$360 Guitar Vs $1200... Can You Hear The Price Difference? (SBS Vs Fender HM Strat)
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- Опубликовано: 19 фев 2024
- Two guitars that, at first glance, seem very similar...but are they really? One costs $800 more than the other. Can you hear the difference in the price?And, what about the Harley Benton Guitar MAX Fusion Signature? How does that stack up? Let's find out!
The SBS guitar: www.guitarfetish.com/SS260-Ju...
My video review on the new SBS guitars: • I Was Skeptical... But...
Checkout Steve Brown's channel here on RUclips: / @stevebrownrocks
My signature guitar here (USA link): www.thomannmusic.com/harley_b...
My signature guitar here (Euro link): www.thomann.de/gb/harley_bent...
Here's a used Fender HM Strat: reverb.com/item/78840571-fend...
The amp used in the demo, the Fender GTX100: amzn.to/3NCszSD
Shred with my instructional programs: maxcarlisle.sellfy.store/
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Rubric: -5 points for Danzig references. -5 points for not reading the description. -5 points for not watching far enough into the video to answer your own question. -5 points for misquoting me in your comment. 20 points possible. Everyone starts with an A! 
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The SBS has a warmer tone, that's the difference. Nice guitar for a damn good price!
Change a $15 capacitor. You’d get the same sound.
@@genesplicedthat’s it lol?
@@dominic5602 capacitance (filter), the wiring and impedance control an electric guitar’s exact tone. The rest is in the fingers of the specific guitarist and the setup / playability of the guitar.
Yea I liked to warmer tone too.
@@genespliced DIFFERENT pick ups too!
It’s OBVIOUS. The yellow one sounds Waaaayyyyyyy better than the yellow one. Be real.
I agree. The yellow one sounds like dog taint
😂😂😂😂
I like the lemony one
I have a yellow guitar that sounds way better than those two.
Roasted maple necks are also cheaper to manufacture because roasting the wood make it available in two years instead of four years for regular maple. So you should be seeing roasted necks as normal going forward. 😮
@ MAX, The floyd rose on the SBS is not all that bad. If the player does not over tighten the screws it works absolutely fine as it should. The problem is when inexperienced players
new to FR trems over tighten the screws at the saddle when you lock the string in. Also NEVER adjust the action height while the strings are at pitch!
This causes the knife edges to wear faster on any trem!
Probably could put a set of those Amazon stainless steel Floyd Rose saddles on either one of those and it would help. Like you said the knife edges are going to wear quicker on any of the ones made with cheaper materials but I’ve heard good things about those stainless saddles.
For $999 i vote for the Ibanez RG 550 Genesis! Made in Japan, Gotoh made original Edge trem. HSH pu' configuration with a 5 way with plenty of tone options and coil cuts,
Wizard neck shape which is the fastest shape ever. Plus the body shape is just awesome like a futuristic strat. You can get it in this Yellow color or road flare red and Purple neon.
I like the PN color the most. I do admit SBS is giving a great deal here for $369! all you really need is some duncans and you are good to go. That floyd on those is not as bad as you made out to be!
Yeah definitely agree with Ibanez as the in-between option. The SBS / Guitar Fetish lines are all great values.
The Guitar Max Signature Harley Benton though is the real winner in terms of value. Spec-wise there's no comparison
@@tweakrr99 Yeah but i can get the RG today.
Yes, yes, yes Ibanez all the way! Has everything I want for that price , screw fender....
@@mikeg6666 I just picked up a 1998 RG3120 prestige for $1K . it is killer.
Yes, the RG550 Genesis Series is the way to go, superior to the HM Strat re-issue in every way.
Another alternative would be a Charvel Pro Mod Series San Dimas or So-Cal or DK24 model.
The HM Strat re-issue is a total rip-off, the original had a DiMarzio Super 3 in the bridge not that crappy Fender humbucker and also came with a Schaller Floyd-style bridge ( Schaller makes the OFR and their own "Lockmeister" is considered a great bridge) not a cheapo Floyd Special.
To solve my tremolo bar loosening problem, I wrap the threads with some plumbing thread tape.
