Harley Benton HB-35 CH Review/Demo | This Thing is Great!
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- Опубліковано 11 жов 2024
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I've been wanting to get my hands on a Harley Benton guitar for a little while as I've heard good things, so after finally getting to test one out I can see why!
This is my review of the Harley Benton HB-35 CH. Hope you enjoy it - Please hit the like button & subscribe if you did!
Find the Harley Benton HB 35 CH Guitar at Thomann: www.thomann.de/...
Check out the video review of the Aria 335 Style guitar here:
• Aria TA-50/TA Classic ...
The two backing tracks I was playing over in this video I found at the following links, so go & check those out!
• Just Got Paid - Bonama...
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Thanks for watching - Check out the Aria 335 Guitar review here ua-cam.com/video/jFO7_3GKtXM/v-deo.html & Don't forget to subscribe!
Thanks for the "Mary had a little lamb" ala SRV
My Harley Benton 335 is ordered, can't wait for it to arrive, its been delayed because of the current virus issues, so i am itching to get my hands on it, great review and superb playing
Finally someone (demo'ing harley benton) who can actually play and has a good recording sound! Thanks!
Thanks! Means a lot
I am actually shocked how many reviewers are medicore players at best...
I can't agree more with you man lol many reviewers just play the same A and G chords feeling like M. Young or something, it's really annoying
This review > any other review of HB
I have 2 hb guitars....been playing 44 yrs.......you cant beat this guitar for the money.....they are beautifully built and feel great and sound great.
Great gear! The one thing I'd recommend your student swaps out is the ToM bridge. I replaced the stock one on my half-dozen Harley Bentons with the much superior Gotoh GE103B which retails at around £30 at Thomann. Totally worth it in terms of accuracy, sturdiness, build quality and sound (no rattling and no string breakage ever).
zolibxl sounds like a bargain! I thought the stock bridge was decent but I’m sure that’s also a great upgrade to do along with the tuners to really make this thing shine!
@@RobGalley Harley Bentons are amazing value for money. Their PRS style axe is also an absolute killer. On this one I only replaced the buzzy stock wraparound bridge with a Gibson replica from Guitarfetish, and I polished up the frets, but these are the pickups it came with, straight into my Blackstar HT5: ua-cam.com/video/b-Zr-g-jlgU/v-deo.html
zolibxl On the Thomann site it looks like that comes without bridge saddles. What type did you use? Thanks.
A real test needs a clear amp sound without effects, so you managed to succeed it. Well done.
I have this HB35 with the previous pickguard and logo and I'm happy to conclude that this model has the same good quality.
This guitar can play every style indeed.
I plan on getting the black lefty as soon as I've paid off my Epiphone SG.
Just bought myself one. It is far better than the ephiphone dot I bought and never got on with. Played through my Marshall Origin 20 head or Laney cub head and Laney 2 x 12" cub cab it sounds fabulous. I believe the pickups have alinco II magnets and from clean to dirty they give a good sound, especially cleans and a bit of reverb.
My only gripe was tuners were poor and two would not hold tune for long, no problems, a set of kluson for 20 euro new dropped straight in with no mods needed, another knobs you could not see the numbers, so I put on four black speed knobs 6 euro, which look very cool.
All in all a brilliant guitar, would highly recommend.
Oh man...I'm super impressed with how this sounds!!!Great demo! Subscribed.
The hb 35 plus is a bit more,but has split humbuckers.Worth the extra
Definetly! Not sure why the caption says H-H pickups, mine came with roswells as most HB's seem to have but the sounds with the coils tapped opens up a whole new range.
Another great video,Rob, intro sounded like Santana. That guitar does look nice, I like how you played on each section, sounds nice & yeah for the price, that’s great! Your student got a bargain!
Donna I didn’t think about that but I can see what you mean! About the Santana vibe hah
Slow Gin
I bought one of these a couple of months ago, and had the same feeling about the tuners. When I pulled the strings off, the tuners rattled around in the holes. I decided to order a set of Gotoh locking tuners and it's made all the difference. The thing holds tune fine now. I've also ordered a pair of better pickups, but those haven't arrived yet. Other than that, I roughed up the neck with some scotch brite pads (personal preference) to allow my hand to glide a little easier. But that's all I'm changing. It's perfect for me otherwise.
Thanks for the review. There is an upgrade version with even better pickups and push pull full size pots (think they are Wilkinson so solid), block inlays and reputedly a bone nut! And still half the money of a Wilkinson ES (under the Vintage brand). Clearly an option then against the similar Epi at £500+
FINALLY! A Harley Benton demo with someone that can actually play the thing!
