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Chibson Killers? | Best Legal Alternatives
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- čas přidán 14. 08. 2024
- Chibson guitars and fakes from china like Chibsons are rarely what they are cracked up to be. However there are so many people who will try to convince you otherwise.
Today we take a look at 3 serious alternatives that I believe from personal experience are MUCH better value for you.
Don't take my word for it - see for yourself :-)
You have but one life - live and enjoy it. Peace :o)
#chibson
#guitar
#cheap
#alternatives
THE UNBOXING AND SPECS + MY AFFILIATE LINKS:
SC 450: • Unboxing Harley Benton...
Buy: bit.ly/sc450guitar
SC550: • Harley Benton surprise...
Buy: bit.ly/sc550guitar
V100: • Unboxing my first Vint...
Buy: www.gak.co.uk/...
Chibson GM2: • Les Paul 1959 Chibson ...
THE USUAL DEETS:
CGS Website and Forum: www.ChinaGuitar...
You Tube Channel: / chinaguitarsceptic
Instagram: / chinaguitarsceptic
Facebook: / china-guitar-sceptic-7...
Email me: chinaguitarsceptic@gmail.com
MILTON GUITARS CHANNEL: / @miltonguitars
MILTON GUITARS WEBSITE: www.miltonguita...
THE GEAR I USE:
USA LINKS
Audio
Behringer X32 Digital Mixer - amzn.to/2quqRb2
Zoom R16 16 Track SD Card Recorder Interface and Controller - amzn.to/2qvZwFm
Zoom H4n Pro/UK Handy Recorder - amzn.to/2QmVOcv
Rode NT1-A condenser mic and articulated arm/stand - amzn.to/2Dq4tbF
RØDE M3 Cardioid Condenser Microphone - amzn.to/2Doz610
DBX 286S Mic Preamp/Compressor - amzn.to/2DolRxd
Audio-Technica ATH-M50X Studio Monitor Professional Headphones - amzn.to/2PMdsK0
SM 57 LCE dynamic Microphone - amzn.to/2REXIFT
Sennheiser EW100 Wireless Microphone System - amzn.to/2DoKxFI
Boya Lapel Mic: amzn.to/2E1yA9j
TC electronic M350 - amzn.to/2qvaISJ
Video
Logitech Brio Webcam 4K Streaming Edition HD - amzn.to/2DpwXlL
YI 4K+ Action Camera Ultra HD 4K/60fps - amzn.to/2SNEz5V
Miscellaneous
D'Addario EXL125 10 SETS - amzn.to/2Qmj2Q0
UK LINKS
Audio
Behringer X32 Digital Mixer - amzn.to/2Jc32gX
Zoom R16 16 Track SD Card Recorder Interface and Controller - amzn.to/2ON6PXV
Zoom H4n Pro/UK Handy Recorder - amzn.to/2z1muIG
Rode NT1-A condenser mic and articulated arm/stand - amzn.to/2yZ7Ykr
RØDE M3 Cardioid Condenser Microphone - amzn.to/2z14g9R
DBX 286S Mic Preamp/Compressor - amzn.to/2EFCx4P
Audio-Technica ATH-M50X Studio Monitor Professional Headphones - amzn.to/2yVMkxF
SM 57 LCE dynamic Microphone - amzn.to/2CDOIMG
Sennheiser EW100 Wireless Microphone System - amzn.to/2CZpf1j
Boya lav mic: amzn.to/2P5DLpL
TC electronic M350 - amzn.to/2O2OOQe
Video
Logitech Brio Webcam 4K Streaming Edition HD - amzn.to/2Jd2VSm
YI 4K+ Action Camera Ultra HD 4K/60fps - amzn.to/2JewClU
Miscellaneous
D'Addario EXL125 10 SETS - amzn.to/2EF8DO1
Wow it came with a broken headstock now that is a authentic Gibson
Boom, mic drop, walk away.
In 1984 my brother bought a 1974 white (always turn nice antique yellow) w/ gold hardware, Gibson Les Paul in it's original hard shell case for $450. It had a mild cracked and well repaired headstock. Other than that it looks and plays perfect! I call it a bargain all day long.
In 1996 I bought from Music-Go-Round here in Columbus, a very clean 1978 Gibson Hummingbird acoustic guitar with a repaired partially split head stock for $200!
Interesting, around 1983 my brother bought a near mint 1962 Gibson Dove acoustic guitar in it's hard shell case for $800. I just thought it was very dead sounding, but around 10 years later I was playing it and it sounded incredible!
That said, my 78' Hummingbird also sounded dead when I got it in 1996'. Unfortunately I ended up trading it back to Music Go Round' a year later, but they gave me a $400 credit. Don't even know what gear I got.
At the age of 12 in 1978 my first guitar was an all mahogany 1964 Gibson LG-O acoustic parlor guitar my mom paid $200 for. It had a nice uncrackled varnished patina and the guitar sounded very warm and personal, unlike a loud full dreadnought. The LG-O's are great for finger picking, just sitting around imagining you are in the woods in some long lost renaissance period. I learned all of RUSH's 1975 album - *Caress* *Of* *Steel* on that guitar.
haha that's too funnny
And a plastic nut, ala 1959. ;-)
Frets... I level frets anyway so..
i broke jackson soloist 1995 model neck. i couldnt eat for days, and then i tried to connect two parts with resin. it was not easy though, pretty much successful. made extra holes around the place. and put extra amount of resin, and grind for making shape. now i got my baby back. its screaming again. :)
My son believes that a £3,000+ guitar is what makes a good guitarist. I believe that practice and dedication are far more important. Hendrix learned on a two string guitar from a skip, Slash learned on a single string guitar. When he was still at school and learning, my son's guitar tutor told me that if my son wanted an expensive guitar, he should buy it himself when he can afford it.
