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You'll find better-finished frets on something like a Samick.
You mean like on USA Gibsons?
Many far-east cheapos have *better* fingerboard woods than most recent Gibsons in my experience.
This isn't reverse snobbery since there are other things that Gibson do definitely do better, but the quality differences aren't all one way.
When you get to the Historics then there are very few things that aren't better, but at the eye-watering price difference that should be a given - and even then you can occasionally find things that make you question why they can't get *everything* right *all* the time.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
project like that myself. BUT, going back to that HB 335 I had, I’m fairly sure that the whole project cost less than £600 and if you magicked away the HB logo for a Gibson one, it would
have happily sold for £2k
But being the HB it is, it sold for a fair bit less than the sum of its parts. Guitars are as much held to a place in the food chain by their breeding as we are
For a given definition of "professional quality" of course. The above would seem to be "makes a sound, doesn't fall off the strap" but some people might be hoping for slightly more than that....
A Harley Benton is that, as long as it doesn't fall off the strap or stop making a sound. You'd have to add the ability to stay and play in tune, not buzz - electrically or from the frets - and make a sound that isn't unusably thin or muddy... but a Harley Benton will also do all that, if properly set up.
While it's true that most professionals probably would prefer something a bit more refined, I doubt there are any who couldn't play a gig or a recording session with one, and have it sound very close to how it would with a Gibson - thus it is of professional quality.
The same couldn't have been said for most low-end guitars fifty years ago.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
99% of the time, the only thing restricting the quality of your creative output is your talent and your imagination.
There are levels between Harley Benton and Gibson. I used to have a Tokai 335 style.
All the vibrations effect the tone. When the body vibrates, that feeds back into the strings. If it didn't, then a Les Paul, a 335 and an SG all have the same scale length, and electronics and would sound exactly the same plugged in - but they don't. The wood and the construction do make a difference.
Once again, I refer you (me, everyone) to this https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/154250/gringos-clean-test-can-you-pass/p1
I didn't see that before. I'm at work at the moment. I'll have a listen at home sometime in the next couple of days.
Whatever the outcome of that, my 335 sounds different from my Les Paul, and they both sound different from my old SG.
Interestingly, the SG sounded very similar to my PRS S2 Singlecut Satin - both all mahogany bodies with no maple cap. Co-incidence?
The big clinchers for me that wood affects tone have been some PRS guitars that I've owned and played. I had a rosewood necked (whole neck not just fingerboard) McCarty for a while. That sounded very different to the regular mahogany necked version, which is otherwise identical. I've played some other PRS guitars with rosewood necks, and they have a very characteristic tone. It's definitely the wood.
I think those that genuinely think they have “as good as it gets” in a Harley Benton after spending an extra tenner on new hardware are kidding themselves.
Revelation RJT-60H.
Sounds very nice, Wilkinson MVB bridge, steel block. One piece body, no fret issues. Full-ish C profile neck.
Still has the scratch plate film on, 'cos I'm lazy
Bought on a whim when they came out, just to see how bad they could be & to part it out... I was wrong *blush*
There is varying quality at almost all price points, and not necessarily in the ways you might expect.
Where have I ever said that? I specifically said that you do generally get better quality as you spend more, it's just that it's always diminishing returns.
But I also said that a Harley Benton could be used professionally with just a few cheap upgrades, and that is a fact.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message
Someone asked a while back what the best value for money Les Paul-alike is - that has to be the PRS Bernie Marsden SE, those are ridiculous value for money.