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Harley Benton SC-400 SGT Classic Series

236

Electric Guitar

  • Classic Series
  • Body: Basswood
  • Arched top
  • Set-in neck: Maple
  • Neck profile: C
  • Fingerboard: Roseacer
  • Fingerboard radius: 350 mm
  • Fingerboard inlays: Trapezoids
  • 22 Frets
  • Scale: 628 mm
  • Nut width: 43 mm
  • Double action truss rod
  • Pickups: 2 Classic open humbuckers
  • 3-Way pickup toggle switch
  • 2 Volume and 2 tone controls
  • Chrome hardware
  • Tune-O-Matic bridge
  • Kluson-style machine heads
  • Factory strings: HB .010 - .046
  • Colour: Gold Top, silk-matte
Available since July 2015
Item number 362542
Sales Unit 1 piece(s)
Colour Gold
Body Basswood
Top Basswood
Neck Maple
Fretboard Roseacer
Frets 22
Scale 628 mm
Pickups HH
Tremolo None
Incl. Case No
Incl. Gigbag No
£109
Including VAT; Excluding £10 shipping
In stock within 7-9 weeks
In stock within 7-9 weeks

This product is expected back in stock soon and can then be shipped immediately.

Standard Delivery Times
1

A gold single cut on a budget

Harley Benton SC-400 Gold Top, complete front view

Harley Benton has long enjoyed a reputation for making excellent-quality instruments available to players on a budget, and the SC-400 SGT is no exception. This timeless-looking single cut guitar combines a solid basswood body with a set maple neck and chrome-plated hardware, which together with its "Satin Gold Top" finish gives the instrument an understated yet eyecatching look. The SC-400 SGT comes loaded with a pair of Classic open humbucking pickups that will capably handle everything from shimmering cleans through to full-on distortion, while its slim C-shape neck profile also ensures a smooth playing feel that will make life much easier for beginners taking their first steps on the guitar.

Body of Harley Benton SC-400 Gold Top, front view

For that classic "SC" sound

The SC-400 SGT's combination of a basswood body, maple neck, and Classic open humbuckers makes for a full, warm-sounding tone when amplified. The pickups themselves are governed by the simple yet effective control layout that has become virtually synonymous with SC-style guitars: A three-way toggle switch together with a dedicated volume and tone control for each pickup. The ease of use that this layout provides is accompanied by a high level of playing comfort thanks to the guitar's 22-fret roseacer fingerboard, adorned with trapezoid inlays. Harley Benton has also not cut any corners in selecting high-quality hardware for this instrument, so players can be sure that the tried-and-trusted combination of a Tune-o-Matic bridge and stop-bar tailpiece together with a set of Kluson-style machine heads will deliver many years of reliable service.

Rear view of body and neck joint on the Harley Benton SC-400 SGT

The ideal guitar for beginners

The Harley Benton SC-400 SGT is the ideal instrument for beginners, who more often than not have to get by on a restricted budget but, quite understandably, still want to get their hands on the best instrument possible. Newcomers to the guitar can look forward here to a classic Rock sound and - thanks to the guitar's sleek gold finish, gold-coloured knobs, and chrome-plated hardware - start those first jam sessions with full confidence, safe in the knowledge that their single cut looks every bit as great as it sounds.

Harley Benton SC-400 headstock with logo

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.

For those about to rock...

With its maple and basswood construction and duo of Classic open humbuckers, the Harley Benton SC-400 SGT is a versatile instrument that is extremely comfortable to play and, once paired with a good-quality amp, will put the full spectrum of tones associated with this design at the player’s fingertips – ranging from warm cleans and thick, gritty crunch through to singing lead sounds, perfect for Blues and countless other styles of Rock & Roll. The sound of the SC-400 also delivers plenty of presence and sustain, ensuring that this guitar will easily cut through the mix in a band context.

In the spotlight

236 Customer ratings

4.5 / 5

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features

sound

quality

168 Reviews

T
Great guitar (2021 version)
Thaddy 17.09.2021
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!
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10
6
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JD
Needs lots of modifications - buy a SC-450 / 550 instead
Johnny D 28.11.2016
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.
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11
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TP
A bargain for sure
Texas Player 31.12.2019
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!!!
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4
3
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p
Beast LP style
pajper 29.05.2019
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.
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