Thanks for watching! If you want to support this channel, here's a few more links (affiliate): 🎸 My favorite guitar pedals: thmn.to/thocf/kxcy8jdzdy ➡ SC-550 on Thomann: thmn.to/thoprod/521047?offid=1&affid=1593 📷 Follow me on Instagram: instagram.com/davekovv 🔥 Learn to play guitar with Pickup Music (free trial): www.pickupmusic.com?via=a5fb0a
I own an HB SC 550 II in Desert Flame Burst (even more flame)...agree about the tuners, replaced mine with Gotoh Keystone 15:1's, but the fit/finish/playability and Tesla pickups are awesome! Great review/playing! :D
One of mine is a Fender Telecaster limited custom FMT HH made in Indonesia. Probably the same place as the HB SC. The guitar is very, VERY nice. If Fender had built it in the USA, it would be a $2000.00 guitar. I paid $800.00 new. I think it was made at the Cort factory.
Yeah. Cort guitars factory. They make quite a few high end guitars. I am actually at a crossroads now on which HB to purchase. This SC 550 II, Or a HB SC Custom Plus. Thanks for the review.
I was shocked to see how expensive Epiphone are now, many of them cost as much as Gibsons when I started out 15-20 years ago. The current Korina Flying V is 1500€, that's more than my Gibson V was. I got the Korina Epi for 200€ in 2007... And LPs, 700-1000€? Not so long ago you could get a Gibson for just a little more. And Epis aren't that great, I love mine but they're special stuff I wouldn't pay what they cost now.
I bought a Harley Benton SC-550 II back in 2021. No regrets. I don't use it as much right now, because I'm getting used to the Epiphone Nighthawk (not the new ones, those are ugly mofos. this is a reissue from a few years back), which is a unique guitar. It's a Les Paul Strato-Telecaster. I want it to be my main. But the Harley Benton SC-550 II I ALWAYS use if there are reggae elements in my songs, or they are full blown reggae. It just sounds great for that music. It's very mellow and warm. Or if I want Jazz there. It does rock out and everything, and is so easy to play, but in Reggae/Jazz I feel it really shines. :) Pick up a Harley Benton JA-60 if you get chance. They're cheap. I still haven't changed the strings on it, which is the SB version, from when I got it, which was back in 2021 as well! But what a guitar. It sounds like a bell sometimes, and the only instruments I have that can do that are Basses. And even then , they do not chime as much as the JA-60. And when you put it through effects, it kind of "floats" over them. It doesn't get immersed in the effect. It kind of hovers above it, so you can get really shimmering and clear tones out of it, yet still have the effect be present. It's a great guitar. I'm in Nighthawk mode so it doesn't get played as much, but I would do a whole album demonstrating how versatile the JA-60 is. I wish it did have the Jazzmaster/Jaguar circuitry options, the guitar its clearly trying to emulate, but I find it has a completely unique sound of its own. I think they built a guitar that stands up to its goal, and in some ways, supercedes it. I still want a Jaguar one day, but I have a Guild Thunderbird S-200, and the JA-60. I think the territory can be emulated at least.
I bought one HB SC 550-2 a month ago, and it is fantastic, playable direct out of the box (except tuning) I had a chance to compare it with a vintage Gibson Les Paul, and it sounds great even compared to that. I have several Harley Benton guitars, but this takes the prize
It depends on what you are playing, but I think this HB 550 is the most versatile, then I have a red HB stratocaster copy "Hank Marvin" fine for Shadows melodies, and also the HB PRS copy for Santana songs. but a big surprise for me was a HB diy kit I have build of a Jazzmaster copy it sound really good. greetings Michael PS: I have made a few youtube videos of these guitars, so you can hear the sound@@kotomkaa
Hi from Spain, great video, I have the SC550ii PAF and I agree with you great guitars. I decided to use slightly heavier gauge strings 49/11's because I found that the extra tension needed gave greater tuning stability and now the tuners are fine. When I used 9's I agree with you tuning was an issue, kind regards, John
I just ordered this guitar ... and as a B-stock too ... Bought before a B-stock ... actually the first guitar I bought at Thomann's - still I have not found the dings why I got it a reduced price.... I wanted this guitar especially because of the neck-shape - and this slim 60'th neck profile .... Very close to my old Gibson es330 from '65 ... I never take out any more ... It's too fragile now... I have got 3 HB T-models and are quite happy with them .... But will replace the tuners one day ... well, NOW I look so much forward for the postman to come and deliver this guitar .... Stay tuned ..
