Harley Benton TE-62 - Unboxing and Review
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- ฤas pลidรกn 28. 07. 2024
- Harley Benton have released another affordable range of Telecaster Style Guitars - The TE-62
Buy it here: www.thomann.de/at/harley_bent...
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00:00 Unboxing
02:39 First Impressions
05:45 Unplugged Sounds
07:09 Clean Sounds
09:28 Overdriven Sounds
12:22 Marshall SV20
16:00 A Look Inside
22:36 Specs
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#HarleyBenton #TheGuitarGeek #AffordableTelecaster - Hudba
Buy it here: www.thomann.de/at/harley_benton_te_62cc_sp.htm?offid=1&affid=288
It's not pink It's MINK manly pink
The honey badger sounds awful to me
what is better: this or Jet 300 tele?
I had the te40 candy apple red.had to get rid of it .a bill came in I wasn't expecting. But now I know what it should of sounded like with a good guitar ๐ธ player ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐ค
just yesterday, I went to visit a friend and he hat a HB tele lying there. i took it and played it, just so, didn't plug it in. I could not put it down. I own a 20 and was able to make it good by exchanging everything but the wood, but that TE 62 was close to perfect right out of the box.
Impressed, very, very impressed.
The TE-20 has a 14" radius. Wtf? That's flatter than the damn super strats. HB does the weirdest randomest stuff. I actually like as flat as possible but like I'm pretty much alone in wanting a trad Tele to have a Schecter radius. The TE-62 has a 12", also a trad style. Just makes no sense.
I wish they'd make trad Teles with SS frets. Those Fusion Teles with HH and tremolo are kind of silly guitars with no history to them. And the backwards headstock Teles should be banned lol so ugly
I recently picked up this guitar and itโs the first one I bought with my first paycheck. For reference Iโve got an American made fender so I know what a good quality guitar feels and sounds like. This tele style guitar is honestly a bang for the buck for this price point. It feels spectacular straight out of the box and sounds just like a real tele.
Absolutely recommend getting this one if you want a tele style guitar that sounds and feels like a good quality guitar.
Did you have the same issue of the switch feeling a bit loose as he did in the video? edit: I bought one and it's great. The switch didn't feel any looser than a squier guitar.
Cool. I spent quite a bit more on an SC550+ and that guitar is as good as a guitar can be. So I'm hoping the cheaper models can 2/3 the way there and it would still be a great guitar. Never been a Tele guy but I played one after 20 years out of curiosity and I think I might want a Tele without spending Tele money. So this one is tempting.
@@user-lv7ph7hs7l I bought one recently, and I actually think it might be better than my SC-550 ii. The SC-550 might have flamed maple and binding, but that probably just leads to something that's more difficult to make, and more error prone, so I had a lot of small mistakes on mine, like inlays being off-centre, and some misaligned parts and screw holes.
The TE-62 on the other hand is pretty much perfect. There is a decent difference between the bottom range harley benton's, like the TE-20, compared to the TE-62, (TE-62 has better hardware, better pickups with alnico 5 magnets, much nicer looking neck with a lovely smooth satin finish.) Once you get to the price of the TE-62, I'd say that the actual quality of the guitar itself stays pretty consistent, tuners might not be as good as the top range HB's, though. My SC-550 which costs double, isn't inherently better quality, it just has nicer tuners, more expensive pickups and has flamed maple veneer and binding, which increases the price, and looks more flashy, but doesn't necessarily make the core guitar itself "better", in my opinion. The actual sound and playability is just as good on both guitars. Although the setup was a bit better on the SC-550, but it's not hard to learn to set up a guitar anyway.
I'd say the TE-62 is comparable to something at least 1.5X the price, maybe double the price. My yamaha pacifica strat costed exactly double the price, and the quality on the TE-62 might be better. The neck is nicer, nut is nicer (at least looks nicer), pickguard looks less cheap. When I got the pacifica, I was a bit disapointed, since it wasn't a big jump from my first guitar, but the TE-62, which is half the price actually *is* a jump from my first guitar. It's actually even cheaper than my first guitar, but is quite a bit better.
Fantastic review! You touched on every point I was interested in. Your playing styles were great and brought out the guitarโs capabilities nicely.
You create the best music gear reviews hands down. The content is highly informative and finely edited. Keep it up !
Thanks for the wonderful review. I just received their newest February 2022 release the TE-62 CC Inca Silver version and love it. My jaw dropped when I saw it and felt the neck action. The neck is gorgeous...Zero fret sprouts, perfectly smooth and silky. Raised my neck pickup substantially closer to the strings without touching them of course. Easily worth 3 x the price! CC acronym is classic colours. "That's Money!" PS...actually, it seems they are 9-42's not 10-46's as stated on the website. I use 9-42's on all my guitars and these don't feel like 10-46's. I ordered a mint green pickguard for it used on the Lake Placid Blue and Shell pink and it looks so much nicer than the stark white one sold with the Inca Silver version.
CC stands for custom colour ๐
Got the sea foam green TE-62 for Christmas and have been loving it. Thatโs money well spent.
