Should rename this channel to " Cheap gear for cheap bastards " also you need to rant more on expensive American guitars and prasing more over Harley Benton stuff . . . .
Elmo thanks for taking the time and going into so much depth, vlogs like this are brilliant, not all of us have a ton of money at the moment but still want to buy some new gear. All the best mate.
@hellofx it's a weird balance though isn't it. Some "cheap" stuff is great and one person's cheap is another's expensive to a degree. I have some custom shop fenders and plenty of Harley Bentons. I've fallen lucky with the latter I think but can't complain either way. Fair to sat though, we are living in a great time for guitar players and it's becoming a competitive market at all price points. Where even the cheapest shit is better than some mid-ish range stuff 20 years ago.
@@bernardo9202 LP or any shape? If any - probably Jet JS 450 or Aria Pro 2 615 MK2, LP - Epiphone Studio or HB SC500, but HBs, as seen in the video, have close to no shielding and their pups are microphonic, so if the beginner is a kid who won't maintain their guitar at all - get an Epi, and if the beginner is a responsible adult - get a HB and do some basic setup with some help from YT tutorials
Wow interesting comparison I have the SC450 BK, gave it a setup and it's lovely. No fret sprouts, no pickup squeal, stays in the like a champ, even though the neck is glossy it plays beautifully. I don't know if all of them are like this or if I got lucky but I love it
It's interesting how much I agree with Elmo's appraisal. I have owned and tested several of the Harley Benton SC guitars, and own three of them: the SC 450 Plus (2017), the 450 P90 (2022), an SC550 (older version, 2020). Hands down the best of them is the SC 450 Plus, it is a real beast. It has a Wilkinson ceramic bridge pickup which is just amazing. However, despite the great reviews, the SC550 did not turn out to be as good for my taste. Good but just not special, also the pickups did not 'bite' as much as the Wilkinsons. I sent back an SC400. My SC 450 P90 came with uneven frets, which I had to file. The pickups are very vintagey and do not take distortion well, but for clean playing or blues they are fine. The feel of the SC450 Plus is really amazing from the get go, once you polish the frets -which came dirty- and lubricate the nut. I play it as much as my Gibson Les Pauls! It is lighter, it has character, a vintage vibe, stays in tune really well, and just, incredibly, feels and sounds like a very good Les Paul. And what a price. (And I cannot say the same thing of my other SCs, even the 550, which are just good budget guitars).
The SC-450Plus has had Roswell pick-ups since 2017. The Wilkinson were replaced after someone had sold them fake ones and they couldn't trust their suppliers with them anymore.
I have the 450 plus and I love it! I actually like the Roswell pickups. In my rig they sound articulate and punch hard. Only thing I've done is replace the tuners with locking tuners and tone and volume knobs. I've had other HB guitars but my 450 plus is the only one I've kept. Lovely guitar. Awesome video Elmo!
I also have this guitar. I bought it used very cheap and it has wilkinson pickups. Must be an older model, later on HB put roswell pus. Its a great guitar and compared to my Gibson tribute it comes very close, although I prefer my Gibson cause of ......... who knows why, maybe it's just the glorious name.
I have the SC-450Plus I replaced the tuners, nut (to graphite) and pickups for Tonerider Alnico II Classics and it is completely mindblowing how great this guitar sounds. The guitar is heavy though, it seems to be true mahogany so if you have any spine problems, I do not recommend, unless you play sitting only.
I have a dozen HB guitars all purchaaed in the past 18 months, (when QC and consistency claim to have been fixed) and they are all fantastic! Not an issue with any. I have a SC450 plus in Amber and its brilliant.
You guys need to cut down on the list of guitars, i want to buy one, and there is so much choice i don't even know where to start. Keep it simple and perfect the most sold models
Glad you picked that guitar. I was just listening on my phone so I can’t really tell, but that one did jump out a bit. The neck pickup sounded really good. Nice and throaty with good transients.
Have a 450 (plus) since about 8 years. The frets were very rough when delivered but a quick polish fixed this. Then changed the pickups to a rather cheap but great Iron Gear set. It sounds ace, is very solid (and quite heavy) with lots of bite and sustain. Never had an issue since then.
I own a SC Custom II and it's a joy. I agree that on paper isn't something special, and honestly, don't sound impressive with their roswells. But it's an easy fix with a proper set of pickups. Other than that, the looks, the finish, the fretwork, the ERGONOMICS (really nice), is excellent.
Sorry Elmo...but this is NOT my experience AT ALL! 🤔 I've had over a DOZEN Harley Bentons by now, including 5 different SC's. Just to give some perspective... I've been playing over 50 years, and have bought, sold, teched, and played...EVERYTHING. Literally...EVERYTHING. Out of the maybe 15 or 16 Harley Bentons I've had...maybe THREE were pretty duff. But nothing that a couple of hours on my workbench wouldn't fix. Funnily enough... I've had THREE of the Goldtops with P90s, and they are one of my favourites, and one of the best bargains in the HB line-up. I WOULD say...that you should be prepared to do a basic set-up on most HB guitars...as you would any guitar. I've only EVER had bad fret sprout on ONE HB guitar...and that was the "ricky"-looking 12 string. So... To anyone watching this, I would undoubtedly say...ignore these conclusions. They are certainly NOT representative of 99.9% of Harley Benton guitars. And that's...50 years guitar experience talking ☺️
I'm a 50+ year player myself. I bought about 10 HB's. With some basic TLC, and in some cases new electronics, new tuners, and a new nut, they're very nice guitars that can stand up to gigging, recording, and just hours of noodling. In my experience the super cheap HB's are a hard pass. Go for the middle of the road to higher priced models and you're likely to be pleased. Are they Gibson or Fender good? Nope!!! Are they Epiphone or Squire good? ABsolutely and with just some basic TLC. I've yet to buy one that didn't need some work. Once done, they're solid and still a bargain. If someone asks me what they should buy in an under $500 guitar, I always throw HB into the mix. It's really up to the player. DOn't expect a great guitar right outta the box, cuz you ain't gonna get one. That applies to a lot of guitars costing 2 to 4 times as much as an HB.
“That applies to a lot of guitars costing 2 - 4 times as much…” Including Gibson. Some of the worst guitars I’ve owned came with Gibson on the headstock. Which is a shame since there’s no substitute for a well made & set up Gibson… how folks have allowed Gibson to get away with sending out guitars that should never have passed Quality Control Inspections is beyond me given their price tags.
