These comparisons make me laugh… I get it make the buyer feel good about the cheap purchase guitar and as I do agree cheap guitars have come along way but that’s what they are cheaply made and cheaply distributed. That Harley Benton looks and feels like a cheap guitar.. as I’ve played one . No comparison to any high end guitar I personally own. Guess a good project guitar to learn on is where I’d put it .
The Trump guitar was a display piece; I don't believe it was ever intended to be a musical instrument. Shooting the Harley Benton out against an actually GOOD guitar -- now THAT'S a good idea!
What you said about the Gibson is what I refer to about relic guitars when I say you can buy a guitar with a soul, you can play a soul into a guitar but you cant belt sand a soul into a guitar!
First of all, I love T-Tops. It's the pickup that inspires me the most. There's just something about them. Strangely, I played a Squire Tele Thinline with wide-range humbuckers, and I know those pickups were made dirt cheap, but I loved the sound. I played a Tele with the new cunife wide-range pickups, and I like the Squire ones better. Those original cunife pups go for stupid money and I prefer the cheap imitation. I know I'm a fool, but I predict that those Squire wide-range hummies will go for stupid money in 50 years.
What year is your squier, I may try to check those out! You're no fool my friend... critical thinking and forming your own opinion is real intelligence!
@@ToneJunkieTV I didn't buy that Squier, but it was in my local guitar shop. I played it earlier this year and it was new, so it was either a 2023 or 2024. I'm pretty fussy about the guitars I buy because I have arthritis in my neck which commands I buy light weight guitars. That Squire was a just a bit too heavy. If you see one in a shop, try it out. The bodies are made out of maple that they claim is a "soft" maple. I'm not sure what that is exactly but being a Thinline, it resonated nicely.
I have an Agile LP, probably about 10 years now, $225 back then. I've changed most of the hardware, locking tuners and threw in a set of Dimarzio Nortons, 50's wiring. I may have $500 in it with a case. I keep going back to it. I have some more expensive ones but that Agile just works for me. I've gotten some very vintage sounding tones out of it and it will also do heavier stuff. It was perfectly fine out of the box but I like to tinker and I'll never get rid of it.
I listened w/o watching, anyone who can tell a difference between the two over TH-cam is full of beans. Live in the room they may sound different idk but over TH-cam, nope can’t hear a difference. What amp are you playing through? It sounds really good.
11:50 Agree. For me, it boils down to the fact that humans had more interaction with the build. Even today, with the advancement of tools and some evolution in philosophy applied in the workshop, a handmade guitar might be quite different than in the past. Makes for a fascinating discussion for sure.
I have a couple of the early PRS SE One guitars, amazing single cut juniors that can still be picked up for under $500. They're damn good stock, but I throw locking tuners and new electronics in them (not expensive for a junior) and they're amazing guitars, not just amazing "for the price"
The Gibson Pickups have better note separation. This could also be simply due the Pickup body height, and Pole piece heights. These can make a huge difference in the sound, and learning how to adjust them and dial in their their best sound is easily worth the minimal effort involved. 😎
Just curious if you have seen the fireworks going on between Tom Bukovac and VOYXU over the true value of a '59 Burst? The argument started over the Jason Imlay purchase of Ed King's Red Eye for over $650,000. VOYXu claims that this is insane and that he can get the same tone out of a modern Studio LP. What say you?
Ok while I agree budget guitars are great and that spending thousands and thousands on vintage guitars is stupid, the Jason isbell red eye debate is stupid. That guitar is getting that price because of who it belonged too and the fact that free bird and sweet home Alabama were probably written on that guitar. If I was a popular or known musician, I’d blow my money on vintage gear too cuz that’s a retirement fund. Look at Joe bonnamassa, his whole collection will sell one day for twice what it’s actually worth cuz HE owned it. Arguing over “celebrity” owned stuff is just stupid. As for getting good tone… spend 75% of your money on amps/pedals and buy the guitar as an afterthought. With good amps and pedals you can make any guitar sound way better than it has any business sounding.
Just ordered up the Harley Benton HB35 plus (335 copy) with a case for less than $350 shipped 😂. I’ll have to wait a couple months for availability, but we’ll see how it goes!
