And here's the timestamps for you people on phones/tablets: 00:00 Hello! 00:10 Intro and all about the Harley Benton TE-62CC LPB 01:10 Specs and features 03:17 Today’s rig Clean sounds 03:52 Reference chords on all pickup settings 04:13 Poppy barre chords 04:29 Poppy indie ringing chords 04:43 Blues progression 04:56 Country lead sound 05:04 Country ballad arpeggios 05:17 Country chicken picking lead line 05:23 Country strummed chords 05:42 Indie pop picked arpeggios 06:01 Bluesey southern rock riff 06:14 Cowboy chords with tone control test 07:33 Atmospheric droning indie chords 07:54 Strummed folk pop chords Crunch sounds 08:11 Groovy classic rock riff 08:27 Hendrix inspired classic rock riff 08:44 Classic rock riff 09:01 AC/DC inspired classic rock riff 09:19 Indie rock rhythm chords riff 09:35 60s rock rhythm tone 09:46 Indie octave chords riff 10:14 Edgy indie barre chords 10:29 Southern rock picked arpeggios 10:40 Droning indie rock riff 10:52 Indie pop octave chords 11:17 Indie rock barre chords 11:42 Volume control roll-off test Higher gain overdrive sounds 12:36 Classic hard rock riff 12:54 Hard rock riff 13:11 Glam rock riff 13:24 Foo Fighters inspired modern rock riff 13:42 Chunky alternative rock chords 14:08 Alt rock riff 14:22 Pop punk riff 14:36 Pop punk melodic lead sound 14:53 Green Day inspired punk rock riff 15:06 Less Than Jake inspired punk rock riff 15:18 Punk rock power chords 15:32 Punk rock rhythm sounds 15:46 Progressive rock riff (Drop D) 16:02 Chunky modern hard rock power chords (Drop D) 16:28 Rage Against The Machine inspired groovy rock riff (Drop D) Clean Channel with Revv G3 distortion pedal (all in Drop D tuning) 16:44 Metal chugging riff 16:59 Mastodon inspired metal riff with country twang 17:12 Metalcore riff 17:23 Thrash metal riff 17:33 Fast chugging riff 17:44 Lead sounds 17:56 Classic heavy metal/sludge riff 18:29 My thoughts 19:00 First impressions out of the box - looks, weight, maple board 20:31 Build quality and hardware 21:46 Playability out of the box 22:20 Sounds and versatility 24:42 What other affordable Tele type guitars are out there? 27:31 My final conclusions on the TE-62CC LPB
I just got this exact instrument and I would say it's even better than this guy says. No upgrades needed. Neck is sweet, nut cut perfectly, tuners are fine, tone is great. I may try a different set of pickups just because i like to modify and tweak everything, but it certainly sounds fine out of the box.
Happy new guitar day! I'm really glad you are enjoying yours so much. I'm still loving mine. Like you say, nothing needs changing at all, but I might also one day see what other pickup options are out there :) Rock on!
I've just taken delivery of the dB With the Indian laurel neck. It's excellent. Great feel and tone. Only thing I'm going to do is get the action lowered a touch. Otherwise spot on and exceptional value. I prefer the bridge pickup on this to my fender tele custom.
@@ianstanley2222 That's great to hear Ian! I am naturally really interested in the DB model too... they look amazing in the pictures. And wow - that's quite the statement, preferring the HB pickup to your Fender Tele Custom! I do love the Roswells as well, I have to say, but that's one thing I may also consider changing in the future. Happy new guitar day!
@@RichWordsMusic I've had the setup done and the strings changed. It's much friendlier on the finger's now the action is lower and the strings lighter. The tech that did it is an old school purist I've known for years. He was very impressed. He took pics of the inside and commented how well the wiring has been done and the routing of the body is first class. He went as far as saying that he'd consider one himself for that price. Only thing he gave a minor criticism was the tuners.
Best demo ever, thanx👍 Since I got my TE-62, I ralely touch my strat. First buy in 30 years and I'm suddenly in my late teens again, exploring new sounds. Cheers👍
No problem, glad you enjoyed it! And wow, what a discovery this guitar must have been for you. Your poor Strat ;) Enjoy though, it's great when something like this gives you new musical inspiration :) Rock on!
You do the best reviews! You give us all the information we need and you do it quickly without all the faffing about most others do. Harley Bentons are great for me, I want variety at a great price and they provide it. Having said that it's nice to have a guide as to which one is best for me. I have several HBs and have never had any issues at all.
Thanks a lot for this review. One of the best and most complete reviews of this guitar available. Awaiting this exact same guitar today. Looking forward to play it and add it to the collection.
@@RichWordsMusic Biggest surprise is the fit and feel of the neck. Playability is superb. The neck and fretwork is fantastic. Only need to adjust the neck a bit, because of some minor buzz of the lowest E-string. Intonation is also a bit off. The guitar holds its tuning well. The controls are a bit noisy and the finishing is not flawless. Two minor scratches near the neckjoint. You can also tell the guitar is made from three pieces of wood, because when you look at the right angle with specific light, you can see two lines in the paint finishing. Other than this the guitar has excellent value for money. Glad I bought it.
@@rmcaudio7041 I'm happy you're happy with it! Yes, with a bit of tweaking these are truly excellent. In fact, mine didn't have any for months (or indeed when I shot the video - it was straight out the box) and was great. A bit of contact cleaner might fix those pots for you. And yes, like you I'm still amazed at how good the neck is on these guitars... it's a true joy to play. I've had the guitar over a year now and still love it. Cheers!
Thanks Rich for the most detailed review I've seen on this instrument. Loved hearing your playing and demonstration, not just of the tones but how the guitar handles various genres. Your death metal demos (dropped D tuning??) were a real surprise as I would never expect to see the words "Telecaster" and "Death Metal" in the same sentence, but the TE-62CC acquitted itself very well. I'm a leftie, but Harley Benton have finally just released a left handed TE-62CC in Sea Foam Green so I have just ordered one from Thomann! I think we are now entering an era when we stop saying "this is a great guitar for the money" and start saying "this is a great guitar". Thanks again
Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed it! I can't believe they got a roasted maple neck on this guitar for that price :) Normally a neck alone would be more than that...
@@eddybrandt3547 It's funny, but originally HB called it caramelized maple on their site, then they changed the description to roasted maple... now I just looked again and they're currently calling it "caramel maple"... so what it actually is I can't be sure. It's certainly different in feel to the HB Aeolus neck, and that one is 100% roasted maple as we know it from other guitar brands. I guess the CC has something to do with the caramel thing, yes, but not sure - one thing I do know is they have more recently released the TE-62 DB line, which are very similar to these but with double bound bodies (and laurel fingerboards).
And now they are doing the same with double binding, paulo ferro board, lake placid blue that is even closer to what you think when you look for LPB...
@@RichWordsMusic to be honest i am anxiously waiting for someone like you to take the risk as you did such a great job on the previous model ! Even more so as you could be making a side by side comparison with the TE62CC as well as a finish comparison with your lovely Squier CV Esquire (double binding, LPB too ;)) ! I might double down myself on those as i am so positively surprised by what HB proposed on this new range.
Sold my Fender Tele Player in 2020 - missed that Tele Sound in my Songs and in my Hands - ordered the TE62 - that sparkly Blue just hit me and 149€ come on.....played it - fell in love....the Sound goes straight into your Heart and it weighs nothing, so my back is thanking me 😂 Thanks for your detailed Review and Playing! Chapeau 🎩
Yes, everyone needs a Tele ;) I am happy you got one and you are enjoying yours! I think this is a great guitar for the money... and it competes with my Fender in terms of quality and sounds! Glad you enjoyed my video, and thanks for watching :)
Just had mine delivered today. Got the Inca Silver - originally I was thinking DB Black but it was out of stock and everyone seems to be going Blue so I apprehensively went IS. Well, in the flesh it looks great. Love the neck on it, comfy and I turned the Truss 1/2 to 3/4 clockwise to lower the setup and it feels good. Good weight and the Tele body shape (my first) is great too. Quite impressed great bang for Euro 😁👍
Thanks so much for this cool review. I have just bought this telecaster (in LPBlue, like yours) and added some new Gotoh "in-tune" brass saddles. It looks great. Its well made, and it sounds REALLY great ! Your reviews are always very good. Thanks once again!
Just bought one. It arrived today. Great guitar. It feels solid and well made. Polish the frets and fit new strings and away you go. The neck is nice. No need to change anything. It looks and feels like a more expensive guitar. It sounds like a Tele.
Awesome, happy new guitar day! I am glad you are enjoying yours, and it'll be even better after a bit of TLC. You're right, nothing needs changing and it does that Tele thing right out the box!
@@RichWordsMusic Thanks it's a very good guitar. Amazing package and the neck is nice. I went with Charcoal Frost. However they all classic colours. What I like the most is that it's an inspiring guitar. It's easy to play and sounds good. It's definitely in no need of any changes for sure. I peaked under the hood and it's routed for a single coil well my one is.
@@753Jackson Yep, exactly - mine just wants to be played, so it's pretty inspiring to have it around. And for the price, it feels and plays great. You could upgrade some things, but it doesn't actually need anything :)
@@RichWordsMusic Agreed it really doesn't need anything upgraded. If the route was there I'd buy another one and drop in a Charlie Christian Humbucker from the Creamery. However as it I'm very happy with this stock. I wish this was available in 1982. Back then I became obsessed with getting a Strat. The new 1982 was a calling. Eventually I bought one. But I've migrated to the Tele format. This for me is very much a Tele. I really don't worry what's on the headstock. This is a great guitar regardless the price. I have an identical Fender USA Telecaster that I'll fit the Charlie Christian.
I bought the Harley Benton TE62 in shell pink. It's my favorite guitar currently and I own a couple of really nice Fender Stratocasters. This is my first Telecaster style guitar and I think I've been converted to a Tele fan. This guitar sounds a bit thinner and 'ice pickey' compared to other Teles, but that's exactly why I got it. When you're playing in a band or recording a mix, you're going to have to EQ out most of the bottom end and a bit of the mid frequencies anyway, so this guitar basically sounds pre-EQ'd out of the box. It's a great guitar for recording. I'm really nailing those Jimmy Page tones out of it. But it's so versatile, as you've shown in this great demo!
That's great to hear! I've always been a Tele person, so welcome to the club ;) They are such fantastically simple yet versatile guitars, and it's kind of mind boggling how good the TE-62CC is for the money. And I totally agree with you about the tones - Teles can be icepicky, and that is what makes them so great in certain settings! Like you say, it's all about how you appear in a band mix, and a Tele bridge pickup cuts through anything. You can always wind down the tone knob when you're playing on your own. Cheers and rock on!
I've seen that - it's an absolute steal! I am so tempted to get another for modding. The Charcoal Frost color is great too. Really hope you enjoy yours when it arrives :)
Great, thorough review. You should have more subs! Going to work my way through your vids to see what else you've reviewed. Looking for an affordable Tele that is worthy of upgrading in the future, if I decide to.
Thanks a lot, glad you found my channel and are enjoying the videos! There's plenty more like this one. As for an affordable Tele with mod potential, this is where it's at. I also got a Squier Classic Vibe Esquire not too long ago which is also going to be good for mods - that said, both guitars are still stock because they're so much fun straight out of the box! Cheers and rock on!
I got a TE-52 about three years ago to mod. I put a compensated Gotoh bridge, a neck humbucker, string rollers, and that's it. There's a tolerable amount of fret sprout that I'll clean up. The tuners are fine, but I'll probably swap those out. The only QC issue I really had was that the string ferrules weren't tight in the holes and came out during string changes (I wrapped them in a little tape, no issues). Plays pretty well. I had most of the parts already, so it was a no brainer. They even did a great job of matching the wood grain on the body - it's a 3 piece body that looks like a 2 piece at casual glance.
Thanks Steve, glad you enjoyed the video and I hope you end up loving the guitar when it arrives! I am still loving this one. For the price it's incredible!
The first few bars you played at the start of the video sold me on this tele , it’s got that tele sound , plus they are doing a double bound version in this lake placid blue I’ve just seen , for a few euros more but still cheap for what they are
Thanks, I'm happy you liked the video! And yes, this guitar just has that authentic sound :) I am having loads of fun with it! And I have also seen those double bound ones, which really look like they might be worth a try as well. They're seriously beautiful guitars and I'm sure they play, sound and feel just like this one...
Sounds awesome, great review and playing! Been thinking about this guitar, but was concerned the Poplar body would be too light and soft, as in prone to screws stripping out if/when doing any mods. I personally can't stand light guitars, and was leaning towards the Ash Tele that looks great, but is also pricier. Subbed!
Thanks, glad you enjoyed the video, and cheers for the sub! I don't think you'll ever get one of these which is too light (well, depending on what your threshold is, of course) but I get your point. Soft wood is definitely more perilous when modding! And like David says, I've had quite a few people on here saying they've had the TE-52, but it was too heavy. I think at the end of the day, they will both sound similar, and if you really want to get a heavier one, the TE-52 will be a safer choice in that regard. Look at it this way: you're paying that little bit more for the little bit more weight ;) Cheers and rock on!
Thanks! Yeah, I was thinking about getting the green one as well. And the pink one ;) I think HB really chose some great colors this time. And yes, I love a good green guitar - my green Epi SG is one of my favorites!
Thanks a lot, really happy you enjoyed it! And yes, I couldn't believe no one else had done a video of this one yet... helps my channel a bit too I guess :)
Thanks, glad you found it useful! I try and play as much as I can in these videos as hopefully there's at least one or two riffs everyone can enjoy somewhere :)
I've received it few days ago, It feels "solid", very nice, very well done, Incredible for the buget, if the brand was not written on the head... you could easily imagine it's a 500€ gear I also ordered a graphteck nut and brass sadles... but for the moment I keep everything like ot wase in the box. There is no need to change anything I just want to play Intonation perfect, plastic nut correct, action (a little hight) pickups sound good, tuning machine not great but they work. I'm surprized, I really don't regret !
