Ibanez's, 3-6 String Ibanez's. 1-6 String Schecter, 1-7 string Schecter, all ranging from a few Hundred dollars up to several Thousand dollars. I've been a relatively successful musician for decades. My entire guitar collection is worth over $15,000. Not to include the $12,000 in amps I own. So shut up. I only made a suggestion to help people who cannot afford $1200-$2500 guitars have access to something a bit higher. What do you got, a Squire that won't intonate properly?
Got the S by Solar V-model a while back because of a sudden obsession with flying v's. Looked like a perfect candidate cause i didn't want to drop a grand on a guitar when i wasn't sure i was going to like playing the shape. Turns out i fucking love the it and it was the best 300 bucks i've spent on music equipment since i bought my first guitar 15 years ago. For the price i have zero complaints.
"I dropped the tuning because... Satan." 😂
*I just got a $215 neck through super strat made in Vietnam with a Wilkinson trem and tuners that is every bit as good as what people pour $1000 into. Ultimately, most guitars are built by CNC, or at least high rate duplicator routers, so that's how they can make something top of the line for entry level pricing. Even the pickups are high end, but that's one of the most deceptive components on an instrument when compared to selling costs.*
Coupled with the fact that they're using species of trees that are plentiful in Asia and a cousin variety to what we have in the east, their costs are just so low that the major names can barely compete anymore.
*I would hate to see Gibson go out of business, but they have made a lot of poor business decisions, haven't remained current and competitive, and a 3,000 Les Paul is really just an old man's guitar that will be used as a trophy piece rather than a daily played instrument.*
It's only old farts that can afford them in enough abundance to keep Gibson from shutting their doors completely!
where did u get something at that price??
Im considering buying one, just to have one. So far im impressed with how the entire line sounds. I love tinkering with budget guitars to make them better.
I didn't get it at first, but now I figured it out - The more you LOOK like you don't like something, the more you actually like that thing
You're just used to seeing a clear bolt-on neck cause it's default on 99% of bolt-ons, reason being a) on budget guitars they're both bolt-on and clear coated because it's cheap; and/or b) historically all bolt-ons trace back to evolving from imitating Fender. I would actually praise this guitar for having a matching neck cause it's more rare/different and doesn't give off "entry level import" vibe like for example what cheapest LTDs are to more expensive LTD/ESP models.
Pickups are definitely lower output than the higher-end models. Can hear it in the video, but other than that it looks like a win.
Dude my first guitar in like 2002-2003 was a first act and for those who dont know walmart used to sell guitars 😅. Wish they had these back then
They look much better without that silly inlay on the neck. Solar should consider getting rid of it, seriously.
The only reason I haven't gotten one yet.
Looks like some 2004 nu-metal tribal bullshit.
It is 24 inch scale like a mustang….24.75 was a mistake on page that is now corrected….but it is strange
Great video! I have to kind of agree with you about the painted necks on a bolt on guitar. I have a Kiesel Carvin neck through body and even it doesn't have a painted neck. I prefer unpainted but I have a few that are painted also.
everyone try to remember raw exposed wood necks move with humidity change the most .sealed with paint helps seal it off
Kinda surprised they didn't flush mount the pickups, but with it being a bolt on neck I guess it leaves room for adjustment in case of off neck angles
I am no import duty expert but I have never paid import duties from Thomann for orders in the $600.00 range. I have been told its a bit higher than that before they hit you.
Totally agree on the natural neck. Also agree on it being something I can get past pretty easily for $300 lol. I think I'd be pretty comfortable buying one of these for a younger relative metalhead!
From a quick glance at the website, it looks like the explorer style is the only s-series that has 22 frets, all the rest have 24
If anyone lives in England in Cannock, there is a beautiful shop just next door in Walsall called T.R music. They have some brilliant budget guitars in there. I tried a 1999 epiphone Les Paul and it was brilliant and they have lots of others too. The staff are extremely friendly and their life’s goal seems just to be helping you get a good guitar for a good price. 100% recommend and I was not paid for saying this 😂
Awesome, I did a review on the westcreek Revenge. I'd like to hear your input on those since u tried thos o e out too. Amazon shipped for like 230
always down to review budget guitars!
I like your demos because you play through an actual cabinet.
