SC-DLX Gotoh Pelham Blue : Harley Benton may be the new kid on the block, but I tell you what, this guitar really rocks.

I always admired the original Gibson Les Pauls and my first guitar was a second hand Les Paul copy, but what put me off them was that they were too heavy and the neck was too thick for me to use the thumb over the top.

I was looking for a new electric guitar recently and saw that Epiphone had released their own take on the Gibson Les Paul Modern, which was affordable and which also has a modernised weight relieved body with a slimmer profile neck, for around £550, I thought finally a modernised Les Paul that addresses all the issues I had. Then I found a review of the Harley Benton SC-DLX, which is insanely half the price and I cant believe the specifications and build quality for a guitar in this price bracket.

At 7.8 lb the SC-DLX is perfectly weight relieved. The Rosewood fretboard with stainless steel frets and trapezoid inlays, as well as the Gotoh hardware and Tesla pickups are all quality and all contribute to make it look and feel more expensive.

For me the stainless steel frets were one of my key requirements and after seeing the specs I thought this could be the perfect guitar for me and possibly even be the guitar of my dreams and now I own one, it didn't disappoint in any department.

I would have preferred locking tuners, but I know I cant expect those for the price, having said that, so far it doesn't seem to go out of tune with these Gotoh Kluson tuners.

Aside from what on first glance looked like scratches on the fretboard, which on close inspection were in fact only the natural grain showing through the finish (which highlights more care is required in production on the fretboard finish). Also there were two small scuffs on the paint work on the back top corner of the head, and it highlights perhaps it would be better if the head had binding on the back too? which would offer more protection on the back corners of the head. Aside from that, I can't fault this guitar. I'm very impressed with the quality of the build and it didnt require much of a setup.

Now to the most important part, the sound quality. When I first tried it even when unplugged, the resonance is what impressed me most, its outstanding and through my amp its sounds just as impressive,

When I was looking for my first guitar all those years ago, if I had been handed this Harley Benton SC-DLX in a music shop and had to guess how much it cost, I would have guessed it was at least hundreds of pounds more than it is currently priced and I would have paid the money and ran out of the shop, before the seller changed their mind about the price.

I would recommend this guitar and suggest you grab one while it remains at this price, its worth every penny and worth more in my opinion.