SM
A lot of bang for very little buck
I bought this guitar for a partscaster project. I had fender pickups and neck ready to go but when it arrived, it was just so good out of the box that I ended up keeping the original pickups and neck and using the fender ones for another project.
I already knew the colour was something I wanted. The Inca Silver is more a cross between Gold and Silver. It's really stunning and I just had to have it. You'll pay a lot of money for a custom job with this colour as it's so rare.
The Alnico V pickups were clear as a bell, although I did have to adjust the height a little on the pickups to balance the volume and reduce string vibration interference. But that's par for the course on all guitars.
The neck was smooth and way better than what I was expecting. No fret sprout (which I'd ready was sometimes an issue) and the frests were nice and polished (something else I'd read was an issue). I had none of these problems.
The guitar stays in tune very well, after I made some adjustments to the intonation, action and floating trem height & tension.
The only things I will do in future is replace the machines and the tremolo block. I prefer a heavier, brass block for better sustain and the tuners that are in it, I don't think will suffice for that.
I'm thinking now about getting another Harley Benton strat in Lake Placid Blue but then again, this is more than enough to keep me happy.
100%, fully recommended.
I already knew the colour was something I wanted. The Inca Silver is more a cross between Gold and Silver. It's really stunning and I just had to have it. You'll pay a lot of money for a custom job with this colour as it's so rare.
The Alnico V pickups were clear as a bell, although I did have to adjust the height a little on the pickups to balance the volume and reduce string vibration interference. But that's par for the course on all guitars.
The neck was smooth and way better than what I was expecting. No fret sprout (which I'd ready was sometimes an issue) and the frests were nice and polished (something else I'd read was an issue). I had none of these problems.
The guitar stays in tune very well, after I made some adjustments to the intonation, action and floating trem height & tension.
The only things I will do in future is replace the machines and the tremolo block. I prefer a heavier, brass block for better sustain and the tuners that are in it, I don't think will suffice for that.
I'm thinking now about getting another Harley Benton strat in Lake Placid Blue but then again, this is more than enough to keep me happy.
100%, fully recommended.
10
1
Report
K
Good guitar for the price
Got it, inspected it, found some imperfections like under the vol/tone buttons there were three wrongfully drilled holes. One little mark in the painting but those were so small details that I don´t care.
Spent a few hours to set up the guitar, fret ends, a couple partly high frets, levelled and polished the frets, applied some lemon oil to the fretboard which seemed a little dry.
The tuners are somewhat stiff, but it may get better when applying some oil in them. No slack though. The nut is cut well, the intonation is ok, action was skyhigh but after the procedures I find the guitar to be very good for the price. I like the sounds of the Roswells, measured the ohms with a multimeter and they seemed to be between 5,60 and a little over 6 ohms.
No need to do anything radical here, I may change the bridge to a steel block one though. I enjoy the guitar now as it is, and this Inca Silver is just gorgeus, as is the darker, roasted looking neck! Good job!
Spent a few hours to set up the guitar, fret ends, a couple partly high frets, levelled and polished the frets, applied some lemon oil to the fretboard which seemed a little dry.
The tuners are somewhat stiff, but it may get better when applying some oil in them. No slack though. The nut is cut well, the intonation is ok, action was skyhigh but after the procedures I find the guitar to be very good for the price. I like the sounds of the Roswells, measured the ohms with a multimeter and they seemed to be between 5,60 and a little over 6 ohms.
No need to do anything radical here, I may change the bridge to a steel block one though. I enjoy the guitar now as it is, and this Inca Silver is just gorgeus, as is the darker, roasted looking neck! Good job!
7
0
Report
G
Complete rookie review
This is the first guitar I have bought or owned. It is also the first time I have ever played an electric guitar. Please read my comments with this in mind.
A quick warning to those ordering from here to the UK. I paid £168.08 for the guitar, amp, strap and some other items. I expected to pay 20% VAT, about £34. I received an invoice for £65.96 from UPS. £41.80 import VAT, £2.36 duties and a £21.80 brokerage charge. If you’re buying in the UK I would add about 40% to the final price and judge the value from that. I understand this is not the fault of Thomann but thought it was worth mentioning.
The guitar itself, in this rookies opinion, is fantastic quality. The finish is perfect. It feels like a really high quality instrument. I was not expecting the guitar to look and feel this good.
