Harley Benton EX-84 Modern EMG VW 5-stars Reviews

Amazing guitar!

I can finally be James Hetfield

the ex 84 vw emg

great guitar havent let it down since i have recived it great sound hardware and confortability truely a great deal for it value

Good quality and great sound for the price

I really like this guitar shape that I could find in your store, I have always dreamed of such a guitar shape and only you could make my dream come true. I also liked the build quality of the guitar and the quality of the materials, the guitar sounds great for its price.

Very, Very Great Guitar

I absolutely love this thing. Hardware is fantastic and and the specs are amazing.

Only issue I have is the neck dive. It's a decently light body and the neck just has a lot of dive, but that's not a very big issue.

Overall, I love this guitar. If it had a $1,500 price tag on it, I wouldn't question it. FANTASTIC!

Great quality at an amazing price

I've always wanted a white explorer with black hardware ever since I saw Metallica's video for 'One', so after doing copious amounts of research on this EX-84 Modern EMG I finally pulled the trigger. The guitar got delivered after about two weeks. It arrived in perfect condition. I've heard people having gotten it with a chip or some minor scratches in the finish but that was not a problem for me. Guitar looks absolutely pristine. The body is a tad smaller than a Gibson Explorer or an ESP, but not like a junior guitar. I think I actually prefer this size and shape.

Everything on this guitar was in great order. The hardware is quality, the knobs and switches feel good and solid. The EMG pickups delivers really crispy sound with a lot of bite, but still a warm clean tone from the neck pickup. The EMG's sound really hot. By that I mean they have a lot of attack but it also picks up every little slide of the hand you make. The guitar had a really good setup right out of the box. I got it delivered in Scandinavia during October, so after I unpacked it I let it acclimate for a couple hours before I played on it. The intonation was spot on. Neck was straight. Really good right out of the box. The tuners feel great and solid, and the guitar stays in tune. I could have sworn that I read it came with Grover locking tuners so I was a bit surprised when I saw it came with the regular JN-03 machine heads and when I went to check the website, sure enough it didn't say Grover locking tuners so I must have misread. The fretboard felt a little dry, but no sharp edges or anything. You should DEFINITELY pull the trigger on this. This guitar easily feels like a guitar worth more than it's price. A contender for my top guitar, and I own guitars worth 3-4 times the price of this.

The one huge con I had with this though was that the nut that was on it was SUPER high. Like double the height of a regular nut, and the bridge wont go any lower, so my action was too high, especially around the first three frets. So I did have to remove the nut and sand down the underside of it. This can be a daunting task if you're not familiar with it. But I did that, oiled the fretboard and lowered the bridge and it plays wonderfully now. And like I said, it was more than playable out of the box. But with a good setup it will play like a expensive guitar. Well done Harley Benton. Will be buying more from these guys.

PROS:

-Beautiful finish

-Good hardware and pickups

-Good fretboard. Neck feels nice. (same thickness as a Gibson Les Paul)

-Very playable setup right out of the box

CONS:

-Really tall nut. Had to sand it down myself. This was the biggest con.

-Bridge won't go as low as I would like. So action is good, but not perfect.

-The guitar has neck dive. This comes from the fact that most of the weight is in the neck/headstock and the fastening point for the strap is on top of the neck. Neck dive can be remedied by moving the forward strap point to the back of the heel of the neck, or buying a wider leather strap.

Beyond impressed, astonished even....

I may start this review by saying I am not a gear head per se. I love gear, and I collect it but I know very little about it, I just know what I like. I have two Gibson Les Pauls, Fender Lite Ash Korea, Peavy Quilt Top EVH and so on. I'm a classical guitarist by trade and have spent by far the most money on my classical guitar (custom luthier built). So again, no expert, but I've played a few.

I've used Harley Benton twice, for exactly the reason most people do- to experiment with a fantasy guitar without spending outrageous money. My first was in 2004, a seven string, which I still play and rather like. This new one though, is in another class altogether.

As a massive Maiden, Metallica fan, (Smith and Hetfield respectively) I've always wanted an Explorer but wouldn't have had a daily use for one. Along comes the HB EX-84 EMG.

Well Holy God, this thing is a monster. As well made as any guitar I've ever played and could hold its own with guitars five times the price. The fretboard is like butter. Strung with .10s I have no issue switching between this and my nylon strings. Beautiful finish, no sharp edges or rough patches. Looks amazing, plays like a dream. Flatters me beyond belief! As for the EMG pick-ups.... pchow! Mind. Blown.

As I say, I'm no expert but I value quality, sound, aesthetics and playability. Sometimes I wish I'd broken the bank on a high-end Ibanez, PRS or suchlike- my classical cost over €6,500 so I'm no Scrooge. However, I can honestly say I'm not sure if that's necessary any more. If you are a true connoisseur, by all means shell out for the big guns, but Harley Benton are on to a winner with this one.

I've seen the price of my Peavey increase, and the Lite Ash might just become a dark horse classic. I firmly believe the same will happen with this guitar- it's a stone cold classic. Buy one before they sell out...

Love it!

Bought it after seeing alot of videos on it, many were sponsored by harley benton so I was skeptical... it was well worth it. Sounds better than my LTD for a fraction of the price. JUST BUY IT.

Excellent

Fantastic specs, great price, looks gorgeous. Quality control was flawless. This is Harley Benton at their best.

Fantastic

Great guitar 🎸 for the price. Came unscathed to Buffalo N.Y. (United States of America 🇺🇸 )

Will be ordering again!

Awesome Explorer!

I bought the Ex-84 EMG with moderate expectations... how can you possibly get an ebony fretboard/EMGs and Grover locking tuners on a guitar at this price?! But I was pleasantly surprised. It played nicely out of the box and is a guitar I play regularly to this day - I've owned it now for nearly a year. It has a nice neck which has a slightly chunky depth to it, so it sits nicely in the cup of your hand, while being still quite narrow (nut width). Recommended if you're considering this one. Nice to play and sounds great.

Great

What a bargain man Now I can get my Hetfield on

The best Explorer

I've played with over 50 guitars in my whole life. This guitar is the one that made me fall in love with the first hit. Great sound, very high quality and features and in a price that almost anyone could afford it.

The only negative thing (but that's totally subjective) is the action that is a little higher than I would liked it to be.

Although higher action in the fretboard is perfect for low-tuning (Drop C and lower), cause you can feel the vibrations across the neck and the body.

A total value for money guitar and great choice especially for James Hetfield-Metallica fans.

A masterpiece - Harley Benton hits another level

Perfect guitar - amazing sound, impeccable finish. So far, only playing at home, planning a twilight career change taking my passion out to the world as I reach retirement age.

Very happy with this guitar

I've played the guitar for 3 months and I'm very satisfied whit it.

It was set up almost perfectly from the box. The action was perfect and intonation was 99,5%.

It should be said that it was dirty/dusty and the pickup switch is kind of loose.

In every other way this is a fantastic guitar. It plays beautifully, sounds awesome. It's what you'd expect from an explorer equipped with the classic EMG 81/60 setup.