Musicians who are hooked on USA Brand Name guitars are really missing the boat. I own several US guitars as well as a number of Samicks. In every case, the Samick guitars are at least as good as the US guitars, and often better. In the past, I have paid thousands for USA guitars but never again. Not when I can get a superior quality instrument for a quarter of the money. It's just a matter of getting out from under that "Marketing Brand Name Spell" that has been so skillfully foisted on us over the last 50 years.
I bought a Zagar ZAD80 $1,600. Greg Bennett pro D8 is the same guitar for $500. ZAD80 has a Zagar headstock. Zad900 is $2,500 Greg Bennett asdr pro is the same but cost $500. I have a asdr being delivered tomorrow. Can't wait. I is plays or sounds anything like the ZAD80 It will be wonderful.
LOVE my Avion (AV1). I tried a vintage Les Paul during the same time (was actually there to buy a Gibson LP), but just fell in love with the feel of the Avion over it. Fantastic build quality. Hasn't let me down in over 14 years of playing since I got it.
My Ultramatic UM3 is one of the most playable guitars I've ever owned. Sounds great too, and only cost me around $100 secondhand, in mint condition. I'm forever buying and selling guitars (including Gibson, Fender and PRS) but my Ultramatic isn't going anywhere anytime soon, and I will probably buy another if I see another one at a good price here in NZ.
That's a great deal man! They are super sweet. I was so surprised when I picked mine up. I was on the fence with selling it but I know this one is going to a good home.
Russia 2005 - I played (tested) a lot of variable company guitars (and some crazy shapes they got too) while was in a band. When a friend gave me to test his GB Samick TR1 with Duncan pickups it just blew me away with its sound quality and simplicity to play (on Roland Cube amp). Didn't even know that it was limited edition till 2012 and there were no Torino in town music stores in 2005 to buy for self. I played it on repetitions and lives, constantly dropping mine Yamaha Pacifica.TR1 became nearly an obsession for me, all I was thinking of that sweet, beautiful sound it made no matter the style you play. I bought it out later, still proudly play it till today (15 years now). I am very lucky at that point. Awesome guitar, sweet sweet rock memories.😊
I have a 1996 Samick G450-WR, their Artist Series Edition version of an SG. It was when Samick was still making Epiphones. I A/B'd the Samick SG with the Epi version and thought that the Samick was a bit better made. The only thing I've switched out was the tuners which were poor Kluson copies with a set of Gibson Vintage. It made a difference in tone and volume. Also switched out the knobs from plain black speed knobs to black/silver reflector knobs with indicator pointers and the toggle knob from black to cream just for looks. Fulfilled my lust for a cherry small pickguard SG without breaking the bank.
I have THREE Greg Bennett guitars and I love them! Avion AV7 (Les Paul Customish with gold hardware), Korea, used $250 ebay (Avion Duncan Designed pickups: the bridge is like a hotter "JB" style on this one) Royale RL4 (Mini semisolid, Customish with gold hardware), Indonesia, new $640 w/case in 2010 (Royale is not on the main electric menu, but if you google it, it will come up on the GB website) LaSalle JZ1 (yes, there is a "1" ... Indonesia with less fancier binding and generic pickups), Indonesia, used $400 ebay I see a lot of "refurbished" ones with restickered serial numbers on ebay these days. Anyway, they are my fave of my dozen or so guitars. Better quality than my Tokai Love Rocks from Korea/China. Much better quality than Epiphones. They all play like BUTTAH with low, low action. Watch out for bolt-on neck Avions (usually with dot necks). I did notice that compared to similar "Samick" branded guitars (not Greg Bennett) the quality is much, much higher.
Damn, I forgot about the Royale. Those are pretty darn cool. Every time I've played any of them I've been impressed. And they sell all over the map in price, so if an auction ends at a bad time for the seller you can really get some deals.
I got the avion 3 since I can’t afford a Gibson. This guitar plays, sounds and feels like a Gibson. I love it. Got it new from my guitar shop for 400$.
Can you tell me why the E low string like to snap everytime i change it..? This is my av 3 prob now..have change 5 string but still snap went tuning..?
It's awesome guitar! Just needs pick up upgrades and if u can better wires and stuff. And u have a Gibson Les Paul for 1/10 the price 😎🎸 I love my AV3 wine red ))
I just picked up a Korean UM3 in Emerald Green with locking tuners and upgraded pickups for $229. When I first saw the photo online I thought "Hmm...". When I first held it in my hands, I thought "Holy cow!". When I first played it I thought "You will be mine. Oh yes, you WILL be mine". To me it combines (most of) the best features of a PRS SE Custom 22 and the Ibanez S thin-body series. It is incredibly comfortable to hold and play. If I were to criticize it at all I would only say I'm not a fan of having other peoples' names on my guitars, and ideally it would have that beautiful switch from the Ibanez S series (e.g., S521). Otherwise, it's a spectacular instrument. Thanks for the background info on Samick/Greg Bennett. But you should still go to jail for paying only $130 for that guitar!
Awesome video, I just got a torino TR 1. The red one showed in the video. Great guitar for a great price! I would definitely recommend it to others. I got the guitar used, but in new condition for 200. Plus a pretty solid amp, foot pedal, soft case, tuner, new strings, string cleaner, triple guitar stand, picks and books.
I bought a Greg Bennett ULTRAMATIC 2 years ago after hearing how much an old friend loved it. While it was a decent guitar, I had to change the pickups, the tuners, nut, bridge and the knobs. I also removed the neck inlays replaced them with dried wood glue. I replaced the pickup mounting rings with a custom design made from an abalone soap dish that belonged to my mother. I cut the head-stock off the neck, sanded the angle off, glued it back on and installed roller string trees. I moved the both strap buttons 2mm closer to the top of the guitar. Of course I sanded and refinished the top using alternate coats of nitrocellulose lacquer and Matte Mod Podge. I reversed the position of the tone and volume knobs after changing the capacitors to 500k. For aesthetics only, I changed the color of the ground wires to green to match the guitar top. Finally, I added a layer of wax paper to the aluminum shielding tape and replaced the black electronics cover on the back with custom clear acrylic so everyone can see the green ground wire. Now this guitar plays great and one day, I might just take it out of the closet and play it on an actual gig.
Thanks dude. Got an Avion 7, the one that has a les Paul vibe.... and this things sings like any other Gibson or any other top of the line guitar (I own a few, that's why i can compare). I've got it for les than 200 bucks and this is NOT a 200 bucks guitar, if I had to put a price 600/700 without good pickups and pots. This Korean ones are a no brainer, get them if you can. I can believe this line of guitars failed and people consider Chinese Epiphones. The only bad thing about this guitar, is that it doesn't say Gibson.
Hi! how are you? I can see the Avion 7 is a nice guitar, and because of your comment I can figure out it sounds really good! But, what about its weight? I have read it is a little heavier than many others Les Pauls models... Hope you can help me with that... Thanks!
@@fedegar121 Hello, take this from a 25+ years player. Had many guitars, 200 bucks to 3000 euro guitars. The weight doesn't not affect the sound quality of the guitar. Now, you want a guitar because of it's weight or because it sounds good ? Are you planning on having the guitar on you for many many hours ? Don't let stupid people influence you with stupid concepts, go, check the guitar out. If it sound right and feels good, get it. ....color, pickups, electronics doesn't matter, all of that can be altered.
@@fedegar121 Oh....I have many accounts, so I am the same person replying. One more thing.....the Indonesian are cool, but not the best. The Korean and American are good guitars. I have 2 Greg bennett, changed pickups, electronic and so on....after working on them, they sound and feel ass good as my 3000 Euros guitar.
The Indonesian ones are pretty good too! I have the Avion AV1. It makes the Epiphone Les Paul Special II (the main direct competitor) look stupid. It comes with Grover tuners, a proper tune-o-matic style bridge, two noise-free (but rather boring sounding) humbuckers (can be EQ'ed to sound good) and the finish on the tobacco burst is glorious!
I had a Samick artist edition going back nearly 15 years ago now, was a 335 type guitar, one of the nicest guitars I've ever played, gutted I sold it. Keep checking eBay to see if I can find one.
I stopped at a yardsale because I seen a guitar. Never heard of the brand. Owner said action was real high and almost unplayable. There was not a scratch or ding anywhere but the pick guard. Dreadnought style. So I bought it $50. Took it home gave it a proper set up. Got it right. It is a GB. Dread. D1 . Awesome sound. And a pleasure to play. Dude just didn't know how to set up a guitar.
