Two things to remember, everybody: 1) "Budget guitar" doesn't mean bad guitar. I would gladly use this guitar professionally. I've heard (and played) 3000-4000€ guitars that don't match this one. (Yes, I'm looking at you Ibanez.) 2) A coil split humbucker will never sound like a real single coil, for... reasons. But it has its own timbre and charm, if you like that stuff.
Actually insane how much better this guitar sounds. It doesn’t sound dead. It’s not like your Valiant or anything but hey, much better than the fusion with singles.
I bought a Harley Benton TE-53KR BL Tribute Series last week. Super guitar, just a little sharp frets, but the thing weighs a hefty 4.4 Kg, so about 9.6 lbs.... You can't have back problems with that. For this it has no head-diving ;-)!!! Henning, a super test video, as always!!
Yes, I agree weight is a significant problem with a lot of Harley Benton electric guitars. I own / have owned around 5 Harley Benton electrics and 2 of them are ‘boat anchors’ and weigh over 4.3Kg (9.5lbs). I prefer my guitars to weigh under 3.6Kg (8lbs). I recently contacted Thomann customer services to see if they could check the weight of a HB Fusion lll prior to despatch if I bought it to save me (and them) returning it if it weighed over 8lbs. They told me that due to the logistics of how their guitars are despatched from their warehouse they can’t check the weights of guitars before shipping. I suspect this would add cost by slowing down the ‘high volume, low cost’ nature of their HB brand business. On initially considering their response it just seemed daft, as surely the cost to them of providing their ‘free returns’ service far exceeds the cost of a warehouse operative weighing a guitar. However, It’s likely that their problems with order fulfilment would be multiplied if they don’t have in stock a model of the guitar ordered at the customers preferred weight, which I think is highly likely with several HB models!
I'm not usually a fan of the flame style, or the burst to be completely honest, but that thing is effing BEAUTIFUL. And it's anything like the EX-76 GHWAN I got, it's even better in person. I absolutely love how the neck and fretboard look.
That is a beautiful looking guitar! i must say that the humbuckers in this one sound much better than the one they had in that HSS you reviewed earlier its much more crisp round and warm nowhere near as harsh.
Yeah, high end playing too. It's the pilot, not the aircraft. Really enjoyed the playing with the camera shot. Eyes and ears enjoyed the review, beautiful guitar for the price. Thanks for the good review.
20:15 "If you don't have a term, you can do this" (tunes down to drop D). If you have a decked trem (push only), you can do it too since the bridge cannot move down into the body.
I have the same one but the standard maple neck, mine is not a fixed bridge I have the Tremolo bar; they were running a deal and don't make this neck model now. Roasted maple looks super sweet, but I couldn't pass up the deal for about 225 US. the neck is amazing feels like a deep C shape. Mine was pretty heavy though around 8 pounds. I would love a 6.3 pound one which is amazing, old man back, yells at me when standing up to long with a 8 pound guitar. I do have to say this is one of the best budget guitar on the market, and plays at 2x it's price.
I bought the sparkle pink HH HT as soon as it came out, got Thomann to fit a JB/59 set and it's the perfect guitar for me. Absolutely adore it, perfect neck and right out of the box the frets were stunning. I too wish they'd do a HSS HT model but maybe that'll come with the Fusion IV models next year...?
really like these reviews, great videos. They were part of me deciding for a fusion III and eventually got the HSH EB FCH. still can't get my head around how this is only 280 it's just ridicolous and a great platform to mod, only that I didn't want to mod that much anymore once I played it. thanks for these recommendations and very useful insights, very helpful
I own a Fusion 3, and 2 things I don't like about it. These are to personal taste of course. The Roswell pickups are muddy sounding to me and the modern C neck is thick and uncomfortable. So far I have already changed the pickups and I'm pretty sure I am going to take a spoke shave to the neck and thin in down. I won't purchase another guitar from Thomann until they start providing more specs on the neck. I have been playing since 1973, purchased my first strat in 1974 and own 21 guitars now, the oldest being from 1956. The guitar can look great, but if it doesn't feel right in your hands, you're fighting as losing battle. With an electric guitar, if it feels right and is a joy to play, that's the most important part. The electronics, hardware, etc, you can change all that. I have watched other reviews on Harley Benton, and the theme seems to be the same, many feel HB's version of a modern C is that it is a thick neck. Glenn Fricker, someone Henning knows, mentioned the same point on a couple of HB guitars he was doing demos on. That's my take on this topic.
