Jack FFR1846
Registered User
Senior Member

I really liked the OLP. I do a lot of reading about them and other people sometimes find bad apples, but I think that if you get one that you can play first.....or order from someone who takes them back in 30 days like Guitar Center, they are a killer deal. The neck was the selling point for me. It was as close to an Axis as I've played besides an actual Axis or a Peavey EVH. What were the downsides? Hmmm. Care in detail for things that (to me) were less important were not up to EB standards. The pickguard did not sit flat to the body. I'd say that someone drilled a hole just slightly off in the body and did not correct it. If I still owned it, I might have removed that, painted the body to look like a JP and redrilled to flatten the pickguard. When I had it setup, I was told the the frets were not perfectly straight down the neck. I think a half hour with a hammer and straight edge could have made it perfect, but I was able to get good, low action without buzzing, so I let it be.

I have noticed that people selling OLPs used......for some reason.....want more than they go for new. Usually with discontinued models...but I've seen a JP in the CT Craigslist for a couple months for $350. They're selling new for $250. They play nicely enough that if someone did not do their research, they'd likely pay the $350 as it's worth it. I paid $100 for the Benji used at Daddy's Junky Music. I passed on an EVM Axis copy for $175 since the few new ones that are still out there are only $189.

Oh....I did sell my OLP for more than I paid for it. Not a lot, but made a few dollars and recovered the guitar cost, the new strings and the extended warantee cost plus maybe $5 or $10.

jack

Out of curiosity, what did you think of the OLP Benji you used to own? I've thought of picking one up for kicks, and I be interested to know what yours was like?

I built it myself.

It's a Factory Five kit. Picked up the kit in September of 99 and it first hit the road in June 2000.

jack

Where'd you get you Cobra built?
My pops was in the biz for quite awhile here in SoCal