I like your view and that of his tutor. Thank goodness he has good advice around him.
Just to make it 100% clear for anyone watching (especially the cynics), the links in the description are my affiliate links for the Thomann guitars and it will help this channel if you use them. There is no extra cost to you. However if you can find any of what I show here cheaper, please buy elsewhere and get the best deal for you. In addition, I should also say that these guitars are only the ones I have tried myself and can gladly recommend. There will be hundreds of new and used alternatives to buying a fake. As always my advice is to go to a store and get a guitar in your hands to make the ultimate best choice for you!
Crap. Sorry buddy I took a chance on these guys (HB)on Christmas Day. I wish I hadda known about your great channel I woulda went through you. I got the gold top p90. I’ve got 4 Gibson LPs and I’ll admit I’ve been a bit of a snob in the past. I don’t have a p90 guitar so I thought I’d give these guys a chance. Wish me luck. I actually have a Vintage also. Their take on an es335. I was out of town and just wanted something to play while away. Grabbed it and still have it. It’s great. Anyway apologize for the essay. I just want you to know I’ve subbed and if I like the HB I think I’ll buy their cst 24. I’ll do it thru your link I promise.
Happy Christmas from Canada.
Peace.
Hey brother welcome to the channel, It's great to have you here.
I think you'll be impressed with your purchase too. Please be sure to let us know how you get on. 😊👍
@@Chinaguitarsceptic A little update for you. I think it’s worth passing on. I got an update from UPS which is the shipper Thomman uses. I had to pay another 59 bux on top of the 90 or so original shipping fee to Canada. Please understand that I was happy to pay. It would have to be much higher than that to make it not still a great deal. Just thought your gang would like to know that there is a cost ( to Canada at least) above the shipping price originally paid.
Can’t wait to get the thing. I’ll let you all know what I think!!
@@deanmccaskill5495 Ah man that sucks though. Thanks for giving the lovely folks out there the heads up though.
I'm going with the sc 450 (coil split) and installing D'Urbano paf pups off Reverb.. I have them in my Fishbone LP style electric and they are amazing for about $130 shipped.. very articulate where the low end doesn't drown the high end.... can't say enough about them.. thank you for this video and I see I needed to ring the bell so I did !
I have 2 HB and they had minimal issues and the $39 shipping covers up 3 guitars and you can get accessories as well. It was a great experience!
I'm a harley benton fan, i have a real PRS and a HB CST 24, replace the pickups on the HB and you will get a Good Sounding PRS look a like that is great quality and looks great.
Lots of Chibsons for sale here in the UK not just copies of Gibson's but also Fender's and other brands some are nice guitars. Basically Gibson have only got themselves to blame for high prices and poor quality control. If they were to change the headstock shape on the Epiphones to openbook the Chibsons sales would drop.
Great comparison video my friend!! I've owned entry level LP style guitars and also own a Chibson. I didn't think people were still buying the fake stuff, they are VERY buyer beware!! I got mine in trade for next to no money and knew what I was getting into. Unless you know EXACTLY what you're getting you're far better off getting something with a name and a company that stands behind it. Cheers mate!!
If Harley Benton still had the sc450 in the color you have, I would buy it immediately
I have two of the 450s and two of the 550's and I think they sound better than my Epiphone Les Paul customs. And for the price you can't beat them.
I’ve got a Vintage V100 and agree! That guitar plays and sounds as good as my old Gibson LP Standard.
It's not even like Chibsons are THAT cheap now compared to what you can get.
Exactly. And there would be no talking about them if they weren't using the Gibson logo.
I would say that the best way to buy a guitar is either in person, or from a guitar shop, so you can see and play what you are buying.
Totally!
BEST LEGAL ALTERNATIVE -- GIBSON DIDN'T MAKE THE LIST. 😂😂😂
LOL - play authentic mate!
@@Chinaguitarsceptic you've been warned.
Gibson is not an alternative, really
Wouldn't that be an Epiphone?
I think the 550 offers the best performance per $ ratio out of all of these, but the 450 offers the most versatility with the split coil. Do they offer that as an option on any of the 550s?. You can actually get both the 450 and 550 for almost the same price as the Vintage. Nice comparison video.
The fact that you picked the Vintage V-100PGM makes it a bit of an apples and oranges comparison, because the Peter Green model was MADE to sound differently. You could (and maybe should) have picked another V-100 version that has the standard electric configuration at a much LOWER PRICE.
I bought 3 used Vintage V-100 guitars, but all with (stacked) Wilkinson P90s in them (2 TV Yellows and 1 Midge Ure Signature model, and they are all fantastic guitars, but they wouldn't fit into this comparison either, but the Vintage TV Yellow does beat a REAL Gibson Les Paul Special DC Faded Series. I know because I tried it at the old Conijn store in EIndhoven (predecessor of Feedback and Key Music). So: a €250.- guitar beat a €899.- guitar in both volume and tone. Maybe the Faded Series were deliberately made to sound so so... in order to get you to buy a more expensive version, maybe a TV Yellow reissue for €6,500.- because they do think we're all crazy.
People who buy a Peter Green model buy it because of the Peter Green mod with that particular out of phase sound. I would whenever I can lay my hands on a reasonably priced used one in near mint condition (I wouldn't pick the distressed version either, because I think I'm fit to ruin my guitars myself at any moment of MY choice*).
