Harley Benton Acoustics Review - CLD-41S / CLJ-412E / CLP-15ME

These three acoustic guitars are clearly VERY different from each other. All three of them can completely convince us in their category, independent of the pricing... once you look at the price tag, your jaw just HAS to drop!
Here are some links for you...
CLD-41S Acoustic
www.thomann.de...
CLP-15ME Acoustic (Parlor)
www.thomann.de...
CLJ-412E NT (12 String)
www.thomann.de...
Gear from this video at Sweetwater:
Here is tons of stuff I use in my videos...
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[@a-fox]

After watching this video I clicked the link and ordered the CLD-41S (Dec 14). It arrived here in the states in about 2 weeks.(Dec 30). Upon first inspection of the package I feared the worst as the box was heavily damaged. However the box within was in good condition. Even though I have heard how good these guitars are I was expecting to be disappointed. At first glance I was very pleased. The tuners are in line and the only blemish is a little spec on the back and I believe a slight buffing of the area will fix that. I have guitars that range from $700 to $5000 and when I played this, right out of the box, it sounded and felt more like a 3 to 4 k guitar than what it cost. You can actually hear each string ring out. Not sure what all the parts of the guitar are constructed of or how this guitar will hold up over time but it is by far the best purchase I have made and I plan on ordering a few more of these for my students

[@silverben8495]

Awesome playing, invite him more often. His sense of humor goes right along yours.

[@klaas5282]

The part on the 12 string starting at 16:42 was just amazing. I've been listening to it for many times now. I ordered one because of it!

[@marcohermans3207]

Nicolaas Jan , me too. I've bought the 12 string because of this song to be honest. I know this tune but don't know the artist. The guitar is great for the price.

[@FoxMulder22]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fHfMYYeuZ56Za5I I bought it

[@SmugSuspenders]

Yeah, this Nils guy is awesome, he should be world famous :p

[@heyddkxl7606]

How did it turn out?

[@MacDeece]

5 minutes into the video and I’ve already subbed! You guys are so funny and I love the way you are completely uncensored and lively, something you don’t get with any other guitar channel! Your English is excellent by the way! 👍

[@LeeLucas]

Got to pause here to say that was an absolute brilliant job by Nils on the CLD-41S.

[@LeeLucas]

Great review guys and I do love the CLD-41S out of the 3 here.

[@mich0008]

nooooo! it was brilliant on all guitars, that guy knows what playing guitar means!

[@mikethehitmanpowell]

it looks like a martin 45

[@mikethehitmanpowell]

sorry d-45

[@macs7641]

D-41

[@Squazzoo68]

How do they do it?!?!? I have a Harley Benton CL King TVNT Jumbo & I like it better than my Takamine and my Taylor! I wanted to buy that HB 12 string ya got there, but it was discontinued at the time. Instead I got a Fender Tim Armstrong Hellcat 12 string, which is nice, but doesn't sound near as nice as that HB. Also the Fishman Isis is my FAVORITE acoustic pickup system. So easy to dial in, & the Tuner is so precise & amazing! Harley Benton does it again

[@matthewwilliamson3127]

That 12 string was absolutely beautiful. It actually gave me chills

[@MacDeece]

5 minutes into the video and I’ve already subbed! You guys are so funny and I love the way you are completely uncensored and lively, something you don’t get with any other guitar channel! Your English is excellent by the way! 👍 you even did ASMR before it was popular when you ate the granola bar in front of the mic! This is the only video I’ve watched so far, but I already know I’m gonna love your channel!

[@roberttrifts2737]

Just so that you -- and Thomann -- are clear? I bought this guitar from Thomann because of this video.

[@michaelmendillo7513]

It a year since you bought it,,,,are you happy with your purchase ?

