After weeks of checking out reviews, this is the video that sealed the deal and I have a 500 II in Silverburst on order. I absolutely love your videos and honesty.
I got a B-stock SC-550 II DFB last week from Thomann £218 delivered, I've swapped the machine heads for Gotoh locking machines heads, I'm swapping all the electronics (there is nothing wrong with the original electronics, but I'm going for a particular tone) and pickups for a Seymour duncan Pearly Gates system tomorrow, I also purchased a Hard case for it and in total I've spent £620, I was looking at possibly buying a Les Paul studio which would have been around £900 used and I still would have had to replace the pickups and probably the tuners. These things are amazing. One word of warning though, the clear coat is fairly thick and has a ice like brittleness to it where any slight damage can result in large ares detaching from the wood underneath, be very careful replacing the pots, if possible use asian 7 to 8 mm pots not american 3/8" ones as opening up the hole could cause major damage to the finish.
@@Pannemat Yeah sorry about that, in my defence when I read and post online at around 19:00 hrs I have already been up for 16 hrs and done a 9 hour work day , so if I'm not paying attention to spelling or typing I'm sorry.
@@GunnarLoeb Hi Gunnar, I also like the Epiphone Pro Bucker and Pro Classic pickups, I have a Axcess Les paul with Pro buckers and a Fat Strat with the 57's (Classic Pro buckers) in it and they are good for a set of pickups that cost less than £50.
He used the term"well balanced " for the pickups. When I was a teenager in the seventies I asked a dealer what the best pickups are. He said dimarzio, so I bought one. When I played a Gibson sg in the eighties, it sounded the same, no squeal. Whatever they put on the crafter grifter looks and sounds the same. I had a cheap tangle wood with cheap parts on it, but good pickups.Although the three way was poor quality, it did last over 20 years before I had to replace it. Physically the guitars are just lumps of wood with strings on them and it is the scale and pickups mostly responsible for the sound. I have a 450 plus. It had the same problem with squeal, but you just have to move the pickups away from the strings at the bridge end. We could not tell the difference between the 450 and my friends Gibson Les Paul when we played them through a marshall.
Found this vid after I got mine. There are no excuses with this guitar. I have higher end LPs - does this get left behind? Not for a second. It's has it's own vibe, looks great, is light for an LP and plays as well as any of them. 5 stars definitely and that's before you even mention the price.
Yeah ?? I'm itching to get one. I have an LTD Les Paul with Seymour Duncan PAFs and I love that guitar so much, got ut for 500 bucks discounted. I would love another LP and the Gibsons are just so expensive and Epis aren't cheap anymore either... strapped for cash so it hardly seems worth it anymore to shell out two grand for a Gibson when I could get this and a mini Plexi plus non Marshall cab, a HB bass and and amp for the same cash... and at that price a few nice tuners and someday upgrade the PUs and it's still cheap AF...
Excellent review/demo - much appreciated! Got one a couple of months ago, what a great bargain! I enjoy it as much as my Gibsons. As you said, no real flaws. Even the shipping (from Germany/Thomann) to Brooklyn only took two day! Thanks for the review - very well done in every aspect!
Thanks for mentioning my buddy max solo. You two are the best. Got the sc550ii. Awesome. Period. Harley benton, heres my order for the sc550iii: FAT neck. Steeper original headstock angle. Iced tea burst. Please.
Hello Paulie, no doubt that HB has updated and I won't mind gigging with it for that SC sounds, I really like it, I wish I could review one as a Guitar-Tech since the 90's
As always, a no B.S. review, thank you. Since starting playing last year on a Yamaha Strat I also got a HB-335 semi hollow body. Now you talked me into a single cut! Damn you Henning!!! 😆 Rock on! BTW the SC-5502 now has covered Tesla HB pickups, a solid Maple top and graph tech nut.
I bought a used Gibson Tribute Studio Satin Cherry Sunburst... for 900 US... and a flight case for 167... plus tax... nothing needs to be changed... feels, sounds, plays and looks amazing... but WOW... these look equally AMAZING! Still... don't think I'd trade mine for either of these... have I been BRANDED? It's my first Gibson... been wanting one for years, finally found one for me... and glad these HBs are made in Indonesia... amazing deal! Great video Henning! GREAT PLAYING TOO... by the way! 😎🤘🔥🎸🐦❤
Check out the Kluson 19:1 Revolution Locking Tuners. They are a direct Retrofit with the exact same footprint requiring zero modifications for the Tuners on this Guitar. I've installed several sets of these and they're great tuners with zero slop or play in them. The last set I installed was around this time last year November of 2020 and they were $88 US 🇺🇸 God Bless Y'all Jimmy in NC....
Great review! I took your opinion into great account and bought this guitar. Plays great, feels great, and it definitely surpasses some of my more expensive guitars! Now I definitely want another one!!
Thanks for making this happen with those beautiful 🎸’s and all the equipment used and information provided. Also love that t-shirt & footage of animals at the ending 😉
I’m always drawn to your Harley Benton reviews. They make me want one, yet I still haven’t committed . Maybe one day if they do a super kick ass offset ?
@@PooNinja My dad got the paisley TE-70, and asides from his a few sharp frets that were probably the result of transatlantic shipping, it is a very solid instrument.
I have a Custom II Active that came stock with Grover tuners, a 450 plus and a 450. I changed the pickups and tuners on the 450 for Wilkinsons both, replaced the cream colours for black and left off the scratchplate, imo it looks and sounds awesome, the other 2 i left stock, they were fine as they were. I remember the 70's when cheap guitars were difficult to wrangle and decent guitars were expensive for someone like me, nowadays with companys like Thomann you can buy a perfectly playable Telecaster copy for £75.
