Harley Pimpton SC550 Super Mod - taking it from €249 to €1600

This is a super silly project... doesn't mean it isn't worth doing!
We are doing everything to this SC550 Paradise Flame that can be done to make it a top of the line guitar... how good can an inexpensive Chinese guitar get???
Thanks to Rudi and the whole team !
Gear from this video at Sweetwater:
REVV - imp.i114863.ne...
Here is tons of stuff I use in my videos...
imp.i114863.ne...
Current LIMITED TIME deals:
imp.i114863.ne...
Here are some links to Thomann...
Harley Benton SC550 Paradise Amber Flame
www.thomann.de...
Fishman Fluence Classic Set
www.thomann.de...
Plek Job
www.thomann.de...
ABM Bridge
www.thomann.de...
ABM Stoptail
www.thomann.de...
Revv Generator 7-40
www.thomann.de...
Torpedo Studio
www.thomann.de...
here is a link to the AMPETE switcher:
www.musik-produ...
Link to my Patreon account:
www.patreon.co...
"Make sure to pick up a digital copy of my entire discography, both published and unpublished, at www.therecordl..."
Gear from this video at Sweetwater:
REVV - imp.i114863.ne...
Here is tons of stuff I use in my videos...
imp.i114863.ne...
Current LIMITED TIME deals:
imp.i114863.ne...

[@CentaurusRelax314]

Jeezus. Thomann's service department is more advanced that North Korea's Nuclear Program.

[@yunglildick42069]

CentaurusRelax314 yeah,it is,but so is the line6 amp research But all jokes aside,yes it is awesome

[@sansocie]

Nice place to work.

[@dathioz]

Does exactly tells me nothing, since Kim's Rocket Club is not doing that well

[@x3aExPHEONIX]

I dunno, I might be a bit of a brand snob. If I want a Strat or a Tele, I would get a Fender. If I wanted a V, I'd get a Jackson. If I wanted an Explorer, I'd get an ESP. If I wanted a Les Paul, I'd get a Harley Benton.

[@likeanuuk6612]

"If I wanted a Les Paul, I'd get a Harley Benton." SAVAGE.

[@thatguyreiji1045]

Max Waters Lol cheeky, was waiting for you to say Gibson.

[@ChrisFranklyn]

I first got suspicious at the V. Awesome takedown :)

[@x3aExPHEONIX]

Nah to be fair, Gibson Les Pauls aren't THAT bad. Just not as good as they used to be. Played my mate's 2008 Les Paul Studio and it was great but not worth the money.

[@leonardomorenoshannon6124]

Max Waters and if you want a D?

[@kmdaykin]

That's a totally worthwhile project, from what I've heard about Harley Benton you've probably got a better guitar than a $3000 Les Paul.

[@IPushHard]

You just gained a subscriber... "Does it make any sense?" "No"! "Are we gonna do it"? "Yes"!!! No other channel would do this, so Im not gonna miss out on the next silly shit you do. :> Thanks

[@hawkinthewind]

Yaaay

[@Kadotus]

**Hypnotizing beam** You want to send the Harley Pimpton to me!

[@rickeyryan303]

No get a job..

[@horstspreu6946]

@@rickeyryan303 You're not funny.

[@markmeloney2643]

This is so interesting i'm using my cell data to watch

[@EpictheEpicest]

Maybe I'm the only one but I'm happy with the sc550 as is. All it needs is a $75 setup from a pro.

[@CoryMura]

EpictheEpicest no.. me too. but i am talking the tobacco one which got different pickups. but i had the paradise sc550 and it was feel and soundwise also very good

[@MrShadowofthewind]

75 ? Holy shit, does Merlin do the setup ?!

[@MuscleDad420]

MrShadowofthewind cost of setup can vary by locale. Lower income areas will have techs and luthiers that charge less, barring their personal reputation and acclaim.

[@EpictheEpicest]

The guy I go to has a a very well-known reputation actually. Everyone goes to him, that's why he can charge a more reasonable price.

[@rickeyryan303]

that's insane, i go to a guy who they call the Lord and he has been doing it for 47 years, he charges 25 bucks.. And he work is out of sight,it's insane what he can do..

[@MichaelBogomolny]

wow, always wanted a 2000$ harley benton)))

[@scubaguy5455]

Loved this so much! My HB SC-550 II arrives on Monday! Can't wait to experiment with it! Keep up the great work brother!

