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Harley Benton MR-Classic Baritone
Yamaha RSS20
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Playability
72
Sound
71
Build
57
Value
77
Score
67
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Playability
80
Sound
74
Build
65
Value
78
Score
73
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Harley Benton MR-Classic Baritone vs Yamaha RSS20

Reasons to Get
Harley Benton MR-Classic Baritone over Yamaha RSS20

Type of Frets
Medium vs Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Nut Material
Graphite vs Plastic
Self-Lubricating nut for good tuning stability
Neck Joint
Bolt-On vs Set
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Pickups
P90P90 vs HH
Vintage tone with decent versatility
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.898'' (22.8mm) vs 0.827'' (21mm)
More comfortable open chords for big hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.931'' (23.6mm) vs 0.941'' (23.9mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for small hands
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm) vs 1.65'' (41.9mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Scale Length
27'' (685.8mm) vs 24.75'' (628.7mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone

Reasons to Get
Yamaha RSS20 over Harley Benton MR-Classic Baritone

Weight Relief
Yes vs None
Lighter Body
Fret Material
Stainless Steel vs Nickel Silver
Best fret material that will last forever
Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Type of Frets
Jumbo vs Medium
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Pickup Mods
Boost vs None
Increases the output of the pickup
Switch Positions
5 vs 3
More tone options
Pickups
HH vs P90P90
High output without hum
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.827'' (21mm) vs 0.898'' (22.8mm)
More comfortable open chords for small hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.941'' (23.9mm) vs 0.931'' (23.6mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for big hands
Nut Width
1.65'' (41.9mm) vs 1.654'' (42mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm) vs 27'' (685.8mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Value Score
78 vs 77
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Harley Benton MR-Classic Baritone vs Yamaha RSS20

Bridge Pickup
Artec P-90 vs VH5b
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Artec P-90 vs VH5n
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Basswood vs Mahogany
Different Body Wood
Neck Wood
Maple vs Mahogany
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Jatoba vs Rosewood
Different Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Graphite vs Plastic
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Harley Benton MR-Classic Baritone vs Yamaha RSS20

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
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Frets
  • Top Pickup Brand

Common Weaknesses

  • 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 MR-Classic Baritone Prices

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Yamaha RSS20 is probably the better product overall with its final score of 73 compared to the Harley Benton MR-Classic Baritone's 67 score, although not by a lot.

The Yamaha RSS20 wins when it comes to sound, playability, build quality, value for the money. This means that it wins over the Harley Benton MR-Classic Baritone in every aspect.

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 5 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 MR-Classic Baritone
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Yamaha RSS20
  • 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 MR-Classic Baritone Overview

  • From Harley Benton's 2022 Vintage series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 27"'' 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 >

Yamaha RSS20 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: VH5b (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: VH5n (Humbucker/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 the Harley Benton MR-Classic Baritone

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.

Woods Used in the Yamaha RSS20

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany
Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood

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.

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: Yamaha RSS20.

Pickup Configuration

The Harley Benton MR-Classic Baritone has an P90P90 configuration while the Yamaha RSS20 has HH pickups.

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.

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 MR-Classic Baritone 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 Baritone.

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 RSS20 gives you 5 switch options while the Harley Benton MR-Classic Baritone gives you 3. This means that the Yamaha RSS20 gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

Only the Yamaha RSS20 comes with some kind of pickup modification: 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.

Harley Benton MR-Classic Baritone pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Harley Benton MR-Classic Baritone's switch options
Yamaha RSS20 pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Yamaha RSS20'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 RSS20.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Harley Benton MR-Classic Baritone
Pickups 100
Sustain 60
Versatility 54
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 71
Yamaha RSS20
Pickups 90
Sustain 80
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 MR-Classic Baritone compares to the Yamaha RSS20.

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 MR-Classic Baritone 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 RSS20 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 MR-Classic Baritone.

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 RSS20 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 RSS20.

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 MR-Classic Baritone's are Kluson-style Wilkinson while the Yamaha RSS20'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.

The Harley Benton MR-Classic Baritone has a 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.

On the other hand, the Yamaha RSS20 comes with 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: Harley Benton MR-Classic Baritone.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
Harley Benton MR-Classic Baritone
  • 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
Strengths & Weaknesses
Yamaha RSS20
  • 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 MR-Classic Baritone
Quality of materials 56
Features 50
Quality Control 65
Build Quality 57
Yamaha RSS20
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 MR-Classic Baritone Nut Width
Harley Benton MR-Classic Baritone Nut Width
Yamaha RSS20 Nut Width
Yamaha RSS20 Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Harley Benton MR-Classic Baritone has the wider nut with 42mm (1.654'') vs 41.9mm (1.65''). This is a 0.1mm (0.004'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Harley Benton MR-Classic Baritone, 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 MR-Classic Baritone's Scale Length
Harley Benton MR-Classic Baritone's Scale Length
Yamaha RSS20's Scale Length
Yamaha RSS20'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 Baritone has the longest scale: 27". The Yamaha RSS20 is only 24.75" long. This is a 2.25'' (57.2mm) 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 MR-Classic Baritone Neck Profile
Harley Benton MR-Classic Baritone's neck profile
Yamaha RSS20 Neck Profile
Yamaha RSS20'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 MR-Classic Baritone and the Yamaha RSS20 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 MR-Classic Baritone 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 MR-Classic Baritone and the Yamaha RSS20 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 favor small hands .

Harley Benton MR-Classic Baritone:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Yamaha RSS20:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Harley Benton MR-Classic Baritone Frets Size
Harley Benton MR-Classic Baritone's Frets Size
Yamaha RSS20 Frets Size
Yamaha RSS20's Frets Size

The Yamaha RSS20 has Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Harley Benton MR-Classic Baritone'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 MR-Classic Baritone
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 70
Playability 72
Yamaha RSS20
Bending & Vibrato Ease 95
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 80

Specs Side-by-Side

Harley Benton MR-Classic Baritone vs Yamaha RSS20
General Harley Benton MR-Classic Baritone Yamaha RSS20
Brand: Harley Benton Yamaha
Year: 2022 2022
Configuration: P90P90 HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Indonesia Indonesia
Series: Vintage REVSTAR
Colors: Sunburst White, Black, Blue, Green
Left-Handed Version: Yes Yes
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Basswood Top: Maple / Back: Chambered Mahogany
Bridge: Fixed Tune-O-Matic
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Set
Tuners: Kluson-style Wilkinson Die-Cast
Fretboard: Jatoba Rosewood
Neck Material: Maple 3-Piece Mahogany, Carbon Reinforcement
Decoration: Dots Lines
Scale Size: 27" 24.75"
Shape: Harley Benton C Revstar C
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.898'' (22.8mm) - 12th Fret: 0.931'' (23.6mm) 1st Fret: 0.827'' (21mm) - 12th Fret: 0.941'' (23.9mm)
Frets: 22 Medium Nickel Silver 22 Jumbo Stainless Steel
Fretboard Radius: 12" 12"
Nut: Graphite Plastic
Nut Width: 42mm (1.654'') 41.9mm (1.65'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Artec P-90 (Single Coil / Passive) VH5b (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Artec P-90 (Single Coil / Passive) VH5n (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 5 Way
Knobs: Speed Dome
Pickup Mods: None Boost
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 1