My SC550 II had many problems and still went trough their "Quality Control" so I sent it back. I recently bought the even newer "SC-DLX Gotoh" and it is absolutely superior and the added price is definitely worth it considering the good Graphtech Nut instead of cheap and badly cut ABS Plastic Nut on my SC550 II and of course the Gotoh Bridge and Tuners! I can only recommend to spend the additional 70 Euros and getting the SC-DLX!
Keep in mind qc is all over the place and you can probably get a bad or good example of any model. My 550 II was bad, a fusion tele was not bad but not inspiring eirher. My SC-1000 is pretty great though.
I bought a DLX Gotoh too! What a great SC! I couldn’t try it at the Thomann Shop in Treppendorf. They had it only for shipping. So I’ve tried the 550 II and bought the DLX Gotoh. Best decision ever!
How do the pickups compare to the ones in the 550 II? In the demos that I heard the Opus-1 pickups in the 550 II models sounded much rounder, while the VR-2 in the DLX Gotohs sounded considerably thinner. How do they compare in real life?
What would you say about the ergonomics/weight/balance of the guitar ? I have a 90s Les Paul, killer sounding guitar but heavy, and like any Les Paul, for me, difficult to play seated. I know the HB is lighter, around 3.5kg I believe. Wish they would have added a tummy cut, like they did on the EX style guitars. I have the EX-76 Classic in natural finish, and its a amazing sounding guitar. I was shocked how good it is compared to expensive guitars I own. One note for lefties: Harley Benton does not wire the controls correctly, so the tone control acts more like a on/off switch (a lot of lefty production guitars have this issue actually). I contacted thomann and they replied that indeed the controls are wired reversed. There are 2 ways to wire the pots correctly in a lefty guitar: -with standard pots, solder the wires to the same lugs of the pots as for a righthanded guitar - the pots will then function correctly but turn the opposite way as compared to a righthanded guitar. This is how Gibson wires lefthanded guitars. -use reverse logarithmic pots and solder the wires to the opposite lugs of the pots.
I got a HB acoustic that looks like a Martin D16. It's not as nice as a Martin of course, but for the price it's outstanding. It's a guitar that I wouldn't mind loaning or taking to a party. I have two HB SC electrics. One is an SC Custon II that looks like a PRS. It came with grover tuners. It plays incredible. I may upgrade the pickups later. My other SC-450 looks like a Les Paul and looks great. It came with a broken switch and much cheaper tuners. The woodwork on both look so great that I decided not to call Thomann and complain about the broken switch. It looks so good that I decided to rebuild all the electronics. I have a lot of parts on the shelf that I have plans for but haven't used yet. I'm going to upgrade to a set of Kluson tuners, Switchcraft switch and output jack, I have prewired Emerson pots for a Les Paul, and a set of SD Pearly Gates pickups. The wood and workmanship on these two HB guitars are way above what I would expect on a $500 guitar, so I have no problem doing some upgrades on the electronics. They're worth twice the price if they came as just a body and neck. Beautiful.
It's not the same thing, but I own an HB SC-550+ and a Sire Larry Carlton S7. I'm not gonna compare a single cut to a strat, of course, but I can compare the brands overall. They are both very, very good. Both are punching far above their weight in terms of their price categories. The fact that they are also both very affordable means they get even more points. However, comparing these two brands, while the Sires are definitely already a great deal for the specs and quality you're getting, keep in mind you can still basically buy 2 HB SC-550s for the price of one Sire L7. Or to put it another way, you can get a Sire, or you can get an HB AND a practice amp ;-)
Stainless steel frets, really? Thats insane for that price. I immediately noticed the wider Gotoh style bridge which has less intonation issues. Harley Benton is still in the game!
Hello from Spain. Do Harley Benton always send you perfect instruments? Based on numerous reviews on the SC-550 II I ordered one.Unfortunately it arrived unplayable, the graphite nut set so high even simple chords resulted in intonation problems which I had fixed at my cost.Then the selector switch, bridge volume and tone controls failed.I returned the guitar for repair.When it arrived back the selector switch was OK but both the volume / tone controls for both pick ups did not function.I returned it again and today they gave me my money back.But I have of course incurred all the costs for the repair to the nut,traveling costs to the city post office twice to return the guitar etc.You are right on one of your other videos,if there is anything wrong send it back immediately, don't incurr any costs like having the graphite nut reslotted. I do like the style of all your videos, you give honest reviews.kind regards,John
Hi from Spain again. Well I wrote a letter to their Managing director and his response was very positive. I originally bought a "B" stock and they are replacing my original guitar with normal stock at the original price. I just have to learn to play it as well as you! Kind regards, John.
I've been trying to get my hands on one of these for months now, no chance. Mind, I'm left handed, the LH version is unavailable, and Thomann has postponed the delivery dates multiple times. Now imagine my surprise as I see a "new" 550 pop up in the shop, the SC-550SL Gotoh (also available as LH). Identical guitar, but fitted with Gotoh tuners AND a hefty 60 Euros more expensive. Might still be a good deal, but the price jump still feels kinda huge.
3 months now i still cant believe what a guitar it is. One thing just is a minus, in my opinion, which i dont care to change the tuners. Did someone change the tuners and know which fits with out drilling New holes?
Just bought one. Brilliant as you said. I have however changed the bridge pup to a Seymour Duncan SH1B to get a thicker less clear sound. The neck pickup is excellent as it is transparent and clean.
Is Cort making some of these Harley Benton guitars? My SC's look flawless. Like you pointed out, the designs are outstanding. The attention to detail is as good as some $1000 guitars. The electronics is where they save money...I think.
I've always appreciated your honesty, and most times I agree with your opinions, but for me the best guitar in the Harley Benton stable isn't the 550 II.. It's the 550 plus. They're close but I think the plus cause of course the Emg Fat 55's and the locking tuners which are great.
