I don’t see any reason someone getting started playing guitar wouldn’t do well with a guitar like this... I have two Harley Benton Guitars (TE40 & ST20-HHS) and and after a good setup they both play great. They are certainly better quality than the Chinese copies that folks spend $250 - $300 on. And I have several Fenders, American and Mexican. As well as a Les Paul Studio. I wouldn’t say my Harley Bentons are as good as my Fenders but there are not poor either. These are great guitars for anyone starting out or if you don’t want to take your $2000 Les Paul out and risk getting it damaged. No reason to hate on these budget guitars, it’s nice that you don’t need to spend a small fortune to have something nice 👍🏿
@manymul - Sorry my friend, I have not had the pleasure. However now that you have brought this to my attention, my next Harley Benton may be one of these versions... Thanks!
@@DMSProduktions I got my tribute for $1600 and it rocks ( if you can live without flamed maple, binding and nitro - which, for a thousand odd dollars less , i have found plenty of room in my heart for!😁)🤟🤟🤟🤟🤟. Five/Five HeadBangers! And there are some studios sitting right around $2100, 2200ish. No frills ones. But if you want frills for cheap, buy Epiphone! If you want that legendary Gibson tone on some kind of a budget? Tribute > Studio > or even LPj. From $1650; $2200; $1200, respectively.
I have a buddy who recently said basically that he didn’t want to buy a used core PRS because he wanted to wait to get a “real” one and he can’t right now. He meant new. So it’s just a status symbol for many enthusiasts. I also want a US made PRS, and yes because of the same thing, but also I picture all the folks in the Maryland factory doing all the hand sanding and finishing...but I would be more than happy to get my hands on and try this HB because it sounds awesome. Thanks again for a great video.
Hey Shane I just received my CST-24T left guitar and it played amazing out of the box amd sounds great with both humbuckers and split coil. I did put new strings on it, lowered the action a little and a slight truss rod adjustment now it really plays great. Fret work is good no sharp ends or fret sprout no choking out on notes. Overall a great guitar for the money.
My CST-24T was $245 US. I can't believe the value. I bought a ST62 "strat" for $145. Also, unbelieveable for the money! Love this channel. Thomann is getting all my USA dollars these days!
just bought the same model myself, and i must say, after playing fenders for 30 years. it is a beautiful guitar to look at, but also fantastic playing guitar too. i cannot believe how they can make these for the price? mine is the Paradise flame finish, and the fingerboard is not dark like the dyed type. But is a lovely dark tan colour? really nice feel too
I have an emerald green one. It is well built, gorgeous, and sounds perfect. Definitely heavy. Not quite Les Paul heavy but damn near. Personally, I like the weight. The Archtop and finish are freakin gorgeous
I've been going back and forth on an entry-level priced guitar (left-handed) for a while and finally pulled the trigger on this one in Ocean Blue. $300 USD including shipping and I can't wait for it to arrive.
@@cjsilvestremusic I'm astounded at how good it is. I expected it would need a bit of work on the frets, finish would be good but not great. I didn't have to adjust a single thing other than change the strings. Finish is fantastic, frets were smooth. Just really happy with it. I'll definitely feel confident getting another HB. Thanks for asking.
@@MrPhins Oh man that's great and I'm happy for you. Thinking of getting this cos I dont think I'll ever be able to buy a PRS dont think its worth the money hehe
GAS! If I wouldn't own the semihollow version of this guitar already, I'd visit Thomann tomorrow. Great sound. I also like the body size of these and I think that the headstock shape is the most gorgeous one on the market (yes, this is highly subjective and no, it's not really important...)
Great video. And nice to see a lefty playing guitar. I ordered this guitar in left handed paradise flame colour. Can't wait for it to arrive. Love your guitar playing buddy. Thanks for sharing much appreciated. All the best from the UK. Top man 👍 🎸🎸
I have the HB is the adoring. it's really one of those "definitive" guitars. This is where Harely Benton pulled out a really level of project. has already become a must for both HB and T.
I've got a Godin RADIATOR! Love it and there's something about 24 frets...2 octaves that makes sense. Why don't ALL electric guitars go for 2 octaves? say I. so why not guitar manufacturers? apart from PRS who else does 24 fretted guitars ?
I'm in NZ and was looking at buying a guitar from Artist guitars as a cheap knock around guitar , basicly something I would not really care if it got stolen or smashed etc , and then a friend turned me on to Harley benton...... Iv'e brought 3 of them so far the CST24t and the hardtail version also and also the TE40...... I can't even get something close to these guitars from Artist for the same money. I own a real made in the USA strat and also a Les Paul standard which I won in a radio competition which are many time more expensive than any harley benton , but in all truthfulness I like the Harley Bentons way more because they feel great sound great and they look awesome...... AND they play every bit as well as the expensive guitars I have . I have just decided this week in fact to sell both the brand name guitars and buy a heap more harley benton guitars...... I'd feel like a total idiot if I didn't ........ Has anyone else felt this way after owning a harley benton??? Or am I the only one lol...... Thanks Shane for your reviews...... your fun to watch
I have the lefty PRS SE24, I would seriously consider this as an extra guitar. Only issue I ever have is the customs/shipping fears over buying something cheap locally.
