Harley Benton SC-450 P90 GT Classic Series - Is It As Good As The Others? 

I played Gibson Les Paul's for decades. 1. Gibson quality isn't all that. The same issues you might have with a Harley Benton are exactly the same minor issues you might have with a Gibson. So keep that in mind. 2. Price. If Gibson built the exact same guitar, they'd be touting the "improvements" of the "Signature Harley Benton Les Paul"...and then add an additional $1,000...or more... I've been impressed with every Harley Benton I've got my hands on. The price is just a very sweet added bonus.

I think "Alan" inspects every single guitar in Thomann lol

I own an sc450 p90 gt. It was a present last year. For the money I think it is stunning. Mine has a more lighter cherry finish in the back. First I think it's a 2 piece but it's so hard to tell! The neck does have a scarf under the first & second frets. I personally think scarfs are a smart idea for strength with the grain direction anyway. My first Harley Benton and I was hugely impressed

If I saw someone playing this on stage (assuming I don't know the brand at all) I would think it's some boutique version of a Gibson Les Paul. There are lots of boutique guitar and amp companies now that make very good versions of classic designs. I would just assume it's one of those. This thing looks awesome! It sounds great too! I don't think you can go wrong at this price point. I just got one used and I'm really enjoying it. The slight imperfections it has in fit and finish don't bother me. If I spent $2000 on it I would be upset but at $160 I'm fine with it.

For the price no one can or should complain about these guitars, if it plugs in and plays that is all you need

i own one. I bought for p-90 pick-ups, nothing to complain about it. So for me, just perfect for the money, and the pickups are v good!

I'm a now a subscriber. I saw a nutter talked about a dang Rolex. I love that this video is made mainly for people on tight budgets who just want an affordable guitar that sounds like they paid more for it so they can have fun. If you buy expensive guitars to get rid of them when you are broke, sell it to overspend on another expensive guitar you're an Arsenal. When you die whoever inherits it might sell it at a loss. Just like the home you're living in now, it is NOT a $50M mansion. You got what you're living in now and just improve the bits here and there, do the same with your guitars, get something nice in your price range and make it sound as nice as that one you like. Jeez! People are so wacky coo coo!

Wow! Are you folks ever picky about your economy level guitars. All I care about is how is plays and how it sounds. That guitar is beautiful to my eye, and damn near perfect. Give it a proper set up (as you would any new guitar), and let that dog eat.

nothing those of us who can do basic set work couldn't fix - total bargains esp for young players - my friend's kid has a HB 335 and ,after I set it up , it's great and cost £100 used

The guitar being used according to its intended purpose starts at 16:50

I bought one 8 weeks ago. Toggle Switch was faulty, binding at the neck not nice, returned it and it was exchanged to a new guitar. Easy since I live in Germany. Second guitar binding better, switch working. After a week a lose contact at the pot showed up. Fixed it by myself. Now it is killer. Love it.

people are really delusional if they expect "pristine" guitars for under $200. lol. if you want "pristine" spend the $2500+ for another guitar. for under $200 as long as it's playable and it sounds pretty good. I'm satisfied. FFS, come back to reality.

Great video! Just wanted to add my experience to the conversation- I picked up a few Harley Bentons about a month ago; this was one. The way it's made and how it was set up were amazing. The sound was good and I probably wouldn't have noticed, but I also ordered a CST24 with p90s, and they used the Roswell Alnico ones rather than the ceramic ones they put in the SC-450. I ended up swapping them out for a pair of no name Alnico 2 P90s and the sound was like night and day. This guitar is amazing and well worth the cost, but if you're willing to add even 30 or 40 bucks to the cost for generic Alnico pickups, you have one hell of a guitar on your hands.

I play guitar for 30 years now, owned a ton of gears, and this is (by far!) the cheapest I ever bought. Frankly this is THE BEST I ever owned. Ok, to be honest, I had to add the same amount of the original price for a good bridge pickup (found the original one a bit too muddy), a graphtek neck, a decent pickup switch, and a full fret rectification / polishing.... all in all, including the guitar itself it's about 400 EUR and I ended up with a freaking beast!!! As said in this video, I'm not sure all HB guitars come from the same manufactury, with the same qualities and flaws, but one thing I'm definitely sure is the one I bought 6 months ago is now my prefered one.

Been looking at this guitar for a few weeks. Definitely going to get this because I love the sound of P90s. Your video is the best one on this guitar. Thanks.