Hi Elmo, it's the 2nd time I see this video. Great blues and rock licks, and you play clean in way that's almost unplugged, which allows to hear woods, and sticky frets. I have a L400 Lefty, a correct les paul shape with basswood body and set neck. Out of this bunch my favourite is the...SC200!
I have a 450 plus. I've spent just over £100 replacing the pickups/pots/switches/locking tuners and can honestly say it's one of the best guitars I have. I can't believe how well it plays and sounds. I'm comparing this to a PRS SE custom 24 and Fender Jim Root Tele. Great video, thanks! 🤘
It is 6 years since I bought my Harley Benton CST-24HB and shipped it to Australia. That guitar needed a touch of truss rod and action adjustment. It played well then and I still get trapped playing it 😉 Your review shows that Thomann/Harley Benton have really dropped the ball with quality. 6 years ago I would not have hesitated to buy another HB. Now I would not buy a Harley Benton given how far the quality has dropped.
Thank you for doing the work for us mate - Great Job! 😎👍 I'm still on the hunt for a Single Cut I can get on with. Tried the Harley Benton SC 25th last year - On paper it was perfect 👌 But the neck was too chunky for me. Roswell's were also less than "meh" - but that's an easy fix. Cheers Elmo! 🍻
@@gruffydddavies7464 Soz - Dunno If you're saying to me or Elmo 🙈 (I agree Elmo's Channel is Great! 😀👍) If you we're talking to me, then.. Thank ya kindly sir 😀🙏 Glad to hear you're enjoying your Jet! 😎👍
ive seen the SC 450plus and thought it looked incredible, especially in the Lemon Drop finish, but ive personally been on the fence, but recently ive been craving a LP style guitar and HB has the most choice out of every budget brand out there. i am definitely getting the Lemon Drop 450Plus as i dont wanna spend alot of money and i want to be able to upgrade later on and only really use my guitars for home recordings.
PAF refers to the color, got nothing to do with the pickups! I got the SC 550 II Gotoh autumn (November 😜) burst, love it…great fretwork in stainless steel! good neck, the Teslas are ok! Nice video!
The SC450 P90 GT used to be a great guitar and amazing value. I got one in 2017 and it's Still a good guitar - no changes. Then it went off their lists for a couple of years. I was glad to see it return, but if they're all like your test model then maybe they've changed factories ?? That's a shame. I also got the SC450+ Cherry Burst in 2018. I was quite happy with the Roswells for years, but then, last year, I fitted IronGear TeSLA SHarks and it is now up there with my SG and DGT SE.
I like the SC custom more due to the modern ESP Eclipse style body. Now they have the SC Custom III model with stainless steel frets and Tesla humbuckers with new killer purple burst colour.
You have Sire L7 at $455 mahogany body and neck,ebony fretboard,bone nut,aluminum tailpiece,alnico 5 humbuckers and locking machine heads. That would be nice to see if it's good or not.
I have the 450plus in (I think) Vintage Burst. It's B stock but you wouldn't know it. I think I paid £135 for it just over 2 years ago and I gigged it straight out of the box no setup required. For an old blueser like me, it's a great fit. I have upgraded the bridge pickup to a Wilkinson Vintage and taken the cover off the bridge pickup. Great video as always 👍
Had the custom active II and it was a great guitar with absolutely no issues anywhere. Sold it because the neck profile caused pain. TE52 with absolutely no issues and still use that daily
I bought the #1 back In december, gorgeous and sounds good. I like it better than the LemonDrop version that I also own, which is almost half a kilo heavier! PS: My unasked recommendation: Always check both strap buttons
I've got the Harley Benton SC-550 II DFB (the colour they don't make anymore) - I had the nut changed, locking tuners added and had the pick ups changed for the Slash AFD ones. I think HB make really good guitars but I think you need to spend another £200-£250 to take it to the next level.
The 25th anniversary model SC has split coils, SS frets and locking tuners. Think I got it to Idaho for around $380 w/ shipping. Beats my epi 60's like a stepchild! Standard LP pot set up. If they come out with a new color other than satin finish gold top I might get another. They are not in stock at the moment.
Thanks again for a brilliant review, It's a tough choice but you're conclusion I think you're spot on. I love that little riff that you do when you're starting a review - clean with a low tone - the riff kind of sounds like percolating coffee. Anyway massive appreciation.
I have the SC-DLX Gotoh in Shell Pink and it's actually ridiculous what you get for the money: The Gotoh parts together already are like 130 € retail. Stainless steel frets, the fit and finish is great (unless you remove any of the plastic covers, but that looks crappy even at many high end guitars) and I have it for about 2 years now. The only issues I have: - The finish on the top already yellowed quite a bit, the pink colour was very close to white in the first place, now it's not really visible anymore. I have it hanging on the wall and it gets direct sunlight, still it's remarkable for being so young. And the finish is very light and mat, so I already have a few dark smudges from the strap, the case or just my clothes that don't come off anymore. - The other thing is that the volume drops extremely when you split the humbuckers. So it's somewhat nice to have the split option, but in practice it's not really usable. I actually think about having the electronics rewired to only one global volume knob instead of two individual ones and just ditch the coil split. One volume, one tone, one pickup selector is basically all I want and need. But the instrument is fantastic, sounds great and plays great and tbh it's better to have an option and barely use it instead of not having it in the first place.
And the fret job in general is great on the guitar, no fret sprout no matter the season, the edges are good, no dead spots, adjustable to a very low action. Also it comes with a TUSQ nut, which is very well cut. The frets have been a bit rough, but I didn't bother with polishing them, I just played the guitar a lot and they just got smoother over time. But obviously 15 minutes and 000 steel wool would be the quick and easy fix for that.
I have the same than you, dessert burst, and is awesome compare with the others. I also had the p90 with orange too. It arrived broken and quality seems very low compared with other HB, so I also sent it back
I do have two Harley Bentons. Never played the one with p90 loud😅 That guitar you have with p90 is multifunctional. Bet it can be used as babymonitor. Microphonic as it is.
I have a couple of 1.5k PRS's, some nice Epiphones, top of the range Ephis, and HB 450 P90. HB is probably one of the best guitars I own, and it costs 10th of the price of the other guitars I own.
