PRS SE Custom 24 vs Harley Benton CST 24 - Which is Best?
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- Опубліковано 6 тра 2019
- I thought it might be interesting to compare the 2018 PRS SE Custom 24 versus the Harley Benton CST-24T. Both of these guitars are very similar featuring 2 humbucker pickups that can be split coiled. They also feature 24 frets and sound great!
Get a PRS SE Custom 24
🇺🇸 Sweetwater - imp.i114863.net/PRScustom24
🌎Thomann - bit.ly/2WsSNKN
Check out the Harley Benton CST-24T online:
🇩🇪Buy it from Thomann - bit.ly/2ZlbmTg
🌎USA/Australia - bit.ly/2UQFxTP
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I tried to make this as fair of a test as possible. Both guitars in a mix and then on their own. I tried both dirty and clean! Let me know what you think!
intheblues . It sounded pretty close you did a great job. I was just thinking it would be helpful for new players on how to set up the trem, I think the pickup height adjustment would have got them closer. Adjusting these things might be useful to someone and also how easy it is to do for a new player.
Based on the video, the lefty version of the HB seems to have the old issue of cheap/affordable guitars with the wrong wired pots (open counter-clockwise) . Annoying for volume and even more so for tone since it basically turns it into a switch, due to it being an logarithmic pot. I wish they wouldn't just flip everything on the lefty guitars and think upfront...
I my eyes thats a huge minus, eventhough you can rewire, you'll loose your warranty. :-(
I think guitars are much more about feel than sound. It boils down to which has the better neck & fretwork. Wish Harley Benton would make a 245.
Personall I prefer the look of the body of the Harley Benton. I've seem some Harley Bentons look even better than the one you have. I think Harley Benton models their design on an older PRS design which I prefer than what PRS are doing currently. I don't like of the Harley Benton fretboards tho, they look like washed out carboard
None,one is too expensive and the other is poorly built. Just buy a used Ibanez and focus on your music instead. PS: I have personally tested all of them, the tone is irrelevant if you use effects. The guitar brand is irrelevant if you don't have skills.
I’d buy the Harley Benton in a second. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Sounds fantastic! We truly are in the age of great inexpensive guitars.
I just bought one I swear my more expensive top name brand guitars just sit in the dam
case 😂
It's the same guitar with different fret markers and $500 less
You can hear more feedback on the harley Benton tho, PRS has higher quality pickups for damn sure, but for the cost, the Harley Benton is a KILLER guitar
@@shfla7293 but the sound is a little bit warmer on hb.
@@shagstars that’s personal preference
I've had a CST24T for about 9 months. When I bought it it was about £180 but they've now gone up to about £220. That could be supply and demand, exchange rate against the Euro, or a bit of both. Even at current prices they are worth the money.
A couple of weeks ago I bought a PRS SE standard 24 - having the HB and liking it so much made me want the real thing, even if it is "entry level". The PRS was £475, not sure what pickups are in Shane's guitar but mine has 85/15 zebras. I have noticed more of a difference in sound, mine has quite articulate mids - could be pickup difference or body as the standard is solid mahogany with no maple cap. I would still agree that it is just different rather than better or worse.
Out the box the PRS was ready to go. Not the slightest hint of uneven frets, no polishing required, and trem floating. In fact the trem will take some quite aggressive use and still stay in tune. I completely agree with Shane regarding the neck as well, it's hard to describe but the PRS neck has a nicer feel to it that's hard to describe.but the HB is good.
Between the two there are two glaring differences:
1. Machine heads feel like higher quality and have a better ratio on the PRS. The HB feel cheaper, are a bit more sensitive when fine tuning, but they are stable and therefore use able. They are a contender for an upgrade but not essential.
2. Frets. As stated the PRS frets were perfect, no attention required. The HB needed a good polish and had a few little rocks, but not enough to cause a problem when I lowered the action a bit.
