Unboxing, inspecting, trying the New Harley Benton Fusion iii.
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- Опубліковано 13 жов 2021
- In today's video we check out one of the refreshes for the Harley Benton Fusion iii now with Blacksmith stainless steel frets. I had no idea what to expect from this guitar, but I was so impressed with the SC550 ii I decided to give this one a chance as well. Leave a comment letting me know what you think!
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Your clear and precise reviews plus your tight playing make watching your videos very enjoyable. Thank you sir.
I'm a strat guy, I like the way they sit in my lap balanced, and I like a tremolo system, but not a Floyd Rose.
I purchased a Harley Benton Fusion 3 HH silver Sparkle about 2 months ago and I absolutely love it! I have a 70s Fender Stratocaster and a 1984 Charvel Japan that I purchased in San Jose California for $850 on sale. I recently sold my 2004 Stratocaster Deluxe USA. I have noticed no drop-off in quality compared to any of the aforementioned guitars. I also recently purchased a Harley Benton CLD-41SE WN acoustic dreadnought just a couple weeks ago simply cuz I was so happy with quality of the fusion 3. I was in no way disappointed, the acoustic plays fantastically and sounds beautiful.
I have no doubt there are three, maybe four more Harley Benton's in my future, and since I'm lacking a Strat style guitar with single coils, this is likely to be one of them, the other for sure being the hb35.
Until recently, I have never been able to find guitars at such a low price with such high high quality. And that has completely changed my mindset when it comes to buying a guitar. I feel an extra sense of pride now when I pick up a Guitar that should cost two, three, maybe four times more.
That's part of the reason I sold a much of more expensive and my usa-made stuff, cuz I began to feel like a sucker for for owning them, although I did get them at a decent deal 17 years ago on ebay.
My first experience with a guitar made in Indonesia was approximately 5 years ago when I purchased an epiphone masterbilt Dreadnought acoustic-electric. That guitar was very nicely made and though it sounded good it did not sound as good as my new Harley Benton acoustic. Taking into account that that particular Epiphone cost approximately $600, nearly twice as much as the HB, I'm pretty much done with the name brands that I used to covet.
So so far I am 2 for 2 with Harley Benton, that includes build quality, sound, shipping, you name it, no problems at all. I have absolutely no trepidation about buying more Harley Benton guitars from thomman.
But I have to admit, I'm curious as to whether Harley Benton will ever have a model approaching $1,000 and what in the world the quality of that unit would be? I can't wait to find out. But I imagine if Harley Benton made such a guitar, the price would most likely be a reflection finish and other Custom Shop like eye grabbing details, because these guitars that I own do not need any help in the quality control, playability or sound quality.
You had an early MIJ Charvel, those are killer guitars!
You're right about how well they do when you directly compare the indonesian made guitars with the big brands "lower tier" offerings. I see no value outside of the name on the headstock.
Your playing on this demo is phenomenal! I would never go for this style of guitar but really enjoyed this review. Thanks man
As a truly mediocre guitar player, I really appreciate this comment. I felt the same way about the guitar style, I'm normally a very traditional guy in that sense but I'm extremely happy I took the chance.
I got to say that this is one of the best gear reviews I've seen in a long time. Great job♥
Man thanks so much, I tried to be as thorough as possible without being redundant. I have so much fun making these kinds of videos and its really gratifying to read comments like this, I really do appreciate it.
i really appreciate the different styles and variety of riffs in the demo. great video
purchasing this on saturday. really wanted this az/charvel type of guitar and the second this dropped my eyes have been on it since. love this finish and i’ll 100% use your affiliate link!
Ali thank you so much, you absolutely won't be disappointed and I really appreciate you using the affiliate link, every little bit helps fund more of these reviews.
Duuuude! Every single riff you played on this was top notch. Pure class!
Thank you so much for that, I try to play a variety of styles as to not bore the viewer too much 🤣
Sounds absolutely fantastic. Great job with the demo!
Thanks a lot!
Dude, i'm really loving your chanel and reviews!!
I appreciate that thanks so much man!
