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If you shop for Harley Benton and you don't like fat necks, you got to avoid anything with the word "Vintage" in it. To HB, "Vintage" is synonymous with "made for neanderthals" PS: Their Teles are amazing, especially the Cabronitalike with the reverse headstock.
Long ago, I purchased my first electric guitar (a Squier Stratocaster) and though, in the present day, unfortunately, it is not a playable instrument anymore, I have in mind to restore it and make it my gig ordinary "weapon"; I mean, if I am able to customize my Squier Strat, and I make it (at least) sound not much worse than an American Fender standard (with reliable hardware, frets, etc.) then, I'll get the perfect tool for playing the gigs... Basically, because I would have the sound I like and the most proper guitar (given that it is not a Fender instrument, it won't draw the attention of thieves [there are lots of musicians that have had their instruments stolen, at least, once in their lives]). On the other hand, I would make the same argument to suggest, for live performances, playing customized Epiphone or Tokay LPs (or other acceptable copies) rather than the original Gibson Les Pauls... But, of course, that's a very personal decision...
Fyi: you're the same person playing the guitar as the person who isn't. All the talent, creativity, power is in YOU not the guitar. The guitar is a conduit of what's in you. And fyi: you're an amazing guitarist; so that says something about you as a person....
I swear to god, this guy composed the best musical piece EVER. No matter what guitar he's reviewing, his playing is literally the definition of displaying emotions and feelings through the speaker. Dave, my guy, I honestly put you up at the top of my list for inspired guitarists. As always, heavenly playing man! Keep it up 🔥
I love the fact that you don't overcomplicate while playing it's just the right notes in the right time and overall it touches some deep feelings. Thank you, I probably will listen to it many times
Literally never touched an electric guitar in my life but have always wanted to learn how to play so decided to " bite the bullet" and picked up a Squire Bullet two days ago. A friend shared your unboxing video and I was gob smacked! Unbelievable talent! Certainly made me happy with my purchase. I'll look forward to your future videos. 👍
Phenomenal playing! Incredible! I would have to pic the Bullet. Through my headphones, it had a fatter sound on the bottom end and the higher notes still cut through . Good job
Dave, because of you I decided to dust off my 2012 Bullet (Jimi Hendrix White) and take it to the gig. I had struggled with it for quite a while because I changed the nut to a Graphtech thinking it would make it better. Honestly, there was nothing wrong with the stock nut. But it just didn’t feel right after the nut got swapped. I don’t know why but I changed the strings yesterday and it felt great to play last night. I’m looking at definitely getting one of these hard tails for my birthday this December. You’re being so open and honest with how you feel really helps me and I’m sure it helps a lot of us who follow your videos. I struggle with anxiety daily and can get really depressed really fast when I am in stressful situations. It never works when people tell me to stop feeling this way or stop thinking this way. Thank you for being real with who you are and reminding me that it’s okay to be broken inside. Hell, everyone on this planet is whether they care to admit it or not. Eric
Squire would be my choice. Overall to these ears the Squire sounded bright and had good definition thru all the pickup settings clean and distorted. Love the look of the HB though and it does well but not the sound I would be looking for.
The Catweasel of blues guitar! Superb Dave 👍 I prefer the bullet... The Benton sounded a little harsh while the bullet had a more refined clear, maybe a tad thin, but overall more pleasing sound.
Thank you Dave !!! ,I'm with on the Squire Stratocaster, with all the videos I've watched, I picked up a Squire Bullet for 299,limited edition, I'm upgrading my squire, just to make me happy, and to rub the noses of Squire haters, through my skill set and my Great squire, much fun, thanks your awesome, I only wish I had some one like you as a neighbor to share in the guitar bliss....
I came to this video to hear the Harley Benton comparison. I have a room full of Squires, I Love all of them. I can only dream of making mine sound like you do. My hat is off to you. I've listened to this several times and feel the influence of Gary Moore in your bones yet it's still your style. I would like to think after 50 years that I just need a Marshall stack to sound that good. What I need are hands and feelings like yours. Made my day, Thank You.
After three videos about the Squier I just had to get one. Same hard tail but got one with a HSS configuration just for that extra punch of the bridge pickup. Love it!