I've never really used trems as I've always been mainly a tele player, but after a few days playing with the PRS I thought I would have a go at floating the HB myself. Once I did the HB bridge performed almost as good as the PRS, even with the cheaper machine heads.
I'm conclusion, the HB is a great introduction to this style of guitar, I wanted something with humbuckers but I'm not a fan of LP styles. The HB does this admirably but I have connected with PRS in the same way I did with the telecaster. So if you just want a cheap but gigable set of humbuckers, split coils and 24 frets the HB is perfect, maybe upgrade the machine heads and get a decent setup. If you can shell out a bit more for a PRS then yes, it's worth the money, it has a higher quality feel that's hard to quantify in words.
Cheers that's quite helpful
Nice shootout I'd have to go for the HB cause I'm a..... how you say POOR :)
I know what you mean one is affordable and one is out of reach big time ; )
Having a harley benton cst 24 and a PRS Custom 24, Definitely you would have to upgrade some parts to make it closer to a PRS, the Finish on the harley benton it's very beautiful, really close to a non 10 top PRS of course the HB it's a veneer but it's beautiful nonetheless, had to upgrade the pickups (they really sounded bad to my ears) which actually ended up costing me more than the guitar itself, the tuners feel really bad but they stay in tune very well (they just feel wobbly) which is an upgrade i might consider in the future. Soundwise after the upgrade, they sound pretty similar on humbucker mode, but split coil the PRS sounds way better and it also retains the volume which the HB does not. Bottom line, if i had to choose between a HB and a PRS SE I would go for the HB and do some upgrades on it. They look way better than an SE, the top is carved very close to the core model PRS unlike the SE model which is flat, and mine isn't that heavy at all. Really good guitar for the price. I recommend the paradise flame finish (it's gorgeous) and a wraparound bridge, stay away from tremolos on cheap guitars, most of the time they suck. Just my 2 cents!
Silkaz7 agreed on the trem 🤘🏽
@Ben Hackett thanks for the info I thought it was in the 2k price range that makes a big difference
Harley Benton is a nice guitar at any price point.. prs is nice, but a bit pricey for many models
The PRS has more precision and balance, the HB has more output and medium. My preference goes to the PRS, but the HB is doing a pretty good job and for a fraction of the price !
@vino veritas Completely right ... upgraded with cheap oripure pickups ... now absolutely satisfied 😊
I’m pretty sure those PRS pickups aren’t stock. Stock were zebras.I had one, good guitar, decent pickups, but upgrade makes it great guitar.
I didn’t fall in love with the wide thin pattern neck. I’ve owned several PRS, all quality instruments.
Hey Shane. Once again, you steered me in the right direction. Just got my new HB CST 24 LH back from my tech. After some minor adjustments, this thing actually plays as well, if not better, than my SE!
As your reviews were directly responsible for both purchases , I just wanted to say... knock it off!! I'm broke ! ;)
Seriously , thanks mate!
I have two Harley Benton CST-24's and my brother has two PRS's. One of his is a Semihollow bodied guitar in the same color as the one you played in the video. We're planning a comparison video soon. We do all our videos outside and lately we have had a lot of rain. Anyway, excellent comparison video my friend. I truly enjoyed it and you're a heckuva guitarist!
Well done, good job! Accurate, detailed and unbiased in any way. Probably the best comparison between HB and PRS on the Tube, so far. As you point out, it's not a matter of better or worse, but smoother or harsher, brighter or darker, rather. The judge is your personal preferences. Hanx a lot
They both sound great! Thanx for the comparing Shane!
Another great shootout video. Thanks man. I have the same PRS. My first PRS. LOVE IT. You give great usable information. Keep em comin.
Got the same exact HB in july 2019 after a10 week wait .The PRS sounds like my 2015 amr.strat in bridge p/u.They both have similar voicings .Amp adjustment can make them sound exactly alike.
