Harley Benton 8 String Jazzmaster - Andrew Baena Sig

[gh0styboi]

I knew saying that around these parts was gonna catch some flak. While I'm at it, I'll let more hate pile on and say I hate reverse hockey stick/banana headstocks.

No arguments on my end I hate reverse headstocks in general, honestly. It's way more intuitive for me to just run my hand down and adjust the tuners when they're on top and push with my thumb instead of pulling. Plus, it just looks bad in most cases to my opinion.

 

[Emperor Guillotine]

I'm honestly baffled at the idea of wanting a signature guitar though. In my mind a signature guitar is just a guitar you gravitate towards because you prefer it over others.

Clearly you have no idea on what the purpose of a signature guitar is.

The goal of a signature model is for both parties to make money. It's solely business. The company utilizes the artist's name for branding/marketing the signature model in hopes of appealing to the target demographic of consumers that are fans of the artist; and the artist gets a financial kickback per unit sold in exchange for letting their name be used in the process for branding/marketing.

Specs on signature models are also a compromise in order to make the model as marketable as possible to as wide of an audience as possible, and oftentimes to make production costs as cheap as possible too. This is the overwhelmingly dominant reason as to why the specs of signature instruments for artists here in the West have been so milquetoast over the past decade, if not longer.

It's less about what the artist actually wants and uses in their own personal instruments; and it is more so the company approaching the artist with pitches of: "Hey, we know that you use these pickups and this hardware; but here is something similar (cheaper) that we do in-house that could work" usually coupled with mandatory stipulations regarding the specs of the signature model. Again, it is about casting a wide net for a target demographic of consumers while keeping production costs as low as possible.

Gone are the days when an endorsed artist could go overboard with requesting wild specs and eye-catching appointments in order to make their signature guitar be unique and "truly be their signature instrument". Because, let's be honest here, any super niche type of design doesn't sell well, no matter what the level of hero worship might be an involved factor for the consumers. And in today's market for musical instruments post the "guitar boom" that ended several years ago, guitar companies are pinching their pennies and looking solely at profit margins while catering to as wide of an audience as possible, mainly honing in on targeting the lowest common denominator of player. (And any particular fans of Baena who would actually buy something plugged by him or with his name slapped on the product are definitely the lowest common denominator of player, if not the lowest in terms of common intellectual level.)

 

[gh0styboi]

(And any particular fans of Baena who would actually buy something plugged by him or with his name slapped on the product are definitely the lowest common denominator of player, if not the lowest in terms of common intellectual level.)

You're seriously suggesting that someone should not buy something they would otherwise really enjoy because it has someone's name slapped on it - or that because they enjoy the guitar, they're imbeciles? If it's not a joke, that is astonishingly asinine.

 

[Emperor Guillotine]

You're seriously suggesting that someone should not buy something they would otherwise really enjoy because it has someone's name slapped on it - or that because they enjoy the guitar, they're imbeciles? If it's not a joke, that is astonishingly asinine.

Try again.

Either you are not proficient with sarcasm on an online forum, or you are reading into something that isn't there and utilizing some form of cognitive bias to put words in my mouth by attempting to state that I said things that I simply did not say in my above comment.

 

[gh0styboi]

Try again.

Either you are not proficient with sarcasm on an online forum, or you are reading into something that isn't there and utilizing some form of cognitive bias to put words in my mouth by attempting to state that I said things that I simply did not say in my above comment.

See the end of my comment where I clearly stated that it was astonishingly asinine if it wasn't a joke.

And saying that people who play the guitar or enjoy Baena are the "lowest common denominator of player, if not the lowest in terms of common intellectual level" - a direct quote from your post - is plain and clear. Also why I said 'if it's not a joke," because it was stated bluntly enough that it wasn't clear whether you were serious or not. It might come as a shock to you, but most people don't hang around SSO to make sure they see Emperor Guillotine reguarly so as to ascertain the quirks and nuances of his language and more fully understand all his posts. So, you simply DID say it - and very clearly, which anyone who cares to take a glance at your post will see - and instead of just saying "I was being sarcastic," you got bitchy because your poor attempt at sarcasm was taken for what it probably was - a snide, bitter comment that failed to make you seem more capable or intelligent. You said what you said, and it's there to see. So run wind sprints into denial if it makes you feel better, I guess.

Your failure to sound like less of a dick isn't something anyone else is accountable for.

 

[Emperor Guillotine]

Your failure to sound like less of a dick isn't something anyone else is accountable for.

Man, I really triggered you, eh?

If you take the internet (especially a guitar forum) that seriously, then you must live a truly miserable existence.