Looks and sounds great. The Solar and the LTD or ESP 'EX' are only "Explorer" shapes I like outside of the real deal Gibson's. The finished neck looks nice on it too, bonus if it's a satin smooth type finish.
I like the Harley Benton EX the most! 🤩🤘
I have played off and on for a decade and a half and could never really afford more expensive instruments. Most of my experiences have come from cheaper guitars being upgraded into metal monsters. Cut to Solar announcing the S line. I instantly ordered the T style and I already have plans to mod it to absolute hell. I think the most expensive guitar I've ever had was a Schecter Hellraiser I got used for $400. I am really stoked about my S by Solar to arrive. Awesome tones and video as always my dude. Happy Holidays to you and yours! 🖤
I love pickup rings. Ever tried cleaning the dust and crud from around humbuckers? It sucks!
the perfect cheap starter guitar for a kid right now in my opinion is the one I just got my son the Mitchell m100 short scale. I got mine used at guitar center perfect condition 75 bucks. had my guy set it up touch a few things and im actually pretty impressed with how it plays and stays in tune pretty good even dropping it down to d. It sounds good so far no complaints and for the amp I got him a fender champion 20 because its simple sounds good and has effects. my sons 5 he's gunna be rocking in no time!!
You can always sand off the paint/sealer on the neck and maybe just oil it. I've done this to a number of guitars, even thinning some out or slightly changing the profile.
To my ears. Ceramic just sounds almost completely lacking a mid range. Perfect if. That's what your aiming for but otherwise that thing looks great after sanding the neck to something not so sticky i would swap pickups and love it forever
"I dropped the tuning because...SATAN."
Excellent.
Never clicked on a video so fast before
Hmm. I actually like all the "composit" fretboards like on a few gibsons or hagstrom
Hey man, great review! How about the weight of the guitar also can you advise if there is any neck dive?
Judging from the top strap button position, it will definitely have serious neck dive.
Explorers need the button by the neck joint to counteract it.
The only one I haven't had to move is a LTD.
That PRS Archon 50 looks so good
The control row on the top is really classy
Yeah I will do something with it here soon. It's a pretty cool amp!
I find this model attractive. Mostly because I like to mod my guitars, and making radical changes to a high price guitar is stomach turning. Especially if you find you don’t like the mod when your finished, or if you suck at luthier tinkering.
You've given me the urge to buy some long t's with sleeve designs. I miss fun sleeves.
They're the best... except in summer.
I'll be picking up a few different S models, you can always upgrade the tuners and pickups but it sounds great in this demo
It'll be a couple more months before we can say if it's solid or hit n miss though, Raymond got one the other day and apparently it was horrendous. Could've been that the 3/4 scale is just inherently faulty in the design or he got unlucky, but on the bright side yours came in pretty solid so hell yeah!
Also, I prefer natural open pore necks if it's a dark wood choice like wenge/purpleheart lol but if it's a boring ass 1 piece maple neck (not rock nor flamed) then yeah I'm all for it matching (on a flamed maple 1pc tho transparent tint finishes rule) lol
I just got a cheap guitar just because the paint and was blown away at the craftsmanship I paid $87 shipping tax and all budget guitars sure have come a long way
I like bolted on painted necks … if the set neck is painted the bolt one should be too, tho only cost cutting should be the joint itself
I was gonna ask of s by solars website is down? Looks like a few people here said the same .. i was looking to buy the AB4.6C.
the woodgrain on the neck is probably not the best, which is fine as long as its structurally sound right? that would be a cool thing to skimp on when making a budget guitar
Hey mate ! You don't play standing, so does this guitar have a good balance ? In general, this kind of guitar like Explorer or SG or Viper have the neck which falls down when you are standing. How is it here, please ? Must we change the local attachments ?
I’m a beginner and I bought a $700 plus solar now I want one of those.
I like brands who cater to a wide range of budgets, bc typically they put more effort into their lower models than Donner/Ivy/Ect..
I have a maxed out Hagstrom that I love; but to be completely honest, my budget line jackson remains one of my most played guitars.
I do wish that neck was set though. I was looking at the teles and just thinking man, that would look so much nicer set in.
The black namebrand Solar tele with the set neck is often sold out. Let's see if I can hold out or will I cave to the S.
