I've had the MR modern baritone version for about a year and there's definitely some more than the sum of it's parts magic going on. Always puts a smile on my face and is genuinely hard to put down.
I started playing guitar 23 years ago on my grandpa's original Ventures model Mosrite and I've been chasing that tone and feel ever since so when I saw these offered i had to have one...after almost a year of ownership and several other guitars purchased I still find myself gravitating back to it, especially with my fuzz pedals and the spring reverb cleans of my Fender HRD. Only mod I've done was a pickguard swap for an aged mint pearl one and I've played several live outdoor gigs without tuning problems...great review and honestly I share your enthusiasm!
I got to play with a Mosely Gospel that Semie had started building but never finished. It was finally assembled in '97 and I know the luthier who assembled it. Beautiful guitar.
This was my first guitar and is the only guitar i have, i love it. Though if i where to complain, sometimes when i play it i hear a scraping noise, i think its the strings scraping against the frets but i dont really know, i dont know if other more expensive guitars have this "issue" but that's really the only complaint that comes to my mind right now. I can really recommend it for such a low price!
If you mean when you bend the strings, cheaper guitars _probably_ aren't going to all have the frets crowned (that is, rounded) very perfectly on the top; they'll probably be a bit flat. Owning a StewMac Fret File that crowns frets pretty well, I crowned and thoroughly polished the frets of my 2000 - 2003 Danelectro Danoblaster. It was a huge world of difference, but I did polish the frets a lot, too.
Great review! I have the Classic MR in white and I agree with you - it's insanely fun to play! I mostly play garage-rock or surf-style stuff and it's perfect for that. No tuning issues on mine and it played great straight out of the box. Also, the neck is a little wider than a Fender, which suits me perfectly. I can only recommend this guitar.
harley benton can really be a hit or miss in terms of the setup, pickups, build quality and reliability in my experience even at the highest priced guitars but that is also not just limited to their instruments, the cheap plastic pedals are also just not for me but most of the time its just worth its money, 400€ for their high end models is just a great deal imo, cheers 🎸🎸
This is one of the best guitar videos I have ever watched. I love the way you do your review switching the tone and pickup selections in short burst so it is easy to discern the tonal differences. Great demo and review.
Thank you. I am a new subscriber & I've been debating buying a "Mosrite". YOU have convinced me, to pull the trigger on this one! I've even picked a color on the site already!
@@101Volts Yeah sorry lad I was busy polishing my scrotum, back on the factory line now. I still don't think he's a real person, who names their kid Jeff anyway? Who the hell would be thankful to salesmen, all they want to do is sell you useless shit. Just the way that original comment is structured, the language used within it, the tone, pretty much everything points to it being fake. If we can find whoever is responsible for this I think we have enough evidence to put them away for a long time. What do you think?
Good job,I met kirt,he was very unpleasant and cranky as he always was but I love him anyway,I played professionally for 37 years,I gave them 20 they took 37 years from me now I'm almost dead,but I wouldn't change nothing,I'm a rocker and now I sit in one,jim from maine
Excellent review, Andy. Now I want one. I just picked up a Harley Benton SC 450 gold top with p90 pickups two months ago. It needed some work but it's a pretty good guitar. Love them p90 pickups!
Austin Lucas I love that your comment has a channel with some videos of you playing a couple mosrite type guitars! Sometimes I think People who post videos should automatically go to the top of the comment list
Thanks for that. I _am_ likely to be one of the most obsessive of Mosrite models (they're a unique brand, after all,) and I have two of them - a 1966 Ventures II "Carved" model* that's not all original but which I restored close to spec, and a 1976 Brass Rail Deluxe model. I also have a Danelectro Danoblaster Innuendo, but that's more of a 25" scale Stratocaster with on-board effects. * Early name for the Mark V model, except for the "Carved" part. There are two different Ventures II models, the "Carved" part is to reduce confusion. The other one is the type that Johnny Ramone played. I've contributed to serial number lists of different Mosrite models just by paying much attention to Web Searches, Reddit Posts, Forum Posts, and "For Sale" ads. I'd save photos from them, and save the ads. I've surely contributed over 200 guitars and basses to the lists (including one list that I didn't post yet.) See, Mosrite's records burned in 1983, so we had no reference to production numbers or which finishes were available for different models. I knew no one else who was actively doing this except Max Katzenberger, but he wasn't compiling info of most models that I look for - he lists the Ventures type models, and any that are associated with Ventures models.
in the past 2 month, ive bought a JA 60, a ST62, and the same MR classic yoiu are reviewing. All were flawless. I bought a TE-52 a couple years back that had a bent screw on the bridge saddles, but that was the only fault of anything i have ever gotten from them. Oh yeah, UPS broke the back of a 112 cab
Wow! Mr. Geek, I don't really want one of those strange looking guitars, but I really enjoyed hearing you go off on it. Sounds great, and you really killed it. And if you play like that, feel free to sniff all the guitars you want, you've earned it.
Great review thank you. I recently spent €165 on a Harley Benton ST-90SA Swamp Ash DLX Series as a chuck about for rehearsing and saving the strings on my gigging guitars, a 30 year old Fender Strat and a Gibson Midtown. For the last six months or so it’s become the only guitar I choose to gig with. At the price paid it’s astoundingly good and as an all rounder is simply a better guitar than either the Fender or the Gibson! One caveat, the machine heads were awful and I had to change them for Fender locking ones which involved a bit of drilling to fit and an additional €55.
