Summary:
+ Great as quiet practice violin
+ Very well playable
+ Acoustic sound is quiet but loud enough for practicing
+ Acoustic sound is balanced across the range, G string sounds equally as loud as E string
- Electric sound is OK, but not great
- Strings that were installed sounded very thin, replaced them with Tonicas which sound very good on this violin
- The gaps of the tuners at the bottom are very narrow and are only suitable for thin strings, I had to widen them with a file to install the Tonica strings, which probably voided the warranty.
- The tuners at the top need quite a bit of force applied not to slip, although it seems to get better over time.
Review:
I bought this violin as an addition to my acoustic violin. The acoustic sounds very good but is also very loud when playing it. Not just all my family members are able to hear me practice, but the neighbours as well. So I needed something quieter, for practicing purposes only.
As I was not planning to use the electric for performance or for its sound, I decided to try the Harley Benton as a cheaper option and just try it to see if it would work OK. The only requirement was that it would be playable, and that I would at least be able to hear what I was playing without plugging it in or using headphones.
In reviews of similar instruments I read that the strings that come with the instrument are rubbish, so I ordered a set of Pirastro Tonica strings with the instrument, and an Eudoxa aliminium wound E string at the same time.
I was not disappointed. The instrument itself looks beautiful. It is quite easy to play, and sounds about right when playing it. I had expected that without plugging it in the G string would be practically inaudible, but it is loud enough, and to my surprise very in balance with the other strings. It is just like playing my acoustic, just a lot quieter.
The strings that were installed indeed sounded quite thin, but playable nevertheless. After I replaced them with the Tonicas on G-D-A and the Eudoxa on E, the sound improved a lot.
However, when I tried to install the Tonica strings, I found that the ending at the ball side (where the string is a bit thicker) didn't fit through the gaps of the tuners. In order to install these strings I had to file the gaps a bit wider. Be warned that this will probably void the warranty so if you want to avoid that, make sure that you use strings that fit through the gaps.
After the new strings were fitted I started playing and enjoyed it a lot, so much so that it was hard to put the instrument down. Finally just playing without knowing everyone can hear what you are doing. And with a sound quality that is amazing given that the sound is produced without any acoustic reinforcement at all.
I then plugged in the headphones that came with the instrument and the sound was OK. Nothing special, but usable, especially with the built-in EQ. I much prefer the acoustic sound of the instrument though, so I unplugged them and kept on playing it acoustically.
All in all, I couldn't be happier. For the price this is an amazing instrument, and for practicing purposes, highly recommended. For performance purposes, I guess it would be OK in most circumstances, if you could apply a lot of reverb to open up the direct sound of the electric pickup. It also comes with a good bow and a great case. What more could you wish for?
5 stars!!
