Stealth Buy: Harley Benton EX-84 (plorer!)

[@Catywampus_Kerfuffle]

I truly appreciate the consumer advocacy work you've been doing with your videos lately. I'm not calling the other gear reviewers I watch dishonest at all, but as far as I can see, you're the only one putting it under this type of microscope on camera. I thank you very much for this.

[@capawesome3d988]

Agree, i love Gleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen channel because of that, no BS. When i see gear reviews with only positive points and with affiliate links i kinda get suspicious. Glen have been super honest all the way through the review. Still would not buy a HB...Im very happy with the Squiers Mid-range i have(contemporary series), so far they have been flawless.

[@zoomzoom3950]

👍

[@johnpearson4899]

@@capawesome3d988 I try to be a Squier fan. Bought 3 in last 3 years. Last month a CV 70s strat in walnut. Beautiful but quality? Nope. Last year I waited 3 months for the new 2021 contemporary to be released. The one with the 3 single coils and the middle shoved up next to the bridge pickup. Quality? Nope. I have several Fender strats and a couple B.C. Riches + others. Been a Fender guy since the 70s but rarely a satisfied one.

[@feebypeels2883]

KDH is awesome, too.

[@johnpearson4899]

@@feebypeels2883 For me, awsome might be a little bit of a stretch but, I do like KDH a lot. Most of the time, he calls out companies BS, which I definitely appreciate. Though in some cases, I do question his motives. Motives not withstanding, the end result is the same; Getting to the facts.

[@chrispfeifer7628]

To the younger guys, he's not lying about trashy guitars back in the day. Back in the late 70's and early 80's, cheap guitars were just firewood. CNC machining has really changed the guitar industry. That's a great thing for players. From a old hippie. Keep playing. Even after decades of playing, there is still more to learn

[@geoffreyanderson2285]

No lies detected. Beginner guitars in the mid 80's sucked majorly.

[@zac3126]

I wasn't alive yet, but my dad tells me they used to be literally plywood sometimes haha

[@MaTTheWish]

Dude they had killer cheap Shredder guitars back in the 80s.... Great for shredding in a wood chipper.

[@AVM-Music]

Oh man, beginner guitars back in the day, were trash for a lot of it! Music has never been so accessible

[@rogersmith5167]

Close tolerance engineering in wood from the far east makes you realise how bad some of the high end guitars are.

[@lucaspearson8520]

You're a true hero to the people Glenn. One of the few people who genuinely take musicians and engineers into account. You're greatly appreciated.

[@livefromadive6751]

Hot tip for Thomann buyers, adding a second instrument in the past only raised shipping $10-20. If you're buying one, maybe somebody near you is looking at one. Splitting the total shipping for 2 will save you both on shopping costs

[@ripley7t429]

My suggestion as well. 30/40 is easier to accept than 70/80 bucks.

[@livefromadive6751]

@@AzathothTheGreat maybe its because you're paing in Euros. I should try that, might fool them into free shipping to the US

[@blamingfish432]

God I hate set necks. They always use the same wood as the body so when it’s mahogany it’s just going to neckdive because of how heavy that shit is. Terrible design

[@Mahdcat]

Glenn - you consistently prove you are, and have been, doing your best to be a real consumer advocate. Your continuing commitment to truth is why many of the fans of this channel continue to support you. I know that you are always going to give your honest opinion on any topic. I appreciate and support what you do. Cheers from Texas

[@SpectreSoundStudios]

Thanks, Robert! I'm always trying to find the best value for the buyer!

[@dirtyworks8084]

Tejas here too! 🤘

[@r33th]

I like that you mentioned Jim Lill. He runs the absolute best experiments in the guitar community. The amount of work he puts into finding the truth is incredible. More people need to see his videos and maybe some day the guitar community will come to their f**king senses!

[@Guilhermetmfranco]

Jims experiments are awesome!

[@SpectreSoundStudios]

I'm a HUGE fan of Jim's work!

[@mad7stringer]

@@SpectreSoundStudios his recent video, "where does the tone in an amp come from" completely blew my mind. 4 pedals some pots, a couple breadboards with caps/resistors and you've got any amp tone you want lol Oh and can't forget the tacklebox! Can't wait for your pickup shootout Glenn... should be as eye opening as yours and Jims other videos. I can't thank you enough for myth busting, dude you rock!

[@snap-off5383]

Yeah loved that last one. "i don't build amps and I don't know what "this part of the amp circuit" does, but I found THIS amp that lets me switch that part on and off!" (then it makes absolutely zero difference at all whatsoever to the tone).

[@valley_robot]

I used to make guitars out of junk I found at the side of the canal and skips/dumpsters , I used to sell them in 3 shops in Manchester England , they were pretty popular for a while , I was jason jones junk guitars , they were made out of shit that people throw away and they sounded great

[@MysticMindAnalysis]

What I love about Glenn's content is that, for however harsh and vulgar he may seem, he is actually extremely newb friendly. The people he has an issue with are snobby brand worshipers and people who don't bother to learn their instruments. He supports and encourages everyone who gives a shit about their instruments (yes, even bass players) and helps YOU not to suck at making music we love. Keep up the great work, Glenn. Onwards, to victory and epic METAL \m/

[@softwetbread248]

Glenn's made me a better songwriter and bass player. I can even count to 6 now!

[@xulphyte]

"Harsh and vulgar". Boohoo.

[@MysticMindAnalysis]

@@xulphyte Tell me you didn't read my full comment without telling me that.

[@xulphyte]

@@MysticMindAnalysis Boohoo. Sod off.

[@andybrown1439]

@@MysticMindAnalysis I know I think soon the earth is gonna fall off it's axis cuz there is just to much arrogance for it to handle. I highly agree, and respect with your comment to Glenn. He's got a definite style that's a bit bigger than life, but he's just a good performer, and cares about helping people stop sucking! Maybe he could even help our little friend too😆

[@theamateurfurry4735]

Gibson fan here, I actually love seeing brands like Harley Benton and others pump out great models for the price point they have. I own an SG, but I am all in favor of a musician going for what he wants at his budget! That’s a beautiful instrument!

