Harley Benton R-458MN WH MultiScale

Greetings, I'm a guitarist with more than 20 years of experience
I've always played 6 string guitars, but I got interested in extended range guitars and fanfrets...
This guitar arrived 1 week ago, and the truth is that it is incredible!!

I will start with the problems with which arrived

*The arm was a little warped, obviously after 1 month of traveling from Germany to Mexico, but it was easy to adjust
*The ground was not well connected, even though it had the cable, the black paint on the hardware does not let the cable make contact, also easy to fix
*The nut did not have the grooves of 4th and 5th completely straight, pinching the string a little and generating tension and tuning problems
*The 1st string is not very loud on the Bridge position, probably caused by the angle of the pick up... but on the neck position works fine, I have no problem 'cause I always lead on the neck pickup, but it could be a problem for some people... with high gain is not that noticeable, but in clean you can hear the diference

Misconceptions

I think that due to the details described above, many confuse some problems with others, I read in many reviews that the tuners did not work and did not keep the tuning well, I think that this is caused by the nut slots, since they are not straight, the string gets stuck, and you need to turn it a little more to give more tension and release the string, then when you play, the extra tension distributes, causing it to go out of tune again

The pickups, they are not the best, but are quite functional, I think what causes problems is the ground connection
but with that fixed and a little of pre EQ you can get them working

THE GOOD

Everything else!! I’m surprised with the quality of the instrument, excellent frets, the arm quite comfortable (for an 8 strings), no big neck dive, I liked the fan fret lml Really cool guitar lml

if you want to start in the world of 8 strings and fan frets, it's a great instrument
Recommended 100%

I couldn't pry myself off of this guitar long enough to write this review! I've been playing for 15 years and wanted to try an 8 string guitar without breaking the bank. I was intimidated by fanned-fret guitars and was trying to accept that I would need to spend $800 USD to buy a guitar I might end up hating. Saw a video by Glen Fricker of Spectre Media Group and ended up here!

AND WOW.

I'll just list the pros since I HONESTLY have zero cons:
- I also ordered a bag (Thomann E-Guitar Gigbag Deluxe fits perfectly for $22 USD) and a strap so my guitar came in it's little box, INSIDE another box that contained the bag and strap. Well-protected with the two layers of cardboard as well as some nice fabric around the guitar itself and held in place by foam padding on top, bottom and under the neck. It arrived 48 hours after my payment went through (I'm on the east coast of the USA)
- This guitar was setup so perfectly that I could play it right out of the box after tuning the 2 or 3 strings that were a bit off. Someone obviously put their heart and soul into tending to this piece of art.
- It's very lightweight, lighter than some 6 strings I have. Feels so comfortable with an 80mm strap even after 2.5 hours of playing.
- Paint is flawless, glossy and smooth.
- Well constructed. Again, it's obvious someone put their heart into building this.
- Electrical is very tidy and cables were bundled and organized! I don't know if the paint inside the cavity is shielding paint or not, but the back of the cover was shielded and there was ZERO hum or buzz.
- Pickups sound clear and deep in clean tones and crisp, sharp and heavy when distorted. No mud in a well-dialed tone. Tested on a 15w and 75w solid-state amp as well as an amp sim (NeuralDSP Archetype Gojira). The tone knob cuts a dramatic amount of high end, which sounds spectacular on a clean setting. It's a gradual cut also, not just an on/off knob. Dial to taste.
- Knobs have a very satisfying resistance to them, they don't just spin and spin. 3-way switch is smooth and snappy. They're all placed out of the way too, so you won't smack them when you're playing. (Looking at you, Charvel!)
- The frets are polished to perfection and perfectly cut along the neck. No overhanging frets whatsoever. My hands thank you.
- The fanned frets are very easy to get accustomed to. They're well-placed and gorgeously symmetrical.
- The neck itself is sanded to perfection, nice and flat but comfortable whether you're playing bar chords, cowboy chords or full-on riffage. No glossy finish so your hand glides very smooth.
- The guitar stays in tune very well, and my Snark tuner is capable of tuning this beast, although sometimes it struggles with the 8th string. The on-board tuner in my 75w amp can handle the low notes though!
- They even sent a 1/4" cable and an awesome "In case of emergency, rescue my guitars" sticker! (4" at least)

This guitar is absolutely perfect for players of any skill level who want to get into playing an 8-string. PERIOD. Thomann and Harley-Benton are INCREDIBLY underrated!!

I wanted to try out an 8-string without investing too much cash. It took me all of about 20 minutes to fall completely in love with this guitar.

