This is a great truth for new guitarists to hear. You don't need expensive gear to sound and play great. Hopefully it will help a lot of new players and seasoned players save money.
After moving home from central London to the North Essex coastline, at the age of 65, I am going to spend my time learning Guitar, something I promised myself when I get older, I have a few health issues and use a Wheelchair to get about, but I love live music, so hopefully get to see a bucket list of who to see, but as I am nearer Ipswich than London now, I'll have to travel back. I'm at the 💯 Club to see The Answer this month and May 4th to see Duran Duran at the o2 Greenwich..... The wise old fox called Zal Cleminson told me to plug in and enjoy the ride, if you are playing anywhere near me, I'll try to get to see you, a I managed to tick Fleetwood Mac off my list on the last tour of all 5 original members before Lindsey left. All the best Scott, keep on rocking mate 👍🏼🎸🎸🎸🙏🤘🏻
@Ronald Glen Bayfield OK, Ronald, keep rocking. A slight quibble is that the original Fleetwood Mac members were, Peter Green, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood and John Spencer. Add in Danny Kirwan slightly later and you have the legendary line-up.
I think it's best to mention that the gear does not have to be expensive, it just needs to be well made. That's all. Great video man, glad you popped up in my recommended.
I love how you are showing people that music is for the ears not the eyes. Everyone has played a cheap guitar that rules at some point. Inexpensive guitars are so much better than what they used to be
Absolutely! I bought a relatively expensive fender tele, and for the money, well, quality control- I expected more... can't say if it was covid and the impact on businesses at the time or if it was Fender management profiteering on that time by cutting corners and jumping prices up, I bought a half the cost of the Fender I have- squire for my nephew, it's definitely set up way better, fretwork, the neck is much straighter, it's lighter, better tuners, better bridge setup and parts, more TLC let's just say.
When I started playing 20 years ago , I would never have thought a guitar in this price range would even work, even less sound that good... I love your message that you don't need the most expensive gear to sound great and have fun!
I remember complaining about a crappy instrument and one of my real musician mates coming over, grabbing it and playing a few songs, and it sounding spot on. He said it sounds good to me. never complained again about how I could be better if I had a better guitar.
I own a ST-62 for four years now. I bought it to play at home, since my band is 150 km away, so I didn’t have to carry my main guitars each weekend back and forward. I’ve been modding each year and trying different things, like circuits, pickups, different strings,etc. It’s a great guitar. Taking it to a gig tonight.
Thank you Scott, for PROVIDING that it's not the guitar, it's the player that makes a great "axe"! I look forward to following the rest of your career and good luck my friend! God bless and take care...
I'm a big fan of this experiment. The budget guitars certainly present some unique challenges, but even a budget guitar in the right hands and with a proper setup make killer player instruments!
This is so helpful for people who are starting their guitar journey to show them (us) that it does not have to be cost prohibitive to get going. A great example for us all. "Max" sent me!😁
Great to see a top artist promoting the lower end of guitar purchases. I used an EKO ranger 6 for 27 years almost daily as a secondary music teacher and literally wore it out. I was over the moon when The Korgis were using one on TOTP. I'm sure many guitarists of lower income will be inspired by this video and not forget their roots when they climb the ladder of success. Like #1.01k
Nice one Scott - wish more people (especially younger players) could get to see this video, and realise that the "cheap" guitars that are available these days are not the kind of rubbish that old guys like me in my 50s had to work with back in the 1980s. I've got a Harley Benton ES335 copy and loads of Vintage (brand not age lol) guitars that I have picked up second hand, and they are more than good enough for touring and studio work. You're proving it by using the cheap HB on large stages and, with a quick setup from Phil, the guitar gives you no problems, even with a custom string set to suit your style. So much marketing and hype to keep buying guitars (and pedals - sheesh, so many pedals) to "make you better" and "find that sound" when what really makes you better and develops your sound is practise and playing and performing on a stage. Kudos to you for making this video and hope you had a great tour 😎
Thanks Martin, I appreciate that. Making these videos came out of teaching during lockdown, a few students said, “I could play so much better on an expensive guitar”, whilst playing really decent Squier strats. It’s nonsense! I do love my expensive guitars and need their quality to do my job, but I hope this video proves that someone can get a long way on a budget instrument.