Happy new guitar day! I am really pleased that you are enjoying it so much. And yes, it is like you say... before you get the guitar you imagine the upgrades you will need to make it 'better' - but actually they're so good out the box the upgrades are not necessary! Sure, they will be improvements, but they are not essential because you already have a guitar that performs excellently, even when you don't consider the price. It's simply a great Telecaster! Rock on :)
@@RichWordsMusic Yes !! I 've been palying it for one month now. It is... no... SHE is even better than what I wrote. The tuning is very stable (here in the caribean weather!) I think my other guitars will be jalous soon....
They definitely don't, but I love indie and punk rock and both of those have plenty of snarling Tele crunch tones in them. So I'm a full-on convert, and I'm glad you are too! You can't beat a Tele bridge pickup!
i bought one in dakota red which is more fiesta red. still good. ups dropped it or dropped something on it, damaged one tuner. still it played great right out of the box. the bridge pickup was very anemic but for $139 i'm not bitching. it was delivered in 5 days from germany. i can't get that kind of service in the usa. tuners and brass saddles and i'm still in for less than $200.-shipping. killer deal. glad i didn't spend $1000 on a mexican tele.
What a shame they dropped your package, but yeah, I guess the outcome could've been a lot worse! Glad you're happy with the guitar anyway. And as you say, get new pickups and new tuners on there and you're still cheaper than Squier Classic Vibe guitars, let alone a Mexican Fender. I guess we can forgive them for the finishes being a little quirky ;)
Thanks for the review. I spotted this just yesterday on Thomann's site. I have become a HB fan with the purchase of a Fusion II super strat. Replaced the pickups and it's one of my favorite guitars. I'm partial to 305mm fretboard radii (a silly thing, really), so when I saw this had that, I got all excited. Happy to hear your tone demo and your comments. I've never owned a tele, so I'm reluctant to drop a bunch of money on something I may not like. Tell me if I'm nuts. Thanks again! Great review.
You're not nuts Steve, far from it! Guitars are such a personal and emotional thing that it makes sense to be picky about what we like and spend our money on... and there are so many options out there these days that we can afford to be that way. For me, this TE-62 was a no-brainer because I'm a Tele lover, and again I'm blown away by the HB value for money thing. I think if you enjoyed the Fusion, you'd find this guitar a blast too, although I'm sure the Fusion (which I'm yet to play myself) is a step up in the overall build quality stakes. So maybe try it, and you never know... Thanks for the kind comments too, I'm glad you appreciated my review!
Bought this in lake placid blue and she'll pink. Love these! Going to have to get the charcoal and the sea foam. Beautiful neck. Sounds great too. May swap out the bridge?
Awesome, I'm thinking about a Shell Pink one too! Great guitars, and so easy and fun to play. I might also swap out the bridge for a Wilkinson, but at the end of the day that's more of a luxury than a necessity!
really liked your review and enthusiasm, i am a beginner in my early 60's (I did try a guitar about 40 years ago, but didn't persevere enough) I have smallish hands for a man and I am wondering if my fingers will reach the frets, you seemed to suggest this was thinnish neck, which gives me hope. but would you recommend any other starter guitar with a thinner neck. Thanks again, great review and I also loved the Lake Placid colour
Thanks a lot, I'm really glad you found and enjoyed my video! And when it comes to hand size, I think you'll be just fine with this guitar. It has a very manageable neck in terms of size and shape which I think should be suited to all hand types and sizes. When it comes to a guitar for a beginner, I usually advise people to choose one that inspires them to pick it up - if you love the colour (as you mention you do here) and the looks, you'll be motivated to pick the guitar up and play it every day. This is why I have so many blue guitars, as they inspire me! :) The one thing you may also want to do with a guitar like this is take it to a local guitar technician, and have them perform a setup on it for you. This should help increase the guitar's playability too (as the tech will be able to get the strings lower to the fretboard, for example, which also makes it easier to play, as well as checking for things like intonation, etc.). A setup will improve pretty much every guitar, and will also make it easier for you to learn on. (And I say all this because as you also asked, there probably are some other guitars out there with slightly thinner necks you could start on. But guitars with slimmer necks are often for playing shred and metal on, which might not be your thing if you're attracted to the TE-62! And again, because the TE-62 has caught your eyes - and ears - that's the one I'd recommend you go for. One other slimmer neck, just FYI, is the Ibanez Wizard neck profile - these are very narrow and skinny, and mostly built for players who prioritize speed over anything else.) I hope this answer helps a bit, but if you do have any more questions just let me know and I'll be happy to answer to the best of my ability!
Thank you for the review! I ordered the surf green one, I should receive it on Monday/Tuesday, from this review it seems like I won't have to switch the pickups, they sound great, exactly what I was looking for !
No worries, glad you enjoyed it and I hope yours is awesome when it arrives! Like John said, let us know how you get on with it :) And yep, if you're after traditional Tele tones you won't need to switch these out - the Roswells are really good for what they do!
@@johnong2655I received it today, I'm astonished at the build quality for the price! I cannot find anything wrong except for the misaligned ferrules, and I really don't care about that... Soundwise it sounds amazing on my Orange amp, I'm guessing the pickups are overwound because it does not sound thin at all, even on the bridge pickup. I set it up very quickly, intonation-wise it's not that bad considering the "one saddle for two strings" thingy. The tone knob is very responsive and well balanced through the entire sweep. The nut is very well cut... I mean I've seen classic vibes way worse than this...
@@johnong2655 I have a bit of cons now that I spend a littel time with it: - The finish seems very prone to scratchs (I don't mind, brings a little worn look to it) - The screws seem to be made of the cheapest metal you can find ^^ - It's noisy, I'm currently taking it appart, to try and treat the noise - The finish looks like it has difference in colors (not visible when all the hardware is on the guitar) - The strap button on the bottom is not centered - The tuners feel a bit cheap, like plastic, keep the guitar tuned pretty well but the material used feels cheap - The neck pocket junction is not great although mine has a pretty good sustain Overall I think this is a great modding platform if you're willing to work on it ;) Also, I really like the pickups!
Wow,such an great walk trough all the sounds. Very good review ! Thanks ! This or the Harley Benton 35Plus, hmm... (i own a strat, so maybe a tele is a bit much)
Thanks so much, really glad you enjoyed it! That's a tough choice - they are both excellent guitars. Have you seen my videos on the HB-35? That is one seriously excellent guitar for the price, and it has coil splits as well, so it doesn't do 100% Tele twang sounds, but quite close. I would highly recommend both if you can try them first. If not, I would say this: if you absolutely want a Tele, get the TE-62. If you want something close, and also incredibly versatile for any style, then the HB-35 is superb... and also more different compared to your Strat ;) Let me know which one you decide for!
@@RichWordsMusic super.. I think Im going the HB35 way. I know everyones needs a tele.. But I loved my Casino so this could be a step up. Played the Gibson 355 in a jam and that was awesome..thou' Im a bit scared wont the neck be like too fat or smth..But ok..
@@Jimbowholivesinsoup If you dug the 335, the HB-35 is the way to go! The necks are not too fat on them, so you'll be fine :) And it will be kind of like a more versatile version of a Casino! And hey, you can always get a Tele later if you miss it ;) Rock on, and let me know what you think of the HB-35 when you've tried it!
Fantastic, thorough and in depth and unbiased review of 3 guitars. Your repertoire of various styles really do these guitars justice and on the back of your review I went ahead and bought the TE62DB LPB. Can't wait to get it. My primary reason was one of cost. To be honest, there is a remarkable amount of difference between the sounds of the 3 guitars, but ALL of them sounded fantastic in your capable hands and I am convinced that if you strung 6 strings along a piece of stick you would still make it sound good. LOL. Thank you for this great review and comparison.
Thanks a lot Richard, I'm glad you found the video interesting! I'm quite jealous, as I'd love to try the TE-62DB as well... preferably in LPB! I'm sure it's an excellent guitar for the money, just like the 62-CC is. Please let et me know how yours is when it arrives! And I totally agree on the cost thing. These days, I think it's actually quite hard for companies to make guitars that are bad - and that makes it a great time for us as players to find excellent affordable instruments. I certainly wish there had been guitars like this when I started playing! And thanks, I'm really glad you enjoy my playing too! Rock on :)
@@RichWordsMusic I'm quite perplexed at the moment. I was messing about with the height on the neck pup and raised it too far and it sounded boomy and woofy. To my surprise, that seems to have made the middle setting beefy as a les paul and a very usable, meaty, classic rock sound. It sounds stupid but I dont think Im just imagining things
I bought the red one with double binding, it's crazy how good it is. It plays absolutely fantastic, it motivates me to spend more time with it to the point I actually noticed I improved as a player after 20 odd years of stalling really haha. Bought a custom tortoise shell pickguard from a bloke off ebay and now it's a stunner too.. Might be the best guitar related purchase I ever made.
Nice review - but I was really hoping to see some comments below about how it compares to equivalents from other brands (Squire et al) as prompted by Rich in the vid.
Thanks! Yeah, I was hoping for a bit more of that input. Have you seen the video I did with this guitar and my Fender Tele/Squier Esquire? There's a bit more in the comments there that might help too: ua-cam.com/video/74s9bOh9ku8/v-deo.html
Great review Rich, as always, I have the luscious sea foam green on order as we speak, Poplar body, roasted maple neck, for this money?! Quick query ; are these a new type of roswell Pickups? I don't recall seeing that type before. Anyway, thanks again Rich, can't wait to get my hands on it!
Glad you enjoyed it! Great choice on the Sea Foam Green, that looks lovely in the pictures too - let me know how it is in person when it arrives! I can't actually believe these specs for that price, again - Harley Benton seem to have made that a habit. I'm actually not sure if these are brand new Roswells... they always seem to have different codes, but I'm guessing these are the same as the ones in the TE-70 guitars. Just a guess though! Happy new guitar day when yours comes :)
I haven't played a 2021 Bullet Tele, but I've played Bullets before, and the TE-62 comfortably beats them. It beats my old Squier Affinity too (although again, would want to try a more recent Squier to really see how the current range compares)!
Ha ha, that's where I struggle! I'm almost exclusively a rhythm guy, and I do cover a lot of the neck with my playing... but sadly anything widdly and up at the real dusty end is beyond my ability level. I'll get there one day, but for now there's plenty of other UA-camrs who've got the solo thing nailed far better than I ever could.
Thanks for the review Rich, great to see some proper playing to show off the tones rather than endless noodling! What do you think of the neck profile on this compared to a ‘C’ shape? Is it slimmer? Thanks
No worries, glad you enjoyed it! I'm not much of a noodler ;) For me, the neck is a little slimmer feeling than the C-shaped necks my other HB guitars (like the SC Junior) have. It's not super slim, but it's not chunky by any means. It's an extremely comfortable neck, and I still love it!
I had seen this model on one of Thomann's videos, and the neck picqued my curiosity. After watching your review, I've pulled the trigger and ordered the Charcoal Frost one. Thanks for helping me make up my mind.
No problem, I hope you really enjoy yours when it arrives! I am still finding mine to be massive amounts of fun, and the neck is extremely comfy and easy to play. Let me know how yours is after you've had a chance to play it a bit!
@@RichWordsMusic Had it about 5 days now after it had a jaunt in customs. It's difficult to put it down. Not a perfectly finished instrument, but no major issues and it's so enjoyable to play. The neck is seriously comfortable, the weight is good and the sound fits my purposes. Love it.
@@thebeardeddread That's great to hear - I'm really glad you're enjoying it! It's so frustrating waiting for guitars to come through customs. I'm also still just loving the neck on mine, which I think HB got absolutely spot on. Not sure if it's modeled after any specific vintage Tele year or whatever, but if it is, I'd love to know about it! It's so comfy. And I reckon the guitar would be even better if a tech gives it a full setup. Rock on and enjoy!
Placed an order for the HB TE62 DB Black with nice leather strap, a guitar stand and paid 200 euro..... Now lets see if i will be pleased but i have high hopes after looking at this video!
Awesome, hope you click with it straight away when it arrives! Let me know your thoughts once you've had a chance to plug it in. What immense value though... all that for under €200 - a few years ago that would've been crazy talk ;)
@@RichWordsMusic It has arrived! Unpacked, ripped of that damn plastic protection, tune, stretch strings, tune.... and play..... Looks good, sounds good and soooo light in weight compared to my Les Paul..... so far im very pleased for the price of it.
Cheers Markus! Yes, the fingerboard radius on this one is about 12" (305 mm) so pretty flat compared to Fender/Squier Teles, and definitely easier for some people to get to grips with!
Just got mine today. It's incredible value and the neck is almost as good if not just as good as the AM PRO 2 that I sent back cause I thought it was overpriced for what you got. The charcoal finish is quite nice too. The fretwork on mine is surprisingly good as well.
Happy new guitar day! Lovely to hear positive feedback from someone else who has bought one too. I really love the neck on this one. It's different to my favored rosewood, that's for sure, but it feels fantastic to play and the frets are - as you say - surprisingly good! Another massively impressive HB. I was actually quite torn between the finishes, as they all look super cool! The CharcoaI Frost looks classy in the pics. Does it sparkle much? I was close to getting the Shell Pink as well, but even the Sea Foam Green one looks great. Maybe I'll need another couple of these at some point ;)
@@RichWordsMusic It doesn't sparkle much at all which I'm quite happy about. It's a bit tough to describe. It looks dark grayish but it also looks a bit green/blue in some lighting. Really cool finish without being too gimmicky. First I was going to buy the green, then the blue but I settled with the charcoal and I'm really pleased with my choice. But yeah cool and not too crazy finishes in this series. By the way, yeah I agree with the mint green pickguard. The white ones tend to look too plasticy.
@@andreasf6671 Yes, my Lake Placid Blue one doesn't sparkle too much either. I think they've chosen four really great finishes for this run. It really was quite the decision! The mint green pickguard adds to the look for sure, and really fits the vintage vibe more. Looks a bit less 'box fresh' than a white one would too!
