Harley Benton EX-84 Modern EMG VW

I've played with over 50 guitars in my whole life. This guitar is the one that made me fall in love with the first hit. Great sound, very high quality and features and in a price that almost anyone could afford it.
The only negative thing (but that's totally subjective) is the action that is a little higher than I would liked it to be.
Although higher action in the fretboard is perfect for low-tuning (Drop C and lower), cause you can feel the vibrations across the neck and the body.
A total value for money guitar and great choice especially for James Hetfield-Metallica fans.

I may start this review by saying I am not a gear head per se. I love gear, and I collect it but I know very little about it, I just know what I like. I have two Gibson Les Pauls, Fender Lite Ash Korea, Peavy Quilt Top EVH and so on. I'm a classical guitarist by trade and have spent by far the most money on my classical guitar (custom luthier built). So again, no expert, but I've played a few.

I've used Harley Benton twice, for exactly the reason most people do- to experiment with a fantasy guitar without spending outrageous money. My first was in 2004, a seven string, which I still play and rather like. This new one though, is in another class altogether.

As a massive Maiden, Metallica fan, (Smith and Hetfield respectively) I've always wanted an Explorer but wouldn't have had a daily use for one. Along comes the HB EX-84 EMG.

Well Holy God, this thing is a monster. As well made as any guitar I've ever played and could hold its own with guitars five times the price. The fretboard is like butter. Strung with .10s I have no issue switching between this and my nylon strings. Beautiful finish, no sharp edges or rough patches. Looks amazing, plays like a dream. Flatters me beyond belief! As for the EMG pick-ups.... pchow! Mind. Blown.

As I say, I'm no expert but I value quality, sound, aesthetics and playability. Sometimes I wish I'd broken the bank on a high-end Ibanez, PRS or suchlike- my classical cost over €6,500 so I'm no Scrooge. However, I can honestly say I'm not sure if that's necessary any more. If you are a true connoisseur, by all means shell out for the big guns, but Harley Benton are on to a winner with this one.

I've seen the price of my Peavey increase, and the Lite Ash might just become a dark horse classic. I firmly believe the same will happen with this guitar- it's a stone cold classic. Buy one before they sell out...

I'm a James Hetfield fan since I was a kid, and I'll always loved the explorer's guitars, so I can say that buying this guitar was like a dream come true to me.

First, let's take care about the elephant in the room, the bad stuff.

It has a little cosmetic issue near the nut (wasn't fully painted on that point), but nothing too big or visible.

Now let's talk about the good stuff of the guitar.

The setup is correct, but you may had to adjust the truss rod and the action to fit your personal taste.

I was very surprised with the weight of the guitar, is very light for the shape. Also the neck dive is not as bad as I though it could be (I'm wearing a leather strap). and I think is a little less longer than a Gibson or ESP, but still great.

The pictures didn't make justice to the beautiful color, is like a white that makes me remember the old Hetfield's Explorers.

The sound is great, was very pleased with the EMGs pickups, they do the work. I also used the guitar on stage and was great.

I'm totally satisfied with my guitar, as I've already said, it is a dream come true for me, is also very affordable and I think on that price tag is unbeatable comparing the tech specs with other guitar on the market.

Probably I will give the opportunity to some Harley Benton SC on the near future.

Keep up the great work guys!

First of all, I’d like to thank Frank, who handled my order and customer service with great care, and replied to all my emails. Also, thanks to Thomann for the overall service.

Expectations and Setup

Before buying this guitar, I did a lot of research—I read everything I could find and watched tons of videos, so I knew exactly what to expect. That’s why I paid extra for the setup service. It added some wait time, but in the end, it was worth it. You even receive a link with pictures of the work being done. Keep in mind this is a low-budget, mass-produced guitar, so don’t expect it to be flawless. Still, I was lucky—my guitar came immaculate. I waited about a month for delivery, plus 4–5 days for the quality control process.

First Impressions

Overall, the guitar is fantastic. There is some neck dive, and unfortunately, the EMG pickups are not solderless. However, the design is stunning—the body shape is awesome (smaller than snakebite/Gibson EX) and the finish looks amazing. There are a few tiny black dots under the paint, like dust particles, but they’re only noticeable up close. Nothing major.

