BEWARE : The HBZ pickups on the new SC-1000 have changed ! The 3 pin connector system does not existe any more. You have a classic wired / soldered system so, if you wanna change for a set of EMG, you have to remove to electronics and install an EMG Solderless kit.
Wow, thanks for the info man!! I was considering of doing just that, because I don't really have the budget to get a lefty guitar with decent active pickups (we have much less variety and sometimes higher prices when it comes to guitars). I imagine that removing the wires is still doable right?
@@ptr_does_music7042 yes, it is, you just have to use a kit from an active pick up brand instead of what the guitar comes with I used the EMG tele kit in me squier tele and it was definitely doable and easy.
Hey ! Ima too owner of this model of HB. I got this guitar more than 1 year and now i want to change domem stuff there, new keys , new bridge - all black ;) Its really good guitar for metal , comfortable to us and looks pretty good in these money I recommend SC 1000 VB
Hey Toro! Weird i haven't seen you around before! But now i have, so ill give a follow for a fellow Harley Benton happy player! :D Lovely to see more and more people like us posting on RUclips about the Harley Benton brand... They are truly great! :D
Hi ! Well to be fair I had never seen your vids before either :) Gonna follow your chan too. HB's making very interesting guitars and I can't wait to see what new models they're gonna release this year :)
Hey ToroK Very interesting video, I have the same model as you and the satin finish is really great. Yes, the hardware and pickups are not top of the line but for the price the guitar is great. Except for the nut, I won't change anything on mine because I prefer to play slimmer neck profiles. Stay safe and Rock on 🐈
Thanks Yetimatze :) I agree that this guitar is really a nice deal. At first, I didn't want to put money on it but, since I'm playing it very often, I thought it was worth it. And since I've done it, I play this axe even more ! Keep having fun man !
I was sold when you mentioned the slim neck profile, it's just what I need after spending a long time trying to jam metal on a Harley Benton with pretty thick neck. It can be a real pain in the @ss
I'm gonna release a comparison video between the current SC-1000 and the SC Custom active, it might be interesting for you cos' there are a few changes on the SC-1000 between the version that I have and the new ones !
@@ToroKchannel thats cool. I was looking at the sc1000 again last night and at the back, it looks like there is a battery thing? Do i need to have the batteries and if so, how long do they last?
@@adamedwards6502 yes it comes with active pickups so you need a 9V battery. They should last around 1500-2000 hours, I change mine every 2-3 years - but I've got several guitars :) The main thing to keep in mind is to unplug the guitar when you stop playing. As long as there's a jack cable connected, the battery is on, so if you forget to unplug the guitar, you will change your batteries after 3 months only.
Originally I bought a white SC-Custom II Active B-stock which came within 3 day's of ordering it....it was totally unplayable...the nut was so uneven and not even 42mm in width...there was a gap on the low E side leaving a space from the edge of the neck ...I contacted Thomann's customer service about my displeasure and how it was totally unplayable and because I am in the USA they gave me a refund minus shipping and let me keep it....so I thought I'd take a chance on a white SC-1000 Progressive based on your original review...but hoping my white one would not have issues....again it came within 3 day's of ordering it....the guitars finish was pretty close to perfect....as was the binding on the body and headstock....the neck binding has issues at 3 frets on the low side (6-7-10) were it looks like the frets were just a hair to long but you really have to close to notice....played well right out of the box and was pretty much already in tune....again based on your original review I did some upgrades....tone pros roller bride and tail piece....tone ninja locking tuners and a Graphtech nut (42 x 6 PT-6642-00) which I'll get to in a minute....and a pair of EMG 81/85's that were gifted to me by Zakk Wylde back when I did web work for him.....filed/leveled/polished all the frets...conditioned the fret board....installed the upgrades (minus the nut) and did a complete set up and intonation....OMG it is now an amazing guitar !!! that I would put up against some $1000-$2000 guitars I've owned and is a total metal machine.....ok now to the Graphtech nut....it almost fit perfect...unfortunately it was 1.3mm to low in height....I was already e-mailing with Alex G at Graphtech due to USPS briefly losing the package which was finally delivered 13 days after it was shipped (9 days later than it was supposed to arrive) so I told him of the issue and he was willing to cut me a nut from a blank if we couldn't find a pre-cut to fit...Alex asked me to measure and send pictures as well so I did and he found the Black TUSQ XL PRE 2014 Epiphone PT-6060-00 should be a perfect fit....so I am waiting on it to arrive now.....if you read this I'm wondering if this is the nut you got to replace on your's and if so was it a perfect fit ?...based on the spec's on GT's website I'm thinking i may have to file the height down just a little.....I gotta say Graphtech's customer service is outstanding and would tell anyone whois thinking of buying anything from them to do it.....Harley Bentons on the other hand is TOTAL CRAP !!!...I e-mailed them about the nut measurements and their response was "every guitar is different and made for each guitar"....which by the the total crap and jacked up nut that came on the SC-Custom II Active is just as total crap !!!.....as for the tone pros hardware and the tone ninja tuners I've been whaling away on this thing for 2 weeks now and it's keeping perfect tune....the low E goes out a hair every couple day's but it's from hanging over night and outside temp swings of 30-40 degrees I'm sure......keep up the great reviews dude they are awesome...I wouldn't have this amazing guitar with out
Well man I'm happy my videos have helped you found and upgrade your SC-1000 ! As far as the graphtech nut goes, I've asked a friend to do the job for me cos' filing a graphite nut requires a very soft touch that I don't always have ;) But if I remember well it was a PT-6060. If I'm wrong I'll come back here after checking it out. As far as the Harley Bentons go, if you want a safer bet, go for the indonesian ones.