[@cblizard6850]

I absolutely love my Gibson

[@JeighNeither]

Oh, you're an SG player, no wonder you're okay w/the neck dive lol. Explorers are incredibly balanced, & they don't neck dive, which makes this guitar worthless to a gigging musician.

[@BlakeSpohn]

@@JeighNeither which one? The sg or explorer

[@grigoriraspoutine9298]

@@JeighNeither we are speaking about begginer guitars no beginner is gonna give a fuck about the neck dive

[@mangoherpson]

This is an excellent way to give an honest review of a guitar

[@SpectreSoundStudios]

Ty!

[@jonnyf9049]

Only thing i would consider is not talking about that secret ordering if thomann people watch your videos. I bet there are not hell of a great lot of Guitar or especially Harley benton orders in that city

[@a2ndopynyn]

@@SpectreSoundStudios Hey, something occurred to me. You said the intonation was on point but the truss rod was loose. Even slight changes in the truss rod affect intonation. Do you think it's possible that the truss rod simply got shaken loose by vibration during shipping? I've also heard of people loosening strings before transporting guitars; maybe some dunderhead at the factory loosened the truss rod? I'm just trying to figure out how it was intonated properly after you tightened a loose truss rod...

[@laylasatticstudio172]

The truss rods are left loose on imported guitars because humidity in the containers while shipping is very high and any tension on the truss rod might split or lift the fret board. I worked in a music store and every guitar shipped in needed to have the truss tightened or tension added to take a bow out of the neck.

[@SN8808]

He got it by UPS Express, so no Container.

[@MilkoOfficialChannel]

That was my LTD Phoenix B7 Black metal case...it wasn't loose but it had zero tension

[@morganghetti]

​@@SN8808 It got to Germany in a container.

[@SN8808]

@@morganghetti Yeah o.k., fair enough.

[@alratekk2631]

The guitar used to have grover locking tuners on it, unfortunately they replaced them with the HB brand ones. My guess is that it's a budget thing.

[@wordsmith451]

They're not even HB brand, they're Jinho (whoever they are). I spent an additional 40 bucks so I could add HB locking tuners. Honestly not sure why they didn't just do that - pennies on their end.

[@martianmurray]

Could also be a supply chain thing. I heard Grover’s were hard for manufacturers to get for awhile so they might’ve stocked up on whatever was available.

[@rahulmenon4357]

Even if they can get brand name locking tuners for USD 0.1 cents more per unit than what these cost, it raises costs a lot when you calculate the numbers they need. Suddenly they'll be competing at a higher price point, where it gets much harder to sell. Would you buy this guitar for USD 500 (with brand name locking tuners)?

[@Aleut1006]

Mine had locking Grover tuners. It's a good guitar. Would have paid extra for stainless steel frets. Not sure why this model never got that upgrade.

[@snap-off5383]

Chibsons come with "grover locking tuners", so I'd really like to see some authenticity verification of those things (emg pickpus too, counterfeits of those abound).

[@di0__0ib]

I appreciative that you don't pull any punches with your reviews. This is exactly how a review should be done. Keep kicking ass for the consumers out here. 🤘

[@JR-dd4ec]

I'll NEVER get tired of you playing those priest riffs, seriously

[@rikosborne1212]

I know, right? I also like the fact that Glenn does a lot of rhythm guitar stuff. KZbinrs who just shred for their demos don't help me out a lot. I'm not really a "lead" guitar player, so the first thing I want to know about a guitar is how it sounds when *not* soloing.

[@topfloorstudio2684]

I heard some Rust in Peace Lucretia in there too on this one. He's steadily improving.

[@Mr3DBob]

I've bought 5 HBs. They were delivered to my door, in perfect shape. I've never found any flaw with them, and one was B-stock. I've re-sold 2 of them, because I decided I didn't care for that style. With shipping and duties, they came out even with a Squier or an Epiphone, and I rate them as equal quality.

[@Clafrance1971]

I'd love to see more videos like this. Solar, Chapman, Ormsby and other Independent companies need to be tested in this way, so that it'll either shut up the haters or prove them right.

[@davidp6007]

I have both Solar and Chapman....and they are on a different level. Very, good for the price, top woods and top hardware. Now they are both changing, I think....Ormsby I always wanted to try one but I have not managed, they are very interesting but those that look good are stupidly expensive.

[@spearmintvole9522]

Chapmans OK nowadays. I’ve had USA Fenders with more issues than Chapmans. Contrary to internet wisdom I have a lineup of guitars whose quality runs counter to the usual opinion and I’ll never part with my LP

[@jamiemetz3019]

Ormsby is really really nice but coming from Australia the shipping is going to be very expensive outside of the average 5000 dollar price range even for the low end models it's around 5000 grand...really nice tho

[@AlphaStormMusic]

8:29 fun fact on account of the neck dive; the only main reason it’s got that much dive is because of where the upper strap button is placed. A few models of explorer have the upper strap button placed over the heal joint, as that either lessens or completely eliminates the dive (likely the first one). It just seems like the logical place to put the upper button on the big flat area where it seems like it clearly should be, but it just introduces neck dive.

[@MaaZeus]

Good to know. I checked out few of the older Gibson Explorers and they indeed do have the upper strap button on the behind of rhe guitar, right next to the neck joint. If I ever buy one of these HB explorers I will try relocatong the button.

[@sqidvishus]

I am just a few years younger than you, Glenn and you are absolutely right about those budget guitars from the 80s and even early 90s. A new player was just as likely to get tired of fighting the guitar as they were to stick with it. I do wish the modern, more affordable guitars came with proper setups. New players are just not as likely to know how to do that. Thanks for another honest, consumer-focused, banger of a review!

[@rikosborne1212]

Remembering my Hondo SG-style guitar from the 80s...

[@joshuamessenger]

It's possible the truss rod was slacked for international shipping- but if that's the case, they definitely should have included a tag letting you know that it requires a setup.

[@snap-off5383]

and the strings should have been slack as well.

