PRS SE Custom 24 vs Harley Benton CST 24 - Which is Best? 

I tried to make this as fair of a test as possible. Both guitars in a mix and then on their own. I tried both dirty and clean! Let me know what you think!

I’d buy the Harley Benton in a second. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Sounds fantastic! We truly are in the age of great inexpensive guitars.

I've had a CST24T for about 9 months. When I bought it it was about £180 but they've now gone up to about £220. That could be supply and demand, exchange rate against the Euro, or a bit of both. Even at current prices they are worth the money. A couple of weeks ago I bought a PRS SE standard 24 - having the HB and liking it so much made me want the real thing, even if it is "entry level". The PRS was £475, not sure what pickups are in Shane's guitar but mine has 85/15 zebras. I have noticed more of a difference in sound, mine has quite articulate mids - could be pickup difference or body as the standard is solid mahogany with no maple cap. I would still agree that it is just different rather than better or worse. Out the box the PRS was ready to go. Not the slightest hint of uneven frets, no polishing required, and trem floating. In fact the trem will take some quite aggressive use and still stay in tune. I completely agree with Shane regarding the neck as well, it's hard to describe but the PRS neck has a nicer feel to it that's hard to describe.but the HB is good. Between the two there are two glaring differences: 1. Machine heads feel like higher quality and have a better ratio on the PRS. The HB feel cheaper, are a bit more sensitive when fine tuning, but they are stable and therefore use able. They are a contender for an upgrade but not essential. 2. Frets. As stated the PRS frets were perfect, no attention required. The HB needed a good polish and had a few little rocks, but not enough to cause a problem when I lowered the action a bit. I've never really used trems as I've always been mainly a tele player, but after a few days playing with the PRS I thought I would have a go at floating the HB myself. Once I did the HB bridge performed almost as good as the PRS, even with the cheaper machine heads. I'm conclusion, the HB is a great introduction to this style of guitar, I wanted something with humbuckers but I'm not a fan of LP styles. The HB does this admirably but I have connected with PRS in the same way I did with the telecaster. So if you just want a cheap but gigable set of humbuckers, split coils and 24 frets the HB is perfect, maybe upgrade the machine heads and get a decent setup. If you can shell out a bit more for a PRS then yes, it's worth the money, it has a higher quality feel that's hard to quantify in words.

Nice shootout I'd have to go for the HB cause I'm a..... how you say POOR :)

The PRS has more precision and balance, the HB has more output and medium. My preference goes to the PRS, but the HB is doing a pretty good job and for a fraction of the price !

I'm just gonna go with a PRS private stock. I saw one that looks awesome and I assume it sounds great and it's only $12000! Ok maybe the HB is more realistic. But a person can dream. I'm probably gonna get an emerald green HB CST24 at some point and be happy about it. Looks and sounds great and I could still eat, pay bills, etc. Why am I rambling on and on...?

You should do a video on fixing the trem and try lowering the pickups to get a better tone. Just to show how easy those problems are to fix.

Hey Shane. Once again, you steered me in the right direction. Just got my new HB CST 24 LH back from my tech. After some minor adjustments, this thing actually plays as well, if not better, than my SE! As your reviews were directly responsible for both purchases , I just wanted to say... knock it off!! I'm broke ! ;) Seriously , thanks mate!

Considering the difference in price the fact the HB is even considered but the fact it holds its own is brilliant and a testimony to their quality.

The Cst is such a beautiful and sweet playable instrument... big compliment ... needed to change the pickups and electronics because of personal preference, but I'm absolutely astonished by the woodwork, fretwork and mechanics ... nice job, nice price, thx alot

HB seem to be knocking out some great machines for a fraction of the cost of the mainstream manufacturers. They've even started using emg's which is fantastic. Great, fair and honest review. Thanks.

Harley Benton, Half the Price and sounds great.

