T
Great guitar (2021 version)
Contrary to some reviews here from an older date, quality control seems to be on top of all issues mentioned.
First: I also own a real Les Paul standard from the seventies.
I received this guitar in mint condition.
Playability is really, really good.
Hardware is spot on.
These two makes no serious guitar teacher is going to laugh at you: it is MORE than playable, with a light to medium setup out of the box.
There are no dead spots, tuners are really good. Intonation is really good, even compared to my real old Les Paul standard.
I always test my guitars on a Pignose amplifyer, because it reveals the electronics very well, you need to use the tone and volume controls to obtain a good sound.
Well, excellent!
Don't expect real Les Paul tone, though, although the pickups aren't bad and have a sweet sound.
But you can expect better than Gibson playability. Compliments for such improvemt in factory setup.
In my days, when I started playing, I had an Eko and a Hondo (with dimargio desinged pick-ups). These two look like bow and arrows nowadays,
Excellent for beginners. A good back-up for more advanced players.
I play for over 45 years.
Guitar teachers, take note!
First: I also own a real Les Paul standard from the seventies.
I received this guitar in mint condition.
Playability is really, really good.
Hardware is spot on.
These two makes no serious guitar teacher is going to laugh at you: it is MORE than playable, with a light to medium setup out of the box.
There are no dead spots, tuners are really good. Intonation is really good, even compared to my real old Les Paul standard.
I always test my guitars on a Pignose amplifyer, because it reveals the electronics very well, you need to use the tone and volume controls to obtain a good sound.
Well, excellent!
Don't expect real Les Paul tone, though, although the pickups aren't bad and have a sweet sound.
But you can expect better than Gibson playability. Compliments for such improvemt in factory setup.
In my days, when I started playing, I had an Eko and a Hondo (with dimargio desinged pick-ups). These two look like bow and arrows nowadays,
Excellent for beginners. A good back-up for more advanced players.
I play for over 45 years.
Guitar teachers, take note!
5
5
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JD
Needs lots of modifications - buy a SC-450 / 550 instead
HB SC-400 GT
Pros
Cost
Neutral
Finish - Top is not smoothly finished
Pickups - not wax potted
Controls - Pots, Switch and Knobs
Nut - Plastic
Cons
Fret finish
Bad Fretboard due to fret work
(fretwork was the downfall of this guitar)
This is my 3rd Harley Benton, and was purchased with the plan to gut it and use the body / neck as a base to for complete modification. Keep that in mind.
Ordering and shipping from Thomann was flawless. However US customs held the order for a week, then charged a US duty fee. This is stated on the Thomann website, so don't get upset IF it happens to your US order. This is the first time I've been hit with the US customs duty, so I feel fortunate.
The guitar arrived in good shape, no damage and is as described on the Thomann website.
The Gold Top is really more of a Copper color, but does resemble the images on Thomann's website. So, don't expect a "Gold" gold top. The dull / matte finish on the back and neck looks and feels really nice, it does show fingerprints and sweat a great deal. The Copper top color is a rather rough finish to the touch.
In my case the finish of the top doesn't matter as will be sanded and recolored.
The plastic volume and tone knobs do their job, but are really cheap in appearance. This should not be a surprise as this is a very low-cost guitar.
The pots function well, smooth and decent response. They are very small in diameter. They've already been pulled from the guitar, not because they don't work, just because I have better full-size replacements ready to go in.
The pickups have fair sound, and as delivered were NOT wax potted, so you can get microphonic noise quite easily.
Again, not a problem for me, I have different pickups for it anyway.
The 3-way switch is a very low-cost box switch. It does not appear to be the same switch used in my SC-450Plus VB.
This switch works, and that's about it. Not smooth nor quiet. Again, no surprise a very low-cost guitar.
The strings go without saying, but I?ll say it anyway. They have to be replaced as soon as you are done with the initial unboxing excitement.
The action was set very high as received, not a problem, and with the action lowered the guitar played well - with exception.
Here's the problem, even thought the frets we incredibly level, they lacked proper crown and finish.
And if that were the only problem, I'd be set. Unfortunately the fret ends were beveled back too far, and cause fretting issued on the high "e" string. The extreme angle of the fret bevel allowed/caused the "e" string to easily go off the neck when fretted. NOT GOOD.
