Check out 8 great cheap alternatives: kzbin.info/www/bejne/g6SooWCvhbmFjdEsi=1QUvaxen1-eyae2v
@hellofx5 ай бұрын
Should rename this channel to " Cheap gear for cheap bastards " also you need to rant more on expensive American guitars and prasing more over Harley Benton stuff . . . .
@sparx5505 ай бұрын
Elmo thanks for taking the time and going into so much depth, vlogs like this are brilliant, not all of us have a ton of money at the moment but still want to buy some new gear. All the best mate.
@OnlineLawyerUK5 ай бұрын
@hellofx it's a weird balance though isn't it. Some "cheap" stuff is great and one person's cheap is another's expensive to a degree. I have some custom shop fenders and plenty of Harley Bentons. I've fallen lucky with the latter I think but can't complain either way. Fair to sat though, we are living in a great time for guitar players and it's becoming a competitive market at all price points. Where even the cheapest shit is better than some mid-ish range stuff 20 years ago.
@xNachtmahRx6 ай бұрын
Always the HB with stainless steel frets. All the other parts are less expensive when replaced
@bernardo92024 ай бұрын
what model do you recommend for a beginner?
@romanthegambler69664 ай бұрын
@@bernardo9202 LP or any shape? If any - probably Jet JS 450 or Aria Pro 2 615 MK2, LP - Epiphone Studio or HB SC500, but HBs, as seen in the video, have close to no shielding and their pups are microphonic, so if the beginner is a kid who won't maintain their guitar at all - get an Epi, and if the beginner is a responsible adult - get a HB and do some basic setup with some help from YT tutorials
@bernardo92024 ай бұрын
@@romanthegambler6966 will check them out thanks
@cnserviceuy5 ай бұрын
Very cool and affordables Les Paul copies, good endings and good audio, without busting the bank. Thanks for showing us!
@MrPolevaulter5 ай бұрын
Glad you enjoyed it
@Screaminwitchdoctors3 ай бұрын
It's interesting how much I agree with Elmo's appraisal. I have owned and tested several of the Harley Benton SC guitars, and own three of them: the SC 450 Plus (2017), the 450 P90 (2022), an SC550 (older version, 2020). Hands down the best of them is the SC 450 Plus, it is a real beast. It has a Wilkinson ceramic bridge pickup which is just amazing. However, despite the great reviews, the SC550 did not turn out to be as good for my taste. Good but just not special, also the pickups did not 'bite' as much as the Wilkinsons. I sent back an SC400. My SC 450 P90 came with uneven frets, which I had to file. The pickups are very vintagey and do not take distortion well, but for clean playing or blues they are fine. The feel of the SC450 Plus is really amazing from the get go, once you polish the frets -which came dirty- and lubricate the nut. I play it as much as my Gibson Les Pauls! It is lighter, it has character, a vintage vibe, stays in tune really well, and just, incredibly, feels and sounds like a very good Les Paul. And what a price. (And I cannot say the same thing of my other SCs, even the 550, which are just good budget guitars).
@Leo_ofRedKeep2 ай бұрын
The SC-450Plus has had Roswell pick-ups since 2017. The Wilkinson were replaced after someone had sold them fake ones and they couldn't trust their suppliers with them anymore.
@miyaaaaw6 ай бұрын
Wow interesting comparison I have the SC450 BK, gave it a setup and it's lovely. No fret sprouts, no pickup squeal, stays in the like a champ, even though the neck is glossy it plays beautifully. I don't know if all of them are like this or if I got lucky but I love it
@ValveReactor6 ай бұрын
Same here! Love the p90 sound 🎉
@mastahpoland6 ай бұрын
I have the SC-450Plus I replaced the tuners, nut (to graphite) and pickups for Tonerider Alnico II Classics and it is completely mindblowing how great this guitar sounds. The guitar is heavy though, it seems to be true mahogany so if you have any spine problems, I do not recommend, unless you play sitting only.
@mattsikes9196 ай бұрын
I have the 450 plus and I love it! I actually like the Roswell pickups. In my rig they sound articulate and punch hard. Only thing I've done is replace the tuners with locking tuners and tone and volume knobs. I've had other HB guitars but my 450 plus is the only one I've kept. Lovely guitar. Awesome video Elmo!
@MrPolevaulter6 ай бұрын
Cheers!
@user-abcxyz-xr2eg2 ай бұрын
I also have this guitar. I bought it used very cheap and it has wilkinson pickups. Must be an older model, later on HB put roswell pus. Its a great guitar and compared to my Gibson tribute it comes very close, although I prefer my Gibson cause of ......... who knows why, maybe it's just the glorious name.
