@@defkon7753 Not referring to me I assume? Thomann is in Germany btw, I own 1 HB guitar, it's OK considering I only paid 100 bucks for it, way better than the piece of crap in this video, but I do order from them on a regular basis, it usually takes 1 or 2 working days to get here =)
@@defkon7753 Yep, I'm guessing Thomann sells em by the thousands every day, they're easy to return too, at least here in EU, just request the return, print the return label and call UPS to come pick it up. I'm guessing this dude here chose some cheap Amazon brand because everybody and their dog are doing Harley Benton reviews for gear or money. The cheaper segment guitars are OK but not THAT great, at least not for experienced players. I usually order basic stuff like pedals, strings, picks, straps and parts, etc, but also amps, speaker cabs and mainly Gibson and Epiphone guitars. Just yesterday they delivered a Marshall amp =)
I've got one. Same reverse silverburst color scheme (and reverse headstock). It kicks ass. The only problem I noticed was my fretting hand was getting some odd black paint residue from handling/playing it the first time, or two. No tuning issues....intonation was really close to right on when I checked it. The pickups in mine sounded better than that one. It didn't have the flexible neck/headstock issue either. It's a keeper.
I too have purchased this guitar. It has been really good so far believe it or not. I have changed to thick gauge strings. They are 12s I believe also. I dropped the tuning and it has held up pretty well. Sucks this one was a dud. Keeping mine though and I would eventually like to do some upgrades to it. My neck and fretwork seems to feel pretty decent.
Cancer is a very small price to pay for a very evil metal guitar dude, but seriously, quite impressive! I don't like the headstock that much, and i prefer the jack on the top wing, but it seems a cool guitar, the inlays look cool!
I bought the Bass Boat Blue one. It's a solid stage back up guitar. Break a string... reach for that. I love it. Replace the strings from the factory... and I put a Dimarzio X2n in the bridge. It is a great guitar to do some modifications and not worry about messing it up.
I've got this exact guitar and I've swapped the hardware and tuners to chrome, and changed the pickups, so I can't comment to your issues regarding grounding, etc (I believe it relates to the black painted hardware not being conductive paint). But the frets and neck I received are probably the best part of the one I got and they don't seem to have the issues that yours does. I wouldn't discourage anyone from buying one of these, but we all know what we're getting into bed with when we buy a sub $250 guitar. A little tlc and an upgrade or two and you'll have a guitar that can directly compete with a Jackson KV in my opinion. Sorry you got a lemon, but the video was very informative and unbiased and I think a return on that particular example is probably the right thing to do. The longevity of that guitar with a neck like that is not promising.
@@howdoienteraname464 I got the silverburst in the first Gen edition. I've got dozens of guitars and still reach for this one if I'm honest. I've seen a few negative reviews on these and guess I just got a gem. It's rock solid, and with a new pickup set, it screams and sustains great. Balances well, is surprisingly comfy to play, and isn't too heavy. Slim neck profile similar to a modern C. It's great. I've got zero complaints.
I worked at PRS Guitars back in 2005-2006. Back then they were building a second big ass building to expand production. They basically pulled us into an all hands meeting and were talking about how in 10 years, every guitar will be a good guitar. Their assertion was that CNC Machine prices were dropping quickly and that any guitar company that couldnt reproduce a quality product and rock bottom prices were going to be extinct. They were right. I remember back then, Schecter was coming up an had huge quality issues. Same with Epiphone. I couldn't believe when my wife surprised me with a 12 string Epiphone acoustic for my birthday a few years ago. I opened the box, played it, inspected every inch of it and then grew worried that she had spent a boat load of money for a guitar that nice. I hesitantly checked the bank account to see she spent $169 for a beautiful 12 string acoustic. This was pre-pandemic so I'm sure the price is higher now but I was still floored at the quality for price.
I've found that on these budget guitars that even though the neck is straight, the truss rod can be loose. A loose truss rod will cause a "flopy" neck. I always give the nut a twist to be sure it's seated.
Mine took about a week to acclimate, threw some 10's on it and it shreds. After watching this I had to check my neck and headstock which are both pretty solid compared to what you got. Very strange. My frets are also perfect with no gaps and the nut didn't look so jagged as yours did. Sorry you didn't get a better one.
I bought the Double Cut P90 from WestCreek and the frets were a nightmare! They had the same rounded ends but they were all uneven and didn't come anywhere close to the edge of the fretboard. You would get a almost right fret on the 12th and the 11th fret would be shorter and the 13th would be longer, it was like that for every single fret.
Thank you , Taylor - I really appreciate an honest, unsponsored review! Especially when they're not raving about how great the gear is 'at this price point'.
I’ve been playing the hell out of a revenge for about a year, stoked on it. I do have some fret gaps(not fingernail sized) though they seem tight, maybe improper radius. Pickups were really microphonic, swapped them out. Bridge just barely intonates, no issues with tuners. It’s on par with squiers and epiphones I’ve had.
I bought the cerberus about 2 months ago... returned the 1st one due to shipping damage. Received the 2nd and no issues with it what so ever, i dont have the soft neck issue and its a damn fine instrument for what i paid. Feels and plays like an epiphone prophecy V
Just FYI, if you want to try a Harley Benton and don't want to order it from over seas, they have an official Reverb shop. The prices are basically the prices on Thomann plus shipping but there's no long wait and they have been super responsive and helpful with me. Mine had a back input jack but I had to diagnose the issue. (Draning active battery in days) They offered to replace, refund or give me money back if I take it to a tech. Since I diagnosed the problem and it was a sub $10 fix I just fixed it. They did attempt to help resolve the issue though. They were very responsive and friendly to communicate with. So that might be the way to try a HB.
I've tried some of these Westcreek guitars and they are hit or miss, depending on your luck I guess. I've ordered several of the Revenge EX model, two of the Racer (SG copy) and two of these Cerbeus V guitars. The Revenge models are awesome, they have the thickest guitar body that I've seen on an Explorer type, the necks are on the thick side (22 mm at the second fret), they have long neck tenon and medium jumbo frets. The Racer and Cerbeus guitars had to go back. They all had some level of twist on the neck, and that's definitely a big no, especially on a new guitar. One thing to add, all of these three Westcreek models, they balance very well when playing standing up, with no neck dive, even the racer SG model.
Jackson js32 V is a lot better for not a lot more. 350 I think. Much better than the 2001 dx10d I had as a teenager which cost the same price but in 2001 money which is quite a bit more now adjusting for inflation. The value in the lower price point guitars today is absurd compared to 20-25 years ago. Not everyone will be into them but the PRS SE line is so good for the money, they kind of make me rethink why I should keep my S2.
