Solar Guitars AB2.4BOP 4 String Bass Unboxing and First Impressions! WOW! - LowEndLobster Fresh Look

[@bizibetiko9778]

Ola is a great dude, and his youtube channel is entertaining as hell. I've been intrigued since his company started making bass guitars recently. Can't wait to see the full review.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Bizi! Indeed, I was very intrigued not only by his demeanor and how he interacts with the community, but also just his following. Respect like that is earned, and I think he's done a great job listening to the community and delivering a product to suit their needs. I have a special plan for this after the review as well :)... stay tuned!

[@blakeoaks25]

Looking forward to the full review. It’s honestly getting old hearing the Darkglass sound on every video of a “metal” bass.

[@rl-ub9hx]

Big facts, in dig that metalcore djenty bass tone with certain bands. But I love more of the punchy mids 80s 90s thrash Ellefson tones

[@roadbull1]

I’m a darkglass fan but the dingwall/darkglass sound is getting a little played out imo

[@jaxonvictoria4345]

Ah, I remember the good ol days when metalcore (and some deathcore) were played with Music Man Stingrays.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Blake :D. Yeah that's why I run all my basses in the same config and no fluff. People want to hear the bass, not my pedals, amp shaping, or any post processing. It's much easier for folks to look at the natural tone of an instrument and extrapolate whether or not it'll do the trick with effects and stuff vs. the other way around.

[@roadbull1]

@@jaxonvictoria4345 I use a stingray! Black/Maple of course... Nasum, and Nails turned me on them

[@thesnapperkeeper]

Solar makes some really high quality stuff at decent price points

[@LowEndLobster]

Indeed! I was very impressed with the fit and finish of this... especially compared other recent basses that I had unboxed that cost a bit more money and were much worse... ;P

[@ricardobass4831]

sick bass, even more sick lobster Fbomb reveal

[@LowEndLobster]

Shhh ;P

[@gjm1971]

The body is made of Sungkai Wood. It's very similar to American Ash, with a pretty good resonant sound. Used a lot in the 80's and 90's.

[@LowEndLobster]

Yes! Honestly, this is the first Sungkai bass I've ever owned or played. Very impressed with the quality and density of the wood, as usually Asian "substitute" woods usually tend to be lacking in some way.

[@ryanrogers8923]

Man... you gotta stop selling me all these basses! My wife can't take it any more! Lol

[@LowEndLobster]

BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!... If you call in before midnight tonight, we'll throw in a second case of... SPAGHETTI! Two lifetime supplies.

[@jotaveh2670]

Great price, good looks, good sound... I really hope they use the black open pore finish on the 5 strings version because it's really simple yet really beautiful. Great video as always, looking forward to see the full review of this one (or the 5 string version would also be cool)!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks! Yeah I dig the finish on this A LOT. Everything is super high quality with great attention to detail. Am very much looking forward to what's next for Solar!

[@kaya9718]

He’s intro is gold. 🦀

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you Kaya :)

[@boomerbassmeme]

🦞 a do over with good audio please! Those of us metal/punk bassists out here are really interested in this one. It a refreshing change from all the Music Man ones too. 😊

[@LowEndLobster]

It's coming! Dude, I was SO MAD when I finished recording this and saw that I didn't hit record in my audio software. I did discover something interesting when I actually went to record this direct though... More info in the next vid :D

[@boomerbassmeme]

@@LowEndLobster Check out some Dream Theater or Megadeath for inspiration as to what to play on that bad boy! 😊

[@Bassic778]

The matt black finish and hardware look awesome! The deep cutaway is very nice!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Keith! Yeah I think they nailed the design aesthetic here.

[@Shoknorris2]

1st video i see without negative title, must be rly cool

[@rubenriverarojas7910]

Wow, i never thought you were gonna get one of those!

[@LowEndLobster]

60% of the time, Lobster delivers... every time.

[@50beowulf]

Very cool. Glad to see more quality options in this price range. Look to be a super solid mod platform. Throw a tone capsule in there and I bet it punches way above it's class.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks! I'm definitely going to revisit the model (hopefully one of the new silver/roasted maple ones!)

[@naughtscribe]

Super cool. This is another bass I've been looking at pretty hard. The reverse headstock is niiiiice.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Henry! I agree, I think the overall aesthetic and unique touches all over the place (you'll see in the full review) are super awesome especially at this price point.

