Gotta love these guitar videos: "neck is baseball bat type, really confortable" "neck is really slim, really confortable" "neck has very flat radius, really confortable" "neck has very round fretboard, really confortable"
Well said at the beginning, far too many people seem to think that getting more value than you paid for = $1000 to $2000 worth of guitar for $150..... Harley Benton started out trying to be the ideal "first guitar" but has evolved into a musicians library, you don't have a tele in your studio? Pick up a TE-90. Need a Les Paul style guitar? Check out an SC450. Where so many of us would typically "get by" with one or 2 decent guitars for recording and jams Harley Benton allows us to pick up a handful of different styles and tones for the price of one, lets face it, somewhat mediocre big brand guitar. With Harley Benton you get some good bones to build from. Throw on some decent pickups and new tuners and you have a very gigable instrument, with a bit more time and effort you can end up with a real gem of a guitar that you will enjoy for years to come. What I love about the brand is that you get a perfectly usable guitar right out of the box. A bit of a setup is often needed but beyond that, it won't put off a new player. A far cry from my experience getting started with guitar in the 90's.
I'm in that process myself, hardtailed the bridge and added locking tuners....just about to replace the nut ( I mean even expensive factory guitars often have an awful nut) and also going to replace the pickups, apart from that stuff to taylor it to my needs it's a solid smooth guitar to play....as you say with a bit of luck and know how you can shape one of these in to a potential very good guitar.
@@adamdam If you can do all that and not spend too much money and be happy, great. My biggest problem with HB and the reason I have not bought one is that every cheap guitar I have ever tried has suffered from poor quality control. So I would rather get my hands on one before buying rather than ordering one blind off the internet. I would be worried about getting one with severe issues. I am looking for a 335 style guitar but I would rather wait until I can pick one up for a decent price locally, maybe an Epi Dot, that I can try before I buy.
@@davva360 Yeah that's sensible, I mean the guitar I got was like £180 which I felt would be mostly terrible at that price but was going to experiment on it none the less... as my original comment says, I ended up with a lovely guitar to play and look at....not without some faults though! I spent around £30-40 (kept the pickups cause they have a pretty good unique sound) upgrading It too, so It wasn't an expensive project at all.
Reverse headstock, "people are lunatics" cracked me up! Watched this episode several times in the past year, always pick up something new from it. Eventual will pick up the 60 and 2 other Hb guitars when I move into my new place to treat myself, along with some motor mods for my Harley.... Davidson lol. Gr8 vid as usual, Thanks Ryan!
I quit playing like 20 years ago...I bought a Fusion HHFR and I'm a hair metal rocker again! Absolutely love it. None of the problems you describe with the other two. Completely worth the money. Could have a nicer look with the curly what-ever but Imma let that go.
A thousand years ago I lived around the corner from a joint the had Dick Dale and the Delltones as the house band. Your playing brought me back to that dump, big time! Good job! Wonderful review for not being a damn guitar snob! You got my sub.
About that tele... Most of us who like reverse headstocks like them for more tension on bass strings, which allows lower action there and better drop D and slinkines on first 2 strings - easier to bend. There are people who say they like the look... usually those like to consider themselves weird and different... Guitar sounds great
I bought a TE-90Flt and a pair of hipshot locking tuners and the guitar is just fantastic. I play it through an Egnater Rebel 20 with a Dirty Little Secret OD - it rocks!!!
the frets dont make it automatically play like a $1000 guitar, you can spray nitro on a squier but its not going to make it play like a $$$$ guitar with a nitro finish. Its neat that it has the nice hardware and the stainless frets, but it still plays like a guitar at its price point.
I now have 3 HB Guitars. A LesPaul version SC450, the Strat version that I have set up with Roland Synth pickup. A SG Version with 24 frets. I did have to set up the necks on the Strat, and the SG. The LesPaul was perfect. I love all 3 guitars and am looking to pickup the PRS version.
These guitars have been great for people like me, getting back into guitar after many years away. People who just noodle and play for their own enjoyment, not in a band or in public. I don't need an expensive guitar to get myself back into playing. I picked up an HB 335 copy a few months ago, swapped the tuners and found a pair of pickups on eBay for cheap and the thing is a blast. Looking at getting the SC450 next.
I bought my Squier Mustang for 175.00... the only Squier ( jazz/ jag/tele )..I haven't completely replaced everything with US pick ups/ wiring... its pretty great....(& now i need a white pearloid pickguard)..
A good honest well presented review that places the guitars in a realistic area of the market for anyone trying to make a fair assessment of them against other guitars :-)
The tuners are the same on the MS-60 and TE-90. The thing you're experiencing with both the tuner "dead spots" and the whammy bar tuning instability is almost certainly the string binding at the nut. Two tricks to fix that: put the D string in the G string's nut slot and tune it up and down a few times; repeat for each string and effectively re-file the slots with a larger gauge string. Secondly, put some nut sauce (or vaseline) in the nut slots and under the string tree. This should fix both problems... unless you have a truly faulty set of tuners. I've never actually seen a faulty set of tuners in owning many guitars, for what it's worth.
I agree with Ryan - the original tuners on my TE-90 weren't great. The nut on mine is fine. Otherwise it's an absolutely great guitar that gets even better with a few low cost mods. Thomann's supplier unfortunately made a real mess of the pick guard. The first issue of the TE-90 had a Cabronita correct guard. Then I think they changed suppliers and they made complete mess of the guard. I fitted a Cabronita guard on mine which wasn't easy as it involves gluing shaped wooden blocks into the 'smugglers' weight relief cavity that is hidden by the guard, in order to provide support for the pick guard screws.
@@BoltRM I experimented with the pick guard removed and acoustically you could hear the effect of gradually sliding the guard over the cavity - a quite obvious wah-wah effect. However doing the same thing plugged in the effect was inaudible. The extra wood blocks I fitted to support the screws of a properly shaped Cabronita pick guard were quite small and only in the corners of the cavity so they didn't change the cavity volume much. The guitar looks so much better with a Cabronita correct guard.
I agree: there are very few tuners that 'don't work' (although quite a lot that feel crappy) so if you are getting tuning problems it's nearly always the nut. Frankly, having modded a lot of guitars, there is nearly always a problem with the nut - usually it's not low enough and causes intonation/tuning issues at the first few frets.
Another way to deal with the bridge saddle friction issue, especially with the JM/Jag/Mustang vibrato equipped guitars is to swap the TOM-style bridge with a roller bridge. Not only do they allow enthusiastic wiggle bar use while keeping the guitar in tune, they do allow for precise intonation in spite of the claims by some.
Totally agree with you in sights of the TE 90 FLT!!! An amazing guitar with a very unique, personal sound!! Love mine!!! And the newer bridge is just fine and an upgrade comparing to the first/older one!!! Highly recommend this axe!!! The price is just ridiculous for the build quality and the sound versatikity!!!
I've got the TE-90 and I'm loving it. Think I got lucky cos I'm 99.999% certain I have a single piece ash body - I was expecting at best a 3 piece body for the price. HB have made a couple of minor changes compared to the one reviewed - the pickguard is a slightly different shape which more closely follows the outer shape of the body + the bridge has been swapped out for a very nice Hipshot copy and is a lot more comfortable to rest your hand on than the original syle bridge. I've swapped the chrome knobs for black ones and put a black poker chip around the switch and imo these minor mods add a little extra to the looks. I may in future swap out the bridge, tuners, strap buttons, string trees and nut for black equivalents but I'm in no rush, I'm happy to enjoy the guitar as it is for now. I'm even getting used to if not like the reverse headstock and it may even make bending the high E a bit easier.
i have both of them. Really great players. But i'll change pickups at the custom SG copy, then it'll be a real beast. Plek'd frets and light woods, the playability is fantastic on both. I would buy both again.
