Fender Player vs Harley Benton Tele (590€ Price Difference)
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- Опубликовано: 2 дек 2024
- Fender Player vs Harley Benton Telecaster (590€ Price Difference)
Today I'm comparing two Telecasters, in two different price classes. One is by Harley Benton and is a very cheap Tele copy, and the other is the Fender Player Series Telecaster. I'm assuming the Fender will be better, but by how much...
Enjoy!
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I went to the Thomann store last week and tried Teles for a couple of hours...and I took home the HB TE-62 in Lake Placid Blue. There were other very good Teles, but not one was multiple times better than the Harley. So no regrets for having gone the budget path here.
The biggest take here is that a good guitar is good, no matter the price point. If you want something reliable but are short on cash, a Harley Benton offers you that. If you want something more recognizable or easier to find where you live, Fender gives you that.
All in all, what really matters is that you get a guitar that works for you
Elmo thanks for your honest reviews. Your channel is a breath of fresh air compared to some of the others that never seem to play a $100 guitar that they don’t like.
Cheers!
I bought the ridiculously cheap HB Te-20 and used it as a platform to upgrade and also learn skills on setting up a guitar without risking devaluing a more expensive guitar in my collection! I have to say it was perfectly fine in stock but since upgrading pretty much everything I am really happy with it and actually play it more than my fender strat.
Out of the two guitars the biggest difference would be the pickups and maybe also the bridge and tuners but that's very easily solved and can be done on a modest budget too.
Fender is trading off of an old reputation that if it emerged as a new guitar manufacturer today would not justify the exorbitant price tags they charge for their products especially when a large percentage are produced in Asia also....
But the "good Fender's ' you'll find that they are American made , & they are all different so you have to shop around to find the right one for you, buying a guitar blind of the internet is just foolish to me. Maybe it's just me but I like to try before I buy...unless it's custom guitar company. That's just a fact, not an insult Bro .
@@glennhughes2664 I think all of us prefer to try before we buy and especially so if you are thinking of spending American Fender money !
Hence why most people who buy blind online tend to lean towards the lower budget brands.
That doesn't change the fact that Fenders quality has noticeably dropped in recent times and I say it with a heavy heart as they are my favourite electric guitar brand !
They aren't alone either because Gibson is the same. The problem is that their prices have remained high despite this.
So yes if you have the budget and the time to go to decent guitar shops (many are closing down now and moving online) to try your axe before you part with your money then I have to agree that is the best option but many of us like to try and get a bit more bang for our buck without spending the kids inheritance! 😅
@@Ashbash75 You made Avery good point, that Fender & especially Gibson ( The Les Paul's from 2014-15 where unplayable ) have gone down hill & where I live there are too many guitar shop's still open, it must be different where you are from. I don't like Gibson 's but since they've got back on track & I watched a RUclips vid on there production factory, it was amazing how they glue there guitars and tops on a Les Paul , they don't clamp it they have these luthiers who wrap them them with a around 2 cm wide cloth & they wrap it over & over all in the ideal places its so incredible to watch some luthier doing this at a high speed and never missing all the different angles of the cloth & doing it flawlessly , I'm not doing good job explaining it but look up " Gibson Factory tour " I think its on the ' Tone King's " Channel. It's the same way they way they have glued guitar's together for over 100 year's. It's really amazing . That said, Les Paul's sound okay but It's difficult to reach the 22'nd fret especially, & at one point you'r head stock will break off because they head stock is glued on instead of one piece of wood like a Strat or a quarter sawn Kiesel neck for example ( they are one company you can buy blind from & know it will be as good or better in most case's than you thought , have a look at the " kiesel guitar builder, its so much fun building your dream guitar's ) And about the new fender's quality dropping I really wouldn't know, I have an 2006 Malmsteen Strat which is fantastic ( I must of got lucky ) I think it's a 2006 model , I'd have to check but all of my other Fender;s mainly Strat's are old so I don't really care about new fender's. The custom shop fender's are Brilliant of course......but you have to wait one year minimum & pay a Huge amount of money for them, you could buy a new car for the price of one. I mean are they really worth that type of money ? I don't think they are, they are for people with a lot of got cash to burn & are very patient . Nice to meet you Ashar, Take care .
