Review of the Harley Benton HB-20R amplifier. Where to buy it?

I’ll tell you how this post is built. First I list the features of the Harley Benton HB-20R amplifier. 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 amplifiers so you can compare.

  • Compact electric guitar combo
  • Power: 20 Watt
  • Equipped with: 8″ Custom voiced speaker
  • TEC tube emulating circuit
  • Switch for channel selection (overdrive / boost channel)
  • Gain control
  • Volume controls for overdrive and clean channel
  • 3-Band EQ with controls for bass, mids and treble
  • Reverb control (spring type)
  • Headphone output
  • AUX input
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 340 x 380 x 175 mm
  • Weight: 7 kg

review harley-benton-hb-20r

This amplifier usually has a price around 58.00 €

Now that we’ve seen the features of this amplifier Harley Benton HB-20R watch these related videos to learn more.

Harley Benton | HB-20R | Amp Demo

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

Comment:

I can’t believe how bloody loud this thing is, wholly overkill for me on so many levels. Highly recommend as a beginner amp 11/10

I’ve been told to always set volume on max for tuning purposes, I accidentally hit the G string and my heart almost jumped out of my rib-cage. I’ve been told this is normal and that 20W isn’t even that much

I’ve also been told I *need* to buy a combo for practice and I have to say I agree (even though initially I agreed only reluctantly), but I can see this thing could work at a small club concert, you can probably juice out that much out of this. I can even see this being a good backup solution in case your main amp is MIA

Aside from the loudness the What-Brand Chinesium speaker this ships with isn’t exactly an audophile’s dream. I should clarify, the sound is great, for 60 euros it’s, I mean, I couldn’t imagine this level of quality 10, 20 years ago at this price level. Still you should know, anything through the aux input is going to sound dulled? ie. not bad, but not great either

Guitar sounds great of course, I mean great as in unexpectedly good for transistor. I actually greatly prefer the *actual sound* through headphones/an external speaker over aux cable. The difference is noticeable even for an amateur like me

I keep the volume knob at 1-2-4 at most, and strangely I prefer the clean sound. I intuitively believed that if you’re gonna have a cheap speaker then distorted sound would sound better since you know… it’s distorted and the nuances of the sound are lost. But this didn’t turn out to be true in the real world and clean sound has much more "body", it feels more plentiful and vibrant. Remember kids, keep your gain low. Signed: someone who is not an expert

EQ works differently than I expected, but I’ve been told this is exactly how these things ought to work so yeah

Let’s quickly address points made by other reviewers:
– build quality is… I just can’t give it all of the stars without feeling like lying. It’s amazing for the price. The logo is very well machined. It will probably last I don’t know, let’s say 10 years. But just… 5% more effort would make this combo look and feel so much better, dare I say premium even. There was one bolt that wasn’t fully tightened. This might’ve happened during travel, but then I’m afraid what kind of travel conditions this was in. Also on the back there’s a strange black paint applied? I don’t know if this is normal, you’ll see if you buy it, I’m neutral towards it
– the two buttons and all knobs are good quality, the lines below are slightly misaligned though and it’s triggering the perfectionist nerves in me. Just very *slightly* so, just barely [screaming inside]. I think these are the same knobs from the higher-end models
– the jack seems to be good enough to last a lot of connecting in/out
– handle feels goood, I approve
– reverb sounds amazing except for positions 5 through 9.5-ish. Still you probably should stick to 1-3-4 anyway. 9.5-10 sounds good

Comment:

pros:
-very low price: it costs like going once to local restaurant with your girlfriend
-pretty good quality
-very loud: I usually play at 30% loudness. I guess you can take it to local pub concert, etc.
-The eq is nice

cons:
-Mine came a little bit scratched
-The spring reverb is very strange. If you play at a big volume, and turn the reverb bigger than 60% percent, it starts to make a very loud noise which go louder and louder, until you turn off the effect at all. First time it happened I thought I destroyed the combo. You don’t imagine how loud that was
-Strange sound quality when playing in headphones. That is because the combo doesn’t have a cabinet simulator. So playing in headphones doesn’t make any sense.
-Also the aux cable quality is very very bad. The sound is very bad, it doesn’t have any bass and middle freqs. Also when nothing is playing it makes a very loud noise. So connecting an aux cable for practicing or just listening to music also doesn’t make any sense.

In conclusion I can say that if you are a beginner totally buy it! But if you want something serious, buy a combo like Fender, that has digital effects. They are called Modelling combos. Buy something like Fender Mustang LT50.
But from my opinion, the best option is buying a sound card. I bought Behringer Umc204HD. But if you want a sound card, you will have to know at least the basics of a DAW (reaper, cubase, reaper), or you can download different soft(Bias fx2, Guitar Rig 5). Also you need to have a good pc, and some speakers or studio monitors

Harley Benton HB-20R vs Harley Benton HB-10G

The amplifier Harley Benton HB-20R is usually 17 € more expensive than Harley Benton HB-10G, but the difference is so small that this can vary..

Harley Benton HB-20R

Harley Benton HB-10G

The Harley Benton HB-20R is a small 20 Watt combo that offers everything required for a successful start in practising at home or for rehearsal sessions. A 3-Band tone control and a switchable overdrive are included in case you really want to make some noise, while the headphone output enables you to play in the smallest of rooms without disturbing the neighbours.

