Swap
Swap
Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT
Harley Benton DC-Junior
VS
Playability
73
Sound
70
Build
55
Value
76
Score
66
FIND IT ON:
Sweetwater logo
Playability
73
Sound
67
Build
54
Value
75
Score
65
FIND IT ON:
Thomann logo
Add more to comparison

Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT vs DC-Junior

Reasons to Get
Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT over DC-Junior

Release Year
2020 vs 2019
From a more recent year
Neck Profile
Harley Benton Fat '59 vs Harley Benton C
Thick neck that gives you a better grip
Pickup Mods
Coil Split vs None
Splits humbuckers into single coil pickups
Pickups
H vs P90
Hum-free with more right hand freedom and sustain
Value Score
76 vs 75
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Harley Benton DC-Junior over DC-Junior FAT

Neck Profile
Harley Benton C vs Harley Benton Fat '59
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Pickups
P90 vs H
Vintage tone with good sustain

Other Key Differences
Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT vs DC-Junior

Bridge Pickup
Roswell P90D Stack STK4P Alnico-5 Dog Ear Humbucker vs Roswell P90D Alnico-5 Dog Ear
Different Bridge Pickup
Fretboard Wood
Ebony vs Purpleheart
Different Fretboard Wood

Shared Features
Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT vs DC-Junior

Body Wood
Mahogany
Same Body Wood
Neck Wood
Mahogany
Same Neck Wood
Headstock
3-3
Same Headstock
Nut Material
Graphite
Same Nut Material
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Switch Positions
0
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
1
Same tone control
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm)
Same string separation at the nut
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
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
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 Nut
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Weight Relief
  • 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

Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT Prices

SET PRICE ALERT
SET PRICE ALERT

These are affiliate links. We may earn a fee if you purchase after clicking. These prices are prone to error. Make sure you're buying the right product after clicking on a link from our site. We are not liable if you buy the wrong product after following these links. As an Amazon Associate site we earn from qualifying purchases.

Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT is probably the better product overall with its final score of 66 compared to the Harley Benton DC-Junior's 65 score, although not by a lot.

The Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT wins when it comes to sound, build quality, value for the money. On the other hand, the Harley Benton DC-Junior has the upper hand when it comes to.

If you got small hands, none of these instruments will make a big difference when it comes to comfortability.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

Both meet 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness. 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. If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, you can't go wrong with either of them.

New Player Friendliness

Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Harley Benton DC-Junior
  • 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-Junior FAT Overview

  • From Harley Benton's 2020 Vintage series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Mahogany body
  • Mahogany neck
  • Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Roswell P90D Stack STK4P Alnico-5 Dog Ear Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Bell knobs
  • Wsc Wrap Around bridge
  • Harley Benton Fat '59 Set neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Wilkinson Vintage-Style Machine Heads With 15:1 Gear Ratio tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Harley Benton DC-Junior Overview

  • From Harley Benton's 2019 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/Passive)
  • Middle pickup: (/)
  • Neck pickup: (/)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Speed knobs
  • Wrap Around bridge
  • Harley Benton C Set neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Wilkinson Vintage-Style Machine Heads With 15:1 Gear Ratio 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-Junior FAT

Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony

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 DC-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.

Winner: Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT.

Pickup Configuration

The Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT has an H configuration while the Harley Benton DC-Junior has P90 pickups.

A single H pickup gives you the advantage of having a little longer sustain (all other things being equal) because there will be less magnetic fields from other pickups affecting the strings' vibration. However, they also give you the least versatility because you won't have other pickups at different distances from the bridge to create different tones. A single humbucking pickup is used for noiseless high output, which is used mainly for Hard Rock genres.

On the other hand, 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.

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-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-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

Both are equal when it comes to the pickup switching option.

Only the Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT 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.

In this case, both of them lack pickup selector.

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-Junior FAT.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT
Pickups 90
Sustain 70
Versatility 49
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 70
Harley Benton DC-Junior
Pickups 100
Sustain 60
Versatility 39
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 67

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-Junior FAT compares to the Harley Benton DC-Junior.

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.

In this case, both have Graphite nuts. 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.

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. Both come with Wilkinson Vintage-Style Machine Heads With 15:1 Gear Ratio.

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-Junior FAT
  • Expensive Wood
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Coil Split Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • 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-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

Final Build Quality Scores

Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT
Quality of materials 46
Features 55
Quality Control 65
Build Quality 55
Harley Benton DC-Junior
Quality of materials 46
Features 50
Quality Control 65
Build Quality 54

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-Junior FAT Nut Width
Both Guitars Have The Same Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, both have a nut width of 43mm (1.693'').

This is within the most common range of nut widths for a 6-string guitar. It offers a good balance of string separation at the nut. It's the size that most guitarists prefer as it gives them just enough space to play open chords without muting the strings, but without spreading the strings too wide and making bar chords difficult to perform.

Scale Length

Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT and Harley Benton DC-Junior'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-Junior FAT Neck Profile
Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT's neck profile
Harley Benton DC-Junior Neck Profile
Harley Benton DC-Junior'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.

In this case, both have different neck shapes:

The Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT has a Vintage type of neck. This means that it's thicker than most modern necks, and makes it a better fit for playing chords and slow solos. Some people prefer this type of neck because it gives them a better grip thanks to the extra mass. Still, the vast majority prefer a thinner, faster, and more ''modern'' neck.

The Harley Benton DC-Junior, on the other hand, has a C 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-Junior FAT Fingerboard Radius
Both Guitars Have The Same 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-Junior FAT and the Harley Benton DC-Junior 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.

After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both in this comparison are balanced for most hand sizes.

Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Harley Benton DC-Junior:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT and Harley Benton DC-Junior 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-Junior FAT
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 60
Playability 73
Harley Benton DC-Junior
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 70
Playability 73

Specs Side-by-Side

Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT vs DC-Junior
General Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT DC-Junior
Brand: Harley Benton Harley Benton
Year: 2020 2019
Configuration: H P90
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Indonesia Indonesia
Series: Vintage Vintage
Colors: Blue, Red Black, Blue, Red, Natural
Left-Handed Version: Yes Yes
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Mahogany Mahogany
Bridge: Wsc Wrap Around Wrap Around
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Wilkinson Vintage-Style Machine Heads With 15:1 Gear Ratio Wilkinson Vintage-Style Machine Heads With 15:1 Gear Ratio
Fretboard: Ebony Purpleheart
Neck Material: Mahogany Mahogany
Decoration: Dots Dots
Scale Size: 24.75" 24.75"
Shape: Harley Benton Fat '59 Harley Benton C
Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" 12"
Nut: Graphite Graphite
Nut Width: 43mm (1.693'') 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Roswell P90D Stack STK4P Alnico-5 Dog Ear Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) Roswell P90D Alnico-5 Dog Ear (Single Coil / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup:
Switch: 0 Way 0 Way
Knobs: Bell Speed
Pickup Mods: Coil Split None
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 1