Hey Glenn, I think a great series idea would be how to actually care for and repair your guitar, anything from basic repairs, diagnosing problems, fixing any fret issues, and just actually learning the instrument. Like another commenter said, beginners will take their guitar to a tech every time they break a string. They aren’t difficult to do, I just think most other videos do a bad job at showing how easy it is, and a better job scaring people that they might break something.
Usually when a guitar is played on this channel, I'm like "Yeah, alright, that's a usable guitar tone", but this one actually made me go "Ohh, that's nice".
You aren't kidding about unrealistic expectations. Seeing other seemingly flawless performances made me not even want to pick up a guitar for many years until very recently. I'm not great but I'm learning which is awesome. Thanks for keeping it real.
what i can play sounds pretty good...what im learning to play makes me feel like its my first day....some stuff has been quick...some stuff has taken me months/years....the unrealistic expectations cost me 10yrs of never picking up and im never gonna get back
Absolutely. I personally am tired of flawless performances on youtube. Much more interesting to hear people how they actually play 99% of the time rather than that perfect 1% take that may or may not have been spliced together from multiple performances.
I agree. There is a separation between playing and learning. I'm at the point now where I can play whatever I think of but I'm almost 45 and and playing for 30 year. I've taken a year off here and there but it's been the one thing that's always there and even at the worst of times it can put a smile on your face because while we may never be jp, we can always get quantitatively better in a measured way. I spent 3 years playing 8 to 36 hours at a time about 7 years ago. I'm not naturally talented and had to work. I'm the only person out of every person I knew that played growing up. Well dedicated time to getting better still even at my age I should say haha. I know a guy my age who hasn't finished his silly chase for tone and owns 8 American fenders and 6 gibsons. It's pathetic.
Wow, that was a clever and clear explanation of the grounding issue, Glenn! You would have been a very effective teacher, but I wouldn't wish the crappy pay and lack of gratitude upon you.
I taught myself out of necessity how to do a full fret leveling, crown and polish etc. It is such a great feeling, that after a few hours work, the sheer difference you feel in playability. I've now done it to all my guitars.
I have 2 music stores near me. I am a "shade tree" luthier. I do better work to my guitars than the 2 luthiers at both of those stores have done to my guitars. It's just better to learn it.
I've done the same thing over the years after noticing every guitar comes with a bad fret job. I've gotten pretty good at it and like you said the difference in feel and playability is day and night. I also roll the fretboard edges if they're not already for more comfort.
Yeah I had to figure everything out on my own also. There's no guitar shops near me , with the drive and cost of taking it to a professional it wouldn't be worth it. Plus I think it's better that any player learns this stuff , it comes in handy and saves you money!
I bought a "Glary" strat with a finish so ugly I had to buy it, and paid a grand total of $95 WITH SHIPPING. Shockingly the frets were not sprouted or rough on the edges. They did need a polish real bad but with a slight truss rod adjustment and good strings and it's shocking how well it plays. Having a basic knowledge of fret work is definitely handy to have. A little effort goes a long way.
Amazing. Instead of just trashing the cheaper guitars... Glenn shows you how to fix it. - Anyone can sit back and be a critic. Not everyone uses the most important piece of equipment for any musical project - their brain. Whether making purchases... practicing... writing... or recording. Your brain is THE most important piece of musical equipment It should be adjusted and properly maintained regularly with upgrades and new perspectives. It tells you when to join a band and when to leave a band. The brain - a highly overlooked essential tool for every musician. Bravo to Glenn for demonstrating how to properly use our brain and figure out how to overcome yet another RUclips misconception about music. Cheap guitars can be excellent tools and affordable for those seeking tone. This way Glenn shows us how to save money for the real sound upgrade - our speakers. All this time many thought it was a Gibson paint job and vintage wood. Great video - next up in my RUclips cue is "The Spoon Lady" What? You can't hear those Blue Ridge Mountain floating paradiddles? Listen again with your brain - she's a metal beast on isolated tracks - joking. But she is damn good. Love the videos and of course - fuck you Glenn 🤣😂🤣😂
It's not about unrealistic expectations for me, it's only about I don't want the neighbors think that I AM THE ONE PRACTICING the damn instrument when I'm just watching a RUclips video!!!! :D Keep rocking. You inspire me! Well done on salvaging that scrap.
Loads of respect to you sir, you made a dud become a winner! 🤘🏼 And totally agree with the 80's hair metal shredders, many talented guitarist back in the day!
Hey Glenn, I too learned about dressing fret ends from Phil and it’s been a great addition to my skill set. Learning how to do a proper setup early on definitely helped my paying as well. Playing on a guitar with a proper setup just feels so much better when you compare to one that needs some fine tuning. Also promote practice if the instrument feels good in the hands, like you said, just don’t want to stop playing. Keep up the good work love the content.
Glenn, I really wanted to thank you for the extended Spectre sale, I know ELE is worth so much more than the normal price, but this really gives us cash-strapped musicians/hobbyists the best opportunity to step up our game, so very thankful that I was able to get it for myself, you really are there for us, Cheers!
Glenn, if you don't already know, Thomann has a new reverb page so you can avoid the massive shipping fees coming from Germany. May be worth a look for you. Not much inventory but it's only been there a couple weeks or so.
I have to say, after around 7 years of buying/trading/selling and teaching myself amateur/novice level tech-ing, I stand by the thought of "cheap can be good too, just needs a little work." After seeing the first, and now this second video, I'm tempted to get one for myself. Thanks Glenn.
Great work Glenn. I put together a Partscaster a few years ago and went through a huge learning curve on what you are showing here. From fret dressing & levelling to learning how to spray and finish nitro paint. Keep on showing this stuff it's excellent to see.
Interesting that in the end it was the paint used on those stock bridge pieces, because as I said in a previous comment there are other models with stock black hardware as well without this issue, so at some point they changed the paint used to make those stock bridge parts for one that acts as insulator. Hopefully Thomann checks on that because otherwise any future guitar/bass model will have the same issue, or even existing models that also make use of black hardware and get built with the faulty component instead.
I've always been a fan of rehabilitating cheap guitars to get pro tones for way less money, but I have a predilection to that kind of home repair stuff anyways, which is a skill set unto itself. It probably takes up space in my brain that could go to practicing the guitar. That said, I have a Les Paul I bought for $70 that had broken tuning machines, and I've been slowly upgrading it bit by bit over the last 4 years, and it's lovely now. It's my main guitar. Hipshot tuners, a Gotoh Nashville bridge (with extended intonation range for downtuning), set up with low shredworthy action... the next step is to rout the cavity out, and add a second volume and tone control for the classic 4 pot configuration, but with coil splitting, so I can get that sort of P90 in the neck, humbucker in the bridge type tone that has both crunch and chime. And I'll probably get them with gold pickup covers because why not?
Hey Glenn, great video for the at home luthier. I’m sure there are many who will learn from this video. I have a request for you and Specter. I think another run of the cock blocker in pedal form would be awesome. I recently missed out on a guy selling one which is very rare. I missed the damn thing by actually asking if it was not broken. Within that time someone slid in and scooped it. I’m sure it’s a shot in the dark asking but I’m sure I’m not the only person who is seeking out this grail noise gate. As always keep slaying it with the great content. 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
GLEEEEEEN!!! Seriously impressed with your guitar playing man, love seeing your hard work paying off! You're even making "guitarist faces" now, y'love to see it. Keep it up man!
Dude. I have a Harley Benton explorer, don't know the exact model but the headstock is that of a leftie Stratocaster, and it has the HBZ pickups. The noise is driving me insane! I tore it apart and resoldered the ENTIRE electronics and nothing. I will give your solution a shot since my guitar also has black painted hardware. After watching this video, I'm 99% sure I have the same issue with the bridge ground wire. Keep up the good work!
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Learning how to set up your guitar is a skill all guitarists should learn. I taught myself 25 years or more ago, after paying some joker for a setup who wiped down the fingerboard with linseed oil, changed the strings and jacked up the action. I was not a happy shopper, but it saved me a fortune ever since. Nut lube is good, but now you have thicker strings, you should open up the shoulders of the string slot where it’s sticking, Glenn. A few strokes with a file will prevent the string being grabbed, because if it is that tight, the lube won’t be a permanent fix.
