Harley Benton TE-53KR BL Tribute Series

60

Electric Guitar

  • Body: Ash
  • Bolt-on neck: vintage caramel maple with Roseacer skunkstripe
  • Fingerboard: vintage caramel maple
  • Black dot fretboard inlays
  • Matte neck finish
  • Neck profile: C
  • Fretboard radius: 305 mm
  • Bone nut
  • Nut width: 42 mm
  • Scale: 648 mm
  • 21 Medium jumbo frets
  • Double-Action trussrod
  • Pickups: Tesla Opus-4 Alnico-5 Vintage humbucker (neck) and Tesla Opus-TE Alnico-5 single coil (bridge)
  • 1 Volume and 1 tone control
  • 3-Way switch
  • Single-layer black pickguard
  • Gold-plated BT101 bridge
  • Kluson-style machine heads
  • Deluxe chrome hardware
  • Factory strings: D'Addarío EXL-110 .010 - .046
  • Colour: Blonde, high-gloss
Available since December 2022
Item number 517345
Sales Unit 1 piece(s)
Colour Blonde
Pickups HS
Fretboard Caramelized Canadian Maple
Tremolo None
Body Ash
Top None
Neck Caramelized Canadian Maple
Frets 21
Scale 648 mm
Incl. Case No
Incl. Bag No
B-Stock from 2.839 kr available
3.079 kr
Free shipping incl. VAT
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Harley Benton TE-53KR BL Tribute Series guitar, front view

The Harley Benton TE-53KR BL pays homage to one of the most legendary Rock guitarists in history, whose riffs and licks have influenced generations of musicians since the early '60s. A high-gloss ash body loaded with two Tesla Opus pickups that are governed by the traditional layout of a three-way switch and two knobs (one each for volume and tone), ensures a rocking sound from A to Z. The heat-treated maple neck in turn lends the guitar an appealing aesthetic and its comfortably slim profile and satin finish on the back ensure a natural playing feel over the entire 21-fret maple fingerboard. A gold-plated BT101 bridge with six individual saddles and a set of chrome-plated Kluson-style machine heads complete this very unique yet budget-friendly TE-style guitar.

Humbucker and single coil pickup on the Harley Benton TE-53KR BL Tribute Series

Ready to rock

The blonde high-gloss finish of the body, along with the caramelised maple neck and the gold-plated bridge, gives the Harley Benton TE-53KR BL an elegant and traditional vintage look, to which the neck with its comfortable C-profile, medium-jumbo frets, and satin finish adds the playability of a modern instrument. While the gold-plated bridge houses a Tesla Opus-TE AlNiCo 5 single coil pickup, an Opus-4 AlNiCo 5 vintage humbucker is placed in the neck position, and this combination of pickups covers a range of tones that goes from razor-sharp clean sounds to warm and well-rounded timbres that are perfect for Blues. The classic TE-style circuitry with its three-way switch and controls for volume and tone is also straightforward and practical, just like the artist envisioned.

Bolt-on maple neck and ash body on the Harley Benton TE-53KR BL Tribute Series

A worthy addition

Although the Harley Benton TE-53KR BL is primarily targeted at beginners thanks to its affordable price, this guitar will also be interesting for more advanced players who are looking to add a unique-sounding TE-style guitar to their existing arsenal without breaking the bank. With the bright and snappy-sounding Tesla single coil in the bridge position and the full-sounding Tesla vintage humbucker in the neck position, which can be selected individually or combined using the three-way blade switch, this instrument will capably handle everything from Country, Funk, and Blues through to gritty Rock & Roll. Classic Rock enthusiasts in particular will be drawn to the TE-53KR BL, especially given its user-friendly controls.

Harley Benton electric guitar headstock

About Harley Benton

Since 1998, the Harley Benton brand has been catering for the needs of numerous guitarists and bassists. In addition to an extensive range of stringed instruments, Thomann's house brand also offers a wide choice of amplifiers, speakers, effect pedals, and other accessories. In total, the range includes over 1,500 products. Built by established names in the industry, all Harley Benton products combine quality and reliability at attractive and affordable prices. The continuous expansion of the range ensures that Harley Benton always provides new, exciting, and innovative products that keep players perfectly in tune with the musical world, day after day.