I picked up my first HB TE-52 a couple of weeks ago. I love it! I picked it up on a trade and the guy already installed locking tuners on it. I will more then likely purchase a TE-62 as well at some point. These guitars are great and they provide a great modification platform as well. Canโt go wrong with the purchase of one of these IMHO. Thanks for the great video, Andy. I always enjoy your stuff. Keep them coming!
Thatโs Money!!!!
What a fantastic review. I've been looking at these and your review has convinced me. one will be ordered. Thats money
I have the grey one. I absolutely love it I have classic vibe ones. This beats them. I have however upgraded the pots and switch added an orange dropper. Sounds really amazing. In fact this is my go to guitar.
After almost a year of considering to buy this guitar I finally bought it (I tried to learn guitar 2 times before and sold epiphone lp junior and Yamaha 310 because I was not playing).
I must say that I regret waiting so long. This is so much fun and easy to play! Even my wife started to play this guitar though she plays classical guitar and always sad that electrics are unplayable.
Great review . I also bought the Harley Benton TE62cc in Lake Placid Blue and it is well made and sounds great right out of the box.
The only mods I made to it was putting in some new Gotoh "in-Tune" brass saddles, everything else works OK for now.
Thanks for the review and video.
I have the lake placid blue, and I absolutely love it, I seam to gravitate to this one the most, nice review man.
I Feel the same; I got a TE-70 Black Paisley six months ago, and it's one of my go-to guitars, now. Excellent quality and playability.
I'm in love with the Shell Pink! Great video, thanks.
A mini documentary and informative. I enjoyed your commentary, kept me interested to watch it in its entirety
I've been considering buying one for a while. This sealed the deal๐
Bought a CST-24 a few years back. Very impressed but sold it along with a few other things for an SE eventually. Always a trade up line!
I just ordered the black double bound version of this HB. I havenโt been this excited to try a new guitar in awhile! Thank you for your reviews/demos. Very thorough and informative, and I appreciate your efforts!
it is good?
@@pedroferreira4279 Ohhh, itโs fantastic! It has absolutely reignited my passion to play. The tone is so good that it is humbling to hear. And I play many styles, and it keeps up quite well with me. I own eight others from Dean to Fender, but this one is currently my favorite. Iโm buying the FilterTron model next!
@@pedroferreira4279 And the only thing that I have tweaked since it arrived is the pup height, up about half a turn. The Keith Richards tone is astonishing!
I got one two weeks ago and its absolutely amazing how good this 150 dollar guitar is, everything I wanted from a tele!
Good news!
I Bought the blue one last week. So happy to see your experience with the guitar is about the same as mine. It's a joy to play. Good tip on the neck pickup... THNX! Thats Money ;)
thanks for all the quality videos very helpful. I bought the Te 62-cc in Shell Pink a month ago and ordered it on a Friday night on the 14th Jan from Chicago and it showed up Monday the 17th Damn that's fast. this is the first Guitar I ever bought from HB paid $211 delivered this thing has that solid feel like my old Fenders from back in the day I am absolutely Knocked out.. it came pretty well set up out of the box some fret roughness nothing horrible, I am going to mod this thing out down the road, but I'm going to enjoy it and play the hell out of it as is, for at least a few month's and let it talk to me and tell me what it want's and needs. So, Thank you once again for all your hard work and detail. p.s. I thought CC stood for Classic Color's ?
Iโm going to get one! I need a budget T style to take on holiday and this fits the bill. Thanks for the detailed review, โThatโs moneyโ
Great review, thanks, I've just ordered the charcoal frost version of the TE-62.... fingers crossed!
Thats money! Just purchased one yesterday the watched your video . Really enjoyed it , thank you.
Many thanks for a good honest review. Very impressive guitar considering the price. Best wishes.
Could the CZcams influencer community not start a petition towards HB to stop shipping with shit cables?! Itโs just garbage and ends up in the bin anyway which is shocking thinking about the plastic and copper waste. The world is better off if they donโt put in a cable at all.
Otherwise, great guitar and quality content as usual.
Thatโs actually a solid idea. Iโll ask
@@TheGuitarGeek and pls ask for better qc,my hank marvin tribute strat is still under maintance..i never saw such bad cut cavities.bridge was mounted wrong.frets where dull and sharp.nut was also bad cutted.for me it was the first and the last hb guitar...the fret crowning beneath the twelve fret was so terible,i guess they think kind of these guitars never get played beneath the twelve fret.the cable was the least prop for me.my honest opinion on this guitar is:its more an offend than a tibute to mr marvin.
Gets my vote ! Better to put few guitar picks in !
It's just to test the guitar bro
yes!
@@malcolmhardwick4258
I'm obsessed with my te62. Swapped out the tuners for locking ones (stability wasn't bad though), put in a new bridge pickup, and had to have the intonation adjusted..but they do that on a set up. This guitar is great honestly. Maybe I just got a great build
Which pickup did you decide on?
@@gstube1 Seymour Duncan lipstick and a hotrail for the bridge
@@prisonmike4971 ill put in a custom shop fender set.
