skidder652003 Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 anyone tried these yet? £130 seems insanely low unless its utter pants, I've a Harley Tele and its great, Think they might be taking over the world! https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_b_550_white_progressive_series.htm?ref=search_prv_3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek99 Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 reminds me strongly of an ibanez srx590 that I owned briefly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickD Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 I bought the fretless version as a toe in the water, but in Black. I can hardly fault it (apart from the fact it came with roundwounds... why do they do that?). For the money I think the quality is ridiculous. It's nicely put together, nicely finished, tuners feel a bit cheap but it stays in tune, and the neck is really nice to play. Obviously I can't comment on fretwork, which is where budget basses often show their budgetness? (budgettery? Budgetation?). Tone is half decent too, and there's a lot of flexibility from the controls. The preamp is a bit hissy if you turn the treble up, but I only did that to test it... In normal use (or my normal use) it's fine. I'd gig it without a second thought were my fretless playing not so crappy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 31 minutes ago, Geek99 said: reminds me strongly of an ibanez srx590 that I owned briefly Yes - there's defo a hybrid Ibanez/Yamaha thing going on there for sure. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek99 Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 even the pickups look very simlar, twas a nice bass, just a bit soulless Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 1 hour ago, NickD said: ...For the money I think the quality is ridiculous. It's nicely put together, nicely finished, tuners feel a bit cheap but it stays in tune, and the neck is really nice to play. Obviously I can't comment on fretwork, which is where budget basses often show their budgetness? (budgettery? Budgetation?)... how low that budget was HTH I hear more good things about these guitars than bad things. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 2 hours ago, skidder652003 said: anyone tried these yet? £130 seems insanely low unless its utter pants, I've a Harley Tele and its great, Think they might be taking over the world! https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_b_550_white_progressive_series.htm?ref=search_prv_3 It looks lovely in the photos. I see design nods towards Ibanez, Yamaha and Musicman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonsmith Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 I have a six string deko version of this, that cost £52 including postage. I took a risk on it as I was depping for a band where the previous bassist had played a six string and written parts accordingly. The only thing I could find wrong with it was that the nut had been over-filed (£3.50 replacement). Even at full price, it would be fantastic value for money. I ended up joining that band and eventually picked up a Shuker six string, but I still take the HB along to gigs where portability or risk of damage are considerations. I prefer the Shuker, but given the Shuker was more than ten times the price, the gap between them is not as massive as that price difference would suggest. The guitarist in that band plays bass in another band and picked up a lefty deko fiver for less than £50 delivered. He also said he would have been more than happy with it at full price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 (edited) HB guitars and basses are great. The QC can be variable, but any faults are small and can always be easily fettled if you can do your own set-ups. I've modded three PB-50s now and they are very playable indeed and sound great with decent flats fitted. I also have a lovely CAR/maple Strat which sounds exactly like a Strat and has an insanely low action. Beautiful guitar and cost £56 brand new. Crazy. The bass in the OP would be great if you want a light fiver in your arsenal. And don't forget you always have a 3-year warranty with HB/Thomann. Edited March 23, 2018 by discreet 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SH73 Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 3 hours ago, discreet said: I also have a lovely CAR/maple Strat which sounds exactly like a Strat and has an insanely low action. Beautiful guitar and cost £56 brand new. Crazy. Where did you get this one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 7 minutes ago, SH73 said: Where did you get this one? Harley is a Thomann brand. Got mine before the £ went tits-up, but you can still score a Strat there for around £68. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SH73 Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 Just now, discreet said: Harley is a Thomann brand. Got mine before the £ went tits-up, but you can still score a Strat there for around £68. yeah I wondered. I couldn't find one for £56. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 Just now, SH73 said: yeah I wondered. I couldn't find one for £56. I didn't buy it as an investment, but you never know... another 20 years it might be worth £70! You still get a lot of Strat for £68. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SH73 Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 Just now, discreet said: I didn't buy it as an investment, but you never know... another 20 years it might be worth £70! You still get a lot of Strat for £68. yep. cheaper than new Squier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 That looks a lot of guitar for the money. The quality of cheapish "starter" instruments is amazing these days. I'm in my 50's and I would imagine like me, many of my peers on here struggled on to beome bass players despite the desperately bad planks we had to start on. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 1 hour ago, Les said: The quality of cheapish "starter" instruments is amazing these days. I'm in my 50's and I would imagine like me, many of my peers on here struggled on to beome bass players despite the desperately bad planks we had to start on. Absolutely. I well remember my Avon EB0 copy and my Kay bass with Audition amp. Terrible - and would put off all but the most starry-eyed from ever taking up the bass. And my current go-to bass is a HB PB-50 Precision. Modded admittedly, but that's what it is. Sweet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 1 hour ago, discreet said: Absolutely. I well remember my Avon EB0 copy An Avon ?? You were obviously born with a silver spoon in your mouth to afford such luxury. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 1 hour ago, Les said: An Avon ?? You were obviously born with a silver spoon in your mouth to afford such luxury. It may even have been a CMI, it was a long time ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rasher80 Posted March 24, 2020 Share Posted March 24, 2020 There's a lefty deko for sale for 40 quid in the claasifieds... I've never played a 5 before but for that money it's got to be worth it. But my incoming Jake custom will be ready anytime and 'er indoors may well kill me if we're inundated with instruments. Someone please talk me out of it!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newfoundfreedom Posted March 24, 2020 Share Posted March 24, 2020 (edited) On 23/03/2018 at 11:43, skidder652003 said: anyone tried these yet? £130 seems insanely low unless its utter pants, I've a Harley Tele and its great, Think they might be taking over the world! https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_b_550_white_progressive_series.htm?ref=search_prv_3 I had the six string version. Unbelievably good build quality for the price, and it actually sounded pretty nice. The strings were pretty much trash, so budget for a new set. I ended up sending mine back because it came with a straight one piece bridge, rather than the separate bridge pieces it's advertised with, which meant I couldn't get the low B back far enough in the cradle to intonate it properly. Other than that I'd happily have kept it. It played like a dream. I'd highly recommend them for the money, in fact they'd still be good value at twice the price, providing they come with the correct hardware fitted. Edited March 24, 2020 by Newfoundfreedom 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elfrasho Posted March 27, 2020 Share Posted March 27, 2020 I've got a black 4 string one that I bought for de-frtting purposes. I've defretted but not got round to finishing it. It's reaonable for the money However I did used to have the HB jazz copy - the one with a block markers etc... can't mind the model... that was outstanding for £100 and I happily gigged with it - although i ended up selling it in the end as it hefty, to say the least. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rasher80 Posted March 27, 2020 Share Posted March 27, 2020 I've read that the preamp can be a bit pants, if generally ok. That can easily be sorted though. Seems a lot of bass for the money Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicbassman Posted March 27, 2020 Share Posted March 27, 2020 1 hour ago, Elfrasho said: although i ended up selling it in the end as it hefty, to say the least. Harley Benton = HB = Hernia Beckons........😨.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newfoundfreedom Posted March 27, 2020 Share Posted March 27, 2020 3 hours ago, Elfrasho said: I've got a black 4 string one that I bought for de-frtting purposes. I've defretted but not got round to finishing it. It's reaonable for the money Why not just buy the fretless version. 😕 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elfrasho Posted March 27, 2020 Share Posted March 27, 2020 5 hours ago, Newfoundfreedom said: Why not just buy the fretless version. 😕 Cos I got it for 40 quid 2nd hand! Plus... what's the fun in that?! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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