The push of your guitar at the end cracked me up, totally caught me by surprise but your not wrong at all about the specs being superior! I love the sbs models but just wish they threw a 24 fret one in there at least for the hh models.
love the self promotion at the end! good for you and thanks for all the effort Max!!! you derserve every support you get!,,
Law of diminishing returns. It's like race bikes, you pay thousands for a few HP more and a few pounds less...
Loving the shirt Max.
Honestly i would just add the extra $500 and get a Ibanez RG 550 Genesis brand new instead of the SBS and i would Never pay $1200 for the HM strat in the first place!
Those are only worth maybe $600 tops!
The point is Floyd Rose Special and every like cheap Floyd version totally sucks. The bridges are getting flubby in no matter of time and the springs are way more noise. Moreover the dont get a fine „drill“ sound compared to the original floyd. So an original floyd is like 500 box. You will not find that in cheap guitars. And that is necessary if you need your guitar for touring or professional recordings trust me your producer will kill you otherwise 😅 High quality Ibanez bridges or gotho floyd are working well too but not the floyd special and 500 shit. Moreover the working conditions of a lot of cheap guitars are not that good. You really want to support industries in Indonesia? Another point are the pickups if you want something that is good from di marzio, duncan, bare knuckle (which is even more expensive) you have to invest. Than you should know that cheap guitars often having a terrible fret work and no stainless steel. So feel free to upgrade your 500$ guitar for at least 1000$ if you can do all that stuff yourself. And than you can just buy an more expensive for example Ibanez Prestige that already comes with good specs 😂
@@Vince_est.97 I just picked up a RG 3120 prestige last night. Crazy good guitar!🤘
Everything about it is top shelf!
I have a Floyd Rose special , on my RR5 Rhoads Jackson , with a brass block on the back , Sounds great !
The SBS has all the features I prefer. HH, 22 jumbo fret, roasted neck and fretboard, reverse headstock, and..affordable price.
It's not roasted. It's a lookalike finish.
@rocketpigrecords3719 It's real Roasted Maple. He has already spoken on this before. It's not a "Finish" like they said on their listing before. It's Solid Roasted maple from Canada.
I played that yellow HM Strat when you brought it to my house last year. Loved it! The neck was great. I wanted to keep it. I have yet to try an SBS guitar.
I can *loan* you this yellow SBS if you want to try it!
Yes Richard let Max loan you the guitar and make a video. \m/
I like the roasted neck look. It looks very cool. Sounds great!
Thanks for putting this out! Love watching your show from Central Texas! 👍👍👍👍
Thanks for watching!
Not a guitar player, but I enjoy your channel.
I like the SBS!
Also....way to plug your Harley Benton, it's a very nice looking guitar!
Thank you so much for making your signature guitar in HS config, there are so few HS strats out there
Love the shameless self plug! Loved the video and all three guitars are on my to do list.
You’re giving me a todo list longer than a freaking Lenard Cohen song! Mad love for ya Max!
Thank you!
Loving the SBS guitars content lately! You’ve sold me on them bro! Lol… I’m going to buy a bunch of them lol
$1200 and only a FR Special? I just bought an EVH Striped Series (White) for €969 (about US$1040) and it has an EVH rebranded FR 1000 on it. Wonderful guitar, plays and sounds amazing. 🤘😎🤘
also comes with a dtuna
Max, another great video great content.I was shocked at the coil split sounds the sbs guitar made it was single coil like. I don't hear a 800.00 dollar difference, great video.
Hey man I love your channel your reviews are awesome you've helped me slot bro. Keep on keeping on brother
I like the SBS sound better, but quality of patrs and playability and finish is very important too.
I like the Aeronca t-shirt! Nice aircrafts! Yellow, too!
Very good job! Very good playing! 👋 😁
I prefer the hm strats because the originals were solid. I own 7 of these guitars some original and some reissues. Currently looking for an 88-89 ice blue but it’s rare
Both are great sounding pickup, but i prefer the SBS with reverse headstock, thanks for the good review
I like hearing you play clean. That was nice.
