In these days its very simple : you can buy a decent guitar for under 500 euro anywhere ( new or used ) wether its an HB , jet , sire , squire , epi ect ect. , do some mods ( if needed ) and you're done , the part that is most important is to have a good sound are the amp / pedals , those are way more important to create a good sound ( imo ) and even those don't have to be to expensive to have a good sound , so yeah , if you got a shitload of money then go ahead and buy an cs gibson/ fender or core prs and an handbuild tube amp , but they won't sound that much better then the so called "budget "gear to justify there insane prices ( this has been proven already in thousands of yt vids ) , and as we all now it's about the diminishing return law that lee anderton keeps on talking about and thats a true fact .
I discovered EART guitars on Amazon, based on a review of the high neck quality. Then I replaced the pickups with Kinman noiseless pickups. Now I have a Strat that I favor over my 1965 vintage Strat, for play-ability and tone, as well as hum free.
first time watching. Nice vid! I liked the casual heartfelt shootout, really gave a good sense of what was being compared. Great dynamic between the two players. I have 2 Harley Benton's and love the new budget hotrod guitars, great time to be a picker!!!
Thanx a lot for this cool demonstration . installed a Dimarzio Super Distortion on my Jet Js400 at the bridge and it completely outperformed my Fender Strat HSS. Playability, roasted neck and this deep cut for higher frets access make it a dream guitar .
That model HB w/ a Beautiful Roasted Maple neck and finish is in a League Above the Jet Strat But Really You Need them Both and While you add it Grab a HB. LP. or a HB. PRS Clone, Shipping from Germany to the USA is about 90 bucks so you need to double up . jet. 240. + 340 +. 170. + 90 S%H
I love these vids with mid range guitars and of course with Lee…amazing what you can get now for that price point. The HB reminds me of an Ibanez RG, don’t like the high gloss but the neck looks nice. As Lee said, there is so much room to update the guitar when it’s so cost effective.
Always good to see you guys review more affordable products, such as the Cube Baby effects pedal. Any plans to review guitars by Artist and Fazeley (Bax)?
I have this exact JS400. It is a bit heavy, similar to my 70's ash Strat. But tonally, it's a good as any strat style guitar I have played. Bought it to replace a Charvel pro-mod that refused to stay in tune during gigs. This one is not perfect but slight improvement with the Graphtech string trees. I have considered replacing the bridge pickup... the Thornbucker may be the way to go. Thanks for the video.
Just got a Jet JS-400 and am blown away by how good it is. The neck particularly is great. I expected to want to change the pickups, but they actually sound pretty good. Good enough I’m not sure I am going to upgrade, at least not right away. I am used to the cheap guitars that people recommend and this is much better than those in my experience. Also own or have owned many high end guitars and it feels right at home with them. Insane value. The strings on it suck, but that’s really the only thing I can complain about and that is the thing I change on every guitar I buy anyway.
Another great video lads 👏 Honestly,I was surprised that the Jet was heavier (though it is a different model) I bought a HB 25th Anniversary St and loved it - ‘cept the weight. Too heavy for a Strat. So I bought a Jet (JS400 like here in the video) for €171. It doesn’t have the same level spec as the 25th HB but it has become my main guitar. The weight and playability is excellent. And of course it sounds decent. So I bought another - and the weight was almost identical 👏. Love Jet. I’ll be buying more 😉
Save up and buy the the two of them. One for rock/metal and the jet for vintage rock and blues. The lower end range is getting better year after year. Especially people on a low budget and beginners heaven
Nice one! 😎👌 I also have both of these, I prefer almost everything about the Jet. The stock humbuckers in both guitars, we're not to my taste. The Jet's single coils are some of the best ceramics I've ever heard - I still changed em tho 🙈 I've had around 8 Jets 🙈 The weights do vary. My no 1 (highly modded one) is 7.6lbs 👌 Lee's version here is the first run with the more holographic Jet Logo (I prefer that too 😁) Great stuff guys! 😀👌
Did you have to make a heavy set up to get a good playability or just some minor tweaks? How was fret level from the store, does it have some taller frets? A lot of people have said that de Harley fusion looks and feels "like a Suhr" of course in the spirit, but for the price is a very good compliment.
I have got a Jet JS-300, it is a beast of a guitar, comparable to my Fender performer in many ways, the neck is a marvel. And I've had MIJ and CS Fender before, played 1966 original strat, Fender FSR, AVRI etc. the Jet is almost perfect. Mine weighs 3.250 kg and is flawless. The tuners are a bit cheesy but they do the job anyway.
