5 Reasons To Avoid Harley Benton Guitars (please engage a sense of irony before watching)
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- Опубликовано: 28 июл 2024
- Here are 5 reasons why you may wish to avoid #HarleyBenton #Guitars
Courses available from my website: www.johnrobsonmusic.co.uk/lessons 
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I like how the title is 5 reasons not to buy a Harley Benton but the not so subtle undercurrent is just "get over yourself and consider buying one" haha. I approve of this sentiment 👍
Cheers... A few people missed that point 😀
Hahaha! Its basically an ingenius sales talk. Spot-on all 5 points and totally agree.
@@JRobsonGuitar I got it. Good vid, friend.
I like the terms budget friendly or inexpensive as opposed to cheap.😀
Bought one: TOTAL POS ! VERY expensive at 170€. The guitars these guys rave about, just couldn't be that much better. I suspect they get carefully selected and tuned specimens.
It's a good brand to start on, or just stay with if you don't want to pay to play a big bucks guitar. The only bad guitar is the one that isn't played. Salud.
Exactly. Well put Mr 👏
Very good point!
Testifyyyyy
Doolie Ainsworth excellent mindset, sir!!
Agree with these other fine folks. I couldn't have said it better
5 more reasons to buy Harley Benton Guitars
Whats immoral is Fender and Gibson charging what they do for guitars now!!!
Johnny rowland good point. i bought a jazz bass from thomann and i swear its was out of the same factory as squire
They do it because they can
They change it because pay it.
Especially Gibson, they just had the bankruptcy, the quality of them has really gone down for a long time, yet the prices have gone way up every year for a while.
agreed, n China pumps out more than usa on fender, Gibson's shit the bed, I wouldn't own a Gibson 68" down...n nowadays untouchable &?$$$$$ haha. I play,play n play as much as I can since 12-13 yrs old pushing 60yrs, I got a Harley Benton,**it showed up in the states in timely manner, n then I saw I got a dud out the box,tail piece studs,way big,studs up pulled,bridge same,***I took photos n sentbto thomman asking I got a second???** so they refunded my money n said keep item***is a sc450 bk(black lp copy w aged binding(kinda bone color n creme pickup rings ,guard,well*** I installed mini Humbucker s, redid holes proper for tail piece n bridge,leveled few frets at closest to body, put some mini bean Schaller tuners,made a bone nut soaked in coffee grounds for weeks n set up, this thing will shred n play hvy rock to blues to country twang,warm jazz,punk, all or about $128$ us dollars n boring winter time few hours passed I get ton compliments in the tone n.looks of this guitar, plus I know how to play in.my own style so snobbery is just that,when I piss on there $4000 guitars the snobbery turns to jealousy n I can make good old cheap guitars sound good,but I like your comments makes much sense, if ya have $ to piss get a vintage ***you can play in person,i know my headstock won't fly off on this HB n if stolen one of akind gone but only $128, of it not $4000,i sold all my vintage cause thieves n worrying about them,i like to grab play,nick n chip it,ect no worries n sure sounds splendid n huge, it says lemon wood???sure solid n very resonate un amped.....good honest advice..the sc450 is a good line for a platform to fiddle w for xlt guitar for about $200 if handy w guitars...can't go wrong that way.. thanks for your input...I really like the mini Humbucker s in mine(I made adapter plates)..I can't touch a 70,s Lp w minis for cheap ,n this sounds just as well, joined proved me wrong yet,all failed the blind test on my set up, all go damn I'm gonna get one...there ya go....hope this helps as well...mine weighs 8 lbs not boat anchor or featherweight n full orig lespauls thickness of like 2" I believe...
I’m cheap and poor. Dirty too.
*bites lip*
That’s ok. Jesus loves you 😂
I'm glad you touched on the "issue" of branding. I've been playing for over 35 years and have a decent-sized collection (just over 20 electric guitars) of many styles and price points. I've never been one to worry that much about having the most expensive or newest thing out there but I can say, from personal experience, that your face is the best gauge of whether a guitar is quality or not. If playing it makes you smile uncontrollably then it's a quality instrument. I have an LTD EC-256P (Les Paul style) that I picked up for $200 and that guitar plays, sounds and makes me feel better than the "actual" Gibson Les Paul that cost me nearly $5,000. Trust your smile and you can't go wrong. Great post. Cheers.
I have a Kay that Luthiers laugh at when they see the logo. but they always wind up saying "This is one of the nicest guitars I have played"
I love mt HB's.Espescially my Tele V series..Got it with a TKL case for $120 on marketplace. The guitar is brand new..Plays great stock.
Well said.
I'm common as muck, me. I have no issue with buying low-cost guitars if they're decent and sound good.
Justin Fisher not to mention if you wanted to you can always upgrade electronics, bridge et. I have a strat copy I paid $45 for. It's beautiful. And I am upgrading everything. So for around$200 I have a gorgeous strat. It's unbranded, but it's a strat
@@mikeyboyrocks123 enjoy your strat copy.
Harry S. I do very much!! I definitely would find it comparable to any of my American strats or any of my Gibson 335's. It's gorgeous
@@mikeyboyrocks123 that's fine and I'm glad you enjoy it. I have a telecaster which is a custom copy and I'm happy with it. The 335 Gibson is a true blues monster.!!