I'd buy this guitar based upon your enthusiasm alone, but I happen to love the look and tone. I have something akin to it, but it is not a Mosrite copy. I took a Samick TR-4 Torino (looks like an SG) and dropped P90's into it and basically got this same result, except for a smaller body. I am fighting to control my GAS (gear acquisition syndrome), but this one is challenging my resolve. Great demo.
Love your channel, dude Can sense your enthusiasm for that MR Classic…gotta admit the basswood puts me off a little, but that sounds incredible and looks just like the sort of guitar I need (along with the rest of them 😅)
As a fan of the Mosrite shape (I love the Ramones, Man or Astroman?, and the Ventures) this HB guitar was always something that would catch my eye, but then I’d quickly pass by upon a closer look. It’s a bit off-looking for whatever the reason. Sounds great though. As usual, you do a thorough job with these videos and I appreciate the detail and sounds.
The tone's just not the same as a Mosrite, either. If anyone likes it, fine, but please don't pretend it's Mosrite tone just because of the looks. They didn't go out to copy Mosrite tone with this, a lot of it has to do with the 25.5 scale length vs. the 24.50 scale (though a 24.75 scale would still get close enough.)
Love that guitar, love your channel, love Austria! Not likely I'll make it to Austria again, I lived 3 years in FRG with the US Army and traveled to Austria multiple times. But if you ever come to the SE US I'd love to meet. P-90's rock!
Harley Benton Classic MR - thmn.to/thoprod/513248?offid=1&affid=288 Quick correction… my CS TELE is 3.4KG. When I weighed it, it was resting on the trackball… oops The other guitars are correct
The existence of Harley Benton guitars is one of my favorite things about being a guitar player right now. The existence of your channel is one of my favorite things about being a guitar nerd right now 🤘🏻🔥
Mod idea (always comes to mind with a pair of P90s): Replace the selector with a series/parallel toggle switch (trading single-pickup options for maintaining hum cancellation), and replace the tone pot with a concentric pot wired for treble and bass cuts with concentric knobs (the bass cut will be handy for simulating a bridge pickup sound in parallel and taming the series output). Thanks, as ever, for your humor.
@@Nightingale1887 What would the push-pull pot replace? Had Andy shown any interest, I would have offered an alternative with a push-pull, bass-cut pot in lieu of both the selector switch and the aforementioned toggle switch (which would allow the bass-cut pot to be the more useful 1MΩ instead of 500kΩ). That would free up the tone pot to be another push-pull pot if Andy is interested in phase reversal.
Just got mine last week. Love it. Wish the red and the blue were available left handed! Also.... woul LOVE to have a Johnny Ramone style model... lefty, natch. This one, though: such a lovely guitar; for the price, it's obscene!
I sold an early 2000's Fullerton branded (Aria) Mosrite copy nearly identical to these except the Fullerton had a trem. I really really really really... No really, need one of these in my life ASAP! Ha! Cheers Andy!
Ooooh that neck pickup sounds sexy through the first amp, Im sure I can get used to the odd cutaway that goes around the body. All in all a pretty cool guitar me thinks.
@guitargeek so, I know you did a review on this HB Classic MR and not the HB Modern MR, but why not the Modern version ? I would love to hear opinions.
Harley Benton needs to install a roller nut to some of their guitars or install an Evertune bridge to them also Johnny Ramone of 1970's Punk Rock band The Ramones played Mosrite March 2s
Makes perfect sense to have a German carve on a guitar from a German website 🙂🙂 As for sniffing guitars don't feel too bad about it I do it all the time too... Especially Gibsons...
AGHHH!! more G.A.S!! I had a copy Mostite from another company -it was set neck; pearl white; great pick ups and sounded wonderful BUT I just had to get rid of it because it was back breakingly heavy for a 33-year-old like I was!! I've always wanted another one ever since then but they're either SO expensive or so heavy or BOTH I'm tempted to order one of these from your link but what if it turns out to be on the heavy side? Has anyone any thoughts on Harley Bentons and weight or have experience of this particular guitar? Thanks!
Good job from thomann! Personally I think the horns are too bulky. On the real mosrites they are more 'refined' for lack of a better word 🙂. But if you want to rock the mosrite look for not a lot of money this is perfect. Love your vids, keep em coming!
I am absolutely not a fan of harley benton, but those pickups sound great ! Best part of the guitar imho. It's the necks I don't get on with, but it does look like a mossy and it sounds better.
That is nice, I've been looking at the baritone versions of these for a while......have to ask, I recently got a Squier Supersonic and I'm finding that I'm tending to play over the neck pickup, do you find the shape of these pushes your hand more forward than you'd usually have it?
It looks wonderful and reminds me of another guitar design I love, the Tokai Hummingbird. This one, however, looks like a working man's guitar, like a dedicated gig instrument someone had before they got famous. I wish that in the age of CNC and computer design that this was a neck through or neck set guitar. I will have to pass until that shows up. This neck joint is lingering in the Industrial Revolution.
My honest first impression is that it kinda looks like an upside down Strat body that’s been put in one of those toasted sandwich makers, the type that always makes the outside edge stick together 🤣🤣 🤷🏻♂️.
