Better than epi? That all I need to know cuz I’m gettin les Paul next.. I think I mean I love strats but I want every guitar I see lol and that’s a beaut
I own one, i can tell you, its better than any epiphone I played, I honestly would believe its a 1000 dollar instrument im being dead serious. It is on par with a lower end Gibson for quality .
I've been saying for many years: Don't be concerned with the price, the name on the headstock, or where it's made. If it looks good, feels good, plays good, and sounds good, then it IS good! It's really that simple.
Looks and playability matter the most in my opinion, if you can afford it, and it meets those 2 requirements you're set. If that guitar doesn't sound how you expected, you can always make it sound like you want changing a few settings or replacing pickups.
FINALLY. Now people can stop asking me what happened to it lol. Glad you liked it as well! For the record, it handles slide-metal (cowboycore) very well :)
I got the Paradise Amber model for my 50th birthday last month. Action is great, there are zero sharp frets and it sounds and plays like a Les Paul should. I love the guitar and it’s not just for beginners. An advanced guitarist who doesn’t have money for a Gibson or even and Epiphone would do great with one of these guitars.
I have to say that of all the guitar channels that i watch, ie... Steve from Boston, The Tone King, Know Your Gear, you seem to show your prowess more. I don't know if the others just don't show how well they play or just show the essentials of what they are trying to get across, but you throw some flair in to it, that's what i love about your playing. Keep it up.
I bought the sc450 plus VB, I love it it plays so nice and love the tone. It has a couple small miner cosmetic issues but for $157 I can live with it. Took nine days to get it to Bonners Ferry id from Germany not bad all I had to do was tune it and lower the action a bit to my taste.
How about doing a video at a music store and show us the difference between a good and not so good guitar. Like the neck, materials and what good pickups should sound like.
$250 or $2500...doesn't matter just play! Find something YOU vibe with. Don't hop on the bandwagon of whatever the forums are currently saying and what guitar is "better". Waste of time!
I just want one of each Guitar that my idols play, I don’t care if it says Gibson, Chibson, Squire, Epiphone (I draw the line at Encore mind!) I just want them all and Harley Benton give me all that and more at a fair price for a fair bit of kit, no big name premium added on 😁 I’m just a bedroom player so I don’t gig or anything but my guitar collection is growing fast thanks to HB, the wife even buys me a guitar for Xmas and one for my Birthday, I couldn’t do that with a Gibson or such like brand! I have 5 Harleys and love them all and still paid less than one Gib les p, it’s a no brainier for me! The pros might argue but I will never be one so I don’t care 🤷♂️ CST-24t paradise flame next for me at Xmas 😉🎸🤘
In my experience they look better than they feel. And you Robert would make a single string on a shovel sound good. If this is all you can afford they cool but I just couldn’t reach for it having better guitars around
@Bobby Murphy Both of mine feel great also i find myself picking them up more than my other guitars my avatar is one of them great telecaster and i have the prs cst-24 one as well which with a set of gotoh tuners i can wank my whammy all day and stay tuned up!!
Love it! I found a ESP LTD EC400 Arch Top on Reverb for less than $200, it came with Duncan JB/59's and a hardshell case. I also happen to own a Gibson Les Paul Classic. I might prefer the LTD, honestly!
Hey I commented on your livestream yesterday and said "best beginner guitar?" And you told me to watch today's video and man did it help. I love it and will probably get it. Thank you!
I have a CST-24 and it plays great, when i give it some great pickups and better tuners it will really rock. Trying a lot of guitars in a store last time the new guitar cravings defeated me (i ended up buying a Ibanez), made me apreciate my cheap Harley Benton a lot more, since a lot of guitars at double it's price didn't feel as nice as the HB to play.
Robert, you play beautifully. Please could you breakdown the bit where you said ‘you weren’t expecting that’ (or something to that effect). It sounded so good!
I never played one of those but to all the newbies out there: I trust Robert, might feel good for that money, but demo is kinda unfair. This guitar wont sound like this in your 200$ amp vs how it sounds here trough 3000$+ equipment, not to mention Roberts skill. But still I would like to try them put, especially the new fusion pro series. CHEERS
a €3000 PRS also wont sound amazing through a 200$ amp. It has more to do with playability, cause in the end that is where the extra money usually can be felt :)
Personally I see this as an alternative for an epi. These are great just like epis are and half the price. I have a jcm2000 and an Ibanez JEM, but I want a les Paul. Now I don’t have $10000000000 lying around for an average Gibson so ima pick one of these up cuz through my amp, as long as the guitar feels nice it’s gunna sound great
I’m not sure if it’s the guitar, the amp, or just your amazing playing. But the tone is amazing.!!! I have a URBAN (Keith urban) les Paul my grandpa got me for my 18th birthday I believe. I love it
I love these Harley Benton's, but get yours now because I bet they are going to go much higher in price once the demand grows enough in the US for a state side distributor. There acoustics are awesome also and less than 150 to your door from Germany.