@OnlineLawyerUK5 ай бұрын
I have a dozen HB guitars all purchaaed in the past 18 months, (when QC and consistency claim to have been fixed) and they are all fantastic! Not an issue with any. I have a SC450 plus in Amber and its brilliant.
@squirrel-19696 ай бұрын
Haven't seen a review and demo from you in quite a while. It's certainly nice to see you again Mr. K!
@cassalinson6 ай бұрын
Great comparison, now we want the same with "Fusion" models ;)
@edvermien66 ай бұрын
Yes!!!
@davakil6 ай бұрын
I agree
@tonedowne6 ай бұрын
Glad you picked that guitar. I was just listening on my phone so I can’t really tell, but that one did jump out a bit. The neck pickup sounded really good. Nice and throaty with good transients.
@HarleyBentonOfficial6 ай бұрын
Thank you for the honest review! 🤘
@MrPolevaulter6 ай бұрын
My pleasure :)
@bernardo92024 ай бұрын
You guys need to cut down on the list of guitars, i want to buy one, and there is so much choice i don't even know where to start. Keep it simple and perfect the most sold models
@glezmen6 ай бұрын
I have an SC-550 II Gotoh PAF, which is really good, especially for that ridiculously low price :)
@MrPolevaulter6 ай бұрын
Absolutely.
@christoguichard43116 ай бұрын
Sorry Elmo...but this is NOT my experience AT ALL! 🤔 I've had over a DOZEN Harley Bentons by now, including 5 different SC's. Just to give some perspective... I've been playing over 50 years, and have bought, sold, teched, and played...EVERYTHING. Literally...EVERYTHING. Out of the maybe 15 or 16 Harley Bentons I've had...maybe THREE were pretty duff. But nothing that a couple of hours on my workbench wouldn't fix. Funnily enough... I've had THREE of the Goldtops with P90s, and they are one of my favourites, and one of the best bargains in the HB line-up. I WOULD say...that you should be prepared to do a basic set-up on most HB guitars...as you would any guitar. I've only EVER had bad fret sprout on ONE HB guitar...and that was the "ricky"-looking 12 string. So... To anyone watching this, I would undoubtedly say...ignore these conclusions. They are certainly NOT representative of 99.9% of Harley Benton guitars. And that's...50 years guitar experience talking ☺️
@malcolmhardwick42586 ай бұрын
These guitars cost less than what a refret would cost.
@aliengrey60526 ай бұрын
@@malcolmhardwick4258where do I get the refret?
@christoguichard43116 ай бұрын
@@malcolmhardwick4258 EH??? 🤔
@TheRange75 ай бұрын
I'm a 50+ year player myself. I bought about 10 HB's. With some basic TLC, and in some cases new electronics, new tuners, and a new nut, they're very nice guitars that can stand up to gigging, recording, and just hours of noodling. In my experience the super cheap HB's are a hard pass. Go for the middle of the road to higher priced models and you're likely to be pleased. Are they Gibson or Fender good? Nope!!! Are they Epiphone or Squire good? ABsolutely and with just some basic TLC. I've yet to buy one that didn't need some work. Once done, they're solid and still a bargain. If someone asks me what they should buy in an under $500 guitar, I always throw HB into the mix. It's really up to the player. DOn't expect a great guitar right outta the box, cuz you ain't gonna get one. That applies to a lot of guitars costing 2 to 4 times as much as an HB.
@-KingOfKhaos4 ай бұрын
“That applies to a lot of guitars costing 2 - 4 times as much…” Including Gibson. Some of the worst guitars I’ve owned came with Gibson on the headstock. Which is a shame since there’s no substitute for a well made & set up Gibson… how folks have allowed Gibson to get away with sending out guitars that should never have passed Quality Control Inspections is beyond me given their price tags.
@jcugnoni6 ай бұрын
Have a 450 (plus) since about 8 years. The frets were very rough when delivered but a quick polish fixed this. Then changed the pickups to a rather cheap but great Iron Gear set. It sounds ace, is very solid (and quite heavy) with lots of bite and sustain. Never had an issue since then.
@RapttorX6 ай бұрын
i actrually like the Iron Gear - Rolling Mill more than my SD JB/Jazz set ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@davidmartinez9276 ай бұрын
I own a SC Custom II and it's a joy. I agree that on paper isn't something special, and honestly, don't sound impressive with their roswells. But it's an easy fix with a proper set of pickups. Other than that, the looks, the finish, the fretwork, the ERGONOMICS (really nice), is excellent.
