Introduced in December 2024 along with other Harley Benton acoustic models, the CLO-70SR is an acoustic guitar in the brand's Custom Line series. It features an Orchestra format with an armrest designed to enhance playing comfort.
Materials and finish: what’s behind the Harley Benton CLO-70SR
The CLO-70SR from German manufacturer Harley Benton features a solid A-grade Canadian spruce top. Its back and sides are made of plywood and rosewood and feature beautiful patterns. A mahogany armrest is affixed to the top. It wonderfully blends with the 
The Nato neck is glued to the fourteenth fret and has a smooth “C” profile. The headstock and heel of the neck are attached; a one-piece neck would be too expensive to manufacture. The fingerboard is made of rosewood. It features a 14.9-inch radius and accommodates 20 nickel-and-silver premium frets. Our folk guitar of the day has a scale length of 25.5 inches. The fingerboard is punctuated by 3mm mother-of-pearl dot inlays. This material is also used for the “HB” logo on the headstock.
A beveled “X” bracing supports the top, and both nut and bridge saddle, as well as the headstock and bridge, are made of bone. The nut is 43mm wide. A 400mm double-action truss rod enables traditional neck adjustment operations, and the guitar is equipped with open-gear, 16:1 ratio, chromed tuning machines. These proved reliable throughout the test. Finally, the strings are held in place by ebony pegs with mahogany inserts, and the instrument can be played standing up thanks to two belt clips.
The CLO-70SR surprises with its features, in a good way. An armrest as well as rosewood and spruce construction are attributes usually found on much more expensive models. Last, both body and neck feature a satin lacquer finish. It feels very smooth on the top and neck, with pores of the spruce and mahogany being quite closed. On the back and sides, however, this finish reveals the open pores of the rosewood.
After carefully inspecting the guitar from every angle, I began the test.
The perfect sofa guitar: comfortable and versatile for all styles
The CLO-70SR arrived perfectly set up and tuned. The fretwork is impeccable, with no protruding edges cutting into the inside of my hand. Thanks to its Orchestra shape, it’s very comfortable to play. This format, which is smaller than the traditional Dreadnought, has much rounder sides. The instrument sits more easily on the thighs when played seated. The armrest is an excellent surprise, as it significantly enhances the playing comfort, especially during extended sessions. The guitar is very light and easy to handle, and its fairly compact size makes it an excellent instrument to play in your living room, while sitting comfortably in front of a roaring fire. It’s in this context that I really enjoyed playing this guitar. The Orchestra format makes it versatile: you can play it with your fingers or a pick with great comfort. Its 43mm wide nut also helps.
As soon as I first picked up the CLO-70SR, I was pleasantly surprised by the rather pronounced neck curvature. Folk guitars intended for beginners often feature a very (too) thin neck, which is not at all the case here. Without being a baseball bat, the neck has a nicely rounded “C” profile which is very pleasant to hold. The perfectly applied satin varnish makes playing up and down the neck smooth and snag-free. As for sound, the CLO-70SR brought another pleasant surprise. Its massive soundboard enables the instrument to produce a high volume when strummed heavily. But it also reacts wonderfully to the pluck or pick attack, and its dynamics are great for fingerpicking styles. While solid rosewood tends to generate quite a few harmonics (major thirds and sevenths, in general), plywood favors fundamentals, a bit like mahogany. As a result, the CLO-70SR is perfect for any singer-guitarist.
- Finger Picking01:46
- Flat Picking01:25
- Strumming01:40
- Pompe Manouche01:26
Next, I tested the CLO-70SR with a pick, more specifically a 0.73mm Dunlop Tortex model. In this register, it still performs well, effective for both flatpicking and strummed chords. The comfort it provides even allows for some guitar acrobatics, which is nice. I ended my test of the CLO-70SR by playing jazz 'à la’ Django Reinhardt. It’s obviously not the register in which it excels the most, but it came through with flying colors.
FAQ
What makes this guitar armrest special?
The mahogany armrest improves the playing comfort by reducing pressure on the forearm, a feature usually reserved for higher-end models.
What kind of sound can we expect from the CLO-70SR?
The solid spruce top and plywood rosewood body produce a balanced sound, ideal for both fingerpicking and flatpicking.
What are the strengths of this folk guitar?
It stands out for its excellent playing comfort, warm tone, ergonomic armrest and impressive value for money.
Technical features
- Shape: Orchestra
- Top: solid Canadian spruce (grade A)
- Back and sides: plywood rosewood
- Fingerboard: nato, smooth “C” profile
- Fingerboard: rosewood, 14.9-inch radius
- Frets: 20 premium nickel-and-silver frets
- Scale length: 25.5 inches
- Nut: bone, 43 mm wide
- Tuning machines: open-gear, chromed, 16:1 ratio
- Armrest: mahogany
- Strap locks: one on the lower bout and one on the heel
- Finish: satin
