Harley Benton TE-20 Telecaster Review
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- Опубліковано 16 лип 2024
- How good is the Harley Benton TE20? In this in-depth review I'll go through everything that could help you make the right choice for you!
🎸 Harley Benton TE-20 Midnight Blue: thmn.to/thoprod/461106?partne...
🎵 Sound samples: www.bandforge.net
🎸 Squier by Fender Affinity Telecaster in Lake Placid Blue: thmn.to/thoprod/516659?partne...
🎥 Biweekly Livestream on Sundays: / bandforgetv
📫 Get in touch: www.bandforge.net
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The Thomann links are part of the link partner affiliate program. If you make a purchase after following one of these links, I will receive a small commission without any additional charge to you. This helps me to advance the projects for the channel and purchase gear for modding and reviews. Thank you very much for your support!
Discontinued Gear:
Jet City JCA50
Recording DAW:
Apple Logic Pro
🎬 Video production gear
Camera1:
Panasonic AU-EVA1 amzn.to/3b9WDCf
with Canon 24-70 mm amzn.to/3vvBBFJ
Camera2:
Panasonic GH5 with Leica 12-60 mm amzn.to/2LEwe5I
Microphone: Sennheiser AVX MKE-2 thmn.to/thoprod/367913?partne...
Keylight:
Apurture 120d II amzn.to/3aTDwfj
Ambient lights:
2x Colorspike LED Lights colorspike.com/
The scale stayed being 1mm longer than Fender's standard after filming this video!
Timecodes
0:00 - Intro?
0:41 - Build quality
3:56 - Playability
8:07 - Hardware & Electronics
10:29 - Sound demo
15:46 - Compatibility
18:15 - Conclusion
21:01 - Foil peel-off
B
One of the most in-depth reviews I've ever seen
Thanks for your kind words! :)
I received my TE-20 blue metallic just one week after your unboxing and i have to say i'm impressed, I was able to get the action down comfortable enough and I replaced the pickups with a Donlis Mixed Alnico 5&2 set, the instrument is amazingly played and the sound is 100% real telecaster. My neckplate came perfectly aligned, the bridge plate no but I was able to line it up straight once I changed the pickup. Honestly, you can't demand more for so little money, even investing 49 euros in a set of pickups that raise the quality of the instrument exponentially.
pay attention to this demo because it's really worth it ua-cam.com/video/6YQ6flKSkOQ/v-deo.html
Thanks for your input! I'd love to try some Donlis pickups! I, too, think that the quality of the TE-20 is exceptional for so little money! Did you consider changing the bridge saddles to compensated brass ones, too?
@@Bandforge A friend who has another TE-20 recommended me change the bridge saddles (compensated brass) but with my TE-20 the octave adjustment Is almost perfect (at least for the time being). Thanks for your tips and congratulations for your channel! :)
Excellent review. Well done!
Thank you very much! :D
Very informed review…
Enjoyed your playing 😎
Thanks for the really useful content.
Thank you for your kind words!
Hey Rina ! Great review yet again, really loved it. Can’t wait for the build off :-) have an amazing Christmas and hope to catch up really soon 😊
Thank you!! I took some time off during the holidays and got to relax a bit which was nice. The build off is going to start this month! :) Can't wait!
@@Bandforge amazing ! Good to hear you had a good break. I am in the stages of dismantling to start mine 🎸
@Neil Smith I'm so sorry that I've kept you waiting for so long! I'll to my best to start next week!
I’m a new subscriber and I’m very impressed. I really enjoyed this!
Thank you very much for your kind words and your support! It really means a lot to me! :)
Thank you so much for all of this work. I’ve had so many guitars over the years, from Encore to Gibson and £££ doesn’t always mean value. Really good to get a straight up view in such detail. 👍
Thank you very much for your kind words! The Harley Benton sure was a nice surprize. I remember the house-brand guitars from ten years ago and I'm very happy that the build quality changed so much for the better.
