ST-62MN SB Vintage Series : Quality way above price range

I own more than a couple dozen guitars and basses from 150 to around 2000 euros in price. I have fully upgraded and fine tuned about a dozen of them. So I am used to finding and fixing faults and doing set ups, including fret leveling.

This guitar is fully playable out of the box. It is amazing for the price.

The nut is correctly filed to give close to perfect notes on the first fret. I will not have to file this nut. Intonation is correctly adjusted.

No buzzing frets on any note with the factory action height. I have not lowered the action, yet, so I do not know how low it can go without buzzing.

Pots and switches work. No blemishes in the finish. Tuners work smoothly.

Fret ends protrude just enough to feel them but do not give any problems when playing. A careful light hone will take care of that.

Bridge pick up tone is very trebly! Middle and neck pickups sound balanced. The bridge pickup is closer to the strings so a height adjustment may tame it's tone.

EDIT: The excessive trebliness went away after a pickup height adjustment. Now all pickups give a balanced tone.

I have not tried the tremolo, yet.

I already have several Tele style Harley Bentons and am glad to find this Strat to be just as well made.

I have had to return a few other brand guitars in this price range that were unplayable and could not be fixed with adjustments. No such cases with about a half dozen Harley Bentons I have purchased.

Excellent value for money and a good working instrument regardless of price.