TE90 FLT VW with Filtertron type pickups I've had my eyes on for a long time now. I just had to first get the SC450 goldtop P90. And the Swamp ash strat. And the Fusion pro 2 flame bengal burst, which is a wonder to the touch and ear beauty. 👍😉🌟🌟🌟
Question. With about $200 budget would you recommend Harley Benton, Firefly, Indio, or Epiphone as a gift for my just passing beginning player 13 year old grandson? He likes semi hollow body and likes to improvise. Is there a model you recommend?
The cool thing about filtertrons is that they are between a single coil and a humbucker (like a p90) but are hum-cancelling.. They are actually humbuckers, but have a sound all their own... Imho more guitars should come stock with filtertrons or p90's
I bought a Harley Benton GS MINI copy because I wanted the "in case of fire, save my guitars" sticker. :) I like the metal flake paint on the most recent Fusion series. Those look pretty sexy on all the videos I have seen so far.
I was wondering if you played worship! How would the FLT90 compare to a gretsch semi-hollow body since this is chambered? A lot of the “famous” worship guitarists use them.
if i had the ms-60, it would go straight to kurt cobain spec and get the seymour duncan jb in the bridge. i wouldn't be too crazy about the jaguar trem, though.
I would get a pocket knife and carve out a "wooden" binding around the edges of the body. Trust me, it looks cool with cheap blue or white guitars, having that dark and edgy wood that looks exactly like dark binding from 12 feet away
Yeah, I'd put humbuckers in it too. just recut a new pickguard for it from a sheet. And fit one of those 'hardtail' bridges to it that you can get for JM type trems that just only have the stringholes on the plate, is said to have a better break angle too, but I havent looked at one in the flesh as of yet
Watched your first MS60 video before this, because I want to get one maybe. Mostly for noise stuff like for example APTBS. How did you fix the trem from moving around and falling out?
Ryan, I've asked folks who love the reverse headstock, and they have a point. They don't have to reach over the guitar (their words, not mine) to tune and their wrist stays at the same angle for tuning as playing. I have owned one reverse head stock in my life and couldn't get used to it, even though I was in my 20's in the 80's when they were "all the rage," I never bonded with one either. That last guitar is definitely the one that if I was going to take the HD dive, it would be with that T style guitar and the filtertron style pickups. Darn it, I forgot the nasty comment! I'll catch you next time. LOL #StayGrounded. Thanks for the video!
I would change the finish to a shell pink, change the pickguard into a pearloid and then I would swap out the tuners for locking tuners. Bam. Perfect home studio Tele beater.
HI, I just noticed your comment, I live in the south west and have got a lot of gear from Thomann, so here is some info. I've had shipments arrive in less than two weeks and one took over a month. One thing that has made a difference is the weather. Sometimes, especially in the winter shipments get delayed related to bad weather. I had a shipment stuck in customs in, was it, San Diego at the customs center? I had to contact my postmaster to light a fire under their behinds to get the goods delivered. It's always risky getting from Thomann because they don't have a contract with USPS, so we are at their mercy when items arrive in the USA. Thomann has a very good tracking system with DHL in Germany and has an option to automatically transfer to USPS tracking when items arrive in the USA. I think the tracking number is assigned in Europe. At any rate, Thomann's customer service is first rate, they have always got back to me quickly with any questions. They have an international department that is spot on. I've bought a lot there, no regrets. At the same time items could of got lost in shipping. The way I see it is the gear is such a good deal that I'm not out a whole lot if something is lost in transit. Good luck.
@@overthehillcheapgearnoodle9990 Thanks for the info. I just ordered a Harley Benton guitar and live in the southwest also and was wondering about how long to expect delivery to take
I like the last one a lot too...and it's light ?! Is the neck glossy though ? I could try fine sanding and linseed it ...first time. Also I only just grew to like the look of the tele's controls in that odd straight line ..
The TE-90 Tele doesn't have filtertrons in it, they're humbuckers with filtertron style covers.. so even though you thought you enjoyed your experience of filtertrons, you didn't.
@@francosousa1329 no, Clive Barns is 100% correct. My food just look up filtertrons construction vs humbucker on UA-cam They are constructed very differently
I GOT THE HARLEY BENTON COPY OF THE PAUL REED SMITH. I LOVE THE PAINT, THE SOUND, THE FEEL. I CANT BELIEVE THE GUITAR COST 230 US DOLLARS. I LOVE THE GUITAR.
I just that guitar as well. LOVE it. It's killer. I love the Roswell buckers in it. I'm getting the p-90 Model next in Ocean Blue burst. I can't wait to see what those P-90s will do. And I am also interested in trying out this Tele TE-90. Very different all the way around. I love what Harley Benton has gong on right now.
I have a HB (SG style lefty) and I love it the neck is super smooth and fast PUP's sound better than my ESP 256. I just ordered an acoustic and plan on picking up a few more which I could never do with a Gibson or CS Fender ~
I have a Harley Benton JA-60, the jazzmaster-ish one with p90s. I also own a Mexican FSR Stratocaster, a Gibson Les Paul Standard and a Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster. The Harley Benton is literally as good as my Telecaster (which is a great guitar btw) Cheaper but serviceable tuners. Decent fretwork. And AWESOME pickups. I’m blown away at how good it is. I’d say it’s worth 2-3 times what I paid for it. And it would be if it had a Squier badge on it.
harley benton actually sells their stuff cheaper than its worth because they mass produce them, I have this vintage g112 cabinet from them and the celestion speaker in it actually costs more than what they're sold for when bought one at a time, and really good guitar blanks are waaaaay cheaper than a finished guitar with that wood, guitars are overpriced
@@dankhill6851 Well then, Fender and especially Gibson had better get with the program and quit living off of their great reputations from years ago! Gibson today has shitty quality control and lousy customer relations!
I don't know were you live but you have to add shipping cost into the equation. For a bit of a experiment I ordered the Thunderbird bass, I believe the TB-70, It's a Thunderbird bass and it was around $180 a year ago and it was about $75-80 for shipping to Northeastern USA so it came out to with tax $270. The plastic nut almost fell out if it was not held with strings, replaced it. Tunners are pretty bad I will replace them and the neck was very exceptable. It has active pups that I thought would be bad but were O.K, eventually I might upgrade they are a little metallic sounding but I can EQ that for a usable tone and the finish is O.K. The bass itself, not including the money that I spent on a 1-10 it's about 5-6, for the money I would give it an 8 and I have a lot of basses and guitars Fender basses and have been playing for 40 years. I would say if it was going to be your first instrument and you have no knowledge of setting up and tweaking guitars to your liking I don't recommend, if you do go for it.
This is th ereview of the TE90 i needed. considered ordering one for a while now. i want a humbucker tele that stille shines through with a crisp and birght sound. and i want to be able to play hard rock as well. seems like a do it all workhorse. and love tha cabronita style, with the cavity under that pickguard and oversized cavity for the electronics. gives it a lighter weight and a more resonant body.
THAT, my friend is why I would never get one of those fusions... I was wondering if it was just me that absolutely hated the finish on it. Thanks for proving I'm not crazy as no one else mentions it in their reviews. To me it looks like they took a crystal Pepsi ad that has faded over time and steamed it onto the thing...
DITTO! I always thought the top pattern on those Fusions looked fake & printed. Like you, surprised no other reviews mentioned it. They need to replace that green one with a natural looking finish, maybe similar to the TE90 shown or slightly darker brown. That would be a winner.
@@jerrycarroll9068 I'm half way looking at one as well, albeit the Fusion II, and I'm pretty sure they had different finishes for both the first and second edition. So, kind of an odd thing to be harping on about...
