Harley Benton CLP-15ME Solid Wood

[Smeigel_12000]

Hi all,

I'm Michiel. This is my first post here, though I've been reading as a guest for many years. So I finally decided to register, also because I'm orientating on a new acoustic.

Recently, while surfing on the Thomann website looking for a new acoustic, I came across this "Harley Benton CLP-15ME Solid Wood". An all solid 12 fret guitar with fishman preamp for just 299,-?? How is that even possible. Sound almost to good to be true. So does anyone have experience with this particular model? I'm familiar with Harley Benton but wasn't aware they built all solid guitars now.

Love to hear your opinions (based on real experiences)

[robroy]

Hello and welcome, I do not have any experience with that model but I have no doubt it is a good value guitar. I recently bought their tele clone TE-52 that is incredible especially for the price.

With Thomann you can always return the product if you're not completely satisfied. So read the reviews and specs and decide if it is what you're looking for. I don't think you can go wrong !

[Sir strumalot]

This guy seems very happy:
https://thefretboard.co.uk/discussio...15me-solidwood

Thomann seem to be pretty honest with the reviews on their site, so I would have a goods read of them.

[Smeigel_12000]

Thanks for the link! I didn't find that one myself yet.

[rdamato]

Thomann has it on sale for $205.00 US

[Smeigel_12000]

Really? here in holland it's still E299,- and available within 2-3 weeks.

[beatcomber]

Originally Posted by rdamato

Thomann has it on sale for $205.00 US

I’m seeing it for $266US.
https://www.thomannmusic.com/harley_..._solidwood.htm

[67goat]

They are able to do it at a lower price point than most others because they have eliminated one of the profit centers out of the equation.

Harley Benton is owned by Thomann and sold nowhere else (other than their US Reverb store). A normal manufacturer that has guitars made in inexpensive Asian factories have three profit centers to deal with. The factory needs to make money. The brand needs to make money. And the retailer needs to make money. There is usually about a doubling in price at each of those points (give or take depending on agreements and order size). So a guitar that costs the factory $50 dollars to make ends up costing about $400. Factory doubles price to $100 to make profit. Brand sells to retailer at $200 so they make a profit. The retailer then sells for $400 (before discounts and negotiation).

In some cases it might only be a 50% increase instead of 100%, or somewhere in between. But in general, that's how the formula works. In this case the brand and retailer are one, so they can sell a $400 guitar for $200 and still make the same profit a normal brand would make.

Also, that guitar is all okoume (neck, top, back and sides). Without getting into whether it is a good wood to use or not, it is much more inexpensive wood than the woods you normally find in an all solid acoustic.

[rdamato]

Originally Posted by Smeigel_12000

Really? here in holland it's still E299,- and available within 2-3 weeks.

Originally Posted by beatcomber

I’m seeing it for $266US.
https://www.thomannmusic.com/harley_..._solidwood.htm

https://www.thomannmusic.com/harley_...e_clp_15me.htm

[67goat]

Originally Posted by rdamato

https://www.thomannmusic.com/harley_...e_clp_15me.htm

That is a different guitar. Same body size/shape, but that one is not all solid wood and has laminated sapele back and sides (vs the solid okoume on the other version).