I bought one with a new hard case (Which is what I was really after) for $50. The case would have cost $47 so I got the HB for $3.. I changed the tuners and bridge and now it plays like a guitar costing five times as much!....Wait a minute...
I bought the SC - 1000 and my experience was not as good as yours, but the Thomman company is a stand up company and took care of me. My head stock was damaged and the bridge pickup didn't work. They reimbursed me the purchase price, and let me keep the guitar. I know have a great little guitar that needs new pickups - next project. I took the credit and bought the SC - 450 Vintage. Hoping it goes much better in terms of usability. The SC - 1000 is usable if you like the neck pickup, but I prefer most bridges. I am going with EMG Kirk Hammett signature set for ease of installation. I do not like messing with solder. These were impulse purchases based on this video largely, keep up the good work. I have many other better guitars, but hey I am a sucker for sound at good prices. Cheers!
Great value but just like les paul’s the angle of the headstock doesn’t work for me. It’s not necessary to have such a sharp angle. After owning 3 les pauls and tiring of the tuning issues I now own a couple of PRS singlecuts that I think are awesome. I swapped the standard pickups out and put in Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates and I’ve never been happier.
If you want to fix LP tuning issues.. A String Butler eliminates them.. I bought a 17 Standard and was ready to give it away..the butler doesnt look like much but it works!
The “best” or “better” is always subjective. What’s best or better for one isn’t necessarily the best or better for another or others. This goes for everything....... especially guitars. There are soooooooo many guitars at every price point out there it’s crazy. I say buy what you like and be happy and rock on !!! 👍🤘🏻 Great video and review Robert !!! Keep up the great work !!
when it come to guitar pickup the perception never stop and no one is really think about it.There is no para meter to measurement the level of good sound or bad sound when it comes to the sound. Perception has been impose completely simply crazy.Thanks for sharing the video.
I don't judge a guitar until it's had time to adjust to the climate or get over the jet lag. I let them sit out on the rack at home for a week. There's a noticable difference than straight out of the box. Almost always better after a week.
You make everything sound good Rob .I agree I have a set of wilkies in a set neck S G Same senario. The neck pickup sounds super clean and light gain. Then Muddies out on high gain.Bridge pup is awesome. That is a nice Guitar for the $ .
I've got the PRS style one CST 24T and im quite impressed. extremelly few little problems here and there..but i've seen Gibsons showing also some troubles sometime...so for the money, i would compare with a 700/1000 euros guitar.
I can relate this Gibson/Harley Benton difference to my Fender American Tele/Squire tele. The cost cant be beat they sound good, play good, look good but not GREAT. Awesome for what they are though.
@@RobertBakerGuitar I'm buying the gold top with p-90s beginning of next month from them and find out for myself, I remember you said the p90s were very noisy gonna have to learn how to control them I guess I
Finally one professional review of harley Benton guitars, cuz i hate amateurs talking so much about guitars and making others people feel they are gods, but when it comes to play, there play like 5 year old kids... So thank you man for the best videos... :)
JW is on the right track... get used or very lightly damaged (a chip or dent on the back side ? who cares ?) and I look for Japan and Korea guitars that are older and very cheap to buy used... VERY good value (fret steel, pickups, finish, woods)
It is hard to say no for the price,,, they look and sound great on video with great players playing them through great amps. But I would like to have one in my own hands !!! You know what they say ! If it sounds too good to be true !!!!
All the HB guitars look great, how do I choose just one? Do they have any retail in the US? It would be cool to be a be to play on and see how she feels in hand.
I enjoy looking at Reverb, eBay, Guitar Center several times/week looking for a Gibson Les Paul Standard that i could/would buy. "Oh, here is one for only $1400".... and it will inevitably have a headstock hanging from some splinters or cracks somewhere. The shell of this alone is worth the money and you can then put your $200 a piece Burstbucker Pro's or whatever you want in there. It is the PUP's that count. The workmanship on these stack up, but as we know, a PUP change will make it yours.
i dont understand why gibson guitars are so expensive and you can grab one of these for two or 300 bucks, Pounds and this will stand its ground with all of them pretty much. the reviews dont lie superb instruments
The tone isn't bad on the neck Definitely not tinny or brittle sounding. It isn't articulate sounding, which might be why it "muddies up" with a lot of gain? The bridge pickup just seems to sound "lacking". The whole sound is a bit harmonically anemic. Maybe it's the veneer top with the cheaper pickups? Crap wood (relatively speaking)?
