Harley Benton SC DLX Gotoh vs Vintage ICON V100MRBK vs Epiphone Les Paul

Harley Benton SC DLX Gotoh vs Vintage ICON V100MRBK vs Epiphone Les Paul | Budget singlecut shootout

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Күн бұрын

Today we’re comparing the Harley Benton SC DLX Gotoh against the Vintage ICON V100MRBK and the Epiphone Les Paul Traditional Pro to found out which is the best affordable singlecut guitar out there right now!
I’ve had my 2014 Epiphone Les Paul Traditional Pro since 2014, and I’ve never really found another similarly priced LP-type that can compete with it… but these days plenty of companies are having a go, with Harley Benton and Vintage at the top of the pile.
Get the SC DLX Gotoh here: bit.ly/SCDLXGotoh
Get the Vintage V100MRBK here: bit.ly/V100MRBKrwm
This is the newer version of my Epi Les Paul: redir.love/thoprod/482445?off...
These guitars all have great quality specs for the money. The €330 SC DLX has a Gotoh bridge and tuners, stainless steel frets, a Graph Tech nut and Tesla humbuckers (with a coil split), while the Vintage has a Graph Tech nut, Wilkinson humbuckers and Grover tuners. My Epi has Grover tuners and Epiphone ProBucker humbuckers (which you can also split), and I had a bone nut put on it a few years ago.
The three guitars all have mahogany necks with rosewood boards, and they’re all Gibson scale length (24.75” or 628mm)… but they all have different neck profiles. That, combined with the different pickups, means they will all sound and play a little differently.
But which is best? That’s what we’re trying to find out! In this video, I play a bunch of riffs on the three guitars in a wide variety of stales, from pop, country and indie to rock, punk and metal, to find out which one if the best affordable Les Paul!
Here are the links to the different playing samples and talking parts:
00:00 Hello!
00:11 Intro and what we’re doing today
01:31 SC DLX Gotoh specs/info
03:28 Vintage V100MRBK specs/info
04:37 Epiphone specs/info
06:48 Today’s rig
Clean Sounds
07:36 Clean tone reference chords on all pickups/coil splits
09:19 Poppy barre chords
10:09 Blues progression
10:51 Country lead sound
11:15 Country ballad arpeggios
11:56 Atmospheric droning indie chords
12:57 Ringing open indie pop chords
Crunch Sounds (Clean Channel w/Greer Lightspeed)
13:53 AC/DC inspired classic rock riff
14:41 Airbourne inspired classic rock riff
15:15 Classic rock riff
16:12 Groovy classic rock riff
16:59 Hendrix inspired classic rock riff
17:49 Fat indie rhythm chords
18:38 Edgy indie rock chords
19:21 Droning indie open string riff
19:57 Indie rock barre chords
21:13 Indie octave chords riff
22:28 Garage rock riff
Lead Channel Sounds
23:14 Classic hard rock riff
24:07 Hard rock riff
24:59 Glam rock riff
25:41 Foo Fighters inspired modern rock riff
26:35 Alternative rock riff
27:18 Green Day inspired punk rock riff
28:02 Pop punk melodic lead riff
28:51 Punk rock power chords
29:35 Progressive rock riff (Drop D tuning)
30:25 Modern rock palm-muted power chords (Drop D tuning)
31:40 Rage Against The Machine inspired groovy riff (Drop D tuning)
Clean Channel w/Revv G3 Distortion Pedal (all in Drop D tuning)
32:30 Hardcore chugging riff
33:19 Hardcore punk riff
34:07 Thrash metal riff
34:38 Lead sounds
35:14 Classic heavy metal/sludge riff
36:57 My thoughts
37:41 Build quality and hardware
41:06 Weight
41:52 Necks and playability
44:25 Sounds and pickups discussion
48:04 My favorite purely on sound terms
48:59 What’s the other competition?
51:43 Which guitar is best? And which would I buy?
54:02 Final conclusion and goodbye
I ran the three guitars into my Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 head, using my Greer Lightspeed for the overdrive and my Revv G3 for the heavy distortion sounds. The amp went from the Red Box DI straight into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, which went into Logic Pro X. That's it. No post-processing on the sounds was done.
Here’s some links to those bits of gear:
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H&K Black Spirit 200 head: bit.ly/HKBS200rwm
Greer Lightspeed: bit.ly/GreerLightspeedRWM
Revv G3: bit.ly/RevvG3RWM
Focusrite 4i4 (this is the newer equivalent of my 2i4, which they don’t make any more!): redir.love/thoprod/467952?off...
-----
Enjoy!
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Backing music from the KZfaq Audio Library: Dusty Fingers - DJ Williams.
#HarleyBenton #HarleyBentonGuitar #VintageGuitars #Epiphone #SCDLXGotoh #HarleyBentonGuitars #VintageTone #EpiphoneLesPaul #VintageGuitars #VintageGuitars_Official
Note: certain links in the description are affiliate links. If you click said links and purchase anything as a result, I will receive a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it does help to support the channel. So, if you do that, thank you very much!
‪@HarleyBentonOfficial‬
‪@OfficialEpiphone‬