Great comparison Elmo. My son's got the old sc450+ lemon drop and, with a couple of minor tweaks, plays great. Now i have the 550 2 and the 450+ gold top. Both are great axes. No problem with the roswells on mine (it seems that there's the same tolerances that you'll find on guitars....some pups sound good and other are crap...just my thoughs) The only thing i dislike a bit is the neck thickness on the gold top...is just a baseball stick 😅
Excellent this HB comparison. I've got an SC550 II - I bought it 2 years ago when I started playing the guitar. Nice finish ; only one issue, the pick-up toggle switch - no contact sometimes - but I find this issue also on much more expensive guitars.
Open the cap in the back, when you will see how does toggle switch works you'll notice what to bend with screwdriver and you will get way better contact. Easy fix.
@@damasterkarej Yes, thank you. I did that but the issue happens over again from time to time. In fact, the toggle switch is not of very good quality - cheap one - the worst thing is that most of the time I play in the Middle position, so the flexible metallic contact blades are not stressed ; but it does not prevent the issue to happen whether on the Middle, Bridge or neck position. I've got 2 Gibson guitars and there's no problem of that sort with the toggle switches ; they are smoother to handle - I think it's of higher quality.
Brilliant, I have my thoughts but you said it all, Only thing I would add is if you and your mates went jogging and you got cheap plimsoles with a hole in, you would always blame shoes, so try to go higher, if you can.
Hi Elmo, nice review. I have an old L400 lefty, basswood body, lp correct shape, that I love. At the end of the video, when you share, your conclusion about the SC450 plus, you talk about another model that is out of production, what model was that?
I've bought 2 SC450 Plus Vintage - one for me and one for my son - one lefty in Lemon Drop and one in Vintage Burst. Both look gorgeous and no real problems with either - excellent value for money and I love mine. I've never played a Les Paul (Epiphone or Gibson) but I'm more than happy with these Harley Benton copies - currently for between £155-£170 depending on colour, it's hard to complain. By way of comparison, I also own an Eastcoast (Andertons in house brand) single cut model in a beautiful blue burst, which cost me £150.00 and is equally good. It doesn't have the coil split option of the HB which doesn't matter to me personally but it might to some. However the price of those is now £200.00 - still great value but the HB even more so. As far as Harley Benton go in general, I've had nothing but positive experiences (aside from one time when UK customs caused delivery chaos). The HB35 Plus is a beautiful guitar and my son bought a B-Stock left handed model in red for just £173 a few months back. I own a TE 62 DB in Candy Apple Red (£139) and it's the best T Style I've owned and played at an absolute bargain price - if you're into Telecaster copies, get one. We recently purchased a JB75MN Bass (copy of a Fender Jazz) for my kid too as he wanted to start learning how to play one. I know nothing about bass guitars and have never owned one so this was a first - my son's teacher who owns a Fender was stunned at how good it was compared to his expensive instrument and when I told him it cost £155 he couldn't believe it - so I guess that was a pretty decent endorsement. We used to have a cheap HB Dreadnought electric acoustic too - it was nothing special but it was cheap as chips - about £75 if I recall correctly and it played and sounded pretty good for such a low cost guitar and fine for a beginner instrument for my boy. We kept it for a couple of years and sold it recently for £65.00 so it certainly didn't owe me anything. Bear in mind that I'm just a hobbyist bedroom jockey so I don't buy really expensive guitars even though I could afford to if I really wanted. If you're just getting into playing or if you just want to try something new/different, I'd say that HB are a very good place to start without breaking the bank. I think if you go too cheap, you might be more likely to notice some corner cutting but I suppose you have to expect that. All any of our HB's have ever really needed out of the box were minor set up tweaks and in some cases new strings but then most of us put new strings on after purchase anyway - all of ours were perfectly playable from the get go. One of the SC450's needed a fret polish as they were a little bit tarnished. Apart from that no real build quality or hardware problems. You do still hear stories of some QC issues but as you say, Thomann's customer service and return policies are very good so if you are unlucky and get a lemon you always have recourse.
I dont know if youre familiar with the guitar gear youtuber agufish, but he is a consultant for Harley Benton and he has designed some georgous pastel colored Les Paul clones for Harley Benton. You should check them out on his channel. HB does a really good job of doing quilted maple tops on their HB clones, but Id rather have a pastel one.
in HB single cuts i found the best value/quality for the money in the SC-550SL Tribute (SC-550II Gotoh PAF), but i guess it doesn't count since it seems to be out of catalog.
Elmo, you could make a broom jammed into a barrel and strung with fence wire sound great ( what would that sound like through a Strymon Riverside I wonder?). A useful review for sure and very informative for the newbie on a budget. I still think the SC550 Mk1 is a killer cheap guitar, even with it's original pickup's and I really should buy one as I don't have a Les Paul style guitar at all in my collection. Anyway's keep up the good work and as always I await your next release with great interest. I am as ever your humble servant. Alex the K
I’m a lefty so I got the 400 you called it the classic? I change the magnets in the pick ups to Alnico twos much better also got an agile Alnico fives both sound amazing
I have actually been looking at these for months - I was mostly drawn to the PAF SC550-II purely on aesthetics but I did also have the one you picked on my radar and seeing as it is £100 cheaper I may bite (i'll use your link if i do) - Cheers for the video, I dunno if you can be bothered but would be awesome if you put up text on screen for each guitars actual name and cost if you ever do anything like this again or to make it less confusing for new guitarists who aren't used to Thomanns site
Single cut 1 - No Single Cut 2 - No Gold Top p90 - disappointed No Single Cut 4 - Still No Single Cut 5 - Yes, big difference Single Cut 6 - Yes, first one seems to handle more overdrive Single cut 7 - No because it didn't do anything more for me.
Wow ! I had to check the Thomann site to accept that the prices wereso low 😲! I have no problem with cheap guitars. However, I always wonder if a 180 E HB would compete with my other guitars (3 or 4x HB price for most of them) 🤔 After the "new guitar hype 🥰🤪🤩" (😅), I am afraid the HB would sleep in a case... forever 😕
Even if you have to replace pickups and hard ware for the p90, would probably still be cheaper than name brand guitars you'd probably do the same thing to.