Shane you did it again... I am currently awaiting a CST 24 to arrive. Another gear purchase based on your reviews! Will be running it into the DSL 40 CR. I can't wait
HB seem to be knocking out some great machines for a fraction of the cost of the mainstream manufacturers. They've even started using emg's which is fantastic. Great, fair and honest review. Thanks.
You should do a video on fixing the trem and try lowering the pickups to get a better tone. Just to show how easy those problems are to fix.
I recently ordered and received the Harley-Benton. I set the trem, and it is great, and stays in tune pretty well. I can't put the thing down, and I have had it now for almost three months. I always have it on my guitar stand. Amazing that an inexpensive guitar like this is so great!
Thanks a lot for making this great shootout, Shane! Tonally, I prefer the PRS with its better clarity and definition. Especially the bridge hb has such a great bite! But the HB proves again it's an enormous bang for the buck and the body shape is really beautiful.
Fantastic review as always Shane, keep up the great work! Given the difference in cost, for a hobbyist it would be a no brainer to go for the HB. A gigging musician may of course have a different perspective.
So for the hobbyists/bedroom players out there, countless videos are available on UA-cam showing beginners how to address sharp frets, intonation, trem bar adjustments and pickup swaps. For those who have the desire to tinker around a bit and make it their own, these are excellent platforms to do so. May I also say that the finish on the HB is absolutely beautiful. Not taking anythingy away from the PRS which is stunning, but for the money.....WOW!
It’s funny I’m a left-handed player I see someone else playing left-handed it looks strange
I’m impressed with both! I have a friend who just ordered the Benton.
The quality is noticeably better on this HB than on my HB SC450+ I love it but the first time I changed the strings a tuner fell off because the screws are so poor! Good to see they have improved on this!
I felt the PRS sounded more articulate and open. And for the necks, that 10” radius with the 25” scale is the sweetest combination for shear playability across the board for me. I didn’t think anything would supplant thick neck with a 12” radius but my PRS SE Standard changed all that.
Nice job as always!
really loving the reviews for the HB guitars.. looking forward to own one though seems like it'll be hard to get them here in the philippines. great playing mate! watching your picking hand again and studying it for a while now.
Considering the difference in price the fact the HB is even considered but the fact it holds its own is brilliant and a testimony to their quality.
Great job Shane, thanks for the smart observations and reasonable descriptions. I think both of them sound great! I personally don’t believe in the sort of ideology where guitars are immediately treated with suspicion because they only cost whatever, well under a thousand. I don’t mean they are always just as good, but with your demo today it would have to come down to feel and to connection with it because you can’t pick apart those great sounds. Cheers!
I'm just gonna go with a PRS private stock. I saw one that looks awesome and I assume it sounds great and it's only $12000! Ok maybe the HB is more realistic. But a person can dream. I'm probably gonna get an emerald green HB CST24 at some point and be happy about it. Looks and sounds great and I could still eat, pay bills, etc. Why am I rambling on and on...?
The PRS se ,student edition in us goes for $600 00 to $700.00 at guitar center.
First off, thanks Shane for the honest gear reviews. I bought the Harley Benton CST-24HB Tortoise Flame. Took about 6 weeks from order to Texas delivery. Yep, a bit on the heavy side compared to my american strat and esp ltd. Neck is not quite as thin as I like but still comfortable. Just a bit of bridge height set-up and she was ready. I like the sound of the pick-ups but I'm not blown away. Overall, very impressed with quality and playability at this price. My real test is how much I just pick it up and noodle on it, which is a lot. First sub-$1000 guitar I've owned in years and I'm thrilled.
Fair and comprehensive comparison, thanks so much! I checked the other day a SE Tampas green and didn't get impressed, it was good but in two weeks I travel to Thoman, will try the HB and if the setup and neck are OK, I doubtfully will be able to justify a difference of almost 700 euros .... for less than half that money I can throw in a set of Boot Camp knuckles and better pots and it will sound like heaven!
loved your comparisons, both great guitars
Thank you for the comparison. I have the right handed version of your SE CU24 and it's as heavy as my Les Paul Custom. 8.5 - 9 pounds. But the balance on the strap and neck feel make it my go to guitar.
