Harley Benton TE-80 NT Videos (stock, replacement pickups)

dspiffy · Post by **dspiffy** » Sun Apr 17, 2016 6:05 pm

Seems a decent number of people on this forum are interested in this guitar. I bought one and I'm a fan. You could replace a number of parts and have a quite high quality guitar (as many have done). I plan(ned) to keep mine stock, but decided to replace the pickups in order to better compare it to the Reissue Mad Cat. I may put the original pickups back and use the Bill Lawrence pickups elsewhere.

Fans of this guitar will be pleased to confirm that the stock Wilkinson pickups are very very similar sounding to the BL pickups used in the actual Mad Cat.

Here are my videos so far. I will add more. I compared the guitar to an American Stratocaster and Telecaster, and a semi-Mad-Cat-Partscaster in addition to comparing the pickups:

dspiffy · Post by **dspiffy** » Sun Apr 17, 2016 6:21 pm

Here are a couple videos from a show where I am playing the HB stock. You can see at the end of the second video how badly the stock pickups feed back.

timhulio · Post by **timhulio** » Sun Apr 17, 2016 7:16 pm

Watched the first vid, good stuff! I do like this guitar, although the very first thing I'd do is chance the pickguards - that tort is horrific. You can get some printed stuff close in appearance to the proper Mad Cat leopard print, but even plain black would look better than what's on there. Maple necks don't need oil though - they're sealed by a clear finish! What you probably need is a fret dress or crown if the fret top is scratchy.

dspiffy · Post by **dspiffy** » Sun Apr 17, 2016 7:48 pm

timhulio wrote:Watched the first vid, good stuff! I do like this guitar, although the very first thing I'd do is chance the pickguards - that tort is horrific. You can get some printed stuff close in appearance to the proper Mad Cat leopard print, but even plain black would look better than what's on there. Maple necks don't need oil though - they're sealed by a clear finish! What you probably need is a fret dress or crown if the fret top is scratchy.

I agree about the pickguards, I havent been able to find anyone selling a replacement for the bridge guard in ANY color.

Perhaps this one didnt have a clearcoat? It felt like bare unfinished wood out of the box. The oil did help.

timhulio · Post by **timhulio** » Sun Apr 17, 2016 8:06 pm

Yeah you'd have to send a tracing of the bridge guard and get a custom one made. It's a non-standard item.

dspiffy · Post by **dspiffy** » Sun Apr 17, 2016 8:46 pm

timhulio wrote:Yeah you'd have to send a tracing of the bridge guard and get a custom one made. It's a non-standard item.

In that case I'd rather stick with this. It may be ugly but it's accurate re: the "Prinz" version. I've played Strats for years and I think Strats are ugly in general.

If anyone starts selling those bridge guards cheap, that will be a different story. Or if this becomes my "daily driver". Right now my black on black strat is still my daily driver, and if that changes I'm still working on getting an actual Mad Cat reissue.

dspiffy · Post by **dspiffy** » Mon Apr 18, 2016 7:00 am

dspiffy · Post by **dspiffy** » Mon Apr 18, 2016 7:00 am

dspiffy · Post by **dspiffy** » Mon Apr 18, 2016 7:01 am

dspiffy · Post by **dspiffy** » Mon Apr 18, 2016 7:02 am

gusman2x · Post by **gusman2x** » Mon Apr 18, 2016 8:50 am

Watched a vid at random. Great playing man!

I heard these were really heavy, have you found that?

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Mon Apr 18, 2016 12:59 pm

Yeah, nice playing.
Interesting thread, something a little different in terms of model and inspiration. I've certainly learnt a few things about Prince's guitar watching the first vid.

I really like the look of some of the Harley Benton stuff, but it's so affordable, I'm worried if I buy one I'll end up buying half a dozen.

dspiffy · Post by **dspiffy** » Mon Apr 18, 2016 4:51 pm

gusman2x wrote:Watched a vid at random. Great playing man!

I heard these were really heavy, have you found that?

Doesnt seem noticeably heavier than my strats to me.

dspiffy · Post by **dspiffy** » Mon Apr 18, 2016 4:51 pm

Fran wrote:Yeah, nice playing.
Interesting thread, something a little different in terms of model and inspiration. I've certainly learnt a few things about Prince's guitar watching the first vid.

I really like the look of some of the Harley Benton stuff, but it's so affordable, I'm worried if I buy one I'll end up buying half a dozen.

Yep, I'm looking at a 335 copy next.

dezb1 · Post by **dezb1** » Mon Apr 18, 2016 9:21 pm

Great value guitars, I've got a JB-75 jazz bass and a ST-62 Strat copy that is all the Strat I'll ever need.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Mon Apr 18, 2016 9:27 pm

dspiffy wrote:
Fran wrote:Yeah, nice playing.
Interesting thread, something a little different in terms of model and inspiration. I've certainly learnt a few things about Prince's guitar watching the first vid.

I really like the look of some of the Harley Benton stuff, but it's so affordable, I'm worried if I buy one I'll end up buying half a dozen.
Yep, I'm looking at a 335 copy next.

That's what I keep looking at. Could do with a Semi acoustic again but on a tight budget.

Â£157 with hard case for teh Mary Chain

dezb1 · Post by **dezb1** » Mon Apr 18, 2016 10:04 pm

Fran wrote:
dspiffy wrote:
Fran wrote:Yeah, nice playing.
Interesting thread, something a little different in terms of model and inspiration. I've certainly learnt a few things about Prince's guitar watching the first vid.

I really like the look of some of the Harley Benton stuff, but it's so affordable, I'm worried if I buy one I'll end up buying half a dozen.
Yep, I'm looking at a 335 copy next.
That's what I keep looking at. Could do with a Semi acoustic again but on a tight budget.

Â£157 with hard case for teh Mary Chain

That's a mental price I paid half that for the case for my riviera... and I'd love to see a Fran does mary chain demo of the guitar...

dspiffy · Post by **dspiffy** » Mon Apr 18, 2016 10:04 pm

I normally prefer wood/sunburst or black guitars but that cherry 335 copy is pulling me in.

brainfur · Post by **brainfur** » Wed Apr 20, 2016 1:50 pm

just wanted to mention that your band is very cool

dspiffy · Post by **dspiffy** » Wed Apr 20, 2016 4:49 pm

brainfur wrote:just wanted to mention that your band is very cool

Thanks!