Harley Benton ST-20HH Active 6-Month Review: The BEST Budget Metal Guitar. Period.
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- čas přidán 27. 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.
For all their instruments, it's one of their latest options that's the most exciting - the ST-20HH Active, clearly based on the Jim Root signature Stratocaster from Fender. Classic Strat style? Check. Rock-solid hardtail bridge? Check. ACTIVE PICKUPS IN A BUDGET GUITAR? Double check.
I purchased this guitar six months ago for ~$200, and have been using it almost exclusively to record and play live. It's finally time to review this guitar, give you the full breakdown, and let you know if it's the right guitar for you.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Opening Roll
00:29 - Demo Song
02:18 - The Backstory
05:43 - Specs and Sound Clips
14:49 - The Not-So-Good
18:07 - Alternative Options
#HarleyBenton #ST20HHActive #BudgetGuitar
Holy shit only 19 subscribers and so little views for such HIGH quality production? Your channel absolutely ROCKS my dude! You will become a really big channel someday, trust me, the quality of your content is really good.
Thank you for the kind words! I've been doing this CZcams thing for a long time, but just recently feel like I'm figuring it out... so glad you enjoyed it! Hope you'll stick around for more!
@@thebensonator yessir, I definitely will! Yeah, just keep it up. Nearly had 1k subs and half a mill views on one of my videos on my account which sadly got hacked, just need to have the right video what'll click for the algorithm and you're good to go, especially with that good of a quality :)
@@thebensonator wow !! you were at 19 suscribers a month ago and your already at 313 suscribers 👍You deserve it and much more
Came to see the guitar stayed for his personality/quality, you're going to blow up dude
i just got mine 10 days ago and i love it! Perfect for me as a beginner.
Great vid man, keep up the work!
The editing in this video was way better than I expected! Earned a sub
Very good quality review! Thank you for providing this video.
This is a channel to watch! You really did a great review here
Great review! Nice to know that the public can find great bargains in this day!
Great video man. Can't wait to see more from you
Just ordered it today!
Great review!
THX U SO Much for your Vids and your Fav Background Playlist ! XXX
Nice review! I just got this one in lefty, and for the price it’s awesome! 100 subs!!
Oh, and keep uploading. You can make it big here. Trust me. You got what it takes.
Nice man, I bought this same guitar for a cheap drop B tuning guitar setup and actually really liked it. Tuners suck but that’s an easy replacement and fairly cheap. Nice channel bud, subbed!
Thank you for subbing, it's greatly appreciated! Yeah, the tuners are one of the very few things about it that aren't quite up to snuff, especially for low tunings. Swap 'em out and beef up the strings a bit and it's wild how much this guitar crushes.
I have a Harley Benton Fusion and absolutely love it. Great brand doing great things. Also, awesome channel man!
Thank you, I appreciate the kind words! I actually have a Fusion coming in the next few days to review for the channel at a viewer’s request - haven’t owned one, so I’m looking forward to it!
Very good video man, it really seems like a good guitar for the price.
In addition, Harley Benton releases more quality models every day and is improving a lot with the qualities of its guitars.
By the way, very good guitar riffs.
I already subscribe
Cheers
Just bought a pro series Harley Benton blood red and fades out to black it’s a neck thru design and my EMG pick up are open no cover on them , it’s really a really well made guitar the action is perfect and always in tune and I paid 300 for mine with a hard shell case and the sound is very chunky and zero plug in buzz and the sustain is awesome also
This was a great review. I have a CST-24 Paradise Flame that I love, but HB guitars may be hit or miss with the QC, but for the price it's absolutely worth to buy if you want to try a new shape without investing $400+ (or €400+) in my case) for an entry-level instrument.
How do you actually only have 53 subscribers? I've never seen a channel this underated
I put locking tuners and better string trees on mine and of course polished up the frets. Mine came setup almost perfect from the factory, action was even set standard. It was just noisy beyond belief, until I took the pickguard off and shielded the cavity and the back of the guard. I have been amazed, it is dead silent now, just cannot believe I paid $119 for this guitar.
Production Quality is on top Level. Wow!
Nice sale job! Great review.
Has a couple of small dings you can see right here, bumps it into the mic 😂. All in all a killer video man. I subbed!!! Stay rad
Nice work dude
Nice quality of recording. Listened to entering track for few times.