I own both guitars and while my 1991 PRS se eg is a great guitar the harley benton is just as good ..... no it's better in fact , the pup's are better and the coil split is a real bonus....... both play like butter.
Shane I would have to go back and listen to your SE, to be sure, but I think the HB pickups might be a little hotter or something. HB sounds more like a shred distortion, like maybe an Ibanez S. SE sounds more classic rock to me. But maybe in your playing room it’s different. Great job highlighting this guitar, and not being hyper critical just because of the budget price!
Ben Uselmann Hello. The freetboard Wood is a bit dry. Im a beginner so i havent compared to other guitars. When its time to change the strings I Will put on some Lemon oil on the freetboard wood.
I've had 4 or 5 of these, every one of them has been built well and plays well. If you get a good one it'll give you years of good use. Just consider that switches and pots etc may not last as long as they are obviously slightly lower quality. Great entry guitars though and excellent for the money. 😎👍
It took me a few viewings to get to the review simply because I was loving the intro jam!!! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 As far as this HB, I honestly think I would buy this before the PRS SE!! It’s a similar design with versatile tones and you can’t beat the price!!! It sounds great even in single coil mode!! If I was getting someone their first guitar, this would be it hands down! Cheers!!🎸🎸🎸🤙🏾🤙🏾🤙🏾🤙🏾
Hello Luca, I am considering purchasing this guitar in blue as well. First of all, How would you say the finish of the body looks? Also, How would you describe the fretboard wood, I have heard complaints of it being rough to the touch or too try. I would like to know as well if the wood is smooth or not.
It's certainly what I would buy if I were interested in a PRS style guitar and there's a couple of things that make me not want one, though I'd probably get a solid color.
I was surprised to hear you say the fretboard was jatoba. The jatoba ones HB is selling now are all very reddish in color. I just order a 24T B stock w jatoba and hope it looks like yours!
Hi Shane. I love the look of this guitar and I have to say after watching both videos of you playing this I've ordered one in paradise flame colour. Thomann have just dispatched it so looking forward to getting it. Your guitar playing is amazing Shane. Thank you for the brilliant review on this guitar. Awesome 👍 all the best from the UK.
Im really interested in the construction of these harley Benton guitars. Cap, veneer, photo top ? Neck construction? No one ever talks about these things when they review Harley Benton guitars. It would be nice to see someone pull the pickup covers out and take a look at how they are built.
A fine argument can be made for the title of this video. Present me with something better than the CST-24T, with coil tap/split, stays in tune with purpose, has pleasing tones, and a very easy neck/fingerboard for the price. The neck thickness is a bit thinner than a Fender Stratocaster and plays very easy with comfort.
Thomann used to have cheap shipping worldwide, I just put in my details on the site & they now want $200 freight to Australia almost the price of the guitar! Shame would have brought one to try.
Nice Demo. I’ve been tempted to buy one of those, or the HB fusion model, it’s more money, but has the versatility for more varied tones because of the three pickups and split tone switch. I’m a lefty too, you can only get it one finish, but stunning never-the-less.
I'm a saddo as I currently have 35 Guitars, of these 2 are Harley Benton CSTs (in blue and green) and with a little bit of fettling and some upgrades tuners and pickups (changed for SD P-Rails), they are almost as good to play as my PRS 20th Anniversary. I have 4 Harley Bentons in total and they all play very well.
You said it was great "out of the box". Don't you think they would set it up before they send it to you? You should order anonymous and then make a review. Btw, looks nice, sounds nice. LH here. Cheers!
I would like to know how thoman can make and sell there Harley Benton's for the price they do. I think for my TE-52 was around $150USD ship to my door. And it's a pretty good guitar.
Cheap labor is a factor. So is the elimination of shipping to a distributor, the warehousing costs and profit for the middleman, shipping to the retailer are all costs that have been eliminated.
So the Harley Benton guitars seem pretty good. No matter which model it is. I've came across a few for sale. A Fusion 2 & A kb 35 , something like that. My only thing is , the fretz may be small. And not big , like to the point of. Kinda having that feel like playing , a scalloped neck. Jatoba , I think it's just another name for rosewood. Or it's kinda like rosewood. In terms of feel & sound.
Sounds Great Shane! Can’t wait to hear the Shoot Out with the PRS cause I have a Lefty I’m Trampus Green also!! And I’m REALLY looking forward to your Demo and Review of the HB Tele w/Reverse Head Stock!!!!! I’ve been VERY tempted to pull the trigger on one of those but guess I’ll wait for you Review first. Please keep up the Great Work Mate! Cheers!
Hi Gary, I am considering buying this guitar in Ocean Flame and had a question about the fretboard wood. Is it rough or uncomfortable to play on? I am coming from a maple fretboard on a cheap Strat copy, which is very smooth to the touch.
