First (that's for you Michiel!). For all of you on mobiles, here's all the chapter times, enjoy: 00:00 Hello! 0:12 Why this video and intro to the SC-450 1:16 SC-450 info and specs 3:08 Clean sounds 7:52 Tone control test 8:25 More clean sounds 10:05 Crunch sounds: classic rock and indie 13:28 Pop punk sounds 14:45 Volume control test 15:00 More pop punk sounds 16:12 Crunchier/alt rock stuff 18:07 Hard rock 18:36 Conclusion
@@hollywoodactress Thanks, glad you liked it! I just put the guitar on my kitchen scales... it's 4150g, or 9.2 lbs. So not light, but not too heavy either.
The problem with HB guitars is that they play way to good for the price, my son thinks that it time to move up to a more expensive guitar, but there aren't a lot of midrange guitars (5-600 dollar range) that don't play as well as a 300 dollar (or less)HB
Yes, I agree with this 100% Karl! I was just saying to someone else in another comment that I think HB are a really dangerous proposition for other beginner/affordable guitar lines. I did a video of this guitar up against a 2020 Epiphone SG, and the difference is really not as clear as you might expect. Factor in the price, and it raises real questions of whether that 'upgrade' is worth it. It almost seems like you'd need to go up to a US-built Fender or Gibson model to make a step up, and they're priced way higher. But for much cheaper you could stick top quality pickups and hardware on the HB and have a world-beater for under $500... I think older players will always want the brand name on their headstock, but for younger players like your son, it's more about what performs best, and not what name is written on it. So, dangerous times for the established brands trying to compete with HB...
Thing is... $$$ do not always mean BETTER anymore. These "cheaper" guitars "almost" rival the expensive stuff... if the NECK is good (frets etc) then good tuners, PU's if you don't like the tone you already have, and New pots.. and it'll be just as good as a "big bucker"... Name on the headstock does NOT effect the SOUND.. the PARTS do that..... they are ALL machined on CNC routers...
oh man... I have one of those too! Amazing guitar. Loved the playing BTW. Also, it felt cool that I'm not the only one who took the scratch plate off the thing!
Thanks, glad you enjoyed the music! And yes, it's such a great guitar, especially when you consider the price. It's funny: with most LPs I'd leave the scratch plate on... but this goldtop/P90 look is perfect without one! Rock on :)
Strings vibrate with a smaller amplitude closer to the bridge so setting two equivalent pick-ups at the same distance from the strings will always create an inbalance. This is why bridge pick-ups are usually wound stronger than others. Mine are usually set closer to the strings too.
Thanks for the info Leo! That makes sense. I knew bridge pickups were normally wound hotter, but I imagined this would compensate for the physical positioning! Time to get the bridge pickup raised a bit then :)
Once again, your A/B tone comparisons are the only ones, Rich that show the diversity of natural tones as the basis from which to build. Thanks again, man! :^)
Thanks so much Gary, I'm really happy you find the comparisons useful! They're a lot of work but also a hell of a lot if fun to make. Cheers and rock on!
have switched out to bare knuckles in black and changed all components to black and changed to locking tuners, nut and roller bridge. super playable and great guitar now.
Great review thanks for the upload. If I can add some value. The bridge pick up is probably quieter because the two pups are of the same construction....the strings 'vibrate' less nearer the bridge so the electrical output from the bridge pick up is less. Compensated bridge pups are normally 'over wound' compared to neck to allow for this. On the flip side I can't ever remember ever switching pups in the middle of a song but, your mileage may vary. 😎
Glad you enjoyed the video, and thanks for the info! I read around a bit on this too since I uploaded the video, and I think you're absolutely right. And no, I don't think I've ever done a pickup change during a song either! Maybe one day ;) Thanks for watching!
Thanks a lot! I haven't played an Edwards LP with P90s, but I have played a couple with humbuckers, and they were both fantastic (not to mention way cheaper than an equivalent Gibson). I'd love to try a P90 version too one day! I would have very high hopes for it :)
Thanks man! What, double the price?! I knew it wasn't cheap to post things from Europe to Australia, but that's crazy! Almost seems like it'd be worth your while getting a crate of 16 sent and selling the rest for a bit of profit ;) Still, I hope you're enjoying yours as much I am this one! To be perfectly honest, this would be a top guitar even at twice the price.
@@RichWordsMusic Ordered on Thursday, it should be here middle of next week. We used to be able to get 3 guitars here for 50Euro via DHL, only UPS express since this damn virus.
@@650thunderbird Of course, this year things are a bot different. But 3 for 50 is a much better deal. Hopefully that comes back when the world is back to normal again!
Killer demo Rich! Did your friend have to drill extra holes in the back to install the Grover tuners? I’m not having issues with mine but I already have a set laying around and I was wondering how easy it would be to do?
Love my Harley 450P90GT and upgraded Gotoh 501 delta 21:1 and my #1 go to . can't believe I overlooked an snubbed the P90s all those years in favor of humbuckers also added a Vintage V100P90GT it tunes sooo amazingly good sometimes I'm scratching my head trying to decide but no mas vol or pedals and the hb drives the front end of my '55 3knob 5E5 tweed pro clone harder an I like to romp so usual the hbgt
Ha ha, it's the same for me... took me way too long to discover the magic of P90s, but now I love them! There's something special about them. The V100P90GT is a great guitar too. Rock on!
@@Anjohl I totally agree. They're sparkly and bitey and have this aggressive mid range honk that can sound ugly if you don't tame it. That's a sound which is perfect for some kinds of music, of course, but not everything! I think it's a pickup every player should experience at least once in their lives, though :)
Hi Rich, comprehensive range of paces you put the guitar through and a very good review, many thanks. Could I ask a question: What is the weight of the guitar? Am not asking exact measures, only rather the feeling you got: heftiness or on the lighter side? I do all my practice and most of my playing standing up so this is an important aspect. Thanks again.
Thanks, glad you found the video useful! The guitar's definitely not light, but it's not too heavy either. It's a little under 4 kg in weight, so about 8.5 lbs. Not too backbreaking for a Les Paul-style guitar, and I think if you have a nice thick strap you'll be fine playing standing up with it for longer periods. Cheers!
What?? A guitar review where not one single note/lead in pentatonic box one key of A, is played??? Unheard of! Great rhythm playing. That guitar hints on some early Pete Townsend, Jay Mascis, a little Replacements and good punk vibe. Nice review, nice playing!
Ha ha, thanks a lot! I'm a rhythm player through and through, so that's what I play here - like you say, there's enough widdling in all the other videos ;) And yes, this guitar is great for punk stuff, and indie strumming... which is most of what I do! I'd recommend it to anybody.