I can't believe how good that bullet sounds. It really bristles with clarity and articulated punch. The hb sounded like the amp was underwater. I have a hb sc custom with p90s that I love, it's got that flat, slender neck. When looking at the Harleys I avoid the d profile necks and I find their 12" radius modern c very comfy.
Just discovered your channel the other day... blown away by your playing mate! Genuinely, hands down, some of the best playing I've heard for a long time. Very genuine stuff, right from the bone kind of playing :-) As to the guitars - I too would go for the bullet. I've got a bullet tele and it too is effing amazing! Price point seems to make no difference to quality of sound. Squier definitely leads the way in affordable brilliant guitars. Keep up the good stuff 👍
The vid I've been waiting for. Thank you! Trying to select an inexpensive Stratocaster for myself and it looks like it will be Squier (though probably a contemporary hss). Loved the sound. Thanks, again!
I’m glad your feeling better mate. Great playing on both guitars, really enjoyed it. I didn’t need one but after your squier unboxing video, I went out and bought one in arctic white and I love it. Even took the 2nd tree off and it sounds great. Very pleased and cheers for the review
I have a USA Charvel, a USA strat, and a USA Gibson Les Paul, and they will never sound that good unless this guy plays them. You have inspired me more than any of my guitar heros. SUBSCRIBED!!
I love the young ones reference 😂 and great demo. I'd take the squier purely as you said for feel as for me I put it in perspective that the sound can be changed relatively easily by swapping pickups and electronics whereas it's so much more difficult to change the feel of a guitar and how it plays
You have a great vibrato dude...I seriously believe one of the key things that separates the good from great and gives each player their voice on the guitar, is in deed vibrato. Keep it up and well played brother. Andy
I'll agree on the statement that considerate use of vibrato makes the great while constant use just makes the wannabes. The latter fail at being expressive at all. See at 3:35 how the use of long held non vibrating notes generate intensity and allow for vibrato to matter when it comes into use.
@@Leo_ofRedKeep I agree fully. You can tell the real McCoy so to speak right off the bat. As for the fakersTheir vibrato is sloppy and over used to hide out of tune bends , missed notes etc...
Dave, looks like you put a mint pickguard on the Bullet as well as doing the matching headstock. Here's a head's up in case you're considering putting aged pickup covers on the Bullet, the pickup polepieces are closer on the Bullet pickups and normal aftermarket covers won't fit. I had to end up spray painting the covers on mine. I found something I'd been looking for a couple months ago, a Lake Placid Blue Bullet Strat (only with tremolo) for a whopping $49. I put about another $40 or so in improvement parts.
(writing before Dave's opinion at the end of the video) In these types of shoot-offs we are comparing what we hear on screen with a reference sound/vibe we have in our heads of the original. To me, a Squier will always win vs. non-Fender 'family' competitor. Not to say the other guitar is 'bad' - it just doesn't sound as close to the historic reference sound we've heard on radio and on our favourite albums. If you want the Fender sound on a budget, get the Squier at the price you can afford. Better still, save another couple of months and get a classic vibe Squier. Most Squires are brilliant out of the box, but setting them up yourself with simple tools and books from the public library (or taking them to a decent guitar tech) takes them up to another level, much cheaper than going Fender American. This channel is brilliant for demonstrating just that. Thanks Dave!
Both guitars sound great, but I'm with you on the Bullet. The fit and finish is amazing. The neck fits in that pocket perfectly and the pickups have some voodoo magic in them. I've come to prefer hardtail Strats after having one of these Bullets for about a year now. I've changed the wiring on my Bullet, but I can't leave anything alone. I just used alpha pots (full size, but still pretty cheap). The guitar has only got better. 3-way import switch (bridge, bridge+neck, neck), master vol/tone and a 3-way rotary to add the middle pickup or select middle by itself. First time I've had a Strat with a useable tone control. It stays on '5' most of the time and I have plenty of bite left if I need to cut through more. I highly recommend getting a bridge with 'L' shpaed saddles. I got mine from Warman guitars, but they don't seem to have them anymore. However Thomann sell them (a little bit more at £18 ish), but it is a BIG improvement in tone and tuning stability IMO.