Thanks for the video Nick. I have a AV6, TR2, and a MB1. The Avion is a great guitar also the TR2. The MB1 is on par with a Squire Affinity or Standard. But I like them all.
Picked up a Greg Bennet Limited Edition AV6 for $250. Plays better than any EPI in the $200-$600 price range. Seymour Duncan’s with Grover tuners, plays like a $700 PRS for a fraction of the cost. Nice solid-body spalted maple, truly a quality guitar.
I can't believe I've NEVER seen anyone talk about the Greg Bennett gt and gt2 models. They're v shaped guitars and I have to say the gt2 is the best guitar I've ever played for me. I'm not saying it's the best guitar, I'm saying it felt the best to me out of all the guitars I've played. I'll choose it over a high dollar Ibanez or Gibson any day.
I have been using a Greg Bennet IC-1 BK Interceptor Guitar for 10 years. I have been playing music for 60 years but no matching instrument on my neck playing fingers feel this is an instrument. I mean, I don't think close to the other major premium guitars.
I have a rare Avion AV4 that I absolutely love. It looks like a telecaster and a les paul jr had a baby! 24.75" scale, LPJ-style mahogany slab body and mahogany set neck, but with a quilted maple top, bound rosewood fretboard, tele bridge, string-thru body, tele-style controls, Duncan Designed humbuckers and individual coil split for single coil tones. The electronics are typical import grade, but the guitar sounds and feels fantastic! The body is heavy and resonant and the pickups can go from tele twang to raw power without sounding harsh. You don't see them come up for sale very often and they aren't mentioned on the website, so I assume they were a very limited run. I found mine for just over $100. It needed a serious cleaning and a good set up, but everything polished up really nice and the action is spot on.
Great find! I’ve got a search set up in Gumtree (like Craigslist for Aussies) to notify me if “Greg Bennett” gets listed. The guitars are just lovely and I’ll snap up a full range if/when they come up for sale at the right price.
Samick and Cort make 80% of the worlds guitars. If your playing an Asian made guitar, odds are it was made by one of those two regardless of the branding.
@@fluffyalpaca5068 I used to have a Cort headless bass like a Steinberg and had to shield the pickup cos they started to feed back a lot. Other than that it lasted me years and was quite well made.
I have a Malibu I picked up for my son for almost nothing, it's was beat up but he wanted the color. When I took it apart I was amazed at the quality. Neck is pretty thick but very resistant to the elements, body has a nice heavy feel and once setup, it plays really well. I didn't realize all the different models, definitely going to have to check some of them out. Thanks for sharing this!
Hi Nick, Thanks for the video. Back about 100 years ago when you had to go to a music store or get "Guitar Player" to have current information on guitars, I was told, I think in music stores, that Samick was the biggest guitar manufacturer in the world, making many of the off shore name brands. I was told that since they knew how to make guitars they decided to start their own line. I have a Samick SK-5 acoustic, I think that's the model number. My wife got it for me new in about 1992 with a hard shell case for about $225.00. Solid top and I think solid body. An amazing guitar for the money. I will keep it always. I was at Music Go Round recently and saw two Avions for about $150.00 each. I should of got one. Pretty good deal. Recently I saw Samick is now selling Silvertone branded electrics. I might get one, just cause they are kind of cool. We will see. Samick used to be the Harley Benton of guitars. Good value, reasonable prices. I hope they come back with a full line again.
Hey Stan! They did make some great stuff under their brand and for so many other companies. I saw that they're now doing the Silvertone stuff... which are made much better now than they ever were back in the day!
I love Greg Bennett guitars. All my guitars and basses (3 electric guitars, 2 basses and 1 acoustic guitar) are Greg Bennetts. My TMJ-17 CE Blackbird acoustic guitar is one of my favorites. It is quite gaudy for an acoustic guitar, it has abalone inlays, block inlays and nice bindings. It has a solid spruce top and good electronics. I have played $1,000+ Taylors and Martins and they sound barely any better. The big difference is that those were much more plain and I got my Blackbird used in great (but not perfect) condition was $220.
Hello Nick, it seems you missed 2 of my favorite Greg Bennett series and that is Rockwell series and the GT series. The Rockwell was an explorer style that had 2 models. The RW1 had standard opaque finishes in red and black and dot inlays on the fretboard. The RW2 model was upgraded with a bound fretboard, trapezoid mother of pearl inlays, and came in 2 finishes a laminate quilt red, and a laminate quilt purple. Now the GT series was a flying V design they were not produced en mass and are very difficult to find. They had trapezoid MOP inlays of the fretboard, bound necks, dual humbuckers, and a more compressed V shaped body making them very comfortable to play live. Just adding my 2 cents.
I just picked up a samick Greg Bennett design fb1 with stands for fastback. It's a smaller size guitar that is supposedly and take on the Eddie Van Halen Wolfgang guitars. I like it so much I traded and Ibanez saber that was worth several hundred dollars more I didn't even trade. I think for the money they're probably the best guitars out there. And I own a custom Paul Reed Smith and a custom Kiesel as well. If you're looking for quality without breaking the bank I can't think of a better option.
It's always good to see new takes on the standard models, some nice guitars there. I have a Samick built Epi Les Paul goldtop, and I love it. I bought an amp, a load of pedals, and the guitar a few years back for a really low price..sold some of the pedals, and that paid for the Epiphone and the Marshall, and 3 or 4 pedals ! Gotta love a bargain.Top vid Nick, your channel's always a nice place to be. Cheers, Robbo.
Hey, you stole my photo, LOL! One of your Fastback photos was my old one. I knew a Samick rep, the FB was actually based on the Wolfgang guitars. Also, one of the reasons for the two strap pins on the bottom of your guitar is so it will sit steady on its end. Great job on the review!
I have an AV7. It's almost impossible to find any information on it. Plenty of (relatively) infor about the AV6 and 3. Bought it for wanting a Les Paul-type, and i am super happy!
There is a store in the UK(Gear4music) that has the exclusive UK rights on Greg Bennett and Silvertone Reissues at very attractive prices.They are made in in the same Samick factory. I bought a Silvertone Parlor for just over £100 about 12 months ago. Very good sound and well made. I returned it only because the neck was too narrow for me.
To this day, I can't understand why it is that they discontinued these stunning products...I bought a Royale RL3 Amber Finish in 2016 (?, could've been a year later, too) and it's the biggest bang for the buck, guitarwise, that I ever got! I still go back watching the presentation video done by late Mr. Bennett himself, which won me over from his explaining the construction and design decisions that went into these instruments. Not only did I learn a ton about guitars in the first place, but this way also established the foundation for a solidly informed assessment as to what affordable seni-acoustic to get at the time. Turns out that Mr. Bennett had done this awesome a job that in the end the Royals RL-3 won over an Ibanez AS JVM 90, which would have been twice the price and offering little to no advantage over the RL3. I guess the slightly smaller form factor at no sacrifice in tone helped with that purchasing decision. Nice presentation on your part!
They also made an Ultramatic 2 in transparent blue. It is basically a UM1 but with a better finish. It is Indonesian made. I have had it for 13 years now and purchased it from an actual Greg Bennett retailer that was going out of business; managed to get one of their product banners. I love it so much that it's my main guitar, I loaded it with Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates in the neck and bridge along with a Tonepros tune-o-matic and stop tail. I have been trying to acquire the Spalted Avion model but can't seem to find one along with a Green UM3 like your's. These are really great for their price range. Definitely worth checking out if on a budget.
hi Nick.A great brand to kick the h..of fender with their unjustify high prices when talking about the mid range.have an old samik bass, and love it!cheers
Hey Nick this is an intelligent review of great guitars! My congrats! I own two of them, one with trem one without that I have upgraded with Di Marzio Evo and oe Petrucci, and Pearly Gates and Custom Custom respectively. Great sounds and great playability I must says. Paid semi-new 180 euro. A great bargain. To tell you the truth, pickup upgrade not necessary....
Great video and great information on a brand I have avoided in the past. I laughed out loud on the N. Korea comment! Ha ha! Faxes.... That's a great looking guitar you have there. I may have to look for one locally or on Craigslist.
Thanks John! They do fax most of their declarations! What a riot... except for the poor folks who live there. Anyhoo, keep an eye out for these. They're worth it at those silly low prices.
Are you familiar with the Samick JTR series, designed by J.T. Riboloff, apparently a highly regarded ex-Gibson luthier who now works at Samick indonesia
Saw one you have on ebay last night. Had a few minor cosmetic imperfections from wear and tear...hardly noticeable. For $100! A beautiful guitar for cheap! Definitely on my wish list!
