I FINALLY Play a Harley Benton...Are They REALLY as Good as People Say??
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 มิ.ย. 2024
- Finally! It took over 7 months for my HB-35 Plus to arrive (major Thomann screw up).
Was it worth the wait? Let's find out!
If you enjoyed this video, be sure to like and subscribe to the channel
HARLEY BENTON :
harleybenton.com/product/hb-3...
T-SHIRT STORE:
teespring.com/stores/darrell-...
TAB STORE:
Songs, Lesson Worksheets, and Guitar Techniques!
www.etsy.com/ca/shop/DarrellB...
DARRELL'S GUITARS & GEAR LIST!
imp.i114863.net/vM09j
MY AMPS:
H&K Grand Meister Deluxe 40 - imp.i114863.net/Na1gV
Mesa Boogie - imp.i114863.net/xdVB1
PATREON:
Become a Patron to be eligible for exclusive Gear Give-Aways and Lesson TABs!
/ darrellbraunguitar
ALBUM:
iTunes:
itunes.apple.com/ca/album/cel...
FAVORITE FRET-END FILE:
www.solomusicgear.com/product...
OTHER FAVOURITE GEAR:
*Obsidian Wire Solderless Kits - obsidianwire.com?aff=5
*Guitar Parts & Build Kits - www.solomusicgear.com?ref=1931
VIDEO SECTIONS:
1. Thomann screwed up! - 1:01
2. AAAA flame maple top?? (specs) - 2:39
3. What does it sound like? - 4:29
4. The devil is in the details - 8:40
5. So, should you buy one? - 13:01
SOLI DEO GLORIA! - เพลง
![Genshin Impact | กาชา Clorinde ไวฟุนั้น ควร C6 [เทสตัวละครต่อ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/SOVaBvL7K20/mqdefault.jpg)
VIDEO SECTIONS:
1. Thomann screwed up! - 1:01
2. AAAA flame maple top?? (specs) - 2:39
3. What does it sound like? - 4:29
4. The devil is in the details - 8:40
5. So, should you buy one? - 13:01
Enjoy!
I got my sc custom from Thomann 4 weeks ago. Definitely agree with you about the lack of QA. Infact I'll go one up and say that they don't!
I have that weird glue on binding but Luckily mine is at the bottom of the guitar only.
The rough sound when initially bending strings was a major put off until I realized it's not a big deal at all and not much to do with the fret polish. I applied some finger board oil and it was smooth
I never had an issue with shipping. They said 2 weeks when I ordered and had it shipped in 10 days.
I wasn't disappointed after readjusting my expectations. It's under $300 shipped . I doubt there is another that can compete at that price. They are probably numero uno.
If you find other brands with this quality, do let us know. Mine has Grover tuners as well.
Another drawback I would say is the frets are not jumbo.
Is that supposed to be a AAAA Maple top or Maple veneer top?
@@allboutthemojo I would say so too - but that's another aspect that isn't 'clear' and could be misleading on their website
@@allboutthemojo hello today's price plus shipping is $218+$40 to Florida. Great price, but I would still rather buy "local".cheers.
Please do review of haze guitar from Australia 😁
My only experience with thomann is me cancelling an order on a bass because I changed my mind, getting a full refund, and then the bass arriving a week later
That’s a win in my book lol
🤣
Wait, you robbed them ?
And you sent it back :-)
hhahaha good stuff man
in Germany delivery with Thomann is usually a thing of one to two days for on-stock-articles...they are faster than amazon here...
Even for Ireland (still EU but gotta send by air or sea) it's still excellent, the Amazon comparison kind of works here too if it's in stock
I received my guitar in two days from my order. I am very happy with my 110€ stratocaster like guitar.
You know this makes me feel bad for being an American a little
@@fussiestgoblin2872 ahhh it's ok you guys still get a much better Reverb/eBay/Craigslist/pawn shop market and cheaper prices on most (especially American) brands. Gotta give us something ☺️
Cian Horgan yeah man thanks you guys are just lucky to have a brand like that
The one thing you can not deny about Harley Benton guitars, is they are absolutely beautiful!.
I've been dealing with Thomann here in Germany for decades and I have nothing but praise for the company! Best prices, fast delivery and competent service!
They are good.
Same thing for me in France : they just are perfect and easy to get on the phone if needed
Thomann has the best customer service....😊
same here...
This man could make budget guitars sound like the most expensive one. I do the opposite.
Its all about bending in tune. Practice your bends with a chromatic tuner the same way you would practice runs with a metronome
Hahahah same here brother
Call it playing in your own genre.
Yeahbbut. I mean, no disrespect to Darrell and he's got some wicked amps for sure, but it's hard to fake good sound (without totally hiding it). Personally, I've found the tone of this guitar to be really pleasing. It's definitely a matter of taste, but the basic tone quality must be there to begin with. Only then it becomes a matter of taste.
And this basic tone quality comes from two sources. Solid enough construction, so the strings don't sound dead, and pickups. Since making a bad pickup and a good one in a factory costs roughly about the same amount of money, current budget guitars can and do sound very well. It wasn't the case, when they simply didn't know how to make a good sounding pickup. Nowadays they seem to get it. Good for us!
Me too 😀
I'm really sorry for what happened to you, but for the guys who lives in Europe Thomann is amazing! They ship really fast and really protect the package!
