Oceans rise, empires fall, yadda yadda yadda, but no matter the remorseless churn of constant change the budget-conscious guitar player can always count on Harley Benton to deliver the goods, year on year, and the German gear giant has started 2026 with intent.
It has expanded its extended-range lineup with a left-handed version of its eight-string multi-scale electric, the R-458MN.
It has refreshed its SC-Custom III Series, dressing its £259/$357 single-cut series in Purple Satin, Moritz Yellow, Silver Sparkle and, for those who go weak at the knees at the sight of some figured maple, there’s a Quilt Midnight option that applies a AAAA quilted-maple veneer to its solid meranti body.
And it has added a baritone option for those who might enjoy the sound of the electric guitar but prefer it a perfect fourth lower (some maniacs might choose to tune it down further, and why not).
This one is quite explicitly a metal guitar, housing a pair of Tesla TM VR-Nitro Alnico-5 humbuckers, 22 medium-jumbo stainless steel frets for the slinky feel, and the Army Burst matte finish.
A detail worth noting about these SC-Custom III models, whether your regular 25.72” scale or 28” a la the baritone, the bodies have ample contouring on the back, with belly cuts, scoops taken out of the cutaway to aid upper-fret access. They are very much a modern take on the single-cut paradigm.
Harley Benton’s Strat-style guitars have been given a makeover, too, with the MusicRadar-approved Modern Plus HSS now available in Dark Red Metallic with a rosewood fingerboard, and in Gun Metal Blue with a maple fingerboard.
As per the hot-rodded Stratocaster vibe, truss-rod adjustment can be made via a spoke wheel at the top of the fingerboard, and like their siblings, we have the black pickguard. Some looks from the ‘80s still look fresh; these give us Jake E Lee/Charvel vibes – and just look at that neatly sculpted heel.
And last but not least, there is more good news for southpaw players with left-handed versions of the Victory-BK V-style electric and the Thunderbird inspired Deluxe Series TB-70VS bass guitar.
With the gloss black finish and white pickguard, not to mention the dot inlays on the roseacer fingerboard the Victory-BK is the kind of instrument a Michael Schenker or Kirk Hammett fan might dig.
Of course, the design inspiration is obvious but there are some key points of difference on this Harley Benton guitar, with the notches in the V cutout giving it a more aggressive silhouette than its forebears in the late ‘50s golden era.
The HB Classic ceramic humbucker pairing should run hot, too, pairing well with a hard-driven guitar amp. The Victory-BK is priced $130/$177. Those are beginner prices. Just remember if you’re starting out, the V-styles are best played standing – though wedging them against your thigh, you can play them seated.
As for the TB-70VS, it’s a big ol’ hunk of Okoume with a glued-in mahogany neck. That body seats a pair of active active Roswell GB4 mini-humbuckers. Harley Benton is offering this left-hander in a Vintage Sunburst finish with white pickguard. And it is ridiculously affordable; expect to pay £175/$238 at Thomann.
Priced £299/$407, the ST-Modern Plus HSS is a solid contender in the keenly contested market for electric guitars under $500.
For that modest outlay you get a guitar with an American alder double-cut body, a bolt-on roasted Canadian maple neck, shaped into a Smooth D that has a little more meat on the shoulders but has a very mainstream feel, measuring 20.5mm at the first fret and 22.5mm at the 12th.
These have an Tesla VR-Nitro Alnico 5 at the bridge position, a pair of Tesla TV-S1 Alnico 5 single-coils at the middle and neck, and if that’s not versatile enough then bear in mind we have a coil-split for that humbucker. The hardware isn’t bad either.
You’ve got a Babicz FCH 2-point Z-Series tremolo system and staggered machine heads to improve the break angle as the strings approach the nut (though we also have a pair of string trees here, too, for that).
If all of this sounds great but you’re wondering where the acoustic guitar options are, you’re in luck. The Custom Line series has just added a pair of all-solid acacia models, the CLD-65E ASA NT and CLO-65E ASA NT, with the former a dreadnought, the latter a slightly more modestly sized orchestra body.
Both models come equipped with the HB-03 acoustic guitar pickup and preamp system – and with an onboard guitar tuner too. They’ve got bone nuts and saddles, pau ferro fretboards and bridges, abalone rosettes and a beginner-friendly C profile nato neck.
Acacia is not a tonewood we see all that often. Harley Benton describes it as having a “warm and rounded” character – and it looks good with that natural stain revealing all the details in the wood grain. Multi-ply binding and those open-gear tuners with the metal buttons give these an upscale look, and yet at £174/$237, these are cheap acoustic guitars.
For more details, head over to Harley Benton.
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