Thanks for checking it out!
And he plays SRV 👍
I appreciate the review, the 335 style guitar is the only type I've never owned but I've been seriously thinking about it, that HB sounds killer, must have a sustain block which would add to the weight, cut unwanted feedback, add sustain...
gearmeister I’ve only recently gained an interest in 335 style guitars & this one was great for the price!
I've heard a lot about these! Sounds, and looks, great. Really considering getting one eventually. Thanks for sharing.
No problem man, i just mentioned the slight areas I felt could be better but for the price you really can't argue at all!
I own the HB-35+ unbelievable guitar for the money, hands down its the best 335 style guitar I never played
Karl Sheridan I’d love to try the plus version!
Rob Galley Few improvements on the one you’re playing but definitely a keeper, Great video keep up the good work
$$166$$ american dollars!! Im about to have 6 guitars and also about to get kicked out of my house.... dammit
Add another big chunk for shipping.
@@REAL_MPSS Actually, their shipping is very reasonable. The customs you should check out beforehand, they can add up in certain countries.
This model is quite appealing to me for some early Blackmore like tunes, Mandrake Root, Wring That Neck and Child In Time. The apparent high quality in relation to the very affordable price point is quite tempting.
Some lovely playing there mate, this video just goes to prove you dont have to spend a fortune nowadays to get a very decent sounding guitar.
My girlfriend has one. Got it secondhand for 120 euros. The early were more Gibson like. At the time I was setting get up a real Gibson 335. The only real difference was the rosewood looked nicer on the Gibson. Fret ends were nicer. But the HB was still good enough. For the rest build quality etc there was no difference. Even had a long neck tenon. 120 euro compared to 3000euro for the Gibson. Changed the bridge to Gotoh. But you'll do that on a Gibson also as they are pretty crappy anyway and the tuners were changed. So for basically less than 200 euro can't be beaten ☺
Malcolm Hardwick they really are great guitars for the price!
Fantastic. Enjoyed your playing and the tones you got out of the guitar. I'm buying one.
Nice sounds, i enjoyed playing "spot the song" listening to the slightly disguised classics
Just bought a B stock on the strength of this review, gonna swap the pups out and change the tuners for Grover. Nice work dude! 🤙
Just bought one on eBay. Used to shredders. Can't wait
Can’t wait to get mine this Sunday!!
XO I got mine used (not very old as previous owner didn’t like the feel of the guitar after trying) old strings are still on. Everything is amazing with the quality. No dings or damages, buzz etc, frets are smooth
Abit of discomfort because of the strings mainly but that obviously can be changed
Not fond of the rough feel of the Pau Ferro fretboard
I’m mainly a strat player and this is my first Semi-hollow and I’m enjoying it and I’m sure you will too once you get yours!
that HB doesn't look or sound like a sub $200 guitar, like I watch a lot of Gibson reviews and if I stop paying attention I see a Gibson 335, great vid Rob :) (btw that intro solo was nice)
Geetar is life thanks man! Honestly I’m blown away with how decent this is for the price tag
And.....the headstocks are beautiful.
My H 35 CH arrived today, and wow, i was blown away with the quality for the money, it arrived properly set up, slightly out of tune, but the QC on this was 100% spot on. Its a heavy thing but has a beautiful finish, frets great, all in fantastic order, tuners are basic but feel ok, i will put my preferred strings on Ernie Ball 9's , but this guitar is an absolute bargain, this thing is so solid and well finished i feel embarrassed i only paid such a small amount of cash, i would recommend to anyone to buy one. My pick guard was spot on and it is the smaller new type, im so happy with it, it is a keeper.Brilliant review as usual
Thanks Billy, really appreciate it! Glad you love your guitar 🤟
It's good with that price tag Epiphone Dot Es 335 is way expensive
I recently purchased a TE-52 tele-style HB from Thomann and it's awesome. I guess my next purchase will be a semi-hollow. Now I know which one... ;)
Oh, and thank you for a brilliant review.
Snap! That's the same 2 I bought. Very versitile setup. Rock on 🤘
Looks and sounds great for the price, I don't know why people are saying lot of negative things about harley benton?
Neel Shaw tbh I rarely see bad things said, just a lot of good things & rightly so!
Just stumbled in out of the cold and.... don’t mind if I stay a bit. Great playing and demo. I am about to order the HB-35 Plus Lemon. I have a HB already and am very happy with it. Subbed!