*So, generally I'm also against relicing guitars too, but there are some exceptions that have proven to sound BETTER because of the relic, such as the Fender Custom Shop Rory Gallagher Stratocaster. They beat any expensive Strat in the shop. I wouldn't believe it, if I hadn't heard it myself. Moneywise Fender didn't convince me, because I don't believe the myth of 'master builders' when in comes to assembling bolt-on solid-body electric guitars.
A cort CR 250 could be a nice alternative, hell even a cort zenox or ibanez AR are better than a chibson
When you buy a Chibson you are dealing with a crook, who is just waiting to do to you what crooks do to people. Unfortunately, some people need to learn this the hard way.
@@NathanHassall An honest guitarmaker would not be counterfeiting somebody else's product. You don't have to be a big brand to have high quality standards; many boutique luthiers can make exquisite instruments to match or beat the best from Fender and Gibson. If you don't have a brand rep, you can build it by making and selling better guitars.
Stealing someone else's brand to put on your product is something only a crook does. This is what CGS is trying rto educate us about.
Honestly, any Gibson rep or litigogricous Gibson-owned Lawyer who has shaken Les Paul's hand or introduced themselves to Mary Ford, please correct me. Yes... the law says a 1941 design can still be owned. But dude... these people aren't with us anymore. You can't come up with anything new? Les Paul was a GENIUS! How is anyone making a Les Paul in 2024 not just as much of a crook as the Chibson people? What innovative anything was done? That's like saying if someone from China reproduces a P-51 Mustang and sells it to air shows is a thief. Yes, I know under US law that 1941.... yup, during World War II, I wasn't around... design can still be owned. But .... really?
Innovate already! Make something better!!!!!
I like the Harley Benton SC550 as the Chibson killer. It sounds and looks good and it's cheap. Did you have a look at the pots? Are they full sized Alpha pots in the SC550?
No they are the small ones I think. I will have to double check as I may be getting confused with the V100. The SC450 definitely has smaller pots. I've never had any issue with those. It's usually the terrible wiring and soldering that let's cheap guitars down and lack of proper shielding which is easy enough to do.
I have a vintage, it plays great.
Next stop is a custom shop les paul but they are so pricey I dont really know when I will get one😅
I have the 450. Gonna sheild and and make a few upgrades but unreal value for money.
Used cort CR custom with duncans already installed. A FAR better guitar than any of those for about the same price used.
The pickups on the Harley Bentons leave something to be desired. If you invest in a pair of Gibson 57 Humbuckers to upgrade the Harley Bentons you might arrive at the same cost of an Epiphone. Is the Epiphone 1960 Tribute Plus still available?
Even with upgrading the price will work out better
double the tone cap values in the Vintage V100 and you got a winner. The other 3 all have the muddy Epiphone pickups.
why do people slate your playing? you're a pretty good guitarist my friend, also you are doing a demo not playing cliffs of dover xD which there is no shame in not being able to play. We are all still learning and getting better on guitar no matter what level you are. Great Demo and the Harley Bentons sounded excellent very mature and professional sounding actually.
Out of all 3, I would say that the Harley Benton SC 550 sounds best all around. It's nice and powerful on the clean and the distorted. The 450 would be a close second.
Myself, I'm going to grab the Harley Benton SC 1000 VW at €168, change out the active pups, the wiring harness and tuners and still come away cheaper than the Vintage V100 and way under a Wolf! As for the SC 450 and 550, good guitars but I hate what they did with the upper boot to keep Gibson off their back. Vintage did the same thing with the V100.
I have a Chibson Les Paul custom I was given by my brother years ago coz he couldn't get on with it. I've changed the pickups, the machine heads, re wired the whole thing, changed the selector switch and all the hardware. Basically all that's left is the wood its made of and it now sounds great and plays pretty good. However I have spent more than the cost of the guitar on doing this, so if I hadn't been given it in the first place, it's just not worth it
I never understood the need for buying an inferior guitar just because it says Gibson. As you said you wont fool anyone. Great vid.
Thanks brother
Wolf guitars makes a great Les Paul alternative. And they look and play fantastic.
Yeah, I've been checking out their 6-string basses; I wish somebody would post a demo/review for them. They look really nice. Only thing I don't like about them is the lack of ergonomic cutaways. I've played completely flat top and back basses before and it's not impossible, but it takes some getting used to.
I bought a telecaster alternative from them. I love the guitar. But, there are some quality issues. For one, where the body is glued together, you can feel the seam. So, the colored section of the guitar is slightly raised higher than the center. The center is several woods glued together and goes through from the head stock into the body as one piece.
On the finish itself, you can see pencil marks a woodworker would make on wood to give them an idea where they didn't sand yet. And the screws on the bridge are too long and catch my hand when I play. Easy fix. It was $499.
I may sand it down and repaint it, and just change out the screws. Or just sand it to age it. Other than those issues, it plays really nice, it had a great set up from them for free, it sounds great and the neck feels great. Grover tuners, bone nut, etc.
The issues don't bother me, because despite it, it's a really solid guitar. My uncle has the Les Paul copy. It's really nice. No quality issues I've found. It sounds great, it looks great and he loves it.
I considered getting their Fender Strat copy, but they are sold out.
Interesting video, but why didn't you include the most obvious alternative (Epiphone)..?
Epiphone is my current favorite guitar brand. I love the two I own and they're my go-to guitars along with my Jackson. I'm also driving out to pick ANOTHER Epiphone up on Friday!
Epiphones are great if Korean !
@@cyb3r3vil30 - True. But, I can work with any of them. It just requires a little extra work. But, it's not like I'm rebuilding a whole guitar - just making adjustments.
