Harley Benton Guitars

rdub73 · 26-05-2013 3:31pm #1

Hi

I am thinking of getting a Harley Benton LP 450 plus vintage series from Thomann.I have done as much research as I can on these guitars and they seem to tick all the Les Paul boxes i.e Mahogany body , set neck , maple top and wilkinson pick ups , from what I see and hear on youtube vids they sound good and accomplished guitarists are using them live.They do get mixed reviews but thats the same with all brands I suppose.

So I go into a local guitar shop for some plecs and get talking to the guitar tech/sales guy and mention my interest in Harley Benton , he tells me they're the greatest load of crap he's seen that they wont tune , the bridge is in the wrong place and numerous other faults infact theyre the only brand they wont accept as trade ins.
He recommends the Vintage brand (which he stocks) which I know of and hear great things about but for one with all the right (LP) specs of the Harley Benton your talking twice the price.

So in short is there anyone out there thats bought/played one of these that could sway me either way I have only started playing again after 20 years and would be intermediate level at most

Cheers

wild turkey · 26-05-2013 4:28pm

I got one of the harley benton Teles a few years ago & it was pure muck
cant speak for their LPs though
Ive had 3 of the Vintage Les Pauls and all have been great guitars for the price
one of them needed a bit of work done on it, new tuners sharp fret ends but ended up an excellent guitar

Look on adverts !

il gatto · 27-05-2013 12:21am

Haven't played either but the Vintage guitars are generally well regarded. Solid construction, nice players and sound good apparently.
If they're similar money, the Vintage may be a safer bet. Epiphone are decent enough too, even though I always feel their Les Pauls don't quite nail their Gibson counterparts as well as their semis and SGs.

SamBrugha · 27-05-2013 8:59am

I have an old hb bass I'm trying to fix up at the moment... The only usable part is the body! Electronics are muck, the neck warps, the hardware wares down when you alter it,tuners don't stay tuned.

You would be better getting a squire epiphone sx vintage Ltd dean or whatever guitar! Some times Harley benton look nice but never trust them

il gatto · 27-05-2013 9:14am

Harley Benton is Thomann's own brand. I don't know if they source them from one manufacturer or multiple, but I suspect multiple, because they have some fairly diverse models. It means that there may be some pigs and some gems in the range. Problem is, buying online, you can't try them. Unless someone you know has the model you're looking at.
A friend of mine bought a Jack and Danny as a stop gap when his Ibanez died. He was saving for a Jackson/Schecter. He played it for 2-3 years. Very happy with it. Bought the Schecter eventually. Can't say I ever tried it though.

rdub73 · 27-05-2013 9:15am

Cheers

I'm leaning towards the Vintage alright just missed out on one on Ebay yesterday that went for £70

wild turkey · 27-05-2013 9:26am

Whats your budget ?
Are you set on a Les Paul or consider Strats Teles sg's etc

rdub73 · 27-05-2013 9:51am

wild turkey wrote: »

Whats your budget ?
Are you set on a Les Paul or consider Strats Teles sg's etc

I could stretch to about €160 (have to get amp as well) I actually have an aria tele which is really understated and great to play and at first was going to part exchange for an LP but think ill hold on to it

Celly Smunt · 27-05-2013 4:46pm

To be honest i'd try get another 50-100 euro saved up and get something that'll blow anything in your current price range away.I recently picked up a Michael Kelly patriot on adverts (at a very very reasonable price) which i've been blown away by.It would rival my gibson LP now that i have changed all the electronics,but by stock standards it's just beautiful.

il gatto · 27-05-2013 11:35pm

pmcmahon wrote: »

To be honest i'd try get another 50-100 euro saved up and get something that'll blow anything in your current price range away.I recently picked up a Michael Kelly patriot on adverts (at a very very reasonable price) which i've been blown away by.It would rival my gibson LP now that i have changed all the electronics,but by stock standards it's just beautiful.