Tempissed thanks so much for watching! Hope you enjoy your HB plus!
Great Review Rob. Lots of Chords and solo lead stuff to get a real feel of the guitar. I just ordered a Gold top from HB and am looking forward to it. Good on ya
JT Keel thanks for watching & commenting! I’ve subbed to you just in case you make a video about it, I look forward to checking it out ✌️ Thanks, Rob
Rob Galley thanks Rob doing the same great playing BTW
JT Keel thanks again, checked a couple of your videos & enjoyed them. Keep it up
Beautiful, and it sounds great. I want it in blue. I don't know why exactly (demand, I guess?) but here in the States at least, all the HB guitars I've researched are always forty or fifty bucks more in blue. Haha.
Is the 22nd fret accessible on this guitar.Love your videos.
Really liked that little bit of Mary Had a Little Lamb😎
Great video review! I have a question for you. Would you recommend it as a daily gigging guitar? (With some upgrades, like the tuning keys and pickups if needed). Thank you and keep going with your videos!
Giannis S. Konstantinidis thanks for watching man! I’d definitely recommend it for gigging - the stock pickups are awesome, but perhaps swap the tuners to something a bit better & I’d say you’re good to go!
I gig with this guitar regularly and its solid as a rock. Even the tuners are fine for me. Ive nevered owned a premium guitar though, so other people's standards may be different.
I slightly resent the fact that the HB35 Plus Cherry doesn't have the exact same colors as this. Love the darker tone of red.
They really got this one right! And thanks for checking out my video of the Black version :) How did you find the "blackwood" fretboard?
At first I found it a bit rough, needed playing in before it felt a bit smoother! But otherwise no complaints at all. I've subbed to you, Keep up the great content 👊
@@RobGalley i used some fret board conditioner and it played like a charm
Your student is pretty ambitious to get a semi hollow to learn how to work on guitars and replace pickups and all that. He may reconsider that with rewiring a semi hollow. LOL. Ive been doing it for many years, and I groan when someone wants new pickups and controls on a semi hollow.
First time watching you on UA-cam. Very useful review and GREAT playing! Yeah, I'm going to subscribe.
Dennis Alvarez thanks so much Dennis!
You got me dizzy moving the guitar so much during the intro... 😁
The HB-35 plus has alnico V as opposed to ceramics in this one. Oddly, I prefer the ceramics in this guitar. Harley Benton's alnico V tend to be pretty rough even compared to Epiphone. The plus has a flamed maple top, whereas this model is more traditional and does not. Flamed maple is best reserved for expensive guitars. A budget flamed maple really shows and not for the better. Sometimes less is truly more.
Damn, this sounds superb. Really love it.
great video ..i was bemoaning at cost of the Gibson range and heh ho found out about these beauties. have ordered P90 DC from Thomann and will order 1 of these to.
woah what a saving.. only a bedroom player lol
Hey, awesome review video here, Rob! I'm considering the 35 for some noise rock, indie rock, slowcore (stuff like Galaxy 500, Metz, Mudhoney, Placebo) but I'm balanced between this, the 35+ and the BigTone Trem. What do you think?
I cannot understand the bad press these Harley Benton guitars get?? I own the HB35-CH and a TE90-QM (Telecaster style) model, both from Thomann of Germany. OK, I had to spend a little time setting them up ... but they both sound and feel great. I understand that "you get what you pay" .... but in my case, a set of Super Slinky's (0.09 - 0.42mm) each, some fret levelling and polishing (carried out myself), and some "not too expensive" tuners, and I've got two beautiful guitars... and well within my personal budget. Happy Days!!!
Couldn't agree more, I was very surprised with how much I enjoyed it. Fantastic guitar for the price & some small adjustments as you say can really make a huge difference
@@RobGalley I added learning the guitar to my "bucket list" when I turned 60, a few years ago. I think it was probably the engineer in me, that prompted me to get involved with the luthier aspect of the instrument. I've bought many tools from Ben Crowe's Crimson Guitars down in Dorset. I initially bought some cheap second hand guitars off EBay, and practiced my new found skills on them. Several years on, and I now have the confidence to carry out set-up work on more expensive guitars, and it's saved me many of the Queens' shillings. People knock the likes of Harley Benton, but I paid almost £1,000 for a genuine 2015 Gibson Les Paul Less+ ...... and had to spend many hours remedying its' poor quality set-up and condition, but now I'm fortunate enough to carry out the work myself.
