Harley Benton HB35+ - VERSUS - Firefly 338 - WHICH ONE WILL I KEEP?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.ย. 2024
- Harley Benton: www.thomannmus...
Firefly on amazon: amzn.to/3hPj5Sb
I've had enough time to play around with the Harley Benton and Firefly in the same room and i have some big observations to make. I bought tools guys, measuring tools, NBD.
This facebook group banned me for this video (not the “Firefly Guitars Fans” group, leave Dennis Brown alone!): www.facebook.c...
Contour Gauge on Amazon: www.amazon.com...
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Harley Benton: www.thomannmusic.com/harley_benton_hb_35plus_lemon.htm?offid=1&affid=405
Firefly on amazon: amzn.to/3hPj5Sb
Firefly Amazon link takes me to an out of stock gold top 338. Thursday, 17th, February, 2022.
I own 4 Harley Benton guitars 3 les Paul's and an explorer so for me it's Harley Benton all the way genuine delivery always on time great sounds to from Harley benton
@@clivewinter8321 I recently bought a Harley Benton Telecaster but I was very dissatisfied with the very thick neck which was nothing like a Fender or Squier, could you tell me are the necks on the Harley Benton Les Paul's more like a Gibson shape, more of a slimmer taper as I'm thinking of buying one?.
Your technique of fast forwarding from one guitar to the next while using the same pickup selection and amp settings, thus compressing the time between the two sounds and enabling me the listener to truly compare apples to apples, is most excellent!!!!! WELL DONE!
Man thanks for all you do. Even with the cheap stuff. I’m not In love with either one . But I don’t have Gibson money. And I don’t want to buy each one to find out.
The HB sounds better I think. I prefer the tone, it sounds richer to me.
But he never played it!
Remember though..you can have 10 of the same guitars..color..model .wood...strings..but they will all sound a bit different
Who would’ve thought that Harley Benton would be the dearer guitar in a vs battle one day? I got the exact model and it is amazing!!
Stays in tune.?.how would it compare to epiphone do u know?
cooltunesmadeezy i dont have an epiphone. Stays in tune....better than a gibson les paul but worse than a tele.
John O RA I don't have a Harley Benton yet. But looking to add an 11th guitar to my collection. Something cheap to teach my 2 sons on. Also for me too. Lol.😅 But I have a Gibson Les paul standard, Epiphone Les paul custom, Fender Stratocaster Lone star, 12 string acoustic Washburn, Ovation with Fishman preamp, Samick, Ibinez, etc. I've rarely had my Gibson, Epiphone or Strat go out of tune. Really rare !?!! I also don't have a black guitar yet or a Semi hollow. I want a black Les paul style HB. Don't care for Semi hollow guitars. Should I order a HB or is it going to be crap ? I've never bought a guitar I didn't try 1st. #Reluctant
@@tazzz69dazzermind35 i would order a HB. Take for example the sc-custom in black for 199€ with either humbuckers or p90. Mine is with p90 and it is sensational for the price!! If you dont like it, thomann has got a very good return policy. btw: i am not affiliated with thomann in any way, i just enjoy that nowadays i can try every kind of guitar for pocket money.
Me too, amazing value.
Kudos for the honest remarks at the end of this video. This world needs more people with morals.
Yes and less liberals
We've come to a point, quality wise, where the manufacturing company (name and location) should be mentioned (somewhere) on Asian guitars, because some of these Asian musical instruments manufacturing companies are now hitting a real high standard of quality, and it becomes more and more obvious.
I think these Asian companies should stop staying in the shadow of some "obscure brand names" and start being proud of their production.
I just spent $1950 for a Chinese guitar which is what I paid for my "17" Honeyburst Les Paul Standard that will be available on Reverb this coming week. Crazy to some but my Chinese guitar has a far better cut bone nut than the Gibson, far better fret work than the Gibson, better pick ups than the Gibson, I prefer the finish being Varnish to nitro-cell gloss of the Gibson, my Chinese Guitar came with orange drop capacitors my Gibson did not, the Chinese guitar came with EBONY fret board while the Gibson came with some low grade rosewood/maybe Pau Ferro? type of wood... basically junk in actual comparrison... Ebony headstock overlay and truss cover while Gibson is nitro gloss and plastic cover.. I feel stupid buying the Gibson now.. It was not worth it UNLESS you are going to sell it..which I am and will get my money back but my Eastman SB59V in classic red varnish is NOT getting sold anytime soon! And WORTH EVERY PENNY for a 100% handmade guitar!
But with that would come a justification of higher prices - No thanks.
check out the starshine guitars on ebay. They are trying to be innovative.
I have no problems with my FF except the fingerboard makes my fingers black.
You don't know about Samick then. If it's not like Fender or Gibson, liklihood is it's made by Samick but with someone else's name on it. They do release under their own name too but liklihood is both of those guitars are made by Samick. Maybe not but it's a fact that Samick is the largest manufacturers of guitars in the world because they make all the 3rd party (for want of a better term) guitars with other people's names on them.
I've got an harley benton, actually 4 of them, I love them..well made, playability is nice, I got a B stock HB35 for $127, its the best money I've ever spent on a guitar..
Firefly has improved their guitars based on user feedback...the inlays are a great example. You no longer have the huge gaps between the inlays and fretboard. They also upgraded the plastic nut to bone. (They also have more choice of finishes)
They have ball end stainless steel on their frets now too.