[@AAllinsonNN]

Agreed - only a sith deals in absolutes

[@howardmaryon]

Good point, I usually find that expensive instruments are shipped deliberately de-tuned, for some reason, maybe slack truss rods are the same idea?

[@nekoroms]

yeah i was thinking that its standard practice....in the olden days when construction wasnt so over the top i remember hearing the neck getting loose with the truss tension dialed in... the whole journey with different dropkick shipping companies is rough

[@andytraverse]

That's just making excuses for poor workmanship/poor care/poor quality

[@thomasr.5443]

Hey Glenn, I am veeeeeeery pleased with mine though I only have the cheapo Version, HB EX-84 Progressive series. No fancy EMG pickups, no fancy tuners. But damn, that machine just rocks. No flaws in the finish and quite a good setup. Keep rockin' ! 🤘🏻😣

[@AdventuresOfGravox]

I’ve always thought pickup placement matters the most rather than the type of pickups. Just look at how pickup placements on basses in particular drastically change the sound.

[@eamonahern7495]

I've commented on several different guitar videos over the past few days about the explorer I used to have. It sat perfectly with little to no neck dive because the strap holder near the neck was at the back, in the middle, not the side. You're just asking for neck dive on an explorer with the strap in that position. Edit: maybe one day Glenn will give us a blast of One Shot At Glory instead of Painkiller during a guitar demo. Don't get me wrong, Painkiller is a great song and has a great riff but One Shot At Glory us my favourite song on the album.

[@snap-off5383]

Being in the middle of the back of the guitar would give the front strap less leverage to hold the neck up. Every guitar that has the neck strap lock there neck-dives.

[@eamonahern7495]

@@snap-off5383 I meant in the middle where the back meets the neck. I had an explorer where the strap holder was held with an extra long bolt where the neck was bolted to the body. It sat in a high headstock position comfortably when I was standing and I didn't need the strap to be leather to stop it from sliding.

[@striker2829]

Agreed. I bought the cheap black and white Explorer HarleyBenton and the first thing I did was move the strap peg to a better place. Other than that. A great guitar.

[@HellbellyUK]

@@eamonahern7495 I've seen Thunderbirds with the strap lock on one of the neck bolts to cure neck dive.

[@eamonahern7495]

@@HellbellyUK that's where it was on the explorer I used to have

[@bbidnick]

Glad to see what the average no-name consumer could possibly experience. After your 10S review in February I ordered one myself (the urban camo version), and had a less than great experience - no communication for a month, wrong shipping numbers, and when the guitar eventually arrived, it was not exactly what I'd ordered. Generic/unbranded active pickups stuffed into a guitar with no dedicated battery cavity, and bridge that was squished nearly flat. I knew a setup would be required on arrival but this was way above my pay grade and had to take it to a shop for a proper overhaul. Thanks for all the work you do and keep up the great efforts in keeping vendors honest and accountable!

[@stevegee218]

Hey Glen, For house brands in the USA, Rondo Music did do that with the Agile Brand. Prices have gone up but 2010's we were getting South Korea Factory (World Musical Instruments) who at the time were also making Schecter, PRS SE, ESP LTD and others, a LP style guitar for $199. They also had many 7 and 8 string guitars and a bunch on Lefty Guitars that the guys over on the 7 string forum people liked. As an USA company they did get bullied by Gibson and early on had to modify the "shape" on many guitars.

[@dwcramer92]

Yeah Rondo is not what they once were, you could get some super good deals on there, the electronics weren't the best, but a quick pickup swap and you got a killer machine on your hands

[@bliss_gore5194]

Rondo makes some cool lefty guitars? I'll check em out

[@Brian-zc2ip]

@@bliss_gore5194 have an agile 7 string fanned fret from rondo. Lefty. Got it about 10 years ago. Bout $450 at the time. Fantastic guitar.

[@muzerino]

How did I only discover your channel? 😯 Your no bullshit way of reviewing is exactly the sort of stuff I love! Bloody ripper sounding guitar too. 🤙

[@SpectreSoundStudios]

Welcome aboard, dude!

[@derekdoesmusic6013]

I have 5 HBs, the EX-84 included, in lefthand. I bought it when they were first released last year, the first stock without the "bump" on the back-end of the body. Mine did come with locking tuners, but the LH version did not have EMGs back then - only Roswell actives, which I like too so no problem. Also - stainless steel frets!

[@rhitosparsha]

Fellow lefty here. Out of curiosity, what other models do you have?

[@DudeMcGuybro]

I'm not convinced these "EMGs" aren't Roswells with EMG branding stamped on them. They don't sound right to my ears.

[@derekdoesmusic6013]

@@rhitosparsha lefties unite! :D ST-20 (mostly a wall ornament now), SC-400, SC-Custom (my favorite), DC-580 and I play a heavily modded PB-20 (bass) on band rehearsals - my main bass is a Fender Aerodyne though.

[@derekdoesmusic6013]

@@DudeMcGuybro then you should definitely report that because that would be a crime AFAIK

[@DudeMcGuybro]

@@derekdoesmusic6013 Depends on the country, I'm not familiar with German or Indonesian laws personally. They are for sure foreign made pickups, and not true EMG USA made pickups, it's like the UK V30 vs the Chinese made V30s. I think they can be called EMG 81/85 because they "use the same parts" but they are assembled for a lot cheaper in a foreign country. I'm not sold on the idea that they are entirely the same pickup based off of recordings I've heard with my own ears. They might be close enough for you and your applications though and that's fine! They're a lot more like the old EMG HZ's if you remember those. I just think it's odd they're calling them the same.

[@Nik930714]

A while back I got a Harley Benton EX-76 Classic GHW AN. Cons: One of the post on the tailpiece was sticking out of the body just a bit. I had to take a mallet to it and gently hammer it in place. There was 1 little blemish in the finish in a place no one would ever see it. Debatable aspects: Chunky neck, like the one you have here. Personally i like it a lot. The packing was good enough. Needed half a turn on the trust rod to get it where I'd want it.. Pros: Locking turners. Good sounding pickups. The pots are not screeching every time you turn them. No scratches on any part of the guitar. No neck dive. The frets are shiny. Really cheap. Overall a great guitar.

