Olp mm1 post?

[wwotr]

Hi everyone!

I'm new to these Forums.
Having played Guitar in my Teenage years.
After a 30 year Hiatus, I have picked up an "OLP MM1"

Before I go any further, I was wondering if this is the correct Forum to ask questions about an "OLP" Guitar.
(since this is an Ernie Ball Forum).
I don't want to offend an Members and thought I'd ask here 1st, BEFORE I start to spew "Verbal Diarrhea" because I'm so STOKED!

Roger

[GWDavis28]

OLP have been talked about here before. To the best of my knowledge, there isn't a forum for OLP's.

Welcome. Whats your question?

Glenn |B)

[wwotr]

Thanks Glen,

1) Well for beginners, I'm assuming the Fret Board is unfinished?
It looks like a Natural Color.
It was a little Dirty and a friend said to use some ....
"Dunlop Fretboard 65 Ultimate Lemon Oil Cleaner and Lubricant" on it.

I was wondering if anyone else has used it and how they liked it.

2) Question was what to use on the Body of the Guitar to make it shiny/Clean.
I have been told you can use Automotive Car Was as long as it is Carnuba and doesn't contain any Silicones.

3) question was Strings.
I understand they're measured in "Gauges"..correct?
I play strictly Rhythm. The action is very low already and because I suffer from Carpal Tunnel, I was wonder what Gauge String would require less effort to "push down" a 9 or 10 Gauge, and what Brands of Strings here would people recommend?

Roger

[tommydude]

Welcome to the Forum! Enthusiasm about guitars is a MUST here

[andynpeters]

Thanks Glen,

1) Well for beginners, I'm assuming the Fret Board is unfinished?
It looks like a Natural Color.
It was a little Dirty and a friend said to use some ....
"Dunlop Fretboard 65 Ultimate Lemon Oil Cleaner and Lubricant" on it.

I was wondering if anyone else has used it and how they liked it.

2) Question was what to use on the Body of the Guitar to make it shiny/Clean.
I have been told you can use Automotive Car Was as long as it is Carnuba and doesn't contain any Silicones.

3) question was Strings.
I understand they're measured in "Gauges"..correct?
I play strictly Rhythm. The action is very low already and because I suffer from Carpal Tunnel, I was wonder what Gauge String would require less effort to "push down" a 9 or 10 Gauge, and what Brands of Strings here would people recommend?



Roger

Carpal Tunnel....nasty!!
9 gauge strings would be easier......unsurprisingly we would all be diplomatic and recommend Ernie Ball Strings

[Jack FFR1846]

Welcome!

My story is about 2 years ahead of yours. Stopped playing in my 20's....30 years without, picked up again....bought an OLP Benji 2 years ago. I now have 4 EBMM guitars and play several hours a day as well as live in a large church. OLP is like a gateway drug........

[peterd79]

OLP is like a gateway drug........

Hello My name is Peter and i too at one point started out using OLP- I got hooked at first but then the vibe wore off and now im on to using Two EBMM Silhouettes. I couldn't be happier

Few things for the fretboard as well as the neck...

get a thing of Murphys hardwood soap and dilute it in warm water (found the warm water works best) and lightly clean the neck and fretboard. (be sure to wring out the cloth quite a bit before you start to clean so you don't have excess water on the guitar) and then dry it up quickly when youre done. This should get you in good shape for the neck.

depending on how you want to finish it you can use Birchwood Casey Gunstock oil and Wax or you can just use a lemon oil (which i have done both)

For all of your cleaning needs i would suggest picking up a pack of Ernie Ball Music Man Wonder Wipes- Fretboard Cleaner as well as Instrument Polish. I use these puppies on EVERYTHING- (if you havent noticed we love Ernie Ball Products) and then i would throw 9's or 10's on the OLP MM1 (once again i love EBMM strings)

[wwotr]

Thank you everyone for the warm welcome.
I think I did this "Bass-Ackwards", so let me give you some background.

I'm 52 years old and played Rhythm Guitar in a Garage Band from about age 14-23. Then Marriage, Kids, Work took over.
My 1st Axe was a Les Paul Copy Black w/ White Binding. The year was 1975 and I bought it BRAND NEW for $89.00. I had to Mow a lot of Lawns that Summer to save up for that puppy. Played through a Fender Bassman Amp with an "LPB-1 Power Booster". Then in 1980 I bought a Les Paul Copy in Sunburst. Paid about $300.00 (New). I was a Light/Sound Tech for an Elvis Impersonator and used to Jam at Practice with the Band, and would be invited on stage from time to time. Sold that one in 1983. Fast Forward to 1994 and I bought a Gibson Les Paul in Alpine White w/ Gold Hardware. I seemed more for bragging rights and spent 99% of its life in a Gig Bag. Then in 2001 I got my 1st taste of a Music Man. It was a copy from Canada, in Amber Flame Top, (but I don't think it was an OLP). Seems like it was a "Private/Small Company that made it, and I bought it for about $475.00, played it 5 times and sold it. I always remember though, that it was SO MUCH lighter than my LP's had been and the action was so Low out of the box! Then in 2008 I bought a Agile Dauntless Les Paul in a Blue Flametop. It was beautiful, but at the time I had just completed a Total of (4) Operations in a year and a half (2 on each shoulder) and 2 Carpal Tunnel Releases on my Right Hand. Then I had a Tendon Rupture in my Left Thumb, so I thought my Guitar playing days were over and I sold the Agile. Well here it is 2010 and my Left hand although being stiff and not aggressively playing for 30 years, I decide to try and search out another OLP MM1 Guitar. I knew they were going for $90.00 to $150.00.

