Get your Harley Benton SC-550+ EMG: thmn.to/thoprod/497996?offid=1&affid=367 Harley Benton's deluxe series SC-550+ features AA flame maple top in 'Paradise Amber' finish, locking tuners, and a set of EMG FAT55 PAF style active pickups. Will I like these better than the EMG81/85 set which I hate? This video contains paid promotion from Harley Benton. More details on how CSGuitars implements product promotion - www.csguitars.co.uk/disclosure #emg #harleybenton #activepickups Get 15% OFF unique and colourful Mr Gugu clothing with discount code 'CSGuitars' - mrgugu.com/ Timecodes - 00:00 - SC-550 Introduction & features 01:28 - Instrument Quality 02:54 - Top and Neck Heel Contours 03:47 - Sounds: Tone King Imperial 04:51 - Sounds: Victory Kraken 06:51 - EMG FAT 55 Opinions 07:40 - Final Thoughts More from CSGuitars: Gain access to exclusive content at: www.patreon.com/csguitars Join CSGuitars Discord - discord.gg/csguitars Buy CSGuitars Merchandise - www.csguitars.co.uk/store Website - www.csguitars.co.uk Contact - colin@csguitars.co.uk ____________________________________________________________________ *Description contains affiliate links. Purchasing using one of these links will generate a small commission for CSGuitars at no additional cost to you.*
The Fat 55 is a great set of PUs. My fave out of the three Retro Active sets. They really and literally saved a bunch of guitars I have. E.g. pretty much any (inexpensive) LP Style Guitar, in my case a LTD EC 256, Epiphone Jerry Cantrell Signature and the Fender Jim Root Jazzmaster whichs stock PUs sound atrocious.
High end guitar snobs hate this, but 80% of the sound of a guitar is in the pickups, scale length, and string gauge. Putting high end pickups in a budget guitar will make it sound pretty much identical to a high end guitar with the same setup. I have a bareknuckle mule pup set in my 600$ Agile Les Paul and it sounds better than any of the Gibsons under 2500$ that I've tried.
If you can't hear it, does not mean it's not there. Pricier guitars tend to have better components made of better materials and they usually sound better, feel better and hold tune/play in tune better. To a listener some of the details are hard to detect but to a player they are more obvious. Some expensive guitars sound like ass and some cheaper guitars sound great but 8 out of 10 times pricier guitars are just better
This. I scored a Jackson JS22-7, which is the cheapest no-frills 7-string they offer, that came with a set of DiMarzio D-Activators installed. Didn't matter that the body was poplar and the whole thing was made to be as inexpensive as possible - still blew other 7s I played out of the water. Including my mate's $2,000 ESP.
I put the same fat 55 set in a kit guitar build and I really like them. They are hot at full volume, but one of the nice things about active pickups is you can really use the whole range of the volume pot without sacrificing tone, so you can just dial it back a bit if you want a nice clean tone.
I love the new emg jazzmaster pickups. Super versatile compared to the passive jazzmaster pickups. Gives u a legitimate bridge pickup thats usable with distortion and u still get that awesome jazzmaster neck pickup on the cleans
so many people dont realise that EMG has a variety of pickup options, so its really cool to see you give some spotlight to this set. the fat 55 is EMGs best humbuckers in my opinion, but nobody even knows about them
I have used strictly EMG's since early 80's. I still have an EMG HM-1 in my 1986 Washburn RR11v. I have the standard 81/85's in several I have owned over the years. Now I have the Glenn Tipton Vengeance set in my first build and I think they are the best over all EMG's I have used yet. I even have a set of Zakk Wylde's in the Explorer I just built.. EMG's are really versitile and now they have many many options and their traits are just as distinguishable as standard pickups. You just have to get out of that mind set of positioning them like theay are non actives. Thats why people hate EMG's they have no clue how to properly set them up.
Picked up a Harley Benton EX84 Modern-EMG. I have no idea how they can make a profit here. The guitar lists at $345. The EMG pickups (60-neck, 81-bridge) account for $200+ of the price. The fretboard is ebony and the nut is a Graph Tech TUSQ. All in all I am very happy with the purchase as any other company would charge a LOT more for less guitar. Even with VAT and overseas shipping it arrived in < 1 week.
keep in mind that retail markups are completely nuts, so they're worth $200 to you or me... but not to the manufacturer who can place an order for 10K+ pickups for a few production runs! to give you an idea of what the true cost might be, EMG sells factory direct "scratch and dent" on Reverb in the continental USA for ~$60 - 85 USD, depending on which cover options are selected. (pretty sure it's just the pickup and no wiring harness, but I can't order them as they don't ship outside USA.) Reverb takes something like ~9% off the top after processing fees and cut and free shipping is included. assume cost of production for a pickup is something like ~$25 - 35 USD apiece and the net revenue off that discounted purchase would still be in the ballpark of $50 USD, or roughly 30-50% margin. and that's just the scratch and dent stuff.
If you like the 55 then try the 57 or the 85 in the bridge. Both Alnico. Played EMG’s since 1984, mostly with the 85 in the bridge. They just work and often lifesavers when you turn up with out a pedalboard and given a shitty amp with not much drive. Horses for courses as always. Very interested in the HB guitars, they look like awesome bang for buck.
I got one of the first 550 plus EMG's back in early 2021 in faded tobacco flame. I too, anti EMG or any active for that matter. But, reading up on the 55's, I thought ok for the price I can't ignore it anymore just try it. I was not only shocked by how incredible the guitar looked, felt and played, but I now have 5 guitars w/ EMG's. the solderless did help me change my mind on EMG's as well, but I've only stuck w/ 55s and the 57/66's. I too, lowered the pups a bit and haven't had to do anything else other than a string change and of put some Fone oil on the fretboard. Great guitar for the price. I have an Epi 60s standard and a LP Custom. I still play the harley way more, it's also lighter than the other two and I really like the fat 55's more.