Just ordered the HB in red. The guitar will be better than my ability no matter which one I buy!
Same with me, i can make a 3000 dollar guitar sound like a 50 dollar one.
my guitar playing skills in a nutshell. ordering it as well
I just received a HB-35 plus in gloss black with gold hardware. Yes black, LOVE the retro look and the gold compliments this.
The quality is amazing!
I WAS going to buy a Firefly, what killed it was the microfonic pick-ups.
I can run the distorted gain on the HB to ear splitting levels and it just crushes it.
A fabulous partner to my Yamaha Strat. Peace.
Ryan = Preachin the truth and gettin his ass torn out for it by the firefly cult.. Keep preaching brother and calling a spade a spade. Thats hard to find these days.
He is probably one of the very few that would do that... Raised my respect level for him and woke me up to the corruption going on in the "paid promotion" industry. Could well be considered dishonest advertising. I think the TV industry had to come to terms with that many years ago. I'm sure you recall seeing "The following is a paid promotion for ZXY corporation".
@Michael Miller You may not see it but its pretty obvious and it leads to people being mislead. are you in favor of misleading the public?
Harley Benton hands down
I appreciate the honesty for sure. It’s why I Love Henning and it’s why I love you (that and the video you did for me TO Henning at NAMM). Love watching the channel & looking forward to seeing you again in Anaheim.
-Aaron
I was about to buy a PRS SE when my acoustic and 3rd American Stratocaster was stolen in May of last year. My friend told me about Harley Benton so I bought a Harley Benton XT22 double cut away like the Gibson Les Paul double cut away. It was shipped from Germany to Georgia USA and all I had to do to set it up was tune the 1st E string. A friend got the Harley Benton HB 35 Plus for Xmas and I bought it from him in January for $200.00. He included a set of Grover keys but I didn't need them so I traded them for a strap. I haven't replaced my Strat or acoustic and plan on ordering a Harley Benton Strat and the Harley Benton CLD 41 SE. If the Strat and CLD. If the Harley Benton acoustic is as close to the $5000.00 Martin D 41 as the XT22 is to the Les Paul and the HB 35 Plus and the Stratocaster sounds and plays as good as any of my 3 American Strats it will be hard to buy another new guitar like a Gibson or Fender when the Harley Benton is a fraction of the price.
Thanks for the video but one thing I wished you had done is compare the Vintage edition of the Harley Benton that is about $30 cheaper and so would more closely match the Firefly in price and in the specs. The "Plus" model you are showing has alnico pickups in addition to having the coil-split functions (a great addition I think); the cheaper model, like the Firefly, has regular ceramic pickups I think and no coil splits. You did mention the price differential but I just would have liked to have seen and heard a comparison of the Vintage HB vs. the Firefly, ceramics against ceramics, and so on.
I have 3 Harley Benton’s and so long as they keep up the quality and pricing, I’ll keep buying them over almost any guitar out there.
Got the FF338 in matte black about 8 months ago. Swapped out the pickups with dual lipstick humbuckers from guitar fetish. Total rewire with bourns pots including push-pulls to split the coils. Hot-rodded and loving it! No tuner issues but still plan to change them out with locking tuners.
I bought the Firefly 338 the last time amazon had them a few weeks ago. I bought it knowing full well I’d be changing the buzzy bridge, pickups and tuners, and doing a fret job. I bought it as a winter project. I’ve never done a full setup on a guitar before so it’s my opportunity to learn how to do everything. TH-camrs like you will show me the way.
these are great guitars for someone looking to practice set ups and fret work. the price is right and the bones of a fun playing guitar is there.
If you rec'd one like that, send it back! Mine had NO buzz of any kind. Hasn't had in over a year of owning it. Tuners have held wonderfully. Not as good as Schallers or Gotoh which I have on my other guitars, but still pretty decent. Just don't run the pickups all out (go back a notch or two). And a few minutes with the frets on a weekend and you should be good to go. Mine were good enough out of the box but I still may do a little edge rounding when I find the time. And yes, if you are (were) wanting to learn to do set ups, these are great little guitars for that do to the price range. Hope all turned out well with your guitar.
I just got the HB35 Plus. I definitely had to change tuners, they just couldn't hold and were very flimsy. Other than that, the stoptail wasn't screwed down properly, and the frets also needed some light smoothing. But these are all easy fixes and are just due to cheaper manufacturing and poor quality control, which is to be expected from a guitar at this price.
I've owned my Harley Benton for over 2 years and I am still in love with it. I got the HB35 Plus exactly like this one. I rarely use the coil tapping. I have done some VERY minor adjustments in the action, but it remains one my two favorite guitars in the rack.
Spend the extra $30 for the Harley Benton. It's a better guitar. Your going to spend alot more than $30 upgrading the Firefly.
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Disagree. Takes about the same $$$ amount to get 'em BOTH to the same level of usability. BOTH need to go to a luthier before seriously playing it. So does every guitar, IF ya want it to play at it's highest level, truthfully.
@@ModernGolfer many people have the minor luthier skills to do it themselves. there isn't enough value there to go beyond that unless just have a love crush on the guitar which only a 16 year old kid would and if his parents had the money they would step up a bit to Fender Squire anyway and one of the lower cost Fender sub brands that they are making now which are priced at this point anyway and likely no better.
$30?.....more like an extra $90. $230 vs $140.
