Ordered a Harley Benton from Thomann.. [Update: it arrived..]

skunkwerx

Really not sure why other than to see what I see when it arrives.. or maybe I will find out what Harley is Bent on. 

I read good things but people have also reported them to be junk. 

For the price the realist in me says surely its pot metal and shite soft wood that will last a year if that. To be honest I’m hoping its great and that I havent pissed my beer money up the wall. 

I’m used to Ltd 1000 series guitars, or something like my Fender American Professional. So mid range I would say. 

I’m thinking I will create a video though, a raw unboxing and ‘review’.. though my playing will not be very enlightening.. 


So what is it I’ve bought I hear you all ask? 

A Harley Benton Victory Plus BK Vintage Series. @ £169 delivered. 

It has a mahogany body and set neck. 

22 frets hopefully not made of cheese. God I hate soft frets. 

Mother of toilet seat inlays. 

Blackwood (whatever the fuck that is) fretboard. I can almost guarantee my fingers will be black for days with this thing.. 

Depending on what it’s like when it arrives will dictate it’s future. 

If it is pure shite or somethings fundamentally wrong it will go back.
If it’s ok I’ll use it as a beater to have and take with me wherever. 

If it’s good, its getting upgrades so it can piss all over the R8’s. 

Had a ballache ordering it. The website was easy enough. Said it included Vat and there would be no fees to pay at the border. Free delivery and estimated 4-7 days. 

The website redirected me to my banking app to prove it was me.. like they need proof.. more guitar related tat.. yeah thats him.. 
Anyway it didnt work, twice. Had to pay via PayPal in the end. 

I guess watch this space… oh and if anyone knows how I can record my laptop screen and then use the recording in an editor like Adobe premiere elements that’d be great! Its a Windows/HP lappy. 

Please let it be good.. if it is.. well I have fun things planned. 

bertie

oooh  to save a lazy old twat looking,   do they do an Explorer ?  

Kittyfrisk

This kinda thing? https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_extreme_76_bk_v2_classic_serie.htm

skunkwerx

bertie said:

oooh  to save a lazy old twat looking,   do they do an Explorer ?  

They do have at least one that I can see: 
https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_extreme_76_bk_v2_classic_serie.htm

bertie

thanks @skunkwerx ;   - or maybe not   

Philly_Q

Ooh crikey, I was expecting a Tele copy or something.  But that looks really rather cool.  It'll be interesting to see what you think of it.

darthed1981

I've got that exact guitar @skunkwerx ...

When mine came it was filthy, would be my main criticism, so off came the strings, fret polish, lemon oil, new strings, bit of action adjustment and... it was very good.

The pickups are a bit characterless but are fine, the action and playability is good, the fit and finish was fine... took it to a jam and it did great.

I'll be interested how you get on with yours

english_bob

bertie said:

oooh  to save a lazy old twat looking,   do they do an Explorer ?  

Or the one with the active pickups if you're after less 80s James Hetfield and more 90s James Hetfield.

https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_extreme_84_progressive_series.htm

Offset

Currently saying in stock in 2-3 weeks so maybe you got one of last of the previous batch Skunk.  I too will be interested in what arrives - always enjoy an unboxing vid!  For the money, it looks bloody great.

skunkwerx

Offset said:

Currently saying in stock in 2-3 weeks so maybe you got one of last of the previous batch Skunk.  I too will be interested in what arrives - always enjoy an unboxing vid!  For the money, it looks bloody great.

Ooh this one? https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_victory_plus_bk_vintage_series.htm

Still shows as in for me but I know they had some bundles that were out.. I did think about getting a case for it but.. I’ll wait to see what its like. 

Interestingly I spoke to a fellow on their live chat, who said if I wanted it set up to leave a comment on the order.. so, worth a punt, I left a note haha. 

Forgot to ask for free strings though.. damnit.!

skunkwerx

darthed1981 said:

I've got that exact guitar @skunkwerx ...

When mine came it was filthy, would be my main criticism, so off came the strings, fret polish, lemon oil, new strings, bit of action adjustment and... it was very good.

The pickups are a bit characterless but are fine, the action and playability is good, the fit and finish was fine... took it to a jam and it did great.

I'll be interested how you get on with yours

Nice! Sounds promising  

Yeah will be interesting for sure.. How were the frets and fret ends? 

skunkwerx

Philly_Q said:

Ooh crikey, I was expecting a Tele copy or something.  But that looks really rather cool.  It'll be interesting to see what you think of it.

Yeah will be great to finally experience one after all I’ve heard.. It has also been far too long since I’ve had something black and pointy and just ‘fun’! 

bertie

english_bob said:

bertie said:

oooh  to save a lazy old twat looking,   do they do an Explorer ?  