@@clanyongco2908 I’ve had mine for over a year and the battery is still good. Just remember to unplug the guitar when not playing it. And it’ll last I bought a sans club large pack of 9 volts last year cause I have 4 guitars with EMGs I still haven’t had to change any of them yet
@@ryant3600 oh! Thats very good information man! You see, thats the only things that holds me back from ordering this guitar. I think it might happen today thanks to you!
If the title says "The Best Harley Benton", why isn't the video about the DC DLX Gotoh in Pelham Blue? 🤣 I just got one and I'm in love. No doubt the new SCs must be awesome too. I have an old one from 2018 (SC Custom) and wanted an SG style so...there. Would be cool to see a video of yours reviewing the new DC DLX Gotoh
Honestly, I appreciate the price for these, but everyone should consider paying a bit more for good hardware. There should be a hardware upgrade option on every guitar. Graph Tech nut, locking tuners, rolling bridge, etc. Would be nice to see them try building these in the local US/CDN market.
Why would anybody want to build anything in the US ? I got a American made Switchcraft 3 way toggle for my SC-550 I fitted it and then found that it did not function on the neck pickup, on inspecting the switch I found that the ultra thin plates of metal used to construct it had bent out of shape meaning it no longer made a contact, I tried to bend the metal back to where it should be, but even if you do manage this, it stops working the second time you try to use it, it was then that I remebered why I've had a Switchcraft toggle switch lying around for years, they are CR*P! , will be putting the original switch back in.
If a US market opens up dude then prices will go up. That’s one of the factors for being so much cheaper. Plus they don’t officially have a physical shop/business, they’re business is 100% online. As to why they’re prices are so cheap. Even if they just had a warehouse in the US, prices would still go up just because of all the taxes they would have to pay and in return they will need to up the prices
@@BlackWolfTribe Actually no, Thomann exists IRL their shop is gigantic it's located in germany. They are the sole manufacturers and they take care of the logistics and transportation, hence why it's cheaper than having to resell the guitars from a supplier.
When the 499 orange tracks more or less like the SLO 100 lol. And it's happening in the other videos as well. If he uses the ox, well you've eliminated negative feedback from the cab. You get good sounds but sometimes, it is not the same thing.
Thanks for this review. What is the difference in pick-ups between the Harley Benton SC-550 II PAF and the Harley Benton SC-550 II DFB other than the chrome covers?
I would imagine a beginning guitar player/electric, would most likely download something like NAM, and use those amps. thru their computers. But they might buy some Small amp. still. Nice review, I know a player who has a Gold top Harley B, had it for more than ten years, he likes it.
On the Jon Robinson Guitarist TH-cam channel he did a video on the exact guitar you're playing where he removed a pickup and scraped away the shielding paint in the pickup cavity. Did this on camera in the video you can plainly see this guitar has a solid Maple cap what I think they're doing is using plain Maple for the cat with a fancy veneer over top. But you can definitely see the white colored wood of the maple cap up against the mahogany in the Jon Robinson guitarist video. That makes this guitar even more of a bargain. God Bless!! Jimmy in NC....
Love your drummer dude! (Felix right?!) Great shoutout to Max! My SC550 Mk I Desert Flame Burst is very nice and makes a great loaner. As an HB aficionado (got gas?), still think the Aeolus is the most exceptional HB overall, but that is not a classic SC/LP for those who crave that. This is. IMO consider the SC-DLX with nice colurs and Gotoh goodness. Orange Super Crush is excellent, tried it last night. Dang it ...
Hello Eytschpi, first I want to thank you for the great work you do, thank you very much for your reviews. What guitar do you recommend to start this or the Harley Benton Amarok? Greetings friend!
Agree on the perfect beginners guitar points. I think a Fusion 22 fret hardtail would be very close. I don't think beginners should worry about hum and tuning issues with a trem ;-)
Check the high and low E distance from fretboard edges. Either neck is totally "crooked" like you always saying for different things or the setup is terrible. And because I'm a HB fan, these things are common, but Thomann's return policy rocks!
Bullshit, the thing you describe would require a neck reset at worst, and at best a new nut. Both would be a horrific failure on the factory's end or thomann's qc. If that would happen regularly like you say, HB could hang up their line of les paul copies.
I have a couple of flawless SC-550's. Both have all replaced electronics and tuning keys. The PUP's stayed because the electronics improved my control and choices. I split coiled one of them with two push pulls, and left the other without. They stay in tune as well and the necks are perfect for me. Both are two piece bodies.
They get BETTER! But I 2ND your call for Thomann/HB to make the ultimate, affordable beginner electric guitar & bass, that can compete with the name brands! \m/
As far as i can tell, the 550 plus has the better pickuos and tuners, but i think it drops the blacksmith stainless steele frets that the regular 550 ii has.
I have this one and neck pickup is so muddy and dull I cant find use for it :( in your video ot sounds beautifull. but bridge is meaty and juicy I love it. Also it is sooo quiet comparing to my first guitar (HB te-20). I’m glad that I didnt buy it as first guitar. That cheaper te20 is easier to play :)
this morning came cross old guy playing one of these (i think sa,e model but in honey burst with cream pickguard )in oxford, man first time i see harley benton in real life, i spotted the guitar from the logo , it looks and sound ammmmmazing in real life, one thing about les paul’s is the glued neck just can’t get into my head. as i have small room , i don5 have enough space for guitar to be kept in one place
I wish they would do the same thing with a Tele but with jumbo SS frets and with traditional ash tray single coils, thinking of this has also got me thinking how cool it would be for them to do a LTD Edition LP style guitar with a real maple cap and some high end PUPs just because they can!
Maybe you would not play this guitar on a real Tone King, but for example the Tone King Imperial MKII is avaible as a pretty good amp simulation and that has a pretty reasonable price. Same for the Soldano SLO100, etc
"It's a solid, solid guitar" More truer words have not been spoken, it is also one of the minor gripes for me about this guitar. It literally weighs a metric ton. (At least my LH SC-550 I does).