Пікірлер: 99

@RichWordsMusic 2 жыл бұрын

And here's those timestamps for you folks out there on phones and tablets: 00:00 Hello! 00:11 Intro and what we’re doing today 01:31 SC DLX Gotoh specs/info 03:28 Vintage V100MRBK specs/info 04:37 Epiphone specs/info 06:48 Today’s rig Clean Sounds 07:36 Clean tone reference chords on all pickups/coil splits 09:19 Poppy barre chords 10:09 Blues progression 10:51 Country lead sound 11:15 Country ballad arpeggios 11:56 Atmospheric droning indie chords 12:57 Ringing open indie pop chords Crunch Sounds (Clean Channel w/Greer Lightspeed) 13:53 AC/DC inspired classic rock riff 14:41 Airbourne inspired classic rock riff 15:15 Classic rock riff 16:12 Groovy classic rock riff 16:59 Hendrix inspired classic rock riff 17:49 Fat indie rhythm chords 18:38 Edgy indie rock chords 19:21 Droning indie open string riff 19:57 Indie rock barre chords 21:13 Indie octave chords riff 22:28 Garage rock riff Lead Channel Sounds 23:14 Classic hard rock riff 24:07 Hard rock riff 24:59 Glam rock riff 25:41 Foo Fighters inspired modern rock riff 26:35 Alternative rock riff 27:18 Green Day inspired punk rock riff 28:02 Pop punk melodic lead riff 28:51 Punk rock power chords 29:35 Progressive rock riff (Drop D tuning) 30:25 Modern rock palm-muted power chords (Drop D tuning) 31:40 Rage Against The Machine inspired groovy riff (Drop D tuning) Clean Channel w/Revv G3 Distortion Pedal (all in Drop D tuning) 32:30 Hardcore chugging riff 33:19 Hardcore punk riff 34:07 Thrash metal riff 34:38 Lead sounds 35:14 Classic heavy metal/sludge riff 36:57 My thoughts 37:41 Build quality and hardware 41:06 Weight 41:52 Necks and playability 44:25 Sounds and pickups discussion 48:04 My favorite purely on sound terms 48:59 What’s the other competition? 51:43 Which guitar is best? And which would I buy? 54:02 Final conclusion and goodbye

@testpadel 2 жыл бұрын

Does the Vintage have stainless steel frets like HB?

@RichWordsMusic 2 жыл бұрын

@@testpadel No, the Vintage just has normal frets that will wear down over time... so that's a plus point for the HB!

@craigdetroit 2 жыл бұрын

I honestly don't think there's a better guitar reviewer out there. Thank you for all of the riff examples across genres. It really does help provide color into each instrument!

@RichWordsMusic 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much, it really does make my day to get messages like that! I do try and play as many genres as I enjoy playing myself in the videos, and I really think it helps build up a picture of how versatile a guitar is for the people watching as well. Plus hopefully at some point I play something that everyone will enjoy! Cheers :)

@MrThelonliestpunk 6 ай бұрын

Congratulations for being the most thorough reviewer on KZfaq,great review.

@lawrenlelko 2 жыл бұрын

Nice work. Very thorough and insightful.

@RichWordsMusic 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot! I'm happy you found it useful :)

@jefvancalster5162 2 жыл бұрын

To me the vintage sounded most like what i would expect from a les Paul, thick heavy tone, the other 2 sounded more versitile, but less les pauly.