[@roberttrifts2737]

@@michaelmendillo7513 My son likes the guitar (the 12 string) a lot. No complaints there at all - though the string action was a tad high (you can fix that of course). The annoying thing was the shipping box. It's not exactly well packed. I got it for him as a gift, so it added some "oh shit" worries when he opened it that contributed unnecessary angst to the moment. I wanted to buy a Safe Case 80 Acoustic from Thomann and have them put the guitar in that case for shipping (and then put the case back in the case box) to ship it as one box to Canada. They wouldn't do that." Voids their warranty with their mftr" they say. So not only is the shipping box flimsy, the extra shipping cost for 2 boxes instead of 1 is $70 more to Canada. Thomann needs to figure that out. I wasn't happy with that.

[@limerot]

Nice 12 string. When you mount only the octave strings on a six-string guitar, it is called 'nashville tuning'. It can be done on both electric and acoustic guitars. Daddario sells dedicated octave string sets, think GHS, too.

[@chrisdickson6071]

Great review. I have a CLD-41s and I love it.

[@tgreaker]

Thank you Nils! I Love your playing!

[@arno-luyendijk4798]

I am stunned once more by these HB acoustics. My absolute favorite remains the jumbo Harley Benton HB Custom Line King-CE NT, but these dreadnoughts certainly are not inferior to that one. I love the rinkle of all of them. And that CLP-15ME is supposed to have a planky sound? It sounds ridiculously good!

[@morphy3332]

I have the 12 string, it plays and sounds fantastic,great clarity for the price-point,cheers for the review.

[@maneezranzeetkar8100]

20:37 onwards and at 20:42 it sounded so full and round! Loved it.

[@BadMotivator66]

these guitars sound great! it looks like these bentons are really hard to beat for the price! i'd be tempted to sell my more expensive acoustics, buy a benton, and get another guitar with the leftover cash XD

[@Steven-Duffy]

Thats what alot of people are doing 💯 🤷 I'm a big Hb fan. I have this guitar in walnut in electro version and straight acoustic. Love them 💕

[@osamabinladen824]

@@Steven-Duffy How do they compare to Yamahas?

[@Steven-Duffy]

@@osamabinladen824 Harly Bentons are fantastic guitars for the money 💰 but I've actually turned into a big Yamaha fan. I own 2 beutiful Yamahas now. All solid tonewoods. They are dream machines. You never get a bad Yamaha. I would recommend spending a little more to get a Yamaha with solid back and sides rather then laminate. You always get double with Yamaha and excellent build quality and tone👌 I sold all my harley bentons as I'm rekindling my passion I'm getting a thirst for top craftsmanship at a reasonable price. The big brands are getting left behind with some great bang for your buck all solid guitars. If you need any help don't hesitate to ask ask.

[@TheGuitarModder]

the parlour guitar was sweet as

[@snorrevonflake]

non of my parlour size guitars sounds thin twangy, not so speak of shitty, thats a really stupid comment

[@JazzManMilan]

It seems that Thomann has stopped making some of the these guitars you showed us in this and other acoustic videos. Any chance on seeing some content on the new models? Keep up the great work!! Nice playing Nils :)

[@Schmidteren]

Harley Benton GS-Travel-E vs CLP-15ME ? :) The travel is 100 euro less. And with carrying bag. It has v neck, but 2 mm less wide. And is smaller? :) Would love a comparison.

[@tantricpanda]

great review guys thank you. and wonderful playing by Nils.

[@BenjaminKanarek]

I just received my CLJ-412E NT today and it is gorgeous!

[@stonekeeper1979]

Great and funny demonstration!Nils plays guitar amazing,it was a pleasure to listening! 👍We need more rewies like this! 🎉

[@mihkelmaidla2126]

My favorite you ask? (maybe you dont. just saying then) The CLP15ME. Maybe this is my headphones. Is there compression on mics or its just straight no proccesing and just panned

[@Robert_Fordin]

I got CLD-41 from 2020. Awesome value.

[@michaelmendillo7513]

Great Playing Shorty ! Very Nice Indeed ! 😜👍💕

[@davemoir7197]

The CL 41 echoes the Martin D41 I guess - but what a competitive price for a working guitar!

[@TonyHawkTuah]

I like this guys playing !