Nunya Bizness If you need a luthier because you can't fix these minor issues on your own !?? You haven't been around guitars much. Lmao.😅
Everyone loves their Firefly ! I just love mine !
ES style kits cost around $270, a decent rattle can finish $100, and with any upgrades added a guy is money ahead getting either of these guitars.
I just purchased 2 indentical Firefly 338's. I bought one for me to convert from right hand to left hand. The second one I bought for a friend of mine. Both guitars came in with broken high E strings. The double box had been smashed too hard into the bridge and it broke a string on each. Secondly the volume and tone knobs were mashed so hard against the guitar body that it left indent rings around each. The knobs were rubbing the body. When I disassembled one to convert it to a lefty I found that the volume stems were too long for the application. As a fix they put double washers on the pot so it didn't protrude too far from the body. I removed the extra washers and relocated the pots to the other side of the guitar. I still have to replace the nut, the tuners and I want better pickups, but for a cheap guitar the thing plays well. When you play clubs and bars every weekend as I do you certainly wouldn't want to take a pristine 335 there and risk it getting damaged. So the Firefly certainly fills a niche.
That HB has the right sound I’m looking for. And that lemon finish is gorgeous!
I got my HB-35 Plus CH at end of July and I love it. Its definitely a stud, not a dud. Perfect in every way IMO. It has gritty frets but I will smooth them when I change the strings but they look like they were levelled after the factory and the edges are rolled very nicely. No imperfections and plays like a dream. My favourite guitar ever and nowhere near my most expensive!
My advice ; Same china factory with some departements ; Vintage (the brand), Harley Benton, Firefly, often Wilkinson PU etc. And it's a very good factory for budget guitars
I got all excited about the Firefly FF338 because of the endless TH-cam reviews. I understood that they were hit & miss with some quality issues but I'd been wanting a 335-style guitar and I was just curious enough to put caution to the wind! Then I found out that neither Amazon nor Guitar Garden were selling these guitars in Canada. Then I found one for sale on Ebay. Nobody bid against me and I got it for eighty bucks!! The upshot of this is that it's great in every way. Tuners work fine.....fit & finish is flawless....pickups just kick ass! I realize I got very lucky to get one without the oft-mentioned quality issues. Anyway, if a guitar makes you happy, it ain't a bad guitar 😃
As long as you fix any slight intonation problems adjust the truss rod and achieve a playable action, you'll be ready to go on both of these guitars. As for pick ups...if you're going through a Line 6 Pod or something similar into a DAW ... it doesn't really matter. It's all in the fingers and the with creativity of the player everytime. Years ago, I would have loved to have owned a Gibson 345 like my guitar hero Bill Nelson or a Gibson 335 like my other guitar hero, Alvin Lee. The cost of a Gibson was way, way
beyond me, so I bought a brand new, made in Japan, Yamaha SF 1000... £275 in the UK (with hard case) in 1980. A decision I've never regretted. So...
don't just go for a big name.
Thank you Ryan! I'm ordering an HB through your link. I've purchased 4 Firefly guitars, and my experiences were not as great as others have claimed to have had with Firefly guitars. I was only willing to keep one of the 4 Firefly's due to poor conditions of the instruments. The one Firefly that I did keep out of 4 (which was the best of the 4), I have had to do a complete fret level, crown and polish. Still need to replace the tuners and at least one of the pickups (will probably replace both). That being said, I will still have to live with the other flaws (40 grit sanding marks throughout the entire paint job, lopsided string-through-body ferrules, crooked bridge...etc..). I was glad to see someone actually make an honest review of both of these guitars because I have been looking at the HB's for quite some time, and I've really been kicking myself for buying FOUR Firefly's without even trying ONE Harley Benton. Thank you for your honesty and comparison. It was spot on.
Harley bentons still get quality control issues here and there. but thats par for the course with budget guitars. I had a similar experience with fireflys though, out of 4 i only entertained the thought of keeping one, while i have 4 harley bentons and only one of them is kind of a dud.
@@60CycleHumcast Very good to know. Thank you much for the info Ryan. You have definitely helped me to make the decision to buy a Harley Benton. I don't mind working on my guitars some if within reason. I don't expect perfect for $250 or less. Keep the videos coming my friend! Awesome stuff man! A little word called "HONESTY". If you stop on over to the facebook Firefly fans page you will see a guy who has a post about his frets being loose and unseated from the 12th fret to the 21st fret. He literally makes a video showing the bouncing frets popping up and down. One of the admins (no names) actually got on his post and said "I've seen people do this with Gibson's, it's an easy fix, just use Super Glue Gel" (first of all I would use THIN Super Glue if it was 1 or 2 frets, but not 8 frets!). Anyway, then he goes on to say something like "But still not bad for $150 guitar"!!! I was sitting there with my mouth hanging open slobbering on myself reading that. I felt sorry for the guy with the fret issues.
the nice thing about the fireflys is they are amazon prime so if you have prime you can return them fairly easily. Still though, loose frets are crazy.
@@60CycleHumcast I agree. At least you can return them through Amazon Prime. I'm sure I will buy another FF guitar just based on that alone. But if I buy one more bad guitar from them I'm sure it will be the last for me. Hey man, I'm down to try anything as long as it's not wasting my time and money. Thanks for your time kind Sir. Hope you're having a great day!
Might be getting the HB but I have to agree that the color of the Firefly looks really good, temptingly so... :) Great video that only got better by your talk at the end, thanks!
