Harley Benton GS-Travel Spruce

I've owned a little martin and a tanglewood version of that, I've tried almost all available travel acoustics. GS-travel beats them all especially in the price point.

Intonated very well, plays cleanly and nut slots cut well. Had to file the bridge a bit since action was a bit high, now its perfect. Fret ends had to be filed a bit too. Fretboard needed oil. Even without all these setup steps, this guitar would be decently playable!

The sound is surprisingly full for a guitar this size. The bass is not as full as a Martin OM but its not worlds apart, mid range is not as honky as a Little Martin for example and highs are sparkly. For me this guitar works for both fingerpicking and strumming.

I've tried the mahogany version too and I prefer the spruce version. Even with a laminate construction, the spruce seems to bring more clarity to the sound. Maybe the mahogany one might be better for fingerstyle-only players who prefer mahogany guitars exclusively.

I would prefer that a strap pin was installed to the neck heel already at the factory but I can add that myself. The gigbag seems good!

Just great for the price. High treble and still has a bit off bass though less than the mahogany version. Was skeptical at first, thus didn't buy the electroacoustic version, now I just wish I had shell out just a mere 33 € more for acoustic with tuner.

Action had to be significantly lowered. Stock strings were a bit thick but playability fine. Changed them to the thinnest available Dr neon acoustic strings and now she's pretty.

Tuner can sometimes get loose and wonky, but I don't expect total perfection for that price and can be changed to locking tuner later.

Plastic saddle instead of bone, but to be expected too.

Took this to a summer cottage and didn't have to be worried of humidity too much since the laminate body.

Had to install a strap button on the side of the neck and now street cred is definitely improved.

There aren't many reviews out for this product so hopefully mine will help some people out here.

TL;DR: Awesome small guitar with amazing sound, especially for the price. Finish lacking a bit but won't affect the performance of the guitar. Good tuners, matte neck and comes with a gigbag.

Having moved to Germany recently I was missing my guitar back home; a big dreadnought which is actually pretty hard to play. I wanted something small and robust I could take with me everywhere and wouldn't mind getting dinged or scratched up.

Lo and behold the Harley Benton GS-Travel. Of course, somewhat of a copy of the Taylor GS Mini. It has a shorter scale length than a full size guitar but is still about 50mm bigger than the Harley Benton Mini. When I first unpacked it I was kind of shocked, it's small! The sound however is anything but small. I was so surprised at how good it sounds and how well set-up it is from the factory. Neck didn't need any adjustment, action was perfect and the 10 gauge strings make it a breeze to fret.

The V-shape neck might take some getting used to, but for me it complements my playing style. For a tiny guitar, it is sufficiently loud. Its actually somehow louder than the auditorium guitar I used to borrow from a roommate but it doesn't project as far. Of course, this version doesn't have a solid top, but for about 20~30 euro's more you can get a solid top version (but won't be able to handle abuse as much as a laminate). Tuners work remarkably well and are accurate, even more so than the 350 euro guitar my roommate has.


The finish isn't perfect but honestly I don't mind and don't notice unless I look for it. The neck has a matte finish which makes it easy to slide up and down on and the headstock looks absolutely gorgeous in my opinion. The lower frets have some dirt/oxidation on them but it doesn't affect the playing. The bag that it comes in offers decent protection, just a normal gigbag.

If you're looking for something to play around the house or take with you and don't care about getting abused then definitely go for it. The V-neck might not be for everyone but I like it. For 80 euro's, I cannot figure out how they can produce such a good guitar. This easily beats guitars in the 120~150 euro's range from well-known manufacturers. I still have to try out 12 and 13 gauge strings to see how they perform, but the 10's are already impressive.

I recently started teaching and wanted a small and light weight guitar to sling in the car and not really worry too much if it was knocked , it obviously needed to play to a certain standard. Having looked at a number of travel guitars I checked Thomann and found the Harley Benton and with a gig bag included I thought this looked like this would fit the criteria I had set and was less than a £100 . Has it met expectation?
I am pleased to say I am more than happy with the guitar although it needed a little bit of work to get it to how I wanted it to play which I will explain shortly. First off top marks for delivery , guitar was well packaged and quickly delivered .
Out of the box the guitar was well made with no obvious defects , fret ends had been filed properly, and I also could find no high frets which evidences good quality control. The lacquer was well applied and finished to a good standard . The action was a little too high for my liking however that being said it played well around the first 5 frets where it matters most especially to anyone who is starting to play. I have taken off about 2mm from the bridge which was quite easy with a sheet of sandpaper and digital callipers to make sure I didn't make it too low, I also adjusted relief and it is now has a playing action similar to my other more expensive acoustic. Strings are basic but adequate .
How does it play? Sound wise it is quite bright but fairly balanced, its also pretty loud although I would recommend buying the same guitar with the pickup installed if you considered you would be giging with the guitar. I fingerpick and strum and the guitar is suited to both producing acceptable tones . The neck is quite slim much what you would expect on an electric guitar which is a bonus for me as I also play electric lead guitar enabling me to be able to switch between instruments with ease, the slim neck is also ideal for people with smaller hands.
Final thoughts
I played the guitar now for the last 3 weeks and I am more than happy with my decision , I find myself playing the guitar more than I intended which is a clear sign it has exceeded my expectation, the gig bag is a nice addition and feels well made and has saved the additional expense of having to purchase a bag separately . I would recommend this guitar based on quality and playability versus price , all things considered I really don't think you could get a similar priced guitar elsewhere, 5 stars from me!