@@glennhughes2664 completely agree with all you have said and I will definitely check out Kiesel guitar builder for sure!
I have a guitar tech friend who used to work in the Gibson Factory in the 70s and he spoke very highly of their quality and workmanship.
It does make me wonder if having the machinery we have in the technological world we live in doesn't serve us for the better all the time when having a good eye for detail can take decades to develop.
Nice to meet you too Glenn !👍🏻😎
@@Ashbash75You make a very good point, sometimes the time tested methods are the best methods . 🤔🤟👍
I bought the HB, changed to HB locking Tuners, Fender Yosemite Pickups, a bone saddle, and a Gotoh Bridge. After giving it a proper fretwork, this guitar is amazing. For about 350€.
Hi Georgy…that is exactly what I’d like to do: buy an HB and then pimp it up your way. Are still happy with your guitar? No problems with the switch? Thanks! Bye.
That's my idea also. Probably just change the rear pickup and some hardware (to Gotoh tuners & Wilkinson bridge) . To my ears the neck pickup is pretty OK. I mean, how much more money do you have to sacrifice for getting a noticeably better pickup? 😀👌♨️
BTW, how are the HB locking tuners? Good quality? 🙂
WHATS GOOD ABOUT THIS GUITAR IS . NOT BECAUSE ITS A H,B , BUT THE UPGRADES YOU MADE TO IT . ALL YOU HAVE LEFT IS , A SLAB OF WOOD WITH DIFFERENT BRENDS OF SPAR PARTS,TO MAKE IT PLAY.
Eso mismo he hecho yo , 159 euros es un regalo , luego monte selletas de latón Fender, cejilla de hueso Fender , pastillas custom shop y toda la electrónica nueva soldada a mano, potenciómetros CTS vintage, condensadores Júpiter ,cableado de la mejor calidad y ahora se ríe de cualquier Tele Fender Mexicana y me sobran ,400 euros
I have 6 harley bentons... included 1 tele like that... I am really very happy with them. I use them regularly on stage and at home since 2 years and I had zero problems... great guitars
Cool bananas :)
how much fender custom shops?
@@toledo2983 Sorry?
Better or not the cheap seats are where I belong with my skill levels. My Tele is a second hand Squire Affinity bought for £30 as a fixer upper - bridge had been removed of saddles . £10 spent on eBay and a new set of strings and job was a good un. Added benefit is it was already paint chipped for authentic relic :-) .
I feel the same way. My skill level is not deserving of an expensive guitar...yet.
@@shawnawesome7770 same, hence why I have so many cheap guitars haha
@@matthewsouthwell9653 I just made my coppertop harley benton an actual goldtop. It's fun modding out a guitar to make it your own. Put my own headstock logo on it etc. But yeah I am king of cheap guitars but I love playing them .
I have the Harley Benton T62 Tele in Lake Placid Blue, basically changed the pick ups to Fender Yosomite Pick ups, fitted a Mojotone wireing harness and ABM brass compensated saddles and it's still cheaper than the Fender and actuall better now.
The honesty of your reviews when I really really think about it is staggering. Thank you for being you Elmo, it is a breath of fresh air.
Thank you :)
On the strengh of your reviews I purchased the HB TE-62 in Lake Placid Blue. It's incredible value and my first Tele. They are made in the same factory that makes Fender so that probably expalins the quality. Thank you for your excellent reviews, love your honesty.
Thanks 😊
Only for the record: I play guitar for 46 years now and i am THE Telefan. And YES i sold my mexecan Tele when i got my Harley Benton. It took a very long time to get this Harleybentonnegativitythought out of my mind. I bought it because it was pink and i keep it because it hasn't got any issues. Not the nut,not the electronics, not the tuners, not the inputjack, it was almost perfect. The only thing that i will change is that i will put TexMex Coils for 85 Euros in it. This is the second Harley Benton that i will keep beside a B-Stock Sevenstring that was modded real hard with a bone nut, new electronics Lockingtuners and Fishman Fluence Humbuckers. Nice comparison btw.
