TE-90QM Trans Red : Another gem from Harley Benton

This is my second HB purchase, having previously reviewed my TE-40TBK.

The guitar arrived in good condition with a couple of (very) minor defects to the finish. The guitar is a deep red and the quilting quite stunning, nicely set off by the cream binding.

The fret board was very dry and required 4 treatments with lemon oil over 24 hours to rectify, but all frets were finished nicely and did not require any polishing. The neck was very flat with little relief and a lot of fret buzz that was quickly rectified with a couple of tweaks of the truss rod. Strings were changed to my normal regular slinkys.

The neck is really nice, slightly slimmer than the TE-40 with a very comfortable feel - a joy to play with the set up as above. The electronics all work well and the Wilkinson P90 sound great. I am a fan of P90s and have recently fitted a pair to the TE-40. I will not be changing the Wilkinsons, which seem to have slightly more output and bite, possibly being due to the plastic 'soap bar' covers as opposed to metal covers on pups in the TE-40.

Great sound, usable in all 3 switch positions, loads of sustain (mahogany sustain block and through the body stringing). The bridge is very solid and a joy to work with.

Currently my go to guitar and as long as you can carry out or arrange for a basic set up, for £150 - why wouldn't you?