Thanks for the video Max. I purchased that same model one year ago. I did the same thing and bought it with another guitar. It had a small dent on the back of the neck. Not that bad, but you could feel it when playing. I contacted them and hoped they would offer a small discount off the guitar. They requested pictures of the guitar and shipping boxes. After a few days they let me know that they didn't have any more in stock so they credited the ENTIRE guitar cost! Now it was totally free!! I must say that was impressive. I'm sure cheaper for them to credit, than deal with a long replacement. But it was great. I would feel very confident in purchasing from Thomann again.
I've purchased a few Haley Benton guitars when the shipping used to be 35 dollars to the states. Beautiful guitars but the first one had shipping damage. A nasty ding to the pointy headstock of that PRS copy they sell. I did not complain, just filed the damaged area and touched it up with red nail polish that matched the guitars red paint. I suppose if it was an $800 dollar guitar the damage on the headstock would have made me more upset.
My eyes glazed over when you started trying to do calculations about the shipping divided by etc, etc, etc. Great point on purchasing more than one guitar or item at a time to help even out the shipping costs. Looking forward to seeing the other guitar you purchased! Another Great Video Max! Thank you for the time and effort you put into making these videos for us.
Have the same guitar. I changed the finger plate to a parchment colour and put on Ernie Ball strings. This is a bloody gobsmackingly great guitar. Love it.
I have several high-end guitars and bought a Harley Benton just to see if they were really as good as people say. They are. They are not cheap guitars - they are very good guitars at ridiculously low prices. Comparatively, they are at least as good as guitars 2-4 times the price. I would recommend the SC Custom II with P-90s, Thomann customer service is great too.
hey man, I watched one of your videos from about 2 years ago, and I can see how much your skill and technique evolved and grew from just 2 years, and your riff at the start in this video was awesome
@@GuitarMAXMusic by the way I've seen this interesting beauty: Harley Benton TE-90FLT, I was instantly reminded of your channel when I saw the red blast colour version. It's a Tele with filtertron style pickups. Maybe it will interest you.
Killer machine. Wow. What a price too. I'm a strat guy, so I gravitate to that shape. Never tried a HB. I'm really liking the pups they use in their builds.
Brother I'm glad to see a channel that proves you dont have to have an over budget guitar,my first in 64 was a Kent from Western auto $29.00 I was 8,if I had to depend on a high dollar model it would never have happened.i have 20ish of all brands and price ranges,99% of the time I play a r120 Ibanez
I got my St62VW about a year ago. I also have a 62 Fender. The HB is seriously not that much different. Fender was almost $1000, the HB was $162. No brainer here! Great guitar, cannot beat the price.
12-2022 Michigan here. Just purchased same guitar for only $122 us dollars. Also added two guitar kits.. shipping time 48hrs. total shipping cost was same as just for the guitar. Your past videos still have quality meaning to them as my purchases prove.
I started playing guitar in 1998 and played 6/-12 hours a day for years. However, graduating college, getting married, and having kids caused a major “hiatus” in my guitar playing journey. That said as someone who is trying to shop for new gear (this time on a family budget) after having not done so for over a decade, I greatly appreciate the knowledge you share on this channel.
I'm loving my Harley Benton SC-1000 and was looking at their Strat-esque lineup just last night. Great review, as always (and OMG what a great shirt--thanks!!!!!)
Nice one! Just a little thing: Roswell pickups aren't a pure Harley Benton thing but they are actually a brand you can buy elsewhere like Music Store (Thomann's biggest competitor in Germany), Partsland and so on. Since 2021 the necks of the ST-62 are actually slightly roasted.
Ordered a DC custom cherry just before Christmas, it's currently with the parcel delivery service here in the UK, and they delayed delivery 3 days running. Now being told I have to wait until January 4th! Can't wait to get my hands on it as it's an upgrade for me as I purchased a DC 580 cherry from them, and it didn't disappoint. Awesome video Max, and oh yeah! ... Happy new year to ya. Very best wishes for 2022. 👍👍👍☮☮☮🤘🤘🤘
my harley benton sc2 is my favorite guitar. I did my own fret level and crown and it plays like a dream and all the options you want for a price you cant beat
Acclimation of wood actually can take up to 6 months or more depending on the difference of environments.Around here things tend to be dry as I live in a high altitude fret sprout is very common. If you'er a traveling musician the constant changes in environment leads to constant adjustment of neck and other parts.
Max, Thanks for the great guitar videos. Just wanted to relate my experience buying the HB strat from Thomann. The purchase was easy and shipping was fast since they had the guitar in stock. When it arrived the box looked perfect, no damage so I hoped for the best. Opened both boxes and got to the guitar. At first it appeared ok but the action was high. On closer exam I found that two of the neck bolts (wood screws) loose. Tried to tighten them but one was stripped. Went on the web site to request a return. Thomann contacted me through email suggested I get my local luthier to provide a quote for repair, which I did but the luthier did not recommend the repair since it doesn’t always hold up.Thomann seems to prefer the customer repair a damaged guitar rather than replacing it, and maybe providing a credit. Too bad because I think they provide a good product for the money.
Pretty crazy that they are still as cheap as they are when all the other budget guitars increased in price. Even Fireflys are now nearly $200 when you can find them, so to see the HBs still at around $100 is pretty cool.
