Gibson Custom Dave Amato Les Paul Axcess Standard vs Harley Benton Fusion-T HH EB
Reasons to Get
Gibson Custom Dave Amato Les Paul Axcess Standard over Harley Benton Fusion-T HH EB
Reasons to Get
Harley Benton Fusion-T HH EB over Gibson Custom Dave Amato Les Paul Axcess Standard
Other Key Differences
Gibson Custom Dave Amato Les Paul Axcess Standard vs Harley Benton Fusion-T HH EB
Shared Features
Gibson Custom Dave Amato Les Paul Axcess Standard vs Harley Benton Fusion-T HH EB
Common Strengths
- High-Quality Nut
- High-Quality Frets
- Top Pickup Brand
- Expensive Wood
Common Weaknesses
- Stays in Tune (Evertune)
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Luminescent Sidedots
- Strap Lock
- 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- Active/Passive Preamp
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 Gibson Custom Dave Amato Les Paul Axcess Standard is probably the better product overall with its final score of 75 compared to the Harley Benton Fusion-T HH EB's 72 score, although not by a lot.
The Gibson Custom Dave Amato Les Paul Axcess Standard wins when it comes to playability, build quality. On the other hand, the Harley Benton Fusion-T HH EB has the upper hand when it comes to value for the money.
If you got small hands, you'll probably feel that the Harley Benton Fusion-T HH EB 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 Fusion-T HH EB is the better choice.
The Harley Benton Fusion-T HH EB meets 6 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Gibson Custom Dave Amato Les Paul Axcess Standard meets only 3. 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.
New Player Friendliness
Gibson Custom Dave Amato Les Paul Axcess Standard- Comfortable shape
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable fretboard
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
- Locking tuners
- Easy-to-use bridge
New Player Friendliness
Harley Benton Fusion-T HH EB- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Locking tuners
- Tall frets
- Narrow nut
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable fretboard
- Short scale
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.
Gibson Custom Dave Amato Les Paul Axcess Standard Overview
- From Gibson Custom's 2019 Artist series
- Dave Amato Signature
- Made in United States
- 6 strings
- 24.75"'' scale
- 12" Fretboard Radius
- 2-Piece Figured Maple top
- Weight-relieved Mahogany, Axcess Contours body
- Mahogany neck
- Ebony fretboard
- Bridge pickup: '57 Classic Plus (Humbucker/Passive)
- Neck pickup: '57 Classic Plus (Humbucker/Passive)
- 2 volume and 2 tone Bell knobs
- 3-way Switch
- Floyd Rose bridge
- Dave Amato Set neck
- 22 Medium Jumbo frets
- Gibson Deluxe Tulip tuners
- Compare Specs >
Harley Benton Fusion-T HH EB Overview
- From Harley Benton's 2020 Pro series
- Made in Indonesia
- 6 strings
- 25.5"'' scale
- 12" Fretboard Radius
- Sapele body
- Maple neck
- Ebony fretboard
- Bridge pickup: Roswell LAF-B-CR Alnico-5 (Humbucker/Passive)
- Neck pickup: Roswell LAF-N-CR Alnico-5 (Humbucker/Passive)
- 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
- 3-way Switch
- Wilkinson Tremolo bridge
- Harley Benton Modern C Bolt-On neck
- 22 Medium Jumbo Stainless Steel frets
- WSC staggered locking die-cast 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
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 Gibson Custom Dave Amato Les Paul Axcess Standard
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 Harley Benton Fusion-T HH EB
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.
It's similar to Mahogany in both color and tone. It can produce warm tones, and it's known for its beautiful figured grain patterns. Find out more about Sapele.
Winner: Gibson Custom Dave Amato Les Paul Axcess Standard.
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
Both come with very good pickups from at least one of the specialized brands in the market. With pickups like these, you probably won't need an upgrade anytime soon.
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: Tie.
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 Fusion-T HH EB 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 Fusion-T HH EB.
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 Dave Amato Les Paul Axcess Standard compares to the Harley Benton Fusion-T HH EB.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Gibson Custom Dave Amato Les Paul Axcess Standard is built in United States while the Harley Benton Fusion-T HH EB is made in Indonesia.
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.
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: Gibson Custom Dave Amato Les Paul Axcess Standard
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 Dave Amato Les Paul Axcess Standard has a Locking nut. Instead of a regular nut, this guitar has a locking system that will lock down the strings at the nut, preventing it from getting out of tune. It removes one of the disadvantages of tremolo bridges, tune stability.