So we live in the age where the Gibson “neck breakage potential” still exists. Logic stands to reason to start gigging cheaper guitars such that if a breakage occurs you’re not trying to patch up a guitar worth 6 grand! And that’s exactly what I’ve done. Who knew that a PRS SE Hollowbody sounded like a 335 (and they do)
It's the same thing with Epiphone electric guitars produced in Korea Vs. China discussion. People always used to say the older Epiphone's made in Korea were of better quality than ones coming out of China. Especially the Korean Samick or Peerless factories. Now that Epiphone (Gibson) has only one dedicated factory making the guitars in China I don't think that holds true anymore. I now see people on eBay flogging old Japanese Greco LP copies with bolt-on necks for $1000 or more. 🤣
Can you do a review on your Guild behind you??? I absolutely love them and don’t think there’s a video on that kind. It’s prob one of my favorite guitars but it’s kinda rare to find especially in sunburst. Thanks!
I have 2 Harley Benton Les Paul's. I didn't think the pickups sounded all that great. On yours the neck position sounds good but the other two sound a little Fisher Price to me. In any case, I wound up hot rodding the guitars, replacing the pickups as well as the tuners and all the hardware (crazy, I know), and have turned them into top notch guitars.
Actually about the Harley Bentons LP guitars, first series had Wilkinson Pickups. But then Thomann had to change pickup brand because the chinese were putting FAKE Wilkinson pickups (copies of copies) in them, so they mounted them with "Roswell" pickups. Then, for a reason i don't know, they are now mounting them with Tesla pickups. The REAL HB is indeed the ones mounted with Wilkinson pickups ;)
I think i have the same HB guitar, HB SC 550 SL. I wanted to sell it, cause i have an Epiphone LP standard plustop pro also. but after your video i decided to keep it
I'd rather have the Trump guitar as a collector and the HB for jamming. I know thats a classical work of art but it'd be my 3rd choice of the 3. Unless I wanted it just to sell. Then it would be my first choice right now.
0:14 Hey, hey….it’s the HB LP….back again….and so soon! If this guitar could speak, do you think that it would have TDS? Asking for a musical friend. 🎸 🇺🇸 🤔
My Harley Benton DC Jr can compete with my Gibson Les Paul Jr in sound. My Gibson only beats it in feel. I can feel my the neck on my Gibson resonate in my left hand and the body resonate against my core! But I prefer using my Harley Benton as it’s cheap, sounds great, and if stolen I’m only out $300
We definitely hear with our eyes but yeah there’s not a $12k difference in tone but what does THAT even mean and how do you really quantify the subjectiveness of it all. I will say I have a $179 Squire with Lindy Fralins in it and I was OBSESSED with getting a $2k tele until I realized this damn Tele sounded and actually played better so… FML… 🤦♂️ 😂
You can't really say you're comparing a $13,000 vintage Gibson guitar with a modern HB. Technically you are comparing a guitar that cost about $100 in 1967(about $900 in modern dollars). Really, what you are comparing is a hand crafted guitar to one built with modern methods and more advanced electronics. That's not a bust on either of them. We we live in a world where for a reasonable price we can get something far more advanced and playable than just 3 or 4 decades ago.
You are right with your argument, but .... $13,000 is the SUPPOSED revalued price and thus the market value. I say supposedly because you can ask for whatever you want, another thing is if you can sell it for that price. Besides, in the 60's the initial price was expensive compared to today's prices for today's guitars. And if we compare guitars by utility and quality of manufacture and materials it is more than clear that spending thousands of dollars is crazy and unnecessary. Another thing is to buy a guitar for its resale value, as an investment. And there you have to be lucky, very lucky.
@christianhertwig1593 I was trying to compare as closely the true functional value of the guitars. If I were to get a good Harley Benton, jump into my DeLorean, and go back to the 60s, it would probably fetch a price closer to a Gibson than it does now. Again, not a bust on that Gibson, but name recognition and vintage are heavily tied up in that value. It's not $13,000 because it's that much better as a functional instrument.
I hear what your saying but the model number in Gibson ES guitars was also the original suggested retail price so ES335, ES345 and ES355 means "Electric Spanish $335, $345 and $355" respectively and they were the most expensive standard models in those years. The Trini was even more at $375 because it was an artist model. In 1967 this was among the very best and most expensive Gibson guitar you could buy so it's never been "affordable" compared to the rest of the line. The guitars made with affordability in mind would have been the juniors. The retail price for both of these guitar is about the same but they are 60 apart. In modern dollars the original retail price of the Trini Lopez would be about $3500 dollars so about 10x what the Harley benton costs today. Maybe I'll make a video about this... have guitars gotten 10x better? Interesting topic. Thanks for the comment dude!