Fireflys have gone up a little more than some of the other super low end models (FF338 from $139 to $189 is a wider jump than others across the industry), but I think their quality has gotten more consistent than it used to be. However, I think $20-$30 seems to be about what I've seen across all the low to low-mid range models from many brands. HBs aren't immune either. I got this same S-Style model for my dad a couple of years ago for Christmas and it was only $99, now $120. The cost of guitar business has gone up in the last two years apparently. And shipping has skyrocketed. 2 to 3 years ago shipping from Thomann to California was only about $36 (I got 4 or 5 guitars for that with a batch buy like Max suggested), it was $60ish when I checked-in with them a year ago, and now I guess it's up to $78. That makes sense in some ways. Shipping workers are working harder than ever since lockdowns and stay at home orders began last year. Hopefully, we'll see things come back down a little as the ports and unions work things out, but I think that'll still take another 2 or 3 years to sort out, sadly. I just hope the actually workers are seeing bonuses, increased wages, or something from these increased costs, not just CEOs using a tumultuous time to line their pockets more.
To me, all _decent_ budget guitars (Squier CV, Harley Benton, Epiphone, etc) are blank canvases. You give them a good setup. Then you can either leave the electronics or swap them out to sound like a top-of -the-line version. Some sound great as-is and some need a little work.
Just got this, although body is black and is for lefthanded. Its my first electric (had a classical before). Ive found no issues whatsoever. No scratches, no rough frets, everything is smooth and flawless. It was even inspected before shipping. It totally plays like a guitar, I feel the woods are a tad little dry? but maybe thats normal for electrics. I think it looks better than the photos. Also its way heavier than what I was used to haha.
A beautiful guitar. I believe we live in an age, and mentality (which is a positive thing btw) where we don't necessarily need the feel to play the big brands anymore. Same thing applies to guitar amps, too. I play my beloved 2009 Fender Stratocaster (A USA model because I owe it to myself, and have always wanted an American Strat) through a Line 6 V60 MKii and it sounds great. I've played many amps in my life and came full circle to a simple cheap setup for everyday play. God bless, great videos!
I got one of this model earlier this year and put a Wilkinson vintage trem bridge with a push-in arm in it, Fender roller-style string trees, and a GraphTech nut, and not only does it SCREAM but it pops RIGHT back into tune after hitting the trem pretty hard. I set up the trem for full floating too. It’s so much better than my Squire that that thing is getting sold off now. 👍👍👍
Great video, as usual! I am a big fan of HB, got 5 or 6 of them. My experience has been that the electric guitars are awesome out of the box, like you found, just need some minor set up. But the acoustics... I have a 12 string, an auditorium 6 string and a nylon string. They all needed a good luthier to get them right. Especially the 12 string... the saddle was so high it was unplayable. So I invested about $120 US in a pro set up, and now it is fantastic, the easiest playing 12 string I have ever had. (for reference, been playing guitar for about 45 years, and started on a Fender 12 string acoustic that I STILL REGRET selling!) And I have to say, I am not a shredder, can't move my fingers that fast, but I love your videos. Keep up the good work!
I bought a Harley Benton CST-24T about a year ago from Thomann. Four days from Germany to the Chicago outlying suburbs, arrived in perfect condition via UPS. It needed a few little adjustments, but since then, it's been fantastic. Shipping was pricey ($75-ish), but totally worth it. I'm planning to order a couple of their kits (their Jazzmaster kit is intriguing, as is their bolt-on neck CST-24T. especially since I've always wanted a PRS CE-24 but can't afford one, and this is a very close copy) in the spring, and I have no worries whatsoever about ordering from them.
That guitar looks really good overall. Clean in all aspects and the headstock has a really cool shape. As for the sound, I personally use a Hughes and Kettner Matrix 100 which isn't exactly a cheap amp, but many do have cheaper amps. I think it would be really cool if you also did a demo of the guitars using a more affordable amp like a Fender Frontman to hear how it sounds on a less brilliant sounding amp. I think it's easier to make a lesser guitar sound better on a great amp than it is to make a great guitar sound better on a lesser amp. Just simple food for thought, still a magnificent review!
I enjoy your unboxing very much! But the most: your insane smooth playing!! Tryin‘ hard now (intermediate) to copy your soft blitz touch on strings. I guess, how to get your skills „ist ein Geheimnis“…😉 Greets from Deutschland, // Rudy
I've been ordering from Thomann for years and have never had any problems. Always very fast delivery and real service if I was unsatisfied or if I ordered the wrong thing myself. Always without hesitation and the customer is really the king. To the guitar, I ordered the same for my nephew. I can only join Max and have nothing to complain about. Unpack, set the tuning and it was playable. The only thing I had to rework was the position of the strings and the intonation. With the low E string, however, I had to move the rider back as far as it would go. I think you shouldn't complain about such adjustments at the price. Really unbeatable for 88 euros! I already had a 6500 Euro Telecaster in my hand at a local dealer in Hanover and the frets felt like razor blades. Conclusion: I would prefer Harley Benton to Squire and recommend it to anyone who either starts playing or just wants to try something cheaper. Greetings from Germany and a Happy New Year🤘🏻
Think i might buy one. Fit a single coil/humbucker in bridge position. Locking machine heads, and change the bridge. Really like it Cheers for review bro.
I have the same guitar from them and love it. It came right out of the box set up very nice, but I did a few adjustments that suits me better. A super good deal..!! Thanks for posting this!!
My buddies and I had done the same thing by combining orfer to save on the shipping. It has been a couple of years since we did this. I think we had purchased 7 in total. Only 1 lemon in the bunch - dried cracked fretboard on a cst model with botches in the body stain. Rather than paying to send it back my buddy modded it. I had the same strat found the neck a tad too chunky for my liking but it was a great guitar for the price. The TE-30 in transparent white ash was BEAUTIFUL but heavy. We simply stopped buying as it was too addictive! But dang you make me want to browse their catalogue again!