Nice review! Just ordered a B-stock SC DLX Gotoh in shell pink😂 but for 207.- for a guitar with stainless stell frets....🤷♂️ Just a small reminder that these guitars would all cost WAY more if Thomann delivered to dealers! Hats off to them for keeping it that way🙏🏼🎸🤘🏼🎸
This was a good choice, I got the exact same B-Stock 3 weeks ago. Left it with my guy for a set up (not that it was terrible out of the box) and for what we paid, we got an absolute bargain. She sounds awesome!
@@MrDonaloneill1 In the meantime mine arrived. The box was covered in dust, so at first i assumed the worst case.....but it was only half as bad as i expected! Absolutely terrible fretsprout which took a test on my tools, one fret was rocking and others needed leveling and after that i glued the frets. Other than that not bad.....and then the "finish"..... i will bet my Maybach Teleman T54, that through some misunderstanding at the factory, they completely left out or forgot to finish in a maybe satin? clearcoat. The plastic binding is obviously completely naked and there is nothing covering the area around the side of the nut, which is usually overlacquered. The fact that anything will rub of and stain the finish is proof enough.... Mine is really light (2,9kgs) and i really like playing it. However i will probably take off the pickup covers, i have experienced an increase of clarity when done to these Teslas!🎸🤘🏼🎸
People. You don’t need 20 cheap guitars. You only need a couple of decent well made ones made from good quality materials by a top notch luthier or brand.
I have the 450 P90, the 500 and the 550 11. All 3 are magnificent instruments at £125, £145 and £240. My 450 is bloody brilliant, the cherry 550 looks magnificent and the best is the 500 which has the lowest cleanest action of any guitar i have owned with a beautiful neck pick up and at £145 is beyond words. The trouble with reviewers who play high end instruments and then review low end stuff is they still can't get it in their heads the difference in price. My god, an Epiphone that cost £300 a few years ago is going for £700! And it is not as good as my 500. A bit of fret sprout? Get a bloody file out mate! 3 swipes with that should do the trick. Get a grip man.
34:00 I am confused. In first instance I thought the PAF in the name was about the pickups. Then, fully in line with HB names, I thought it was the name of the finish, that referred to a famous album, but now I wonder, did HB find a clever way to avoid TM issue and indeed has PAF-like PUs in that guitar? The same guitars (550s) without PAF in the name, in other finishes, have the same PUs.
i just got the st62 vintage series last week. well it sounds really good the electronic are very well and the neck feels nice. the intonation was ALL OVER THE PLACE. the tuning stability was horroble, actually the guitar need a super decent setup. no i am a hobbiest amature guitar player and i had alot of guitar in the past years of developing this hobby. and i only had good guitars like 500eur and up. they were mostly good if i didnt like them it was the tone or the style or shape but never play ability. but this st62 i like the sound and the neck overall. however the frets need leveling and the bridge is crap, hard to intonate. it need alot of love but it does have the potintial to feel like a pro guitar with the work, overall it feels good quality the components
A child could intonate a strat or LP style bridge just watch any video on that, it takes maybe ten minutes and a small flat screwdriver with a small allen key if necessary that comes with almost every new guitar, read the instructions if you have to😂
![[UA] Eternal Fire проти NAVI | EPL Season 20 Malta](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/chvlsDygrZM/mqdefault.jpg)
Check out 8 great cheap alternatives: ua-cam.com/video/MsEp-yPTRWo/v-deo.htmlsi=1QUvaxen1-eyae2v
Should rename this channel to " Cheap gear for cheap bastards " also you need to rant more on expensive American guitars and prasing more over Harley Benton stuff . . . .
Elmo thanks for taking the time and going into so much depth, vlogs like this are brilliant, not all of us have a ton of money at the moment but still want to buy some new gear. All the best mate.
@hellofx it's a weird balance though isn't it. Some "cheap" stuff is great and one person's cheap is another's expensive to a degree. I have some custom shop fenders and plenty of Harley Bentons. I've fallen lucky with the latter I think but can't complain either way.
Fair to sat though, we are living in a great time for guitar players and it's becoming a competitive market at all price points. Where even the cheapest shit is better than some mid-ish range stuff 20 years ago.
Always the HB with stainless steel frets. All the other parts are less expensive when replaced
what model do you recommend for a beginner?
@@bernardo9202 LP or any shape? If any - probably Jet JS 450 or Aria Pro 2 615 MK2, LP - Epiphone Studio or HB SC500, but HBs, as seen in the video, have close to no shielding and their pups are microphonic, so if the beginner is a kid who won't maintain their guitar at all - get an Epi, and if the beginner is a responsible adult - get a HB and do some basic
setup with some help from YT tutorials
@@romanthegambler6966 will check them out thanks
Wow interesting comparison
I have the SC450 BK, gave it a setup and it's lovely.
No fret sprouts, no pickup squeal, stays in the like a champ, even though the neck is glossy it plays beautifully.
I don't know if all of them are like this or if I got lucky but I love it
Same here! Love the p90 sound 🎉
Very cool and affordables Les Paul copies, good endings and good audio, without busting the bank.
Thanks for showing us!
Glad you enjoyed it
It's interesting how much I agree with Elmo's appraisal. I have owned and tested several of the Harley Benton SC guitars, and own three of them: the SC 450 Plus (2017), the 450 P90 (2022), an SC550 (older version, 2020). Hands down the best of them is the SC 450 Plus, it is a real beast. It has a Wilkinson ceramic bridge pickup which is just amazing.
However, despite the great reviews, the SC550 did not turn out to be as good for my taste. Good but just not special, also the pickups did not 'bite' as much as the Wilkinsons. I sent back an SC400. My SC 450 P90 came with uneven frets, which I had to file. The pickups are very vintagey and do not take distortion well, but for clean playing or blues they are fine.
The feel of the SC450 Plus is really amazing from the get go, once you polish the frets -which came dirty- and lubricate the nut. I play it as much as my Gibson Les Pauls! It is lighter, it has character, a vintage vibe, stays in tune really well, and just, incredibly, feels and sounds like a very good Les Paul. And what a price. (And I cannot say the same thing of my other SCs, even the 550, which are just good budget guitars).
The SC-450Plus has had Roswell pick-ups since 2017. The Wilkinson were replaced after someone had sold them fake ones and they couldn't trust their suppliers with them anymore.
I have the 450 plus and I love it! I actually like the Roswell pickups. In my rig they sound articulate and punch hard. Only thing I've done is replace the tuners with locking tuners and tone and volume knobs. I've had other HB guitars but my 450 plus is the only one I've kept. Lovely guitar. Awesome video Elmo!