It's just hard to understand how they manage to produce such quality at that price point. I may not understand it, but I sure can appreciate it. Cheers for this, Shane -
Two factors mostly: 1) They order large quantities and can promise long-term relationships with manufacturers, who will accept smaller profit margins per product for that. 2) They do product development, import, and retail in-house. These would normally be done by separate companies with more total overheads, not to mention they all need to make a profit separately to stay in business. There are also no physical distribution costs for Thomann because everything is stored centrally in the big damn robotized warehouse they built.
@@melvynobrien6193 Vietnam doesn't have slave labor wtf you must be thinking about the prevalence of prison labor in USA manufacturing? It's far more likely that slaves worked on a Gibson than any Asian-made instrument.
@@martinkrauser4029 Mate, I appreciate that based on the comments you've posted that you're a massive HB fan. But don't kid yourself that the places that these instruments are made in pay anything like a decent wage. Back in 2014 the average Vietnamese worker making Nike products earned $73 per month. That's not a lot. Vietnam also has a child labour problem. Now does that stop me buying Nike? So far no it hasn't. A steady decline in the quality of the product might do though. Now I know that Nike and Thomann make completely different products but there isn't much price difference between a HB guitar and a pair of Nike shoes. I'd argue the shoes cost a lot less to produce than a guitar. There's are reason people outsource to the Far East. It's cheap. There's no liability for any workforce or overheads. I accept that Thomann saves money by selling direct but I don't think the dudes making them are getting rich. Would it stop me buying one? Probably not although to be honest they don't float my boat. I would buy other brands made there. I'm just under no illusions that the workforce enjoy anything like conditions and pay that we in the West take for granted. Feel free to Google working conditions in Vietnam.
Because these HBs have been becoming so popular, look and sound good, it would be really instructive if you could convince Thomann to underwrite your visit and videos of the Indonesian factory where these guitars are made. I'm sure you've seen the Chapman videos of the Korean factory. Show the HB factory and follow a guitar, such as this one, from raw wood to finished playable guitar in the shipping department. You are certainly a lot closer to Indonesia than anyone from Thomann, and maybe cheaper for them plus the advertising through your channel. Also cool to find out what other brands are made at that same factory (like PRS SE, etc etc if that is the case).
@@ianfisher5316 Harley Benton guitars are sourced from numerous different factories owned by different companies. One of them is in Vietnam, and possibly more than that in Indonesia.
Harley Benton's brand approach is to have minimal marketing expenses and let the guitars do their own promo. It would be interesting to see, but I don't honestly care much about what the factories are like when the guitars are killer and I can buy three of them Fusion guitars for the price of a single Chapman guitar.
I like the HB guitars, this model in emerald green in particular. Are there any extra import fees/customs duty when shipped to the US. Obviously a question for those in the US who have purchased a HB from Thomann.
I have 4 HB's, including the Emerald CST-24T. There were no additional charges and the shipping took 7 buisness days or less each time. This was over a year ago now. I might assume nothing has changed, but...?
hardtail is the one with the tuning stability and the black one is the heaviest (for some reason) - you can get the info on the harley benton forum from the ppl that bought them
Wow man! Awesome playing, awesome instrument! A shootout is definitely needed. It would be interesting what would happen if HB (or any other economy brands) gets a big celebrity endorsement of some kind one day. Could you imagine the uproar if someone like John Mayer said he was switching to HB for everything???(picked him because of the dust-up that happened when he collaborated with PRS! 😉)🤙🏻🎸😎
Shane, did you notice how badly cut the nut on that looks? Strings are all the way in on the fretboard side and hanging out on the tuners side. Other than that, they're great guitars for the money. Sounds good with that jackman amp as well (it's on the wish list). They come strung up with D'Addario's, so the strings should be good (although I had a rusty B string on arrival). Because of the high output pickups, I like playing late 80's Angles (Beyond Salvation era) with it. Really suits that style for mine. I've actually got the last of the Wilkinson run of pickups in mine before they switched to Roswells. I'd imagine they're probably similar though.
just imagine how great you could get it to sound with some good quality after market pickups...spend a couple hundred more bucks and you have a custom shop guitar :)
I'm not a fan of the Roswells, but swap those and give it a fret polish and rounding, maybe a pot swap too, and you'd have a very classy instrument, I think.
The thing I can't get past is the fact that I can buy a beautiful custom shop fender or Gibson and with the same amount of coin could buy ten of these perfectly playable, totally tweakable, entry level guitars. The person with the most amount of guitars wins right.... On the other hand, however, is this little conundrum. Will I be inspired to play the same with a $250 guitar in the same way I would on my perfect dream guitar that costs the Earth? That is the stuff that keeps me up at night......
Between this and the Yamaha Pacifica 112 for first guidar in order to learn electric guitar without previous experience? I am over 50. Also I saw this model with p90 coils. What is the difference in sound? One can change between humbucker and p90 on the same model guitar? (harley Benton CST 24)? Thank you for any help.
