Review of the Harley Benton SC-1000 SBK Progressive Line Electric guitar. Where to buy it?

I’ll tell you how this post is built. First I list the features of the Harley Benton SC-1000 SBK Progressive Line 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.

  • Progressive Line
  • Archtop body
  • Body: Mahogany
  • Neck: Mahogany
  • Neck attachment: Set-in
  • Fretboard: Amaranth
  • Fretboard inlays: Flags
  • Bindings: Cream-coloured
  • Neck profile: C
  • Scale: 628 mm
  • Nut width: 42 mm
  • 24 Frets
  • Pickups: 2 Active HBZ Hi-Gain humbuckers
  • 2 Volume controls
  • 1 Tone control
  • 3-Way toggle switch
  • Bridge: Tune-O-Matic
  • Double action truss rod
  • Machine heads: Deluxe diecast
  • Hardware: Deluxe gold
  • Strings: .010 – .046
  • Colour: Matte Black
  • Suitable case available under Article Nr 340252 (not included)

review harley-benton-sc-1000-sbk-progressive-line

This guitar usually has a price around 169.00 €

Now that we’ve seen the features of this guitar Harley Benton SC-1000 SBK Progressive Line watch these related videos to learn more.

Heavy Metal Beginner Bundle | Harley Benton SC-1000 Progressive Line

Post you may be interested in

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

Comment:

This is my first guitar with active pickups. I’m a huge Metallica fan, and love the sound that Hetfield gets from his guitars with active pickups. I ordered the L-1000VB fully understanding it wouldn’t compare to a much more expensive Hetfield model ESP guitar. With that being said, I was blown away when the guitar arrived.

The finish is a cool looking matte black. The pickups are also black, which gives it a very cool look when paired with the gold hardware. The flag inlays also add to the look of the guitar. So aesthetically it looks awesome.

The tuners on this guitar are sort of loose and imprecise. I was surprised because the chrome hardware on my other Harley Bentons was quite good. The guitar came with D’Adario strings which was a nice plus. Most guitars these days seem to come with terrible strings that you have to replace right away. The D’Adario’s are nice. The guitar also came with a 9V battery, which is nice. Would suck to get the guitar and not be able to play it because you didn’t have a battery laying around. The guitar is silent until you put the battery in the compartment in the back of the guitar. Like I said, I’ve never had a guitar with active pickups, so I don’t know if all of them behave that way.

The sound quality is very good. The pickups seem to be quite hot, which I was very happy about. Hammer ons, pull offs and tapping are all very easy to do. Also get some nice sounding pinch harmonics and a nice chug when I palm mute the E string. Sounds very dark and heavy when tuned down.

Now the bad part:
I ordered my L-1000VB along with a L-450Plus. Both guitars were shipped in separate cardboard boxes. Then each box is loaded inside of another outer cardboard box. The only sort of padding was a couple of air bladders that were wedged in. This prevents the guitars from shifting, but offer very little in the way of protecting the guitars. Both the L-1000VB and L-450Plus arrived damaged.

The L-450 had a broken 3 way switch, and the L-1000VB has a crack on the corner of the headstock. It looks like it was dropped. It cracked the clearcoat and the wood underneath is splintered. It’s really a pity, because I love this guitar. Thomann really needs to figure out a better way to ship these guitars so they are better protected. I’ve ordered guitars from China that are packaged in styrofoam and they arrive in pristine condition. Cardboard boxes simple don’t offer any sort of protection. I have to send photos of the damage to the guitars, and the boxes to Thomann so they can investigate. Hopefully I can get a pristine L-1000VB once they review my photos.

Comment:

The SC-1000 is an "LP-style" guitar that is the extremely reasonably priced intersection of expectations and qualities you want from a nice and simple but powerful guitar. The construction is solid and weighty, finish is durable, the features are exactly what you need (3-way pickup selector, neck volume, bridge volume, tone pot, and an output jack on the edge), and the active pickups are LOUD. Seriously, they’re almost too loud, to the point of clipping my BOSS AC-3!

My only complaint about this guitar (other than a mild ding it received in transit halfway across the world, but that’s a "road scar" in a sense so it’s fine) is that the active pickups have a high enough power draw that I seem to go through nine volt batteries once a month or so. Perhaps I need to just buy better nine-volts! I may end up upgrading the pickups in the guitar to either more boutique active pickups such as Fishman Fluences or to a set of passive DiMarzios like my Music Man. But for now, for what I use the guitar for — metal in D standard or drop C — the actives are more than good enough.