I owned one of the original Strats of this one you have here. I loved it for less than a week until the peg of the Floyd Rose snapped off the body and took a huge chunk of wood with it. This was I'd say back in the mid 90's I bought it used. The shop I bought it from was nice enough to take the guitar back and I traded it in on a nice white washed Charvel.
I always switch out my trem arms to a push in model with a set screw. works so much better than the regular screw on type. Even the OE floyd bars come loose. The push in ones are great you can adjust it so it stays where you put it. No issues.
Great video, these sbs guitars are certainly drawing my attention... The comparison is interesting, I hear a difference, but defintely not a U$ 1000 difference. But when the matter is about guitars, is not only about the sound but about the feel (neck, body, finish...), and that we cant tell from a video, and it is a individual user experience. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Again Max 🤟🏼⚡️
If you're a new guitarist, you can buy the SBS (including a setup) and a gigging amp for the price of the strat.
I am a guitar teacher, in my 25 years teaching experience, i must say: if the "cheap guitar" push you to practise, learn and dream, that is way better than any expensive indtrument money can buy
Usually I'd go for the underdog but the HM Strat has a brighter, cleaner sound. Nothing against the SBS, it sounds good. The strats sound is more for me though
Hearing is one part of it. Feel is also very important for the player to be inspired & deliver his/her best
I remember the HM Strat being released in the late 80s. They seemed to be competing with the model series by Charvel, which in my opinion were great guitars, and better than the Strat. The HM were originally made in Japan, and then in the US by 1990.
I like the SBS better , thanks for this review 🤘🎸
SBS for the win… Thanks for posting-Great playing as well!
The SBS pickups certainly sound better to my ears. The bridge splits out much better as well. The fender sounds thin, and the split is even thinner and noticable volume loss. I am NOT sad that I sold off my HM...other than the fact that it was #69...in pink..lol Ive become a big SBS fan and need the new Showroom models.
Love your guitar, first time seeing it. Might get me one.
Hi Max,
thanx for the Video! And if I should choose one of the yellow ones, I would take the SBS so I could spend the rest of the money on the HB! 🙂
Good call!
Big plus for demoing these guitars clean as well as overdriven👍
Absolutely!
The SBS strat has more punch in both pick-ups.. a little less low end in the bridge pickup.. just a little bit more punch. More volume in both pick ups. It’s sounds way better than the fender. I prefer the sound with the cheaper SBS! The neck humbucker is reminiscent of the DiMarzio Liquifire with a little less attack if that makes sense. And I swear the bridge is reminiscent of the DiMarzio crunchlab with a little less low end. Wow. Big difference in sound. All someone would need to do is upgrade the Tremlo. The fender’s bridge. Pick up was lacking as well. Not enough gain.
And FYI I have a your signature Harley Benton on order! Can’t wait. Took me a minute… I’m due for a new guitar.
I would go for the SBS and your signature guitar I already bought and was delivered two mounts ago. It's an Awaysome guitar, everything thing you said about it is 100% true!
Interesting. Just at first look I would have thought the SBS was the more expensive because of the roasted maple neck and having the truss rod adjustment at the bottom of the neck.
I had many super strat type guitar, highend to entry level . Ibanez AZ Prestige 2402F, Charvel DK24, Charvel Pro Mod So-Cal Style1, Kramer striker, even the Harley Benton Fusion. Last month I grab your Guitar MAX Fusion Signature from thomann (Sold out in 6 hours). Holy shit, it is an amazing guitar! The neck feels like Ibanez AZ and better than Fusion III and the floyd rose 1000 stay in tune very well.
Before I got the guitar, I plan to change them to DiMarzio or Seymour Duncan set. But the tesla pickups are pretty good! No need to change right now
If there is another color or model in the feature. I definitely will get another one.