And when you have the occasion to visit them it's amazing! I really hope I will do that again soon
AGREED! I'm a huge Thomann fan from the Netherlands! 🙏🔥
I would agree with that too. I've been a Thomann customer for the past 10+ years. However, my last 2 orders (D'angelico guitar, MB bass Amp) have both been quite screwed up and time-consuming on my side. Guitar had been sent without any pre-inspection (1400 EUR guitar), and i got it with several assembly and finish issues ... took another month or more to get it sorted... etc. Hope they're not about to let us down in the future : )
@@chrisboldtm I had one issue, with A Gretsch guitar I ordered. Gave them a quick call, sent some video/pictures and within 2 days I recieved a partial refund (I wanted to keep the guitar) and some store credit.
If anything goes wrong give 'em a call and they always resolve issues incredibly fast and correct. (In my experience)
Also, my only other option is to shop at Bax-Music, but those *ssholes don't deserve/won't get my money. 😅
@@DAAN_MUSIC Hey Daan. Yeah, that's the way I go about it as well, always. And mostly it has worked out great. I also speak german so talking / explaining was a breeze, just took a while getting through to the call center.. Since I do some guitar work myself, I ended up keeping the guitar, fixing it up / setting-up, with a decent discount. However, for the price of it, I just expect more. It was allright, all-in-all, and Thomann will still be my go-to supplier, however, sometimes things don't work out perfectly.
Exactly. Very reliable and fast in my experience. Gotta admit though: not a nice way to treat a customer with the shipping incident Darrell experienced.
Simply put - Harley Benton is the Xiaomi of guitars.
That is probably the best analogy I have ever heard
@Alessio Tasco Crap, I just ordered a guitar. Is it gonna steal my shredding data?
Are the prize alike tho? Hahaha
Haha, I have both!
What does that mean
When I saw the thumbnail's title, the thought was "Oh, the company's diversifying out from motorcycles now!"
LMAO 😂
Lol same
Yamaha entered the chat 💬🤗
Ikr, their core business (clothing line) not going anywhere.
they do both..
so you deive your bike with leather jacket... you arrive at a pub... extracts your guitar and start playing... cool is it not?
Hey Darrell, hope you're all good :) I've been watching your channel for years and I'm so glad you put this guitar to the test. Since the last few month have been rather tricky with customs and shipping, I'm super sorry this happened to your order without you being at least notified. It definitely should have been handled differently. I hope we'll get to fix that mistake and hopefully meet in the future. Stay safe and keep rocking! // Guillaume
I gotta say you guys are doing stuff that puts so many other high end guitar companies to shame. Offering great quality at a price that most manufacturers would co sider to be insane, it deserves the attention of players from everywhere. Interested in buying HB Dullahan model once the whole pandemic is done so I'm excited for that. Keep the good work guys!
Are you going to correct the AAAA maple top in the guitars? I'd love to order one of these but would be disappointed paying for something advertised that I wouldn't be getting.
@@masvader08 Thank you so much, the guys at HB will be happy to read this :) // Guillaume
@@David-id2ks Yes we forwarded the info to HB so that they can check their specsheets. // Guillaume
I have NEVER had any problems with Thomann. They are really nice people, give good and honest advice. I always had the impression they are really caring for their customers!
The way you talked about your unpleasant experience with Thomann didn't feel like you had an unpleasant experience at all. There's a reason why Canadians are stereotyped as the nicest people in the whole world. 😊
From Leo: I think Darrel is outstanding. I did some technical work for the BP plants in Canada, and not everyone qualified as the "nicest people in the whole world". In fact some went out of their way to be nasty.
@@barbmelle3136 Those were New Yorkers.
He sounded nice, but his eyebrows were slightly frowning. That is a declaration of war in Canadian body language.
@@meadish 🤣🤣🤣
It’s a passive aggressive type anger 🙃
I bought a harley benton strat last year. Fret ends were perfect. Was playable right out of the box. I changed the strings and tweaked the set up to my liking but I have absolutely no complaints about the guitar. For the price the quality is fantastic. Much better than other budget / entry level guitars I've played.
made in Vietnam?
@@curtiseverett1671 does that matter?
When he said cheap I thought it would be around the 400-500 mark but wow these things are like $300
I just looked it's $327 with shipping to Northeast US.
What !! $200 ? Nice 👍👍
Still good @ $327. 👍
I literally payed 80€ for my HB bass.
@@Lilian_Blue There's also a 79€ guitar. I started with that over 10 years ago. Still have it.
I have always bought all my music related equipment at Thomann and the customer service has always been absolutely amazing. It surprises me they did not email you about shipping problems. Perhaps they are saturated with the Covid-19 situation.
No, the service is still top notch.
thats loser quality, they sold it to someone else
Hey, It Sounds Like He Got A Shady Delivery Person Who Didn't Want To Deliver His Parcel & Lied Or Designated His Guitar As "No Such Number, No Such Person, Undeliverable" And Took It Back To The Warehouse Until The Company Sent It Back! 🤔 I Ordered From Thomann Music A Few Times & Have ALWAYS Been Satisfied With Service Rendered.
@@keithmcduffie7182 I'm Sure You?RE RIGHT.
my exact thought, always excellent customer service and been usin thomann for 20 years.
"a touch of dirt" *proceeds to slam into "but your kids are gonna love it" mode*
Carbohighstakes *Hard rock Johnny B. Goode starts playing*
Kinda hit you in the face. Sounded good to me
😂😂😂
It's difficult to find a reviewer such as yourself that fairly critiques. It's refreshing to see you call out the not so great stuff when it deserves being mentioned. Thank your for your videos, looking forward to the next!
I ordered a ST-62 on Christmas night in the US. 5 days later it was at my doorstep. I am so impressed with the sound and quality of my HB, especially at $220 shipped. Sounds like you had a different experience.
