Harley Benton has new DIY guitar and bass kits and one of them you need to carve the body out yourself

Harley Benton kit guitar
(Image credit: Harley Benton)

Harley Benton sells so many affordable electric guitars and basses, why would anyone want to buy one of its DIY guitar kits? Well, a lot of us love the satisfaction of putting it together and even painting it ourselves. The journey is just as important as the destination for making the instrument truly yours - or whoever you choose to give one to as a DIY project guitar Christmas gift.

The company provides all the hardware you need to get the guitar playable. Even so, one of the five new kits the Thomann brand has just announced is a whole new level…

The body isn't cut out for you.

What?! The Electric Guitar Kit Square is like the harder difficulty setting of the guitar kits game. Only the braver need apply… or imaginative because it's also a brilliant move: you decide the body shape! 

The company has made the Electric Guitar Kits Square a little easier by pre-routing the bridge, controls and neck holes. The humbucker pickup cavities are pre-routed too. But the body shape is up to you.

You might even want to keep it square!

The other new kits see a Thinline T-style, along with left-handed ST and TE guitars. An MB bass kits rounds out the new additions to the range.  

Harley Benton kit guitar

(Image credit: Harley Benton)

You can get hands on with fitting everything from tuners to pickups and the neck, while the headstock shapes can also be finished to your own tastes. 

Harley Benton now offers a wide range of guitar and bass kits here, with the JA offset electric guitar starting at just $79. Before you assemble the kit you might want to spray the body with the finish of your choice, or leave it natural.  

Harley Benton kit guitar

(Image credit: Harley Benton)
Rob Laing
Guitars Editor, MusicRadar

Rob is the Reviews Editor for GuitarWorld.com and MusicRadar guitars, so spends most of hi waking hours (and beyond) thinking about and trying the latest gear and making sure our reviews team is giving you thorough and honest tests of it. He's worked for guitar mags and sites as a writer and editor for nearly 20 years but still winces at the thought of restringing a Floyd Rose guitar.