Naetharu

Cheers folks, that's some really helpful advice. I'll certainly make a point of checking out the GK stuff as I have never tried any of it before. The Orange Terror sounds interesting too - I love the OB1-500 in many ways. As to the gritty sound, it's not something I want for all tracks but we're kind of prog/metal (influences would include Muse, Mars Volta, Dream Theater, Tool...) so its not all crazy driven guitars. I'd quite like to be able to get a nice deep and dirty 'Chris Wolstenholme' kind of bass sound for a few of the tracks - something along the line of what he uses for Psycho on the new Drones album.

[quote name='Geek99' timestamp='1442580692' post='2867970'] That looks pretty good Needs tort though [/quote] Hehe, sounds like a good idea. I am tempted to order a new scratch-plate for it as the one it has is made of a nasty soft plastic. It does the job but it is the one thing on the bass that feels cheap.

She's a stunner mate, congrats! Any chance of a sound sample? Btw, just checked out your band via your signature link and love them! Grabbed myself a copy of your album

[quote name='kodiakblair' timestamp='1442402262' post='2866638'] There's also the £108 Harley Benton one. [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_jb_40fl_sb.htm"]http://www.thomann.d..._jb_40fl_sb.htm[/url] If it sounds and plays like their JB-75 You're on a winner. [/quote] Just thought I would add that I've picked up a HB bass and they are stunners for the money. I'd certainly say that the JB75 (their Jazz bass) stands shoulder to shoulder with the Squire VM bass I own. I have no idea how they can afford to make these basses and sell them for the price they do, but wow they are nice. The only warning I would give you is that my one weighs a ton. If you're wanting something to noodle around with while sitting down at home then its a great option but be cautious if you are planning on standing playing.

Hi folks, I ordered myself a Harley Benton Jazz the other night. It's one of their 'Deco' basses and thus was silly money. In all honesty I didn't expect much but I figured if nothing else I could pop it up on the wall as it looked like it had a nice bit of ash for the body. Well, I have to say I am very impressed with just how nice this bass it. I've had a really good look at it and I honestly cannot see anything wrong at all - I have no idea why it's a 'Deco' as its perfectly fit for playing. The fit and finish is good. There are no sharp edges on the frets, the neck is smooth and easy to play, and the bridge feels solid. The electronics are Wilkinson and do their job just fine. They'll not blow anyone away with their tone but equally they sound pretty nice and are certainly usable. Even the pots seem pretty good with a reasonably smooth roll off in volume and tone as opposed to some cheap ones I've tried where it seems to go from all to nothing in an instant. The only downside to the bass is the weight and balance. I've not got scales here so I don't know numbers but this thing is heavy. It'd say it weighs even more than my Squire P-Bass - a proper 'back breaker'. Its also got a bit of neck-dive. Nothing too bad, but enough to require a bit of support from your fretting hand while playing. However, given the price (after the deco discount and using a Thomann voucher I got for doing a review it came to a mere £18 plus shipping!) I just cannot believe how nice the bass it. I'd certainly be more than willing to direct anyone to the Harley Benton range if they were looking for a nice little cheap bass. I'd honestly say that this stands shoulder to shoulder with my Squire VM bass - and even without the deco discount it comes in at around 1/3 of the price. I have no idea how they do it, but Thomann really are making some great stuff with this Harley Benton range. Now I've just got to restrain myself from ordering more.