I've got a Jet JT-350. It's really good! I would prefer the S style JT-300. The HB Fusion is really nice, I guess it's based on an Ibanez guitar. Really cool instrument, I'd love to try the Tom Quayle signature! 😃 Anyway, these two guitars are very different, I don't know if it's a fair comparison.
I bought the Js400 identical to this one and returned it as it should have been labeled as stock due to an imperfection on the big horn a d it was right on top so you see it every time you pick up the guitar. The Hb is amazing for the money.
Nice comparison. I'm more of a traditionalist so I choose the Jet (disclosure I have 3 already). They are great modding platforms at the low end (I don't like ceramic PuPs) and in the £300 range they are fantastic guitars which don't need that much done to them.
The JS-400 really is a guitar with astonishing value for money ! It's not the best-finished, but it can be a good platform for a modification. I play my Mex less often, and I've had the Jet for over a year, so I'm already past the honeymoon stage...
Harley Benton Fusion series is amazing. Both of those guitars sound fantastic. Can't imagine spending thousands when you can get guitars like this for a couple hundred.
J'ai une Jet JS 400 OW... J'ai fait refaire toute l'électronique, Dimarzio Air Classic Bridge, Dimarzio HS4 Neck & Middle, mécaniques Kluson à blocage. Toute la guitare a été revue par le luthier, travail des frettes, sillet retravaillé etc. Aujourd'hui ma Jet JS 400 est une excellente guitare 👍🎸
👍hey lee and paul - hard to find a bad guitar these days - the SS frets are a fantastic spec. i personally think of guitars at any price point as basically a FREE LOAN - if you buy used and at a good price and look after the guitar, you know you're gonna get your money back or thereabouts if you ever decide to sell.
The most important thing of a guitar to me is the neck! I am playing flat and thin necks like Ibanez Wizard. Unfortunately the HB Fusions don't have thin necks. So far.
Paul, getting back to the other guitars like the Krauster, I guess you’re waiting for the pick ups to come. I’m waiting for that video to see you switch pick ups. Cheers. And then waiting on what’s next that’s considered high level. 😉
I'm the same way with a lot of things. I prefer buying a bunch of lower cost items and finding gems than spending the same money on one brand name - often with many of the same problems anyway.
I have the Harley Benton Fusion Pro2. I also have an ibanez jem777 vbk from the eighties ( worth about 5 + grand these days). Two guitars, a whole ocean between them, in terms of quality and price..The Jem is better, even though it is 30 years old and played to putty at this point. Can't seem to break the Harley benton in, it doesn't move me or inspire me much...oh and strings easily break in the bridge..
I wish these testers would play actually clean sounds while soloing. I don't only play rock...I play old time country and some jazz, and I want to hear clean, almost twangy sounds as well as the distortion every tester in the world plays with. They all sounds the same. I guess I need to start my own channel, and play clean leads.
i have a jet s400 like this . also 2 other jet guitars. i was comparing it to my mexican strat . i have to say its a better put together guitar . the strength of jet guitars is the roasted neck and bone nut . once your getting good results aka sounds ,tones and hear it resonating you can forgive the pick ups if you dont like them . I just find the guitars friendly and the jet t300 i have just does what a tele does . i think they got the neck right. then they had skilled craftsmen to put them together with care and jet made some magic. j havent got a harley benson so cant comment . have a good day :)
Things that make you go, hmm? I'm still inclined to start with guitars in the $4-600 hundred dollar range. And buying from Sweetwater gives me some piece of mind that even the affordable guitars get some level of inspection beyond the factory. This guarantees nothing, as I've learned many times. But the photos of every guitar over $399 that gets a 55pt. Inspection, can be a great reference point for warranty claims. I could've ordered the Yamaha Revstar Element from Amazon and had it last week. But I can haggle with Sweetwater, and ended up getting an even better deal with the mod parts included for the same price. I have a vision for a black one that I'm calling the DEATHSTAR! Its gonna be one hard edged looking and sounding guitar. All hardware including pickups are being upgraded. The only part's I needed to buy for the build was an Emerson Oak Grigsby 3way switch,PureTone output jack, MojoTone capacitor and a treble bleed curcuit. Oh, and Schaller straplocks. Got all that stuff thrown in for free through Sweetwater, and they double box EVERY guitar that ships using that insta foam machine that custom fits every one. Worth the extra few days wait. The Deathstar shall rise from the pits, to leave all the other cheap knockoffs behind! For it is ALIVE!
