I've got 2 harley benton guitars. They are solid dependable guitars. My V recently fell down a set of stairs... Picked it up fearing the worst and it was absolutely fine, no chips or breaks, just out of tune. Like I said, SOLID.
@@Icisex I have the HB TE-52 - it's amazing. The neck feels incredible. Plays great. Pickups sound great. I have a Fender MIM strat that cost 6x more and I prefer everything about the Harley Benton.
Blown away. I was thinking "A sounds incredible, B sounds like it's trying to be A." I don't need more guitars but at $200 who's gonna stop me? That HB sounds magnificent.
Genuinely surprised. I had A as the better guitar in my head, and B as the cheaper one with slightly muddy, less defined pickups. Wow, Fender needs to step up their game...or drop their price by a factor of ~10.
@Rocknrolladube That's true, but if you have a budget of let's say 1200€ and you buy a 400€ guitar and a 800€ amp, It's gonna sound better than a 1000€ guitar and a 200€ amp. But honestly, these days you can get a very good guitar for 400€ so...
I found that B had a more defined tone, while A had more mids. So with these setting I preferred B all along. But I thought that A has nice dynamic, rich tone as well. I only would adjust the middle tone control on the amp a little bit. So wow, this HB really shines!
I think if a lot of people were honest, they prefer the more expensive name on the headstock! Me, I don't give a rats ass what's on the headstock as long as it plays well and sounds good!👍😎🎸🎶
I don't gig, and I'm too old and lazy to be starting something. I understand that some club owners might not take you seriously because of name brand bias, but that simply does not apply to me. So, I'm totally with you there.
I'm astounded that I prefered "A", the HB over the tone of the Fender. I thought the Fender was thick sounding. I liked the spank of the HB. Learn something new every day. 😀
I knew A was the Harley Benton because on the riff where you added the delay you had a bit of a smirk/smile on your face that looked surprised some. It was a dead give away that you were pleased that the cheap guitar sounded so nice.
I guessed that B was the Fender. I own a Harley Benton and absolutely love it, but A sounded a bit more muddy, and B had more "sparkle". I preferred the Fender, but the HB still rocks
I actually prefered the Hb soundwise of course i don't know how the neck feels but hey I've got 10 Harley's and they all have great necks so I'll probably get the newHarley Benton Fusion-T HH HT Roasted to add a Tele to my collection🎸😜 -it's just x+1 I guess(still have to talk to the Chef😇)
The Benton sounded better. I thought A was the fender as well. The fender sounded a bit thinner and the benton seemed to have a better finger response than guitar B so I assumed it had to be the cheaper neck - you know when the frets arn't quite right and somethings wrong.
They both sounded really similar. But I liked how A sounded just a little bit better. I was ready for A to be the Fender and was ready to be shocked at how close the Harley Benton was. Well I’m even more shocked that the Harley Benton sounded slightly better to me.
Both sound amazing. To me the HB sounds better on it's own but the fender will do better in a mix as it seems to have more mid range which helps in such situations.
Quick early comment... this is going to be very interesting! Back to the show - Back from the show - got it right, but there's obviously a larger point here. Either guitar is clearly gig-able, which makes the HB an incredible value.
Outstanding tone from both!! I prefer A but honestly B’s tone is just as superb that I’d say it’s a matter of personal preference. A was a little cleaner but B had a great punching clarity too - your great playing isn’t lost on either.
I liked tone of B more. It was more tele. A sounded way more modern and more rock. It was a tone machine. But B was what I want my tele to sound like. It was thinner and shiny and twangy.
To be honest, I could tell that they were two different guitars. But, they were very, very similar. More important, I couldn't say which one was better. So the Fender definitely wasn't 10 times better.
1:05 A clean neck PU 1:24 B clean neck PU 1:48 A dirty neck PU 2:02 B dirty neck PU 2:21 A clean bridge PU 2:32 B clean bridge PU 2:52 A dirty bridge PU 3:24 B dirty bridge PU
6:35 The end 😈 Hey man. I recognise your name, partly as I saw your latest video on Reddit's "Guitarpedalsjerk". They have thing about butterscotch teles there. 😉 Hadn't subbed to your channel yet, but I have now. Cheers.
@@landonbailey Guitarpedalsjerk is a response to some of the silliness that happens on the Guitarpedals sub. I'm not sure why they slag off butterscotch teles so much. I think it's maybe that they are associated with "dad rock" or something. They can be a little mean at times but it's done in a fairly light hearted and tongue in cheek way. Personally, I do love teles, but I prefer mine in black or red. Saying that, I am currently contemplating sanding down my red relic-ed US standard tele, mainly so I can carve comfort curves on it. Not sure how I will refinish it. If the wood looks nice, I might just seal it with some Tru Oil, to let all the beautiful "toanz" seep through. ;)
I have a Harley Benton Tele. First tele I have owned in 40 years of owning electric guitars and I really like it; great guitar. I have swapped out the Roswell humbuckers on two LP type Harley Bentons with good improvement but I have no intention of swapping the pups on the tele as they sound great already. Get a HB tele and you will be all smiles like me. PS. Mine is the TE70 Paisley.
I did something similar with thr TE52 and my fender noir redline tele. You really cant tell much difference recorded. Playability is obviously a bit different, but the te52 is an awesome instrument. Great video as always!
Great that you did such an honest back to back comparison, Shane, including a player's experience! Always appreciate that. I was convinced to hear better dynamics in A, which made me think it's a Fender. So HB for me, incredible value indeed.
Most of the time I preferred A, but there was one time (the last riff) I liked B more. I've got a Harley Benton Tele-style guitar (different model) and love it.
I need to hurry up ordering a HB before they raise the price like JOYO did when everyone will realize that HB is better than a lot of brand... I really thought A was the Fender.
B was so obviously the Fender. Can't deny that bright tele twang, even in the neck position. is it true that a poly finish leads to a more muted tone compared to nitro?