For me the hb is worth the little extra cash for the extra features alone. The firefly is for the person who doesn't have the little bit extra cash, gr8 deals both of these guitars. Thanks Ryan!
Ide say that is a very accurate statement
That HB is just freaking gorgeous. Great video, man.
Firefly pros:
Rounder "ear" shape
Boomier sounding pickups
Proper shaped pickguard
Firefly cons:
Jumpy tuners
Microphonic pickups
Laughable fretboard quality
Finishing issues
HB pros:
Gorgeous lemon burst finish
Coil cut controls (!)
Quality tuners
Nice fretboard fit and finish
HB cons:
'Tight' sounding pickups
Ibanez shaped 'ears'
LP style pickguard
Keeper: HB-35. I can live with the Ibanez shape, and can swap out the pickguard and pickups.
Even on epiphones I take off the pickguard and switch out the pickups anyway. That burst is gorgeous.
Sassy Cat If you can find an older one on eBay they are more “authentic” in their look. I believe Harley Benton/ Thomann changed them under pressure from Gibson!
Harley Benton all the way, stick a pair of Iron Gear Blues Engines in it and it'll sound fantastic (good as Duncans but less than half the price).
Iron Gear, huh? I never heard about them! I’ll look them up.
@@michaelolz They're great pickups. They're sold through a site called Axetec.co.uk. British firm and made abroad with top quality materials. I'm not affiliated with them, just a happy customer.
I fell in love with the neck measuring tool, when my dad had one! Rember, there's nothing wrong with having morals.
Body work tool?
Appreciate your honesty! You can't buy integrity with affiliate money 😊
i can buy diapers though, and some times thats more important than integrity, lol
@@60CycleHumcast speaking from experience, you'll need all the diapers you can get 😂
One of my favorite semi-hollow guitars was a plywood POS Harmony "Roy Smeck" guitar. Gritty finish, weird pickups, very fake pseudo-bigsby trem arm which did nothing except throw the guitar out of tune badly if you looked at it funny, oh yeah, and janky inlays. however it was intoned more-or-less right and - the key - was super fun to play. Really soulful and satisfying. And cost $90. Total beater but lots of character. I'm glad to see there are cheap and perhaps squirrely guitars being made that give that soulful sound and don't require shelling out a ton of money. Rah for cheap guitars!
I own 4 Harley Benton guitars and can't complain as for Harley Benton they actually deliver on time for playing there an absolute iconic sound why buy an expensive guitar when you can buy a cheap guitar that plays exactly the same as a Gibson, Fender I actually love my Harley Benton guitars I get a great buzz when I'm plugged in on one of my Harley Benton guitars 🎸
My 338, purchased 2 months later than yours has no issues, cosmetically or mechanically. BTW, $140 vs. $230 is huge for many of us. For me, the larger amount is prohibitive. Thanks for your work!
The Harley Benton is the one I bought and I am highly impressed by it. No regrets at all. One small thing, though - the three-way switch disassembled itself into its body in several pieces. Caused a short. Replaced it, and all's well... Oh!And the lemon burst color is STILL my favorite of all the guitars I own (admittedly, that's only 7).
Ryan is on top of things with this video. Firefly's are hot now and the HB's have been for a time. Good stuff.
I am not in the loop with the Firefly's and have only seen "sold out", but as i am a fan boy of the Harley Benton's i may remain a spectator with the Firefly's. I do not think they were made in the same factory, unless the Firefly's are made on the 3rd shift. Granted the materials were similar, but you have shown the finish differences to be obvious.... at least in this example.
Firefly wins the pick guard competition however. :)
Never had an issue with the Firefly tuners. Every guitar owned goes to the favorite local luthier, anyway. Every one needs a 'tweak' to fit 'just right'. Regardless of price or brand.
One thing to note is the price difference as well. I’d choose the HB over the Firefly except the spalted maple FF 338. But after adding the rather significant shipping charges on the HB, you’re paying almost $200 more for the HB than the Firefly if you live in the US.
You sure you live in the US? I live in the farthest corner of the lower 48 and have 7 HB's and have never paid more that $70 for shipping. The Firefly costs $27 to ship. At the end of the day the FF338 will cost 225 bucks and the HB 335 costs 260, both after shipping. 35 dollar difference. I don't know where you got $200 difference.
You can get Free Shipping now for HB in the USA.
I'd like to throw my two penn'orth in here. For reference, I own a new Firefly 338 (and a 1964 Gibson 335...). One thing I think blurs issues is that we tend to evaluate budget guitars as players, as real 'pro'-type guys. If you are a new kid on the block wanting a guitar, the Firefly (cheap as chips) is spectacularly good. You won't notice the tuners, you won't notice the pickups, you'll find it easy to play and life will be good. Later on, you can get the attitude and the vocabulary and all the knowledge necessary to be a tedious bore at a cocktail party. Then you buy something else. But to kick off, you WILL NOT STRUGGLE with a Firefly. You will not miss the HB. Having said that, if you have the dosh then get the HB. It's still cheap. The one thing I would say is, don't buy a real Gibson or a real Fender unless it's vintage. The new stuff is way-over-priced crap, Support your local Firefly dealer. Or HB dealer. Good guitars at sensible prices. Here endeth the lesson.
Are there actually Firefly dealers? I've only found them on Amazon. -steve
Well said. At $140 it’s a no brainer for someone low on cash. HB is better quality but not enough to matter if you have low funds.
spend the extra money and get money and buy an epiphone dot or sheraton. you wont be sorry.
