Check out some more guitar videos: ua-cam.com/play/PLNaLwTdlpQNGXHK9wPm1kYNDwFvMLQ7ES.html Or some of my music: ua-cam.com/play/PLNaLwTdlpQNHKlg8ALZfM3AINC20WMp8s.html
SS frets and Graphite nut is huge upgrade for a guitar to hold up to time, and the neck to head stop upgrade, all of these things you only get on high end guitars. Great job HB
@@1972Georges Yep, someone on UA-cam (I don't remember who, maybe Mcknight?) took a deeper look at that and you can kinda see that there is a solid top and he also called Thomann and they also told him it was a solid top.
ua-cam.com/video/EsX7LN1hcBs/v-deo.html John Robson made a review 1 year ago and he called Thomann asking about the top. They kind of affirmed it to be thick one but at the same time in comment section several UA-cam viewers commented that there is a visible 0.5mm veneer used. Which would be just logical considering the price point. Then again it does not diminish SC-550 II as a guitar at all! Even if the top is just a thin veneer this guitar seems a real killer in features. The top is all cosmetics, really. But if you're seriously looking for some Magic Mojo 6mm Pure Maple Top "goodness"... I'd be cautious. This guitar might be just too good to be true in that area.
I bought one just like this one based on this review. Mine looks identical and is super precision quality. I have five other guitars, and this one is the best one. The other namebrand guitars I bought for some reason just aren’t perfect like this one is. I can hardly believe that the least expensive one actually plays looks and sounds the best. I really love the Tesla pick ups. The volume, evenness and sustain is amazing. Took about a week and a half for it to get to me in California from Germany. No damage.
I just got that same guitar two days ago. I must say that I am extremely blown away! I went over this beauty with a fine tooth comb expecting to find some unfavorable flaw and I could not find a single one! Great Job Thoman!! It is beautiful to look at and plays like a dream! If you are on the fence about buying one I would suggest doing it! You will not regret it
i appreciate you elmo you and intotheblues are my go to guys when it comes to gear reviews, can trust you to be objective and not sponsorships or trends sway your objectivity. much love breh
This model is outstanding! After my first b-stock Harley Benton proved to be an incredible value, I wanted to try another model. The one I really wanted bad has been out of stock for months and still several months out. So, I went for the SC 550 II black cherry. Another b-stock. It is stunning. There was a little bit of fret sprout, which is so easy to fix, but no other problems. The Tesla pickups were a good surprise. The sustain and harmonics are wonderful, but I got it with plans to black out the hardware & put in a set of Russian pickups I wanted to try out. For the price, these are perfect guitars to get if you're a fan of modifying guitars. They're made well, they're gorgeous, and they don't cost a stupid amount of money.
When a guitar brand does an excellent job it has to be said, I have a few weeks ago that same guitar, in that same finish. I think it's the best purchase I've ever been able to make. Fantastic guitar, impeccable finishes, and really nice sound. I've never got my hands on a Gibson Les Paul, and there's Harley Benton makes me forget about Gibson by 279. It has become one of my 3 favorites, along with a Yamaha Revstar 520 and a PRS Se Santana. But the SC550II costs half the Yamaha and a third the PRS. Saludos Elmo. Great review, as always
Just came across this video, always been curious of these HB Les Paul’s… they’ve always LOOKED great to my eyes, sounded pretty good from the few videos I’ve heard… I think that they’re more or less a perfect “Modding Project” guitar. You’ve got a great looking body, great finish, you can quite easily change the strings, pickups and pots to get a better sound and then upgrade the bridge, tuners and nut later down the line. As long as the neck is good, from my understanding the generally are but you get the occasional one that isn’t same as any budget friendly guitar, then it’s good to go… definitely going to get one and try to think of something a little unusual to do to it
Thanks for helping me decide on getting the SC 550 II this summer. I forgot to say thanks! The SC 550 video you did, and another where an uploader pitted a Harley Benton Special against an Epiphone Special AND a Gibson Special, and came out saying how good that Harley was, helped that decision. In fact, any review of Harley Benton comes out saying how "cheap guitars" aren't as cheap as they used to be in quality. (I REMEMBER THE 1980'S AND 1990'S).The SC 550 II had just come out when I was looking around. I just truly liked the way they looked over Epiphone. Epiphone stays traditional, as well they should. But Harley Benton just LOOKED really nice. I'm a Telecaster / Stratocaster fan at heart. Always will be. If I could collect Telecasters exclusively I would. But I'd never owned a Gibson style guitar. Only when I was a kid. I had a cheap SEARS ordered SG. It was cheeaaaaaaap. Harley Benton was a purchase I don't regret. I find I'm using it more and more on recordings. Very versatile. But I confess, one of the first things I played on it was Ace Frehley's solo on "She." I still look at Epiphones, because I do like the more traditional look they keep, and may get one eventually. But I got a Fender Strat that desperately needs repair, so that Epiphone has to wait til I get a guitar I've had almost 30 years the help it needs! Thanks for your help!
