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Post by stevedorius on Mar 20, 2023 22:11:35 GMT
At only €299, this is surely the cheapest copy of Brian's guitar ever to hit the market, I'm tempted. Harley Benton BM-75 |
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Lord Fickle
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Post by Lord Fickle on Mar 20, 2023 22:35:29 GMT
Not familiar with that brand. I bought one in the UK in 2018, which was around £650. I could have paid £2,200 for one. There's obviously a difference between the various models, but I can't say I really know what the difference is. Mine sounds great through a Vox amp, but it doesn't help me to play like Brian May. 😄
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Post by stevedorius on Mar 20, 2023 23:52:09 GMT
I know what you mean  They are a low-budget brand (only sold at the Thomann store I think), but probably much better than cheap instruments would have been in previous decades. Considering my own level of expertise and limited budget, seems like a good deal. They also make some nice-looking Rickenbacker 12-string copies for around the same price. |
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Post by ThomasQuinn on Mar 21, 2023 6:18:47 GMT
Harley Benton makes some very fine models, and some poorer ones. From what I gather, this is in the former category. If you're in Europe, you can't go wrong with Thomann - free returns if you're not entirely satisfied. They can offer these guitars at such a low prices because of the sheer number they sell each year, meaning fairly low margins, and by cutting costs in the Quality Control department (which many brands do nowadays, including very expensive ones) - the result is that, assuming you're not dealing with a model that is inherently flawed (the BM-75 is clearly not!), you get a really good instrument 8 or 9 times out of 10, and a dud the other one or two times, which you simply need to return and have replaced with a good one. It's factored in by Thomann, and I have always found their customer service excellent (I've purchased several small and large items from them, never had to return anything myself, but have needed to deal with customer support on some minor issues twice). I have an HB-35Plus myself, which is their take on a Gibson ES-335 semi-hollowbody, and is in a similar price-range as the BM-75. It's a damn fine guitar, good materials, well-built, plays and sounds great - assuming you know how to do a set-up yourself, or don't mind going to a luthier and paying an additional few dozen bucks to have it set up for you, which really applies to all new guitars, but particularly those not priced upwards of a thousand. I have not regretted my purchase for a moment. I know their Red Special has the three phase switches, which is great, but it also uses a standard five-way pickup toggle, which is slightly less great if you want to copy Brian's sound as exactly as possible, but is also comparatively easy to modify yourself. If you do get one, put on better strings right away, though. That's five or ten bucks you will not regret spending, I promise! I have heard more critical comments about their 12-strings. Don't have too much experience with those types of guitar myself, though, so I don't have any comments or suggestions there.
If you want the absolute best value-for-money for a guitar, then Harley Benton's 'more expensive' (we're talking 150-350 here...) Telecaster-models are apparently the best thing since sliced bread.
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pg
Queen Mab
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Post by pg on Mar 21, 2023 7:04:33 GMT
I have an HB hollow Tele with P90s, which I like - the pickups are probably the weakest point, but are entirely adequate (and easily swapped), but it's nice to play.
The BM75 has been around a little while, I think - I haven't paid close attention to it as I already have a Burns BM, but a 5 way switch with individual phase buttons is a pretty good compromise - you're missing some settings, but not that many
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vh
Ploughman
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Post by vh on Mar 23, 2023 22:32:14 GMT
If you’re looking for an Red Special this really isn’t it. However it does evoke some of the key styling points of the red special and it is an excellent guitar for the money.
Points to be aware of.
The Harley Benton is a solid bodied guitar. The Red Special is a very hollowed body guitar. The body is smaller and has a completely different neck/ body joint to the Red Special and the shape is slightly different.
The pickups are not Burns Trisonics and have a much harsher and thin sound, they are not wired in series and although there is a phase reversal switch for each pickup there is only a Fender type 5 way toggle pickup selector which doesn’t give you the pick-up combinations the Red Special has. The positioning of the pickups, although fairly standard, are closer together than those on the Red Special.
The trem is similar to the BMG standard trem which it’s self is different to the original Red Special trem.
The scale length is 25 inches not the Red Special’s 24. There is no zero fret, the distance from the nut to the tuners is less than the Red Special and the head stock is shorter and the pitch angle is greater. this all has an effect on string friction. The neck width is wider, the radius is flatter and the neck depth is shallower and the neck is bound.
Having said all this, the BM75 is quite well put together so maybe a good platform to convert into something a bit closer to the Red Special. Maybe cut a more accurate shaped pick guard. Replace the pickups with Burns or Adeson pickups wired in series, fit phase reversal and on off switches for each pickup.
As is the Harley Benton is a great budget guitar and a great blues/classic rock instrument, but it lacks the fuller sound of a BMG.
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They are a low-budget brand (only sold at the Thomann store I think), but probably much better than cheap instruments would have been in previous decades. Considering my own level of expertise and limited budget, seems like a good deal. They also make some nice-looking Rickenbacker 12-string copies for around the same price. 
