I have literally bought this guitar off eBay. The actual one in the video. Didn't pay £1000 for it, alot less and it's worth about £600 to £700. Solar pickup is a bit weak but easy to swap. Looks and feels amazing, cheers
Just bought this exact guitar they were having a sale I got mine for $850 shipped plus $50 for customs. So I have the exact same guitar as you for $900 I live in California. To me this guitar is absolutely 100% WORTH 900! When I got mine I let it acclimate in the box for a day. The next day I pulled it out tuned it up, had to tune it up a couple more times jammed on it really hard and had to tune up a little bit after that. Now it stays in tune perfect! I have been jamming on this guitar for about a week haven't had one problem had to tune it very little if any at all. Remember the guitar is brand new and came from Europe I live in California. So I am saying this guitar is well worth the money I am so glad I bought it and it sounds incredible through my Xdrive from IK. I am also running it through ToneX. THIS GUITAR RIPS I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT. Great video bro 🤘
I have a BC Rich Chuck Schuldiner Stealth, and a few Jackson Warriors (and my go to floating trem guitar model: Jackson Rhoads) they're all comfortable sitting and standing. The Warrior is the most comfortable, and gives you two placement options when sitting. To minimize damage to the long horn, at home, I wrap a microfiber cloth around it, with extra padding at the end, (leave excess cloth over the horn, fold it to make a thicker padding, you can leave this in place for future use). I use rubber bands to hold the extra padding, and hold the cloth in place on the horn, so far no damage. Only takes a few minutes. It slips off frequently until you figure it out.
great review, thinking to get an x from solar cos of my shoulder poping, having real problems with strats and single's as they kinda push my shoulder out.
Almost everything i buy now has at least a Floyd 1000 which does eliminate alot of the tuning issues. I just got a Loomis Kelly and im going to have to get a case for sure but i was able to get it mint for $1120 US and I was relieved at how good it is. Jackson has had a lot of bad press on its issues, looks like they gave the JL model some extra care, one of the reasons is that it was build in Korea which i still hold above INDO build.
I'm not a great lover of signature guitars but that Loomis Kelly has me DROOLING! Completely agree about Korea, some of the absolute best price to quality ratio coming out of there at the moment.
I believe the tuning issue on the stock Solar hard tail is the PPS nut,...it's suppose to keep the guitar in tune, but I don't think it did a very good job on mine,...
Thank god someone mentioned the 22 frets, I feel like any guitar over $500 should BY DEFAULT have a 2 octave reach, not even as a lead player but as someone who wants to not be restricted to bending to reach certain notes, I personally feel like there’s no reason to not have it with any guitar tbh. But speaking of guitars less than 1k (and it’s in the .2 range) solar literally sell a 6 and 7 string evertune equipped guitar for 899-999 with a flame maple veneer but no case, I’d honestly rather have an Evertune than a case The model is the AB2.6/7 (depending on strings) ET FBB
@@komraderymcdermott5903 bruh when theres a solo that shows to use the 24th fret and you dont have it it just kills the whole ass vibe i hate it. I only have one out of 7 guitars that has 22 frets and thats only because its too cool to get rid of otherwise i would
Well that's really cool it came with a nice Case. That's $200 right there. You could say the Guitar is $800 thinking of it that way. I have a Case for every Guitar i have to keep them Safe and that's a added Expense for sure if it doesn't have one. Seems $1000 is the new Starting Price for anything decent now days. Kinda sucks.
The S-Type Style guitars look absolutely stunning, the headstock alone is pure art. That being said, for around 1k nothing beats ESP/LTD stuff in my opinion. If only they would fcking use a decent but material on the price range… churning out 13€ for a graph tech nut isn’t a big deal though and a well worth upgrade. On a side note, I absolutely love your videos, keep them coming 🙃
I know right? Cost price for a graphite nut must be bordering on pennies.... Solar use to not have plastic nuts on anything even the entry level stuff. I really hope they reconsider. Thanks so much for watching the vids glad you enjoy them!
If you're getting a strat or soloist there are other option's I have tons of Schecter's, Fender's and Jackson's,....but the set neck thru Solar X and V seem to play better than my Dean and Jackson V's,.....more in line with the Schecter Jeff Loomis V, or Japanese Alexi V with Floyd's,....but yeah,....I changed the nut's on my Solars the graphite,..also put some lokcing tuners on,....they stay in tune much better now
@@LeonLandgren-qt9pg Most neck-thru Korean Schecter's are top quality,...if you get one with a Floyd,...try to get a one with a Floyd 1000 or Floyd Pro,...I'd try to stay clear of the Floyd Special ( they may stay in tune, but they won't get the same sustain),....one of mine that's still in production is the Reaper,...they offer a string thru body, a Floyd Rose 1000 model and one with a sustainiac pick-up,....( I got their maple top sustainiac Explorer style guitar,.....not worth it unless you plan to actually use the sustainiac) The Hellraiser's are good also,...the Hellraiser Extreem is probably the best with it's maple neck,...but they are hard to find,....my fav. Schecter is the Jeff Loomis 6 string V,.....