My Harley Benton Tele is utter shit. Tuners useless. Control plate screws - one completely missed the wood. The other was in at 77 degrees. The bridge saddles were on skew, and we're too wide resulting in the e strings going off the edge of the fingerboard. The bridge pickup would be good if it picked up the top E string. The neck pickup is just weak especially on the top E string. Support are hopeless.
I can answer your question Paul! Because you’re a snob. Hahahaha 🤣 No but really, these days in time it’s really hard to justify $4000 to a $500 or less guitar. Unbelievable value for the money.
Saw the tip of the HB headstock to look like Suhr, spray paint the headstock black, add a waterslide decal and spray clear lacquer on top. There you have a fake Suhr 😂 Btw, it was a joke 😊
In these days its very simple : you can buy a decent guitar for under 500 euro anywhere ( new or used ) wether its an HB , jet , sire , squire , epi ect ect. , do some mods ( if needed ) and you're done , the part that is most important is to have a good sound are the amp / pedals , those are way more important to create a good sound ( imo ) and even those don't have to be to expensive to have a good sound , so yeah , if you got a shitload of money then go ahead and buy an cs gibson/ fender or core prs and an handbuild tube amp , but they won't sound that much better then the so called "budget "gear to justify there insane prices ( this has been proven already in thousands of yt vids ) , and as we all now it's about the diminishing return law that lee anderton keeps on talking about and thats a true fact .
a HB
I discovered EART guitars on Amazon, based on a review of the high neck quality. Then I replaced the pickups with Kinman noiseless pickups. Now I have a Strat that I favor over my 1965 vintage Strat, for play-ability and tone, as well as hum free.
Unfortunately they raised their prices quite a bit!
first time watching. Nice vid! I liked the casual heartfelt shootout, really gave a good sense of what was being compared. Great dynamic between the two players. I have 2 Harley Benton's and love the new budget hotrod guitars, great time to be a picker!!!
Thanx a lot for this cool demonstration . installed a Dimarzio Super Distortion on my Jet Js400 at the bridge and it completely outperformed my Fender Strat HSS. Playability, roasted neck and this deep cut for higher frets access make it a dream guitar .
I did the same, just to put the stock Humbucker back in because it sounded nearly identical to the SD.
That model HB w/ a Beautiful Roasted Maple neck and finish is in a League Above the Jet Strat But Really You Need them Both and While you add it Grab a HB. LP. or a HB. PRS Clone, Shipping from Germany to the USA is about 90 bucks so you need to double up . jet. 240. + 340 +. 170. + 90 S%H
I had asked this myself so thanks guys for making this video!
Our pleasure!
I love these vids with mid range guitars and of course with Lee…amazing what you can get now for that price point. The HB reminds me of an Ibanez RG, don’t like the high gloss but the neck looks nice. As Lee said, there is so much room to update the guitar when it’s so cost effective.
Always good to see you guys review more affordable products, such as the Cube Baby effects pedal. Any plans to review guitars by Artist and Fazeley (Bax)?
Great video! Any chance of a link to the Thornbucker pick-up please? 😃
Harley Benton, Soloking, Sire, Vintage, Jet, Eart.
The realm of affordability and more than decent quality.
I have this exact JS400. It is a bit heavy, similar to my 70's ash Strat. But tonally, it's a good as any strat style guitar I have played. Bought it to replace a Charvel pro-mod that refused to stay in tune during gigs. This one is not perfect but slight improvement with the Graphtech string trees. I have considered replacing the bridge pickup... the Thornbucker may be the way to go. Thanks for the video.
Just got a Jet JS-400 and am blown away by how good it is. The neck particularly is great. I expected to want to change the pickups, but they actually sound pretty good. Good enough I’m not sure I am going to upgrade, at least not right away. I am used to the cheap guitars that people recommend and this is much better than those in my experience. Also own or have owned many high end guitars and it feels right at home with them. Insane value. The strings on it suck, but that’s really the only thing I can complain about and that is the thing I change on every guitar I buy anyway.
It wouldn't be pushing the boat out to refer to them as "cheap guitars".
Cool video, thanks!
