Harley Benton Santos Series C-40SCE NT

I am mainly an electric player into Jazz but had been looking for a nylon string guitar for Bossa Nova and came across this HB model which has the smaller nut width of 48mm which I though would help my short fingers so I decided to go for it.

The guitar cannot be faulted. No fret buzz, level frets although needing a little polish, not rough fret edges. I decided to fit D'Addario EJ45LP strings as I will do anything to reduce string squeal but I believe this guitar comes fitted with a good quality D'Addario string set as standard.

I cannot comment on how this guitar sounds side by side with similar guitars but the tone to me sounds great and the under saddle Fishman pickup works really well.

So if you are looking to add a nylon string model to your arsenal then this guitar could be a good way to test the water without breaking the bank. Certainly the narrower nut width may help players transitioning from electric.

My first Santos unfortunately had issues with the pickup system but as usual Thomann replaced it in double quick time and as it was a few weeks before Christmas this was above and beyond service so thanks Guys.
The finish on these guitars is the only con I can see in that it’s presentable but it won’t take your breath away.
When you start playing it you are in for a surprise especially as the tone far exceeded my expectation especially when plugged in. The built in Tuner is spot on and the sound from the piezo is top notch.
It’s well balanced and crisp I imagine it could get even better with a bone nut and saddles but for now I’m really happy. It took some time for me to adjust to the nylon strings but now I’m all over the fretboard and it’s genuinely a joy to play. The action came nicely set up and the intonation was perfect so I can heartily recommend it especially as a starter guitar that will take a long way into intermediate level. Another Harley Benton that well exceeds its price point.

The guitar's features and playability are just superb, but the quality control seems to have been sleeping the time my guitar passed it.

The guitar is very well built, but the satin lacquer has gone bubbles on the end of the neck above the resonator hole, and there is a place on the edge that is left unfinished. Moreover, i found some lacquer on the strings (!). I wonder if they were put on the guitar right after finish before it dried.

Guitar body was all in woodpowder when unpacked - it's definitely from the installation of pickup, and it made a bad impression.

The sound is good, but i'll try another strings instead of dirty ones installed - it may turn out to be even better.

My appeal to the shop'd managers and to chinese plant managers: pump up quality control! Othe HB guitars i bought were absolutely superb, but this one is designed and built great, but its finish is far from perfect. But even mentioning this, the guitar has no competitors with its features (solid top+narrow nut+strong design).

Well and constructed. Wood and materials seem ok.
As with all Harley Bentons, expect to do a bit of work before being able to play it enjoyably, Sharp and rough frets and a roughly cut nut are common....as I experienced here. I do guitar work so it's not a big problem for me, but it someone had to pay someone to do it it sort of negates the economy of getting a low cost guitar.
Tuners work ok but I think they can fail or break quite easily (based on previous experience and looking at them).

Good value if you can do setups and repairs yourself....not so good if you have to pay someone to do it.

I've been into acoustic for a lot of years and along the way I get to own classical guitars, 2 Ibanez and 3 Yamaha.

This Santos Series is really a surprise. First the sound is the same that you get from $700-priced guitars. Switching from steel to this one is remarkably easy because of the neck; not too wide. For those with smaller fingers, this one's spot on.

The sound when plugged is likewise impressive. The Fishman carries well this quite well.

I recommend this guitar for beginners and intermediate level players. Look beyond the brand name. At the end of the day, what pleases your ears is what you need to buy.

P.S. It's tune and play. The strings that go with it are really fine.

I ordered this guitar based on You Tube reviews and found them to be mostly true. It arrived at my home in Wyoming, USA in good shape and the shipping time was crazy fast. As far as the guitar itself, the quality is above average for such a low cost instrument. The fact that it is a nylon string guitar but more of a hybrid between classical and steel string acoustic makes it interesting and a good beginner choice. It is well made, sounds good, and the pickup system works well. The only thing one should be aware of is that it is not set up out of the box. I had to give the neck some relief and lower the action, so if you don't know how to do that you will likely have to take it to a guitar tech to get it done. It plays nice though once you get it set up. The gig bag that came with (I ordered one) is pretty good as well. I will definately look to HB for more guitars in the future.