I prefer the colour of the older 550 but the new one is also available in the same finish so you can't go wrong especially with graphtec nut and stainless steel frets!
I'm sold on this model after watching vids from you and a couple other guys, thanks for the review! Now just have to wait for them to be back in stock.
Price shown on internet was $275. (US) However, there is the big shipping cost from Germany to be added on. I've heard that's about $80. Stainless steel frets, the slippery nut and the reinforcement of the neck make me think this is an improvement over the original Kalamazoo Gibsons. This guitar shows as currently SOLD OUT so I think people recognize it as having value at that price. Even the kit guitars approach the price of that guitar. Good playing.
Not sure what its now, It used to be around 35 dollars from what i heared from different channels. Its also benifitial if you order 2 more (alone or with friends) since they can be send in that same box at the allowed weight. You can check yourself by just going to the website, go to the checkout and it will figure it out for you.
I have the 25Th anniversary Sc ,,it's supposed to be a 450 with stainless steel frets ,,I love this one ,,it's not my Les Paul but close enough so i don't panic when I go play with friends ,thanks Elmo for the video ,we can at least see some comparatives between those Harley Benton Sc series
Elmo you shredded this video! You have made me decide to go ahead and get that guitar. I recently bought the SC 550 II Desert Burst, love it and I think the Tesla has great sustain, as that one too, I just have to sell a few other guitars first, because my wife said she would break my fingers, but I told her they are going up in price, so I must get it now!
13:20 "How do they keep the prices so low?". I'll tell you why: it's because they buy the guitars damn cheap. Back in 2005, if I bought a container full of Strat copies, they were around US $20 per piece. If you wanted better quality, better wood, pickups and hardware, it could cost anywhere up to $50 per unit. Of course, even China has inflation but also more competition. And then there's Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam and (less Japan nowadays). Everyone makes guitars. Most guitar manufacturers that I worked with back then started off making furniture. I remember visiting the factory that made Harley Benton's in 2005. I still have happy snaps. Harley Benton was one of many "me-too" companies trying to get cheap guitars made with their name on it.
I bought one, and the pickups and fret finishing were terrible. That said, I put Fluence Classic humbuckers in it, and I paid a luthier $200 to level, crown and polish the frets, and I have to say that my guitar now plays and sounds better than my R9.
That little bump in the headstock is called velute and it is to protect your neck from cracking not by falling. They use it only in mahogany necks because mahogany is softer than maple and it cracks easily
It looks very similar to my jhs vintage V100 ,it has the same turners,neck bump,and same body lay up. I think possibly they might be made in the same factory in Indonesia
Hi from Spain, I really enjoyed your video.There were so many positive reviews I ordered an SC-550 II PAF but unfortunately mine arrived unplayable, the graphite nut set so high even simple chords were unplayable. Then the selector switch, bridge volume and tone controls failed so I returned it to Thomann for repair.When it arrived back the selector switch was OK but the volume and tone controls for both pick ups did not function, so I returned it again for repair.Today they sent my money back but of course I incurred all the costs for the graphite nut repair and the traveling costs to my city post office etc.Maybe I was just unlucky?Kind regards,John.
Sorry to hear. Maybe you were. That's the thing. To do these reviews properly, you'd have to get like 10 of these, and see how the quality is in general. Also, they should probably be bought at slightly different times, as then they wouldn't be from the same batch. That would be impossble to do though.
