# Harley Benton R457 fan fret - Project snowfall



## lewis (Oct 15, 2019)

Picked this up for a steal once i saw they have changed to maple fretboards i was impressed.








Feels good to have a fan fret again. This is really reall solid for the money. Some tool marks on the fretboard i need to lightly sand off and the fret ends are nice and smooth the side of the fretboard just looks messy. At least its only Aesthetic issues

Im going to totally "snowfall" this. White and chrome everything.

First mod done -






Ordered some chrome Guyker bridge replacements made in Korea that are on the way.
New chrome locking tuners and white accesories next month


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## lewis (Oct 23, 2019)

Done my second mod.

Glow in the dark tape. (Works amazing under UV light), a hole punch and some clear nail polish (the top coat stuff)
Budget Luminlays that work as well and are reversable.


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## lewis (Oct 26, 2019)

Chrome hardware arrived.
Vanson Locking tuners and Guyker Monorail bridge pieces






The nut has been slotted to a hilariously bad standard so at some point i need files the size of my usual gauges and sort that out.

Chrome Strap Buttons are on the way already.
Then its spray the truss cover/cavity plate white gloss and get those white EMGs

Also im about 90% sure im going to reshape the headstock long term. (Something similar to the Keith Merrow Shecter headstock shape)


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## c7spheres (Oct 26, 2019)

- Wow, I'm gettting more impressed what I'm seeing out of Harley Benton. it looks really good. The prices are hard to believe if they live up to what the picts show. 
- What's weird that I've never seen before, and kinda cool too I think, is that the 12th fret inlay is only a single dot, but the 24th fret is still a triple. That's odd, but cool. 
- I like it with both the chrome and the black. I wouldn't be able to choose what I liked more. Very nice. looking. 
- I had that same idea for the glow dots using the glow tape. A roll of that stuff is like $10. I like that it's reversable because pretty much glow anything seems to not last very long. I also was loking at the glow paint. You can get a package of 6 or 8 different glow paints for like $8 and have whatever colors you want too. The pain could just be scraped off too probably. 
- Let us know how it plays.


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## lewis (Oct 27, 2019)

c7spheres said:


> - Wow, I'm gettting more impressed what I'm seeing out of Harley Benton. it looks really good. The prices are hard to believe if they live up to what the picts show.
> - What's weird that I've never seen before, and kinda cool too I think, is that the 12th fret inlay is only a single dot, but the 24th fret is still a triple. That's odd, but cool.
> - I like it with both the chrome and the black. I wouldn't be able to choose what I liked more. Very nice. looking.
> - I had that same idea for the glow dots using the glow tape. A roll of that stuff is like $10. I like that it's reversable because pretty much glow anything seems to not last very long. I also was loking at the glow paint. You can get a package of 6 or 8 different glow paints for like $8 and have whatever colors you want too. The pain could just be scraped off too probably.
> - Let us know how it plays.



Yeah exactly. Luminlays are nice but just cost too much money. I normally need 2 sticks to complete a whole neck and thats £30.
Where as this tape will keep me going for ages.

Plays very well tbh. Action was nice and low out the box and there isnt any fret buzz. No sharp ends either.

Just some aesthetic sloppiness which can be corrected with minimal work (tool marks on fretboard that can be lightly sanded back etc)


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## lewis (Oct 28, 2019)

Some more stuff done:
- fretboard dots also covered
- Strap Pin to chrome (got the bottom one to still do)


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## SnoozyWyrm (Oct 29, 2019)

Very 3d-esque!!! Nice!


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## lewis (Oct 31, 2019)

All hardware successfully changed to chrome.

Obviously done the glow dots too.
Just need to get some white gloss spray paint for the truss rod cover/cavity, some white pearl tuner buttons (thinking tulip) and the white EMGs


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## lewis (Nov 5, 2019)

Got the first coat of white done on the truss rod/cavity covers.

Going to do probably 3 total, then apply some gloss clear coat and let them dry for a fortnite


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## Splenetic (Nov 5, 2019)

How is the quality of the Guyker hardware? I have my eyes on their TOM style bridges.


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## lewis (Nov 5, 2019)

Malevolent_Croatian said:


> How is the quality of the Guyker hardware? I have my eyes on their TOM style bridges.


Absolutely fine and exactly the same as any other hardware I have on any of my guitars currently


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## Splenetic (Nov 5, 2019)

Excellent, good to hear that! Thanks


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## lewis (Nov 6, 2019)

That will do until i can afford white
EMG 81-7x's after xmas.

White tuner buttons are on the way.


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## lewis (Nov 14, 2019)




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## DragonT (Jan 27, 2020)

lewis said:


> Chrome hardware arrived.
> Vanson Locking tuners and Guyker Monorail bridge pieces
> 
> View attachment 73917
> ...


 
Great project! Gonna buy the same modal as soon as it will be available...

Where did you buy a hardware?

And any significant difference in sound with a new bridge?


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## lewis (Jan 27, 2020)

DragonT said:


> Great project! Gonna buy the same modal as soon as it will be available...
> 
> Where did you buy a hardware?
> 
> And any significant difference in sound with a new bridge?



Hey bro!

The bridge replacements are from a company called Guyker. They are direct replacements.

No audible sound differences that i can tell


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## DragonT (Jan 27, 2020)

lewis said:


> Hey bro!
> 
> The bridge replacements are from a company called Guyker. They are direct replacements.
> 
> No audible sound differences that i can tell



Ok, and what is the size of peghead hole?

The more I look at this tread, the more I want this guitar...)))

Probably will try all gold hardware!


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## lewis (Jan 27, 2020)

DragonT said:


> Ok, and what is the size of peghead hole?
> 
> The more I look at this tread, the more I want this guitar...)))
> 
> Probably will try all gold hardware!



From memory the headstock tuner holes are the standard 10mm.


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## DragonT (Jan 27, 2020)

lewis said:


> From memory the headstock tuner holes are the standard 10mm.


Thank you so much!


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## georg_f (Feb 8, 2020)

great job, they should have made this the standard (the white pickups and tuning pegs at least). It'd cost a few bucks more then though.


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## asdasdasdasdasddjent (Jul 9, 2020)

hey, first post here, how does the guyer bridge compare quality wise to the stock Harley Benton one, I'm going to also buy this same guitar and put a b-stock emg 81-7 in the bridge and upgrade to tune ninja 19:1 locking tuners.
hope you do still respond


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