Harley Benton GS-Travel-E Mahogany Reviews

Fabulous

This is an amazing guitar at the fraction of the cost of one of the big brands who manufactures essentially the same guitar for way more money. HB You never cease to amaze me!

Tremendous Guitar. Was very sceptical initially, but from the time of unpacking to till now got a very premium feel. Recommended purchase.

Excellent value for money

The set up of the guitar is very good, just a quick tuning up and it played well straight from the box. Tuning seems pretty stable after a few days of playing and the neck is nice and smooth feeling. Overall very good value and ideal if you want a smaller acoustic that is easy to carry around. I haven't had a chance to hear how it sounds amplified as yet, and fitting the battery is a bit fiddly and I'm not entirely sure I have done it right as it doesn't fully sit in. But mostly I just play it in my living room and it is perfect for that.

Great!

Great guitar, clean sound, all round instrument, on that price unbeatable.

Great for the price

Probably the most pristine electro-acoustic guitar in the price range. The finish is good, and it is quite smooth to play. The shorter scale provides an easy-going feel for relaxed doodling and a better reach, especially for those with shorter fingers. The size also provides the possibility of traveling with it, depending on which airline one books.

The only two problems with the guitar are regarding the pre-amp. The lack of an actual EQ in the pre-amp is problematic as it provides a single kind of 'all-around' sound, which is alright but lacks versatility.

Another problem is the ridiculous placing of the power source inside the guitar near the soundhole. The removing and attaching of the battery requires one to remove or loosen the strings to succeed, which is very unpractical and almost dumb by design.

One might not feel this a big problem, but for me, a streamlined approach is important, whether it be budget or boutique guitar.

All-in-all, an excellent guitar for the price. Everything is great except for the eq and battery placement, which is the reason I am returning this product.

Good for its size and price range

I read a ton of reviews on this guitar prior to buying it for myself. Lots of people were praising the sound of this instrument, saying its just as good as a full body guitar. I have to disagree with that. This guitar's sound unmistakable small - not a bad sound, don't get me wrong but it really just sounds small. You shouldn't expect it to sound like full size guitar.

That being said the fit and finish are great, the feel of the neck is really really good. Its so easy to play, very light and looks absolutely stunning. I would say everything other than the sound will make you feel that this is a more expensive instrument.

It is 100% acceptable that an instrument of this size and price won't blow your mind in terms of sound. I'm still very happy with my purchase.

Pros:

Great feel

Beautiful finish

Lightweight

Easy to play

Well built

Cons:

Sounds like a small guitar (which it is, so I guess this isn't even a con)

Overall incredible value for money!

Great instrument for the price

I own a tanglewood dreadnought acoustic for over 18 years and I was so pleased that I wouldn't change it with any other I have tested so far. When I played a friend's gs-T I got the same feeling, I didn't expect such a low priced little instrument do the trick.. For the pros it is easy to play, sounds bigger than seems, it is lightweight and super cheap. It is hard to find cons really but I would upgrade the case, the tuners the nut and the strings. It is recommented for sure.

Remarkable cheap instrument

After unpackaging the first impression is great: guitar is esthetic, clean and well packaged. On the first strumm the suound is a little bit toy-like, it is definitly not big and full, but it is pleasant. Guitar setup is nice, although string action is a little bit high. The one that I got doesn't resonate that well for high E and B string, it is quite suprasingly bassy though. The problems you need to fix immidietly to make it play better is frett polishing (they are not ruset but kind of tarnished, greeny-yellow and rough on the surface) and fretboard wood oiling (it is dry as hell). I also took of ~1mm of bridge saddle height to lower action and losened truss rod a bit cause my neck was almoast compleatly flat. Now it sounds really good acousticly and plugged and plays amazing! Included gigbag is worth like 1/4 of the price so it doesn't get better than this. Obviously it is not super high-end Taylor-like guitar but you can definitly make it close to that performance. Overall it is worth every cent

Unbelievable guitar for this budget

Very simply put from a guitar player for over 30 years who has owned way too many guitars, including way too expensive once, if you consider buying this guitar...just do it. You will thank me later. This is a GREAT guitar for the budget. Even at double the price it would still be fine. So just go ahead, let the GAS does its magic. This one is worth it.

more than I expected!