Every time I watch a Darrell review, my mood is magically lifted. Aside from the great content, can we take a moment to appreciate what a refreshing and likable character Darrell always is? ❤️
Totally agree with you. I asked Darrell to make as many videos as possible because he makes my day for sure.
Honestly that guitar is one of the best Ive heard. Its balanced rich versatile and musical.
Thomann changed my life, should be getting a thomann tattoo pretty soon
How so? If you don't mind me asking.
@@bhjepsen because for a 1,000 dollars he can get a LP, tele, strat and semi hollow style guitar and an amp lol
Lame
it's really wierd to know your experience because thomann in europe is as good as can be. from germany to portugal in 3 to 4 days, it's amazing.
From Germany to England, waited 5 months for guitar, then they cancelled saying they couldn’t get it. I ordered a white Duesenberg Carl Carton guitar,,,,,, which i could have walked into a shop in England and bought ! Thomann are useless in my own opinion
Tuga 😊
I ordered the SC500 SW Vintage to Portugal and its 3 months of wait. They didn't have it in stock :(
Ordered a Harley Benton JB-75 last month. Guitar was shown as "in stock" on the Thomann website, and got a shipping notification the next day. Within just 5 days the box was at my local UPS for pickup.
Are you in Europe?
Are you in the US?
In the US, yes
guys there was a complete lockdown from April to mid May in whole Europe. Shipments were difficult to be processed . You can lookk it up if you want. Cheers.
@@hellfullart Sure. Obviously that would effect things starting in April, but he said he ordered the guitar in January so that’s not likely the reason he had issues, not initially at least.
I wish they had entry level guitars like this when I was a kid. I played pure junk until I could buy a "real" guitar.
My first was a Global Les Paul copy from Service Merchandise.
No kidding huh? I played a $150 Mustang that would have been a game changer in my 10 year old hands... instead I used to go into battle with an Aria pro 2 and a crate!! These kids have no idea how good they have it! It did however make me a better player when I finally got a proper rig!
@@fatmike1867 My second guitar was a 1983 Ibanez Roadstar II, after playing the Global Les Paul copy for several years. My playing skills pretty much doubled after a few months of getting the Ibanez which I played pretty much around the clock when I got it. I can totally relate that there is a benefit for being able to play a turd guitar before getting a nice guitar and how it can provide a good ricochet effect.
Exactly..
SO true 😂
"Now let's play with a touch of dirt..."
*Goes full AC/DC*
I mean... if you dont listen to heavier genres sure but.... if you are into more modern metal stuff like deathcore and djent.. it is just a bit dirty :D
Totally! I was thinking Malcom Young immediately. Good call.
Hello Chris 👋
@@Yonana529
Um... Hi!
AC/DC isn’t all that dirty
For you Americans/Canadians I don't quite know, but for us Europeans (I live in Greece), HARLEY BENTONS from THOMANN, and SUBZEROS from Gear4Music are truly a godsend, in every possible way.
A lot of us like em. I'm considering this exact one.
So true
Does the amps have british or european socket
Yes
true, even in Ukraine I received my guitar in 15 days. Everything was well-packed and not damaged
I am up to six of these HB's. The "high" priced guitars are where it is at. All of my Thomann experiences have been pleasant and above average. Ordered 2 of the SC-550's last month and they came in 3 business days for $62. I could go on and on about the wood quality and build, then there are the set up's. Just brings satisfaction for low dollars.
What price point is the high price point?
@@islas357 depends on the model, really. Canadian prices hereafter, as I live in Canada as well.
the classic Strat types seem to top out around $250 CDN plus tax, the classic LP types around $250 - 330 (depending if you want the better graded veneer top on the more expensive one or specific colours / styles of LP jr etc), the higher end "Fusion" SuperStrat line models are around $500 - 600, and they have some metal guitars that top out around $700 I think?
biggest issue being overseas is that it can be a bit of a gamble. some runs are far more inconsistent than others, if you read up on it. not as much of an issue if you're in Europe, as you can more readily exchange / return as needed, and won't get completely killed on shipping in doing so. certain models are reported as vastly more consistent in QC than others (provided they don't suddenly change the factory as I write this!), with the TE-52 (52' classic Telecaster model) being a well-liked one for the sheer value and quality combination, with the only common complaint being that it's heavy.
the ~$500+ price points typically mean a bit more attention to detail at the factory, so you're less likely to get a dud. same logic as more consistent major brands, but your dollar goes even farther as you're paying more for the actual build with less retailer and middleman markup. (factory and Thomann only taking the cut, not factory + brand + distributor + end retailer selling to you)
I've tried to order from them a few times, and lately they seem to think that uhhhh my address doesn't exist? the previous time, my bank automatically froze the purchase of a larger sum on an overseas account, so I slept on it and didn't bother going through the hassle the next day. every time I think about it nowadays, I realize I should sell off at least three or four of the guitars I'm not playing before I even get one more to tinker with... :D
My fret ends were perfectly rolled and intonation was tuned perfectly.
To answer the question: "Yes, they are as good as people say."
I received my Harley Benton HB-35Plus LD Lemon Drop on Nov 8, 2021 as a Christmas gift. Best gift! Two things I have done. I had a custom setup done because strings were very dirty. Then after having tuning issues two months in I had the turners changed by adding: Graph Tech Electric Locking 3+3 Vintage 2 Pin Chrome (PRL-8341-B0 is a set of Ratio Locking Tuned Machine Heads )
Always appreciate your thoroughness and thoughtfulness.
Me too! Darrell is a great presenter and an awesome guitar player. And of course I love his polite way of talking about mistakes that happen to b found on guitars.