@@TaylorDanley the js series is basically bolt on neck X series with lower grade pickups. Beyond that they’re generally the same. I had a js32 king V and put a Nazgûl in the bridge position and upgraded to tremolo arm and it was a total ripper. Probably shouldn’t have offloaded it but that’s what happens when you have too much gear and things aren’t getting played.
Thank you for making this video I have the same exact experience with my Explorer style West Creek the green one out of the box that had tuning problems and the bridge was not mounted on the guitar Street but with another $80 worth of upgraded Hardware and a slight adjustment with the bridge when I mounted the new one straightened out that issue so with guitar and Hardware I'm still under $300 and it is a quite beautiful guitar out of the box thanks again for the great video
Ive got one of the second round of production West Creek Revenge. The Destroyer/Explorer body style. It was EXCELLENT right out if the box. It needed a lil' bit of a setup to tweak it to my liking and it was over a week before i started modding it. The body itself and its construction are mind boggingly amazing for $240. Really well done with real wood. None if this chambered out or cheap, lightweight wood crap. Its a solid couple hunks of good quality lumber. Stellar build quality. I swapped out the stock pickups, which I could have lived with if I didn't have the choice. I swapt out the bridge pup for a DiMarzio PAF Joe (Satriani Custom pup). Now she screams! GraphTech Tusq Nut and String Saver saddles. Some locking tuners from Amazon and a set of Ernie Ball M-Steel 10's and she screams like a banahee!!! Great guitar! Can't say enough good about them!
On the Revenge they're stainless steel. you can tell by comparing one of your guitars with this one. they use full size pots, decent tuners and quality switches. it's also the same price. They also have conductive shielding paint.
I ordered this exact guitar, got it yesterday. I was thoroughly surprised with it. The build quality is great and the pickups actually sound great for what it is. The only part that’s not great is the tuners, but not a big deal. Overall it’s fantastic for only paying $400 Canadian for it
I bought one recently, and Im pretty happy with it. All though, I got the black and red one, and it’s completely different. Mine came with a floyd rose, and tuning locks on the nut. But it plays and sounds really good, and it stays in tune for the most part.
I bought the green Revenge (Explorer style) and I freaking love it! Been playing it for almost a year and have not had any issues. Have thought about upgrading the pick ups but really only because I want to and not because the stock ones aren't good. Also just got a green burst Leo Jaymz Single Cut (LP Style) and it has been holding up extremely well. Anymore budget guitars don't mean skimped on. Westcreek and Leo Jaymz are making some good stuff!
I love these cheap sub $250 guitars, after working out they are rubbish you spend another $800 bucks to bring them up to spec or throw them on the landfill
That guitar reminds me of my second electric guitar ever. It had a floyd rose that would not hold the strings in the saddles. The frets were not set in the neck so my high E string would get caught under them. It was a total wreck of a guitar that actually damaged my technique for soloing and riffing and that took years to overcome.
I owned one for a couple of months. It was OK. Pickups were microphonic but sounded OK, and the high E kept getting stuck under a fret, both things that could be fixed with some work. The jack placement annoyed the hell out of me, found myself not playing it much so I sold it.
I bought my first electric guitar in 1983 when i was just 12 yrs old, I worked in a bowling alley on nights and weekends to save up for it, that P.O.S. cost me $120 in 1983 which i have to figure is about $600 today money, and truthfully the action was so high it worked better as a bow and arrow than as a guitar lol.
Oof, sorry to hear that man. Hopefully you got something better and kept going! In truth that's a lot of why I make these videos. People get mad at me, but the reality is you can get a much better guitar with a little due diligence than these cheap things that are being hocked on Amazon or Wish or whatever...
Thank you for giving us the feedback from your luthier friend. Also thanks for letting us know about the headstock flexing. My opinion is that that neck was REALLY bad; no one would have been able to do anything about it. Not a big deal for my usual bolt-ons, but very bad for a set neck. I'll keep waiting.
I plan to get that very kind of V, when I get my LP paid off.....four more payments, & I'm in for a backwards silverburst Cerburrus! (Kant spel!) I figure I'll probably have to get it some new pups, set-up, & fretwork done on it regardless.......
I wanted to touch on the shipping for Harley Benton. I live in Florida, and I've ordered 3 HB's from Thoman and all 3 guitars arrived at my doorstep in less than 5 days. They ship faster than any mail service in the states man. Lol
I really wanted to pickup the blue one but not now lol. I hate flexy necks. There are so few budget V options. I don't like the Harley Benton V either. The headstock and body shape kill me.
Great review. Thanks for an honest review, because the price and style looks good, but if the frets and neck casuse issues, most people couldn't fix it.
I have played thier explorer model and it plays any metal song really good and the one thing I recommend with this company is that you wait 3-4 months after the release for the company to properly put the guitar together. Great company though, I would love to see a review from you of their racer model.
Bro, Harley Benton has a reverb page that lists their inventory that is in stock in the USA. The cost is a little higher bit there are no import fees and shipping costs are also lower. It balances out pretty well. Give it a look see.
I have the same exact guitar , for my experience the only thing that bothers me at first is the strings that they have put on it ,i changed the strings to ernie ball not even slinky and it sounded good , the only thing that needs now is to lower the action a little bit.i did not notice the neck flexibility issue though but i am gonna check it afterwords and i will comment back.
As a follow back to my previous comment, i have checked again my guitar and happy to say that it does not have the issue mentioned in the video . Perhaps for your case something went wrong in the construction.
I have a Westcreek Cerebus. I was wondering why I cant keep it in tune. I blamed it on the tuners. But now I watch your video, I tried the bend trick and Damn!! I see what you are saying. It's too late for me to send back. I'll try better tuners see if it helps. It is a good guitar for the money. Yes on the grounding issue, it was the input on mine. I soldered a wire on a washer,tightened the input nut. Soldered the wire to vol. pot. Quiet as a mouse.Thanks man.
Hundreds of years ago I bought a Peavey Rock Master guitar from a JC Penny catalogue for $129. I had no idea if it had anything wrong with it. It was my first guitar. Cheap.
Fair review. I could live with the frets - meaning that some thin superglue and a bit of clamping could get all of them seated correctly and I'd have to do a fret level and crown job on it. Almost expected for a "cheapest guitar on ..." Low cost fix. The fact that some stores Plek their high(er) end stock shows that even big manufacturers struggle for perfect frets in their production. The grounding - and I think someone mentioned it below - may be due to the black hardware. The paint isn't conductive. I think Glen over at SpectreSound encountered that with a Harley Benton. Also easily fixable - although it may look a bit ugly after you've scratched paint off of the bridge etc - relicing? Also low cost fix. Same with nut and tuners - when you buy that cheap you are expecting to fix that as part of the upgrade process. Mid cost upgrade, but common. What I could not live with is the flexy neck - that is an unfixable problem and you are right to return it.