@gearViewmirror6 ай бұрын
Nice review! Just ordered a B-stock SC DLX Gotoh in shell pink😂 but for 207.- for a guitar with stainless stell frets....🤷♂️ Just a small reminder that these guitars would all cost WAY more if Thomann delivered to dealers! Hats off to them for keeping it that way🙏🏼🎸🤘🏼🎸
@MrDonaloneill16 ай бұрын
This was a good choice, I got the exact same B-Stock 3 weeks ago. Left it with my guy for a set up (not that it was terrible out of the box) and for what we paid, we got an absolute bargain. She sounds awesome!
@HarleyBentonOfficial6 ай бұрын
You got it! Hope you enjoy the SC-DLX :)
@gearViewmirror6 ай бұрын
@@HarleyBentonOfficial Thanks, i will! I've had one before in the blue metallic finish, but i sold it to a good friend.....i guess i missed it☺️
@gearViewmirror6 ай бұрын
@@MrDonaloneill1 In the meantime mine arrived. The box was covered in dust, so at first i assumed the worst case.....but it was only half as bad as i expected! Absolutely terrible fretsprout which took a test on my tools, one fret was rocking and others needed leveling and after that i glued the frets. Other than that not bad.....and then the "finish"..... i will bet my Maybach Teleman T54, that through some misunderstanding at the factory, they completely left out or forgot to finish in a maybe satin? clearcoat. The plastic binding is obviously completely naked and there is nothing covering the area around the side of the nut, which is usually overlacquered. The fact that anything will rub of and stain the finish is proof enough.... Mine is really light (2,9kgs) and i really like playing it. However i will probably take off the pickup covers, i have experienced an increase of clarity when done to these Teslas!🎸🤘🏼🎸
@378MUSKIESLAYER3 ай бұрын
Why is he beating on the guitar?
@redryderaus5 ай бұрын
It is 6 years since I bought my Harley Benton CST-24HB and shipped it to Australia. That guitar needed a touch of truss rod and action adjustment. It played well then and I still get trapped playing it 😉 Your review shows that Thomann/Harley Benton have really dropped the ball with quality. 6 years ago I would not have hesitated to buy another HB. Now I would not buy a Harley Benton given how far the quality has dropped.
@davidjorgenpedersen8010Ай бұрын
Nice to Hear You Play Bro!
@Ogma3bandcamp6 ай бұрын
There's something wrong with your SC-450 P90. I have the exact same guitar and it doesn't feed back like that. In fact it's an incredible guitar.
@popsfereal6 ай бұрын
Same here.
@SkanderGuitar6 ай бұрын
You are right it‘s not the guitar in general. He just had bad luck with the order
@peterkunst17526 ай бұрын
Totally agree; mine is an amazing guitar. I hated the pickups though. Changed them out for some Bloodstone pickups and those are awesome.
@HarleyBentonOfficial6 ай бұрын
Thanks for sharing your experience! For anybody worrying: You can always send it back if there are issues :)
@reneliebregt63194 ай бұрын
Same here , and I pimped the guitar with gold hardware from HB and HB locking tuners and it is an incredible guitar.
@DavidHunterChunkyRiffs6 ай бұрын
I have a 450 plus. I've spent just over £100 replacing the pickups/pots/switches/locking tuners and can honestly say it's one of the best guitars I have. I can't believe how well it plays and sounds. I'm comparing this to a PRS SE custom 24 and Fender Jim Root Tele. Great video, thanks! 🤘
@johannessilver86536 ай бұрын
Before or after the mod ?
@DavidHunterChunkyRiffs6 ай бұрын
It played great from the start. After the mod it just sounds better.
@cablecutter124 ай бұрын
Thanks for a real showing of HB vs the rose colored stuff others have put out around here.
@jorgefernandes13872 ай бұрын
Hi Elmo, it's the 2nd time I see this video. Great blues and rock licks, and you play clean in way that's almost unplugged, which allows to hear woods, and sticky frets. I have a L400 Lefty, a correct les paul shape with basswood body and set neck. Out of this bunch my favourite is the...SC200!
@Beleco736 ай бұрын
I have a SC-450 P90, a SC-450 plus and my favorite guitar a SC-550 II. After this video I have to see my P90, I don't think that mine is microfonic.
@sebsteezy6 ай бұрын
ive seen the SC 450plus and thought it looked incredible, especially in the Lemon Drop finish, but ive personally been on the fence, but recently ive been craving a LP style guitar and HB has the most choice out of every budget brand out there. i am definitely getting the Lemon Drop 450Plus as i dont wanna spend alot of money and i want to be able to upgrade later on and only really use my guitars for home recordings.
