How good are Harley Benton Acoustic Guitars? On par with a Taylor 814ce?

[@jimidrammer4187]

The main difference is the wood. I've had Koa Taylors, Maple Harley Benton's. Apples to apples find a HB with solid Spruce like the Harley Benton Custom Line CLG-48CE Spruce/Walnut vs the Taylor Spruce/Rosewood, a better sound comparison. Mahogany is going to sound warmer on any brand.

[@MultiGuitarDave]

I have the black version of this HB for over 2 years now. Fantastic guitar. I did tune it to my needs first though. This guitar plays great and the sound is top notch. Both live and in the studio.

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

Nice. I almost went for the black version but switched to the vintage sunburst finish at last minute. Totally agree they are great guitars!

[@weedaviec]

I'm no expert and I confess to being a big HB fan, but- I thought I could hear a bit of hole in the mid range in the Harley Benton that the Taylor did not have. For £4k I would be expecting his n' hers leather jackets and a teasmaid included in the price. It hasn't put me off HB guitars at all. I love a bargain and their Teles and GS copies are fantastic bang for the buck.

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

@@weedaviec yeah I hear the same thing too! A friend of mine has both the HB Tele and Strat copies and they’re both fantastic guitars!

[@tomasshannon6537]

Great video! That HB sounds amazing for the price and would seem like a great purchase for many producers and artists. I felt like the sonic difference is more about the character of each instrument than it is about quality.

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

Thanks man!! I agree the HB is silly good, and would probably still be a great deal if it was double the price! The Taylor is certainly a level up in terms of finish when you compare them both closely, but so it should be! The thing that shocked me was how similar they both feel to play, which is an incredible accolade for the HB!

[@guysmalley]

Fret leveling on a 4000 guitar?

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

Yeah - disappointing it needed doing but it did. Other than that it is (and was) perfect!

[@ATOMSKI_MRAV]

​@@adamfiascoVEVO Very disappointing actually. A 4k guitar, hell a 1k guitar should be perfect out of box. I have a Harley Benton CLA-15MCE solid wood model and it was perfect out of the box. I'm not saying every HB would be but I certainly lucked out. Here's the kicker, the HB I own sounds better than my 2k Taylor. These things do happen.

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

@ yeah, FWIW…. The Taylor is getting some flack for this (totally justified) however every single guitar I’ve ever bought, expensive or cheap has needed fret levelling….even US made Strats, Gibsons etc. IMO those premium, hand made, high end instruments should be fret levelled and set up well right out of the box, but few are. I can forgive it on cheaper instruments.

[@paultrentadue]

What mic are you recording with? It sounds great! Anything else in the signal chain?

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

Hey! Thanks for your comment. I’m using a WA84 from warm audio, going into a Neve 1073, then through Lynx Aurora n converters. Glad you like the sound, I agree they both sound great 👍🏼

[@danbosch-]

I got the black version for $120 from a thrift store. Was gonna flip it but Ive grown too fond of it. I would recommend picking one up if you can find one used. HB doesnt make these anymore. I took the pickguard off. Made a small difference in the resonance. Lots of glue........

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

@@danbosch- yeah I’m glad I snagged this one when I did. Stunning guitars!

[@thelolguy007]

You think The Harley Benton sounds good until you hear the Taylor. That guitar is alive, all of it, but perfectly balanced. The HB does sound good, and especially for the money - but the Taylor is in another League.

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

I agree! Of course I’m biased because I spent big money on the Taylor. But the Taylor really does just have a better balance especially in the lows, and has more depth to its sound. I don’t think the difference between the 2 is huge though and whether that difference in sound is worth the huge gulf in price is upto the individual. For me it is!

[@thelolguy007]

@@adamfiascoVEVO I honestly think it comes down to can you afford the Taylor or even can you justify it? Some can more can’t. I’m sure it’s possible to tweek the HB even more for recording which would enhance it even more. Fiddle around with settings on the desk/daw etc. That would be my own personal choice I think

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

@@thelolguy007 totally - I mean nothing is ever going to sound like a Taylor other than a Taylor. But doesn’t mean something like the HB is bad and tbh it’s one of the nicest acoustic guitars I’ve had in my hands under the £1k mark tbh

[@thelolguy007]

@@adamfiascoVEVO 100% mate 👍

[@rafaelmercado5056]

Nice comparison, yes the Taylor sounds better. Now, 10x better? 🤷‍♂️

[@xray9er]

Great work on the comparison. The Taylor is clearly superior in sustain and resonance, but if I were to buy one, it would be the HB from a cost / benefit point of view.