Its really affordable and for 300 dollars that wood texture is amazing, I was thinking of getting a les paul soon, might get this but I really hope that the tuners don't go out of tune easily. It sounds absolutley gorgeous for 300 dollars, better than some ibanez in that price range
I am often amazed at the quality of budget guitars these days. I have a Harley Benton VT series guitar and I wish guitars of this quality were available at this price 50 yrs ago when I was a teenager. The budget priced guitars in the early ‘70s were awful here in UK, does anyone remember the Jedson brand?, I found them horrible, and would rather put up with a beaten up Hofner. at the time; anything I could get, but not a Jedson.
Yeah it's crazy that these cheap guitars are so good these days! I've heard the name Jedson but I never actually played on these, I can imagine the quality difference though haha
Yep, I had a Jedson Tele copy. Bloody awful guitar, but all I could afford in those days. I also had a Watkins Rapier, slightly better. I still have my Futurama 111 like George’s, but alas, unplayable by today’s standards. Thank god for Harley Bentons! I have an SC 450 lemon drop, and a 550 11 custom. I leave my Pauls at home now. My 1954 Hofner Senator still plays great though.
I think, yes... the SC-550 II is the best cheap Les Paul out there. I have Gibson's and HB's including a 550 II in wine flame top and it plays and looks just great. However I did change out the Tesla's because I found them too muddy for my liking. I put in some Classic 57 PAF's and also changed to speed knobs from the top hats because that is my preference again. I also swapped out the toggle switch because the one it came with shit the bed. It is a killer axe now and use it as my backup guitar for all my live gigs. It just makes so much sense not to bring out the big (expensive) guns for shows because it's just one less thing to worry about. By the way the pistachio tuning keys are pretty cool too and turn very smoothly.
Nice review, if i order either the sc450 or 550 will they put different tunners on if i ask? I agree with you i don't like that style of tunner myself. It would be good if they give People the option to choose.
@@georgechristie9464 I would rather buy one with nice solid tuner's already on it. Also I've never played guitar before and don't know much about that. Thanks anyway.
I tried harley benton prs model. Pickups are not comparable whit the original. The rest of work, wood, freetboard, colors, binding, is really good Push pull tone is not comfortable
Better than a Gibson ? Really, talk about clickbait. I own both a HB Les Paul and a Gibson Les Paul and while I really like my HB its not in the same league as my Gibson. Not even in the same solar system. However, it is a good instrument and incredible for the money. But here is the thing... Gibson seriously over charge for their instruments. The 58,59 reissues are over £6000 these days and are superb instruments. But thats the quality one would expect for a standard Gibson that costs £2000 tops. Their ethos is appalling ! Now lets look at the HB. How can they make a guitar like that to retail at under £200 ?. The people that make them have to be paid peanuts. As guitarists we need to refuse to pay unreasonable prices at both ends of the scale. Pay what something is actually worth and that means making sure the workers are paid properly.
I owned a Harley Benton SC-1000 and it was a huge POS! Sharp frets, bolt that held the bridge on falling, awful cheaply sounding active pickups, and cheap tuners that never stay in tune! The action was also so high it wasn’t playable! This thing ended up in the trash because it was going to cost more to fix it than it cost new! Now I get these are cheap guitars and all of this is to be expected! However, not a day passes where I don’t see Harley Benton fanboys making claims that this brand with their $200 gutairs made by slave laborers being better than a $2,500 dollar American crafted Gipson Les Paul! Not only are these two even in the same ballpark they’ve also a huge difference in value between them! No mater what you do that HB it’s always going to be a cheap knockoff that worthless the moment you buy it, while the Gipson you can at the very least be assured that it’s always going to be worth something and chances are one day be worth more than you paid for it. There’s good reasons why you’ll never see a serious band use Harley Benton gear!
