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Harley Benton SC-550
Epiphone Les Paul Modern Figured
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Playability
73
Sound
72
Build
53
Value
76
Score
66
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Playability
73
Sound
71
Build
67
Value
75
Score
70
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Side to side spec comparison >

Harley Benton SC-550 vs Epiphone Les Paul Modern Figured

Reasons to Get
Harley Benton SC-550 over Epiphone Les Paul Modern Figured

Neck Profile
Harley Benton '60s vs Asymmetrical Slim Taper
Thin and flat neck for playing fast
Pickups Brand
Roswell vs None
Pickups from a renown brand
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.787'' (20mm) vs 0.82'' (20.8mm)
More comfortable open chords for small hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.866'' (22mm) vs 0.9'' (22.9mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for small hands
Fretboard Radius
13.78'' (350mm) vs 12'' (304.8mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend
Value Score
76 vs 75
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Epiphone Les Paul Modern Figured over Harley Benton SC-550

Weight Relief
Yes vs None
Lighter Body
Release Year
2020 vs 2015
From a more recent year
Neck Profile
Asymmetrical Slim Taper vs Harley Benton '60s
Adapts to the natural shape of your hand
Pickup Mods
Multiple vs None
Locking Tuners
Yes vs None
Easier to change strings
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.82'' (20.8mm) vs 0.787'' (20mm)
More comfortable open chords for big hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.9'' (22.9mm) vs 0.866'' (22mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for big hands
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm) vs 13.78'' (350mm)
Easier to play chords without muting strings

Other Key Differences
Harley Benton SC-550 vs Epiphone Les Paul Modern Figured

Bridge Pickup
Roswell LAF Alnico-5 vs ProBucker 3
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Roswell LAF Alnico-5 vs ProBucker 2
Different Neck Pickup
Fretboard Wood
Jatoba vs Ebony
Different Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Bone vs NuBone
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Harley Benton SC-550 vs Epiphone Les Paul Modern Figured

Body Wood
Mahogany
Same Body Wood
Neck Wood
Mahogany
Same Neck Wood
Headstock
3-3
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
2
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
2
Same tone control
Pickups
HH
High output without hum
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm)
Same string separation at the nut
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Fixed
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Decorative Top
Maple vs Flame Maple
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Neck Joint
Set
Neck is glued to the body
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp
The Harley Benton SC-550 was discontinued. It was replaced by the SC-550 II. Check out our comparison.

Price History Comparison

Harley Benton SC-550 Prices

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    Which One is Better for Beginners?

    The Epiphone Les Paul Modern Figured meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Harley Benton SC-550 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-550
    • Comfortable shape
    • Easy-to-use bridge
    • Tall frets
    • Comfortable neck
    • Comfortable fretboard
    • Narrow nut
    • Short scale
    • Locking tuners

    New Player Friendliness

    Epiphone Les Paul Modern Figured
    • Comfortable shape
    • Easy-to-use bridge
    • Locking tuners
    • Tall frets
    • Comfortable neck
    • Comfortable fretboard
    • Narrow nut
    • Short scale

    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.

    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 wood pattern used for guitar building
    Mahogany

    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 SC-550

    Jatoba wood pattern used for guitar building
    Jatoba

    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 Epiphone Les Paul Modern Figured

    Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
    Ebony

    Ebony is a high-end wood, so it is not cheap. It's only used for fretboards because it's also very heavy. It does an excellent job as a durable material while looking elegant. Find out more about Ebony.

    Winner: Epiphone Les Paul Modern Figured.

    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

    The Harley Benton SC-550 has pickups from a more specialized brand than the Epiphone Les Paul Modern Figured. Its pickups should simply give you a better, fuller 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 SC-550.

    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.

    Only the Epiphone Les Paul Modern Figured comes with some kind of pickup modification: Coil Split, Phase Out.

    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 the Phase Out option is activated, the pickups will ''work against each other'', meaning that they will cancel out their shared frequencies. The result is a very thin sound, instead of a full, rich tone. This is an interesting sound for genres like reggae or funk and has also been used in classic Hard Rock.

    Harley Benton SC-550 pickups switch and push knobs diagram
    Harley Benton SC-550's switch options
    Epiphone Les Paul Modern Figured pickups switch and push knobs diagram
    Epiphone Les Paul Modern Figured'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: Epiphone Les Paul Modern Figured.

    Final Sound Quality Scores

    Harley Benton SC-550
    Pickups 90
    Sustain 75
    Versatility 53
    Tuning Stability 70
    Sound 72
    Epiphone Les Paul Modern Figured
    Pickups 60
    Sustain 75
    Versatility 68
    Tuning Stability 80
    Sound 71

    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-550 compares to the Epiphone Les Paul Modern Figured.

    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 SC-550 has a Bone nut. It's a type of nut found in high-quality instruments. They sound similar to Ivory since they give a lot of sustain and a bright sound (at least when striking open strings). The only problem they can run into is that you may get a bone piece that simply doesn't sound as well as others because that's just how natural materials are.

    On the other hand, the Epiphone Les Paul Modern Figured comes with a NuBone nut. It's made by the same company that makes TUSQ nuts. It's slightly softer but hard enough to give you a brighter sound when playing open strings. It's also self-lubricating, so it's good for tuning stability.

    Winner: Tie.

