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Harley Benton Rickenfaker?

King Tut

By King Tut,
in Bass Guitars

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stewblack Grand Master

stewblack

Posted
Posted
9 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

It would look nice without that horrible bridge, the chickenbacker bridge. Either use a proper bridge or at least the proper rick copy bridge, not that thing. 

I like it a lot. But you know, we all like different looks. Some people play basses (out of choice) which make me want to take up the oboe.

 

 

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Newfoundfreedom Grand Master

Newfoundfreedom

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, stewblack said:

OK so, first impressions are almost all positive. I buy B-Stock whenever i can so I don't worry about the first ding, it's already done for me! In this case it's a small mark to the back of the neck. Not a problem, I'll soon add more to keep it company.

It balances beautifully, as has been said above, both standing and sitting. The neck goes all the way from the bottom from to the top which I always like in a bass. Seriously though the double cutaway makes the neck look like a landing strip. It's only 22 frets but looks way longer somehow, Extremely comfy to ply up the dusty end which i like a lot.

This was bought for it's looks, that's subjective so no point going into how utterly gorgeous it is, those who disagree will only get shirty with me. Neck is straight, plays very nicely. Pick ups are pretty punchy. Not up there with my BB or my Bruce Thomas but those are freakishly powerful pups. Bidge pick up pleasantly pokey (I usually dislike them - often too weedy) and the tone pots actually have a noticeable effect throughout their travel - not just on/off like some.

Bridge seems solid and easy to adjust, pick cover not in my way but that's either going to clash with your playing style or it isn't and it's only a couple of screws if you hate it. No buzzes or hums, tuners firm and responsive and accurate. No sharp fret ends, no buzzy frets, no dead spots, intonation is good.

Downsides? Well it came set up and in tune (those crazy Germans) but the action is set way too low for me and the strings are zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzingy rounds which I dislike. I get why it's set up to within a half a thou of the fretboard - many people like a low action and often give a positive review of a bass, based  partly on how low that can be. Makes sense to ship it really low and have everyone saying Wow the action was great straight out the box rather than I had do a bunch of work to get it right which is off putting for those who can't adjust stuff themselves.

But that is literally all I can fault it on. I prefer  a higher action and less lively strings - not exactly damning criticism is it?

Oh - is it chambered? Well I rapped my knuckles on it and frankly that highly scientific test was inconclusive.

Nice one Stew.

Merry Christmas and a happy New bass. 😊

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prowla Grand Master

prowla

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

It would look nice without that horrible bridge, the chickenbacker bridge. Either use a proper bridge or at least the proper rick copy bridge, not that thing. 

Yep - the issue is that the dimensions of the Chickenbackers (of which the HB is one!) are different to the Ric and so the bridge position is in a different place; they made a base plate in a similar shape, but it is not really the same.

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prowla Grand Master

prowla

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, stewblack said:

I FOUND A FAULT! There you go, for anyone who really doesn't want this bass to be any good. One of the five allen bolts used to raise and lower the bridge takes a different size allen key than do all the others. How's that for cheap crap!

See - I knew it would all go to pot!

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stewblack Grand Master

stewblack

Posted
Posted (edited)

OK so I Googled this Ric bridge which seems to be exercising some of you (having no idea what it looked like) and while I see a passing resemblance (and am happy to assume Ric bridges are made of, um, better metal, or finished more carefully or something), I can't really see how the bridge on the HB is exciting so much ire.

They're similar but different. This isn't a Rickenbacker. The bridge looks and works just fine. I absolutely promise to come on this very thread and report the moment it folds in half or spotaneously combusts but remember while the design of the HB clearly doffs it's cap to its more illustrious predecessor it is emphatically not a Ric, nor a copy of a Ric and as such it doesn't make much sense to me to compare it to a Ric.

Why not ask how it stands up against other £150 basses?

EDIT

(mind you i don't own any so I couldn't answer if you did)

Edited by stewblack
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stewblack Grand Master

stewblack

Posted
Posted
Just now, Maude said:

As a replacement for a £2000 Rick if you want the look, feel and sound of a Rick then it probably isn't cutting it. 

