Harley Benton RB-612CS Classic Series 5-stars Reviews

Awesome Rig

Everything a person needs from an electric 12 string and more!

Ricky style 12

Arrived promptly and ready to go

Changed strings to my favourite brand and gauges

Full sound and rich tonal variety

Great 12 string and a fantastic Price

Received the guitar a few days ago and have not put it down since. Came nicely set up so with only very minimal adjustment it plays great. Sounds nice and for the money it is unbeatable. Maybe a minor flaw in the finish but undetectable unless you are on a deep search. I have been playing for 40 years and I could not be happier!

Great 12 string

Only had to lower the bridge a bit, and slightly tighten the truss rod and it fell right into setup. Just great sound from the pickups. Dust in the wind chords are nothing short of heavenly. A must buy!

An Outstanding Value

This guitar sounds fantastic. The visual presentation is excellent, as is the basic construction and string spacing. The guitar will require US $100-200 for proper set up in the US, as the nut slots will need to be re-cut due to being too shallow, at least two of the frets will need to have their height lowered due to high spots of the fretboard, the bridge and truss rod will need adjustment, and saddle notches will require some work to conform to the radius of the fretboard/neck. Then the intonation will have to be re-set. Setting the intonation will be a time consuming process, as each pair of string will need to be loosened, the nut on the saddle screw will need to be removed, the guitar will need to be re-tuned, the intonation will need to be set, the pair of strings will then need to be loosened once again for re-application of the nut, and then the pair will need to be re-tuned before moving on to the next pair of strings. Then, after a reasonable total outlay of about $450, I will have a magnificent electric 12-string.

Edit: 22 Aug 2022 I have had all the necessary work done on this 12-string to optimize its sound and playability by a certified luthier for $200. It now looks great, plays incredibly well with very low action and near perfect intonation, and sounds much, much better than any of the other 12-strings that I have played below the $1300 price range. The tuners work fine and the guitar holds its tuning extremely well during performances. When at home, the guitar is alternately played and hung on a wall hanger and only needs tuning once a week if the house temperature is constant. I recommend the TC Electronic Unitune strobo-tuner which will permit tuning within .02 cent, as highly accurate tuning is essential for 12-strings and will allow for slight pitch changes without the need for retuning. Before taking this guitar in for a professional set up, be sure that you try at least one or two different sets of strings and leave the gauge that prefer on for at least a week before bringing the guitar in to the luthier. I chose the GHS extra light Boomers (9-40 gauge), as they are bright and, from my past experiences with 6 strings, last a good while if wiped clean between playings. This 12-string is one of the best musical instrument purchases that I have made.

MY H/B 12CS GUITAR

I have had 2 12 strings from i started to mess about with guitars i had EKO which i liked then i have had a RICKENBACKER 330 which was a very good 12 string lot easier to play than the EKO then by chance on youtube i saw HARLEY BENTON 612 cs reviews were good on it so i bought one WHAT A GUITAR never own a 12string like this so easy to play great sound and what a price unbelievable fantastic guitar i sold my EKO and my RICKENBACKER but i will never sell my HARLEY BENTON just a dream to play thanks frankie

GREAT

It does it's job. In my case, I don't have a big repertory of 12 strings songs so this guitar makes his work great. The volume knob had made ground noises at the middle point but it can be solved later, in fact I have a volume pedal so I control it by this. At top volume, sound great. I will keep it always at this level. I haven't already make it sound with compression and EQ, but I can make it sound better, I am sure. I am totally satisfied with it. I would buy it again.

Excellent choice

The neck to body balance, binding and finish, frets and setup, and pickups are all on par with the most expensive guitars. This is a beautiful instrument that I’m proud to have in my collection.

Quality - A+

I bought the HB with some trepidation, after all, it's a "budget' guitar. However, I was wrong with any idea of receiving an inferior product. The sound, the finish, the overall vibe with this HB is excellent. Love the 12-string, and now, I'm about to order an HB 12-string acoustic. I'm sold on their products!!

Great value

Great value guitar excellent service

Five stars considering the price

Seriously, how can they sell this guitar at this price? The quality of materials, hardware, construction, fit and finish is comparable to other guitars I own that cost two to four times as much. The neck is a bit chunky and the pickups could be a bit richer sounding, but since the guitar cost one TENTH of what the equivalent Rick would set me back I consider that immaterial.

If, like me, you've always wanted a nice jangly electric 12 string but can't justify spending three grand plus on a guitar you'll use every now and then this is the guitar for you.