What doesn't get highlighted are that the set-neck Avion series, AV-3, AV-6, or AV-7, have long tenon necks. And even those that don't have the Duncan Designed pickups have Artec pickups in 'em. I have an AV3 (made in Indonesia) that I put Seymour Duncan's and good electronics on. Really not bad guitars for the price! However, the "flame top" or "quilt top" models actually have sticker tops. You'll notice that every single AV-3 has the same exactly flame pattern. I hung around a guitar store, 2010, 2011-ish, that were the dealer of these guitars in the Ph. None of their guitars were made in Korea. Every single one was from Indonesia. AV3, UM3, RL3, everything.
I have two Korean Samick GBs - luv em both! RL-3, which is pretty much a single cutaway ES-336; like a cross 'tween 335 & Les Paul. Also FA-2, which sits right 'tween Strat & Tele. I got some slightly hotter Artec lipsticks and put a HB size p-90; in the bridge. I can take these 2 guitars into a session and cover most anything.
I stumbled across a Greg Bennett UM4 in a pawnshop while on holidays a couple of years ago. I was killing time waiting for my significant other getting nails done etc etc. I knew nothing of these guitars but it looked sensational in green quilted. Specs seemed ok with Wilkinson trem, Grovers and Duncan (Designed) pickups.. I plugged in, gave her a test, offered silly lowball price as output jack was playing up. New jack was soldered/fitted, general disassembly/cleanup/setup and it’s probably my favourite axe. I’ve got a few to choose from including much more expensive Fenders, Ibanez prestige, Yamaha, Epiphone and a couple of well-made Harley Bentons (2 from 2 came well-built and undamaged!) This guitar is just.........right. Not sure if this makes sense but the neck is sublime, frets are like silk, tuning stability is great, even when using the Wilkinson 2-point trem. The weight, balance, shape and knob positioning are spot-on for my fat ass.🤗 I bought a set of alnico 5 chrome humbuckers but haven’t bothered changing them as the OG pickups really sing with my setup. The only negatives so far are the thick poly finish, sticky neck (sorted easily with some masking tape and a Brillo pad) and the quilted top is a very thin veneer. Thanks for the excellent review-I’ve been keeping an eye out for the exact model you’re using in this vid.
I took a chance on a Torino TR1 in pristine shape. The Bennets I have seen and felt are very good values.... well designed, good hardware and 'good enough' pickups. found used, they are cheap and well worth the money. They usually are like nearly new. ... guys get them and don't play them much. 10/2017 I picked up a ;ole-new D4CE in red for well under $200. It sounds great after I lowered the bass side of the saddle bottom, which is now bone. Good improvement in tone ans cheap.
Hmmmm. This was indeed a very interesting story. I would like to try a Korean made guitar. like the AV modell. I really liked the shape on those modells. Thanx Nick
Hi @Nick in the States, I'm about to purchase a green emerald ultramatic3 for 120 €. Thing is it's from Indonesia. You think it's worth it? I mean, would it be very different from the Korean ones?
They made a lot of good copies back in the day... they also made a lot of good guitars for Epiphone as well. Cool little hidden gem from the early days of Korean mass market guitars.
10:50-10:55 Who knows? Well, I do! Since 1987 the production of Washburn guitars has been moved from Matsumoku, Japan (bankrupt because of their mother company Singer Sewing Machines) to SAMICK, Korea. The same goes for brands like Aria (Pro II), Vantage, Westone. Even the bridge of my Washburn J9 Washington is EXACTLY the same as the bridges on my three Aria Pro II TA-61 guitars. Their serial numbers all start with an S. Btw, the UM-3 was not an entirely new model. It had a predecessor in the Samick Sonata, a guitar that was very much like a Patrick Eggle Berlin Pro, with a Wilkinson tremolo. I bought one as an "UM-3", but I discovered later that it was a Samick Sonata. The headstock is less complicated than the Greg Bennett stuff, which is IMHO a bit 'over-designed'. If you like Eggles, you'll like the Sonata.
I’ve owned many of the Greg Bennett by Samick guitars over the years. They are wonderful guitars as they are but with a little upgrading they can be amazing. My favorites that I have owned: Avion AV-4 (Les Paul meets Telecaster; flat top, humbuckers, string-thru-body), Fastback FB-3 (Kinda Music Man Axis meets Wolfgang; I put USA EVH pups in mine and some other upgrades and it was pretty much the same as an EVH USA Custom); Royale RL-3 (a single-cut 335ish guitar that is beautiful and feels good. GB offered a “USA” spec version where they used USA SD pup; I changed my pups to SD JB/Jazz and the guitar is second to none.) Other than the Royale series, you didn’t mention the Rockwell series. I have owned a Rockwell RL-2 (it’s an Explorer; spec’d it USA like the Gibson Lzzy Hale Explorer with Gibby 57/57+ pups...wow!) The one GB guitar that I’ve never owned, but would like to, is the Avion AV-5 (their version of a LP Special). Anyway, thanks for posting!
My first Greg Bennett was a used early-model metallic red MB-2, Korean made . One interesting thing about it is that the pickups were SSH, Duncan-designed. The more recent MB-2's I've seen seem are all SSS. I got it at a very good price, used but not abused, and I've been a fan of Greg Bennett's electrics ever since. I'd started with a borrowed Squier - a 1-pickup Mustang - the quality was dreadful. When I tried the MB-2, I was just blown away. The playability, sound, quality of workmanship, fit & finish, and overall excellent design were just amazing. I've found a few other Greg Bennett models since. Sadly, very few of the high-end models made it this far north in the Great White North. I still live in hope of finding something like an AV-7. There's a Malibu model called the MB-4 with a Wilkinson bridge - a rare animal, apparently. Greg Bennett also made a P-bass inspired model, the "Corsair." I found a beautiful example and I'm still amazed by the great sound and high overall quality. It's a great pity that Greg Bennett/Samick no longer make these electrics. For me, they've proved to be great instruments - well-made, high quality, terrific sound and wonderful to play.
I'd probably want a little money back with the JZ2. I think they street at about $500 to $600 used, right? That tele if in good shape is more like $750 in my book.
I used to own an Avion AV5, one that's not mentioned in your great, fun, and informative video, and one I can't find a mention of anywhere else (pretty much). The AV5 had a bound flat top and two P90s, along with chrome hardware and abalone dot markers. I can't remember where it was made, though.
I forgot about the AV5... their site leaves a lot of them off. I forgot the Royale as well... and I briefly owned one of those!!! hahaha Sounds like that was a cool guitar man. One of these days I'll buy an Avion when the right one stumbles into my life.
I would like to make a statement about these guitars. 1. The Trademarked Brand name of these " Greg Bennett" guitars. is NOT Greg Bennett... It's "Signature Series" and the signature is Greg Bennett, who was an outside sales rep for Washburn and other guitars companies for about 30 years before he began importing Sammick built guitars under this Signature Series brand name. 2. If you search for "Bennett guitar" on google, eBay or Reverb. you will find many of these "Signature Series" Greg Bennett guitars along with a very few of My own trademarked Brand " Bennett Guitars" This has caused my Brand to wane, due to the large disparity in both the Pricing and the number built between the two brands, and the obvious Brand confusion created by Mr. Greg Bennett naming his guitars in the manner that he has. Legally I can't sue him because his guitar brand isn't bennett guitar or even Greg Bennett guitars. BUT its the guitar Communities general concensus that these guitars are called "Bennett guitars" which they are NOT. 3. I owned the trademarked brand "Bennett Guitars" from 1979 until about 2010 when I gave up on trying to compete with these Signature Series Greg Bennett instruments that were built by Sammick of Korea. I have seen many people purchase one of my handmade "Bennett Guitars" believing it was a Sammick made Greg Bennett guitar for a very cheap price. and of course they confused the quality of my handmade guitar with that of the Greg Bennett guitars . this is not fair or accurate. 4. its important to make sure that people know what they are buying, if a guitar says "Bennett" on it. it is a USA build handmade guitar and not an inexpensive Korean made guitar. it was made with extremely high quality woods that were aged for an average of 7-10 years prior to being made into a guitar and another 5-7 years after it was cut into a guitar shape. it will have used real pearl inlays, real USA Seymour Duncan Pickups, the highest quality available hardware, and many years of experience in traditional fine wood working. 5. I have since changed my trademarked brand to Bennett Music Labs. in an effort to help with this brand confusion. but even that brand can still be searched for by simply using "Bennett guitars" 6. I have built approximately 3500 guitars over the last 40 years with a price range of 1500 to 5K, and while that is a pretty fair number for a single person shop, its is not even a drop in a very large bucket when compared to The normal Sammick output of 10K per month. these details may not be of any interest to anyone. but it should be noted that when buying a Guitar marked simply "Bennett" on the headstock, you may not be getting a Signature Series Greg Bennett by Sammick.
