FrankAtari Posted November 6, 2022 Share Posted November 6, 2022 Harley Benton is a brand, based in Germany. They got my curious because of their reputation of being good guitars. I did some research and couldn't believe how highly people were speaking of this brand. I was quite skeptical but still I wanted to give it a try and I'm glad to say I was proved wrong. The guitar is phenomenal all in all, well above my expectations for something that cost me 120 quid, out of the box. The guitar easily compares with the quality of my old Fender Tele MIM, and this is not an overstatement. In certain respects is even better. The neck is impressive, the fret job is extremely good and offers great playability, with no rough edges etc. Equally good is the finish, the guitar is truly beautiful. And above all it only weighs 3kg and 50 grams. My only doubt is how long will it last? I mean it is common to see Fender guitars that are many years old and play great, this is the nature of a real musical instrument, they mature, don't get old. Will the Harley Benton fall apart in a couple of years? Loosing frets etc? Who knows... The nominal cost of 120 quid is a little bit deceptive in my opinion, because the guitar will not work properly as it is out of the box and will require a further investment to reach it's full potential. I personally replaced the original nut with a GraphTech TUSQ, the electronics with Fender custom shop FAT 50's pre-wired pickguard (NB Fender's won't fit a Harley Benton guitar). The tremolo is factory set not to work, and it's made of stainless-tin, but after some tinkering will get the job done. The tuners are horrible and stiff, their movement is quite erratic rather than linear, I wish I had changed them but I didn't, however they keep everything in tune perfectly well. Now a more realistic cost for this guitar would be: Guitar................................ 120 Tuners............................... from 40 to 120 according to preference Electronics and pops .......from 120 to no limit, according to preference (260 in my case) Nut.....................................10 Tremolo system ............... original can get the job done (otherwise is another 80 to 150 quid) Tinkering........................... free and abundant Realistic sum total.............450 to 500 quid - now your guitar rocks. Is it worth it? It is after all. You get a super strat in the end, still for less than a fender entry level. My main reservation, as I explained, is asking to myself if the guitar will start falling apart sooner or later. Also I have now invested the price of branded guitar in something that has basically no resellability. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinnyman Posted November 6, 2022 Share Posted November 6, 2022 Thanks for the review. It seems like you’re basically getting a body that has been painted and fitted with a fretted neck, ready to load up with the electronics and hardware of your choosing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrankAtari Posted November 6, 2022 Author Share Posted November 6, 2022 Just now, Skinnyman said: Thanks for the review. It seems like you’re basically getting a body that has been painted and fitted with a fretted neck, ready to load up with the electronics and hardware of your choosing. Yeah you got the gist, that's it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Strummer Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 Can't fault its looks. Lovely colour and the neck looks tinted/roasted. Very nice. And for the money you can't get vexed can you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howdenspur Posted December 15, 2022 Share Posted December 15, 2022 How's the neck on this Frank? I usually find Strats a little skinny in fretboard width, but understand HBs give you more real estate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrankAtari Posted December 15, 2022 Author Share Posted December 15, 2022 1 hour ago, howdenspur said: How's the neck on this Frank? I usually find Strats a little skinny in fretboard width, but understand HBs give you more real estate? Sorry Pal but I can't offer any useful insight about how the neck feels. This is my second electric guitar as I used to play the classical guitar. I have never seen a real Strat in my life. I'd say it's fine to my taste, but it is kind of skinny. I can measure the neck for you if you like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrankAtari Posted December 15, 2022 Author Share Posted December 15, 2022 17 hours ago, Bob Strummer said: Can't fault its looks. Lovely colour and the neck looks tinted/roasted. Very nice. And for the money you can't get vexed can you. The guitar looks very good, but it is not as flawless as a Fender though. I have found out that even the colour scheme is a replica from Fender. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