[@NOKnova]

I bought one of their entry level multiscale 8 strings during the pandemic to mess around on. There were a few things other players might not like (quite heavy, chunky neck), but other issues you might see on a cheap guitar are all fixable with a little work or some upgrades so for £150-ish it was a hell of a lot of guitar for the money

[@karu6111]

I love you Glenn, not only because I'm your namesake, but you're a genuine, genuine guy.

[@judas_saves]

I am from Europe and HB never disappoints! My guitarist just bought a LesPaul style and the only thing he did is changed the tuners to locking ones. Now he has a great 2nd guitar for drop tuned songs

[@xenogear88]

Best budget brand in Europe at least

[@seancarney177]

I own many pricey guitars and cheapos. I purchased this guitar in white, left handed and this thing rocks!

[@AvgeekLMML]

These cheap brands have been getting a lot better. Harley Benton, Yamaha and Squier (mostly) make some of the best cheap guitars out there and they are fucking awesome. Please try some of this again because this stuff is great!

[@jmabs5096]

I just bought a indo classic strat (monoprice knockoff) for $86 dollars to my door, I can't complain.... Yea tuners are trash, trem system is trash but I don't use it... It does the strat thing, it plays fine, with some grovers and nut, lock the trem, shine the frets and oil the board... Man what time to be alive! $70 guitar even 15 years ago would be unplayable, I stopped giving a shit about name brands!

[@notkeith_botch6310]

I always ship a bass with the truss completely slack, especially neck through. But I think there should always be somthing telling you that it has been slacked.

[@jerasone]

^This^ The guitar is shipping internationally, you don't want all that tension in the neck as its tossed from truck to truck. Glen is definitely blasting them too harshly when the only thing they did wrong was neglect to tag a note to the head saying the rod is loose.

[@snap-off5383]

Its pick one: Truss rod and strings slack, or Truss rod and strings engaged, doing ONE without the OTHER, is unacceptable.

[@timcole421]

@@snap-off5383 And with balanced tension between the strings and the truss, it shouldn't be much if any more prone to damage - it is balanced for the most part. It would piss me off to get one with the truss backed off.

[@t3hgir]

Pickups make a difference, not just in guitar sound but how the guitar *responds* to your playing, it's a feel thing. Obviously the amp is a bigger portion of your basic sound but pickups can dramatically change the tone of a particular guitar. To an even smaller degree string gauge is another element that can actually change your tone.

[@jaymesmustaine684]

I can see the pickups and string gauge making a difference in the sound if you’re in your bedroom playing by yourself or if you’re playing through a clean channel but if you’re playing loud with a lot of gain and with other instruments also playing loud you’re not going to hear those little changes because it is the amp you’re hearing.

[@t3hgir]

@@jaymesmustaine684 and yet most pros still spec their own pickup sets for their guitars... "Jeromy McAnally"

[@jaymesmustaine684]

@@t3hgir their just as gullible as everyone else is but they make money on their signature products.

[@t3hgir]

@@jaymesmustaine684 "I can see --- making a difference in the sound if you’re in your bedroom playing by yourself " all this tells me is you're an amateur

[@jaymesmustaine684]

@@t3hgir I suppose you’re a professional??? I’ve been playing for 30+ years so I’m not a beginner but even if I made money playing I wouldn’t lower myself to call myself a “professional”

[@TylerJohnstonGuitar]

For the money, you really can’t go wrong. Imagine how much Epi would charge you for an Explorer with EMGs.

[@Lieutenant_Dude]

About 600-700. They already made one like that a while back. Even called it the 84.

[@216trixie]

"Shame on you for letting this one out of the factory.". G.F.

[@chupasaurus]

@@Lieutenant_Dude Laughing in ESP EX-401, although they're pricier for now due to logistics.

[@_fifeusz]

For me Harley Bentons, especially the super cheap ones, are fantastic mod platforms/learning tools if you want to get into guitar modding or trying out some basic luthier jobs. Just a couple days ago I did a first-time full DIY refret on my Harley Benton BS-20 (dirt cheap BC Rich copy) because the overall price I paid for it didn't invoke any fear of consequences from a potential fuckup. On top of that it still plays great and didn't cost me an arm and a leg, just some old-fashioned personal effort.

[@toshineon]

I've been thinking of getting one of those to learn how to do a re-finish. I like the model, and it's super cheap, but I don't like that it only comes in black.

[@_fifeusz]

@@toshineon I have plans to refinish mine in some form of crackle but I don't have the facilities for it.

[@JeighNeither]

@@_fifeusz You'll probably only ever have "plans" then.

[@JeighNeither]

Yeah, same thing I'd buy one for, unfortunately you can't mod neck dive. Explorer bodies w/their big fins are the perfect counterbalance to the neck so HB had to work extra hard to fuck up basic physics.

[@andrewdenine1685]

I'm just happy to hear someone else try and play dimes riffs . I was there and yes it takes time. Great job love your channel btw

[@aldodival4612]

honestly thanks to you i have three of them. Other than just the most recent one needing adjusting on the truss road , but overall all are pretty solid for the money, edit: another fact is I'm left-handed and finding the same guitars on other brands will always be more overpriced for me. so that's another plus for Harley Benton.

[@JJ-nq3ll]

Thank you for an eye opening video, I most truly enjoy my morning coffee. I have 2 H. B. a maple top Strat Hss & a Tele. and both where deliver in great shape, no complain but it took forever to get home. 🎸🎸

[@Terrible_Peril]

HB/Thomann are great! Got a few cheap kit guitars, all of them are on par with something at least double the price from anywhere else, and their finished products are exceptional for the price. Cost savings seems to have been done well with some cheaper appointments, but the quality control is fantastic.

[@SPCobra1]

I bought the white Roswell version a few months ago. It's a great guitar (will change the pickups when I have the cash) for sure! The main huge issue was the neck dive. I don't know if this kind of issue is amplified when wearing a guitar low (Hetfield level), but it was virtually unplayable standing up. I got some small lead weights, and took the guitar to guitar repair shop. They added about 200g worth of the lead weights inside the guitar and moved the strap button from above the guitar to behind. This totally worked and I can now play standing up again! FYI the strap button that ended up being moved arrived pretty loose, and actually popped off the day before I went to the repair shop. Overall I'm super happy, but that neck dive was a big downer until it was fixed. Great review Glenn!