I've been wanting to order quite a few Harley Bentons over the last 2 years and it just so happens I'm in the Position to do so now,however with the shipping being 100 and not noing anyone that's actually ordered from Thomman I'm Worried about US Customs adding to the cost of the guitars....Should I be worried or is DUTY and TAX a one in a million kinda thing?Or is it just a few bucks anyway?
The price comparisons we think about, is it in part that we don’t want to be caught with an inexpensive guitar because they really are status symbols? The whole culture teaches people from the outset that it has to be expensive or it’s not a “real” guitar, and we are disappointed often that we couldn’t spend more even if we could make great music with the one we could afford. I know I have spent too much, or felt bummed in the back of my mind that I had to settle for a used piece. I think it is great to be a buyer these days, and if you buy a fender and immediately upgrade it, it’s fine to do it with these. Keep rockin out there folks!
Most honest review on Harley Benton's that I've seen in a while. Would love for you to strip down the finish on the ugly one. I wouldn't be surprised if it was paper under the clear.
I bought a Harley Benton Jumbo Western acoustic when I was stationed in Germany back in 2000. I had two grand burning a hole in my pocket to buy a new guitar and I ended up with a $250 HB. It just felt right and sounded great. I still use it as my main gigging guitar almost 20 years later. It's just a straight up champ.
Guitar lunatic here 😆 love the reverse headstock. Prices have gone up a little bit since you got all 3. I wouldn't hesitate to get 2 of those 3. The T90 and the MS60. No go with the wife right now. I bought 20 electric guitars in the past 3 years. I told her it's the last one each time, unfortunately she's on to my lying about this
Hi David. I can't find the comment I replied to and I've been away from email for a week, so I'm using this one to respond to your question. The shortest delivery I received from Thomann was about two weeks. The longest was about two months. The two month one was stuck in customs. If that happens let me know, I might be able to get help from a musician who works in shipping and told me to contact him if I need help with shipments. He says he knows every one in shipping. I bet he would help you as well. You can track your package from the Thomann store. Just go to your order and use DHL tracking on the Thomann site. The package will receive a USPS tracking number in Germany, if I remember right. Sometimes it takes a while for the package to catch up with the tracking number. Like I said, sometimes it sits in customs for a bit. If it does, start with your local postmaster. If that is no help, get a hold of me and we can try to get it sorted. Once you are done drooling over your new child (guitar), let me know how you like it. Also, if there are any issues contact Thomann. They have worked with me to get every issue resolved. Usually with shipping questions. One I contacted them one time with a quality control issue that they fixed right away. Good luck and have fun! I know this response is a little over the top, but, I love Thomann and love it when people get great deals on gear. I have got so many incredible deals from them. I can't say enough about them! My last purchase was a HBO 850 blue. I got a b stock for $75.00. It was a floor model with a tiny imperfection. Other wise in almost perfect. I love that guitar. I used the savings to get a gig bag!
@@leonardszubinski4709 Millennial? Grow up? What is your problem? I'm probably older than you and have more guitars than you. What's the matter? No Les Paul here for you?
so stoked for this video! thanks again Ryan! I still feel as though Harley Benton's quality control is poor, but hopefully when I order mine it will be a newer one and not one they've kept in a warehouse for a year. how long was shipping?
if they made that FLT with a standard headstock...I would already have it. I still think it may find its way to me but still hoping they come out with one with the standard headstock.
I am about to purchase a custom edition telecaster fmt hh, kuz I fell in love with it... But... HB will be getting my dough on a traditional telecaster style guitar. For what you get for the money, Harley Benton is Aces! Unless you are playing the name game, or keeping up with the Jones's, HB will have something you would be proud to own, and play.
Where are you on the Les Paul HB side of things? Is there a Les Paul HB that is like robbing the system? I'd like to pick up an LP style guitar that is about $1,000 underpriced! Can HB do this? Thanks man!
I really liked the LP style harley bentons they had at thomman, im not a big LP kind of guy so im probably not the best judge of them but they felt really nice. The headstock was pretty ugly on them but for what they cost I could get over that if i needed an LP on a serious budget. Ive also been a long time fan of korean Hamers, you can get a really nice carved top/double cut experience for not much money on the used market. They are making new ones again but the used ones are plentyful.
I like the quilted shredder, but I don't like that faded jeans finish, either. Blue is my favorite color, so I'm very particular about the shade; I'd love one in, say, solid Fender Sonic Blue. The "Tele" sounds good, too, and at a terrific price. As for upside-down headstocks....only Hendrix looked cool with those damn things. As I recall, that silly shit really started being pushed at about the same time most guitars seemed to be painted black.
Why do people hate on HB? Like yeah, some of their guitars are not that great but they have many guitars that give you a graphtech/bone nut, stainless steel frets, locking tuners, and a good build for sub-$500. What’s to complain about that? Now, these guitars don’t compete with many of the higher-end guitars but they aren’t supposed to
Interesting about Thomann is they'll put out a guitar, then if something is not right, and they see that guitarist that have used it mention the changes they recommend, in most cases they'll fix the problem... Happened with the FUSION ll HSH line... From 2018 to 2019 some great changes on it... I ended up ordering one from Thomann, gosh for the money it's... Thx for the honest review :-)
Ryan, I'm asking myself if a guitar had a original Floyd Rose, Grover tuners, ebony fret board, stainless steel frets, a mohogony body, pick ups you seem to like and a nice neck for, was it under $350.00 how is that not punching above its weight class? Maybe you didn't get to pick the color? I'm just saying. I have five Harley Benton's and they all are amazing values. If Thomann had an outlet in the states, I would probably just get Thomann (classical) and Harley Benton guitars. I think they are that good. I don't own a Fusion or Dynamic yet, but, hope to one day! I've been drooling over the TE 90 FLT's for a while now! Good choice. I have a TE 30 TBK. It is sweet! Thanks for your reviews, I always enjoy them.
It looks $$$$ on paper, but at the end of the day it plays like a price appropriate guitar. The premium components make it competitive against other guitars in the price range but they dont make it any better of a player. I will say that I like the pickups a lot better than the stock pickups that came in an ibanez I used to have.
@@60CycleHumcast I've been thinking about this all week. What would make it a better player? Is it the neck shape or the fret work, or something you just can't get a handle on? I totally believe in "something you just can't get a handle on". Sometimes I don't like a product as much as other people and don't know why. That is totally acceptable. Other than putting on a real maple cap, I don't know what else they could do, unless it is quality control or shaping. If you have the time, could you be more specific, and maybe let Thomann know if it is intuitive or just personal preference or whatever it is? I've contacted them before regarding issues that I thought needed addressing and they always get back to me. They always state they will look into it and I believe them. Thanks for the great videos. I saw some of the Dynamics for under $200.00 with a pretty amazing spec. I might have to go for it!
After finally having a chance to play two (used) Harley Bentons. I just don't understand the hype unless they are mod projects. Luckily, I have a friend who can't help himself and buys anything people talks about. He has saved me a lot of money and effort.
Who has ever claimed the Harley Bentons to be anything else than either "extremely good for the money, best budget option" or "nice modding basis"? I mean, who ever claimed the HBS would be a viable alternative to a 1000 dollar guitar? I have had a few over the years, found them superior to all the budget squier or epiphones I came across over the years. That's it. But that still is quite a thing already.
@@lndrldcold1762 also I am German, so I have known the Harley Benton stuff ever since I first started playing over 14 years ago now. They have come a long, long way since then and have definitely become far far better compared to the first few Chinese guitars back in 2006/2007 that I held in my hands. Might be I just come from a different perspective than people getting pushed these in their faces as secret weapon by the quite aggressive social media outreach that Thomann is doing for a few years now. But I have had a few over the years and also told some students / friends starting to play to get a HB for their first or second guitar.