I owned a Fender HM III. Best freaking guitar I ever owned. Bought mine in 1991.
i've got an "E Series" Squier, Made in Japan '86, and Contemporary Strat originally sold to the Japanese Market only. HSS, with 3 Toggles, #3 Splits the Hum, no pickguard and a Gibson 24.75" Scale and hardly any fret wear and a few big scabs in the paint, but O.W. unplayed. I bought it for $100 bucks 12 years ago and it sat for 10 years and i finally did a set up, gave it new strings, took off the Floyd that some one installed, installed a stock 6 pt trem and it plays like a dream. Built in Japan when even "Fenders" were built in the same Factory and considered to be equal in quality and playability. I wouldn't sell it for a dime less than $1000.
@@cacornhusker2940 I played in a band with a guy who had a BC Rich Bitch custom. Wanted to trade it for mine. Said nope.
What color?
Those may be the coolest 😎 Fender knobs ever...
I know it comes down to personal preferences, but 2 things I really really don't like are reverse headstocks & a Bigsby...
For clean tones I would say the SBS has a darker , warmer , tone , because of the roasted maple neck , for hair metal , skin melting shredding , then the Super Strat , I would definitely say the SBS is worth the modification upgrades it would take to make it your go to gig guitar , or daily player , so I would go for the SBS , for clean tone , price , and reverse headstock ! Thank you Max , great video !
My first choice: A real, original '88-'92 Fender HM Strat.
My (close) second choice: The MAX signature! That is beautiful!
The Yellow and Roasted Maple 🍁 looks awesome!
Wish the SBS was SSH 😊
Firefly has got to come out with the loud 80’s Yellow, Red, Green, reverse Headstock, SSH it would be over!!!
They offer them with a variety of pup combos on their website. I want one in purple
The SBS had a SSH also.
The SBS would be crazy fun to upgrade as you wanted, wish this was available when I started playing..
A great guitar player can make any guitar sound good.
I put a little Teflon tape on the threads ore medium Lock tite it seems to help 😊
I would go with the Guitar Max Harley Benton if I was looking for that type of guitar and pick up the less expensive yellow guitar
You can put a tiny spring in the hole for the arm and that helps more.
HM Strat. haha im biased i have one. But.. I also have an Ibanez rg550 an rg655 and loads of other guitars. I also have an old squire hm strat too which i love. it was my first guitar. theres just something about the HM strat i love. the feel of the neck playing it. My advice try the guitars before you buy them. Different guitars will vibe with you differently. My most goto guitar is actualy a cheap Ibanez that I did up. a white Ibanez pegasus. now i have the blue pegasus and the white one. the blue one is perfect it came out of the factory perfect the white one was not. it has finish issues on the back of the neck the nut wasnt right it was too low causing fret buzz. but i repaired the nut issue. and I actualy love it i gravitate to it all the time.
Out of the 2 yellow guitars I'd choose the Harley Benton 😉 Great review and info as usual. Great channel
Under a high gain situation there was barley a noticeable difference, both guitars sound great so I guess it boils down to playability and price! It goes to show you that the money should go to a good amp
I’m a fender guy, but i love more the sbs sound, much smoother.
Thank’s Max
They both sound Max great 👍 I just picked up a Sterling Majesty 7 for half price because there is a spot by the tone knob where the finish got whacked. 😊
great video !!!! :)
I own the Fender HM Strat, same specs, except for the hot-rail pickup. I made the following modifications: upgrade to Floyd Rose Original Satin Gold (+$350), Upgraded to 37mm Fat Brass L Shaped 37MM (+40), upgraded to super heavy tremolo claw (+50), Vinyl Wrapped body with Neon Orange (+$60), Pro fret level and dressing with string tension (+$150). I also modified the tremolo spring cavity cover so that the larger 37mm block can fit without touching the cover, and made some small routing adjustments around the brass block to give whammy up/down more room to move freely without bottoming out.
