Harley Benton ST-80FR Holographic

Harley Benton ST-80FR Holographic review

The ST-80FR Holographic is a single-pickup electric guitar with a high-gloss, color-shifting finish, a Floyd Rose 1000 tremolo, and a roasted flamed maple neck. Its listed price is 311. The specification sheet describes a straightforward, performance-focused layout: one bridge humbucker, one volume control, and a 25.5-inch scale. There is no included bag or case.

Its finish is the first thing that separates it from a conventional solid-color guitar. Owners describe the holographic surface as changing color with the viewing angle, shifting among rainbow tones and sometimes appearing mainly orange, green, or blue. Black nickel hardware adds contrast. The body is American basswood, with no separate top listed.

Neck and fretwork

The bolt-on neck is made from roasted Canadian flamed maple, paired with a rosewood fingerboard. Its asymmetric C profile measures 20.5 mm at the first fret and 23.5 mm at the twelfth. That is not an especially thin, fast-feeling shape. One player compared it to some Strat-style necks and found it comfortable, while cautioning that buyers should not expect an extra-slim shred profile.

The fingerboard has dot inlays, glow-in-the-dark side markers, a compound radius that moves from 12 to 16 inches, and rounded edges. The 22 medium-jumbo stainless steel frets have rounded ends. Reports on the fretwork are notably positive: owners describe the frets as well leveled, polished, and comfortable at the edges. One reviewer noticed a very small gap between the fret ends and the fingerboard edge, but did not find it disruptive.

The guitar uses a double-action truss rod with a wheel adjustment. Owners report that their instruments arrived reasonably well set up, with one saying the neck required no truss rod adjustment and the tremolo was already close to parallel. Setup preferences differ, so string height and neck relief may still need adjustment after delivery.

Hardware and electronics

The bridge is a Floyd Rose 1000 locking tremolo. A positive report found that the guitar stayed in tune after aggressive tremolo use, with the owner judging the bridge a step above lower-cost licensed designs. Another player found it stiff before removing one spring and switching to lighter-gauge strings. A separate report mentioned a loose tremolo arm that was replaced. These accounts suggest that individual setup and hardware details deserve inspection rather than assuming every example behaves identically.

The main concern is string alignment. Several owners reported that both outer strings sat unusually close to the fingerboard edges, with one describing the low E string as nearly slipping off. Another owner found the strings aligned properly over the pickup poles and at a sensible distance from the fingerboard edges. That difference is important. Check the string path across the neck as soon as the guitar arrives, and contact the seller if either outside string appears likely to slip off during normal playing.

The bridge ground wire and volume-pot wiring also drew complaints. One report described the ground wire touching the tremolo springs and making noise. Two owners found the volume control wired in a way that caused noise when turned down. One traced the issue to the pickup and output connections being reversed at the pot and corrected it by swapping the wires. The volume knob itself was reported damaged on arrival in one case, with a replacement offered by customer support.

Electronics center on a single Tesla Plasma-X1 Alnico V bridge humbucker. One player found its clean tone clear and bright, while describing its driven sound as somewhat dark but defined. Another owner considered the pickup underwhelming and replaced it. There is only one volume control, so the guitar keeps its controls simple, but there is no neck pickup or tone control.

What to check before keeping it

• Inspect the string spacing at both edges of the fingerboard.
• Listen for noise from the bridge ground wire and test the volume control throughout its range.
• Check tremolo-arm fit, tuning stability, and the instrument's setup.

Factory strings are Elixir coated.010 to.046, and the listed tuning is standard E-A-D-G-B-E. Jinho J-02 tuners have a 15:1 ratio; some owners found them stiff to turn. The reported problems do not erase the consistent praise for the neck and fretwork, but they make a careful initial inspection worthwhile.

Verdict

The ST-80FR Holographic offers an eye-catching finish, a distinctive roasted maple neck, stainless steel frets, and a Floyd Rose 1000 at a listed price of 311. The strongest feedback concerns its appearance and fretwork. The main risk is sample-to-sample quality control, particularly string alignment and wiring. Buyers comfortable checking a new guitar, or arranging service if needed, may find a solid playing platform here. Anyone expecting flawless setup straight out of the box should inspect the instrument closely before settling in with it.