was just about the comment about my as53 as well. this and the as63 have ceramic pickups and are this noticably hotter and give more treble response than you may be used. I do however use it for my college jazz band and it works decent enough to get by but it's definitely more of a rock/blues guitar.
I LOVE the way semi-hollows sound with distortion. There’s still that little bit of overdrive lingering in there. It reminds me of Alex Lifeson’s earlier work with Rush. Just a pure rock n roll sound.
I'm extremely fond of the Gretsch Streamliner Center Block Jr. Unlike previous Gretsch Semi's, these weigh nothing, play great, *and everything is Epiphone/Gibson sized so you can replace the hardware and pickups with whatever you like* They're also $450 new, $380 with the coupons they give out every month at GC.
I've been looking at that Harley Benton HB-35 Plus for some time. Love that colour. Now I like the way it sounds too… Tuners are fine, they're never the problem when it comes to stability and there wasn't even serious bending involved. New strings are on new guitars, which no one ever stretched, especially at that price.
I bought that same Ibanez over every other guitar in the store. Granted they mostly had fender/squier and a good selection of shred guitars. I played every fender/squier I didn't already own and left with the artcore. I polished the frets, changed the magnets to alico II and covered the pickups. It was already pretty cool but it was butter after a little love.
The thing you didn't like with the pickups on the Ibanez might be because they are uncovered, in my experience the covered humbuckers sound smoother and suit semi acoustic guitars better.
I know it’s an old comment but I agree. My brother’s friend sold me an Ibanez artcore series guitar, and I went to a local guitar shop to try one out before it came from UPS. The first one I found had uncovered pickups, and I wasn’t a big fan of the sound. I eventually found one with covered humbuckers and I was surprised of the difference. I was so glad the one I bought came with covered humbuckers
@@cesaraguirre8191 I had an AFS75t with the covered pickups and loved it. Those Artcores with the exposed pickups don't look right, anyway. Completely ruins the aesthetic.
I have a Ibanez AS73 I’ve had for a few years. The stock pickups weren’t great but I put a set of Gibson 490s I had in it and it plays great and sounds great now.
Haha! @SamuraiGuitarist walks through the back of your shot 00:14. I know Canada's a big place but my two favourite Canadian guitar youtubers must live pretty close to each other!
I got the tortoise flame. She's a beauty, feels good in my hands and sounds good. No regrets. Got a HSC for her and when I go jam and sometimes forget her in the trunk overnight, I don't freak-out either.
Cool offering. I didn't like anything here but have had an IBZ AS73 in vsb for over 10 years now. Blasted this thru a BadMonkey and Blues Jr while my stereo played Cream "Sitting On Top Of The World" from Goodbye before seeing EC in '07. Those were the days.
After this shootout its pretty clear which is best sounding and best looking. That hb sounds sweet and looks sweet. Definitely the best sounding and looking for your money. Hb all the way for me until I can save enough for a higher end gretsch. Great review
I have an Ibanez AM-53 semi-hollow that is a great player, really well made but yea the pickups are throwaways. I put a set of Gibson Classic 57's that I bought used and they sound fantastic on it.
I’ve had my HB 35 Plus for 3 years now and it’s played the most despite having more expensive guitars. It’s unbelievably well made. I can cover so many genres in one sitting. I’ve never seen a comparison like this so it’s great to see I made the right choice 😊👍
I thought artcores came with chrome pickup covers but it has been years since I saw the new models. EDIT: It's great to see a newer company innovating and asking much less than established industry giants that don't change the formula.
The lower end ibanez hollowbodies come with uncovered pickups. The one he was playing is ~$350. The upgraded version of it with gold hardware (including gold pickup covers) and 4 knobs instead of 2 is $100 more (also has different color options, they have a gorgeous rose gold one that's absolutely on my list) As for Harley Benton, I haven't tried them to say whether or not they live up to the hype but they're Thomann's house brand which allows them to sell higher specs at a lower price
I bought a 2019 artcore last week. It sounds way better than the model he is displaying here. Mine came with chrome covers but it was also $100 more expensive. And to be honest it plays almost as well as my Gibson.