@@RichWordsMusic How would you compare it to the Esquire you have in terms of playability? After spending another day with the HB I must say that I'm blown away still. It's on pair with the AM Pro 2 neck that I sent back and the fretwork and finish is a lot better than on my JJN Epiphone, FWIW. HB did quite a poor job at presenting the colors though. It's so much better in person and much better than the "silverburst" on the AM Pro 2 but that's subjective of course. And yeah, absolutely agree on the value. It lightyears ahead of my Squier strat I got exactly 20 years ago for double the price and back then a train ticket, for example, costed around 1 euro whereas it's 4 now just to put it into perspective. :P If you put some sweet PU's in the HB the only worthy guitar upgrade would be an actual CS, I'm not even kidding. The reason I got this guitar in the first place was to get a guitar that I wouldn't worry about getting stolen while being drunk in the bar or some place else, hah. But I'm gonna keep this probably forever now!
@@andreasf6671 Wow, so you're really happy with yours, that's awesome! I'm really loving mine too. I can tell you that the out of the box setup on the HB is way better than that of the Squier. Action and intonation were perfect, and on the Squier the action was pretty high and the intonation was good, but not quite perfect. With the neck I guess it's a taste thing, but the HB is definitely a bit slinkier and easier to get up and down (the Squier has a thick-ish laquer finish). I even think the Roswell pickups don't need upgrading, although if you changed them, the bridge and the tuners out you'd have a phenomenal guitar for less than €500 still. For the price of a new Classic Vibe, probably :) And yes, I agree 100% about how HB have photographed their recent guitars! You're not the only person who's said that to me either... something for them to improve for sure, as they're actually doing their finishes a disservice. All the guitars look better in person!
Yes, I'm thinking they might. These four new colors are super cool but I feel a few more standard colors would go well eith the more traditional players too - black, sunburst, blond, etc. What else would you add? Those are classic finishes for a reason! And I agree, they seem to have got everything right with this model...
Funny you should say that, but my number 1 Tele is Ocean Blue Candy with a black scratchplate, and it's the most beautiful guitar I've ever seen. So I might have to try this! Cheers for watching and coming back to my videos, and I am happy you enjoyed this one too!
Need to add distribution cost to the fender/squier guitars whereas Thomann just sells directly their house brand guitars from one warehouse. Although you have to pay shipping cost.
Yes, that's true. Does make you wonder if and when the Squiers and Fenders of this world may start doing direct sales in this way with their affordable lines...
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! For me, the TE-62CC wins - in my experience (I have played both) it's better in terms of feel, quality and sound. At least with the specific guitars I tried. But if you try a Bullet guitar out and love it, get that Bullet! It's always about if a specific guitar vibes with you :) For me personally though, I think the TE-62CC is closer to the Squier Affinity in terms of quality, or even a Squier Classic Vibe. For sounds, they're all really good.
Yeah, the colorway choice was my hardest decision too! I was between the Shell Pink and the Lake Placid Blue, but I love the Sea Foam Green as well. Even the Charcoal Frost looks great, if a little less exciting. HB really picked four awesome finishes for these guitars. In the end I went for the LPB as I thought I might one day get sick of Shell Pink... and I love the blue but might have to try another one at some point in the future! Let me know which one you end up going for :)
Great thorough demo! How would you describe the fret size - are they a typical medium jumbo? And is it a full thickness body? As a lifelong Gibson player I'm looking for something cheap gets a decent "modern Tele" experience instead of dropping too much cash on a Player Plus or something.
Thanks Tom, glad you enjoyed it! The frets are a very typical size, yes - I am edging towards medium jumbo as the size. I do wonder why HB don't tell us that! The body is 1.5mm slimmer than my Fender Tele, so basically full thickness, yes. I think with one of these guitars you could easily scratch your 'modern Tele' itch! I've played some excellent Player Series Teles too, but you're paying three or four times the price for those...
Awesome - happy new guitar day! A year on and I'm still loving this one... as a classic Tele, it's simply impossible to beat for the money. My MIM Fedner actually sounds less like a Tele than the HB does ;)
I have just ordered on of those in Charcoal black, I'm in pre-delivery mode, will it arrive safely, will it be well packed? etc, but after watching this video I feel better about what to expect, fingers crossed, really useful video presentation, thanks.
Oh yes, I know the feeling! I hope it arrives it perfect shape and you bond with it straight away! Let me know your thoughts once yours arrives and you've opened it up and had a play :)
@@RichWordsMusic My Harley Benton TE-62 arrived today safely, ( even the storm didn't stop it ) I am very pleased with it, it has that lovely spankey Telecaster sound from the bridge pickup, great neck, and all said it is just great for the money, and it looks fabulous.
@@HektorBandimar Great, I'm glad it made it fine through this terrible weather as well! And awesome that you are already enjoying it :) I love the spanky Tele tones too, and the comfy neck. What a guitar for the money! Enjoy yours! Happy new guitar day :)
Hey Rich, are there compensated saddles on the bridge? I assume chrome plated steel. Does this rig need brass saddles? I am really torn between the TE 62 and the EART Tele. The EART is almost $150 more than the HB delivered to the US ($85 delivery vs free from Amazon), but there is also more value. Ugh....
Yep, they're compensated on mine. Nice little string slots too! And yes, I assume chrome plated steel. I thing brass saddles would give you a little more twang, but they're not essential. That's one mod I may make to my guitar though :) I hadn't heard of Earl guitars... now I kind of want one! I just checked out their Tele and it does have great specs - kind of like the HB Fusion models with the stainless steel frets and so on. The Eart is also much more of a modern Tele with the tummy cut and so on, and the headstock gives it a much more modern vibe. Possibly a more rocking vibe! I'd love to try one too, although I'm happy with my HB for now. Let me know which one you do end up going for :)
Great review! This exact model is on my wishlist for my first electric (vs the TE-90FLT one). The neck and fretboard being roasted, I would expect more stability and less fret sprout.
Thanks Adrian, glad you enjoyed it! I played the TE-90FLT once (the Red Blast one though!) and was blown away - it's a beautiful guitar. Very different vibe to the TE-62 of course, which is much more a straight traditional Telecaster overall, and the pickups are significantly different sounding. I personally prefer the roasted maple neck too, although that's a matter of taste. I would expect both to be durable though, and I think you'd be more than happy with either guitar... what a great first electric either would be!
HB certainly make a great budget Tele, maybe the best. Shame about the courier companies cashing in on covid, which has ruled AU out as a market for Thomann, for most Aussies. 👍🏻👍🏻 Good one, Rich!
Yes, agreed. I have family in the UK and Germany and shipping between those two has become prohibitive since COVID. And Brexit of course ;) So I can't even imagine how much it's all impacted you folks in Australia. Fingers crossed a bit of normalcy can return in 2022 because these guitars need to get into Aussie hands - they're fabulous budget options, as you say!
Brilliant review and I'm very tempted to make a purchase but then I notice they've done a double bound version but with a laurel fretboard. Would that make a big difference and what would the difference be?
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! Yes, I've just seen the double bound ones too, and they look lovely. Difference-wise, I think it's down to two things - looks, and the fingerboard. For me, I am happy with the caramelized maple on the TE-62 CC, and I often find cheap laurel boards (as on the TE-62 DB) to be very dry and scratchy. This can be treated, of course, and it can vary from guitar to guitar. Otherwise, I'd say go on looks... I'm seriously tempted by the double-bound one in Lake Placid Blue, which would go very well with the one I already have! Hope this helps :)
Hi. Guitar turned up today. In brief it looks great it sounds really good. I especially like the bridge pickup which has much more of that Tele twang than my fender teie custom (the Keith Richards one with the neck humbucker) The neck is really comfortable. It's staying in tune. Only downside is the action needs addressing. I'm not a Shredder but it's too high especially higher up the neck. For the money it's excellent value and assuming I can get the action sorted I think I'll have a lot of fun with this guitar.
@@ianstanley2222 That's a good start then, and after a tech sets it up I'm sure it'll be great! Lowering the action shouldn't be much of an issue at all, especially considering the guitar plays well already. And you're actually the second person I've seen who says they prefer the HB to their Tele Custom! Very interesting - this guitar is more like a Tele than my Mexican FSR one too. HB really are doing a fantastic job. Keep on enjoying yours!
Great review! You compare it as somewhat equal to the affinity, but specwise it blows it completely out of the water for ~2/3rd the price: better neck, tuners, pickups; vintage bridge, nicer colours.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! Yep, on paper you're absolutely right. Particularly the neck I think. I'm amazed HB can get a roasted maple neck on to a guitar at this price point! I wish I still had my old Affinity to directly compare the two. I did love my old Affinity, but maybe I'm seeing it with rose-tinted spectacles too...
Did some comparison... IMHO the HB is better in every possible way.... The standard nut width is a big improvement. Sound, playability, all better. Two cons: the HB frets need a polish and I might slightly prefer a C neck.
Although I already have several Telecaster guitars I couldn’t resist the opportunity so have ordered the grey one. I have the TE-52. Which is a great guitar. Also three Squire Classic Vibe Telecaster’s.
I have been comparing my squire classic vibe guitar against the TE-62CC. In my opinion the Squire’s pickups have more output. TE-62 is very trebly in comparison. But I think this I more to do with time than the pickups. I may experiment with some differing tone options.
I have been comparing my squire classic vibe guitar against the TE-62CC. In my opinion the Squire’s pickups have more output. TE-62 is very trebly in comparison. But I think this I more to do with tone than the pickups. I may experiment with some differing tone options.
@@peteralbertthomas Interesting findings. I do believe the Roswell pickups have a propensity to be a little on the trebly side, although that's generally something I like. I think that this is - combined with a pretty low output - their take on a more vintage voicing. The Classic Vibes I've played all have a bit of push to them, although my CV Esquire has a whole load of top-end too, which is tameable. A bit of tone knob action or perhaps some kind of EQ/boost pedal would surely help alter this to be more the way you want it.
Yer know what. Since I purchased this TE-62CC I simply can’t put it down. Absolutely love this guitar. It’s just perfect. I have Squire telecaster’s and two Fender ones. The Harley Benton TE-62CC is just a great guitar to play. Love the neck caramelised just perfect.
I ordered 2 of the Fusion Teles Had to have the silver sparkle(one of my fav. finishes) and the black. awesome instruments for the $. amazing. Rich, you're a blue freak. lol. I like blue as well, but, am also a seafoam green fanatic.
Ha ha, I am a blue freak indeed, I admit it ;) And I still haven't tried the Fusion models... must try them too in the new year! They have incredible specs on paper. You need one of these in Sea Foam Green too though, you know what to do ;)
@@RichWordsMusic yea, I wish. I already got 2 seafoam green Teles(self built). I think seafoam green harkens things back to the 50's. love the color on guitars.
@@23skidoo46 Lots of those older guitar colors come from 50s American cars, if I'm not mistaken. I love that about them. Why choose sunbust or black when there's so many coller options out there?! Would love to see those DIY builds of yours!
@@RichWordsMusic you are correct, sir. They did come from the 50's car colors and that's why I love them. It just nostalgic from that time/era. Maybe I'll find you on other platform to post pics.
pretty incredible what you can get today, you could swap out the pick-ups for Tone Rider or Iron Gear, or even Wilkinson but I love the colour, in terms of beginner I don't know if we can say that today , good you mention Vintage another great brand, in the end you don't have to buy the farm to get a decent guitar these days ,
Yeah, and even putting in a replacement pickup set you could still be around the €200/€250 mark... still incredible value! I do love Vintage as well - they make some great instruments. What a nice time to be a guitar player though, so many great and affordable options around to choose from!
@@RichWordsMusic I am in a similar situation, I have a Vintage 6P with 3 stacked P90's the guitar is a beast and very unique, it's keeper, and looking around the net for a complete set of 3 P90's one company LOLLAR 300 quid but from what I read one of the best 90's out there, I know the guitar would sound amazing it has solider America Alder body, and all Wilkinson Hardware with this telecaster you could put in a really decent set if you are going to keep it, one more thing Vintage V6P well it's interesting earlier models came with Korean Made Wilkinson P90's mine has the M series P90's they sound okay, but they just don't cut it for me , you have to watch that when getting Wilkinson Pickups M series is the Chinese made ones, if I did going with the boutique this guitar would of gone from a T Rex to Godzilla in sound lol
@@canadianintheukbrian You know, I remember the older Vintage Advance AV6 well - that was a very similar guitar, and it was amazing! All the Vintage Advance guitars were, actually. So I bet yours is great too. I guess the old Advance model had the Korean pickups. Your guitar would definitely sound incredible with some Lollars in! But you're right, finding a set of three must be hard. I guess the other thing you could try is asking a UK pickup builder to do you a custom set, which might even be cheaper than the Lollars if you're lucky. Companies like Mojo and Oil City make amazing pickups that would take you into Godzilla territory ;)
@@RichWordsMusic that V6P when I had a varitone my tech was going to suggest that but discovered cleverly my guitar you drop the tone all the way down and you get this wicked nasty lovely tone, it has something going on with the tone control, so going all out on a boutique set , man this would be a killer guitar, If my plans do happen I will post a video, I have only a little Katana Mini in this flat but I put in the brown sound it's pretty loud
Cheers, glad you liked it! I do mention the weight somewhere in the video (at 19:45) and it's 3.4 kgs, or 7 lbs. 7 - quite a nice weight, I think, not too heavy at all :)
Hi Rich. Loved your review of this tele. What is the thickness of the body? I recently played one of the new Squier Affinity teles with the string through body and thought the body was a little too thin.
Thanks David, I'm glad you enjoyed it! I just measured the TE-62 alongside my Fender Tele. The Fender is 44.5 mm thick and the TE-62 is 43 mm - so it's just a little thinner. I believe the Affinity guitars are thinner still - Google says they're about 38 mm. I hope this helps, and I'm guessing this'll mean the TE-62 is thick enough for your taste :)
@@RichWordsMusic Thanks for measuring it. I can deal with 1.5 mm difference. At first I liked the sea foam green colour but that lake placid blue looks the business.
@@higg68 No problem! I really struggled with what color to go for here... I was between the Shell Pink and the blue, but in the end chose blue as I thought I'd never get sick of it, while I might with pink. But the Sea Foam Green looks great as well, and even the Charcoal Frost has its own cool quality... one day I might need another of these!
Got my TE62 for Christmas, I like it, a lot lighter than I expected, a few marks on it, but it doesn't bother me too much, I can live with marks, only bit of a grumble I may have, looking into the strings, I was expecting to see the different colours of dia darrio strings, I am going to get it set up anyway, so I will get new strings on it, I maybe wrong but I think it has cheap strings on it from the factory, still a very comfortable guitar though.