Great review, mate! I’ve got 2 HBs (CST24 and an SC450) and they are both fantastic instruments. I’m a big fan of the HSS config and Wilkinson stuff always seems to work great. I think one of these fusions might be in my future. Great work, thanks again.👍👍
Great playing and review as always. Love the shirt!
Thanks man appreciate it, always a pleasure to play guitars like this
Very well done video. Good playing, thoughful comments, and solid speaking presentation.
Thanks for that, I am trying to improve the quality of these with each one and listen to what people recommend to make them better. Glad you enjoyed it and found it useful!
Great review. I ordered the new HB Fusion T III Silver Sparkle with 2 Humbuckers. I can’t wait to receive it ! I also bought a set of Thornbucker pickups to replace. This project will be awesome!!
oooo Thornbuckers you really are going after the budget Suhr!
I love the minimalistic style of the this guitar.
I do as well Brian, it's just clean without being too much.
Mine Fusion in purple sparkle just came in today and maan, thats a beauty!
Had to set action and change strings to my gauge and thats it, ready to go...its my third HB guitar and I love this brand more and more
It always amuses me when people automatically dismiss this brand because of guitars they made almost a decade ago. they've gotten very, very good at making these things spec'd out at reasonable prices. The purple sparkle was the one I ALMOST bought when it was released, but I just couldn't get on with the matching headstock. Congrats on the purchase!
💪😎👍 Outstanding video & review, brother!
I love my reddish-orange & brown Bengal striped
Fusion III soooo much! "Tigger" is a lean, mean
shred machine. We're recording it now on a Jeff
Beck style instrumental epic and I'm so happy
with how this HSH super Strat style sounds, looks
and plays! Can't recommend it highly enough! 🥰
Just found you today. Subscribed. Fantastic playing. Love your funk stuff.
I’ve been looking at getting a Charvel DK. I think the only reason I’d get the charvel is because a lot of my 80’s hard rock heroes played them. Practically I think getting the HB and modding it to my liking would be the best way to go. I’d probably just change the pickups out for my favorite pickups, Seymour Duncan.
Yes, So impressed with the Fusion Pro's that I now actually own seven of them and they are all fantastic guitars for the price and, despite having Fenders and Gibson's to play, I find myself constantly reaching for the Fusion's....considering the price point, that say's a lot...just love the feel of the necks with the SS fret's, just sublime.
After I sold my PRS I wanted to get something with 24 frets and no shredder thin neck, I was very surprised that this has filled the hole that guitar left.
What a killer review. I’ll be ordering one solely based on your demo. I may change the pickups in the future, but it’s not something that will be an immediate issue for me. Subscribed.
Thanks Chuck that makes me feel like i'm actually doing a decent job with these things. The pickups are totally workable, a bit of EQ goes a long way and is way less money than swapping a pickup set
You just gained a new subscriber sir. It's not just about the review itself (which was all I could ask for), you really have a cool persona on vid so that's a huge bonus for entertainment.
Hey Elio I really appreciate that, all I can do is just be my goofy self when I do these things, I'm glad you enjoyed it and thanks for subscribing
@@AudiomoMusic I had one question. Which amp would you recommend me (~$200) to pair with this guitar? I was looking at the Boss Katana MK2 50w. What do you think?
Loved your playing in the demo
Thanks Will I really appreciate that, this was a really really fun one to film and play
Great playing man. Specialy enjoyed those funky riffs. 🙂👍🏼
Thanks a lot and the world needs more funk in it!!!!
@@AudiomoMusic totaly agree with you 🙂
Guitar looks great! I like swapping pickups out and experimenting with different tones so I have no problem with the pickups being the weakest point of the guitar (but sitll sounded good!). That neck looks amazing, and the finish is awesome.
We are in total agreement, especially with the pickups. If there is one thing I am fine with being not up to scratch it's the electronics in a guitar at this price range when you consider everything else it comes with... I can throw in a full set of Suhrs and still be well under the cost of a Mexican Charvel.
This guitar looks like the Fender Superstrat,Greg howe plaid in early years.Since,nobody,even Fender made no more this model,so it's great to see that HB done it! But the only default,that i didn't find the lefty model on the site...