@RichWordsMusic 2 жыл бұрын

Yes, interesting point and that's also what some others have said. The Wilkinson pickups definitely have that classic PAF vibe, but they also have great clarity. They're fantastic for the price. And because it's a Les Paul, I don't think you miss the coil split. You'd have a Strat or a Tele for that! I think the Epi also nails an LP sound, but a more modern, aggressive one. The HB is a little off to the side, but also incredibly versatile. I guess you could make an argument for all three!

@jefvancalster5162 2 жыл бұрын

@@RichWordsMusic I commnted when you asked in the video, maby I should have read other comments to first.

@RichWordsMusic 2 жыл бұрын

@@jefvancalster5162 No, I like the feedback! It's good to get things confirmed by multiple sources too. I actually really think the Vintage people would get a kick out of reading these comments, as everyone is loving the V100!

@lone-wolf-1 Жыл бұрын

Fantastic comparison! The beautiful play in different styles makes your reviews outstanding! 👍🏼👏🏼👌🏼 For me the winner is the Epi: full and refined sounding, plus the look.

@RichWordsMusic Жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot, I am happy you enjoyed it! I love the Epi, and I am glad you chose it for those reasons... there's something special for me about that guitar :) Cheers!

@brendanflaherty6696 2 жыл бұрын

Interesting. To me, each of these excelled in different areas. the Vintage does a good job of sounding like a… well… “vintage” Les Paul, while the Epiphone sounds like a more modern take on the single-cut formula. The Epi was also the standout winner in the high-gain/palm-mute/chug contest, of the trio. The Harley Benton, on the the other hand, sounds like something else entirely. I like those pickups… brighter and more wiry-sounding, which kind of puts it in this middle ground between and LP and a Strat or Tele, without resorting to a coil split. As such, of the three, it’s the winner for me. But I could definitely make a case for any of the three being the winner, depending on the use case.

@RichWordsMusic 2 жыл бұрын

Excellently put - I don't think I could've described my feelings about these three guitars any better than that! The Wilkinson is the classic LP, the Epi is the modern one, and the HB is something a little bit different. And yes, I guess it does straddle the Gibson/Fender divide a bit more than the others. The differences are all fairly subtle though (you only really notice them when you do these direct A/B comparisons) so I think personal taste will also play a big part in people deciding which they prefer. Great comment, thanks for writing that!

@prometheusrising8767 Жыл бұрын

exactly my thoughts i ordered a hb dc gotoh which has the same pickups as i want a sound pristine but a bit more beefier than my strat . As you described the middle ground between a strat or tele and lp.

@guitardrummer1 2 жыл бұрын

hey..you always make a great job !! Bravo ! subscribed :)

@RichWordsMusic 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much, really happy you're enjoying the vids and cheers for subscribing! :)

@vittoriobassi9880 8 ай бұрын

Harley Benton vs Vintage vs Epiphone: - bridge - 7:36 vs 8:15 vs 8:38 - middle - 7:42 vs 8:21 vs 8:44 - neck - 7:48 vs 8:28 vs 8:50

@JustinWoo Жыл бұрын

You sold me on the HB. It sounds close enough to the more expensive guitars, and it has the neck joint cut I really want.

@RichWordsMusic Жыл бұрын

Happy to have helped! The HB is an excellent guitar, and it does have that slightly more modern feel and handling to it. Hope you manage to get your hands on one soon! Cheers for watching :)

@bobomb7504 Жыл бұрын

Well i own the SC DLX Gotoh for 3 weeks now (it's my new guitar for my casual band) and i fell in love immediately. And i didn't even looking further and the reason is just this fantastic price of the HB! Sure the Vintage and the Epi sounded a little better (i really like the Les Paul sound from the Epi!) but these two guitars were out of my range and will be for a loooong time. So for me personnally the HB always wins because you get so much quality for such a good price. If these other guitars were in the same range ok then we have a "fair" competion, but the Epi ist about 500€ and the vintage even more. Very good and detailed review Sir, i really liked it.

@RichWordsMusic Жыл бұрын

That's great to hear! Really happy how pleased you are with yours, and you're right - in terms of pure value for money, the HB guitars are impossible to beat. You could even change the pickups in the HB if you wanted to, but I don't think it's necessary - plus you have the excellent coil split options on tap as well. Enjoy your SC DLX Gotoh - I hope it brings you many years of great tones and musical inspiration!

@BenjaminKanarek Жыл бұрын

Thanks for your wonderful review. I lean towards the Harley Benton.