My issue with the Harley Bentons I have (TE-52, ST-62 and a ST-57DG) is the 14" radius, I just can't gel with it. The Harley Benton you have has a "Modern D" shape profile neck with a 14" radius, while the Squier is a C shape profile neck with a more traditional 9.5" radius. I also struggled to get along with the flat and wide feeling neck on the Harley Bentons I purchased. I don't have the biggest hands though. My favourite neck is on my 1986 '72 reissue MIJ Strat, it's a 7.25" radius slim modern C. It's a joy to play
I have nine guitars and the necks are all different, but as for having one cause fatigue or play better for me because of the thickness/carve, i don't experience that. This is a common thing i hear from many when they demo a guitar or speculate on their liking for a particular guitar. I will be just as happy with a thick neck or a thin, a C or V, or U, D whatever. Having them all different and sounding and playing different is why i have so many. I don't want one that is the same as one i already have. I just mention this because it was about a half hour of speak from you in the last week or so, and i wondered how many folks out there need a specific neck feel. Interesting stuff IMO.
I have recently bought an arctic white hardtail Squier Bullet Stratocaster, like yours based on youtube reviews (Andertons..), so I know how it feels. And it's just as you say, instant usable neck, very "alive" pickups, very good I would imagine for live performance, they do sound rougher but in a good way, to wake you up. Two other things I've noticed (comparing with my previous Ibanez RG) - very long sustain and very vibrant feel in the hands - the guitar feels alive because it transfers vibrations to the hand. I does insipre one to play, I just keep playing it... I think they have really got it right in all the important stuff and saved money on unimportant and the most impressive thing is how good it all plays together as an instrument at that pricepoint or any pricepoint for that matter. I see no point in upgrading and also quite enjoy the thinner and lighter body. It's thick enough in my opinion. Also hardtail changes the sound of the strat slightly - so buyers beware - if you want that springy sound buy one with the tremolo even if you don't use it. That's perhaps one thing I would change on mine even though I really like the idea and the looks (plain back) of the hardtail. I just know that nothing short of a good fender strat can touch this guitar and then there's the advantage of it being cheap - freeing you from worrying about the instrument...
To start off with, thank you for the shades of Gary Moore intro 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, you could make a bomb as a Gary Moore tribute act. I haven’t seen a decent one yet. Back to the the guitar comparison demo, I watched this twice, mainly for the intro, but the second time I used headphones and the difference was even more pronounced. The Squier was my favourite as it had more clarity and a brighter sound. The Harley was very muddy in comparison and as you said sounded muffled. Also if you watch your video back you can tell that your not comfortable with the Harley while you were playing it and you were not as fluid as you normally are when playing. Thanks again Dave for making these videos. 👍🏻
Okay I prefer to have the red guitar 🎸 it has more of a higher tone and a nice bright sound... The white guitar has more of a low warm sound... Great video awesome job 👍😊
Both sound great in your hands, the HB is a little darker and it seems to me it steers your playing towards more nostalgic sounds, but you definitely look and sound more comfortable with the bullet...
The Benton sounded more definite and clear more strat like than the squire.,The bullet has more bottom end and sounded different on each pickup a lot like my 90s encore ,close but for me it’s the Benton
I think that both sound great. I am a huge Harley Benton fan but I am really glad that Squier improved their game on the bullet series. Great playing as usual
Both sound great but the Squire definitely has more 'kick' so preferable to my ears. What would look really cool though is that gold HB pick guard and bridge on the squire (if you like the Iron Man aesthetic!) Hope you resolve whatever issues you've been having, greetings from Notts - Geoff.
Great to see you in better spirits today! Life's an ocean of crests and troughs, gotta go through them all but neither of them last forever. So we appreciate the good times, and remind ourselves in the bad ones that they won't always be present. :) On the guitars, I really enjoyed this comparison! They both sound nice, but the Squier definitely is a lot closer to the classic sound I associate with a strat. It has the snappy clarity and scooped mids while the HB is a little more relaxed, duller and muddier in tone. I've never played a Squier personally but I'm really glad to see that Fender has offerings at ridiculously low prices that still capture all the most important characteristics of their professional range. That Bullet would be an amazing guitar for a first-time player and would still be a great experience for a seasoned player. 👍👍
I was sure you will prefer the Squier Bullet , it is also my choice - I have the red Squier Bullet which I do love - I also have a white Harley Benton Les Paul style with a very thick neck but a gorgeous finish and I must buy the original Gibson pickups to turn it into a real sounding Gibson Les Paul guitar ...
