Thanks a lot Krenar! It does, but as mentioned in the review, in the room there is still a huge difference to the Martin, but it would be sad if it wasn't for that price difference. Cheers, Martin
I've owned this guitar for about two year's now. Mine has Sitka spruce solid top, solid walnut back and sides with a nice dark pau ferro fretboard (I dislike the orange type). The fishman system is better than the fishman system I had in my Martin 00016 rgte and replicates the acoustic sound far better to my ear. I've also owned a Martin 0028 in the past, which was brand new and as tight as a drum, I find Martin's take year's to 'play in' and I'm impatient. This HB copy blew me away the minute I played it. The soft V neck profile is one of my favourite profile's (avid strat 50's player) it sounds rich and warm on the bass and a nice snap to the treble (I play exclusively finger style on all guitar's so that tight snap is important to my playing style) It projects extremely well acoustically and plugged in is quite astonishing for the low price. My only gripe? The built in tuner with the fishman is totally inaccurate. No real problem, but should be at least fit for purpose. My only upgrade? I decided it was so good that it deserved a slotted bridge and unslotted cow bone pins. The reason for this is the attachment of the string's is then direct to the sound board via the bridge giving better tonality and greater projection. It has made a great guitar excellent. I no longer have either of my Martin's and I seriously don't miss them one bit, this guitar is that good. I was, I admit starting to have issues with my fretting hand with the Martin neck profiles after an incident that damaged my hand, so mitigating circumstances, but I have no regrets buying this instrument. I've used it live and had people thinking it was a custom bourgeois, so it's not just me who loves the sound out of it. I have no idea about consistency of quality control, whether all the other 28v models are as good, but based on my experiences with this guitar I highly recommend it. The quality exceeds the price for sure. The best acoustic I ever played was a Martin 00028 Clapton model in a shop in Liverpool over 20 year's ago. I totally fell in love with it, but didn't have the funds to buy it. Two year's later I had the funds an eagerly went to find a Clapton 28. I played so many of them, one even in Belgian store. From London to Glasgow to Liverpool again I never ever found a single model that sounded, felt or played like that first one in Dolphin music all those year's ago. Point being? I may just have a good HB 28v and rest could be awful, but I don't think so 😀
Thanks for sharing your experience with this guitar. Glad to hear, you got a good one as well. My main acoustic is a 000-28EC. The Harley Benton doesn't come close to it tbh., but it would be a shame if it does with that price difference. Especially as I was fortunate enough to cherry pick my 000-28EC. But that shouldn't take away anything from the CLA-28V, mine also punches quite a bit above it's pricetag. Once, when I took it with me on a holiday, I was jamming with someone on the beach. We swapped guitars for a bit, he had a Martin 12 String Dreadnought. After playing it for a few minutes, he offered me to trade his for mine on the spot. I declined, even though it would have been very benificial financially for me. I just love this guitar for the reasons I mentioned in the video and didn't want to risk not finding one like it again. :) Cheers, Martin
Thanks a lot! Sorry for the delayed reply. I personally can't answer your question, as I haven't played the WN version yet. However, our friend Krenar has one and also played mine, so I've asked him. He said that they don't sound much different. He remembers mine to maybe be a tad brighter, but nothing of significance. If so, this can probably be adjusted by string choice. I hope this helps. Cheers, Martin
If the action is the same height but still feels harder to play, it's probably the nut that is cut to high, fret the strings at the 3rd fret and check the space between the 1st fret and the strings, if it's more than .020" (general rule of thumb) that's why it's harder to play!
I've just checked the Thomann Webshop and for the currently available model it only says solid top. My assumption would therefore be that sides and back are not solid, i.e. laminated. I'd suggest to get in touch with Thomann to be 100% sure about the current model. Cheers, Lukas PS: IMHO, a solid top makes all the difference. Solid sides and back are less important
@@lukaslmguitarcorner Thanks Lukas, I may stand corrected. I'm fairly certain when I bought mine, that I've read something about being all solid, which would have made it such a bargain. However, it's not explicitly stated in the specs on my bill either and neither does it anywhere on the current model and I find contradicting answers when googling. So as Lukas says, best contact Thomann. Cheers, Martin
Checked it today, but it's really hard to tell. The grain doesn't have any recognizeable patterns, neither on the inside nor on the outside. They are extremely straight on both sides which makes it pretty much impossible to tell if they align properly. The only thing which might be hinting at it being laminated are 2 small spots on the sides which are visible from the inside while not being there on the outside. They are so faint though, that they might not get through the sides. So in conclusion, I'm really sorry, but I can't tell with certainty without cutting up the guitar, which I obviously won't. But now I'm actually leaning more towards it being laminated. Cheers, Martin
Thank you for a very informative review and comparison. I wonder if the difference in feel is down to slightly different height or profile of the frets or maybe the Martin frets are crowned better. One question, is the body depth the same on both guitars?. Often the body is slightly thinner on cheaper copies. Maybe only a quarter of an inch less depth on the lower bout for instance but it makes a difference. Can you confirm?
