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Harley Benton R-457MN
Harley Benton ST-20HSS
VS
Playability
72
Sound
62
Build
49
Value
76
Score
61
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Playability
70
Sound
64
Build
52
Value
77
Score
62
FIND IT ON:
Thomann logoSweetwater logoMusician's Friend logo
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Harley Benton R-457MN vs ST-20HSS Specs Comparison
Harley Benton R-457MN ST-20HSS
General
Brand: Harley Benton Harley Benton
Year: 2018 2016
Configuration: HH HSS
Strings: 7 6
Made in: China China
Series: Progressive Standard
Colors: White Sunburst, Black, Red
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Basswood Basswood
Bridge: DLX Harley Benton Tremolo
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: DLX die-cast machine heads Die-Cast Machine Heads
Fretboard: Maple Purpleheart
Neck Material: Maple Maple
Decoration: Offset dot fretboard inlays Dots
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
Shape: Harley Benton Speed D Harley Benton Modern C
Frets: 24 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 15.75" 13.78"
Nut: Plastic Plastic
Nut Width: 48mm (1.89'') 42mm (1.654'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: Hi-Gain Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) HB Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup: HB Single Coil (Single Coil / Passive)
Neck Pickup: Hi-Gain Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) HB Single Coil (Single Coil / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 5 Way
Knobs: Dome Bell
Pickup Mods: None None
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 2
Hardware
Strap Lock: No No
Hardware Color: Black Black
Show Diagrams Comparison
Harley Benton R-457MN pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Harley Benton R-457MN's switch options
Harley Benton ST-20HSS pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Harley Benton ST-20HSS's switch options

Reasons to Get
Harley Benton R-457MN over ST-20HSS

Release Year
2018 vs 2016
From a more recent year
Neck Profile
Harley Benton Speed D vs Harley Benton Modern C
Thin and flat neck for playing fast
Strings
7 vs 6
Allows you to play lower notes
Pickups
HH vs HSS
High output without hum
Number of Frets
24 vs 22
Allows to reach higher notes
Nut Width
1.89'' (48mm) vs 1.654'' (42mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Bridge
Fixed vs Tremolo
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Fretboard Radius
15.75'' (400.1mm) vs 13.78'' (350mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend

Reasons to Get
Harley Benton ST-20HSS over R-457MN

Neck Profile
Harley Benton Modern C vs Harley Benton Speed D
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Strings
6 vs 7
Narrower neck and fewer strings to change
Switch Positions
5 vs 3
More tone options
Tone Knobs
2 vs 1
More tone control
Pickups
HSS vs HH
High output with beautiful cleans and tone versatility
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm) vs 1.89'' (48mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Bridge
Tremolo vs Fixed
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Fretboard Radius
13.78'' (350mm) vs 15.75'' (400.1mm)
Easier to play chords without muting strings
Value Score
77 vs 76
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Harley Benton R-457MN vs ST-20HSS

Bridge Pickup
Hi-Gain Humbucker vs HB Humbucker
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Hi-Gain Humbucker vs HB Single Coil
Different Neck Pickup
Fretboard Wood
Maple vs Purpleheart
Different Fretboard Wood
Headstock
4-3 vs 6
Different Headstock

Shared Features
Harley Benton R-457MN vs ST-20HSS

Body Wood
Basswood
Same Body Wood
Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Nut Material
Plastic
Same Nut Material
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
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
  • Locking Tuners
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Nut
  • 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

Price History Comparison

Harley Benton R-457MN Prices

SET PRICE ALERT

Harley Benton ST-20HSS Prices

SET PRICE ALERT

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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 R-457MN favors large hands more than the Harley Benton ST-20HSS.

Harley Benton R-457MN:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Harley Benton ST-20HSS:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Beginner Friendliness

The Harley Benton ST-20HSS meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Harley Benton R-457MN 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 R-457MN
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Harley Benton ST-20HSS
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

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 ST-20HSS

Purpleheart wood pattern used for guitar building
Purpleheart

Purpleheart (also known as Amaranth) is a hard, dense wood with a brilliant tone. As its name suggests, the purple color makes this wood look exotic.

Winner: Tie.

Pickup Configuration

The Harley Benton R-457MN has an HH configuration while the Harley Benton ST-20HSS has HSS pickups.

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.

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 Harley Benton ST-20HSS pickups from a more specialized brand than the Harley Benton R-457MN. 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.

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 ST-20HSS.

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 Harley Benton ST-20HSS gives you 5 switch options while the Harley Benton R-457MN gives you 3. This means that the Harley Benton ST-20HSS gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

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

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 ST-20HSS.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Harley Benton R-457MN
Pickups 55
Sustain 70
Versatility 59
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 62
Harley Benton ST-20HSS
Pickups 60
Sustain 65
Versatility 72
Tuning Stability 60
Sound 64

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-457MN compares to the Harley Benton ST-20HSS.

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.

In this case, both have Plastic nuts. 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.

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-457MN'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 Harley Benton ST-20HSS's is a Tremolo. Tremolo bridges give you more versatility than fixed bridges. They let you perform the intense vibrato effects that would be impossible with a fixed bridge. However, since the bridge floats and there's less contact with the body, the strings lose sustain slightly faster. They can also be a bit harder to restring and set up correctly than fixed bridges.

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 R-457MN's are DLX die-cast machine heads while the Harley Benton ST-20HSS's are Die-Cast Machine Heads

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-457MN
  • 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
Strengths & Weaknesses
Harley Benton ST-20HSS
  • Tremolo
  • 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 Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Harley Benton R-457MN
Quality of materials 41
Features 50
Quality Control 55
Build Quality 49
Harley Benton ST-20HSS
Quality of materials 46
Features 55
Quality Control 55
Build Quality 52

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-457MN Nut Width
Harley Benton R-457MN Nut Width
Harley Benton ST-20HSS Nut Width
Harley Benton ST-20HSS Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Harley Benton R-457MN has the wider nut with 48mm (1.89'') vs 42mm (1.654''). This is a 6mm (0.236'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Harley Benton R-457MN, 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-457MN and Harley Benton ST-20HSS'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 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

Harley Benton R-457MN Neck Profile
Harley Benton R-457MN's neck profile
Harley Benton ST-20HSS Neck Profile
Harley Benton ST-20HSS'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 R-457MN has a D type of 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.

The Harley Benton ST-20HSS, 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 R-457MN Fingerboard Radius
Harley Benton R-457MN's Fingerboard radius
Harley Benton ST-20HSS Fingerboard Radius
Harley Benton ST-20HSS'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 ST-20HSS's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Harley Benton R-457MN'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-457MN.

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

Harley Benton R-457MN and Harley Benton ST-20HSS 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-457MN
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 60
Solo Playability 80
Playability 72
Harley Benton ST-20HSS
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 70
Playability 70