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Harley Benton R-457MN
Jackson JS Series Dinky JS12
VS
Playability
72
Sound
62
Build
49
Value
76
Score
61
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Playability
73
Sound
65
Build
50
Value
78
Score
63
FIND IT ON:
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Harley Benton R-457MN vs Jackson JS Series Dinky JS12 Specs Comparison
Harley Benton R-457MN Jackson JS Series Dinky JS12
General
Brand: Harley Benton Jackson
Year: 2018 2014
Configuration: HH HH
Strings: 7 6
Made in: China China
Series: Progressive JS
Colors: White White, Black, Blue, Red
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Basswood Poplar
Bridge: DLX 2-Point Fulcrum Tremolo
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: DLX die-cast machine heads Jackson Sealed Die-Cast
Fretboard: Maple Purpleheart
Neck Material: Maple Maple
Decoration: Offset dot fretboard inlays White Pearloid Dot
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
Shape: Harley Benton Speed D Speed
Frets: 24 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 24 Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 15.75" 12"
Nut: Plastic Plastic
Nut Width: 48mm (1.89'') 42.9mm (1.688'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: Hi-Gain Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) Jackson High-Output Humbucking (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Hi-Gain Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) Jackson High-Output Humbucking (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Dome Dome
Pickup Mods: None None
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 1
Hardware
Strap Lock: No No
Hardware Color: Black Black
Show Diagrams Comparison
Harley Benton R-457MN and Jackson JS Series Dinky JS12 pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Harley Benton R-457MN and Jackson JS Series Dinky JS12's switch options

Reasons to Get
Harley Benton R-457MN over Jackson JS Series Dinky JS12

Release Year
2018 vs 2014
From a more recent year
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo vs Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Strings
7 vs 6
Allows you to play lower notes
Nut Width
1.89'' (48mm) vs 1.688'' (42.9mm)
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 12'' (304.8mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend

Reasons to Get
Jackson JS Series Dinky JS12 over Harley Benton R-457MN

Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Type of Frets
Jumbo vs Medium Jumbo
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Strings
6 vs 7
Narrower neck and fewer strings to change
Nut Width
1.688'' (42.9mm) 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
12'' (304.8mm) vs 15.75'' (400.1mm)
Easier to play chords without muting strings
Value Score
78 vs 76
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Harley Benton R-457MN vs Jackson JS Series Dinky JS12

Bridge Pickup
Hi-Gain Humbucker vs Jackson High-Output Humbucking
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Hi-Gain Humbucker vs Jackson High-Output Humbucking
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Basswood vs Poplar
Different Body Wood
Fretboard Wood
Maple vs Purpleheart
Different Fretboard Wood
Headstock
4-3 vs 6
Different Headstock

Shared Features
Harley Benton R-457MN vs Jackson JS Series Dinky JS12

Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Nut Material
Plastic
Same Nut Material
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
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
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

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

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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 Jackson JS Series Dinky JS12.

Harley Benton R-457MN:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Jackson JS Series Dinky JS12:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Beginner Friendliness

Both meet 4 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 R-457MN
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Jackson JS Series Dinky JS12
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • 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

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.

Woods Used in the Harley Benton R-457MN

Basswood wood pattern used for guitar building
Basswood

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 Jackson JS Series Dinky JS12

Purpleheart wood pattern used for guitar building
Purpleheart
Poplar wood pattern used for guitar building
Poplar

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.

Poplar is a cheaper and heavier alternative to Alder wood. It terms of tone, it emphasizes the low-end and has cutting mids. It's relatively soft compared to most body woods. Find out more about Poplar.

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.

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 JS Series Dinky JS12.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Harley Benton R-457MN
Pickups 55
Sustain 70
Versatility 59
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 62
Jackson JS Series Dinky JS12
Pickups 55
Sustain 75
Versatility 69
Tuning Stability 60
Sound 65

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 Jackson JS Series Dinky JS12.

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 Jackson JS Series Dinky JS12'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 Jackson JS Series Dinky JS12'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.

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
Jackson JS Series Dinky JS12
  • 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
Jackson JS Series Dinky JS12
Quality of materials 41
Features 55
Quality Control 55
Build Quality 50

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
Jackson JS Series Dinky JS12 Nut Width
Jackson JS Series Dinky JS12 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 42.9mm (1.688''). This is a 5.1mm (0.202'') 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 Jackson JS Series Dinky JS12'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
Jackson JS Series Dinky JS12 Neck Profile
Jackson JS Series Dinky JS12'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-457MN and the Jackson JS Series Dinky JS12 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-457MN Fingerboard Radius
Harley Benton R-457MN's Fingerboard radius
Jackson JS Series Dinky JS12 Fingerboard Radius
Jackson JS Series Dinky JS12'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 Jackson JS Series Dinky JS12'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 Frets Size
Harley Benton R-457MN's Frets Size
Jackson JS Series Dinky JS12 Frets Size
Jackson JS Series Dinky JS12's Frets Size

The Jackson JS Series Dinky JS12 has Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Harley Benton R-457MN's Medium Jumbo 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 R-457MN
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 60
Solo Playability 80
Playability 72
Jackson JS Series Dinky JS12
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 50
Solo Playability 90
Playability 73