You should do a tutorial on some of the stuff you played . I'd love to play like that
Totally agree
There are tabs at Patreon.
He does. It's called guitar classes. He takes money for that. Coz if you're good at something, don't do it free.
More of a Pentatonic Scale bro
time,practice,devotion..........no one who picks up the guitar a couple times a week for 5-10 minutes plays like this.ive got about 25 years in,i can play like this.learn all your chords,learn all your scales,learn to play along with music of all types.....
I watched the Firefly demo then this Harley Benton, watched the Spark amp review, pulled my MIJ Ibanez RB850 and amp out of the closet after about 10 years and thumped around on it. Mr. Darrell, you've re-ignited my music bug. Decided I want to play guitar as well (which will help with my bass) and found an absolutely GORGEOUS Ibanez Artcore AM73B hollow in natural matte with full DM and controls in a tank of a Gretsch case for $300. I am SOOOO lit up right now!! So much so my wife is having fun observing my antics. NEVER SAY DIE! I'm 53 and going back in full tilt!! WOOOOOOOOOO!!! I'm also waiting for your signature model to show up on the 10S website.
from my understanding, as a carpenter of 20 years, working with exotic woods, installing custom panels in super mega yachts, The differnce most commonly known between AAA and AAAA is that the later is a rare pattern, it is unique and can never be duplicated.. The blue guitar he has is AAA, not AAAA. AAA is the best of the best, the next level would be best of the best AND unique....keeping in mind marketing tactics...technicaly it is unique in that it's the only Harly Benton Maple with burnt out flames. :)
I can only say that my experience with Thomann (more than 15 years now) is that they deliver good customer service. Never had a problem.
I just bought this exact guitar about a month ago and I absolutely love it.y guitar teacher who is a working musician on weekends also bought one because he was so impressed, and has been using it for gigs.
Hey, would you recommend this guiat for a beginner and trying to get into neo soul and rnb? I can play acoustic but this will be my first electric
@@shannonlodewyk3649 just try a few out and pick the one that feels best in your hands. It's all feel. And when you're first starting you don't need to be super picky. Just find something you like and grab it !
I gig with a Harley Benton LP. I had to change the pickups, the stock Roswells were extremely dark. I changed them out with GM Hot Rods, which are clones of Seymour Duncan JB and Jazz. Now it stands up to my Gibsons.
I bought a Harley Benton Tele back in March and received it in April. Pretty standard for international shipping I would say. Like Darrell said the fine tuning is not exactly on par, but in the $150 price range it does stand out and plays really well so I enjoy it. The Roswell humbuckers sounds awesome! A good buy for aspiring guitarists!
Darrel: The neck humbucker here we go
Ad: That's a Chromebook that's a Chromebook that's a Chromebook
Imagine buying a chromebook lmao
@@Outta-hz1ej I know right lmao
As a luthier, and maybe it's just me watching and not viewing. That is 3-4 a top. That PRS is what I would consider Master grade (5-6).
I'm surprised that thomann screwed up... If they knew you were a reviewer, I think they would have sent you 10 guitars by now....
Which must say something about their customer service. I’ve heard big personalities say good things about them but everyday people like us have always had issues with getting their gear, it seems. Thinking DBG was just another customer was a mistake lol.
They have better service with reviewers?
@@lmt200ish well what's his fish face gets like 5 versions of the same HB every week and now he has a signature... And he's not even remotely as good of a guitar player...
I would generally say my experience was generally ok with Thomann. Except for the fact that is difficult to find a live chat customer care. And the customer care guy was cracking dry racist jokes at me, i think..("Ja, i am like Shiva handling multiple customers at the same time")
I have ordered stuff from Thomann for years, and once had to return an instrument. Never had any problems. Usually everything has arrived in 5-6 days (I live in Finland).
I just picked an HB35 Plus, Cherry Red because of this review. I immediately took it home and recorded with, I absolutely love it! Great tones, tons of options with two toggle switches to go single coil, plays beautifully, and looks amazing for the cost. I agree with your “AA flametop assessment”, that’s about right. A little secret… they have guitars in the stock room that are labled “b-stock” which are usually nothing more than minor damage to the packaging but sell for a significant discount! Mine was in perfect condition. The money saved went towards a tweed Gator hardshell case that fit the HB35 perfectly!
Glad to read this since I've been eyeing the HB35 plus, also in cherry red. It seems so similar to an Epiphone Casino at nearly half the price so I've been obsessed with it lmao. I wanna order one as soon as I have some extra money
Last March I ordered an HB TE 52 for my son’s birthday. It took one week to get out of Germany. Then it spent about one week in customs in NYC. Only live in Connecticut so it arrived fairly quickly. All while the pandemic was emerging. I’d say I was fortunate. And my son loves it.
In Europe Thomann has probably the most solid reputation out there. This is a 222 euro guitar, with free shipping (I find that amazing)
Thomann are amazing here in Europe
I have a Harley Benton and it’s one of my favourites
price keep rising... paid 189e for that (non b stock)
Not free to the US --- $69
@@diddymies What, amazing Price?
As someone living in Europe, I've ordered many times from Thomann and the service has always been absolutely excellent!
Sorry to hear that apparently outside of Europe it's not always the best experience.
Just ordered one in the US and got it three days later. I was worried because of certain parties that run our country importing might take longer. But nope, great service
@@TheTombomb5000 How much was the import tax?
Giorno quan $75 to the US. Took 3 days to get here
@@TheTombomb5000 But how did you pay the tax? Any website thomann emails or do you have to sign anything or show anything?
