Baloney Balderdash

Well, isn't that obvious, yet it is just a stripped jazz bass body with a generously routed neck pickup cavity that would have room for something like a a '51 P Bass single coil P Pickup, and possibly even a mini humbucker, at least a guitar mini humbucker pickup, or might be even possibly have room for cramming in a soapbar style pickup if it was custom made to fit the specific measurements (at least I think that cavity is a bit too narrow for a standard sized soapbar pickup)? At least one of those alternative pickup options/possibilities would probably be the route (no pun intended) I personally would go, rather than a J Pickup, quite possibly a '51 single coil Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder P Pickup, which unlike any of their other Quarter Pound offerings actually got plenty of mids and sounds phenomenal.

"So what?", about what you thought was being a point really being no point at all, or at least not the point you thought it was? It's either that or I have absolutely no idea why you quoted my post in your initial reply. I guess it is alright though to reply to posts without really having a point with it... *shrug*

Exactly, at much much lower tension, and usually even gauge as well, than you would normally use for a low F# tuning on a 34" scale bass. Though usually 8 string guitars will have a scale length of around 27", but the point still stands.

I really ought to make a standard reply and save it so I can copy paste it every time someone suggest abnormally thick gauge strings for short scale basses relatively to their actual scale length, it'll sound like donkey as soon as you go up the fretboard because of the increased stiffness/inflexibility of the strings in relation to gauge, regardless of the lower actual tension, being a function of the shorter scale as a result of the relatively shorter vibrating length of the strings, an effect that will increase exponentially as you go up the fretboard. Personally I prefer a set with a gauge .095 low E string for a 30" short scale bass, and I think that is the optimal gauge for a low E string of a 30" scale instrument, certainly you wouldn't want ever to go any higher than a gauge .100 low E string if you want it to sound decent, the thinner gauge strings will also result in more harmonic content, which already is naturally reduced due to the shorter scale length, you wouldn't want to add to that effect by equipping it with abnormally thick strings relatively to the scale length. You can't expect ripping the strings like if you were handling the string of a bow aiming for a long shot and fretting them like you needed to squash a walnut, if you adjust your playing style accordingly to the instrument you actually play you'll find that the natural lower tension of a short scale bass is actually not an issue, but rather makes for a really comfortable playing experience, instead of equipping abnormally thick strings relatively to the scale length, which will result in preventing them from vibrating properly because of the relative increase of stiffness/inflexibility as a result of the shorter vibrating length, just so you can go on handling your short scale bass like as if it was the exact same instrument as your 34" scale bass, but sound like absolute donkey, that is all thud and mud, with no sustain and no harmonic content, as a result. Try equipping a regular 24.75" or 25.5" scale electric guitar with the gauge of strings that'll give them the same tension as the strings on your 34" scale bass and see how that sounds, there's a reason for them being much much lower tension than bass strings, and that is the scale length, which as said results in accordingly stiffer/less flexible strings. For drop D on a 30" short scale bass though you do properly need a gauge .105 low D string.

Now that I spend a little more time with this instrument, have gotten used to the narrow string spacing (sort of just a matter of getting back to it, since I do play guitar too, even if it must be something like a year ago or so I did so last time), and had time to dial in my "amp-less" setup to work optimally with it, I have fallen deeply in love with this instrument. Plays awesomely great, feels really good in my hands, and not least with the middle pickup soloed sounds amazing, really punchy and snappy with a nice amount of bite as well. This is definitely taking over as my main instrument. And I will be able to use it both as the basis for new ambient tracks with my main solo project "Fjernsind", with the G standard tuning I use in place of guitar for my alternative folk project "...and for such a long time", as well as the main instrument for my sort of stoner/doom rock project "all I nil", that I otherwise have used my 28,6" 4 string tenor bass, in G standard tuning as well, for, before I got this Harley Benton GuitarBass. Love it. Though I will need to find a replacement for that middle position stock single coil pickup that I love the tone of soloed, cause it is intolerably noisy (not too bad with my hands on some metal parts of the bass, creating a ground route for the bridge ground wire, but the hum is insanely loud whenever I don't). . Ideally I would want a humbucker pickup in a Strat single coil format, either a true humbucker double bladed one, or just one with stacked coils that'll kill the hum, but while sounding as close as possible to the stock one. I just have absolutely no idea how I am supposed to get one that does, unless in the unlikely case that someone else owning this Harley Benton went through that same process and succeeded to find such a pickup dial in with the right answer. I suppose my best bet would be a stacked coil design though, for at least sounding as close as possible to a true single coil pickup as possible, and Alnico 5 magnet based like the stock one. Eventually the plan is to swap out all 3 stock pickups, even if I don't really need more than just 1 great tone, and by far most likely will stat in that middle pickup soloed position for something like 90% of the time.