Agreed , the pickups are the weak point of Harley B's.
Thanks!
@@thehonestguitarist6543i saw a vomparison eith the classic vibe by swuier and i thought the HB ones sounded better. Roswell pickups is a legit brand that has worked with fender and esp before, theyre not a no name generic pickup.
Harleybentonnegativitythought.... you play scrabble?
You are one of the best guitar channel in youtube. Honest reviews and amazing playing. Your video was one of the biggest factors into me buying harley benton telecaster. I must say I am happy with my purchase. Amazing guitar and amazing channel ;)
Thanks! Glad you like it :)
This MIM here in Canada is $1299 plus 12% taxes. I know it's time to order at least one Hb! This tele is one of them. I have a Dean Nash Vegas Select but my ultimate choice will be a fender American Professional! Thanks for sharing!
I bought the Fender player series telecaster in Black and I love it
Cool bananas :)
So I got the HB TE -80 in Black Paisley…. And I gotta say it’s beautiful and plays great! The Roswell pick ups are awesome! I did take it to the shop and have the action lowered just a bit and locking tuners installed!! With shipping to the US it came at 235 American!!!
Would it be great to have a Telly by Fender? Absolutely! But is it remotely necessary? Not at all! Save your money and get a HB then you’ll have money for pedals and beer
😂
Thanks for the review Elmo always a blast chilling with you cheers from Long Beach California
Any time!
Was about to order HB ST20, thanks to your video about TE62, changed my mind forward Tele. Hope it arrives not broken, thanks for the work anyway.
Thanks 👍
As a previous telecaster hater, I’ve been searching through loads of different Tstyles from all brands I can and the one I settled on was the Harley Benton TE52 vintage. The pickups were alright, I just wanted more for downturning so found quarter pounders for cheap and boom
I thought the Fender pickups sounded a bit higher output than the Harley Benton - it came across with more treble to my ears. But the Harley Benton sounded fine to me - and if more treble 'twang' was wanted that could probably be addressed with EQ adjustments. Also I think that the Harley Benton has a poplar body - so lighter in weight. I tend to believe that there is no advantage in heavier hardwood bodies.
There really is no advantage, unless you just like heavier guitars, and that's personal preference. Electric wires and magnets don't care what wood/plastic/food items are making noises, they just record strings!
Yeah, lighter is better imo. But I don't remember the Fender being heavy either.
Slightly better tones on the Fender MiM.
Though the HB ain't too far behind,
it holds its own pretty well.
Also the fastest array of notes I've heard coming from a tele ! 🔥
The comparo should be between the Harley Benton and a Squier Affinity Tele ($239). The HB TE-62 is $129 + $75 shipping across the Pond. So the savings between HB and Squier is about $30. If you have any issues with the HB in the USA, then you're forked. I would get the Squier. As for the Fender, yes, it's definitely worth the price difference.
But in other areas of the world we don't have those shipping costs which makes the HB far cheaper than even the Affinity. A cheap guitar from Europe with $75 shipping is probably not the best choice. As a matter of interest his much is a good used fender over there? They're still expensive in the UK.
Shipping seems to have gone up alot more and depending where you live gst taxes where here in Australia I call this the get stuffed tax gst
I tried a Fender player Telecaster a couple of months ago, gotta say I was underwhelmed. I haven't tried the Harley Benton, but it could hardly be worse.
have to admit i watch just to hear you play / shred. enjoy that a lot, both guitars sound awesome in your hands. cheers !
I have a single cut Harley Benton (SC-450 Plus) that plays at least as well as anything 3-4 times the price in my local guitar shop. The quality is outstanding.
