i have a st-62 with old trem(six screws) ,the method i used to sort the trem out totally. Replace string "catchers" with string trees, replace nut with Graphtech nut(PQ-5000) cost about£10 i wedged a fret rocker under trem then tune to pitch.screw the spring claw screws inwards until wedge comes out, give it some welly on trem, re_tune and use trem normally.if a note is flat you need more spring tension(tighten screw) if a string is sharp its binding at the nut either lube or file.sorry if thats long winded but this method does work . i hope this helps someone out but it really is a balancing act literally!!!
Outstanding choice, John. I love the rich sounds and range of variables. Watching the vid it appeared relatively easy to bend notes. You play very well.
Just subscribed !!!! I'm Loving you channel so far ..... Can't see that changing !!!! I'm a guitarist been playing for over 40 years and I'm 48 years old now and I must say I really like your playing , it's a nice change for someone to play so well without the bullshit of ego on here . Thank you ...... Brilliant . Shane Stevens , Cambridgeshire ....
Hey John, i bought a HB telecaster 6 months ago. It is with no doubt a killer guitar. I own a custom shop Strat and after a bit of setting up on the Tele it definitely holds its own with the Strat. Playability and tone are great.
Very clever repair solution to the loose tremelo problem. I would suggest, however, to cut the plastic bag into strips, 1/2" wide, by 2" long. Cut several of them. Then use them to wrap the threads of the screw threads, going in the direction of screwing in the screw. This is the same as what you would do for putting teflon tape on the threads of a pipe fitting. It takes up the space between the threads of the screw and the threads cut into the internal piece.
Wow I never thought about it actually, but you are 100% correct IT IS an output jack NOT an input. 30+ years playing and I still learn new things. Thanks : )
Great channel here. You are doing the masses a great service by reviewing these budget guitars that get the job done! Well done and nice guitar playing! Cheers.
Nice to hear "Dancing in the moonlight" ( Thin Lizzy ) among other things...Nice-sounding Strat, you've convinced me, I'm going to add one to my collection...
I have that same model, and there was nothing wrong when I got it - it's a very nice guitar, and dirt cheap too - the trem is great! Actually I'm a liiiitle bit in love with it
I have a 1980 Stratocaster that I bought that was green with a white pickguard. Of course the first thing I did was sanded it down the bare wood and then refinished a shiny coat over top. And I replace the pickguard with tortoise shell, and I soak the pickup covers and volume and tone knobs in very thick coffee for a couple days to turn them a cream color nicotine faded. Looks almost identical to this. And it's taken me since 1983 to make it look that way. I want to buy one of these because I was so happy with the black and gold Paisley tele from these guys. Harley Benton is a great company
It is indeed an 'output' jack, as it allows the signal to travel out to the amp. It is also a 'vibrato' unit, or 'vibrato arm' and not a tremolo unit or tremolo arm. 'Vibrato' is a change in pitch, while tremolo is a change in volume. Of course, context is important. When talking guitars, 'trem' means vibrato, 'tuners' mean tuning machines, etc. In that context, 'input' and 'output' mean the same thing.
Recently traded for an "10 ash body mim strat. Set it up and no issues at all. People put down MIM strats to justify why they spent $1200.00 for a USA. IMHO
After spending THOUSANDS almost 100,000 on gear( probably more) I can Honestly say its more about brand than the actual guitar. These are fine instruments and will get the Job done. Save your money on your future and familys. Its in your hands not the guitar
My Japanese Fender Strat bridge posts were loose. I used teflon tape to rap the posts. Worked great! I love the natural finish on the guitar. Why don't more manufacturers use it? Probably cheap wood? But I don't like the pick guard. I see that as of March 20, 2020, they are using a darker color pick guard, which looks much better.
We all have five senses... but a sixth very important sence that John definetly has.... and some people don’t seem to have is a ...sence of humor.... Rock on John 👍😎🎸
I bought a new MiM Strat from Manny's Music ages ago (this was before the Internet so it was sight unseen over the phone), for a few hundred dollars and it was darn near perfect right out of the box. Low action, easy to play, no fret buzz, no neck adjustment needed, it was great. I thought they were all like that but later started hearing complaints from others. I did jokingly ask the salesman to pick me out a good one. Looks like he came through.
Yeah, too bad they closed up. They had the lowest price on everything. After getting back into music it's disturbing to find that EVERY store has the same exact price on each item, so there's no shopping around for deals. I thought price fixing was illegal.
i resold the guitar i got. 1995 and completely mint. i decided to make some money and get something cheap for free. i had a great Squier and ruined it. sold the parts for $60. made in Indonesia.
Nice guitar and great playing too. Don`t forget to listen to the gear bitches and change - the body, the neck, the bridge, tuners, pickups, strap buttons, strings, electrics etc and it will sound like a totally different guitar.
What you're doing for the kids is a very honorable thing...much respect for all you're doing! Anyway, I think the Harley Benton's are hard to beat for the price! I have rarely ever heard a bad review. People always like them!
I always enjoy your videos but I don't know why you would compare this guitar to a Mexican strat the new player series are really unbelievable! I don't know if you've had the chance too play one yet but if you ever do i think you will see what I mean I know that thay cost 4 times as much but I think you might even be impressed. I know harley benton is the new kid in town but Fender is Fender for a reason. Anyway love your videos and the charity work your doing your a good man
Glad you mentioned that the bridge pickup was not great -thought it was just my ears ! The neck pickup sounded great to me though. Love the look of the guitar and in your hands it rocks :) . Someone's going to be lucky.
too late, I bought three and have no regret. I got traditional body thickness and head stock. I'm glad you think you got a better guitar. More power to you .