Sound and Playability

The pickups sound excellent. The EMG 81 is super aggressive, and the EMG 60 paired with delay effects (especially using Guitar Rig 7, Guitar Rig 5, or Archetype Gojira) is perfect for solos.

Edit: I read in a forum that the pots weren't the right ones. It was 500K when actually should be 250K. Then I bought EMG 1 or 2 Pickups Wiring Kit and change everything. Also, I bought the EMG 3 Pos Toggle Switch BK. Now, all sorderless. It brought the EMGs to life. A game changing!

The neck on my simple Kramer Baretta Special is actually thinner and better for shredding—1000x better in that regard—but the EX-84’s neck is still good. I thought it would be thicker, but it’s quite fast and smooth to play.

Edit: I sanded the neck and removed all the gloss, and voila, magic, now we got a really fast neck!

Modifications and Hardware Feedback

To reduce neck dive, I used a Neotech Mega Strap Long. I’ve used it before—it’s smooth and non-slip, great for long playing sessions. It helped a lot. When I play without a t-shirt, the strap completely solves the neck dive. I also added Harley Benton Security Locks for extra safety.

Edit: I relocated the strap button to the back of the neck joint (centred) and eliminated the neck dive entirely, then I put back the old strap button just to cover the hole left behind.

I read that the EX-84 used to come with Grover tuners, but mine came with stock tuners that are imprecise and don’t hold tuning well. After just 1 hour of playing, I gave up and installed Gotoh SG381-07 MG-T Locking Tuners. They fit (though the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd were a bit short), but they work well and improved tuning stability a lot. Not perfect, but good enough for over an hour of solid playing. Highly recommended—just consider a slightly longer model if possible.

As for the bridge, the WSC Tune-O-Matic does the job, but I didn’t like it. Even with the tech’s setup to avoid fret buzz, the action was too high. I lowered everything myself, and now it’s perfect—there’s a slight buzz when unplugged, but nothing noticeable when plugged in. Eventually, I’ll replace it with a Gotoh bridge.

Edit: I swapped for Gotoh ge103b-t. Massive difference!

Strings and Tuning

Out of the box, I applied lemon oil to the fretboard and used Fast Fret on the strings. However, I quickly replaced the stock strings with DR Strings Alexi Laiho 10–56. I didn’t like them much—they’re a bit too thick for the nut. In the future, I’ll go with a max of 10–52 or maybe even 10–46.

Edit: just playing with 0.10-52. Sounds perfect.

Final Thoughts and Future Plans

To sum it up: this guitar is a workhorse, a true metal machine. I’m really impressed. The body shape, frets, and gloss finish are beautiful. It’s already become my daily-use electric guitar. I can’t stop looking at it—it literally makes me smile every time I pick it up.
——-
Total spent (pounds): 578.9

Harley Benton EX84 - 359,00 + case
Gotoh SG381-07 MG-T Locking Tuners - 59,00
Neotech Mega Strap Long - 39,00
Harley Benton Security Locks - ~5
Gotoh ge103b-t - 39,00
DR Strings Alexi Laiho 10–56 - 11,00 (not using anymore, now 0.10-.52)
EMG 1 or 2 Pickups Wiring Kit £42
EMG 3 Pos Toggle Switch BK £24.90

Just doing this mods to have an axe and play a gig, I reckon. I ended up spending less (202 pounds) than the ESP LTD EX-401 SW, a very similar spec eletric guitar, for instance (~781). For 578.9 pounds you can't find a brand new guitar with all the parts I intalled, I reckon.

Looking ahead, I plan to:

• Install stainless steel frets in 2-3 years

After that, I’m aiming to buy a higher-end explorer-style guitar—maybe a Schecter E-1 Evil Twin FR, LTD Snakebite, Solar, or even a Gibson. If you’re considering it: don’t waste time — get one (but definitely add at least locking tuners and sand the neck).

I've always wanted a white explorer with black hardware ever since I saw Metallica's video for 'One', so after doing copious amounts of research on this EX-84 Modern EMG I finally pulled the trigger. The guitar got delivered after about two weeks. It arrived in perfect condition. I've heard people having gotten it with a chip or some minor scratches in the finish but that was not a problem for me. Guitar looks absolutely pristine. The body is a tad smaller than a Gibson Explorer or an ESP, but not like a junior guitar. I think I actually prefer this size and shape.

