Harley Benton upgrades its boutique-on-a-budget electric guitar line with the $299 Fusion-III

Unstoppable affordable gear co Harley Benton is launching so many guitars, we’re going to have to start recruiting for a fulltime HB news editor (and we’re only half-joking). In its third announcement this week alone, the Thomann brand has launched the Fusion-III, a high-spec double-cut electric guitar line that builds on the success of its Fusion-II range.

HB will be releasing the new series in a number of runs with different finishes and feature sets – this first batch constitutes Run #1, and will be followed by additional options throughout 2021.

Run #1 models offer a choice between Canadian maple necks and Macassar ebony fingerboards, or roasted maple necks and fingerboards. Stainless-steel frets and Graph Tech nuts feature across the range.

Both HH and HSH pickup configurations are available – the former comes with “punchy, dynamic” Roswell Alnico V humbuckers, complete with coil-split; the latter packs two Roswell humbuckers and a single coil.

Other hardware appointments include a Wilkinson two-point tremolo and locking tuners, while finishes span Black, Silver Sparkle, Flame Blue Burst, Flame Charcoal Burst and Flame Bengal Burst.

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Consistent with the rest of Harley Benton’s offerings, the Fusion-III comes with an almost laughably low price tag of $299 over at Thomann Music, increasing to $399 for roasted maple-necked offerings.

Kudos, too, to HB for equipping long-lasting stainless-steel frets on sub-$300 guitars – it can’t be long before bigger brands take notice.

For more info, head over to Harley Benton.

And if maple-topped mahogany beasts are more your bag, HB’s just-announced $279 SC-550 single-cut might tickle your fancy.