My father bought me an imitation one when I was a teenager and that's the one where I began experimenting with intonation before I knew what that was. I never heard of this guitar but a kid in my class told me the name of the model. I thought it was used cause the fretboard looked dull and that insulted the shops owner so I shut up. The pickups were very bad as was my first electric. This was a little better cause the tempo guitar had very high action. It wasn't till my 4th electric that I had something half way decent.
Kurt may have used a Mosrite occasionally but is more associated with his "Jag-Stangs"... if there's a rock band that is associated with Mosrite, it's got to be either The Ventures (whose signature model is the inspiration for this Harley Benton) or The RAMONES... Johnny (thanks for the proof-read, Honey Frost) primarily used a Ventures Mosrite!!
The B-52s (early on,) too. Ricky Wilson had at least 4 of them, only 2 being the same model. Besides that, Joe Maphis (a Country musician whose talent is often overlooked now) was a big reason why Mosrite got started _very_ early on.
@@honeyfrost3355 Yeah, I missed that. Joey was the singer, Johnny was the guitarist. John had 4 of the 1965 Ventures II "Slab Body" type model from 1974 - 1996, and that's a rare model. 1 (Blue) was stolen, 2 (Sunburst) probably was also stolen at the same time. 3 was the White one that he's mostly known for, and 4 was the Brown one (already refinished) that he had refinished in Gold Sparkle. John also had at least 3 other Mosrites, though. 2 were Ventures II "Carved" models (Blue B546, Sunburst that's supposedly B690) and then he had a Ventures model (Red) that he played in the mid 80s. The first Ramones album, though, was played with a blue Ventures model that was in the studio.
I hope nobody takes this as an offence , but this guitar offers precisely the tone for songs by the Stooges! I have an Epiphone Casino and I have a lot of fun with it, also when playing it crunchy (even welĺ for Iron Maiden songs, yes you read that correctly!)....but it has a tone of its own and this Mosrite copy has a more 'loose' sound that offers precisely the tone for those godfathers of punk rock.
I've been wanting Harley Benton to make a TE-62 HH with a butterscotch blonde/tv yellow natural finish (similar to the TE-52 color finish) with coil-split, poplar body, black pick guard, pickup covers, short bridge and a caramel maple fretboard/neck. Similar to the fender player tele limited edition in a way. I'm tired of seeing modern TE- HH fusion designs.
Okay.well Ive been lookin for a modern Bstock near thomann... And I found some....! I make some Fotos or Video if you (and my verrry tallll comunity 😮) But be yourself and make the best itselfs...as ever.. Just play and be 5:27 yourself snd just play..whatt is about your soul....is there may be little whole ...sure you do not fall inside. Keep on LIVING 😊
I have asked Thomann for a DC P90 FAT Special for years now, since the DC Jr FAT, remember, the Andy Blue DC Jr 😀 I got the red DC Jr FAT and absolutely love it! Please Andy, for me, can you ask your mates at Thomann to make a DC Special with P90s or, actually P100s. 🙂 I would be all over that like a rash!!!!
Moserites aren't supposed to sound fat or thick. Many of the ersatz - Moserites that have come out use P-90 pickups, and that will move guitars. But a brighter, slightly less hot pickup would be more "Moserite correct". Maybe some Tron or Dynasonic types to put in at a later date?
Mosrites *never used P90s,* the casing just looks the same. They're 4/10ths of an inch shorter than a P90, and they are their own thing that sounds more like a mix of a Telecaster Bridge Pickup and a P90. These pickups sound way off from Mosrite Sound, and the scale length is too long. Mosrites are 24.50", but 24.75" isn't too bad if one wants to go for that instead.
Yes and Moserite used a thinner coil wire that often broke while winding. Semi said they had to rewind many before they were done being made. Not sure if they switched. Rumor has it they subbed out some pickup production to Carvin way back when.@@101Volts
I don't remember ever seeing Kurt Cobain playing a Mosrite ,Johnny Ramone did ,I may have never seen that video or picture , That is a nice reproduction minus the 0 fret that Mosrites had ,I had my eyes on a Aria DMB 380 bass so I hope harley benton Please produce a Bass version to add my other Harley Bentons PB50 & RB414 Harley Benton Rocks.😝🤘👍
Kurt apparently was a fan of them maybe owned a couple including a Mosrite Mark IV "Gospel. but I think the guitar similar to it that he used for the first album 'Bleach' was a 'univox hi-flier.' which is a cheaper copy of the mosrites. looks very similar 🤘
@@MikeyUK93 Kurt seems to have bought it in July 1990, and sold it in February 1991; or that's the date range I'm aware of when he played it live, at least. Also, there's no confirmed official documentation to call it a "Mark IV."* It's a Mark V (most of them are known that way,) but the "Gospel" version he had *is* a rare _variant_ of the Mark V. Only maybe 13 were made with the "Gospel" name, and that's likely because they were likely assembled in the bankruptcy period when Mosrite didn't have their name. * The only chance that it, the *variant,* is a "Mark IV" is only if it was called that in the letter to the original owner. But really, it's to spec of all the Mark V models made from July 1966 - early 1969. Same body shape, same everything. Kurt also had a Blue one, a blue Ventures Mark V model, likely a 1966 model. The truss rod location was still at the body end, and they switched over before that year was out. Big John Duncan played it for 4 songs in the Roseland Ballroom show, but it's best heard in "Very Ape." It's mostly just used for feedback, otherwise.
