Harley Benton

finest1

hi all

for over a year, Harley Benton has been in my under current. i hear about them, don't really pay too much attention except that its market is for low price guitars. however, for a low priced brand, they get a lot of exposure. what i want to know is, who are they? where they come from? and how are they making their money if the instruments are already low in price?

https://www.guitarworld.com/news/harley-benton-just-launched-a-dollar91-guitar-for-metal-players?utm_source=Selligent&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=24682&utm_content=Guitar_World_eNews_10%2F26%2F20+&utm_term=1418288&m_i=_yb8GFmCpVFeW6kh12y0rEDtHbOHXgOJ3nq59dhfaHPZPkqJz%2B9XpdGvQfw93oMP9QrTsyK4J1nS2ZRRpNRUueOFemGZr1r__8

Crazyblue1779

They’re the in house brand of Thomann and they’re their own distributor so that saves a big chunk of change. 

Also that’s a fine looking guitar, I’ll be interested to see the UK price. 

*edit* just looked. It’s £82! I’d be sorely tempted to try one, especially as I was hankering after a Jim Root tele a while back. 

Harley Bentons are often regarded as a good base for modding (upgrading electronics etc).  

Sassafras

He was a delta blues musician who bought affordable instruments to the masses.
He then went into partnership with Jim Davidson and so the Harley Davidson was born.

carlos

Crazyblue1779 said:

They’re the in house brand of Thomann and they’re their own distributor so that saves a big chunk of change. 

Also that’s a fine looking guitar, I’ll be interested to see the UK price. 

*edit* just looked. It’s £82! I’d be sorely tempted to try one, especially as I was hankering after a Jim Root tele a while back. 

Harley Bentons are often regarded as a good base for modding (upgrading electronics etc).  

£82!
https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_te_20hh_sbk_standard_series.htm

merlin

We're doomed! 

Henrytwang

At £82 I suppose it’s alright if you’re looking for a body and neck or something to smash on stage as part of your act. I can’t believe that the hardware and electrics are much cop at that price and the body might be thinner than a “ real” Telecaster. I’ve bought six Harley Benton guitars over the years, one was good, another ok and the rest junk.

rossi

Look to sort out frets a bit .Usually sharp .As long as its playable its good value. .I always approach cheap guitars as work in progress  and am then usually pleasantly surprised rather than disappointed .I would probably have a room full of them if they were lighter.

PonchoGreg

The consensus seem to be that their more expensive models (it's all relative as it probably tops out at £400) are very good value and we'll put together. Not gonna lie, I've had designs on their fusion line of superstrats...

kentuckyklira

Henrytwang said:

At £82 I suppose it’s alright if you’re looking for a body and neck or something to smash on stage as part of your act. I can’t believe that the hardware and electrics are much cop at that price and the body might be thinner than a “ real” Telecaster. I’ve bought six Harley Benton guitars over the years, one was good, another ok and the rest junk.

This is sort of my experience too. Thoman does have decent QC but it´s still a big company buying cheap from whatever Asian company prepared to deliver. They can be anything between garbage and great. At least in that price range you can take a risk without regretting it too much.

Mudcrutch

I discovered Thomann and then Harley Benton through a friend who recommended Thomann as a place to buy a Fender bass guitar and Strat from back in March when lockdown started.
Since then I’ve watched hundreds of YouTube videos on Harley Benton guitars and related products and have bought over twenty of there guitars.
They make some great looking sounding and very affordable guitars and other related products.
The only problem Ive had is string  and some humbucker pickup hight needed adjustment but then one has to do that on most new guitars .
If you want to see a £79 giant killer candy apple red Tele check out Harley Benton TE-20Vs Fender AM Telecaster standard Video by Kim’s Workshop on YouTube . https://youtu.be/MDvfN-VOsAw

Also China Guitar Sceptic CGS has recently done three in-depth reviews on the same guitar on YouTube 

I bought one a while back after seeing Kim’s video and was blown away at how good it is I bought a blue one for my son.

darthed1981

They represent stunning value for money, a fully playable electric guitar starting at less than a ton!

If you normally will only buy us made or custom shop, you probably aren't the target market, but for someone starting out they are a great option.  

I've got one of their flying  v copies and out of the box it was dirty and needed a fret polish and new strings, the pickups are OK, but a clean up and so forth and its very playable, looks great and sounds fine.

It feels a bit cheap, but I'm tempted to stick some really noisy heavy pickups in it for giggles.