It’s funny I’m a left-handed player I see someone else playing left-handed it looks strange

After trying the PRS and loving it I had to be sensible and save a lot of money by going with the HB (especially as I’ve already hit 17 guitars) also I’d seen another Utube review which really rated the HB. I ordered the black cherry hard tail wraparound bridge. It arrived in play out of the box condition and the fit and finish were flawless I swopped out the bridge for a Ghoto wraparound as easy to get intonation spot on plus extra weight for great sustain, And just for my own preference put a set of locking tuners @18to1 ratio. I now prefer this guitar to my 96 Gibson les Paul for sheer playability. It sounds awesome, looks awesome but hasn’t got Gibson on the headstock. But it was a steel at £170 including postage I cannot fault this guitar 👍 Definitely recommend without any reservations

I have two Harley Benton CST-24's and my brother has two PRS's. One of his is a Semihollow bodied guitar in the same color as the one you played in the video. We're planning a comparison video soon. We do all our videos outside and lately we have had a lot of rain. Anyway, excellent comparison video my friend. I truly enjoyed it and you're a heckuva guitarist!

I'm probably going to buy the Harley Benton just to try out the prs style of guitar and if I really enjoy it save up for a nice prs

Well done, good job! Accurate, detailed and unbiased in any way. Probably the best comparison between HB and PRS on the Tube, so far. As you point out, it's not a matter of better or worse, but smoother or harsher, brighter or darker, rather. The judge is your personal preferences. Hanx a lot

I recently ordered and received the Harley-Benton. I set the trem, and it is great, and stays in tune pretty well. I can't put the thing down, and I have had it now for almost three months. I always have it on my guitar stand. Amazing that an inexpensive guitar like this is so great!

I like the PRS tone myself. Just sounds cleaner and crisper. Some guitars just aren't set up for hotter pu's, and I've always thought PRS style guitars is one of them. Love your PRS Shane.

Got the same exact HB in july 2019 after a10 week wait .The PRS sounds like my 2015 amr.strat in bridge p/u.They both have similar voicings .Amp adjustment can make them sound exactly alike.

Cheap guitars can sound great with a great signal chain. The value of the PRS plays out over time. Several of my friends have picked up HB guitars and love them - at the start. Then the tuning issues creep in, and the frequent truss rod adjustments. The fret wear. The pots that get scratchy. I bought my lefty PRS SE in Trampas Green right after I saw yours for the first time. Rock solid setup and tuners. Frets look brand new. All I've done is change strings and I play it every day.

The quality is noticeably better on this HB than on my HB SC450+ I love it but the first time I changed the strings a tuner fell off because the screws are so poor! Good to see they have improved on this!

At the beginning of the video, I didn’t watch the video,just listened to your playing to have an unbiased perspective and I could hear the difference in tone. The PRS sounds a tad brighter than the HB. I like both as far as tone. I can see the value in both guitars compared to a Core model PRS. Now as you know, I’m a unapologetic brand snob and as silly as it is I am a sucker for guitars with certain names on the headstock 😂😂😂. Both of these guitars really cure me of this snobbery!! I could see myself owning either or both of these guitars! I think the PRS gets the edge only when it comes to the Trampas Green top and ease of using the tremolo out of the box. Thanks for the comparison of these fine guitars Shane!! Cheers Mate!!🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾🤙🏾🤙🏾🤙🏾🤘🏾🤘🏾🤘🏾🤘🏾

A couple of other big factors for me, are cost and overall availability of the product. Being retired military I am on a fixed income. The HB ships to my house for 240ish US. The PRS comes in at a hefty 829 US, cheapest I have found it new is 649, used no less than 450. For that price, I can get 3 HB's. Next comes PRS problems. PRS has 1 guitar in the SE line for us lefties, so I have a little bit of an issue with them. I do plan on buying a second CST-24 and changing the pickups to P90s, also considered a set of P-Rails from Seymour Duncan, but I actually like the Roswells. Rumor mill says that more CSTs are coming down the pipe for us lefties this year. I would love to see a stoptail version as I rarely use the trem.

I’m impressed with both! I have a friend who just ordered the Benton.

