Harley Benton makes many remarkable and outstanding quality guitars. This is not one of them. Taking a look at the price tag, it is, however, understandable.
Good about this nice little instrument:
- Paint job is excellent.
- Electronics work great. The tone pot is really effective.
- Stock humbucker pickups sound balanced. Pretty hot, though.
- Neck is perfectly straight.
- Neck to body mount is spot on. Good sustain.
- Tuners are surprisingly smooth. No sticky spots.
Complains:
- Fret ends very sharp, not rounded at all.
- A few frets a bit raised. Fret buzz clearly heard.
- Fretboard edges also sharp.
- Fretboard dry as a bone, actually grey.
One inexcusable flaw: Bridge assembly is too close to the neck; instrument cannot be intonated correctly even to suggested higher tuning. This should not happen in any factory. Whole bridge had to be moved back all 10 mm, which enables a bit longer scale and correct (or at least better) intonation. Moving the bridge then results the body string holes not to be aligned to bridge bits. Fortunately the bridge plate has two back holes where the lower ones can be used to wire the strings through the holes of the bits assembled in higher bridge holes. It's a workaround that then complicates string changes.
Strings are unbranded .010 scale which should be tuned to A-D-G-C-E-A due to short scale. I changed .011 scale strings in standard tuning. Works fine. Still a bit thicker set might be even better. To do next. A bit nut filing needed there for the thick strings.
Fretboard and frets absolutely need filing, leveling, sanding and oiling.
All and all, if you have some mechanical affection in your hands, this is a great project to exercise some lutherie. When needed fiddles done, I had me a great playing guitar for my tiny clumsy weenies. And for a great price, too.