I have this same model guitar for years and years..great guitar...plays & sounds awesome..tuners arent great..but hold tune and work. Finish looks great. For the price you cant do better,,...guitar is heavy tho..

This is like the original, first Les Paul from 1952. Gold top with P90s. Still cool AF!

For $139.00 (according to Thomann's website) plus $33.00 shipping, I would say this is a DAMNED GREAT VALUE!! BTW, Thomann's will ship 2 guitars plus 2 hard shell cases for the $33.00, so it is INDEED a GREAT VALUE!!

I bought one based on your review. For the money....love it

For an extra $48 you could get the SC-Custom P90 with Roswell Alnico V P90s and Grover Tuners. It has become a favorite since I got it.

It sounds great acoustically!

Great review. Im ordering one for the same reason that you make. I want to try P90s but without great expense. Minor issues like electronics, nut and frets i can fix myself. Thanks.

New to the channel and thought that was a fair review, don't understand the folk knocking the honesty - as they need to understand some folks will buy even a cheap guitar expecting it to be 100% flawless but in reality the level of pot-luck is greater at this end of the market. On the other hand, I've a TE-20 (sub $100 in $ I guess tele) that needed less work than a brand new $800 ish Fender Baja Tele. Still think the SC-450 line in general, is the best range in HB in terms of value and I've got a few. The SC-Custom P90 is one, now with a little work, that is some guitar.

Rounded neck heels are a Feature you get on the most expensive Fender. It's a very high end thing ;-)

Nice review, great production. A 2 grand cosmetic critique of a tons worth of guitar, you mention budget parts on a budget guitar, well I guess that's to be expected 😂 Honestly, you'd have the similar issues if you bought a Les Paul and, be properly gutted when you consider the price....never meet your heros😉 As a luthier ANY guitar, regardless of price range NEEDS a set up. Wood moves and settles constantly, more so after building and, we are all different as to how we like our guitar to play. I'd say, if that HB plays remotely OK out of the box it's a good guitar. PS For me, I wish sound checks were played dry, rather than with effects in the chain😎

I've bought one just to try HB (150€) . I won't change a thing, at that price I'll change the guitar in 2 years if needed. So I just worked (a lot) on the nut and all is fine. Thank's for advice :) BTW this Alan seems to QC a lot of guitars ^^

Thank you for your review of this guitar. It is much appreciated. I'm contemplating buying one of these instruments. I especially liked how you pointed out the guitars imperfection. I bought another similar guitar in a low price bracket. That guitar is perfect for me made in Indonesia and sold in my country through a no name distributor. Please keep up the great work and content. Gary from Tasmania

For a budget guitar as long as everything works, it stays in tune and the frets aren’t sharp I’d say you got a deal and a half. I have the sc 400 gt which is only 105 plus shipping. All I had to do was tune it lol it’s freakin awesome love it.

there are actually lots of companies that do "mini humbuckers" now coz they had kind of a comeback. So its not a problem. People google mini humbuckers, theyre a own pickup and sound very different to regular sized humbuckers (id say often even better since they sound more "clear")

I actually like the sound of the stock pickups, did you change them? The guitar looks beautiful for the price. I normally play a 90s US Strat and Gibson with P90s Recently I found the joy of playing Gretsch guitars and have been trying to broaden my horizons as far as guitars. I was a snob for far too long and nowadays there seem to be some amazing budget guitars out there.

love the honesty, and in depthness. rock on.

Fantastic review. But who plays a $155 guitar through a $3000+ worth of amplifier and cabinet?? Seriously though, I'd love to hear this guitar through a $50 Joyo amp sim pedal. Real budget gear.

I have the HB SC 450 plus LD with wilkinson pickups. The screw on the scratch-plate was not flash on mine either. But I fixed this within 5 minutes easily. Iike this as my tribute and my spear LP. They are very similar in tone, playability only in price there are huge differences. My tribute was the last buy, I just wanted to have a Gibson once in my life. I also have one Fender USA strat. Well, all my guitars are second hand (except my first e-guitar, which is a squier infinity strat from china - after some mods a nice guitar too) and I never payed more than 500 bucks for a guitar.

2:12 "Is it a good idea to microwave this?" That's some oooooold school RU-vid, my friend. Amazing reference.

you're worried about scratching the top from a screw on a $162 guitar? really? take the guitar for what it is, a damn great guitar for the $. period. a player.

