Harley Benton Fusion-T II HH: The Next Generation of T-Style Humbucker Guitars!
More ergonomic, better sounding, still twang!
Harley Benton Fusion-T II HH: The Next Generation of T-Style Humbucker Guitars! · Source: Harley Benton
Harley Benton already made quite a wave in April with the ST-style models from Fusion-IV . Babicz bridge, Tesla pickups, 24 stainless-steel frets: With the Fusion-T II HH, HB takes value for money and innovation to a whole other dimension in the intermediate level.
What’s New with Fusion-T II:
Fusion IV Improvements, But in T-Style
Let’s take a look at the 18 new models to see what all the T-style guitars have in common. Their body is still made of Nyatoh, but HB has improved the ergonomics. The back contour has been reshaped and the neck heel tapered, so the overall playability should be even better.
HB seems to have taken note of trends in metal telecasters, as the bolt-on neck (made of Canadian roasted maple with a Modern C profile) now features 24 Medium Jumbo Blacksmith stainless steel frets instead of 22. It also has a compound radius in the usual 12-inch to 16-inch configuration. This should make the newly added frets even easier to play.
And anyone who likes to tear it up on dark stages will be happy about the glow-in-the-dark side dots. Plus, the truss rod can now be adjusted using a sprocket wheel.
Tesla and Babicz
We already got a taste of the biggest changes compared to the first generation with the Fusion-IV: Tesla pickups instead of Roswell, and a Babicz bridge instead of a Wilkinson. Both are pretty significant upgrades.
Tesla Opus-1B at the bridge and Opus-1N at the neck (both Alnico 5) replace the first-generation Roswell humbuckers. Sure, we’re not quite at the level of “real” Fender pickups yet, but I can confirm from my experience with an ST-Modern Plus that these Teslas do sound pretty amazing. As with the HH models from Fusion-IV, the Fusion-T II HH also includes a so-called additional “Alter Switch.”
Depending on whether it is toggled, the five-way switch offers five tonal options. In its off state, you get these five options:
- Position 1: Activates the neck pickup
- Position 2: Activates coil splitting on both pickups for the upper coils
- Position 3: Activates both humbuckers
- Position 4: Activates coil splitting on both pickups for the lower coils
- Position 5: Activates the bridge pickup
When the “Alter Switch” is toggled, an additional “Ghost Coil” is engaged on one or both pickups, depending on the position of the five-way switch. This is intended to suppress potential hum if you prefer single-coil sounds over humbucker sounds.
In addition to the pickups, the hardware, specifically the bridge, is now from Babicz instead of Wilkinson. Thanks to the newly implemented full-contact principle, the saddles are screwed flat against the base plate rather than simply sitting on top of screws. And the tuners are now from Jinho (JN-07, staggered, locking, with HB logo).
An Overview of the New Models
All new Fusion-T II HH models are priced at either 449 or 499 euros. The price difference mainly comes down to whether a model has a flamed maple top or not, so it’s primarily a visual difference. And as always, we get models with either maple or rosewood fingerboards. There are also plenty of left-handed models available again.
Satin Grey
- Fusion-T II HH MN Satin Grey* — maple fretboard, tremolo, chrome hardware
- Fusion-T II HH MN HT Satin Grey* — maple fretboard, hardtail, chrome hardware
White Metallic
- Fusion-T II HH MN White Metallic* — maple fretboard, tremolo, black hardware
Black Metallic Gloss
- Fusion-T II HH MN HT Black Metallic Gloss* — maple fretboard, hardtail, black hardware
- Fusion-T II HH LH MN HT Black Metallic Gloss* — left-handed, maple fretboard, hardtail, black hardware
Purple Metallic
- Fusion-T II HH RW HT Purple Metallic* — rosewood fretboard, hardtail, gold hardware
Satin Gold
- Fusion-T II HH RW Satin Gold* — rosewood fretboard, tremolo, gold hardware
- Fusion-T II HH LH RW Satin Gold* — left-handed, rosewood fretboard, tremolo, gold hardware
Ocean Turquoise Gloss
- Fusion-T II HH MN Ocean Turquoise Gloss* — maple fretboard, tremolo, chrome hardware
- Fusion-T II HH RW Ocean Turquoise Gloss* — rosewood fretboard, tremolo, chrome hardware
Maple Veneer and EMG Models
The slightly more expensive models with a maple veneer are available in these colors:
Flame Bengal Burst
- Fusion-T II HH RW HT Flame Bengal Burst* — rosewood fretboard, hardtail, gold hardware
- Fusion-T II HH LH RW HT Flame Bengal Burst* — left-handed, rosewood fretboard, hardtail, gold hardware
Quilt Dusk Glow
- Fusion-T II HH MN Quilt Dusk Glow* — maple fretboard, tremolo, chrome hardware
Quilt Black Burst Gloss
- Fusion-T II HH MN HT Quilt Black Burst Gloss* — maple fretboard, hardtail, chrome hardware
Quilt Raspberry Burst
- Fusion-T II HH RW Quilt Raspberry Burst* — rosewood fretboard, tremolo, chrome hardware
In addition, just like with the first generation, there are two models here featuring EMG pickups in Satin Black:
Satin Black
- Fusion-T II EMG MN HT Satin Black* — maple fretboard, hardtail, black hardware, EMG Retroactive Hot 70, 3-way switch
- Fusion-T II EMG LH MN HT Satin Black* — left-handed, maple fretboard, hardtail, black hardware, EMG Retroactive Hot 70, 3-way switch
More on the new Guitars from Harley Benton
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