Harley Benton MB-5 SBK (5 string, Stingray style, stealth black) is back!!!

[ChrisLovatt]

2 hours ago, kodiakblair said:

Might be from Brian , he cuts MB-5 plates. Offers them in about 40 different colours, 2 matt black options.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/114675042782?hash=item1ab32a49de:g:mPEAAOSwVChgKmQT

Oh nice! That purple pearl is tempting. 

Think I'll message and ask if he does MB-4 plates, thanks!

[kodiakblair]

1 hour ago, ChrisLovatt said:

Think I'll message and ask if he does MB-4 plates, thanks!

If he doesn't just post your existing plate to Glasgow.

 

I never had access to a MB-4 plate for my last visit or I'd have dropped one off , just 7 Peavey and a PB-20 plates.

[mcnach]

9 hours ago, kodiakblair said:

Might be from Brian , he cuts MB-5 plates. Offers them in about 40 different colours, 2 matt black options.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/114675042782?hash=item1ab32a49de:g:mPEAAOSwVChgKmQT

 

It is indeed. I sent him my MB-5 plate that he made a template from.

[mcnach]

6 hours ago, ChrisLovatt said:

Oh nice! That purple pearl is tempting. 

Think I'll message and ask if he does MB-4 plates, thanks!

 

And that purple pearl in the picture is mine  That and an orange one (Halloween  )

[frazerjt]

Any neck dive issues? I'm considering getting one to try 5 string (again).

[mcnach]

On 22/09/2021 at 22:23, frazerjt said:

Any neck dive issues? I'm considering getting one to try 5 string (again).

 

Not on mine, no. It stays put when I take my hands off.

[Bassfinger]

I have the 4 string. Incredible out the box, but a Warman pickup added both clarity and punch and turned it into an absolute giant killer.   

[dave_bass5]

On 05/08/2021 at 18:56, TheGreek said:

I know that HB are slowly gaining respect within the music community but for about another £100 you could have got yourself a genuine used MM SUB 5 which won't depreciate.

 

I suspect you'll find it easier to get pregnant than to sell this on for close to what you paid.

Ive heard rumours that some people buy a bass to enjoy and play….i know, its a silly notion, but not everyone cares about resale, and not at this price. 

[Bassfinger]

A HB MB4 or 5 win good condition will never be worth less than £80 or so, a depreciation in the order of £35.

 

A sub 5 will depreciate 10%, which is coincidentally a little over £35, the moment you get it home and take it out the box. The depreciation dog doesn't  bark this time.

[tegs07]

On 05/08/2021 at 18:56, TheGreek said:

I know that HB are slowly gaining respect within the music community but for about another £100 you could have got yourself a genuine used MM SUB 5 which won't depreciate.

 

I suspect you'll find it easier to get pregnant than to sell this on for close to what you paid.

I’m not sure why everyone is so dismissive of this statement. It’s a valid point. With CNC technology and the longevity of factories like Cort Indonesia is knocking out consistently good instruments. Everything that can be done to reduce price has been done so all that is left is materials. Cheaper wood, cheaper hardware, cheaper electrics and pickups. All the really cheap instruments I have had in the last few years I have been pleased with but tended to upgrade machine heads, bridges, pots, wiring, pickups etc. The experience for me of trawling eBay etc and watching You Tube and the like was fun but not for everyone. Plenty might find @TheGreeksuggestion to be useful.

[Woodinblack]

13 minutes ago, tegs07 said:

I’m not sure why everyone is so dismissive of this statement. It’s a valid point.

 

It is a valid point but the idea that it is bad to buy this bass as when you sell it it will depreciate is a bit moot when it is so cheap. You go out and buy a brand new fender or a MM Sub 5 for instance and sell it, it will have depreciated more than this entire basses cost. OK, a MM Sub 5 used won't depreciate much but it is way more than £100 more than this, so it is not really a fair comparison.

 

 

13 minutes ago, tegs07 said:

With CNC technology and the longevity of factories like Cort Indonesia is knocking out consistently good instruments. Everything that can be done to reduce price has been done so all that is left is materials. Cheaper wood, cheaper hardware, cheaper electrics and pickups. All the really cheap instruments I have had in the last few years I have been pleased with but tended to upgrade machine heads, bridges, pots, wiring, pickups etc.

 

I some cases I have, but i have also taken a chinese bass straight from the packet, tested it and gone out and gigged it that same night and got comments on it being good. The fact i might change stuff is just for me, but I have done that with all makes.

[tegs07]

4 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

It is a valid point but the idea that it is bad to buy this bass as when you sell it it will depreciate is a bit moot when it is so cheap. You go out and buy a brand new fender or a MM Sub 5 for instance and sell it, it will have depreciated more than this entire basses cost. OK, a MM Sub 5 used won't depreciate much but it is way more than £100 more than this, so it is not really a fair comparison.

I guess I understand the advice in a different way. I suspect most people looking at a HB Stingray are beginners, parents of beginners or people looking for a budget backup bass. I’d be happy to buy a HB, spend a few months trawling for bargains and tinkering and end up with a pretty solid instrument for £200. I wouldn’t recommend this for most beginners or parents though. I’d go for TheGreeks suggestion as if they give up it’s an easy sell with no loss.

[Bassfinger]

I like the fact that it looks great, is a proper tool thar plays well, is as capable as anything costing double or more, lends itself to cheap mods, and won't break my heart if something bad happened to it. 

 

The proof of the pudding is in the eating, or in this case the playing. It's now my main live bass, and sounds utterly convincing in that role.

 

What's not to like?