@crflores766 ай бұрын
Thanks Elmo, great video… yours feels and sound opinions are so important for us… Please the same with tele style hb…
@JoakimPorscheCaymanS6 ай бұрын
Huomenta! Good review & demo. Got the first generation 550-tobacco burst as well. A keeper....just like my other HB ST-62 CC Deluxe(silverstrat).
@spokes286 ай бұрын
Buy the one with Stainless Steel Frets. Easier to change pickups than frets. If you should feel the need.
@tkabiranik10 күн бұрын
I like the SC custom more due to the modern ESP Eclipse style body. Now they have the SC Custom III model with stainless steel frets and Tesla humbuckers with new killer purple burst colour.
@alexb.57036 ай бұрын
PAF refers to the color, got nothing to do with the pickups! I got the SC 550 II Gotoh autumn (November 😜) burst, love it…great fretwork in stainless steel! good neck, the Teslas are ok! Nice video!
@jovankaludjerica6 ай бұрын
Tesla Opus-1 are PAF voiced pickups.
@378MUSKIESLAYER3 ай бұрын
I put the seymour duncan jazz in the neck and jb 4 in the bridge. That mother fucker kicks ass!
@UnionAlley6 ай бұрын
I have the 450plus in (I think) Vintage Burst. It's B stock but you wouldn't know it. I think I paid £135 for it just over 2 years ago and I gigged it straight out of the box no setup required. For an old blueser like me, it's a great fit. I have upgraded the bridge pickup to a Wilkinson Vintage and taken the cover off the bridge pickup. Great video as always 👍
@Exercise-016 ай бұрын
You have Sire L7 at $455 mahogany body and neck,ebony fretboard,bone nut,aluminum tailpiece,alnico 5 humbuckers and locking machine heads. That would be nice to see if it's good or not.
@stevecassidyguitar6 ай бұрын
Thank you for doing the work for us mate - Great Job! 😎👍 I'm still on the hunt for a Single Cut I can get on with. Tried the Harley Benton SC 25th last year - On paper it was perfect 👌 But the neck was too chunky for me. Roswell's were also less than "meh" - but that's an easy fix. Cheers Elmo! 🍻
@MrPolevaulter6 ай бұрын
Cheers Steve :)
@gruffydddavies74646 ай бұрын
Your channel is great. It sold me on buying a Jet, and it has been superb!
@stevecassidyguitar6 ай бұрын
@@gruffydddavies7464 Soz - Dunno If you're saying to me or Elmo 🙈 (I agree Elmo's Channel is Great! 😀👍) If you we're talking to me, then.. Thank ya kindly sir 😀🙏 Glad to hear you're enjoying your Jet! 😎👍
@gruffydddavies74646 ай бұрын
@stevecassidyguitar haha, I am replying to you, Steve Cassidy, I really like your channel, and I hope to see it continue growing
@stevecassidyguitar6 ай бұрын
@@gruffydddavies7464 Thank ya kindly mate! 😀🙏
@MathiasBronnes6 ай бұрын
I love these, i have 3 sc customs and 2 sc450's
@KozmykJ6 ай бұрын
The SC450 P90 GT used to be a great guitar and amazing value. I got one in 2017 and it's Still a good guitar - no changes. Then it went off their lists for a couple of years. I was glad to see it return, but if they're all like your test model then maybe they've changed factories ?? That's a shame. I also got the SC450+ Cherry Burst in 2018. I was quite happy with the Roswells for years, but then, last year, I fitted IronGear TeSLA SHarks and it is now up there with my SG and DGT SE.
@reneliebregt63194 ай бұрын
True I have one too 👍
@lucbos75166 ай бұрын
Harley Benton SC-Custom II FR Vintage Black without a doubt !
@Herman1386 ай бұрын
Agree with that,have one the FR1000 Floyd hard to beat!
@lucbos75166 ай бұрын
@@Herman138 Harley Benton SC-Custom II FR Vintage Black only 385 euro )) with real Floyd Rose
@tomd83132 ай бұрын
Thomann has a satellite store in the States now, on Reverb. I’ve got a HB335+, and a SC450+, both came Surprisingly Perfect, and Feel great. I was all ready to rework the necks and change electronics I’ve got laying around here, but got away with hipshot & kluson lockers, couple tusq nuts, and strings. Frets were already great. Either QC has improved or I got Lucky twice. They’re an unbelievable Value, and make it embarrassing what I’ve paid for my real G and F brands…
@bacongl6 ай бұрын
Yeah I got the first gen SC550 deluxe and it is one of my favorite guitars. Its a shame they discontinued it.