[@thenightlifezero9154]

I've been waiting to hear and see detailed demo on these basses. Solar has some really cool and practical designs. Excited to see how their basses evolve. Do you have or have played any Bite Basses? They just popped up in my social media feeds and seem like a pretty cool deal for a custom classic style J or P bass.

[@rl-ub9hx]

I'm curious about the string spacing. I wanted a stingray 5 until I played it and the spacing is way too narrow for my liking

[@LowEndLobster]

This will just be an unboxing and first impressions. However, full review will be coming soon :)

[@kerb0turb010]

Love the content!! Can we get a Ibanez SR review tho? 👀

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks! It's funny you said that, I have an SR300 on deck to be reviewed. Shooting that vid this weekend, should be out later this week or next week :).

[@ksump1]

Great review as always!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Tomas :)

[@jeffjones1143]

Hey Lob, love that shirt! It's a classic. Aren't you amazed at what cars will try to eat? Never heard of Solar, it sounds good so far. Alder!! My favorite body material in the 5 string too! I'd love to hear it also and I'm a 5 string player. Nice neck, good price, Can't wait for the full review. Hey can you play Squire's lines from "Sound Chaser"? The inverted headstock is also very cool.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Jeff! I love that movie ahahaha. I will learn those lines :).

[@KendrickSajorda]

When you looked up at the headstock at 2:18, it reminded me of your cat looking up at you 😂

[@LowEndLobster]

LOL! This begs the question, who or what is the bass looking up at ;P?

[@jermainelong1843]

Very nice dark thick tone!!!! I don't usually like bridge pick up tone but this one was cool👍

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Jermaine :). Check out the video I did on this with the Fishman Fluence pickups. I didn't find the stock pickups bad, but the Fishmans were a BIG improvement. kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5XOq59pgK-Zl8k

[@lowend_rydan]

Great review man!! Want to try one of those so bad; so metal!! 🦞🎸🤘

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Ryan! They're really well built.

[@hunybadgerbill]

Great looking and sounding instrument! Not much into the metal stuff myself but it seems a nice build quality. As well lighter finishes sound better imo. Heavy poly or nitro finishes don't let the wood ring as much.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you :D!

[@wysiwyg2489]

That bass looks nice, however, those sharp edges in the body are nick magnets. Should have a passive/active switch, that is a must requirement in these days.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks!

[@2cv666]

Salutations from Chile Mr. Lobster !

[@LowEndLobster]

Salutations! :)

[@LowEndLobster]

Que?

[@2cv666]

my avatar its Type o Negative logo ..

[@LowEndLobster]

@@2cv666O I get it now ;P

[@rmccain99]

The EMG David Ellefson set is what's needed here, if it's a metal bass

[@LowEndLobster]

Not a bad idea for the next Solar project :)

[@eloysuopunki7926]

Sounds intriguing.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Eloy!

[@russellzauner]

Sapele. Swamp Ash replacement - that's why you also get Ebony, apparently Rosewood is getting fished back to more extinct than Ebony. Okume you will see used for Mahogany swap as well and honestly it's WAY heavier, at least the one I have.

[@russellzauner]

It literally sounds like it has a Tone Monster in it - a bit clattery tho it seems more an adjustment than a crippling defect as in the HLK you had. This thing has craptons of top end and most people are running them straight to DI so that might be a difference in your experience and some of the demos you've seen. Slaps like a beast...I thought you had the jiffy pop going on the stove while playing popcorn.

[@russellzauner]

The player's instrument captures another player :-) I would love to pull the frets on that. *E B O N Y* If Abasi Concepts comes out with a bass I would strongly recommend checking it out based on design features Tosin spec'd into his guitars, just like Ola. That's why he's got two 5 string models and only one 4 string. I like a 5 string now because I don't have to retune or grab another bass as often when the tunings start jumping down and downer and not much back up. Much like a 7 string (tenor) guitar, I miss that low B even though it seems like a 4 string is hella fast for me to navigate I also find myself having to grab all over the place for notes I can just make a small move to get to on a 5. Shred practically requires it unless you're going to play a 32 fret guitar... I'm also stuck in a Maple slab fretless rabbithole but it's actually not a bad place to explore for a while.

[@LowEndLobster]

Sungkai or something is the wood. Feels like ash in the hand and has similar density (from what I can tell). Doesn't feel cheap or light, honestly very impressed. Someone did their research on woods over at Solar! Found something interesting about these pickups that made them a little noisy, but fixed it with 5 minutes and a soldering iron. I emailed Solar to let them know, they were appreciative! More coming :)..... and yeah I'd love a fretless one of these for sure!