Dude- You got me hooked! What I like about You doing this: You play catchy classics, You have a good taste for affordable guitars and I belive Your opinion. The next bucks I can save will go towards a sunburst Jazzmaster clone. Thanks for showing this, Colin!
I love my HB's, I have 7..but that SC-550 guitar (at Thomann price £325) just sounds as good as my cheapest Epiphone AFD..which you can buy in the UK now as a starter kit with Amp etc included at £349 delivered...both brill guitars..but for the extra £24..i would advise to go for the Epiphone slash AFD kit (looks exactly the same)..I own one ( didnt need the amp, but for the minimal extra it cost for the amp) ..it is fantastic on quality and has a built in tuner..love it!! ❤ Harley Benton guitars are brill too..but for what you get for the minimal extra cost..makes the Epiphone kit a must!! brilliant beautifully made guitar inc all you need to learn on but the amp is only good to learn on at home only 🤘
I have this exact set of EMGs in a Hohner Arbor Series LP type guitar!! Originally I had the 81/85 set up but they didn’t quite fit the guitar right, these were in another guitar so I swapped them over and I haven’t looked back since. With the guitar being slightly hollow these pickups sound incredible on a clean channel but when you want some distortion it really packs a punch. I’ve been a fan of EMG since I did my first modification to my Epiphone Explorer Gothic, I put a set of Seymour Duncan Blackouts in it with the EMG solder less conversion kit. This made life so much easier as all I need to solder was a switch, connecting 4 wire to 4 lugs no problem, then follow the diagram provided with the pickups. Soldering is (in my opinion) an art form in itself and it would have taken me way longer to get not just that guitar running but everything I’ve done to date 🤘
Ive always felt and thought that active pickups are nicer and more versatile than most people give them credit for, but they have been more limited in their range of use compared to good passive pickups. Good to see that active pickups are getting some extra mileage now.
Most people shy away from active pickups in general because they tried a set and installed them like non actives. They put them way to close and they sound like distorted ass when you do that. If they took 5 minutes of play time and adjusted them properly they would have found the natural sweet spot every pickup has and been quite happy.
@UseTheSupeRsonic Look at the last two guitars I built on my channel. The "BRS" neck pickup is even with the ring on the low side and slightly lower on the high side. I NEVER set pickup height to balance power. that is what volume controls are for. I go for the sweet spot where there is a clear sound. On some I will even bring it up a hair to get a slight growl for specific play styles intentionally but no where near where it kills or even effects the tone of the pickups. I have 3 different sets of EMG's I use now and each set has very distinct properties.
The emgs retroactive (except crossroads set & James Root Daeomonum signature set) are made in Indonesia (fat 55, super 77 n' hot 70) & cost the same that the emgs Made un usa
The best part of the set is that you could mix a "classic" EMG with a retroactive in one guitar quite easily. A 85 in the bridge with the fat 55 in the neck could be a very interesting combination.
Backing off the volume knob a bit should take care of the breakup on the clean channel while still being able to get that sharp high end dirt when you want it. The pickups didn’t look very close in the close up shots.
Kind of like the Bob Ross approach to looking at natural beauty. They're all happy little accidents that add up to make something beautiful and unique.
85 in the Bridge is actually pretty cool. I have an Ibanez S series with an 85 and a 60 and I love it for drop C metalcore but it definitely is a one trick pony.
You either love or hate EMGs. To me the classic 81 still is THE sound of metal and I really love it. But it‘s great to see that the company still develops new pickup designs, like the Retro Active series and several „in-between“ models like the Jim Root and James Hetfield sets.
The best part of the guitar is that you can swap EMG's fast and easy. You could use an 81 in the bridge with the fat 55 in the neck. Would be an interesting combination
@@martinemesguitar I use both. I do have more guitars w/ the 57/66's, even though the Fat 55's were my first introduction to EMGs and I love them, but yes the 57/66's do have a little more "punch" when heavily distorted. However, that being said. they clean up real nice too, both are my go to pups anymore. I've replaced Dimarzio's and Seymours w/ both those sets of EMG's.
I just put the EMG hot 70’s in my Firefly LP style and straight up that guitar, after a couple improvements, sounds and plays just as well as any high end Epiphone I’ve played. Those pickups are fantastic!
I recently picked up a broken guitar(not Harley Benton, but a new brand in a similar price point) as a practice piece. Trying to get into repair...those that can't play 🙄...I was very shocked to find, that on this brand anyways, the "carved top" wasn't carved at all. Well...I guess the material underneath was, but the "5A top" was 1/42nd of an inch thick. It isn't a nice piece of maple capping that guitar, it's a skin so thin, you don't EVER want to scratch it! The one I got, even had a cap on the bottom, so they could use small pieces of wood in between. I bet if you cracked back that binding, that's what you'd find there. That guitar has all the tone qualities of whatever wood it is youre seeing from the bottom. Still looks great. Plays the same. Also makes it possible for us to be able to get a guitar that nice, for that price. Still...they should say "1/42" veneer top". Without that disclaimer, its deception. That said, It wasn't a Harley Benton I took apart, but it seemed a valid explanation for their pricing when I can't buy just the WOOD to build a guitar of similar quality, for what they're asking for FINISHED PRODUCT! Just be aware of what you're getting I guess.
Yes, the top looks good and the pickups will certainely satisfy Slash fans and Child Of Mine lovers. I prefer lower output pickups that you can always boost. The deal breaker to me is the headstock: the shape and the inlay just don't make it... Too bad !
Cool video and insightful comments. But guys: between this and the Harley Benton SC-Custom Plus EMG (some +70€), which is the better one for playability/smoothness on the fret-board, and sound ? I believe this one has a crisper tone.
