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

guitarjack66

skunkwerx said:

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. 

Windows key plus G key opens windows own recording software that I knew nothing about until recently. Have a play with that for your recording needs.

rocktron

bertie said:

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

They do, but a new stock is expected in 7 - 9 weeks.

You can pre-order before they are sold out again.

£129 including VAT plus £8 shipping.  

Check here:-  https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_extreme_76_bk_v2_classic_serie.htm

The headstock on the current model may be different to the one shown in this review, and there may be other changes:-

skunkwerx

Nicey! I will wait with anticipation! Wonder how long it will take.. could be here early next week I guess. 

skunkwerx

guitarjack66 said:

skunkwerx said:

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. 

Windows key plus G key opens windows own recording software that I knew nothing about until recently. Have a play with that for your recording needs.

Thanks mate will give it a bash!

bertie

rocktron said:

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

no we f***ng don't.....................

BillDL

When websites say "Blackwood" it can be ambiguous.  There is "African Blackwood" often just referred to as "Blackwood" Dalbergia melanoxylon (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalbergia_melanoxylon) OR there is "Blackwood TEK" where they often leave off the all important "Tek" suffix.  The "tek" stuff is usually something like one of the harder pine varieties like New Zealand Pine that has been heat and pressure treated with other synthetic compounds to create a very hard composite.

This is nothing new.  Where you see "Roseacer" being specified for fretboards it is usually one of the softer maple varieties that has been roasted and dyed and possibly also had other stuff pressure injected.  For years Martin has been fitting composite "Richlite" fretboards and other companies use "Rocklite" (Gibson?), or any number of names like "Eco Rosewood", "Resinator" (Hagstrom), "Micarta" (Sigma), etc, etc.

I would far rather have an good slab of an alternative dense smooth wood like Pau Ferro, Jatoba, Amaranth, African Blackwood, Ovankol, etc, or even the good composites like Micarta, than a substandard heavily pitted slab of Rosewood.

roberty

My HB DC Junior Fat is definitely an R8 beater ;p I'm even considering getting it refinished in gloss 'cos I'm not keen on satin. But no rush, it's a great guitar

Cig35

skunkwerx said:

....

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. 

...

Interesting to see how this works. I saw a video where someone from Thomann said that you could ask for a set-up by making a comment on the order and they would then contact you asking what you want them to do and if you have any specific set-up preferences and you would then be given a price for the set-up.

Let us know what happens and if it delays the order

skunkwerx

Cig35 said:

skunkwerx said:

....

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. 

...

Interesting to see how this works. I saw a video where someone from Thomann said that you could ask for a set-up by making a comment on the order and they would then contact you asking what you want them to do and if you have any specific set-up preferences and you would then be given a price for the set-up.

Let us know what happens and if it delays the order

They came back to me actually already on that when I got my email confirmation for the order.. 

Thats cool if so.. but I remain skeptical! 

Dave_Mc

Excellent, very interest to hear what it's like when it arrives!

Also lol at your very funny OP  I think you pretty much have run through what everyone wonders before they order their first HB (I haven't cracked just yet, but I'm getting closer all the time!)

guitarjack66

Cig35 said:

skunkwerx said:

....

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. 

...

Interesting to see how this works. I saw a video where someone from Thomann said that you could ask for a set-up by making a comment on the order and they would then contact you asking what you want them to do and if you have any specific set-up preferences and you would then be given a price for the set-up.

Let us know what happens and if it delays the order

I wish I knew this. I will have to fork out for a set up on mine before its playable for me.

BillDL

They don't seem to shout this free offer out very loudly as you are buying one.  This changes my opinion about whether one of the lower priced Harley Benton guitars would be a safe suggestion for a beginner or intermediate learner that doesn't have the experience with setting up a guitar and could easily be discouraged by the usual kind of "straight from the factory" playability.  The thing that amuses me is that even on budget guitars that come straight from the factory with excessively high action they usually have the saddles in the right places so it compensates OK when the action is set.  They must adjust the saddles by eye before fitting the bridges, and their eye is no doubt pretty accurate after fitting dozens and dozens a day.

Dave_Mc

That's very interesting about the setup- I didn't realise that. Admittedly, I don't think I realised they had live chat either, so it's possible I'm not entirely on the ball...

DrumBob

Every time I have thought about ordering a HB guitar, I have hesitated, thinking, what if it sucks? It would cost too much to return it from where I live. In any event, I'm not buying guitars at this point; thinking vintage drums and a classic antique American car right now. 

Dave_Mc

DrumBob said:

Every time I have thought about ordering a HB guitar, I have hesitated, thinking, what if it sucks? It would cost too much to return it from where I live. In any event, I'm not buying guitars at this point; thinking vintage drums and a classic antique American car right now. 

That's exactly like me, too. I switch (about 5 times a day!) between, "They're so cheap, why not?" and "They're so cheap, they must suck!"

I think in Germany they have free postage on returns even if you don't like them, but yeah I think you're right, paying to return is probably not really worth it. At least with the very cheap stuff.

skunkwerx

Well, it has been shipped! 

I’ll let y’all know when it arrives haha.. 

CavemanGrogg

skunkwerx said:

Well, it has been shipped! 

I’ll let y’all know when it arrives haha.. 

If you've been told you're recieving more than 1 box, they might not have done the best of setups.

Offset

DrumBob said:

and a classic antique American car right now. 

I recommend the one in my avatar @DrumBob :-)

roberty

Curious to hear about the setup @skunkwerx, a potential game changer

ToneControl

rocktron said:

bertie said:

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

They do, but a new stock is expected in 7 - 9 weeks.

You can pre-order before they are sold out again.

£129 including VAT plus £8 shipping.  

Check here:-  https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_extreme_76_bk_v2_classic_serie.htm

The headstock on the current model may be different to the one shown in this review, and there may be other changes:-

whilst waiting, you should keep an eye out for B stocks, sometimes they turn up on the site if someone changes their mind