Harley Benton Fusion-III EMG HT Roasted SBK

I was looking for a long time for a stealth-looking, modern, Super ST metal guitar and this has it all. 10/10 looks and the inverted headstock are the cherry on top, makes it stand out and feels more premium.
The specs are great, absolutely zero sharp frets and the pickups are quite warm and not so hot. This is probably the first guitar that I feel comfortable soloing with the bridge pickup. Also, the neck pickup doesn't sound so 'nasal' like they usually do.
My only remark is regarding the bridge.
Ideally, I would have preferred a non fixed bridge of any kind, quite possibly a Floyd, but perhaps the price would have gone up quite a bit. My bridge came a bit damage, with very tiny scratches on the paint, but it is the kinda thing that only I will ever notice and it doesn't affect the looks or playability.
In short, I'm extremely happy with it and would definitely buy again.

Ordered this after watching a blazing YouTube review. Shipped to me in Canada. I paid more for it in the end (due to shipping and duty), compared to someone in Europe.

Guitar was a bit rough out of the box. Neck pickup was installed crooked (honestly, how can someone not line these up?) Frets were very rough. Tuning pegs are a little shoddy. Input jack needs to be replaced (its shorting out when the cable moves around).

After a full setup (used fret erasers, Ernie Ball fretboard conditioner) the neck really came to life. Just insanely beautiful flame.

I think the guitar itself sounds VERY good. I am happy with the tone - the pickups feel great to me.

In the end, would I buy it again? Probably not - if I was in Europe - yes. But not in Canada. I would have rather put the money towards a real Charvel or something. With all the extra shipping/duty, needing to buy a new input jack, fix crooked pickups, etc. I don't think it was worth it in the end.

PROS
- Only two strings weren't in tune and that was all the setup I had to do after unboxing.
- I can play for 2 hours and it's still in tune.
- The body paint job is perfect.
- The bridge is very comfortable to palm mute.
- The pickup selector is sooo smooth. It clicks into position and stay there, but it moves very smoothly.
- Very well weight balanced (I have another HB guitar that's very neck heavy, but this is perfectly aligned).

CONS
- The frets could have received a bit more care (they were a bit scratchy in the beginning), but after playing for a few days they're ok. But next time I changes strings, I'll 100% polish them. (no protruding frets though).

Overall, this is comparable to guitars that cost more than twice and looks like the best Harley Benton until now, to the point I'd consider getting the T version of it too.

Clinical.
Your company has fulfilled and brought to fruition what was promised.

Emotional
My main guitar is a Schecter Hellraiser that my Mother ( God Rest Her ) got for me. I will always love it and her. As I plugged in my new Harley Benton ( now named Rose) and proceeded to play along with Gary Moore's " Still Got The Blues For You" I thought about how great Rose sounded and played. Tears welled and ran in gratitude for EVERYONE and I mean EVERYONE involved in making Rose and getting her to me, and ALMOST making me forget about my Hellraiser. So I mean it, everyone involved...Assemblers, Testers, Plek Techs, Packaging, Sales Staff, and anyone I have forgotten...My heartfelt thanks and respect for your labor.
Conclusion
Give Harley Benton Guitars a try.
Get your guitar Pleked.
Be grateful.

Considering all this guitar has to offer, purchasing it seemed like a no brainer to me. I haven't seen a bad review yet, and the price is unbelievable.

Honestly, I would say my only complaints would be in the QC department. I realize in this price range there are some things (like fret polishing) that will be sacrificed, but things like misaligned tuning keys, pickups that cannot be adjusted, and loose volume knobs should be caught by QC.
All in all I spent less than 2 hours fixing minor issues and making this one of my favorite guitars. With 9-42 gauged string and a little truss rod adjusting, I have the action at 1mm on the high E and 1.5mm on the low E and not a bit of fret buzz. Oh, and I can't thank Thomann enough for lightening fast shipping!

Where to start? Have you been looking for a modernized s type guitar suited for metal and with a subtle design? Look no further, the fusion III is loaded with high end features for a price that doesn't seem entirely possible. Firstly, stainless steel frets, locking tuners and emg pickups all for under £400 is practically unheard of. For the price you'd expect there to be a saving somewhere and while the stock hardware is not of the highest quality(gotoh, hipshot, etc.) it more than makes up for it with the build quality. After being shipped from Germany during winter, it was perfectly in tune upon arrival and after a close inspection there were no rough or sharp frets. It is worth noting that there was a small chip in the fretboard where the nut has been installed but this is barely noticeable and only a cosmetic issue, otherwise the quality control on this guitar matches instruments at at least double the price point, if not triple. All electronics worked perfectly and the pots were smooth with no crackling, now the pickup selector does seem a little flimsy but I think that's more to do with the blade style over something you'd find on a Les Paul or PRS.
Overall this guitar came in what I would call pristine condition, especially when you factor in the price and this is most certainly the best value of any instrument I have owned. In the future I may upgrade some of the hardware and electronics but the fusion III is gig-ready and built to last as is. I will definitely be looking to buy the t style variant now that I have seen first hand the quality Harley Benton produces.

Okay, I am blown away. This guitar is simply too good... I am in love with it and in particular with the neck and fretboard! Some people claimed that the neck of this guitar is thick but it's really not, it's simply beautiful and gives a great playability. People also complained about rough stainless steel frets but this wasn't the case with my guitar, they are just perfect. Moreover the EMG Retro Active Hot 70 Humbuckers, the awesome matte black finish and locking tuners make this guitar incredible. There is not even a small imperfection on my instrument, thereby I cannot recommend it enough.

UPDATED REVIEW: The day after its arrival I played the guitar in the morning and it worked perfectly. The same day in the afternoon I wanted to play again but when I connected the instrument to the amp it produced no sound, I understood it was a jack input issue because it felt stiff from the beginning. I had to return the guitar and asked for a replacement. After three weeks I finally received the guitar but at my surprise it hadn't been replaced, it was the exact same guitar and most importantly the jack problem hadn't been fixed because again I connected the guitar to the amp but it didn't produce any sound!
Now, I am sure that apart from the jack problem the guitar is a very good instrument but I am really disappointed with the service of the quality check... also the guitar wasn't it tune this time, it makes me think that maybe they didn't even try it before shipping it...
I am shipping the instrument back a second time and hopefully this time I will get a new guitar with really perfect conditions and truly inspected, but if that doesn't happen I will return it again and I am not going to purchase another harley benton in the future.

I hope I can update this review again soon with an happy ending. For now I have to give 1 star because the guitar doesn't work.

Headstock:
Cool reverse headstock. Tuners are great! No issues so far... The nut was installed a bit sloppy, it looks cut, but I think that's normal. There are a few scratches on the fretboard near the nut.

Neck:
The neck is not as wavy as in the picture, but it is solid roasted maple, it feels very nice and smooth.

Not the thinnest neck of all, but it is quite comfortable to play. Access to the highest notes after the ~22nd fret can be quite awkward, especially on the 6th and 5th strings.

The fretboard is perfect. The frets are well made, no sharp edges at all!

Body:
The shape of the body is quite comfortable. The paint is very good. There are a few microscopic spots on the horn that are not painted, it looks like dust, but I don't care. The body is matte black, and it leaves marks. But it's matte paint, nothing to do about it. Just clean it regularly.

Hardware and electronics:
The switch and knobs work fine. There was one rusty spot on the switch. The pickups are ok, nothing special, don't expect magic, but they fit this guitar well. The battery is included and it's alive :) So everything works, no problems.

Overall, this is a great thing! I highly recommend it!