Harley Benton HB-35Plus Black

79

Electric Guitar

  • Style: Semi-Hollow with F-holes and mahogany sustain block
  • Body with arched top: Maple
  • Set-in neck: Canadian maple
  • Fretboard: Laurel
  • Block fretboard inlays
  • Double action truss rod
  • Scale: 628 mm
  • Fretboard radius: 305 mm
  • Nut width: 42 mm
  • 22 Frets
  • Pickups: 2 Roswell LAF AlNiCo 5 humbuckers with caps
  • 2 x Volume controls with push/pull function for coil split
  • 2 x Tone controls
  • 3-Way switch for pickup selection
  • Tune-O-Matic bridge
  • Sealed die-cast machine heads
  • Gold-plated hardware
  • Strings: D'Addarío .010 - .046 (Art.104555)
  • Colour: Black
Available since February 2021
Item number 482274
Sales Unit 1 piece(s)
Colour Black
Body Maple
Top Maple
Neck Maple
Fretboard Laurel
Frets 22
Scale 628 mm
Pickups HH
Tremolo No
Incl. Case No
Incl. Bag No
$225
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In stock within 5-7 weeks
In stock within 5-7 weeks

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In the most classic tradition

front of the semi-acoustic electric guitar Harley Benton HB-35Plus Black

The Harley Benton HB-35 Plus, shown here in black, is a semi-hollow electric guitar that instantly calls to mind classic guitars of the past - albeit without the hefty price tag. It features a maple body with an arched top that is adorned with elegant f-holes, and the combination of a high-gloss finish and gold-plated hardware completes its authentic vintage look. The guitar's construction incorporates a solid block of wood that runs through the centre of the body, which together with its set maple neck ensures plenty of sustain and helps to prevent unwanted feedback when playing at high volume. The latter in turn features a 22-fret laurel fingerboard with white pearloid block inlays that provide a visual contrast and easier orientation when playing, and both neck and body (front and back) are adorned with cream-coloured binding, a feature usually reserved for much pricier instruments.

gold hardware and two humbuckers on the Harley Benton HB-35Plus Black

Pure retro charm

To ensure that the Harley Benton HB-35 Plus delivers a retro feast for the ears as well as the eyes, the guitar features a pair of vintage-style Roswell LAF AlNiCo-5 humbucking pickups, and its combination of a deluxe Tune-o-Matic bridge and stop-bar tailpiece together with the internal centre block mentioned above provide a full, sustaining sound. At the opposite end, the headstock is adorned by a set of sealed diecast machine heads that promise many years of reliable service. The neck features a comfortable C profile and is equipped with a double-action trussrod for optimum adjustability, and both the 628mm (24.7") scale length and 42mm (1.65") nut width are also typical for this style of guitar. The same is true of the HB-35 Plus's electronics, which comprise a three-way toggle switch and dedicated volume and tone controls for each pickup, so players can easily dial in any tone they desire.

strap button on the back of the Harley Benton HB-35Plus Black

Back to the '60s

The Harley Benton HB-35 Plus is an excellent choice for fans of the classic guitars of the 1960s. Its authentic retro looks make it perfect for the stage, and its vintage-style pickups will deliver the sound that has long made semihollow guitars popular both live and in the studio. This guitar is thus ideal for beginners as well as for players looking to expand their sonic palette and of course as a backup instrument for gigging musicians. Players who can do without a tremolo will have everything they need here - and the superior tuning stability provided by a fixed bridge will doubtless be a bonus in many situations.

headstock by Harley Benton

About Harley Benton

Since 1998, the Harley Benton brand has been catering for the needs of numerous guitarists and bassists. In addition to an extensive range of stringed instruments, Thomann's house brand also offers a wide choice of amplifiers, speakers, effect pedals, and other accessories. In total, the range includes over 1,500 products. Built by established names in the industry, all Harley Benton products combine quality and reliability at attractive and affordable prices. The continuous expansion of the range ensures that Harley Benton always provides new, exciting, and innovative products that keep players perfectly in tune with the musical world, day after day.

Chuck Berry sends his regards

From Blues and Jazz through to Indie and even Rock, the Harley Benton HB-35 Plus will be a guaranteed eyecatcher on stage. It represents a great choice for live players with much more expensive guitars who are looking for a suitable backup instrument as well as for studio musicians looking to unleash their inner Chuck Berry with catchy double-stop riffs, power chords, and full-sounding melodies. To authentically replicate the sounds of the era, the HB-35 Plus should of course be combined with a suitable tube amplifier with sufficient headroom.

79 Customer ratings

4.6 / 5

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64 Reviews

p
Unbelievably good
pengipete 08.03.2022
Bought this after seeing so many good reviews and can honestly say that it's even better than I expected. It's not "good for the money" - it's good, full stop.

It looks amazing - went for the glossy black over the brighter, flame-topped versions as I liked the single colour all over. Glad I did - it looks classy with the ivory binding and gold hardware. I know it's not always easy with a new guitar and that honeymoon period but I haven't spotted any issues at all with construction or finish - it's very. very tidy all round. The nearest I'd come to a criticism of the cosmetics is that the internal wiring is visible through the f-hole but I knew to expect that and plan on tidying that up later myself. The frets definitely need polishing but again, that's something I expected from the many in-depth reviews and is just something I take as part of buying a new guitar anyway. Fret ends will benefit from a bit of rounding-off and polishing but there's no sprout or overhang.