I really like your review format. You're the first channel I've seen that does that bend-the-neck thing, which I think is a great test of general sturdiness (I'm guessing Squier Bullets and Affinitys might not do as well). Your attention to detail is helpful too. I'm looking forward to the next in this series, where presumably you've at least done the setup, and hopefully changed the nut. That could make a huge difference. Personally I like wide spacing and wide fingerboards despite relatively small hands (played acoustic first, for years and years). At least this is 43mm...
That was 2 years ago. I bought a 52 this year. American ash. I measured the alignments. The build is spotless. I had to set it up. They are getting better, but they are getting more expensive.
The neck position on this and the Affinity are admittedly fairly dull sounding, though the middle and bridge are definitely more dynamic and user friendly, at least to my ears. Interesting about the different spacing of the pickups as regards overall tonality of the guitar. Also as per the Squier, that bridge plate looks like a bit of a bastard to upgrade without the usual customary refill and redrill of the screw holes. Either way, brass saddles (and Graphtech nut) are a no-brainer!! An anodised pickguard would look awesome with the LPB, but each to theirs. Great work as always!
Thank you very much! :)
Replacing the neck pickup caps is on my list, too. That should help against the dull sound. The TE-20's bridge reminds me a bit of the classic Fender bridges. Maybe a replacement like this would fit, too. An anodised pickguard would also be a cool option!
Best review, and epic final
This a great in-depth review of HB TE20. I got mine last July 2022. It’s an average Tele starter guitar and mine came with dented head stock probably due to shipping, roughy frets and high set up. Thomann gave me a few dollars 💵 off from the original price due to the head stock damage. The HB sounds good on a Fender Blues Jr. amp with added chorus, reverb and digital delay effects and also clean.
I do agree with your assessment & recommendations for modding to improve the HB’s sound and quality.
More musical power to your channel. Peace ✌🏽.
Thought you were going to play bachata in the beginning lol great video!
Good and fair review very well excecuted.
I changed all hardware, to other cheap black hardware to get the look I wanted and set it up, after that I´m very happy with the TE-20.
I bought Roswell pick-ups to get it a bit of an upgrade, but found that it does´nt need them, at least not for what I´m using it for.
Together with a cheap Fame 15W tube amp (I really like that amp!) and a home built 2x12 it sounds really good.
If you want a really good HB Telecaster, get a Fusion model as that is a really good guitar for any pricerange, but this is a cheap, fun, good sounding guitar (in to a bright amp).
Thank you very much!
Black hardware must look very cool on this guitar. I never thought of that. There's just a picture of this neon green Jazzmaster without pickguard with black hardware in my mind since a while now… I've never come across Roswell pick-ups. Thanks for pointing them out to me. The Fame tube amps (at least the old tube heads I've tried) are very good in my opinion. It broke my heart that I didn't get one at the time. What speakers did you choose for your 2x12? Yeah, I'd love to own a Fusion-T. Very cool take on a modern Telecaster and funnily, when looking at the specs the only thing I could think of that I'd like to mod are the electronics but nothing else which is very rare. ;)
Great video!
Really enjoy your videos, very entertaining 🎸👍🙂
Thank you very much! 😄
The neck radius is different on the fender. Hence the smaller radius is likely to put more distance between the outer strings and the frets at the higher end than the wider harley. The adjustment in radius can be made when a re fret is required, if we want to match them. Put a more powerful bridge pick up on it to equal the volume, but I like mine as it is.
Great review. Very detailed. Could you do a comparison review against the new TE-62. Ideally the blue one. These guitars should be much closer in spec. Also it would be great to see the two blues together as I can't decide between them. Thanks.
Thank you very much! I'd love to get a TE-62, but I've already spent my budget on the Affinity, some replacement parts and the TE-20. As it fills up again, I'm absolutely considering the TE-62!
The blue comparison is something that is already planed. We have lake placid blue in both glossy and matte, Harley Benton's midnight blue and also tidepool in the collection. I think it's interesting to compare all these colors in different lighting situations.
