HB-35Plus Lemon : Amazing Instrument

All right, let’s cut to the chase. I own, and have owned, a LOT of guitars – a LOT, and I’ve played and gigged for over 45 years. So what I’m going to tell you is worth a reading so listen up. I’ve played some expensive stuff and I’ve played some not so expensive stuff and for the most part you can feel and hear a difference between the two. However, keep in mind, you can own either and it can sound great or it can be lousy. Name brands are no indication of a great instrument. Those who buy because it says this or that high end brand name can easily end up with something pretty average. Also, if your skill level is not that of a virtuoso or you’re not gigging for a living, why the hell pay thousands for a guitar that only gets played in your bedroom? Because it “looks” nice? Really?? But I digress.

I decided to renew my love affair with semi-hollow body electrics, BUT on a budget. Guitar reviewers online almost unanimously praised the Harley Benton HB-35. So I pulled the trigger and bought a “HB-35 Plus” in yellow for around $225 (plus shipping). It arrived one week from the day of order. It was very well packaged and when I unboxed it I was surprised at how much better the guitar looks compared to the online photos. But beauty doesn’t make the player. So here is a quick rundown review of what I received:

1. Cosmetics: Flawless finish.

2. Neck: Comfortable

3. Frets: Needed slight polishing, but no sharp edges.

4. Fret Board: smooth but dry – fret board oil took care of it.

5. Knobs: Tone knobs are fine.

6. Tuners: They okay but they have a low turn ratio which makes fine tuning tricky. My personal ratio preference is 19:1 so I will probably swap these out

7. Strings: They’re okay but I always change out new guitar strings anyway

8. Set-up: Again, personal preference, I lowered the action and had to adjust intonation.

9. Pick-ups: The Roswell Alnico 5’s are really nice.

Bottom line: what a great instrument! I really like this guitar and I can honestly say, if you’re looking for a semi-hollow body guitar you would be crazy not to look into the HB-35. You get high end playability, a stunning appearance and you don’t break the bank.