Get a DC-Custom II here: thmn.to/thoprod/570320?offid=1&affid=1250 Timestamps team: 00:00 Hello! 00:19 Intro and what we’re doing today 01:53 Harley Benton DC-Custom II specs and info 04:39 Epiphone SG specs and info 06:44 Today’s rig and plan Clean Sounds 07:56 Clean tone reference chords on all pickup settings 08:41 Country ballad arpeggios 08:53 Strummed country chords 09:12 Funky rhythms 09:26 Wolfmother inspired droning riff 09:46 Atmospheric indie arpeggios Light & Medium Overdrive Sounds 10:04 Garage rock riff 10:21 Indie rock rhythm chords 10:51 Indie octave chords 11:17 Kings Of Leon inspired riff 11:32 Open string droning riff 11:44 Upbeat indie barre chords 12:08 Modern rock ballad arpeggios 12:44 Classic rock riff 12:58 Airbourne inspired rock riff 13:09 Quacky rock riff 13:19 AC/DC inspired riff 13:34 Hendrix inspired riff Heavy Overdrive Sounds 13:51 Glam rock riff 14:11 Van Halen inspired riff 14:30 Classic hard rock riff 14:47 Melodic hard rock single note riff 15:08 Alternative rock riff 15:31 Pop punk riff 15:54 Thrash metal riff 16:04 Progressive rock riff (Drop D tuning) 16:20 Modern rock palm-muted chords (Drop D) 16:45 Rage Against The Machine inspired groovy riff (Drop D) Heavy Distortion Sounds (all in Drop D) 17:02 Metal chugging riff 17:19 Hardcore punk riff 17:31 Heavy metal lead sound 17:47 Hardcore punk breakdown 18:02 Mastodon inspired metal riff with country twang 18:14 Rammstein inspired industrial metal riff 18:28 My thoughts 19:32 First impressions and looks 20:21 Price 21:21 Build quality and hardware 22:38 Playability and necks 23:39 Weight 24:04 Balance and neck dive? 24:31 Sounds and pickups discussion 27:17 What other similar guitars are out there? 28:10 Which one should you buy? Which would I buy?
Yep, I also feel that modern-day Epiphone prices have gone beyond what many fans will want to pay... and brands like Harley Benton making such great cheap stuff makes things harder for Epi too. This specific SG I got for a steal, but the new SG Custom is currently €600 where I live - I'd rather just find a used Gibson for a little more, to be honest... or buy the HB. ;)
Where do I buy a used Gibson SG Custom for a little over 600Euro, mate? Some Epiphones are overpriced, agree, and Epi quality control is criminal, but the SG Custom, SG Modern, and the Special P90 you have seem to be reasonably priced. Harley Benton could hit it out of the park if they copy these models, but they keep failing on purpose it seems. DC Custom-Heavy AF and more of a Horizon(ESP's least popular model) than an SG Nothing resembling an SG Custom (Macassar ebony is not that expensive, come on) SG modern with it's godly asymmetrical neck and trick switching is like dark matter to HB. For some reason they won't make a DC60 with 2 P90s and the single P90 DC-60 has either a wrong neck angle or wrong pickup height for the dogear p90 which requires 25euro shim pack to remedy(which is conveniently sold by Thomann😂😂😂) It would be so easy for HB to blow Squier and Epiphone out of the water. Why they decide not to is a mistery.
Love the playing. I was a bit disappointed with the thickness on my HB dc too. Not fully Les Paul weight, but not light either. For all the lower gain stuff the p90’s just sound so much better. I did like the coil split sound on the fully clean settings though. I like my HB dc, but it didn’t quite scratch my SG itch, since I much prefer the slim and light body. Also that particular green SG looks smashing.
I'm actually still wondering about this... do you reckon they're supposed to be this thick? They could've been both cheaper and lighter if they'd used less wood ;) You know what, I'll ask my HB contact just in case. But yes, it's more substantial than you'd expect from an SG physically, and that's where the Epiphone has the upper hand. It's so light and easy to play, and of course the P90s are just loads of fun too. Plus that satin Worn Inverness Green finish - I'll never get tired of it! Glad you enjoyed the video, and thanks for watching :)
@@RichWordsMusicyes they are supposed to be that thick. Buy an Epiphone. I’ve got the new epiphone sg custom. In a case used new for 399.00 pounds. Superb. And light as a feather.
