Show Full Spec Comparison
| Harley Benton Nashville-Steel | Jackson USA Signature Phil Collen PC1 Satin Stain | |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Brand: | Harley Benton | Jackson |
| Year: | 2022 | 2016 |
| Configuration: | S | HSS |
| Strings: | 6 | 6 |
| Made in: | China | United States |
| Series: | Custom Line | Artist Signature |
| Colors: | Blue | Black, Blue, Green, Red, Natural |
| Left-Handed Version: | No | No |
| Body | ||
| Type: | Semi-Hollow | Solid Body |
| Body Material: | Solid Mahogany | Caramelized Mahogany |
| Bridge: | Walnut | Floyd Rose Original Double-Locking Tremolo |
| Neck | ||
| Neck Joint: | Set | Bolt-On |
| Tuners: | Dlx Machine Heads | Jackson Sealed Die-Cast |
| Fretboard: | Jatoba | Caramelized Flame Maple |
| Neck Material: | Mahogany | Quartersawn Caramelized Flame Maple |
| Decoration: | Dot fretboard | |
| Scale Size: | 25.5" | 25.5" |
| Shape: | C Shape | Phil Collen PC1 |
| Frets: | 21 Medium Nickel Silver | 24 Jumbo Nickel Silver |
| Fretboard Radius: | 15.748" | 12" to 16" |
| Nut: | Plastic | Locking |
| Nut Width: | 43mm (1.693'') | 42.9mm (1.688'') |
| Electronics | ||
| Bridge Pickups: | Piezo system (bridge) (Preamp / Active) | DiMarzio Super 3 DP152 (Humbucker / Passive) |
| Middle Pickup: | DiMarzio HS-2 DP116 (Single Coil / Passive) | |
| Neck Pickup: | Lipstick single coil (neck) (Single Coil / Passive) | PC1 Sustainer Driver (Single Coil / Active) |
| Switch: | 0 Way | 5 Way |
| Knobs: | Dome | |
| Pickup Mods: | None | Sustainer |
| Volume Controls: | 0 | 1 |
| Tone Controls: | 0 | 1 |
| Hardware | ||
| Strap Lock: | No | No |
| Hardware Color: | Chrome | Gold |
Show Diagrams Comparison
Reasons to Get
Harley Benton Nashville-Steel over Jackson USA Signature Phil Collen PC1 Satin Stain
Reasons to Get
Jackson USA Signature Phil Collen PC1 Satin Stain over Harley Benton Nashville-Steel
Other Key Differences
Harley Benton Nashville-Steel vs Jackson USA Signature Phil Collen PC1 Satin Stain
Shared Features
Harley Benton Nashville-Steel vs Jackson USA Signature Phil Collen PC1 Satin Stain
Common Strengths
- Expensive Wood
Common Weaknesses
- Stays in Tune (Evertune)
- High-Quality Frets
- Luminescent Sidedots
- Strap Lock
- 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- Active/Passive Preamp
Price History Comparison
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Hand Size Comfortability
And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Jackson USA Signature Phil Collen PC1 Satin Stain favors large hands more than the Harley Benton Nashville-Steel.
Harley Benton Nashville-Steel:
Jackson USA Signature Phil Collen PC1 Satin Stain:
Beginner Friendliness
The Harley Benton Nashville-Steel meets 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Jackson USA Signature Phil Collen PC1 Satin Stain meets only 3. 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 Nashville-Steel- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable fretboard
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
- Locking tuners
New Player Friendliness
Jackson USA Signature Phil Collen PC1 Satin Stain- Comfortable shape
- Comfortable fretboard
- Tall frets
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
- Comfortable neck
- Locking tuners
- Easy-to-use bridge
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 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 Nashville-Steel
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.
Woods Used in the Jackson USA Signature Phil Collen PC1 Satin Stain
This wood has beautiful patterns only found in specific types of maple.
Winner: Jackson USA Signature Phil Collen PC1 Satin Stain.
Pickup Configuration
The Harley Benton Nashville-Steel has an S configuration while the Jackson USA Signature Phil Collen PC1 Satin Stain has HSS pickups.
A single single-coil pickup is not a configuration commonly found in modern electric guitars because it lacks versatility. But if you only want a guitar that sounds very thin and twangy, this might be good enough.
On the other hand, HSS provides a great balance if you like to play with a lot of distortion, but also love to use clean tones. You'll get a lot of output at the bridge position, but you'll be able to play bright clean tones at the other positions.
Pickups Quality
The Jackson USA Signature Phil Collen PC1 Satin Stain pickups from a more specialized brand than the Harley Benton Nashville-Steel. Its pickups should give you a fuller, richer sound, although it all depends on what type of music you're going to play. We recommend these pickups for Hard Rock and similar genres.