@@ithemba No offense but you are way to invested in this topic. I am not saying they are bad. But to me, someone should just save the extra $150 or so for a Classic Vibe or whatever. Also, in my experience most people trade in their first few guitars and at least here, Bentons are worth next to nothing. He took the PRS copy he purchased last year to Guitar Center and was offered $45 in trade. So, I look at it from that angle. Also, I personally haven't had the best of luck with guitars that do not ship into a U.S. factory for final QC. I have a Chapman. This guitar is great. But if you knew the nightmare story about this damn thing.....basically , I will never buy anything Chapman again. BUT....if Chapman had QC on this side of the planet, it could of been solved in a week. This was before his Guitar Center deal in the States but QC and Guitar Center really don't belong in the same sentence anyways... I just feel like the risk you take buying a Benton just isn't worth it. Now, if I was in Spain, Germany, or Poland , I am sure I'd be more of a fan.
Ryan - You should review Firefly Semi-Hollow ES335 knock-off. I bought one off Amazon - don’t buy them on EBay or Craigslist - buyers are hoarding them & doubling, even tripling the cost. They’ll hit Amazon for $135 and within days they’re gone - because of “entrepreneurs”. It’s a great guitar. I did have to file down the fret ends, put Grover tuners on it, & put a Tusq Nut. I had a longtime musician from a famous band from the ‘60’s try it & he loves it. Firefly is also selling Tele knock offs right now. Haven’t tried them - but almost the same price $136.91 on Amazon. But, try to get hold of the Semi-Hollow ES335 knock off - they’re fantastic for the money. If I get to a website of yours, I’ll email you.
@@60CycleHumcast smile.amazon.com/dp/B075FSQFPY Scroll down to see the 4 colors available, when in stock. They sell out within days or a week. For some reason clicking on the Firefly name on Amazon doesn't show the other guitars. Always been hard to find them on the site. I have the blue burst & it's beautiful! Prettier than the pic too. (fyi, the "smile" part of the link.. Amazon's donates a tiny amount to charity. No commission for me. )
I'm 65' and when I remember the crappy cheap guitars we have in the 70' (and there were not many), every HB is a Rolls Royce. Btw I bought four of them (for the price of one standard guitar).
Ryan you should dive into looking at different vintage tube combo amps. Like you should get a Silverface Fender Champ, or an old Harmony or Ampeg amp or something. Talk about garage rock 👌🏻
60 Cycle Hum my 70’s vibro champ is the coolest amp that I have. It takes Reverb pedals and drives so well, so it’s perfect for recording. 60’s Ampegs are really cool too and you can still find em cheap
@@kantina4765 true. They are not that much better. The vintage LPs that I saw maybe had a notch nicer feeling finish, (as people already mentioned in the comments, the poly finishes on HBS tend to be THICC) but other than that pretty much the same stuff but for more money.
@@kantina4765 nah don't believe they lie or have trouble telling the truth, everything depends on your reference frame of what you call a great guitar and what you expect from a 300 to 400 dollar guitar, or a 100 to 200 dollar guitar. When you grew up in a time where basically the 300 to 400 dollar were the barely playable ones and everything beneath that was straight-out burned money, you probably be stunned and call a guitar great because it has no dead spots, doesn't cut your hands open and might hold tuning for half an hour playing. All of that is stuff you can get from a 120 dollar Harley Benton nowaday. Throw in some aftermarket pickups, a Wilkinson bridge, some pencil dust in the nut and maybe new tuners and you can get a really nice instrument, depending of you knowing what you want from it. Does either one get close to a really nice 1000 dollar instrument? No. Will they be truly great, like: inspiring with a certain mojo and aging really well like a fine wine, like a 2000 dollar made in US custom shop? No. Will they sound and play as good? No. (But with aftermarket pu thrown in, they just might...) But, for some people and purposes at least, considered the difference in price probably close enough. There are a million tiny factors that influence the feel a guitar gives you when holding it in your hands. For some people a thick poly finish doesn't matter at all, some instinctively will always feel the cheapness of the thick plastics and despise the feel. Just one example among many.
Gotta love these guitar videos:
"neck is baseball bat type, really confortable"
"neck is really slim, really confortable"
"neck has very flat radius, really confortable"
"neck has very round fretboard, really confortable"
Well said at the beginning, far too many people seem to think that getting more value than you paid for = $1000 to $2000 worth of guitar for $150..... Harley Benton started out trying to be the ideal "first guitar" but has evolved into a musicians library, you don't have a tele in your studio? Pick up a TE-90. Need a Les Paul style guitar? Check out an SC450. Where so many of us would typically "get by" with one or 2 decent guitars for recording and jams Harley Benton allows us to pick up a handful of different styles and tones for the price of one, lets face it, somewhat mediocre big brand guitar. With Harley Benton you get some good bones to build from. Throw on some decent pickups and new tuners and you have a very gigable instrument, with a bit more time and effort you can end up with a real gem of a guitar that you will enjoy for years to come.
What I love about the brand is that you get a perfectly usable guitar right out of the box. A bit of a setup is often needed but beyond that, it won't put off a new player. A far cry from my experience getting started with guitar in the 90's.
exactly!
I'm in that process myself, hardtailed the bridge and added locking tuners....just about to replace the nut ( I mean even expensive factory guitars often have an awful nut) and also going to replace the pickups, apart from that stuff to taylor it to my needs it's a solid smooth guitar to play....as you say with a bit of luck and know how you can shape one of these in to a potential very good guitar.
@@adamdam If you can do all that and not spend too much money and be happy, great. My biggest problem with HB and the reason I have not bought one is that every cheap guitar I have ever tried has suffered from poor quality control. So I would rather get my hands on one before buying rather than ordering one blind off the internet. I would be worried about getting one with severe issues. I am looking for a 335 style guitar but I would rather wait until I can pick one up for a decent price locally, maybe an Epi Dot, that I can try before I buy.
@@davva360 Yeah that's sensible, I mean the guitar I got was like £180 which I felt would be mostly terrible at that price but was going to experiment on it none the less... as my original comment says, I ended up with a lovely guitar to play and look at....not without some faults though! I spent around £30-40 (kept the pickups cause they have a pretty good unique sound) upgrading It too, so It wasn't an expensive project at all.
Adam Dam cool. You got what you expected by the sounds of it. I just know if I ordered something like that it would arrive in 6 pieces lol.
Reverse headstock, "people are lunatics" cracked me up! Watched this episode several times in the past year, always pick up something new from it. Eventual will pick up the 60 and 2 other Hb guitars when I move into my new place to treat myself, along with some motor mods for my Harley.... Davidson lol. Gr8 vid as usual, Thanks Ryan!
Ryan is right about that!
I like how he describes agressive double tapping, liquid lightning
it came to me in the moment and i'm pretty proud of it, lol. I should trade mark it or something.
I quit playing like 20 years ago...I bought a Fusion HHFR and I'm a hair metal rocker again! Absolutely love it. None of the problems you describe with the other two. Completely worth the money. Could have a nicer look with the curly what-ever but Imma let that go.
A thousand years ago I lived around the corner from a joint the had Dick Dale and the Delltones as the house band. Your playing brought me back to that dump, big time! Good job! Wonderful review for not being a damn guitar snob! You got my sub.
About that tele... Most of us who like reverse headstocks like them for more tension on bass strings, which allows lower action there and better drop D and slinkines on first 2 strings - easier to bend. There are people who say they like the look... usually those like to consider themselves weird and different... Guitar sounds great
Good no BS review a rare find on youtube these days
I bought a TE-90Flt and a pair of hipshot locking tuners and the guitar is just fantastic. I play it through an Egnater Rebel 20 with a Dirty Little Secret OD - it rocks!!!
