My $200 Jackson 7-string also sounded outstanding stock when I got it two years ago, but I have modded it since with locking tuners, hipshot bridge, and SD Black Winter pickups. The damn thing plays like a dream!
You talking about the JS22 I think it is? I ordered one recently after playing one at a guitar center awhile back. Does not play like most 200$ guitars, even with everything stock lol not perfect or anything but it's surprisingly good.
@@tomk8350 I have the JS22-7 with Jackson passive pickups, which has been modified with a hipshot bridge, Black Winter pickups, and Gotoh locking tuners. I will admit, the pickup didn't need to be upgraded, I actually prefer the Jackson pickups lol. Also, I have the $330 JS34 DKA Silverburst 6 string, but I got it for $200 because it was the floor model and it had a couple minor scratches. I still have the JS34 stock to this day after 3 years and it sounds, feels, and stays in tune like a much more expensive guitar, which I have as well with my 18-guitar collection, which ranges anywhere from $200 - $5,000.
Have the white one! My first 7, i love it, and the active routing made swapping the pups for emg 707s a breeze like you theorised! Cracking entry to 7 strings imo
Mine came near perfect out the box the biggest issue was my bridge pickup had a bridge pickup issue where the treble strings weren’t picking up and scratchy. Passive pickups definetly only downside of the guitar. I got the flip flop blue finish with toasted maple neck
@Sinfullybliss97 that one looks flashy, they released it after I got mine otherwise I deffo would have grabbed it! Yeah the pickups or take or leave, but easy enough to swap!
Started with such a strong riff. Sheesh. Had one myself. Fretboard definitely needed oil and pickups were muddy. Overall beyond worth it for the price. On another note, I use their bass amps for live use and sounds pretty good tbh
I've had the white one since January of 2020. It was $180 back then. I've currently got it set up in Meshuggah's tuning. Never had a single issue with the thing in the 3+ years I've had it, and the pickups don't have the "low-range muddiness" that I've noticed a lot of budget 7 strings have. They're clear enough that even the middle position has a viable sound for high-gain low-tuned madness
I got the active R-457 (you can see me play it on my channel) which I got on Thomann for 180 €. It came with two damaged screws on the bridge so tuning intonation was a pain, and several cables between the pickups and 3-way switch weren't soldered, so I had to get it fixed. Body paint has several defects but I don't really care. It's a fixer-upper but it's very comfortable to play (good neck) and it sounds like some Ibanez and Yamaha guitars I've tried who retail for about 4 times the price. Bottom line: if you have the skill/gear to repair it out of the box, then it's a fantastic bang-for-the-buck.
@@UndarZ Nope, I'd have had to buy a cardboard box big enough to ship it and cardboard boxes cost a lot of money. Going to a guitar shop to get it repaired ended up being cheaper.
It's always a pain to swap passive pickup in fanned fret guitars so double check all your measurements first and foremost to see if a company even makes the proper dimensions you need. I don't know what off-the-shelf pickup brands make fanned fret 8 string pickups without going custom so I am not sure
I’m excited to hear how the demo sounds, I had the black 8 string version and the pickups were dogshit, sold it and got the new roasted maple 8 string and the pickups are a bit better but not much
i got the 8 string and its genuinly better than alot of guitars ive played in guitar stores in the 600-800 range, just the higher frets need some extra work
I have the one with the roasted maple neck. I swapped out the tuners for a locking set and put a Lace in the bridge. It's a bit quiet though compared to what they come with. I might try find another one that fits. But I love the guitar. It looks and feels as nice as some that run more than twice what I paid.
Awesome guitar. It frustrates me that HB never seem to make left-handed versions of their 7 and 8 string multiscale guitars at this price point. Sucks to be a lefty sometimes. Update: it looks like they now have a left handed version but its the 25.5" scale, not multiscale🤘
Yeah, I've had one of thease for 2 years, I swapped the pickups for Fishman Moderns last summer, and it doues, in fact, kick some serious ass. But yeah, it'd have been nice if they had an unused 9V compartment there stock.
There is so much space in that control panel for a battery pack. I think it was intentional for it to be an easy switch to active pickups. Cool idea imo.