Guardian Observer hello. I think either guitar would be great for a first guitar. But I would recommend the Pacifica out of the gate just for the fact that they are more readily available at your local music store or guitar website. I love the Harley Benton SC550 I just got but had to wait 2 weeks for it to be delivered from Germany to Arizona. You could probably walk into Guitar Center today and get a Pacifica.
Hello congratulations for the video. I ask you, between HB CST 24 or T and PRS SE Standard 24 which one do you prefer? Between 2 for a beginner guitarist which one would you recommend? Thanks
This guitar arrived today. I've never had a guitar come out of the box set up so well. Gibson and fender hang your heads. Sub £200 guitar. It's a matter of time before I get the Fusion HH silver sparkler 🌴
I bought a similar one about 2 years ago, but mine did not have a tremolo. My tailpiece was junk (very different than Shane’s) and I never liked it. I never played it after the first week I had it. You are stuck with these, since there is no resale value in the US.
I also have a CST-24T in Cherry Flame and love it. You said this your favorite Harley benton guitar? Do you prefer it over the HB HSH Roasted Maple guitars and the HB HH Ocean Turquoise you previously reviewed?
Hi Nick. I am a potential buyer of this guitar in Ocean Flame. First of all, how would you say the finish is? Also, How is the fretboard wood? I have heard it is dry or uncomfortable
The only thing that bugs me about the Harley Benton line...and it's a small thing...is the scarf joint. Done right and that joint should be the strongest point of the neck. But done wrong and it's a time bomb. But that's really it...you can't beat the price and everything else looks either great or easily fixable.
I've been a member of the Thomann and Harley Benton customer support group on fb for a while now. People are very happy to share their complaints there. A poor neck joint did not appear once.
@intheblues or anyone who knows the answer. Can I drop the 6th string down and back when I want, or this is impossible because of the tremlo? (I play one song in standard E, then drop D then standard E again.)
Just my opinion, but I hear nothing wrong with those sounds right there. Forget the name and listen with your ears not your eyes.🤘
Even listening with my eyes, it doesn't look too bad. I'm surprised
I don’t see any reason someone getting started playing guitar wouldn’t do well with a guitar like this... I have two Harley Benton Guitars (TE40 & ST20-HHS) and and after a good setup they both play great. They are certainly better quality than the Chinese copies that folks spend $250 - $300 on. And I have several Fenders, American and Mexican. As well as a Les Paul Studio. I wouldn’t say my Harley Bentons are as good as my Fenders but there are not poor either. These are great guitars for anyone starting out or if you don’t want to take your $2000 Les Paul out and risk getting it damaged. No reason to hate on these budget guitars, it’s nice that you don’t need to spend a small fortune to have something nice 👍🏿
Hi have you ever bought one of the fusion pro series? If so how they compare with fender
@manymul - Sorry my friend, I have not had the pleasure. However now that you have brought this to my attention, my next Harley Benton may be one of these versions... Thanks!
LOL! WHERE can I GET a Gibson LP for $2K???
Thanks very good explanation.
@@DMSProduktions I got my tribute for $1600 and it rocks ( if you can live without flamed maple, binding and nitro - which, for a thousand odd dollars less , i have found plenty of room in my heart for!😁)🤟🤟🤟🤟🤟. Five/Five HeadBangers!
And there are some studios sitting right around $2100, 2200ish. No frills ones. But if you want frills for cheap, buy Epiphone! If you want that legendary Gibson tone on some kind of a budget? Tribute > Studio > or even LPj. From $1650; $2200; $1200, respectively.
You do many of your channel subscribers (me included) a great favor with reviewing/comparing so many affordable guitars. Thank you for that :-)
Thanks Harald!
This guitar can give most PRS a run for the money. Great demo, Shane. Thanks for uploading.
I have a buddy who recently said basically that he didn’t want to buy a used core PRS because he wanted to wait to get a “real” one and he can’t right now. He meant new. So it’s just a status symbol for many enthusiasts. I also want a US made PRS, and yes because of the same thing, but also I picture all the folks in the Maryland factory doing all the hand sanding and finishing...but I would be more than happy to get my hands on and try this HB because it sounds awesome. Thanks again for a great video.
not a bad sounding axe. Perhaps you can make a vid that compares the SE to this?
And then he can compare a Beetle with a BMW. LOL.
@@melvynobrien6193 I don't think Shane drives German.
I'm also interested in how these stack up to the SE Custom 24. I have one and it's fantastic.
I'll do a comparison coming up no worries at all :-)
Yeah, I've got a same SE like yours, can't wait to hear the difference, I'm planning to buy this HB for a long time.
The tones in that model are soooo well-defined. I really like this guitar.
Okay that guitar sounds phenomenonal! Definitely on my radar now.
I'm a big fan of these. Definitely the star of the HB line-up. Nice review Shane.
Hey Shane I just received my CST-24T left guitar and it played amazing out of the box amd sounds great with both humbuckers and split coil. I did put new strings on it, lowered the action a little and a slight truss rod adjustment now it really plays great. Fret work is good no sharp ends or fret sprout no choking out on notes. Overall a great guitar for the money.
