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A late NGD, it's been a month since I received it, time to know her and understand pros and cons.
First of all, I didn't need this guitar, I have several beautiful pieces,I didn't need a budget guitar, but I was curious, REALLY curious, since the hype around the Harley Bentons is high on YT, so one evening I was watching a boring tv program, I pulled the trigger for a TE-52 , just to have a look at the publicized roasted neck, it's not the cheapest on the list, it is on the top side of their standard models, although I gave 159€ only shipped (almost nothing).
Unboxed she ( I say 'she', in italian the word Chitarra [guitar] is female) instantly looked beautiful, no major paint problem, good body color, gorgeous neck color. Neck was straight, no buzzing frets, absolutely no sharp edges (unbelievable), strings a bit high, I spent 5 minutes to set them up.
Well, after a month or so I have to say it's big surprise even plugged, but I'll do a short P&C list, I don't want to be boring.
PROS
- obvioulsy price
- neck absurdly good, not for the price, in general
- bridge pickup with a healthy 7.40K , a bit shrill, after I put a 1 nF cap in parallel it became almost perfect, no need to change it at the moment
- good finish, nor thin but neither like some asian polyestr thick as a brick finishes
- bridge, nut and tuners accettable for the price . I had some spare wilkinson compensated brass saddles, I changed it, the improvement was significant both in intonation and in sound, slightly sweeter now
CONS
- weight . very high, much more than I expected, I used Les Pauls much lighter, but the guitar vibrates, it's not a doorstop
- neck pickup , almost unusable, dark, weak. I put a coverless Duncan STR I had and it was night and day, a good companion for the stock bridge pickup.
- pots, cheap and with a odd taper, I haven't changed them yet but I have to do it
Some pics of the guitar below. Summing up , a surprise, I've never thought a so cheap guitar could play that good, the hype was not hype only in the end.
First of all, I didn't need this guitar, I have several beautiful pieces,I didn't need a budget guitar, but I was curious, REALLY curious, since the hype around the Harley Bentons is high on YT, so one evening I was watching a boring tv program, I pulled the trigger for a TE-52 , just to have a look at the publicized roasted neck, it's not the cheapest on the list, it is on the top side of their standard models, although I gave 159€ only shipped (almost nothing).
Unboxed she ( I say 'she', in italian the word Chitarra [guitar] is female) instantly looked beautiful, no major paint problem, good body color, gorgeous neck color. Neck was straight, no buzzing frets, absolutely no sharp edges (unbelievable), strings a bit high, I spent 5 minutes to set them up.
Well, after a month or so I have to say it's big surprise even plugged, but I'll do a short P&C list, I don't want to be boring.
PROS
- obvioulsy price
- neck absurdly good, not for the price, in general
- bridge pickup with a healthy 7.40K , a bit shrill, after I put a 1 nF cap in parallel it became almost perfect, no need to change it at the moment
- good finish, nor thin but neither like some asian polyestr thick as a brick finishes
- bridge, nut and tuners accettable for the price . I had some spare wilkinson compensated brass saddles, I changed it, the improvement was significant both in intonation and in sound, slightly sweeter now
CONS
- weight . very high, much more than I expected, I used Les Pauls much lighter, but the guitar vibrates, it's not a doorstop
- neck pickup , almost unusable, dark, weak. I put a coverless Duncan STR I had and it was night and day, a good companion for the stock bridge pickup.
- pots, cheap and with a odd taper, I haven't changed them yet but I have to do it
Some pics of the guitar below. Summing up , a surprise, I've never thought a so cheap guitar could play that good, the hype was not hype only in the end.
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