So this is a case of treating it nicely and change a few electronics (pots, pickups maybe), change the nut. Do some copper shielding and you have yourself a pretty decent guitar I've done that with a Jackson PS-1 i bought used, got two dimarzios on it, changed the shielding, pots and input jack, and it's a completely new beast

Excellent review and great playing! the guitar looks great for the money

I have one. I dig it. I leveled the frets, crowned & polished too. Added shielding. That's it. Stays in tune & plays well now. He says the neck ain't fat. Uhhh... no... it's the fattest neck of my 10 guitars. Took a while to get used to. Tone pot was loose. My other Harley Benton big tone though needs to go. Lol

I got this guitar in May, no problems with the qc at all. Only problem I had was the color was more bronze than gold so with a little help from stew Mac paints I'm fixing that.

What a gorgeous looking guitar. I bet a pickup swap would make it sing!

Thorough review of an affordable guitar ! ... Unlike Gibson ! ...

Don’t know what your settings were on the amp...but that was THE BEST sounding dirty shirley I have ever heard....WOW!!!!!

Replace PU with Seymour Duncan Vintage P90 on neck and hot on bridge : incredible sound !

Excellent review. I’ll be picking one of these up!

You don't check buzzing unplugged. Buzzing only matters when it's heard on amp, if it's not, FUCK THAT.

I've got the same model here. Been playing for many months, though it could some fret detailing. Well worth the $141 I gave last summer. Thanks for the review vid! I'll hopefully get my setup recorded to put up soon.

Hi! I already have my favourites here on YT, but I popped in on your video, stayed for the whole time, AND have hung out in the comments for the last hour.. I like you, and you are present! Thank you. 🎸Subscribed, of course.

I'm picking one of these up as my dedicated P90 guitar since Epiphone and Gibson P90s are just sour grapes for someone on a budget

way to go over it with a fine tooth comb - thanks for a super review - it helps us all

I bought one along with a H-B Junior last month, the GT is fantastic worth more than it's face value, the Junior is possibly the best H-B guitar i've tried in the last 8 years.

Necks react to humidity change not temperature. It will start moving after it got out of that hermetic bubble wrap.

Great looking guitar. I have never played a p-90 pickup. I don't really like single coils anyway. Maybe as I grow in my playing I will get into the cleaner type stuff.

Great product for a price. Nice finishes and it sounds also very good. Thanks for share with us. Cheers

I've bought a mine in December '19, just for judging by myself all the hype about those Harley Benton guitars. I thought I could resell it wherever I don't like it. I've choose this one because I don't own one similar (I' ve got quite an arsenal of 13 electrics, from USA made PRS, fender and Jackson, as well as ibanez and others) also I' ve never played a P90 guitar before. After purchasing the GT450P90 a month later I've bought a second hand LTD1000 gold top with Seymour Duncans...let's just say it's a bit similar to the GT450P90. So, What I think 'bout the GT90? I really love mine. Don' t find the problems with the washer, even the bindings are well made. The painting is very good, although the gold got this strange orange shade (which is very nice in it's way) , but the back is finished in a total different color than the one in the review. It's more bright, like orange... Being the body made of basswood, I've got some wood grains of darker colors that shows, one in the upper side, which aren't that beautiful... Apart from that, I'think the neck it's perfect, I really love the feeling in my hand, frets are well placed and cut in the corner. Like said in the review the top was not perfectly polished, even the final edge finish isn't done 100%... so you fell the fret a bit running up and down the neck. But playing the guitar during several rehearsal with the band I hardly notice this... Instead the sound is surprising good, very dynamic and spicy. I really like the neck p.u., the bridge one it's good but maybe a bit underpowered, less definite At the end of the day this little guitar is still with me, I'm thinking about giving her to my Luthier to change the nut (properly cut but made of cheap plastic) and the frets polishing (and maybe some easy electronic upgrades) to see what's coming out... I really enjoy playing this little gold monster and think I'm not going to sell it soon!

I prefer the humbucker lp's , but i really wanted a p90.

I love mine ! Outstanding quality and value !

Of course there is buzz, you pick like an animal :D

Number one, Safety Third ! and B, lol, these are great guitars. I have the very same guitar and it plays amazing, great price and sounds great. Was set up fairly decent and fit and finish are right up there with more costly brands.

Unless visible wood figurations are a key part of the look, there is no value to a one piece body, only a cost. It impresses those who do not know the difference. The only problem with multiple pieces are jarringly visible transitions.

Looks and sounds great.

Nice thorough review !