@AVM-Music6 ай бұрын
Had the custom active II and it was a great guitar with absolutely no issues anywhere. Sold it because the neck profile caused pain. TE52 with absolutely no issues and still use that daily
@rrrrrrrr_05 ай бұрын
"great guitar" "no issues anywhere" but also "the neck profile caused pain" ?????
@timothyjames41956 ай бұрын
Hey brother great video. I've ad the 550 to the custom. I love them all but the next will be with the fat emg's. Rock on sir
@MrPolevaulter6 ай бұрын
Cheers!
@steel_horse75706 ай бұрын
I've got the Harley Benton SC-550 II DFB (the colour they don't make anymore) - I had the nut changed, locking tuners added and had the pick ups changed for the Slash AFD ones. I think HB make really good guitars but I think you need to spend another £200-£250 to take it to the next level.
@MrPolevaulter6 ай бұрын
Yeah, upgrading some parts can be a good idea.
@TheHenkka655 ай бұрын
That Gold Top rings very nicely when not plugged in. Maybe a pickup switch to that might make it a brilliant instrument. 😊👍💥🎸
@nikolacvetkovic22762 ай бұрын
I have 550 Deluxe (model 1) really good guitar, model II is also nice but to my ear older model has better pickups.
@378MUSKIESLAYER3 ай бұрын
I have 3 a sc550 gotoh les paul, a ja 60 jazz master, and a rb-414 rickenbacker bass. The sc550 & ja 60 were great out the box i got them off the usa reverb shop. The rb-414 i had to do some shit to but its cool now and has an awesome growl i ordered it from thomann maybe there's a difference.
@michaelolz6 ай бұрын
I loved your approach in this one. Let the buyer beware. And I just happened to have been considering one of these. Great video.
@MrPolevaulter6 ай бұрын
Cheers!
@MADROCKS2216 ай бұрын
Thanks again for a brilliant review, It's a tough choice but you're conclusion I think you're spot on. I love that little riff that you do when you're starting a review - clean with a low tone - the riff kind of sounds like percolating coffee. Anyway massive appreciation.
@freestyleeeАй бұрын
Thank you so much for this video this is what I needed!
@rockingirish6 ай бұрын
The 25th anniversary model SC has split coils, SS frets and locking tuners. Think I got it to Idaho for around $380 w/ shipping. Beats my epi 60's like a stepchild! Standard LP pot set up. If they come out with a new color other than satin finish gold top I might get another. They are not in stock at the moment.
@deathpriest6426 ай бұрын
i just bougth the same today, it has burn wood arm too don´t forget and i think is beautiful. can´t wait for it :)
@robphillips83512 ай бұрын
That gold top looks pretty sweet
@MAX96MENDES6 ай бұрын
Thank you for this video Elmo. I have been looking for a cool Les Paul style guitar from Harley-Benton
@juanbarre6 ай бұрын
I have the same than you, dessert burst, and is awesome compare with the others. I also had the p90 with orange too. It arrived broken and quality seems very low compared with other HB, so I also sent it back
@taz49656 ай бұрын
Hmmm what about the sc Dix got oh? I find it unbelievable for the €215 I paid. Fantastic value
@SkanderGuitar6 ай бұрын
I underrestimated how good the SC custom 2 was until I bought myself one. Only wanna play it since then 😅
@Alfredo786666 ай бұрын
I bought the #1 back In december, gorgeous and sounds good. I like it better than the LemonDrop version that I also own, which is almost half a kilo heavier! PS: My unasked recommendation: Always check both strap buttons
@juls77246 ай бұрын
Great comparison Elmo. My son's got the old sc450+ lemon drop and, with a couple of minor tweaks, plays great. Now i have the 550 2 and the 450+ gold top. Both are great axes. No problem with the roswells on mine (it seems that there's the same tolerances that you'll find on guitars....some pups sound good and other are crap...just my thoughs) The only thing i dislike a bit is the neck thickness on the gold top...is just a baseball stick 😅
@nieko30386 ай бұрын
I do have two Harley Bentons. Never played the one with p90 loud😅 That guitar you have with p90 is multifunctional. Bet it can be used as babymonitor. Microphonic as it is.
@aliengrey60526 ай бұрын
That’s the best use for them.
@shanewalton88886 ай бұрын
Great video. Unfortunately I just bought a Gibson LP standard.
@MrPolevaulter6 ай бұрын
Thanks! I need to compare a Gibson to a Harley Benton at some point.
@sabershenanigans4 ай бұрын
@@MrPolevaulterYES!!! Please do that!!!
