Harley Benton D-200CE-12BK

I bought this guitar as sort of an add-on to another HB I ordered.

I'm not sure if this problem was weather-related or not, but the strings were wound VERY tightly. When I started to tune the guitar, the high G snapped as soon as I started to turn the tuning knob, so now I need to order strings. Also, this guitar has a lot of headstock "dive", meaning it wants to droop forward. The body is way light for such a huge headstock. Maybe this is a thing with 12-strings, but I didn't notice it the last time I played one.

When I removed the broken string, I noticed that this guitar has the rattly tuners that my HB 35 had (which I replaced) but I'm not sure I want to spring for 12 new tuning machines.

I also noticed a couple of blems in the finish. One at the top of the headstock, and one in the sound hole. They're not B-stock bad, so I can ignore them.

So, my third HB and my first non-great one. Hopefully a fluke.

Overall, I'm happy with this guitar, but there are a few things worth noting.

First off, I have to say that the build quality is just ok. The guitar feels nice and sturdy, and the finish looks great. But it does have some components issues which are easy to fix. I appreciate that it comes with a built-in pickup, which makes it really convenient for playing live.

I did notice that the strings are a little bit farther apart from each other than I'm used to. It took a bit of getting used to (I already played 12 strings, I'm not comparing it to a regular 6 string), but it's not a dealbreaker by any means. Additionally, I found that the sound is a bit thinner than I expected, especially when playing low on the neck. However, this isn't a huge issue, and the guitar still sounds enjoyable, particularly when tuned down to Eb.

I think that the Harley Benton D-200CE-12BK is a good value for the price. While it's not perfect, it's an ok option for anyone looking for a 12-string acoustic-electric guitar that won't break the bank. I'd recommend splurging a little more and getting one of the nicer ones that HB offers, even for those looking for an entry-level 12-string guitar.