Q&A - "Harley Bentons are garbage why do you buy them?"
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- Опубліковано 13 лип 2024
- Today I answer a question I find myself being asked a fairly regularly from people on the internet, why do I bother with Harley Benton guitars? In an effort to answer it once and for all I made this video. I hope you all have a wonderful Halloween!
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0:00 Intro
0:52 Reason #1
2:01 Reason #2
4:05 Reason #3
5:14 Understanding peoples frustration with paid product reviews
7:39 Outro
Finding an inexpensive guitar that looks and sounds great is like unearthing a little treasure. It’s like wine….. anyone can buy a good bottle of wine for a lot of money; the delicious bottle of inexpensive wine is the real find.
I'm all about those kind of guitars, doesn't matter what brand or country they are made in... if they are good they are good and if they are inexpensive on top of that then you have a winner.
The pleasure is in the pursuit and not the capture
Corbin is a brand that is just that. I had a LP copy and it was an immaculate guitar. I can barely find anything on them online
Amen.
Wine is also perfekt for placebo effects
You really can't go wrong with HB's.
I've had about ten now...and loved every single one.
Harley Benton are killer guitars! Great mod platforms too. I sold my $1300 ibanez AZ cuz I liked my Harley benton fusion ssp more. Same specs but it was only $400
See that's a guitar I want to try at some point. I simply couldn't justify spending that on an Ibanez that would never be my main guitar since I mostly play Fender offsets so for a guitar at this price to be this good and cover that desire for me is a gigantic win.
@@AudiomoMusic Exactly, i wouldnt invest heavily in certain instruments (7 string, 335, goldtop, superstrat...) but cool to have budget options. Vintage strats, the new HB dlx, larry carlton goldtop all look interesting.
The HB SC1000 in my videos replaced two ESP (not ltd) eclipses and a les paul studio. Crazy. But granted, i went through a bunch of so-so HB:s, that's time and energy.
gonna sell my $1500 RG6 for the exact same reason. After I did some fret levelling and polishing, changed the tuners etc., it simply plays better than the Ibanez
IMO anyone who calls a HB guitar garbage has not got one!
Correct
it's really interesting to see how much hate "purists" have for this brand.
@@AudiomoMusic Yes I agree one UA-camr who is obsessed with Gibson and his vast collection realy slated them and told lies to his viewers claiming they all had photo tops and he produced a bridge that was very rusty and looked like it had been outside for a number of years and claimed it was came on his Harley Benton despite HB never using that brand of bridge, the video went viral because of the lies and he ended up stopping comments, I forget his name but it was Tony Mc something
I had a couple of garbage ones and a few good ones. More garbage ones than good ones tbh.
I own 4 Harley Bentons a 12 string acoustic, 12 string electric, A Fusion lll T version (amazing) and a P Bass.
I'm on my third HB and they have been impeccable. I have/had many $3000+ guitars. So, I know what a "good" guitar is. These are beyond good. Regarding playability they go toe-to-toe with my custom guitars at any price. I only buy Harley Benton's best models, so I can't speak on the cheapest ones. I have a TE-90q, Daphne Gotoh DLX single cut and an Aeolus. I use these in studio rehearsals with my blues band now and I fully intend to gig with them. The Tesla pickups sound superb and the fretwork is amazing. I'm able to lower the action on all of them very low without any buzzing. I'm okay if ignorant people think they're junk, that'll just keep the price down, so that means more for me!
I really love the Teslas compared to the Roswells. They have done a great job improving every little aspect of these guitars without letting them rise a bit too much price wise, ESPECIALLY right now when things are rocketing in price.
I've been buying Harley Benton guitars for years. Almost without exception, I have to dress the fretboard, smooth the frets, change the nut, set the intonation and action, adjust the truss rod.
Opinion: I've still got alot of guitar for the money. Thing is, if you play guitar, you have to understand the engineering of the guitar. Unless you're a wealthy musician, with your own techie, you really need to understand your instrument.
I think that's part of the appeal to me, I have almost the exact same routine but it's second nature to me after just playing guitars and working on them for so long in general. I don't mind the small stuff, and if you aren't paying someone to do all of it for you it's well worth the time and effort! More people should be learning skills and taking advantage
@@AudiomoMusic Unfortunately, 1st guitar generally = cheap guitar. I wonder how many would be players have surrendered within days after well-meaning parents have bought them cheap acoustics (of all things...) with an action so high it looks like a violin? "See how you get on with that, and if you take to it, we'll get you a decent one for Christmas..." and when Christmas comes, they ask for an X Box, lost in the misconception playing guitar is a nightmare.
A first guitar should be a decent guitar with particular attention paid to action. You can look to getting cheaper guitars when you start to understand the intrument.
Agreed with the cheap ones the frets are not pushed home properly. Quite often just the back of a screwdriver or my rubber padded G clamp sorts it. Never had a problem with the stainless ones, thank goodness.
I've been through 13 Harley Bentons now and once you're in the stainless steel fretted guitars and basses (€280-€350) you literally don't have to do a single thing to them. At least with the ones I got. I particularily love my MP-5, it's completely flawless. But yes, if you're looking for a gigging instrument below €280 from Harley Benton, expect to do some minor work/ changes.
Truth
Amen, brother!!
You hit the nail on the head when you said about options. I only play at home so have no justification for spending a fortune on tons of Fenders but HB allow me to get different styles and tonal options that otherwise I couldn't afford.
In the last three years, there have been an EXPLOSION of good and cheap guitars. This makes it so easy for younger players to afford to get a well-made guitar guitar and then do $200 upgrades in their years to come.
I acquired a Fusion III S with EMG Hot 70s, roasted maple neck, etc., and for the price? It's insane. Build quality is excellent, the neck is epic, and it plays like a dream and stays in tune like a champ. I have owned guitars that cost 5x more that were not as playable. And, I hang out with players who own sick guitars and who are great players and they have nothing but good things to say about it. For the price, I felt like I under-paid.
I really appreciate how straight forward and honest you are! Instant sub💪
I appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment, something like 95% of people that watch videos don't do that. Thanks for that and the sub my friend!
@@AudiomoMusic had to come back to this today. People will eventually! Building a channel is a lot of work, but I’ll stick around here, cause this channel will keep growing. I believe in you, and I really enjoy the content! Keep up the good work💪
Love what you're doing, and how you're doing it, man.... very happy to subscribe!