The neck pickup in the HB has me considering buying one. The light and airy tone I heard was super pleasant and exactly what I’d hope to get out of a guitar of this style.
I know this is a 2019 video and it is now 2022 for this comment. But in 2017 I was able to get one of the original fireflies in red sold to a buddy's house in the states and I was able to go and pick it up because I couldn't get them in canada. I still can't get them in canada. I just ordered a Harley Benton HB 35 Plus in the metallic Plum front top and it's on the way. For my 2017 Firefly I pretty much expected that I would have to change a lot of things on it and I was right all I kept was the post studs and the tail piece everything else had to go. I upgraded everything and it became a really nice playable 335 style guitar which I still love. I'm hoping my Harley Benton arrives with less things to change than my Firefly did. From your review I clearly could hear that the Harley Benton was better even on the 2019 Firefly. But in the clean tones of the pickups I thought they were very very close. The whole Saga of my 2017 Firefly is on my channel if anyone is interested to look
They all work from the same state approved cad file in Chyna. Not sure about the HB, but Firefly has really upped their fret game in recent years.
Ryan, I really enjoy your vids. Here is a perfect example of why. You dispel the myth that there is no bottom to the "low price" quality guitar. I see people go online and rave about these Fireflys, but the minute you showed the close up comparison of the 2 necks, it quite clearly showed that anyone choosing the Firefly is picking an inferior made guitar.
Like you I was attracted to one of the color choices (the blue) and I almost jumped on it. I count myself lucky now, that they were sold out at the time and the urge passed, because 2 weeks later I got an unbelievable deal on a used Epiphone that plays great and has not even one flaw in finish or build.
Ryan, I just stumbled onto you here. So glad that I did. Major kudos to you. Finally, a guy that does comparisons in a way that is easy to follow and understand. The right way. You play the same stuff on each one and only for short bursts and I am very impressed by this vid due to your candor about the affiliate deal and the fact that you chose honesty over hyping the one that pays you better. I subscribed instantly and also became a fan instantly. I look forward to exploring your other content here. One tiny quibble with this vid is not talking about playing differences in the context of the 2 different neck scale lengths. It did not matter to me but it might to someone else. I have a Harley Benton Tele in my collection that is all metallic paisley on the front and has Texas Specials instead of the stock pickups and it is a pretty nice player. Another thing is I really appreciate you having captions and even more that you speak very clearly and face the camera so we can see your lips move. I am deaf and wear hearing aids so this means a heck of a lot to me and I want you to realize how much I appreciate it. And yes, being deaf, I have no idea what I sound like when I play and sing. lol If they start throwing tomatoes, I know its a bad night.
Taking the moral high ground is a good phrase. I like good or strong integrity. Either way, thank you for your honesty!
Subbed - Ryan, thanks for giving us something that can only be found on a handful of channels on YT, HONESTY... I have been waiting for the FF338 to come back in stock on Amazon but this video just made me stop looking for in stock status on the firefly. I'm taking your affiliate link to HB. Looking at both guitars objectively , the HB is the clear winner. The fretboard inlays are what made the decision for me. They mill out an oversized hole for the inlay and just fill around the edges because the hole does not fit the inlays they have that day. Nope, not for me. By the time you change pups and tuners on the FF338, you have as much or more in it as the HB35+ with better QC. Its a no brainer for me. Thanks for the honesty again..
Hey Bevis ... "Green light? Step on the gas! Yellow light? Step on the gas! Red light? Step on the gas! Harley Benton rules!
This is probably the 3rd time I've watched this video (Thank You Ryan for making it!) I struggle a little with the width of this style of guitar, BUT... the tone is pretty unique with it as well.... so I keep coming back to adding one to my "Guitar Sounds Tool Box". While I already own the Harley Benton CST 24-HB guitar (PRS shaped Semi Hollow design...& I LOVE it!) I still don't think I'm quite getting that "335-esque tone". Someone else thought the H.B. might be slightly smaller (new versions) than a 335 style, but not as small as the 339 style guitar. Anyway, I'm had just visited the Thomann site and they had the HB35 Plus back in stock in the Lemon Drop Fade (My favorite look that they offer...I am the type that prefer to see the wood grain through a translucent finish, versus any type of opaque finish...We all have our little prejudices don't we? 😉) ....so ... I finally grabbed it! This will be my 4th H.B. I do tend to appreciate what they have to offer, but I did sell the RB-612CS preferring my Eastwood Classic 12, even though I wanted to prefer the H.B. Now, I'll need to compare the CST-24 HB to the H35 Plus to see if I was really "missing something". LOL! Play Lots!
Great video, thank you, however I bought a Firefly about two years ago and it is flawless. It shows none of issues mentioned, and the pick-ups are the same ones in my Epiphone. I have come to love the Grover style machines. Again thanks and have a cool day.
Probably not gonna buy either one but your honesty about how you get paid at the end made me a subscriber. Soooo many dishonest “reviews” online pushing products these days
Thanks for your honesty! That's rare this day in time. I'd probably opt for firefly. But that's because I would probably at least swap the pickups in both guitars if I purchased either. I actually like to upgrade pretty much all my guitars. That's not for everyone though. I'd agree with your choice and think it'd be the choice if I didn't want to spend time and money on upgrades and just wanted to use the guitar. If I buy a firefly in the future, I will come back and purchase through your affiliate link. Absolutely because you were honest about it and upfront on the business side.
thanks! i appreciate it.