That's a lot of guitar for the price. (HB).
I have a Firefly 335 copy, pretty good for the money, around the same as the HB, but I'm serious considering the HB.
Can’t get mine to sound like this lol
Dude that is some sweet riffs
Best review of the HB-35 on UA-cam and I've watched them all. You listed all the recording gear but I didn't see anything about the signal chain, what did you use to get that sweet neck pickup tone at the intro?
The guitar was plugged direct into my computer with Bias fx on! Just a straight hi-gain Mesa boogie style amp preset 🤟
Get one , you play it so well.
amazing playing !!! sounds extra terrestrial for the money !!! what distortion did you use on the intro
? kind regards keep up the good work !!
Good review this might just be my next purchase 😎
Nice playing man sweet guitar.
You have a lucky guitar student to learn from you.
What effects are you using in your opening solo? The sounds is fantastic!
It’s just Bias fx plug-in, a basic hi gain amp with a bit of delay & reverb!
Great playing and review/demo man. I've got the non-plus HB 35. I want to love it but it goes out of tune. Not sure if it is the nut or tuners or both. Want to play it more but it is the only guitar I own that tunes out. I was thinking of getting the plus but maybe I'll widen the nut slots and get some new tuners first. Cheers.
Perth Guitar I’m sure if you upgraded to some decent locking tuners, & perhaps experimented with different string gauges then your tuning issues would improve - also check out a gadget called a string Butler, which corrects the angle of the string before the nut so the strings join the neck from the headstock in a straight line! Thanks for watching ✌️
@@RobGalley Cheers. I'll look into the string butler. Ive got 9-42 on it currently. I think the tuners are the key. Thanks again.
Jump up to 10's and stretch your strings in for 10 minutes before you tune up.
My HB stays in tune no problem with the original tuners but like I say you do need to stretch those strings.
Perth Guitar Put some 10s on it and lubricate the nut. I did that with my Harley Benton Tele and it hardly ever goes out of tune.
Many thanks for the review. I was wondering if this may be an appropriate guitar for a beginner... what do you think? Easy (and funny) enough to play to not to discourage a beginner?
This would be a great guitar for a beginner for sure! It has a fairly big body size but the neck is comfortable, & it’s not too heavy either 🤟
@@RobGalley Thank you so much Rob. A last question: do you think it is worth going for the HB-35 PLus? The splitting-coil option really makes any difference?
Xavi Heredia it definitely makes a difference in sound, just depends how interested in having so much tonal variety you are! I’d say for a beginner it might not be the biggest concern, for me the different tones would be useful in a gigging situation.
Very good demo & very interesting guitar.
Thanks for checking it out 🤟
Brilliant review!! Subscribed
Check out Yamaha's version of the 35.
Would you recommend this guitar for punk-ish style music? I've got 2 Les Paul models at home, but I wanna change it up a bit.
Figure It Out definitely! It’s just an all round comfy guitar to play for various styles. I’d probably say it’s perhaps not great for metal.. but anything else I’m sure would work great!
I play in a post-punk band with this guitar and its great. 335 style guitars are very versatile.
the best part is you can tell people "I have my Harley up in my bedroom" then sit back and watch the reactions.
Nice review nice playing thanks!
Thanks for checking it out!
A very good Review ! Thanks ...
A very good Review , thanks .
No push pull? And pickups a little vacant, maybe a couple of good ones and a splittable... ?
It’s a pity that shipping to the USA is $80 but it may be worth it, depending on quality of the Harley Benton
its all in those pups
nice sound
How were the electronics? Did the pots scratch?
BEWARE I bout one 18 months ago and the sound was awful - the pickups just didn't do what they should. I tried all sorts to sort it out but in the end Thomann took it back for repair. It came back fine BUT a couple months later the pick-up switch failed! This is the second guitar in a row I've had from Thomann that had to be repaired. What a shame. It looks good and plays well but I couldn't rely on it.
The red is awesome ! But everyone owns one ! I have to go with the black ,,, 😁🖒✌
The black does look pretty awesome to be fair!
Do you think this guitar will last five years when i play it heavy almost every day?
Thanks a lot Rob! :)
lol I have the same jumper,, thanks for the review
I have the black one ☝️ I really love it .
I've just bought one - waiting for it to arrive - Great video, but I'm wondering how Rob did overdrive. Any ideas anyone?
Bias Fx!