@audiobymb Thanks for the info ,didn't know that . He owned a les paul, SG also and I no idea about that because whats,well known Mustang,The hybrid known as the jagstang and stratocaster where his favorites. 👍
@@earlgarcia9824 Kurt was into many guitars that he could get cheaply at the time in the used market. This often meant Univox Hi Flyers, which (because of him) went up in price dramatically. He didn't like all of the guitars he got, though, like that Aria Pro II (which was somewhat Gibson-ish) that he smashed in September 1990.
This sounds alright and mostly looks alright (I just don't get the knob positioning,) but (just saying) this doesn't sound like a Mosrite. Mosrites are 24.50" scale (yes, really) and they have a neck angle (this doesn't seem to have an angle, and neck angle effects tone,) and their pickups are *not* P90s (as they're easily confused with) but are their own design that's 4/10ths of an inch shorter in length than a P90 on the outer diameter. Mosrite Pups seem to use Alnico V magnets, and (usually) AWG 44 wound in the 8k to 12k range (say, 8.2k neck and 10.2 to 10.6k bridge, for a Joe Maphis model,) but I've also heard that the non-pole piece pickups would use AWG 43. Then again, I didn't confirm that. The Bass Pups are supposed to be AWG 42. I don't mean to be a damper on anyone's parade here, I just remember trying my first Mosrite-ish guitar in 2009, and not getting the tone I had been listening to for a while. The guitar I played was a now discontinued version of the Eastwood Hi Flyer, which looked OK but didn't sound anything like my 1966 Mosrite that I got a few years later. I never played a Mosrite then, but after having listened to two of them in the first B-52s album for some time, I knew that the Eastwood wasn't gonna cop the same tone. Danelectro's versions are not gonna sound the same either, they're their own thing. The only company that gets the tone close (but not quite, though the differences are more minor) is Hallmark Guitars. Their tonal differences are mostly the potted pickups vs. original non-potted, the 24.75" scale vs the original 24.50" scale, and Alder vs. Basswood for the body.
I bought the MR Modern, and whilst it may attempt to look like a Mosrite it certainly doesn't play or sound like one. At this price you can't expect it to, but i found the sound to be way off for playing anything from The Ventures. Great if you only want a look alike, but for playing the sort of music that made Mosrite's infamous you will have to look elsewhere.
Also those guitars came in at a weight that sounds a little too light. I think they way you weighed them may not be picking up the necks weight. Why don't you try weighing the guitar upright on the scale. I say this cause I have a telecaster that is very light weight and it is 5 lbs.
I've had the MR modern baritone version for about a year and there's definitely some more than the sum of it's parts magic going on. Always puts a smile on my face and is genuinely hard to put down.
Never mind the crunch tones - it sounds gorgeous clean.
I started playing guitar 23 years ago on my grandpa's original Ventures model Mosrite and I've been chasing that tone and feel ever since so when I saw these offered i had to have one...after almost a year of ownership and several other guitars purchased I still find myself gravitating back to it, especially with my fuzz pedals and the spring reverb cleans of my Fender HRD. Only mod I've done was a pickguard swap for an aged mint pearl one and I've played several live outdoor gigs without tuning problems...great review and honestly I share your enthusiasm!
I got to play with a Mosely Gospel that Semie had started building but never finished. It was finally assembled in '97 and I know the luthier who assembled it. Beautiful guitar.
This was my first guitar and is the only guitar i have, i love it. Though if i where to complain, sometimes when i play it i hear a scraping noise, i think its the strings scraping against the frets but i dont really know, i dont know if other more expensive guitars have this "issue" but that's really the only complaint that comes to my mind right now. I can really recommend it for such a low price!
If you mean when you bend the strings, cheaper guitars _probably_ aren't going to all have the frets crowned (that is, rounded) very perfectly on the top; they'll probably be a bit flat. Owning a StewMac Fret File that crowns frets pretty well, I crowned and thoroughly polished the frets of my 2000 - 2003 Danelectro Danoblaster. It was a huge world of difference, but I did polish the frets a lot, too.
You looked like a kid at Christmas - genuine excitement. 👍
Fit and finish seem good for the price.
I just cant get over it looking upside down.
Yeah this was a real pleasant surprise!
Great review! I have the Classic MR in white and I agree with you - it's insanely fun to play! I mostly play garage-rock or surf-style stuff and it's perfect for that.
No tuning issues on mine and it played great straight out of the box. Also, the neck is a little wider than a Fender, which suits me perfectly. I can only recommend this guitar.
harley benton can really be a hit or miss in terms of the setup, pickups, build quality and reliability in my experience even at the highest priced guitars but that is also not just limited to their instruments, the cheap plastic pedals are also just not for me but most of the time its just worth its money, 400€ for their high end models is just a great deal imo, cheers 🎸🎸
I have six HB's and no problems with any. Although they're not the cheap ones to be fair.
This is one of the best guitar videos I have ever watched. I love the way you do your review switching the tone and pickup selections in short burst so it is easy to discern the tonal differences. Great demo and review.
That’s good to hear! I make videos in the way that I would want to be entertained and informed.
Thank you. I am a new subscriber & I've been debating buying a "Mosrite".
YOU have convinced me, to pull the trigger on this one! I've even picked a
color on the site already!
Are you a real person? Sounds more like obligatory employee engagement than an actual sentence written by a thinking human being.
What do you think about it so far?