Well Colin I was looking for a led pail style to play rock I’ve just ordered my Christmas present ! Wanted to try the paf style EMG’s too so it seems rather synchronous Thanks for the review 👍👍
@@ScienceofLoud Colin I’m sure I will Id also like to say thanks for all Your in depth videos on pedals and amps I love your distortion video with the history of op amps 🙏👍 I’ve learned lots 👍
I had an Ibanez ARZ200FM for a while that I stuck some Seymour Duncans in. To this day, I have yet to find an LP style set neck guitar with a heel that was as nice as the Ibanez's.
I wonder what that HB LP clone would sound like with a set of Seymour Duncan P-Rails and the Triple Shot switching rings. Same for your Sabbathized SG.
I have a burning TATA question that’s been on my mind a lot recently. why don’t electric guitars come with rare earth magnets for their pickups? would that make the operation too noisy? or is it something else entirely? like cost or they just sound terrible?
I think they are rare, difficult to work with and more expensive. Some guitars use them. I think they were in Fender's original Wide range pickups that were humbuckers but had magnetic pole pieces.
My first guitar was an Epiphone, it wasn't well made, so I sold it. I now have LP type guitars from PRS, Gretsch and Chapman (all under £1000). It seems the only company that can't make a good LP under £1000 is Gibson.
Don't get active pickups hate, first time I tried them heard no noise, sound is consistent and smooth. Can drive shitty amps and sound good in any amp. I had a guitar with EMG81/60 and currently I have Harley Benton Amarok-6 with EMG Hot 70 set and I like them too. They're fairly close. As for Fishman Fluence Modern they're simply amazing top notch on guitar I tried.
The Sweet Child sounded pretty authentic. Surprisingly so. But here's the thing... they're made for high gain which makes them a one trick pony. Blues players or country guys aren't gonna like them
If active electronics aren’t suitable for blues players, then explain the Eric Clapton strat circuit. Seems to me that you could just roll back the volume to where you want it to be on one pickup, leave the other turned up, flicking the selector switch is like engaging a boost pedal.
I find that people who think EMG's cant be clean sounding usually have no real clue how they work. 99.999% of the time set them up like the weak sauce shit pickups of yore using the ass old standard of a pick up MUST be set x amount of mm from the strings. I can see those pickups are set way too freaking close. Add to that the hamfisted play style most standard pickup users have of course they will sound like total distorted ass. EVERY pickup no matter active or passive has a sweet spot where its best tone rings out as well as how it responds clean and dirty. Take 5 minutes and find it rather then eyeballing or using rulers to set up the pickup heights. Its NOT rocket science.
I thought I was the ONLY ONE to hate EMG 81/85's... they purposely remove most of the low end chunk while focusing it completely in the mid range... and I HATE that. I wonder what his reasons are...
I had a Cort with Fat 55s and absolutely hated it. They were way too hot and had very little dynamic range. Fishman Fluence Classics sound and feel much better IMO.
I have a question. I'm planning on buying either the 550 II Plus EMG, or the SC- Custom Plus EMG. Which of these do you think would best fit into the Lead/Rhythm players tool box? Theres not really a place in town to get my hands on either of these unless I buy it online.
since you're working with HB could you make them realize that in order to not get sued by gibson they don't have to make guitars that look like shit? there are so many good ways to change the V and explorer shape i still don't get how they are messing it up. (sorry i realized i sound a bit harsh but they have so many amazing models in LP, strat and tele shape that it's just frustrating them messing up on more "heavy" shapes)
@@alexanderplatz517 ok but it's not like Solar, Esp and other brands have their own ex and V shapes (and they don't look like shit) tho making an exact copy was probably a bad move
Did you have to make any adjustments to the guitar after you received it? I've considered a Harley Benton in the past, but changed my mind after getting a PRS. The PRS is so easy to play, and has a nice resonance in the wood, sort of like the feeling of the sound in the wood of a piano. How would you compare a Harley Benton with a PRS?
Absolutely no adjustments made other than putting it in tune. This was it right out of the box. I can't make a comparison between this and PRS as the only PRS I've played was 10 times the price of the Harley Benton.
These 550 plus EMG's are the best guitar for the money. I have one and I have a lot of other guitars too, this one came out of the box tuned.. light actually in real standard E tuning, nothing was flat or sharp. The only thing I had to do was I did treat the fretboard w/ some Fone oil at my first string change. I see a lot of people comparing these to Epi's. I have an Epi 60s standard and I haven't played the Epi but once since getting this 550 plus EMG, over a year ago. It's amazing.
Sighs...where do i start on the EMG hate band wagon... heres the thing. You dont buy a 4x4 SUV to go racing! And you dont buy a ferari to go offroading!, you certainly dont buy emg 81 and 85 to play stuff they arent maint for. I have seen so many kids shit on EMG's just because their favorite youtubers/reviewers dont get along with them, fine if you dont get along with EMG's but dont go bashing on them like they are bad pickups when you make videos( just talking in general here, not saying you do that) . I love and respect how ola englund handles this, he simply says "i dont like how EMG's sound when I play them, but they sound awesome when other people do". Influencers, youtubers, reviewers underestimate the power they have. Just look at the title this video..... some noobs just getting in to gear thats a huge fan will blindly jump on the "EmG hate band wagon" But what i love are facts, and theres a reason why EMG has dominated the rock/metal scene for years...🍻
Tell me you haven't watched this video and just knee jerk reacted to the title without telling me you haven't watched this video and just knee jerk reacted to the title.
@@ScienceofLoud tell me you havent read my whole comment and missed the part where i say "not saying you do that" without telling me you havent read my whole comment, again..... talking in general here , cheers brother 🍻
I got a nice wee HB Strat with gold hardware and floyd rose for like £150 or something a few months ago. Still havent got it setup cos I dunno how to setup a floyd but the guitar feels great. Nothing to winge about at all
Not for me. I want any juice I need coming from a pedal not my pick ups. You simply can't "inactivate" them. You're stuck with them. So if swapping pups you gotta go with the standard SC5502 line and put the money saved towards a real set of PAFs. Of course music style means a lot and if 80's rock is your thing this guitar prolly makes your day. For me, playing 60's & 70's rock, EMG's just don't have that thang.