[Al Krow]

23 minutes ago, tegs07 said:

I guess I understand the advice in a different way. I suspect most people looking at a HB Stingray are beginners, parents of beginners or people looking for a budget backup bass. I’d be happy to buy a HB, spend a few months trawling for bargains and tinkering and end up with a pretty solid instrument for £200. I wouldn’t recommend this for most beginners or parents though. I’d go for The Greeks suggestion as if they give up it’s an easy sell with no loss.

But aren't you making a very big assumption that an HB Stingray won't be good enough for a beginner? I mean the OP @mcnach is a very experienced bass player and, from his comments, has been happy with this bass "out of the box". If it's good enough for him with his knowledge and experience of basses, it should be more than decent for a beginner, no? 

[Woodinblack]

29 minutes ago, tegs07 said:

 I wouldn’t recommend this for most beginners or parents though. I’d go for TheGreeks suggestion as if they give up it’s an easy sell with no loss.

 

I would put my own money on the fact that the HB stingray is far higher quality from the box than anything I had when I was a beginner. I would also say that for most parents, buying a bass at £120 and losing the entire lot when jimmy decides he would rather play paino is nothing compared to what traditionally they had to pay.

Also those same most parents don't have the time or expertise to spent a few weeks trawling around ebay trying to get a deal on an MM Ray 5 for less than 3 times the cost of the HB.

 

This is perfect - £120 from the manufacturer, bass done, kid happy for a few years until they decide the like it and learn to hack it around, this would have been perfect for me.

[tegs07]

10 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

But aren't you making a very big assumption that an HB Stingray won't be good enough for a beginner? I mean the OP @mcnach is a very experienced bass player and, from his comments, has been happy with this bass "out of the box". If it's good enough for him with his knowledge and experience of basses, it should be more than decent for a beginner, no? 

I think it’s perfectly good enough for a beginner. If they change their mind you will lose a few quid whereas with the second hand SUB you won’t. The MusicMan brand on the headstock will also make it easier and quicker to sell.

I don’t think there is any need to defend the HB it’s a decent bass. The cheaper price is down to hardware and lack of brand identity.

Edited September 27, 2021 by tegs07

[Al Krow]

4 minutes ago, tegs07 said:

I think it’s perfectly good enough for a beginner. If they change their mind you will lose a few quid whereas with the second hand SUB you won’t. The MusicMan brand on the headstock will also make it easier and quicker to sell.

 

Not every beginner is going to be familiar with how to market, wrap and courier their bass to maximise the sale price. If they bought from a retailer they're likely to think about selling it back to the retailer who will want to take their cut.

Spending £120 on a bass that's "good enough" has gotta be a pretty low risk way to dip your toe into the world of bass and, besides, which of us long-in-the-tooth bass players hasn't lost a few quid on a bass when moving it on?

[Woodinblack]

1 minute ago, Al Krow said:

Spending £120 on a bass that's "good enough" has gotta be a pretty low risk way to dip your toe into the world of bass and, besides, which of us long-in-the-tooth bass players hasn't lost a few quid on a bass when moving it on?

 

If I only lose £120 selling a bass on I consider it a pretty good day!

[Al Krow]

Just now, Woodinblack said:

 

If I only lose £120 selling a bass on I consider it a pretty good day!

Ok our views on what is a "pretty good day!" differ slightly, Woody 😁

[tegs07]

5 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

 

Not every beginner is going to be familiar with how to market, wrap and courier their bass to maximise the sale price. If they bought from a retailer they're likely to think about selling it back to the retailer who will want to take their cut.

Spending £120 on a bass that's "good enough" has gotta be a pretty low risk way to dip your toe into the world of bass and, besides, which of us long-in-the-tooth bass players hasn't lost a few quid on a bass when moving it on?

I think you guys are getting too wrapped up in semantics. People are welcome to buy a new HB but if I was asked for advice by a parent of prospective beginner I’d recommend a secondhand SUB or Squire. It’s just a personal view based on selling basses I have owned and tinkered with. 

[Woodinblack]

12 minutes ago, tegs07 said:

I think you guys are getting too wrapped up in semantics. People are welcome to buy a new HB but if I was asked for advice by a parent of prospective beginner I’d recommend a secondhand SUB or Squire. It’s just a personal view based on selling basses I have owned and tinkered with. 

 

Really don't think its semantics, I would probably recommend something second hand, but if they wanted something new for a young teenager, which people often do, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend one of the HBs, having had one. Its not like it will ever be sold anyway, it will be passed on to a mate or swapped for something else, or even just left. None of my instruments when I was young had a resale value!

[Woodinblack]

20 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Ok our views on what is a "pretty good day!" differ slightly, Woody 😁

 

What can I say, I am more upbeat

 

[Paul S]

Have to say the resale value of an bass isn't even a consideration whenever I buy one, new or secondhand.

[Bassfinger]

Why recommend a used Squier?  The only Squiers that better the tupical HB are the Classic Vibes, and any CV as cheap as a HB will be a severely beaten up p.o.s.

 

The HB jazzes, precisions, etc, are easily as good as anything from the cooking Squier range, for invariably less money.  The run of the mill Squiers share the same shortcomings for rather more money, so why bother?

 

Until you've owned, lived with, and gigged a few Harley Bentons, they you can't really make such comparisons with any authority.  I have, and I do.

Edited September 27, 2021 by Bassfinger

[such]

Anyone care to demonstrate how the hardware on the baseline SBMM Ray 5 is any better than that on the HB? Or why buying a used  HB is not being considered, so we're comparing the resale of one new to the other second hand. Surely, to anyone buying a brand new Ray 5 we could say "hey, but if you add another hundred or two, you could buy a used whatever and not lose money when you sell on" and go like that all the way up the ladder. Where did all those second hand basses start?