Harry S. I agree!! Love my 335's
‘...or a Gibson!’ Well played sir, spat my coffee everywhere!
Indeed! Almost pissed myself laughing too🤣
Harley Benton’s are dirty and immoral?
I’ll take two
Random Dude I’ll double that
Right! lol
Not unlike some of my favorite gals 😄
Aren’t we all in varying degrees?
UNDER CAPITALISM ALL IS INMORAL, I'M NOT DEFENDING COMMUNISM BTW
Surely, if playing a Harley Benton will make me feel dirty ........... that's a bloody good reason for me to buy one, eh? Pass the whipped cream John!!!
Whippit!!!!
Whippit ..... good!
Why will I avoid a 7 string with emgs for $250
@@manbird2184 Dunno ........ I give in ...... tell me.
@@stuarthossack7906 I didn't give it . I'm a broke child
I kinda enjoy buying a dirt cheap guitar and making it Play and sound great, upgrading pickups over time, polishing and leveling frets, all that jazz. It makes that guitar more of a personal tool to me
agree
@@StankoAx Likewise.
Yeah, I lie to myself too.
actually harley benton are good out of the box
but you can make it a high end guitar
BBL97 Bl yea I need to stop watching videos of dudes building kit guitars. Looks fun as hell
Reason #6 Once you have one HB you'll buy another one, then another one ..
I own 2 HBs and love them. I’m old enough to remember when the only affordable guitars for British kids with little money way back were unspeakable planks made by brands like Kay and Satellite that you’d order from your mum’s Freeman’s catalogue. We’ve come a long way for decent budget guitars since those dark days!
The snobbery part was spot on. I have never played harly benton But I have a lot of experience with cheap guitars and if a guitar is cheap it’s considered a knockoff but if a guitar is expensive it’s considered boutique.
They are both copies, and both are ok as long as they are not trying to pass themselves off as another brand (which is not a copy at all, but a forgery).
I can't try before I buy, because I'm a lefty. And guitar stores only have a dusty Jaguar in a store cupboard specially for people like me.
So yeh, rightys, welcome to my world.
I’m a lefty who plays righty, don’t think I could handle only having two guitars in a shop that you can play
jacko717 play right then
Buy an SG or Flying V style, they work both ways :)
way to go Jacko717! I have a Lefty HB Sc450 and never planned it before buying and love it.Around $150.00
The guitar was invented by a left handed person. Us right handers had to learn to make chords with our left. Fun Fact. Look it up
I ordered a HB-35 vintage on a whim and am blown away. The body and finish were near perfect. The intonation was good. The neck set up not so much. The neck was straight but without enough relief, some sharp fret ends, a couple of high frets, and to high of action. I addressed all of the set up issues and now this guitar plays and sounds great.
After seeing this I just ordered a Harley Benton Gold Top Les Paul with PAFs. I am having it shipped to India so will see how much import duty is charged & how they pack it. Am Vlogging the process for my show - Guitar Gear Gyan which is the the 1st English Guitar Gear Show in India. Love your videos and insight.
Gibson have done Fender-like guitars, Fender have done Gibson style guitars, PRS has copied both.
Harley Benton shouldn't excluded. A great brand.
If I see someone playing one I usually assume that they are smart and prefer a good instrument that has no ego over a shitty made one with a good brand that blinds the idiots to the faults (I'm looking at YOU, Gibson)
Play with your hands and ears. not your ego
EDIT: A word of warning about getting a cheap guitar to experiment on... I tried that with a Squier Affinity Tele. It's now my No.1 guitar,
wesmatron Someone once told me, a bad note on a $1000.00 guitar, is still a bad note.
Lol...you are absolutely right! This happened to me with a 80 € fleamarket Squire Strat 😊 I love it not an inch less than my 2000 € Gibsons and Fenders!
wesmatron I was at my local big chain music store today and tried a Les Paul Tribute. The fret ends were sharp and I personally wouldn’t pay $1100 for it just because it says “Gibson” on it. I’ve got an HB SC550 on the way from Germany. Just got an alert that it’s made it here to the United States.
You can buy a gibson scale and radius neck from the fender custom shop...
Agreed re: Squier affinty teles. I have one and it’s my favourite.
Recently bought my first Harley Benton a B grade Fusion 2 Pro. I love the playability and the range of sounds. It came ready to play straight out of the box. Where as the Gibson SG I bought I am constantly fettling to suit me. My favourite guitars are a Squier Strat that I had to do a lot of work on, but well worth it. A Squier Telecaster CV which was perfect straight away and a Washburn HB 35 which had the highest action I have ever had on a guitar but now sorted and plays great. Hopefully it won't be my last Harley as they have a great range available, but storage space is at a premium. Love your videos, Thank you.
great video man enjoyed it. i got myself a fusion 2 in black. got a set of thornbuckers in it and have got a brass block and claw on the way. such a great guitar. my number 1
Have you ever try à good guitar ? Cause harley benton is equal as a shit it's low price guitar and beginer guitar
@@wyvrex_zx9277 i just got a ibanez az premium. its way better
There's a HB Fusion II - HSH coming my way from Germany. It's a bit more expensive than that one, what I like about Thomann is they listen to criticism and implement the necessary modifications. The trip from Germany to Australia is long and perilous, I hope it arrives in one piece.