Another great video lads 👏 Honestly,I was surprised that the Jet was heavier (though it is a different model) I bought a HB 25th Anniversary St and loved it - ‘cept the weight. Too heavy for a Strat. So I bought a Jet (JS400 like here in the video) for €171. It doesn’t have the same level spec as the 25th HB but it has become my main guitar. The weight and playability is excellent. And of course it sounds decent. So I bought another - and the weight was almost identical 👏. Love Jet. I’ll be buying more 😉
Save up and buy the the two of them. One for rock/metal and the jet for vintage rock and blues. The lower end range is getting better year after year. Especially people on a low budget and beginners heaven
Nice one! 😎👌 I also have both of these, I prefer almost everything about the Jet.
The stock humbuckers in both guitars, we're not to my taste. The Jet's single coils are some of the best ceramics I've ever heard - I still changed em tho 🙈
I've had around 8 Jets 🙈 The weights do vary. My no 1 (highly modded one) is 7.6lbs 👌
Lee's version here is the first run with the more holographic Jet Logo (I prefer that too 😁)
Great stuff guys! 😀👌
Did you have to make a heavy set up to get a good playability or just some minor tweaks? How was fret level from the store, does it have some taller frets? A lot of people have said that de Harley fusion looks and feels "like a Suhr" of course in the spirit, but for the price is a very good compliment.
I have got a Jet JS-300, it is a beast of a guitar, comparable to my Fender performer in many ways, the neck is a marvel. And I've had MIJ and CS Fender before, played 1966 original strat, Fender FSR, AVRI etc. the Jet is almost perfect. Mine weighs 3.250 kg and is flawless. The tuners are a bit cheesy but they do the job anyway.
Great comparison video.
I have never tried an Harley Benton but I have tried the jet series guitars.
hey. if you tried many Jet models, how is the JS 500 in your opinion?
I've got a Jet JT-350. It's really good! I would prefer the S style JT-300. The HB Fusion is really nice, I guess it's based on an Ibanez guitar. Really cool instrument, I'd love to try the Tom Quayle signature! 😃
Anyway, these two guitars are very different, I don't know if it's a fair comparison.
...... man...the guitars are both amazing.!
I bought the Js400 identical to this one and returned it as it should have been labeled as stock due to an imperfection on the big horn a d it was right on top so you see it every time you pick up the guitar. The Hb is amazing for the money.
Nice comparison. I'm more of a traditionalist so I choose the Jet (disclosure I have 3 already). They are great modding platforms at the low end (I don't like ceramic PuPs) and in the £300 range they are fantastic guitars which don't need that much done to them.
The JS-400 really is a guitar with astonishing value for money ! It's not the best-finished, but it can be a good platform for a modification. I play my Mex less often, and I've had the Jet for over a year, so I'm already past the honeymoon stage...
Harley Benton Fusion series is amazing.
Both of those guitars sound fantastic. Can't imagine spending thousands when you can get guitars like this for a couple hundred.
I have that HB it's great apart from the pups nice one guys!
Thanks chaps. Seemingly the Sire Larry Carlton range is better than HB and Jet guitars. Maybe another video topic. Cheers
Next price range up too I think
J'ai une Jet JS 400 OW... J'ai fait refaire toute l'électronique, Dimarzio Air Classic Bridge, Dimarzio HS4 Neck & Middle, mécaniques Kluson à blocage. Toute la guitare a été revue par le luthier, travail des frettes, sillet retravaillé etc. Aujourd'hui ma Jet JS 400 est une excellente guitare 👍🎸
👍hey lee and paul - hard to find a bad guitar these days - the SS frets are a fantastic spec. i personally think of guitars at any price point as basically a FREE LOAN - if you buy used and at a good price and look after the guitar, you know you're gonna get your money back or thereabouts if you ever decide to sell.
Well said!
The most important thing of a guitar to me is the neck! I am playing flat and thin necks like Ibanez Wizard. Unfortunately the HB Fusions don't have thin necks. So far.
This guy kicks ass.!!
Paul, getting back to the other guitars like the Krauster, I guess you’re waiting for the pick ups to come. I’m waiting for that video to see you switch pick ups. Cheers. And then waiting on what’s next that’s considered high level. 😉
I have two Jet guitars... they diserve trust, they are really good.
Idid you leave the 10s it came with in the Benton?
God that JET overplays any Bentons. Ordering one today for sure.
Absolutely agree with ameverything said here
What's the song being played immediately at the beginning? I think it's the same as around 3:10 into the video too? Can anyone help? Thanks!
js-600 is the best full loaded model for reasonable price. just incredible
How do you like the Kernom Ridge? I just ordered one.