Love mine! The roasted maple neck and the "flip flop" finish is SO sweet for the price! Pup swap seems a bit diff unless you're down to get crazy with a dremel🤣
When it gets back in stock you should review the newest version of that guitar wich is the r-457 ffb. It has a roasted maple neck and a beautiful chameleon finish that changes from green to purple with the light!! I think it looks a lot better!!
@@MaximusAdonicus Yes!! Definitely is a refreshing look, also the roasted maple neck adds to it. Personally I'm tired of the same black gloss finish on all budget metal guitars 😕.
So this is Thoman, Harley Benton. Does it have Stainless Steel, super jumbo1600 fret wire ? I like the 3x4 headstock . not a fan of inline tuning pegs. the Schecter and PRS are the other companies making S body's with the 3x4 headstock
@@FrancoW1 what's a decent pickup for under $100? I'm thinking of tossing my lundgrens for Seymour jb/59 setup. Dimarzio is the only other brand I would consider
I have an eight-string version of this guitar, but it's white. The sound is good, but only if you constantly change the strings :) (I use a translator)
I got me the white standard one, i loved it but the pickups were too sharp and sounded like single coils. But these pickups on the seven multi scale sound amazing, definitely gonna pick me one up.
I have this exact same guitar for nearly 2 years now. I'm a diehard HB fan but this one had major fretwork issues (dead spots) I tried to fix myself, the stock pickups are way too bulky, and it has a weird boxy attack when playing a single string (especially the 6th for whatever reason) given you have a proper tensioned set of strings. I changed my bridge pickup (Lace X-bar, bad choice, very low output), tried different strings, nothing solved this issue and I spent countless hours mixing sounds coming out of this thing. In a desperate last attempt, I'll change the pickup again with a 2nd hand stock JS22-7 pickup (god I love this guitar) I'll modify to fit the fanned fret, custom brass baseplate incoming :D). (not) fun fact : The stock pickups have no baseplate, the coils are drown in what seems to be epoxy. I wish I could just swap baseplates to fit a normal pickup in there :/ But I'm nitpicking, 99% of the people won't have a clue on what's bugging me. I had bad luck with my copy, but it's obviously a great guitar for the price, especially for beginners and low budget bros !
Mine had the same fret problems and needed a neck shim. Pickups are also pretty bad, I'm almost tempted to buy a second just to see if they're usually better, because without those problems it'd be an awesome guitar!
Harley Bentons are underrated, sure, they could use a better finish, but they're very decent, i got the r458 bk progressiv (not multiscale), and it works like a charm
UK chap here, your link takes me to the same guitar, but with a standard neck not fanfretted, and it's listed as having active pickups but without mentioning a battery housing? Not sure if that's something on Thomann's side or something lost in translation in the link 🙃🤷♂️
Man these Harley Bentons are really impressive! The only other 7-string in this price range that I can think of is the jackson 22-7 (which I have) and it has some massive drawbacks compared to this one. Serious buyers remorse right now lol!
Could you elaborate on R-457 FF vs JS22-7 ? I'm curious as I also own both and I'm in love with the JS while quite struggling with the HB. Interesting how guitars are really a matter of taste
@@MaxSxB the two biggest things (for me) that bug me are the tuning stability, as well as the heel being super blocky making upper fret access difficult. I haven’t tried the HB at all, but multi scale is something I’m a big fan of on seven strings, and at that price I think that’s pretty hard to beat
@@adeebighani8807 Oh I misread your comment completely, I thought you owned both. I do agree with you on upper frets accessibility (but I practically never use them at the moment), but I have no tuning stability problem. Maybe a bad batch of tuners on yours !
@@adeebighani8807 I completely agree about the heel. I play a lot of music that is around those first few frets and on the JS22-7 it is a nightmare, hurts like a mfer haha. I've also had a good number of out-of-the-box defects with mine, most annoying other than what I mentioned above is the input jack never wanting to stay secure, always coming loose and the pickups are muddy and not very great. Can't wait to upgrade, might get this Harley Benton one, was going to get a more expensive Ibanez 7 string but now I'm torn on that or this one in the video ha.
