A reputation has risen into the peripheral of many guitarists during the last a number of years. A model title that isn’t carried in your native music retailer; that’s celebrated by YouTube influencers, but typically scoffed at by guitar snobs. That title is Harley Benton.

Shopping for a funds guitar could be a little bit of a big gamble. I, like your self, was drawn into the thought of an reasonably priced guitar that performed like butter. I’d heard of the “Chibson” LP fashion guitars, Firefly after which in fact Harley Benton. However you possibly can’t assist however ask your self if it’s actually price it.

Effectively, I did my analysis and, after attending to play one, I settled on a Harley Benton HSS “Strat Model” guitar. On this article, I’m going to inform you all the things you have to know. However first, we’re going to get proper to the purpose:

Are Harley Benton Guitars Any Good?

Harley Benton Guitars are designed properly, produced from high quality supplies, and priced far under most different guitars of their caliber. Their enterprise mannequin is centered on holding costs low whereas taking part in like a costlier guitar. Usually talking, their guitars play higher than the rest of their worth vary.

At this level, I personal one and have performed a number of others. I’ve an honest assortment of name-brand guitars and my Harley Benton is in my prime 2. I haven’t made any modifications to it apart from a primary setup, submitting the fret-ends, and so on.

They provide a 3-year guarantee and a 30-day money-back assure.

(Test Harley Benton’s full line of electrical guitars right here)

Who Makes Harley Benton?

Harley Benton merchandise are made by Thomann Music based mostly out of Bavaria, Germany. Based in 1954 by Hans Thomann Sr, Musichaus Thoman (referred to as Thoman Music) is a big worldwide retailer for sound tools and musical devices.

Thomann is at the moment managed by Hans Thomann Jr. Their Managing Director and design mastermind is Lasse Thernoe, who might be most chargeable for turning Harley Benton into what it’s immediately.

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The place Does Harley Benton Make Their Guitars?

Whereas most main producers construct their guitars in a single single manufacturing facility, Harley Benton’s guitars are made in a number of totally different factories scattered throughout Asia together with Indonesia, Vietnam and China.

An attention-grabbing reality is that there are actually solely about 10 main guitar factories on this planet that are utilized by properly know guitar manufacturers. Harley Benton claims to make use of a number of the identical factories as many of those different, costlier guitar corporations.

The place are you able to get Harley Benton Guitars?

To buy any Harley Benton merchandise, you’ll have to make use of the Thomann Music web site. Harley Benton is offered completely by their guardian firm’s retail division.

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In fact, in case you had been to go to Germany, you would try their brick-and-mortar retailer in Burgebrach. UPS is quite a bit cheaper and extra handy although!

Why Are Harley Benton Guitars So Low-cost?

Harley Benton is ready to purchase straight from the factories and promote straight to the buyer utilizing their guardian firm’s retail operation. This eliminates a number of layers of individuals in between that will all have to receives a commission. They don’t need to cope with any distributors or massive manufacturers within the course of.

Harley Benton’s complete enterprise mannequin revolves round offering reasonably priced guitars, although. That’s their area of interest. They goal to maintain overhead low and plan for smaller revenue margins per unit than most guitar producers. Then, they attempt to make up for the decrease revenue margins purchase promoting extra guitars.

As a ultimate refined, but efficient element: Harley Benton guitars normally have a strong black end on the rear of the guitar which covers up any would-be imperfections. This implies, that their wooden choice is bigger they usually can choose items which might be fairly on one facet, however possibly not a lot on the opposite. These are in any other case high quality items that will be rejected by pricier guitar producers making them a bit cheaper for Harley Benton.

You would liken this to purchasing discounted “imperfect produce” rejected by supermarkets to begin a smoothie store.

My Harley Benton Evaluation

So, on the time of my buy, I actually didn’t know quite a bit about Harley Benton Guitars. I had seen a number of and watched some individuals play them on YouTube, however I by no means truly performed one.

Fortunately, I do know a studio engineer that had simply bought a Harley Benton Strat-style guitar, and he was actually impressed with it. I made a decision to achieve out to him to present his a check drive. Man, I used to be actually stunned. It performed like a gem.

Now, I’ve to inform you – he had changed his pickups with a set of Seymour Duncans earlier than I’d gotten to play it, so I don’t know what it gave the impression of with the inventory pickups. Regardless, from that have alone it simply appeared like a no brainer to make the acquisition. Even when I needed to perform a little work to it, I used to be beginning with a a lot better-built guitar at that worth level than another possibility I may consider.

That evening on the dinner desk, I jumped on the Thomann web site…

Which Harley Benton Guitar To Purchase

Buying a brand new guitar is a call that’s private to every guitarist’s preferences. For me, I used to be already contemplating a Strat-style guitar with a bridge humbucker. The truth that my good friend’s was simply that (minus the humbucker), type of sealed the deal so far as that goes.

No matter specs you’re on the lookout for, you possibly can actually discover within the Harley Benton stock. On the naked minimal, you’ll have a fantastic slate to work from and you can also make your individual modifications.

The Harley Benton ST-70 “Strat” – Model Guitar

I used to be ready to make a spontaneous and emotional buy, simply because I do know it might solely price me roughly $200 (possibly even with delivery). I in all probability wouldn’t have in any other case jumped the gun so rapidly.