Cheers!
I also have this guitar. I bought it used very cheap and it has wilkinson pickups. Must be an older model, later on HB put roswell pus. Its a great guitar and compared to my Gibson tribute it comes very close, although I prefer my Gibson cause of
......... who knows why, maybe it's just the glorious name.
I have the SC-450Plus I replaced the tuners, nut (to graphite) and pickups for Tonerider Alnico II Classics and it is completely mindblowing how great this guitar sounds. The guitar is heavy though, it seems to be true mahogany so if you have any spine problems, I do not recommend, unless you play sitting only.
I have a dozen HB guitars all purchaaed in the past 18 months, (when QC and consistency claim to have been fixed) and they are all fantastic! Not an issue with any. I have a SC450 plus in Amber and its brilliant.
Great comparison, now we want the same with "Fusion" models ;)
Yes!!!
I agree
Thank you for the honest review! 🤘
My pleasure :)
You guys need to cut down on the list of guitars, i want to buy one, and there is so much choice i don't even know where to start. Keep it simple and perfect the most sold models
Haven't seen a review and demo from you in quite a while. It's certainly nice to see you again Mr. K!
Glad you picked that guitar. I was just listening on my phone so I can’t really tell, but that one did jump out a bit. The neck pickup sounded really good.
Nice and throaty with good transients.
I have an SC-550 II Gotoh PAF, which is really good, especially for that ridiculously low price :)
Absolutely.
Have a 450 (plus) since about 8 years. The frets were very rough when delivered but a quick polish fixed this. Then changed the pickups to a rather cheap but great Iron Gear set. It sounds ace, is very solid (and quite heavy) with lots of bite and sustain. Never had an issue since then.
i actrually like the Iron Gear - Rolling Mill more than my SD JB/Jazz set ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I own a SC Custom II and it's a joy. I agree that on paper isn't something special, and honestly, don't sound impressive with their roswells. But it's an easy fix with a proper set of pickups. Other than that, the looks, the finish, the fretwork, the ERGONOMICS (really nice), is excellent.
Sorry Elmo...but this is NOT my experience AT ALL! 🤔
I've had over a DOZEN Harley Bentons by now, including 5 different SC's.
Just to give some perspective...
I've been playing over 50 years, and have bought, sold, teched, and played...EVERYTHING.
Literally...EVERYTHING.
Out of the maybe 15 or 16 Harley Bentons I've had...maybe THREE were pretty duff.
But nothing that a couple of hours on my workbench wouldn't fix.
Funnily enough...
I've had THREE of the Goldtops with P90s, and they are one of my favourites, and one of the best bargains in the HB line-up.
I WOULD say...that you should be prepared to do a basic set-up on most HB guitars...as you would any guitar.
I've only EVER had bad fret sprout on ONE HB guitar...and that was the "ricky"-looking 12 string.
So...
To anyone watching this, I would undoubtedly say...ignore these conclusions.
They are certainly NOT representative of 99.9% of Harley Benton guitars.
And that's...50 years guitar experience talking ☺️
These guitars cost less than what a refret would cost.
@@malcolmhardwick4258where do I get the refret?
@@malcolmhardwick4258 EH??? 🤔
I'm a 50+ year player myself. I bought about 10 HB's. With some basic TLC, and in some cases new electronics, new tuners, and a new nut, they're very nice guitars that can stand up to gigging, recording, and just hours of noodling. In my experience the super cheap HB's are a hard pass. Go for the middle of the road to higher priced models and you're likely to be pleased. Are they Gibson or Fender good? Nope!!! Are they Epiphone or Squire good? ABsolutely and with just some basic TLC. I've yet to buy one that didn't need some work. Once done, they're solid and still a bargain. If someone asks me what they should buy in an under $500 guitar, I always throw HB into the mix. It's really up to the player. DOn't expect a great guitar right outta the box, cuz you ain't gonna get one. That applies to a lot of guitars costing 2 to 4 times as much as an HB.
“That applies to a lot of guitars costing 2 - 4 times as much…”
Including Gibson. Some of the worst guitars I’ve owned came with Gibson on the headstock. Which is a shame since there’s no substitute for a well made & set up Gibson… how folks have allowed Gibson to get away with sending out guitars that should never have passed Quality Control Inspections is beyond me given their price tags.
Thanks for a real showing of HB vs the rose colored stuff others have put out around here.
Hi Elmo, it's the 2nd time I see this video. Great blues and rock licks, and you play clean in way that's almost unplugged, which allows to hear woods, and sticky frets. I have a L400 Lefty, a correct les paul shape with basswood body and set neck. Out of this bunch my favourite is the...SC200!
I have a 450 plus. I've spent just over £100 replacing the pickups/pots/switches/locking tuners and can honestly say it's one of the best guitars I have. I can't believe how well it plays and sounds. I'm comparing this to a PRS SE custom 24 and Fender Jim Root Tele. Great video, thanks! 🤘
Before or after the mod ?
It played great from the start. After the mod it just sounds better.
It is 6 years since I bought my Harley Benton CST-24HB and shipped it to Australia. That guitar needed a touch of truss rod and action adjustment. It played well then and I still get trapped playing it 😉 Your review shows that Thomann/Harley Benton have really dropped the ball with quality. 6 years ago I would not have hesitated to buy another HB. Now I would not buy a Harley Benton given how far the quality has dropped.
I have a SC-450 P90, a SC-450 plus and my favorite guitar a SC-550 II. After this video I have to see my P90, I don't think that mine is microfonic.
There's something wrong with your SC-450 P90. I have the exact same guitar and it doesn't feed back like that. In fact it's an incredible guitar.
Same here.
You are right it‘s not the guitar in general. He just had bad luck with the order
Totally agree; mine is an amazing guitar. I hated the pickups though. Changed them out for some Bloodstone pickups and those are awesome.
Thanks for sharing your experience! For anybody worrying: You can always send it back if there are issues :)
Same here , and I pimped the guitar with gold hardware from HB and HB locking tuners and it is an incredible guitar.
Buy the one with Stainless Steel Frets. Easier to change pickups than frets. If you should feel the need.
That gold top looks pretty sweet
I love these, i have 3 sc customs and 2 sc450's
Thank you for doing the work for us mate - Great Job! 😎👍
I'm still on the hunt for a Single Cut I can get on with.
