Harley Benton CLA-15M SolidWood

Have had this for about two months now and was waiting to review untill I had it a little longer.
Here's the thing: I simply love this guitar. I was looking for a mahogany 000 body guitar and was torn between the HB, a sigma, and Martin 00015 (but could not justify the price tag) I decided to give the HB a go. A friend previously ordered at Thomann and had a good experience so I decided to just order it and return it of u did not like it.
What a treat.
The guitar had been set up to perfection. Fretwork was immaculate and playability is amazing out of the box.

Finish is also great, I can not find any faults apart from a minor scratch that I suspect came from transport. It came with .12 daddario string that I later replaced with .11 which, I feel give a slightly better tone. But that is a matter of taste.

The tuners could be better to be honest but they get the job done, I might swap them later on.
Its an all solid wood guitar, it's light, has a beautiful satin finish and the tone is great, the sound is warm but still balanced. Works well for finger picking and some strumming. Obviously it's not as loud as a dread, but it has some volume. The wood is not as hard as mahogany so it will probably dent a bit more easily I suspect. But I'm going to play it at home, on the sofa anyways.
The Snowflake inlays are a really nice detail.
I love it and have not been able to put it down since it came in the mail.

The Delivery by DHL is another story. After some delays, thebox came in badly damaged..by some miracle however the guitar was not damaged. I'm sure thomann would have fixed it if it was.
All in all, I'm super happy with my HB and would not hesitate to order again. If you're looking for an all solid mahogany guitar, go for it!

Lots of other reviewers have said this is a great guitar for the money. This is a great guitar, full stop!
I'm going to make direct comparisons with the Martin 00015M, on which it's based. The fact that the 2 guitars even stand comparison says it all.

Weight, balance and sustain are all comparable. For me, there was always a slight dead spot on the G string of the Martin, but not on the HB.
The finishes on the Martin are better quality, as you'd expect, and there is a more uniform colour to the mahogany, which almost certainly means a superior cut of wood was used, but I don't hear those differences in the playing.
On delivery, both guitars were pretty well set up. I had a full pro setup on the Martin but I haven't done that yet for the Harley. I'm not sure it needs it!
I found no issues with frets etc, although I found 2 tiny, and I mean tiny, blemishes on the Harley headstock. The Martin, as you'd expect, was faultless.
The most important bit - playability! Both are very light guitars, and just beg to be picked up and played. Which am I enjoying more? The Harley Benton! It just feels right for me, although I realise that's very subjective.

Which should you buy? Both are solid wood, and will only improve through time, but I suspect the Martin, with it's superior timbers and that headstock logo is the one that will gain in value. That said, if I was offered the choice of the two at the same price, and I knew I would never sell it or give it away, I think I'd pick the Harley Benton.
Now, take into account what these two actually cost, and I think it's an easy choice.

I have just received my all-solid CLA-15M - I also own a CLA-15M none solid - the difference in sound is like night and day. The all-solid has a wonderful bottom end, crisp highs, and an overall smoother tone, beautifully finished too, has more of a natural look to the wood then the non-solid version, I cannot find any faults whatsoever....Amazing!! and for £200 WOW!! I can't wait for it to mature.

I recently bought two Harley Benton guitars at once, even though I already owned one before—and there are two more still on the way. That should tell you how impressed I am. But let me talk specifically about the Harley Benton CLA-15M SolidWood: at this price point, this guitar is simply unbelievable.

Some people call Harley Benton the king of entry-level guitars, but I think that title doesn’t do justice to this instrument. Based on its performance alone, I can confidently say this guitar holds its own against some of the classic American made famous acoustic guitar I’ve owned.

The build quality, factory setup, and especially the nut work are far beyond what you’d expect for a guitar in this price range. And let’s not forget—this is an all-solid guitar. That alone is rare at this price. Once properly tuned, it’s immediately playable. The action is nicely balanced, though I personally adjusted the truss rod a bit straighter to suit my playing preference—just a tip for those who like a slightly different setup.

Tonally and aesthetically, it’s a well-crafted and elegant instrument. But of course, a couple of things are worth noting—not really flaws, but something to be aware of. The tuners can feel a bit stiff during adjustments, which might be part of their original design. Also, the factory strings seemed to have some sort of black residue. After tuning, my fingers turned quite dirty. So, after checking that everything was okay, I’d recommend switching to your preferred set of strings right away.

All in all, this guitar has absolutely exceeded my expectations. I’m extremely satisfied. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned player, this is a guitar that deserves attention.