Thanks!👍 That’s exactly the information I was looking for. I don’t like thick necks and the pickups didn’t sound too good in the video. So I guess I‘ll go for something else.
You make a really fair point. I just received my Fusion III this week and was caught a bit off guard by the neck thickness. I guess i saw what looked like a charvel and i expected a Charvel neck.
@@nesticle I actually have too many guitars, 22 or so, that I have been working through to get up to my standards. I have been playing for over 50 years and had to go to the library to learn setups, wiring, etc when I was 16. I do a lot more than that now. I do intend on shaving the neck down to the profile I thought I was purchasing. Beyond that, not a bad guitar, though I did change the pickups as well. Those Roswells sound muddy to me. Good luck with yours.
Is it my imagination or is the bridge pick up slightly more towards the neck that it typically is on similar guitars? Great video Henning, that was a real looker of a guitar!
They should have done direct mounted pickups and then I would 100% get this. That was my only complaint when I picked up the fusion T in ocean turquoise.
Wilkinson trem guitars in my experience do thin out the tone a bit, that’s been on expensive guitars too like Carvins. This one sounds so much better for having a fixed bridge
Nice Vid. This is a gorgeous guitar. Looks like my AZ Premium so maybe I need one as Backup with a fixed bridge. My AZ is also only 3,15. Perfekt weight for me, not too light and not too heavy. The question always is how does it balance on the strap? Did you also check this?
Hi! Thanks for the video. Especially for the animals in the afterword! It happened. HB sent you a guitar of the correct specification. Decently built and not bad sounding. Indeed, putting an inexpensive tremolo or flod rose on a budget guitar is only adding trouble to novice guitarists. However, the balance suddenly shifted towards the vulture. And the weight of the guitar has decreased suspiciously. Question - can a mahogany instrument weigh 3 kg? Most likely, I will not sell my very similar in characteristics to The 35th Anniversary SE Custom 24. Hoping to get a similar tool for much less money. The fact that the FUSION 3 case consists of 3 parts is not so critical. It would be good to select the central part from a good bar, securely connect it to the neck. And the 2 side parts of the case should be glued based on obtaining the correct shape of the tool. Then you can expect that the deviations in the sound and tuning of the instruments will be minimal. Baked neck, convenient anchor adjustment, lock pegs, hard bridge, nice appearance - what more could you want for $ 400? Good luck and health.
These new Harley Bentons are pretty insane. And you could save 20% if you go for a B-Stock. As long as you don't care about dings and dongs, you get a very solid instrument for even less money. However, one thing I really dislike is the fact that what you see is not what you get. The neck of the Explorer-style guitar I recently bought had a beautiful natural oil fretboard. But what I got was a black painted one. Not too big of a deal, but something one should be aware of I think.
Apart from everything - I think you’re effin right - as always. I own the HSH V2 because of a stupid idea of my band. The Roswell HBs are fine, the single coil is not. It hums and it does not sound fabulous… (there is a video of some colleague of HP changing the pus). I would always oppose to you saying a fixed bridge is better for a guitar learner. But looking back I sadly have to give in: my first „real“ guitar was a Fender Lead II (after a Pearl SG copy with a gruesome tremolo that never ever stayed in tune) and it has a fixed bridge. That’s the guitar where I learned myself how to play electric. Anyway: HP, get well soon. 😊
I bought the black version to use it tuned B standard for deep downtuned doom metal. Unfortunately, the stock Roswell pickups are not made for such down-tuning. I mean, as B standard tuned rhythm guitar it works ok. But if you want to play lead, the sound is extremely annoyingly muddy. Has anyone some suggestion for two upgrading humbuckers which are suitable for B standard tuned doom metal lead guitar? It would be nice to have them look like the stock Roswells (I found a couple of Bare Knuckles and the battle is between True Grit and Brute Force).
Hello I know it is long time ago but if you compare this HB Fusion with the Schecter c6 plus which you checked also in the past, which is the best in point of playability, quality and sound ? Thanks in advance
you are amazing. I love your vids . what will you do if there is no electricity? I blame herr merkel. this looks just like my mm sabre, for 1/10 the cost.