The nut is a pre-slotted plastic variety, and works well for what it is. It had one little drop of glue holding it in place and came off with a light tap. A new nut will be easy to install.
The fingerboard and inlay finish was actually very good. The fingerboard radius is 12". The inlays are nicely fit and finished.
The vintage style tuners look like the same used on the SC 450Plus, but don't feel as smooth. Not sure if they are a lower quality look-alike version, or just a bad set. They don't all feel the same, some turn easier than others, some bind. I have ordered replacements tuners.
The Bridge and tailpiece appear to be the same as the SC-450. The posts are a bit loose, but don't cause any issues and can be addressed rather easily. I may or may not replace them. Some people really complain about the deep cut bridge saddles, but I'm finding no real reason to discard them for the depth of the string groove. The bigger issue is the slop in the posts as I mentioned before, and that can be fixed.
The tailpiece is grounded to a control pot, that's a good thing.
One issue with the TOM style bridge is the Saddle Retainer Springs don't properly sit in the Bridge Screw groove. This is a design/production issue, common to most/all HB TOM bridges I believe. Can be fixed, or replaced. I'm fixing this one for now, may replace in the future if the need arises.
In hind site, I should have purchased another SC-450 for ± $20 more, overall the 450 is a better guitar, even though they share many of the same components.
For my purposes this guitar will be fine in the end, as I already have all the upgrade components, and have made many modifications to the body, fingerboard, and peg head.
If you are looking for a First guitar, spend a couple more dollars/euros, and get the SC-450Plus. It is worth a little extra, but realize the frets will still need to be cleaned and polished, the fingerboard will need to be cleaned, and you will need new strings.
I have modified nearly every part of this guitar at this point, and that was the reason I had originally purchased this guitar.
As delivered, the guitar was not really playable due to the fret issue, please keep that in mind. If I would have intended to plug-n-play, I would have had to send it back to Thomann.
Pros
Cost
Neutral
Finish - Top is not smoothly finished
Pickups - not wax potted
Controls - Pots, Switch and Knobs
Nut - Plastic
Cons
Fret finish
Bad Fretboard due to fret work
(fretwork was the downfall of this guitar)
This is my 3rd Harley Benton, and was purchased with the plan to gut it and use the body / neck as a base to for complete modification. Keep that in mind.
Ordering and shipping from Thomann was flawless. However US customs held the order for a week, then charged a US duty fee. This is stated on the Thomann website, so don't get upset IF it happens to your US order. This is the first time I've been hit with the US customs duty, so I feel fortunate.
The guitar arrived in good shape, no damage and is as described on the Thomann website.
The Gold Top is really more of a Copper color, but does resemble the images on Thomann's website. So, don't expect a "Gold" gold top. The dull / matte finish on the back and neck looks and feels really nice, it does show fingerprints and sweat a great deal. The Copper top color is a rather rough finish to the touch.
In my case the finish of the top doesn't matter as will be sanded and recolored.
The plastic volume and tone knobs do their job, but are really cheap in appearance. This should not be a surprise as this is a very low-cost guitar.
The pots function well, smooth and decent response. They are very small in diameter. They've already been pulled from the guitar, not because they don't work, just because I have better full-size replacements ready to go in.
The pickups have fair sound, and as delivered were NOT wax potted, so you can get microphonic noise quite easily.
Again, not a problem for me, I have different pickups for it anyway.
The 3-way switch is a very low-cost box switch. It does not appear to be the same switch used in my SC-450Plus VB.
This switch works, and that's about it. Not smooth nor quiet. Again, no surprise a very low-cost guitar.
The strings go without saying, but I?ll say it anyway. They have to be replaced as soon as you are done with the initial unboxing excitement.
The action was set very high as received, not a problem, and with the action lowered the guitar played well - with exception.
Here's the problem, even thought the frets we incredibly level, they lacked proper crown and finish.
And if that were the only problem, I'd be set. Unfortunately the fret ends were beveled back too far, and cause fretting issued on the high "e" string. The extreme angle of the fret bevel allowed/caused the "e" string to easily go off the neck when fretted. NOT GOOD.
The nut is a pre-slotted plastic variety, and works well for what it is. It had one little drop of glue holding it in place and came off with a light tap. A new nut will be easy to install.