You didn't mention the Fusion's Stainless Steel frets. That feature isn't on any guitars under a grand!
the frets dont make it automatically play like a $1000 guitar, you can spray nitro on a squier but its not going to make it play like a $$$$ guitar with a nitro finish. Its neat that it has the nice hardware and the stainless frets, but it still plays like a guitar at its price point.
I now have 3 HB Guitars. A LesPaul version SC450, the Strat version that I have set up with Roland Synth pickup. A SG Version with 24 frets. I did have to set up the necks on the Strat, and the SG. The LesPaul was perfect. I love all 3 guitars and am looking to pickup the PRS version.
That last one I've been wanting for a while. I dig the reverse headstock!!
Shitz to reverse headstocks! Another guitarist starving for attention!
@@leonardszubinski4709 he likes reverse headstocks, what's your problem?
These guitars have been great for people like me, getting back into guitar after many years away. People who just noodle and play for their own enjoyment, not in a band or in public. I don't need an expensive guitar to get myself back into playing. I picked up an HB 335 copy a few months ago, swapped the tuners and found a pair of pickups on eBay for cheap and the thing is a blast. Looking at getting the SC450 next.
Excellent review -- many insights -- balanced for most guitar players' needs and interests. Thanks, Ryan.
"its warm and dark and all the adjectives and whatever" lol... Best description of a pickup ever!.
I bought my Squier Mustang for 175.00... the only Squier ( jazz/ jag/tele )..I haven't completely replaced everything with US pick ups/ wiring... its pretty great....(& now i need a white pearloid pickguard)..
A good honest well presented review that places the guitars in a realistic area of the market for anyone trying to make a fair assessment of them against other guitars :-)
thats what i was going for!
The tuners are the same on the MS-60 and TE-90. The thing you're experiencing with both the tuner "dead spots" and the whammy bar tuning instability is almost certainly the string binding at the nut. Two tricks to fix that: put the D string in the G string's nut slot and tune it up and down a few times; repeat for each string and effectively re-file the slots with a larger gauge string. Secondly, put some nut sauce (or vaseline) in the nut slots and under the string tree. This should fix both problems... unless you have a truly faulty set of tuners. I've never actually seen a faulty set of tuners in owning many guitars, for what it's worth.
I agree with Ryan - the original tuners on my TE-90 weren't great. The nut on mine is fine. Otherwise it's an absolutely great guitar that gets even better with a few low cost mods. Thomann's supplier unfortunately made a real mess of the pick guard. The first issue of the TE-90 had a Cabronita correct guard. Then I think they changed suppliers and they made complete mess of the guard. I fitted a Cabronita guard on mine which wasn't easy as it involves gluing shaped wooden blocks into the 'smugglers' weight relief cavity that is hidden by the guard, in order to provide support for the pick guard screws.
@@ResoBridge Yeah the shape of the pick guard is the one thing I would want to change, but the cavity underneath might enhance the sound I'm thinking.
@@BoltRM I experimented with the pick guard removed and acoustically you could hear the effect of gradually sliding the guard over the cavity - a quite obvious wah-wah effect. However doing the same thing plugged in the effect was inaudible. The extra wood blocks I fitted to support the screws of a properly shaped Cabronita pick guard were quite small and only in the corners of the cavity so they didn't change the cavity volume much. The guitar looks so much better with a Cabronita correct guard.
@@ResoBridge Thanks for the info! 👍
I agree: there are very few tuners that 'don't work' (although quite a lot that feel crappy) so if you are getting tuning problems it's nearly always the nut. Frankly, having modded a lot of guitars, there is nearly always a problem with the nut - usually it's not low enough and causes intonation/tuning issues at the first few frets.
I love the te90 especially the reverse head stock. I can't wait to get one
You are nuts! A reverse headstock on any guitar looks like shit, but on a tele forget it!
@@leonardszubinski4709 'Opinions'....like assholes....everybody has one :)
That tele style one sounds really good! Not just "for the money."
Another way to deal with the bridge saddle friction issue, especially with the JM/Jag/Mustang vibrato equipped guitars is to swap the TOM-style bridge with a roller bridge. Not only do they allow enthusiastic wiggle bar use while keeping the guitar in tune, they do allow for precise intonation in spite of the claims by some.
Totally agree with you in sights of the TE 90 FLT!!! An amazing guitar with a very unique, personal sound!! Love mine!!! And the newer bridge is just fine and an upgrade comparing to the first/older one!!! Highly recommend this axe!!! The price is just ridiculous for the build quality and the sound versatikity!!!
I've got the TE-90 and I'm loving it. Think I got lucky cos I'm 99.999% certain I have a single piece ash body - I was expecting at best a 3 piece body for the price.
HB have made a couple of minor changes compared to the one reviewed - the pickguard is a slightly different shape which more closely follows the outer shape of the body + the bridge has been swapped out for a very nice Hipshot copy and is a lot more comfortable to rest your hand on than the original syle bridge.
I've swapped the chrome knobs for black ones and put a black poker chip around the switch and imo these minor mods add a little extra to the looks. I may in future swap out the bridge, tuners, strap buttons, string trees and nut for black equivalents but I'm in no rush, I'm happy to enjoy the guitar as it is for now. I'm even getting used to if not like the reverse headstock and it may even make bending the high E a bit easier.
Hi Ryan! I've watched a few of your vids, enjoyed them. This one earned a subscription. The te90 sounds really good. Thanks for posting.🤟
Mod that TE-90 with a a Vibramate half Bridge adapter and a Duesenberg Tremolo.
nice, im actually considering if should buy the t90 tele or the dc custom sg copy that they have.. both seems to caught my eyes
i have both of them. Really great players. But i'll change pickups at the custom SG copy, then it'll be a real beast. Plek'd frets and light woods, the playability is fantastic on both. I would buy both again.
Thanks so much man, this video has helped me so much!
TE90 FLT VW with Filtertron type pickups I've had my eyes on for a long time now.
I just had to first get the SC450 goldtop P90. And the Swamp ash strat.
And the Fusion pro 2 flame bengal burst, which is a wonder to the touch and ear beauty. 👍😉🌟🌟🌟
Hey great review, would love to see a refinish of the Fusion and stripping the veneer off, cheers 👍🏻
Question. With about $200 budget would you recommend Harley Benton, Firefly, Indio, or Epiphone as a gift for my just passing beginning player 13 year old grandson? He likes semi hollow body and likes to improvise. Is there a model you recommend?
I like your review style. Really good stuff. Very helpful.
The cool thing about filtertrons is that they are between a single coil and a humbucker (like a p90) but are hum-cancelling.. They are actually humbuckers, but have a sound all their own... Imho more guitars should come stock with filtertrons or p90's
Still think the SC Custom from Harley Benton is the best guitar they do! Absolutely awesome lp style guitar that's just a fantastic playing guitar!!!
I have a te-90, and after i removed the pickguard the body behind it was hollow, never seen that before
its chambered for weight relief
I bought a Harley Benton GS MINI copy because I wanted the "in case of fire, save my guitars" sticker. :)
I like the metal flake paint on the most recent Fusion series. Those look pretty sexy on all the videos I have seen so far.
Great video Ryan, thanks. Your surf riff sounded epic!
I was wondering if you played worship! How would the FLT90 compare to a gretsch semi-hollow body since this is chambered? A lot of the “famous” worship guitarists use them.
if i had the ms-60, it would go straight to kurt cobain spec and get the seymour duncan jb in the bridge. i wouldn't be too crazy about the jaguar trem, though.