@ToneJunkieTV I think I was looking up a different model when I googled it. I find it difficult now to justify (for my own wallet) purchasing a $3500 Gibson over a $600 Epiphone, strictly from a functional standpoint. I own a really nice Epiphone LP that retailed $600 brand new. I don't doubt a Gibson is better, but is it 5 or 6 times better? This isn't to say I'm against the high end guitar market. If I had enough disposable income, I'd enjoy paying the extra for a vintage or custom instrument. I am a good capitalist after all. 😁
I dont think it costs that much.Why do guitarists pend that much money.why doesn't someone find out what, it costs to make that guitar . From scratch don't get mad it would be a great review 🤘
they may come close in sound but playability is nowhere near! I own a few Budet guitars but when I started playing custom shops and murphy labs and boutique builds! They cant hold a candle to them
Unfair to compare a hollow body to a solid body guitar. A beginner will be good to go with a HB but, for all its worth, a pro will always pick up the better sounding guitar with a sustain. My 2 cents😊
When Chording there’s a big Difference! The Gibson is Way better! Over all the Gibson sounds much Better! Looks much Better too. The Harley is just an ugly Les Paul. But in the end not a 13 thousand dollar difference. Epiphone are Making amazing Semi-Hollows today. For a better price but those are getting pricey too.
I’m so glad I found your channel.
You explain things in such a relatable way.
Thanks dude!
These comparisons make me laugh… I get it make the buyer feel good about the cheap purchase guitar and as I do agree cheap guitars have come along way but that’s what they are cheaply made and cheaply distributed. That Harley Benton looks and feels like a cheap guitar.. as I’ve played one . No comparison to any high end guitar I personally own. Guess a good project guitar to learn on is where I’d put it .
How did I just discover you now? Nice content and I agree with you - the floor has never been higher on instrument quality. Keep rockin'!
Thank you kindly!
My friend, you are the soul of anything you play. All of your guitars sound like a million bucks because you are a truly good player.
Thanks so much dude!!
I had a chance to play one of those Harley Benton SG copies, fantastic instrument for the price!
The Trump guitar was a display piece; I don't believe it was ever intended to be a musical instrument. Shooting the Harley Benton out against an actually GOOD guitar -- now THAT'S a good idea!
What you said about the Gibson is what I refer to about relic guitars when I say you can buy a guitar with a soul, you can play a soul into a guitar but you cant belt sand a soul into a guitar!
HW I love your closing rant 😂🤣😂🤣😂
First of all, I love T-Tops. It's the pickup that inspires me the most. There's just something about them. Strangely, I played a Squire Tele Thinline with wide-range humbuckers, and I know those pickups were made dirt cheap, but I loved the sound. I played a Tele with the new cunife wide-range pickups, and I like the Squire ones better. Those original cunife pups go for stupid money and I prefer the cheap imitation. I know I'm a fool, but I predict that those Squire wide-range hummies will go for stupid money in 50 years.
What year is your squier, I may try to check those out! You're no fool my friend... critical thinking and forming your own opinion is real intelligence!
@@ToneJunkieTV I didn't buy that Squier, but it was in my local guitar shop. I played it earlier this year and it was new, so it was either a 2023 or 2024. I'm pretty fussy about the guitars I buy because I have arthritis in my neck which commands I buy light weight guitars. That Squire was a just a bit too heavy. If you see one in a shop, try it out. The bodies are made out of maple that they claim is a "soft" maple. I'm not sure what that is exactly but being a Thinline, it resonated nicely.
I have 2006 fender mim semi telecaster mint. Heavy and chunky neck 60th anniversary.
I have an Agile LP, probably about 10 years now, $225 back then. I've changed most of the hardware, locking tuners and threw in a set of Dimarzio Nortons, 50's wiring. I may have $500 in it with a case. I keep going back to it. I have some more expensive ones but that Agile just works for me. I've gotten some very vintage sounding tones out of it and it will also do heavier stuff. It was perfectly fine out of the box but I like to tinker and I'll never get rid of it.
I listened w/o watching, anyone who can tell a difference between the two over TH-cam is full of beans. Live in the room they may sound different idk but over TH-cam, nope can’t hear a difference.
What amp are you playing through? It sounds really good.
Kemper with a Deluxe Profile I made...
@@ToneJunkieTVthat was a kemper? Damn. Mind blown.
You have a guitar that is supposedly worth $13K and you don’t know what year it was made? Suspicious.
2055
Are those Korean squires?
From the early 90ties?
Omg!
Exactly
16:14 A death cult. ☠️ Such a great comment, and so true. ✅
ROFL did not see that ending coming! 🤣🤣🤣
LOL, I know.... just a thought I've been having lately.
You know, the law of diminishing returns is huge with guitars. There are so many budget friendly guitars that are amazing.
11:50 Agree. For me, it boils down to the fact that humans had more interaction with the build. Even today, with the advancement of tools and some evolution in philosophy applied in the workshop, a handmade guitar might be quite different than in the past. Makes for a fascinating discussion for sure.