So very happy for you righties,and great démo and great playin' bro'!
This is a copy of Charvel Rick Graham signature. Same color, HSS, 2PT, stainless frets.
Great playing bro! Love my fusion 3!
Appreciate it! It's a guitar that can cover so many bases
I also have the SC550 II and was considering this as my next HB purchase (in the same color even). Glad you liked it!
I restrung it after this video was finished rendering last night and I like it much more after a setup... I could absolutely happily gig this guitar for basically anything and it feels great. I can't believe how much I like it honestly.
How do like the blue color? I like it but wasn't sure.
Glad to see your video doing well!
Thanks Spike, people LOVE this brand and whenever i unbox one for one reason or another
Man that color way top to bottom neck pickup body is pretty sweet looking!
I’m watching your HB vids back to back and this one is also super helpful because the Charvel DK24 is another one I was looking at. I’m starting to think HB with upgraded pickups = $600 killer Strat option. Thanks for the great review!
Thanks man glad you are finding these useful and I'd agree, one of these and any set of pickups you want for a great overall cost and you could cover almost anything needed no problems
Amazing review !!
Thanks! I tried my best to be as thorough yet to the point as possible. I know everyones time is valuable and don't care for too much fluff myself.
Hey Jim, thanks for your great reviews. It would be super interesting to see a direct comparison of HB Fusion III vs Charvel Dk24. HB seems to be "heavily inspired" by it, I'd actually go as far as saying it's a clone =) Btw, one thing you usually don't mention in reviews is weight distribution/balance. I personally hate neck diving guitars and for me as an amateur bedroom player, who is not using a strap, it's a show stopper.
This looks WAAAAAAAYYYY too much like Rick Graham’s signature Charvel!
I'm pretty sure that's exactly what Agufish was going for when he designed it for HB
Except the Rick Graham retails for $3999.99 Canadian and this Hb is ten times less.
Nice review and explanation of the guitar. I am going to buy one.😎
That's awesome! Which finish are you going to go for?
@@AudiomoMusic Daphne Blue HSS.It arrived on Saturday. Haven’t got used to it yet, but I have a really good feeling about it…
So exited to get mine, should be here next week!
Awesome man! Which one did you end up going with?
@@AudiomoMusic Exact same as yours, I'm in Canada so I haven't received it yet. Is the humbucker F-spaced? I am already looking at changing the pickups. Thanks for the review by the way I couldn't wait to see the damn thing haha.
Word of advice ... order two HB's at a time ... saves on shipping 🎸🤘🍻
Hi! Thank you for your demo. I was waiting for an HSS config and finally, there is. The only thing I'm worried about a bit is the lack of the pickguard. Can you advise on it?
It worries me also, i think if this will be the main guitar you play you will certainly have a higher chance of wearing the satin finish off where the pickguard is in a faster than normal fashion, depending on how aggressively you play and your technique
Hi there!
First off, great video - loved your thoroughness throughout.
I am definitely thinking about making the HB Fusion 3 OSM my next guitar and I was wondering if you had any recommendations on what to you for fret reconditioning?
I use Gorgomyte for easy fret polishing, I've never put divots in frets from even 20 year of use but every few years I do check to see if the frets leveled to make sure things are still in good shape.
@@AudiomoMusic Awesome, thanks much for the info - great video again, I love the thoroughness!
I'm wondering how well the frets are installed? Every fender I work on has multiple frets not installed all the way. Did you ever put a fret rocker on them by chance?
Just ridiculous how much guitar you get for the price. I can’t wait to get mine. Great playing too, you made me really excited to get mine.
You're going to love it, they really are stellar guitars and it still blows my mind they can make them this well for so little.
I ordered this exact model. (before I saw your review, sorry..) The sc 550 -2 has no tremolo. I need a trem, so that answers your question at the end. Plus, I am getting back into electric after many years of acoustic playing and used to have a squier strat, cant go wrong there. And the idea of a bit beefier neck sounds great to me. Still gotta wait a few weeks till it arrives though.