Thank you for the information and I'm sorry you have had so much difficulty with brand confusion. Sometimes I wonder if there are any words/names left in the dictionary/phone book that aren't trademarked yet. Intellectual property lawyers and legislators are still dragging their knuckles on the ground, with no foresight at all. I can only imagine what small companies will face in 100 years. I do like the Samick guitars a lot, given what I can afford. But for what it's worth, I would rather have "Bennett Guitars" (or "Bennett Music Labs") on the headstock than some other guy's personal name. Keep dropping notes like this around, and maybe you can ride the Samick search engine dominance to get the word out about your brand, as you did here!
Purchased a used Avion AV6 with black finish, at GC. I bought the guitar for my Nephew who's just starting out. The price was a whopping $149.99 (why the just don't say $150 mystifies me). Put it thru the usual tryout paces and riffs. Just have one thing to say about it.. wish I kept it for myself !!! It just felt right, loved the neck construction, the tone was sweet (run the signal thru a Tube Screamer for total awesomeness) the weight kind of surprised me it was about as heavy as a older style Les Paul. If it was the Limited Edition (the natural finish) I definitely would've kept it and buy some Wall guitar hangers so that the first thing you see when coming in would be that guitar like a Trophy LOL. Don't have to worry about theft since I have a guard Chihuahua ... PS You don't happen to live in NA by chance ?? : )
I think that one issue that plagued Greg Bennett guitars was availability. They were not widely available online from 1st party dealers and were not sold in big box stores i.e. Guitar Center so most people have never even heard of them. I was lucky that my local music store when I was growing up (Let's Jam in Lagrangeville, NY) happened to sell them.
Hah! I put a ZOOM G5n Multi-Effects Processor up on FB Marketplace because, why not. Never bonded with the thing so got a red FA-2 on a straight across trade. Well worth it. Nice guitar. Looks good beside my HB TE-80 Mad Cat mod. Both are quality builds and sound great. The HB doesn't have Grover tuners tho.
You give the best video on all of the TH-cam nation. I have a shit load of crazy off brand guitars on stands. I slip on a step and I am impelled on a pointy thing. But thank you for opening my eyes, I was playing with the crazy glue. Great show Nick wherever you are. I am building a Jazz Master so that takes all my time. I finished it with clear coat and I mixed in blood donations. Tia my main woman and a lot of mine. I hope it doesn't end up like a scab. I will be picking at it all the time. I was going for the nice Chabli like Marc Bolans Les Paul.
I just got a Samick valley arts ,5 string bass,from what I learned they where a series of what Samick called custom shop basses, in the 90s, it's active/passive thru a push/pull knob then two volumes for the Pj setup, that look like emg ripoffs to me,it's black with gold hardware,and a black see thru finish,it's an awesome bass,now that I got it setup correctly. It's a weird bass compared to my other basses,it just sounds different which I like,the frets are square and boxy ,not like I'm used to,it took a few weeks for me to decide wether I liked it or not,at first I string EADGC,didn't like the c string at all so I went to BEAD and love it now. It's a tank of a bass,ash body maple neck. I call it my shred machine,because that's what it reminds me of,something you'd see in a 1980s Poison video,lol
I am pretty sure the 'two strap positions' (an extra knob) is not for using them both, BUT for the guitar to not fall when put on the floor up against the wall. Same with some intelligent made basses out there
I've had an acoustic Greg Bennett for probably a little over 11 years now and it only occurred to me tonight, "who IS Greg Bennett?" Thank you for finally putting that question to bed! Also, I've had friends with Martins tell me they liked mine more!
A pawn shop close to my house had a Greg Bennett Concorde for sale for $120!!! Ridiculous!! It was in good condition and sounded great, I just have way too many guitars otherwise ...... It would have bought it. Body was solid and on the heavy side, which I like
Great video. I like the history of guitar manufacturing. I am also fascinated by affordable guitars so this is cool. I realized USA made instruments are expensive because of the labor. It's generally not the quality. This comes with some ethical concerns obviously. But, if I am unwilling to buy a guitar for that reason, I certainly can't buy any thing from Amazon ever again haha. I get a kick out of cheap guitars. They're just great. I have two American made fenders and I don't play them any more than my harley Bentons.
Bought a Samick ES-335 copy back in 1996 and played it for many years. This was way before Greg Bennett but it was decent guitar and it was also from Korea.
Sad that this Greg benett guitars are no longer in production. It was the best kept secret quality guitar at affordable price. Thats why you cannot usually find second hand of this guitar because most owner wants to keep it.
I have a 2002 Sammick Malibu strat-style in white. My first guitar. After going back and setting it back up in adulthood: it's been a beauty guitar all along and i had no idea! lmao
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I got a greg Bennett strat style about 15 years ago for approx $200. Still a great guitar. If you see one buy it
abba loney huh?
Musicians who are hooked on USA Brand Name guitars are really missing the boat. I own several US guitars as well as a number of Samicks. In every case, the Samick guitars are at least as good as the US guitars, and often better. In the past, I have paid thousands for USA guitars but never again. Not when I can get a superior quality instrument for a quarter of the money. It's just a matter of getting out from under that "Marketing Brand Name Spell" that has been so skillfully foisted on us over the last 50 years.
I bought a Zagar ZAD80 $1,600. Greg Bennett pro D8 is the same guitar for $500. ZAD80 has a Zagar headstock.
Zad900 is $2,500
Greg Bennett asdr pro is the same but cost $500.
I have a asdr being delivered tomorrow.
Can't wait.
I is plays or sounds anything like the ZAD80
It will be wonderful.
LOVE my Avion (AV1). I tried a vintage Les Paul during the same time (was actually there to buy a Gibson LP), but just fell in love with the feel of the Avion over it. Fantastic build quality. Hasn't let me down in over 14 years of playing since I got it.
My Ultramatic UM3 is one of the most playable guitars I've ever owned. Sounds great too, and only cost me around $100 secondhand, in mint condition. I'm forever buying and selling guitars (including Gibson, Fender and PRS) but my Ultramatic isn't going anywhere anytime soon, and I will probably buy another if I see another one at a good price here in NZ.
That's a great deal man! They are super sweet. I was so surprised when I picked mine up. I was on the fence with selling it but I know this one is going to a good home.
Captain Fruitbat I heard Gibson is now bankrupt so don’t sell them for a few years🤙🏻
Russia 2005 - I played (tested) a lot of variable company guitars (and some crazy shapes they got too) while was in a band.
When a friend gave me to test his GB Samick TR1 with Duncan pickups it just blew me away with its sound quality and simplicity to play (on Roland Cube amp). Didn't even know that it was limited edition till 2012 and there were no Torino in town music stores in 2005 to buy for self. I played it on repetitions and lives, constantly dropping mine Yamaha Pacifica.TR1 became nearly an obsession for me, all I was thinking of that sweet, beautiful sound it made no matter the style you play. I bought it out later, still proudly play it till today (15 years now). I am very lucky at that point. Awesome guitar, sweet sweet rock memories.😊
I have a 1996 Samick G450-WR, their Artist Series Edition version of an SG. It was when Samick was still making Epiphones. I A/B'd the Samick SG with the Epi version and thought that the Samick was a bit better made. The only thing I've switched out was the tuners which were poor Kluson copies with a set of Gibson Vintage. It made a difference in tone and volume. Also switched out the knobs from plain black speed knobs to black/silver reflector knobs with indicator pointers and the toggle knob from black to cream just for looks. Fulfilled my lust for a cherry small pickguard SG without breaking the bank.
NICE! Awesome man!
I have THREE Greg Bennett guitars and I love them!
Avion AV7 (Les Paul Customish with gold hardware), Korea, used $250 ebay
(Avion Duncan Designed pickups: the bridge is like a hotter "JB" style on this one)
Royale RL4 (Mini semisolid, Customish with gold hardware), Indonesia, new $640 w/case in 2010
(Royale is not on the main electric menu, but if you google it, it will come up on the GB website)
LaSalle JZ1 (yes, there is a "1" ... Indonesia with less fancier binding and generic pickups), Indonesia, used $400 ebay
I see a lot of "refurbished" ones with restickered serial numbers on ebay these days.
Anyway, they are my fave of my dozen or so guitars. Better quality than my Tokai Love Rocks from Korea/China.
Much better quality than Epiphones.
