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Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom Reissue Ebony 2-Pickup

Harley Benton SC-Custom II

VS

Playability

73

Sound

72

Build

72

Value

57

Score

72

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Playability

77

Sound

65

Build

55

Value

76

Score

66

FIND IT ON:

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Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom Reissue Ebony 2-Pickup vs Harley Benton SC-Custom II

Price History Comparison

Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom Reissue Ebony 2-Pickup Prices

• New from $6,509.06 >>
• New from $6,899 >>
• Used from $5,298 >>

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Harley Benton SC-Custom II Prices

• Used from $329 >>

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom Reissue Ebony 2-Pickup is probably the better product overall with its final score of 72 compared to the Harley Benton SC-Custom II's 66 score, although not by a lot.

The Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom Reissue Ebony 2-Pickup wins when it comes to sound, build quality. On the other hand, the Harley Benton SC-Custom II has the upper hand when it comes to playability, value for the money.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel that the Harley Benton SC-Custom II is easier to play.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Harley Benton SC-Custom II is the better choice.

The Harley Benton SC-Custom II meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom Reissue Ebony 2-Pickup meets only 4. 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.

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.

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

Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.

Woods Used in the Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom Reissue Ebony 2-Pickup

Ebony is a high-end wood, so it is not cheap. It's only used for fretboards because it's also very heavy. It does an excellent job as a durable material while looking elegant. Find out more about Ebony.

Woods Used in the Harley Benton SC-Custom II

Jatoba is a hard and dense wood that emphasizes the mid-lows, giving a fuller, more round sound than, for example, Mahogany. However, it also has a lot of clarity in the top end. Find out more about Jatoba.

Winner: Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom Reissue Ebony 2-Pickup.

Pickup Configuration

Both pickup configurations are HH. 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.

Pickups Quality

The Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom Reissue Ebony 2-Pickup has pickups from a more specialized brand than the Harley Benton SC-Custom II. Its pickups should simply give you a better, fuller sound, although it all depends on what type of music you're going to play. We recommend these pickups for Hard Rock 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: Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom Reissue Ebony 2-Pickup.

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 SC-Custom II comes with some kind of pickup modification: Coil Split.

Coil Split lets you disconnect one of the pickup coils. When used with humbuckers, it turns them into single-coil with lower output and cleaner tone.

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 SC-Custom II.

Final Sound Quality Scores

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 Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom Reissue Ebony 2-Pickup compares to the Harley Benton SC-Custom II.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom Reissue Ebony 2-Pickup is built in United States while the Harley Benton SC-Custom II is made in Vietnam.

The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.

Vietnam is, together with China, a popular country for mass-producing guitars for a low price. Some people think guitars made in these countries are low quality, but that is not true as long as you're buying from a trustworthy brand. Just don't expect the same level of attention to detail as a guitar made in a country like Japan.

Winner: Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom Reissue Ebony 2-Pickup

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 Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom Reissue Ebony 2-Pickup has a Nylon nut. It used to be one of the highest quality materials for nuts (and still is), but it's rare to find nowadays because it's hard to work with. It's a very resistant material with very low friction, so it will keep the guitar in tune and will last for a long time

On the other hand, the Harley Benton SC-Custom II 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: Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom Reissue Ebony 2-Pickup.

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.

Both come with a similar bridge: 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.

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 Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom Reissue Ebony 2-Pickup's are Kluson Waffleback w/ Pearloid Tips while the Harley Benton SC-Custom II's are Grover

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 Set neck joint. This neck is tightly glued to the body. They give you the least versatility because you can't swap them for a neck that fits your hand better if you want to, unlike bolt-on necks. Some people think this gives more resonance and sustain, but there's no real difference if the bolt-on joint is well built.

Winner: Tie.

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

Final Build Quality Scores

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

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom Reissue Ebony 2-Pickup has the wider nut with 42.9mm (1.688'') vs 42mm (1.654''). This is a 0.9mm (0.034'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom Reissue Ebony 2-Pickup, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

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 24.75".

This is the scale length that Gibson uses for most of its Les Paul guitars. It's a smaller scale than the typical Stratocaster's 25.5''. Short scale lengths like this make it easier to bend the strings, which is pretty important if you have a fixed bridge. They also have a shorter fret separation, which makes it easier to change position fast at the fretboard.

On the other hand, a shorter scale like this one will make fret buzz more likely, which can affect you if you want to use thicker string gauges.

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

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 Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom Reissue Ebony 2-Pickup and the Harley Benton SC-Custom II 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

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 Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom Reissue Ebony 2-Pickup's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Harley Benton SC-Custom II'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 SC-Custom II.

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 Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom Reissue Ebony 2-Pickup favors large hands more than the Harley Benton SC-Custom II. But it's still more comfortable for people with small hands, as you can see in the score meter below.

Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom Reissue Ebony 2-Pickup:

Harley Benton SC-Custom II:

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