Short scale Sterling Sting Ray ! Without any doubt whatsoever. As far as I am concerned it sounds better, has more frets (22 on the Ray Vs. 19 on the Mustang), and easier access to the upper ones too, which to me at least matters a lot. The just 19 frets, and even poor access to the last 2, of the Mustang is a joke if you ask me. But of course if you are one of those bass player who never ventures above the 12th fret and prefers a more old school vintage tone the Fender Mustang would no doubt still be the better choice out of those 2 for you.

This new Harley Benton GuitarBass (heavily Fender Bass VI inspired), that I just got with the mail Thursday : You can read more about it here :

Got it yesterday. First impression: Looks beautiful, mind I would personally have preferred a different finish, but for what it is it looks genuinely great, and I can't spot any obvious finish flaws. But damn, this is big and heavy, even though it is a short scale it is exactly as big as my 34" scale Aria Pro II Laser Electric Classic bass, because of where the bridge is positioned on the body, as well as the 6 inline tuners headstock, and also just as heavy as the Aria Pro, despite the fact that the body of the Harley Benton is supposed to be basswood, and my full scale Aria Pro features an ash body (haven't actually weighted it, but my best bet is just about 5 kg (~12 lbs) or so). Edit!!!: Ah, this explains it, apparently Thomann haven't updated the specs for this Harley Benton GuitarBass on their homepage, while this is what it says on Harley Benton's own homepage: "...the Harley Benton GuitarBass has a nato wood body and a bolt-on maple neck with a Makassar ebony fretboard...". (both those wood types being about as heavy as wood gets and extremely hard, sturdy and stiff. Used to be respectively a basswood body and a heat treated maple (Roseacer) fretboard, which is what it still says on Thomann's homepage) Edit #2: So I wrote to Thomann to get a confirmation on the wood used for this instrument, but they replied that after having one of their guitar technicians expect their demo model he confirmed that the spec list on Thomann's own homepage was indeed correct, that is a Roseacer (heat treated maple) fretboard and a Basswood body, despite not matching the description on Harley Benton's homepage. However I am not exactly entirely convinced about this guitar technician also being a wood expert, and how he could possibly even make a proper accession through the finish of this instrument, even if he really in fact actually should happen to also be an expert in wood. And in any case it still leaves the question why Harley Benton would claim the body being made of Nato wood and the freboard Makassar Ebony in the description of this instrument on their homepage, though the spec list on the same page does indeed match that on Thomann's. Also still it doesn't quite explain how a piece of basswood this size could possibly be so abnormally heavy as is the case, despite the fact that it is supposed to be a really light wood type, even when accounting for natural variations from individual tree to tree and even specific cut to cut out of the same tree. I guess it must remain one of life's great mysteries, and I guess I'll just have to learn to accept that I'd most likely never will come to learn which of the official claims match the actual truth, or even if either of them even does, and if the reality of which wood types used for this instrument could possibly be an entirely different 3rd mystery combination. Picking it up I also noticed how massive the neck is as well, really chunky, almost baseball bat-esque type, neck, but surprisingly comfortable despite that fact. And also the grains of the piece of maple that the neck is made of, exposed by the thin satin clear finish of the back of the neck, runs as good as perfectly straight along the length of the neck, as they ideally should for optimal stability and lowest risk for the neck to eventually developing a warp/twist, in theory at least, which the Makassar ebony fretboard, which as said is an extremely hard and stiff type of wood, is no doubt going to help with as well. After tuning it up and playing it acoustically: nice low action from stock, and no fret buzz at all, though the fret ends are a bit sharp here and there, and could have used a bit more thorough filing, but nothing that bothers me too much, also the stock strings feels a bit rough, and the low E string, with it's just .084 gauge, is way too floppy, but overall it feels comfortable to play, though it will take some time getting used to the super narrow standard guitar string spacing, constantly fumbling, my fingers tripping over each other, and hitting the wrong strings. Now I didn't actually plug it in before restringing it with gauge .080 - .060 - .045 - .034 - .024 - .018 (plain string) D'Addario XL nickle plated steel hex core roundwound strings, and tuning it to G standard tuning, as in 3 half steps above regular E standard tuning, as I planed to, and setting it up properly, so can't comment on how it sounded plugged in straight from stock, and with the stock strings. As said I can get the action just as low as I prefer it without any fret buzz whatsoever, that is ever so slightly below 2mm (~0.079" = ~5/64") low G (what would normally be low E) string side, and then declining towards just about 1.5mm (~0.059" = ~4/64") high G (what would normally be high E) string side, measured at 12th fret from top of fret to bottom of string (and with so minimal relief that the neck is very close to being dead flat), and could probably go even lower still without any fret buzz (in fact the actual measurements are slightly bellow the numbers mentioned, but pretty much fits spot on measured at the 17th fret), which is pretty impressive for an instrument in this price class. The nut slots are cut at perfect depth as well. Plugging it in first thing I noticed was how noisy it is when the pickup switch is on a single pickup, which I guess is what to be expected from single coil pickups, the noise does though almost entirely disappear as soon as you are touching the strings, creating a ground connection, so shielding it should help tremendously on this issue, the noise is not anything beyond regular unshielded guitar noise when 2 pickups are on at the same time though. My favorite position being the middle pickup soloed, which actually sound pretty great, other pickup combinations sound nice enough, but not exactly blown away by the tone. Played acoustically it does sound great though, and as said the middle pickup soloed sounds pretty great too, but I am most likely going to eventually upgrade the pickups for double bladed humbucker single coil format Strat pickups. Also the balance across the strings with the pickups adjusted right (that is low side being adjusted just slightly lower than high side) is pretty close to perfectly even, which I assume is thanks to the pole pieces of the pickups being stackered following the radius of the finger board. All in all I am really satisfied. This Harley Benton GuitarBass, Fender Bass VI inspired instrument, definitely punch a good deal above it's price class, and I can warmly recommend it. Here it is:

