I know im 6 years late but yes theres a reason why people buy cheap instruments. Either because they are beginners or they just cant afford to get something better. I do the same and theres nothing wrong with that. You get what you pay for. Would have to add though, this guitar was sent by thomann so they could have made it look a little better than what a normal customer would get. Still though HB guitars are much cheaper than what they actually would have cost. Probably around 250€.
@@LKonstantina915 I bought the same model partly on the basis of this review and I don't think Henning was given special treatment. I only had to tune it up and it was playable. Sounds really good too. Since then I've adjusted the action even lower, without buzzing. It's actually achieved the lowest action of any strat I've ever had. Amazing really. The main criticism is that the pots aren't the right taper for a lefty. Not a problem if you leave them on 10. But hey, you even get that issue with much more expensive makes.
Eleven years ago when we started dating, my girlfriend (now my wife) promised me that someday she would buy me a guitar when she got a decent job. My band is located in another city, 200 km away, we only rehearse during the weekends. I play with a Washburn N4 and a Gibson SG, both are there, none at home (not practical to carry an high end guitar on an already loaded car every weekend). Turns out she saw my sadness for not playing during the week, and well, this just arrived in the mail as my Christmas gift. She saw me watching your video and searched for it in my history and bought it. I may have said it was cheap, though :-) Still the best Christmas gift ever. Thanks man.
A respectable 2000 subscribers when you posted this video 2 years ago. You are definitely doing something right. Count me number 17,999 as of tonight. Thanks
After seeing Jeff Beck the first time live I orderd this guitar, which I colored "LakePlacid blue".I played as second guitar guy in a band. the main guitar guy played a very expensive Strat.the only critic was, that I should turn the treble a bit lower. And the difference between these guitars were the price and his guitar sounded a little darker. And one tuner at the HB been removed. Some years later I puchased a set Tonerider PU.With the Toneriders on my Vox AC420, clean setting, I have the most beautiful Strat sound forever. The toneriders were more expensive as the whole Instrument.
I received mine this past week. I am that les paul studio guy who wanted to try a strat and didn't wanted to spend a bunch of money. Your playing to the backing track sealed the deal for me. Well worth the money. Quality above expectations.
You ought to quit with the innuendos; 5 yr old, yeah. BUT based on your recommendation, I bought one. 99 Euros (actually 104 now), Holy shit! I just saved $2000 and cannot stop smiling. Thanks, Dude
hahahaha I love ya man...You are the best. I bought my new pedal because of your demo. It was the best purchase I ever made.Keep up thr good work. THANK YOU.
I respect all of my guitars; from Harley Bentons , to Fenders, to PRS, to Gibson and I would be as careful as I can to keep them all looking in pristine condition! From cheap to expensive they all get the same care and respect! I will never understand the big attraction to reliced guitars? Also, the faces you make while playing are priceless LOL!
I agree, instruments deserve the utmost respect, and I'm kinda like you in regards to hating 'relic's but I do however love when a guitar looks worn because it's actually been played and knocked about a bit. Same thing with jeans, I wear them everywhere and the worn ones with holes are the comfiest, but if you buy jeans with holes in them you're crazy imo. Earn the war wounds y'know?
Hi Henning, bought this guitar in VW ,which is more licht yellow but is allright.Only the neck is heavy lackered , I sand it down. The SC 450 was too heavy for me so I switched for this lighter guitar. Thank for your videoclips , and your lessons. Took your advice and take it slow Start lessons with Justinguitar as a beginner. It is so much fun playing. The bluesplaying will come later. BTW congrats with your Thomann deal.
Hi Henning. Great channel. I really appreciate your reviews and don't just bang out some high gain sounds that basically make all guitars sound very similar. I know it's a while since you reviewed the HB 62, but i was wondering how it stood up to the test of time, did it stay in your collection? I'm guessing with so many great guitars going through your hands that's unlikely. I have a 112 Pacifica (lefty) and am debating on getting the HB for a more classic Strat experience.
I believe we are all mislead by our thought process. We, humans, can't actually believe we paid something 99€ and it's pretty playable with decent tones and build quality. But what if we reverse our thought logic? Since this guitar is so good for 99€, let's pay it 399€ and let's than review it with the same logic, experience and prejudice and what not. I bet the results would be rather different. Don't get me wrong, this guitar has the best price/quality ratio and no one can confince me that this is better than a 399€ or whatever guitar. I saw your epic strat battle and i did spot the HB in the video. The 28% of your viewers that thought it was an expensive strat should check a doctor. No offense. And I'm not a guitar virtuoso, go figure. You sir, are doing a really good job. I love your vids, keep it up HP!
OMG OMG..wegen Dir hab ich jetz auch noch den HB Tele´s die ST-62!! So genial wie Du sie beschreibst! Top!!! greez und keep on with such good videos! :)
I m a begginer. I started playing 1 month ago on acoustic guitar. And because of you i placed an order of this guitar. I hope it will be ok,thanks for the review,you made me buy it
This guitar is awesome, just scalloped the whole neck and it is a beast!! Your demo made me buy it man. Cheers, you are the best and most hard-working youtuber ever!
The quality of beginner/budget guitars have improved so much over the last 30-40 years, in the early 80's I bought a cheap copy of a Jackson/Randy Rhoads offset V guitar for $300 U.S. dollars and it was an absolute p.o.s. guitar, I couldn't keep it in tune, needed constant truss rod adjustment with the Florida humidity and the fret work was horrible. After a few months of that, I decided to save my pennies and bought a Kramer Pacer(which I loved but was later stolen).
@eytschpi42 , more seriously, I recently tried a Squier Strat Vintage Modified , with Duncan design Pick Ups, and was not pleased with the tones, to harsh; It seems the HB Strat tones are close!? have you compared these 2 ?