@Ari_Calamari6 ай бұрын
On the sc 500 II, the “paf” stands for paradise flame. It’s the finish. I get the confusion 😋
@jorgefernandes69152 ай бұрын
Hi Elmo, nice review. I have an old L400 lefty, basswood body, lp correct shape, that I love. At the end of the video, when you share, your conclusion about the SC450 plus, you talk about another model that is out of production, what model was that?
@pemersky45276 ай бұрын
Excellent this HB comparison. I've got an SC550 II - I bought it 2 years ago when I started playing the guitar. Nice finish ; only one issue, the pick-up toggle switch - no contact sometimes - but I find this issue also on much more expensive guitars.
@damasterkarej6 ай бұрын
Open the cap in the back, when you will see how does toggle switch works you'll notice what to bend with screwdriver and you will get way better contact. Easy fix.
@pemersky45276 ай бұрын
@@damasterkarej Yes, thank you. I did that but the issue happens over again from time to time. In fact, the toggle switch is not of very good quality - cheap one - the worst thing is that most of the time I play in the Middle position, so the flexible metallic contact blades are not stressed ; but it does not prevent the issue to happen whether on the Middle, Bridge or neck position. I've got 2 Gibson guitars and there's no problem of that sort with the toggle switches ; they are smoother to handle - I think it's of higher quality.
@378MUSKIESLAYER3 ай бұрын
If the screwdriver don't work put a rubber band on it until you can buy a switchcraft you can beat the shit out of them they're like 30$ 9n amazon
@RickMichaelis636 ай бұрын
Thanks for the review Elmo 🙏✌️❤️🎼🎶🎵
@MrPolevaulter6 ай бұрын
No problem 👍
@marctestarossa6 ай бұрын
I have the SC-DLX Gotoh in Shell Pink and it's actually ridiculous what you get for the money: The Gotoh parts together already are like 130 € retail. Stainless steel frets, the fit and finish is great (unless you remove any of the plastic covers, but that looks crappy even at many high end guitars) and I have it for about 2 years now. The only issues I have: - The finish on the top already yellowed quite a bit, the pink colour was very close to white in the first place, now it's not really visible anymore. I have it hanging on the wall and it gets direct sunlight, still it's remarkable for being so young. And the finish is very light and mat, so I already have a few dark smudges from the strap, the case or just my clothes that don't come off anymore. - The other thing is that the volume drops extremely when you split the humbuckers. So it's somewhat nice to have the split option, but in practice it's not really usable. I actually think about having the electronics rewired to only one global volume knob instead of two individual ones and just ditch the coil split. One volume, one tone, one pickup selector is basically all I want and need. But the instrument is fantastic, sounds great and plays great and tbh it's better to have an option and barely use it instead of not having it in the first place.
@marctestarossa6 ай бұрын
And the fret job in general is great on the guitar, no fret sprout no matter the season, the edges are good, no dead spots, adjustable to a very low action. Also it comes with a TUSQ nut, which is very well cut. The frets have been a bit rough, but I didn't bother with polishing them, I just played the guitar a lot and they just got smoother over time. But obviously 15 minutes and 000 steel wool would be the quick and easy fix for that.
@monkeyrater6 ай бұрын
I dont know if youre familiar with the guitar gear youtuber agufish, but he is a consultant for Harley Benton and he has designed some georgous pastel colored Les Paul clones for Harley Benton. You should check them out on his channel. HB does a really good job of doing quilted maple tops on their HB clones, but Id rather have a pastel one.
@_Uh_Oh_6 ай бұрын
I have actually been looking at these for months - I was mostly drawn to the PAF SC550-II purely on aesthetics but I did also have the one you picked on my radar and seeing as it is £100 cheaper I may bite (i'll use your link if i do) - Cheers for the video, I dunno if you can be bothered but would be awesome if you put up text on screen for each guitars actual name and cost if you ever do anything like this again or to make it less confusing for new guitarists who aren't used to Thomanns site
@alexkennedy76716 ай бұрын
Elmo, you could make a broom jammed into a barrel and strung with fence wire sound great ( what would that sound like through a Strymon Riverside I wonder?). A useful review for sure and very informative for the newbie on a budget. I still think the SC550 Mk1 is a killer cheap guitar, even with it's original pickup's and I really should buy one as I don't have a Les Paul style guitar at all in my collection. Anyway's keep up the good work and as always I await your next release with great interest. I am as ever your humble servant. Alex the K
@nemanjaprvulovic27286 ай бұрын
I have a couple of 1.5k PRS's, some nice Epiphones, top of the range Ephis, and HB 450 P90. HB is probably one of the best guitars I own, and it costs 10th of the price of the other guitars I own.