Thanks for all the demos! I'm starting on my journey to learn guitar and got a cheap second hand SC-450 with humbuckers, but unfortunately it has some issues and buzzes no matter how much I adjust the truss rod. Think I'll upgrade in the near future and buy a new HB but torn between the DC Junior FAT and the SC Custom II with P90s (I like how they sound). No experience with P90s so worried that the hum is gonna be too annoying (you mention here that you used a noise gate). The DC Junior FAT is probably more versatile if you like playing a bit of everything including gain heavy rock power chords? I'm also attracted by its simplicity (I rarely switch between PUs, too much to think about).
Hi Marc, glad you’re enjoying my videos! Welcome to the world of guitar - it’s an awesome (potentially expensive!) place. That’s a shame about your SC-450. There’s a couple of other things you could potentially check for to try and reduce the buzzing, namely checking the guitar’s action is not too low, and that all the frets themselves are well done and level. If it’s mostly heavier music you play, and you use lots of gain, you might have a hard time with the P90s. They can get noisy! That said, pulling back on the gain a bit can really help, and in the worst case a noise gate will do a job for you (they have their drawbacks too though, like killing off sustain, etc.). But if you dig the P90s sound, you need P90s! And the SC Custom II looks like a great guitar. Don’t forget that the DC Junior FAT pickup is splittable too, so it also offers you a single coil sound. It’s not as P90-like as the ones here, or the ones on the SC Custom II would be, but it’s a decent sound. Overall, the DC Junior FAT is amazingly versatile considering how simple it is though, and it does many different styles of music well. One other thing to consider is the neck profile. I’ve not played the SC Custom II with P90s, but the Thomann website says it has a ‘Modern C’ shape neck, and that’ll mean it’s a lot smaller in the hand than the DC Junior FAT. If you dig a bigger neck, the DC Junoir FAT is the way to go. Oops, I’ve written a lot there but I hope it’s helpful!
Why change the tuners? If they where broken i understand. But they have absolutly nothing to do with stay in tune on a guitar. Thats the nut job. Maybe just put a little grafit on the nut and job done.
You're right Thias, the nut is probably more important (and you'll notice the nut was changed on this guitar too). But tuners can affect the tuning too, certainly. You can run into problems with some tuners (mostly the cheap ones) for a couple of main reasons. Firstly, they have a poor tuning ratio, so it's not always possible to tune precisely in the first place! And secondly, they're sometimes not strong enough to handle the tension from the strings, and so they 'slip', and you go out of tune! So that's why you'll often see people upgrade the tuners and the nut on cheaper guitars.
I have that model. I took off the pick guard and the pup switch chicklet. I'm a finger-picker, so I'm not likely to scratch the finish, and I just didn't like the look of the chicklet.
Just checked out a couple of your videos and I dig your style and performances! That Harmony hollowbody is lovely. This Harley Benton is a nice guitar, and it fits your style well I guess. Plus it definitely looks better without the pickguard :) Rock on!
Thanks! Yeah, I just saw the new TV Yellow one, and it looks lovely. Interesting that the Special is significantly pricier, but that'll be down to the Roswell pickups, improved hardware and mahogany body/neck I guess. I'm so tempted to get the Special and compare these two! As an aside, for just a tiny bit more (10 Euros or so) you can get the DC Junior FAT, which has an ebony fingerboard and Wilkinson hardware. Choices choices! I have the Ferris Blue one which is sold out now (and I love it), but it's still around in Faded Cherry: www.thomann.de/harley_benton_dc_junior_fat_faded_cherry.htm?partner_id=54744 And to spam you with yet more info and confusion, here's a vid I did comparing the Goldtop here with my DC Junior Fat for good measure: ua-cam.com/video/K3C3gJHhv18/v-deo.html
@@RichWordsMusic The comparison would be interesting and was the first thing that hit me. Seems somebody could let you borrow one for that. I still think I would like this one as I like to tinker so modding would be fun.
@@Steven_SK I agree. Let me see if I can somehow get hold of one. I'd certainly enjoy the chance to do that! Without having ever seen the Special in person, I'd say they're both great modding platforms, although the Gold top is kind of begging for a few upgrades. And I love the gold finish and the carved top, so those are big plus points for me.
Silly question (as I've ordered one) do you know what the pick up dimensions are???? As I'm hoping to order some irongear platinum p90 pick ups in chrome tomorrow and hoping the dimensions are a straight plop in 😁, I cannot find any info any where
No, sorry! I don't have this guitar any more (I had to give it back to my friend) but I believe they're standard dogear P90 size... so while I reckon they'll be a straight drop in job, I can't be 100% sure. Drop a message to HB and they'll let you know!
Hi, there is an SC-450 Plus model with a mahogany body, but it has humbuckers and a flame top, so not quite the same. It's this one, and I've not played it myself, so I can't comment on it really: redir.love/thoprod/362628?partner_id=54744 There is also a P90-equipped SC Special, which has two P90s and a mahogany body, but it's a TV Yellow color and a thinner body - I haven't played this one either, but it looks awesome and I would love to test it one day: redir.love/thoprod/489638?partner_id=54744
Hi Rich, Very well detailed video on this HB model. It's also timely as I just received this very P90 Gold Top model from Germany (to the US) a few days ago. Was the bridge and tail piece upgraded? (Mainly the bridge is my concern) I prefer the Thumb Wheels rather then the screws for height adjustment if available, but either style would work for me if it's a better quality bridge. Finding one that will fit with out mods or drilling is my concern. I really do not want to change the bridge bushings also if that can be avoided. If you could share if your friend upgraded the bridge and what make and model bridge he used that would be super helpful. Thanks and well done...All the best. Phil NYC Area
Hi Phil, happy new guitar day to you! I hope you're enjoying yours despite the concerns. I asked my friend and he did not change the bridge. Now, I would assume that the generic HB ones are made to the same sizes as more expensive, higher quality counterparts, but I'm not 100% sure. What I would recommend is you drop HB a quick email or message and I am sure they can let you know before you go ahead and buy something. Hope that works out, and you're able to find a replacement you're happier with! All the best, Rich P.S. If you do get some info back, please share it here! That's also something I'm interested to know for the future.
@@RichWordsMusic Thanks for that info Rich. I did follow up with Thomann's, the dealer in Germany, after I had posted my comment on here a few days ago. I will call up that info and post it here for you and your followers. Note: I did not realize I could contact HB directly. I didn't find any email for them. Would you have it by any chance? I'll follow up when I get home with those bridge specs for you and anyone interested...Thanks. Phil
@@uptownphotography OK, thanks for that Phil. I had assumed HB had an actual email address on their contact page, but it's actually a contact form: harleybenton.com/contact/ There is an email on their Imprint/Info page, but it's just a fairly generic Thomann email, so probably not worth pursuing. Looking forward to hearing what you find out!
