Review: 2024 Harley Benton RB-600CS
I believe most guitar players have already seen this guitar on YouTube, either in reviews or infomercial-type videos. What caught my eye was that it was one of those rare guitars with Rickenbacker-type styling that hadn't been forced off the market by that company, which is well-known for defending its trademark and design.
The Harley Benton is one of two that I've seen; there is an even cheaper model by another company with the same Rickenbacker-type sunburst and pickguard and a similar headstock.
I hesitate to call this new wave of guitars in the 100-300 dollar bracket purely cheap; most are probably from Chinese companies left by the major guitar makers moving on to Indonesia or Vietnam.
There was certainly a lot of attention on the inexpensive ones in the $100 range because a lot of guitar knowledge is actually word of mouth and not actual experience, but the generally rough fit and finish of those models are often seen as standard for even those guitars that are up in the $300-400 range.
The 2024 Harley Benton RB-600CS is closer to the lower-line Gretsch or Squier entry-level guitar range. It is probably made by the same factory in some cases.
One other feature common to the two Rickenbacker-influenced guitars, as they're not truly clones, is the use of mini-humbuckers, which resemble the pickups used on Rickenbacker.
As I said earlier, that resemblance did attract my eye, and if that's all there was, I'd have just moved on because, in my entire life of GAS, I've never owned a Rickenbacker.
I've had close contact with one, as one of my guitar friends owned one for over a decade, and I heard it constantly during rehearsal. The main problem for me was that it had a particular sound I didn't use much, which could be duplicated by other guitars in my collection. I wasn't a big fan of the design, particularly the cutaway style.
If you were to remove the sunburst finish, then the primary resemblance would be the pickguard. There is some similarity with the pickups, but any close examination would see that they're not that similar. In fact, there's more of a similarity to a PRS SE or other guitar in that style than with the Traditional Rickenbacker.
I took a chance on the Harley Benton because I happened to be looking to add a few inexpensive guitars for some future recording projects. Due to my age and the condition of my hands, one requirement was a shorter-scale guitar that was light and, in terms of sound, one with mini-humbuckers.
In terms of sound, this isn't a guitar you should buy to get a Rickenbacker on the cheap. It sounds closer to some older Gibsons and Epiphones that had mini-humbuckers, though you can probably get some jangle with some fiddling with your amp.
What you do get, and this is based on my own experience with this particular guitar, and I certainly can't speak for the entire line in terms of quality, is a guitar that arrived without needing a major setup. The fit and finish were more than adequate, and the short scale and lightness make it an extremely easy and fun guitar to play. As far as an entry-level guitar, it's as good as any.
The stock pickups are pretty good, and I wouldn't recommend replacing them immediately until you've played the guitar for a month or two. You might decide to keep it in stock as the RB has a classic mini-humbucker sound, which could be described as being between a single coil and a humbucker. In terms of sound, one could say that it has a pleasant and clear, clean tone that a good player can dirty up without cranking up the amp. In other words, the mini-humbucker is a pickup that responds well to touch.
You can get a closer view of the actual sound in this day and age by going to YouTube and hearing one of the many demos. One of the things I always do when checking out demos on a particular model guitar on that site is to listen to both expert players and beginners. It gives me a better idea of what the guitar sounds like and what you can bring out through technique. You might find that the basic tone can be duplicated by a guitar that's already in your collection.
I would recommend the Harley Benton to beginners, intermediates, and those who want to add an extra guitar to their collection without spending a lot of money. I should note that there's also a 12-string version, though I have no personal experience with it.
The average price is in the $300+ range, which also includes taxes and shipping. You can take the remarks about guitars in this range as being too cheap to have any level of quality with a grain of salt because it's mainly in America and other Western countries that a $300 guitar can be considered beneath the level of an experienced musician (or cork sniffer).
You'll get a very decent level of quality with this guitar, easily as good as a Squier or a lower-line Epiphone. As I said earlier, I'm speaking from my own experience with this particular guitar. It arrived without needing anything more than a very slight adjustment of the neck and a partial lowering of the bridge. The frets were fine, and there was no buzzing when I dropped the action even lower.
The Harley Benton is a light, easy-to-play guitar that will be a fine first guitar or an additional one in any collection. Just remember: It may have some superficial resemblance to a Rickenbacker, but in terms of sound, that's not what you're going to get.
- Al Handa
Jan 2025