Another great video! I definitely preferred the Harley Benton and I’m not even factoring the price differences!! 🤘🏻
Great work man, as always! I think a nice comparison will be the HB with Squier classic vibe. HB its the imitation of classic vibe (even the strap locks are positioned the same) at 1/3 of the price.
Thanks!
1:58 whoa that's "lick it up" fragment. one minute I tried to remember where I heard it 🙂
The quince-colored sounds better, perfect, but I wonder what would happen if you put pick ups in the red one, for example Wilkinson
Now THIS is exactly what I wanted to see great video mate!!To my old experienced ears the Fender sounds a little bigger, fuller and more solid BUT that HB sounds pretty close and for the money how could you complain? Awesome playing !
Cheers!
This video put thoughts in my head. Telecasters were introduced in 1950. It doesn't appear they've changed much since. I think Harley Benton wants to be a company that will be around for a while. In order to do this, their products have to maintain quality. Fender is an old company that has changed hands several times. WIkipedia says their largest owners are a private equity firm. My impression of private equity firms are guys who will "milk" a brand name for all it is worth and leave the bones of the company out in the hot sun. Harley Benton sounded as good as the Fender. Real musicians may think differently. Come to think of it they usually do. Good Video - Watch out for that hot sun.
Nothing wrong with Harley Benton's, Thomann will give you a far better service than Fender.
Fender have struggled for years with quality and ever increasing prices, making them poor value
compared to the competition.
I have stopped buying Fenders, they are now out of my price range.
Coaching football gives me the chance to stand out in the sun a lot :)
@@MrPolevaulter I wouldn't stand out in the sun today here in the UK, even factor 50 cream won't save you from the heat wave.🥵
Thanks for the review! I thought the Fender pickups sounded marginally better... More definition. But the HB definitely held its own. You make a great point about not being a Tele player, and how that may affect your choice. For someone like me, who is just looking for a Tele to go to on occasion, and usually plays a Strat or Gretsch hollow body, the HB may represent a far better investment. Subbed!
Thanks!
I tested in my US strat 2 Seymour SSL-1 (Neck & Mid, about 90€ sold in Italy) and a cheap made in China hot-rail hum (bridge, 13€) in a Line6 transistor amp and...I got no real tone difference particularly on distortion.
They both sound nice.... but the mim Fender player series all come out with very nice single coil pickups so it's going to sound better here
A great comparison Elmo. I think you summed it up correctly when you said that you can spend 5 times more on the fender but is it 5 times better?
If you really want a proper tele then it makes sense to go with the fender but if you want an occasional use guitar with the ability to mod without worrying about devaluing it, the HB is a no brainer
Cheers!
The HB alone sounded really good. But to me compared to the Fender it wasn't close. The fender sounded much better. But the true star is that plexi. Man it sounded phenomenal!
The Plexi is quite nice yeah :)
the Amp makes 90 Percent sound, you would not hear a 1959 les paul any differnece to harley davidson.
@@toledo2983 the 2 guitars in the video clearly sounded differently.
Here we have a true Fender beleiver. Huge difference is just in your head. Because you want to be so.
Thanks for your reviews Elmo. Keep it up. Greetings from the UK.
Glad you like them!
just swap the pickups and see which one is better. the fender with HB pickups or just the other way?
A tele shootout is something I've been looking forward to on this channel
Now that Elmo's off Sesame Street, he shreds guitars!
Best guitar is the one you like most of all you play 😇
Firstly excellent comparison, great sounds and phenomenal guitar skills! personally I preferred the Harley Benton. Yes the Fender was brighter it could be down to the maple neck. The Harley is more mellow due to the rosewood style fretboard and likely budget pots and caps. I've had many Fender Telecasters over the years and my faves were never made by fender. Great comparison thanks for the effort and input.
Thank you 😊
I also play Strats most of the time and my budget won't stretch to a Fender at the moment so I went for the Harley Benton. No regrets. it plays brilliantly. I think eventually I will upgrade the bridge and the pickups. But this will do fine for the moment.