It’s incredible the sounds and tones you were able to achieve with this guitar! It just goes to show once more you don’t need an over the top guitar to create amazing music :)
Not at all. Plug Eric Clapton into a Line 6 Spider Amp and he’ll sound like Eric Clapton. I could happily use a budget amp on gigs, I use a Line 6 Pod 2 occasionally for throw and go gigs.
Fantastic. It’s a joy to see the HB being used as a professional instrument, and holds up to. I think that a much more expensive instrument also need a tweak now and then to work on a world tour. I own only Harley Benton’s and I am very happy that this brand offer users a chance to try out several models for a great price. For me it has been a eyelifter that my body and arms like more LP shaped models and I thought from the start that I was a “Strat” guy.
That’s ace. Harley Benton’s are a great way to find out what you like before investing in a more expensive guitar if you wanted to go down that route. Nice one 👍
I recently got myself the Harley benton JA baritone as a fill in for the jazz master baritone and I have to say I love it and dare say it sounds better than the jazz master which was a pleasant surprise 😁 it's amazing what HB is doing with the cheaper models and how accessible it's making things for musicians that can't afford the more expensive gear
Emilyyyy! Right, I don’t have a harp to input this text response but hey 🤣 it was wonderful to see you both and look forward to catching up again soon. It’s good to be back posting videos after some time away.
Love this. Great Video and message: "I want to prove that to make music, you don't need expensive equipment.". I think the same. Know too many people with so expensive equipments and they don´t make even a song. In the other hand so many talented musicians making great stuff with almost nothing. Thanks!
Hey, pardner, I was watching Guitar Max, and he told us about your "Harley Benton " adventure. My brother and I review guitars, and we've been reviewing Harley Benton guitars for years. I'm not much of a guitarist personally, but Dan is the resident guitarist on the channel. I think it's really great that you are showing people that it's the musician who plays the instrument and not the other way around. You have a new subscriber 😉 👍!
I have three harley bentons: two LPs and this strat. I put new pups in it and cleaned up the frets and set the action. Plays great and sounds like strat. All in it was 250 cad. I love the hb LPs I have too. One has splits and the other one is a gold top with p90s. They both play great
Thank you for this! We are in an age where you can get a great touring and recording guitar for a decent price. A few years ago I had money troubles and had to sell my Fenders and Gibsons. I ended up replacing them with Harley Benton guitars and I have zero regrets. Their new 25th anniversary strats look great. Stainless Steel frets, flamed maple neck, American Alder body, locking tuners, splittable single coil sized humbucker in the bridge and a tusq nut for £266. It’s wild how you can now get top specs for a low price.
This was a very interesting series of videos, particularly all the setting up. I’ve just changed all the pickups on my Squier Strat, but I think it will also have to visit the guitar doctor. Thanks!
Just finished watching this and then watched the 5 part series on setting up the Harley Benton. Great set of videos that will help people getting these low priced guitars playing great! Again, it's about sounding good, not being expensive. I personally enjoy going through and making all these adjustments. Once you have done this, you will have a better understanding of what to do if you hear some noise or need to make a small tweak to help dial the action in. Thanks again!
Love watching Phill talk about guitar maintenance. What a font of information ,next time I'm in Preston I'll have to bring one of my guitars up with me and come down and see him for a setup. Really want to try that HB, -almost can't believe it for the price!
Hey Scott, it’s the artist creating the art. Some of these Harley Benton’s are really good instruments without breaking the bank. I have a HB JP-550 bass that I use for gigs and the passive simple setup just works. I haven’t tried one of their guitars yet but it looks like it could replace quite a few squires and MIM fender strats.