This is one of the I've been waiting paaatiently from Produce like a Pro Henning Pauly! (Actually the mixing engineer from this Campaing like Clockwork Album) , remember that mixing contest?
Love the channel man! I'm a new subscriber and I recently bought a ST-62 and was wondering if I should leave the stock pickups or swap em out for some TEX MEX or Vintage Wilkinson's. Thanks again for the amazing content and work you put in to these videos!
Yeah, I'm the Gibson guy who has an Epiphone too and now would like to check out a Strat, even if it's not my thing. Almost a perfect hit (because I have an SG, not LP : ). I guessed the HB in the test, but thought it still sounded good so... Very convincing review and I'm almost sold on it. Still, I'm bit disappointed you didn't test the vibrato bar if everything else was so great. I don't have this thing in my SG's.
buy one they are quite exceptional,i have had several squires streets ahead,yes i tried a classic vibe and they are stunning but price has gone from £360 to around £440 too much magic bus!,bought this and a tele te_52 for £240 arrived within three days no issues or problems
Really liked your videos, keep up the good work. I would have a question if you don't mind. Could you tell me the weight of the guitar. Is it feels like a decent strat or lighter?
Nice review! (As all of your reviews) Now I also want a HB ST-62 :-) Unfortunately the links to the tracks in dropbox don't work. (error 404) Can you please make them work again? Eugène Kanters, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
This video is from 2014. Now it is 108$ and it has Rosewell pickups and comes in sweet Cream color as well (i agree, the black with gloss is obnoxious, it is very artificial and always full of fingerprints,..i am not into any coating thicker than 1/25mm anyway from the sound and looks points of view). Question: is there a big difference in "quality" of the pickups between the ST59HM 179$ (with alder body and a stunning fiesta red, and a flashy golden hardware) "Roswell SK52 True /!/ Vintage Staggered Alnico-5" and the ST62VW 108$ and ST62DLX 154$ (with basswood body, a creepy VW pickguard and a cool DLX pickguard) "Roswell STA Alnico-5 Vintage single coils" ? All of them have Kluson (style) tuners (very good). ST62VW 108$ has a pau ferro fretboard which is very good, almost like ebony (i like both amber-yellow maple and the dark pau ferro from the sound, feel and looks point of view). The creepy ST62VW pickguard can be easily replaced. I am really thorn between my dream fiesta red color and the peaceful, neautral, gentle and cool cream color (that hard choice only i can make). Not sure at all about the vintage V-neck at the first frets of ST59HM: how bad/good it is, the only thing i know that i couldn't play a V-neck on my Sigma for many years and redid it (for good) and i really don't want to make any modifications and changes on my new guitar (at least one guitar should be untouched and "no headache). ~ But the main thing : is There a big difference between True vintage and Just vintage pickups? Any piece of advice will be welcomed. Thank you.
I like it. Liking guitars shouldn't be on how expensive it is, how expensive the pick-ups are. It should be playable, look good and sound "good". maybe the sounds not perfect but i honestly don't care how a guitar sounds unless somethings off (like string buzzing or no sound etc.)
Hello from Russia! Can you write what you said in the video about this guitar shortly? How is it assembled, how does it sound, is it better for the squire, is it worth buying it, or is it more expensive to look at the model on st-62, st-56? I will be grateful for the answer.
Amazing, It's nice that a cheap guitar doesn't have to be bad, which seems to be the norm these days.. I just ordered a mustang copy, looks amazing.. maybe you could demo one of those too. :)
***** Got the HB mustang... Amazing quality. sounds really nice. did the intonation well.. lovely guitar. will swap the pickgaurd and control plate... heavier than my pawn shop mustang special was. fret work is perfect, no sticking out frets anywhere.
I own a Harley Benton SC450 Plus. They sound pretty good for the price, the build quality is ok and they look incredible. When it comes to playing however, that's a different story. They are playable, don't get me wrong. But the neck feels nasty. Really nasty. The fret wire feels like a Coke can, has little dings/dents in it which is very noticeable when bending and even more so with vibrato. It sounds scratchy at times as well. As Henning said in this video, take the guitars for what they are. Treat them as a disposable gigging option. Just a few points to be aware of when considering Harley Benton's.
Hey +EytschPi42 how would you compare this to a Squier standard strat.....im buying one of the two and cant decide having never played an HB, would really appreciate you opinion. Thanks
Hi man. Diggin' your videos. Sweet stuff. What about the weight. I believe HB guitars used to be quite heavy. How are the "strats" in terms of weight? Rock on !
Hi EytschPi, there's a lot of HB St-Models on the market (ST-20, ST-60, ST-62, etc.) and you tested some of them. I personally play a HB-35Plus and want to add a single coil model (I like the sound of Eric Clapton). If you compare them to an Ibanez GRX-40, which one would you prefer?
Nice clean sound.I'm inclined to believe the Badger is great at work too, however Harley Benton guitars are really a surprise... I'm still quite interested in the rosewood tele they got there at Thomann. It's so beautiful, and it's a freaking toploader... won't find a tele-toploader at that price, and i have wanted one ever since i learned Jeff Buckley played one. I'm mostly worried about the electronics, tuning knobs and the neck. I'm not expecting it to function for 50 years, but how long before the neck starts bending?
Roesewood Review coming in a few days.... how long before the neck bends? Why would it bend? Can't tell you when and why, but I seriously wouldn't worry for 139 bucks.
EytschPi42 Great! Regarding the neck, i'm merely considering the build quality. You say it's great, but how does the guitar hold out after extensive use over a long period of time. Unless it's heavily abused, nothing should happen i guess :) But i guess you're right. For 139 bucks it would still be worth it.
I would really, really - like really, please do this - a comparison video between this and the fender classic vibe 60's strat. I highly suspect they are in fact made in the same factory? Please consider doing this video - especially as the classic vibe series is considered to be the absolute best of the 'budget' guitar range..
