This is EXCELLENT and very helpful. Great work. A note on some of HB's guitars: I don't know with which your particular guitar is equipped, but Thomann has a house brand of strings with colored ball ends. They're very inexpensive, and I like them quite a bit. They offer great value for the price. I have some at home that are labeled as hand wound premium HB strings, or similar. I paid about $3 for the set.
These reviews are the best you can find. All the relevant info, important measurements, concise, to the point and without the usual balast of stupidities or pointless playing most guitar players throw around.
Update 1: Germany reduced its VAT from 19% to 16% from July 1 until December 31, 2020. For those of you in the EU it means you pay less! Update 2: It was brought to my attention that the newest Fusion-T guitars have the pickup switch angled and not in a straight line as it is on mine, making it much more convenient. At the moment though, it looks like Thomann have mixed stock of both, therefore it's hard to predict which one you'll get. No worries, they gonna run out of the old stock eventually.
I love you man. You're the one and only who shares information about the weight of the instrument, so precious and so overlooked. Thanks a lot and keep it up.
Excellent review, the most detailed I’ve seen for this guitar and exactly what potential buyers will need when buying ‘unseen’ from Thomann . Really well done!
9:45 The body is made out of sapele (Entandrophragma genus), which is more reddish than genuine mahogany (Swietenia genus). I've never seen a more in-depth guitar review. Subscribed.
They have changed spec's for HB Fusion-T guitars since this video was made almost 2 years ago... One change I see, at least for Fusion-T models marked "HH Roasted" - is the pickups are NOW both, the higher output HAF pickups.
And within the first few sentences you uttered the words that so many second rate reviewers do not ‘ is available ‘ for lefties. Thank you. I am subscribing and I am a fan.
Just had to say you are one of the best instrument reviewers on youtube! You've demonstrated alot of skills with tools I never knew about but always wanted to learn! Keep up the awesome work!
Hi, Ana! Similar things happened to me with low cost guitars but in my case the culprit was..the crappy output jack!!! Easy fix by replacing the offending part with a Switchcraft and no problems since. I somehow got a SH old (2002 ) copy of a Harley Benton SG. The old symmetric style that copied the contour perfectly and was made out of mahogany they say ( plenty heavy) and with a nice finish , and yet a weak sound and crackly pots.I overhauled the electronics without changing anything but the output jack and wow.. the thing is a stunner- hot signal and interesting voicing. Was preparing to swap it all out, pickups and all but found that a) the switch selector and b) the output jack are really, really crappy on these kinds of instruments. So start by applying some contact spray directly in the output jack and cleaning the "bore" a bit with an ear cleaner stick I got it working.For the spray, auto repair /maintenance shops carry this, and also many gas stations, ask for " electrical contact cleaning spray" - not expensive but good to have anyway. Also electronic enthusiast stores used to but these are getting increasingly rare. So- electric contact spray in the input jack and clean the crud out with a ear cleaning stick or something , and then on the back housing of the switch ( don't have to dissasemble, if applied liberally it usually gets in there to the contacts too). Give that switch a couple of good flips and then check the output jack so there's no wiggle of the cable as it should make a good contact (sometimes crappy input jacks are so crappy they don't hold the cable jack well). If it wiggles, bend the retainer clip inside just a bit, try again. Okay now you are ready for the final pickup assessment: are they really the part that's "getting tired" or were they the connections and the crappy switch and/or jack? If so, off with their heads!!!!! But hold the pickups for last- had plenty of nice experiences with even the cheapest HB pickups, and some of the worst with their connecting hardware/jacks/switches and soldered wires. Redo these first and maybe the guitar will sing!!! Best of luck! Remember, an output jack and a switch are waaay less expensive than pickups- but if these two don't cut it, then take that guitar and..gut it - out with the harness and in with.. a Tele Cabronita aftermarket harness maybe? For the pots, try full size CTS Labs or anything else really :) but those must go; for the capacitor -your choice.. the wildest I've seen is a 12 position rotary switch added with a lot of nice and different caps to switch and match -lots of tonal possibilities there. Definetely change the pots. And please remember that even if small size pots can be very good, guitars in the past used the really big sized ones for mechanical reasons too- they are sturdier and less prone to failing due to volume swells or tone adjustments on the fly ... For the crappy fretboard try some conditioner. I cannot explain how much these things can improve once given a proper rinse. When I got my second hand SG it was abandoned in a pawn shop by the seaside and all sorts of tourists with unwashed hands have apparently tried it for some 10 years or so.When I got it it was totally disgusting, a disaster! Not having tools on my seaside holiday I went to the nearrest supermarket (lot of crazy looks went my way, a huge guy holding a guitar with a very disgusted look on his face) and quickly bought furniture wipes (wet tissue imbued with wax based furniture cleaner. I gave it a good rub and got all the grime out. Not the same situation but the trick worked with a new guitar too- sometimes they polish the frets and leave the compound on- it is a black or grey residue that is not apparent at first and then your hands are full of it... Give it a goood wipe and after 3-4 tissues it is gone never to return. Good luck and please tell us how you fared. These cheap guitars, they are good but not out of the box.. you slowly turn into a luthier. And then they're fun!!!!
Saw someone playing one of these on TV the other night , my son who go to live gigs, (mostly blues /classic rock) , told me that he's seeing more and more HBs on stage lately.