Log off the internet apps for the day and go spend some time outside. Get some sunlight and some fresh air. Maybe go interact with a fellow human face-to-face for a bit. It will all do you some good, dude.

 

[gh0styboi]

Man, I really triggered you, eh?

If you take the internet (especially a guitar forum) that seriously, then you must live a truly miserable existence.

Log off the internet apps for the day and go spend some time outside. Get some sunlight and some fresh air. Maybe go interact with a fellow human face-to-face for a bit. It will all do you some good, dude.

I kind of figured that was gonna be your response.

 

[Ray-T]

I love the specs on paper but looking at the pics... neck heel, headstock, body shape ewww

 

[Emperor Guillotine]

I kind of figured that was gonna be your response.

Another suggestion to deal with your bitterness: maybe try some calisthenics or aerobics while you're outside getting some sunlight and fresh air. It could be absolutely basic, simple exercises just to get the blood circulation going so that you're not raging out against random forum members online for no reason. It will really do you some good, dude.

 

[gh0styboi]

I love the specs on paper but looking at the pics... neck heel, headstock, body shape ewww

I like the body shape, but I like offsets. That headstock is pretty gross, though. HB seems to struggle with headstocks in general, imo.

And I could see filing down the neck heel on a guitar this inexpensive (probably), but it's odd to me that at this point they still make those big bulky heels. I can't imagine it's too much of a difference to have the CNC cut that down at the factory.

 

[Ray-T]

I like the body shape, but I like offsets. That headstock is pretty gross, though. HB seems to struggle with headstocks in general, imo.

And I could see filing down the neck heel on a guitar this inexpensive (probably), but it's odd to me that at this point they still make those big bulky heels. I can't imagine it's too much of a difference to have the CNC cut that down at the factory.

I do like the normal Jazzmaster shape but this guitar just looks... obese?

 

[gh0styboi]

I do like the normal Jazzmaster shape but this guitar just looks... obese?

It does look thick, I noticed that too. I feel like it would benefit from being rounder on the edges too instead of so blocky.

Still, for a cheap guitar, I could see modding it up and it being something cool. But I guess that depends on how much they try to sell it for.

 

[AwakenTheSkies]

Well yes, but it's a Harley Benton

Imagine though if Squier made a basic bitch strat but 7 or 8 string ooooh I'd buy that pretty fast.

 

[Crungy]

Well yes, but it's a Harley Benton

Imagine though if Squier made a basic bitch strat but 7 or 8 string ooooh I'd buy that pretty fast.

I think the 7&8 string market would show some interest that... I haven't been too interested in most things Fender for a while, but I'd definitely try one.

 

[gh0styboi]

I think the 7&8 string market would show some interest that... I haven't been too interested in most things Fender for a while, but I'd definitely try one.

Agree. I would definitely be interested in a 7 or 8 string Squier. I've got a Squier Baritone Tele - the Paranormal Carbonita model - and honestly, it's pretty surprising how good it is for what it cost. Throw a few mods on it and you've got a really good guitar. I grab it almost more than any other guitar I have, and the P90s sound good for low tunings - I keep it in F#.

 

[Ray-T]

Well yes, but it's a Harley Benton

Imagine though if Squier made a basic bitch strat but 7 or 8 string ooooh I'd buy that pretty fast.

Don't buy the cheapest Harley Benton they are shit but the higher priced ones with stainless steel frets and quality hardware are actually better than any Squier I played.

 

[Ordacleaphobia]

Well yes, but it's a Harley Benton

Imagine though if Squier made a basic bitch strat but 7 or 8 string ooooh I'd buy that pretty fast.

Didn't they do this for a 7 a while back or was that all a fever dream? I remember it being a thing but kind of rare.

 

[AwakenTheSkies]

Don't buy the cheapest Harley Benton they are shit but the higher priced ones with stainless steel frets and quality hardware are actually better than any Squier I played.

I'd never buy something cheap with stainless steel frets. I've just learnt to level frets, and I just can't keep my hands off my guitars. And surely a 400€ guitar needs a fret level.
But stainless steel would ruin my expensive crowning file so fuck that.

Didn't they do this for a 7 a while back or was that all a fever dream? I remember it being a thing but kind of rare.

Yes, there used to be a Squier 7 string, but it's very rare.

 

[Ray-T]

Didn't they do this for a 7 a while back or was that all a fever dream? I remember it being a thing but kind of rare.

A quarter century ago they made the Squier Stratocaster VII.

 

[Ray-T]

And surely a 400€ guitar needs a fret level.

From my limited experience they were level but not polished.