Harley Benton CLG-650SM-CE VS SolidWood

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Solid Wood Steel String Guitar with Pickup

Style: Grand Auditorium with Venetian cutaway
Top: Solid selected African A-grade mahogany
Scalloped X-bracing
Body: Solid selected African A-grade mahogany, with armrest
Neck: Okoume
Fingerboard: HPL
6 mm mother-of-pearl dot fingerboard inlays
Dovetail construction
Neck profile: C
Fingerboard radius: 400 mm
Scale length: 650 mm
Nut width: 43 mm
20 frets
Wooden binding
Abalone rosette
Bridge: HPL
Bone nut and saddle
Mother-of-pearl split rhombus headstock inlays
400 mm double-action truss rod
Mother-of-pearl bridge pins
Sealed WSC DLX machine heads
HB-03 pickup system with built-in tuner
Factory stringing: D'Addario EXP-16 .012–.053
Top colour: Vintage Sunburst, ultra-high gloss
Body colour: Natural
Suitable case: Art. 250337 (not included)

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Available since June 2025
Item number 461146
Sales Unit 1 piece(s)
Design Grand Auditorium
Top Solid Mahogany
Back And Sides Solid Mahogany
Cutaway Yes
Fretboard HPL (High Pressure Laminate)
Nut width in mm 43,00 mm
Frets 20
Pickups Yes
Colour Sunburst
Case No
Incl. Gigbag No

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All prices incl. VAT

Sales Rank

in Miscellaneous Acoustic Guitars

Affordable luxury

100% solid wood, Venetian cutaway, and the ideal pickup system: Harley Benton has packed all the features that make a high-quality and desirable acoustic guitar into the CLG-650SM-CE VS. As if that weren't enough, the guitar also boasts an armrest – an impressive feature that is only rarely seen, even in the luxury price bracket. And all of this comes with an irresistible price tag.

Solid presence

With its comfortable grand auditorium body shape and cutaway, the Harley Benton CLG-650SM-CE VS is an acoustic guitar destined for the stage. The body and top are made completely from solid mahogany, which subtly emphasises the guitar's mid frequencies and allows it to cut through the mix with ease. To maximise comfort, the body's front edge also incorporates a bevelled armrest for the player's picking arm, and the mahogany neck features an ebonol (composite) fingerboard with a nut width of 43mm. Last but not least, the CLG-650SM-CE VS features the proprietary HB-03 pickup system that accurately amplifies the guitar's acoustic sound, while blending in discreetly with its overall appearance.

The stage is yours…

The range of features on the Harley Benton CLG-650SM-CE VS – the comfortable body shape, the cutaway, and of course the high-quality pickup system complete with bass and treble controls, as well as a tuner – make it immediately clear that this guitar was made for the stage. The comfortable armrest is a blessing both to guitarists who enjoy playing expressively and to those who need to be on stage for hours at a time. Anyone who's felt the difference this feature makes will never want to be without it again!

About Harley Benton

Since 1998, the Harley Benton brand has been catering for the needs of numerous guitarists and bassists. In addition to an extensive range of stringed instruments, Thomann's house brand also offers a wide choice of amplifiers, speakers, effect pedals, and other accessories. In total, the range includes over 1,500 products. Built by established names in the industry, all Harley Benton products combine quality and reliability at attractive and affordable prices. The continuous expansion of the range ensures that Harley Benton always provides new, exciting, and innovative products that keep players perfectly in tune with the musical world, day after day.

A professional sparring partner

With its solid top and a nut width of just 43mm, the Harley Benton CLG-650SM-CE VS is clearly a serious proposition for acoustic guitarists; both its playability and the sound from the solid mahogany top will fulfil the needs of even the most demanding players. It may not offer the same level of comfort as an electric guitar, but the CLG-650SM-CE VS does provide plenty of space for all manner of playing techniques. And it almost goes without saying that the attractive vintage sunburst finish and real wood ornamentations will make this guitar stand out on any stage.