They all play like BUTTAH with low, low action.
Watch out for bolt-on neck Avions (usually with dot necks).
I did notice that compared to similar "Samick" branded guitars (not Greg Bennett) the quality is much, much higher.
Damn, I forgot about the Royale. Those are pretty darn cool. Every time I've played any of them I've been impressed. And they sell all over the map in price, so if an auction ends at a bad time for the seller you can really get some deals.
How does the avion av7 compare to an epi les paul custom?
I have one l play one stage I got at a pawn shop for 200 bucks. Red mahogany spruce top plays and sounds great.Pre- amp and stage tuner ,Grover heads.
@@LMC-xz6qh I've owned both and the Avion is FAR superior in quality, feel and sound.
I got the avion 3 since I can’t afford a Gibson. This guitar plays, sounds and feels like a Gibson. I love it. Got it new from my guitar shop for 400$.
Can you tell me why the E low string like to snap everytime i change it..? This is my av 3 prob now..have change 5 string but still snap went tuning..?
It's awesome guitar! Just needs pick up upgrades and if u can better wires and stuff. And u have a Gibson Les Paul for 1/10 the price 😎🎸
I love my AV3 wine red ))
@@hairilamran8706 where is it snapping.. its probably ya tuning peg with a shap spot in the tuning peg
@@MegaMr28 at the end near anchor ball.. From the bridge.. Thanks man..
@@hairilamran8706 you have a sharp point somewhere. To be expected on cheap guitar
I just picked up a Korean UM3 in Emerald Green with locking tuners and upgraded pickups for $229. When I first saw the photo online I thought "Hmm...". When I first held it in my hands, I thought "Holy cow!". When I first played it I thought "You will be mine. Oh yes, you WILL be mine". To me it combines (most of) the best features of a PRS SE Custom 22 and the Ibanez S thin-body series. It is incredibly comfortable to hold and play. If I were to criticize it at all I would only say I'm not a fan of having other peoples' names on my guitars, and ideally it would have that beautiful switch from the Ibanez S series (e.g., S521). Otherwise, it's a spectacular instrument. Thanks for the background info on Samick/Greg Bennett. But you should still go to jail for paying only $130 for that guitar!
Awesome video, I just got a torino TR 1. The red one showed in the video. Great guitar for a great price! I would definitely recommend it to others. I got the guitar used, but in new condition for 200. Plus a pretty solid amp, foot pedal, soft case, tuner, new strings, string cleaner, triple guitar stand, picks and books.
I bought a Greg Bennett ULTRAMATIC 2 years ago after hearing how much an old friend loved it. While it was a decent guitar, I had to change the pickups, the tuners, nut, bridge and the knobs. I also removed the neck inlays replaced them with dried wood glue. I replaced the pickup mounting rings with a custom design made from an abalone soap dish that belonged to my mother. I cut the head-stock off the neck, sanded the angle off, glued it back on and installed roller string trees. I moved the both strap buttons 2mm closer to the top of the guitar. Of course I sanded and refinished the top using alternate coats of nitrocellulose lacquer and Matte Mod Podge. I reversed the position of the tone and volume knobs after changing the capacitors to 500k. For aesthetics only, I changed the color of the ground wires to green to match the guitar top. Finally, I added a layer of wax paper to the aluminum shielding tape and replaced the black electronics cover on the back with custom clear acrylic so everyone can see the green ground wire. Now this guitar plays great and one day, I might just take it out of the closet and play it on an actual gig.
Wow that's a nice job you did!! Congrats!
Thanks dude. Got an Avion 7, the one that has a les Paul vibe.... and this things sings like any other Gibson or any other top of the line guitar (I own a few, that's why i can compare).
I've got it for les than 200 bucks and this is NOT a 200 bucks guitar, if I had to put a price 600/700 without good pickups and pots.
This Korean ones are a no brainer, get them if you can. I can believe this line of guitars failed and people consider Chinese Epiphones.
The only bad thing about this guitar, is that it doesn't say Gibson.
Hi! how are you? I can see the Avion 7 is a nice guitar, and because of your comment I can figure out it sounds really good! But, what about its weight? I have read it is a little heavier than many others Les Pauls models... Hope you can help me with that... Thanks!
@@fedegar121 Hello, take this from a 25+ years player. Had many guitars, 200 bucks to 3000 euro guitars. The weight doesn't not affect the sound quality of the guitar. Now, you want a guitar because of it's weight or because it sounds good ? Are you planning on having the guitar on you for many many hours ?
Don't let stupid people influence you with stupid concepts, go, check the guitar out.
If it sound right and feels good, get it. ....color, pickups, electronics doesn't matter, all of that can be altered.
@@fedegar121 Oh....I have many accounts, so I am the same person replying.
One more thing.....the Indonesian are cool, but not the best. The Korean and American are good guitars. I have 2 Greg bennett, changed pickups, electronic and so on....after working on them, they sound and feel ass good as my 3000 Euros guitar.
The Indonesian ones are pretty good too! I have the Avion AV1. It makes the Epiphone Les Paul Special II (the main direct competitor) look stupid. It comes with Grover tuners, a proper tune-o-matic style bridge, two noise-free (but rather boring sounding) humbuckers (can be EQ'ed to sound good) and the finish on the tobacco burst is glorious!
I'm in dayton ohio and found one in a pawn shop for $75.00. A Formula... It looks brand new...
Curious, did you get it? If so, how do you like it? Cheers.
Gor a greg bennet for 40 bucks today. Awesome found
Awesome find! These guitars are just lovely.
I kept waiting for your Seinfeld impression..."What's the deal with Greg Bennett Guitars?" Another great video!
I totally should!
I had a Samick artist edition going back nearly 15 years ago now, was a 335 type guitar, one of the nicest guitars I've ever played, gutted I sold it. Keep checking eBay to see if I can find one.
Hey Richard! The Samick branded older stuff is getting harder and harder to find!
I stopped at a yardsale because I seen a guitar. Never heard of the brand. Owner said action was real high and almost unplayable. There was not a scratch or ding anywhere but the pick guard. Dreadnought style. So I bought it $50. Took it home gave it a proper set up. Got it right. It is a GB. Dread. D1 . Awesome sound. And a pleasure to play. Dude just didn't know how to set up a guitar.
I have a Greg Bennett Torino TR-1. I paid $100 for it and added Seymour Duncan Phat Cat pickups and Hipshot locking tuners. What a great guitar!
I have a JZ-2 in sunburst. Pickups are alright, but the body and neck are so beautiful that I wanna throw some real nice pickups in that thing.
I bought a TR3 a couple years ago. It took very little work to make it nicely playable. The pups are Duncan, but they resemble P-90s.
Thanks for the video Nick. I have a AV6, TR2, and a MB1. The Avion is a great guitar also the TR2. The MB1 is on par with a Squire Affinity or Standard. But I like them all.
Thanks Dean! They are cool off brand guitars for sure with some pretty surprising quality.
Picked up a Greg Bennet Limited Edition AV6 for $250. Plays better than any EPI in the $200-$600 price range. Seymour Duncan’s with Grover tuners, plays like a $700 PRS for a fraction of the cost. Nice solid-body spalted maple, truly a quality guitar.
I can't believe I've NEVER seen anyone talk about the Greg Bennett gt and gt2 models. They're v shaped guitars and I have to say the gt2 is the best guitar I've ever played for me. I'm not saying it's the best guitar, I'm saying it felt the best to me out of all the guitars I've played. I'll choose it over a high dollar Ibanez or Gibson any day.
Funny I just commented something similar and scrolled down and seen this
I have been using a Greg Bennet IC-1 BK Interceptor Guitar for 10 years. I have been playing music for 60 years but no matching instrument on my neck playing fingers feel this is an instrument. I mean, I don't think close to the other major premium guitars.
I completely agree, when I layed my fingers on Torino (tr1) it was like your 3rd arm, interesting feeling of absolute power in a hand.
As always Nick a great video, good to see someone giving samick guitars a bit of love, top notch.
Thanks Henry!
Just picked up an Avion AV6/OS, made in Indonesia date 2009. A burst quilt top. Amazing sound!
I have a rare Avion AV4 that I absolutely love. It looks like a telecaster and a les paul jr had a baby! 24.75" scale, LPJ-style mahogany slab body and mahogany set neck, but with a quilted maple top, bound rosewood fretboard, tele bridge, string-thru body, tele-style controls, Duncan Designed humbuckers and individual coil split for single coil tones. The electronics are typical import grade, but the guitar sounds and feels fantastic! The body is heavy and resonant and the pickups can go from tele twang to raw power without sounding harsh. You don't see them come up for sale very often and they aren't mentioned on the website, so I assume they were a very limited run. I found mine for just over $100. It needed a serious cleaning and a good set up, but everything polished up really nice and the action is spot on.