In regards to import taxes and or fees shipping to the US, I surprisingly had no extra charges when I ordered a bass from Solar. $749.00 was the website price and paid a total $794 and change. Did I get lucky? No extra shipping fee, nothing. And only $40 in sales tax?
Have you tried a spot of nut lube in the groves? I love solar. I have 3 of them. Lower tunings require a lighter touch, they stay in tune better with less finger pressure. Sorry if you already know this, no offense to you, just a suggestion.
I appreciate the suggestion! I actually have a tube of Nut Sauce i've used on other guitars with plastic nuts/poor tuning stability but I've never found it fixes the problem fully unfortunately.
Nice Review (as always) I’ve think I’ve come to the conclusion, that I am not going to buy a Solar guitar. For the moment the Ormsby guitars have made med curious. From what I have heard, their QC is some of the best, that comes out of the “world music factory” in korea. Have you ever played an Ormsby guitar? Cheers😊🍻
I've tried a couple of times to get hold of an Ormsby for review, I pre-ordered a GTS when they were announced but ended up cancelling it after endless delays. I will keep at it and thank you for watching! The South Korean factories are some of the best in the world for guitar manufacturing right now.
I bought the 7 string Ormsby Metal X, tried to like it but sold it for a loss after 3 months . The neck dive was severe and unfixable. The pickups sound muddy at low tunings. The fret fran is so extreme that playing on the first fret my index finger crosses over the nut on the treble side. The fan is so extreme that options to replace the pickups are very limited and expensive. The treble edge of the nut was sharp and stabbing my index finger so I had to sand it down. The neck profile is thick. When I swapped the stock strap buttons for Schaller locking strap buttons, a piece of the finish flaked off leaving bare exposed wood.
I have this crazy idea in my head where we have cell phones and wireless speakers wouldn't it be cool to have no wire and it's an apartment built into the guitar in the back that sinks into your amp and you don't have to worry about any Jack problems or anything and you have the freedom to move around stand with other wouldn't that be a cool idea I haven't seen anything like that where it's built inside the guitar that means it sinks into any amp that you play I wish they would come out with something like that that would be a game-changer
Especially when you're playing a guitar it was an idea that I was thinking about in my head for the longest time about having a wireless Qatar having these cool guitars with no wires that sink into the amp with no issues that would be really cool just like how your cell phone connects to your amp you know that would be so cool to have some type of Technology like that where you can actually go and have to have a wire plugged into the guitar and into the amp it is built in that would be really cool where you can just automatically sync it in just like a cell phone with a JBL speaker do the same thing with the guitar and the amp I don't know why I didn't come out with its with all the technology and all of the stuff why they haven't done that yet that would be a total game
I've always been curious as to why guitar companies cheap out on nuts. When i check online good guitar nuts are pretty cheap. Is there something I'm missing? That Headrush sounds amazing in this video btw. What made you choose it over a helix?(I don't own either)
Economies of scale I guess mate, but its been the bane of so many guitars I've reviewed I just cant see why you'd choose the Nut as an area to save money. A shame as Solar have always historically fitted Graphite/Graphtech nuts to even the entry level stuff. I have owned one of every Helix product and they are great! But.... something about the amp modelling in the Headrush I have always preferred, a crisper higher fidelity sound, a bit less dullness than the Helix. Then again I have heard from people who prefer Helix over Headrush for the same reasons... personal taste maybe. I also have a Kemper Rack that i absolutely love the sound of!
@@GuitarCinemaOfficial Good to know thanks for replying. The only modeling unit I have owned is the Mooer Preamp live which is pretty good but I mostly use various individual preamp pedals now.
I replaced the nut on mine,.....some people may want bone,...some graphite,......maybe they don't want to bother having to import the nuts from the US,....they do import some of the pickups though,...and they make some out of American alder,....I read somewhere that the PPS nuts do actually stay in tune if cut properly,.....they still can be a bit of a tone sucker
A huge part of the price is related to the shape and the hard case. As far as I'm concerned, Solar 2 series are not 1000 bucks guitars. I would not have paid 1000€ for my Solar A2.6 and I would not pay that price for this one either. I'm happy with my Solar, I love the way it sounds and plays, but I've also encountered QC issues.