I bought one of these about a month ago. i had to do a little bridge and nut work to due to the way larger gauge stings didn't sit right and kept popping off the grooves . added new Tuning keys, set intonation and let sit for a day just to see if it would stay in tune. I was highly surprised that it was just a hair out of tune. i had no blemishes, neck was solid, pickups were descent. It makes me wonder if there are some quality control issues, or batch issues. i have seen some reviews that had no issues out of the box, and some that had many issues...(maybe i got lucky that lazy Larry the luthier wasn't working that day- Larry the one lazy dude at work and there is always one)
The jack placement bothers me the most about this guitar and that is the first thing I noticed. Why is the jack inside the V where someone sitting and playing might hit it? Its just asking to be broken and awkward as cables don't hang that way. I don't think it would cost a ton to relocate that, just seems like common sense.
A ~400$ harley-benton guitar, towards their higher priced models is absolutely ridiculous: it's alot of guitar for the dollar. They basically have two product line: some instruments they sell are manufactured at some factory in Indonesia (the most expensive ones) and some are from Vietnam. The indonesian ones are a ridiculous value for the money, you might be pleasantly surprised heheh
yes at the price those are selling, during covid i saw a b-stock selling for next to nothing and drunk ordered it, i truly was not expecting to be that usable. I mean, i own half a dozen guitars and this one is just as good as any of them lol
My lead guitarist bought the harley benton 7 string multiscale, thing sounds decent and feels surprisingly high quality, 150eur(180usd i think)hes putting in better pickups and tuners, insane mod platform i cant lie
They look like stainless steel frets to me, those are the same rounded ball end frets I got recently on two Firefly's. Fortunately none of the frets on mine were coming off the fretboard or had any fret buzz whatsoever. I find it odd that you could actually bend a maple neck, even if it was a thinner "shred neck". My guess is that the real issue is coming from a poorly cut nut. I would also take off the strings and put a towel over the frets with issues and lightly tap them a few times them with a rubber mallet. That might seat them back in place. In the end, that guitar looks pretty sick and for the price makes a great mod guitar, or at the very least would be a good budget guitar with a proper setup.
Honestly a lot of these really cheap guitars are not so bad. I generally upgrade the pickups and maybe the tuners. Generally when I upgrade the pickups it sounds and feels like a totally different guitar and it's fire. I got unlucky only one time buying a Schechter 7 string, it just constantly went out of tune the wood they used must have been the cheapest you could possibly use, and the strings would constantly need to be set up so I don't have to press so hard while playing.
I had the saaaame issues with my V from Westcreek unfortunately because of how flimsy it was the headstock broke from a slight bump, literally something my Harley Bentons have taken and survived thang was FLIMSY lol
The QC on budget guitars is wild. I have a westcreek explorer knockoff and the frets and neck are perfectly fine. It did have that weird smell to it, which some guitars just have... I know Gibson's smell like vanilla because of the clear coat or something they use. Hell, I had a V that smelled so strong and it didn't go away for the longest time, it would actually make me feel sick to play it for too long. My only issue is with the pickups. Not sure if they're microphonic, if it's a grounding issue or what, but they're a little too low output and they're a bit noisy too. I'm probably just going to swap them out for something that looks nicer in time simply because at the very least I'm just not a fan of plain looking black bobbin pickups. I've heard a few people have issues with frets kind of not being fully seated, and you can correct it if you *need* to. Not quite sure who the market for the guitars is because beginners might fight with them to enjoy them, and if you're knowledgeable in guitars you probably already own a better made guitar. I got the explorer because a purple flamed explorer is such a niche instrument, and I have the ability to fix most of what could've been wrong with it (wouldn't be able to fix a twisted neck, but thankfully mine was built well.) I suppose if you're poor like me and have the know-how to fix fit/finish issues, they're not bad. Just be prepared to put in a little work to get it playing great.
Personally, I don't pay attention to brands. Are frets good (or serviceable), does it intonate? Those are HUGE concerns for me. If those pass, then I'm onto does it stay in tune, can I put locking tuners on it, graphtech bridge/nut? Pickups are always whatever. Glenn from Spectre studios debunked all that tone nonsense (mostly) so mid or high gain pickups are fine stock, mostly speaker and amp choice, or these days neural or whatever software you want. My harley benton double cut sg style triple humbucker is great, was like 270 or something. Quick dressing, sanded sides a little bit and some 2000 grit sand paper on neck for satin feel it was intonated and good to go. My FAVORITE guitar is my 2009 fender squier I got from a damn apple store (it has usb). For whatever reason, it stays in tune, it intonates correctly, and it sounds great. It's my 'studio' guitar I use for sessions. My others, like the Benton are also great, but if you are too agressive with down or alternate picking it tends to fall out of tune (no locking nut or anything).
I have a Harley Benton 7 string that i got for like 220 euros with a gig bag, and i payed bit more because i'm not in the EU. Just saying, it is very playable and well built.
It's a brave new world. As a boomer who started playing in the 60's, there were all manner of cheapo electric guitars available for $50 or so in pawn shops. Some of the necks were so bad you could never get them intonated. Some of the bridges too were a bad joke. Setting them up so the strings weren't half a mile above the frets was an odyssey.
The problem with guitars like this is after you've put in some decent pickups and tuners and paid a tech to sort out the frets and other issues, you might as well have just gone and bought a better guitar in the first place.
It depends on the sample u get. U might get one that has practically zero issues and u are winning! But sometimes u get a bad apple, need to return it, and usually the replacement is good or at least better. Also I laugh/cry everytime I read someone putting 200 dollars worth of pickups on a budget guitar!! Like wtf, if u can afford to put/waste that much money on pickups u probably could easily afford to juts buy a higher end guitar (like u said)! 😓😓 INSTEAD it's much better and budget friendly to buy 20 bucks a piece pickups from Ebay/Aliexpress, which sound great! And in this particular case the pickups seem to be fine IF the grounding issue can be fixed, thus no need to change 'em.
Man, Westcreek keeps putting out badass guitars. I'm pretty sure yours was just a dud that got through QC. I purchased the Westcreek Revenge model a year ago and its still going 100%, even with factory electronics and hardware (which is saying a lot because I'm always modding something on my guitars. This one might only get strap locks).
Harley Benton are good. Thing is at this current moment, the shipping from them is INSANE. Like 2x the cost of your item insane. I was going to grab a double sided gig bag for $36 (friend has one, I like it) and with shipping $36 became $98 and I did not order....yea.
