Epiphone SG Standard vs Harley Benton DC Custom: Why the $200 difference?

Today we are going to do a check/no check competition between these two guitars to try to answer why the Epiphone cost more. Is it the name on the head stock or something else?
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[@johnmort1383]

This is the most perfect review and comparison I have ever found on KZbin. I am looking forward to searching more work by hou! No carrying on with useless time consuming playing and right to the point. Nice Job!

[@stevewehner9540]

Thanks for the indepth comparison. I am looking for a good inexpensive SG type for my son who is just begining his journey playing guitar. The HB sounds like the way to go, it'll give him a good starting point for playability and he can up grade the electronics as he finds his tone to make the guitar perfect, well almost.

[@YNGWIE998]

I bought a HB DC Custom (SG), because I missed my Gibson SG Standard so much. The guitar is fantastic, in most respects, build, woods, hardware....except for the tuners. This guitar comes fitted with Grovers, which must be the heaviest tuners ever made. To cut a long story short, SG's are notorious for 'neck dive', my Gibson did, but not massively, you could still comfortably play it standing, wearing a guitar strap. Not the HB. Firstly, in an attempt to counter the neck dive, I fitted some wheel weights to the controls cavity, to ADD weight to the body. Not much difference. I then drilled a hole to replace the rear strap knob in an attempt to angle the guitar so the neck rises. Nope, didn't work, in desperation, I realised that the heavy Grovers were weighing down the neck, so I replaced them with Wilkinson Kluson style tuners. Better, but still a little neck dive. I hid the thing under my bed, I was that fed up with it. Some time later, I bought a wide strap, bur the weight of the neck just pulled the strap across my shoulder. I ended up buying some carpet grippers, and stuck two to the strap, and being sticky, the strap stuck to my t shirt. Honestly, the things you have to do to get a playable guitar! Harley Benton, how did this guitar ever get through R&D stage?

[@USTTRM]

Ha! Good stuff! Thanks for sharing!

[@jea783]

Make a hole in the middle of the upper horn for strap button . Problem solved . At least with DC 580

[@bobdillon1138]

I would get the Benton over the Epi for the headstock alone.

[@Alfredo78666]

I have the lefty DC-580 (basswood), and it's my lighter guitar, 3 kilos! The only thing I changed was putting a couple of alnico vintage pickups, and it sounds great, you can play anything! The fretboard (blackwood go figure!) is pretty nice.

[@USTTRM]

It's the Basswood vs Mahogany. I love Basswood guitars for that very reason, just lighter! Thanks for watching!

[@benallmark9671]

I have that guitar too and she's a gem !

[@danbowers20]

Thank you. Releally enjoyed this review.

[@joehahn8817]

Since I got my Epiphone '59 Les Paul a little over a year ago I have no desire to play or own anything else...😁😁😁 Those unpotted BurstBuckers are amazing. They almost feel alive!!! It also ruined slim taper necks for me too...lol. But, if I were to get an SG, it would definitely be an Epiphone!!!

[@USTTRM]

Hey Joe! I hear you!

[@wildatlanticman128]

Great vid - informative, clear and excellent presentatio! 👍🏻

[@danielperry6692]

I ordered a DC Custom last week. Waiting for it to come in stock and then shipped. I am happy to find your video because now I am feeling even better about my purchase. I already knew that I would probably go to my guitar guy and let him wind some custom pickups for me and replace the wiring but it sounds like out of the box it's still a nice guitar. Rock on!

[@b.j.surfdog3724]

Great Helpful review! I had a Gibson SG ( with the old style Vibrola wammy bar to date when ) Good Guitar but never understood why the neck wanted to slide downward all the time ( Duh.....Neck Dive). I smile at the irony that HB is including Grover Tuners with their model. I changed my tuners out to grovers ( only quality tuners available for my SG back in the Day) due to tuning challenges. It wouldn't stay in tune, the whammy was horrible and any use would push the guitar out of tune. Old '70's group "Big Brother & the Holding company" ( backed Janis Joplin) used SG's and you can hear them go out of tune in live concert videos.