I have the bourbon burst version not big on the amber look. mine weighed in at approx 8.0 pounds. My Epi 60s standard weighed in a little over 9 pounds. The neck on the 550 EMG plus is nice a little thinner than my epi 60's standard neck. I have a LP Custom, the Epi 60s standard and the HB 550 plus EMG is still my go to over those other two.
Really, the main reason I hate active pickups is because of the price you pay in batteries. It adds up quickly. For the price of this guitar, that is about a year's worth of batteries. Soon, you will have spent more on batteries than you did on the guitar. For more expensive guitars, that time period is longer and longer, but if you own the guitar for long enough, you eventually will reach the point where you spent more on batteries than did on the guitar. Bare Knuckle War Pigs are every bit as high-powered as most actives, but NO BATTERIES REQUIRED. Ever.
What is making you change batteries so often? Battery life on active pickups is very long, should only need to change a battery maybe once a year with regular use. Are you perhaps leaving the cable plugged into the guitar while it's not in use? Because that will drain your battery quickly.
In the studio, I do tend to leave the cable plugged in when we go for a break. I also play live, and am one of the "house guitarists" at an open mic, so my guitars also see more use than normal.
Cool vid man, thanks for the info. I was thinking of a FireFly, but I believe Im liking this better. One question tho, did you play through the actual amps, or use a sim? The reason I ask is I saw a few other channels reported that some of the HB products were having ground issues. Thanks again rock on \m/ \m/
I never use sims, only ever physical amps. The issues with the new HB Victory Active is probably an error in ground wiring which is a problem unique to that guitar. I'm looking forward to getting one to discover what the issue is and advising others on how to fix it. I haven't seen this issue with other HB with active pickups, this SC550 did not have any noise issues.
@@ScienceofLoud Awesome, thanks man. Thats even better. They seem like great guitars for the money. Btw, I had ground issues with my Jackson, and those are passive. The "hum" isnt exclusive to HB......haha.
it is a veneer can't expect to get a AA Maple cap for this price point. Jackson and Ibanez offer quilted and flamed maple tops with veneers at the thousand to 1200 price point. But these look amazing. I have no issues with veneer, it's still wood, its just thin. But, with these it's about the look and these look amazing
Get your Harley Benton SC-550+ EMG: thmn.to/thoprod/497996?offid=1&affid=367
Harley Benton's deluxe series SC-550+ features AA flame maple top in 'Paradise Amber' finish, locking tuners, and a set of EMG FAT55 PAF style active pickups. Will I like these better than the EMG81/85 set which I hate?
This video contains paid promotion from Harley Benton.
More details on how CSGuitars implements product promotion - www.csguitars.co.uk/disclosure
#emg #harleybenton #activepickups
Get 15% OFF unique and colourful Mr Gugu clothing with discount code 'CSGuitars' - mrgugu.com/
Timecodes -
00:00 - SC-550 Introduction & features
01:28 - Instrument Quality
02:54 - Top and Neck Heel Contours
03:47 - Sounds: Tone King Imperial
04:51 - Sounds: Victory Kraken
06:51 - EMG FAT 55 Opinions
07:40 - Final Thoughts
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Gain access to exclusive content at: www.patreon.com/csguitars
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Buy CSGuitars Merchandise - www.csguitars.co.uk/store
Website - www.csguitars.co.uk
Contact - colin@csguitars.co.uk
____________________________________________________________________
*Description contains affiliate links. Purchasing using one of these links will generate a small commission for CSGuitars at no additional cost to you.*
The Fat 55 is a great set of PUs. My fave out of the three Retro Active sets. They really and literally saved a bunch of guitars I have. E.g. pretty much any (inexpensive) LP Style Guitar, in my case a LTD EC 256, Epiphone Jerry Cantrell Signature and the Fender Jim Root Jazzmaster whichs stock PUs sound atrocious.
I really appreciate you playing recognizable riffs, it helps my untrained ear to tell how ‘good’ it sounds.
Yeah, my eyes lit up when he started playing Maiden!
High end guitar snobs hate this, but 80% of the sound of a guitar is in the pickups, scale length, and string gauge. Putting high end pickups in a budget guitar will make it sound pretty much identical to a high end guitar with the same setup. I have a bareknuckle mule pup set in my 600$ Agile Les Paul and it sounds better than any of the Gibsons under 2500$ that I've tried.
The tone wood idiots will go crazy when hearing this but it's true. It's all about the pickups. Speakers too.
Even higher percentage. I'd say more like 95%.
If you can't hear it, does not mean it's not there. Pricier guitars tend to have better components made of better materials and they usually sound better, feel better and hold tune/play in tune better. To a listener some of the details are hard to detect but to a player they are more obvious. Some expensive guitars sound like ass and some cheaper guitars sound great but 8 out of 10 times pricier guitars are just better
Yep. My 7 string sounds like a much more expensive instrument just because I threw a Duncan Pegasus and a graphtech nut in it.
This. I scored a Jackson JS22-7, which is the cheapest no-frills 7-string they offer, that came with a set of DiMarzio D-Activators installed. Didn't matter that the body was poplar and the whole thing was made to be as inexpensive as possible - still blew other 7s I played out of the water. Including my mate's $2,000 ESP.
I put the same fat 55 set in a kit guitar build and I really like them. They are hot at full volume, but one of the nice things about active pickups is you can really use the whole range of the volume pot without sacrificing tone, so you can just dial it back a bit if you want a nice clean tone.
Underrated comment right here, it's sad that this barely ever gets mentioned.
