Harley Benton ST Modern Plus | Reaction 

Scottish Guy Reads Website Specs 🙈 So... anyone else keen to check one of these out? 🫳⌨⬇

I see you have switched to lefty guitars now Steve, that's mighty inclusive of you! I wish I was ambidextrous too.

These guitars look good, and I agree about the mismatch of colours regarding aged colured pickup covers and white scratch plates.

If I had the funds available, for me the Lake Placid Blue is a thing of beauty, and the specs for the price are insane!

I suspect the cavity is for access to the (probably) barrel style jack socket. Beyond that, I'd say if the only obvious issues (until you get it in your hands that is) are aesthetic then it looks like it's gonna be a good guitar (I say that as someone who owns and regularly gigs 4 HB guitars).

So this is HB's answer to the Ibanez AZ series?🤔 Not too shabby. I like the master volume and master tone (me being a Tele guy at heart) since I have been taking out the second tone knob off of my "Fender Pretenders." These are nice looking guitars (I think the cream on white looks crap too) and some Tele some knobs would look better on these HBs. Looking forward to your video when you get your guitar!😋👍✨

Can I just say the video quality on this is fantastic

I quite like the shell pink and the lake placid blue and had the lake placid blue had a maple fretboard I would probably be buying it. I would have liked them to have the contoured heal block like the Firefly Strat copies. I just realised the fretboard is 1.65" and with me having shovels for hands with sausge fingers I need a 1.68" wide fretboard for comfortable playing, on paper it is not much of a difference but for someone with large hands the difference is massive, I can play 1.65" wide fretboards but they are not 100% comfortable. I agree with you regarding the radius, flatter fretboads are all good and well for shredders but a Strat is better with a traditional radius, especially when playing bar chords. I don't like the metal covered humbucker, I would have preferred one uniform with the single coils ore the zebras with the other models, a hardtail option would have been nice also. I assume the cavity is for access to the vibrato block and springs.

torn between the blue and the pink one! cant wait to see how yours turns out!

They just get better and better . . .WOW!😮

I have the exact same two gripes. I could get over the radius - I consider that a missed opportunity more than anything - but the D neck profile might very well be a dealbreaker for me. I'll anxiously await your review as another D profile "non-fan"...

The plate on the back will be for the input jack as its not on the front.

That was fast.😁 It’s a nice guitar with great specs. The white one is my favorite, but the flame bengal burst looks alright too

oh damn you are fast! Nice vid mate! Getting the placid blue one as ive been eyeballing this since forever

Babicz are great! I think their slogan is ‘full contact hardware’ hence FCH

I like the specs and colours especially the white, blue, and sea foam green but I've never been able to get comfortable with Harley Benton's crazy thick necks. I've tried an EX 76, an Amarok, a single cut, and an SG and sold all four.

Reaction video was great! More! I'm very interested in this but I do already have the soloking which I actually like. Still ridiculous spec for the money. GAS is not my friend.

Basically bridges are usually the same price as the guitar. Well at least the bass bridges are.

The specs are very similar to my old Fender Strat Elite. That had the 12-16 compound radius and I personalty found it pretty comfortable to play. Think I may have to try one of these but I will wait for a while as the initial runs of any new guitars, tend to have snags and I want to see the reaction of the buyers before I part with £££. Looking forward to your review.

Oh I forgot to mention, Squire has just released a Lake Placid Blue HSS limited edition 60s Strat. It has a painted headstock which looks cool. Much more traditional neck specs than Harley but no locking tuners, etc, etc.

I can see Harley Benton eating Sire's lunch with these guitars. Might be tempted if they bring out a similar range of T-style guitars.

Absolutely fantastic have a wonderful day Steve ❤😊

The Babicz bridge is legit. Its stands for Full Contact Hardware. It’s a step above the Fender American tremolo bridges in my opinion. They were recently used on the Made In Japan Fender Aerodyne Strats.

I they wanted to get better with quality components, maybe they should add Good Quality StrapLocks🤞 Also if they could get RID of the Zebra Pickups on the more expensive Ones

These remind me of this obscure Chinese brand Shijie Guitars, but even better priced!

Great spec. I agree on the compound radius , I too am not a fan. I know the guitarist Preshant on insta had two of his charvels re radius to a straight 12 across the whole neck. Basically removing the compound radius

It was the Guitar Summit in Mannheim where they announced it. I’ve ordered mine already!

They look great for the money, even though £342 isn't necessarily as 'budget' as other guitars in their ranges. It really is a Golden Age for affordable guitars.

Crikey the spec on the guitars these days is just insane... I think back to the rubbish choice I had when I first started playing it's poles apart. Looking forward to seeing the review of yours 😀😀

The main thing is they're brought back the deluxe bases! The short scale is banging.

Thats 500 canadian plus tax plus vat plus shipping plus duty...and you don't get to see or touch one till it arrives ...I'll take your word for it..

Babicz 'Full Contact Hardware' seems to only do more premium tremolos, and the one shown, on the fullcontacthardware shop lists at $145. From close up pics it does seem like they are actually those shown.

i played local gigs in the 1990's with far worse bought for the same money, 300 plus !