[@janminor1172]

i seriously considered buying all three of them for a short moment... they all sounded nice in their own way. It sure helps that Nils is a great player and the room sounds good, they won't sound as impressive in my hands and in my room :( Love your acoustic guitar videos with Nils, although they always give me serious GAS. How was the action on the dreadnaught?

[@themplar]

Thank you very much! I hope you make a few more of these accoustic HB videos. This one already helped me alot, i liked all but a dreadnought would be more my thing.

[@chrismurray2978]

CLD is custom line dreadnought 41 is because it looks like a Martin D 41, S is short for solid wood meaning the top and sides are not layers of plywood, but one piece wood panels, any other letters mean the type of wood the back and sides are, eg M is for mahogany, WN is for walnut , and R is for rosewood.Oh. and I think Might be for cutaway? Who knows with these guitars? It sounds like cat names to me!

[@grene1955]

I just received my CLJ-412E, and it's awesome! Plays great, sound fantastic. Action is good, though I might try to lower it just a bit, but not complaining! The guitar is flawless as far as I can tell. The neck is thin and very playable. The fit and finish are top notch. Fretwork is perfect. This is my second HB guitar, pretty sure it won't be my last!

[@fabioformisano3389]

As usual your videos are funny and useful. Do you have any discount code available for these guitars? I am interested in the CLJ 412 E NT

[@davidbayley4725]

The Harley Benton 12 looks great Henning.

[@marcohermans3207]

Very good video. An honest review ,no bullshit. Nils skills let these guitars shine. I already have the CLD-41SE. Now I've ordered de CLJ-412 for playing that iconic 12 string songs. For the price these guitars are unbeatable. Soundwise they perform at a higher price range. Maybe you have to tweak the saddle height a bit or adjust the neck a little but that's the same with guitars from Major brands. If the name what is on the headstock is not important for you I can only say, buy it, you won't regret. Sure there are better guitars available but you will pay a lot more money for a little improvement in de bass sound. Experiment with other strings. Thank you for the review.

[@simontschigg3553]

Alles super Gitarren :) Was ich mal sagen muss... die sollten mal echt ihr Logo überarbeiten, das sieht viel billiger aus, als die Gitarren klingen...

[@nicobeats9766]

Tatsächlich ist das der einzige Grund warum ich mir bisher keine HB gekauft habe fande nämlich das frühere Logo absolut billig und grässlich. Aber das neue ist doch ok, ist halt n baton rouge klon.

[@colboysigmax]

You guys should work together more often! Not only informative but very entertaining!

[@RadioFreeJoe]

The song 25:46 is beautiful!

[@overthehillcheapgearnoodle9990]

Henning, I agree with Nils. I want all three! All of them are great and the price. Wow! I paid more money, about 40 years ago for a name brand guitar that was really nice and probably about the same quality! I love Thomann! It was nice to hear some Floyd on the 12 string. Thanks!

[@jeanerswow]

David Bowie only played 12-string acoustic guitars, there's not a single picture where the acoustic is not a 12 string. Lovely sounds btw!

[@jareyes2012]

These are incredible. For someone like me, who doesn't play acoustic regularly, I can afford all 3 and still sound decent to a bar crowd or myself in my home.

[@Terribleguitarist89]

16:23 jokes on you, 12 strings are the only acoustics I usually play lol

[@adhamchahdi1106]

my only love

[@jesuscarranza3039]

When he said the guitar has a very crunchy sound I died laughing 😂 Henning your channel is fucking awesome.

[@LukeGreck]

Great demo :) Keep up the awesome work Henning! Also... first

[@bjarkenielsen8515]

My guess is: S= spruce top M= mahogany top 2= double strings (12 strings) 2E = double strings AND electric

[@colmwatulikededazio973]

guys ,you nailed it with this great treble review. lovely playing Nils and excellent choice of instruments.\It would make me take Nils advice and go get the three..Sweet .