This comes in the gorgeous shell pink and it's early £600 less than the Charvel. I'll buy it and swap the pickups out
Sounds and looks great!
Thanks J, and the most important thing to me, it FEELS great. I really don't understand how they manage to do it at such an affordable price with these guitars.
@@AudiomoMusic Yes, that's the question........
Thanks
Have 2 HBs with Roswells, I haven't disliked them enough to switch them out, I did however buy a new Tusq nut, brass saddles ,and fender locking tuners for our HB TE-30 , just to see how much i can get out of the pickups by changing these, before going into the electrics.
The saddles and nut make a huge difference, very smart of you to address those first. People often overlook both of those parts when modifying any guitar!
Actually got mine today. This guitar is really good for the price. Roswell pickups are pretty good imho. Spent whole day playing my new guitar, now I have to finish my work task at night XD
Congratulations! Which finish did you end up selecting?
Great review
Appreciate it, thanks for taking the time to leave a comment 👍
New here. Really enjoyed your demo. Awesome Harley Benton guitar by the way.
Hey Vincent thanks man i appreciate it. It’s always a treat unboxing and demoing a new guitar and this one is indeed really fun to play!
@@AudiomoMusic Pleasure is mine and I totally agree with you.
I literally thought you were Cory Wong. Great video! Very insightful for someone looking at getting a Harley Benton 😀🤘🏼
You are not the first to say that but it always makes me smile - I love Cory and take it as a great compliment. Happy you found this helpful
Hii, I'm planning to grab this one, may I know what's your opinion after using it for a year? Or could you make a video for us?and do you recommend it to buy?
Amazing review! Thanks! Is that the daphne blue one? In their website looks a bit darker/greyer blue. I much more prefer the warmer blue that is on your one.
Thanks John and yes this is the daphne blue, ive seen them come in that grey and also in the blue like this one, can be a little bit of a gamble
I knew you managed to do it!!! Thanks. See you in 6 mins
It's been a very, very hectic day but I made sure to get this thing done asap
Great review, and nice playing.
I was thinking of getting a charvel hss 24. But looking at the quality and price of the fussion 3 hb guitars I am now thinking about getting one and replacing the hb pickup with a Seymour Duncan shredder pickup, or something similar.
Would still work out much cheaper than a charvel.
I don't even think it's close, especially given the fact that the charvels at 1k also need some finessing to dial in right I don't see the value in spending over double the price on one of those over this guitar.
The problem I have with the Charvels is that they don't have SS frets while being 1K+ new..
After getting my first guitar with SS frets, the ibanez AZ, I want nothing else. They will last a lifetime too
@@CroneRaven1810 I know. I can't believe that Charvel don't have SS frets, especially at the price range that they start at.
If you take a hb fusion iii against the charvel 24 for example. You get everything plus the stainless steel frets for a lot less than half the price with loads of potential to mod it.
Ok, the pickups might not be to everyone's taste, but for that price range they actually sound pretty good.
@@bmac5085 I agree bro. Like I have said, I have an Ibanez AZ but these HB Fusions are great for the money and probably a good platform for mods. I am definitely interested.
@@CroneRaven1810 I have a EVH 5150. I absolutely love it. But I am looking at something more versatile as a second guitar, as there is no coilsplit on the 5150. I have looked at a lot of options, and the fusion ticks all the boxes.
Let me know if you get one.
Really nice review! I’ve also got the fusion 3 in the same color as the one you reviewed and I’m super impressed with what you get for the price! I only got to spend some time fixing the string action and it was up and good to shred. I also gotta say, my neck came like 3x darker then yours or the one at the thomman website. I’d rather have it lighter but it kinda gives a unique look though
If we could trade necks, I'd do it. I kind of wanted something that looked like it may have been left on a bonfire visually haha... Glad you love it! I really like mine as well.
Did you keep this and the firemist fusion III? just curious.
Man, I think that thing looks great.
It's definitely not something I would have pictured myself playing but it does look great and more importantly, it's insanely practical.
Should i by this one or the Hagstrom F200P. ?? Can get the hagström with hardcase for 300€.
