StudentGuy
Tele-Meister
As Harley Benton appears to get a "fair shake" here ,I thought this (aside from the Harley Benton Club") , is the best place for this.
Some guys foam at the mouth about the "cheap rip off/poor quality" of HB products, Like they spent $4,000 and got a crappy guitar... I find that those guys usually have an agenda of sorts, like are dealers or "OEM Manufacturers" who wonder how the heck they can compete against the HB product. So they rain on it to suppress interest and create "fear" ...
Me ? I'm just a hobbyist who has been into guitars since 1995 (but still can't play !) but likes to try, and tinker (add low level upgrades and the like). I came into the market, with the understanding that the only way for me , was US made Fender & Gibson. As such, I only bought US made stuff, until I listened what my young salesdudes who did play out, and were in bands were saying around 2018...That about $600 US was all one had to spend , to get a good guitar . They meant MIM Fender , or the like. Then they added , they rather have a PRS SE, than the MIM Fender !!!
I thought they were nutz, until I bought my first PRS SE ...
Fine guitars (but according to PRS snobs, not "real PRS" ) So I bought a PRS S2. Damm fine guitar. but around $1,600 to $2,000 to get into one. With the pandemic and "the inflation excuse", the PRS SE I first bought for $500 to $700 US ... is now $650 to $1000 (and I have bought 2 PRS SE Hollowbodies for more !) Fine guitars ... But with the 2023 pricing , I felt PRS was beginning to "shake down " its Kool Aid addicted customers .. .
I did not have a Tele. I watched several You Tube videos on this Harley Benton business, and for the price (less than a set of Seymour Duncan pickups) I'd take a chance.
Copped a TE-52 NA with the thought of modding everything on the guitar. Well surprise ! The durn thing is fine as is. Does not need "upgrading" (unless you wanna). As for a Tele clone... IT WORKS ! Did buy a second .... just to have a platform for a set of True Fender (G&L) MFD pickups, I will have installed.
I went on a P 90 tear. Copped 2 TE 90 QMs ... They are durn near my favorite guitars in the rack. Aside from living with guitars that cost 8 and 10 times as much !
Copped a CST P90 (a PRS SE CU24 clone w/ P90's) and damm... For a 1/3 of the price of my SE's I see what is possible. I would have had to buy the PRS first to appreciate the HB's though. All are fine. But the HB ? gets there with waay more left in the wallet.
Yes, the JA Baritone is great too (its got P90's and a 30 " scale length !). Bought a MIC Gretsch G5260 first though (those Loathe guys were using it) and it is fine. But the HB ? gets there with for about 1/3 the cost of even the Gretsch (wonder if the Loathe guys know about it ?)
SO Finally to the Subject of the thread The "High End Harley Benton" . The "Pro Series". For me, a Fusion T HH HT FBB (all that for twin humbucker, hard tail ,with a cool PRS SE like veneer top)
They are beautiful. Delivered without any blemishes or flaws. Plays great, the roasted (as opposed to "caramelized") neck will probably be better at winter time shrinking, as my TE-52's did shrink a bit (but much less than my $1,500 Fender Am Pro Jag, or $800 Fender Player Mustang)
Nothing need replacing. BUT let me say, the Roswell pickups are darker that a lot of bright ,"smiley faced EQ humbuckers , like PRS SE 85/15S. The Roswell's are more like the PRS 58/15S in that they are more midrange focused. As a result, they do not thin out when split, and if brighter is your game, they both coil split well!
The neck is worth the price of admission (in Fender Land, that neck would cost you $350, and still not have SS frets). The flamey stripey roasted maple, well finished fret ends. NO SHARP EDGES, and not likely to shrink (check with me in February ) Comes with fine lockers. Tusq nut. Decent hardware...
It freaks me out, to buy a guitar that I don't have to change anything on. Like PRS SE, pay $900, and you still have to spend another $120 for their locking tuners ...
These Fusion T's have me wondering why would I ever pay $900 to $1,200 for a MII or MIM guitar, that may only be as good as my less than $500 High End Harley Benton .