Thanks! Just checked it side by side. The body dimensions are 100% identical. I think you cracked it with the frets. They are a hair lower on the Harley Benton and the crown also seems a tiny bit wider than on the Martin. Most likely it's also cheaper wire. In the end it's probably some micro adjustments that are really hard to measure, but make quite a difference. Well, with that price difference it would be sad if you wouldn't be able to feel a difference. Still a really good guitar for that little money. Cheers, Martin
Thank you for the fast response Martin. I suspect I will be ordering one of the HB’s. I love the look size and style and it’s quite hard to find any alternatives at that price with the shorter scale length and wider 45mm nut. I think I can cope with the fret difference as I don’t have the luxury of a wonderful actual Martin to compare it with on a day to day basis. Thanks again.
@@graemeharper1918 Absolutely. As mentioned, it does the job perfectly fine for what I've bought it and I'm really happy with the way it is. But the way many people brag about their Harley Bentons, one could think they're on level with the original they're copying. In my experience that's absolutely not the case, but that doesn't mean that they're not great guitars, especially when considering what they cost. That being said if it is not a lemon, which Harley Benton also produces quite a few. At least Thomann's return policy is great. Please let me know how yours is if you get one. Cheers, Martin
I have the same model with electronics. 28 ve (rosewood version). Ive changed the bridge pins to tusq (Presentation is the correct size). A small change that doenst cost that much. The sustain is better and overall sound a little crisper / price to my ears. I like it better. But of course that is personal. But you can always go back to the origanal :). Also different strings can do quite a lot. Maybe try some low tension. I havent tried the martin retro strings on this model (usely better on mahogany sides and back). But their low tension. Nice for bending. Would love a real martin ;)
Thanks a lot for the input. I've tried plenty of strings. I stuck with the Monel because they were (for my taste) by far the best on my 000-28EC. On the Harley Benton I would prefer Phosphor Bronze, but I don't want to buy two different set of strings and the Monel are way more durable and were a close second in sound. Didn't like coated ones like Elixier on either, so that's why I chose these. Cheers, Martin
If you do, please let me know how yours has been and how you like it. I've made fairly mixed experience with Harley Benton. QC was not always on point, but this particular one was/is truely a great guitar. Cheers, Martin
To be honest, I can't tell you, because I have never played the AC340-OPN. However, the specs are quite different, so this might also be a taste thing. The Ibanez uses Okoume (a mahogany type) for back, sides and top, which should make it warmer, mellower than the HB with the sitka spruce top which should be a bit more direct and have a little more punch. Another big thing is the neck. The Ibanez has what looks to me like a C shape neck profile, certainly not V, and the HB has said V neck. I know people who can't stand V shaped necks, others, like me, love it. So it is really something one needs to try. It is also a fairly chunky neck compared to the Ibanez, which might be something you consider better or worse. Cheers, Martin
@@LMGuitarCorner I have an electric HB Gotoh DLX and wanted acoustic HB, but I think I am going for the Ibanez because of the warm tone. It really sounds warmer on the videos I watched. I bit difficult choice bc I want 45 mm nut width. Playing is just a hobby, started to learn January this year.
I think this might be a good choice for you then. The neck is also a bit more beginner friendly on the Ibanez. The V neck of the HB encourages to play with the thumb over. Regarding the sound, also keep in mind that you can change the sound a lot with the type of Strings you use. Lots of fun with your guitar journey! Keep at it, having fun is the most important thing! Cheers, Martin
phew, that's a lot! I guess you live in the US? In general I'm always a little sceptical with Harley Bentons. I had my fair share of bad experience with them. So I would suggest ordering them anyway only if you can easily make use of the return policy. Don't get me wrong, they can be great, like this particular one, but every now and then there are bad lemons. Cheers, Martin
Saya sangat menyukai musik gitar ini... berapakah harga gitar tersebut ? Sepertinya saya perlu mencobanya karena suara gitar itu bagus dan saya rasa saya ikut menikmatinya saat terdengarkan sekarang... wow amazing..