No, it would most definitely not, not with that much longer scale length, for one because the tension of the strings would be that much higher, or with the same kind of tension the gauge of the strings insanely thin, and that is just one aspect of how that the scale length would effect the tone differently. Plus the pickups might be voiced differently. Most likely would sound closer to short scale 6 string piccolo bass rather than a Strat. Well, I prefer to use a pick for bass, and fingers for electric guitar, like acoustic classical guitar style. Not sure which I go with yet, but I kind of dread to think of how I will deal with the tight string spacing as well, haven't played guitar for a long while, though the longer scale length might help a bit with with it not feeling to cramped after all, the thicker string gauge though possibly making it worse.

Unfortunately whoever was to deliver the package scratched them self in the butt and chose to call that an "attempted" delivery, so now I'll have to wait till tomorrow, unless they chose to pull the same trick once more. And customer service is absolutely useless.

No the 2 mid controls just control 2 different mid frequency areas, only the gain is switchable, so you have two gain levels you can switch between. All I would want from a preamp though would be one basic main tone, and the capability to shape it the way I wanted, and then have all my other tones come from other pedals. Most preamps though really are just one channel, and then maybe a switchable drive, unless they are a part of a digital modeler. This one is by the way all analog.

Tech 21 Steve Harris SH-1. Not at all just for sounding like Steve Harris, in fact really versatile, and with a switchable cab sim included to.

You can sort of mimic a HPF or LPF by stacking several parametric EQs too, using the bass specific parametric equalizer model as it has a wider range of boost/cut, and experimenting with the exact settings in a DAW with a VST based parametric equalizer first so that you get a graphic representation to base your settings on, in terms of getting the amount of cut, frequency and Q value just right. Also, not to dis you in any way, but with the firmware effect model hack it makes absolutely no sense to get the MS-60B (except of course if you are a collector of Zoom pedals), when you for the same price can get the MS-70CDR that unlike the MS-60B got both stereo in and outs as well as allows for a maximum of up to 6 effect models per patch, vs. the just up to 4 effect models maximum per patch of the MS-60B, plus perhaps possibly (I got no idea if this is actually the case though) also having more storage space for adding additional effect models (as I mentioned in my previous reply it at least have slightly more storage space for adding additional effect models than the G1Xon).