Nice work! Small issues like this do not concern me but people who do not have the capability of repairs, is why I find preowned guitars very cheap. The best buys are any guitar with a trem especially a Floyd or Licensed Floyd. I get told all the time my guitars never stays in tune etc. I'll set it up and then later they change the strings and have no clue how to set it up. I get great deals on those! I really do not care for them myself so I usually just block them and leave the trem bar in the parts box. A lot of fixes I do is on the output jacks they get loose and people just keep twisting them to the point the wires get trashed or short out. Grounding issues can be a little trouble tracing it down a lot of the time it's the ground to the bridge sometimes when they press the anchors in the wire breaks which I think is an issue with the two Fireflys I own. I think you did a great job tweaking that guitar. I like the black hardware but would probably swap it out with a better quality black chrome set they are pretty cheap. I would also use a clean up tap down the threads in the anchors just to make sure they have a better more consistent ground.
I'm a guitar player but I don't know it all. I want to be educated. That's why I subscribe and watch this channel. What's great about metal is you get honesty. This channel you get the best of both worlds. Plus listening to Glenn rip priest riffs make me giddy and happy
I recently rebuilt my first ever guitar from when I was 15. I’m 43 now…. It’s a USA Peavey strat copy that I converted to a Seymour Duncan in the bridge and fender Texas special single coil in the neck. I changed to a black pick guard and tuners and wanted my factory bridge to be black too. Once I sanded through the factory chrome coating I used gun blueing to turn the metal to a black finish. This is the method guitar companies should use to turn their hardware black! Unlike paint, it’s a chemical reaction that turns the metal black so theirs no coating and potential grounding issues. BTW Ratt riffs are bad ass!
Now this is the Chad like content I yearn for. Killer work, more of this TLC sort of content! Anyway, I imagine most folks would be happy to charge an extra 30-40 (insert currency) to ensure the thing is set up decently. You're guitar work is fine, you've made leaps and bounds of anything!
Very glad you took the time to figure out and fix the noise issue. I never would of thought of paint causing issue. A good thing to remember for the future. Nice job.
I learned myself to do about any job on a guitar except the fret work. Thanks Glenn, you made me give fret work a try to! keep up the good work that you do! Greetings from Holland!
A cheap nut lubricant is a soft pencil like a B or softer. Pull the string out of the nut slot and rub the pencil lead over the slot, so the graphite goes into the slot. With white nuts, you may have to wipe the black pencil marks off when your strings are on, but this fix costs pennies and is readily available.
I did the pencil trick for years until I finally ponied up & bought some nut lube. It doesn’t have to be Big Bends, several companies make it. And they all work way, way better than pencil graphite. So much better that I won’t be going back to pencils & will be sticking with the nut lube. Plus even a small container lasts forever.
@@jeremyrafuse5330 even the Graphtechs can hang occasionally. I use it on all of my guitars at any contact point that needs to slide. Even made my Mastery bridges smoother, which I didn’t think was possible.
Covered Lay it Down with my band. We do death metal but love the old school stuff too. Noticed it was in drop C so we threw it in for a mix up of old school classics. It is a challenging riff at first but you can pull it off dude. Also, I want one of those V's now that you showed us how to fix the thing. Thank you so much for the great content!
I'm happy to see this video. I wasn't expecting the follow-up so quickly. I agree that beginners/noobs aren't going to want to go through all that, nor should they. Then again, neither should more advanced players. Ideally, other than adjusting the action, tuning and neck relief, which can shift during transport, the guitar should otherwise be good to go. I think this video is a good lead-in for doing a full "guitar set-up" video, showing how to take a guitar from the box to "ready for the stage and studio". Thanks for this!
Heyy Glenn if you do see this, I have a plug-in I highly recommend checking out. A few weeks ago I purchased the Audio Assault AHM 5050. It is by far the best 5150 plug-in I've tried. Unlike the Fluff 5134, it includes all 3 channels, as well as a resonance control. It's also got a blend knob to go from 6L6 to EL34, and anywhere in between. It's like a texture knob for the distortion. The stock IR aren't half bad either. After loading up and blending 2 IR from Bogren Digital, I was in tonal Heaven. It's currently on sale for $10 USD.
I'm a little bit of a V collector and currently have 13.... The latest addition being one of these! I actually paused your first video with this half was through to place my order and was very disheartened when it came to the end!! Happy to report though that the example I got has PERFECT frets and is as quiet as you like!....... And to be totally truthful it's one of THE best playing and feeling V's I own! Not a fan of the pup's but that's an easy fix. Glad you got yours sorted!
Glenn!! Check your HB 8 string as well. I got mine about 2 years ago, and I’m having the same issue. I thought it was the older amp I’m using, but after seeing these video you made about this, I did a side by side comparison with another guitar. It turns out the HB 8 string with its black painted hardware has the same problem. But at least now I’ve identified the problem, and now the solution, thanks to your videos. Thank you Glenn & keep shredding!
Nice work here ! Bought a IBG Epi Firebird back in June....only one 'shop' had one so bought it. Del'd quick but pak'd like trash. Inner box banging around. Should have refused it . Wanted to love it. Great for few weeks then problems. Output jack, and the br pup stopped working. Check and missed the return time by about a week. Got it fixed locally, $180 which included a complete set up,,,,action is half of what it was. Not great but the guitar was a gift (65 BD) . I love it !!
Your playing has been getting so good man. Been playing for 11 years. I was self taught, and the exorcize you showed us has helped me more than anything. I'm finally able to get my fretting hand to do what I want it to do now. I feel like such a dunce lmao
Hey Glenn... This is my first time watching your videos. I was searching for a way to fix the grounding issue on my B-Stock Harley Benton Progressive Explorer ($150!!!). After checking all the continuity between all the electronics, there were no issues there. But! After watching your video I was able to file off the paint from the tailpiece post, the slots where the strings go in, and even the slots on the bridge where the strings rest. Voila!!! I now have a pretty sweet guitar for a mere $150!
Hey glen great work as always , a little tip that I use for strings sticking in nut is: use a grey lead pencil and sharpen the tip then put a stripe of graphite (from pencil) in each string nut groove, works perfect and is only the cost of a pencil and can be used hundreds of times
Hey Glenn, grettings from Ecuador! Nice Video and learning process description. I think another way to solve it. I had that problem in a ESP LTD Viper 400 and I changed the bridge tail to a Gotoh Stop Tailpiece Black and the issue was solved. This thing has conductive paint and proper metal to cover it. Some manufactures as Hipshot, Gotoh, Graph Tech have this hardware covered, but obviously this could be expensive $$$ but this upgrades worth it . I did the same thing with a HB 1000 Proggresive Line and everything changed radically!! Shielding the pots and pick ups cavities will help too. Really Fan of yours and your work! Keep Going, No compromising, no sellouts, stay true!! MARVIN
Hey Glenn, First I want to thank you for putting up entertaining as well as informative content. I appreciate how much common sense are in your videos. So I just did an unboxing and review of a New Harley Benton that I just got. There QC definitely has gone down since I have been getting them. The nut for the toggle switch was cross threaded and stripped, I had to take one off of one of my other guitars just to get through the review. I was disappointed because in the past I have always had good luck with HB. By the way I'm a Blues Guitarist that thinks your channel is fantastic (I'm disabled and will never be able to shred unfortunately so I stick to the blues) I am an old school rocker thought. Thanks man.
Where I agree the strings and all components should be grounded, I'm going to bring to your attention the ltd ec-401 models that came with emg actives. They didn't have a ground to the strings from the factory and never had any issues but the fun part with them was the hole for said ground wire was never drilled (fun having to fix it when passives were put in after the shop me mate took it to totally missed it!) but im off on a tangent here. The fact of it is emgs dont require the strings to be earthed in order to run silently even though I will whole heartedly agree they bloody should be to minimise any risk of noise. Great video sir and well chuffed you got it sorted it looks killer. More Glen fixing shit up! Also run a pencil in the nut slots to lube it up when in a pinch ;)
"... but what beginner is going to do that?" Exactly. Especially for a lot of beginners, changing strings and tuning are about as much as they're willing to "fix" on a guitar. Removing the bridge would be such a daunting task to so many! That said, this makes me almost want to put aside some spare scratch money for one of these and add a pointy instrument to my collection.
Glenn i think you said it best...im glad i learned how to fix the issues instead of taking it somewhere for someone else to fix or sink some money into it. so many players out there clueless on how to do simple repairs or basic up keep. and i agree 1000% that this guitar is not for new player and Harley Benton does need to address this issue it would have never been an issue is proper QC was applied from the affordable to the high priced guitar. in this world its about credibility, quality and reliability. you miss or lack any of those 3...you might as well close up shop . i love all 6 of my Harley Benton guitars and they all play great and i have been lucky to not have the dreaded lemon.
