Harley Benton RB-612BK Classic Series Reviews

Fantastic value

Given the price, my expectations were low as to the build and sound quality of this instrument. I am thoroughly impressed with the guitar I got-- it could cost 3 times as much and still be a great value. The wood seems well seasoned and sealed, the setup was acceptible and a great starting point (I always need to make some fone adjustments, even to big name instruments) for playability. The nut slots ran a bit high for my taste but I planned on insyalling a zero-glide nut anyway so no big deal. The frets seem level and well-crowned, and the neck relief adjusts easily with the double-acting truss rod. The tuning machines seem stable and are finely-enough geared to make precise tuning (a must for a 12-string) quick and easy.

Plugged in, the pickups sound good in all three positions and have the kind of tone I was expecting for a semi-hollow 12-string, so no need for me to swap or upgrade them.

The hardware all seems solid and has a good finish quality, far better than expected.

The headstock is actually quite compact for a 12 which makes this guitar seem comfortably smaller than I was expecting for a Rickenbacker-style 12. The neck is a fairly thick c-shape that I find pretty comfortable and the overall finish is excellent-- a black mirror. Better than a few Gibsons I've owned for sure.

You likely will not find a better quality instrument at twice thia price or more. Get one and see for yourself.

Better than a Rick 330/12

Used to own a 330/12, bought it for £1200. Sold it as neck too narrow and chunky to play comfortably and the double truss rod was a pain. The RB 612 is excellent. Easy to play, great sound. good tone variation and not bulky. Not too keen on the scrolly trapeze tho, they should have left it plain.

Very cool guitar

I like this guitar overall. It is very cool to have a 12 string as it opens up different creative avenues. The sound is very good as is the quality overall. There are a few issues though. For example, there are the odd dead frets that need to be filed down. Also, the inside F hole has black paint on the inside. Otherwise, it is very good.