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Harley Benton Guitars

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  • 02-10-2023 3:48pm
    #1
    nedd
    Registered Users Posts: 2,022 ✭✭✭


    Wondering if anyone has experience with Harley Benton Guitars from Thomann.

    I am fairly new to guitar and want to upgrade from the Yamaha I got in a 2nd hand shop. Looking to spend about €200-300 on an electric.

    I am looking at the Les Paul styles or Hollow Body styles.

    Any thoughts on Harley Bentons or alternatives would be great.



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    #2
    eviltimeban
    Registered Users Posts: 5,100 ✭✭✭eviltimeban


    Hi, yes I have two and they are great guitars. There's a big debate about whether they are any good, or just cheap knock offs, and the answer really lies somewhere in the middle. Yes, they are super-cheap, and yes they are "knock offs" of well known brands like Fender, Gibson, etc. But that's where the comparison ends I feel. They are very well made guitars, and with a decent pro-set up they'll be as good as any Squier or Epiphone you'll spend three times the money on.

    The two I have are the TE-62CC (Telecaster style) and the SC-450 Plus (Les Paul style). They are both as close to the "real" thing you can get, and while the pick ups may not be as good, they are certainly good enough to get by with. The build quality on mine is great, they both sound fantastic in a band setting (up against guitars 5 - 10 times their value), and the action and playability was perfect for both of them out of the box. So if you want a "Les Paul" experience, without having to pay €2k for it, you could do a lot worse than to drop €190 quid on a SC-450. When you get into the €300 zone with Harley Bentons, the quality is going to be even higher.

    I recorded in a studio recently that had a top end Les Paul there, and the HB both felt and sounded (and looked) very similar. Even the producer had to admit the HB sounded "just like a Les Paul". :)

    I've owned / own Fenders, Gibsons, G&Ls, Squiers, and Epiphones, and I'm happy to have Harley Bentons in there too, both as guitars to mess about with at home, and to throw in the back of the car when heading away for a gig without having to worry too much about them.

    I even have my next one planned, the ST-62CC (Strat style). If it's anything as good as the TE-62 it'll be well worth it.

    Oh and maybe 10 years ago they were poor quality, but they are way different now. I was chatting to my guitar tech about them and he rates them as well-made guitars.



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