Pros :
Cost - it's incredibly cheap for what u get.
Setup - It turned up with the action low & all the strings were well intonated except the bottom 2 which needed tiny adjustment.
Ergonomics - I'm a lady with small hands & I feel like this was made for me!
Neck - Satin feeling neck at the back where u lay your thumb, a little less smooth on the neck edges but I only noticed when I ran my fingers down the neck sides to check the fret job.
Frets - The frets on mine are very well dressed, nothing sticking out or sharp.
Tuning stability - It had to be tuned everyday when it first arrived as I live in a very humid country & I stretched the strings a bit...after a week, it seems to have stabilised & it's holding tune pretty well the last couple of days - don't really needed to adjust much before playing.
Weight - The body is surprisingly light which is great for me but with the solid maple neck has a bit of neck dive.
Pickups - Mine sound great so far - the high end sounds clear to me, bottom end could maybe have some more separation but hey I'm tuning down to E - I'm happy for the price! U can upgrade!
Looks - It's really pretty.

Cons :
Neck dive - due to the weight of the beautiful maple neck.
Flaws - Mine had a black mark on the nut.
A tinyl crack in the body where the neck is set - prob just a surface paint/gloss crack, haven't noticed any probs with it.
Packaging/Delivery - Turned up with it bashed & slightly open at the headstock end of the box & so the headstock got a little bash at the top spike but the neck was unaffected so I'm not bothered & I can sand it out - I would prefer Thomann to put a little more padding around the headstock & perhaps mark the box with 'This Way Up' as my local delivery guys delivered it upside down prob due to the neck end being heavier than the body so I assume it was sitting on it's head for a couple of days.

I've only had this for about a week, I can't put it down! So much fun to play! It's comfortable, sounds great, is holding tune & a great entry level 8-string.

Got this guitar about a couple of months ago, so I've had it for a while now and ready to write it up. Firstly it is still surprising that Harley Benton manages to put so much in a guitar that costs so little - fanfret multiscale, thin neck profile, proper bridge, comfortable weight, beautiful finish. Usually a regular 8 string would cost you at least 400 euros, while this, at half the price has twice the features that one would wish for.

Now, straight out of the box it does have one rather big issue - the nut. As many others have already mentioned, it definitely needs work - the strings are too high, don't follow the radius of the neck, and by far the worst part - string slots themselves - the break of the strings (especially D, G and B strings) is bad, i wouldn't expect backfiling on anything under a thousand euros/handmade to some extent, but even so, it's pretty bad, the G string slot had a jagged curve bad enough to snag the string after any bend, would not return to tune, was almost impossible to tune in general. Since I work as a guitar tech it wasn't that much of an issue for me, but for anyone else who doesn't at least have the tools for it, you really would need to visit a tech, otherwise there won't be much of tuning stability. NOW, other than the nut, it is shockingly well made. All the notes ring out great, some 8 strings (MUCH pricier ones have trouble at the first frets of the F# and B strings, this has no problems whatsoever. The neck is rather thin, very comfortable, I was pleased with the playability of it. Frets are leveled rather well too, not perfectly mind you, but again, I would not expect that level of craft at this price nor even if you doubled it (or tripled it to be honest). The tuners could be better, but they do their job. Of all things to change, tuners would be first on my list. The pickups are fine (remember - this is under 200 euros, two pickups alone usually cost about as much as this entire guitar, often more) clean sounds are great, heavy sounds are okay, just a tad muddy, but entirely workable, I wish it had coil split/tap, would've made it a thousand times better, but alas. The electronics are fine too, the volume/tone pots are a bit stiff, but spray a bit of PRF 7-78 (or something similar) and it gets better, or just use them, over time they will loosen up. Overall I had no issues with the electronics/wiring, I suppose it's a luck of the draw thing. The bridge, again, is surprisingly nice, individual saddles look and feel fantastic, are easy to adjust(You will need to adjust them). With 9s on the top it's fine, but once you change the strings (and you really should shortly after getting it, preferably at least a .74 on the bottom, as the strings it's shipped with are far too thin on the B and F#), you will notice that the action is not where it should be, same goes with intonation (these things may vary ofcourse). With that said, almost all guitars that aren't handmade/"premium" have to be set up, so i'm not complaining, rather stating the facts.

After the setup, it's absolutely great!

Also, you have to keep in mind that whatever you're using for a 6 string guitar amplifier wise, especially for heavier sounds, you will need to readjust the settings. Not all amps can carry such a low register in a tight, commanding manner, especially at higher volumes. Not all speakers have the right frequency response for this type of guitar, as well as most amps don't have the kind of EQ section that you'd ideally want with an 8 string, so pairing this with an EQ pedal (or a FX processor that has one) is ideal, then you can really shape the tone to what you have become used to in regards to 8 string guitar sounds. With that said, do not despair and scower the forums for the perfect amp - try out everything that you have, it is surprising what works, I have a 80's Award Session solid state Sessionette 75 that sounds absolutely superb with this guitar (again, not with regular settings that I use with a 6 string, you do need to readjust). Also - try not using too much gain for riffing, the low strings already have a lot of mass and don't really need a lot of gain, the amount of gain on records is often misleading, rather try and pick harder with less gain - it'll sound much clearer and tighter.