He's the first one I've ever heard to say he prefers the six screw tremolo over the two point tremolo system. I personally feel the opposite about that.
I've got one of these guitars on order and thinking of fitting locking tuners. If I bought vintage locking tuners would they swap over easily using the same screw holes etc.?
I'm pleasantly surprised to see that the price of this (in euros) hasn't changed in the best part of 2 years, in fact it's cheaper now due to the exchange rate.
I hope you notice the 350mm (13.7'') fretboard radius vs the usual 9.5'' radius for Strat/Tele clones (or the 7.25'' for vintage Strat/Teles). This is an Ibanez or a Yamaha Pacifica 112 disguised as a Strat.
Well, its a bit of a shame that I came across this the day after the ebay auction ended but at least it raised some decent money. Nicely done video, John, with what I would say is just the right amount of playing to show how the guitar performs. I think it also confirms just how important getting the guitar properly sorted out and set up is. My G.A.S. has got me wondering if Harley Benton do a nice Telecaster ?
I Was Just Going To Say John, I Had This Problem With Loose Bridge Posts, And I Used Plumbers, { Thread Tape } Does A Great Job Of Fixing Them, When You Said You Have Used This Your Self, Great Video And Playing, Cheers
Seb Brosig I wouldn't rule it out, mate. Then there will be those who insist on having the bag all crumpled & torn as the relic'd ones have so much more "mojo." 😂
Malcolm Hardwick I disagree. Putting a mini humbucker (like a hot rails) in the bridge position makes the bridge/middle setting darker sounding. Using a 5 way "super switch" as a replacement for the standard 5 way switch means that you can automatically coil tap the humbucker when you flip to the "in between" position if retaining the single coil sound is important to you. I've never experienced a humbucker sounding "brighter" than a single coil it replaces.
I have a hotrails in the bridge on one of my strats and it sounds pretty good. Nice to split the coils ( not tap thats different ! ) to keep the regular strat sound that can be boosted when the need arises. Another strat I put a hotter ( about 1k hotter ) bridge pickup and it sounds far better than the old pickup. But when I go to bridge/middle it sounded way too bright so i put the old pickup back in and it gave a warmer sounding quack type sound. So i guess I need another strat to use this hotter bridge pickup in !
I'm with you on the bridge pup, it sounds shit without tone control. I'd get a Tele bridge pup into it and get your guitar tech to get some tone control in there.
Fender Mexican Classic Series 70s Strat with ash body is 800 euros. Hard to say are these really comparable but the sound you got from this is definitely good.
Eloy Suopunki Having played hundreds of MIM strats I don't think it's hard to say this is comparable at all. Quality of timber? Check. Fit & finish? Check. Playability? Check. Quality of hardware? Check. Sound? Check. Once all those things are ticked off the list, you've got a comparable instrument.
Just after posting I went to search those same Fender Strats with rosewood fingerboard, I couldn't hear any significant difference. With maple fingerboards, yes, but then again that's a different wood choice.
I have no idea, I'm afraid. The guitar was only passing through my hands as it had been donated to a charity I was fundraising for. It went to it's new owner not long after this video was published.
A wonderful review! Your positive attitude makes the video interesting. Anyone can bitch and complain but you see problems as things to fix, not to whine about. If ever you get bored, i could use an explanation of what makes a good tuning peg and how best to change them. If ever you find yourself in Montreal you will have a beer or two waiting for you.
Nicholas Pogue Thanks mate. As for tuners, personally, I'm not that fussy. The higher gear ratio the better. 18:1 is pretty normal on higher end tuners. Many people like locking pegs, but if you tie the strings off (as I've done for years) you get the same stability out of regular tuners. Wilkinson are pretty reliable & pretty good on price, too 😀
Thanks again for a good video! I'd like to chime in with a few points if that's ok. I got this same Harley Benton swamp ash guitar a couple of weeks ago. It now plays very well and keeps in tune even better than my Fender Tom Delonge. There were however a few things with it to sort out. I had a hairline crack in the wood visible only on the back side, about 5 cm from the backplate and towards the neck. Unscrewed the backplate and saw the crack starting right under the trem springs. Thomann wanted me to rerurn it, but I am taking my chances that it is just an initial drying up crack of the wood and I don't expect it to continue further. Future will tell. I also had already started polishing the frets so I didn't want to return it as the rest of the guitar was perfect in finish and feel. The intonation was absolutely pertfect. I had a couple of fret ends protruding maybe a tad that I finished down. I fixed the trem by tightening the 2 bridge screws and fixing the trem block, since I never use the trem. The neck is nice and straight, truss rod works. The staining/laquer was quite orange in the colour tone as I got it, the first thing I noticed that wasn't quite as in the Thomann picture, or indeed as yours. I have gotten used to it and quite like it, and have polished the whole body and neck with steel wool and it looks much better. The original laquer/varnish was a bit "dead" looking. (I am a bit of a stickler when it comes to wood finish, messing with wooden boats, furniture etc.) One more little thing that was a bit strange was the plastic nut. The spacing of the string pockets are not correctly spaced in my opinion, as the grooves are too narrowly spaced. Will install a new bone nut today. The nut was initially also too high, but that was easily remedied by taking it out and sanding it down about a mm. This may all seem as too much for some buyers, for others not. I like this guitar a LOT in spite of some minor flaws, since the price is fantastic and I have no problem with making these minor adjustments. It still is quite a good quality instrument. Cheers 👍⭐
Chris Franklyn Yes , one could of course get some epoxy glue in there, but I will wait and see what happens. My woodworking experiences tell me it's an initial drying of the wood and that it has stabilized. If the tgin crack had continued past the other side of the routed out trem hole, I'd be worried and had returned it, but thus is not the case. We'll just wait and see 😉😎
Oh nice. Is this still the case with the biodegradable plastic bags? Ever had one of those explode in your hands into a cloud of particles? :) I suppose even if it goes to dust it's in the grooves doing the job.
