Harley Benton Guitar MAX Fusion Signature WN

When the Max guitar came out i got the green one which was a terrible example with a lousy Floyd Rose, locking nut too high, sharp and very uneven frets all over the place. Basically unplayable. So I was a little hesitant to try a new Max Signature, but thanks to Thomanns return policy i bought it.
When it arrived i only had an hour to microadjust it before i decided to bring it to a gig the same evening. I played it for around 20 minutes before changing to one of my to-go-to guitars. It needed more than a quick setup.
One of the other misses, apart from a really bad factory setup, was the missing locking tuners. This guitar is apparently a part of the Fusion series, so why no locking tuners now that it has a nice hardtail bridge ??????? Another annoying miss was the factory strings supposed to be coated DR strings but they were rusty like a Morris Minor kept for 31 years in saltwater.
So.. I ordered the locking tuners and strap locks and gave it a real setup when the parts arrived. This time the frets are mounted alllllmost perfectly into the fretboard. The Babich bridge is wonderful, the truss rod very responsive and easy to adjust, the nut was cut spot on, so I took it out again and this time i played it all evening. The 3 lighter string are 1 mm over the frets, the wounded strings 1,50 mm and it plays beautifully without any buzz.
The Tesla pickups are incredible as usual. Back in 2004 i imported Tesla and modified pups for other guitarists so i am well aware of every Tesla model's strengths and weaknesses.
The guitar itself is very well build with only one more miss: A dead note on the middle of the fretboard where the note rings out in 1,5 seconds. All other ffequencies have a nice sustain.
And then..... the design. Maaaan it looks awesome. My my model was lucky but the walnut on the bode and the back of the neck are i credibly beautiful.
So.... out of all the misses only a dead note remains after the visit to ny workbench. I can live with that and it should definately not prevent you from buying this guitar too.
The price is right and the specs are high.

'll be honest. It's not a charvel but consider that it's 450 euro charvel copy.

-The pickups are awful, but I bought the guitar knowing this. That's what makes this guitar cheap. You can install any pickup you want. I'll install dimarzio paf pro and hs3 for the neck.

-there are scratches and painting leftovers behind the neck. It's not important for playability. There is also a problem with the finish but not affecting playability.
edit: Thomann replaced my guitar with a newer one. Now it does not have cosmetical problems. It looks gorgeous.

Other than the pickups, It's a 1000 euro guitar literally. The neck is really comfortable, the frets are great stainless steel, gold hardware seems gorgeous. That's the best guitar you get for 450 euro.

The neck thickness is 21 mm at the first fret. That might feel a little bit chunky but it contributes to tuning stability. If you played ibanez rg prestige series for a while, you probably noticed that the tune changes (a couple of cents) depending on the way you hold the neck. I didn't have that situation on this harley benton. It keeps the tune stable.

Good quality for the money for sure and given the packaging it was shipped in and survived to America says a lot. I was shocked the guitar was not in pieces when I saw the box in arrived in, the box had foot prints and holes in it but that was from the shipping company. That being said speaks for the quality of the guitar itself, it can take being thrown and walked on and survive. The action was high and the guitar needed a complete set-up but that is normal due to personal preference everyone is different and their set-up is different. The guitar has great sustain and the pick ups sound good for the money. I love the bridge very cool design very comfortable. I wish they made this in the emerald green as well. I have ordered the green one with the Floyd Rose because I love the color and if the quality of it is the same as this one I will be happy. I don't have a problem with a Floyd Rose just do not use them in my playing anymore and would love to see the green one in a hard tail. I think this is a good value for the money for sure as a lot of guitars now a days are priced for their name instead of craftmanship. The days of me buying $$$$$ guitars are over guitars, these can compete on the same level and in many cases better than overpriced guitars. The player makes the guitar people don't seem to realize that. I think you can't go wrong here and get a great guitar for a very reasonable price.