Neck dive is no surprise to me, these guitars were intended to have a trem with a heavy block to keep them balanced, replace that with a hard tail and guess what happens! Neck dive is not going to help a beginner. Far better to buy one with a trem, and block it until the player is ready to use one. I have a mark 2 in Bengal Flame and it looks stunning. Fantastic guitars if they have a trem that is.
Are you sure it's not your settings? I just compared to the two videos right before (Blackstar and Tappy) and I can't confirm any volume difference, they're all pretty much the same for me.
That does it- getting rid of the Epiphone. I've had an Epiphone LP for years now- I liked it, until I played something else and realized how dark and nasally it is. It's not very noticeable when you have distortion or overdrive on- in fact it sounds just as good if not better than my Strat when playing really heavy dist., but clean or slightly overdriven, it sounds awful. And even when playing with dist. it gets super saturated at times- which I like usually but, sometimes you want more grit, less saturation. It overdrives my amp, drives, and other effects far too readily. Seems like everything you buy now is designed for single coils, low output, not a high output HBs. And the HBs in this Epiphone are super-hot- it's about 10 years old, has the thick chunky neck on it, a really dramatic flamed top, cherry burst- it's the LP standard. I want a different HH designed guitar- something that will do both clean/slightly overdriven tones and high gain tones for stuff like Tool. Thinking about a Sire- they seem like really cool guitars.
Bollywood.......... tsk tsk tsk. The dad jokes are now on a new level. Excellent review though. For me personally Harley Benton Fusions are very hit and miss.
Harley Benton makes great guitars. I wished they also would make guitars with 25 inch scale. The 25.5 is the standard but actually it is less comfortable to play.
Two things to remember, everybody:
1) "Budget guitar" doesn't mean bad guitar. I would gladly use this guitar professionally. I've heard (and played) 3000-4000€ guitars that don't match this one. (Yes, I'm looking at you Ibanez.)
2) A coil split humbucker will never sound like a real single coil, for... reasons. But it has its own timbre and charm, if you like that stuff.
Actually insane how much better this guitar sounds. It doesn’t sound dead. It’s not like your Valiant or anything but hey, much better than the fusion with singles.
Loving these HB reviews Henning! Keep them coming.
I bought a Harley Benton TE-53KR BL Tribute Series last week. Super guitar, just a little sharp frets, but the thing weighs a hefty 4.4 Kg, so about 9.6 lbs.... You can't have back problems with that. For this it has no head-diving ;-)!!!
Henning, a super test video, as always!!
Yes, I agree weight is a significant problem with a lot of Harley Benton electric guitars. I own / have owned around 5 Harley Benton electrics and 2 of them are ‘boat anchors’ and weigh over 4.3Kg (9.5lbs). I prefer my guitars to weigh under 3.6Kg (8lbs). I recently contacted Thomann customer services to see if they could check the weight of a HB Fusion lll prior to despatch if I bought it to save me (and them) returning it if it weighed over 8lbs. They told me that due to the logistics of how their guitars are despatched from their warehouse they can’t check the weights of guitars before shipping. I suspect this would add cost by slowing down the ‘high volume, low cost’ nature of their HB brand business. On initially considering their response it just seemed daft, as surely the cost to them of providing their ‘free returns’ service far exceeds the cost of a warehouse operative weighing a guitar. However, It’s likely that their problems with order fulfilment would be multiplied if they don’t have in stock a model of the guitar ordered at the customers preferred weight, which I think is highly likely with several HB models!
I'm not usually a fan of the flame style, or the burst to be completely honest, but that thing is effing BEAUTIFUL. And it's anything like the EX-76 GHWAN I got, it's even better in person. I absolutely love how the neck and fretboard look.
That is a beautiful looking guitar! i must say that the humbuckers in this one sound much better than the one they had in that HSS you reviewed earlier its much more crisp round and warm nowhere near as harsh.
Yeah, high end playing too. It's the pilot, not the aircraft. Really enjoyed the playing with the camera shot. Eyes and ears enjoyed the review, beautiful guitar for the price. Thanks for the good review.