@RichWordsMusic Жыл бұрын

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! Yep, the HB is simply a great all-rounder, and I just saw they've actually made them cheaper recently too... €279 for that guitar is a steal!

@ryanburr8419 Жыл бұрын

The Vintage has that meaty warmth that I like from a Les Paul. Which is kind of a shame because I've been eying up the Harley Benton SC DLX and now I'm less keen and a bit confused. Great review though, it really is the ideal format for comparing guitars. It's probably the best guitar comparison review I’ve seen.

@RichWordsMusic Жыл бұрын

Cheers Ryan! Yeah, I find these videos really useful personally too - it lets you see and hear subtleties you miss when not doing super quick A/B comparisons, unplugging between guitars, etc. I am sorry this might've put the dampeners on your desire to grab an SC DLX, though. That said, I do agree with you in that I think it has a little less warmth than the Vintage (and the Epiphone, actually). It's possible the HB SC-450/550 lines might actually have a bit more of that classic warmth that you're after. I've not tried either - yet! That's something I would love to do soon.

@bigno1900 Жыл бұрын

you just need to swap them pups for a burstbucker as long as the built quality is good

@RichWordsMusic Жыл бұрын

@@bigno1900 Also an option - a pickup swap could take any of these guitars to the next level, depending on what you want.

@rayfranchi1507 6 ай бұрын

I mostly play clean, sometimes right on the edge of break up. I think I would put the Epi #1 HB #2 then the icon. I have an opportunity to buy the HB For $250. In my price range so I will probably go for it. Thank you for another wonderful review.

@steveshears6079 2 жыл бұрын

Had to come back and hit the like button

@RichWordsMusic 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, it always helps 😊 More likes and comments means more people get to see the videos.

@Kamil92Zgon 2 жыл бұрын

Nice video, i agree with your conclusion. I was suprised because epiphone had more clarity and brightness than vintage. I like vintage sound at home, but with band, it's hard to hear this guitar well on that pickups.

@RichWordsMusic 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks, glad you enjoyed the video! It's interesting how these guitars all have their different nuances. You make a good point about the Vintage in the mix - this is not something I have tried, but would like to! I can tell you the Epiphone sounds great in a band setting (to my ears, anyway!).

@michaelp8856 7 ай бұрын

terrific review (as always - top notch) - any of the guitars more neck heavy? i heard that the HB is neck heavy. thank you - m

@RichWordsMusic 7 ай бұрын

Thanks a lot Michael! For me, these guitars all had excellent balance, and none were neck heavy - although that can also change from guitar to guitar. I'd say try in person if you can before buying, especially if you're worried about this.

@limaorh 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome video as always! Plz check the TE-62DB, I was already considering ordering the normal version after your video but once I saw the DB my GAS went up to the roof :b

@RichWordsMusic 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks man, glad you enjoyed this one! I would love to check the TE-62 DB as well... maybe HB will send me one to do a video, and a comparison with the TE-62 CC! That double binding is also making me quite weak ;) Such amazing value guitars for the money!

@fodassemaisousername 2 жыл бұрын

Love for you to compare thoose 3 with the SC 550II from Harley Benton

@RichWordsMusic 2 жыл бұрын

That would be a great comparison for sure, and I hope one day HB will send an SC 550II for me to try!

@SeemoreDunkan 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the comparison! A nice studio tip is to put the headset cable behind your back instead of the usual front.. helps to play. Please try to upgrade the pickups for both guitars and see which one sounds better with the same new pickups :)

@RichWordsMusic 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! And good timing on the tip - I literally just got an extension cable for the headphones so now it's long enough for me to do just that. Will make life a lot easier :)

@SeemoreDunkan 2 жыл бұрын

@@RichWordsMusic Yeah I thought maybe it's not long enough... but then again that's life :))

@RichWordsMusic 2 жыл бұрын

@@SeemoreDunkan Ha ha, yep! Makers a nice difference for sure ;)

@tattoofred 2 жыл бұрын

Fantástico video gracias ;)

@RichWordsMusic 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, I'm happy you enjoyed it!

