NGsD: Harley Benton edition

[honyock]

When shipping 1 guitar costs the same as 2 guitars, that is like saving $65 if I were to buy them just one at a time. Add in the fact that each guitar was marked down about $10 as B-stock for essentially nothing, and it was finally enough to push me over the edge and I bought the Cabronita clone and Mustang-Jaguar hybrid I have been trying ever since Harley Benton made lefty versions available.

It is a 1st world problem getting 2 guitars in one day, but it makes it really hard to give them proper attention. It is just too much if a good thing.

I opened the TE-90FLT (Cabronita clone) first.

First impression is that the finish is more of a ghost white but it looks weird with the shiny poly over top of it. I am thinking it would have looked better with a matte finish, as it is it is somewhat offputting.

The "chambered" body is just a giant pocket underneath the pickguard. I feel like I need to make a little access panel to keep stuff in it if I keep the pickguard on it. The guard also needs to be beveled I think, it just looks unfinished with straight cut sides. I am sure it is meant to look like bakelite, or something, but it just looks cheap as is.

The headstock somehow looks better in person. The pictures online made the little pointy bit seem larger than it actually is. It will be incredibly easy to make look more Fenderish if I ever get a wild hair...

Tuners are a bit vague feeling, about like SX level quality die cast units. Think I would prefer some vintage style Gotoh's with threaded bushings like I had purchased from Stewmac in the last year would be a nice inexpensive upgrade if I don't just use the set I put on my Douglas tele I converted to a Nashville tele and never finished.

Only have played unplugged, but the neck feels excellent, frets are smooth and level, no excessive buzzing. Can bend to my hearts content without any funkiness.

Bridge is different than the old bent steel baseplate, instead looks like my old First Act, nice heavy diecast baseplate is a little smoother place to rest for palm muting.

Hoping to get a few more minutes with it tonight and then maybe move on to the Mustang with the Jag vibrato tomorrow...

Placeholder pic.

[honyock]

Played through the ol' SCX2 for about 30 minutes and I am really impressed by the pickups.

They work well clean, with a little bluesy grit, and on up to Gary Moore levels of gain.

Stays in tune pretty well for original strings.

[honyock]

Just messed around with the Mustang a smidge.

The Roswell pickups are nice. I would like to try a set in one of my strays.

The neck is just as good as the Cabronita, both of which can hang with the best of my SX stuff.

The bridge sucks.

The vibrato works about as well as the Fender Jag, though the bridge is not right at all for the purpose.

I have a Mustang bridge I will install I am thinking. Shouldn't be hard, I did the exact same thing to the righty I used to have.

Thinking I may just buy the control plate and cut this pickguard to fit it rather than buying a boring white or black Mustang pickguard from mlaval on Reverb.

[tobijohn]

Those Cabronita pickups are shockingly good, aren't they? I swapped necks with @NickintheStates a few years ago when i first got mine as neither of us were thrilled with reverse headstocks. However, now the HB logo is upside down and driving me a little nuts so I need to sand that off and then shoot the headstock with a little clear.

I also picked up a b-stock MS-60 a couple nights ago (along with a b-stock CAR Strat) and will be coat tailing your mods so keep me in the loop as you get to work on it, thanks....

[honyock]

Those Cabronita pickups are shockingly good, aren't they? I swapped necks with [mention]NickintheStates[/mention] a few years ago when i first got mine as neither of us were thrilled with reverse headstocks. However, now the HB logo is upside down and driving me a little nuts so I need to sand that off and then shoot the headstock with a little clear.

I also picked up a b-stock MS-60 a couple nights ago (along with a b-stock CAR Strat) and will be coat tailing your mods so keep me in the loop as you get to work on it, thanks....

They are the most pleasantly surprising part.

I'll make sure to document any modding I do on the Stang.

I found slightly more expensive DP3T switches on eBay that are like $10 a pair that I might just buy to wire it up like a real Mustang. I'll just have to modify the pickguard for the longer throw, but having the full complement of switching would be worth it I think.

[Partscaster]

However, now the HB logo is upside down and driving me a little nuts so I need to sand that off and then shoot the headstock with a little clear.

I am laughing remembering how you said you'ld be OCD running down the halls with arms flapping in the air just over mixed metals colors.

[tobijohn]

I am laughing remembering how you said you'ld be OCD running down the halls with arms flapping in the air just over mixed metals colors.

I'm having a hell of a time trying to figure out what to do with a couple sets of gold foils with silver frames that I have. One set is in an AL-2500 12 string with an amber flame top so that's tolerable because the gold kind of works with the amber. I'm hoping the other set works with a 2TS Agile with a pretty light center...