Dude! Early morning here in New Zealand, and I've watched this video a couple of times. Your content is quality, bro! Some smooth playing, but what happened to the volume at the end?! Thanks for uploading, man! Peace
Excellent review thank you! at least you can play and by the way you teach me this bend trick (when you help bending with your left hand! where did you get that from?). Finally we can clearly hear the sound of this guitar in a rock & roll context, from clean to decently overdriven amp setting, it is brilliant thank you! greetings from france.
I’ve got an agile lp copy and it rips. Sounds and feels better than any new Gibson lp I’ve tried (not bashing, I have has a new Gibson Flying V and love it). These Korean guitars are top notch he especially for the price
i bought an agile headless hawker just a few months ago. it was made with wet wood. the wood began to dry out, and it became unplayable. i sent it back to rondo just yesterday. props to rondo for allowing me to return it, but making a guitar with wood not properly cured is not cool i would rather have had the guitar than the refund. maybe it was a fluke, but i don't see me risking my money again by trying another one. had this guitar remained as purchased, i would have ordered a custom build from them. no way am i going to risk it now.
cheezyridr wow that’s unreal. I can see why you wouldn’t want to take your chances I got mine used and not sure old it is. Plays great and resonates better than any guitar I’ve ever had. No issues with craftsmanship at all. Good hardware and electrics (besides switch which feels cheap). All factory guitars are hit or miss, but wet wood is unacceptable. I had a brand American fender with four high frets so I understand your disappointment.
@@cheezyridr I have 3 Agiles and not one issue between them. I'd say yours was a fluke. They are great guitars and definitely worth another look. If you want a custom build, call Rondo and speak with owner directly. He is very accessible, so just tell him your concerns and he'll get you taken care of. Agiles are worth every penny and more.
Very nice review! Thanks for a real world approach with good information, good playing, and not trying to be cutesy which wastes people's time. Yeah, I wanted a project LP type guitar, I already have a black 71' Gibson LP, fretless wonder. It's beautiful, so I'm not touching it. : ) At least I now know from your review that the the 550 is a viable purchase for what it is. I agree with your assessment on the pickups, and where they shine, and fall just a tad short. You follow it up by calling out the price which is very fair. Thanks man! All the best, and be safe!
Sounds awesome, for $258 it sounds absolutely awesome! Where can you buy one of these? I see them at Thomann's but anyone here in this country have them?
I GOT A HARLEY BENTON I TOOK THE PICKUP OUT AND PUT GIBSON CLASSIC AND A 498R IN WHAT A GUITAR I WOULD PUT IT UP WITHE THE REST OF THEM BIG HIGH MONEY GUITAR LIKE GIBSON
Hey man I just bought the Squier contemporary Telecaster, it went over huge at NAMM! Why don't you review that? It will blow your mind it is awesome, I have 8 guitars all big names but this one is a second runner 2 my Fender Pro Series. 349.00
Was that strait outta the box? To me I think you're such a good player and any guitar that will hold tune with all these effects is going to sound pretty good.. It's also really hard to hear what U do with our TVs home theater We can only hear as well as the weakest link. So U need to tell us. Better than an Epiphone? Ballpark of what other Axe we may know better.. Nice job playing and looks good!
What I want to know is, did the store know they were sending a review model? If so, then they'd send the best in the shop. But if you're buying one, you're playing quality roulette with an item that is very expensive to return...
That's interesting... and now I'm pretty impressed. I'm usually pretty cynical about gear reviews, and Harley Benton seems to be on a massive PR push to get TH-cam artists to review them (see, e.g. David Wallimann's recent gushing posts). You've given me a better perspective - thanks a lot for your reply!
Great content! Do you have any idea how this guitar would compare to the Oscar Schmidt OE20? I am trying to decide between the two, they both seem like great values....I kind of assume that the quality control may be a little better on the Oscar Schimdt/Washburn, but I really don't know. Any input would be greatly appreciated on the differences between the two, necks etc.
Good video. Looks like decent guitar that could benefit from pickup upgrade. Im thinking about buying chibson and having my own logo put on it and upgrade pickups.
In many countries, USA and Europe, your chibson will never arrive to you, it'll be destroyed in the customs and you'll lose all you're money. Better go for a harley benton or other legal guitar.