Thank you so much for the kind words! I'm just being myself and sometimes people don't really like it but hey, I'm not planning on sending an application to a big company anytime soon so I'm allowed to say what I really think 😁
Love your reviews. Honest and to the point! You have a new fan and subscriber in me from Indonesia! Cheers and keep the great content coming my man!
Thank you so much, in a world where everyone seems to be full of crap I try not to be. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's not, but I try to be consistent and appreciate that you enjoy it
I bought a Harley Benton HB-35 Plus, and it's one of my favourite guitars that I've ever bought. Fit and finish was nearly perfect. Quality of the guitar was really nice! Very enjoyable to play, looks gorgeous. Insanely affordable. The only thing I had to do was polish the scratchy frets. I plan on buying another Harley Benton soon.
I had the same problem with the HB35+, but a little bit of Gorgomyte fixed that right up. I swear that's the greatest thing I use when working on guitars, it really is magic.
Yeah... Bought one of these last year in the Yellow/Amber... Great playing guitar out of the box.
Changed the strings to my preferred gauge, polished the frets cos they were scratchy and I pick it up regularly, sounds and plays terrific.
Liked it so much, I then went out and bought a Harley Benton SC-550 II FTF - stainless steel frets - plays like butter, it feels and plays so good that I might be tempted to put TV jones pups into this one.
When a guitar feels really good and you're playing with a smile on your face... Who gives a shit about the name on the headstock?
First time watching your videos- this one appeared in my recommended. Thoroughly enjoyed! I’ll watch again!
Thank you Stevie for taking the chance and clicking it, and being nice enough to leave a comment on top of that. Appreciate it and hope to be able to entertain you more in the future.
Great discourse and Happy New Year! I own 5 Harley Bentons a 12 string acoustic, 12 string electric, A Fusion lll T version (amazing) and a P Bass and just new the HB ST-62 CC in Lake Placid Blue.
The T version of the fusion iii is soooo good looking! Which finish did you go with?!
I just bought a Harley Benton CST-24T Paradise Flame tonight, I had it run thru the PLEK machine and I feel it will be gr8. I'm a 70 year old beginner and I don't want to pay the big bucks. I like your videos! Keep up the gr8 work!
The plek machine works magic on ANY guitar! A comfortable easy to play guitar will make the learning all the easier - one less thing to think about when taking things on from the start. The best part of guitar is it's something you can start at anypoint and continue to learn for the rest of your life - I wish you well on your journey!
Absolutely - well said! It's amazing to have guitars of all styles and types at different price points. It helps us players work out, through time and experience, what we want or like comparatively cheaper than if only the big few existed. It also allows us to discuss our experiences to work out if there are solutions/explanations for things or if something just 'isn't for us' or actually a piece of junk/has a design flaw that is more or less important to us. This makes it more fun, allows us to have more options for different styles and inspirations and that can only be a good thing and more fun right?
Plus I love that feeling, regardless of price point, when a guitar takes you by surprise. The case in point (and I know I bang on about this but, personal experience!) my Firebird. I just tried it on a whim cause it looked cool on the shop wall. Had never had a desire to play one before really. Then boom - it just, fit. I was writing on it, comfortable on it, beaming smile and the quality of it and stability of it blew my custom shop out of the water if I'm honest. So much so that I bought the one from the wall and wouldn't let them get another from the warehouse as it was newly out and in perfect condition anyway and i'd bonded with that example of that instrument and no only too well another one might have been different!
I know so many players who can have HB, single coil and P90 options and live their strat/tele/LP shape guitar dreams at once because of companies like Harley Benton and thats an amazing thing to see (and my mates HB Tele plays beautifully too and is impeccably made!)
glad you're voicing this on UA-cam as its an important message to share and surely we should all be passionate about guitars and allowing everyone to enjoy their gear regardless of budget! :)
You always leave such well thought out comments Ian, I really appreciate your perspective. Maybe one of these days you'd like to get on the Audiomo Podcast? I think it'd be fun.
@@AudiomoMusic thank you so much! I really enjoy the honest and open debate on here for sure and hearing your perspective! I’d absolutely love to join the podcast - would be great fun! 😊
I was searching the sc550ii thinking of buying looked at many many reviews..came across your channel and review...i bought the guitar on your review..you seemed honest and answered my questions..so I also subscribed...no regrets whatsoever I love the guitar and it was exactly as you described
I'm glad you love it Matt, and that is one hell of a guitar. I really mean it. Thanks for the comment.
I completely agree!!!!…. Keep on trucking man!!!!
Great Halloween video Jim! Scared the hell out of me! But you know, I watched it twice and still didn't see that elephant you were talking about. I always enjoy your videos, keep up the good work.
Thanks Michael, I was scared as hell to upload it because of the comments section
Good honest video 👍 Been wanting to try a HB bass for a while
I also want to try one of their basses, i might pick one up next order!
@@AudiomoMusic Let us what you think when you get one!
I appreciated Jim's candor and explanation on this topic.
Jim appreciates it, and by Jim I mean me. Thanks for that!
Nice video. I have a Harley Benton Fusion II. Bought it B stock for $234 plus shipping. Replaced the electronics, so I have less than $600 into it. I’d put it up against most guitars at $1000. At least that’s how I feel about it. Love that guitar. My opinion only matters to me. Thanks, man.
Your last feeling is what I feel everyone should live by, don't worry about anyone else and play/do what makes you happy. I'm happy you enjoy your fusion, they are remarkable value and don't even need that much put into them to make them into serious players both live and in the studio.
Great video! I j could not agree with you more, I was hesitant to drop a lot of money on different style guitars. Fortunately, I found and bought two Harley Benton Guitars, HB Tele 52 Vintage Series and an HB Aeolus. To me they sound and look great, at least to me they do not have any imperfections. Other that the tuners that I will probably upgrade in the Tele but nothing else so far, the Aeolus is perfect as is for me. Thanks for your review, i hope to see more of your reviews possibly on maybe the Aeolus and Tele HB models. #subscribed.
Thanks for the kind words man. I really want to try the Aeolus vs my Gibson ES-339... they are a very similar size and I'm interested to see just how big of a difference there is. I might pull the trigger on one of those after the holidays are over.
Love your spirit and candor so I'm happy to join your list of subscribers. I am one who thinks both Harley Benton and Squire are good value brands. While I think HB's build quality is a little better I haven't been totally thrilled with pick up quality. That includes the pick ups on an SC 550 which is supposedly an upscale model. My favorite guitar to date is a used Chinese CV Tele that bought for $250. I'm with you on considering used.