Great review buddy ❤👌 are you going to review the Harley Benton SC-DLX Gotoh by any chance?🤓
You guys are killin me! I would love to review it but I don't think I can spend the money right now on another guitar and I refuse to buy a guitar from anywhere knowing I'm going to return it. Maybe at some point I'll be able to get my hands on one but sadly I am all self funded so I can't demo all of em
Came across a barely used fusion III (HH) at Guitar Center last week.... what a FANTASTIC guitar, only $350. I'd compare it to $1000 Charvels...and still feel a lean toward the Harley Benton
I played a Charvel shortly after getting this, and there is not a single scenario where I could justify more than triple the price on one of those over this. No friggin way.
Very detailed review, I subscribed. I notice they put paint shielding inside? I got the TE-20 HH SBK at the end of 2022 and did a full $190 mod on it in early 2023 replacing the electronics, nut and tress adding locking tuners, and the pickups with the Tonerider Birmingham HH set. It's awesome now playing it non-stop for a year. This one looks mostly complete maybe I'd replace the HSS pickups with Toneriders or something. Everything else is already upgraded! I'm at a crossroads deciding between several body finishes in the Fusion-III lineup. Just waiting for this year's tax refund.
You're pretty much dead on there, just a different set of pickups and this doesn't need anything other than a setup. The Roswells are fine as is but the guitar itself feels so good and the hardware is also good enough that nothing else would need to go on it.
when i saw your video about the new fusion-III's i was excited, then i found out it had the roswell pickups, it was an instant nope from me (i got the sc-550 II) and im spoiled with the clarity of the tesla pickups as stock. maybe in the future ill get the pink shell version of this and buy a new harness and pickups but for now im 100% good with my sc-550 II
That sc-550 i will stand by as the most surprised I ever was with a guitar I've reviewed in my life. It's remarkable how good that guitar is out of the box needing literally nothing. This guy just needs pickups like you said, and it's done.
I'm with you on one major thing here - it's staggering how HB are able to get this spec and this build quality so cheap. I bought the HH HT model in the gorgeous sparkle pink and I'm in love with it. Roasted maple neck, stainless steel frets and locking tuners? Get outta here! I paid Thomann to install a Seymour Duncan JB and 59 in it too.
That was smart to have that done by them so you had it exactly how you wanted before it ever showed up! It really is impressive isn't it how spec'd these things are.
How can you ask them to personalize the guitar for you? Where is that option? Cheers
@@nunonunes097 Message thomann on their site with what guitar you are interested in and what you'd like installed and they will get back to you with a quote, it's not a default option on the site but they do great work
@@nunonunes097 Email Thomann sales team, discuss what you want and they draft a sales invoice for you and it tags about a week onto your delivery time. Brilliant service.
Thanks for posting Harley Benton's elephant in the room (applicable to all models) - its weight. You got lucky getting one at a mere 7 3/4 lb.
I always post the weights in these videos because I feel it's very relevant, I used to get annoyed watching videos like this and not knowing how much it weighed. With the last 5 harley benton's i've gotten ( two of which were les pauls ), none of them have weighed over 8 lbs, maybe I'm just really lucky.
Answering the question in the end of the video: I already have a Les Paul style guitar, thus I would rather buy Fusion III. I just ordered the same you have right now, there are delays though so I need to wait a bit. I considered fusions with HSH as they are a bit more versatile imo, but did not like the finish options. Can't wait to play it :) You are doing a great job with your channel. Keep it up! Cheers ;)
Thank you Kamil and I'm really happy you are going to get one as well! I also don't get why Thomann don't offer all the colors on all the models, there are a few instances that I'd probably buy one of the models if it had a different finish
@@AudiomoMusic Have you changed pickups on your HB Fusion III yet? I am looking for something noiseless, that sound closer to fender
Subbed, great video mate
thank you Danny, appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment 👍
My pleasure, have ordered one of these myself yesterday.
Would you prefer it over the Ibanez Azes 40?