I have bought this guitar yesterday, set it up and playing hell out of it. I have a Gibson Les Paul Tribute and I can tell you that this 89Euro Harley Benton is comfortable to play than my Tribute. It has not the guality of the Tribute, but it very so much more playable. I play it thru Ableton Live, so the pickups doesnt matter. Thx for setup viedeos, they really helpedme to set it up.
Hallo Rina :-). Danke für alle die guten videos. I got my TE-20 some weeks ago..and must say i love it . For that prize it is amaizing. Mine was acturely set up very nice..string hight and intonation was spot on. Keep on the good work Rina :-)
Danke für den netten Kommentar! :) I'm glad that you like it so much and that it was set up nicely when it arrived. Will you keep everything as is or are you planning to do some mods?
@@Bandforge . Well i like the sound of the pickups, but will puting on a new Graph Tech Nut, and Graph Tech String Tree, pus a new set better tuners. I have now polishd the frets, and adjustet the trustrod, and a set of 9 gaugh strings..so the action is even lover now.
Heads up, ya'll. Important info below:
Ah, at long last I heard what I needed to hear. I just went to your website and listened intently and repeatedly to a side by side comparison of the bridge pickups of the Harley Benton vs. the Fender Affinity. I can't thank you enough for noticing the difference in the distance from the pickup to the bridge on the Harley Benton. I never would have noticed that rather crucial detail. I have a Harmonia Tele that I love, but it too has the bridge pickup much closer to the bridge than the Fender standard. I'm sure many of the these Chinese guitars are made in the same factory and will have the same defect (if that's how you choose to see it, and I do). The Affinity sounds much better with its pickup located (approximately) a half-inch farther from the bridge. Luckily I have extensive luthier experience, so re-routing the pickup recess and re-locating the bridge will not be a problem for me. Thank you again.
I watched many reviews. But it's much more authoritative for me to hear the guitar along with the band. Many guitars only then show their true value. In the band.
Thanks a lot for this rather exhaustive review ! 🙂 Very demonstrative, a lot of informations ! Beyond all the positives, there is still a serious problem with these guitars : find what is the most beautiful color... Candy apple red or Midnight blue... that's a tough one 😅
Good video, interesting review, well presented, your English is very good. I have a Harley Benton TE-62cc De-luxe, I really like it, as you say, they are very good for the money.
Thank you very much for your kind words!
😂 that sexy asmr scratchplate unwrapping was worth sticking around for
Sold one to pay the rent in lockdown. Just got another. Fitting a Wilkinson ashtray bridge with brass compensated saddle's. And drill it out for through body. Harley Benton kluson style tuners I had lying around. Not selling this one 😂
That bad to hear! I'm happy that you're back on your feet again! :D
I'm still unsure whether to get compensated brass saddles or get a six saddle bridge. Did you notice an improved sustain?
Switch the strings to 10s if they are not already. Fender Telecaster necks are different from Stratocaster necks.
With a little bit of routing, you may possibly put the fender tail piece on the guitar.
Also telecaster and Stratocaster head stocks are different. The one on the HB is closer to the telecaster one.
The videos are beautiful, the guitars are beautiful, and the girls too. As a guitarist, I admit that this guitar tempts me a lot.
That said, as a Canadian, I can't help but think about this destruction of our forests and, above all, the low cost of selling this maple wood. It's ridiculous.
Ich habe die HB TE - 20 in Sunburst und bin echt zufrieden . Ich mag den Telesound .
Das freut mich! Hast du deine Gitarre modifiziert? Und was für einen Verstärker benutzt du?
Recently bought the Harley Benton TE-62CC LPB and I can't believe the quality, it does cost more than the TE-20 but is still a whole lot of guitar for the price..I'm in the process of changing the pickups to fender Yosomite set and the saddles to compensated brass saddles.
Very nice!! Which type of compensated saddles did you get?