I have the Harley B (left handed) & yes it is a heavy guitar. Would prefer something lighter but do like the neck binding, so stuck between the two. Great tones from both guitars. Enjoyed the comparison - thumbs up

I just bought a Harley Benton CST 24 T and I looove it! Weight 3,55 kg. Comes with a good setup out of the box, I just lowered the string action a bit with no following problems. It has stainless steel frets and a graphite nut. As you mentioned, the trem was hard to push. I removed one spring and float the trem system, now its smooth as on my Strats two point trem. That guitar is worth every cent! Bought it new for just 209 € at the HB 25th anniversary sale. Regards from Germany 👋🏻🤘🏻

Shane, I love the look of your Paul Reed Smith. And i have been a PRS fan since 1997. That being said, I think both tones are very close. And Harley Benton is doing such an incredible job for us people who don’t have very much (if any) disposable income. Yeah, PRS is amazing out of the box. The S2 Standard Satin that I play was pretty much perfect out of the box. But most guitars need a good setup out of the box.

The PRS sells for around $780 and the HB sells for around $240. They both sound great and only slightly different and the playability is similar. You could get the HB and a damn good practice amp for the price of the PRS so ....

Wish I had the HB as an option when I was first starting out years ago. My first guitar was a Jackson with some stock idiotbuckers and after a year or two I realized I needed to find something more my taste. The HB with a pickup upgrade sounds like a great deal. That said, I’d much prefer the PRS no doubt.

From Leo: We are truly in a very high value age in the guitar market. It used to take at least a weeks worth of pay to buy a good sounding, playable guitar, and better guitars were 2 or 3 weeks of pay. These are the days we can get a good sounding payable guitar for one day of pay. Of course we can still go up in price, but the quality and value of budget guitars is amazing.

IMO this is an important video. I like the CST-24T a lot but the Trampas green Custom 24 SE is my favorite of the SE line. I slightly prefer the tone of the SE PUP's because of the overall clarity, but i could get 2 of the CST-24's and a set of PUP's as well, for the $600 SE cost. I have an Emerald green CST-24T and find the Wilkenson bridge to be a step above the Fender MIM 6 screw in terms of feel and tuning reliability. It is a step below a Fender System One 2 pole trem. It is hard to beat the Custom 24 for under $600.

I watched this video and found it intriguing. I own the CST-24T, and I absolutely adore its feel and sound. The low action is just perfect, but I do agree that it tends to sound a bit too hot and muddy at times. Recently, I decided to upgrade to the PRS 24 Custom 24-08, and I must say, it's been quite a revelation. The tone is noticeably clearer, and I have a plethora of options to explore compared to my Strat. While the Strat still reigns supreme for its distinctive quack, the PRS comes impressively close to the Gibson sound. One aspect you're spot-on about is the weight-both the Gibson and my Strat are notably heavier than my new PRS. Given that I'm no spring chicken and have a troublesome back, I opted for the lightest option available from Sweetwater. And I must say, this PRS has quickly become my favorite guitar. If it weren't for my initial purchase of the CST-24T, I might have never realized just how exceptional a PRS guitar can be.

Having played strats for over fifty years, apart from a 1988 black with gold hw Gibson LP black beauty which pretty much plays itself, I bought my first PRS, a Custom SE 24 a month ago. It. Is. Fab. I wanted the 85/15 humbuckers and the splitting - which very almost nearly partly nears the single coils on my 1975 USA strat. So, already with a vintage 62 cream man-in-black strat from HB, I went for the HB CST 24 in flame red. Arrives soon. I researched HB Roswells and many humbuckers in depth with reviews by many other players of many genres. These showed what this excellent comparison video shows. HB fine if I was age 20. Which I ain't. Decided to swap out the Roswells but will play them for a month first. Almost went Seymour Duncan, but went for much cheaper zebra Fleor humbuckers which had many great reviews. The challenge for me is to get as near to the 85/15 on the PRS as it can. But, aged 68, I still get what the HB Roswells would do for some heavy metal and thrashing. I binned the tinny Roland Fuzz etc pedals in the '70s and used a Sony Radio Cassette Player as a pre-amp with a Wem tape echo - so for me, just a clean pick-up, a good lead, and (only) a Marshall does it. The rest we can just add, regardless of the guitar, depending on what we're writing or playing. So, the HB CST 24 will get a play when it turns up soon, a likely pick-up mod, a definite fret polish, and will add to the HB Chinese budgets - Tele, Strat and PRS copy CST. Shame they're so heavy, no fun at my age after two- and-a-half minutes. A thick strap helps. Then only hanging it from a chandelier will work. As for the volume and tone knobs on the CST 24, they're gone already. 😅. Great comparison vid. Thanks Shane here.

