Harley Benton R-458 BK Progressiv Series

Out of the box, I was amazed at it at first because of how nice all the frets felt. No sharp ends at all. After changing out the strings I plugged it in and was immediately drawn to the neck position and middle position. Bridge position sounds very thin and gritty and there was a little bit of grime on the fretboard but not too much. A little bit of plastic shavings around the nut but that was also easily removed.

Tip: for a good chugging setting, put the selector in the middle and slightly lower the volume.

Weight of it was very even, not much balancing problem for me at least. The negatives on this guitar are the electronics. The pickups sound very muddy, but that is to expect from a guitar at this range but I was still pleasantly surprised at how much it could clean up.

For my first 8 string guitar, this was a very good choice as it's solid for the price it's at. Hell, I'm pretty sure it can challenge some guitars that are more expensive.

To close off, a short pro/con list
Pro:
Build quality
Neck
Price
Con:
Pickups and pickup selector
Tuners
Plastic nut

This guitar is very good, better than many other guitars in this price range. It is best for people who want to try an 8 string for the first time. If you have a bit bigger budget and want a better 8 string I would get one with a longer scale length. The pickups are good enough for high output distortion. All around a 'good enough' guitar.

Pros:
The price
Lightwieght
Feels good to play
Looks good on the outside.
robust volume and tone knobs.

Cons:
Short scale length for low tunings, floppy low strings.
Fragile looking internals.
Bridge makes it annoying to restring.
Need special pickup frames for changing pickups.