I would love to be able to comment on the sound with some authority but, I haven’t got a clue. I’ve played the guitar a few times and it sounds great to me.
Overall the guitar cost me about £20 more than I thought it would, but to me it still seems good value for the money.
A quick warning to those ordering from here to the UK. I paid £168.08 for the guitar, amp, strap and some other items. I expected to pay 20% VAT, about £34. I received an invoice for £65.96 from UPS. £41.80 import VAT, £2.36 duties and a £21.80 brokerage charge. If you’re buying in the UK I would add about 40% to the final price and judge the value from that. I understand this is not the fault of Thomann but thought it was worth mentioning.
The guitar itself, in this rookies opinion, is fantastic quality. The finish is perfect. It feels like a really high quality instrument. I was not expecting the guitar to look and feel this good.
I would love to be able to comment on the sound with some authority but, I haven’t got a clue. I’ve played the guitar a few times and it sounds great to me.
Overall the guitar cost me about £20 more than I thought it would, but to me it still seems good value for the money.
5
0
Report
EK
Second ST-62 this year
I bought an ST-62CC Charcoal Frost last month (see my review of that for most of what applies here). Obviously I liked it so much I bought another one :)
I intended to fit a Hotrails to the Charcoal ST-62 as I play mainly metal, but liked the stock Roswell single coils so much that it seemed a shame to sacrifice such great clean and crunch tones to whats basically the one-trick-pony of a Hotrails guitar. So, the only thing to do was buy another ST-62 to have one of each. And, while we're at it, one in maple and one in pau ferro. All other aspects (bar the hardware colour) are identical.
The only area in which the Charcoal ST-62 fell down was the sharp fret edges, whereas in the Inca the fretwork is all good. That's probably luck of the draw with such mass-produced, minimally QC'd guitars like these. The fret tops are still scratchy (like the other one and, judging by the reviews on here, most ST-62s), but this goes away after a few hours of play.
Those vintage split tuning pegs look great but I'd get some locking pegs if I was going to take this out live. The trem, despite it being on a budget guitar and sporting the thinnest zinc block I've yet seen on any guitar, sounds excellent and works as well as any non-locking trem I've used. Comparing it to the Wilkinson unit in an older ST-70 I've had, this sounds better and has way more downward travel.
Fit and finish all as good as I've come to expect from Harley Benton. The 'Inca Silver' isn't the bright sterling silver you'd find on a Fender etc, but an almost 'old gold' greenish hue'd metallic grey. My first impression when opening the box was 'oh...' in the way you might react to an 'unexpected but not what you really wanted' Christmas present. It's grown on me, though, and looks really good on the wall-hanger next to its Charcoal Frost brother.
Chrome hardware looks great, as does the plastic stuff. I should mention how good the scratchplate and electronics are, by the way, if only because Harley Benton have really stepped up in this area lately.
So - upgrades: as the other ST-62 has me covered for basic Strat tones, I'm going to use this as my primary metal rhythm guitar for recording. It'll get a set of three rail-type humbuckers, locking tuners and roller string trees, plus some 500k pots. The chunky neck is fast with great note separation and sustain. Its not as solid sounding as the maple 'board, but probably more suitable as an 'upgrade platform'.
As before - I'd recommend these current ST-62s to anyone as they far surpass the price tag. My two have replaced guitars costing 3-5 times as much, they're that good. But.... you'll need to set it up yourself and its a roll of the dice as to whether you get one with frets that don't need additional work.
I intended to fit a Hotrails to the Charcoal ST-62 as I play mainly metal, but liked the stock Roswell single coils so much that it seemed a shame to sacrifice such great clean and crunch tones to whats basically the one-trick-pony of a Hotrails guitar. So, the only thing to do was buy another ST-62 to have one of each. And, while we're at it, one in maple and one in pau ferro. All other aspects (bar the hardware colour) are identical.
The only area in which the Charcoal ST-62 fell down was the sharp fret edges, whereas in the Inca the fretwork is all good. That's probably luck of the draw with such mass-produced, minimally QC'd guitars like these. The fret tops are still scratchy (like the other one and, judging by the reviews on here, most ST-62s), but this goes away after a few hours of play.
Those vintage split tuning pegs look great but I'd get some locking pegs if I was going to take this out live. The trem, despite it being on a budget guitar and sporting the thinnest zinc block I've yet seen on any guitar, sounds excellent and works as well as any non-locking trem I've used. Comparing it to the Wilkinson unit in an older ST-70 I've had, this sounds better and has way more downward travel.
