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Post by artiefufkin on Mar 28, 2023 18:07:09 GMT
I’m looking to buy a Harley Benton with P-90s and have spent the last week or so reading reviews of all the various options. I’ll think I’ve decided on a model then read some damning reviews then have second thoughts.
Do any of you have recommendations? I’m pretty much a novice, I can do a basic setup but anything more and I’m out of my depth, even diagnosing any faults to know if it’s a simple fix, I find tricky. Is there a model that has a consistently good Quality Control?
cheers!
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Post by justlearnin on Apr 1, 2023 3:20:06 GMT
First of all , understand that the "penalty" of getting a Harley Benton that you don't quite like, or don't "gel" with ... Is far less than buying almost anything else ! I mean, the HB costs less than half of a Squier, and maybe 1/3 the price of a PRS SE ... That said, I now have 5 Harley Bentons, and I'm looking to buy a couple more ! I ... Like you wanted something with P90's in it. And after checking out the TE90 QM... I bought a second one, as this is such a cool little guitar, that I wanted a backup for that day they become unavailable ! I compare it directly to PRS SE, and Fender USA and even PRS USA. Its a killer guitar ! For "diversity" ... I bought a CST 24T P90 ... a direct PRS CU 24 clone. It too is very cool. Compares well for the cost of the PRS SE for about 1/3 the price. I did have a minor QC issue on the CST 24 (the neck pickup was not properly mounted. The pickup screw was not fully seated , due to a shallow pilot hole) I am not a Tech... but it was easy to fix. The TE 90's ? Flawless ! But I would not dismiss the CST, as it is beautiful, sounds great (and has a better feeling neck carve than the PRS SE as both are of a "wide thin" profile) But from what I have seen, you cannot go wrong. AND ... even if you do require a luthier (or guitar tech from Guitar Center or Sam Ash) ... for the maybe $200 it might add ... You will have a better guitar than a Squier at then the same cost ...
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608 posts
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Post by oghkhood on Apr 1, 2023 7:26:30 GMT
+1000 I too do consider the CST line as the best deal you can get from HB : I know a CST 24 HB that is kept as a spare by the owner of PRS Hollow.
Ok this CST was upgraded with the maddest P90 in humbucker format I have ever eared... but the PRS Hollow cost more than 5000$
Myself I own a CST 24HB that I upgraded with a set of Duesenberg pups, the owner of the one above told me that mine had the best middle position sound of all the guitars he never tried
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Post by artiefufkin on Apr 1, 2023 14:06:48 GMT
Thank you for your input folks! This is good to know, I hadn’t looked much at the CST.
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Post by DerAlex on Apr 3, 2023 3:32:46 GMT
I once had a SC450GT and found that guitar to be very good. As a LP type guitar it weighed around 4kg. But the finish and sound of that one was way beyond the price tag.
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jml77
Harley Benton Club Junior Member
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Post by jml77 on Apr 3, 2023 14:54:13 GMT
I have a TE-90 QM trans red, I didn't like the bridge P90 that much, quite hot, compressed and mid focused, will overdrive a tube/valve amp quite easily. For some genres it would be very good. Not my cup of tea though. The Neck P90 was very smooth and not really hot at all. They did work pretty well together in the mid position, and humbucking too, so buzz-be-gone in that position.
I changed them for some quite cheap Artec P90s, for a better neck/bridge balance.
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fleetfootmike
Harley Benton Club Junior Member
Do I have enough guitars yet?
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Post by fleetfootmike on Apr 6, 2023 10:10:16 GMT
I have a TE-90 QM trans red, I didn't like the bridge P90 that much, quite hot, compressed and mid focused, will overdrive a tube/valve amp quite easily. For some genres it would be very good. Not my cup of tea though. The Neck P90 was very smooth and not really hot at all. They did work pretty well together in the mid position, and humbucking too, so buzz-be-gone in that position. I changed them for some quite cheap Artec P90s, for a better neck/bridge balance. Also have this model - did drop it in for a setup with my local tech, but otherwise really happy with it.