I wish i could be as excited about Harley Benton as i used to be when i got my first DC 600 IV. I have now purchased my third HB and i am not pleased at all. The st62 DLX presented itself with weak pickups and very bad bridge. I have upgraded the tuners to Gotoh and might add a single coil humbucker in the future. The second guitar was the SC custom II, all in all it could be a good guitar, except mine required tedious hours fret leveling and polishing, not to mention the small flaws in the finish. All the guitars i bought from Harley Benton required extra work ( more than you would put in an ibanez gio) and spare parts. That being said, this last purchase ST 62 DLX market the last time i will ever buy from Harley Benton. Yes they have good deals but in the long run you end up spending as much as you would spend on a 400-500 euro guitar, well at least if you intend buying good parts. From now its only Ibanez, Schecter and ESP.
@@ToroKchannel No problem, I am not blaming you or any other youtuber, but i think it's fair that everyone tells their story. Harley Benton can be good but they can also bad at making certain stuff. Let's hope this reaches their ears and will take action for better quality control.
Ok I have been tearing my head off searching for a secondary axe I know I should have already had one but I never had enough money to replicate the level of comfort and range of tones my schecter with emg 81 85 accomplishes I've been playing for over 20 years actively and I've had new guitars and sent them packing I've been craving a ec1000 because my brother got one and he swore by it, anything over 800 bux is a wee bit out of my current price range. I bought chibson EC2 from Ali express and it was a disaster. But i stumbled across the harley bentons and I have gone back and fourth and back and I think I was a HB sc1000 I'm expecting the hardware to be sub par So I'm planning on adding new tonepros bridge, grover tuners, emg or Fishman Anything else I can expect? Trashy Tone pots ? Bad solder on jack? Rough frets? Or is it just luck of draw
I've had several EC 1000 in my hands, so I can tell you what I remember. The main weakness of this axe lies in its tuners so you're right to prepare yourself to replacing them. The bridge and tailpiece are not really necessary in my personal experience. The edges of the frets were ok on all the SC 1000, but they all needed a good polish job. You will realize that by yourself when you play you first bend :) Never had any problem with the electronics in general. I've had fun playing this axe for over 2 years and the only reason why I sold it was a lack of room. For a secundary axe, it's doing a great job. Another possibility lies in the SC custom III active. I've ordered one with active PU and will review it pretty soon. Not the same price, but it's got a better hadware (grover tuners are stock), better upper frets access, now I'm just wondering how good or bad the Tesla active PU are.
Greetings ToroK, great video! I was wondering, did you have to rework the pickup frames' size or did the EMG's fit just right out of the box? As someone inexperienced with mods, I'd love to have a diy project for me which won't need working on the wood itself
Hi ! I didn't have to do anything, the stock HBZ pickups have the exact same size as the EMG 81/85/60. Now, on the current Harley Benton SC-1000, you will have to remove the electronics and install an EMG solderless kit. Nothing complicated but it will take 1 hour at least if you're not used to doing it. Don't cut the cable from the toggle you will need it - unless you change the toggle for an EMG toggle but it will cost you 30€.
Great upgrade videos for us, im thinking on buy a his one or the SC Custom II VB active that comes with Roswell active pickups, do you know if the pickups are also a direct swap with EMGs ?
I have made a comparison video between the sc custom active and the current sc-1000 and you should watch it before buying a SC-1000 cos now, none of them have direct swap with EMG.
@@ToroKchannel yeah. I've seen it, and really enjoy it. The Custom II is better looking IMO but the HBZ sound a little better on chugging. And i would ebonize those fretboards for sure, thats something i plan to do when i buy my HB. If you do that on yours make a video for us. Regarding the pickups is really a stupid move to go back to solder again. Allready subscribed so keep the good work
Hey man, thanks for the review! I am also thinking about getting an SC-1000 and upgrading the hardware. So I am wondering: Which Gotoh tailpiece and bridge did you get? Did they fit out of the box? Did you need to get new pickup frames? Thanks ToroK!
Hi ! It took me a bit of time but I finally find the references of the Gotoh bridge and tailpiece. They fitter perfectly out of the box. Bridge : GE103B-T-G. Tailpiece : GE101Z
Hi Andrea, well not sure I really understand your question cos' I have explained it in the video while showing how easy it is to swap pickups (from 13:28 on). What I'm not sure to understand about your question is the screws in the guitarwood. On this one, the pickups are not direct mounted, so they go in a pickup ring. But yes, the screws for EMG pickups are thinner than for HBZ so if you don't have them, you must buy some separately for something like 3€ for a set of 4 screws :)
@@ToroKchannel I have never done any changes on guitars but would start with this 🙈 so this why my question is how it is. But I thought the thicker screw needs a thicker counterpart how might a slimmer screw fit into a thicker counterpart? Do I have to make changes there too? But if you say it only has to fit the ring and that that works I will give it a go. But thanks a lot for your videos. 🙏🏼
As soon as you have some pickup rings, everything is made easier than with direct mounted pickups. For this SC-1000, it's really easy so don't worry :)
Would you recommend this guitar? I want to get rid of my cheap non branded Stratocaster and go for my second guitar and to play metal on it and put emgs I have been playing for 1 year and a half and I think it’s time to get a new guitar I’m thinking to buy a boss katana 50 you think that combo will it chug?