***** I doubt that they're made in the same factory. The CV 60s is actually significantly better than the ST-62. Besides that the guitars are made out of totally different materials, other woods, other pickups and mechanics, other paint.
This guitar is coming from the same Alibaba Group Rocksob at Taiwan, Fender and Gibson even ordered their models from those factories....even amps. Look at the labels: Designed in USA made in China...or else.
Yeah! No shit! These are "Chibsons" wearing "sheep skins" ;-) Chinese probably own now these factories and ....I can see in the "fog" they are waving finger to the "big ass shot corporations" ....but .. I can't confirm for sure which finger they are waving. Could someone with better vision help please?!?
Ich hab die HB ST-62 gestern gekommen und ich bin ein bisschen verwirrt, wenn ich ehrlich bin. Ich habe selber viele Gitarren aller preisklassen und dies ist meine 1. Strat. 1.eindruck: sieht gut aus, fühlt sich wertig an, ist aber kein Vintage white sondern bestenfalls hellgelb (Creme, sagt meine freundin). 2. Eindruck: Gitarre kam als b-stock fertig und perfekt eingestellt, super Saitenlage, saubere Bünde, alles perfekt imo. Hab schon beim anschlagen ohne Verstärker gestaunt, wie gut sie schwingt. 3. Verarbeitungsquali: So, jetzt kommt's. Ich hab noch nie, wirklich noch nie so eine schlecht verarbeitete Gitarre gesehen. Da klebt hinten am Kopf echt noch nen Aufkleber Quality Check drauf. Unfassbar. Die ist schief und krumm, die Saiten haben haben einen versatz an einer griffbrettseite von locker 5cm. Der trem Block hat unsaubere Spaltmaße, lackplatzer, potis knistern, weil ich die Folie darunter nicht abbekomme, das griffbrett ist an beiden Seiten total vermackt (dreister Weise noch sauber abgefeilt). Und noch weitere Kleinigkeiten, die ich hier gar nicht mehr aufführe. 4. Sound: ich kann es schlecht vergleichen. Hab keine Strat zu Hause, nur LP's und die lassen sich nicht vergleichen. Hab die Gitarre an einem Microcube, xl cube und engl ironball getestet. An allen 3 klingt die Gitarre MEGA. Klarer ausgewachsener Single coil Sound. Einfach klasse und bereits jetzt schätze ich mal, dass der Sound mit großen Marken mithalten kann. Nächste Woche habe ich die Möglichkeit zum Vergleich mit einer fender American Strat. Bin gespannt. Mein Fazit: ich wollte eine billige Strat, sowohl zum aufhängen als auch zum testen und bisschen auf den Geschmack kommen. Nächste Woche werde ich vergleichen können, dann entscheide ich ob ich sie trotz Mängeln behalte. Man muss sich nichts vormachen. Das Ding ist so durch die chinesischen und (da b-stock) 2x durch die thomann Quali gegangen. Wer weiß, wie die anderen Gitarren aussehen. Wenn der gute Sound nicht wäre, wäre der Hunni echt zu viel. Ich werde noch einmal vergleichen, aber schätze mal, dass ich die behalten werde und hoffe, dass die mir nicht in den Händen wegbricht...
Let's be fair. Wh did you buy b stock? Of course it will have issues and dings etc. Just wondering. I got a couple..bought new and they're impeccable in sound and workmanship. Sorry u had a bad experience!
the only thing i don't like is the pick guard, its color but looking on the website i can also order a black or white pick guard as a separate item same with knobs and what not..so i can customise it to my liking for £10 - 20. BTW i'm looking at the LH one so only have this choice of turtle shell pick guard.
Hey Pauli, good demos of HB line, you really pushing me in my GAS; shame on you ;-) ; I've already 6 strats, 1 Vintage brand ( the worst of the line in quality but good tone), 2 F mex, 1 F Japan, 1 F US, 1 F CS .... so why should I buy a €99 HB Strat ? (apart that I don't have a black one ) !?
I just bought the L-450Plus from Thomann and I also want to add an ST-62 VW to my collection, as I feel like I need Single Coils for rhythm guitar. Would you recommend this guitar for blues? How big is the chance to get a faulty model? My LP was fine. I heard custom shop pickups don't fit into the pick guard? I might want to exchange them some day. Do you know whether the color of the vintage white is very yellow? I don't have the chance to drive to Thomas directly.
I have only seen the black one, sadly, but I have held 4 of them. My students bought some, so I can say hat the quality was the same in all of them. Killer guitar for blues!
I'm trying to choose which Harley Benton to buy for a month.... well, finally i discarded one (thanks to you)...the Progressive 1000 'cause have no clean, but I'm not able to choose between the ST-62, the ST-70 and the L 450 plus... I'll never be able to decide...fuck you Harley Benton! XD
EytschPi42 I almost decide!! that will be a les paul!! but now...what color??? honey-cherry-honey-cherry-cherry-honey-cherry-honey......XD thank you so much for answer me! Lot of compliments for yours 30 min USEFUL videos! Best regards! :)
Does anyone know if the pickguard looks good? It's a little hard to tell in this video. I've seen in other videos that Harley Benton tortoise shell pickguards look really bad, but on Thomann, this pickguard looks a little darker than the other Harley Bentons
The Track from the "3 Strats Epic Battle" Video is wonderful, is my favorite melodie now a days. Which one is it? My wife says "Vielleicht H-Blockx little Girl" ? I am a Harley Benton DIY Les Paul Kit player. I would really like to learn to play the Track, wenn ich wüsste welche das ist. You are a great player in my ears. Tahnk you very much und liebe Grüsse aus Hannover.