Tried the Harley Benton SC 25th last year - On paper it was perfect 👌
But the neck was too chunky for me. Roswell's were also less than "meh" - but that's an easy fix.
Cheers Elmo! 🍻
Cheers Steve :)
Your channel is great. It sold me on buying a Jet, and it has been superb!
@@gruffydddavies7464 Soz - Dunno If you're saying to me or Elmo 🙈 (I agree Elmo's Channel is Great! 😀👍)
If you we're talking to me, then.. Thank ya kindly sir 😀🙏 Glad to hear you're enjoying your Jet! 😎👍
@stevecassidyguitar haha, I am replying to you, Steve Cassidy, I really like your channel, and I hope to see it continue growing
@@gruffydddavies7464 Thank ya kindly mate! 😀🙏
ive seen the SC 450plus and thought it looked incredible, especially in the Lemon Drop finish, but ive personally been on the fence, but recently ive been craving a LP style guitar and HB has the most choice out of every budget brand out there. i am definitely getting the Lemon Drop 450Plus as i dont wanna spend alot of money and i want to be able to upgrade later on and only really use my guitars for home recordings.
Nice to Hear You Play Bro!
Thanks Elmo, great video… yours feels and sound opinions are so important for us…
Please the same with tele style hb…
Huomenta! Good review & demo. Got the first generation 550-tobacco burst as well. A keeper....just like my other HB ST-62 CC Deluxe(silverstrat).
PAF refers to the color, got nothing to do with the pickups! I got the SC 550 II Gotoh autumn (November 😜) burst, love it…great fretwork in stainless steel! good neck, the Teslas are ok! Nice video!
Tesla Opus-1 are PAF voiced pickups.
I put the seymour duncan jazz in the neck and jb 4 in the bridge. That mother fucker kicks ass!
The SC450 P90 GT used to be a great guitar and amazing value.
I got one in 2017 and it's Still a good guitar - no changes.
Then it went off their lists for a couple of years.
I was glad to see it return, but if they're all like your test model then maybe they've changed factories ?? That's a shame.
I also got the SC450+ Cherry Burst in 2018.
I was quite happy with the Roswells for years, but then, last year, I fitted IronGear TeSLA SHarks and it is now up there with my SG and DGT SE.
True I have one too 👍
I like the SC custom more due to the modern ESP Eclipse style body. Now they have the SC Custom III model with stainless steel frets and Tesla humbuckers with new killer purple burst colour.
Yeah I got the first gen SC550 deluxe and it is one of my favorite guitars. Its a shame they discontinued it.
I have 550 Deluxe (model 1) really good guitar, model II is also nice but to my ear older model has better pickups.
You have Sire L7 at $455 mahogany body and neck,ebony fretboard,bone nut,aluminum tailpiece,alnico 5 humbuckers and locking machine heads.
That would be nice to see if it's good or not.
I have the 450plus in (I think) Vintage Burst. It's B stock but you wouldn't know it. I think I paid £135 for it just over 2 years ago and I gigged it straight out of the box no setup required. For an old blueser like me, it's a great fit. I have upgraded the bridge pickup to a Wilkinson Vintage and taken the cover off the bridge pickup. Great video as always 👍
I underrestimated how good the SC custom 2 was until I bought myself one. Only wanna play it since then 😅
Had the custom active II and it was a great guitar with absolutely no issues anywhere. Sold it because the neck profile caused pain.
TE52 with absolutely no issues and still use that daily
"great guitar" "no issues anywhere" but also "the neck profile caused pain" ?????
Thank you so much for this video this is what I needed!
My SC-Custom II should be here in 3 days 👀
I bought the #1 back In december, gorgeous and sounds good. I like it better than the LemonDrop version that I also own, which is almost half a kilo heavier! PS: My unasked recommendation: Always check both strap buttons
I've got the Harley Benton SC-550 II DFB (the colour they don't make anymore) - I had the nut changed, locking tuners added and had the pick ups changed for the Slash AFD ones. I think HB make really good guitars but I think you need to spend another £200-£250 to take it to the next level.
Yeah, upgrading some parts can be a good idea.
On the sc 500 II, the “paf” stands for paradise flame. It’s the finish. I get the confusion 😋
Great video. Unfortunately I just bought a Gibson LP standard.
Thanks! I need to compare a Gibson to a Harley Benton at some point.
@@MrPolevaulterYES!!! Please do that!!!
I loved your approach in this one. Let the buyer beware. And I just happened to have been considering one of these. Great video.
Cheers!
The 25th anniversary model SC has split coils, SS frets and locking tuners. Think I got it to Idaho for around $380 w/ shipping. Beats my epi 60's like a stepchild! Standard LP pot set up. If they come out with a new color other than satin finish gold top I might get another. They are not in stock at the moment.
i just bougth the same today, it has burn wood arm too don´t forget and i think is beautiful. can´t wait for it :)
21:37 awesome to my ears, in general lines all hb deserves better than expensive gibson-epiphone
The first guitar is just like Epiphone LesPaul Special 2.
Hmmm what about the sc Dix got oh? I find it unbelievable for the €215 I paid. Fantastic value
you forgot the best one (that i know of), the sc-dlx
SC-DLX Gotoh was missed...
Thanks again for a brilliant review, It's a tough choice but you're conclusion I think you're spot on. I love that little riff that you do when you're starting a review - clean with a low tone - the riff kind of sounds like percolating coffee.
Anyway massive appreciation.
Thank you for this video Elmo. I have been looking for a cool Les Paul style guitar from Harley-Benton
I have the SC-DLX Gotoh in Shell Pink and it's actually ridiculous what you get for the money: The Gotoh parts together already are like 130 € retail. Stainless steel frets, the fit and finish is great (unless you remove any of the plastic covers, but that looks crappy even at many high end guitars) and I have it for about 2 years now.
The only issues I have:
- The finish on the top already yellowed quite a bit, the pink colour was very close to white in the first place, now it's not really visible anymore. I have it hanging on the wall and it gets direct sunlight, still it's remarkable for being so young. And the finish is very light and mat, so I already have a few dark smudges from the strap, the case or just my clothes that don't come off anymore.
- The other thing is that the volume drops extremely when you split the humbuckers. So it's somewhat nice to have the split option, but in practice it's not really usable.