My CST-24T was $245 US. I can't believe the value. I bought a ST62 "strat" for $145. Also, unbelieveable for the money! Love this channel. Thomann is getting all my USA dollars these days!
just bought the same model myself, and i must say, after playing fenders for 30 years.
it is a beautiful guitar to look at, but also fantastic playing guitar too.
i cannot believe how they can make these for the price? mine is the Paradise flame finish, and the fingerboard is not dark like the
dyed type. But is a lovely dark tan colour? really nice feel too
Very cool and amazing what they are doing for the price!
Body like PRS. Headstock like Curbow. Looks nice.
Supreme thanks to this review. I'm a lefty and am so thankful that you're reviewing a lefty in general and the same one I'm thinking of buying.
Great review Shane, I’ve been really curious about the CST
I have an emerald green one. It is well built, gorgeous, and sounds perfect. Definitely heavy. Not quite Les Paul heavy but damn near. Personally, I like the weight. The Archtop and finish are freakin gorgeous
I've been going back and forth on an entry-level priced guitar (left-handed) for a while and finally pulled the trigger on this one in Ocean Blue. $300 USD including shipping and I can't wait for it to arrive.
how was it?
@@cjsilvestremusic I'm astounded at how good it is. I expected it would need a bit of work on the frets, finish would be good but not great. I didn't have to adjust a single thing other than change the strings. Finish is fantastic, frets were smooth. Just really happy with it. I'll definitely feel confident getting another HB. Thanks for asking.
@@MrPhins Oh man that's great and I'm happy for you. Thinking of getting this cos I dont think I'll ever be able to buy a PRS dont think its worth the money hehe
@@cjsilvestremusic did you get it? I'm also thinking of buying one
You and the guitar sound great together.
I totally agree!
GAS! If I wouldn't own the semihollow version of this guitar already, I'd visit Thomann tomorrow. Great sound. I also like the body size of these and I think that the headstock shape is the most gorgeous one on the market (yes, this is highly subjective and no, it's not really important...)
Michael W I’m trying to decide for solid or hollow on a CST. Any recommendation?
What a huge sound out of this one, and awesome playing too! Cheers!
I never be all over the prs shape but i bought this one as a DEKO for 111€ and it sounds and feel like really good.
Great video. And nice to see a lefty playing guitar. I ordered this guitar in left handed paradise flame colour. Can't wait for it to arrive. Love your guitar playing buddy. Thanks for sharing much appreciated. All the best from the UK. Top man 👍 🎸🎸
I got this guitar based on the reviews. What a bargain. This thing shreds and is a joy to play but hard to find great clean tones though.
What do you mean about "find great clean tones though"? I am complete beginner over 50 and I consider this guitar like my first (and only) guitar.
I have the HB is the adoring. it's really one of those "definitive" guitars. This is where Harely Benton pulled out a really level of project.
has already become a must for both HB and T.
Awesome demo as always Shane & what a lovely looking guitar !!
I've got a Godin RADIATOR!
Love it and there's something about 24 frets...2 octaves that makes sense.
Why don't ALL electric guitars go for 2 octaves?
say I.
so why not guitar manufacturers?
apart from PRS who else does 24 fretted guitars ?
I'm in NZ and was looking at buying a guitar from Artist guitars as a cheap knock around guitar , basicly something I would not really care if it got stolen or smashed etc , and then a friend turned me on to Harley benton...... Iv'e brought 3 of them so far the CST24t and the hardtail version also and also the TE40...... I can't even get something close to these guitars from Artist for the same money. I own a real made in the USA strat and also a Les Paul standard which I won in a radio competition which are many time more expensive than any harley benton , but in all truthfulness I like the Harley Bentons way more because they feel great sound great and they look awesome...... AND they play every bit as well as the expensive guitars I have . I have just decided this week in fact to sell both the brand name guitars and buy a heap more harley benton guitars...... I'd feel like a total idiot if I didn't ........ Has anyone else felt this way after owning a harley benton??? Or am I the only one lol...... Thanks Shane for your reviews...... your fun to watch
I have the lefty PRS SE24, I would seriously consider this as an extra guitar. Only issue I ever have is the customs/shipping fears over buying something cheap locally.
That axe has more tone than it has a right to be. 😮.
Great 😎
Great intro jam and review, I think now the comparison against the SE is just a MUST!
I own both guitars and while my 1991 PRS se eg is a great guitar the harley benton is just as good ..... no it's better in fact , the pup's are better and the coil split is a real bonus....... both play like butter.
Shane I would have to go back and listen to your SE, to be sure, but I think the HB pickups might be a little hotter or something. HB sounds more like a shred distortion, like maybe an Ibanez S. SE sounds more classic rock to me. But maybe in your playing room it’s different. Great job highlighting this guitar, and not being hyper critical just because of the budget price!
Hello again. I just made my order on a HB CST-24T. And I can’t wait for it to come home.
Hello, How is the fretboard wood? I have heard that it is too rough or dry?