[@barrywebber100]

I thought germans had no sense of humour. You have blown that mistaken idea completely out of the water! The project was very interesting and enlightening, the finished guitar was very beautiful. Thanks for posting.

[@steviedow8117]

Its nice to see you guys in Germany have the same problem as we do here in Canada putting the little thing in the big hole and getting the right sound out of it !!!!!!!!!!!

[@wataboutya9310]

I watched your video from start to finish. Quality audio, quality videography and just very interesting all the way round. Good stuff!

[@JoeBaermann]

Upgraded mine after I fixed my Gibsons tuning stability and had to put another nut on it for thicker strings (upon Gibson recomentation when I asked them about the nut issue). On my SC550 I went with the titanuim bridge from the Gibson LP Studio 2016, Gibson 498T/490R, Gibson pots and knobs, matching TAD orange caps, Switchcraft toggle switch and jack socket, Schaller strap locks and Grover tuners. Original frets are good on my model and the orignal nut is good too, stays in tune and has no fretbuz anywhere at low string hight. Compares well to the 2016 Gibson Studio that got an ABM roller bridge, TUSQ XL nut and Grover tuners, only difference between them is the neck feel, neck feels better on the Gibson, tuning stability is the same on both and tone... no one would be able to hear which is which in a blindtest, actually the HB sounded better than the Gibson until I made sure that the pole pieces where adjusted the same and removed the chrome covers on the Gibson.

[@Burnt_Gerbil]

25:50 Screwing into old holes..... Haha Dafuq, man?!

[@bahusofriends5467]

i for sure would neve do it the way this was being done in the shop and it does not shed a good light at the craftmansship executed there. this job should have been done either using a countersink with the EXACT DIAMETER needed or by (my prefered method) reaming those holes up in diameter using a reamer. most of my luthier collegues will agree with me here i believe. kind regards stef

[@hawkinthewind]

@@bahusofriends5467 Exactly. But then you can't put it back to OEM, if that's ever an issue. Depends on how much you like holes I guess...

[@bahusofriends5467]

@@hawkinthewind you are absolutely right there! the question ist if you are a guitarist, depending on perfect and proper function or you are a collector. in case you collect guitars, then originality is definetely an issue to take care of. still i guess nobody ever will collect a harley benton. if you really want to turn a harley benton into a players guitar.....there s just no reason to ever turn it back into oem..... that was my sole point in argueing.

[@mempo77]

Count me in: GraphTech Ratio tuners should be on Thomann's menu.

[@hawkinthewind]

Agreed; these are Boss! www.graphtech.com/products/brands/ratio/locking-machine-heads/electric/3-3

[@jitsroller]

Whoever is doing this soundtrack cool stuff.

[@MitsuMetal]

To be honest, I don't see that much of an improvement for the amount paid. I mean sure, it sounds a tad better, but imagine that a DiMarzio/Seymour set would set you back 200 Eur, a pair of locking tuners would set you back 100-150 Eur, a bone/graphite nut would cost 50ish and a bridge 100. Spending 500 and you have a bad ass guitar, I don't see where the rest of the money went.

[@dainiusvysniauskas2049]

That pleck job (including refretting guitar with stainless steel frets) costs around 400 euro if I remember right.

[@riffsnreviews]

I guess the extra money went in to the working hours. Because yeah the plek new frets, nut, tuners and bridge doesn't add up to 1300 €. And keep in mind that you could get a stainless steel refret and leveling for less than 400€, plek is expensive, and eh people were quite fine before the plek machine existed, a good luthier can do a very good leveling job the extra cost of pleking isn't necessarily justified.

[@EytschPi42]

What you can't hear is how the guitar now feels and plays and that Plek job is responsible for that. You also have to consider the work that went into it and that has to be paid for.

[@MrShadowofthewind]

400 euros for stainless steel frets ? I expected way more, that's alot of work !

[@dainiusvysniauskas2049]

Luthier would refret the guitar with stainless frets for less, but plecking is a premium service if you want to call it, so it bumps up the price

[@trevorreniger5670]

Watching that fret job was one of the most beautiful things I've watched in a long time.

[@fernandes5986]

I would rather like to see a blindfold test between a stock Harley Benton SC550 and a Gibson Les Paul Custom Shop and see how far would you be able to go in fooling people's misconceptions and hearing. How about that, for change?