Thanks a lot! Yes, exactly - beyond the tones it's the looks/playability choice here. Today I choose the Epi, and tomorrow might switch back to the HB, but it's all in good fun! Hard to beat the pure joyful raucousness of the Epi P90s though...
I'm a P90 fan; so on sound the Epi for me. It wins on looks and that translucent satin finish as well. The HB has those quality frets and tuners and is a bargain price. My Epi SG Muse had a so-so switch, which I changed for a better one. Great guitar but it has coil split-able humbuckers not P90s. My head would buy the HB but my heart goes with the Epiphone Worn P90 but some would upgrade the hardware such as the switch - but what a great colour!
Yep, seems like you've come to the same conclusion as me: head for the HB, heart for the Epi! It's a really interesting comparison, I think. Overall I gravitate towards the Epi for pure riffing fun, but if I was looking for one guitar to cover and tonal ground and be utterly reliable and stable, the HB would be the one. Maybe the Cherry Red version ;) So much of the inspiration factor with guitars for me is about the looks, and this Epi is one of the most beautiful I've seen!
Thanks a lot, glad you enjoyed it! Yep, for the price the HB is incredible value - great specs and massively versatile too. The Epi is maybe a more specialized beast, but the HB can do anything. Amazing what you can get for the money these days!
From what I was hearing, I liked the Epiphone better. I’m a single-coil player mostly-I love Telecasters-and the P-90s in the Epi had more presence and top end. I like the green finish on the Epi, but I think it should be gloss. Although that wiuld probably increase the cost…The white on the Harley Benton looks good too, but I’d prefer an SG Custom for that. Just my 2 cents (or pence!)
Yep, I'm a Tele guy too, and I totally agree about the Epi P90s and your appraisal of the tones! I love the satin nature of the Epi - perhaps a good compromise would be a satin neck model with a gloss body, but you're right, more work means more cost. I'd like to see the HB Cherry Red version of this guitar in person... I have a feeling it may look more like the real thing! Cheers for watching and rock on!
Yep, it's too heavy for me. Everything else is great, though, in my opinion. I can live with the shape, although I do prefer the original, as with the Epi.
Great video again. I must say these Tesla humbuckers are the first Tesla pups I like, they are not my cup of tea but these ones. Both guitars sounded good but like you said horses for courses. Thx 👍😊
Thanks a lot, and I totally agree - these are the first Teslas I've ever properly got on with! They're a definite improvement over the ones I've tried in other HB models. Cheers for watching :)
Also, something can be said of the design and look of the Harley Benton. It's, to me, a better looking instrument if it were a better color. Sounds great for what $300? Great video, thx!
Yes, I agree - I'd love to see the Cherry Red one on the flesh, for example. But you're right in that for sub $300 it offers so much... what a great time to be a guitar player! Thanks again and rock on!
Yeah, it does need a bit of a boost, although tonally I do think it's convincing enough. That said, for me it's more an afterthought than a genuine tool you'd use half the time, I think. Maybe if you had a couple of songs in a set where you really needed a single coil bite it'd do the job.
Thanks a lot! Yep, it's hard to beat the beefy punch of those P90s :) Humbuckers excel for other things for sure, but when I just want to have pure fun blasting out power chords I reach for the Epi! Cheers and rock on!
Epiphone all the way on sound alone. Probably the P90's doing the trick for me at least. The HB is ok, just found it a little muddy in parts, especially the low mids
Yep, those P90s really roar and they're just so crisp and clear. In comparison the Tesla humbuckers can sound a little woolly and muted in comparison, for sure.
I would love one of the newer higher end Epis, but in Europe they're a bit too high priced for me. Waiting for good deals on used ones to pop up, but seemingly people don't sell them! Gotta be a reason for that too...
Anyone notice that the headstock inlay on the HB is identical to an ESP/Edwards E-LP custom model. I have no idea but I wonder if Edwards is making these for HB(?)
Now that'd be a turn-up for the books! HB has their own factories, so I'd imagine this is being built by them, but yep - good spot on that inlay. I imagine it's more just an 'inpsired by' thing, but there are quite a few similarities between the DC-Custom II and an ESP Viper 256 as well, so you never know. The DC-Custom II really does seem to be a cross between a Gibson SG and a Viper...
I really liked the sound of the Epiphone - the raspy and raw pickup sound. The HB sounded perfectly fine, and eminently usable, I just liked the Epiphone. Much more than I thought I would
Yep, you can't beat the raucous tones of a P90 for certain types of music! This Epi just sings for me. The HB is like a more polite, hi-fi version, which is great for other stuff.