I think the story is less about the Harley Benton, more about encouraging people to pick up a guitar and play - not feeling inhibited by the price. Some of the budget Squier guitars are amazing.
Wow this is a great video I think I washed it three or four times over and over I used to play guitar professionally and then unfortunately sustained major nerve damage in a hit-and-run automobile accident 2008. I recently picked up a guitar only last year and started playing again and from not being able to play again at all to just starting to play some blues and being able to work around my injuries it's been an amazing turnaround for me. Thank you for this video I didn't know that little secret there to lockdown of the strings on the tremolo. I am going to start watching more of these videos because I'm very interested in how these techs do their magic as these tips and tricks are invaluable.(Magic) Congratulations on the tour and the guitar sounds great! Please lease accept this comment as my formal entry to win this fabulous guitar contest. Continued success for you and thank you very much to you and your entire crew. Cheers! 💯
It's astonishing how great a guitar at this price range sounds. Also great playing and I hope to have a fair shot at winning this white beauty. :P Keep up the great work! :)
Looking to get back into playing after selling all my gear years ago, this has made me realise I don’t need to go looking at high priced guitars to have fun again!
I just started playing 6 string (played 3 string fretless CBG and ukulele already), and picked up a cheap used First Act to learn on. I've found it doesn't have to be expensive to sound good. I imagine the HB strat is fun to play, which also important. Great video!
Give it to me!!! I'll keep it for you if you ever want it back. I have a set of fender noiseless from the 90's waiting to make that guitar shine even more. Love your initiative and Fleetwood Mac!
It doesn't really matter the price of your kit, it's how it is set up and how you play it. A great video to show people you can start on a budget and have great fun with guitars.
The real secret of a good sound is in your hands. Literally. There are too many myths around music gear but most of them are only marketing techniques. A great video. Very interesting content.
I love my HB Tele and Lapsteel, great and affordable starter instruments with just minor fixes needed to be good friends for years to come. Your videos proove that the sound isn't tied to the big brand name but to the player working his/hers instrument the right way.
I've seen (and heard) less expensive guitars that delivered the goods, but it's quite shocking for such an inexpensive guitar to hold up so well. Thanks for the video.
Guitar is realistically one of the least factoring things in tone. Plug anything into a good amp or sound system that’s the real producer of the tone. Plug an expensive guitar into a $20 amp and it’ll sound like trash
Bravo sire. I love this! There is almost an unwritten law that the more pedals you have, or the more expensive gear you have, the worse the music is. Ha ha. Great job and wish you success
It still baffles me how many guitarists will never leave their bedroom, let alone play a dive bar gig, will complain about playability and pick ups. All these "experts" overestimate how little people care about their tone. 😅 This is a great example of a good setup and smart choices. Also, it really helps when Thomann don't send you a lemon. 🙂
Well said! I’ve received nothing from Thomann / HB - I payed for 100% of the experiment. Sadly I don’t get to play it anymore because I gave it away - kind of miss it.
Man if it sounds good and plays comfortably then it's a good guitar. I've been on Mexican Fenders, budget Gretschs and low-end Gibsons from day 1 without problem
"Max" sent me as well hahahaha...but....great video, love to see your guitar guru repair man having the time of his life...and his work showed off...!!
Scary isn't it? A CNC machine doesn't care which country it's in, but it's still staggering to me they can source all the materials, paint it, assemble it, and ship it half way round the world for £70 and still make a profit. You've shown it's essentially good enough for professional tours, with a bit of fettling and playing within its limits. Players never had it so good!
This is a very nice debunking experiment. I think us guitarist kinda tend to fell in love with myths and build up castles in the sky. A large chunk of the ppl in the crowd wouldn't be able to appreciate the difference from this Harley Benton to '67 Strat. Ultimately the instrument affects more the player than the listener Modern day guitars are good and you definitely do not need a 3000£ guitar to gig around: not in theaters, for sure not in smaller venues.