[@hawkinthewind]

YES! - it hasn't been done yet? for SHAME. Unabletons maybe ...but I dont play with clowns well. At least, a certain one. Bummage.

[@michaelcosta7235]

I have this exact model and finish Harley Benton and Gibson LP Standard and sorry but you can immediately hear a difference. I love the HB too but there is no comparison stock for stock.

[@fernandes5986]

@@michaelcosta7235 Ok.

[@craigparse1439]

On the topic of Schaller, I can't say too much about the tuners but I use the Schaller strap locks on my guitars (much better IMO than Dunlop). The Schaller will hold even if the locking mechanism fails.

[@JoeBaermann]

The Harley Benton copy of those locks is as good, only difference I found is that your getting 2 set of screws with Schaller beside supporting the inventor of that design. Tried Dunlop and others alike, horrible design.

[@phelipehulk]

This just shows how amazing the Harley Benton is for costing only 250Euros. Guitar nowadays are amazing even when cheap. Maybe this wasnt the case years and years ago, but today is a reality.

[@TheCrookedPenguin]

Great stuff Henning! Ridiculous, but great! Could we expect some kind of a series on this topic? I think it would be great to see different videos with different type of HB models and possible, reasonable (or not, who likes reasonable anyways) mods/upgrades. Something like a guide to cheapos like me who want to make a TE-70 deluxe awesomeererer than a baja! Anyways long comment is getting too long, cheers for the video!

[@markmeloney2643]

I would love to hear this up against a prs of similar value (including the cost of your upgrades)

[@sxnthwave]

And to clarify he didn’t say “This guitar NEEDS this.” I feel like it’s more of a “I’m gonna do this because I can and you will watch it”

[@marksandvig9256]

The video was under 3 minutes and was like, "this is one of the BEST videos you've done!" Great, would love to see more like it

[@KF-is5uc]

Wow I can even through my shitty headphones hear how clear the sound now is

[@PiotrLatoMusic]

I don't mean to troll you Henning, but might you just have disproven tonewood to yourself? You changed everything besides the wood, and make mention that there's no longer "a mahogany plop." Maybe that plop had nothing to do with the woods after all, but the general tendencies of the pickups people like to put in such guitars...

[@CyberChrist]

Dowels.

[@aliensporebomb]

I hear the mahogany aspect on the bridge pickup with the high gain and the delay - it's a very distinctive resonant sound you can't escape - some of the "change" comes from the type of pickups used.

[@shaunm1983]

aliensporebomb Yer the wood type is picked up by the magnetic pickups. As long as the thing is stable and strong it will sound the same, you could make it outof concrete and it would sound the same as mahogany

[@RockmannMusic]

@DirtyBluesStank Wrong, it would sound but it would not sound the same. Someone might do their homework and not buying in incomplete pseudo science from WillsEasyGuitar and other flat earth believer. Every material has its own properties (body & neck woods; frets, bridge and saddle materials etc) and all these materials combined in a guitar built will interact with each other. Different materials/properties = different interaction. That results in resonant peaks, cancellations etc which gives different builds a different timbre/tone along with other properties like attack & sustain . . picked up with all the varieties by magnetic pickups. That provides one part of the 'tone' the other part of it gets provided by the individual pickup(s) which can sound vastly different as well, depending on type or model.. . and that's the beauty of it. Guitars can and will sound different for reasons stated above.

[@mattiaalbieri4942]

RockmannMusic aa

[@puffin_time]

You're a funny dude! Also this is so awesome, I love the idea of taking an inexpensive guitar and putting crazy work into it.

[@EvelynRoods]

As a Trombone player, I am very offended right now.

[@zippittydoodah]

You're a Tromboner! :)

[@alexanderhepp394]

You’ve got tromboned my friend!

[@lehardeu]

all lives matter ...

[@SuperSyracus]

Just got my new 4k OLED TV today and finally I understand what efforts you invest in the Quality of your Videos. It's just WOW! Only sad thing is that I can no longer watch your channel at the toilet anymore, because it's just too small for the new TV :)

[@EytschPi42]

+SuperSyracus drag it in there... you can do it! Thanks for letting me know that it looks awesome! I spend a lot of effort on it!

[@dainiusvysniauskas2049]

Meh, easy fix. Just drag the toilet to the room where your TV is.

[@caglaroral]

Thats weird. I liked the old pickups sound. Is it only me?

[@zerep11]

I agree.