Great find! I’ve got a search set up in Gumtree (like Craigslist for Aussies) to notify me if “Greg Bennett” gets listed. The guitars are just lovely and I’ll snap up a full range if/when they come up for sale at the right price.
Samick and Cort make 80% of the worlds guitars. If your playing an Asian made guitar, odds are it was made by one of those two regardless of the branding.
Lol I have a Samick guitar and a Cort bass
@@fluffyalpaca5068 I used to have a Cort headless bass like a Steinberg and had to shield the pickup cos they started to feed back a lot. Other than that it lasted me years and was quite well made.
I have a Malibu I picked up for my son for almost nothing, it's was beat up but he wanted the color. When I took it apart I was amazed at the quality. Neck is pretty thick but very resistant to the elements, body has a nice heavy feel and once setup, it plays really well. I didn't realize all the different models, definitely going to have to check some of them out. Thanks for sharing this!
Any time man! They're surprisingly well made. There are some gems out there.
Hi Nick, Thanks for the video. Back about 100 years ago when you had to go to a music store or get "Guitar Player" to have current information on guitars, I was told, I think in music stores, that Samick was the biggest guitar manufacturer in the world, making many of the off shore name brands. I was told that since they knew how to make guitars they decided to start their own line. I have a Samick SK-5 acoustic, I think that's the model number. My wife got it for me new in about 1992 with a hard shell case for about $225.00. Solid top and I think solid body. An amazing guitar for the money. I will keep it always. I was at Music Go Round recently and saw two Avions for about $150.00 each. I should of got one. Pretty good deal. Recently I saw Samick is now selling Silvertone branded electrics. I might get one, just cause they are kind of cool. We will see. Samick used to be the Harley Benton of guitars. Good value, reasonable prices. I hope they come back with a full line again.
Hey Stan! They did make some great stuff under their brand and for so many other companies. I saw that they're now doing the Silvertone stuff... which are made much better now than they ever were back in the day!
I've got one, interceptor. They are worth more then what they go for
I love Greg Bennett guitars. All my guitars and basses (3 electric guitars, 2 basses and 1 acoustic guitar) are Greg Bennetts. My TMJ-17 CE Blackbird acoustic guitar is one of my favorites. It is quite gaudy for an acoustic guitar, it has abalone inlays, block inlays and nice bindings. It has a solid spruce top and good electronics. I have played $1,000+ Taylors and Martins and they sound barely any better. The big difference is that those were much more plain and I got my Blackbird used in great (but not perfect) condition was $220.
Hello Nick, it seems you missed 2 of my favorite Greg Bennett series and that is Rockwell series and the GT series. The Rockwell was an explorer style that had 2 models. The RW1 had standard opaque finishes in red and black and dot inlays on the fretboard. The RW2 model was upgraded with a bound fretboard, trapezoid mother of pearl inlays, and came in 2 finishes a laminate quilt red, and a laminate quilt purple. Now the GT series was a flying V design they were not produced en mass and are very difficult to find. They had trapezoid MOP inlays of the fretboard, bound necks, dual humbuckers, and a more compressed V shaped body making them very comfortable to play live. Just adding my 2 cents.
I just picked up a samick Greg Bennett design fb1 with stands for fastback. It's a smaller size guitar that is supposedly and take on the Eddie Van Halen Wolfgang guitars. I like it so much I traded and Ibanez saber that was worth several hundred dollars more I didn't even trade. I think for the money they're probably the best guitars out there. And I own a custom Paul Reed Smith and a custom Kiesel as well. If you're looking for quality without breaking the bank I can't think of a better option.
@5:13: that image omits the Royale which was a semi hollowbody guitar and one of their most popular ones. I have an RL 50 and love it.
It's always good to see new takes on the standard models, some nice guitars there.
I have a Samick built Epi Les Paul goldtop, and I love it. I bought an amp, a load of pedals, and the guitar a few years back for a really low price..sold some of the pedals, and that paid for the Epiphone and the Marshall, and 3 or 4 pedals ! Gotta love a bargain.Top vid Nick, your channel's always a nice place to be. Cheers, Robbo.
Thanks Robbo! You have to love an epic deal like the one you scored. It's half the fun of this habit of ours... finding stellar gear cheap!
Play what what you love, love what you play. Nice work.
Hey, you stole my photo, LOL! One of your Fastback photos was my old one. I knew a Samick rep, the FB was actually based on the Wolfgang guitars. Also, one of the reasons for the two strap pins on the bottom of your guitar is so it will sit steady on its end. Great job on the review!
hahah Thanks Spanky of the use of your photo! And the two strap pins make a lot send. Thanks man!
I had GB FB1 (fastback) as my first electric guitar. I loved it's wolfgang-style body. Still looking for such one...
Those are cool man!
Tymofiy Lukinov finally I have IC-10 interceptor ll. candy apple red. still no answer as to why this # is not recognized. do I insure it or not?
I have an AV7. It's almost impossible to find any information on it. Plenty of (relatively) infor about the AV6 and 3. Bought it for wanting a Les Paul-type, and i am super happy!
Does every model use Duncan Designed Pik ups? Are these of the same quality/tone as those used on Squier guitars? I like the fat strat model.
Great vid mate,Epiphone used Samick in Korea and they produced quality instruments! \m/
Thanks Clive! Those Epis from Korea were always really nice.
I have a Greg Bennet Indonesian made acoustic guitar. The thing is a monster and I can barely wrap my arms around it, but the sound is amazing.
There is a store in the UK(Gear4music) that has the exclusive UK rights on Greg Bennett and Silvertone Reissues at very attractive prices.They are made in in the same Samick factory. I bought a Silvertone Parlor for just over £100 about 12 months ago. Very good sound and well made. I returned it only because the neck was too narrow for me.
Good to know about Gear4Music. Those Silvertone reissues are really cool... and made better now than they ever were back then!
To this day, I can't understand why it is that they discontinued these stunning products...I bought a Royale RL3 Amber Finish in 2016 (?, could've been a year later, too) and it's the biggest bang for the buck, guitarwise, that I ever got!
I still go back watching the presentation video done by late Mr. Bennett himself, which won me over from his explaining the construction and design decisions that went into these instruments. Not only did I learn a ton about guitars in the first place, but this way also established the foundation for a solidly informed assessment as to what affordable seni-acoustic to get at the time.
Turns out that Mr. Bennett had done this awesome a job that in the end the Royals RL-3 won over an Ibanez AS JVM 90, which would have been twice the price and offering little to no advantage over the RL3. I guess the slightly smaller form factor at no sacrifice in tone helped with that purchasing decision.
Nice presentation on your part!
Good job, and thanks for ther info. (You left out the "Royale")
They also made an Ultramatic 2 in transparent blue. It is basically a UM1 but with a better finish. It is Indonesian made. I have had it for 13 years now and purchased it from an actual Greg Bennett retailer that was going out of business; managed to get one of their product banners. I love it so much that it's my main guitar, I loaded it with Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates in the neck and bridge along with a Tonepros tune-o-matic and stop tail. I have been trying to acquire the Spalted Avion model but can't seem to find one along with a Green UM3 like your's. These are really great for their price range. Definitely worth checking out if on a budget.
hi Nick.A great brand to kick the h..of fender with their unjustify high prices when talking about the mid range.have an old samik bass, and love it!cheers
Thanks Arnaud. I've really liked every one that I've touched.
Thanks for the video's, Nick! When the new Monoprice Indio line is finally available, I'm kinda counting on you to review ;)
Funny you say that. I was just looking at them earlier this week. I'll definitely be trying a couple of them out. They look rather well done!
Hey Nick this is an intelligent review of great guitars! My congrats! I own two of them, one with trem one without that I have upgraded with Di Marzio Evo and oe Petrucci, and Pearly Gates and Custom Custom respectively. Great sounds and great playability I must says. Paid semi-new 180 euro. A great bargain. To tell you the truth, pickup upgrade not necessary....
Oh man, tasty upgrades there my friend! The stock pickups are pretty good, but I bet they really sing with the upgrades. Congrats man!
What's a pity they stopped production...
Great video and great information on a brand I have avoided in the past. I laughed out loud on the N. Korea comment! Ha ha! Faxes.... That's a great looking guitar you have there. I may have to look for one locally or on Craigslist.
