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Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT
Harley Benton MR-Classic
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Playability
73
Sound
70
Build
55
Value
76
Score
66
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Playability
72
Sound
71
Build
57
Value
77
Score
67
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Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT vs MR-Classic

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

Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
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 P90P90
Hum-free with more right hand freedom and sustain
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm) vs 1.654'' (42mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone

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

Release Year
2022 vs 2020
From a more recent year
Neck Profile
Harley Benton C vs Harley Benton Fat '59
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Neck Joint
Bolt-On vs Set
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Switch Positions
3 vs 0
More tone options
Pickups
P90P90 vs H
Vintage tone with decent versatility
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm) vs 1.693'' (43mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 24.75'' (628.7mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Value Score
77 vs 76
Better price/quality relationship

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

Bridge Pickup
Roswell P90D Stack STK4P Alnico-5 Dog Ear Humbucker vs Artec P-90
Different Bridge Pickup
Body Wood
Mahogany vs Basswood
Different Body Wood
Neck Wood
Mahogany vs Maple
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Ebony vs Jatoba
Different Fretboard Wood

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

Headstock
3-3
Same Headstock
Nut Material
Graphite
Same Nut Material
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
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo vs Medium
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut
  • Top Pickup Brand

Common Weaknesses

  • 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

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Harley Benton MR-Classic is probably the better product overall with its final score of 67 compared to the Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT's 66 score, although not by a lot.

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

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the Harley Benton MR-Classic.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Harley Benton MR-Classic is the better choice.

The Harley Benton MR-Classic meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT 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-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 MR-Classic
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • 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 MR-Classic Overview

  • From Harley Benton's 2022 Vintage series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Basswood body
  • Maple neck
  • Jatoba fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Artec P-90 (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Speed knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Fixed bridge
  • Harley Benton C Bolt-On neck
  • 22 Medium frets
  • Kluson style Wilkinson 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 the Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany
Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony

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.

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 MR-Classic

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple
Jatoba wood pattern used for guitar building
Jatoba
Basswood wood pattern used for guitar building
Basswood

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.

Jatoba is a hard and dense wood that emphasizes the mid-lows, giving a fuller, more round sound than, for example, Mahogany. However, it also has a lot of clarity in the top end. Find out more about Jatoba.

Basswood is a lightweight type of wood that isn't as expensive as other popular choices for guitar building. It gives more power to the mid-range frequencies. Its color can vary from pale white to light brown. Find out more about Basswood.

Winner: Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT.

Pickup Configuration

The Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT has an H configuration while the Harley Benton MR-Classic has P90P90 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, P90P90 gives you two P90s for a crunchy vintage tone. The tone sits somewhere in the middle between typical single-coils and humbuckers. They also produce less hum than single-coils, but they don't cancel it completely like humbuckers.

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 MR-Classic 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 MR-Classic.

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

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.

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

Harley Benton MR-Classic pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Harley Benton MR-Classic'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 MR-Classic.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT
Pickups 90
Sustain 70
Versatility 49
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 70
Harley Benton MR-Classic
Pickups 100
Sustain 60
Versatility 54
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 71

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 MR-Classic.

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. The Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT's are Wilkinson Vintage-Style Machine Heads With 15:1 Gear Ratio while the Harley Benton MR-Classic's are Kluson style Wilkinson

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.

The Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT 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 MR-Classic 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 MR-Classic.

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 MR-Classic
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No Expensive Woods
  • 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 MR-Classic
Quality of materials 56
Features 50
Quality Control 65
Build Quality 57

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
Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT Nut Width
Harley Benton MR-Classic Nut Width
Harley Benton MR-Classic Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT 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-Junior FAT, 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-Junior FAT's Scale Length
Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT's Scale Length
Harley Benton MR-Classic's Scale Length
Harley Benton MR-Classic's 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 MR-Classic has the longest scale: 25.5". The Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT 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

Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT Neck Profile
Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT's neck profile
Harley Benton MR-Classic Neck Profile
Harley Benton MR-Classic'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 MR-Classic, 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 MR-Classic 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 Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT favors large hands more than the Harley Benton MR-Classic.

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

Fret Size

Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT Frets Size
Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT's Frets Size
Harley Benton MR-Classic Frets Size
Harley Benton MR-Classic's Frets Size

The Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT has Medium Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Harley Benton MR-Classic's Medium 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.

Final Playability Scores

Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 60
Playability 73
Harley Benton MR-Classic
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 70
Playability 72

Specs Side-by-Side

Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT vs MR-Classic
General Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT MR-Classic
Brand: Harley Benton Harley Benton
Year: 2020 2022
Configuration: H P90P90
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Indonesia Indonesia
Series: Vintage Vintage
Colors: Blue, Red White, Black, Blue, Red
Left-Handed Version: Yes Yes
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Mahogany Basswood
Bridge: Wsc Wrap Around Fixed
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Bolt-On
Tuners: Wilkinson Vintage-Style Machine Heads With 15:1 Gear Ratio Kluson style Wilkinson
Fretboard: Ebony Jatoba
Neck Material: Mahogany Maple
Decoration: Dots Dots
Scale Size: 24.75" 25.5"
Shape: Harley Benton Fat '59 Harley Benton C
Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Medium Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" 12"
Nut: Graphite Graphite
Nut Width: 43mm (1.693'') 42mm (1.654'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Roswell P90D Stack STK4P Alnico-5 Dog Ear Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) Artec P-90 (Single Coil / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Artec P-90 (Single Coil / Passive)
Switch: 0 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Bell Speed
Pickup Mods: Coil Split None
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 1