Thank you Len, I appreciate that and I have to agree with you on the CVs specifically the teles and strats. I haven't had the best luck with some other squier guitars and even some extreme nightmare scenarios with 2, but the CVs are absolutely great guitars.
I just added a Te 62 B stock to my collection and it is both the least expensive and favorite Harley Benton guitar I own. Amazing something I paid just over a hundred bucks for is going to be one of my most reached for guitars. The shipping cost me almost as much as the guitar. Crazy!
Good on you man, people should chill and just deal with themselves. I have a really nice strat and the place I bought it from would only give me $375 for after it was hardly used. I am waiting for my HB to get here and can't wait.
Never thought I'd want a HB, but I am REALLY gassing over the one you're holding in this video!
At least it's not going to put you into debt if you decide to buy one!
Should i by this harley benton or the Hagstrom F200P. ?? Can get the hagström with hardcase for 300€.
Excellent points, well made. I'm on a tiny budget and I love discovering these low price guitars. My next purchase will be a Harley Benton this week (I'm in the UK so returns are less of an issue)
Which one are you thinking about buying Jonathan?
@@AudiomoMusic Hiya it's the DC60 Junior in Pelham Blue. I have always loved the shape of the SG and this looks awesome despite the slightly different body shape. Plus I want a P90 pick up in my life! I have never really tried one and i want to add to my Strat single coils and jazz box Humbuckers. Planning on using your affiliate link too.
Your final point hits home. I’ve had a few Harley Benton’s and I really liked them too. I get a lot of flack for reviewing Chibsons and saying “yeah I really like this” my favorite guitar right now is a Chibson. And people hate that. Then I also got a PRS and initially I liked it then I recorded with it and the pickups were so muddy sounding in the SE model it was unusable for that purpose. And people hated me for saying that. I am always honest in my reviews as well because I don’t get free stuff or stuff to try out either. I bought all this and I want people to know if it is a good investment for them. But there are brand fans out there who think there is only one brand people should buy and that is immature.
you're right my friend, it genuinely doesn't matter. If you like what you like, that's all that matters because when the computer and social media gets turned off and you're ready to play the guitar... it's only you and the guitar!
Thanks, very well explained
No, thank you for watching and leaving a comment John, I appreciate it
My only concern and take this as an question please, how does the fretboard of HB stands against those of all Squire/Epiphones? I had serious difficulties to set the action low without experimenting random places's fretbuzz.
I haven't had any issues, as a matter of fact the last two epiphones were severely worse. The squires do a pretty decent job in that aspect.
Couldn't agree more, on all points - the 'expensive' hb guitars have been really great so far in my limited experience. The finish on my fusion iii is not quite perfect on close inspection but it plays great after a few setup tweaks and is WAY better than the same price would get you from other brands (if anything).
I tried the real Charvel version in a store very recently after filming this... there is no chance in hell I could justify paying double for it.
I make partscasters strat and tele style..my usual cost is under $200 per guitar..usually around $160. I do things like ad copper foil covered cavities, round off fretboard ends, custom stain and finish, dress frets..then i use mostly wilkinson or fender hardware, cts or bournes pots, cloth wire,true bone nuts..for pickups i look for great deals on nice pups..one strat had Fender player series pups with a blend pot..the musician who bought it paid less than $400 for it..and he told me it sounded as good as his $800 strat...meanwhile it cost me $180 to make. Some people into name brands can't get over their snobiness and never will. Keep on liking what you like and making your vids, you are doing great
Thanks and you got it., if you do something yourself from scratch and know what you are doing you can easily exceed both your own and other peoples expectations with a build. It's really fun to do this and a rewarding experience. I've built a few partscasters and still have 2 lying around, when they work they work and it's something to be proud of - not everyone has the skill to do something like that as simple as it may seem
For 25 years I've only really shopped in the $400-800 range of guitars and basses. When Harley Benton came along I cut that budget in half and in some cases half of half, to get similar guitars that were better. The only instrument I've bought that was comparable to a modern Harley Benton was a Washburn Taurus bass (T24) and Harley Benton also dunks on that with their "most expensive" (read: €350) basses. Ibanez and Schecter used to be the cheapest way to get stainless steel frets on basses. Those were €1100 *minimum*. The Harley Benton MP-5 is €350.
LOL I just got a Grote Tele style and although it needs some hardware it is a great guitar. I have an Epiphone LP and a Dean Mustaine V (united abominations)as well as some other's and My Grote is one of my favs. But we get different experiences sometimes as you pointed out. I definitely agree about what you said about people having "skin in the game". I'm new to guitar ( have been a singer all my life) and have been studying all of this very closely. I agree with you 98% Rock on bud. You're cool.
The grote stuff always gets a chuckle out of me, it's about a 50/50 split from people in my comments saying they had the same experience I did or the other half saying what you are about getting a gem. You're extremely lucky to get one of the good ones, because at that price it's unbeatable really for a budget guitar.
Thanks Wolf, I really appreciate the comment man keep rocking
You get good and bad samples of any brand regardless of price.
I rejected the first sample of my Fender Custom Shop Bonnie Raitt Strat.
Regarding Harley Bentons, it's true that the entry level models are made down
to a price, and you stand a good chance of getting a bad one.
It took me 3 samples of a CST24 before i got an acceptable one.
The next time i went further up the range and bought a Fusion mk2 in Bengal flame,
other than a fret polish and tweaking the setup it was perfect.
The latest upgraded models are far better than the early samples.
Harley Benton's are no different to other well known brands regarding quality
issues, at least if you live in the EU or UK returning a bad sample is not that
difficult.
Well said, and your last point is a key point I should have made. The longer a guitar maker makes guitars, 99% of the time they naturally get better at doing it. Plus now that these are being made in the Indonesian factory where MANY big brands also make their guitars I think it helps a lot.
@@AudiomoMusic I think that the change of factories made a big difference to new models.
I just wish that Thomann would provide the country of origin in the specs, they do on a few, but not all of them.
The big brands are now getting far to expensive, some lesser brands are also going up in price.