I buy it to play it and it sounds good and plays great. Don’t care about pretentious bullshit such as brand or whether it’s made in the great USA. I’m Asian. Indonesians are some of the best wood workers in the world 😂. This is made by my folks and they’re not starving, slave labour as your countries propaganda makes it out to be.
Thanks for watching! If you want to support this channel, here's a few more links (affiliate):
🎸 My favorite guitar pedals: thmn.to/thocf/kxcy8jdzdy
➡ SC-550 on Thomann: thmn.to/thoprod/521047?offid=1&affid=1593
📷 Follow me on Instagram: instagram.com/davekovv
🔥 Learn to play guitar with Pickup Music (free trial): www.pickupmusic.com?via=a5fb0a
My apologies, I said in the video that this guitar was made in China but it was in fact made in Indonesia.
I own an HB SC 550 II in Desert Flame Burst (even more flame)...agree about the tuners, replaced mine with Gotoh Keystone 15:1's, but the fit/finish/playability and Tesla pickups are awesome! Great review/playing! :D
One of mine is a Fender Telecaster limited custom FMT HH made in Indonesia. Probably the same place as the HB SC. The guitar is very, VERY nice. If Fender had built it in the USA, it would be a $2000.00 guitar. I paid $800.00 new. I think it was made at the Cort factory.
Yeah. Cort guitars factory. They make quite a few high end guitars. I am actually at a crossroads now on which HB to purchase. This SC 550 II, Or a HB SC Custom Plus.
Thanks for the review.
it's not that these are cheap (well they are), they seem that way because all the other brands over-price theirs.
I was shocked to see how expensive Epiphone are now, many of them cost as much as Gibsons when I started out 15-20 years ago. The current Korina Flying V is 1500€, that's more than my Gibson V was. I got the Korina Epi for 200€ in 2007... And LPs, 700-1000€? Not so long ago you could get a Gibson for just a little more. And Epis aren't that great, I love mine but they're special stuff I wouldn't pay what they cost now.
Finaly found a review where a can actualy hear how guitar sound, not just freaking distortion and old timer bluesy bands. 🙌
I bought a Harley Benton SC-550 II back in 2021. No regrets. I don't use it as much right now, because I'm getting used to the Epiphone Nighthawk (not the new ones, those are ugly mofos. this is a reissue from a few years back), which is a unique guitar. It's a Les Paul Strato-Telecaster. I want it to be my main. But the Harley Benton SC-550 II I ALWAYS use if there are reggae elements in my songs, or they are full blown reggae. It just sounds great for that music. It's very mellow and warm. Or if I want Jazz there. It does rock out and everything, and is so easy to play, but in Reggae/Jazz I feel it really shines. :)
Pick up a Harley Benton JA-60 if you get chance. They're cheap. I still haven't changed the strings on it, which is the SB version, from when I got it, which was back in 2021 as well! But what a guitar. It sounds like a bell sometimes, and the only instruments I have that can do that are Basses. And even then , they do not chime as much as the JA-60. And when you put it through effects, it kind of "floats" over them. It doesn't get immersed in the effect. It kind of hovers above it, so you can get really shimmering and clear tones out of it, yet still have the effect be present. It's a great guitar. I'm in Nighthawk mode so it doesn't get played as much, but I would do a whole album demonstrating how versatile the JA-60 is. I wish it did have the Jazzmaster/Jaguar circuitry options, the guitar its clearly trying to emulate, but I find it has a completely unique sound of its own. I think they built a guitar that stands up to its goal, and in some ways, supercedes it. I still want a Jaguar one day, but I have a Guild Thunderbird S-200, and the JA-60. I think the territory can be emulated at least.