In some unspecified time in the future in my search, I stumbled upon the Harley Benton ST-70. The enticing black paisley end is what initially caught my eye. At a fast look, it additionally match my HSS pickup requirement.

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After reviewing a number of builds, I discovered myself again to this mannequin and I went forward and made the acquisition. Good or unhealthy, I used to be quickly going to seek out out!

Transport

To start with, I reside within the U.S. In Maryland to be clear. I instantly acquired a affirmation electronic mail and was assigned a contact particular person, in case there have been any questions or points.

Thomann was imagined to be delivery from Germany, however it stated it might arrive the next Wednesday. I wasn’t shopping for this time-frame, as a result of I ordered it on Saturday evening at time for supper. I had a monitoring quantity with UPS by 6am the subsequent morning. That monitoring confirmed their estimate, however I nonetheless didn’t suppose it was doable.

It was the peak of Covid and EVERYTHING was shut down nearly. I had ordered another issues from abroad which took over a month to get right here. Certain sufficient, it arrived that Wednesday as promised. I couldn’t consider it.

First Impressions

Taking it out of the field, I used to be instantly taken again by what a strong piece of wooden I used to be holding and the general really feel of the guitar. I fingered a few scales and performed some open chords. That is going to sound excessive, however I used to be shocked at what a top quality instrument I used to be holding at that time.

The motion was respectable, the fretwork was good and the pure maintain with out plugging into an amp was fairly spectacular. I may instantly inform that there would must be a lot much less setup for this guitar than my not too long ago bought Fender Telecaster.

I’ll say that the fretboard was extraordinarily dry and will have used a bucket of lemon oil.

Construct

The physique is a Strat-style double-cutaway product of basswood and matched with a bolt-on, maple neck and an amaranth fretboard. The neck is a “C” form design with 21 medium-jumbo frets.

The {hardware} is all chrome and seemingly of respectable high quality. It’s actually higher high quality than a comparably priced Squire Strat. In case you’re a stickler for high-quality/locking tuning heads, you might wish to substitute these on the ST-70 I suppose. That may in all probability set you again one other $50.

The tone knobs, nonetheless, completely look low cost. They’re truly the one “cheap-looking” function of the guitar. Thankfully, you possibly can substitute these rapidly with out actually spending any cash.

The end could be very properly completed. In case you needed to nitpick the paisley print on the entrance, I’d say that it may have been pale into the remainder of the physique higher. Had it been a pricier guitar, it seemingly would have. The topcoat could be very shiny.

Pickups

The ST-70 is fitted with 2 Roswell Alnico-5 vintage-style single-coil pickups alongside 1 Rowell Alnico-5 bridge humbucker. Up till this level, I had heard good issues about Roswell on-line, however I hadn’t had an opportunity to really hear them in particular person. You’ll discover that the majority of Harley Benton’s guitars include Roswell pickups, which is a narrative all of its personal.

Let me inform you, these pickups sound improbable. Very heat, and clear. There’s a pleasant punch, however they aren’t overly wound. Personally, I may need paid the worth of the guitar simply to purchase these pickups.

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A function I missed after I made the acquisition was the truth that Harley Benton included a push/pull coil break up within the quantity pot. So, you possibly can primarily swap the bridge humbucker to a single coil.

Bridge

The Bridge is a Wilkinson Fender-style tremolo. It’s seemingly that you simply’ve heard of Wilkinson, as they make high quality guitar {hardware}. I’m unsure how I really feel about this explicit tremolo. The whammy bar isn’t threaded into the socket, so you have to take a small alan key (included) and tighten it from the again of the bridge. In any other case, in case you bend over to regulate your pedal settings, it’s going to fall to the ground.

That being stated, I don’t make the most of my tremolo a lot. In truth, I dropped the tailpiece flush to the physique of the guitar for higher maintain. Whereas with reference to maintain, it has loads of it!

Harley Benton Strat Model Abstract

As of the writing of this text, I set it up very well simply as I’d any guitar I buy. The motion has been adjusted, intonation tuned in, fret ends filed down, polished and leveled. I haven’t upgraded one single element although or piece of {hardware}.

Plugging this guitar in a very good tube amp will typically ship chills up your backbone. It actually does play like butter with a heat and wealthy sound. After this expertise, I don’t know if I’d ever advisable anybody buy a Squire or another name-brand, student-level guitar. It simply doesn’t make any sense when you would get such a strong instrument for across the identical worth.

Now, I do suppose it’s seemingly that I acquired one among their higher merchandise off of the road. There are opinions that I’ve learn the place individuals had a number of points with imperfections. That’s the case with any product although. It looks like Thomann Music took care of these individuals and settled any points from what I can inform although.

All-in-all I took the prospect and I used to be thrilled with the outcomes.

Listed below are some high quality options within the Harley Benton Value Vary:

Conclusion

Harley Benton makes reasonably priced guitars at a top quality that will exceed most gamers’ expectations. I’ve gotten to play a pair now, together with mine, they usually simply really feel good and sound nice.

I’ve searched excessive and low for different opinions on Harley Benton and folks, usually, appear to be proud of their merchandise.

To sum issues up – Sure, Harley Benton Guitars are properly well worth the cash after which some.

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