The guitar link to this isn't anywhere near the guitar that this cat is playing. I'm not sure if HBs trying to bait and switch or if Harley Benton radically change the design but the fretboards aren't fanned at all on the new one. It's a total different Guitar than what he's playing here
Thomann need to ditch UPS, at least in Australia, because I had some of the most horrific experiences trying to receive my guitar from them. Instrument is great quality for the price, but my word, always FUCK UPS
Really? I had the Amarok 7 as well and it was awesome. I've had a couple of the SUPER cheap ones from them that are a bit dodgy but when they are $150 it was things I could live with or understand given the price point
At least change the strings. Thomann always puts too thin strings on their extended range guitars because it's cheaper. That's why they all sound floppy as shit out of the box.
More info on this guitar here: thmn.to/thoprod/461459?offid=1&affid=1582
Follow me on Twitch: www.twitch.tv/baenacarcosa
Yo Baena, Harley Benton also has an 8 string for $200. I would love to see a follow up with your thoughts on that. ✌
Can you compare this guitar and Cort KX307MS?
Being an nerd, I did a quick googling and found that "Limewood" is just a European name for "Basswood."
*an* nerd 💀
@@BreadGood_21he was testing out how to find real nerds and he found one
@@BreadGood_21😂
My $200 Jackson 7-string also sounded outstanding stock when I got it two years ago, but I have modded it since with locking tuners, hipshot bridge, and SD Black Winter pickups. The damn thing plays like a dream!
You talking about the JS22 I think it is? I ordered one recently after playing one at a guitar center awhile back. Does not play like most 200$ guitars, even with everything stock lol not perfect or anything but it's surprisingly good.
Badass❤
Agreed, I love mine!
What version of it are we talking about? There's one with soap bar pickups, the js22 and the js22 special edition with a maple fretboard.
@@tomk8350 I have the JS22-7 with Jackson passive pickups, which has been modified with a hipshot bridge, Black Winter pickups, and Gotoh locking tuners. I will admit, the pickup didn't need to be upgraded, I actually prefer the Jackson pickups lol. Also, I have the $330 JS34 DKA Silverburst 6 string, but I got it for $200 because it was the floor model and it had a couple minor scratches. I still have the JS34 stock to this day after 3 years and it sounds, feels, and stays in tune like a much more expensive guitar, which I have as well with my 18-guitar collection, which ranges anywhere from $200 - $5,000.
Harley Benton guitars look good even though there so cheap
Have the white one! My first 7, i love it, and the active routing made swapping the pups for emg 707s a breeze like you theorised! Cracking entry to 7 strings imo
i have a set of 707s and looking for a guitar to throw them in. this 7 maybe it!
Mine came near perfect out the box the biggest issue was my bridge pickup had a bridge pickup issue where the treble strings weren’t picking up and scratchy. Passive pickups definetly only downside of the guitar. I got the flip flop blue finish with toasted maple neck
@Sinfullybliss97 that one looks flashy, they released it after I got mine otherwise I deffo would have grabbed it! Yeah the pickups or take or leave, but easy enough to swap!
@@michaelwalshe1799 true very true indeed
@@michaelwalshe1799 I got the 8 string one and it’s a beast
I had the HB R458, 8 string and I absolutely loved it, it made me fall in love with playing 8 strings.
Started with such a strong riff. Sheesh.
Had one myself. Fretboard definitely needed oil and pickups were muddy. Overall beyond worth it for the price.
On another note, I use their bass amps for live use and sounds pretty good tbh
I've had the white one since January of 2020. It was $180 back then. I've currently got it set up in Meshuggah's tuning. Never had a single issue with the thing in the 3+ years I've had it, and the pickups don't have the "low-range muddiness" that I've noticed a lot of budget 7 strings have. They're clear enough that even the middle position has a viable sound for high-gain low-tuned madness
6:32 that Doom 3 theme by Nemistade duuude
I got the active R-457 (you can see me play it on my channel) which I got on Thomann for 180 €. It came with two damaged screws on the bridge so tuning intonation was a pain, and several cables between the pickups and 3-way switch weren't soldered, so I had to get it fixed. Body paint has several defects but I don't really care. It's a fixer-upper but it's very comfortable to play (good neck) and it sounds like some Ibanez and Yamaha guitars I've tried who retail for about 4 times the price. Bottom line: if you have the skill/gear to repair it out of the box, then it's a fantastic bang-for-the-buck.