After seeing this review I became interested in the Harley Benton HB-35Plus. I looked into it on the web and UA-cam and ordered it. I ordered the Vintage Burst because the Lemon Burst was out of order and I don't care about the color of my guitar. This guitar is amazing! The looks, the finish, the sound, playability. My frets are perfectly smooth and guitar was setup perfect out of the box. I can't believe this is a € 209,00 guitar! 😳 Now I'm afraid the UPS guy will come and take my guitar away because they delivered the wrong guitar... 🙈 The only less perfect thing I found was that the guitar is slightly on the heavy side...
@@johne1599 I know, Gretsch slaughters Epiphone and has many very affordable guitars that absolutely sound better than most other brands in their price range. I'll die owning mine. Never going to sell them.
@@Tigershark-qy2gq What I like about Gretsch is that they’re very playable, affordable, and they DON’T sound like all the other guitars that 95% of guys and gals are playing. As much as I love my guitar heroes, I don’t want to sound like them. I want to sound like Me!!
Maybe cause in general they’re over $500, also they’re not considered cheap guitars. I like them too and I owned a Ibanez with whammy bar before D’angelico are amazing imo
Harley Benton for looks and sound! As for playability, that's up to the player! As for price, Harley Benton, every time. Goes to show, brand isn't always a winner!
Thanks for the insight. From what I have read, the HB is being steadily improved and at least one specification (the HB-35 PLUS at sterling £190 AUG 2020) claims a bone nut, block inlays (they were dots) and branded pickups (upgrade Roswell PAF 5 vintage-style humbucker with coil split - I believe made by Wilkinson). The tuners are kind of Grover type (serviceable) although unbranded. No customer review of the HB PLUS mentions tuning instability although they do say that the bridge / saddles are a weak point - oddly cheap compared to the other parts (like full sized decent pots). At £200 for the guitar, I would be tempted to replace both tuners and bridge with Wilkinson parts OR if you have budget, a Graphtech bridge and TUSQ nut set with Gotoh tuners. Stretched strings, bit of fast fret in the grooves of the nut and there shouldn't be any tuning or intonation issue. At the moment they only seem to have two colours - the lemon burst and vintage cherry ( Chuck Berry) red - no problem with those, both beautiful, but black would be an obvious (B.B.King) addition and maybe a nice Pelham blue :) . The maple flame whilst great at this price isn't the AAAA claimed in the marketing - not compared to an expensive AAAA PRS or CS Gibson for example, so that is a bit of mis-direction. It seems to be pitched under the Epi / Ibanez level and more at the Firefly price point (another potential ES although these need more work than the HB) - you cannot get a Firefly for love nor money right now. HB looks like a much more established and robust operation so I'd be pitching there for what it's worth. Tone is the decider - it was best here by far.
I could hear single coil/lipstick all over HB except it picked up every click and switch in comparison to the others He makes so many excuses for the others it's embarrassing. I think he's trippin
I recently went with a HB35 in the green (but still have my eye on the Sire H7). Added new high-end strings, locking tuners, roller bridge, and removed the pickguard, leveled out some dead frets, and smoothed out some minorly rough fret ends. That made the overall appearance really pop with that metallic green against the new gold flash. The intonation is still perfect and the guitar now looks and plays like it should. Was too much work required? Not a chance because I love doing that kind of work. It is a great guitar, a virtual diamond in the rough that requires a surprisingly small amount of work to make perfect.
Since I viewed this video, months ago, I have canceled my order bc it was taking too damn long, for the lemon burst HB , you review in this video and continue to visit the California Thomann's website to see the same notice, "in stock within 3 to 5 weeks". What's up man!!!! I'd like to get one of those Lemon burst HB semi hollowbodies.
I ordered my HB+ 2 weeks ago and it was out of stock until November. Then I got an email yesterday that they just sent one on the way and it will be here in 2 days!
A stock HB-35Plus Lemon i have been using onstage for about 6 months. lots of tones. 10-50 gauge strings. i check tuning 2-3 times a set. looks nice. it's not bullet proof but works for me.
Could you explain it a bit for me? I'm new to guitar so I wouldnt really notice. What are characteristics for strat players? What makes it noticeable? Do other guitar players have their specific way of playing depending on the guitar they play (e.g. telecaster, les paul or semihollow)?
I think the Epiphone sounded best. Huge with distortion, too. I have both Ibanez (AS-120) and Epiphone (Sheraton Elitist) semi-hollow guitars. I think the Ibanez was slightly better quality than comparable Epiphones at that time. I replaced the pickups in the AS-120, which had Super-58s; I put in Z-90s.
