Video summary

My Harley Benton Fusion IV Has a Major Issue

Main summary

Key takeaways

Product Review

Product Reviewed

Harley Benton Fusion 4 (Fusion 4) electric guitar — positioned as a budget alternative modeled after an Ibanez AZ-style concept (neck joint/overall idea).

The review is dominated by a serious quality control problem: the guitar is reported as not playable.

Key Features Mentioned

  • Stainless steel frets (“Blacksmith stainless steel”, medium jumbo)
    • Feelable, but not sticking out uncomfortably
  • 22 frets
  • Rosewood fingerboard
    • Very dark-looking appearance
    • Decorative “glowing” / golden-like inlays
  • Glow-in-the-dark side dots
    • Glows less than the ST-80 mentioned in comparison
  • Nato body (compared/guessed as mahogany-like)
  • Flame-roasted maple neck
  • Split/voicing pickup switching
    • Includes a “ghost coil” mode that adds noticeable noise
  • Tesla Opus pickups
    • Compared against Tesla Plasma pickups on the ST-80
  • Tremolo / Floyd Rose-style bridge
    • The Fusion 4 lineup uses Floyd Rose
    • The reviewer contrasts with an earlier ST-80 experience involving rounded fret end issues
  • Neck profile
    • Described as a modern C, comfortable for the reviewer (noted to help with hand cramps/numbness)

Main Problems / Cons (Major)

1. Defective Truss Rod Adjustment

  • The reviewer reports audible cracking through the pickups during tuning and after installing the tremolo arm.
  • They believe the truss rod is maxed out, with no proper back-bow.
  • The issue is described as “high tension” and something that “should never have left the factory.”

2. Quality Control Failures Across Multiple Harley Bentons

  • The reviewer states this is the 4th Harley Benton they’ve handled that was not playable.
  • Previously discussed returns/issues include:
    • Harley Benton ST-80 replacement
      • Rounded fret end marketing mismatch
      • Bridge placement wrong, strings popping off the edge
    • Borrowed Fusion 3 (used)
      • Crooked pickup
      • Bridge not returning to zero
      • Scratchy frets
  • Returning gear is described as a cost burden (“returning costs money each time”).

3. Electrical / Tonal Issues From Pickup Switching

  • The reviewer claims the “ghost coil” / complex switching creates massive noise, especially with high gain.
  • Reported sound problems:
    • Too bright
    • Muddy in one pickup context
    • Out-of-phase/nasally
    • Loss of mids (“all mid is gone”)
  • They argue the extra switching complexity is unnecessary and harmful in real-world use.

4. Tremolo / Bridge Behavior and Setup Problems

  • Highly noticeable tremolo spring noise.
  • The bridge may not return to zero
    • The reviewer explicitly notes “it’s not returning to zero” and out-of-tune behavior.

5. Internal / Assembly Oddities (Additional Mechanical Concerns)

A later inspection segment suggests several mechanical concerns:

  • A loose/incorrectly fitted neck pocket area
    • Evidence of a shim or improper drilling
    • A hole drilled oversized, with something inserted behind/under a post
  • Possible split/tearout near the routing for the tremolo arm
  • An unidentified noise source that could involve the bridge and/or the neck joint
  • Multiple noises are reported during testing.

Pros (What They Liked)

Visuals and Wood Quality

  • “Everything looks great”
  • Strong praise for finish quality and details
    • Note: the website spec reportedly says “natural binding,” but this unit reportedly has black binding

Frets (On This Unit)

  • Fretwork is described as genuinely solid:
    • Using a fret rocker shows hardly any movement
  • The earlier “rounded fret” issue is said to be absent here (contrasted with the ST-80 experience)

Neck Comfort

  • The modern C shape feels comfortable
  • Helps reduce the reviewer’s hand cramps/numbness

Sound (General, With Caveats)

  • Generally described as “fairly good,” though later clips suggest the tonal issues may be more serious, particularly related to pickups/switching.

Comparisons Made

Fusion 4 vs. ST-80

  • ST-80 issues cited:
    • Rounded fret ends (marketing/fit inconsistency)
    • Bridge placement error
  • Pickup comparison:
    • Tesla Plasma on ST-80 described as better than Fusion’s Tesla Opus
  • Fusion 4 improvements:
    • Stainless frets and better fret feel
  • But Fusion 4’s issues are described as worse:
    • Truss rod problem
    • Pickup switching defects

Fusion 4 vs. Fusion 3

  • Fusion 3 (borrowed, used) problems:
    • Crooked pickup
    • Bridge wouldn’t go to zero
    • Scratchy frets
  • Reviewer summary:
    • Fusion 4 is “better in most things”
    • But the truss rod issue “ruins the guitar”

General Brand Experience

  • Reviewer claims 4th defective Harley Benton (including one baritone).
  • Mentions a German/YouTuber influencer claiming “impressive QC,” which the reviewer disputes based on their own results.

Unique Points Collected (Distinct Mentions)

  • Website spec mismatch: binding described as black despite “natural binding” claim
  • Fingerboard appears very dark
  • Inlays look “glowing” gold-like
  • Stainless steel frets: medium jumbo; not uncomfortably sticking out
  • Improved fret feel vs earlier ST-80 experience; fret rocker shows minimal movement
  • Spacing thinner than ST-80 (approx. 42 mm vs 43 mm mentioned)
  • Glow side dots glow less than ST-80
  • 22 frets limit comfortable reach to around the 19th fret (Floyd design criticized)
  • “Ghost coil” mode adds excess noise and makes the guitar unusable
  • Sound profile criticized: bright, muddy, no mids, “out of phase/nasally”
  • Tremolo spring noise audible; bridge may not return to zero
  • Truss rod issue described as maxed out, with cracking through pickups and no back-bow
  • Internal/fit problems:
    • neck pocket hole drilled oversized
    • possible shim/insertion
    • post/neck joint alignment appears tilted/moving
    • potential routing tearout/split near tremolo routing
    • multiple noises possibly involving bridge and/or neck
  • Customer support at Thomann praised (supportive), but manufacturer QC criticized
  • Suggests simplifying electronics: remove complex switch and use a 5-way instead
  • Criticizes other bridge designs (e.g., Babicz) generally, noting Fusion uses Floyd Rose but execution still fails
  • Minor finish crack at neck pocket area mentioned as likely fit/finish-related, not catastrophic

Verdict / Recommendation

Strong negative recommendation for this specific Fusion 4 unit, plus a warning about Harley Benton quality control based on the reviewer’s repeated experiences.

Even though the guitar looks great and the fretwork on this sample seems good, the reviewer considers the maxed-out truss rod (with cracking noise) and pickup/tremolo issues severe enough that the guitar is not reliably playable.

They recommend avoiding the model unless you’re prepared for possible defect/setup returns or can perform a high-confidence QC check.

Speaker Views

  • Primary speaker (Dave Dunn): The review is presented by a single main individual focused on:

    • identifying the truss rod cracking issue
    • reporting QC failures
    • comparing with ST-80 / Fusion 3
    • criticizing electronics/tone problems
    • later inspection observations (neck pocket/assembly noises)

  • Second speakers (off-camera / partner during inspection): Supporting observations include:

    • neck joint/neck pocket shim/oversized hole
    • movement/noise in the bridge area
    • bridge not returning to zero and being out of tune
    • confirmation of “not returning to zero” during testing

Original video