I bought the Harley Benton SC550 Paradise Amber Flame Deluxe Series, $250 including shipping from Germany to the UK. I got sucked in by youtubers raving about how it`s worth twice as much. The lesson I learnt was do not buy a guitar that`s cheap without having it in your hands first and playing it. I did not expect much for $250 and got a guitar thats worth just that. The frets are very rough and sharp especially up the neck and also in need of levelling. Nothing basic guitar setup can fix. The guitar looks great but its playability is poor. I`m not going to complain to Thomann for a refund, after all as I say to myself "what did you expect for $250; fool!" If you are a beginner I would suggest you save your money and wait to get a better and easier to play guitar like a squire classic vibe, twice the cost but 10 times the playability. If you already have some experience or can afford it then look to spend around £1000 on somethig like a PRS SE quality or other brand of similar quality. I suspect Thomann do some fret work to the guitar before sending to reviewers otherwise surely they would have mentioned it...
good tips ! I owned and sold all the Squiers from Affinity and better. I am keeping a Standard Strat with unusually good pickups and repaired 2 big chips on the bottom edge (perfect place to repair!) ... I believe the best value is a used Standard series Squier and a Mexico-made older one if you stumble on it. I grabbed one with nearly 0 fretwear and excellent pickups for $85 at a SamAsh somewhat dirty and with some minor dings and age. But it plays and sounds VERY nice. I'm selling it online for $200+ and a guy will be delighted to get it.
So what's your Problem now? This guitar is well build with a massive mapletop and such a nice finish for the tenth of the price of a shitty Gibson, who by the way also delievered more than one horrible made piece of shit for a tremendous amount of money. I don't get all those shrinking violets who are complaining about some unleveled frets or the action. Get a set up and a levellingjob for a couple of bucks and and look for the playability then, idiot...
How is this thing $258 DANG!
Robert Baker would you say that it is on par with epiphone les paul standard?
Robert Baker + does it come with the hair?
Better than epi? That all I need to know cuz I’m gettin les Paul next.. I think I mean I love strats but I want every guitar I see lol and that’s a beaut
how does it compare to epiphone les pauls?
I own one, i can tell you, its better than any epiphone I played, I honestly would believe its a 1000 dollar instrument im being dead serious. It is on par with a lower end Gibson for quality .
I've been saying for many years: Don't be concerned with the price, the name on the headstock, or where it's made. If it looks good, feels good, plays good, and sounds good, then it IS good! It's really that simple.
OddTimeMan, you are a wise man.
Looks and playability matter the most in my opinion, if you can afford it, and it meets those 2 requirements you're set. If that guitar doesn't sound how you expected, you can always make it sound like you want changing a few settings or replacing pickups.
FINALLY. Now people can stop asking me what happened to it lol. Glad you liked it as well! For the record, it handles slide-metal (cowboycore) very well :)
Agufish do you guys send products to review from one reviewer to another?
Cowboycore oh my god, that is my new favorite genre.
Finally a HB guitar video with a guy that can really play and knows how to tune a guitar.
Thanks! Sounds great.
Vivz And plays more than “metal”
Stayed in tune! Show me 10 Gibsons and I might find 1 or 2 that hold tuning after playing like that. Wow!!
I got the Paradise Amber model for my 50th birthday last month. Action is great, there are zero sharp frets and it sounds and plays like a Les Paul should. I love the guitar and it’s not just for beginners. An advanced guitarist who doesn’t have money for a Gibson or even and Epiphone would do great with one of these guitars.
Low budget guitars have come a long way in recent years......a lot better then when I first started.
I have to say that of all the guitar channels that i watch, ie... Steve from Boston, The Tone King, Know Your Gear, you seem to show your prowess more. I don't know if the others just don't show how well they play or just show the essentials of what they are trying to get across, but you throw some flair in to it, that's what i love about your playing. Keep it up.
I bought the sc450 plus VB, I love it it plays so nice and love the tone. It has a couple small miner cosmetic issues but for $157 I can live with it.
Took nine days to get it to Bonners Ferry id from Germany not bad all I had to do was tune it and lower the action a bit to my taste.
Man you'd make a 1 string broom handle sound good ☺️🎸
Yes and at least 90% is in the hands of the player!
haha thanks buddy
intheblues you're not to far off there too, Shane...😎
Love you're channel!
true but somebody already did that...well it was a 3 string shovel but w/e lol.
Their SC Custom is the LTD EC256 Clone and Rocks just as good for less than 1/2 the Price!
I love mine a lot!
I just ordered an SC-450 P90 Gold Top ($140), I'll do a vid when it arrives. 550's are down to $233 today
Ive always loved Harley Bentons because they have a beautiful tone at their price range. Great for blues and rock and some metal.
How about doing a video at a music store and show us the difference between a good and not so good guitar. Like the neck, materials and what good pickups should sound like.
Just bought mine should have it around March. It was sc 500 black and gold hardware! 181 bucks
$250 or $2500...doesn't matter just play! Find something YOU vibe with. Don't hop on the bandwagon of whatever the forums are currently saying and what guitar is "better". Waste of time!
Strandbergs are overrated, there.
Kiesels on the other hand..