Just recently bought a Jackson rhoads js22 ht 7 which feels amazing in my hands. Except for a buzz which this video helped me find the problem. The black coating on the bridge. Now to get a metal file to remove the coat on the back of the bridge. Thanks Glenn.
Bought the model with the gold hardware (same as on the sg copy) to hopefully avoid the grounding issue. Unfortunately it's just as bad as the model with the black hardware.do really like the guitar though
I really hope Thomann take this as a bit of a wake-up call. It isn't a slagging off, you found a major issue and identified the source. Any company worth its salt should be thanking you and making changes to the manufacturing process.
Good video for those that want to save a few bucks &learn how to fix issues like this. The average consumer doesn't want to, but sooner or later & issue will arise and rather than being a needy, whiny cripple. Learn something for repair & maintenance rather than just the boring play of the same riffs. With a little work, this guitar ended up saving $ 2,600+ Because $ 200 vs $ 2,800 is that much, there's taxes on that and we all know 7.5+ % tax on $ 2,800 is about what this guitar prices at. I still think this guitar is a win provided one figures out the noise, dresses the frets & slots the nut for a set up with a basic tools at Harbor Freight that won't set anyone back. A Saturday AM taking your time = awesome guitar. What else were you going to do ? Some things you do in his world for free, because it enhances the experience of life.
Oh, so many many hours I have dressed frets while watching RUclips... All the repair and solutions are legit something I do to every guitar I find. RARELY do I find a guitar that couldn't be improved with a bit of treatment... GOOD Episode, and F you Glenn!!!
Had the same problem with my Gibson Les Paul Years ago and had to pull the whole post and stud out and find the ground wire and make it was hiting the bottom of the stud witch it was not after i made sure it would have contact with stud i pushed the or hit it with a small rubber hammer and the issue was fixed ! hope this helps you CHEERS !
Glad to see you helping troubleshooting noise issues for guitar players of all skill levels. One thought or question about this guitar specifically? Are they really active pickups, or are they passive pickups with a preamp tacked on. If truly active design top to bottom, then yes they should be quite quiet. If they're passive, and amplified through a preamp, then any noise from anywhere will go up exponentially and be much harder to tame.
Fun fact. I bought a $8 small square file from princess auto and ground an edge smooth so it glides over the fretboard without marking it up. Works great on a budget
I actually bought one for about a week ago. No problem with the fret finish or sharp edges. Had the problem with the grounding though. Polished the screws with a Dremel, worked like a charm 😉
Glenn I love you man, I'm always amazed at how much you know about recording. That being said it always blows my mind how little you know about how a Guitar works. I've had custom shop Guitar show up in my shop with some of these same problems, this is really an "all"guitar problem. Granted some companies do put in a little more care but it's not a guarantee that the guitar won't have a problem a few months after it's been made. The guitar in this video is a good guitar and the pickups are good even the hardware, they just decided to powder coat the parts. I've done this myself you buy the cheap Chrome Hardware and you powder coat them whatever color you need. Generally I remove the powder coating on contact points for a bridge or a tail piece. The black one that comes on it can easily be fixed with a little more care and Ingenuity than a wire brush. The tailpiece on the guitar is a three-part system. The tail bar the stud and the mounting feral. All three parts are powder coated therefore all three parts need to have a little powder coat removed at contact points, this includes where the feral contacts the actual ground wire inside the guitar.(You should probably do this too even though you quietened it down it's still a little noisy.) This is definitely not something a beginner child could do but any adult beginner or advanced player could perform this procedure.
@@ByDesignKatonah I've seen it on an LTD, had a PRS where the springs in the tremolo are not conducting, they needed a little sandpaper taken to them. Had this problem with black Hardware on a Gibson. When you first powder coat, it can be conductive but after leaving the factory and the Finish cures sometimes a problem arises. You could have this problem happen with any guitar that you purchase that is not Chrome or gold. You could have two guitars from the same factory made on the same day one might have a continuity problem and the other one might not. No matter the brand there is no guarantee that you're not going to get a guitar that has a slight problem. It may have been fine when quality control checked it in the factory but a month passes and there could be a problem. It matters not how much money you spend on the guitar, you're still taking a Gamble whether or not something is awry. All guitars need a little maintenance, some win they're brand new some after a year. No company can put out perfect guitars every time. But all guitars can be repaired and become reliable instruments.
Honestly considering that after buying it for such a low price, you'd either have to take it to a tech/luthier to correct the issues here, for my guess is around $150-200 for their time, or spend a few hours yourself doing it if you have the time and know how, HB/Thoman should just deal with it at the factory/inspection level and just charge $50-75 more for the guitar! Even at that price it would still be a killer deal for a V style active pickup guitar!
Properly setting up a guitar is a skill that ALL guitarists should learn. Just like soldering. And cheap guitars like these are the perfect test subjects to do so.
Who knows what's going on inside those Harley Benton active pickups but EMG's definitely don't need to have the strings grounded - the installation instructions even tell you to cut the grounding wire to the bridge. I've installed many EMG pickups this way and they work just fine. As a side benefit, having ungrounded strings keeps you safe from AC ground problems between your instrument amp and the microphone PA amp. (How many of us learned about those issues the hard way?)
That is right, EMGs and active Duncans don't need a grounding wire to the bridge. Fishmans however do, maybe due to the different design of the pickup itself.
Agreed. A grounded bridge is NOT necessary with GOOD Active Pickups, that have 100% noise rejection. I use a EMG81/85 set with no earth wire to the Kahler (As per EMG instructions). Noiseless!!!
for slipping guitars i highly recommend lego tape, its a strip of rubber with the little lego nubs that is backed with mounting tape, that cool sticky stuff that leaves no residue and you can get the sticky back by rinsing it if you take it off too many times and it loses its stick
Good point about the imperfection! I wouldn't say tho that the performances we watch aren't entirely honest as much as that in Instagram guitarists' work, we only get to see a final product that seems effortless only due to hours of sweat and sore fingertips
14:37 - GLEEEEN, i gave a try to that intro, doesn't seem too challenging for my small hands - stretch wise-, just be aware you can play some open strings (string, D) for that, and also you don't have to anchor your index finger if you do that - at any moment there are two notes/strings played together at most, and don't be ashamed to choose the proper tuning for it to make it work if you have too (i have mine in drop D, btw, the guy is playing the open low D too, making it challenging to jump strings with the picking hand); fun recommendation btw.
Going up a gauge in strings may require a nut slot tweak in order to prevent the strings from getting stuck in the nut. Phil McKnight has a neat trick for working on the nut slots using a string and a piece of sandpaper. You might want to check it out.
I don't watch every video, but from the ones I've seen recently, I have noticed a lot of improvement in your playing. Keep up the good work! Also, the tone in this video with that guitar is killer! Reminds me of KSE.
Super cool! Phil’s channel is a very interesting channel to tune into, he had his McKnight guitars in Chandler AZ for years great place back in the day to talk shop and see cool gear! Crazy enough I have one of his old Project guitars. A 7 String Strat that he had custom made to fill that fender 7 string void. Plays wonderfully!
#1 rule of going to a bigger string gauge, re-cut the nut slots or the strings will bind up in them. I replaced the frets on my $159 seven string multiscale HB as I have said before, I expected far worse than what you're complaining about with a guitar at that price. My guitar has CNC cut fret slots so there is no chance of frets sprouting, plus I ordered Maple fingerboard version to avoid fingerboard shrinkage. Glenn is just doing what I've always done when I get a new guitar at any price, I have seen $2k guitars with worse frets than my below $200 axe. I, too, am not a luthier, but Dan Erlewine has always been my source of Luthier advice as My dad had. Phil uses the same stuff as I do and many thousands of others. Stewmac rules! Lay it Down by Ratt is a killer song, I was watching the Mtv world premier of the Video when I first heard that song, Warren is badass!
Ratt was the band I tried to cut my teeth on as a newbie in the 80's, you are not kidding about those stretches. I own 4 Harley Bentons myself, SC550, ex84, Paisley tele and the blue roundback acoustic. All were a steal for the price (the acoustic was what, $80??) but QC was hit and miss definitely. Love the channel, keep it up.
I actually got an Epiphone 335 that came with worse frets than that because Guitar Center just found an empty D'Angelico box and stuffed a bunch of bubble wrap in with it. Then it sat for 2 nights in teen and 20 degree Temps on the truck before they delivered it. I could have used a grinder on that thing, but I got the fret file and I did a little damage to the fretboard, but it feels really smooth now.