[@CrushingAxes]

That's great! Can't be more honest than that! Harley Benton seems very cool and affordable.

[@BOBANDVEG]

I have a couple of hb. Never disappointed. Pro tip: shipping can be be about $100 to the states, but you get 2 guitars per shipping charge. So buy in 2, 4, 6, etc...at a time

[@ChazHardplow]

I just got a HB PJ-4 bass last week for $172. It plays and sounds way better than you'd expect for something that cheap. I got no beef with it at all.

[@anthonygillette]

I can assure you, if you test an EMG vs a Seymour Duncan ‘59 vs a Jackson brand pickup (the one included on the cheaper models) you get a difference. It changes the shape of the tone that is signaled to the amp and the playability (I.e. how sensitive it is to attack sound/sustain) unlike tone wood, it’s actually a part of what picks up sound

[@ryanbwags]

I agree. Pickups can affect tone way more than people give them credit for. That said, there's no reason at all to spend $100 to $200 on a single pickup. There's tons of aftermarket options under $40 that do the same thing as any of the major brands.

[@brundlefly1942]

Absolutely. I bought a Harley Benton HP42 signature and changed out the stock pickups to a Super Distortion and a Lollar P90 and now it sounds amazing, broad and versatile, instead of muddy and indifferent.

[@gumbomudderx7503]

I’ve spent quite a bit on single pickups over the last few years. I know there are alternatives to what I’ve spent money on, the only thing is I know what I was getting when I paid the money for say a Duncan JB. There are companies that have equivalent pickups and say they sound like a JB, but not having heard them I’m skeptical to pay half of what I’d give for a JB, then not like how their pickup sounds and have to buy a real JB anyway.

[@MostlyGhostlyGamerBryan]

I got my Harley Benton ex 84 2 years ago and came in playing great nothing wrong at all and still works and plays great to this day!

[@fuzzy734]

in all honesty; if you buy a guitar online you should expect to do some kinda set up on it regardless what the website says about their inspection. that's the chance you take. also, compared to the starter guitars available when i started playing (over 35 years ago) the new budget ones are fantastic!

[@DudeMcGuybro]

You also take a chance on them not inspecting crucial parts of the guitar, like the trussrod, and with the guitar traveling from another country, it very well could warp the neck (like mine was) and you're left with unplayable garbage, that doesn't even function as a coffee table. I was one of the bugs in Glenn's ear to make this video happen, because HB burned me on a guitar, and the whole process to attempt to return the guitar was literally impossible, I had to sell it secondhand just to recoup my loss. I'm sparing you the specific details, because it's a long, really stupid story, but it was so bad, I'd never consider buying a HB again. I'll say this, I would ONLY recommend HB to an experienced player, and an experienced technician, otherwise if you don't know what you're doing, you're going to be pissed off at this guitar, and you're not going to want to play. I don't want anyone to feel that way, personally. I've felt that way. It sucks ass. If you're younger, or just starting out, the premium other brands charge are worth the price in frustration alone.

[@bradleyard4195]

My experience with Harley Benton has been excellent. I ordered one guitar and a bunch of parts for another, and everything was excellent. Planning to order one this winter.

[@GuitarMonkey5180]

Definitely would love to see a pickup shootout to see how much they affect tone or not. Especially some of the arguments between active vs passive or low output vs high output. Thanks for all work you put in to get real tests and real results.

[@Studio42dotCom-Real]

This is exactly the kind of review I like. Two of my kids are/were learning guitar. One might want to go into jazz band with guitar, so your recent Harley Benton reviews have been quite valuable. So far I'm seeing a fairly decent choice of options at prices that I can buy into should either of them want to step it up. So, I thank you now for your reviews, and later on, my bank account may thank you as well for not having to hit it so hard!

[@miguelluigisantoslopes1528]

If Thomann is aware, they will do their utmost best to send everyone quality guitar. So for the time being everyone gets great quality guitars

[@maksa.v4]

I'm a nobody who ordered a Harley Benton E35 8 years ago, got it in perfect condition, perfectly set up and I totally love it.

[@weijingburr2392]

Thank YOU!! Finally a KZbinr who mentioned the duty. It's why I didn't buy an HB but a used LTD off Reverb.

[@howardmaryon]

That was refreshingly honest! Someone in Thomann by now is just getting over the butt kicking over the truss rod and the truss rod key, but the point of the excercise is that HB guitars from Thomann are good value and not a risky purchase. I live in Britain so I get free shipping, and currently have 3 HB guitars, all good players and also good to look at.

[@ToneD5150]

Hey Glenn, Just wanted to compliment you on this video! I have purchased 2 Harley Benton guitars, A Fusion II HH/ FR and a SC Custom stealth black with gold trim also HH/FR. I only paid 65$ to have each of them shipped to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It only took 6 days for them to arrive and each of the guitars arrived in perfect condition! I just had to set the up to my liking. Necks were perfect, fret work was exceptional and intonation was right on! In my opinion if you purchased a A stock instrument you'll get a pretty much perfect guitar. No on the other hand, if you purchase a B stock item, you can definitely expect issues. My third purchase was a B stock headless Dullahan which I had to send back. I still think Thoman / Harley Benton sells you a quality instrument, and their service after the sale is 2nd to none! Not at all like Gibson, who tells you, sorry you have neglected your instrument, so no warranty claims are allowed...lol 😆 Thanks again for this video...!!!👍

[@SuicidalGrind]

I'm glad you put the QC thing out there, so Thomann can hopefully address it if they have half of any care for their customers they claim to have. I personally have only bought a Harley Benton Jazz Bass and never needed a truss rod fix and there wasn't anything in the finish either, it was stellar. So obviously I'm not saying Thomann doesn't care, but that one employee might not care as much about the customer as they do. Which in that case they need to get told off or get sent home in my opinion. Like how can you even get hired as guitar QC if you don't even check the truss rod...? That's not QC in my opinion that's just a quick check and a "whatever just send it on over"

[@wykydrone]

Dude even as a bass player I'm inspired to keep practicing. I've been picking up my bass off and on but the times I do play it's usually after watching your videos. Keep it up man!!!