Clearly yes, I do recommend it. It's a very good guitar and you won't find better at this price point. You will easily find some EMG 81/85/60 on the used market and you won't need the EMG solderless kit with this axe.
@@ToroKchannel Great, somebody told me once they were soldered. It's great as lots of EMGs for sale as people jump on the Fishman hype train and "upgrade" haha.
Well it's not complicated but it takes a bit of time. First you need to remove every electronic components cos' you will install an EMG solderless kit. At that point, you need to unsolder the cables from the toggle the best possible way cos you will need it (unless you intend on replacing the toggle with an EMG toggle as well.) Than you will install the EMG solderless kit. It's really very easy to do, but again it takes some time. Your toggle cables will go in the EMG bus, that's why you need to be careful when you unsolder them. If you never did it before, it might take 1h30 to do everything quietly.
@@ToroKchannel thanks!!!! In which Harley Benton SC Active model is it easier to change to emg pickups, that is, just remove the pickups and connect the EMG pickups?
Should I get this as a first electric? I have a taylor acoustic and would like to get an electric to play some stuff like Motionless in White, Avenged Sevenfold, and My chemical romance.
For a first guitar and especially for metal, yes it's a good choice. This Sc-1000 is really great for chugs, but if you wanna start shredding like Synyster Gates, you will need something else, with a better accessibility. Personel tip : use some 10-52 strings to have a better tension and massive palm mutes :)
Man, I have been planning a project using a white SC 1000 that I have not purchased yet. I was going to gut the whole guitar and replace everything with gold hardware and passive pickups. Now I am having 2nd thoughts. Hmm
I think I have had bad luck with the white ones. Pete Cottrell has had a white SC 1000 on his chan and he sounds like he's had no problem with it. If you live in Europe it's worth trying anyway. Either the guitar is good and you'll be happy to get your hands on it, or it's bad and you return it for free and get refund :) Now if you don't live in Europe, it's another story.
@@ToroKchannel I live in Spain so, yeah, returning is an option. I have all the parts priced out to where the total cost including the guitar is under €450. If I have to change to an Epiphone the budget goes up another 200. Don't want to do that. I wanted the longer scale length.
If I'm not wrong, the scale on this one is the same as on the Epiphones. The only single cut with a 25.5" scale I know is the Schecter Hellraiser - and even used, it's not the same price at all :)
Thanks so much for the informative video. I am considering getting my own. I have one small criticism, and that is, you named the video "1 year after." I was hoping to see a guitar that was not modified and how this original guitar would perform "One Year Later." I could buy one today, then 364 days later change out the bridge, the hard tail, tuners and nut, swap out pick-ups, and polish the frets, but she'd not exactly be the original guitar, would she she? I suppose I could spend 200 Euro and make myself a Jon P Signature HB SC-1000 and make my own "One year later video," but again, the original HB would be gone for good. I am quite discerning and may be nitpicking, but I won't be able to do mods to my own except change out the pot knobs perhaps, not from lack of ability, but from lack of funds. Otherwise ToroK, I very much enjoyed the video.
I see your point Jon and maybe I should have sumed up more clearly what I had mentioned in the first review video about the SC-1000. In fact, it was my very first guitar review and I had already changed the post and even the electronics - so, well, it was no more a review of a stock SC-1000 :). With those 1-2-3 years after videos, I wanna show what the guitars became, and some will remain the same whan some others will be modified. For the SC-1000, the most necessary change was the tuners cos the stock ones are really poor. I could have kept the stock bridge and tailpiece, eventhought the hade of golden color is not the exact same. When I was playing clean with the Stock HBZ pickups I had a terrible buzzing so whanging the pickups was necesary eventhough I don't play clean all the time. And finally, fret polishing was useful and is useful on many Harley Bentons :) !happy that you enjoyed the video and thanks for your comment cos' it will help me for ther next one ;)
I’m new to playing guitars, and I'm thinking of buying a Harley Benton. Although, I’m quite nervous to what others may think about it, I don’t want to be that person who has a cheap setup, can they be used for gigs, and are they good? What is the main difference between a cheap vs expensive guitar?