Have bought 2 HB acoustics this past year and both were amazing...easily worth 2x the $$. The knock-off Martin solid wood 000 is far and above the best of all the ones I've tried. Going to roll the dice again on the lemon Drop 35. Love my PRS and Tele, but have a need for something new and sure as hell cant afford a 'genuine' 335 on a pensioners' salary! ..and POOH to all the snobs out there :) Thanks..great review.
Straight up, I go with the HB. Functionality and playability out of the box as it is. I like that. I too like the gold FF, it's appealing for sure. But, I want an instrument that I can play as is, don't mind mods but would rather keep it original. Oh yeah, the HB is available. The FF is not with no estimated availability even on the horizon. Thinking hard on this one. I'll let you know where I land. Really, really appreciate your honesty in your reviews. It is a tremendous value in itself. Keep up the great work! Many thanks for the reviews.
What a hard decision, but! I'll get straight to the point, the HB 35 Plus LD won out. Received the 35 Plus two days ago and I am delighted and that comes from an IT engineer working along side of bell labs scientists on the largest data warehouse systems outside of the DOD. Details matter massively to me. The fit and finish was second to none and I mean none. I did find some glue on the upper frets, simply cosmetic, but no problem, simply scraped off with a polyester scraper and the instrument is absolutely perfect. No blemishes or defects, none, not, nada. After having many instruments since 3rd grade, 55+ years, this is the best instrument I have ever purchased or seen! The sound is totally top shelf. The only caveat is the pots, some minor dial noise however this is not a factor once set and playing, no noise during play. Will not be replacing the pots in the near term. In comparison to my Fender Strat Infinithy, there is simply nothing to compare, one is like pre-moon landing technology, the other, the 35 Plus, is truly at a level that only today's science and manufacturing capabilities can produce in today's era of guitar design and production techniques. I can confidently say this is a buy-yes recommendation. Play on friends ...
Thanks for being one of the honest ones. I hate people that push garbage for money.
Your honesty is appreciated man. I love my HB35, it's a great guitar. Same as you, my channel makes more from Amazon than Thomann lol
Would love to see the cost breakdown of these compared to say a Gibson
$3000 for a Gibson 335
$230 for the HB
@@RyanAmplification I think bellyflops2 means the cost to make these guitars.
Labor costs are a factor.
My 1971 ES-335 has been coil split since 1972.
You could call them scruples too. I agree with your assessment of the two guitars. Where you and I differ is I like the wood grain and the pattern it creates. I also like the tan pick guard rather than the black. What I didn't get was what is the neck like on these? Since I like a thinner neck and a flatter profile that information would be welcome. I have small hands, but more important short fingers. So barre chords work better if the neck is built flat. That allows me to put more pressure from the back to support the barre. I noticed you are able to curl your thumb over the top edge of the neck so you can use it to deaden the top string if necessary. Or you can use it as I see players do sometimes use it to play the top string if you need a note that doesn't that doesn't require a full barre. Anyway, My thumb hardly ever gets over the top, and that is just the tip. Plus I have a pretty good case of arthritis, so that doesn't help. So that info would be nice. I am also left-handed, and I am guessing that model wouldn't even be available to me anyway. Overall I liked your evaluation. I also understand the need for the guitar to look right for you, I play golf and was pretty good at one time. But if the irons I was testing out didn't look right sitting behind the ball I couldn't get the ball airborne to save my life. It's quirky to be sure, but then if all of us liked the same thing, all but one of us would be unnecessary. Thanks again.
This channel is starting to grow on me.
Thanks again.
My Fire Fly came much much nicer than yours?
I got the spalted maple version (beautiful) put a setup on it, roller bridge, and locking tuners, got rid of the pickguard too, as I don’t care for ‘em, and now the guitar plays amazing.
Yes, the pickups are microphonic, too a point, but they don’t sound bad, and it covers all genre’s really well.
I have over 50 quality instruments (really high-end) that I’ve collected for over 45 years, and just recently purchased a few of these “budget” guitars, such as an HB CTS-24 (PRS style) with an amazing red flamed maple top, and after setting it up like the FF with al the “goodies” I added to the FF, it’s a really nice guitar as well...
I bought ‘em to have something to do while in lock-down, and I’m no longer a headstock snob, as these guitars turned out great after some minor help, especially at their price point.
Great “budget” guitars folks, even better once you put in a bit of work.
Best! ✌🏼
BTW - FF guitars are easier to find on Guitargarden.com
Ok so here is my point of view. I just bought the Firefly 338 in Cobra Burst. Lots of the defects mentioned I found on my firefly plus more. Price point the two guitars might be close to each other but shipping is where the big difference is. $30 for a Firefly and $80 for a Harley Benton. Finish and colors, I like more on the Firefly. Bottom line, I would probably go with the Harley Benton if I found someone who is willing to split the shipping cost with me. Harley Benton can ship two or more guitars for the same price as one.
Thanks for staying honest and not selling out. Great video!
Thank you for doing a vs video. All the firefly videos I see are just a review of the guitar by itself with no real comparison to anything else, and anything can sound good or bad in a YT video when you have nothing to compare it to.