YES! Tracking service says it is in the process of being delivered and that I should get it later today! So much looking forward to get my fingers on it. Just really hope that I haven't been unlucky in terms of quality control with my specific unit (would be such an anti climax, plus tedious to go through the troubles of returning it). As said I will write an update once I got it and have had a chance to try it out properly.

For what it is worth these are the settings I found to work best, for me personally at least: That is MID set at about 2 o'clock, LOW ever so slightly lower (as in CCW, ~ 1:30 o'clock), VOICE ever so slightly higher (as in CW, ~ 2:30 o'clock), HIGH just cut ever so slightly (as in slightly turned CCW, ~ 11:30 o'clock), DRIVE set to about 9 o'clock, and LEVEL set to just about unity (Edit!!!: The settings I eventually settled for are: Low: 1 - Mid: 2 - High: Noon - Voice: 1:30 - Drive: 9 (same)). And I use it first in my signal chain (so sort of functioning as if my bass had had an active onboard preamp), just after the compressor, and then going straight into a Boss LS-2 with an always on Joyo Orange Juice in one of it's effect loops, blended with about 45% clean signal (that is the Oxford Sound) or so, the Orange Juice set as follows: Tone ~ 11:30 o'clock, Drive ~10 o'clock, Voice ~ 1:30 o'clock. This being part of my "always on" setup of my "amp-less" setup, which ends with 2 tube preamps stacked into each other, both set at the verge of breakup, and placed right after my faux, EQ based, cab sim, set to what in practice equals an about 3.6kHz -12dB/Oct HPF, the second tube preamp having its 40Hz -12dB/Oct HPF activated. Combined this gives me a quite punchy and really snappy kind of tone, with a nice amount of bite and tube like touch sensitive low to low medium gain overdrive grit and grind, but the Oxford Sound really being my main tone shaper in this setup (some additional EQ'ing does happen in between the [Oxford Sound -> Boss LS-2 =<={Oxford Sound->Orange Juice=|\\~ 55/45% Mix\\|=Oxford Sound}=>->] and the faux, EQ based, cab sim, but those are relative minor fine adjustments. But, as said, still the main character of my tone comes from the Oxford Sound)

This hack made it possible for me to load all the effects I am interested in, and honestly more than I will ever use, into my G1Xon, which I love, and honestly think this and the B1Xon is the best multi effect pedal Zoom ever made, love how it is possible to assign the build in expression pedal, which by the way responds really nicely, to control any parameter of any effect model in a given patch, and in whatever direction and range you wish, and in my opinion Zoom's newer generation of multi effect units and digital effect models is a downgrade compared to this (and yes, I do actually own both a G1 Four and a B1 Four, but after initially trying them out, and to my disappointment concluding them to be inferior to my G1Xon, they have been left unused), both in terms of features/functionality, tweakability, but actually also in terms of sound quality of the units and effect models. Have more or less the same effect models loaded on both my Zoom MS-70CDR and Zoom G1Xon, except I exchanged the few expression pedal controlled specific effects I have loaded on my G1Xon for some other effects, plus the storage space for effect models is slightly larger on the MS-70CDR, so I have a few additional effects loaded on that as well. Also I just bought a used B1Xon, exclusively to keep as a backup in case my G1Xon should ever stop working, since this multi effect has been discontinued, and since it is one of my absolute favorite pedals and plays a quite essential role in my pedal setup as well (basically takes care of all my reverb needs, including an always on subtle plate reverb into a really subtle spring reverb patch, and then additionally a reverse delay patch and an expression pedal controlled LPF envelope filter, "wah" pedal, patch). And thanks to this hack I can make the B1Xon that I, as said, just bought as a backup to my G1Xon, an exact identical backup replacement (Though I must admit that I strictly visually have a slight preference for the blue knobs of the G1Xon vs the red ones of the B1Xon ).

This classic:

Also, judging from the demos I've watched featuring the Harley Benton GuitarBass its stock pickups actually sound really great, and it even seems like all 5 pickup combinations produce great and very usable for optaining different flavors of tone (like with basses and guitars I usually tend to find one setting that to me sounds better than any other and then stick to that exclusively, but with this I could actually totally see my self making use of the pickup selector switch for different situation and parts), so not very likely I would ever want to upgrade the pickups. But if I did decide to upgrade the pickups, does anyone know if a regular Strat pickups (and would that go for both the Strat pickups where the bottom board of the pickup is flush with the pickup, as well as the ones with sort of a small triangle of the bottom board sticking out to one side a bit?) fit the cavities in the body and cutouts in the pickguard (like for instance a Seymour Duncan Strat Hot Rails single coil sized blade humbucker), and also how big are the cavities for the pickups in the body, a tight fit for the stock pickups, or would there be room for installing something like a mini humbucker sized pickup without additional routing needed (Like for instance the TV Jones Thunderblade pickup, or the Seymour Duncan Rickenbacker neck replacement pickup (both double bladed humbuckers). Of course regardless you would then still need to cut a fitting hole in the pickguard)? If not which pickups would then fit, only Fender Jaguar and Fender Bass VI pickups?