Just got this guitar in the tabaco burst. Thanks for this comment, I’ll keep it in mind as I explore the tonal character of these pickups
I love the new emg jazzmaster pickups. Super versatile compared to the passive jazzmaster pickups. Gives u a legitimate bridge pickup thats usable with distortion and u still get that awesome jazzmaster neck pickup on the cleans
so many people dont realise that EMG has a variety of pickup options, so its really cool to see you give some spotlight to this set. the fat 55 is EMGs best humbuckers in my opinion, but nobody even knows about them
I have used strictly EMG's since early 80's. I still have an EMG HM-1 in my 1986 Washburn RR11v. I have the standard 81/85's in several I have owned over the years. Now I have the Glenn Tipton Vengeance set in my first build and I think they are the best over all EMG's I have used yet. I even have a set of Zakk Wylde's in the Explorer I just built.. EMG's are really versitile and now they have many many options and their traits are just as distinguishable as standard pickups. You just have to get out of that mind set of positioning them like theay are non actives. Thats why people hate EMG's they have no clue how to properly set them up.
@@borgonianevolution very true, its like people want to believe that the way famous guitarists used a piece of gear is the only way to use it.
Picked up a Harley Benton EX84 Modern-EMG. I have no idea how they can make a profit here. The guitar lists at $345. The EMG pickups (60-neck, 81-bridge) account for $200+ of the price. The fretboard is ebony and the nut is a Graph Tech TUSQ. All in all I am very happy with the purchase as any other company would charge a LOT more for less guitar. Even with VAT and overseas shipping it arrived in < 1 week.
keep in mind that retail markups are completely nuts, so they're worth $200 to you or me... but not to the manufacturer who can place an order for 10K+ pickups for a few production runs!
to give you an idea of what the true cost might be, EMG sells factory direct "scratch and dent" on Reverb in the continental USA for ~$60 - 85 USD, depending on which cover options are selected. (pretty sure it's just the pickup and no wiring harness, but I can't order them as they don't ship outside USA.)
Reverb takes something like ~9% off the top after processing fees and cut and free shipping is included. assume cost of production for a pickup is something like ~$25 - 35 USD apiece and the net revenue off that discounted purchase would still be in the ballpark of $50 USD, or roughly 30-50% margin. and that's just the scratch and dent stuff.
You can certainly get EMGs cheaper, I got a fat55 set off Ebay for $100, so half the price on their website.
If you like the 55 then try the 57 or the 85 in the bridge. Both Alnico. Played EMG’s since 1984, mostly with the 85 in the bridge. They just work and often lifesavers when you turn up with out a pedalboard and given a shitty amp with not much drive.
Horses for courses as always.
Very interested in the HB guitars, they look like awesome bang for buck.
I got one of the first 550 plus EMG's back in early 2021 in faded tobacco flame. I too, anti EMG or any active for that matter. But, reading up on the 55's, I thought ok for the price I can't ignore it anymore just try it. I was not only shocked by how incredible the guitar looked, felt and played, but I now have 5 guitars w/ EMG's. the solderless did help me change my mind on EMG's as well, but I've only stuck w/ 55s and the 57/66's. I too, lowered the pups a bit and haven't had to do anything else other than a string change and of put some Fone oil on the fretboard. Great guitar for the price. I have an Epi 60s standard and a LP Custom. I still play the harley way more, it's also lighter than the other two and I really like the fat 55's more.
Nothing wrong with EMG 81/85 imo ;) In fact, I like them precisely for sounding not like a PAF.
And also nothing wrong with the 81x/60x imo. Prefer the 60 over the 85 because 80s chorus clean.
Dude- You got me hooked! What I like about You doing this: You play catchy classics, You have a good taste for affordable guitars and I belive Your opinion. The next bucks I can save will go towards a sunburst Jazzmaster clone. Thanks for showing this, Colin!
I love my HB's, I have 7..but that SC-550 guitar (at Thomann price £325) just sounds as good as my cheapest Epiphone AFD..which you can buy in the UK now as a starter kit with Amp etc included at £349 delivered...both brill guitars..but for the extra £24..i would advise to go for the Epiphone slash AFD kit (looks exactly the same)..I own one ( didnt need the amp, but for the minimal extra it cost for the amp) ..it is fantastic on quality and has a built in tuner..love it!! ❤
Harley Benton guitars are brill too..but for what you get for the minimal extra cost..makes the Epiphone kit a must!! brilliant beautifully made guitar inc all you need to learn on but the amp is only good to learn on at home only 🤘
I have this exact set of EMGs in a Hohner Arbor Series LP type guitar!!
Originally I had the 81/85 set up but they didn’t quite fit the guitar right, these were in another guitar so I swapped them over and I haven’t looked back since.
With the guitar being slightly hollow these pickups sound incredible on a clean channel but when you want some distortion it really packs a punch.
I’ve been a fan of EMG since I did my first modification to my Epiphone Explorer Gothic, I put a set of Seymour Duncan Blackouts in it with the EMG solder less conversion kit. This made life so much easier as all I need to solder was a switch, connecting 4 wire to 4 lugs no problem, then follow the diagram provided with the pickups.
Soldering is (in my opinion) an art form in itself and it would have taken me way longer to get not just that guitar running but everything I’ve done to date 🤘
Just purchased one of these, seems like insane value and doesnt appear to be any upcharge from its USA store. Cant wait.
Ive always felt and thought that active pickups are nicer and more versatile than most people give them credit for, but they have been more limited in their range of use compared to good passive pickups. Good to see that active pickups are getting some extra mileage now.
Most people shy away from active pickups in general because they tried a set and installed them like non actives. They put them way to close and they sound like distorted ass when you do that. If they took 5 minutes of play time and adjusted them properly they would have found the natural sweet spot every pickup has and been quite happy.
@UseTheSupeRsonic Ive got one that is around the 5mm spacing range, maybe more to get to the happy place with it.