Thanks, this exact guitar doesn't exist anymore. They have a new version for ~300€ which also has electronics in it. You can find a link in the description. Cheers, Martin
@@LMGuitarCorner kemanakah jika nanti saya ngin membeli barang tersebut, dan tidak mengapa versi gitar yang lainpun selain martin mungkin merk lain masih adakah...
Sorry if I missunderstand your reply, the translation of google was a little bit strange on this one. The new version has walnut back and sides and a pao ferro fingerboard instead of rosewood. I don't expect it to be all too much of a difference though. As far as I know Thomann is the only one selling this guitar. Cheers, Martin
Sorry, no, we don't have a guitar shop and we're also not affiliated with any shop. We're just two guys having fun with our guitars and showing stuff we bought at some point. Cheers, Martin
It was intentional and I'll explain why. You can listen to the Martin in another video with the exact same recording method if you want to, but we thought it would end up a misleading video if we have them right next to each other. Many aspects that the Martin makes such a better guitar couldn't be delivered that well through recording and with YT compression. The most glaring differences are the playability as well as the volume in the room, which gets lost in the recording. The Martin fills the room, while the Harley Benton actually sounds fairly similar when the mic is pointed at it, but you have a huge difference when you're sitting there. It may make the Harley Benton look like it is almost on par with the Martin and vice versa which isn't fair to anyone watching it for either guitar. Cheers, Martin
Beautiful playing Martin, that guitar sounds really nice!
Thanks a lot Krenar!
It does, but as mentioned in the review, in the room there is still a huge difference to the Martin, but it would be sad if it wasn't for that price difference.
Cheers,
Martin
I've owned this guitar for about two year's now. Mine has Sitka spruce solid top, solid walnut back and sides with a nice dark pau ferro fretboard (I dislike the orange type).
The fishman system is better than the fishman system I had in my Martin 00016 rgte and replicates the acoustic sound far better to my ear. I've also owned a Martin 0028 in the past, which was brand new and as tight as a drum, I find Martin's take year's to 'play in' and I'm impatient. This HB copy blew me away the minute I played it. The soft V neck profile is one of my favourite profile's (avid strat 50's player) it sounds rich and warm on the bass and a nice snap to the treble (I play exclusively finger style on all guitar's so that tight snap is important to my playing style) It projects extremely well acoustically and plugged in is quite astonishing for the low price. My only gripe? The built in tuner with the fishman is totally inaccurate. No real problem, but should be at least fit for purpose. My only upgrade? I decided it was so good that it deserved a slotted bridge and unslotted cow bone pins. The reason for this is the attachment of the string's is then direct to the sound board via the bridge giving better tonality and greater projection. It has made a great guitar excellent. I no longer have either of my Martin's and I seriously don't miss them one bit, this guitar is that good. I was, I admit starting to have issues with my fretting hand with the Martin neck profiles after an incident that damaged my hand, so mitigating circumstances, but I have no regrets buying this instrument. I've used it live and had people thinking it was a custom bourgeois, so it's not just me who loves the sound out of it.
I have no idea about consistency of quality control, whether all the other 28v models are as good, but based on my experiences with this guitar I highly recommend it. The quality exceeds the price for sure.
The best acoustic I ever played was a Martin 00028 Clapton model in a shop in Liverpool over 20 year's ago. I totally fell in love with it, but didn't have the funds to buy it. Two year's later I had the funds an eagerly went to find a Clapton 28. I played so many of them, one even in Belgian store. From London to Glasgow to Liverpool again I never ever found a single model that sounded, felt or played like that first one in Dolphin music all those year's ago. Point being? I may just have a good HB 28v and rest could be awful, but I don't think so 😀
Thanks for sharing your experience with this guitar. Glad to hear, you got a good one as well. My main acoustic is a 000-28EC. The Harley Benton doesn't come close to it tbh., but it would be a shame if it does with that price difference. Especially as I was fortunate enough to cherry pick my 000-28EC. But that shouldn't take away anything from the CLA-28V, mine also punches quite a bit above it's pricetag. Once, when I took it with me on a holiday, I was jamming with someone on the beach. We swapped guitars for a bit, he had a Martin 12 String Dreadnought. After playing it for a few minutes, he offered me to trade his for mine on the spot. I declined, even though it would have been very benificial financially for me. I just love this guitar for the reasons I mentioned in the video and didn't want to risk not finding one like it again. :)
Cheers,
Martin
Nice Video! Is there a huge difference soundwise between the new and old version of the HB in terms of rosewood compared to walnut?
Thanks a lot! Sorry for the delayed reply. I personally can't answer your question, as I haven't played the WN version yet. However, our friend Krenar has one and also played mine, so I've asked him. He said that they don't sound much different. He remembers mine to maybe be a tad brighter, but nothing of significance. If so, this can probably be adjusted by string choice. I hope this helps.
