Is Harley Benton a good guitar brand? What are Harley Benton Guitars made of? Are Benton guitars good? Where are Harley Benton guitars made? Who manufactures Harley Benton? Is Harley Benton good for beginners? When it comes to guitar brands like Harley Benton, I believe there are still many that are unfamiliar with it; that is why the above questions are usually asked when it comes to this brand.
As a musician myself, I felt that everyone should know something about guitar brands like the Harley Benton, as they are known to produce budget-friendly guitars but still of excellent quality.
So, what is Harley Benton? Harley Benton is the in-house brand of Musikhaus Thomann for its stringed instruments, amplifiers, and harmonica products. So, if you are not familiar with Thomann, it is a large trader of musical instruments and audio equipment based in Bavaria, Germany.
Harley Benton is famous for its affordable entry-level musical instruments that target the budget market. They have a reputation for providing better quality musical instruments that are usually found at their price points. For the brand’s lower mid-range range products, you can usually see some features that are integrated, though they are only usually found in other brands’ high-end products.
So, where are Harley Benton guitars made? Harley Benton manufactures a lot of affordable but fantastic quality musical instruments in its many factories in Asia. These factories are also contracted with other huge musical brands as their manufacturer, which is why they are not really that famous compared to other brands.
With these factories, Harley Benton can set lower prices with their products because of cheaper labor costs, which is an essential factor when putting price tags on musical instruments. So, if you are looking for a budget guitar that has exceptional quality, you should look out for Harley Benton guitars.
Examples Of Harley Benton Guitars
Harley Benton HB-35 Plus
Similar to a Gibson ES-335, the Harley Benton HB-35 Plus is an excellent guitar if you are looking for the best for buck value. Coming with a semi-hollow body design, it also has a pair of Roswell LAF Alnico-5 vintage-style humbuckers. The pickups can also be split by using the tone knob to give the guitar single-coil-like tones, making it a versatile guitar for playing jazz, blues, rock, indie, and other genres.
Setting the middle position with the guitar’s coil split is engaged; it gives a scrappy and nice percussive sound. When you change the pickup position to the bridge, it gives the guitar a searing crunch tone that is really nice to listen to. One thing you will notice is that even with its hollow body, you can still get a nice open and dry tone while it does not feedback too much, unlike other guitars.
Its flamed archtop is already an excellent feature that you only usually find in top-quality guitars. The guitar’s body and neck are made of Maple, while its fingerboard is made of Pau Ferro, which is a wood usually used in making mid and top-quality guitar fingerboards. It also has a set-neck attachment, giving the electric guitar a smooth and warm sustain with a moderate attack.
Harley Benton TE-52 Vintage Series
Inspired by the legendary guitar released in 1952, this Harley Benton Telecaster-style guitar is an excellent guitar to have if you are looking for affordable gear with top-notch features and quality. The guitar’s body is made of American ash, which is a pretty impressive feature for an entry-level guitar as companies only usually use this wood on really expensive guitars.
The guitar’s neck and fingerboard are made of caramelized Canadian Maple, giving the guitar a beautiful look. The neck has a C profile and is very comfortable, and it also uses dotted inlays as its position markers. Its hardware comes with a chrome finish, and it has Kluson-style machine heads, another impressive feature you rarely see in entry-level guitars.
The guitar comes with a pair of Roswell TEA Alnico-5 vintage-style single coil pickups, giving the guitar a Tele-like twang, warmth, and bite that you’d always want in an electric guitar. The pickups just give you a sound similar to classic Telecasters, making it a versatile instrument that you can play any genre with.
Harley Benton Fusion III HSH
If you are looking for a guitar that is something special, Harley Benton Fusion III HSH is an excellent guitar you should look into. Designed and created for playing fusion, shred, and metal guitar styles, you can immediately tell that this guitar has some DNA from high-end and boutique guitars.
The guitar’s body is made of Nyatoh and is very comfortable to play with. Its top has a flamed maple veneer finish, while the guitar’s neck and fretboard are made of roasted maple and flamed maple, respectively. Both features are usually found in expensive guitars, which is an excellent advantage when you purchase a Harley Benton guitar as they come with a very affordable price tag.
The guitar’s neck has a modern C-profile, giving it a really lovely feel to play with. The guitar has an HSH pickup configuration, coming with a pair of Roswell HAF-B Alnico humbuckers and a Roswell S74-C BC Alnico single-coil pickup. This pickup set gives the guitar the versatility needed for playing rock, pop, metal, fusion, and many more genres. The guitar also has a coil-split option, giving you more range of tones, from lead to rhythm.
The guitar comes with a Wilkinson 2-point tremolo, which is an excellent feature for an entry-level guitar. Its die-cast machine heads hold the guitar’s tuning perfectly, making it more like this guitar is close to a premium rather than an entry-level one. Its hardware comes with a chrome finish and comes with 24 stainless frets.
Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh
If you are looking for a Gibson SG-type guitar but do not have the budget to get the real one yet, then maybe getting a Harley Benton DC-DLX Gotoh is the perfect move for you. Based on the 1960’s classic product line from Gibson, this guitar gives you a luxurious feel at a very affordable price.
The guitar’s body is made of Nyatoh and has a neck made of Mahogany with a modern-C profile, which is not that thick but also not too thin. It has a rosewood fingerboard and comes with 22 medium jumbo stainless-steel frets. One nice thing about this guitar is that it comes with a Graphtech Tusq nut, giving the guitar the ability to be able to hold its tuning very well.
The guitar uses two Tesla VR-2 Alnico humbuckers, giving the guitar a similar classic rock tone produced by the legendary Gibson SG. Though the latter is still way better than the former, it would still be a great idea to try out the Harley Benton guitar when you consider their price tags. The guitar also has a coil split function, giving you many more tone options.
So, is Harley Benton a good guitar brand? For the price tags that they come with, Harley Benton is a great guitar brand to look into. With their guitars having top-level features at affordable price tags, there is no reason not for you to try out a Harley Benton guitar.
