Harley Benton JA-20HH Active SBK

Je possédais déjà une copie de strat avec un manche en V et une Harley Benton SC450 plus avec un manche en C. J'ai acheté cette JA20HH pour essayer des micros actifs et d'autres formes de manches et de corps.
La guitare est plutôt légère. Le corps asymétrique en forme de JazzMaster-Jaguar est confortable. Le manche en modern C est confortable également, j'ai de grandes mains et il y a des morceaux qui passent mieux sur cette guitare que sur la SC450. Il faut s'habituer au toucher du roseacer, bien différent du palissandre.
Sans avoir aucune notion de ce que donnent des micros de renom (EMG, DiMarzio etc...), ceux du JA20HH sont une bonne introduction pour apprendre à apprivoiser des micros actifs. Pour faire bref, ça crache et ça fait plaisir.
Niveau lutherie, il y a une ou deux frettes où ça frise mais c'est très très léger. L'action est réglée un peu haute mais ça se corrige facilement moyennant achat des petits accessoires de réglage. Pas de problème de mise à la terre.

Another kick@$$ entry in Thomann's series of Jim Root-inspired metal guitars with everything you need & nothin' you don't! This is my Mean Metal Jag!!

I've bought literally dozens of Harley Benton electric guitars & basses over the last couple years. I've rarely been disappointed. You just can't go wrong here. I love this 'dark mode' aesthetic and prefer fretboards to be clean with no inlays. Mine arrived with an extremely dry fretboard and drank in copious amounts of lemon oil. I applied it, scrubbed it in and let it soak for a good long time. Once that was done, she played smooth & sweet and I encountered none of the grounding issues I've read about with these models due to the painted bridge preventing grounding.

The 2 HBZ Active humbuckers absolutely weaponize this guitar! While I'm not going to say they're the equal of EMG's 60 & 81 or EMG 85 (or 89) & 81 sets but they're damned close! Especially for the price of entry. If you find yourself unfulfilled and cannot abide these HBZ 'alternatives' to the real thing, simply pay for the guitar now and start putting cash aside for the upgrade, which will likely double the cost of this guitar. Even then, this guitar would come in among the least expensive metal guitars worth owning & still be a smoking deal!!

In the long run, my recommendation would be to do just that: Buy one of these fine instruments, get it setup professionally (or learn to do it at a professional level yourself), install a set of locking tuners (perfectly good sets can be had for under $50. Less if you know where to look.) Buy your preferred brand/set of active pickups whether they're OG EMGs or Fishman Fluences, Duncan actives, etc. and you're good to go. Go play the hell out of it & soak it in the sweat of a million chugs.

Personally, I also installed a brass nut, a momentary kill-switch a la Buckethead and a second battery box to be able to run @ 18V. To each his own. Unleash your imagination. Doowutchyalike. (RIP Shock G.)

It's an excellent instrument & an excellent value, ESPECIALLY at this price-point! It makes a great mod platform. Make it yours! Remember the Metalman's Creed: 'This is my Mean Metal Jag. There are many others like it, but this one is mine. My Mean Metal Jag is my best friend. It is my life.'