@@Bandforge ABM brass compensated saddles
Und die Bearbeitung ist richtig gut
Auf jeden Fall
To let you know, just spent a couple of days messing around with the New TE-62cc ! This is definatly a Keeper ! Very impressed with the neck and pickups + the finish is great (but the Affinity LPB seems nicer as a base color tbh). The roasted mapple neck makes it look much more expensive than its 150€ Price tag. I tried several CV guitars too but wasnt impressed by the neck nor the finish.
That's great to hear! How's the build quality of the details, like string-through-body capsules, bridge and neck alignment and so on?
@@Bandforge seems perfect to me regarding all those area. Neck alignement is better than on my MIM tbh ... I should consider checking up the setup on this lady. The neck is a modern D as they call it, quite in between modern C and U slim. It feels less bulky than my fender classic player with just a bit more "neck shoulders" hahaha
@Kampf Katze xD I denfinitely should check out the 'classic' options next time, I'm at a decent music store.
I got a TE-62CC a couple of days ago. I am very impressed! Really pleased with it.
Awesome 👍
Thank you very much! 😄
I don't think you buy a guitar for it's sound as you can always swap out the pickups.
I'm glad you seem to enjoy this one, I had two bad experience with HB as we talked about so I will probably never buy them again. But it's always fun to see videos like this :)
Next we want a review of your actual Fender guitar/guitars ;)
That's true in our case, but I know that there a people out there who are not too confident with the thoughts of handling a soldering iron. That's why I think, it's important to always tell the whole story. :)
Besides, I totally understand that you're not giving them a second chance as I won't buy another graphics card from Zotac… ;)
Alright, it's already in my schedule to review my Fender Player Strat! ;)
@@Bandforge You're right, and I'm one of them :P But I can always hand it in to someone, a luthier or my brother, to swap pickups if I want. So there are ways around it, but I agree with you here :)
Hehe nice, I love my Player Strat and it's one of my favorites :)
@Wabin22 I'll do an episode on soldering technique, don't worry! :) It's not difficult, if you have some guidance. Also, breaking something is nearly impossible in a guitar.
I also plan to compare my Player Strat to a Bullet Strat as they are the cheapest options from Squier and Fender. :)
@@Bandforge That's nice :)
Yeah I've tried soldering a little bit on my Strat with my brother who knows about all that stuff. I just think you need to get use to it a little bit :)
Nice, maybe I should do the same and compare my Player Strat to a Bullet one ;)
@@Bandforge i think ALL guitarists should know how to solder. No exceptions
Thank you for this so much in-depth review, I was looking forward to this! I believe my TE 20's weakest point is the nut, mine is cut high, which makes me avoid playing it, despite the neck being very comfortable.. If you make a video for changing nuts, I'd be really interested! Thank you one again,take care!
You're very welcome! :)
Changing the nut for a GraphTech is on my to-do list! Did you try filing your nut? If all strings are too high, you can remove the whole thing and sand the back of it until it fits.
Yeah, like @Bandforge says, sanding the nut is definitely the way to go. That's the easiest thing one can do to improve a guitar with high action. Really easy to do even for begginers. Just be patient and sand carefully, trying the height and intonation every few passes. You can always sand further, but you can't un-sand haha. There is no Ctrl+Z when sanding. But it's really easy.
Great video as always 👍😉 Thank you for the very detailed review. My guess is that for now you liked the third affinity better overall right ?
Thank you very much! :D Yes, in the end, that's my personal conclusion. But both guitars have their pros and cons. It's more that the HB is kind of killing my fingers… ;)
Any news on your new HB???
@@Bandforge ua-cam.com/video/d9h61Uqsx64/v-deo.html
@@Bandforge Check this video to get an overview of this new model with the same finish as mine. Honestly cant see something i could be willing to change aside from a good setup (should Check your videos on that ! ). The only downside being the difficulty to swap pickguard as i was aiming for a blackguard to emulate a much more expensive Vintera serie.