Wise words. I know the urge to get something now can be hard to resist, but a few quid at that level can be the difference between a real player and a real pig. A few euro more and keep an eye on adverts.ie and donedeal and a nice Vintage or Epiphone should be easy enough to come by. Stay away from Epiphones with a bolt on neck. Nothing like a Les Paul in my experience.

rdub73 · 02-06-2013 9:45am

il gatto wrote: »

Wise words. I know the urge to get something now can be hard to resist, but a few quid at that level can be the difference between a real player and a real pig. A few euro more and keep an eye on adverts.ie and donedeal and a nice Vintage or Epiphone should be easy enough to come by. Stay away from Epiphones with a bolt on neck. Nothing like a Les Paul in my experience.

What about a vintage v99 I found on adverts it has a bolt on neck though ! It's a toss up between that and a epi standard ?

wild turkey · 02-06-2013 10:29am

With Les Paul's I would usually keep away from the bolt on's
theres a few decent ones on adverts
Have a look at the Burny which would be good quality, a nice Tokai on there as well

http://www.adverts.ie/for-sale/music-instruments-equipment/guitar-bass/191/q_les+paul/sortby_price-asc/price_150-250/

Also Waltons is due their sale shortly
You could pick up a Cheap Epi or new Gibson Melody Maker for under €300

rdub73 · 02-06-2013 11:06am

wild turkey wrote: »

With Les Paul's I would usually keep away from the bolt on's
theres a few decent ones on adverts
Have a look at the Burny which would be good quality, a nice Tokai on there as well

http://www.adverts.ie/for-sale/music-instruments-equipment/guitar-bass/191/q_les+paul/sortby_price-asc/price_150-250/

Also Waltons is due their sale shortly
You could pick up a Cheap Epi or new Gibson Melody Maker for under €300

Ha they are literary my watch list , the only thing stopping me on most is location, thinking of offering 190 for this http://www.adverts.ie/3183755

Owldshtok · 12-06-2013 1:30am

rdub73 wrote: »

Hi

I am thinking of getting a Harley Benton LP 450 plus vintage series from Thomann.I have done as much research as I can on these guitars and they seem to tick all the Les Paul boxes i.e Mahogany body , set neck , maple top and wilkinson pick ups , from what I see and hear on youtube vids they sound good and accomplished guitarists are using them live.They do get mixed reviews but thats the same with all brands I suppose.

So I go into a local guitar shop for some plecs and get talking to the guitar tech/sales guy and mention my interest in Harley Benton , he tells me they're the greatest load of crap he's seen that they wont tune , the bridge is in the wrong place and numerous other faults infact theyre the only brand they wont accept as trade ins.
He recommends the Vintage brand (which he stocks) which I know of and hear great things about but for one with all the right (LP) specs of the Harley Benton your talking twice the price.

So in short is there anyone out there thats bought/played one of these that could sway me either way I have only started playing again after 20 years and would be intermediate level at most

Cheers

They are total rubbish.And anyway some poor buck who's trying to sell his barely used Vintage on adverts for next to nothing deserves your money more than the thomann empire

truedoom · 12-06-2013 9:07am

Harely Benton's are pure muck. Very poor sounding and feeling guitars. I would recommend buying an Epi Les Paul second hand, they'd go for about your price range (as mentioned stay away from bolt on's)

hidinginthebush · 12-06-2013 9:13am

pmcmahon wrote: »

To be honest i'd try get another 50-100 euro saved up and get something that'll blow anything in your current price range away.I recently picked up a Michael Kelly patriot on adverts (at a very very reasonable price) which i've been blown away by.It would rival my gibson LP now that i have changed all the electronics,but by stock standards it's just beautiful.