I love these HB shoot out videos. I am a bass player and own a Harley Benton P-bass which I bought new for 75€ to learn out to do maintenance on. Turns out to be one of the easiest basses I have ever played, it sounds very retro and very cool. Yes it needed some work on the setup and the frets where rough but once that was done it is a stunningly good play. I always come on these videos to see if it is just me and I got lucky and the guy in china who made mine just so happened to be on his AAAA game. But nope they all see to come out pretty darn good, Bass or guitar.
Nice review, as always Shane!
Diggin the Chris Cain Poster too, man! 👊
I was the 1000th like and just bought my HB and saved $1000+. Great video brother 🙏🙌
Thanks I found my next Guitar.I love the color tone and price so I will buy the HB CST-24 Lefty Black to add to my lefty collection.I like your reviews.
Looking forward to hearing your opinion on this. Out here everything sounds good.
Awesome playing Shane great Demo Happy New Year 2020 🎸❤👍👍😊
Shane, I love the look of your Paul Reed Smith. And i have been a PRS fan since 1997. That being said, I think both tones are very close. And Harley Benton is doing such an incredible job for us people who don’t have very much (if any) disposable income. Yeah, PRS is amazing out of the box. The S2 Standard Satin that I play was pretty much perfect out of the box. But most guitars need a good setup out of the box.
Very Good Shane! I thought the PRS had much better note definition although the HB sounded great in your hands, I preferred the sound and looks of the PRS! Great Job, please keep up the Good Work Mate! Cheers!!
Getting the paradise Amber version for Christmas this year can't wait
Fantastic playing Shane! Great shootout. I love my SE 24 in Trampas Green, but I'd love to get my hands on a lefty Harley Benton. You know, for science. Haha! Keep up the good work!
Great review, man! Thanks!
Appreciate you mentioned the weight of the Harley Benton.
I have a PRS Core model, a CE24 and an S2 Standard 24 and I can’t wait to get my Harley Benton!!! Great guitars for the money!!!
I LITERALLY had the rewind the vid a couple of times 'cos I got distracted for a moment and LITERALLY couldn't hear the difference between the two when the guitar switches happened.... cool video, very helpful, thanks!
I have the Harley B (left handed) & yes it is a heavy guitar. Would prefer something lighter but do like the neck binding, so stuck between the two. Great tones from both guitars. Enjoyed the comparison - thumbs up
At the beginning of the video, I didn’t watch the video,just listened to your playing to have an unbiased perspective and I could hear the difference in tone. The PRS sounds a tad brighter than the HB. I like both as far as tone. I can see the value in both guitars compared to a Core model PRS. Now as you know, I’m a unapologetic brand snob and as silly as it is I am a sucker for guitars with certain names on the headstock 😂😂😂. Both of these guitars really cure me of this snobbery!! I could see myself owning either or both of these guitars! I think the PRS gets the edge only when it comes to the Trampas Green top and ease of using the tremolo out of the box.
Thanks for the comparison of these fine guitars Shane!! Cheers Mate!!🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾🤙🏾🤙🏾🤙🏾🤘🏾🤘🏾🤘🏾🤘🏾
Don't be hooked on name brand, it will break you these day and times. The harley benton does the job. I own a lot of USA top brand guitars that should had paid my house off.
Thank you, very beautiful comparison!
After trying the PRS and loving it I had to be sensible and save a lot of money by going with the HB (especially as I’ve already hit 17 guitars) also I’d seen another Utube review which really rated the HB.
I ordered the black cherry hard tail wraparound bridge.
It arrived in play out of the box condition and the fit and finish were flawless I swopped out the bridge for a Ghoto wraparound as easy to get intonation spot on plus extra weight for great sustain, And just for my own preference put a set of locking tuners @18to1 ratio.
