Harley Benton puts an affordable, 21st century spin on a punk favorite with new MR series guitars

Harley Benton has unveiled a new line of electric guitars, the MR Series.

Why 'MR'? Well, these four new models all pay tribute to the long-defunct Mosrite brand. Popular for their unique looks and super-thin necks, Mosrite models were used by guitarists of many genres, but are perhaps most well-known for their association with punk trailblazer Johnny Ramone.

Ramone used a '65 Mosrite Ventures II model on every one of the Ramones' albums, and for virtually all of the band's thousands of shows through the decades. 

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Aiming to both channel that vintage spirit and give guitarists 21st century features, Harley Benton is offering four MR Series models – the MR Classic, MR Classic Baritone, MR Modern and MR Modern Baritone.

We'll take a closer look at all four below.

MR Classic 

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The MR Classic model features a basswood body and a 'C'-shaped Canadian maple neck that sports a 12” radius roasted Jatoba fretboard with 22 frets and a classic 25.5” scale length.

Sounds on the guitar come by way of a pair of Artec P-90 Alnico-5 pickups, which are controlled by individual volume and tone knobs, plus a three-way pickup switch.

Hardware-wise, the MR Classic boasts a fixed bridge, a graphite nut, a double-action truss rod and Wilkinson tuners. All hardware is finished in chrome.

The MR Classic comes in Metallic Blue, Candy Apple Red, Pearl White, 3-Tone Sunburst and Black finishes, and is available now for $231. A left-handed version of the guitar is also available, in only the 3-Tone Sunburst finish, for $231.

MR Classic Baritone 

The MR Classic Baritone is virtually identical to the MR Classic, but, of course, boasts a longer, 27” scale length and .013-.062 electric guitar strings, as opposed to the standard model's .010-.046 set.

The guitar is available now – in both left- and right-handed versions and in a 3-Tone Sunburst finish – for $231.

MR Modern

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The MR Modern, meanwhile, features an alder body and a 'C'-shaped Canadian maple neck sporting a 25.5" Macassar ebony fretboard with a 12” radius and 22 stainless steel frets.

It's driven by two Artec AHC-90 Soapbar Alnico-5 humbuckers, which are said to be slightly more powerful and punchy than the Classic's P-90s. These are controlled by a single volume knob, a push/pull tone control with coil-tapping capabilities and a three-way pickup switch.

Rather than the Classic's fixed bridge, the MR Modern sports a Wilkinson VS-50 II tremolo, and Wilkinson locking tuners, as opposed to the Classic's Wilkinson standards. There's also a double action truss rod and a Graph Tech TUSQ nut, with the hardware again finished in chrome.

Like its Classic sibling, however, the MR Modern comes in Metallic Blue, Candy Apple Red, Pearl White, 3-Tone Sunburst and Black finishes, with a left-handed version available exclusively in 3-Tone Sunburst. All MR Moderns are available now for $324.

MR Modern Baritone 

Like the MR Classic Baritone, the MR Modern Baritone is identical to its standard sibling bar the string set and 27” scale length. It's available now – in both left- and right-handed versions and in a 3-Tone Sunburst finish – for $324.

For more info on the MR Series models, visit Harley Benton.