Fit and finish all as good as I've come to expect from Harley Benton. The 'Inca Silver' isn't the bright sterling silver you'd find on a Fender etc, but an almost 'old gold' greenish hue'd metallic grey. My first impression when opening the box was 'oh...' in the way you might react to an 'unexpected but not what you really wanted' Christmas present. It's grown on me, though, and looks really good on the wall-hanger next to its Charcoal Frost brother.
Chrome hardware looks great, as does the plastic stuff. I should mention how good the scratchplate and electronics are, by the way, if only because Harley Benton have really stepped up in this area lately.
So - upgrades: as the other ST-62 has me covered for basic Strat tones, I'm going to use this as my primary metal rhythm guitar for recording. It'll get a set of three rail-type humbuckers, locking tuners and roller string trees, plus some 500k pots. The chunky neck is fast with great note separation and sustain. Its not as solid sounding as the maple 'board, but probably more suitable as an 'upgrade platform'.
As before - I'd recommend these current ST-62s to anyone as they far surpass the price tag. My two have replaced guitars costing 3-5 times as much, they're that good. But.... you'll need to set it up yourself and its a roll of the dice as to whether you get one with frets that don't need additional work.
7
1
Report
D
Great guitar on a budget
It was always quite daunting for me to try to pick up the guitar, I have played keyboard in the past but always preferred the sound of an electric guitar. After doing a bit of research, I stumbled upon Harley Benton guitars. I love an ST style guitar, sort of the classic look most of us think of when we think electric guitar. So I picked one up, quite happily too, especially for the price.
I am so happy I did. I don't think I could tell it was considered a "budget" guitar. I went to the local music shop and played a couple other budget "ST" style guitars, namely a squier affinity. The fret work wasn't nearly as good as my Harley Benton, and it was 50 euro more. Of course, don't expect everything to be perfect, you're ordering online so you can't physically inspect the guitar before ordering. I'm sure Thomman's team will deal with any issues you have though, they seem to have great customer service.
I'm genuinely thrilled to have the ST style for such a budget, without it feeling horrible. Nice weight to it, pickups are fine for me, but I don't have much experience. Hard not to recommend something like this, it's worth a shot.
I would imagine that they would make decent modding platforms too, you don't lose much if you mess up horribly, since it's so cheap. Perhaps the even cheaper ST-20 would be a better option, but either way it's a great deal.
The only cons I really had were that the tuners don't seem super good, feels like I'm going out of tune rather quickly, even without using the whammy bar. Also the strings seemed a little old and the frets needed a quick little polish. All of those things can be done cheaply and you still feel like you got a bargain!
Great stuff, very happy.
I am so happy I did. I don't think I could tell it was considered a "budget" guitar. I went to the local music shop and played a couple other budget "ST" style guitars, namely a squier affinity. The fret work wasn't nearly as good as my Harley Benton, and it was 50 euro more. Of course, don't expect everything to be perfect, you're ordering online so you can't physically inspect the guitar before ordering. I'm sure Thomman's team will deal with any issues you have though, they seem to have great customer service.
I'm genuinely thrilled to have the ST style for such a budget, without it feeling horrible. Nice weight to it, pickups are fine for me, but I don't have much experience. Hard not to recommend something like this, it's worth a shot.
I would imagine that they would make decent modding platforms too, you don't lose much if you mess up horribly, since it's so cheap. Perhaps the even cheaper ST-20 would be a better option, but either way it's a great deal.
The only cons I really had were that the tuners don't seem super good, feels like I'm going out of tune rather quickly, even without using the whammy bar. Also the strings seemed a little old and the frets needed a quick little polish. All of those things can be done cheaply and you still feel like you got a bargain!
Great stuff, very happy.
2
0
Report
A
In love with this Strat...
A CV Strat was the first guitar I bought, about 10 years ago... However, the timing wasn't right, so I never really got to play or bond with this guitar..
A few years later (say..8), it was a Harley Benton Tele, the cheapest, honest workhorse that is the TE 20, that got me back into guitar playing..
