Well, folks... the guitar sold! It fetched the same price as it cost to buy from Thomann which sets a nice precedent. I've already donated the £130 to Zoe's Place & you'll see me doing that in the next video... which I'm about to start on now :)
I wanted to hear this guitar to make sure it sounds like the Fender Strats I have owned. Your video was the 3rd ST 70 Black Paisley I viewed. As soon as you strummed the first notes I heard what I wanted to hear. The first guy just couldn't play or set his amp right and the second was showing how well his held up for a year gigging and playing but he didn't play on the video. You are a really good guitarist. I'm saving the video to copy a couple licks you played. Thank again, my friend.
When it comes to guitar setups, adjustments, and string changes I've found that most people think of them like they do changing the oil in your car, that it takes a professional. However, I tell people that you should think of these things like you would adjusting the mirrors and seat and putting gas in the car. These are things everyone with a car must know how to do to drive the car, and everyone with a guitar should know how to make these same adjustments and maintenances to play the instrument.
I have this guitar and really enjoy it. A few comments. You will want to pickup a set of locking tuners from harley benton when you purchase this, and 2 upgraded string trees. It will help immensely in keeping this guy in tune. A truly gorgeous guitar overall. The only issue i had out of the box is that the fret work was poor. The fret ends were sharp in some areas and on a few frets, the frets were not properly seated and it was very visibly noticeable. These issues were fixed fairly easily but it was not as good of quality fretwork as other bentons i own. Decent pickups overall but i changed mine out and upgraded the wiring harness. Just FYI, the pots are 500K. Also if you want to tighten your tremolo, this can be done by inserting the arm, then depressing the bar all the way so that the tailpiece is raised all the way. This will expose a tiny alan screw on the underside where it can be tightened.
Absolutely! I've watched more than one review video of a Harley Benton guitar that had a trem on it and they had this exact same problem! HB needs to fix this problem or a lot of people will give these guitars a pass because they won't want to fork out the extra cash to have it set up when it's supposed to be already done!
There are these steel cards they sell on Amazon with all the measurements for making various adjustments to guitars. I adjust all my guitars with it and test it. If I want it lower I'll make that change or raise them. Its not as hard as people think. The only way to find out if your adjustments work well is to play the darn guitar.
Hell Yeah,Smoke that fukin Harley John!! I love your little guitar infomercials. I bought a paisley Benton Tele style after watching you. they should give you free shit at the minimum for your kick ass reviews. I don't feel so bad being 57 and still trying to shred after watching you light up that piece of wood!
I've always believed that a good guitar can be had at a decent price point and I've owned many really good squiers ( and a few stinkers too) that have solidified this belief. Since the advent of classic vibe and vintage modified squiers I must admit that I've perhaps been a bit closed minded when it comes to "affordable " guitars, a "budget " snob if such a thing exists. And I think guitarists are savvy enough that now it does, or should anyway...but my point is that I've seen a bunch of reviews online of various Harley Benton electric guitars and they all seem like well made and good quality instruments for a mere fraction of the price of something costing 5 times as much, I'm highly intrigued to try them for myself. Would they compare to a high end fender custom shop instrument?....not a chance, but for the everyday person trying to get something decent without having to invest even the equivalent of a whole paycheck these look like a solid choice...
good honest review, so much for the Thomann quality control, shame really because it was only simple adjustments, nothing broken, but might have put someone off learning guitar. great value for the money, i think i have a soft spot for the Bentons. Looking forward to the next one, good job John. Just been on ebay and listing has ended ?
Really like the review , might get one . You have been playing guitar for a long time . Slightly off track though , I keep seeing Indian built encore starts on eBay , the sellers claim they are very good guitars , any thoughts on them . Thanks
That was quick arriving! So, around 5:42 you say that someone will get a really "salted" guitar? Is that a good thing? In any case, super review towards providing good content while supporting a great cause. Nice job.
I've watched more than one review video of a Harley Benton guitar that had a trem on it and they had this exact same problem! HB needs to fix this problem or a lot of people will give these guitars a pass because they won't want to fork out the extra cash to have it set up when it's supposed to be already done!
Hey John, excellent channel and videos! I'd like to know how the Harley Benton D-120CE holds up after time. It seems you've been asked this before and replied that you did a video mentioning that (performance/maintenance of the D-120CE after some months), but I can't find it. I don't mean the video in which you review it new :) I'd love to know as I am thinking of getting it in the future but am really interested in how it holds up mid-long term. Thanks! And keep it up, you do excellent stuff!
