Greg Bennett Avion MAV-1/BK

19.25          Scale Length   ( 1/2 scale )

42mm        Nut

Plastic       Nut Material

H                Pick Configuration  8.9 kΩ

22               Frets

12               Fretboard Radius

4.8 lbs.      Weight

Black         Color  

Right Hand Playing

1.50 mm    Action at the 12th Fret

X   Deep Cleaning

X   Electronics Cleaned / Tested

X   Fretboard Cleaned / Tested

X   Tuners Service

X   Neck Adjusted

X   Intonation Set

X   Setup Complete

X   Body Buffed / Polish

Upgrades and Modifications

The original Alpha A500K mini potentiometers were removed, cleaned, electronically reconditioned, and tested. Because both controls remained mechanically smooth and electrically dependable, they were returned to service rather than replaced. This preserves the guitar’s original controls while ensuring proper volume and tone operation.

The previous wiring was removed and replaced with a clean, conventional one-humbucker, one-volume, one-tone circuit. Cloth push-back wire was used where practical within the compact control cavity, and all solder joints and grounding connections were renewed and inspected.

The original .047 µF tone capacitor was replaced with a .022 µF capacitor. This provides a more gradual and usable tone-control range with the guitar’s 8.9 kΩ humbucker. The pickup can still be warmed substantially by reducing the tone control, but the response is less heavily muted than with the original capacitor.

A treble-bleed circuit was installed across the input and output terminals of the volume control. This helps retain pick attack, upper-frequency detail, and string definition as the guitar’s volume is reduced, allowing the volume control to clean up the pickup without making the sound excessively dark.

The guitar was fitted with a new set of Ernie Ball Not Even Slinky 12–56 strings. Although this would be considered a heavy set on a conventional full-scale guitar, the heavier gauges are appropriate for this instrument’s short 19.25-inch scale length. They provide firmer and more controllable string tension than a conventional light-gauge set, helping prevent an excessively loose feel while supporting stable tuning, clearer note definition, and more reliable intonation. Ernie Ball identifies Not Even Slinky as a 12–56 electric-guitar set.

The completed electrical system retains the original humbucker and reconditioned Alpha controls while providing cleaner wiring, a more useful tone-control range, and improved clarity when the volume is operated below its maximum setting.

Original Components Reconditioned and Retained

• Original 8.9 kΩ two-conductor humbucker

• Alpha A500K volume potentiometer

• Alpha A500K tone potentiometer

• Original control knobs and mounting hardware

New Parts and Materials Added

• .022 µF tone capacitor

• Treble-bleed circuit

• Cloth push-back wiring where practical

• Ernie Ball Not Even Slinky 12–56 strings

• New solder and renewed grounding connections

A Fictional History — The Little Guitar That Kept Traveling

This black Greg Bennett Mav-1/BK arrived at Back From the Dead Guitars from Hampton, Virginia, in late February 2025. Beneath a layer of surface dust, it proved to be in surprisingly good condition. With its compact body and approximately 19.25-inch scale length, this half-size guitar would have made an ideal travel companion—small enough for the back seat of a car, a dorm room, a train, a bus, or an afternoon of sidewalk music.

So this is the story I imagine.

Jake brought the little Greg Bennett with him when he began attending Hampton University. He already owned a larger guitar at home, but he did not want to risk damaging it in a crowded dorm or while carrying it around campus. The compact Avion was easier to store, easier to transport, and still gave him a real electric guitar he could play almost anywhere.

Before long, it became his take-to-work guitar.

Jake and his girlfriend, Jenny, had heard a local radio host joke about the number of buskers who appeared around Hampton during the summer. Most simply chose a busy corner, opened a case, and hoped people stopped long enough to listen. Jake saw a better opportunity.

Rather than showing up uninvited, he and Jenny would offer local businesses something organized. A restaurant, shop, bar, or neighborhood event could hire them to perform outside, draw attention to the location, and create a few lighthearted songs about the business itself.

Jenny thought the idea sounded a little ridiculous.

Jake convinced her to try it anyway.

They placed a small advertisement in the local paper and bought a brief radio spot introducing themselves as the Jake and Jenny Busking Duet. Their offer was simple: hire them for a few hours, tell them something about the business, and they would work it into the performance.

The first bookings came slowly. They played outside a coffee shop, then a restaurant, followed by a neighborhood store holding an anniversary sale. Jake carried the little Greg Bennett, while Jenny sang, kept rhythm, and helped turn whatever they learned about each location into short, good-natured songs.

