Thoughts on the OLP As a Knockaround Bass?

[Josh O]

Hi all, I'm jumping over from the little 6 string side of the world!!

I'm thinking about picking up an inexpensive bass just to noodle around with at home and to also fill in at jam sessions when our bass player doesn't make it, which is all too often lately. I really don't want to spend much money at all ($200 or so), I'm probably not even going to buy an amp, I would like to go straight to a mixing board with it. I'm a sucker for the Stingray basses, our bass player uses one as his main squeeze but I can't justify paying that kind of money, if I had it, I'd buy another EBMM guitar, a JP7 perhaps! Anyways, I was in GC today and the OLP basses caught my eye. A buddy of mine has an OLP Axis and although he admits it's not his EBMM Axis SS, it's still decent for what he paid. Is the OLP bass the same philosophy? Our bass player has been going straight to a mixing console with his Stingray with good results but of course his pickup is active, I don't believe that's the case with the OLP. I ramble enough, fire away!

 

[spencer]

Yep an OLP is passive but with a good setup they can sound very good.

 

[GassieBall]

Is a SUB too much? They're still out there.

 

[adouglas]

OLPs are reputed to be decent for the money, but they're not EBMMs any more than Squiers are Fenders. Tony Levin even used his signature OLP model to record one of the tracks on his last album.

OLPs are simply authorized Asian copies, nothing more and nothing less. What you're buying is a bass that looks superficially like an EBMM but differs in every single important respect.

Bridge - different
Pickups - different
Electronics - different
Neck attachment - different
Wood - different

Does this make them bad? No, not at all. Just don't expect EBMM goodness out of one.

 

[ibanez2005]

Its worth trying one, if you like it because its good, then buy it on its own merits.

 

[sloshep]

For the price point they are built pretty good. I have tried several over the last year when looking around music stores. Like other people have said they have passive electronics and are entry level. Just to mess around with they are OK. If the store has more than one play them all. At this level one can play and sound much better than another ones.

 

[barkatozz]

The Tony Levin OLP is active & is one helluva bass for the price.

 

[ibanez2005]

Havent seen that one, ill have to check it out.

 

[ibanez2005]

A little OT but i like this