Bought the LP gold top P 90 model. Knew in advance I was going to upgrade it. Came with a broken 3 way switch ( Thoman wasn’t much help and didn’t want to wait 1-2 months for a replacement so I fixed it ). Needed a setup. A little bit of fret dressing. Changed the pickups and now it plays as good as my Epi les Paul.
Resale ? Really That’s not something to consider lol
Awesome and honest review!
Thanks I just got one of these, it came a bit mangled aesthetically , but the guitar played so nicely I could bare to send it back, in case I got something worse!
Which commonly happens with the name brand guys as well!
How does that 24 PRS copy play like?
It looks beautiful!
I just cant afford a PRS, IF it's solid frame-wise I'm willing to go all the way with it!
The flame is gorgeous!
Very good video, John. I really like your presentation and thought process. I’ve had very good luck with my “cheap” guitars so far. I’ve recently purchased a Glarry Epiphone Cassino knockoff, and a Rickenbacker 325 knockoff (short scale) just like Lennon’s. HB and Fazley both make them but at standard scale length.
I don’t know if you’ve ever done a show on Danelectro guitars but they are very well made and not too expensive.
Thanks again!
i was expecting you to say - "because you cant have just one, always buy anther model" - ha ha
What new guitar comes out of the box set up perfectly ? My HB strat is gigged and I don't get stressed out always looking to see if someone's nicked it or knocked it over !
That's a bit of an issue for me as well. I've had really expensive guitars, but I'm clumsy as hell and they terrified me. It's why I like customising old stuff now. If it breaks I don't have to have a nervous breakdown, and most of my guitars come prescratched. I was in a Cash Converters the other day and it's really hard not to leave with a couple of guitars - Aria and a Squier, £60 each. Setup, polish, set of decent pickups and a fret dress and two great guitars. This, of course, is why I'm back up to 20+ guitars
Schecter, Kiesel, Ormsby, Mayones, Ibanez (over $1500 and if you are lucky), also, some retailers might setup the guitar when they get it (obviously just in the higher end)
Im gonna buy it i decided.. Should i buy? Harley benton te70 delux? I love distration lead solo with sweet delay.. It would be possible to play this type of things?
Very good and informative video, and I agree with the points you make, I bought a HB TE52, very good guitar but if I had tried it before I bought it (one of your points) I would not have bought it as it weighed a ton!! as much as a Gibson Les Paul!! I managed to sell it OK as it was one of the last ones made in China (I believe they are now made in Vietnam and some people say they are not so good). I am thinking about getting one of their TE 20's, have you tried one? if so are they good and not too heavy? and have you done a video on one?
"Don't buy a Harley Benton... Or a Gibson." 😂😂😂
MobileDecay, so true, when it comes to a set up! My experience is most new Gibsons are sent to stores with poor to no set up.
😂😂😂 Gibson! Why do people spend that sort of cash. Time and again on RUclips people are having problems with them.They should! work out of the box for that money.Oh well To each his own.
@@donlunn792 I am interested in the Carvin/Kiesel CS series as an affordable and high quality alternative to the Gibson LP.
@@nealixd.3011 I have two Kiesels... amazing for the price
@@beefnacos6258 thanks. I'm thinking about a CS624 at this point.
I wouldn't say Harley Benton guitar's are cheap but inexpensive.
Insane value for the money. I bought ten HB's last fall, and am thinking of buying a D-120CE and a 3/4 Nylon guitar now. Though, "Harley Benton" is the worst brand name ever! xP
@@SmugSuspenders right harley benton is à shitty brand for you i recomend To Not buy an harley benton but à ibanez it will be better for the same price
70% of the time they work every time
Mark SD affordable is even better.
£116 for a 8 string is very cheap.
I bought two HB guitars. Both B-stock refurbished. Saved a few dollars and they seemed to have more time on the bench being set-up. Happy with both as they arrived-only changed the strings.
what's a good harley benton for a short person who wants one?
I like your videos John. HB has really stepped up their game and the recently released Harley Benton Fusion-II HSH Roasted FNT is just fantastic and came well packaged and pretty well setup. I absolutely LOVE this guitar! It has stainless frets which I chose to polish because there were a few that had some spots and now they are beautiful. It also had a couple of tiny black specks under the top finish but am I going to whine about any of that? Hell no! When you consider what you're getting for the money this model is beyond an amazing value. It plays great, looks great and sounds great. There is nothing about it that I feel the need to change.
I recently purchased a Classic Vibe Squier and this guitar just blows it away and it even cost less! The unfinished flamed roasted maple neck is gorgeous and feels great and SO smooth. It's a joy to play on and is a modern C shape and not real skinny or thin (talking depth wise) like some have said about the previous model. It is actually a tiny bit thicker than my Squier. You probably shouldn't ever have to worry about fret sprout or worn frets with that neck. No crackling noise from the controls like on the Squier. You should consider getting one if you haven't already. I mean c'mon...roasted maple neck, stainless steel frets, beautiful flamed maple top, Wilkinson trem, Graph Tech nut and STAGGERED LOCKING tuners for less than $400! Talk about bang for your buck! Great job on this model HB!
that model probably is the best guitar HB have released so far.