Hi could I just ask which model strat you went for, ST20, 62? I was wondering how the base model worked out for people not afraid to change pickups, and perhaps, the bridge, tuners.
@@DirkGentley42 sorry. Just realised that this reads as I bought a Harley Benton Strat. I didn't. I bought the TE-62DB in black. I already had 2 Fender Strats a Mexican 60s classic and a US Pro. Sorry for the confusion.
The TE-62 I got is not the best guitar in the world, but it´s the first one I have bought that´s been set up perfectly out of the box!
The pickup height can be optimized, and I will put compensated saddles on it, but this is the best bang for your buck you can get (in my opinion (after getting dearer/cheaper HB and others in resaent years) . A PRS SE will be better, but the pricepoint of those, they are not really relevant anymore.
Love the tone ❤️🔥❤️🔥
The Fender sounded better to me.
Cheers from Portugal 🤘🍺🇵🇹
Thanks Elmo, i love your reviews! I own 2 HBs and play them all the time!
Buy both, play them equally, and then come back in forty years with whichever one is still playable. Hint: it'll be the Fender. With the HB, components such as the electronics, the truss rod and tuning machines _will_ have broken or stopped working. Great playing and tone from Elmo, by the way!
Unless you've bought a HB forty years ago, you're just guessing.
@@anderj02 I know the type. Let's pick this up again in 2062, shall we?
@@ParaBellum2024 Sure! I'm buying a HB tele right now.
@@anderj02 Don't forget to buy the Fender too!
@@ParaBellum2024 already have one.
I bought the white Tele player with maple neck and yes.....it's worth every penny I paid more for it, compared to the HB TE-70, which I sold immediately.
That makes me sad, because I own a player Telecaster. I kid, I still love it, but you make a great argument.
Great job !! And as the proud owner of a TE-52 since 2016 I believe I got it. It definately filled a niche not only for a Tele but also at practically a 3rd the cost of a classic vibe 50's squier model at the time. Now I did have to replace the neck on it cause i believe MY boo boo .... LOL .... BUT ... with black locking tuners on the el cheapo china neck & a black 3 saddle wilkinson ashtray bridge .. its all I have ever done to it & the neck was the only needed thing to change.
I had 2 copies of this video playing so I could directly compare the two guitars. I'm not a guitar snob I promise you but to my ears the Fender was obviously better. It sounded fuller, bigger, more articulate and just more convincing in every way. I don't know if a change of pickups would get the HB sounding closer to the Fender. But by then you've spent money on pickups and labour to install them (unless you're good at doing these jobs yourself. I'm not!!). If it's possible to make a major improvement on the HB's sound for up to 150 Euros - then that could be worthwhile as you are still ahead by 440 Euros.
I have them both. 🙂
How about Yamaha Pacifica 112V strat vs Harley Benton Fusion III? Which is better? They cost the same.
You asked this via email, didn't you?
Elmo, maybe in your room the Fender sounds better; but from here I'd say the HB is better.
Or, it's the color that is making it sounding better to me :D
I prefer the sound of the Fender.
But the HB isn’t far behind😎
First of all, ace playing, Elmo, wow..! Regarding the guitars, I found the neck pickup a bit dull on my TE 62, so I performed my first ever pickup change. That's it. It is so much better, I really don't need much more... I don't think any Tele should cost as much as Fender charges, I find it hard to even justify my CV 50s Squier Tele.. Great comparison, next time maybe some more side by side clean tones for us purists 🤗
Thank you Anthony!
I changed the neck pickup on mine, and removed the chrome cover. Sounds way better now.
Hi Elmo! Thanks for the awesome review. Would be interested to see a review of the Fender deluxe series vs Sire T7FM. would be interesting to see how they compare. Greetings from Indonesia
Dude - this is the video I was looking for. I think you have the double bound version, but I'm guessing the HB that is not bound is probably just as good. That thing rocks. I have the budget for a Fender, but this HB is super cool. I'm not a Tele player either, but I just want one. The bridge pickup always sounds massive to me for a single coil. The HB has hotter pickups too.