When you talk about other people, are you thinking about your bandmates or your audience ? Meny Harley Benton are good enough for gigs. I know a guitar player in a hungarian band who has deliberately chosen a Harley Benton for his gigs in Europe cos it plays nice, sounds nice, and can accept the punishments a tour implies. There are several differences between a cheap and an expensive guitar. Top of the line guitars are coming with better quality wood taht have dried naturally, not in an oven. Some are made in japan, or USA or Europe with way higher wages to pay. The hardware might come from more prestigious brands like Gotoh. And of course, on really cheao guitars, the pickups are not gonna sound as good as Seymour Duncan, DiMarzio or Bare Knuckle. Now, if you want a guitar with all these specs, you're talking about a 2500€+ axe, like an ESP E-II. A good midrange guitar could be an ESP LTD 1000 series for around 1200€. At this price, the wood of the guitar is dried in an oven and it's crafted in Indonesia. A cheap guitar like a Harley Benton SC 1000 is also made in Indonesia, but it's not coming with Seymour Duncan or Fishman Fluence, but with Roswell pickups that are not as good. Another point will be the finish, and espacially the paintjob. On more expensive guitars, you will have a totally beautiful finish. The cheaper you go, the more simple the finish becomes. Now there's one thing you have to know about Harley Benton guitars : they are made by Thomann. When you buy one, you don't pay the distributor mergin that Thomann applies to other brands and that has a significant impact on the retail price you pay. As far as the setup goes, you can learn doing it by yourself or just ask a luthier to do it for you, it will cost you the same price for a Harley Benton or for a top of the line PRS :) And remeber that with hot, cool, dry or wet weather, the wood will move and it will change the setup so you have to it again. I'm setting all my guitars up twice a year, when spring and autumn are coming. I think you should focus on what guitar suits you, accoring to the shape of the body and the neck, then determine what type of sound you want, and that will mainly depend upon your amp and cab. There are very good harley Bentons, some of them are really amazing for the price you pay. And I don't think anybody will care about the brand of your guitar if you play fine. Would Andy James be a less impressive guitar player if he was playing a Harley Benton ? I don't think so :)
@@ToroKchannel Thank you for the review, i was thinking about buying the Harley SC- 1000, because the Custom II is no longer in sale. Although are there any guitars similar to the SC-1000 (Price range and appearance), that you could recommend?
Sad to hear HB is like that. I was really planning on ordering one, even tho it isn't in stock currently, but I don't want to go through all this mess.
On this one, I've really had a lot of bad luck. Among all the Harley Bentons I have reviewed here, it's the only one that came with so many issues until I find a real good one. If you wanna avoid this kind of misadventure, better go for some Bentons made in Indonesia like the Sc Custom II active.
@@ToroKchannel thanks for the advice! The sc-1000 is in the price range I'd like to spend on it, as a bass player, I'd just like an electric guitar that's comfortable to play some basics on; whatever, I'll get myself to spend a bit more...:D
@@ToroKchannel i've been checking out some other singlecut guitars, and ofcourse I'd like to order from EU warehouses. From Germany, there are Jack & Danny Brothers, they have some inexpensive guitars, and those very few reviews about them are all good. Do you have any experience with them?
The story around this axe is unique. I have 3 other HBs at home that didn’t take 4 attempts to be ok. But yes there’s still a matter of hit or miss with HBs. I don’t regret buying any of mine.
I had a neck problem on my 1st HB guitar, but they replaced it and I bought several more without problems. They are well worth the slight hassle. I started reading customer reviews and would check the dates of the complaints, if you see them go down near the time you're looking for one, you'll have a better chance of getting a good one.
I rather would buy Harley benton SC-Custom II Active.. it has allready same specs..only you have to move is pick ups if needed..and the price is les. but better quality.
I have been really disappointed with the Custom II I have reviewed, but I have enjoyed the Custom Plus a lot ! Now, there's something with this SC 1000 that I really enjoy and I'm still unable to describe it precisely. Feeling, nothing more than feeling ;)
Harley Benton from Thommann are garbage!Quality Control is non existent.Doesnt matter how much you pay for something if its new,then it should be flawless and in new condition.The guitars that I was sent were bashed up and worse than second hand condition!The Gregg Bennet line of guitars from Samick are a much better option!
BEWARE : The HBZ pickups on the new SC-1000 have changed ! The 3 pin connector system does not existe any more. You have a classic wired / soldered system so, if you wanna change for a set of EMG, you have to remove to electronics and install an EMG Solderless kit.
Wow, thanks for the info man!! I was considering of doing just that, because I don't really have the budget to get a lefty guitar with decent active pickups (we have much less variety and sometimes higher prices when it comes to guitars). I imagine that removing the wires is still doable right?
@@ptr_does_music7042 yes, it is, you just have to use a kit from an active pick up brand instead of what the guitar comes with I used the EMG tele kit in me squier tele and it was definitely doable and easy.
Hey !
Ima too owner of this model of HB.
I got this guitar more than 1 year and now i want to change domem stuff there, new keys , new bridge - all black ;)
Its really good guitar for metal , comfortable to us and looks pretty good in these money
I recommend SC 1000 VB
Hey Toro! Weird i haven't seen you around before! But now i have, so ill give a follow for a fellow Harley Benton happy player! :D Lovely to see more and more people like us posting on RUclips about the Harley Benton brand... They are truly great! :D
Hi ! Well to be fair I had never seen your vids before either :) Gonna follow your chan too. HB's making very interesting guitars and I can't wait to see what new models they're gonna release this year :)
Thanks for the update!
you're welcome :)
Very helpful video. Thanks.
My pleasure :)
Hey ToroK
Very interesting video, I have the same model as you and the satin finish is really great. Yes, the hardware and pickups are not top of the line but for the price the guitar is great. Except for the nut, I won't change anything on mine because I prefer to play slimmer neck profiles.