First off, thanks Shane for the honest gear reviews. I bought the Harley Benton CST-24HB Tortoise Flame. Took about 6 weeks from order to Texas delivery. Yep, a bit on the heavy side compared to my american strat and esp ltd. Neck is not quite as thin as I like but still comfortable. Just a bit of bridge height set-up and she was ready. I like the sound of the pick-ups but I'm not blown away. Overall, very impressed with quality and playability at this price. My real test is how much I just pick it up and noodle on it, which is a lot. First sub-$1000 guitar I've owned in years and I'm thrilled.

I think I like the body curving better on the HB, unless I'm seeing things wrong. That doesn't seem to be something you get with the PRS at the SE pricepoint.

Appreciate you mentioned the weight of the Harley Benton.

Great review Shane. You don't really mention the value for money though - it's a £799 PRS vs £196 HB. I nearly splashed out on a PRS SE Standard 24 last week at £379 and after seeing this video, I would have been very sad indeed if I had. Even if you don't like the pups, a used Seymour Duncan is only £60 or so. HB + SH6B = happiness!

I felt the PRS sounded more articulate and open. And for the necks, that 10” radius with the 25” scale is the sweetest combination for shear playability across the board for me. I didn’t think anything would supplant thick neck with a 12” radius but my PRS SE Standard changed all that. Nice job as always!

I love these HB shoot out videos. I am a bass player and own a Harley Benton P-bass which I bought new for 75€ to learn out to do maintenance on. Turns out to be one of the easiest basses I have ever played, it sounds very retro and very cool. Yes it needed some work on the setup and the frets where rough but once that was done it is a stunningly good play. I always come on these videos to see if it is just me and I got lucky and the guy in china who made mine just so happened to be on his AAAA game. But nope they all see to come out pretty darn good, Bass or guitar.

Hello. Thanks for the review. Both guitars are quite worthy of the attention of musicians. I think that those who have enough money will purchase PRS. Anyone who chooses HB will also be satisfied. After all, there are already thousands of such people. Inexpensive, but high-quality materials and components plus quality production from the Cort company. All this allows even people with a small budget to replenish their guitar collections with copies of legendary models. I still chose PRS. In the video, both guitars sound almost identical. But the PRS SE has a deeper sound, more overtones are heard, and it is more readable and transparent. HB sounds good, perhaps louder, if the settings were not changed during recording. But it’s a little dull and flat, and it’s as if HB was recorded on a lower-quality and expensive processor. On a home amp or an amplifier in a club, the difference will not be very noticeable. Especially if you turn up the tone knob on the PRS a little. I have 2 PRS SE series guitars. This is a guitar similar to the one in the review, the SE Custom 24-08 anniversary edition for the company's 35th anniversary. And a semi-acoustic LP type model SE Zach Myers. They sound good acoustically and connected. Ergonomic and comfortable when playing them. And they look great. Over more than 3 years of ownership, I have not had any desire to switch to more expensive instruments from the Core or Private Stock series. I see in reviews of expensive PRS series that these are even more beautiful, melodious, resonating instruments. But I’m not ready to pay a much higher price for even excellent instruments. And especially not ready to switch to cheaper versions from HB. I see differences in the ergonomics and sound of the PRS SE and HB, and think the difference in their price is justified. Good luck.

Nice review! As an owner of both (2 X PRS SE Customs, 4 X HB CST24's), I agree with most of your points. I have more data points, so I'll disagree about the weight. My 2 PRS's weigh 9 and 8.2 pounds, while the HB's weigh 7.6-8.4 pounds. So very comparable, but my HB's are actually lighter. The neck shape is very different though. The HB's have much thinner (shallower) and rounder necks, while the PRS is more flat at the back, and a bit wider at the nut as well. The exception is the HB CST24HB (semi hollow), which is more comparable to the PRS SE (though still not as wide)

I own the Trampas PRS with full maple cap - haven’t tried an HB - but can say the PRS through my DSL40CR really sings, lots of harmonic undertones and ring outs. I wonder if the Kemper kills some of that juicy goodness in the room. I like the difference in $$$.