@@BeesWaxMinder I still think he's not a real person. Give it another month or two and we'll re-evaluate
@@JohnDaubSuperfan369 It has been 2 months now.
@@101Volts Yeah sorry lad I was busy polishing my scrotum, back on the factory line now. I still don't think he's a real person, who names their kid Jeff anyway? Who the hell would be thankful to salesmen, all they want to do is sell you useless shit.
Just the way that original comment is structured, the language used within it, the tone, pretty much everything points to it being fake. If we can find whoever is responsible for this I think we have enough evidence to put them away for a long time. What do you think?
Good job,I met kirt,he was very unpleasant and cranky as he always was but I love him anyway,I played professionally for 37 years,I gave them 20 they took 37 years from me now I'm almost dead,but I wouldn't change nothing,I'm a rocker and now I sit in one,jim from maine
Excellent review, Andy. Now I want one. I just picked up a Harley Benton SC 450 gold top with p90 pickups two months ago. It needed some work but it's a pretty good guitar. Love them p90 pickups!
Austin Lucas I love that your comment has a channel with some videos of you playing a couple mosrite type guitars! Sometimes I think People who post videos should automatically go to the top of the comment list
Thanks for that. I _am_ likely to be one of the most obsessive of Mosrite models (they're a unique brand, after all,) and I have two of them - a 1966 Ventures II "Carved" model* that's not all original but which I restored close to spec, and a 1976 Brass Rail Deluxe model. I also have a Danelectro Danoblaster Innuendo, but that's more of a 25" scale Stratocaster with on-board effects.
* Early name for the Mark V model, except for the "Carved" part. There are two different Ventures II models, the "Carved" part is to reduce confusion. The other one is the type that Johnny Ramone played.
I've contributed to serial number lists of different Mosrite models just by paying much attention to Web Searches, Reddit Posts, Forum Posts, and "For Sale" ads. I'd save photos from them, and save the ads. I've surely contributed over 200 guitars and basses to the lists (including one list that I didn't post yet.)
See, Mosrite's records burned in 1983, so we had no reference to production numbers or which finishes were available for different models. I knew no one else who was actively doing this except Max Katzenberger, but he wasn't compiling info of most models that I look for - he lists the Ventures type models, and any that are associated with Ventures models.
in the past 2 month, ive bought a JA 60, a ST62, and the same MR classic yoiu are reviewing. All were flawless. I bought a TE-52 a couple years back that had a bent screw on the bridge saddles, but that was the only fault of anything i have ever gotten from them. Oh yeah, UPS broke the back of a 112 cab
Wow! Mr. Geek, I don't really want one of those strange looking guitars, but I really enjoyed hearing you go off on it. Sounds great, and you really killed it. And if you play like that, feel free to sniff all the guitars you want, you've earned it.
Ha ha thanks
Great review thank you. I recently spent €165 on a Harley Benton ST-90SA Swamp Ash DLX Series as a chuck about for rehearsing and saving the strings on my gigging guitars, a 30 year old Fender Strat and a Gibson Midtown. For the last six months or so it’s become the only guitar I choose to gig with. At the price paid it’s astoundingly good and as an all rounder is simply a better guitar than either the Fender or the Gibson! One caveat, the machine heads were awful and I had to change them for Fender locking ones which involved a bit of drilling to fit and an additional €55.
I'd buy this guitar based upon your enthusiasm alone, but I happen to love the look and tone. I have something akin to it, but it is not a Mosrite copy. I took a Samick TR-4 Torino (looks like an SG) and dropped P90's into it and basically got this same result, except for a smaller body. I am fighting to control my GAS (gear acquisition syndrome), but this one is challenging my resolve. Great demo.
The reason why the middle position is louder is probably because it's wired in series like a Danelectro, maybe?
Love you brother and have a blessed day!!! Happy trails to everyone!!!
Hi Andy! OMG you have given me gas yet again. I hope to Jah they make a bass.
Love your channel, dude
Can sense your enthusiasm for that MR Classic…gotta admit the basswood puts me off a little, but that sounds incredible and looks just like the sort of guitar I need (along with the rest of them 😅)
As a fan of the Mosrite shape (I love the Ramones, Man or Astroman?, and the Ventures) this HB guitar was always something that would catch my eye, but then I’d quickly pass by upon a closer look. It’s a bit off-looking for whatever the reason. Sounds great though. As usual, you do a thorough job with these videos and I appreciate the detail and sounds.
Man or Astroman! 🎉
Love Man Or Astro Man? Saw them so many times in the 90s.
The tone's just not the same as a Mosrite, either. If anyone likes it, fine, but please don't pretend it's Mosrite tone just because of the looks. They didn't go out to copy Mosrite tone with this, a lot of it has to do with the 25.5 scale length vs. the 24.50 scale (though a 24.75 scale would still get close enough.)
The German carve is way too sharp and, more importantly, no zero fret. Any Mosrite clone should really have the zero fret.
Love that I’m researching this guitar online and get a 5hr old newborn video to check out
Love that guitar, love your channel, love Austria! Not likely I'll make it to Austria again, I lived 3 years in FRG with the US Army and traveled to Austria multiple times. But if you ever come to the SE US I'd love to meet. P-90's rock!