The fingerboard and inlay finish was actually very good. The fingerboard radius is 12". The inlays are nicely fit and finished.
The vintage style tuners look like the same used on the SC 450Plus, but don't feel as smooth. Not sure if they are a lower quality look-alike version, or just a bad set. They don't all feel the same, some turn easier than others, some bind. I have ordered replacements tuners.
The Bridge and tailpiece appear to be the same as the SC-450. The posts are a bit loose, but don't cause any issues and can be addressed rather easily. I may or may not replace them. Some people really complain about the deep cut bridge saddles, but I'm finding no real reason to discard them for the depth of the string groove. The bigger issue is the slop in the posts as I mentioned before, and that can be fixed.
The tailpiece is grounded to a control pot, that's a good thing.
One issue with the TOM style bridge is the Saddle Retainer Springs don't properly sit in the Bridge Screw groove. This is a design/production issue, common to most/all HB TOM bridges I believe. Can be fixed, or replaced. I'm fixing this one for now, may replace in the future if the need arises.
In hind site, I should have purchased another SC-450 for ± $20 more, overall the 450 is a better guitar, even though they share many of the same components.
For my purposes this guitar will be fine in the end, as I already have all the upgrade components, and have made many modifications to the body, fingerboard, and peg head.
If you are looking for a First guitar, spend a couple more dollars/euros, and get the SC-450Plus. It is worth a little extra, but realize the frets will still need to be cleaned and polished, the fingerboard will need to be cleaned, and you will need new strings.
I have modified nearly every part of this guitar at this point, and that was the reason I had originally purchased this guitar.
As delivered, the guitar was not really playable due to the fret issue, please keep that in mind. If I would have intended to plug-n-play, I would have had to send it back to Thomann.
11
6
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TP
A bargain for sure
Got this one in the mail today, promptly I might add considering it had to come all the way to Texas. One of my first purchases from Thomann and I am pleased with it. The frets are a bit sharp in places but its nothing some minor work will solve. The fretboard is a bit grimy but again not a show stopper as it can easily be cleaned. Set up is good and action is excellent, no buzzing or dead areas. It will need a bit of care and cleaning but hey for a left handed guitar that is built with the quality this one is it is well worth it. Heck it was 100 bucks!! The body and neck alone is worth it but instead you get all the rest too. BONUS!!!
4
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p
Beast LP style
I own and play a lot on an Epi standard LP last 15 years, was my first and nr. 1 el. guitar. Played on a buch of different amps during that period. Guitar was sold, ended in my band for a short period, so now I wanted some guitar, LP the best, to have one and play at home or gigs from time to time, so not expensive one.
I wanted the SC450BK, but was not on stock, so I look up for this gold toppy beauty with open humbuckers (which always have sounded nicer to me as covered ones). I was really affraid for the extremely affordable price, but finally ordered.
It has arrived. First finish impressions were flawless, matt gold top looks freakin great, brown back is in perfect contrast with the top, amazing! Touch the neck to check the fretwork... what?! super great! Next tune it up, play unplugged a few chords - nice sustain, fits great in my hands, heavy (great for an LP and me), a blast! Then plugged through multieffect unit with amp simulation to the PA - HEEEY what the..., 5 times better then my Epi for 10 times this price. I am done.
Just a little cons: (thats why 4 stars)
It needed a bit of intonation tuning, after that I recognize that the nut is not place right next to the fretboard, there is a small tiny gap visible, so during the restringing I am going to move the nut, its just a milimilimilimeter. I am sure the intonation will then be supergreat.
...and ordering a tele style, another Harley (TE52) next month, as I always wanted that type too.
I wanted the SC450BK, but was not on stock, so I look up for this gold toppy beauty with open humbuckers (which always have sounded nicer to me as covered ones). I was really affraid for the extremely affordable price, but finally ordered.
It has arrived. First finish impressions were flawless, matt gold top looks freakin great, brown back is in perfect contrast with the top, amazing! Touch the neck to check the fretwork... what?! super great! Next tune it up, play unplugged a few chords - nice sustain, fits great in my hands, heavy (great for an LP and me), a blast! Then plugged through multieffect unit with amp simulation to the PA - HEEEY what the..., 5 times better then my Epi for 10 times this price. I am done.