Simple yet versatile

The Harley Benton TE-53KR BL’s combination of an ash body and caramelised maple neck together with a pair of Tesla pickups gives the guitar a versatile edge. This TE-style instrument will be most at home in Rock & Roll, where it can shine with a highly adaptable sound that stands out in any setting. As mentioned above, the pickup configuration can deliver everything from crisp, cutting lead tones to thick, crunchy rhythm sounds, and the pickups’ wide dynamic range is definitely best showcased when combined with a good tube amplifier. Fortunately, Harley Benton also offers several suitable amp models, allowing players to assemble a great setup at an affordable price without compromising on anything.

In the spotlight

60 Customer ratings

4.6 / 5

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53 Reviews

b
At that price it's a steal!
bordonbert 20.12.2022
I was worried that a guitar for this money couldn't be a decent player. All my guitars are for gigging, I'm not a cork sniffing collector, so they must actually play and sound well. I am normally a Gibson guy, 2010 LP Trad, reissue LP Special Doublecut and '65 SG Standard - (that one is a 1965 original), so I'm not spoiled for a decent instrument. I wanted to get my hands on a Tele for the band's Stones work in Open G. This caught my eye as it is a Keefy copy. It's not exactly the same as his, of course, but I gambled I would be able to get in the right ballpark of sound with it. I was absolutely right.

The guitar is worth every penny I paid and a lot more beside. It is nicely if not superbly finished in good quality budget materials, has decent if not stunning hardware from scratch and actually has excellent pickups, (both Teslas). This gives tones ranging from the necessary Tele sharp bouncy twang, Joanne Shaw Taylor type raucous blues/rock, and even thicker humbucker neck sounds. You may lose out on the clearer single coil neck sound but, other Teles I have tried seem to miss that ability to thicken up on the neck pickup and the HS layout solves that.

The neck profile is excellent and comfortable, and the frets seem perfectly good if kind of obvious and I find they will play in a little in time. Controls are excellent, both volume and tone are gradual and spread across the whole range of their pots. Body finish is, just as you would expect nowadays, great. There is no excuse for a ropey finish with today's production lines. It isn't TV Yellow but is a nice halfway house between that and a Butterscotch.

Yes it is a cheap guitar and yes it is built to a tight and low budget but you would never know it if you play with your eyes closed. If you have to have ultimate bragging rights with your other cork sniffing mates then a £3k Fender Custom Shop is right for you. If you just pick up guitars on a case by case basis and judge them on their own sound and feel then this is a real find. How long will such a good instrument stay this cheap?

A couple of stars may be missing for natural design limitations but 5 Stars overall for its quality mixed with its basic value for money.

(For the record, this may be a good review but I am an independent customer with no link in any way to Thomann. Neither am I being offered anything for the review. Howevr, I wouldn't refuse anything if it were offered! ;^) )
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DD
Color grew on me.
Detroit Dude 17.12.2022
I was excited to see this new offering from Harley Benton and wanted to be one of the first to order it. Yet when it arrived, the color of my guitar was an unexpected orange pumpkin, definitely not "Blonde".

The setup and tone of the guitar are both very good. Nice neck, minimum fret buzz. The Tesla pickups seem to be of good quality; not in need of an upgrade at all.
I've jammed on this guitar for a month now, I think its very decent.

Final conclusion: It is a solid guitar and sings with a good voice.

The pumpkin poop color is growing on me, it's like an ugly wife; less likely to get stolen!
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D
Awesome Tone!!
DJRamos 14.12.2022
Whether you are goig for Keith or another sound, this guitar has it all.
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L
Harley Benton TE-53KR BL Tribute Series
Lemmyp 20.12.2022
Unboxing the guitar from it Package was well done, The Guitar was in flawless condition well made ,my only thing I found was the frets were a bit stratchy which is not a big deal, that would improve with playing the guitar.
The guitar was on the heavy side but that didn't bother me at all.
My conlusion about this guitar is that it is well made, it has great tones and fantastic pickups, and yes Iam very pleased with my purchase, its great value for money.
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