A quick glance at the beast and you’ll immediately know what Harley Benton has in mind, with the champion of affordable gear dubbing its latest creation a “mean tone monster” that has been purpose-built for metal-minded players.
In an effort to make good on its promise, the company has equipped the ST-20HH with a pair of dual active HBZ humbuckers – the first ST guitar to feature such an appointment – that aim to supply everything from thunderous chugs to delicate cleans.
To dial in these tones, there’s only two controls: a solitary master volume knob and a three-way selector switch.
And, even if Harley Benton falls short of delivering such a comprehensive tonal palette, we can’t say that the Satin Black ST-20HH doesn’t at least look the part.
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(Image credit: Harley Benton)
(Image credit: Harley Benton)
(Image credit: Harley Benton)
(Image credit: Harley Benton)
Elsewhere on the spec sheet, the none-more-black axe sports a poplar body, modern C-shape bolt-on maple neck and Roseacer fretboard, fitted 22 frets and white dot inlays. These are joined by a black hardtail bridge, diecast tuners and a double-action truss rod.
The ST-20HH Active SBK is available now for $143.
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Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