I would get a pocket knife and carve out a "wooden" binding around the edges of the body. Trust me, it looks cool with cheap blue or white guitars, having that dark and edgy wood that looks exactly like dark binding from 12 feet away
Yeah, I'd put humbuckers in it too. just recut a new pickguard for it from a sheet.
And fit one of those 'hardtail' bridges to it that you can get for JM type trems that just only have the stringholes on the plate, is said to have a better break angle too, but I havent looked at one in the flesh as of yet
Watched your first MS60 video before this, because I want to get one maybe. Mostly for noise stuff like for example APTBS.
How did you fix the trem from moving around and falling out?
Ryan, I've asked folks who love the reverse headstock, and they have a point. They don't have to reach over the guitar (their words, not mine) to tune and their wrist stays at the same angle for tuning as playing. I have owned one reverse head stock in my life and couldn't get used to it, even though I was in my 20's in the 80's when they were "all the rage," I never bonded with one either. That last guitar is definitely the one that if I was going to take the HD dive, it would be with that T style guitar and the filtertron style pickups. Darn it, I forgot the nasty comment! I'll catch you next time. LOL #StayGrounded. Thanks for the video!
Guitars with reverse headstocks just look plain stupid!
TE-90 looks awesome!
Well, I guess I need that telecaster now...
I would change the finish to a shell pink, change the pickguard into a pearloid and then I would swap out the tuners for locking tuners. Bam. Perfect home studio Tele beater.
Hi Ryan, I'm in California, how long did it take for shipping to U.S.?
HI, I just noticed your comment, I live in the south west and have got a lot of gear from Thomann, so here is some info. I've had shipments arrive in less than two weeks and one took over a month. One thing that has made a difference is the weather. Sometimes, especially in the winter shipments get delayed related to bad weather. I had a shipment stuck in customs in, was it, San Diego at the customs center? I had to contact my postmaster to light a fire under their behinds to get the goods delivered. It's always risky getting from Thomann because they don't have a contract with USPS, so we are at their mercy when items arrive in the USA. Thomann has a very good tracking system with DHL in Germany and has an option to automatically transfer to USPS tracking when items arrive in the USA. I think the tracking number is assigned in Europe. At any rate, Thomann's customer service is first rate, they have always got back to me quickly with any questions. They have an international department that is spot on. I've bought a lot there, no regrets. At the same time items could of got lost in shipping. The way I see it is the gear is such a good deal that I'm not out a whole lot if something is lost in transit. Good luck.
@@overthehillcheapgearnoodle9990 Thanks for the info. I just ordered a Harley Benton guitar and live in the southwest also and was wondering about how long to expect delivery to take
I live in California to in Huntington Beach it took about nine days to get my bass
I like the last one a lot too...and it's light ?!
Is the neck glossy though ? I could try fine sanding and linseed it ...first time.
Also I only just grew to like the look of the tele's controls in that odd straight line ..
The TE-90 Tele doesn't have filtertrons in it, they're humbuckers with filtertron style covers.. so even though you thought you enjoyed your experience of filtertrons, you didn't.
They are not filtertrons whatsoever that is 100% correct
Filtertrons are humbuckers! Research their history.
@@francosousa1329 no, Clive Barns is 100% correct. My food just look up filtertrons construction vs humbucker on UA-cam
They are constructed very differently
You might check some reviews and comparisons between the Roswells and the Gretschs… They aren't just humbuckers. They're built like Filtertrons.
The quilted veneer looks like it wasn’t finished with a base colour to make it pop. Looks like they stained it, sanded it and sprayed poly.
I GOT THE HARLEY BENTON COPY OF THE PAUL REED SMITH. I LOVE THE PAINT, THE SOUND, THE FEEL. I CANT BELIEVE THE GUITAR COST 230 US DOLLARS. I LOVE THE GUITAR.
I just that guitar as well. LOVE it. It's killer. I love the Roswell buckers in it. I'm getting the p-90 Model next in Ocean Blue burst. I can't wait to see what those P-90s will do. And I am also interested in trying out this Tele TE-90. Very different all the way around. I love what Harley Benton has gong on right now.
I have a HB (SG style lefty) and I love it the neck is super smooth and fast PUP's sound better than my ESP 256. I just ordered an acoustic and plan on picking up a few more which I could never do with a Gibson or CS Fender ~
I have a Harley Benton JA-60, the jazzmaster-ish one with p90s.
I also own a Mexican FSR Stratocaster, a Gibson Les Paul Standard and a Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster.
The Harley Benton is literally as good as my Telecaster (which is a great guitar btw) Cheaper but serviceable tuners. Decent fretwork. And AWESOME pickups. I’m blown away at how good it is. I’d say it’s worth 2-3 times what I paid for it. And it would be if it had a Squier badge on it.
harley benton actually sells their stuff cheaper than its worth because they mass produce them, I have this vintage g112 cabinet from them and the celestion speaker in it actually costs more than what they're sold for when bought one at a time, and really good guitar blanks are waaaaay cheaper than a finished guitar with that wood, guitars are overpriced
theres a saying "you pay for the experience" as in we associate fender and gibson with greatness, and thats what we pay for
@@dankhill6851 Well then, Fender and especially Gibson had better get with the program and quit living off of their great reputations from years ago! Gibson today has shitty quality control and lousy customer relations!
I don't know were you live but you have to add shipping cost into the equation. For a bit of a experiment I ordered the Thunderbird bass, I believe the TB-70, It's a Thunderbird bass and it was around $180 a year ago and it was about $75-80 for shipping to Northeastern USA so it came out to with tax $270. The plastic nut almost fell out if it was not held with strings, replaced it. Tunners are pretty bad I will replace them and the neck was very exceptable. It has active pups that I thought would be bad but were O.K, eventually I might upgrade they are a little metallic sounding but I can EQ that for a usable tone and the finish is O.K. The bass itself, not including the money that I spent on a 1-10 it's about 5-6, for the money I would give it an 8 and I have a lot of basses and guitars Fender basses and have been playing for 40 years. I would say if it was going to be your first instrument and you have no knowledge of setting up and tweaking guitars to your liking I don't recommend, if you do go for it.
Good video sir. Love the TE, but won't buy because of the reverse headstock. If HB brought out a 'normal' one, I'd buy one straight away.
Thanks for telling me about the 189 dollar HB I want one now.
This is th ereview of the TE90 i needed. considered ordering one for a while now. i want a humbucker tele that stille shines through with a crisp and birght sound. and i want to be able to play hard rock as well. seems like a do it all workhorse. and love tha cabronita style, with the cavity under that pickguard and oversized cavity for the electronics. gives it a lighter weight and a more resonant body.
Awesome job on this Ryan !! :)
THAT, my friend is why I would never get one of those fusions... I was wondering if it was just me that absolutely hated the finish on it. Thanks for proving I'm not crazy as no one else mentions it in their reviews. To me it looks like they took a crystal Pepsi ad that has faded over time and steamed it onto the thing...
DITTO!
I always thought the top pattern on those Fusions looked fake & printed. Like you, surprised no other reviews mentioned it. They need to replace that green one with a natural looking finish, maybe similar to the TE90 shown or slightly darker brown. That would be a winner.
Agreed. The new ones with flat colour are much nicer. These all just look like the print on cheap lingerie to me...
You do realize they make many different colors and options..
@@jerrycarroll9068 I'm half way looking at one as well, albeit the Fusion II, and I'm pretty sure they had different finishes for both the first and second edition. So, kind of an odd thing to be harping on about...
I've been wanting to order quite a few Harley Bentons over the last 2 years and it just so happens I'm in the Position to do so now,however with the shipping being 100 and not noing anyone that's actually ordered from Thomman I'm Worried about US Customs adding to the cost of the guitars....Should I be worried or is DUTY and TAX a one in a million kinda thing?Or is it just a few bucks anyway?
