3 posts
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Post by jdgedwi11 on Aug 31, 2017 21:46:41 GMT
I'm primarily a bass player but I always wanted a telecaster to customize. I had considered buying a Squier but I bought my young son a Squier strat and it's basically trash. I don't care about the name on the headstock or looking for a collectible, I just want a somewhat decent base to work with that isn't going to cost me an arm and a leg.
Harley Bentons look great and have many positive reviews but it also seems like theres a lack of consistency. You either get a guitar that should be priced 3 times as much or you get a beat up guitar that's what you'd expect for $250 bucks. I was just wondering which models are the best, are they a good base to build on and if not, which one's would you recommend? The models that I'm most interested in are the TE-80 and TE-90 Flt.
Any advice is appreciated!
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1,481 posts
Disclosures: Everything I don't like I can modify.
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Post by blablas on Aug 31, 2017 22:46:32 GMT
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608 posts
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Post by oghkhood on Sept 1, 2017 5:54:52 GMT
Trash .... you can say basically the same about HB and Squier : cheapest models a really .... cheap, while most "high end" are surpisingly good. I own a Squier Strat Std that, once upgraded with a good pup set is making a very nice pair with my Mexican Jimy Vaughan signature. I also own a partcaster made of a TE52 body, TE70 neck and Tonerider AC2 set that is actually the guitar I play the most ( I own 9 axes ). So in short terms, yes, there are very interesting HB models for the price, though you better expect to have to set it up a bit more than any new guitar usually need. Though, this is not a rule and many guitars are delivered just needing to be tuned I do not know the TE80 and 90 but they seem to be much appreciated. And by the ones I know, The L550 Paradise ( dicontinued) of a old friend is a killer, I regret to have sold my CST24HB ( and am planning to buy a new one), but I also had a MS60 that I sent back after one week, and a second hand L450+ that was just average. All are showing little visual flaws, not noticeable and and only visible if seek after, thus not issues at this price.
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1,773 posts
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Post by MartinB on Sept 1, 2017 19:26:43 GMT
I think HBs and 2nd hand guitars are perfect project guitars, or even go a step further and get a DIY kit.
I think I bit off more than I could chew getting a kit, but it's enjoyable.
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608 posts
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Post by oghkhood on Sept 2, 2017 5:31:05 GMT
oghkhood , that's a lovely slab of body wood. I can't help noticing the string pull at the headstock though. The guitar seems to be turned slightly to the right in this picture yet the pull of the lower strings still looks to be seriously out of alignment. Only top E and B appear to be straight through. Is this the case or is it something to do with slack new strings or a trick of the camera? No this is mostly due to the angle of view. Actually only E and A are yet pulling slightly, but not as obviously as displaying on the picture, for the strings are turning much closer around their tuner heads now. And something else as changed a lot right after I took this picture : the neck as been set in line with the body I found this guitar so cute that I couldn't help but phtopgraphing it as soon as I had put the strings on
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Post by Banana on Sept 6, 2017 8:44:31 GMT
Which models are the best?
The best HB one can buy without a single doubt is the CST-24T. It's a 600-700 Euro guitar that costs 220 Euro.
The other great Bentons are SC Custom, XT-22, SC-550.
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Post by Banana on Sept 6, 2017 9:29:48 GMT
As far as I know the wiring is the same as it used to be...
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Post by DerAlex on Sept 9, 2017 7:26:18 GMT
No PCB board on the HB Les Paul models.
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3 posts
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Post by jdgedwi11 on Sept 18, 2017 23:19:45 GMT
Very nice, basically I'm looking to do the same type of upgrades only to a guitar. Tuners, bridge, pups, etc. Just make it easier to play, keep in tune and tweak the tone. I have. If all goes well I might do the same to a bass. I was thinking shortscale too. My first bass was a 72' Fender Musicmaster and my second bass was a 78' Fender Musicmaster both American. They're great to learn on and while I sold both, I wish I still had the 72. Thanks everyone for the input, I think I'm going to pull the trigger. My hesitation wasn't about the 200 bucks for the guitar, it's more about all the money spent on upgrades and getting a guitar thats so messed up that i end up blowing a thousand bucks and dozens of hours on.
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3 posts
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Post by jdgedwi11 on Oct 13, 2017 22:49:42 GMT
So I pulled the trigger and I'm not impressed. I bought the TE-90 FLTVW and I also bought an Xaviere XV-830. I bought them both because they're each about 200 bucks and I have been wanting to get my newly retired Dad a guitar and figured he could have whichever one I didn't want. There's no comparacent, the Xaviere is so much better its really hard to believe they were the same price. The Harley Benton neck looked as if it were used as a door stop for years and then bolted on the day I bought it. The bridge was almost as good as the one on the Squier mini, which prior to my HB had the worst bridge. The body was nice, pickups sounded weak, the pickguard was dull and 1 ply. The tuners were ok, the tone and volume knobs felt chrome plated led, everything about this guitar screamed cheap POS.
I seriously thought about returning it but kept it for 2 reasons. One, my dad loves it but he's never held a guitar before and doesn't know what its supposed to feel or sound like. 2, because its going to be the guitar that I basically practice doing any modification that I was always too afraid to do on a guitar I valued. I plan on scrapping everything but the body, even the neck plate is going.
If you're in the market for a cheap guitar and like teles but want more output from your pups, get the Xaviere XV-830. I bought this to mod but the only thing Im changing are the tuners. The tuners are not bad just not great either. The head stock is ugly but its nicer than my Fender Mexican 72 thinline re-issue and I loved that guitar. I read a lot of poor reviews on Xaviere and positive on Harley Benton and I was shocked to find an Xaviere that easily should be 500-600 bucks and the Harley Benton to be a step down from your cheapest Squire.
I will try and post picks of both guitars. Thanks for the input from everyone.
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Post by Banana on Oct 17, 2017 6:31:13 GMT
So I pulled the trigger and I'm not impressed. I bought the TE-90 FLTVW and I also bought an Xaviere XV-830. I bought them both because they're each about 200 bucks and I have been wanting to get my newly retired Dad a guitar and figured he could have whichever one I didn't want. There's no comparacent, the Xaviere is so much better its really hard to believe they were the same price. The Harley Benton neck looked as if it were used as a door stop for years and then bolted on the day I bought it. The bridge was almost as good as the one on the Squier mini, which prior to my HB had the worst bridge. The body was nice, pickups sounded weak, the pickguard was dull and 1 ply. The tuners were ok, the tone and volume knobs felt chrome plated led, everything about this guitar screamed cheap POS. I seriously thought about returning it but kept it for 2 reasons. One, my dad loves it but he's never held a guitar before and doesn't know what its supposed to feel or sound like. 2, because its going to be the guitar that I basically practice doing any modification that I was always too afraid to do on a guitar I valued. I plan on scrapping everything but the body, even the neck plate is going. If you're in the market for a cheap guitar and like teles but want more output from your pups, get the Xaviere XV-830. I bought this to mod but the only thing Im changing are the tuners. The tuners are not bad just not great either. The head stock is ugly but its nicer than my Fender Mexican 72 thinline re-issue and I loved that guitar. I read a lot of poor reviews on Xaviere and positive on Harley Benton and I was shocked to find an Xaviere that easily should be 500-600 bucks and the Harley Benton to be a step down from your cheapest Squire. I will try and post picks of both guitars. Thanks for the input from everyone. That's why you should have bought a good HB, aka CST-24T or XT-22
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Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2017 6:38:30 GMT
Banana do you own those two guitars you always keep suggesting?
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