Couldve just gotten a new one for free.
@@UndarZ Nope, I'd have had to buy a cardboard box big enough to ship it and cardboard boxes cost a lot of money. Going to a guitar shop to get it repaired ended up being cheaper.
5:11 - I wasn't sure, but then you played some Whitechapel. Sold! I'll be picking one up. Unless you highly recommend the Ibanez GRG7 over this one.
Hay I know you might already have a video on this probably but I was wondering what passive pickups you would recommend with a 8 string fan fret
It's always a pain to swap passive pickup in fanned fret guitars so double check all your measurements first and foremost to see if a company even makes the proper dimensions you need. I don't know what off-the-shelf pickup brands make fanned fret 8 string pickups without going custom so I am not sure
the regular SD pegasus active mount 7 fit perfectly in my HB fanfret 7 with the strings lining up.
I’m excited to hear how the demo sounds, I had the black 8 string version and the pickups were dogshit, sold it and got the new roasted maple 8 string and the pickups are a bit better but not much
i got the 8 string and its genuinly better than alot of guitars ive played in guitar stores in the 600-800 range, just the higher frets need some extra work
Might pick up one of these now, really good looking and could easily make a good mod platform
5:11 maybe the single sickest 7 strings Deathcore riff from that era 🔥💯
big agree
what song is it?
@@laylashore it’s My Damnation by Chelsea Grin
Hey Andrew, the guitar link in the video description and comment goes to an Unknown Item page, just a heads-up!
For some reason looks like any link I make to Thomann isn't working at the moment :'( but thanks for the heads up!
I have the one with the roasted maple neck. I swapped out the tuners for a locking set and put a Lace in the bridge. It's a bit quiet though compared to what they come with. I might try find another one that fits. But I love the guitar. It looks and feels as nice as some that run more than twice what I paid.
Awesome guitar. It frustrates me that HB never seem to make left-handed versions of their 7 and 8 string multiscale guitars at this price point. Sucks to be a lefty sometimes.
Update: it looks like they now have a left handed version but its the 25.5" scale, not multiscale🤘
I feel ya
Nice!!
Nice one sneaking in the Doom 3 riff at 6:20
🤘
Yeah, I've had one of thease for 2 years, I swapped the pickups for Fishman Moderns last summer, and it doues, in fact, kick some serious ass. But yeah, it'd have been nice if they had an unused 9V compartment there stock.
There is so much space in that control panel for a battery pack. I think it was intentional for it to be an easy switch to active pickups. Cool idea imo.
what tuning is he using sounds awesome
Sounds sick first impression.. 😮🙌😃👍👍
Sounds surprisingly good.
Love mine! The roasted maple neck and the "flip flop" finish is SO sweet for the price! Pup swap seems a bit diff unless you're down to get crazy with a dremel🤣
They used active mount pickups because slanted pickups were too expensive and regular uncovered humbuckers look odd on multiscale guitars.
I have this one. Its a beast. I replaced the pickup and now its one of my favs.
Just one?
I love my R457FFB but I had to remove the entire bridge and sand off the finish so it would ground properly
just bought one, been having to use my rg8 8 string for 7 string stuff glad to find something like this
they make left 7 strings too?! thanks for the video!
Have you noticed any retention in viewership when you ask for people to turn on notifs? Just curious since every youtuber does it
When it gets back in stock you should review the newest version of that guitar wich is the r-457 ffb. It has a roasted maple neck and a beautiful chameleon finish that changes from green to purple with the light!! I think it looks a lot better!!
It's actually the same guitar, just different color! But it is a refreshing twist on the basic black or white combo.
@@MaximusAdonicus Yes!! Definitely is a refreshing look, also the roasted maple neck adds to it. Personally I'm tired of the same black gloss finish on all budget metal guitars 😕.
@@ludwig3244 Yas, my 1st guitar was black, but I never wanted another black guitar after that, lol! One is enough, after that it gets boring 😴
I've got the same model and It is really nice what you can get for
I have the 458BK, and honestly, the only thing I'd have to change are the tuners.
So this is Thoman, Harley Benton. Does it have Stainless Steel, super jumbo1600 fret wire ?