Giorno quan no they take care of all the shipping requirements. They just mailed it with UPS
Been ordering from thomann here in germany for many years and it has always been a great experience. I once had a pedal go bad, emailed them on tuesday and had a replacement on friday
Honestly, thank you for uploading this when you did. I bought one and I love it. It's what I'm learning on.
Ohh wow, Harley Benton...
Really wish you could review and do a teardown for the Harley Benton Fusion II next time... It's like Suhr in a budget... Thanks Darrell
Just give him 8 months haha
@@DrDizzleFrizzle hahaha, order now, and hopefully we can get the review in... Let's say... Next year...
I'm also looking at getting a Harley Benton Fusion II. I'd love to know what they're like.
Ordered a single cut and took 5 weeks. ordered a Fussion II. Took 4 days! In the US... fantastic guitars
@@BillVerdon I'm in the UK so it should be pretty smooth. :) I'm tempted by the wilkinson trem version as I already have a guitar with a floyd rose.
I got that same guitar even the same color. My was delivered in Connecticut in 20 days and arrived in better condition than yours no flaws at all no complains here, I guess is hit or miss. The only thing with mine was the unpolished frets which I fix myself in less than an hour while changing strings to 42 09. Thanks for your review.
I'm in Connecticut too!
I'm In michigan, I ordered 3 guitars that took over a month to arrive, and when they did the main box was completely mangled and waterdamaged. They also restapled the box together. 2 guitars were fine. But the strap button on the sc450 plus got jammed into the body, causing considerable damage. My dad is also having trouble with Thomann going back and forth trying to resolve the issue.
It took me only 12 days to get my Harley Benton HB-35Plus LD Lemon Drop. Ordered 10/28/2021 received in PA 11/8/2021. Totally wonderful guitar!!!
For the price. Some fret polishing and some cleanup on the binding, I feel that’s an amazing deal. If you aren’t satisfied with the sound, with the tuners, I feel that’s acceptable because you can change those things yourself to your liking. If that’s ever something they do spec to order (maybe they do) it’s expected that you’ll pay more. I don’t own one but it’s very likely I’ll order one soon. Great job HB!
did you ordered one? if so, do you like it? I'm planning on buying one soon
I hope this doesn't sour you on the HB line. Check out Max Solo's two-part review on the HB Fusion T (telecaster style, roasted maple neck, stainless steel frets). He has up close shots of the fret ends, etc. I would love to see you review one.
I'm in the UK and my experiences with Thomann have been mostly good. They had a period where they had upgraded all their systems and everything got a bit rocky, but they were honest about the reasons, and honestly, I've had such good stuff from them over the years - not just cheap stuff - that I can forgive it. When I lived in London GuitarGuitar failed to deliver an amp to me, and they were four tube stops away, not in another country. Great review, and those clean tones were very nice indeed.
Hi.
Have you ever bought from Andertons in the UK?
CHR 15 I have and I’ve been to their Guildford store amazing store in my opinion Andertons is the best in the uk amazing customer sevice
@@guardsmansteven4128 Thanks for answering. Glad your experience was a positive one.
Mine was awful. Too long-winded to get into.
Am considering PMT or other options if I can find a reliable one with shipping to Spain.
@@DudeMcGuybro Thanks for the suggestion.
I've already been on the phone multiple times to Lee, the owner.
Seemed quite up himself at times. His right-hand-woman was helpful at first, but then didn't take too well to honest criticism ( I'm in customer service for Inditex here in Spain in both English and Spanish, so I'm aware of how a customer should be treated and am able to suggest improvements.
For a family-run company that rakes in millions per year, a tad more humility and few bits and bobs here and there is needed, which was suggested.
@@DudeMcGuybro I get your point, but it was relevant to my issue, not to the business in general.
Always love you videos Darrell, thank you for doing what you do. Question: did you play this guitar right out of the box or did you do some set up?
The coil splitting really makes that an extremely versatile guitar, great video. Thanks.
Most of the issues on the guitar itself are things I can live with for that kind of money and I never had those kind of shipping issues with them in the past and I have ordered from them a dozen time in the last 12 months or so. That said, them selling a product you paid for and casually "forget" to inform you about and then take their sweet time to replace it is a cardinal sin in my book.
I recieved a HB DC Jr 'fat's 2 weeks ago. It was $300 delivered 2 days to Texas. The frets including ends were dressed and polished very good on mine. The bridge was the weakest piece but everything else was good out of the box. I did swap bridges and tuners because I had the parts laying around and it's now perfect. No complaints. I imagine HB is no different than any other brand on that some guitars are good and some not. For the price I think mine was a steal.
I waited seven days from mine I would buy another Harley Benton I love mine I own two
Yours probably took so long cuz there's a pendemic
2:20 that's unusual. In the UK, I buy most of my gear from Thomann Germany. They have always provided an excellent service and even gave me a free upgrade to a more expensive product when the item I ordered was out of stock.
Exact same thing happened to me with a bass I bought. Never had a bad experience and been using them for years so it was really surprising to hear!
Yup had some effects pedals from them and always arrived on time and well packaged. Cant fault them at all here in the UK
After brexit my mate ordered a guitar and had a letter in the post from the tax people saying they are holding his guitar and that there is over £100 duty to be paid as we are no longer in the EU.