I've been randomly bouncing round your HB review videos the last week and today land on this one - I kept thinking your guitar playing reminds me of Yngwie and now your t shirt makes sense :D
Hi from Spain again, well in fairness to Thomann they are sending me a replacement SC-550 II PAF and not a "B" stock at the original price I paid. I just hope it is as good as your guitar, then I have to learn to play it as well as you! Kind regards, John.
The teslas sound like the old pre roswell Wilkinson. That little bit of raw top end again. Roswell are OK, but a bit tame and non descript. These are more rocky.
Well done - i am straight ahead with you - great guitar - there will be my review beginning with the unboxing tomorrow (Premiere 5:30pm - German time) and a week later the test at the amp at my litle channel in german language. - Cheers great stuff on your channel!
Brilliant revue, bro👍♨️👌 I got to get that thing‼️. And yes, SS- frets DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Your sound is brilliant. What else do you use for overdrive than the Strymon?
0:02 uhmm....thats not a... ok. Idk if its the st steel frets or the new pickups but this sounds more like a superstrat than a LP to me. Very nice improvements in the specs tho.
This the the MK2 version that i got but in desert burst. It had a high fret but because it was so good in every other respect I decided to keep it anyway and took it to a luthier. Luthier couldn't understand why fret was high as it was seated correctly, he said maybe they somehow used to wrong size wire for that fret. Who knows. Anyway sorted now and it's great for the money.
I was never into the music Kramer guitars in the eighties represented.. Van Halen, Europe, Steel Panther etc. But i ordered one and i love it. Few guitars i have growl as gloriously.
The SC-550 1 is supposed to have a bone nut. I bought the older model and was not impressed whatsoever with the pickups. Dark, muddy and whatever adjective one wishes to apply.
Stainless Steel frets offer more advantage than the simple fact that they're resistant to rust and oxidization. Stainless is a chrome rich alloy that provides a higher tensile than Nickel. So , while they do offer some improvement over Nickel they're not as forgiving. Stainless sounds brighter than Nickel to my ears.
How do they build these so well for the money! Amazing :) And my God, your playing starting at 9:15 or so.......whoa! Amazing! and at 11:40 or so......damn, it's all GREAT!
I saw it on their website, it looks good, so I came here for a review and found yours and as always a good honest review and as soon as they have one in stock I will get one. I was hoping you would have a review of it.
watching the chanell for some time. was wandering from all the single cut guitars there is there is none good videos of HAGSTROM SWEDE OR SUPER SWEED..would be nice if you could compare it to prs or ephifone...thanks
@@MrPolevaulter 2 point Wilkinson Trem with decent sized block, staggered locking Tuners, Tusqnut, fullsized pots, steel frets, Sapele (mahogany type) body... And all of that for 277 EUR. I have a couple Fenders and a Gibson Les Paul, believe me, apart from the humbuckers, this guitar is amazing. Give it a look Fusion-III HH EB BK. By the way, amazing channel, keep up the awesome videos coming!
Elmos so good I went and watched the first one also for comparison and I liked that also. . May I ask roughly how many euros that plexi cost, what year you got it?God bless you.
Like in 8/10 budget guitars you buy you’ll find the pickups and electronics to be the major weak spots. The HB sounds ok but not great, sounds a little bit to compressed and sharp for my taste. Often times i find that replacing the small chinese pots with large CTS ones really brings budget guitars to life. Cheers
Can you get Jimmy Page tone? Les Paul's own tone? How about Lynyrd Skynyrd or Duane Allman southern rock tone? Slash? Can you make it sound like Angus Young's SG?🤩
Dear Elmo I am following your channel for quite a while now (big fan of course 😊) and I want to ask you if you can tell me/us which replacement pickups you choosed. You explained you changed pickups on some of the cheaper guitars you have been testing, the HB 550 for example, among others. Thank you
Thanks, and sorry for taking a while to get back to you. I had my luthier friend put in some vintage style low output humbuckers that he made in the HB550.