Very interesting, unusual yet beneficial way of showing the spec, features etc - this is the first video of yours I came upon - I will for sure be back ;)
Bought one last month.The PUs are decent if you are not a stage player.In studio/home with a domestic amp they´re ok.For a more powerful bite or live you´d better change the PU´s.Those will die on you.The back of the neck becomes quickly sticky with hand sweat such as the fingerboard.The roasted maple fretboard becomes uncomfortable and sticky.It stains a lot, too. Mine came with two holes on the side of the fretboard as a bonus.Like small worm holes. Very good looking guitar, but for 360€ i expected a much better overall guitar after all the hype. The controls started to stuck and the volume pot become temperamental and not responsive.I regret buying it, after large hours of playing with my amateur band. Not fun to play anymore.The kind of guitar you get tired of it soon.😕😕
@@johnblock708 For sure, i have to clean the neck and fretboard frequently otherwise becomes unplayable. I´m gonna change all electronics, too.The guitar PU´s and volume becomes "fatigued" after a few hours.Like a car that you have to pull over to cool it down, as the engine gets"tired" and not responsive after a long travel, in lack of better description.
I've got three guitar sites I watch on a regular basis that have similar platforms. Today this video was recommend and although I seldom watch music review video's that last more than 12 minutes (attention span deficiency due to being 70. lol) but I watched started this one today because I really am interested in this guitar. Well.....next thing I realize is that it's over. The time went by unnoticed because you really have a unique way of reviewing. Very impressive, especially with the comparisons of pickups with the other guitar and I knew exactly which p./u you were using and which guitar. Long story short I loved my first video of yours, am now subscribed and will research your site for other reviews of instruments. Thanks for the extremely thorough and documented video and the effort you put in to your production. Stay healthy
My Fusion just like this one will be here tomorrow. Am a little excited as it will be by first Tele model as well as my first roasted neck. Can’t wait to put it to the test! Thanks for the great review.
Just received my Fusion T and very much flawless. And the bridge is lined up perfectly with the string holes in the body. I will also add that my model has the pickup selector angled similar to a strat so it is much easier to use!
I wanted to buy a Fender Special Edition Custon Telecaster® FMT HH but in fact I think this one is way better, the only thing to make it superior is swapping the pups out for Duncan's. Thx for the review, you just convinced this guy to just spend half the original price!
That roasted neck is beautiful! As a Fender Tele player, I may grab one of these, the price seems a little too good to be true Oo, it makes me suspicious of build quality, or electronics, but I think I'm willing to take the chance due to the price. I've heard these with the EMG pickups, and they sound incredible, yep, I'm sold ^^ I can hang up the Tele for a bit, if this works out.
Great Video! Is split-coil on these Models always the outer coils? Got a Fender Blacktop HH which has a Switch Position, where the inner coils are selected - sound great too. a bit warmer, while the outer coils sound more "snappy" like a tele.
Fusion 2 ST*** sounds a little brighter, likely the pickup covers on the T***. I dumped EVH pickups neck and bridge into mine and stuck with the chrome covers. It actually helps when single coil twanging from becoming too harsh. Cheers!! (tung oiled the neck with 5 coats followed by 0000 steel wool after a few weeks.. MUCH easier to clean and doesn't gunk up as fast)
Excellent review! It really confuses me how guitar manufacturers put the wrong value Pots in their guitars. It's such a critical function and such an easy fix. Mind boggling how they can let their reputation take that hit.
Love the channel. One respectful suggestion is to try Gibson guitar straps. They are thick, well built, extremely comfortable and most importantly, I can assure that using one completely eliminates neck dive on any guitar regardless of where the strap buttons are located. The guitar simply will not move from wherever you position it. The downside is that these straps are comparatively quite expensive but very much worth it in my opinion. Just thought I'd share as I have seen many videos that discuss neck dive as an issue. 99% of the time, it is the strap. The other 1% it is where the strap buttons were installed.
Thanks. I used to be Levy's artist, still have plenty of great straps. Neck dive seems to be an issue for some people, not for me. So, I'd naturally pick the most slippery strap to find out if there's any potential for that. But I disagree on the approach you suggested. It's like treating symptoms instead of the cause. Yes, a good strap can virtually eliminate the problem but the problem itself is caused by guitar's weight balance in the first place and strap buttons location.
The reason I like Harley Benton guitars because they are made in Indonesia not China and some of them are assembled in Germany I have heard but I don’t know how much of that is done for the value they are astounding
I love it. I am happy with them I use the GT1. I will try a clover when I can! Thanks man! I had this in my feed I watched when I ordered mine. Hahahah. There you are! Awesome to see you helping the community.
I just feel so many people jump strait to replacing pickups when there are many things you can do before going that route. Pickup height, adjustable poles are something many people of scared of, but its really hard to mess it up just trying. I like things like the clover because it allows me to do more shaping the sound as well as the boost to performance. Personally, I prefer a low output pickup because I can shape it more to fine tune it. Anyways, you are awesome, keep up the great work.
Fun video. I always like to hear what people think Of the Harley Bentons. I feel people pick them apart because they can't believe they can get such a quality instrument for that price.
HI!! Thanks for this fun informative and cool video & channel~ I subscribed:) I was wondering about a 7 string HB for my 28yr old pro musician. I wonder if HB 7 strings rock as well?