@@1972Georges Not a bad idea at all...still saving money
@@prisonmike4971hi mikeโฆdo locking tuners get the headstock so heavy to have neckdiving? I suppose the answer is noโฆ๐ค what did you put on your te62?
Great review and as helpful as "Money in my pocket!!" I changed the phrase. You are one of my favorite go to guys for a " Proper" review. Getting a bit of the Brit lingo in there. I think that I am going to pull the trigger on this one. Can't decide on pink or blue.
Thank you for doing this video, Iโve been doing some research and itโs between this one or the double binding version. Thatโs money.
Excellent review.... I've just ordered this exact guitar albeit B STOCK in charcoal frost finish. Looking forward to getting it hopefully next week.
My first harley benton.
Keep up the good work ๐
I got the TE-62CC CF a week ago and havent touched the set up yet. Intonation, relief and pickup height were bang on. The only things I want to do is a light fret dress and lower the middle saddle a tiiiiny bit, but it's playing beautifully without that. That's money
So glad to see this. I am in the queue for one.
Got mine and still loveing it. Shell pink is a great color.
Harley Benton guitar was amazing and I agree the shell pink has a look, also the sounds were good. Nice price that's money in the pocket ๐
very nice price @Ra :D
Re: truss rod...I'm glad you mentioned 'if you are a guitar newcomer, don't touch it, you can really mess things up'. I wish I had that kind of advice back in the day when I bought my first electric guitar. In the mid 90s, my first electric was a metallic red Marlin Sidewinder, and I bought it from a shop as a beginner kit, with amp, cables, picks, spare strings, strap, tuning pipe and bag. I remember being told 'here's where the truss rod is for adjustment', and I took my guitar away thinking I needed to play around with that to adjust it. So I fiddled around with it, and ended up with horrendous fret buzz, so I fiddled around with it and made it even worse. I took it back to the shop and the guy asked 'what have you done?'. He was dumbfounded as he had set up the guitar correctly before sale, and now I was met with a ยฃ40 bill for him to sort out the issue.
A lesson was learnt that day.
Itโs the best advice at this stage. I always recommend to buy a beater guitar and learn setup that way
My wife got me the TE-80 for my 40th (I wanted a cloud but since they're obscenely expensive it wasnt on the cards), I have to say I am extremely impressed with the Mad Cat copy, the fit and finish was better than my classic vibes and needed no set up, the neck feels amazing and the Wilkinson Pickups in it are hotter than a Vindaloo. I have only changed the pickguard to leopard print and added a leopard print strap! (as we all know the more the guitar looks like the artists one, the more we play like them ;) ).
That roasted maple neck is really nice...
Okay ๐ I just ordered one ๐
I guess you did a great job presenting it ๐๐
The internal routing is impeccable...I own many Fenders that do not look that good inside...
I'm impressed...
I've always fancied a shell pink Tele anyway...
Received the same model a few days ago , shipping was quick to the states . Some minor saddle adjustments and a little relief in the neck and plays well . Frets need a polishing and a few sharp fret ends. Lightweight a 7.6lbs ..Overall great feel and sounds like a โteleโ to me.
Really makes me want one. I already have a Shell Pink Tele, but the Charcoal Frost and Lake Placid Blue both look appealing. (Oh yeah. That's money.)
Just ordered one yesterday in Inca Silver! Thanks for your great review. I also emailed them to kindly request that the electronics worked properly as Iโm in NYC. Just subbed to your channel, keep the great videos coming. #thatsmoney
I just bought a Harley Benton DC60 Junior and it was perfectly intonated. I'm still playing on the factory set up. 169 UK Quids. Squier Classic Vibe specs and quality for Affinity prices seems to be how HB are rolling. Will try more Harley Benton guitars.
Soo cool
@@jayteesgear Subscribed just now.
Teles or t styles are NEVER single genre range.
@@jonathanpeden9930 Yeah they really do come out of the box pretty well ready to play in my experience.
Do you still pay with squids?! Brits are far weirder than we Europeans know. Squids? Huh? Why?
Great review, I would definitely swap the switch for a start, but for the money you can't beat the price, good advise Andy about purchasing from the UK I will remember that , I am seriously thinking of ordering one this year, just love to have a Telecaster, I would also say it would make a great modding platform,
Have considered buying a Harley Benton for ages as I want to get back into playing guitar after a few years away from playing, but I wanted to do it in affordable way - gotta save that money. This review was so top notch that I've just bought one and cannot wait. Keep the good content coming!
Great to hear!
Yeah l got the double bound flaccid blue.the baked necks sweet.nice all round guitar.well worth the cash.they have upped their game.new brass bridge coming,may change machine heads not sure.
@@johntchb ๐...flaccid ?
Great Reiew and yes, you are right about to have good strings on the guitar. Because if this first impression of a new guitar is bad, it is mostly because there are bad strings on it who cause intonation problems. The only thing i could judge about this guitar is the cable. I think it would make more sense if they would put a better cable in there. Even if the guitar cost 10 - 15 euro more, at the end you have a better instrument cable who is also important to have more fun with the guitar. So cheap cables make noises and break very fast.
and the nut, which is plastic...pots and a bone nut (brass saddles if possible) "lift" the price up to 200 and you have a harley benton classic vibe serie to compete with fender...