I LITERALLY had the rewind the vid a couple of times 'cos I got distracted for a moment and LITERALLY couldn't hear the difference between the two when the guitar switches happened.... cool video, very helpful, thanks!

I own the same Harley Benton now and the neck carve has what I call a shoulder to it which means of you are the type of player that hangs their thumb over the fingerboard's edge you'll be fighting with those shoulders. I have adjusted to it but it's not ideal for me.. The neck kind of feels upscale with the stainless steel frets. The Jatoba(sp?) fingerboard feels great and the 14"ish neck radius has grown on me. I chose it over an Epiphone Les Paul and am happy with it. Yes it is heavyish but has a comfortable body shape. The nut with is just right, not that wide.

The PRS is smoother on the distortion. Less graininess and less breakup on the tail of a power chord

I OWN BOTH GUITARS AS WELL AND MY HARLEY BENTON GIVES THE PRS ALL IT CAN HANDEL !!! NICE UPLOAD SHANE !! :):)

Hardly tell the difference. Already have the Harley Benton SC Custom Satin Black/gold hardware. Looks just like a LTD . I love it. And the prices are making me want a couple more. This CST is in the hat, along with the SC 550 II.

I think that a pickup upgrade in the harley benton could easily put it above the prs.

Pretty close, but no other pickups sound as rich, deep, and textured as PRS, to my ears anyway. But I think most of that would get lost in a live atmosphere. The playability, light weight, wammy bar, resale value, and pride of ownership give the edge to the PRS, in my book. Those narrow wins aside, the HB is a great deal and very capable guitar. Not sure why, but I would prefer anything over the Trampas green.

My Harley Benton CST-24 is a couple of years old and it came with Wilkinson pickups and it has the older headstock logo. It plays and sounds fantastic. I like the Wilkinson pickups, they're lower output than the Roswells. I also have a Vintage V100 Icon with Wilkinson pickups and I love it too.

I was the 1000th like and just bought my HB and saved $1000+. Great video brother 🙏🙌

Very Good Shane! I thought the PRS had much better note definition although the HB sounded great in your hands, I preferred the sound and looks of the PRS! Great Job, please keep up the Good Work Mate! Cheers!!

I listened to this video while reading the comments, so didn't see which guitar was which....they both sound amazing ......

The HB is nice and the price is right but it doesn't have the birds! I saw a PRS in a pawn shop and fell in love with the birds! Good to see a lefty testing lefty gear.

By the time you put it in a mix you won't be able to hear any difference at all. It's all about how it feels...and the juice you bring to the party.

It will be different in the US, but in Australia you can buy 3 x HB CST-24T from Thomann Europe, for less than 1 x PRS SE Custom 24 Trampas Green anywhere in Australia, freight inclusive.

I must say I like the look of the Harley Benton but for playability and the guitars are set up to play straight out of the box PRS great guitars and I would say PRS for beginner and the weight problem for young people on the HB great demo Shane

I guess if you swap the pickups in the HB to PRS stock pickups you won't be able to hear any difference......all in all a great job from HB, especially considering the price difference! :-) I guess PRS might be in trouble now?

I have a brand new PRS Custom 24SE, and a fairly new (6 months or so) Harley Benton CST-24, and I have on order a Harley Benton CST-24 HB, and my brother Dan has two PRS Custom 24SE's. The difference is when I buy a Harley Benton It's paid for in one pop. PRS'S take time and money to pay for.

Great review Shane. I'm going to buy a Harley Benton as a project guitar, you can't go wrong at the price. I'm sure that the HB would benefit from a really good setup but for £40 if you can't do it yourself, it would be well worth it.

I agree a pickup upgrade for HB will sound better.

Thanks for this fine comparison. Yeah, the weight is a total deal breaker for me.

Very informative, thanks. Give the comparability, I'm guessing that for many people the primary issue will be the huge difference in cost.

