Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus HH VT RM

Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus HH VT RM review

The Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus HH VT RM is a solid-body electric guitar with two humbucking pickups, a push-pull coil-split control, and a VegaTrem VT1 Ultratrem STD steel tremolo. Its listed price is 427. The specifications also list September 2026 as its availability date and identify it as item 613679. No customer reviews are available, so this assessment is based on the supplied specifications rather than playing impressions.

Body, finish, and hardware

The body is American alder, finished in high-gloss Rootbeer Metallic. No separate top is listed. A three-ply tortoiseshell pickguard adds a contrasting detail, while the chrome hardware matches the chrome covers on the pickups. The guitar has a reverse headstock and staggered machine heads.

The tremolo is identified in the detailed specifications as a Vegatrem VT1 Ultratrem STD made of steel. The shorter summary calls it a Vega Trem. Both descriptions point to a tremolo-equipped design, but the provided information does not specify the range of pitch movement, setup, or included adjustment tools. The guitar ships with Elixir coated strings in.010 to.046 gauge. No bag or case is included.

Neck and fretboard

The bolt-on neck is made from roasted Canadian flamed maple and includes a laurel skunk stripe. The fretboard is maple. The general materials list describes the neck and fretboard as caramelized Canadian maple, while the more detailed construction notes specify roasted Canadian flamed maple for the neck and maple for the fingerboard. Those descriptions are consistent with a treated maple neck and maple playing surface, though the exact treatment terminology differs between the listings.

The neck has a Modern C profile, measuring 20.5 mm thick at the first fret and 22.5 mm at the twelfth. Its 42 mm nut is graphite. A double-action truss rod is adjusted with a wheel, a layout that places the adjustment mechanism at the neck rather than requiring access through the headstock. The specifications do not state where that wheel sits.

The fretboard has a compound radius of 305 to 406 mm, equivalent to 12 to 16 inches. It is flatter toward the higher frets than at the lower end of the neck. The guitar has 22 medium-jumbo stainless-steel frets, each listed as 2.9 mm wide, with rounded edges. Rounded fingerboard edges are also specified. Dot inlays mark the fret positions, and fluorescent side markers are intended to remain visible from the player's position in dimmer conditions.

Scale length is 648 mm, or 25.5 inches. That is a standard full-length guitar scale, a relevant fit detail for players choosing strings or comparing fret spacing with another instrument.

Pickups and controls

The bridge position uses a Tesla CROW85b chrome humbucker, and the neck position uses a Tesla CROW-85n chrome humbucker. The control layout consists of one volume knob, one tone knob with a push-pull coil-split function, and a three-way pickup selector. Pulling the tone control splits the coils, according to the listed specifications. The documentation does not describe the resulting wiring options in detail, so the exact output and tonal difference cannot be established from the supplied data alone.

The two humbuckers give the guitar a pickup layout suited to players who want a bridge and neck option, while the split function adds a single-coil-style mode to the available control scheme. The specifications provide no pickup output measurements, magnet type, or switching diagram. Those details would be needed to compare its electronics closely with other HH guitars.

What the specifications establish

The strongest identifiable features are the roasted maple bolt-on neck, compound-radius maple fretboard, rounded stainless-steel frets, and push-pull coil split. The tremolo and full-length scale define the basic playing and setup configuration, while the alder body and two Tesla humbuckers complete the core build. These are concrete specification points, not evidence of how the guitar sounds or feels in use.

At 427, the listed price gives shoppers a figure to compare against other guitars with similar hardware and materials. The supplied data does not include weight, setup condition, country of manufacture, warranty, or a case. Buyers who need any of those details should confirm them with the seller before ordering. In particular, the absence of a supplied case or bag means transport protection would need to be sourced separately.

Verdict

The Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus HH VT RM has a clearly specified modern feature set: dual Tesla humbuckers, a coil-split control, a compound-radius maple fretboard, stainless-steel frets, and a steel VegaTrem unit. The available information supports a technical comparison, but it cannot substantiate claims about sound quality, tuning stability, comfort, or factory setup. With no customer reviews available, those points remain unverified.