[@johnmanager1830]

Great comparison, and glad to have found your channel! I ended up getting the DC-580 CH myself. Since I have basic soldering and electronics skills, and the Harley Bentons are less costly, it made more sense for me to just upgrade pickups, volume and tone controls and the pickup selector switch. The Epiphones have a switchcraft-like switch, a definite plus for them. The box switches that seem to come on all the budget guitars has always failed eventually on any guitar I buy with them, so I automatically buy a switchcraft toggle to replace that. Overall, with upgrades, the one I got ticks all the boxes. Tuners are ok, they do the job. Double octave neck on that one, too, coupled with being set in give nice, easy access to the top frets, and at least on mine, fretwork was great. No side sprout, no scratchy feel on bends. For someone not electronically inclined, the Epiphone is definitely the better choice. But if someone has basic electronics skills, the cost savings and upgrade route with the Harley Bentons is the better option, IMO.

[@MrClydie_Po_Po]

Thank you for a great and honest review! I'll be going with the Benton, because of the variety of tones available for recording. I'll be doing more recording that anything else. I can change things out if necessary, down the line! Thank you once again!

[@timrobinson9192]

Loved your comparison of these two instruments, and in all areas of your review I can't disagree with anything you said. I have the HB 580 custom, and for the money it's fantastic. Mine is still stock and may upgrade the pups and pots at a later date. But as a reborn learner on guitar, I'm happy enough with the sound of the Harley as it is. I have a very basic Epiphone SG that was about 160 British pounds ( I know, not the best!) , but the pups in it do sound better than the DC 580 pups, slightly higher output and a little more clarity. Great video mate! 👍👍👍☮☮☮

[@henryalvarez6284]

Great review 👍

[@peehandshihtzu]

Super detailed, interesting about the neck dive being so minimized by a nice wide strap, I swear by my 4.5 inch one, so comfortable too. I am definitely a fan of the way the epi looks comparatively. For me it's less about color and more about how the fret board meets up with the body visually, I'm also a fan of the more symmetrical horns. At any rate they are both fine looking instruments. It's not surprising to me about how the QC check fell. It also doesn't surprise me about the hardware, LOL. I think we can agree we might have expected as much considering the difference of each companies nature and "status" so to speak. Fantastic breakdown, I think there is so much you can do with both of them that one will cover what the other doesn't. Great set up for your studio, they fit nicely. Very good, lookin forward to the sound vids. Take care and peace! :)

[@USTTRM]

What do you think of the audio quality? Got a Rode lapel mic!

[@peehandshihtzu]

@@USTTRM Sounds good Mike, come to think of it it was more forward in the mix. Much better now that you bring it to my attention. :)

[@USTTRM]

Appreciate the feed back!

[@axemanfishing2703]

The Epiphone has 22 frets as opposed to the HB having 24 frets. That explains the neck dive issue. Very good video, and review. Cheers

[@geraldhills41]

I had a HB telecaster , ash body , that was ridiculously heavy , made a Les Paul seem light !

[@taz4965]

I have these guitars (epi is custom with gold hardware and Gibson pickups) and a Gibson Sg standard. They are all great but I couldn’t choose or say which is best apart from the prices.

[@USTTRM]

Well the price increases are making the Gibsons looking more affordable!😂

[@daleturner3507]

I bought the 61 Pelham Blue SG at $499 usd. Had fret sprout but a really nice feeling neck. So I did a full fret dressing and set up. The thing weighs 5.94 lbs. I decided to replace the pickups with some Dylan DAF pups. Waiting to see how it sounds. Have to disagree on the looks. The HB looks cheap, the pickguard looks like a generic 61 style.

[@USTTRM]

Thanks again for your comment! I give only a slight edge to the HB due to the nice wood grain showing.

[@mikeg.9238]

On your Epi? Mine was perfect , no issues at all..

[@daleturner3507]

@@mikeg.9238 yep I’ve bought 2 brand new Epiphones. Both in March. Got a ES335 and the 61SG both had sharp fret ends. Luckily I have enough knowledge and the tools to fix it myself and I actually enjoy it. The ES335 was on sale at GC for $449 and I had a $100 gift card.

[@USTTRM]

Nice!

[@mikeg.9238]

@@daleturner3507 I'm surprised , iv'e got 3 of them and they were all perfect. I have the SG , the 58' Korina Explorer and a LP Studio. No issues whatsoever , i might eventually change the bridge pickups in the future , to higher output one's. But i'm in no rush , i play at home , so they're fine for my needs. I still think there QC is still better than Gibson , i constantly hear complaints about them...