Great Video! Great Playing! Great Sounds! Subscribed! I love your videos cause you dont talk 20 minuits straight like Henning. I like the sound at 13:30 so thick and smooth! Could you please upload the preset to the app? I can not find an email adress for Hughes&Kettner. The warrenty is allreaddy over. My Grandmeister broke the third time. (My other 3 H&K are working great)
Cheers Marc, I'm glad you liked it! Yeah, Henning talks for everyone so I don't need to ;) I don't work for H&K any more and I don't have the app. These are just my sounds on my own amp, but I will get some screenshots for you and share them. You should write to artists@musicandsales.com - that gets you directly to the H&K team :) Sucks that t broke three times... normally the reliability on those amps was very good.
@@RichWordsMusic Thanks for Responding! So H&K have to find a new „englisch guy“ now😂 What are you doing at the moment? (as a Job) Thoughts on the Nano Spirit of… series? I hope they do them as Pedals one day.
@@marcmadler454 No worries! Yep, they need a new guy now ;) I left there to become Marketing Director at BluGuitar... so I'm still in the business! You can see me getting introduced there too if you like: ua-cam.com/video/sL4hx9rIlyA/v-deo.html I played the Nano Spirits a lot before I left and I like them (they sound great, especially the Vintage!), but they're kind of a novelty, almost like a cool toy. I like more versatility (and reverb!) and so for me I much prefer the full-size Black Spirit 200 head. I agree with you about a pedal version - in my opinion that would've made much more sense. If H&K are clever, there will be pedals coming too in future ;)
@@RichWordsMusic I have the Nano Vintage and Nano Rock and The Black Spirit 200 and a Tubemeister Deluxe 20(My first H&K) and a Grandmeister Deluxe 40 and I love all of them! I wish they would make me a Signature Amp for me with these specs (H&K if youre reading this please make me one): - only 1 Channel, thats voiced like the Spirit of Rock (With the Spirit Tone Generator) - Controls: Gain, Volume, Treble, Highmids, Lowmids, Bass, Presence, Resonance, Reverb, Master - Effects Loop in the Back - Noise Gate Control in the Back - Red Box Amp Simulation - 2,20,200 Watts Power I would pay up to 1500 for this Amp! Cause I think the Black Spirit/Grandmeister is a bit to complicated/overwhelming in front of you and I just use my Volume to get Clean like many Guitarists. (Like this comment if you think H&K should make an amp like this.)
@@marcmadler454 I agree. A single channel amp with 2 mid knobs and reverb and FX loop would be great! Or they should make the 4 channels of the black spirit as pedals.
Did your friend have to do any moding to change out the tuners, or did they just drop in? Another problem with moding HB guitars is that most standard after market parts won't work on HB, bridges, tail pieces, tuners, some volume and tone knobs, HB stock parts are just a tiny bit off with their sizes. Some companies could make a fortune making quality after market parts for HB guitars!!
I'll ask him, but he did tell me he was just able to drop them in. I'll drop him another line and check. There were certainly no extra telltale screw holes or anything on the headstock, but I suppose they could be hidden. I do wonder why this is often the case with HB models... it doesn't make much sense to not make them easily compatible with higher quality hardware parts that people would logically want to mod them with!
@@RichWordsMusic Thanks Rich, I would appreciate that. The tuners themselves should just "drop right in", I believe HBs have modern 10mm tuner holes. But yeah, it's the screw holes.
Interesting. I have heard the finishes have been variable on these, but the one I have here is a good one. Any before /after pics of yours floating around? Would love to see the difference. And yes, Klusons will look great and be a definite upgrade in the tuning stability stakes too!
Is your power as clean as your walls? My p90 picks up lots of Hum I’m thinking of swapping for a stacked one. I know it’ll mean a tone change. Did you notice much of a difference between this and the Ferris Fat stacks? P.S. When I was a child and we were asked what we wanted to be when we grow up. Whilst most 4 year olds said, Firemen,astronaut, Doctor and the like I said, Fat lazy and rich... I’ve only managed the first too, if only My parents would have had the foresight to name me Richard my childhood dream would have been accomplished. I guess I’ll Just keep buying these beautiful budget friendly guitars 😂. Have a great week Sir
Ha ha, well I'm Rich by name only, so I also only got blessed with the first two! Although I wanted to be a football-playing ambulance driver, and that didn't work out either. Yeah, my walls suck. I need to put stuff on them! But German power is clean and efficient, oh yes. The stacked Ferris sounds great but it's not a real P90... it doesn't quite do the snap and bite that these ones do, in either mode. If you must have the genuine P90 sound you'll need to live with the fuzz (the noise gate on my Black Spirit 200 does a great job of removing it though) but if you only want the essence of it the Ferris is good enough. For me, I love my Ferris for other stuff but I'm hassling my friend who owns this Goldtop daily to sell it to me :) Have a good one!
🤣 good luck with the gold top I’m petitioning several people to... “gift” me an Ibanez ( till I can buy my own) 🤣🤘🏽 PS your walls are fine they allow the True color of the instrument to be represented. Unlike the freaky red like some thumbs folks have!
@@PooNinja Ha ha, I just wonder how Andy is going to cope when he gets a red guitar in! Cheers, maybe this video will push my guy over the edge and he'll sell. I'd take it as a gift too though.
I actually reckon pretty well! There are other guitars more naturally suited to surf (I'm thinking primarily of guitars with single coil pickups and vibrato bridges here), but you'd have no problems using some drippy reverb and dialing in some surfy tones with this one either :)
@@williambelford9661 Awesome, I'm sure it'll be great! Let me know your thoughts on it once it arrives and you've had a chance to plug it in and play a bit...
Bought one! plays really well sounds good, but on High gain settings when my selector switch is on treble or rythm I get crazy noise. can hear it between notes, and I play quite fast.
Hmm, that's a little strange... I mean, P90s are loud on high gain, sure, but it shouldn't be THAT loud. Have you got a noise gate pedal you can try with it to see if you can isolate the problem? Otherwise it might be worth contacting Thomann and asking them to sort it out. Shame it's happened seeing as everything else about the guitar you're so pleased with.
@@RichWordsMusic No i don't in my amp there is a little noise, when I usa plugin amp + distortion pedal it's really annoying. Spent the day shielding it, it's way better now
Looks like a decent mod platform, though I worry about some of the cheaper materials they are using. I mean, would it have killed them to up the price $30-$40 and put a better fretboard on it, and maybe better tuners?
Yeah, I know what you mean. My guess is that the guitar was built to a specific price point over everything else - this is literally the cheapest guitar of its kind (at its particular quality level) out there. Harley Benton have started making newer models with rosewood boards and Grover/Gotoh tuners and hardware on them though, so they might do a newer version of this one at some point. I think that'd be a great idea - I'm like you, and I'd totally pay the extra money for the added quality!