Ben Uselmann Hello. The freetboard Wood is a bit dry. Im a beginner so i havent compared to other guitars. When its time to change the strings I Will put on some Lemon oil on the freetboard wood.
48755003 Is it uncomfortable to play in any way?
Ben Uselmann No it is a very nice guitar. My brother who is a experienced player and he gives the guitar very fine qredit 👍
Man I love your channel. You're the best!
I've had 4 or 5 of these, every one of them has been built well and plays well. If you get a good one it'll give you years of good use. Just consider that switches and pots etc may not last as long as they are obviously slightly lower quality. Great entry guitars though and excellent for the money. 😎👍
Been waiting for this. Much love Shane
It took me a few viewings to get to the review simply because I was loving the intro jam!!! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
As far as this HB, I honestly think I would buy this before the PRS SE!! It’s a similar design with versatile tones and you can’t beat the price!!! It sounds great even in single coil mode!! If I was getting someone their first guitar, this would be it hands down! Cheers!!🎸🎸🎸🤙🏾🤙🏾🤙🏾🤙🏾
buy this guitar and add about 2-3k in amplifier and effects, you'll get a killer tone
I have one of these (in blue!) Very good guitar!
Hello Luca, I am considering purchasing this guitar in blue as well. First of all, How would you say the finish of the body looks? Also, How would you describe the fretboard wood, I have heard complaints of it being rough to the touch or too try. I would like to know as well if the wood is smooth or not.
Fantastic look and sound on that guitar.
It's certainly what I would buy if I were interested in a PRS style guitar and there's a couple of things that make me not want one, though I'd probably get a solid color.
I was surprised to hear you say the fretboard was jatoba. The jatoba ones HB is selling now are all very reddish in color. I just order a 24T B stock w jatoba and hope it looks like yours!
Sounds good mate ! Great review as always ! Cheers !
Hi Shane. I love the look of this guitar and I have to say after watching both videos of you playing this I've ordered one in paradise flame colour. Thomann have just dispatched it so looking forward to getting it. Your guitar playing is amazing Shane. Thank you for the brilliant review on this guitar. Awesome 👍 all the best from the UK.
Great opening shot lookn down the fretboard...HEY --- Shane - ur new gig -- hollywood film maker.
haha! Thanks, mate! I wish! Just mixing stuff up.
well done. keep it up. i am a 70 yr old lefty .playn since age 13. seen it all.
Im really interested in the construction of these harley Benton guitars. Cap, veneer, photo top ? Neck construction? No one ever talks about these things when they review Harley Benton guitars. It would be nice to see someone pull the pickup covers out and take a look at how they are built.
Quiksilver My Harley benton 335 copy has a long neck tenon ☺
I bought it from this demo
Thanks so much for this video!
A fine argument can be made for the title of this video. Present me with something better than the CST-24T, with coil tap/split, stays in tune with purpose, has pleasing tones, and a very easy neck/fingerboard for the price. The neck thickness is a bit thinner than a Fender Stratocaster and plays very easy with comfort.
So the thumbs down to this review is because.....? You cant please some people no matter what.
PRS shills a lurking. (MAYBE Mr. Smith himself!)
Keep me in mind if you want to sell at a later date Shane. Sounds killer.
Thomann used to have cheap shipping worldwide, I just put in my details on the site & they now want $200 freight to Australia almost the price of the guitar! Shame would have brought one to try.
Nice Demo. I’ve been tempted to buy one of those, or the HB fusion model, it’s more money, but has the versatility for more varied tones because of the three pickups and split tone switch. I’m a lefty too, you can only get it one finish, but stunning never-the-less.
Great review
I'm a saddo as I currently have 35 Guitars, of these 2 are Harley Benton CSTs (in blue and green) and with a little bit of fettling and some upgrades tuners and pickups (changed for SD P-Rails), they are almost as good to play as my PRS 20th Anniversary.
I have 4 Harley Bentons in total and they all play very well.
Frett board needs to be with glow in the dark vine of life accents @ 3,5,7,9,12 markers and Babicz trem
You said it was great "out of the box". Don't you think they would set it up before they send it to you? You should order anonymous and then make a review. Btw, looks nice, sounds nice. LH here. Cheers!
I would like to know how thoman can make and sell there Harley Benton's for the price they do. I think for my TE-52 was around $150USD ship to my door. And it's a pretty good guitar.
Slave labor in Vietnam is the short answer.
@@melvynobrien6193 unfortunately you are probably right
If you have the money way not. The most I have spend have around $2000. But my main guitar is an 07 MIM Strat that I paid $500 for when I was 16 or 17
Cheap labor is a factor. So is the elimination of shipping to a distributor, the warehousing costs and profit for the middleman, shipping to the retailer are all costs that have been eliminated.
They also spend no money on R&D since all of their guitars are knockoffs of other companies’ designs.
So the Harley Benton guitars seem pretty good. No matter which model it is. I've came across a few for sale. A Fusion 2 & A kb 35 , something like that. My only thing is , the fretz may be small. And not big , like to the point of. Kinda having that feel like playing , a scalloped neck.