Fast forward another 3 years and a few more Teles (I love them), and I see this Inca Silver HB Strat, and I am blown away by its looks... I mean, what a beauty...!! I couldn't find many videos of this guitar in order to get an idea of how she sounds like, but I decided to pull the trigger anyway.. Perhaps she could make me fall in love with Strats all over again...
And fallen in love I have... Don't get me wrong, she is not perfect... She has a small paint blemish, but not something that you could see at first glance. And when we did the unboxing with my girlfriend, and I took her in my hands, I couldn't think of sending her back just because of this minor paint flaw. I immediately bonded with her.
To my eyes, the color is similar to the underside of an olive leaf. Sort of a green-ish silver. I love it. It pairs amazingly well with the dark fretboard (flawless) and the white pickguard (not the best quality, but I don't really care...).
Yes, that's the thing with this guitar.. It's like your favorite pair of jeans... A little wear and tear here and there.. who cares... I just plug it in and this baby sings...
The pickups are much, much better than expected - no thoughts of changing them whatsoever... After I thoroughly set up the guitar (little tweaking of the truss rod, string height, pickup height), the guitar plays like a dream. Mind you, I could lower the action just a bit more, but, still, it's very good...
This guitar reminded me why Strats are so versatile.. So easy in the hand, light, and such great sounds from the five pickup positions...
Last but not least, that amazing neck... It's a roasted neck all right, slightly darker than my TE-62... it's a work of art... The profile is very comfortable for small hands like mine..
I am giving this guitar 4 stars for quality, due to the pickguard and that small paint blemish but, overall, and considering its price, it's really a 5-star guitar. It even came with fresh strings.. the first guitar that I actually won't be changing strings right away, simply because I don't need to...
HB guitars are the best value for money out there. I hope this stays that way, because I see prices from other brands generally increasing and that doesn't always come with quality increases.
One last thing: thank you so much to the people at Thomann - their customer service rocks.
A few years later (say..8), it was a Harley Benton Tele, the cheapest, honest workhorse that is the TE 20, that got me back into guitar playing..
Fast forward another 3 years and a few more Teles (I love them), and I see this Inca Silver HB Strat, and I am blown away by its looks... I mean, what a beauty...!! I couldn't find many videos of this guitar in order to get an idea of how she sounds like, but I decided to pull the trigger anyway.. Perhaps she could make me fall in love with Strats all over again...
And fallen in love I have... Don't get me wrong, she is not perfect... She has a small paint blemish, but not something that you could see at first glance. And when we did the unboxing with my girlfriend, and I took her in my hands, I couldn't think of sending her back just because of this minor paint flaw. I immediately bonded with her.
To my eyes, the color is similar to the underside of an olive leaf. Sort of a green-ish silver. I love it. It pairs amazingly well with the dark fretboard (flawless) and the white pickguard (not the best quality, but I don't really care...).
Yes, that's the thing with this guitar.. It's like your favorite pair of jeans... A little wear and tear here and there.. who cares... I just plug it in and this baby sings...
The pickups are much, much better than expected - no thoughts of changing them whatsoever... After I thoroughly set up the guitar (little tweaking of the truss rod, string height, pickup height), the guitar plays like a dream. Mind you, I could lower the action just a bit more, but, still, it's very good...
This guitar reminded me why Strats are so versatile.. So easy in the hand, light, and such great sounds from the five pickup positions...
Last but not least, that amazing neck... It's a roasted neck all right, slightly darker than my TE-62... it's a work of art... The profile is very comfortable for small hands like mine..
I am giving this guitar 4 stars for quality, due to the pickguard and that small paint blemish but, overall, and considering its price, it's really a 5-star guitar. It even came with fresh strings.. the first guitar that I actually won't be changing strings right away, simply because I don't need to...
HB guitars are the best value for money out there. I hope this stays that way, because I see prices from other brands generally increasing and that doesn't always come with quality increases.
One last thing: thank you so much to the people at Thomann - their customer service rocks.
1
0
Report
R
Unbelievably Awesome!
exceeded my expectations.
color...inca silver is just...! love it.
the neck feels amazing and looks perfect (was initially set on getting a maple neck, shell pink, but love the inca !)
the sounds are awesome. Im using it with my spark or nux headphone amp. both give brilliant results.
there were a couple of dings on it, the fret board needed oiling.
The strings were rusty, but set up is amazingly done. no complaints!
changed the strings to an 8 (from a 9) and set up seems fine for these too. changed it as i have a HSS with 9's and wanted to try something different with this one.
got a graphtech nut and kluson locking tuners, but so far no need to make any mods.