It does work decently as a regular bass with 2 extra strings or as a decent extremely downtuned guitar as well, but really to make it work optimally, for it to really shine, you need to treat it as an unique instrument in its own regard and on its own terms. And as far as I am concerned that is as a melodic/solo instrument primarily, which in a traditional band context would mean in the role of a lead instrument, filling out the sonic spectrum/space between the guitar(s) and the bass, or alternatively used as the basis for ambient work in combination with an extended use of effects.

Edit!!!: Updated the title to be more in line with the updated thread. Here's my "review": I just ordered a Harley Benton GuitarBass VS Vintage Series from Thomann, which essentially is a Squier Bass VI clone with a fixed bridge, which again is a 30" short scale 6 string bass, but tuned like a guitar, just 1 octave lower, and with typical guitar string spacing. This Harley Benton actually gets really good reviews, and Harley Benton instruments are generally known to be amazing value for the money. Also judging from reviews the quality control has improved since they started selling this model. Should arrive by the middle of next week. I plan on stringing it with gauge .080 - .060 - .045 - .034 - .026 - .018 (plain string) D'Addario XL nickle plated roundwound steel core strings, and tuning it to G standard tuning, that is 3 half steps above regular E standard tuning, as in G1 - C2 - F2 - A#2 - D3 - G3. Will report back with pictures and my personal impression of it once it has arrived and I have had a chance to try it out properly.

Get a Boss LS-2 then. Of course that will take up extra space (if money is no issue One Control makes a clean blend effect looper in mini pedal format, and actually it's only a bit more expensive than the LS-2), but it'll get you a clean blend for the Orange Fur Coat, and as a bonus you can use it for other pedals too, or other stuff. Though personally I wouldn't miss a clean blend for that pedal.

Hate is a strong word, but yes, I really don't like it and don't think it is a great bass pedal. There are even some of EHX's own Big Muff variants that ironically, at least as far as I am concerned, sound better on bass. The clean blend switch on the Bass Big Muff also seems completely useless to me, like, in my opinion at least, they got the balance all wrong, as the clean signal is way to loud, which makes it sound like a dominating clean signal layer sort of laying on top of a background distorted signal, almost sounding like background noise from a faulty circuit, instead of the fuzz and clean signal actually blending together as one single signal, in my opinion they should just have added a regular clean blend knob that let you blend in as much or little clean signal as you liked. I might not be the best person to ask this question though as I generally don't really like Big Muffs, regardless of variant (though some do work slightly better for bass than others, as said the Bass Big Muff ironically not being one of those), for bass at all, they lack definition and kills all articulation, partially because of their baked in more or less scooped tone, depending on specific variant, but even if you do boost the mids that will only improve definition and articulation a slight bit, which will still be far too little, as far as I am concerned Big Muff type fuzz just inherently makes your bass sound like a muddy dull inarticulate definitionless mess. And it's not even because I dislike fuzz and high gain distortion applied to bass, I generally very much like it, I just don't like how Big Muff based fuzzes makes a bass sound. In my opinion this is how fuzz bass is supposed to sound: Indefinitely greater sounding than any Big Muff variant will ever be. When that is said I do actually in general really like how most Big Muff variants sound used with guitar. A guitar run through an OP Amp Muff is beautifully gnarly, through a Triangle Muff lovely gritty, and through a Ram's Head deliciously creamy and gloriously huge. On bass though, no matter the variant, a muddy dull inarticulate definitionless mess.

One of my absolute favorite albums "The White Birch" by Codeine : 00:00 - Sea 07:21 - Loss Leader 11:38 - Vacancy 15:16 - Kitchen Light 18:51 - Washed Up 23:27 - Tom 28:26 - Ides 33:32 - Wird 39:37 - Smoking Room

Lou Barlow :