@UseTheSupeRsonic Look at the last two guitars I built on my channel. The "BRS" neck pickup is even with the ring on the low side and slightly lower on the high side.
I NEVER set pickup height to balance power. that is what volume controls are for. I go for the sweet spot where there is a clear sound. On some I will even bring it up a hair to get a slight growl for specific play styles intentionally but no where near where it kills or even effects the tone of the pickups.
I have 3 different sets of EMG's I use now and each set has very distinct properties.
I got one, it' s a real rock machine! I' m very pleased!
The emgs retroactive (except crossroads set & James Root Daeomonum signature set) are made in Indonesia (fat 55, super 77 n' hot 70) & cost the same that the emgs Made un usa
That HB looks amazing, i love the retro active EMGs on my Fusion-T EMG, it sounds beast on drop B tuning!
Except for a schecter pt the next three guitars I want are harley benton.
The best part of the set is that you could mix a "classic" EMG with a retroactive in one guitar quite easily.
A 85 in the bridge with the fat 55 in the neck could be a very interesting combination.
You must try the fluence fishman classic active pickups. They will completely revolutionise your view on what an active pickup can sound like
i have a set in my schecter 7 string and ho ly shit i love having the different voicings switch under the tone knob 🤤🤤 HE NEEDS TO TRY THEM
IMHO they STILL sound active & sterile hot...yes but organic & sweet no
Backing off the volume knob a bit should take care of the breakup on the clean channel while still being able to get that sharp high end dirt when you want it. The pickups didn’t look very close in the close up shots.
Knots in wood add character and can be beautiful perfectly imperfect is what I call it
Kind of like the Bob Ross approach to looking at natural beauty. They're all happy little accidents that add up to make something beautiful and unique.
This is a great reminder to finally get rid of my beloved prejudice that i don't like active pickups - and try them for once.
85 in the Bridge is actually pretty cool. I have an Ibanez S series with an 85 and a 60 and I love it for drop C metalcore but it definitely is a one trick pony.
You either love or hate EMGs. To me the classic 81 still is THE sound of metal and I really love it. But it‘s great to see that the company still develops new pickup designs, like the Retro Active series and several „in-between“ models like the Jim Root and James Hetfield sets.
EMG even make mini humbuckers, but the retro active are the coolest ones they've added lately.
The best part of the guitar is that you can swap EMG's fast and easy.
You could use an 81 in the bridge with the fat 55 in the neck.
Would be an interesting combination
Wow, the pants really caught me off guard 😆
"Doing me a concern" 😂
Try the EMG 57/66 set. Best pickup set anyone out there makes.
They're not versatile though, they're just great metal pickups imo. The Fat55s are a more versatile choice, I switched to them.
@@martinemesguitar I use both. I do have more guitars w/ the 57/66's, even though the Fat 55's were my first introduction to EMGs and I love them, but yes the 57/66's do have a little more "punch" when heavily distorted. However, that being said. they clean up real nice too, both are my go to pups anymore. I've replaced Dimarzio's and Seymours w/ both those sets of EMG's.
But, Rosewell LAF pickups on previous Harley Benton SC-550 is weak, sluggish and dim and little dynamics.Thanks
I just put the EMG hot 70’s in my Firefly LP style and straight up that guitar, after a couple improvements, sounds and plays just as well as any high end Epiphone I’ve played. Those pickups are fantastic!
I recently picked up a broken guitar(not Harley Benton, but a new brand in a similar price point) as a practice piece. Trying to get into repair...those that can't play 🙄...I was very shocked to find, that on this brand anyways, the "carved top" wasn't carved at all. Well...I guess the material underneath was, but the "5A top" was 1/42nd of an inch thick. It isn't a nice piece of maple capping that guitar, it's a skin so thin, you don't EVER want to scratch it! The one I got, even had a cap on the bottom, so they could use small pieces of wood in between. I bet if you cracked back that binding, that's what you'd find there. That guitar has all the tone qualities of whatever wood it is youre seeing from the bottom. Still looks great. Plays the same. Also makes it possible for us to be able to get a guitar that nice, for that price. Still...they should say "1/42" veneer top". Without that disclaimer, its deception. That said, It wasn't a Harley Benton I took apart, but it seemed a valid explanation for their pricing when I can't buy just the WOOD to build a guitar of similar quality, for what they're asking for FINISHED PRODUCT! Just be aware of what you're getting I guess.
That sounds pure beast through the Kraken, very cool indeed.
Yes, the top looks good and the pickups will certainely satisfy Slash fans and Child Of Mine lovers. I prefer lower output pickups that you can always boost. The deal breaker to me is the headstock: the shape and the inlay just don't make it... Too bad !
SWOM sounded spot on Slash!
Considering how sloppy some Gibsons are "QM'd" this is really striking.
I put some $300 Seymour Duncan’s and a Harley Benton $89 guitar one tone one volume sounds great
Collin!!! Wassup dude! Awesome guitar for the money! The EMG Retro Actives are likewise great sounding pickups! 😎🤘🎸🎶🎵
Cool video and insightful comments. But guys: between this and the Harley Benton SC-Custom Plus EMG (some +70€), which is the better one for playability/smoothness on the fret-board, and sound ? I believe this one has a crisper tone.
Well Colin I was looking for a led pail style to play rock
I’ve just ordered my Christmas present !
Wanted to try the paf style EMG’s too so it seems rather synchronous
Thanks for the review 👍👍
I hope you enjoy it when it arrives! Merry Christmas to you.
@@ScienceofLoud Colin I’m sure I will
Id also like to say thanks for all
Your in depth videos on pedals and amps
I love your distortion video with the history of op amps 🙏👍
I’ve learned lots 👍
hey Colin geat video. sounds great and I am currently suffering from gas. going to look now. Thanks as always
I had an Ibanez ARZ200FM for a while that I stuck some Seymour Duncans in. To this day, I have yet to find an LP style set neck guitar with a heel that was as nice as the Ibanez's.