I like the 3x4 headstock . not a fan of inline tuning pegs.
the Schecter and PRS are the other companies making S body's with the 3x4 headstock
I really need to get a HB 7, i have a 6 and an 8 and they are BY FAR the best guitars on the market for both entry level and advanced guitar players.
I havs a cst-24t kit on the way that I'm going to turn into a prog metally beast... might have to add one of these too
Hey Andrew thought it was pretty funny that you had an RG7321 and I just picked up a preowned one a week ago
looking forward to the mix
the close captions has yall name as andrew boehner lol
I have three Harley Bentons and really love playing them all. They punch way above their weight class, especially if you put some new pickups in them.
I would feel stupid putting $200 in pickups in a $160 guitar.
@@Shredxcam22 you don’t have to invest 200 bucks for decent pickups.
@@FrancoW1 what's a decent pickup for under $100? I'm thinking of tossing my lundgrens for Seymour jb/59 setup. Dimarzio is the only other brand I would consider
Damn. You can smash one at every show!
I have an eight-string version of this guitar, but it's white. The sound is good, but only if you constantly change the strings :) (I use a translator)
I would love to see a comparison between this and the jackson js22 7 dinky
Fck I love dinky
@BallzMcGavin dinky is back in town and he wants your #
Great tune! 🔥🔥
Can anyone tell me what the deal is with back ordered guitars?
I got me the white standard one, i loved it but the pickups were too sharp and sounded like single coils. But these pickups on the seven multi scale sound amazing, definitely gonna pick me one up.
The way those strings wobbled was incredibly satisfying. I presume that was to do with low tuning?
more to do with his framerate of the camera.
I have this exact same guitar for nearly 2 years now. I'm a diehard HB fan but this one had major fretwork issues (dead spots) I tried to fix myself, the stock pickups are way too bulky, and it has a weird boxy attack when playing a single string (especially the 6th for whatever reason) given you have a proper tensioned set of strings. I changed my bridge pickup (Lace X-bar, bad choice, very low output), tried different strings, nothing solved this issue and I spent countless hours mixing sounds coming out of this thing.
In a desperate last attempt, I'll change the pickup again with a 2nd hand stock JS22-7 pickup (god I love this guitar) I'll modify to fit the fanned fret, custom brass baseplate incoming :D).
(not) fun fact : The stock pickups have no baseplate, the coils are drown in what seems to be epoxy. I wish I could just swap baseplates to fit a normal pickup in there :/
But I'm nitpicking, 99% of the people won't have a clue on what's bugging me. I had bad luck with my copy, but it's obviously a great guitar for the price, especially for beginners and low budget bros !
Mine had the same fret problems and needed a neck shim. Pickups are also pretty bad, I'm almost tempted to buy a second just to see if they're usually better, because without those problems it'd be an awesome guitar!
@@mwmmatt1 oh yeah I forgot about fret buzz at decent action and correct relief -> maybe needs a shim too. We must have copies of the same batch haha
That looks so dope
sick tone here dude! Is it Revv? which cabinet and mic?
Harley Bentons are underrated, sure, they could use a better finish, but they're very decent, i got the r458 bk progressiv (not multiscale), and it works like a charm
UK chap here, your link takes me to the same guitar, but with a standard neck not fanfretted, and it's listed as having active pickups but without mentioning a battery housing? Not sure if that's something on Thomann's side or something lost in translation in the link 🙃🤷♂️
Something is wrong with their website today unfortunately none of my links are working
@BaenaCarcosa That would be why then! I shall search for it the old fashioned way 🤣
Limewood is basically linden/basswood apparently
is't good in drop F tuning ?
Man these Harley Bentons are really impressive! The only other 7-string in this price range that I can think of is the jackson 22-7 (which I have) and it has some massive drawbacks compared to this one. Serious buyers remorse right now lol!
Could you elaborate on R-457 FF vs JS22-7 ? I'm curious as I also own both and I'm in love with the JS while quite struggling with the HB. Interesting how guitars are really a matter of taste
@@MaxSxB the two biggest things (for me) that bug me are the tuning stability, as well as the heel being super blocky making upper fret access difficult.