The HB sounded and looked good, but probably only ok if you’re happy to change the nut and tuners yourself. Then it’ll be a bargain. I’ve got an Epi Dot and it’s a superb player
The Ibanez has very high output indeed, I have one (AS53) of those (transparent black) and this was my first impression when I got it (online purchase) and plugged it in. In my case it's a great thing, but yeah, definitely a question about preferences.
I own two grote guitars that I bought off of Amazon, the first I bought the "telecaster thinline" for $140 delivered and it is a steal ! Then I bought the "335" and it too is a steal for $240 delivered. They both are beautiful guitars with really nice necks and fret work. I bought upgraded machine heads for both but have not installed them on either because the "cheap" ones that came on them hold tune surprisingly well. The pickups will get upgraded when I find the time but they both sound unbelievably good with the stock cheap ones. I have a few high end guitars and no the grote is not a fender or gibson but..... If these were all that I could afford even just leaving it alone and playing it stock , I would be happy. I bought them because my go to number one is my strat but I wanted a tele and a 335 but can't afford the real thing in every guitar (yet) but of course I want every guitar. I guess what I'm saying is for a really good copy at a killer price , I like the grote .... they sell out quickly but you gotta keep checking and they will be back. 🍻🎸🤟😜❤
Just got my Grote deep red semi-hollow body. Got it from EBAY for about $150. Changed the strings, adjusted action. they had the intonation set already. This set neck plays super smooth after a neck cleanup and oil. I agree with Joe this guitar plays smooth and clean. Don't rule these out.
If HB is better to begin with and half the price of the others then just why not get the HB and invest another $200 on upgrades like locking tuners and tremolo bar?
I have a Gary Clark jr Casino, with an original 1953 P90 in the neck and a mojo P90 in the bridge with vintage inspired pickups pots and a set of original gray tiger caps, also a faber locking bridge with titanium saddles with a camel bone nut!!! I should say the casino was in a right state when I bought it that’s why I went with all the mods and it sounds awesome now!!!
Should try Musoo 335 copy 180$CDN at my door TOP & BACK flame maple P90 dog ears pickup cool dragon inlay. Add a Duesenberg LesTremII, roller bridge and locking tunners and homama, I'm thinking about geting a second one just for alternate tunning! The original tunners are groovers witch are good but with the trem i prefer locking ones!
I think I heard the same thing you did on the HB sound. I just looked online (3 years later) and the base model is actually cheaper, at $290 USD,, but not in that color. That color is the slightly more expensive version (now $232 USD in that color), and has coil splitting. It doesn't have those rings around the two knobs that are in the model from the video -- I'm wondering if those indicated the more expensive, version, with push-pull pots for coil splitting?
Thanks, Ryan. From here in England, I really like your videos. I recently bought a Vintage VSA500 semi and would be REALLY interested in your take on it.
Kind of surprised the Epiphone didn't come with tapped coils. My budget Epi SG rerelease '66 came with them. My first guitar and I was looking for something with quality and versatility . I am kind of regretting not choosing a semi hollow as my first axe.
i was on my way to work then i saw a guy busking on Tube station he had such a good looking semi hollow and then i looked at the brand and it was harley benton, i immediatly wanted one now i am doing my online research on it. he had the same color as the one in video. Gotta say it looked like some expensive guitar when i saw it from bit far.
I just went ahead and dropped the coin (or Sweetwater credit) for a trans black Ibanez AS53. If you know Ibanez quality, it’s worth it, and holy smokes was it worth it. I played a trimmed out Artstar years ago, and was hooked, but at the time couldn’t justify the price. But this one… I couldn’t pass it up. I’ve even gone so far as to consider the trans red model. The guitar is no-frills, but flawless. And strung with 10-52s! Perfect!
I’ve given flack but damn ....this is such a useful video, especially if just starting out. Rural world players have a hell of a time in the noise that IS the guitar market. Good on ya! When I started playing, maybe every 10th guitar was playable. More problems than lube could fix.....
Yep, Harley Benton had a smoother tone as one would like for jazz/blues. Epi sounded thinner and I dont like where the Jack plugs in. Ibanez is a beauty but didnt stand out tone wise. Nice review!