Rudy Ayoub Overrated and shit customer service
No.... $2500 vs. $250 does matter. $2,250 is a lot of money to most guys, no matter how large their income is.
Chris Bs. There are good and bad guitars, and guitars suited to various styles. Big difference in quality as price goes up too, generally speaking.
I just want one of each Guitar that my idols play, I don’t care if it says Gibson, Chibson, Squire, Epiphone (I draw the line at Encore mind!) I just want them all and Harley Benton give me all that and more at a fair price for a fair bit of kit, no big name premium added on 😁
I’m just a bedroom player so I don’t gig or anything but my guitar collection is growing fast thanks to HB, the wife even buys me a guitar for Xmas and one for my Birthday, I couldn’t do that with a Gibson or such like brand!
I have 5 Harleys and love them all and still paid less than one Gib les p, it’s a no brainier for me!
The pros might argue but I will never be one so I don’t care 🤷♂️ CST-24t paradise flame next for me at Xmas 😉🎸🤘
In my experience they look better than they feel. And you Robert would make a single string on a shovel sound good. If this is all you can afford they cool but I just couldn’t reach for it having better guitars around
Mine feels great
Baz mine feels great, too. Super fast neck, good action, small radius..
@Bobby Murphy Both of mine feel great also i find myself picking them up more than my other guitars my avatar is one of them great telecaster and i have the prs cst-24 one as well which with a set of gotoh tuners i can wank my whammy all day and stay tuned up!!
Love it! I found a ESP LTD EC400 Arch Top on Reverb for less than $200, it came with Duncan JB/59's and a hardshell case. I also happen to own a Gibson Les Paul Classic. I might prefer the LTD, honestly!
Hey I commented on your livestream yesterday and said "best beginner guitar?" And you told me to watch today's video and man did it help. I love it and will probably get it. Thank you!
Great job on this Robert !!! Again goes to show you its the player not the guitar cost that makes it sound the way it does !! :)
I have a CST-24 and it plays great, when i give it some great pickups and better tuners it will really rock.
Trying a lot of guitars in a store last time the new guitar cravings defeated me (i ended up buying a Ibanez), made me apreciate my cheap Harley Benton a lot more, since a lot of guitars at double it's price didn't feel as nice as the HB to play.
Unless your a collector or concerned about resale..thisbis a slam dunk..just listen to it...it sounds good thru the dayum phone 🙄🤯😱
Robert, you play beautifully. Please could you breakdown the bit where you said ‘you weren’t expecting that’ (or something to that effect). It sounded so good!
I never played one of those but to all the newbies out there: I trust Robert, might feel good for that money, but demo is kinda unfair. This guitar wont sound like this in your 200$ amp vs how it sounds here trough 3000$+ equipment, not to mention Roberts skill. But still I would like to try them put, especially the new fusion pro series. CHEERS
a €3000 PRS also wont sound amazing through a 200$ amp. It has more to do with playability, cause in the end that is where the extra money usually can be felt :)
Personally I see this as an alternative for an epi. These are great just like epis are and half the price. I have a jcm2000 and an Ibanez JEM, but I want a les Paul. Now I don’t have $10000000000 lying around for an average Gibson so ima pick one of these up cuz through my amp, as long as the guitar feels nice it’s gunna sound great
I haven't thought of that
I would love this guitar. Robert sounds great as usual, nothing would stop this boy shining!
$200 guitar into $2000 amp...seems legit. Keep rocking my man!
Look at that shiny boiii.
You decide what I'm talking about, the guitar or Robert.
nice poll
They are both thicccccccc
I’m not sure if it’s the guitar, the amp, or just your amazing playing. But the tone is amazing.!!! I have a URBAN (Keith urban) les Paul my grandpa got me for my 18th birthday I believe. I love it
I love these Harley Benton's, but get yours now because I bet they are going to go much higher in price once the demand grows enough in the US for a state side distributor. There acoustics are awesome also and less than 150 to your door from Germany.
I bought one with a new hard case (Which is what I was really after) for $50. The case would have cost $47 so I got the HB for $3.. I changed the tuners and bridge and now it plays like a guitar costing five times as much!....Wait a minute...
I bought the SC - 1000 and my experience was not as good as yours, but the Thomman company is a stand up company and took care of me. My head stock was damaged and the bridge pickup didn't work. They reimbursed me the purchase price, and let me keep the guitar. I know have a great little guitar that needs new pickups - next project. I took the credit and bought the SC - 450 Vintage. Hoping it goes much better in terms of usability. The SC - 1000 is usable if you like the neck pickup, but I prefer most bridges. I am going with EMG Kirk Hammett signature set for ease of installation. I do not like messing with solder. These were impulse purchases based on this video largely, keep up the good work. I have many other better guitars, but hey I am a sucker for sound at good prices. Cheers!
