Harley Benton Delta Blues MJCE

I've had a Sigma travel steel string for the past few years, and every time I pick it up I wish I'd bought a full size guitar. I've been looking at Harley Benton guitars on the website and youtube yada yada yada for about 12 months. This guitar got great reviews on both, including a great one by Jonathon in Singapore as mentioned in another review here.

My first Harley Benton - online ordering easy; delivery to Scotland tracked all the way and at my door within a week of ordering. Double boxed, no damage to either box or guitar.

The colour of the guitar was a dark brown/blue/black - darker than on the photos on the website and nicer for it. All strings were tuned down. All tuners worked and held tune well; all felt smooth, no noticeable 'bad ones'.

The sound was amazing for such a well priced guitar - loud enough when strummed, very clear single notes, and good resonance.

The finish of the guitar was not so good - the joint between neck and body looked rough, and the fret ends felt sharp all the way up the neck. Unfortunately I don't have the knowledge or tools to file the frets.

I played the guitar for an evening, and loved the sound but didn't like the frets. The guitar is good value for money (I went for the bundle including gig bag, as it was only £5 more than the guitar on its own with shipping), especially as it comes with an preamp (and free battery). Unfortunately I decided the finish outweighed the sound so I sent it back under the 30 day return, spent twice the money and got a Harley Benton Custom Line CLA-15MCE B-Stock.

A note on the returns - this was a simple to do as the original ordering - go on the website, hit return item, (no need to give any explanation), print off return label, package up the guitar in the original packaging, take round to local post office (return slip had instructions for the post office staff too, just in case), they scan it, and you can track it all the way back to Thomann. Took same time for the return to reach Germany as the replacement guitar to reach Scotland - great service!

As a budget-conscious guitarist, I was intrigued by the Harley Benton Acoustic Guitar, and after spending some time with it, I'm ready to share my thoughts.
One notable aspect of this guitar is the smoothness of the fingerboard overlay. While it maintains an even surface overall, there are noticeable wear patterns in certain areas where the overlay has rubbed off. Despite these cosmetic imperfections, the fingerboard remains structurally sound and does not affect the guitar's playability.

Speaking of playability, the Harley Benton guitar excels in this department. The strings are set at an optimal height, allowing for effortless navigation across the fretboard. Whether strumming chords or picking out intricate melodies, I found the guitar to be comfortable and responsive, making it a joy to play for extended periods.

In terms of sound, the guitar delivers a balanced and resonant tone that exceeds expectations for its price range. From mellow fingerpicking to strident strumming, the Harley Benton guitar consistently produces a pleasing sound that is suitable for a variety of musical styles.

While the wear patterns on the fingerboard overlay may be a concern for some, they do not detract from the overall quality and performance of the Harley Benton Acoustic Guitar. In fact, they add a touch of character to the instrument, reflecting the hours of practice and passion poured into playing. Overall, this guitar offers smooth playability and impressive sound at an affordable price point, making it a solid choice for both beginners and experienced players alike.

This is a very nice small bodied guitar. I also own a HB dreadnought body and wanted something smaller for more casual playing and the MJCE fits the bill.

Fretwork is good, no sharpies, will need a light polish though.
Tuners are decent, they do the job.

Sound is good, maybe very slightly boxy, but to be expected given the size.

Extremely light.

Tuner works well, won't bother with the pickup.

Very minor cosmetic niggles. It has a few slight dings (post manufacture handling, maybe shipping has caused?) The guitar box contained no foam inserts whatsoever and the guitar was in a light polyfoam sleeve, and the outer thomann box was damaged so shipping may be the culprit, but the dings are minor and nothing to concern.

There are a few signs of "cheapness" in the finish. The two halves of the body show a very visible join at the bottom where the strap pin resides. Also there is very visible glue around the bridge where it meets the body. Again, I'm not worried.

Recommended as maybe a starter guitar, a throw-around guitar for casual playing. Would really suit fingerpicking.

So, here's my short review on the MJCE. Overall it's a nice budget guitar, I'd say good for campfire or practicing. The sound is pretty nice, to be honest. Imagine getting a budget all-mahogany guitar.

Everything, however, has both pros and cons. I mentioned the goodies, so here are the downsides. I don't know if it's just my guitar, but apparently I see visible glueline inside the body (through the sound hole). Kinda kills off the vibe a bit. Second is the metal frets being a bit... well I don't know what to say but I feel a bit unfomfy when I slide my hand. Third is the EQ. I don't like the tone of this, but the tuner is quite useful, nonetheless. And a minor thing is the logo on the headstock, it makes the guitar look like a knock-off.

Yeah, that's it for my review, and it's just my personal verdict. I do rercommend this guitar for beginners or those who look for a good guitar for a good price!

Let's be honest, for this money, I was not expecting a Takamine, ...but I have to say I am very impressed by the sound and features. Electronic is complete and once plugged you have the real thing of course but the unplugged sound is very rich: sharp, presence, headroom and low-end.
Now, for the quality (e.g. choice of the wood), you can feel this is not top notch wood craft, but, again, this does not prevent from having something very VERY comfortable and playable.

This is the guitar you take everywhere, that rocks and that you are not afraid to get out of its case anytime !