A bakery received a song about getting up before sunrise. A bowling alley got a chorus about rental shoes and missed spares. A restaurant owner laughed while they improvised a verse about the one table that always seemed to wobble.

By the end of that first summer, people had begun recommending them. By autumn, they were booked two weeks in advance. When colder weather drove the seasonal performers indoors, Jake and Jenny simply followed. They played in malls, grocery stores, bars, bowling alleys, company functions, and community events.

For three years, they learned Hampton one business and one audience at a time. They met shop owners, organizers, public officials, veterans, and many of the people who quietly shaped the area. Eventually, those relationships led both of them toward public-service work connected with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Their new jobs would take them around the country, helping host public-awareness events and assisting veterans in learning about available services.

The busking years were ending.

The traveling was not.

Several months into the new job, Jake prepared to board another flight. It was his fifth trip that month and one stop among many on a seven-month tour of veterans’ hospitals and care centers. The little Greg Bennett had traveled with him before, so he packed it with the rest of his luggage, placed everything onto the conveyor, and continued toward his gate.

When he reached his destination, his suitcase arrived.

The guitar did not.

Reports were filed. Calls were made. Jake explained that it was a small black Greg Bennett guitar, closer in size to a child’s instrument than a conventional electric. Days passed, then weeks. Eventually, he accepted what so many travelers before him had been forced to accept: somewhere between one conveyor belt and another, the guitar had vanished.

What he could not know was that the little guitar had apparently continued traveling without him.

Seven months later, hundreds of miles away, a compact black guitar appeared on a baggage carousel at the Detroit metropolitan airport during the early hours of the morning. There was no passenger waiting for it and no clear explanation of where it had come from.

It went around the carousel.

Then it went around again.

After more than a day, a security employee finally removed it and delivered it to lost and found. There it waited, but no one claimed it. Whatever identification had once connected the guitar to Jake had been lost along the way, and the baggage records offered no clear route back to him.

After the required holding period, the guitar was transferred with other unclaimed property and eventually entered a public auction system.

That is where I found it.

The Greg Bennett arrived at Back From the Dead Guitars in late February 2025. Its actual earlier history was unknown, but the instrument remained fundamentally sound beneath the dust and age.

The electronics were cleaned and rewired into a straightforward one-humbucker, one-volume, one-tone circuit. The original Alpha A500K potentiometers were removed, reconditioned, tested, and returned to service. A .022 µF tone capacitor replaced the original .047 µF capacitor, and a treble-bleed circuit was added to help preserve clarity as the volume is reduced. Cloth push-back wiring was used where practical, and the guitar was fitted with Ernie Ball Not Even Slinky 12–56 strings to provide firmer tension across its short 19-inch scale.

The work was intentionally restrained. This was not a guitar that needed to become something unrecognizable. It needed to be cleaned, serviced, mildly upgraded, and prepared to travel again.

The story of Jake and Jenny is fictional. I do not know whether this guitar was carried through Hampton by a college busking duet, disappeared during a flight, or spent a day circling an airport baggage carousel before somebody noticed it.

What I do know is that it came to my shop from Hampton, Virginia, in late February 2025. I know that its compact size makes it perfectly suited to the kind of travel-filled life imagined for it. And I know that after another long period of waiting, it has now been restored, mildly upgraded, and prepared for a new owner.

Perhaps it will stay in a bedroom. Perhaps it will ride in the back seat of a car. Perhaps it will return to a dorm, a train platform, a sidewalk, or some small local business where a few songs can still bring strangers together.

Wherever it goes next, this guitar has already proven one thing:

It knows how to travel.

Initial Intake Assessment

The Greg Bennett Design Avion MAV-1/BK arrived at Back From the Dead Guitars from Hampton, Virginia, in late February 2025. It was securely packed in a small cardboard shipping box and arrived without visible shipping damage. After unwrapping it and hanging it for the intake photographs, two things were immediately clear: the entire guitar was covered in a heavy layer of dust, and the high-E string was missing.

Despite its compact size, the guitar felt substantial in the hand. It had good weight and balance for a half-size instrument rather than the hollow or toy-like feel sometimes associated with smaller guitars. After completing the inventory photographs, I placed it on the main workbench under stronger lighting and began the detailed intake inspection.

The dust was not ordinary dry household dust. It had a moist, slightly oily quality, suggesting that the guitar may have been stored near machinery, automotive fumes, diesel exhaust, petroleum residue, or another source of airborne contamination. A light cleaning with naphtha and several clean rags removed the film without damaging the finish.