[@plantagenant]

I would get the Epiphone because its the proper SG shape. I really don't like lower smaller horn on the HB....looks more like an ESP Viper. I also don't like the 2 controls of HB over the Epiphone's 4.

[@USTTRM]

Yeah I agree that ergonomic design is a bit off with the HB! I appreciate your input!

[@michaelfinnegan3805]

I thought the long tenon added tuning stability wich sg`s are notorious for having issues. Yes I've owned four sg's.

[@Leo_ofRedKeep]

Tenon size does nothing but getting fools to talk. If the neck doesn't come off, it's long enough

[@michaelfinnegan3805]

Definately got at least one fool commenting.

[@MikeyNewman1974]

What's the price difference after changing the pickups and the machineheads??? I appreciate the Harley Bentons but as a brand they don't do it for me and I've owned a few over the last few years.

[@USTTRM]

$225 + $225 for the pickups. Tuners cost was nil as I had them around.

[@MikeyNewman1974]

@@USTTRM generally my first upgrade on lower end guitars are machineheads and a nut. But my last Harley Benton had a well cut graphtech nut that was superb plus stainless Steel frets, the let down were the roswell pickups.

[@USTTRM]

Yeah pickups are subjective but I doubt anyone can say with a straight face those Roswell pickups are any good!

[@Defekcija]

Hi, I know this is a long shot, but are you considering selling this Harley Benton? I would love to buy it. Please let me know, cheers!

[@valueofnothing2487]

Not sure about weight. I don't think it makes any difference (except on your back), but if you believe that the guitar is significantly vibrating more on the light guitar, then that means the string is vibrating less, so you will have less decay and sustain. But I don't think it makes any difference at all. In fact, I buy the lightest guitars I can and then mod them because of back issues.

[@mikec6733]

The epiphone looks very cool to me.

[@mikeg.9238]

The Benton is pretty much the same version of the Firefly and Grote , which i have both of. Along with an Epiphone SG G400 Pro , if this is as good as those , it might be worth purchasing. I do prefer 1 volume and 1 tone , my Epi and Firefly have double volume and tones with a push pull on the Epiphone....

[@USTTRM]

I’m a fan of one tone/volume knob myself! Thanks again for sharing!

[@mikeg.9238]

@@USTTRM 👍🤘

[@USTTRM]

Let’s hear your thoughts!

[@noodlingguitars4182]

Wow 6lbs is very light - congrats on the nice guitar! Personally , I'd pick the Epiphone for the looks just because if I wanted a slightly offset SG in the same price range, I'd probably go for the LTD Viper instead.

[@USTTRM]

@@noodlingguitars4182 The Epi was a rushed job. You can tell but I think ,and Its just speculation, that it was three light pieces that made this one up laying around. The date of September 2021 is not prime time at the Epi factory so it makes sense. So great weight but rush/B team assembly.Its what saved this one because the fret job was costly.

[@noodlingguitars4182]

​@@USTTRM I think the fret issues are likely why it was B-stock. Frets popping (esp. around 15 upwards) and scratchy frets are common problems in most markets for Epiphone it would seem. TBH I would put the HB fret popping in the same bag of QC issues as well. We don't have that as much here because Gibson Japan checks everything before the products are sent to stores (if you search up Gibson Japan's YT channel, they uploaded a few videos talking about this recently) - so basically there's one extra layer of QC. I suppose Thomann probably does too, but instead of sending back the ones with issues, they sell them as B-stock. Even when I used to live in the states, Sweetwater or MF didn't explain what was wrong with their "B-stock" and if it turned up cosmetically fine, it usually meant some issue ranging from minor fret issues to truss rod issues or even a twisted neck etc... Glad you got it fixed though.

[@Leo_ofRedKeep]

@@noodlingguitars4182 B-stock Harley Benton are returns. There are many thanks to the free return policy. People can just order stuff to try it out and return it without any reason. You can order a guitar in three colours in keep the one you prefer, it makes 2 B-stocks. Thomann do not have a check point to sort out lesser quality items. They save on cost by having the customer do it.