I've just found your channel while searching for a review of this guitar. It's now € 138 here in Europe and it did feel like a sweet deal, confirmed now by your analysis of it. Thanks!
P.S do you have a cat?
brill review 👍 another sub for you🤘
I bought a HB ST20 HSS as my first electric guitar, what a brilliant well made piece of art, then i thought a more expensive guitar will be better, so incomes a Gretsch 5230T, then a HB fusion-II HSH, what guitar is plugged into my positive grid spark amp beside me now? the ST-20..I basically changed the strings on it to adagio 9's , then played the Fusion for the last 7 months, need to show more love to Gretsch tbh..anyway i took the ST-20 out of its bag after 7 months and the only string that was out of tune was the high E string amazing!
just ordered a Harley Benton DC-580 CH Vintage Series yesterday and asked the wife for one of these Harley Benton ST-20HH Active SBK for xmas even before i even watched this vid!
tbh it's not about how much the guitar costs, it's how much fun/pleasure it gives you and NOT being a brand snob no offense 🤣
i bought my 5 yr old grandson a Harley Benton ST-Junior BK Standard Series to learn on..if he wants to learn it seriously then we can both share my guitars and he will get the choice to pick one for him to keep 🥰 probably be all Harley Bentons to chose from 💪
300th subscriber! 🎉 great video
Yo I almost fell outta my seat when you said it had a ding on it then smashed your mic with it lmaooo. cool vid, will prob buy this lefty now for a mod guitar.
Very good demo track
Considering picking one of these up.
I just got my HB Amarok 6 for $420 and it did not disappoint. It's miles ahead of my Schecter Extreme 6 that is around the same price. I really think it sounds as good or better than my Charvel DK24, which is about $1,200 brand new.
5:22 you totally got me there man xD , sub earned \M/
great video. liked and subscribed and commented! great cat too. that Scale shirt can go in the garbage though. hope you're not running them where you work...
Very good review! Looks like a fine budget guitar. I have a couple of Harley Bentons, and I must say that I'm quite happy with all of them. My latest purchase was one of their strats with a hotrails style pickup in the bridge position. Can't even remember the model name, but it says VT Series on the headstock. It wasn't set up particularly well out of the box (still isn't), and the tuners started to act a bit funny after a couple of months, but I like the guitar and haven't really played anything else for about six months now. I'm an oldskool metal guy and I rarely go heavier than butchering a few thrash riffs, but I think it's a great rock machine, and it's probably worth getting it set up properly by a professional. New tuners and a setup will most likely cost more than the guitar itself, but... yeah... 😄
Ah yes, the ST-62 Hot Rod! A nice choice, great for a Strat with some beef without going for a totally different setup like the ST-20 here. That rail pickup in the bridge is surprisingly good sounding! I wish they hadn’t used the Kluson-style tuners though, sadly not too surprised they started acting funny. You can find some really solid replacements for not much money on Amazon, if budget is a big concern. Either way, you’ve got a great bang-for-the-buck guitar on your hands! 🤘
@@thebensonator Yeah, I'll probably look for some better tuners soon. Sadly I'm quite lazy, but it's definitely on my to-do-list. 😁
Keep up the good work!
For some reason mine came with pickups that have 'HBZ Custom Wound' printed on them. They weren't like that on the Thomman website and I can't find any information on why they are labelled that way.
Anyway, this guitar is so good that I have started to teach myself some metal. Up to now I've only really played blues based rock.
It very well might be. But how about the new R-446? That is also mega cheap and designed for metal. I'd be curious to see a comparison. It is slightly more expensive though.
Currently working on an R-446 demo! It'll be going up soon!
@@thebensonator I commented before seeing the end of the video hehe. I'll surely check it out breh.
@@thebensonator well I just subscribed to watch it when it comes out!
I have the JA version of this guitar. It's like they came from two different facilities. People were having neck, setup, and electric issues. Luckily I only had minor fret issues. Easily fixed.
It was fascinating to see the difference in QC - and even seeing it first-hand considering I owned both. Hard to go wrong either way.
It's a shame the JA-20 had the issues it did, especially for how good it feels as a budget guitar. Haven't tried one of the more recent ones, so I can only hope they were made aware and have addressed them.
@@thebensonator yeah. This is the first guitar I've owned with active pickups.