Hey! , sorry for my bad english but i need your opinion of this, please!. In my country (Chile, South America), the Harley Benton-SC 550 II cost $400.000 pesos, like Є430 euros, and the Epiphone Les Paul Studio cost $430.000 pesos, like Є462 euros. Which guitar is better?. This will be my first electric guitar, i play spanish guitar (Hohner Hc06) and electroacoustic guitar (Walden D350CE) like student for years. Thank you very much!! Cheers from Chile, great channel and reviews!
Thanks! Sorry, I can't give you a definite answer. All guitars are individuals. Out of the ones I've tried, I've liked the Harley Bentons a bit more, but there's not been a huge difference.
Check out some more guitar videos: ua-cam.com/play/PLNaLwTdlpQNGXHK9wPm1kYNDwFvMLQ7ES.html
Or some of my music: ua-cam.com/play/PLNaLwTdlpQNHKlg8ALZfM3AINC20WMp8s.html
Maybe try a budget Tokai LP from China ?
SS frets and Graphite nut is huge upgrade for a guitar to hold up to time, and the neck to head stop upgrade, all of these things you only get on high end guitars. Great job HB
this might be the most cost effective guitar ever created. build quality is insanely good, sounds great and is cheap
According to Thomann, it also has a 6-millimeter-thick flame maple cap, not a laminate. Great upgrades right out of the box!
wow, seriously??
@@1972Georges Yep, someone on UA-cam (I don't remember who, maybe Mcknight?) took a deeper look at that and you can kinda see that there is a solid top and he also called Thomann and they also told him it was a solid top.
@@marctestarossa thanks!
ua-cam.com/video/EsX7LN1hcBs/v-deo.html
John Robson made a review 1 year ago and he called Thomann asking about the top. They kind of affirmed it to be thick one but at the same time in comment section several UA-cam viewers commented that there is a visible 0.5mm veneer used. Which would be just logical considering the price point.
Then again it does not diminish SC-550 II as a guitar at all! Even if the top is just a thin veneer this guitar seems a real killer in features. The top is all cosmetics, really. But if you're seriously looking for some Magic Mojo 6mm Pure Maple Top "goodness"... I'd be cautious. This guitar might be just too good to be true in that area.
@@marctestarossa John Robson Guitarist
I bought one just like this one based on this review. Mine looks identical and is super precision quality. I have five other guitars, and this one is the best one. The other namebrand guitars I bought for some reason just aren’t perfect like this one is. I can hardly believe that the least expensive one actually plays looks and sounds the best. I really love the Tesla pick ups. The volume, evenness and sustain is amazing. Took about a week and a half for it to get to me in California from Germany. No damage.
same here. Amazing guitar, amazing value!
I just got that same guitar two days ago. I must say that I am extremely blown away! I went over this beauty with a fine tooth comb expecting to find some unfavorable flaw and I could not find a single one! Great Job Thoman!! It is beautiful to look at and plays like a dream! If you are on the fence about buying one I would suggest doing it! You will not regret it
What about the Harley Benton SC-DLX Gotoh
WTH is tooth comb?
Thomann's mark up on these must be low
thank you for your thoughts. i appreciate your honesty. not sure who to trust online -- assume many are being paid for positive reviews.
Screw the guitar, those jorts with the cuff are absolutely on point Elmo!
i appreciate you elmo you and intotheblues are my go to guys when it comes to gear reviews, can trust you to be objective and not sponsorships or trends sway your objectivity. much love breh
Thanks man :)
The sustain is insane, like it. Thank you for the review
And thank you :)
One of the best starts to any week is coming on YT and seeing a new This Guy guitar review
Thanks :)
This model is outstanding! After my first b-stock Harley Benton proved to be an incredible value, I wanted to try another model. The one I really wanted bad has been out of stock for months and still several months out. So, I went for the SC 550 II black cherry. Another b-stock. It is stunning. There was a little bit of fret sprout, which is so easy to fix, but no other problems. The Tesla pickups were a good surprise. The sustain and harmonics are wonderful, but I got it with plans to black out the hardware & put in a set of Russian pickups I wanted to try out. For the price, these are perfect guitars to get if you're a fan of modifying guitars. They're made well, they're gorgeous, and they don't cost a stupid amount of money.