I haven’t tried the HB at all, but multi scale is something I’m a big fan of on seven strings, and at that price I think that’s pretty hard to beat
@@adeebighani8807 Oh I misread your comment completely, I thought you owned both. I do agree with you on upper frets accessibility (but I practically never use them at the moment), but I have no tuning stability problem. Maybe a bad batch of tuners on yours !
@@adeebighani8807 I completely agree about the heel. I play a lot of music that is around those first few frets and on the JS22-7 it is a nightmare, hurts like a mfer haha. I've also had a good number of out-of-the-box defects with mine, most annoying other than what I mentioned above is the input jack never wanting to stay secure, always coming loose and the pickups are muddy and not very great. Can't wait to upgrade, might get this Harley Benton one, was going to get a more expensive Ibanez 7 string but now I'm torn on that or this one in the video ha.
The Shipping rate to the US for me is $85. Am I seeing that right? Still a steal as far as 7 strings go
Dead to Fall made me want a seven string.
Nothing has changed
I own it, man is it fucken goooood thoe
me: omg it sounds so cool
also me: doesnt know anhting about music
Can you do the same for 8 strings? I really want one but most are out of my budget
Already did late last year, check it out
@@BaenaCarcosa Ok thank you. Love your videos btw
My wife got me one on sale for Xmas said it was 160$ not a bad guitar at all.
you sure you linked the right guitar? thats not a multiscale in the link in the description
Multi pass? Multi scale 🤘🏽 I’ll have to check twitch for ya lives 🤘🏽
I would grab one, if they made lefty ones T_T
I have the white one, I don't like the pickups at all they sound too muddy.
Same, I keep thinking the tone knob has been rolled down but that's just how it sounds.
Check the cavity mine had a battery in there they are active
Mine is passive, no battery
Another really good alternative is the Jackson Dinky JS 22 7
Or Cort KX307MS
for that price...i want one!
I was trynna decide between this and the Ibanez one that’s like 300 bucks, anyone kno which one is better
2009 was a magical time.
Lime wood is another name for Bass wood. Difference between US/European naming.
Will they make a left handed version? I cant wait for a 7 string Harley Benton at this price for people like me. Why are we so different, man...
I mean this with JST DI plug-in you could have banging tone for less than the price of a mid level guitar.
ha i was just looking for one
Another cheap alternative (although not multiscale) would be the Fazley F7STV
The guitar link to this isn't anywhere near the guitar that this cat is playing. I'm not sure if HBs trying to bait and switch or if Harley Benton radically change the design but the fretboards aren't fanned at all on the new one. It's a total different Guitar than what he's playing here
I have a subzero generation 7. Bought it for like £190 new from gear4music. Would like u to check one of those out
Lime = Linden = basswood
Usually, lime is used for the European cultivars, while basswood for the American ones.
Js22-7 by jackson is pretty good too at only 160 to 200 usd
Well, I actually like the sound of those pups
Thomann need to ditch UPS, at least in Australia, because I had some of the most horrific experiences trying to receive my guitar from them. Instrument is great quality for the price, but my word, always FUCK UPS
Is 5:12 a song? it sounds killer
Chelsea Grin - My Damnation
That guitar sounds good! Also.... Raw wood.... ;)
You have to do the same video but with an 8 string.
Already did last year!!
@@BaenaCarcosa thanks :) now i´ve got something that i need to watch
My Jackson Dinky 7 was $179 us new
Ibanez rg7321 is a great guitar.
I'd get one but... idk.
I had 2, the one you have and an amarok 7. They both had terrible issues and all in all are the worst guitars i have ever had 😂😂😂
Really? I had the Amarok 7 as well and it was awesome. I've had a couple of the SUPER cheap ones from them that are a bit dodgy but when they are $150 it was things I could live with or understand given the price point
Interesting.
Harley Djenton
i only paid 200$ for my LTD 7 string best purchase of my life
If it’s not satin it’s not for me
Jackson JS22-7 is cheaper.
That's what I have as well.
At least change the strings.
Thomann always puts too thin strings on their extended range guitars because it's cheaper. That's why they all sound floppy as shit out of the box.
Jackson JS227 is under 200. It had a terrible tone. I sent it back.
🙏🎸❤️
Not bad eh.....😏
After seeing you without the beard, You gotta get rid of it now.