Stay safe and
Rock on
🐈
Thanks Yetimatze :) I agree that this guitar is really a nice deal. At first, I didn't want to put money on it but, since I'm playing it very often, I thought it was worth it. And since I've done it, I play this axe even more ! Keep having fun man !
I was sold when you mentioned the slim neck profile, it's just what I need after spending a long time trying to jam metal on a Harley Benton with pretty thick neck. It can be a real pain in the @ss
Im hopefully getting this guitar for xmas! Sounds awesome!
I'm gonna release a comparison video between the current SC-1000 and the SC Custom active, it might be interesting for you cos' there are a few changes on the SC-1000 between the version that I have and the new ones !
@@ToroKchannel thats cool. I was looking at the sc1000 again last night and at the back, it looks like there is a battery thing? Do i need to have the batteries and if so, how long do they last?
@@adamedwards6502 yes it comes with active pickups so you need a 9V battery. They should last around 1500-2000 hours, I change mine every 2-3 years - but I've got several guitars :) The main thing to keep in mind is to unplug the guitar when you stop playing. As long as there's a jack cable connected, the battery is on, so if you forget to unplug the guitar, you will change your batteries after 3 months only.
Just ordered this today😄
Hope You'll enjoy yours as much as I enjoy mine !
the heavier part of the demo reminds me of kengan ashura ost
Don't know Kengan Ashura but I'm gonna listen to the OST :)
Originally I bought a white SC-Custom II Active B-stock which came within 3 day's of ordering it....it was totally unplayable...the nut was so uneven and not even 42mm in width...there was a gap on the low E side leaving a space from the edge of the neck ...I contacted Thomann's customer service about my displeasure and how it was totally unplayable and because I am in the USA they gave me a refund minus shipping and let me keep it....so I thought I'd take a chance on a white SC-1000 Progressive based on your original review...but hoping my white one would not have issues....again it came within 3 day's of ordering it....the guitars finish was pretty close to perfect....as was the binding on the body and headstock....the neck binding has issues at 3 frets on the low side (6-7-10) were it looks like the frets were just a hair to long but you really have to close to notice....played well right out of the box and was pretty much already in tune....again based on your original review I did some upgrades....tone pros roller bride and tail piece....tone ninja locking tuners and a Graphtech nut (42 x 6 PT-6642-00) which I'll get to in a minute....and a pair of EMG 81/85's that were gifted to me by Zakk Wylde back when I did web work for him.....filed/leveled/polished all the frets...conditioned the fret board....installed the upgrades (minus the nut) and did a complete set up and intonation....OMG it is now an amazing guitar !!! that I would put up against some $1000-$2000 guitars I've owned and is a total metal machine.....ok now to the Graphtech nut....it almost fit perfect...unfortunately it was 1.3mm to low in height....I was already e-mailing with Alex G at Graphtech due to USPS briefly losing the package which was finally delivered 13 days after it was shipped (9 days later than it was supposed to arrive) so I told him of the issue and he was willing to cut me a nut from a blank if we couldn't find a pre-cut to fit...Alex asked me to measure and send pictures as well so I did and he found the Black TUSQ XL PRE 2014 Epiphone PT-6060-00 should be a perfect fit....so I am waiting on it to arrive now.....if you read this I'm wondering if this is the nut you got to replace on your's and if so was it a perfect fit ?...based on the spec's on GT's website I'm thinking i may have to file the height down just a little.....I gotta say Graphtech's customer service is outstanding and would tell anyone whois thinking of buying anything from them to do it.....Harley Bentons on the other hand is TOTAL CRAP !!!...I e-mailed them about the nut measurements and their response was "every guitar is different and made for each guitar"....which by the the total crap and jacked up nut that came on the SC-Custom II Active is just as total crap !!!.....as for the tone pros hardware and the tone ninja tuners I've been whaling away on this thing for 2 weeks now and it's keeping perfect tune....the low E goes out a hair every couple day's but it's from hanging over night and outside temp swings of 30-40 degrees I'm sure......keep up the great reviews dude they are awesome...I wouldn't have this amazing guitar with out
Well man I'm happy my videos have helped you found and upgrade your SC-1000 ! As far as the graphtech nut goes, I've asked a friend to do the job for me cos' filing a graphite nut requires a very soft touch that I don't always have ;) But if I remember well it was a PT-6060. If I'm wrong I'll come back here after checking it out. As far as the Harley Bentons go, if you want a safer bet, go for the indonesian ones.
I wish i could be as excited about Harley Benton as i used to be when i got my first DC 600 IV. I have now purchased my third HB and i am not pleased at all. The st62 DLX presented itself with weak pickups and very bad bridge. I have upgraded the tuners to Gotoh and might add a single coil humbucker in the future. The second guitar was the SC custom II, all in all it could be a good guitar, except mine required tedious hours fret leveling and polishing, not to mention the small flaws in the finish. All the guitars i bought from Harley Benton required extra work ( more than you would put in an ibanez gio) and spare parts. That being said, this last purchase ST 62 DLX market the last time i will ever buy from Harley Benton. Yes they have good deals but in the long run you end up spending as much as you would spend on a 400-500 euro guitar, well at least if you intend buying good parts. From now its only Ibanez, Schecter and ESP.
