Jimryan Posted January 16, 2017 Share Posted January 16, 2017 (edited) Afternoon all, For a now I've been after a fiver and getting back into using one, but one I'm actually going to keep and not move on. From boxing day onwards I started checking the Thomann deko for basses, preferably the Harley Benton deluxe PJ with wine red finish. Alas, one never popped up, but kept checking and low and behold the Christmas returns popped up on the deko page. Knowing how quickly things sell on their page, when a five string popped up I had no choice but to buy it. A few days later, this arrived... [URL=http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/jimryan88/media/DSC_0525_zps08obdptq.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii527/jimryan88/DSC_0525_zps08obdptq.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Not a bad bass (especially for £43), and I thought it'll do to get me back into using a five string. Never have been overly fond of active basses, but it'll do. Anyway, curiosity got the better of me and I kept checking the page. Checking it every day (mainly after seeing that they sell a Harley Benton fanned fret) and two days later what should pop up but the bass I was originally after...and for £35. Add to basket, checkout, buy, done, brilliant. Hang on, two basses when I'm meant to be saving for a deposit for a house? Mrs Jimryan will go mad. Fortunately a friend of mine agreed to take it off my hands for what I paid that day and he now has it (that was last week and Mrs Jimryan hasn't even noticed it's gone). Fast forward to today. My new one arrived and I'm suitably impressed... [URL=http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/jimryan88/media/_20170116_134751_zpsloheidvp.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii527/jimryan88/_20170116_134751_zpsloheidvp.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/jimryan88/media/DSC_0536_zpsdbrhl4qo.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii527/jimryan88/DSC_0536_zpsdbrhl4qo.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/jimryan88/media/DSC_0534_zpsbazcvigg.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii527/jimryan88/DSC_0534_zpsbazcvigg.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Straight out the box, gave it a tune up and sound wise it's a lot better than I expected it to be. The bridge pickup is great and the neck pickup is good (not as good as the stock Squier VM precision one though). Fret edges are great, nice and tidy and smooth. As for set up and intonation, it was perfect straight out of the box. Only thing I've changed, is I lowered the saddles. Even the pickup height and balance were spot on. Only thing I'm not a fan of, is the tortoise ribeye steak finish scratch plate. What I've found with a few basses I've modded in the past (orange jazz and a status necked stingray), is that although they're great basses when I finish, they're still not as good as my main bass. So, the plan with this one isn't to mod it into a great basses, but the five string version of my main bass. [URL=http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/jimryan88/media/DSC_0532_zpsuz4wcbjj.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii527/jimryan88/DSC_0532_zpsuz4wcbjj.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/jimryan88/media/DSC_0533_zpsilwkc7en.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii527/jimryan88/DSC_0533_zpsilwkc7en.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Some eagle eye readers may have spotted my savings comment. That still applies and will prolong the whole process where I'll being waiting for the parts to come up on here, or reduced somewhere. Apart from the status neck and that will be my birthday present for myself. So the plan is as follows, hipshot (most probably the licensed ones) ultralite tuners all angled back towards me, tension bar instead of a string tree, hipshot A type bridge, Seymour Duncan Ceramic MM pickup at the bridge, Seymour Duncan Alnico MM pickup in the middle (its cheaper than the 5 string quarter pounder), 500k pots all round and Schaller straplocks. All hardware will be gold. As for the neckim thinking of a status MM neck as they don't do a precision neck and the headstock shape is still similar. Thinking of maybe adding a red tint to it too. Only thing I'm unsure of is scratchplate colour where I met thinking either white pearl, parchment or mint. One handy little I remembered was the sandberg configurator. Put everything in to it for a rough idea and here's what it chucked out... [URL=http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/jimryan88/media/IMG_0152_zpsaivjrgq9.png.html][IMG]http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii527/jimryan88/IMG_0152_zpsaivjrgq9.png[/IMG][/URL] When I actually start I'll probably do another build thread for all those that want to follow it. In the mean time, if anyone's fancies swapping three push fit chrome knobs for gold ones that be just peachy. Cheers, James Edited January 16, 2017 by Jimryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted January 16, 2017 Share Posted January 16, 2017 That's an insane price! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodiakblair Posted January 16, 2017 Share Posted January 16, 2017 Fantastic. Just shows diligent checking pays off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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