Excellent video. Makes me want to buy one! Damn!
I got their Les Paul Gold Top Classic clone w/p90s and I was extremely surprised at the quality. I am going to replace the 3-Way switch with a Switchcraft (as that seems the weak link also) and the pots do feel really super nice.
I did have some issues with the intonation on the Low E and A strings, (they were maxed out and still flat), but reversing the saddles did help on the E, A and D strings, (all 6 saddles are now facing all the same direction like on my Gibson LP), but the low E still slightly out, so I may spend $30-35 on a Gotoh Bridge as well.
I did a complete set up with the action and tail piece height, intonation, etc and plays and sounds super nice. I'd say my biggest complaint is the weight, (it's a beast!), but not a deal breaker for me as I used to own a Gibson 1969 Custom and that was super heavy as well, but I think the HB is even heavier...Be well.
Phil
NYC Area
I've received it few days ago, (Dual Binding version)
It feels "solid", very nice, very well done,
Incredible for the buget, if the brand was not written on the head... you could easily imagine it's a 500โฌ gear
I also ordered a graphteck nut and brass sadles... but for the moment I keep everything like ot wase in the box. There is no need to change anything I just want to play
Intonation perfect, plastic nut correct, action (a little hight) pickups sound good, tuning machine not great but they work.
I'm surprized, I really don't regret !
Thanks for your helpfull videos !!
LATER : I 've been palying it for one month now. It is... no... SHE is even better than what I wrote. The tuning is very stable (here in the caribean weather!)
I think my other guitars will be jalous soon....
Very nice Tele-style instrument. I look forward to your review of the new double-bound 60s style Teles by Harley Benton. They do have a 12" radius instead of the standard 9.5" though, which might put off some players.
Excellent review...Love the HBs...have two...A TE.52 and 69TL Roasted. Excellent quality for price point...I have owned Fenders too...Can not beat them anywhere. A player should have at least one HB in their guitar arsenal.
Great review, got two HBs both superb.
Got it, love it. Wish we had those Bugdet guitars back in the 80's....
Totally! Mine was total trash
I really feel that the color give off a great 60's vibe. I've been a Harley-Benton fan for a while now, owning a P bass, and an acoustic. I would probably get a T style as well except I'm building one from Stew-Mac (so much painting and sanding)! New to the channel, great presentation. Oh, and That's Money !
"That Money" Sorry I took so long to subscribe. I really have been following you since the Thoman days! Love this model, my 67 (which is the same as everybody's 62) I'd say close enough, as my 67 custom, had a maple cap on the neck.
Hey Andy. Thanks for all you do
Hey Thomas! You are welcome :D
Bought one of these in December, the guitar rocks ! Worked and played perfectly straight out of the box, intonation and action was spot on. I highly recommend it !!! You won't be disappointed.
We must have a similar guitar as the intonation was great on mine too
@@TheGuitarGeek My paisley with those same pickups was ready to play as well. I am surprised when people see my rack and that is the first one they want to pick up then say 'it cost how much?' lol
@@ochonero2774 i have a Paisley too. But too heavy :( . i never take it :( . i'm about to buy this CC or the blue sparkle DB, or maybe be the placid blue.....
@@dawoud8013 I feel you. When I first got it out of the box it was heavier than expected. The next shape / radius is what I wanted in a Tele which the Deluxe features but I prefer the slant single/lipstick combo so that makes it right for me.
I e-mailed Thomann to ask if HB guitars are set up before despatch. They said they are inspected but you can pay โฌ45 for a full setup. In comparison, if you buy a Jet T-style guitar from Merchant City Guitars in Glasgow, they offer a free setup & delivery. Any thoughts?
I am a guitar snob. I own 3 HB guitars, ST 62, Jazz Bass and a LP Custom. With the acceptation of some minor set up and fret polishing they are amazing. All in I have spent $600 on these. They all play like much more.
Thanks for the review, it does look like a good deal. For the specs, it would be great if you mentioned the neck radius and nut width (I know I can look it up on Thomann, and I will... I just thought for me anyway, those two specs matter a bit to how the guitar feels to play.)
That's (the second time I watch this video till the very end) money! I'm a drummer who recently started playing bass and now wants to also learn guitar. I was already inclined to buy a Tele-style because of its simplicity and thanks to your video you have convinced me. Great review, thanks!
Fantastic news! I really think you made a good choice. Iโd love to play drums
@@TheGuitarGeek thanks! And drumming can seem a bit daunting, but at least at a beginner / intermediate level is not so difficult. Just practice practice practice. Hope you can give it a go soon!
I have one of these in seafoam green. It's a great guitar. I've changed the saddles to brass and the pickguard for a black one but apart from that it's as it shipped. I'd quite like to change the tuners as the stock ones are ok but need tuned a fair bit- also I'd prefer if the string was to go through the post as opposed to going into a slot on the top. Can't argue with the price. I'm loving that pink too!