Thank you for this video! I have a question, for a beginner who wants to play pop, and 80s (pop, rock and disco), do you recommend the Azes40, Azes31 or Harley Benton Fusion III HSH, and why? They all cost the same 300 euros. Thank you!
You can't really go wrong with any of them, but I'd honestly go for the AZES40 if you're buying new, I prefer the pikcups in those to this HB.
I love my TE52 I bought couple of years ago. I'm currently saving for a dual hamburger fusion model
I know quite a few people that love the TE52, I would be really interested in trying it against a classic vibe for a video. I think it would do better than most would assume.
This is a very impressive take on the Ibanez AZ2000 series of guitars.
It's actually designed after the Charvel DKT24 but similar enough to the ibanez as well indeed
I wish that bridge pickup is little closer to the bridge.
Great review!
Do you think this guitar is suitable for small hands also?
Yeah I would say so. It's not like a huge telecaster or 50's Gibson neck which I could see people struggling with it's actually really comfortable even for smaller hands.
I had the same feelings about the Roswell pick-ups. I changed them. Anything is better.
What did you change them with? It's genuinely the only thing about this guitar that isn't class out of the box
Here from the Thomann buyers opinion section. Great review of that nice and beautiful affordable guitar.
One question: wich fusion model has the Tesla pickups?
Cheers🤘🏻
Last time I checked none in the HSS do, when I mentioned them in this review it was based on when I had just demo'd the SC550 ii that did have them. Certainly a step up from the roswells imo
@@AudiomoMusic
Ah, okay. Thanks for the reply. 👍🏼
I find also the Tesla being in general more articulate than the Roswells… But the Roswells in this HSS are not bad at all.
Cheers 🤘🏻
Great video! Sub +1 :)
Could you tell me what would you do to make the trem perform better? I’ve got pink shell one coming in a few days :) (I’m also not super sure about the pickups upgrade: either Bareknuckles or SD custom 59 hybrid
Ok with the trem, you have two choices really one is simpler to set up than the other which is to deck the trem meaning it will not float above the body or float the trem which is what lots of stratocaster players do.
With the decked trem it's very easy, it's what I chose to experiment with this one, the guitar stays in tune very easily because it will always return to touching the body after use, however the trade off is you can only use the tremolo to bend the note pitch down and not up. Doing this is as simple as tightening the tensions screws on the back of the guitar enough that connect the bridge block with the claw connected to the body. With a floating trem it's more difficult to set up at first but if you're really interested there are a plethora of videos explaining exactly how to go about the process. I find the best thing with ANY tremolo system is to pick one gauge of string for that guitar and stick to it, that alone will make it much more reliable in terms of stability and easy of swaps, and also make sure the nut is lubricated.
For pickups I am going to go with Suhrs, although the bare knuckles are VERY tempting as well. Just a bit more expensive on this side of the world
Was a little unsure if this guitar at first, because I don’t like HSS, but the coil split is a plus to do full on single coil. It looks like it has a good weight and some great features. I once got a Stagg strat and I hated that the thing felt like it was only 3lb. And it had more of a baseball bat neck than my Slash Les Paul, the Slash Les Paul feels good but the Stagg is just impossible to play.
The weight surprised me, I honestly for whatever reason thought it would be closer to 9lbs. Very good weight for taking out and playing live. I can't do either of the extremes either when it comes to weight... I have a PRS Hollowbody ii I'm working on for a friend and it's so light I can't stand it haha, but a 10lb guitar is even worse!
@@AudiomoMusic lol everyone has their preferences. The really light ones, I donno it maybe a psychological thing for me not liking them and the fear of breaking them.” I tend to associate heavy with quality which i know is not accurate. But I feel more confident for some odd reason playing a heavier instrument
Little Anti-Gravity Love Song, eh? Just ordered one of these, and I can't wait.
Indeed, I was surprised more people didn't catch that one... had to slightly alter it for copyright but it's a fun song to play!
Could you possibly measure the neck thickness at the first fret? I tried the F1 & F2 and the necks were ridiculously slim. How does this compare to an Ibanez AZ neck size-wise??