I chose the Harley Benton HB 35 plus Sunburst a while ago, and apart from a little fiddeling with the stringheight and action there's no issues. I'm very pleased. It holds tuning too....😉 The only guitar I never have had to do anything to is my 1976 Hagström Scandi, I haven't touched any adjustments since I bought i in 1980... it just goes...!
I really like the Fender clean amp models in the Helix range. The HB has darker pickups than the Epiphone and Ibanez, but the coil splits sound decent.
You sold me a Harley Benton dude, those Roswell pickups just kick ass, the sound is so thick the new artcores have that flat finish, looks like a 9 year old left it out in the rain for 5 years, epiphones don't feel good in your hand. I wish they had a red one with the roswell humbucking/single coil pickups, but I can live with Yeller for that rich thick sound!
From awhile ago but,,, I have an Ibanez AS73 in SB. Its over 10 years old and hasn't needed anything. My last in store purchase was about 8 years ago...GC Vypyr 15, $49.00. Demo axe, Epi ES-339 in black metallic. Screamed. Apples and oranges though the AS is still here. ES too blingy for me ;)
Did anyone just observe samurai guitarist just walks out of nowhere 0:15 😂
What do you expect, he's a Samurai?
BRO WHAT
So I’m not crazy
Do all these UA-camrs live in the same area?😂
I own and Ibanez Artcore As53, and it plays great. Completely disregarding that, 0:16, you can see the wild SameraiGuitarist in his natural habitat.
Best accidental cameo
I have an AS73 and my only complaint is that it feels like a toy
*samuaraui
@@Sammy86 *samurai
was just about the comment about my as53 as well. this and the as63 have ceramic pickups and are this noticably hotter and give more treble response than you may be used. I do however use it for my college jazz band and it works decent enough to get by but it's definitely more of a rock/blues guitar.
I LOVE the way semi-hollows sound with distortion. There’s still that little bit of overdrive lingering in there. It reminds me of Alex Lifeson’s earlier work with Rush. Just a pure rock n roll sound.
Amen brother, I love that sound too.
And Nugent
And Grohls trini lopez!
00:16 Is that Samuraiguitarist?
Wow, good eye dude!
Just about to say that
Matthew Goosen I thought the same thing!?
Yeah man
clearly was
I'm extremely fond of the Gretsch Streamliner Center Block Jr.
Unlike previous Gretsch Semi's, these weigh nothing, play great, *and everything is Epiphone/Gibson sized so you can replace the hardware and pickups with whatever you like*
They're also $450 new, $380 with the coupons they give out every month at GC.
Surprised by the Harley Benton - thanks for the compare.
I've been looking at that Harley Benton HB-35 Plus for some time. Love that colour. Now I like the way it sounds too…
Tuners are fine, they're never the problem when it comes to stability and there wasn't even serious bending involved. New strings are on new guitars, which no one ever stretched, especially at that price.
Tuners are a very easy upgrade and Wilkinson in my opinion are better than some Branded tuners at less than half the price!
Tightening the winds around the tuner is much of what happens when you 'stretch' new strings.
I got the guitar. I could not be happier!
Love all your vid's. They are on point and easy going fun. Well done. HB all the way.
I picked up that Ibanez yesterday, I’m loving it and having a lot of fun
I’ve owned a few epiphones over the years, even gigged with them, and they’ve always been some of my favorite guitars.
To my ears, the HB is the clear winner! :)
I am looking at these kinds of guitars this came at just the right time
I bought that same Ibanez over every other guitar in the store. Granted they mostly had fender/squier and a good selection of shred guitars. I played every fender/squier I didn't already own and left with the artcore. I polished the frets, changed the magnets to alico II and covered the pickups. It was already pretty cool but it was butter after a little love.
Nice! Saw you with DovyDas & thought I'd check you out. Love to see you two together for some sets as I love your style...
The thing you didn't like with the pickups on the Ibanez might be because they are uncovered, in my experience the covered humbuckers sound smoother and suit semi acoustic guitars better.
I know it’s an old comment but I agree. My brother’s friend sold me an Ibanez artcore series guitar, and I went to a local guitar shop to try one out before it came from UPS. The first one I found had uncovered pickups, and I wasn’t a big fan of the sound. I eventually found one with covered humbuckers and I was surprised of the difference. I was so glad the one I bought came with covered humbuckers
@@cesaraguirre8191 I had an AFS75t with the covered pickups and loved it. Those Artcores with the exposed pickups don't look right, anyway. Completely ruins the aesthetic.