47 Customer ratings

5 35 Customers 4 9 Customers 3 1 Customer 2 1 Customer 1 1 Customer

4.6 / 5

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37 Reviews

Almost Great

Snag66 30.11.2019

This was my 8th HB guitar ordered from Thomann, and certainly the most expensive. That being said, I had high expectations that this guitar would my best purchase yet, and would require very little “correction” right out of the box. Other HB purchases usually needed small adjustments in intonation, string height, fret end dressing, or truss rod adjustment. Let me first say that the delivered CLG-650-CE VS is an absolutely beautiful guitar, with wonderful tone. It is well crafted with above average HB hardware. It does, however, have one glaring flaw- as delivered it had the absolutely worst fret treatment that I had ever seen. When trying to perform even a minor string bend, the strings actually catch on the frets, and the sound emanating when trying to bend a note sounds like fingernails running across a chalkboard.
I will have to turn this over to an experienced luthier because I think that trying to polish frets that are in such poor condition is beyond my capabilities. I had considered returning the guitar, but frankly, I’d rather not go through the hassle, and I believe that once the fret issues are resolved by a luthier, I’ll be completely satisfied.

Summary:
PRO- Beautiful guitar, great woods, fine craftsmanship, better than average hardware, and good initial setup.

CON- Terrible fret work- should have never passed QC.

Note.... I also need to mention that you must remove the guitar strings to replace the battery for the preamp. Ughhhhh!

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Wow, how do they do it?

Toodle 16.10.2026

This is my third Harley Benton acoustic. I was already impressed by how much guitar you get for the price of a basic, all-laminate Yamaha, which left me curious to see how their higher-end models fare. It arrived today and hasn't disappointed.
The finish is excellent—thin enough to let the wood grain show through—with zero blemishes or assembly gaps. The setup details are spot-on: the action is right where it needs to be, and the frets are level with smoothly dressed ends. The bridge and fretboard use HPL, which surprisingly doesn't detract from the looks at all. Both the nut and saddle are cleanly cut, and the intonation is close (an easy tweak). The tuners feel smooth with no play, though fresh strings mean time will tell. Looking inside, the craftsmanship holds up with no excess glue and neatly fitted X-bracing with proper joint work.
Tone-wise, it has a lovely, balanced warmth—mellow without turning muddy, and clear without being harsh, backed by a strong midrange. The HPL fingerboard and bridge don't seem to negatively affect the acoustic resonance at all, and it’s very touch-responsive with great harmonics and sustain. This is a keeper that genuinely punches above its weight. Having played Martins, Taylors, and Yamahas in the £700–£1,000 bracket, this matches or beats them.

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CLG-650SM-CE VS

micoli 19.08.2020

A lovely sounding guitar with a a comfortable armrest built in. The action was lowered by me by sanding the saddle and the action plays great.
Only 2 little niggles. The first was that the fret marker dots were black and indistinguishable from the fret-board in low light. I painted some white dots with acrylic artists paint to get around this. The second is that the battery compartment is inside the sound-hole and is Velcroed to the base of the neck Not only is it a real pain changing the battery as the all the strings need to be loosened to get my hand in, but also the Velcro has become unattached, (presumably I didn't push it back on tightly enough), and the battery is now hanging loose inside the sound-hole and I can't be bothered to loosen the strings to put it back. To cure this, I've ordered a battery compartment that will fit on the base of the guitar, although it will need cutting a hole into the guitars base near the strap pin.
It's a well made guitar with a good clear and mellow sound. Well worth the money.

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Extremely happy...

MonkMouse 24.05.2022

I ordered this as a backup guitar for my Taylor cedar top which I adore. Everything exceeded my expectations in regards to the fret treatment, sound, etc. The only thing that confused me was the battery in the velcro pouch thingy inside the guitar which I had never seen because I was used to the little plastic cases that pop out. Thus, that's the only reason why I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars on the features. Other than that, I'm ecstatic. The action is actually a bit lower than my Taylor making it somewhat easier to play; however, these are different guitars. One has more clarity in the midrange while the CLG has a really nice bass range and resonance. In a way, the resonance reminded me of my old Seagull S6. The finish on the back of the neck more like the Gibsons I have played in that the finish was more "sticky" than the Fender maple necks I prefer. However, that is a matter of preference, and it is easily remedied to match my needs. I can see myself playing this guitar for many years.

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Harley Benton CLG-650SM-CE VS SolidWood

Solid Wood Steel String Guitar with Pickup