[@blownonpurp]

And for all that extra time and money...

[@TheMrLoucrazy]

Me too, man.

[@rolandedrummer9723]

If something is learned it's not a waste. Besides it's their money too. :)

[@XingFisher666]

The light OD tone at around 4:22 sounds pretty damn amazing.

[@overthehillcheapgearnoodle9990]

Henning, once again, we sit at the feet of Thomann and ask how do they do it? How? And we ask ourselves will we look cheap if we buy a Harley Benton? Does my head stock have to say Gibson or Fender? Do we expect an inexpensive guitar to sound like a Gibson Les Paul when it has differently voiced electronics? Of course not. The only way to have a realistic shoot out is to swap out the exact same parts. In a totally blind shootout, with the same parts in both guitars, I'd be willing to bet my lunch money you could not tell the difference.The parts you put in the SC 550 are really sweet and I think the best part was the stop tail. It really seems to have added sustain. I bought five Harley Benton's and the workmanship for the money is astounding! If you want to pay $2500.00 for a Gibson Les Paul go right ahead. I'll buy a lot of gear from Thomann and have a lot of fun for a lot less money. Henning, this was a great experiment, and you have a real treasure now with your SC 550, Paradise Amber Flame! Enjoy!

[@martinchan4546]

Amazing efforts there！ I agree. After the mod it's become 'modern' ...probably too modern for me. Anyway it depends on your preference.

[@onbedoeldekut1515]

BTW, except for the switches, I ordered everything from Thomann when upgrading my EpiLP. I really love their everything. I've also been considering getting a Freeway 6 way toggle switch and throwing in a piezo bridge just to confuse myself even further.

[@TheMrLoucrazy]

I do love this Video! Amazing work!

[@nicholascremato]

Once you were done with the mods I was super impressed!!

[@n3rdg4m3r]

Out of all the reviews I have seen for the fluence pickups, I was looking forward for Henning's review. I do like his attention to detail and brutal honesty if something is crap. I honestly thought with the complex chords he plays, that he would really enjoy these pickups. Although I did notice something, and I watched it numerous times. I think the neck pickup voicings were wired backwards. Voice 1 should be classic PAF and warm. Voice 2 is supposed to be clear, airy and chimey with more top end. Hennings is reversed...but if it works dont mess with right?! The bridge pickup does sound correct voice 1 is vintage PAF and voice 2 being hot rodded 70's bridge pickup. I don't think the Fluence are like other brand pickups in the sense that you cant drop a set in a cheap guitar to make it better. I feel these are better suited to make a great guitar even better. Like them or not this was another great video and review. Cheers Hennning!

[@pheenixbeats6982]

Asks in english, answers in german.. welcome to Germany guys xD

[@ju2705s]

He can't or is afraid to make mistakes...

[@yoggsoft]

try Belgium on that list... Ask in English, answer in dutch, french, german or no answer whatsoever lol

[@bobboitt3126]

Great video! The ultimate mod-job It looks like a Les Paul, smells like a Les Paul but definitely sounds like something else.

[@greekfreak1980]

Of course,you could do all this.Hell,I have a PRS SE Tremonti Custom and an old,late 90's Yamaha Pacifica,which are both modded, beyond human regognition.The Yamaha has been turned into an Andy Timmons inspired Frankenstrat,basically only the body is original. Or you could just just buy an Edwards L/P replica,new from Japan, for under 1000 Euro.A friend has the white Edwards L/P Custom and this guitar puts the ''real thing'' to shame,in every aspect.(S.Duncans,full thickness honduran mahagony,proper maple top,ebony fretboard,GOTOH hardware/tuners.)

[@jamesreaves5534]