What i notice with these videos, The SC550 II and Plus, and ofcourse his macmulls or that beaty AZ for example, he seems to enjoy playing those just a bit more. This tells me the guitar must be pretty good. And goddamn it sounds good in his hands. I know i will upgrade my 550 to a II or maybe a plus.
It may be a little off course for a European you tuber, but I would encourage you to look at some of the budget- friendly axes coming from southeast-asian factories and sold by "Artist guitars"(an australian online retailer). I have bought a ES335/style from them(or their NZ branch) and it was delivered to my door during a covid lockdown in Auckland (NZ) within 4 weeks for only NZ$349 ( very little[ NZ dollar at 1.40 approx to the US dollar] for such an instrument. While it doesn't feel or sound like the (Gibson), I'm hard pressed to explain how they can make something that cheaply! Many of their more costly products are superior to instruments in the NZ$1,000 range. I'm not sure if they extend to europe, but have begun marketing in the UK. I'm not in any way connected to them as a company, just a happy customer, and would see them as the "Harley Benton" of Australia and New Zealand, seeing they fill a similar niche in the market-providing equivalent versions of the usual Fender, Gibson, Gretch, and Martin guitar types. I would be keen to see you look at some of their better single-cut guitars, which have already been reviewed by Brett Kingman and Shane Diorio. Happy hunting in the world-wide guitar( and amp) market.
I have a hagstom fantomem that is Chinese made and would the quality be something similar ? The neck pickup on the fantomem isn’t wired correctly and drops in volume since I got it so there’s that little issue with it
Unfortunately for us Brits it's not an option now as there's no HB dealers on the UK mainland so due to customs charges Thomann is out of our supply chain. I'll stick with Vintage branded products for now.
I'm from the U.K there are no custom charges anymore that's all been sorted. I bought one of these 550s for £249 the dark cherry a few months ago the price on screen is the price you pay at checkout including free shipping
Hi great videos ! İf you were to upgrade a 75 eur Harley Benton Single Cut guitar kit ; for pickups and electronics with a very economic way what would you reccomended? İ mean is there pickup set under a 100 box that would fit and give me that original creamy 59 gibson vibe ? Or doesnt worth it to do?
It is NOT veneer, it is a TRUE flamed maple top. Just got this exact guitar B-stock in mint condition for $208 and these Tesla pickups blow away my Jackson Soloist. INSANE guitar for this ridiculous price.
Do you guys think there's a significant difference in tone (for an amateur ear, of course) between the "zebra pickups" and the covered ones (they are the same pickups as far as I can tell from the name)? The problem is that I just don't like this particular color and all the others come with covered pickups. Also, those snot-colored tuners are the first ones to go :)))
My highest viewed review on my channel was actually a Harley Benton single cut review. This one sounds way better that so guess gotta go and get one...... Henning the enabler.
I"m glad they switched to pau ferro. The "roseacer" (aka blackened maple) board on my SC was one of my biggest complaints, it felt like a chalk board. Sounds like whatever pickups it has are way better than you'd expect for the price.
After weeks of checking out reviews, this is the video that sealed the deal and I have a 500 II in Silverburst on order. I absolutely love your videos and honesty.
I got a B-stock SC-550 II DFB last week from Thomann £218 delivered, I've swapped the machine heads for Gotoh locking machines heads, I'm swapping all the electronics (there is nothing wrong with the original electronics, but I'm going for a particular tone) and pickups for a Seymour duncan Pearly Gates system tomorrow, I also purchased a Hard case for it and in total I've spent £620, I was looking at possibly buying a Les Paul studio which would have been around £900 used and I still would have had to replace the pickups and probably the tuners. These things are amazing. One word of warning though, the clear coat is fairly thick and has a ice like brittleness to it where any slight damage can result in large ares detaching from the wood underneath, be very careful replacing the pots, if possible use asian 7 to 8 mm pots not american 3/8" ones as opening up the hole could cause major damage to the finish.
The larry carlton goldtops seem cool too...
@@Pannemat Yeah sorry about that, in my defence when I read and post online at around 19:00 hrs I have already been up for 16 hrs and done a 9 hour work day , so if I'm not paying attention to spelling or typing I'm sorry.
The bridge pickup is good, but I changed to Epiphone Pro-buckers. Wow what a guitar!
@@GunnarLoeb Hi Gunnar, I also like the Epiphone Pro Bucker and Pro Classic pickups, I have a Axcess Les paul with Pro buckers and a Fat Strat with the 57's (Classic Pro buckers) in it and they are good for a set of pickups that cost less than £50.
He used the term"well balanced " for the pickups. When I was a teenager in the seventies I asked a dealer what the best pickups are. He said dimarzio, so I bought one. When I played a Gibson sg in the eighties, it sounded the same, no squeal. Whatever they put on the crafter grifter looks and sounds the same. I had a cheap tangle wood with cheap parts on it, but good pickups.Although the three way was poor quality, it did last over 20 years before I had to replace it. Physically the guitars are just lumps of wood with strings on them and it is the scale and pickups mostly responsible for the sound. I have a 450 plus. It had the same problem with squeal, but you just have to move the pickups away from the strings at the bridge end. We could not tell the difference between the 450 and my friends Gibson Les Paul when we played them through a marshall.
Found this vid after I got mine. There are no excuses with this guitar. I have higher end LPs - does this get left behind? Not for a second. It's has it's own vibe, looks great, is light for an LP and plays as well as any of them. 5 stars definitely and that's before you even mention the price.
Yeah ?? I'm itching to get one. I have an LTD Les Paul with Seymour Duncan PAFs and I love that guitar so much, got ut for 500 bucks discounted. I would love another LP and the Gibsons are just so expensive and Epis aren't cheap anymore either... strapped for cash so it hardly seems worth it anymore to shell out two grand for a Gibson when I could get this and a mini Plexi plus non Marshall cab, a HB bass and and amp for the same cash... and at that price a few nice tuners and someday upgrade the PUs and it's still cheap AF...