You should totally do a guide to hair tone, I love the 80s and I'm always tone chasing the greats from the 80s they were just unreal in their playing and sound.
Glen, glad you saved it! I learned to do all my own work. I have 40+ guitars and gravitate towards the affordable. I do fret levels, electronics, replace nuts, ext. They are skills worth learning.
Nut lube is definitely a necessity if you have a Gibson. I've use everything from powdered graphite to nut lube, and the nut lube works best. In fact, I use it on all my guitars now when I restring. Also, learning how to properly set up your own guitars is an important skill. I learned more out of necessity than anything, and while I could probably afford to have my guitars set up at a shop, it's so much less expensive to do it myself, and it really only takes a few minutes once you know what you're doing.
Thank you so much! I have this guitar and love the look and feel, but the noise just bothered me a lot! I ordered gold pins to switch and I even went as far as upgrading the tuners with locking ones as well - just an acquired taste! I'll let you know how it goes once the parts come in. It really is a sweet guitar though!
Good job! Glad you got it fixed, and it is satisfying doing it yourself. As far as the grounding, you could probably could have used a wire wheel on a bench grinder to clean the paint off the parts black part where you needed to (easier than filing). Or you can use a wirebrush bit on a drill. Just some ideas. If you are substituting the gold (or chrome/nickel) posts, then you could get some matching black spray paint and hit the visible portion of the parts, so they match - just keep the inner conducting parts clean and free of paint. Black anodized parts or conductive paint would also have eliminated that issue with the bridge and tailpiece not grounding, if they wanted to continue to use black hardware. You can get new/different black hardware cheap enough and most of the cheap stuff is standard sized now, so you might be able to pick up a replacement metric black tailpiece and posts that fit that will conduct. I am saying that for Harley Benton's sake, and if anyone does not have other parts handy. It would be easy to test, just take a meter and test both sides of the stop tail piece for conductivity. As far as the chunky neck on the guitar I kinda like those, so I'd probably like that particular guitar. I have some other Harley Benton guitars and they are good for the money, but mine were from a different series. I did not have as bad as fret issues as you with these so far at least. But mine have roasted maple neck which because of the roasting process are a bit more stable and mine were a little bit more money. No, mine didn't have the black hardware or the active pickups either. One thing at least partially in their defense, the frets on many guitars experience fret "sprout" in the fall/winter because the wide humidity swings dries out the wood and the wood shrinks more than the metal frets with the low humidity. This makes the frets stick out of the edge and feel sharp as heck. I am not saying this is why this happened, only that it may have contributed to it. It happens with many guitars including sometimes very expensive ones. But it is especially so with cheaper guitars where they may not have had much care or time with the fretwork, or the wood may not have been as seasoned and dried when assembled. Any sharp or unfinished fret edges will be much worse as a result. Not making excuses, but depending on when it was built and transition of the seasons between building and unpacking and playing (you're in Canada right? Late fall? Cold, and low humidity in the air, same as here, even though I am much further south). I have to do this with many of my guitars eventually, sometimes have to repeat this process next winter - but after a while the wood shrinks less and you have filed the edges more, so you are eventually good). I bought a very expensive and well-made guitar that came from the Salt Lake area, which is pretty well desert dry, and quite cold in the winter (very dry) it its finish is all checked and affected by the exceptionally dry climate. It is NOT a newer guitar, but you'd think it was 20-30 years older. But it plays and sounds amazing, and it is not really an issue to me (it is basically a real relic guitar, not a fake one).
Good on you Glenn for giving this stuff a try. Guitarists tend to be such premadonnas that they'll send their guitar to a tech every time they break a string. I think more guys (and girls) should try this stuff, when you cant afford a tech for every problem you need to learn these problem solving skills. If you've put years of practice into learning the fretboard and the scales etc why wouldn't you want to learn how to service your instruments?
Honestly! I know some people just aren’t good with their hands, but I’d like to think with proper care and a subtle approach, a lot more people can learn doing minor repairs. It just takes practice and patience. And from their the sky is the limit.
Because you shouldn't have to service brand new instruments. I'm not saying you shouldn't know how to do this, but we shouldn't accept dogshit QC because "we should know how to fix it". Why don't dealerships just sell brand new cars exclusively with broken engines so we can get a deal? I mean I know how to fix an engine. Why won't they sell defective products? Gee, I dunno...
@@SilentNightBodomNight Funny you say that. A few years ago I collected a bunch of guitar parts and planks of scrap wood. I couldn't afford a guitar but was keen to learn how to build one. I picked up loads of new skills, built 3 guitars and now I run my own business making pickups. The sky really is the limit!
@@DudeMcGuybro There's no such thing as a budget guitar that isn't compromised in some way even if its minor, fact is they can't sell a guitar that cheap without cutting corners. I would place the blame for the grounding issue on the design team and not the QC team because their job is to report obvious issues, they aren't payed enough to have a keen ear for these issues, they've probably never plugged into a high gain amp, they would test them in whatever cheap practice amp they have in the factory, probably a peavey rage or such. The design team on the other hand have engineering degrees, they're paid the big bucks to foresee this!
@@murrayguitarpickups9545 The QC at Harley Benton is hilariously bad. I bought a lemon from them, the nut was cut too low and the neck was bowed. There is no QC.
In a strange way, Thomann's fuck up kinda works in their favour. It proves they don't cherry pick the instruments they send out to RUclipsrs, although I suspect they'll be a bit more concientious after seeing your (and others) videos! Some nice licks there Glenn, the practise is paying off. Well done! Proving it's never too late to learn something. I'm 63 and still trying new things.
When reviewing things to many people loose sight of what they are actually reviewing . Instead of going on about everything a 200 quid guitar doesn't have , it's never a case of a reviewer talking about how much you are getting when you consider the price ! I know the Harley will feel rough to experienced guitarists , try putting yourself in the place of the 18 year old who's got no money to speak of and has managed to scrape together 170 dollars to buy a guitar, I dare say a young metal head would love the guitar on review, rant over , keep up the good work ( your playing is so much better these days , great to see a musician who's not just starting out still practicing and doing it because they want to play better , that's what playing an instrument is all about .🤘
Buy a guitar though it shouldn’t have them issues despite the price point. Says to me QC isn’t all that great. What a great is the honest show from Glenn
![Oasis - Oasis Live '25 [Official Trailer]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/gol_JnuEtKM/mqdefault.jpg)
Hey Glenn, I think a great series idea would be how to actually care for and repair your guitar, anything from basic repairs, diagnosing problems, fixing any fret issues, and just actually learning the instrument. Like another commenter said, beginners will take their guitar to a tech every time they break a string. They aren’t difficult to do, I just think most other videos do a bad job at showing how easy it is, and a better job scaring people that they might break something.
If I could pin this, highlight it with a bright color just so that everybody notices I would. Glenn is the right person for the job!
This 💯
Go check Phil McKnights channel. He's great and super knowledgeable and has videos for everything.
Phillip McKnight does this very thing.
I learned how to repair and set up a guitar and repair guitar amps before I could play.
I still can't play.
Usually when a guitar is played on this channel, I'm like "Yeah, alright, that's a usable guitar tone", but this one actually made me go "Ohh, that's nice".
That’s the new V30s. They sound amazing!
@@SpectreSoundStudios It's the harley benton tonewood.
@@SpectreSoundStudiosdo you like the band wintersun?
@@InfiniteDesign91 *toanwould
@@BlazertronGamesHarley Bentonewood
You aren't kidding about unrealistic expectations. Seeing other seemingly flawless performances made me not even want to pick up a guitar for many years until very recently. I'm not great but I'm learning which is awesome. Thanks for keeping it real.
what i can play sounds pretty good...what im learning to play makes me feel like its my first day....some stuff has been quick...some stuff has taken me months/years....the unrealistic expectations cost me 10yrs of never picking up and im never gonna get back
Keep going, King.
that is why Kurt cobain was such a great player in terms of of inspiring people to pick up the instrument
Absolutely. I personally am tired of flawless performances on youtube. Much more interesting to hear people how they actually play 99% of the time rather than that perfect 1% take that may or may not have been spliced together from multiple performances.
I agree. There is a separation between playing and learning. I'm at the point now where I can play whatever I think of but I'm almost 45 and and playing for 30 year. I've taken a year off here and there but it's been the one thing that's always there and even at the worst of times it can put a smile on your face because while we may never be jp, we can always get quantitatively better in a measured way.