Don't really care for the noise that the Epiphone is putting out pick ups seem a little better on the Harley Benton. Not a lot but a little bit better. Yeah I would choose the Harley Benton I think depending on the playability. Which one seems like the easiest one to play would you say??
Yep, the Epiphone is rawer, and with P90s you're always going to get a bit more hum than with the humbuckers. Playability depends on each person, of course, but for me the satin neck on the Epi is much more comfortable, and because the Epi is so much lighter, it's also more suited to playing standing up for longer.
Looks wise the Epi wins! The Epi just looks right while the HB looks like a modern art piece gone wrong..I personally hate HB and Epiphone, and even if I could get them for free I likely wouldn't use them, especially the Epiphone.. I use a ESP owned GrassRoots GLP-60s from 2008 back when they were built with genuine African mahogany and quality maple tops...
@@kvasirsblod1289 Yep, it's meranti, which is intended to be a mahogany-esque wood in terms of performance and looks, although I don't believe they're actually related.
Get a DC-Custom II here: thmn.to/thoprod/570320?offid=1&affid=1250
Timestamps team:
00:00 Hello!
00:19 Intro and what we’re doing today
01:53 Harley Benton DC-Custom II specs and info
04:39 Epiphone SG specs and info
06:44 Today’s rig and plan
Clean Sounds
07:56 Clean tone reference chords on all pickup settings
08:41 Country ballad arpeggios
08:53 Strummed country chords
09:12 Funky rhythms
09:26 Wolfmother inspired droning riff
09:46 Atmospheric indie arpeggios
Light & Medium Overdrive Sounds
10:04 Garage rock riff
10:21 Indie rock rhythm chords
10:51 Indie octave chords
11:17 Kings Of Leon inspired riff
11:32 Open string droning riff
11:44 Upbeat indie barre chords
12:08 Modern rock ballad arpeggios
12:44 Classic rock riff
12:58 Airbourne inspired rock riff
13:09 Quacky rock riff
13:19 AC/DC inspired riff
13:34 Hendrix inspired riff
Heavy Overdrive Sounds
13:51 Glam rock riff
14:11 Van Halen inspired riff
14:30 Classic hard rock riff
14:47 Melodic hard rock single note riff
15:08 Alternative rock riff
15:31 Pop punk riff
15:54 Thrash metal riff
16:04 Progressive rock riff (Drop D tuning)
16:20 Modern rock palm-muted chords (Drop D)
16:45 Rage Against The Machine inspired groovy riff (Drop D)
Heavy Distortion Sounds (all in Drop D)
17:02 Metal chugging riff
17:19 Hardcore punk riff
17:31 Heavy metal lead sound
17:47 Hardcore punk breakdown
18:02 Mastodon inspired metal riff with country twang
18:14 Rammstein inspired industrial metal riff
18:28 My thoughts
19:32 First impressions and looks
20:21 Price
21:21 Build quality and hardware
22:38 Playability and necks
23:39 Weight
24:04 Balance and neck dive?
24:31 Sounds and pickups discussion
27:17 What other similar guitars are out there?
28:10 Which one should you buy? Which would I buy?
Epiphone always feels overpriced nowadays….thanks Rich 🙏🏼
Yep, I also feel that modern-day Epiphone prices have gone beyond what many fans will want to pay... and brands like Harley Benton making such great cheap stuff makes things harder for Epi too. This specific SG I got for a steal, but the new SG Custom is currently €600 where I live - I'd rather just find a used Gibson for a little more, to be honest... or buy the HB. ;)
Where do I buy a used Gibson SG Custom for a little over 600Euro, mate?
Some Epiphones are overpriced, agree, and Epi quality control is criminal, but the SG Custom, SG Modern, and the Special P90 you have seem to be reasonably priced.
Harley Benton could hit it out of the park if they copy these models, but they keep failing on purpose it seems.
DC Custom-Heavy AF and more of a Horizon(ESP's least popular model) than an SG
Nothing resembling an SG Custom (Macassar ebony is not that expensive, come on)
SG modern with it's godly asymmetrical neck and trick switching is like dark matter to HB.