I can measure it in the morning, I'll go into the toolbox and get my calipers out for ya to give you exact measurements at the 1st and 12th frets 👍
TMK you can turn the trem arm down to your preferred height (screwing), a clever detail from Wilkinson. It's a combination of push-in and screw-down. FWIW
Its an even better design than I thought once I had the guitar taken apart and did my setup on it. This system is infinitely better than the vintage style Fender one for the reasons you listed as well as the feel imho.
@@AudiomoMusic You get it ;-)
Already ordered it and the dark pink
Excellent choice, if I didn't already have a pink guitar I think I would have gone that route as well.
I have the same goin sharp issue.
I love the color but I wonder if Sire Larry Carlton S7 is a much better guitar for a bit more money.
I will be trying one of those soon as well, all about stock issues and timing.
That colour is the Daphnie Blue?
I was eyeing of the Fusion T in that colour Looks great well done
I don't think it's really Daphne Blue, nor do I think the Shell Pink is Shell Pink more like an off white. Outside of that they are cool guitars 100% and play above their price
I have the shell pink version of this guitar and noticed that the action is a bit high from the 12th fret forward, making the neck require a shim for the action to be setup correctly. Does yours have this issue by chance? I'm curious if this is a manufacturing problem or a one-off problem on mine.
I personally didn't have that with this guitar, but I've had it with multiple bolt on neck guitars from all manufacturers including some high end fenders. Don't be scared of the shim, just order a tapered one from Stew Mac for about 7 bucks and you'll never have to think about it again.
I also received mine with a really high action on the high frets, but turning the 2 screws that connect the bridge and the body solved the problem. Just don’t set it up too low otherwise you might get some fret fuzz
Grabbing myself one of these but as a first-time modder - What would you or anyone recommend as replacement p/u's. How does that work given its an HSS and has a coil switching hum. Thanks!
I like the Suhr set for HSS, all you'd have to do is follow the wiring diagram included and it's pretty simple. The coil split on the pot is very easy to understand and color labeled, it's nothing that I would be that intimated by if you wanted to switch em out
I ordered that exact guitar a couple days ago. How long did it take to get to you?
And what is the pickup selector positions? (Position 5 - Bridge, p4 - Bridge and middle)
I ordered it the thursday it was announced, it arrived midday yesterday. the bridge selector positions are dead standard to Fenders yes
@@AudiomoMusic okay cool, thank you. Also, just FYI, Thomann has telecaster versions of this guitar. I don't think it's been announced yet, but it's in their product list
I unfortunately had to return this same guitar due to the truss rod not turning in either direction. Curious, for anyone that has one of these if your truss rod is fully functional? Other than the truss rod issue, I would have been happy with the guitar. I agree that position 4 is not very "stratty", I think that is more of a 24 fret strat issue than a pickup issue? Before I order a replacement I am wondering if anyone has the same truss rod issue I had.
Hello mate, nice review!
have you broken more E strings on it?
My cousin got one and he breaks it all the time,
Cheers!
I broke the factory E string on it while filming the demo, but after setting the vibrato up properly had no problems after
@@AudiomoMusic thanks mate!
CAn you replace these pickups with out altering pickup holes could I put EMG s in ? Without altering ? Ta
You definitely could, and there is ample space for a battery in the control cavity.
Hi, great job! Just a question, the dots on the neck are yellow???
Definitely just a lighting thing, they are not actually yellow in person.
@@AudiomoMusic ah ok, thanks a lot!
Such a good mod platform.
Impossible to beat when you consider all you have to mod are the pickups themselves, I'm just trying to figure out what exactly I'm going to throw in it!
@@AudiomoMusic Do let us know :) I’m also trying to decide :)
Nice video. I only wish this guitar would have a HH configuration, with direct mounted pickups because they do have one with pickup rings. And yes! I want the 24 frets. Makes getting high up the frets more easy.
I really don't like the ones with pickup rings, it looks really cheap imho so we agree there for sure
@@AudiomoMusic There is even this thing going on that direct mounted pickups improves tones, because they are direct mounted to the body. I am not sure about that, but I just like the clean look of it.
