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Harley Benton ST-70
Harley Benton ST-20
VS
Playability
67
Sound
74
Build
54
Value
75
Score
65
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Playability
70
Sound
64
Build
52
Value
82
Score
62
FIND IT ON:
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Harley Benton ST-70 vs ST-20

Reasons to Get
Harley Benton ST-70 over ST-20

Release Year
2016 vs 2014
From a more recent year
Number of Frets
21 vs 22
Warmer neck pickup
Pickups Brand
Roswell vs None
Pickups from a renown brand
Pickup Mods
Coil Split vs None
Splits humbuckers into single coil pickups
Pickups
HSS vs SSS
High output with beautiful cleans and tone versatility
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.898'' (22.8mm) vs 0.807'' (20.5mm)
More comfortable open chords for big hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.931'' (23.6mm) vs 0.886'' (22.5mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for big hands
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm) vs 1.654'' (42mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle

Reasons to Get
Harley Benton ST-20 over ST-70

Pickups
SSS vs HSS
Beautiful cleans and good tone versatility
Number of Frets
22 vs 21
Allows to reach higher notes
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.807'' (20.5mm) vs 0.898'' (22.8mm)
More comfortable open chords for small hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.886'' (22.5mm) vs 0.931'' (23.6mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for small hands
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm) vs 1.693'' (43mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Value Score
82 vs 75
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Harley Benton ST-70 vs ST-20

Bridge Pickup
Roswell HAF Alnico-5 vs HB Single Coil
Different Bridge Pickup
Middle Pickup
Roswell STA Alnico-5 Vintage ST-Style vs HB Single Coil
Different Middle Pickup
Neck Pickup
Roswell STA Alnico-5 Vintage ST-Style vs HB Single Coil
Different Neck Pickup
Fretboard Wood
Purpleheart vs Roseacer
Different Fretboard Wood

Shared Features
Harley Benton ST-70 vs ST-20

Body Wood
Basswood
Same Body Wood
Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Headstock
6
Same Headstock
Nut Material
Plastic
Same Nut Material
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Switch Positions
5
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
2
Same tone control
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Tremolo
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Fretboard Radius
13.78'' (350mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people
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
  • 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
  • Expensive Wood
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

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SET PRICE ALERT

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Harley Benton ST-70 is probably the better product overall with its final score of 65 compared to the Harley Benton ST-20's 62 score, although not by a lot.

The Harley Benton ST-70 wins when it comes to sound, build quality. On the other hand, the Harley Benton ST-20 has the upper hand when it comes to playability, value for the money.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel that the Harley Benton ST-20 is easier to play.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Harley Benton ST-20 is the better choice.

The Harley Benton ST-20 meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Harley Benton ST-70 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 ST-70
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Harley Benton ST-20
  • 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 ST-70 Overview

  • From Harley Benton's 2016 Deluxe series
  • Made in China
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 13.78" Fretboard Radius
  • Basswood body
  • Maple neck
  • Purpleheart fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Roswell HAF Alnico-5 (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Middle pickup: Roswell STA Alnico-5 Vintage ST-Style (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Roswell STA Alnico-5 Vintage ST-Style (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 2 tone Bell knobs
  • 5-way Switch
  • Wilkinson Tremolo bridge
  • Harley Benton C Bolt-On neck
  • 21 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Harley Benton tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Harley Benton ST-20 Overview

  • From Harley Benton's 2014 Standard series
  • Made in China
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 13.78" Fretboard Radius
  • Basswood body
  • Maple neck
  • Roseacer fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: HB Single Coil (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Middle pickup: HB Single Coil (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: HB Single Coil (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 2 tone Bell knobs
  • 5-way Switch
  • Harley Benton Tremolo bridge
  • Harley Benton Modern C Bolt-On neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Machine Heads: Enclosed 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
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-70

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 Harley Benton ST-20

Roseacer wood pattern used for guitar building
Roseacer

It's also known as roasted maple, which is regular maple that has been treated with heat to remove humidity. It makes it more resistant to temperature changes and also darkens its color.