12-16 is my absolute pleasure. The guitar seems be a charvel dk22 over a fender strat.

Well I am not that sure for Harley Bentons in general. Disclaimer I've never owned a HB, my first electric was an ibanez and after that I got a jet which is the one I use right now. The reason I don't like em is because my friends first electric was a HB and it genuinely was shit. I like to try guitars when I can and that was the worst I've ever played. Also other people that I've talked to weren't really that satisfied. That being said, I get serious Jet guitar vibes. Maybe they will be even better from the get-go, as they are double the price? Who knows (!), certainly not me, as I haven't tried them yet, although I would really like to. Till then, your upcoming review will be more than enough!

I like the flame top Bengal burst one a lot, not got the funds at the moment which is a pity, stunning looking guitar 😃

I was gonna message you about this, see what your thoughts were. Now I don’t have too lol 😂. Another great video mate keep em coming

Thanks for the video Steve. I have enough affordable Strats right now. I'm thinking my next Stratocaster will be from Fender Japan, sometime in 2025.

Nice guitars those , although I still prefer the single cut les Paul type of guitars, my next purchase will be ( I’m sure, I think I’m sure , now I’m doubting myself 😂) will definitely, probably , most likely be a Harley Benton HB -35 plus in gun metal blue , I really like the look , style and sound of them ,, good video Steve, full of info ,, 👍👍🤠🎸

Depening on the colour, this model is $500CAD or $550CAD. I have to add $100CAD for shipping + another $225CAD for taxes and import duties. $825 for a Harley Benton is too much, even with these specs. Firefly is delivering most of those same specs for $200US or roughly $300CAD. It'll be a tough sell this side of The Pond. The 12" to 16" radius also make this one a no go for me. Too flat = very sore wrists and hands after playing an hour. Still, I am very interested in your take on this one.

they look pretty good, GAS!!!

Imagine if that Starcaster behind you was really left handed .. 🥹

got gas 😀

These look nice especially in pink ;)

Intrigued to see these mate, let us know your thoughts when it arrives.👍

I wonder how many pieces of wood are used with the painted guitars. I did ask Fender a week or so ago and they said potentially several..and does it matter?

Hmm... I was lucky enough to grab a fazley phynica dual humbucker strat for about £110, and it rapidly became my main (mine is also in purple, which is both as metal and as funky as all feck), so these don't sound massively impressive for the price. I've also come to realise that tonewood on a strat is largely pointless, because the pickups and amp do all the work on a bolt-on set up. I tend to only worry about wood type on guitars with glue-on necks, because it's all about resonance, and I'm a former Les Paul snob who refuses to accept the hypocrisy of my opinion.

I've just sold my American pro ll fender strat and also vowed to never buy budget guitars again ......buuuuuutttttt. these do look nice. I also have a love hate relationship with strat type guitars hence my sell but for the price I'm tempted.

Must get. Please buy one and tell us how much they weigh 😂

omg the new spinny camera

Two things to say: 1. I love the Olympic white one 2. Where's the red one?

Ah, the compound neck ya gets usta, lotta fancy bits fer da price is good. But does we really needs yet another under $500 strat....

They look cool but not for me atm , but would like to try one for sure. Ill wait for your input instead

So this isn't Danny sapko, say behs

Specs that no other maker gets close to for the money, build quality is high, I’m really loving this release, another big win from Harley Benton…. I will be picking on of these up I think…

Why oh why do they use mint pickguards and age plastic on the pickup cover and knobs i can't stand either. Plus where are the SSS pickup options ? Only the blue would be my choice, but the last time i bought an Harley Benton from Thomman i rejected three of them, then they said no more ! Having just cleared out my herd, i don't want anymore that will never be played. Can't wait to see how you like or dislike the one you have ordered Steve.

Argh!!! I'm good.

I literally stopped watching Henning’s video to watch yours mate 🤣🤭. Tbh I didn’t think with the compound radius they’d be your thing? And maybe my eyes are playing tricks but is the top horn bigger on the flame top versions? Looks odd. Kinda like the Sire’s. Which one did you order?

You are too late. I already bought one !

Sounds like fretboard is way too flat for my taste. Give us some curve HB!

really strange pickguard shape in the top right corner on the flamed top version. Doesnt seems to be strat standard but like fat ...mmm dont like this series at all :/ Jet and others are way way better ...maybe only tesla pickups are the pro...the rest including this cheap babicz trem are a no go for me. I just got a used st-25 annyversary for 190 euro and its way better I think (like no tiny fret ends frets etc)

so you're just looking at the website and calling it content?

Flat skinny neck isnt for me,,, seems nice enough for the money but it's not really exciting me in any particular way. Lots of mismatched coils and covers on the pickups again too,, ugly stuff hehe. I bet the humbucker wobbles too 😁

The bridge-design is st-moderns fatal flaw. To me it is, at least.

I'm so glad I didn't watch this. One quick scrub and I'm out. Don't waste your time giving this watch time.