J
Almost OK guitar for the money
Bought as inexpensive project in Feb 2020, did much research and expected an OK guitar but expected to have to upgrade some parts.
Unable to return as 'deal breaker' - issues not apparent until irreparable modifications made.
Pros:
- Inexpensive (price has since gone up)
- Acoustically loud/good
- Pickup cavities well-constructed
- Very few cosmetic flaws
- Decent hardware - jack/switch/bridge/pots, logarithmic pots fairly responsive
- Roswell pickups sounded good (tested through cranked JCM)
- Coil tap nice feature for price range
- Electronics not too noisy despite lack of shielding
- Very nice neck, slightly flatter 60's profile
Forgiveable Cons:
- Aesthetics underwhelming
- Inlays off-center
- Stock strings poor, closer to 0.08' than 0.10' as purported.
- Control knobs miscast/broken, tone controls set too low, poker chip misaligned
- Control cavity poorly drilled, factory 'fixed' this with polystyrene shims (!)
Unforgiveable Cons:
- Came with 3.6mm action and *still* buzzed at the 9th fret before neck relief added.
- Frets rough, too much buzz, impossible get action under 2-3mm
- Stock plastic nut too high, poor quality and hollow, broke when gently removed to replace
- Unable to file replacement nut lower than 2.1mm due to poor fretwork
- Fret indentations began to appear after ~12 hours
- Concerned by small gaps between frets and fret slots - fretwire may not be plush with fretboard.
- Stock machineheads dreadful, badly installed
- Headstock like chipboard with dead spots, only evident when re-drilled for spare set of Grover machineheads
- Truss rod cavity loose/splintered under plate, truss rod doesn't feel 'contained' enough
- Fretboard open-grained and soft. Already 'gouged' slightly by string bends
- Guitar was allegedly quality checked?
Overall:
- Borderline unplayable action and buzz, this could sadly not be remedied
- Playability was my concern when ordering, only thing I couldn't easily fix - I didn't buy b-stock solely for this reason
- I didn't have high expectations but given the quality of some of no excuse for the guitar to be barely playable
- Regret purchasing
- Would made OK guitar for beginner, or as gift to an Orphan
Unable to return as 'deal breaker' - issues not apparent until irreparable modifications made.
Pros:
- Inexpensive (price has since gone up)
- Acoustically loud/good
- Pickup cavities well-constructed
- Very few cosmetic flaws
- Decent hardware - jack/switch/bridge/pots, logarithmic pots fairly responsive
- Roswell pickups sounded good (tested through cranked JCM)
- Coil tap nice feature for price range
- Electronics not too noisy despite lack of shielding
- Very nice neck, slightly flatter 60's profile
Forgiveable Cons:
- Aesthetics underwhelming
- Inlays off-center
- Stock strings poor, closer to 0.08' than 0.10' as purported.
- Control knobs miscast/broken, tone controls set too low, poker chip misaligned
- Control cavity poorly drilled, factory 'fixed' this with polystyrene shims (!)
Unforgiveable Cons:
- Came with 3.6mm action and *still* buzzed at the 9th fret before neck relief added.
- Frets rough, too much buzz, impossible get action under 2-3mm
- Stock plastic nut too high, poor quality and hollow, broke when gently removed to replace
- Unable to file replacement nut lower than 2.1mm due to poor fretwork
- Fret indentations began to appear after ~12 hours
- Concerned by small gaps between frets and fret slots - fretwire may not be plush with fretboard.
- Stock machineheads dreadful, badly installed
- Headstock like chipboard with dead spots, only evident when re-drilled for spare set of Grover machineheads
- Truss rod cavity loose/splintered under plate, truss rod doesn't feel 'contained' enough
- Fretboard open-grained and soft. Already 'gouged' slightly by string bends
- Guitar was allegedly quality checked?
Overall:
- Borderline unplayable action and buzz, this could sadly not be remedied
- Playability was my concern when ordering, only thing I couldn't easily fix - I didn't buy b-stock solely for this reason
- I didn't have high expectations but given the quality of some of no excuse for the guitar to be barely playable
- Regret purchasing
- Would made OK guitar for beginner, or as gift to an Orphan
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b
Was expecting more
The Harley Benton SC-450Plus LD Vintage Series fell short in terms of sound quality and overall quality control. While it showcases a vintage aesthetic, the sound did not meet my expectations, and there were noticeable issues with the guitar's build quality. It may be a viable option for budget-conscious beginners, but for more discerning players, it might be worth investing in a higher-quality instrument.
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