@angelodesalvi8999 2 жыл бұрын

Hi Really interesting comparison , Jussie subscribe I am considering a vintage les paul v100 gold top , what do you think .? Thank you

@RichWordsMusic 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for subscribing, I'm happy to have you here on the channel! I love V100s, and I have played the goldtops with humbuckers and P90s extensively... I would recommend you check the weight if you can, and if it's good, I would 100% recommend it! They are great guitars for the money and the Wilkinson pickups are fantastic :)

@alanst.4417 2 жыл бұрын

I agree the Vintage sounds the most LPish from the three, ballsy with strong lower mids and also probably a pretty hot pickup I think. Wonder if it has such a high resistance value as some of their other pups. But especially for classic crunch, it's my clear choice. But the finish is just crazy IMO. However on cleans and light breakup, I much preferred the Epiphone, which sounded less dark and more open and chimey. It's the best looking one, too and chunky necks rule 😉 The HB as you say, is an interesting beast, very distinct and versatile, killer specs, but the sound is a little too bright for my tastes compared to the other two (ss frets and/or pups?) and being conservative I don't like the aesthetics too much either. Cheers Rich! 🎸

@RichWordsMusic 2 жыл бұрын

Yes, many good points here! And I think you and me and most others in the comments seem to be coming to similar conclusions. I'm sure the guys from Vintage would get a kick out of reading this ;) The V100 is loved by all, it seems - finish aside, perhaps! Those Wilkinsons do sound great, though. I think I should probably get a multimeter so I can measure pickups from now on, as it'd be interesting to know this stuff. And I do wonder about those stainless steel frets on the HB... can they be responsible for a tonal shift? I just don't know. I do know that the Teslas seem to be the weakest pickups of these three, though. Rock on!

@alanst.4417 2 жыл бұрын

@@RichWordsMusic measuring pups would be a really great addition to your already excellent reviews and shootouts! And thanks for the point with the Teslas, that's probably the main reason. SS frets should be a tad brighter, but not that much...

@RichWordsMusic 2 жыл бұрын

@@alanst.4417 It would be a cool addition... I'll have to scout on the local DIY store and see if they've got anything. I think if you put the Wilkinsons in the HB it'd sound like the V100 :)

@alanst.4417 2 жыл бұрын

@@RichWordsMusic now that'd be a real challenge: Can you make the HB with ss frets sound Vintage? 😉 Cheers Rich!

@RichWordsMusic 2 жыл бұрын

@@alanst.4417 Ha ha, I'll have to look into that as well 😉 Rock on!

@steveshears6079 2 жыл бұрын

All 3 guitars are really really nice ! But I think your Epi easily won the Tone test and if I could only have 1 outta the 3 and it would be my only guitar I wouldn't hesitate an choose the Epi . but if I was handy an could solder , the long neck tenon and build quality on the V100 would be enticing . I've never got to play stainless fret guitar but my Need for them is expedient , I'm heavy handed for hard rock and quickly wear the nichol/silver frets . I suspect the S.S. frets bring out at least noticeable higher mids w brighter top would be too cool to hear another same HB guitar w the Nichol silver frets to investigate the SS biting Tone . One thing for sure the HB would cut through the mix . The Wilkinson paf's didn't sound anything like the Gibson paf in my SG . also have Gibson paf in bridge position on my '96 Guild S100 . it was my number 1 for 1st 5 or 6 yrs but frets worn an buzzin I haven't really played it since '02 and want to refret w SS . I hope you will have opportunity to further research the sound of the SS frets . really enjoy your presentations and analysis w the guitars O and my Gibson paf's are both bright and articulate highs and bite like a pit bulldog if you want em to . your H&K auditions the guitars very well

@steveshears6079 2 жыл бұрын

Also the Guild S100 has a really thin and small mahogany 1peice set neck on a 1peice slab body . the neck is so tiny it reminds me of a '67 SG I had back in mid 80's paid 150$ for it in a pawn shop . but the Guild neck is how I learned to love a small thin neck that will easily move around while playing . when I tune it , I can't put any pressure a tall on the neck or it won't tune an even have to delicately touch tuning machines while tuning but once I find it it's like my V100 it intoneates and tunes outstanding and comes Alive in my hands its like having a bigsby w out having to use the bar , I 've learned to exploit this ' feature ' to devastating effect for hard rock and makes my vibrato an phrasing sound better than I am . thinkin bout it really makes me wanna refet it wSS. I judge every guitar I've bought by the S100 and none of the are nearly as lively and touch sensitive but the 1st time i tryed it in the store it was love at first feel .

