The SC-Custom III from German brand Harley Benton is a Les Paul-inspired electric guitar made in Indonesia. This is the third version of this model, which benefited from a slight update in July 2024. After testing the SC-Custom II, let's see if this third iteration is worth the detour.
Presentation and finishes of the Harley Benton SC-Custom III
The new SC-Custom III was delivered to me in a Harley Benton box, very well packed, and accompanied by homemade strap locks to install on a strap. This is a first and very appreciable positive point. The guitar body is made of meranti, a wood native to Southeast Asia. Its shape is almost identical to that of the SC-Custom II, a shape not unlike that of Eclipse models from ESP. The body is covered with a cambered (slightly arched) AAAA flamed maple veneer. The one I received has a 
The neck is also made of meranti and is sculpted to the Modern “C” curve. This profile is very reminiscent of an ESP neck profile, thin and with angular fingerboard edges. It’s quite comfortable and allows for all kinds of guitar acrobatics. A scroll is present on the back of the headstock to reinforce this area, reputed to be particularly fragile. Harley Benton has reworked the body/handle junction, which is now imperceptible.
The 13.78" radius fingerboard is made of torrefied Jatoba. It provides good glide over the neck and a playing feel close to that of ebony. The fingerboard is set with 22 Jumbo medium frets in stainless steel, over which the 24.72 inch (628 mm) tuning fork extends. Pearloid trapezoid markings are also inlaid on the fingerboard. The stainless steel frets also provide a pleasant playing feel and good glide, especially during bends. The saddle is made of graphite and measures 1.6 inches (42 mm) in width.
On the hardware side, we find a Tune-o-Matic bridge by WSC and Grover Rotomatic tuning machines. They proved particularly efficient and very pleasant to handle. The two chamfers (bevels) on the body, one stomatal and one at the back of the horn to facilitate access to the treble cases, are identical to those we discovered on the SC-Custom II. A creamy white fillet surrounds the 
As is often the case on Harley Benton instruments of late, the electronics are handled by the Tesla brand, which supplied two VR-Nitro pickups. These pickups are built around AlNiCo 5 magnets and each has a volume knob. There’s also an overall tone knob with push-pull and a three-position selector. The tone potentiometer can be pulled out to split the pickups and achieve a sound close to that of single pickups.
I measured the bridge pickup at 8.5 kOhms and 4.38 kOhms split. The neck pickup was measured at 7.3 kOhms and 3.6 kOhms split. I’ll come back to the quality of these pickups and their versatility. Having examined the SC-Custom III from every angle, I connect it to my usual equipment to begin the test.
Sound quality and versatility of the Harley Benton SC-Custom III
As usual, I start by playing the guitar empty to assess the overall quality of the assembly and lutherie. In this 
On a clean sound, the guitar proved very comfortable. The pickups don’t push the amp too hard, which keeps the sound nice and clean. The neck pickup generates a very pleasant, mellow tone, perfect for Funk or Soul. Attacks are precise and defined, and the frequency balance is very good.
The middle position is just as convincing, well-balanced and pleasantly grainy. I pull the tone knob to split the pickups. The result is a smoother sound that comes close to that of a single pickup. It’s the middle position that I like the most, not least for its character, vaguely reminiscent of a Stratocaster. I increase the saturation level of my amp a little to play the guitar with a crunchy sound. In this register, the instrument is very comfortable, like a Les Paul. You immediately feel like playing Blues, Rock and even a bit of Led Zeppelin-style hard rock with a good attack on the strings. The volume and tone controls are effective, and you can brighten up the sound by simply turning down the volume, and remove a bit of treble if necessary by turning down the tone. Having a volume control for each pickup is pretty cool. You can create a particular sound balance on the intermediate position or even use the pickup selector as a “kill switch” if one of the two volumes is at zero. Frequency balance is very good.
- All Pickups – Clean01:36
- All Pickups SPLIT – Clean01:37
- All Pickups – Crunch02:39
- All Pickups SPLIT – Crunch01:52
To finish the test, I turn on my trusty MXR 5150 Overdrive for a big, saturated sound. As the pickups have a relatively high output resistance, they prove very comfortable in front of a big Metal/Hard Rock sound. Attacks are precise, with a nice bite, and the sound is once again well balanced. However, the character of the pickups once split is less apparent than on the clean and crunch sounds. They prove to be very versatile during the test, equally effective on clean and big lead sounds.
- All Pickups – Lead01:34
- All Pickups SPLIT – Lead01:19
- Drop D01:13
Caracteristiques techniques
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Meranti body with curved AAAA flame maple veneer
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Glued meranti side, Modern C profile
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Torrefied jatoba fingerboard, radius 13.78 inches
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22 jumbo medium stainless steel frets
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Diapason 24.72 inches (628 mm)
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Tesla VR-Nitro AlNiCo 5 pickups
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Controls: 2 volumes, 1 push/pull tone (split coil), 3-position selector
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Grover Rotomatic mechanics
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WSC Tune-o-Matic headset
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High Gloss Varnish
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Strap locks included
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Made in Indonesia
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Price: €298 ($339)
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No case included
FAQ
Is the Harley Benton SC-Custom III suitable for beginners?
Yes, its affordable price, playing comfort and versatility make it a good choice for beginners and beyond.
Are Tesla VR-Nitro pickups distortion-efficient?
Yes, they offer a good output level and remain balanced, even with high saturation.
Can you play metal with the SC-Custom III?
Absolutely. Coupled with an MXR 5150-type overdrive, it delivers a big sound with beautiful precision.
Is the split coil really useful?
Yes, it allows you to broaden your sound palette with finer, single-coil-type tones, useful in funk, soul or pop.
What style of music is best suited to this guitar?
It’s at home in rock, blues, hard rock and metal, but can also hold its own in clean jazzy or soul.