I now prefer this guitar to my 96 Gibson les Paul for sheer playability. It sounds awesome, looks awesome but hasn’t got Gibson on the headstock. But it was a steel at £170 including postage I cannot fault this guitar 👍 Definitely recommend without any reservations
Wish I had the HB as an option when I was first starting out years ago. My first guitar was a Jackson with some stock idiotbuckers and after a year or two I realized I needed to find something more my taste. The HB with a pickup upgrade sounds like a great deal. That said, I’d much prefer the PRS no doubt.
I keep hearing the pickups aren’t bad at all. Guess we’ll have to find out.
Happy to dfiscover your channel,i'm lefty too! and so very insterested to buy the HB soon,thanx for this very good demo bro'! Peace from Reunion Island.
Great review Shane. I'm going to buy a Harley Benton as a project guitar, you can't go wrong at the price. I'm sure that the HB would benefit from a really good setup but for £40 if you can't do it yourself, it would be well worth it.
Wow.. very comparable in tone... Great job as always with the demos 👍👍
The Cst is such a beautiful and sweet playable instrument... big compliment ... needed to change the pickups and electronics because of personal preference, but I'm absolutely astonished by the woodwork, fretwork and mechanics ... nice job, nice price, thx alot
It's indeed a very, very capable guitar. Love mine too. Looking into upgrading the pickups as well nut having a hard time vinding pickups on the interwebs that sound as versatile as the stock ones do. What did you replace your pickups with?
@@floriszuidema7068 I put some cheap pickups from a brand named oripure into it, because of the overall nice and warm sound and the possibility of having separate adjustable poles, put a predrilled chrome cover upon them and also added a second vol pot. So both vol knobs have push/push function to switch between serial and parallel.
I'm currently looking for a backup guitar for my SE24 Custom. The HB seems just great for this
I want the Benton p90 version...greatly appreciate your reviews and comparisons!
I have it and can recommend it. I bought a B stock one (I'm clumsy and most of my guitars are old - i.e., worn) and can't find what makes it B stock. Plays well and sounds fantastic.
LUV your tone on the bridge in humbucker mode. WOW Nice!
MrPiperian thanks ! 😎
Absolutely great work! 👍
It would be good to see a video of these two where you show the backs of the pickups to see typical construction differences and the wiring cavity with what kinds of pots and caps are in each. Put an ohm meter on the pickups to show comparable kohms of each plus kohms across the outer lugs of the pots (pots may say 500k on them but they have actual readings that float 20% part to part).
Harley Benton, Half the Price and sounds great.
closer to a quarter of the price tbh
@@Etherian87 In Australia, 1/3 the price.
Less than half
Hello! Enjoy your videos. You can adjust the pickups for height for volume and each side for changing the toneality.
I listened to this video while reading the comments, so didn't see which guitar was which....they both sound amazing ......
Great playing, demo and comparison man! Agree with you on the pickups...in single coil mode especially, the HB reminds me of the difference between the MIM Standard Strat (with the ceramic pickups) and the American versions (Alnicos). One is a little thicker and hotter. Tough to ignore that price difference for sure! 🤙🏻😎🎸
I own the Trampas PRS with full maple cap - haven’t tried an HB - but can say the PRS through my DSL40CR really sings, lots of harmonic undertones and ring outs. I wonder if the Kemper kills some of that juicy goodness in the room. I like the difference in $$$.
My Harley Benton CST-24 is a couple of years old and it came with Wilkinson pickups and it has the older headstock logo. It plays and sounds fantastic. I like the Wilkinson pickups, they're lower output than the Roswells. I also have a Vintage V100 Icon with Wilkinson pickups and I love it too.
very nice comparison, thanx mate
Very informative, thanks. Give the comparability, I'm guessing that for many people the primary issue will be the huge difference in cost.
Depends on the level of experience too. An experienced and somewhat polished player would likely go for the PRS (ready to go) where as someone on a budget would likely pick the HB, not to say it's a bad guitar but if I need something to play now that's ready for a stage show PRS takes the checkered flag here for me.
