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Harley Benton SC-Junior
ESP LTD AS-1FR
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Playability
73
Sound
67
Build
54
Value
75
Score
65
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Playability
75
Sound
82
Build
72
Value
71
Score
76
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Harley Benton SC-Junior vs LTD AS-1FR

Reasons to Get
Harley Benton SC-Junior over LTD AS-1FR

Release Year
2019 vs 2016
From a more recent year
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo vs XL Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Neck Profile
Harley Benton C vs Custom U
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Pickups
P90 vs HH
Vintage tone with good sustain
Bridge
Fixed vs Floyd Rose
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Value Score
75 vs 71
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
ESP LTD AS-1FR over Harley Benton SC-Junior

Decorative Top
Flamed Maple vs None
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Type of Frets
XL Jumbo vs Medium Jumbo
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Neck Profile
Custom U vs Harley Benton C
Comfortable neck with more grip
Nut Material
Locking vs Graphite
Best tuning stability for intense tremolo usage
Pickup Mods
Coil Split vs None
Splits humbuckers into single coil pickups
Switch Positions
3 vs 0
More tone options
Volume Knobs
2 vs 1
More volume control
Pickups
HH vs P90
High output without hum
Strap Lock
Yes vs None
Protects your guitar from dropping by locking the strap
Bridge
Floyd Rose vs Fixed
Allows intense vibratos and techniques like Dive Bombs

Other Key Differences
Harley Benton SC-Junior vs LTD AS-1FR

Bridge Pickup
Roswell P90D Alnico-5 Dog Ear vs Seymour Duncan JB SH-4
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Wood
Mahogany vs Maple
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Purpleheart vs Pau Ferro
Different Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Graphite vs Locking
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Harley Benton SC-Junior vs LTD AS-1FR

Body Wood
Mahogany
Same Body Wood
Headstock
3-3
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Tone Knobs
1
Same tone control
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
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Joint
Set
Neck is glued to the body

Common Strengths

  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Weight Relief
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

Harley Benton SC-Junior Prices

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the ESP LTD AS-1FR is probably the better product overall with its final score of 76 compared to the Harley Benton SC-Junior's 65 score, which is a significant difference.

The ESP LTD AS-1FR wins when it comes to sound, playability, build quality. On the other hand, the Harley Benton SC-Junior has the upper hand when it comes to value for the money.

If you got small hands, none of these instruments will make a big difference when it comes to comfortability.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

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

The Harley Benton SC-Junior meets 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the ESP LTD AS-1FR 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 SC-Junior
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

ESP LTD AS-1FR
  • Comfortable shape
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners
  • Easy-to-use bridge

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-Junior Overview

  • From Harley Benton's 2019 Vintage series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Mahogany body
  • Mahogany neck
  • Purpleheart fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Roswell P90D Alnico-5 Dog Ear (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Middle pickup: (/)
  • Neck pickup: (/)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Bell knobs
  • Wsc Wrap Around bridge
  • Harley Benton C Set neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Vintage Style Wilkinson Machine Heads With 15:1 Gear Ratio tuners
  • Compare Specs >

ESP LTD AS-1FR Overview

  • From ESP LTD's 2016 Signature series
  • Alex Skolnick Signature
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Flamed Maple top
  • Full Thickness Mahogany body
  • 3pc Maple neck
  • Pau Ferro fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan JB SH-4 (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Seymour Duncan '59 SH-1N (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 2 volume and 1 tone Speed knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Floyd Rose 1000 bridge
  • Custom U Set neck
  • 22 XL Jumbo frets
  • Grover 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

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-Junior

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.

Woods Used in the ESP LTD AS-1FR

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple
Pau Ferro wood pattern used for guitar building
Pau Ferro

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.

Pau Ferro has a dark, chocolate-like color with straight dark grains that is being used as a replacement to Rosewood due to the regulations. It produces a warm tone that is somewhere between Mahogany and Rosewood. Find out more about Pau Ferro.

Winner: Tie.

Pickup Configuration

The Harley Benton SC-Junior has an P90 configuration while the ESP LTD AS-1FR has HH pickups.

P90s are vintage pickups that are somewhere in the middle between a Humbucker and a single coil. They have decent output, and the tone is not too warm. It's a very particular type of sound that is used in many genres, but it was more popular decades ago.

Like any other single-pickup guitars, it should give you a bit more sustain since there will be less interference with the vibration of the strings. However, you're stuck to one single tone, unless you use effect pedals.

On the other hand, 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

Both come with very good pickups from at least one of the specialized brands in the market. With pickups like these, you probably won't need an upgrade anytime soon.

However, the Harley Benton SC-Junior has a slight sound quality advantage when taking into account other factors like the type of pickups, magnet, position, etc.