I wonder what that HB LP clone would sound like with a set of Seymour Duncan P-Rails and the Triple Shot switching rings. Same for your Sabbathized SG.
The true winner are those shark trousers. They add real bite to your playing
Very Impressive looks and tones!
I have a burning TATA question that’s been on my mind a lot recently. why don’t electric guitars come with rare earth magnets for their pickups? would that make the operation too noisy? or is it something else entirely? like cost or they just sound terrible?
the power of magnet directly affects the sound, plus the magnets are soo strong they might just suck the string down before you could fret it
I think they are rare, difficult to work with and more expensive. Some guitars use them. I think they were in Fender's original Wide range pickups that were humbuckers but had magnetic pole pieces.
My first guitar was an Epiphone, it wasn't well made, so I sold it.
I now have LP type guitars from PRS, Gretsch and Chapman (all under £1000).
It seems the only company that can't make a good LP under £1000 is Gibson.
Don't get active pickups hate, first time I tried them heard no noise, sound is consistent and smooth. Can drive shitty amps and sound good in any amp. I had a guitar with EMG81/60 and currently I have Harley Benton Amarok-6 with EMG Hot 70 set and I like them too. They're fairly close. As for Fishman Fluence Modern they're simply amazing top notch on guitar I tried.
Maybe it’s my pension for all things imperial but that town king sounds awesome!
@CSGuitars446 for a second there I thought you was a spam bot 😂
I see a guitar like that and it makes me want to play the ghostbusters theme song, some billy gibbons, or surprisingly grave digger.
Will these pick-ups fit in a telecaster style guitar? They sound great!
That's some snazzy trousers!
The Sweet Child sounded pretty authentic. Surprisingly so. But here's the thing... they're made for high gain which makes them a one trick pony. Blues players or country guys aren't gonna like them
Yup, it's an 80s rock guitar - designed to do Guns N' Roses. There are plenty of other options in the HB range for blues and country guys.
@@ScienceofLoud You know, Gibson made Explorer model for blues, then the market did it's thing.
If active electronics aren’t suitable for blues players, then explain the Eric Clapton strat circuit.
Seems to me that you could just roll back the volume to where you want it to be on one pickup, leave the other turned up, flicking the selector switch is like engaging a boost pedal.
I've also heard people say you can't play heavy metal on a Tele, but we all know that's not true.
@@Mikey__R John 5 has entered the chat
12 points for Kraken!
Jesus that Kraken with that guitar is great
Algorithm fodder. Good review!
Great guitar for this price. Worth it.
My next purchase 🤘
Emg pickps are all made like regular pickups + a preamp. Traditional emg pickups are potted better but they are not made with the wreckage of area 51.
I find that people who think EMG's cant be clean sounding usually have no real clue how they work. 99.999% of the time set them up like the weak sauce shit pickups of yore using the ass old standard of a pick up MUST be set x amount of mm from the strings. I can see those pickups are set way too freaking close. Add to that the hamfisted play style most standard pickup users have of course they will sound like total distorted ass.
EVERY pickup no matter active or passive has a sweet spot where its best tone rings out as well as how it responds clean and dirty. Take 5 minutes and find it rather then eyeballing or using rulers to set up the pickup heights. Its NOT rocket science.
Nice pants! :D
Did you steal Henning's trousers?
I thought I was the ONLY ONE to hate EMG 81/85's... they purposely remove most of the low end chunk while focusing it completely in the mid range... and I HATE that. I wonder what his reasons are...
@aminamohammad2289 You've won a prize too. 🖕🖕🖕 Enjoy
Those pants are outer space!
I had a Cort with Fat 55s and absolutely hated it. They were way too hot and had very little dynamic range. Fishman Fluence Classics sound and feel much better IMO.
Harley Benton accidentally discovered the Gibson Slash Appetite for Destruction Les Paul!!!
I have a question.
I'm planning on buying either the
550 II Plus EMG, or the SC- Custom Plus EMG.
Which of these do you think would best fit into the Lead/Rhythm players tool box? Theres not really a place in town to get my hands on either of these unless I buy it online.
This video also made me realize I need a Kraken.
about the clean pickups overdriving the amp, can i just lower my volume and fix it?
Rhythm, for the Algo.
since you're working with HB could you make them realize that in order to not get sued by gibson they don't have to make guitars that look like shit? there are so many good ways to change the V and explorer shape i still don't get how they are messing it up.
(sorry i realized i sound a bit harsh but they have so many amazing models in LP, strat and tele shape that it's just frustrating them messing up on more "heavy" shapes)
They got sued I think some years back when their original explorer models looked like legit Gibson 84 explorer/ESP MX copies
@@alexanderplatz517 ok but it's not like Solar, Esp and other brands have their own ex and V shapes (and they don't look like shit)
tho making an exact copy was probably a bad move
I think Solar Vs look like shit.
It's personal preference.
What's going on with your trousers?
tempting . . .
Did you have to make any adjustments to the guitar after you received it?
I've considered a Harley Benton in the past, but changed my mind after getting a PRS. The PRS is so easy to play, and has a nice resonance in the wood, sort of like the feeling of the sound in the wood of a piano. How would you compare a Harley Benton with a PRS?
Absolutely no adjustments made other than putting it in tune. This was it right out of the box.
I can't make a comparison between this and PRS as the only PRS I've played was 10 times the price of the Harley Benton.
Thank you, my friend. 👍😊
These 550 plus EMG's are the best guitar for the money. I have one and I have a lot of other guitars too, this one came out of the box tuned.. light actually in real standard E tuning, nothing was flat or sharp. The only thing I had to do was I did treat the fretboard w/ some Fone oil at my first string change. I see a lot of people comparing these to Epi's. I have an Epi 60s standard and I haven't played the Epi but once since getting this 550 plus EMG, over a year ago. It's amazing.
