Electric Guitar Kit Single Cut : Single Cut Electric Guitar Kit

I recently built one of these kits to add to a growing collection of self-builds and kit guitars. This was my first Harley Benton guitar kit and was influenced by reviews from this site.

The kit arrived very well packaged and protected from knocks. Upon opening I was pleased to see an instruction manual and all parts present.

Building was a simple process with all parts fitting beautifully. I was particularly impressed with the fit and finish of the neck. The only adjustment needed was to the nut height: easily achieved with careful sanding. Fret ends were neat and smooth and the action was perfect.

The electrics are perhaps the most complicated part of the build. Although the entire process is plug-&-play, the cables would benefit from colour coded connectors or tape to aid connecting for the less electrically astute.

The body finish on my kit was excellent with no filling needed, just a light sanding to give a surface ready for paint. I opted for the "Gold Top" style of finish using Rustoleum paints and am delighted with the results. The back of the body appears to be mahogany. I finished this with three coats of teak oil, applied with a clean lint-free cloth.

Overall I couldn't be happier with this kit. The parts are not the highest quality but are more than reasonable for the price and would be easy to upgrade at a later date. The instrument plays beautifully with a very low action and a very comfortable U shaped neck profile. The pickups sounds incredible for the price and respond well to volume changes, going from clean to nicely crunchy.

I highly recommend this kit either for beginners or more experienced players who want to build their first instrument.