NGD - Extra Flamey Edition! (now with tonez!)

[slowhand84]

It's Harley Benton time again, and this Fusion T is probably the nicest of the 3 I've gotten so far. Picked this one up used from GC (I don't buy 'em new because I don't like the idea of having to ship something back internationally if there's an issue). The meh photos I saw before the purchase indicated the neck on this one might be pretty spectacular and well...let's just say that's an understatement.

This Fusion T has a (insanely) flamed roasted maple neck and board, stainless frets, nyatoh body with a satin Daphne Blue finish, coil tap, locking tuners, and a Wilky trem. Tuned it up upon arrival and it's set up pretty perfectly, though I'm going to take it down a string gauge shortly. Stays nicely in tune even when using the Wilky, which is great. Frets are very nicely done, no sharp edges and nice and level across the entire neck.

Absolutely incredible what you can get these days on the cheap...this was just a hair over $300. The only "negative" I can point to is I gotta unscrew and realign the neck humbucker, it's installed just a teensy bit crooked so the string doesn't quite pass over the pole for the high E.

The lighting ain't great here today and I hadn't cleaned the guitar up yet but tried to do it justice...that neck figuring is just so 3D it's hard to capture properly. First few photos don't do it justice, but then I got the lighting right :

[slowhand84]

And a quick photo of all 3 of my Bentons that nicely illustrates just how different the roasted necks can be...

[PsychoCid]

Now that's dope. It ain't no Telecaster but you never claimed it to be, so that's fair too.

Why did you break the headstock off it's brother??

Can we see the fronts of 'em?

[slowhand84]

Now that's dope. It ain't no Telecaster but you never claimed it to be, so that's fair too.

Why did you break the headstock off it's brother??

Can we see the fronts of 'em?

Actually the "modern Tele" I mentioned in my reply to you in the other thread is coming Tuesday, this ain't that one. I sold a few guitars, so naturally instead of behaving and saving myself the rack space I just got the two empty slots filled real quick . I blame GC Used, and their cornucopia of amazing stuff at cheap prices.

Normally I let UPS break the headstocks off my guitars during shipping, but in this case this Dullahan came that way from the factory...I'm pretty obsessed with headless guitars at this point and was THRILLED to have found this one in that it saved me from having to order another Kiesel which woulda been way more moolah.

Light's gone now so I can only present this crappy photo, but here's the front of all 3 Bentons:

[PsychoCid]

Now that's dope. It ain't no Telecaster but you never claimed it to be, so that's fair too.

Why did you break the headstock off it's brother??

Can we see the fronts of 'em?

Actually the "modern Tele" I mentioned in my reply to you in the other thread is coming Tuesday, this ain't that one. I sold a few guitars, so naturally instead of behaving and saving myself the rack space I just got the two empty slots filled real quick . I blame GC Used, and their cornucopia of amazing stuff at cheap prices.

Normally I let UPS break the headstocks off my guitars during shipping, but in this case this Dullahan came that way from the factory...I'm pretty obsessed with headless guitars at this point and was THRILLED to have found this one in that it saved me from having to order another Kiesel which woulda been way more moolah.

Light's gone now so I can only present this crappy photo, but here's the front of all 3 Bentons:

Somebody likes their humbuckers

I only have one proper single coil Tele myself and I wish it were wired up

I like the idea of headless...but I freakin love my banana headstocks

[slowhand84]

Somebody likes their humbuckers

I only have one proper single coil Tele myself and I wish it were wired up

I like the idea of headless...but I freakin love my banana headstocks

Oh I have plenty of single coil guitars too, these 3 Bentons I got just happened to all be humbucker-equipped (same set too I think). For "actual" teles I have an old SX Furrian but being an SX it's not "great", just good...it has a Bareknuckle Country Boy / The Boss pickup set in it now that I got on the cheap a while back (relative to their new cost, anyway) and I'm going to transplant that set into this "modern tele" I mentioned before...which is this guy arriving on Tuesday.

Haven't tried any Eart guitars before but at $199 from GC (they're just over $400 on Amazon) I'm certainly willin'! Roasted neck and board, stainless frets, and looks like a nice flame maple veneer too on a mahogany body. Mahogany is kind of an unusual choice for a tele, but I bet I'll have it sounding properly twangy with the new pups.

[slowhand84]

Here's a little clip over a backing track I grabbed off Youtube. Nothing special playin' wise but given the stock pickups this thing sounds pretty good!

[PsychoCid]

Sounds pretty good.

I'm always amazed how telecasters with humbuckers and different bridges still sound so plucky/twangy

[slowhand84]

Sounds pretty good.

I'm always amazed how telecasters with humbuckers and different bridges still sound so plucky/twangy

Thanks! That pluck/twang is really more just a factor of the bolt on construction I'd think. I'll do a similar clip with my new sorta actual telecaster coming in Tuesday to compare and see how different it is.