I actually think about having the electronics rewired to only one global volume knob instead of two individual ones and just ditch the coil split. One volume, one tone, one pickup selector is basically all I want and need. But the instrument is fantastic, sounds great and plays great and tbh it's better to have an option and barely use it instead of not having it in the first place.
And the fret job in general is great on the guitar, no fret sprout no matter the season, the edges are good, no dead spots, adjustable to a very low action. Also it comes with a TUSQ nut, which is very well cut. The frets have been a bit rough, but I didn't bother with polishing them, I just played the guitar a lot and they just got smoother over time. But obviously 15 minutes and 000 steel wool would be the quick and easy fix for that.
I have the same than you, dessert burst, and is awesome compare with the others. I also had the p90 with orange too. It arrived broken and quality seems very low compared with other HB, so I also sent it back
I do have two Harley Bentons.
Never played the one with p90 loud😅
That guitar you have with p90 is multifunctional. Bet it can be used as babymonitor. Microphonic as it is.
That’s the best use for them.
I have a couple of 1.5k PRS's, some nice Epiphones, top of the range Ephis, and HB 450 P90. HB is probably one of the best guitars I own, and it costs 10th of the price of the other guitars I own.
I have a DC JR and it is nice guitar. Maybe I just got lucky. Just saying.
Thanks for the review Elmo 🙏✌️❤️🎼🎶🎵
No problem 👍
Great comparison Elmo. My son's got the old sc450+ lemon drop and, with a couple of minor tweaks, plays great.
Now i have the 550 2 and the 450+ gold top. Both are great axes. No problem with the roswells on mine (it seems that there's the same tolerances that you'll find on guitars....some pups sound good and other are crap...just my thoughs)
The only thing i dislike a bit is the neck thickness on the gold top...is just a baseball stick 😅
Excellent this HB comparison.
I've got an SC550 II - I bought it 2 years ago when I started playing the guitar.
Nice finish ; only one issue, the pick-up toggle switch - no contact sometimes - but I find this issue also on much more expensive guitars.
Open the cap in the back, when you will see how does toggle switch works you'll notice what to bend with screwdriver and you will get way better contact. Easy fix.
@@damasterkarej Yes, thank you.
I did that but the issue happens over again from time to time. In fact, the toggle switch is not of very good quality - cheap one - the worst thing is that most of the time I play in the Middle position, so the flexible metallic contact blades are not stressed ; but it does not prevent the issue to happen whether on the Middle, Bridge or neck position.
I've got 2 Gibson guitars and there's no problem of that sort with the toggle switches ; they are smoother to handle - I think it's of higher quality.
If the screwdriver don't work put a rubber band on it until you can buy a switchcraft you can beat the shit out of them they're like 30$ 9n amazon
Ground wire problem in mid position maybe
Hi Elmo. Nice idea there 🤘
Thanks!
Brilliant, I have my thoughts but you said it all, Only thing I would add is if you and your mates went jogging and you got cheap plimsoles with a hole in, you would always blame shoes, so try to go higher, if you can.
Hi Elmo, nice review. I have an old L400 lefty, basswood body, lp correct shape, that I love. At the end of the video, when you share, your conclusion about the SC450 plus, you talk about another model that is out of production, what model was that?
Thank you, Elmo.
I've bought 2 SC450 Plus Vintage - one for me and one for my son - one lefty in Lemon Drop and one in Vintage Burst. Both look gorgeous and no real problems with either - excellent value for money and I love mine. I've never played a Les Paul (Epiphone or Gibson) but I'm more than happy with these Harley Benton copies - currently for between £155-£170 depending on colour, it's hard to complain. By way of comparison, I also own an Eastcoast (Andertons in house brand) single cut model in a beautiful blue burst, which cost me £150.00 and is equally good. It doesn't have the coil split option of the HB which doesn't matter to me personally but it might to some. However the price of those is now £200.00 - still great value but the HB even more so.
As far as Harley Benton go in general, I've had nothing but positive experiences (aside from one time when UK customs caused delivery chaos). The HB35 Plus is a beautiful guitar and my son bought a B-Stock left handed model in red for just £173 a few months back. I own a TE 62 DB in Candy Apple Red (£139) and it's the best T Style I've owned and played at an absolute bargain price - if you're into Telecaster copies, get one. We recently purchased a JB75MN Bass (copy of a Fender Jazz) for my kid too as he wanted to start learning how to play one. I know nothing about bass guitars and have never owned one so this was a first - my son's teacher who owns a Fender was stunned at how good it was compared to his expensive instrument and when I told him it cost £155 he couldn't believe it - so I guess that was a pretty decent endorsement.
We used to have a cheap HB Dreadnought electric acoustic too - it was nothing special but it was cheap as chips - about £75 if I recall correctly and it played and sounded pretty good for such a low cost guitar and fine for a beginner instrument for my boy. We kept it for a couple of years and sold it recently for £65.00 so it certainly didn't owe me anything.
Bear in mind that I'm just a hobbyist bedroom jockey so I don't buy really expensive guitars even though I could afford to if I really wanted. If you're just getting into playing or if you just want to try something new/different, I'd say that HB are a very good place to start without breaking the bank. I think if you go too cheap, you might be more likely to notice some corner cutting but I suppose you have to expect that. All any of our HB's have ever really needed out of the box were minor set up tweaks and in some cases new strings but then most of us put new strings on after purchase anyway - all of ours were perfectly playable from the get go. One of the SC450's needed a fret polish as they were a little bit tarnished. Apart from that no real build quality or hardware problems.
You do still hear stories of some QC issues but as you say, Thomann's customer service and return policies are very good so if you are unlucky and get a lemon you always have recourse.
I dont know if youre familiar with the guitar gear youtuber agufish, but he is a consultant for Harley Benton and he has designed some georgous pastel colored Les Paul clones for Harley Benton. You should check them out on his channel. HB does a really good job of doing quilted maple tops on their HB clones, but Id rather have a pastel one.
Thanks man
Well done
👊
No problem 👍
in HB single cuts i found the best value/quality for the money in the SC-550SL Tribute (SC-550II Gotoh PAF), but i guess it doesn't count since it seems to be out of catalog.
Elmo, you could make a broom jammed into a barrel and strung with fence wire sound great ( what would that sound like through a Strymon Riverside I wonder?).
