Thomann selling Harley Benton basses as 'Decoration only'

[Annoying Twit]

A couple of what I guess to be guitars up now. I just woke up, so they could have been up for a while and other things may have come and gone.

EDIT: Nylon string black acoustic guitar, and explorer shaped electric guitar. The explorer disappeared pretty quickly last time they went up. NB: When I see new instruments, I post here first to give the quickest possible heads up, then investigate. The explorer only costs £73 something brand new. So, £33 for a Deko isn't as much of a bargain as other Dekos. It's left handed. The reviews seem surprisingly good for a £73 instrument. The nylon acoustic has no reviews.

Edited January 18, 2015 by Annoying Twit

[kodiakblair]

Cheers AT

£40 off the pointy thing's still a good deal if you were starting. You could buy a wee battery amp and a fuzz box or a multi effects
with the discount.

[planer]

Finally - I have a picture. This is the HB Thomman cheapie-special with my RBX374, as a size comparison more than anything. It's mahoosive and makes the Yam feel like a toy.

I don't really have a black bass fetish (f'narr), given the choice I'd have had a natural one from Thomman, but black was all they had so I jumped on one while I had the chance. It's a nice thing, and sounds way better than it 'should' for the money. Happy bunny.

I'd like to try some flats on it if I can find some for reasonable money. Recommendations anyone?

[Mornats]

Overwater flats are £21.20: http://overwaterbasses.com/shop-2/bass-strings/

I've used their nickels (which are nice and very similar to GHS Bass Boomers) but haven't used their flats but they're fairly cheap and are likely to be quite decent I reckon.

[UglyDog]

[quote name='planer' timestamp='1421582345' post='2662839']
Finally - I have a picture. This is the HB Thomman cheapie-special with my RBX374, as a size comparison more than anything. It's mahoosive and makes the Yam feel like a toy.

I don't really have a black bass fetish (f'narr), given the choice I'd have had a natural one from Thomman, but black was all they had so I jumped on one while I had the chance. It's a nice thing, and sounds way better than it 'should' for the money. Happy bunny.

I'd like to try some flats on it if I can find some for reasonable money. Recommendations anyone?
[/quote]
When I get a moment, I'll take a snap of my RBX next to my Tanglewood ABG. Compare it with your pic and it should give an idea as to whether the Harley Barley ABGs are any bigger than 'normal'.

[Annoying Twit]

I must admit that I think that my B30FL is about regular size for an acoustic bass. It's bigger than a solid body, sure. But I don't think it's that big. It's all relative though, and depends what you're comparing it to.

As for the £40 saved on the Deko Explorer (which has now gone), £22 of that could quite reasonably be spent on one of those. (IMHO, from listening to online demos). [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_california_truetone.htm"]http://www.thomann.d...ia_truetone.htm[/url] That's a rebranded Joyo, I believe. Though, perhaps people buying an explorer would go for something with more blistering gain.

I put Fender flats on mine, cos they were cheap and I have had good experience with Fender strings of different types. Online comparisons seem to suggest that Fender flats sound less distinctively 'flat-ish' than other brands such as LaBella. The Overwater flats sound a good deal, on the assumption that Overwater wouldn't brand anything that was substandard.

Edited January 18, 2015 by Annoying Twit

[Beer of the Bass]

[quote name='planer' timestamp='1421582345' post='2662839']

I'd like to try some flats on it if I can find some for reasonable money. Recommendations anyone?

[/quote]

I'd be tempted to try some black nylon tapewounds, as they're fairy flatwound-ish in sound and they'd look good on a black bass. D'Addario and Status both do them in sensible gauges.

[planer]

[quote name='UglyDog' timestamp='1421587023' post='2662913']

When I get a moment, I'll take a snap of my RBX next to my Tanglewood ABG. Compare it with your pic and it should give an idea as to whether the Harley Barley ABGs are any bigger than 'normal'.
[/quote]

Cool. This is my first acoustic, so I had no idea what to expect.

Harley Barley - like it :-)

edit- and thanks everyone for your string advice, much appreciated.

Edited January 18, 2015 by planer

[kodiakblair]

The Status Hot Wire nylons get the thumbs up from me.

Have them on the PB-50 though,never tried them on the acoustic.

[Andyjr1515]

[quote name='planer' timestamp='1421582345' post='2662839']
Finally - I have a picture. This is the HB Thomman cheapie-special with my RBX374, as a size comparison more than anything. It's mahoosive and makes the Yam feel like a toy.

I don't really have a black bass fetish (f'narr), given the choice I'd have had a natural one from Thomman, but black was all they had so I jumped on one while I had the chance. It's a nice thing, and sounds way better than it 'should' for the money. Happy bunny.

I'd like to try some flats on it if I can find some for reasonable money. Recommendations anyone?


[/quote]

I've put black nylon-covered D'addarios on mine and it has transformed the sound, the playability and the feel

[Vixivi]

[quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1421618122' post='2663415']
I've put black nylon-covered D'addarios on mine and it has transformed the sound, the playability and the feel
[/quote]

How does the it affect the acoustic volume?
I've been thinking of putting black nylons on my fretless deko, but i'm a bit concerned about the acoustic volume.

Edited January 18, 2015 by Vixivi

[Annoying Twit]

Left Handed Explorer Guitar is back.