[@lurmirari]

i have to say, what i'm most amazed by is that shelf full of board games heaven right there

[@garrisoncase]

Waited for this! Thank you for the heads up on the neck G!! Good review as usual and your hard work is showing all over

[@jensk4140]

Thanks for being as honest as you are, totaly apreciate it! Cheers from the Netherlands.

[@999slawter]

I agree with your conclusion. That's why I bought a Harley Benton SC Custom II. I love the color, the finish on my guitar is like 98% perfect, only 3 tiny spots on the white outlines, sounds really good for me (total beginner here) I find the weight prfect and it feels soo good to hold this guitar. I think it would be at least an extra 100EUR (at least) to find a guitar from a "big name" that as good as this one.

[@kylemossburg3993]

First off, great review. It is awesome what you did to make sure we get true information. I think it’s even better to show you not playing things perfect. It was always so frustrating seeing other just shred on videos. Thank you

[@chasingtrailproductions3689]

I wanted to say thanks for review on Celestions. I bought some through your link yesterday. I was totally on the fence the last few weeks until you had a video on exactly what I was looking for and they are being shipped right now from Thomann

[@jeremysmetana8583]

I appreciate the scientific method used in determining whether tone wood, etc., makes any difference (anybody who remembers the acrylic guitar phase of the '70s and '80s should not have been surprised of that outcome, since major players were getting fantastic tones out of them). But whether pickups make a difference is a no-brainer. Of course they do. Just like microphones do. Any kid in the '80s with little cash and a crappy import with microphonic pups could drop $50 or less on a Seymour Duncan JB and IMMEDIATELY upgrade his sound. I did it. All the other guys I knew did it. The difference was not some imaginary mass hallucination. It was night and day. I think the argument would come down to what constitutes "tone" as opposed to differences in gain. But then, even though I am onboard with the tests and largely agree with the method, I think the one area they break down in, is in getting a good, universal definition of "tone." Maybe that definition should include "gain" as an ingredient since it's elemental to how pickups work.

[@rikosborne1212]

There can definitely be some great "house brand" instruments. Several years back I got an itch to try my hand at 6-string bass, but I didn't want to spend a ton of money in the event that I didn't like it. So I sprung for a Rogue, Musician's Friend's house brand (as far as I can tell, anyway). Only US$250 ... and it's simply outstanding. Excellent build quality, extremely solid construction. Basswood body with a bubinga veneer. 35-inch scale, dual-truss rod neck, secured to the body with SIX bolts. Two single-coil pickups, active electronics with 3-band EQ, a push/pull volume knob to turn the active circuit on/off. It's amazingly well-balanced, the neck is comfortable, and it looks, plays, and sounds as good as any bass I've played. My only complaint is that the tuners are cheap. They hold tuning just fine, but a tiny plastic bushing on the E-string tuner broke and fell out (after several years), making it a challenge to get that string tuned just right. And unfortunately, these tuners have a satin nickel finish that I have been unable to find *anywhere* when I've looked for a replacement, so once I get around to replacing it, it's gonna be mismatched. Overall, though, the quality is miles above my MiM Fender Jazz.

[@asmellyplumbus]

I got one of their low end acoustics like 2 years ago. I think it was 150 after shipping. It required a little fretwork but she's still kicking and sounding as pretty as ever.

[@moribnd]

Glenn, the thing to realize regarding bridge pickups for metal rhythm is that many of us want the right "chug" (especially for playing at home, quieter). THe correct bridge pickup makes the equation 5 to 10 times easier rather than f'ing about with tonnes of EQ, amps, cabs, pedals, etc. I don't understand how so many youtubers keep getting this confused, but partly it's because not everyone doing videos is thinking like a thrash metal/extreme metal rhythm player. I suggest trying the Dimebag model from Seymour Duncan and maybe the Will Adler bridge pickup from Fishman (I haven't tested this one myself, but it seems like Fishman's best improvement over the EMG 81-type of pickup). Just one example for you: I, myself, tend to play a lot of moderate-paced death-doom or doom metal with a thrash metal/death metal sound. The Seymour Duncan Black Winter pickup with NOT help and is not worth the effort to tonally alter for death-doom metal. A number of other popular SD bridge pickups are problematic in other ways. The Fishman Modern also is a bit weak for this application, but can almost do it with some EQing --still sub-optimal.

[@robronin1969]

I've been playing Gibson/Fender/jackson/epiphone/ Blah fkn blah all the high dollar sheisse for decades. My latest favorite is my Wylde Audio Barbarian. That being said, I'm not a brand snob fan boy. "if you fkn like the damn thing....play it. Who gives a sheisse what name is on the headstock?" Is my motto. I watched a few of your videos on these guitars and figured "Wot da hell". I bought an SC 1000 for roughly $150 before shipping. Got It about a week later. Setup was 10 minutes. Dropped the bridge a tad, tuned and intonated it for d standard drop c ( not the easiest thing on 10 guage strings lol). Plugged it in with zero expectations. Laney LV300 Hybrid and a Boss ME 80, just what I have hooked up in "warm up" at the studio. No major tweaks to the sound. I started playing. This guitar just.....look it's like this. If you what a good playing, decent sounding guitar for next to nothing, then look no further. This thing is great for beginners to experts. The fact that it's inexpensive does not mean that it's "cheap". Very well made and assembled. It has the same weight and resonance as my Gibson and Epiphone Les Pauls. It sits in the pocket well. The contours on the back of the upper body and cutaway are very comfortable. Even the EMG clones are decent sounding if a little noisy. I don't like taking work home with me, but this guitar is a permanent fixture in the bedroom just to plink away on. If you have a kid or favorite niece/nephew that is just starting out, Harley Benton is the way to go. They'll actually look forward to playing the damn thing. They look cool and play smooth. If you have doubts go wash cars for a day to make enough money to buy one of these guitars, collect pop bottles .....wtfk EVER. It takes to scrape up the measly amount of cash it takes to buy one. I promise it'll be worth the effort.