I feel like this type of guitar (meaning the "wow, that's cheap!" guitars) are fun to mess with if you have some repair skills or are learning and want something disposable. Bought a Firefly when they were first getting going and it looks great but was really kind of sucky out of the box. A bunch of work on my part and some spare parts I had lying around worth a couple hundred bucks tops, and it now rivals an Epi LP for a few hundred less. But if you had to pay someone to do all that work -- fret level/crown/dress, new pickups, new tuners, new bridge and a setup -- the value pretty much disappears, especially if you throw Reverb or GC used in the mix.
Every neck flex’s a little bit. You can do the neck bend on any guitar, buuuuut if it does it when playing normally or you can do it with one hand and your not pressing on the body too cuz your doing it on purpose then yeah that’s excessive and a bad sign. Good idea sending it back.
Sorry but I think the same value Ibanez or Jackson will have better quality control. Still a nice looking guitar, but I'd rather depend on a more well known brand at those prices. Thanks for the video, it tells a story.. Corey
aesthetic-cally, i think the guitar looks awesome ! the V shape, the paint job, fret board inlays, the head stock shape and the inverted head stock... i just might buy it for the way it looks ,,, nice find
I just got a really budget archtop from Amazon a few minutes ago. I'll say I even paid a little less than you did. Fortunately I've become a pretty decent amateur luthier since quarantine, so if its that cheap for a reason I can fix it. Now just waiting for the UPS guy for a week. I'll let ya know!
The guitar is pretty sweet, but that Creep-O-Rama shirt gets the real win here. I may or may not have gotten a few things from The Exorcist collection, too 😈
You can buy Harley Benton for 200 dollars and they are amazing. I own 3 already. Some of my best guitars. And i own Gibson Framus fender and ESP too. But my Harley Benton guitars. Are really amazing.
I own two West Creek guitars for the money absolutely zero complaints great starting point for modding finish is usually good but for two beans WTH rock on people 🎸🎸
That plywood neck is on my 335 amazon clone. It had a banana neck. I set the truss rod to zero and I flexed the neck with one hand causing a back bow. Tightend the truss rod with other hand and it worked 😂. The neck on most of these cheap guitars are plywood.
I don't like the plug position either it should have been on the upper V away from your leg when sitting down but I am pretty sure its better when standing.
@@TaylorDanley that’s fair. It just seems like a fender strat style jack in the same place as this guitar already has could be a huge improvement. It’s cool to see an affordable V.
The tuning weirdness is probably because the frets are not set right. When you press the fret it goes inside the slot, but you stop pressing it jumps back up. I had this issue when I bought other cheap Chinese branded guitar.
Hi, Taylor. I'm a weirdo who is no metal player but still loves guitars with metal styling and features. I've wanted a V and an Explorer for decades, so I was drawn right to this video by the title. I act as my own guitar tech, so I'm not frightened by cheap guitars that need adjustments or upgrades. That said, that flexible neck gives me pause. I don't know if the truss rod is loose or tight inside that neck; I would check, myself. Ultimately, though, if I couldn't stiffen that neck, I would hate that guitar -- I'd always be afraid I'd break that flimsy-@$$ neck. While that's not likely, I imagine the tuning stability issues -- ALL stability issues -- would be a constant thing. I haven't watched till the end yet, but I will, to see if you manage anything to firm the neck up. If not, you just saved me some money. I rescued a guitar with a BROKEN neck, but a neck that's just made wrong is beyond my power.
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@@defkon7753 Not referring to me I assume? Thomann is in Germany btw, I own 1 HB guitar, it's OK considering I only paid 100 bucks for it, way better than the piece of crap in this video, but I do order from them on a regular basis, it usually takes 1 or 2 working days to get here =)
@@defkon7753 Yep, I'm guessing Thomann sells em by the thousands every day, they're easy to return too, at least here in EU, just request the return, print the return label and call UPS to come pick it up.
I'm guessing this dude here chose some cheap Amazon brand because everybody and their dog are doing Harley Benton reviews for gear or money. The cheaper segment guitars are OK but not THAT great, at least not for experienced players. I usually order basic stuff like pedals, strings, picks, straps and parts, etc, but also amps, speaker cabs and mainly Gibson and Epiphone guitars. Just yesterday they delivered a Marshall amp =)
@@peter333 did u even watch the video the whole way through?
What about hardluck kings they are extremely budget
I don't know your videos
Neck tremolo with minimal thumb pressure….shrugs…seems legit! LOL!
It’s not a BUG it’s a FEATURE 🤣
i came for the "its a feature" comment 😂
yeah was a bit dice haha... cant see close enough, feel like headstock is a separate piece and maybe only glued?
it may have a scarfed neck
I've got one. Same reverse silverburst color scheme (and reverse headstock). It kicks ass.
The only problem I noticed was my fretting hand was getting some odd black paint residue from handling/playing it the first time, or two.
No tuning issues....intonation was really close to right on when I checked it. The pickups in mine sounded better than that one. It didn't have the flexible neck/headstock issue either.
It's a keeper.
So it's a qc issue and not a feature. The bendy neck that is?
im gonna buy it seems like a cool guitar
@@JosephSmith-lm4ri only cuccs use whammy bar; trve chads bend the neck 🤘
I too have purchased this guitar. It has been really good so far believe it or not. I have changed to thick gauge strings. They are 12s I believe also. I dropped the tuning and it has held up pretty well. Sucks this one was a dud. Keeping mine though and I would eventually like to do some upgrades to it. My neck and fretwork seems to feel pretty decent.
Cancer is a very small price to pay for a very evil metal guitar dude, but seriously, quite impressive! I don't like the headstock that much, and i prefer the jack on the top wing, but it seems a cool guitar, the inlays look cool!
😂 Idk if I'm down for that trade lol. The jack placement is an odd choice.
I bought the Bass Boat Blue one. It's a solid stage back up guitar. Break a string... reach for that. I love it. Replace the strings from the factory... and I put a Dimarzio X2n in the bridge. It is a great guitar to do some modifications and not worry about messing it up.
I've got this exact guitar and I've swapped the hardware and tuners to chrome, and changed the pickups, so I can't comment to your issues regarding grounding, etc (I believe it relates to the black painted hardware not being conductive paint). But the frets and neck I received are probably the best part of the one I got and they don't seem to have the issues that yours does. I wouldn't discourage anyone from buying one of these, but we all know what we're getting into bed with when we buy a sub $250 guitar. A little tlc and an upgrade or two and you'll have a guitar that can directly compete with a Jackson KV in my opinion.
Sorry you got a lemon, but the video was very informative and unbiased and I think a return on that particular example is probably the right thing to do. The longevity of that guitar with a neck like that is not promising.
