I purchased one of the Harley Benton telecaster style guitars, specifically the TE-20MN, recently. I'd been quite sceptical of the hype around the brand, but having watched and read so many great reviews I decided to take a chance.
While making that purchase, I decided, on a whim -- to also purchase an acoustic guitar, this brought me to the D-120CE VS which I couldn't believe was £71...there has to be a catch, I thought. A telecaster for £79 and this wonderful looking acoustic for £71?
I'm not much of an acoustic player, owed a few over the years, had an Ibanez, a Yamaha, a Fender, they were good guitars and this absolutely is up there with any of them in terms of sound and playability. I did have to do a few minor things to get this guitar perfect but it only took half an hour of minor work and it was singing like a canary.
Here are my pros and cons, first the pros:
1. Gorgeous, really - the binding really stands out against the blacks and browns on the body, it's very nice. Also, the black finish is only on the top, the rest of the guitar is a really nice, deep brown wood/grain.
2. The tuners are better than I'd expect at this price point, they feel quite nice.
3. Big, deep dreadnaught so you get a really nice, booming sound from it -- really rich, deep bass tones.
4. The EQ control is actually better than expected, even came with a battery.
5. Sounds nice through an amp, actually a lot better than expected.
6. First guitar I ever bought where I didn't want to change the strings, they are smooth as butter.
Cons:
1. Some minor fret sprouting, this is more likely down to wood drying/shrinkage than craftsmanship or quality control and a really easy fix.
2. Frets a bit rough and scratchy, not a huge problem and to be expected, quick polish and they're bright as a button. They now feel really smooth to play and bend.
3. Fretboard was really dry. I realise some people like that but I like a nicely oiled fretboard. To be fair this is kind of expected and not a problem at all. I applied lemon oil and this thing sucked it up in seconds, so I applied another layer and that was enough. Really brightens this thing up and darkens that fingerboard, lovely!
So, to summarise - as a non-acoustic player and a newcomer to the Harley Benton brand I've been dealt a double-helping of having my mind blown in a very short space of time, it's very pleasant!
I love this guitar, I think I'll be playing a lot more acoustic stuff than I used to because it feels so nice to hold. It's a chunky, deep body so take me time to get used to but this is an absolute steal at this price.
Always a good test to hand my dad a guitar and let him have a guess at the price. He had the HB telecaster priced at £200-300 and this priced at about £200, didn't believe me when I told him how much they really cost - I had to show him the website!
Very happy with this - much obliged!