I have a Ibanez AS73 I’ve had for a few years. The stock pickups weren’t great but I put a set of Gibson 490s I had in it and it plays great and sounds great now.
Haha! @SamuraiGuitarist walks through the back of your shot 00:14. I know Canada's a big place but my two favourite Canadian guitar youtubers must live pretty close to each other!
The Harley Benton has super snappy sounding pickups for them being humbuckers
I have a harley benton, i had the same issue until i replaced the stock strings and it stays in tune now
Thank you for your honesty and your opinion
I got a Harley Benton CST24HB and its an amazing guitar. Sounds as good as it looks and its like 200 bucks.
I got the tortoise flame. She's a beauty, feels good in my hands and sounds good. No regrets. Got a HSC for her and when I go jam and sometimes forget her in the trunk overnight, I don't freak-out either.
Hows the tuning?
Cool offering. I didn't like anything here but have had an IBZ AS73 in vsb for over 10 years now. Blasted this thru a BadMonkey and Blues Jr while my stereo played Cream "Sitting On Top Of The World" from Goodbye before seeing EC in '07. Those were the days.
The HB wins if nothing for the coil splits.
It rules . My favorite guitar to play with right now
The neck pickup on the HB was my favorite tone out of the group. Might have to splurge for new tuners, but oh well.
I guess with the money you saveon it over the other guitars here, a set of grovers would still keep you at a decent price.
After this shootout its pretty clear which is best sounding and best looking. That hb sounds sweet and looks sweet. Definitely the best sounding and looking for your money. Hb all the way for me until I can save enough for a higher end gretsch. Great review
I have an Ibanez AM-53 semi-hollow that is a great player, really well made but yea the pickups are throwaways. I put a set of Gibson Classic 57's that I bought used and they sound fantastic on it.
I’ve had my HB 35 Plus for 3 years now and it’s played the most despite having more expensive guitars. It’s unbelievably well made. I can cover so many genres in one sitting. I’ve never seen a comparison like this so it’s great to see I made the right choice 😊👍
I thought artcores came with chrome pickup covers but it has been years since I saw the new models.
EDIT: It's great to see a newer company innovating and asking much less than established industry giants that don't change the formula.
The lower end ibanez hollowbodies come with uncovered pickups. The one he was playing is ~$350. The upgraded version of it with gold hardware (including gold pickup covers) and 4 knobs instead of 2 is $100 more (also has different color options, they have a gorgeous rose gold one that's absolutely on my list)
As for Harley Benton, I haven't tried them to say whether or not they live up to the hype but they're Thomann's house brand which allows them to sell higher specs at a lower price
I bought a 2019 artcore last week. It sounds way better than the model he is displaying here. Mine came with chrome covers but it was also $100 more expensive. And to be honest it plays almost as well as my Gibson.
Epiphone sounded the best, and I liked its look best. However, I can’t deny the value for the money in that HB. It definitely looks rocker too.
Small update here. I bought the HB 35+ in black, about a month ago. Very pleased with it, far better than the 247 it cost.
The Harley is beautiful!
I Did today just as you recommended and it is on the way ,thanks !
Epiphone guitars have improved so much over the last 10 years. The built quality is great.
I received my HB 35 Lemon yesterday and did send it back ... yesterday. Wondering how it passed QC.
After seeing this review I became interested in the Harley Benton HB-35Plus. I looked into it on the web and UA-cam and ordered it. I ordered the Vintage Burst because the Lemon Burst was out of order and I don't care about the color of my guitar. This guitar is amazing! The looks, the finish, the sound, playability. My frets are perfectly smooth and guitar was setup perfect out of the box. I can't believe this is a € 209,00 guitar! 😳 Now I'm afraid the UPS guy will come and take my guitar away because they delivered the wrong guitar... 🙈 The only less perfect thing I found was that the guitar is slightly on the heavy side...
Glad you like it! I'm always nervous that someones going to get a bad one that slipped passed QC and then blame me for it lol.
@@60CycleHumcast Mine is great too, and no tuner issues.
I love my Gretsch semi hollow. They are the other option that should be considered when buying such a guitar.
That was my first thought, "Why isn't a Gretsch in this mix?".
@@johne1599 I know, Gretsch slaughters Epiphone and has many very affordable guitars that absolutely sound better than most other brands in their price range. I'll die owning mine. Never going to sell them.