I had a nice experience last year. I was headed into a town where they have one of those centers that sells guitars, but I decided to not shop there. Instead I searched "Music store" in a map app. The store I ended up at was selling used...at the same prices as the local garage sale app!
I have a Firefly 338, and I agree theres a few minor cosmetic issues on it. Altho based on other's feedback, the quality control can be somewhat hit or miss. In my particular case, my 338 has only 2 paint blems, both really wasn't easily noticable unless ye specifically sit to look for them. Both are on the bindings, one is next to the neck joint where there is a tiny bit of excess clear globbing on the binding. There's a tiny bit of black smudge on the neck binding from the neck finish.
Unlike yours, my board inlays is actually very excellent. There's no huge black margins on the inlay like yours nor were there any glue slop either. The inlays on mine fits snugly in the board recess cut for them. The tuners are decent for a set of generic sealed tuners, not the best but certainly not the worst either. I have on order a set of nickel Grover Rotomatic tuners enroute to me which will go on when they get here.
I paid more than 300 for mine, but it came with a full fret job done on it and had a set of zebra 2009 Gibson Les Paul Traditional Professional pickups (Burstbucker 3 bridge/57 Classic neck) installed. I verified they are genuine while I had them pulled out to install coil controls via Seymour Duncan's Triple-Shots.
Side note: the top arch on the 338 is flatter than Les Pauls, so a bit of filing was needed on the Triple-Shots for a perfect fit.
I think the Gibson pups, even tho they're a bit lower output than what I'm used to (JB/Jazz) @ 8.1k/7.6k, are an excellent match for the semi-hollow 338! The pup's warmer tones with just a tiny bit of grit tones down the brightness of the all-maple body.
Methinks the only other thing I'd change in the future are audio taper pots for more intuitive volume & tone control.
Yes, overall the 338 is aint the best made 335 type out there, but for the $140 buy price, and the (at least for ME) the acceptable quality that came from the factory, it's an excellent beginner's SHB guitar that has room to be upgraded with a few choice pieces and _STILL_ spend less than a genny 335.
I would have no hesitation to gig with this 500$* Firefly 338! Aside from the '09 Gibby pups, the guitar is easily replaceable. I'd lose sleep if I was travelling with a 335 costing a magnitude more.
*Total cost spent on my 338, including '09 Gibson pups, Triple-Shots, Grover locking tuners, D'Addario Flatwound 10-42 strings and a complete set of US-spec pots, switch and output jack.
I have a Harley Benton and a Firefly both are different models but the Harley is becoming my favorite, including my name brand guitars. Thanks for the video and honesty.
Man, I'm new to the whole $250 and under budget guitar thing, but I like what Firefly, Grote, Indio, HB and IYV are putting out. I also like the Slick brand, mainly for the aged guitars, w brass hardware.
Throwaway guitars
@@ralex3697 No. Sears Silvertones are throwaway guitars, in fact, calling them guitars at all is a stretch. Realize the kind of garbage guitars America grew up with, and you'll realize, we've entered a Golden Age of guitars.
What? no middle position demo for the pickups??? My heart is broken, Ryan :{
I bought both the HB 12-string electric and the Nylon string electric a few years ago and luv them both ! Next . . their 6 string banjo.
Thanks for the video :-), I'll definitely pick the HB35 too, the sound is better and clear, the Firefly is a bit muddy!
I’m a new recipient of an original Early Firefly EA335. It was stained blue from the factory which I appreciate. This guitar has been modified with new pickups, potentiometers, bridge and has had the frets polished and trimmed. It’s pretty darn good! I like heavy guitars and this isn’t one of them. Be careful with it!
Huge thumbs up for giving the feedback the way you did, I really appreciate it.
the inlays speak to the quality control
Never saw inlays as he has on that particular guitar, but the newer ones of today are super clean.
I recently bought the firefly and I love it. I haven't had any of the issues that Ive seen others complain about such as the buzzing coming from bridge or picups. No issues with nut it was cut perfect. My tuners work just fine no issues there either. As for the finish mine looks great granted its mat black but there where no scratches or or any other flaws. I probably just got lucky but im going to a fret job even though its not that bad i just want optimal playability im also going install some bad ass filtertrons. Im glad I bought it and ill be keeping mine
I got the red 338 and have had no issues with it. Finish was great...I must have gotten lucky.
Bought directly from Guitar Garden for 189 with flamed top(was $30 more). Pickups have been improved, not so microphonic. Had dirty frets but has a bone nut. Filed the frets. I'm happy with it. Stays in tune pretty well.
I’ve got a Harley Benton SC-550 in tobacco. A year spent in a Texas garage getting played regularly and it’s as good as new. Tiny issues with the fretboard shrinking (I think). Small splits in fret board perpendicular to the frets (cosmetic only). Probably the dry heat. Still plays and sounds amazing. Nicest finish and sound for any guitar at its price point. Honestly, it’s hard to buy any other guitar for under $400 and it costs half that. If you’re new to guitar, buy a Harley Benton and deal with the shipping from Germany. No better value.
Bought a salted maple top firefly. Replaced tuners with grovers. Pickups from epiphany and roller bridge. All from my junk bins. It punched way above its weight now.
I had to spend $20 getting the fret edge's smoothed where they wouldn't cut my hands and will have to put some tuners on it because it won't stay in tune, but it does play and sound good when it is in tune and of course I had to do a setup too.