Great review. Clear, concise and to the point. I really like the way you compare the pickups in this video side by side with the other guitar the Strat shaped guitar has a brighter sound to me both of them sound good and they all seem to be well worth the money they charge. I doubt you could find this much guitar anywhere else for this low of a price. Keep up the good work. God Bless You And Your Family!! Jimmy in NC....
I find that, visually, this specific model looks a lot like the Fender HH Flame Maple Top. That guitar also comes from Indonesia but comes in at around 1100 euros nowadays. Could this be the same factory?
Neither it was for me. It seems to be pretty random so far. People on Facebook reported holes line up on their guitars. Or maybe what we have is the early special limited edition 😉
@@MaxSoloMusic I bought mine as soon as it became available. Aside of pickups, it's more or less a perfect guitar for me for the same reasons it got just 2 points in your review.
From what we have seen and heard, I would be more than happy with an H-B Fusion T, especially in this price class if we could get 'em that low in the US. I have a Squier Mustang and Schecter PT Saturn, and some Epis.
I would love to see your part 3 of this. I have purchased with this guitar, but upgraded the pickups to Tosin Abasi's Fishman Fluence. I am just wondering if that's a good setup or If I should upgrade anything else (other than strap buttons)
The Fusion-II sounds way too scooped in comparison. I preferred the extra mids in the Fusion-T. I love the huge control cavity. You could easily add a couple more pots and go for a Les Paul arrangements. Possibly with Jimmy Page wiring. You might even have room left for a little bit of ballast to balance out the neck dive
I've just had one delivered and the pots are now more central in the cavity and the switch is now at an angle, like a Strat. Now you've still got the big cavity, but you could only add one put or a couple of switches
Thanks for this videos. Im a beginner and recently bought an acoustic guitar. I love rock and metal so i decided to buy this (lefthanded version) with the Boss Katana Mk 2 as my first electrial guitar. Hope i will be happy and get more motivation to learn playing :)
I like your video,I have the Fusion-T with the Tremolo.I notice you have the one without.Also the 3 way switch has been moved at an angel on mine.After some complaints in 2019 the changed the position of the 3 way switch to a / rather than I. FYI
Thanks! I've just got three Ibanezes, Ibanez', Ibanezeness, Ibani... anyway, no AZs detected. I want to try some AZ guitars though! As soon as I'm done with these three
I came to the point that either A and B pots are ok for volume. The curve is gonna be slightly different but that may also give more control. The treble bleed will affect the curve as well. I saw Ibanez using type D pots for tone and it was the smoothest of all.
Hi Max! Got mine recently in ocean torquoise, they changed pickup selector position in this edition. No it's more like on Fusion II and more comfortable. BTW mine is 4 kg trem version
@@MaxSoloMusic hi Max! Which pickups would you suggest as a replacement to make a universal sounding guitar, no specific genre. Preferably from Seymour Duncan. And they must be chrome as well))
Got to say that this really does seem like a great guitar. I have the Fusion RM S style and it is also a good guitar but, the pickups are not the best, the pickups on this T style sound better in my opinion. Anybody got any good ideas for replacement of the pickups in the S style? Brand and models?
It really depends on your personal taste. I'd go with my favorite Bill Lawrence L500XL for the bridge and probably DiMarzio PAF Pro for the neck. I mean, Lawrences are really hard to find these days but Fokin makes very similar pickups - the Machete
Great review as always! Can you please provide the neck profile section diagrams? May be a link to a jpeg or PDF. That's a very useful comparison! I've never seen them drawn to scale for different guitars on one page.
@@goochguitar6967 thank you Gooch! I will certainly as I got it and had slightly nicked headstock although well packaged in a case. The guy filed claim but i told him I'm keeping it. The guitar is fine just need a set up. I shot a vid with it yesterday and I'm all about the tones these stock pups have. Wow!
Nope. At all. Pickups are a complete opposite of what you'd expect from a Tele. And Sapele is way closer to Mahogany than it is to Alder or Ash. It almost feels like they deliberately tried to push it as far as possible from a Tele. Although, the right pickups may actually make it sound much closer to a telecaster. I'll cover that topic in the part 2 of this review
This is the first time I’ve seen one of your videos. I’m impressed by both your detailed thoroughness and playing abilities. I’m subscribing and really interested in this particular guitar.. It has a lot of high end qualities for a sub $400 guitar….
@@MaxSoloMusic Oh man. I had heard they were same! Thank you I am still learning. Hehehe. So much wood. Hehe I've only heard about the trem claw screws pulling out. I hope that is rare. Also thank you for the comment back man! I'll review on my little channel soon as I recieve. Second hand. Heheh
Surfs Up! Love the t-shirts to go with the "mix". So a simpler setup yields the fewest penalties. Makes sense. Thanks for the review. Would love a Fusion II round-up at the end of your review cycle, perhaps after even some upgrades. II HSH, II HH, II-T HH A pros-cons of each and perhaps the "if I only would buy a single Fusion II ..." I suspect the HSH wins in versatility, but I'd love to hear your take. I am torn, I have the HP42, which in some respects I feel is the prototype for the entire Fusion II series in Roasted, so a HH feels like an unnecessary choice. PS Can you poke Thomann why the upcoming Dullahan-FT 24 Roasted IB is not shippable to Canada (and perhaps other countries) ? When I asked, I got a rather boilerplate Co-v-19 related excuse.
