Harley Benton HBO-850BK

Used it for home playing, so I have to admit, I never plugged it into an amp, so can't really judge the quality of the pickup sound, but as a purely acoustic instrument it had a great, bright sound.

Had some slight cosmetic flaws, like the leaf detail on the top of it was a bit rough and not completely glued in one part, but otherwise the build quality was excellent. And I think the guitar overall looks beautiful.

Feels great to play, even with the roundback design, which is known to be a bit unstable when placed in your lap. So I would recommend just putting a strap on, even when playing sitting down, so it's kind of held in place.

Did not have any issues with how it was set up out of the box.
Great, inexpensive alternative to the Ovation roundbacks.

FEATURES :
every thing is there from this iconic copy, all thats missing is the long haired wig, bandana, rip kneed jeans or spandex pants if you really must and a arm held aloft with the lighter burning.

SOUND :
after a string change the sound is very impressive for the price if a little shrill (only a little though). the volume is all there it projects its sound acousticlly wonderfully loud and proud. plugged in its not quite so good the volume is noticlbly unballanced with the middle strings alot louder than the outer strings. the sound is still good and clear just makes you play a little differntly to compensate for thr unballenced sound.

QUALITY :
paint job is good the 'Leaves' around the sound holes need a very good oiling as they are very dry and brittle. the tuners are adequit for the job. the neck feels lovely with the frets dressed superbly. the back shows a few ripples in places where its been moulded noticebly around the cutaway and neck, no big deal just with the fit and finish of this guitar and other harley bentons ive had its a shock to find a blemish at all.

CONCLUSION :
overall a good guitar that will be played alot.. no wheres me bandana and spandex :D

I used to own a high end Ovation and this guitar performs just as well for a fraction of the price! I paid $183 U.S. WITH shipping! I don't know how you guys do it, but I'm glad I found you! The guitar is solid and there does not appear to be any areas that are loose, unglued, etc. I'm really glad I took my chances. Granted, this guitar sounds best plugged in, with a preamp in front of it, so don't expect it to sound like a Martin, or Taylor out of the box and you'll probably want to change the strings to your liking. However...that's the point of this little beauty....if you're looking for something to play live and you only need an acoustic for a few songs then this is perfect. The ultra slim shell gives it more of an electric guitar feel as well.

It needed the following to get it right:

Underside of bridge filed down to sort the high action.
Light filing to nut as high E string snapped at nut when tuning out of the box.
Change of strings as the ones they come with are poor.
Filed the edges of the fretboard as sharp.
Treatment applied to fretboard.
One piece of the inlay at fret 12 was slightly raised and had to be sliced off with a blade.
French polish applied to decorative wood work. Looks unfinished out of the box. Also had to chip away bits of glue residue and lightly file the decorative wood work.

Pros:
Price
Good sound

Cons:
QC/finish of the guitar.

Worth the price but be prepared to do some work on it to get it right. Once the work is done it looks, plays and sounds great for the price.

Great addition to my other Harley Bentons. I already own well over a dozen Harley Bentons including the classical nylon string model of this guitar, as well as the round body acoustic bass of this family (cousins). I'm a bassist and beginner guitarist but my wife is a performing musician. I bought this one to keep in the living room to grab when we hear a song of interest. Sounds good with strings replaced (the ones that came with it were not at all warm). The wood veneer decorative pieces needed a spot of glue, but all in all this is a decent guitar at a fantastic price that I would highly recommend for a beginner or student, or a good "beater" that you don't have to be fussy about where you set it or lay it down. The ABS round back lets you just lay it anywhere without worry about scratching it up or damaging it. Great value. Recommended.