Introduced at Guitar Summit in September 2025, the ST-Modern Carlos Asensio Signature is a modern super-Strat. It's the signature model of YouTuber Carlos Asensio, who runs the Guitarraviva channel and has no fewer than 4.35 million subscribers. This well-equipped ST-Modern embodies Harley Benton's top-of-the-range.
Presentation and characteristics of the Harley Benton ST-Modern Carlos Asensio Signature
With the ST-Modern Carlos Asensio Signature, the brand from across the Rhine, Harley Benton, offers a top-flight super-Strat guitar. It was delivered to me in its Harley Benton box, well-protected by two layers of inside packaging (a light fabric veil and a bubble envelope), and accompanied by numerous accessories. The headstock was protected by bubble wrap, a first for Harley Benton. It came with a jack cable, truss-rod adjuster, vibrato rod, two tuning keys, and six springs of different resistances for the vibrato (two brass-colored, two nickel-plated, and two chrome-plated). On the guitar, two black springs are installed to balance the vibrato.
The edge of the fingerboard, visible when playing, hosts phosphorescent markers surrounded by small silver circles. The chrome-plated hardware includes ML-55 CR stepped locking tuners, a Vega-Trem VT1 Ultratrem STD vibrato, a 42mm-wide graphite saddle and retention eyelets. Beyond guiding the strings to their respective mechanics, these eyelets help them regain their “zero” point when using vibrato. I’ll come back to that.
Carlos 
All electronics are mounted directly on a three-ply pickguard (white-black-white). In addition to the two usual bevels found on Stratocaster-type guitars (ventral and brachial bevels), Harley Benton has designed another bevel that frames the body-neck junction, facilitating access to the treble. This body-sleeve junction is much more elegant than on other ST-Moderns I’ve played. Access to the truss rod is at the bottom of the neck, a very accessible point, making adjustments quick and easy. The back of the head bears Carlos Asensio’s signature printed in black. The ST-Modern Carlos Asensio is equipped with Elixir Coated .010 – .046 strings. For this test, Harley Benton sent me the instrument in its Ice Blue Metallic finish.
Manufacturing quality and ergonomics of the ST-Modern Carlos Asensio Signature
After spending long minutes scrutinizing the instrument from every angle, I found no fault with the finish or assembly. The saddle is well made, the varnish well applied, and the build quality is solid. The ST-Modern Carlos Asensio Signature took two years to develop. The Spanish YouTuber wanted to design a modern super-Strat, usable in any situation and for any style. But the most surprising aspect of the guitar is its signature Vegatrem vibrato, a Spanish brand that supplies vibratos to many boutique brands. The ST-Modern Carlos Asensio is the first mass-produced instrument to feature a Vegatrem VT1 Ultratrem. Indeed, this vibrato is offered at an average price of €250 (approximately $288).
Despite the impeccable finish and build quality, there are a few minor drawbacks to highlight. Although the plate housing the jack socket is quite pretty and reminiscent of Vintage Stratocaster aesthetics, we would have preferred it to be installed on the guitar’s edge, especially for an instrument that aims to be ultra-modern. The volume knob is 
The various controls (volume, tone, selector and switch) are too close together. I often activated the little Coil-Tap switch unintentionally. Finally, while the Vegatrem VT1 is a wonderful vibrato, its stem is much less so. It’s secured to the turntable by a screw thread and small rubber inserts, which make it difficult to install. Once it’s in place, there’s no question of removing it. This rod protrudes a lot from the body, which is rather disturbing, especially when you’re used, as I am, to the Stratocaster vibrato and its rod very close to the body.
Sound test of the Harley Benton ST-Modern Carlos Asensio Signature: clean, crunch and saturation
As usual, I played the guitar unplugged at first. Body and neck vibrate very well, better than other ST-Moderns I’ve already tested. The reworked neck-body joint ensures better vibration transfer, and the luthiery is simply excellent. The saddle is in the right place, with nothing sticking out. Weighing 3.8kg (8.4 lbs.), the guitar is light, with a body thinner than that of a classic Fender Stratocaster. I start the test with a clear sound provided by my TC Electronic Combo Deluxe 65', a pedal-format preamp that picks up the sounds of the Fender Deluxe Reverb.
In this register, I was struck by the balance between the pickups. HSS configurations can be unbalanced, with the humbucker pickup sending much more than the single pickups. On this ST-Modern Carlos Asensio, perceived volume and sonic presence are equivalent from one pickup position to the next. The Tesla Time Machine '57s are good single pickups that generate that typical Stratocaster sound. I measured them at 6.3kOhms.
The intermediate positions are quite musical, and the traditional Strat guitar tones are clearly recognizable. The bridge pickup, the Opus-59 Classic, is designed to sound like a PAF humbucker pickup but with a slightly higher output. I measured it at 9.2kOhms. On a clean tone, it develops a rather vintage sound with a very dynamic response. By manipulating the mini-switch, you access the Coil-Tap mode and a sound close to that of a single-coil pickup, but with the same presence as that of the humbucker.
- Clean – All Pickups02:51
- Edge of Breakup – All Pickups03:31
I activated my trusty Analog Man King of Tone to create a slightly crunchy sound. The single pickups wake up a little but are quite high-pitched, even the one installed in the neck position. The vintage warmth is more perceptible in the clean sound. However, the grain is quite musical, and the particular nature of the single pickups is clearly recognizable. The Humbucker proved very effective for this crunchy sound, producing a balanced and musical rock tone.
With Coil-Tap mode activated, the bridge pickup reacted well to the crunch sound, asserting its single-pickup personality a little more. I increased the saturation level of the King of Tone a little to achieve a big crunch sound. The guitar was still going strong, and so were its pickups. They’re well-balanced, and you can switch from the neck pickup to the bridge pickup without any big differences in sound or volume, which is nice. I took this opportunity to test the Vegatrem VT1 Ultratrem, which is an excellent vibrato. With the black springs installed on the instrument, it is quite soft and responds instantly to the slightest stress. The saddle, the retention eyelets and this well-designed vibrato allow the strings to return to their zero position without any problem, so you can use the vibrato without fear. It is secured to the table with four retaining screws.
- Crunch – All Pickups03:39
- Rock Dynamics01:28
I concluded the overview of the ST-Modern Carlos Asensio Signature by activating my MXR 5150 Overdrive to test the guitar’s reactions to a big, saturated sound. Although designed for extreme versatility, it performs a little less well in this context. It can be taken into the bushy territories of hard rock, but not beyond. It excels, in my opinion, for blues rock, classic rock, funk and soul. At high saturation levels, the high end from the single pickups becomes more noticeable, almost disturbing. Fortunately, the tone control calms these high notes a little, but you’ll have to remember to turn it up when switching to the bridge pickup.