Hi, did you ever get a chance to test the trem on this with any divebombs and general abuse haha? Just curious as I really want a humbucker equipped guitar capable of some more extreme trem usage - not all the time, but just at certain moments without totally messing up the tuning. Thanks
brilliant demo and appraisal of this guitar, John just how do you get such a great tone, every video i have seen of yours has you demonstrating a guitar and producing such amazing sounds. keep up the good work and i look forward to your next instalment. brilliant. Thank you.
You seem like a very nice chap John and very pleasant to listen to. I live in Buffalo, New York and I've heard that Harley Benton doesn't ship their guitars to the USA? If this is true, is there any place in the UK that would ship me one? Could you please let me know? Thank you John and I love your show!
Leonard Szubinski Thanks mate. Harley Benton did have some issues shipping to USA because of the rosewood fretboards on some guitars. They've largely replaced it on most models now to comply with CITES regs, so you should be OK 😀
Nice playing. Never quite sure if it is the singer or the song in your guitar reviews! I think you would probably make a broom handle and a rusty wire sound OK. Wondered about the trem which is often where the love affair ends...
Tremelo is Wilkinson, they are very stable and well constructed. They even have a sort of plastic on the end of the block to increase sustain and prevent spring buzzing. Here"s a nice video about those tremelo's. Cheers. ua-cam.com/video/1TP8EWRpD10/v-deo.html
John, many thanks for your time and insight to this guitar, I have also watched your video review of the HB ST-57DG tribute strat..... what, in your valued opinion is the better of the two models (ST-70 or the ST-57DG)
Cheers mate. I wrapped up the charity thing a while ago as it was starting to flag a bit... The last few guitars struggled to sell for much of a profit so I sent the balance of the funds left in the GoFundMe account to Zoe's Place and wound the whole thing down. As for which guitar for the Knopfler tones... Both are good, but the ST62 would be my preference 👍
@@JRobsonGuitar ahh that is a shame, sounded like a great idea for a great cause but understandably, you can't fund it yourself if they aren't selling for enough money! Brill, think I'll get one of those ordered, cheers mate!
Damn this guitar looks good and sounds good. It'll probably cost me an extra $30-40 to have it shipped to Texas but still a great bargain. Still not sure between this harley or the yamaha pacifica.
Thanks for the great videos. I have a hard time choosing between ST-70 and CST-24T. My aim is to play R&B and Neosoul. May i have your suggestion between this guitars? Or even other budget friendly models. Thank you again!
That sure is a sweet look and sounding guitar i would to have a artic white body and maple fret board and the old fender 70s style fat head stock can you get these made to order?
Hey you, I won't have you talk smack about the Affinity ;) I have one and they are fantastic guitars, really comparable to the Made In Mexico strats, but I don't have this Harley Benton strat so I can't really compare it to mine.. but I would personally rather get an Affinity :) This Benton seems really legit though and it sounds good, but I would like to hear it dry and clean :) It's worth getting just for the paisley finish, it looks really beautiful :)
i simply dont want basswood bodied guitar. I prefer ash for fender types and maple mahogany for anything else. I find basswood is way to soft and damages way to easily.
Just out of curiosity .I managed to get a Yamaha Pacifica 112 xj orange sparkle , which I really like . Would the Harley Benton be an upgrade on the Pacifica . Thanks Neal .
My English is not very good. Do you say that this guitar compares to fender Mexico? I was thinking of buying a fender Mexico. but the price difference is big. I only know that when I grabbed the Mexico the strings were low to press them. this HB is the same? and thanks
Well that didn't last long on Ebay did it? I thought I would like to have that, but needed to talk to the bank manager (wife) first. By the time I'd done that, it had GONE !!
Jason Leonard I think you missed the point, mate. The person who will buy this guitar isn't one of my "customers." It will be bought by someone who wishes to support a children's charity, which is where the proceeds will go.
Well, folks... the guitar sold! It fetched the same price as it cost to buy from Thomann which sets a nice precedent. I've already donated the £130 to Zoe's Place & you'll see me doing that in the next video... which I'm about to start on now :)
John Robson Guitarist perfect outcome. Well done John.
Great outcome, but when thinking about it, how could someone not want this new, tested guitar for that killer price that comes with a free set-up?
Agreed - its a great idea - glad it worked out
Nice free set up Makes all the difference !