Happy new guitar day Steve! Great that you got a lightweight one (assuming you like lighter guitars, like I do!). It almost seems like you may have got a b-stock one... that would explain the marks, and also would be a reason for the strings to have been changed. HBs do normally come with D'Addarios from the factory these days. Either way, I think after a setup you'll be really pleased with it - enjoy! I've had mine a year now, and still love it. Such a great Tele for the price.
@Rich. Words. Music. Hi Rich, I will get it all set up , and new strings, the guitar is just right for me, I will never be Gary Moore, when it's set up, I will see what tones I can get out of it, your review helped me pick this exact model, it's so comfortable 😀
Thanks for the review. Have you tried the Aria or JET guitars at all? The newish Sire T7 Vintage Tele is more expensive but has 6 individual bridge saddles rather than the possibly intonation affecting 3 saddles, staggered locking tuners (no string trees) and a rolled 9.5" fingerboard radius and roasted neck.... All steps up in playability by the sound of things. Looks like it may have Alnico 5 magnet pickups in the neck and bridge. A future review would be appreciated if you can get it. Cheers.
I've tried a couple of Aria guitars, but nothing from JET yet. Would love to one day, so might look into that! I Googled that Sire Tele and that looks a very interesting guitar. The ones I've seen have three-saddle bridges, but they're those Wilkinson-type ones that you can intonate properly, so that wouldn't be an issue either way. The neck on that guitar, with the rolled edges, might be what separates it slightly from the HB, although it is 3 or 4 times the price. I'll ask around and see if there's any chance of me getting hold of one to try!
Hello. First of all congratulations for the video. I liked it a lot and it helped me to decide for this guitar. I have a question, I don't know if you can help me. Yesterday I received my HB TE 62CC, but the E(6th) string touches the frets when vibrating. It's normal? I've never had a "telecaster" and I don't know if it's normal. I've already checked the frets and they seem level. What could it be?
Hi Vitor! First off, congrats on the new guitar. I'm sorry you seem to be having an issue with yours. Do you know which fret (or frets) it is buzzing on? Often this can be a case of the nut being cut too deep - this would then vibrate on the lower frets - or the overall action is too low. It could also mean the neck relief is not quite right. If you know how to look for these things and set them up, consider doing that, and if not, maybe you have a tech near you who could look at the guitar? It's possible the guitar and the woods expanded/contracted and moved during shipping to you, and this could need setting up again. In answer to the question 'is this normal'? It can be, in some cases. Actually on my main Fender Tele, I have the action very low and it buzzes quite a bit when played acoustically... but you don't notice this when the guitar is plugged in. If this is the case with you, I'd also say it was OK. But overall, if you are concerned, I would say (1) set the guitar up, or have a local tech look at it, and (2) consider contacting Harley Benton/Thomann themselves to get their advice on what to do! I hope this helps a bit, but let me know if you have any more questions :)
Hello again! Yesterday I was playing with her again and I think you're right. When connected to the amplifier, there is no buzz. This happens when the amplifier is not turned on. I've been comparing the overall action of my "Stratocaster" to the "Telecaster" and this one is much lower, hence the buzz. Thank you for your help.
@@gobelim OK, that's great to hear - and happily that means there is nothing technically wrong :) So you can either leave it as it is, or if you want the action a little higher, you can do that as well! Rock on :)
Rich this is the most thorough review I've come across.You demoed it perfectly with a plethora of musical styles executed with fantastic and accurate playing. Have you heard of 'Jet' and 'Fazley' who both make Teles? Glad to subscribe!
Thanks so much! I'm really glad you enjoyed it and found it useful. I had heard of Jet, bit not Fazley... they are super cheap though! I wonder if they're any good? I perhaps need to try these too ;) Thanks for the sub, and welcome :)
I'm interested in buying one of these but I am not sure about the colour... I like blue guitars but I can't figure out if this blue is worth. What is your personal opinion on that?
Good question! I love blue guitars as well, and I really like this blue... but it is a little different to a Fender Lake Placid Blue! So if you want a traditional LPB color, this is maybe not the one. I did a comparison video with this guitar and two other blue ones (a Fender and a Squier) and you can see the differences there - have a look, maybe it'll help: ua-cam.com/video/74s9bOh9ku8/v-deo.html Hope this helps!
Hey, , I just ordered an beautiful sea foam green colour version of the same guitar. Is this guitar light because I like light guitars that are easy to play:)?
Awesome, I hope you really enjoy yours when it arrives! Mine is 3.4 kg (7.7 lbs.) so it's not super light or super heavy... for me, it's a really good weight that always feels comfortable to play.
So much playing but what about the build? What are the pickup ohms? What is the fretboard radius? How about a look into the control cavity to see what type of pots and switches were used and if there is shielding? How is the sweep on the pots?
Hmm, you're right, I didn't go into all this stuff. My videos focus more on how a guitar sounds, although I do explain a fair bit too (without going the extra step of measuring ohms, opening up cavities, etc.!). I might do another video on all this in the future, but for now the stuff I can answer you is: - The build quality is great for the money. I had no specific complaints, and the guitar is blemish free. I speak about that in the video. - The fretboard radius is 305mm. - The sweep of the pots is smooth and crackle-free. I demo this in the video too (during the playing part - it's marked in the chapters).
The Affinity Deluxe looks great. I already traveled home for Christmas so I can't check the TE-62 until next week for the routing, but I am pretty sure it will only be routed for single coils...
Do you think this guitar is a good option for someone in the "decent beginner" category who doesn't own a T-style guitar and wants to try out that sound and feel?
I would say so, definitely. It plays, sounds and feels like a Telecaster, and the modern neck profile is a joy to play as well. And at €149 it's cheaper than most Squiers you'll find. So I'd say go for it!
Great video thanks, love your channel. I dont think its a deluxe range as the headstock states vt (vintage) range, maybe thomann/hb made an error on the websites???, the te70 deluxe has brass saddles at a higher price and I think the te90 are the most expensive TE models. Nonetheless this te62 is a great guitar and I will buy one....or two :)
Thanks John, glad you're enjoying my videos! You know, you might be right about the series... it does say Deluxe on the website, but VT on the headstock. Hmm. I might ask HB about that, but what you've said makes total sense. I like the look of that TE-70 actually - might have to investigate that one further! And I hope you enjoy your TE-62s as and when you go for them... let me know after you've played them if you think they belong in the Deluxe or VT line!
Interesting. If you have never played guitar, the TE-62 might be better. It has a lovely roasted maple neck in a Modern D profile, which is super easy to play. It's also a nice weight and very comfortable to play, and looks great too! I haven't played a TE-52 myself, but a few people here commented and said it can be very heavy, and it has a C shaped neck, which might be a bit bigger. But other than that they are very similar guitars. I would say ultimately pick the one you prefer in color (and maybe on the neck consideration) as you'll be more inspired to pick it up and play every day!
Yep, I get your point. I bought this guitar with my own money and HB had no idea I was making a video. However, I do use affiliate links (in the description) so if someone buys the guitar after clicking my link I would receive a small commission. Also, I do sometimes work with Harley Benton (they sometimes send me guitars to demo, but not this time). When this happens, they send me a guitar, I make a video, then I send it back. They don't pay me, but again, I can use affiliate links if I want. Whenever I work with HB (or another brand) like this, I always speak about it in the video so everyone knows. I hope this helps :)
This guitar is awesome! But I have a little doubt about poplar body. Is it so important for the authentic tele sound? I am choosing between te-62 and te-52. Te-62 has much better look and nice weight, but te-52 has a traditional ash body.
Yes, it's an interesting question. For my part, I believe the TE-62 has a very authentic Tele tone and the pickups are more important than the body wood. By the way, I will be getting a TE-52 delivered next week and I will be doing some comparison videos with the TE-52 and the TE-62 - this might help you! (I haven't played a TE-52 yet myself, but I heard from others that they are great guitars, but very heavy!)
Te-62 arrived today. It sounds great and has a very beautiful finish and a comfortable neck. But on my guitar I found two cracks on the body lacquer near the neck pocket. I don't know whether it's because of the wood reaction to the humidity changes, or just a delivery damage.
@@GoodVoodooK Well it's great that the guitar is mostly in great shape and feels great to play. Are those cracks only in the surface lacquer? That does seem to be a quite common thing on many bolt-on neck guitars - I'm guessing right at the corner of the neck where it joins the body? This generally happens when the guitar body wood moves or flexes (under humidity changes, as you say) - the lacquer doesn't flex wit it and cracks. If it's only in the lacquer itself, it's most likely not going to be an issue. If it's really an issue though, or you have doubts about the guitar, contact HB and they will help you sort it out.
Hi Rich, when comparing this HB to a Squier Affinity Tele...do you feel a big difference between the Alnico PUs on this and the ceramic one on the Squier? Thanks very much!
Hi Stephan! Hmm, let me start by saying that I haven't played the current Affintiy Tele - mine was an older model, and they now have different pickups in them. Hopwever, based on my own experience, I'd say the Roswell pickup sounds a bit fuller and 'juicier', and is slightly more pleasing to the ear. The Affinity pickups I had were cool, and sounded like Tele pickups, but they were quite thin sounding. The Roswells have more depth and character to me. I hope that helps :) P.S. I did another video where I compare the TE-62CC to my Squier Esquire and my Fender Tele, and the Fender has a ceramic bridge pickup: ua-cam.com/video/74s9bOh9ku8/v-deo.html And I actually found the Fender Tele sounds the least like a Tele of all three guitars! In terms of that, the HB really won the day there. It's a superb guitar for the money.
And here's the timestamps for you people on phones/tablets:
00:00 Hello!
00:10 Intro and all about the Harley Benton TE-62CC LPB
01:10 Specs and features
03:17 Today’s rig
Clean sounds
03:52 Reference chords on all pickup settings
04:13 Poppy barre chords
04:29 Poppy indie ringing chords
04:43 Blues progression
04:56 Country lead sound
05:04 Country ballad arpeggios
05:17 Country chicken picking lead line
05:23 Country strummed chords
05:42 Indie pop picked arpeggios
06:01 Bluesey southern rock riff
06:14 Cowboy chords with tone control test
07:33 Atmospheric droning indie chords
07:54 Strummed folk pop chords
Crunch sounds
08:11 Groovy classic rock riff
08:27 Hendrix inspired classic rock riff
08:44 Classic rock riff
09:01 AC/DC inspired classic rock riff
09:19 Indie rock rhythm chords riff
09:35 60s rock rhythm tone
09:46 Indie octave chords riff
10:14 Edgy indie barre chords
10:29 Southern rock picked arpeggios
10:40 Droning indie rock riff
10:52 Indie pop octave chords
11:17 Indie rock barre chords
11:42 Volume control roll-off test
Higher gain overdrive sounds
12:36 Classic hard rock riff
12:54 Hard rock riff
13:11 Glam rock riff
13:24 Foo Fighters inspired modern rock riff
13:42 Chunky alternative rock chords
14:08 Alt rock riff
14:22 Pop punk riff
14:36 Pop punk melodic lead sound
14:53 Green Day inspired punk rock riff
15:06 Less Than Jake inspired punk rock riff
15:18 Punk rock power chords
15:32 Punk rock rhythm sounds
15:46 Progressive rock riff (Drop D)
16:02 Chunky modern hard rock power chords (Drop D)
16:28 Rage Against The Machine inspired groovy rock riff (Drop D)
Clean Channel with Revv G3 distortion pedal (all in Drop D tuning)
16:44 Metal chugging riff
16:59 Mastodon inspired metal riff with country twang
17:12 Metalcore riff
17:23 Thrash metal riff
17:33 Fast chugging riff
17:44 Lead sounds
17:56 Classic heavy metal/sludge riff
18:29 My thoughts
19:00 First impressions out of the box - looks, weight, maple board
20:31 Build quality and hardware
21:46 Playability out of the box
22:20 Sounds and versatility
24:42 What other affordable Tele type guitars are out there?
27:31 My final conclusions on the TE-62CC LPB
Your playing is always top notch. Thank you for not noodling grandpa blues licks for 10 minutes and call it a review.
Thanks a lot, I'm happy you enjoyed it! I couldn't noodle blues licks for 10 minutes even if I tried, which is nice ;)
I second that.
@@arto9775 Thanks a lot, it genuinely makes my day to get the nice messages 😊
UA-cam “blueshammer ghost world” hahaha
I just got this exact instrument and I would say it's even better than this guy says. No upgrades needed. Neck is sweet, nut cut perfectly, tuners are fine, tone is great. I may try a different set of pickups just because i like to modify and tweak everything, but it certainly sounds fine out of the box.
Happy new guitar day! I'm really glad you are enjoying yours so much. I'm still loving mine. Like you say, nothing needs changing at all, but I might also one day see what other pickup options are out there :) Rock on!
I've just taken delivery of the dB With the Indian laurel neck. It's excellent.
Great feel and tone. Only thing I'm going to do is get the action lowered a touch. Otherwise spot on and exceptional value. I prefer the bridge pickup on this to my fender tele custom.
@@ianstanley2222 That's great to hear Ian! I am naturally really interested in the DB model too... they look amazing in the pictures. And wow - that's quite the statement, preferring the HB pickup to your Fender Tele Custom! I do love the Roswells as well, I have to say, but that's one thing I may also consider changing in the future. Happy new guitar day!
@@ianstanley2222 , I agree, It leaves my -75 custom for dead.
@@RichWordsMusic
I've had the setup done and the strings changed. It's much friendlier on the finger's now the action is lower and the strings lighter. The tech that did it is an old school purist I've known for years. He was very impressed. He took pics of the inside and commented how well the wiring has been done and the routing of the body is first class. He went as far as saying that he'd consider one himself for that price.
Only thing he gave a minor criticism was the tuners.
Best demo ever, thanx👍
Since I got my TE-62, I ralely touch my strat. First buy in 30 years and I'm suddenly in my late teens again, exploring new sounds.
Cheers👍
No problem, glad you enjoyed it! And wow, what a discovery this guitar must have been for you. Your poor Strat ;) Enjoy though, it's great when something like this gives you new musical inspiration :) Rock on!