Really ? Just bought the same guitar (bangle amber). Awesome guitar for sure. The setup was perfect on mine. The only thing I’m going to do is replace the bridge pickup.
Just ordered another one telecaster deluxe style.
Great video! Jack Pearson is a good example of a great player that doesn’t gaf what the headstock says. If it resonates well, and you like the way it looks, who should care what brand. I’m more impressed with a great player than an expensive guitar. I find it even more exciting when a great player is playing a more affordable guitar, opposed to them playing the obvious expensive guitars. Again, great video and you’re a good dude.
very good video, i just got one yesterday used for $140 (i know i paid around new price) and was blown away by it. i love my customized ibanez rgex1 after i restored it and improved. the only thing i can say about the sg style i got yesterday is the action is a bit high at the bridge and may need the pick ups adjusted. other than that, i really didn't think i'd like a sg style, but bought to try and i actually ended up liking it a lot.
the sustain this sg version has is huge! not sure if it's the pick ups being at factory height or something else. might have to adjust my ibanez pickups lower. XD
now i just need to decide if i want to sell my lace strat...
i once received a J-bass purchased directly from fender that was fairly unplayable until i gave it a quick and dirty set up. is there any company that really sets guitars up before shipping them?
The only guitar that sounds good is a practiced one. A student of mine, who has been playing a few months, sports a Gibson les paul standard - not cheap. However, he is still learning and the Gibson brand doesn't make him any better than if he used an affordable one. This is not to say that good craftsmanship doesn't help regarding feel, weight, ergonomics etc but a branded guitar isn't imperative nor is it a shortcut to practiced success. HB's are a great avenue to go down in my opinion and would recommend over a Gibson any day. Set it up, play it and enjoy it.
Weird question but do you judge new guitar students if they buy an expensive guitar even tho they’re really new to playing?
@@AmperahGaming not at all and for the same reasons why it wouldn't matter if someone's first car was a Lamborghini; more power to you! I do think though that there's an expectation, not just in new players, that an expensive guitar is the answer. A well set-up guitar is a more affordable starting point.
Agreed 100%.
Although i also gotta add that, for some people, knowing that you are playing the same exact guitar as X artist you love, can inspire you and make you wanna practice more.
At least, that's one of the main reasons why i wanna get an actual Fender (albeit, a mexican one).
Speaking personally, I’m quite happy to set the action, intonation and truss rod, but fret levelling is a totally different ball game, you could ruin the frets to the point of needing a refret, which would cost more than the guitar, so personally I wouldn’t recommend starting to take metal off the frets unless you know what you’re doing - John is probably experienced/confident in doing it, but it does take skill acquired by (sometimes expensive) experience
Not really. Everybody can learn to refret a guitar. It really isn't rocket science. Now building an acoustic guitar from scratch, yes. That's really difficult.
Thankfully Harley Benton don't usually have this problem anymore in 2022.
Good evening! I have a question, and I would like your opinion, with arguments. I just bought a Harley Benton bundle on a budget from Thomann and I expect it to arrive shortly (hopefully), should I be disappointed, given your remarks? I am not a professional guitarist, I did not even take classes. I am just an enthusiast, trying to play for my own amusement.
I LOVE HB guitars. The point of this video was to satirise the opinions of many people who declare they'd NEVER buy one for all the reasons outlined. If the reasons I state sound a bit weak... They are meant to 😄👍
im thinking of buying a HB strat sorry s type. can anyone tell me are the bodies full thickness like a fender or the thinner version like a squire
Im looking for something for my wife and I to learn on.we dont care what anybody thinks.
Thomann just shipped out order. My wife's left hand sc400 and my hb pro 55 5 string banjo
Great video John! Living in the USA I came late to Harley Benton. I have a number of high end guitars that truly inspire. I still love them. But honestly, I play my 2 Harley Bentons just as much today. Are they quite as good? No. But they're perfectly giggable and fun.
I'm a left handed player and the cheapest PRS SE that I can use is £700. The equivailent HB is just over £200. Is one really three and a half times better than the other one? Do they even come from different factories?
Enjoyed the points you’ve made, John.
I have just sold my Harley Benton CST24 in Paradise Flame - it was 2 months old and absolutely nothing wrong with it apart from the colour which just wasn’t for me. It played equally as well as my USA Fender Strat and PRS SE guitars, in actual fact I preferred the neck and fretboard on the Harley. Oh, maybe Thomann have upped their game as it was playable straight out of the box.
I’ve also got a Harley DS10 mini acoustic and for sixty snots it’s unbelievable.
Re-sale value is a concern for any brand and Harley Benton do not fare as badly as one might think, precisely because they are cheap to start with. Statistics taken from German ebay on over 100 sales last year showed that people would pay 74% of their new price on average for a Harley Benton, which is more than what they spend for a Squier or an Ibanez.