OMG I think that intro was awesome. I mean amazing . There’s always times for seriousness and man that was serious. Guitars look nice too
I wouldn't mind owning a Harley Benton, but of course Henning you make every guitar sound great 👍 Peace ✌ ❤
Excellent review/demo - much appreciated! Got one a couple of months ago, what a great bargain! I enjoy it as much as my Gibsons. As you said, no real flaws. Even the shipping (from Germany/Thomann) to Brooklyn only took two day! Thanks for the review - very well done in every aspect!
Thanks for mentioning my buddy max solo. You two are the best. Got the sc550ii. Awesome. Period. Harley benton, heres my order for the sc550iii: FAT neck. Steeper original headstock angle. Iced tea burst. Please.
Hello Paulie, no doubt that HB has updated and I won't mind gigging with it for that SC sounds, I really like it, I wish I could review one as a Guitar-Tech since the 90's
As always, a no B.S. review, thank you. Since starting playing last year on a Yamaha Strat I also got a HB-335 semi hollow body. Now you talked me into a single cut! Damn you Henning!!! 😆 Rock on!
BTW the SC-5502 now has covered Tesla HB pickups, a solid Maple top and graph tech nut.
Henning, I agree with everything you say about it. Mine arrived this afternoon!
I bought a used Gibson Tribute Studio Satin Cherry Sunburst... for 900 US... and a flight case for 167... plus tax... nothing needs to be changed... feels, sounds, plays and looks amazing... but WOW... these look equally AMAZING! Still... don't think I'd trade mine for either of these... have I been BRANDED? It's my first Gibson... been wanting one for years, finally found one for me... and glad these HBs are made in Indonesia... amazing deal! Great video Henning! GREAT PLAYING TOO... by the way! 😎🤘🔥🎸🐦❤
Relax on the elipses.
Check out the Kluson 19:1 Revolution Locking Tuners. They are a direct Retrofit with the exact same footprint requiring zero modifications for the Tuners on this Guitar. I've installed several sets of these and they're great tuners with zero slop or play in them. The last set I installed was around this time last year November of 2020 and they were $88 US 🇺🇸
God Bless Y'all
Jimmy in NC....
These are the exact tuners I upgraded to on my SC550ii. Work perfectly!
One thing I’ve noticed when you get you hands on a 550 you get so excited like a kid on Christmas morning , you totally enjoy it
Great review! I took your opinion into great account and bought this guitar. Plays great, feels great, and it definitely surpasses some of my more expensive guitars! Now I definitely want another one!!
Thanks for making this happen with those beautiful 🎸’s and all the equipment used and information provided. Also love that t-shirt & footage of animals at the ending 😉
I bought one, and I love it. But it came a needing some work, fretting out. I changed the keys and am going to change pickups.
I’m always drawn to your Harley Benton reviews. They make me want one, yet I still haven’t committed . Maybe one day if they do a super kick ass offset ?
It’s worth the risk. I love both my HB and I’m looking at getting more.
@@PooNinja My dad got the paisley TE-70, and asides from his a few sharp frets that were probably the result of transatlantic shipping, it is a very solid instrument.
I have a Custom II Active that came stock with Grover tuners, a 450 plus and a 450. I changed the pickups and tuners on the 450 for Wilkinsons both, replaced the cream colours for black and left off the scratchplate, imo it looks and sounds awesome, the other 2 i left stock, they were fine as they were. I remember the 70's when cheap guitars were difficult to wrangle and decent guitars were expensive for someone like me, nowadays with companys like Thomann you can buy a perfectly playable Telecaster copy for £75.
My SC550 II had many problems and still went trough their "Quality Control" so I sent it back. I recently bought the even newer "SC-DLX Gotoh" and it is absolutely superior and the added price is definitely worth it considering the good Graphtech Nut instead of cheap and badly cut ABS Plastic Nut on my SC550 II and of course the Gotoh Bridge and Tuners!
I can only recommend to spend the additional 70 Euros and getting the SC-DLX!
Keep in mind qc is all over the place and you can probably get a bad or good example of any model. My 550 II was bad, a fusion tele was not bad but not inspiring eirher. My SC-1000 is pretty great though.
I bought a DLX Gotoh too! What a great SC! I couldn’t try it at the Thomann Shop in Treppendorf. They had it only for shipping. So I’ve tried the 550 II and bought the DLX Gotoh. Best decision ever!
How do the pickups compare to the ones in the 550 II? In the demos that I heard the Opus-1 pickups in the 550 II models sounded much rounder, while the VR-2 in the DLX Gotohs sounded considerably thinner. How do they compare in real life?
Hi from Spain, like you I had problems with my SC-550 II, see my comment of 29th.August,kind regards,John.
What would you say about the ergonomics/weight/balance of the guitar ? I have a 90s Les Paul, killer sounding guitar but heavy, and like any Les Paul, for me, difficult to play seated. I know the HB is lighter, around 3.5kg I believe. Wish they would have added a tummy cut, like they did on the EX style guitars. I have the EX-76 Classic in natural finish, and its a amazing sounding guitar. I was shocked how good it is compared to expensive guitars I own.
One note for lefties:
Harley Benton does not wire the controls correctly, so the tone control acts more like a on/off switch (a lot of lefty production guitars have this issue actually).
I contacted thomann and they replied that indeed the controls are wired reversed.
There are 2 ways to wire the pots correctly in a lefty guitar:
-with standard pots, solder the wires to the same lugs of the pots as for a righthanded guitar - the pots will then function correctly but turn the opposite way as compared to a righthanded guitar. This is how Gibson wires lefthanded guitars.