Yeah, I've heard that they don't want to ship the new Dullahan to the US. No idea why. I can try to ask. To sum it up i'd need one more Fusion-II which I don't have - the 22 fret HH. But as you said, HSH wins :) I have a few ideas for this Fusion-T though. You'll definitely see it in future videos
Also one more question :) How is the second hand market in russia im in egypt and I'll probably move to russia to study ( in Volgograd ) will i be able to sell my guitar there ?
The second hand market in Russia is huge. Bigger than the market of new instruments. But scam is like a national sport in Russia, so you have to be extremely, no EXTREMELY careful
Im an intermediate I'm thinking of selling my cort guitar with emgs and floyd rose for 350$ and buy this guitar Do you recommend it for me as a beginner/intermediate ? Or should i just get a less expensive guitar
Hey Rauko. Cort with EMGs and a Floyd sounds like a good guitar! Why would you want to sell it? Corts are made in Indonesia at a different (more high end) factory than Fusions, therefore usually are higher quality guitars. If that's the Floyd that frustrates you - well, I can understand the struggle. Either way, the Fusion-T is a good guitar for a beginner
@@MaxSoloMusic lol at this point i can just keep the cort and get a harley benton te 52 or any inexpensive guitar cuz i really need a fixed bridge guitar
Bought one (stock-B) but was a total failure, I sent it back. Got a second one, gorgeous guitar but once again, one of of the neck pickup's screw is broken and the pickups can't be raised or lowered. Sent it back to. There will not be third. I go for another brand. So, gogeous guitars, high end specs, but details suck.
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
Hey you tube reviewers , this is how you do a product review !👍
Glad you think so!
This is EXCELLENT and very helpful. Great work. A note on some of HB's guitars: I don't know with which your particular guitar is equipped, but Thomann has a house brand of strings with colored ball ends. They're very inexpensive, and I like them quite a bit. They offer great value for the price. I have some at home that are labeled as hand wound premium HB strings, or similar. I paid about $3 for the set.
These reviews are the best you can find. All the relevant info, important measurements, concise, to the point and without the usual balast of stupidities or pointless playing most guitar players throw around.
Update 1: Germany reduced its VAT from 19% to 16% from July 1 until December 31, 2020. For those of you in the EU it means you pay less!
Update 2: It was brought to my attention that the newest Fusion-T guitars have the pickup switch angled and not in a straight line as it is on mine, making it much more convenient. At the moment though, it looks like Thomann have mixed stock of both, therefore it's hard to predict which one you'll get. No worries, they gonna run out of the old stock eventually.
I love you man. You're the one and only who shares information about the weight of the instrument, so precious and so overlooked. Thanks a lot and keep it up.
Excellent review, the most detailed I’ve seen for this guitar and exactly what potential buyers will need when buying ‘unseen’ from Thomann . Really well done!
9:45 The body is made out of sapele (Entandrophragma genus), which is more reddish than genuine mahogany (Swietenia genus).
I've never seen a more in-depth guitar review. Subscribed.
Fantastic review. This is probably the most in depth review I’ve seen on any brand guitar
They have changed spec's for HB Fusion-T guitars since this video was made almost 2 years ago... One change I see, at least for Fusion-T models marked "HH Roasted" - is the pickups are NOW both, the higher output HAF pickups.
And within the first few sentences you uttered the words that so many second rate reviewers do not ‘ is available ‘ for lefties. Thank you. I am subscribing and I am a fan.
It's my first time on this channel and i'll be back of sure ! Thx for this detailed review :)
Just had to say you are one of the best instrument reviewers on youtube! You've demonstrated alot of skills with tools I never knew about but always wanted to learn! Keep up the awesome work!
Wow, thanks!
Hi, Ana! Similar things happened to me with low cost guitars but in my case the culprit was..the crappy output jack!!! Easy fix by replacing the offending part with a Switchcraft and no problems since. I somehow got a SH old (2002 ) copy of a Harley Benton SG. The old symmetric style that copied the contour perfectly and was made out of mahogany they say ( plenty heavy) and with a nice finish , and yet a weak sound and crackly pots.I overhauled the electronics without changing anything but the output jack and wow.. the thing is a stunner- hot signal and interesting voicing. Was preparing to swap it all out, pickups and all but found that a) the switch selector and b) the output jack are really, really crappy on these kinds of instruments. So start by applying some contact spray directly in the output jack and cleaning the "bore" a bit with an ear cleaner stick I got it working.For the spray, auto repair /maintenance shops carry this, and also many gas stations, ask for " electrical contact cleaning spray" - not expensive but good to have anyway. Also electronic enthusiast stores used to but these are getting increasingly rare.
So- electric contact spray in the input jack and clean the crud out with a ear cleaning stick or something , and then on the back housing of the switch ( don't have to dissasemble, if applied liberally it usually gets in there to the contacts too). Give that switch a couple of good flips and then check the output jack so there's no wiggle of the cable as it should make a good contact (sometimes crappy input jacks are so crappy they don't hold the cable jack well). If it wiggles, bend the retainer clip inside just a bit, try again.
Okay now you are ready for the final pickup assessment: are they really the part that's "getting tired" or were they the connections and the crappy switch and/or jack? If so, off with their heads!!!!! But hold the pickups for last- had plenty of nice experiences with even the cheapest HB pickups, and some of the worst with their connecting hardware/jacks/switches and soldered wires. Redo these first and maybe the guitar will sing!!!