We found the same or similar pickups to the Jackson USA Signature Phil Collen PC1 Satin Stain's online:
The Harley Benton Nashville-Steel's pickups are Passive while the Jackson USA Signature Phil Collen PC1 Satin Stain's are Active.
Passive pickups are what most guitars use. These have a normal output that works well for most genres. However, Active pickups are the preferred choice of heavy metal players because they offer extra output thanks to their 9v battery, which results in a heavier, more distorted sound. Bear in mind that achieving a completely clean tone with them won't be easy. So if you want to also use clean tones, you might want to avoid Active pickups.
Winner: Jackson USA Signature Phil Collen PC1 Satin Stain.
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 Jackson USA Signature Phil Collen PC1 Satin Stain gives you 5 switch options while the Harley Benton Nashville-Steel gives you 0. This means that the Jackson USA Signature Phil Collen PC1 Satin Stain gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve
Only the Jackson USA Signature Phil Collen PC1 Satin Stain comes with some kind of pickup modification: Sustainer.
The pickups with Sustainer are able to recreate the 'feedback' you get when you hold your guitar near a speaker without muting the strings. This allows them to produce infinite sustain that you can use for as long as you want to create interest sounds and harmonics.
When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.
Winner: Jackson USA Signature Phil Collen PC1 Satin Stain.
Final Sound Quality Scores
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 Nashville-Steel compares to the Jackson USA Signature Phil Collen PC1 Satin Stain.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Harley Benton Nashville-Steel is built in China while the Jackson USA Signature Phil Collen PC1 Satin Stain is made in United States.
China has a bad reputation when it comes to building quality. However, times have changed and now respectable brands use China's cheap labor to build good instruments for a lower price. Don't discount a guitar only because it was built in China, but also expect more quality from countries like Korea.
The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.
Winner: Jackson USA Signature Phil Collen PC1 Satin Stain
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 Nashville-Steel has 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.
On the other hand, the Jackson USA Signature Phil Collen PC1 Satin Stain comes with a Locking nut. Instead of a regular nut, this guitar has a locking system that will lock down the strings at the nut, preventing it from getting out of tune. It removes one of the disadvantages of tremolo bridges, tune stability.
Winner: Jackson USA Signature Phil Collen PC1 Satin Stain.
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.
The Harley Benton Nashville-Steel's brige is a 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.
On the other hand, the Jackson USA Signature Phil Collen PC1 Satin Stain's is a Floyd Rose. This is a double-locking bridge system that allows you to perform techniques like dive bombs and pinch harmonics. The locking nut allows your guitar to stay in tune even after the most intense tremolo usage. The disadvantage is that it takes more work to change the strings and set up everything correctly.
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: Jackson USA Signature Phil Collen PC1 Satin Stain.
Tuners
Both come with regular tuners. The Harley Benton Nashville-Steel's are Dlx Machine Heads while the Jackson USA Signature Phil Collen PC1 Satin Stain's are Jackson Sealed 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 Nashville-Steel 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 Jackson USA Signature Phil Collen PC1 Satin Stain 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: Jackson USA Signature Phil Collen PC1 Satin Stain.
Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:
Harley Benton Nashville-Steel
- Expensive Wood
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in China
- No High-Quality Nut
- No Top Brand Pickups
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Tremolo
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
Jackson USA Signature Phil Collen PC1 Satin Stain
- Made in United States
- Expensive Wood
- Locking Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Sustainer Pickups
- Tremolo
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Retainer Bar
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
Final Build Quality Scores
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
The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Harley Benton Nashville-Steel has the wider nut with 43mm (1.693'') vs 42.9mm (1.688''). This is a 0.1mm (0.0050000000000001'') difference
This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Harley Benton Nashville-Steel, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.
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 25.5".
This is the scale used in most Stratocasters. It's slightly longer than the typical 24.75'' size found in Les Pauls, and it's one of the main reasons why Stratocasters have such a bright sound in general. A longer scale also means that the strings will have higher tension. This will help you get lower action without suffering fret buzz, which will also be helpful when playing in lower tunings without having to increase your string gauge.
However, this also means that there will be more separation between frets, which can make it more difficult to play. Also, bending the strings will require more strengths due to the increased tension, but remember that a tremolo guitar will offset this difficulty.
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
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 Nashville-Steel has a C type of 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.
The Jackson USA Signature Phil Collen PC1 Satin Stain, on the other hand, has a Vintage 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.
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.
In this case, the Jackson USA Signature Phil Collen PC1 Satin Stain is the only one with a compound radius. This is a huge win because it will give you the best of both worlds: a more curved radius in the first few frets for chords, and flatter as you come closer to the body for soloing.
Fret Size
The Jackson USA Signature Phil Collen PC1 Satin Stain has Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Harley Benton Nashville-Steel'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.