You do the best reviews! You give us all the information we need and you do it quickly without all the faffing about most others do. Harley Bentons are great for me, I want variety at a great price and they provide it. Having said that it's nice to have a guide as to which one is best for me. I have several HBs and have never had any issues at all.
Thanks a lot for this review. One of the best and most complete reviews of this guitar available. Awaiting this exact same guitar today. Looking forward to play it and add it to the collection.
No problem - glad you enjoyed it, and happy new guitar day to you! How are you finding your TE-62?
@@RichWordsMusic Biggest surprise is the fit and feel of the neck. Playability is superb. The neck and fretwork is fantastic. Only need to adjust the neck a bit, because of some minor buzz of the lowest E-string. Intonation is also a bit off. The guitar holds its tuning well. The controls are a bit noisy and the finishing is not flawless. Two minor scratches near the neckjoint. You can also tell the guitar is made from three pieces of wood, because when you look at the right angle with specific light, you can see two lines in the paint finishing. Other than this the guitar has excellent value for money. Glad I bought it.
@@rmcaudio7041 I'm happy you're happy with it! Yes, with a bit of tweaking these are truly excellent. In fact, mine didn't have any for months (or indeed when I shot the video - it was straight out the box) and was great. A bit of contact cleaner might fix those pots for you. And yes, like you I'm still amazed at how good the neck is on these guitars... it's a true joy to play. I've had the guitar over a year now and still love it. Cheers!
Thanks Rich for the most detailed review I've seen on this instrument. Loved hearing your playing and demonstration, not just of the tones but how the guitar handles various genres. Your death metal demos (dropped D tuning??) were a real surprise as I would never expect to see the words "Telecaster" and "Death Metal" in the same sentence, but the TE-62CC acquitted itself very well. I'm a leftie, but Harley Benton have finally just released a left handed TE-62CC in Sea Foam Green so I have just ordered one from Thomann! I think we are now entering an era when we stop saying "this is a great guitar for the money" and start saying "this is a great guitar". Thanks again
One of the best demos Ive seen! A very good guitar with a roasted maple neck at an affordable price! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed it! I can't believe they got a roasted maple neck on this guitar for that price :) Normally a neck alone would be more than that...
Not sure about the roasted neck. It looks like it,but they call it caramelized. Does CC mean caramelized color?
@@eddybrandt3547 It's funny, but originally HB called it caramelized maple on their site, then they changed the description to roasted maple... now I just looked again and they're currently calling it "caramel maple"... so what it actually is I can't be sure. It's certainly different in feel to the HB Aeolus neck, and that one is 100% roasted maple as we know it from other guitar brands.
I guess the CC has something to do with the caramel thing, yes, but not sure - one thing I do know is they have more recently released the TE-62 DB line, which are very similar to these but with double bound bodies (and laurel fingerboards).
Thank you for playing in so many styles! Great review, Rich!
Thanks a lot, glad you enjoyed it! I always try and get at least a riff or two in for as many different musical tastes as I can 😉
"I love Telecasters. I love blue guitars"
Pretty much sums up my taste. I also love Harley Benton. Got to have this
Ha ha, great minds think alike! And yes, if those two things tick your boxes, you'll enjoy this one for sure :)
And now they are doing the same with double binding, paulo ferro board, lake placid blue that is even closer to what you think when you look for LPB...
Te62 db
@@kampfkatze6092 Yes, I've just seen those! They look lovely indeed. I may have to try one!
@@RichWordsMusic to be honest i am anxiously waiting for someone like you to take the risk as you did such a great job on the previous model ! Even more so as you could be making a side by side comparison with the TE62CC as well as a finish comparison with your lovely Squier CV Esquire (double binding, LPB too ;)) ! I might double down myself on those as i am so positively surprised by what HB proposed on this new range.
Sold my Fender Tele Player in 2020 - missed that Tele Sound in my Songs and in my Hands - ordered the TE62 - that sparkly Blue just hit me and 149€ come on.....played it - fell in love....the Sound goes straight into your Heart and it weighs nothing, so my back is thanking me 😂 Thanks for your detailed Review and Playing! Chapeau 🎩
Yes, everyone needs a Tele ;) I am happy you got one and you are enjoying yours! I think this is a great guitar for the money... and it competes with my Fender in terms of quality and sounds! Glad you enjoyed my video, and thanks for watching :)
Just had mine delivered today. Got the Inca Silver - originally I was thinking DB Black but it was out of stock and everyone seems to be going Blue so I apprehensively went IS. Well, in the flesh it looks great.
Love the neck on it, comfy and I turned the Truss 1/2 to 3/4 clockwise to lower the setup and it feels good. Good weight and the Tele body shape (my first) is great too. Quite impressed great bang for Euro 😁👍
Happy new guitar day! I loved the look of the Inca Silver too... nice choice. Hope it inspires you to make great music for many years to come!
Thanks so much for this cool review. I have just bought this telecaster (in LPBlue, like yours) and added some new Gotoh "in-tune" brass saddles.
It looks great. Its well made, and it sounds REALLY great ! Your reviews are always very good. Thanks once again!
Just bought one. It arrived today. Great guitar. It feels solid and well made. Polish the frets and fit new strings and away you go. The neck is nice. No need to change anything. It looks and feels like a more expensive guitar. It sounds like a Tele.
Awesome, happy new guitar day! I am glad you are enjoying yours, and it'll be even better after a bit of TLC. You're right, nothing needs changing and it does that Tele thing right out the box!
@@RichWordsMusic Thanks it's a very good guitar. Amazing package and the neck is nice. I went with Charcoal Frost. However they all classic colours. What I like the most is that it's an inspiring guitar. It's easy to play and sounds good. It's definitely in no need of any changes for sure. I peaked under the hood and it's routed for a single coil well my one is.
@@753Jackson Yep, exactly - mine just wants to be played, so it's pretty inspiring to have it around. And for the price, it feels and plays great. You could upgrade some things, but it doesn't actually need anything :)
@@RichWordsMusic Agreed it really doesn't need anything upgraded. If the route was there I'd buy another one and drop in a Charlie Christian Humbucker from the Creamery. However as it I'm very happy with this stock. I wish this was available in 1982. Back then I became obsessed with getting a Strat. The new 1982 was a calling. Eventually I bought one. But I've migrated to the Tele format. This for me is very much a Tele. I really don't worry what's on the headstock. This is a great guitar regardless the price. I have an identical Fender USA Telecaster that I'll fit the Charlie Christian.
Hi, you think it's comparable with squier affinity?
Received a gold one of these today really on the merit of this video and what an absolute hoot it is...Many thanks..
Awesome, I am glad you are enjoying it Mark! Rock on!
I bought the Harley Benton TE62 in shell pink. It's my favorite guitar currently and I own a couple of really nice Fender Stratocasters. This is my first Telecaster style guitar and I think I've been converted to a Tele fan.
This guitar sounds a bit thinner and 'ice pickey' compared to other Teles, but that's exactly why I got it. When you're playing in a band or recording a mix, you're going to have to EQ out most of the bottom end and a bit of the mid frequencies anyway, so this guitar basically sounds pre-EQ'd out of the box. It's a great guitar for recording. I'm really nailing those Jimmy Page tones out of it. But it's so versatile, as you've shown in this great demo!
That's great to hear! I've always been a Tele person, so welcome to the club ;) They are such fantastically simple yet versatile guitars, and it's kind of mind boggling how good the TE-62CC is for the money.
And I totally agree with you about the tones - Teles can be icepicky, and that is what makes them so great in certain settings! Like you say, it's all about how you appear in a band mix, and a Tele bridge pickup cuts through anything. You can always wind down the tone knob when you're playing on your own. Cheers and rock on!
Thanks for another top notch review
Thanks for watching Bernard, and glad you enjoyed this one :)
They have the charcoal version for £98(!) right now so I just bit and got my first HB. Thanks for your review, excited to get it now
I've seen that - it's an absolute steal! I am so tempted to get another for modding. The Charcoal Frost color is great too. Really hope you enjoy yours when it arrives :)
Great, thorough review. You should have more subs! Going to work my way through your vids to see what else you've reviewed. Looking for an affordable Tele that is worthy of upgrading in the future, if I decide to.
Thanks a lot, glad you found my channel and are enjoying the videos! There's plenty more like this one. As for an affordable Tele with mod potential, this is where it's at. I also got a Squier Classic Vibe Esquire not too long ago which is also going to be good for mods - that said, both guitars are still stock because they're so much fun straight out of the box! Cheers and rock on!
Just ordered this one today... in charcoal frost metallic... excited
Enjoy! It's a fantastic guitar indeed :)
@@RichWordsMusic cheers
Thanks a lot for the review. Found a few sound examples which reminded me of Midwest Emo which I was looking for 👌.
Excellent, glad you found something you liked in there! I try and put enough riffs in so there's something for almost everyone :) Cheers!
I got a TE-52 about three years ago to mod. I put a compensated Gotoh bridge, a neck humbucker, string rollers, and that's it. There's a tolerable amount of fret sprout that I'll clean up. The tuners are fine, but I'll probably swap those out. The only QC issue I really had was that the string ferrules weren't tight in the holes and came out during string changes (I wrapped them in a little tape, no issues). Plays pretty well. I had most of the parts already, so it was a no brainer. They even did a great job of matching the wood grain on the body - it's a 3 piece body that looks like a 2 piece at casual glance.
Talked my wife into getting this exact instrument, same colour I want, I think their out of stock for about 7/8weeks, great review man. 👍
Thanks Steve, glad you enjoyed the video and I hope you end up loving the guitar when it arrives! I am still loving this one. For the price it's incredible!
The first few bars you played at the start of the video sold me on this tele , it’s got that tele sound , plus they are doing a double bound version in this lake placid blue I’ve just seen , for a few euros more but still cheap for what they are
Thanks, I'm happy you liked the video! And yes, this guitar just has that authentic sound :) I am having loads of fun with it! And I have also seen those double bound ones, which really look like they might be worth a try as well. They're seriously beautiful guitars and I'm sure they play, sound and feel just like this one...
Great overall review, enjoyed and subscribed!
Thanks Bob, I'm happy you enjoyed the video and glad to have you along for the ride! Plenty more videos like this to come I hope :)
Sounds awesome, great review and playing!
Been thinking about this guitar, but was concerned the Poplar body would be too light and soft, as in prone to screws stripping out if/when doing any mods.
I personally can't stand light guitars, and was leaning towards the Ash Tele that looks great, but is also pricier.
Subbed!
From reviews the TE52 is considerably heavier, maybe too heavy for some...
Thanks, glad you enjoyed the video, and cheers for the sub! I don't think you'll ever get one of these which is too light (well, depending on what your threshold is, of course) but I get your point. Soft wood is definitely more perilous when modding! And like David says, I've had quite a few people on here saying they've had the TE-52, but it was too heavy. I think at the end of the day, they will both sound similar, and if you really want to get a heavier one, the TE-52 will be a safer choice in that regard. Look at it this way: you're paying that little bit more for the little bit more weight ;) Cheers and rock on!
Great review, thank you. Love the green one. Wish there were more green guitars
Thanks! Yeah, I was thinking about getting the green one as well. And the pink one ;) I think HB really chose some great colors this time. And yes, I love a good green guitar - my green Epi SG is one of my favorites!
Unbeatable tone demo, superb review and first on tube, you just made my evening! Thank you!
Thanks a lot, really happy you enjoyed it! And yes, I couldn't believe no one else had done a video of this one yet... helps my channel a bit too I guess :)
I think almost everyone here recognized the riff at 12:54 hahaha! Great review man!
Anyone who might have checked out guitars at a certain online store you mean? ;) Ha ha, cheers!
@@RichWordsMusic Exactly haha!
Excellent! Can’t wait to get mine in shell pink
I almost went for Shell Pink but changed my mind at the last second! Hope you love yours when it arrives :)
Awsome Review. All those different Riffs and music styles , never seen that before !
Thanks, glad you found it useful! I try and play as much as I can in these videos as hopefully there's at least one or two riffs everyone can enjoy somewhere :)
I've received it few days ago,
It feels "solid", very nice, very well done,
Incredible for the buget, if the brand was not written on the head... you could easily imagine it's a 500€ gear
I also ordered a graphteck nut and brass sadles... but for the moment I keep everything like ot wase in the box. There is no need to change anything I just want to play
Intonation perfect, plastic nut correct, action (a little hight) pickups sound good, tuning machine not great but they work.
I'm surprized, I really don't regret !
Happy new guitar day! I am really pleased that you are enjoying it so much. And yes, it is like you say... before you get the guitar you imagine the upgrades you will need to make it 'better' - but actually they're so good out the box the upgrades are not necessary! Sure, they will be improvements, but they are not essential because you already have a guitar that performs excellently, even when you don't consider the price. It's simply a great Telecaster! Rock on :)
@@RichWordsMusic Yes !! I 've been palying it for one month now. It is... no... SHE is even better than what I wrote. The tuning is very stable (here in the caribean weather!)
I think my other guitars will be jalous soon....
I don't think teles get enough credit for it's crunch tone. I love a crunchy tele tone. one of my favorites.
They definitely don't, but I love indie and punk rock and both of those have plenty of snarling Tele crunch tones in them. So I'm a full-on convert, and I'm glad you are too! You can't beat a Tele bridge pickup!
@@RichWordsMusic I agree, I'm into punk, hard rock and some metal and a pushed tele bridge works fine for me.
i bought one in dakota red which is more fiesta red. still good. ups dropped it or dropped something on it, damaged one tuner. still it played great right out of the box. the bridge pickup was very anemic but for $139 i'm not bitching. it was delivered in 5 days from germany. i can't get that kind of service in the usa. tuners and brass saddles and i'm still in for less than $200.-shipping. killer deal. glad i didn't spend $1000 on a mexican tele.
What a shame they dropped your package, but yeah, I guess the outcome could've been a lot worse! Glad you're happy with the guitar anyway. And as you say, get new pickups and new tuners on there and you're still cheaper than Squier Classic Vibe guitars, let alone a Mexican Fender. I guess we can forgive them for the finishes being a little quirky ;)
I Love ur channel!! Thank u for playing different styles of music so we can hear all the sounds of the guitar! And it sounds amazing!!
