Custom Line CLA-15M : Good, but it needs a set-up out of the box.

6 years ago

Set-up:

Out of the box, it wasn't great. The action at the nut was okay, but it gradually got higher as you moved up the neck. I had to tighten the truss rod a quarter turn and sand 1.5mm off the bridge saddle to correct it. (That may not sound like much, but believe me, it is.) The frets were very scratchy, but level. I gave them a polish and now they're great. The tuners work great.

Looks:

1 slight blemish near the soundhole, but otherwise it's perfect.

Comfort:

The neck is rather thick and very flat, I suspect a 14" radius. This makes "thumb over the top" chords rather difficult. A lower radius would've been more comfortable for me.

Sound:

The stock strings were very dull. Replace them ASAP. Even with the new strings, the guitar sounded rather dull out of the box, however, after a week of heavy strumming it's starting to open up. If I could go back in time, I'd rather get the spruce version for some more clarity, but it's still a nice sound.

Image Harley Benton Custom Line CLA-15M

Technical Data

  • Manufactured by Harley Benton
  • Released in 2013
  • Average price : $193
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