[PsychoCid]

Sounds pretty good.

I'm always amazed how telecasters with humbuckers and different bridges still sound so plucky/twangy

Thanks! That pluck/twang is really more just a factor of the bolt on construction I'd think. I'll do a similar clip with my new sorta actual telecaster coming in Tuesday to compare and see how different it is.

Yes on bolt ons and yes the single coils are gonna sound single coily

Strats are bolt on, but they thwunk rather than twang perhaps from the floating bridge.

From my own experience, even Teles with buckers and Les Paul bridges still seem to twang a bit.

My #1 has a humbucker and a Floyd and it doesn't twang or thwunk much at all but it does do very crisp and clean articulation.

[slowhand84]

Sounds pretty good.

I'm always amazed how telecasters with humbuckers and different bridges still sound so plucky/twangy

Thanks! That pluck/twang is really more just a factor of the bolt on construction I'd think. I'll do a similar clip with my new sorta actual telecaster coming in Tuesday to compare and see how different it is.

Yes on bolt ons and yes the single coils are gonna sound single coily

Strats are bolt on, but they thwunk rather than twang perhaps from the floating bridge.

From my own experience, even Teles with buckers and Les Paul bridges still seem to twang a bit.

My #1 has a humbucker and a Floyd and it doesn't twang or thwunk much at all but it does do very crisp and clean articulation.

Yeah for sure, this Fusion T actually has a Wilky trem not unlike some strats. It also has a push-pull coil tap which is awesome, if you wanna really hear some twang I should record a clip of that. The reality is that there are so many variables affecting a guitar's sound it really isn't reasonable to say that "whichever single thing" is what makes it sound how it does. I've learned that many of those variables can be manipulated and even a super "metal" guitar can be made to sound totally different from how you'd think it would.

My Kiesel Vader is a neck thru metal monster but gets some of the chimey-est, most beautiful clean tones of any of the guitars in my stable. Go figure!

[mickey]

If it doesn't twang it isn't really music, is it?

[slowhand84]

If it doesn't twang it isn't really music, is it?

Can't disagree with that, though sometimes you want it to chug instead

[PsychoCid]

If it doesn't twang it isn't really music, is it?

Can't disagree with that, though sometimes you want it to chug instead

Ahhh aside from digging the banana on my 5150 and Ibanez Destroyer...

I remembered why I couldn't do headless guitars. You can't have a Floyd Rose!

[slowhand84]

If it doesn't twang it isn't really music, is it?

Can't disagree with that, though sometimes you want it to chug instead

Ahhh aside from digging the banana on my 5150 and Ibanez Destroyer...

I remembered why I couldn't do headless guitars. You can't have a Floyd Rose!

The Hipshot headless trem that many of the nicer headless guitars use is actually incredible and is IMO even better than a Floyd Rose...just as much range of motion for the fun crazy divebomb stuff but no annoying locking nut to deal with.

[PsychoCid]

Can't disagree with that, though sometimes you want it to chug instead

Ahhh aside from digging the banana on my 5150 and Ibanez Destroyer...

I remembered why I couldn't do headless guitars. You can't have a Floyd Rose!

The Hipshot headless trem that many of the nicer headless guitars use is actually incredible and is IMO even better than a Floyd Rose...just as much range of motion for the fun crazy divebomb stuff but no annoying locking nut to deal with.

Oh yeah. The Parker Fly trem worked great too. And even a properly set up Vintage trem can dive bomb and stuff.

But I guess I'm pretty set in my ways at this point, I know what I like and am familiar with.

[slowhand84]

Ahhh aside from digging the banana on my 5150 and Ibanez Destroyer...

I remembered why I couldn't do headless guitars. You can't have a Floyd Rose!

The Hipshot headless trem that many of the nicer headless guitars use is actually incredible and is IMO even better than a Floyd Rose...just as much range of motion for the fun crazy divebomb stuff but no annoying locking nut to deal with.

Oh yeah. The Parker Fly trem worked great too. And even a properly set up Vintage trem can dive bomb and stuff.

But I guess I'm pretty set in my ways at this point, I know what I like and am familiar with.

I hear that, some folks just like what they like. For me headless was a revelation and still is...I love my headstock-equipped guitars too but going back to them after playing headless for a while you definitely notice a little dip in comfort.

[PsychoCid]

The Hipshot headless trem that many of the nicer headless guitars use is actually incredible and is IMO even better than a Floyd Rose...just as much range of motion for the fun crazy divebomb stuff but no annoying locking nut to deal with.

Oh yeah. The Parker Fly trem worked great too. And even a properly set up Vintage trem can dive bomb and stuff.

But I guess I'm pretty set in my ways at this point, I know what I like and am familiar with.