HB: mahogany neck PRS SE: maple neck HB: stainless-steel saddles PRS SE: some alloy saddles HB: scale 635mm PRS SE: scale 635mm HB: fretboard radius 13.5" PRS SE: fretboard radius 10"

do not care about comparison - great sound and great playing!

What has the better feeling neck? Which one stays in tune? These are better questions than just tone. Pickups, amps and pedals can change all that, but the feel is a whole different game. Nice video!

I am right-handed but play as a lefty, finding good quality lefty guitars without breaking the bank, is hard. Great video. Leaning towards the PRS because of weight and neck feel. But both see, like awesome buys.

The difference is subtle sound wise. Appearance, the HB I love more mucho.

Sick. Nice comparison. I like your playing. I love the PRS, will buy the HB. The problem is, if I was in a bar and had a few in me listening to you play some notes... it would NOT matter at all what guitar you were playing. Rock is rock. Good players will pull soul from any instrument and the people will respond.

They both sound great! Thanx for the comparing Shane!

I think the comparison was accurate and even! I heard exactly what you heard! If tone is an issue, a pick up can always be thrown in too.

I have a CST-24 and have been more than happy with it. Don't dismiss it just because it's cheap, it's a very good instrument.

The PRS is more articulate...but the price difference makes the Harley a great choice in my humble opinion... especially when it's played on the cleaner side. Great review

I own both. If I had to choose one to sell, it would be a hard decision to make. I'm with you. I love them both.

Here in Europe (Denmark) HB's are extremely cheap vs the high end American originals. For sure we go for the clones, and there is so much more for the perfect amp.Well it takes a bit of fifling to make them as playalble as the real thing. Great playing and comparison btw........and thanks for a fine share

Fair and comprehensive comparison, thanks so much! I checked the other day a SE Tampas green and didn't get impressed, it was good but in two weeks I travel to Thoman, will try the HB and if the setup and neck are OK, I doubtfully will be able to justify a difference of almost 700 euros .... for less than half that money I can throw in a set of Boot Camp knuckles and better pots and it will sound like heaven!

Shane you did it again... I am currently awaiting a CST 24 to arrive. Another gear purchase based on your reviews! Will be running it into the DSL 40 CR. I can't wait

PRS full body bassy sound, HB passes more high's. I have a PRS custom 24 SE and love it. I would not mind a HB. Left is the right way to play.

Thank you for the comparison. I have the right handed version of your SE CU24 and it's as heavy as my Les Paul Custom. 8.5 - 9 pounds. But the balance on the strap and neck feel make it my go to guitar.

Thanks a lot for making this great shootout, Shane! Tonally, I prefer the PRS with its better clarity and definition. Especially the bridge hb has such a great bite! But the HB proves again it's an enormous bang for the buck and the body shape is really beautiful.

I have an HB24 and it weighs 3.7kg or 8.16lbs which isn't particularly heavy for a two humbucker guitar. They are great guitars and represent excellent value. Compared to the PRS it is an all mahogany guitar with a maple veneer, while the PRS has a maple cap (with a veneer) and a maple neck. As your excellent demo shows, the HB really holds its own against the PRS SE. The Wilkinson vibrato bridge can of course be set up to match personal taste. I have two springs on mine and I have adjusted the small grub screw at the back of the inertia block so the arm stays wherever I leave it. I believe that this grub screw isn't tightened straight out of the factory and as delivered the vibrato arm is often a very loose fit in the bridge. There is a small design flaw in these guitars, where the top under the bridge has been left with a curve as part of the top carve. As a result the bridge can tilt from side to side, as well as back and forth as it is designed to do. The side to side tilt results in tuning instabilities. This can easily be fixed by removing the two outer screws of the six bridge pivot screws, inserting a 4 x 12 x 0.9mm brass washer under either end of the bridge and replacing the screws making sure they pass through the holes in the washers. The bridge will then float while supported at either end by a washer. Check all six screws are raised high enough so the underside of the screw heads does not limit the movement of the bridge plate when the arm is depressed. I completely removed the bridge from my gutiar while setting it up and I cleaned up the tops of the six screw holes with a countersink. They looked like they had been drilled at speed and the finish had melted around the top of each hole in a rough raised collar.