@@Barbarapape Even better if all brands of guitars was transparent and told us not only what country but also what factory made the guitar. Take China for example. It is a huge country with a lot of factorys making guitars and parts for guitars. I suppose some of these factorys are specilized in making cheap guitars and some of them in making more exclusive guitars. I agree with you about Harley Benton guitars that are made in Indonesia seems to be very good made guitars, at least in the factory they have been using so far.
@@MatteMike2345 Indoenesian factories seem to have better quality control than the Chinese ones and use better parts.
I think Chinese factories are capable of making good guitars, they will make whatever quality is asked for.
What lets the entry level Chinese models down is the poor if any quality control and the cheap parts they use.
I have a Chinese EART E-3S guitar which is excellent, but i have seen some bad samples of their entry level models.
@@Barbarapape Harley Benton is making some of their modela at 2 or 3 countries (Cst-24 for example), so you could receive a chinese one, a Vietnamite one or an indonesian made guitar. I own onecof each and there's no difference in therms of quality...(almost in my case.....)
I got a Harley Benton ST-62 for £105 and play it more than my Ibanez RG, it’s got better frets, stays in tune better and is built like a tank. Got a lovely maple neck and fretboard, zero fret sprout or dead notes unlike my Ibanez. I’ve had it in bits to look at the wiring and the soldering is spot on. I’m not worried about it getting dinked or marked since it didn’t cost much. It sounds great and had nice vintage pickups. Would like to try a higher end HB in future, you get so much for your money!
I chose a squier contemporary Tele over the harley bentons just recently. I feel like Squier contemporary is pretty close to competing with these Harley Benton fusions on the spec sheet. I will eventually be putting new pickups in, upgrading to locking fender or gotoh tuners, getting a new nut, and maybe a bridge someday. But, right now it just plays great, and I've really bonded with this guitar more than my expensive guitars.
I will add this: This tele is better than most player Tele's I've tried for one reason. There is almost always terrible fret buzz when I play a Mexican Tele. My Squier has no problems with fret buzz. Thats a huge win for me.
You found what works for you and are happy with it, that's the big win! In regards to the player series... the less said the better they are hilariously overpriced for what they are.
i am so with you!
i bought more used guitars than new guitars...and one of my favorit is a cheap used but like new grg140...love the neck, i adjusted the String action,thats all...for 90 euro :D :D
I put a little work in the guitars and have a lot of fun with it.
my new "adventure" is a Fusion III......its coming next week....:)
HB guitars are just getting better and better, they are set up well and play great, i have a Harley Benton Strat , and the HB 35 in cherry, brilliant value for money, and they sound really good, all i changed were the strings to my preferred gauge and brand, good to see you support the HB guitars, too much snobbery in buying names on the headstock
If a guitar feels good, plays well, sounds good, I don't see why people care what the brand on the headstock says it is... I still can't wrap my head around why people care about that outside of people that are buying guitars to sell or collectors.
I appreciate HB. I can't afford the top line guitars, and I simply wouldn't get into music if no one was reducing the barrier to entry.
And you are absolutely right that HB guitars can be working guitars. You can gig with them, you can record with them. They're not the greatest, but they work (usually).
A quality "T-style" from HB costs about the same amount as they did back in the Sixties, not adjusting for inflation. That's a great value.
When you put it into that perspective that's a very interesting way to look at it cost wise. You really made me sit back and say wow there for a second haha
I enjoyed your honest opinions. I understand that also even if you purchase a certain brand that the company makes some good as well as bad instruments. For instance I purchased a Nita Strauss Ibanez Jiva 10 and my guitar is Awesome. The one I have plays excellent, the frets are finished perfectly, the pickups sound Awesome and even blend very well together. The bridge works flawlessly without any tuning issues. I watched a guy’s review on the same guitar and he got two or three of them and he said they were awful. His frets make a grinding sound when you bend the strings on it. His single coil pickup doesn’t blend well with the humbuckers. He also didn’t like the color of the tone and volume knobs. I love everything about the one I have, so actually I don’t really pay much attention to reviews because I know you can get a good or bad one made by any company. It’s always best to play the one you’re looking at in person and see if you like it yourself.
This is also true, and I think it's part of the reason that Gibson has so many extremely passionate fans and an equal amount of passionate nay-sayers. The problem lies in the lack of QC, but man when these companies get it right it's amazing. Just an expensive gamble to take unfortunately.
How do you like the neck on that Ibanez? I'm going to play the Martin Miller in 2 weeks hopefully I'll be allowed to film in the store but I'm very excited to try an artist Ibanez.
Great video, agree with everything you have said. Subscribed.
Thanks Nathan, glad you enjoyed it enough to leave a comment
Dang that was a great take! Thanks for your thoughts!
Thanks Ren, we should all be allowed to enjoy what we like!
Awesome video, man!
Thanks Mahdi! Glad you enjoyed it thanks for watching
I bought a used HB Singlecut a month ago. It had a pro setup before I got it but it plays just as good as both my PRS Custom 24s (USA Made). It's an amazing guitar for 1/6 the price.
I started getting cheaper guitars as throwarounds...things to keep my nice guitars in their cases, not getting dinged and scratched. Then it became a way of getting shapes I wouldn't normally shell out money on. The problem now is that none of these guitars have been crap. Now they all live in cases. Hoping HB will do a firebird soon with the small longitudinal magnet pickups. The Epi through body current incarnation seems to have suffered from a higher spec than the time and budget targets their build and QC departments have been allowed..a shame
It's a nice problem to have but I can totally understand. I would never have bought a super strat kind of guitar like this one had it not been available at this price and it really is fun to play and reliable. There are a few models I want to see them do in the future but at the same time I don't... I don't want more guitars to do what you said... just sit in cases.
Good video, agree totally!
Thanks Dave, appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment
I took the gamble on the fusion-t and it definitely required a little bit of work but the final product is really a high-quality feeling instrument. I’ve got the action to play as low as my custom shop Kiesel and the two point trem has actually been really stable after some minor adjustments. Overall
If you have a little experience working on guitars this is a great option but, like any production model being shipped to you there can be duds..
Yep, that's the risk you take with basically any brand at any price these days. I've seen custom shop Gibsons that deserve to be thrown straight into a dumpster from the factory, it's wild to me.
@@AudiomoMusic I used to work at Kiesel for a little over 5 years and believe me even even there we would occasionally see guitars cut up because they were not salvageable. Not to mention returns from people not satisfied and you’d *think* a custom shop only would know how to avoid that.
