Review of the Harley Benton SC-400 SBK Vintage Series 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-400 SBK Vintage Series 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.

  • Classic series
  • Body: Basswood
  • Arched top
  • Set-in neck: Maple
  • Neck profile: C
  • Fretboard: Roseacer (thermally treated maple wood)
  • Fretboard radius: 350 mm
  • Crown inlays
  • 22 Frets
  • Scale: 628 mm
  • Nut width: 43 mm
  • Double action truss rod
  • Pickups: 2 Classic open humbuckers
  • 3-Way pickup selector
  • 2 Volume and 2 tone controls
  • Chrome hardware
  • Tune-o-matic bridge
  • Kluson Style Tuners
  • Strings: Harley Benton .010 – .046
  • Colour: Silk-matte black

review harley-benton-sc-400-sbk-vintage-series

This guitar usually has a price around 118.00 €

Now that we’ve seen the features of this guitar Harley Benton SC-400 SBK Vintage Series watch these related videos to learn more.

Harley Benton SC-400 SGT Classic Series - Review

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

Comment:

Like a lot of other reviews I think this is a hard guitar to beat, for the price. I bought it to use at home and as a back-up third guitar for gigs. I’m playing 17 years and play everything from rock, blues, country, pop and everything in between. I’ve owned many guitars over that time and this is hands-down (for the price) the best value. Genuinely.

I’ve had it around 3 months and it gets played regularly. Overall the guitar sounds very good. I was going to swap out the pickups at some stage but honestly don’t think I’ll bother, Neck & Bridge pickups both sound fantastic as they are.

I will be changing out the tuners though. The factory ones feel a bit flimsy, as if a turn too quick and they might snap off in your hand. But this is a minor job and personal preference.

Out of the box the intonation was near perfect but there was a nasty fret buzz on the E & A strings all the way up the fretboard. Nothing that wasn’t fixable handy enough, again a small job. Strange as it sounds, this wouldn’t be a terrible thing if you’re not used to fixing these kinds of issues as it is good practice.

Tuning stability is good, generally doesn’t fall out of tune like I was expecting it to, given the price tag

The best thing about the SC400, by some distance, is the finish. The matte black is simply beautiful. There was no blemishes or scratches on mine. It’s not out of place beside my other guitars on the rack.

If you’re looking for a guitar that looks the part and can back it up (after a little bit of a setup) and you don’t have the budget for a Custom Shop, its very hard to argue against the HB SC400. If you’re just starting out and not sure if you’ll keep up playing, it’s a great choice. If you’re a seasoned veteran and need a backup for gigs or recording or just jamming at home, it’s still a great choice

Pros:
The matte finish
Pickups are fantastic
The price!
Versatility
Great for beginners and veterans alike
Good for modding (if that’s your thing)

Cons:
Tuners feel flimsy, will be swapping them out
Arrived with nasty fret buzz on E & A strings

Comment:

Use – Just for messing about at home.
Fancied a LP as I was interested in a guitar with humbuckers.

For the money this is just amazing. Matt finish looks cool and is very smooth to the touch. There seem to be some light scratches on the back of the neck in the wood before the finish was applied. You can barely see it but you can feel it, this does not however have any negative effect when playing. No big deal. Fret board is fine. inserts are a little untidy in places. Frets seem to be level and no sharp edges. Could do with a polish as they are just the slightest bit ‘grainy’ and can be felt on some frets more than others when bending. Pick guard was sharp in places and could do with a sanding. Apart from these niggles It is amazing what just over £100 will get you from Harley Benton.
Order placed on Friday, delivered Monday. Well packaged and unbelievable delivery again from Thomann. Thanks guys.

Im not really a pickup snob , I usually find I can get the sound Im looking for with a bit of fiddling on the Amp (Vox VX1), so yeah, pickups sound fine to me.

Everything is well put together and seems to be built like a tank, a heavy shovel for sure.

Will prob change the strings at some point but what is there are fine. I am HUGELY impressed with my first HB and will def be purchasing again if I can hide them from the wife lol.

Anyone looking for a usable, ‘wallet friendly’ instrument , you will not find better in this price bracket.

Harley Benton SC-400 SBK Vintage Series vs Harley Benton ST-20HSS SBK Standard Series

The guitar Harley Benton SC-400 SBK Vintage Series is usually 33 € more expensive than Harley Benton ST-20HSS SBK Standard Series, but the difference is so small that this can vary..