Get a fret file for 40$ and do it on all your guitars :D best purchase I made these days
One other point you missed about the Firefly microphonic pickups Ryan. Those are actually a feature - not a flaw, as it saves you money on having to buy separate vocal mics when gigging so you get more bang for your buck !
Ended up getting the HB35 very pleased and Happy with the decision, Thanks 😊
Or you can get a used Epiphone. Both guitars look like modders but at the end, you still have a cheap guitar. I like cheapos so long as the quality is punching way above the price. That said I tend to stick to bigger brands. FYI you can pick up used Samicks at this price point and have something punching much much stronger than these two.
All said I liked the HB a little more. The Firefly reminds me of the DeArmonds that Fender had out as budget Guilds. Most left something to be desired but some were really good.
I have the 35plus 3 years now and it’s my favorite guitar. I have a Gretsch and a G&l and the HB still gets played the most by far and is holding up fabulously. It plays everything with an amazing range of tones. I’ve changed nothing so far on it. I will say my pups have Wilkinson’s and the Roswells sound similar. Very interesting video once again Ryan thanks.
yes I got a HB35 b stock for 168 due to a scratch on the neck.After I put Grover tuners on it it is a great guitar !Intonation and action is just right and it sounds great!
I recently bought both a Harley Benton (rosewood deluxe Tele) and a Firefly (FF338 blue burst) on ebay, both at about $200 each. The Firefly had upgraded tuners and pick ups.
Both needed a set up and fret work, but the Firefly required far more cleaning of the frets.
Both are fun guitars for the money, but definitely don't compare to my Gibson's, Fenders, or even my Schecters. Still, I like them both quite a bit.
But based on my limited experience, if I were going to buy another, I'd go with the Harley Benton brand.
I love how he snatches those chords outta the inputs
I own the FF and have to say that I see none of the problems on my black model. Playing it through a LANEY Cub all tube amp and sounds and plays great. I think I paid 140 for it off Amazon Prime and couldn't be happier and frankly don't know how they can sell it so cheaply. The frets are finished very well, binding is nice, and inlays are milled nice with no black edges surrounding them like I see on the one you demo, and no smears or blobs in the finish etc.etc. Just a very good guitar for the bucks spent.
I have both and only bought because of price and I sent back the firefly and kept the Harley I found it to be a much better guitar all around.i got the 550 deluxe sc model lespaul flame top with roswell pickups and a decent tail piece and it came with bone nut cut well.ive Ben doing this for 38 years now playing in bands,rock of course and I love this guitar buy it you will love the 550 Duluxe model I do.i have a Gibson Lp 1959 and I always do gigs with the Harley and it sounds the same as my 29 grand Gibson so buy the Harley if starting of people don't come to see your guitar they come to here u play so what you like has nothing to do with how much ur instrument cost and trust me they will think it's a Gibson just from the sound,same same same save ur money and get a Harley benton there worth every penny and look exact as a 20 grand gibson.that will come later if u stick to it and if not you won't have any problem getting ur money back on it.best sellers.thanks everyone
I appreciated your picking the Harley Benton despite the better affiliate income from Amazon/Firefly. Integrity move!
Plot twist, he makes money either way, he has links to it as well!
Seems the HB is the superior guitar, but the Firefly is cheaper and with a small expenditure and some effort can be as good (almost). To some of us whichever comes available is good buying. Personally I got the Firefly and it absolutely needed fretwork which I am thankfully able to do myself, and those pickups are simply inadequate with the amount of squealing going on so replacements had to be found. That’s always a gamble too, make no mistake. Still a lot of guitar for cheap though
Love your content. Especially the fact youre not a snob on the cheaper guitars, dont dismiss Squiers vs Fenders etc. Love it 👍🏻
Nice video... I say...make it far. Put $90 of upgrades in the firefly and do a comparison. Say pickups and tuners...and maybe a new nut. Both are upgradable guitars... love the idea...make it your own concept. Thx for your honesty and personal opion. Keep it real.. 😊👍
Never owned a HB but do own the FF, can't find fault with my FF at all. Don't see the mistakes etc that you point out on the one I own. Through my BC 60 or my Laney Club it sounds excellent and plays excellent and looks excellent. So there ya go. Then again I have an old Jay Turser LP in a classic sunburst that I think is a stellar guitar too.
Agree. Mine is excellent. At the price couldn't be happier with it. Sound, looks, playability etc. Just a really nice little guitar at a crazy low price. Looks like his was a lemon. I don't know how he set his amp and all, but in person, mine sounds really good. Best to drop the pickups down just a little as they really run hot (not weak as stated on this vid). If the Harleys were hotter, they would be unusable unless turned down. Things you can't see on some of these vids is the strings used (makes a BIG difference), the amp settings and guitar setup. This vid was just way off course to me, nothing like what I have experienced.
OK NOW I understand why some You Tube reviewers are pumping these things... Its all about the payday.. not honest reviews. I think a lot less of them now.. I have 3 of them and I agree they are not so great.. HB is worth the difference and then some. Thanks for bringing some honesty to the game..
I paid $250.00 for the same Firefly . But blue on black . I love it !
They are the exact same guitar. Made in the same factory and or factories. The only difference is quality control, and the 90 dollar shipping cost of the Harley Benton. You will definitely swap out the guts of both guitars if you actually want them to sound good. Keep them as is if you’re just an at home noodler.
Thanks for keeping yourself honest, and showing you have morals. That's how you gain followers, and keep those you've had. Honesty and integrity 👍