Hi.... thanks man... the track is pretty much the bass and drums from the song "Waterfalls" from the band CAMPAIGN LIKE CLOCKWORK, a band I produce in my studio. So it's nothing well known or anything... I just made up some guitar parts for that demo, they are not the actual guitar parts from the song... I do that a lot... take a some I produced and re-arrange it for a gear demo.
i have ...2 h.b strats st20hss....2.telecaster.....2 tele thinlines one red .one blue... i have bought 2 acoustics as well all h.b and there great you should watch all the videos about h.b guitars..it all depends on what you like you.ll hear the sounds and get great info im very happy wit the guitars and there a great price and shipped out fast
theres the strat h.s.s which means > 1 humbucker and 2 single pickups thats the 2 guitars i bought one is a great looking red the other is a nice sunburst both are great sounding guitars
+Alex Mcleish thanks for the quick response. I'd like to ask just one question, does the humbucker on your st-20's sound good and are they good quality?
there fine for me i just gig around jam bars and at friends homes ...but at the price you pay for the guitar ..even if you changed them all out you would still save loads of money ...the guitar in this video.has normal 3 single pickups and sounds great ..it depends on the gear you use as well ...amps ...efx pedals ...and the gauge of strings make a difference ..if your near a good guitar shop go try some strats out and if you know friends who play guitar who would help you ??..good luck
I ordered this guitar but unfortunately I had to send it back. It probably may've worked for an absolute beginner but the extremely rough surface on the frets made all bending and even finger-vibrato practically impossible, which means ...unplayable. I have to guess the Harley Bentons they gave to you received some intense 'after-treatment'. That's a real pity cause the sound of these single coils is indeed pretty good. Maybe I try it again sometime soon but for now I'm disappointed.
Sorry about that, but mine DEFINITELY were standard ones. My student Ronny is sitting next to me right now and just came buy with TWO of these ST-62 that he ordered so we could pick one for him. They both played fine, just like mine. On one, the pickguard is faulty and the top layer is coming off, but other than that I don't have any rough surfaces on the frets. The Les Paul I have felt like that in the beginning, but after playing it for a short while that went away.... sorry for you bad experience, but I am sure it was a fluke since three out of three that I have tested were totally playable.
EytschPi42 Yeah well, it seems I always have bad luck with that. All cheap guitars I bought so far had these rough frets but this one was the worst, by far (apart from that the build quality seemed pretty good though). I planned on polishing the things with some fret rubber anyways but the condition was just too horrible and it would've needed some serious work. But if you're sure that your HBs are definitely stock then I will try it again soon.
DerEchteBold I can't guarantee that mine was stock.... but I think so.... I do know that the two that Ronny brought were straight from the shelve... they had no idea I was going to check them out.
***** Ich hab schon ein paar mal billige Gitarren umgetauscht und eine Verbesserung ist eigentlich nie eingetreten, diesmal hatte ich keine Lust dazu mir nochmal eine schicken zu lassen. Ich denke wenn ein tatsächlicher Defekt vorliegt macht das natürlich Sinn, wenn es um die grundsätzliche Qualität geht muss man, wie du schon sagst, einfach nur Glück haben. Aber wie ich Henning schon geschrieben hab, ich probier's bestimmt nochmal!
finally someone on the tube that’s not biased by the cost of this guitars
Aint it cool!!!
I know im 6 years late but yes theres a reason why people buy cheap instruments. Either because they are beginners or they just cant afford to get something better. I do the same and theres nothing wrong with that. You get what you pay for.
Would have to add though, this guitar was sent by thomann so they could have made it look a little better than what a normal customer would get. Still though HB guitars are much cheaper than what they actually would have cost. Probably around 250€.
@@LKonstantina915 I bought the same model partly on the basis of this review and I don't think Henning was given special treatment. I only had to tune it up and it was playable. Sounds really good too. Since then I've adjusted the action even lower, without buzzing. It's actually achieved the lowest action of any strat I've ever had. Amazing really. The main criticism is that the pots aren't the right taper for a lefty. Not a problem if you leave them on 10. But hey, you even get that issue with much more expensive makes.
Eleven years ago when we started dating, my girlfriend (now my wife) promised me that someday she would buy me a guitar when she got a decent job. My band is located in another city, 200 km away, we only rehearse during the weekends. I play with a Washburn N4 and a Gibson SG, both are there, none at home (not practical to carry an high end guitar on an already loaded car every weekend). Turns out she saw my sadness for not playing during the week, and well, this just arrived in the mail as my Christmas gift. She saw me watching your video and searched for it in my history and bought it. I may have said it was cheap, though :-) Still the best Christmas gift ever. Thanks man.
Congrats on the wifey :)
if my wife studied my search history she would punch me in the face.haha
@@bertayoing hahahaha
Great for you man! High five to the wife!!!!! ✋🏾✋🏾
bertayoing 😂😂😂
this dude puts so much effort into his videos
Nice guitar great video thank you
A respectable 2000 subscribers when you posted this video 2 years ago. You are definitely doing something right. Count me number 17,999 as of tonight.
Thanks
After seeing Jeff Beck the first time live I orderd this guitar, which I colored "LakePlacid blue".I played as second guitar guy in a band. the main guitar guy played a very expensive Strat.the only critic was, that I should turn the treble a bit lower. And the difference between these guitars were the price and his guitar sounded a little darker. And one tuner at the HB been removed.
Some years later I puchased a set Tonerider PU.With the Toneriders on my Vox AC420, clean setting, I have the most beautiful Strat sound forever. The toneriders were more expensive as the whole Instrument.
I received mine this past week. I am that les paul studio guy who wanted to try a strat and didn't wanted to spend a bunch of money. Your playing to the backing track sealed the deal for me. Well worth the money. Quality above expectations.
dam HP, when you jam with the backing tracks it always blows me away, you really know how to mix everything perfectly :)
Thanks..... backing track under the video in the descriptions.... feel free to jam yourself !
9:35 That laugh! LOL OMG, I'm dying! The laugh was way better than just saying "That's what she said!"