21:42 in case anyone is interested, it's
G.A.S.TAWAY
- 42 Gear Island -
Took a while to get the frame though 😅
NO SPOILERS !!!!
20:15 "If you don't have a term, you can do this" (tunes down to drop D).
If you have a decked trem (push only), you can do it too since the bridge cannot move down into the body.
obviously...
Love these HB videos when you point out flaws, just received my Schecter Omen from Thomann, fabulous.
I have the same one but the standard maple neck, mine is not a fixed bridge I have the Tremolo bar; they were running a deal and don't make this neck model now. Roasted maple looks super sweet, but I couldn't pass up the deal for about 225 US. the neck is amazing feels like a deep C shape. Mine was pretty heavy though around 8 pounds. I would love a 6.3 pound one which is amazing, old man back, yells at me when standing up to long with a 8 pound guitar. I do have to say this is one of the best budget guitar on the market, and plays at 2x it's price.
I bought the sparkle pink HH HT as soon as it came out, got Thomann to fit a JB/59 set and it's the perfect guitar for me. Absolutely adore it, perfect neck and right out of the box the frets were stunning.
I too wish they'd do a HSS HT model but maybe that'll come with the Fusion IV models next year...?
Is it Seymour Duncan Hot Rodded set? You mean? Or J4?
@@mylogify No the hot rodded set is a JB/Jazz set - this is a JB in the bridge and 59 in the neck.
Those are great pickups, loved their sound on Jackson USA Soloist, on thomann's video.
Can you get Thomann to do a pickup swap before they ship it out?
@@LindstrandMusic Yes - as I said that's what I did.
16:38 those sweeps are really cool.
really like these reviews, great videos. They were part of me deciding for a fusion III and eventually got the HSH EB FCH. still can't get my head around how this is only 280 it's just ridicolous and a great platform to mod, only that I didn't want to mod that much anymore once I played it. thanks for these recommendations and very useful insights, very helpful
On a yacht, with the babes...........🤣
You need to buy Leslie an extra special Christmas pressie this year HP just for putting up with you.😉
I’ve got high end guitars , but I love my Harley Bentons , 5 in the room with me & more in the studio
The one with Floyd Rose also looks very nice. I guess It is FR Special, 5 Reviews, and 5 out of 5 on thomann. They like it.
For that price that’s a beautiful guitar and that neck flame looks killer. Great Dem HP:)
I own a Fusion 3, and 2 things I don't like about it. These are to personal taste of course. The Roswell pickups are muddy sounding to me and the modern C neck is thick and uncomfortable. So far I have already changed the pickups and I'm pretty sure I am going to take a spoke shave to the neck and thin in down. I won't purchase another guitar from Thomann until they start providing more specs on the neck. I have been playing since 1973, purchased my first strat in 1974 and own 21 guitars now, the oldest being from 1956. The guitar can look great, but if it doesn't feel right in your hands, you're fighting as losing battle. With an electric guitar, if it feels right and is a joy to play, that's the most important part. The electronics, hardware, etc, you can change all that. I have watched other reviews on Harley Benton, and the theme seems to be the same, many feel HB's version of a modern C is that it is a thick neck. Glenn Fricker, someone Henning knows, mentioned the same point on a couple of HB guitars he was doing demos on. That's my take on this topic.
Thanks!👍 That’s exactly the information I was looking for. I don’t like thick necks and the pickups didn’t sound too good in the video. So I guess I‘ll go for something else.
You make a really fair point. I just received my Fusion III this week and was caught a bit off guard by the neck thickness. I guess i saw what looked like a charvel and i expected a Charvel neck.
@@nesticle I actually have too many guitars, 22 or so, that I have been working through to get up to my standards. I have been playing for over 50 years and had to go to the library to learn setups, wiring, etc when I was 16. I do a lot more than that now. I do intend on shaving the neck down to the profile I thought I was purchasing. Beyond that, not a bad guitar, though I did change the pickups as well. Those Roswells sound muddy to me. Good luck with yours.
Is it my imagination or is the bridge pick up slightly more towards the neck that it typically is on similar guitars? Great video Henning, that was a real looker of a guitar!
They should have done direct mounted pickups and then I would 100% get this. That was my only complaint when I picked up the fusion T in ocean turquoise.
