Harley Benton DC-200LH BK Student Series

I bought this instrument as a project guitar but first tried it as delivered.
The guitar was delivered quickly and arrived generally in good condition.
The body, pickguard and neck were flawless, The neck had a comfortable feel and the frets were smooth. The intonation and action were spot on.
The playability and sound gave the impression of a much more expensive guitar.
However there was a fault which QC should have spotted. The bridge pickup surround was broken and the pickup had fallen into the routing. Luckily I had the parts and equipment to fix this and Thomann compensated satisfactorily.

I converted the instrument to a 12 string guitar. Filled the existing machine head holes with wood filler and reshaped the headstock. Was just able to fit 6 tuner holes per side. Fitted a 12 string TOM bridge and stop bar onto the existing posts and also a drop in 12 string nut. The guitar has been in this state for 4 years with no adverse effects from the extra string tension. Obviously a strongly constructed instrument.

I am not usually a fan of a shorter (628mm) scale length but in this case it means the extra tension from the 12 strings is reduced.

Never had heard much about Harley Bentons and I ran across an ad on marketplace. I had seen them reviewed on Youtube but didn't think much of it. It was a toss up on the Les Paul or SG style and I finally opted for the SG and ordered it. When it arrived I was floored by the quality of the guitar. I plugged it in and could not believe what I was hearing coming out of my amp. The tones volume and sustainability this guitar were putting out were amazing. The setup and action was perfect. I'm partial to Gibson and Epiphone but this Harley Benton SG is becoming my favorite to play. I'm well satisfied and for the price you couldn't go wrong. I thought I would be getting a piece of crap that wouldn't sound worth a shit. I was wrong!!! Thanks to Thomann and Harley Benton for a fine instrument.