WHAT WAS THAT??? HYBRID of Gary Moore, Jimy Page and John Frusciante was testing to budget guitars. This is the best guitar performance I have seen for the last year! Man You are awesome guitarist!!! Subscribed!
Great playing Dave.. Squire for me definitely. You can pick these up for £95 in the UK presently. Amazing really. Inspirational and informative videos mate. I'm spending half my RU-vid time watching your content.. 😅 Got to get one soon.. 👍
Great comparison video. If the yellow Strat did not have the neck issues, I would suggest a pickup swap. But, the Bullet is the clear's winner in round one. Who will the next challenger be to knock off the new Strat.
Nice licks from 19:20 to 19:30! This little section stands out and gives some life to the jam. Also I personally disagree with about the two guitars...maybe it's the video and me not hearing in person but I think the Benton has a nice solid tone while on this recording the Squire sounds a bit scratchy and harsh in the higher range.
I have a 2008 fiesta red squier bullet strat. Didn't like it too much before but in recent years it's the sexiest thing to play! Mostly cuz I have better amps now + practice is crucial to make guitars sound good.
Totally agree with you on that Dave the Squier sounds what I perceive a strat to sound like, the Harley Benton sounds dark but still ok doesn’t sound like a strat, Only my opinion. Hope everything is good with you and Quality as always .
congratulations for the technique. The 2 guitars, for their price, sound very good ..... I wanted to ask you: did you register using a digital softwer? or, did you mik an amplifier? thank you
great video Dave have you any idea the difference between the bullet and the affinity starts for example as the affinity got a slimmer neck I tried a bullet years ago and to me felt like a 50s neck is that still the case as I prefer 60s slimmer profile hope you can help as I want to buy a cheap strat with a humbucker in the bridge just to mess about on thanks
I wonder if the ST’s have the same neck feel... as the strat... i got one of the kits, and the neck its just too big to weird to play... I have other HB and those are awesome
I like the warm tone of the HB and I have huge hands so I might like the neck but I prefer a hardtail. Either way, the world has never been a better place for a guitarist on a budget.
Thanks for the vids man very useful cos i just order the Squier and you settled my mind on that , great playing wow , i'm a pro Pianist learning the guitar so i am starting cheap and this looks like a good choice , I have worked with some of the best guitarist in the world , and you are up there mate -)
Me too. I saw a few Indonesian Bullets in the store but ordered mine elsewhere just because preferred sunburst. It appears a Chinese one... and it's awesome!
Awesome honest review! Thank you. 👍🏼Just bought a used HB s type. I agree 100% about the build quality and the neck. It’s much fatter and flatter than a strat. However, with tone rider city limits pick ups it’s an excellent compliment to my much more obliging pro 2. So much bite it’s almost like a Tele. And it exercises my hands also making me realise how awesome my US strat is when I pick that up. I do love the colour (candy apple red with maple fingerboard)and tone of my Harley though. No fret buz which means a lot. It’s a keeper. ❤
And I have 5 trem springs. Please do a tone comparison - different numbers of springs on a flat to body trem. I am sure it’s be well received. Not sure I have ever seen one. 👍🏼💕🎸
That Bullet completely blows me away. Wanted a Hardtail Strat anyways, the rest of the guitar will be subject to modding anyways. As always, amazing playing!
To my ears the Squier, especially on the neck pickup, wins this episode. It seems the heavens were aligned just right when that Squier was put together.
I bought recently a Squier Telecaster Affinity. Same here. Feels and plays very good. I like the Bullet more than the HB. You playing is great (as usual). I also have a "problem" with Harley Benton flooding the RU-vid-Review-Market.
I’m really glad you’re feeling better Dave. The Squier is definitely better on the sound front. I prefer the look of the HB but it has to feel good first and that’s what counts. Personally I like a thick neck despite my small hands. 😂 In the end it’s what’s best for you Dave. I’ve heard great things about the HB JA60. It’s supposed to have a good neck too. Great video, thanks once again 👏👏👏👏
