Harley Benton ST-80FR MN LH HH Black

Harley Benton ST-80FR MN LH HH Black review

The ST-80FR MN LH HH Black is a left-handed, six-string ST-style guitar aimed at players who want a Floyd Rose-equipped instrument without moving into a higher price bracket. It has a high-gloss black finish, a basswood body and a bolt-on roasted Canadian flamed maple neck. The listed price is 332, and the model has been available since September 2025. Neither a case nor a gig bag is included.

Its feature list is ambitious for this part of the market. The 648 mm scale, 22 stainless steel frets, compound-radius fingerboard and pair of Tesla Plasma-X1b Alnico V humbuckers make it a purpose-built rock guitar. The key question from the available owner feedback is whether the tremolo hardware matches the quality of the neck and finish. Reports suggest that it may be the instrument's most significant compromise.

Build quality and neck

The body is made from American basswood, with no added top, and the finish is glossy black. One owner praised the paint quality and overall appearance, while another described the wood quality and general construction as very good. These are individual impressions rather than a guarantee that every example will be identical, but they point to a strong first impression for the price.

The roasted Canadian maple neck has an asymmetrical C profile, measuring 20.5 mm at the first fret and 23.5 mm at the twelfth. Its roasted maple fingerboard has rounded edges, dot inlays and glow-in-the-dark side markers. The heel and body contours are shaped for easier access and a more comfortable fit against the player. The double-action truss rod is adjusted with a wheel at the neck joint, a practical detail noted positively by an owner.

The compound fingerboard radius runs from 305 to 406 mm, or 12 to 16 inches. This gives the neck a rounder feel near the nut and a flatter surface higher up. The 43 mm nut width and 648 mm scale are familiar dimensions for this style of guitar. An owner found the neck comfortable and relatively easy to play.

Frets and hardware

Harley Benton fits 22 medium-jumbo stainless steel frets, each 2.9 mm wide, with rounded ends. Feedback on the fretwork was especially strong: one player called it flawless, while another considered it better than average for the price category. The same owner noted that the frets could extend closer to the fingerboard edges. That is a minor reservation, but worth checking in person if fret-end placement is important to you.

The guitar uses Jinho J-02 tuning machines with the Harley Benton logo and a 15:1 gear ratio. The hardware is chrome-plated, and the factory string set is Elixir coated.010,.046. The tremolo is a Floyd Rose 1000. Here the feedback is sharply divided from the praise for the neck and finish. One owner reported a loose, noisy tremolo arm and poor-quality springs, and felt the unit's construction and stability fell short of expectations. Another said the arm noise could be addressed with a small spring in the tremolo cavity.

Those comments do not establish how every unit will behave, but they make the tremolo the main point to inspect before buying. Check the arm's fit, listen for unwanted noise, and confirm that the bridge returns to pitch as expected after use. Players who rely heavily on the tremolo should give this hardware more scrutiny than the guitar's strong fretwork and finish might initially suggest.

Pickups and controls

Two Tesla Plasma-X1b Alnico V humbuckers provide the HH pickup layout. A single volume control and a single tone control keep the electronics straightforward. One owner said the pickups met expectations and sounded good, while another found them noisier than desired despite liking their tone. That difference may reflect individual expectations and playing setups, so treat the reports as useful context rather than a definitive noise measurement.

The controls drew a more specific criticism: one reviewer found the potentiometers very stiff and the tone control's response uneven rather than smooth. Replacing a potentiometer to suit personal preference is a relatively simple modification, according to that owner, but it is still an extra consideration for buyers who expect an effortless control feel straight from the box.

Verdict

The ST-80FR MN LH HH Black brings together features that are not easy to find in a reasonably priced left-handed guitar: a roasted maple neck, compound-radius fingerboard, stainless steel frets, two humbuckers and a Floyd Rose 1000. Owner feedback supports the case for its comfortable neck, careful fretwork and attractive finish. The tremolo receives the most serious criticism, while the pickups and controls have smaller, more personal caveats.

For a left-handed player looking for an '80s-style rock guitar, the spec sheet is compelling. It is best suited to someone willing to inspect the tremolo closely and accept that the pots may not feel ideal. Buyers who need consistently quiet pickups or dependable tremolo performance should test those areas before committing. The overall package looks strong, but the hardware concerns keep it from being an automatic recommendation.