I have to agree with Robert Jackson. Anybody who has played a Les Paul or an American made strat would not be happy playing a Harley Benton. That's what he told me and several other viewers 2 years ago.
An American strat is $1000. The HB is $200 with shipping. Of course an American strat owner wouldn't be happy with a HB. They're vastly different price points. Put the HB up against a Squier Classic Vibe.
@@PaulCooksStuff I own a Squier Telecaster and I'm happy with what I have. Sure a Harley Benton is cheap, but not easy to find in a local music store. I may have to get my hands on a Harley Benton in order for me to judge. Not long after I watched this video, I went to Guitar Centers web site and they are selling them used. Thanks for your feedback.
Awesome video MAX!! I had heard some criticisms of Harley Benton guitars which caused me some worry but thought - Hey, the price is so affordable, what would I have to lose? I bot the same model you tested and it was gorgeous. It came pretty fast to me in Canada altho the shipping was a bit high - and it was in perfect shape. I am only a beginner but I thought it was pretty fine. Makes me feel good that you liked your guitar as well - and I value your opinion highly. I bot a Wolf LP based on your review and I am very happy with it.. So thanks so much for your work - you rock !! 😎
My main issue right now is that the shipping is just too high. I didn't know about HB back when their shipping was dirty dirt cheap to the US. I really want some of their Teles. I'm hoping that the cost comes back down, cause while I would buy two, it's still an extra chunk.
@@montyellingsworth4982 there is a website for US customers but they don't have any US based facilities because if they did Gibson and Fender would lawsuit them into oblivion.
Regarding the dark color of the neck: On the german Thomann website they say, the material is caramelized kanadian maple. Whatever caramelized means in this context.
One thing on shipping - each unit has a price, weight based - and discounts when you get multiples .... so shipping for one guitar might be $45, $80 for 2, $105 for 3..... Shipping for 2 acoustic guitars in spring 2021 was 62 Euro - about $70
Thanx for the video Max. I enjoy your kind of style. I'm thinking of getting an Amarok for metal and downtunings, maybe a 7-string. By the way, your german is really good! 👍
It's still good, but $85 shipping is insane if you're not ordering 2-3 guitars at a time aka most of us. Have to stick to American based companies for now, since most offer free shipping.
Yeah but you're still paying cheaper than a $385 squier strat with similar quality 🤷♂️ i think i can understand though since shipping prices makes all of us wanna die. T
I ordered a HB Strat copy last winter because I wanted an inexpensive mule to put an extra set of Fender Mexi-Strat pickups in and try out the Gilmour mod. I'm not going to diss it here, but just pass on what I learned. The guitar arrived from Europe pretty quickly, and presented some interesting challenges. First, the body, made of a wood that I can't identify, is slightly thinner than a standard Strat, so the replacement pickups really had no room to really adjust much and screw in to the body, in a good way. But getting the electronics in meant some routing was needed. It's not easy to route those cavities, but I managed to get through it. There was no shielding, so I had to buy shielding paint. The bridge adjustment screws are too tall and hit your hand when you rest it on the bridge, so I managed to find shorter screws and they worked out well. The neck was not great--the wood feels cheap and the frets were seriously a mess, so I had to get fret dressing tools and eventually got it playing okay. Once it was all back together, it played nicely and sounded pretty good--better than my other Strat, which has Lace Sensor Golds and a Hot Gold. Couldn't fall in love with the neck though, so I decided to take a chance on a Guitar Fetish amber maple neck. Turns out, that neck dropped right in with zero adjustment and plays like a damn dream. This is now a phenomenal guitar and has become my favorite to play..
On the german website they describe the neck as: "geschraubter Hals: kanadischer Ahorn karamellisiert" what means it´s a "Bolt-on neck: Canadian maple caramelized". I love the way it looks. When you´re located in Germany you don´t have to pay shipping fee when you buy stuff that´s more than 25 Euros. But that´s only good for me ;)
Cheaper than some kits, a good neck & fretwork and a professional grade paint finish... I think every guitarist should order one just to see what comes through. sometimes it's fascinating and worth the price of admission just for that. then maybe even gift it to someone. a house decoration. you'd be their rock star for sure..
Thanks for the demo, very informative. I might just get one of these. One thing I noticed (and I mention it cause you're not a single coil guy) is that you might actually get better tone and sustain by lowering the pickups a tad, they look quite high to me.
Damn I really love their price points and I am sure I can convince myself to get another on my birthday in April 😂 likely a strat copy like this or a semi hollow.
I think that is incorrect information. Here in Japan, they up the shipping as you add guitars. Also depends on the guitar size. Basses and hollow bodies cost more to ship.
I just bought the same guitar a month ago and also Two acoustic guitars from Harley Benton. I live in Oregon and the shipping was $123. So two guitars for $80 might be true but if you add more than two guitars they will hit you up for more shipping.
Word of advice: use the express shipping method. I cheaped out and went for the 4 to 15 business days option. Still no word on where my guitars are. Mind you, I am in Canada in Montreal, but I should have at least heard from customs to pay my import fees and taxes. Anything for a HB35plus lefty in cherry red, tho!
I used DHL-only option on the less expensive method. At customs, it transfers to Canada Post for no understandable reason as DHL ships world-wide, right? I did contact Thomann and I will follow up with developments.
i also got the cheapest shipping. my hb acoustic took about 4months or something. this was over 2 yrs ago. you might be waiting for a while. i literally thought i got scammed. i live in U.S.