@@Tigershark-qy2gq What I like about Gretsch is that they’re very playable, affordable, and they DON’T sound like all the other guitars that 95% of guys and gals are playing. As much as I love my guitar heroes, I don’t want to sound like them. I want to sound like Me!!
Maybe cause in general they’re over $500, also they’re not considered cheap guitars. I like them too and I owned a Ibanez with whammy bar before D’angelico are amazing imo
Did you even listen to the beginning?
I have the blue burst and it’s stunning
Love the block inlays on the HB !
Never thought I'd say this i think the harley benton sounds better and nicer looking hope it plays aswell as the other two 👍
Really dig that Harley Benton. Sounds good too.
Harley Benton for looks and sound!
As for playability, that's up to the player!
As for price, Harley Benton, every time.
Goes to show, brand isn't always a winner!
Cool review. I LOVE HB''S. Not because of price alone but because of sound and playability..
Thanks for the insight. From what I have read, the HB is being steadily improved and at least one specification (the HB-35 PLUS at sterling £190 AUG 2020) claims a bone nut, block inlays (they were dots) and branded pickups (upgrade Roswell PAF 5 vintage-style humbucker with coil split - I believe made by Wilkinson). The tuners are kind of Grover type (serviceable) although unbranded. No customer review of the HB PLUS mentions tuning instability although they do say that the bridge / saddles are a weak point - oddly cheap compared to the other parts (like full sized decent pots).
At £200 for the guitar, I would be tempted to replace both tuners and bridge with Wilkinson parts OR if you have budget, a Graphtech bridge and TUSQ nut set with Gotoh tuners. Stretched strings, bit of fast fret in the grooves of the nut and there shouldn't be any tuning or intonation issue. At the moment they only seem to have two colours - the lemon burst and vintage cherry ( Chuck Berry) red - no problem with those, both beautiful, but black would be an obvious (B.B.King) addition and maybe a nice Pelham blue :) . The maple flame whilst great at this price isn't the AAAA claimed in the marketing - not compared to an expensive AAAA PRS or CS Gibson for example, so that is a bit of mis-direction.
It seems to be pitched under the Epi / Ibanez level and more at the Firefly price point (another potential ES although these need more work than the HB) - you cannot get a Firefly for love nor money right now. HB looks like a much more established and robust operation so I'd be pitching there for what it's worth. Tone is the decider - it was best here by far.
I could hear single coil/lipstick all over HB except it picked up every click and switch in comparison to the others
He makes so many excuses for the others it's embarrassing.
I think he's trippin
I recently went with a HB35 in the green (but still have my eye on the Sire H7). Added new high-end strings, locking tuners, roller bridge, and removed the pickguard, leveled out some dead frets, and smoothed out some minorly rough fret ends. That made the overall appearance really pop with that metallic green against the new gold flash. The intonation is still perfect and the guitar now looks and plays like it should. Was too much work required? Not a chance because I love doing that kind of work. It is a great guitar, a virtual diamond in the rough that requires a surprisingly small amount of work to make perfect.
Since I viewed this video, months ago, I have canceled my order bc it was taking too damn long, for the lemon burst HB , you review in this video and continue to visit the California Thomann's website to see the same notice, "in stock within 3 to 5 weeks". What's up man!!!! I'd like to get one of those Lemon burst HB semi hollowbodies.
I ordered my HB+ 2 weeks ago and it was out of stock until November. Then I got an email yesterday that they just sent one on the way and it will be here in 2 days!
A stock HB-35Plus Lemon i have been using onstage for about 6 months. lots of tones. 10-50 gauge strings. i check tuning 2-3 times a set. looks nice. it's not bullet proof but works for me.
Have the tuners improved? Looking at a Harley benton myself in lemon drop.
@@petestaint8312 I'm not sure if they use the same tuners. I changed the bridge and nut after a year.
@@daveallen9921 👍
*Tone time stamps*
Epiphone - 0:44
Harley Benton - 4:28
Ibanez - 8:03
I purchased the HB-35 Plus Lemon Drop last month for Christmas.
And how it's going?
I want a lemon hb 35 plus.. have 2 HB.s both teles and no issues after 4 yrs.
By the way your playing guitar, I can tell, you are used to playing strats
Could you explain it a bit for me?