Gotoh's Delta series 21:1 ratio Tuners tuners are the most accurate and precise on the market. They have rock-solid tuning post which do not move even with the strings off and Teflon plated gears for permanent lubrication. You can get about 20 different styles of tuner buttons for them also. The Best Guitar Bridges on planet Earth all the ones made by Halon Guitar Parts in Greece. Harris, the company's owner, machines Jaguar & Tele Bridges, Strat Trems and ABR-1 TuneOmatics. All of these Bridges mentioned here are machined from solid metal billets of 7071 Aircraft Aluminium, MS58 Brass and my favourite 1060 Cold Rolled Annealed Steel (the best for blues rock and Metal) which produces the most harmonics and sustain of the three. These are superior tone medals, a much higher grade of metal than anyone else out there is using. All machined Billet Bridges, no cast Parts. Halon machines Saddles from 7075 Aluminium, MS58 Brass, 1060 Steel, beryllium copper and the Holy Grail phosphor bronze. Harris says there's no "Best" tone there's your tone. Halon guitar parts have no equal. Nobody else is using these Superior tone medals because they're more expensive, they're using much cheaper metals. If you try one of their TuneOmatics or any of the other Bridges they machine from solid metal billets, you won't use anything else. Tell Harris Jimmy in NC sent you. God Bless You 🙏 😇 and Your Family!! Jimmy in NC.... www.halonguitarparts.com is the websitethey have sound samples and descriptions of the different things they offer. all the other manufacturers like tonepros and the rest make their parts out of cheap cast zinc which is the absolute worst metal you can have for tone. since everyone knows the bridge of an electric guitar is a large part of the tone of the guitar I'm surprised nobody except a line is concentrating on using tone medals. everybody is all worried about tonewood but the bridge influences the sound a lot more than the wood. If you're looking for the best tone Halon is the way to go. You just can't find a better part anywhere. It's the quality of the metal that makes these parts better. They are specifically for tone. Harris did a lot of experimenting and came up with the best tone aluminum brass and steel. there are a few others using these three Metals but the metal they use is a much lower grade of aluminum brass and steel. I just can't say enough good about these I'm not getting anything from this I'm not an endorser anything like that I just know because I've installed these on guitars and everyone says they have the best tone of any one they've ever had. I have a good friend of mine that has been playing more than 50 years. About a year ago I did a fret level crown and polish on his 2016 Les Paul studio. Added a Halon 1060 Cold Rolled Annealed Steel ABR-1 TuneOmatic and a set of kluson revolution locking tuners. I use these because they look just like the Vintage tuners and have the same footprint as the original tuners so I didn't have to do any modificationsand have extra unused holes on the back of the headstock which looks like crap. my friend Craig swears this Les Paul studio has the best sustain tone and harmonics of any Les Paul he's ever owned, even his vintage Gibson's. When he was coming up the 59 Les Paul was just a regular guitar. He says this is the best sounding Les Paul he's ever had. He's played it so muchin the past year since I installed this bridge that I'm going to have to refret it soon. the reason I'm telling you all this is when you find something truly this good you want to pass it on to as many people as you can. My number is 910-818-3279 and my email address is [e-mail]. Let me know if you're interested in one of these Bridges and I willcontact Harris and ask him what he be interested in sending you one in exchange for a good KZbin review on one of your videos. I'm sure you would really like it.

[@moskitoh2651]

What a great tech! Well, liking the humor in this vid, I think pimping the sc550 makes sense, but you should choose better matching parts and do by yourself: - If you can do it fretjob is a good idea on any cheap guitar! - The nut on the SC550 is already a hard self lubricating bone, no need to get nuts and replace. ;-) - The Gotoh GE103B-T bridge and ge101z-t or ge101a-t (aluminium for brighter sound) stop tail should work out of the box. - The Gotoh SD90SL MG or MG-T (easier usage, worse looking) locking tuners (vintage style) should also fit. - A String butler could fix last intonation issues. PUs and electronics are more up to individual needs, so general possibilities won't help. - Looking more for a classic approach, 50s wiring with Allparts ot Göldo potis makes sense. If you want flexibility, Jimmy page could help with his 4x push/pull or push/push setup. Modern will get harder without a proper place to store the battery. - Some people like the flexible SH-JB set in this guitar. For a classic approach, Burstbucker Pro PUs could be worth a try. Because you need to open the electronics each time battery is dead, I fear the fishman fluence are one of the worst choices for this guitar. I would replace some of the plastic parts on every HB because it looks and feels cheap, but this is personal preference.

[@allanwhittick2930]

I have a schaller m6 2000 locking tuners and a lockmeister bridge. They work perfectly. Maybe I'm lucky I don't know but, I've had these strings on for months and they are always perfectly in tune, just saying.

[@tedtriestech8864]

Now we know why a Gibson costs so much.... good parts, Plek job and paying non slave labor wages to workers

[@garrettallman3832]

ted mogan yeah but not "Gibson" prices

[@tedtriestech8864]

....I don't know where you live but I could easily buy a les paul standard for this price in excellent condition and resell it for the same price a few years later if I had to. I get this is sort of a joke and a stunt but this is maybe a $400 guitar even after the upgrades

[@AndrewAHayes]

Where you aware that Gibson fires its junior managers and non skilled workers every 89 days to avoid benefits?

