Harley Benton MS-60 VW Vintage Series

Often overlooked as mere entrylevel guitars, Harley Benton have improved in quality massively since the last time I owned one a few years ago. It is true that these planks are targeted toward beginners, and the MS-60 is pretty much perfect for any beginner thanks to its shortscale and great playability, but that does not mean a seasoned veteran couldn't enjoy playing one. With a touch DIY you can turn this dirt cheap guitar into a great instrument, fitting for a more experienced musician.

I've been playing the guitar for a couple of weeks now pretty much nonstop, going back and forth between some of the more expensive guitars I own and this thing, so here are the pros and cons:


Pros:

- Sound. Sounds pretty damn close to a real Mustang, nice spanky cleans on the bridge pick up and lots of depth on the neck. Given its relatively low output Fuzz and Overdrive work wonderfully with this guitar. Playing through a big Fender tube amp doesn't sound like a cheap guitar at all, I already prefer the sound to my trusty old Tele which has pickups that cost more than twice the price of this whole guitar.

- Playability. Shortscale guitars are great for beginners, especially ones with smaller hands. Having said that, this guitar isn't just for beginners. I've been playing and gigging for about a decade now and I'm sure to play a few gigs with this one. The neck feels just right for a shortscale, it's not too slim or thick. If you're not used to shortscales things might get crowded, especially on higher frets but personally I didn't find that a problem.

- The vibrato piece. Putting a Jazzmaster style vibrato piece on a Mustang is a stroke of genius! This vibrato piece is really comfortable to use, and thanks to the elongated vibrato arm you can pull off all your shoegaze favourites. It's a really inspiring tool, one that I much prefer to a Strat style vibrato or even a Bigsby. It also holds tuning remarkably well, given that it's dirt cheap. Further tuning stability can be achieved by changing the bridge for a roller bridge, for now the simple trick of adding a bit of pencil graphite to the nut shall suffice.

- Finish. It really looks nice, no flaws in the finish that I can see, even the pickguard is nicely done, those tend to be quite harsh on some Harley Bentons, sure it's not exactly like the one found on a real Mustang but it certainly does the job. The colour is closer to some sort of green than white but I do like it, gives the guitar more character in my opinion.

- Price. 133¤ for a guitar that I've been playing nonstop for two weeks now is crazy. Sure it has some issues but at 133¤ that's more than expected, and those issues are easily fixable practically requiring no extra money to be put into the guitar. I own guitars more than 10x the price and I wouldn't place them in a different category at all, I think this cheap Harley Benton has earned its rightful place among my Tele and SG.


Cons:

- Fretbuzz issues if you prefer lower action on the strings, not really a problem for me since my action is quite high. Fixable by leveling the frets.

- Some issues with shielding and wiring in general. The input jack was loose on arrival, easily fixable by tightening the nut.

- Spring of the vibrato unit was pretty loose on arrival, can throw a beginner off vibrato for life, easily fixable though, tightened it up and now plays like a dream.

- Headstock. Nothing major, I just think the bigger headstock on a Mustang gives the whole guitar more balance. This one looks a bit too small for the guitar, and the shape is a bit off.

- Came with a broken string, although not a problem for me since I always change strings immediately. And 009's that it shipped with can be a bit light for a short scale.



All things considered, these are quite minor issues for such a cheap guitar that otherwise is a shining example of how a cheap plank can turn into a great one, given the proper treatment. I put in some extra shielding tape, tightened the input jack and spring of the vibrato, adjusted the truss rod, oiled the fretboard and put on heavier strings. Now this 133¤ guitar is already becoming one of my favourites, even though I own guitars more than 10x the price of this one. The frets need to be taken care of but that can wait until I change my strings again, the buzz isn't a killer if you prefer higher action on the strings.


Well done Harley Benton, well done indeed.

Pitkään haaveilleena hankin ko. kitaran lähinnä vibran ja Wilkinson-mikkien vuoksi. No paketti tulikin kohtuu ajassa (noin reilu viikko) ja availin sen verraten rauhaisin mielin koska aiemminkin olen tilannut tuumanilta tuotteita.
Noh, mikit olivatkin vaihtuneen Roswell-merkkisiin! Vaihdoin heti kielet 10-46 settiin ja alkaesani virittämään se ihannoimani vibra irtosi pesästään elikkä putosi bodyn pohjalle. . . Siispä avasin sekä mikki- että vibra ruuvit ja laittelin asennukset kohdilleen. Täytyy sanoa jotta ensimmäinen huono kokemus näistä "budjetti" kepeistä nyt kyllä tuli. . . Ja lisätään vielä bensaa liekkeihin, jotta mikit ja niiden säädöt luokattoman heikot. Kohtuu hintaista saunanlämmitys kamaa koko kampe, siis lämmön tuottoon. En suosittele näillä spekseillä!

It showed up in 9 days. A new record, I hadn't even bothered to track it yet.

Arrived unscathed. The only other HB guitar I was really jones-ing for the HB35 was still out of stock and I had 30 Euro credit that was set to expire. I had emailed Thomann about the possibility of an offset style guitar in left handed showing up soon and they said no. (of course, the day after I placed my order the hard tail Jazzmaster showed up on the site...I think they get customer service tips from Mr. Z)

Right off the bat, I pulled off the strings to make it a lefty. Lucky for me, the nut was not glued in place, so all I had to do was put a drop of Elmers on it and reseat it.

The bridge I tried to flip the saddles, but no dice they wouldn't come out so I just set it as close to intonated as possible. The only string I am having trouble with is the E, so I might Mick Jagger this and rip off the E.

It is a chunky little guy, does not feel like a toy at all despite the short scale and small body. It definitely doesn't neck dive...

Tuners are nice and smooth, no play or slop and they hold tune as long as you don't use the whammy.

The bridge is the downfall on this guy, it rocks enough to keep it in tune if you are really gentle with the whammy, but it will not return to pitch it you push it too hard. I am going to get a Wilkinson roller and while I am at it I will fill the current bridge holes and convert it to a lefty for real and angle the bridge correctly.

Pickups sound nice, not really like a Mustang, but they are very good. I especially like the neck pup. It is pretty muscular sounding. The bridge pup is pretty weak sounding, but in a good way. They really complement one another well with both engaged.

Neck is the highlight on this thing. It is a very nice quasi-vintage tint with a satin feel. Frets are vintage sized (pre-06 Fender size). They really fit the vibe of the guitar.

Headstock is rather small, but very tasteful, I especially like the "Fine Quality Sound" in fine print at the end of the headstock.

Finish is almost mint green as opposed to vintage white, but I like it. I think it would look sweet with a red tort pick guard and a chrome Mustang control plate.

How does it play? excellent, no issues playing up to the 17th fret (really good for a righty flipped to lefty) and the controls are out of the way, a right angle cord is all that is really needed. IT is even comfortable to use the trem. I am going to move the strap button to a neck screw and it should be good to go.

The bad? The pickguard is pretty dorky looking. I wish they spent a few more dollars and put a proper control plate on it. The bridge should have been a roller or at least barrel saddles. The Pickups aren't installed the same way (the staggered "B" string pole is on the A string on the neck pickup)