In conclusion - great stuff, absolute no-brainer for stepping into 8 string territory.

Pros:
I've had mine almost one week now and it just grows and grows on me, despite my very high first impression. It just amazed me how much instrument I'm getting for around $200.
The only downside was the wait for delivery, in all about 6 weeks, during the COVID lockdown, not bad. It was well worth the wait. This is my first order from Thomann and I am quite happy.
The frets feel great, no work required. They are a bit rough, could sand them, but nothing that a few days play will not break in nicely. The action is great and the tone is fine for now. If I were gigging, I might swap the pickups for something more professional, but they sounds nice through my Roland cube and through my PA. I'm having fun with it into a DigiTech RP-360xp, looping, etc. The 8 strings really give me the range for more looping options, no need to swap guitar and bass for the different loops. Exactly what I was looking for. The fan frets require a little effort to get accustomed to, but not as bad as I thought. I find holding it more vertical really helps get the bass notes and the highs as well. Holding it at about 45° seems to be the sweet spot, and the fan really helps access both the highs and lows in that position. The pickups play nice with my FX unit and bypassed as well. They clean up nice and overdrive if pushed. The natural distorted sounds are not really my thing, but I haven't tried it in my tube amp yet, where it might matter more. I'm just really enjoying it through the cube for now. It's a bit heavier than some of my guitars, but similar to my Les Paul, which seems fine, considering the additional two bass strings. I was looking for an affordable Chapman Stick alternative and I'm extremely happy. I may buy another without the fan frets and restring it for a more bass version. At this price, experimentation isn't difficult.
If you're on the fence, jump. I think any "bigger" curious guitarist will be quite happy with this investment as a jumping off point into the 8-string world. I had a 7-string before that I could never grasp, but this is easy to visualize with two more strings. In its standard timing, G is just one fret up from the open bass string, which is my primary key on guitar. That makes it a natural extension for me. I play mainly pop, rock, and light jazz and usually solo these days, but I have played in bands a lot over the years. I can see this instrument as a real asset to the one man band gig, or duo/trio gigs, where you often need to fill a lot of range, and for composing songs, where you might be writing and arranging for more than just standard guitar range.
And if course head bangers in the various sub-genres will enjoy the range on this instrument.
It came detuned and I have done nothing other than letting the box sit for two hours in the house to acclimate, and then tune it up. It might need minor intonation, but it seems pretty close to perfect to me so far. It also stays in tune quite well. As you can tell, nothing to complain about from my end. The finish is even quite good on the body and neck. Probably the only thing I might change would be the tuners, just to get locking ones and ones with a bit stiffer feel. But these stay in tune and are very easy to tune. A good bag or case would also be nice. I am going to show this one off to my musician friends.

Cons:
None I could find, especially considering the price and quality.

Bottom line, get one. I'm loving this one.

First, I rate this 5 star overall because it was absolutely perfect for what I wanted from a budget, intro extended range guitar. It should go without saying that this is not a 5-star 8-string guitar, per se (obviously, HB is not going to be a skervesen, strandberg, etc), and it is not perfect out of the box. But! It's a <$200 (USD) guitar. So with that preface out of the way --

After trying a strandberg 8, I wanted to buy an 8-stringer. I chose this because of a decent online reputation (reddit, youtube, forums), low cost, and quick shipping such that I could quickly "scratch the itch" and use the instrument as a worry-free platform for teaching myself set up skills and wiring (if I felt so bold). It did ship quickly -- thanks Thomann!

For <US$200, I think this guitar is VERY impressive. The neck and fretwork standout as quite good for the price. In fact, I thought the neck and frets were so good that I felt reassured that any modifications I could do would be worth the effort. I did not think the truss rod needed any adjusting, but I am still an amateur at setup. Specific shortcomings:

1) stock strings too light, F# & B need to be replaced with something heavier or they WILL buzz.
2) stock tuners are flimsy, had trouble holding tune with rigorous play. They're also too small to accommodate larger strings (80 is what I recommend for F#).
3) the nut is too tall (or, was for me). Fretting F# & B strings at frets 1-3 would yield notes almost a complete half-step sharp.
4) I noticed a ground hum, which was interesting for a guitar with humbuckers.

So, out of the box, not perfect, but definitely playable and with passable stock pickups. I invested US$50 in tone ninja locking tuners, put in some heavier strings, and made the guitar a joy to play.