[@russellzauner]

@@LowEndLobster I would say they just sent Ola samples from the factory and he hefted a few and said these are cool and someone else did the running on explaining what they were to him *exactly* and he did *exactly* what I would have - immediately forgotten what we assuredly have several piles deep of MSDS and availability/demand forecast reports on in some cabinet somewhere, if needed. Also. RUN to grab this bass. RUN. If you don't have the cash, FIND SOMEONE. I have been stalking a BUNCH of these series for a while (I have a Matsumoku built Aria Cardinal set-neck guitar - it's absolutely delightful to play) and that's likely only about $50 markup over the shipping that happened already to land this unit in the states. There about 5 slots on the bass rack for of Arias, but some are still a little to upper lower mid tier price points for me to acquire on demand. The best I can describe the sound I hear out of most of these are P or J bass but *fuzzier* and *squishier* without being cloudy, murky, or otherwise stepping on top of itself - good presence while keeping the nice warmth of a woodstove on a winter's day. That *deeeeeeep* heat. www.guitarcenter.com/Used/Aria/Tsb550-Electric-Bass-Guitar.gc

[@russellzauner]

@@LowEndLobster also I wasn't going to comment on the cracked solder joint or whatever lol being that I have the same problem with my Peavey Unity passive PJ and I haven't teased the issue out yet (I just avoid it by playing other things when I can - like that Washburn MB6 I got a couple weeks ago, which has a stripped neck bolt I found yesterday, so good thing there's more than 4 lol). But as long as you kept your thumb on pickup or were playing chords it was fine :-) Don't say it was a bad thing but handwave a little diplomatically at the issue (say a local problem has been easily resolved, if you must) and I would LOVE to hear a demo with refreshed/resolved signal chain. :-) Things get loose from time to time - it's how they handle the resolution that makes a product worth having and a vendor worth keeping. Hey! Maybe a grounded thumb rest/tug bar lol then the human part of the circuit is always resolved. BUT WAIT. what about the slappp NOOOOOO you can't slap while continuously touching the bass LOLOLOL

[@rasmillion]

Gorgeously carved countours I like it And in a zombie apocalypse it’s headstock could be made into a stabby thing

[@LowEndLobster]

I agree! Very utilitarian for both musical and post apocalyptic endeavors

[@brooksonly7337]

Definitely geared for metal. Look and sound. I would have bought these in my hair metal day but now...p bass everytime. As usual excellent demo and review.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Brooks :D

[@rl-ub9hx]

BTW, Ola is amazeballs. Love The Haunted.

[@LowEndLobster]

Honestly, never heard of them but yeah Ola rules. I really appreciate what he's done here and am very much looking forward to what the future has in store for Solar :)

[@rl-ub9hx]

@@LowEndLobster yea not your preferred flavor lol

[@nigellacey559]

I could have swore freekbass plays one. Im definately interested in the neon yellow one....if i could get one in the uk.

[@leonardofumagalli5361]

Hi lobster! Have you heard of Tribe guitars from Switzerland? They're like Fender aerodine but totally customizable and for a lesser prize, try check'em out

[@LowEndLobster]

Hi Leonardo! I have! In fact, I've been talking with Davide the owner on getting some to test out over here :). I dig what I've seen thus far.

[@leonardofumagalli5361]

@@LowEndLobster great! I know him too, I think that his fidelization strategy is what makes his company different from the others

[@thefool2007]

Nice bass. Can’t wait to hear better audio. Almost reminded me of an ESP or Jackson. Do you think the extra string length on the E helps the tone in any way?

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Rick! Yeah man, I was bummed after I recorded this vid and opened my audio recording software to see that I didn't hit record! BAH! I can't say for certainty, as I think the 6-bolt neck pocket also helps quite a bit IMO. This does feel very solid and the strings feel nice and tight.

[@jonsidell3338]

Can we get a review of the new table? Cool metal bass, but it could be pointier!

[@LowEndLobster]

Table- 4/4 legs ;P. We need a Solar Warlock! ahahaha

[@firedragon_5036]

Hello! I am intrested in buying a solar bass however the fretboard problems they have on their guitars make me wonder if its worth it. I was wondering if after 3 years you had any problem with the bass. Thank you!

[@bassbutter4767]

Did you notice any difference in the sound or feel of the strings ? I ask because it has a 4 in- line headstock like a Fender or Jackson or G&L as opposed to a 2 by 2 like a Spector. With the Solar headstock it looks like you now have a 36 or 37" E string !!