Daniel Francis and you do! Because the vast majority of the sound comes from the electronics. A lot of which has a very bad tolerance for the accuracy in the ratings of the components. You could buy two of the same set of pickups, potentiometers, and capacitors, and put them in the same body with the same strings and they will sound like completely different guitars. The only time you’re going to hear differences in wood or any material is acoustically. If you actually think your ears are sensitive enough to hear the difference electrically, then you’re fooling yourself.
@@JoshBattershell u need to watch the tele video with Ash, alder, and mahogany body. Same electronics yet each body sounds different. Just get some acoustic guitars to see the difference. Can get a maple vs mahogany body and tell a drastic difference. You are mistaken about tonal qualities of wood. Even in electric guitars.
I purchased a 52 HB and can not be happier with my purchase, this thing rocks and beats my MIM fender tele all to pieces!!! Great Video! keep them coming.
Easily heard the difference and was team B the whole way. That said, the A is still a good sounding guitar, but didn’t have quite the same tonal richness as B.
Picked up a Standard HB Tele, secondhand, for £40! In perfect condition. Changed the strings for Slinkys, and replaced the steel bridge pieces with brass. Now almost indistinguishable from a Fender. Result!
Yip, you had me. The HB had an overall warmer tone that I would associate with a played in, high end guitar. Plus, single notes seemed to have more definition/clarity with the HB. Surprising outcome and a winner for guys on a tight budget (like myself). Thank you.
Interesting, I found B to be my favorite, and that never changed. But then, with the price difference, it would be down to how the guitars feel when you play them. Great vid!
I recently bought on a whim an HB "similar to" a Gibby LPjunior. It is great and came out of the box (in the UK from Germany) tuned and nicely set up. Only negative is that the tuning sometimes drifts after heavy playing, seems like the tuning pegs are not great because the strings are fine. I agree that the name on the headstock does matter to a lot of people (who seem to have lots of money!) but for £177 including shipping why would anyone pay around £700 more for the name at the top!
When it comes to Blues I enjoy the Harley Benton much more, a bit of natural dirt to the signal. Although I’d want to play twangy country music on the Fender. The lead tone comparison really shows how clean of a sound signal the Fender puts out. crisp clean highs with the Fender as where the HB treads into muddy. The Harley Benton really has a lovely tone to it though, like an old recording.
🎉 I guess right. What gave it away for me was the bridge pick up clean.... I am thrilled to hear this comparison because I recently purchased a Harley Benton. T. E 52... Personally I love it. I was planning on modding it and I might... But there is certainly no need to. It's fine just like it is.😊
I actually guessed it correctly from the first lick. Guitar B always sounded slightly warmer and less shrill with more complex overtones. Having said that, that cheap guitar sounded amazingly good for the money. Very interesting.
A sounded cleaner, a more pure tone for manipulating with effects (as is standard in today's world) as well as amp sims. I would take A any day of the week, every week of the year. B sounds like a cheaper product that tried to compensate with a tarnished name brand that no longer maintains the innovative spirit or quality control it once had
I sold my Japanese Fender TL-62 last year and I often wish I hadn't but the HB TL-52 I got for Christmas fills the void quite nicely and at a 10th of the price it's crazy good!
I honestly thought “A” was the Fender...wow. Would love, though, if HB would copy the butterscotch color of the Fender. I’m kind of originally a Fender guy and I really did prefer the HB.
This is why they still sell Fenders: if you prefer the sound of the Fender, like I did, and have the money, you will want so get the better sound possible. I usually use a low to mid gain so I agree with the statement that in that range the guitar tone is number one. With higher gains, the amp defines mostly the final tone.
More clarity on the clean tones and more of the Fender twang on the Tele, but man that TE52 sounds pretty damn good. If you put the Tele pups in the TE52 it would sound the same almost I suppose. Great comparison Shane!
I picked the fender out immediately. That said for the price the HB is a deal. I have a fender so not in the market. You can find used telecasters for 300 to 400 any day. Mines a Japan model with updated tuners and bardin pickups. Set me back 650 total with mods and it rips. So..
Listening through headphones on my iPhone, guitar B sounds like it has a little more articulation. If I listen back using the iPhone speaker they both sound similar.
I thought A sounded a tiny bit fuller and more rounded, while B had a bit more of that classic tele twang. Definitely preferred A in all tests, but I think the difference in actual tone was greatest with the clean tone. Overall, considering how close they sounded I think the only questions are if the playability, tuning stability etc of the Fender makes up for the massive price difference.
I think A is the HB - it just sounds a little too bright to be a "real" Fender tone. B's tone is a little more refined, though I really didn't like it as much on the high gain bridge pickup test.
I guessed right, and absolutely prefer the Fender. What everyone is calling clarity in the Harley Benton sounds like thin, no bass, screechy to me. The Fender was smoother, had better bottom end, the high end was rounder and fatter. The HB is everything I Hate about cheap teles. MHO.
Very impressed by the Harley Benton and had been toying with the idea of getting one last year. Ended up getting a Redwood RT2 from Dawson's music, and was absolutely blown away with it's playability. I own a Gibson les Paul standard, a Gibson Les Paul studio, and an EKO NXT parlour. I figured I had all I needed and was just missing a tele sound, and by God it's all tele. The neck is as smooth as silken skin and feels great in the hand. The frets were great with no sprouting at all, and the pickups are excellent too. I bought it for £78 and they sent me one with a scratch so I contacted Dawson's, so they sent me a replacement. They also advised me to dispose of the scratched one for them. It really was a smashing deal all round and to be fair, as a Gibson owner I know expensive, but can truly say it's a far better axe than my standard on ratio. These companies that turn out these quality guitars make it possible for everyone to own a fabulous instrument for little money. To say if you love your guitar you will be inspired to pick it up and play, so they are in a sense creating players, and that's pretty awesome.
Most fenders are really cheap guitars sold expensively. After so many years, they still charge too much for a carved neck heel you can get on any cheap guitar nowadays.