Everything on this guitar was in great order. The hardware is quality, the knobs and switches feel good and solid. The EMG pickups delivers really crispy sound with a lot of bite, but still a warm clean tone from the neck pickup. The EMG's sound really hot. By that I mean they have a lot of attack but it also picks up every little slide of the hand you make. The guitar had a really good setup right out of the box. I got it delivered in Scandinavia during October, so after I unpacked it I let it acclimate for a couple hours before I played on it. The intonation was spot on. Neck was straight. Really good right out of the box. The tuners feel great and solid, and the guitar stays in tune. I could have sworn that I read it came with Grover locking tuners so I was a bit surprised when I saw it came with the regular JN-03 machine heads and when I went to check the website, sure enough it didn't say Grover locking tuners so I must have misread. The fretboard felt a little dry, but no sharp edges or anything. You should DEFINITELY pull the trigger on this. This guitar easily feels like a guitar worth more than it's price. A contender for my top guitar, and I own guitars worth 3-4 times the price of this.

The one huge con I had with this though was that the nut that was on it was SUPER high. Like double the height of a regular nut, and the bridge wont go any lower, so my action was too high, especially around the first three frets. So I did have to remove the nut and sand down the underside of it. This can be a daunting task if you're not familiar with it. But I did that, oiled the fretboard and lowered the bridge and it plays wonderfully now. And like I said, it was more than playable out of the box. But with a good setup it will play like a expensive guitar. Well done Harley Benton. Will be buying more from these guys.

PROS:
-Beautiful finish
-Good hardware and pickups
-Good fretboard. Neck feels nice. (same thickness as a Gibson Les Paul)
-Very playable setup right out of the box

CONS:
-Really tall nut. Had to sand it down myself. This was the biggest con.
-Bridge won't go as low as I would like. So action is good, but not perfect.
-The guitar has neck dive. This comes from the fact that most of the weight is in the neck/headstock and the fastening point for the strap is on top of the neck. Neck dive can be remedied by moving the forward strap point to the back of the heel of the neck, or buying a wider leather strap.

I recently found out about Harley benton and Thomann. After a lot of self inflicted should I, shouldn't I's, I decided to order this guitar. I didn't know what to expect. It took about a month to arrive, (I'm assuming popularity mixed with supply issues) and I when I opened the box and took the first look, I was 15 again. Made me realize why I'm an explorer and James Hetfield fan all over again. The finish is phenomenal. It feels like a high end guitar. Plays excellent, and how could you go wrong with the classic 81/60 EMGs.

Thank you Thomann and Harley Benton, music changes the world and you certainly inspired me with this amazingly beautiful guitar.

Excellent AMAZING looking explorer guitar , Good job Harley Benton and Thomann 👍

This guitar sounds amazing and CLEAN with the EMG 81-60 combo ,this guitar gives you EXACTLY Old school Heavy Metal-Thrash Metal and classic Rock sound .

Only downsides : I tested A LOT this guitar with different amps settings effects and it’s more suitable for Highier tunings like Standard E , Drop D

Do not expect to get "Brutal" Chuggimg sound Like Metalcore/Deathcore genre with this guitar ,this Guitar sounds very CLEAN both on Distortion and Clean sound it really what it looks like = a "Metallica" sounding and Looking guitar ,
if you are a Heavy Metal fan-Metallica fan Thrash Metal or Classic Rock or Alternative rock this guitar is made for YOU.

In my opinion The sound of this guitar is very CLEAN so obviously not very compatible for genres like (Deathcore,Death Metal,Metalcore,Black Metal etc…)
I also didn’t like that this guitar it comes on HIGH action so be aware that if you like low action you have to be ready and be prepared for a good setup.


Overall a 9 out of 10 guitar for me

Special thanks to Thomann customer service for handling my REPLACEMENT after i received this same guitar damaged before Christmas (most likely due to Christmas transport high load inflation issue most delivery companies face at)

they sent me this new REPLACEMENT that sounds and plays great ,only thing i have to take care now is the high action.