The HB JA wormhole led me here. Immediately fell in love, Liked, Subscribed, and rang the notification bell. Haha! Great demo. Awesome content, & best of luck with your channel! Cheers! 😍🥰😜🤪🤭🙃
I just got one of the newest batch and it’s absolutely flawless. Sure it isn’t €1500 guitar flawless, but there are no obvious faults and everything is functioning correctly. I heard some people about fret sprout or something about the edge of the fretboard not being smooth, but mine is the smoothest fret edge I’ve ever played. Looks like binding, but they just filled the fret ends and lacquered it. It’s so nice.
Cool video, I like the way you present the comparison. Thomann QC is so random. Right now I have 4 HB guitars and one bass, sold another 4 with modified parts and returned another 4 due to major issues. Latter because of improperly shaped nut slot, neck too straight etc. - I don't care about issues with finish (repainted 3 of them) or pickups (replaced in every single one). About the JA baritone - mine came in around 2 weeks ago. Converted it to some sort of a frankenstein guitar (used parts from previously owned axes). I've had only one baritone back in the day (PRS SE277) and I had stock equipped PRS 85/15 S humbuckers lying around. Swapped these onto Benton (not the top shelf quality coils, but hey, at least...), changed string retainers (Kluson), nuts and washers (Schaller), tuning machines along with hex buttons (Hipshot) and bridge (also Hipshot). Mounted 13-72 Ernie Ball Slinky. I plan to repaint the baritone, since my friend owns a guitar workshop (thinking of Aquamarine Flake). It sounds FABULOUS now. During the last three years, I only bought HB guitars and modded them. It's not like I am their fanboy, I just like the idea of buying a really cheap basis for experimenting and learning purposes. I wouldn't do that with my Fender, Solar or Schechter. That would decrease their value and I'd probably be afraid of messing something up. I'll watch your channel most definitely from now on. Keep on rocking!
Yea, it’s a good motivation to buy these guitars, experimenting and learning to pimp it a bit! Nice to hear you’ve done that a lot. It depends on what part needs replacement/improvements if I feel like modding it myself or just send it back/sell it again. With this one I felt it was better to take another guess at the JA baritone and order a new one, hoping for issues I can fix easier.
Hmm... This one might be a bit too cheap for my taste, even as a backup or just give a baritone a try. I guess with these instruments, you really have to check a bunch of them and pick the best one, and be prepared to invest a bit more and likely replace the pickups, too. Thanks for the demo!
Yeah I’d be considering sending it back, the bridge being off is bad enough but the string through is appalling. You seem to have got a bad one out of the reviews I’ve seem. Gorgeous sounds though, any new Witte Wieven coming soon?
Hey Gary, yea, I am indeed considering sending it back. I still have another back-up, so I’ll be fine for a while. The first Witte Wieven album is finally coming! But I think it takes half a year, because of the vinyl production taking very long..
@@carmenra-music Damn production issues, I'm sure it'll be worth the wait! and hopefully you get the Baritone issue sorted, I was looking at the HB one myself when I came across your video about it.
I think the HB, on the clean space, was a bit nicer. It was just mellower. The Squier in the end was the "better" sounding guitar, but even then, I think every guitar (as long as it's playable) can be used for different things.
Hi Witte, the tone is good though isn't it? I think the treble end is a bit nicer than the Squier. I was beginning to believe that HB had weeded out their poor quality issues but obviously not and especially on the lower priced models. I think it's diabolical and would send it back.
As far as I hope quality control will improve with the next batch, I am not optimistic. This guitar was sold out in a blink of an eye, the factory will probably have to make more of these in even less time.
@@clementverrier9399 Im hopeful that qc is going to be fixed, hb are pretty good with their qc and the first run was probaply made as a test to see if the guitars will sell. Note also that the body isnt a jazzmaster shape but a fender bass vi, which makes think these were made at the same factory as the hb bass vi, but with different construction, so its understandable if the qc isnt the best out the gate
We’ll see then. I just think it’s a questionable strategy to launch a product with obvious qc flaws and hope that there will be enough demand that you can set up a proper qc for following batchs. It doesn’t really seem very respectful for their customers.
Just got mine and exact same issue. Did you manage to sort yours out? It's bugging me so much. Very high action on it right now so it's not touching any frets but it does it from open all the way up to the 18th fret.
It is a shame that the only baritone that Squier has available at the moment is the ugly telecaster, so that HB is certainly a better pick if you need a 30" scale guitar (however that one isn't in stock everywhere with a 11-14 week estimated date in Thomann)
I got the Telecaster baritone too, intonation doesn’t get that good because of the shorter neck. It does have it’s own nice sound I think. I still prefer the Squier Jazzmaster Antigue :)
For more Squier Baritone action check out Witte Wieven on national tv:
ua-cam.com/video/uD2a1yHXfpA/v-deo.html
The HB JA wormhole led me here. Immediately fell in love, Liked, Subscribed, and rang the notification bell. Haha!
Great demo. Awesome content, & best of luck with your channel!
Cheers!
😍🥰😜🤪🤭🙃
Update: I sold this HB baritone and bought the same one, this time with a straight bridge and evenly drilled stringholes! So yay
Nice touch on actually playing standing up! Can't wait to get mine from Thomann
Heavy tones are pretty equal but I think the squier jazz masters clean tone sounds better. Nice video!
Yea, still nothing that beats that clean sound for me. Love the low rumble and you can hit it hard so it gets a little edge in it’s sound.