It’s really good, you’ll love it.
love the jet's tone. very nice for that kind of money. both of them.
Agreed!
I have just got a HB CST24. C$ 450 with shipping, Tax and customs. Just as good as my PRS SE'S But feels slightly different.
@TheStudioRats What brand and model of amp was used for this demo please? Thank you.
It was an amplified nation ODR
Budget guitars are so much better now than they used to be.
I'm the same way with a lot of things. I prefer buying a bunch of lower cost items and finding gems than spending the same money on one brand name - often with many of the same problems anyway.
One of the most expected videos of all times XD
I have the Harley Benton Fusion Pro2. I also have an ibanez jem777 vbk from the eighties ( worth about 5 + grand these days). Two guitars, a whole ocean between them, in terms of quality and price..The Jem is better, even though it is 30 years old and played to putty at this point. Can't seem to break the Harley benton in, it doesn't move me or inspire me much...oh and strings easily break in the bridge..
I wish these testers would play actually clean sounds while soloing. I don't only play rock...I play old time country and some jazz, and I want to hear clean, almost twangy sounds as well as the distortion every tester in the world plays with. They all sounds the same. I guess I need to start my own channel, and play clean leads.
Which amp are you playing through in the intro? Great tone.
It’s an Amplified Nation Overdrive Reverb
@@TheStudioRats Wow. Sounds great! Thank you!
i have a jet s400 like this . also 2 other jet guitars. i was comparing it to my mexican strat . i have to say its a better put together guitar . the strength of jet guitars is the roasted neck and bone nut . once your getting good results aka sounds ,tones and hear it resonating you can forgive the pick ups if you dont like them . I just find the guitars friendly and the jet t300 i have just does what a tele does . i think they got the neck right. then they had skilled craftsmen to put them together with care and jet made some magic. j havent got a harley benson so cant comment . have a good day :)
Jet , an amazing value l really enjoy mine !
Good to hear!
Did you hear him,ITS HAD A FEW MODS.OF COURSE THEIR JUNK
So put some new pups in the HB if that's your jam and be done...
Things that make you go, hmm? I'm still inclined to start with guitars in the $4-600 hundred dollar range. And buying from Sweetwater gives me some piece of mind that even the affordable guitars get some level of inspection beyond the factory. This guarantees nothing, as I've learned many times. But the photos of every guitar over $399 that gets a 55pt. Inspection, can be a great reference point for warranty claims. I could've ordered the Yamaha Revstar Element from Amazon and had it last week. But I can haggle with Sweetwater, and ended up getting an even better deal with the mod parts included for the same price. I have a vision for a black one that I'm calling the DEATHSTAR! Its gonna be one hard edged looking and sounding guitar. All hardware including pickups are being upgraded. The only part's I needed to buy for the build was an Emerson Oak Grigsby 3way switch,PureTone output jack, MojoTone capacitor and a treble bleed curcuit. Oh, and Schaller straplocks. Got all that stuff thrown in for free through Sweetwater, and they double box EVERY guitar that ships using that insta foam machine that custom fits every one. Worth the extra few days wait. The Deathstar shall rise from the pits, to leave all the other cheap knockoffs behind! For it is ALIVE!
Luxury😂 lee strikes again
My Harley Benton Tele is utter shit. Tuners useless. Control plate screws - one completely missed the wood. The other was in at 77 degrees. The bridge saddles were on skew, and we're too wide resulting in the e strings going off the edge of the fingerboard. The bridge pickup would be good if it picked up the top E string. The neck pickup is just weak especially on the top E string. Support are hopeless.
I can answer your question Paul! Because you’re a snob. Hahahaha 🤣 No but really, these days in time it’s really hard to justify $4000 to a $500 or less guitar. Unbelievable value for the money.
Jason Statham has good chops.
I prefer Jason Statham to being call Bill Burr.
Harley Benton sounds the best.
Buy the way Sire has raised its prices over a grand for mire Chinese garbage.
I just hate that HB logo..... that's why I haven't bought one yet
Seriously?
Saw the tip of the HB headstock to look like Suhr, spray paint the headstock black, add a waterslide decal and spray clear lacquer on top. There you have a fake Suhr 😂 Btw, it was a joke 😊
I don't mind the HB logo but I hate the Jet logo.
@@djfusion2808isn't it easily removable?
Which turd sounds better
Any 200$ guitar isn't worth the money.unless you make it a wall hanging.
So no brainer..NO SUHR❤