OLP and Sterling - school me

[ICTGoober]

I've not played or worked on any OLP or Sterling stuff - haven't even looked at a website about them. Obviously, budget Ernie Ball / Music Man stuff - but how good are the brands? I ask because I have nephews, nieces, and assorted kiddos who grew up in my family having their own kids now - and I will need to equip all of them with some kind of stringed musical instrument as they grow up (just like I did with their parents). I try to keep on top of such things - but the marketplace is truly a bonanza of choices these last few years.

I'm hip to all the budget Fender, Epiphone, and "known" brands. I need raw info, help me out.

 

[beaubrummels]

Are you saying you are looking for affordable alternatives to 'name' brands? Sterling = Ernie Ball, OLP = not sure what, but is that the idea? Find affordable alternative to the $$$$ brands?

 

[Mincer]

Sterling are legit guitars. Every one I tried would be worthy of being a perfect stage guitar. OLP, not so much. They retain the EB/MM shapes and that is about it. What you get it a $100 guitar which sits along side other $100 guitars.
Both are a big leap to an actual EB/MM model, but the OLP isn't even in the same galaxy.

 

[ehdwuld]

I thought OLP and Sterling were the same thing
just OLP was the original name and Sterling was the re-branding

try using Google Goob

 

[ICTGoober]

I thought OLP and Sterling were the same thing
just OLP was the original name and Sterling was the re-branding

try using Google Goob

At least I'm hip enough to know they are different. Maybe YOU should hit Google. I came here because I wanted opinions from a good source - not marketing hype sprinkled with glitz.

 

[ehdwuld]

At least I'm hip enough to know they are different. Maybe YOU should hit Google. I came here because I wanted opinions from a good source - not marketing hype sprinkled with glitz.

What marketing?
What Glitz?

Use your brain

 

[Artie]

I put a set of Duncan's in a customers OLP quite a few years ago. It was the one that looks like a Wolfgang. IIRC, it seemed like a decent guitar. At least Squier or Cort grade. But then again, I've grown accustomed to "cheap" guitars.

 

[jeremy]

i had an olp sting ray 5 string and for the price it was a damn fine instrument

 

[Mincer]

The Sterlings are a world away from the OLPs- I don't think the OLPs are made anymore. Of course the true EB/MM are a world away from the Sterlings.

 

[superpete]

Sterling are legit guitars. Every one I tried would be worthy of being a perfect stage guitar. OLP, not so much. They retain the EB/MM shapes and that is about it. What you get it a $100 guitar which sits along side other $100 guitars.
Both are a big leap to an actual EB/MM model, but the OLP isn't even in the same galaxy.

this has been my experience as well. Sterling is a line by EBMM that is less expensive but still has attention to detail and quality. OLP licensed the EBMM shapes and made low end guitars. IIRC they were made by HHI, who also made BC Rich at the time.

 

[Mincer]

this has been my experience as well. Sterling is a line by EBMM that is less expensive but still has attention to detail and quality. OLP licensed the EBMM shapes and made low end guitars. IIRC they were made by HHI, who also made BC Rich at the time.

Yes, and the OLPs are on par with those BC Rich Warlocks they were cranking out a few years ago. They *can* be made into good players, but by the time you invest the money, you might as well get a Sterling.

 

[ErikH]

Yeah, my experience with the OLP line is like Mincer's. IMO, total garbage. It was EBMM's first time at getting in to a budget line and it did not go well. They know this and when they had the chance, dumped the line and redid things which is how the Sterling line came to be. I've played a few of the guitars and have a Sterling SUB Ray4 bass. When I was bass shopping, I went through everything on the walls of the shops I went to locally. For some reason, that SUB Ray4 kept pulling me back towards it. I love and it's really well made. The only thing I've done is swap the pickup out for a Duncan SMB-4A. The Sterlings are miles and miles and miles above the now gone (thank God) OLP line.

 

[ehdwuld]

Yeah, my experience with the OLP line is like Mincer's. IMO, total garbage. It was EBMM's first time at getting in to a budget line and it did not go well. They know this and when they had the chance, dumped the line and redid things which is how the Sterling line came to be. I've played a few of the guitars and have a Sterling SUB Ray4 bass. When I was bass shopping, I went through everything on the walls of the shops I went to locally. For some reason, that SUB Ray4 kept pulling me back towards it. I love and it's really well made. The only thing I've done is swap the pickup out for a Duncan SMB-4A. The Sterlings are miles and miles and miles above the now gone (thank God) OLP line.

I thought OLP and Sterling were the same thing
just OLP was the original name and Sterling was the re-branding

so I was hip enough to be right in Post #4
Sweet

Now for Goob's incoming apology

 

[ICTGoober]

I see that the post where you told me to "eff off" was deleted.... My take? I don't apologize to guys to tell me to eff off. In the meantime, keep smoking that shit you think is good stuff.

 

[Mincer]

Let's get back on topic, please.

 

[ErikH]

so I was hip enough to be right in Post #4
Sweet

Now for Goob's incoming apology

It’s more than a rebranding. It’s a totally different product. So, no, they aren’t the same thing. The only thing similar is the shapes.

 

[St_Genesius]

I've seen some guys who like the old OLP stuff, but every one I've ever touched was absolute garbage. On par with the Rogues of the era. In EBMMs defense, they had NOTHING to do with them. They just licensed their shapes to a company that proceeded to, imo, do some damage to the brand through association.

The Sterlings are still officially a separate company, but somehow a bit closer related. I don't totally get it. But they're very well built and tend to punch above their price.

 

[Mincer]

The Sterlings are under the EB/MM brand- but they can get pricey, at just under $1k. All made offshore.

 

[St_Genesius]

It's interesting how separate they keep things. If you ask a Sterling question on the EBMM forums, you'll sometimes get EBMM people replying just to say "No idea. It's a different company and we don't consult with each other on stuff."

The Sterlings are under the EB/MM brand- but they can get pricey, at just under $1k. All made offshore.

 

[Mincer]

It's interesting how separate they keep things. If you ask a Sterling question on the EBMM forums, you'll sometimes get EBMM people replying just to say "No idea. It's a different company and we don't consult with each other on stuff."

I think they do that on the front end to keep the exclusivity up. I would think Fender would do that with Squier, too.