This is my first acoustic guitar.

Chosen for it's size and prise, so I can have something easy to transfer, cheap so I don't worry that much for damage and an easy transition from the electric to the acoustic world.

Despite all those great reviews I didn't expect it to be that good!

Almost no flaws in the appearance, except some tiny barely visible scratches and imperfections that i don't mind, and for that price I can't complain.

It's sound huge to me for it's size (although I have no other acoustic to compare it to, my opinion is based on acoustics I've used in the past).

Tuners hold tune ok for now.

The only downside is the action. It's quite high for my taste and I will have to lower the bridge.

Oh! And a scratch mark/a small tear out near the nut (probably created when installing it). But it's only visible if you try to clean the fretboard or change the strings).

All in all satisfied with my choice and hopefully it will inspire me to write some tunes.

Everyday guitar

Great guitar for outdoors fun and couch shenanigans.

Comes with a gigbag and a battery for the onboard pickup.

Battery holder is right under the end of the fretboard. You need to loosen strings considerably to get your hand inside, but once it's done you don't have to worry about it.

String action was setup fine, no buzzing, no dead frets.

Overall finish is good, I have couple of tiny marks on the body, nothing critical.

There is a little gap between nut and neck in the strings 123 area, but it doesn't affect playability, didn't even notice it the first week of playing.

Tuners are looking nice, but everyday when I pick up the guitar it's out of tune, haven't changed the strings yet, prob when I put 10-47s the problem will go away.

Soundwise: Of course it's more shallow when I played it next to my Fender CD-140, but on it's own it's pretty nice sounding guitar which I can play on the couch with no stress.

Love it.

I recently started learning to play the guitar and had no idea about them, meaning how to buy, which features is important, etc. I have an Ashton SPD25WRS Acoustic Guitar but I am too small or the guitar is too big, I am simply unable to practice on it. I spent quite some time reading reviews checking online videos until I found this guitar.

Pro:

- it is small but not too small, still enough place for my fingers,

- my husband tells me every day "oh that sound is beautiful"

- we live in a block of apartments with neighbors all around, we were afraid of making a "noise" but this guitar is very very quiet, they cannot hear a thing, I already checked with them.

Cons:

- as I have no ideas about musical instruments, I cannot give a valid feedback. My only "problem" is that I would like to have it with a nylon guitar or at least have the option to buy it. I have nylon string but no idea how to change them. I bought gloves in order to keep my fingers from "cutting off".

Conslusion:

- as a beginner and a small person with small hands (I am a girl, so it is OK :)) I am really in love with this guitar.

Absolute Beauty

Exceeds All Expectations. Very Happy with the build quality and finish. The carry case included is a massive plus as well! For a travel sized acoustic steel string guitar, It absolutely does the job very well!

Harley Benton GS-Travel-E Mahogany

great little guitar sound is good great value for money.Only fault is you have to loosen or unstring guitar when battery needs changing,other than than excellent product defo recommend to buy.ive had more expensive guitars that dont feel and sound as good as the Harley Benton GS-Travel-E Mahogany.

Packaging was really secured, the item was un expected it was amazing small guitar with a great tone.