John Robson Guitarist I think I remember your cover band... Did it myself with a cover band called Uncle Waldo in late 70's/80's... Was fortunate to have met the late great Phil Lynott twice.. Absolute legend.. Will be at the Rory gallagher festival in ballyshannon, Co. Donegal in a couple of weeks, Brian Downey is there playing the main stage with his very own lizzy cover band..
Ryan Brian Downey is one of Rock's most under rated drummers, IMHO. Love his fill on the Chinatown intro. He's the perfect combo of flash & solid groove 😀
Worry not..I do believe you are partly correct about the "output socket".. But the whole truth is..nothing comes out without something going in..kind of like an old girlfriend of mine! Lol! Great vid.
Grr Argh Glad you noticed that, mate! The guitar intimates perfectly, but it does give an odd shaped pattern on the saddles. Maybe the bridge posts are a mm out? But that's why the saddles are adjustable, right? 😀👍
Thanks for the reply. I heard someone say they were much flatter...lol..Not this particular guitar but the HB's as a whole. If I didn't have too many guitars I would give one a try. That one sounds great, looks great. Great review.. output jack. HA. That's true, never heard it called that. But it is.
Hi John,Hows it going ? Hope your getting the sunshine. This looks an ok guitar,like the swamp ash...do they do a tele in swamp ash ? I am torn between a G&L BLUESBOY TELE OR THE HARLEY BENTON 70 PAISLEY TELE ? What do ya think ? Any advice greatly appreciated...g&l or paisley ? Great channel John,cheers.
Cheers John ,good to know . Thing is i can now get modern fender,humbucker bridge/strat middle/tele neck for £415 ????? I have to make a choice or i will go mad he he he. Think i might have a look at the T52 before i make up my mind. Thanks again John,I will let you know,cheers.
it is so great to the guitars for good causes project growing. kind of reminds me of the original blues brothers movie, they were doing it for the kids too :) cheers how is the neck on this guitar btw? is it more fat classic or more like an ibanez?
Someone who tests guitars should remember that you should perform such a test without effects. This says little about the sound of the guitar itself, which is a pity.
Now this was a much better content John much appreciated. I'm still on the fence with a Harley Benton so mixec views and opinions. I my as well stick with either a Mexican or an epiphone would be better quality. Thank you John. Gary from Grindelwald Tasmania
my nephew just got into guitar. i told his mom to get a used guitar for the same price as a piece of crap new Squier. i know they aren't horrible for the price and some are better than others. i got one off ebay, made in INdonesia that sounded nice. she didn't listen and now i get to hear the kid jamming on a really cheap setup. i guess many of us have started that way. she also got him a few pedals. so overall it was like $4-500. then she complains they need to save money SMH. i would have said to get something like this and a Roland mini amp. he is a natural musician i have to say. started drumming first and isn't bad. horrible drumset tho OMG. then he picks up guitar and took some lessons and faster learner than i ever was. little whippersnapper!
It really is sad when your family has someone with some degree of "expertise" at their disposal, and willing to help non the less and they don't take advantage of it, I started on a squier, switched out the pickups and sounds great now.
i took apart a Squire and can't put it back together. soldering isn't difficult. i am confused by some wire with a sleeve. i'm not giving up. now its personal lol. it was a nice Indo Squire strat that i thought i could strip and poly. not a good idea.
Did the same thing my dude, took me years to finally put it back together, but you can do it, get yourself a couple of old pots and switches, or cheap ones and practice the wiring first, I'd recommend getting something along the lines of 26 gauge wire seems to be a good size for wiring instruments I usually just buy 26 gauge balanced microphone wire and strip the leads, start from scratch and its much easier to follow than whatever someone else did. plenty of good diagrams out there.
Look to the list on the right side it sais Blackwood fretbaord! Which is pine wood! I have that Blackwood on my Traveler HB guitar and the frets are MOVING! Stay away from that Blackwood. Lets hope Thomann changes that for Ovangkol instead.
Che Guebuddha Yeah, they've changed that since I did that part of the video earlier this week. You're right, it DOES now say Blackwood. It's not pine though, as you can see here... www.woodsolutions.com.au/wood-species/blackwood
Trust me, its Pine. Ask Thomann guitar department! Its very soft, I can go straight into it with my nail! No wonder my frets move in it! I wish they change that crap wood and get Ovangkol or even that baked maple (Roseacer). Im sure yours is the one with Rosewood freboard. I had that old one too with Wilkinson pickups. Fantastic guitar (it was)
Sorry, but how do you KNOW it's pine? If they say it's Blackwood, and it's not, that would be false advertising. And as you incorrectly identified Blackwood as Pine, i can;t help but be suspicious of your statement.