Well here it is – after all the waiting my new Maruszczyk Elwood X turned up yesterday afternoon! And what a bass she is. The first thing that hit me was just how beautiful the finish looks when you see the bass in person. It looks nice in the photos but they don’t quite do justice to how beautiful the matte red-burst is. Oh and perhaps a bit strange but it feels beautiful to touch. The pick-guard is very well made from a solid bit of maple with some lovely grain. It was the one feature of the bass that I was a little unsure about when ordering – I was almost tempted to ask for a standard black guard. However, now I have it I totally love it – it just seems to pull the whole thing together and add a bit more interest to the look of it without being over the top. Neck wise it feels beautiful to play. It feels a little fatter than a standard Jazz neck – the closest I can think of is a modern Stingray – sleeker than a P-bass but still with a bit of chunkiness to it. As with the body the finish on the neck is perfect, with an excellent finish on the frets and some very pleasing rolled edges to the fret-board itself. The action is very low yet there is no buzzing or un-wanted noise at all. It felt a little odd at first but I’ve grown to love it quickly. It’s just so easy to play. All of my energy is used making music (or at least funky noise ) rather than fighting the strings. And then there is the weight. I have no idea now they have done it but the bass weights about the same as my Ibanez SR300 – which is to say it is very light indeed. Add to that the balance is perfect – there is no neck-dive at all – and it’s fair to say that I am rather impressed. The hardware seems fantastic too – the Delano humbucker offers a warm think sound. It’s a bit softer than the typical Music-Man tone but beautiful all the same. The neck pickup is very mellow and easy to get a smooth tone from perfect for a bit of jazz. The EQ seems great too with lots of very usable sounds. I went for a Delano pre-amp in the end on Adrian’s advice (he recommended it over the Glockenclang as in his opinion the pots on the Delano one are a b it better quality). The two-band EQ seems great with lots of scope for some nice sounds. What surprised me is that the bass still sounds nice with the treble control all the way up – it adds lots of nice presence without sounding brittle or harsh. There is the option of passive too but to be honest I have not really bothered with that since the sound is the same albeit without the option of the full EQ settings. Finally a couple of minor features that I feel are well worth a mention. Given that this bass has 24 frets it has a slightly deeper cut-away than you would find on a standard Fender Jazz body. Added to this is a beautiful heel which is cut in such a manner that it makes getting to the very top frets a breeze. And then there is the battery compartment. Unlike other active basses that I have played, where the battery is connected by one of those little clip-on connectors this bass has a neat little slot-in design. No more struggling to remove a battery while trying to not pull on the wires. They battery just pops out and the new one slides in sideways for a quick and seamless swap. It’s a minor feature but another great little thing that just adds more to this wonderful instrument. On top of all this Adrian was kind enough to fit the bass with Schaller strap locks, and provide me with a very high quality real-leather strap and a lovely gig-bag all to go with the bass. I was lucky enough to have a band practice last night so I got to take the bass along and try it out ‘in the wild’ right away. It sounded fantastic and the tone got a lot of love from my band-mates. We play prog-rock/metal and the bass just seemed to love finding its place in the mix. It’s very articulate and somehow cut through the two guitars a lot more than any other basses I have used. In all honestly Adrian could have charged me twice the price he did for this bass and I would still think it was an absolute bargain. I don’t have my camera to hand right now but I’ll take some photos tomorrow in good light to show you all the bass in detail.

Hi folks, So I have just joined a Prog/Metal band. Up until now I've been playing funk and pop stuff for the most part so its new territory for me. Its been great fun but I do feel the need for a bass amp that has a bit more grind to it and so I am looking for some advice. I've tried the Orange OB1-500 head and I was very impressed with both its clean and dirty sound so that one is very high up on my radar. However, given the general paucity of bass amps on offer in local stores I'm going to have to travel quite a bit if I want to try other makes/models before committing my cash. As such, I was hoping that some of you folks that have a bit of experience with his genera might be able to point me to a few models of amp that would be worth taking a look at. Cheers for any advice you can offer James

[quote name='hookys6stringbass' timestamp='1442507435' post='2867461'] What bass did you get??? [/quote] I picked up one of the HB JB75-NA basses that they had on 'Deco' sale. Its just a Jazz bass copy in natural finsih. [quote name='lowhand_mike' timestamp='1442507980' post='2867464'] pics please [/quote] I'll pop some up in a NBD post later to avoid hijacking this thread Pics and review here: http://basschat.co.uk/topic/269711-nbd-harley-benton-jb75-na/

Well I just got my first HB bass today and I have to say I am [b]very [/b]impressed. Considering its a sub £100 bass it plays wonderfully and sounds really nice through my amp. The only down side is that it is heavy - even more so than my Squire P-bass, and its got a bit of neck-dive. However, for playing while sitting down on the couch of an evening its a real gem.

I'm just thinking about doing this to my Ibanez SR300 - are there any things that I should watch out for if I am doing it myself?

There is a really nice video guide done by Adrian Maruszczyk here: Part One: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qrTNzFjXMHE Part Two: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8Dqy6SIeKAY

Congrats! She's a real beauty. I agree with you about those custom shop pick-ups too. I tried one of these basses in my local PMT last month. Popped it through an Orange OB1-500 head and it just sounded amazing.

Hi folks, Add me for this one please! I'll bring my Maruszczyk Elwood X along.

Cheers for the video! It sounds as fantastic as it looks.

Out of interest, what's the deal with the mids on the EQ here - odd that it's only for cutting them?