Have Travel Guitar ( when this lockdown is lifted ) Will Travel

I have been a singer songwriter for more than 35 years. I still enjoy writing songs but do not gig very much these days. I love travelling ( mainly up to the North East Coast in the UK, where I originate from, with my lovely, loyal wee companion, Wor Bob, the Border Terrier ) I have quite a few guitars and I am always reluctant to throw one in the back of the car when we are on our excursions, so I thought this Harley Benton GS-Travel-E Mahogany would solve that problem. A ridiculously low price for something which has such favourable reviews ( and with a nice wee gig bag too ) So I ordered one. It arrived today and I absolutely LOVE this wee guitar. WHAT A BARGAIN ! The guitar is very well made, from lovely materials ( I love the slightly arched back, which certainly helps the guitar to resonate ). The neck and fretboard are wonderful. The action was pretty much spot on and the tuners are excellent, zero problem there - they work very well and the guitar holds its tuning ( after some bending and stretching of the strings ) I love the look and overall feel of this guitar and it projects amazingly well for something of its diminutive stature, with a beautiful full tone. I have to keep reminding myself that this was just over a hundred quid !! I would not have been disappointed if I had paid twice that amount. It would still have been a real bargain. I heard a few people criticising the placement of the battery compartment but I actually think it is a great place to house it and I managed to pop the battery into its compartment very easily by simply loosening the strings to gain access via the sound-hole, there is no need to completely remove them. Some people said it could be a potential problem if the battery was to run out mid gig ? ? Well just make sure you install a brand new battery before you start your gig ! ( come on, it's not rocket science and the batteries are cheap enough )

Pro's : Ridiculously great value.

Outstanding build quality for a tiny outlay.

Aesthetically gorgeous looking guitar.

Very full and beautifully round tone for such a small guitar.

More than adequate tuners ( which, again, look fabulous in black )

Great sounding pickup.

Perfect for carrying with you no matter where you may roam.

Cons : Although I like the choice of bronze strings, the quality of the ones it came strung with were well below par - a bit worn looking ( hardly worth mentioning as I always restring guitars with my personal preference - and, in truth, they sound not too bad )

The fret ends were a wee bit on the sharp side but a few minutes with a gentle file and that will be easily solved ... nothing else to say really other than, if you are looking for a lovely wee travel guitar to carry with you, BUY THIS ONE ! It's such a bargain .... and it even comes with a very decent gig bag .... FOR A LITTLE MORE THAN A HUNDRED QUID !! Amazing !!

Great little instrument.

To be honest - for such a small amount of money is marvelous guitar. Overall it sounds more mid's and high's, quite sharp, great for finger picking, not so good for chords strumming. On some neck positions sounds boxy. Comfy in hands, looks very good. Best to change strings first off.

Very good acquisition

Similar to a Taylor, if you just starting with guitars. I had stopped during 25 years and I saw one Taylor. However, after some research, i found the GS-Travel-E. I am quite happy with this one.

It is light, very good to travel or take into your car.

The bag is amazingly good. The guitar comes with possibility to have have connection to DI. However, there is no tuner or volume / bass adjustment. I had to connect an external pre-amp.

My guitar keeps the tune even after i play a lot. The chords are quite simple, but i do not see as an issue.

It also comes with a cable, what i found as a very good and useful gift.

I think it would pay off to have a model with a reasonable pre-amp.

Delivery was quick and support services gave me all the answers. I am also amazed with the customer relationship team.

Very good price, good quality

I think that for the price, the build quality and provided equipment are really good, you can't go wrong buying this guitar. I like it's size, sound, action of the strings is satisfactory, good intonation. The piezo pickup has the battery placed right near the sound hole, under the neck end, you have to remove the strings first to replace it, but it holds well. I bought the guitar because my old one is in some need of repair and I needed something acoustic. I already used the guitar for a couple of recordings and the result is good. The gig bag accompanying this guitar is also decent, not something to take with you on a plane or in some rough storage, but decent.

I see only one drawback: the fret ends are very rough and sharp, you can easily cut your skin on your fingers when sliding them on the edge of the guitar. I took care of these with a file in maybe 10 minutes or so and probably this is due to the fact that the build is a little rushed to meet this price, so actually I'm not complaining about it, I'm just giving a heads up to anyone interested in buying this.

Bang for your buck

Bought 4 of these for teaching guitar. For the price they sound excellent and play lovely, especially for beginners. I also brought one to a choir competition which meant plugging it into a theatre sound system. Sound engineer couldn't believe the sound quality for a cheap guitar. Great sustaining sound.