@@Anjohl That's the other thing. I don't own this specific guitar, but I've had a couple of other HB guitars (the TE-62 Tele and the JA-60 offset) where I ordered them already knowing what I wanted to upgrade... I still haven't made a single mod to either because I've not deemed it necessary!
I don't know how they do this guitars at this price. Even with the upgrades it is still affordable. I guess you do know but can't reveal trade secrets hahaha Is it there any way you can find out which kind of pickups (ceramic or alnico) are the ones in the CST 24T P90? weird enough there is no details on the details, neither in Thomann or Harley Benton's webs. Would be nice to know how this ones compare to those. This ones are ceramic if I recall right.
Me neither, it's actually crazy. And dangerous for some of the other brands who are competing - some will need to up their game to survive. I know a few things, but not all ;) My guess is with Harley Benton (1) they obviously buy direct, so there's no distributor or middleman or anything, and (b) they order such massive quantities all the parts are super cheap. But the final secrets I guess only a handful of top secret Thomann people know ;) I would love to know everything about that actually! Let me ask around with the guys I know about the CST 24 P90! Possibly they're ceramic as I guess that's a more modern-looking guitar, and so higher output. But this is just a guess.
@@RichWordsMusic Good thing is other distributors are trying to step up their game with house brands also. Hard to catch HB, but they are getting closer. Gear4music for example, if I am right they have more than one house brand. And about the CST 24T, I also assume it is ceramic, if it would be Alnico they would be bragging about it, but still would be good to know. I don't get why sometimes people see ceramics as lesser, it is just a different thing. Yes, cheaper, but doesn't mean always bad. Thanks man!
@@marcomostroso Yes, I mean they have to fight against it. G4M has a bunch of brands. Funny that they didn't really start to work with UA-camrs yet, as the big channels really expose the guitars to a much bigger audience. This is a major factor in HB's success, in my opinion. For me, it's all about this simple question: does it sound good? Because if it does, it IS good! No matter what it's made of or howm much it costs :) I'll let you know if I hear something there.
@@RichWordsMusic Thanks man! And yes, I totally agree with you. The only one I have seen featuring G4M stuff is Dave Simpson with SubZero and G4M branded gear. Curious they have only worked with him so far. Cheers!
@@marcomostroso Yeah, I wonder why they chose Dave... I mean, he has a great channel, of course! But it would be interesting to know why they reached out only to him. He does play a lot of 'affordable' gear, maybe that's why! He would be cool to interview as well, I think. Rock on!
Need to change the bridge pot. Bring it down to 330k or 250k to darken it up a tad. Sounds too brittle as it is. Output might drop a bit... so maybe swap the pickups and adjust the pots accordingly. Intonation sounds very good for a cheap guitar.
That might be an option. I do dig a lot of high end and treble in my tone though! But you'd certainly be able to mellow it up by doing some pot swapping. Not sure if the pickups need changing though, they're very good as is, as you say for a cheap guitar too! Rock on :)
@@RichWordsMusic I meant swap the pickup positions, rather than swap out new pickups. I could have stated that better. 😲 Good luck with your project. I have the SC Custom w/P-90's and couldn't be happier. But i did swap out the 500K pots using 330K tocos, 2w carbon. Linear, unfortunately. Anyway, it is a really nice combo that brings out the best in those roswell pickups. You could just parallel a 1meg ohm resiator across the outside pins of the volume pots to get an idea if it's something you'll like. But i would just go for it. Pots are cheap.
@@muimasmacho Ah right, that might also be an option! I've never really thought about actually swapping the two pickups over. You're right too, pots are cheap! So I'm pretty sure there will be some experimentation going on in the not-too-distant future. Thanks for the tips :)
@@RichWordsMusic I see sound like I See colours. You can tweak a high contrast picture better than a dark picture. You can tweak the EQ on the pedal and or amp. To get dark pick ups bright makes it sound muddy if that makes any sense. Just my opinion, not knocking anyone's opinion, I'm just going from my experiments with this same issue.
@@colinfarel You have synesthesia? I know someone who has that very strongly... I kind of wish I could experience it too! I see what you mean, and I think you're right - better to just get a set of brighter pickups if that's what you want. At the end of the day, tone is such a personal thing to each of us that whatever sounds good to us (me, you, Mui who made the comment here) IS good! Even if no one else likes it, as long as we're happy with our own sound ;)
First (that's for you Michiel!). For all of you on mobiles, here's all the chapter times, enjoy:
00:00 Hello!
0:12 Why this video and intro to the SC-450
1:16 SC-450 info and specs
3:08 Clean sounds
7:52 Tone control test
8:25 More clean sounds
10:05 Crunch sounds: classic rock and indie
13:28 Pop punk sounds
14:45 Volume control test
15:00 More pop punk sounds
16:12 Crunchier/alt rock stuff
18:07 Hard rock
18:36 Conclusion
Sure just cause you know when your uploading. You may get First this time but we’ll be refreshing our browser frantically till the next episode!
@@PooNinja Bwa ha ha, challenge accepted!
Good review 👍 any ideas on how heavy the guitar is?
@@hollywoodactress Thanks, glad you liked it! I just put the guitar on my kitchen scales... it's 4150g, or 9.2 lbs. So not light, but not too heavy either.
The problem with HB guitars is that they play way to good for the price, my son thinks that it time to move up to a more expensive guitar, but there aren't a lot of midrange guitars (5-600 dollar range) that don't play as well as a 300 dollar (or less)HB
Yes, I agree with this 100% Karl! I was just saying to someone else in another comment that I think HB are a really dangerous proposition for other beginner/affordable guitar lines. I did a video of this guitar up against a 2020 Epiphone SG, and the difference is really not as clear as you might expect. Factor in the price, and it raises real questions of whether that 'upgrade' is worth it. It almost seems like you'd need to go up to a US-built Fender or Gibson model to make a step up, and they're priced way higher. But for much cheaper you could stick top quality pickups and hardware on the HB and have a world-beater for under $500... I think older players will always want the brand name on their headstock, but for younger players like your son, it's more about what performs best, and not what name is written on it. So, dangerous times for the established brands trying to compete with HB...
Just buy a different Harley Benton model and be happy
Tell your son to work and save his money, then he can buy whatever he likes 👍
@@Gueli Best answer ever!
Thing is... $$$ do not always mean BETTER anymore. These "cheaper" guitars "almost" rival the expensive stuff... if the NECK is good (frets etc) then good tuners, PU's if you don't like the tone you already have, and New pots.. and it'll be just as good as a "big bucker"... Name on the headstock does NOT effect the SOUND.. the PARTS do that..... they are ALL machined on CNC routers...
oh man... I have one of those too! Amazing guitar. Loved the playing BTW. Also, it felt cool that I'm not the only one who took the scratch plate off the thing!