Just a little cons: (thats why 4 stars)
It needed a bit of intonation tuning, after that I recognize that the nut is not place right next to the fretboard, there is a small tiny gap visible, so during the restringing I am going to move the nut, its just a milimilimilimeter. I am sure the intonation will then be supergreat.
...and ordering a tele style, another Harley (TE52) next month, as I always wanted that type too.
2
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R
More coppertop than Goldtop
It’s unfair providing any real criticism. But there has to be one ‘con’, right?
The colour would be better described as copper. Otherwise what an awesome guitar for the price. It’s heavy and feels similar to the real deal. Tones are a little muddy and reserved. This could be due to timber used in the body. Make no mistake, these are not weight relieved!
The design, although more modern than a traditional LP shape, still works well. The stain finish is fantastic, although mine had a quality control issue with the rear plate routing that seems to have resulted in finish being missed on one edge of the cavity backplate. I’m yet to remove the plate to see just how far it extends.
I’d buy ten of these in all colours if I had the money! Cannot speak more highly of the rest of the quality of this guitar.
Ok, so that was two ‘cons’
The colour would be better described as copper. Otherwise what an awesome guitar for the price. It’s heavy and feels similar to the real deal. Tones are a little muddy and reserved. This could be due to timber used in the body. Make no mistake, these are not weight relieved!
The design, although more modern than a traditional LP shape, still works well. The stain finish is fantastic, although mine had a quality control issue with the rear plate routing that seems to have resulted in finish being missed on one edge of the cavity backplate. I’m yet to remove the plate to see just how far it extends.
I’d buy ten of these in all colours if I had the money! Cannot speak more highly of the rest of the quality of this guitar.
Ok, so that was two ‘cons’
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CC
Love it!
I just bought my Harley Benton SC-400 SGT Solid Gold Top March 2023, and I freakin' love it. I HIGHLY recommend it if you have the same reasons as me: 1) Satin neck. I mean seriously, who actually likes a glossy/nitro/poly neck? Nobody, people just put up with it because it looks shiny. 2) Full body, no belly cut. This just fits my body better than a belly cut guitar because belly cut guitars angle away and slide down my leg when playing. I constantly have to push it back into place. Standing with a strap is not an issue either way. 3) Black fretboard with big trapezoid inlays. This is my personal preference. 4) Looks awesome! I have the gold top and in my opinion it looks really, really good. Personal preference. 5) I wanted a LP style guitar that sounds good, and believe me this sounds good for any style you want to play. To each their own. One other thing... the guitar that I received has a perfect neck, no fret sprout, very well setup from the factory, and it plays as smooth as silk. I've owned about 10 other guitars of various makes and models and this is by far my favorite. For a legit comparison, I also bought a SC Custom II: sounded good but was really heavy, had neck dive, and didn't feel great. Sold it. I also bought a SC-DLX Gotoh: sold it when my SC-400 SGT arrived and was by every measure a nicer guitar. I was tempted to also try the SC-1000 but I have no need now because the SC-400 SGT is really really good.
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LG
Like a REAL Gibson Les Paul
I currently own 2 Gibson Les Pauls and have owned others in the past. The SC-400 feels EXACTLY like the real thing, and I would highly recommend this particular model if you want the real experience without the real exorbitant price tag. It is lighter in weight than the real thing, which is a plus for a lot of people.
The SC-400 has actually caused me to set my other guitars aside for at least a short while.
The SC-400 has actually caused me to set my other guitars aside for at least a short while.
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DT
From Russia with love!
First, thanks to Thomann's team for sending your goods to Russia. Considering the high risk of working with Russian post, where anything can get lost. Secondly, as far as the guitar is concerned, when I took it in my hands I felt that I became a millionaire, and not only because it was gold, but because the ruble exchange rate in the last week fell significantly in relation to the euro rate. And so I won't be surprised that soon to buy guitars for a hundred dollars, you will have to spend a million rubles))). The look of the guitar is so beautiful for me. The sound is good. I can imagine what kind of eyes the owners of guitars will have for a couple of thousand dollars from my comment). Team Thomann, thank you again. You guys are risky.
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r
Extremely usable workhorse/backup
I bought this guitar to use for a side project which is playing in drop D tuning and I've been very impressed with the instrument so far.
