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Harley Benton DC-60 Junior
Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh
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Playability
77
Sound
67
Build
54
Value
81
Score
66
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Playability
72
Sound
74
Build
67
Value
81
Score
71
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Harley Benton DC-60 Junior vs DC-DLX Gotoh

Reasons to Get
Harley Benton DC-60 Junior over DC-DLX Gotoh

Release Year
2022 vs 2021
From a more recent year
Pickups
P90 vs HH
Vintage tone with good sustain
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm) vs 1.693'' (43mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm) vs 10'' (254mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend

Reasons to Get
Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh over DC-60 Junior

Fret Material
Stainless Steel vs Nickel Silver
Best fret material that will last forever
Nut Material
Ivory Tusq vs Graphite
Resistant, good tuning stability and rich tone
Pickup Mods
Coil Split vs None
Splits humbuckers into single coil pickups
Switch Positions
3 vs 0
More tone options
Pickups
HH vs P90
High output without hum
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm) vs 1.654'' (42mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Fretboard Radius
10'' (254mm) vs 12'' (304.8mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings

Other Key Differences
Harley Benton DC-60 Junior vs DC-DLX Gotoh

Bridge Pickup
Roswell P90D Alnico-5 Dog Ear Single Coil vs Tesla VR-2 AlNiCo 5
Different Bridge Pickup
Body Wood
Mahogany vs Nyatoh
Different Body Wood
Fretboard Wood
Purpleheart vs Ebony
Different Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Graphite vs Ivory Tusq
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Harley Benton DC-60 Junior vs DC-DLX Gotoh

Neck Wood
Mahogany
Same Neck Wood
Headstock
3-3
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
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
Bridge
Fixed
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm)
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
Set
Neck is glued to the body
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Frets
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Weight Relief
  • Locking Tuners
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • 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

SET PRICE ALERT

Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh Prices

SET PRICE ALERT

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh is probably the better product overall with its final score of 71 compared to the Harley Benton DC-60 Junior's 66 score, although not by a lot.

The Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh 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.

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 Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh 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.

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

Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • 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.

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 >

Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh Overview

  • From Harley Benton's 2021 Deluxe series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 10" Fretboard Radius
  • Nyatoh body
  • Mahogany neck
  • Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Tesla VR-2 AlNiCo 5 (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Tesla VR-2 AlNiCo 5 (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Speed knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Gotoh Tune-o-Matic bridge
  • Harley Benton Modern C Set neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo Stainless Steel frets
  • Gotoh Kluson tuners 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 wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany

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 wood pattern used for guitar building
Purpleheart

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 Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh

Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony
Nyatoh wood pattern used for guitar building
Nyatoh

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.

Nyatoh has been replacing Mahogany for guitar building. It's fairly hard, durable, more sustentable and common than Mahogany. Find out more about Nyatoh.

Winner: Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh.

Pickup Configuration

The Harley Benton DC-60 Junior has an P90 configuration while the Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh 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.

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 Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh gives you 3 switch options while the Harley Benton DC-60 Junior gives you 0. This means that the Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

Only the Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh 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.

The Harley Benton DC-60 Junior doesn't come with pickup switching options.

Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh'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 DC-DLX Gotoh.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Harley Benton DC-60 Junior
Pickups 100
Sustain 60
Versatility 39
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 67
Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh
Pickups 90
Sustain 75
Versatility 59
Tuning Stability 70
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 Harley Benton DC-60 Junior compares to the Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh.

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 Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh 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: Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh.

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 DC-DLX Gotoh 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 DC-DLX Gotoh.

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 Harley Benton DC-60 Junior's are Wilkinson vintage style with 15:1 ratio while the Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh's are Gotoh Kluson tuners

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:

Strengths & Weaknesses
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
Strengths & Weaknesses
Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh
  • Stainless Steel Frets
  • Expensive Wood
  • Ivory Tusq Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Coil Split Pickups
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Harley Benton DC-60 Junior
Quality of materials 46
Features 50
Quality Control 65
Build Quality 54
Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh
Quality of materials 81
Features 55
Quality Control 65
Build Quality 67

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

Harley Benton DC-60 Junior Nut Width
Harley Benton DC-60 Junior Nut Width
Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh Nut Width
Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh 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 Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Harley Benton DC-60 Junior and Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh'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 24.75".

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

Harley Benton DC-60 Junior Neck Profile
Harley Benton DC-60 Junior's neck profile
Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh Neck Profile
Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh'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 Harley Benton DC-60 Junior and the Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh 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

Harley Benton DC-60 Junior Fingerboard Radius
Harley Benton DC-60 Junior's Fingerboard radius
Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh Fingerboard Radius
Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh'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 Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Harley Benton DC-60 Junior'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 DC-60 Junior.

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 DC-DLX Gotoh 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:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Harley Benton DC-60 Junior and Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh 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

Harley Benton DC-60 Junior
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 70
Playability 77
Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 65
Playability 72

Specs Side-by-Side

Harley Benton DC-60 Junior vs DC-DLX Gotoh
General Harley Benton DC-60 Junior DC-DLX Gotoh
Brand: Harley Benton Harley Benton
Year: 2022 2021
Configuration: P90 HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Indonesia Indonesia
Series: Vintage Deluxe
Colors: Pink Black, Blue, Pink
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Mahogany Nyatoh
Bridge: WSC Wrap Around Bridge Gotoh Tune-o-Matic
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Wilkinson vintage style with 15:1 ratio Gotoh Kluson tuners
Fretboard: Purpleheart Ebony
Neck Material: Mahogany Mahogany
Decoration: White dot fretboard Pearloid Trapezoids
Scale Size: 24.75" 24.75"
Shape: C Harley Benton Modern C
Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Medium Jumbo Stainless Steel
Fretboard Radius: 12" 10"
Nut: Graphite Ivory Tusq
Nut Width: 42mm (1.654'') 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Roswell P90D Alnico-5 Dog Ear Single Coil (Single Coil / Passive) Tesla VR-2 AlNiCo 5 (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Tesla VR-2 AlNiCo 5 (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 0 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Bell Speed
Pickup Mods: None Coil Split
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 1