@@Emma-kz3zr that being said they do make stellar instruments compared to Gibson for the money sure i spent €600 on a Mexican player series strat and i don't know if i just got lucky but you wouldn't get a new Gibson that feels that good for that kinda money, although it is still very scummy what fender have been doing im regards to pricing here in Europe
Fantastic post. I just bought an HB guitar not a Tele type, I went for a Gold Top LP type with P90s. I honestly couldn't really tell either guitar apart, makes me glad I got a Harley. The guys at Thomann should buy you a beer or two after this .
I bought a Harley Benton TE-20 (or whatever their cheapest Tele is called), slapped some DragonFire noiseless, new switch & tuners and did a treble bleed mod. For around $200 I ended up stage worthy guitar. I highly recommend it!
The problem with HB for me has been reliability. I have 2 electric (ES335 & LP clone) and one acoustic (GS Mini clone) and I was over the moon with them when I got them. But if you play them often that changes over time. So many issues. A couple of years down the line I don't really like playing any of them anymore.
Hello, Phil. What issues are you talking about? I have two HB electrics at the moment, didn't get to play them that much yet, but I'm curious of how they will behave over time. Thanks!
@@mindcontrolledoscillator4679 The main issue for all three guitars has been the neck. The LP neck developed a slight warp - lengthways - nearly impossible to set up. One string always sounds like a sitar. The only way is to use a very high action. The 335 is just impossible to keep in tune. I already changed the tuners, it has improved but it is still annoying. All the chrome-parts on the guitar also have specks of rust on them. The sound overall is not very 335ish - hasn’t been from the get go though. Weakest by far has been the acoustic. The fretboard is made of very soft wood. The area between 2nd and 3rd fret looks like Edward scissorhands had a go at playing. The neck must be adjusted to fit every season - problem with that: the range of the truss-rod isn’t big enough. And worst of all, the heel joint is made of 3 woods glued together, with the first and second slowly separating. So not long from now the entire neck is gonna come off. Unfortunately the first sign of the crack appeared shortly after warranty was over. It is also not down to the environment of the guitars. I have other guitars that have non of these issues. I even have a cheap Pacifica from the late 90s that I don’t think I have ever had to do anything to except cleaning and changing strings.
I've had a direct clone from China for about eight years now with the Fender logo. I had to lower the nut and action overall and of course changed the strings. Beautiful sunburst with binding. My purist buddies believe that it's real 😂😂 $200 delivered. Sooo much BS in this industry.
I guessed right! To me the Fender had a lot more definition in it's sound. That being said, the Harley Benton still sounded gig worthy. What I want to know is how does one feel compared to the other.
Thanks Shane. You last comments ring so true (regarding when you add gain to the tone, all guitars start to sound very similar). Too many You Tube videos DO NOT play the guitars on clean. To me that is where you get an idea how the pickups really sound.. Thanks again for what you do. Wishing you continued success. Cheers
I have had my harley benton te62 in shell pink, and I was blown the hell away with it. I play it far more than i did my fenders- but now I've sold the fender tele (though i miss the tele deluxe cbs headstock and dual humbuckers)...still no regrets, this guitar sounds great. And harley benton's are not super easy to come by in the states at an affordable price..i found mine on reverb, brand new for $220. No regrets.
I could hear it straight away, the Fender had much better clarity... I'd like to hear a comparison between the Squier CV against the Fender. MY brother has a CV strat that sounds really close
This is why I ordered the HB and it arrived yesterday when this video was posted! I also like the looks of the HB over the Fender, more grains en not yellowish. It is a bargain indeed.
I clearly preferred the B and was certain this was the Fender, there's something about its sounds that is way more controlled, refined... I don't know what it is but I hate that I find the HB to sound like a cheap instrument, maybe not THAT cheap but cheap nevertheless.
@@mikokalliomaki3093 agreed, I feel like the cheapness can be heard more easily when it's a single coil, there's something clunkier about the sound, I sold my Classic vibe Stratocaster recently because of it
@@valendis i was actually thinking of buying one. if the tone was better would you recommend it otherwise? i can always change the coils for something better.
@@mikokalliomaki3093 Absolutelly, these guitars are gorgeous and feel great, it was just a sound thing for me, also, if you can find a model prior to the 2019 collection, go for it! I have been disappointed by the new jazz bass models, the finish was not as great as the previous collection ;)
@@mikokalliomaki3093 And I am also tilting towards a Classic vibe telecaster but I would like a thick 50s neck and I think I saw somewhere that the classic vibe ones were thin...
I guessed B was the fender, my reasoning was that it sounded warmer/fatter to me. BUT, I didn’t think it sounded “better”. Your excellent playing made them both sound really good!
I thought B sounded thinner and weedier, strange how different we hear things. I preferred A. No idea what the playability difference is though. I think My HB 90 deluxe strat plays as good as Mex Fender from 2010, but a level below my US/Japanese Fenders
I'm glad to see Harley Benton getting some love. I have a TE30 and it's fantastic. I put Alnico pickups in it (you should check out Fleor pickups- seriously), new tuners, and an orange drop capacitor, and damn it's just phenomenal. The stock pickups sound great on their own, but these are tremendous value and great modding platforms. Indio has some good guitars for modding, but HB overall is top of the charts for me.
What gave away for me was the way it hit the actual note/kept the tuning when being played… That is the result of better materials and construction quality. It's mostly noticeable on a clean tone, obviously, but can also be caught in the harmonics. But nice showing for the HB!! 👏
My ears prefer the "B" guitar in all the setups, the "A" presents a strange low-frequency sound that sounds bad in the E, A and D strings in the clean tone.
Perfect timing for this video for me, just bought and received my TE-52 2 days ago. Normally play my 1993 Gibson Les Paul Standard through my Kemper but a band I'm in required some tele tones in my opinion so decided to go for the HB. Found it lacklustre at first but after a quick set up I took it into band practice last night and the band were genuinely blown away with how good it sounded and cut through the mix (bass player even joked that he was constantly getting distracted with how good it sounded he kept missing his cues!) Can't believe how good this guitar is, think I'll add a b-bender of some sort which will funnily enough, cost more than the guitar itself!
