Show Full Spec Comparison
| Harley Benton Nashville-Steel | Schecter Hellraiser C-VI | |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Brand: | Harley Benton | Schecter |
| Year: | 2022 | 2011 |
| Configuration: | S | HH |
| Strings: | 6 | 6 |
| Made in: | China | South Korea |
| Series: | Custom Line | Hellraiser |
| Colors: | Blue | Red |
| Left-Handed Version: | No | Yes |
| Body | ||
| Type: | Semi-Hollow | Solid Body |
| Body Material: | Solid Mahogany | Mahogany |
| Bridge: | Walnut | TonePros System w/Custom Brass Saddles |
| Neck | ||
| Neck Joint: | Set | Set |
| Tuners: | Dlx Machine Heads | Schecter Locking |
| Fretboard: | Jatoba | Rosewood |
| Neck Material: | Mahogany | Mahogany 3-pc w/ Carbon Fiber Reinforcement Rods |
| Decoration: | Dot fretboard | Abalone Gothic Crosses |
| Scale Size: | 25.5" | 30" |
| Shape: | C Shape | Thin C |
| Frets: | 21 Medium Nickel Silver | 24 XL Jumbo Nickel Silver |
| Fretboard Radius: | 15.748" | 14" |
| Nut: | Plastic | Black Tusq XL |
| Nut Width: | 43mm (1.693'') | 42mm (1.654'') |
| Electronics | ||
| Bridge Pickups: | Piezo system (bridge) (Preamp / Active) | EMG 81TW (Humbucker / Active) |
| Middle Pickup: | ||
| Neck Pickup: | Lipstick single coil (neck) (Single Coil / Passive) | EMG 89R (Humbucker / Active) |
| Switch: | 0 Way | 3 Way |
| Knobs: | Dome | |
| Pickup Mods: | None | Coil Split |
| Volume Controls: | 0 | 2 |
| Tone Controls: | 0 | 1 |
| Hardware | ||
| Strap Lock: | No | No |
| Hardware Color: | Chrome | Black & Chrome |
Show Diagrams Comparison
Reasons to Get
Harley Benton Nashville-Steel over Schecter Hellraiser C-VI
Reasons to Get
Schecter Hellraiser C-VI over Harley Benton Nashville-Steel
Other Key Differences
Harley Benton Nashville-Steel vs Schecter Hellraiser C-VI
Shared Features
Harley Benton Nashville-Steel vs Schecter Hellraiser C-VI
Common Strengths
- Expensive Wood
Common Weaknesses
- Neck-Through Build
- Stays in Tune (Evertune)
- High-Quality Frets
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- 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 Harley Benton Nashville-Steel favors large hands more than the Schecter Hellraiser C-VI. But it's still more comfortable for people with small hands, as you can see in the score meter below.
Harley Benton Nashville-Steel:
Schecter Hellraiser C-VI:
Beginner Friendliness
The Schecter Hellraiser C-VI meets 6 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Harley Benton Nashville-Steel 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 Nashville-Steel- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable fretboard
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
- Locking tuners
New Player Friendliness
Schecter Hellraiser C-VI- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Locking tuners
- Tall frets
- Narrow nut
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable fretboard
- Short scale
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 Schecter Hellraiser C-VI
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: Schecter Hellraiser C-VI.
Pickup Configuration
The Harley Benton Nashville-Steel has an S configuration while the Schecter Hellraiser C-VI has HH 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, 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
The Schecter Hellraiser C-VI 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 Schecter Hellraiser C-VI's online:
The Harley Benton Nashville-Steel's pickups are Passive while the Schecter Hellraiser C-VI'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: Schecter Hellraiser C-VI.
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 Schecter Hellraiser C-VI gives you 3 switch options while the Harley Benton Nashville-Steel gives you 0. This means that the Schecter Hellraiser C-VI gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve
Only the Schecter Hellraiser C-VI 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.
When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.
Winner: Schecter Hellraiser C-VI.
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 Schecter Hellraiser C-VI.
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 Schecter Hellraiser C-VI is made in South Korea.
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.
South Korea was for many years the number one choice for mass-producing semi-premium guitars. They can build excellent guitars for a cheap price. Now, it's less common to find Korean guitars because Indonesia has proved capable of building guitars just as well, but likely for cheaper.
Winner: Schecter Hellraiser C-VI
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 Schecter Hellraiser C-VI comes with a Black Tusq XL nut. TUSQ nuts are usually the highest quality you can get. Black TUSQs are made from a special slippery material that helps the strings get back to its original position (one of the keys to tune stability).
Winner: Schecter Hellraiser C-VI.
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
The Schecter Hellraiser C-VI has the best tuners of the two because they are locking tuners. They'll help to keep your guitar in tune because they allow you to tune it without wrapping the strings around the posts. This avoids variations in the tuning due to the strings changing position at the post after a bend. They come at the disadvantage of being slightly heavier than regular tuners. Also, it makes it a lot easier to restring.
Winner: Schecter Hellraiser C-VI.
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:
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
Schecter Hellraiser C-VI
- Locking Tuners
- Expensive Wood
- Black Tusq XL Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Coil Split Pickups
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- Made in South Korea
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Tremolo
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- 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 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 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.
The Schecter Hellraiser C-VI has the longest scale: 30". The Harley Benton Nashville-Steel is only 25.5" long. This is a 4.5'' (114.3mm) 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
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 Nashville-Steel and the Schecter Hellraiser C-VI 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
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 Schecter Hellraiser C-VI's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Harley Benton Nashville-Steel's. This extra arc will make playing chords easier in this model. You won't be as likely to mute the strings, especially if you have big hands. However, playing single notes and bending will be easier on the Harley Benton Nashville-Steel.
Still, both tend to favor soloing over chords, so if you're looking for a guitar for playing rhythm, you might want something else with a radius closer to a Stratocaster's 9.5''.
Fret Size
The Schecter Hellraiser C-VI has XL 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.