Best of luck! Remember, an output jack and a switch are waaay less expensive than pickups- but if these two don't cut it, then take that guitar and..gut it - out with the harness and in with.. a Tele Cabronita aftermarket harness maybe?
For the pots, try full size CTS Labs or anything else really :) but those must go; for the capacitor -your choice.. the wildest I've seen is a 12 position rotary switch added with a lot of nice and different caps to switch and match -lots of tonal possibilities there. Definetely change the pots. And please remember that even if small size pots can be very good, guitars in the past used the really big sized ones for mechanical reasons too- they are sturdier and less prone to failing due to volume swells or tone adjustments on the fly ...
For the crappy fretboard try some conditioner. I cannot explain how much these things can improve once given a proper rinse. When I got my second hand SG it was abandoned in a pawn shop by the seaside and all sorts of tourists with unwashed hands have apparently tried it for some 10 years or so.When I got it it was totally disgusting, a disaster! Not having tools on my seaside holiday I went to the nearrest supermarket (lot of crazy looks went my way, a huge guy holding a guitar with a very disgusted look on his face) and quickly bought furniture wipes (wet tissue imbued with wax based furniture cleaner. I gave it a good rub and got all the grime out. Not the same situation but the trick worked with a new guitar too- sometimes they polish the frets and leave the compound on- it is a black or grey residue that is not apparent at first and then your hands are full of it... Give it a goood wipe and after 3-4 tissues it is gone never to return.
Good luck and please tell us how you fared. These cheap guitars, they are good but not out of the box.. you slowly turn into a luthier. And then they're fun!!!!
Saw someone playing one of these on TV the other night , my son who go to live gigs, (mostly blues /classic rock) , told me that he's seeing more and more HBs on stage lately.
That was the happiest opening jam I've ever heard haha. Instant sub :p
Very interesting, unusual yet beneficial way of showing the spec, features etc - this is the first video of yours I came upon - I will for sure be back ;)
Bought one last month.The PUs are decent if you are not a stage player.In studio/home with a domestic amp they´re ok.For a more powerful bite or live you´d better change the PU´s.Those will die on you.The back of the neck becomes quickly sticky with hand sweat such as the fingerboard.The roasted maple fretboard becomes uncomfortable and sticky.It stains a lot, too. Mine came with two holes on the side of the fretboard as a bonus.Like small worm holes. Very good looking guitar, but for 360€ i expected a much better overall guitar after all the hype. The controls started to stuck and the volume pot become temperamental and not responsive.I regret buying it, after large hours of playing with my amateur band. Not fun to play anymore.The kind of guitar you get tired of it soon.😕😕
Do you have a version with a roasted neck or a standard one?
@@MaxSoloMusic Roasted maple neck. It is a beauty but after 3 weeks of playing, the problems surface.
Ana B82 did you clean it? Cause my neck is still the same. I am with you on controls. I’m replacing everything soon.
@@johnblock708 For sure, i have to clean the neck and fretboard frequently otherwise becomes unplayable. I´m gonna change all electronics, too.The guitar PU´s and volume becomes "fatigued" after a few hours.Like a car that you have to pull over to cool it down, as the engine gets"tired" and not responsive after a long travel, in lack of better description.
thank you. you saved me from wasting and regretting some money.
Jewel of a video. U won a subscriber, sir!
I've got three guitar sites I watch on a regular basis that have similar platforms. Today this video was recommend and although I seldom watch music review video's that last more than 12 minutes (attention span deficiency due to being 70. lol) but I watched started this one today because I really am interested in this guitar.
Well.....next thing I realize is that it's over. The time went by unnoticed because you really have a unique way of reviewing. Very impressive, especially with the comparisons of pickups with the other guitar and I knew exactly which p./u you were using and which guitar.
Long story short I loved my first video of yours, am now subscribed and will research your site for other reviews of instruments.
Thanks for the extremely thorough and documented video and the effort you put in to your production.
Stay healthy
Thanks! I really appreciate the feedback. I've got a few more videos like this on different guitars.
What a great review! The neckprofile comparison is very helpful!!!
Finally a review that shows in realityy how the Neck profiles are instead of saying its between this and that. Thank you
Thanks. Yeah, I prefer to deal with stuff I can measure rather than "this neck feels thinner that the other one"
I enjoy your technique of reviews. Well done, Max!
I'm a new subscriber, and I really appreciate these in-depth reviews. I just discovered Harley Benton, and there's so many choices! Thanks man!
Love the wide range of highs and lows these pickups put out!
I love the detail and background you have put into this review. Subscribed
Best guitar reviews in the internet! Subscribed :)
Welcome aboard!
My Fusion just like this one will be here tomorrow. Am a little excited as it will be by first Tele model as well as my first roasted neck. Can’t wait to put it to the test! Thanks for the great review.
Hey! First of all, have fun it! Second, would be great if you could check how the bridge is fixed and give us some feedback
Just received my Fusion T and very much flawless. And the bridge is lined up perfectly with the string holes in the body. I will also add that my model has the pickup selector angled similar to a strat so it is much easier to use!
@Hitting. Numb Oh great, you've got the updated version! Mine is old stock. I guess that kinda makes it a limited edition 😂
I wanted to buy a Fender Special Edition Custon Telecaster® FMT HH but in fact I think this one is way better, the only thing to make it superior is swapping the pups out for Duncan's. Thx for the review, you just convinced this guy to just spend half the original price!