I just got one of the newest batch and it’s absolutely flawless. Sure it isn’t €1500 guitar flawless, but there are no obvious faults and everything is functioning correctly. I heard some people about fret sprout or something about the edge of the fretboard not being smooth, but mine is the smoothest fret edge I’ve ever played. Looks like binding, but they just filled the fret ends and lacquered it. It’s so nice.
My Squire gets here in a few days. I was this close to grabbing the HB but I snagged a Squire off Reverb
Cool video, I like the way you present the comparison. Thomann QC is so random. Right now I have 4 HB guitars and one bass, sold another 4 with modified parts and returned another 4 due to major issues. Latter because of improperly shaped nut slot, neck too straight etc. - I don't care about issues with finish (repainted 3 of them) or pickups (replaced in every single one).
About the JA baritone - mine came in around 2 weeks ago. Converted it to some sort of a frankenstein guitar (used parts from previously owned axes).
I've had only one baritone back in the day (PRS SE277) and I had stock equipped PRS 85/15 S humbuckers lying around. Swapped these onto Benton (not the top shelf quality coils, but hey, at least...), changed string retainers (Kluson), nuts and washers (Schaller), tuning machines along with hex buttons (Hipshot) and bridge (also Hipshot).
Mounted 13-72 Ernie Ball Slinky. I plan to repaint the baritone, since my friend owns a guitar workshop (thinking of Aquamarine Flake). It sounds FABULOUS now.
During the last three years, I only bought HB guitars and modded them. It's not like I am their fanboy, I just like the idea of buying a really cheap basis for experimenting and learning purposes. I wouldn't do that with my Fender, Solar or Schechter. That would decrease their value and I'd probably be afraid of messing something up.
I'll watch your channel most definitely from now on. Keep on rocking!
Yea, it’s a good motivation to buy these guitars, experimenting and learning to pimp it a bit! Nice to hear you’ve done that a lot. It depends on what part needs replacement/improvements if I feel like modding it myself or just send it back/sell it again. With this one I felt it was better to take another guess at the JA baritone and order a new one, hoping for issues I can fix easier.
Hmm... This one might be a bit too cheap for my taste, even as a backup or just give a baritone a try. I guess with these instruments, you really have to check a bunch of them and pick the best one, and be prepared to invest a bit more and likely replace the pickups, too. Thanks for the demo!
Yeah I’d be considering sending it back, the bridge being off is bad enough but the string through is appalling. You seem to have got a bad one out of the reviews I’ve seem. Gorgeous sounds though, any new Witte Wieven coming soon?
Hey Gary, yea, I am indeed considering sending it back. I still have another back-up, so I’ll be fine for a while.
The first Witte Wieven album is finally coming! But I think it takes half a year, because of the vinyl production taking very long..
@@carmenra-music Damn production issues, I'm sure it'll be worth the wait! and hopefully you get the Baritone issue sorted, I was looking at the HB one myself when I came across your video about it.
I think the HB, on the clean space, was a bit nicer. It was just mellower. The Squier in the end was the "better" sounding guitar, but even then, I think every guitar (as long as it's playable) can be used for different things.
Could you see any label or anything that gives a clue about the country of origin of the harley benton...?
Hi Witte, the tone is good though isn't it? I think the treble end is a bit nicer than the Squier. I was beginning to believe that HB had weeded out their poor quality issues but obviously not and especially on the lower priced models. I think it's diabolical and would send it back.
The tone is good! But I did pass the guitar on to someone else. I couldn’t unsee the flaws. Did not spark enough joy for me.
Ever considered the eastwood sidejack bari with p90?
Good one to check out, thanks!
Nice comparison! Love the heavy tone! What tuning you use?
Thanks! Tuning in this video is A D G c f a
The qc issues are a shame, im pretty sure theyre going to get better in the next patch. I probaply want to (and have to rn) wait before getting one
Yea, I might re-order one when they’re back in stock.
As far as I hope quality control will improve with the next batch, I am not optimistic.
This guitar was sold out in a blink of an eye, the factory will probably have to make more of these in even less time.
@@clementverrier9399 Im hopeful that qc is going to be fixed, hb are pretty good with their qc and the first run was probaply made as a test to see if the guitars will sell.
Note also that the body isnt a jazzmaster shape but a fender bass vi, which makes think these were made at the same factory as the hb bass vi, but with different construction, so its understandable if the qc isnt the best out the gate
We’ll see then.
I just think it’s a questionable strategy to launch a product with obvious qc flaws and hope that there will be enough demand that you can set up a proper qc for following batchs.
It doesn’t really seem very respectful for their customers.
Cute
Were you able to fix the buzz on the b string? Mine has the same issue.
Just got mine and exact same issue. Did you manage to sort yours out? It's bugging me so much. Very high action on it right now so it's not touching any frets but it does it from open all the way up to the 18th fret.
It is a shame that the only baritone that Squier has available at the moment is the ugly telecaster, so that HB is certainly a better pick if you need a 30" scale guitar (however that one isn't in stock everywhere with a 11-14 week estimated date in Thomann)
I got the Telecaster baritone too, intonation doesn’t get that good because of the shorter neck. It does have it’s own nice sound I think. I still prefer the Squier Jazzmaster Antigue :)
yep. You get what you pay for. Some of those flaws you point is just sloppy work and no quality control.
when you started demoing the Harley benton i thought it sounded good until you began playing the jazzmaster, that thing sounds insanely FILTHY
Ex. Andrew Baena
?
Learn how to play
Hahahaha no.