Yeah, I didn't feel comfortable stepping up the string gauges on it. It's probably fine, but why risk it
@@ItFigures89 hows the guitar holding up? Also what color did you get yours in?
@@howdoienteraname464 I got the silverburst in the first Gen edition. I've got dozens of guitars and still reach for this one if I'm honest. I've seen a few negative reviews on these and guess I just got a gem. It's rock solid, and with a new pickup set, it screams and sustains great. Balances well, is surprisingly comfy to play, and isn't too heavy. Slim neck profile similar to a modern C. It's great. I've got zero complaints.
Ten years ago getting "quality" guitars at that price point was a complete dream! Guitars market really changed
My thoughts exactly, this price seems pretty steep for a no-brand guitar
Not just the guitars' one!
Thanks Behringer!
I worked at PRS Guitars back in 2005-2006. Back then they were building a second big ass building to expand production. They basically pulled us into an all hands meeting and were talking about how in 10 years, every guitar will be a good guitar. Their assertion was that CNC Machine prices were dropping quickly and that any guitar company that couldnt reproduce a quality product and rock bottom prices were going to be extinct. They were right. I remember back then, Schecter was coming up an had huge quality issues. Same with Epiphone. I couldn't believe when my wife surprised me with a 12 string Epiphone acoustic for my birthday a few years ago. I opened the box, played it, inspected every inch of it and then grew worried that she had spent a boat load of money for a guitar that nice. I hesitantly checked the bank account to see she spent $169 for a beautiful 12 string acoustic. This was pre-pandemic so I'm sure the price is higher now but I was still floored at the quality for price.
I've found that on these budget guitars that even though the neck is straight, the truss rod can be loose. A loose truss rod will cause a "flopy" neck. I always give the nut a twist to be sure it's seated.
*floppy
Flopcore...😅
Mine took about a week to acclimate, threw some 10's on it and it shreds. After watching this I had to check my neck and headstock which are both pretty solid compared to what you got. Very strange. My frets are also perfect with no gaps and the nut didn't look so jagged as yours did. Sorry you didn't get a better one.
No worries, glad yours worked out for you! Must be a Monday/Friday made guitar thing...
I bought the Double Cut P90 from WestCreek and the frets were a nightmare! They had the same rounded ends but they were all uneven and didn't come anywhere close to the edge of the fretboard. You would get a almost right fret on the 12th and the 11th fret would be shorter and the 13th would be longer, it was like that for every single fret.
Hope they address the issues you pointed out. Great and fair review.
Thank you , Taylor - I really appreciate an honest, unsponsored review! Especially when they're not raving about how great the gear is 'at this price point'.
I’ve been playing the hell out of a revenge for about a year, stoked on it. I do have some fret gaps(not fingernail sized) though they seem tight, maybe improper radius. Pickups were really microphonic, swapped them out. Bridge just barely intonates, no issues with tuners. It’s on par with squiers and epiphones I’ve had.
I bought the cerberus about 2 months ago... returned the 1st one due to shipping damage. Received the 2nd and no issues with it what so ever, i dont have the soft neck issue and its a damn fine instrument for what i paid. Feels and plays like an epiphone prophecy V
Just FYI, if you want to try a Harley Benton and don't want to order it from over seas, they have an official Reverb shop. The prices are basically the prices on Thomann plus shipping but there's no long wait and they have been super responsive and helpful with me. Mine had a back input jack but I had to diagnose the issue. (Draning active battery in days) They offered to replace, refund or give me money back if I take it to a tech. Since I diagnosed the problem and it was a sub $10 fix I just fixed it. They did attempt to help resolve the issue though. They were very responsive and friendly to communicate with. So that might be the way to try a HB.
4:00 Thanks!! That’s the most important thing to know for me since that’s were we spend 100% the time on the guitar, everything else can be upgraded
What are you playing at 8:36 ? Is it from a song? Has a really cool vibe, thanks to who ever lets me know! 😅
8:05 that riff is sick as hell, what song is it from?
Your edited in part addresses my main concerns on the guitar as well. I'm a Harley Benton fan too, just not able to fork over the $98 shipping lately.
I've tried some of these Westcreek guitars and they are hit or miss, depending on your luck I guess. I've ordered several of the Revenge EX model, two of the Racer (SG copy) and two of these Cerbeus V guitars. The Revenge models are awesome, they have the thickest guitar body that I've seen on an Explorer type, the necks are on the thick side (22 mm at the second fret), they have long neck tenon and medium jumbo frets. The Racer and Cerbeus guitars had to go back. They all had some level of twist on the neck, and that's definitely a big no, especially on a new guitar. One thing to add, all of these three Westcreek models, they balance very well when playing standing up, with no neck dive, even the racer SG model.
Jackson js32 V is a lot better for not a lot more. 350 I think. Much better than the 2001 dx10d I had as a teenager which cost the same price but in 2001 money which is quite a bit more now adjusting for inflation. The value in the lower price point guitars today is absurd compared to 20-25 years ago. Not everyone will be into them but the PRS SE line is so good for the money, they kind of make me rethink why I should keep my S2.
That's probably on the list as well. I've never tried anything below the X series, but those are really decent for the money
@@TaylorDanley the js series is basically bolt on neck X series with lower grade pickups. Beyond that they’re generally the same. I had a js32 king V and put a Nazgûl in the bridge position and upgraded to tremolo arm and it was a total ripper. Probably shouldn’t have offloaded it but that’s what happens when you have too much gear and things aren’t getting played.
Thank you for making this video I have the same exact experience with my Explorer style West Creek the green one out of the box that had tuning problems and the bridge was not mounted on the guitar Street but with another $80 worth of upgraded Hardware and a slight adjustment with the bridge when I mounted the new one straightened out that issue so with guitar and Hardware I'm still under $300 and it is a quite beautiful guitar out of the box thanks again for the great video
Ive got one of the second round of production West Creek Revenge. The Destroyer/Explorer body style.
It was EXCELLENT right out if the box. It needed a lil' bit of a setup to tweak it to my liking and it was over a week before i started modding it.
The body itself and its construction are mind boggingly amazing for $240. Really well done with real wood. None if this chambered out or cheap, lightweight wood crap. Its a solid couple hunks of good quality lumber. Stellar build quality.
I swapped out the stock pickups, which I could have lived with if I didn't have the choice. I swapt out the bridge pup for a DiMarzio PAF Joe (Satriani Custom pup). Now she screams!
GraphTech Tusq Nut and String Saver saddles. Some locking tuners from Amazon and a set of Ernie Ball M-Steel 10's and she screams like a banahee!!!
Great guitar! Can't say enough good about them!
On the Revenge they're stainless steel. you can tell by comparing one of your guitars with this one. they use full size pots, decent tuners and quality switches. it's also the same price. They also have conductive shielding paint.