Thomann service, at least here in italy, is just perfect
I am hearing a lot about Thomann being really bad at shipping outside of the EU. Now inside the EU and especially Germany of course they are really great and I would recommend them to anyone living in the EU. But outside of that it seems to get tough so if you don't necessarily need a Harley Benton and are fine with other brands that do similar guitars then you are better off going to a dealer in your country. I know from one guy working there that they just sometimes have a lot of trouble and it can get a bit hectic. Seems to be especially the case when a product gets shipped outside the EU. My guess is that they just grew too fast and can't handle it at the moment so I hope they step up their game in terms of customer service and international shipping
Important Edit: From the few responses I got here it seems now to me that only America (Canada, US, maybe Mexico) have bigger problems with Thomann shipping. Other regions seem to be fine. I would love to hear from people now living in NA or SA
Awww man that sucks. Getting a local budget brand sure seems like a better move, but no one else does a budget modern superstrat like the Fusion 2 like HB does
I thought you only played lolis not guitars natsuri
Nonsense, I work in Oman in the middle east and I received mine in 5 days.
@@darrylbutt2570 Well I didn't say this is a fact but that is what it seems to me like. Maybe it's only America they have problems with. But as you can see in this video it is not complete nonsense
I live in Hong Kong & got mine in 10 days or less. I don't remember exactly but it was pretty fast!
Darrell, you have been practicing a lot on the guitar over the last 4 years. I can hear how you have improved your play. Good job 👍🏻
YES DARRELL
Great review! Great camera shots
For those wondering about the price range, this from the Thomann (US) website (as of 8/18/2020): $219 €185.34 Amazing value; it almost warrants no pickiness at this price. However, it shouldn't be marketed as AAAA as pointed out. And anyone thinking they are going to get AAAA for $219 is not thinking clearly.
Absolutely good at that price, and would be good at twice the price, but people don't understand how these tops are done.I'm sure most know that instead of two solid pieces of maple, matched and carved down to the contours of the instrument, in this price range the binding covers the edge of what is really a thin veneer of the flames maple( or whichever wood it is) the body is made( even on the Gibson) of laminated maple on both wings for brightness and strength, and attached to the centre block. The top is not carved as in a Les Paul, so you're getting only a small amount of top wood anyway! I like everything about this guitar and think by paying for a set up, neck adjust and fret finishing, maybe replacing pickups or tuners etc for better result you would get a guitar equal to some of the PRS SE price range instruments but guitars that are more what players actually want, as opposed to the american companies that have a problem of ( quite rightly) of owing a responsibility to the traditions of their older evolved iconic designs.
This is a great answer. This not a great guitar but bang for buck it's a killer deal, well said.
@@michaelsimpson8872 Still, the plain lying is really a big put-off for me. If they lie on this one, what else isn't what they say it is? And why would they even do that? It's a 200 EUR guitar, it's not supposed to be high end. I just don't understand these sales people. They are idiots in my opinion.
@@JimmyTulip1 Because most likely the dude writing out the spec sheet never touched or looked at it. If they refuse to take it back or make it right then I would complain, but typos happen.
I was about to buy a Gibson ES but then thought of Epiphone but then he uploads this and saves my wallet
let's talk about George Floyd's Toxic Masculinity definitely not true
@@austincox1709 Chinese guitars are no longer "junk" like in the past. They are really stepping their game up. And I own Gibsons, Epiphone's, Fenders from all over, and MIJ Jacksons and Ibanez guitars...
I just bought a 10S GF Goldtop Vintage Relic with the single humbucker, and while it's far from perfect, but it's a hell of a guitar for the price to build off of. The finish is far from top-notch, but it is definitely nitro lacquer, just like a Gibson. It's basically built to the specs of a 1956 Les Paul Goldtop, but with only a single humbucker, and 1 vol. and 1 tone control. It has a big 50's gibson profile neck on it, real ebony fretboard, real mother of pearl inlays (I checked in the light), Grover tuners, flame-grain solid mahogany body (no weight relief), a true long-tenon 1/4-sawn mahogany neck (some flame grain in it as well) that creates some massive sustain, solid maple cap, pretty close to a real faded and aged 50's goldtop finish (not too much flake, but enough to sparkle a little bit in the direct light) that has been relic'd, and while it has an Epiphone CH57(G) humbucker in it, after doing a proper setup, and tuning the height, putting some new strings on it, it's a beast for a $400 guitar. The only thing I removed and changed was the strings, everything else was just setup and adjustment of what came on the guitar. It has great bones to build off of...Which is what I plan to do with it.
I'll be putting a video up on it this week, maybe tomorrow if I get time. 🤘🏻
check out Shijie guitars
Oh man....... should have went with the 335
@let's talk about George Floyd's Toxic Masculinity Nice joke...
Well I bought the Harley Benton hb-35 plus metallic green and the finish was brilliant and the frets were ultra smooth and polished.
Thank you so much for turning me on to this guitar. I have always yearned for a 335. Never heard of this guitar until I stumbled onto this video. When I looked up the price I thought it too good to be true. It’s true folks! Best value ever out of a guitar. Took 4 business days to get delivered in New England, USA. Setup was PERFECT out of the box. One minor flaw on back but don’t care. I bought a case and it is great quality. Thanks again Darrell!
I should mention the fret work on the guitar was perfect. No rough edges as described in the video. I bit scratchy but resolved by playing and a quick fret polish. Didn't have any weird stuff on the neck like you did. The bridge posts are mounted flawlessly into the body. The only negative thing I can say is that the back has a dime sized dark smudge under the clear but not a big deal, I can live with it. Almost got a "perfect" guitar. Top is definitely not AAAA but more like AA. Worth every penny!
Love playing this guitar!
The tones are VERY convincing! Nice!