Maybe because I'm on the east coast and not the west coast, but every time I add a 2nd guitar to my cart and recalculate shipping, it damn near doubles. It's what's prevented me from buying any more guitars from Thomann since they stopped their DHL shipping.
LOL, The math calculation was hilarious. That would totally happen to me if I was making videos. BTW, $80 shipping divided by three people is just under $27 each.
Cool review, Max (a if I expected anything less😆)... But.. It's another Strat style guitar 🥱. HB has had another, more worthy (IMHO) axe that I've been ANXIOUSLY awaiting a review on from you; and that's the Aeolus. There's other reviews on it out there on RUclips, but I really enjoy your "brand" of critique. Please, bro; consider a review on this magnificent, versitile offering from HB!! Rock On! 🤘 Pzout✌️
Is Roswell pickups the standard for all Harley Benton models I bought the candy apple red Tele I love the feel of Thea's guitars ...one of theas and a cube Mx ....and you're rocking Friends
Once again..Love the vid...Love the humor...BUT...Did you mention what's the material used for the nut ? Or did I miss it ? Plastic nut..Won't cut it.. Replacing the nut for a bone one is a big issue.. You have to cut it shave it .. that;s 80 CAD buck you add to the price of the guitar and you might end up not being happy about the result (happened to me)... Don't care for the great price if it's a plastic nut.. LOL,, Cheers Max
The quality of "off brands" is phenomenal these days! I just have a Stratocaster, Telecaster and a Les Paul. I'm done; finished; just wish I could play them; lol! After 50 years... I'll never give up until they pry it from my cold, dead, hands; lol! 🤓
Just waiting for the SC-550 II DFB to get back in stock...and then I POUNCE! Need to pick some more items to make that shipping cost-effective. Shouldn't be a problem. Looking at the Sire L7 TS, too.
A year ago I bought a T-90SA Swamp Ash Deluxe series, nice playing smooth neck, though a little heavy 7.5lbs. Needed to smooth a few frets, lower the action and change to Tusq string trees, other than that, a well made guitar.
A lot of the older videos, like one year or two, they all point out that the saddle screws are a bit too tall and uncomfortable on the palm of your hand. I read somewhere that Thomman actually changed this for new guitars. But can't find anyone reporting it. What do you think? On yours, how were the saddle screws?
Always like your reviews, Max. As I always comment "You make it all sound good". For this particular guitar, I really would have loved to hear you noodle sans the gain in order to hear the guitar, clean, in all five positions of the selector switch. As you know, there are a lot of Strat copies out there, but not all have that Fender quack which, to me is imperative in this style guitar. Without that....well, if it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, it has to sound like a duck! As always,Max, best to you and yours Jim
Compliments great video,I've got one of the same,and many others. There isn't one that I didn't do a badic setup including floating the tremolo. A beginner would have difficulty. The first thing I do is jumper the switch to give me tone control for the bridge pu. I'd do it to a $20,000 as well. Why don't Fender...? Cheers from Italy.
Thanks for the video Max. I purchased that same model one year ago. I did the same thing and bought it with another guitar. It had a small dent on the back of the neck. Not that bad, but you could feel it when playing. I contacted them and hoped they would offer a small discount off the guitar. They requested pictures of the guitar and shipping boxes. After a few days they let me know that they didn't have any more in stock so they credited the ENTIRE guitar cost! Now it was totally free!! I must say that was impressive. I'm sure cheaper for them to credit, than deal with a long replacement. But it was great. I would feel very confident in purchasing from Thomann again.
Thanks for the report! Nice to know they were on top of their customer service!
I've purchased a few Haley Benton guitars when the shipping used to be 35 dollars to the states. Beautiful guitars but the first one had shipping damage. A nasty ding to the pointy headstock of that PRS copy they sell. I did not complain, just filed the damaged area and touched it up with red nail polish that matched the guitars red paint. I suppose if it was an $800 dollar guitar the damage on the headstock would have made me more upset.
This is great news and I just decided to get two guitars from them after reading this and listening to Max ✌️😎👍 ohh yeah
Very cool. You would NOT have had the same level of service from Firefly. I can personally assure you.
My eyes glazed over when you started trying to do calculations about the shipping divided by etc, etc, etc. Great point on purchasing more than one guitar or item at a time to help even out the shipping costs. Looking forward to seeing the other guitar you purchased! Another Great Video Max! Thank you for the time and effort you put into making these videos for us.
Have the same guitar. I changed the finger plate to a parchment colour and put on Ernie Ball strings. This is a bloody gobsmackingly great guitar. Love it.
I enjoy the fact guitar max throws all the guitar norms out the window and plays metal on every guitar. I actually enjoy it..
I have several high-end guitars and bought a Harley Benton just to see if they were really as good as people say. They are. They are not cheap guitars - they are very good guitars at ridiculously low prices. Comparatively, they are at least as good as guitars 2-4 times the price. I would recommend the SC Custom II with P-90s, Thomann customer service is great too.
I bought one of those for a gift and one for myself. Love the guitar quality for the price, my mind is still blown. Thomann Rocks!
hey man, I watched one of your videos from about 2 years ago, and I can see how much your skill and technique evolved and grew from just 2 years, and your riff at the start in this video was awesome
Thank you. I appreciate that!
@@GuitarMAXMusic by the way I've seen this interesting beauty: Harley Benton TE-90FLT, I was instantly reminded of your channel when I saw the red blast colour version. It's a Tele with filtertron style pickups. Maybe it will interest you.
Killer machine. Wow. What a price too. I'm a strat guy, so I gravitate to that shape. Never tried a HB. I'm really liking the pups they use in their builds.