I'm considering refretting with stainless steel some time this year, and possibly having a single-coil sustainiac installed in the neck position. I have a Schecter with a sustainiac so it isn't a priority. Just wanted to share in case anyone was interested in making upgrades to their HM Strat. Cheerio... er, Cheers
thanks for this great video, i like it. God bless you ^-^
The 360 looks and sounds nice 🤘💪⚡️
Just want to pick up that signature HB 😍
I put Floyd rose brand push in bars on all my guitars. Hands down the way to go, on eBay for $18 new
Your sig model is beautiful 😍 I def want to save and get that Harley for my bday in July
When I was young, I was an avid tennis player and had the pleasure of going to a Harry Hopman tennis camp. We all lined up on the court with our 4 rackets, grip tape, etc. and this elderly gentleman walks onto the court with a bent aluminum, broken strings, no grip covering racket and proceeded to school every one of us. It was Mr. Hopman. I learned then, in most cases it’s not the equipment but the persons talent. Cheers all.
Great video. What are the exact differences between all the models of the Floyd Rose bridges.
Don't apologize Max congratulations on your signature guitar also I had no idea I've been kind of out of the loop for a little bit but congratulations dude and I'm looking at it and my son plays and I'm trying to see what he thinks of your guitar cuz he's looking for another one
Thanks very much!
As for the loose trem bars, a small rubber o-ring under the threaded barrel will stop it from becoming loose or rotating.
SBS for me. The warmth of that rosewood really lights up the tone......I have 2 Strats myself and a PRS and the PRS really gives the Strats a run for their money
The wood has no effect on the tone dude. Stop spreading that myth. Nothing that can't be evened out with eq.
I honestly liked the sound of the SBS better. Much fuller sound to my ears.
I have a very rare fender floyd rose mij from 1990 thats a mix between a fender floyd rose and a fender hm but has a reversed fender talon neck (with fender decal) and dimarzio pickups... would love to see it reviewed somewhere
Had an original H B Strat back in the day, hope the new ones are better.
I do really dig your sig guitar, and would like to come across one
The biggest difference between a cheap and expensive guitar will always be how they feel to play. But the more expensive it gets, the less of a difference there will be. A 500 vs 1500 dollar guitar will feel very different, but a 1500 vs 2500 dollar guitar you won't feel as much of a difference. When I look for a new guitar, I first see if it looks great, then play is to see if it feels great, and lastly listen if it sounds great.
I prefer the SBS which sounds warmer.
I'm actually slightly more focused on how the neck feels when I'm hunting for an axe. You can pretty much get any tone with today's range of amps, software, stompage, or pick ups are easy to replace.
So, for me, tone is important, but I really need to get my filthy paws on the neck.
Thanks for another informative video broham!
Jack ~'()'~
When distortion is added, the differences are extremely minimal. Typically at the higher price range guitars tend to feel and play better in the hands. However, if you find yourself a good guitar tech/Luthier the gap shrinks even more.
Since, for the price of that HM Strat I could buy that SBS AND the Mustang GTX100 that you're playing them through, I'm going to have to go with the SBS and the GTX100.
It’s February 2024 as I comment. I just turned loose of my super Strat, a 2002 Brian Moore i9f. If I wanted this type of guitar again, I doubt I would choose between one of these two. I would instead consider taking a second whack at a Steinberger-type headless guitar. I briefly had a white Spirit-by-Steinberger GT Pro, and I would’ve kept it if I thought I could’ve kept the high E in tune (it kept dropping to Middle C after I swapped out the stock headpiece for one from the Synapse line).
Have you ever seen a Fender Showmaster? It’s a set neck strat style guitar with a Floyd or a standard Fender trem and it comes with different pickup configurations. It also has a carved top. You would love them I think.
When he said the Fender HM had a Floyd Rose special I was surprised. Go SBS! I Finally have money to buy a nice guitar here and there and Fender, Jackson, et al cheap out with Floyd specials on guitars with premium price points. Then overprice their top-of-the-line to balance out their range.
A Jake E. Lee Charvel works too. The Guitar Max guitar is a wicked instrument.
I’m interested in getting one of the SBS offset models. They do look pretty nice and I’m becoming a sucker for cheaper brand guitars over the last 5 years or so.
wish i can play like that so cool
Bought mine new in August of1988 $700.00.
On the headstock it says' in small letters above strat.
The
Strart
It's the only one I've seen like that and can't find any information about that? Information anyone?
With an $800 difference, the answer is easy..SBS all day, it looks cooler, and if you want to change the pups, use a bit of that 800🤘
The SBS with an OFR would be awesome!!!