6 months later, I need to say my red semi acoustic HB is now my absolute favourite to chip away on in front of the television. I also have a Streamliner and a 350dxz, the HB is more fun than either. Those Roswell p90s are pretty decent too. The final kicker is modding, you don't feel precious about an HB so ...whatever you wanna change or rebrand...all good ..🥴
We can see that in a video with only guitars recorded, there isn't much difference to justify the price tag on the fender. In my honest opinion I liked the HB more, but to each their own. And it's not like I hate big brands, in fact I've got a 1000$+ Ibanez RG from the 80's (well I paid that money before, idk how much money it's worth today). In a mix, the fender won't even be able to compete with the HB talking about value for money. And the sound quality is pretty much the same (almost)...
Watched so many of these blind shootout videos. Watching this and expecting little difference, I was first surprised at how much difference in sound there was and how much better I thought A was. Shocked to find out the Harley Benton sounds this damn good
Even listening through phone speakers I could hear how the Fender's tone was more smooth and fuller. Benton sounds very fine, but it got more thinner and metallic tone. During the first demonstration I knew that the guitar with more smoother and fuller tone must be the expensive one.
Ok, if the price of a harley benton is max what you want to spend on a guitar then buy it. But if you are deciding between this and any Fender, then you really have to go to try one. On the feel side there is a neck shape, neck finish, guitar weight, fret size, switch and pot operation. On the tone side there is possible nut buzz, fret buzz, pot taper, bridge saddles material, pickup wire and magnet difference. Also a great amp will make any guitar sound good. You need to compare them on a cheaper amp. I own a squier vintage modified tele custom and I was fortunate enough to try a fender vintage 70's one. There is an enormous difference right from the point when you pick them up, and even more when you play them (feel and sound). I am certain, if blindfolded, there would not be any trouble guessing which is which.
@@davids9192 i dont understand the whole USA Made Hype (other than resale value). A lot of good guitars come from china and with some minimal luthier experience, you can make it as good as a USA Guitar in terms of playability.
I hope you'll get a commision, because you just sold a lot of harley bentons
Ela vre! Poly kalo! \m/
@@DMSProduktions ελληνικά παρακαλώ
@@valeriobrass8858 Ela!
Preferred 2 ie Fender cos it was warmer. Be interesting to hear the HB with the tone rolled off a bit
@Reese Tailer Chinese la?
Honestly thought A was the fender in each sound test. That Harley Benton is impressive! I simply preferred its sound from clean to dirt
I also thought A was the fender and I own an HB fusion pro II.
Me too!
Me too!
I was certain A was the Fender on the neck pup... Wrong. Couldn't tell on any of the others... Interesting
I've got 2 harley benton guitars. They are solid dependable guitars. My V recently fell down a set of stairs... Picked it up fearing the worst and it was absolutely fine, no chips or breaks, just out of tune.
Like I said, SOLID.
In Australia, even guitars are upside down 🙃🇦🇺
This is how you would look playing in Australia
australia doesn’t exist
I was *certain* A was the Fender. It sounded so obviously better. Was genuinely startled to discover it was the HB. Amazing!
I Dont belive this guy ..a whos 100% fender
@@Icisex I have the HB TE-52 - it's amazing. The neck feels incredible. Plays great. Pickups sound great. I have a Fender MIM strat that cost 6x more and I prefer everything about the Harley Benton.
@@Icisex LOL trying to justify all the money you wasted eh?
Blown away. I was thinking "A sounds incredible, B sounds like it's trying to be A."
I don't need more guitars but at $200 who's gonna stop me? That HB sounds magnificent.
same thought here. A had a more organic sound and was more pleasing to my ears then B :D
Horrible sound of cheap single coils :D
@@testtube1195 you must be very deaf..
@@skymarbles7953 No, but you must be very stupid.
I agree! A sounded much more alive and dynamic to me. B has a little more warmth, but in this case it just made it more dull than A. Wow!
Genuinely surprised. I had A as the better guitar in my head, and B as the cheaper one with slightly muddy, less defined pickups. Wow, Fender needs to step up their game...or drop their price by a factor of ~10.
They don't have to "step up there game"...they have the name
Lesson of the day: Just buy a good amp
@Rocknrolladube That's true, but if you have a budget of let's say 1200€ and you buy a 400€ guitar and a 800€ amp, It's gonna sound better than a 1000€ guitar and a 200€ amp. But honestly, these days you can get a very good guitar for 400€ so...
HB play and feel GREAT!
Every good amp can sound good a crap guitar, It doesn't matter if it's a tube amp or a simamp
Just buy fingers..
The amp is the 70%
I found that B had a more defined tone, while A had more mids. So with these setting I preferred B all along. But I thought that A has nice dynamic, rich tone as well. I only would adjust the middle tone control on the amp a little bit.
So wow, this HB really shines!
Damn, I was convinced benton was B. It seriously rocks. I was thinking bout squire classic vibe, but now i might buy a benton. Cheerio!
so what did you buy
Both companies f'd up ... the cutaway is on the wrong side of the neck
Heyyyoooo
Dude hahaha
U dumb it's because of the video bro
@@estriquininacomdoce Obviously ... how'd I miss it
@@Usul75 ya think?
Im saying A is fender and B is HB (at 2:36) (and A was the better sound to me. Damn!! won't ruin it for others)
Lando, go back and listen for the clarity in the pickups. The Fender is just a little cleaner. Same difference in your test, only a little closer.
@@dafud77 I completely disregarded my own blind tone challenge rules. 1) never listen on a smartphone. 2) never listen on a smartphone. 🤪🎸👍
Lol, love it!
I think if a lot of people were honest, they prefer the more expensive name on the headstock! Me, I don't give a rats ass what's on the headstock as long as it plays well and sounds good!👍😎🎸🎶
I don't gig, and I'm too old and lazy to be starting something. I understand that some club owners might not take you seriously because of name brand bias, but that simply does not apply to me. So, I'm totally with you there.
@@grilledspaghetti club owners don't even know what a headstock is 😂
Totally agree!
Ya you do.