Great review. 😂 you are very funny and useful in reviewing. Thank you.
I dig the B-rolls so much, Henning!
5:03 I use a "fret polishing system" from dm. (i.e. fingernail polishing files)
Wilkinson trem guitars in my experience do thin out the tone a bit, that’s been on expensive guitars too like Carvins. This one sounds so much better for having a fixed bridge
The pickups are different tho. LAFs in the trem version, HAFs in this one. That could explain something maybe?
The black one with the EMGs looks promising!
Thanks EytschPi !
Noodle track was a mess, dude :D
("now that that's done", LOOOL)
Video is great, as always!!!
that's why it is a noodle track and not a written piece!
Super review Henning. Do you prefer this to the Tele version?
Nice Vid. This is a gorgeous guitar. Looks like my AZ Premium so maybe I need one as Backup with a fixed bridge. My AZ is also only 3,15. Perfekt weight for me, not too light and not too heavy.
The question always is how does it balance on the strap? Did you also check this?
Hi! Thanks for the video. Especially for the animals in the afterword! It happened. HB sent you a guitar of the correct specification. Decently built and not bad sounding. Indeed, putting an inexpensive tremolo or flod rose on a budget guitar is only adding trouble to novice guitarists. However, the balance suddenly shifted towards the vulture. And the weight of the guitar has decreased suspiciously. Question - can a mahogany instrument weigh 3 kg? Most likely, I will not sell my very similar in characteristics to The 35th Anniversary SE Custom 24. Hoping to get a similar tool for much less money. The fact that the FUSION 3 case consists of 3 parts is not so critical. It would be good to select the central part from a good bar, securely connect it to the neck. And the 2 side parts of the case should be glued based on obtaining the correct shape of the tool. Then you can expect that the deviations in the sound and tuning of the instruments will be minimal. Baked neck, convenient anchor adjustment, lock pegs, hard bridge, nice appearance - what more could you want for $ 400? Good luck and health.
First off. Duncan's '59 and JB. Something about the pickups leading edge bugs me, same as on my 458BK. That said, I'm already considering a second HB.
These new Harley Bentons are pretty insane. And you could save 20% if you go for a B-Stock. As long as you don't care about dings and dongs, you get a very solid instrument for even less money.
However, one thing I really dislike is the fact that what you see is not what you get. The neck of the Explorer-style guitar I recently bought had a beautiful natural oil fretboard. But what I got was a black painted one. Not too big of a deal, but something one should be aware of I think.
Henning was ripping it up!
Beautiful Guitar and some Beautiful playing as well. 😉
Apart from everything - I think you’re effin right - as always. I own the HSH V2 because of a stupid idea of my band. The Roswell HBs are fine, the single coil is not. It hums and it does not sound fabulous… (there is a video of some colleague of HP changing the pus). I would always oppose to you saying a fixed bridge is better for a guitar learner. But looking back I sadly have to give in: my first „real“ guitar was a Fender Lead II (after a Pearl SG copy with a gruesome tremolo that never ever stayed in tune) and it has a fixed bridge. That’s the guitar where I learned myself how to play electric. Anyway: HP, get well soon. 😊
I can't understnd how playing nickel plated strings will polish stainless frets after an hour of playing.
My god that unboxing sound makes me want to throw myself out a window😂
don't... life is beautiful
Love the doggie cam
Why the pickup frames? They look so dated. Maybe with covered humbuckers it could work.
I bought the black version to use it tuned B standard for deep downtuned doom metal.
Unfortunately, the stock Roswell pickups are not made for such down-tuning. I mean, as B standard tuned rhythm guitar it works ok. But if you want to play lead, the sound is extremely annoyingly muddy.
Has anyone some suggestion for two upgrading humbuckers which are suitable for B standard tuned doom metal lead guitar?
It would be nice to have them look like the stock Roswells (I found a couple of Bare Knuckles and the battle is between True Grit and Brute Force).
"it is in tune..." bwoing "er, not really" 😂 Got that guitar on my wishlist....🎸🤘🎸
Hello
I know it is long time ago but if you compare this HB Fusion with the Schecter c6 plus which you checked also in the past, which is the best in point of playability, quality and sound ?
Thanks in advance
Learning on a floater is difficult, and spokes models aren’t free, if you want Leslie in the video that’s extra!