Mudcrutch

I’ve got the black with gold hardware Harley Benton Victory Plus BK vintage series V shape guitar and it’s awesome nothing cheap looking or feeling about it ,It looks great plays great and sounds great.

vasselmeyer

If you're old enough you'll remember the Korean-made Marlin Sidewinder guitars in the mid-1980s. They were shit but loads of people bought them because they were cheap and looked flashy. Harley-Bentons are the current equivalent, but they're playable.

Anyone who bought a Marlin in the 1980s, who still plays one now is a masochist. Mind you, the hardware was made of cheese, and the bridge, tuners and pots would definitely have disintegrated by now, so it's unlikely that anyone still has one in its original form.

finest1

whoa! that flying V looks good, obviously a stock photo, but still

Mudcrutch

finest1 said:

whoa! that flying V looks good, obviously a stock photo, but still

I have got my own pictures of it but haven’t worked out how to post them on here yet.

Mudcrutch

vasselmeyer said:

If you're old enough you'll remember the Korean-made Marlin Sidewinder guitars in the mid-1980s. They were shit but loads of people bought them because they were cheap and looked flashy. Harley-Bentons are the current equivalent, but they're playable.

Anyone who bought a Marlin in the 1980s, who still plays one now is a masochist. Mind you, the hardware was made of cheese, and the bridge, tuners and pots would definitely have disintegrated by now, so it's unlikely that anyone still has one in its original form.

I totally disagree with you.
All the HB guitars I have are very well made and nothing like the rubbish built 80s guitars.
Build and production technology has moved on considerably since the 80s.
If I played live I wouldn’t think twice about gigging with any of them.

mbe

Sassafras said:

He was a delta blues musician who bought affordable instruments to the masses.
He then went into partnership with Jim Davidson and so the Harley Davidson was born.

Yes, the late great Charley Harley the yodelling blues giant from Texarcana. Moved to China and invested in a factory that made garden sheds which he swiftly repurposed to making fine electric guitars.

darthed1981

Mudcrutch said:

I’ve got the black with gold hardware Harley Benton Victory Plus BK vintage series V shape guitar and it’s awesome nothing cheap looking or feeling about it ,It looks great plays great and sounds great.

Thats the exact one I've got.

I call it Mr Pointy.

carlos

vasselmeyer said:

If you're old enough you'll remember the Korean-made Marlin Sidewinder guitars in the mid-1980s. They were shit but loads of people bought them because they were cheap and looked flashy. Harley-Bentons are the current equivalent, but they're playable.

Anyone who bought a Marlin in the 1980s, who still plays one now is a masochist. Mind you, the hardware was made of cheese, and the bridge, tuners and pots would definitely have disintegrated by now, so it's unlikely that anyone still has one in its original form.

Fake news

vasselmeyer

Mudcrutch said:

vasselmeyer said:

If you're old enough you'll remember the Korean-made Marlin Sidewinder guitars in the mid-1980s. They were shit but loads of people bought them because they were cheap and looked flashy. Harley-Bentons are the current equivalent, but they're playable.

Anyone who bought a Marlin in the 1980s, who still plays one now is a masochist. Mind you, the hardware was made of cheese, and the bridge, tuners and pots would definitely have disintegrated by now, so it's unlikely that anyone still has one in its original form.

I totally disagree with you.
All the HB guitars I have are very well made and nothing like the rubbish built 80s guitars.
Build and production technology has moved on considerably since the 80s.
If I played live I wouldn’t think twice about gigging with any of them.

I think you missed my point...I said "Harley-Bentons are the equivalent, but they're playable". Marlins were budget guitars but shit whereas HBs are budget guitars but playable and absolutely giggable. I'd have no problem at all playing an HB at a gig.

sammysaber

vasselmeyer said:

Mudcrutch said:

vasselmeyer said:

If you're old enough you'll remember the Korean-made Marlin Sidewinder guitars in the mid-1980s. They were shit but loads of people bought them because they were cheap and looked flashy. Harley-Bentons are the current equivalent, but they're playable.

Anyone who bought a Marlin in the 1980s, who still plays one now is a masochist. Mind you, the hardware was made of cheese, and the bridge, tuners and pots would definitely have disintegrated by now, so it's unlikely that anyone still has one in its original form.

I totally disagree with you.
All the HB guitars I have are very well made and nothing like the rubbish built 80s guitars.
Build and production technology has moved on considerably since the 80s.
If I played live I wouldn’t think twice about gigging with any of them.

I think you missed my point...I said "Harley-Bentons are the equivalent, but they're playable". Marlins were budget guitars but shit whereas HBs are budget guitars but playable and absolutely giggable. I'd have no problem at all playing an HB at a gig.

There was a Marlin Sidewinder on display at Edgware Music last week - with a sticker on it saying Sold As Seen lol.