What model is this OLP bass?

[Herbsley]

Hi all,

Spotted this on Ebay last night and got excited enough to buy it.
[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190327028159&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...e=STRK:MEWNX:IT[/url]

Some Google searching later, I cannot find which model this is.
I thought the only twin humbucker model OLP did was the MM32 - but weren't they all active? (switchable electronics and four knobs etc).
This is passive.

Would really appreciate your help on this one.

Have I just bought a duff bass?

Cheers,
H

[Rayman]

Wow, that's seriously nice. I can't help you on the info you want, but I'd say it was a steal whatever it is.

[Herbsley]

[quote name='Rayman' post='563294' date='Aug 8 2009, 08:36 AM']Wow, that's seriously nice. I can't help you on the info you want, but I'd say it was a steal whatever it is.[/quote]

Cheers Rayman - that's just what I thought! Quite a cool retro thing goin' on there. So, as yer do, I snapped it up purely on that basis . . . and then couldn't find out what it actually was . . . which is worrying.

Any thoughts out there? My searching online is bringing up nowt.

[Machines]

I think either it's a normal MM3 thats's been modified, or a end of line model using up all the parts they had left after ErnieBall ended their license.

[OutToPlayJazz]

Agreed, Machines... It looks like an MM3 with some serious modifications - Bigger EB bridge, EB black tort guard, etc. Looks like a nice thing, anyway.

[Mr. Foxen]

Noticed a bunch of new OLPs going up last night. Was tempted.

[Herbsley]

Thanks for the advice everyone. Always a worry when you buy something on a whim, then can't find any info on it after you've splooged the cash!

Never crossed my mind that a manufacturer would fling together its own 'Stock Frankenbasses' at the end of a development run.

Of course, like nearly all OLP owners on BC, it probably won't be long until the urge to mod the electronics kicks in anyway (seems to be a couple of threads with advice/ideas on this) - but it's good to have confirmed by you gents that this bass looks legit (and cool!).

Having said that, my modding fix at the moment will be taken up by another MM copy (the Vintage EST this time - so not quite as good as the OLP even) that I picked up in as new condition yesterday for £50. Had the urge to buy this cheap simply as I wanted to have a defretting project.

While the Vintage is in bits, any thoughts on good electronics when it's fretless? Any different to what you'd mod the fretted OLP with?
Obviously I'd be wanting to spend more on the OLP bits than on the Vintage - but just wondered whether fretless tones would be better with different kit installed?

Thanks again,
H.

Edited May 22, 2010 by Herbsley

[wotnwhy]

re. electronics for the OLP.

i borrowed back my old OLP and have been playing it for the last few months while my custom is back with Mr.Shuker having some work done. and i've got to say i've forgotten how good these basses sound! i've found that rolling the tone pot all the way back produces quite a fantastic tone that i'd have no urge to try and improve on. so with the added versatility of the neck pickup on yours i'd be very suprised if you found your tonal options to be limiting.

[Rayman]

Well I've pimped my Tony Levin to within an inch of its life, and ended up with a bass that is [i]seriously[/i] superb.

However that came at a cost. I had a brass nut, Musicman battery box, a Nordstrand 5.2 pickup and a John East, 3 band EQ fitted costing in excess of £400........yes.....I know, but I had my reasons.

The East pre was an amazing improvement with the original pickup, but the addition of the Nordy has made it as good as any Stingray I ever heard, and I've heard/owned a few.

If you go down the pimping route it'll be worse for you because you have two pickups to replace, so make sure you really like the bass in the first place, because you'll never recover the outlay if you sell it on. In my case mine was a gift from the Mrs, so it's a keeper anyway, and I wasn't worried about tarting it up.

I'm down to two basses now, the Kinal which is my main bass, and the OLP, which is just as great to play, has a different but no less impressive range of tones, and was well worth the effort.

[Hit&Run]

[quote name='Rayman' post='564131' date='Aug 9 2009, 01:49 PM']Well I've pimped my Tony Levin to within an inch of its life, and ended up with a bass that is [i]seriously[/i] superb.[/quote]
I'm in a similar boat; I've pimped my OLP Levin as well, maybe not as flashly as Rayman's though.
I put in a bartolini pickup and an 18v Agi OBP3 preamp, which makes it sound ultra-modern to my ears.

I think the OLPs are a great platform for upgrading electronics.

I'd checked out the bass on ebay that Herbsley just bought, but thought the polepiece/string arrangement on the neck pickup looked a bit iffy, iirc.

Mind you, I've got a few basses where the polepieces don't line up exactly, and it hasn't affected my tone. It's just aesthetics, and I'm really anally retentive like that.

H&R