Is that Ariel Helwani playing? Sounds good.
had the actual Version for about a week - Pups boring and flat af, Playability & Feel very cheap - Neck / Frets absolutely random Quality. Wanted to like it but just wasn't my Cup of Tea. Waiting for the Squier CV Starcaster - hope the Price Difference makes sense 😎🙏🏼
Just take either guitar and put Di Marzio pickups in there and you are sorted.
I'm turning 20 next year and I was thinking of treating myself with something like this. I've been playing Classical Guitar occassionally for 4 years now, however am a long way from being a pro. I have 2 kinda silly questions:
What amp would you recommend with it?
Does it come with a strap/place for one?
Sorry, I dont really know much about guitars, just got a really good feeling from listening to this and Im pretty sure it would be a nice choice. Thanks in advance to anyone who replies!
Ps Im also left handed so I'll have to get the LH version😂
Well it depends what you want. Im fairly new as well and am gonna give you info based that you’re in the same boat. Personally i wanted some classic rock type of gain with my guitar playing and the orange crush 12 has been doing the job(i plan on upgrading at some point) but its fairly cheap and is great for how much it costs. As for straps and stands, literally everything is sold separately in most cases unless it is specifically marketed as a “pack.” Hope this helps. Oh but just incase you might wanna spend a little more $$ for ur first amp. 100% get the boss katana, it is definitely imo the best amo you can get right now in the 300> range. Very clear output even at high gains and comes with many features.
@@actuallymario7676 thank you so much. i'm still looking at it because i love so many different styles and have time to research them, but i'll check those out
The trouble with guitars of that price range they might look great but is the neck ok ? Does it need a fret job to get it remotely near in tune . To be fair this sounds ok
In all honesty, the neck is great. No rough edges, nice finish and the frets are solid! & It holds tuning pretty well!
Is it better than the Washburn Win-14?
Can't get this in Malaysia. I love semi hollows.
Epic guitar face at 16:00 lol
GamerDad One of my many great guitar faces. 😂
Sounded epic! What amp did you use?
Steve Reynolds yeah it sounds great! & didn’t actually use an amp, I used Bias FX for the distortion tones & the GTR amp sim from Waves, & just added a bit of reverb in post :)
Looks lovely,, but pickups sound a bit tinny ? no?
NO.
I have a 2001 Greg Bennett Royal four, when I brought it, changed out the pickups (p90) and set it up, it sounds like a 800 dollar guitar.
white Drake can play!
Hahahaha!!! Thinking the same! 😂
Great review and demo! Thanks! I’m sold.
Great review. I'm really interested in buying this instrument myself. I have a couple of questions if you don't mind answering. Is that a metallic finish or just the lighting in your room? The cherry is very nice and, in that lighting at least, it looks very modern. I have an Epiphone Dot (Vintage Sunburst) and while it looks great and sounds good, to be honest, it's somewhat disappointing - the neck is really chunky and doesn't suit me at all, and there's no neck binding. I have a Harley Benton SC-450 P90 GT Classic Series and the neck is fantastic. The neck on this HB-35 looks very similar. What's your opinion about the neck profile? Thanks!
Bobby Dazzler thanks for watching ✌️ the cherry finish isn’t metallic & that’s just my camera/room lighting making it look that way - & the neck I personally think is super comfortable to play! Really surprising for such a cheap guitar
@@RobGalley Thanks for the reply. OK, yes, I thought it might just be the lighting. Good to hear about the neck. I too was really surprised at the quality of my SC-450. I only bought it to see what Harley Benton's were like and it exceeded all of my expectations, and then some. So, I'm quite interested in this HB-35, and modding it a bit.
How many times are you going to shift your gaze from the bottom to the neck?...lol... It's like a video loop....🤣
Don't sweat it... I'm just fuckin with ya..
The truth is: get a decent cheap guitar. Learn to play for a couple of years. 99,99 % of players do not need overpriced Gibson guitars
Hi Rob are you recording straight into an iphone
No was recording into my Mac computer!
@@RobGalley do you mean garageband or through a miched amp
Very nice, have a nice weekend👍👍👏🎹🎹🎹
*Looks at body of guitar. Looks at headstock of guitar. Rinse and repeat about 30 times*
Hope the student wasn't planning to upgrade the guitar. I heard that they're notoriously difficult to upgrade because harley benton had to adjust things on it.
The link doesn't take me to the guitar somehow.
But is it hearable without the amp
I made an update video of this guitar & played it unplugged, check it out!
@@RobGalley thanks man
Slow Gin?