Thanks a lot, I'm really happy you liked it! This guitar does sound pretty great for the money, and it's really versatile too :)
You Sir, just made my mind, i'm pulling the trigger! Thank you for this review.
Glad you enjoyed the video Fred, and I hope you have loads of fun with yours when it arrives 😊 I am finding it very hard to put this guitar down!
@@RichWordsMusic Thanks to you i will! Really enjoy your content, may i ask if you tried the Harley Benton TE-52? if so how they compare.
Thanks for the review. I spotted this just yesterday on Thomann's site. I have become a HB fan with the purchase of a Fusion II super strat. Replaced the pickups and it's one of my favorite guitars. I'm partial to 305mm fretboard radii (a silly thing, really), so when I saw this had that, I got all excited. Happy to hear your tone demo and your comments. I've never owned a tele, so I'm reluctant to drop a bunch of money on something I may not like. Tell me if I'm nuts. Thanks again! Great review.
You're not nuts Steve, far from it! Guitars are such a personal and emotional thing that it makes sense to be picky about what we like and spend our money on... and there are so many options out there these days that we can afford to be that way. For me, this TE-62 was a no-brainer because I'm a Tele lover, and again I'm blown away by the HB value for money thing. I think if you enjoyed the Fusion, you'd find this guitar a blast too, although I'm sure the Fusion (which I'm yet to play myself) is a step up in the overall build quality stakes. So maybe try it, and you never know... Thanks for the kind comments too, I'm glad you appreciated my review!
Great review! I like the different styles of music in short samples.
Cheers, glad you enjoyed it :)
Bought this in lake placid blue and she'll pink. Love these! Going to have to get the charcoal and the sea foam. Beautiful neck. Sounds great too. May swap out the bridge?
Awesome, I'm thinking about a Shell Pink one too! Great guitars, and so easy and fun to play. I might also swap out the bridge for a Wilkinson, but at the end of the day that's more of a luxury than a necessity!
really liked your review and enthusiasm, i am a beginner in my early 60's (I did try a guitar about 40 years ago, but didn't persevere enough) I have smallish hands for a man and I am wondering if my fingers will reach the frets, you seemed to suggest this was thinnish neck, which gives me hope. but would you recommend any other starter guitar with a thinner neck. Thanks again, great review and I also loved the Lake Placid colour
Thanks a lot, I'm really glad you found and enjoyed my video! And when it comes to hand size, I think you'll be just fine with this guitar. It has a very manageable neck in terms of size and shape which I think should be suited to all hand types and sizes. When it comes to a guitar for a beginner, I usually advise people to choose one that inspires them to pick it up - if you love the colour (as you mention you do here) and the looks, you'll be motivated to pick the guitar up and play it every day. This is why I have so many blue guitars, as they inspire me! :)
The one thing you may also want to do with a guitar like this is take it to a local guitar technician, and have them perform a setup on it for you. This should help increase the guitar's playability too (as the tech will be able to get the strings lower to the fretboard, for example, which also makes it easier to play, as well as checking for things like intonation, etc.). A setup will improve pretty much every guitar, and will also make it easier for you to learn on.
(And I say all this because as you also asked, there probably are some other guitars out there with slightly thinner necks you could start on. But guitars with slimmer necks are often for playing shred and metal on, which might not be your thing if you're attracted to the TE-62! And again, because the TE-62 has caught your eyes - and ears - that's the one I'd recommend you go for. One other slimmer neck, just FYI, is the Ibanez Wizard neck profile - these are very narrow and skinny, and mostly built for players who prioritize speed over anything else.)
I hope this answer helps a bit, but if you do have any more questions just let me know and I'll be happy to answer to the best of my ability!
Looks a perfect choice for my first telecaster type guitar...Probably leave it in an open tuning...Thanks for convincing me...
Yes, there's probably not a better way to start off on your Tele journey! And this would be great for opening tunings a la Keith, for sure. Rock on!
@@RichWordsMusic You read my mind that's exactly what I want the Tele for....
@@markstacey2906 It makes total sense then! Go for it :)
Thank you for the review! I ordered the surf green one, I should receive it on Monday/Tuesday, from this review it seems like I won't have to switch the pickups, they sound great, exactly what I was looking for !
let us know how it feels
No worries, glad you enjoyed it and I hope yours is awesome when it arrives! Like John said, let us know how you get on with it :)
And yep, if you're after traditional Tele tones you won't need to switch these out - the Roswells are really good for what they do!
@@johnong2655I received it today, I'm astonished at the build quality for the price!
I cannot find anything wrong except for the misaligned ferrules, and I really don't care about that...
Soundwise it sounds amazing on my Orange amp, I'm guessing the pickups are overwound because it does not sound thin at all, even on the bridge pickup.
I set it up very quickly, intonation-wise it's not that bad considering the "one saddle for two strings" thingy.
The tone knob is very responsive and well balanced through the entire sweep.
The nut is very well cut...
I mean I've seen classic vibes way worse than this...
@@valendis Awesome. I should get 1 right now
@@johnong2655 I have a bit of cons now that I spend a littel time with it:
- The finish seems very prone to scratchs (I don't mind, brings a little worn look to it)
- The screws seem to be made of the cheapest metal you can find ^^
- It's noisy, I'm currently taking it appart, to try and treat the noise
- The finish looks like it has difference in colors (not visible when all the hardware is on the guitar)
- The strap button on the bottom is not centered
- The tuners feel a bit cheap, like plastic, keep the guitar tuned pretty well but the material used feels cheap
- The neck pocket junction is not great although mine has a pretty good sustain
Overall I think this is a great modding platform if you're willing to work on it ;) Also, I really like the pickups!
Wow,such an great walk trough all the sounds. Very good review ! Thanks ! This or the Harley Benton 35Plus, hmm... (i own a strat, so maybe a tele is a bit much)
Thanks so much, really glad you enjoyed it! That's a tough choice - they are both excellent guitars. Have you seen my videos on the HB-35? That is one seriously excellent guitar for the price, and it has coil splits as well, so it doesn't do 100% Tele twang sounds, but quite close. I would highly recommend both if you can try them first. If not, I would say this: if you absolutely want a Tele, get the TE-62. If you want something close, and also incredibly versatile for any style, then the HB-35 is superb... and also more different compared to your Strat ;) Let me know which one you decide for!
@@RichWordsMusic super.. I think Im going the HB35 way. I know everyones needs a tele.. But I loved my Casino so this could be a step up. Played the Gibson 355 in a jam and that was awesome..thou' Im a bit scared wont the neck be like too fat or smth..But ok..
@@Jimbowholivesinsoup If you dug the 335, the HB-35 is the way to go! The necks are not too fat on them, so you'll be fine :) And it will be kind of like a more versatile version of a Casino! And hey, you can always get a Tele later if you miss it ;) Rock on, and let me know what you think of the HB-35 when you've tried it!
Fantastic, thorough and in depth and unbiased review of 3 guitars. Your repertoire of various styles really do these guitars justice and on the back of your review I went ahead and bought the TE62DB LPB. Can't wait to get it. My primary reason was one of cost. To be honest, there is a remarkable amount of difference between the sounds of the 3 guitars, but ALL of them sounded fantastic in your capable hands and I am convinced that if you strung 6 strings along a piece of stick you would still make it sound good. LOL. Thank you for this great review and comparison.
Thanks a lot Richard, I'm glad you found the video interesting! I'm quite jealous, as I'd love to try the TE-62DB as well... preferably in LPB! I'm sure it's an excellent guitar for the money, just like the 62-CC is. Please let et me know how yours is when it arrives!
And I totally agree on the cost thing. These days, I think it's actually quite hard for companies to make guitars that are bad - and that makes it a great time for us as players to find excellent affordable instruments. I certainly wish there had been guitars like this when I started playing! And thanks, I'm really glad you enjoy my playing too! Rock on :)
Got a TE 70. Have to say I agree all the way. Its as fun to play as my RG Prestige after a set-up
Definitely - these HB guitars clean up real nice! I'd like to try a TE-70 one day as well :)
@@RichWordsMusic I'm quite perplexed at the moment. I was messing about with the height on the neck pup and raised it too far and it sounded boomy and woofy. To my surprise, that seems to have made the middle setting beefy as a les paul and a very usable, meaty, classic rock sound. It sounds stupid but I dont think Im just imagining things
@@mattiasorre1718 Oh wow, that's quite the discovery! I might have to try that myself at some point. I'm sure you're right!
I bought the red one with double binding, it's crazy how good it is. It plays absolutely fantastic, it motivates me to spend more time with it to the point I actually noticed I improved as a player after 20 odd years of stalling really haha. Bought a custom tortoise shell pickguard from a bloke off ebay and now it's a stunner too.. Might be the best guitar related purchase I ever made.
Best review ever, thanks a lot!
Cheers for watching, glad you enjoyed it!
Great video! I am between this and the te-52. I read in your comments that you were going to get you hands on one, did you receive it?
Thanks glad you enjoyed it! I am still badgering HB to send me a TE-52, so hopefully soon ;)
Nice review - but I was really hoping to see some comments below about how it compares to equivalents from other brands (Squire et al) as prompted by Rich in the vid.
Thanks! Yeah, I was hoping for a bit more of that input. Have you seen the video I did with this guitar and my Fender Tele/Squier Esquire? There's a bit more in the comments there that might help too: ua-cam.com/video/74s9bOh9ku8/v-deo.html
@@RichWordsMusic Just seen it. Yep it helped. Thanks!
@@LeastTango No worries!
Great review Rich, as always, I have the luscious sea foam green on order as we speak, Poplar body, roasted maple neck, for this money?!
Quick query ; are these a new type of roswell Pickups? I don't recall seeing that type before.
Anyway, thanks again Rich, can't wait to get my hands on it!
Glad you enjoyed it! Great choice on the Sea Foam Green, that looks lovely in the pictures too - let me know how it is in person when it arrives! I can't actually believe these specs for that price, again - Harley Benton seem to have made that a habit. I'm actually not sure if these are brand new Roswells... they always seem to have different codes, but I'm guessing these are the same as the ones in the TE-70 guitars. Just a guess though! Happy new guitar day when yours comes :)
@@RichWordsMusic Thanks Rich, will do, merry Christmas mate.
@@ReformedJon75 Thank you sir, you too!
Looks great, sounds good, is it better quality overall than the bullet Tele?
I haven't played a 2021 Bullet Tele, but I've played Bullets before, and the TE-62 comfortably beats them. It beats my old Squier Affinity too (although again, would want to try a more recent Squier to really see how the current range compares)!
May I ask: are you intentionally not doing any solos when tone checking? Should be part of the demo as we have frets above 12 too :)
Ha ha, that's where I struggle! I'm almost exclusively a rhythm guy, and I do cover a lot of the neck with my playing... but sadly anything widdly and up at the real dusty end is beyond my ability level. I'll get there one day, but for now there's plenty of other UA-camrs who've got the solo thing nailed far better than I ever could.
Thanks for the review Rich, great to see some proper playing to show off the tones rather than endless noodling! What do you think of the neck profile on this compared to a ‘C’ shape? Is it slimmer? Thanks
No worries, glad you enjoyed it! I'm not much of a noodler ;) For me, the neck is a little slimmer feeling than the C-shaped necks my other HB guitars (like the SC Junior) have. It's not super slim, but it's not chunky by any means. It's an extremely comfortable neck, and I still love it!
@@RichWordsMusic Thanks mate
@@Flint681 No worries!
I had seen this model on one of Thomann's videos, and the neck picqued my curiosity. After watching your review, I've pulled the trigger and ordered the Charcoal Frost one. Thanks for helping me make up my mind.
No problem, I hope you really enjoy yours when it arrives! I am still finding mine to be massive amounts of fun, and the neck is extremely comfy and easy to play. Let me know how yours is after you've had a chance to play it a bit!
Is the Charcoal Frost a metallic finish?
@@improvewitherror it's slightly metallic. There is a very fine flake in it, but it's very subtle.
@@RichWordsMusic Had it about 5 days now after it had a jaunt in customs. It's difficult to put it down. Not a perfectly finished instrument, but no major issues and it's so enjoyable to play. The neck is seriously comfortable, the weight is good and the sound fits my purposes. Love it.
@@thebeardeddread That's great to hear - I'm really glad you're enjoying it! It's so frustrating waiting for guitars to come through customs. I'm also still just loving the neck on mine, which I think HB got absolutely spot on. Not sure if it's modeled after any specific vintage Tele year or whatever, but if it is, I'd love to know about it! It's so comfy. And I reckon the guitar would be even better if a tech gives it a full setup. Rock on and enjoy!
Thanks a million for the video, Rich!
Cheers Gonzalo, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Excellent review!
Cheers, glad you enjoyed it!
Placed an order for the HB TE62 DB Black with nice leather strap, a guitar stand and paid 200 euro..... Now lets see if i will be pleased but i have high hopes after looking at this video!
Awesome, hope you click with it straight away when it arrives! Let me know your thoughts once you've had a chance to plug it in. What immense value though... all that for under €200 - a few years ago that would've been crazy talk ;)
I will comeback back once i get hold of it👍
@@HansKarlsson1971 Cool, looking forward to hearing your thoughts!
@@RichWordsMusic It has arrived! Unpacked, ripped of that damn plastic protection, tune, stretch strings, tune.... and play..... Looks good, sounds good and soooo light in weight compared to my Les Paul..... so far im very pleased for the price of it.
Really good review! I think one of the big difference with Fender/Sq and HB teles is radius. I personally like HB radius better.
Cheers Markus! Yes, the fingerboard radius on this one is about 12" (305 mm) so pretty flat compared to Fender/Squier Teles, and definitely easier for some people to get to grips with!
Just got mine today. It's incredible value and the neck is almost as good if not just as good as the AM PRO 2 that I sent back cause I thought it was overpriced for what you got. The charcoal finish is quite nice too. The fretwork on mine is surprisingly good as well.