I didnt see an option for a b stock in the BCF color could you provide a link to it?
Dude, the sustain? Omg....yes, please! Great review
When a guitar brand does an excellent job it has to be said, I have a few weeks ago that same guitar, in that same finish. I think it's the best purchase I've ever been able to make. Fantastic guitar, impeccable finishes, and really nice sound. I've never got my hands on a Gibson Les Paul, and there's Harley Benton makes me forget about Gibson by 279. It has become one of my 3 favorites, along with a Yamaha Revstar 520 and a PRS Se Santana. But the SC550II costs half the Yamaha and a third the PRS.
Saludos Elmo. Great review, as always
Gracias :)
Just came across this video, always been curious of these HB Les Paul’s… they’ve always LOOKED great to my eyes, sounded pretty good from the few videos I’ve heard… I think that they’re more or less a perfect “Modding Project” guitar.
You’ve got a great looking body, great finish, you can quite easily change the strings, pickups and pots to get a better sound and then upgrade the bridge, tuners and nut later down the line.
As long as the neck is good, from my understanding the generally are but you get the occasional one that isn’t same as any budget friendly guitar, then it’s good to go… definitely going to get one and try to think of something a little unusual to do to it
Thanks for helping me decide on getting the SC 550 II this summer. I forgot to say thanks! The SC 550 video you did, and another where an uploader pitted a Harley Benton Special against an Epiphone Special AND a Gibson Special, and came out saying how good that Harley was, helped that decision. In fact, any review of Harley Benton comes out saying how "cheap guitars" aren't as cheap as they used to be in quality. (I REMEMBER THE 1980'S AND 1990'S).The SC 550 II had just come out when I was looking around. I just truly liked the way they looked over Epiphone. Epiphone stays traditional, as well they should. But Harley Benton just LOOKED really nice.
I'm a Telecaster / Stratocaster fan at heart. Always will be. If I could collect Telecasters exclusively I would. But I'd never owned a Gibson style guitar. Only when I was a kid. I had a cheap SEARS ordered SG. It was cheeaaaaaaap. Harley Benton was a purchase I don't regret. I find I'm using it more and more on recordings. Very versatile. But I confess, one of the first things I played on it was Ace Frehley's solo on "She." I still look at Epiphones, because I do like the more traditional look they keep, and may get one eventually. But I got a Fender Strat that desperately needs repair, so that Epiphone has to wait til I get a guitar I've had almost 30 years the help it needs!
Thanks for your help!
Glad I could be of help :)
Honestly, I’d buy it on looks alone for that price. But I’d stick around to play it, of course. 😉
I just ordered one today after watching this video review. $266.00 US, plus shipping of course, which is to my house $79.00.
Those pickups sounded really nice. I think I’m not going to wait for restock of the one with emg pickups
Dude, you are the boss. Love your budget reviews. Thanks so much for being there.
And thank you :)
I love that you showcased thru a Plexi. Keepin that 70’s tonal purity. Im orderin this week
Cheers!
@@MrPolevaulter got the fusion T instead. Stoked
Haha great neck mod decription " headstock bump " ... aka the 1970's Gibson Norlin era Volute. Nice review Elmo 👍
Cheers!
I have just purchased the SC-550 II in Silver Burst and it is great.
I've had the silver burst one for like 6 months now - love it!
I'm very much considering doing the same
I prefer the colour of the older 550 but the new one is also available in the same finish so you can't go wrong especially with graphtec nut and stainless steel frets!
Yep. Many different colour available :)
I'm sold on this model after watching vids from you and a couple other guys, thanks for the review!
Now just have to wait for them to be back in stock.
Price shown on internet was $275. (US) However, there is the big shipping cost from Germany to be added on. I've heard that's about $80. Stainless steel frets, the slippery nut and the reinforcement of the neck make me think this is an improvement over the original Kalamazoo Gibsons. This guitar shows as currently SOLD OUT so I think people recognize it as having value at that price. Even the kit guitars approach the price of that guitar. Good playing.