-use reverse logarithmic pots and solder the wires to the opposite lugs of the pots.
Loved the drummer’s feel, he leads with the right foot and it sounds mega
I got a HB acoustic that looks like a Martin D16. It's not as nice as a Martin of course, but for the price it's outstanding. It's a guitar that I wouldn't mind loaning or taking to a party. I have two HB SC electrics. One is an SC Custon II that looks like a PRS. It came with grover tuners. It plays incredible. I may upgrade the pickups later. My other SC-450 looks like a Les Paul and looks great. It came with a broken switch and much cheaper tuners. The woodwork on both look so great that I decided not to call Thomann and complain about the broken switch. It looks so good that I decided to rebuild all the electronics. I have a lot of parts on the shelf that I have plans for but haven't used yet. I'm going to upgrade to a set of Kluson tuners, Switchcraft switch and output jack, I have prewired Emerson pots for a Les Paul, and a set of SD Pearly Gates pickups. The wood and workmanship on these two HB guitars are way above what I would expect on a $500 guitar, so I have no problem doing some upgrades on the electronics. They're worth twice the price if they came as just a body and neck. Beautiful.
it would be pretty interesting if you could compare HB with Sire Larry Carlton line that everyone is raving about
It's not the same thing, but I own an HB SC-550+ and a Sire Larry Carlton S7. I'm not gonna compare a single cut to a strat, of course, but I can compare the brands overall. They are both very, very good. Both are punching far above their weight in terms of their price categories. The fact that they are also both very affordable means they get even more points.
However, comparing these two brands, while the Sires are definitely already a great deal for the specs and quality you're getting, keep in mind you can still basically buy 2 HB SC-550s for the price of one Sire L7. Or to put it another way, you can get a Sire, or you can get an HB AND a practice amp ;-)
Dog the riff at 1:32. Another great video, find you choices for shirts......interesting and sometimes very cool.
Stainless steel frets, really? Thats insane for that price.
I immediately noticed the wider Gotoh style bridge which has less intonation issues. Harley Benton is still in the game!
Hello from Spain. Do Harley Benton always send you perfect instruments? Based on numerous reviews on the SC-550 II I ordered one.Unfortunately it arrived unplayable, the graphite nut set so high even simple chords resulted in intonation problems which I had fixed at my cost.Then the selector switch, bridge volume and tone controls failed.I returned the guitar for repair.When it arrived back the selector switch was OK but both the volume / tone controls for both pick ups did not function.I returned it again and today they gave me my money back.But I have of course incurred all the costs for the repair to the nut,traveling costs to the city post office twice to return the guitar etc.You are right on one of your other videos,if there is anything wrong send it back immediately, don't incurr any costs like having the graphite nut reslotted. I do like the style of all your videos, you give honest reviews.kind regards,John
I have had stuff from them that wasn’t perfect and if I get that I say so. I haven’t had an SC550 thet I didn’t like though. Sorry you had problems.
Hi from Spain again. Well I wrote a letter to their Managing director and his response was very positive. I originally bought a "B" stock and they are replacing my original guitar with normal stock at the original price. I just have to learn to play it as well as you! Kind regards, John.
Jesus...the wall of amps is impressive. Forget that guitar. That studio is something else.
I've been trying to get my hands on one of these for months now, no chance. Mind, I'm left handed, the LH version is unavailable, and Thomann has postponed the delivery dates multiple times.
Now imagine my surprise as I see a "new" 550 pop up in the shop, the SC-550SL Gotoh (also available as LH). Identical guitar, but fitted with Gotoh tuners AND a hefty 60 Euros more expensive. Might still be a good deal, but the price jump still feels kinda huge.
PS: Customer support just told me that the SC-550SL Gotoh has an ABS (ie plastic) nut. Gonna steer clear of that one.
You crack me up with your self-deprecation, dude...love that you fail to take your self seriously! :D
3 months now i still cant believe what a guitar it is. One thing just is a minus, in my opinion, which i dont care to change the tuners.
Did someone change the tuners and know which fits with out drilling New holes?
Just bought one. Brilliant as you said. I have however changed the bridge pup to a Seymour Duncan SH1B to get a thicker less clear sound. The neck pickup is excellent as it is transparent and clean.
Is Cort making some of these Harley Benton guitars? My SC's look flawless. Like you pointed out, the designs are outstanding. The attention to detail is as good as some $1000 guitars. The electronics is where they save money...I think.
I've always appreciated your honesty, and most times I agree with your opinions, but for me the best guitar in the Harley Benton stable isn't the 550 II.. It's the 550 plus. They're close but I think the plus cause of course the Emg Fat 55's and the locking tuners which are great.
True... but also more expensive!
@@EytschPi42 yeah but that’s not by about 90 dollars and you know the fat 55s and locking tuners are way worth the extra 90 bucks 😁👍
@@ryant3600 but you also need to put battery every now and then right?
@@clanyongco2908 I’ve had mine for over a year and the battery is still good. Just remember to unplug the guitar when not playing it. And it’ll last I bought a sans club large pack of 9 volts last year cause I have 4 guitars with EMGs I still haven’t had to change any of them yet
@@ryant3600 oh! Thats very good information man! You see, thats the only things that holds me back from ordering this guitar. I think it might happen today thanks to you!
If the title says "The Best Harley Benton", why isn't the video about the DC DLX Gotoh in Pelham Blue? 🤣 I just got one and I'm in love. No doubt the new SCs must be awesome too. I have an old one from 2018 (SC Custom) and wanted an SG style so...there. Would be cool to see a video of yours reviewing the new DC DLX Gotoh
Honestly, I appreciate the price for these, but everyone should consider paying a bit more for good hardware. There should be a hardware upgrade option on every guitar. Graph Tech nut, locking tuners, rolling bridge, etc. Would be nice to see them try building these in the local US/CDN market.