Chibson Killer...my vintage tobacco burst LTD EC 401VF w Dimarzio 36th Anniversary PAF's. Extremely well made, jet smooth frets, and sounds as good as any Les Paul.
Chibson sounds best then SC-550 then SC-450. The Vintage is worst by some margin which I found surprising. I have 2x HBs myself and have concluded that the Roswell pickups are only OK but then most of my other guitars have DeArmonds and Seymour Duncans so that bar is high. That said, I would not buy a Chibson so the SC-550 wins.
Are you deaf? Chibson is out of tune and nowhere near intonated. The other 3 blow it out of the water completely.
In my going on 3 year's of guitar playing I have bought 6 guitar's, I have never fallen for the Chibson deal, because for what money you are going to spend and how much hassle it is to order from china and worrying about the condition of the guitar when it arrives all the way from China. There are MANY other inexpensive guitar's that are Good guitar's on the market under a grand to choose from and not get ripped off. I have one Gibson, a SG standard 2017 Pelham blue. I also have 2 PRS SE's, a custom 24 and a Mark Holcomb and an Epiphone Sheritan and a Epiphone Les Paul custom Pro along with an EJ200CE acoustic. All of these guitar's ( except the Gibson) were right around 800-1000.00 US and all of them Play great and I've had no issue's with any of them aside from the acoustic which had to have the bridge shimmed so the high E string wouldn't hit the neck pick up. I'm not an advanced player but I can hear the difference between a good guitar and a bad one. I HAVE seen a few Chibson's that were not really BAD guitar's, t(hey were most likely built by Epiphone worker's) but I just can't afford to risk loosing any money on a rip off.
The part that is different here in the states from where you are is lack of warranty service here and the cost of returns. When cost of return is 50% the price of the item its probably better to sell it as is local. If they want to sell in the US they need sales and service here. Does Thomann want the US market?
There is nothing like Wolf WLP750t
Ssssshhhhh. Don't tell the whole world lol. The price has gone up a 100.00 bucks. Amen on that. I have 2. Unbelievable guitars for the price.
youve peaked my interest! I haven't heard of this company...
Very informative! The other option if you want an LP, but don't want to pay the price, is build it yourself. You can get kits for under $200 and it is a great way to get to know the insides of a guitar. Thanks for another great vid, brother!
Thank you brother :-)
All kits I have seen had bolt on necks. Am I not looking in the right places?
Johannes Labusch There are glue in ones. Bulldog from Australia have glue in ones, but I’m sure you can find them closer to home. Unless you’re in Oz, that is.
Johannes Labusch they have set neck LP’s at bargain musician.com
@@JohannesLabusch Solo in Canada sells glue in. and Fretwire in the USA sells them as well. I'm building a glue in neck LP and have a couple of vids on my channel about the first couple of steps so far.
What makes more sense? Buying a 400 dollar Epiphone and switching out the pots, wiring, and pickups> or just going for the 700 dollar Epiphones? I'm talking about the 50s and 60s reissue Epiphones.
I know I can't have it all, but I want a guitar that is setup correctly from the factory and sounds great on stage without buying a 3K LP.
If you can do the work it makes a lot of sense as you will get more for your money.
I quite enjoy the manner in which you present this topic. I do hope this style becomes a trend. A review with options. What a concept.
Thank you brother!
WHY waste money on a Chibson with no warranty when Thomann give 90 days replacement or money back and 3 years warranty. No brainer or wot?
Plus Thomann does a decent setup job on all the HBs I've gotten from them. I haven't grabbed a LP option, just because I have huge hands and short scale guitars are hard for me to fret chords on.
Plenty of nice guitars out there that don't cost an arm and a leg now and still better than Chibson's. I think that people need to realise that buying a Chibson will not quench their thirst for a Gibson, because once you have it, you know it's fake anyway, despite what it says on the headstock. People don't realise that before it's too late. My advice is save your money and put it towards saving for a Gibson if you're that desperate for one. If you can't afford a Gibson then stop worrying about what it says on the headstock, buy a nice Epiphone or something and call it a day. I've played an Epiphone Les Paul Plustop Pro that would stand up to any Gibson i've played.
Tell THAT to pawn shops that sell them for several $Ks!
HUH? I think you got the wrong end of the stick! (Mine!) Just stating a fact. MANY pawn shops see 'Gibson' and price accordingly! They don't BOTHER to check if it's real or a Chinese counterfeit!
Better yet, take that money you've saved for HALF a Gibson and get a guy to make you a really GREAT LP clone! When I read that one of the capital investments/improvements at Gibson would be to get better lighting in the plant so the workers could better spot iffy quality work, I just shook my head and wondered why people buy into the myth.
He said nothing of the sort! Learn to read!
I don't understand why people make videos about a thing and then say before we get to the thing you're here for.... frustrating. Still very helpful. Thank you, Sir.
Sorry if that's frustrating. Sometimes there are things to say that might not warrant a full video of its own. However in this video I was just giving pertinent background.
Thank u for all the videos u make ! The 550 looks awesome !! my honest question is does HB still keep the "unshielding" on their guitars and how much it really affects their sound quality or they fixed it on their newest models ? because totally honest opinion about the first video uve done 450 vs chibson , chibson sounded pretty much better so what i try to understand is it an lack of shielding on HBs or its a difference between the pick ups ?
Thanks mate
The SC450 is now shielded as I did it in a video on setup and shielding. So as I say I think it has the least pleasing of all the tones, but I know it will appeal to some folks. The 550 has Rockwells in too but that is definitely my favorite of the 4. :-) Thanks for your kind support and rock on my friend!
