Harley Benton Custom Line CLA-16SCE

110

Steel-String Guitar with Pickup

  • Auditorium design with cutaway
  • Dovetail construction
  • Solid sitka spruce top
  • Scalloped X-bracing
  • Sapele body
  • Okoume neck
  • Pau Ferro fretboard
  • Modified oval C neck profile
  • Mother-of-pearl dot fretboard inlays
  • Black body binding
  • Scale: 643 mm
  • Nut width: 43 mm
  • 20 Frets
  • Bone nut
  • Compensated bone saddle
  • Pau Ferro bridge
  • Chrome-plated die-cast DLX machine heads
  • D'Addario XTAPB1253 Light strings, .012 - .053 (Article Nr 471307)
  • Pickup system: Fishman Presys-II preamp system with built-in tuner
  • Colour: Natural matte
  • Matching cases available under Article Nr 208576 or Article Nr 414347 (both are not included)
Available since July 2014
Item number 333966
Sales Unit 1 piece(s)
Model 000
Top spruce
Back and Sides Sapele, Mahogany
Cutaway Yes
Fretboard Pau Ferro
Nut width in mm 43,00 mm
Frets 20
Pickup Yes
Colour Natural
Incl. Case No
Incl. Gigbag No
B-Stock from 744 AED available
799 AED 200,84 €
Plus 279 AED shipping
The price in AED is a guideline price only
Since we ship from Germany, additional costs through taxes and customs may be incurred
In stock
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Mainstream appeal

acoustic steel string guitar Harley Benton Custom Line CLA-16SCE front

Acoustic guitars don’t come much more mainstream than with an “auditorium” body shape and a solid spruce top – and that is what the Harley Benton Custom Line CLA-16SCE delivers. And why not? After all, millions of guitarists can’t be wrong. The CLA-16SCE gives price-conscious players one of the most popular types of steel-string guitar – a status that this design has enjoyed for 100 years and that this guitar’s modern enhancements, including a cutaway and pickup system, will ensure that it also retains for a long time to come. In visual terms, the CLA-16SCE is designed with understated elegance in mind and is characterised by its simple and stylish natural wood finish and tasteful inlays.

Large body size, full sound

It is common knowledge by now that the secret of a guitar’s tone is the wood used, particularly where solid wood is concerned, and the guitar’s top is of central importance. The Harley Benton Custom Line CLA-16SCE features a top made from solid Sitka spruce, a wood also used to ensure a good sound in guitars at much higher price points. This is combined with X bracing, which ensures that the string tension is effectively supported and, like the body shape itself, has been in widespread use for over 100 years. The guitar’s back and sides are made from sapele mahogany, and the okoume neck features a pau ferro fingerboard. All of this together produces a full-sounding, characterful tone with an excellent bass response. To ensure that this sound comes across properly on stage, the guitar also features a Presys II pickup system from the renowned manufacturer Fishman.

sapele mahogany back of an acoustic guitar with a cutaway

Ideal for the transition to steel strings

The days when guitars were divided into “beginner” and “advanced” models are long gone – and that is a good thing. Its affordable price alone makes the Harley Benton Custom Line CLA-16SCE ideal for beginners, and the guitar also gives them the perfect instrument on which to vastly improve their playing. However, it will also be a blessing for more experienced players making the move from nylon to steel strings – and should your journey eventually lead to the stage, this guitar will prove itself a technically and sonically capable companion up to semi-professional level.

Harley Benton guitar headstock

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.

acoustic guitar preamp Fishman Presys II

Part of the group

The Harley Benton Custom Line CLA-16SCE is an ideal instrument for accompanying vocals of all kinds thanks to its full sound, which has plenty of clarity and excellent dynamics. Whether you are strumming chords with an extra-light pick to provide backing for a singer or fingerpicking in the finest Folk music tradition, this guitar can do it all and will remain audible even behind multiple voices – perfect for those performances around the campfire. And thanks to its on-board pickup system, the CLA-16SCE is ready for the big stage as well.

110 Customer ratings

4.7 / 5

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74 Reviews

A
Highly Recommended
Anonymous 13.01.2017
I have always been wary of purchasing acoustic instruments online without being able to play or see how they feel first. After having a look around the nearest music stores and not finding anything that was jumping out at me in the 200euro price range I said what the heck I'd give this one a try, even though there were no reviews on it yet.It was for my son to learn on so I figured it had to be good enough for that purpose and if he stuck with it he could always get a better one in a year or so.
Arrived in the usual prompt fashion from Thomann. At first glance it looks good -simple but nice, it obviously doesn't have fancy beading etc. but I think it is
still well finished and the only obvious flaw I could find was a tiny bit of roughness on the neck which I have to say wouldn't bother me but if you were being picky, maybe.
I left the strings that it came with on for a week or so, which were ok but I prefer 10's on an acoustic and these were I'd say 11's. The action on the strings as it came was again ok but I figured there was space to go lower. So when I changed the strings I took the action down and I have to say it's really nice to play now, not quite as good as my 4 times the price Tanglewood -but close.
As for the most important thing; the sound. It's very good. I teach guitar so sometimes I end up having to listen to beginners who are using guitars that are not up to much. Teaching my son on this Harley Benton I have marveled a few times at how good it sounds.
It's folky but clear without any muddiness and a nice medium sustain. Through the pickup it sounds good too with no feedback through a Roland cube amp..
For the money compared to others I've tried I was definitely surprised, this guitar is really good value.
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Happy
Too much G.A.S. 10.04.2018
I wanted a cheap but good recording acoustic guitar. This Harley Benton Custom Line CLA-16SCE fitted the bill very well. For the price it's amazing how good the PUP sounds? It's has a thinner body than regular jumbo acoustics which makes it a very comfortable guitar to play. Intonation is pretty good for non adjustable situation. And I must say it's a cool looking thing.
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HC
Unbelievable value
Happy Customer! 23.05.2020
This is a £175 guitar made of solid wood, which sounds fantastic and is beautifully constructed. Any criticisms at this price point are moot and I only include them to offer my limited advice to any new players thinking of buying this. I wish when I first started playing guitar that instruments of this quality were available for this price!

I bought this as a present for somebody who is learning to play, and it required a very small amount of maintenance (he could have easily done this himself with the help of google and youtube).

The frets were rough and needed polishing (I use those fret rubbers). The truss rod was loose when shipped so over the course of a day I brought it to tension and made sure the neck was straight. The nut was cut a little high (but this is a really small issue and I don't have the skill nor tools to make it absolutely perfect, so we can live with it for the moment).
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How can Thomann do this????
joweerocks 30.11.2019
My 8th Benton guitar, 9th on the way! Really how can Thomann afford to sell quality instruments at budget prices. Opened up this acoustic guitar yesterday and was thrilled. Beautiful finish, no issues whatsoever. Unless you consider tuning it up a half step and tweaking the trussrod 1/8th turn to get the neck perfectly straight with dead on intonation. Honestly the strings are a bit heavier gauge than I use but they are fine for now. If you compare the materials they use with other higher priced guitars they are similar. Craftsmen ship is top notch with Harley Bentons. Plugged it into my Line 6 UX-2 and sounds awesome. Next step record some tracks and see how it sounds in a mix. Summed up....Don't hesitate to buy one of these. I can't say I'm pleasantly surprised because all my other Thomann purchases have been all high quality at big bang for the $$$!
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