How's the frets ?
Great demo Taylor!
I love how they made the neck match the body on those guitars. I really dislike how a natural looking neck looks on a metal type guitar. Fenders and gibsons sure, but on this, i love how it looks. I might get the 7 string as a back up / beater guitar, something I wont worry too much about.
I swap necks around on my guitars sometimes. I also hate painted bolt ons!
I had a black LTD EX-50 with a painted gloss neck and it was terrible, a natural neck feels so much smoother imo
Sounds great, I already have a main brand Solar V much like yours, but if I was looking for my first guitar and just starting out I would definitely get this guitar. Best in that price range, unless you’re going second hand sales 🔥
I definitely agree with you on the neck, but luckily the white version which I’m getting has a natural neck 😁
Great review. Thanks. Regarding your neck pet peeve…I don’t share your view. Do you own/have you reviewed any baritone guitars?
Not yet!
We obviously have different definitions of clean sounds.
That's the cleanest this amp gets, sorrry bro.
Man I've played bass 30+years and due to arthritis I've went to playing guitars and I see ME buying this ..I'm intermediate/able to play guitar before I ever picked a 6dtring guitar up and this is easily ad nice as the Devlin I bought at same price but it's set neck and sweet as dead possum stench ...this I bought an Epiphone gothic lp ....seems like evrry guitar i owns gonna be matte blavk and im ok with that... Having to start over with different instruments at 45 I can buy 2 for what an entry level Ibanez or bc rich were in 88to 1990...you were. Lucky to find a post buyot harmony for 200at the pawn shop Floyd's were 250 ...a memphis samick made for Gibson were 299 to 700 and I sold the black charvel/Kramer clone for more than I paid for it ....inflation accounted for ...it's cheaper to buy a new student model than to buy a used .... anything...I'ma cop me +1 of these
def feel the same about painted bolt on necks, I think its cause i started playing with those super cheapo epiphone starter pack guitars with painted finished and it just sucked lol I do like the looks on this one at least, and the heel looks infinitely better than how other brands do theirs with like a huge goofy square that doesnt even try being ergonomic. great video though, I kind of want to grab the V now
I haven't got a 7string yet, so i'll probably splash the cash into one of those. Seems like a good way to get into that.
COMPLETELY AGREE about the neck. 100% I have a sweet A2.6 in Neon Lemon that feels beautiful. I was curious about the S brand. I don't have a need for another guitar, but does that ever stop a guitarist? lol EVER?
Website unavailable, must be they had a lot more f people interested in checking this guitar out!
I’ll keep trying ;)
where can you buy these guitars?
The sbysolar website!
As a beginner I would love to buy this guitar! Sounds good - looks hot! 🤝🏼
5:00 - I'm supposing they're going after the matte black aesthetic really hard in including finish on the back of the neck. I like the look, but that's just me being a weirdo.
The guitar is cool but I’m not the target for it. I’m interested in that amp though. Is there a demo of that coming?
Satan (Dad) loves all tuning Taylor....but he loves E standard at the moment....due to it the anger it raises in Djent/Nu-metal player's....Dad's very old school 🤘😁😂
Awesome video I personally would like this guitar but 24 frets
Pretty sweet guitar that’s my favorite guitar shape other than the strat. I’m more of a rhythm player than a shredder but I’m definitely considering it for my next guitar. Either this or a low budget schecter
Don't mind the painted neck as long as it's not gloss.
I don’t know if its my speakers, the clean tone sounds a bit brittle
Should I go for one of these or just spend a few bucks more for an Ibanez RGA? These look like much more high quality made.
5:58 "this is what it sounds like". Sounds like your setup, considering the guitar would make negligible difference to the sound.
How long did it take to get there?
I'd like to see a comparison with a Jackson Kelly JS32T.
I like the neck the way it is, I think natural neck would look stupid on this. I keep hearing that these S's have intonation problems, was this one ok?
The headstock is a deal breaker for me, I don't want a super strat-esc headstock on an explorer style guitar (the only shape i play). If they gave it something that at least resembles the typical hockey stick headstock I'd probably get one.
The problem is, that hockey stick headstock is copyrighted by Gibson. That's why this uses the Solar headstock 💁♂ Though some other brands do have more hockey sticky headstocks...