Sorry for you man ! As I said in the video Harley Bentons are sometimes a hit or miss thing.
@@ToroKchannel No problem, I am not blaming you or any other youtuber, but i think it's fair that everyone tells their story. Harley Benton can be good but they can also bad at making certain stuff. Let's hope this reaches their ears and will take action for better quality control.
Ok I have been tearing my head off searching for a secondary axe
I know I should have already had one but I never had enough money to replicate the level of comfort and range of tones my schecter with emg 81 85 accomplishes
I've been playing for over 20 years actively and I've had new guitars and sent them packing
I've been craving a ec1000 because my brother got one and he swore by it, anything over 800 bux is a wee bit out of my current price range.
I bought chibson EC2 from Ali express and it was a disaster.
But i stumbled across the harley bentons and I have gone back and
fourth and back and I think I was a HB sc1000
I'm expecting the hardware to be sub par
So I'm planning on adding new tonepros bridge, grover tuners, emg or Fishman
Anything else I can expect? Trashy Tone pots ?
Bad solder on jack?
Rough frets?
Or is it just luck of draw
I've had several EC 1000 in my hands, so I can tell you what I remember. The main weakness of this axe lies in its tuners so you're right to prepare yourself to replacing them. The bridge and tailpiece are not really necessary in my personal experience. The edges of the frets were ok on all the SC 1000, but they all needed a good polish job. You will realize that by yourself when you play you first bend :) Never had any problem with the electronics in general. I've had fun playing this axe for over 2 years and the only reason why I sold it was a lack of room. For a secundary axe, it's doing a great job. Another possibility lies in the SC custom III active. I've ordered one with active PU and will review it pretty soon. Not the same price, but it's got a better hadware (grover tuners are stock), better upper frets access, now I'm just wondering how good or bad the Tesla active PU are.
Hello, which graphtech nut did you use to replace the plastic one? Was it an easy fit or did you have to sand it a bit? Thanks.
If I remember well its was the 6060-00. It was a very easy replacement, the height was good, I just had to ile the edges of the nut a little bit.
Greetings ToroK, great video!
I was wondering, did you have to rework the pickup frames' size or did the EMG's fit just right out of the box? As someone inexperienced with mods, I'd love to have a diy project for me which won't need working on the wood itself
Hi ! I didn't have to do anything, the stock HBZ pickups have the exact same size as the EMG 81/85/60. Now, on the current Harley Benton SC-1000, you will have to remove the electronics and install an EMG solderless kit. Nothing complicated but it will take 1 hour at least if you're not used to doing it. Don't cut the cable from the toggle you will need it - unless you change the toggle for an EMG toggle but it will cost you 30€.
@@ToroKchannel can you make a video on changing emg pickup with the new hbz pickups?
Great upgrade videos for us, im thinking on buy a his one or the SC Custom II VB active that comes with Roswell active pickups, do you know if the pickups are also a direct swap with EMGs ?
I have made a comparison video between the sc custom active and the current sc-1000 and you should watch it before buying a SC-1000 cos now, none of them have direct swap with EMG.
@@ToroKchannel yeah. I've seen it, and really enjoy it. The Custom II is better looking IMO but the HBZ sound a little better on chugging. And i would ebonize those fretboards for sure, thats something i plan to do when i buy my HB.
If you do that on yours make a video for us.
Regarding the pickups is really a stupid move to go back to solder again.
Allready subscribed so keep the good work
Hey man, thanks for the review! I am also thinking about getting an SC-1000 and upgrading the hardware. So I am wondering: Which Gotoh tailpiece and bridge did you get? Did they fit out of the box? Did you need to get new pickup frames? Thanks ToroK!
Hi ! It took me a bit of time but I finally find the references of the Gotoh bridge and tailpiece. They fitter perfectly out of the box. Bridge : GE103B-T-G. Tailpiece : GE101Z
@@ToroKchannel thanks again! Just ordered mine, really looking forward to it. Hopefully I'll get a good one at first try 👍
Hi Torok, by the way, wich model of tuners and nut did you put in the guitar? I'd like to upgrade my Sc-1000 as you did.
Thank you in advance!
would a Bridge width 74.42 mm and Gotoh SG301-20 Tuners 3L/3R G work for this guitar? thanks for the video!
I think it would be ok.
Dear Torok, how did you mange to fit the emg screws into the HB guitarwood. Cause the emg screws are slimmer. I would appreciate your feedback.
Hi Andrea, well not sure I really understand your question cos' I have explained it in the video while showing how easy it is to swap pickups (from 13:28 on). What I'm not sure to understand about your question is the screws in the guitarwood. On this one, the pickups are not direct mounted, so they go in a pickup ring. But yes, the screws for EMG pickups are thinner than for HBZ so if you don't have them, you must buy some separately for something like 3€ for a set of 4 screws :)
@@ToroKchannel I have never done any changes on guitars but would start with this 🙈 so this why my question is how it is. But I thought the thicker screw needs a thicker counterpart how might a slimmer screw fit into a thicker counterpart? Do I have to make changes there too? But if you say it only has to fit the ring and that that works I will give it a go. But thanks a lot for your videos. 🙏🏼
As soon as you have some pickup rings, everything is made easier than with direct mounted pickups. For this SC-1000, it's really easy so don't worry :)
Would you recommend this guitar? I want to get rid of my cheap non branded Stratocaster and go for my second guitar and to play metal on it and put emgs I have been playing for 1 year and a half and I think it’s time to get a new guitar I’m thinking to buy a boss katana 50 you think that combo will it chug?