It may turn out to be very different to what you expect. Mostly because of pickups. But if you gonna replace them anyway - way to go :)
hey! the way you show the neck shape/profile is really really helpful. thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for the extensive review. Can you please indicate which pots should be used for better peeformance?
That roasted neck is beautiful! As a Fender Tele player, I may grab one of these, the price seems a little too good to be true Oo, it makes me suspicious of build quality, or electronics, but I think I'm willing to take the chance due to the price. I've heard these with the EMG pickups, and they sound incredible, yep, I'm sold ^^ I can hang up the Tele for a bit, if this works out.
Great Video! Is split-coil on these Models always the outer coils?
Got a Fender Blacktop HH which has a Switch Position, where the inner coils are selected - sound great too. a bit warmer, while the outer coils sound more "snappy" like a tele.
Great job man just bought a second hand one and after seeing video makes me even more excited to play it!
Fusion 2 ST*** sounds a little brighter, likely the pickup covers on the T***. I dumped EVH pickups neck and bridge into mine and stuck with the chrome covers. It actually helps when single coil twanging from becoming too harsh. Cheers!! (tung oiled the neck with 5 coats followed by 0000 steel wool after a few weeks.. MUCH easier to clean and doesn't gunk up as fast)
the best reviews on youtube... keep up the good work!
Appreciate that
Excellent review! It really confuses me how guitar manufacturers put the wrong value Pots in their guitars. It's such a critical function and such an easy fix. Mind boggling how they can let their reputation take that hit.
Love the channel.
One respectful suggestion is to try Gibson guitar straps.
They are thick, well built, extremely comfortable and most importantly, I can assure that using one completely eliminates neck dive on any guitar regardless of where the strap buttons are located.
The guitar simply will not move from wherever you position it.
The downside is that these straps are comparatively quite expensive but very much worth it in my opinion.
Just thought I'd share as I have seen many videos that discuss neck dive as an issue.
99% of the time, it is the strap. The other 1% it is where the strap buttons were installed.
Thanks. I used to be Levy's artist, still have plenty of great straps. Neck dive seems to be an issue for some people, not for me. So, I'd naturally pick the most slippery strap to find out if there's any potential for that. But I disagree on the approach you suggested. It's like treating symptoms instead of the cause. Yes, a good strap can virtually eliminate the problem but the problem itself is caused by guitar's weight balance in the first place and strap buttons location.
The reason I like Harley Benton guitars because they are made in Indonesia not China and some of them are assembled in Germany I have heard but I don’t know how much of that is done for the value they are astounding
I have this guitar. You pair the pickups with a JHS clover and it really wakes up.
I love it. I am happy with them I use the GT1. I will try a clover when I can! Thanks man! I had this in my feed I watched when I ordered mine. Hahahah. There you are! Awesome to see you helping the community.
I just feel so many people jump strait to replacing pickups when there are many things you can do before going that route. Pickup height, adjustable poles are something many people of scared of, but its really hard to mess it up just trying. I like things like the clover because it allows me to do more shaping the sound as well as the boost to performance. Personally, I prefer a low output pickup because I can shape it more to fine tune it. Anyways, you are awesome, keep up the great work.
such a stunningly beautiful guitar
Did you notice the ground wire in the B string hole?
Fitted mine with two P90 pickups… perfect
Fun video. I always like to hear what people think Of the Harley Bentons. I feel people pick them apart because they can't believe they can get such a quality instrument for that price.
Oh, that’s coming in the part 2 of this review:)
Hi Max! Nice videos as always!
Thanks!
I’m going to go ahead and say that to me this is the best and most useful review I have ever seen
Thanks, Rafael!
Max Solo Music you are welcome, the part that got me was the measurements and comparison to known brands! Really smartly done
I’m wondering how much of the neck color is to do with stain rather than roasting , I saw a comment saying when sweaty the fingers stained
HI!! Thanks for this fun informative and cool video & channel~ I subscribed:)
I was wondering about a 7 string HB for my 28yr old pro musician. I wonder if HB 7 strings rock as well?
Great review. Clear, concise and to the point. I really like the way you compare the pickups in this video side by side with the other guitar the Strat shaped guitar has a brighter sound to me both of them sound good and they all seem to be well worth the money they charge. I doubt you could find this much guitar anywhere else for this low of a price. Keep up the good work.
God Bless You
And Your Family!!
Jimmy in NC....
Thanks Jimmy. Yeah, the Fusion-II is brighter and that's mostly because of pickups. Other than that, those are very similar guitars
Wow, you do a very good review. Best i have been so ffar. Great job
I find that, visually, this specific model looks a lot like the Fender HH Flame Maple Top. That guitar also comes from Indonesia but comes in at around 1100 euros nowadays. Could this be the same factory?
Will this be a good choice for a beginner? Like a complete beginner, who loves metal.
Same thing happens on my HB Fusion II EB OCT, the tone control knob doesn't seem to do much, i can barely hear the difference from min to max
Might also be a short circuit or something like that in your case. It should do something
I can confirm I have the same issue with holes in the body not matching the holes in the bridge. Wasn't a deal breaker for me, though.
Neither it was for me. It seems to be pretty random so far. People on Facebook reported holes line up on their guitars. Or maybe what we have is the early special limited edition 😉
@@MaxSoloMusic I bought mine as soon as it became available. Aside of pickups, it's more or less a perfect guitar for me for the same reasons it got just 2 points in your review.
