Harley Benton TE-90FLT VW Deluxe Series

This guitar far exceeded my expectations as a guitar in sound, affordability, it's unique look, feel and balance, and playability. I am still amazed by the finish, the pickup sound, and high quality craftsmanship of this guitar. At first, I was trying to figure out how to play this guitar, because the action was low and soft, which I like and love but I was used to really working a guitar to get sounds out of it. This guitar simply sounds like one of the $1,000 plus (I'm from the USA) guitars from a USA company (made in Mexico/China/USA), just in regards to the material let alone the sound in that it almost sounds equal, like a 9.5 to 10 on a 1 to 10 scale. I mean I've played other expensive guitars and the TE-90 FLT VW is amazingly light action, so it's hard to get adjusted to the feel and playability. But it's great for jazz, chords. I know it's not expensive, but it feels expensive and I really want another one just so I can play this one hard. I baby this one as if it was a $1,000 guitar, because it just sounds, plays, looks, and plays like one. It's very unique sound, since it's chambered under the pickguard like other another USA guitar style from California with FLT humbucker but this TE-90 sounds equal if not better. It has a jazzy kind of vibe and sound or a little blues or rock too. Really it plays everything, but I love it for chords. The neck just feels right (I like thin/slender necks) since my fingers are not long. Also, the headstock is really unique and you may not like it but I do for it's uniqueness. The weight is perfect, not too light or too heavy. The fretboard is a good flatter radius but not too flat. When you play this you will be able to feel and hear the high quality right away. I'm glad I have this one guitar in my arsenal/toolbox because it has a really warm sound with the two humbuckers and chambered pickguard area. The look is very unique/cool. The fretboard is so playable, once you get used to low action and soft touch, that you can play for hours and forget about the time. The maple fretboard and frets are a bright sound. It really begs you to play it. You can also really shred on it too or go slow and jazzy. I love the belly cut. The only con I have about this guitar is the pickguard does get scratched easily (but it's a pickguard after all); I think it might just be the plastic is not glossy enough, but that's a good thing too, it gives it a different softer look. I'm getting the Three Tone Sunburst, when I have the change because it's a really excellent guitar overall. --Marco, USA

After researching different Tele and Gretsch clones, single coils and humbuckers, I found optimal point between different worlds, something universal.
Pros: Guitar sounds very clear on clean with no hum and has something "brand" in its sound, after what I decided to measure frequency responce on both pickups using white noise and multimeter. I've found 99,5% coincidence whith Filtertrons (AC/DC rythm tone) in all parameters, even resonance frequency peaks. I have Ibanez RG-8 with great sustain, compared to Gibson's. That little Tele has sustain compared to my 8-string wide neck guitar, and far more sustain than my old 1991 Japanese Charvel STX Custom. I was very impressed. Frets are polished, neck is smooth and total feeleng of guitar is frendly for fingerstyle, strings do not out of tune when You push accords on the neck. I think it depends on coming by default strings (9-48 combined d'Addario set). Dirty sounds on bridge are also very good, close to EMG 81, but a bit less fizzy. Neck is good for overdriven solos whithout annoing grit, very careful sound, neck also is useble to play riffs. On both pickups You get a very good clean sound for plaing acoustic-like rythm patterns. All three pickup's combinations are great and useful for clean and overdrive sounds. And one thing more: this guitar has phenomenal distortion sound beeng dropped! That's why I bought it.
Cons: It was needed to tighten the tuner's screws on the bottom and tighten the nuts on the top sides of the neck for guitar to stay in tune. After it was done all came to normal. Tone potentiometer is ALPHA, Volume pot is standard cheap. I think I need to swap them, ALPHA is very good long-live non-crispy pot, it should be on Volume position. Pot's knobes are good-looking, but
do not hold well on, I put two balls of paper inside the knobs so that they do not fail.
Averall I recommend this guitar for every style of music, from jazz to metal. It sits perfect in the mix.

I did a lot of research before purchasing this guitar. I had been wanting a Tele style for my collection. I have Gibson Les Paul's and higher end Fender Strats. I had gone to a local big name Instrument dealer in a near by town and tried Telecasters from the lowest to the highest price range upward of 2000$ and was not satisfied with what I tried out.

But based on the written reviews and Youtube reviews I thought I would give the TE-90FLT a chance. First of all the quick shipping ( 2 days) from Germany to my state of Indiana in the U.S. is remarkable. Local dealers take longer than that.

The but quality of the Guitar is just unbelievable!! The sound, look and feel puts that 2000$ guitar to shame. How you do it for such a low price is just nothing short of magical.

I will be looking for an acoustic down the road and I guarantee Harley Bentons will be the 1st place I look. I wish I had heard of Thomann sooner.

The communication from the sales staff was always up to date to help me feel comfortable during my purchase.

Can't think of a thing you could have done better. Thank You!!!