John Robson Guitarist Thanks for warning me. I’ll pass on it. I’d feel better about getting a second hand Squire
I wanted to hear this guitar to make sure it sounds like the Fender Strats I have owned. Your video was the 3rd ST 70 Black Paisley I viewed. As soon as you strummed the first notes I heard what I wanted to hear. The first guy just couldn't play or set his amp right and the second was showing how well his held up for a year gigging and playing but he didn't play on the video. You are a really good guitarist. I'm saving the video to copy a couple licks you played. Thank again, my friend.
When it comes to guitar setups, adjustments, and string changes I've found that most people think of them like they do changing the oil in your car, that it takes a professional. However, I tell people that you should think of these things like you would adjusting the mirrors and seat and putting gas in the car. These are things everyone with a car must know how to do to drive the car, and everyone with a guitar should know how to make these same adjustments and maintenances to play the instrument.
Yes. The weather/seasons certainly affects the setup, wherever you are.
I have this guitar and really enjoy it. A few comments. You will want to pickup a set of locking tuners from harley benton when you purchase this, and 2 upgraded string trees. It will help immensely in keeping this guy in tune. A truly gorgeous guitar overall. The only issue i had out of the box is that the fret work was poor. The fret ends were sharp in some areas and on a few frets, the frets were not properly seated and it was very visibly noticeable. These issues were fixed fairly easily but it was not as good of quality fretwork as other bentons i own. Decent pickups overall but i changed mine out and upgraded the wiring harness. Just FYI, the pots are 500K. Also if you want to tighten your tremolo, this can be done by inserting the arm, then depressing the bar all the way so that the tailpiece is raised all the way. This will expose a tiny alan screw on the underside where it can be tightened.
One of the best guitarists on youtube. Love your playing man!
That Strat sounds completely awesome
Great job John looking forward to the next one
win win then, kids get support and someone gets a good instrument with a free pro set up whats not to like
Just wanted to say that it's a wonderful thing that you do to help the hospice for children. So nice of you!👍😎🎸🎶
A suggestion John. How about in the notes stating what amp you used, any effects or signal processing. Great video by the way
The trem block is really impressive compared to a lot of cheaper guitars! Hard to beat the price!👍😎🎸🎶
Why dont you do a little tutorial of setting up badly set up mail order guitars ?
Absolutely! I've watched more than one review video of a Harley Benton guitar that had a trem on it and they had this exact same problem! HB needs to fix this problem or a lot of people will give these guitars a pass because they won't want to fork out the extra cash to have it set up when it's supposed to be already done!
There are these steel cards they sell on Amazon with all the measurements for making various adjustments to guitars. I adjust all my guitars with it and test it. If I want it lower I'll make that change or raise them. Its not as hard as people think. The only way to find out if your adjustments work well is to play the darn guitar.
Hell Yeah,Smoke that fukin Harley John!! I love your little guitar infomercials. I bought a paisley Benton Tele style after watching you. they should give you free shit at the minimum for your kick ass reviews. I don't feel so bad being 57 and still trying to shred after watching you light up that piece of wood!
just received mine... and I agree with all you said... will replace the tuners soon... they‘re the only weak spot in my opinion 😉
Great looking, and sounding guitar. Thanks John. Great playing, too.
I've always believed that a good guitar can be had at a decent price point and I've owned many really good squiers ( and a few stinkers too) that have solidified this belief. Since the advent of classic vibe and vintage modified squiers I must admit that I've perhaps been a bit closed minded when it comes to "affordable " guitars, a "budget " snob if such a thing exists. And I think guitarists are savvy enough that now it does, or should anyway...but my point is that I've seen a bunch of reviews online of various Harley Benton electric guitars and they all seem like well made and good quality instruments for a mere fraction of the price of something costing 5 times as much, I'm highly intrigued to try them for myself. Would they compare to a high end fender custom shop instrument?....not a chance, but for the everyday person trying to get something decent without having to invest even the equivalent of a whole paycheck these look like a solid choice...
good honest review, so much for the Thomann quality control, shame really because it was only simple adjustments, nothing broken, but might have put someone off learning guitar. great value for the money,
i think i have a soft spot for the Bentons. Looking forward to the next one, good job John.
Just been on ebay and listing has ended ?
paul mckeown Sold, mate. It went within a couple of hours 😀
This guitar sounds fantastic, and appears to have a wide range.
I'm buying one that sounded awesome! And coil tap too? That's awesome. Love the design.
Good Job John. Great playing . Show more details of Geetar. ,Back, head stock, close up of front etc.
