Harley Benton DC-60 Junior vs Dean Thoroughbred Select Floyd QM
Reasons to Get
Harley Benton DC-60 Junior over Dean Thoroughbred Select Floyd QM
Reasons to Get
Dean Thoroughbred Select Floyd QM over Harley Benton DC-60 Junior
Other Key Differences
Harley Benton DC-60 Junior vs Dean Thoroughbred Select Floyd QM
Shared Features
Harley Benton DC-60 Junior vs Dean Thoroughbred Select Floyd QM
Common Strengths
- Top Pickup Brand
- Expensive Wood
Common Weaknesses
- Neck-Through Build
- Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
- Weight Relief
- 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 Dean Thoroughbred Select Floyd QM is probably the better product overall with its final score of 73 compared to the Harley Benton DC-60 Junior's 66 score, although not by a lot.
The Dean Thoroughbred Select Floyd QM wins when it comes to sound, build quality. On the other hand, the Harley Benton DC-60 Junior 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 DC-60 Junior 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 DC-60 Junior is the better choice.
The Harley Benton DC-60 Junior meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Dean Thoroughbred Select Floyd QM 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
Harley Benton DC-60 Junior- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Tall frets
- Narrow nut
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable fretboard
- Short scale
- Locking tuners
New Player Friendliness
Dean Thoroughbred Select Floyd QM- 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.
Harley Benton DC-60 Junior Overview
- From Harley Benton's 2022 Vintage series
- Made in Indonesia
- 6 strings
- 24.75"'' scale
- 12" Fretboard Radius
- Mahogany body
- Mahogany neck
- Purpleheart fretboard
- Bridge pickup: Roswell P90D Alnico-5 Dog Ear Single Coil (Single Coil/Passive)
- Middle pickup: (/)
- Neck pickup: (/)
- 1 volume and 1 tone Bell knobs
- WSC Wrap Around Bridge bridge
- C Set neck
- 22 Medium Jumbo frets
- Wilkinson vintage style with 15:1 ratio tuners
- Compare Specs >
Dean Thoroughbred Select Floyd QM Overview
- From Dean's 2022 Select series
- Made in Indonesia
- 6 strings
- 24.75"'' scale
- 12" Fretboard Radius
- Quilt Maple top
- Eastern Mahogany body
- 3 Piece Eastern Mahogany neck
- Ebony fretboard
- Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan TB-5 (Humbucker/Passive)
- Neck pickup: Seymour Duncan APH-1N (Humbucker/Passive)
- 2 volume and 2 tone Speed knobs
- 3-way Switch
- Floyd Rose 1000 (Korean) bridge
- C Set neck
- 22 Jumbo frets
- Grover 18:1 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
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 DC-60 Junior
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.
Woods Used in the Dean Thoroughbred Select Floyd QM
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.
Winner: Dean Thoroughbred Select Floyd QM.
Pickup Configuration
The Harley Benton DC-60 Junior has an P90 configuration while the Dean Thoroughbred Select Floyd QM has HH pickups.
P90s are vintage pickups that are somewhere in the middle between a Humbucker and a single coil. They have decent output, and the tone is not too warm. It's a very particular type of sound that is used in many genres, but it was more popular decades ago.
Like any other single-pickup guitars, it should give you a bit more sustain since there will be less interference with the vibration of the strings. However, you're stuck to one single tone, unless you use effect pedals.On the other hand, 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.
However, the Harley Benton DC-60 Junior has a slight sound quality advantage when taking into account other factors like the type of pickups, magnet, position, etc.
We found the same or similar pickups to the Dean Thoroughbred Select Floyd QM's online:
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 DC-60 Junior.
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
The Dean Thoroughbred Select Floyd QM gives you 3 switch options while the Harley Benton DC-60 Junior gives you 0. This means that the Dean Thoroughbred Select Floyd QM gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve
Neither of them come with some kind of coil split or pickup mod option. This makes both lacking in terms of versatility.
The Harley Benton DC-60 Junior doesn't come with pickup 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: Dean Thoroughbred Select Floyd QM.
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 Harley Benton DC-60 Junior compares to the Dean Thoroughbred Select Floyd QM.
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 Harley Benton DC-60 Junior 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 Dean Thoroughbred Select Floyd QM comes with 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.
Winner: Dean Thoroughbred Select Floyd QM.
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 Harley Benton DC-60 Junior'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 Dean Thoroughbred Select Floyd QM's 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.
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: Dean Thoroughbred Select Floyd QM.
Tuners
Both come with regular tuners. The Harley Benton DC-60 Junior's are Wilkinson vintage style with 15:1 ratio while the Dean Thoroughbred Select Floyd QM's are Grover 18:1
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:
Harley Benton DC-60 Junior
- Expensive Wood
- Top Brand Pickups
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in Indonesia
- No High-Quality Nut
- 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
Dean Thoroughbred Select Floyd QM
- Expensive Wood
- Locking Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Tremolo
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in Indonesia
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Retainer Bar
- 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 Dean Thoroughbred Select Floyd QM has the wider nut with 43mm (1.693'') vs 42mm (1.654''). This is a 1mm (0.039'') difference
This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Dean Thoroughbred Select Floyd QM, 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 Harley Benton DC-60 Junior and the Dean Thoroughbred Select Floyd QM 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 Harley Benton DC-60 Junior and the Dean Thoroughbred Select Floyd QM 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 Dean Thoroughbred Select Floyd QM favors large hands more than the Harley Benton DC-60 Junior. But it's still more comfortable for people with small hands, as you can see in the score meter below.
Harley Benton DC-60 Junior:
Dean Thoroughbred Select Floyd QM:
Fret Size
The Dean Thoroughbred Select Floyd QM has Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Harley Benton DC-60 Junior'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.