Blackwood is New Zealand PINE! You go ahead and get yourself a HB with Blackwood, be my guest, and report later ;) Im for sure staying away from it after having such wood on my Harley Benton Traveler guitar (acoustic). Never before have I had frets moving out of the fretboard with any other wood I had (Rosewood, Maple). BTW, did you ever have a guiatr with Blackwood fretboard? But lets say its not Pine! What ever it is, it IS Crap in my book as fretboard material should be stable and hard!
Tim, I have been buying Harley Bentons since 2014! Thomann falsely advertise often, not because they want to but because it happens (human factor). They have no problem getting such guitar back and give you back the money. They have a very good customer service, hence me still being their customer!
I'm not sure it's possible to buy a bad new guitar, these days? I just picked up a secondhand Dano DC59. Apparently, been on ebay for week, with no interest, and since it was only ten minutes from me, all the 'problems' were fixable, and it was dirt cheap, I took a punt. This thing is nigh on pristine! Small dent in the neck, which I couldn't even find, initially, basically just a chip in the lacquer. 'Chip' in the scratchplate - the scratchplate is a piece of hardboard with a white textured sheet glued on, which is peeling off and has a small (2x1mm) piece missing. Glue it down or paint it... Best/mos amuzing thing, which I didn't spot 'til I got home. 'Tuning issues'. Dumbass strung it up with ZERO wraps around the posts on the wound strings and just two wraps on the plain, PLUS the plain strings wound on this three-a-side head as if it was a six-a-side, Fender style, ie. the wrong direction.
No joke I was actually considering a MIM strat but you convinced me John.
Cheers from Canada!
Another informative, first-rate, no nonsense, totally understandable video.
i have a st-62 with old trem(six screws) ,the method i used to sort the trem out totally. Replace string "catchers" with string trees, replace nut with Graphtech nut(PQ-5000) cost about£10 i wedged a fret rocker under trem then tune to pitch.screw the spring claw screws inwards until wedge comes out, give it some welly on trem, re_tune and use trem normally.if a note is flat you need more spring tension(tighten screw) if a string is sharp its binding at the nut either lube or file.sorry if thats long winded but this method does work . i hope this helps someone out but it really is a balancing act literally!!!
Outstanding choice, John. I love the rich sounds and range of variables. Watching the vid it appeared relatively easy to bend notes. You play very well.
Just subscribed !!!!
I'm Loving you channel so far ..... Can't see that changing !!!!
I'm a guitarist been playing for over 40 years and I'm 48 years old now and I must say I really like your playing , it's a nice change for someone to play so well without the bullshit of ego on here .
Thank you ...... Brilliant .
Shane Stevens , Cambridgeshire ....
Indeed, it’s got great tone. The twang is definitely there. Nice settings by the way where there’s a bit of overdrive and hall reverb. Like SRV.
Hey John, i bought a HB telecaster 6 months ago. It is with no doubt a killer guitar. I own a custom shop Strat and after a bit of setting up on the Tele it definitely holds its own with the Strat. Playability and tone are great.
The Search For Intelligent Life in RUclips takes a breath here. Dude, mate, amigo you rock.
Very clever repair solution to the loose tremelo problem. I would suggest, however, to cut the plastic bag into strips, 1/2" wide, by 2" long. Cut several of them. Then use them to wrap the threads of the screw threads, going in the direction of screwing in the screw. This is the same as what you would do for putting teflon tape on the threads of a pipe fitting. It takes up the space between the threads of the screw and the threads cut into the internal piece.
Wow I never thought about it actually, but you are 100% correct IT IS an output jack NOT an input. 30+ years playing and I still learn new things. Thanks : )
Great channel here. You are doing the masses a great service by reviewing these budget guitars that get the job done! Well done and nice guitar playing! Cheers.
Nice to hear "Dancing in the moonlight" ( Thin Lizzy ) among other things...Nice-sounding Strat, you've convinced me, I'm going to add one to my collection...
I have that same model, and there was nothing wrong when I got it - it's a very nice guitar, and dirt cheap too - the trem is great! Actually I'm a liiiitle bit in love with it
I bought this model last year, it's a great player
Cheers, Good job and good luck with the sale , great cause too, hats off to you Sir.
I have a 1980 Stratocaster that I bought that was green with a white pickguard. Of course the first thing I did was sanded it down the bare wood and then refinished a shiny coat over top. And I replace the pickguard with tortoise shell, and I soak the pickup covers and volume and tone knobs in very thick coffee for a couple days to turn them a cream color nicotine faded. Looks almost identical to this. And it's taken me since 1983 to make it look that way. I want to buy one of these because I was so happy with the black and gold Paisley tele from these guys. Harley Benton is a great company
It is indeed an 'output' jack, as it allows the signal to travel out to the amp.
It is also a 'vibrato' unit, or 'vibrato arm' and not a tremolo unit or tremolo arm. 'Vibrato' is a change in pitch, while tremolo is a change in volume.
Of course, context is important. When talking guitars, 'trem' means vibrato, 'tuners' mean tuning machines, etc. In that context, 'input' and 'output' mean the same thing.
