Harley Benton Custom Line CLJ-45E VS

After my first experience with a Harley Benton BZ-6000 (electric six string bass), I was a bit apprehensive.

Thankfully, this instrument is flawless. Really couldn't find any problems with it. Can't even think of something that could be done better. Its...I guess...perfect.

Fretwork is even, no rough edges at all. Binding and finish are perfect. The factory setup is very playable out of the box, not too high. The tuners seem to be well built and are responsive.

The on-board piezo pickup and preamp are surprisingly good. Sure, it is still a piezo at the end of the day and it will not sound like an LR Baggs or higher end mic-preamp system, but for a piezo, it is very usable. Stock strings sound great. The overall sound of the preamp is what pleased me the most. Compared it with Thomann's other guitars' sound samples, and there really is something slightly more organic to this one.

The acoustic sound itself is exquisite. The harmonics sound marvelous. I much prefer trying an instrument before buying it, so I was apprehensive about ordering online. But its absolutely superlative. I am very happy for now. Let's see how the neck and body behave over time.

Edit (07-07-2020): After a few months of owning and using this guitar, I thought it would be nice to make a couple of additions to my review. Firstly, the tuning keys feel like they are slightly fragile. Not sure if the tuning machines are also the same, they certainly don't feel/seem that way. Secondly, this guitar sounds amazing recorded on a proper mic, very balanced sound overall, very happy with that. Plays well, sounds great, and as of now, the neck and body have held properly (no warps on the neck or top).

I've always loved Harley Benton electric guitars, they are built and play great especially for the price. I took a chance and bought this acoustic thinking it would be at least HALFWAY built nicely, but nope- it's light as a feather, the wood is so thin it feels like a child's guitar, and the strings are about 2 inches off the fretboard. This guitar is still sitting in the box and packaging because Thoman decided that the guitar having small blemishes and not being setup correctly (or playable for that matter) means that I had to pay the import fees to return it. That's the last time I will ever buy another acoustic without playing it first. Really aggravated at the way Thoman handled this but oh well. If you're looking for a nice acoustic don't let the pictures of this one fool you, it's a piece of crap. Plain and simple.

I only heard it on the website and thought they were just using really nice mics and amps. When I opened up the box and tuned it up, well I'm just blown away by the craftsmanship, weight, and especially sound. this beauty sounds just as good as my J45, (that you know who) charges thousands more. I don't understand how they make money. I don't understand. This is my second guitar from Thomann and there will be A LOT more coming over to Canada. You won't be sorry buying this beauty.