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

Hey! Glad you liked the video. I agree - the Taylor has way more sustain, probably thanks to that V class bracing. The HB is great though. Still can’t believe the price point of it!

[@ShawnGilbert1967]

Id like to hear wood composition to wood composition compared but also we need to know each had the same strings in terms of build and gauge ( aka tension on the sound board )...thanks wouldnt mind picking up this HB and putting some time into making it sound better...drop an anthem pre amp in it too and still be 3k ahead... That would put them with same pre amp then for sure plugged in will narrow differences....

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

Yeah the woods are different, obviously down to cost. For this comparison both guitars were freshly strung with the same strings from Elixir. The plugged in sound is pretty drastic between them tbh but imo most acoustics sounds trash plugged in. It’s all about the natural recorded sound for me.

[@ShawnGilbert1967]

@@adamfiascoVEVO thx same guage guessing 12-53 nano?? Thats my point add the Baggs anthem preamp/mic with blend aka the 814's preamp one of the best out there AND one of the most retrofited....it would hamstring them BOTH closer...so main point being 350+300( preamp) plugged on the would be even closer, a lot use the grands plugged in.... It's interesting to think that it's ironic...

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

@@ShawnGilbert1967 yep 12-53 👌🏼

[@stevenburton7922]

Good review...thanks for posting

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

Glad you found it useful! Thanks for commenting

[@1964Byron]

Man... most people buy Taylor for the law set-up among other things nd you are right ! Cost does not reflect difference in quality if any !

[@adamwinnard]

Interesting video mate! They both sound great when they are played and recorded well 👌🏻 I have a HB tele, bass, and little valve combo. Absolutely insane value for money 🤯 A nice Taylor is on my bucket list, maybe one day. Overall the Taylor sounds richer and more balanced to my ears but you would hope so at 10 times the price! The HB sounds great 😊

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

Thanks for checking it out mate! Totally agree the HB’s are incredible gtrs- the fact they’re so affordable is even better. I’d love to try the amp! Taylor’s are my favourite acoustic and I think you’re right… the 814 is richer and has a bit more body. But at 10% of the overall cost the HB is v impressive I think!

[@adamwinnard]

100%!

[@philou37210]

The Taylor sounds better for me, more rich and warm sound. Question is : does it justify the price difference ? It would be nice to do the same comparison in a few years to see if the HB has well improved (I bet it would)

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

This is a really good point. We know high end guitars like Taylor’s and Martin’s age really well and can improve sound wise so it’d be interesting to see what happens to the HB

[@ryanhale5010]

Love the recording by the way mate, what's the set up? I'm pretty new to recording acoustic guitar. Cheers.

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

@@ryanhale5010 thanks man. So I’m using a WA84 mic into a Neve 1073. Normally I’d go through an LA2A as well for a touch of compression but I didn’t hear just to remove that variable from the comparison. If you want some help on recording acoustic guitar I made a video specifically on that… it’s on my channel and here’s the link kzbin.info/www/bejne/kITSiWB_eK1rq9Esi=fWa0-x5xHWn3HJj5

[@ryanhale5010]

@@adamfiascoVEVO thanks for the reply mate.

[@JesseLBK]

The Taylor has more resonance. Side by side with the HB, the sound from the HB seems trapped compared to the full richness coming from the Taylor. For the price, still well worth it.

[@Benson.BereTV]

6:56 damn. Im so confuse on this black Friday sale if i should get the this HB or a orangewood Ava. Both are aolid guitars. But Ava doesnt have pickups and also 120 usd more expensive. Any thoughts?

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

I can't vouch for the other one you mentioned but I would 100% recommend the HB. Excellent guitar and I love mine - it's my every day casual player and is fantastic!

[@platypuspracticus2]

Something I'm curious about is how the neck shapes and sizes compare between the two.

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

Pretty similar to tell you the truth! They’re both grand auditorium shapes so pretty much identical there. The neck feel super smooth and very similar size on both. The biggest difference is the fretboard. The Taylor is ebony whereas the HB is a composite.