I have the red one,.....only $50 more,.....slight different wood same spec,.....I prefer the passive pickups and was looking for a non-trem set thru,......I think it's a great guitar for the money,.....I also have the 24fret green Solar V,...both great guitars......if you want one with a locking trem,....make sure you get a model with an actual Floyd 1000,.....I can't believe they actually make a couple guitars at this price range with a Floyd Special ( must be a deal the company has with Floyd Rose ) I have a half dozen guitars with either German Floyd's or Flody 1000's on them, as well as a couple cheap one's with Specials,....the Floyd Special's are complete tone sucker's,....
I definitely have a lot of great ideas to improve guitars and stuff specially amps and things I've always coming out and inventing really cool ideas I don't know why they don't do things like that that would be really cool
The way I see it, the case bought alone is around 200€ (something similar in pounds or dollars I presume), so the guitar is actually just around 800€/£/$. I don't know why they would not sell just the guitar without the case, as they do with every other model, because that would probably knock back the price quite a bit closer to A2.6 for example. For 800€ guitar I would accept that kind of finish flaw. I would accept it in a 1000€ guitar as well, because it's not very visible and hence does not really matter, but I'd be pretty disappointed still. The pps nut though is pretty inexcusable. I'd even rather pay a bit extra for the guitar to have a tusq nut straight out of the factory than have one installed afterwards.
Fair points mate. Im willing to bet the inclusion of a case is likely to reduce risk of transportation damage as the upper horn on this guitar is so long and thin it's just asking to be whacked. Even more so than a V. The cases are also made in Indonesia so let's assume a minimum 50% markup possibly more. And let's not forget Solar mostly sell direct to consumer which also increases profit margin.
@@GuitarCinemaOfficial That makes sense and probably is the reason for including the case. That kind of profit margin is nothing out of ordinary, but why ESP for example is capable of offering more premium features at the same price point could be due to them making and selling a whole lot more guitars, so they are able to buy materials and parts in bulk and get the money back through sales volume. But then again I'm just guessing here. After more thinking I'm also a bit doubtful if the price is justified. I bought my Solar AB2.6GM for 349€ from the "summer sale", so at least I got my Solar for a fair price lol :D
I have this guitar,....it will only fit in the case that comes with it,.....however you are correct,...if you want two of these guitars of the same shape,...you may no want two cases
My Brand New Solar EX had grounding hum issues ... And the neck dive is horrendous. I added a lot of tire weights to make it playable. I don't play sitting at all, so if you do, maybe that's not an issue. The neck is great, on par with my ESP LTD Arrow, but the finish is definitely not the same quality. It's a good guitar, but you can do better for the new price ~
Pro-tip for everyone buying Solars in Europe/UK: Buy them through Thomann. No customs or import charges. I'm not quite sure about the new X series, I do like Solars but I always gravitate towards the 6.1 series. A guitar at this price point with no locking tuners either is disappointing too. Are these the normal Solar pickups or are they the Solar + which uses the Alnico VIII magnet?
Great advice! I forgot to mention the lack of locking tuners. Can't cost them much to add them since they are all Solar branded either way. These are the standard Solar pickups not the plus.
Actually if you're playing professionally and anything like that that is built into the guitar and you don't have to have that big box on the side of your pants the wireless setup we have that little brick that's in the back of your pants if they don't see it so you can move around wouldn't be just better to put something built into the guitar and then you just turn your amp on and it seems right in they do that with your cell phone and a wireless speaker like a JBL wouldn't that be cool the same way how you take your cell phone and JBL speakers and you sync the Minn wouldn't that be cool if you can take the guitar and thinking it Carlos if you were just in your studio or just kicking around your bed you don't have to worry about any wires anymore and what did it sound amazing
guitar for me is almost worth the price. 24 frets is a deal breaker, also floyd rose is required. I know the more expensive one has a floyd, but 24 is required.
The E or the X only have 22,...I think it's the body cut,......I've got an X as well as a V,.....the V has 24 frets,...but kind of a thin body,...also as it fits in a standard V case,...the V just comes with a padded bag,....I have an SKB V case,...so no problem,.....I think if you want a 24fret Flody,...their only option would be one with active pickups,....I believe I saw they have a signiture Floyd V with a single passive humbucker,....I believe they do make like a soloist and bolt-on 24,....again I have a Shecter Reaper so not in the market for that,....
@@fatalbroadcast I bought a strandberg instead, 24 frets is just required unfortunately. I hate the fan frets kinda but like the solar x, the body just fits perfect in the sitting position
@@GuitarCinemaOfficialyeah I hear people compare ESP and Schecter say the price difference was important but these days since it’s all expensive it’s worth it to just start going for the high end of guitars
@@AdamManley7 Even with price increases, I don't think its ever "worth it" to go for high end guitar when an Asian guitar in the 1k-2k range is not significantly worse than more expensive instruments. Too much diminishing returns man.
They are both so similar I think it comes down to personal preference. Having owned a Solar E i find them on the heavy side but quite comfortable to play. Honestly the plastic Nut is the deal breaker! Thanks for watching!