Nice video. I like the smoother tone of the SC550 - probably attributable to the extra wood. I also like the Peter Green tone of the Vintage. They get very close to the original PG tone at some positions. I had a lovely custom acoustic made by a small luthier in China, my logo and so on. Never affordable, made in the USA. Very good, but you have to shop Very CAREFULLY ... Rock-on :)
The Vintage is pretty shrill. I agree that the SC550 sounds best (of these four).
Nice informative video. I own the V100 and have absolutely no fret issues. I think maybe you received a substandard version. That said I agree that the HB 550 sounds great and very reasonably priced.
Too shiny and colorful. I would go with something flat black from harley benton but I'll have a look and see if I like anything. Looking for something with active pickups... cheap ones! So I can swap in some EMG's I have sitting around
Now this is how you approach this subject. Good Job
Thanks for reminding me how badly i want a SC550...saving up again.
The SC450 and SC550 are very close but the distored sounds it was a little nicer where the 450 was a little nicer at the beginning. The vintage doesnt come close somehow. The chipson.... damn that was bad.
Get the 550 just work that extra cash, it is just amazing. Save up, do some house work and buy yourself a amazing guitar
@@lukegalvan3093 I will. I bought a SC500 last year to learn to play. just on a whim. Should have gone for the 550 or 450 first, but for some reason i wanted a black one.
Now i'm a fanboy for HB, so SC550, CST 24, and more stuff to come.
@@btewb Well i have a lot of fun on the SC-500. When i was young i used to have a Squire tele, which was nowhere near as good as this one. I remember how the frets were horrible where on the SC500 they are really nice.
I bought the package SC500BK with the HB40 amp. I just added a better cable although the one it came with was pretty okay too.
The guitar feels good, stays in tune fairly well. The tuners arent great on the SC500 but i got used to them. The SC550 should have a little better ones. Everything should be a little better on the SC550 so i'm sure i'm gonna get myself an SC550.
Funny how personal preference works, i found the chibson to be horrible sounding compeared to te other 3.
I have seen comparance videos from Eytschpi42 at thoman comparing SC style guitars in various price ranges. In the lowest price range 0-500 the SC550 was definitly the best followed by a epiphone nearly twice as expensive. Even in the 500 to 1000 it still sounded really great. Ofcourse after that its more in favor of the higher end guitars but the difference is small.
I would really go for the 450plus or 550, simply much much cheaper, you will get warranty, thomann, will set up the guitar (not thats its always perfect)
If you dont like the guitar or whatever you can send it back to thomann. And specially the 550 simply is waay waay better.
For the money of a chipson you can even get the high end HB guitars like the fusion pro etc.
For me there definitly going to be more HB guitars in the future. I'm sure you will enjoy the sc550, even when you will get better. Even an sc450plus would still be really nice, but personally for me i would have spend the extra 70 euro since the sc550 is just a bit better.
If I ever get an HB-SC, I'll swap out the PUs for Toneriders. Maybe the Generators, the bridge Generator is pretty hot. And maybe also a new switch, a 3x3-05 and four pp-pots.
My more recent, 2018 SC-450 Plus is 4.9 cm thick (1.9") with binding and weighs 4.3 Kg (9.4 lbs).
I love Harley bentons and feel almost like buying a Martin style or taylor style next.
Just received my Harley Benton TE-40 TBK yesterday, after swearing to stop buying guitars online.
Yeah, I lied, once again...however, the guitar is probably the best bargain I have ever gotten on a guitar purchase. Beautiful and immaculate, plays and sounds amazing. Excellent quality overall.
Good and responsive customer service from Thomann, so kudos to them.
Do as you please--it's your money, but I will never buy anything direct from China again. Period.
Hey brother glad to see your well and another great video.Id have to agree with you on the Chibson thing.i got sucked in and bought one myself and the fret board wasn't even fretted correctly.and in that I mean the frets wasn't spaced correct so you could never play it right.so I did what everyone does and started buying Harley Benton guitars lol.and the quality was so much better.so much I bought 4 lol.they make a cracking tele to.and the best part is if you want to sell them you can.the chibsons you can't.now I'm in to partscasters and building my own guitars from scratch.as soon as I get a few more tools I may start a channel of my own building guitars.looking forward to the future and seeing more of your videos.cheers and hope your well.
For $150 USA shipped, the HB SC450 is incredible. I like it so much I just bought one after watching this video (and others.)
The Harley Benton's have been getting great stuff said about them of late, good guitars for not a lot of money & if I'm being honest seem like a great piece of kit if you're of the mindset to perhaps tinker with them later on!
Your best video EVER! Well done! Thanks for the effort and your time with this video. Great comparison and great title for the video. Definite chibson Killers! Cheers!
Thanks brother
I had a Jimmy Page Chibson that I paid around $260 usd for. After a $90 fret leveling, setup and a new set of strings it played and sounded as good as a buddy’s Gibson lp. He actually bought the Chibson from me and plays it more than his lp. He won’t cry as much if his kids knock it over and snaps the headstock off. I guess we were lucky that we got a good one. The Chibson pickups sound great. Enjoyed your playing btw.
How about having MADE IN CHINA carved in the back of the headstock of all Chinese imports? That would keep them from being sold as authentic Gibson’s.
I must be a globalist because I have a Mexican strat that I absolutely love and a brand new 2020 Epiphone SG standard that I love even more. Both required pro setups and have low actions with no fret buzz. One day after I learn to play, I will own an ebony Gibson SG custom.