Harley Benton Classic MR - thmn.to/thoprod/513248?offid=1&affid=288
Quick correction… my CS TELE is 3.4KG. When I weighed it, it was resting on the trackball… oops
The other guitars are correct
The existence of Harley Benton guitars is one of my favorite things about being a guitar player right now. The existence of your channel is one of my favorite things about being a guitar nerd right now 🤘🏻🔥
Just watched this vid again and loved it again. Love your channel. I'm going to have to get that guitar!
Mod idea (always comes to mind with a pair of P90s): Replace the selector with a series/parallel toggle switch (trading single-pickup options for maintaining hum cancellation), and replace the tone pot with a concentric pot wired for treble and bass cuts with concentric knobs (the bass cut will be handy for simulating a bridge pickup sound in parallel and taming the series output). Thanks, as ever, for your humor.
A push-pull pot would be cleaner and more versatile.
@@Nightingale1887 What would the push-pull pot replace? Had Andy shown any interest, I would have offered an alternative with a push-pull, bass-cut pot in lieu of both the selector switch and the aforementioned toggle switch (which would allow the bass-cut pot to be the more useful 1MΩ instead of 500kΩ). That would free up the tone pot to be another push-pull pot if Andy is interested in phase reversal.
honestly, perfect guitar to me. not expensive. nice tones. gets real loud for a cheap guitar with p90s.
Thomann check: “Look! There’s a guitar in the box!” “Okay, ship it, bro.”
Bollocks
Coole Gitarre, die werde ich mir auf alle Fälle, bei Thomann, bestellen. Klasse Video. 👍👍👏👏🎼🎸🎼🎸🙂
The HB Classic MR has cool looks and sounds. I like the red color too.
I gotta get me one of those! I used to have a blue metal flake Mosrite that I loved....
Just got mine last week. Love it. Wish the red and the blue were available left handed! Also.... woul LOVE to have a Johnny Ramone style model... lefty, natch. This one, though: such a lovely guitar; for the price, it's obscene!
I got a B stock in Black pretty cheap, always puts a smile on my face
That body carve is very nice!
nice model, original, seems sound good, one of the peculiar interesting models of HB
For me, Mosrite guitars are always associated with The Ventures. :) And the Harley Benton looks very similar to a Ventures model. I think it's great.
Seems like a cool guitar, nice tones, cool looks.
I sold an early 2000's Fullerton branded (Aria) Mosrite copy nearly identical to these except the Fullerton had a trem.
I really really really really...
No really, need one of these in my life ASAP!
Ha!
Cheers Andy!
Thanks to the Thomaan 70th anniversary, I just picked this up for £84. 🎸✌️
That’s such a nice guitar!
"It's a P90 baby!!" oh behave. Thanks for the great review!!
I didn't love the look of these on the site, but MAN they look stellar on video
Interesting choice of title at 2:28 😆
Ooooh that neck pickup sounds sexy through the first amp, Im sure I can get used to the odd cutaway that goes around the body. All in all a pretty cool guitar me thinks.
12:57 No, 15 years ago the Fast Fret packaging looked different. It was brown and made of plastic. I still use the same one. :)
@guitargeek so, I know you did a review on this HB Classic MR and not the HB Modern MR, but why not the Modern version ?
I would love to hear opinions.
Harley Benton needs to install a roller nut to some of their guitars or install an Evertune bridge to them also Johnny Ramone of 1970's Punk Rock band The Ramones played Mosrite March 2s
Good review. This guitar isn’t for me but i get it.
Please keep doing reviews like this so that we get to see whats out there.
Cheers from NZ 😎🎸🤘
Makes perfect sense to have a German carve on a guitar from a German website 🙂🙂
As for sniffing guitars don't feel too bad about it I do it all the time too... Especially Gibsons...
AGHHH!! more G.A.S!!
I had a copy Mostite from another company -it was set neck; pearl white; great pick ups and sounded wonderful BUT I just had to get rid of it because it was back breakingly heavy for a 33-year-old like I was!!
I've always wanted another one ever since then but they're either SO expensive or so heavy or BOTH
I'm tempted to order one of these from your link but what if it turns out to be on the heavy side?
Has anyone any thoughts on Harley Bentons and weight or have experience of this particular guitar?
Thanks!
It’s shows 8lbs
I just gave up and bought one online so… Fingers crossed;-)
Will this guitar fit inside a stock Fender hardshell case? Looks wider.
Good job from thomann! Personally I think the horns are too bulky. On the real mosrites they are more 'refined' for lack of a better word 🙂. But if you want to rock the mosrite look for not a lot of money this is perfect. Love your vids, keep em coming!
Thank you! I dig the horns because they make me look more normal size 😂
Excellent review...thank you!
I am absolutely not a fan of harley benton, but those pickups sound great ! Best part of the guitar imho. It's the necks I don't get on with, but it does look like a mossy and it sounds better.
That is nice, I've been looking at the baritone versions of these for a while......have to ask, I recently got a Squier Supersonic and I'm finding that I'm tending to play over the neck pickup, do you find the shape of these pushes your hand more forward than you'd usually have it?
Tasty! I've dabbled with these as well and share your love of those sparkly cleans and raucous crunches :)
Quite a of guitar for 200 notes, right?
Some of my favorite guitar players right here in one place good work both of you😊
For grunge and punk is perfect
Man i cant wait to be 2 hours from Thomann!!!
Looks cool, sounds great and reasonable price. What's not to like? I can't really believe what you can get for not much money these days.
The middle position reminds me of a tele. Excellent video, I really want one now. Curious if you think the “modern” is worth the extra $$$?