I spent 3 years playing 8 to 36 hours at a time about 7 years ago. I'm not naturally talented and had to work. I'm the only person out of every person I knew that played growing up. Well dedicated time to getting better still even at my age I should say haha.
I know a guy my age who hasn't finished his silly chase for tone and owns 8 American fenders and 6 gibsons. It's pathetic.
Wow, that was a clever and clear explanation of the grounding issue, Glenn! You would have been a very effective teacher, but I wouldn't wish the crappy pay and lack of gratitude upon you.
he'd have to identify as alphabet mafia to be a 'teacher' these days.
@@miserychannel666=🤡
@@miserychannel666Glenn has addressed his hatred for bigots in the past, I don’t think it’s that far off
@@lilgarbage3796 did he delete a comment? i feel like i'm missing something here.
I taught myself out of necessity how to do a full fret leveling, crown and polish etc. It is such a great feeling, that after a few hours work, the sheer difference you feel in playability. I've now done it to all my guitars.
I have 2 music stores near me. I am a "shade tree" luthier. I do better work to my guitars than the 2 luthiers at both of those stores have done to my guitars. It's just better to learn it.
I've done the same thing over the years after noticing every guitar comes with a bad fret job. I've gotten pretty good at it and like you said the difference in feel and playability is day and night. I also roll the fretboard edges if they're not already for more comfort.
Yeah I had to figure everything out on my own also. There's no guitar shops near me , with the drive and cost of taking it to a professional it wouldn't be worth it. Plus I think it's better that any player learns this stuff , it comes in handy and saves you money!
@@Stratisfied22 the day after I bought my Charvel I went and rolled my fenders fingerboard edges. It makes a big difference I was honestly surprised.
Do you level from end to end with a full length straight edge? And how straight does a straight edge need to be? Where can I get one?
I bought a "Glary" strat with a finish so ugly I had to buy it, and paid a grand total of $95 WITH SHIPPING. Shockingly the frets were not sprouted or rough on the edges. They did need a polish real bad but with a slight truss rod adjustment and good strings and it's shocking how well it plays. Having a basic knowledge of fret work is definitely handy to have. A little effort goes a long way.
Amazing. Instead of just trashing the cheaper guitars... Glenn shows you how to fix it. - Anyone can sit back and be a critic.
Not everyone uses the most important piece of equipment for any musical project - their brain. Whether making purchases... practicing... writing... or recording. Your brain is THE most important piece of musical equipment It should be adjusted and properly maintained regularly with upgrades and new perspectives. It tells you when to join a band and when to leave a band. The brain - a highly overlooked essential tool for every musician. Bravo to Glenn for demonstrating how to properly use our brain and figure out how to overcome yet another RUclips misconception about music.
Cheap guitars can be excellent tools and affordable for those seeking tone. This way Glenn shows us how to save money for the real sound upgrade - our speakers. All this time many thought it was a Gibson paint job and vintage wood.
Great video - next up in my RUclips cue is "The Spoon Lady" What? You can't hear those Blue Ridge Mountain floating paradiddles? Listen again with your brain - she's a metal beast on isolated tracks - joking. But she is damn good.
Love the videos and of course - fuck you Glenn 🤣😂🤣😂
It's not about unrealistic expectations for me, it's only about I don't want the neighbors think that I AM THE ONE PRACTICING the damn instrument when I'm just watching a RUclips video!!!! :D
Keep rocking. You inspire me! Well done on salvaging that scrap.
Loads of respect to you sir, you made a dud become a winner! 🤘🏼 And totally agree with the 80's hair metal shredders, many talented guitarist back in the day!
finding your channel again is a blast from the past, glorious
Welcome back, Dante!
Hey Glenn, I too learned about dressing fret ends from Phil and it’s been a great addition to my skill set. Learning how to do a proper setup early on definitely helped my paying as well. Playing on a guitar with a proper setup just feels so much better when you compare to one that needs some fine tuning. Also promote practice if the instrument feels good in the hands, like you said, just don’t want to stop playing. Keep up the good work love the content.
Glenn, I really wanted to thank you for the extended Spectre sale, I know ELE is worth so much more than the normal price, but this really gives us cash-strapped musicians/hobbyists the best opportunity to step up our game, so very thankful that I was able to get it for myself, you really are there for us, Cheers!
Glenn, if you don't already know, Thomann has a new reverb page so you can avoid the massive shipping fees coming from Germany. May be worth a look for you. Not much inventory but it's only been there a couple weeks or so.
I have to say, after around 7 years of buying/trading/selling and teaching myself amateur/novice level tech-ing, I stand by the thought of "cheap can be good too, just needs a little work."
After seeing the first, and now this second video, I'm tempted to get one for myself.
Thanks Glenn.
Great work Glenn. I put together a Partscaster a few years ago and went through a huge learning curve on what you are showing here. From fret dressing & levelling to learning how to spray and finish nitro paint. Keep on showing this stuff it's excellent to see.
Interesting that in the end it was the paint used on those stock bridge pieces, because as I said in a previous comment there are other models with stock black hardware as well without this issue, so at some point they changed the paint used to make those stock bridge parts for one that acts as insulator. Hopefully Thomann checks on that because otherwise any future guitar/bass model will have the same issue, or even existing models that also make use of black hardware and get built with the faulty component instead.
I've always been a fan of rehabilitating cheap guitars to get pro tones for way less money, but I have a predilection to that kind of home repair stuff anyways, which is a skill set unto itself. It probably takes up space in my brain that could go to practicing the guitar.
That said, I have a Les Paul I bought for $70 that had broken tuning machines, and I've been slowly upgrading it bit by bit over the last 4 years, and it's lovely now. It's my main guitar. Hipshot tuners, a Gotoh Nashville bridge (with extended intonation range for downtuning), set up with low shredworthy action... the next step is to rout the cavity out, and add a second volume and tone control for the classic 4 pot configuration, but with coil splitting, so I can get that sort of P90 in the neck, humbucker in the bridge type tone that has both crunch and chime. And I'll probably get them with gold pickup covers because why not?
Hey Glenn, great video for the at home luthier. I’m sure there are many who will learn from this video. I have a request for you and Specter. I think another run of the cock blocker in pedal form would be awesome. I recently missed out on a guy selling one which is very rare. I missed the damn thing by actually asking if it was not broken. Within that time someone slid in and scooped it. I’m sure it’s a shot in the dark asking but I’m sure I’m not the only person who is seeking out this grail noise gate. As always keep slaying it with the great content. 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
GLEEEEEEN!!! Seriously impressed with your guitar playing man, love seeing your hard work paying off! You're even making "guitarist faces" now, y'love to see it. Keep it up man!
Ty!!
Dude.
I have a Harley Benton explorer, don't know the exact model but the headstock is that of a leftie Stratocaster, and it has the HBZ pickups. The noise is driving me insane! I tore it apart and resoldered the ENTIRE electronics and nothing. I will give your solution a shot since my guitar also has black painted hardware. After watching this video, I'm 99% sure I have the same issue with the bridge ground wire.
Keep up the good work!
Learning how to set up your guitar is a skill all guitarists should learn. I taught myself 25 years or more ago, after paying some joker for a setup who wiped down the fingerboard with linseed oil, changed the strings and jacked up the action. I was not a happy shopper, but it saved me a fortune ever since.
Nut lube is good, but now you have thicker strings, you should open up the shoulders of the string slot where it’s sticking, Glenn. A few strokes with a file will prevent the string being grabbed, because if it is that tight, the lube won’t be a permanent fix.
Nice work! Small issues like this do not concern me but people who do not have the capability of repairs, is why I find preowned guitars very cheap. The best buys are any guitar with a trem especially a Floyd or Licensed Floyd. I get told all the time my guitars never stays in tune etc. I'll set it up and then later they change the strings and have no clue how to set it up. I get great deals on those! I really do not care for them myself so I usually just block them and leave the trem bar in the parts box. A lot of fixes I do is on the output jacks they get loose and people just keep twisting them to the point the wires get trashed or short out. Grounding issues can be a little trouble tracing it down a lot of the time it's the ground to the bridge sometimes when they press the anchors in the wire breaks which I think is an issue with the two Fireflys I own. I think you did a great job tweaking that guitar. I like the black hardware but would probably swap it out with a better quality black chrome set they are pretty cheap. I would also use a clean up tap down the threads in the anchors just to make sure they have a better more consistent ground.