Why would anybody want to build anything in the US ? I got a American made Switchcraft 3 way toggle for my SC-550 I fitted it and then found that it did not function on the neck pickup, on inspecting the switch I found that the ultra thin plates of metal used to construct it had bent out of shape meaning it no longer made a contact, I tried to bend the metal back to where it should be, but even if you do manage this, it stops working the second time you try to use it, it was then that I remebered why I've had a Switchcraft toggle switch lying around for years, they are CR*P! , will be putting the original switch back in.
@@iankeel7914 you can’t let one switch effect your whole opinion on american manufacturing. It won us a couple world wars
If a US market opens up dude then prices will go up. That’s one of the factors for being so much cheaper. Plus they don’t officially have a physical shop/business, they’re business is 100% online. As to why they’re prices are so cheap. Even if they just had a warehouse in the US, prices would still go up just because of all the taxes they would have to pay and in return they will need to up the prices
@@BlackWolfTribe Actually no, Thomann exists IRL their shop is gigantic it's located in germany. They are the sole manufacturers and they take care of the logistics and transportation, hence why it's cheaper than having to resell the guitars from a supplier.
@@pedrosilvaproductionsthey are talking abt Harley Benton not Thomann
When the 499 orange tracks more or less like the SLO 100 lol.
And it's happening in the other videos as well. If he uses the ox, well you've eliminated negative feedback from the cab. You get good sounds but sometimes, it is not the same thing.
Thanks for this review. What is the difference in pick-ups between the Harley Benton SC-550 II PAF and the Harley Benton SC-550 II DFB other than the chrome covers?
Man that was an intro waoooo
Love your videos, amazing guitar
Is it better with the EMGs. Worth the difference.
I would imagine a beginning guitar player/electric, would most likely download something like NAM, and use those amps. thru their computers. But they might buy some Small amp. still. Nice review, I know a player who has a Gold top Harley B, had it for more than ten years, he likes it.
I'm this close to ordering one but I can't decide between this SC-550 II and the SC-DLX Gotoh.
On the Jon Robinson Guitarist TH-cam channel he did a video on the exact guitar you're playing where he removed a pickup and scraped away the shielding paint in the pickup cavity. Did this on camera in the video you can plainly see this guitar has a solid Maple cap what I think they're doing is using plain Maple for the cat with a fancy veneer over top. But you can definitely see the white colored wood of the maple cap up against the mahogany in the Jon Robinson guitarist video. That makes this guitar even more of a bargain.
God Bless!!
Jimmy in NC....
Love your drummer dude! (Felix right?!)
Great shoutout to Max!
My SC550 Mk I Desert Flame Burst is very nice and makes a great loaner.
As an HB aficionado (got gas?), still think the Aeolus is the most exceptional HB overall, but that is not a classic SC/LP for those who crave that. This is. IMO consider the SC-DLX with nice colurs and Gotoh goodness.
Orange Super Crush is excellent, tried it last night. Dang it ...
why hasn't there been anything said about the pick-ups on this guitar? what kind are they? front and back.
Hello Eytschpi, first I want to thank you for the great work you do, thank you very much for your reviews.
What guitar do you recommend to start this or the Harley Benton Amarok?
Greetings friend!
Agree on the perfect beginners guitar points. I think a Fusion 22 fret hardtail would be very close. I don't think beginners should worry about hum and tuning issues with a trem ;-)
Iui
.
I don't have this model, nice to know what I am missing, great review, Sound to die for.
Henning, the drummer is pretty good! You two should be in a band! 😁
How come we never see the EytschPi42 sig from Harley Benton anymore? Neck p90s are killer.
Check the high and low E distance from fretboard edges. Either neck is totally "crooked" like you always saying for different things or the setup is terrible. And because I'm a HB fan, these things are common, but Thomann's return policy rocks!
Bullshit, the thing you describe would require a neck reset at worst, and at best a new nut. Both would be a horrific failure on the factory's end or thomann's qc. If that would happen regularly like you say, HB could hang up their line of les paul copies.
I agree that this is Harley Benton's best offering. Nice vid as always.
I have a couple of flawless SC-550's. Both have all replaced electronics and tuning keys. The PUP's stayed because the electronics improved my control and choices. I split coiled one of them with two push pulls, and left the other without. They stay in tune as well and the necks are perfect for me. Both are two piece bodies.
Henning + Orange amp = best thing ever.
They get BETTER! But I 2ND your call for Thomann/HB to make the ultimate, affordable beginner electric guitar & bass, that can compete with the name brands! \m/
What a nice review! Thanks!
Why would a strat guy need a SC?
My Fender limited custom telecaster comes from Indonesia.
It is fabulous!
When you said come on spent more on a pedal, that put everything in perspective lol
As far as i can tell, the 550 plus has the better pickuos and tuners, but i think it drops the blacksmith stainless steele frets that the regular 550 ii has.
I have this one and neck pickup is so muddy and dull I cant find use for it :( in your video ot sounds beautifull. but bridge is meaty and juicy I love it. Also it is sooo quiet comparing to my first guitar (HB te-20). I’m glad that I didnt buy it as first guitar. That cheaper te20 is easier to play :)
this morning came cross old guy playing one of these (i think sa,e model but in honey burst with cream pickguard )in oxford, man first time i see harley benton in real life, i spotted the guitar from the logo , it looks and sound ammmmmazing in real life, one thing about les paul’s is the glued neck just can’t get into my head. as i have small room , i don5 have enough space for guitar to be kept in one place
What about the Fusion II/III, Henning? Comes also as a HSS and a hard tail...Ok, not for 279€ ;-)
I wish they would do the same thing with a Tele but with jumbo SS frets and with traditional ash tray single coils, thinking of this has also got me thinking how cool it would be for them to do a LTD Edition LP style guitar with a real maple cap and some high end PUPs just because they can!