Well said
I'm astounded that I prefered "A", the HB over the tone of the Fender. I thought the Fender was thick sounding. I liked the spank of the HB. Learn something new every day. 😀
I knew A was the Harley Benton because on the riff where you added the delay you had a bit of a smirk/smile on your face that looked surprised some. It was a dead give away that you were pleased that the cheap guitar sounded so nice.
I guessed that B was the Fender. I own a Harley Benton and absolutely love it, but A sounded a bit more muddy, and B had more "sparkle". I preferred the Fender, but the HB still rocks
I didn't guess which was which, just went on A being the better sounding to my ears. Impressed!
these are so close, I honestly would not care which I had. My guess is A = Fender.
(edit) Just saw the end...gimme the H.B please. 🐰👍
I thought so too! A was a bit clearer! F/A in it!
I actually prefered the Hb soundwise of course i don't know how the neck feels but hey I've got 10 Harley's and they all have great necks so I'll probably get the newHarley Benton Fusion-T HH HT Roasted to add a Tele to my collection🎸😜 -it's just x+1 I guess(still have to talk to the Chef😇)
@@oklive4021 WHAT is he cooking?
The Benton sounded better. I thought A was the fender as well. The fender sounded a bit thinner and the benton seemed to have a better finger response than guitar B so I assumed it had to be the cheaper neck - you know when the frets arn't quite right and somethings wrong.
They both sounded really similar. But I liked how A sounded just a little bit better. I was ready for A to be the Fender and was ready to be shocked at how close the Harley Benton was. Well I’m even more shocked that the Harley Benton sounded slightly better to me.
Both sound amazing. To me the HB sounds better on it's own but the fender will do better in a mix as it seems to have more mid range which helps in such situations.
Quick early comment... this is going to be very interesting! Back to the show -
Back from the show - got it right, but there's obviously a larger point here. Either guitar is clearly gig-able, which makes the HB an incredible value.
Outstanding tone from both!! I prefer A but honestly B’s tone is just as superb that I’d say it’s a matter of personal preference. A was a little cleaner but B had a great punching clarity too - your great playing isn’t lost on either.
I liked tone of B more. It was more tele. A sounded way more modern and more rock. It was a tone machine. But B was what I want my tele to sound like. It was thinner and shiny and twangy.
To be honest, I could tell that they were two different guitars. But, they were very, very similar. More important, I couldn't say which one was better. So the Fender definitely wasn't 10 times better.
You make both sound great, and once again you prove that great tone comes from practice and being a good guitarist.
I picked "B" but they are very close in tone. Great playing Shane. Blues On.... 💙
1:05 A clean neck PU
1:24 B clean neck PU
1:48 A dirty neck PU
2:02 B dirty neck PU
2:21 A clean bridge PU
2:32 B clean bridge PU
2:52 A dirty bridge PU
3:24 B dirty bridge PU
0:00 The beginning 🤪
6:35 The end 😈
Hey man. I recognise your name, partly as I saw your latest video on Reddit's "Guitarpedalsjerk". They have thing about butterscotch teles there. 😉
Hadn't subbed to your channel yet, but I have now. Cheers.
@@fishypaw Guitarpedalsjerk? sounds mean. 😁 thanks for the sub! 👍🎸
@@landonbailey Guitarpedalsjerk is a response to some of the silliness that happens on the Guitarpedals sub. I'm not sure why they slag off butterscotch teles so much. I think it's maybe that they are associated with "dad rock" or something. They can be a little mean at times but it's done in a fairly light hearted and tongue in cheek way. Personally, I do love teles, but I prefer mine in black or red. Saying that, I am currently contemplating sanding down my red relic-ed US standard tele, mainly so I can carve comfort curves on it. Not sure how I will refinish it. If the wood looks nice, I might just seal it with some Tru Oil, to let all the beautiful "toanz" seep through. ;)
@@fishypaw ah k got ya. I find reddit pretty negative in general. I stay away now
I have a Harley Benton Tele. First tele I have owned in 40 years of owning electric guitars and I really like it; great guitar. I have swapped out the Roswell humbuckers on two LP type Harley Bentons with good improvement but I have no intention of swapping the pups on the tele as they sound great already. Get a HB tele and you will be all smiles like me.
PS. Mine is the TE70 Paisley.
I did something similar with thr TE52 and my fender noir redline tele. You really cant tell much difference recorded. Playability is obviously a bit different, but the te52 is an awesome instrument. Great video as always!
Great that you did such an honest back to back comparison, Shane, including a player's experience! Always appreciate that. I was convinced to hear better dynamics in A, which made me think it's a Fender. So HB for me, incredible value indeed.
Both sound good not over $1800 in difference. HB is now $162 shipped to the US.
GRAB it Duke!
@@DMSProduktions plan on it!!
@@deke441 Mosy on then thar pardner!
Most of the time I preferred A, but there was one time (the last riff) I liked B more. I've got a Harley Benton Tele-style guitar (different model) and love it.
I need to hurry up ordering a HB before they raise the price like JOYO did when everyone will realize that HB is better than a lot of brand... I really thought A was the Fender.
This proves that while teles, strats, les pauls ect, have a distinctive sound, there is no such thing as the distinctive sound of an expensive guitar.
I liked both of them .Especially when played by the left handed down under tonemaster guitarist😎
B was so obviously the Fender. Can't deny that bright tele twang, even in the neck position. is it true that a poly finish leads to a more muted tone compared to nitro?
Chaz the material of an electric guitar makes such a little impact on the sound that it would be inaudible
Josh Battershell true
Josh battershell I've been playing 22 years and I can hear differences in every guitar.
Daniel Francis and you do! Because the vast majority of the sound comes from the electronics. A lot of which has a very bad tolerance for the accuracy in the ratings of the components. You could buy two of the same set of pickups, potentiometers, and capacitors, and put them in the same body with the same strings and they will sound like completely different guitars. The only time you’re going to hear differences in wood or any material is acoustically. If you actually think your ears are sensitive enough to hear the difference electrically, then you’re fooling yourself.