Seems like the HSH neck pickup sounds a bit brighter. Could be due to the 24-fret neck?
Yep, that's one of the reasons as well
From what we have seen and heard, I would be more than happy with an H-B Fusion T, especially in this price class if we could get 'em that low in the US. I have a Squier Mustang and Schecter PT Saturn, and some Epis.
Макс как всегда на позитиве! ))))))
Great content and delivery on all your vids
What looper do you use?
Great video, very informative, but where's the whammy bar bro ?
Great review. Really like the channel.
Thanks!
I would love to see your part 3 of this. I have purchased with this guitar, but upgraded the pickups to Tosin Abasi's Fishman Fluence. I am just wondering if that's a good setup or If I should upgrade anything else (other than strap buttons)
Hi, I missed this info, could u tell me its radius? Tks!
The Fusion-II sounds way too scooped in comparison. I preferred the extra mids in the Fusion-T.
I love the huge control cavity. You could easily add a couple more pots and go for a Les Paul arrangements. Possibly with Jimmy Page wiring. You might even have room left for a little bit of ballast to balance out the neck dive
I don't think they thought about that when designed the guitar but yeah, it's good to have space in there for more stuff
I've just had one delivered and the pots are now more central in the cavity and the switch is now at an angle, like a Strat. Now you've still got the big cavity, but you could only add one put or a couple of switches
Very interesting and the best product review till date
Glad you think so!
best guitar review ever! thx for that!
I’ve been waiting for Part II of the HB Fusion - T Episode. When will it be out?
I'm still working on it. It takes longer than i anticipated
I am really hesitating whether or not I am going to pull the trigger on that one.
Wanna talk about it? :)
@@MaxSoloMusic thanks mn but in the end I went fir something a little bit different as I picked a schecter nick johnston instead 😁
As always Max, super interesting rewiev, Thanks!
These are by far the best reviews with great detail just what we neee to know
Brilliant ! Keep them coming !!!❤️😎
Will do! I've got a couple of other axes waiting for some time on camera
Thanks for this videos. Im a beginner and recently bought an acoustic guitar. I love rock and metal so i decided to buy this (lefthanded version) with the Boss Katana Mk 2 as my first electrial guitar. Hope i will be happy and get more motivation to learn playing :)
Great review, very detailed without being painful. When is Part 2 being published. (Have I missed it?)
Thanks. Working on it! The Part 1 went public just a couple of days ago. It will take me a week or two to put together another episode
can you review harley benton EX line next i'm really curious about them.
great review btw
I’ve just ordered two EX guitars! I’m very curious about the one with EMGs
@@MaxSoloMusic i'm really excited for that video
I like your video,I have the Fusion-T with the Tremolo.I notice you have the one without.Also the 3 way switch has been moved at an angel on mine.After some complaints in 2019 the changed the position of the 3 way switch to a / rather than I. FYI
Outstandingly well thought out and presented review, thanks a lot!
Do you plan on doing a review of the Ibanez AZ range as well?
Thanks! I've just got three Ibanezes, Ibanez', Ibanezeness, Ibani... anyway, no AZs detected. I want to try some AZ guitars though! As soon as I'm done with these three
sounds great!
Audio taper or logarithmic what’s for volume what’s for tone??? I guess optimally as each person has their own taste
I came to the point that either A and B pots are ok for volume. The curve is gonna be slightly different but that may also give more control. The treble bleed will affect the curve as well. I saw Ibanez using type D pots for tone and it was the smoothest of all.
Logarithmic for tone. See the explanation here: stuffbillhasdone.blogspot.com/2010/06/guitar-tone-circuit-analysis.html
Best review I've seen, excellent work!! Thanks! 👏👏👏👏👏👏
Hi Max! Got mine recently in ocean torquoise, they changed pickup selector position in this edition. No it's more like on Fusion II and more comfortable.
BTW mine is 4 kg trem version
Oh, i didn't know about the switch. Makes sense though. The way it is on my guitar is really uncomfortable. 4kg is a lot!
But do the holes in the bridge and the body line up on yours?
@@MaxSoloMusic mine has Wilkinson trem
@@Alex_U Right! My bad
@@MaxSoloMusic hi Max! Which pickups would you suggest as a replacement to make a universal sounding guitar, no specific genre. Preferably from Seymour Duncan. And they must be chrome as well))
Great video! I just ordered the regular black one, can't wait.
Thanks. Why black though???
I think the ebony fretboards have a more balanced tone - just my opinion... he‘ll be well set with the black one
Got to say that this really does seem like a great guitar. I have the Fusion RM S style and it is also a good guitar but, the pickups are not the best, the pickups on this T style sound better in my opinion. Anybody got any good ideas for replacement of the pickups in the S style? Brand and models?
It really depends on your personal taste. I'd go with my favorite Bill Lawrence L500XL for the bridge and probably DiMarzio PAF Pro for the neck. I mean, Lawrences are really hard to find these days but Fokin makes very similar pickups - the Machete
Hey max have you put different pickups in this to make it more like a tele ?
Not yet. That is still my plan for the part 3 of this video
@@MaxSoloMusic come on max ! I’m waiting to purchase one if we can get it sounding like a tele ? Somehow 😎🤪🤪😎
Do you have a checklist you use when reviewing? I'd have fun using your system to objectively rate my collection.