Very simple I think - just ask for a replacement / refund. The shop is obliged to provide you with a bass that is fit for purpose and free of defects. Don't mess around trying to get this one up to scratch, just swap it for another that is in good working order. Edit: Just had a quick google and seen that these are pretty expensive / high-end basses. This confirms even more that you need to get the bass replaced / refunded. If you're parting with that kind of cash you have every right to expect something that plays properly.

[quote name='Waddycall' timestamp='1442085602' post='2864374'] Thanks Naetharu. it's the size of the body I don't like on jazz basses... [/quote] Three more options that are around your price range: (1) The Spector Legend basses - very similar in shape and size to the Warwick basses mentioned above so could be worth checking out both to see which you prefer. [url="http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/SpeLeg_5_Bubinga.html"]http://www.bassdirec..._5_Bubinga.html[/url] (2) The Cort Arona - basically a Sandberg Basic but made by Cort in their factories thus keeping the cost down. Not played one myself but I have heard some very nice reports of them and they're close to something like the Sterling in size but a bit lighter with a more Ibanez shaped neck to them. [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/cort_arona_4_opbb.htm"]http://www.thomann.d...rona_4_opbb.htm[/url] (3) The Sandberg Basic - These are perhaps a little over budget if new but I am told you can get them for quite a bit less if you purchase them via a German retailer. Also, the second hand ones - while not that common - are amazing value when they do come up. Its really the same as the Arona above, albeit made by hand in Germany rather than a factory built version from china. If you do go for a new one of these then there are some really cool options to pick from so you can customise the bass to your personal taste far more than you can with a lot of stuff. [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/sandberg_basic_4_rw_blb.htm"]http://www.thomann.d...ic_4_rw_blb.htm[/url] Also, it is worth mentioning that if you purchase via a store like Thomann then you've got a 30-day return option if you don't get along with the bass - very handy if you're not in a position to try it out before parting with the cash.

If you are after a Jazz style bass and want something lighter then one of these might be well worth considering: http://public-peace.de/index.php/bass-guitars/maruszczyk/elwood/4-string/364-elwood-4p-tcs-natural140036 They sell for around the £650 mark (depending on exchange rate) which is just madness given how nice they are. This model (TCS) has 'tone chambers' cut into the bass to keep the weight down, so while it will be normal size for a Jazz the weight should be a lot closer to what you are used to with the Ibanez.

[quote name='Chiliwailer' timestamp='1442051988' post='2864032'] How about a second hand Sunburst Music Man Sterling? (Not the new cheaper ones, but the USA one with the smaller body and thinner neck). [/quote] I tried one of these out at my local store last month and it's certainly well worth a look - sounded great and felt a lot closer to an Ibanez SR size than any of the Fender/Stingrays I played.

[quote name='darren' timestamp='1442004346' post='2863823'] Thanks. Really didn't know what to expect at this price point. Really happy. Can't wait to gig it next Saturday. [/quote] Aye, the Ibanez stuff is just astounding value. I picked up a SR300 earlier in the year (the cheapest of the proper Sound-Gear basses) and it still stuns me how great it feels and plays. I must say though, I really do love the look of your bass and a great color too.

That looks lovely. I've never come across one of these before. Congrats!

I've not played a HB bass yet but if the quality of the other stuff in their range is anything to by then you'll get a lot of bass for your money there.

[quote name='paul h' timestamp='1441978317' post='2863480'] Stunning. I would never have thought I would like a redburst but that really is a beautiful looking bass. [/quote] You know I am the same - normally I would steer miles away from any kind of 'burst' but there is something about the way these are done - perhaps its the matte finish - that just looks beautiful.

[quote name='paddy109' timestamp='1441959694' post='2863207'] I would like another p bass and I like the look of my vintage. My knowledge of bass guitars is pretty limited... [/quote] Having been in your situation recently (insofar as I was new to bass and looking for my first 'good' quality instrument) I would really recommend going and trying as many basses as you can before you lay down cash. If you can manage it just go to as many music stores as you can find in your area and play anything and everything you can find in your price range. I feel that this really helped me to get a solid feel for which basses and styles I like and which just don't do it for me. To my surprise at the start, I found I like Jazz basses a lot more than Precisions despite being heavily drawn to the latter based on visuals alone. When it actually comes to purchasing one however, I would look toward the second hand market unless you are in a real rush as the prices are so much better. Finally, where about are you based? Perhaps you could ask around to see if you could try some other folks basses out if you want to get a feel for a few options? You're certainly more than welcome to try any of mine if you want to pop around for a cup of tea when in the area. All the best James