I had one about 10 years ago and the action was low and the Guitar was light weight.
My budget was about $200.00, but everything I found n E-Bay or Craig's list was either sold already,
or not the Color I was looking for or they were asking like $299.00-$350.00!!!
I was looking for either an Ash Color or Green (since I had already had an Amber Flame Top).
So this Auction comes up on E-Bay.
This guys selling a Green OLP MM1, Amp, Guitar Stand, 40 picks, Cord, Electronic Tuner and Gig Bag.
The Auction started at $200.00 with a "Buy It Now" of $400.00.
I thought the Buy It Now price was fair, but I sent him an e-mail asking if he didn't get any Bids on it,
would he consider selling me JUST the Guitar?
He said yea and to shoot him an offer. Well no one bid on it, so I wrote to him. Told him I was on Disability,
and that before I would even offer him a price, would he accept my "Terms"?
Those terms were to send him a $50.00 Non-Refundable deposit through Paypal to hold the Guitar until the end of March,
and I'd pay him the Balance when I got my next disability check.

He wrote back and said he'd do me one better since I was on a budget and he could appreciate what I was going through.
He said he'd sell me the WHOLE SETUP FOR $250.00, and he'd pay the Postage!!!
He has 16 other Guitars, and has no need for this one!!!

He said if I Paypal'd him $100.00 he would send the Guitar in 1 package and everything else in a 2nd package.
Then I could pay the Balance at the end of the Month!!!

Although it sounds too good to be true, his E-Bay Feedback and the fact that he's answered all my e-mails/questions promptly,
means that I'll take a chance with my $100.00 and send it to him.

;0)

Within 4 Days everything arrived like clockwork, professionally packaged and in excellent condition.
Although I'm not going to bring the house down with my 10 Watt Amp, this is EXACTLY what I was looking for to Noodle around with.
This set-up is a "Keeper".

Thanks for letting me bend your ears!

[jamminjim]

cool story man - thanks for sharing, and welcome to the forum.

Hey peterd79 - I cleaned up a couple of my rosewood necks this weekend. Needed to get the finger oils and gunk off prior to applying the fret Dr. . I used a half capfull or Murphys in a smal cereal bowl of warm water and cut off a small piece of old T-shirt to use. The soap/water solution was clear when I started. When I was finished with the first neck the water in the bowl was didry as heck. Nasty grey water. I had to make up another bowl for the next neck. Moral of story. Murphys really works. And, I continue to be completely amazed at the effectiveness of the fret Dr. I have never had a product leave my rosewood looking completely perfect. The stuff does exactly what is claimed.

[peterd79]

yeah that stuff is a miricle worker for sure... i try to make the clean at least once every few months just to keep everything nice and fresh... it doesn't take a ton to get it to work... which is really nice.

[wwotr]

Hello My name is Peter and i too at one point started out using OLP- I got hooked at first but then the vibe wore off and now im on to using Two EBMM Silhouettes. I couldn't be happier

Few things for the fretboard as well as the neck...

depending on how you want to finish it you can use Birchwood Casey Gunstock oil and Wax or you can just use a lemon oil (which i have done both)

Well I like the "Light Wood" Look on my neck and really don't want to "Darken" the Wood.
So that being said, if I used ANY TYPE of Gun Stock Oil,
I have a feeling that would DARKEN the wood......correct?

[wwotr]

This post has more to do with the Cleaning of the Neck/Fretboard on my OLP MM1.

I just ASSUMED it was NOT a Maple Neck, when researching articles regarding the Cleaning of it.
Now after reading so MANY articles, I'm not sure if my Neck is Unfinished or Maple.

Does anyone here know for a fact what type of Neck (Finish) the OLP MM1's came with BEFORE I screw something up?

;0)

Roger

[azazael]

The neck is maple.

The rear of the neck has a satin finish.
The fretboard, the front of the neck (as most are) is unfinished maple.

Guys here are forgetting it is an OLP not a Musicman so the neck has a satin finish on the rear not an oil/wax combo.

Just use ernie bal fretboard conditioner on the fretboard thats all.

[straycat113]

Really interesting story and also great to see a fellow musician who right now was in a position to do the right thing and help out a fellow player do so, that was very cool.

Glad you are back in the woodshed and your surgeries seemed to have worked out okay as I have to also go under the knife this year. Anyway real nice looking ax and the info you were given is on the mark. By the way about string gauge it does not matter if you use 9s or 10s if you are just going to play rhythm.

[wwotr]

The neck is maple.

The rear of the neck has a satin finish.
The fretboard, the front of the neck (as most are) is unfinished maple.

Guys here are forgetting it is an OLP not a Musicman so the neck has a satin finish on the rear not an oil/wax combo.

Just use ernie bal fretboard conditioner on the fretboard thats all.

Well let me ask this....
I'm homebound today and the weather is crappy.
I have a Bottle of "Murphys Oil Soap Original".
If I clean the Fretboard and put nothing else on it, will I be screwing it up?
If I WILL BE, then what should I put on it, that will keep the original Finish/Color and wont Darken the wood, that might be avaliable at a Hardware or Grocery Store, without having to go to a Gun Shop,
or "Specialty Store"?