The set-up is better than "adequate" - intonation is spot-on as is neck relief. Action is fine for me - pretty much the same as I have on my way-more expensive Gretsch equivalent. It was down-tuned about a semi-tone and tuning it up to pitch gave another pleasant surprise - the tuners are fast and accurate and the guitar has stayed in tune after about an hour of playing. Some reviewers had criticised the tuners - mine feel and work extremely well. There's absolutely no fret-buzz and no rattles or sympathetic resonance. Weight is around 7.8lbs - about 3.5kg - which is pretty much "perfect" for a 335-style guitar. Balance is not an issue - there's no neck-dive or whatever the opposite of that would be.

The pickups sound good without needing immediate adjustment (in fact, if I do tinker with the heights later, I'll want to note these positions as I suspect they may already be ideal). The bridge pickup is bright and the neck is dark without getting too muddy. The volume controls are superb - there's no tone-sucking as you lower the volume and the taper is perfect. Tone controls are equally well done. The individual pickup coil-splitting is brilliant and gives a huge range of tones - right up to a passable impression of an acoustic. Played unplugged, it's resonant enough that you could practice or strum away and still get a decent sound. Through a clean amp, it's chimey and rings out but it also sounds great with more crunch. Played through a Pod Go, the pickups really work well and sound good.

Overall - I think this is one of those rare occasions where I'd tell anyone - just buy it. There is simply no down-side here - it's a gorgeous-looking 335 clone and and an excellent guitar in its own right. The construction quality alone means you'll be getting a terrific base on which to play around with alternative hardware if so inclined but as a playable guitar - it's 100% ready to go without spending more. I've got guitars that cost many times as much and none of them feel that much better, if at all. This isn't some cheap and nasty "beginner's guitar" - it's an extremely good guitar that's incredibly good value.
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W
Incredible guitar and service
Wildkat 26.03.2022
After viewing so many positive reviews about this guitar on YouTube, I decided to take a chance on it. A friend of mine spent 10 times what this HB-35 cost me on a real Gibson ES335 and I don't think he got 10 times the quality. In fact there is not much difference except for the name, as far as I'm concerned. And unless you're super picky about guitars, you won't regret buying this one. The guitar arrived in almost perfect condition and ready to play only three days after I ordered it. And I'm in Canada! I heard reviews mention the tuning pegs should be changed but mine seem to be fine so far. Some of the frets are a bit rough and could use some fine adjustment but very playable nevertheless. The action was perfectly adjusted. The feel, the look... awesome. Great service, great guitar. Highly recommend.
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B
This is just stunning..
Bladezo 23.04.2021
This is my second HB guitar having recently bought and *heavily* modified a little TE20 which I've had a great experience with to date. Owing to that previous experience I felt I had a pretty good idea of what I could expect from this guitar.

Let's get the bad stuff out of the way first: One of the tuners feels a bit wonky. The binding is a little messy in places, particularly around the "F" holes. The frets needed a bit of a polish. All of this was expected. That's it?

I'm just blown away by this guitar. I haven't even set it up or put a decent set of strings on it yet. I just took it out of the box, started playing and didn't really want to put it down.

I've owned in the region of 100 different guitars over the years including Fender and Gibson custom shop models, high end Ibanez, ESPs, a PRS and a bunch of Standard Gibson models. Focusing entirely on playability and tone, this honestly more than holds it's own with virtually any of them.

As a bit of a play test I got a nice clean tone with a little reverb and chorus (Boss CS-2, Boss CE-5, Walrus Audio Slo through the effects loop on an Orange Dark Terror) and decided to compare this playing the same piece against the three guitars that were closest to me at the time (Fender Custom Shop David Gilmour Stratocaster, Fender MIM Player Series Stratocaster, Gibson Les Paul Studio): The verdict was unanimous in support of the HB-35Plus.

Alright, I did go for a tone that *suits* the HB35 more than the others, but it still had no business being the clear winner in my view.

I can't vouch for the other variants, but this guitar is just ridiculously, mind-blowingly good. It's just insane to me that it's available at this price point.

I've got a set of Grover "tulip" tuners which I'll be putting on it. I've also get a new Tusq nut and full set of electrics which I'd planned to upgrade it with, but honestly? I'm not going to bother.

If you can overlook the finishing issues (which are only really visible if you've got it in your hands and are actively looking at them) and are willing to stick on a nice set of tuners, you'll have an absolutely insane guitar for virtually no money.

Don't think, just buy it.
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YL
Good but with flaws
Yorkshire Lad 08.11.2021
Update - had a bit of a buzz on some strings. Thinking it might be one of two high frets. To my amazement there were 11 of them. In fact a couple of them were so high I could have done with borrowing an angle grinder. Took a couple of hours to get them decent. I think the guy who did the fretwork in the factory needs retraining, or even training full stop. The thing that disappoints most of all, is that I put a note on the order asking Thomann to make sure the fit and finish was very good. They obviously ignored my request.


I have 3 HB guitars finished in black. There seems to be a common theme developing with the black guitars. I bought a CST24 in black, which was covered in scratches on the back of the neck. A David Gilmour tribute strat, that looked like it had been attacked by the sand paper monster from hell. And now the HB 35 plus, with quite a few scratches In different places. Maybe I've been unlucky 3 times with the black ones. I have quite a few other HB guitars tho, that have all been perfect, btw. The only other gripe I have, is this.... If you are going to put gold hardware on a guitar, then why not use the same colour gold throughout. The tail price and bridge look a very deep yellow shade, almost brass like, and the pu covers and tuners are about 10 shades lighter. It just spoils the look.

So in conclusion, if you don't mind hours of mindless polishing with automotive swirl remover, you're in luck, because, this guitar looks (above aside) great and sounds just as good. So if HB could just get the gold to match and provide a better finish, this guitar would be great in every aspect.
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