Then, I got saucy and decided to replace the nut with a graphtec 8 string nut. Unfortunately, the graphtec was just as short as the stock nut is tall. But I figured that out -- graphtec nut ended up being a great upgrade, but an easier fix would be to sand the stock nut down and glue it back in place.

Then, I got REAL saucy and replaced the stock pickups, pots, switch, and jack. This was more for my own interest and practice in pursuing a hobby project.

Interestingly, there was still a bad ground hum despite the new wiring. Turns out the stock bridge has a powder coat that prevents it from conducting the ground wire to the strings. I removed each individual bridge piece, filed the coat off where the metal contacts strings and the ground wire (all of which cannot be seen; the mod did not affect cosmetics), and replaced & re-intonated. This resolved the ground hum issue.

With a few simple mods plus new pickups & electronics (I added a series/split/parallel switch for neck and push-pull split for bridge), I made this a custom instrument that actually sounds and plays amazingly. After my mods, I no longer have a strong desire towards getting a mid-range production 8 stringer (strandberg, ibanez, schecter). I will probably get a high-end custom extended ranger down the line, but I am in no rush to do so. I had a TON of fun throughout the mod process, learned lots about guitar set up and wiring, and have branched out to a more unique instrument. This guitar exactly suited my needs and is therefore a 5 star for me overall. I love this thing!!!

TL;DR -- If you're interested in getting into 8 stringers, I HIGHLY recommend this. Paying ~US$50 for locking tuners and filing the nut will be sufficient to make this a regularly playable guitar. If you notice a ground hum, consider the bridge's powder coat as a culprit -- it's not that hard to file the coating off.

This is my 5th HB instrument. Like a few of the others I've purchased (12-string guitar, 6 string fretless bass), I was looking for a way to affordably get into an instrument that wouldn't be my primary, but would open up some new playing styles. And as with those other products, I was blown away by the way 'affordable' didn't mean giving up on features and playability.

With this being both my first 8 string (have a 7-string already) and my first fan-fret/multi-scale device, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but found that playability was excellent. Neck is incredibly comfortable, and while the guitar is somewhat heavy, it's not excessive/uncomfortable. I am getting used to having the extra string and landing on the right string when moving from the lowest to highest strings, but that probably would be the case with any 8 string (had similar issues with the 7 string). Tone is great unplugged and plugged in.

I honestly can't think of any complaints that I can make about this, I really haven't been able to put it down in the week plus I have had it. Maybe the only thing I'd want would be color options besides white and black, but the white does look really nice. Keep up the great work!

I wanted to get into the world of 8 string guitars, but I badly wanted the multiscale experience for under $700.

Enter, this axe.

By far my favorite feature is the multiscale design, and I often find myself using this 8 string for jamming rather than my other regular 6 string guitars.

Build quality and QC aren't too bad, with decently rolled fingerboard edges and no super sharp fret ends. Tuners could be better, and the cutting job of the nut is kind of abysmal. The E, A and D strings taper off in an unnatural manner.

Pickups are serviceable for sure; they sound shockingly good, jangly and bright, for cleans. It can become a muddy mess with high gain settings, so make sure to crank the treble and it should sound fine.

One note of recommendation is to crown the frets and they'll feel superb. Out of the box, the fret job leaves a bit to be desired with scratchy fretwire. I do hope that Harley Benton makes a revised edition with stainless steel frets in the near future.

Second recommendation is to swap the floppy wet noodles that are the stock strings. Threw on a set of 74 gauge strings and now it can handle drop E, D#, D or even C# like nobody's business.

Overall, for $300 for shipping to Canada this is a solid investment if you would like to get into the world of 8 strings.

[UPDATE: Tuners became completely unreliable. Switched out to some very affordable 21:1 locking tuners by Guyker. I also experimented with some different pickups which led me to find the grounding mistake. The bridge/strings aren't grounded. Sure there's a wire fed to the F# string but the coating doesn't allow for a complete circuit. A little paint scraping underneath the saddle and it's fixed. I'll eventually make sure all of the saddles are grounded but one is enough seeing as how its nearly always being touched. The stock pickups actually sound better than EMG 808X's.]

I am truly impressed by this guitar. It' my first HB but not my first 8 string. It came nearly 100% play-ready. It just needed a small a truss rod adjustment. It did travel across the globe after all! Setup was great. Frets were smooth. Pickups aren't bad at all. I expected them to be rather muddy and unpleasant but to my surprise, quite the contrary. Nut was cut quite well. Tuners are good enough. They are the cheapest "feeling" aspect but they work. They do not slip. Excellent flaming on the fretboard. It sounds terrific. It cost less than $300 shipped. I have been obsessed with it since I got it. What else could I say? If HB decided to go for a 9 and/10 string like this, I would definitely buy them!