I've got two more now. I like the highs they have, and I can push it pretty hard and they sound good going through my Boss amp.
Really great in depth review, I'm a beginner and wondered how you lower the action on this guitar ?
Thank you!
When you received the guitar, there should also have been a small pack of Allen wrenches with it. (They're the L-shaped things with the six-sided heads, for simplicity's sake.) Find the smallest Allen wrench in there, and on the saddles of the guitar's bridge (where the strings are coming through), you should see a pair of tiny screws on each one.
To adjust the action, you'll want to lower the saddles, so put the Allen wrench in and steadily lower the saddle. Not too much at first; you don't want to bottom them out if you can help it. Gradually lower the action and re-tune the string, and see how low you can get it without any buzzing. (Play that string on each fret; you'll notice the distinct "buzz" sound if it's too low.)
You'll also want to check what's called the neck relief at the same time, which is how much the neck is curving. Search for a tutorial on truss rod adjustment - there's more to it than I could possibly put in a CZcams reply!
@@thebensonator thank you very much for your response and info, much appreciated mate !
Miss that spot, me too
What tuning were you in dammmm that was sick
Very informative review. Have you by my chance checked Harley Benton Fusion 3 FR?
I have not yet, but it’s on my list! I have a couple of Bentons I’m looking to order soon, maybe I’ll have to grab one of those.
@@thebensonator undrerstood
It's an amazing bang-for-the-buck. This is what I've done to mine so far:
Harley Benton ST-20hh active SBK
Mods:
1. Locking tuners
2. Bone nut
3. Roller string-trees
4. Speed knob (vol)
5. Full set-up (action, intonation, etc)
6. 11-52 NYXL's
7. Fretwrap
8. Perri's leather strap
9. Dunlop strap-locks
czcams.com/video/nKeBrWx8BP0/video.html
Ooh, the roller string trees are a nice addition! Hadn't considered those and maybe I should... I've got a quite a few upgrades already on the list, so what's one more?
i might buy 10 of these guitars and chop them up and use them for firewood, mby keep one.
How long you been playing? I just started playing a couple weeks ago and it hurts me to see someone with your talent with such low subscribers. Keep it up and I striving to be like you
Thank you for the kind words! Been playing for 17 years now, and it’s still hard to believe.
I started this channel some time ago and didn’t really upload to it - my primary channel has far more subscribers, but maybe not for long if the subs continue at this rate!
@@thebensonator yeah I’m 16 and just started playing I really wish I started earlier because I see seven year olds making me look stupid😂. I bought a double jet BT with v stop tail fingerboard aged natural. I bought it around 3 weeks ago and All I want to do is buy another guitar. Seeing people like you make it inspirational and makes me excited to get better
How high are the frets? Assuming the ja20 is the same too?
which is better ST-20HSS SBK or this one?
whats the song playling in the backround? 6:40
is the HSS of this the same quality?
Your only missing out on the 15th inlay
If it was available in white I would buy it instantly
Obviously a Jim Root inspired guitar, so why not go the full way, and have a white alternative hehe
Same! HB is working on a Jazzmaster version of this guitar - I'm *really* hoping that ones comes in white!
İ am use the guitat snd very very good
Have you tried running through an EQ pedal for tone control? And what is your other channel you mentioned that has the demos???
I use an in-loop EQ for lead tones, but on a guitar like this it's mostly some minor post-EQ for tone sculpting. I've been happy with the general sound of guitar > interface > sim for the most part, so no reason to try and fix what isn't broken.
The other channel is my covers channel - Benson Makes Music. I've used the ST-20 on quite a few covers over there in a few different tunings, so it's definitely been a workhorse for me!
I really would like to try one out, but im super reluctant to buy one...but there's just no way it'll get played.
Lol budget and ESP/KIESEL don't go in the same sentence.
Cool you man
I wanna know how Harley Benton does it lol they also have a 4x12 with V30’s for like 400 bucks
How would you compare this model to the single cut option?
The SC-1000 is definitely a heavier guitar weight-wise (naturally, since it's mahogany vs. basswood), and the set-in neck makes the whole package feel more robust by comparison. The tuners felt better, which was nice, but the bridge felt cheaper. Not bad, just cheaper. The 24 frets are nice, and the access is pretty good, but the blockier neck heel on it is a bit unfortunate IMO.
