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Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH
Harley Benton MS-60
VS
Playability
80
Sound
62
Build
54
Value
80
Score
65
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Playability
78
Sound
74
Build
57
Value
85
Score
70
FIND IT ON:
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Squier Bullet Mustang HH vs Harley Benton MS-60

Reasons to Get
Squier Bullet Mustang HH over Harley Benton MS-60

Release Year
2017 vs 2015
From a more recent year
Pickups
HH vs SS
High output without hum
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm) vs 1.614'' (41mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Bridge
Fixed vs Tremolo
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm) vs 13.78'' (350mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings

Reasons to Get
Harley Benton MS-60 over Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH

Pickups Brand
Roswell vs None
Pickups from a renown brand
Nut Material
Graphite vs Plastic
Self-Lubricating nut for good tuning stability
Pickup Mods
Phase Out vs None
Interesting thin tone when combining pickups
Pickups
SS vs HH
Beautiful cleans
Nut Width
1.614'' (41mm) vs 1.654'' (42mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Bridge
Tremolo vs Fixed
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Fretboard Radius
13.78'' (350mm) vs 12'' (304.8mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend
Value Score
85 vs 80
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Squier Bullet Mustang HH vs Harley Benton MS-60

Bridge Pickup
Standard Humbucking vs Roswell STA Alnico 5 Vintage Style
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Standard Humbucking vs Roswell STA Alnico 5 Vintage Style
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Poplar vs Basswood
Different Body Wood
Fretboard Wood
Laurel vs Purpleheart
Different Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Plastic vs Graphite
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Squier Bullet Mustang HH vs Harley Benton MS-60

Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Headstock
6
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
1
Same tone control
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Scale Length
24'' (609.6mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Neck Joint
Bolt-On
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Weight Relief
  • Locking Tuners
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • Expensive Wood
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp
The Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH was discontinued. It was replaced by the Sonic Mustang HH. Check out our comparison.

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Harley Benton MS-60 is probably the better product overall with its final score of 70 compared to the Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH's 65 score, although not by a lot.

The Harley Benton MS-60 wins when it comes to sound, build quality, value for the money. On the other hand, the Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH has the upper hand when it comes to playability.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel that the Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH is easier to play.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

Both meet 6 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players. If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, you can't go wrong with either of them.

New Player Friendliness

Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Harley Benton MS-60
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Locking tuners

Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.

Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH Overview

  • From Fender Squier's 2017 Bullet series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 24"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Poplar body
  • Maple neck
  • Indian Laurel fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Standard Humbucking (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Standard Humbucking (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Bell knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • 6-Saddle Hardtail bridge
  • Modern C Bolt-On neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Standard Cast/Sealed tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Harley Benton MS-60 Overview

  • From Harley Benton's 2015 Vintage series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 24"'' scale
  • 13.78" Fretboard Radius
  • Basswood body
  • Maple neck
  • Purpleheart fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Roswell STA Alnico 5 Vintage Style (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Roswell STA Alnico 5 Vintage Style (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Tune-O-Matic And Dlx Tremolo bridge
  • Harley Benton C Bolt-On neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Deluxe Die-Cast Machine Heads tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Sound Quality Comparison

The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.

Woods Used in Both

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple

Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.

Woods Used in the Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH

Laurel wood pattern used for guitar building
Laurel
Poplar wood pattern used for guitar building
Poplar

There are many types of Laurel, but East Indian is the most common for guitar building. Its color can vary from dark to light brown with black lines. Many people find its tonality similar to Rosewood, which favors the warmer frequencies. Find out more about Laurel.

Poplar is a cheaper and heavier alternative to Alder wood. It terms of tone, it emphasizes the low-end and has cutting mids. It's relatively soft compared to most body woods. Find out more about Poplar.

Woods Used in the Harley Benton MS-60

Purpleheart wood pattern used for guitar building
Purpleheart
Basswood wood pattern used for guitar building
Basswood

Purpleheart (also known as Amaranth) is a hard, dense wood with a brilliant tone. As its name suggests, the purple color makes this wood look exotic.

Basswood is a lightweight type of wood that isn't as expensive as other popular choices for guitar building. It gives more power to the mid-range frequencies. Its color can vary from pale white to light brown. Find out more about Basswood.

Winner: Tie.

Pickup Configuration

The Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH has an HH configuration while the Harley Benton MS-60 has SS pickups.

Double Humbucker (HH) is the choice for people who want a fuller, more round sound with tons of mids and lows. Humbuckers also get rid of the hum noise that plague single-coil pickups. They can work out for almost any genre going from Djent to even Jazz.

On the other hand, SS is the classic Telecaster configuration. It's used mainly for playing clean or with low-gain distortion, and it's very popular for the country genre because of their brightness. It doesn't give you as much versatility as a Strat SSS configuration, but you might like the cleaner look of a guitar body with fewer pickups.

Pickups Quality

The Harley Benton MS-60 pickups from a more specialized brand than the Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH. Its pickups should give you a fuller, richer sound, although it all depends on what type of music you're going to play. We recommend these pickups for Country and similar genres.

Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.

Winner: Harley Benton MS-60.

Versatility Comparison

Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.

Switch Options

Both are equal when it comes to the pickup switching option.

Only the Harley Benton MS-60 comes with some kind of pickup modification: Phase Out.

When the Phase Out option is activated, the pickups will ''work against each other'', meaning that they will cancel out their shared frequencies. The result is a very thin sound, instead of a full, rich tone. This is an interesting sound for genres like reggae or funk and has also been used in classic Hard Rock.

Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH's switch options
Harley Benton MS-60 pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Harley Benton MS-60's switch options

When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.