I'm a guitar player but I don't know it all. I want to be educated. That's why I subscribe and watch this channel. What's great about metal is you get honesty. This channel you get the best of both worlds. Plus listening to Glenn rip priest riffs make me giddy and happy
I recently rebuilt my first ever guitar from when I was 15. I’m 43 now…. It’s a USA Peavey strat copy that I converted to a Seymour Duncan in the bridge and fender Texas special single coil in the neck. I changed to a black pick guard and tuners and wanted my factory bridge to be black too. Once I sanded through the factory chrome coating I used gun blueing to turn the metal to a black finish. This is the method guitar companies should use to turn their hardware black! Unlike paint, it’s a chemical reaction that turns the metal black so theirs no coating and potential grounding issues. BTW Ratt riffs are bad ass!
Now this is the Chad like content I yearn for. Killer work, more of this TLC sort of content! Anyway, I imagine most folks would be happy to charge an extra 30-40 (insert currency) to ensure the thing is set up decently.
You're guitar work is fine, you've made leaps and bounds of anything!
Very glad you took the time to figure out and fix the noise issue. I never would of thought of paint causing issue. A good thing to remember for the future. Nice job.
"would of thought"
Is your mother your sister??
I learned myself to do about any job on a guitar except the fret work. Thanks Glenn, you made me give fret work a try to! keep up the good work that you do! Greetings from Holland!
The child like happiness from no more tears has never made me more happy
A cheap nut lubricant is a soft pencil like a B or softer. Pull the string out of the nut slot and rub the pencil lead over the slot, so the graphite goes into the slot.
With white nuts, you may have to wipe the black pencil marks off when your strings are on, but this fix costs pennies and is readily available.
Or just buy a graphtech nut.
@@jeremyrafuse5330 but that costs a lot of pennies
@@xtort1220 So do pencils
I did the pencil trick for years until I finally ponied up & bought some nut lube. It doesn’t have to be Big Bends, several companies make it. And they all work way, way better than pencil graphite. So much better that I won’t be going back to pencils & will be sticking with the nut lube. Plus even a small container lasts forever.
@@jeremyrafuse5330 even the Graphtechs can hang occasionally. I use it on all of my guitars at any contact point that needs to slide. Even made my Mastery bridges smoother, which I didn’t think was possible.
Covered Lay it Down with my band. We do death metal but love the old school stuff too. Noticed it was in drop C so we threw it in for a mix up of old school classics. It is a challenging riff at first but you can pull it off dude. Also, I want one of those V's now that you showed us how to fix the thing. Thank you so much for the great content!
I'm happy to see this video. I wasn't expecting the follow-up so quickly. I agree that beginners/noobs aren't going to want to go through all that, nor should they. Then again, neither should more advanced players. Ideally, other than adjusting the action, tuning and neck relief, which can shift during transport, the guitar should otherwise be good to go. I think this video is a good lead-in for doing a full "guitar set-up" video, showing how to take a guitar from the box to "ready for the stage and studio". Thanks for this!
Heyy Glenn if you do see this, I have a plug-in I highly recommend checking out. A few weeks ago I purchased the Audio Assault AHM 5050. It is by far the best 5150 plug-in I've tried. Unlike the Fluff 5134, it includes all 3 channels, as well as a resonance control. It's also got a blend knob to go from 6L6 to EL34, and anywhere in between. It's like a texture knob for the distortion. The stock IR aren't half bad either. After loading up and blending 2 IR from Bogren Digital, I was in tonal Heaven. It's currently on sale for $10 USD.
Love It, bought It for 6 bucks almost a year ago
@@Davix-tt9sh nice! I caught it for $5
I'm a little bit of a V collector and currently have 13.... The latest addition being one of these! I actually paused your first video with this half was through to place my order and was very disheartened when it came to the end!! Happy to report though that the example I got has PERFECT frets and is as quiet as you like!....... And to be totally truthful it's one of THE best playing and feeling V's I own! Not a fan of the pup's but that's an easy fix. Glad you got yours sorted!
Glenn!! Check your HB 8 string as well. I got mine about 2 years ago, and I’m having the same issue. I thought it was the older amp I’m using, but after seeing these video you made about this, I did a side by side comparison with another guitar. It turns out the HB 8 string with its black painted hardware has the same problem. But at least now I’ve identified the problem, and now the solution, thanks to your videos. Thank you Glenn & keep shredding!
Nice work here ! Bought a IBG Epi Firebird back in June....only one 'shop' had one so bought it. Del'd quick but
pak'd like trash. Inner box banging around. Should have refused it . Wanted to love it.
Great for few weeks then problems. Output jack, and the br pup stopped working. Check and missed the return time by about a week. Got it fixed locally, $180 which included a complete set up,,,,action is half of what it was.
Not great but the guitar was a gift (65 BD) . I love it !!
Your playing has been getting so good man. Been playing for 11 years. I was self taught, and the exorcize you showed us has helped me more than anything. I'm finally able to get my fretting hand to do what I want it to do now. I feel like such a dunce lmao
Exorcize? So, what demons have you been driving out?
Hey Glenn...
This is my first time watching your videos. I was searching for a way to fix the grounding issue on my B-Stock Harley Benton Progressive Explorer ($150!!!). After checking all the continuity between all the electronics, there were no issues there. But! After watching your video I was able to file off the paint from the tailpiece post, the slots where the strings go in, and even the slots on the bridge where the strings rest.
Voila!!! I now have a pretty sweet guitar for a mere $150!
Hey glen great work as always , a little tip that I use for strings sticking in nut is: use a grey lead pencil and sharpen the tip then put a stripe of graphite (from pencil) in each string nut groove, works perfect and is only the cost of a pencil and can be used hundreds of times
That's a trick I learned 20 years ago when I first started playing and it works wonders
Hey Glenn, grettings from Ecuador! Nice Video and learning process description. I think another way to solve it. I had that problem in a ESP LTD Viper 400 and I changed the bridge tail to a Gotoh Stop Tailpiece Black and the issue was solved. This thing has conductive paint and proper metal to cover it. Some manufactures as Hipshot, Gotoh, Graph Tech have this hardware covered, but obviously this could be expensive $$$ but this upgrades worth it . I did the same thing with a HB 1000 Proggresive Line and everything changed radically!! Shielding the pots and pick ups cavities will help too. Really Fan of yours and your work! Keep Going, No compromising, no sellouts, stay true!! MARVIN
Dude, your face at 13:04. That's genuine and awesome!!! 🤘🤘🤘
13:03 just pure happiness! I LOVE IT!
Hey Glenn, First I want to thank you for putting up entertaining as well as informative content. I appreciate how much common sense are in your videos. So I just did an unboxing and review of a New Harley Benton that I just got. There QC definitely has gone down since I have been getting them. The nut for the toggle switch was cross threaded and stripped, I had to take one off of one of my other guitars just to get through the review. I was disappointed because in the past I have always had good luck with HB. By the way I'm a Blues Guitarist that thinks your channel is fantastic (I'm disabled and will never be able to shred unfortunately so I stick to the blues) I am an old school rocker thought. Thanks man.
That stretch in Lay It Down is nuts, I couldn't believe that's actually the way he played it
You are getting pretty dang good at playing guitar! Thank you for making these videos and explaining how things are supposed to work!!! 🤘
This may will be your best video ever, and that is not small compliments!
Just got this guitar. They fixed the issue.
Where I agree the strings and all components should be grounded, I'm going to bring to your attention the ltd ec-401 models that came with emg actives. They didn't have a ground to the strings from the factory and never had any issues but the fun part with them was the hole for said ground wire was never drilled (fun having to fix it when passives were put in after the shop me mate took it to totally missed it!) but im off on a tangent here.
The fact of it is emgs dont require the strings to be earthed in order to run silently even though I will whole heartedly agree they bloody should be to minimise any risk of noise.
Great video sir and well chuffed you got it sorted it looks killer.
More Glen fixing shit up!
Also run a pencil in the nut slots to lube it up when in a pinch ;)
"... but what beginner is going to do that?"
Exactly. Especially for a lot of beginners, changing strings and tuning are about as much as they're willing to "fix" on a guitar. Removing the bridge would be such a daunting task to so many! That said, this makes me almost want to put aside some spare scratch money for one of these and add a pointy instrument to my collection.