Everyone spends their hard earned ,maximizing their own personal "utility" (likes and preferences) But the HB Fusion line , will get you to wondering why pay more ?
Some guys foam at the mouth about the "cheap rip off/poor quality" of HB products, Like they spent $4,000 and got a crappy guitar... I find that those guys usually have an agenda of sorts, like are dealers or "OEM Manufacturers" who wonder how the heck they can compete against the HB product. So they rain on it to suppress interest and create "fear" ...
Me ? I'm just a hobbyist who has been into guitars since 1995 (but still can't play !) but likes to try, and tinker (add low level upgrades and the like). I came into the market, with the understanding that the only way for me , was US made Fender & Gibson. As such, I only bought US made stuff, until I listened what my young salesdudes who did play out, and were in bands were saying around 2018...That about $600 US was all one had to spend , to get a good guitar . They meant MIM Fender , or the like. Then they added , they rather have a PRS SE, than the MIM Fender !!!
I thought they were nutz, until I bought my first PRS SE ...
Fine guitars (but according to PRS snobs, not "real PRS" ) So I bought a PRS S2. Damm fine guitar. but around $1,600 to $2,000 to get into one. With the pandemic and "the inflation excuse", the PRS SE I first bought for $500 to $700 US ... is now $650 to $1000 (and I have bought 2 PRS SE Hollowbodies for more !) Fine guitars ... But with the 2023 pricing , I felt PRS was beginning to "shake down " its Kool Aid addicted customers .. .
I did not have a Tele. I watched several You Tube videos on this Harley Benton business, and for the price (less than a set of Seymour Duncan pickups) I'd take a chance.
Copped a TE-52 NA with the thought of modding everything on the guitar. Well surprise ! The durn thing is fine as is. Does not need "upgrading" (unless you wanna). As for a Tele clone... IT WORKS ! Did buy a second .... just to have a platform for a set of True Fender (G&L) MFD pickups, I will have installed.
I went on a P 90 tear. Copped 2 TE 90 QMs ... They are durn near my favorite guitars in the rack. Aside from living with guitars that cost 8 and 10 times as much !
Copped a CST P90 (a PRS SE CU24 clone w/ P90's) and damm... For a 1/3 of the price of my SE's I see what is possible. I would have had to buy the PRS first to appreciate the HB's though. All are fine. But the HB ? gets there with waay more left in the wallet.
Yes, the JA Baritone is great too (its got P90's and a 30 " scale length !). Bought a MIC Gretsch G5260 first though (those Loathe guys were using it) and it is fine. But the HB ? gets there with for about 1/3 the cost of even the Gretsch (wonder if the Loathe guys know about it ?)
SO Finally to the Subject of the thread The "High End Harley Benton" . The "Pro Series". For me, a Fusion T HH HT FBB (all that for twin humbucker, hard tail ,with a cool PRS SE like veneer top)
They are beautiful. Delivered without any blemishes or flaws. Plays great, the roasted (as opposed to "caramelized") neck will probably be better at winter time shrinking, as my TE-52's did shrink a bit (but much less than my $1,500 Fender Am Pro Jag, or $800 Fender Player Mustang)
Nothing need replacing. BUT let me say, the Roswell pickups are darker that a lot of bright ,"smiley faced EQ humbuckers , like PRS SE 85/15S. The Roswell's are more like the PRS 58/15S in that they are more midrange focused. As a result, they do not thin out when split, and if brighter is your game, they both coil split well!
The neck is worth the price of admission (in Fender Land, that neck would cost you $350, and still not have SS frets). The flamey stripey roasted maple, well finished fret ends. NO SHARP EDGES, and not likely to shrink (check with me in February ) Comes with fine lockers. Tusq nut. Decent hardware...
It freaks me out, to buy a guitar that I don't have to change anything on. Like PRS SE, pay $900, and you still have to spend another $120 for their locking tuners ...
These Fusion T's have me wondering why would I ever pay $900 to $1,200 for a MII or MIM guitar, that may only be as good as my less than $500 High End Harley Benton .
Everyone spends their hard earned ,maximizing their own personal "utility" (likes and preferences) But the HB Fusion line , will get you to wondering why pay more ?
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