Quite honestly the set up out the box unless you bought a guitar at the shop or second hand is very likely not going to be set up right anyway. It may have been sitting in a warehouse somewhere for months and may have been shipped from a different climate. This is something common from Harley Benton to a custom hand crafted multi thousand pound guitar. It should be in the ball park so to speak and the frets should be leveled properly at higher price ranges though.
Agreed - I've never bought a new Gibson (2 les Pauls & 1 CS339 over the years) and two MusicMan Silhouettes that didn't require nothing less than a fret level and crowning, truss rod adjustment and rolling of the fretboard edges, tp play "right" for ME. I have, in the past, changed tuners and pickups on those too, and changed the p/us again!! I haven't played an Epiphone that couldn't be classed as a very close second or equal apart from finish and materials used. I now lust after a CST24. I started playing on a Columbus Les Paul Custom bolt on neck, single coil "humbucker" finger grater, which was not cheap at the time, oh and a Hohner Club (no truss rod and one big screw holding the neck on) - I used to lust after Audition guitars in Woolworths - these Harley Bentons are an effing no brainer for a beginner or experienced guitarist alike, they would have been dream guitars for me - folks spoiled for choice these days? and then finding things to whinge about? I never said that!!! I have seen many a crap guitarist with "all the gear" and quite a few great guitarists with rubbish stuff - Scott Gorham auditioned for TL with a copy Les Paul, and a lesser known guitarist Robin George (nee Sidebotham) who coincidentally was to play with TL just before Phill Lynott died - I have played two of Robin's "custom" bitsa guitars (Shergold/Hayman necks??) in the early 80s, awful to look at by today's standards and I couldn't get on with them, but he played like a demon.
What color Is the Guitar on the video?
What is that beautiful coral pink tele behind? It looks amazing.
I'll buy some HB Tele and put seymour duncan on the bridge. It'll be a lot of fun.
I’m down with any guitar that cuts the gig, at any price.
Well said! I have a few HB (3 altogether) and in my opinion, they are well made, well setup and thus far, each sounds great. Folks at Thomann have done a fabulous job at QC.
I plan on getting a HB guitar for one of the exact reasons you mention, to learn setup on guitars. Great video! Thanks!
reason 5: false. ALL guitars need to be set up and adjusted after buying, including expensive ones...
Except my new GS - arrived perfectly set up 😀
Thomann 's got a plek machine to set up gears. 1st to be sat up? harley benton's ones :D
Somebody dosent know how the irony and sarcasm works... hahahahaha
@@JRobsonGuitar Well goody for you. I've bought Fender Strats that need a full setup costing me $80 more then the $1000 I already spent.
When I first saw that title from you I was like - "He likes HB so I wonder what this is about?" Does that title qualify as click bait from you?
Thanks for your content!
Hi John
just got my HB gibson paradise flame through the door
looking down the guitar from the top, the nut is wonky and when you turn the volume off you can hear the strings rub on the frets
is that something that can be sorted, seems to me like it needs a little setup, ive not even played it yet its just arrived ill plug it in later
i bet she growls but would be really great if i can make the playability as good as my other guitars. That i would have to have
@@chrisheath9736 Thanks mate
I'm considering learning guitar. Would this be a good brand to start out on?
Yes 👍
Meh, my brand new Fender needed some setup too. Truss rod, intonation, action, trem... Isn't it common? I heard only top PRS guitars are perfectly set up out of the box.
I've never bought a guitar (new or used) that didnt need set up. That's what made me learn to do all of my own work.
Sweetwater setup all of their guitars before they send them.
@@ianwirtz6512 that's good to know in the future. That's one company I havent bought a guitar from.
Legend tells of a legendary guitar brand who's low cost was the stuff of legend!
Hi John, treated myself to a TE52NA after watching your vid, super impressed with it, I just can't put it down, the Roswell's are sweet. Swapped out the pot metal bridge for a Wilkinson compensated, put Fender Kluson's in. . . Jobs a goodun. All my other ( much more expensive ) guitars are now retired to the spare room .
Always good to hear you John, with your dry wit and no-nonsense, down-to-earth comments ... you are the kind of friend everybody should wish, on top of being a fine teacher/musician and generous, concerned human being... I've uncovered you my friend !!!
...The day you'll be auctioning one of your 335 type HB guitar (or else) I'll bid - That way, on top of taking part in a good deed, I'll get a professionally set-up instrument !!! ...if that isn't a smart purchase...
Reason 1: false. you have 14 days to try at home and ship it back and get a FULL refund, including shipping (prepayed by them)
Thats not really the same though, is it, as trying several guitars at a shop and finding the one just right for you... unless you want to ship back and forth several guitars
@@GroovingPict agreed!
@@GroovingPict Well, either you're a beginner and you don't really need to try as you won't notice any real difference between St, TL or Sc or any other shape, either you know what you're looking for, have already figured it out by trying guitars from famous brands that you can't afford
Plus the great return policy from thomann
So well, here they go... (In my personnal case, I'd like a lefty LP junior, which is something I can't afford. They don't make them new, and a second hand model would trade for about 900€ where I live. Plus harley benton is planning on doing a model that closely resemble the original, with the lovely fat neck)
Earth to Lionel and the 27 other goofballs that upvoted lol - - - What part of the word _before_ eludes your comprehension? - - -
The entire screen @0:42 reads: "you can't try *BEFORE* you buy' ....and then he *says it twice* for the benefit of the legally blind.