But as a cool looking £150 bass, and having a couple of HB's, I'd imagine it's absolutely fantastic. 

So far so good. Action is how I like it now, plays fine - proof of pudding is in the gigging. Boxing day it will get its first outing. 

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prowla Grand Master

prowla

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, stewblack said:

OK so I Googled this Ric bridge which seems to be exercising some of you (having no idea what it looked like) and while I see a passing resemblance (and am happy to assume Ric bridges are made of, um, better metal, or finished more carefully or something), I can't really see how the bridge on the HB is exciting so much ire.

They're similar but different. This isn't a Rickenbacker. The bridge looks and works just fine. I absolutely promise to come on this very thread and report the moment it folds in half or spotaneously combusts but remember while the design of the HB clearly doffs it's cap to its more illustrious predecessor it is emphatically not a Ric, nor a copy of a Ric and as such it doesn't make much sense to me to compare it to a Ric.

Why not ask how it stands up against other £150 basses?

EDIT

(mind you i don't own any so I couldn't answer if you did)

Yep - for £150 new it's difficult to find just complaints about it.

I frequent some other fora and every once in a while someone buys a Chickenbacker and then sets out their plans to put a Ric bridge and pickups on it, and/or says it's as good or better than a real Ric, and/or someone is selling one at a hugely inflated price. So I now get the collywobbles whenever I see those bridges.

What this is is a Chickenbacker with a different body shape and headstock, and a bit of fun; can't say fairer than that! 🙂

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Newfoundfreedom Grand Master

Newfoundfreedom

Posted
Posted
20 minutes ago, stewblack said:

Anyway, call it what you will, I loved it the moment I saw it, it plays beautifully, and I don't regard it as a cheap instrument - except in terms of it's price. I have moved on 'better' basses over the decades which were not as good. Not nearly.

I think we're living in the golden age of great quality, inexpensive instruments.

Long may it continue. 😉

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Woodinblack Grand Master

Woodinblack

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, stewblack said:

I like it a lot. But you know, we all like different looks. Some people play basses (out of choice) which make me want to take up the oboe.

Its not the look, its just a bad bridge trying to be a copy of a rickenbacker (which itself is an awful bridge, but in a different way). There are a lot better bridges cheaper (and more expensive), and it seems to be put there for the reason of looking like a rickenbacker.

I am sure it is possible to make a bridge looking like that that works.

 

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Bassassin Grand Master

Bassassin

Posted
Posted
13 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

Its not the look, its just a bad bridge trying to be a copy of a rickenbacker (which itself is an awful bridge, but in a different way). There are a lot better bridges cheaper (and more expensive), and it seems to be put there for the reason of looking like a rickenbacker.

I am sure it is possible to make a bridge looking like that that works.

 

There's the Hipshot drop-in replacemet, and also Rickenbacker's own new redesign, which retains the aesthetics of the original whilst incorporating individual Schaller-type saddles.

Both are expensive and wouldn't work as a direct replacement for a Chickenbacker type bridge. Chickenbacker saddles are on the front edge - which is where the string mute on a Rick bridge is.

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Woodinblack Grand Master

Woodinblack

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, stewblack said:

Anyway, call it what you will, I loved it the moment I saw it, it plays beautifully, and I don't regard it as a cheap instrument - except in terms of it's price. I have moved on 'better' basses over the decades which were not as good. Not nearly.

My HB jazz was an excellent instrument, apart from the weight. It was the best sounding jazz i have had, and it was good (maybe the nut could have been better). I would have it apart from the weight thing. 

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songofthewind Mentor

songofthewind

Posted
Posted
16 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

My HB jazz was an excellent instrument, apart from the weight. It was the best sounding jazz i have had, and it was good (maybe the nut could have been better). I would have it apart from the weight thing. 

Ditto my HB Jaco style fretless. Played great, weighed a ton. I wish I still had it.

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