Review of the Harley Benton D-120CE BK Acoustic guitar. Where to buy it?

I’ll tell you how this post is built. First I list the features of the Harley Benton D-120CE BK guitar. Then you have a video or two, purchase links and useful comments from other users and then you have one of the most useful parts; comparison tables with similar items so you can compare.

  • Design: Dreadnought with cutaway
  • Top: Spruce
  • Body: Mahogany (Entandrophragma cylindricum)
  • Neck: Mahogany
  • Fretboard: Roseacer (thermally treated maple wood)
  • Neck profile: C
  • Fretboard inlays: Dot
  • Cream-coloured bindings on the body and neck
  • Scale: 650 mm (25.59″)
  • Nut width: 42.5 mm (1.67″)
  • 20 Frets
  • Bridge: Roseacer (thermally treated maple wood)
  • Pickup includes preamp with volume control and 4-band EQ
  • Machine heads: Chrome-plated diecast
  • Strings: .010 – .047
  • Colour: Black, high-gloss

review harley-benton-d-120ce-bk

This guitar usually has a price around 66.00 €

Now that we’ve seen the features of this guitar Harley Benton D-120CE BK watch these related videos to learn more.

The Harley Benton D-120CE TB Bundle Unboxing and review

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Some comments from people who come to the forum about this model:

Comment:

I set up budget guitars in my spare time and bought this acoustic as something of an experiment. About a year ago I bought another Harley Benton (a Les Paul gold top copy) which was pretty well made but also pretty badly set up. However, after fret-levelling, re-profiling and polishing and sorting out the action (bridge and nut) it now plays better than any other Les Paul copy I’ve had. On that basis I wanted to try out a HB acoustic to see if, for almost no money, I could end up with a decent instrument.

The D-120 came pretty well packed (a conventional guitar shaped box inside a large rectangular box) and felt very light. The first thing that greeted me on unwrapping was a 2mm chip to the top edge of the headstock; disappointing but for £58 not worth initiating a return for since I can drop a bit of black lacquer in there to fill anyway.

First impressions when unpacked were how light and how thin the construction of this guitar is (even by comparison with my 2002 Fender CD60). It’s very black and very shiny but in patches the lacquer is so thin you can see the wood grain through it. It wouldn’t take much to wear through to the wood sadly. A quick all-over check revealed a decent-looking instrument; 20 frets on a nice shaped neck, basic sealed tuners, lousy Chinese strings, a little EQ unit (9v battery supplied!) and a jackplug input socket that was loose. That is a REAL hassle on a guitar like this. Getting a hand or tool inside there to hold the internal part of the jack socket still while tightening down on the outside is going to be a challenge. Enough now to send back and request another one? Mmmm. Still no. It’s too much hassle and I’m sure I can sort it out – but both this and the chipped headstock are basic quality control issues that should have been sorted and which could really spoil this guitar for someone without the experience and confidence to fix it themselves.

To my surprise the action on this guitar is not too bad straight out of the box. The tuners are ‘all or nothing’ and sticky but kind of work. The frets are awfully finished and scratchy as hell meaning string bends leave you wincing (but I can take care of that). But here’s the thing: despite its several little faults, this thing is playable straight out of the box. It sounds pretty good acoustically and even better when plugged into my amp (which I have to say ISN’T a dedicated acoustic guitar amp).

So for £58 plus £10 postage what you get is a lightweight electro-acoustic guitar that plays better than almost anything else you’re likely to find for so little money (apart from getting lucky and finding a second hand Fender or Vintage acoustic locally via eBay or Gumtree). This Harley Benton confirms my previous HB experience: these are great guitars IF you are able to put right the small niggling problems AND do some thorough set up work (including fret levelling & dressing). Otherwise this is still not a bad first guitar for a learner for almost no money – certainly far better than the all-too-common first ‘acoustic’ guitar that turns out to be an unplayable and cheap classical 🙂

Comment:

Great value for money, the electronics are nothing exceptional but work as they should – it’s amazing to even get a decent built in preamp in a guitar at this price. Treble, Mid, Bass and Presence controls all work – cut and boost, the battery indicator is a nice touch, volume control can push pretty high if needed.

Electronics aside, the finish and feel of the body is good, a nice full sound out of this guitar (acoustically), tuners, headstock and neck are all good quality especially for this price, the only let down is the fingerboard isn’t the best feeling, but the frets are acceptable no overhang and very little sharp edges.

Would recommend for any beginners – you wont get better then this for the price, and for anybody who doesn’t primarily play guitar but would like one around for occasional use without breaking the bank.

Harley Benton D-120CE BK vs Harley Benton D-120CE NT

The guitar Harley Benton D-120CE BK is usually 0 € cheaper than Harley Benton D-120CE NT, but the difference is so small that this can vary..