Other guitarist in my band has one, absolutely gorgeous! They need a little lovin' to get going alright (his needed new saddles, the stock ones kept breaking strings), but after that it was absolutely gorgeous.

rdub73 · 12-06-2013 1:51pm

Thanks for the Adverts.ie tip Lads , Nearly went with a V99 but am on my way to pick up a Tanglewood LP .
Some great guitars on adverts , Id never consider going near a shop with the selection of guitars and accesories available for dirt cheap

Thanks again:)

rdub73 · 13-06-2013 1:49pm

Tanglewood tsb58cb the tone out of these are exceptional

rdub73 · 13-06-2013 1:50pm

Tanglewood tsb58cb the tone out of these are exceptional

topcatcbr · 08-04-2015 3:22pm

Funny how opinions change

Gregor Samsa · 08-04-2015 4:58pm

I think Thomann's quality/manufacturers may have changed during that time too. This is 2 year old thread where people were talking about "old" HB instruments, so I assume we're going back 5 or more years.

The only HB instrument I have is an acoustic bass that I got about 7 years ago. It's fine, but i've never played another acoustic bass to compare it against. I have a few of their electric guitars in my wishlist, but haven't pulled the trigger yet (no room at home for more gear)

hidinginthebush · 08-04-2015 10:36pm

Harley Benton do some nice own brand electronics for those without moral scruples. I think a good few of their pedals are rebranded joyo, so pretty close to those they are cloning. I have a power block (two of them actually) that's five independent power loops in the one unit. Great value and no hum. Much better for powering a few pedals than the daisy chain method imo. Only problem is you have to rewire the euro of on it, but it's easy to do.

Gregor Samsa · 09-04-2015 9:41am

hidinginthebush wrote: »

Harley Benton do some nice own brand electronics for those without moral scruples.

What have moral scruples got to do with it?

rdub73 · 15-04-2015 10:47am

Yep Opinions change alright!

Although a few years ago I was then inquiring about anyone's experience of HB's . Since then I've had a go on a Lp and one of their semi hollow's , My brother in-law also bought one on adverts to customize and have to say they're not bad at all and with the Wilko pups they are excellent value . They have a good few new models out now and with solid mahogany bodies and decent hardware I,d go for one no problem! I actually have my eye on their AFD Les Paul which has the upgraded zebra wilko pups and looks the dogs

Only downside for me anyway is the necks are a bit chunky , I prefer the 60 profile on my Vintage LP , but that's a personal preference.

topcatcbr · 10-05-2015 5:46pm

I am looking at their guitars. Their delux models and I suspect they may be rebranded vintage/tone king products. I have ordered a Cst-24. I think it's a model vintage call vrs150 but I cannot be certain. They do look fairly identical. Also see the same with the les Paul l450plus it looks a lot like a vintage with same spec and hardware. They are a good bit cheaper than the equivalent vintage.

wild turkey · 10-05-2015 6:57pm

I have a Vintage les paul as well as the L450 plus and they are two totally different guitars
The L450 is identical to my Gibson apart from the headstock and bridge pins
The Vintage V100 is thinner wrong shape and feels completely different
I would be very surprised if they were built by the same company

wild turkey · 11-05-2015 8:04pm

wild turkey wrote: »

I got one of the harley benton Teles a few years ago & it was pure muck
cant speak for their LPs though

God I forgot about that thing
It really was a POS ,gave it away to a friend for nothing

topcatcbr · 11-05-2015 8:21pm

Was it one of the models they currently sell or have they changed.

I think I should get delivery of the CST-24 tomorrow. I really hope its as good as the L450+ you got. I don't expect a PRS but a nice tone and good workmanship would be nice.

Mad_Dave · 11-05-2015 8:45pm

I remember looking at HB guitars a few years back, they were pretty bad. They seem to have come on leaps and bounds since then, to the point where it looks like Gibson have decided to step in a force a few design changes to the LP, SG and 335 models

Not all bad news though, along with the design changes, which HB say are "slight", the new models will feature improved pickups and/or hardware depending on model number.

Best news of all though is that they're doing a lefty version of the new 335 copy - I'm gonna be highly tempted by that one !