Happy new guitar day! Lovely to hear positive feedback from someone else who has bought one too. I really love the neck on this one. It's different to my favored rosewood, that's for sure, but it feels fantastic to play and the frets are - as you say - surprisingly good! Another massively impressive HB. I was actually quite torn between the finishes, as they all look super cool! The CharcoaI Frost looks classy in the pics. Does it sparkle much? I was close to getting the Shell Pink as well, but even the Sea Foam Green one looks great. Maybe I'll need another couple of these at some point ;)
@@RichWordsMusic It doesn't sparkle much at all which I'm quite happy about. It's a bit tough to describe. It looks dark grayish but it also looks a bit green/blue in some lighting. Really cool finish without being too gimmicky. First I was going to buy the green, then the blue but I settled with the charcoal and I'm really pleased with my choice. But yeah cool and not too crazy finishes in this series. By the way, yeah I agree with the mint green pickguard. The white ones tend to look too plasticy.
@@andreasf6671 Yes, my Lake Placid Blue one doesn't sparkle too much either. I think they've chosen four really great finishes for this run. It really was quite the decision! The mint green pickguard adds to the look for sure, and really fits the vintage vibe more. Looks a bit less 'box fresh' than a white one would too!
@@RichWordsMusic How would you compare it to the Esquire you have in terms of playability? After spending another day with the HB I must say that I'm blown away still. It's on pair with the AM Pro 2 neck that I sent back and the fretwork and finish is a lot better than on my JJN Epiphone, FWIW. HB did quite a poor job at presenting the colors though. It's so much better in person and much better than the "silverburst" on the AM Pro 2 but that's subjective of course. And yeah, absolutely agree on the value. It lightyears ahead of my Squier strat I got exactly 20 years ago for double the price and back then a train ticket, for example, costed around 1 euro whereas it's 4 now just to put it into perspective. :P If you put some sweet PU's in the HB the only worthy guitar upgrade would be an actual CS, I'm not even kidding. The reason I got this guitar in the first place was to get a guitar that I wouldn't worry about getting stolen while being drunk in the bar or some place else, hah. But I'm gonna keep this probably forever now!
@@andreasf6671 Wow, so you're really happy with yours, that's awesome! I'm really loving mine too. I can tell you that the out of the box setup on the HB is way better than that of the Squier. Action and intonation were perfect, and on the Squier the action was pretty high and the intonation was good, but not quite perfect. With the neck I guess it's a taste thing, but the HB is definitely a bit slinkier and easier to get up and down (the Squier has a thick-ish laquer finish). I even think the Roswell pickups don't need upgrading, although if you changed them, the bridge and the tuners out you'd have a phenomenal guitar for less than €500 still. For the price of a new Classic Vibe, probably :)
And yes, I agree 100% about how HB have photographed their recent guitars! You're not the only person who's said that to me either... something for them to improve for sure, as they're actually doing their finishes a disservice. All the guitars look better in person!
I wonder if Thomman intends adding more colours. Looks like they’re on a winner with this TE-62.
Yes, I'm thinking they might. These four new colors are super cool but I feel a few more standard colors would go well eith the more traditional players too - black, sunburst, blond, etc. What else would you add? Those are classic finishes for a reason! And I agree, they seem to have got everything right with this model...
I really enjoyed this review. Well done
Thanks a lot Rob, glad you enjoyed it!
Another great review Rich, trust me, put a black scratch plate on it and be amazed at how it changes the look for the better.
Funny you should say that, but my number 1 Tele is Ocean Blue Candy with a black scratchplate, and it's the most beautiful guitar I've ever seen. So I might have to try this! Cheers for watching and coming back to my videos, and I am happy you enjoyed this one too!
Need to add distribution cost to the fender/squier guitars whereas Thomann just sells directly their house brand guitars from one warehouse. Although you have to pay shipping cost.
Yes, that's true. Does make you wonder if and when the Squiers and Fenders of this world may start doing direct sales in this way with their affordable lines...
Great review! I am undecided between this model of HB and the squier bullet tele. which do you think wins the comparison?
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! For me, the TE-62CC wins - in my experience (I have played both) it's better in terms of feel, quality and sound. At least with the specific guitars I tried. But if you try a Bullet guitar out and love it, get that Bullet! It's always about if a specific guitar vibes with you :)
For me personally though, I think the TE-62CC is closer to the Squier Affinity in terms of quality, or even a Squier Classic Vibe. For sounds, they're all really good.
I'm absolutely sold. The trouble will be choosing between seafoam and shell pink.
Yeah, the colorway choice was my hardest decision too! I was between the Shell Pink and the Lake Placid Blue, but I love the Sea Foam Green as well. Even the Charcoal Frost looks great, if a little less exciting. HB really picked four awesome finishes for these guitars. In the end I went for the LPB as I thought I might one day get sick of Shell Pink... and I love the blue but might have to try another one at some point in the future! Let me know which one you end up going for :)
Great thorough demo! How would you describe the fret size - are they a typical medium jumbo? And is it a full thickness body? As a lifelong Gibson player I'm looking for something cheap gets a decent "modern Tele" experience instead of dropping too much cash on a Player Plus or something.
Thanks Tom, glad you enjoyed it! The frets are a very typical size, yes - I am edging towards medium jumbo as the size. I do wonder why HB don't tell us that! The body is 1.5mm slimmer than my Fender Tele, so basically full thickness, yes. I think with one of these guitars you could easily scratch your 'modern Tele' itch! I've played some excellent Player Series Teles too, but you're paying three or four times the price for those...
It sounds like a TELE! That neck pick up is pretty bright. I'd say both are ceramic powered! Still sounded the goods! \m/
Exactly! It IS a Tele :) Alnico 5 though, according to HB... Either way, I close my eyes and I really enjoy it!
@@RichWordsMusic That's ALL that matters!
Just bought one! I owned a MIM tele before but i would take my new Harley over it.
Awesome - happy new guitar day! A year on and I'm still loving this one... as a classic Tele, it's simply impossible to beat for the money. My MIM Fedner actually sounds less like a Tele than the HB does ;)
I have just ordered on of those in Charcoal black, I'm in pre-delivery mode, will it arrive safely, will it be well packed? etc, but after watching this video I feel better about what to expect, fingers crossed, really useful video presentation, thanks.
Oh yes, I know the feeling! I hope it arrives it perfect shape and you bond with it straight away! Let me know your thoughts once yours arrives and you've opened it up and had a play :)
@@RichWordsMusic My Harley Benton TE-62 arrived today safely, ( even the storm didn't stop it ) I am very pleased with it, it has that lovely spankey Telecaster sound from the bridge pickup, great neck, and all said it is just great for the money, and it looks fabulous.
@@HektorBandimar Great, I'm glad it made it fine through this terrible weather as well! And awesome that you are already enjoying it :) I love the spanky Tele tones too, and the comfy neck. What a guitar for the money! Enjoy yours! Happy new guitar day :)
Hey Rich, are there compensated saddles on the bridge? I assume chrome plated steel. Does this rig need brass saddles? I am really torn between the TE 62 and the EART Tele. The EART is almost $150 more than the HB delivered to the US ($85 delivery vs free from Amazon), but there is also more value. Ugh....
Yep, they're compensated on mine. Nice little string slots too! And yes, I assume chrome plated steel. I thing brass saddles would give you a little more twang, but they're not essential. That's one mod I may make to my guitar though :) I hadn't heard of Earl guitars... now I kind of want one! I just checked out their Tele and it does have great specs - kind of like the HB Fusion models with the stainless steel frets and so on. The Eart is also much more of a modern Tele with the tummy cut and so on, and the headstock gives it a much more modern vibe. Possibly a more rocking vibe! I'd love to try one too, although I'm happy with my HB for now. Let me know which one you do end up going for :)
Great review! This exact model is on my wishlist for my first electric (vs the TE-90FLT one). The neck and fretboard being roasted, I would expect more stability and less fret sprout.
Thanks Adrian, glad you enjoyed it! I played the TE-90FLT once (the Red Blast one though!) and was blown away - it's a beautiful guitar. Very different vibe to the TE-62 of course, which is much more a straight traditional Telecaster overall, and the pickups are significantly different sounding. I personally prefer the roasted maple neck too, although that's a matter of taste. I would expect both to be durable though, and I think you'd be more than happy with either guitar... what a great first electric either would be!
HB certainly make a great budget Tele, maybe the best. Shame about the courier companies cashing in on covid, which has ruled AU out as a market for Thomann, for most Aussies. 👍🏻👍🏻 Good one, Rich!
Yes, agreed. I have family in the UK and Germany and shipping between those two has become prohibitive since COVID. And Brexit of course ;) So I can't even imagine how much it's all impacted you folks in Australia. Fingers crossed a bit of normalcy can return in 2022 because these guitars need to get into Aussie hands - they're fabulous budget options, as you say!
Brilliant review and I'm very tempted to make a purchase but then I notice they've done a double bound version but with a laurel fretboard. Would that make a big difference and what would the difference be?
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! Yes, I've just seen the double bound ones too, and they look lovely. Difference-wise, I think it's down to two things - looks, and the fingerboard. For me, I am happy with the caramelized maple on the TE-62 CC, and I often find cheap laurel boards (as on the TE-62 DB) to be very dry and scratchy. This can be treated, of course, and it can vary from guitar to guitar. Otherwise, I'd say go on looks... I'm seriously tempted by the double-bound one in Lake Placid Blue, which would go very well with the one I already have! Hope this helps :)
@@RichWordsMusic Thanks for getting back to me. I've ordered one so I'll let you know when it lands
@@ianstanley2222 Great stuff, looking forward to hearing what you think!
Hi. Guitar turned up today. In brief it looks great it sounds really good. I especially like the bridge pickup which has much more of that Tele twang than my fender teie custom (the Keith Richards one with the neck humbucker) The neck is really comfortable. It's staying in tune. Only downside is the action needs addressing. I'm not a Shredder but it's too high especially higher up the neck. For the money it's excellent value and assuming I can get the action sorted I think I'll have a lot of fun with this guitar.
@@ianstanley2222 That's a good start then, and after a tech sets it up I'm sure it'll be great! Lowering the action shouldn't be much of an issue at all, especially considering the guitar plays well already. And you're actually the second person I've seen who says they prefer the HB to their Tele Custom! Very interesting - this guitar is more like a Tele than my Mexican FSR one too. HB really are doing a fantastic job. Keep on enjoying yours!
Great review! You compare it as somewhat equal to the affinity, but specwise it blows it completely out of the water for ~2/3rd the price: better neck, tuners, pickups; vintage bridge, nicer colours.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! Yep, on paper you're absolutely right. Particularly the neck I think. I'm amazed HB can get a roasted maple neck on to a guitar at this price point! I wish I still had my old Affinity to directly compare the two. I did love my old Affinity, but maybe I'm seeing it with rose-tinted spectacles too...
Well I just ordered it, while I still have an affinity, so I'll get the chance to directly compare😁
@@schaffelaer1902 Awesome, let me know how they compare please!
Did some comparison... IMHO the HB is better in every possible way.... The standard nut width is a big improvement. Sound, playability, all better. Two cons: the HB frets need a polish and I might slightly prefer a C neck.
I have ordered the green one, I will go get it after work today :)
Awesome, happy new guitar day and I hope you're really enjoying it!
Although I already have several Telecaster guitars I couldn’t resist the opportunity so have ordered the grey one. I have the TE-52. Which is a great guitar. Also three Squire Classic Vibe Telecaster’s.
Awesome, and I guess the moral of the story is... you can never have too many Telecasters :) Enjoy your TE-62 when it arrives!
I have been comparing my squire classic vibe guitar against the TE-62CC. In my opinion the Squire’s pickups have more output. TE-62 is very trebly in comparison. But I think this I more to do with time than the pickups. I may experiment with some differing tone options.
I have been comparing my squire classic vibe guitar against the TE-62CC. In my opinion the Squire’s pickups have more output. TE-62 is very trebly in comparison. But I think this I more to do with tone than the pickups. I may experiment with some differing tone options.
@@peteralbertthomas Interesting findings. I do believe the Roswell pickups have a propensity to be a little on the trebly side, although that's generally something I like. I think that this is - combined with a pretty low output - their take on a more vintage voicing. The Classic Vibes I've played all have a bit of push to them, although my CV Esquire has a whole load of top-end too, which is tameable. A bit of tone knob action or perhaps some kind of EQ/boost pedal would surely help alter this to be more the way you want it.
Yer know what. Since I purchased this TE-62CC I simply can’t put it down. Absolutely love this guitar. It’s just perfect.
I have Squire telecaster’s and two Fender ones. The Harley Benton TE-62CC is just a great guitar to play. Love the neck caramelised just perfect.
Nice video. Would you try the st-62CC?
Thanks! Yes, I would love to try the ST-62CC as well! Hopefully I can get my hands on one soon for a video...
I ordered 2 of the Fusion Teles Had to have the silver sparkle(one of my fav. finishes) and the black. awesome instruments for the $. amazing. Rich, you're a blue freak. lol. I like blue as well, but, am also a seafoam green fanatic.
Ha ha, I am a blue freak indeed, I admit it ;) And I still haven't tried the Fusion models... must try them too in the new year! They have incredible specs on paper. You need one of these in Sea Foam Green too though, you know what to do ;)
@@RichWordsMusic yea, I wish. I already got 2 seafoam green Teles(self built). I think seafoam green harkens things back to the 50's. love the color on guitars.
@@23skidoo46 Lots of those older guitar colors come from 50s American cars, if I'm not mistaken. I love that about them. Why choose sunbust or black when there's so many coller options out there?! Would love to see those DIY builds of yours!
@@RichWordsMusic you are correct, sir. They did come from the 50's car colors and that's why I love them. It just nostalgic from that time/era. Maybe I'll find you on other platform to post pics.
@@23skidoo46 Aha, so I was right. So cool. I'm on Insta at richwordsmusic and my UA-cam email is on my About page too :)
pretty incredible what you can get today, you could swap out the pick-ups for Tone Rider or Iron Gear, or even Wilkinson but I love the colour, in terms of beginner I don't know if we can say that today , good you mention Vintage another great brand, in the end you don't have to buy the farm to get a decent guitar these days ,
Yeah, and even putting in a replacement pickup set you could still be around the €200/€250 mark... still incredible value! I do love Vintage as well - they make some great instruments. What a nice time to be a guitar player though, so many great and affordable options around to choose from!