Thanks, glad you enjoyed the music! And yes, it's such a great guitar, especially when you consider the price. It's funny: with most LPs I'd leave the scratch plate on... but this goldtop/P90 look is perfect without one! Rock on :)
Strings vibrate with a smaller amplitude closer to the bridge so setting two equivalent pick-ups at the same distance from the strings will always create an inbalance. This is why bridge pick-ups are usually wound stronger than others. Mine are usually set closer to the strings too.
Thanks for the info Leo! That makes sense. I knew bridge pickups were normally wound hotter, but I imagined this would compensate for the physical positioning! Time to get the bridge pickup raised a bit then :)
dude, best guitar review ever! really. liked the way you showcased the pickups and the tone controls. great playing too! keep up the great work!
Thanks so much! I am really glad you enjoyed it. More videos like this to come :)
I absolutely love mine and have become a massive P90 fan since 👍😎👍😎
Yeah, they're great guitars and totally helped turn me on to P90s as well! Rock on!
Once again, your A/B tone comparisons are the only ones, Rich that show the diversity of natural tones as the basis from which to build. Thanks again, man! :^)
Thanks so much Gary, I'm really happy you find the comparisons useful! They're a lot of work but also a hell of a lot if fun to make. Cheers and rock on!
15:00 this song is called „every uplifting Song we‘ve ever made“ by Foo Fighters
Ha ha, yeah exactly, I love that one!
Best bargain that HB do!
I have two....they sound amazing.
Yep, they're fantastic guitars indeed. Sound, feel and playability is all exceptional for the price!
Love the solid monster rhythm playing,just killer ! I'm takin' notes
Thanks man, glad you enjoyed it! I love to keep things simple and solid whenever I can - I'm a huge Malcolm Young fan!
have switched out to bare knuckles in black and changed all components to black and changed to locking tuners, nut and roller bridge. super playable and great guitar now.
That sounds like a pretty sweet guitar! I love a black/gold look... any pics of yours anywhere?
may i ask where you got the roller bridge? will a standard one fit? @23skidoo46
Great review thanks for the upload.
If I can add some value.
The bridge pick up is probably quieter because the two pups are of the same construction....the strings 'vibrate' less nearer the bridge so the electrical output from the bridge pick up is less.
Compensated bridge pups are normally 'over wound' compared to neck to allow for this.
On the flip side I can't ever remember ever switching pups in the middle of a song but, your mileage may vary. 😎
Glad you enjoyed the video, and thanks for the info! I read around a bit on this too since I uploaded the video, and I think you're absolutely right. And no, I don't think I've ever done a pickup change during a song either! Maybe one day ;) Thanks for watching!
Great demo on doing tones the proper way..cheers.. thoughts on the edwards version of the p90 gt?
Thanks a lot! I haven't played an Edwards LP with P90s, but I have played a couple with humbuckers, and they were both fantastic (not to mention way cheaper than an equivalent Gibson). I'd love to try a P90 version too one day! I would have very high hopes for it :)
Good review once again, mate! I bit the bullet on one, even though it cost nearly the price of the guitar again, for postage. Australia tax :(
Thanks man! What, double the price?! I knew it wasn't cheap to post things from Europe to Australia, but that's crazy! Almost seems like it'd be worth your while getting a crate of 16 sent and selling the rest for a bit of profit ;) Still, I hope you're enjoying yours as much I am this one! To be perfectly honest, this would be a top guitar even at twice the price.
@@RichWordsMusic Ordered on Thursday, it should be here middle of next week. We used to be able to get 3 guitars here for 50Euro via DHL, only UPS express since this damn virus.
@@650thunderbird Of course, this year things are a bot different. But 3 for 50 is a much better deal. Hopefully that comes back when the world is back to normal again!
Great Job Ritchie! \m/
Thank you sir!
Killer demo Rich! Did your friend have to drill extra holes in the back to install the Grover tuners? I’m not having issues with mine but I already have a set laying around and I was wondering how easy it would be to do?
Thank you sir! No, my friend found Grovers that just dropped right in - no drilling needed. Pretty sure it's these ones: bit.ly/rwmLPGrovers
@@RichWordsMusic Awesome! Thank you!
@@Tiago_007 No worries!
Love my Harley 450P90GT and upgraded Gotoh 501 delta 21:1 and my #1 go to . can't believe I overlooked an snubbed the P90s all those years in favor of humbuckers also added a Vintage V100P90GT it tunes sooo amazingly good sometimes I'm scratching my head trying to decide but no mas vol or pedals and the hb drives the front end of my '55 3knob 5E5 tweed pro clone harder an I like to romp so usual the hbgt
Ha ha, it's the same for me... took me way too long to discover the magic of P90s, but now I love them! There's something special about them. The V100P90GT is a great guitar too. Rock on!
@@RichWordsMusic I think P90's are easy to get wrong, as in, you need to learn how to rein them in properly.
@@Anjohl I totally agree. They're sparkly and bitey and have this aggressive mid range honk that can sound ugly if you don't tame it. That's a sound which is perfect for some kinds of music, of course, but not everything! I think it's a pickup every player should experience at least once in their lives, though :)
Hi Rich, comprehensive range of paces you put the guitar through and a very good review, many thanks. Could I ask a question: What is the weight of the guitar? Am not asking exact measures, only rather the feeling you got: heftiness or on the lighter side? I do all my practice and most of my playing standing up so this is an important aspect. Thanks again.
Thanks, glad you found the video useful! The guitar's definitely not light, but it's not too heavy either. It's a little under 4 kg in weight, so about 8.5 lbs. Not too backbreaking for a Les Paul-style guitar, and I think if you have a nice thick strap you'll be fine playing standing up with it for longer periods. Cheers!
What?? A guitar review where not one single note/lead in pentatonic box one key of A, is played??? Unheard of! Great rhythm playing. That guitar hints on some early Pete Townsend, Jay Mascis, a little Replacements and good punk vibe. Nice review, nice playing!
Ha ha, thanks a lot! I'm a rhythm player through and through, so that's what I play here - like you say, there's enough widdling in all the other videos ;) And yes, this guitar is great for punk stuff, and indie strumming... which is most of what I do! I'd recommend it to anybody.
Picking up a used one in mint condition tomorrow for $200!!!
Sounds like a sweet deal, hope you love it!
Thanks for all the demos! I'm starting on my journey to learn guitar and got a cheap second hand SC-450 with humbuckers, but unfortunately it has some issues and buzzes no matter how much I adjust the truss rod. Think I'll upgrade in the near future and buy a new HB but torn between the DC Junior FAT and the SC Custom II with P90s (I like how they sound). No experience with P90s so worried that the hum is gonna be too annoying (you mention here that you used a noise gate). The DC Junior FAT is probably more versatile if you like playing a bit of everything including gain heavy rock power chords? I'm also attracted by its simplicity (I rarely switch between PUs, too much to think about).