A useful review for sure and very informative for the newbie on a budget. I still think the SC550 Mk1 is a killer cheap guitar, even with it's original pickup's and I really should buy one as I don't have a Les Paul style guitar at all in my collection.
Anyway's keep up the good work and as always I await your next release with great interest.
I am as ever your humble servant.
Alex the K
I’m a lefty so I got the 400 you called it the classic? I change the magnets in the pick ups to Alnico twos much better also got an agile Alnico fives both sound amazing
4:28
6:55
17:42
18:44
19:00
19:08
I have actually been looking at these for months - I was mostly drawn to the PAF SC550-II purely on aesthetics but I did also have the one you picked on my radar and seeing as it is £100 cheaper I may bite (i'll use your link if i do) - Cheers for the video, I dunno if you can be bothered but would be awesome if you put up text on screen for each guitars actual name and cost if you ever do anything like this again or to make it less confusing for new guitarists who aren't used to Thomanns site
Brilliant a good guide.
Glad you enjoyed it
Is this a video about harley benton or how good a guitar player this dude is?
The SC-550 II PAF stands for paradise amber flame, the color, so not pickups
I think ive heard someone having wiring isssues with some of their guitars but once fixed no problem. Maybe a bad selector switch
Please do review of Cort G250 Spectrum
could be a series , SG , Tele and strat styles
Been thinking along those lines.
H B dose not sell a p90 left handed so I got a agile
Single cut 1 - No
Single Cut 2 - No
Gold Top p90 - disappointed No
Single Cut 4 - Still No
Single Cut 5 - Yes, big difference
Single Cut 6 - Yes, first one seems to handle more overdrive
Single cut 7 - No because it didn't do anything more for me.
Can you make some shred exercises or tab some of those nasty solos brotha ;) Would be fun to practice them. Just a video idea.
gracias elmo
I agree. That second one didn't sound as good as the first.(At least on the clean channel.
Wow ! I had to check the Thomann site to accept that the prices wereso low 😲! I have no problem with cheap guitars. However, I always wonder if a 180 E HB would compete with my other guitars (3 or 4x HB price for most of them) 🤔 After the "new guitar hype 🥰🤪🤩" (😅), I am afraid the HB would sleep in a case... forever 😕
God, I tried to listen in the background but it really hurts. What did you record it with? Why the tone is so bad?
I have the 550 gotoh v2
Even if you have to replace pickups and hard ware for the p90, would probably still be cheaper than name brand guitars you'd probably do the same thing to.
Wow. Thomann has a cheaper alternative for EVERYTHING. I had to pay $400 US to get an Epiphone with the bridge pickup wired out of phase…
Nice review! Just ordered a B-stock SC DLX Gotoh in shell pink😂 but for 207.- for a guitar with stainless stell frets....🤷♂️ Just a small reminder that these guitars would all cost WAY more if Thomann delivered to dealers! Hats off to them for keeping it that way🙏🏼🎸🤘🏼🎸
This was a good choice, I got the exact same B-Stock 3 weeks ago.
Left it with my guy for a set up (not that it was terrible out of the box) and for what we paid, we got an absolute bargain. She sounds awesome!
You got it! Hope you enjoy the SC-DLX :)
@@HarleyBentonOfficial Thanks, i will! I've had one before in the blue metallic finish, but i sold it to a good friend.....i guess i missed it☺️
@@MrDonaloneill1 In the meantime mine arrived. The box was covered in dust, so at first i assumed the worst case.....but it was only half as bad as i expected! Absolutely terrible fretsprout which took a test on my tools, one fret was rocking and others needed leveling and after that i glued the frets. Other than that not bad.....and then the "finish"..... i will bet my Maybach Teleman T54, that through some misunderstanding at the factory, they completely left out or forgot to finish in a maybe satin? clearcoat. The plastic binding is obviously completely naked and there is nothing covering the area around the side of the nut, which is usually overlacquered. The fact that anything will rub of and stain the finish is proof enough.... Mine is really light (2,9kgs) and i really like playing it. However i will probably take off the pickup covers, i have experienced an increase of clarity when done to these Teslas!🎸🤘🏼🎸
Why is he beating on the guitar?
I’m assuming thats a decibel meter? Its really annoying for me.
It is.
People. You don’t need 20 cheap guitars. You only need a couple of decent well made ones made from good quality materials by a top notch luthier or brand.
I have the 450 P90, the 500 and the 550 11. All 3 are magnificent instruments at £125, £145 and £240. My 450 is bloody brilliant, the cherry 550 looks magnificent and the best is the 500 which has the lowest cleanest action of any guitar i have owned with a beautiful neck pick up and at £145 is beyond words. The trouble with reviewers who play high end instruments and then review low end stuff is they still can't get it in their heads the difference in price. My god, an Epiphone that cost £300 a few years ago is going for £700! And it is not as good as my 500. A bit of fret sprout? Get a bloody file out mate! 3 swipes with that should do the trick. Get a grip man.
Disagree. Elmo is just keeping it real.
3:41 - 3:43 HOW could you make those notes so separate with so few pick hits?
Seems in line with what I've always heard. The cheap models are pretty cheap but their higher priced models are decent.
34:00 I am confused. In first instance I thought the PAF in the name was about the pickups. Then, fully in line with HB names, I thought it was the name of the finish, that referred to a famous album, but now I wonder, did HB find a clever way to avoid TM issue and indeed has PAF-like PUs in that guitar? The same guitars (550s) without PAF in the name, in other finishes, have the same PUs.
Tesla Opus-1 are PAF voiced pickups. A pair cost around 150 eur. They are high quality pickups.
i just got the st62 vintage series last week. well it sounds really good the electronic are very well and the neck feels nice. the intonation was ALL OVER THE PLACE. the tuning stability was horroble, actually the guitar need a super decent setup. no i am a hobbiest amature guitar player and i had alot of guitar in the past years of developing this hobby. and i only had good guitars like 500eur and up. they were mostly good if i didnt like them it was the tone or the style or shape but never play ability.
but this st62 i like the sound and the neck overall. however the frets need leveling and the bridge is crap, hard to intonate. it need alot of love but it does have the potintial to feel like a pro guitar with the work, overall it feels good quality the components
A child could intonate a strat or LP style bridge just watch any video on that, it takes maybe ten minutes and a small flat screwdriver with a small allen key if necessary that comes with almost every new guitar, read the instructions if you have to😂
GARY MOORE LIVES!!