Beneath the contamination, the black finish showed extensive scratches and handling wear, especially across the back of the body, but I found no obvious structural damage. All original factory identification remained present, including the Greg Bennett Design and Avion headstock graphics, the MAV-1/BK model label on the rear of the neck heel, the factory inspection sticker, the rear barcode label, and the neck plate stamped S02082195 — Made in Indonesia. These markings confirmed that the guitar remained unusually complete and had not lost its original identity during its earlier life.

The single humbucker measured approximately 8.9 kΩ through the output circuit, which is normal for a moderate-output pickup. Both the volume and tone controls worked without static, dead spots, or sudden changes. They felt mechanically smooth and operated consistently.

The bridge appeared to have already been adjusted for the strings and environment in which the guitar had last been used. I installed a temporary salvaged high-E string, brought the instrument to pitch, and evaluated the tuning machines. Although they resemble the covered open-gear tuners commonly found on budget imports, this set felt more substantial than the thinnest economy versions. All six turned smoothly and held tuning during the initial test. Their exact ratio was not marked, although their operation appeared consistent with the 14:1 or 16:1 range often used on this type of tuner.

The original plastic nut was cleanly cut for the strings then installed. I did not hear binding, popping, or sudden release from the slots while tuning. Initial action measured approximately 1.6 mm at the high-E string and gradually increased to about 1.9 mm at the low-E string. I lowered the action to approximately 1.5 mm across the strings and checked every fret for buzzing, choking, and dead notes. None were found.

After the functional inspection, I removed the strings and disassembled the guitar. The neck was separated from the body, and the bridge, tailpiece, tuners, pickup, controls, and remaining hardware were removed for cleaning and evaluation. The underside of the hardware and protected areas of the guitar carried the same oily residue found on the exterior. Most of it released easily with naphtha and a soft toothbrush before the removable metal parts were placed in the ultrasonic cleaner.

Inside the control cavity, I found two mini potentiometers and a single .047 µF tone capacitor. Heavy solder deposits initially obscured the markings on the pot casings. After removal and reconditioning, both were identified as Alpha A500K potentiometers.

The wiring was unusually difficult to follow. Several connections appeared more complicated than necessary, but when tested through an amplifier, the humbucker, volume control, and tone control all behaved like a conventional one-pickup circuit. Whatever the previous arrangement was intended to accomplish, I could not identify any additional switching function or useful tonal result worth preserving. It appeared to be a confusing version of a standard one-humbucker, one-volume, one-tone circuit rather than a deliberate specialty modification.

The frets showed a faint greenish discoloration, but a test area responded immediately to silver polish and returned to a clean metallic surface. The fretboard was dirty but did not show evidence of serious moisture damage or neglect.

The tuner mounting screws showed noticeable tool contact, indicating that the machines had probably been serviced before. Importantly, the screw heads were worn rather than stripped, suggesting that whoever maintained the guitar generally used the correct screwdriver and worked with reasonable care. Removing the stamped covers revealed relatively fresh lubricant on the gears. All six tuners turned with similar resistance, and the metal housings felt slightly heavier than the very thin covers used on the least expensive import machines.

My assessment is that these were likely selected as a functional lower-cost alternative to the branded Grover tuners used on larger Greg Bennett models. They are not premium sealed tuners, but this particular set had been maintained and continued to operate well enough to justify retaining them.

The original bridge system was also serviceable. The guitar uses a Korean-made Sung-il BM002 Tune-o-matic-style bridge with a separate stopbar tailpiece. Both pieces were removed, cleaned, inspected, and found suitable for continued use.

Overall, the intake revealed a fully functioning and generally well-maintained compact guitar hidden beneath extensive dust, oily residue, fret oxidation, and surface scratching. Structurally, it could have been cleaned, polished, restrung, set up, and offered for sale with most of its original construction left untouched.

The main concern was not damage but string behavior. With the lighter standard-gauge strings installed during intake, the short approximately 19.25-inch scale made the strings feel unusually loose. It was difficult to produce consistently firm, clearly defined notes when forming chords because small changes in fretting pressure could pull the notes noticeably sharp.

For the completed setup, I planned to install Ernie Ball Not Even Slinky 12–56 strings. Although heavy on a full-scale guitar, these gauges are better suited to the Avion’s short scale and provide firmer response, improved note definition, and more stable tuning. The nut slots would be inspected and widened only where necessary to accommodate the heavier strings without binding.

