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Harley Benton PB-20 SBK


Bobo_08

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On 28/03/2021 at 22:26, kodiakblair said:

They're certainly loud. Scary loud tbh.

 

When I A/B'd them against Duncan QP's , the mixer showed a huge jump in output.

Duncan QP

2052593721_DuncanZodiac.thumb.jpg.e79a717cd4aa2e2cdccec1f7d9e0bd8a.jpg

 

Entwistle Neos

 

12920598_EntwistleZodiac.thumb.jpg.f69042e2e0adfd96ecce4a60f88e1531.jpg

 

BTW. That's same bass, same strings, same pickup heights and same recording settings.

Seems to be the Neodymium magnets that cause the loud output, seriously tempted to put some Neodymium magnets under the pole pieces on the Duncan QP's in my Jaguar bass but just a bit wary in case I end up demagnetising the Alnico pole pieces

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 06/09/2021 at 10:59, ChrisJaxon said:

I acquired a PB20 SBK last December, fitted it with Hipshot tuners, Wilkinson Alinco V pickup, Kiogon loom, and TI Jazz flats, and it is now my fave bass. Indeed it is my g-to bass for our first 2 post-lockdown gigs, ahead of my Yammies! Sounds and plays great. 

 

I borrowed it for a song at the opening jam at last weekends Blues festival in Wotton under Edge.

I can attest to the fact that it plays beautifully! 

 I had assumed that it was some really expensive Fender when I first put it on, and whilst attempting to not look stupid in front of an audience for the first time in four years,but when I handed it back I noticed the head stock..... If I ever need a replacement for my 30 year old MIJ Pbass I would definitely buy one!

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Finally got around to fitting the black scratchplate to my pal's "non stealth" PB-20.

 

Strangest thing , he asked me to A/B the stealth vs non stealth. Stealth seemed very tame compared to the original 20.

 

Course it may well just be down to those individual basses rather than anything else.

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On 17/09/2021 at 21:25, Bobo_08 said:

Just fitted fender high mass bridge... Needs a proper setting up.. strings are a bit clanky.

 

I just need some decent chrome tuners now... The HB ones are awful, anyone got advice for direct replacements?

 

IMG20210917221830.jpg

Absolutely not picking a fight but wondering what is wrong with the tuners? I've never had a problem with mine.

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36 minutes ago, stewblack said:

Absolutely not picking a fight but wondering what is wrong with the tuners? I've never had a problem with mine.

Hi Stew, 

               I've not been having a good time with the tuners on this bass, two of the gears got chewed up very quickly, Thomann sent me two replacements no hassle. However when I changed the strings after installing the new bridge, again the gears started to get chewed up and causing the tension to slip. I managed to tune up but I don't think they will last long now. I even lubricated them a little with some Vaseline as suggested a while back, but it seems the metal that the gear is made from is just way too soft for it's intended purpose. 

Edited by Bobo_08
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3 hours ago, Bobo_08 said:

Hi Stew, 

               I've not been having a good time with the tuners on this bass, two of the gears got chewed up very quickly, Thomann sent me two replacements no hassle. However when I changed the strings after installing the new bridge, again the gears started to get chewed up and causing the tension to slip. I managed to tune up but I don't think they will last long now. I even lubricated them a little with some Vaseline as suggested a while back, but it seems the metal that the gear is made from is just way too soft for it's intended purpose. 

Fair enough, clearly I got lucky - or you didn't

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6 hours ago, Bobo_08 said:

two of the gears got chewed up very quickly

Sounds like they've been assembled back to front , or just not seated properly in the first place. 

 

Kmise UK on eBay sold Aklot 22:1 ratio tuners which were drop-ins on HB basses , looks like they've stopped selling those in favour of 26:1.

Sadly the 26:1 have a larger mounting plate , think it's the same dimensions as Wilkinson.

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2 hours ago, kodiakblair said:

Sounds like they've been assembled back to front , or just not seated properly in the first place. 

 

Kmise UK on eBay sold Aklot 22:1 ratio tuners which were drop-ins on HB basses , looks like they've stopped selling those in favour of 26:1.

Sadly the 26:1 have a larger mounting plate , think it's the same dimensions as Wilkinson.

I'm sure I actually looked at this way back, but I will double check if they are back to front or not.... I am actually wondering to try a set of chrome tuners from HB, perhaps they are harder material, would also match the highmass bridge. 

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4 hours ago, kodiakblair said:

Sounds like they've been assembled back to front , or just not seated properly in the first place. 

 

Kmise UK on eBay sold Aklot 22:1 ratio tuners which were drop-ins on HB basses , looks like they've stopped selling those in favour of 26:1.

Sadly the 26:1 have a larger mounting plate , think it's the same dimensions as Wilkinson.


I managed to get a set of Wilkinsons on mine. It ain't pretty looking at the back but it works.

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8 hours ago, Geek99 said:

Someone should do a FFT graph of string through vs front loading on the same bass so we will know The Answer to The Question (or one of The Questions anyway

That would be interesting... although I don't have a string through bass at the moment. I did write a short script to do just this though. 

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2 hours ago, Bobo_08 said:

That would be interesting... although I don't have a string through bass at the moment. I did write a short script to do just this though. 

Do brass nuts make a difference 

Do high mass bridges make a difference 

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1 hour ago, Geek99 said:

Do brass nuts make a difference 

Do high mass bridges make a difference 


From my experience high mass bridge allow for better (or more scope) for intonation due to the lengths of the saddle screws as opposed to the stock Fender bridge. As for the sustain argument, I don't think there's a measurable audible difference. I'd also question why a bass player had an absolute need for more sustain - a guitarist yes, but a bass player?

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A note which sustains longer will be decaying slower, and that difference will kick in as soon as the attack is over. Comparing fast scales played on a modern piano and an eighteenth century fortepiano, the difference is enormous. Between two otherwise identical basses with slightly different bridges though.... :/

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1 hour ago, WHUFC BASS said:


From my experience high mass bridge allow for better (or more scope) for intonation due to the lengths of the saddle screws as opposed to the stock Fender bridge. As for the sustain argument, I don't think there's a measurable audible difference. I'd also question why a bass player had an absolute need for more sustain - a guitarist yes, but a bass player?

I wasn’t raising the question, merely suggesting that @Bobo_08could lay the ghosts to rest 

 

we’d need a whole lot less popcorn 

Edited by Geek99
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