Maybe you would not play this guitar on a real Tone King, but for example the Tone King Imperial MKII is avaible as a pretty good amp simulation and that has a pretty reasonable price. Same for the Soldano SLO100, etc
Do you prefer the SC Deluxe line over the SC Custom line?
that bout line was used by Aria guitars on the Aria Pro II many years ago...it's great.
I trust Henning..You hear his honesty and integrity...he is not BS artist..based on My Ears ,TheSpecs and Hennings recommendation. This is on my radar
Is the build quality (without the hardware) better or equal to the FGN LS 10 ?
"It's a solid, solid guitar"
More truer words have not been spoken, it is also one of the minor gripes for me about this guitar. It literally weighs a metric ton. (At least my LH SC-550 I does).
Wish that headstock would get better. Better head better tone come on Thomann!
Got one of these on the way atm.
Merci pour cette revue, très bonnes explications c'est parfait.
Sick playing my man
What i notice with these videos, The SC550 II and Plus, and ofcourse his macmulls or that beaty AZ for example, he seems to enjoy playing those just a bit more. This tells me the guitar must be pretty good. And goddamn it sounds good in his hands. I know i will upgrade my 550 to a II or maybe a plus.
Hi. I´m deciding between this guitar and the Gretsch G5220. Which one do you think is better?
Own 4 Gretsh guitars buy the Harley Benton and then install some Gretsch blacktop pickups.
Hasn't the SC550 II been on the market for like forever!? Or have they added some new features!?
I´m just hoping these will be available in a nice gold top finish soon. I think I´d rather have this than the Epi version.
It may be a little off course for a European you tuber, but I would encourage you to look at some of the budget- friendly axes coming from southeast-asian factories and sold by "Artist guitars"(an australian online retailer). I have bought a ES335/style from them(or their NZ branch) and it was delivered to my door during a covid lockdown in Auckland (NZ) within 4 weeks for only NZ$349 ( very little[ NZ dollar at 1.40 approx to the US dollar] for such an instrument. While it doesn't feel or sound like the (Gibson), I'm hard pressed to explain how they can make something that cheaply! Many of their more costly products are superior to instruments in the NZ$1,000 range. I'm not sure if they extend to europe, but have begun marketing in the UK. I'm not in any way connected to them as a company, just a happy customer, and would see them as the "Harley Benton" of Australia and New Zealand, seeing they fill a similar niche in the market-providing equivalent versions of the usual Fender, Gibson, Gretch, and Martin guitar types. I would be keen to see you look at some of their better single-cut guitars, which have already been reviewed by Brett Kingman and Shane Diorio. Happy hunting in the world-wide guitar( and amp) market.
Not sure they'd want to send something to Europe and ship worldwide from Australia
They look amazing. Enjoyed the vid.
how does it compare to an epiphone Les Paul Standard Pro?
I have a hagstom fantomem that is Chinese made and would the quality be something similar
? The neck pickup on the fantomem isn’t wired correctly and drops in volume since I got it so there’s that little issue with it
Those Tesla pickups sound way better than the Roswells. Big improvement.
Unfortunately for us Brits it's not an option now as there's no HB dealers on the UK mainland so due to customs charges Thomann is out of our supply chain. I'll stick with Vintage branded products for now.
I'm from the U.K there are no custom charges anymore that's all been sorted. I bought one of these 550s for £249 the dark cherry a few months ago the price on screen is the price you pay at checkout including free shipping
Just One Question. What is the weight of this guitar.
Hi great videos ! İf you were to upgrade a 75 eur Harley Benton Single Cut guitar kit ; for pickups and electronics with a very economic way what would you reccomended? İ mean is there pickup set under a 100 box that would fit and give me that original creamy 59 gibson vibe ? Or doesnt worth it to do?
I have no idea about pickup sets and which cheap ones work well, sorry… but so doubt you get high end tones for that budget
I wonder how it compares to the Vintage V100AFD
It is NOT veneer, it is a TRUE flamed maple top. Just got this exact guitar B-stock in mint condition for $208 and these Tesla pickups blow away my Jackson Soloist. INSANE guitar for this ridiculous price.
Took advantage of a sale on HB550ll PAF 301 USD at my door , had already planed to buy at regular price next week , the GOTOH model
Do you guys think there's a significant difference in tone (for an amateur ear, of course) between the "zebra pickups" and the covered ones (they are the same pickups as far as I can tell from the name)? The problem is that I just don't like this particular color and all the others come with covered pickups. Also, those snot-colored tuners are the first ones to go :)))
There is supposed to be a tiny difference, but none that I would consider relevant.
Cool video what's tuner do you Juse what brand?
Peterson StroboStomp
Sind die Stimmwirbel wirklich grün???
Yupp im pulling the trigger on this guitar.
whats the exact difference between stainless steel frets and blacksmith stainless steel frets ? are they even harder ?
BlackSmith is a brand.
”come the fuck on people, you’ve spent more money on a pedal”
Really puts things in perspective…
My highest viewed review on my channel was actually a Harley Benton single cut review. This one sounds way better that so guess gotta go and get one...... Henning the enabler.
I"m glad they switched to pau ferro. The "roseacer" (aka blackened maple) board on my SC was one of my biggest complaints, it felt like a chalk board. Sounds like whatever pickups it has are way better than you'd expect for the price.
That drummer is beast
Just wanted to be honest with you …… I do do do to. It’s only natural. I’m from Montana , are those Red Deer , where were they ?
1km from my house in an animal sanctuary
That line that goes right through from one side the other is the same as the Aria Pro II from yesteryear.
Awesome playing as always Henning,I enjoyed the blues licks,all the best.
Now for the big question...this one or the 550 Plus? With a B stock instrument the 550 Plus isn't even that much more expensive
Is the headstock still MDF? Strange that noone talks about that fact....