Tonally, they're very similar - active pickup things, y'know - and I doubt you'd notice much of a difference in a mix. The neck pickup was definitely darker, but the bridge pickup had this nice low-mid grunt that was somewhat absent from the ST-20. It felt like the ST-20 had an easier time "cutting through", but the SC-1000 sounded "bigger", for lack of a better term.
It's hard to go wrong either way, especially on a budget. If you have a little more money and want a singlecut option, you may also want to look into the SC-Custom II - nicer hardware, a much smoother neck joint, passive AND active pickup options, and it's not much more expensive. Whatever you go with, I'm sure you'll find something to like!
This guitar make me remember some Guitarist yeah Jim Root 😅 you know, it looks so similar with his guitar
i dont care about this guitar coz is ugly to me, but your solo phrasing is great and i learned cool lick from you! Great job!
Thank you! Even if you’re not a fan of the guitar, I’m glad I could help in some way! Haha 😁
Would you recommend swaping the strings? When it came from the factory it couldnt stay in tune at all , is it the bad strings or tuners ?
Changing the strings and getting a proper setup are going to be #1, for sure, especially if you're de-tuning. It would also help to lubricate the nut so you're not encountering any string slippage there.
The tuners are up to choice - I'd replace them myself again if I bought a new one (mainly because I'm picky about hardware like that) but if they feel smooth enough they don't have to be a high priority.
@@thebensonator I was thinking about changing the nut and tuners
I thought metal guitarists like 24 frets and a decent Floyd Rose. I would also say this would be a good jazz guitar or light rock guitar.
A nut file is only $10. But if you happen to get one where you have to cut all the groves on the nut, then forget it. If you start paying people to fix your guitar, it's probably worth looking at a different guitar.
And what is an active pickup, anyway? With modern effects, your pickups don't have to be loud, and with shielding and humbuckers, noise isn't an issue. Also with modern effects, I have never been able to hear a significant difference in any comparison video. I think the active pickup is simply a relic of an earlier age - the eighties - when guitarists did have to have loud pickups.
The “metal guitar” stigma is still pretty much exactly that - thin necks, lots of frets, and pointy things everywhere - but the industry is cool with embracing the exceptions. Jim Root’s signature Strat went over so well that Harley Benton decided to clone it, and it’s one of their best selling guitars now, so they’re on to something with it.
With actives, it’s an idea of feel more than anything, especially for recording - the in-built compression of the preamp helps deliver a more consistent signal before adding any post-processing. Playing is one thing, but the produced sound difference is generally pretty negligible, especially with modern amp modelers and plugins.
Coincidentally, it’s also a example of how modern plugins kind of ruin the stigma that “more expensive pickups sound better”. When a player can take a $30 set of pickups from Amazon and make them sound nearly indistinguishable from a $300 set of boutiques, it goes beyond just wire and magnets. Maybe it’s a commentary on modern guitar tones more than anything, but it’s a very interesting time for the budget guitar market.
PLZ BENSONATOR What's the Backgroundd Music around 7"50 / 8"10 ? XXX
Background track is Chaos Theory by MaximusSound - it’s a royalty-free track provided through Motion Array. (I have a license with them that prevents me from getting flagged for content ID!)
What happened to the 15th fret inlay
Not entirely sure - it fell out at some point prior to filming the video. There’s still some dry glue in the hole, so perhaps there wasn’t enough otherwise to bond well? It’s the only time it’s happened on a Harley Benton, so I definitely consider it more a strange accident than anything.
What about the indot lays at the fourteenth fret ?
That's a deal killer 😀
Your mix and the guitar sound better than the amarok models, would you say this guitar is better?
Well thank you! That's quite the compliment.
This and the Amaroks are an apples-and-oranges comparison, for sure - the ST-20 has a price/performance ratio that's hard to beat, and is great for the price, but it's a totally different-feeling guitar than the Amarok line. This is still rooted in the traditional Strat style, and will feel like it; the Amaroks feel like modern metal guitars, which are a wholly different experience.
A more apt comparison is this to the R-446, which are much more similar in body style and overall feel. The R-446 is great as a budget instrument, with different hardware but a similar price/performance ratio to the ST-20; the Amaroks feel much more premium and cohesive as instruments. Playability is similar - the R-446's neck feels flatter - but you notice a quality and an attention to detail that the less expensive lines lack. The trade-off is you pay more money out-of-pocket for that level of detail, and for some it's not worth it.
