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Harley Benton ST-70
Harley Benton TE-90QM
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Playability
67
Sound
74
Build
54
Value
75
Score
65
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Playability
72
Sound
71
Build
55
Value
76
Score
66
FIND IT ON:
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Harley Benton ST-70 vs TE-90QM

Reasons to Get
Harley Benton ST-70 over TE-90QM

Release Year
2016 vs 2015
From a more recent year
Pickup Mods
Coil Split vs None
Splits humbuckers into single coil pickups
Body Type
Solid Body vs Semi-Hollow
Feedback free
Switch Positions
5 vs 3
More tone options
Tone Knobs
2 vs 1
More tone control
Pickups
HSS vs HH
High output with beautiful cleans and tone versatility
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm) vs 1.654'' (42mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Bridge
Tremolo vs Fixed
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance

Reasons to Get
Harley Benton TE-90QM over ST-70

Country of Manufacturing
Indonesia vs China
Built with higher quality standards
Decorative Top
Quilted Maple vs None
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Nut Material
Bonoid vs Plastic
Hard material with a bright sound
Body Type
Semi-Hollow vs Solid Body
Lighter and allows more gain than a hollowbody
Pickups
HH vs HSS
High output without hum
Number of Frets
22 vs 21
Allows to reach higher notes
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm) vs 1.693'' (43mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Bridge
Fixed vs Tremolo
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Value Score
76 vs 75
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Harley Benton ST-70 vs TE-90QM

Neck Pickup
Roswell STA Alnico-5 Vintage ST-Style vs Roswell HAF Alnico-5
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Basswood vs Mahogany
Different Body Wood
Nut Material
Plastic vs Bonoid
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Harley Benton ST-70 vs TE-90QM

Bridge Pickup
Roswell HAF Alnico-5
Same Bridge Pickup
Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Purpleheart
Same Fretboard Wood
Headstock
6
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.898'' (22.8mm)
Same neck comfortability
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.931'' (23.6mm)
Same neck comfortability
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
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 Strengths

  • Top Pickup Brand

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Locking Tuners
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

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Harley Benton TE-90QM Prices

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Harley Benton TE-90QM is probably the better product overall with its final score of 66 compared to the Harley Benton ST-70's 65 score, although not by a lot.

The Harley Benton TE-90QM wins when it comes to playability, build quality, value for the money. On the other hand, the Harley Benton ST-70 has the upper hand when it comes to sound.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the Harley Benton TE-90QM.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Harley Benton TE-90QM is the better choice.

The Harley Benton TE-90QM 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 TE-90QM
  • 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 TE-90QM Overview

  • From Harley Benton's 2015 Deluxe series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 13.78" Fretboard Radius
  • Quilted Maple top
  • Mahogany body
  • Maple neck
  • Purpleheart fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Roswell HAF Alnico-5 (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Roswell HAF Alnico-5 (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Hardtail bridge
  • Harley Benton C Bolt-On neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Dlx Diecast 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
Purpleheart wood pattern used for guitar building
Purpleheart

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.

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-70

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 Harley Benton TE-90QM

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.

Winner: Harley Benton TE-90QM.

Pickup Configuration

The Harley Benton ST-70 has an HSS configuration while the Harley Benton TE-90QM has HH 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, 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.

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 ST-70 gives you 5 switch options while the Harley Benton TE-90QM gives you 3. This means that the Harley Benton ST-70 gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

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 TE-90QM pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Harley Benton TE-90QM'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 TE-90QM
Pickups 90
Sustain 70
Versatility 54
Tuning Stability 70
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 ST-70 compares to the Harley Benton TE-90QM.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Harley Benton ST-70 is built in China while the Harley Benton TE-90QM is made in Indonesia.

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.

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: Harley Benton TE-90QM

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 ST-70 has a Plastic nut. 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.

On the other hand, the Harley Benton TE-90QM comes with a Bonoid nut. It's made with hard acrylic and stone powder (glass). It's a hard material that tries to sound bright like a bone nut, but it lacks the same lubricating properties.

Winner: Harley Benton TE-90QM.

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 ST-70's brige 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.

On the other hand, the Harley Benton TE-90QM's 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.

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 TE-90QM's are Dlx Diecast

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 TE-90QM
  • 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 Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • 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 TE-90QM
Quality of materials 45
Features 55
Quality Control 65
Build Quality 55

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 TE-90QM Nut Width
Harley Benton TE-90QM 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 TE-90QM'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
Both guitars have the same 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 TE-90QM 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 TE-90QM 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 TE-90QM.

Harley Benton ST-70:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Harley Benton TE-90QM:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Harley Benton ST-70 and Harley Benton TE-90QM 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 TE-90QM
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 70
Playability 72

Specs Side-by-Side

Harley Benton ST-70 vs TE-90QM
General Harley Benton ST-70 TE-90QM
Brand: Harley Benton Harley Benton
Year: 2016 2015
Configuration: HSS HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: China Indonesia
Series: Deluxe Deluxe
Colors: Black Burst Patterns, Brown Blue, Red
Left-Handed Version: No Yes
Body
Type: Solid Body Semi-Hollow
Body Material: Basswood Mahogany
Bridge: Wilkinson Tremolo Hardtail
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: Harley Benton Dlx Diecast
Fretboard: Purpleheart Purpleheart
Neck Material: Maple Maple
Decoration: Dots Abalone Dots
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
Shape: Harley Benton C Harley Benton C
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.898'' (22.8mm) - 12th Fret: 0.931'' (23.6mm) 1st Fret: 0.898'' (22.8mm) - 12th Fret: 0.931'' (23.6mm)
Frets: 21 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 13.78" 13.78"
Nut: Plastic Bonoid
Nut Width: 43mm (1.693'') 42mm (1.654'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Roswell HAF Alnico-5 (Humbucker / Passive) 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) Roswell HAF Alnico-5 (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 5 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Bell Dome
Pickup Mods: Coil Split None
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 2 1