I ordered this exact guitar, got it yesterday. I was thoroughly surprised with it. The build quality is great and the pickups actually sound great for what it is. The only part that’s not great is the tuners, but not a big deal. Overall it’s fantastic for only paying $400 Canadian for it
It's a feature ... a neck tremolo ...
Bro I just wanna say I think you're the sickest metal guitarist on YT love the riffs
Aw, thanks man! 💪
Ola Englund is pretty damn good too.
@@justicechadwell1944 he is but check out Danleys riffs on his Bogner Alchemist review I’d like a whole album of that
I bought one recently, and Im pretty happy with it. All though, I got the black and red one, and it’s completely different. Mine came with a floyd rose, and tuning locks on the nut. But it plays and sounds really good, and it stays in tune for the most part.
Well this video helped me decide to hold off on adding one of these.... so thanks buddy!
🥳
I bought the green Revenge (Explorer style) and I freaking love it! Been playing it for almost a year and have not had any issues. Have thought about upgrading the pick ups but really only because I want to and not because the stock ones aren't good. Also just got a green burst Leo Jaymz Single Cut (LP Style) and it has been holding up extremely well. Anymore budget guitars don't mean skimped on. Westcreek and Leo Jaymz are making some good stuff!
I love these cheap sub $250 guitars, after working out they are rubbish you spend another $800 bucks to bring them up to spec or throw them on the landfill
No clue where you're spending $800 on upgrading a budget guitar lol
That guitar reminds me of my second electric guitar ever. It had a floyd rose that would not hold the strings in the saddles. The frets were not set in the neck so my high E string would get caught under them. It was a total wreck of a guitar that actually damaged my technique for soloing and riffing and that took years to overcome.
I owned one for a couple of months. It was OK. Pickups were microphonic but sounded OK, and the high E kept getting stuck under a fret, both things that could be fixed with some work. The jack placement annoyed the hell out of me, found myself not playing it much so I sold it.
Oh no, you had high frets too? I wonder what's going on there...
You had the Cerberus model too?
Did u try an angled jack? I only use an angled jack on my LTD V.
I bought my first electric guitar in 1983 when i was just 12 yrs old, I worked in a bowling alley on nights and weekends to save up for it, that P.O.S. cost me $120 in 1983 which i have to figure is about $600 today money, and truthfully the action was so high it worked better as a bow and arrow than as a guitar lol.
Oh wow, thats one hell of a story. Are you still playing today? Or was that more of a teenage phase you had?
Oof, sorry to hear that man. Hopefully you got something better and kept going! In truth that's a lot of why I make these videos. People get mad at me, but the reality is you can get a much better guitar with a little due diligence than these cheap things that are being hocked on Amazon or Wish or whatever...
Thank you for giving us the feedback from your luthier friend. Also thanks for letting us know about the headstock flexing. My opinion is that that neck was REALLY bad; no one would have been able to do anything about it. Not a big deal for my usual bolt-ons, but very bad for a set neck. I'll keep waiting.
That isn't a metal guitar, it's a wood guitar.
It’s a ‘Would?’ guitar.
Yeah this is clickbait
A wooden guitar for the music style named "metal"
There's always one guy..
OH
EMMMMM GEEEEEE!!!!
I plan to get that very kind of V, when I get my LP paid off.....four more payments, & I'm in for a backwards silverburst Cerburrus! (Kant spel!) I figure I'll probably have to get it some new pups, set-up, & fretwork done on it regardless.......
I wanted to touch on the shipping for Harley Benton. I live in Florida, and I've ordered 3 HB's from Thoman and all 3 guitars arrived at my doorstep in less than 5 days. They ship faster than any mail service in the states man. Lol
I really wanted to pickup the blue one but not now lol. I hate flexy necks. There are so few budget V options. I don't like the Harley Benton V either. The headstock and body shape kill me.
I've been peeping that blue sparkle myself past couple weeks, safe to say I'll probably just save my money and put it towards a better model
Great review. Thanks for an honest review, because the price and style looks good, but if the frets and neck casuse issues, most people couldn't fix it.
I have played thier explorer model and it plays any metal song really good and the one thing I recommend with this company is that you wait 3-4 months after the release for the company to properly put the guitar together. Great company though, I would love to see a review from you of their racer model.
I wonder if there's a Crack in the headstock you can't see. Happen to me before with a guitar I bought from Aliexpess had to get it fixed.
Bro, Harley Benton has a reverb page that lists their inventory that is in stock in the USA. The cost is a little higher bit there are no import fees and shipping costs are also lower. It balances out pretty well. Give it a look see.
I wish i saw this before getting my 8 string, although im not at all mad about the price
@@janelaincloudcroft I didn't see any 8 strings last I looked but it's been a few months or so now. They may have some now. 🤷♂️
I have the same exact guitar , for my experience the only thing that bothers me at first is the strings that they have put on it ,i changed the strings to ernie ball not even slinky and it sounded good , the only thing that needs now is to lower the action a little bit.i did not notice the neck flexibility issue though but i am gonna check it afterwords and i will comment back.
As a follow back to my previous comment, i have checked again my guitar and happy to say that it does not have the issue mentioned in the video . Perhaps for your case something went wrong in the construction.
I have a Westcreek Cerebus. I was wondering why I cant keep it in tune. I blamed it on the tuners. But now I watch your video, I tried the bend trick and Damn!! I see what you are saying. It's too late for me to send back. I'll try better tuners see if it helps. It is a good guitar for the money. Yes on the grounding issue, it was the input on mine. I soldered a wire on a washer,tightened the input nut. Soldered the wire to vol. pot. Quiet as a mouse.Thanks man.
Hundreds of years ago I bought a Peavey Rock Master guitar from a JC Penny catalogue for $129. I had no idea if it had anything wrong with it. It was my first guitar. Cheap.
Fair review.
I could live with the frets - meaning that some thin superglue and a bit of clamping could get all of them seated correctly and I'd have to do a fret level and crown job on it.
Almost expected for a "cheapest guitar on ..."
Low cost fix.
The fact that some stores Plek their high(er) end stock shows that even big manufacturers struggle for perfect frets in their production.
The grounding - and I think someone mentioned it below - may be due to the black hardware.
The paint isn't conductive. I think Glen over at SpectreSound encountered that with a Harley Benton.
Also easily fixable - although it may look a bit ugly after you've scratched paint off of the bridge etc - relicing? Also low cost fix.
Same with nut and tuners - when you buy that cheap you are expecting to fix that as part of the upgrade process. Mid cost upgrade, but common.
What I could not live with is the flexy neck - that is an unfixable problem and you are right to return it.