I had been researching and looking at videos for Thomas guitars. All the good reviews must mean something. I got the guitar and have to say that I'm extremely happy. I own a Fender American start and Gibson les Paul traditional plus. I wanted to get something that sounded different. The guitar sounds awesome. The pickups are keepers, they have a jangle and chimy tone while the bridge is still twangy with great attack. The guitar plays easy, no blemishes. I already prefer it it over my american start, I had it for two weeks now. The only thing I would have loved is two tone knobs, but the guitar rocks as it is. This guitar does not feel cheap, it feels like a quality instrument, yes I am talking about a quality that feels like a professional expensive instruments. I am so happy that i just purchased two more Harley Benton guitars this week.

I am an ex music shop owner and still a guitar tech. Yes I own a lot of guitars including the big American brands. I have unpacked, serviced and played many guitars. In all of my time in doing this I have never taken a guitar from its box and found it more instantly playable.. Still in basic tune around Eb, this guitar just wants to be played. I t has a slim/fast neck a 350mm/14inch fingerboard radius. Two great humbuckers, with just the right power and no Asian sounds. The hardware would only need changing if it broke. It all works well. Even the volume and Tone Pot were full size 25mm. The cavities are treated for EMF interference . Build quality is great.... The Value for money is so exaggerated for what you get. If this guitar fits in your wish list... Do it. Highly Recommended

I was buying my annual set of 10 strings, when i dropped the Harley Benton TE-90FLT VW Deluxe Series in my shopping basket...

I was looking at those Harley Benton for a while du to all the positive reviews i found on the internet.

-Right out of the box the guitar looks and feel like a typical Mexican Fender worth minimum 800€.

-The electronics works and feel high end, the pickups sounds amazing.

-The mechanics works great and the bridge looks amazing.

- The neck radius is really flat wich is not personally my favorite type of neck specs, but the frets are so nice and tall with no dead spots that it makes up for it.

- The set-up of the guitar strings height was spot on, i just changed the strings for 9-46 instead of 10-46 and it's ROCKIN'

I'm afraid i might be falling into the Harley Benton spiral... and buy some more !


Amazing job guys, very appreciate the work you've put in, to produce such amazing affordable instruments...

Best Regards,
Jips

I love the look of T-style guitars but i'm not fussed on the single coil sounds (it's more the hum the comes with them that I don't like); I saw this and took the plunge.

Pros:
- The Roswell pickups have a unique sound, like a P90 without the hum, amazingly responsive to pick attack, crystal cleans and punchy crunch.
- Neck profile is similar to an EVH Wolfgang, feels great in the hand.
- It's quite lightweight.
- Nice fret job. The earlier HB guitars had a reputation of poor fret jobs, mine arrived with an 'Inspected' label, and arrived IN TUNE - which is a first for any guitar!
- The pickups, they're so good that I need to mention them again.

Cons:
- Mine was slightly yellower in colour than pictured.

Summary:
If you're on the fence then I would recommend that you go for it, fantastic tones, fantastic responsiveness. It's one of those guitars that's hard to put down!

I used to play guitar some years ago and recently wanted to get back into it. I wanted an electric I could use with headphones or on low volume and didn't want to spend a lot in case I didn't stick with the practise.

The guitar seems great, really happy with it, especially for the money.

It stays in tune really well. I practise most days and can usually take it off the stand and it is still in tune form the previous day.

The pickups are quiet no loud hum or buzz when it is plugged in.

There is a good range of sounds from the 2 pickups, it plays well and seems well set up.

The only negatives I have are small.

The nut is only plastic and the strings seemed a bit tight in the nut at first but I have restrung it a few times now and put a bit of graphite in and it seems fine. The strings are fairly close to the edge of the frets and sometimes the E string can get pushed off the fret when I'm changing chords quickly. (admittedly this is partly my playing.)

I had been looking for absolutely ages for a Squier Cabronita Telecaster with no joy. No longer being produced, none going second hand. Then I saw this beauty. And at £166.00 I had to snap it up. Let me tell you, out of the box, perfectly in tune and intonated. Gorgeous colour and finish - mine had a nice almost light grey-burst finish with the grain nicely coming through. Excellently cut and dressed frets and nut. Plays as lovely as my Fender Baja Tele and Classic Vibe 50s Strat and sounds as good too. I'm impressed with the Rowell Pickups. I've never got on with humbucking pickups and much prefer the sound of Tele and Strat single coils with their sweet clarity and snap, but these Filtertron style Roswells give you the same sweet, clarity and snap in the higher end with some warmth in the lower end. Finally humbuckers I like! I prefer to play clean - just into break-up stuff, 50s early rock n roll / rockabilly, through to the 60s. (With a little bit of rock thrown in now and then). This guitar does it all perfectly. OK, I'd prefer the head-stock to be the right way round but it becomes trivial next to all the positives. So well done Thomann and Harley Benton! If I didn't have my Strat and Tele already I'd be looking at the ST-62CC MN Charcoal Frost Strat and the TE-52 NA Vintage Tele. Keep up the good work guys! :)