Not sure what its now, It used to be around 35 dollars from what i heared from different channels. Its also benifitial if you order 2 more (alone or with friends) since they can be send in that same box at the allowed weight. You can check yourself by just going to the website, go to the checkout and it will figure it out for you.
Cheers :)
Call Thomann or write an email, they will then tell you the exact shipping costs.
I tuned in to see a review about the guitar, but I was so mesmerized at your amazing guitar playing that I forgot all about the guitar. Lol
Thanks!
Brought one of these on the strength of your review and it's as you described amazing for the price. Thank you.
Great to hear!
What's the exact model you got? I see a lot of these but there are PAFs, Gotoh PAFs, etc...
I have the 25Th anniversary Sc ,,it's supposed to be a 450 with stainless steel frets ,,I love this one ,,it's not my Les Paul but close enough so i don't panic when I go play with friends ,thanks Elmo for the video ,we can at least see some comparatives between those Harley Benton Sc series
Significantly better pickups help the guitar from "needing" and upgrade. Graphtec world domination on track ...
Yep :)
That's awesome! it had great sustain too!
Please make a video where you do a detailed introduction too.....your Yngwie Malmsteen T shirt collection
you are the second Sweedish that I saw shredding with soul 👌
Elmo you shredded this video! You have made me decide to go ahead and get that guitar. I recently bought the SC 550 II Desert Burst, love it and I think the Tesla has great sustain, as that one too, I just have to sell a few other guitars first, because my wife said she would break my fingers, but I told her they are going up in price, so I must get it now!
Hope you enjoy!
Hi great video what colour is this guitar? I looked online but couldnt find it. Keep up the great work❤
That’s it, Im getting one. Not this color, more like you older model, that one looks great.
13:20 "How do they keep the prices so low?". I'll tell you why: it's because they buy the guitars damn cheap. Back in 2005, if I bought a container full of Strat copies, they were around US $20 per piece. If you wanted better quality, better wood, pickups and hardware, it could cost anywhere up to $50 per unit. Of course, even China has inflation but also more competition. And then there's Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam and (less Japan nowadays). Everyone makes guitars. Most guitar manufacturers that I worked with back then started off making furniture. I remember visiting the factory that made Harley Benton's in 2005. I still have happy snaps. Harley Benton was one of many "me-too" companies trying to get cheap guitars made with their name on it.
Nice review as always and love your quirky (in a good way!) style. Btw, the bump in the neck is called a volute!
Thanks!
Just got Gotoh leftie...... Quite blown away..... Great stuff🎸❤️
Most Excellent video! I love my Gibson Les Paul Guitars... I've not had any issues with my Gibson LP's.
I bought one, and the pickups and fret finishing were terrible. That said, I put Fluence Classic humbuckers in it, and I paid a luthier $200 to level, crown and polish the frets, and I have to say that my guitar now plays and sounds better than my R9.
That little bump in the headstock is called velute and it is to protect your neck from cracking not by falling. They use it only in mahogany necks because mahogany is softer than maple and it cracks easily
actually they are pretty good for the money there a lot fun not perfect but sound good even with Rosswell pups😎🎸👍
I got the SC500, put in a pair of Tesla Sharks and it's perfect 🤟
Got an SC500 BK love it, but also have a SC550 and its just a little nicer. The SC550II is a nice upgrade.
Cool!
It looks very similar to my jhs vintage V100 ,it has the same turners,neck bump,and same body lay up. I think possibly they might be made in the same factory in Indonesia
The bump on the neck is a velute and I love that low volume cleans it up & volume up adds dirty gain just like a Gibson. I like it. Great review
Cheers!
Volute, not velute
Hi from Spain, I really enjoyed your video.There were so many positive reviews I ordered an SC-550 II PAF but unfortunately mine arrived unplayable, the graphite nut set so high even simple chords were unplayable. Then the selector switch, bridge volume and tone controls failed so I returned it to Thomann for repair.When it arrived back the selector switch was OK but the volume and tone controls for both pick ups did not function, so I returned it again for repair.Today they sent my money back but of course I incurred all the costs for the graphite nut repair and the traveling costs to my city post office etc.Maybe I was just unlucky?Kind regards,John.