[@jrm2fla]

Yes

[@agentblofeld6702]

Get a pair of epiphone burstbuckers for 60 bucks, pots and wiring included, and the Harley is by far the better deal. Not only in terms of costs....

[@note4note858]

Great review. you probably have to give a check to HB purely based on price in case you didn't. we are lucky to live in a time where there are so many great affordable instruments

[@USTTRM]

Yeah it’s a real value just based on the construction or “bone’s “ if you will. It’s even better to be close to Thomann! Thanks for sharing!

[@jakepratt2703]

Is it just me or are the horns on the Harley benton way more offset?

[@zacru7007]

Yes, they are, they used to do an exact copy few years ago, but current models have one horn much bigger, it's much longer and closer to your chest, honestly, kinda ugly, it's the only thing keeping me from getting harley benton dc, except having only 2 knobs, which I'd prefer to have 4

[@zacru7007]

Harley benton also has a different pickguard design, so no way for you to change it. I am not talking about the batwing on this epiphone, I am talking about 61 sg pickguard, it's different

[@harbonip]

Maybe because of coil splitting

[@fainnball8694]

Drop them and see which can take a fall better.

[@hybridmusclegarage4590]

LMMAO🤣

[@cc8512]

if you say aauugh one more time im going to scream

[@charleslanphier8094]

The Epiphoneamatic 2000 is lighter and has better pickups.

[@stoneangel777]

Epiphone sgvs harley bentonDeluxe

[@j7cc]

Gibson #1/Epiphone #2 !

[@mr.astrophysics9115]

You're comparing a high end Epiphone with CTS Electronics Graph Tech Nut deluxe 18:1 Tuners ABR Lock Tone Bridge 2 piece body up against Harley Benton? Please

[@USTTRM]

I think (it’s been a minute) that I upgraded all the electronics in the HB and tuner’s. 3 piece body and the epiphone has a multi piece top as well.

[@mr.astrophysics9115]

@@USTTRM Epiphone have 2 pieces unless specified different

[@USTTRM]

@@mr.astrophysics9115 mahogany 2 piece back with a multi piece maple top covered with a 2 piece thick veneer. The HB is 3 piece mahogany. I own both so there’s nothing to say.

[@nieko3038]

High end guitars don’t need fretwork tbh. Expected more of this ‘inspired by Gibson’ Sharp and rough frets on mine. Action at cruising altitude and not intonated out of the box.

[@TimmyAndTammyScumbag]

Sure, all the info shared was helpful. Some necessary, some more long-winded than necessary... but yikes- 30 minutes worth of comparison between two guitars and not one single note played. What does a guitar do? It makes a sound. I don't know about anything else, but all things equal like amp settings, brand, and guage of strings- isn't the single most important comparison the way they sound? ...Yes, I get it that the focus of the comparison is exploring why the Epiphone costs $200 more and one way to explain that is, for example, quality CTS pots versus no name generic cheapies--- but hey- can we actually *hear* an example of how one is superior / inferior to the other? Isn't that what it comes down to? I don't question your knowledge or skill when it comes to being a "reviewer" on KZbin, so as I wrote at the start, it's all good info. Also, I read through some comments before posting and I definitely see some positive feedback. That said, as someone who is pretty guitar obsessed, I started watching a 30-minute long video on a comparison between two guitars, eagerly awaiting to hear the difference in sound. 20 minutes in, I'm like "Ugh. He's just going to talk the entire time and never even plug one in." So the last 10 minutes were fast forward, looking for some playing. Nope. While I don't know if this was your intention, I do understand that KZbinrs who do unboxings and review gear have begun to make separate videos for unboxing, for plugging the guitar in for a sound demo, for comparing it to another instrument, etc. Rest assured that many see it for exactly what it is- a cheap tactic to try to gain more views or subs. Unfortunately, it also has the exact opposite effect on many of us. We want the goods-- not a drawn out, multi-part presentation we have to spend 20, 30, 40, 60 minutes or whatever watching in order to get the full picture. Unfortunately, people establish KZbin channels and many rely on their personality to bring in and keep viewers, often failing to realize that those viewers don't find them as fascinating or engaging to listen to as they find themselves to be. But I digress. And I still don't know what either guitar sounds like compared to the other. However I'm sure I can find a nice 10 minute video that will answer that question.