What this guy does is truly admiral...
Bought a MIM strat two years ago, now. Gtr Center/online/sight unseen. Perfectly fine right out of the box. None of the issues I keep hearing about.
Recently traded for an "10 ash body mim strat. Set it up and no issues at all. People put down MIM strats to justify why they spent $1200.00 for a USA. IMHO
Got this and I was pretty pleased with it. Now I have locking tuners on and its better now when using bar.
After spending THOUSANDS almost 100,000 on gear( probably more) I can Honestly say its more about brand than the actual guitar. These are fine instruments and will get the Job done. Save your money on your future and familys. Its in your hands not the guitar
My Japanese Fender Strat bridge posts were loose. I used teflon tape to rap the posts. Worked great! I love the natural finish on the guitar. Why don't more manufacturers use it? Probably cheap wood? But I don't like the pick guard. I see that as of March 20, 2020, they are using a darker color pick guard, which looks much better.
Thank god. Just ordered mine today.
We all have five senses... but a sixth very important sence that John definetly has.... and some people don’t seem
to have is a ...sence of humor.... Rock on John 👍😎🎸
4:44 Good point, but I think of it as where the lead goes INTO the guitar, so I guess thats why people call it input jack
I bought a new MiM Strat from Manny's Music ages ago (this was before the Internet so it was sight unseen over the phone), for a few hundred dollars and it was darn near perfect right out of the box. Low action, easy to play, no fret buzz, no neck adjustment needed, it was great. I thought they were all like that but later started hearing complaints from others. I did jokingly ask the salesman to pick me out a good one. Looks like he came through.
I'm 64 years young and have owned many Fender guitars. My 1998 MIM Strat is as good as any of them. Dittos my 2000 Nashville Tele...
you got me with mannys music
Yeah, too bad they closed up. They had the lowest price on everything. After getting back into music it's disturbing to find that EVERY store has the same exact price on each item, so there's no shopping around for deals. I thought price fixing was illegal.
i just got a 95 MIM off ebay with a case for a good price. it looks super mint and seller isn't some newbie. should be here tomorrow!
i resold the guitar i got. 1995 and completely mint. i decided to make some money and get something cheap for free. i had a great Squier and ruined it. sold the parts for $60. made in Indonesia.
Nice guitar and great playing too. Don`t forget to listen to the gear bitches and change - the body, the neck, the bridge, tuners, pickups, strap buttons, strings, electrics etc and it will sound like a totally different guitar.
I use plumbers teflon tape on stop tail pieces and bridges.
Yes that is best stuff to use (PTFE Tape) 🤘
What you're doing for the kids is a very honorable thing...much respect for all you're doing! Anyway, I think the Harley Benton's are hard to beat for the price! I have rarely ever heard a bad review. People always like them!
I always enjoy your videos but I don't know why you would compare this guitar to a Mexican strat the new player series are really unbelievable! I don't know if you've had the chance too play one yet but if you ever do i think you will see what I mean I know that thay cost 4 times as much but I think you might even be impressed. I know harley benton is the new kid in town but Fender is Fender for a reason. Anyway love your videos and the charity work your doing your a good man
@@anthonylakatos1043 lol they cost 7 times as much
I have a Mexican Fender Stat 50's reissue apart from the quick fret ware out and massive cracks in the paint, worked fine.
More power to you, John!
Or use the industry standard PTFE thread tape.
But the jack is where you PUT the cable IN so surely it's an input
Nice little axe. My kind of chops as well! Great playing.
Glad you mentioned that the bridge pickup was not great -thought it was just my ears ! The neck pickup sounded great to me though. Love the look of the guitar and in your hands it rocks :) . Someone's going to be lucky.
Ahh, the old Dancing in the Moonlight, my second favourite Lizzy track
Great review
I own both Harley Benton st-62 and Fender PLayer strat. Fender is head and shoulders above Harely Benton in terms of sound and quality.
One of the best Harley Benton Strats. Caution: it will only sound like this when Mr. Robson plays it.
Great review John, sounding great as per your norm.
Hi John plumbers PTFE tape is the full name! Love your videos, your style and your chops! God bless u and keep rocking!
too late, I bought three and have no regret. I got traditional body thickness and head stock. I'm glad you think you got a better guitar. More power to you .
help me should I order this strat or the Slick swamp ash strat????????????????????????
Loctite threadlock works great for loose threads
Love listening to you play
GREAT VIDEO..........you have inspired me . id like to test drive a harley benton strat.. thanks for posting.............
Great 'Dancing in the moonlight'..
He's the first one I've ever heard to say he prefers the six screw tremolo over the two point tremolo system. I personally feel the opposite about that.
What are the size of the frets?
PTFE Tape might be useful?
I've got one of these guitars on order and thinking of fitting locking tuners. If I bought vintage locking tuners would they swap over easily using the same screw holes etc.?
Plumbers ptfe tape works quite well in in dealing with those threads too!
Probably better than a carrier bag, as they are going to decompose after a few years.
I'm pleasantly surprised to see that the price of this (in euros) hasn't changed in the best part of 2 years, in fact it's cheaper now due to the exchange rate.
Good video ! but what is the weight of this guitar ? thank
Going to order a Harley Benton end of may, what I save will mean I will send
you a donation. Love the vids mate.