The guitar did not require a structural rescue. It required careful cleaning, electrical simplification, mild upgrading, and a setup designed specifically for its unusual scale length.

Beneath the dust was a complete and functional Greg Bennett Avion MAV-1/BK with its original branding, factory labels, serial identification, hardware, and character still intact.

Greg Bennett Avion MAV-1/BK

This black Greg Bennett Avion MAV-1/BK is a good example of the design philosophy behind the Greg Bennett line: producing affordable entry- and intermediate-level instruments without treating them as disposable products. Although compact and economical, this guitar was built with serviceable components, a solid feel, and more attention to detail than is often found on half-size electric guitars.

The instrument received a detailed cleaning, inspection, and setup at Back From the Dead Guitars. Every retained component was checked for proper operation. The guitar was intonated under current shop conditions and fitted with a new set of Ernie Ball Not Even Slinky 12–56 strings. The heavier string gauges provide more appropriate tension across the unusually short 19.25-inch scale and help improve tuning stability, note definition, and control under the fretting hand.

Because this appears to be an early example of the half-size Avion, I chose to preserve as much of the original instrument as practical. The original pickup, Alpha A500K mini potentiometers, covered open-gear tuners, plastic nut, Sung-il bridge, stopbar tailpiece, knobs, and other hardware were inspected and retained. Aside from normal replacement strings, the principal changes are the renewed wiring, replacement tone capacitor, and added treble-bleed circuit.

The original potentiometers were removed, desoldered, cleaned, reconditioned, tested, and returned to service. The previous circuit was replaced with a clean, conventional one-humbucker, one-volume, one-tone arrangement using cloth push-back wire where practical. A treble-bleed circuit was added to the volume control to help preserve pick attack and upper-frequency clarity as the volume is reduced.

The original .047 µF tone capacitor was replaced with a .022 µF capacitor. This provides a more gradual and useful tone-control range with the original humbucker, allowing the pickup to retain greater clarity while still producing a warmer sound when the tone control is reduced.

Condition and Original Components

The guitar presents as gently used, with mild scuffing, handling marks, and several pick scratches visible on the face and body. These marks are cosmetic and consistent with the instrument’s age. The guitar has not been refinished or aggressively polished to conceal its history.

All original model identification and factory branding remain present, including the Greg Bennett Design and Avion headstock graphics, the MAV-1/BK model label, the Made in Indonesia neck plate and serial number, the factory inspection sticker, and the original barcode label. Preserving these details was important because they help document the guitar as an authentic early-production instrument rather than a modified collection of unrelated parts.

The original hardware is presently functioning correctly. However, this is an instrument more than two decades old, and components such as the tuners, nut, output controls, and other wear items may eventually require service or replacement sooner than comparable parts on a newer guitar. That possibility is normal for a used instrument of this age and is disclosed so the next owner can make an informed purchase.

Replacement components remain readily available. Any future tuner replacement should be selected as a compatible 3-per-side set matching the existing post dimensions and mounting pattern. Alpha mini potentiometers and replacement nuts are also inexpensive and commonly available. There is no current need to replace these parts solely because of their age.

Playing Characteristics

This is a true short-scale instrument with an approximately 19-inch scale length. Its compact dimensions make it easy to transport, comfortable to play while seated, and practical as a travel, dorm-room, or specialty guitar.

The short scale also requires a more controlled fretting touch than a conventional full-size guitar. Even with the heavier 12–56 strings, excessive finger pressure can pull notes sharp, particularly when forming full chords. The guitar responds especially well to power chords, single-note lines, scales, lead work, and players who already use a light and accurate fretting technique.

Although its physical size may appear suitable for a child, I would not automatically recommend it as a first guitar for every young beginner. A three-quarter-size instrument with a slightly longer scale and a narrow or thinner neck may be easier for a new player who has not yet developed consistent fretting pressure. This Avion would be better suited to a player who specifically wants its compact format and understands the characteristics of a very short-scale guitar.

Pricing

The guitar is priced at $300, with a shipping credit of up to $35. It is intended for a buyer who values it as an uncommon, playable early example of the half-size Greg Bennett Avion and as a surviving representation of Indonesian import guitar production from the early 2000s.

This is not simply a small beginner guitar cleaned up for resale. It is a complete, documented, largely original instrument that has been carefully serviced, electrically simplified, mildly upgraded, and set up so its next owner can both preserve and play it.