OLP MM1 Axis Guitar Trans Finishes Trans Green

 At this price...it's a no-brainer...
I have the trans green model. The service from Music123 was excellent. This guitar is the same design as the old Ernie Ball Eddie Van Halen model, which eventually became Ernie Ball's "Axis" series. The basic specs on the OLP Axis are close to it. The main difference is that this guitar is manufactured in China, whereas the Ernie Ball is made in the United States. If you can get over that, then you're in for a treat. They did a fantastic job on this guitar, and it's 1/5th the cost of an Ernie Ball Axis. Plus you can hot-rod it....

The body on the OLP is made of solid basswood, and the neck is unfinished maple. It sounds great even when it's not plugged in. The trans green finish looks beautiful, even though it is fake "photo maple" lying on top of the basswood. This is in contrast to the Ernie Ball version, which has a layer of real maple on top of the basswood. The trans green makes this guitar the NICEST looking one I own, even though it's the CHEAPEST guitar I own. I call it "Dweezil Zappa" green! Esthetically, I find the trans-colors much more pleasing than the solid colors.

I had never owned a guitar with an unfinished neck before, and I was floored by the feel of it. Very comfortable and responsive. Because it is unfinished it WILL get dirty after playing a lot. The pick-ups are stock (not the DiMarzios that you'd find on the Ernie Ball Axis), but they sound great too.

When the EVH models initially came out in the early 90's, the pick up switch was closer to the horn. After Van Halen found that he kept accidentally hitting it while playing, the design was switched so the pick-up switch was moved closer to where the volume pot is. The OLP Axis reflects this design change.

The tuners are generic (not Schalers), and the bridge is NOT a Floyd Rose.

So there you have it...if you buy this guitar you can modify it quite easily to approximate the old Ernie Ball Eddie Van Halen Music Man. Get Schaler tuners, add a Floyd Rose with a D-Tuna, add a locking nut etc.., and it won't cost you the farm.

I really can't say enough good stuff about this guitar. I'm extremely pleased. I'm considering getting a second one in a different color for back-up...