It sounds surprisingly good. I don't know how Harley Benton can sell these for such a low price.

Ordered one. Hope it's as good as yours.

That is really cool that you get to try out these awesome guitars! Cheers!

Like the sound....rock on brother

It sounds great, but that Dirty Shirley isn't making it particularly difficult on that guitar haha

Probably a little over critical about the gap between the nut and the binding, this is a £150 guitar, to put it in perspective I paid around £600 for a PRS SE Standard and the nut to neck fit was truly awful there was a ridge top and bottom where the neck was considerably wider than the nut.

Great video and even better playing you earned a new sub!

HB guitars are damn good for the money.....i been playn over 40yrs....

Looks nice. Sounds also pretty ok.

It's all down to the Wood ! Is she still alive or dead 😎👍

Thanks for the video, I've been kicking the tires on this one.

Great review

Sounds nice to me have you reviewed the sg red style one yet?

Cort CR250 OR Harley Benton 450 PLUS CB?

Nice job sir !! MANY a utubers whom have gotten these have said the same things .. so its pretty consistant it seems which is good.

Are the frets on this sc-450 bigger than the frets on the prs se guitars you've reviewed?

are they quite noisey?.. and I guess they hum cancell in the middle posion?

The worst risk about these guitars is the angle of the set neck. If it is too flat, you can't take the bridge as far down as you might wish and there are variations from one to the next. The next issue, present on most Harley Benton in the lower price range, is the likelihood of uneven fretwork. Taking the action down often requires filing a couple of them, which is quite an easy job.

Great review as usual. Did you have any issues with Canadian customs and duty when receiving the Harley Benton guitars ?

Great for the money.....

Crazy Russian Hacker is the one who said safety is number one priority

Very Good Review . Thanks.

Good review and demo, Tony.

Hey, whenever you weight the guitar could you convert it to Kg also for us Europeans? Great review btw

Oh come on man, what do you expect, it’s a135.00 guitar!!! No one will ever know the flaws except you! Just play plug it in and play it!!! NOW!!!!

i bought an earlier version of this a couple of years ago, used, even the model name was different. it has the more traditional lp body shape, and a lighter tone of stain on the back. it is actually quite beautiful. the paintjob actually resembles a gold-top more as well, less orangy, but also it is lacking a bit in the sparkle department. i never heard the original p90 pickups because mine came with gfs gold foil pickups (i don't recommend them, they are too harsh for my liking, and not really nice sounding in general). so i replaced the pickups. the tune-o-matic bridge was crap. really cheap crap. it had to go (my understanding is that the newer models have cheap but properly working parts as opposed to my older piece). although the pots, switch, and keys worked OK, just to elevate the quality, i have replaced those as well. the nut is fine to be honest, not worse than any of my guitars, but i don't know if it had work done on it. same with the frets. neck and action adjustability, fretboard, weight, so basically anything functional works really well. it is not a toy guitar. even the older models. but if you are buying used, keep this in mind. you either have to get some work done on the older models, or maybe somebody has already done that for you.

You never mentioned the price, what is low end!

nice guitar

Well explained and played ! Thank you ! I believe I will get one, but I want to ask you about modding. I believe new tuners pots and maybe pickups would be good enough. Which pots would be fitting on this guitar I saw some mojotone pre wired sets or single ones to get and solder ? I believe I would put lollar p90s in this case 500k pots would be a good upgrade ? Which pots would you recommend ? Thank you !

Also cort has the same abalone emblem on the headstock i think. Comes outta the same factory maybe.

That’s beautiful

Great detailed review.

I come from a Cort Cr50, the typical guitar and Amp pack, will it be worth changing to this one?

Great video!

Now chance the Cheapy pickups and replace Them with Seymour duncans.second relic the body and neck sand of the glossy finish on both and take a hammer and knife or a file and scrap it here and there for the real roadworn finish. Put all hardware in acidbath for cool aged look and BOY you have an awesome vintage LP

I can see the scarf joint from here...Not 1 piece body. Believe me

Mine is killer

It’s definitely not lower end

Hey great review. I got this guitar, but 90% of the time I am on the bridge pickup. The guitar is okey, But I feel the bridge pickup and neck pickup sounds "muddy" at the low end. When i got the guitar I changed the strings, and adjusted the saddle a little bit. The tuners do out of tune a bit. But my concern is that since the pickups are ceramic, when I play the upper frets like the low E chord, it lacks a little bit of power? Can you please make a suggestion? Thank you.