Even Harley Benton gets bootlegged nowadays

carlos

Found these on eBay - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Flamed-Green-Maple-Electric-Guitar-Telecaster-TE-GB-Hybrid-Fusion-P90-Humbucker/324312609730

which are bootleg copies of these https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_hp_42_signature_tt.htm except without a roasted maple neck. Same body shape even the same cuts, also a fixed bridge, HP90 config, knobs and selector in the same place. What a weird world we live in where even a cheap brand like HB gets bootlegged.

skullfunkerry

That is pretty amazing, isn’t it? Although I must admit, my first thought looking at the eBay pictures was “is it actually a fake, or are we just seeing the difference between Thomann’s promo shots and an actual HB?”

I quite fancy one of those, tbh: they seem to be a lot of guitar for the money

WezV

Likely just the same factory offering the same options to different customers.   Someone probably ordered a batch with lower spec than the HB models

carlos

WezV said:

Likely just the same factory offering the same options to different customers.   Someone probably ordered a batch with lower spec than the HB models

Or maybe some leftover bodies from the Thomann orders that they repurposed with a cheap neck to make some money from them.

drofluf

Change the pickups and it’ll sound just like....

drofluf

On a more sensible note. I used to own a Harley Benton electric mandolin that appeared, from the pictures at least, a copy of other manufacturers instruments that cost several times more. I expect that the more expensive ones did have better electronics (they couldn’t possibly have been worse) and a neck that wasn’t shimmed with wood shavings and old washers...

WezV

drofluf said:

On a more sensible note. I used to own a Harley Benton electric mandolin that appeared, from the pictures at least, a copy of other manufacturers instruments that cost several times more. I expect that the more expensive ones did have better electronics (they couldn’t possibly have been worse) and a neck that wasn’t shimmed with wood shavings and old washers...

yeah, i had a HB mosrite-ish baritone that was almost exactly like a model Eastwood were selling for a lot more at the time... but it clearly had much worse hardware than the Eastwood equivalent

ThePrettyDamned

WezV said:

drofluf said:

On a more sensible note. I used to own a Harley Benton electric mandolin that appeared, from the pictures at least, a copy of other manufacturers instruments that cost several times more. I expect that the more expensive ones did have better electronics (they couldn’t possibly have been worse) and a neck that wasn’t shimmed with wood shavings and old washers...

yeah, i had a HB mosrite-ish baritone that was almost exactly like a model Eastwood were selling for a lot more at the time... but it clearly had much worse hardware than the Eastwood equivalent really liked those Eastwood guitars, italia were another interesting brand. 

steer

I love the look of that. I wonder what they play like. 

I assume that the factory in China (presume) who make the HB's will also churn out similar guitars for whoever orders them. 

skullfunkerry

steer said:

I love the look of that. I wonder what they play like. 

I assume that the factory in China (presume) who make the HB's will also churn out similar guitars for whoever orders them. 

For £139 I'm kind of tempted, although the heel looks particularly clunky...

daisie_guitar

carlos said:

...
which are bootleg copies of these https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_hp_42_signature_tt.htm ;

Or maybe both are just cheap copies of these https://www.thomann.de/hu/suhr_modern_plus_hsh_pf_tbd.htm

daisie_guitar

But those stripes on the side of faux binding are interesting, gotta be some kind of photo-flame thing, or who knows, maybe they paint it by hand...

carlos

daisie_guitar said:

carlos said:

...
which are bootleg copies of these https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_hp_42_signature_tt.htm ;

Or maybe both are just cheap copies of these https://www.thomann.de/hu/suhr_modern_plus_hsh_pf_tbd.htm

Yes, that's the point I was making although this 22 fret, fixed bridge, p90/humbucker model is not the same as the suhr

themeinside

steer said:

I love the look of that. I wonder what they play like. 

I assume that the factory in China (presume) who make the HB's will also churn out similar guitars for whoever orders them. 

I think you're exactly right. The headstock is the same as the Harley Benton 'T-type' guitars too. If I remember correctly, the bloke whose signature it was wasn't happy with an early batch or the first couple of prototypes from a particular factory, or something of the like... maybe they produced a few and are selling off some excess stock?

skullfunkerry

themeinside said:

steer said:

I love the look of that. I wonder what they play like. 

I assume that the factory in China (presume) who make the HB's will also churn out similar guitars for whoever orders them. 

I think you're exactly right. The headstock is the same as the Harley Benton 'T-type' guitars too. If I remember correctly, the bloke whose signature it was wasn't happy with an early batch or the first couple of prototypes from a particular factory, or something of the like... maybe they produced a few and are selling off some excess stock?

I'm still thinking I should give it a try... what's the worst that could happen?

mbe

I bought a Flying V from that seller at the old price of £99. After extensive work to the bridge, fitting Epiphone pickups and new tuners it's a bona fide Flying V copy in all it's glory.

ThePrettyDamned

daisie_guitar said:

But those stripes on the side of faux binding are interesting, gotta be some kind of photo-flame thing, or who knows, maybe they paint it by hand...

Apparently it's a piece of flame maple veneer they use as binding. 

mbe

Guitar is made by Charley Benton, the black sheep of the Benton luthiery dynasty.

Play authentic, play Harley Benton! 

WezV

ThePrettyDamned said:

daisie_guitar said:

But those stripes on the side of faux binding are interesting, gotta be some kind of photo-flame thing, or who knows, maybe they paint it by hand...

Apparently it's a piece of flame maple veneer they use as binding. 

I find it hilarious if we are really at the point where we have faux-faux binding.

Not to mention that binding with a strip of flamed maple is probably the hardest way to bind a guitar. 

rossi

I heard the Japanese even resorted to photographing  bits of wood and sticking it on real guitars .

hollywoodrox

I used to like those fender foto flame strats that came out around 94 95 was it ? I remember seeing them in a magazine and desiring one , they ended up selling in some shops for around £299 I think.  Thinking about this I recently did a search on eBay thinking I would see if there was one going cheap,after all who would want a foto flame ,knowing how fussy guitar heads are .

anyway the cheapest they seem to go is around £500 but most seem to be about £700 wtf

Some are asking near £900 for what finally went for about £300