Thanks Elmo. To my ears the HB sounds better. People pay for names on headstocks. I still often play a Chinese Squier and I A/B-d it with a Fender. Only difference I could detect was the name. I have a few teles (I love my Ritchie Kotzen the best but of could a lot of folks will say that’s not a “real” Tele). The HB stuff I’ve played is fine. Not sure about those two string trees though,
Cheers!
Elmo, I have a question. Did you set the pickup heights on both guitars to match each other in sound, rather than height? To my ears, it sounded like the HB needed the treble side on both pickups raised just a little.
I didn't fiddle with the pickup height.
Perhaps a different but closer comparison might be the Fender Squier Tele and the Harley Benton ?
Been thinking about that.
@@MrPolevaulter I’ve played a couple of Squiers that were very, very good!
Super Gitarrenspieler guter Vergleich
Very nice, both sounded awesome thru the Plexi!
Is the HB bone stock as you received it, maybe a bit of a set-up?
I don't remember exactly, but I don't think I even had to do a setup on the HB. Not 100% sure though.
The TE62 DB is a genuinely great little Tele copy. Maybe I was "lucky" and got a particularly good one too, I have no idea, all I can say is that mine is brilliant and I love it, even if the "Candy Apple Red" is a little anaemic and looks pink in certain lights - well made, well finished, sounds and plays as well as many far more expensive guitars without a shadow of a doubt. Tremendous value for money, it really is.
Based on what I've seen in stores, it is a way better choice than any Squier out there at the moment, especially the real budget ones but even up to the Affinity series - let's be honest if you must have a Fender (and I know for some, nothing else will do) those ain't it. If you can't afford or just don't want a "real one", this little gem will deliver a very enjoyable experience, especially if you're looking for that trademark country twang.
Considering it's low price, you could make a lot of modifications to suit you and still be laughing all the way to the bank. I might consider swapping out the bridge for a six saddle one at some point, or I might just replace the existing ones with some brass - not because it needs it, just for something to do/try.
Buen trabajo!
KISS! good stuff Elmo, take care
I'd have the Harley and upgrade the electronics and pups. The Harley looked beautiful 😍
Its not so much the guitar as whose fingers are playing it.......................and yours are very good indeed.
Thanks!
Lately I've been enamoured by the fender jv series. Will you be doing a video on those?
Probably not, as they're quite expensive. Concentrating more on the affordable side.
The 590€ you safe can be invested in some serious upgrades. Like new Pickups, Locking Tuner, New Nut, Fretlevel Job, Saddles. The result can be a guitar that plays like a 1000€+. Definetly better than the player series.
No, it won't, because HB has a bad tree. You can replace all the fittings, but the wood will remain cheap. The fender on the video sounds thicker, fuller and more confident and sits much better in the mix. The mistake most guitarists make when choosing guitars on RUclips is that they don't consider how a cheap guitar will sit in the mix when mixing a song. Record Fender and HB, channel them left and right, and you will hear that at the same volume of guitars, cheap guitars will always be heard worse. Readability, articulation - will be weak.
Nothin' wrong with your playing ‼️💥👍
Could you please let us know which exactly model are both? Thanks!
This is so good. Finally a guitar demo with someone who knows how guitar should be recorded! :D
Cheers!
Resell value is also to be considered
Overdriven sound was much better with fender bridge pickup. But I prefer HB neck pickup sound.
Do you know, in all my years of playing guitar, or I should say, trying to play guitar, I've never had my sweaty paws on a telecaster. Of any description! Although, I do have my eyes on an Aria Nashville. It's weird really, because they're great guitars. As ever, terrific playing mate. Thanks very much EJK
@ eamon McDermott they are amazing guitars action is great, and it has that famous country twang sound you can’t get from a Stratocaster. The Harley benton tele 62 is getting rave reviews everywhere but it’s up to your budget if you prefer fender
I doubt I'll be able to stretch to a Fender Telecaster. The Harley Benton is definitely a viable option. Thanks mate.