[@bulldogzzzify]

Ok first of all great video, and from my perspective as a SAM (Solo Acoustic Musician) I’d go for the Benton, I just wouldn’t gig with a 4K guitar. But here is the thing on the video the Taylor outshines the Benton it is just fuller sounding, more lively…. just better. But on recording the audio and normalising both guitars I found the Taylor is just louder. If you normalise both recordings to around -2bd the Benton actually sounds better, it has a more balanced sound with fuller sounding mids, so the Taylor is simply louder. If you are plugging the guitar in it is is also worth noting that The Harley Benton has a much better on board pre-amp with built in tuner, the main difference is the Taylor is louder acoustically. Now I do have a lot of experience with Harley Benton and I do not expect it to play great out of the box, it would probably need bridge, neck and nut adjustments and the frets ends dressing, which is why I don’t normally recommend Harley Benton guitars to beginners unless they are will to pay for a set up. Once again thank you Adam for a great video, it really helped me.

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

Thanks a lot for watching and for your interesting take. I totally agree that for gigging I wouldn’t be taking a £4K guitar out haha! The Taylor does sound noticeably bigger in the room and has an extended low end over the Harley. But the HB is a stunning guitar even if the price point was much higher! So gotta give kudos to HB for that!

[@psosna]

When I went to but my first really expensive guitar I played a whole bunch of Taylors and I didn't like the sound of any of them. Then I picked up a fairly low end Martin, (DCPA4, stika spruce top, sapele back and sides), and it blew me away at half the cost of the Taylor. I took the floor model, as it sounded better than the new in the box one they brought down, and I'm glad I did. I think my particular instrument is a fluke; I played mine and then played a $10,000 Martin custom D45 right next to it and I wasn't the only one that thought mine sounded better! I also own a Harley Benton hollow body tele that's fantastic!

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

Interesting! When I bought my first ‘expensive’ acoustic I had about £1k to spend and I ended up going for a Martin. Still own that guitar and absolutely love it! However I played a friends 814 and fell in love and just had to have one from that moment!

[@barruzza]

The Taylor sounds warmer and louder. The sustain sounds better also. Which one was more comfortable to play? Thats the thing I love the most about my Taylor, it plays so easily and its hard to put down.

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

I agree - the Taylor definitely has more fullness in the lows/low mids and it’s also noticeably louder in the room! I think playability is probably where these 2 guitars are closest to be honest. Both have a nice smooth neck, and the armrest just make them a breeze to play for long period. They’re both grand auditorium shapes too so same size, and similar weight. So yeah imo, this is the hardest category to pick them apart.

[@johnmorris4567]

The Taylor is brighter with more sustain.But 10 times more expensive! No.

[@joemadrid1998]

Great video! I have a Harley Benton Electric and absolutely love the neck and the feel when I play it. No, It is not a Gibson and do not expect the quality of a Gibson for the price. I am guessing iy would be the same with the Taylor comparison. I hear the difference in the fullness of the 2 guitars and for a 400.00 guitar as opposed to 4k, I would but the HB mainly because playing in bars and clubs stuff happens. The main thing I go for is how I feel when I play it. Thanks!!

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

Thanks for your comment man! Glad you enjoyed the video 🙏🏼

[@rayfranchi1507]

The teller sounds absolutely gorgeous as it should for four grand the Harley Benton sounds gorgeous also not quite like to tell her but pretty close I think I would have to spend my money on the Harley Benton

[@PC85X]

I mean you can hear the harmonic and tonal qualities are superior on the Taylor, but that doesn't mean the HB is in any way bad, and certainly for 1/10 of the cost I'd buy the HB or a lower down Taylor. The sound quality will max out at a certain cost and the price then justified the build quality, materials and complexity, and the fact you needed a fret level is not acceptable all. A side note: I bought a Fender PD220e for £325 delivered. £50 at a local tech to have it set up to my preferred action and string gauge and it is such an amazing guitar. 1 year in and only GAS makes me.look at other guitars.

[@happyhippy326]

The Taylor to my ears has the brighter sound overall ,but to be fair The Harley Benton gives it a good run for it's money.....I wonder what sort of guitar could Harley Benton produce for the same cost as the Taylor ?

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

Agreed. I think the Taylor has a ‘bigger’ sound too probably because it has more sustain and richer lows. But the HB is pretty incredible!

[@rcasagranda]

I have a question though did both guitars went to the luthier? If they did, did they have the same strings as well? Tough comparison Taylors are great butI'm curious about the HB now I have a HB Jazz Guitar and it's good one but its not that great (wiring, electronics and the caps are not good), however I really liked their cheapest Tele that I also have.

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

Great question. The Taylor went to the luthier for a full setup including fret level about 1 year prior to making this video. The Harley Benton is straight out of the box with the setup from factory. Both guitars had the same Elixir strings, both recorded through an 84 SDC mic into a Neve1073 and Lynx converters. No compression, or other FX added.