Bruh how did you catch that xD
@@Nikola-if5jm I've become finely attuned to that joke over the years. Thanks Michael Scott! 😁
Just bought a 2nd hand Harley Benton ST-62. And I'm really pleased having done so.
grâce à vous nous pouvons VRAIMENT se faire une bonne idée de l'instrument en rigolant en plus !!!!SURTOUT CONTINUEZ PLEASE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You ought to quit with the innuendos; 5 yr old, yeah. BUT based on your recommendation, I bought one.
99 Euros (actually 104 now), Holy shit!
I just saved $2000 and cannot stop smiling.
Thanks, Dude
Hallo HP, just received my HB that I ordered after watching this video. Impressed! For 99 Euro. Unglaublich. Danke Chris
Christian Bayer Gern geschehen !
hahahaha I love ya man...You are the best. I bought my new pedal because of your demo. It was the best purchase I ever made.Keep up thr good work. THANK YOU.
Great review, sent my order to Thomann for the white one after looking at your video, very helpful! Thanks!!
I respect all of my guitars; from Harley Bentons , to Fenders, to PRS, to Gibson and I would be as careful as I can to keep them all looking in pristine condition! From cheap to expensive they all get the same care and respect! I will never understand the big attraction to reliced guitars? Also, the faces you make while playing are priceless LOL!
I agree, instruments deserve the utmost respect, and I'm kinda like you in regards to hating 'relic's but I do however love when a guitar looks worn because it's actually been played and knocked about a bit. Same thing with jeans, I wear them everywhere and the worn ones with holes are the comfiest, but if you buy jeans with holes in them you're crazy imo. Earn the war wounds y'know?
this commentary was so fun lol doesnt even seem like its from 8 years ago absolutely getting that guitar
Man, Okay you got me with your playing style. So I became a subscriber, & thanks for the video content.
Hi Henning,
bought this guitar in VW ,which is more licht yellow but is allright.Only the neck is heavy lackered , I sand it down. The SC 450 was too heavy for me so I switched for this lighter guitar. Thank for your videoclips , and your lessons. Took your advice and take it slow Start lessons with Justinguitar as a beginner. It is so much fun playing. The bluesplaying will come later. BTW congrats with your Thomann deal.
Hans Mark #
Hi Henning. Great channel. I really appreciate your reviews and don't just bang out some high gain sounds that basically make all guitars sound very similar. I know it's a while since you reviewed the HB 62, but i was wondering how it stood up to the test of time, did it stay in your collection? I'm guessing with so many great guitars going through your hands that's unlikely. I have a 112 Pacifica (lefty) and am debating on getting the HB for a more classic Strat experience.
Guitar arrived yesterday. Absolutely blown away with it.
Why on earth do u have only 50t. subs? You are defenetly more intresting to watch than chapman
Oh and u should review tokais cheapest strat.
Hell yes ! Chapman is so annoying
Allan Bollström 84 now and growing :)
92 thousand now. Probably on the back of this comment. Well done!
Great review! I know it's been a few years, but do you still have the backing tracks? the links in the description are broken. Thanks!
Damn you make that axe cry and sing👍👍👍
Just bought one based on this video. Used your link 😎🎸
Germans man. Even the dog speaks fluent English 😂
Incredibly well executed intro ! Great review !
I believe we are all mislead by our thought process. We, humans, can't actually believe we paid something 99€ and it's pretty playable with decent tones and build quality. But what if we reverse our thought logic? Since this guitar is so good for 99€, let's pay it 399€ and let's than review it with the same logic, experience and prejudice and what not. I bet the results would be rather different. Don't get me wrong, this guitar has the best price/quality ratio and no one can confince me that this is better than a 399€ or whatever guitar. I saw your epic strat battle and i did spot the HB in the video. The 28% of your viewers that thought it was an expensive strat should check a doctor. No offense. And I'm not a guitar virtuoso, go figure. You sir, are doing a really good job. I love your vids, keep it up HP!
OMG OMG..wegen Dir hab ich jetz auch noch den HB Tele´s die ST-62!! So genial wie Du sie beschreibst! Top!!!
greez und keep on with such good videos! :)
Great video, and also great playing!!!
I m a begginer. I started playing 1 month ago on acoustic guitar. And because of you i placed an order of this guitar. I hope it will be ok,thanks for the review,you made me buy it
Hey, could you tell me if it's a good guitar for beginners?
it s perfect!!
Thanks, definitely gonna get one!
Depuis que je vous regarde je suis devenu fana de HB et THOMNN !!!!!!!!!!!!!(j'en possède plusieurs et c'est pas fini!!!!)
This guitar is awesome, just scalloped the whole neck and it is a beast!! Your demo made me buy it man. Cheers, you are the best and most hard-working youtuber ever!
The quality of beginner/budget guitars have improved so much over the last 30-40 years, in the early 80's I bought a cheap copy of a Jackson/Randy Rhoads offset V guitar for $300 U.S. dollars and it was an absolute p.o.s. guitar, I couldn't keep it in tune, needed constant truss rod adjustment with the Florida humidity and the fret work was horrible. After a few months of that, I decided to save my pennies and bought a Kramer Pacer(which I loved but was later stolen).
its one of the few good things about mass production
No surprise to you, but...gorgeous collection of amps!!
it's always a pleasure hear you! I hope one day you'll also make a ms-60 vintage white vid 'cause is a fuckin' great axe!!!
my fav here is the closing number... phreaking sounds great
Good review, you're a pretty funny guy! +1 subscriber
@eytschpi42 , more seriously, I recently tried a Squier Strat Vintage Modified , with Duncan design Pick Ups, and was not pleased with the tones, to harsh; It seems the HB Strat tones are close!? have you compared these 2 ?
Coole Demo, gefällt mir! Amüsant und aufschlußreich zugleich :)
Mr_Fantasy Danke !