[@LowEndLobster]

Great question! I generally try to avoid making value statements that attribute something like string feel or tone to a specific aspect of the bass like 'The alder body makes this bass sound like X', when in reality I don't have any basis for a statement like that. Same goes with string length and reversed headstocks. I have a Reverend Me'Shell Fellowship bass that has a reversed headstock (and I love that bass), however I don't have the ability to evaluate whether or not that aspect of the instrument actually impacts string feel.

[@robertyoung7027]

Love that shirt and the bass

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Robert! :D

[@Metalbass10000]

The inlay? Yeah, a CNC vertical mill is a great tool to be able to utilize when building instruments. Some people talk a lot of shit about using CNC machines, especially when building guitars and bases but those people are generally people who have never used a proper CNC machine, programmed correctly, using proper tooling and appropriate tech data (speed, feed, DoC, %engagement, and especially an intelligent toolpath), set up properly, and they have no idea what the machine can do. They probably only have seen CNC routers used on wood, which I think (I've got a little knowledge on this topic) are a total waste of money because they are never as rigid as they should be, and they never can produce what a properly built CNC mill can do with metal or wood. Even though I use a CNC mill in my building processes, every inch, every millimeter, of every surface on every part of every instrument is finished by my hands and inspected by my eyes,. Any CNC machine is just like any other tool in the shop, in that it is capable of doing great work, if it is being used by a person with attention to detail, a well developed skill set, and the desire to do high quality work, and just like any other tool in the shop a CNC machine, if handled by the wrong person,, is capable of producing garbage, scrap, and crappy workmanship.

[@LowEndLobster]

Great comment! Thank you

[@TheBeardofDOOM]

Love it! Want it!

[@LowEndLobster]

:D

[@bassimprovjams3772]

Ready for another stingray video already i got spoiled on all the ones u been posting, you should just do a separate channel for stingray lovers lol the lobster stinger lol

[@LowEndLobster]

LOL separate Ray channel ahaha

[@rl-ub9hx]

I've been waiting to see if they're worth their price tag

[@russellzauner]

I'd buy one over a Jackson Concert in a heartbeat.

[@rl-ub9hx]

@@russellzauner well... yes... but the Jackson is half the price too.

[@LowEndLobster]

I'm curious about the Jacksons honestly. I have a couple of Minions here (one is very modded, courtesy of a Mr. Beard of Doom!) and am surprised at how nice they are for $179. The Solar though is a very impressive offering.

[@rl-ub9hx]

@@LowEndLobster I was mistaken in the price. At 699 there is an ellefson 4 string at the same price.

[@WildWildWeasel]

Oooo premiere owo

[@LowEndLobster]

:D

[@rmccain99]

Looks like an ESP with a lefty Jackson neck. Might as well buy an ESP.

[@LowEndLobster]

Eh, I think it's pretty unique when you get up close.

[@KaanSepticher]

Can you do a review on Stagg bc300 please? It is around 200$ and I wanna be sure I am getting something good for that price

[@LowEndLobster]

I just ordered one ;). Got a deal on Amazon. Thanks Kaan!

[@KaanSepticher]

@@LowEndLobster oh my gosh thank you so much for it!

[@deonhiggins2357]

Really like the shirt

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you :)

[@ramshaar2597]

Nice metal bass if you like it i like it.

[@bassbutter4767]

Hmmm... Unlike the Sire U5, M5, and Sterling S.U.B. HH, which all sounded fantastic, I am just not feeling this one.. It was like meringue instead of whipped cream, Computer speakers instead of Bang and Olufsen, a juice box instead of Veuve Clicquot. It's a bass but it sounded like it would compete with and lose to a snare drum

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks butter! Yeah the electronics, though not bad, were definitely the least 'good' part of this bass. The upgrade to the Fishmans definitely livened 'er up quite a bit!

[@timothywright5369]

This is the review I need. Really love Ola but his bass sound is too processed for my ears. Please use as little effects as possible. Salutations from Melton, Australia 🦞

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Timothy! Unfortunately I was only capturing audio with the lapel mic. Full review with actual bass audio coming soon :). We also have a post-review project planned for this!

[@homersimpson2963]

What's the factory tuning?

[@LowEndLobster]

EADG, standard tuning here out of the box

[@jesseparrish9198]

Would you say that the neck is comparable to a Jackson neck?

[@jesseparrish9198]

Did you end up keeping this bass or did you get rid of it?

