Harley Benton ST-20 review

The ST-20 is Harley Benton's Strat-style starter guitar, sold by Thomann, and at $83 for the Candy Apple Red finish on Thomann's US store it costs well under a third of anything else here. Thomann lists a poplar body, a maple neck with a Modern C profile and a Roseacer fingerboard, a 305 mm radius, 22 frets and a 42 mm nut. Three ST-style single coils run through a 5-way switch with one volume and two tone controls, and the synchronized tremolo and enclosed tuners follow the classic Strat recipe. Thomann backs it with a 30-day money-back guarantee and a 3-year warranty, which takes some risk out of the price. The tradeoff is consistency: at this price, pickups, tuners and fret work are basic, and a professional setup is a good idea, which can add a meaningful share of the guitar's cost. It is a sensible choice when budget is the main constraint. We compared documented features and published prices; we did not test it.

Who it is for

Buyers who want the lowest possible price for a first electric guitar and are willing to pay for a setup.

Price

$83 at Thomann's US store when checked (Candy Apple Red); other colors listed at $85.

Harley Benton ST-20 CA Standard Series Electric Guitar * Standard Series * Body: Poplar * Neck: Maple * Fretboard: Rosea... $83
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 9, 2026.

Key features

• Three ST-style single-coil pickups with 5-way switch
• Poplar body and maple neck with Roseacer fingerboard
• Modern C neck profile, 305 mm radius, 22 frets
• Synchronized tremolo and enclosed tuners
• 30-day money-back guarantee and 3-year Thomann warranty

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: By far the lowest price on this list
• Strength: 3-year warranty and 30-day money-back guarantee from Thomann
• Strength: Standard Strat layout with three single coils
• Weakness: Basic pickups and hardware
• Weakness: Most likely of these guitars to need a setup
• Weakness: Ships from Thomann rather than through local US dealers

Key facts

• Pickups: Three ST-style single coils (SSS)
• Body: Poplar
• Neck: Maple, Modern C, 22 frets
• Scale length: 648 mm
• Warranty: 3-year Thomann warranty

Where it ranks

Harley Benton ST-20 is No. 8 in our Best Beginner Electric Guitars verdict.