@nn1nasif6 ай бұрын
you forgot the best one (that i know of), the sc-dlx
@Yengamer6 ай бұрын
in HB single cuts i found the best value/quality for the money in the SC-550SL Tribute (SC-550II Gotoh PAF), but i guess it doesn't count since it seems to be out of catalog.
@ax839196 ай бұрын
SC-DLX Gotoh was missed...
@stefanhennig6 ай бұрын
It is strange. I own a lot of HB guitars. Only one of them had bad frets (MR Modern) that actually cut my fingers. And one Explorer style one which seems to have its neck set wrong is practically unplayable. Otherwise all of them are nicely playable and sound OK. And yet: when I want a strat, I take my Jet or my Pacifica, not a HB. When I want a single-cut, I take my ESP LTD, not a HB. When I want a semi acoustic, I take my Epiphone Wildcat, not a HB. In all these styles, the HB guitars have been replaced by some other brand, bought used or new. And that doesn't mean that they have been replaced by more expensive guitars, just by ones that feel better for me for roughly the same money. Only the DC-custom and the HB Victory (flying V) remain close to me. They are both great guitars. Still, I am very grateful towards HB that they let me try so many different styles of guitars, even if quite a few of them are more of decoration pieces by now. But still, I think I spent for this whole room full of guitars less than I would have to spend for a single mid range non-custom Gibson guitar.
@MrQwerty80086 ай бұрын
My SC-Custom II should be here in 3 days 👀
@Nizodizo6 ай бұрын
I have a DC JR and it is nice guitar. Maybe I just got lucky. Just saying.
@stewarttomkinson33566 ай бұрын
I’m a lefty so I got the 400 you called it the classic? I change the magnets in the pick ups to Alnico twos much better also got an agile Alnico fives both sound amazing
@kostantismp37043 ай бұрын
21:37 awesome to my ears, in general lines all hb deserves better than expensive gibson-epiphone
@paulg70025 ай бұрын
Single cut 1 - No Single Cut 2 - No Gold Top p90 - disappointed No Single Cut 4 - Still No Single Cut 5 - Yes, big difference Single Cut 6 - Yes, first one seems to handle more overdrive Single cut 7 - No because it didn't do anything more for me.
@Old_Geezer6 ай бұрын
I've bought 2 SC450 Plus Vintage - one for me and one for my son - one lefty in Lemon Drop and one in Vintage Burst. Both look gorgeous and no real problems with either - excellent value for money and I love mine. I've never played a Les Paul (Epiphone or Gibson) but I'm more than happy with these Harley Benton copies - currently for between £155-£170 depending on colour, it's hard to complain. By way of comparison, I also own an Eastcoast (Andertons in house brand) single cut model in a beautiful blue burst, which cost me £150.00 and is equally good. It doesn't have the coil split option of the HB which doesn't matter to me personally but it might to some. However the price of those is now £200.00 - still great value but the HB even more so. As far as Harley Benton go in general, I've had nothing but positive experiences (aside from one time when UK customs caused delivery chaos). The HB35 Plus is a beautiful guitar and my son bought a B-Stock left handed model in red for just £173 a few months back. I own a TE 62 DB in Candy Apple Red (£139) and it's the best T Style I've owned and played at an absolute bargain price - if you're into Telecaster copies, get one. We recently purchased a JB75MN Bass (copy of a Fender Jazz) for my kid too as he wanted to start learning how to play one. I know nothing about bass guitars and have never owned one so this was a first - my son's teacher who owns a Fender was stunned at how good it was compared to his expensive instrument and when I told him it cost £155 he couldn't believe it - so I guess that was a pretty decent endorsement. We used to have a cheap HB Dreadnought electric acoustic too - it was nothing special but it was cheap as chips - about £75 if I recall correctly and it played and sounded pretty good for such a low cost guitar and fine for a beginner instrument for my boy. We kept it for a couple of years and sold it recently for £65.00 so it certainly didn't owe me anything. Bear in mind that I'm just a hobbyist bedroom jockey so I don't buy really expensive guitars even though I could afford to if I really wanted. If you're just getting into playing or if you just want to try something new/different, I'd say that HB are a very good place to start without breaking the bank. I think if you go too cheap, you might be more likely to notice some corner cutting but I suppose you have to expect that. All any of our HB's have ever really needed out of the box were minor set up tweaks and in some cases new strings but then most of us put new strings on after purchase anyway - all of ours were perfectly playable from the get go. One of the SC450's needed a fret polish as they were a little bit tarnished. Apart from that no real build quality or hardware problems. You do still hear stories of some QC issues but as you say, Thomann's customer service and return policies are very good so if you are unlucky and get a lemon you always have recourse.