This is your best sounding review... you have really done an amazing job here :)
Thank you! :)
I bought one HB SC 550-2 a month ago, and it is fantastic, playable direct out of the box (except tuning) I had a chance to compare it with a vintage Gibson Les Paul, and it sounds great even compared to that. I have several Harley Benton guitars, but this takes the prize
Hey, since you have several HB guitars, which would you recommend in terms of stock quality and sound: SC 550 II or CST-24T?
It depends on what you are playing, but I think this HB 550 is the most versatile, then I have a red HB stratocaster copy "Hank Marvin" fine for Shadows melodies, and also the HB PRS copy for Santana songs. but a big surprise for me was a HB diy kit I have build of a Jazzmaster copy it sound really good. greetings Michael PS: I have made a few youtube videos of these guitars, so you can hear the sound@@kotomkaa
I just bought this guitar thats why im here great review and that play through was amazing
bought a used red one today for £180 - thus far, I'm astonished at the quality for the £, much better than my epiphone which was more expensive
Those frets look beautiful, the crowning is so spot on.
Short but on point. Great review!
Clean with a bit of reverb. Very nice.
I was originally considering the SC Custom. I've come back to this one. July is just around the corner.
I buy last year the harley benton sc-550 ii bcf and it's a wonderful good quality guitar.
Hi from Spain, great video, I have the SC550ii PAF and I agree with you great guitars. I decided to use slightly heavier gauge strings 49/11's because I found that the extra tension needed gave greater tuning stability and now the tuners are fine. When I used 9's I agree with you tuning was an issue, kind regards, John
I just ordered this guitar ... and as a B-stock too ... Bought before a B-stock ... actually the first guitar I bought at Thomann's - still I have not found the dings why I got it a reduced price.... I wanted this guitar especially because of the neck-shape - and this slim 60'th neck profile .... Very close to my old Gibson es330 from '65 ... I never take out any more ... It's too fragile now... I have got 3 HB T-models and are quite happy with them .... But will replace the tuners one day ... well, NOW I look so much forward for the postman to come and deliver this guitar .... Stay tuned ..
Its really affordable and for 300 dollars that wood texture is amazing, I was thinking of getting a les paul soon, might get this but I really hope that the tuners don't go out of tune easily. It sounds absolutley gorgeous for 300 dollars, better than some ibanez in that price range
The tuning stability is really good, they just feel cheap :)
@@bestguitarsnowwhat about the pickups
@@aymanF655Cheap! Same was as the rest of the guitar! Don’t expect it to feel like a Gipson, it’s not and never will be.
I am often amazed at the quality of budget guitars these days. I have a Harley Benton VT series guitar and I wish guitars of this quality were available at this price 50 yrs ago when I was a teenager.
The budget priced guitars in the early ‘70s were awful here in UK, does anyone remember the Jedson brand?, I found them horrible, and would rather put up with a beaten up Hofner. at the time; anything I could get, but not a Jedson.
Yeah it's crazy that these cheap guitars are so good these days! I've heard the name Jedson but I never actually played on these, I can imagine the quality difference though haha
Yep, I had a Jedson Tele copy. Bloody awful guitar, but all I could afford in those days. I also had a Watkins Rapier, slightly better. I still have my Futurama 111 like George’s, but alas, unplayable by today’s standards. Thank god for Harley Bentons! I have an SC 450 lemon drop, and a 550 11 custom. I leave my Pauls at home now. My 1954 Hofner Senator still plays great though.
Hi. Great guitar and review. Is it me or the horn of the guitar is not as pointy as before? I looks more rounded. Closer to Les Paul?
I think, yes... the SC-550 II is the best cheap Les Paul out there. I have Gibson's and HB's including a 550 II in wine flame top and it plays and looks just great. However I did change out the Tesla's because I found them too muddy for my liking. I put in some Classic 57 PAF's and also changed to speed knobs from the top hats because that is my preference again. I also swapped out the toggle switch because the one it came with shit the bed. It is a killer axe now and use it as my backup guitar for all my live gigs. It just makes so much sense not to bring out the big (expensive) guns for shows because it's just one less thing to worry about.
