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Harley Benton SC-500
Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware
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Playability
73
Sound
62
Build
50
Value
77
Score
62
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Playability
70
Sound
59
Build
50
Value
75
Score
60
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Harley Benton SC-500 vs Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware

Reasons to Get
Harley Benton SC-500 over Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware

Switch Positions
3 vs 0
More tone options
Volume Knobs
2 vs 1
More volume control
Tone Knobs
2 vs 0
More tone control
Pickups
HH vs H
High output without hum
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm) vs 1.625'' (41.3mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Bridge
Fixed vs Tremolo
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
13.78'' (350mm) vs 12'' (304.8mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend
Value Score
77 vs 75
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware over Harley Benton SC-500

Release Year
2021 vs 2019
From a more recent year
Neck Joint
Bolt-On vs Set
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Pickups
H vs HH
Hum-free with more right hand freedom and sustain
Nut Width
1.625'' (41.3mm) vs 1.693'' (43mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Bridge
Tremolo vs Fixed
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 24.75'' (628.7mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm) vs 13.78'' (350mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings

Other Key Differences
Harley Benton SC-500 vs Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware

Bridge Pickup
HB Humbucker vs Alnico-V Zebra Coil Humbucker
Different Bridge Pickup
Body Wood
Basswood vs Mahogany
Different Body Wood
Fretboard Wood
Blackwood vs Granadillo
Different Fretboard Wood
Headstock
3-3 vs 6
Different Headstock

Shared Features
Harley Benton SC-500 vs Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware

Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Nut Material
Plastic
Same Nut Material
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Weaknesses

  • 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
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

Harley Benton SC-500 Prices

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Harley Benton SC-500 is probably the better product overall with its final score of 62 compared to the Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware's 60 score, although not by a lot.

The Harley Benton SC-500 wins when it comes to sound, playability, value for the money. On the other hand, the Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware has the upper hand when it comes to.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel that the Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware is easier to play.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware is the better choice.

The Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Harley Benton SC-500 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 SC-500
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • 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 SC-500 Overview

  • From Harley Benton's 2019 Vintage series
  • Made in China
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 13.78" Fretboard Radius
  • Basswood body
  • Maple neck
  • Blackwood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: HB Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: HB Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 2 volume and 2 tone Speed knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Tune-O-Matic bridge
  • Harley Benton C Set neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Dlx Machine Heads tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware Overview

  • From Kramer's 2021 Original series
  • Made in China
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Mahogany body
  • Maple neck
  • Granadillo fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Alnico-V Zebra Coil Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 0 tone Dome knobs
  • Kramer Traditional Tremolo bridge
  • Slim Profile Bolt-On neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Die Cast 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

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 SC-500

Blackwood wood pattern used for guitar building
Blackwood
Basswood wood pattern used for guitar building
Basswood

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.

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 Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware

Granadillo wood pattern used for guitar building
Granadillo
Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany

Granadillo is often used as a replacement for rosewood, but it's not widely available. It is harder and denser, so the tone is said to be more chimey than rosewood.

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.

Winner: Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware.

Pickup Configuration

The Harley Benton SC-500 has an HH configuration while the Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware has H 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, A single H pickup gives you the advantage of having a little longer sustain (all other things being equal) because there will be less magnetic fields from other pickups affecting the strings' vibration. However, they also give you the least versatility because you won't have other pickups at different distances from the bridge to create different tones. A single humbucking pickup is used for noiseless high output, which is used mainly for Hard Rock genres.

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

The Harley Benton SC-500 gives you 3 switch options while the Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware gives you 0. This means that the Harley Benton SC-500 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.

Harley Benton SC-500 pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Harley Benton SC-500's switch options

The Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware doesn't come with pickup switching 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 SC-500.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Harley Benton SC-500
Pickups 60
Sustain 70
Versatility 53
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 62
Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware
Pickups 60
Sustain 65
Versatility 52
Tuning Stability 60
Sound 59

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 SC-500 compares to the Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware.

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 SC-500'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 Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware'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 SC-500's are Dlx Machine Heads while the Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware's are 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 SC-500 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 Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware 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: Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Harley Benton SC-500
  • 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
Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware
  • Expensive Wood
  • Tremolo
  • 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 Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Harley Benton SC-500
Quality of materials 46
Features 50
Quality Control 55
Build Quality 50
Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware
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 SC-500 Nut Width
Harley Benton SC-500 Nut Width
Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware Nut Width
Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Harley Benton SC-500 has the wider nut with 43mm (1.693'') vs 41.3mm (1.625''). This is a 1.7mm (0.068'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Harley Benton SC-500, 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 SC-500's Scale Length
Harley Benton SC-500's Scale Length
Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware's Scale Length
Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware'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 Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware has the longest scale: 25.5". The Harley Benton SC-500 is only 24.75" long. This is a 0.75'' (19.1mm) 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 SC-500 Neck Profile
Harley Benton SC-500's neck profile
Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware Neck Profile
Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware'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 SC-500 and the Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware 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

Harley Benton SC-500 Fingerboard Radius
Harley Benton SC-500's Fingerboard radius
Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware Fingerboard Radius
Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware'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 Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Harley Benton SC-500'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 SC-500.

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''.

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 SC-500 favors large hands more than the Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware.

Harley Benton SC-500:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Harley Benton SC-500 and Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware 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 SC-500
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 70
Playability 73
Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 70
Playability 70

Specs Side-by-Side

Harley Benton SC-500 vs Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware
General Harley Benton SC-500 Kramer Baretta Special Chrome Hardware
Brand: Harley Benton Kramer
Year: 2019 2021
Configuration: HH H
Strings: 6 6
Made in: China China
Series: Vintage Original
Colors: White, Black White, Black
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Basswood Mahogany
Bridge: Tune-O-Matic Kramer Traditional Tremolo
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Bolt-On
Tuners: Dlx Machine Heads Die Cast
Fretboard: Blackwood Granadillo
Neck Material: Maple Maple
Decoration: Block Black Dot
Scale Size: 24.75" 25.5"
Shape: Harley Benton C Slim Profile
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.898'' (22.8mm) - 12th Fret: 0.931'' (23.6mm) 1st Fret: - 12th Fret:
Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 13.78" 12"
Nut: Plastic Plastic
Nut Width: 43mm (1.693'') 41.3mm (1.625'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: HB Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) Alnico-V Zebra Coil Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: HB Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 0 Way
Knobs: Speed Dome
Pickup Mods: None None
Volume Controls: 2 1
Tone Controls: 2 0