RB-600BK Classic Series : Maybe pass on this one

I own 3 other Harley Benton guitars: CST-24, XT-22 and TE-70RW deluxe. All of these 3 guitars are superb value for money and surprisingly high quality fit, finish, playability and tone.

I was therefore slightly disappointed with the RB-600BK. There are no obviously major flaws with it, but overall it's not of the same high standard as my other Harley Benton guitars. The tuning machines are wobbly and have quite a lot of slack. The nut was cut a bit too high making intonation and action adjustment difficult. The fretboard is rough and very dry. The frets were a bit scratched and corroded. The pickups were quite microphonic, especially the bridge pickup which squeals at gig volume. The bridge saddles have evidence of corrosion on them. The bridge was not mounted flush or level. The inside of the body behind the F hole is splattered with glue and paint. One of the knobs broke off when I pulled it to take a look at the pots.

I was able to address these issues, and have now got the guitar up to a reasonable playing standard, but based on my experience, I would pass on this particular Harley Benton model. I do own a genuine Rickenbacker among my other guitars, and I appreciate that the HB model is only 1/10th of the price of the comparable USA made Ricky, but you'd struggle with this guitar unless you have some basic luthier skills required to get it up to the necessary standard for playability.