Brother I'm glad to see a channel that proves you dont have to have an over budget guitar,my first in 64 was a Kent from Western auto $29.00 I was 8,if I had to depend on a high dollar model it would never have happened.i have 20ish of all brands and price ranges,99% of the time I play a r120 Ibanez
I got my St62VW about a year ago. I also have a 62 Fender. The HB is seriously not that much different. Fender was almost $1000, the HB was $162. No brainer here! Great guitar, cannot beat the price.
I have a Harley Benton. It’s a Tele model. After a little fret end work, I think it’s a great guitar and fantastic value.
12-2022 Michigan here. Just purchased same guitar for only $122 us dollars. Also added two guitar kits.. shipping time 48hrs. total shipping cost was same as just for the guitar. Your past videos still have quality meaning to them as my purchases prove.
I started playing guitar in 1998 and played 6/-12 hours a day for years. However, graduating college, getting married, and having kids caused a major “hiatus” in my guitar playing journey.
That said as someone who is trying to shop for new gear (this time on a family budget) after having not done so for over a decade, I greatly appreciate the knowledge you share on this channel.
I'm loving my Harley Benton SC-1000 and was looking at their Strat-esque lineup just last night. Great review, as always (and OMG what a great shirt--thanks!!!!!)
Nice one! Just a little thing: Roswell pickups aren't a pure Harley Benton thing but they are actually a brand you can buy elsewhere like Music Store (Thomann's biggest competitor in Germany), Partsland and so on. Since 2021 the necks of the ST-62 are actually slightly roasted.
Ordered a DC custom cherry just before Christmas, it's currently with the parcel delivery service here in the UK, and they delayed delivery 3 days running. Now being told I have to wait until January 4th! Can't wait to get my hands on it as it's an upgrade for me as I purchased a DC 580 cherry from them, and it didn't disappoint. Awesome video Max, and oh yeah! ... Happy new year to ya. Very best wishes for 2022. 👍👍👍☮☮☮🤘🤘🤘
as an austrian i have to say that dieses video mir freude gemacht hat!
Super!
my harley benton sc2 is my favorite guitar. I did my own fret level and crown and it plays like a dream and all the options you want for a price you cant beat
Acclimation of wood actually can take up to 6 months or more depending on the difference of environments.Around here things tend to be dry as I live in a high altitude fret sprout is very common.
If you'er a traveling musician the constant changes in environment leads to constant adjustment of neck and other parts.
Dude I need to get one of those Harley Bentons, they look and sound amazing! Very nice shredding at the beginning !
Thanks!
Max, Thanks for the great guitar videos. Just wanted to relate my experience buying the HB strat from Thomann. The purchase was easy and shipping was fast since they had the guitar in stock. When it arrived the box looked perfect, no damage so I hoped for the best. Opened both boxes and got to the guitar. At first it appeared ok but the action was high. On closer exam I found that two of the neck bolts (wood screws) loose. Tried to tighten them but one was stripped. Went on the web site to request a return. Thomann contacted me through email suggested I get my local luthier to provide a quote for repair, which I did but the luthier did not recommend the repair since it doesn’t always hold up.Thomann seems to prefer the customer repair a damaged guitar rather than replacing it, and maybe providing a credit. Too bad because I think they provide a good product for the money.
I hear a lot about Harley Bentons, that definitely sounds like a Strat. Amazing pricing!
Pretty crazy that they are still as cheap as they are when all the other budget guitars increased in price. Even Fireflys are now nearly $200 when you can find them, so to see the HBs still at around $100 is pretty cool.
Fireflys have gone up a little more than some of the other super low end models (FF338 from $139 to $189 is a wider jump than others across the industry), but I think their quality has gotten more consistent than it used to be. However, I think $20-$30 seems to be about what I've seen across all the low to low-mid range models from many brands. HBs aren't immune either. I got this same S-Style model for my dad a couple of years ago for Christmas and it was only $99, now $120. The cost of guitar business has gone up in the last two years apparently. And shipping has skyrocketed. 2 to 3 years ago shipping from Thomann to California was only about $36 (I got 4 or 5 guitars for that with a batch buy like Max suggested), it was $60ish when I checked-in with them a year ago, and now I guess it's up to $78. That makes sense in some ways. Shipping workers are working harder than ever since lockdowns and stay at home orders began last year. Hopefully, we'll see things come back down a little as the ports and unions work things out, but I think that'll still take another 2 or 3 years to sort out, sadly. I just hope the actually workers are seeing bonuses, increased wages, or something from these increased costs, not just CEOs using a tumultuous time to line their pockets more.
But you do have $80 in shipping…
@@jmbzrx1200this is the reason i didn't buy it
love my Harley Benton ST-62MN VW Vintage Series. I didn't think I would like a "yellow" guitar but it is so beautiful. The neck is awesome.
To me, all _decent_ budget guitars (Squier CV, Harley Benton, Epiphone, etc) are blank canvases. You give them a good setup. Then you can either leave the electronics or swap them out to sound like a top-of -the-line version. Some sound great as-is and some need a little work.
Just got this, although body is black and is for lefthanded. Its my first electric (had a classical before). Ive found no issues whatsoever. No scratches, no rough frets, everything is smooth and flawless. It was even inspected before shipping.
It totally plays like a guitar, I feel the woods are a tad little dry? but maybe thats normal for electrics. I think it looks better than the photos. Also its way heavier than what I was used to haha.
What fretboard wood did you get? Pau Ferro or Indian Laurel?
A beautiful guitar.