[@mattniekamp8044]

How much American TV do you guys watch in a week? I think more than the average American does LOL😂 great job on the reviews and always seems to be very straightforward with your assessment on the guitars.

[@once-and-future]

Parlor-sized guitars also are nice for overdubs or layering since they have a very distinct timbre

[@Rolf_D]

Great Video, I bought the 12 string after this, what a great guitar, thanks a lot, but what Mic do you use for this recording?

[@EytschPi42]

Oktave MK012, two of them in a M/S configuration... links should be under the video

[@johnlaxodsfinter6151]

Después de escuchar al de las gafas diciendo tonterías ha sido reconfortante oír el toque del otro menda. Buena guitarra, por cierto.

[@Gigirizzolihhhhyyy]

what sogn at 9,30?

[@nikolacvetkovic2276]

Hi, really great review. Could You please review this - Harley Benton CLF-200 NT?

[@scottmitchell1861]

HB makes outstanging guitars for pennies. My first was a 12 string. Looove it. Waiting for my sc ii pr.

[@leetaylor7543]

Good sounding instruments...love the 12 string. How about doing something on the Harley Benton electric 12 please. Plus we really need a Thomann warehouse in the States.

[@VegetableHero]

bought myself a clp-15me today

[@barryjonkers2706]

Me too today! ;-)

[@ashish-id6nx]

Me 2

[@DanielJMBA]

I'm looking to buy one soon, what are your thoughts on it?

[@marctestarossa]

all the time 12-string player here

[@noltadthehungry1241]

Lead belly mainly used a 12 string

[@kevincarlos973]

20:03 That is the best description of high action I have ever seen

[@stuartraphael4]

Seid ihr euch sicher, dass das die Mahagony Parlor ist? Der Link führt auf die Parlor aus Okume und im Video sieht das für mich im Vergleich zu den Thomann Bildern eher nach der Okume Parlor aus

[@lovewalruss]

Nice reviews and made me smile!

[@virgilrw]

Wow! This demo video sounds incredible! ☆☆☆☆☆ Harley Benton #Rules!

[@beltleary1]

Hi Henning, Great acoustic Review ! Nils was Awesome bye the way ! Any chance you Can you do a review of the Harley Benton HB Custom Line CLD-10SCE-12BKS ?

[@HC_GUITAR]

Brilliant review from both of you. Henning you should come to scotland and do stand up because you are so much funnier than all the guys we have here. :)

[@FloridaManRacer]

25:49- This exact type of Blues Jam is exactly why I'm looking for a parlor guitar... (a la pre-war Martin/Gibson) It might not give me that full Martin/Gibson sound, but it sure heads you in the right direction for a lot less cost...

[@1barrycollins]

This is a superb review. Thank you.

[@cropster92]

Nice Video! 19:33 it's called the nashville tuning in believe. can you do a test on the 350€ all solid Harley Benton? I recently bought one and I really like it, not as good sounding as my Taylor, but a nice different sounding guitar.

[@eddyj3862]

Has anybody noticed the Spirit Orbs around short Nils? they are all around him and must like his playing.

[@mikaelzerbib]

greatest adapted demos!

[@Big.E]

Great demonstrations of very nice affordable acoustics. But a heap load of fun to. Loved this :+)

[@thefrost2005]

Nothing beats a parlor of you know how to play

[@KentaurTV]

Super Seite! Hab mir jetzt die HB Semi Hollow ES 35 schenken lassen. Klavierlackschwarz und super verarbeitet! Kene Beanstandung. Nicht mal die Mechanik lässt Wünsche offen. Winderschönes Teil und ein geiler Sound für Blues und Jazz! Und egal, ob ich mir eine Akkustik Gitarre holen möchte oder nicht- Deine (Eure) Performance ist es wert, sich alles anzusehen. Danke für das super Entertainment!