Great value but just like les paul’s the angle of the headstock doesn’t work for me. It’s not necessary to have such a sharp angle. After owning 3 les pauls and tiring of the tuning issues I now own a couple of PRS singlecuts that I think are awesome. I swapped the standard pickups out and put in Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates and I’ve never been happier.
If you want to fix LP tuning issues.. A String Butler eliminates them.. I bought a 17 Standard and was ready to give it away..the butler doesnt look like much but it works!
The “best” or “better” is always subjective. What’s best or better for one isn’t necessarily the best or better for another or others. This goes for everything....... especially guitars. There are soooooooo many guitars at every price point out there it’s crazy. I say buy what you like and be happy and rock on !!! 👍🤘🏻
Great video and review Robert !!! Keep up the great work !!
when it come to guitar pickup the perception never stop and no one is really think about it.There is no para meter to measurement the level of good sound or bad sound when it comes to the sound. Perception has been impose completely simply crazy.Thanks for sharing the video.
I would love to see a comparison between this guitar and the sc 450 plus
I'm interested too. No idea what's the difference.
Your tone is always so nice and tight, nice guitar but nicer guitarist
sounds like a solid high end beginner type guitar or a decent for the money
If I had a dealer that had them in australia I'd give it a shot
Way better Looking than 2018 Gibsons. and i'm a Big Gibson Fan!
Sounds like a good guitar to bang out some early sabbath tunes on! Great video.
Really awesome guitar for the price. I bought a LTD TE-212 Telecaster for around 270 and its the best money ive ever spent
I don't judge a guitar until it's had time to adjust to the climate or get over the jet lag. I let them sit out on the rack at home for a week. There's a noticable difference than straight out of the box. Almost always better after a week.
i have to say that this is the best review on youtube. thanks
You make everything sound good Rob .I agree I have a set of wilkies in a set neck S G Same senario. The neck pickup sounds super clean and light gain. Then Muddies out on high gain.Bridge pup is awesome. That is a nice Guitar for the $ .
Lenny sounds very good! Nice guitar!
Thinking about picking one of these up and this helped a lot. Thank you, sir!
i have the sc custom active from harley benton and im very happy with the guitar, it´s very confortable to play and sound pretty cool
I'm really torn on if I should get one of these or one of their PRS style guitars.
I've got the PRS style one CST 24T and im quite impressed. extremelly few little problems here and there..but i've seen Gibsons showing also some troubles sometime...so for the money, i would compare with a 700/1000 euros guitar.
How was the fit and finish? Frets, action? String height? Any fret buzz?
i bought one yesterday. Im so hyped
I can relate this Gibson/Harley Benton difference to my Fender American Tele/Squire tele.
The cost cant be beat they sound good, play good, look good but not GREAT. Awesome for what they are though.
Have Phil McKnight sharpen that axe!
I was thinking more about giving it away to you guys :)
Robert Baker That would also be awesome!:)
Now that would be even cooler :P
@@RobertBakerGuitar I'm buying the gold top with p-90s beginning of next month from them and find out for myself, I remember you said the p90s were very noisy gonna have to learn how to control them I guess I
@@shawndouglass2939 Got one.. love it.
Sounds amazing for $250, especially on the neck pickup!
Finaly great demo,playing and sound! Great demo! 😎👍
Finally one professional review of harley Benton guitars, cuz i hate amateurs talking so much about guitars and making others people feel they are gods, but when it comes to play, there play like 5 year old kids... So thank you man for the best videos... :)
I GOT A SCRATCH AND DENT EPIPHONE SG 400 PRO NEW FOR 247 AND IT SOUNDS GREAT. Im keepin that nice bargain.
JW is on the right track... get used or very lightly damaged (a chip or dent on the back side ? who cares ?) and I look for Japan and Korea guitars that are older and very cheap to buy used... VERY good value (fret steel, pickups, finish, woods)
It is hard to say no for the price,,, they look and sound great on video with great players playing them through great amps. But I would like to have one in my own hands !!! You know what they say ! If it sounds too good to be true !!!!
All the HB guitars look great, how do I choose just one? Do they have any retail in the US? It would be cool to be a be to play on and see how she feels in hand.
This guitar with Seymour D. JB on the bridge and a 59 on the neck will
sound better.
How does this compare to an Epiphone?
I do like the feel of cleartone strings, but i prefer fender over anything
For a budget guitar it has some thicc tones
I enjoy looking at Reverb, eBay, Guitar Center several times/week looking for a Gibson Les Paul Standard that i could/would buy. "Oh, here is one for only $1400".... and it will inevitably have a headstock hanging from some splinters or cracks somewhere. The shell of this alone is worth the money and you can then put your $200 a piece Burstbucker Pro's or whatever you want in there. It is the PUP's that count. The workmanship on these stack up, but as we know, a PUP change will make it yours.
i dont understand why gibson guitars are so expensive
and you can grab one of these for two or 300 bucks, Pounds
and this will stand its ground with all of them pretty much. the reviews dont lie
superb instruments
Would raising the neck pick up a lil get rid of some of the muddy tone and brighten it up???
