Harley Benton Fusion-IV HSS RW WM

Harley Benton Fusion-IV HSS RW WM review

The Harley Benton Fusion-IV HSS RW WM is a white, 24-fret electric guitar built around a nyatoh body, a roasted Canadian flamed maple neck, and a rosewood fingerboard. Its hardware and pickup layout give it a familiar modern HSS setup, while the Babicz full-contact tremolo and stainless steel frets are notable details at its listed price of 471.

One buyer described the guitar arriving in excellent condition and praised its natural resonance. That is a useful firsthand impression, though it is not a measurement or a guarantee that every instrument will feel or sound identical. The same player thought the pickups did their job, while noting that players accustomed to more expensive guitars might want more from them. That distinction matters: the Fusion-IV offers a complete specification set, but pickup preferences depend on the player, amplifier, and style.

Body, neck, and fingerboard

The body is made from nyatoh and has a white metallic high-gloss finish, black hardware, and natural wood binding. There is no separate top. The bolt-on neck is roasted Canadian flamed maple, paired with a rosewood fingerboard. Circular inlays mark the fret positions, and fluorescent side markers help make those positions visible from the playing side.

The neck has a modern C-shaped profile, measuring 21 mm thick at the first fret and 23 mm at the twelfth. Its compound fingerboard radius runs from 305 mm to 406 mm, or 12 to 16 inches. Harley Benton lists a 42 mm nut width and a 648 mm scale length, equivalent to 25.5 inches. These dimensions describe a familiar full-scale layout, with a gradual change in fingerboard curvature along the neck.

There are 24 medium-jumbo stainless steel frets, each 2.7 mm wide, and a Graph Tech TUSQ XL nut. The double-action truss rod adjusts through a wheel. Stainless steel frets are a durable choice, while the adjustment wheel provides access at the neck rather than requiring a tool at the headstock. The available specifications do not state the factory setup measurements, so action and intonation should be checked on the individual guitar.

HSS electronics and tremolo

The pickup arrangement combines a Tesla Opus-1B Alnico 5 humbucker at the bridge with two Tesla VR-1BK Alnico 5 single-coil pickups in the middle and neck positions. A five-way switch selects the pickup combinations, while one volume control and one tone control handle the basic adjustments. A mini-switch provides coil splitting for the bridge humbucker.

This arrangement gives the guitar several pickup configurations without adding a complicated control layout. The buyer feedback is measured rather than uncritical: the pickups were considered usable, but potentially less satisfying to someone comparing them directly with higher-priced instruments. That is a subjective impression, not a finding that the pickups need replacement. The reviewer also pointed out that upgrading to premium pickups would raise the cost and may be unnecessary for many players.

The tremolo is a Babicz FCH 2-Point Special Z Series C full-contact design. Locking Jinho JN-07 machine heads are staggered and carry the Harley Benton logo. The guitar ships with coated Harley Benton HQS EL strings in.010 to.046 gauges, set up for standard E-A-D-G-B-E tuning. No gig bag or case is included.

What the player feedback suggests

The strongest positive point in the supplied buyer comment is the instrument's perceived natural resonance. The player also regarded the overall build quality favorably and argued that a more prestigious headstock name could lead some buyers to pay considerably more. That comparison is an opinion, not evidence that the Fusion-IV is identical to a particular higher-priced model.

For a prospective buyer, the more practical takeaway is to judge the guitar by its own construction, feel, sound, and price. Its roasted maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, stainless steel frets, locking tuners, and two-point Babicz tremolo make for a substantial feature set. The Tesla pickups may suit many uses as supplied; players with precise pickup preferences can evaluate them before deciding whether a change is worthwhile.

Verdict

The Harley Benton Fusion-IV HSS RW WM is a full-scale HSS guitar with a clearly specified neck, stainless steel frets, coil splitting, locking tuners, and a Babicz full-contact tremolo. The reported resonance and condition on arrival are encouraging, while the buyer's comments on the pickups offer a realistic reminder that taste varies. At a listed price of 471, it presents a detailed specification package, but the supplied information does not include a currency, independent measurements, or broader long-term reliability data. Try the pickups and tremolo in person if possible, and budget separately for a case, since neither a bag nor a case is included.