@johannessilver86536 ай бұрын
The first guitar is just like Epiphone LesPaul Special 2.
@Earthstein6 ай бұрын
Thank you, Elmo.
@Feawar6 ай бұрын
Hi Elmo. Nice idea there 🤘
@MrPolevaulter6 ай бұрын
Thanks!
@378MUSKIESLAYER3 ай бұрын
Is this a video about harley benton or how good a guitar player this dude is?
@cylonhibrid5 ай бұрын
Brilliant, I have my thoughts but you said it all, Only thing I would add is if you and your mates went jogging and you got cheap plimsoles with a hole in, you would always blame shoes, so try to go higher, if you can.
@camilocienfuegos76286 ай бұрын
Thanks man Well done 👊
@MrPolevaulter6 ай бұрын
No problem 👍
@cero65884 ай бұрын
4:28 6:55 17:42 18:44 19:00 19:08
@robphillips83512 ай бұрын
Ground wire problem in mid position maybe
@cylonhibrid6 ай бұрын
Brilliant a good guide.
@MrPolevaulter6 ай бұрын
Glad you enjoyed it
@catch_this_mirage65646 ай бұрын
Wow ! I had to check the Thomann site to accept that the prices wereso low 😲! I have no problem with cheap guitars. However, I always wonder if a 180 E HB would compete with my other guitars (3 or 4x HB price for most of them) 🤔 After the "new guitar hype 🥰🤪🤩" (😅), I am afraid the HB would sleep in a case... forever 😕
@PegeCovers4 ай бұрын
Can you make some shred exercises or tab some of those nasty solos brotha ;) Would be fun to practice them. Just a video idea.
@maxs9726 ай бұрын
The SC-550 II PAF stands for paradise amber flame, the color, so not pickups
@charlesmerfeld29886 ай бұрын
I think ive heard someone having wiring isssues with some of their guitars but once fixed no problem. Maybe a bad selector switch
@mickpad98146 ай бұрын
Ciao Elmo, è da tanto che seguo le tue recensioni, sempre apprezzate. Volevo comprare una di queste chitarre perché mi piace il suono caldo e con sustein tipico LP ma, come tutti i mod. L. P. (anche originali) , mi spaventa il problema rottura della paletta al manico. Ne vedo tanti in riparazione anche nel mercato dell'usato. Possibile che dagli anni '50 ad oggi non hanno mai trovato una soluzione a questo problema!?
@SaltyandSweet-fv6vu3 ай бұрын
gracias elmo
@ehdforlife6 ай бұрын
Thank you! Great video. I had the white 400, and it was a tank. I sold it because it was so heavy. Sounded great but heavy, heavy.
@MrPolevaulter6 ай бұрын
Cheers!
@viperITB4 ай бұрын
God, I tried to listen in the background but it really hurts. What did you record it with? Why the tone is so bad?
@rossdunning70186 ай бұрын
I have the 450 P90, the 500 and the 550 11. All 3 are magnificent instruments at £125, £145 and £240. My 450 is bloody brilliant, the cherry 550 looks magnificent and the best is the 500 which has the lowest cleanest action of any guitar i have owned with a beautiful neck pick up and at £145 is beyond words. The trouble with reviewers who play high end instruments and then review low end stuff is they still can't get it in their heads the difference in price. My god, an Epiphone that cost £300 a few years ago is going for £700! And it is not as good as my 500. A bit of fret sprout? Get a bloody file out mate! 3 swipes with that should do the trick. Get a grip man.
@cablecutter124 ай бұрын
Disagree. Elmo is just keeping it real.
@Христосович-ц1ф6 ай бұрын
Please do review of Cort G250 Spectrum
@PXR5-PXR56 ай бұрын
Elmo, the man that can make a rope on a stick sound good 😊
@John_Doe6576 ай бұрын
Buying. Cheap guitars is like betting on the lottery. There’s a minimal chance you will hit the jackpot. That mean 1/10 of the same model guitar might be good but the other 9 are crap, with that said a review of a great cheap guitar will not garanty you’ll get a good example if you order one, iv’e experienced that first hand.
@randybiro9295Ай бұрын
I’m assuming thats a decibel meter? Its really annoying for me.
@MrPolevaulterАй бұрын
It is.
@stewarttomkinson33566 ай бұрын
H B dose not sell a p90 left handed so I got a agile
@abezhanyan5 ай бұрын
thanks for another interesting review. Have you tried the SC-550 plus? which is a pricier version with EMG pickups? in terms of sound or other specifics, does it worth the extra cost?