Thanks John! They do fax most of their declarations! What a riot... except for the poor folks who live there. Anyhoo, keep an eye out for these. They're worth it at those silly low prices.
Damn, those PRS and SG shaped guitars look great. Shame I can't find any that ship to me for a reasonable price (EU).
That's always the difficulty... but keep an eye out. I'm sure they'll pop up from time to time.
Are you familiar with the Samick JTR series, designed by J.T. Riboloff, apparently a highly regarded ex-Gibson luthier who now works at Samick indonesia
I have never heard of Greg Bennett Guitars but will keep my eyes open for deals.
Good luck Dale!
Saw one you have on ebay last night. Had a few minor cosmetic imperfections from wear and tear...hardly noticeable. For $100! A beautiful guitar for cheap! Definitely on my wish list!
What doesn't get highlighted are that the set-neck Avion series, AV-3, AV-6, or AV-7, have long tenon necks.
And even those that don't have the Duncan Designed pickups have Artec pickups in 'em.
I have an AV3 (made in Indonesia) that I put Seymour Duncan's and good electronics on. Really not bad guitars for the price!
However, the "flame top" or "quilt top" models actually have sticker tops. You'll notice that every single AV-3 has the same exactly flame pattern.
I hung around a guitar store, 2010, 2011-ish, that were the dealer of these guitars in the Ph. None of their guitars were made in Korea. Every single one was from Indonesia. AV3, UM3, RL3, everything.
You should also do a video about the Samick JT Riboloff ones!
My AV 6 is a real quilt top. No decal. Maybe they changed after the AV3?
I have two Korean Samick GBs - luv em both! RL-3, which is pretty much a single cutaway ES-336; like a cross 'tween 335 & Les Paul. Also FA-2, which sits right 'tween Strat & Tele. I got some slightly hotter Artec lipsticks and put a HB size p-90; in the bridge. I can take these 2 guitars into a session and cover most anything.
Hey you forgot about the rockwell I just picked one up and it's fantastic grover tuners block inlays binding on headstock body and neck
I stumbled across a Greg Bennett UM4 in a pawnshop while on holidays a couple of years ago. I was killing time waiting for my significant other getting nails done etc etc. I knew nothing of these guitars but it looked sensational in green quilted. Specs seemed ok with Wilkinson trem, Grovers and Duncan (Designed) pickups.. I plugged in, gave her a test, offered silly lowball price as output jack was playing up. New jack was soldered/fitted, general disassembly/cleanup/setup and it’s probably my favourite axe. I’ve got a few to choose from including much more expensive Fenders, Ibanez prestige, Yamaha, Epiphone and a couple of well-made Harley Bentons (2 from 2 came well-built and undamaged!)
This guitar is just.........right. Not sure if this makes sense but the neck is sublime, frets are like silk, tuning stability is great, even when using the Wilkinson 2-point trem. The weight, balance, shape and knob positioning are spot-on for my fat ass.🤗 I bought a set of alnico 5 chrome humbuckers but haven’t bothered changing them as the OG pickups really sing with my setup.
The only negatives so far are the thick poly finish, sticky neck (sorted easily with some masking tape and a Brillo pad) and the quilted top is a very thin veneer.
Thanks for the excellent review-I’ve been keeping an eye out for the exact model you’re using in this vid.
hows the quality on the tremolos on these? i was looking to get an ic-30 with a floyd rose and was curious.
I took a chance on a Torino TR1 in pristine shape. The Bennets I have seen and felt are very good values.... well designed, good hardware and 'good enough' pickups. found used, they are cheap and well worth the money. They usually are like nearly new. ... guys get them and don't play them much. 10/2017 I picked up a ;ole-new D4CE in red for well under $200. It sounds great after I lowered the bass side of the saddle bottom, which is now bone. Good improvement in tone ans cheap.
I've found that too. They are built very very well. It reminds me that I have to get mine back from a guy I lent it too!
I am very fond of my very beautiful Greg Bennett RL-3.
So am I.
Great guitar
I've had an Av3 CS for about 7 years now and it is an amazing guitar. Better than any Gibson I've played
Hmmmm. This was indeed a very interesting story. I would like to try a Korean made guitar. like the AV modell. I really liked the shape on those modells. Thanx Nick
Any time!
Hi @Nick in the States, I'm about to purchase a green emerald ultramatic3 for 120 €. Thing is it's from Indonesia. You think it's worth it? I mean, would it be very different from the Korean ones?
I had a great Samick branded SG I purchased in 93. Straight out copy. Was a great guitar.
They made a lot of good copies back in the day... they also made a lot of good guitars for Epiphone as well. Cool little hidden gem from the early days of Korean mass market guitars.
10:50-10:55 Who knows? Well, I do! Since 1987 the production of Washburn guitars has been moved from Matsumoku, Japan (bankrupt because of their mother company Singer Sewing Machines) to SAMICK, Korea. The same goes for brands like Aria (Pro II), Vantage, Westone.
Even the bridge of my Washburn J9 Washington is EXACTLY the same as the bridges on my three Aria Pro II TA-61 guitars.
Their serial numbers all start with an S.
Btw, the UM-3 was not an entirely new model.
It had a predecessor in the Samick Sonata, a guitar that was very much like a Patrick Eggle Berlin Pro, with a Wilkinson tremolo.
I bought one as an "UM-3", but I discovered later that it was a Samick Sonata.
The headstock is less complicated than the Greg Bennett stuff, which is IMHO a bit 'over-designed'. If you like Eggles, you'll like the Sonata.
Great segment Nick... I've seen a couple of these around.. I'm eagerly awaiting your reviews of North Korean guitars...
hehehe I may have to do one just for fun. With their history of overstatement I may be able to have a lot of fun with that. LOL
I’ve owned many of the Greg Bennett by Samick guitars over the years. They are wonderful guitars as they are but with a little upgrading they can be amazing. My favorites that I have owned: Avion AV-4 (Les Paul meets Telecaster; flat top, humbuckers, string-thru-body), Fastback FB-3 (Kinda Music Man Axis meets Wolfgang; I put USA EVH pups in mine and some other upgrades and it was pretty much the same as an EVH USA Custom); Royale RL-3 (a single-cut 335ish guitar that is beautiful and feels good. GB offered a “USA” spec version where they used USA SD pup; I changed my pups to SD JB/Jazz and the guitar is second to none.) Other than the Royale series, you didn’t mention the Rockwell series. I have owned a Rockwell RL-2 (it’s an Explorer; spec’d it USA like the Gibson Lzzy Hale Explorer with Gibby 57/57+ pups...wow!) The one GB guitar that I’ve never owned, but would like to, is the Avion AV-5 (their version of a LP Special). Anyway, thanks for posting!
My first Greg Bennett was a used early-model metallic red MB-2, Korean made . One interesting thing about it is that the pickups were SSH, Duncan-designed. The more recent MB-2's I've seen seem are all SSS. I got it at a very good price, used but not abused, and I've been a fan of Greg Bennett's electrics ever since. I'd started with a borrowed Squier - a 1-pickup Mustang - the quality was dreadful. When I tried the MB-2, I was just blown away. The playability, sound, quality of workmanship, fit & finish, and overall excellent design were just amazing. I've found a few other Greg Bennett models since. Sadly, very few of the high-end models made it this far north in the Great White North. I still live in hope of finding something like an AV-7. There's a Malibu model called the MB-4 with a Wilkinson bridge - a rare animal, apparently. Greg Bennett also made a P-bass inspired model, the "Corsair." I found a beautiful example and I'm still amazed by the great sound and high overall quality. It's a great pity that Greg Bennett/Samick no longer make these electrics. For me, they've proved to be great instruments - well-made, high quality, terrific sound and wonderful to play.
Thanks for sharing the details Jim. They're great deals when you stumble across them. Well made and sound really good!
Would you trade a 2012 American Standard Tele straight up for a nice JZ 2 ?
I'd probably want a little money back with the JZ2. I think they street at about $500 to $600 used, right? That tele if in good shape is more like $750 in my book.
really awesome to see this vid. i own 3 greg bennett guitars, and they are on par with my PRS guitars. really amazing instruments!!!
I used to own an Avion AV5, one that's not mentioned in your great, fun, and informative video, and one I can't find a mention of anywhere else (pretty much).
The AV5 had a bound flat top and two P90s, along with chrome hardware and abalone dot markers. I can't remember where it was made, though.
I forgot about the AV5... their site leaves a lot of them off. I forgot the Royale as well... and I briefly owned one of those!!! hahaha
Sounds like that was a cool guitar man. One of these days I'll buy an Avion when the right one stumbles into my life.