@@bestplans9051 Sure, that makes sense 👍
Nice comparison! I own the PRS, but it looks like HB brought it’s “A” game. Hopefully get my hands on one someday.
Nice review! As an owner of both (2 X PRS SE Customs, 4 X HB CST24's), I agree with most of your points. I have more data points, so I'll disagree about the weight. My 2 PRS's weigh 9 and 8.2 pounds, while the HB's weigh 7.6-8.4 pounds. So very comparable, but my HB's are actually lighter. The neck shape is very different though. The HB's have much thinner (shallower) and rounder necks, while the PRS is more flat at the back, and a bit wider at the nut as well. The exception is the HB CST24HB (semi hollow), which is more comparable to the PRS SE (though still not as wide)
I just bought a Harley Benton CST 24 T and I looove it! Weight 3,55 kg. Comes with a good setup out of the box, I just lowered the string action a bit with no following problems. It has stainless steel frets and a graphite nut. As you mentioned, the trem was hard to push. I removed one spring and float the trem system, now its smooth as on my Strats two point trem. That guitar is worth every cent! Bought it new for just 209 € at the HB 25th anniversary sale. Regards from Germany 👋🏻🤘🏻
I'm probably going to buy the Harley Benton just to try out the prs style of guitar and if I really enjoy it save up for a nice prs
@Joe Figueroa What a bizarre comment to make man... Is it just some weird flex to a random stranger that you bought a $6000 guitar? This video and comments section is talking about comparing a $300 dollar guitar to a $800 guitar, so how does this comment make any sense besides wanting to show off?
@@EriksAnarchy512 Well I found it an interesting comment.
I like the PRS tone myself. Just sounds cleaner and crisper. Some guitars just aren't set up for hotter pu's, and I've always thought PRS style guitars is one of them. Love your PRS Shane.
I' m sure that blindfolded you won't guess which one is HB and which one is PRS.
They were amazingly close to each other.
What has the better feeling neck? Which one stays in tune? These are better questions than just tone. Pickups, amps and pedals can change all that, but the feel is a whole different game. Nice video!
They both stay in tune fine. The feeling of the neck is personal, but I like how the Benton feels
I must say I like the look of the Harley Benton but for playability and the guitars are set up to play straight out of the box PRS great guitars and I would say PRS for beginner
and the weight problem for young people on the HB great demo Shane
Shane all your videos are always helpful .I prefer the tone of the PRS but the HB guitar was great also . The PRS just had mojo
really good explanation !
I am right-handed but play as a lefty, finding good quality lefty guitars without breaking the bank, is hard. Great video. Leaning towards the PRS because of weight and neck feel. But both see, like awesome buys.
Thanks for this fine comparison.
Yeah, the weight is a total deal breaker for me.
I wouldn't mind. I am a weight lifter.
Another solid review... very fair, all things considered, especially price. I always tell people, "try before you buy... if possible, and buy the best guitar you can afford." I own budget Fender and PRS SE models and more pricey PRS's. I love 'em all!
I always come back to your videos and watch them mre than once! I don't do that with many channels!! This type of guitar really appeals to me lately, but I only ever see people shred on them...... I play mostly blues... are they cool for blues? Don't know why but I have the opinion they're made for "fast" players? By the way, what does "split coil" mean and what's the point of it? Cheers Shane!
Nice and fair demo, thanks Shane. Each having their advantages over the other. Tone wise, I prefer the PRS, may be more stringy coming from the maple neck versus the mahogany neck on the HBenton. Look wise I also prefer the PRS. But when it comes to the price, 4x more on the PRS offers a full quality control, while HBenton you never know what you'll receive ( I have 1 experience only but very bad with a HB35 !), then difficult for me to make a choice. I'm surprised you say the PRS neck profile is not that slim , while the specs says large and slim !? can you confirm ? I should go to a store for testing.
Indeed I ask you: Why would you opt or not to opt for HB semiacoustics instead of the T?