There's an 8 string fretless guitar on Amazon right now for 230. I want it lol
🤔
@@TaylorDanley the brand is Gstyle
I bought one of these about a month ago. i had to do a little bridge and nut work to due to the way larger gauge stings didn't sit right and kept popping off the grooves . added new Tuning keys, set intonation and let sit for a day just to see if it would stay in tune. I was highly surprised that it was just a hair out of tune. i had no blemishes, neck was solid, pickups were descent. It makes me wonder if there are some quality control issues, or batch issues. i have seen some reviews that had no issues out of the box, and some that had many issues...(maybe i got lucky that lazy Larry the luthier wasn't working that day- Larry the one lazy dude at work and there is always one)
The finish looks better than most high end Gibsons...lol. Interested :)
The jack placement bothers me the most about this guitar and that is the first thing I noticed. Why is the jack inside the V where someone sitting and playing might hit it? Its just asking to be broken and awkward as cables don't hang that way. I don't think it would cost a ton to relocate that, just seems like common sense.
@@marshallplace seriously
A ~400$ harley-benton guitar, towards their higher priced models is absolutely ridiculous: it's alot of guitar for the dollar. They basically have two product line: some instruments they sell are manufactured at some factory in Indonesia (the most expensive ones) and some are from Vietnam. The indonesian ones are a ridiculous value for the money, you might be pleasantly surprised heheh
The harley Benton fusion 3 is the best guitar in its price range and it's not even close honestly.
yes at the price those are selling, during covid i saw a b-stock selling for next to nothing and drunk ordered it, i truly was not expecting to be that usable. I mean, i own half a dozen guitars and this one is just as good as any of them lol
@@thunderfox101 i had some pickups ordered thinking i would have to swap the stock ones and i ended up never doing the swap lol
My lead guitarist bought the harley benton 7 string multiscale, thing sounds decent and feels surprisingly high quality, 150eur(180usd i think)hes putting in better pickups and tuners, insane mod platform i cant lie
They look like stainless steel frets to me, those are the same rounded ball end frets I got recently on two Firefly's. Fortunately none of the frets on mine were coming off the fretboard or had any fret buzz whatsoever. I find it odd that you could actually bend a maple neck, even if it was a thinner "shred neck". My guess is that the real issue is coming from a poorly cut nut. I would also take off the strings and put a towel over the frets with issues and lightly tap them a few times them with a rubber mallet. That might seat them back in place. In the end, that guitar looks pretty sick and for the price makes a great mod guitar, or at the very least would be a good budget guitar with a proper setup.
Honestly a lot of these really cheap guitars are not so bad. I generally upgrade the pickups and maybe the tuners. Generally when I upgrade the pickups it sounds and feels like a totally different guitar and it's fire. I got unlucky only one time buying a Schechter 7 string, it just constantly went out of tune the wood they used must have been the cheapest you could possibly use, and the strings would constantly need to be set up so I don't have to press so hard while playing.
Yay u posted a vid I feel like it been weeks !!! Good shit
It has been! This time of year is very busy for me and the fam, so I’ve been laying low and enjoying the holidays
@@TaylorDanley nothing wrong with that same here my bands just got a joint practice space and it's sickkkk
I had the saaaame issues with my V from Westcreek unfortunately because of how flimsy it was the headstock broke from a slight bump, literally something my Harley Bentons have taken and survived
thang was FLIMSY lol
Oh wow, thanks for sharing! I'm glad to hear I wasn't the only one? That feels weird to say.
Damn! Would think the headstock would have just given in like rubber whilst being so flimsy! 😳
@@TaylorDanley if the neck was better it would be a great buy
It's got a built in trem in the neck, awesome!!
The QC on budget guitars is wild. I have a westcreek explorer knockoff and the frets and neck are perfectly fine. It did have that weird smell to it, which some guitars just have... I know Gibson's smell like vanilla because of the clear coat or something they use. Hell, I had a V that smelled so strong and it didn't go away for the longest time, it would actually make me feel sick to play it for too long. My only issue is with the pickups. Not sure if they're microphonic, if it's a grounding issue or what, but they're a little too low output and they're a bit noisy too. I'm probably just going to swap them out for something that looks nicer in time simply because at the very least I'm just not a fan of plain looking black bobbin pickups.
I've heard a few people have issues with frets kind of not being fully seated, and you can correct it if you *need* to. Not quite sure who the market for the guitars is because beginners might fight with them to enjoy them, and if you're knowledgeable in guitars you probably already own a better made guitar. I got the explorer because a purple flamed explorer is such a niche instrument, and I have the ability to fix most of what could've been wrong with it (wouldn't be able to fix a twisted neck, but thankfully mine was built well.)
I suppose if you're poor like me and have the know-how to fix fit/finish issues, they're not bad. Just be prepared to put in a little work to get it playing great.
Personally, I don't pay attention to brands. Are frets good (or serviceable), does it intonate? Those are HUGE concerns for me. If those pass, then I'm onto does it stay in tune, can I put locking tuners on it, graphtech bridge/nut? Pickups are always whatever. Glenn from Spectre studios debunked all that tone nonsense (mostly) so mid or high gain pickups are fine stock, mostly speaker and amp choice, or these days neural or whatever software you want. My harley benton double cut sg style triple humbucker is great, was like 270 or something. Quick dressing, sanded sides a little bit and some 2000 grit sand paper on neck for satin feel it was intonated and good to go.
My FAVORITE guitar is my 2009 fender squier I got from a damn apple store (it has usb). For whatever reason, it stays in tune, it intonates correctly, and it sounds great. It's my 'studio' guitar I use for sessions. My others, like the Benton are also great, but if you are too agressive with down or alternate picking it tends to fall out of tune (no locking nut or anything).
I have a Harley Benton 7 string that i got for like 220 euros with a gig bag, and i payed bit more because i'm not in the EU. Just saying, it is very playable and well built.
This guy is really good ! I really like his crunchy stuff !
It's a brave new world. As a boomer who started playing in the 60's, there were all manner of cheapo electric guitars available for $50 or so in pawn shops. Some of the necks were so bad you could never get them intonated. Some of the bridges too were a bad joke. Setting them up so the strings weren't half a mile above the frets was an odyssey.
the neck wood is probably young so it has lot's of moisture so it will move witch you don't want
The problem with guitars like this is after you've put in some decent pickups and tuners and paid a tech to sort out the frets and other issues, you might as well have just gone and bought a better guitar in the first place.
Fair point!