I concur. Harley benton exceeds Squire for sure. The stuff I’ve gotten from Squier and in some cases Fender over the years has been very cavalier at best. If I have to pay an extra 300e to fix a Squier or Fender that comes with issues it really shouldn’t, I may as well buy a Benton and do it myself at half the price. Great video bro.
I'm gonna be honest, my HB Ovation clone just came in today. It had a big ding on the front and the electric portion of it doesn't work. The thing is that as an acoustic it plays like a dream, especially for the price. I'm not writing them off yet, I'm going to see what their support says. If they make this right for me I'll be buying the same HSS Fusion III you have whenever they come back in stock, I've had my eye on it for a little bit now.
My first guitar was a Charvette back in 1990. I cut my teeth (and fingers) on that thing for years, and it was the greatest guitar in the world to me at the time. Charvel was a budget brand back then, and Charvette was Charvel's lowest option. A decade later, I got my first "nice" guitar, an Ibanez S1520 FB, still one of my favorite instruments. Since then I've owned a lot of really nice, expensive guitars, and a few budget ones as well.
What I learned in the process is that it's ok to like what you like. I think sometimes people need to give themselves permission to like what they like. If an instrument, or amp, or pedal speaks to you, it's ok to like it. If the name on the headstock matters to you, and it does to most people, that's ok too.
Long time no see! I remember the Charvettes, I also remember the American Charvels were VERY decently priced for a while in early 2000's, I loved the necks on those.
At the end of the day you're exactly right, if a guitar feels right, sounds right, and makes you want to play it then none of the specs or brand matter at all.
For what it may be worth... Last week I ordered a new PRS Paul's guitar. It arrived and for some reason I didn't want to open it. That is odd for me. I am usually all excited to get a new what ever. Somehow I had a feeling it wasn't good. I was right! The Veneer top had a bad defect under the clear. No damage. The guitar had a feedback or ground issue and it had 12 high frets. The Veneer looking bad was enough reason to reject it the rest was just piling on. Back it went. In my possession less than 2 hours. That night I ordered a HB CST 24in a similar flamed finish. 3 days later it was here right on schedule. I did not have that same ominous don't want to open it feeling. Wow, near perfect in every way. Fit, finish and setup. 25% the price of the PRS and it was a good one.
I believe it, it's good you found something that you enjoy more and goes to show brand name isn't always a gaurantee regardless of the brand
@@AudiomoMusic There are times I want to give a brand a second chance. But on this knowing it had been checked both in Indonesia and in the USA facility I was a bit put off if that is a fitting term. Add in the price and the brand hype my state of mind went to "miffed" :) Pretty sad when its your first of whatever major brand.
It’s like people forget all those videos of their favorite guitar players spazzing on $75-$150, or modding cheaper guitars to play like the higher end ones.
Last show I went to, It never occurred to me to ask “why isn’t that dude playing a fender?”
Brands are strong man. Takes a long time to break people out of that.
Great video dude!
Another thing is, when does the average person listening to a song say to themselves "I wonder how much the guitar they used for this cost and what brand makes it?"
I like ol' Honest Jim's reviews ;) Also like my hb, not the first I would pick up but I still like it. I think the point about gigging is good too, everyone has a horror story of something going missing/getting broken at gigs. My dead ovation killed in a drunken fight - not me.
That's kind of where I landed with the HB35+, I liked it but I didn't love that guitar, and for whatever reason I just never really bonded with it.
I've had 2 gibsons suffer broken necks at gigs from no fault of my own, needless to say I almost never bring guitars like that out anymore and am happy to play a "cheap" guitar at a gig any day of the week instead.
What model is that beautiful red guitar with the cream binding, second from the left, behind you?
That is a Gibson ES-339 👍
@@AudiomoMusic Thank you!
eventhough i have a couple of gibsons, i mostly grab my epiphone es339. After a good setup it plays just as well as any of my gibsons and the pickups theyve been installing in the last couple of years(alnico classic pro and probucker) sound pretty decent, not like the old mudbuckers they used years ago
I wish 339s got more love in general, super underrated body style and I love mine
Had no problem with tuners on Squires. The only problem I have had is dirty frets on their rosewood fingerboards. But yes, it's kind of cheap and if you gig with it you might want to upgrade. But it plays fine out of the box.
Yeah that's normal for them and honestly most guitars under about a grand. They just need a nice fret polish, set up, and basic cleanup and they are good to go after that!
Good for you a breath of fresh air!
Glad you enjoyed it! It's cool to like gear from all price points and from different brands!
I have three HB guitars. An acoustic that looks like a Martin D16. It's not as smooth as my Martin, but it looks good, sounds good, plays good after a setup, and for the cost, I'm not afraid to loan it or take it to a party for everyone to play. I have nothing bad to say about it at all. I have two HB electrics. One is a satin finish SC Custom II that looks like a PRS SC line. It's absolutely beautiful. It makes me wonder if the HB is made by Cort. My other HB electric is a SC-450 that looks like a Les Paul. The wood and build quality is beautiful and flawless...but the tuners are cheap and the switch was broken. The body and neck are so good that I didn't even call Thomann back to complain. I'll upgrade with Switchcraft switch and output jack, Replace the pots and caps, install some Klusen tuners, and install a set of SD pearly gates pickups. This guitar looks that good. I'm keeping it. From what I've seen, all the HB guitars that cost over $200 are great.
You know, you're the first one to mention the HB acoustics. I've been interested in picking one up to take out to play live, but I haven't heard enough about them. I currrently have a Gibson Dove and well I'm terrified of damaging it so having something from them may be the ticket.
My current main guitar is an Harley benton Amarok 6 string and I love it. And yes there where issues. The first one I got had scratches and one pickup wasn't fixed properly. Called thomann sent it back got a new one within a week fresh from a new badge and boom even nice setup. My next one is going to be an HB again and I will mod the hell out of it. But that's future music cause I have to financially recover from buying a used orange dual terror and a new set of both pre amp and power amp tubes xD so long story short don't feel bad and play the guitars you like. Rock on brother
The Amarok looks awesome, I would love to try one of those at some point. The DT is great, I gigged with a TH30 for many years, I LOVE the sound of Orange amps.
I agree with your reasons and opinions on this 100%, except I wouldn't like any of my Harley Bentons getting stolen, though I get it may feel worse if I paid 1000$ for a guitar that got stolen...luckily, I don't gig so it's unlikely to happen. I own 6 Harley Bentons and hopefully will get my 7th soon. I was gonna go for a Vintage Vs6 as I am qrious to try an SG style, but the new Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh in sparkly Pelham blue changed my mind completely. Nice vids!