I have three HB's and I love them. I have them set up and do minor mods but they always come close to good to go and for the price...I'd buy a Fender but, that's money.
I really like the looks of the TE 62. I think black would be for me . I'm waiting for my CST-24T Paradise Flame to get here. I had it run through their PLEK machine since the price of the guitar was so good. Can't wait to get it. The wait time to run through the PLEK is an extra twenty days, but they say it's worth it. And that's money!
Wait, you can get it PLECKED??!! AT HARLEY BENTON??!! THATS SO MONEY!! But really, how much for the PLECKING?
I really want this one in seafoam but the pink one looks very cool too. Only thing i'm kinda waiting on/hoping for is an upgraded version of this one. I have a hard time understanding a roasted neck but plastic nut. It might be good. Butlets see what they will do with stainless frets, better tuners, maybe even better pickups etc.
Awesome review, always listen to your opinions. ๐ฏ๐๐ฏ
Thank you! Glad I can help
Great review โฆโฆ (Thatโs money ) I want to buy a couple of these now!!! I am subbed and love your channel. Very detailed reviews and also transparent ๐๐ตโก๏ธ๐โค๏ธ
Thanks! Welcome to the channel.
Iโve been considering getting one of these and appreciate the video. Thatโs money
Youโre welcome! Iโve got a follow up video coming in a few days
Inexpensive guitars are real instruments, even a guitarist as talented as Jack Pearson plays Squires and Bullets (with stock pickups). If you have a guitar that feels and sounds good un-amplified, you can always change the electronics, but some of these inexpensive guitars have great sounding pickups. After all, how hard is it to make a good sounding pickup, they are just a copper coil wrapped around magnets, or magnetized slugs. Expensive guitars are not necessary to have a great sounding instrument, contrary to what I used to believe.
Yeah, but you have to set them up. That is 90% of the difference between a $2000 guitar and a $200 guitar. People that buy the $200 guitars usually don't even set the intonation, let alone lower the action at the nut and maybe even level some frets.
@@joeking433 Now admittedly my SC550+ cost 370โฌ but that is not true. Fretwork perfect. I have a Gibson, an Ibanez and an LTD. They all have flawless fretwork, the Harley Benton is equal. Heck same factory as the LTD (Indonesia, Coet factory, Ibanez uses it too). Intonation was perfect. I only set it because it was intonated for 10 gauge and I like 9 gauge. So it needed just a little tweak on a couple of strings. Fretboard is also rounded for a nice custom shop feel. My Gibson has that, it's a limited edition 1958 Flying V homage not reissue, weird but wonderful.
The tuners are locking, suspected to be from the same factory as lower end made in China Schaller hardware. As good as the Grovers on the Gibson and LTD however those aren't locking. Bridge and tail heavy and solid chunk of steel, not nickel plated tin (yes Squire Bullet, looking at you).
The pots are good. I'm a typical Les Paul player, switch in the middle, pickups blended with the volumes and tones too, for nice variety of sounds, so always messing with those.
Pickups, okay those are premium. EMG Fat 55. My favourite PAFs! Really bright and lovely. Gonna buy them for my Epiphones.
I plan on getting an HB in the 200โฌ range because why not, and I just want a Tele for occasional use, so I'll see how it compares but from the research most of them come intonated. They're mass produced to pretty high spec, once the pegs are preset they probably only need a quick tweaking. It's not that magical. Thomann owns the brand, no dealerships. So that's half the endconsumer cost already plus mass manufacturing, deal with companies like EMG for bulk buys of pickups or other hardware, probably old stock, old models etc... so you're getting a guitar as if you bought it directly at the factory before it got a brand name painted on. So I expect the cheaper ones to be good. Just not as good as a Gibson. That was a bit of a shock. It was meant to be a new toy, a gift to myself for hard work, something pretty to hang on the wall and play without fear of damaging... now I'm considering buying a second one as backup in case they discontinue it. Plus I had trouble deciding on the colout so I should really buy the second one just to make sure it would have looked good too :). It's my main axe now. Plus the damn nitro finish on the Gibson is so fragile. I feel like 3 hours of jamming some blues and the guitar looks 5 years older... I'm happy to have an instrument I don't need to worry about. And could afford a replacement. If my Gibson got stolen, that's it. I might get another one a few years down the line. This I can just replace (or buy backups for fun or even as gifts for broke single guitar friends). Besides you can return them, so it's basically zero risk to try. Especially if you're in the EU and get that sweet free shipping in a few days. Bought mine Sunday, I had it by Thursday for the weekend. At worst it's a nice platform to mess with but to me at least the high end HBs are "real guitars". It feels like it cost much more. And I know cheap guitars, I have some old Squire's before they improved manufacturing and that is crap guitar. I tried a modern Affinity and it felt like a Fender in comparison. They really upped their game.
โ@@user-lv7ph7hs7l Hmmm. Well, the question becomes, will people still spend $3000 on a guitar? And I think they will! In fact I think the $3000 guitars will sell better than the $300 guitars even with the $300 guitars being really good! Why? Because as a guitarist you're always looking for something better. And you're willing to spend a LOT for something that is just a little better!