It depends on the sample u get. U might get one that has practically zero issues and u are winning! But sometimes u get a bad apple, need to return it, and usually the replacement is good or at least better. Also I laugh/cry everytime I read someone putting 200 dollars worth of pickups on a budget guitar!! Like wtf, if u can afford to put/waste that much money on pickups u probably could easily afford to juts buy a higher end guitar (like u said)! 😓😓 INSTEAD it's much better and budget friendly to buy 20 bucks a piece pickups from Ebay/Aliexpress, which sound great! And in this particular case the pickups seem to be fine IF the grounding issue can be fixed, thus no need to change 'em.
Hey what song is that you play at 6:36 😅 can’t seem to remember it.
@@Zunagai cowboys from hell by psntera
Man, Westcreek keeps putting out badass guitars. I'm pretty sure yours was just a dud that got through QC. I purchased the Westcreek Revenge model a year ago and its still going 100%, even with factory electronics and hardware (which is saying a lot because I'm always modding something on my guitars. This one might only get strap locks).
Harley Benton are good. Thing is at this current moment, the shipping from them is INSANE. Like 2x the cost of your item insane. I was going to grab a double sided gig bag for $36 (friend has one, I like it) and with shipping $36 became $98 and I did not order....yea.
I feel like this type of guitar (meaning the "wow, that's cheap!" guitars) are fun to mess with if you have some repair skills or are learning and want something disposable. Bought a Firefly when they were first getting going and it looks great but was really kind of sucky out of the box. A bunch of work on my part and some spare parts I had lying around worth a couple hundred bucks tops, and it now rivals an Epi LP for a few hundred less. But if you had to pay someone to do all that work -- fret level/crown/dress, new pickups, new tuners, new bridge and a setup -- the value pretty much disappears, especially if you throw Reverb or GC used in the mix.
Every neck flex’s a little bit. You can do the neck bend on any guitar, buuuuut if it does it when playing normally or you can do it with one hand and your not pressing on the body too cuz your doing it on purpose then yeah that’s excessive and a bad sign. Good idea sending it back.
Yeah you can definitely bend any neck, they're supposed to bend a little. But this was a little TOO bendable IME 😂
I really wanna get one and throw some Seymour Duncan Blackout pickups in it...
I already have the green "revenge" Explorer. and its great
Sorry but I think the same value Ibanez or Jackson will have better quality control. Still a nice looking guitar, but I'd rather depend on a more well known brand at those prices. Thanks for the video, it tells a story.. Corey
aesthetic-cally, i think the guitar looks awesome ! the V shape, the paint job, fret board inlays, the head stock shape and the inverted head stock... i just might buy it for the way it looks ,,, nice find
Harley Benton has a US based Reverb store now. The prices are higher but reflective of what you'd pay with shipping from the EU.
Thanks for the tip!
Very informative video, thanks for sharing!
Love the channel! I’m 59 years old, love metal and your videos makes me want to pick up my guitar again, I haven’t done in a while. Thank you. 🤘🤘🤘🤘😉
Hell yeah, glad to hear it! DO IT CHAMP 💪
I just got a really budget archtop from Amazon a few minutes ago. I'll say I even paid a little less than you did. Fortunately I've become a pretty decent amateur luthier since quarantine, so if its that cheap for a reason I can fix it. Now just waiting for the UPS guy for a week. I'll let ya know!
The guitar is pretty sweet, but that Creep-O-Rama shirt gets the real win here. I may or may not have gotten a few things from The Exorcist collection, too 😈
YUS! They make the best merch.
8:05 what is that riff from??
You can buy Harley Benton for 200 dollars and they are amazing. I own 3 already. Some of my best guitars. And i own Gibson Framus fender and ESP too. But my Harley Benton guitars. Are really amazing.
I own two West Creek guitars for the money absolutely zero complaints great starting point for modding finish is usually good but for two beans WTH rock on people 🎸🎸
Anyone know the riff at 8:30?
"No Toleration" by my band Sacrificer
@@TaylorDanley I love that switch up, actually sounded rlly fuckin unique man!
If it had 24 frets and the output jack moved to the top wing or back of the bottom, it would be great.
I've watched all the other reviews on this guitar and this one has to be the most honest one on YT.
That plywood neck is on my 335 amazon clone. It had a banana neck. I set the truss rod to zero and I flexed the neck with one hand causing a back bow. Tightend the truss rod with other hand and it worked 😂. The neck on most of these cheap guitars are plywood.
I don't like the plug position either it should have been on the upper V away from your leg when sitting down but I am pretty sure its better when standing.
this confirms my thought that this company banks on people thinking ball end frets is a sign of quality.
No frets are high quality if they grab your strings because they aren't set correctly lol.
What is that song? 8:35
Oh man. Hard cringing at that 1/4 jack placement!
Yeah it’s an odd choice, but also I feel like every V has a slightly weird jack placement.
@@TaylorDanley that’s fair. It just seems like a fender strat style jack in the same place as this guitar already has could be a huge improvement. It’s cool to see an affordable V.
a right angle cable would at least be a little bit better for it i figure
The tuning weirdness is probably because the frets are not set right. When you press the fret it goes inside the slot, but you stop pressing it jumps back up.
I had this issue when I bought other cheap Chinese branded guitar.
I have a purple revenge (the explorer shape) and it's a fucking badass guitar, but no issues with the neck or frets like you had.
Taylor you should do a vid on glenn frickers custom v guitar
I didn’t realize he had one 🧐 is it a Harley Benton?
@@TaylorDanley its the one he had built by a canadian guitar maker
Butttt... wasn't is custom made for him?! U'd need to actually borrow that guitar from Glenn for a review, lol...
200 is not a cheap guitar that thing is a beauty
hate the cable jack position
Where did you get that glorious exorcist long sleeve?!
Creep-o-Rama
Rip the neck pickup out, swap for a locking nut, put in an active bridge pickup and put a kahler on it.
Hi, Taylor. I'm a weirdo who is no metal player but still loves guitars with metal styling and features. I've wanted a V and an Explorer for decades, so I was drawn right to this video by the title. I act as my own guitar tech, so I'm not frightened by cheap guitars that need adjustments or upgrades. That said, that flexible neck gives me pause. I don't know if the truss rod is loose or tight inside that neck; I would check, myself. Ultimately, though, if I couldn't stiffen that neck, I would hate that guitar -- I'd always be afraid I'd break that flimsy-@$$ neck. While that's not likely, I imagine the tuning stability issues -- ALL stability issues -- would be a constant thing. I haven't watched till the end yet, but I will, to see if you manage anything to firm the neck up. If not, you just saved me some money. I rescued a guitar with a BROKEN neck, but a neck that's just made wrong is beyond my power.
WOOOOO ANOTHER VIDEO! Let’s go!
🙌
the placement of that output jack though lol
maybe make sure the fret slots are clear and add better tuners preferable locking and break the strings in