I'm new to guitar so I wouldnt really notice. What are characteristics for strat players? What makes it noticeable?
Do other guitar players have their specific way of playing depending on the guitar they play (e.g. telecaster, les paul or semihollow)?
Merely opinion. You can’t tell what kind of guitar a guy plays simply watching his style. So I call BS
$299 to $365 is not double the price🤪
@@tenantrep He said $209
From the tunes he's throwing out, I think he's been watching 70's porn.
I think the Epiphone sounded best. Huge with distortion, too.
I have both Ibanez (AS-120) and Epiphone (Sheraton Elitist) semi-hollow guitars. I think the Ibanez was slightly better quality than comparable Epiphones at that time. I replaced the pickups in the AS-120, which had Super-58s; I put in Z-90s.
The HB sounded and looked good, but probably only ok if you’re happy to change the nut and tuners yourself. Then it’ll be a bargain. I’ve got an Epi Dot and it’s a superb player
The Ibanez has very high output indeed, I have one (AS53) of those (transparent black) and this was my first impression when I got it (online purchase) and plugged it in. In my case it's a great thing, but yeah, definitely a question about preferences.
Harley Benton no doubt. I have one which it's my favorite and I have big name guitars. 🎵🎸🎶
I own two grote guitars that I bought off of Amazon, the first I bought the "telecaster thinline" for $140 delivered and it is a steal ! Then I bought the "335" and it too is a steal for $240 delivered.
They both are beautiful guitars with really nice necks and fret work. I bought upgraded machine heads for both but have not installed them on either because the "cheap" ones that came on them hold tune surprisingly well. The pickups will get upgraded when I find the time but they both sound unbelievably good with the stock cheap ones. I have a few high end guitars and no the grote is not a fender or gibson but.....
If these were all that I could afford even just leaving it alone and playing it stock , I would be happy. I bought them because my go to number one is my strat but I wanted a tele and a 335 but can't afford the real thing in every guitar (yet) but of course I want every guitar. I guess what I'm saying is for a really good copy at a killer price , I like the grote .... they sell out quickly but you gotta keep checking and they will be back. 🍻🎸🤟😜❤
Just got my Grote deep red semi-hollow body. Got it from EBAY for about $150. Changed the strings, adjusted action. they had the intonation set already. This set neck plays super smooth after a neck cleanup and oil. I agree with Joe this guitar plays smooth and clean. Don't rule these out.
If HB is better to begin with and half the price of the others then just why not get the HB and invest another $200 on upgrades like locking tuners and tremolo bar?
HB sounds pretty good!👍👍😎
With this video you've sold me one of those HBs and I love it.
By the way, I have no problems with the tuners either.
Would be interesting to compare with an authentic 335 to put it in perspective.
I have a Gary Clark jr Casino, with an original 1953 P90 in the neck and a mojo P90 in the bridge with vintage inspired pickups pots and a set of original gray tiger caps, also a faber locking bridge with titanium saddles with a camel bone nut!!! I should say the casino was in a right state when I bought it that’s why I went with all the mods and it sounds awesome now!!!
Was that samuraiguitarist that popped in the shot? 0:15 Lol
Should try Musoo 335 copy 180$CDN at my door TOP & BACK flame maple P90 dog ears pickup cool dragon inlay. Add a Duesenberg LesTremII, roller bridge and locking tunners and homama, I'm thinking about geting a second one just for alternate tunning! The original tunners are groovers witch are good but with the trem i prefer locking ones!
It looks “lemony” good!
I think I heard the same thing you did on the HB sound. I just looked online (3 years later) and the base model is actually cheaper, at $290 USD,, but not in that color. That color is the slightly more expensive version (now $232 USD in that color), and has coil splitting. It doesn't have those rings around the two knobs that are in the model from the video -- I'm wondering if those indicated the more expensive, version, with push-pull pots for coil splitting?
Thanks, Ryan. From here in England, I really like your videos. I recently bought a Vintage VSA500 semi and would be REALLY interested in your take on it.
An entry- level guitar that won't stay in tune would not be my first choice.
I have an epi dot in red but I love the Harley! Balls!!!!