The sparkly Pelham Blue is gorgeous, if it were available at the time when I got the SC DLX Gotoh I would have gotten that over the Daphne 100%
@@AudiomoMusic I just snatched one up (DLX Gotoh Pelham Blue SG style)! I'll be unboxing it in a few days I hope...Oh yeah, and a fret rocker too just in case
@@AudiomoMusic My Pelham Blue DC-DLX just came in yesterday! Here's a short unboxing of it: ua-cam.com/video/Bwp1Vy-SmWg/v-deo.html I've tried it out and it's just awesome, altho I will be tweaking the setup a bit to try to get something a little bit lower in terms of action
I’ve had great tuners on squiers. I disagree...
I also have quite a few affordable “knockoffs” even though I can afford custom shops. The biggest reason is I don’t want to bang up a nice one or worry about it. I’m always looking for a deal too so value is important for me as well.
Nice video 👍🏻
In a perfect world we'd all have a custom shop, but I wouldn't dream of gigging this jag unless it was a once in a lifetime gig and I basically had it attached to me when I wasn't playing it.
Judging by the vintage modified Jaguar from Squier I once owned, I trust Harley Benton a lot more after 13 copies to put good tuners on their instruments. There are some iffy ones but mainly under €280. The VM Jaguar was €450 and had tuners unacceptable for a €200 guitar.
All valid reasons here. I've been eyeing some HB guitars for a while now, and if it wasn't for the fact that I really wanted a Jazzmaster, I'd be getting one of these. Especially now, with the release of new Fusion III and SC DLX models. I mean, stainless steel frets and roasted maple neck superstrat for a price of Squier CV Strat? Come on. And I already know that if I'll ever be in need of an LP-esque model, I'm going for a HB.
I'm kind of glad they don't make a correct style Jaguar or Jazzmaster for some reason, makes my decisions a lot easier for those styles of guitars.
I tested several HB's and i competely agree with you. The only gripe i have are the weird design choices for their bodies (copyright issues i get it, but still).
I'm eyeing the pelham blue dc dlx right now, i just dont get why they dont use the sg style neck joint for their dc guitars, since thats kind of their major selling points.
I hear you 100%, it was the only thing I didn't love about the SC550 ii... the body shape just looks... strange.
What string gauge are you using? does it feels tight?
I use Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinkys on every single guitar I own. Doesn't feel any tighter than a normal 25.5 scale length guitar imho.
I have 15 guitars, (4 Harley Bentons), and the one i play most is my cheapest HB! SC Special B-stock in dirty mustard(?) which i have modded with Schaller vintage style locking tuners, string butler and blackTUSQ nut. It plays and sounds like a dream🎸🤘🎸
Modding is so much fun, you really get to take a guitar and truly make it your own. Glad you love that dirty mustard, my buddy has one and thinks its hideous but loves the sound so much he doesn't care haha
I bought myself a HB amorak last year for Christmas and it has the specs of a shred guitar 3 times the price.. it is the really a pleasure to play.. and flawless to look at . Well woth the money this year I ordered a higher end single cut Les Paul type from HB also with active pickups and locking tuners... Ect.
I think if you buy the higher end HBs
You will not be disappointed..
The lower end most likely have flaws like most lower priced instruments always do.
Until I hit the lottery, I think I am going to stick with HB
They do a great job of filling in a space in the market that not many brands are capable of doing on a consistent basis. The overwhelming majority of guitars I get from them are great!
I've got two Harley Benton's. Love 'em! One is slightly better than the other, the better one was about £15 more. But both less than £170. I play them and enjoy them as much as my Squier CV 50s Strat and Fender Baja Tele. I like being able to have a small range of different guitars and be able to afford it. I also like UA-camrs that give honest opinions of affordable guitars. So keep up the good work! 😀🎸🎸
Thanks John, which Baja do you have??? I had a Baja 60's I miss dearly, one of the best guitars the mexican factory ever built imho
@@AudiomoMusic 50s blackguard, like you say one of the best to come out of the Mexico factory. The pale blue 60s Baja was a fantastic looking guitar!
New Sub! Well said!!!
Welcome aboard! Appreciate it!
I got my first electric guitar recently; a Harley Benton Te-20. About as cheap as you can get from them. I got the sunburst model. It looks great and feels great. The neck is smooth and there are no flaws in the finish. The only slight issue is that the No 1 E string is a little close to the edge of the fretboard where the neck joins the body. The hardware works. The tuners and bridge may not be the best, but they work and the guitar stays pretty much in tune. Not long after, I got an Ibanez As73. It sounds better and I prefer the feel of it. It has better hardware too, but I still play the tele, because it gives me a different sound and still feels good to play. I'll get round to putting better strings on at some point, but for now I'm happy with it.
Have you tried to move the saddles of the bridge?....there's a little bit of play, so you can adjust that problem.
@@juls7724 I noticed that and it helped a bit. It's not a huge issue, thankfully.
Hey bro, me again. Yes I have a Gibson Custom Shop 61 Reissue, [in pic] that I could not believe it was allowed to be sold, with runs in the finish. I have sold a few guitars, bought a couple of Squier Classic Vibes, put pickups tuners, same with a HB CST, and a SC550 light weight slim neck, I put a set of Duncans and Grover Tuners, that are my go to guitars lately. I am going to get that same Fusion III, I was jamming at an open mike and some guy was calling my HB a junk guitar, and [humbly speaking] I smoked his ass. If someone wants to spend tons of money, have at it. As usual good straight talking review, hey where is the sporty hat? LOL!
Excellent video. I say that the guitarist and the guitar needs to work together,and that each pairing is unique and thus should not be compared.i have a gibson from a raffle and it's fkn heavy. I would sell it and buy jackson for a lighter one but i got kids and they might like it someday.but me personally i play a crafter guitar,locally made and hella cheap.ive had to adjust action and swap the pickups because the old ones were dead when i bought it 2ndhand but it still rocks and i use it everyday for fun and practice.
An extremely heavy guitar no matter how well it plays is something I can never hold onto for very long. I've had many Les Paul's that have come and gone because every time I thought to myself "i can get over how heavy it is" when they are over 9 and a half pounds... nope. They get sold.
That's awesome you got a local lutheir to build you one, that's what it's all about man!