Cheers,
Martin
If the action is the same height but still feels harder to play, it's probably the nut that is cut to high, fret the strings at the 3rd fret and check the space between the 1st fret and the strings, if it's more than .020" (general rule of thumb) that's why it's harder to play!
Thanks for the tip, the nut is cut perfectly fine though. It sits at about .010".
Cheers,
Martin
Great guitar and great playing 👍👍👍
Thanks Andrea!
Yeah, at that pricepoint it's an amazing guitar and it's just perfect for what I'm using it.
Cheers,
Martin
I like this guitar, i cant afford the Matin coonterpart, Does it have solid back and sides?
Yes it does. The current model has Walnut instead of Rosewood though.
Cheers,
Martin
I've just checked the Thomann Webshop and for the currently available model it only says solid top. My assumption would therefore be that sides and back are not solid, i.e. laminated. I'd suggest to get in touch with Thomann to be 100% sure about the current model. Cheers, Lukas
PS: IMHO, a solid top makes all the difference. Solid sides and back are less important
@@lukaslmguitarcorner Thanks Lukas,
I may stand corrected. I'm fairly certain when I bought mine, that I've read something about being all solid, which would have made it such a bargain. However, it's not explicitly stated in the specs on my bill either and neither does it anywhere on the current model and I find contradicting answers when googling. So as Lukas says, best contact Thomann.
Cheers,
Martin
I will check on mine today evening if I can tell by the grain.
Cheers,
Martin
Checked it today, but it's really hard to tell. The grain doesn't have any recognizeable patterns, neither on the inside nor on the outside. They are extremely straight on both sides which makes it pretty much impossible to tell if they align properly. The only thing which might be hinting at it being laminated are 2 small spots on the sides which are visible from the inside while not being there on the outside. They are so faint though, that they might not get through the sides. So in conclusion, I'm really sorry, but I can't tell with certainty without cutting up the guitar, which I obviously won't. But now I'm actually leaning more towards it being laminated.
Cheers,
Martin
Thank you for a very informative review and comparison. I wonder if the difference in feel is down to slightly different height or profile of the frets or maybe the Martin frets are crowned better. One question, is the body depth the same on both guitars?. Often the body is slightly thinner on cheaper copies. Maybe only a quarter of an inch less depth on the lower bout for instance but it makes a difference. Can you confirm?
Thanks!
Just checked it side by side. The body dimensions are 100% identical. I think you cracked it with the frets. They are a hair lower on the Harley Benton and the crown also seems a tiny bit wider than on the Martin. Most likely it's also cheaper wire. In the end it's probably some micro adjustments that are really hard to measure, but make quite a difference. Well, with that price difference it would be sad if you wouldn't be able to feel a difference. Still a really good guitar for that little money.
Cheers,
Martin
Thank you for the fast response Martin. I suspect I will be ordering one of the HB’s. I love the look size and style and it’s quite hard to find any alternatives at that price with the shorter scale length and wider 45mm nut. I think I can cope with the fret difference as I don’t have the luxury of a wonderful actual Martin to compare it with on a day to day basis. Thanks again.
@@graemeharper1918 Absolutely. As mentioned, it does the job perfectly fine for what I've bought it and I'm really happy with the way it is. But the way many people brag about their Harley Bentons, one could think they're on level with the original they're copying. In my experience that's absolutely not the case, but that doesn't mean that they're not great guitars, especially when considering what they cost. That being said if it is not a lemon, which Harley Benton also produces quite a few. At least Thomann's return policy is great. Please let me know how yours is if you get one.
Cheers,
Martin
I have the same model with electronics. 28 ve (rosewood version). Ive changed the bridge pins to tusq (Presentation is the correct size). A small change that doenst cost that much. The sustain is better and overall sound a little crisper / price to my ears. I like it better. But of course that is personal. But you can always go back to the origanal :). Also different strings can do quite a lot. Maybe try some low tension. I havent tried the martin retro strings on this model (usely better on mahogany sides and back). But their low tension. Nice for bending. Would love a real martin ;)
Thanks a lot for the input. I've tried plenty of strings. I stuck with the Monel because they were (for my taste) by far the best on my 000-28EC. On the Harley Benton I would prefer Phosphor Bronze, but I don't want to buy two different set of strings and the Monel are way more durable and were a close second in sound. Didn't like coated ones like Elixier on either, so that's why I chose these.
Cheers,
Martin
I think I need to buy this guitar now
If you do, please let me know how yours has been and how you like it.
I've made fairly mixed experience with Harley Benton.