@@RichWordsMusic I am in a similar situation, I have a Vintage 6P with 3 stacked P90's the guitar is a beast and very unique, it's keeper, and looking around the net for a complete set of 3 P90's one company LOLLAR 300 quid but from what I read one of the best 90's out there, I know the guitar would sound amazing it has solider America Alder body, and all Wilkinson Hardware with this telecaster you could put in a really decent set if you are going to keep it, one more thing Vintage V6P well it's interesting earlier models came with Korean Made Wilkinson P90's mine has the M series P90's they sound okay, but they just don't cut it for me , you have to watch that when getting Wilkinson Pickups M series is the Chinese made ones, if I did going with the boutique this guitar would of gone from a T Rex to Godzilla in sound lol
@@canadianintheukbrian You know, I remember the older Vintage Advance AV6 well - that was a very similar guitar, and it was amazing! All the Vintage Advance guitars were, actually. So I bet yours is great too. I guess the old Advance model had the Korean pickups. Your guitar would definitely sound incredible with some Lollars in! But you're right, finding a set of three must be hard. I guess the other thing you could try is asking a UK pickup builder to do you a custom set, which might even be cheaper than the Lollars if you're lucky. Companies like Mojo and Oil City make amazing pickups that would take you into Godzilla territory ;)
@@RichWordsMusic that V6P when I had a varitone my tech was going to suggest that but discovered cleverly my guitar you drop the tone all the way down and you get this wicked nasty lovely tone, it has something going on with the tone control, so going all out on a boutique set , man this would be a killer guitar, If my plans do happen I will post a video, I have only a little Katana Mini in this flat but I put in the brown sound it's pretty loud
Hello good video ! but what is the weight of this guitar ? thank you
Cheers, glad you liked it! I do mention the weight somewhere in the video (at 19:45) and it's 3.4 kgs, or 7 lbs. 7 - quite a nice weight, I think, not too heavy at all :)
Hi Rich. Loved your review of this tele. What is the thickness of the body? I recently played one of the new Squier Affinity teles with the string through body and thought the body was a little too thin.
Thanks David, I'm glad you enjoyed it! I just measured the TE-62 alongside my Fender Tele. The Fender is 44.5 mm thick and the TE-62 is 43 mm - so it's just a little thinner. I believe the Affinity guitars are thinner still - Google says they're about 38 mm. I hope this helps, and I'm guessing this'll mean the TE-62 is thick enough for your taste :)
@@RichWordsMusic Thanks for measuring it. I can deal with 1.5 mm difference. At first I liked the sea foam green colour but that lake placid blue looks the business.
@@higg68 No problem! I really struggled with what color to go for here... I was between the Shell Pink and the blue, but in the end chose blue as I thought I'd never get sick of it, while I might with pink. But the Sea Foam Green looks great as well, and even the Charcoal Frost has its own cool quality... one day I might need another of these!
Just to clear something up, on the Harley Benton website it says the neck is just regular roasted maple
Yeah, they've changed it. Luckily I took screenshots before ;)
Got my TE62 for Christmas, I like it, a lot lighter than I expected, a few marks on it, but it doesn't bother me too much, I can live with marks, only bit of a grumble I may have, looking into the strings, I was expecting to see the different colours of dia darrio strings, I am going to get it set up anyway, so I will get new strings on it, I maybe wrong but I think it has cheap strings on it from the factory, still a very comfortable guitar though.
Happy new guitar day Steve! Great that you got a lightweight one (assuming you like lighter guitars, like I do!). It almost seems like you may have got a b-stock one... that would explain the marks, and also would be a reason for the strings to have been changed. HBs do normally come with D'Addarios from the factory these days. Either way, I think after a setup you'll be really pleased with it - enjoy! I've had mine a year now, and still love it. Such a great Tele for the price.
@Rich. Words. Music. Hi Rich, I will get it all set up , and new strings, the guitar is just right for me, I will never be Gary Moore, when it's set up, I will see what tones I can get out of it, your review helped me pick this exact model, it's so comfortable 😀
Thanks for the review. Have you tried the Aria or JET guitars at all?
The newish Sire T7 Vintage Tele is more expensive but has 6 individual bridge saddles rather than the possibly intonation affecting 3 saddles, staggered locking tuners (no string trees) and a rolled 9.5" fingerboard radius and roasted neck.... All steps up in playability by the sound of things. Looks like it may have Alnico 5 magnet pickups in the neck and bridge. A future review would be appreciated if you can get it. Cheers.
I've tried a couple of Aria guitars, but nothing from JET yet. Would love to one day, so might look into that! I Googled that Sire Tele and that looks a very interesting guitar. The ones I've seen have three-saddle bridges, but they're those Wilkinson-type ones that you can intonate properly, so that wouldn't be an issue either way. The neck on that guitar, with the rolled edges, might be what separates it slightly from the HB, although it is 3 or 4 times the price. I'll ask around and see if there's any chance of me getting hold of one to try!
@@RichWordsMusic That's great. I think Thomann stock the Sire range. I will look forward to your review. Cheers
@@keithb5612 Fingers crossed I can manage to get my hands on one :) Watch this space, hopefully!
Hello. First of all congratulations for the video. I liked it a lot and it helped me to decide for this guitar.
I have a question, I don't know if you can help me. Yesterday I received my HB TE 62CC, but the E(6th) string touches the frets when vibrating. It's normal? I've never had a "telecaster" and I don't know if it's normal. I've already checked the frets and they seem level. What could it be?
Hi Vitor! First off, congrats on the new guitar. I'm sorry you seem to be having an issue with yours. Do you know which fret (or frets) it is buzzing on? Often this can be a case of the nut being cut too deep - this would then vibrate on the lower frets - or the overall action is too low. It could also mean the neck relief is not quite right. If you know how to look for these things and set them up, consider doing that, and if not, maybe you have a tech near you who could look at the guitar? It's possible the guitar and the woods expanded/contracted and moved during shipping to you, and this could need setting up again.
In answer to the question 'is this normal'? It can be, in some cases. Actually on my main Fender Tele, I have the action very low and it buzzes quite a bit when played acoustically... but you don't notice this when the guitar is plugged in. If this is the case with you, I'd also say it was OK.
But overall, if you are concerned, I would say (1) set the guitar up, or have a local tech look at it, and (2) consider contacting Harley Benton/Thomann themselves to get their advice on what to do! I hope this helps a bit, but let me know if you have any more questions :)
Hello again! Yesterday I was playing with her again and I think you're right. When connected to the amplifier, there is no buzz. This happens when the amplifier is not turned on. I've been comparing the overall action of my "Stratocaster" to the "Telecaster" and this one is much lower, hence the buzz.
Thank you for your help.
@@gobelim OK, that's great to hear - and happily that means there is nothing technically wrong :) So you can either leave it as it is, or if you want the action a little higher, you can do that as well! Rock on :)
Rich this is the most thorough review I've come across.You demoed it perfectly with a plethora of musical styles executed with fantastic and accurate playing. Have you heard of 'Jet' and 'Fazley' who both make Teles? Glad to subscribe!
Thanks so much! I'm really glad you enjoyed it and found it useful. I had heard of Jet, bit not Fazley... they are super cheap though! I wonder if they're any good? I perhaps need to try these too ;) Thanks for the sub, and welcome :)
I'm interested in buying one of these but I am not sure about the colour... I like blue guitars but I can't figure out if this blue is worth. What is your personal opinion on that?
Good question! I love blue guitars as well, and I really like this blue... but it is a little different to a Fender Lake Placid Blue! So if you want a traditional LPB color, this is maybe not the one. I did a comparison video with this guitar and two other blue ones (a Fender and a Squier) and you can see the differences there - have a look, maybe it'll help: ua-cam.com/video/74s9bOh9ku8/v-deo.html
Hope this helps!
Hey, , I just ordered an beautiful sea foam green colour version of the same guitar. Is this guitar light because I like light guitars that are easy to play:)?
Awesome, I hope you really enjoy yours when it arrives! Mine is 3.4 kg (7.7 lbs.) so it's not super light or super heavy... for me, it's a really good weight that always feels comfortable to play.
So much playing but what about the build? What are the pickup ohms? What is the fretboard radius? How about a look into the control cavity to see what type of pots and switches were used and if there is shielding? How is the sweep on the pots?
Hmm, you're right, I didn't go into all this stuff. My videos focus more on how a guitar sounds, although I do explain a fair bit too (without going the extra step of measuring ohms, opening up cavities, etc.!). I might do another video on all this in the future, but for now the stuff I can answer you is:
- The build quality is great for the money. I had no specific complaints, and the guitar is blemish free. I speak about that in the video.
- The fretboard radius is 305mm.
- The sweep of the pots is smooth and crackle-free. I demo this in the video too (during the playing part - it's marked in the chapters).
Great review 😀👍🎸 thank you
Thanks a lot, I'm happy you enjoyed it :)
I am on the fence of buying an affinity telecaster deluxe. Then I saw this vid. Do you know of this model is routed for a humbucker?
The Affinity Deluxe looks great. I already traveled home for Christmas so I can't check the TE-62 until next week for the routing, but I am pretty sure it will only be routed for single coils...
Do you think this guitar is a good option for someone in the "decent beginner" category who doesn't own a T-style guitar and wants to try out that sound and feel?
I would say so, definitely. It plays, sounds and feels like a Telecaster, and the modern neck profile is a joy to play as well. And at €149 it's cheaper than most Squiers you'll find. So I'd say go for it!
Great video thanks, love your channel. I dont think its a deluxe range as the headstock states vt (vintage) range, maybe thomann/hb made an error on the websites???, the te70 deluxe has brass saddles at a higher price and I think the te90 are the most expensive TE models. Nonetheless this te62 is a great guitar and I will buy one....or two :)
Thanks John, glad you're enjoying my videos! You know, you might be right about the series... it does say Deluxe on the website, but VT on the headstock. Hmm. I might ask HB about that, but what you've said makes total sense. I like the look of that TE-70 actually - might have to investigate that one further! And I hope you enjoy your TE-62s as and when you go for them... let me know after you've played them if you think they belong in the Deluxe or VT line!
I was sure on going for the Harley Benton TE-52 and then I saw this TE-62...Don´t know which one will be better as my first electric guitar.
Interesting. If you have never played guitar, the TE-62 might be better. It has a lovely roasted maple neck in a Modern D profile, which is super easy to play. It's also a nice weight and very comfortable to play, and looks great too! I haven't played a TE-52 myself, but a few people here commented and said it can be very heavy, and it has a C shaped neck, which might be a bit bigger.
But other than that they are very similar guitars. I would say ultimately pick the one you prefer in color (and maybe on the neck consideration) as you'll be more inspired to pick it up and play every day!
Thanks for the response. I'll go for the te-62!!
@@antoniomqzfdz Excellent, I hope you enjoy it! Let me know your thoughts once you've played it a bit...
I see they've just launched the double bound version.
Yep, it looks pretty nice too!
Amazing review as always!
Thanks a lot, I'm glad you enjoyed it :)
you are really enthousiastic about the guitar.....that's fine...and nice....but (straight up), do you have any financially interest in Thomann?
Yep, I get your point. I bought this guitar with my own money and HB had no idea I was making a video. However, I do use affiliate links (in the description) so if someone buys the guitar after clicking my link I would receive a small commission.
Also, I do sometimes work with Harley Benton (they sometimes send me guitars to demo, but not this time). When this happens, they send me a guitar, I make a video, then I send it back. They don't pay me, but again, I can use affiliate links if I want. Whenever I work with HB (or another brand) like this, I always speak about it in the video so everyone knows. I hope this helps :)
You put a lot of effort into this.
Cheers, I did, glad you noticed! Not everybody does I don't think ;)
This guitar is awesome! But I have a little doubt about poplar body. Is it so important for the authentic tele sound? I am choosing between te-62 and te-52. Te-62 has much better look and nice weight, but te-52 has a traditional ash body.
Yes, it's an interesting question. For my part, I believe the TE-62 has a very authentic Tele tone and the pickups are more important than the body wood. By the way, I will be getting a TE-52 delivered next week and I will be doing some comparison videos with the TE-52 and the TE-62 - this might help you! (I haven't played a TE-52 yet myself, but I heard from others that they are great guitars, but very heavy!)
@@RichWordsMusic Thank you! I'll be waiting for your review.
@@GoodVoodooK No problem, hopefully in the next few weeks!
Te-62 arrived today. It sounds great and has a very beautiful finish and a comfortable neck. But on my guitar I found two cracks on the body lacquer near the neck pocket. I don't know whether it's because of the wood reaction to the humidity changes, or just a delivery damage.
@@GoodVoodooK Well it's great that the guitar is mostly in great shape and feels great to play. Are those cracks only in the surface lacquer? That does seem to be a quite common thing on many bolt-on neck guitars - I'm guessing right at the corner of the neck where it joins the body? This generally happens when the guitar body wood moves or flexes (under humidity changes, as you say) - the lacquer doesn't flex wit it and cracks. If it's only in the lacquer itself, it's most likely not going to be an issue. If it's really an issue though, or you have doubts about the guitar, contact HB and they will help you sort it out.
Hi Rich,
when comparing this HB to a Squier Affinity Tele...do you feel a big difference between the Alnico PUs on this and the ceramic one on the Squier?
Thanks very much!
Hi Stephan! Hmm, let me start by saying that I haven't played the current Affintiy Tele - mine was an older model, and they now have different pickups in them. Hopwever, based on my own experience, I'd say the Roswell pickup sounds a bit fuller and 'juicier', and is slightly more pleasing to the ear. The Affinity pickups I had were cool, and sounded like Tele pickups, but they were quite thin sounding. The Roswells have more depth and character to me. I hope that helps :)
P.S. I did another video where I compare the TE-62CC to my Squier Esquire and my Fender Tele, and the Fender has a ceramic bridge pickup: ua-cam.com/video/74s9bOh9ku8/v-deo.html
And I actually found the Fender Tele sounds the least like a Tele of all three guitars! In terms of that, the HB really won the day there. It's a superb guitar for the money.
@@RichWordsMusic thank you very much, Rich. Really appreciated!
@@drpfrutti No problem :)