Does the Harley Benton have alnico PU's?
Check Thomann, they have clear specifications.
Tonex One broke the market
I have a couple of the early PRS SE One guitars, amazing single cut juniors that can still be picked up for under $500. They're damn good stock, but I throw locking tuners and new electronics in them (not expensive for a junior) and they're amazing guitars, not just amazing "for the price"
The Gibson Pickups have better note separation. This could also be simply due the Pickup body height, and Pole piece heights. These can make a huge difference in the sound, and learning how to adjust them and dial in their their best sound is easily worth the minimal effort involved. 😎
I think that would change if you use good pots and proper orange drop or paper oil resistors in the HB
Just curious if you have seen the fireworks going on between Tom Bukovac and VOYXU over the true value of a '59 Burst? The argument started over the Jason Imlay purchase of Ed King's Red Eye for over $650,000. VOYXu claims that this is insane and that he can get the same tone out of a modern Studio LP. What say you?
I have seen this talked about in passing but I may have to do a video about it...
Ok while I agree budget guitars are great and that spending thousands and thousands on vintage guitars is stupid, the Jason isbell red eye debate is stupid. That guitar is getting that price because of who it belonged too and the fact that free bird and sweet home Alabama were probably written on that guitar. If I was a popular or known musician, I’d blow my money on vintage gear too cuz that’s a retirement fund. Look at Joe bonnamassa, his whole collection will sell one day for twice what it’s actually worth cuz HE owned it. Arguing over “celebrity” owned stuff is just stupid.
As for getting good tone… spend 75% of your money on amps/pedals and buy the guitar as an afterthought. With good amps and pedals you can make any guitar sound way better than it has any business sounding.
Just ordered up the Harley Benton HB35 plus (335 copy) with a case for less than $350 shipped 😂. I’ll have to wait a couple months for availability, but we’ll see how it goes!
Great guitars for smashing on stage!!!
So we live in the age where the Gibson “neck breakage potential” still exists. Logic stands to reason to start gigging cheaper guitars such that if a breakage occurs you’re not trying to patch up a guitar worth 6 grand! And that’s exactly what I’ve done. Who knew that a PRS SE Hollowbody sounded like a 335 (and they do)
The owner of Keesel guitars says. Pickups are math not magic. Once you have that equation anybody can make a pickup sound good at any price. Cheers
It's the same thing with Epiphone electric guitars produced in Korea Vs. China discussion. People always used to say the older Epiphone's made in Korea were of better quality than ones coming out of China. Especially the Korean Samick or Peerless factories. Now that Epiphone (Gibson) has only one dedicated factory making the guitars in China I don't think that holds true anymore. I now see people on eBay flogging old Japanese Greco LP copies with bolt-on necks for $1000 or more. 🤣
LOL....I love you HW lol. Great video man. Happy New Year!
Can you do a review on your Guild behind you??? I absolutely love them and don’t think there’s a video on that kind. It’s prob one of my favorite guitars but it’s kinda rare to find especially in sunburst. Thanks!
That’s an old 64 Starfire 6. Yeah I’ll do a video on it.
I have 2 Harley Benton Les Paul's. I didn't think the pickups sounded all that great. On yours the neck position sounds good but the other two sound a little Fisher Price to me. In any case, I wound up hot rodding the guitars, replacing the pickups as well as the tuners and all the hardware (crazy, I know), and have turned them into top notch guitars.
Actually about the Harley Bentons LP guitars, first series had Wilkinson Pickups. But then Thomann had to change pickup brand because the chinese were putting FAKE Wilkinson pickups (copies of copies) in them, so they mounted them with "Roswell" pickups. Then, for a reason i don't know, they are now mounting them with Tesla pickups.
The REAL HB is indeed the ones mounted with Wilkinson pickups ;)
Great now I’m going to be scouring reverb for Harley Benton’s with original Wilkinson pups 😂
I think i have the same HB guitar, HB SC 550 SL. I wanted to sell it, cause i have an Epiphone LP standard plustop pro also. but after your video i decided to keep it
I'd rather have the Trump guitar as a collector and the HB for jamming. I know thats a classical work of art but it'd be my 3rd choice of the 3. Unless I wanted it just to sell. Then it would be my first choice right now.
2:19 How are you going to compare these 2 since one does not have a vibrato? 🎸🎸😝
Truth. ..when 300-400 guitars are almost flawless 😂
0:14 Hey, hey….it’s the HB LP….back again….and so soon! If this guitar could speak, do you think that it would have TDS? Asking for a musical friend. 🎸 🇺🇸 🤔
Check out Jet guitars.