@RichWordsMusic 2 жыл бұрын

Some great ideas in there Steve. I do think there might be something in the stainless steel frets thing (tonally I mean, not just the lifespan!), and it is something I'd like to look at more in future if I can. I might see if there's any HB guitars around where there's a stainless steel fret model and a standard nickel one, and that could work. The thing is, I guess there's so many other factors that we could never really be scientific. You refretting one of your guitars would be a great test of that, as you would have exactly the same guitar, just with the different fret material. For what it's worth, when playing I don't notice any difference in feel whatsoever, although I'm not really one for bending notes or using vibrato ;) I do alos want to compare the Wilkinsons to some proper Gibson humbuckers sometime. I know Trev got his recipe from speaking to Seth Lover himself, so they're definitely going to be similar ballpark, but people do say there's something special about the real thing, especially vintage pickups which have aged and somehow mellowed... hard to know for sure if you haven't tried it yourself, as I haven't!

@Jeep20220 9 ай бұрын

Bonjour vous êtes très objectif et très clair merci merci et encore merci je vais faire mon choix ( je suis tenté par une Vintage V100 white …) cdlt

@RichWordsMusic 9 ай бұрын

Merci beaucoup! Je suis heureux que vous ayez aimé la vidéo :) Bonne chance dans votre recherche d'une nouvelle guitare - j'adore la Vintage V100 et je pense que vous serez heureux aussi !

@thegaindane 2 жыл бұрын

For me, the winner is the Vintage V100. It sounded best to me 🤘

@RichWordsMusic 2 жыл бұрын

The Vintage has a lovely classic Les Paul sound - for that, I think it does the best. Wilkinson make great pickups, that's for sure!

@andiebetjemann7920 2 жыл бұрын

@@RichWordsMusic The Vintage sounds great. But having the Split coil Option sounds great with the Benton (although the Volume consistency of the Epi seems very useful). Now my Suggestion for those who own a Vintage: in November i had a Vintage VS 6 (SG-Style) on my bench. When opening the electric compartment, i found that the Bridge Pickup (Not the Neck Pickup) was the Wilkinson 4-wire Humbucker. Hence i was able to enable coil Splitting for this VS. So Maybe some of the SC Models by Vintage also have Split coil Humbuckers although they aren't equipped with Push-Pull upfront.

@RichWordsMusic 2 жыл бұрын

@@andiebetjemann7920 That is an excellent point! I need to start opening up all the Vintages I get my hands on! Because that is an excellent, ready made advantage that is not too much work to do. Very nice. And yes, these three guitars all have their own plus and minus points. And they all feel great to play. Choosing one is hard, but maybe the Vintage with a coil split could win the day...

@evrytngizslow4111 Жыл бұрын

Which harley benton has more balanced tone SC 550 || or SC - DLX ?

@RichWordsMusic Жыл бұрын

It depends exactly what you mean by balanced I guess. The SC 550 II is probably voiced to sound a little more classic and vintage, whereas the SC DLX is a more modern leaning guitar.

@andresfiebig3275 2 жыл бұрын

I'd prefer the Harey Benton SC DLX Gotoh

@RichWordsMusic 2 жыл бұрын

It's a cool choice because that guitar can basically do anything - it's super versatile!

@hectoremicolon1351 2 жыл бұрын

Rich. Words. Music. Hi. Nice video !! Do you recommend me to buy the harley Benton !!do you think that for the price it is a good instrument and a good a good purchase ??

@RichWordsMusic 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Héctor! I have owned a bunch of Harley Benton guitars over the years, and they have always been great value for money. I would say go for it! Of course, it is always a bit of a risk to order a guitar online, but this is the same whether you buy a Harley Benton or a Fender or a Gibson. I say go for it! And if you have any more questions let me know, as I am happy to answer for you :)

@hectoremicolon1351 2 жыл бұрын

@@RichWordsMusic thanks !!! I’m buy it and waiting for received it today !!! Thanks !!!

@RichWordsMusic 2 жыл бұрын

@@hectoremicolon1351 Great, I hope you love it! Please come back and write me your thoughts about the guitar once you have had the chance to play it a bit - I am interested to hear what you think about it :)

@hectoremicolon1351 2 жыл бұрын

@@RichWordsMusic We received it yesterday and it is incredible!!! The finish on the frets is great! the finishes in the paint is spectacular! I have not yet found details of poor construction. I bought it in white pinkshell because it is for my youngest daughter, we have been impressed because for the cost it is great !!! she has a classic vibe strat and a fender telecaster and the harley benton I dare say that it is up there with any expensive guitar!! the sound is great !!! It arrived quite well adjusted, I only had to adjust the mast 1/4 to achieve the preferred action and it was perfect !!!

