GuitarIV
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2017
- Messages
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What's up everyone.
So I ordered one of these infamous Harley Benton Telecasters before, it was for a friend of mine who's broke pretty much all the time. For 88€ I suggested he might just as well give it a shot since I only read good reviews on Thomann.
So the thing arrived, I set it up for him and I was blown away. I played it again a couple of weeks ago at his place and I wanted to order some stuff from Thomann anyway, so a few days ago I added it to the shopping basket and figured if I don't like it, I have 30 days to return it.
The box arrived today 3 days after my order, I opened it up and instantly grabbed the guitar. With the original strings (and hang tag) still attached I plugged it in, tuned it up and started playing.
All I can say is WOW. If you had handed me that guitar a minute before a gig I wouldn't have hesitated to use it right away.
First of all... 88€. What is that, like a hundred bucks? Seriously, even if it was garbage, I could just play a gig and at the end of the set light it on fire or smash it for the show effect and I wouldn't mind.
But no... this thing is too good for such abuse. I will not pretend like it's perfect, but all the things that matter (to me) are pretty much spot on.
First of all, straight, chunky and solid neck. No gap between the body and the neck, sturdy feeling, stays in tune like a pro, even after some pretty big bends. Not light, not heavy, I weighed it and it comes in somewhere at 3,4 kilos (7,5 pounds).
Sustains almost as well as my LP, I have no friggin idea why. But I won't question it. The thing feels solid and for crying out loud, that bridge pickup is mean! I usually hate singlecoils in the bridge position, that's why I yanked mine out of my Strat and replaced it with a humbucker, but that big metal bridge around that Telly pickup makes it sound so rock n roll, I just wanna riff on it the whole time.
Right out of the box the string height was a bit too high for my taste, so I threw away the cheap strings it came with, tightened the tuners, put some foam behind the saddles (toploader bridge, the string ends where making plinky noises), replaced the strap pins with some Schaller locking ones I had lying around, lubed all the string contact points, put a fresh set of Elixir 10-46s on and did a quick setup, mostly just lowering the action to where I like it, and trust me, I like it low.
I played it the whole time today. I know it's the honeymoon phase and I have a new toy, but seriously that bridge pickup is addicting. Plus I love that neck and they finished it right. I held some Mexican Charvels and Jacksons in my hands that had the stickiest necks ever, this one feels smooth and comfy to play.
Now some negative things I noticed: the pickguard is not cut in the cleanest fashion, the bridge pickup sounds like it's slightly microphonic (probably needs a bit of wax), the frets are really tiny and a bit scrapey, so some polishing is required, and the bridge pickup is way brighter than the neck which sounds a bit too boomy at times, they are not balanced well. Plastic nut looks like it hasn't been cut too well (but keeps tune anyway)
Also some people might be put off by the fact that it's a toploader bridge and that there are only 3 string trees, so you can't set the intonation perfectly.
Then again... for that price? All the right factors are there. Stays in tune, sounds great, even with low string action I have no fretting out and right now I have no urge to change anything about that guitar.
I know sooner or later if it turns out to amaze me just the way it does right now I might mod and upgrade it, but for now all it needed was some new strings and a setup.
Seriously guys, grab one, you have 30 days to return it or to ask for a replacement. Absolute no brainer.
The worst thing: I realized I might after all be a Telly addict... that bridge pickup is pure rock n roll. I enjoy it as much as my LP through my Marshalls, and that means something.
Enough talking, pictures, cheers!
So I ordered one of these infamous Harley Benton Telecasters before, it was for a friend of mine who's broke pretty much all the time. For 88€ I suggested he might just as well give it a shot since I only read good reviews on Thomann.
So the thing arrived, I set it up for him and I was blown away. I played it again a couple of weeks ago at his place and I wanted to order some stuff from Thomann anyway, so a few days ago I added it to the shopping basket and figured if I don't like it, I have 30 days to return it.
The box arrived today 3 days after my order, I opened it up and instantly grabbed the guitar. With the original strings (and hang tag) still attached I plugged it in, tuned it up and started playing.
All I can say is WOW. If you had handed me that guitar a minute before a gig I wouldn't have hesitated to use it right away.
First of all... 88€. What is that, like a hundred bucks? Seriously, even if it was garbage, I could just play a gig and at the end of the set light it on fire or smash it for the show effect and I wouldn't mind.
But no... this thing is too good for such abuse. I will not pretend like it's perfect, but all the things that matter (to me) are pretty much spot on.
First of all, straight, chunky and solid neck. No gap between the body and the neck, sturdy feeling, stays in tune like a pro, even after some pretty big bends. Not light, not heavy, I weighed it and it comes in somewhere at 3,4 kilos (7,5 pounds).
Sustains almost as well as my LP, I have no friggin idea why. But I won't question it. The thing feels solid and for crying out loud, that bridge pickup is mean! I usually hate singlecoils in the bridge position, that's why I yanked mine out of my Strat and replaced it with a humbucker, but that big metal bridge around that Telly pickup makes it sound so rock n roll, I just wanna riff on it the whole time.
Right out of the box the string height was a bit too high for my taste, so I threw away the cheap strings it came with, tightened the tuners, put some foam behind the saddles (toploader bridge, the string ends where making plinky noises), replaced the strap pins with some Schaller locking ones I had lying around, lubed all the string contact points, put a fresh set of Elixir 10-46s on and did a quick setup, mostly just lowering the action to where I like it, and trust me, I like it low.
I played it the whole time today. I know it's the honeymoon phase and I have a new toy, but seriously that bridge pickup is addicting. Plus I love that neck and they finished it right. I held some Mexican Charvels and Jacksons in my hands that had the stickiest necks ever, this one feels smooth and comfy to play.
Now some negative things I noticed: the pickguard is not cut in the cleanest fashion, the bridge pickup sounds like it's slightly microphonic (probably needs a bit of wax), the frets are really tiny and a bit scrapey, so some polishing is required, and the bridge pickup is way brighter than the neck which sounds a bit too boomy at times, they are not balanced well. Plastic nut looks like it hasn't been cut too well (but keeps tune anyway)
Also some people might be put off by the fact that it's a toploader bridge and that there are only 3 string trees, so you can't set the intonation perfectly.
Then again... for that price? All the right factors are there. Stays in tune, sounds great, even with low string action I have no fretting out and right now I have no urge to change anything about that guitar.
I know sooner or later if it turns out to amaze me just the way it does right now I might mod and upgrade it, but for now all it needed was some new strings and a setup.
Seriously guys, grab one, you have 30 days to return it or to ask for a replacement. Absolute no brainer.
The worst thing: I realized I might after all be a Telly addict... that bridge pickup is pure rock n roll. I enjoy it as much as my LP through my Marshalls, and that means something.
Enough talking, pictures, cheers!