Hi Marc, glad you’re enjoying my videos! Welcome to the world of guitar - it’s an awesome (potentially expensive!) place.
That’s a shame about your SC-450. There’s a couple of other things you could potentially check for to try and reduce the buzzing, namely checking the guitar’s action is not too low, and that all the frets themselves are well done and level.
If it’s mostly heavier music you play, and you use lots of gain, you might have a hard time with the P90s. They can get noisy! That said, pulling back on the gain a bit can really help, and in the worst case a noise gate will do a job for you (they have their drawbacks too though, like killing off sustain, etc.). But if you dig the P90s sound, you need P90s! And the SC Custom II looks like a great guitar.
Don’t forget that the DC Junior FAT pickup is splittable too, so it also offers you a single coil sound. It’s not as P90-like as the ones here, or the ones on the SC Custom II would be, but it’s a decent sound. Overall, the DC Junior FAT is amazingly versatile considering how simple it is though, and it does many different styles of music well.
One other thing to consider is the neck profile. I’ve not played the SC Custom II with P90s, but the Thomann website says it has a ‘Modern C’ shape neck, and that’ll mean it’s a lot smaller in the hand than the DC Junior FAT. If you dig a bigger neck, the DC Junoir FAT is the way to go. Oops, I’ve written a lot there but I hope it’s helpful!
@@RichWordsMusic Yes very helpful! Thanks again for all the good tips.
@@marca.2235 No worries, any time!
I love mine ! Great guitar.
It is a great guitar. And not just for the price - it's a great guitar, period. Glad you're enjoying yours Ed :)
Cool video
What amp are you playing through?
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! I was playing through my Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 head, using the Red Box DI.
ay just bought one...and its amazing vith the P90 YYGD pickups.
Yeah, these are amazing value for money... happy new guitar day and enjoy yours!
Why change the tuners? If they where broken i understand. But they have absolutly nothing to do with stay in tune on a guitar. Thats the nut job.
Maybe just put a little grafit on the nut and job done.
You're right Thias, the nut is probably more important (and you'll notice the nut was changed on this guitar too). But tuners can affect the tuning too, certainly. You can run into problems with some tuners (mostly the cheap ones) for a couple of main reasons. Firstly, they have a poor tuning ratio, so it's not always possible to tune precisely in the first place! And secondly, they're sometimes not strong enough to handle the tension from the strings, and so they 'slip', and you go out of tune! So that's why you'll often see people upgrade the tuners and the nut on cheaper guitars.
I have that model. I took off the pick guard and the pup switch chicklet. I'm a finger-picker, so I'm not likely to scratch the finish, and I just didn't like the look of the chicklet.
Just checked out a couple of your videos and I dig your style and performances! That Harmony hollowbody is lovely. This Harley Benton is a nice guitar, and it fits your style well I guess. Plus it definitely looks better without the pickguard :) Rock on!
Very well done
Thank you!
Nice Demo! I have been on the fence on this one for a while and to add to the confusion there is now a Special in TV yellow?
Thanks! Yeah, I just saw the new TV Yellow one, and it looks lovely. Interesting that the Special is significantly pricier, but that'll be down to the Roswell pickups, improved hardware and mahogany body/neck I guess. I'm so tempted to get the Special and compare these two!
As an aside, for just a tiny bit more (10 Euros or so) you can get the DC Junior FAT, which has an ebony fingerboard and Wilkinson hardware. Choices choices! I have the Ferris Blue one which is sold out now (and I love it), but it's still around in Faded Cherry: www.thomann.de/harley_benton_dc_junior_fat_faded_cherry.htm?partner_id=54744
And to spam you with yet more info and confusion, here's a vid I did comparing the Goldtop here with my DC Junior Fat for good measure: ua-cam.com/video/K3C3gJHhv18/v-deo.html
@@RichWordsMusic The comparison would be interesting and was the first thing that hit me. Seems somebody could let you borrow one for that. I still think I would like this one as I like to tinker so modding would be fun.
@@Steven_SK I agree. Let me see if I can somehow get hold of one. I'd certainly enjoy the chance to do that! Without having ever seen the Special in person, I'd say they're both great modding platforms, although the Gold top is kind of begging for a few upgrades. And I love the gold finish and the carved top, so those are big plus points for me.
Silly question (as I've ordered one) do you know what the pick up dimensions are???? As I'm hoping to order some irongear platinum p90 pick ups in chrome tomorrow and hoping the dimensions are a straight plop in 😁, I cannot find any info any where
No, sorry! I don't have this guitar any more (I had to give it back to my friend) but I believe they're standard dogear P90 size... so while I reckon they'll be a straight drop in job, I can't be 100% sure. Drop a message to HB and they'll let you know!
Hello, is there a MAHOGANY version? Not a fan of basswood.
Hi, there is an SC-450 Plus model with a mahogany body, but it has humbuckers and a flame top, so not quite the same. It's this one, and I've not played it myself, so I can't comment on it really: redir.love/thoprod/362628?partner_id=54744
There is also a P90-equipped SC Special, which has two P90s and a mahogany body, but it's a TV Yellow color and a thinner body - I haven't played this one either, but it looks awesome and I would love to test it one day: redir.love/thoprod/489638?partner_id=54744
Hi Rich, Very well detailed video on this HB model.
It's also timely as I just received this very P90 Gold Top model from Germany (to the US) a few days ago.
Was the bridge and tail piece upgraded? (Mainly the bridge is my concern)
I prefer the Thumb Wheels rather then the screws for height adjustment if available, but either style would work for me if it's a better quality bridge.
Finding one that will fit with out mods or drilling is my concern. I really do not want to change the bridge bushings also if that can be avoided.
If you could share if your friend upgraded the bridge and what make and model bridge he used that would be super helpful. Thanks and well done...All the best.
Phil
NYC Area
Hi Phil, happy new guitar day to you! I hope you're enjoying yours despite the concerns. I asked my friend and he did not change the bridge.
Now, I would assume that the generic HB ones are made to the same sizes as more expensive, higher quality counterparts, but I'm not 100% sure. What I would recommend is you drop HB a quick email or message and I am sure they can let you know before you go ahead and buy something. Hope that works out, and you're able to find a replacement you're happier with! All the best, Rich
P.S. If you do get some info back, please share it here! That's also something I'm interested to know for the future.
@@RichWordsMusic Thanks for that info Rich. I did follow up with Thomann's, the dealer in Germany, after I had posted my comment on here a few days ago. I will call up that info and post it here for you and your followers.
Note: I did not realize I could contact HB directly. I didn't find any email for them. Would you have it by any chance? I'll follow up when I get home with those bridge specs for you and anyone interested...Thanks.