For some reason they won't make a DC60 with 2 P90s and the single P90 DC-60 has either a wrong neck angle or wrong pickup height for the dogear p90 which requires 25euro shim pack to remedy(which is conveniently sold by Thomann😂😂😂)
It would be so easy for HB to blow Squier and Epiphone out of the water. Why they decide not to is a mistery.
Been looking at that same Epiphone. Great comparison!
It's such a great guitar... highly recommended if you ever get the chance to try one! Thanks for the kind words too, glad you enjoyed the vid :)
Love the playing. I was a bit disappointed with the thickness on my HB dc too. Not fully Les Paul weight, but not light either.
For all the lower gain stuff the p90’s just sound so much better. I did like the coil split sound on the fully clean settings though.
I like my HB dc, but it didn’t quite scratch my SG itch, since I much prefer the slim and light body.
Also that particular green SG looks smashing.
I'm actually still wondering about this... do you reckon they're supposed to be this thick? They could've been both cheaper and lighter if they'd used less wood ;) You know what, I'll ask my HB contact just in case.
But yes, it's more substantial than you'd expect from an SG physically, and that's where the Epiphone has the upper hand. It's so light and easy to play, and of course the P90s are just loads of fun too. Plus that satin Worn Inverness Green finish - I'll never get tired of it! Glad you enjoyed the video, and thanks for watching :)
@@RichWordsMusicyes they are supposed to be that thick. Buy an Epiphone. I’ve got the new epiphone sg custom. In a case used new for 399.00 pounds. Superb. And light as a feather.
Nice comparison. I liked the honk and the bite from the Epiphone a bit better, the rest is play-ability and preferences I guess. Nice shoot-out!
Thanks a lot! Yes, exactly - beyond the tones it's the looks/playability choice here. Today I choose the Epi, and tomorrow might switch back to the HB, but it's all in good fun! Hard to beat the pure joyful raucousness of the Epi P90s though...
Great shootout as always. Now I know I need some p90s in my life...
Thanks a lot! And yes, every guitarist player needs some P90s in their life ;) Hope you get to try some soon!
I'm a P90 fan; so on sound the Epi for me. It wins on looks and that translucent satin finish as well. The HB has those quality frets and tuners and is a bargain price.
My Epi SG Muse had a so-so switch, which I changed for a better one. Great guitar but it has coil split-able humbuckers not P90s.
My head would buy the HB but my heart goes with the Epiphone Worn P90 but some would upgrade the hardware such as the switch - but what a great colour!
Yep, seems like you've come to the same conclusion as me: head for the HB, heart for the Epi! It's a really interesting comparison, I think.
Overall I gravitate towards the Epi for pure riffing fun, but if I was looking for one guitar to cover and tonal ground and be utterly reliable and stable, the HB would be the one. Maybe the Cherry Red version ;) So much of the inspiration factor with guitars for me is about the looks, and this Epi is one of the most beautiful I've seen!
Great review! Both guitars are stunning. For me the HB suits my needs, more versatile, good price/specs. Thomann wins!
Thanks a lot, glad you enjoyed it! Yep, for the price the HB is incredible value - great specs and massively versatile too. The Epi is maybe a more specialized beast, but the HB can do anything. Amazing what you can get for the money these days!
From what I was hearing, I liked the Epiphone better. I’m a single-coil player mostly-I love Telecasters-and the P-90s in the Epi had more presence and top end. I like the green finish on the Epi, but I think it should be gloss. Although that wiuld probably increase the cost…The white on the Harley Benton looks good too, but I’d prefer an SG Custom for that. Just my 2 cents (or pence!)
Yep, I'm a Tele guy too, and I totally agree about the Epi P90s and your appraisal of the tones! I love the satin nature of the Epi - perhaps a good compromise would be a satin neck model with a gloss body, but you're right, more work means more cost. I'd like to see the HB Cherry Red version of this guitar in person... I have a feeling it may look more like the real thing! Cheers for watching and rock on!
That Harley Benton weighs a ton. Think boat anchor. It would do a very good job in that regard. The shape is offset also and looks odd.
Yep, it's too heavy for me. Everything else is great, though, in my opinion. I can live with the shape, although I do prefer the original, as with the Epi.
Great video again. I must say these Tesla humbuckers are the first Tesla pups I like, they are not my cup of tea but these ones. Both guitars sounded good but like you said horses for courses. Thx 👍😊
Thanks a lot, and I totally agree - these are the first Teslas I've ever properly got on with! They're a definite improvement over the ones I've tried in other HB models. Cheers for watching :)
Also, something can be said of the design and look of the Harley Benton. It's, to me, a better looking instrument if it were a better color. Sounds great for what $300? Great video, thx!