Stephen Leitch Thank you so much 👍😀🎸
I hope you notice the 350mm (13.7'') fretboard radius vs the usual 9.5'' radius for Strat/Tele clones (or the 7.25'' for vintage Strat/Teles). This is an Ibanez or a Yamaha Pacifica 112 disguised as a Strat.
Thanks for the THIN LIZZY!
Well, its a bit of a shame that I came across this the day after the ebay auction ended but at least it raised some decent money. Nicely done video, John, with what I would say is just the right amount of playing to show how the guitar performs. I think it also confirms just how important getting the guitar properly sorted out and set up is. My G.A.S. has got me wondering if Harley Benton do a nice Telecaster ?
Kevin Lawton Indeed they do, mate. Check out the TE52 or the TE70 (there's a review of that one on this channel).
Hot stuff. You make the HB sound like a million bucks!
You are very cool player, better than me of course and better than many players in internet what i know
Thanks 👍
Those pups sound like Texas Specials!
I Was Just Going To Say John, I Had This Problem With Loose Bridge Posts, And I Used Plumbers, { Thread Tape } Does A Great Job Of Fixing Them, When You Said You Have Used This Your Self, Great Video And Playing, Cheers
Bring on the tone-tape enthusiasts, pontificating on the relative tonal qualities of plumber's tape vs. bin liners vs. Tesco bags vs. Waitrose ones!
Seb Brosig I wouldn't rule it out, mate. Then there will be those who insist on having the bag all crumpled & torn as the relic'd ones have so much more "mojo." 😂
just bought my first MIJ strat... probally will never buy another MIM 0R MIA again..the are that good ..
I have a mexican strat en a Harley Benton. Although the Benton is a pretty good guitar I would always choose the Mexican Fender
Putting a hotter pickup in the bridge changes the sound of the inbetween sounds bridge/middle. It makes the sound too bright sounding.
Malcolm Hardwick I disagree. Putting a mini humbucker (like a hot rails) in the bridge position makes the bridge/middle setting darker sounding. Using a 5 way "super switch" as a replacement for the standard 5 way switch means that you can automatically coil tap the humbucker when you flip to the "in between" position if retaining the single coil sound is important to you. I've never experienced a humbucker sounding "brighter" than a single coil it replaces.
I have a hotrails in the bridge on one of my strats and it sounds pretty good. Nice to split the coils ( not tap thats different ! ) to keep the regular strat sound that can be boosted when the need arises. Another strat I put a hotter ( about 1k hotter ) bridge pickup and it sounds far better than the old pickup. But when I go to bridge/middle it sounded way too bright so i put the old pickup back in and it gave a warmer sounding quack type sound. So i guess I need another strat to use this hotter bridge pickup in !
Where did you get that plate?
Is this a flat finger board? I don’t like it too terribly flat like on the classic vibe Tele.
Yeah, pretty flat which I prefer to be honest.
I'm with you on the bridge pup, it sounds shit without tone control. I'd get a Tele bridge pup into it and get your guitar tech to get some tone control in there.
@@gilroylibbs2947 Did a similar mod to my Squier Strat--jumped bridge pickup to neck tone. One wire and two solder points. Easy.
Fender Mexican Classic Series 70s Strat with ash body is 800 euros. Hard to say are these really comparable but the sound you got from this is definitely good.
Eloy Suopunki Having played hundreds of MIM strats I don't think it's hard to say this is comparable at all. Quality of timber? Check. Fit & finish? Check. Playability? Check. Quality of hardware? Check. Sound? Check. Once all those things are ticked off the list, you've got a comparable instrument.
Just after posting I went to search those same Fender Strats with rosewood fingerboard, I couldn't hear any significant difference. With maple fingerboards, yes, but then again that's a different wood choice.
Nice show sir keep up the good work
How does it hold after 4 years?
I have no idea, I'm afraid. The guitar was only passing through my hands as it had been donated to a charity I was fundraising for. It went to it's new owner not long after this video was published.
John you due great videos thank you .
Ptfe tape?
Great video! But if you're going to go "output socket" instead of "input jack", then you also need to go "vibrato", not "tremolo"! ;)
JazzzRockFuzion Touche! In my defence, I blame Leo, he got his tremolo & vibrato mixed up too 😀
I would have used PTFE tape for those bridge posts but if you got away with an ordinary plastic bag - fine :-)
I did use PTFE in the end before I sold it 😀
Is it better than st 70 or st 57 dg?
I have the ST57DG & I reckon it's just a bit better
Use PTFE tape instead of the plastic bag if you have some.
Andrew Reynolds Already done. I used the plastic bag as a "proof of concept" & went to the local ironmonger shop, got some PTFE & re-did the fix 😀
Came here for the HB, left looking for a Vox tone lab.
Same!
A wonderful review! Your positive attitude makes the video interesting. Anyone can bitch and complain but you see problems as things to fix, not to whine about.
If ever you get bored, i could use an explanation of what makes a good tuning peg and how best to change them. If ever you find yourself in Montreal you will have a beer or two waiting for you.
Nicholas Pogue Thanks mate. As for tuners, personally, I'm not that fussy. The higher gear ratio the better. 18:1 is pretty normal on higher end tuners. Many people like locking pegs, but if you tie the strings off (as I've done for years) you get the same stability out of regular tuners. Wilkinson are pretty reliable & pretty good on price, too 😀
So now in trouble. This one or Paisley strat from Harley?