This is a wonderful guitar that does everything you need it to and at a price point that will surprise you, and it can also serve as a perfectly good platform for modding electronics on in the future, thanks to its quality in construction.

Harley Benton SC-1000 SBK Progressive Line vs Harley Benton ST-20HSS SBK Standard Series

The guitar Harley Benton SC-1000 SBK Progressive Line is usually 84 € more expensive than Harley Benton ST-20HSS SBK Standard Series.

Below have a look to the video of this guitar

Harley Benton SC-1000 SBK Progressive Line

Harley Benton ST-20HSS SBK Standard Series
  • Progressive Line
  • Archtop body
  • Body: Mahogany
  • Neck: Mahogany
  • Neck attachment: Set-in
  • Fretboard: Amaranth
  • Fretboard inlays: Flags
  • Bindings: Cream-coloured
  • Neck profile: C
  • Scale: 628 mm
  • Nut width: 42 mm
  • 24 Frets
  • Pickups: 2 Active HBZ Hi-Gain humbuckers
  • 2 Volume controls
  • 1 Tone control
  • 3-Way toggle switch
  • Bridge: Tune-O-Matic
  • Double action truss rod
  • Machine heads: Deluxe diecast
  • Hardware: Deluxe gold
  • Strings: .010 – .046
  • Colour: Matte Black
  • Suitable case available under Article Nr 340252 (not included)
  • Body: Basswood
  • Bolt-on neck: Maple
  • Fretboard: Amaranth
  • Fretboard inlays: Dots
  • Neck profile: Modern C
  • Fretboard radius: 350 mm
  • Scale: 648 mm
  • Nut width: 42 mm
  • Double action truss rod
  • 22 Frets
  • Pickup: 1 Humbucker (bridge) and 2 single coils (middle and neck)
  • 1 Volume control and 2 tone controls
  • 5-Way pickup switch
  • Synchronised tremolo
  • Die-cast machine heads
  • Black hardware
  • Ex-factory stringing: .009″ – .042″
  • Colour: Black, matte

Below have a look to the video of this guitar Harley Benton ST-20HSS SBK Standard Series

Harley Benton ST 20HSS SBK Standard Series

If you want to know more about this option, click on the following link to see the Harley Benton ST-20HSS SBK Standard Series review

Harley Benton SC-1000 SBK Progressive Line vs Harley Benton CST-24T Black Flame

The guitar Harley Benton SC-1000 SBK Progressive Lineis usually 42 € cheaper than Harley Benton CST-24T Black Flame, but the difference is so small that this can vary..

Below have a look to the video of this guitar

Harley Benton SC-1000 SBK Progressive Line

Harley Benton CST-24T Black Flame
  • Progressive Line
  • Archtop body
  • Body: Mahogany
  • Neck: Mahogany
  • Neck attachment: Set-in
  • Fretboard: Amaranth
  • Fretboard inlays: Flags
  • Bindings: Cream-coloured
  • Neck profile: C
  • Scale: 628 mm
  • Nut width: 42 mm
  • 24 Frets
  • Pickups: 2 Active HBZ Hi-Gain humbuckers
  • 2 Volume controls
  • 1 Tone control
  • 3-Way toggle switch
  • Bridge: Tune-O-Matic
  • Double action truss rod
  • Machine heads: Deluxe diecast
  • Hardware: Deluxe gold
  • Strings: .010 – .046
  • Colour: Matte Black
  • Suitable case available under Article Nr 340252 (not included)
  • Deluxe Series
  • Mahogany body
  • Flamed maple arched top
  • Set-in mahogany neck
  • Roasted jatoba fretboard
  • “C” Neck profile
  • Fretboard radius: 350 mm
  • 24 Frets
  • Pearloid dots fretboard inlays
  • Neck and body binding
  • Scale: 635 mm
  • Nut width: 42 mm
  • Graphite nut
  • 2 Roswell HAF AlNiCo-5 open coil humbucker pickups
  • 3-Way switch
  • 1 Volume- and 1 tone control with push/pull function for coil split
  • DLX chrome hardware
  • Wilkinson WVPC tremolo
  • DLX machine heads
  • Colour: Black Flame

Below have a look to the video of this guitar Harley Benton CST-24T Black Flame

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My-sIpvnx2I

If you want to know more about this option, click on the following link to see the Harley Benton CST-24T Black Flame review

Harley Benton SC-1000 SBK Progressive Line vs Harley Benton ST-70 Black Paisley

The guitar Harley Benton SC-1000 SBK Progressive Line is usually 14 € more expensive than Harley Benton ST-70 Black Paisley, but the difference is so small that this can vary..