    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 Epiphone Les Paul Modern Figured 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: Epiphone Les Paul Modern Figured.

    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:

    Strengths & Weaknesses
    Harley Benton SC-550
    • Expensive Wood
    • Bone Nut
    • Top Brand Pickups
    • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
    • No Locking Tuners
    • Made in China
    • 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
    Epiphone Les Paul Modern Figured
    • Locking Tuners
    • Expensive Wood
    • NuBone Nut
    • Coil Split, Phase Out Pickups
    • Weight Relief
    • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
    • Made in China
    • No Top Brand Pickups
    • No Neck-Through Build
    • No Luminescent Inlay
    • No Tremolo
    • No Compound Radius Fretboard
    • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
    • No Strap Lock

    Final Build Quality Scores

    Harley Benton SC-550
    Quality of materials 55
    Features 50
    Quality Control 55
    Build Quality 53
    Epiphone Les Paul Modern Figured
    Quality of materials 70
    Features 70
    Quality Control 60
    Build Quality 67

    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-550 Nut Width
    Both Guitars Have The Same Nut Width

    The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, both have a nut width of 43mm (1.693'').

    This is within the most common range of nut widths for a 6-string guitar. It offers a good balance of string separation at the nut. It's the size that most guitarists prefer as it gives them just enough space to play open chords without muting the strings, but without spreading the strings too wide and making bar chords difficult to perform.

    Scale Length

    Harley Benton SC-550 and Epiphone Les Paul Modern Figured'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 24.75".

    This is the scale length that Gibson uses for most of its Les Paul guitars. It's a smaller scale than the typical Stratocaster's 25.5''. Short scale lengths like this make it easier to bend the strings, which is pretty important if you have a fixed bridge. They also have a shorter fret separation, which makes it easier to change position fast at the fretboard.

    On the other hand, a shorter scale like this one will make fret buzz more likely, which can affect you if you want to use thicker string gauges.

    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-550 Neck Profile
    Harley Benton SC-550's neck profile
    Epiphone Les Paul Modern Figured Neck Profile
    Epiphone Les Paul Modern Figured'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 SC-550 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 Epiphone Les Paul Modern Figured, on the other hand, has a Asymmetrical neck. Even though this neck shape looks like a poorly-made job, it's, in fact, the neck that most naturally adapts to the arc of your hand when grabbing a guitar neck. You'll notice that the lower part of your palm makes a more pronounced, deeper curve while the upper part makes a more subtle arch. This is the shape that adapts the best to that natural arch your hand makes while playing.

    Fretboard Radius

    Harley Benton SC-550 Fingerboard Radius
    Harley Benton SC-550's Fingerboard radius
    Epiphone Les Paul Modern Figured Fingerboard Radius
    Epiphone Les Paul Modern Figured'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 Epiphone Les Paul Modern Figured's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Harley Benton SC-550'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-550.

    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.

    After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both in this comparison favor small hands .

    Harley Benton SC-550:
    Big Hands
    Small Hands
    Epiphone Les Paul Modern Figured:
    Big Hands
    Small Hands

    Fret Size

    Harley Benton SC-550 and Epiphone Les Paul Modern Figured 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-550
    Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
    Chord Playability 65
    Solo Playability 70
    Playability 73
    Epiphone Les Paul Modern Figured
    Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
    Chord Playability 75
    Solo Playability 60
    Playability 73

    Specs Side-by-Side

    Harley Benton SC-550 vs Epiphone Les Paul Modern Figured
    General Harley Benton SC-550 Epiphone Les Paul Modern Figured
    Brand: Harley Benton Epiphone
    Year: 2015 2020
    Configuration: HH HH
    Strings: 6 6
    Made in: China China
    Series: Vintage Epiphone Inspired by Gibson
    Colors: Brown Burst, Red, Yellow, Gray Burst Blue, Brown Burst, Orange
    Left-Handed Version: Yes No
    Body
    Type: Solid Body Solid Body
    Body Material: Mahogany Mahogany
    Bridge: Dlx Tune-O-Matic Bridge LockTone Tune-O-Matic
    Neck
    Neck Joint: Set Set
    Tuners: Dlx Wilkinson Machine Heads Grover Locking Rotomatic tuners with Tulip Buttons and 18:1 ratio
    Fretboard: Jatoba Ebony
    Neck Material: Mahogany Mahogany
    Decoration: Pearloid Trapezoids Les Paul Standard Trapezoid
    Scale Size: 24.75" 24.75"
    Shape: Harley Benton '60s Asymmetrical Slim Taper
    Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.787'' (20mm) - 12th Fret: 0.866'' (22mm) 1st Fret: 0.82'' (20.8mm) - 12th Fret: 0.9'' (22.9mm)
    Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver
    Fretboard Radius: 13.78" 12"
    Nut: Bone NuBone
    Nut Width: 43mm (1.693'') 43mm (1.693'')
    Electronics
    Bridge Pickup: Roswell LAF Alnico-5 (Humbucker / Passive) ProBucker 3 (Humbucker / Passive)
    Middle Pickup:
    Neck Pickup: Roswell LAF Alnico-5 (Humbucker / Passive) ProBucker 2 (Humbucker / Passive)
    Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
    Knobs: Bell Bell
    Pickup Mods: None Coil Split, Phase Out
    Volume Controls: 2 2
    Tone Controls: 2 2