With all those forest fires, I wonder if those Canadian necks come roasted?
Sounds great
It looks wonderful and reminds me of another guitar design I love, the Tokai Hummingbird. This one, however, looks like a working man's guitar, like a dedicated gig instrument someone had before they got famous. I wish that in the age of CNC and computer design that this was a neck through or neck set guitar. I will have to pass until that shows up. This neck joint is lingering in the Industrial Revolution.
My honest first impression is that it kinda looks like an upside down Strat body that’s been put in one of those toasted sandwich makers, the type that always makes the outside edge stick together 🤣🤣 🤷🏻♂️.
My father bought me an imitation one when I was a teenager and that's the one where I began experimenting with intonation before I knew what that was. I never heard of this guitar but a kid in my class told me the name of the model. I thought it was used cause the fretboard looked dull and that insulted the shops owner so I shut up. The pickups were very bad as was my first electric. This was a little better cause the tempo guitar had very high action. It wasn't till my 4th electric that I had something half way decent.
Would like to see a video about the checking department at Thomann. Alweays heard of, never seen.
I made one over on the Thomann channel a few years ago
@@TheGuitarGeek I will try and check this, thanks!
For me, Mosrite is the Ventures.
You're right.
@@peterburi2727 Yes but also The Ramones and if i am not mistaken, Link Wray?
That’s a very cool guitar ;)
Kurt may have used a Mosrite occasionally but is more associated with his "Jag-Stangs"... if there's a rock band that is associated with Mosrite, it's got to be either The Ventures (whose signature model is the inspiration for this Harley Benton) or The RAMONES... Johnny (thanks for the proof-read, Honey Frost) primarily used a Ventures Mosrite!!
The B-52s (early on,) too. Ricky Wilson had at least 4 of them, only 2 being the same model. Besides that, Joe Maphis (a Country musician whose talent is often overlooked now) was a big reason why Mosrite got started _very_ early on.
Johnny, Johnny was the guitarist for The Ramones
@@honeyfrost3355 Yeah, I missed that. Joey was the singer, Johnny was the guitarist. John had 4 of the 1965 Ventures II "Slab Body" type model from 1974 - 1996, and that's a rare model. 1 (Blue) was stolen, 2 (Sunburst) probably was also stolen at the same time. 3 was the White one that he's mostly known for, and 4 was the Brown one (already refinished) that he had refinished in Gold Sparkle.
John also had at least 3 other Mosrites, though. 2 were Ventures II "Carved" models (Blue B546, Sunburst that's supposedly B690) and then he had a Ventures model (Red) that he played in the mid 80s.
The first Ramones album, though, was played with a blue Ventures model that was in the studio.
@@honeyfrost3355 Duhhh... late night typo.... gonna fix that... thanks! 😬
I would also mention B-52’s
I hope nobody takes this as an offence , but this guitar offers precisely the tone for songs by the Stooges! I have an Epiphone Casino and I have a lot of fun with it, also when playing it crunchy (even welĺ for Iron Maiden songs, yes you read that correctly!)....but it has a tone of its own and this Mosrite copy has a more 'loose' sound that offers precisely the tone for those godfathers of punk rock.
With the best p90 and best bridge it will be better?
should i go for it
I've been wanting Harley Benton to make a TE-62 HH with a butterscotch blonde/tv yellow natural finish (similar to the TE-52 color finish) with coil-split, poplar body, black pick guard, pickup covers, short bridge and a caramel maple fretboard/neck. Similar to the fender player tele limited edition in a way. I'm tired of seeing modern TE- HH fusion designs.
Okay.well
Ive been lookin for a modern Bstock near thomann...
And I found some....!
I make some Fotos or Video if you (and my verrry tallll comunity 😮)
But be yourself and make the best itselfs...as ever..
Just play and be 5:27 yourself snd just play..whatt is about your soul....is there may be little whole ...sure you do not fall inside.
Keep on LIVING 😊
Would they be good as lefty’s seems Kurt did use his upside down I take it as a yes
Just ordered the modern baritone have you managed to get your filthy paws on one yet you lovely man?
I have asked Thomann for a DC P90 FAT Special for years now, since the DC Jr FAT, remember, the Andy Blue DC Jr 😀 I got the red DC Jr FAT and absolutely love it! Please Andy, for me, can you ask your mates at Thomann to make a DC Special with P90s or, actually P100s. 🙂 I would be all over that like a rash!!!!
Moserites aren't supposed to sound fat or thick. Many of the ersatz - Moserites that have come out use P-90 pickups, and that will move guitars. But a brighter, slightly less hot pickup would be more "Moserite correct". Maybe some Tron or Dynasonic types to put in at a later date?
Mosrite pickups were typically around 12-13k, very hot for the time.
Yes, still you have to figure in the magnet or magnets used.
Mosrites *never used P90s,* the casing just looks the same. They're 4/10ths of an inch shorter than a P90, and they are their own thing that sounds more like a mix of a Telecaster Bridge Pickup and a P90. These pickups sound way off from Mosrite Sound, and the scale length is too long. Mosrites are 24.50", but 24.75" isn't too bad if one wants to go for that instead.
Yes and Moserite used a thinner coil wire that often broke while winding. Semi said they had to rewind many before they were done being made. Not sure if they switched. Rumor has it they subbed out some pickup production to Carvin way back when.@@101Volts
Wider than p-90s as well.@@101Volts
This, or the JA SB for grunge?
