Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus HSS MOD w/Safe

Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus HSS MOD w/Safe: technical overview

Available since March 2026, the Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus HSS MOD w/Safe is listed at $366. Its specifications describe a right-handed, 25.5-inch-scale electric guitar with an alder body, a roasted Canadian maple neck, a rosewood fingerboard, and an HSS pickup layout. The package also includes a fitted bag. No customer reviews are available, so this assessment is limited to the stated construction and hardware rather than reported playing impressions.

The finish is Matte Olive Drab, with a single-ply black pickguard and black chrome-plated hardware. The body has no separate top. Harley Benton specifies American alder for the body and roasted Canadian flamed maple for the neck. These are concrete material and construction details, but the specifications do not give body dimensions, weight, or a measured description of the instrument's acoustic response.

Neck, fingerboard, and setup details

The neck uses a bolt-on joint and a smooth D profile. Its listed thickness increases from 20.5 mm at the first fret to 22.5 mm at the twelfth. The rosewood fingerboard has a compound radius that changes from 12 inches to 16 inches, equivalent to approximately 305 mm to 406 mm. The stated measurements define a relatively flatter radius toward the upper frets, though the figures alone cannot establish how the neck will feel in a player's hands.

There are 22 medium-jumbo stainless steel frets, each specified at 2.7 mm wide. Stainless steel is the stated fret material, while the maker also lists rounded fingerboard edges, dot inlays, and glow-in-the-dark side markers. A graphite nut measures 42 mm across. The double-action truss rod has a wheel for adjustment, a detail that places the adjustment point at the neck rather than requiring access through the headstock end. The supplied details do not specify a factory neck relief or action measurement.

The scale length is 648 mm, or 25.5 inches. The factory string set is Elixir Coated.010 to.046, and the specified standard tuning is E, A, D, G, B, E. These details offer a clear reference for the initial setup, although string feel and tuning stability will also depend on setup, playing style, and individual instrument tolerances.

HSS pickups and controls

The pickup configuration combines a Tesla VR-Nitro Alnico 5 open-coil humbucker at the bridge with two Tesla TV-S1 Alnico 5 single-coil pickups in the middle and neck positions. A five-way switch selects the available pickup combinations. The specifications identify the pickup models and magnet type, but provide no output readings or tonal measurements, so claims about volume, frequency response, or noise levels would go beyond the supplied information.

The control layout consists of one volume knob and one tone knob. The tone control has a push-pull function for coil splitting, giving the bridge humbucker an additional switching option. The description does not detail which coil remains active or how the split is wired with each five-way position. Buyers who need a specific switching map should confirm that information with the seller before purchase.

Tremolo, tuning hardware, and included bag

A Babicz FCH 2-point Z-Series C full-contact synchronized tremolo is fitted at the bridge. The guitar also has staggered machine heads. These are identifiable hardware choices, but the provided details do not state the tremolo's setup range, locking features, or the machine heads' gear ratio. The specifications likewise do not describe the bridge's adjustment procedure or include a setup sheet.

The included black bag has a Cordura outer material with contrast stitching and a scratch-resistant Velveleen interior with an embroidered design. Its 30 mm of padding is paired with adjustable neck pads, reinforced edges, abrasion-resistant floor protection, heavy-duty zippers, and metal fittings. A large padded accessory compartment, carrying handle, padded backpack straps, and rain cover are also listed. A hard case is not included.

What the specifications establish

At $366, this package combines a detailed neck specification, stainless steel frets, three named Tesla pickups, a two-point Babicz tremolo, and a substantially padded carrying bag. The technical listing is unusually specific about fret size, neck thickness, fingerboard radius, and the bag's protective features. It is less specific about weight, wiring behavior, setup measurements, and the practical performance of the hardware.

That distinction matters when assessing the guitar remotely. The materials and components can be checked against the listed description, but the available data cannot establish fretwork consistency, pickup balance, tremolo return-to-pitch performance, or the condition of an individual unit. With no customer feedback supplied, those points remain unverified. The model is best evaluated from its stated configuration and included accessories, with a hands-on inspection or a seller's setup details filling in the information the specification sheet leaves open.