Solar Guitars, the metal guitar brand owned by The Haunted guitarist and YouTuber Ola Englund, is celebrating its sixth anniversary with the launch of a more affordable sub-brand, S By Solar.
Taking a look at the range, which debuts with six different shapes, including electric guitars and bass guitars, 17 models in total, well, the seasoned observer may get the impression they could have just called it S, because the design is as good as saying Solar on the headstock.
We’re talking hyper-aggressive S-styles like the AB and SB models, each with six or seven-string guitar options, the weaponised T-style TB, not to mention contemporary takes on the classic shapes, the VB and EB models.
And it is not just about presenting these built-for-metal models at approachable prices – with the most expensive of the models retailing for $349 – it’s about presenting young players with approachable instruments such as the AB4.61MC, a short-scale 22.5” electric retailing for $219 that is ideal for those with a bit of growing to do.
With a hard-tail six-saddle bridge, a single high-output ceramic humbucker and single 500K volume pot, it offers a stripped-down platform for aspiring shredders to learn on. There’s also a left-handed AB model. The AB4.6FRC
comes equipped with a Licensed Floyd Rose vibrato, dual high-output humbuckers. S By Solar has something for everybody here, except perhaps the fingerstyle folk songwriter; finish options are strictly business – Carbon Black, White Matte, White… Black hardware to match. There is a maple veneer on the translucent Flame Blood Red and Flame Blue finishes.
Englund says the inspiration for the line came from thinking about the sort of beginner options he had when he was young, and how they could be updated to cater for a new generation.
“I started Solar Guitars with the advanced and pro player in mind,” said Englund. “Now, I am revisiting a younger time, thinking about what beginner instruments were available when I was starting out versus what is possible to design and manufacture today.
“With everything we have learned at Solar Guitars, we knew we could create an opportunity for lower priced guitars that young people and beginners would appreciate with the goal to put the right tools in your hands from day one.”
There are S By Solar line all features bolt-on maple necks, bodies of solid poplar. The reverse headstocks are suitably pointed, suitably Solar. Prices range from $219 to $349, with S By Solar selling direct to “most of Europe” and the US, and through dealers in territories such as Japan, Brazil and Indonesia.
For more details, head over to S By Solar.
“A unique octave bass fuzz with a built-in, 2-voice ring modulator”: The Maestro BB-1 Brassmaster is a super-rare bass octave fuzz from the ‘70s that sounds great on guitar, sells for $2,000+, and Behringer just made a $69 clone of it
“Maintain a consistently optimal neck setup, playability, and string action, regardless of changing environmental conditions”: Has Furch just made acoustic guitar setups a thing of the past with its new CNR System Active neck?