Absolutely! There's a very structured checklist. Look at Sweetwater's one, I used it as inspiration
Great review as always! Can you please provide the neck profile section diagrams? May be a link to a jpeg or PDF. That's a very useful comparison! I've never seen them drawn to scale for different guitars on one page.
Yeah, I'll put them on my website when I have more data, maybe few more guitars to make it more complete
@@MaxSoloMusic Thanks! That would be great. If you reply here when you put it up, I'll probably get a notification.
Amaizing Reveiw!! Can you please tell me the Dimension of this guitar? it would be so helpful for me
Check the part 2 of this video. You’ll find answers
Thanks man.. You are amaizing
Very nice, thorough review technique. Solid and useful. Thanks!
Glad it was useful!
Still waiting on mine from reverber in California. Been showing left fac for 4 days no update. Hahahahahah
Try Thomann next time. They ship surprisingly fast.
@@goochguitar6967 thank you Gooch! I will certainly as I got it and had slightly nicked headstock although well packaged in a case. The guy filed claim but i told him I'm keeping it. The guitar is fine just need a set up. I shot a vid with it yesterday and I'm all about the tones these stock pups have. Wow!
Great video, thanks . Love the detail.
The big question does it sound like a telecaster ? 😎
Nope. At all. Pickups are a complete opposite of what you'd expect from a Tele. And Sapele is way closer to Mahogany than it is to Alder or Ash. It almost feels like they deliberately tried to push it as far as possible from a Tele. Although, the right pickups may actually make it sound much closer to a telecaster. I'll cover that topic in the part 2 of this review
This is the first time I’ve seen one of your videos. I’m impressed by both your detailed thoroughness and playing abilities. I’m subscribing and really interested in this particular guitar.. It has a lot of high end qualities for a sub $400 guitar….
Can you do the newest dullahan?
Yep. Almost done filming a new batch of guitar videos. 2 Dullahans are in it
Not using sepele?
It's a sapele body. Yes, I did say Mahogany in the video. I assumed they were the same
@@MaxSoloMusic Oh man. I had heard they were same! Thank you I am still learning. Hehehe. So much wood. Hehe I've only heard about the trem claw screws pulling out. I hope that is rare. Also thank you for the comment back man! I'll review on my little channel soon as I recieve. Second hand. Heheh
I love the tone, and look of this guitar.
Love the video. Just bought a Fusion T.
Good choice! How do you like it so far?
Surfs Up! Love the t-shirts to go with the "mix".
So a simpler setup yields the fewest penalties. Makes sense.
Thanks for the review.
Would love a Fusion II round-up at the end of your review cycle, perhaps after even some upgrades. II HSH, II HH, II-T HH
A pros-cons of each and perhaps the "if I only would buy a single Fusion II ..." I suspect the HSH wins in versatility, but I'd love to hear your take.
I am torn, I have the HP42, which in some respects I feel is the prototype for the entire Fusion II series in Roasted, so a HH feels like an unnecessary choice.
PS Can you poke Thomann why the upcoming Dullahan-FT 24 Roasted IB is not shippable to Canada (and perhaps other countries) ? When I asked, I got a rather boilerplate Co-v-19 related excuse.
Yeah, I've heard that they don't want to ship the new Dullahan to the US. No idea why. I can try to ask. To sum it up i'd need one more Fusion-II which I don't have - the 22 fret HH. But as you said, HSH wins :) I have a few ideas for this Fusion-T though. You'll definitely see it in future videos
@@MaxSoloMusic Awesome! Maybe you can just borrow Kris Barocsi's sparkly one :) for testing.
@@stephanematis oh, Kris loves it so much!
Nice thorough video. Many thanks.
Also one more question :)
How is the second hand market in russia im in egypt and I'll probably move to russia to study ( in Volgograd ) will i be able to sell my guitar there ?
The second hand market in Russia is huge. Bigger than the market of new instruments. But scam is like a national sport in Russia, so you have to be extremely, no EXTREMELY careful
Can make make video of mods we can make for this guitar, like the one you did to "S" style fusion
Yep, that's the plan!
Very detailed and organized review 👍
Glad you liked it!
It's a little wrong of me to say this, especially on Christmas day...but...you remind me of a girlfriend I once had. Great channel and subbed!
Im an intermediate
I'm thinking of selling my cort guitar with emgs and floyd rose for 350$ and buy this guitar
Do you recommend it for me as a beginner/intermediate ? Or should i just get a less expensive guitar
Hey Rauko. Cort with EMGs and a Floyd sounds like a good guitar! Why would you want to sell it? Corts are made in Indonesia at a different (more high end) factory than Fusions, therefore usually are higher quality guitars. If that's the Floyd that frustrates you - well, I can understand the struggle. Either way, the Fusion-T is a good guitar for a beginner
@@MaxSoloMusic lol at this point i can just keep the cort and get a harley benton te 52 or any inexpensive guitar cuz i really need a fixed bridge guitar
Excellent review 👍. One of the best I've seen. Peaked my interest in this guitar. Other reviewers could learn from you.
Wow, thanks!
Bought one (stock-B) but was a total failure, I sent it back. Got a second one, gorgeous guitar but once again, one of of the neck pickup's screw is broken and the pickups can't be raised or lowered. Sent it back to. There will not be third. I go for another brand. So, gogeous guitars, high end specs, but details suck.