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OLP MM2 & MM3
Electric basses |
OLP MM2 & MM3 Electric basses
If you missed last issue, you would’ve read about a new line of guitars and basses coming out of Asia called OLP. The Officially Licensed Product (OLP) instruments are endorsed by the Ernie Ball/Musicman company and are aimed at the player looking to work his or her way to an original. The MM2 & MM3 basses are the instruments we’ll check out this issue and if you are a fan of the Stingray bass then read on…
MM2: The MM2 4-string is aimed purely at the person looking to spend well under a grand to get going. With their American cousins costing over three thousand, the OLP has the contours and shape of the stingray with every design detail approved by the manufacturer to ensure you’re getting a great looking instrument and great value for money. The MM2 I was offered to review featured a Basswood body, maple neck with a maple fingerboard and was finished in a pearl-blue colour. The satin finish on the neck has a nice feel to it and the hardware is both solid and functional. The Levenson-style truss rod works very well and allows fast neck adjustments to suit individual playing styles, while the chunky bridge on the MM2 with the open gear machine heads holds everything rock solid. The bass feels right in your hands and acoustically, sounds great. Being a passive design as far as electronics are concerned, the MM2 features a Musicman style pickup with 1 tone and 1 volume knob. Once you’re plugged in to an amp, you’ll find a warm tone that only solid timber can deliver and a sound very similar to the American relative. The MM2 has great string spacing so most styles are catered for. If you’re a pick player or fingerstyle, you should have no problem getting around on an OLP. At $795.00 (rrp) it’s terrific value for someone looking for quality without spending major dollars straight up. Students that are just starting or looking to upgrade may want to consider the MM2. As far as a passive design 4-string electric bass goes, it is definitely one of the better ones out there and well worth checking out.
MM3: The MM3 is a Stingray 5-string style bass that has the same appointments as the 4 string but differs slightly in the neck. The MM3 has 22 frets and is slightly wider to accommodate the extra string and still comes in at way under a thousand of your hard-earned dollars. The finish and feel of the MM3 is excellent to say the least with this model having the Natural Elm body. This one proved to be a bit brighter than the basswood model. You might want try both timbers before making a final decision (Elm is only available in a natural finish on both models). The low B string on the MM3 is very responsive and setting up and intonating the bass proved to be no problem at all. Again you have one volume and one tone control with a 5-string Musicman style pickup that is passive. The 5-string sounds pretty good and has a good feel and is very affordable.
OLP is here to stay…
Fender has Squier, Gibson has Epiphone and now Musicman has OLP. The OLP basses are very good value for money and anyone looking at getting into a Musicman style bass or guitar should consider one of these rather than the generic brands out there that "look like ‘em" but can sound and play terribly. The OLP range is well constructed and I’m sure we’ll see many more models hit the streets in the near future. The MM2 and MM3 basses are available in black, natural, pearl blue and gunsmoke. You can find out more on the OLP range by asking by name at your local music store, or get on the Australian distributor’s website www.cmcmusic.com.au and they’ll be happy to put you onto a dealer nearby.
QUALITY
PLAYABILITY
BANG-F0R-YOUR-BUCK
OVERALL