Gretsch G5191BK Tim Armstrong Signature Electromatic vs Harley Benton Big Tone Trem
Reasons to Get
Gretsch G5191BK Tim Armstrong Signature Electromatic over Harley Benton Big Tone Trem
Reasons to Get
Harley Benton Big Tone Trem over Gretsch G5191BK Tim Armstrong Signature Electromatic
Other Key Differences
Gretsch G5191BK Tim Armstrong Signature Electromatic vs Harley Benton Big Tone Trem
Shared Features
Gretsch G5191BK Tim Armstrong Signature Electromatic vs Harley Benton Big Tone Trem
Common Weaknesses
- Neck-Through Build
- Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
- Locking Tuners
- Stays in Tune (Evertune)
- High-Quality Frets
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- From a High-Quality-Standards Country
- 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 Gretsch G5191BK Tim Armstrong Signature Electromatic is probably the better product overall with its final score of 71 compared to the Harley Benton Big Tone Trem's 61 score, which is a significant difference.
The Gretsch G5191BK Tim Armstrong Signature Electromatic wins when it comes to sound, playability, build quality. On the other hand, the Harley Benton Big Tone Trem has the upper hand when it comes to value for the money.
If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the Gretsch G5191BK Tim Armstrong Signature Electromatic.
Which One is Better for Beginners?
If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Gretsch G5191BK Tim Armstrong Signature Electromatic is the better choice.
The Gretsch G5191BK Tim Armstrong Signature Electromatic meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Harley Benton Big Tone Trem 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
Gretsch G5191BK Tim Armstrong Signature Electromatic- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Tall frets
- Short scale
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable fretboard
- Narrow nut
- Locking tuners
New Player Friendliness
Harley Benton Big Tone Trem- Comfortable shape
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable fretboard
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
- Locking tuners
- Easy-to-use bridge
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.
Gretsch G5191BK Tim Armstrong Signature Electromatic Overview
- From Gretsch's 2010 Electromatic series
- Tim Armstrong Signature
- Made in China
- 6 strings
- 24"'' scale
- 12.6" Fretboard Radius
- 5-Ply Arched Maple top
- 5-Ply Maple body
- Maple neck
- Rosewood fretboard
- Bridge pickup: Gretsch Black Top Filter'Tron (Humbucker/Passive)
- Neck pickup: Gretsch Black Top Filter'Tron (Humbucker/Passive)
- 3 volume and 2 tone Speed knobs
- 3-way Switch
- Harp Style Tailpiece bridge
- Tim Armstrong Set neck
- 22 Jumbo frets
- Grover Sta-Tite Die-Cast tuners
- Compare Specs >
Harley Benton Big Tone Trem Overview
- From Harley Benton's 2015 Vintage series
- Made in China
- 6 strings
- 25.5"'' scale
- 12" Fretboard Radius
- Maple body
- Maple neck
- Purpleheart fretboard
- Bridge pickup: HB Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
- Neck pickup: HB Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
- 3 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
- 3-way Switch
- Tune-O-Matic Roller Bridge With A Floating Ovangkol Base bridge
- Harley Benton C Set neck
- 20 Medium Jumbo frets
- Deluxe Diecast Imperial-Style 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 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 Gretsch G5191BK Tim Armstrong Signature Electromatic
Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.
Woods Used in the Harley Benton Big Tone Trem
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.
Winner: Gretsch G5191BK Tim Armstrong Signature Electromatic.
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 Gretsch G5191BK Tim Armstrong Signature Electromatic has pickups from a more specialized brand than the Harley Benton Big Tone Trem. 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 Jazz 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: Gretsch G5191BK Tim Armstrong Signature Electromatic.
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.
Neither of them come with some kind of coil split or pickup mod option. This makes both lacking in terms of versatility.
They both share the following switching 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 Big Tone Trem.
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 Gretsch G5191BK Tim Armstrong Signature Electromatic compares to the Harley Benton Big Tone Trem.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in China.
China has a bad reputation when it comes to building quality. However, times have changed and now respectable brands use China's cheap labor to build good instruments for a lower price. Don't discount a guitar only because it was built in China, but also expect more quality from countries like Korea.
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 Gretsch G5191BK Tim Armstrong Signature Electromatic has 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.
On the other hand, the Harley Benton Big Tone Trem comes with 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.
Winner: Gretsch G5191BK Tim Armstrong Signature Electromatic.
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 Gretsch G5191BK Tim Armstrong Signature Electromatic'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 Big Tone Trem's is a Bigsby Tremolo. Bigsby tremolos are built differently than regular tremolos. They have a stiffer arm, which is something a lot of people like because the arm won't wiggle around a lot. On the other hand, this type of tremolo is more complicated to restring and it might not be as newbie-friendly as other simpler tremolos.
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: Harley Benton Big Tone Trem.
Tuners
Both come with regular tuners. The Gretsch G5191BK Tim Armstrong Signature Electromatic's are Grover Sta-Tite Die-Cast while the Harley Benton Big Tone Trem's are Deluxe Diecast Imperial-Style 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 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:
Gretsch G5191BK Tim Armstrong Signature Electromatic
- Expensive Wood
- Top Brand Pickups
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in China
- No High-Quality Nut
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Tremolo
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
Harley Benton Big Tone Trem
- Tremolo
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in China
- No Expensive Woods
- No High-Quality Nut
- No Top Brand Pickups
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- 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 Harley Benton Big Tone Trem has the wider nut with 43mm (1.693'') vs 42.9mm (1.688''). This is a 0.1mm (0.0050000000000001'') difference
This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Harley Benton Big Tone Trem, 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 Big Tone Trem has the longest scale: 25.5". The Gretsch G5191BK Tim Armstrong Signature Electromatic is only 24" long. This is a 1.5'' (38.1mm) 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 Gretsch G5191BK Tim Armstrong Signature Electromatic and the Harley Benton Big Tone Trem 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 Harley Benton Big Tone Trem's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Gretsch G5191BK Tim Armstrong Signature Electromatic'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 Gretsch G5191BK Tim Armstrong Signature Electromatic.
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 Big Tone Trem favors large hands more than the Gretsch G5191BK Tim Armstrong Signature Electromatic.
Gretsch G5191BK Tim Armstrong Signature Electromatic:
Harley Benton Big Tone Trem:
Fret Size
The Gretsch G5191BK Tim Armstrong Signature Electromatic has Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Harley Benton Big Tone Trem's Medium Jumbo frets.
Some people prefer taller frets because they result in more sustain since the strings get pressed cleanly without interference from the fretboard. However, if they're too tall—like Jumbo frets—, you might change the pitch of the strings accidentally if you press too hard because you won't be touching the fretboard with your fingers. This is also why some guitarists with a heavy grip prefer smaller frets. They like to feel the fingerboard to avoid pressing down too hard and getting out of pitch.