Below have a look to the video of this guitar

Harley Benton SC-1000 SBK Progressive Line

Harley Benton ST-70 Black Paisley
  • Progressive Line
  • Archtop body
  • Body: Mahogany
  • Neck: Mahogany
  • Neck attachment: Set-in
  • Fretboard: Amaranth
  • Fretboard inlays: Flags
  • Bindings: Cream-coloured
  • Neck profile: C
  • Scale: 628 mm
  • Nut width: 42 mm
  • 24 Frets
  • Pickups: 2 Active HBZ Hi-Gain humbuckers
  • 2 Volume controls
  • 1 Tone control
  • 3-Way toggle switch
  • Bridge: Tune-O-Matic
  • Double action truss rod
  • Machine heads: Deluxe diecast
  • Hardware: Deluxe gold
  • Strings: .010 – .046
  • Colour: Matte Black
  • Suitable case available under Article Nr 340252 (not included)
  • Deluxe Series
  • Body: Basswood
  • Bolt-on neck: Maple
  • Fretboard: Amaranth
  • Neck profile: C
  • Fretboard radius: 350 mm
  • Fretboard inlays: Dots
  • 21 Medium jumbo frets
  • Scale: 648 mm
  • Nut width: 43 mm
  • Pickup: 2 Roswell STA Alnico-5 vintage ST-Style single coils and 1 Roswell HAF Alnico-5 humbucker
  • 2 Tone controls and 1 volume control with volume push/pull function coil split
  • 5-Way toggle switch
  • Hardware: Chrome
  • Wilkinson tremolo
  • Stringing: D’Addario EXL110 .010 – .046 (article no. 104555)
  • Colour: Black Paisley

Below have a look to the video of this guitar Harley Benton ST-70 Black Paisley

Harley Benton ST-70 Black Paisley Unboxing & Review

If you want to know more about this option, click on the following link to see the Harley Benton ST-70 Black Paisley review

Harley Benton SC-1000 SBK Progressive Line vs Harley Benton ST-57DG Black Tribute

The guitar Harley Benton SC-1000 SBK Progressive Line is usually 10 € more expensive than Harley Benton ST-57DG Black Tribute, but the difference is so small that this can vary..

Below have a look to the video of this guitar

Harley Benton SC-1000 SBK Progressive Line

Harley Benton ST-57DG Black Tribute
  • Progressive Line
  • Archtop body
  • Body: Mahogany
  • Neck: Mahogany
  • Neck attachment: Set-in
  • Fretboard: Amaranth
  • Fretboard inlays: Flags
  • Bindings: Cream-coloured
  • Neck profile: C
  • Scale: 628 mm
  • Nut width: 42 mm
  • 24 Frets
  • Pickups: 2 Active HBZ Hi-Gain humbuckers
  • 2 Volume controls
  • 1 Tone control
  • 3-Way toggle switch
  • Bridge: Tune-O-Matic
  • Double action truss rod
  • Machine heads: Deluxe diecast
  • Hardware: Deluxe gold
  • Strings: .010 – .046
  • Colour: Matte Black
  • Suitable case available under Article Nr 340252 (not included)
  • Body: Alder
  • Bolt-on neck: Canadian maple with stained nyatoh skunk stripe
  • Fretboard: Maple
  • Neck profile: C
  • Fretboard radius: 350 mm
  • Scale: 648 mm
  • Nut width: 42 mm (TUSQ XL)
  • 21 Frets
  • Pickups: 3 Roswell SK52 True Vintage Staggered Alnico 5 single coils
  • 1 Volume control and 2 tone controls
  • 5-Way toggle switch
  • Single-ply pickguard
  • Synchronised tremolo system
  • Kluson style machine heads
  • Chrome-plated hardware
  • Ex-factory stringing: D’Addario .010 – .046 (article no. 104555)
  • Colour: Black high gloss

Below have a look to the video of this guitar Harley Benton ST-57DG Black Tribute

If you want to know more about this option, click on the following link to see the Harley Benton ST-57DG Black Tribute review

Where to buy the guitar Harley Benton SC-1000 SBK Progressive Line

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.

Also look at these models with a similar price and features:

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.

Click Here to Leave a Comment Below