[@fugalibrana]

An expensive guitar doesn't make you a great musician. In the other hand, if you're a great musician you will make sound a cheaper guitar divinely. But for the price, good enough. Thanks for sharing!

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

@@fugalibrana glad you enjoyed the comparison. Thanks for checking it out 🙏🏼

[@jontystoz43]

I have this Harley Benton and I really like it but have to admit the sound of the Taylor is better. However, apart from the price it's not a like for like comparison as the Taylor is a spruce/rosewood combination versus an all mahogany combination. Regardless of maker I would not an all mahogany guitar to sound the same as a spruce/rosewood guitar.

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

@@jontystoz43 yeah the tone woods absolutely make a difference to the sound, however that will then factor into the price of why the Taylor is so much more expensive. Even now though, it still shocks me how amazing the HB is for the money!

[@jontystoz43]

I agree

[@rbrtmllr]

I'm thinking the Harley Benton is a more inspirational choice. There is enough room left in the budget to have the bridge converted to unslotted pins have a HyVibe installed for shits and giggles. That still leaves $3000 in the piggy bank for beers.

[@valueofnothing2487]

Well, there's no comparison. But it might be easier to tell if you played the plain G chord with the open B. The B is always a good test. I wonder how it compares to a Yamaha, Orangewood and the cheaper solid wood models like Recording King, Blueridge or Breedlove. I just saw this was from a year ago. Funny how the AI works.

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

Just to clarify - do you mean there's a significant difference in the sound of the open B string of different acoustic guitars at different price points? If so this is crazy and I need to check it out haha!

[@valueofnothing2487]

​@@adamfiascoVEVO Yes it's my understanding that the b string is the hardest to get right. On a good guitar it will intonate well and be loud enough to give it a balanced tone overall. That's why most guitar players don't play the plain g chord. It sounds discordant or dull.

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

@@valueofnothing2487 intonation can be tweaked though. And personally I don’t play the open B because I prefer the sound of 5ths a little more playing mostly pop and rock music!

[@sorenahlback]

I bought that HB model and was happy with it expect that it didn’t survive the first winters dry climate I Sweden. My 50 years old Ibanez have never had any issues. I think some cheap guitars have too fresh wood so it shrink in low humidity.

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

Oh man that’s such a shame! Fingers crossed all will be well here and so far the HB is holding up well!

[@ArAdler-r5z]

The Harley is definitely punching above it's weight; but there's no comparison sonically with the Taylor

[@cmjudco]

I think the Taylor sounds brighter but it also has a spruce top which can make all the difference. Too bad you didn't have a HB with a spruce top...that would have made a closer comparison. I really like the HB ....I like them both but I wouldn't buy the Taylor for the extremely high difference in price!!

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

Yeah I think the Taylor has a brighter sound to it but most noticeably for me is the lows. I think the Taylor sounds a lot bigger and fuller! The HB is an astonishingly good guitar though especially for the price!!

[@BearBluesBand]

I own a couple of HBs along side top end Takas and Martin. Same deal as the Taylor. Different class for sure. But 10 times better? Hmm. Not in my view.

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

@@BearBluesBand totally agree! The Taylor is in a league of its own but the HB is a seriously good guitar that makes it difficult to justify the price difference

[@vinderloovince3011]

The comparison is like Man City v Bradford City. The HB is good value and still nice tho.

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

Haha interesting analogy! Sometimes the underdog comes off on top in these situations though…. I don’t think the HB was best in this comparison but it definitely didn’t embarrass itself and performs well above its price point!

[@superorangeish]

The H. Benton sounds more brittle , not as warm as the Taylor, but I would steer a new player towards the H. Benton. Money is tight.

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

Yeah I agree with you. The HB just lacks that body and depth the Taylor has however you can hardly hold that against it for the price tag. The HB is certainly a guitar everyone should have in their arsenal though in my opinion. Sub £500 it blows everything else out of the water. Even sub £1000/1500 I’d still take the Harley over most.

[@Colt_Funky]

In the strumming part the Taylor has so much more presence in the first 10 seconds...but after these, the whole part sounds more boring to me. The HB is more "focused" over the whole part.

[@Alex-u4v8m]

The bizarre moment when you're looking up guitar reviews and come across your old science teacher!