The real problem with China is that they’re taking our money and building aircraft carriers that could one day be used against us. And, greedy business people are selling out our countries for cheap Chinese slave labor. Soon, we will need to ask the question, “is it worth buying goods from an irresponsible country that threatens our countries and is it ok to move jobs overseas?” Until then I will enjoy the Epiphone and Monoprice 5w amp (aka Laney Cub 8).
Cheers man I love the idea of carving made in China on the back I think I might do that! 🇨🇳😊👍🙏
Nowhere on the Thomann website does it say that those are maple capped. They would be crowing about if they were.. so its safe to assume its a veneer on top of mahogany.
The Vintage v100 is however a full maple cap with a maple veneer on that.
Brian Mays red special is chambered, and we know how Good that sounds, I tried many different Les Pauls and the chambering didn't make much difference to me in fact I bought one , the one that I felt played and sounded the best, and no shoulder knot the morning after a gig, I like the 550 the best, stunning guitar, I wish they were making instruments like this when I was a teenager in the seventies....,cough
We had the Ibanez bolt on l.p. to play. Mine played just like a Gibson and had plenty of sustain. Hard to believe it was small planks of mahogany and maple glued together. Now we have a golden age of affordable guitars that are extremely playable and gigable
The Chibson sounds awful compared to the other 3. Difficult to compare the other 3 on a youtube video, I think there are some volume differences (Vintage V100 is quieter). I have a Vintage Lemon Drop and it's great. Also have a Gibson Les Paul Studio and it's honestly no better than the Vintage, except it's lighter, which I like. Based on my experiences, I can recommend Vintage guitars. they appear to be very well made and they sound great. My V100 Lemon Drop does not have sharp fret ends, they are well finished all the way down the neck. I have the non-relic version, which I prefer.
You can't go wrong with the Harley Benton brand from Thomann. After my grandson got a cherry red DC-580 from them, I was so impressed that I ordered a left handed SC-Custom, both came set up properly and were beautiful. Now the neighbor kid has a
SC-450 on the way. Also shipping at only $35.00 for up to three guitars in the same box is outstanding!
Hi, I have got a question. First I explain a bit: My HB SC450 Plus LD (older than yours since purchased in April 2017) came with MWCHB alnico vintage-style humbucker pickups and real Rosewood instead of the thermally treated maple. I do not know if that is any better, but it is so. I did not like the setup, but did not have issues to make it on my own.
I also found it to be a great value for money. I even made some upgrades: Gototh bridge, Tuners, Strap Locking pins and String retain bar. (I did not have big issues with the factory supplied hardware, but wanted to make it better) In total was on the price of the SC550 and of course quite less than the Vintage. Now I am planing to replace the Tone pots, switch, capacitors and jack for another 30€ (All Parts or Japanese Gotoh). At this point I would have spent a bit more than for a SC550 but in two years time while keeping the coil split, having better switch, jack, tuners and capacitors. I will not touch the 300€ line any way, which is the maximum I would ever pay for a Thomann branded guitar (white product generally speaking).
Now my question. I find my Wilkinson Pickups to be a bit muddy to my taste. However they suppose to be quite the same than those installed on the Vintage one. Could this be related to the electronics that I am planing to replace (capacitors, switch, jack and pots?) Or are the Pickup fake ones and so no real Wilkinson?
Other than that I love the HB relation between money and value. I hate the brand name. I must say... I would have prefer another name. I personally find Harley Benton to sound ridiculous for something like a musical instrument. But that is my taste. I am not longing for to have Gibson or Epi or whatever brand on my head stock. I just do not like Harley Benton. That is all. It actually makes me laugh :-0 I finally bought a black plate for mailbox reading SC450P with Les Paul alike Italic characters and sticked on top to cover this, to me, funny name. Thanks for your good videos.
Electronics are a topic a bit like tone wood. They may make a small difference but it's mainly the pickups. The muddy sound could have something to do with the wiring but it's much more likely a trait of the pup itself unless the guitar is actually wired up wrong.
great information brother thanks for sharing!
Tuning aside, the Chibson's pickups do sound pretty good. They are my favorite. I'm not a fan of the Vintage's pickups but both the HB's sound good. I'd just buy the Epiphone pickups though and not bother with the Chibson.
He's generalizing to much for my taste. EART just overtook any budget guitar on the market with their outstanding fretwork. But they're also not direct copies.
. My pick is Antonio Tsai The one I saw is a Les Paul type,with an abalone hallucination of a rocket ship leaving the Earth( both are huge inlays,on the body) The Milky Way ,Saturn,Stars (still on the body) .A variety of Planets. On the neck is a very intricately detailed huge dragon ( in Vietnamese culture dragons are a sign of good fortune,feel free to straighten me out if I am missing something here). On the headstock is a dragon that appears to be crawling over the top of the headstock,again intricately detailed.Sounds Great.Maybe Chibson and Gibson should let Antonio teach them how to make guitars.
Thanks for this I learned something here and very interested.
Thank you as always for your words of wisdom. Your son must be pretty big now! Blessings!
I'm not a Gibson guy so I'm not sure what it's supposed to sound like but the Harley Benton 450 sounds very good to me. Great vid. Thanks.
Thank you. I like the added versatility of the push pulls too.
Vintage in the middle is out of phase. Can't compare it like that. Of course it sounds thinner.
I own both HB 450 Plus and a Vintage V100MRPGM. Vintage is by far better guitar IMO. It sounds better, it's better set up out of the box and it's well worth extra pay. I just like the sound of that guitar. The disstressed look is a dissapointment though.
Harley Benton 450 is a good guitar for the money, but you need to do a proper setup, change some harware and tunners, nut and even pickups to compare it to the V100MRPGM. All that considered, it's not realy that much cheaper.