[@chrispfeifer7628]

I think it would be easy for young players to get discouraged on KZbin seeing the edited versions of jam sessions. Good on you for propping up those who practice. Great video

[@hakandilmen]

Hey Glenn. I purchased my first Harley Benton (a Thunderbird bass) from Thomann after watching your reviews and I’d like to thank you for introducing the brand to me. Keep up the good work mate 👍

[@rocketPower047]

I got one of those too. Very nice! Just a badly glued nut, but otherwise flawless

[@11000038]

Just got a old Dearmond LP junior for £130 from the local small town music shop. It needed a wee tweek to the truss and bridge and now it's absolutely great. Keep your eyes open folks. No shipping or import tax!

[@MK-1010]

Excellent review Glenn! Completely honest with everything you found, for better or worse. I'm not in the market for entry -level stuff right now, so I can't really comment, except that there's TONS of good, cheap guitars available now! I REMEMBER THAT HONDO AD!!! I haven't seen it in YEARS! That was basically the extent of new and entry -level at the time, basically made of plywood, tiny frets on fat, fat necks. Cheap, cheep, cheap electronics, and came in a case that was barely more than cardboard and black paint. Sam Ash (I grew up in NYC) didn't carry Hondo, but Sam Goody did. (Used to be a big record store chain, also had some posters, T-shirts, etc. And some cheap (Hondo) guitars). I remember in 1983-84, they had a strat copy with a single humbucker at the bridge, on a white pickguard (like EVH) for $150. Came in red or black. It was behind the back counter, and every time I was in that mall, I had to go see that guitar. But I was never able to play it, or even hold it. (Store policy) I don't remember what amps they had, probably something like Gorilla (Pure, absolute shit brand) .... They may have had Pignose, but I couldn't even try them, either. My mother wasn't going for it, and it's probably just as well. Though she did buy me a nylon string acoustic from a neighbor. If course, I hated it. Until I heard Spanish Fly by EVH, so I spent years trying to learn it. (Tabs were only available in magazines at the time, and not in the Albert lesson books, which had no songs in them. Except maybe Mary had a Little Lamb) It wasn't till 86 or 87 that Sam Ash had this blowout sale on Charvel Model 1 & 1A models for about $125, with $100 off. These were MUCH better strat copies with thinner, all maple necks and the pointy headstock. Jackson pickups, and much better components all around. The 1A was a direct strat copy, I got the 1 with no pickguard, one humbucker. I also got a Peavey practice amp, American made for about the same price. So I was out the door at a bit over $300. A year or two later, I think it was Epiphone who was the first to offer decent, Korean made Fender copies for a good price. Sorry about the long trip down memory lane, but I thought you guys might appreciate some history. I don't know about $300, but for $500 today, you can walk out the door (or get delivered) with a really decent new guitar and amp. Hell, the used market is so much better! Reverb has never let me down!

[@Blazer_One-Rides]

Great Job! For Canadian buyers, note that I had an extra 60$ of duty fees added to the overall price of the Harley Benton I ordered. That said, the price remains very good and that's the next one I was planning to purchase so, again, thanks Glenn!

[@DJBuglip]

God I love your show Glenn. You always manage to make me chuckle, regardless of what else is going on. Thanks for what you do, man.

[@DJBuglip]

I think I may need one of those. Thanks for the review man.

[@TheBlackHelicopterRevue]

I've got three Harley Benton guitars, two single cutaway models and a 12-string "Rick"-Style in cherry burst - all were fully set up, and played great straight out of the box.

[@FG-vp6id]

Bro seemed like the nicest youtuber and after 1/3 into the video he was just a menace 🤣

[@peterveres2942]

My experience is they are a very good value. I bought a 5string bass that came perfectly set up right out of the box. Low action, correct intonation, and in tune. And I’m not only a nobody, I’m a nobody bassist. I’ll see myself out. Edmonton, Alberta Canada

[@drhairy]

There’s a good reason why the truss rod is shipped loose rather than under tension. When the truss rod is loose it can react to any +/- change in temperature experienced during shipping without altering the action appreciably - remember a metal truss rod will expand / contract more due to temperature change than the surrounding wood of the neck. Also, a good manufacturer will be trying to build a neck that has a reasonable action under string tension without much tension on the truss rod - the rod is there for fine tuning, not for setting the fundamental shape of the neck relief.

[@thedragonzord_]

The only youtuber whose opinion I'll actually hear and seek out

[@jasonm3602]

Hey, Gleeennnn!!!!!! Great video, man. I love how everyone in your comments section addresses their comment directly to you. I've not seen that before. This was a great review of the HB EX-84. Though, I'm not sure if you can fault a guitar for not having locking tuners if you order a guitar that doesn't have locking tuners. If you want a guitar with locking tuners, ORDER A F-ING GUITAR THAT HAS LOCKING TUNERS!!!! Love your work, Glenn.

[@MaskedRiderChris]

The one time I owned a guitar with an Explorer type shape (it even had a set neck like this one)? I moved the strap button to the back of the body where the neck joined the body and that cured the neck dive pretty well. Just a thought, there. I enjoy your gear reviews because you shoot from the hip like Arnold Plays Guitar does and that's always welcome. From one geriatric headbanger to another, good work!

[@yad0.u25]

I love how honest and funny you are 😁 tnx for the video

[@toenhev17]

I'm no expert & I could be wrong but I think the reason the truss rod wasn't tightened to sort out the neck relief is due to the change in the climate from where the guitar was made, where the guitar was stored before being sold & where it ended up once sold. As you probably know hot & cold weather plays havoc with wood, also humidity is a factor too. Loved your review though keep up the good work 👍

[@supermario2100]

Even compared to the similar LTD model, you're looking at $600 for one or two ESP Designed pickups, coil taps, and a longer scale length. Even the more expensive HB's with nicer pickups are a steal.