Absolutely 👍 I love my expensive guitars and need the consistency and quality that they provide for my work. However, I must admit, this guitar is far from unpleasant, it’s a great instrument!
There's something so great about finding a dirt-cheap guitar that just 'has' it. I vividly remember bringing my 'lightly modded' (different pots + nut etc) Squier HSS metallic black sparkly guitar to my conservatorium friend who is used to playing top of the line Fenders etc. Gave it to him, and because he never actually played anything under at least a $1000,- his jaw dropped to the floor. First thing he said was; "What am I paying $2500,- more for?". Eventually he kinda figured out the differences. The humbucker has exactly what a lot of people are looking for on that Squier, but it's not very controllable which would make it's usability a little less broad when looking at genres. Apart from that, the sustain was a tad lower, but he was absolutely pleasantly surprised by it.
I always thought that cheap guitars really have it's charm. I have a Chinese copy of a strat that I bought almost a decade ago, it doesn't play THAT WELL but I still love it.
I don't play guitar but I want to learn and I think Harley Benton will be the brand I choose to start my journey.......loved the video! It sounds amazing for 30 pounds.....
I have the Harley Benton ST-90sa. It has a little better sustain. I replaced the output jack, 5 way switch and nut. (other things too but they weren't necessarily for necessity. I also blocked off the trem and put heavier (10's) on it. It wouldn't play in tune at all with the 9's. I truly enjoyed this. I use it on my (MUCH) lower level shows and it's really very good. This is a great video. Thanks for doing this.
De-oxit is THE best thing to use on moving electronics and it won't destroy plastic or circuit boards. I use it on amp pots and volume controls, it's amazing.
I have a used '05 squier affinity strat which i bought for £60. I stopped using it for ages, even tried selling it for next to nothing. Then I took it to a gig for a mate to use as a spare and he told me it's lovely to play and i'd be stupid to sell it. Now I've modified it with a rail humbucker in the bridge and it's all the guitar I could ever want or need! Cheap gear for the win!
Pretty amazing this. Guitar sounds great to me. And great that everyone can see now you don’t need an American custommade Fender or Gibson to make great music and enjoy yourself. Great video.
Would love to see this show / tour just for the 30 quid guitar! It should have its own tour manager! And BTW you just killed my motivation to buy this "cheap" PRS I've been looking at. Lol.
I recently bought the HB TE62 the craftsmanship is so good. I will swap the pickups and electronics and add a Wilkinson bridge with brass saddles. See how much the sound improves.
I have an HB SC-450 P90 GT. I replaced the tuners with locking ones and installed a bone nut because tuning was a problem with the factory setup. Now it plays and sounds great for an instrument than cost me $122. The replacement parts cost $35 total. IMO HB gives phenomenal bang for your buck.
I love that you're showing how cheaper instruments can still be good to make music and have fun with it, and can be loved even outside one's bedroom. Idk, I feel like these guitars add a note of rawness and "honesty" in the way they're not as polished as their more expensive sisters, and they inspire you to put more of yourself (in work and effort) into them, especially if you're on a student budget haha. And every time I see a white stratocaster I think of the early Arctic Monkeys, and even if it's not the same in a way I feel like the spirit of this guitar matches with that raw diy tone of their earliest material
Just receive my Harley Benton ST-20HSS in matte black. It's the best strat I've ever played, even more playable than my American Strat. The neck is just perfection. I actually love the bridge, which I set in floating mode. I took the string trees off and it hasn't gone out of tune once, even when dive bombing heavily with the whammy bar. Pickups could be upgraded, but they sound pretty good to me as they are. This guitar is WAY too good for the price I paid for it. It also has one of the best looks I have ever seen on a guitar. I'm in love :)
They look like great guitars but the idea was to make the video with the cheapest instrument I could find. I don’t really know a lot about HB’s other instruments, I’ve not played many. Do you have any Jamie?
