Ironbar Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 (edited) Greetings all. My name is Jeff and I'm active on TalkBass in the USA. I can't seem to find info online regarding how this bass uke stacks up against comparable inexpensive bass uke's like the Hadean from Rondo Music, so I thought I'd tap the brain-trust here. I like the video reviews I've seen of the Harley Benton. They sound amazing when amplified. It's a shame they don't come in other wood choices, but another thing I do like about the HB is it seems a bit larger than the offerings from Hadean. Does anyone here own one? Do you have a fretted or fretless What do you like about either/or and why? (I'm trying to make the most informed decision before I pull the trigger). Thanks! [url="https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_kahuna_clu_bass_ukulele.htm"]https://www.thomann....ass_ukulele.htm[/url] [url="https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_kahuna_clu_bass_ukulele_fl.htm"]https://www.thomann...._ukulele_fl.htm[/url] Edited March 1, 2017 by Ironbar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 I had a fretted one, bought it as a 'Deco' for around £40 and at that price it was a bargain. I have big fingers and I struggled a bit as I normally play a 5 string (surprise, surprise) so I flipped it on here fairly recently. The build is not the best in terms of the quality of wood used but it plays and has a decent tuner/e.q. system that the makers say is better than a piezo type. One has to get used to the rubber strings and tuning something that has little resistance but I guess they are all like that.... Sound-wise you could sound like a DB easily but as I say I struggled to fret it due to the reduced scale, narrow neck, 4 strings and positional issues for me. A tip, Thomann sell a 3/4 size padded guitar case for around £12 and the Uke Bass fits in well. Hope this helps? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickeyboro Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 For the price it is hard to beat but i have found the Countryman a pleasanter instrument, albeit at a greater cost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodiakblair Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 Friend of mine who's a big fan of bass ukes also upgraded to Countryman. I had both fretless and fretted HB models. I was surprised by the "big sound" from such a little thing. The heavy gauge strings took awhile to get used to,take awhile to settle down tuning wise too.Had to alter my playing too, heavy attack caused the strings to bounce of the fretboard. Fretting too hard caused the notes to go sharp. The pair cost me half the price of a Kala so it was a cheap fun experience Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigwan Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 I also have a Deco HB Uke bass. In all honesty I think it's better built than the Kala U-bass I also have... At least it plays in tune... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimryan Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 I've got a deco one too. Great little bass, but the intonation on my E is miles out and it puts me off using it a little. If you can get along with the strings they're great, fun, little instruments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironbar Posted March 4, 2017 Author Share Posted March 4, 2017 Well gents, it appears that my question about which bass uke to get has been rendered moot. I attempted to buy the Harley Benton today, and I got an error message saying that it can't be shipped to the U.S. Sh*t. Now what? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alyctes Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 Any idea why they won't ship to the USA? Seems odd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodiakblair Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 Ironbar Sounds like CITES to me. You could hang fire until Thomann sort out the license or Rondo may be your answer. http://www.rondomusic.com/bluegrassfolk.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironbar Posted March 4, 2017 Author Share Posted March 4, 2017 [quote name='kodiakblair' timestamp='1488588788' post='3250378'] Ironbar Sounds like CITES to me. You could hang fire until Thomann sort out the license or Rondo may be your answer. [url="http://www.rondomusic.com/bluegrassfolk.html"]http://www.rondomusi...egrassfolk.html[/url] [/quote] I had to Google what CITES was. I can't for the life of me understand why mahogany and or spruce couldn't be imported to the US. Not like they're exotic woods or anything. Blast. I really liked the HB because of the size. I'm a big dude- 6'5" and I think the HB would have been a better fit for me than the Hadean models. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodiakblair Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 Ironbar It's the rosewood fretboard that's the problem. I gotta say I prefer the look of the HB than the Hadean ukes. If you can't wait on Thomann sorting the paperwork,I'd imagine a month or so yet,there's always DIY This UK company does kits and ships to USA. http://www.buzzardsfieldukuleles.co.uk/store/c7/Build_Your_Own_Kits.html Or http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Bass-Uke/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironbar Posted March 4, 2017 Author Share Posted March 4, 2017 (edited) I found a Hadean Model, the UKB-31 that looks very similar to the Harley Benton. Of course.......they're out. If all it would take is a month or so of waiting then I'm down with that. Not like I'm in a hurry (too much). I wish I knew someone in the UK who could just buy me one and send it here! Do they sell these things in retail shops in the UK or are they only available through the Thomann website? Edited March 4, 2017 by Ironbar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodiakblair Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 Ironbar "[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif] I wish I knew someone in the UK who could just buy me one and send it here!"[/font][/color] I'd do it in a heartbeat but there's a good chance Customs would just destroy it on arrival. Then there the shipping cost, Thomann charge $30 but every guitar I've had shipped from the US cost over $100. Not really an option Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironbar Posted March 5, 2017 Author Share Posted March 5, 2017 [quote name='kodiakblair' timestamp='1488627382' post='3250565'] Ironbar "[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif] I wish I knew someone in the UK who could just buy me one and send it here!"[/font][/color] I'd do it in a heartbeat but there's a good chance Customs would just destroy it on arrival. Then there the shipping cost, Thomann charge $30 but every guitar I've had shipped from the US cost over $100. Not really an option [/quote] No worries man! Thanks for the offer though. I'm sure something will pan out if I'm patient enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpcookson Posted March 6, 2017 Share Posted March 6, 2017 I too have a factory second HB bass uke that I picked up for £40. It plays really nicely in my eyes and the fishman preamp makes it sound pretty tasty when plugged in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironbar Posted March 6, 2017 Author Share Posted March 6, 2017 Just got an email from Thomann this morning: Dear Mr. XXXXXX Thank you for your email. Yes we ship Harley Benton products to the United States but be aware of the CITES REGULATIONS: The Convention of International Trade of Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES) held a conference in October 2016 in Johannesburg, South Africa where it was decided that all species of rosewood under the genus Dalbergia and three Bubinga species will be protected under CITES Appendix II. A new regulation took effect on January 2, 2017 that calls for documentation when shipping instruments internationally that contain any amount of any kind (i.e. fingerboard, back, sides, binding) of rosewood or certain types of Bubinga. As every commercial transaction outside of the EU must be accompanied by a CITES re-export certificate, Thomann is only able to supply the required paperwork and meet the export conditions required for items over 998 €. Therefore we can´t unfortunately sell this product outside of the EU anymore. Kind regards [b]Katja Sarigül[/b] International Sales Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodiakblair Posted March 7, 2017 Share Posted March 7, 2017 Ironbar Fingers crossed they change the board to a look-a-like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironbar Posted March 10, 2017 Author Share Posted March 10, 2017 Well, as an update, today I pulled the trigger on a fretless Gold Tone MicroBass 23. Did a lot of looking around before I settled on this one. I like the fact that it's a 23 inch scale. I'm a pretty big guy and I don't have sausage fingers but I figured it would be easier to play than something shorter. Guess I need to stock up on strings, batteries, and a new strap! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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