Harley Benton Amarok-BT BKRD Quilted Burst

This is my 1st harley benton guitar. It had to be something good but...

pros: wood work, frets, nothing wrong here. good locking tuners, good nut, ok for 500 EUR guitar

cons: these emg's are really made in Indonesia.
volume and tone knobs are very cheap, toggle switch also feels very cheap.
the worst - bridge pickup was broken. it sounds like single coil pickup and produces a lot of noise. I even though to return back this guitar without any doubts and forget about harley benton for ever but I tried to experiment and dig into it. I changed them, checked wiring, issue was 100% clear - bridge pickup. I took spare emg 81 and problem has gone. Maybe its hard to detect such issues while they checked it in their facility, I do not know, it produced sound but it was wrong sound.
Also, tool for truss rod does not fit.

This is my review after 1 day of usage.

The Harley Benton Amarok BT is a very good guitar. With the limited selection of baritone guitars it fits in an affordable price point that is obtainable for any enthusiast. While it may not be a guitar for everyone it might just be a guitar for you. Let me explain:

Most baritone guitars are much more expensive and don't give you the specs that this guitar does. From the stainless steel frets to the neck-thru construction, this has features many baritones don't. If you're looking to downtune beyond G#, this might not be for you. However, if you're just looking for a drop A or A standard tuning guitar this fits the bill perfectly. The intonation can get kind of wonky the lower you go. You can compensate it by using thicker strings but that also means you need to set the guitar up a little differently for ease of play. There are just physical limitations due to string tension that can't be resolved without a longer scale length.

The sound is more than adequate, it has a nice set of pickups. Most players who buy this will be using effects and the pickups won't matter too much. There is no need to replace the pickups unless you're looking for something particularly clean. Even then you can EQ most of what this guitar has to offer to fit the bill.

Out of the box the guitar did need some adjustments, but I've had one guitar out of the many I've bought that I felt didn't need adjustments. It's all preference as the action was playable right away. It just might not be to your liking. Luckily though everything is easily adjustable, even for a new guitarist.

Guitars come with some of these specs are generally much higher in price, a quick google search will allow you to compare. Not all guitars can be qualified through their specs. This one is no exception. It's a good guitar at a great price.

I've played a ton of guitars and I'm no one to be objective as it's all about feelings. I wanted a baryton guitar for some concerts I wanted to make in 2020 (little did I know), hence this guitar as a test. HB came from being an entry-range to an amazing middlerange quality brand, so... who to trust but not Thomann?

When I first tested this guitar, I simply could not believe it.

PROs :
. So simple to play, makes you feel on a 1500€ guitar easy
. EMG pickups makes it metal but the cleans stay warm and powerful
. Recorded already tons of albums with it and it's holding its shape perfectly
. C o m f o r t a b l e !

CONs
. It doesn't hold a perfect perfect tuning but éh, that's really to find something
. I doesn't make my morning tea

OVERALL
. I offered this guitar to my best friend
. Another 2 friends want it
. Everyone who tested it loved it
. Me included

Not that articulate but I must tell you this is an amazing guitar. I wouldn't change the pickups because they are very dynamic, the neck is flawless, a joy to play, I immediately tuned it B to B and even the factory strings are nice. Stays in tune despite my very hard picking, very well balanced, and gorgeous to boot. I only dislike where the top strap button is so I moved it to the end of the top horn, and I'm currently having issues with the input jack, after getting it in may, and I am in the process of contacting Thomann. Otherwise this guitar is an absolute joy to play.