It is hard to say for certain just how much a player has to spend in order to get their hands on a really good guitar - after all, it always depends on their personal expectations. One thing that is certain, however, is that the quality of the affordable instruments coming out of the Far East is now such that musicians now get significantly more for their money than in decades past. The price-performance ratio offered by the Harley Benton CST-24T (shown here in its Purple Burst finish) is a prime example: Just 30 years ago, players would have had to spend much more and content themselves with a far inferior instrument, so those just starting out on the guitar today can look forward to doing so on a solid, high-quality instrument - all the more so since their budget can now stretch to a suitable practice amplifier, gigbag and other accessories.
It is obvious where the Harley Benton CST-24T takes its stylistic cues from, but this guitar still exudes a character of its own. The CST-24T features a meranti body with an arched maple top and flamed maple veneer together with a meranti neck and a fingerboard made from roasted jatoba. The latter boasts a full 24 medium stainless steel frets and pearloid dot inlays, and both the fingerboard and the front edge of the body are adorned with cream-coloured binding that matches the matching pickup rings perfectly. Harley Benton has not cut any corners in terms of hardware and electronics either, which is reflected in the CST-24T's Wilkinson WVPC vibrato system and Roswell HAF AlNiCo-5 open-coil humbucking pickups, which are governed by a three-way toggle switch, master volume control, and master tone control (which also includes a push-pull function for coil splitting).
It has to be admitted that guitarists have two main things in mind when they look for a new instrument, and the first of these is definitely the way it looks. The Harley Benton CST-24T thoroughly delivers the goods here, and if instruments from Harley Benton were not already renowned for their incredible price-performance ratio, the wealth of features that this guitar brings with it despite the budget-friendly price could surely set a new record in terms of value for money. The second thing guitarists look for is a combination of playing comfort and a good amplified sound. Needless to say, the Harley Benton CST-24T does not fall short here in any way, and the guitar's excellent sound and impressive versatility make it an ideal instrument for starting out and playing those first concerts.
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.
When looking at the Harley Benton CST-24T's specs, design, and features, one could easily be forgiven for thinking that this is a guitar built purely for Rock music. But the limits to what this guitar can do are really only defined by the player: While packing plenty of power and punch, the two humbucking pickups also possess excellent dynamics and, thanks to the coil split function and the highly effective volume and tone controls, will also deliver a diverse palette of different tones to suit a range of musical styles. Fans of more progressive genres will also appreciate the high-quality vibrato system which, together with the guitar's graphite nut and die-cast DLX machine heads, allows expressive vibrato effects while ensuring reliable tuning stability.