Sorry to hear. Maybe you were. That's the thing. To do these reviews properly, you'd have to get like 10 of these, and see how the quality is in general. Also, they should probably be bought at slightly different times, as then they wouldn't be from the same batch. That would be impossble to do though.
I have two PRS SE's and I prefer the older one. I also still like my 1984 Ibanez Roadstar a lot. Weird that.
279€ are $1492.
Really nice flying v.
I've been randomly bouncing round your HB review videos the last week and today land on this one - I kept thinking your guitar playing reminds me of Yngwie and now your t shirt makes sense :D
😀
Got the sc550 I in thprocess of fitting some iron Gear .blues engine pickups
Let’s go you’re my music teacher 🎼
I mostly watch for the crazy insane playing... But those pickups sounded good!
Cheers!
Excellent review! Thanks for posting. 👍
Hi from Spain again, well in fairness to Thomann they are sending me a replacement SC-550 II PAF and not a "B" stock at the original price I paid. I just hope it is as good as your guitar, then I have to learn to play it as well as you! Kind regards, John.
Cool! Hope it's good :)
Excellent job my friend 👌🏾👌🏾👌🏾
Thank you 👍
...where you turned to catch the feedback, made the whole video worth it. Thank you. Subbed. 😎
Thanks :)
You should review the SC550+EMG. It's an unbelievable guitar.
The teslas sound like the old pre roswell Wilkinson. That little bit of raw top end again. Roswell are OK, but a bit tame and non descript. These are more rocky.
Yep.
I want one. And Elmo, like your playing.
Thanks :)
Wow now that’s a great guitar, regardless of the price! 👍
nice demo, sir
Cheers!
Well done - i am straight ahead with you - great guitar - there will be my review beginning with the unboxing tomorrow (Premiere 5:30pm - German time) and a week later the test at the amp at my litle channel in german language. - Cheers great stuff on your channel!
Brilliant revue, bro👍♨️👌 I got to get that thing‼️. And yes, SS- frets DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Your sound is brilliant. What else do you use for overdrive than the Strymon?
Thanks! Just the Strymon usually. I also have a Nobels ODR-1 for a slight bit of dirt.
New model also has solid maple flame top not vaneer
0:02 uhmm....thats not a... ok.
Idk if its the st steel frets or the new pickups but this sounds more like a superstrat than a LP to me. Very nice improvements in the specs tho.
This the the MK2 version that i got but in desert burst. It had a high fret but because it was so good in every other respect I decided to keep it anyway and took it to a luthier. Luthier couldn't understand why fret was high as it was seated correctly, he said maybe they somehow used to wrong size wire for that fret. Who knows. Anyway sorted now and it's great for the money.
Most likely a defective fret that was replaced and never re-dressed.
It's a shame they don't offer it with modern tuner's. I know you can change them but it would be nice if they offered the choice.
Yes the pickups should be nice(r) .. Tesla and Artech are the same i understand.
I think you should test the Kramer Barrett's special :)
Maybe. Been thinking about it.
I was never into the music Kramer guitars in the eighties represented.. Van Halen, Europe, Steel Panther etc. But i ordered one and i love it. Few guitars i have growl as gloriously.
Great review, great playing,
Cheers!
The SC-550 1 is supposed to have a bone nut. I bought the older model and was not impressed whatsoever with the pickups. Dark, muddy and whatever adjective one wishes to apply.
Stainless Steel frets offer more advantage than the simple fact that they're resistant to rust and oxidization. Stainless is a chrome rich alloy that provides a higher tensile than Nickel. So , while they do offer some improvement over Nickel they're not as forgiving. Stainless sounds brighter than Nickel to my ears.
How do they build these so well for the money! Amazing :) And my God, your playing starting at 9:15 or so.......whoa! Amazing! and at 11:40 or so......damn, it's all GREAT!
Thanks man :)
@@MrPolevaulter You bet! Cheers my friend!
10:54 I thought i heard a short snippet of Tarot woman from Rainbow there, nice !
Might have been :)
I saw it on their website, it looks good, so I came here for a review and found yours and as always a good honest review and as soon as they have one in stock I will get one. I was hoping you would have a review of it.