Love your playing, brother! It would be so awesome if you would make your backing tracks available. They rock. Great shoot out!!
Old Guy's Guitar Vlog they are available to Patreon subscribers mate 😎✅
@@intheblues Ahhhh okay! Thanks!
Your noodling sounded like Davy Knowles. I recognized the phrasing. Your SE is stunning. Me want!!😜
I own both. If I had to choose one to sell, it would be a hard decision to make. I'm with you. I love them both.
do not care about comparison - great sound and great playing!
I watched this video and found it intriguing. I own the CST-24T, and I absolutely adore its feel and sound. The low action is just perfect, but I do agree that it tends to sound a bit too hot and muddy at times. Recently, I decided to upgrade to the PRS 24 Custom 24-08, and I must say, it's been quite a revelation. The tone is noticeably clearer, and I have a plethora of options to explore compared to my Strat. While the Strat still reigns supreme for its distinctive quack, the PRS comes impressively close to the Gibson sound.
One aspect you're spot-on about is the weight-both the Gibson and my Strat are notably heavier than my new PRS. Given that I'm no spring chicken and have a troublesome back, I opted for the lightest option available from Sweetwater. And I must say, this PRS has quickly become my favorite guitar. If it weren't for my initial purchase of the CST-24T, I might have never realized just how exceptional a PRS guitar can be.
Great review Shane. You don't really mention the value for money though - it's a £799 PRS vs £196 HB. I nearly splashed out on a PRS SE Standard 24 last week at £379 and after seeing this video, I would have been very sad indeed if I had. Even if you don't like the pups, a used Seymour Duncan is only £60 or so. HB + SH6B = happiness!
Be interesting to see what 500 euro in upgrades would do to the HB. I had really high hopes for the custom 24 but I don't like the plastic feel of the neck, and the pickups weren't doing it for me. I was going to trade a reverend double agent og for it but realised the rev was far better neck, pickups, locking tuners etc. at the same price point.
I agree I got a HB 24 was disappointed myself no QC sharp as hell frets out needs a set up for sure dry finger board not bitching facts but the money u save could outdo the PRS but I have gotten a Chinese grote guitar a bit different body style more like a suhr feels and plays great for 280 delivered better than both guitars in this review
A couple of other big factors for me, are cost and overall availability of the product. Being retired military I am on a fixed income. The HB ships to my house for 240ish US. The PRS comes in at a hefty 829 US, cheapest I have found it new is 649, used no less than 450. For that price, I can get 3 HB's. Next comes PRS problems. PRS has 1 guitar in the SE line for us lefties, so I have a little bit of an issue with them. I do plan on buying a second CST-24 and changing the pickups to P90s, also considered a set of P-Rails from Seymour Duncan, but I actually like the Roswells. Rumor mill says that more CSTs are coming down the pipe for us lefties this year. I would love to see a stoptail version as I rarely use the trem.
Harley Benton might have a model with P90s ... if I remember right ...
@@HaraldEngels, not for lefties yet :(. Hope that changes
I have the PRS you have there, I think I could go for the Harley Benton as an extra guitar and either drop a Floyd Rose in it for fun or just upgrade the pickups for a better sound and still come out pretty cheap. I love the Trampas Green color on the SE so my PRS has it on looks for me.
I guess if you swap the pickups in the HB to PRS stock pickups you won't be able to hear any difference......all in all a great job from HB, especially considering the price difference! :-) I guess PRS might be in trouble now?
I think that a pickup upgrade in the harley benton could easily put it above the prs.
For sure even with the set up price and even more upgrades than that can make it a much better playing and sounding guitar than the PRS and still have saved about 2 to 3 hundered bucks
But you will have to do a set up on the HB don't care what any reviewer said the guitar will have sharp fret ends and will need the tremelo set to your liking new nut most likely cleaning and oiling of fret board No money to do this yourself nut is what 8 bucks for a top of the line graphite or bone but
@@JethroBoDean mine came without sharp fret ends, is this an extra you paid for? ....
