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Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS
Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA
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Playability
70
Sound
78
Build
70
Value
83
Score
73
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Playability
67
Sound
77
Build
70
Value
56
Score
71
FIND IT ON:
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Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS vs Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA Specs Comparison
Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA
General
Brand: Harley Benton Washburn
Year: 2024 2010
Configuration: HSS HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Indonesia United States
Series: Pro Nuno Bettencourt
Colors: White, Pink, Burst Natural Matte
Left-Handed Version: Yes No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Alder Alder
Bridge: Tremolo Floyd Rose Original
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: Sung-Il ML-55 locking machine heads with HB logo Mixed Gotoh / Grover Exclusive 18:1 Chrome
Fretboard: Maple Ebony
Neck Material: Caramelised Maple Birdseye Maple 5-Bolt Stephen's Extended Cutaway
Decoration: Dot Dots
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
Shape: Harley Benton D Washburn Nuno Bettencourt
Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo Stainless Steel 22 Medium Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" to 16" 12"
Nut: Graphite Locking
Nut Width: 42mm (1.654'') 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: Tesla VR-Nitro Alnico 5 Humbuckers (Humbucker / Passive) Bill Lawrence L-500 (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup: Tesla TV-S1M Alnico 5 Single Coil (Single Coil / Passive)
Neck Pickup: Tesla TV-S1M Alnico 5 Single Coil (Single Coil / Passive) Seymour Duncan '59 SH-1N (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 5 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Bell Dome
Pickup Mods: Coil Split None
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 0
Hardware
Strap Lock: No No
Hardware Color: Chrome Chrome
Show Diagrams Comparison
Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS's switch options
Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA's switch options

Reasons to Get
Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS over Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA

Fret Material
Stainless Steel vs Nickel Silver
Best fret material that will last forever
Release Year
2024 vs 2010
From a more recent year
Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Compound Radius
12" to 16" vs 12"
Balanced playability for chords and single-notes
Neck Profile
Harley Benton D vs Washburn Nuno Bettencourt
Thin and flat neck for playing fast
Pickup Mods
Coil Split vs None
Splits humbuckers into single coil pickups
Switch Positions
5 vs 3
More tone options
Tone Knobs
1 vs 0
More tone control
Pickups
HSS vs HH
High output with beautiful cleans and tone versatility
Locking Tuners
Yes vs None
Easier to change strings
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm) vs 1.693'' (43mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Bridge
Tremolo vs Floyd Rose
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Value Score
83 vs 56
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA over Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS

Country of Manufacturing
United States vs Indonesia
Built with higher quality standards
Neck Profile
Washburn Nuno Bettencourt vs Harley Benton D
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Nut Material
Locking vs Graphite
Best tuning stability for intense tremolo usage
Pickups
HH vs HSS
High output without hum
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm) vs 1.654'' (42mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Bridge
Floyd Rose vs Tremolo
Allows intense vibratos and techniques like Dive Bombs

Other Key Differences
Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS vs Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA

Bridge Pickup
Tesla VR-Nitro Alnico 5 Humbuckers vs Bill Lawrence L-500
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Tesla TV-S1M Alnico 5 Single Coil vs Seymour Duncan '59 SH-1N
Different Neck Pickup
Neck Wood
Maple vs Birdseye Maple
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Maple vs Ebony
Different Fretboard Wood
Headstock
6 vs R6
Different Headstock
Nut Material
Graphite vs Locking
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS vs Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA

Body Wood
Alder
Same Body Wood
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Joint
Bolt-On
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo vs Medium
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • Top Pickup Brand

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Weight Relief
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Price History Comparison

Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS Prices

SET PRICE ALERT

Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA Prices

SET PRICE ALERT

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Hand Size Comfortability

And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA favors large hands more than the Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS. But it's still more comfortable for people with small hands, as you can see in the score meter below.

Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Beginner Friendliness

The Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS meets 7 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA 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 ST-Modern Plus MN HSS
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Locking tuners
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Short scale

New Player Friendliness

Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA
  • Comfortable shape
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners
  • Easy-to-use bridge

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

Alder wood pattern used for guitar building
Alder

Alder is the most popular wood that Fender uses in most of their guitars nowadays. Even though they say it's because of its balanced tone with an emphasis in the upper midrange, it probably is because it isn't too expensive, and it's also pretty lightweight—more than Mahogany. Find out more about Alder.

Woods Used in the Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS

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 Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA

Birdseye Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Birdseye Maple
Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony

This wood has beautiful patterns only found in specific types of maple.

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: Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA.

Pickup Configuration

The Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS has an HSS configuration while the Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA 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.

We found the same or similar pickups to the Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA'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: 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-Modern Plus MN HSS gives you 5 switch options while the Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA gives you 3. This means that the Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

Only the Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS 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.

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-Modern Plus MN HSS.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS
Pickups 90
Sustain 65
Versatility 80
Tuning Stability 75
Sound 78
Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA
Pickups 90
Sustain 70
Versatility 62
Tuning Stability 85
Sound 77

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-Modern Plus MN HSS compares to the Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS is built in Indonesia while the Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA is made in United States.

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.

The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.

Winner: Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA

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-Modern Plus MN HSS 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 Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA 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: Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA.

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.

In this comparison, the Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS is the only one that has stainless steel frets. These frets will basically last for the entire life of the guitar. They will never need polishing nor replacement. And not only that, but some people also notice that bending and vibratos are much easier to perform when they upgrade to stainless steel.

Winner: Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS.

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-Modern Plus MN HSS'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 Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA'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: Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA.

Tuners

The Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS 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.

Nevertheless, the Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA has a locking nut, so it should have even better tune stability and doesn't need locking tuners.

Winner: Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS.

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-Modern Plus MN HSS
  • Stainless Steel Frets
  • Locking Tuners
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Coil Split Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Locking Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • 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 Retainer Bar
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS
Quality of materials 66
Features 80
Quality Control 65
Build Quality 70
Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA
Quality of materials 51
Features 60
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 70

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-Modern Plus MN HSS Nut Width
Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS Nut Width
Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA Nut Width
Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA 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 Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA, 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-Modern Plus MN HSS and Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA'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-Modern Plus MN HSS Neck Profile
Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS's neck profile
Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA Neck Profile
Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA'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 ST-Modern Plus MN HSS 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 Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA, on the other hand, has a C 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-Modern Plus MN HSS Fretboard Compound Radius
Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS's Compound Fretboard Radius
Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA Fingerboard Radius
Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA'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 Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS is the only one with a compound radius. This is a huge win because it will give you the best of both worlds: a more curved radius in the first few frets for chords, and flatter as you come closer to the body for soloing.

Fret Size

Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS Frets Size
Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS's Frets Size
Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA Frets Size
Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA's Frets Size

The Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS has Medium Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA's Medium 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 ST-Modern Plus MN HSS
Bending & Vibrato Ease 60
Chord Playability 80
Solo Playability 70
Playability 70
Washburn N4-Nuno Authentic USA
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 60
Solo Playability 70
Playability 67