I have a PRS Core model, a CE24 and an S2 Standard 24 and I can’t wait to get my Harley Benton!!! Great guitars for the money!!!

I can't for the life of me understand how you can discern differences with all those effects on..now clean, to me is the only way to hear any differences...

Shane all your videos are always helpful .I prefer the tone of the PRS but the HB guitar was great also . The PRS just had mojo

Be interesting to see what 500 euro in upgrades would do to the HB. I had really high hopes for the custom 24 but I don't like the plastic feel of the neck, and the pickups weren't doing it for me. I was going to trade a reverend double agent og for it but realised the rev was far better neck, pickups, locking tuners etc. at the same price point.

Great video but.......but 😉 I’ve had over 50 highs end guitars and none have been setup to play out of the box. Even sweetwater guitars need a little tweaking.

I'm not seeing many people mention the fact that PRS sells the SE Standard 24 at 500 bucks. Brings the price difference closer by quite a bit and it still has the trem, pickups, 24 frets, and coil split!

Happy to dfiscover your channel,i'm lefty too! and so very insterested to buy the HB soon,thanx for this very good demo bro'! Peace from Reunion Island.

I want the Benton p90 version...greatly appreciate your reviews and comparisons!

Another solid review... very fair, all things considered, especially price. I always tell people, "try before you buy... if possible, and buy the best guitar you can afford." I own budget Fender and PRS SE models and more pricey PRS's. I love 'em all!

I like both sets of pickups. The prs has more clarity but the hb has a certain hoarse crunch that I personally love. Can't go wrong with either but I don't have prs money so it would be hb for me.

the prs has a resister in the split pot, to change the tone you can replace the resistor with a different output. this tiny mod can totally change the split coil sound

I have a PRS SE Tim Mahoney (basically a standard 24) and a that same HB CST 24t with Irongear Dirty torque/Blues engine pups I had installed as an experiment, not that the stock Roswells needed replacing but man... Cant put the HB down. Getting a second HB to throw in some alnico 2's in for blues and jazz stuff. Ive played PRS cores, that same SE in this vid, etc. Because the mods can be SO inexpensive to get a GREAT sounding and looking ax... And they are VERY good without the mods... Cant go wrong with either but I really am a fan of my HB for sure...

Unless I missed it, one thing you didn't mention was the control layout. I know that's a personal thing, but the location of the pickup selector seems like it was better on the PRS. To me, it looks better thought out (more accessible, without getting in the way). The HB selector switch seems a bit far back there. Not a huge thing, but I think worth mentioning. Thanks for the video, and all the great work you do on the channel. Have a good one.

i believe it only comes down to 2 factors. One HB will play good to very good if you have a great AMP and Second if you dont care much on a few minor cosmetic issues HB might have then you get yourself a very good guitar in 3 times less the money.

Fantastic review as always Shane, keep up the great work! Given the difference in cost, for a hobbyist it would be a no brainer to go for the HB. A gigging musician may of course have a different perspective. So for the hobbyists/bedroom players out there, countless videos are available on RU-vid showing beginners how to address sharp frets, intonation, trem bar adjustments and pickup swaps. For those who have the desire to tinker around a bit and make it their own, these are excellent platforms to do so. May I also say that the finish on the HB is absolutely beautiful. Not taking anythingy away from the PRS which is stunning, but for the money.....WOW!

I'd go for the HB, actually. Overall, they sounded remarkably similar, but the pickups on the HB are hotter, which I really like. I also do tend to prefer heavier guitars (my current "number one" is a 1981 Gibson Sonex, which is like a boat anchor), so weight doesn't matter to me. I was actually going to get a PRS SE Standard 24, but for the price, I could get two HBs and still have enough left for a couple more pedals.

Nice review, as always Shane! Diggin the Chris Cain Poster too, man! 👊

You really helped me today I was in a quandary the Harley Benton is great of course the PRS is what it is but thank God low-budget guitarists like me and get something really good thank you and thank you again by the way I do own a real USA Gibson Oroville Gothic that I really love