Jatoba , I think it's just another name for rosewood. Or it's kinda like rosewood. In terms of feel & sound.
Sounds great!
Jutoba wood is a Brazilian type of cherry, my Ibanez SA260 has the same !
Sounds Great Shane! Can’t wait to hear the Shoot Out with the PRS cause I have a Lefty I’m Trampus Green also!! And I’m REALLY looking forward to your Demo and Review of the HB Tele w/Reverse Head Stock!!!!! I’ve been VERY tempted to pull the trigger on one of those but guess I’ll wait for you Review first. Please keep up the Great Work Mate! Cheers!
I ordered two of them. And they're amazing.
Hi Gary, I am considering buying this guitar in Ocean Flame and had a question about the fretboard wood. Is it rough or uncomfortable to play on? I am coming from a maple fretboard on a cheap Strat copy, which is very smooth to the touch.
It's just hard to understand how they manage to produce such quality at that price point. I may not understand it, but I sure can appreciate it. Cheers for this, Shane -
It's the slave labor in Vietnam. Buy two to keep the slaves busy.
Two factors mostly:
1) They order large quantities and can promise long-term relationships with manufacturers, who will accept smaller profit margins per product for that.
2) They do product development, import, and retail in-house. These would normally be done by separate companies with more total overheads, not to mention they all need to make a profit separately to stay in business. There are also no physical distribution costs for Thomann because everything is stored centrally in the big damn robotized warehouse they built.
@@melvynobrien6193 Vietnam doesn't have slave labor wtf
you must be thinking about the prevalence of prison labor in USA manufacturing? It's far more likely that slaves worked on a Gibson than any Asian-made instrument.
@@martinkrauser4029 Mate, I appreciate that based on the comments you've posted that you're a massive HB fan. But don't kid yourself that the places that these instruments are made in pay anything like a decent wage. Back in 2014 the average Vietnamese worker making Nike products earned $73 per month. That's not a lot. Vietnam also has a child labour problem. Now does that stop me buying Nike? So far no it hasn't. A steady decline in the quality of the product might do though. Now I know that Nike and Thomann make completely different products but there isn't much price difference between a HB guitar and a pair of Nike shoes. I'd argue the shoes cost a lot less to produce than a guitar. There's are reason people outsource to the Far East. It's cheap. There's no liability for any workforce or overheads. I accept that Thomann saves money by selling direct but I don't think the dudes making them are getting rich. Would it stop me buying one? Probably not although to be honest they don't float my boat. I would buy other brands made there. I'm just under no illusions that the workforce enjoy anything like conditions and pay that we in the West take for granted. Feel free to Google working conditions in Vietnam.
Great playing now I'm interested!! I would really like to see one of their Richenbacker style 6 strings. Put a bug in their ears!!
Because these HBs have been becoming so popular, look and sound good, it would be really instructive if you could convince Thomann to underwrite your visit and videos of the Indonesian factory where these guitars are made. I'm sure you've seen the Chapman videos of the Korean factory. Show the HB factory and follow a guitar, such as this one, from raw wood to finished playable guitar in the shipping department. You are certainly a lot closer to Indonesia than anyone from Thomann, and maybe cheaper for them plus the advertising through your channel. Also cool to find out what other brands are made at that same factory (like PRS SE, etc etc if that is the case).
Vietnam, not Indonesia.
@@ianfisher5316 Harley Benton guitars are sourced from numerous different factories owned by different companies. One of them is in Vietnam, and possibly more than that in Indonesia.
Harley Benton's brand approach is to have minimal marketing expenses and let the guitars do their own promo. It would be interesting to see, but I don't honestly care much about what the factories are like when the guitars are killer and I can buy three of them Fusion guitars for the price of a single Chapman guitar.
@@ianfisher5316 Look it up. Harley Benton guitars are made in China, Indonesia and Vietnam
Cheers.@@martinkrauser4029
I like the HB guitars, this model in emerald green in particular. Are there any extra import fees/customs duty when shipped to the US. Obviously a question for those in the US who have purchased a HB from Thomann.
I have 4 HB's, including the Emerald CST-24T. There were no additional charges and the shipping took 7 buisness days or less each time. This was over a year ago now. I might assume nothing has changed, but...?
There's a hollow body version of this which has to be lighter ?
I don't like heavy guitars .
I had a les Paul I couldn't lift !
The CST 24 seems to be HB's best guitar. The question is do you get the one with the trem or the hardtail?
hardtail is the one with the tuning stability and the black one is the heaviest (for some reason) - you can get the info on the harley benton forum from the ppl that bought them
Do you have Eric Clapton poster back there?
They could’ve added owl fret inlays lol 😊
Wow man! Awesome playing, awesome instrument! A shootout is definitely needed. It would be interesting what would happen if HB (or any other economy brands) gets a big celebrity endorsement of some kind one day. Could you imagine the uproar if someone like John Mayer said he was switching to HB for everything???(picked him because of the dust-up that happened when he collaborated with PRS! 😉)🤙🏻🎸😎
Gorgeus tone!!!👏👏👏
Thanks! I agree I love this guitar!