[@rickeyryan303]

That is BS, i have been working for Gibson for 27 years.. I have no clue where you people come up with these things.

[@MrMartin48705]

Yeah, well, considering that you don't have a picture, and that you're using "BS" instead of bullshit, plus the fact that you are probably like 50 wakes up some suspicions inside me. At least next time you could talk like a grown-up.

[@justinvzu01]

I'm not really a fan of blues/rock, but I really liked the track on the background of the fret removal.

[@thesaj1110]

And $2000 later, the guitar still sounds the same! LoL

[@ryant3600]

I don't think so.. sounds way better and I bet it's so much nicer to play as well. Frets are being perfect and all. Those Fishmans sound great, but I prefer Seymour Pearly's, especially on the LP style guitars

[@jto1916]

Same shitty sound anyway - what a waste of €€€€€€€€.

[@timmythime]

It does sound better. Not $2000 better though.

[@alvaroruizruiz7538]

Definetely better than before, it also looks more expensive than a cheap benton now and the coil split opens lots of doors, but maybe too much money for a guitar which is already nice, I don't know, I would like to hear a comparison between this and a stock sc550. Anyway, thanks for all your videos and reviews, I ended up buying a benton cst24 hb because of you and Cory mura, nicest guys on youtube.

[@Alexx120493]

I want to do that with the TE-52 Telecaster. Order three TE-52 guitars, pick the one with the best body and neck, put Fender Custom Shop Texas Special Pickups in it, a chrome pickguard, locking tuners, the classic 3 brass saddle bridge, a grahpite nut, high quality potis and switchgear, new knobs and switch tips, strap locks and then send it back to Thomann and use their PLEK Standard Service for a perfectly adjusted instrument. The guitar is 149€, the mods and the service are about 800€, but I am pretty sure that the result will give Custom Shop Telecasters a run for their money

[@EytschPi42]

I don’t think it will hervor Custom Shop level. I wouldn’t invest that much money in a TE-52

[@bradsparks6008]

Jesus I watched 40 minutes it felt like 5 keep up with the good content man!!

[@colintraveller]

Quality as always ....Superb !!!!!!!!!!!

[@acmullane]

what a transformation - lovely guitar now

[@acmullane]

it would be great if thomann could offer an affordable version of this mod

[@acmullane]

stick an earvana nut on it and it would be complete

[@ryant3600]

Great video.. Lots of work but fascinating to watch

[@SnahLhug]

Henning: "Chrom, zwo links zwo rechts, locking" David: "..." Henning: "Nein, drei, drei, DREI!" Rudi: "kein Ukulele" XD XD I've read reviews of those ratio tuners get stripped on the low E because of the higher ratio (and smaller teeth). You should really test them, since they're like double the price of locking Schaller tuners. Speaking of which, I guess I got lucky, beacause mine work just fine until now.

[@yosephmcjoe9575]

i love that there is a schaller box in the back when henning is saying he doesn't like them

[@evandijk1983]

Really love that u do this , this shows tonewoods topic is just a farce its all in the components. I am of opinion that only that bridge,frets and tuners would have made a major difference . Fishman is just the nut ( get it ! )on the cake.

[@davidallen346]

Fishman pickups has a tone similar to the Lace pickups. The amt of expertise work they've done on this guitar is amazing it's like building a BMW guitar. I wish there was a guitar repair warehouse around where I live that'd solve a lot miserable experiences dealing A-hole guitar techs.

[@DamianGto]

Very nice to see. I am a beginner and did buy a Harley Benton guitar. Its nice to see I can make it better if I want. Also its nice to se how good Thomann people are. Also I enjoy you doing this. Maybe a review on very low cost stuff for beginners. Even those multi effect pedals like Zoom G1on. Thanks for a good work and funny videos.

[@anthonyfrank146]

Great as always.

[@bayramtounsi2982]

u can spot a lovely german accent miles away! god your accent is the best!!!! subscribed! YES WE ARE

[@joeking433]

I can't believe anyone at home would try to switch out the bridge. Drilling the holes would be incredibly hard to get perfect, and if it's off a hair the strings will lean to one side or the other. That's where CNC machines come in handy!