Sounds pretty good
Hey Elmo how many guitars do you have? Can you do a video on your guitar collection? Take care. Mike.
I already have (although I've added a couple since). One is on my Strats, and the other is on my not-Strats.
Great guitar.Cheers🎸🙏
Hello from France Elmo ! Finally, wich SC-550 did you kept, the old or the new with Tesla PU ? Thanks so much for your videos !!
Bonjour! The old one. I did change the pickups on it though.
@@MrPolevaulter What model of PU did you put on it ?
@ericfidone7937 Vintage style humbucker.
How's the fret ends and the like? Sounds really nice, excellent playing :)
I was wondering about the combo version, with amp and all the goodies in silver burst, I'm going after Adam Jones and My Sleeping Karma sound.
Sounds very good.
String changes will not affect fret life. Stainless steel frets will outlast regular frets by miles.
watching the chanell for some time. was wandering from all the single cut guitars there is there is none good videos of HAGSTROM SWEDE OR SUPER SWEED..would be nice if you could compare it to prs or ephifone...thanks
Maybe at some point. There are so many guitars out there.
Hi Elmo, great review as usual.
I was just wondering if you would recommend one of these over the Vintage v100 reissue?🤔
Regards
Ronnie.
Excellent review, as always! Just remember: always switch your strings… 😂
You have to review the fusion III HH series with Wilkinson trem bridge!
So much gear, so little time.
@@MrPolevaulter 2 point Wilkinson Trem with decent sized block, staggered locking Tuners, Tusqnut, fullsized pots, steel frets, Sapele (mahogany type) body... And all of that for 277 EUR. I have a couple Fenders and a Gibson Les Paul, believe me, apart from the humbuckers, this guitar is amazing. Give it a look Fusion-III HH EB BK. By the way, amazing channel, keep up the awesome videos coming!
Elmos so good I went and watched the first one also for comparison and I liked that also. .
May I ask roughly how many euros that plexi cost, what year you got it?God bless you.
Thanks! I can't remember what I payed for it. It's still available now. It's the 1987x.
Thanks for the video...!
CHEERS.
No worries!
Good video sounds great audio sounds great guitar 🎸 great show
Like in 8/10 budget guitars you buy you’ll find the pickups and electronics to be the major weak spots. The HB sounds ok but not great, sounds a little bit to compressed and sharp for my taste. Often times i find that replacing the small chinese pots with large CTS ones really brings budget guitars to life.
Cheers
Sounds great
I came to watch you play guitar. Harley Benton was the excuse and so were your past videos.
Thanks!
Can you get Jimmy Page tone? Les Paul's own tone? How about Lynyrd Skynyrd or Duane Allman southern rock tone? Slash? Can you make it sound like Angus Young's SG?🤩
Probably.
Dear Elmo
I am following your channel for quite a while now (big fan of course 😊) and I want to ask you if you can tell me/us which replacement pickups you choosed.
You explained you changed pickups on some of the cheaper guitars you have been testing, the HB 550 for example, among others.
Thank you
Thanks, and sorry for taking a while to get back to you. I had my luthier friend put in some vintage style low output humbuckers that he made in the HB550.
Great review...subcribed because of this..👍👍
Thanks!
Sounds good? But what would it sound like through a Koad? Now that would be exciting!!! :P
:D
Should I buy this or the new Harley Benton SC-DLX Gotoh
Dunno. Try both and then decide.
Hello elmo my asian friend, please test the vintage v6 thomas blug strat. Thank you.
Hey! , sorry for my bad english but i need your opinion of this, please!. In my country (Chile, South America), the Harley Benton-SC 550 II cost $400.000 pesos, like Є430 euros, and the Epiphone Les Paul Studio cost $430.000 pesos, like Є462 euros. Which guitar is better?. This will be my first electric guitar, i play spanish guitar (Hohner Hc06) and electroacoustic guitar (Walden D350CE) like student for years. Thank you very much!! Cheers from Chile, great channel and reviews!
Thanks! Sorry, I can't give you a definite answer. All guitars are individuals. Out of the ones I've tried, I've liked the Harley Bentons a bit more, but there's not been a huge difference.