I would like to make a statement about these guitars.
1. The Trademarked Brand name of these " Greg Bennett" guitars. is NOT Greg Bennett... It's "Signature Series" and the signature is Greg Bennett, who was an outside sales rep for Washburn and other guitars companies for about 30 years before he began importing Sammick built guitars under this Signature Series brand name.
2. If you search for "Bennett guitar" on google, eBay or Reverb. you will find many of these "Signature Series" Greg Bennett guitars along with a very few of My own trademarked Brand " Bennett Guitars"
This has caused my Brand to wane, due to the large disparity in both the Pricing and the number built between the two brands, and the obvious Brand confusion created by Mr. Greg Bennett naming his guitars in the manner that he has. Legally I can't sue him because his guitar brand isn't bennett guitar or even Greg Bennett guitars.
BUT its the guitar Communities general concensus that these guitars are called "Bennett guitars" which they are NOT.
3. I owned the trademarked brand "Bennett Guitars" from 1979 until about 2010 when I gave up on trying to compete with these Signature Series Greg Bennett instruments that were built by Sammick of Korea.
I have seen many people purchase one of my handmade "Bennett Guitars" believing it was a Sammick made Greg Bennett guitar for a very cheap price. and of course they confused the quality of my handmade guitar with that of the Greg Bennett guitars
. this is not fair or accurate.
4. its important to make sure that people know what they are buying, if a guitar says "Bennett" on it. it is a USA build handmade guitar and not an inexpensive Korean made guitar. it was made with extremely high quality woods that were aged for an average of 7-10 years prior to being made into a guitar and another 5-7 years after it was cut into a guitar shape. it will have used real pearl inlays, real USA Seymour Duncan Pickups, the highest quality available hardware, and many years of experience in traditional fine wood working.
5. I have since changed my trademarked brand to Bennett Music Labs. in an effort to help with this brand confusion. but even that brand can still be searched for by simply using "Bennett guitars"
6. I have built approximately 3500 guitars over the last 40 years with a price range of 1500 to 5K, and while that is a pretty fair number for a single person shop, its is not even a drop in a very large bucket when compared to The normal Sammick output of 10K per month.
these details may not be of any interest to anyone. but it should be noted that when buying a Guitar marked simply "Bennett" on the headstock,
you may not be getting a Signature Series Greg Bennett by Sammick.
Thank you for the information and I'm sorry you have had so much difficulty with brand confusion. Sometimes I wonder if there are any words/names left in the dictionary/phone book that aren't trademarked yet. Intellectual property lawyers and legislators are still dragging their knuckles on the ground, with no foresight at all. I can only imagine what small companies will face in 100 years. I do like the Samick guitars a lot, given what I can afford. But for what it's worth, I would rather have "Bennett Guitars" (or "Bennett Music Labs") on the headstock than some other guy's personal name. Keep dropping notes like this around, and maybe you can ride the Samick search engine dominance to get the word out about your brand, as you did here!
I own Fenders, Squires, Agile AL 2000, a Harley Benton Resonator, and 2 SX Guitars ... Your video was very informative, very well done ... Thank You
Purchased a used Avion AV6 with black finish, at GC. I bought the guitar for my Nephew who's just starting out. The price was a whopping $149.99 (why the just don't say $150 mystifies me). Put it thru the usual tryout paces and riffs. Just have one thing to say about it.. wish I kept it for myself !!! It just felt right, loved the neck construction, the tone was sweet (run the signal thru a Tube Screamer for total awesomeness) the weight kind of surprised me it was about as heavy as a older style Les Paul.
If it was the Limited Edition (the natural finish) I definitely would've kept it and buy some Wall guitar hangers so that the first thing you see when coming in would be that guitar like a Trophy LOL.
Don't have to worry about theft since I have a guard Chihuahua ...
PS You don't happen to live in NA by chance ?? : )
I think that one issue that plagued Greg Bennett guitars was availability. They were not widely available online from 1st party dealers and were not sold in big box stores i.e. Guitar Center so most people have never even heard of them. I was lucky that my local music store when I was growing up (Let's Jam in Lagrangeville, NY) happened to sell them.
Hah! I put a ZOOM G5n Multi-Effects Processor up on FB Marketplace because, why not. Never bonded with the thing so got a red FA-2 on a straight across trade. Well worth it. Nice guitar. Looks good beside my HB TE-80 Mad Cat mod. Both are quality builds and sound great. The HB doesn't have Grover tuners tho.
You give the best video on all of the TH-cam nation. I have a shit load of crazy off brand guitars on stands. I slip on a step and I am impelled on a pointy thing. But thank you for opening my eyes, I was playing with the crazy glue. Great show Nick wherever you are. I am building a Jazz Master so that takes all my time. I finished it with clear coat and I mixed in blood donations. Tia my main woman and a lot of mine. I hope it doesn't end up like a scab. I will be picking at it all the time. I was going for the nice Chabli like Marc Bolans Les Paul.
what about the Royale line semi hollows
Totally forgot about them!
Awesome guitars after you take them too a luthier and set it up!!!!!
yet another far eastern hidden gem! :)
Thanks man! The world is full of them!
I just got a Samick valley arts ,5 string bass,from what I learned they where a series of what Samick called custom shop basses, in the 90s, it's active/passive thru a push/pull knob then two volumes for the Pj setup, that look like emg ripoffs to me,it's black with gold hardware,and a black see thru finish,it's an awesome bass,now that I got it setup correctly. It's a weird bass compared to my other basses,it just sounds different which I like,the frets are square and boxy ,not like I'm used to,it took a few weeks for me to decide wether I liked it or not,at first I string EADGC,didn't like the c string at all so I went to BEAD and love it now. It's a tank of a bass,ash body maple neck. I call it my shred machine,because that's what it reminds me of,something you'd see in a 1980s Poison video,lol
Hey Nick when was the good Agile era?
Saw this brand in SG body at Music Go Round. I had to look this thing up. Going back to pull the trigger.
I just picked up a Greg Bennett SG 3 humbuckers Grover tuners and it has the feel of a quality guitar with a nice weighty weight !
I am pretty sure the 'two strap positions' (an extra knob) is not for using them both, BUT for the guitar to not fall when put on the floor up against the wall. Same with some intelligent made basses out there
I owned one samick greg bennett ic30 and i love this. Btw its my first electric guitar
hi nick is it light weight thanks brill vid
Own a av3 as well as other larger brand names and this is my go to.. would buy another if I could find one
I know this is an old video, but that Ultramatic is gorgeous. I have a korean made 1999 ES335 copy, it plays and sounds as good as any I have played.
I've had an acoustic Greg Bennett for probably a little over 11 years now and it only occurred to me tonight, "who IS Greg Bennett?" Thank you for finally putting that question to bed!
Also, I've had friends with Martins tell me they liked mine more!
Hi! I have a Greg Bennet Torino Sunburst guitar , what guitar gauges will i used?
@KEM H. HAYES , yes sir
@KEM H. HAYES thank you, sir.
A pawn shop close to my house had a Greg Bennett Concorde for sale for $120!!! Ridiculous!! It was in good condition and sounded great, I just have way too many guitars otherwise ...... It would have bought it. Body was solid and on the heavy side, which I like
Oh man that's a steal!!
They make decent budget-archtops. Their Goldtop 175 copies are flooding in second-hand shops. Their amps are pretty decent too.
Great video. I like the history of guitar manufacturing. I am also fascinated by affordable guitars so this is cool. I realized USA made instruments are expensive because of the labor. It's generally not the quality. This comes with some ethical concerns obviously. But, if I am unwilling to buy a guitar for that reason, I certainly can't buy any thing from Amazon ever again haha. I get a kick out of cheap guitars. They're just great. I have two American made fenders and I don't play them any more than my harley Bentons.
So they don't make the greg bennet electrics.if so does that mean the prices will be higher.
Bought a Samick ES-335 copy back in 1996 and played it for many years. This was way before Greg Bennett but it was decent guitar and it was also from Korea.
I've seen those from time to time. Seemed to be pretty high quality and at the time you couldn't beat the price compared to the options out there.
Sad that this Greg benett guitars are no longer in production. It was the best kept secret quality guitar at affordable price. Thats why you cannot usually find second hand of this guitar because most owner wants to keep it.
I have a 2002 Sammick Malibu strat-style in white. My first guitar. After going back and setting it back up in adulthood: it's been a beauty guitar all along and i had no idea! lmao
Very cool!
I’m assuming the string length is 24 3/4”
Hey Nick, found you on the live stream video by Shane. Looking forward to seeing your videos.