I believe we live in an age, and mentality (which is a positive thing btw) where we don't necessarily need the feel to play the big brands anymore.
Same thing applies to guitar amps, too. I play my beloved 2009 Fender Stratocaster (A USA model because I owe it to myself, and have always wanted an American Strat) through a Line 6 V60 MKii and it sounds great. I've played many amps in my life and came full circle to a simple cheap setup for everyday play.
God bless, great videos!
I got one of this model earlier this year and put a Wilkinson vintage trem bridge with a push-in arm in it, Fender roller-style string trees, and a GraphTech nut, and not only does it SCREAM but it pops RIGHT back into tune after hitting the trem pretty hard. I set up the trem for full floating too.
It’s so much better than my Squire that that thing is getting sold off now.
👍👍👍
Great video, as usual! I am a big fan of HB, got 5 or 6 of them. My experience has been that the electric guitars are awesome out of the box, like you found, just need some minor set up. But the acoustics... I have a 12 string, an auditorium 6 string and a nylon string. They all needed a good luthier to get them right. Especially the 12 string... the saddle was so high it was unplayable. So I invested about $120 US in a pro set up, and now it is fantastic, the easiest playing 12 string I have ever had. (for reference, been playing guitar for about 45 years, and started on a Fender 12 string acoustic that I STILL REGRET selling!) And I have to say, I am not a shredder, can't move my fingers that fast, but I love your videos. Keep up the good work!
I bought a Harley Benton CST-24T about a year ago from Thomann. Four days from Germany to the Chicago outlying suburbs, arrived in perfect condition via UPS. It needed a few little adjustments, but since then, it's been fantastic. Shipping was pricey ($75-ish), but totally worth it. I'm planning to order a couple of their kits (their Jazzmaster kit is intriguing, as is their bolt-on neck CST-24T. especially since I've always wanted a PRS CE-24 but can't afford one, and this is a very close copy) in the spring, and I have no worries whatsoever about ordering from them.
Hey Max ,
Dein Deutsch wird immer besser 😉!! Klasse!! Mach weiter so… Wish you have a great time , stay healthy🤟
That guitar looks really good overall. Clean in all aspects and the headstock has a really cool shape. As for the sound, I personally use a Hughes and Kettner Matrix 100 which isn't exactly a cheap amp, but many do have cheaper amps. I think it would be really cool if you also did a demo of the guitars using a more affordable amp like a Fender Frontman to hear how it sounds on a less brilliant sounding amp. I think it's easier to make a lesser guitar sound better on a great amp than it is to make a great guitar sound better on a lesser amp. Just simple food for thought, still a magnificent review!
I may pick this up, and then swap out the pickups with the Billy Corgan pickups.
Shipping from Germany for $80 bucks no problem. I wanted to return a guitar back to Zzounds and UPS wanted $160 from Tx to Florida!
I enjoy your unboxing very much! But the most: your insane smooth playing!! Tryin‘ hard now (intermediate) to copy your soft blitz touch on strings.
I guess, how to get your skills „ist ein Geheimnis“…😉
Greets from Deutschland,
// Rudy
"yes honey... I bought 2 guitars because the shipping would be cheaper" 😏
By God they do it to us . It only works for them because of all their fun parts we like so we'll . But we must be equally
I think the weight might be fifty pounds you could almost go three
I would “ go for 3 “ Mike as a start 😂😂😂😂
I bought this one for my brother and since then i want IT too. Great tone pickups. Doesn't sound cheap at all like Many others.
Max, that is an awesome sounding, beautiful guitar. Thanks for info.
I've been ordering from Thomann for years and have never had any problems. Always very fast delivery and real service if I was unsatisfied or if I ordered the wrong thing myself. Always without hesitation and the customer is really the king. To the guitar, I ordered the same for my nephew. I can only join Max and have nothing to complain about. Unpack, set the tuning and it was playable. The only thing I had to rework was the position of the strings and the intonation. With the low E string, however, I had to move the rider back as far as it would go. I think you shouldn't complain about such adjustments at the price. Really unbeatable for 88 euros! I already had a 6500 Euro Telecaster in my hand at a local dealer in Hanover and the frets felt like razor blades.
Conclusion: I would prefer Harley Benton to Squire and recommend it to anyone who either starts playing or just wants to try something cheaper. Greetings from Germany and a Happy New Year🤘🏻
Max...I just bought an FGN tele style guitar for 500 bucks...MIJ and absolutely fantastic...you should check them out...rock on bro!!!
Max good lord you're just a phenomenal guitarist. 🎸🎸
Thanks!
Think i might buy one. Fit a single coil/humbucker in bridge position. Locking machine heads, and change the bridge. Really like it
Cheers for review bro.
Go for it!
I have the same guitar from them and love it. It came right out of the box set up very nice, but I did a few adjustments that suits me better. A super good deal..!! Thanks for posting this!!
My buddies and I had done the same thing by combining orfer to save on the shipping. It has been a couple of years since we did this. I think we had purchased 7 in total. Only 1 lemon in the bunch - dried cracked fretboard on a cst model with botches in the body stain. Rather than paying to send it back my buddy modded it. I had the same strat found the neck a tad too chunky for my liking but it was a great guitar for the price. The TE-30 in transparent white ash was BEAUTIFUL but heavy. We simply stopped buying as it was too addictive! But dang you make me want to browse their catalogue again!
I have to agree with Robert Jackson. Anybody who has played a Les Paul or an American made strat would not be happy playing a Harley Benton. That's what he told me and several other viewers 2 years ago.