First!!!!! I bought a sc custom b stock with roswell p90s a few months back. Fit and finish were flawless I just stared at it and caressed the curves for a good bit. 50 bucks on set up later the thing is wonderful and compares favorably to an epiphone standard. The tech was even impressed by the pups. I love the thing, you can't knock it out of tune with a hammer, the neck feels really nice after treatment. I'm agonizing, because I am poor and 250$ is a lot for me to lose on a bad instrument, over getting the cst 24.
I've never played a bad CST 24. A good modding platform & with a few upgrades (you might need to swap the tuners for some Vansons for example) you'll have something that's on a par with a PRS SE. Don't forget if you get a defective one, Thomann will pay for the return shipping.
I have the CST-24T that John reviewed on his channel with the Roswell pickups, flawless instrument, nothing to dislike and came almost perfectly set up, joint favourite guitar in my collection.
Do your own setups and save yourself the 50 bucks
New to your channel and brother you're a breath of fresh air! Love the honesty! Thank You Sir!
Very good video John! I have only bought one HB guitar. It was the TE-70 T-style guitar. I was terribly disappointed with it because of the neck profile. Nothing really wrong just not my thing. I will probably buy another Harley Benton but it will be a gamble if I will be happy with it.
I
Update to my previous comment. My Fusion-II has arrived from Germany to Australia, in one piece despite DHL.
My initial impression was: "It's bloody beautiful".
After having spent the best part of 3 minutes to set it up, I played it, and played it, and played it....... you know what I mean. No adjustment needed, no intonation needed, it was even in tune out of the box.
I mean, Matched headstock, great staggered locking tuners, canadian maple neck (gloss finish fretboard, satin neck, jumbo stainless steel 24 frets) mahogany body, HSH config, Roswell AlnicoV, coil split, Wilkinson tremolo bridge, beautiful flame maple veneer top, natural wood binding, great tones, lots of combinations.
Also, impeccable finish, no blemish, no flaws. I mean, nothing at all. Attention to details and QC 10/10.
It's not Chinese. It's made in Indonesia.
Now, all this for € 253, or £ 226, or US$ 274, or in my case AU$ 404.
Is it a cheap guitar, or inexpensive? This is the best value for money EVER imho. No need to look anywhere else.
If I lived near it, I’d have tonnes of gear but I’d be homeless....
@@teeniemcnee true. Im living in germany and my wallet is literally burning up lol
"They may think i'm a poor person!" Great line! I'm not quite convinced about your "immoral" argument (I kinda think a rip-off is a rip-off) but you definitely had me chuckling... Good video
@Greg: I think if Paul Reed Smith thought he was being ripped off I'm pretty sure he'd of said so by now don't you think!
Just because something "looks" like something else doesn't automatically mean it's a copy, if that was the worldwide majority thinking we'd never move on would we & take modern computer designed cars for instance they all look pretty much the same so where are all the lawsuits about company X's car looking remarkably like company Y's car ?
Hello John, thanks for your video. What about the hardware ..for example, do the machines keep the strings in tune, does the bridge have a lot of slack, are the frets made of a cheaper metal that wear quickly if one bends strings alot...etc..zou mentioned that if you ubgrade..then is it really worth it since one will probably paz much higher total price for the upgraded components than if one buys a new guitar that contains those better components in the first place..I bought one used harley benton,with a beautiful flame maple cap..i didnt like the paint color however and tried to sand down the stain..i burned through the cap that was only one milimeter thick..so i ended up having to paint it a solid color which added to the cheapness of the guitar..
another question..how do the necks hold up..is the wood properly cured..or does each instrument need to have the frets filed after a year or two of acclimation to the humidity level of the area where the guitar is kept
@@mikkosutube I often hear that question "isn't it just as expensive once you've factored in the upgrades?" The answer is no, it's not. My CST24 needed new tuners (less than £20), a new bridge (around £30) and I replaced to rather hot A5 pups with some A2 magnet versions (less than £40). If you can find good quality hardware at reasonable prices (Vanson, Wilkinson, Iron Gear etc) it's still MUCH cheaper than a PRS SE or similar. As for the stability of the timber, it's on a par with any other import guitar (Epiphone/PRS SE/LTD etc.) I've had the CST 24 a couple of years now & it's not needed any fret work or drastic truss rod adjustment.
Question - Purchase $2000 American Stratocaster?
OR
1 HB Telecaster
1 HB Strat
1 HB 335
1 HB PRS
1 HB Les Paul
1 HB Ibanez
6 Different guitars or 1?
I'll take 6 please.
Some people are snobby about guitars and gear. I have a PRS SE and some people don't consider that a 'proper' PRS as it isn't a fancy £5K wood library model! I might do some upgrades to it at some point to maximise my investment, but I'm pretty happy with it, and yes, it played perfectly out of the box. I like to play before I buy, but I bought the PRS when we were all in full on Covid lock down so it wasn't possible and the store had a very nice returns policy so I wasn't concerned.