Clearly yes, I do recommend it. It's a very good guitar and you won't find better at this price point. You will easily find some EMG 81/85/60 on the used market and you won't need the EMG solderless kit with this axe.
Great video mate. So the stock HBZ pickups are also quick connect, like EMG?
Thanks ! Well yes, they are :)
@@ToroKchannel Great, somebody told me once they were soldered. It's great as lots of EMGs for sale as people jump on the Fishman hype train and "upgrade" haha.
Hello, on the Harley Benton SC-Custom II Active Vintage BK model, is it easy to replace the pickups with emg ones?
Well it's not complicated but it takes a bit of time. First you need to remove every electronic components cos' you will install an EMG solderless kit. At that point, you need to unsolder the cables from the toggle the best possible way cos you will need it (unless you intend on replacing the toggle with an EMG toggle as well.) Than you will install the EMG solderless kit. It's really very easy to do, but again it takes some time. Your toggle cables will go in the EMG bus, that's why you need to be careful when you unsolder them. If you never did it before, it might take 1h30 to do everything quietly.
@@ToroKchannel thanks!!!! In which Harley Benton SC Active model is it easier to change to emg pickups, that is, just remove the pickups and connect the EMG pickups?
Should I get this as a first electric? I have a taylor acoustic and would like to get an electric to play some stuff like Motionless in White, Avenged Sevenfold, and My chemical romance.
For a first guitar and especially for metal, yes it's a good choice. This Sc-1000 is really great for chugs, but if you wanna start shredding like Synyster Gates, you will need something else, with a better accessibility. Personel tip : use some 10-52 strings to have a better tension and massive palm mutes :)
Man, I have been planning a project using a white SC 1000 that I have not purchased yet. I was going to gut the whole guitar and replace everything with gold hardware and passive pickups. Now I am having 2nd thoughts. Hmm
I think I have had bad luck with the white ones. Pete Cottrell has had a white SC 1000 on his chan and he sounds like he's had no problem with it. If you live in Europe it's worth trying anyway. Either the guitar is good and you'll be happy to get your hands on it, or it's bad and you return it for free and get refund :) Now if you don't live in Europe, it's another story.
@@ToroKchannel I live in Spain so, yeah, returning is an option. I have all the parts priced out to where the total cost including the guitar is under €450. If I have to change to an Epiphone the budget goes up another 200. Don't want to do that. I wanted the longer scale length.
If I'm not wrong, the scale on this one is the same as on the Epiphones. The only single cut with a 25.5" scale I know is the Schecter Hellraiser - and even used, it's not the same price at all :)
@@ToroKchannel you are correct. Don't know where I got that idea.
@@ToroKchannel it was probably because it has 24 frets that I wrongly presumed it was longer.
Thanks so much for the informative video. I am considering getting my own. I have one small criticism, and that is, you named the video "1 year after." I was hoping to see a guitar that was not modified and how this original guitar would perform "One Year Later." I could buy one today, then 364 days later change out the bridge, the hard tail, tuners and nut, swap out pick-ups, and polish the frets, but she'd not exactly be the original guitar, would she she? I suppose I could spend 200 Euro and make myself a Jon P Signature HB SC-1000 and make my own "One year later video," but again, the original HB would be gone for good.
I am quite discerning and may be nitpicking, but I won't be able to do mods to my own except change out the pot knobs perhaps, not from lack of ability, but from lack of funds.
Otherwise ToroK, I very much enjoyed the video.
I see your point Jon and maybe I should have sumed up more clearly what I had mentioned in the first review video about the SC-1000. In fact, it was my very first guitar review and I had already changed the post and even the electronics - so, well, it was no more a review of a stock SC-1000 :). With those 1-2-3 years after videos, I wanna show what the guitars became, and some will remain the same whan some others will be modified. For the SC-1000, the most necessary change was the tuners cos the stock ones are really poor. I could have kept the stock bridge and tailpiece, eventhought the hade of golden color is not the exact same. When I was playing clean with the Stock HBZ pickups I had a terrible buzzing so whanging the pickups was necesary eventhough I don't play clean all the time. And finally, fret polishing was useful and is useful on many Harley Bentons :)
!happy that you enjoyed the video and thanks for your comment cos' it will help me for ther next one ;)
@@ToroKchannel I look forward to upcoming videos. Thanks for responding so quickly. Cheers.
You never mentioned which Gotoh tuners and bridge and stop bar you used
You're right ! The bridge is the Gotoh GE103B-T-G, the tailpiece is the Gotoh GE101Z and the tuners are Gotoh SG381
@@ToroKchannel Thank you
I’m new to playing guitars, and I'm thinking of buying a Harley Benton. Although, I’m quite nervous to what others may think about it, I don’t want to be that person who has a cheap setup, can they be used for gigs, and are they good? What is the main difference between a cheap vs expensive guitar?
