Harley Benton GS-Travel Spruce

There aren't many reviews out for this product so hopefully mine will help some people out here.

TL;DR: Awesome small guitar with amazing sound, especially for the price. Finish lacking a bit but won't affect the performance of the guitar. Good tuners, matte neck and comes with a gigbag.

Having moved to Germany recently I was missing my guitar back home; a big dreadnought which is actually pretty hard to play. I wanted something small and robust I could take with me everywhere and wouldn't mind getting dinged or scratched up.

Lo and behold the Harley Benton GS-Travel. Of course, somewhat of a copy of the Taylor GS Mini. It has a shorter scale length than a full size guitar but is still about 50mm bigger than the Harley Benton Mini. When I first unpacked it I was kind of shocked, it's small! The sound however is anything but small. I was so surprised at how good it sounds and how well set-up it is from the factory. Neck didn't need any adjustment, action was perfect and the 10 gauge strings make it a breeze to fret.

The V-shape neck might take some getting used to, but for me it complements my playing style. For a tiny guitar, it is sufficiently loud. Its actually somehow louder than the auditorium guitar I used to borrow from a roommate but it doesn't project as far. Of course, this version doesn't have a solid top, but for about 20~30 euro's more you can get a solid top version (but won't be able to handle abuse as much as a laminate). Tuners work remarkably well and are accurate, even more so than the 350 euro guitar my roommate has.


The finish isn't perfect but honestly I don't mind and don't notice unless I look for it. The neck has a matte finish which makes it easy to slide up and down on and the headstock looks absolutely gorgeous in my opinion. The lower frets have some dirt/oxidation on them but it doesn't affect the playing. The bag that it comes in offers decent protection, just a normal gigbag.

If you're looking for something to play around the house or take with you and don't care about getting abused then definitely go for it. The V-neck might not be for everyone but I like it. For 80 euro's, I cannot figure out how they can produce such a good guitar. This easily beats guitars in the 120~150 euro's range from well-known manufacturers. I still have to try out 12 and 13 gauge strings to see how they perform, but the 10's are already impressive.

I recently started teaching and wanted a small and light weight guitar to sling in the car and not really worry too much if it was knocked , it obviously needed to play to a certain standard. Having looked at a number of travel guitars I checked Thomann and found the Harley Benton and with a gig bag included I thought this looked like this would fit the criteria I had set and was less than a £100 . Has it met expectation?
I am pleased to say I am more than happy with the guitar although it needed a little bit of work to get it to how I wanted it to play which I will explain shortly. First off top marks for delivery , guitar was well packaged and quickly delivered .
Out of the box the guitar was well made with no obvious defects , fret ends had been filed properly, and I also could find no high frets which evidences good quality control. The lacquer was well applied and finished to a good standard . The action was a little too high for my liking however that being said it played well around the first 5 frets where it matters most especially to anyone who is starting to play. I have taken off about 2mm from the bridge which was quite easy with a sheet of sandpaper and digital callipers to make sure I didn't make it too low, I also adjusted relief and it is now has a playing action similar to my other more expensive acoustic. Strings are basic but adequate .
How does it play? Sound wise it is quite bright but fairly balanced, its also pretty loud although I would recommend buying the same guitar with the pickup installed if you considered you would be giging with the guitar. I fingerpick and strum and the guitar is suited to both producing acceptable tones . The neck is quite slim much what you would expect on an electric guitar which is a bonus for me as I also play electric lead guitar enabling me to be able to switch between instruments with ease, the slim neck is also ideal for people with smaller hands.
Final thoughts
I played the guitar now for the last 3 weeks and I am more than happy with my decision , I find myself playing the guitar more than I intended which is a clear sign it has exceeded my expectation, the gig bag is a nice addition and feels well made and has saved the additional expense of having to purchase a bag separately . I would recommend this guitar based on quality and playability versus price , all things considered I really don't think you could get a similar priced guitar elsewhere, 5 stars from me!

I have now played two of these guitars and I think they are the best answer to "what should I buy if I want a decent acoustic but not spend too much?" question.

I could not find any cons that are relevant, i guess if I must:
- strings it comes with are not good (expected at this price point)
- smaller body, takes a little bit to get used to (clear from the description)

But the guitar is quite amazing:
- Great sound from a small body. Has clear definition and projection and is loud enough for a campfire
- Set up is always great, will not scare the beginner away.
- Fretwork is good, no issues
- Build quality is good as well.
- Comes with a great case, you expect a case like this in 400-500 range guitars
- Tuners are good, keeps in tune fine.

And it's just such a joy to play. Will always recommend it if someone wants a guitar and does not want to spend.
Amazing.