Very Impressed!

I am very happy and impressed with this guitar. Great looks and sound. For the modest price, this is a fine guitar with respect to set-up, sound and playability. You won’t be disappointed if you purchase this guitar.

love this guitar. i wanted a 12 electric for recording and searched around quite a bit trying to find one that wasn't ridiculously priced. i heard of Harley Benton but was a bit leary on pulling the trigger because reviews were mixed on them. i bit the bullet and took a chance and i'm so glad i did, the guitar can without a flaw, the only thing i did to it was cut the nut slots a bit deeper for lower action. plays and sounds great, so happy i bought it. i highly recommend this guitar. every other guitar i own is hundreds or thousands more than this and it's one of my favorites now.

Awesome...A Forest Review!

Other reviews can give your a blow by blow account of each tree and feature. Me, I have been playing for about 60 years and that Ric got away when it was affordable. No band or regular gigs but I have about 20 guitars and each is a delight. Tested a few Eastmans and Danelectros but this one was kind of a leap of faith! Well, it blew me out of the water right out of the box. It is just a great looking and feeling guitar that sounds like it should. Played it for a month before taking it for some luthier TLC; even he was impressed. Pyramid flatwound strings, a little fretwork after lowering the action a pinch, standard setup and voila, this things chimes with little effort and stays tuned in like manner! The play-ability after the TLC made it even more of a treat to pickup. I cannot wait to take the guitar out to jam with my friends or bring to our local haunt. In the meantime, every time I pick it up I feel those ringing strings just fill my studio with the sounds of my youth and then some! I wasn't crazy about the headstock since it seemed out of proportion with the rest of the guitar. I am thinking that it provides the needed strength to keep these tuners more supported and the tuning in check. That was the only con for me. A pro continues to be how well it stays in tune! I have no right to but I am looking to get a second Harley Benton in the near future! Thank you so much!

Very good, especially for the price

Beautiful, sounds good, and price is unbelievable

This guitar great!

I could not have asked for more! Plays great, very fun guitar! Thanks for a fantastic guitar! Shipped from Germany to America in three days!

Harley Benton RB612CS

The guitar is excellent value for money - let me rephrase that, outstanding value for money.

I do not play professionally so performance use will be limited to small gatherings and fun events. Sorting and other injuries have taken their toll on, my left hand in particular, which causes tiredness to set it after half hour or more of playing one of my acoustic 12 string guitars. I needed a guitar with a lower action that is possible with most acoustic 12 string guitars and this is the cheapest (that is low cost) that seemed worth looking at and playing.

I have had the instrument for 6 days and letting it settle in plus making small adjustments to accommodate my playing. These are going just fine and should be about right after the guitars acclimatisation - probably another week or 10 days.

There are no obvious flaws, in fact the guitar looks much like you would expect for 4 or 5 times the price. The pickups are good enough for what I want and, having put it through two different amps, more than satisfied with the sound. A bit of experimentation will find the exact sound I want, though getting there is an enjoyable process.

Others have made their comments on their experience of the guitar so I will keep this brief and say that I have acquired a 12 string semi-acoustic 12 string guitar for a little over £200 that could justify itself against those many times more that price.

It is not a Rickenbacker and is one tenth the price of an equivalent and it would be unrealistic to think that it compares directly. However, what you get is a very acceptable compromise against the Rickenbacker.

what a cracker of a 12 string

open the box a really super looking guitar it has got 2 minor blemishes which is under the top coat so cannot be removed,but you have to look very closely to find them, sounds like a Ricky which is what i wanted, this was on back order for weeks and weeks,and i thought of cancelling and buying another make/model so glad i didn't you cant beat this for sound and quality at this price point or even double.

Jingle jangling for hours bringing back 12 string classics!

Wow! I'm not easily amazed, but I was when my RB-612CS

arrived. The finish is flawless . I will not hesitate to gig with this guitar. I have looked for flaws, but none found to date. It plays and sounds beautifully and is hard to put down. It took a couple days for the new strings to settle in and now the tuners seem to be holding fine. Very playable right out of the box though I may change out the strings at some point in the near future to one I've used for years. I would buy again without hesitation and a few friends may order as well. Pleasantly surprised and a happy picker.

Crackin 12 strings

Great quality and beautiful design.

Feels great, plays great, sounds great.

Good price.

Well packaged, good fast delivery (once in stock).