This is one of the I've been waiting paaatiently from Produce like a Pro Henning Pauly! (Actually the mixing engineer from this Campaing like Clockwork Album) , remember that mixing contest?
Another great vid, thank you
Love the channel man! I'm a new subscriber and I recently bought a ST-62 and was wondering if I should leave the stock pickups or swap em out for some TEX MEX or Vintage Wilkinson's. Thanks again for the amazing content and work you put in to these videos!
Waiting for the B49 is awesom track!!! :D
I’m hoping they stock up on more of these along with a bunch of others.
An English talking German.....always +1 ,nice video....keep up the good work
Yeah, I'm the Gibson guy who has an Epiphone too and now would like to check out a Strat, even if it's not my thing. Almost a perfect hit (because I have an SG, not LP : ). I guessed the HB in the test, but thought it still sounded good so... Very convincing review and I'm almost sold on it. Still, I'm bit disappointed you didn't test the vibrato bar if everything else was so great. I don't have this thing in my SG's.
that demo song is tight
+Andy Thomas (mrblitz) both demos are tight. cool!
I'd like to see a vid about Kongo. Such a cool dog.:-)
buy one they are quite exceptional,i have had several squires streets ahead,yes i tried a classic vibe and they are stunning but price has gone from £360 to around £440 too much magic bus!,bought this and a tele te_52 for £240 arrived within three days no issues or problems
Nice :) I listen to alternative and classic rock, mostly Green Day. Should I buy this?
great demo song, very hendrixy. I suppose it was intended like that, but anyway I liked it ! :-)
Really liked your videos, keep up the good work. I would have a question if you don't mind. Could you tell me the weight of the guitar. Is it feels like a decent strat or lighter?
Nice review! (As all of your reviews) Now I also want a HB ST-62 :-)
Unfortunately the links to the tracks in dropbox don't work. (error 404)
Can you please make them work again?
Eugène Kanters, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
i just ordered the same guitar from the video =) .... the cost is funny , I am so interested in this guitar ... =)
This video is from 2014. Now it is 108$ and it has Rosewell pickups and comes in sweet Cream color as well (i agree, the black with gloss is obnoxious, it is very artificial and always full of fingerprints,..i am not into any coating thicker than 1/25mm anyway from the sound and looks points of view).
Question: is there a big difference in "quality" of the pickups between the
ST59HM 179$ (with alder body and a stunning fiesta red, and a flashy golden hardware) "Roswell SK52 True /!/ Vintage Staggered Alnico-5" and the
ST62VW 108$ and ST62DLX 154$ (with basswood body, a creepy VW pickguard and a cool DLX pickguard) "Roswell STA Alnico-5 Vintage single coils" ?
All of them have Kluson (style) tuners (very good). ST62VW 108$ has a pau ferro fretboard which is very good, almost like ebony (i like both amber-yellow maple and the dark pau ferro from the sound, feel and looks point of view). The creepy ST62VW pickguard can be easily replaced.
I am really thorn between my dream fiesta red color and the peaceful, neautral, gentle and cool cream color (that hard choice only i can make).
Not sure at all about the vintage V-neck at the first frets of ST59HM: how bad/good it is, the only thing i know that i couldn't play a V-neck on my Sigma for many years and redid it (for good) and i really don't want to make any modifications and changes on my new guitar (at least one guitar should be untouched and "no headache).
~ But the main thing : is There a big difference between True vintage and Just vintage pickups? Any piece of advice will be welcomed. Thank you.
i bought the guitar 2 years ago
insane guitar for insane money!!!!!
I like it. Liking guitars shouldn't be on how expensive it is, how expensive the pick-ups are. It should be playable, look good and sound "good". maybe the sounds not perfect but i honestly don't care how a guitar sounds unless somethings off (like string buzzing or no sound etc.)
Have you played a newer model with the Roswell pickups?
This video is 6 years old, how is it holding up today??
now they improve a lot the quality since 2014
Should I prefer this one or fender sq affinity hss?
orderd this guitar today :D but left handed
Hello from Russia! Can you write what you said in the video about this guitar shortly? How is it assembled, how does it sound, is it better for the squire, is it worth buying it, or is it more expensive to look at the model on st-62, st-56? I will be grateful for the answer.
Amazing, It's nice that a cheap guitar doesn't have to be bad, which seems to be the norm these days.. I just ordered a mustang copy, looks amazing.. maybe you could demo one of those too. :)
***** Got the HB mustang... Amazing quality. sounds really nice. did the intonation well.. lovely guitar. will swap the pickgaurd and control plate... heavier than my pawn shop mustang special was. fret work is perfect, no sticking out frets anywhere.
I own a Harley Benton SC450 Plus. They sound pretty good for the price, the build quality is ok and they look incredible. When it comes to playing however, that's a different story. They are playable, don't get me wrong. But the neck feels nasty. Really nasty. The fret wire feels like a Coke can, has little dings/dents in it which is very noticeable when bending and even more so with vibrato. It sounds scratchy at times as well.
As Henning said in this video, take the guitars for what they are. Treat them as a disposable gigging option. Just a few points to be aware of when considering Harley Benton's.
Hey +EytschPi42 how would you compare this to a Squier standard strat.....im buying one of the two and cant decide having never played an HB, would really appreciate you opinion. Thanks
you are great!!!!you are fffffuuunnnn!!!!!!
Just one thing...is this the same guitar:Harley Benton ST-62 MN SB?
Hi man. Diggin' your videos. Sweet stuff. What about the weight. I believe HB guitars used to be quite heavy. How are the "strats" in terms of weight? Rock on !
Hi EytschPi, there's a lot of HB St-Models on the market (ST-20, ST-60, ST-62, etc.) and you tested some of them. I personally play a HB-35Plus and want to add a single coil model (I like the sound of Eric Clapton). If you compare them to an Ibanez GRX-40, which one would you prefer?