I dig it!
Sounds like an ideal 80s metal guitar to me. However I’m a man of little variety so if you gave it to me I’d still just play Cannibal Corpse on it.
5:48 if this is a song, could anyone tell me it’s name?
Sighs...where do i start on the EMG hate band wagon... heres the thing. You dont buy a 4x4 SUV to go racing! And you dont buy a ferari to go offroading!, you certainly dont buy emg 81 and 85 to play stuff they arent maint for. I have seen so many kids shit on EMG's just because their favorite youtubers/reviewers dont get along with them, fine if you dont get along with EMG's but dont go bashing on them like they are bad pickups when you make videos( just talking in general here, not saying you do that) . I love and respect how ola englund handles this, he simply says "i dont like how EMG's sound when I play them, but they sound awesome when other people do".
Influencers, youtubers, reviewers underestimate the power they have. Just look at the title this video..... some noobs just getting in to gear thats a huge fan will blindly jump on the "EmG hate band wagon"
But what i love are facts, and theres a reason why EMG has dominated the rock/metal scene for years...🍻
Tell me you haven't watched this video and just knee jerk reacted to the title without telling me you haven't watched this video and just knee jerk reacted to the title.
@@ScienceofLoud tell me you havent read my whole comment and missed the part where i say "not saying you do that" without telling me you havent read my whole comment, again..... talking in general here , cheers brother 🍻
Can I get the PUs in DBL cream?
If you turn the volume down, does it change the tone like in passive pickups? Is there an active tone circuit?
Yes. They behave much like passive pickups. I use the retro 70s and they are incredible and very dynamic with lots of headroom.
Colin does it again!
The only issue I have with these guitars is the roasted jatoba. I really don't like it. It looks so dry..
Anyone know the name of the song Colin played after sweet child o' mine?
I got a nice wee HB Strat with gold hardware and floyd rose for like £150 or something a few months ago. Still havent got it setup cos I dunno how to setup a floyd but the guitar feels great. Nothing to winge about at all
Jesus man, did ja film this on beta max as well, A wee bit blurry mate
So - real speakers or IR ?
If you can't tell which it is, does it really matter?
Well that answers that question.
At Thomann the body of the guitar pictured is not Nato but Okoume and looks much nicer.
Shame there was no Victory Kraken back in the AFD days😂❤
or Harley Benton.
Will the guitar still work without the battery?
No, the pickup preamps require power to pass signal.
yes they will, with a modification. Look up EMG Retro Active Super 77 make an active humbucker passive
Not for me. I want any juice I need coming from a pedal not my pick ups. You simply can't "inactivate" them. You're stuck with them. So if swapping pups you gotta go with the standard SC5502 line and put the money saved towards a real set of PAFs. Of course music style means a lot and if 80's rock is your thing this guitar prolly makes your day. For me, playing 60's & 70's rock, EMG's just don't have that thang.
Volume control?
What's the weight on that thing like? And is it more a 50s of 60s neck thickness?
I have the bourbon burst version not big on the amber look. mine weighed in at approx 8.0 pounds. My Epi 60s standard weighed in a little over 9 pounds. The neck on the 550 EMG plus is nice a little thinner than my epi 60's standard neck. I have a LP Custom, the Epi 60s standard and the HB 550 plus EMG is still my go to over those other two.
@@ryant3600 Cheers man. 👌
Hay Colin I just rewound a precision pickup, but I'm getting a weird hum. The magnets are how there supposed to be
Really, the main reason I hate active pickups is because of the price you pay in batteries. It adds up quickly. For the price of this guitar, that is about a year's worth of batteries. Soon, you will have spent more on batteries than you did on the guitar. For more expensive guitars, that time period is longer and longer, but if you own the guitar for long enough, you eventually will reach the point where you spent more on batteries than did on the guitar.
Bare Knuckle War Pigs are every bit as high-powered as most actives, but NO BATTERIES REQUIRED. Ever.
What is making you change batteries so often? Battery life on active pickups is very long, should only need to change a battery maybe once a year with regular use.
Are you perhaps leaving the cable plugged into the guitar while it's not in use? Because that will drain your battery quickly.
In the studio, I do tend to leave the cable plugged in when we go for a break.
I also play live, and am one of the "house guitarists" at an open mic, so my guitars also see more use than normal.
👍🏻👍🏻
Sounds like fishman is eating everyone’s lunch so they gotta innovate somehow to keep up
Cool vid man, thanks for the info. I was thinking of a FireFly, but I believe Im liking this better.
One question tho, did you play through the actual amps, or use a sim? The reason I ask is I saw a few other channels reported that some of the HB products were having ground issues.
Thanks again rock on \m/ \m/
I never use sims, only ever physical amps.
The issues with the new HB Victory Active is probably an error in ground wiring which is a problem unique to that guitar. I'm looking forward to getting one to discover what the issue is and advising others on how to fix it.
I haven't seen this issue with other HB with active pickups, this SC550 did not have any noise issues.
@@ScienceofLoud Awesome, thanks man. Thats even better. They seem like great guitars for the money. Btw, I had ground issues with my Jackson, and those are passive. The "hum" isnt exclusive to HB......haha.
The house built HB actives HBZ have that issue.
@@diegofiorillo6412 Seems like a no brainer for 300.... If i have to get the ohm meter and soldering iron out, so be it...\m/
Peckups
All emgs are passive pickups with a preamp.
I doubt that is a true Maple Flame top, it’s probably just a veneer.
it is a veneer can't expect to get a AA Maple cap for this price point. Jackson and Ibanez offer quilted and flamed maple tops with veneers at the thousand to 1200 price point. But these look amazing. I have no issues with veneer, it's still wood, its just thin. But, with these it's about the look and these look amazing
Nice playing !!!!