My Harley Benton DC Jr can compete with my Gibson Les Paul Jr in sound. My Gibson only beats it in feel. I can feel my the neck on my Gibson resonate in my left hand and the body resonate against my core! But I prefer using my Harley Benton as it’s cheap, sounds great, and if stolen I’m only out $300
I think the Gibson sounds the best more dynamic. The other sounds bright.. 2 different sounds.
If Mike Rutherford can tour with a $200 fender bullet, who's to say a $13.000 guitar is better? Just sayin'...
Am I the only one who finds 6 inline tuners on a Gibson unnatural?
We definitely hear with our eyes but yeah there’s not a $12k difference in tone but what does THAT even mean and how do you really quantify the subjectiveness of it all. I will say I have a $179 Squire with Lindy Fralins in it and I was OBSESSED with getting a $2k tele until I realized this damn Tele sounded and actually played better so… FML… 🤦♂️ 😂
You can't really say you're comparing a $13,000 vintage Gibson guitar with a modern HB. Technically you are comparing a guitar that cost about $100 in 1967(about $900 in modern dollars). Really, what you are comparing is a hand crafted guitar to one built with modern methods and more advanced electronics. That's not a bust on either of them. We we live in a world where for a reasonable price we can get something far more advanced and playable than just 3 or 4 decades ago.
You are right with your argument, but .... $13,000 is the SUPPOSED revalued price and thus the market value. I say supposedly because you can ask for whatever you want, another thing is if you can sell it for that price. Besides, in the 60's the initial price was expensive compared to today's prices for today's guitars. And if we compare guitars by utility and quality of manufacture and materials it is more than clear that spending thousands of dollars is crazy and unnecessary. Another thing is to buy a guitar for its resale value, as an investment. And there you have to be lucky, very lucky.
@christianhertwig1593 I was trying to compare as closely the true functional value of the guitars. If I were to get a good Harley Benton, jump into my DeLorean, and go back to the 60s, it would probably fetch a price closer to a Gibson than it does now. Again, not a bust on that Gibson, but name recognition and vintage are heavily tied up in that value. It's not $13,000 because it's that much better as a functional instrument.
I hear what your saying but the model number in Gibson ES guitars was also the original suggested retail price so ES335, ES345 and ES355 means "Electric Spanish $335, $345 and $355" respectively and they were the most expensive standard models in those years. The Trini was even more at $375 because it was an artist model. In 1967 this was among the very best and most expensive Gibson guitar you could buy so it's never been "affordable" compared to the rest of the line. The guitars made with affordability in mind would have been the juniors.
The retail price for both of these guitar is about the same but they are 60 apart. In modern dollars the original retail price of the Trini Lopez would be about $3500 dollars so about 10x what the Harley benton costs today.
Maybe I'll make a video about this... have guitars gotten 10x better? Interesting topic. Thanks for the comment dude!
@ToneJunkieTV I think I was looking up a different model when I googled it. I find it difficult now to justify (for my own wallet) purchasing a $3500 Gibson over a $600 Epiphone, strictly from a functional standpoint. I own a really nice Epiphone LP that retailed $600 brand new. I don't doubt a Gibson is better, but is it 5 or 6 times better?
This isn't to say I'm against the high end guitar market. If I had enough disposable income, I'd enjoy paying the extra for a vintage or custom instrument. I am a good capitalist after all. 😁
I dont think it costs that much.Why do guitarists pend that much money.why doesn't someone find out what, it costs to make that guitar . From scratch don't get mad it would be a great review 🤘
The Gibson is more free sounding and more ring!
they may come close in sound but playability is nowhere near! I own a few Budet guitars but when I started playing custom shops and murphy labs and boutique builds! They cant hold a candle to them
Man you’re a tasty player dude. BTW if you want to roll over that MAGA rig I’d talk seriously about it with you.
Unfair to compare a hollow body to a solid body guitar.
A beginner will be good to go with a HB but, for all its worth, a pro will always pick up the better sounding guitar with a sustain. My 2 cents😊
The only way that guitar would sell for that much money is if it was owned by a famous guitar god.Could be rong don't now
Nah, look on reverb, all the vintage Trini lopez are listed between 9k and 17k depending on condition and the factory bigsbys are more rare.
When Chording there’s a big Difference! The Gibson is Way better! Over all the Gibson sounds much Better! Looks much Better too. The Harley is just an ugly Les Paul.
But in the end not a 13 thousand dollar difference.
Epiphone are Making amazing Semi-Hollows today. For a better price but those are getting pricey too.