Sound-wise, you just gotta go with your ear. The ST-20 sounds great for what you pay for, and so does the Amarok. I enjoy using both, and they each have characteristics that the other doesn't, but depending on what you're looking for neither one is particularly "better" than the other. Just different.
Awesome comparison, thank you!! To my ears after 26 years of playing (I'm 37) a lot of individual notes the strat copy definitely sounds better but I feel I'd have to mod it a bit more, locking tuners ect. The amaroks sound very boomy in the low end I can't find a CZcams video that sounds any different. The basswood body may have more to do with it. Definitely better specs on those for sure. Surprisingly, the st-20hh for the price point, if I added locking tuners and maybe pickups down the line I think it could surpass the amaroks. Have you thought about doing any mods to the ST-20HH? Would be a cool video for sure. Thanks so much again and keep playing and writing!!!
How is this in comparison to the Harley Benton JA-20HH Active SBK Set?
They feel and play pretty much the same - the neck profile is virtually identical. Sound and control is the same - which is, to say, killer for a guitar this cheap - though I do like the layout and pickup switch more on the JA-20.
I'd pick between the two based on preference for feel and body style. If you like a more "traditional" feel out of a guitar, the ST-20 will probably be a more natural fit, while the JA-20 feels more "modern" with the offset body. Either way, they're sweet for the price!
@@thebensonator I’m going with the ST-20, thanks for the reply!
Is that a standard strat size? It could just be the camera angle but it looks tiny.
*removed because I posted with the wrong account - you should still check this one out anyway 😁*
(Whoops, posted the original with my other account!)
Standard Strat body size, fits regular 11-hole Strat pickguards (though, as I just found out today, the electronics cavity of the body is *specifically routed* for the Jim Root style pickguard, meaning regular Strat-style setups are sadly not drop-in). Camera angle makes it look smaller, especially since the camera was tilted slightly downward during filming.
Whats the Song called in the background?
Background track is Chaos Theory by MaximusSound - it's a royalty-free track provided through Motion Array. (I have a license with them that prevents me from getting flagged for content ID!)
@@thebensonator thank you so much!
@@thebensonator Loved this Background Track, made me watch the video longer
Check the new Fazley guitars
If I can figure out a way to get them forwarded to the States from the UK, then sure! They've got an interesting lineup with some really neat budget guitars, so I'd certainly be interested.
Weird you stated the neck is a little thin and in line with a modern Strat. I just watched another video and the guy said, it’s a really big and thick neck and nothing like a Strat. Said it’s more like a chunky Les Paul. You guys literally have the exact opposite opinions of the neck. I’ve only watched his video and yours and don’t know who to believe haah
Interesting! I grew up with vintage-style Strats (my dad’s been a player since the Stone Age, haha), so I’m used to the big ol’ baseball necks. This neck definitely isn’t one of those. A Les Paul is a pretty good comparison, though I dunno if I’d say chunky - maybe it’s a production difference? Can’t say for sure!
2022 and guitar companies still can’t get their nuts right
Did you adr your intro? Lol
No tone pot. Very biased personal opinion, many people had serious issues with this guitar. At the same time you pulled the R446 down while it has way better tone and features. Strange!
Reviews will always have some degree of personal bias, since they’re largely just opinion pieces. While we can aim to stay as neutral as possible, history with our instruments and general preference for features can and will impact the overall experience.
At the time this review was filmed the R-446 wasn’t on the market, and the issues that coincided with the launch of the later active models weren’t evident, so context has to be taken into consideration. Even after it launched, the ST-20 was cheaper (still is) and offered a more streamlined experience for the metal player with a small pocketbook - a better get-in-and-go guitar with a bigger tone that reflects the guitar it was copping.
The R-446 is fantastic, and offers a superior feature set overall, but I stand by my assertions - which fits *my* experience with both guitars. At the end of the day, it’s up to the viewer to decide what they prefer the most, and not just idly agree with me because I had the inspiration to say it in front of a camera.
Also, who *really* needs a tone pot in metal? 😉
I was enjoying this video until you started going on about tone wood
Lol. Black magic
How do you have 29 subs? Well 30 now, but youre incredible, keep doing what youre doing