Harley Benton has gained a reputation as the champion of budget gear. Owned by the German retail giant Thomann, the brand offers cheaper alternatives to established models, but the significantly lower price tag has led many in the guitar community to question the authenticity and quality of its instruments.
The skepticism prompted YouTuber and heavy metal guitarist Maxxxwell Carlisle – who also happens to have his own Harley Benton signature guitar – to clear the air about what he deems “two big myths about Harley Benton, and one in particular that I'm really sick of.
“That is, of course, that this [referring to his MAX Fusion signature] is made in China.” Carlisle clarifies that, while there are “some incredibly good guitars that are made in China,” his signature guitar is not among them. “It says right on the back of the headstock here, made in Indonesia.”
The YouTuber highlights how many guitar brands are now turning to Indonesia as their go-to for guitar manufacturing – pointing to the Jackson Pro Series and Schecter's C1 Exotic.
Legacy brands like Fender are also opting for Indonesia in some cases, with Tom DeLonge's signature Starcaster, released last April, serving as a notable example of a high-profile signature guitar made in Indonesia.
“The thing is, you can go on the Thomann website or the Harley Benton website and look at the pictures of the guitars on there. Most of the time they'll have pictures of the back of the headstock, and it says right on there where the guitar was manufactured.”
Carlisle acknowledges that there are indeed some Harley Benton models manufactured in China – but asserts that this applies only to their least expensive guitars, “like their Rock Series.”
“But my signature guitar and the Fusion series, and certainly all of the guitars that have the roasted necks and things like that – those are all Indonesian-made.”
Another myth that the YouTuber is crusading against? “[It's] the name,” he says. “Who is this mythical person? Harley Benton? Well, there's nobody named Harley Benton. It's not a person. There's no Herr Benton over there in Germany. It's just a name that people came up with for marketing purposes because it kind of sounded cool.”