[@19Mikey74]

I Like the 12String, probably my 1st in the near future. Great Review ;)

[@telboy1966manu]

Great video...and some lovely playing too it must be said

[@greggoso600]

i know this is old af but the parlor guitar review didnt really make it justice: the strings the guitar comes with (at least now) are like 13s or something like that, the ones youre using here are way too thin and dont have enough tension due to the shorter scale length, you can tell by the way the guitar goes out of tune just by pressing on the frets a bit more just putting it out there

[@zoransandorovmusic1794]

Hello dear Henning.Have you tried Harley benton custom king jumbo acoustic.I saw couple of decent reviews on you tube,and it seems like a very good guitar,but i want to hear it from you,coz i highly appreciate your oppinion.Best regards

[@jakesmethurst5699]

Just got one of the cold 41s an amazing guitar. My only gripe is how narrow the neck is I'm used too abit of a wider neck (tend too play Jumbo's ) but what a guitar it is for the money

[@Steven-Duffy]

Hey 👋 Which 41 did you get? Ive got the walnut version coming tomorrow. They stopped making the Rosewood

[@WolfmanAndy]

19:14 It that "Nashville tuning"?

[@purplerocket666]

Now i need a Nils accoustic album.

[@robertwhitham5109]

+1 purplerocker666 I am in complete agreement.

[@ony1952]

Gordon Lightfoot Canadian performer (Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald) use a 12 string often.

[@michaellynch1589]

Just ordered the cld 41s on the strength of this. Its sound sooooooo good

[@thilokaal]

Leck mich fett! Gitarre klingt sehr schick..... wird aber vor allem sehr gut gespielt! Respekt, Nils!

[@estebangranados4949]

There is any actual difference between a solid top harley benton, and for example, a taylor with the same woods(114)? I've looking acoustic guitars and i don't understand what makes a "good" acoustic guitar. Are you paying 400 more for the quality guarantee of being a good brand guitar, slightly better finish/hardware and the fact of being made in mexico instead of china, or there something more i'm missing? Let's say i can afford the taylor, considering thomman has 3 year guarantee in case i get a bad harley benton, does it makes sense to buy the taylor?

[@daveydoodle1916]

I’ll take the Harley!!! Great ta hear a guy they plays well sample the guitars!!!

[@GuitarAnthony]

Didn't Ibanez use the same inlays on some of their acoustics that the 12 string has?

[@adrianna_13]

Did someone of you ever try the CLD 30SCM? How is this one compared to the 41S?

[@newtontheforcerercrunk4412]

What is that Kind of music called, that Nils is playing? Great Review Greetings

[@alessandrogarzelli7039]

What about the parlor neck shape? What does "modified oval C" mean? Usually parlors have V shaped necks. (and they are hard to play for this...compared to normal C shape acoustic necks)

[@Vincegpz500]

I play 12 string more often than any other. Electric & Acoustic.

[@viperBSG]

Does HB make a 6-String of the CLJ-412E?

[@andreabaloo2523]

What this the name of the song that you played with 12 string? Great video!

[@shaunm1983]

Great playing and very funny good review

[@TheRusolandia]

Gracias al vídeo compré la cld-41. Podrías recomendar un clavijero para hacerle un upgrade? Gracias de antemano

[@stefangraf7540]

First Guitar, i missed the basses .....in my opinion it sounds cheaper as it is.....

[@SantiagoAyoso]

S41 sounds great. Good video

[@Edward1312]

Well done guys for delivering this excellent review in your second language. Can only admire your English language skills. You also prove German's do have a sense of humour!

[@cjtheclaimed6757]

Yo, Henning I really enjoy hearing you slip into german. As a german myself I enjoy it XD props Herr Henning

[@designandsing]

I have a CLD-41 and I would like to know how good the CLD-30 is. Could you try it? Thank you very much.

[@petertep7844]

Wow the Harley Benton tone is insane for a cheap guitar

[@kevincarlos973]

24:49 Dog in the background stretching to the rhythm of the boogie the beat

[@DeKiewicz]

Have U done a review of the  1 Harley Benton GS-Travel-E Mahogany . And if not, would U do it)) Would love to hear a pro opinion etc, just like many of your other videos