Thomann selling Harley Benton basses as 'Decoration only'

[Annoying Twit]

I haven't heard one in real life, but the clips of the JB-20 on Thomas's site sound nice and warm to me. Interesting to hear that the same applies in real life.

@Leonardobass - I wouldn't say that the truss rod feels like there's no friction at all. But, it does feel very easy to turn.

[tauzero]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1431681687' post='2773865']
@Leonardobass - I wouldn't say that the truss rod feels like there's no friction at all. But, it does feel very easy to turn.
[/quote]

Might it be a finer thread pitch than normal?

[Annoying Twit]

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1431682408' post='2773875']
Might it be a finer thread pitch than normal?
[/quote]

That sounds very plausible. Whatever it is, I wish all of my basses had truss rods like that. And Just-a-nuts too.

[tauzero]

You can get very affordable JAN 1-alikes from Thomann for not a lot of money - ABM adjustable bass nut is the thing to search for.

[Vixivi]

Recorded some stuff really fast, just to give an impression as to how it sounds.
Everything is stock, except for the strings. They are some older d'addario nickels i had lying around.

[url="https://soundcloud.com/vixivi/harley-benton-jb-20"]https://soundcloud.c...ey-benton-jb-20[/url]

recording is simply bass => Focusrite scarlett 2i4 => PC. Without any equalization or such.

Edited May 15, 2015 by Vixivi

[Annoying Twit]

DEKOS! Loads of them!!!!

EDIT: They are showing as available on the main page, but are all sold out. Can't see any basses, but there were loads of guitars.

Les Paul Copies - Goldtop with P90s. Lemon Drop. Black. Honey Burst.

Semi-hollows. ES335 copy. 'Manhattan' Jazz box.

Left handed strat. Left and right handed acoustics. Round back acoustics. White cheap classical.

Nothing that I would have bought myself, but certainly a field day for deko-wanting guitar players.

EDIT: The jazz box is still available. But, £90 for a deko? [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_custom_line_manhattandeko_2.htm"]http://www.thomann.d...attandeko_2.htm[/url]

Edited May 16, 2015 by Annoying Twit

[Annoying Twit]

DEKOS!

PB-Shorty. [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_pb_shorty_bk_standarddeko.htm"]http://www.thomann.d...tandarddeko.htm[/url]

Progressive 4-string Bass: [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_b_450lh_bk_progressive_deko.htm"]http://www.thomann.d...essive_deko.htm[/url] EDIT: LEFT HANDED!

Black acoustic 5 string Deko [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_b_35bk_acoustic_bass_s_deko.htm"]http://www.thomann.d...bass_s_deko.htm[/url]

All basses this time?

EDIT: All still there, it seems. Both progressive and acoustic bass 'Available Immediately' which suggests that there are a few in stock, not just one or two.

Edited May 18, 2015 by Annoying Twit

[landwomble]

I've just bagged the shorty and the acoustic 5 string... Let's see.
I'm hoping the shorty will be good for terming my daughter bass guitar!

[Annoying Twit]

[quote name='landwomble' timestamp='1431989735' post='2777123']
I've just bagged the shorty and the acoustic 5 string... Let's see.
I'm hoping the shorty will be good for terming my daughter bass guitar!
[/quote]

Good luck on getting the instruments, and for them being in good usable nick when you get them.

You might want to consider turning the PB-Shorty into a PJ-Shorty: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/253875-turning-a-harley-benton-pb-shorty-into-a-jb-shorty/"]http://basschat.co.u...to-a-jb-shorty/[/url]

I was wondering if anyone else was awake. (I'm watching the entire series of Z Nation on Netflix, so am awake).

Edited May 18, 2015 by Annoying Twit

[Coldflows]

So how often do they update? When is the best time to check the page?

I fancy me a pbass project to add to.my list of things I'll never finish.

[Annoying Twit]

Just past 11pm seems a good time to be watching for Dekos. Occasionally in the morning at about 8am too, but 11pm seems the best time to be waiting ready to pounce.

[Coldflows]

I'll take your advice and wait and see what I can find. Are the Harley Bensons solid body or are they ply? Obviously there are a lot of different ones.

Edited May 18, 2015 by Coldflows

[landwomble]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1431989995' post='2777125']


Good luck on getting the instruments, and for them being in good usable nick when you get them.

You might want to consider turning the PB-Shorty into a PJ-Shorty: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/253875-turning-a-harley-benton-pb-shorty-into-a-jb-shorty/"]http://basschat.co.u...to-a-jb-shorty/[/url]

I was wondering if anyone else was awake. (I'm watching the entire series of Z Nation on Netflix, so am awake).
[/quote]

Appreciate I'm taking a punt here but is there any reason to think that I won't receive what I've ordered, or do you have some negative experience?

[Annoying Twit]

[quote name='landwomble' timestamp='1431991918' post='2777140']
Appreciate I'm taking a punt here but is there any reason to think that I won't receive what I've ordered, or do you have some negative experience?
[/quote]

Some people order a bass, but then receive an email saying that Thomann are out of stock.