@@JoshBattershell u need to watch the tele video with Ash, alder, and mahogany body. Same electronics yet each body sounds different. Just get some acoustic guitars to see the difference. Can get a maple vs mahogany body and tell a drastic difference. You are mistaken about tonal qualities of wood. Even in electric guitars.
Submitting this before hearing the verdict
A: Fender
B: Harley Benton.
Wow! I thought A was Fender because I liked it better in all comparisons, ooops!
Me too.
yep!!
C:FAIL!
@@DMSProduktions Failure is not an option!
I purchased a 52 HB and can not be happier with my purchase, this thing rocks and beats my MIM fender tele all to pieces!!! Great Video! keep them coming.
Easily heard the difference and was team B the whole way. That said, the A is still a good sounding guitar, but didn’t have quite the same tonal richness as B.
Same. thought A sounded like a Mexican fender
Absolutely. Both sound good but the fender sounds streaks ahead.
For me A sounded better the whole time...
HB wasn't holding tuning very well either. The Fender just sounded like a classic Tele and you can tell there's more oomph to it.
@@jackspicer8796 Depends on your needs. The Fender is 4 times the price.
Picked up a Standard HB Tele, secondhand, for £40! In perfect condition. Changed the strings for Slinkys, and replaced the steel bridge pieces with brass. Now almost indistinguishable from a Fender. Result!
Yip, you had me. The HB had an overall warmer tone that I would associate with a played in, high end guitar. Plus, single notes seemed to have more definition/clarity with the HB. Surprising outcome and a winner for guys on a tight budget (like myself). Thank you.
HOLY COW, completely floored that A was the Harley. Sounds so clear and defined!
Interesting, I found B to be my favorite, and that never changed. But then, with the price difference, it would be down to how the guitars feel when you play them. Great vid!
I really liked the HB! Thanks Shane. Great playing! 🎶🎸👍🎶
A : Fender
B : HB
EDIT : WHAAAAAAAT!!! Wow, I'm blown away... I'm totally pulling the trigger on the HB!
Also I expected A was the BETTER Fender
I recently bought on a whim an HB "similar to" a Gibby LPjunior. It is great and came out of the box (in the UK from Germany) tuned and nicely set up. Only negative is that the tuning sometimes drifts after heavy playing, seems like the tuning pegs are not great because the strings are fine.
I agree that the name on the headstock does matter to a lot of people (who seem to have lots of money!) but for £177 including shipping why would anyone pay around £700 more for the name at the top!
When it comes to Blues I enjoy the Harley Benton much more, a bit of natural dirt to the signal. Although I’d want to play twangy country music on the Fender. The lead tone comparison really shows how clean of a sound signal the Fender puts out. crisp clean highs with the Fender as where the HB treads into muddy. The Harley Benton really has a lovely tone to it though, like an old recording.
Have the HB52 cant get the tele twang on it. Otherwise tone ok.
🎉 I guess right. What gave it away for me was the bridge pick up clean.... I am thrilled to hear this comparison because I recently purchased a Harley Benton. T. E 52... Personally I love it. I was planning on modding it and I might... But there is certainly no need to. It's fine just like it is.😊
I actually guessed it correctly from the first lick. Guitar B always sounded slightly warmer and less shrill with more complex overtones. Having said that, that cheap guitar sounded amazingly good for the money. Very interesting.
stop calling inexpensive guitars "cheap"!!!
A sounded cleaner, a more pure tone for manipulating with effects (as is standard in today's world) as well as amp sims. I would take A any day of the week, every week of the year. B sounds like a cheaper product that tried to compensate with a tarnished name brand that no longer maintains the innovative spirit or quality control it once had
I sold my Japanese Fender TL-62 last year and I often wish I hadn't but the HB TL-52 I got for Christmas fills the void quite nicely and at a 10th of the price it's crazy good!
I honestly thought “A” was the Fender...wow. Would love, though, if HB would copy the butterscotch color of the Fender. I’m kind of originally a Fender guy and I really did prefer the HB.
This is why they still sell Fenders: if you prefer the sound of the Fender, like I did, and have the money, you will want so get the better sound possible.
I usually use a low to mid gain so I agree with the statement that in that range the guitar tone is number one. With higher gains, the amp defines mostly the final tone.
More clarity on the clean tones and more of the Fender twang on the Tele, but man that TE52 sounds pretty damn good. If you put the Tele pups in the TE52 it would sound the same almost I suppose. Great comparison Shane!
So Ishould put the Fender pups into the HB? No Thanks!
I picked the fender out immediately. That said for the price the HB is a deal. I have a fender so not in the market. You can find used telecasters for 300 to 400 any day. Mines a Japan model with updated tuners and bardin pickups. Set me back 650 total with mods and it rips. So..
Listening through headphones on my iPhone, guitar B sounds like it has a little more articulation. If I listen back using the iPhone speaker they both sound similar.
I was completely wrong. Wow the low mids in HB fooled me big time. The clarity was there for both so... yep! THNX for this beautiful video
I knew A was the HB as soon as he strummed the strings and I heard mud from the pickup.
B was cleaner. No doubt.
I thought A sounded a tiny bit fuller and more rounded, while B had a bit more of that classic tele twang. Definitely preferred A in all tests, but I think the difference in actual tone was greatest with the clean tone. Overall, considering how close they sounded I think the only questions are if the playability, tuning stability etc of the Fender makes up for the massive price difference.
I really liked B better. Just a better warmth and detail in the single pu's.
I think A is the HB - it just sounds a little too bright to be a "real" Fender tone. B's tone is a little more refined, though I really didn't like it as much on the high gain bridge pickup test.
I guessed right, and absolutely prefer the Fender. What everyone is calling clarity in the Harley Benton sounds like thin, no bass, screechy to me. The Fender was smoother, had better bottom end, the high end was rounder and fatter. The HB is everything I Hate about cheap teles. MHO.
I ask myself what's wrong with all the people here, liking the hb sound. You are totally right, it sounds like what it is, a cheap tele.
Totally agreed, the Benton is midless and empty sounding. No richness or fullness of tone.