I think we are really spoilt for choice these days with good, affordable guitars/basses, unlike when we were kids learning!
I said the same thing when watching. The vintage middle position is out of phase.
I appreciate the honesty and attention to detail, but unfortunately I am a left handed player and there are not many options.
I get that mate it really sucks
How would I be able to test a Harley Benton for myself? They seem like they could be a worthwhile guitar but I'd hate to buy something before playing it 1st.
I think the only way is to visit thomann in Germany.
@@Chinaguitarsceptic That would be awesome! Always wanted to visit Germany but unfortunately im nowhere near. They do seem like pretty killer guitars. Thanks for the reply 👍
Just sick of people selling these online to rip people off, while customers may not know they’re fake. We have no problem with anyone buying these as long as they don’t sell them and rip these poor guitar buyers off like that.
i agree with you mate, i like the les pauls from china, fu++++g customs, who are they to tell me i cant own a les paul from china, have you got any for sale, k
Got the Vintage V100, love it. Yes, mine had sharp fret ends, but 2 hours with a little file, and some fine sandpaper on a dark winter evening, problem solved. And yes, relicing guitars should be forbidden by law if you ask me.
Just as an addition, the V100 has reversed pickups which was mentioned, which gives the centre position an out of phase sound, significantly different to the others - this is because it is the Peter Green set up. IMO, the Vintage guitar has a tighter more accurate sound, almost indistinguishable from a real Gibson 59 which it is supposed to be a copy of (the famous Greeny Moore guitar) - the others had a thicker tone which was pleasant enough but they were not trying to mimic another model accurately - rather a general sound of a LP style body. I might add that a comparison between these and the real gibson would likely show a tonal difference as they are lighter. Nevertheless, all three legal copies were excellent sounding instruments and at the price are fabulous ... brilliant guitars
GTX made by Applause/Ovation, from back in the day, made an LP copy. If you can find one I would highly recommend them! I have one much like the Greenie and with some new pups and tuners I still have this guitar and it's my number one.
Thank you for your personal opinion. It was much appreciated and it was an informative detailed video. However, I recently purchased an Artist guitar which an Australia based company making low cost guitars. This arrived today (Fri 22/02/19) and it played brilliant straight out of the box. After a quick tune up it was ready to rock and I mean it was definitely ready to rock. I played clean and dirty tones on and the only issue was the treble pick up on the bridge seemed to squeal. I think that is an issue with the electronics. I bought a hard shell case to protect it from mishandling freight damage. It came perfectly presented in it's case as I asked them to do this. With a Gibson USA price of $3399.00. For value for money The Artist guitar wins hands down. $330.00 not a problem! Brilliant! I'd buy another one any day. Gary from Tasmania/Australia. And, it's legal. Thanks for your video.
I just bought an artist cherry 58 (335 style) today for $300aud new. I was very skeptical at first because the other 355 shapes are going for $800 plus (epiphone dot, sheraton, ibanez as73) but I didn't want to spend too much as it was going to my secondary guitar and didn't have the budget to spend big. To say I am impressed with the artist cherry 58 is an understatement. It is fantastic. I am stoked. Quality is up there with my mates epiphone dot and in my opinion that humbuckers are slightly hotter on the artist. Just my opinion.
Hy, I Have got a vintage vs6 sg, Great guitar too!!. ONE question. Have you ever seen a Thylacino Tasmanian Lion?? Its trhou?? Thanks
I like your presentation and your honesty.
The Chibby is late for the rubbish bin, btw... VERY late!
I like the 550 alot, and it really had great tone, compared.
As far as Chibson killers go, I recently (3 years ago) picked up a Gold-top LP-style guitar that I think is the closest feel I have played to the real ones, and it was delivered to my door for U.S.$189. It is made by SVK and it is to '59 specs, the mahogany is beautiful on the neck and back and the Gold-top looks like it could have come down the line right next to the real deal, it is that accurate in color & texture. Pickups sound pretty good, though the pots are small, tuners are average, came out of the box well and setup was good. I did end up replacing the T.O.M. bridge about 6 months ago due to a bad saddle-screw, but I play the hell out of it (I kinda beat the crap out of it, really) and am surprised that nothing else has even threatened to fail on it, regardless of who made it or where. Don't know if you've heard of them (SVK), but I would certainly buy another if I was looking to buy.
Thanks brother I'm definitely going to look into svk! 👍👍👍
put the chibson pups in the muddy sounding one ;) I personally would go for the v100 evey one I've played of the vintage brand has played perfectly with no sharp frets
I love that out of phase tone and the extra brightness the guitar has
I would love to see you review the midge ure signature guitar they make
I have a V100 Black and have always been impressed by it apart from tuner buzzing (now solved with PTFE tape) and it sounds better than the Lemondrop version in my opinion. Those Epiphone pickups did sound great however and I may have to consider a set. Personally I would never buy a fake - I can't fool myself !
If gibson didn't over charge for their guitars, a lot of this could be avoided. Very Nice Fender $1,000. Very nice gibson $3,500. How much is too much? A stripped down studio lp same as a great Strat. I own various Strats with various pickup configurations rather than blow all my $$$ on gibson. And a Great Mexican strat can be had used for $300 American quid. You choose.
Eastman SB59 is the best Les Paul today.
Agreed, they are Chinese but are at least on par with anything coming out of Korea and probably as good or better than the current overpriced Gibson range, I have heard they are a violin maker from Beijing that pretty well hand make all their instruments
Barry S Well, I just got a great deal on a used, mint condition 2016 Gibson Les Paul Standard. Couldn't be happier... love the Burstbucker Pro pickups, the neck, the locking tuners, the many switching options. Modern appointments but without the robo-tuner and dipswitching crap.