The quality of lower priced instruments these days is pretty amazing. Two of my newest students both bought Squires, one bought a strat and another a tele and they are brilliant guitars for the money. Cheap gear used to be expensive firewood a couple of decades ago, now you can have a brilliant entry level guitar and amp for well under £300! OK the resale value won't be much, but as long as you have the space to keep them you might as well hang onto them or give them to someone.
I like tube amps, but you can buy (and I own) a Roland Micro Cube that I actually use more than my Marshall + Blackstar + Vox fancy pants stuff. Blackstar, Roland, Yamaha, Harley Benton, Squire. New guitarists have never had it so good!
"they get the job done " . Exactly right - as any real guitarist knows it's their skills that produces great music not the brand on the headstock. I have an expensive brand guitar but can play it no better and get no better results than all of my "cheapos" . Fact is that there are loads of great value low cost guitars around these days compared to when I started playing in the 1970's .
I play a squier pretty good. Actually, I play guitar pretty good. I have a $1,800 PRS and a $200 squier. I feel the difference...I hear the difference...
@@xzysyndrome Then Mod the squier. If it's not 'worth it' why bother with the comment?
can you please do a long term ownership, of a harley benton and any problems that have cropped up.are they still good after a few years.thanks for all the tips on your channel.
Great idea about long term view of the guitars. Consider it on the list of upcoming topics. Cheers 👍
I have found a bit of movement in the necks of my two HBs. My ST-70 BP settled down in about three months; my CST-24HB is still settling after over six months. It does make me a bit concerned for the long term
Does Harley benton ship to California? Or where can I order one of these ?
Harley Benton are the in-house brand of German music retailer Thomann who ship worldwide.
www.thomann.de/gb/electric_guitars.html
Spat me tea out laughing at about 2:45! I had just sent off for two HB basses when this popped up... If I feel soiled at any point I'll let everyone know.
I am immoral and dirty and my guitar too.It's a great combination
Great vid and a sub from me John. Just bout a HBJB75-MN for the equivelent of around thirty five pounds. Once I do the frets and give it a good setup, I think it will be a great guitar. First thing I did was to rewire it and shield the control cavity. For the money, cant be beaten. Would I like a Fender Jazz?? yes but none to be had at that money lol. I did see an active kit for it online.......all the best from ireland.
I have recently bought a mint used XT22, luckily for me the previous owner had the guitar
set up, and was free of the irritating blemishes that some samples have.
I am still leanrning to play, and found it easy to play, and with no trem, easy to fit new strings.
I have three HB guitars, and I love mine. I have learned about setting up a guitar, dressing fret ends, and general maintenance, and enjoy the process immensely. These guitars allow someone like me (relatively poor) to have a guitar collection and enjoy the variety I have to play on. And like you, I won't be selling them, so I have no reason to not buy them. I don't think the company does anything wrong, and produce perfectly usable and pleasing instruments for us financially challenged guitar lovers.
I have not played a HB as yet, but if they provide value for money, that has to be a good thing in my book.
The surprising thing is that they feel good in your hands. Not like toy guitars. Or cheapish guitars in the eighties. And the necks are good too. You can set them up nice. They are just well-playing guitars. They don't just resemble guitars from afar. The finish on mine is not spectacular, and the pickups are usually not that great, but there are exceptions.
Awesome video! I personally can't wait for my Harley Benton Custom Active VB to arrive. I've ALWAYS had to custom set up my guitars because I play in chunky drop tunings with mammoth strings. I never get an accurate assessment from having a jam in guitar shops because of this. I've also never owned a guitar more expensive than my Vintage V100, but it has turned a producers head more than once in a studio and that's the best feeling of all! I'll never bow to the snobs, if Joe Satriani can shred a catelogue starters guitar then I can manage 4 power chords and some chugging on a £200 "Budget conscious" guitar that some how has grover tuners and active pickups!
I bought a TE40 Telecaster. I played it the first time through a Fender Tone Master Deluxe Reverb & a Collider. The tone was excellent through neck and neck/bridge and the intonation was superb. A great value!
Great video! :) Harley Benton's not that bad at all, my best guitar is a TE-30 and I got a Les Paul Custom and a Strat too!
I once played in a band whose bassist was exactly one of those people who think "cheap = rubbish" and used to make fun of me because I played some songs with my cheap Strat copy (which I love nonetheless) instead of my actual American Standard Strat... The fact that the copy had a humbucker bridge pick-up and I wanted a humbucking sound for those songs wasn't enough for him to leave me alone, I should have played single coil anyway because of the brand and the value, no metter what. One reason why I don't play in bands anymore is that I don't want to waste my time and patience with such mythomaniacs. The people who you describe in point 2 and 3 want everyone to play with high-end instruments even though you play once in a month in small venues in front of twenty people for a paltry compensation, no matter if you'll never be able to make up your investments. They can go their own way.
You let the person who plays bass to make fun of you? Well that is just your fault hahaha
Well, you're right because at the beginning I just let it go, but after some time still he wouldn't stop so I told him I had enough :)
Have you ever tried connecting your guitars strait into an interface and using only plugins ? sure it cant be as good as an amp, but but how far ?