I know it's not logical or pragmatic but that is where passion comes in and makes decisions emotional rather than the practical for most musicians, who are usually dedicated to music!
The baby boomers are dying off and many who are guitarists have plenty of money and a bucket list. And you don't go buy a $300 Harley Benton if you are in that situation. You reward yourself with a Gibson or Fender Custom Shop guitar, or a PRS, Suhr, or boutique brand guitar.
I have a Firefly SG now, and I"ve had their Explorer and LP guitar, too. I also had an HB Gotoh SG which was garbage. The bridge was even off center. Sold it. The Firefly LP was meh. It was not bad but not that great. Sold it. I had the Firefly Explore copy. Nothing to write home about and it was real uncomfortable to play. Sold it. I kept the Firefly SG copy, it's a great guitar even compared to one of my $1000 guitars! If someone told me it cost $1000 I'd believe it if I didn't know the Firefly brand.
My $189 Firefly SG is really, really nice, and it would stand up to most any guitar as far as looks, playability, and sound (I did put SD pickups in it). But what guitarist wants to stick with a $189 guitar? You know you'll always be looking to buy a more expensive guitar, right?
Every guitarist has that dream guitar in mind. That's part of being into guitars! And even though that guitar isn't as good of a value as a Firefly they don't care, they NEED that dream!
@@joeking433 I don't disagree with you but you only tried Harley Bentons at around 200โฌ I am talking about twice the price and it really is not in any way inferior to a real guitar. And I am bot saying don't buy a Gibson. I have a Gibson! I love it. It's my prized possesion and along with an Epiphone my only guitar to increase in value substantially (Epi 1958 Reissue Flying V paid 150โฌ discounted from 300โฌ, now worth 1500โฌ. Gibson 1998 40th Anniversary 1958 Flying V, paid 1000โฌ now worth 3-5k).
I don't expect an HB to increase in value. While a custom shop guitar may well at least it holds most of its value. If you have the cash to flip fancy guitars good for you. Most of us are living paycheck to paycheck and buying a Gibson or a Fender is like buying a car. It is not taken lightly, done rarely and usually takes years of saving.
But what if I just want an extremely good guitar I can afford, well made, good hardware, I don't care what the headstock says? Well then it's nice those HBs exist. I am lucky. I can afford to get a Gibson or Fender if things go well and I decide to allocate the money but many can't afford that. Yet they still need a good guitar for gigs that can be depended upon and gives a sound no one could distinguish from one that is as much an investement and collectible as an instrument meant to be lugged around, dropped, become sweaty etc...
I really think you should try an SC550+. It's made in the same factory as 1200โฌ LTD Les Paul. I have one of those with Seymour Duncans stock.
I prefer the Harley Benton. If someone told me the HB cost over a grand and the LTD 1/3 that I would assume Harley Benton is some boutique brand not a mass manufacturer.
I have studied with a luthier. I can change frets, polish and level them, I can change the fretboard, polish and level that. The Harley Benton has a perfect fretboard. My Epiphones are not that nice. The Made in Japan Ibanez, the Gibson and the LTD are as nice.
The binding is painted over by a fraction of a millimeter in the back in two spots. You can't see it holding it, gotta practically make out with the maple cap, which is a full maple cap (with flame maple veneer just like a 1950s Les Paul Epiphone or an LTD).
I don't know about the 180โฌ and 250โฌ Harley Bentons. I know the one I have for 370โฌ abd it's incredible. I mean bloody same factory as LTD and Ibanez that cost 1.5k. The cheaper Harleys are made in China and other places but the Made in Indonesia SC500+? You can't afford not to order one. Even just to make sure that I'm either wrong or somehow got the best one they made. Or... they are great. Try the obes with the EMG Fat 55 pickups, love my tobacco burst. Very traditional looking, really nice 60s neck. Does that mean I will never buy a Gibson again? Nope... us millennials buy lots of them. Remember were the generation qho loves everything old and classic. Most of my friends would laugh at my Benton. Then I'd plug it in and they'd shut up. I don't know if EMG put Seth Lovers bones into the copper on those pickups or what but that's the Les Pauls sound like that in guitars Joe Bonamassa calls "good 59s". in those videos where he shows off his 300 Les Pauls.
And it can be an asset that they're cheap. I wouldn't hesitate to bring it to a drunk jam session or a gig in sketchy club. The Gibson? I enjoy that at home with the door locked and all my equipment set up just how I like it. But does these cheap guitars mean I will own many more guitars that I love dearly before I can afford my next Gibson (a used 1950s Standard)? Oh yes. I've already designated a new wall to start mounting them.
Don't judge before you tried a 550+ EMG Fat 55. Bright and pretty low output PAFs. Lovely.
I thought I was getting a new toy for a good deal. But instead I found love. And I'm buying more of those pickups for my Epiphones, those PAFs sound aweful now. Dull and muddy. No sparkle, no glimmer no shimmer. And buzzy as hell if I try to lower the action to what I have on the HB, which is the same as the Ibanez. It looks too low but no buzz so why not. I raised it a bit for 9 gauge strings and peace of mind.
