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Harley Benton HBO-850 Classic Natural

142

Classical Guitar with Pickup

  • Style: Roundback with cutaway
  • Top: Spruce
  • Body: ABS Super Shallow Bowl
  • Neck: Mahogany
  • Fingerboard: Roseacer
  • Fingerboard radius: 400 mm
  • Scale: 648 mm
  • Nut width: 48 mm
  • 23 Frets
  • Multi-ply ABS body binding
  • ABS neck binding
  • Bridge: Blackwood
  • Open Gear Classic machine heads
  • Dual Action truss rod
  • Strings: HB Medium Tension Nylon
  • Pickup with 3-band EQ
  • Colour: Natural, high-gloss
Available since September 2017
Item number 410253
Sales Unit 1 piece(s)
Cutaway Yes
Top Spruce
Back and Sides Plastic
Pickups Yes
Fretboard Roseacer
Nut width in mm 48,00 mm
Scale 648 mm
Colour Natural
Case No
Incl. Gigbag No
1.699 kr
Including VAT; Excluding kr200 shipping
In stock
In stock

This product is in stock and can be shipped immediately.

Standard Delivery Times
1

Best of both worlds: Rock and Classical

Rock and Classical are no longer in opposition thanks to the Harley Benton HBO-850 Classic Natural. Its genes certainly come from traditional steel-string stage acoustics – however, its nylon strings have their roots in the Classical scene and its round-backed design dates back to the time of medieval lutes. A more flexible sound is hard to imagine, as its built-in pickup system ensures the desired level of sonic brilliance. Its shallow, rounded body not only provides unrivalled comfort when playing, it also greatly helps prevent feedback issues with amplifiers.

The stage is its true calling

The Harley Benton HBO-850 Classic Natural is first and foremost an electro-acoustic guitar for the stage. Its spruce top is specially designed to help suppress unwanted feedback. Modern X-bracing helps confer its clear, open sound. The body’s shallow bowl is made of ABS and produces different sound reflections from those created inside a traditional guitar. This has a decisive influence on the guitar’s tone – which can then be optimally amplified via the active pickup system. Its off-centre sound holes and elegant natural gloss finish give the HBO-850 Classic Natural an unmistakable appearance which immediately identifies it as a modern guitar for the stage.

Nylon strings for modern settings

The Harley Benton HBO-850 Classic Natural is clearly designed with nylon-string enthusiasts in mind, especially those working in modern musical environments. Its shallow body is not only extremely ergonomic, it also allows problem-free amplification even at extremely high volume in conjunction with the layered top. At 48 millimetres wide, the neck is considerably slimmer than on most classical guitars. Finally, its appearance is anything but traditional. This instrument will equally suit Bossa Nova guitarists, Jazz virtuosos, Folk poets, Rock balladeers, and of course bold Classical players.

About Harley Benton

Since 1998, the Harley Benton brand has been catering for the needs of numerous guitarists and bassists. In addition to an extensive range of stringed instruments, Thomann's house brand also offers a wide choice of amplifiers, speakers, effect pedals, and other accessories. In total, the range includes over 1,500 products. Built by established names in the industry, all Harley Benton products combine quality and reliability at attractive and affordable prices. The continuous expansion of the range ensures that Harley Benton always provides new, exciting, and innovative products that keep players perfectly in tune with the musical world, day after day.

As loud as you can handle

Steel strings by no means have a monopoly in the repertoire of Folk and Rock acoustic guitar. Willie Nelson, Paco de Lucia, and Sting are all names associated with the regular or even exclusive use of nylon strings in a non-Classical environment. This is the ideal context for the HBO-850 Classic Natural: When the music is not Classical but the nylon-string sound is a must. Its shallow body means it should be amplified as a general rule. A strap should also be used, and not just for great comfort – it also looks the best.

In the spotlight: Roseacer

Rosewood is a particularly hard wood that has long been popular as a material for making guitar and bass fretboards. This wood is now considered endangered, however, and resources are scarce and expensive – which is why guitar makers have already spent several years searching for alternatives. The wood that Harley Benton has chosen as a fretboard material for its HBO series and many other guitars is a type of thermally treated maple known as “roseacer” (a word coined from “acer”, the name of the genus to which maple belongs). The heat treatment to which the wood is subjected reduces its water content to around three percent, which prevents subsequent shifting or warping and increases the wood’s stability while also giving it a visual appearance similar to that of rosewood.

142 Customer ratings

4.4 / 5

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102 Reviews

T
Excellent for the price, but...
TomGoss 02.03.2022
This is very well made and I think it sounds pretty good too. It has a neck that, as an electric guitar player with some arthritis, I find very comfortable. It's like an oversized strat neck, sort of. I like it.
The guitar needed some work to be made to play nicely, and as I do guitar setups that isn't a problem for me. But anyone buying one should be aware of this. Mostly it was OK...good construction and finish, tuners and piezo electrics worked...but there were some very rough fret ends and, although the fretboard is radiused, they put a flat nut and bridge on it like a conventional nylon string guitar so the outside strings were very high. I did some filing and polishing to curve them to the radius, and now it plays great...but it shouldn't have been necessary to do, especially as someone could do it poorly and damage their guitar.
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Gf
Awesome value
Glenn from Virginia 14.02.2020
First, I own 16 Harley Benton guitars and basses...love 'em all. My wife is the musician....I'm a beginner bassist and I bought this for myself to dabble in guitar and learn some chords so that I can better relate my bass playing to what the band is doing. Wanted a classical with wider nut and neck so I could more cleanly fret the chords while learning. This guitar sounds and plays quite nicely, and has become a favorite of my wife too (who ironically says she likes a narrow fretboard). It really is an outstanding value and a nice looking round back guitar....I have no idea how they can sell this for what they charge. The quality is very good, fret ends ok. The wood veneer designs glued on could use some minor sanding and oiling to be perfect. Really like this guitar, as well as all my other Harley Bentons. Outstanding value...just ordered 4 more HB's....nice work Thomann!
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PB
After watching hundreds of Youtube reviews on HB quality, I'm disappointed
PoorMan's Budget 07.04.2020
For the money I expect a few minor defects. One at the base of the neck below the fretboard was extremely obvious. The rest of the finish was fine.
The setup was poor. The action was high, the neck bowed and a good deal of buzzing. Also the frets on both sides of the fretboard will bite you they're so rough. If I keep it, it will take several hours of work to get it in shape.
Maybe it's the luck of the draw. It's my first HB and the reviews online were all raving about overall quality of their products.
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rr
Best deal I know of
rokin randy 05.09.2021
For 111.00 and 90.00 shipping to the USA Not bad. I could've spent 150 more and got something here slightly better. But this purchase was well worth it. The guitar is beautiful.I haven't noticed any cosmetic flaws. The tuners and nut and saddle are cheap so I have to tune a string or 2 the next day when first picking it up.Nothing major. That can be fixed with some bone blanks. For the price I'm not complaining at all. Ive been playing 30 years and haven't had a nylon in years. I wish the electronics included a tuner. So get a snarky.But I'm going to change that the moment a control becomes loose or scratchy. If I had known I would have bought a resonator guitar along with it.No point in paying the high shipping twice So if I can expect this type of quality and service I'll just have to come back
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