Winner: Tie.

Pickup Configuration

The Harley Benton ST-70 has an HSS configuration while the Harley Benton ST-20 has SSS pickups.

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.

On the other hand, SSS is perfect for players who like to play clean. The definition you get between notes and the crispiness is unmatched by most other configurations. You can still use it for distortion, but you won't get the same kind of output and power compared to a humbucker, and the hum they produce also makes them less adequate for high gain.

Pickups Quality

The Harley Benton ST-70 has pickups from a more specialized brand than the Harley Benton ST-20. 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 ST-70.

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 Harley Benton ST-70 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.

Harley Benton ST-70 pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Harley Benton ST-70's switch options
Harley Benton ST-20 pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Harley Benton ST-20'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: Harley Benton ST-70.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Harley Benton ST-70
Pickups 90
Sustain 65
Versatility 82
Tuning Stability 60
Sound 74
Harley Benton ST-20
Pickups 70
Sustain 55
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 ST-70 compares to the Harley Benton ST-20.

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.

Both come with a similar bridge: 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 ST-70's are Harley Benton while the Harley Benton ST-20's are Machine Heads: Enclosed

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 ST-70
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Coil Split Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in China
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Harley Benton ST-20
  • 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 ST-70
Quality of materials 46
Features 60
Quality Control 55
Build Quality 54
Harley Benton ST-20
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 ST-70 Nut Width
Harley Benton ST-70 Nut Width
Harley Benton ST-20 Nut Width
Harley Benton ST-20 Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Harley Benton ST-70 has the wider nut with 43mm (1.693'') vs 42mm (1.654''). This is a 1mm (0.039'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Harley Benton ST-70, 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 ST-70 and Harley Benton ST-20'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 ST-70 Neck Profile
Harley Benton ST-70's neck profile
Harley Benton ST-20 Neck Profile
Harley Benton ST-20'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 ST-70 and the Harley Benton ST-20 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 ST-70 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 ST-70 and the Harley Benton ST-20 have the same fretboard radius of 13.78". It's closer to the 12'' that most Les Paul guitars have, but it's a bit flatter. It'll make it easier to play single notes than chords, but it's still relatively comfortable for chords.

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 ST-70 favors large hands more than the Harley Benton ST-20.

Harley Benton ST-70:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Harley Benton ST-20:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Harley Benton ST-70 and Harley Benton ST-20 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 ST-70
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 60
Solo Playability 70
Playability 67
Harley Benton ST-20
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 70
Playability 70

Specs Side-by-Side

Harley Benton ST-70 vs ST-20
General Harley Benton ST-70 ST-20
Brand: Harley Benton Harley Benton
Year: 2016 2014
Configuration: HSS SSS
Strings: 6 6
Made in: China China
Series: Deluxe Standard
Colors: Black Burst Patterns, Brown White, Sunburst, Black, Red
Left-Handed Version: No Yes
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Basswood Basswood
Bridge: Wilkinson Tremolo Harley Benton Tremolo
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: Harley Benton Machine Heads: Enclosed
Fretboard: Purpleheart Roseacer
Neck Material: Maple Maple
Decoration: Dots Dots
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
Shape: Harley Benton C Harley Benton Modern C
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.898'' (22.8mm) - 12th Fret: 0.931'' (23.6mm) 1st Fret: 0.807'' (20.5mm) - 12th Fret: 0.886'' (22.5mm)
Frets: 21 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 13.78" 13.78"
Nut: Plastic Plastic
Nut Width: 43mm (1.693'') 42mm (1.654'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Roswell HAF Alnico-5 (Humbucker / Passive) HB Single Coil (Single Coil / Passive)
Middle Pickup: Roswell STA Alnico-5 Vintage ST-Style (Single Coil / Passive) HB Single Coil (Single Coil / Passive)
Neck Pickup: Roswell STA Alnico-5 Vintage ST-Style (Single Coil / Passive) HB Single Coil (Single Coil / Passive)
Switch: 5 Way 5 Way
Knobs: Bell Bell
Pickup Mods: Coil Split None
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 2 2