Harley Benton D-120CE VS

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!

I bought this guitar during the lockdown to play on the odd occasion when I couldn't get out. The previous reviews were all very positive and the price exceptional so I thought what have I got to loose? Also purchase gig bag, strap and some plectrums. Delivery to the UK within 4 working days of order, brilliant! Now what about the guitar? Well it came fully set up, low action, a bit of fretbuzz on the A string but sorted that easily enough. Great tone, good looks, good finish exceptional value. Can't wait to try it through an acoustic amp. Will defo use for small intimate gigs! Five Stars all the way for me. Would recommend every time

I bought this guitar in 2014/2015 with my mom's credit card without her permission. Expecting the world's harshest scolding when a huge package arrived at my door, my mom looked at me with a stern look and said surprisingly softly: "You best play this every day." I nodded my head so hard I gave myself whiplash. I have always been so incredibly impatient so I couldn't even watch tutorials on how to play the guitar, and I self thought myself everything I know to date. This guitar has been through thick and thin. I even took it abroad to let my cousins play with it.

Usually, with the years that have gone by, the guitar should have lost good tonality and the sound should have slipped, but this guitar continuously sounds like golden droplets hitting water, every time it's played. I wrote my first hit song on this guitar and made so many memories, that I wouldn't trade it for anything else even if I was offered. This guitar is good for novices, beginners, professionals- the whole board.

Some blessings aren't always $1000+ dollars.

I got this guitar for 77? from Thomann, and overall for the money it's simply amazing. I mean 77? - electric-acoustic??

I bought it only as a spare to keep in my trunk if something goes wrong on a gig with my usual axe.

So, I am into guitars seriously, especially into acoustics. My style is heavily influenced by Mark Knopfler and Tommy Emmanuel, so dynamics/fingerpicking is in my main focus. I play all of that stuff on this one.

Also, I have several guitars, each one significantly more expensive that this one.

Don't expect perfection when you unpack it, but after some adjustments this guitar will play more than nice. You will need to sand/polish the frets with some sand paper, check some Youtube videos to get the idea. It took me around 2 hours. After that adjust action a little bit, get a pack of new strings and go make music!

This guitar sounds GOOD. Pickup could be better, but with some mixer adjustment you will get a fairly decent sound. Don't hesitate, you will be surprised...

Pros:

The guitar came in perfect aesthetic condition.

The action was 2mm at the 6th E string and 1.5mm at the 1st e string at the 12 fret, perfectly playable out of the box without buzzing unless you pick/strum very hard.

The intonation is perfect, I didn't have to fix or file anything.

The machine heads are amazing for the price, the guitar easily stays in tune.

The electronics work well, you even get a free 9v battery supplied.

I would certainly record with this guitar, it has a very nice balanced sound. I doubt anyone would be able to tell you're playing a cheap guitar from a recording made with this.

Cons:

I had to file the string slots on the nut to get a bit better action there, an easy fix.

The frets need to be polished and some of the frets are not leveled, but even in this condition the guitar is very playable.

After I polish and level the frets perfectly the guitar will play even better.

Overall:

I can't understand how they managed to make such a good acoustic for so little money. You'd have to spend many times more money to get anything better. Acoustics from Epiphone/Fender/Ibanez from a similar price range are not better at all.

I am more than satisfied, the quitar is wonderful in every sense of the word, everytime I pick it up, it I am immediately transported in a land of sonic power and promise; it is compact and perky in a way that I only experienced in, and thus far associated with, guitars well above its price range, which is nothing if not affordable.
With its flawless quality, it humbly invites long hours of practice and sonic communion, where time simply flies and one is safely rapt away in the arms of its silvan scent of wood and the sublime tactile feeling stirred by the strings that vibrate under the fingers in a way that makes me glad to be able to confirm yet again: Thomann Harley Benton guitars rule! They do so effortlessly, such is their magic and sonic savvy!

I bought this guitar because i am currently without an acoustic and i needed a fast solution. It turns out this guitar was the right choice. The guitar plays really well, the neck feels natural and the sound is surprisingly good.
Pros:
Nicely shaped neck, good playability, great looks, better tone than you would ever expect from a guitar in this price range. The tuners work okay.
Cons:
It's really hard to find something wrong with this guitar, considering the price. The sound lacks a bit of low end (comparing to much more expensive guitars) , but nothing disturbing.
If you are considering an acoustic guitar and want to spend as little as possible, i can't reccomend it highly enough. I've played all types of guitars, from Fenders to Martins, and i still love playing this guitar. Best value for the money by far. Did i mention it looks really nice aswell?

I was in need of a cheap acoustic guitar and I already own a HB 35. So I decided to stay with a "Benton", the price and the characteristics oriented me toward this model.

Pros
The guitar ha a really great sound, I didn't expect such a brilliant performance. The sound is really a nice one for the price. I personally prefer the amplified sound, with the pre-amp you can set a sound well balanced on bass/high.
The pre-amp is good.
The neck is comfortable even when you play for a long time.

Cons
While it's normal for an entry level guitar to have some imperfections, the HB D-120CE has something more. The tuning pegs are pretty bad, to be honest, the tuning pegs are the worst I've ever seen... You have to tune the guitar frequently because the pegs are quite awful. It's almost impossible to keep the guitar in tune for a long time, you have always to tune the instrument.
Frets are badly shaped, when you play on the high strings, and doing a slide it's really annoying because you can cut yourself. While the neck and keyboard is really cool, sliding is almost blocked by this.
Another annoying stuff is that when I received the guitar something was wrong, there was something inside making a strange noise, like something inside the guitar not fixed. I guessed the cables of the pre-amp were not fixed and the sound was produced by them... After shaking a lot the guitar I discovered that there was a "silica gel" stuff inside... I had to take it out. Why putting a silica gel inside?

Conclusions
For an entry level the guitar is amazing for the sound. If you're going to play it for recording it's ok, but some adjustments should be made. First of all, changing the tuning pegs. But, for the price, this guitar is really good becuase the potential is great.