I ordered this one. Told me two weeks to be in stock. Based on other guitars from that are I looked at I figured three. Four week later I have my guitar in hand. I checked the next day and found they were back ordered again with a five to eight week wait so I guess I got lucky. Frets weren’t too bad. Guitar was beautiful in person and felt really good to play. I’m very happy with this one so I guess Gibson won’t be seeing me waiting on their 335.
I've had a couple HB guitars for about a year. Play one of the two daily for practice. They are teh TE-52 and the SC-450 P90 GT.
Fretwork is my only real gripe. Not enough to stop playing, but I'll be spending time on both of these guitars making the fretboards nicer. Overall, very happy! 2 guitars + 2 HS cases for $405 ish was pretty decent!
You can buy a lot of 200 dollar guitars that don't have good fret work.
@@morganghetti Yes you can. But learning a little skill can make a $200 guitar sound like an $800+ guitar... It's guitar love, not rocket science!
Hell I make these guitars sound pretty good before fret work. I'd record with them. Do they hinder me, yeah, a little. But playing is the endgame. Make the song real or go home & lick you're wounds...
I've had several Harley Benton and about half of them required a minor fret levelling job (just a couple of frets). The same went with a cheap Gear4music model. It's easily fixed.
@@Leo_ofRedKeep Leveling isn't the issue on these. Crowning & nasty ends on these 2
I ordered a Harley Benton (same model and finish as this) on Monday, January 3rd, 2022. I’m receiving it today Thursday January 6th, 2022. It’s on the truck to me in my home town. Not bad coming from Germany to Florida. Sorry you had some bad luck with yours, Darrell butter not my experience.
And thanks for all your great videos. They’re all amazing.
The highlight for me was a Larry Carlton 335 lead sound on the humbucker. Well played, as always!
I live in France, never had an issue with them, they clearly the leader in Europe, but I guess they are developing the US/canadian market, I've tried a couple of their models directly at their shop and latest models and new productions guitars are incredible
Where is their shop in France? Thx
It would be great if you would comment on the fret size (jumbo, etc) and the quality of the tuners (stay in tune, etc). Also the quality of the strings or do you swap them out right away. Lastly, any set up work or adjustments that you would do before demo. Any fret dressing or leveling. Love your reviews but wouldn’t mind seeing more than the tone.
Here in Europe Thomann works very very well. I place several orders each year from Spain and they arrive fast, very well packed and you can even choose among a few courier companies. Free shipping over 200€, extremely easy to return. This is by far my favourite online shop for music or any other thing. Sorry for your bad experience but maybe you have a similar shop in north america that you could use.
Ordered this exact guitar evening of 8/8/2020, arrived 3pm to Long Island, NY 8/17/2020. Per UPS delivery log, didn't leave Germany until 8/15!
Super impressed, the guitar is awesome.
Getting used to growing deaf as I get older. That said most guitars are sounding more muddy as time goes by. Sorry they bummed you on shipping cause you may have missed how clean that ax sounded. Like what I have been missing. The little flaws will be a labor of love. Thank you sir, I have found what I want and it will be worth the wait!
My personal experience with Thomann has been great, though I live in Germany. I have bought a microphone, two HB guitars, one HB bass, and a few HB Pedals Shipping varied, but about half of the time was less than two days, and the service was always great. Sometimes the QA could be better, but the service always figured it out in my favour. Shame your first delivery failed
Yeah, I think about buying my second guitar. It'll be a HB or a budget flying V from Jackson, I can't decide🤔
@@victorstriga I've tried some budget Jacksons and they had quite scratchy fret ends, maybe you're lucky though. my HB guitars feel pretty good, but maybe you want to change the pickups later on... They're decent but not great
Just purchased one of these in cherry over the weekend and arrived at my home on the east coast on Wednesday (YES, 3 BUSINESS DAYS)! Great finish and fit. Can't find anything to complain about. As nice as much more expensive guitars that I've owned. Thanks Thomann and Harley Benton!
Hey Darrell,
I have just finished assembling a single cut guitar kit from HB and I must say that I am very pleased with the sound it gives me for the price it cost.
I also have complaints about the overall quality of build, especially from the body which had a lot of imperfections and was not so "ready to paint" as they sell it on the site.
Other than that, the neck is surprisingly well finished, although the frets are not polished, will address that when I change to lighter strings, the tuner bridge bolts are loose on the holes so I had to pad them.
I am still pleased because I really like how it sounds and for the price i cannot falter that.
Thank you for your videos.
I ordered a Guitar from them with no problem in the USA. The Guitar came in 3 weeks and looked and Sounded really good. I love Harley Benton. That guitar looks like it cost 1500 Dollars but only cost 300. I love Harley Benton.
I’m surprised you haven’t gotten the HB fanboi beatdown for this! You cannot and must not criticize HB or Thomann in a video or out come the wolves. Appreciate the honesty!
Hb are pure dog turd! 💩
@@jordanwalsh8171 YOU CAN'T SAY THAT!😉
I always enjoy when there is a reliable and honest opinion that you can trust, Thanks !!!
Finally, an honest assessment of the frets!! Easy to correct, but definitely needed.
If Thomann knew it was you, they would have sent an extra guitar Lmao.
Well they are still in time, they have his address...
I bought a deluxe tele from Thomann and it got lost. They were great in replacing it tho, took a while, but I got the second one and blows me away how good it is for the $$. I have an American Tele and several G&L's and it hangs with them all on feel and sound. Honestly, the only VERY small nitpick was nut slots were too high, but that's 10 minutes of work for me.
Yes sir, I love me HB Tele.
I bought the six string Ricky clone from HB. They said it would be about 6 weeks, it showed up in 3. Just lucky I guess.