Or the one with the active pickups if you're after less 80s James Hetfield and more 90s James Hetfield.

https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_extreme_84_progressive_series.htm

Im not after anything James Hetfield   

Philly_Q

skunkwerx said:

Philly_Q said:

Ooh crikey, I was expecting a Tele copy or something.  But that looks really rather cool.  It'll be interesting to see what you think of it.

Yeah will be great to finally experience one after all I’ve heard.. It has also been far too long since I’ve had something black and pointy and just ‘fun’! 

I've owned a number of black guitars but I've never really owned a pointy guitar, apart from a partscaster I made many years ago.  That's despite the fact that most of what I listen to is, broadly speaking, metal.  I've just never seen pointy guitars as my kind of thing.

I have owned a few Vs, but I'd sort of vowed never to buy one again because they're quite big - and I'm small - and they're "rock star" guitars - and I'm just an ageing guitar nerd who only plays at home.  But just recently, looking at guitar shops, YouTube videos, guitar stuff generally... I keep coming back to Flying Vs.

Bubba

I too bought the very same model as @skunkwerx a few months ago hoping it would be of similar quality to my really very good HB DC Fat. 

Alas it arrived with several major issues including a non-functioning neck pickup & a weird chip/burr on the 5th fret that caught on the strings when bending... 

Otherwise it looked good & felt great on a strap... although the quality control stickers & tags seemed more like a token gesture!

Getting the guitar back to them was a bit of a faff but they collected it in the end & it took about a month until refund.

Hope you get a better one than I did! 

Bubba

skunkwerx said:

darthed1981 said:

I've got that exact guitar @skunkwerx ...

When mine came it was filthy, would be my main criticism, so off came the strings, fret polish, lemon oil, new strings, bit of action adjustment and... it was very good.

The pickups are a bit characterless but are fine, the action and playability is good, the fit and finish was fine... took it to a jam and it did great.

I'll be interested how you get on with yours

Nice! Sounds promising  

Yeah will be interesting for sure.. How were the frets and fret ends? 

Aside from the 5th fret issue, the fret ends on mine were pretty sharp tbh but nothing a quick file couldn’t take care of.

darthed1981

skunkwerx said:

darthed1981 said:

I've got that exact guitar @skunkwerx ...

When mine came it was filthy, would be my main criticism, so off came the strings, fret polish, lemon oil, new strings, bit of action adjustment and... it was very good.

The pickups are a bit characterless but are fine, the action and playability is good, the fit and finish was fine... took it to a jam and it did great.

I'll be interested how you get on with yours

Nice! Sounds promising  

Yeah will be interesting for sure.. How were the frets and fret ends? 

Fairly level and not bad for a cheapie.

rocktron

skunkwerx said:

So what is it I’ve bought I hear you all ask? 

A Harley Benton Victory Plus BK Vintage Series. @ £169 delivered. 

If you get a good one you won't be disappointed. 

I recently bought a Harley Benton SC-500 BK Vintage Series guitar costing £147 including VAT and delivery, with no Customs Charge. It wasn't a B-stock.

I had to wait several weeks for it to become available. 

This one:  https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_sc_500_bk_vintage_series.htm

I bought it mainly due to its classic Gibson LP Custom looks (black with gold hardware and white binding front and back), and after watching several YouTube reviews. I already have a set of gold control knobs to replace the black ones, but no further changes are planned.

The body is made of basswood, but so are high-end Ibanez guitars, so that isn't an issue. It will just sound brighter. It still comes in at 4.0kg (8.8 pounds).

It arrived in perfect, pristine condition. There isn't any black stain coming off from the fretboard onto my fingers.

The fit and finish are perfect. There are no blemishes on the gloss black paintwork, and the binding is very good. The fret ends are rounded, so there are no sharp burrs, and the tuners are stable. The tuners are aligned, and screwed down in  perfect symmetry on the headstock. The intonation was spot on at the nut and the 12th fret (no adjustments were necessary). 

All things considered, it is a very nicely made guitar, and it sounds reasonably good at this price point. 

Here is a YouTube review of one which had its action lowered and strings changed, but has been otherwise unmolested:-



Here is a sound test of one which was just taken out of its box:-

Offset

^^ Now that's a fantastic practice amp you're plugged in to.  I hope you don't live in a flat @rocktron :-)

SlopeSoarer

Good luck, I hope it goes well. I doubt it will be perfect in every way but I think it will represent good value for money.

rocktron

Offset said:

^^ Now that's a fantastic practice amp you're plugged in to.  I hope you don't live in a flat @rocktron :-)

Ha ha, that's not me!!! 

Oh . . . and I do live in a flat, but my neighbours like my music!!! LOL