An American strat is $1000. The HB is $200 with shipping. Of course an American strat owner wouldn't be happy with a HB. They're vastly different price points. Put the HB up against a Squier Classic Vibe.
@@PaulCooksStuff I own a Squier Telecaster and I'm happy with what I have. Sure a Harley Benton is cheap, but not easy to find in a local music store. I may have to get my hands on a Harley Benton in order for me to judge. Not long after I watched this video, I went to Guitar Centers web site and they are selling them used. Thanks for your feedback.
10x the price but not 10x better, only a fool would consider it
That Harley Benton Strat sounds crazy fantastic!!!👍
After watching this video,
I bought this exact guitar, only when it arrived it was not ivory or cream but yellow. I love it!
Awesome video MAX!! I had heard some criticisms of Harley Benton guitars which caused me
some worry but thought - Hey, the price is so affordable, what would I have to lose? I bot the same model you tested and it was gorgeous. It came pretty fast to me in Canada altho the shipping was a bit high - and it was in perfect shape. I am only a beginner but I thought it
was pretty fine. Makes me feel good that you liked your guitar as well - and I value your
opinion highly. I bot a Wolf LP based on your review and I am very happy with it.. So thanks so much for your work - you rock !! 😎
My main issue right now is that the shipping is just too high. I didn't know about HB back when their shipping was dirty dirt cheap to the US. I really want some of their Teles. I'm hoping that the cost comes back down, cause while I would buy two, it's still an extra chunk.
isnt there a Harley benton U.S.A. ?
@@montyellingsworth4982 there is a website for US customers but they don't have any US based facilities because if they did Gibson and Fender would lawsuit them into oblivion.
Ich hätte nie gedacht, dass HB-Gitarren gut sind. Ich werde einen kaufen 😊 vielen Dank!
Speaking German with a slip into Spanish. Awesome. Should have been: eine Minute. Review Sire. Best thing running right now.
I have the Inca Silver one, the guitar is amazing for the price. This is the golden age of affordable guitar for sure
Regarding the dark color of the neck: On the german Thomann website they say, the material is caramelized kanadian maple. Whatever caramelized means in this context.
One thing on shipping - each unit has a price, weight based - and discounts when you get multiples .... so shipping for one guitar might be $45, $80 for 2, $105 for 3..... Shipping for 2 acoustic guitars in spring 2021 was 62 Euro - about $70
Hey Guitar Max ! I buy this Guitar to day ! Good demo ! Thanks .
HB guitars are great value and easy to mod, build quality has improved over the years
Nice review. Can't wait to see what the other guitar is. Amarok? One correction, shipping on three guitars jumps to $120.
Thanx for the video Max. I enjoy your kind of style. I'm thinking of getting an Amarok for metal and downtunings, maybe a 7-string. By the way, your german is really good! 👍
It's still good, but $85 shipping is insane if you're not ordering 2-3 guitars at a time aka most of us. Have to stick to American based companies for now, since most offer free shipping.
Yeah but you're still paying cheaper than a $385 squier strat with similar quality 🤷♂️ i think i can understand though since shipping prices makes all of us wanna die. T
It just ain't for yanks.
I ordered a HB Strat copy last winter because I wanted an inexpensive mule to put an extra set of Fender Mexi-Strat pickups in and try out the Gilmour mod. I'm not going to diss it here, but just pass on what I learned. The guitar arrived from Europe pretty quickly, and presented some interesting challenges. First, the body, made of a wood that I can't identify, is slightly thinner than a standard Strat, so the replacement pickups really had no room to really adjust much and screw in to the body, in a good way. But getting the electronics in meant some routing was needed. It's not easy to route those cavities, but I managed to get through it. There was no shielding, so I had to buy shielding paint. The bridge adjustment screws are too tall and hit your hand when you rest it on the bridge, so I managed to find shorter screws and they worked out well. The neck was not great--the wood feels cheap and the frets were seriously a mess, so I had to get fret dressing tools and eventually got it playing okay. Once it was all back together, it played nicely and sounded pretty good--better than my other Strat, which has Lace Sensor Golds and a Hot Gold. Couldn't fall in love with the neck though, so I decided to take a chance on a Guitar Fetish amber maple neck. Turns out, that neck dropped right in with zero adjustment and plays like a damn dream. This is now a phenomenal guitar and has become my favorite to play..
This dude’s sense of humor is something else 🤣🤣🤣
Good review as always, looking forward to finding out what the other guitar is that you bought from them.
On the german website they describe the neck as: "geschraubter Hals: kanadischer Ahorn karamellisiert" what means it´s a "Bolt-on neck: Canadian maple caramelized". I love the way it looks.
When you´re located in Germany you don´t have to pay shipping fee when you buy stuff that´s more than 25 Euros.
But that´s only good for me ;)
Hey thanks for the info!
I like the neck it’s stained in a way that looks roasted. I like the roasted look don’t really care if it’s roasted.
Cheaper than some kits, a good neck & fretwork and a professional grade paint finish... I think every guitarist should order one just to see what comes through. sometimes it's fascinating and worth the price of admission just for that. then maybe even gift it to someone. a house decoration. you'd be their rock star for sure..
Thanks for the demo, very informative. I might just get one of these. One thing I noticed (and I mention it cause you're not a single coil guy) is that you might actually get better tone and sustain by lowering the pickups a tad, they look quite high to me.
Damn I really love their price points and I am sure I can convince myself to get another on my birthday in April 😂 likely a strat copy like this or a semi hollow.
I think that is incorrect information. Here in Japan, they up the shipping as you add guitars. Also depends on the guitar size. Basses and hollow bodies cost more to ship.