Hades Eye Hmmm... The Paisley. But it's a close run thing.
Thanks again for a good video! I'd like to chime in with a few points if that's ok.
I got this same Harley Benton swamp ash guitar a couple of weeks ago. It now plays very well and keeps in tune even better than my Fender Tom Delonge. There were however a few things with it to sort out.
I had a hairline crack in the wood visible only on the back side, about 5 cm from the backplate and towards the neck. Unscrewed the backplate and saw the crack starting right under the trem springs.
Thomann wanted me to rerurn it, but I am taking my chances that it is just an initial drying up crack of the wood and I don't expect it to continue further. Future will tell. I also had already started polishing the frets so I didn't want to return it as the rest of the guitar was perfect in finish and feel.
The intonation was absolutely pertfect. I had a couple of fret ends protruding maybe a tad that I finished down. I fixed the trem by tightening the 2 bridge screws and fixing the trem block, since I never use the trem. The neck is nice and straight, truss rod works.
The staining/laquer was quite orange in the colour tone as I got it, the first thing I noticed that wasn't quite as in the Thomann picture, or indeed as yours. I have gotten used to it and quite like it, and have polished the whole body and neck with steel wool and it looks much better. The original laquer/varnish was a bit "dead" looking. (I am a bit of a stickler when it comes to wood finish, messing with wooden boats, furniture etc.)
One more little thing that was a bit strange was the plastic nut. The spacing of the string pockets are not correctly spaced in my opinion, as the grooves are too narrowly spaced.
Will install a new bone nut today. The nut was initially also too high, but that was easily remedied by taking it out and sanding it down about a mm.
This may all seem as too much for some buyers, for others not. I like this guitar a LOT in spite of some minor flaws, since the price is fantastic and I have no problem with making these minor adjustments.
It still is quite a good quality instrument.
Cheers 👍⭐
Would it be worth trying to seep some glue into that crack to halt it getting any ideas?
Chris Franklyn Yes , one could of course get some epoxy glue in there, but I will wait and see what happens. My woodworking experiences tell me it's an initial drying of the wood and that it has stabilized. If the tgin crack had continued past the other side of the routed out trem hole, I'd be worried and had returned it, but thus is not the case. We'll just wait and see 😉😎
Fair enough. I have little no woodworking experience, although I have prepared a lot of firewood, so just guessing.
syncro16se j
Oh, I've got a roll of plumbers tape that's lasted me forever... never thought to reach for a carrier bag :)
Oh nice. Is this still the case with the biodegradable plastic bags? Ever had one of those explode in your hands into a cloud of particles? :) I suppose even if it goes to dust it's in the grooves doing the job.
Hi John,can you demo the box tonelab st? I'm looking to buy one. Thanks
Coming soon, mate 😀
How to use reaper with pro tools
Dancing in the moonlight .... nice...😊😊😊😊
Ryan Used to do it in a 70s covers band years ago called The Sweeney. Used to do a version of the theme tune, too 😀
John Robson Guitarist I think I remember your cover band... Did it myself with a cover band called Uncle Waldo in late 70's/80's... Was fortunate to have met the late great Phil Lynott twice.. Absolute legend.. Will be at the Rory gallagher festival in ballyshannon, Co. Donegal in a couple of weeks, Brian Downey is there playing the main stage with his very own lizzy cover band..
Ryan Brian Downey is one of Rock's most under rated drummers, IMHO. Love his fill on the Chinatown intro. He's the perfect combo of flash & solid groove 😀
Worry not..I do believe you are partly correct about the "output socket".. But the whole truth is..nothing comes out without something going in..kind of like an old girlfriend of mine! Lol! Great vid.
Thanks for this bro, do you know if it’s the cheap thin trem block in there or full size?
Full size on the one I looked at. That was a few years ago though.
At last a good review of this guitar! What do you think about funky sounds? Would you choose this model for it or maybe a telecaster by harley benton?
I always seem to prefer a tele 😀
No, it's an input socket. You put the cable in......therefored input jack.
Not really, mate.
@@JRobsonGuitar A funny discussion isn't it ? ;-)
What a weird intonation pattern on the saddles? Obviously works though. Good job. Good cause.
Grr Argh Glad you noticed that, mate! The guitar intimates perfectly, but it does give an odd shaped pattern on the saddles. Maybe the bridge posts are a mm out? But that's why the saddles are adjustable, right? 😀👍
John Robson Guitarist Exactly right John. Giid luck with the sale!
Nice playing!
Thanks for the review, John. What gauge strings did you put on it?
Great review..What is the neck radius on these guitars?
Crow It feels quite "modern" I'd say around 10".
Thanks for the reply. I heard someone say they were much flatter...lol..Not this particular guitar but the HB's as a whole. If I didn't have too many guitars I would give one a try. That one sounds great, looks great. Great review.. output jack. HA. That's true, never heard it called that. But it is.
Hi John,Hows it going ? Hope your getting the sunshine.
This looks an ok guitar,like the swamp ash...do they do a tele in swamp ash ?
I am torn between a G&L BLUESBOY TELE OR THE HARLEY BENTON 70 PAISLEY TELE ?
What do ya think ? Any advice greatly appreciated...g&l or paisley ?
Great channel John,cheers.
james nixon They do an ash bodied tele, the T52. A student of mine has a G&L and that's a nice guitar but they're more expensive I think.