[@brentgrable8858]

Very interesting video! Thank you

[@ResoBridge]

Henning, I know this is a fairly old video and probably won't get an answer, but .... I believe that the Plek cutting head and motion control does not have the freedom to cut on an incline. As a result you cannot cut nut slots in the same way that a luthier would do it by hand for this style of guitar - file a gentle slope across the top of the nut and then cut the string slots at an incline following that slope. As far as I know Gibson cut their nut slots using the Plek and the way they do it is to cut a really steep slope or bevel across the nut and then the Plek makes very small shallow cuts across the leading sharp edge of the nut. The slot bottoms are parallel to the fret board. My experience of these nuts is that they are cut in a way that maximises the chance of the strings sticking. Do Thomann Plek cut nuts in the same way? I think I glimpsed a side view of the nut and it looked to have a sharp, steep bevel. I think I also saw the tech roughing in some string slots by hand. There is one quick shot in the video of the guitar in the Plek and the nut looks really weird. The nut appears to be square but with a high narrow section at the back of the nut, with some shallow string slots just in the high section.

[@martb8022]

Sounds decent stock through a good amp. I'm already impressed 5 minutes in...

[@fonzybrookestone727]

Diggin that new camera, or filter, or whatever is going on at 34:02 and a little earlier too. Looks awesome.

[@shovington67]

Your a freakin' riot! We salute you.

[@ios6605]

Killer camera action man very professional give up the good work bro

[@roberttrifts2737]

This was highly enjoyable. Thanks for this. And am I thinking of getting a SC550 and loading it up with Fishmans? Yes. Yes I am.

[@ja7941]

Sounds gorgeous on this side

[@mudshovel508]

My God, your content is epic.

[@martinscholes9314]

Great conversion Henning but not sure about the pickups at all. Lot of hate for Gibson on here. My US LP 2013 Signature T is fantastic and you can get them used for £900 ish. Split colis, classic 57 pickups, what's not to like?

[@janbrenner9488]

What a pleasure to watch! The Thoman-Luthier is a crazy wizzard! But hey, Harley Benton guitars are really great value for the money out of the box. At less than 500 bucks I´d always try a Harley first, as every hobby-musician should to save housekeeping-money! By the way I´d like to see a new HB all tube combo or head with auto-bias. Possibe?

[@JeffBarberDigideus]

20:37 - not something you can do easily at home - just did this with a charvette 270 body. the jackston JT trem pole peices are massive compared to the schaller ones!

[@shorerocks]

Looks really cool. Love the silver.

[@avjake]

So you turned your LP into a tele. Nice job. Seriously, those Fishmans are pretty unique sounding.

[@robertclarkguitar]

That nut and bridge made most of the differnce in brightness. Not at all convinced by the pups at 300.

[@ernieflanaganstingraybassm1463]

i owned a 59 lespaul jr when i was 16-18. biggest mistake i ever made was trading it in on a 62 fender jazz, cause i went from guitar to bass !! man i wish i still had that guitar, but i still have my 61 esquire tele. its beat up but broken in by my hand !!

[@che2335]

Ive had great results w a fret rocker and the Stew Mac fret kisser tool vs plek. Its impossible to take too much off a high fret very user friendly for a novice. Then hit it w a couple strokes of the crowning file but usually it doesnt take enough off to need a recrown. Ive played some new Les Pauls which are all plekd and i swear some but not others felt like too much was ground down like some were harder to bend bc the wire was low and the finger tips were sticking to the wood if that makes sense.

[@Eleoscounselling2013]

Love it well done

[@aliensporebomb]

Interesting video - my thinking is you could do this to any guitar that you consider your number one and make it the best possible version of itself. This was fun to watch an inexpensive guitar get turned into something that it normally wouldn't be. If you think about it, if Harley Benton had done all of those mods to this before it ever got to the consumer it would be a lot more expensive and they would get rated a lot higher. "Guitar as modding platform" perhaps? It's obvious HB's business plan never thought of doing this but they could have.

[@valebliz]

Well you def saved me from buying a set of schaller lockings for my revstar

[@robertbrown8796]

A Gibson straight "off the wall" will have many issues unless the Marketing manager goes through them to be sure the online talent has the best guitar in his stock. Your guitar has been set perfectly,with stainless steel frets (pay more if you can get that option from Gibson), with options they don't offer, and none of their guitars have been plek'd... You made an AWESOME Guitar, and I don't even like LP's...