[@MetalGuitar911]

That's a next level of honest gear reviews....lots of love..keep up the great work

[@BenjaminKanarek]

Thanks for this from a Canadian living in Paris. I own 8 Harley Bentons and appreciate your honesty! By the way, I put a Duesenberg Les Trem II Gold TM85G on my Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh Pelham Blue guitar and am just waiting on my roller bridge to arrive. Great guitar is easily worth in my opinion 3 to 4x what they sell for. 😇

[@mayabass24]

Paris Ontario? lol

[@Fudmottin]

Hopefully no-one loses their job over this honest review. Truss rod and key bouncing around would kinda bother me though.

[@clifwilmer8167]

I'm glad to see you do a review like this. A lot of reviews of HB guitars I've seen are people who have been sent the guitars by Thomann for review. It's far harder to discount the review as the instrument being a golden sample or biased as a result. I own 4 HBs along with an additional HB I purchased specifically to modify for a friend. Aside from some very minor fret sprout on the one I purchased for my friend (one of their cheaper strat-ish models), and the jack coming a little loose on one (2 minute fix), they've been really good to outright fantastic. My TE-90QM has one of the nicest necks on it I've ever felt, and the fret work on it is better than the fretwork on my American Standard Strat. The only problem it seems to suffer from is some neck dive which doesn't really bother me personally. That being said, I'm a new player although I've been around a LOT of guitars in my life, and I am still trying to decide what I like as someone new to playing part. What body style feels good, what style of pickups do I prefer, what kind of neck carve do I like, and what things do I dislike? For a much smaller investment, HB allows me to explore that in a way I couldn't if the route to do so involved buying a real PRS, a couple Fenders, a couple Gibsons, etc. Do I like the way an SG feels, well I can check to some limited degree with an approximation, and I don't own a Les Paul either so I may as well check an approximation of that out too and I can do both for less than I would pay for an ESP, shipped to my door in just a few days. Are they the best guitars ever, no, but they are, in my experience, an absurd value for the money. As an added bonus, I'm a lefty, and that makes if far more difficult to find guitars at my local brick and mortars to try out or to find friends guitars to noodle on. I mention all of the above to point out another angle to the value proposition I've not seen mentioned anywhere. It strikes me that finding an instrument to play is easy, but it's a lot harder to find one you like, that works for you ergonomically, and that sparks some creativity. In my experience with other instruments finding that is a much higher bar, and I think HB allows people to do that on the cheap fairly easily.

[@BoogyWoogyCreep]

My EX-76 came with locking tuners and a neck profile similar to my 60s Les Paul. Fairly slim and very fast. Can't complain whatsoever, it was $159 "B" stock. I've had it for about 6 years now and one of my main guitars.

[@cynicald380]

I never realised the best kind of guitar gets sent to the reviewer! Mad!!

[@tomgregus569]

GLEEEEEEEN! Really appreciate this stealth buy of a Harley Benton. I recently purchased the ST-20HH Active SBK with some upgrades, and I love it. This reflects the experience I had purchasing mine very well. I spent around $260 US (including shipping) for the guitar, a case, new strings, locking tuners, a strap, and strap locks. I love the guitar so much, and it certainly punches hard above its price point. Sure there are some fairly minor things that could be tweaked, but I would still happily spend the money again. Love the videos and, as always, fuck you Glen!

[@AMSOfficial79]

I have seen the HB stuff online these days, but without getting my hands on one BEFORE purchase, it has to be a no-go. If they showed up in shops, it would be great.

[@joefromaccounting7818]

Own multiple Explorer shapes, best fix for neck dive is to drill the strap pin onto the back of the body, SG style. The difference being the body is way bigger which will stop the dive and make playing much more comfortable.

[@BruceWillisiscool]

Damn Glenn, your playing is getting better with every upload. Keep it up.

[@nikospaleologos3907]

My first guitar was an Ibanez, cheap model, cost me around 150 dollars in 1991. It was a piece of garbage that couldn't stay in tune more than 5 minutes. But I learned how to play on that instrument and I'll never forget it.

[@DashRetro]

My Epiphone Explorer (Thunderhorse) had major neck dive, so it is very possibly an Explorer thing. What I did is I moved the top strap nut to the back of the body up by the neck, and it eliminated the problem entirely.

[@ryanberry5594]

It’s a bit difficult to tell in the video, but I think they got the pickups installed backwards. I think they put the 60 in the bridge, and 81 in the neck. You can tell by the color of the EMG logo on the pickups themselves.

[@MatthewMartinGuitar]

noticed it instantly! It's such an oversight man!

[@raybirdman]

Great job! I just want to say that neck dive is not a QC issue. It’s a guitar design issue. It involves where the strap button sits. An Explorer body shape has the button all the way at the end of neck which is bad for a balance of weight. SG’s and V’s are even worse because the button on the back of body as well and that leads to the strap rotating around the button acting like a fulcrum. Double cutaways like strats and RG’s have the button up near the 12th fret. This is near perfect balance. Again, great video! Thanks for all the consumer advocacy you do!

[@Stefan-]

I have a number of classic shaped Dean V guitars and all balance very well and i also use the cheap Ernie ball seat belt type of straps which is the worst kind if your guitar are not well balanced. These guitars have the strapbuttons on the back of the neck heel and below the middle of the upper wing. So not all V´s have problems with neck dive.

[@nickx1754]

Thanks for the reminder that no one is perfect and multiple takes and edits are common with performances. Cool guitar (Metallica fan here) and I can't believe how affordable it is for that quality!

[@armyofchris]

I bought 2 fusion III a few months ago. One T shaped and one S shaped. The fit and finish right out of the box was perfect. Neck set up/fretwork was perfect. The bridge setup was perfect. I didnt have to adjust a thing. Pickups, not bad, but I already knew I was swapping them. My only complaint was how thick the neck profile was. I ended up sanding it down and reshaping it. But dont get me wrong. It was really nice before I did that. I just really wanted something thinner. Out of all my guitars, the only other one that came out of the box this nice was my Strandberg.

[@xdsapilloxd]

I purchased this guitar a year ago and it has been so f*cking worth it, it's AWESOME