On the other hand, the Harley Benton Fusion-T HH EB comes with a Ivory Tusq nut. Ivory used to be considered the best material for guitar nuts due to its beauty, durability, and the rich harmonics and sustain you could get from a guitar with it. However, the way to obtain it is simply unethical. Enter TUSQ ivory nuts, which are made synthetically to imitate ivory. Technically, it's better than ivory because it is consistent piece-to-piece, while natural materials can vary a lot, even if they're made from the same.
Winner: Tie.
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.
In this comparison, the Harley Benton Fusion-T HH EB is the only one that has stainless steel frets. These frets will basically last for the entire life of the guitar. They will never need polishing nor replacement. And not only that, but some people also notice that bending and vibratos are much easier to perform when they upgrade to stainless steel.
Winner: Harley Benton Fusion-T HH EB.
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 Gibson Custom Dave Amato Les Paul Axcess Standard's brige is a Floyd Rose. This is a double-locking bridge system that allows you to perform techniques like dive bombs and pinch harmonics. The locking nut allows your guitar to stay in tune even after the most intense tremolo usage. The disadvantage is that it takes more work to change the strings and set up everything correctly.
On the other hand, the Harley Benton Fusion-T HH EB'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: Gibson Custom Dave Amato Les Paul Axcess Standard.
Tuners
The Harley Benton Fusion-T HH EB has the best tuners of the two because they are locking tuners. They'll help to keep your guitar in tune because they allow you to tune it without wrapping the strings around the posts. This avoids variations in the tuning due to the strings changing position at the post after a bend. They come at the disadvantage of being slightly heavier than regular tuners. Also, it makes it a lot easier to restring.
Nevertheless, the Gibson Custom Dave Amato Les Paul Axcess Standard has a locking nut, so it should have even better tune stability and doesn't need locking tuners.
Winner: Harley Benton Fusion-T HH EB.
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.
The Gibson Custom Dave Amato Les Paul Axcess Standard has 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.
On the other hand, the Harley Benton Fusion-T HH EB comes with 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: Harley Benton Fusion-T HH EB.
Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:
Gibson Custom Dave Amato Les Paul Axcess Standard
- Made in United States
- Expensive Wood
- Locking Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Weight Relief
- Tremolo
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Retainer Bar
- No Strap Lock
Harley Benton Fusion-T HH EB
- Stainless Steel Frets
- Locking Tuners
- Expensive Wood
- Ivory Tusq Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Coil Split Pickups
- Tremolo
- Made in Indonesia
- 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
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 Dave Amato Les Paul Axcess Standard 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 Dave Amato Les Paul Axcess Standard, 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.
The Harley Benton Fusion-T HH EB has the longest scale: 25.5". The Gibson Custom Dave Amato Les Paul Axcess Standard is only 24.75" long. This is a 0.75'' (19.1mm) scale length difference.
This longer scale means that the strings need more tension to get in tune. This is good if you want to avoid fret buzz, which can happen when the strings are too loose and touch the frets while vibrating. This is especially important when playing in lower tunings. This will also let you reduce the gap between fretboard and strings (low action) to make them easier to press down. However, this higher tension will also make it harder to perform bends and vibratos as the strings will feel stiffer.
This also means that the frets have a longer separation between each other, so this will make it harder for people with smaller hands when playing some chord positions.
Another characteristic of a longer scale is that it makes the guitar sound 'snappier' or brighter. This is due to the extra separation between harmonics and overtones produced by the tension. This influences tone more than any other factor (except the pickups).
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 Dave Amato Les Paul Axcess Standard and the Harley Benton Fusion-T HH EB 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.
Both the Gibson Custom Dave Amato Les Paul Axcess Standard and the Harley Benton Fusion-T HH EB have the same fretboard radius of 12". This is the radius used in most Gibson guitars. It gives you a good balance for playing chords without muting, but also good comfortability for playing single notes and bending.
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 Dave Amato Les Paul Axcess Standard favors large hands more than the Harley Benton Fusion-T HH EB. But it's still more comfortable for people with small hands, as you can see in the score meter below.
Gibson Custom Dave Amato Les Paul Axcess Standard:
Harley Benton Fusion-T HH EB:
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.
