Harley Benton ST Modern Plus - things I missed.

In the initial video review of the ‪@HarleyBentonOfficial‬ ST modern plus I received a lot of questions that I either didn't expand on or address in the first video, so today that's exactly what we'll be doing.
Harley Benton ST Modern Plus - thmn.to/thopro...
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0:00 Feedback is always welcome
1:33 Clean Tone Demonstrations
4:08 Quick Recap
4:29 Neck dimensions, shape, comparisons
6:30 The Babicz Bridge - an acquired taste
7:37 I'm going to need your input on this one
9:14 Wrapping things up

[@jamesmgreen15]

Looks wise it's a beautiful guitar that's only second to your playing...............You are a HUGE advert for this. I enjoyed this vid.

[@AudiomoMusic]

I don't know if I'd want to be an advert for this or any other companies gear, but I appreciate it haha. I'm just trying to let people know what they can expect if they do get one

[@flyingformation1878]

You are right, do what makes sense. Good luck with your channel.

[@AudiomoMusic]

Thank you!

[@IanNorsworthy]

Great follow up video and some nice clean tones there- lovely stuff!

[@AudiomoMusic]

Thank you kindly!

[@steviesynapse]

Thanks for two great video’s on the ST Modern Plus Jim, I got the Lake Placid Blue version. Overall I’m really pleased with it, however it came with some faults, including from what I gather from other reviews is the almost obligatory lacquer crack at the neck pocket. Mine also did not have rolled fretboard edges. It came with a bit of a ‘halfway house’ insofar as there is one angular sanding or scrape line along both fretboard edges where someone has ran either a sanding block or blade along the entire length of the fretboard edge and either left it or forgot to finish it off!?!? I wouldn’t be interested in a comparison with the Cory Wong Strat. For me an HSS Strat compared with an SSS is too different to be meaningful.

[@LuciferSam830]

Great follow up video thanks!

[@AudiomoMusic]

Glad it was helpful!

[@debhart4302]

Bridge split + middle sounds nice.

[@muddmane]

Great rhythm guitar playing and demo. Very well done!

[@AudiomoMusic]

Thanks a lot!

[@LarsAquinonez]

Great review! Comment for the algorithm

[@luisvolpon1598]

Just watching the video, it looks a really cool guitar with great specs. What I found weird is the sound of positions 2 and 4. It does not sound like a Strat. It could be me, but that is my impression. Not sure if others felt the same.

[@AudiomoMusic]

This will be accented even more when I post the video against an actual Fender Strat. In general, it doesn’t really sound like a Strat anywhere except the neck pickup - which resembles a really hot overwound Strat sound with dirt on it there.

[@JDStone20]

Man, Jim, you really can play. I have a question, I cut a tendon in my fret hand index finger in an accident, and I couldn't play guitar from the time of the accident , 2008 until a couple years ago when I finally got my hand strong enough, in 2022. I was only a year or two into learning how to play the guitar, so the problem is I am right handed, and play right handed, and i can't move the first segment of it (The part with the nail) and it is a little crooked, and I can't straighten it all the way, so normal barre chords are difficult, so I usually use the Curtis Mayfield/Jimi Hendrix way to make barre chords, which is fine with me since I am trying to emulate both their styles, they are my main influences. Other than playing with my other hand for the fret work, which I would need to turn the nuts around and restring my guitars, is there a way I can play with my damaged hand as the fret hand? Any tips or videos I could watch for tips? I have pretty much given up on the CAGED system for playing, since I have a very hard time with the index finger making the chord shapes, so I was thinking of just using triads, and the Hendrix technique where he grabs the neck with his thumb and index finger, and then forms the triads with his other three fingers, so I guess that would be a way I can use the CAGED system?!? I am asking you because you play a lot of chords and seem to have a lot of experience, if you don't have any suggestions, that is ok, I am just trying to be pointed in the right direction. For Cowboy Chords, I just don't use my index finger, I use the other three fingers to form the chords and that works great. People have suggested to just play power chords, which is cool because the music I like to listen to and play is garage rock/proto-punk/proto-metal/metal/grunge/punk and then also I like playing funk. Thanks for you time.

[@JBM_71]

Go on Jim, do the comparison video! I'll happily watch it just for the sake of watching one of your videos! The new amp sounds great too. Is this a guitar you might hold on to and mod/upgrade? 🎸🎸

[@AudiomoMusic]

i'm still on the fence about it honestly, time will tell

[@JackJD]

So you have decided to keep it, am I right? Btw, amazing video covering more stuff!

