Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

New For Harley Benton Fans


stewblack

Recommended Posts

On 20/09/2020 at 16:52, stewblack said:

The finish on the P is very very nice. If this is as good, I know it's expensive, but even so.

My only concern is neck dive. I read the standard version of this suffers. Assuming this is merely a refinish and not a whole new beast then that is a deal breaker for me.

 

On 20/09/2020 at 16:36, DarkHeart said:

Its a shame they decided on a 3 point bridge otherwise It might have been a bit more tempting.

 

On 25/09/2020 at 18:39, DarkHeart said:

Intonation isn`t usually a problem its getting a decent action thats the tricky bit.

 

On 02/10/2020 at 14:16, Muzz said:

To be honest, I'm not surprised the neck dives with the bridge so far forward; it's like the old Warmoth T-bird bodies...it's the price for upper fret access...

My Fenderbird doesn't dive, but then it's had a fair bit done to it...

No experience of the Harley Benton but I've owned a couple of T-Birds. The bridge on my Gibson wasn't an issue, it's a stupidly fiddly design but the action was fabulous no problems with intonation and once set up any fiddling was soon forgotten.

The neck dive is just due to the reverse, that's why basses have a horn sticking out on the top, it's the only way to stabilise the bass with a strap. having a horn underneath makes it just a weight to induce neck dive and having the strap mount on the body and not a horn does the same. I too have found that bringing the strap round the front cures the problem but you'll get buckle rash on the front of your bass. Actually I found that the twist of the bass away from the body was more an issue than the dive.

I'm wondering if they do a lefty, that would bring the pegs round to the 'correct side' and put the horn in the non-reverse position. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The bridge on an original Thunderbird is very close to the rear edge of the bass (and therefore the strap button), that one looks like it's been designed, like the Warmoth bodies of old, by looking at the bridge placement for a Firebird (and, as I said, with an eye to upper fret access), which on a bass pushes everything too far to the player's left. The forward strap button on the Thunderbird is place on the recessed (kinda) top horn, which puts it too far back for easy balance. I've always immediately moved it to the neck plate (on my bolt-on Frankenbirds), which can cause some 'flop forward' (fixed by the strap over the rear horn - oh, and no buckle rash unless you use straps with metal buckles, which I've always thought were stooopid things) or better still by a button on the left hand edge of the body directly behind the neck. Trickier on thru-necks, but some Hipshot Ultralites make all the difference to neck dive tendencies.

On a side issue, why they changed from the original two-part bridge to the three-point thing has always eluded me...I've just this week had to re-seat and epoxy in the push-fit collars on my Fenderbird, which had started to lift out of the body...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I get a warm fuzzy feeling inside to read these kind of comments.

People just liking the bass simply because it's a great instrument. Not it's ok for the price, or it'll be ok if I change this this and this, in fact no qualification at all. Just this is a great bass oh and by the way - look at the price!

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It just feels great in the hands Stew.  The moment you pick it up you get a frisson of pleasure because it just feels so complete.  I mean, it pkays very well indeed and sounds very decent (im particularly susprised at the pickup's output) but its the indefinable feel of the thing that puts it several classes above the asking price.  Honestly, if they slapped a fancy brand name on the headstock and charged £400 then no thinking player would think anything was amiss.

Indeed, the makers slap the word 'Epiphone' on many of their other products and charge 400 quid for some of them, and buyers don't think twice about it.

Edited by Bassfinger
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

25 minutes ago, Basscabman said:

I really fancy one of these, Anyone tried one?

HB1.thumb.jpg.016014f698a5a95e4735313787f2c86f.jpg

Yeah I have. Amazing tonal variety if that's your thing. Personally I get a sound I like and stay there. 

Big old chunky neck on this baby. If you like them thin front to back this may not be for you. 

But the access to upper frets is great, it looks good even though pale fretboards are not my favourite, and sounds huge too. 

Downside? The only thing I've found is if you like slapping and pulling the huge neck pick up leaves you very little room for manoeuvre. There's no space to get fingers under the string comfortably. 

Edited by stewblack
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tell you what though the real surprise bass is this onethumbnail_14814316_800.jpg.5cb88bcb5007a477314a804306a8e143.jpg

I wasn't overly excited by its look, and for a long time I resisted. But when I finally gave in - oh my! 

I've been using it this evening. One of the nicest and easiest most comfortable instruments I've played.

Only gigged It  once (Covid) but was a joy to play 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, stewblack said:

Amazing tonal variety if that's your thing. Personally I get a sound I like and stay there. 

 

I'm the same. Choice is overrated  😃. I often find that once I've got a tone I like I've never change it, and I don't see any reason to ever change it. Most tones  sound good to me so long as it's not that nasal jazz bass bridge pickup sound, then I'm OK with it.

Edited by TheLowDown
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...