I hear that, some folks just like what they like. For me headless was a revelation and still is...I love my headstock-equipped guitars too but going back to them after playing headless for a while you definitely notice a little dip in comfort.

Yeah you nailed it, comfort is the key for me.

Unless I'm playing a Les Paul which is meant to have weight... My most ideal scenario is that I hardly notice the guitar even exists.

My BPD Wolfgang is petite...but I am very aware it exists while I'm playing because of the flat fretboard and odd distance of body to strings.

Whereas my 1976 Ibanez Destroyer and my Kramer 5150 (which was basically inspired by it... see headstock, strap button placement, the way it hangs, neck carve)...

With those two I'm ONLY aware of the strings and so comfortable that I can be oblivious to the rest of the guitar being there at all.

They feel like I'm playing air, which is what I want. No friction and nothing weighing me down.

[slowhand84]

Oh yeah. The Parker Fly trem worked great too. And even a properly set up Vintage trem can dive bomb and stuff.

But I guess I'm pretty set in my ways at this point, I know what I like and am familiar with.

I hear that, some folks just like what they like. For me headless was a revelation and still is...I love my headstock-equipped guitars too but going back to them after playing headless for a while you definitely notice a little dip in comfort.

Yeah you nailed it, comfort is the key for me.

Unless I'm playing a Les Paul which is meant to have weight... My most ideal scenario is that I hardly notice the guitar even exists.

My BPD Wolfgang is petite...but I am very aware it exists while I'm playing because of the flat fretboard and odd distance of body to strings.

Whereas my 1976 Ibanez Destroyer and my Kramer 5150 (which was basically inspired by it... see headstock, strap button placement, the way it hangs, neck carve)...

With those two I'm ONLY aware of the strings and so comfortable that I can be oblivious to the rest of the guitar being there at all.

They feel like I'm playing air, which is what I want. No friction and nothing weighing me down.

Yeah it’s interesting cuz what you just described is what headless is all about…ultimate ergonomics and comfort so that you hardly even feel the guitar is there. It’s the main reason I play my headless guitars much more than all the others.

[PsychoCid]

I hear that, some folks just like what they like. For me headless was a revelation and still is...I love my headstock-equipped guitars too but going back to them after playing headless for a while you definitely notice a little dip in comfort.

Yeah you nailed it, comfort is the key for me.

Unless I'm playing a Les Paul which is meant to have weight... My most ideal scenario is that I hardly notice the guitar even exists.

My BPD Wolfgang is petite...but I am very aware it exists while I'm playing because of the flat fretboard and odd distance of body to strings.

Whereas my 1976 Ibanez Destroyer and my Kramer 5150 (which was basically inspired by it... see headstock, strap button placement, the way it hangs, neck carve)...

With those two I'm ONLY aware of the strings and so comfortable that I can be oblivious to the rest of the guitar being there at all.

They feel like I'm playing air, which is what I want. No friction and nothing weighing me down.

Yeah it’s interesting cuz what you just described is what headless is all about…ultimate ergonomics and comfort so that you hardly even feel the guitar is there. It’s the main reason I play my headless guitars much more than all the others.

Lol yes but then we come back to the Floyd Rose.

Where not only are normal Floyd Rose nuts large, but I use Bill Edwards nuts!

So my nuts are gigantic.

...no pun intended.

But my nuts are so big, my left hand learned not to approach them, so I never come anywhere near the banana anyway.

...no pun intended.



Picture of the size of my nuts, for proof:

Adding @toomanycats because at least at one time he was probably passionate about his nuts and banana.

[andrewsrea]

HNGD - looks cool!

[slowhand84]

HNGD - looks cool!

It really is! Consistently flabbergasted by what this company can produce at these low price points. You'd be hard pressed to find just a neck like this alone for less than $500-$600. This company for me has become the "new Agile" - I've gotten rid of most of my ALs but still have my Epic Mod and my custom AS-1000; but now I've gotten on buying these HBs when they come up at GC. This is my 2nd Fusion model, and now I have another headless on the way from them (also used), so the grand tally will be 2 headless Dullahan models and 2 Fusion Ts. Addicted to these

[nomadh]

Here's a little clip over a backing track I grabbed off Youtube. Nothing special playin' wise but given the stock pickups this thing sounds pretty good!

So you're saying if I buy one of these guitars I will sound like this?

Seriously that was really great sounding.

[slowhand84]

Here's a little clip over a backing track I grabbed off Youtube. Nothing special playin' wise but given the stock pickups this thing sounds pretty good!

So you're saying if I buy one of these guitars I will sound like this?

Seriously that was really great sounding.

Thanks for the kind words! It does sound pretty great even with the stock pickups. This is just my Spark amp too, not even my full Hiwatt + board setup...it sounds noticeably better with the whole rig.