Who wouldn’t want 2 hummers from a hardtail…. Wait what
10:24 I’m often asked to “ play outside “ but I think that’s a different thing?
you are amazing. I love your vids .
what will you do if there is no electricity? I blame herr merkel.
this looks just like my mm sabre, for 1/10 the cost.
Getting your romantic jam track on. Leslee must be blushing.😂
I want THAT specific ex! That flame top, 2.9 kg and hard tail 😍 Do you still have it?
its gone
the flame on that is gorgeous, the problem is, you dont know if you are getting one like that if you order it, you might get a lousy flame
absolutely... but you could always send it back
@@EytschPi42 thats a very inconvenient hassle where i live
i kindy of like that concept : babes & alcohol / drugs and R & R : )
Neck dive is no surprise to me, these guitars were intended to have a trem with a heavy block
to keep them balanced, replace that with a hard tail and guess what happens!
Neck dive is not going to help a beginner.
Far better to buy one with a trem, and block it until the player is ready to use one.
I have a mark 2 in Bengal Flame and it looks stunning.
Fantastic guitars if they have a trem that is.
There is no neck dive on this guitar, he is just not using it with a strap. Try putting a strap and standing up, it will be nicely balanced....
Can't you just deck it with 5 heavy springs or something and get the benefit of blocked and dive?
Great playing! really
Just a technical note Henning this and the hss video, volume seemed low
Are you sure it's not your settings?
I just compared to the two videos right before (Blackstar and Tappy) and I can't confirm any volume difference, they're all pretty much the same for me.
They are the same volume I always have... nothing changed
That does it- getting rid of the Epiphone. I've had an Epiphone LP for years now- I liked it, until I played something else and realized how dark and nasally it is. It's not very noticeable when you have distortion or overdrive on- in fact it sounds just as good if not better than my Strat when playing really heavy dist., but clean or slightly overdriven, it sounds awful. And even when playing with dist. it gets super saturated at times- which I like usually but, sometimes you want more grit, less saturation. It overdrives my amp, drives, and other effects far too readily. Seems like everything you buy now is designed for single coils, low output, not a high output HBs. And the HBs in this Epiphone are super-hot- it's about 10 years old, has the thick chunky neck on it, a really dramatic flamed top, cherry burst- it's the LP standard. I want a different HH designed guitar- something that will do both clean/slightly overdriven tones and high gain tones for stuff like Tool. Thinking about a Sire- they seem like really cool guitars.
HB needs more reverse headstocks
Sounds not as good as I'd expect a higher-end Harley Benton to sound.
Cool beefy sound but kinda lo-fi in the treble register
Does it neckdive when hanging on a strap?
Review the new fusión te iba colours
Amazing.
Why no SSS in the pro range !!!
Schade, das Harley Benton keine Locking Tuner mehr an den Explorers verbaut😢
Ha! I see what you did there! 👀👀👀
oh… the thumbnail? Honestly… didn’t even think of it… I needed you to come along and make a penis joke!
@@EytschPi42 yeah....right... u sneaky 🤣
Chrome pickup ring would be better.
4.189 lbs, wow supper light!
Bollywood.......... tsk tsk tsk. The dad jokes are now on a new level. Excellent review though. For me personally Harley Benton Fusions are very hit and miss.
Too bad they don't have slim and flat necks.
Id also would like to have harley benton with wizard neck
what is the song that plays at end of these videos?
Always different but always something I produced, likely unreleased
Char-Who?
6lbs 6 oz and 6 grams
Pickup rings kinda ruined the aesthetic for me.
22 frets please
There are 22 😜
It’s f€&kin beautiful 😍
It would be good for progressive metal/djent I guess. :V
Harley Benton makes great guitars. I wished they also would make guitars with 25 inch scale. The 25.5 is the standard but actually it is less comfortable to play.
They do have guitars with the Gibson scale, which is a bit below 25 inch.
Looks a lot like a godin
Not an actor*
* Animals at the End cut like a Jason Bourne fight scene
with.... you know.... them babes, and stuff.... and them drugs...
Wouldn’t it be nice to take a high top van over to Thomann and just load it full of guitars,come home and open and play each one
There is NO ELECTRICITY at desert islands
Solar panels!