3,457 posts
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Post by LeoThunder on Sept 7, 2019 4:17:05 GMT
Oh, so there are "vintage" Harley Benton with original characteristics and watered down later models! Of course we know that, since they keep changing things. That one piece neck will make it worth a fortune in 250 years, believe me. What do you mean, it was a cheap guitar? Fender were cheap guitars in the 1950s too.
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Post by hallon on Sept 8, 2019 6:13:35 GMT
Hi all, Can't decide which to buy. I know that probably to buy both would be the best , but need to decide only for one. ST57DG has alder body, one piece maple neck, SK52 Roswell pickups. ST62MN has basswood body, maple neck with maple fretboard laminated, STA Roswell pickups. Wonder if someone compared both? Does ST57DG has more resonance/sustain because of alder body and one piece neck? Does SK52 pickups sound thin with not enough mids (hard to cut through mix) comparing to STA (SK52 are vintage and have lower output)? All opinions are welcome. Thank you. Regards Neno The wood is a non issue. The tone in eletric guitars are mainly in the pickups, amp and your fingers, so that should be your focus.
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ttmax
Harley Benton Expert
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Post by ttmax on Sept 8, 2019 10:35:45 GMT
For the skeptics, it is true that the type of wood is not decisive, but from personal experience I did an experiment or rather two. I transferred all the hardware from a vintage fender stratocaster american (82) to a fender std mexico (01), I repeated the same thing from a gibson les paul (76) to an epiphone (96). Well in both cases the difference was noticeable for any listener, even the less experienced. In the case of the aforementioned hb, instead I don't think there are such marked differences given the class they belong to so I would choose the 62 that apart from the shape of the neck I don't mind at all, but if I have to be honest I also tried a l sx 57 and it's me liked more (price even lower than hb 62) Finally pickups/hardware are determinants, but even if in the smallest part wood type also counts and above all the seasoning. Of course, with same amplifier and guitarist ! An other example hb Cst24, cs Custom, cs 450 plus, all have same pickups and wood type but sound is different of course all always humbuckers sound but can ear easy difference even if minimal The rest are all three cheap guitars produced by the same manufacturer but in different countries.
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Post by damnyankee20 on Jul 9, 2020 14:08:49 GMT
SHhhhhhhh.... don't tell Robin Trower wood is a non-issue; he's a firm believer (as are many pros) that wood directly impacts Resonance (hebce the resonant differences between an SG vs Strat)
I have the ST57-DG and after I did a set up using feeler gauges to drop the strings down a tad below 1.5mm (no buzzing!) and adjusted the saddles for intonation, this is a heavy, great playing guitar. It wouldn't surprise me those Roswell pickups are reversed engineered from a '63 Strat.
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ttmax
Harley Benton Expert
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Post by ttmax on Jul 9, 2020 19:36:03 GMT
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Post by damnyankee20 on Jul 9, 2020 20:24:33 GMT
Its ALL important.... even the size of the headstock and laminants affects the tone of the instrument.
I have a 1955 Martin 00-18 all mahogany guitar and my Epiphone Riviera is also mahogany (tho semi hollow body). Mahogany just makes those guitars sound darker/duller/warmer/flatter (whatever term you want to call it).
There is no comparison between my darker sounding '55 Martin 00-18 and my much brighter/boomier sounding 1966 Martin D28 (rosewood back/sides and spruce top).
Same goes with my darker sounding mahogany Riviera vs my bright sounding Casino (laminated maple with mahogany neck).
And for sure - you can swap out pickups to compensate for wood type/density and composition.
But back to this HB ST-57: personally, a great way to build a great sounding Strat starts with an Alder or Ash body and a maple neck. This is why I think Harley Benton put together a winner here with the ST57 - and knowing Roswell reversed engineered a set of 1963 Fender Strat pickups is a bonus. Is the HB a 1963 Fender Strat? Of course not... but, its a great player when set up properly AND sounds close to the real thing. In fact, I have a Blackstar TVP60 amp programmed in to sound like a '56 Tweed Deluxe.... add the Fender pedal coupled with a Tubescreamer and a black DejaVibe 2 pedal, you cannot tell if its me or Robin Trower playing Bridge of Sighs on this HB ST57.
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Post by damnyankee20 on Jul 10, 2020 0:29:24 GMT
They are different points of view and both must be respected. The substantial difference is (and I have already said it), while in an acoustic or semi instrument (the word itself says it) it is precisely the wood that makes the difference, in one with a solid body this has minimal influence compared to the hardware but every little detail can make a difference. Now in a guitar of this price the wood and its seasoning count as the 2 of spades and this I think is quite obvious. In any case I did not say that an st-xx sounds worse than a strat of 60 (they are incomparable), I simply noticed that at least the ones I have have a little strat 60 sound and very close to an st-20 rather than an s .cvb. Probably closer to modern sound than that of the 1960s, play loud. Anyway this could be real difference i have a Fender deluxe 65 no a model amp No disrespect at all. As a former guitar shop owner, I am competent enough to correct the statement "wood is a non issue". It most certainly is. Including solid bodies. Wood is what give guitars such as Les Pauls and Byrdlands their unique sound. And I guarantee you if you took the ST57 made of Alder and changed it to Basswood (with all things being the same), you'll definitely hear a tonal and sustain difference. This is why in my opinion, the ST57 with its Alder body, maple neck and stock Roswell SK52 Alncio 5 pickups (reverse engineered pickups from a 1963 Fender Strat) and properly set up is a superior instrument at its price point and in my opinion, the best buy on the market right now.
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Post by forestfifer on Jul 11, 2020 13:13:35 GMT
The other difference is that the 57 has 21 frets, and the 62 has 22. May be an issue for some buyers. Personally I'm waiting for the st90 swamp ash to come back into stock
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Post by guesstimator on Dec 31, 2022 13:13:44 GMT
Hi all....using this old thread to ask a question about the st57 dg. I got this guitar as a gift and love it...especially as it has a much more stratty sound than must 62. Out of curiosity I was measuring the DC resistance of the pickups at the output jack...and found reasonable values for the neck and middle ones but a whopping 11.2khom for the bridge. Anybody have this guitar and measured the pickups. No problems at all with the guitar, just wondering if it has to do with a particular wiring layout or something else?
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