Harley Benton "Pro Fusion" new line Super strats

thumpingrug

Thats a very nice looking guitar.  Represents incredible value for money.   What are the stock pickups like?

WildWayz

The pickups sound fine - no need to replace them IMO. 

I've removed the retaining bar (was pinching the string when using the trem) - put those Hipshot Staggared inlines in. Now the trem returns to pitch perfectly. The guitar was intonated spot on too, out of the box. 

PolarityMan

I recently acquired an HB 8 string for £60 and it's not bad, even at full prive of £170ish it would be a massive bargain. Of course it doesnt feel as nice as my LP Trad but it certainly isn't 10 times worse which the price ratio would suggest.

Going to try it out at rehearsal on monday as the pickups wont really get a test on SNR ./ feedback until i ramp up the volume but have to say HB seem to be at elast as good as low end squiers / epiphones, yamahas etc.

RedRabbit

Mine have turned up.  Managed to unbox them, tune them up and have a quick play during lunch.

Yes, I am referring to "them" - there's two of them.  One Fusion Pro (same as @WildWayz but not the roasted maple version) and one dynamic (essentially the same thing but with a pickguard).

https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_fusion_hsh_eb_aqua.htm

https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_dynamic_hsh_fmt_charcoal.htm

Quite relieved to find out that the aqua blue on the fusion isn't as garish as it looks on the stock photo.

Initial impressions are pretty good - certainly nothing obviously wrong.  I'll do a separate thread when I've had more chance to play them.

Only downside so far is that the fusion didn't arrive with it's trem arm, allen keys etc though I'm sure Thomann will sort it out.

Megii

RedRabbit said:

Mine have turned up.  Managed to unbox them, tune them up and have a quick play during lunch.

Yes, I am referring to "them" - there's two of them.  One Fusion Pro (same as @WildWayz but not the roasted maple version) and one dynamic (essentially the same thing but with a pickguard).

https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_fusion_hsh_eb_aqua.htm

https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_dynamic_hsh_fmt_charcoal.htm

Quite relieved to find out that the aqua blue on the fusion isn't as garish as it looks on the stock photo.

Initial impressions are pretty good - certainly nothing obviously wrong.  I'll do a separate thread when I've had more chance to play them.

Only downside so far is that the fusion didn't arrive with it's trem arm, allen keys etc though I'm sure Thomann will sort it out.

Pics and info on the fusion pro asap please! Highly tempted by that model myself - like you, I think I would go for the ebony fretboard option. I think the trem on the dynamic model is different? - is it still pretty decent? Cheers

WildWayz

RedRabbit said:

Mine have turned up.  Managed to unbox them, tune them up and have a quick play during lunch.

Yes, I am referring to "them" - there's two of them.  One Fusion Pro (same as @WildWayz but not the roasted maple version) and one dynamic (essentially the same thing but with a pickguard).

https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_fusion_hsh_eb_aqua.htm

https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_dynamic_hsh_fmt_charcoal.htm

Quite relieved to find out that the aqua blue on the fusion isn't as garish as it looks on the stock photo.

Initial impressions are pretty good - certainly nothing obviously wrong.  I'll do a separate thread when I've had more chance to play them.

Only downside so far is that the fusion didn't arrive with it's trem arm, allen keys etc though I'm sure Thomann will sort it out.

The Aqua Blue - how is the top? On HB's FB group, a guy who got his is complaining that the top is terrible - looks like it was painted on and not a AAAA quilt like advertised...

Also, a few more people received their guitars and there is deffo a QC issue. 

I've fed back my views on this guitar, with photos - awaiting Thomann to get back to me.

WildWayz

Here's some guitars with some issues:


Another Fusion Pro - Roasted Maple

Hole in the wood at base of headstock


Chip in the veneer, under clear coat


Green paint left on guitar - mine also had some of this


And now some images of the Aqua

RedRabbit

Megii said:

RedRabbit said:

Mine have turned up.  Managed to unbox them, tune them up and have a quick play during lunch.

Yes, I am referring to "them" - there's two of them.  One Fusion Pro (same as @WildWayz but not the roasted maple version) and one dynamic (essentially the same thing but with a pickguard).

https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_fusion_hsh_eb_aqua.htm

https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_dynamic_hsh_fmt_charcoal.htm

Quite relieved to find out that the aqua blue on the fusion isn't as garish as it looks on the stock photo.

Initial impressions are pretty good - certainly nothing obviously wrong.  I'll do a separate thread when I've had more chance to play them.