[@heribantomas]

35 inch I think all solar bases?

[@LowEndLobster]

They offer 34 and 35 inch scale 4 strings and 35 inch scale 5 strings

[@heribantomas]

@@LowEndLobster ahhhh thanks love the review.and the bass too tho it's probably too much metal ( don't know i wear my bass a bit high up .it would look silly I think .wish the headstock was a bit different shaped . otherwise amazing value

[@klaymeister]

This is begging for some EMG stuff 😁 or those Duncan soapbars

[@LowEndLobster]

We have something much more diabolical planned. We will take a fish, and a man, and a bass.... And combine them!

[@klaymeister]

@@LowEndLobster I'm down. Fishymans

[@rl-ub9hx]

@@LowEndLobster ooooooOOOOOOooooo you nasty!

[@kirtfulcher6288]

So we don't get an unboxing of an unboxing?!?!?

[@LowEndLobster]

Deleting channel, I have let all of you down in the worst way ;P

[@kirtfulcher6288]

@@LowEndLobster NooooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

[@rmccain99]

Or a Jackson.

[@LowEndLobster]

Okay, I'll give you that ;P

[@aarondavis4341]

Killer shirt lobster,I don't know if these are good enough basses for 700 and a whole extra 100$ for a b string ? Once you said indonesia for the manufacturer ,I'm not convinced solar basses are just like any other indo made bass,just better quality control,not worth that much to me,I kinda like fixing the mistakes I get from poor quality control on cheap basses

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Aaron :). Honestly, the fit and finish of this thing is really really good. It feels substantial and of quality in the hands. I've only played this base model thus far, but I will be checking out others and I hope the quality is as good as this. I like fixing things too... and there was one thing that I had to fix on this (which I did after I shot this vid. I'll go into the deets on my next vid on this bass!)

[@rl-ub9hx]

Look into Wildwood (indo factory producing these), they're making the Corts, the Premium Ibanez's, I think they're making the PRS SE line. They're definitely killing the game as far as quality goes.

[@TheBeardofDOOM]

This thing is screaming for a set of 130-65 SS strings in BEAD tuning!

[@LowEndLobster]

BEAD is too high ;P....... F#BEA

[@rl-ub9hx]

I'm honestly shocked it doesn't come set up like that. I think it needs a Black Beauty set though just on general principal.

[@TheBeardofDOOM]

@@rl-ub9hx hell yeah it does!

[@tank832]

Dude my volume is topped out and I still can't hear the bass like I'd love to, you're coming in strong but I can barely hear what you're playing

[@LowEndLobster]

Hey Daniel! I mentioned in the description that I totally botched recording the bass audio direct like I normally do. Check out my full review for a better idea of what this bass sounds like and the subsequent Fishman Fluence mod! Below are the links :) Review- kzbin.info/www/bejne/jp3In4CvrZqBmdU Fishman Mod- kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5XOq59pgK-Zl8k

[@8Junio76]

The reverse tuning pegs put me off

[@LowEndLobster]

They're not for everyone, but I dig em :). I think the body style would look nice with a regular headstock too.

[@heavymetalhalloween]

Solar = washburn

[@LowEndLobster]

How so?

[@heavymetalhalloween]

@@LowEndLobster they are made in the same factor and rebranded ,you probably can find some of the originals that say washburn on them

[@LowEndLobster]

@@heavymetalhalloween interesting! Thank you for the info!

[@heavymetalhalloween]

@@LowEndLobster no prob , but at the end of the day if it sounds good it doesn't matter

[@miloszorz2054]

I hate you for showing this bass. Fretless one is my dream now.

[@LowEndLobster]

hahaha, sorry ;P. I would LOVE to see a fretless out of Solar! I would snag one right up.

[@spynae]

UwU

[@LowEndLobster]

:D

[@RoadKing-ky2bs]

Lobster: don't throw tomatoes at me, but I am going against popular opinion here. I like the color of the bass and the sound is not bad....BUT....the body shape and upside down turners kill it for me. I am sure they have other models, but this one is a dud in the astectic department. However, the guy playing it has a beard and a cat so that makes up for it! Take care. Patrick

[@LowEndLobster]

ahaha no worries my friend! No shame here for sharing an opinion, I encourage it! :D These basses are definitely polarizing in the looks department, it's not something that can fit in everywhere and it's definitely love it or hate it. It's unapologetically modern and metal, and that's not for everyone (I'm not even a metal guy... I just dig it though, but that's me and it's okay to disagree!)