This one has a magnificent fingerboard! And it sounds quite nice too :-)
Really like the review , might get one . You have been playing guitar for a long time . Slightly off track though , I keep seeing Indian built encore starts on eBay , the sellers claim they are very good guitars , any thoughts on them . Thanks
Encore guitars aren't great. I'd get Harley Benton or Squier.
@@JRobsonGuitar. Definitely I will trust your judgement on that one. Thanks . Neal
That was quick arriving! So, around 5:42 you say that someone will get a really "salted" guitar? Is that a good thing? In any case, super review towards providing good content while supporting a great cause. Nice job.
Pedal Pilot "sorted" As in sorted out or honed to perfection 😀
A very good Review , John Robson ! Thanks....
Nice playing brother!
Dude can play. Damn 🔥
No doubt about it, it does sound great.
Well done John, and thank you.
I've watched more than one review video of a Harley Benton guitar that had a trem on it and they had this exact same problem! HB needs to fix this problem or a lot of people will give these guitars a pass because they won't want to fork out the extra cash to have it set up when it's supposed to be already done!
Thats a lovely looking guitar
Great Review John Great Cause! Well Done .Looking Forward to the Tele...
Hey John, excellent channel and videos! I'd like to know how the Harley Benton D-120CE holds up after time. It seems you've been asked this before and replied that you did a video mentioning that (performance/maintenance of the D-120CE after some months), but I can't find it. I don't mean the video in which you review it new :) I'd love to know as I am thinking of getting it in the future but am really interested in how it holds up mid-long term. Thanks! And keep it up, you do excellent stuff!
Jeronimo Martinez Fabregas It's holding up fine, mate. I've used it on thousands of recordings & lessons & it's as good as the day it arrived 😀
Excellent! Thanks!
Hi, did you ever get a chance to test the trem on this with any divebombs and general abuse haha? Just curious as I really want a humbucker equipped guitar capable of some more extreme trem usage - not all the time, but just at certain moments without totally messing up the tuning. Thanks
brilliant demo and appraisal of this guitar, John just how do you get such a great tone, every video i have seen of yours has you demonstrating a guitar and producing such amazing sounds. keep up the good work and i look forward to your next instalment. brilliant. Thank you.
Crikey John. It's gone already. Well done mate !!
You seem like a very nice chap John and very pleasant to listen to. I live in Buffalo, New York and I've heard that Harley Benton doesn't ship their guitars to the USA? If this is true, is there any place in the UK that would ship me one? Could you please let me know? Thank you John and I love your show!
Leonard Szubinski Thanks mate. Harley Benton did have some issues shipping to USA because of the rosewood fretboards on some guitars. They've largely replaced it on most models now to comply with CITES regs, so you should be OK 😀
Really good review man) Thanks!)
I love how they spelt Paisley wrong on the box 😆 great QC
Hey mate, that is a great sounding guitar! I think you just sold me into it! I take it everything was stock in this guitar? What amp were you using?
Angel Martinez Everything completely stock, no mods apart from a bit of set up work. As always I was plugged into my Vox Tonelab ST 😀
Hi, I would to order this guitar, I am in New York City, does Thompson ship UPS or Federal Express? Sorry to bother you!
Angel Martinez Don't know about the USA, but they arrive at my door via UPS 😀
Thanks John, good review.
Good on you John, Appreciate your effort.
Nice playing. Never quite sure if it is the singer or the song in your guitar reviews! I think you would probably make a broom handle and a rusty wire sound OK. Wondered about the trem which is often where the love affair ends...
Tremelo is Wilkinson, they are very stable and well constructed. They even have a sort of plastic on the end of the block to increase sustain and prevent spring buzzing. Here"s a nice video about those tremelo's. Cheers.
ua-cam.com/video/1TP8EWRpD10/v-deo.html
John, many thanks for your time and insight to this guitar, I have also watched your video review of the HB ST-57DG tribute strat..... what, in your valued opinion is the better of the two models (ST-70 or the ST-57DG)
I ended up buying the ST57 for myself so I guess that answers it 😁
@@JRobsonGuitar cheers John...I was leaning towards the st-57 :-) keep the videos coming... much appreciated they are...
Hi John, are you still doing guitars for good causes? Also, the ST62 or the ST70? Which is better for those classic Knopfler tones? Thanks mate!