Only downside so far is that the fusion didn't arrive with it's trem arm, allen keys etc though I'm sure Thomann will sort it out.

Pics and info on the fusion pro asap please! Highly tempted by that model myself - like you, I think I would go for the ebony fretboard option. I think the trem on the dynamic model is different? - is it still pretty decent? Cheers

It'll either be tonight or tomorrow night.  I'll aim for photos tonight but might have to do a write up later.  I'll probably follow up with a field report after taking one or both to rehearsal next week to see what they sound like through my mesa 5:50.

Yes, the trem is different.  Not used either yet so can't comment on quality.

I'd actually forgotten that they are meant to have an ebony fretboard.  I've never had a guitar with an ebony board before - I've always assumed it would be pretty dark but both are fairly light and I had taken them for rosewood in need of oiling.

Megii

RedRabbit said:

Megii said:

RedRabbit said:

Mine have turned up.  Managed to unbox them, tune them up and have a quick play during lunch.

Yes, I am referring to "them" - there's two of them.  One Fusion Pro (same as @WildWayz but not the roasted maple version) and one dynamic (essentially the same thing but with a pickguard).

https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_fusion_hsh_eb_aqua.htm

https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_dynamic_hsh_fmt_charcoal.htm

Quite relieved to find out that the aqua blue on the fusion isn't as garish as it looks on the stock photo.

Initial impressions are pretty good - certainly nothing obviously wrong.  I'll do a separate thread when I've had more chance to play them.

Only downside so far is that the fusion didn't arrive with it's trem arm, allen keys etc though I'm sure Thomann will sort it out.

Pics and info on the fusion pro asap please! Highly tempted by that model myself - like you, I think I would go for the ebony fretboard option. I think the trem on the dynamic model is different? - is it still pretty decent? Cheers

It'll either be tonight or tomorrow night.  I'll aim for photos tonight but might have to do a write up later.  I'll probably follow up with a field report after taking one or both to rehearsal next week to see what they sound like through my mesa 5:50.

Yes, the trem is different.  Not used either yet so can't comment on quality.

I'd actually forgotten that they are meant to have an ebony fretboard.  I've never had a guitar with an ebony board before - I've always assumed it would be pretty dark but both are fairly light and I had taken them for rosewood in need of oiling.

Appreciated,  and thanks for the reply, cheers!

sweepy

Sooo tempting, they remind me very much of my Cort
https://i.imgur.com/iaHDEXP.jpg

RedRabbit

WildWayz said:

RedRabbit said:

Mine have turned up.  Managed to unbox them, tune them up and have a quick play during lunch.

Yes, I am referring to "them" - there's two of them.  One Fusion Pro (same as @WildWayz but not the roasted maple version) and one dynamic (essentially the same thing but with a pickguard).

https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_fusion_hsh_eb_aqua.htm

https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_dynamic_hsh_fmt_charcoal.htm

Quite relieved to find out that the aqua blue on the fusion isn't as garish as it looks on the stock photo.

Initial impressions are pretty good - certainly nothing obviously wrong.  I'll do a separate thread when I've had more chance to play them.

Only downside so far is that the fusion didn't arrive with it's trem arm, allen keys etc though I'm sure Thomann will sort it out.

The Aqua Blue - how is the top? On HB's FB group, a guy who got his is complaining that the top is terrible - looks like it was painted on and not a AAAA quilt like advertised...

Also, a few more people received their guitars and there is deffo a QC issue. 

I've fed back my views on this guitar, with photos - awaiting Thomann to get back to me.

Didn't see this before.

I think it's probably fair to say there isn't a huge a mount of depth to the quilt.  It doesn't bother me as i) I'm not a huge fan of quilted maple ii) I wasn't really expecting anything amazing.  If anything, the fact that it's a bit more subdued than advertised is a good thing as far as I'm concerned.  I do get that others might be more bothered by it though. 

I did notice a couple of pin head sized dents on the back of the headstock of one of mine.  Nothing major and certainly nothing I'd be sending it back for.  Not sure I'd be quite so forgiving of a chip in the top though.

I guess something had to give given the price point and it may be that they have had to cut back on how long each one gets in the QC department.

WildWayz

Totally agree. Won't be sending mine back for the pickup thing - just remove it, drill a bit deeper and away I go! I checked the neck out with a fretboard ruler and it is perfectly straight. No fret buzz at all and I have a low action:

(that 24th fret isn't raised higher; it's the angle of the shot