Below have a look to the video of this guitar

Harley Benton D-120CE BK

Harley Benton D-120CE NT
  • Design: Dreadnought with cutaway
  • Top: Spruce
  • Body: Mahogany (Entandrophragma cylindricum)
  • Neck: Mahogany
  • Fretboard: Roseacer (thermally treated maple wood)
  • Neck profile: C
  • Fretboard inlays: Dot
  • Cream-coloured bindings on the body and neck
  • Scale: 650 mm (25.59″)
  • Nut width: 42.5 mm (1.67″)
  • 20 Frets
  • Bridge: Roseacer (thermally treated maple wood)
  • Pickup includes preamp with volume control and 4-band EQ
  • Machine heads: Chrome-plated diecast
  • Strings: .010 – .047
  • Colour: Black, high-gloss
  • Build type: Dreadnought with cutaway
  • Top: Spruce
  • Back and sides: Mahogany
  • Neck: Mahogany (Sapele / Entandrophragma cylindricum)
  • Neck profile: C
  • Dovetail neck joint
  • Fretboard: Roseacer (thermally treated maple wood)
  • 20 Frets
  • Scale: 650 mm
  • Bridge: Roseacer (thermally treated maple wood)
  • Pickup with preamp with volume knob and 4-band EQ
  • Chrome-plated diecast machine heads
  • Strings: .010 – .047
  • Colour: Natural high-gloss

Below have a look to the video of this guitar Harley Benton D-120CE NT

€75 Harley Benton D120CE NT Acoustic Guitar Review

If you want to know more about this option, click on the following link to see the Harley Benton D-120CE NT review

Harley Benton D-120CE BK vs Harley Benton D-120CE TB

The guitar Harley Benton D-120CE BK is usually 0 € cheaper than Harley Benton D-120CE TB, but the difference is so small that this can vary..

Below have a look to the video of this guitar

Harley Benton D-120CE BK

Harley Benton D-120CE TB
  • Design: Dreadnought with cutaway
  • Top: Spruce
  • Body: Mahogany (Entandrophragma cylindricum)
  • Neck: Mahogany
  • Fretboard: Roseacer (thermally treated maple wood)
  • Neck profile: C
  • Fretboard inlays: Dot
  • Cream-coloured bindings on the body and neck
  • Scale: 650 mm (25.59″)
  • Nut width: 42.5 mm (1.67″)
  • 20 Frets
  • Bridge: Roseacer (thermally treated maple wood)
  • Pickup includes preamp with volume control and 4-band EQ
  • Machine heads: Chrome-plated diecast
  • Strings: .010 – .047
  • Colour: Black, high-gloss
  • Body shape: Dreadnought
  • With cutaway
  • Body: Mahogany (Entandrophragma cylindricum)
  • Top: Spruce
  • Neck: Mahogany
  • Neck profile: C neck profile
  • Roseacer fretboard
  • Dot fretboard inlays
  • Cream bindings on the body and neck
  • Scale: 650 mm
  • Nut width: 42.5 mm
  • 20 Frets
  • Roseacer bridge
  • Pickup system with pre-amp
  • Controls: Volume and 4-band EQ
  • Chrome die cast machine heads
  • String thicknesses: .010″ – .047″
  • Colour: Translucent blue high gloss

Below have a look to the video of this guitar Harley Benton D-120CE TB

The Harley Benton D-120CE TB Bundle Unboxing and review

If you want to know more about this option, click on the following link to see the Harley Benton D-120CE TB review

Harley Benton D-120CE BK vs Harley Benton D-120BK

The guitar Harley Benton D-120CE BK is usually 8 € more expensive than Harley Benton D-120BK, but the difference is so small that this can vary..

Below have a look to the video of this guitar

Harley Benton D-120CE BK

Harley Benton D-120BK
  • Design: Dreadnought with cutaway
  • Top: Spruce
  • Body: Mahogany (Entandrophragma cylindricum)
  • Neck: Mahogany
  • Fretboard: Roseacer (thermally treated maple wood)
  • Neck profile: C
  • Fretboard inlays: Dot
  • Cream-coloured bindings on the body and neck
  • Scale: 650 mm (25.59″)
  • Nut width: 42.5 mm (1.67″)
  • 20 Frets
  • Bridge: Roseacer (thermally treated maple wood)
  • Pickup includes preamp with volume control and 4-band EQ
  • Machine heads: Chrome-plated diecast
  • Strings: .010 – .047
  • Colour: Black, high-gloss

The Harley Benton HBD 120BK is an acoustic guitar in the dreadnought construction style and which comes at a sensational price. The bottom and sides are made of sapele, and despite the fact that the laminated spruce top may not be as large as on other models, it uces such a powerful and clear sound that you could hardly expect more from such a well-priced (really!) guitar.

  • Dreadnought style
  • Dovetail сonstruction
  • Top: Spruce
  • Back and sides: Mahogany (Entandrophragma cylindricum)
  • Neck: Mahogany (Entandrophragma cylindricum)
  • Fretboard: Roseacer (thermally treated maple wood)
  • Neck profile: Modern C-shape
  • Dot inlays
  • Cream bindings on the body and neck
  • Scale: 650 mm
  • Nut width: 42.5 mm
  • 20 Frets
  • Roseacer bridge (thermally treated maple wood)
  • X-Bracing
  • Black pickguard
  • Chrome diecast machine heads
  • String gauge: 010 – 047
  • Finish: Black high-gloss

Below have a look to the video of this guitar Harley Benton D-120BK

One of Harley Bentons cheapest guitars!! The D120.. any good?

If you want to know more about this option, click on the following link to see the Harley Benton D-120BK review

Where to buy the guitar Harley Benton D-120CE BK

Thomann

  • Free Shipping.
  • Full warranty. If you have any problems, they take care of everything.
  • 100% reliable payment.
  • Leader in trouble-free shipping.
  • Usually Best price.
  • Best Reputation: They are the leading online store in Europe and have the best catalogue and information.

Amazon

  • Free Shipping and possibility of shipping in one day with Amazon Premium.
  • Full Guarantee but they are no experts in music equipment.
  • Sometimes better price.
  • He’s got worse stock than Thomann.

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Jaime Echagüe

Hi! I'm Jaime Echagüe, a musician and an authentic fan of musical instruments. With this blog I want to give general information about musical instruments in an easy, direct and honest way. I hope you enjoy my website and that you find it very useful.

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