[Beer of the Bass]

My B35-NT five string acoustic has arrived. It is slightly different to the pictures, with a pin bridge and 5-band EQ with no phase switch. I've just given it a quick look over (as it's a birthday present for next week and will be going in the cupboard until then) and there are no massive flaws. There are a couple of slight milky coloured patches on the top which are only visible from certain angles and one high fret which makes a couple of notes from the 15th-17th fret on the G string fret out or buzz. I can sort the high fret without too much trouble. The nut is a little high and it arrived with the truss rod completely slack - it had never been tightened but seems to work fine. Other than that it seems like it will be fine for my purposes.

[pfretrock]

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1421666065' post='2663673']
and one high fret which makes a couple of notes from the 15th-17th fret on the G string fret out or buzz. I can sort the high fret without too much trouble.
[/quote]

same problem as my HB. I suspect the neck frets are pressed in with a tool and the body frets can only be hammered in. My loose 17th fret has slight evidence of being hamered to get the treble side down. Ive pressed it in and it does not buzz now, have some superglue ready when I get around to it.

I wonder if the 'Fretless' label inside can be explained by they started out fretless but were later fretted (with some QA issues) ?

[planer]

[quote name='pfretrock' timestamp='1421667086' post='2663688']
I wonder if the 'Fretless' label inside can be explained by they started out fretless but were later fretted (with some QA issues) ?
[/quote]

It might for the fivers, however mine is a 4 string fretted but the label still says 5 string fretless.

[Beer of the Bass]

[quote name='pfretrock' timestamp='1421667086' post='2663688']
I wonder if the 'Fretless' label inside can be explained by they started out fretless but were later fretted (with some QA issues) ?
[/quote]

I don't think they can have started out fretless, as with a bound neck the fret slots would have to be cut before binding. I reckon they just don't have anyone who reads English on the factory floor, so errors in the labels don't get noticed. They were selling a guitar model where the headstock read "Delxue" instead of "Deluxe" for months before they got changed!

[pfretrock]

Good point. Actually the tang of the fret is clipped off where it goes over the binding. you may be able to see if frets are not fully down if you can slide a piece of paper between the fret and binding and some way over the actual fretboard.

I hear Be-Bop Delxue are popular in China at the moment.

[Andyjr1515]

[quote name='Vixivi' timestamp='1421618654' post='2663421']
How does the it affect the acoustic volume?
I've been thinking of putting black nylons on my fretless deko, but i'm a bit concerned about the acoustic volume.
[/quote]
Maybe a bit quieter but no 'clatter' so much more usable and therefore I find I can play actually louder. Plugged in no appreciable difference.

Edited January 19, 2015 by Andyjr1515

[planer]

[quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1421701382' post='2664175']

Maybe a bit quieter but no 'clatter' so much more usable and therefore I find I can play actually louder. Plugged in no appreciable difference.
[/quote]

That sounds like the effect I'm after, cool :-)

[Annoying Twit]

There's a standard series strat up now.

I think I'm not going to notify the thread in future unless it's either a new bass guitar up, or something particularly interesting on the guitar or other instrument front. I'm not going to notify the thread for normal electrics and acoustics. Unless anyone requests that I do of course.

[UglyDog]

[quote name='planer' timestamp='1421582345' post='2662839']
Finally - I have a picture. This is the HB Thomman cheapie-special with my RBX374, as a size comparison more than anything. It's mahoosive and makes the Yam feel like a toy.
[/quote]
As promised, I have taken some pics of my Tanglewood 4-string ABG next to my Yam RBX765 for comparison. Ongoing PC problems mean that I can't upload them until I get to work tomorrow. Bah.
[quote name='pfretrock' timestamp='1420839646' post='2654221']
5 string:
Lower bout 42cm
Tail to head 124cm
Maximum body depth 12cm
[/quote]
By way of comparison, my Tanglewood 4-string is:

Lower bout 42.5cm
Tail to head 116cm
Maximum body depth 13cm

So it would seem that the Harleys ain't all that big after all?

[mcnach]

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1421673705' post='2663773']
I don't think they can have started out fretless, as with a bound neck the fret slots would have to be cut before binding. I reckon they just don't have anyone who reads English on the factory floor, so errors in the labels don't get noticed. They were selling a guitar model where the headstock read "Delxue" instead of "Deluxe" for months before they got changed!
[/quote]

I have one of the early V-Amp2 units. One of the amp models, as written on the front, is "Amercian Deluxe". I noticed later models being spelled correctly. I held onto it hoping one day it would become rare and sought after

[Mornats]

http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_hbz_2005_deko.htm

Nice Ibanez-like 5 string up for £70 or so.

[Mornats]

Sold out of that 5 string now. Anyone here get it?

[Moos3h]

Well my Deko arrived and the neck was HORRIBLY 'S' shaped - I've adjusted it and it's improved a bit but there's still a massive dip in only part of the neck.

Overall, I still reckon great VFM and I will be able to get it playable, just not with the action I'd ideally like.

In other news, the body grain is something else and is REALLY well matched. I'm impressed!

I've already done a rough re-shaping of the headstock (hate that headstock shape) and will be removing the logo (blank headstock FTW) when I come to tidy it properly.

Pics will follow