The tone isn't bad on the neck Definitely not tinny or brittle sounding. It isn't articulate sounding, which might be why it "muddies up" with a lot of gain? The bridge pickup just seems to sound "lacking". The whole sound is a bit harmonically anemic. Maybe it's the veneer top with the cheaper pickups? Crap wood (relatively speaking)?
You should do a hair shampoo commercial. Maybe "Wash n Play" !
Dude! Early morning here in New Zealand, and I've watched this video a couple of times. Your content is quality, bro! Some smooth playing, but what happened to the volume at the end?! Thanks for uploading, man! Peace
Excellent review thank you! at least you can play and by the way you teach me this bend trick (when you help bending with your left hand! where did you get that from?). Finally we can clearly hear the sound of this guitar in a rock & roll context, from clean to decently overdriven amp setting, it is brilliant thank you! greetings from france.
Maybe try a different capacitor to brighten the neck pickup some?
Sounds and looks pretty neat for the price
Not bad for the price for sure! But it does sound a bit muddy if that makes sense.
I’ve got an agile lp copy and it rips. Sounds and feels better than any new Gibson lp I’ve tried (not bashing, I have has a new Gibson Flying V and love it). These Korean guitars are top notch he especially for the price
i bought an agile headless hawker just a few months ago. it was made with wet wood. the wood began to dry out, and it became unplayable. i sent it back to rondo just yesterday. props to rondo for allowing me to return it, but making a guitar with wood not properly cured is not cool i would rather have had the guitar than the refund. maybe it was a fluke, but i don't see me risking my money again by trying another one. had this guitar remained as purchased, i would have ordered a custom build from them. no way am i going to risk it now.
cheezyridr wow that’s unreal. I can see why you wouldn’t want to take your chances I got mine used and not sure old it is. Plays great and resonates better than any guitar I’ve ever had. No issues with craftsmanship at all. Good hardware and electrics (besides switch which feels cheap). All factory guitars are hit or miss, but wet wood is unacceptable. I had a brand American fender with four high frets so I understand your disappointment.
@@cheezyridr I have 3 Agiles and not one issue between them. I'd say yours was a fluke. They are great guitars and definitely worth another look. If you want a custom build, call Rondo and speak with owner directly. He is very accessible, so just tell him your concerns and he'll get you taken care of. Agiles are worth every penny and more.
@@Skelly5962 fluke or not, they corrected it no problem at all. Very quick. You wont get that kind of service from the big names
Yes.
Very nice review! Thanks for a real world approach with good information, good playing, and not trying to be cutesy which wastes people's time. Yeah, I wanted a project LP type guitar, I already have a black 71' Gibson LP, fretless wonder. It's beautiful, so I'm not touching it. : ) At least I now know from your review that the the 550 is a viable purchase for what it is. I agree with your assessment on the pickups, and where they shine, and fall just a tad short. You follow it up by calling out the price which is very fair.
Thanks man! All the best, and be safe!
Just like Clapton - makes anything he plays sound GOOD!
Sounds awesome, for $258 it sounds absolutely awesome! Where can you buy one of these? I see them at Thomann's but anyone here in this country have them?
When I started 30 years ago, 250 $ guitars where barely playable and not realy inspiring... I would have been so happy to get one like this !
Yup me too. Back in 1989 I paid $350 for a new Squire. The body was plywood. Trem came loose from that. A decent guitar back then was $800 and up.
I bought two SC Customs (different colors) both nice guitars, but you can split both pick ups which is nice, and they're less $
What do you think of do it yourself Guitar kits?
I GOT A HARLEY BENTON I TOOK THE PICKUP OUT AND PUT GIBSON CLASSIC AND A 498R IN WHAT A GUITAR I WOULD PUT IT UP WITHE THE REST OF THEM BIG HIGH MONEY GUITAR LIKE GIBSON
thomas fairhurst Did all that work without a single period? Damn!
I still can't get over the headstock tho
I'mSoRandom You'llNeverKnowWHATI'llDoNext!!! Plot twist, I have no legs and can't jump
What about the headstock?
Grant Bowers man... hey btw do you have a good name request? I hate mine
I'mSoRandom You'llNeverKnowWHATI'llDoNext!!! How about "Geoff?"