We found the same or similar pickups to the ESP LTD AS-1FR's online:

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-Junior.

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 ESP LTD AS-1FR gives you 3 switch options while the Harley Benton SC-Junior gives you 0. This means that the ESP LTD AS-1FR gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

Only the ESP LTD AS-1FR comes with some kind of pickup modification: Coil Split.

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.

The Harley Benton SC-Junior doesn't come with pickup switching options.

ESP LTD AS-1FR pickups switch and push knobs diagram
ESP LTD AS-1FR'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: ESP LTD AS-1FR.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Harley Benton SC-Junior
Pickups 100
Sustain 60
Versatility 39
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 67
ESP LTD AS-1FR
Pickups 90
Sustain 80
Versatility 71
Tuning Stability 85
Sound 82

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-Junior compares to the ESP LTD AS-1FR.

Country of Origin

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

Indonesia is becoming the most popular country for guitar building because they can make good instruments for a low price. Some people think that they're 'the new China' when it comes to build quality. But the truth is that Indonesian guitars are more consistent, although Chinese quality has improved a lot in the last few years.

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-Junior has a Graphite nut. It's a self-lubricating material that will allow the strings to slide over the nut without a lot of friction. It's a good type of nut if you want to have better tuning stability than with plastic, although it's not as resistant as Bone or Tusq.

On the other hand, the ESP LTD AS-1FR comes with 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.

Winner: ESP LTD AS-1FR.

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-Junior'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 ESP LTD AS-1FR's 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.

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: ESP LTD AS-1FR.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Harley Benton SC-Junior's are Vintage Style Wilkinson Machine Heads With 15:1 Gear Ratio while the ESP LTD AS-1FR's are Grover

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 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-Junior
  • Expensive Wood
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • 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
ESP LTD AS-1FR
  • Expensive Wood
  • Locking Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Coil Split Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Retainer Bar
  • Strap Lock
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio

Final Build Quality Scores

Harley Benton SC-Junior
Quality of materials 46
Features 50
Quality Control 65
Build Quality 54
ESP LTD AS-1FR
Quality of materials 60
Features 75
Quality Control 80
Build Quality 72

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-Junior 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-Junior and ESP LTD AS-1FR'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-Junior Neck Profile
Harley Benton SC-Junior's neck profile
ESP LTD AS-1FR Neck Profile
ESP LTD AS-1FR'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-Junior has a C type of 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.

The ESP LTD AS-1FR, on the other hand, has a U neck. This is also referred to as ''baseball neck'' because of its shape. It's usually thick, which is why some people with big hands like it. However, they can also be thin, similar to a C shape, but with more shoulders for a better grip.

Fretboard Radius

Harley Benton SC-Junior Fingerboard Radius
Both Guitars Have The Same Fretboard 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.

Both the Harley Benton SC-Junior and the ESP LTD AS-1FR have the same fretboard radius of 12". This is the radius used in most Gibson guitars. It gives you a good balance for playing chords without muting, but also good comfortability for playing single notes and bending.

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 are balanced for most hand sizes.

Harley Benton SC-Junior:
Big Hands
Small Hands
ESP LTD AS-1FR:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Harley Benton SC-Junior Frets Size
Harley Benton SC-Junior's Frets Size
ESP LTD AS-1FR Frets Size
ESP LTD AS-1FR's Frets Size

The ESP LTD AS-1FR has XL Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Harley Benton SC-Junior'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 SC-Junior
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 70
Playability 73
ESP LTD AS-1FR
Bending & Vibrato Ease 90
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 70
Playability 75

Specs Side-by-Side

Harley Benton SC-Junior vs LTD AS-1FR
General Harley Benton SC-Junior LTD AS-1FR
Brand: Harley Benton ESP LTD
Year: 2019 2016
Configuration: P90 HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Indonesia Indonesia
Series: Vintage Signature
Colors: Sunburst Black Aqua Sunburst
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Mahogany Full Thickness Mahogany
Bridge: Wsc Wrap Around Floyd Rose 1000
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Vintage Style Wilkinson Machine Heads With 15:1 Gear Ratio Grover
Fretboard: Purpleheart Pau Ferro
Neck Material: Mahogany 3pc Maple
Decoration: Dots Blocks
Scale Size: 24.75" 24.75"
Shape: Harley Benton C Custom U
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.898'' (22.8mm) - 12th Fret: 0.931'' (23.6mm) 1st Fret: - 12th Fret:
Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 XL Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" 12"
Nut: Graphite Locking
Nut Width: 43mm (1.693'') 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Roswell P90D Alnico-5 Dog Ear (Single Coil / Passive) Seymour Duncan JB SH-4 (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Seymour Duncan '59 SH-1N (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 0 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Bell Speed
Pickup Mods: None Coil Split
Volume Controls: 1 2
Tone Controls: 1 1