QC was not always on point, but this particular one was/is truely a great guitar.
Cheers,
Martin
Schönes Review liebe Landsmänner
Vielen lieben Dank! Freut mich wenn es gefallen hat!
Darf ich fragen von wo in Österreich du kommst?
Wir sind aus Vorarlberg. :)
Schöne Grüße,
Martin
great playing 👍+1sub
Thanks a lot! Really appreciate it!
Cheers,
Martin
This was fantastic guitar reviews. Great guitar solo too of Eric Clapton's best song.
Thanks a lot, glad you liked it!
Cheers,
Martin
Hi, Is this guoitar better than Ibanez AC340-OPN Artwood? Thanks
To be honest, I can't tell you, because I have never played the AC340-OPN. However, the specs are quite different, so this might also be a taste thing. The Ibanez uses Okoume (a mahogany type) for back, sides and top, which should make it warmer, mellower than the HB with the sitka spruce top which should be a bit more direct and have a little more punch. Another big thing is the neck. The Ibanez has what looks to me like a C shape neck profile, certainly not V, and the HB has said V neck. I know people who can't stand V shaped necks, others, like me, love it. So it is really something one needs to try. It is also a fairly chunky neck compared to the Ibanez, which might be something you consider better or worse.
Cheers,
Martin
@@LMGuitarCorner Thanks a lot! It helped me to make my decision. 🙂
@@nickradev8973 You're welcome, glad it helped. Which one did you choose if I may ask?
Cheers,
Martin
@@LMGuitarCorner I have an electric HB Gotoh DLX and wanted acoustic HB, but I think I am going for the Ibanez because of the warm tone. It really sounds warmer on the videos I watched. I bit difficult choice bc I want 45 mm nut width. Playing is just a hobby, started to learn January this year.
I think this might be a good choice for you then. The neck is also a bit more beginner friendly on the Ibanez. The V neck of the HB encourages to play with the thumb over. Regarding the sound, also keep in mind that you can change the sound a lot with the type of Strings you use.
Lots of fun with your guitar journey! Keep at it, having fun is the most important thing!
Cheers,
Martin
I was going to order this, but the $84 shipping kills it!
phew, that's a lot! I guess you live in the US? In general I'm always a little sceptical with Harley Bentons. I had my fair share of bad experience with them. So I would suggest ordering them anyway only if you can easily make use of the return policy. Don't get me wrong, they can be great, like this particular one, but every now and then there are bad lemons.
Cheers,
Martin
Saya sangat menyukai musik gitar ini... berapakah harga gitar tersebut ? Sepertinya saya perlu mencobanya karena suara gitar itu bagus dan saya rasa saya ikut menikmatinya saat terdengarkan sekarang... wow amazing..
Thanks, this exact guitar doesn't exist anymore. They have a new version for ~300€ which also has electronics in it. You can find a link in the description.
Cheers,
Martin
@@LMGuitarCorner kemanakah jika nanti saya ngin membeli barang tersebut, dan tidak mengapa versi gitar yang lainpun selain martin mungkin merk lain masih adakah...
Sorry if I missunderstand your reply, the translation of google was a little bit strange on this one.
The new version has walnut back and sides and a pao ferro fingerboard instead of rosewood.
I don't expect it to be all too much of a difference though.
As far as I know Thomann is the only one selling this guitar.
Cheers,
Martin
@@LMGuitarCorner suatu saat saya bisa membelinya.. apakah paman mempunyai toko dagangan gitar ?
Sorry, no, we don't have a guitar shop and we're also not affiliated with any shop.
We're just two guys having fun with our guitars and showing stuff we bought at some point.
Cheers,
Martin
But you didn't play the Martin to compare them, even though you own one...
It was intentional and I'll explain why. You can listen to the Martin in another video with the exact same recording method if you want to, but we thought it would end up a misleading video if we have them right next to each other. Many aspects that the Martin makes such a better guitar couldn't be delivered that well through recording and with YT compression. The most glaring differences are the playability as well as the volume in the room, which gets lost in the recording. The Martin fills the room, while the Harley Benton actually sounds fairly similar when the mic is pointed at it, but you have a huge difference when you're sitting there. It may make the Harley Benton look like it is almost on par with the Martin and vice versa which isn't fair to anyone watching it for either guitar.
Cheers,
Martin
You could use a room mic as an example of that. Quite simple really
I was thinking the same thing. A microphone is way more objective
Very nice
Thanks, glad you liked it!
Cheers,
Martin
W o w 👍❤👍 Thank you for sharing 👍❤👍
Thanks a lot, glad you like it!
Cheers,
Martin