Harley Benton RB-612CS Classic Series

I ordered this guitar because frankly I was very tempted by the look of it and the idea of trying a 12 string electric. I have tried many acoustics, but never got into them. And the price together with Thomann return policy won over my hesitation. The shipping took some days, but I think it had to do with quality control procedures, as I found the guitar was setup perfectly and almost in tune right out of the box. No need to touch the neck or the action at all. The finishing is okay, with some minor flaws, like some paint drops on the binding and inside the f-hole which look a bit grossly done. Does it feel and look like my Les Paul? No, it sure doesn't and it shouldn't. But it's a great guitar for the money and can give you the classical 12 string sound, at a price which is a tenth of any american made counterpart. Quality wise is probably on par with something like Epiphone. This guitar is a great investment and I think every guitarist should try owning one of these. Even if you are a metal player like my self, an instrument like this can take you on a whole other level of playing, exploring sounds you maybe don?t think you would like.

I've had this guitar for a month now and I really love it. When I unpacked it it was adjusted from Thomann to almost perfection. Other reviews have claimed bad electronics, bad setup, blemished in the finish etc., not so in my case. It's perfect and even my bandmates commented on it. The sound is instantly recognizable from the abovenamed bands. It even inspires me to make new music for it. To top it off it's a bargain and should I loose it I would buy one again!
Seriously thinking of getting the six-string version too!

I purchased this guitar based on the positive reviews on YouTube and on this site. I have been a loyal Thomann customer since 2006 and have been really impressed by the quality of their service and products. I own three other Harley Benton guitars. When I received the guitar it looked great, felt great and sounded ok. Now here is the catch and it is a big one, for me at least. It took me 4, yes I said 4 hours to change the strings. I finally gave up and removed the Casino tailpiece to gain access to how the string nuts actually fit in. Prior to removing it, you are partially blinded by the view by the Casino tailpiece. Every time you try to mount the string, it just falls out. I was out of my head trying to do so. When I did unmount the tail to reveal how it actually works it seemed apparent. However, I am not sure I will be able to change the strings without disassembling parts of the guitar you should NOT have to. I wrote Thomann asking for a solution and they said they are aware of this problem (not issue....but problem!)

I really want to like this guitar and do, except for this glaring problem. Other things like lowering the action, etc, I can deal with but this...

Here is what I wrote to Thomann:

Thank you! However, and I am not exaggerating, I spent 4 hours trying to figure out the best way to attach the strings. I finally had to remove the Casino tailpiece to gain access to the string ball end mounts. When it is attached you cannot see into where the string is entering, it often enters the wrong opening because you are blind in most cases as to where it is going. In viewing the Casino tailpiece I could finally see how it actually functions. That worked (FINALLY). I do NOT want to have to remove the tailpiece every time I change strings. I have been a loyal Thomann customer since 2006 and this is the first time I wanted to return a product and the only reason I am not doing so is I threw out the box. I cannot believe there isn’t an instruction sheet on how best to change the stings.

Is their a third party solution to change the string mount to 12 separate string holes or just a way to SEE where you are putting the strings. I have been stringing guitars for years, but 4 Hours???? I am so angry!!! This was my birthday gift and what a birthday it turned out to be!!!

Anyways, sorry for this rant, but it is what it is! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!