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Harley Benton R-456FR
Harley Benton R-458MN
VS
Playability
70
Sound
70
Build
52
Value
74
Score
64
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Playability
72
Sound
62
Build
49
Value
76
Score
61
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Harley Benton R-456FR vs R-458MN

Reasons to Get
Harley Benton R-456FR over R-458MN

Nut Material
Locking vs Plastic
Best tuning stability for intense tremolo usage
Strings
6 vs 8
Narrower neck and fewer strings to change
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm) vs 2.126'' (54mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Bridge
Floyd Rose vs Fixed
Allows intense vibratos and techniques like Dive Bombs
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 26.5'' (673.1mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
13.78'' (350mm) vs 20'' (508mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings

Reasons to Get
Harley Benton R-458MN over R-456FR

Release Year
2018 vs 2017
From a more recent year
Strings
8 vs 6
Allows you to play lower notes
Nut Width
2.126'' (54mm) vs 1.693'' (43mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Bridge
Fixed vs Floyd Rose
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
26.5'' (673.1mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
20'' (508mm) vs 13.78'' (350mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend
Value Score
76 vs 74
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Harley Benton R-456FR vs R-458MN

Fretboard Wood
Blackwood vs Maple
Different Fretboard Wood
Headstock
3-3 vs 4-4
Different Headstock
Nut Material
Locking vs Plastic
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Harley Benton R-456FR vs R-458MN

Bridge Pickup
Hi-Gain Humbucker
Same Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Hi-Gain Humbucker
Same Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Basswood
Same Body Wood
Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
1
Same tone control
Pickups
HH
High output without hum
Number of Frets
24
Same maximum octave
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Profile Type
D
Thin and flat neck for playing fast
Neck Joint
Bolt-On
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Weight Relief
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

Harley Benton R-456FR Prices

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Harley Benton R-456FR is probably the better product overall with its final score of 64 compared to the Harley Benton R-458MN's 61 score, although not by a lot.

The Harley Benton R-456FR wins when it comes to sound, build quality. On the other hand, the Harley Benton R-458MN has the upper hand when it comes to playability, value for the money.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the Harley Benton R-456FR.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Harley Benton R-458MN is the better choice.

The Harley Benton R-458MN meets 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Harley Benton R-456FR 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 R-456FR
  • Comfortable shape
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners
  • Easy-to-use bridge

New Player Friendliness

Harley Benton R-458MN
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • 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 R-456FR Overview

  • From Harley Benton's 2017 Progressive series
  • Made in China
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 13.78" Fretboard Radius
  • Basswood body
  • Maple neck
  • Blackwood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Hi-Gain Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Hi-Gain Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • FR-Style bridge
  • Harley Benton D Bolt-On neck
  • 24 Medium Jumbo frets
  • HB tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Harley Benton R-458MN Overview

  • From Harley Benton's 2018 Progressive series
  • Made in China
  • 8 strings
  • 26.5"'' scale
  • 20" Fretboard Radius
  • Basswood body
  • Maple neck
  • Maple fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Hi-Gain Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Hi-Gain Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • HB bridge
  • Harley Benton Speed D Bolt-On neck
  • 24 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Machine heads: DLX diecast 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

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple
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.

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 Harley Benton R-456FR

Blackwood wood pattern used for guitar building
Blackwood

It's similar to Mahogany and Koa but comes in a much darker color. Its tone is also comparable. As a dense wood, it gives a powerful punch with lots of resonance.

Winner: Tie.

Pickup Configuration

Both pickup configurations are HH. 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

None of these use a specialized pickup brand for their pickups. Some of the best guitars on the market come with pickups from brands like EMG, Seymour Duncan, DiMarzio, etc. You might want to replace your pickups eventually if you want to get the best sound out of any of these instruments.

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: Tie.

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

Both are equal when it comes to the pickup switching option.

Neither of them come with some kind of coil split or pickup mod option. This makes both lacking in terms of versatility.