It's 50 dollars shipping up to 60 lbs I believe. Two or three guitars for one shipping cost.
No import tariff, ect.I've ordered three different ones.
Last time I checked, 71.
When I got mine it was 32.
The price comparisons we think about, is it in part that we don’t want to be caught with an inexpensive guitar because they really are status symbols? The whole culture teaches people from the outset that it has to be expensive or it’s not a “real” guitar, and we are disappointed often that we couldn’t spend more even if we could make great music with the one we could afford. I know I have spent too much, or felt bummed in the back of my mind that I had to settle for a used piece. I think it is great to be a buyer these days, and if you buy a fender and immediately upgrade it, it’s fine to do it with these. Keep rockin out there folks!
Just got a b stock variation of this with p90s... Lovely after a bit of fettling
The te90 that is..
agreed, reverse headstocks are not for me, but I like that its an option for folks that do like it
Ever tried the David Gilmour tribute strat from Harley Benton?
Most honest review on Harley Benton's that I've seen in a while. Would love for you to strip down the finish on the ugly one. I wouldn't be surprised if it was paper under the clear.
Nice Chapman ML3 there. Wait, it's what?
Great video, I might have to buy a HB now
I bought a Harley Benton Jumbo Western acoustic when I was stationed in Germany back in 2000. I had two grand burning a hole in my pocket to buy a new guitar and I ended up with a $250 HB. It just felt right and sounded great. I still use it as my main gigging guitar almost 20 years later. It's just a straight up champ.
I have the Harley Benton JA-60 OW. It's their version of a Jazzmaster. It's been about 3 and a half months and I have zero complaints so far.
Guitar lunatic here 😆 love the reverse headstock. Prices have gone up a little bit since you got all 3. I wouldn't hesitate to get 2 of those 3. The T90 and the MS60. No go with the wife right now. I bought 20 electric guitars in the past 3 years. I told her it's the last one each time, unfortunately she's on to my lying about this
Hi David. I can't find the comment I replied to and I've been away from email for a week, so I'm using this one to respond to your question. The shortest delivery I received from Thomann was about two weeks. The longest was about two months. The two month one was stuck in customs. If that happens let me know, I might be able to get help from a musician who works in shipping and told me to contact him if I need help with shipments. He says he knows every one in shipping. I bet he would help you as well. You can track your package from the Thomann store. Just go to your order and use DHL tracking on the Thomann site. The package will receive a USPS tracking number in Germany, if I remember right. Sometimes it takes a while for the package to catch up with the tracking number. Like I said, sometimes it sits in customs for a bit. If it does, start with your local postmaster. If that is no help, get a hold of me and we can try to get it sorted. Once you are done drooling over your new child (guitar), let me know how you like it. Also, if there are any issues contact Thomann. They have worked with me to get every issue resolved. Usually with shipping questions. One I contacted them one time with a quality control issue that they fixed right away. Good luck and have fun! I know this response is a little over the top, but, I love Thomann and love it when people get great deals on gear. I have got so many incredible deals from them. I can't say enough about them! My last purchase was a HBO 850 blue. I got a b stock for $75.00. It was a floor model with a tiny imperfection. Other wise in almost perfect. I love that guitar. I used the savings to get a gig bag!
Well David, you millennials like anything that is off of the wall idiotic! Grow up and learn what it is to be a traditionalist!
@@leonardszubinski4709 Millennial? Grow up? What is your problem? I'm probably older than you and have more guitars than you. What's the matter? No Les Paul here for you?
Were these played through the Princeton?
Beautiful video,
! Thank you very much!,
so stoked for this video! thanks again Ryan!
I still feel as though Harley Benton's quality control is poor, but hopefully when I order mine it will be a newer one and not one they've kept in a warehouse for a year.
how long was shipping?
Henry is Rad not long enough that I remember how long it took, lol.
Guy, you are very funny and cool! Thank you for this video!
Great video brother. Blessings from Scotland.
if they made that FLT with a standard headstock...I would already have it. I still think it may find its way to me but still hoping they come out with one with the standard headstock.
How is the neck on the carbonite style guitar?
i really like it, fast and modern.
Really great video!!! This video made me subscribe. I'm also buying this guitar right now.
I am about to purchase a custom edition telecaster fmt hh, kuz I fell in love with it... But... HB will be getting my dough on a traditional telecaster style guitar. For what you get for the money, Harley Benton is Aces!
Unless you are playing the name game, or keeping up with the Jones's, HB will have something you would be proud to own, and play.
Wilkinson roller bridge and locking tuners should solve trem tuning issues on ms60. Also single coil sized p90 should sound cool in this.
i ended up modding the crap out of that ms-60. hand cut pickguard, neon racing stripe, hot rail pickup... i have videos on the process
@@60CycleHumcast look forward to my friend. 👍🏼
The TE90 I like.(except for the reverse headstock)
But I am Tele biased. The blue guitar would look better in a darker shade of anything.
Where are you on the Les Paul HB side of things? Is there a Les Paul HB that is like robbing the system? I'd like to pick up an LP style guitar that is about $1,000 underpriced! Can HB do this? Thanks man!
I really liked the LP style harley bentons they had at thomman, im not a big LP kind of guy so im probably not the best judge of them but they felt really nice. The headstock was pretty ugly on them but for what they cost I could get over that if i needed an LP on a serious budget. Ive also been a long time fan of korean Hamers, you can get a really nice carved top/double cut experience for not much money on the used market. They are making new ones again but the used ones are plentyful.
@@60CycleHumcast thx
I like the quilted shredder, but I don't like that faded jeans finish, either. Blue is my favorite color, so I'm very particular about the shade; I'd love one in, say, solid Fender Sonic Blue. The "Tele" sounds good, too, and at a terrific price. As for upside-down headstocks....only Hendrix looked cool with those damn things. As I recall, that silly shit really started being pushed at about the same time most guitars seemed to be painted black.
Why do people hate on HB? Like yeah, some of their guitars are not that great but they have many guitars that give you a graphtech/bone nut, stainless steel frets, locking tuners, and a good build for sub-$500. What’s to complain about that?
Now, these guitars don’t compete with many of the higher-end guitars but they aren’t supposed to
Interesting about Thomann is they'll put out a guitar, then if something is not right, and they see that guitarist that have used it mention the changes they recommend, in most cases they'll fix the problem...
Happened with the FUSION ll HSH line...
From 2018 to 2019 some great changes on it...
I ended up ordering one from Thomann, gosh for the money it's...
Thx for the honest review :-)
Ryan, I'm asking myself if a guitar had a original Floyd Rose, Grover tuners, ebony fret board, stainless steel frets, a mohogony body, pick ups you seem to like and a nice neck for, was it under $350.00 how is that not punching above its weight class? Maybe you didn't get to pick the color? I'm just saying. I have five Harley Benton's and they all are amazing values. If Thomann had an outlet in the states, I would probably just get Thomann (classical) and Harley Benton guitars. I think they are that good. I don't own a Fusion or Dynamic yet, but, hope to one day! I've been drooling over the TE 90 FLT's for a while now! Good choice. I have a TE 30 TBK. It is sweet! Thanks for your reviews, I always enjoy them.
It looks $$$$ on paper, but at the end of the day it plays like a price appropriate guitar. The premium components make it competitive against other guitars in the price range but they dont make it any better of a player. I will say that I like the pickups a lot better than the stock pickups that came in an ibanez I used to have.