As performer and a teacher I do like inexpensive guitars as a value. My problem is when I am teaching at least 6 hours a day and gigging things start to break down relatively sooner than something that is at a higher price point. Also if have a serious issue with the neck like a stripped truss rod nut, those import guitars weld the nut to the truss rod in many cases. Also they use a hard epoxy to seal the fret board instead of a wood glue. Me personally I have been effected just by input jacks breaking, faulty pickup connections, frets wearing down to the point of a refret, and high nut slots. The are cool but if you use a guitar as much as I do (up to 8 hours a day) you can expect some repairs coming soon. (side note, I haven't tried the new Squires yet and I've heard the are built quiet well, I should check them out.).
If I was a teacher, I would only use an american standard telecaster for those long, daily sessions. I completely get that part of it, and it would definitely be something that would be a point I'd have to consider. That being said, playing 2-3 hour gigs 2-3 nights a week I'm interested to see how this guitar holds up even 6 months from now. That will be when I can really start talking about the longevity, I'm interested to see how it does in that sense.
@@AudiomoMusic Cool, ya I teach with my PRS S2 594 mostly to cover most styles. Right now I am using my Strat because I'm getting the aftermarket PRS pickups installed into the S2. I tried out a core 594 in 2019 and I thought this would be great for teaching but way too much money as a teaching investment. I'm glad they make the S2 it plays so great, and I look forward to the upgraded pickups.
My first electric was a HB HSS Strat in Candy Apple Red. It was $80. I’ve only had to replace the tuners. The only negative was the shipping cost. It was $60. I have a 2015 Gibson Les Paul Studio and honestly, it rarely leaves its case. It’s harder to play. I even have a Firefly 338 that I love playing. There are MUCH better guitars out there then just Gibson, Fender, and PRS. Finding those gems from an Indy builder is a win.
Hey Scott I completely agree. You don't need to spend a ton anymore to get a great instrument which is nice, you just have to be lucky enough to find the right one. Where'd you even find that Firefly? I keep having people request that I review one but I never see them outside of way overpriced on reverb.
I quite agree with you!!!
Glad to see so many people like you see things like I do!
One of the best guitarists I ever had the honor to play with played a Squire with some good pups. This guy could play anything you throw at him and on another level. $300 is what he paid for it all up.
I see that a lot playing out too, when I see someone with a guitar like that I figure they absolutely know what they are doing... when I see someone load in 50 pedals and a 5k guitar I don't have that same kind of confidence haha
hi y'all. 2 years ago I bought the Harley Benton SC-450Plus CB Vintage Series , from Thomann. So cheap I actually expected crap. But to my huge surprise this Les Paul copy was actually really good. I did set it up the way I wanted of course, but thats what I do with every instrument I buy. And I did polish the neck a bit. The frets were tiny bit sharp on the edges but that for me is nothing to do some tiny adjustment like that. Pickups are actually ok, Roswell alnico 5 vintage style. Solid mahohany body, so its heavy, like the org ;) after intonation, lowering action, lifing pickups a tiny bit, and sanding & polishing the neck I have what I feel is quite good guitar. I dont like saying for the money bc that can mean just about anything. I do not own a Gibson les Paul but Ive had friends who own Gibsons come ower and play this thing, and they were just as surprised as me ;) they kept asking, how can this be. It costs a tiny bit more now than back when I bought it. I paid like 165 euros. Now its about 200 euros. Now I´m actually thinking about ordering a Telecaster from HB too... ;) I only own a one original Fender Stratocaster and of course, neck finish and more mabey not compareable, its better on the Fender out of the box so to speak, but I dont mind fixing those tiny things on a HB to set it up just the way I like it. AND lets not forget, IF you dont like it, or should you find something wrong with it or bad finish, return it and get a new one ... :) bc after all, you dont know what you get b4 you get it. Downside of course beeing you cant try b4 buy ! wow.. this became longer post than I intended..... have a great day and good luck..
Isn't it funny how that works out? Sometimes we find ourselves with "lesser" guitars are more than satisfied. I have been searching for a Gibson ES335 for the last 4 years, never found one that felt right or was at the right place, I recently picked up a Japanese 335 for a quarter of the price and it is the best playing one I've tried out of all of them... Its all abotu what works for you!
I have a Harley Benton TE62 and it's a very good guitar, it has a comfortable neck, no sharp frets, it's not too heavy, it stays in tune and it sounds great, of course if it's compared to an Fender Telecaster then you will notice one or two slight quality issues, but for the money the Harley Bentons are very good value. If Fenders are 10/10, the Harleys are 8/10, in my opinion. :)
I have a lot of guitars and basses, and have played for +40yrs. I have bought 3 basses and one guitar from Thomann, all except one of the basses was super value for the money. The favorite is a bass, PJ-74 ,which I paid 160 euros for. I added a set of quarter pounders and a massive bridge + a graph tech nut for another 250 euros. I'm in a little over 400 euros, and have a bass playing better than my Fender player plus p-bass for half the price.
The next time I order a guitar from them, I will also order a bass, I currently dont' have one and my wife keeps her bass away from me so I don't mess with it haha
I have 6 Harley Benton at the moment and 2 other inexpensive electric guitars.
I cover a lot of ground soundwise with that collection.
I had probably 15 or more over the last 4 years. I tried various models so I have a pretty defined opinion about each one of them. I sold most of them for the same money I bought them.
They are great tools and most of them are worth their money.
Maybe their absolute lowest price range is to be taken with a grain of salt.
I bought myself a Harley benton sc custom ii FR for christmas, and i gotta say, this guitar is insanely good. I have guitars that cost 1k+ that i love but i still go for my harley benton that i bought in b-stock for around 350 bucks
Those higher end HB especially are insanely good indeed. It really surprised me the first time I tried some and remembered how little they cost... Congrats on the purchase!
I bought a sc custom 5 years ago as I needed a les paul type guitar for gigging as my gibson is getting beat up and obviously expensive and playing in shitty pubs its not something you want getting broken or stolen. Its been absolutely fantastic and yes its had pickups changed and wiring but everything else is as it came the grover tuners the bone nut the bridge are still perfect... love the higher end HB guitars and the fusion series is awesome.
Did you get one of the 3 knob sc customs or one of the early ones with the 4? I had one ages ago with the 4 knobs and I deeply regret selling it. Just a few upgrades like you said and it was a great guitar to take to any bar and play without worrying.