Go with the Ibanez
@@EytschPi42 THX, wilco
Nice clean sound.I'm inclined to believe the Badger is great at work too, however Harley Benton guitars are really a surprise... I'm still quite interested in the rosewood tele they got there at Thomann. It's so beautiful, and it's a freaking toploader... won't find a tele-toploader at that price, and i have wanted one ever since i learned Jeff Buckley played one.
I'm mostly worried about the electronics, tuning knobs and the neck. I'm not expecting it to function for 50 years, but how long before the neck starts bending?
Roesewood Review coming in a few days.... how long before the neck bends? Why would it bend? Can't tell you when and why, but I seriously wouldn't worry for 139 bucks.
EytschPi42 Great!
Regarding the neck, i'm merely considering the build quality. You say it's great, but how does the guitar hold out after extensive use over a long period of time. Unless it's heavily abused, nothing should happen i guess :) But i guess you're right. For 139 bucks it would still be worth it.
Which one is more like real stratocaster soundings, st 62 ora st 90 swamp Ash?
Hey Henny, are the backing track still available. Seems not. Can't get them in my Dropbox ? Nice playing by the way, greetz from Belgium.
Did You have to pay the 99€?
I would really, really - like really, please do this - a comparison video between this and the fender classic vibe 60's strat. I highly suspect they are in fact made in the same factory? Please consider doing this video - especially as the classic vibe series is considered to be the absolute best of the 'budget' guitar range..
***** I doubt that they're made in the same factory. The CV 60s is actually significantly better than the ST-62. Besides that the guitars are made out of totally different materials, other woods, other pickups and mechanics, other paint.
Dude, please do a review of the Harley Benton L-400 SBK Classic Series!! I want to know more about it.. thx :) :D \m/
This link does not work anymore: Why ?
"Waiting for the B49 - Backing Track"
This guitar is coming from the same Alibaba Group Rocksob at Taiwan, Fender and Gibson even ordered their models from those factories....even amps. Look at the labels: Designed in USA made in China...or else.
Yeah! No shit!
These are "Chibsons" wearing "sheep skins" ;-)
Chinese probably own now these factories and ....I can see in the "fog" they are waving finger to the "big ass shot corporations" ....but .. I can't confirm for sure which finger they are waving.
Could someone with better vision help please?!?
I'll be buying the one with maple fretboard
Backing tracks not available anymore :(.....
Ich hab die HB ST-62 gestern gekommen und ich bin ein bisschen verwirrt, wenn ich ehrlich bin.
Ich habe selber viele Gitarren aller preisklassen und dies ist meine 1. Strat.
1.eindruck: sieht gut aus, fühlt sich wertig an, ist aber kein Vintage white sondern bestenfalls hellgelb (Creme, sagt meine freundin).
2. Eindruck: Gitarre kam als b-stock fertig und perfekt eingestellt, super Saitenlage, saubere Bünde, alles perfekt imo. Hab schon beim anschlagen ohne Verstärker gestaunt, wie gut sie schwingt.
3. Verarbeitungsquali: So, jetzt kommt's. Ich hab noch nie, wirklich noch nie so eine schlecht verarbeitete Gitarre gesehen. Da klebt hinten am Kopf echt noch nen Aufkleber Quality Check drauf. Unfassbar. Die ist schief und krumm, die Saiten haben haben einen versatz an einer griffbrettseite von locker 5cm. Der trem Block hat unsaubere Spaltmaße, lackplatzer, potis knistern, weil ich die Folie darunter nicht abbekomme, das griffbrett ist an beiden Seiten total vermackt (dreister Weise noch sauber abgefeilt). Und noch weitere Kleinigkeiten, die ich hier gar nicht mehr aufführe.
4. Sound: ich kann es schlecht vergleichen. Hab keine Strat zu Hause, nur LP's und die lassen sich nicht vergleichen. Hab die Gitarre an einem Microcube, xl cube und engl ironball getestet. An allen 3 klingt die Gitarre MEGA. Klarer ausgewachsener Single coil Sound. Einfach klasse und bereits jetzt schätze ich mal, dass der Sound mit großen Marken mithalten kann. Nächste Woche habe ich die Möglichkeit zum Vergleich mit einer fender American Strat. Bin gespannt.
Mein Fazit: ich wollte eine billige Strat, sowohl zum aufhängen als auch zum testen und bisschen auf den Geschmack kommen. Nächste Woche werde ich vergleichen können, dann entscheide ich ob ich sie trotz Mängeln behalte. Man muss sich nichts vormachen. Das Ding ist so durch die chinesischen und (da b-stock) 2x durch die thomann Quali gegangen. Wer weiß, wie die anderen Gitarren aussehen. Wenn der gute Sound nicht wäre, wäre der Hunni echt zu viel. Ich werde noch einmal vergleichen, aber schätze mal, dass ich die behalten werde und hoffe, dass die mir nicht in den Händen wegbricht...
Let's be fair. Wh did you buy b stock? Of course it will have issues and dings etc. Just wondering. I got a couple..bought new and they're impeccable in sound and workmanship.
Sorry u had a bad experience!
One last Question after Video:
Is this guitar very good tuneable?
Hey EitschPi42. Could you please post a review about musicstore's Jack & Danny's?
the only thing i don't like is the pick guard, its color but looking on the website i can also order a black or white pick guard as a separate item same with knobs and what not..so i can customise it to my liking for £10 - 20. BTW i'm looking at the LH one so only have this choice of turtle shell pick guard.
Your dog speaks English ?
Yes!
BETTER THAN THIS IDIOT !!!!!! GONE !!!!!!!
@@theexpert8163 are you alright mate?
Hey Pauli, good demos of HB line, you really pushing me in my GAS; shame on you ;-) ; I've already 6 strats, 1 Vintage brand ( the worst of the line in quality but good tone), 2 F mex, 1 F Japan, 1 F US, 1 F CS .... so why should I buy a €99 HB Strat ? (apart that I don't have a black one ) !?