Exactly. I'm impressed people like the benton that much, I would 100% save up
Very impressed by the Harley Benton and had been toying with the idea of getting one last year. Ended up getting a Redwood RT2 from Dawson's music, and was absolutely blown away with it's playability. I own a Gibson les Paul standard, a Gibson Les Paul studio, and an EKO NXT parlour. I figured I had all I needed and was just missing a tele sound, and by God it's all tele. The neck is as smooth as silken skin and feels great in the hand. The frets were great with no sprouting at all, and the pickups are excellent too. I bought it for £78 and they sent me one with a scratch so I contacted Dawson's, so they sent me a replacement. They also advised me to dispose of the scratched one for them. It really was a smashing deal all round and to be fair, as a Gibson owner I know expensive, but can truly say it's a far better axe than my standard on ratio. These companies that turn out these quality guitars make it possible for everyone to own a fabulous instrument for little money. To say if you love your guitar you will be inspired to pick it up and play, so they are in a sense creating players, and that's pretty awesome.
Most fenders are really cheap guitars sold expensively. After so many years, they still charge too much for a carved neck heel you can get on any cheap guitar nowadays.
"Carved". Compared to others, their "carved" heel looks like a chip on the joint.
Yknow, it is possible to like affordable guitars and not simultaneously dismiss expensive ones as overpriced trash.
@@jonsmustache7704
I like Fenders, but they haven't just been convicted for price fixing in Europe for nothing.
@David Willis, You have a point there.
@@Emma-kz3zr that being said they do make stellar instruments compared to Gibson for the money sure i spent €600 on a Mexican player series strat and i don't know if i just got lucky but you wouldn't get a new Gibson that feels that good for that kinda money, although it is still very scummy what fender have been doing im regards to pricing here in Europe
Fantastic post. I just bought an HB guitar not a Tele type, I went for a Gold Top LP type with P90s. I honestly couldn't really tell either guitar apart, makes me glad I got a Harley. The guys at Thomann should buy you a beer or two after this .
I’ll admit to being a brand snob when I first started playing. These days tone is all that matters. This HB was the winner.
A Fender, B Benton, so I never thought the better sound was the cheap one! I'm buying one of those HB.
Got it wrong :( Thought A had the bite of a tele and B was a bit too warm for a tele.
I bought a Harley Benton TE-20 (or whatever their cheapest Tele is called), slapped some DragonFire noiseless, new switch & tuners and did a treble bleed mod. For around $200 I ended up stage worthy guitar. I highly recommend it!
I kept sitting there going "B has this weird overtone I don't like..."
WELP.
The problem with HB for me has been reliability. I have 2 electric (ES335 & LP clone) and one acoustic (GS Mini clone) and I was over the moon with them when I got them. But if you play them often that changes over time. So many issues. A couple of years down the line I don't really like playing any of them anymore.
Hello, Phil. What issues are you talking about? I have two HB electrics at the moment, didn't get to play them that much yet, but I'm curious of how they will behave over time. Thanks!
@@mindcontrolledoscillator4679 The main issue for all three guitars has been the neck. The LP neck developed a slight warp - lengthways - nearly impossible to set up. One string always sounds like a sitar. The only way is to use a very high action.
The 335 is just impossible to keep in tune. I already changed the tuners, it has improved but it is still annoying. All the chrome-parts on the guitar also have specks of rust on them. The sound overall is not very 335ish - hasn’t been from the get go though.
Weakest by far has been the acoustic. The fretboard is made of very soft wood. The area between 2nd and 3rd fret looks like Edward scissorhands had a go at playing. The neck must be adjusted to fit every season - problem with that: the range of the truss-rod isn’t big enough. And worst of all, the heel joint is made of 3 woods glued together, with the first and second slowly separating. So not long from now the entire neck is gonna come off. Unfortunately the first sign of the crack appeared shortly after warranty was over.
It is also not down to the environment of the guitars. I have other guitars that have non of these issues. I even have a cheap Pacifica from the late 90s that I don’t think I have ever had to do anything to except cleaning and changing strings.
@@philsaunter Pacifica is a great guitar, i have 2, stays in tune, just works every time, most under rated guitars out there.
I've had a direct clone from China for about eight years now with the Fender logo. I had to lower the nut and action overall and of course changed the strings. Beautiful sunburst with binding. My purist buddies believe that it's real 😂😂
$200 delivered. Sooo much BS in this industry.
I liked the Harley Benton for it's clarity. I have seven guitars , 3 Telecasters , I just like guitar A, the HB.
I guessed right! To me the Fender had a lot more definition in it's sound. That being said, the Harley Benton still sounded gig worthy. What I want to know is how does one feel compared to the other.
Thanks Shane. You last comments ring so true (regarding when you add gain to the tone, all guitars start to sound very similar). Too many You Tube videos DO NOT play the guitars on clean. To me that is where you get an idea how the pickups really sound.. Thanks again for what you do. Wishing you continued success. Cheers
*Me:* B sounds better!
*My wallet:* You're wrong mate!
Harley Benton are great
I have had my harley benton te62 in shell pink, and I was blown the hell away with it. I play it far more than i did my fenders- but now I've sold the fender tele (though i miss the tele deluxe cbs headstock and dual humbuckers)...still no regrets, this guitar sounds great. And harley benton's are not super easy to come by in the states at an affordable price..i found mine on reverb, brand new for $220. No regrets.
I could hear it, mostly on the bassy notes, the cheap one sounds like broken wood
I could hear it straight away, the Fender had much better clarity... I'd like to hear a comparison between the Squier CV against the Fender. MY brother has a CV strat that sounds really close
Well, I am officially shocked, I was certain 'A' was the Fender. The HB was tonally superior to my ears, by a significant margin.
This is why I ordered the HB and it arrived yesterday when this video was posted! I also like the looks of the HB over the Fender, more grains en not yellowish. It is a bargain indeed.
I clearly preferred the B and was certain this was the Fender, there's something about its sounds that is way more controlled, refined... I don't know what it is but I hate that I find the HB to sound like a cheap instrument, maybe not THAT cheap but cheap nevertheless.
the A sounded a lot like a cheaper squier guitar, jt had a small fret buzz.