Fender sounds a little bit more heavy. but still what great guitars.
Can you do a review of the Kramer JK8000 as well?
I would choose the SBS, easily! Love the specs and I do agree it's way cheaper than anything else with similar specs!
But, I would go with the Harley Benton cause... Stainless steel frets! Once you try it, you can't go back to the regular cheap frets! And FR1000? Sold!!
Personally I liked the SBS better. I own Gibson, Fender, Schecter, Ibanez, blah blah blah, and I am amazed at the quality of the “affordable” guitars these days! I haven’t bought a Fender or Gibson in quite a while.
If you're going to replace the bar on the floyd, get the push-in style bar (still only around $20). I'm not sure why they even still bother with the screw-on style anymore, and it doesn't seem to be related to the price. I have 2 Schecters that came with the hot-rodded floyd specials and those have the push-in bars, which are far superior to the screw-on bars that came with the floyd 1000 bridges on both my Solar and Charvel guitars. I replaced the bars on both those guitars and it makes a world of difference.
I've been wondering why Fender hasn't released a license for the Strat HM over to Squire. It would be huge for the classic vibe models.
adding a short spring inside the trem bar inlet would fix the wobbles and loosening.
Interesting. I like the sound of the Fender Better. Seems fuller and more dynamic. The SBS sounded good, but a bit midrangy and harsh. I bet a pickups swap and a new Floyd Rose would make that guitar scream...Good review Max.
The neck, the fret finishing - SO important in terms of playability. My best axe is an ESP E-II and it's the NECK that just makes it so much easier to play than anything else I have - including my LTDs.
ESP is in a league of their own!🤘
@@These_go_to_eleven_1959 Couldn't agree more, brother. I kind of homed in on ESP when I first started playing. My first guitar ever was a cheap Yamaha starter., When i decided I wanted to keep going with it, I bought a used Ibanez because I thought that was what all the cool kids used. From a quality standpoint I wasn't impressed - in fact, I actually played the Yamaha more than the Ibanez. So I bought an LTD 201 model and was blown away - I've had ALL KINDS of guitars since including a Les Paul Standard tobacco burst (a pretty good guitar) and a Studio (I now have an LTD EC-1000 that blows them both away), an SG Special, a Gibson Flying V that I still have, and Epi Explorer I also still have, a Jackson DK3, just a bunch of stuff I went through. But for my money, the E-II line is about the best you're going to get - attention to detail is astonishing. If you can find a used one in great condition for a good price like I did, DO NOT HESITATE. The LTD Deluxe 1000s are also awesome. I just don't really take chances with anything else in the upper price ranges (1k+). It's not worth rolling the dice. I'd trade my Flying V in on a Deluxe LTD in a heartbeat. I have 6 electrics right now, 3 of them are ESPs.
The fender rail is why it’s priced high, probably competing with schecter’s rail, but the sbs has a unique tone, worthy of experimentation… 😁 The HB is gorgeous!
$360 is better. Roasted neck is more stable, conducts sound better, flame looks awesome. Don't care to much about tuners since you have a locking nut. Import trem works just as well as the special, I've experienced no difference. Pickup setting options are plentiful. I like alder bodies better than basswood. Basswood is used on cheaper guitars as it does not reverberate as well and sucks highs. Alder articulates better and has a less muddy-thud sound, it has a more natural voicing. The pups sound pretty awesome, articulate, clear and a bit warmer, not so thin and a tad harsh like the HM. It has a reverse headstock for GOD''s sake! Even leaves you enough $$$ for it to be plek'd !!!
I got the that yellow SBS very little packing - guitar got damaged and GuitarFetish wants ups to pay still trying to get this resolved.
The 1200 dollar one Has a Clean Sound and The other one has a Great Sound also I love the less expensive one and they both are Awsom but I can hear The Slight Difference and thats good because both Guitars are Great Thanks for helping me find The SBS. Cause Playing with a Band don't want a very clean sound so I want The SBS, even though The 1200 dollar one is slightly Cleaner but i don't need a Very Clean Sound.