Yes, I agree - I'd love to see the Cherry Red one on the flesh, for example. But you're right in that for sub $300 it offers so much... what a great time to be a guitar player! Thanks again and rock on!
The coil tap on the HB sounds so washed out. I'd have the Epi all day long. Great review as always.
Yeah, it does need a bit of a boost, although tonally I do think it's convincing enough. That said, for me it's more an afterthought than a genuine tool you'd use half the time, I think. Maybe if you had a couple of songs in a set where you really needed a single coil bite it'd do the job.
Excellent review.
Thanks a lot, I'm happy you enjoyed it!
Great job... The Epiphone (to me) sound it more punchy and brighter.. The Harley Benton, sounded more muddy? but it was good too
Thanks a lot! Yep, it's hard to beat the beefy punch of those P90s :) Humbuckers excel for other things for sure, but when I just want to have pure fun blasting out power chords I reach for the Epi! Cheers and rock on!
Epiphone all the way on sound alone. Probably the P90's doing the trick for me at least. The HB is ok, just found it a little muddy in parts, especially the low mids
Yep, those P90s really roar and they're just so crisp and clear. In comparison the Tesla humbuckers can sound a little woolly and muted in comparison, for sure.
I have 2021 high end Epiphones videos posted with specs so there's no debate..I wouldn't have it any other way..
I would love one of the newer higher end Epis, but in Europe they're a bit too high priced for me. Waiting for good deals on used ones to pop up, but seemingly people don't sell them! Gotta be a reason for that too...
Anyone notice that the headstock inlay on the HB is identical to an ESP/Edwards E-LP custom model. I have no idea but I wonder if Edwards is making these for HB(?)
Now that'd be a turn-up for the books! HB has their own factories, so I'd imagine this is being built by them, but yep - good spot on that inlay. I imagine it's more just an 'inpsired by' thing, but there are quite a few similarities between the DC-Custom II and an ESP Viper 256 as well, so you never know. The DC-Custom II really does seem to be a cross between a Gibson SG and a Viper...
@@RichWordsMusic yea, spotted that viper-esque thing as well. Maybe it's not so much a physical factory thing but a design team thing.
I really liked the sound of the Epiphone - the raspy and raw pickup sound.
The HB sounded perfectly fine, and eminently usable, I just liked the Epiphone. Much more than I thought I would
Yep, you can't beat the raucous tones of a P90 for certain types of music! This Epi just sings for me. The HB is like a more polite, hi-fi version, which is great for other stuff.
Hey wait a minute…..that HB insignia looks like Firefly…….hmmmmm
Yep, good spot! Someone else noted that it looks like the ESP/Edwards E-LP custom headstock inlay too... very interesting!
Don't really care for the noise that the Epiphone is putting out pick ups seem a little better on the Harley Benton. Not a lot but a little bit better. Yeah I would choose the Harley Benton I think depending on the playability. Which one seems like the easiest one to play would you say??
Yep, the Epiphone is rawer, and with P90s you're always going to get a bit more hum than with the humbuckers. Playability depends on each person, of course, but for me the satin neck on the Epi is much more comfortable, and because the Epi is so much lighter, it's also more suited to playing standing up for longer.
Epiphone sounds more present and full.
You just can't beat the raw attitude of a P90 at full blast!
Looks wise the Epi wins! The Epi just looks right while the HB looks like a modern art piece gone wrong..I personally hate HB and Epiphone, and even if I could get them for free I likely wouldn't use them, especially the Epiphone.. I use a ESP owned GrassRoots GLP-60s from 2008 back when they were built with genuine African mahogany and quality maple tops...
👍🏻👍🏻
Thank you sir! Hope you're still enjoying the double neck DC!
@@RichWordsMusic I am Rich, so many guitars and so little time.
If the Benton was in real Mahogany I would buy it. But Amaranthi is not even a mahogany sub-species.
The Harley Benton guitar is made of Meranti not Amaranth.
@@kvasirsblod1289 Yep, it's meranti, which is intended to be a mahogany-esque wood in terms of performance and looks, although I don't believe they're actually related.
@@RichWordsMusic That is correct, they are not closely related.
@@kvasirsblod1289 yes, I couldn't spell it, meranti is similar to oak I think.