Joe Doe · 11-05-2015 9:04pm

All these very cheap guitars are pure mucky muck, whether it's stagg/vintage/HarleyBenton etc etc.
They're effectively all made in same/similar Chinese factories as 'white label products' the logo is just stuck on afterwards.

Best bet is aim for 2nd hand decent mid-range offerings for the same price as new muck.
Fenders(squires-mex)/Ibanez(grg) or maybe maybe Epiphones(kor) Horhner, or Tanglewoods etc
- Will hold their value regardless and always play+sound better.

wild turkey · 11-05-2015 9:50pm

topcatcbr wrote: »

Was it one of the models they currently sell or have they changed.

I think I should get delivery of the CST-24 tomorrow. I really hope its as good as the L450+ you got. I don't expect a PRS but a nice tone and good workmanship would be nice.

http://www.thomann.de/ie/harley_benton_hbt30be_egitarre.htm

It was this one
My wife bought it for me as a christmas present
It was back in 2006 though, everything was cheap about it

wild turkey · 11-05-2015 10:56pm

Joe Doe wrote: »

All these very cheap guitars are pure mucky muck, whether it's stagg/vintage/HarleyBenton etc etc.
They're effectively all made in same/similar Chinese factories as 'white label products' the logo is just stuck on afterwards.

Best bet is aim for 2nd hand decent mid-range offerings for the same price as new muck.
Fenders(squires-mex)/Ibanez(grg) or maybe maybe Epiphones(kor) Horhner, or Tanglewoods etc
- Will hold their value regardless and always play+sound better.

I remember as a kid in the 80s owning a Ross Distortion and Compressor
and selling them because they were cheap
I also remember playing a Sunn Mustang and thinking it was a brilliant guitar but not buying it because it was £99 , I was telling a friend about it that night and I remember his reply was " It cant be any worse than those Japanese Fenders "

These were the new muck of their day

Not that I'm defending all cheap guitars but the Harley benton I got a few weeks ago is as good as any Epiphone Ive owned and it only cost €150
Its not as refined as my 2 Gibsons and needed a bit of work but for the price it pushes value for money to the limit
My son owns the Vintage V100 and I dont consider it a Les Paul but its a great guitar to play

hidinginthebush · 12-05-2015 9:23am

Definitely agree. The first "proper" guitar I owned was a BC rick warlock that was €300 or so. Now looking back, it's as ugly as sin, but in hindsight actually sounds pretty good, and it is by far the most comfortable neck I have ever played on in all the 18 years I've been playing. I actually still have the neck, can't bring myself to throw it out.

Joe Doe · 12-05-2015 3:19pm

A fender squire (affinity) is cheap as chips, about the price of a vintage/harley/copeland/stagg/encore/burswood etc, but the parts quality (and more important the playability) is miles apart.

This comparability also runs through when discussing amps, a cheap 50bob fender amp will blow away any of those Chinese 'virtually unbranded' white label amps, which even use 'unbranded speakers' and bargain wires/knobs.

The worst guitar I've ever seen was a new Encore, warped and unplayable anywhere past the 8th fret.

The best quality, pound for pound is the combination of a fairly cheap Ibanez RG 270 and 80's Marshall AVT 50/100w (Valvestate) maybe a few hundred for the pair (2nd hand). Else a squire if you don't need a hot rock sound with an Ibanez.

wild turkey · 12-05-2015 8:11pm

topcatcbr wrote: »

Was it one of the models they currently sell or have they changed.

I think I should get delivery of the CST-24 tomorrow. I really hope its as good as the L450+ you got. I don't expect a PRS but a nice tone and good workmanship would be nice.

Did you get it ?

topcatcbr · 12-05-2015 9:36pm

Not yet. I thought (hoping) itwould be today. I won't be home tomorrow. According to the tracking it's out for delivery. I'll pick it up on Thursday.

topcatcbr · 12-05-2015 9:40pm

Joe Doe wrote: »

A fender squire (affinity) is cheap as chips, about the price of a vintage/harley/copeland/stagg/encore/burswood etc, but the parts quality (and more important the playability) is miles apart.