First the cons up front:
Some finishing issues - One of the tuning pegs washer sort of bits on the top of the headstock isn't seated correctly so it popped out when I restrung it. It doesn't affect playability or tuning, just looks a bit jank if you look close.
Some minor chips to the paintwork on the headstock too...seems most of the issues with my unit are localized to the headstock. Some minor discolouration to one of the tuning pegs.
The nut is definitely not the best but it does the job. Some minor tuning issue on the G string but that's been an issue on nearly every guitar I've ever owned, even high end ones (I'd strongly recommend trying a string pack with a wound G. It'll feel different at first but you soon get used to it and it has an extremely positive impact on tuning stability.)
Now onto the positives - The guitar arrived ready to play right out of the box. The intonation was good and it was very nearly in tune straight out of the box. The body has a nice weight to it and is legitimately stunning especially with that carved top.
The action is nice and low and there was zero fret buzz. The frets are not remotely sharp and are well polished for an instrument of this cost.
Acoustically this guitar is SO loud which is a very good thing. This translates into how it performs when plugged in which is to say it has a powerful and resonant tone and sustains like crazy. Honestly this was one of the things I was really taken aback by. Hit a big chord and just let it ring out and you'll see what I mean.
The pickups are surprisingly articulate to say they're cheap stock ones. They're loud and powerful but you can also pick out each string in a chord.
To sum up. If you're after an LP style guitar and can tolerate some potential cosmetic issues from the obvious corners they've had to cut to get the price this low then you can do a lot lot worse. Besides, these issues are far outweighed by the playability and sound you get from the instrument.
Recommended for players of all levels as a cheap workhorse or a backup/mod platform.
First the cons up front:
Some finishing issues - One of the tuning pegs washer sort of bits on the top of the headstock isn't seated correctly so it popped out when I restrung it. It doesn't affect playability or tuning, just looks a bit jank if you look close.
Some minor chips to the paintwork on the headstock too...seems most of the issues with my unit are localized to the headstock. Some minor discolouration to one of the tuning pegs.
The nut is definitely not the best but it does the job. Some minor tuning issue on the G string but that's been an issue on nearly every guitar I've ever owned, even high end ones (I'd strongly recommend trying a string pack with a wound G. It'll feel different at first but you soon get used to it and it has an extremely positive impact on tuning stability.)
Now onto the positives - The guitar arrived ready to play right out of the box. The intonation was good and it was very nearly in tune straight out of the box. The body has a nice weight to it and is legitimately stunning especially with that carved top.
The action is nice and low and there was zero fret buzz. The frets are not remotely sharp and are well polished for an instrument of this cost.
Acoustically this guitar is SO loud which is a very good thing. This translates into how it performs when plugged in which is to say it has a powerful and resonant tone and sustains like crazy. Honestly this was one of the things I was really taken aback by. Hit a big chord and just let it ring out and you'll see what I mean.
The pickups are surprisingly articulate to say they're cheap stock ones. They're loud and powerful but you can also pick out each string in a chord.
To sum up. If you're after an LP style guitar and can tolerate some potential cosmetic issues from the obvious corners they've had to cut to get the price this low then you can do a lot lot worse. Besides, these issues are far outweighed by the playability and sound you get from the instrument.
Recommended for players of all levels as a cheap workhorse or a backup/mod platform.
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H
Amazing WOW
There is not a single flaw on this guitar! This is my third HB ... I am happy with the first two or I would not have purchased this one, but honestly, I was expecting my luck to run out and get one off the line that just wasn't as good. But, to my shock and amazement, this one arrived quickly, in perfect condition, and perfectly setup. Just amazing, really. Thanks to these HB deals, I realized that I have run out of guitar straps, lol, so I went down to Guitar Center to get a few. While there I mess around with a few "good" guitars and it just made me want to rush home and play this new one. It is that good. I don't know how they do it for that price. The gold top, as mentioned in other reviews, is more of a dirty brass, or copper, AND is not glossy, but a flat / matte finish, but it still looks great as it is. Stays in tune very well, and stock tuners work fine. Sounds really amazing with some heavy distortion, but also pretty flawless on clean tones. I was originally thinking about SD pickups but so far these are sounding great on my various amps.
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