Glenn i think you said it best...im glad i learned how to fix the issues instead of taking it somewhere for someone else to fix or sink some money into it. so many players out there clueless on how to do simple repairs or basic up keep. and i agree 1000% that this guitar is not for new player and Harley Benton does need to address this issue it would have never been an issue is proper QC was applied from the affordable to the high priced guitar. in this world its about credibility, quality and reliability. you miss or lack any of those 3...you might as well close up shop . i love all 6 of my Harley Benton guitars and they all play great and i have been lucky to not have the dreaded lemon.
Just recently bought a Jackson rhoads js22 ht 7 which feels amazing in my hands. Except for a buzz which this video helped me find the problem. The black coating on the bridge. Now to get a metal file to remove the coat on the back of the bridge. Thanks Glenn.
Just bought one. Frets are files perfectly and they sanded down the paint on the bridge and screws. Totally worth the price
Bought the model with the gold hardware (same as on the sg copy) to hopefully avoid the grounding issue. Unfortunately it's just as bad as the model with the black hardware.do really like the guitar though
I really hope Thomann take this as a bit of a wake-up call. It isn't a slagging off, you found a major issue and identified the source. Any company worth its salt should be thanking you and making changes to the manufacturing process.
Good video for those that want to save a few bucks &learn how to fix issues like this. The average consumer doesn't want to, but sooner or later & issue will arise and rather than being a needy, whiny cripple. Learn something for repair & maintenance rather than just the boring play of the same riffs. With a little work, this guitar ended up saving $ 2,600+ Because $ 200 vs $ 2,800 is that much, there's taxes on that and we all know 7.5+ % tax on $ 2,800 is about what this guitar prices at. I still think this guitar is a win provided one figures out the noise, dresses the frets & slots the nut for a set up with a basic tools at Harbor Freight that won't set anyone back. A Saturday AM taking your time = awesome guitar. What else were you going to do ? Some things you do in his world for free, because it enhances the experience of life.
I was so happy when you brought up Lynch and Demartini, those guys don't get the recognition they deserve these days. Especially Demartini
Fixing stuff is very gratifying.
Shoutout to Glenn for crediting his sources
Oh, so many many hours I have dressed frets while watching RUclips... All the repair and solutions are legit something I do to every guitar I find. RARELY do I find a guitar that couldn't be improved with a bit of treatment... GOOD Episode, and F you Glenn!!!
Glad you got this one sorted out, looked forward to seeing if you get the other sorted too
Glenn!! Your playing improved dramatically, congrats! Cheers from Brazil 🤘
Lay it Down was my introduction to drop tuning and I LOVE that riff!
Warren was/is great player but boy oh boy King Crosby was also something.
Big HELLO from Croatia . Thanks for clearing out strings grounding on active pickups in this video,i goto do some soldering on my kids guitar !
Had the same problem with my Gibson Les Paul Years ago and had to pull the whole post and stud out and find the ground wire and make it was hiting the bottom of the stud witch it was not after i made sure it would have contact with stud i pushed the or hit it with a small rubber hammer and the issue was fixed ! hope this helps you CHEERS !
Glad to see you helping troubleshooting noise issues for guitar players of all skill levels. One thought or question about this guitar specifically? Are they really active pickups, or are they passive pickups with a preamp tacked on. If truly active design top to bottom, then yes they should be quite quiet. If they're passive, and amplified through a preamp, then any noise from anywhere will go up exponentially and be much harder to tame.
Fun fact. I bought a $8 small square file from princess auto and ground an edge smooth so it glides over the fretboard without marking it up. Works great on a budget
I think Glenn now has a favorite guitar. Once you start doing your own luthier work the level of attachment goes up.
I've done my own fret work for several years now. It pays to have some knowledge in that area (and good workmanship too).
I actually bought one for about a week ago. No problem with the fret finish or sharp edges. Had the problem with the grounding though. Polished the screws with a Dremel, worked like a charm 😉
Glenn I love you man, I'm always amazed at how much you know about recording. That being said it always blows my mind how little you know about how a Guitar works. I've had custom shop Guitar show up in my shop with some of these same problems, this is really an "all"guitar problem. Granted some companies do put in a little more care but it's not a guarantee that the guitar won't have a problem a few months after it's been made. The guitar in this video is a good guitar and the pickups are good even the hardware, they just decided to powder coat the parts. I've done this myself you buy the cheap Chrome Hardware and you powder coat them whatever color you need. Generally I remove the powder coating on contact points for a bridge or a tail piece. The black one that comes on it can easily be fixed with a little more care and Ingenuity than a wire brush. The tailpiece on the guitar is a three-part system. The tail bar the stud and the mounting feral. All three parts are powder coated therefore all three parts need to have a little powder coat removed at contact points, this includes where the feral contacts the actual ground wire inside the guitar.(You should probably do this too even though you quietened it down it's still a little noisy.) This is definitely not something a beginner child could do but any adult beginner or advanced player could perform this procedure.
@@ByDesignKatonah I've seen it on an LTD, had a PRS where the springs in the tremolo are not conducting, they needed a little sandpaper taken to them. Had this problem with black Hardware on a Gibson. When you first powder coat, it can be conductive but after leaving the factory and the Finish cures sometimes a problem arises. You could have this problem happen with any guitar that you purchase that is not Chrome or gold. You could have two guitars from the same factory made on the same day one might have a continuity problem and the other one might not. No matter the brand there is no guarantee that you're not going to get a guitar that has a slight problem. It may have been fine when quality control checked it in the factory but a month passes and there could be a problem. It matters not how much money you spend on the guitar, you're still taking a Gamble whether or not something is awry. All guitars need a little maintenance, some win they're brand new some after a year. No company can put out perfect guitars every time. But all guitars can be repaired and become reliable instruments.
Good on you for giving Philip McKnight props. Love your channel man!
Your guitar playing has improved a ton. Well done, keep up the great content
Honestly considering that after buying it for such a low price, you'd either have to take it to a tech/luthier to correct the issues here, for my guess is around $150-200 for their time, or spend a few hours yourself doing it if you have the time and know how, HB/Thoman should just deal with it at the factory/inspection level and just charge $50-75 more for the guitar! Even at that price it would still be a killer deal for a V style active pickup guitar!
You’re turning me into a Vee lover. Always thought it would be cumbersome for those of us who sit when playing, now it looks kind of perfect. 😊
Properly setting up a guitar is a skill that ALL guitarists should learn. Just like soldering. And cheap guitars like these are the perfect test subjects to do so.
Phil's channel gave me confidence to work on my own guitars. A wealth of info and a great channel.
Who knows what's going on inside those Harley Benton active pickups but EMG's definitely don't need to have the strings grounded - the installation instructions even tell you to cut the grounding wire to the bridge. I've installed many EMG pickups this way and they work just fine. As a side benefit, having ungrounded strings keeps you safe from AC ground problems between your instrument amp and the microphone PA amp. (How many of us learned about those issues the hard way?)
That is right, EMGs and active Duncans don't need a grounding wire to the bridge. Fishmans however do, maybe due to the different design of the pickup itself.
@@brundlefly1942 Makes sense. I'd be really interested in seeing schematics for the various kinds of active pickups. Not likely to happen.
Agreed. A grounded bridge is NOT necessary with GOOD Active Pickups, that have 100% noise rejection. I use a EMG81/85 set with no earth wire to the Kahler (As per EMG instructions). Noiseless!!!
for slipping guitars i highly recommend lego tape, its a strip of rubber with the little lego nubs that is backed with mounting tape, that cool sticky stuff that leaves no residue and you can get the sticky back by rinsing it if you take it off too many times and it loses its stick
I love how much you love playing your axe homie.
It is FUN! Period!
Keep rocking Glenn
Good point about the imperfection! I wouldn't say tho that the performances we watch aren't entirely honest as much as that in Instagram guitarists' work, we only get to see a final product that seems effortless only due to hours of sweat and sore fingertips
Essential studio tool - a Pencil. Graphite woks equally well for lubricating a nut slot. Been using it for years.
14:37 - GLEEEEN, i gave a try to that intro, doesn't seem too challenging for my small hands - stretch wise-, just be aware you can play some open strings (string, D) for that, and also you don't have to anchor your index finger if you do that - at any moment there are two notes/strings played together at most, and don't be ashamed to choose the proper tuning for it to make it work if you have too (i have mine in drop D, btw, the guy is playing the open low D too, making it challenging to jump strings with the picking hand); fun recommendation btw.
Going up a gauge in strings may require a nut slot tweak in order to prevent the strings from getting stuck in the nut. Phil McKnight has a neat trick for working on the nut slots using a string and a piece of sandpaper. You might want to check it out.