These are factory second basses, sold as 'decoration only, not for playing.' The majority of them are playable with no major flaws. Occasionally one will have some major problems. The worst was a ukulele bass with a broken trussrod. Another P bass (if I remember correctly) arrived with non-functioning electronics. In that case, the purchaser (apologies for not going back through the thread and working out who it was) decided to upgrade the electronics, rather than fix them. So that we didn't learn what was wrong in that case. If you get an instrument that you don't like, you can still return it under the consumer contracts regulations. If you think you might want to do that, please look up how to return things under the CCR, and what you need to do in order to do so.

@Coldflows - the basses appear to be solid bodies. Some of the guitars that were taken to bits over on thefretboard (thanks Andy for recommending that thread) had more ... interesting construction under the finish. E.g. solid body but a wood grain sticker over a thin MDF top.

EDIT: Shorty and LH Progressive bass gone. Black 5 string acoustic still available.

Edited May 19, 2015 by Annoying Twit

[bartelby]

[quote name='landwomble' timestamp='1431991918' post='2777140']
Appreciate I'm taking a punt here but is there any reason to think that I won't receive what I've ordered, or do you have some negative experience?
[/quote]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1431992989' post='2777145']
Some people order a bass, but then receive an email saying that Thomann are out of stock.
[/quote]

Yep, I ordered a LH Jazz the other week only to get an email saying it was out of stock when I ordered.
I've since set an alarm for 11:20pm to wake me up so I can check the site. I guess I need to shift it back to 11PM.

[Coldflows]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1431992989' post='2777145']


@Coldflows - the basses appear to be solid bodies. Some of the guitars that were taken to bits over on thefretboard (thanks Andy for recommending that thread) had more ... interesting construction under the finish. E.g. solid body but a wood grain sticker over a thin MDF top.

[/quote]

Brilliant, i can strip that, I have had les Paul copy's with a similar type. Thanks.

[landwomble]

Ah yes, I know that as I'd read all this thread beforehand..! Quite happy to take a punt at under 20 quid for a shorty P bass and 50 for an acoustic 5 string, and appreciate that they may have varying faults. Got confirmation email for both immediately after ordering and so I'll update thread when anything arrives :-)

I'd imagine that it's quite common for them to run out of stock mid order if they only have a handful of items for sale each time.
Unless their online stock shows stock as taken when it's in a customer's basket prior to checkout then it probably happens a lot.
I wonder if they update this at 11pm because by that point chances are I'll have had a beer or three and be more likely to hit the order button...?

[Huge Hands]

[quote name='landwomble' timestamp='1432037986' post='2777425']
Quite happy to take a punt at under 20 quid for a shorty P bass and 50 for an acoustic 5 string,
[/quote]

Ha ha, I just had a go at ordering the 5 string acoustic too before my browser updated with your message. I got a confirmation too - unless there's more than one I guess I'll be disappointed!

Edited May 19, 2015 by Huge Hands

[uncle psychosis]

My baritone should be getting delivered today.

Beginning to get serious "bet its a dog" paranoia

[Huge Hands]

I just got the second "your order has been processed" email - so I'm guessing there was more than one and I'm getting one! Let's see how many pieces it is in!

[BigRedX]

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1432041168' post='2777460']
My baritone should be getting delivered today.

Beginning to get serious "bet its a dog" paranoia
[/quote]

Should be fine. AFAICS from my own experience and the discussion on the other forum linked to in this thread, the problem is simply a slightly misaligned bridge which doesn't allow for even string spacing due to the position of the intonation and height adjustment screws. I hadn't even noticed there was a problem until I re-strung it, and the guitarist in The Terrortones who used it during our recent recording session didn't comment at all on the irregular string spacing issue.

[uncle psychosis]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1432045257' post='2777521']
Should be fine. AFAICS from my own experience and the discussion on the other forum linked to in this thread, the problem is simply a slightly misaligned bridge which doesn't allow for even string spacing due to the position of the intonation and height adjustment screws. I hadn't even noticed there was a problem until I re-strung it, and the guitarist in The Terrortones who used it during our recent recording session didn't comment at all on the irregular string spacing issue.
[/quote]

Hope so... I guess I'm just paranoid that Thomann are devious enough to send out all the good condition Dekos first before sending out the ones that are actually unusable Paranoid, moi?

[Annoying Twit]

[quote name='Huge Hands' timestamp='1432040019' post='2777453']
Ha ha, I just had a go at ordering the 5 string acoustic too before my browser updated with your message. I got a confirmation too - unless there's more than one I guess I'll be disappointed!
[/quote]

Quite often there is more than one.

If I remember correctly, it's the dispatched email that confirms that you're getting the item. I think the confirmation of order email can sometimes be rescinded.

[Huge Hands]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1432050181' post='2777579']
Quite often there is more than one.

If I remember correctly, it's the dispatched email that confirms that you're getting the item. I think the confirmation of order email can sometimes be rescinded.
[/quote]

I'm getting that sinking feeling as that is exactly where I am now... I've had the "order received" mail and "order confirmed". I'm now waiting for the shipping confirmation. I'm surprised they would go as far as confirm the order if I'd missed the boat with stock?

Wow, two sailing puns in one sentence.....

[Annoying Twit]

In hindsight, maybe the 'order confirmed' is the point of no return. I'm trying to remember how it went for me. Certainly I have received everything I've ever ordered, but I've only mentally thought that I've got it when it's been dispatched. But, I can't remember if anyone ever didn't receive their instrument once they'd received the 'order confirmed' email.

Edited May 19, 2015 by Annoying Twit