@RichWordsMusic 2 жыл бұрын

@@hectoremicolon1351 Well, that is excellent to hear! Happy new guitar day - your daughter now has quite the awesome collection. The Shell Pink color is lovely, and I might choose that next time. But I agree, isn't it great how much you can get from HB for the price? Imagine what it would cost to buy a guitar with those specifications from a brand like Fender, for example... Enjoy and rock on!

@stevehanham9266 2 жыл бұрын

Well I'm sure that you can guess the winner here for me. 😁 Just have to get a spray can of blue paint! 🤣 But seriously, I thought that there was quite a big difference in the sound of all 3 guitars To me the Vintage sounded more like one expects a Les Paul to sound, kind of dark and brooding. The HB certainly sounded the brightest and weakest and of course the Epi was between the other 2. Ok, you miss out on the split coil option on the Vintage, but on the several guitars I've have with that option I hardly ever use it. I suppose that you can also say that the HB misses out somewhat by only having one tone control. As far as playability is concerned, obviously it's difficult for me to judge. But I will say that I like a slim neck, so the HB may score points with me there. Finally, and please don't take this the wrong way, but comparing 2 other guitars with one that you have had and played frequently for over 7 years is a wee bit biased, possibly? Not an easy thing to do, shall we say. Anyway, for me it's the Vintage 1st if you are after a Les Paul sounding guitar. Epiphone 2nd as a reasonable alternative and the Harley Benton 3rd if you are budget restricted and want a decent sounding guitar. All 3 guitars do a fine job and it just goes to show how spoilt we are nowadays for decent reasonably priced guitars considering that there are several more alternatives out there. Cheers and thanks for the great video. 😊😎🎸

@RichWordsMusic 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Steve! Yes, I can totally imagine which one was your favorite! You've also put into words a lot of what I said (or wanted to say!) in the video... the Vintage is the most classic LP, the Epi is the versatile beast that's happy everywhere from clean to high-gain, and the HB is... just a little different! You're totally right about this being a little unfair, of course. The best thing to do would've been to buy a new Epiphone or similar to use as the third guitar, but you know, money ;) I would really love to try a 2020 Epi with the new headstocks though, so I'm keeping an eye out on the used market to see if one comes up near me. And yes, that final point is so true - what a time to be a guitar player with a budget to pick the guitar you want. There is so much great choice out there for everyone. I'd have given my right hand for any of these guitars when I'd started out! Actually, maybe a leg would've been the better sacrifice, but you get the point ;) We're spoiled today for great and affordable gear! Rock on :)

@davelisapaly6750 Жыл бұрын

how does this compared to LTD 256?

@RichWordsMusic Жыл бұрын

I've not tried the LTD 256, so I can't really comment unfortunately. However, based on reading the specs of the guitar, you can assume the HB is going to be some decent competition for it! They should both be extremely versatile modern guitars that you can basically play any kind of music with.

@toliskoskinas Жыл бұрын

Thank you for another great review ! To me, it’s obvious that the HB has a pronounced low cut probably because of its pickups, while the Vintage’s pickups underline a vintage-y midrange flavour. The Epi (your Epi) sounds fuller and more detailed 😊

@RichWordsMusic Жыл бұрын

Cheers Tolis, glad you enjoyed it! Yes, I would have to agree with you - I do have a soft spot for my Epi, of course :) But the vintage mid range of those Wilkinsons is really lovely too! Both excellent choices, and of course the HB isn't exactly shabby either ;)

@Paul_Lenard_Ewing 2 жыл бұрын

None sounded bad. I have found over the last few years that no matter what PU's come in a guitar I am likely to change them so paying more for a guitar because of the PU's is something to be considered.

@RichWordsMusic 2 жыл бұрын

Interesting point. (I'd change the Teslas on the HB in the long run I think, but can live quite happily with the Wilkinsons and the Epiphones!) What pickups would you recommend for an LP style like these by the way?