Guy named Gibson buying a Harley - what's the world coming to? Next thing you know Freddy Fender will be buying an Ibanez!
I'm stuck in Germany on COVID quarantine/isolation. I ordered two HB guitars, they arrived in less than 36 hours. Good stuff!
It sounds lovely, and what a gorgeous look with the 'lemon drop' finish and cream and black binding.
My favourite guitar is a Harley Benton copy of a double cut LP Jr. That said, while they are good for the money, they are best as mod platforms. The basic construction is usually very good. Fretwork on some models is excellent and rough on others. The pickups are a mixed bag from meh to yay depending on the model. My DC Jr has had all hardware and electrics changed and is now the equal of any Jr I ever played but at a lower all-in price.
This budget price band really isn't a realistic place to live if you're after a perfect guitar. Hell, even MIM Fenders are shipping with some crappy fretwork. My Player Series Jaguar's frets were as rough as those on this HB before a polish. IMO, the best cheap Fenders are the Squier CVs, end even they were better before the spec changes.
Thomann customer service and shipping within Europe are generally very good. I'm in UK and I have bought maybe 8 guitars and 6 amplifiers from Thomann, plus a couple mandolins and countless pedals. I've had a few instrument faults but never any service issues. I guess the distance to North America leaves scope for plenty of mess-ups.
The Harley Benton range includes a huge number of guitars from several different factories and the range of quality to be found is also pretty wide. For the most part, in my experience, they are good value, especially for people who are capable of basic tech work. Occasionally they come up with a real ass-kicking guitar with considerable potential, such as the DC Jr and their PRS copies.
I just got my 2 HB Fusion-T HH, one with EMG's. Amazing quality and only took 6 days and great online chat response! Roasted maple neck, SS frets, knobs all work, holds tune with locking tuners, etc. And they both sound better than I expected. The EMG's sound a little different than my Schecter Sun Valley and maybe a custom PU design for HB. No fret buzz! But the star of the show is the roasted neck, flawless. No more $$$$ Fenders for me...
Hi,can you Put in the Link of this HB Fusion with EMG?Or did you Order this Modifikation with EMG especially for you by Thomann?
Thank you so much for another great review! I love seeing the rundowns of the more affordable guitars. If you could only have one, would you pick the Harley Benton or the monoprice boardwalk you reviewed recently?
Love your videos!
Hey Darrell ! I hope you're having a good day. I was browsing the Harley Benton website and they have an amazing new guitar, the Harley Bentos Aeolus. It's a very COOL guitar! It would be fascinating to see that on your channel! Cheers mate
Greetings from Germany, your Channel is really great 👍I got a lot HB's Electric Guitars and Pedals, the Guitars are double, some triple the Price worth in my opinion. I play Guitar since 22 Years, got some Fenders and Gibsons.. in comparsion HB' s offers very much quality and sound . You can't go wrong. Thank you again and go on 🤘🏽
I think you were very unlikely Darrell. I had a great experience with Thomann. Bought an American Fender Stratocaster for much cheaper than I could have got it anywhere else. Came in less than 2 weeks in perfect condition, very well packaged and well protected. I would assume your problems arose from the pandemic as Thomann are in Germany - it was difficult posting from one European country to another at the start of the pandemic never mind from Europe to Canada.
That doesn't excuse them selling his guitar to someone else and saying nothing about it until he contacted them. That's just awful business
As the old saying goes, you get what you pay for. I got one of these after seeing this review and spent a bit of time setting it up, and finishing it off. The result is, agreat guitar which matches my Les Paul...Killer tones and a gem to play.
Great review! and i have to say you make it sound great! Thank you!
I can't believe how good that sounds for the price! It'd be rude not to buy one.
I just bought a Harley Benton. I started playing around with guitar about 2 or 3 months ago. The reason I got a Harley Benton is because, unlike a squire or epiphone(neither of which are bad guitars), I found that seeing my Harley Benton SC Custom (ESP Eclipse clone) just made me want to pick up the guitar and play more. And I think that is the most important thing for beginners like myself. Surround yourself with stuff that makes you want to play.
So did you not find your Epiphone or Squire made you want to play ? I find mine very involving.
I'm gonna get a 35 though I green cause I'm looking for a hollow and it's a good price .
How you finding yours.?
@@greenfly1264 Epiphone no. Squire there are a few models that I just love holding and playing. I like the Classic Vibes Jaguar, and the Classic Vibes start. I lovvveee my Harley Benton after the last 3 months. It is beautiful and plays better than most epiphones I have played. I still want a Strat for that single coil sound, but with the coil splits in this, I can get pretty close.
All ways a great show very entertaining and very informative you just gotta love it!
I live in Ireland. I ordered my harley benton from thomann on a Sunday, they were closed so the order got processed on the Monday. My guitar showed up on the Thursday. Quickest online delivery I've ever witnessed and the shipping was free!!
I think Thomann should send every guitars models for Darrell as apologies
I got a harley benton pro series t got a great guitar with stainless steel frets, roller string trees no QC problems at all. Actually one of the best guitars I've ever played. Maybe just the lucky of the draw.
Think they should send a model of each to me!
At the prices HB's sell for you can expect to have to do some work to get them to play at their best, but the prices have now increased to a point where they are very close to some well known brands that have better quality control.
The biggest problem for me is that you can't see what you are buying, plus by the time you replace all the cheap parts, your money would be better spent towards a higher quality guitar.
A very nice detailed review I really enjoy watching your reviews. Thank you for this! I hope I can get one of those too. That guitar looks so sexy!