They both share the following switching options:

Harley Benton R-456FR and Harley Benton R-458MN pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Harley Benton R-456FR and Harley Benton R-458MN'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 R-456FR.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Harley Benton R-456FR
Pickups 55
Sustain 70
Versatility 69
Tuning Stability 85
Sound 70
Harley Benton R-458MN
Pickups 55
Sustain 70
Versatility 59
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 62

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 R-456FR compares to the Harley Benton R-458MN.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in China.

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.

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 R-456FR has 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.

On the other hand, the Harley Benton R-458MN 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 R-456FR.

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 R-456FR's brige 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.

On the other hand, the Harley Benton R-458MN's 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.

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: Harley Benton R-456FR.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Harley Benton R-456FR's are HB while the Harley Benton R-458MN's are Machine heads: DLX diecast

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 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: Tie.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Harley Benton R-456FR
  • Locking Nut
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in China
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Retainer Bar
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Harley Benton R-458MN
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in China
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • 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 R-456FR
Quality of materials 41
Features 60
Quality Control 55
Build Quality 52
Harley Benton R-458MN
Quality of materials 41
Features 50
Quality Control 55
Build Quality 49

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 R-456FR Nut Width
Harley Benton R-456FR Nut Width
Harley Benton R-458MN Nut Width
Harley Benton R-458MN Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Harley Benton R-458MN has the wider nut with 54mm (2.126'') vs 43mm (1.693''). This is a 11mm (0.433'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Harley Benton R-458MN, 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 R-456FR's Scale Length
Harley Benton R-456FR's Scale Length
Harley Benton R-458MN's Scale Length
Harley Benton R-458MN'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 R-458MN has the longest scale: 26.5". The Harley Benton R-456FR is only 25.5" long. This is a 1'' (25.4mm) 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 R-456FR Neck Profile
Harley Benton R-456FR's neck profile
Harley Benton R-458MN Neck Profile
Harley Benton R-458MN'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 R-456FR and the Harley Benton R-458MN have a D-shaped neck. This is a thin and flat neck that is made for playing fast. If you prefer a neck that doesn't get in your way when soloing, this is the shape you should use. Guitarists that prefer to have a bit more grip won't like this type of neck.

Fretboard Radius

Harley Benton R-456FR Fingerboard Radius
Harley Benton R-456FR's Fingerboard radius
Harley Benton R-458MN Fingerboard Radius
Harley Benton R-458MN's Fingerboard 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 Harley Benton R-456FR's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Harley Benton R-458MN'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 R-458MN.

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 R-458MN favors large hands more than the Harley Benton R-456FR.

Harley Benton R-456FR:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Harley Benton R-458MN:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Harley Benton R-456FR and Harley Benton R-458MN Frets Size
Both have a similar Medium Jumbo fret size

Both have a Medium Jumbo fret size. These are slightly shorter than full Jumbo frets, so you'll still feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings. However, they interfere less with your fretting hand than medium-size frets. This is a good size if you like easy-to-press frets, but would still like to feel a bit of the fretboard when playing.

Final Playability Scores

Harley Benton R-456FR
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 60
Solo Playability 80
Playability 70
Harley Benton R-458MN
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 60
Solo Playability 80
Playability 72

Specs Side-by-Side

Harley Benton R-456FR vs R-458MN
General Harley Benton R-456FR R-458MN
Brand: Harley Benton Harley Benton
Year: 2017 2018
Configuration: HH HH
Strings: 6 8
Made in: China China
Series: Progressive Progressive
Colors: Black White
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Basswood Basswood
Bridge: FR-Style HB
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: HB Machine heads: DLX diecast
Fretboard: Blackwood Maple
Neck Material: Maple Maple
Decoration: Offset DOT inlays Offset Dots
Scale Size: 25.5" 26.5"
Shape: Harley Benton D Harley Benton Speed D
Frets: 24 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 24 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 13.78" 20"
Nut: Locking Plastic
Nut Width: 43mm (1.693'') 54mm (2.126'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Hi-Gain Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) Hi-Gain Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Hi-Gain Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) Hi-Gain Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Dome Dome
Pickup Mods: None None
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 1