[redman]

Nice score congrats.

[sabasgr68]

When shipping 1 guitar costs the same as 2 guitars, that is like saving $65 if I were to buy them just one at a time. Add in the fact that each guitar was marked down about $10 as B-stock for essentially nothing, and it was finally enough to push me over the edge and I bought the Cabronita clone and Mustang-Jaguar hybrid I have been trying ever since Harley Benton made lefty versions available.

It is a 1st world problem getting 2 guitars in one day, but it makes it really hard to give them proper attention. It is just too much if a good thing.

I opened the TE-90FLT (Cabronita clone) first.

First impression is that the finish is more of a ghost white but it looks weird with the shiny poly over top of it. I am thinking it would have looked better with a matte finish, as it is it is somewhat offputting.

The "chambered" body is just a giant pocket underneath the pickguard. I feel like I need to make a little access panel to keep stuff in it if I keep the pickguard on it. The guard also needs to be beveled I think, it just looks unfinished with straight cut sides. I am sure it is meant to look like bakelite, or something, but it just looks cheap as is.

The headstock somehow looks better in person. The pictures online made the little pointy bit seem larger than it actually is. It will be incredibly easy to make look more Fenderish if I ever get a wild hair...

Tuners are a bit vague feeling, about like SX level quality die cast units. Think I would prefer some vintage style Gotoh's with threaded bushings like I had purchased from Stewmac in the last year would be a nice inexpensive upgrade if I don't just use the set I put on my Douglas tele I converted to a Nashville tele and never finished.

Only have played unplugged, but the neck feels excellent, frets are smooth and level, no excessive buzzing. Can bend to my hearts content without any funkiness.

Bridge is different than the old bent steel baseplate, instead looks like my old First Act, nice heavy diecast baseplate is a little smoother place to rest for palm muting.

Hoping to get a few more minutes with it tonight and then maybe move on to the Mustang with the Jag vibrato tomorrow...

Placeholder pic.

Congrats!

Love its simpleness. That model would fit perfectly in my list of "six guitars only" (Telecaster guitar: checked)

[honyock]

When shipping 1 guitar costs the same as 2 guitars, that is like saving $65 if I were to buy them just one at a time. Add in the fact that each guitar was marked down about $10 as B-stock for essentially nothing, and it was finally enough to push me over the edge and I bought the Cabronita clone and Mustang-Jaguar hybrid I have been trying ever since Harley Benton made lefty versions available.

It is a 1st world problem getting 2 guitars in one day, but it makes it really hard to give them proper attention. It is just too much if a good thing.

I opened the TE-90FLT (Cabronita clone) first.

First impression is that the finish is more of a ghost white but it looks weird with the shiny poly over top of it. I am thinking it would have looked better with a matte finish, as it is it is somewhat offputting.

The "chambered" body is just a giant pocket underneath the pickguard. I feel like I need to make a little access panel to keep stuff in it if I keep the pickguard on it. The guard also needs to be beveled I think, it just looks unfinished with straight cut sides. I am sure it is meant to look like bakelite, or something, but it just looks cheap as is.

The headstock somehow looks better in person. The pictures online made the little pointy bit seem larger than it actually is. It will be incredibly easy to make look more Fenderish if I ever get a wild hair...

Tuners are a bit vague feeling, about like SX level quality die cast units. Think I would prefer some vintage style Gotoh's with threaded bushings like I had purchased from Stewmac in the last year would be a nice inexpensive upgrade if I don't just use the set I put on my Douglas tele I converted to a Nashville tele and never finished.

Only have played unplugged, but the neck feels excellent, frets are smooth and level, no excessive buzzing. Can bend to my hearts content without any funkiness.

Bridge is different than the old bent steel baseplate, instead looks like my old First Act, nice heavy diecast baseplate is a little smoother place to rest for palm muting.

Hoping to get a few more minutes with it tonight and then maybe move on to the Mustang with the Jag vibrato tomorrow...

Placeholder pic.

Congrats!

Love its simpleness. That model would fit perfectly in my list of "six guitars only" (Telecaster guitar: checked)

(since I can't give feedback on posts via Tapatalk and I can't login with my browser on my phone because my password is too complex to remember)

[Tiga]

Nice guitars! Is that mustang/jag model a 24" scale? How is the neck profile (chunky or thin?).

[honyock]

Nice guitars! Is that mustang/jag model a 24" scale? How is the neck profile (chunky or thin?).

Yes, short scale, it is pretty middle of the road, I put it on my Fender Jag body I liked it so much. The profile is similar to my CV strat.

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