@Paul_Lenard_Ewing 2 жыл бұрын

@@RichWordsMusic Last December I bought a never even payed 2017 Gibson SG Ltd Ed. at an estate sale for easily a third of it's value to flip. It played like butter right out of the box and sounded beyond killer. I kept it:-). It came with 57 Classic PU's that these days tend to be found on as old crap. The thing is that we often learnt to play and are still amazed by records with these PU's. The fact is PU's are far more about the ascetics of the sound then the tech. In short new PU's are not at all better but different. I have 10 other guitars most with pricey gourmet PU's. I will keep them they are good. BUT not better. Old 57's (not 57 plus) PU's can be found used. I just had a look and found a price of $85.00 USD. I would go these in a budget guitar.

@canadianintheukbrian 2 жыл бұрын

Vintage sounded warmer others guitars just sounded dull to be honest

@RichWordsMusic 2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, the Wilkinsons do have a really warm, classic sound to them. I love the Epi too though, more oomph in those pickups :)

@650thunderbird5 2 жыл бұрын

👍🏻👍🏻

@RichWordsMusic 2 жыл бұрын

Cheers my friend!

@JesseValentine Жыл бұрын

This is really useful, thank you! I like the Harley Benton, but the Eqiphone sounds just perfect. And the Vintage seems forgettable.

@RichWordsMusic Жыл бұрын

No problem, glad you enjoyed it! It's funny, but the guitars all have their own characters and we all hear different things. I agree with you on the Epi, but I prefer the character of the Wilkinson pickups in the Vintage over the HB. But they're all excellent instruments in their own right, and that's why these A/B comparisons can be so useful :) Cheers for watching!

@Broccoli_Highkicks 2 жыл бұрын

Cheap relics are the factory-ripped jeans of the guitar world. They always look crap, because there's no actual damage to the wood. Why don't they just do open pore finishes on mass-produced relics? At least then it might look a bit more genuine... Anyway, HB best value for money in terms of spec (although they should've just gone the whole hog and thrown in EMG pickups instead of making customers choose between EMG and Gotoh), Vintage best sound (maybe get one without the paint-by-numbers relic job). I disregard Epiphone because like their parent company, they have far too many unacceptable QC issues for the price - I don't feel they respect their customers, getting by on the basis of an established brand name rather than providing the best playable instrument they can at any price point out of the box.

@RichWordsMusic 2 жыл бұрын

Ha ha, that's actually a pretty decent analogy! I totally agree on the finish thing too... why not make them open pore satin indeed? I guess if they just left the guitars unfinished they'd relic even more as you used them... which is kind of the point ;) Interesting thoughts on the three guitars, and I agree with most of what you said there too. The Wilkinson humbuckers sound really, really good in that classic Les Paul way - but I would go for a more normal finish next time, definitely. With the HB, I get that too. I'd have put Roswells on rather than Teslas and offered that a little cheaper but still with Gotohs, and then done an EMG + Gotoh version at a separate price point. And with Epi, I do feel a little sad that they get tarred with the Gibson brush, but of course that's unavoidable. In my (admittedly limited) recent experience the Epis I've played have been up there with Gibsons in terms of QC. That said, they consistently need more work out of the box than all the HBs I've played, and which are less than half the price.

@emiliolopez8796 2 жыл бұрын

Harley Benton!

@RichWordsMusic 2 жыл бұрын

It's a cool guitar for sure!

@angusyoung8857 2 жыл бұрын

All the kings men . Either guitar would satisfy anyone. It just boils down to a few factors . The kind of music genre you listen to , brand Loyalty, playing abilities and of course financial resources. Harley Benton will give Plenty of top end . The Icon is more mid Range - typical played from a well worn Gibson . Les Paul is a whole different animal Plays somewhere in between. Some bottom end , some midrange punch - but still unable To reach the levels you’d expect. Treble booster is the perfect addition.

@RichWordsMusic 2 жыл бұрын

Yep, all valid points, and you're totally right that it's a taste thing at the end of the day. All the guitars do many things very well, and it's down to what color/feel/individual tonal nuances each player prefers. And I actaully just got a treble booster, and can confirm that the Les Paul loves it! So nice tip there.

@nicosonic 2 жыл бұрын

daphne blue is really ugly on a LP style guitar.

@RichWordsMusic 2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I personally quite like it, but it's not my top color of choice for an LP either. They do that model in Pelham Blue and Black as well, both of which are more standard choices. (When I got this one for a video, there was only Daphne Blue available!)

@guitardrummer1 2 жыл бұрын

weird..i find it gorgeous !! while i don't like the same colour on the sg model.. :)