Phil
@@uptownphotography OK, thanks for that Phil. I had assumed HB had an actual email address on their contact page, but it's actually a contact form: harleybenton.com/contact/
There is an email on their Imprint/Info page, but it's just a fairly generic Thomann email, so probably not worth pursuing. Looking forward to hearing what you find out!
Great Video! Great Playing! Great Sounds! Subscribed!
I love your videos cause you dont talk 20 minuits straight like Henning.
I like the sound at 13:30 so thick and smooth!
Could you please upload the preset to the app?
I can not find an email adress for Hughes&Kettner. The warrenty is allreaddy over.
My Grandmeister broke the third time. (My other 3 H&K are working great)
Cheers Marc, I'm glad you liked it! Yeah, Henning talks for everyone so I don't need to ;)
I don't work for H&K any more and I don't have the app. These are just my sounds on my own amp, but I will get some screenshots for you and share them. You should write to artists@musicandsales.com - that gets you directly to the H&K team :) Sucks that t broke three times... normally the reliability on those amps was very good.
@@RichWordsMusic Thanks for Responding!
So H&K have to find a new „englisch guy“ now😂
What are you doing at the moment? (as a Job)
Thoughts on the Nano Spirit of… series?
I hope they do them as Pedals one day.
@@marcmadler454 No worries! Yep, they need a new guy now ;) I left there to become Marketing Director at BluGuitar... so I'm still in the business! You can see me getting introduced there too if you like: ua-cam.com/video/sL4hx9rIlyA/v-deo.html
I played the Nano Spirits a lot before I left and I like them (they sound great, especially the Vintage!), but they're kind of a novelty, almost like a cool toy. I like more versatility (and reverb!) and so for me I much prefer the full-size Black Spirit 200 head. I agree with you about a pedal version - in my opinion that would've made much more sense. If H&K are clever, there will be pedals coming too in future ;)
@@RichWordsMusic I have the Nano Vintage and Nano Rock and The Black Spirit 200 and a Tubemeister Deluxe 20(My first H&K) and a Grandmeister Deluxe 40 and I love all of them!
I wish they would make me a Signature Amp for me with these specs (H&K if youre reading this please make me one):
- only 1 Channel, thats voiced like the Spirit of Rock (With the Spirit Tone Generator)
- Controls: Gain, Volume, Treble, Highmids, Lowmids, Bass, Presence, Resonance, Reverb, Master
- Effects Loop in the Back
- Noise Gate Control in the Back
- Red Box Amp Simulation
- 2,20,200 Watts Power
I would pay up to 1500 for this Amp! Cause I think the Black Spirit/Grandmeister is a bit to complicated/overwhelming in front of you and I just use my Volume to get Clean like many Guitarists.
(Like this comment if you think H&K should make an amp like this.)
@@marcmadler454 I agree. A single channel amp with 2 mid knobs and reverb and FX loop would be great!
Or they should make the 4 channels of the black spirit as pedals.
Did your friend have to do any moding to change out the tuners, or did they just drop in? Another problem with moding HB guitars is that most standard after market parts won't work on HB, bridges, tail pieces, tuners, some volume and tone knobs, HB stock parts are just a tiny bit off with their sizes. Some companies could make a fortune making quality after market parts for HB guitars!!
I'll ask him, but he did tell me he was just able to drop them in. I'll drop him another line and check. There were certainly no extra telltale screw holes or anything on the headstock, but I suppose they could be hidden. I do wonder why this is often the case with HB models... it doesn't make much sense to not make them easily compatible with higher quality hardware parts that people would logically want to mod them with!
@@RichWordsMusic Thanks Rich, I would appreciate that. The tuners themselves should just "drop right in", I believe HBs have modern 10mm tuner holes. But yeah, it's the screw holes.
@@Mr.56Goldtop Gotcha, I've asked my friend and will let you know what he says!
@@RichWordsMusic Great! Thank you!
@@Mr.56Goldtop So, he just checked it for me and said he didn't have to drill anything at all...
Love everything about mine except the color, the gold looks copper so in the process of repainting it. Got kluson tuners to complete the look as well
Interesting. I have heard the finishes have been variable on these, but the one I have here is a good one. Any before /after pics of yours floating around? Would love to see the difference. And yes, Klusons will look great and be a definite upgrade in the tuning stability stakes too!
@@RichWordsMusic the photos aren't current, I stripped it and restarted since the last one on there.
@@RichWordsMusic I thought I posted link to my ig. Apparently it got deleted. But it's in my profile on here same as my UA-cam name.
Is your power as clean as your walls? My p90 picks up lots of Hum I’m thinking of swapping for a stacked one. I know it’ll mean a tone change. Did you notice much of a difference between this and the Ferris Fat stacks?
P.S. When I was a child and we were asked what we wanted to be when we grow up. Whilst most 4 year olds said, Firemen,astronaut, Doctor and the like I said, Fat lazy and rich... I’ve only managed the first too, if only My parents would have had the foresight to name me Richard my childhood dream would have been accomplished. I guess I’ll Just keep buying these beautiful budget friendly guitars 😂. Have a great week Sir
Ha ha, well I'm Rich by name only, so I also only got blessed with the first two! Although I wanted to be a football-playing ambulance driver, and that didn't work out either.
Yeah, my walls suck. I need to put stuff on them! But German power is clean and efficient, oh yes. The stacked Ferris sounds great but it's not a real P90... it doesn't quite do the snap and bite that these ones do, in either mode. If you must have the genuine P90 sound you'll need to live with the fuzz (the noise gate on my Black Spirit 200 does a great job of removing it though) but if you only want the essence of it the Ferris is good enough. For me, I love my Ferris for other stuff but I'm hassling my friend who owns this Goldtop daily to sell it to me :) Have a good one!
🤣 good luck with the gold top I’m petitioning several people to... “gift” me an Ibanez ( till I can buy my own) 🤣🤘🏽
PS your walls are fine they allow the True color of the instrument to be represented. Unlike the freaky red like some thumbs folks have!
@@PooNinja Ha ha, I just wonder how Andy is going to cope when he gets a red guitar in! Cheers, maybe this video will push my guy over the edge and he'll sell. I'd take it as a gift too though.
WAS 'Sith Lord' on your list of future careers?
@@DMSProduktions Ha ha, it was indeed! The dark side wouldn't have me in the end, though.
How would this work for surf guitar?
I actually reckon pretty well! There are other guitars more naturally suited to surf (I'm thinking primarily of guitars with single coil pickups and vibrato bridges here), but you'd have no problems using some drippy reverb and dialing in some surfy tones with this one either :)
@@RichWordsMusic good, I've just ordered one, mainly because I like the tones from the P90s 🤘🤘
@@williambelford9661 Awesome, I'm sure it'll be great! Let me know your thoughts on it once it arrives and you've had a chance to plug it in and play a bit...