This comparability also runs through when discussing amps, a cheap 50bob fender amp will blow away any of those Chinese 'virtually unbranded' white label amps, which even use 'unbranded speakers' and bargain wires/knobs.

The worst guitar I've ever seen was a new Encore, warped and unplayable anywhere past the 8th fret.

The best quality, pound for pound is the combination of a fairly cheap Ibanez RG 270 and 80's Marshall AVT 50/100w (Valvestate) maybe a few hundred for the pair (2nd hand). Else a squire if you don't need a hot rock sound with an Ibanez.

That's your opinion and that's fine. However I'm looking for something a bit different than a squire to be honest and hoping for something a little better. If the reviews of the other HB delux series guitars are anything to go by it should be better than a squire. Not knocking squires by the way. They are good for what they are. Just not for me.

wild turkey · 12-05-2015 9:42pm

Oh I hate when that happens
Nothing worse than waiting all day and nothing shows up

topcatcbr · 13-05-2015 9:12pm

wild turkey wrote:

Oh I hate when that happens Nothing worse than waiting all day and nothing shows up

Got home and found the post notice about it being attempted delivery. Tomorrow morning I'll go and get it.

topcatcbr · 14-05-2015 1:36pm

Collected the guitar from the post office. Brought it home and opened it. Gave it a quick inspection and was impressed by the general build and equipment levels.

Brought it up to my amp (Bugera V22 combo). Plugged in and tuned up. Not much out of tune.

Neck pick up sounds the more usable to me initially. Quite bluesy and warm. The bridge pickup is brighter as you'd expect and I have not yet got a tone setting on it that I really like yet but I'm sure its there. Both pickups are Wilkinson HBs.

I notice on playing that this guitar is not well set up and I have to get this done.

I clear the kitchen table and get to work. I first try to remove the truss rod cover. For this there are 3 Phillips screws. Two of them come out fine but one is particularly stubborn. After much persuasion it comes out and I see why it was so difficult. The screw was slightly bent. As a result I have wrung the head and will need to replace it.

Now that the truss rod is exposed I can start to work it. I have it almost straight and the strings are a bit closer to fret board but not yet good enough. The bridge needs to be lowered. At this point I decided to remove all the strings and have a good look as I never adjusted a wrap over type bridge before. I loosen the truss rod to neutral and screw the bridge to home position. While strings are off I polished the frets. They were a little tarnished but nothing major. I then oiled the fret board and I'm waiting for it to soak in while I type this. I'll then wipe off excess

Squidgy Black · 14-05-2015 3:18pm

How do the frets feel? Are they sharp? Also did you check and see how the nut was cut?

Interested in picking one up but don't really want it to involve too much work, particularly not fretwork anyways.

topcatcbr · 14-05-2015 3:47pm

_Tyrrell_ wrote:

How do the frets feel? Are they sharp? Also did you check and see how the nut was cut?

They are fine. All they needed was a rub of fret polishing cloth. I got the action set up in about 30 min. Its great value for money.

I recently sold a Gibson SG standard costing â‚¬1200 new. I'd put this close in quality. Its a nicer looking guitar. The only thing really in the Gibson's favour is it came fully set up. Tone wise its personal preference. The good thing is it can be sent back for a full refund if you're not happy.

I got the one with the wrap over bridge. I have no use for a trem so I didn't get it. The wrap over bridge is simple to adjust. The tuners work perfectly. The only let down was the action really. If you are confident to do that I'd go for it.

topcatcbr · 14-05-2015 7:34pm

Pic

topcatcbr · 14-05-2015 7:36pm

Pic2

topcatcbr · 14-05-2015 7:37pm

Pic 3

wild turkey · 14-05-2015 7:55pm

Glad you like it !

If you have a stubborn screw try heating it with a soldering iron for a few seconds and then try removing it
The screw expands with the heat etc, etc.
You might get the broken one out this way or buy a prs trc which might be bigger than the HB one

Do the pots need replacing ?
Is the body very close to PRS specs ?