That said, if I were going for an more vintage style LP, the Eastman would be at the top of my list. I owned an Eastman mandolin, and the quality was amazing, especially for the 600 US dollars I paid for it. I've played a few Eastman acoustic guitars as well. Eastman is a reputable company that makes very high quality instruments at very affordable prices. I'm about to buy a short scale slope shouldered Eastman dreadnought acoustic (Gibson J45 style).
Why do gibson necks and even gibson knockoff necks suck so bad? i hear from so many sources about gibson necks cracking near the headstock. have not heard much about this happending with stratocasters does it?
great video! the relic job on the vintage doesn't even look authentic as a naturally worn guitar or a proper relic would not look smooth where the paint/ lacquer has worn away.
Agile guitars are a great alternative.
Been playing an Agile 3125(chambered) for 7 years now - great axe, gave it a good setup, and it's my go-to guitar
I take it you're referring to the sellers RGL? Who are passing themselves off as selling Chibsons, Gibson have been informed so hopefully they'll be taken off the market soon enough. I'm thinking of picking up a Harley Benton soon, those things look lovely for the price.
The harley Renton is a good less expensive intro guitar.
Last year I bought the SC450 lemon flame which came with Wilkinson pickups..neck pup was a bit muddy and hated the orange color around the edge, i sanded the top off to find a plastic/epoxy coating under the clear and color,(very much looked like the binding in color and material) I refinished it in a relic style, (pics available upon request)put in Stewart Mcdonald Parson Street Pafs with nickel covers. sounds incredible and looks amazing I also have the Harley Benton Sc Custom which came with Wilkinsons too...again neck was muddy. That got a mid 90's Epiphone alnico neck pup. Then I bought two Vintage guitars the V100 Gold top with P90s and the Honey burst...the p90s stayed....the honey got Iron Gears "Blues Machine" pups...All are just amazing in tone and sound!!
The best and Cheapest ! alternative to Chibsons I've come across are by an Australian brand called Artist Guitars, model number LP59CSB these are really well made, affordable and excellent sounding Les Paul copies ! I've even reviewed one on my channel !
as for the Harley Benton, they look great and usually have great fretwork!, but they don't feel and sound like a Les Paul at all... they have a very flat slim feeling neck, the shape of the body cut out is a bit off, and they have hollow pockets so they're very light and sound more like a semi hollow body guitar than a Les Paul... plus the pickups they use nowadays aren't the best,. however ! they are still great guitars, but if you're looking for a genuin les paul feel and sound go for the Artist or something like that.
CHECK OUT WOLF GUITARS VERY NICE AND ALREADY SET UP TO YOUR SPECS
Guitar MAX did some reviews on Wolf guitars. They seem pretty nice.
It's a shame the alternatives are so hideous. Thomann does have better color options than the ones in the video, though.
I like the 450. But given it looks like a faded Standard, it is too shiny. Should be satin.
Are the Harley Bentons constructed better than Epiphones? I'm not asking best bang for the buck, but the best constructed Les Pauls that don't have Gibson on the head stock.
I would say they are pretty much on a par my friend but if I had to call it eppihone would just edge it.
I just bought a HB SC 450 Gold Top P90 GT and it's great. I was a little nervous, but I'm really happy I took a chance on it.
I bought that one as well. Put a Bigsby on it too! It amazes me every time I play it. I'm a fan of Harley B. (bought 3 more within a month)
I prefer the shape of the Gibson head to the others. Don't care about the name. Would rather it was blank.
Yup. That classic shape just can't be improved upon. Unfortunately.
And you can order them blank. The seller I git mine from sells them blank by default then you can pay an extra ten bucks to add whatever you want.
One of the problems is that Gibson also owns that headstock shape!
Agreed
LTD EC-256....great LP style guitar and the price is right.
I had a v100 i liked it sounded good BUT! After 1 year of me hardly playing this the frets have dents where i bend strings
I was a little disappointed at the sharp fret ends
i'm a very happy owner of a V100IT. Very decent setup right out of the box, except for a fret or two. For me, it's perfect. Didn't change anything on it since i bought in 2015. Sounds great with my 2 amps (Marshall Valvestate 100 and Vox pathfinder 10).
Good call! Harleys are brilliant value for money - proper instruments. I've never heard a bad word about Vintage. Appreciate your balanced video, cheers.
Just buy a epiphone they are cheap and sound good
But the headstock, man, that headstock :)
I can't stand Epi headstock, and have to say don't like Epi LP sound eather. Gibson style headstock is the final piece to Les Paul look that makes the look perfect.
@@kuitaristi3003 u got a point on headstock but I bought one off a guy cheap that needed money thing sounds awesome for 200 dollars
@@rebeldetail6134 Nice!
100% brother 👍👍👍
As usual, great, honest and interesting content. I have always wondered why people spend their hard earned cash on fakes like the “Chibson” - obviously it is their decision and their money to do with what they wish, but as you have stated, there seems to be no redress when things go wrong. Please don’t get me started about relicing!!!! What a waste of time and money - I play my guitars a lot but would cry if they ended up in that sort of state. Thanks once again for the great vids, please keep them coming
Thanks brother I really appreciate the support and kindness. I think people are slowly catching on to the fact that the fakes are not only illegal but always a roll of the dice. There are many more poor quality ones than playable decent ones.
I think the reason chibsons are so popular is because you can order them with a custom paint job or whatever you want. You can't necessarily do that with Harley Benton they have what they have and that is it. I guess it is good if you have a good seller. I don't know what Gibson isn't going after the counterfeiters