Below have a look to the video of this guitar

Harley Benton SC-400 SBK Vintage Series

Harley Benton ST-20HSS SBK Standard Series
  • Classic series
  • Body: Basswood
  • Arched top
  • Set-in neck: Maple
  • Neck profile: C
  • Fretboard: Roseacer (thermally treated maple wood)
  • Fretboard radius: 350 mm
  • Crown inlays
  • 22 Frets
  • Scale: 628 mm
  • Nut width: 43 mm
  • Double action truss rod
  • Pickups: 2 Classic open humbuckers
  • 3-Way pickup selector
  • 2 Volume and 2 tone controls
  • Chrome hardware
  • Tune-o-matic bridge
  • Kluson Style Tuners
  • Strings: Harley Benton .010 – .046
  • Colour: Silk-matte black
  • 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-400 SBK Vintage Series vs Harley Benton CST-24T Black Flame

The guitar Harley Benton SC-400 SBK Vintage Seriesis usually 93 € cheaper than Harley Benton CST-24T Black Flame.

Below have a look to the video of this guitar

Harley Benton SC-400 SBK Vintage Series

Harley Benton CST-24T Black Flame
  • Classic series
  • Body: Basswood
  • Arched top
  • Set-in neck: Maple
  • Neck profile: C
  • Fretboard: Roseacer (thermally treated maple wood)
  • Fretboard radius: 350 mm
  • Crown inlays
  • 22 Frets
  • Scale: 628 mm
  • Nut width: 43 mm
  • Double action truss rod
  • Pickups: 2 Classic open humbuckers
  • 3-Way pickup selector
  • 2 Volume and 2 tone controls
  • Chrome hardware
  • Tune-o-matic bridge
  • Kluson Style Tuners
  • Strings: Harley Benton .010 – .046
  • Colour: Silk-matte black
  • 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-400 SBK Vintage Series vs Harley Benton Electric Guitar Kit ST-Style

The guitar Harley Benton SC-400 SBK Vintage Series is usually 52 € more expensive than Harley Benton Electric Guitar Kit ST-Style.

Below have a look to the video of this guitar

Harley Benton SC-400 SBK Vintage Series

Harley Benton Electric Guitar Kit ST-Style
  • Classic series
  • Body: Basswood
  • Arched top
  • Set-in neck: Maple
  • Neck profile: C
  • Fretboard: Roseacer (thermally treated maple wood)
  • Fretboard radius: 350 mm
  • Crown inlays
  • 22 Frets
  • Scale: 628 mm
  • Nut width: 43 mm
  • Double action truss rod
  • Pickups: 2 Classic open humbuckers
  • 3-Way pickup selector
  • 2 Volume and 2 tone controls
  • Chrome hardware
  • Tune-o-matic bridge
  • Kluson Style Tuners
  • Strings: Harley Benton .010 – .046
  • Colour: Silk-matte black
  • Complete DIY (do it yourself) kit
  • Bolt-on neck attachment
  • Rengas body (wood colour may vary)
  • Maple neck
  • Double action truss rod
  • Amaranth fretboard
  • Dots fretboard inlays
  • Radius: 350 mm
  • 22 Frets
  • Scale: 648 mm
  • Nut width: 42 mm
  • Truss rod
  • 3 Ceramic single coil pickups
  • Electronics: 1 Volume, 2 Tone, 5-Way switch
  • Chrome hardware
  • Diecast machine heads
  • Tremolo
  • .009 – .042 Strings
  • Colour: Natural

Note: The body and neck have been primed with pore filler, making them suitable for the direct application of lacquer finishes. Before the application of stains or other surface treatments, the primer must be first removed via sanding.

Note: A certain degree of skill in handiwork is required for successful assembly of the guitar.

Below have a look to the video of this guitar Harley Benton Electric Guitar Kit ST-Style

Harley Benton Electric Guitar Kit ST-Style - Unboxing, Assembling, and Sound Demo (no talking)

If you want to know more about this option, click on the following link to see the Harley Benton Electric Guitar Kit ST-Style review

Harley Benton SC-400 SBK Vintage Series vs Harley Benton ST-70 Black Paisley

The guitar Harley Benton SC-400 SBK Vintage Seriesis usually 37 € cheaper 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-400 SBK Vintage Series

Harley Benton ST-70 Black Paisley
  • Classic series
  • Body: Basswood
  • Arched top
  • Set-in neck: Maple
  • Neck profile: C
  • Fretboard: Roseacer (thermally treated maple wood)
  • Fretboard radius: 350 mm
  • Crown inlays
  • 22 Frets
  • Scale: 628 mm
  • Nut width: 43 mm
  • Double action truss rod
  • Pickups: 2 Classic open humbuckers
  • 3-Way pickup selector
  • 2 Volume and 2 tone controls
  • Chrome hardware
  • Tune-o-matic bridge
  • Kluson Style Tuners
  • Strings: Harley Benton .010 – .046
  • Colour: Silk-matte black
  • 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

Where to buy the guitar Harley Benton SC-400 SBK Vintage Series

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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