[@martgryfny]

Oh for sure there is a huge difference. I mean HB is still a good guitar, but the only one that was voiced here is the Taylor. Solid top plays the biggest role here but each single top is different. If you have a single-copy masterbuilt, that guitar will be individually voiced. If you have a production line that makes a concrete model and you want it all to sound the same, you need to select the wood pieces very carefully. I'm not sure what exactly happens on Taylor's production, but definately none of these things happens in Chinese HB factories. I really like my CLD-30SCM with cedar top, but it became a playable guitar only after spending 50$ on the luthier to fix never-properly-shaped nut and to sand fret ends together with rolling out the edges of the fretboard. Perfect guitar to play by the campfire, sounds good enough, but if anything goes wrong and it ends in the fire, it's not the end of the world.

[@ShawnGilbert1967]

But this model IS solid top, back and sides...same as Taylor...to me there was almost no difference in THIS demo you seem to be talking about why the Taylor should be better...

[@martgryfny]

@@ShawnGilbert1967 never said it is not, you didn't read carefully I have all-solid HB and it is a great guitar for the price, but only until you play it together in duo or trio with really good and expensive guitars. I'm not gonna try make myself wise. I tell what i've heard, i thought the HB is just the way to go. After i did some refinements with the nut and frets, it is playable, it sounds good, but when i play with my brother who has a couple of Furch's, the difference comes out - not very big, but noticeable. And when we played with our friend who has luthier-made thing, the difference was even better, and noticeable byt by-standers. I have not much knowledge about "voicing" acoustics, I know just that such thing exists and makes difference. Just as wood preparation and selection. I;m not sure that voicing were done to the Furchs i mentioned, maybe it was just the selection and quality controll, maybe it was the design.

[@rockymcshaw2746]

The Taylor sounds richer and fuller but my ears prefer the more toned down balanced Harley Benton

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

Interesting! No brainer to pick up the HB then!

[@BobbyGardiner-zt5zp]

Completely flawless Taylor that had to be sent to luthiar

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

😂😂😂 In the video I describe the finish as completely flawless… which it is! It went to the luthier to be set up for my tastes as I wanted the action lifting higher. On closer inspection it became apparent it needed fret levelling too.

[@cujimmi]

The taylor does sound better to my ear... But not £3600 better

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

Yeah that’s the question that folks have to decide on isn’t it! Thanks for watching and leaving a comment 🙏🏼

[@PeterErikson-rd5tj]

Well the HB sounds good enough , Looks Great. and is Very playable so I would Get 4 HB guitars , a Boss Katana 100 , or a Fishman Acoustic rig and a 15 Watt Tube Amp. and an ABY box to run both amps . That would cost Only about $1600. The Taylor Is an Overpriced Trophy that won't really look or Sound better when you get the Amps Hooked up. I would get this HB, The PRS STYLE HB, A GOLDTOP, LP. HB, AND 2 HB VINTAGE STRATS WITH ROASTED MAPLE NECKS. I HAVE ENOUGH MONEY LEFT OVER TO BUY A MOTORCYCLE !

[@jocirdasilva5073]

The Taylor is wonderful, but I can't afford 4000$ on a guitar, but I definitely could afford 100$.

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

@@jocirdasilva5073 the Harley Benton is a bit more than $100… I paid £390 for it which is around $500 but it’s worth way more than that price point IMO. HB do have some cheaper options however I haven’t used them.

[@Pieter.reteiP]

Taylor’s got more sound , more warmth. It’s another instrument compared to HB.

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

Definitely agree the Taylor sounds warmer - bigger lows than the HB!

[@jamescoughlan8193]

Absolutely shocking to have to get frets leveled on a 4 grand guitar.

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

It’s not ideal! But tbf every single guitar from every manufacturer, regardless of price has needed a fret level too. Even high end Gibson, Fender etc

[@jamescoughlan8193]

@@adamfiascoVEVO that might be the case but it shouldn't be for that sort of money , a cheap guitar I could accept , anything over 3k really isn't acceptable 🤔 in my opinion

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

@@jamescoughlan8193 I totally agree! Not trying to justify it at all but just highlighting it’s not just high end Taylor’s that come out of the factory without being fret levelled.

[@drewheyman7173]

Taylor sings, Benton plings

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

Hahaha. Love this

[@BillyJackson-r4p]

harley sounds flat, almost like its stuffed with a pillow or something, the taylor chimes and sings

[@adamfiascoVEVO]

Hmm yeah… thanks for the comment! The Harley sounds really good until you hear the Taylor IMO. It’s difficult to describe but it just has a certain depth the Harley doesn’t quite manage.