OLP MM612 Tobacco Sunburst

 Awesome!! It's beautiful...and it's HUGE!
Service from Music 123 was excellent. Shipping went off without a hitch. To my surprise, the guitar came with a handsome gig bag and heavy duty guitar strap. That was a nice bonus that was not mentioned in the item description when I ordered it.

The specs on the 6-string component of this guitar are identical to the OLP MM1 Axis (you can see my review of the trans green MM1 for more detail). What you get here in addition is a very nice sounding 12-string as your top guitar, with the same type of configuration. Like the 6-string, the 12-string has a standard bridge, same pick-up configuration, tuners, and the neck is unfinished maple (although it is wider for obvious reasons). The headstocks are both based on the Ernie Ball Music Man design.

The tobacco sunburst "finish" is really fantastic looking, although it is a fake "photo maple" sitting on top of the basswood body (not true maple).

Unlike the OLP MM1, the pick-up selector switch is placed on the horn on both the 6 and 12 string sides. So far I have not had any trouble accidentally knocking it while playing, so I don't have any real problems with that difference. Although having said that, since I am used to my OLP MM1, my hands may sometimes reach for the switch thinking it will be by the volume knob! That's not a problem with the guitar, just with me as a player! I'll get used to it.

There is a three-way guitar selector switch placed between the bridges of the 6 and 12 string, allowing you to select which guitar you want the signal to be coming from (you can select 12-string, 6-string, or both). If you select both, I'm assuming you are either Steve Vai, or you've got a friend who is helping out by playing the other guitar!

This guitar comes with volume AND tone knobs for both the 12 and 6 string components (unlike the OLP MM1 which only sports a volume knob).

Altogether, I am extremely happy to have this unique hybrid "monstrosity" in my collection. Yeah, the concept is quite Spinal Tap-ish, but that's one of the things I love about it.

All joking aside, both the 12 and 6 string are very solid and nice-sounding guitars. The necks are very comfortable. The pick-ups aren't DiMarzios, but they are up to snuff. The generic tuners do the job well. The styling is very handsome, and is sure to turn heads at your next gig.

Be warned that it is quite heavy if you are not used to playing a double-neck. That takes some getting used to. Now I know why Jimmy Page has back problems!