@@eamonmcdermott4032 Treat yourself to a Harley Benton, if you have the funds for a Fusion one, they are realy
excellent guitars, i highly recommend them.
Thanks man 😊
Hi elmo. Which version of the HB telecaster was that Elmo (I think the model numbers available to right handed people are 62, 52, 20) BTW: its often missing on budget guitar reviews when the reviews says this is good enough for me to keep. They usually just say its good for the money or good for beginners, which doesn't cover the case of more experienced players looking for a basic platform to modify [if necessary]. I'm mainly a Strat guy but was thinking about a Tele just for the hell of it, I've never had one before. As a matter of interest out of all the budget Strats that you've tried have any impressed you as much as this HB Tele (assuming replacement nut, tuners, bridge, pickups as a possibility)?
Ah Found it: Harley Benton TE-62DB CAR
Yeah, that's the one.
Your shredding is too savage to tell what's actually cheap anymore. LOL!
Haha :D
You are a good musician, a good youtuber, and a good person. 👍👍👍
Thank you so much :)
I have the MiM Jimmy Page dragon tele and it's absolutely awesome, I did get a HB Gilmour model, which was good for the money, but crude, there are a lot of things i would have to fix if I hadn't decided it give it to a friend who is starting, it's definitely a good guitar to get started on, but the tone is crude, and the neck requires a fair bit of love, and the tremelo is not so great, the block is light and cheap and the saddles have almost no movement in them, they would need to be ground down a bit to get a reasonable action.
I think the comparisons tend to come down to level of finish and quality of the parts fitted, HB's are great beginner and budget guitars but they don't really compare so well with the real versions. When i bought it a good friend who is a guitar tutor suggested i go Squier rather than HB because of his experiences, I probably should have listened, but no problems, a friend gets a great starter and I got the Jimmy Page, which is one of my "not worthy" guitars haha.
I was paying attention to something else and listening to you play. I completely missed you switching guitars. Thats all I need to know.
I had a Harley Benton Tele, installed Fender pickups in it and was reasonably satisfied with it. Then someone let me borrow his Fender (an MIM 50s reissue, nothing fancy). Put the Harley Benton up for the sale the next day. There's just no comparison.
Did you have the HB model on this video? Btw I don’t know how people expect a 150 euro guitar to sound like a 1000 euro one 😂 they are good guitars for sure but better stuff is just better (with higher price of course!)
Do you think is correct to compare 50 style vs 60 style guitar?
There's also the issue of one of them being honey-blond and the other being a sort of pinky red. Just not fair is it?
Thanks for the review and great playing!
Even through my cell phone I could hear a difference but is it worth it? Not sure I could justify the cost of the Fender when a few small changes to the HB would make it nicer sounding with a pickups upgrade.
Btw I own several Strats which I love but I play my upgraded $150 Chinese kit travel guitar just as often as I play my Strats. However I should add that the labor I put into the Kit guitar in fretwork tremolo and body modifications are significant to be fair. I’ve got $35 active pickups on it and they’re not as bright as my Fender Strats but they zero noise at high gain
For the money you can't go wrong £135 pounds at Thoman a set of Fender Vintera 60 P/u set at Thoman £68 , throw in new Fender switch £15 pots argument sake £100 for decent upgrades £235 you have a decent guitar, resale obviously would not be as high but if you like the guitar why sell it, £635 pounds for the Fender Player Tele, you would still loose money selling its not a American made or Custom shop,, I seen some drop to about £350 that's big loss, you get the HB do all the upgrades, makes sense, decent guitar looks great , winner in my eyes,
Elmo, did you get the chance to try LP models of Harley Benton? I'm interested in getting an LP model and was wondering if you got any recommendations? Thanks!
he has a couple reviews of Hb sc550
SC 550 -> ruclips.net/video/TwwNPzyU3vo/видео.html
SC 550ii -> ruclips.net/video/TwwNPzyU3vo/видео.html
enjoy!!