How is the neck placement in contrast to a standard strat. I know the scale length is the same but what I mean is the placement of the first fret, some 24 fret guitar are a little long and make slightly uncomfortable for your left hand at the first fret when chording.
The placement is actually really comfortable and familiar. It's not like when I switch to a jazzmaster and I suddenly feel like my fretting hand is MUCH further away than it is with my other guitars.
@@AudiomoMusic ok great. Thank you. I’ve actually never played a jazz master but I might have to try it.
I'd love to put this side by side with charvel dk24 and see how it compares
I wish I knew somebody here with one that I could borrow for the day to test myself, sadly there is no way I'm buying one of those to do it myself though... haha maybe one day I'll find a used one so cheap I can't so no and we'll have that video after all.
This guitar having a fr 1000 would be the bomb.
I don't get why they didn't give the option on these finishes for a floyd. Imagine a matte black one with a floyd, killer.
The trem arm screws in. The threads are on the inside
When I did the set up on this I actually really took a look at the design of the bridge as a whole, I am a Fender guy and seeing a MUCH improved design on the vintage style like this has really opened my eyes. Full height adjustment of the arm without threading up the side of the arm itself, adjusting the tightness of the arm itself with the external alllen wrench, locking saddles, this is so good I'm thinking of dropping the higher end Gotoh version of this into my old JV stratocaster. It's really remarkable.
What's your action hight? Mine's 1mm to 1,6mm and I get insane fret buzz even if I lift the strings significantly
Anyone has this problem as well? Any solutions?
Really hoping you'll do a review of the new Harley Benton SC-DLX Gotoh (in Daphne Blue, ideally)...
I really wish I could afford to demo all of them, and if I was going to do the SC DLX it would be in the DB. You're not the first person that's said that! Maybe one day I'll make enough money from doing this that I can still independently review these guitars but have the youtube ad revenue pay for them.
@@AudiomoMusic Here's me hoping you'll get there! On another note - I have the cheaper, black, double humbucker, non-roasted version of this guitar, and while I like it well enough, I was really surprised how quiet, bright and, frankly, flat it sounds unplugged. Once it's plugged in, I can't complain, but I was really surprised that compared to my super-cheap HB SC-400 SGT (or my Squier Strat), it basically sounds like a board with some wires on it...
Thanks to you and many others asking, I actually did review this guitar... in daphne blue... today. Hope you enjoy it!
@@AudiomoMusic Hell yeah! Thank you.
what about the nut ? is it in plastic...Because that's a deal breaker for me
So mad that they changed the pickups to black for the US Reverb store. The white pickups just finish the look so well
I didn't see they did that, I just looked and i agree - looks really really poor with the black.
I dont have to decide I have the 550 with tesla and an old HSH fusion 2 ;P btw I like the neck as well....mine is not roasted but the neck proportion are the same!
the neck is just perfect, you were so right about the neck I was not disappointed at all!
Oh man. That looks and sounds really nice. There is one for sale close by but it’s double humbuckers otherwise I may just have treated myself.
Man your name makes me sad, I wish he was still around. What a legend.
@@AudiomoMusic I know mate. Me too. It was actually an accident as I made the name for an email address for guitars I am into. When I signed into UA-cam this is the account which started. I have enormous respect for Frank and his music legacy. I also love his wonderful son, Dweezil who has been able to share Franks music with new generations. Peaches and Regalia my brother, Peaches and Regalia.
BTW, do you still have the HB Fusion?
I had to just sell it, but I'm telling you what... I don't ever make videos talking only about a specific guitarist. I'm going to make one for Zappa. He really deserves it and I feel like it would be a good change of pace.
@@AudiomoMusic That sounds fantastic brother. I’ll be watching out for that. Bit of Zappa history for the new folks would be awesome. What a huge intellect he was in an out of music. If you watch some of his old videos talking about “the industry” and how he sees the future for musicians, he proves he was a visionary genius as well as a musical genius. Some of the history with Beefheart and The Mothers would be an interesting watch. Also how he took a young man called Steve Vai under his wing ;) Thanks for the reply. Best wishes.