TheGoldenSubway it's super ugly with the almost flat end and the tiny thin fonted logo
Wow. I'm just going to come out and say that I think you could play a broom stick and still melt faces. Lol. Amazing playing as always.
Please do a review on the 2017 ltd ec-256. I'm planning to buy it I am just not yet sure. A review will definitely help.
Hey man I just bought the Squier contemporary Telecaster, it went over huge at NAMM! Why don't you review that? It will blow your mind it is awesome, I have 8 guitars all big names but this one is a second runner 2 my Fender Pro Series. 349.00
Was that strait outta the box? To me I think you're such a good player and any guitar that will hold tune with all these effects is going to sound pretty good.. It's also really hard to hear what U do with our TVs home theater We can only hear as well as the weakest link. So U need to tell us. Better than an Epiphone? Ballpark of what other Axe we may know better.. Nice job playing and looks good!
Nice sound, which chain did you use? Into PC? Or mic? Thanks for sharing
Sounds great. I have a video of the TE-30 budget Tele on my channel and I think that sounds great too.
What I want to know is, did the store know they were sending a review model? If so, then they'd send the best in the shop. But if you're buying one, you're playing quality roulette with an item that is very expensive to return...
Howdy this is actually a B stock one has dings on it even
That's interesting... and now I'm pretty impressed. I'm usually pretty cynical about gear reviews, and Harley Benton seems to be on a massive PR push to get TH-cam artists to review them (see, e.g. David Wallimann's recent gushing posts). You've given me a better perspective - thanks a lot for your reply!
Would you be willing to use the same guitar thru a amp of the same value?
How about that $300 fanned-fret 7 string or the $400 fanned-fret 8 string?
Have you tried a Wolf yet Rob? I just got my WLP750 last week and really like it.
Great content! Do you have any idea how this guitar would compare to the Oscar Schmidt OE20? I am trying to decide between the two, they both seem like great values....I kind of assume that the quality control may be a little better on the Oscar Schimdt/Washburn, but I really don't know. Any input would be greatly appreciated on the differences between the two, necks etc.
guitar sounds killer
im sure for a fee you could remedie those few imperfections
What's the difference between SC-450Plus, and SC-550?
100. You're welcome.
Good video. Looks like decent guitar that could benefit from pickup upgrade.
Im thinking about buying chibson and having my own logo put on it and upgrade pickups.
In many countries, USA and Europe, your chibson will never arrive to you, it'll be destroyed in the customs and you'll lose all you're money. Better go for a harley benton or other legal guitar.
That's with today's customs controls
of course you could make a stick and rubber band sound good... but that is seriously a tempting guitar
Thanks for the review I'll save my 250 00 for other equipment lol that guitar would be a great starter for someone though
It's really funny because when I saw the thumbnail for this I thought it was a super expensive boutique guitar hahaha
I bought the Harley Benton SC550 Paradise Amber Flame Deluxe Series, $250 including shipping from Germany to the UK. I got sucked in by youtubers raving about how it`s worth twice as much. The lesson I learnt was do not buy a guitar that`s cheap without having it in your hands first and playing it. I did not expect much for $250 and got a guitar thats worth just that. The frets are very rough and sharp especially up the neck and also in need of levelling. Nothing basic guitar setup can fix. The guitar looks great but its playability is poor. I`m not going to complain to Thomann for a refund, after all as I say to myself "what did you expect for $250; fool!"
If you are a beginner I would suggest you save your money and wait to get a better and easier to play guitar like a squire classic vibe, twice the cost but 10 times the playability. If you already have some experience or can afford it then look to spend around £1000 on somethig like a PRS SE quality or other brand of similar quality.
I suspect Thomann do some fret work to the guitar before sending to reviewers otherwise surely they would have mentioned it...
good tips ! I owned and sold all the Squiers from Affinity and better. I am keeping a Standard Strat with unusually good pickups and repaired 2 big chips on the bottom edge (perfect place to repair!) ...
I believe the best value is a used Standard series Squier and a Mexico-made older one if you stumble on it. I grabbed one with nearly 0 fretwear and excellent pickups for $85 at a SamAsh somewhat dirty and with some minor dings and age. But it plays and sounds VERY nice. I'm selling it online for $200+ and a guy will be delighted to get it.
Gio A nobody has said anything about the frets I have watch 20 to 30 reviews??? Maybe a bad day for that one
So what's your Problem now? This guitar is well build with a massive mapletop and such a nice finish for the tenth of the price of a shitty Gibson, who by the way also delievered more than one horrible made piece of shit for a tremendous amount of money. I don't get all those shrinking violets who are complaining about some unleveled frets or the action. Get a set up and a levellingjob for a couple of bucks and and look for the playability then, idiot...
Boom!
That's the exact sound it made when I threw this guitar in the dumpster. BAZINGA !! RNA !