Do it all the time these days mate. Very happy with the results 👍
@@JRobsonGuitar Any video on the subject ?
Anyone use one in a live situation say through a big pa?
Anyone know of any pros that use one?
Are they just for home use ? I have no idea.
Took a CST24 to a rehearsal once. Big room, proper PA & put it through the house Crate half stack. No issues at all
Changed my comment to take off caps ! sorry guys, but I like my Harley benton got it for 200 buck I use it for a back up. good pick ups straight neck .. it plays well
hey calm down, you don't have to scream like that
which Harley benton do you have?
@@nimamoradi6857 Pro series bought for 240 bucks its one my main gigging guitar but will be changing the pups soon.
Dad you left the caps lock on again
@@greablood1072 🤣. my bad
"Budget conscious" could also apply to a Gibson Les Paul, compared to the arch tops or exotic (Citation) guitars that Gibson produce.
People that turn their noses up at cheaper instruments are usually those with (very) limited talent, or ability.
This 👍
Exactly!
Thank you
For those with Harley Benton electric guitars, how are their tuners? Do they hold tune good with heavy shredding?
Some do, some don't. Depends on the model. Decent quality replacement tuners can be found on eBay for a pittance so it's not a big deal if you get a dodgy one.
John Robson Guitarist Okay, thank you very much for the reply!
As a left-handed player I'm used to having to buy before I try. I've been lucky with the acoustics that I've purchased. My classical guitar was perfect out of the box while my steel string needed the action lowered which I did by modifying the saddle.
The second-hand prices on eBay, in my experience, hold up easily as well as Fender Squiers - especially if you don't mod it
I truthfully don't care about the name on the headstock. I care about playability, tone, and how much I enjoy the instrument. If it's comfortable to play (or can be made so), stays in tune relatively well, and has a tone I'm looking for, then I'm good. I've come across Gibsons that were absolutely horrible, and early 80's Harmony or Kay guitars that were buttery smooth. As long as it's set up well, then it's good, and if one of these can get me a similar tone and feel to a PRS at a fraction of the cost, I'm good with that.
but you want to TRY it first - yes???
@@billydotleeds If the reviews are good, I can at least hear some sort of tone sample from an example of one, and the price is right, I'm willing to take a leap of faith. Which I did. I've been the proud owner of a Harley Benton CST-24T for almost a year, bought sight unseen, and after a few adjustments (saddle height, truss rod, intonation), I genuinely couldn't be happier with it. It's become my current favorite.
I just started looking at the Harley Benton. Great video and thanks for the info
I’ve been saving for a line 6 catalyst, depending on what’s left over I might grab one of these. Cameron cooper done a video on a Harley Benton shred machine
I don’t know how I feel about the concept of resale value. I sold a Les Paul classic three years ago for $850. That was the most I could get. The guitar cost $2000 brand new. I lost close to 60% on that. So I don’t know if Expensive guitars truly hold their value.
Setup? Update that to "Don't buy ANY guitar via mail order if you demand perfect setup when you get it."
Doesn't matter what kind of guitar it is they all need to be set up, if it's been shipped, also to ur style and needs
Great point
Which model is in this video? It looks like their CST-24T but your pickups are covered.
Yes, it's a CST24 but I replaced the pickups with something a little more "vintage" sounding... Vanson alnico 2 Classic 57 humbuckers.
I agree with you . 5's are a little too harsh sometimes. The covered pups look good on this model too.
I have on on order. Hopefully the finish will be as nice as yours!
This is the first time I've seen your posts, and I've got to say I loved it!!! You absolutely have the right attitude about the lower,"budget conscience" guitars on the market today. I own and love several high end Gibsons, but I have to admit that my main players and go-to guitars are Epiphones and Squires! Some of my favorites were under $100.00.! I love reasons 2 &3.....lol!!! Keep up the honesty and good humor, and above all else, your morality!!! LMAO!!!
Can’t wait to purchase a Harley Benton Guitar!!!! 😎👍
Seriously...... I’ve been wanting one since I saw the Guitar Max review.
This settled it! I’m gonna get one for sure now!!!
Hope they can ship to Alaska 😲
They ship worldwide :D but well.. it will take a while and you most likely need to do a set-up (because of air humidity and temperature differences)
I love your observation s ..I've owed every guitar under the sun...and you speak the truth...the hell with snobs
6:30 is how i learned how to repair almost any guitar issue myself. My harley benton may or may not be a good guitar - anyhow i like mine and it teached me how to solder, measure resistance, set low action, readjusting intonation etc. And since i changed my bridge pickup for a bare knuckle black hawk it sounds better than all the other guitars i got since i started playing (including my fender modern player telecaster with a tv jones humbucker in the bridge).
My question is Harley Benton or Agile? It's been a while since I've looked at new cheap guitars (a long while) and I'm now looking for something cheap to set up for A# since I don't tune down that low very often. Last time around, agile was the popular budget brand but harley benton seems to be the hotness and agile doesn't have nearly as many options these days.
Agile are hard to come by here in the UK so I've never played one. HB are plenty good enough for your needs I reckon 👍