@@mikokalliomaki3093 agreed, I feel like the cheapness can be heard more easily when it's a single coil, there's something clunkier about the sound, I sold my Classic vibe Stratocaster recently because of it
@@valendis i was actually thinking of buying one. if the tone was better would you recommend it otherwise? i can always change the coils for something better.
@@mikokalliomaki3093 Absolutelly, these guitars are gorgeous and feel great, it was just a sound thing for me, also, if you can find a model prior to the 2019 collection, go for it! I have been disappointed by the new jazz bass models, the finish was not as great as the previous collection ;)
@@mikokalliomaki3093 And I am also tilting towards a Classic vibe telecaster but I would like a thick 50s neck and I think I saw somewhere that the classic vibe ones were thin...
I guessed B was the fender, my reasoning was that it sounded warmer/fatter to me. BUT, I didn’t think it sounded “better”.
Your excellent playing made them both sound really good!
I thought B sounded thinner and weedier, strange how different we hear things. I preferred A. No idea what the playability difference is though.
I think My HB 90 deluxe strat plays as good as Mex Fender from 2010, but a level below my US/Japanese Fenders
Wow, that Harley Benton is impressive for the $. Especially liked the driven tones!
The HB sounded thin when clean. As low gain player I preferred the Fender.
B is obviously the fender. The bright rich twang of a fender tele just can’t be replicated on cheap guitars.
I'm glad to see Harley Benton getting some love. I have a TE30 and it's fantastic. I put Alnico pickups in it (you should check out Fleor pickups- seriously), new tuners, and an orange drop capacitor, and damn it's just phenomenal. The stock pickups sound great on their own, but these are tremendous value and great modding platforms. Indio has some good guitars for modding, but HB overall is top of the charts for me.
B was much clearer and defined, a more hi-fi sound. So get a Harley Benton and drop in some nice pickups and brass saddles.
What gave away for me was the way it hit the actual note/kept the tuning when being played… That is the result of better materials and construction quality. It's mostly noticeable on a clean tone, obviously, but can also be caught in the harmonics. But nice showing for the HB!! 👏
My ears prefer the "B" guitar in all the setups, the "A" presents a strange low-frequency sound that sounds bad in the E, A and D strings in the clean tone.
A sounds like cheap single coils do. Maybe other pickups could help but as it's I wouldn't want to play it.
Perfect timing for this video for me, just bought and received my TE-52 2 days ago. Normally play my 1993 Gibson Les Paul Standard through my Kemper but a band I'm in required some tele tones in my opinion so decided to go for the HB. Found it lacklustre at first but after a quick set up I took it into band practice last night and the band were genuinely blown away with how good it sounded and cut through the mix (bass player even joked that he was constantly getting distracted with how good it sounded he kept missing his cues!)
Can't believe how good this guitar is, think I'll add a b-bender of some sort which will funnily enough, cost more than the guitar itself!
I thought A sounded much cleaner and less muddy, great video, might just have to pick meself up one of those Harley Bentons. Cheers.
6 months later, I need to say my red semi acoustic HB is now my absolute favourite to chip away on in front of the television. I also have a Streamliner and a 350dxz, the HB is more fun than either. Those Roswell p90s are pretty decent too. The final kicker is modding, you don't feel precious about an HB so ...whatever you wanna change or rebrand...all good ..🥴
We can see that in a video with only guitars recorded, there isn't much difference to justify the price tag on the fender. In my honest opinion I liked the HB more, but to each their own. And it's not like I hate big brands, in fact I've got a 1000$+ Ibanez RG from the 80's (well I paid that money before, idk how much money it's worth today). In a mix, the fender won't even be able to compete with the HB talking about value for money. And the sound quality is pretty much the same (almost)...
@Possumlove Exactly, low priced instruments are getting much better, which is a big benefit for working-class gents who chose to become musicians!
Watched so many of these blind shootout videos. Watching this and expecting little difference, I was first surprised at how much difference in sound there was and how much better I thought A was. Shocked to find out the Harley Benton sounds this damn good
I listened through headphones and.... couldn't distinguish between the two in all honesty.
Get better headphones.
From my $20 ES9018 DAC through my $30 Superlux HD668B, the boosted treble of Guitar A is very prominent.
I just bought the HB based on this review, I was convinced guitar A was the Fender, I might even do a review myself when it turns up.
Great video 👍🏻
Even listening through phone speakers I could hear how the Fender's tone was more smooth and fuller. Benton sounds very fine, but it got more thinner and metallic tone. During the first demonstration I knew that the guitar with more smoother and fuller tone must be the expensive one.
The fender sounded muddied to me.
Ok, if the price of a harley benton is max what you want to spend on a guitar then buy it. But if you are deciding between this and any Fender, then you really have to go to try one. On the feel side there is a neck shape, neck finish, guitar weight, fret size, switch and pot operation. On the tone side there is possible nut buzz, fret buzz, pot taper, bridge saddles material, pickup wire and magnet difference. Also a great amp will make any guitar sound good. You need to compare them on a cheaper amp. I own a squier vintage modified tele custom and I was fortunate enough to try a fender vintage 70's one. There is an enormous difference right from the point when you pick them up, and even more when you play them (feel and sound). I am certain, if blindfolded, there would not be any trouble guessing which is which.
Wow - i was wrong. That's surprising. Still i'm not gonna buy a Chinese-made guitar.
these are German made
@@Marcopolofilmz Thomann is a German company, but these guitars are made in China. I've heard some are made in Vietnam and Indonesia, too.
@@Luthiart Wow I did not know that. Does that mean they are packaged in germany? or completely made and shipped from china?
Chinese quality control a darn sight better than USA QC these days.
@@davids9192 i dont understand the whole USA Made Hype (other than resale value). A lot of good guitars come from china and with some minimal luthier experience, you can make it as good as a USA Guitar in terms of playability.
I have one American Fender Tele . Now I have a chance to buy used HB Tele.Great backup guitar with some Classic Tele Duncan on the bridge.