Harley Benton RX-10 BK Rock Series

After seeing countless reviews, videos, and write-ups online praising Harley Benton, I decided to take the plunge. I've always wanted an offset flying v like that of a certain legendary guitarist from the 80s, but never felt comfortable pulling the trigger on it as I couldn't justify spending the big bucks on that signature model on aesthetic alone.

The Harley Benton RX-10 fulfilled that urge for me. For 180 bucks (after shipping), I received a well made, well fretted guitar with low action and a beautiful solid black look.

I'll start with the bad first - the weight distribution is awkward between the body and neck, and the pickups, while loud, are not of the best quality. They get the job done and are of higher quality than the pickups on other "name brand" guitars I've played in the same price range, but they are a tad harsh and on the trebly end for my taste.

Gripes aside, I can't be too harsh considering the entry level guitars on the "other" offset v brand are of similar quality, similar build, and
are significantly more expensive. The value this guitar brings cannot be understated.

Great job, Harley Benton and great job, Thomann. I will be purchasing from you again.

Taking into account the price of the guitar, it's easy to recommend, it's actually much better than I was expecting at this price point.

The setup out of the box was actually pretty good, and it comes straight out of the box very playable. The pickups are decent for this price range, you can definitely get a nice metal tone going, you lose a bit of clarity and the neck pickup doesn't have the nicest sound for lead work if you're used to something a little more high end, but for the price I cant complain.

The only negative I can say is the finish was not great, in the light you can see streaks of paint, almost like it was painted with a spray can and then just left to dry and the paint ran down the body of the guitar, but again, at this price it's definitely not a deal breaker.

There's a few things that dont make this 5 starts, but for the price I would recommend for anyone looking for a cheap backup or a starter guitar. If you're going to make this into something a little more robust you'll probably replace the tuners as they're not the best and maybe put in something a little better for pickups, but again, as a backup or a first guitar it's perfect!

I would like to point out that this is my first V-shaped guitar. When I bought this guitar I also bought the Harley Benton SC-450 Plus. The SC-450 Plus came first and took a little less than 1 week to arrive (Eastcoast USA). Both of the guitars arrived in port at the same time but yet the RX-10 BK took a little over 2 weeks to arrive from port to my house.

The box used to ship the guitar was badly beaten up. The corner of the body (longest point) had punctured through the manufacturer's box and chipped/cracked the paint and made a small dent in the corner.

Other than slight shipping damage the guitar itself is fantastic.
I took the 9s off and put a set of Ernie Ball Skinny Top Heavy Bottom strings on it. I then tuned, corrected the intonation and adjusted the action.
No fret buzz and No dead spots.

When I saw that I could buy a V style guitar for $110, I, being my metalhead self, caved. I was a little skeptical at first, but after hearing good things about Harley Benton guitars, I had to buy this one as my first.

Needless to say, I was surprised at what I got for $110. When this guitar arrived from Germany (to Colorado, in 5 days!), it was set up immaculately (shocking for a cheap axe!) - action was nice and low, it was intonated, and the neck/truss rod was straight. It held up surprisingly well in transit!

Granted, it's not perfect - the frets were a little sharp, the pickups are a bit muddy, and the basswood body makes it light. But those are only minor quips - the light weight is better for my back; I could swap the pickups if I wanted a different tone; and I already smoothed out the frets with a foam sanding block. Frankly, what you're getting for the price is a screaming deal.

This may not be my most ideal studio guitar, but it'll serve me very well for gigs and jams to come. I'm very pleased with this purchase.