If HB put out a strat with a contoured hell (like the Fender Prof II series), it buy it in a heartbeat.
Like their fusion series?
At 1st, I thought that shirt said,
In Metal We Rust!
I just bought the same guitar a month ago and also Two acoustic guitars from Harley Benton. I live in Oregon and the shipping was $123. So two guitars for $80 might be true but if you add more than two guitars they will hit you up for more shipping.
Always excited when u post a new vid
Great Guitars :)
I installed a 80s Rockinger Tru Tune "Eddie van Halen" Tremolo on my Harley Benton ST-62....and i love it :)
Word of advice: use the express shipping method. I cheaped out and went for the 4 to 15 business days option. Still no word on where my guitars are. Mind you, I am in Canada in Montreal, but I should have at least heard from customs to pay my import fees and taxes. Anything for a HB35plus lefty in cherry red, tho!
What shipping company did it get shipped with? EMS? DHL? UPS?
I used DHL-only option on the less expensive method. At customs, it transfers to Canada Post for no understandable reason as DHL ships world-wide, right? I did contact Thomann and I will follow up with developments.
i also got the cheapest shipping. my hb acoustic took about 4months or something. this was over 2 yrs ago. you might be waiting for a while. i literally thought i got scammed. i live in U.S.
Maybe because I'm on the east coast and not the west coast, but every time I add a 2nd guitar to my cart and recalculate shipping, it damn near doubles. It's what's prevented me from buying any more guitars from Thomann since they stopped their DHL shipping.
LOL, The math calculation was hilarious. That would totally happen to me if I was making videos. BTW, $80 shipping divided by three people is just under $27 each.
Thank you brader Max for infomatoin this guitar rock on
Max, you need to say "let me show you it's features!" Joerg Sprague stylee....
Nice one Max.
Ta.
Cool review, Max (a if I expected anything less😆)...
But.. It's another Strat style guitar 🥱.
HB has had another, more worthy (IMHO) axe that I've been ANXIOUSLY awaiting a review on from you; and that's the Aeolus.
There's other reviews on it out there on RUclips, but I really enjoy your "brand" of critique.
Please, bro; consider a review on this magnificent, versitile offering from HB!!
Rock On! 🤘
Pzout✌️
I'll get me one of them...sounds delicious...the neck is "Canadian maple caramelized"!😄
Is Roswell pickups the standard for all Harley Benton models I bought the candy apple red Tele I love the feel of Thea's guitars ...one of theas and a cube Mx ....and you're rocking Friends
You Speaking German made my Day Max xD
Danke!
@@GuitarMAXMusic
Bitte sehr ;)
Once again..Love the vid...Love the humor...BUT...Did you mention what's the material used for the nut ? Or did I miss it ? Plastic nut..Won't cut it.. Replacing the nut for a bone one is a big issue.. You have to cut it shave it .. that;s 80 CAD buck you add to the price of the guitar and you might end up not being happy about the result (happened to me)... Don't care for the great price if it's a plastic nut.. LOL,, Cheers Max
You don't seem to have a preference for big or small pots as long as sounds good I agree there.
The quality of "off brands" is phenomenal these days! I just have a Stratocaster, Telecaster and a Les Paul. I'm done; finished; just wish I could play them; lol! After 50 years... I'll never give up until they pry it from my cold, dead, hands; lol! 🤓
You probably need an SG and a 335 as well........Just saying. 😃
Just waiting for the SC-550 II DFB to get back in stock...and then I POUNCE! Need to pick some more items to make that shipping cost-effective. Shouldn't be a problem. Looking at the Sire L7 TS, too.
A year ago I bought a T-90SA Swamp Ash Deluxe series, nice playing smooth neck, though a little heavy 7.5lbs. Needed to smooth a few frets, lower the action and change to Tusq string trees, other than that, a well made guitar.
I love my HB. Fret ends could use a bit of finishing but pretty much thats it.
Insane find.
me, DeltaTone at a shop. $75 new.
this was about 10 years ago.
A lot of the older videos, like one year or two, they all point out that the saddle screws are a bit too tall and uncomfortable on the palm of your hand. I read somewhere that Thomman actually changed this for new guitars. But can't find anyone reporting it. What do you think? On yours, how were the saddle screws?
If I had to chose between a Squier Affinity and an Harley Benton, I would chose the latter without a doubt...
Always like your reviews, Max. As I always comment "You make it all sound good".
For this particular guitar, I really would have loved to hear you noodle sans the gain in order to hear the guitar, clean, in all five positions of the selector switch. As you know, there are a lot of Strat copies out there, but not all have that Fender quack which, to me is imperative in this style guitar.
Without that....well, if it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, it has to sound like a duck!
As always,Max, best to you and yours
Jim
If strings press hard claws not set right.
Love my Harley Benton 450SC. It plays much better than my Epiphone LP.
I've ordered several guitars from Thomann, but never got that sticker...I guess I need a new guitar ;)
MAX to stay PC that trem is known as a Vintage trem or traditional trem on strats.
Compliments great video,I've got one of the same,and many others. There isn't one that I didn't do a badic setup including floating the tremolo. A beginner would have difficulty. The first thing I do is jumper the switch to give me tone control for the bridge pu. I'd do it to a $20,000 as well. Why don't Fender...?
Cheers from Italy.
"Hey Harley, you okay over there?"
Harley Benton: "Yeah, I'm good"
They do an ash bodied maple neck tele for £95 unreal for the money.
It’s a top loader HB30te.
I might buy one and check it out.
It would've been handy to see how the trem' performs.