I don't watch every video, but from the ones I've seen recently, I have noticed a lot of improvement in your playing. Keep up the good work! Also, the tone in this video with that guitar is killer! Reminds me of KSE.
Super cool! Phil’s channel is a very interesting channel to tune into, he had his McKnight guitars in Chandler AZ for years great place back in the day to talk shop and see cool gear! Crazy enough I have one of his old Project guitars. A 7 String Strat that he had custom made to fill that fender 7 string void. Plays wonderfully!
#1 rule of going to a bigger string gauge, re-cut the nut slots or the strings will bind up in them. I replaced the frets on my $159 seven string multiscale HB as I have said before, I expected far worse than what you're complaining about with a guitar at that price. My guitar has CNC cut fret slots so there is no chance of frets sprouting, plus I ordered Maple fingerboard version to avoid fingerboard shrinkage. Glenn is just doing what I've always done when I get a new guitar at any price, I have seen $2k guitars with worse frets than my below $200 axe. I, too, am not a luthier, but Dan Erlewine has always been my source of Luthier advice as My dad had. Phil uses the same stuff as I do and many thousands of others. Stewmac rules! Lay it Down by Ratt is a killer song, I was watching the Mtv world premier of the Video when I first heard that song, Warren is badass!
Ratt was the band I tried to cut my teeth on as a newbie in the 80's, you are not kidding about those stretches. I own 4 Harley Bentons myself, SC550, ex84, Paisley tele and the blue roundback acoustic. All were a steal for the price (the acoustic was what, $80??) but QC was hit and miss definitely. Love the channel, keep it up.
Glad to see you got the V fixed and it’s playable!
I actually got an Epiphone 335 that came with worse frets than that because Guitar Center just found an empty D'Angelico box and stuffed a bunch of bubble wrap in with it. Then it sat for 2 nights in teen and 20 degree Temps on the truck before they delivered it. I could have used a grinder on that thing, but I got the fret file and I did a little damage to the fretboard, but it feels really smooth now.
Thomann should be thanking you glen , your welcome thomann !
You should totally do a guide to hair tone, I love the 80s and I'm always tone chasing the greats from the 80s they were just unreal in their playing and sound.
Glenn, your playing has really improved over the years. Thanks!
Glen, glad you saved it! I learned to do all my own work. I have 40+ guitars and gravitate towards the affordable. I do fret levels, electronics, replace nuts, ext. They are skills worth learning.
Nut lube is definitely a necessity if you have a Gibson. I've use everything from powdered graphite to nut lube, and the nut lube works best. In fact, I use it on all my guitars now when I restring. Also, learning how to properly set up your own guitars is an important skill. I learned more out of necessity than anything, and while I could probably afford to have my guitars set up at a shop, it's so much less expensive to do it myself, and it really only takes a few minutes once you know what you're doing.
7:00 RIP me. Bought ELE right before the sale. Oh well, it's a great set of drums, so worth it
Thank you so much! I have this guitar and love the look and feel, but the noise just bothered me a lot! I ordered gold pins to switch and I even went as far as upgrading the tuners with locking ones as well - just an acquired taste! I'll let you know how it goes once the parts come in. It really is a sweet guitar though!
Thomann should be paying you for fixing his design failure. What a shame no one saw that problem, once fixed the guitar has a killer potential.
Good job! Glad you got it fixed, and it is satisfying doing it yourself. As far as the grounding, you could probably could have used a wire wheel on a bench grinder to clean the paint off the parts black part where you needed to (easier than filing). Or you can use a wirebrush bit on a drill. Just some ideas. If you are substituting the gold (or chrome/nickel) posts, then you could get some matching black spray paint and hit the visible portion of the parts, so they match - just keep the inner conducting parts clean and free of paint. Black anodized parts or conductive paint would also have eliminated that issue with the bridge and tailpiece not grounding, if they wanted to continue to use black hardware. You can get new/different black hardware cheap enough and most of the cheap stuff is standard sized now, so you might be able to pick up a replacement metric black tailpiece and posts that fit that will conduct. I am saying that for Harley Benton's sake, and if anyone does not have other parts handy. It would be easy to test, just take a meter and test both sides of the stop tail piece for conductivity.
As far as the chunky neck on the guitar I kinda like those, so I'd probably like that particular guitar. I have some other Harley Benton guitars and they are good for the money, but mine were from a different series. I did not have as bad as fret issues as you with these so far at least. But mine have roasted maple neck which because of the roasting process are a bit more stable and mine were a little bit more money. No, mine didn't have the black hardware or the active pickups either.
One thing at least partially in their defense, the frets on many guitars experience fret "sprout" in the fall/winter because the wide humidity swings dries out the wood and the wood shrinks more than the metal frets with the low humidity. This makes the frets stick out of the edge and feel sharp as heck. I am not saying this is why this happened, only that it may have contributed to it. It happens with many guitars including sometimes very expensive ones. But it is especially so with cheaper guitars where they may not have had much care or time with the fretwork, or the wood may not have been as seasoned and dried when assembled. Any sharp or unfinished fret edges will be much worse as a result. Not making excuses, but depending on when it was built and transition of the seasons between building and unpacking and playing (you're in Canada right? Late fall? Cold, and low humidity in the air, same as here, even though I am much further south). I have to do this with many of my guitars eventually, sometimes have to repeat this process next winter - but after a while the wood shrinks less and you have filed the edges more, so you are eventually good). I bought a very expensive and well-made guitar that came from the Salt Lake area, which is pretty well desert dry, and quite cold in the winter (very dry) it its finish is all checked and affected by the exceptionally dry climate. It is NOT a newer guitar, but you'd think it was 20-30 years older. But it plays and sounds amazing, and it is not really an issue to me (it is basically a real relic guitar, not a fake one).
Good on you Glenn for giving this stuff a try. Guitarists tend to be such premadonnas that they'll send their guitar to a tech every time they break a string. I think more guys (and girls) should try this stuff, when you cant afford a tech for every problem you need to learn these problem solving skills. If you've put years of practice into learning the fretboard and the scales etc why wouldn't you want to learn how to service your instruments?
Honestly! I know some people just aren’t good with their hands, but I’d like to think with proper care and a subtle approach, a lot more people can learn doing minor repairs. It just takes practice and patience. And from their the sky is the limit.
Because you shouldn't have to service brand new instruments. I'm not saying you shouldn't know how to do this, but we shouldn't accept dogshit QC because "we should know how to fix it".
Why don't dealerships just sell brand new cars exclusively with broken engines so we can get a deal? I mean I know how to fix an engine. Why won't they sell defective products? Gee, I dunno...
@@SilentNightBodomNight Funny you say that. A few years ago I collected a bunch of guitar parts and planks of scrap wood. I couldn't afford a guitar but was keen to learn how to build one. I picked up loads of new skills, built 3 guitars and now I run my own business making pickups. The sky really is the limit!
@@DudeMcGuybro There's no such thing as a budget guitar that isn't compromised in some way even if its minor, fact is they can't sell a guitar that cheap without cutting corners. I would place the blame for the grounding issue on the design team and not the QC team because their job is to report obvious issues, they aren't payed enough to have a keen ear for these issues, they've probably never plugged into a high gain amp, they would test them in whatever cheap practice amp they have in the factory, probably a peavey rage or such. The design team on the other hand have engineering degrees, they're paid the big bucks to foresee this!
@@murrayguitarpickups9545 The QC at Harley Benton is hilariously bad. I bought a lemon from them, the nut was cut too low and the neck was bowed. There is no QC.
In a strange way, Thomann's fuck up kinda works in their favour. It proves they don't cherry pick the instruments they send out to RUclipsrs, although I suspect they'll be a bit more concientious after seeing your (and others) videos!
Some nice licks there Glenn, the practise is paying off. Well done! Proving it's never too late to learn something. I'm 63 and still trying new things.
When reviewing things to many people loose sight of what they are actually reviewing .
Instead of going on about everything a 200 quid guitar doesn't have , it's never a case of a reviewer talking about how much you are getting when you consider the price !
I know the Harley will feel rough to experienced guitarists , try putting yourself in the place of the 18 year old who's got no money to speak of and has managed to scrape together 170 dollars to buy a guitar, I dare say a young metal head would love the guitar on review, rant over , keep up the good work ( your playing is so much better these days , great to see a musician who's not just starting out still practicing and doing it because they want to play better , that's what playing an instrument is all about .🤘
Buy a guitar though it shouldn’t have them issues despite the price point. Says to me QC isn’t all that great. What a great is the honest show from Glenn