Harley Benton acoustics - anyone tried one?

jpttaylor · September 2017

I'm looking at getting an acoustic just for messing with, around about the £150-200 budget, and wondered whether anyone had experience with the Harley Benton range.

The sub £100 range seem to get okay reviews but maybe with some sharp frets and minor blemishes. The ones just above that (like this) get rave reviews from the Thomann website reviewers, which I know aren't the most reliable, but they seem solidly made and sound great.

What's the general consensus on them?

thermionic · September 2017

There's a colon missing in the url: https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_custom_line_cla_16sce.htm

DannyP · September 2017

I keep coming back to this in my search for an 000 with a pick-up for open mics etc..

https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_custom_line_cla_28ve.htm?ref=search_rslt_harley+benton+cla+_333970_4

The equivalent Sigma is nearly 3 times the price and the scale length is a bit wrong

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SIGMA-Guitar-000MR-28VE-Pickup-SIGMA-GUITARS-Madagascar-Rosewood-A1-Top-/232174398593

But the Sigma has a nicer headstock, so I'm considering buying it instead on account of how I'm an effing idiot.

crunchman · September 2017

DannyP said:

I keep coming back to this in my search for an 000 with a pick-up for open mics etc..

https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_custom_line_cla_28ve.htm?ref=search_rslt_harley+benton+cla+_333970_4

The equivalent Sigma is nearly 3 times the price and the scale length is a bit wrong

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SIGMA-Guitar-000MR-28VE-Pickup-SIGMA-GUITARS-Madagascar-Rosewood-A1-Top-/232174398593

But the Sigma has a nicer headstock, so I'm considering buying it instead on account of how I'm an effing idiot.

In that price range a second hand Martin OOOX1AE would make a lot of sense.

Bidley · September 2017

You're probably better off buying a used Tanglewood/Sigma or even a Vintage V300.

The thing with acoustics, I've found, is that the lower end of the price range is still a bit dodgy. You can buy a playable electric for under a ton, but acoustics will need a fair amount of fettling, and even after that will sound bland.

That said, if it's just to messing around with at home, they're probably absolutely fine.

Legionreturns · September 2017

Loads of deals on Tanglewood stuff at the moment, and at the budget end they're pretty good.

crunchman · September 2017

Bidley said:

You're probably better off buying a used Tanglewood/Sigma or even a Vintage V300.

The thing with acoustics, I've found, is that the lower end of the price range is still a bit dodgy. You can buy a playable electric for under a ton, but acoustics will need a fair amount of fettling, and even after that will sound bland.

That said, if it's just to messing around with at home, they're probably absolutely fine.

Don't agree.

I've got a Martin OOOX1AE (why I recommended it above) that cost me just over £500 new and it's a great sounding guitar. I say this as an owner of an HD28V, and a former owner of an OOO28EC. The expensive Martins do sound better, but not by very much. If you can get past the snobbery that a lot of people have over the HPL back and sides, and Stratobond neck, they are really good sounding guitars. When I bought it, I played other guitars that were over £1k that didn't sound nearly as good.

I think part of it is the "unfinished" look it has. Although it looks unfinished, I think there is a finish of some kind, but it's very thin. I think the thin finish really helps the sound.

I've played other guitars under the £1k price point that sound really good as well. If you have the money, I'm not sure anything can beat a really good high end Martin, but you are paying the extra money for the last 5% or so.

Bidley · September 2017

@crunchman I'm talking more from a playability point of view. A cheapo acoustic will benefit greatly from a setup and some attention to the nut. There are probably exceptions, but that's the general thing I've found.

Plus I'm talking about guitars around the £100 range in comparison to, say, a £300-£400 instrument, not high end Martins

crunchman · September 2017

Bidley said:

@crunchman I'm talking more from a playability point of view. A cheapo acoustic will benefit greatly from a setup and some attention to the nut. There are probably exceptions, but that's the general thing I've found.

Plus I'm talking about guitars around the £100 range in comparison to, say, a £300-£400 instrument, not high end Martins

I read under a ton as £1000. Silly thinking about it.

The guitars the OP was linking to were in £300 - 400 range though.

StanleyAccrington · October 2017

How about a Yamaha F310. £114-140 ish....depending where you shop.

Winny_Pooh · October 2017

StanleyAccrington said:

How about a Yamaha F310. £114-140 ish....depending where you shop.

No

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Harley Benton acoustics - anyone tried one?

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