It's a $750 guitar with a non-optional $200 case. Spec-wise they're competing with the -200 series LTDs despite hovering around the price point of the -1000 series. NGL though, that Trans Purple Evertune X keeps begging me to buy it... Definitely not the best bang-for-buck brand, but great guitars nonetheless!
Hmmm with guitar case would say price is fair. I've seen guitar case on sale for around $150. Personally not for me because need 24 frets and not a fan of shape. If they had model with legs same length maybe.
@@johnconiglio9278 God this is one of my absolute pet peeves! Expensive Guitars that just come in a box. I looked at the brand new BC Rich 7 String Shredzilla this week. £1900 and not even a gig bag! 🤬
Quite a lot of tool marks on the close up of the frets there. $1000 USD for a guitar with the equivalent of the "Duncan Designed" pickups with a plastic nut and cheap tuners with a fixed bridge made in Indonesia....
@@GuitarCinemaOfficial Yeah. Not good value. Solars pricing is perplexing. Some models with evertunes and fishmans are priced very competitively and guitars like these, are not..
I have owned three solar guitars and I really didn't like any of them. Not a big fan of the neck and as you stated QC issues. 2 of them were real unstable and every time the humidity changed 1% the damn things were immediately out of tune.
@@GuitarCinemaOfficial All S1.6's and yes all plastic as well. All of them had the hipshot bridge. Personally I think the culprit may have been the fact that they are using Green lumber. on the 2 that would not stay in tune the necks moved all over the place with temperature and humidity fluctuations to the point where I could pick the guitar up in the morning and play it and it was fine and later on in the afternoon the action may be super low or super high causing buzzing and intonation problems. I also have discovered through my solar journey that I am not a big fan of the neck, fingerboard isn't flat enough for my taste and the nut seems narrow. I never measured it but it feels narrow to me and that is a feature of most Schecter Guitars that I do not like and it seems that solar necks are super similar to the way those feel to me. All of them seemingly had at least 1 or 2 sloppy tuning machines as well.
had to turn my sub woofer off to watch this, your voice is a 808 in this video. For some reason this solar x shape looks kiddish/toyish doesnt really scream grown up to me. Just my opinion.
The Schecter E-1 will absolutely DESTROY the Solar on build quality/spec. The X however will be slightly more ergonomic/comfortable to play given the body/neck difference. You decide which is more important for you.
@@GuitarCinemaOfficial 👊 thanks mate. neck? Is the schecter E-1 fat compared to solar? What would you compare it to . I grew up playing 69 LP gold top. I don't mind wide, but not thick.
@@Danboi. Schecter advertise most of their necks as a Thin C but actually I and a lot of other people find them to be a fair bit thicker/narrower than what other brands class as a Thin C. If you are used to an LP however you should feel right at home!
@@GuitarCinemaOfficial Do you reckon it would neck dive with the strap botton in the traditional explorer position? (right above the 22nd fret on the side of the body)
Interesting to me that you categorize a guitar that doesn’t stay in tune as a “stage guitar”. Is that just because of the form factor? That aside, when playing live the stability, reliability, etc. of a guitar is critical. It’s not like in a studio where you can tune up between every clip and no one is the wiser. You go much out of tune live and the entire band suddenly sounds like garbage. I guess that’s all to say, I hold guitars I’m intending to take out on stage to a higher standard than I do ones I’m just recording with.
Yes I should have clarified, "Stage" Guitar purely is for the visual impact it makes! Assuming you could get this thing to a place where it has at least reasonable tuning stability it would look awesome under stage lighting!
you got it backwards, you can get away with a lot of slop playing live. tuning that's "good enough", intonation in the ball park, action so low you have fret buzz, loose jack, cheaper instruments that aren't a huge loss if they get stolen or damaged. most people won't be able to hear any issues or care. studio guitars have to be on point.
Yo! I think it's overpriced for what it is, that's a 700 quid guitar. But, as you say, prices are going bonkers....still why pay for what is not there. I have a solar v with fishman and evertune...I cannot speak badly about it and that time it was really fairly priced. That is not. It has a case I suppose it is difficult to ship and then to store and a hard case is cheaper than a soft case in this instance.... It is always the same bro...once they have got some sort of audience and attention companies stop being fair....and they then feel entitled to screw people. There is crucial time to buy a guitar in the timeline of a guitar company where you do get a fair deal...after that is always an abuse. Just look at strandberg it's a piss take! Thanks and I hope you manage to enjoy that guitar anyway. 👽🤘
@@GuitarCinemaOfficial yo! 500 is good price...but no longer! Mine was dearer ,but I so wanted a flame maple top. Still, I have gone headless since and added a string...and I just found a Legator gp7 for 660!! Take care man