@@MaximusAdonicus I'm sure they could have made something similar looking but not with the exact same measurements. Whatever tho, no biggie.
@@MaximusAdonicus I mean the body shape itself is pretty much an explorer with a few minor differences from the original, why not go all the way through with it and make a headstock that kind of looks hockey stick-ish.
@@ilikepotatoes1345 Welp, it's because for the same reason they did NOT wanna go all the way 🙉 Plus, I think Solar only has this 1 headstock, which is fine by me, and a good way to keep them unique 💁♂ I just don't personally like these pointy ESP type explorers, nor even the originals 😀 The Harley Benton version has a cool notch, which makes them appeal to me!
@@MaximusAdonicus I personally could never get down with the Harley Benton ones, the body shape I think deviates a bit too much for my taste, plus I think they come with actives, so at least I personally would have to rip those out, put new passives in, and rewire it which is too much of a hassle even though they're priced so cheap.
idk why people care about what gear is used to demo guitars, it's not like you have a baseline anyway. and also the guitar itself make up so little of the final sound when it comes to metal that it doesn't really matter at all. if the pickups aren't noisy and feedbacking like crazy, the guitar stays in tune and feels good to play, that's all that really matters
Man dude if it didn't have pickup rings. Is direct mount that much of a mark up? I see a new s series model that isn't but it has a floyd. Might get that but I hope in the near future they go ringless in all of them.
Bro, take some tape and mask off the top and bottom of the neck on the back and sand it. I've done it to so many of my guitars over the years. It's really easy.
I wonder how much stainless steel frets would have affected the cost overall seeing as firefly is doing it for guitars even under $200. Also wonder why the E has 22 vs 24 frets, and why is it (Jackson does it as well) can't they just put HT bridges on guitars that aren't some version of strat shaped body? I would rather a HT saddle bridge (as on the donner) vs a TOM. would it really boost the cost? That nitpicking aside, I like that Ola is trying to offer a series at a lower cost point that has value. Another grip and it isn't against Solar or S. Other companies do this: putting the jack on the lower leg of the V? if the point is to get these into the hands of younger or beginners of any age... why not have the input in the upper part of the V. it's more comfortable, and the more comfortable a player is, the more they will play. is channeling through that much wood in the back make the cost go up that much? i mean they CNC these things.
Lol...FYI stainless steel frets are cheap dude.....like very affordable. It doesn't cost much at all to add ss frets.
@@beefnacos6258 Just makes it more irritating then, that they aren't being put on the budget line of big name guitar brands.
I'm going to purchase one, how can I get you the referral?
What noise gate do you use, @danley?
MR. Danley, Taylor... sorry
I don't mind a painted bolted neck so long as it isn't a gloss finish. If it is, I hate it and I wonder why they would go through the extra effort just to make something less playable for the majority of people. (I'm looking at you LTD!)
liked the video, your amped roots demo here was of very poor tuning and setup of speaker cab impulse responses and just overall gain that was much less when you used roots compared to the real amp.. just my two cents though buddy
I like the idea of modding a sub 100 dollar guitar and putting budget pickups on it with a fret job and setting it up to sound and play like it's a $300 guitar.
Sounds decent, definitely a bang for the buck.
Wish they had these in 2006 though heheh
same!
Wish they had them last year. Bought a pacifica, im not complaining, that alnico 5 humbucker is great and it has that twang on single coils. Would have been cool to have a metal looking axe though.
"This is the beginning of the signal chain; if this sucked, there's no way that anything after it is going to magically fix it. That's not the way signal chains work."
While you're not wrong in saying that, it's also pretty lousy logic to apply to an electric guitar. 90% of what you're going to hear from the instrument is going to be a direct consequence of how the pickups are manufactured, and how the thing is wired. As long as you don't have microphonic pickups, and you're not suffering a ground loop problem... it's going to sound pretty damn close to anything else you run through that setup. The biggest difference is going to be determined by SC vs HB pickups...
I like the video, the guitar looks promising, but that statement kinda rubs me the wrong way. The largest determining factors in whether or not a guitar is any good aren't going to be the things you see or hear.
Nice open with slipknot btw
Wonderful how Ola says Solar, as in solar flare, but everyone else says SoLar