By the way the pistachio tuning keys are pretty cool too and turn very smoothly.
Gibson has let their quality slide. Harley Benton has really stepped up their game!
cheap(money dont make the instrument but the player in my opionion) with awesome sound to my ears, and very beautiful instrument.
Nice review, if i order either the sc450 or 550 will they put different tunners on if i ask? I agree with you i don't like that style of tunner myself. It would be good if they give People the option to choose.
Or... buy a screwdriver
@@georgechristie9464 I would rather buy one with nice solid tuner's already on it. Also I've never played guitar before and don't know much about that. Thanks anyway.
I have an SC450 and I love it
450 or 450 plus?
Mines a 450
Cool. I'm going to get the black one 👍🏻
You wont regret it James
👌🏻
What’s the name of the this opening riff please?
Are you sure it's Chinese? Most Harleys in this price range are Indo.
si può sostituire il manico ?
Apparently nobody has a scale! How much does the guitar weigh?
I have one and had a chance to try 2 more and all of them were 3.5-3.7kg. And yes - amazing guitar!
3.4 kg exactly. I have the black cherry top one...
No idea of this model but the SC-100 is very light and feels like plastic! Cheap crap!
I tried harley benton prs model.
Pickups are
not comparable whit the original.
The rest of work, wood, freetboard, colors, binding, is really good
Push pull tone is not comfortable
Outstanding finish! PS: I'm lefty 😭😭😭
There's a left-handed version of SC-550 available too! It looks a bit different though :)
Fretboard = Johnsons Baby Oil, soaks in lovely as opposed to Linseed.
better than Gibson only Tokai Love Rock made in Japan…
China or Indonesia?
Better than a Gibson ? Really, talk about clickbait. I own both a HB Les Paul and a Gibson Les Paul and while I really like my HB its not in the same league as my Gibson. Not even in the same solar system. However, it is a good instrument and incredible for the money. But here is the thing... Gibson seriously over charge for their instruments. The 58,59 reissues are over £6000 these days and are superb instruments. But thats the quality one would expect for a standard Gibson that costs £2000 tops. Their ethos is appalling ! Now lets look at the HB. How can they make a guitar like that to retail at under £200 ?. The people that make them have to be paid peanuts. As guitarists we need to refuse to pay unreasonable prices at both ends of the scale. Pay what something is actually worth and that means making sure the workers are paid properly.
I owned a Harley Benton SC-1000 and it was a huge POS! Sharp frets, bolt that held the bridge on falling, awful cheaply sounding active pickups, and cheap tuners that never stay in tune! The action was also so high it wasn’t playable! This thing ended up in the trash because it was going to cost more to fix it than it cost new!
Now I get these are cheap guitars and all of this is to be expected! However, not a day passes where I don’t see Harley Benton fanboys making claims that this brand with their $200 gutairs made by slave laborers being better than a $2,500 dollar American crafted Gipson Les Paul! Not only are these two even in the same ballpark they’ve also a huge difference in value between them! No mater what you do that HB it’s always going to be a cheap knockoff that worthless the moment you buy it, while the Gipson you can at the very least be assured that it’s always going to be worth something and chances are one day be worth more than you paid for it.
There’s good reasons why you’ll never see a serious band use Harley Benton gear!
I buy it to play it and it sounds good and plays great. Don’t care about pretentious bullshit such as brand or whether it’s made in the great USA. I’m Asian. Indonesians are some of the best wood workers in the world 😂. This is made by my folks and they’re not starving, slave labour as your countries propaganda makes it out to be.
It may be good but i refuse to buy China made anything. Sorry i'm out.
That was made in Indonesia...
@@milosz1631 He did say China.
@@k.g.kennedy9471 Where was the phone you are commenting on made?😅
@@Superman-pn1rx It was made in America .
@@k.g.kennedy9471. Didn’t know American made phones.