When you talk about other people, are you thinking about your bandmates or your audience ? Meny Harley Benton are good enough for gigs. I know a guitar player in a hungarian band who has deliberately chosen a Harley Benton for his gigs in Europe cos it plays nice, sounds nice, and can accept the punishments a tour implies. There are several differences between a cheap and an expensive guitar. Top of the line guitars are coming with better quality wood taht have dried naturally, not in an oven. Some are made in japan, or USA or Europe with way higher wages to pay. The hardware might come from more prestigious brands like Gotoh. And of course, on really cheao guitars, the pickups are not gonna sound as good as Seymour Duncan, DiMarzio or Bare Knuckle. Now, if you want a guitar with all these specs, you're talking about a 2500€+ axe, like an ESP E-II. A good midrange guitar could be an ESP LTD 1000 series for around 1200€. At this price, the wood of the guitar is dried in an oven and it's crafted in Indonesia. A cheap guitar like a Harley Benton SC 1000 is also made in Indonesia, but it's not coming with Seymour Duncan or Fishman Fluence, but with Roswell pickups that are not as good. Another point will be the finish, and espacially the paintjob. On more expensive guitars, you will have a totally beautiful finish. The cheaper you go, the more simple the finish becomes. Now there's one thing you have to know about Harley Benton guitars : they are made by Thomann. When you buy one, you don't pay the distributor mergin that Thomann applies to other brands and that has a significant impact on the retail price you pay. As far as the setup goes, you can learn doing it by yourself or just ask a luthier to do it for you, it will cost you the same price for a Harley Benton or for a top of the line PRS :) And remeber that with hot, cool, dry or wet weather, the wood will move and it will change the setup so you have to it again. I'm setting all my guitars up twice a year, when spring and autumn are coming. I think you should focus on what guitar suits you, accoring to the shape of the body and the neck, then determine what type of sound you want, and that will mainly depend upon your amp and cab. There are very good harley Bentons, some of them are really amazing for the price you pay. And I don't think anybody will care about the brand of your guitar if you play fine. Would Andy James be a less impressive guitar player if he was playing a Harley Benton ? I don't think so :)
@@ToroKchannel Thank you for the review, i was thinking about buying the Harley SC- 1000, because the Custom II is no longer in sale. Although are there any guitars similar to the SC-1000 (Price range and appearance), that you could recommend?
Sad to hear HB is like that. I was really planning on ordering one, even tho it isn't in stock currently, but I don't want to go through all this mess.
On this one, I've really had a lot of bad luck. Among all the Harley Bentons I have reviewed here, it's the only one that came with so many issues until I find a real good one. If you wanna avoid this kind of misadventure, better go for some Bentons made in Indonesia like the Sc Custom II active.
@@ToroKchannel thanks for the advice!
The sc-1000 is in the price range I'd like to spend on it, as a bass player, I'd just like an electric guitar that's comfortable to play some basics on; whatever, I'll get myself to spend a bit more...:D
@@ToroKchannel i've been checking out some other singlecut guitars, and ofcourse I'd like to order from EU warehouses.
From Germany, there are Jack & Danny Brothers, they have some inexpensive guitars, and those very few reviews about them are all good.
Do you have any experience with them?
@@BJaca-tn3om No I've never tried any of them. Some people told me good things about this brand so maybe I should have one coming home for a review :)
@@ToroKchannel is the sc1000 made in China? I had thought indonesia
what is the radius of the fret/fretboard please?
350mm on this one.
@@ToroKchannel thanks!
Questi problemi si hanno con i modelli B stock altrimenti la chitarra costa 200 dollari e arriva sana 👍 così per qualche dollaro in più eviti il 🍋 😅👍🎸
how it cost when you bought that?
when I bought the black one it was 188€
Its a budget LTD eclipse
Definitely an affordable copy of the LTD EC-1000 :)
Just hearing about all the hassles you had to go through to get a decent guitar makes me not want to deal with harley benton.
The story around this axe is unique. I have 3 other HBs at home that didn’t take 4 attempts to be ok. But yes there’s still a matter of hit or miss with HBs. I don’t regret buying any of mine.
I had a neck problem on my 1st HB guitar, but they replaced it and I bought several more without problems. They are well worth the slight hassle. I started reading customer reviews and would check the dates of the complaints, if you see them go down near the time you're looking for one, you'll have a better chance of getting a good one.
I rather would buy Harley benton SC-Custom II Active.. it has allready same specs..only you have to move is pick ups if needed..and the price is les. but better quality.
I have been really disappointed with the Custom II I have reviewed, but I have enjoyed the Custom Plus a lot ! Now, there's something with this SC 1000 that I really enjoy and I'm still unable to describe it precisely. Feeling, nothing more than feeling ;)
Lol sc-1000 = ec-256?
The SC 1000 was created in 2013, it's inspired by the LTD EC-1000.
*👍супер и привет от тренера по футболу!!!!!-!!!!!-!!!!!-!!!!!-!!!!!-!*
Harley Benton from Thommann are garbage!Quality Control is non existent.Doesnt matter how much you pay for something if its new,then it should be flawless and in new condition.The guitars that I was sent were bashed up and worse than second hand condition!The Gregg Bennet line of guitars from Samick are a much better option!