โ@@user-lv7ph7hs7l Actually the HB guitar was the most expensive cheap guitar I have had. And those other cheap guitars were Firefly guitars, not HB. I don't know what I was thinking. And the HB SG was the worst by far. Have you ever tried Firefly guitars? I've heard they're better than Harley Bentons.
_"Most of us are living paycheck to paycheck and buying a Gibson or a Fender is like buying a car."_
I was like that for much of my life but now I can buy whatever guitar I want and not even notice it.
_"I really think you should try an SC550+. It's made in the same factory as 1200โฌ LTD Les Paul."_
I'm always looking for something different. I have a couple dozen guitars now and don't really want more of the same, especially not another cheap Strat clone (I have maybe 5 Strats). And I've never really liked Les Pauls, I much prefer SG's. I'm just not in the market for a cheap guitar.
I do like working on and putting together cheap guitars, however. I just bought a $200 USCGA neck for another partscaster Strat. I also have a partscaster with an aluminum neck and one with a composite neck.
_"The Harley Benton has a perfect fretboard."_
That would be rare in a $300 guitar! Every sub-$500 guitar I've ever had needed a fret level. Even many $1000 guitars don't have perfectly level frets. Does HB Plek their guitars?
_"Don't judge before you tried a 550+ EMG Fat 55. Bright and pretty low output PAFs. Lovely."_
I wouldn't want a $300 HB even if it were as good as a Gibson Custom Shop guitar! Don't you understand that? People with money don't want a Toyota Corolla even if it were as good as a BMW (which the Toyota is actually better made and more reliable!). People with money don't want some cheap Chinese copy of a great American guitar even if it's as good, they want the American made real deal! It means something to those with money to buy an American Icon rather than a counterfeit even if it's as good. You're buying a part of American music history buying a Gibson and Fender! What do you get when you buy the Asian counterfeit copy? Nothing. Just a guitar that is targeted at kids with no money.
Very well done review. Nice to hear the variety of tones the guitar can handle. Do you think it's better quality than a Squier Affinity? I'm always curious with these Tele Copies. Could you install say a Fender or Squier Pickguard, or other off the shelve components in one of these? PS...My wife purchased a Katana 50 MKII for me, as Christmas Gift. Your well done review put it on the top of my Christmas wish list. I'm having a ball with it still. Thanks!
Man, there is a double bound version of this guitar now as well! Candy apple red with double binding, black and lake placid blue and Laurel fingerboard... Thomann is going to get so much orders of this guitar ๐คค
indian laurel ain't that good on fender guitars, it kills the fender vibe.....it makes the telecaster sound mellow....they are used in all squier series to replace rosewood, but nothin to do with rosewood......
@@fleurdelys8996 I'm of the opinion that tone woods for electric guitars don't matter much. It's more about feel than tone imo.
Always love the videos. That's money!
Thanks mate.
Great video. I have quite a few guitars, including some "nice" Korean-era Epiphones, and an Ibanez. And one blonde HB TE30, their cheapest tele type, which I bought used for ยฃ50. Admittedly, it didn't stay in tune well, and the pickups and electronics were a bit weak, but with a few inexpensive changes, it is now the guitar I will pick up first, costing way less than any of the others.
That neck pickup with the fuzz sounded awesome
Thanks for a great review! I have one in Seafoam green, love it! :)
That's Money. I've been looking at the HB teles too. The LPB double body looks cool.
I have Harley Benton TE - 52 and it's amazing for the price. :) Love it!
I have 2 HBs and both are great for the prices paid but both had minor QC issues and this is the problem with mail ordering HB guitars from Thomann, Germany but the issues were easily resolved by myself and Thomann did re-imburse me ยฃ20 for one of them! Their customer service is good in my experience but you need patience on delivery and return times with mail ordered gear from Thomann. If they could up their QC on their guitars they would be even better value and quality. I'm a fan of HB guitars for the shear bang for buck you can get but it's a gamble on what lands at your doorstep - know that!
Currently sold out in shell pink. Nice guitar at a low cost!
I bought the Lake placid blue one and it's just great. For a plastic nut it just stays in tune. Cc stands for custom colour.
Thanks Pete! The lpb was a very close contender but i had to go pink
Great review. Very informative.Gonna get one of these in SFG colour. Not sure but did you say to mention make the money or something. I was too engrossed looking at the TE62 to remember. Anyway, Cheers. Great work by the Geek.
Happy New guitar day! (Again...) Nice color choice ๐ (That's money)
Great video, thanks. When you opened it up, did you notice if there is enough room in the control cavity to fit a CRL 3 way switch and CTS pots (That's money)
In my opinion CC means Classic Colors, new version is DB what means double bounded (white stripes on the edges).