Happy customer. can't wait to buy another soon !
3 months later....STILL my go to guitar. I cant help but keep picking it up every time I want to play. want to get another in pink and one in olympic white...because why not !!
color...inca silver is just...! love it.
the neck feels amazing and looks perfect (was initially set on getting a maple neck, shell pink, but love the inca !)
the sounds are awesome. Im using it with my spark or nux headphone amp. both give brilliant results.
there were a couple of dings on it, the fret board needed oiling.
The strings were rusty, but set up is amazingly done. no complaints!
changed the strings to an 8 (from a 9) and set up seems fine for these too. changed it as i have a HSS with 9's and wanted to try something different with this one.
got a graphtech nut and kluson locking tuners, but so far no need to make any mods.
Happy customer. can't wait to buy another soon !
3 months later....STILL my go to guitar. I cant help but keep picking it up every time I want to play. want to get another in pink and one in olympic white...because why not !!
1
0
Report
f
Good strat clone
I
I don't speak English well, but I can't speak any other way. The guitar is good for the money, only the frets on the fretboard that came out slightly upset me. The sound of the pickups themselves is quite good, I don’t see any reason to replace them yet.
I don't speak English well, but I can't speak any other way. The guitar is good for the money, only the frets on the fretboard that came out slightly upset me. The sound of the pickups themselves is quite good, I don’t see any reason to replace them yet.
0
0
Report
c
Surprisingly Good Strat-Style Guitar
Body: feels light to hold, paint is flawless with no scratches and is an amazing warm silver colour that has vintage vibes. The cavities for hardware are well routed some effort to clean up. 4.5/5
Neck: out of the factory the frets look good, no dings or scratches, and no sharp edges at the ends. Feels good to play, but needs a polish. Fretboard looked a bit dry and in need of oil, but not overly so. Neck relief needed only very minor truss rod adjustment. String action at the bridge a bit on the high side but still playable, saddles were not set very well and needed adjusting to match fretboard curvature. The intonation was way off and needed to be re-done. Overall the fretwork is better than you’d expect, and the fretboard looks good and feels good in the hand, and after setting up the action it plays really well. 4.5/5
Hardware: the bridge was set flat, but after adjusting the string tension to float it, the tuning stability is surprisingly good. The stock pickups are surprisingly good, and were set about the right height, the electronics are neatly done and grounded correctly, no excessive hum or crackling when using the switch or pots. The tuners are basic, but the factory installed strings were done well with minimal winds and the strings trimmed. The hardware is basic, but installed well and perfectly playable. 3.5/5
Overall I am very impressed with this guitar. It looks great, sounds good enough, and after a set up it plays well. The hardware is a bit basic, but for the price that’s understandable. I would recommend this product to anyone who is a beginner starting out, or to someone looking for an inexpensive strat to mod.
Neck: out of the factory the frets look good, no dings or scratches, and no sharp edges at the ends. Feels good to play, but needs a polish. Fretboard looked a bit dry and in need of oil, but not overly so. Neck relief needed only very minor truss rod adjustment. String action at the bridge a bit on the high side but still playable, saddles were not set very well and needed adjusting to match fretboard curvature. The intonation was way off and needed to be re-done. Overall the fretwork is better than you’d expect, and the fretboard looks good and feels good in the hand, and after setting up the action it plays really well. 4.5/5
Hardware: the bridge was set flat, but after adjusting the string tension to float it, the tuning stability is surprisingly good. The stock pickups are surprisingly good, and were set about the right height, the electronics are neatly done and grounded correctly, no excessive hum or crackling when using the switch or pots. The tuners are basic, but the factory installed strings were done well with minimal winds and the strings trimmed. The hardware is basic, but installed well and perfectly playable. 3.5/5
Overall I am very impressed with this guitar. It looks great, sounds good enough, and after a set up it plays well. The hardware is a bit basic, but for the price that’s understandable. I would recommend this product to anyone who is a beginner starting out, or to someone looking for an inexpensive strat to mod.
0
0
Report
T
Super guitar!
That is my first electric guitar and I'm so happy I got it! Quality, awesome look and design, good sound and very comfortable to play - this is just the main part of what I would like to say about this guitar. Thank you so much for that product!
0
0
Report
