Harley Benton MultiScale-8 QEB

This is an excellent guitar for the price, there is absolutely no doubt about it. The finish and level of workmanship quality is what one could expect from a guitar that's 2-3 times the price.

THE PROS:
The guitar finish and the quilting is very nice, I have a couple of TINY black dots under the lacquer on mine, but this is not something that bothers me. For the price, this level of quality is more than acceptable. Beyond acceptable, really, it's very good.

The fretboard and neck are excellent. Zero sharp or uneven frets, fully playable from top to bottom.

Tone/Volume pots and tuners are great, zero issues here. The locking tuners in particular are great and arrived well lubricated. The tone pot is at a slight angle compared to the volume pot, but it follows the contour of the body so this is fine and understandable. I would have preferred them "set in" like on the Amaroks, but this is just a personal thing.

Neck through construction is great, very well put together. Zero complaints here. Because of the neck through construction, you have great access to the higher frets and the workmanship of the area where it joins to the back of the main body is really classy. Really nice design.

THE CONS

To me, the pickups COULD be a little more clear. Again, this is a personal thing, but it can get a little muddy with chords. Do not let this put you off, though, I'm just saying. Plus, it is easily compensated for, mostly, on the amp side of things by adding a little more treble but it does sound a little (we're talking about 5-10%) more dull than some of my other guitars. The pickups do put out a good signal, though, and there's no buzz from them at all. I also have the 8 string 458 model, though, and I do not notice much difference between the sound of the two (the 458 is maybe slightly more bass focused but is perhaps slightly more clear, perhaps less output. That is also a fantastic guitar and insane for the price)

The NUT is not something I'm enamoured with. This is the only "NOPE" about this guitar. It's extremely sharp and due to the way it's angled because of the multiscale it has cut my index finger on my left hand a couple of times. I am pretty sure I will keep this guitar, so will just use some 1000 grit sandpaper to take the edge off it next time I change strings. Slightly rounded ends on this would resolve the issue, though, and it IS an issue imo.

Speaking of strings, when I changed them, 4 of the 8 ferrules that hold them in place on the back of the guitar fell out. I'm pretty sure this isn't supposed to happen. The other 4 are stuck in there well, but I suppose the holes were slightly overdrilled. However, they're held in place fine when the guitar is strung, but I thought this was a little odd.

The guitar comes with 10's and, for me, It had much more tension and was harder to play out the box than the 458 that comes with 9's. Mileage may vary and it depends what you're used to. I found pitch harmonics and bends harder on the 10's, so I changed them out for a set of 9's and am much happier with it. Bear this in mind when ordering if you are used to guitars with 9's, it really makes a big difference to swap the supplied strings out for a finer gauge. However, if you've a penchant for heavy strings anyway then this will not be a negative.

Finally, I'm glad this guitar doesn't have active pickups.

FINALLY

I'm just dropping a star on both the sound and fabrication for the (very, very slight) muddiness, the escaping ferrules and for the vampiric plastic (presumably?) nut. None of these things detract from the fact that this is a brilliant guitar for the money, though.

Coincidentally, I got the very guitar that you're looking at here in the pictures, and got a special photograph and written sheet from the Thomann photo team in the box with it. Never had that before and I thought it was a nice touch, so if you're sold on the look of this guitar, it's my guitar that's sold it to you!

It's a little heavy BUT with the solid wood body and opaque colouring it'd be hard to do much about that. It's no Les Paul heavy but it's getting there, but mileage may vary. I went from playing mostly an ibanez 6 string to this guitar, so most things are going to feel heavier.

Comprada por probar esto de la multiescala y las ocho cuerdas (no habia pasado de 7 nunca). No esperaba mucho de un instrumento económico, pero todo está perfecto. El acabado es impecable. El sonido es más que aceptable, a pesar de que las pastillas no parecen una maravilla. Los potenciómetros un poco recios, pero sin mayor problema. La afinación aguanta bastante bien.
La recomiendo sin duda.
Decir que llevo muchos años tocando y tengo unas cuantas guitarras