@@60CycleHumcast I've been thinking about this all week. What would make it a better player? Is it the neck shape or the fret work, or something you just can't get a handle on? I totally believe in "something you just can't get a handle on". Sometimes I don't like a product as much as other people and don't know why. That is totally acceptable. Other than putting on a real maple cap, I don't know what else they could do, unless it is quality control or shaping. If you have the time, could you be more specific, and maybe let Thomann know if it is intuitive or just personal preference or whatever it is? I've contacted them before regarding issues that I thought needed addressing and they always get back to me. They always state they will look into it and I believe them. Thanks for the great videos. I saw some of the Dynamics for under $200.00 with a pretty amazing spec. I might have to go for it!
@@overthehillcheapgearnoodle9990 The necks on the hb fusions feel much more expensive
The reverse headstock has been the only thing stopping me from ordering the TE90. It just doesn't fit the look.
After finally having a chance to play two (used) Harley Bentons. I just don't understand the hype unless they are mod projects.
Luckily, I have a friend who can't help himself and buys anything people talks about. He has saved me a lot of money and effort.
They would be good mod guitars. Your fortunate to have a friend who buys everything. You get to check out all the fun stuff .
Who has ever claimed the Harley Bentons to be anything else than either "extremely good for the money, best budget option" or "nice modding basis"? I mean, who ever claimed the HBS would be a viable alternative to a 1000 dollar guitar?
I have had a few over the years, found them superior to all the budget squier or epiphones I came across over the years. That's it. But that still is quite a thing already.
@@ithemba Clearly you haven't seen a lot of the videos on UA-cam that I have seen.
@@lndrldcold1762 also I am German, so I have known the Harley Benton stuff ever since I first started playing over 14 years ago now. They have come a long, long way since then and have definitely become far far better compared to the first few Chinese guitars back in 2006/2007 that I held in my hands. Might be I just come from a different perspective than people getting pushed these in their faces as secret weapon by the quite aggressive social media outreach that Thomann is doing for a few years now.
But I have had a few over the years and also told some students / friends starting to play to get a HB for their first or second guitar.
@@ithemba No offense but you are way to invested in this topic.
I am not saying they are bad. But to me, someone should just save the extra $150 or so for a Classic Vibe or whatever.
Also, in my experience most people trade in their first few guitars and at least here, Bentons are worth next to nothing. He took the PRS copy he purchased last year to Guitar Center and was offered $45 in trade.
So, I look at it from that angle. Also, I personally haven't had the best of luck with guitars that do not ship into a U.S. factory for final QC.
I have a Chapman. This guitar is great. But if you knew the nightmare story about this damn thing.....basically , I will never buy anything Chapman again. BUT....if Chapman had QC on this side of the planet, it could of been solved in a week. This was before his Guitar Center deal in the States but QC and Guitar Center really don't belong in the same sentence anyways...
I just feel like the risk you take buying a Benton just isn't worth it. Now, if I was in Spain, Germany, or Poland , I am sure I'd be more of a fan.
Great recap Ryan!! I haven't owned or even played an HB. I'm resisting buying one but I'm sure I'll have one sooner or later!! Cheers man!!
Ben! My Harley Benton sc-1000 should be delivered in a few days. I hope it comes mint.
That TE-90 is just speakin' to me. You're giving me GAS...
Use electric tape like VH?
Ryan - You should review Firefly Semi-Hollow ES335 knock-off. I bought one off Amazon - don’t buy them on EBay or Craigslist - buyers are hoarding them & doubling, even tripling the cost. They’ll hit Amazon for $135 and within days they’re gone - because of “entrepreneurs”. It’s a great guitar. I did have to file down the fret ends, put Grover tuners on it, & put a Tusq Nut. I had a longtime musician from a famous band from the ‘60’s try it & he loves it. Firefly is also selling Tele knock offs right now. Haven’t tried them - but almost the same price $136.91 on Amazon. But, try to get hold of the Semi-Hollow ES335 knock off - they’re fantastic for the money. If I get to a website of yours, I’ll email you.
i only see a tele thin line style guitar under that brand on amazon
@@60CycleHumcast
smile.amazon.com/dp/B075FSQFPY
Scroll down to see the 4 colors available, when in stock. They sell out within days or a week.
For some reason clicking on the Firefly name on Amazon doesn't show the other guitars. Always been hard to find them on the site.
I have the blue burst & it's beautiful! Prettier than the pic too.
(fyi, the "smile" part of the link.. Amazon's donates a tiny amount to charity. No commission for me. )
@@BoltRM That's a very nice looking guitar indeed. They don't sell them in the UK, sadly.
like that tele... and it comes in a lefty, as well...
I can totally imagine a parallel universe where Peter Buck is rocking that Tele style 🎸 doing the jangly/rocking thing kinda like it's 1993 again!
I'm 65' and when I remember the crappy cheap guitars we have in the 70' (and there were not many), every HB is a Rolls Royce. Btw I bought four of them (for the price of one standard guitar).
Ryan you should dive into looking at different vintage tube combo amps. Like you should get a Silverface Fender Champ, or an old Harmony or Ampeg amp or something. Talk about garage rock 👌🏻
Drew Armstrong that’s not a bad idea. The oldest thing I have is that 70s solid state acoustic behind me.
60 Cycle Hum my 70’s vibro champ is the coolest amp that I have. It takes Reverb pedals and drives so well, so it’s perfect for recording. 60’s Ampegs are really cool too and you can still find em cheap
Im gonna buy these for parts or probably mod it
You should try out a cheap roller bridge for that gnarly MS60
yeah im thinking about it.
Cool review. Thanks.
Fusion pro you didn't mention it has ebony and stainless steel frets.
Have you ever tried anything from vintageguitars? I hear they're great value for money
They are, but quite comparable to Harley Bentons. Decent budget guitars.
darillio they cost a fair amount more than most harley bentons I've seen.
@@kantina4765 true. They are not that much better. The vintage LPs that I saw maybe had a notch nicer feeling finish, (as people already mentioned in the comments, the poly finishes on HBS tend to be THICC) but other than that pretty much the same stuff but for more money.
darillio I heard they were great guitars. Guess I won't be buying one then. Odd how reviewers all struggle to tell the truth.
@@kantina4765 nah don't believe they lie or have trouble telling the truth, everything depends on your reference frame of what you call a great guitar and what you expect from a 300 to 400 dollar guitar, or a 100 to 200 dollar guitar.
When you grew up in a time where basically the 300 to 400 dollar were the barely playable ones and everything beneath that was straight-out burned money, you probably be stunned and call a guitar great because it has no dead spots, doesn't cut your hands open and might hold tuning for half an hour playing.
All of that is stuff you can get from a 120 dollar Harley Benton nowaday. Throw in some aftermarket pickups, a Wilkinson bridge, some pencil dust in the nut and maybe new tuners and you can get a really nice instrument, depending of you knowing what you want from it.
Does either one get close to a really nice 1000 dollar instrument? No.
Will they be truly great, like: inspiring with a certain mojo and aging really well like a fine wine, like a 2000 dollar made in US custom shop? No.
Will they sound and play as good? No. (But with aftermarket pu thrown in, they just might...)
But, for some people and purposes at least, considered the difference in price probably close enough.
There are a million tiny factors that influence the feel a guitar gives you when holding it in your hands. For some people a thick poly finish doesn't matter at all, some instinctively will always feel the cheapness of the thick plastics and despise the feel. Just one example among many.
Thanks for this review. I hate reverse headstocks too.
Im dying to order an HB and see what all this fuss is about.
You could get a guitar skin for that fusion guitar and save a lot of headaches
tim taylor that’s actually a fun idea
How well do those skins hold up is my concern?
You could always do a metal foil finish on the Fusion. Probably Silver foil to compliment the blue color. Check out @crimsonguitars videos on it!