That heel joint looks very tidy
any idea of how many pieces the body is ?

Ive done a deal on adverts for a set of Peavey T-60 pickups for my LP
I ve owned Two T-60s but ended up selling them because of the very skinny neck

The tone controls also act as a roll off coil split and a phase switch can give you strat ,tele lp and P-90 tones
and sound superb as well
Cant wait !

topcatcbr · 14-05-2015 8:03pm

Got the screws out. But I'm only putting two back as I wrung the head of one. It looks very similar to a PRS. how close it is actually I don't know. I posted pics. I'm on an iPad so not sure if they come out. As for pots. I think they'll do me. The biggest issue I had was the setup. I don't think thoaman tried to set it up at all. The finish is immaculate. I have gotten the action quite playable but I might still send it in for a professional set up in time.

wild turkey · 14-05-2015 8:21pm

A wraparound is very easy to set up

If the nuts too high take it out and sand a little off the bottom rather than filing the slots
adjust the truss and then lower the bridge

When adjusting the pickup height I get someone to play while I adjust so I can hear what sounds best

Binnster · 01-06-2015 10:49pm

Hi Guys,
Just wondering if one of these Harley Bentons are good enough for my daughter. She is 11 and recently started learning guitar. She goes to lessons learning with an acoustic and is coming on in leaps and bounds. She wants to start with the electric now and has seen a couple of starter sets on the Thomann website. Will they be good enough for her or should we look at other brands? I know nothing so any help would be appreciated.

wild turkey · 02-06-2015 5:26pm

Binnster wrote: »

Hi Guys,
Just wondering if one of these Harley Bentons are good enough for my daughter. She is 11 and recently started learning guitar. She goes to lessons learning with an acoustic and is coming on in leaps and bounds. She wants to start with the electric now and has seen a couple of starter sets on the Thomann website. Will they be good enough for her or should we look at other brands? I know nothing so any help would be appreciated.

They would be fine for her
I would however bring her to a guitar shop and let her get a feel for which type of guitar she likes be it a Strat, Tele, les paul etc . Strats would probably suit best as they will fit her body better
Then buy on thomann

I wouldnt buy the cheapest Harley benton but the Vintage series get great reviews and only cost €111

http://www.thomann.de/ie/harley_benton_st_62_sb_vintage_series.htm#bewertung

I would also consider buying the amp separate as well

These are a brilliant little amp

http://www.thomann.de/ie/harley_benton_st_62_sb_vintage_series.htm#bewertung

wild turkey · 02-06-2015 5:58pm

topcatcbr wrote: »

Collected the guitar from the post office. Brought it home and opened it. Gave it a quick inspection and was impressed by the general build and equipment levels.

Brought it up to my amp (Bugera V22 combo). Plugged in and tuned up. Not much out of tune.

Neck pick up sounds the more usable to me initially. Quite bluesy and warm. The bridge pickup is brighter as you'd expect and I have not yet got a tone setting on it that I really like yet but I'm sure its there. Both pickups are Wilkinson HBs.

I notice on playing that this guitar is not well set up and I have to get this done.

I clear the kitchen table and get to work. I first try to remove the truss rod cover. For this there are 3 Phillips screws. Two of them come out fine but one is particularly stubborn. After much persuasion it comes out and I see why it was so difficult. The screw was slightly bent. As a result I have wrung the head and will need to replace it.

Now that the truss rod is exposed I can start to work it. I have it almost straight and the strings are a bit closer to fret board but not yet good enough. The bridge needs to be lowered. At this point I decided to remove all the strings and have a good look as I never adjusted a wrap over type bridge before. I loosen the truss rod to neutral and screw the bridge to home position. While strings are off I polished the frets. They were a little tarnished but nothing major. I then oiled the fret board and I'm waiting for it to soak in while I type this. I'll then wipe off excess

A few weeks on ... You still happy with it ?

Harley Benton Guitars

Comments