Harley Benton JA-20HH/Victory Active Two-Month Review: IS THE GROUNDING ISSUE FIXED?!
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- čas přidán 9. 07. 2024
- Harley Benton makes guitars that have been getting rave reviews over the past few years, in no small part due to CZcamsrs singing the brand's praises. The variety of models and options they offer at working-class prices makes them hard to ignore.
The ST-20HH is one of the most well-received guitars they've recently released, and just a couple of months ago they added to that lineup with the JA-20 and Victory Active models. Even with all the buzz and excitement around them, there was a much bigger buzz they would end up making - one caused by a grounding issue that made the guitars produce horrible buzz!
It's been a couple of months since then, and I ordered replacement models of both guitars to see if Harley Benton and Thomann have decided to tackle the issue at the source. Have they actually fixed this serious issue? Do they still have significant flaws to consider? Most importantly, if they're fixed, what does that mean for the value proposition of these two guitars? Watch on to find out!
Timestamps:
00:00 - Opening Roll
00:20 - Demo Song
02:41 - The Backstory
07:02 - JA-20 Specs and Sound Clips
15:52 - Victory Active Specs and Sound Clips
23:45 - Is The Grounding Issue Fixed?
29:26 - The Good and the Bad
36:54 - Ending Comments
#HarleyBenton #BudgetGuitar #JimRoot
I like the review, but, Glen and Andrew only noticed the ground loop buzz when they played through an amp, rather than through the audio interface into a plugin as they usually play.
@Wrkncacnter777 I realize this is an old comment, but I have the JA model that I bought as a project guitar (completely aware of the grounding issue) and I was able to easily duplicate the ground noise with any high gain setting...amp sims and physical amps. I did a complete build video series and demonstrated the noise issue using an amp sim in the video.
@@SwedeStudios I have one too, though I grounded the bridge before I even played it, so I can’t really comment on how bad it was.
I have been watching the reviews on various guitars and it appears to be a game of chance buying on line instead of a shop. People have found faults on gibsons and fenders as well. The buzz on those type of pickups was an issue on other reviews. They all make some noise if the are played straight through an amp, but some are far too loud. One of my Harley's buzzes when I touch the bridge, but everything else is fine, and one of them failed when I used the three way and I had to solder a wire back on. The guitars I bought from a shop had no problems apart from a stiff machine head on an ovation. So far only one guitar I have bought had no issues at all. That was a tangle wood.
Thank you for this video! I’ve been waiting a while to purchase these guitars
Finally a ja-20hh review with some really nice playing testing different tones, amazing man 😭😭🙏🏻🙏🏻
Thank you! I try and diversify what I showcase for tones and play styles, mainly because very few do it. Even if the guitar is clearly for metal players, showing how it does with blues licks or jazz chords is a nice change of pace.
Amazing videos as ever
Just ordered the Amarok Baritone and figured for the combined shipping savings I'd throw the JA-20 on there as well. I'm not sure which I'm more excited to play. Thanks for your reviews, very well thought out and presented, it's obvious you put a lot of time and effort into these videos and it shows. Gained a sub from me, keep em coming.
Very cool video, the first I've seen from you. Subbed af my man
Sick riffs 🤘🔥
This video alone made me subscribe. Well done.
I've already ranted on your previous videos, but here's the list of modifications aI made to my JA:
1. new tuners as the old ones were coated in the same non-conductive paint as the bridge is
2. new electronics
3. new pickups
4. copper shielding inside the guitar's cavity and under the mask
5. roller string tees because the old ones were snagging strings
6. sanding the bridge in strategic places in order to get rid of the grounding issue
7. filed some frets to aleviate the string buzz, but that's an ongoing problem as new frets start to buzz each time I try to lower the horrid action
Have to deal with the nut that's cut too deep creating the open string buzz as well. So - the action is way too low on the first couple of frets, but gets to Mount Everest levels when it gets to 12th and just keeps growing further down the neck. The neck is straight now, but it'll obviously need shimming.
Knowing how large the cavity inside of the guitar is, it's really hard to replace the electronics (the whole solderless EMG system can't fit inside, so I soldered everything, and barely stuffed it inside, and it's ONLY 1 pot and some wires), and it shouldn't be that way.
If I was a beginner and this was my first guitar, I would've quit playing.
Yikes! That's a seriously rough experience - and the exact kind of risk that makes Harley Bentons a crapshoot at times. It makes me consider adding a disclaimer in my videos stating that it's just my experience, and your results ultimately may vary.
That's surprising to hear about the electronics cavity, though not too surprising, as my ST-20 didn't have very much space routed out for pickups and I had to do something similar to make it all fit. I was certainly hoping the routing would be larger, so that's unfortunate.
At that point with the neck, you may need a total fret leveling, or worst case a complete re-fret - and the cost on such a cheap guitar isn't going to be worth it long-term. I'd probably just replace the neck completely and make a whole project out of the guitar, as it wouldn't be much more expensive when it's all said and done, but it's definitely not a choice for everyone.
Is the neck a true 22 fret neck or a 22 overhang neck?
And is the body routed for HH or does it have the traditional 3 pickup route?
I want to buy one of these and replace the neck with an old epiphone S-310 neck, just want to know what I'm walking into.
@@tanxsora The 22nd fret overhangs. The body has a large cavity (can fit 3 pickups), but there's actually not much space as it's pretty shallow... event the pot cavity gives so much grief when trying to fit a large potentiometer that I ended up using a small one and had to ditch the solderless EMG system (wouldn't fit anywhere) and installed everything by soldering.
@@tanxsora 1. Neck has a slight overhang to accommodate the 22nd fret (it's essentially the same neck as the ST-20).
2. H-H pickup route, sadly not swimming pool.
I would have just sent that one back.
Awesome!! I can finally order one of the Jazzmaster versions. Along with some lock in tuners & a new nut instead of that plastic crap.Thanx for doing a new review on these models. 👊✌
Great review. And love the demo. any tab on it?
I am only 1/2 way through this video and I couldn't help but thumbs up this guy for going above and beyond with demoing this companies guitars. I think he went further than I would have, which is insane considering the fact that I'm a geek with this guitar stuff and have wasted countless hours trying to perfect "the craft".
Cheers.
What would you recommend for a begginer bedroom guitarist, sitting and playing classic style over the left leg, ST-20 or JA-20?
Perhaps they changed the black paint applied on the parts? You could check the conductivity using a multimeter
Love your longer videos not saying that shorts are bad but I just prefer more informative videos
I enjoy them more as well! Shorts are great for showing neat little ideas, and I'll definitely be using them, but they're not replacing the longform stuff any time soon.
Maybe do a follow up video and take the bridge off them both and see if the paint effecting the ground wire has been changed?
You think I didn't notice the Pokemon Go in the background of the mix demo? I DID
Couldn’t ignore the allure of Go Fest!
I ordered an SC-450 P90 GT from their reverb US store, and it came with the bridge crushed in to the body. Had to return it. Kind of worried about ordering another one though I'd likea victory and a dullahan...
Subbed.
Lets see what ya got.
Has someone tested them with a real amp?
Play it through a real amp, that's how Glenn found the noise issue
The problem also occurred previously when virtual amps were used.