Harley Benton CLC-650SM-CE VS Solid Wood

I waited nearly 6 months for this guitar and all I can say is it was totally worth the wait. It is easy and very comfortable to play, and the sound is incredible!

Having owned it for a month or so now, there are 1 or two niggles. The side fret markers are black and in subdued lighting, they are almost invisible. I have replaced them with white markers and they have greatly improved the playing experience, as has also giving the neck a light sanding to reduce the friction of the glossed finish. These modifications will have invalidated my warranty I am sure, but they are very well worth it.

Now it is simply sublime and a wonderful instrument to hear and to play.

Don't hesitate (like I did for 18 months and then waited another 6 months for it to be in stock)... Just order it, you won't be disappointed!

Have owned the guitar since April of 2022, so had a few months to play about with it and get out of the "new guitar honeymoon period" sense of feeling.

Firstly, I'll say I'm very happy with it for the money.

Pros
- The guitar looks great at normal audience distance. It looks very classy. (Although, up close, you can see some black fills in between where the binding joins to the arm cut. The fretboard has some residue spots, here and there. At this price, these are not major issues, for me)
- Action is very low. If you're used to playing electric, this will be much easier for you to get used to than most standard acoustic "off the shelf" action height.
- Tuning is rock solid (after setup with my local tech)
- Arm cut is very comfortable. I've played gigs with 2 x 45 minute spots with it and it's a joy to play.

Cons
- Fretwork wasn't great. Fret ends were sharp and weren't very well levelled. I come to expect this with any new guitar, these days, so they all end up getting set up by my local tech. This one needed more than a basic setup. It needed full fret dressing etc.
- The battery connector doesn't come very far out from where the pouch is velcroed. This is really fidly when trying to take the old battery out and put a new one in.

It's not got as much low end as my Taylor 214CE Deluxe, it's a bit more mid focussed. Not a pro or con, just different. Through a Sigma acoustic impulse response, it sounds great through the PA.

I took the pickguard off, as I thought it looked better without. It's stuck on with a low tack, sticky substance, so it peeled off easily. A bit of Goo Gone cleaned up the few leftover residue spots easily. Again, not a pro or gone, just preference.

Again, very happy with it for the money.