I had the 62 for about a week and was quite Happy....but somehow I always needed some time to dial a good tone on my Vox Amp or in my AmpSims....just because we live in Thomann Moneyback Times I checked the Squier Aff. Tele for 50โฌ more and it just blew everythint away what I liked about the TE62. Sustain, PUs, Signal/Noise Ratio, Playability and the Quality out of the Box - just had to do some Fretwork and WOW....no hate, the TE62 is great but the Squier 2021 Series is just some other Level ๐
Perhaps having a switch that can bend is part of the Harley Bendinโ branding. ;-) Thanks for the review! Had been eyeballing this one for a while, and will probably go ahead and try one now. That said, the friendly Thomann folks here in Germany once told me they gladly ship so one can try (and hopefully be content with) the guitar, and then provide a return shipping label for sending it back for whatever setup one wishes to have, at a modest surcharge. In my case, that would mean setting it up properly for 11s or even 12s, since I tune every guitar down to D or even C#. And theyโd presumably check and dress the frets, etc. So trying one of these in Germany is a no-brainer - obviously international buyers will need to be more cautious.
I have the Paisley with those same pickups and its pretty sweet especially at the price point. I usually like a bit thinner neck but with the radius being pretty flat it feels great and the tone is solid. Mine didn't need any real work out of the box a slight truss rod adjustment and at some point I will level and polish the frets because I can though it doesn't NEED it but that won't stop me lol
I have this guitar, I like it a lot, had to shim the neck to lower the action and get the saddle screws down. Mine has mini pots. The first guitar I bought from Harley Benton was the te80, sent it back it was just too heavy for me, cost me ยฃ22 to return from UK and took 2 weeks to get refund So I knew I would be keeping this one.
Itโs a bit of a pain buying HB out of Europe these days
Oh nice. Makes me think about the TE-30 but with better pickups. Change the bridge, the nut & the string trees & you're good. And maybe a bit of the electronics... Of course that's (a bit of) money, but then you could have a stunning guitar cause the pickups seem to sound really nice.
I have the Strat version of this 62 and I love it. Been wanting a Tele, but haven't decided yet still. Watching this kinda makes me want my Strat's sibling....
Oh you got the big pots. I got the little ones Iโll be swapping for the bigger cts ones. Think maybe they gave yours a little special treatment for the demo. ๐
Would love to see you check out the ST-62CC version of this! Im getting the Dakota Red one here soon! even though im gonna be upgrading pickups to some true velvet dimarzio's and a super distortion in the bridge and a tusq nut for tuning stability
I have a HB TE 25th anniversary. I don't know where in the realm of HB Telle style guitars it falls, but it is absolutely great. I won't be selling it.
I've become a sort of Harley-Benton evangelist because of how good these are for the price. I have 2 of the JA-60 guitars (both colors) and 1 of the ST-20 range. It's unreal how good they are for the price. and THAT, my friend, is money.
Raising that neck pup made a big difference. It's a very nice guitar!
Yep, it needed just a little balancing
Got my TE62 for Christmas, absolutely surprised how light it is, really nice looking guitar, but it needed a set up, most guitars need some sort adjusting, so not the end of the world, lake placid blue I bought.good for the money.
Quality review Andy, if I didn't already own two telecasters you would have sold that to me. I also suffer the same way as you in that I am fortunate to have a plethora of guitars, in fact I just bought a Squire classic Jazzmaster much to my wife's chagrin; were I to purchase another my life would be hell. I would say to her how cheap it was and she would probably say, "that's money!".
As an aside there was a time when I too used fast fret but stopped as I noted that the length of time the twang lasted seemed diminished and also the strings didn't seem to last as long before they began snapping. I have only my experience with it to judge by and it may not ofcourse be the fast frets fault, though I always (not now, as I rarely perform, disabled) cleaned the strings during and after the gig.
Like deployed ๐
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I'm 95% sure I met you at the Birmingham NEC guitar show when I was like 14/15. Would of been late 90s. Can't mistake that hair (cos it's awesome). I had like the worst guitar teacher I think anybody has ever had and you have me some life saving tips. All I can say is I was an ugly kid with glasses and I was shy as anything ๐. Been watching your channel a while now and love your honesty ๐ I know this vids now 2 years old but I'm pretty sure I need this guitar in cream ........ I already have the hb 35 plus and I absolutely love it.... I'm kind of stuck on HB now with me not being flushed for cash. I also like the vintage brand too and have an acoustic from them but these are even flipping cheaper! I just can't even believe what you can get now for the money compared to back in the 90s
If it wasn't you then crikey, you have a double! Also, you don't seem to age! Man has secrets ๐
I have the 52.TE its fantastic no problems as is
Yea in refrance to the number in the name of model it usually refers to fret number too sometimes and the cc stands for custom color.i want to say nice vid thanks for the honesty I appreciate it cuz I'm looking forward to getting a te 62 db blk so yea thanks agian have a good time with that g tar peace out bro
That's (silly) money!
Thanks for the great vid, I've been eyeballing me some teles and that one was a contender, now it's leading ๐ I already own two HBs and gotta tell You - when You replace the dodgy switch, saddles and pickups You will have a funtastic machine that suits all Your needs for fraction of the "normal" price.
Cheers! ๐
I love the Rosewell pickups...
Great review. I'm considering one.
That's money.
Nice Tele! Thats money. Nice to see you still have the Squier Mustang Bullet
That's money!!! Great review Andy!!!!
Thanks V!