Harley Benton GS-Travel Spruce

Looks - the guitar looks good in real life, perhaps even better than in the pictures. Although the black paint underneath the strings seems to be painted with just one layer and it has a powdery-like feeling to it. I can see a little bit of wood through the paint. I'm not sure if it was like that since I got the guitar, but it does not affect the playing whatsoever (the paint could have been the same as the one on the sides of the neck where you have the fret marks, not a big deal)

Sound - I have no objections here, nor do I have any other guitars to compare it with. I do have plastic and wooden picks and you definitely get a louder, richer sound with the wooden picks if anyone is curious.

Frets - They serve its intended purpose, but they are not perfectly filed. They barely stick out to the sides of the neck, but has not affected the playing experience so far. Just a small detail.

One last thing I also noticed after playing for months is that strings from 6 to 4 usually go slightly out of tune whenever I retune them to a completely different key, barely happens with strings 3 to 1. It might be due to my strings wearing out (I have not replaced the original ones that came with the guitar yet). It does not go out of key after adjusting tension and playing continuously during a session, but that is something to be wary of.

All in all, you get a pretty good deal for such a price, including a guitar bag to store your instrument, the general sound, and the looks despite a few minor things that ultimately do not outweigh the positives.

There aren't many reviews out for this product so hopefully mine will help some people out here.

TL;DR: Awesome small guitar with amazing sound, especially for the price. Finish lacking a bit but won't affect the performance of the guitar. Good tuners, matte neck and comes with a gigbag.

Having moved to Germany recently I was missing my guitar back home; a big dreadnought which is actually pretty hard to play. I wanted something small and robust I could take with me everywhere and wouldn't mind getting dinged or scratched up.

Lo and behold the Harley Benton GS-Travel. Of course, somewhat of a copy of the Taylor GS Mini. It has a shorter scale length than a full size guitar but is still about 50mm bigger than the Harley Benton Mini. When I first unpacked it I was kind of shocked, it's small! The sound however is anything but small. I was so surprised at how good it sounds and how well set-up it is from the factory. Neck didn't need any adjustment, action was perfect and the 10 gauge strings make it a breeze to fret.

The V-shape neck might take some getting used to, but for me it complements my playing style. For a tiny guitar, it is sufficiently loud. Its actually somehow louder than the auditorium guitar I used to borrow from a roommate but it doesn't project as far. Of course, this version doesn't have a solid top, but for about 20~30 euro's more you can get a solid top version (but won't be able to handle abuse as much as a laminate). Tuners work remarkably well and are accurate, even more so than the 350 euro guitar my roommate has.


The finish isn't perfect but honestly I don't mind and don't notice unless I look for it. The neck has a matte finish which makes it easy to slide up and down on and the headstock looks absolutely gorgeous in my opinion. The lower frets have some dirt/oxidation on them but it doesn't affect the playing. The bag that it comes in offers decent protection, just a normal gigbag.

If you're looking for something to play around the house or take with you and don't care about getting abused then definitely go for it. The V-neck might not be for everyone but I like it. For 80 euro's, I cannot figure out how they can produce such a good guitar. This easily beats guitars in the 120~150 euro's range from well-known manufacturers. I still have to try out 12 and 13 gauge strings to see how they perform, but the 10's are already impressive.

I recently started teaching and wanted a small and light weight guitar to sling in the car and not really worry too much if it was knocked , it obviously needed to play to a certain standard. Having looked at a number of travel guitars I checked Thomann and found the Harley Benton and with a gig bag included I thought this looked like this would fit the criteria I had set and was less than a £100 . Has it met expectation?
I am pleased to say I am more than happy with the guitar although it needed a little bit of work to get it to how I wanted it to play which I will explain shortly. First off top marks for delivery , guitar was well packaged and quickly delivered .
Out of the box the guitar was well made with no obvious defects , fret ends had been filed properly, and I also could find no high frets which evidences good quality control. The lacquer was well applied and finished to a good standard . The action was a little too high for my liking however that being said it played well around the first 5 frets where it matters most especially to anyone who is starting to play. I have taken off about 2mm from the bridge which was quite easy with a sheet of sandpaper and digital callipers to make sure I didn't make it too low, I also adjusted relief and it is now has a playing action similar to my other more expensive acoustic. Strings are basic but adequate .
How does it play? Sound wise it is quite bright but fairly balanced, its also pretty loud although I would recommend buying the same guitar with the pickup installed if you considered you would be giging with the guitar. I fingerpick and strum and the guitar is suited to both producing acceptable tones . The neck is quite slim much what you would expect on an electric guitar which is a bonus for me as I also play electric lead guitar enabling me to be able to switch between instruments with ease, the slim neck is also ideal for people with smaller hands.
Final thoughts
I played the guitar now for the last 3 weeks and I am more than happy with my decision , I find myself playing the guitar more than I intended which is a clear sign it has exceeded my expectation, the gig bag is a nice addition and feels well made and has saved the additional expense of having to purchase a bag separately . I would recommend this guitar based on quality and playability versus price , all things considered I really don't think you could get a similar priced guitar elsewhere, 5 stars from me!

I have now played two of these guitars and I think they are the best answer to "what should I buy if I want a decent acoustic but not spend too much?" question.

I could not find any cons that are relevant, i guess if I must:
- strings it comes with are not good (expected at this price point)
- smaller body, takes a little bit to get used to (clear from the description)

But the guitar is quite amazing:
- Great sound from a small body. Has clear definition and projection and is loud enough for a campfire
- Set up is always great, will not scare the beginner away.
- Fretwork is good, no issues
- Build quality is good as well.
- Comes with a great case, you expect a case like this in 400-500 range guitars
- Tuners are good, keeps in tune fine.

And it's just such a joy to play. Will always recommend it if someone wants a guitar and does not want to spend.
Amazing.