Cheers John ,good to know .
Thing is i can now get modern fender,humbucker bridge/strat middle/tele neck for £415 ?????
I have to make a choice or i will go mad he he he.
Think i might have a look at the T52 before i make up my mind.
Thanks again John,I will let you know,cheers.
ozlo houser brickballs n
b nice with a demo how to use the tonelab st seein as just got one and it dont sound like yours eek nice vid
steven ruby Way ahead of you, mate... ruclips.net/video/EbI8fEvHVMY/видео.html
it is so great to the guitars for good causes project growing.
kind of reminds me of the original blues brothers movie, they were doing it for the kids too :) cheers
how is the neck on this guitar btw? is it more fat classic or more like an ibanez?
Vappo Riesat Think "modern Fender" 😀
Input goes INTO the amp. Output goes OUT of the amp!
Someone who tests guitars should remember that you should perform such a test without effects. This says little about the sound of the guitar itself, which is a pity.
good honest playing Johnny boy, guitar is made in the U.K?
Rik Bonneville No mate, Indonesia 😀
Now this was a much better content John much appreciated. I'm still on the fence with a Harley Benton so mixec views and opinions. I my as well stick with either a Mexican or an epiphone would be better quality. Thank you John. Gary from Grindelwald Tasmania
my nephew just got into guitar. i told his mom to get a used guitar for the same price as a piece of crap new Squier. i know they aren't horrible for the price and some are better than others. i got one off ebay, made in INdonesia that sounded nice.
she didn't listen and now i get to hear the kid jamming on a really cheap setup. i guess many of us have started that way. she also got him a few pedals. so overall it was like $4-500. then she complains they need to save money SMH. i would have said to get something like this and a Roland mini amp.
he is a natural musician i have to say. started drumming first and isn't bad. horrible drumset tho OMG. then he picks up guitar and took some lessons and faster learner than i ever was. little whippersnapper!
It really is sad when your family has someone with some degree of "expertise" at their disposal, and willing to help non the less and they don't take advantage of it, I started on a squier, switched out the pickups and sounds great now.
i took apart a Squire and can't put it back together. soldering isn't difficult. i am confused by some wire with a sleeve. i'm not giving up. now its personal lol. it was a nice Indo Squire strat that i thought i could strip and poly. not a good idea.
Did the same thing my dude, took me years to finally put it back together, but you can do it, get yourself a couple of old pots and switches, or cheap ones and practice the wiring first, I'd recommend getting something along the lines of 26 gauge wire seems to be a good size for wiring instruments I usually just buy 26 gauge balanced microphone wire and strip the leads, start from scratch and its much easier to follow than whatever someone else did. plenty of good diagrams out there.
i was going for the natura look, not black. didn't know it had an inch of enamel lol. i shall try now, thx!
Look to the list on the right side it sais Blackwood fretbaord! Which is pine wood! I have that Blackwood on my Traveler HB guitar and the frets are MOVING! Stay away from that Blackwood. Lets hope Thomann changes that for Ovangkol instead.
Che Guebuddha Yeah, they've changed that since I did that part of the video earlier this week. You're right, it DOES now say Blackwood. It's not pine though, as you can see here...
www.woodsolutions.com.au/wood-species/blackwood
Trust me, its Pine. Ask Thomann guitar department! Its very soft, I can go straight into it with my nail! No wonder my frets move in it! I wish they change that crap wood and get Ovangkol or even that baked maple (Roseacer). Im sure yours is the one with Rosewood freboard. I had that old one too with Wilkinson pickups. Fantastic guitar (it was)
Sorry, but how do you KNOW it's pine? If they say it's Blackwood, and it's not, that would be false advertising. And as you incorrectly identified Blackwood as Pine, i can;t help but be suspicious of your statement.
Blackwood is New Zealand PINE! You go ahead and get yourself a HB with Blackwood, be my guest, and report later ;) Im for sure staying away from it after having such wood on my Harley Benton Traveler guitar (acoustic). Never before have I had frets moving out of the fretboard with any other wood I had (Rosewood, Maple). BTW, did you ever have a guiatr with Blackwood fretboard? But lets say its not Pine! What ever it is, it IS Crap in my book as fretboard material should be stable and hard!
Tim, I have been buying Harley Bentons since 2014! Thomann falsely advertise often, not because they want to but because it happens (human factor). They have no problem getting such guitar back and give you back the money. They have a very good customer service, hence me still being their customer!
I'm not sure it's possible to buy a bad new guitar, these days?
I just picked up a secondhand Dano DC59. Apparently, been on ebay for week, with no interest, and since it was only ten minutes from me, all the 'problems' were fixable, and it was dirt cheap, I took a punt. This thing is nigh on pristine!
Small dent in the neck, which I couldn't even find, initially, basically just a chip in the lacquer. 'Chip' in the scratchplate - the scratchplate is a piece of hardboard with a white textured sheet glued on, which is peeling off and has a small (2x1mm) piece missing. Glue it down or paint it...
Best/mos amuzing thing, which I didn't spot 'til I got home. 'Tuning issues'. Dumbass strung it up with ZERO wraps around the posts on the wound strings and just two wraps on the plain, PLUS the plain strings wound on this three-a-side head as if it was a six-a-side, Fender style, ie. the wrong direction.