Great guitar but the neck carve has a shoulder to it so if you're a thumb hanger it may annoy you.
Shane, did you notice how badly cut the nut on that looks? Strings are all the way in on the fretboard side and hanging out on the tuners side. Other than that, they're great guitars for the money. Sounds good with that jackman amp as well (it's on the wish list). They come strung up with D'Addario's, so the strings should be good (although I had a rusty B string on arrival).
Because of the high output pickups, I like playing late 80's Angles (Beyond Salvation era) with it. Really suits that style for mine. I've actually got the last of the Wilkinson run of pickups in mine before they switched to Roswells. I'd imagine they're probably similar though.
just imagine how great you could get it to sound with some good quality after market pickups...spend a couple hundred more bucks and you have a custom shop guitar :)
All good sounding..good looks too...only one question...where are the birds??!?
I'm not a fan of the Roswells, but swap those and give it a fret polish and rounding, maybe a pot swap too, and you'd have a very classy instrument, I think.
The thing I can't get past is the fact that I can buy a beautiful custom shop fender or Gibson and with the same amount of coin could buy ten of these perfectly playable, totally tweakable, entry level guitars. The person with the most amount of guitars wins right.... On the other hand, however, is this little conundrum. Will I be inspired to play the same with a $250 guitar in the same way I would on my perfect dream guitar that costs the Earth? That is the stuff that keeps me up at night......
Old video, but what is the neck thickness like? Compared to say a standard Strat. Thanks.
Between this and the Yamaha Pacifica 112 for first guidar in order to learn electric guitar without previous experience? I am over 50.
Also I saw this model with p90 coils. What is the difference in sound? One can change between humbucker and p90 on the same model guitar? (harley Benton CST 24)? Thank you for any help.
Guardian Observer hello. I think either guitar would be great for a first guitar. But I would recommend the Pacifica out of the gate just for the fact that they are more readily available at your local music store or guitar website. I love the Harley Benton SC550 I just got but had to wait 2 weeks for it to be delivered from Germany to Arizona. You could probably walk into Guitar Center today and get a Pacifica.
Did someone measure the string spacing? Would regular spaced Pickups fit in or do I need F-spaced ones in case I want to replace them?
2024, I have a kind of ritual to come back sometimes to relisten the demo ... 🎸 ( I wish you didn't lose the backtrack T_T )
Hello
congratulations for the video.
I ask you, between HB CST 24 or T and PRS SE Standard 24 which one do you prefer?
Between 2 for a beginner guitarist which one would you recommend?
Thanks
Nice!
Nice Jam.
This guitar arrived today. I've never had a guitar come out of the box set up so well. Gibson and fender hang your heads. Sub £200 guitar. It's a matter of time before I get the Fusion HH silver sparkler 🌴
Did you get that one?
@@gmcmarvel2789 No. It was an Alvarez acoustic in Walnut after that. Which is also a beauty 🎯
I bought a similar one about 2 years ago, but mine did not have a tremolo. My tailpiece was junk (very different than Shane’s) and I never liked it. I never played it after the first week I had it. You are stuck with these, since there is no resale value in the US.
You gave up on it to quickly. I woulda got a better inexpensive tailpiece from Amazon or eBay and made it play good for $15-$30
How do you get this sound? What amp ? Effects ?
Hello sir can you tell about fret boards.. Are they jumbo frets or medium one?? It will be a great help
Can you get straty sounds?
It sort of can approximate a single-coil tone thanks to the coil-tap thing but it doesn't sound like a Strat exactly.
Hi Shane, your reviews are great !
Could you tell me how feels the neck ? Fat, thin, chunky ?
I also have a CST-24T in Cherry Flame and love it. You said this your favorite Harley benton guitar? Do you prefer it over the HB HSH Roasted Maple guitars and the HB HH Ocean Turquoise you previously reviewed?
Hi Nick. I am a potential buyer of this guitar in Ocean Flame. First of all, how would you say the finish is? Also, How is the fretboard wood? I have heard it is dry or uncomfortable
The only thing that bugs me about the Harley Benton line...and it's a small thing...is the scarf joint.
Done right and that joint should be the strongest point of the neck.
But done wrong and it's a time bomb.
But that's really it...you can't beat the price and everything else looks either great or easily fixable.
I've been a member of the Thomann and Harley Benton customer support group on fb for a while now. People are very happy to share their complaints there. A poor neck joint did not appear once.
Thank you for the insight. I will check it out.
Beautiful sound, how much does it cost?
Links are in the description as per always.
Hi, for you, wich is best guitar bro.. your fender teleca or that HB?
@intheblues or anyone who knows the answer. Can I drop the 6th string down and back when I want, or this is impossible because of the tremlo? (I play one song in standard E, then drop D then standard E again.)
if you lock the trem down flat it shouldn't cause too many problems.
@@intheblues And how can I lock it? Do I need to purchase an extra tool and build in the tremolo, or what is the way?
Headstock Batstock!
Sc 400 or CST 24t? Please help
Cool!