@@AudiomoMusic Its a 3 knob one from 2015 I think with the more pointy cut not like the more Gibson shape they are now. I love the thing and it's a beast of a guitar with the iron gear pickups.
I was thinking of buying a US stratocaster. Then I was thinking same about the US Telecaster. Somehow I popped into thomanns page, checked few reviews on youtube and then I had those on harley benton. I think they were fantastic. Somehow I fell in love with 130€ telecaster. But then it took a year to realize I have 10 harley bentons in my home. Its a good brand and I find the guitars being of excellent value. Naturally there isnt a single name player (beside few youtube guitar review stars) who is assosiated with these guitars. But those who arent for the status its a really good bang for your buck.
You'd be surprised how often I see them playing out live, from coast to coast. I know a few pros that keep one in the rack as a backup in case the #1 has an issue as well.
Umm hmm. The lower end HB's are for those that may play guitar and want to give it a go. The higher end's are stable and playable and i can do anything to them that i want and i am not losing money with every tweek and alteration. I have six Harley Benton's and i will likely keep them for life. They stay in tune folks and the wood quality is there. I would never use the word great, but i have been lucky enough to get all good guitars from Thoman. They have all been dismantled over time and all of them have parts that have been changed out for the better. Fun worry free guitar alterations are a cool hobby to get into kids.
Good video....Harley Benton has it going now. Their basses are pretty cool. I like Ibanez, but Fender is a name from the past. Thanks.
Well said!
Thank you, I think these things are great.
Idk Harley Benton does it but I'm surprised they haven't put a huge dent in squier and Epiphone. They only thing that's rough being over in the states is the shipping prices. Especially with everything going on now but once things calm down I'd love to get my hands on one.
People will always go with the known brand first, plus there is no marketing whatsoever in most areas of the world for HB or suppliers other than Thomann, so that complicates the exposure for people as well imo.
The good thing about bstock is that Thomann always check them before sending them out.
I only buy HB guitars, I’ve got their Tele Thinline, Jazzmaster, Travel acoustic and a Taylor 214ce look alike; after a bit of minor fettling and setting up to my taste they’re all great to play and use. Looking at their fusion electrics and Ricky 12 copy lustfully at the moment 😂 you can’t have too many guitars!
The only time you have too many guitars is when you can't pay your rent and can't fit them all in the car once you're evicted! 🤣🤣. I'm very fortunate to have an understanding wife that is cool with me having all these things.
I feel the same about my basses. You earned another sub.
Take a look at sire guitars if you have the chance.
Sire is the most requested brand for me to demo outside of these, I'm trying to decide which model. Any suggestions?
@@AudiomoMusic I switched to bass a couple of years ago and fed them in my research.
Biggest improvements on MIM’s or anything in that arena IMO, are rolled feet edges, and on the strat and teles roasted maple. I can tell ya the necks are amazing. I have two at the moment and looking at another.
I really like all styles of the guitar but my biggest curiosity is the 335 model. Looks amazing and everything I have seen is all good.
For and Epiphone price you’re getting closer to Gibson US
Hope this helps and I think they may be tough too get hold of.
In the US nobody can keep the basses in stock. 😄
But like you I buy used. 😉
Have a great day
BTW the biggest complaint on the basses are the headstock. The guitars are a lot more classy looking.
I just bought their cheapest (?) Bass, JD20 i think, normally being a guitarist i need to say that this Bass for under 100 EUR is a serious great Instrument. Absolutely flawless craftmanship and a perfect finish. The colour (Blue with slight sparkle) is absolutely gorgeous. The Sound? Great! (if i would be a Bass Player i would maybe differentiate more, but.................... it sounds like a Bass, what more could you want? Ah yes, a perfect chunky Neck 😃 ).
I think every guitar player should have a bass, maybe I should get one of those too and give it a try, sounds good!
@@AudiomoMusic Try it! Was pleasantly surprised by mine
I just bought a Harley Benton TE-20 for £85 and it rocks most reviews are positive and it was £85!!! Some people are just guitar snobs,just cos it don't say Gibson or fender don't make it a less valued well made and playable guitar.Btw great channel 🤘🤪
If a guitar is good, it's good - period. I've played enough guitars to not care anymore and just play what I like too 👍
HB'S are killer ! I've bought 5 this year and I'm about to buy their two most expensive ones. SC 550 with FR 1000 and EMG'S for $466 😳
🎸🤘🍻
I bought three H. Bentons, CST-24, SC Junior, and a J style bass. All of them are perfectly good instruments (CST 24 is the nicest, easiest playing guitar I've ever tried). I feel like there's really not a lot of people with bad experiences, but they're very loud.
Very loud? It's deafening depending on the forum you're on 🤣
The good news is, it doesn't matter what they or anyone else says. You found great guitars and saved a lot of money, you win.
Totally have the same thoughts on guitars. I can't afford (without being divorced), nor can I justify purchasing, a new $1K plus guitar, amp, PA, or anything, as someone who just plays music as a hobby, for fun. Especially when I can get the exact same guitar used at 60% of the price; its just using common sense. If I were a professional (meaning I made my living off playing/writing/recording/etc.) musician, then that's another story. Even then, though, I would still probably buy guitars used because it just makes sense. The only exception I can think of might be a Rickenbacker; you can usually buy them brand new for cheaper (or just slightly more) than buying them used.
I’m really happy with my Harley Benton guitars, I bought a Fender Ultra Stratocaster (Not too be confused with the Strat Plus Ultra I’m lucky enough to have one of those too) a couple of years ago 2000.00 dlls guitar , had it for three days and returned it, it felt and sounded so cheap , it’s not worth the 2000.00 dlls
The ultras feel so different from traditional Fenders, I get that some people really like them but I agree with you I'm not really a fan at all. I'm happy you found harley benton and now have a guitar you really like!
I don't care at all about brand names either for the look of guitars. I am just a bedroom player, playability is most important to me, sound can be shaped by amps and pedals. When it comes to shapes, strats are
my favorite cause of the belly cut. I do like the sound of LPs a lot, but unfortunately they have no belly cut,
they hurt my chops. Maybe I had to eat more to avoid this issue. Anyway, more than 5-600 Euros I am not going to spend for a guitar. For gigging pros, things are different I guess.
i put a tracking chip in my guitars I can track with my phone. Recommend you do the same if you're gigging a lot.