Kind of surprised the Epiphone didn't come with tapped coils. My budget Epi SG rerelease '66 came with them. My first guitar and I was looking for something with quality and versatility . I am kind of regretting not choosing a semi hollow as my first axe.
was that samuraiguitarist in the back?
i was on my way to work then i saw a guy busking on Tube station he had such a good looking semi hollow and then i looked at the brand and it was harley benton, i immediatly wanted one now i am doing my online research on it. he had the same color as the one in video. Gotta say it looked like some expensive guitar when i saw it from bit far.
Nice 1 Ry! HB seems like the leader of the 335 alike, budget pack! \m/
I just went ahead and dropped the coin (or Sweetwater credit) for a trans black Ibanez AS53. If you know Ibanez quality, it’s worth it, and holy smokes was it worth it. I played a trimmed out Artstar years ago, and was hooked, but at the time couldn’t justify the price. But this one… I couldn’t pass it up. I’ve even gone so far as to consider the trans red model. The guitar is no-frills, but flawless. And strung with 10-52s! Perfect!
Will you be doing a review for the new SC-550 in desert burst?? 😍
Kinda waiting for the upcomming SC models.
One the subject of affordable semi hollows, hows the Firefly 338 treating you?
i really like the firefly but it has some issues i need to address in a follow up video
I’ve given flack but damn ....this is such a useful video, especially if just starting out. Rural world players have a hell of a time in the noise that IS the guitar market. Good on ya! When I started playing, maybe every 10th guitar was playable. More problems than lube could fix.....
Yep, Harley Benton had a smoother tone as one would like for jazz/blues. Epi sounded thinner and I dont like where the Jack plugs in. Ibanez is a beauty but didnt stand out tone wise. Nice review!
Ibanez pickups sound cheap.
But the guitar is not.
Where do you live Ryan, Thomann is a long way from the US or Canada
Dude loves the G chord.
I have a 2008 Dot and the pickups are the weak point on it. I upgraded to a set of probuckers with coil-split and love it to death.
IMO i would choose a gretsch 2622 center block.. best value for the money and wonderful made instruments way better than a epiphone!
agreed
Markus K. The great international Busker , uses an Ibanez AF55 and it’s great . Just saying. . .
I chose the Harley Benton HB 35 plus Sunburst a while ago, and apart from a little fiddeling with the stringheight and action there's no issues. I'm very pleased. It holds tuning too....😉 The only guitar I never have had to do anything to is my 1976 Hagström Scandi, I haven't touched any adjustments since I bought i in 1980... it just goes...!
I own a Harley Benton flying V I paid $140.00 us for it and she plays fantastic. Nice beefy neck and she screams.
I really love my Hagstrom Viking for a semi hollow.
I have a gretsch g2622 and I very highly recommend
I really like the Fender clean amp models in the Helix range. The HB has darker pickups than the Epiphone and Ibanez, but the coil splits sound decent.
6:49 samaurai guitarist in the background?
Is that a Jackson behind you? The sea foam green with the super style headstock right behind the majesty. It looks like a supro with Jackson inlays
You sold me a Harley Benton dude, those Roswell pickups just kick ass, the sound is so thick the new artcores have that flat finish, looks like a 9 year old left it out in the rain for 5 years, epiphones don't feel good in your hand. I wish they had a red one with the roswell humbucking/single coil pickups, but I can live with Yeller for that rich thick sound!
oooh slick samurai guitarist cameo at 0:15
I got no horse in this race (I own a Peavey JF1) but aesthetically speaking the HB wins. Tone is always subjective on videos such as this.
Look at the full range of Ibanez Hollowbodies, they are true beauty www.ibanez.com/usa/products/model/afc/
From awhile ago but,,,
I have an Ibanez AS73 in SB. Its over 10 years old and hasn't needed anything.
My last in store purchase was about 8 years ago...GC Vypyr 15, $49.00.
Demo axe, Epi ES-339 in black metallic. Screamed.
Apples and oranges though the AS is still here. ES too blingy for me ;)
What about those semi-cheap Gretsch’s? The hardtail ones are pretty great.
I own 4 Benton’s , all really good guitars, but why do they spoil the look of this semi with a lp pickguard ?
Epiphone "Dot",, its got that blues tone!,, i love mine
Had one 15 years.
Id likely pick the smallest one as if i got any of those it would likely get at least new pickups maybe tuners pots
How about the Guild?
The 2 knobs on the Ibanez IS a mod!
What about the “Vintage” brand hollow bodies?
The Fact that Samy-G is walking by in the background got me flashed for a sec