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jml77
Harley Benton Club Junior Member
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Post by jml77 on Apr 6, 2023 14:02:50 GMT
The story of my TE-90 QM is long and convoluted. I've posted a message in the members 'Builds Mods & refins' area about the most recent changes. And I have to say I have fallen back in love with it. About the P90s, and any pickup, over the years I've come to realise I don't like hot, overwound pickups that much, and in most guitars I've owned that have had hot pickups, I've ended up swapping them out. I'm sure that others will really love them, they're just not for me.
I don't know if HB have changed the spec or not, the Roswell P90s in my TE-90 had DC resistances of 10.2K for the Bridge and 7.1K for the neck, Inductances for Bridge 10.6H and Neck 5.5H. The Bridge coil is noticeably fatter than the neck coil. So I would guess that they're both wound with the same gauge wire. The stickers on the baseplates read Bridge 'P90S-BT-IV' and Neck 'P90S-NT-IV'
It took a while for me to realise that IV stands for Ivory covers...
They seem relatively well made, and are very well wax dipped to prevent microphonic feedback. My Roswell P90s came with ceramic magnets not Alnico as advertised. Swapping the magnets to Alnico had very little effect, slightly lower output if anything.
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Post by artiefufkin on Apr 7, 2023 19:37:47 GMT
Thanks for all the info, people. A great help.
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slackey
Harley Benton Club Junior Member
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Post by slackey on Apr 14, 2023 2:13:52 GMT
i have the ja-60...i love it...and i love the pickups too...a little warmer than most p90s
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Post by chicknpickn on Apr 27, 2023 16:50:53 GMT
For "diversity" ... I bought a CST 24T P90 ... a direct PRS CU 24 clone. It too is very cool. Compares well for the cost of the PRS SE for about 1/3 the price. I did the same. I'm a better builder and tech than I am a player. But I'm not a terrible player! My comment here, though, is that the CST 24T P90 borders on being an outrageous value. It's not good because it's okay and cheap - - it's just darned good regardless of price. In the last several months, I'd have to say it has been the favorite of my stable. I was not sure about the PRS-style neck, but I'm all-in now. Extraordinary fret work by any standard.
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Post by artiefufkin on Apr 27, 2023 20:14:39 GMT
For "diversity" ... I bought a CST 24T P90 ... a direct PRS CU 24 clone. It too is very cool. Compares well for the cost of the PRS SE for about 1/3 the price. I did the same. I'm a better builder and tech than I am a player. But I'm not a terrible player! My comment here, though, is that the CST 24T P90 borders on being an outrageous value. It's not good because it's okay and cheap - - it's just darned good regardless of price. In the last several months, I'd have to say it has been the favorite of my stable. I was not sure about the PRS-style neck, but I'm all-in now. Extraordinary fret work by any standard. It’s in my basket… I’m just yet to push the button!
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Nadir
Harley Benton Club Junior Member
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Post by Nadir on Apr 28, 2023 14:05:21 GMT
I did the same. I'm a better builder and tech than I am a player. But I'm not a terrible player! My comment here, though, is that the CST 24T P90 borders on being an outrageous value. It's not good because it's okay and cheap - - it's just darned good regardless of price. In the last several months, I'd have to say it has been the favorite of my stable. I was not sure about the PRS-style neck, but I'm all-in now. Extraordinary fret work by any standard. It’s in my basket… I’m just yet to push the button! To the opener: push the button if not done yet. At their price level HBs are hard to beat.
But I would not compare them with PRS SEs, these ones are steps above in build quality and playability and overall feeling.
At least in my experience PRS's neck and frets are on another planet.
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608 posts
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Post by oghkhood on May 1, 2023 18:14:17 GMT
the CST 24T P90 borders on being an outrageous value. It's not good because it's okay and cheap - - it's just darned good regardless of price. This comment also applies to the CST24 HB, and as far as I read, to the whole CST line
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