Harley Benton SC-550 Plus Fluence FTF

Harley Benton SC-550 Plus Fluence FTF review

The Harley Benton SC-550 Plus Fluence FTF is a single-cut electric guitar listed at 475, with a set neck, an AA flamed maple top, and a pair of Fishman Fluence Open Core Classic humbuckers. The supplied field feedback describes a well-built, lightweight guitar with a comfortable neck, and calls out the range of sounds available from the pickup voices. Those impressions give a useful starting point, while the detailed specifications show how the guitar is put together.

Its body is made from okoume, topped with AA flamed maple. The finish is Faded Tobacco Flame in high gloss, with ivory-colored binding and white pearloid trapezoid inlays. The maple top is reported to be solid AA maple rather than a veneer, a noteworthy detail for buyers comparing construction at this price. The available feedback describes the guitar as light, though no instrument weight is provided.

Neck, fingerboard, and hardware

The nyatoh neck is set into the body and shaped to a 1960-C profile. Its stated thickness is 20.5 mm at the first fret and 22.5 mm at the 12th, with a 42 mm graphite nut. The roasted jatoba fingerboard has a 305 mm radius and 22 medium-jumbo stainless-steel frets measuring 2.7 mm. Field feedback calls the neck comfortable, but there is no detailed account of fret finishing or setup, so those points are best checked on the specific instrument.

The listed scale length appears in two forms in the supplied specifications: 628 mm in the overview and 629 mm, or 24.75 inches, in the detailed section. That small discrepancy is worth noting rather than treating either value as definitive. The bridge is a WSC LP17 Tune-O-Matic, and the guitar has no tremolo. Nickel hardware and WSC Schaller-style J07 LKF locking tuners complete the hardware specification.

Fishman Fluence controls and voices

The bridge position uses a Fishman Fluence Open Core Classic CHB-BN1 humbucker, while the neck position has a CHB-NN1. Each pickup has its own volume control. Separate tone controls serve the bridge and neck pickups, and both include push-pull switching: the bridge tone control selects Voice 3, while the neck tone control selects Voice 2. A three-way toggle switch selects the pickup configuration.

That arrangement gives the player direct control over each pickup's level and access to the specified alternate voices without adding a separate bank of switches. The field report says the owner is having fun exploring the pickup voices, but it does not identify specific tonal results or music styles. For a buyer, the practical point is the control layout: the extra voices are available from the tone knobs, and the three-way selector remains familiar to anyone used to a two-humbucker guitar.

What the specifications and feedback suggest

The combination of a set nyatoh neck, roasted jatoba fingerboard, stainless-steel frets, locking tuners, and Fishman Fluence pickups makes this a feature-rich specification. The feedback is especially positive about the build, weight, and neck comfort, and describes it as perhaps the strongest classic single-cut option in its price range. That last judgment is one player's opinion, not a comparative test across competing models.

The guitar ships with D'Addario EXL-110 strings in.010,.046 gauge. No case or gig bag is included, so buyers should account for that if they need protection for transport or storage. The product is listed as available since September 2026, with item number 632184. Pricing is given as 475, without a currency specified in the supplied data.

Verdict

The Harley Benton SC-550 Plus Fluence FTF brings together a solid AA flamed maple top, a comfortable-profile set neck, stainless-steel frets, locking tuners, and Fishman Fluence humbuckers with two selectable alternate voices. The reported light feel and strong build add to its appeal, while the independent pickup controls provide useful flexibility. The main caveats in the available information are the lack of an included bag or case and the slight mismatch between the two stated scale lengths. Based on the supplied specifications and field impressions, it is a compelling option for players seeking a classic single-cut layout with expanded pickup switching at the listed price.