[@AndrewAHayes]

It sounds much brighter but I prefer the sound of the original pickups, I changed the pickups in my sc custom white for Dimarzio bluesbuckers and they sounded good but I preferred the original Wilkinsons so changed them back

[@sevenstrings7eve]

That guitar has a tone knob for each pickup. This is one of my pet peeves, people who have every knob cranked and judge the tone of the guitar. A guitar that is round and warm when everything is cranked is a one trick pony. A versatile instrument will be bright when everything is cranked, your tone knobs are there for a reason. This really is the basics of guitar and every teacher should know this and be teaching their students this. Your knobs should not be cranked when dialling in your tone on the amp. If they are cranked that is your limit, your volume should be down a bit so that you can use your volume as a solo/gain boost, oh look you don't need a pedal because you have this magical boost knob at your fingers and it is so magical when you turn it the other way it cleans up as well. And your tone knob can brighten up the guitar as well as round it off if it isn't cranked to begin with. But the key thing for this video is you mention the HF tilt, why not just turn down your tone knob and see what happens? My PRS with standard pups is way brighter and more sterile than all the guitars in these Fluence videos but turn the knobs back a bit and it comes alive and the range of tones that can be found in it is pretty incredible. The biggest thing is this wasn't a comparison anyway, new strings vs old strings, what characteristic to the sound do new strings have that is different to old strings?

[@hawkinthewind]

I am always playing with my knobs ... my knob - to get those different 'responses'

[@blackfender100]

I love your attitude Man ! I have pimped many a guitar over the years LOL

[@SaccoBelmonte]

Great job by Thomann as usual. The locking tuners are a blessing but besides that the guitar sounds the same to me while A/B listening (Genelecs) so....the pickups at that price are way overrated.

[@dillavou444]

I know that there is a lot of hate behind this experiment, but I have to say I LOVE it! You really CAN polish a turd! LOL Great video.

[@npaz24]

YOU SIR ARE RIGHT! guitar players, especially older generations, are fucked up in the head if a cheap guitar already feels good to play, with no fret buzz, perfect intonation, low action, stays IN TUNE, no neck dive and is is easy to play while its stock, then only upgrade i would consider doing is probably change the pickup and also install a push/pull coil split mod, which can cost to 100 to 350 euro someting depending on what pickups u want other than that its fucked up like you said xD

[@TheMogie75]

Sorry i didn't catch this video when you released it I really liked it My buddy and I sorta been doing the same thing, what out budget allows We installed Seymour Duncan's blackouts in his Dean Vendetta. Then I found a cheap flying v last year I'm not sure what brand, there's no name or model number, made in China. But I found a Kahler for sale and installed that on it.

[@yungchill69]

Absolute madman.

[@MrSteney]

I think this was a worthwhile experiment. I think the tone you lost was in the dowels. They should have been mahogany. :) Seriously though, I'm sure it plays great now. I'd put the previous pickups back in, or add a set of Suhr Thornbuckers and call it a day.

[@Apollwn]

It would have been interesting to see how the guitar played with the original pickups after having had the plek and all the new hardware. Then you could install the new pickups. It would have given us a good point of reference in terms of which has the greatest impact - pickups or everything else...

[@stephendavies6947]

Interesting you went for active pickups. That is probably why they do not sound like classic humbuckers. It could take out the variables like the volume and tone controls and the cable capacitance. Does the tone change when you reduce volume? Can you mix the pickups in the middle position or does turning 1 pu down kill the other?

[@bogdanzlatic6639]

BEST. GUY. EVER. !!!!1!!

[@DeathFromAbove1981]

The difference is more than sound, the modded version is studio/tour ready while the original is a bedroom guitar.

[@stephendelacruzone]

Holy shit! 😲 This is like a full episode of... #PimpMyGuitar 👑

[@NexLevelQuest]

Thanks for the video. I still prefer the old sound prior mod, May be the fishman fluence sound better in a mix for modern metal tone

[@wrongfuture]

Jesus the sound of that fucking machine, I'd kill myself if I had to work with it

[@michaelogden5958]

Amusing video!

[@Davo2233]

People don’t go nuts nothing sounds bad on KZbin the compression makes everything basically sound the exact same. HEAVYWEIGHT COMPRESSION

[@Robin-399]

you are quite amusing with your 10 year old school boy humor. Thanks for the entertaining video, I learned a thing or two (about guitars not innuendos)