I wonder what the sunburst one looks like ??
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder right Andy 🤪 It has to be one of the fugliest guitars I have ever seen! 🤣
Pretty cool!
This is currently £84 on Thomann. What’s the catch? I’ll find out when it arrives, I suppose.
the are being discontinued
@@TheGuitarGeek ah, i see. Thanks.
2:10, talking, and not paying attention… that describes my entire school experience!?
Want one, not sure about the colour tho
Great review
When you weighed the Tele you put it on the trackball on the side. Probably more than 2,6kg.
I don't remember ever seeing Kurt Cobain playing a Mosrite ,Johnny Ramone did ,I may have never seen that video or picture , That is a nice reproduction minus the 0 fret that Mosrites had ,I had my eyes on a Aria DMB 380 bass so I hope harley benton Please produce a Bass version to add my other Harley Bentons PB50 & RB414 Harley Benton Rocks.😝🤘👍
Kurt apparently was a fan of them maybe owned a couple including a Mosrite Mark IV "Gospel.
but I think the guitar similar to it that he used for the first album 'Bleach' was a 'univox hi-flier.' which is a cheaper copy of the mosrites. looks very similar 🤘
@@MikeyUK93 Kurt seems to have bought it in July 1990, and sold it in February 1991; or that's the date range I'm aware of when he played it live, at least. Also, there's no confirmed official documentation to call it a "Mark IV."* It's a Mark V (most of them are known that way,) but the "Gospel" version he had *is* a rare _variant_ of the Mark V. Only maybe 13 were made with the "Gospel" name, and that's likely because they were likely assembled in the bankruptcy period when Mosrite didn't have their name.
* The only chance that it, the *variant,* is a "Mark IV" is only if it was called that in the letter to the original owner. But really, it's to spec of all the Mark V models made from July 1966 - early 1969. Same body shape, same everything.
Kurt also had a Blue one, a blue Ventures Mark V model, likely a 1966 model. The truss rod location was still at the body end, and they switched over before that year was out. Big John Duncan played it for 4 songs in the Roseland Ballroom show, but it's best heard in "Very Ape." It's mostly just used for feedback, otherwise.
@audiobymb Thanks for the info ,didn't know that . He owned a les paul, SG also and I no idea about that because whats,well known Mustang,The hybrid known as the jagstang and stratocaster where his favorites. 👍
@@earlgarcia9824 Kurt was into many guitars that he could get cheaply at the time in the used market. This often meant Univox Hi Flyers, which (because of him) went up in price dramatically. He didn't like all of the guitars he got, though, like that Aria Pro II (which was somewhat Gibson-ish) that he smashed in September 1990.
Great Guitar for under 200€ 😮
You do look "SUPER COOL", don't listen to anyone who says otherwise.
I feel it. Right down to my core
This sounds alright and mostly looks alright (I just don't get the knob positioning,) but (just saying) this doesn't sound like a Mosrite. Mosrites are 24.50" scale (yes, really) and they have a neck angle (this doesn't seem to have an angle, and neck angle effects tone,) and their pickups are *not* P90s (as they're easily confused with) but are their own design that's 4/10ths of an inch shorter in length than a P90 on the outer diameter.
Mosrite Pups seem to use Alnico V magnets, and (usually) AWG 44 wound in the 8k to 12k range (say, 8.2k neck and 10.2 to 10.6k bridge, for a Joe Maphis model,) but I've also heard that the non-pole piece pickups would use AWG 43. Then again, I didn't confirm that. The Bass Pups are supposed to be AWG 42.
I don't mean to be a damper on anyone's parade here, I just remember trying my first Mosrite-ish guitar in 2009, and not getting the tone I had been listening to for a while. The guitar I played was a now discontinued version of the Eastwood Hi Flyer, which looked OK but didn't sound anything like my 1966 Mosrite that I got a few years later. I never played a Mosrite then, but after having listened to two of them in the first B-52s album for some time, I knew that the Eastwood wasn't gonna cop the same tone.
Danelectro's versions are not gonna sound the same either, they're their own thing.
The only company that gets the tone close (but not quite, though the differences are more minor) is Hallmark Guitars. Their tonal differences are mostly the potted pickups vs. original non-potted, the 24.75" scale vs the original 24.50" scale, and Alder vs. Basswood for the body.
Always suspicious when it’s sponsored as it has far better quality checks than us regular punters. Very hit and miss Harley Benton’s
Nothing wrong will Harley Benton, I have two and yes, I also have Fender Strat and Gibson Flying V. Just saying :)
224 is not a number he’s a free man, oh a Whif of ze Jackboot 🤣🤣🤣
Is it on the HEAVEY side, would ya say..?
I bought the MR Modern, and whilst it may attempt to look like a Mosrite it certainly doesn't
play or sound like one.
At this price you can't expect it to, but i found the sound to be way off for playing anything from The Ventures.
Great if you only want a look alike, but for playing the sort of music that made Mosrite's infamous
you will have to look elsewhere.
Un grande Carca
Also those guitars came in at a weight that sounds a little too light. I think they way you weighed them may not be picking up the necks weight. Why don't you try weighing the guitar upright on the scale. I say this cause I have a telecaster that is very light weight and it is 5 lbs.
Nirvana ???.....nah, Ventures surely, ps great video.
The pictures on the website look nothing like the actual guitar 😅