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Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT
Yamaha RSS02T
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Playability
73
Sound
70
Build
55
Value
76
Score
66
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Playability
80
Sound
74
Build
65
Value
78
Score
73
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Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT vs Yamaha RSS02T

Reasons to Get
Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT over Yamaha RSS02T

Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo vs Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Neck Profile
Harley Benton Fat '59 vs Revstar C
Thick neck that gives you a better grip
Nut Material
Graphite vs Plastic
Self-Lubricating nut for good tuning stability
Pickup Mods
Coil Split vs Boost
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 1.65'' (41.9mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle

Reasons to Get
Yamaha RSS02T over Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT

Weight Relief
Yes vs None
Lighter Body
Fret Material
Stainless Steel vs Nickel Silver
Best fret material that will last forever
Release Year
2022 vs 2020
From a more recent year
Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Type of Frets
Jumbo vs Medium Jumbo
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Neck Profile
Revstar C vs Harley Benton Fat '59
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Pickup Mods
Boost vs Coil Split
Increases the output of the pickup
Switch Positions
5 vs 0
More tone options
Pickups
P90P90 vs H
Vintage tone with decent versatility
Nut Width
1.65'' (41.9mm) vs 1.693'' (43mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Value Score
78 vs 76
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT vs Yamaha RSS02T

Bridge Pickup
Roswell P90D Stack STK4P Alnico-5 Dog Ear Humbucker vs VP5b
Different Bridge Pickup
Fretboard Wood
Ebony vs Rosewood
Different Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Graphite vs Plastic
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT vs Yamaha RSS02T

Body Wood
Mahogany
Same Body Wood
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
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

Common Strengths

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

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • 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

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 Yamaha RSS02T is probably the better product overall with its final score of 73 compared to the Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT's 66 score, although not by a lot.

The Yamaha RSS02T wins when it comes to sound, playability, build quality, value for the money. This means that it wins over the Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT in every aspect.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the Yamaha RSS02T.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Yamaha RSS02T is the better choice.

The Yamaha RSS02T 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

Yamaha RSS02T
  • 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 >

Yamaha RSS02T Overview

  • From Yamaha's 2022 REVSTAR series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Top: Maple / Back: Chambered Mahogany body
  • 3-Piece Mahogany, Carbon Reinforcement neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: VP5b (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 5-way Switch
  • Tune-O-Matic bridge
  • Revstar C Set neck
  • 22 Jumbo Stainless Steel frets
  • Die-Cast 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 Yamaha RSS02T

Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood

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.

Winner: Tie.

Pickup Configuration

The Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT has an H configuration while the Yamaha RSS02T 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 Yamaha RSS02T 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: Yamaha RSS02T.

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 Yamaha RSS02T gives you 5 switch options while the Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT gives you 0. This means that the Yamaha RSS02T gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

Both give you different pickup mod options.

The Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT offers 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.

On the other hand, the Yamaha RSS02T comes with the following: Boost.

A Boost will give your pickups more output, similar to an active pickup. It's great if you like to use a lot of output for heavy genres, but also like to use a cleaner tone often.

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

Yamaha RSS02T pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Yamaha RSS02T'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: Yamaha RSS02T.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT
Pickups 90
Sustain 70
Versatility 49
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 70
Yamaha RSS02T
Pickups 100
Sustain 70
Versatility 62
Tuning Stability 65
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-Junior FAT compares to the Yamaha RSS02T.

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-Junior FAT 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 Yamaha RSS02T 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: Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT.

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 Yamaha RSS02T 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: Yamaha RSS02T.

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 Yamaha RSS02T's are Die-Cast

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
Yamaha RSS02T
  • Stainless Steel Frets
  • Expensive Wood
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Boost Pickups
  • Weight Relief
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • 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
Yamaha RSS02T
Quality of materials 66
Features 60
Quality Control 70
Build Quality 65

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
Yamaha RSS02T Nut Width
Yamaha RSS02T 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 41.9mm (1.65''). This is a 1.1mm (0.043'') 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 and Yamaha RSS02T'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
Yamaha RSS02T Neck Profile
Yamaha RSS02T'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 Yamaha RSS02T, 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 Yamaha RSS02T 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 Yamaha RSS02T.

Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Yamaha RSS02T:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT Frets Size
Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT's Frets Size
Yamaha RSS02T Frets Size
Yamaha RSS02T's Frets Size

The Yamaha RSS02T has Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT'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.

Final Playability Scores

Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 60
Playability 73
Yamaha RSS02T
Bending & Vibrato Ease 95
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 80

Specs Side-by-Side

Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT vs Yamaha RSS02T
General Harley Benton DC-Junior FAT Yamaha RSS02T
Brand: Harley Benton Yamaha
Year: 2020 2022
Configuration: H P90P90
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Indonesia Indonesia
Series: Vintage REVSTAR
Colors: Blue, Red Black, Blue, Red, Yellow Burst
Left-Handed Version: Yes No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Mahogany Top: Maple / Back: Chambered Mahogany
Bridge: Wsc Wrap Around Tune-O-Matic
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Wilkinson Vintage-Style Machine Heads With 15:1 Gear Ratio Die-Cast
Fretboard: Ebony Rosewood
Neck Material: Mahogany 3-Piece Mahogany, Carbon Reinforcement
Decoration: Dots Lines
Scale Size: 24.75" 24.75"
Shape: Harley Benton Fat '59 Revstar C
Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Jumbo Stainless Steel
Fretboard Radius: 12" 12"
Nut: Graphite Plastic
Nut Width: 43mm (1.693'') 41.9mm (1.65'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Roswell P90D Stack STK4P Alnico-5 Dog Ear Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) VP5b (Single Coil / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: VP5n (Single Coil / Passive)
Switch: 0 Way 5 Way
Knobs: Bell Dome
Pickup Mods: Coil Split Boost
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 1