@@JethroBoDean I have two perfect ones, no need for nut replacement, all fret edges are smooth, action was great....all out of the box
@@Colosus23 good to hear I think they got the message loud and clear or at least I hope they did QC is getting better I haven't heard of as many gripes as of late about the fret ends and nut to action playability I am aware they are shipped from Asia to Europe to North America in my case so the fact that they are playable at all is a mirical in itself LOL but seriously glad to hear that your guitar is as you like it mine is just fine and the little bit of work I had to do to it was minor enough to make it well worth the price is very nice
I like both sets of pickups. The prs has more clarity but the hb has a certain hoarse crunch that I personally love. Can't go wrong with either but I don't have prs money so it would be hb for me.
I have a PRS SE Tim Mahoney (basically a standard 24) and a that same HB CST 24t with Irongear Dirty torque/Blues engine pups I had installed as an experiment, not that the stock Roswells needed replacing but man... Cant put the HB down. Getting a second HB to throw in some alnico 2's in for blues and jazz stuff. Ive played PRS cores, that same SE in this vid, etc. Because the mods can be SO inexpensive to get a GREAT sounding and looking ax... And they are VERY good without the mods... Cant go wrong with either but I really am a fan of my HB for sure...
The PRS is smoother on the distortion. Less graininess and less breakup on the tail of a power chord
Nice comparison mate . I think it comes down to what your wallet can handle,(or your neck/back) both sound good and look good,etc. I would have to go with the PRS because weight is an issue for me, unfortunately . Cheers !
The PRS sells for around $780 and the HB sells for around $240. They both sound great and only slightly different and the playability is similar. You could get the HB and a damn good practice amp for the price of the PRS so ....
neil rich Absolutely. You could even get a Katana 50 with the HB and have a gigging rig for less than $500. It’s an amazing time to be a musician.
I OWN BOTH GUITARS AS WELL AND MY HARLEY BENTON GIVES THE PRS ALL IT CAN HANDEL !!! NICE UPLOAD SHANE !! :):)
Thanks for the post mate. Great to hear someone else can vouch for the comparison. Both these guitars are great. :)
So do I. I love the PRS but the HB is an awesome guitar you get a huge bang for the buck.
IMO this is an important video. I like the CST-24T a lot but the Trampas green Custom 24 SE is my favorite of the SE line. I slightly prefer the tone of the SE PUP's because of the overall clarity, but i could get 2 of the CST-24's and a set of PUP's as well, for the $600 SE cost. I have an Emerald green CST-24T and find the Wilkenson bridge to be a step above the Fender MIM 6 screw in terms of feel and tuning reliability. It is a step below a Fender System One 2 pole trem. It is hard to beat the Custom 24 for under $600.
Way under 600 more like 350
But mine same as yours needs set up frets out and the fret ends are dangerously sharp and protrude drasticly. Not that hard to fix I went with a Chinese suhr copy called grote like it way better has a 2 post Wilkinson term locking tuners for 280 didn't change a thing was intonated and low action no fret Buzz stays in tune
I'd go for the HB, actually. Overall, they sounded remarkably similar, but the pickups on the HB are hotter, which I really like. I also do tend to prefer heavier guitars (my current "number one" is a 1981 Gibson Sonex, which is like a boat anchor), so weight doesn't matter to me. I was actually going to get a PRS SE Standard 24, but for the price, I could get two HBs and still have enough left for a couple more pedals.
The PRS definitely has a sweeter tone, but both sound great. Plus, for the price difference,you can afford to drop some great pups into the Harley Benton. I just ordered the Harley Benton kit guitar. I'm going to put some pretty good electronics and hardware on it, and hopefully have a pretty nice PRS style guitar. Nice video man. I love a fair comparison video. I really like what companies like Harley Benton are doing. When I started out, the only decent guitar you could get for under $150 was a squire. Lol