[@AudiomoMusic]

It’s looking more likely, I have a few things I want to try after I give it a full setup with it to try and really get it to feel even more like a mustang with vibrato use

[@gaddebeli]

Do it!

[@debhart4302]

Jim, what is the outer string bridge spacing measure, center to center of the E strings? Is it 2 1/16"?

[@philip.tsiolis]

Could I ask what the body thickness is ... I was thinking of a full depth Gotoh 510 with a full depth steel block (42mm). I have a Harley Benton ST-62 than has a thin body (under 40 mm)

[@nunolance23]

regarding the fretboard edges that we discussed in the previous video - HB just confirmed in the comments of their latest FB post that it was a mistake in the translation/text (as I suspected) - they meant rolled fret edges, not fretboard edges - which is a bit unfortunate, but nothing that you can't do by yourself if you do like that rolled fretboard edge, plenty of videos showing how to roll it with the side of a screwdriver or something similar

[@AudiomoMusic]

I get that, but it was blatantly false advertising. Since September's teaser video at Guitar Summit they verbatim said rolled fretboard edges, and initial release it also stated it as a feature both in text and on the image pointing out the highlights of the specs. I'll live, but it's not a great look for them to not own their mistake but instead try to wiggle around it after the fact.

[@nunolance23]

@@AudiomoMusic yep totally agree, imo they should rather fix it in the factory rather than 'reverting' the spec

[@smeagol37]

Hi Jim! I received my replacement guitar. Now I have the SFG too. Everything is fine with this one. I’m totally happy. But: I have my problems with intonating the d-string. The freted tone is a little too low compared to the flageolet at the 12 fret. The saddle is on the end of his way. Do you have a solution?

[@AudiomoMusic]

are you using the factory elixirs still or did you already restring it?

[@smeagol37]

I restring with 009s

[@theguitarprofessionals8584]

Yeah This is Good!!!!!!!

[@AudiomoMusic]

thanks man!!!

[@Markleford]

I agree that it would be a weird comparison against the Cory Wong! 😹

[@AudiomoMusic]

Weird, pointless, obvious outcome - yet thats what people seem to want on youtube 😅

[@Markleford]

@@AudiomoMusic Obviously it's important to compare the blue paint color! Then you need to compare them both to a blue PRS, which Paul says has superior Tone Paint!

[@AudiomoMusic]

@Markleford his paint I’m sure is made of some sort of mythical ancient fairy dust collected from the Johto region of Pokémon and thus is better than anything else on the market

[@MrDanJF]

Any opinions on the (presumably) dyed laurel fingerboard?

[@AudiomoMusic]

It feels kinda like pau ferro. I don't hate it but it's not my favorite.

[@lassetherne2131]

It´s not dyed..:)

[@MrDanJF]

Thanks for the info, and good to know it’s not dyed!

[@seanzinger]

Do you have two of those freaking Schecters?! Or is the lighting just making the blue one look green now? 🤯

[@AudiomoMusic]

Haha it's the lighting, the green one is the only one I've ever seen before so it'd be quite the miracle to have found another

[@seanzinger]

@@AudiomoMusic It definitely looks blue in the other video 😉

[@AudiomoMusic]

@seanzinger magic of purple lighting!!!

[@Robert_Fordin]

What exactly Fender model in the background?

[@AudiomoMusic]

Fender Cory Wong signature strat

[@Robert_Fordin]

@@AudiomoMusic Way better then HB, I guess 🙂

[@AudiomoMusic]

@Robert_Fordin I like it more yeah for sure

[@Barbarapape]

This guitar sounded far better through a different amp, which goes to show that the guitar and amp have to work togeather to get a smooth clean tone. Would i buy one, not at the moment, having just sold over 15 guitars that i never played buying more Strat style guitars would make little sense, and i can do without the hassle of sending bad samples back. Re comparing it to a much higher end guitar does seem a bit pointless, custom built guitars are expensive for a reason, provided that they are not Fenders !

[@AudiomoMusic]

There are other guitars that are genuinely handmade and imo much better made that don't cost THAT much more that i've had and even a few I have here that would also make for a pointless comparison. It's just people don't want the headstock to say something unfamiliar on it for a multitude of reasons I suppose.

[@Barbarapape]

@@AudiomoMusic It's sad the some buyers are blinded by the decal on the headstock. Perhaps the answer is to leave them off and allow the buyer to choose their own. My luthier made Red David Gilmour Strat has a plain headstock, the luthier said i don't make fake Fenders, if you want to put one on that is your choice.

[@protikmondal5919]

Price??

[@AudiomoMusic]

$362 usd

[@rockbilly6710]

Look so pretty but sounds SO BAD! horrific pickups...