You sold me im buying it
Can you put standard vintage 6screw Fender trem and block on it (regular vintage screw spacing?)
Would this be a good guitar to kinda "try" a strat type?
PS: I'm now looking at the Tele in Rosewood. Looks great too. 😄
Christian Bayer It really does !
Is this the video that started the rise of HB? (Not in quality but fame)
I just bought the L-450Plus from Thomann and I also want to add an ST-62 VW to my collection, as I feel like I need Single Coils for rhythm guitar. Would you recommend this guitar for blues? How big is the chance to get a faulty model? My LP was fine. I heard custom shop pickups don't fit into the pick guard? I might want to exchange them some day. Do you know whether the color of the vintage white is very yellow? I don't have the chance to drive to Thomas directly.
I have only seen the black one, sadly, but I have held 4 of them. My students bought some, so I can say hat the quality was the same in all of them. Killer guitar for blues!
I'm trying to choose which Harley Benton to buy for a month....
well, finally i discarded one (thanks to you)...the Progressive 1000 'cause have no clean, but I'm not able to choose between the ST-62, the ST-70 and the L 450 plus...
I'll never be able to decide...fuck you Harley Benton! XD
Marco Gulluni Very different guitars that you picked.. you have to decide wether you want a strat or a Les Paul.-..
EytschPi42 I almost decide!! that will be a les paul!! but now...what color??? honey-cherry-honey-cherry-cherry-honey-cherry-honey......XD
thank you so much for answer me!
Lot of compliments for yours 30 min USEFUL videos!
Best regards! :)
that shit rox, dudes
Does anyone know if the pickguard looks good? It's a little hard to tell in this video. I've seen in other videos that Harley Benton tortoise shell pickguards look really bad, but on Thomann, this pickguard looks a little darker than the other Harley Bentons
The Track from the "3 Strats Epic Battle" Video is wonderful, is my favorite melodie now a days. Which one is it? My wife says "Vielleicht H-Blockx little Girl" ? I am a Harley Benton DIY Les Paul Kit player. I would really like to learn to play the Track, wenn ich wüsste welche das ist. You are a great player in my ears. Tahnk you very much und liebe Grüsse aus Hannover.
Hi.... thanks man... the track is pretty much the bass and drums from the song "Waterfalls" from the band CAMPAIGN LIKE CLOCKWORK, a band I produce in my studio. So it's nothing well known or anything... I just made up some guitar parts for that demo, they are not the actual guitar parts from the song... I do that a lot... take a some I produced and re-arrange it for a gear demo.
Drums? EZ Drummer? Great sound!
BFD!
hey man, great review. The drop box download link doesnt seem to work alas
hi im buying this guitar ive bought 6 h.b guitars there all great thanks i love your playing and information
which hb guitars do you have? just curious, I'm about to buy my first e-guitar, and hb seemed to me like the right choice
i have ...2 h.b strats st20hss....2.telecaster.....2 tele thinlines one red .one blue... i have bought 2 acoustics as well all h.b and there great you should watch all the videos about h.b guitars..it all depends on what you like you.ll hear the sounds and get great info im very happy wit the guitars and there a great price and shipped out fast
theres the strat h.s.s which means > 1 humbucker and 2 single pickups thats the 2 guitars i bought one is a great looking red the other is a nice sunburst both are great sounding guitars
+Alex Mcleish thanks for the quick response. I'd like to ask just one question, does the humbucker on your st-20's sound good and are they good quality?
there fine for me i just gig around jam bars and at friends homes ...but at the price you pay for the guitar ..even if you changed them all out you would still save loads of money ...the guitar in this video.has normal 3 single pickups and sounds great ..it depends on the gear you use as well ...amps ...efx pedals ...and the gauge of strings make a difference ..if your near a good guitar shop go try some strats out and if you know friends who play guitar who would help you ??..good luck
I ordered this guitar but unfortunately I had to send it back.
It probably may've worked for an absolute beginner but the extremely rough surface on the frets made all bending and even finger-vibrato practically impossible, which means ...unplayable.
I have to guess the Harley Bentons they gave to you received some intense 'after-treatment'.
That's a real pity cause the sound of these single coils is indeed pretty good.
Maybe I try it again sometime soon but for now I'm disappointed.
Sorry about that, but mine DEFINITELY were standard ones. My student Ronny is sitting next to me right now and just came buy with TWO of these ST-62 that he ordered so we could pick one for him. They both played fine, just like mine. On one, the pickguard is faulty and the top layer is coming off, but other than that I don't have any rough surfaces on the frets. The Les Paul I have felt like that in the beginning, but after playing it for a short while that went away.... sorry for you bad experience, but I am sure it was a fluke since three out of three that I have tested were totally playable.
EytschPi42
Yeah well, it seems I always have bad luck with that. All cheap guitars I bought so far had these rough frets but this one was the worst, by far (apart from that the build quality seemed pretty good though).
I planned on polishing the things with some fret rubber anyways but the condition was just too horrible and it would've needed some serious work.
But if you're sure that your HBs are definitely stock then I will try it again soon.
DerEchteBold I can't guarantee that mine was stock.... but I think so.... I do know that the two that Ronny brought were straight from the shelve... they had no idea I was going to check them out.
***** jajajajaja, aber dann beim kaufen meinen Link benutzen, gelle....
*****
Ich hab schon ein paar mal billige Gitarren umgetauscht und eine Verbesserung ist eigentlich nie eingetreten, diesmal hatte ich keine Lust dazu mir nochmal eine schicken zu lassen.
Ich denke wenn ein tatsächlicher Defekt vorliegt macht das natürlich Sinn, wenn es um die grundsätzliche Qualität geht muss man, wie du schon sagst, einfach nur Glück haben.
Aber wie ich Henning schon geschrieben hab, ich probier's bestimmt nochmal!