Harley Benton Electric Guitar Kit JA

Nechal jsem se přesvědčit uživatelskými recenzemi zde i na YT a koupil jsem si tuhle skládačku jazzmastera. Nejdříve se musí vyřezat tvar hlavy - obkreslil jsem hlavu svého strata Squier, ale ta je o něco větší, takže jsem ji musel trochu upravit - po vyřezání není vidět, že je kratší. Krk do těla zapadl úplně přesně, ale dírky pro šroubky na pickguard byly v několika místech vedle - párátko a lepidlo to spravilo a pak nové dírky. Jinak na sebe všechno sedělo, Angličané v recenzích psali, že nenašli označení snímačů, ale já jsem na nich měl písmena B a N, takže to je přece jasné. Po zapojení kytara hučela a byla velmi citlivá na polohu vůči kombíčku, takže jsem to znovu rozkrytoval a vylepil Herkulesem celou dutinu i pickguard tužší hlinikovou fólií na grilování a přiletoval k ní uzemnění - kytara ztichla, brumení a bludných proudů je teď úplné minimum. Chtělo by to vyleštit pražce (časem se ohrají nebo při výměně strun). Pro mě jediným mínusem je menší tělo, než má klasický jazzmaster, a tak padá na hlavu - pokud se dá na řemen, cítit to mnoho není, tím je však porušena filozofie nástroje... Celkově je zpracování, až na ty menší nedostatky, perfektní, tělo je "základním nástřikem" ochráněno dostatečně, takže pokud se někomu jako mně líbí přírodní úprava, nemusí se s tím vůbec nic dělat. Zvuk je hutný, žádné ukníkané singly jako u stratů, snímače P90 rychle reagují a jsou dynamické a síla úhozu se projeví okamžitě, sustain velmi dobrý. Porovnávali jsme při živém hraní s Fender Player Mustang 90 (Mexiko) - výsledek byl v podstatě stejný. Rozdíl ceny: 7x levnější. Co na to říct? Nebojte se toho!

The Harley Benton Electric Guitar Kit JA is a surprisingly solid option for anyone who wants to try building their own guitar without spending a lot of money. It’s a decent mix of affordability, decent materials, and plenty of freedom to customize the instrument however you like.

Build Quality

The body is usually made from alder or basswood and the neck is maple, so the basics are pretty good for the price. The wood isn’t perfectly finished, so some sanding is usually needed, but the parts tend to fit together well. The neck pocket lines up nicely, and the neck itself is generally straight. Frets are okay out of the box, though most people will want to clean up the fret ends a bit.

Electronics & Hardware

Nothing fancy here. The pickups and electronics are very basic, but they work and they give you that slightly darker, smoother Jazzmaster-style tone. The tuners and bridge are usable but not impressive; upgrading them later makes a noticeable difference. For a kit at this price point, the hardware is about what you’d expect.

Assembly

Putting the guitar together is pretty straightforward. The longest part is the finishing process—painting or staining the body—because that takes patience. The wiring is simple enough, and even someone with minimal soldering experience should be able to get through it without major issues. It’s a great first project if you’re curious about how guitars actually go together.

Sound & Playability

Once everything is set up properly, the guitar plays better than you’d think. It’s not on the same level as expensive offset guitars, but it delivers a warm, mellow sound that works well for indie, surf, shoegaze, or lo-fi styles. If you upgrade the pickups and hardware, the improvement is pretty noticeable.

Verdict

For the price, the Harley Benton Electric Guitar Kit JA is a fun and worthwhile project. It’s a good way to dip your toes into guitar building, end up with a playable instrument, and have the option to tweak or upgrade anything you want. It’s definitely more about the experience and customization than about getting a perfect guitar straight out of the box.

I already own a HB 335 model that blew me away with its quality, so when I was next ordering a guitar, I figured I'd try one of these kits for a fun project. I do not regret it one bit, and the result is a very serious guitar.

The body was good and even, with holes all more-or-less aligning. The neck was impressive - neat binding, no rough fret ends, and a comfortable and smooth C profile. The frets just needed a little polish. I set this up with a low action and there is no hint of fret buzz anywhere.

Cutting the headstock to shape is a simple enough job with a coping saw and file, and represents the only real "craftsmanship" required in putting the kit together. I applied a two-tone burst with nitrocellulose lacquer, but this is very much an optional extra. The rengas wood comes filled and sealed and the grain looks nice enough that you could just spray it with a clear topcoat lacquer for a shiny and more durable finish. The electronics bar the pickups all come attached to the pickguard; you just plug the pickups in and there is no soldering to do. The soapbar pickups rather strangely have no brackets to attach them; instead there are holes right through the pickups to screw them down into the wood of the cavity. This isn't a problem, just an unusual design choice.

We all of course know which guitar this is emulating. Aside from the pickup design, the key difference from that guitar is the tune-o-matic bridge here and no trem, but I see that as a strength for its simplicity and tuning stability. The pickups are a little muddy but can be cleaned up with the right amp settings to give very nice clean and blues tones. A clear, singing sustain is evident before even plugging in. I have a couple of Fenders and a Gibson LP and this feels and sounds more like the Gibson. The greatest weakness in the hardware is found in the tuning pegs, which was also true of my other HB guitar - worth the £20 upgrade to some Vansons. The great thing about a kit is of course that you can mod and upgrade it to your heart's desire, so long as the body and neck are good, and they really are in this case.

Overall, I'm impressed and very chuffed. An enjoyable project and a credible, beautiful guitar at the end of it that I would happily gig with. Well done Harley Benton.