Winner: Harley Benton MS-60.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH
Pickups 60
Sustain 70
Versatility 54
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 62
Harley Benton MS-60
Pickups 100
Sustain 55
Versatility 74
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 74

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH compares to the Harley Benton MS-60.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in Indonesia.

Indonesia is becoming the most popular country for guitar building because they can make good instruments for a low price. Some people think that they're 'the new China' when it comes to build quality. But the truth is that Indonesian guitars are more consistent, although Chinese quality has improved a lot in the last few years.

Winner: Tie

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

The Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH has a Plastic nut. This is a low-quality nut that you might want to consider upgrading soon. Bone and TUSQ nuts are the best for guitars with a fixed or simple tremolo bridge.

On the other hand, the Harley Benton MS-60 comes with a Graphite nut. It's a self-lubricating material that will allow the strings to slide over the nut without a lot of friction. It's a good type of nut if you want to have better tuning stability than with plastic, although it's not as resistant as Bone or Tusq.

Winner: Harley Benton MS-60.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

Bridge

The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.

The Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH's brige is a Fixed. It's a simple bridge that is very beginner-friendly since it doesn't require any set-up. You can swap strings easily. It might also give more sustain since it doesn't have complex moving parts that make the strings lose vibration. However, it doesn't have the same versatility as a tremolo bridge.

On the other hand, the Harley Benton MS-60's is a Tremolo. Tremolo bridges give you more versatility than fixed bridges. They let you perform the intense vibrato effects that would be impossible with a fixed bridge. However, since the bridge floats and there's less contact with the body, the strings lose sustain slightly faster. They can also be a bit harder to restring and set up correctly than fixed bridges.

Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.

Winner: Tie.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH's are Standard Cast/Sealed while the Harley Benton MS-60's are Deluxe Die-Cast Machine Heads

Winner: Tie.

Neck Joint

Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.

Both have a Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.

Winner: Tie.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Harley Benton MS-60
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Phase Out Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH
Quality of materials 46
Features 50
Quality Control 65
Build Quality 54
Harley Benton MS-60
Quality of materials 46
Features 60
Quality Control 65
Build Quality 57

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH Nut Width
Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH Nut Width
Harley Benton MS-60 Nut Width
Harley Benton MS-60 Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH has the wider nut with 42mm (1.654'') vs 41mm (1.614''). This is a 1mm (0.04'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH and Harley Benton MS-60's Scale Length
Both have the same scale length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

In this case, both have a scale length of 24".

There are advantages and disadvantages to a short scale length like this. This guitar will be very easy to play, especially if you have small hands because the frets will be close to each other. Also, since the distance between the bridge and nut is short, the strings will have less tension, so they'll be really easy to bend. However, this also means that you won't be able to lower the action (lower the saddles and get the strings closer to the fretboard) too much or you will get fret buzz since the strings will be a bit loose.

Also, short scales give less space for the harmonics to 'breath', so this ends up making the tone of the guitar sound more 'bassy' than a loger scale where there's more separation between harmonics, which gives the tone more chime.

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH Neck Profile
Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH's neck profile
Harley Benton MS-60 Neck Profile
Harley Benton MS-60's neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

Both the Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH and the Harley Benton MS-60 have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

Fretboard Radius

Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH Fingerboard Radius
Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH's Fingerboard radius
Harley Benton MS-60 Fingerboard Radius
Harley Benton MS-60's Fingerboard radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

In this case, the Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Harley Benton MS-60's. This extra arc will make playing chords easier in this model. You won't be as likely to mute the strings, especially if you have big hands. However, playing single notes and bending will be easier on the Harley Benton MS-60.

Still, both tend to favor soloing over chords, so if you're looking for a guitar for playing rhythm, you might want something else with a radius closer to a Stratocaster's 9.5''.

Hand Size Comfortability

Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.

And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Harley Benton MS-60 favors large hands more than the Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH. But it's still more comfortable for people with small hands, as you can see in the score meter below.

Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Harley Benton MS-60:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH and Harley Benton MS-60 Frets Size
Both have a similar Medium Jumbo fret size

Both have a Medium Jumbo fret size. These are slightly shorter than full Jumbo frets, so you'll still feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings. However, they interfere less with your fretting hand than medium-size frets. This is a good size if you like easy-to-press frets, but would still like to feel a bit of the fretboard when playing.

Final Playability Scores

Fender Squier Bullet Mustang HH
Bending & Vibrato Ease 90
Chord Playability 80
Solo Playability 70
Playability 80
Harley Benton MS-60
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 80
Solo Playability 70
Playability 78

Specs Side-by-Side

Squier Bullet Mustang HH vs Harley Benton MS-60
General Squier Bullet Mustang HH Harley Benton MS-60
Brand: Fender Squier Harley Benton
Year: 2017 2015
Configuration: HH SS
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Indonesia Indonesia
Series: Bullet Vintage
Colors: Black, Blue, Gray White
Left-Handed Version: No Yes
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Poplar Basswood
Bridge: 6-Saddle Hardtail Tune-O-Matic And Dlx Tremolo
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: Standard Cast/Sealed Deluxe Die-Cast Machine Heads
Fretboard: Indian Laurel Purpleheart
Neck Material: Maple Maple
Decoration: Pearloid Dot Dot Fretboard Inlays
Scale Size: 24" 24"
Shape: Modern C Harley Benton C
Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" 13.78"
Nut: Plastic Graphite
Nut Width: 42mm (1.654'') 41mm (1.614'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Standard Humbucking (Humbucker / Passive) Roswell STA Alnico 5 Vintage Style (Single Coil / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Standard Humbucking (Humbucker / Passive) Roswell STA Alnico 5 Vintage Style (Single Coil / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Bell Dome
Pickup Mods: None Phase Out
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 1