Harley Benton Electric Guitar Kit DC Style

1 Safety Instructions

DANGER!

Danger for children: Ensure that plastic bags, packaging, etc., are properly disposed of and kept out of reach of babies and young children. Choking hazard! Ensure that children do not detach any small parts (e.g., knobs or the like) from the product. They could swallow the pieces and choke! Never let children play unattended with the product.

CAUTION!

Risk of injury to the hands: When assembling and screwing the individual parts, pay attention to sharp edges on tools, screws, and components.

2 Scope of Delivery

Thank you for purchasing this guitar assembly kit. All wooden parts, hardware, and electrical components are included in this package. The assembly is described in detail in the following sections.

The kit includes:

• Guitar body
• Guitar neck
• Pickguard
• Pickups (2)
• Potentiometers (4)
• Switch
• Output jack
• Machine heads (6)
• Bridge
• Tailpiece
• Knobs (4)
• Strap buttons (2)
• Wiring and connectors
• Screws and washers
• Truss rod
• Allen key
• Strings

3 Assembly Instructions

Useful tools and materials required: Phillips screwdriver, rubber mallet, ring wrench, pliers, varnish and accessories, sandpaper.

Body and neck should be painted before assembly. When applying spray lacquer or paint, wear a dust mask.

3.1 Painting Body and Neck

Painting the Body

The guitar body is sealed and prepared for various types of lacquer coating. Various finishes are available from DIY, timber, and automotive outlets in aerosol cans. Ensure all surfaces are clean and dust-free before coating. Carry out painting in a well-ventilated, dust-free environment. It is recommended to test the color and technique on a spare piece of wood first. Paint the body edges first, let them dry, then paint the front and back. Apply three or more layers for full coverage. Allow two to three days for the paint to cure completely. Polish or burnish the body as desired, taking care not to buff too vigorously.

Neck Finish

The guitar neck is delivered with a thin layer of matt lacquer. If you wish to apply colored or clear lacquer, carefully mask off the fingerboard and all frets. Ensure surfaces are clean and dust-free. Use a good quality clear or slightly tinted wood paint. Apply thin, even layers to the headstock front and edges, repeating two to three times. Correct any surface irregularities with fine sandpaper (e.g., 800+) after drying. Once the headstock is dry, paint the back of the neck. Allow two to three days for the paint to cure completely. Polish or burnish the neck as desired, avoiding excessive buffing.

3.2 Mounting the Machine Heads

Insert the four machine heads from the rear side of the headstock into the bores. Align them so the tuning pegs are perpendicular to the top of the headstock. Secure the machine heads hand-tight with the supplied screws from the back. Turn the neck and fasten all machine heads finger-tight to the front of the headstock with the provided washers and nuts. Tighten the nuts on the front with a spanner, then firmly tighten the screws on the back to secure the tuners.

3.3 Mounting the Guitar Neck

Place the body on a suitable work surface with a soft pad to prevent damage. Insert the neck into the neck cutout. Adjust the fit if necessary using a sharp chisel or sandpaper, being careful when removing material. The neck should fit snugly with minimal clearance. Turn the guitar over, position the mounting plate over the four screw holes on the back of the body, and screw the four supplied long wood screws through the plate into the body and neck until the connection is firm.

3.4 Wiring Pots, Pickups, and Switch

The pickups, potentiometers, and jack socket are wired using connectors. Thread the cable for string earthing (without the connector) through the channel from the back opening to the tailpiece fastening hole. Ensure sufficient contact between the stripped end of the earthing wire and the metallic surface of the tailpiece to reduce noise (humming). Insert the potentiometers into the back opening and wire them to the switch. Guide the switch from the back into its designated opening. Screw the potentiometers finger-tight to the body surface with a washer and hex nut each. Screw the switch to the body surface with the provided plastic cover, washer, and hex nut. The neck pickup is typically activated in the upper switch position, and the bridge pickup in the lower position; this can be swapped by changing the connectors. Tighten the hex nuts of the potentiometers with a ring spanner until the housings are secure. Insert the output jack into the provided hole on the body edge. Guide the connector cable through the channel into the back opening for the electronics and plug in both connectors. Position the output jack holder and check that the jack protrudes sufficiently to be screwed firmly with the nut. Adjust the position if necessary by turning the counter nut inside. Screw the output jack holder to the body. Thread the pickup cables through the channels from the front opening to the back opening. The neck pickup is flatter and fits in the opening nearer the neck; the bridge pickup is taller and fits in the opening closer to the bridge. Fasten both pickups with the provided screws. Connect the plugs to the potentiometers: typically, the upper tone and volume pots connect to the neck pickup, and the lower pots to the bridge pickup. Screw the plastic cover for the regulator and switch openings into place using the provided screws on the back of the body.

3.5 Mounting the Pickguard

Screw the pickguard onto the body using the provided screws as shown.

3.6 Mounting the Tailpiece and Bridge

Use a rubber mallet to gently tap the bolt fasteners for the tailpiece and bridge into the body. Ensure good contact between the stripped end of the earthing wire and the tailpiece bolt. Place the tailpiece and bridge onto the fastening bolts. These components will be secured when the strings are installed.

3.7 Mounting the Potentiometer Knobs and Strap Buttons

Push the knobs onto the shafts of the individual potentiometers. Screw the strap buttons into the pre-drilled holes in the body.

3.8 Strings, Neck Relief, and String Position

Stringing

Thread the strings onto the tailpiece, guide them over the bridge and string saddle. Thread the string ends into the machine head holes, wrap the end a few times around the peg, and hand-tighten each string. Ensure the strings are correctly positioned on the saddle. Tune each string to the correct pitch using a tuner or pitch pipe. Note that string tension may shift, requiring retuning as the strings settle.

Adjusting the Neck Relief

The neck has a steel truss rod for adjusting relief. After tuning, check relief by pressing the low E string at the first and twelfth frets. Closer proximity to the fingerboard at the sixth fret increases noise (buzz). Adjust the truss rod using an Allen key: turn clockwise to increase tension (straighter neck, closer to fingerboard, easier fretting, more buzz). Turn counterclockwise to decrease tension (more concave neck, farther from fingerboard, harder fretting, less buzz). Adjust the truss rod by approximately a quarter turn per setting, retune strings, and recheck relief after a short time. Repeat until desired relief is achieved. Screw the truss rod cover onto the headstock.

Adjusting the String Position

Once the neck relief is set, use the screws on the bridge to adjust string position. Lower strings are easier to fret but buzz more. Adjust string height by turning the screws on the bridge. After adjusting string position, check and readjust octaves if necessary. Tune all strings to pitch, lightly touch the first string above the twelfth fret, and pick it. The harmonic at the twelfth fret should match the fretted note. If pitches differ, move the bridge piece forward (tone too low) or backward (tone too high) for that string. Make incremental adjustments until the pitches match. Alternatively, use an instrument tuner: the pitch at the twelfth fret should be one octave higher than the unfretted string.

4 Protecting the Environment

Disposal of Packaging Material

Environmentally friendly materials were chosen for transport and protective packaging, suitable for recycling. Ensure plastic bags and packaging are properly disposed of and collected for recycling, not with household waste. Follow the notes and markings on the packaging.

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