@Kampf Katze Sounds nice! The pickup placement seems to be like on the TE-20 (which would make sense). I can't wait to continue the experiments! ;)
@@Bandforge dont know if its ok for you that i share here this video link. Let me know i can remove it if you prefer.
Ihre Aussprache des Gauges ist wunderbar, bitte ändern Sie nichts dran 😉
Great review, honest and nicely in depth.
Lol @ second foil 😀
Dankeschön! :D
In the string action video, I didn't really know how to pronounce it correctly and I kind of deserved that comment… ;)
Will a Fender standard 6 saddle tele bridge fit this guitar?
Do you recommend buying the guitar?
I'm pretty sure Squier necks are narrower than Fender necks (and MIM necks are thinner than MIA necks), and no doubt Fender does that on purpose. So it's possible a real Fender neck will fit in the pocket... I once had a Goldo telecaster neck (believe it was labeled as a Vintage neck?) that was really great and cost half the price of a Fender neck.
I replaced the tuners (the ones that came with my TE20 were awful) with Wilkinson EZ Loks and the guitar looks much better already - those squared-off tuning buttons just look cheap (because they are). I also sanded off the HB logo -- looks much better naked! And I plan to round off that little bird beak on the headstock - that will be enough to give it more of a true Tele look.
There's a new video out that makes a very convincing case that 99% of the sound of a guitar comes from the pickups.
That's pretty plausible! I will try to look into it with more detail. At least I could take some measurements from my Fender Player Strat and my Dad's Squier Bullet Strat. Are you happy with the Wilkinson hardware? For the livestreams, I've purchased a P-Bass Bridge from Wilkinson and it makes a good impression so far. Yeah, I'm thinking about how to get rid of the beak, too. Will you fill the hole or sand the tip of the beak? What did you do for finish afterwards? I've been called a 'tone wood denier' before, but I'd love to see that video you've mentioned.
@@Bandforge I mostly bought the Wilkinson tuners for the rounded buttons, to improve the look, but they hold the tune really well (and they're easier to string than normal tuners). For the headstock, I simply rounded off the pointy bit (I used 3M 320 grit and worked up to 1000). It's a close enough match to a true Tele. I also used sanding pads (going up to 12000 grit) on the back of the neck, feels great. Surprisingly, the bridge on mine is perfectly intonated - even the G string. So I'm not going to touch it!
This sound of Kit Richards, more powerful than fender(it's so strange Why cheapest Tele has more expressive powerful sound than his expensive brother/)
I'm happy that you like it! :)
coole Harley Benton und hübsche Dame !
Dankeschön! :)
really pissed me off they sent me the damage guitar today, body is damage !
Take a shot everytime she says "specially for the price":-7
Hahaha! Oh no… must be worse than taking a shot every time they say 'majesty' in the Sissi movies… ;)
@@Bandforge Haha, now seriously, is really surprising see an afordable HB guitar so flawed, EVEN FOR ITS PRICE (ha!). Now, I don't know if you're an ST player, but it will be interesting to see your take on the EVEN CHEAPER ST-20 series, I got one, the SB colored, and it was very fine, minus the bridge. The neck was thin but comfy, you can lower the action 1,5mm at 12th fret with little buzz, and the nut and tuners are cheap but good. I even sold it at almost the same price I bough it.
Yeah, I am an ST player and there's an upcoming video about the Squier Bullet Start (let's see how it will be… FOR ITS PRICE)! 😆
I'd love to try the HB, too. I'll have to see what my budget says on the matter. Why did you sell your ST?
The one I sold it was a sunburst with roseacer fretboard, wich I had to do to buy a Candy Apple Red with the maple fretboard, wich I like/d better. Only aesthetics.
you should spend more time playing than doing videos... it shows
That type of bridge is not this guitar's weakness but all original Telecasters and 99% of Fenders. Also you should never make a review without first doing the setup, especially since you've already made an unboxing video. Just unprofessional.
This was a fantastic review. What are you talking about?
I Just discovered your channel. Really good stuff. Plus your Smile is Beautiful. Just saying. who is the other guitar player?