Cheers mate. I wrapped up the charity thing a while ago as it was starting to flag a bit... The last few guitars struggled to sell for much of a profit so I sent the balance of the funds left in the GoFundMe account to Zoe's Place and wound the whole thing down. As for which guitar for the Knopfler tones... Both are good, but the ST62 would be my preference 👍
@@JRobsonGuitar ahh that is a shame, sounded like a great idea for a great cause but understandably, you can't fund it yourself if they aren't selling for enough money! Brill, think I'll get one of those ordered, cheers mate!
Damn this guitar looks good and sounds good. It'll probably cost me an extra $30-40 to have it shipped to Texas but still a great bargain. Still not sure between this harley or the yamaha pacifica.
Thanks for the great videos.
I have a hard time choosing between ST-70 and CST-24T.
My aim is to play R&B and Neosoul.
May i have your suggestion between this guitars? Or even other budget friendly models.
Thank you again!
I would have the CST24 👍
@@JRobsonGuitar Thank you so much for the reply ✌️
How is it in compare to the Fusion-II HSH ?
The Fusion is a better guitar & if you have the budget it's the one to go for 👍
@@JRobsonGuitar Thanks for the help! ✌️👊
I'd like them to make a "Sonic blue" one. I'd snatch one up asap!
That sure is a sweet look and sounding guitar i would to have a artic white body and maple fret board and the old fender 70s style fat head stock can you get these made to order?
For someone starting out; it’s a good buy I think.🤨👍🏾
Impressive - and sold already!
Why did Jeremy Clarkson shave his head?
That Looks And Sounds Awesome John, And At That Price, Wow Wow, Fantastic, Cheers
Hey you, I won't have you talk smack about the Affinity ;)
I have one and they are fantastic guitars, really comparable to the Made In Mexico strats, but I don't have this Harley Benton strat so I can't really compare it to mine.. but I would personally rather get an Affinity :)
This Benton seems really legit though and it sounds good, but I would like to hear it dry and clean :)
It's worth getting just for the paisley finish, it looks really beautiful :)
Wabin22 I don’t think the affinitys are bad Guitars. Just some needs some tune ups here and there. But once done, they’re great!🤨
i simply dont want basswood bodied guitar. I prefer ash for fender types and maple mahogany for anything else. I find basswood is way to soft and damages way to easily.
Just out of curiosity .I managed to get a Yamaha Pacifica 112 xj orange sparkle , which I really like . Would the Harley Benton be an upgrade on the Pacifica . Thanks Neal .
I prefer the neck on the Yamaha 👍
Sound wise any differences any preference? @@JRobsonGuitar
Thanx men you just cost me €149 :P
Great review.... i was looking for a backup for my Fender roadworn player HSS strat.... so i ordered this one.
Still like it 2 years on?
@@Deliquescentinsight it's ok for the money... I use it as a seconde guitar in other turning at gigs... But i will change the neck and pickups someday
Hello. Which amp did you use in this video? thanks
the man maketh the instrument!
nice on sir!
My English is not very good. Do you say that this guitar compares to fender Mexico? I was thinking of buying a fender Mexico. but the price difference is big. I only know that when I grabbed the Mexico the strings were low to press them. this HB is the same? and thanks
This guitar compares well to s Mexican Fender & I can recommend it 👍
John Robson Guitarist this is your opinion the best Harley benton ST? And Thank you very much
Great playing!
This or the st 62 ?
Idk if i want maple or rosewood fingerboard
Amazing value for money 👍
sounds good, no hum either.
Nice a real tremolo block !!
Are you getting paid for your reviews? By Thomann or HB?
Jess Yates No.
is it a bone nut?
Nice review thanks. (I notice the Chinese can't spell Paisley...!)
Why is "Black Paisley" mostly BROWN?
You know how to play!
John, if you had to choose just one between this and the st90 swamp ash; which would you pick? (And why?)
This one... I prefer the bridge 😄
John Robson Guitarist
Thanks, happy new year…!!
Would look a million times better with a maple board.
Well that didn't last long on Ebay did it? I thought I would like to have that, but needed to talk to the bank manager (wife) first. By the time I'd done that, it had GONE !!
Looks great, sounds great. What the hell?
Hello nobody on UA-cam answer this question. Can you split any humbucker?
No. It has to be wired for that
much british accent, wow
Why wouldn't your customers just buy them from Thomas themselves.
Jason Leonard I think you missed the point, mate. The person who will buy this guitar isn't one of my "customers." It will be bought by someone who wishes to support a children's charity, which is where the proceeds will go.