Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS LH SP

Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS LH SP review

The Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS LH SP is a left-handed, ST-style electric guitar with a high-gloss Shell Pink finish and a flamed maple veneer top. At a listed price of 333, its specification includes a roasted maple neck, stainless steel frets, three Tesla pickups, locking tuners, and a two-point tremolo. Those details place it well beyond a bare-bones entry-level configuration, though the real test is how the instrument feels and behaves in use.

Player feedback is consistently positive about the setup, tuning stability, finish, and overall feel. One buyer reported receiving the guitar with its floating bridge properly adjusted, while others described it as easy to play and well finished. These are individual reports rather than guarantees about every instrument, but they point to a guitar whose appeal depends on more than its specification sheet.

Construction and neck feel

The body is made from American alder, with a flamed maple veneer on top. The bolt-on neck uses roasted, flamed Canadian maple, paired with a Canadian maple fingerboard. The Shell Pink finish is high gloss, and a three-ply mint green pickguard adds contrast. The listing does not give a weight figure, so claims about how light a particular example will feel should be treated as owner-specific impressions.

The neck has a D profile, measuring 20.5 mm thick at the first fret and 22.5 mm at the 22nd. Its 42 mm graphite nut and 648 mm scale are familiar dimensions for a full-scale electric guitar. The fingerboard radius changes from 305 mm to 406 mm, which is a compound radius. In practical terms, the flatter upper section is intended to leave room for bends and lower action, while the rounder area near the nut follows a more traditional curve.

There are 22 medium jumbo stainless steel frets with rounded ends. The fingerboard also has dot inlays and fluorescent side markers, plus rounded edges and an ergonomically shaped neck-to-body transition. One reviewer specifically praised the maple fingerboard and described the neck as a pleasure to play. That supports the guitar's comfort-focused design, although neck preference remains personal. A double-action truss rod, adjusted by a wheel, provides access for neck relief changes.

Pickups and controls

The HSS layout combines a covered Tesla VR-Nitro Alnico 5 humbucker at the bridge with Tesla TV-S1M and TV-S1N Alnico 5 single-coil pickups in the middle and neck positions. A five-way switch selects the pickup combinations. There is one volume control and one tone control, with a push-pull function that splits the bridge humbucker's coil.

Owner comments describe the humbucker as good quality and are also favorable about the single coils, with one buyer saying the guitar sounds wonderful. There are no detailed measurements or controlled comparisons in the supplied information, so those impressions cannot establish how the pickups perform against a specific reference guitar. Still, the configuration gives the player several pickup combinations, with the coil split adding another option from the bridge position.

Tremolo and tuning hardware

The Babicz FCH 2-Point Z-Series C full-contact tremolo is paired with Sung-Il ML-55 locking machine heads. The supplied strings are Elixir coated.010,.046. Several owners report that the guitar holds its tuning well, and the tremolo is described as responsive and working smoothly. One buyer noted that the bridge arrived set up as a floating tremolo. Together, these reports suggest that the bridge can be useful in regular playing, rather than serving as a feature to avoid. A floating setup can still need adjustment to match a player's preferred string gauge and tuning.

The hardware is listed as chrome, and there is no case or gig bag included. Buyers should factor in the cost of protection for transport, especially if the instrument will be carried to rehearsals or gigs.

Value and verdict

At 333, the ST-Modern Plus combines features that owners often associate with more expensive instruments, particularly stainless steel frets, a compound-radius fingerboard, locking tuners, and a full-contact tremolo. Reviewers describe the build and finish as clean, report no obvious defects on their examples, and praise the balance between price and quality. One comment mentions a bundle price of 349, but that is an individual purchase report and should not be taken as the current standard price.

The main practical limitation is straightforward: this is specifically a left-handed model, and it does not come with a case or gig bag. The finish and maple construction may also come down to individual taste. For a left-handed player seeking an HSS guitar with a broad feature set and positive owner feedback about playability and tuning, the Harley Benton ST-Modern Plus MN HSS LH SP looks like a strong value on paper. Its tremolo setup and comfortable neck are the most compelling parts of the package; a hands-on check remains the best way to judge whether the neck and pickup response suit your playing.