  • Compact electric guitar combo
  • Power: 20 Watt
  • Equipped with: 8″ Custom voiced speaker
  • TEC tube emulating circuit
  • Switch for channel selection (overdrive / boost channel)
  • Gain control
  • Volume controls for overdrive and clean channel
  • 3-Band EQ with controls for bass, mids and treble
  • Reverb control (spring type)
  • Headphone output
  • AUX input
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 340 x 380 x 175 mm
  • Weight: 7 kg

The Harley Benton HB-10G is a small 10 Watt combo that offers everything required for practising at home or in the rehearsal room in a smaller frame, and at a fantastic price. The switchable overdrive lets you really make some noise. The integrated headphone output enables undisturbed practice sessions late at night.

  • Compact electric guitar combo
  • 10 Watt
  • 6″ Custom voiced speaker
  • TEC tube-emulating circuit
  • Switch for channel selection (overdrive / boost channel)
  • Gain control
  • 3-Band EQ with controls for bass, mids and treble
  • Headphone output
  • AUX input
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 314 x 289 x 176 mm
  • Weight: 4.2 kg

And then a video of the amplifier Harley Benton HB-10G

Harley Benton HB-20R demo — 59€ guitar amp!

If you want to know more about this option, click on the following link to see the Harley Benton HB-10G review

Harley Benton HB-20R vs Marshall MS-2

The amplifier Harley Benton HB-20R is usually 31 € more expensive than Marshall MS-2, but the difference is so small that this can vary..

Harley Benton HB-20R

Marshall MS-2

The Harley Benton HB-20R is a small 20 Watt combo that offers everything required for a successful start in practising at home or for rehearsal sessions. A 3-Band tone control and a switchable overdrive are included in case you really want to make some noise, while the headphone output enables you to play in the smallest of rooms without disturbing the neighbours.

  • Compact electric guitar combo
  • Power: 20 Watt
  • Equipped with: 8″ Custom voiced speaker
  • TEC tube emulating circuit
  • Switch for channel selection (overdrive / boost channel)
  • Gain control
  • Volume controls for overdrive and clean channel
  • 3-Band EQ with controls for bass, mids and treble
  • Reverb control (spring type)
  • Headphone output
  • AUX input
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 340 x 380 x 175 mm
  • Weight: 7 kg

The MS-2 is the ultimate mini amp. It is powered by battery or mains power and you will find lurking in its small 14 x 11 x 6 cm case a genuine, rich Marshall sound. This little miracle of sound can be switched to clean and overdrive mode and has a tone control with extreme bandwidth.

Additionally, there is also a headphone connector through which an external power amplifier can be controlled.

  • Functional combo in miniature size
  • 1 W RMS
  • Clean & Overdrive modes
  • Tone control with wide bandwidth
  • Headphone output
  • Power supply via optional 9V battery (Article nr 417473), or optional 9V power supply (Article Nr 409939) (both are not included and must be purchased as separate items)
  • Standard version in black
  • Dimensions: 140 x 110 x 60 mm
  • Weight: 0.34 kg

And then a video of the amplifier Marshall MS-2

Marshall MS2 Micro Amp Review - Demoing the Marshall MS-2 Mini Amp

If you want to know more about this option, click on the following link to see the Marshall MS-2 review

Harley Benton HB-20R vs Harley Benton HB-40R

The amplifier Harley Benton HB-20R is usually 27 € cheaper than Harley Benton HB-40R, but the difference is so small that this can vary..

Harley Benton HB-20R

Harley Benton HB-40R

The Harley Benton HB-20R is a small 20 Watt combo that offers everything required for a successful start in practising at home or for rehearsal sessions. A 3-Band tone control and a switchable overdrive are included in case you really want to make some noise, while the headphone output enables you to play in the smallest of rooms without disturbing the neighbours.

  • Compact electric guitar combo
  • Power: 20 Watt
  • Equipped with: 8″ Custom voiced speaker
  • TEC tube emulating circuit
  • Switch for channel selection (overdrive / boost channel)
  • Gain control
  • Volume controls for overdrive and clean channel
  • 3-Band EQ with controls for bass, mids and treble
  • Reverb control (spring type)
  • Headphone output
  • AUX input
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 340 x 380 x 175 mm
  • Weight: 7 kg

The Harley Benton HB-40R is a 40W combo that offers everything required for practising at home or in the rehearsal room, and at a fantastic price. The built-in 10″ speaker sounds highly crisp, and if a bit more wumm is needed, a larger external speaker can be connected. At 4 ohms, the amp delivers 40W, which for many situations is completely sufficient. A 3-band tone control and a second channel are included in case you really want to make some noise. A spring reverb unit gives the sound some additional room and shine, and the headphone output enables you to play in the smallest of rooms without disturbing the neighbours.

  • Power: 40W
  • Equipped with: 10″ Custom voiced speaker
  • TEC Tube-emulating circuit
  • Channel select (activate overdrive / boost channel)
  • Gain control
  • Volume controls for overdrive and clean channel
  • 3-Band EQ with controls for bass, mids and treble
  • Reverb control (spring type)
  • Headphone connector
  • AUX input
  • Line output
  • Foot pedal connector for channel switch and reverb (foot switch not included; compatible foot switch: Article Nr 198735)
  • Output for external speaker
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 420 x 425 x 220 mm
  • Weight: 10 kg

And then a video of the amplifier Harley Benton HB-40R

Harley Benton HB-20R Amp Demo How to Use an Amp to Find Your Sound

If you want to know more about this option, click on the following link to see the Harley Benton HB-40R review

Where to buy this amplifier Harley Benton HB-20R

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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