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Aftermarket Report: 2024 Harley Benton RB-600CS
I've had the Harley Benton RB-600CS for about 6 months and some of my assessments have changed, some for better and some for worse. I should add, that generally happens with any guitar unless you get that absolutely perfect one.
My initial experience was like many others, I saw it on the internet and it looked a lot like a Rickenbacker, a guitar that has always been desired by more than a few guitar players. Also, the company’s policy of suing anyone who makes a copy has successfully kept most of the clones off the market. That definitely creates a scarcity that would make the Harley Benton look even more attractive.
The RB-600CS (and an even cheaper copy by IYV) appears to have enough differences from the Rickenbacker to not trigger a lawsuit, as far as I know. In fact, I’ve noted that the Harley Benton is actually quite different from a Rickenbacker without the attractive sunburst and classic pickguard.
Aftermarket Report:
I wasn't completely comfortable with the ergonomics of the guitar; the body shape places the neck in an overly close position so it was actually a little awkward playing higher up the neck. I think it's because of the guitar shape, because parlor guitar and concert acoustics generally don't have that problem. I won't say that the ergonomics are bad; it's just my opinion because others have played it and really like the guitar. That's not surprising because ergonomics is generally the most personal aspect of the guitar, right up there with the pickups and neck.
The pickups were probably the biggest attraction because I wanted to get a guitar that had mini-humbuckers. I once had the Les Paul which had mini's, which for me were the best part of the guitar.
That may have influenced my initial impression of the Benton minis, which became a mixed bag. The bridge pickup was clearly the best one and the neck pickup struck me as being unusually dark for that type of pickup. The appeal of a mini is it's very bright so it's almost like a single coil but with a touch of humbucker thickness. The bridge pickup sounded better over the last 6 months and I found myself using it pretty much all the time. It was nice and bright with a great chime at lower volume. It definitely sounds like a '60s guitar.
The bridge had that odd palm rest or whatever they call it and while it made finger picking easier, it also made it impossible to damp the strings with your palm which is an essential technique at high volume.
In terms of fit and finish, which is a detail that doesn't concern me very much (but that's just me), everything was well constructed and in particular the neck was well made with reasonably smooth frets. I did do some work on the frets but it wasn't anything serious.
So, on the whole the guitar has held up very well for 6 months with no major faults coming up after playing it for 6 months.
I think it's a guitar that most players will like, it's attractive and it definitely feels well made. The only reason I hesitate to completely endorse it is that IYV sells a guitar that appears to be an exact copy of the RB-600CS but significantly cheaper. I can only go by the pictures but I have another IYV and was impressed with the quality and value so if you have an opportunity to check that one out, maybe you'll save a lot of money if it turns out to be exactly the same as the Harley Benton. However, by the same token, it can look exactly alike but the possible shortcuts in manufacture that make it feel and sound too cheap.
Mentioning the other guitar is just due diligence on my part. If you buy the Harley Bentley RB-600CS, you’ll probably like it a lot.
Al Handa
August 2, 2026
Aug 1, 2026
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