Do i buy a Harley Benton?

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Basically i'm gassing for something cheap to learn how to work on/set up and have kicking around the house that i don't care about too much but also something i can put a bit of time into to make truly useable over time (not just something cheap and horrible)

I have two les pauls that i love dearly but they're a bit too nice/hefty to make me want to pull out and twiddle about on and too highly loved/set up to my liking for me to start testing my amateur soldering skills on. 

So the thought of having a cheapo strat/tele appeals to me to have something a little different/lighter.

Do i pull the trigger? 
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Comments

  • munckeemunckee Frets: 12255
    I have a Harley Benton 335. I changed  the pickups and tuners and put on new pickguard and knobs and sanded and buffed the finish to remove some of the plasticky gloss. 

    I love it and prefer it to epiphones and gretsches I've tried. Plus have enjoyed the modding. 

    I think strat and tele are different. I would start with a used squire standard, which I did with a strat, easier to get parts for. 
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  • stimpsonslostsonstimpsonslostson Frets: 5418
    edited February 2019


    Esquire https://imgur.com/a/gXdfg
    This is my main guitar. It started life as a Harley Benton TE52.
    I bought it for the modding challenge a few years ago & despite a huge turnover of guitars since, this one will never leave. (Partially due to the sentimental value, but also because it's a really good guitar!)

    I HAVE made various changes
    Removed poly finish & oiled body
    Wilkinson brass bridge
    Oil City Alligator pickup & Eldred harness
    Custom pickguard (made by me)
    Upgraded tuners
    Full setup

    Despite all that, the original guitar was great. Especially "for the money"- it played well (aside from some unpolished frets) sounded good & looked the part. 
    To my mind it's spectacular value for money & much better than an equivalent Squier. 
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  • munckeemunckee Frets: 12255
    Esquire https://imgur.com/a/gXdfgL

    This is my main guitar. It started life as a Harley Benton TE52.
    I bought it for the modding challenge a few years ago & despite a huge turnover of guitars since, this one will never leave. (Partially due to the sentimental value, but also because it's a really good guitar!)

    I HAVE made various changes
    Removed poly finish & oiled body
    Wilkinson brass bridge
    Oil City Alligator pickup & Eldred harness
    Custom pickguard (made by me)
    Upgraded tuners
    Full setup

    Despite all that, the original guitar was great. Especially "for the money"- it played well (aside from some unpolished frets) sounded good & looked the part. 
    To my mind it's spectacular value for money & much better than an equivalent Squier. 
    Brings up a picture of a corgi ears deep in the snow!?
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  • stimpsonslostsonstimpsonslostson Frets: 5418
    edited February 2019
    munckee said:

    Esquire https://imgur.com/a/gXdfg

    This is my main guitar. It started life as a Harley Benton TE52.
    I bought it for the modding challenge a few years ago & despite a huge turnover of guitars since, this one will never leave. (Partially due to the sentimental value, but also because it's a really good guitar!)

    I HAVE made various changes
    Removed poly finish & oiled body
    Wilkinson brass bridge
    Oil City Alligator pickup & Eldred harness
    Custom pickguard (made by me)
    Upgraded tuners
    Full setup

    Despite all that, the original guitar was great. Especially "for the money"- it played well (aside from some unpolished frets) sounded good & looked the part. 
    To my mind it's spectacular value for money & much better than an equivalent Squier. 
    Brings up a picture of a corgi ears deep in the snow!?
    Fixed, I think... 
    I've often thought of replacing it with a "real" Fender, probably a Baja, but am terrified it wouldn't feel/sound like "me" & I'd only be paying for the logo.
    A telecaster is basically a cricket bat bolted to a bread board. When you find a good one keep it! 
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  • ionianionian Frets: 100
    I'm gassing for a squier bullet mustang for the same reasons - its another model to consider if you aren't married to the strat/tele body shape. 

    Interesting thread to see what can be done:
    http://www.squier-talk.com/threads/bullet-mustang-show-and-explain-your-mods.120709/
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  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
    Personally I'd go for a cheap 2nd hand guitar off of eBay before HB. 
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  • WonkyWonky Frets: 188
    axisus said:
    Personally I'd go for a cheap 2nd hand guitar off of eBay before HB. 
    I second that.  Second hand off the Bay
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  • RolandRoland Frets: 8590
    Thirds
    Tree recycler, and guitarist with  https://www.undercoversband.com/.
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  • Harley Benton guitars are good for the money, I think that the cheaper than you’d expect price is mainly down to the fact that they commission the instruments straight from the Chinese factories. To be honest if I was looking for a cheap guitar to do up I’d probably buy a used Squier or Epiphone, I’ve picked them up virtually unplayed for between £15 to £35  at boot sales to either do up or sell on.
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  • cheers everyone.

    Yeah, the second hand option has been something i've always kept an eye on, but sadly i rarely see much cropping up under £150 thats worth a crack at.
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  • prowlaprowla Frets: 4896
    Buy some parts and try and fit them together.

    Squier bodies and MIM necks are a good starting point.
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  • thegummythegummy Frets: 4389
    Always heard HB are good for the money but not sure what that means really. They're so cheap that they could be good "for the money" but still be unpleasant.

    For me the quality necessary is so that when I'm playing I don't have to think about the guitar. Any lower obviously distracts, any higher is moot.

    I'd pay extra if at all possible to get to that level.
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  • munckeemunckee Frets: 12255
    thegummy said:
    Always heard HB are good for the money but not sure what that means really. They're so cheap that they could be good "for the money" but still be unpleasant.

    For me the quality necessary is so that when I'm playing I don't have to think about the guitar. Any lower obviously distracts, any higher is moot.

    I'd pay extra if at all possible to get to that level.
    In my experience the pickups, tuners and pickguard screamed cheap but when replaced the guitar plays perfectly well.
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  • I have a Harley Benton 335 and its a very good guitar for the money. However if I was to get a guitar simply to learn settups on, I would go for a used super cheapo from eBay.

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  • robertyroberty Frets: 10893
    edited February 2019
    I got a used Vintage V100 from eBay for £100 and it turned up snapped. Got my money back and glued it all up. Try and find a seller with bad feedback?

    The budget/satin Gibson SGs can be found around the £350 range
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  • kt66kt66 Frets: 315
    I'd look at a Revelation, I taught myself how to set up and maintain guitars as one of them  had sharp frets, high action etc, after a little work they play great and sound great too.
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  • mbembe Frets: 1840
    Another vote for Squier Strat.
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  • Harley Bentons are good but will need a setup
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  • rossirossi Frets: 1699
    The SA60SB I bought  was good but had razor sharp fret edges and I do mean razor sharp ..I soon sorted it out  and it was a good guitar but sort of heavy for me  which most Harleys are .Great value and really rocked .i would love a light one but thats  not going to happen  so I sold it .All these guitar types are good compared to the rubbish we all started out on in the 60,s.I also fancy a Revelation which looks better  but cost more .again as others have said a Squier gives great value and quality .I bought an SE Strat off gumtree for 30 quid a few weeks ago and its great fun.
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