Harley Benton EAX-10 Pinky

I deliberately tried to buy a busking guitar that I wouldn’t like much, so that I could give it away when I had enough money for a high-end beauty. But after three days of playing I have fallen in love with the Pinky.

Finish: I can’t find any flaws. It looks like a toy, but it isn’t. The finish is a thick opaque gloss which squeaks when you rub your arm against it. Some people might not like having thick gloss paint on the back of the neck.

Tone: Acceptable once the cheap strings have been played in and calmed down; pretty damn good once I’d put in a bone saddle. Sweet to listen to. Even the amped signal is kinda pleasant, but only at low signal levels. It distorts quickly once you turn up the signal.

Mechanics and playability: Beautifully smooth nut / tuner combo. I liked the ease of tuning so much that I threw away the replacement upgrade bone nut which I had bought. It’s the most easily tuned guitar which I have ever played. It needed the saddle to come down 2mm to get the action within a normal range. Frets are smooth enough not to notice them.