Harley Benton ST-20 CA Standard Series

So i was looking for something new to play with next to my explorer and les paul. Rejuvinate the guitar hobby...

Strats were never my thing, because of the volume button location and my bad playing technique. So I wanted a cheap one to mod.

I bought this one and compared it to some others (fazley, yamaha, J&D, ibanez). The sound was just amazing, as is the playability and finish. I like the color. I kept the guitar, i did modify out 1 tone with a new pickguard and now i really like the guitar. I changed for 250k potmeters as i was busy anyhow, not sure yet as the sound with 500k was also fenominal.

I had a strat 15 years back (250 euro fender squier i think) which i even gave away free later because of the lack of quality (and didnt risk to mod it). Again, if your HB ST20 is as fine as mine, you really have a nice guitar.

I bought this guitar for my daughter, but I'll do the review as she is 4 years old..

I've played guitar since I was 15 and played A LOT of gear up intill the ripe old age of 38 now. A few years ago I also had a small business modifying and repairing (vintage) guitars, so I know a thing or two how to properly set one up, but.....

I am absolutely blown away seeing the quality of these Harley Benton guitars.
It's crazy, I've bought the cheapest guitar on thomann, but the finish on it is immaculate. Firey red, but in the light it turns almost pinkish purple due to the deep metallic sparkle. The neck seems unfinished, or a very light touch of satin just to seal the pores... super smooth! I expected sticky polyurethane.

Setup was decent-ish, but with a few tweeks I've got super low action and intonation is pretty good too, not prefect, but it's a sub 100 euro guitar. With a bit of knowledge you can set this guitar up really well(Google is your friend)

Fret ends are noticeable but not sharp at all(they would pass the balloon test with ease) although could use a polish on the crown, but most important, no fret-buzz.

Pickups.. well, they sound like a strat, but it's not like my 4 year old is gonna complain, and neither should you, for a sub 100 euro guitar, these are great!

Even unplugged, this thing has some sound to it. I've should have started with that! An electric guitar that has such good acoustic resonance unplugged is always a winner in my book.. you can pick the best electronics, but it will never sound right with a dull piece of wood.
And as it's a Strat, super easy to modify for a few bucks of you would feel the need..
Did i mention this is a sub 100 euro guitar?
I still cannot believe it
Don't doubt it, just buy it! You won't regret it