Yeah, tried three of them. I think you can find them if you search for me and Harley Benton SC.
Yes, the Fender sounds better but not 500 dollars better
Well that was another meeting that could have been an email.
You are an amazing player , I get the impression that you have studied ! What do those bad boys sound like clean ?
Thank you very much :)
I don't know what they sound like entirely clean. Sorry.
Elmo is the vintage style tele bridge hard the intonate I have heard this thinking about buying one Harley Benton that is
I didn't have to intonate, so can't say.
Thank you for an interesting and enjoyable video. 😊 I actually have both a player series and a HB telecaster, and I am not sure which one I really prefer. That said, I have upgraded the HB a bit with better tuning machines and some better pickups. I find that for me, the maple fretboard on my fender a bit smoother but the difference is slight. Greetings from Norway.
Thanks!
Hey! Which pickups did you choose for it ?
A bit confused, as you tested the HB before and ended by saying the Squier Bullet was way better. Following up on this review, you tend to think the Squier Bullet must be at least equal to the Fender, as it is close to the HB. Or am I missing something?
I think you're confusing the TE52 with the TE-62. I've tried both.
@@MrPolevaulter That could be. Will check again. Hope you’re right, as I bought the HB TE-62CC yesterday instead of a Squier ;-) By the way, you’re a gifted guitarplayer!
@@rmcaudio7041 Thank you 😊
Is that the Riff from Lick it Up?
Yeah.
I only play Strats, and don't own a Tele, but if i had to buy one it would not have Fender on the headstock
simply due to the crazy prices that they ask for their guitars.
If you are not a brand snob, the Harley Benton in Fusion guise will give most Tele's a hard time to beat.
There are plenty of other brands doing Tele styles at far lower prices but can match any Fender.
I stopped buying Fenders at least 5 years ago, the prices they are asking now seem to increase every
few months, and to me offer poor value for money.
Player series is not very expensive but still other companies making comparable guitars for much less money. I bought Fender becouse it was my dream to have one but for Tele i would go to another company. Simply becouse Telecaster should be a cheap guitar. Simple construction and only 2 single coils pickups. No reason to be expensive even with good parts
@@K-CHOMA I can understand anyone wanting an Original USA Fender Strat, i have four, bought many years ago before they went beyond 4 figures.
As for Fender Tele's, as you say they are as simple as you can get, yet they ask way to much for them.
That Fender logo is now way too expensive for what you get, but for some it has to be a Fender.
Classic 60s vibe squier amigo
I WISH THAT I HAD YOUR GAS AND GEAR OCD...MUST BE NICE. 🙂 Excellent video and demonstration.
Thanks! 👍
You're amazing!
Thank you!
The T52 would have maybe been a closer comparison.
I used to have a 2019 Fender Player Tele MN but sold it because the Feel just didn't kick me after 1 or 2 months. Bought a Squier Aff Tele this year and the Neck PU was so dull I had to sent it back, thought it was damaged but T said thats how it should be - but again, the middle or Bridge Position just didn't make me say: thats what she said....then...I was goin to France with my Family and I thought...come on take a Guitar with you to play on the beach which you can throw away aftewards...the TE62CC in InkaSilver ... girls....that Neck....pure erotica...the Tuner are No good and the Bridge + Saddles are really cheap, swap that out (amazon) and forgett the Big F...that TE62 will tell you all the stuff you wanna hear 🥵🥴
Is that the 20 or 50 watt plexi?
50.
@@MrPolevaulter sounds great. I have enjoyed your videos for a long time . Keep up the good work
How do they make a dbl bound tele for the price? It's madness. Just bought a Michael Kelly custom tele that cost about the same as your Fender here last week. Much nicer than a Fender (just my opinion) and I like the gold hardware, and since the only Fender in my price range, with gold h'ware was a Squier, so I went MK. Those squier 40th anniversary teles do look nice though. ✌️🇦🇺
Playing lick it up on a tele 👍