Turning a cheap Harley Benton into a metal machine!

Kokavic

Hi everyone!

I'd like to start a debate/ask for your opinion!

I am planning to turn this cheap Harley Benton guitar into a somewhat decent metal guitar by changing pickups and other parts. https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_st_20hss_sbk_standard_series.htm I just love the design for some reason!!

While I know it may not be the best wood, or parts, etc, so it doesn't make so much sense to go for super expensive changes, I'd still like to use good pickups, especially for the humbucker on the bridge. That said, I also love to play with ambient cleans and effects with my POD Go, so the single coils slots I believe could offer a lot of options. This would not be used to perform live, but to play at home and record mostly.

For the humbucker I thought of something like the Seymour Duncan Pegasus (although I'm not sure if this would be a waste, overkill - honestly), but for the single coils I am still a bit lost (DiMarzio? Fender type, even?). I would love to hear what you all have to say, and your experience with different pickups. Aaany ideas are more than welcome!

Also, thinking of changing the bridge, and any other part that would be necessary to really improve it (again, as much as it makes sense to go deep into a guitar like this)

For anyone interested, I'll be sharing the process and results for sure!!

Thank you

roberty

Not tried them but this immediately springs to mind: http://www.irongear.co.uk/irongear_pickups_007.htm

Rocker

As it is, what does it not do (that you want it to do)?  Make a list of your needs and the result will be closer to your requirements.

For any music, the guitar and amp must be considered to be a single unit.  

So so rather than throwing darts at the picture and hoping one will hit the target, plan your work carefully and you will avoid unnecessary costly errors.  Or most of them anyway.

monquixote

roberty said:

Not tried them but this immediately springs to mind: http://www.irongear.co.uk/irongear_pickups_007.htm

Yeah this.

Iron Gear stuff is decent and more appropriate for a guitar of this value.

It's a bit daft sticking pickups that cost more than the guitar into something, you would be better buying one of the higher priced HB guitars like the Fusion or Amarok series

Funkfingers

Get your mitts on the guitar before ordering replacement pickups. That way, you can measure the string spacing at the bridge and choose the more appropriate humbucker polepiece spacing. (Duncan describes the wider versions as Trembucker spacing. DiMarzio and others call it F Spacing.)

longjaw

Wait until you've tried the guitar before buying any parts - you might think it's fine as it is!

grinder

Another option for pickups could be http://www.entwistlepickups.com/

Funkfingers

Kokavic said:

I just love the design for some reason!!

The red tort on black look can be quite fetching. I have an almost finished Fender/Allparts Bitsacaster project in the same colour scheme.

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Kokavic said:

a somewhat decent metal guitar by changing pickups and other parts.

Quick ready reckoner. £79 guitar + shipping + £80 for a brand new humbucker = approximately £200

That sum of money might be better invested in upgrades for a guitar that you already possess.

Kokavic

Thanks everyone for your suggestions! I didn't even know those pickup brands existed, I'll definitely look into them!

I will, of course, check the guitar first and see what it needs, but I believe that if I need to do some adjustments to get more of a metal guitar, I'd definitely have to change the humbucker. Let's see what comes, and which way I take.

I actually only have one guitar @Funkfingers - a LTD ESP EC-401 with EMG pickups, that I am really happy with, and it is pretty much all I need (other than a 7 string that I'll be getting at some point), so in this case it is more of a project of mine than a "logical" thing to do.

I love how that guitar looks, and I'd like to see how far I can take it down the metal road!