Hey Rich, don't understand, it's gold or orange?
Hey there, it's gold! It might sometimes look a little orange in the camera, but it's 100% a gold finish 👍
@@RichWordsMusic Ok, done, thank you very very much for this last detail man, love your reviews
@@KentaNozawa No worries, and thank you! Very happy to hear you enjoy my videos 😊
Bought one! plays really well sounds good, but on High gain settings when my selector switch is on treble or rythm I get crazy noise. can hear it between notes, and I play quite fast.
Hmm, that's a little strange... I mean, P90s are loud on high gain, sure, but it shouldn't be THAT loud. Have you got a noise gate pedal you can try with it to see if you can isolate the problem? Otherwise it might be worth contacting Thomann and asking them to sort it out. Shame it's happened seeing as everything else about the guitar you're so pleased with.
@@RichWordsMusic No i don't in my amp there is a little noise, when I usa plugin amp + distortion pedal it's really annoying. Spent the day shielding it, it's way better now
@@666Ekinox Glad the shielding helped and you've got it sorted now!
Looks like a decent mod platform, though I worry about some of the cheaper materials they are using. I mean, would it have killed them to up the price $30-$40 and put a better fretboard on it, and maybe better tuners?
Yeah, I know what you mean. My guess is that the guitar was built to a specific price point over everything else - this is literally the cheapest guitar of its kind (at its particular quality level) out there. Harley Benton have started making newer models with rosewood boards and Grover/Gotoh tuners and hardware on them though, so they might do a newer version of this one at some point. I think that'd be a great idea - I'm like you, and I'd totally pay the extra money for the added quality!
@@RichWordsMusic I'll be honest though, I'd like to "live with" one for a while and see if any of those things really matter!
@@Anjohl That's the other thing. I don't own this specific guitar, but I've had a couple of other HB guitars (the TE-62 Tele and the JA-60 offset) where I ordered them already knowing what I wanted to upgrade... I still haven't made a single mod to either because I've not deemed it necessary!
I don't know how they do this guitars at this price. Even with the upgrades it is still affordable. I guess you do know but can't reveal trade secrets hahaha Is it there any way you can find out which kind of pickups (ceramic or alnico) are the ones in the CST 24T P90? weird enough there is no details on the details, neither in Thomann or Harley Benton's webs. Would be nice to know how this ones compare to those. This ones are ceramic if I recall right.
Me neither, it's actually crazy. And dangerous for some of the other brands who are competing - some will need to up their game to survive. I know a few things, but not all ;) My guess is with Harley Benton (1) they obviously buy direct, so there's no distributor or middleman or anything, and (b) they order such massive quantities all the parts are super cheap. But the final secrets I guess only a handful of top secret Thomann people know ;) I would love to know everything about that actually! Let me ask around with the guys I know about the CST 24 P90! Possibly they're ceramic as I guess that's a more modern-looking guitar, and so higher output. But this is just a guess.
@@RichWordsMusic Good thing is other distributors are trying to step up their game with house brands also. Hard to catch HB, but they are getting closer. Gear4music for example, if I am right they have more than one house brand. And about the CST 24T, I also assume it is ceramic, if it would be Alnico they would be bragging about it, but still would be good to know. I don't get why sometimes people see ceramics as lesser, it is just a different thing. Yes, cheaper, but doesn't mean always bad. Thanks man!
@@marcomostroso Yes, I mean they have to fight against it. G4M has a bunch of brands. Funny that they didn't really start to work with UA-camrs yet, as the big channels really expose the guitars to a much bigger audience. This is a major factor in HB's success, in my opinion. For me, it's all about this simple question: does it sound good? Because if it does, it IS good! No matter what it's made of or howm much it costs :) I'll let you know if I hear something there.
@@RichWordsMusic Thanks man! And yes, I totally agree with you. The only one I have seen featuring G4M stuff is Dave Simpson with SubZero and G4M branded gear. Curious they have only worked with him so far. Cheers!
@@marcomostroso Yeah, I wonder why they chose Dave... I mean, he has a great channel, of course! But it would be interesting to know why they reached out only to him. He does play a lot of 'affordable' gear, maybe that's why! He would be cool to interview as well, I think. Rock on!
Hello, what are the kluson's tuners model changed on your guitar please?
I'm not exactly sure which ones my friend used, but I will ask him and let you know!
@@RichWordsMusic thanks a lot👍
@@cz7405 No worries!
It‘s cheap... of course you wanna play Pop Punk on it! And i have to get one myself!
I agree, and it's so much fun! Get one and play pop punk on it too!
Need to change the bridge pot.
Bring it down to 330k or 250k to darken it up a tad.
Sounds too brittle as it is.
Output might drop a bit... so maybe swap the pickups and adjust the pots accordingly.
Intonation sounds very good for a cheap guitar.
That might be an option. I do dig a lot of high end and treble in my tone though! But you'd certainly be able to mellow it up by doing some pot swapping. Not sure if the pickups need changing though, they're very good as is, as you say for a cheap guitar too! Rock on :)
@@RichWordsMusic
I meant swap the pickup positions, rather than swap out new pickups.
I could have stated that better. 😲
Good luck with your project.
I have the SC Custom w/P-90's and couldn't be happier. But i did swap out the 500K pots using 330K tocos, 2w carbon. Linear, unfortunately.
Anyway, it is a really nice combo that brings out the best in those roswell pickups.
You could just parallel a 1meg ohm resiator across the outside pins of the volume pots to get an idea if it's something you'll like.
But i would just go for it. Pots are cheap.
@@muimasmacho Ah right, that might also be an option! I've never really thought about actually swapping the two pickups over. You're right too, pots are cheap! So I'm pretty sure there will be some experimentation going on in the not-too-distant future. Thanks for the tips :)
@@RichWordsMusic I see sound like I See colours. You can tweak a high contrast picture better than a dark picture. You can tweak the EQ on the pedal and or amp. To get dark pick ups bright makes it sound muddy if that makes any sense. Just my opinion, not knocking anyone's opinion, I'm just going from my experiments with this same issue.
@@colinfarel You have synesthesia? I know someone who has that very strongly... I kind of wish I could experience it too! I see what you mean, and I think you're right - better to just get a set of brighter pickups if that's what you want. At the end of the day, tone is such a personal thing to each of us that whatever sounds good to us (me, you, Mui who made the comment here) IS good! Even if no one else likes it, as long as we're happy with our own sound ;)
Top review. Sorry, the PUs are horrible and to quiet! 😎🎸
Glad you enjoyed it! I do agree the pickups are one area where the guitar could be improved, for sure...
Mine was heavy, heavy...
Very
Yeah, that's often an issue with HB guitars, unfortunately... (and most affordable guitars these days, come to think of it!)