Al Krow Posted August 31, 2021 Author Share Posted August 31, 2021 (edited) Harley Benton – Marquess 5: Quick Review This bass is good and at its price point it’s excellent value. Sound & electronics You immediately notice that the pups have considerable punch and that’s without being particularly close to the strings. Each pup has a separate volume control to allow you to use them individually or blend them to taste. Both pups deliver a very nice touch of growl. The neck pup is warm and full; the bridge more gnarly as expected and blended together they deliver a sweeter, slightly mid-scooped, tone. 2 band EQ. Bass set to ‘neutral’, or a very slight cut to tighten up the low end, is good; you certainly don’t want/need to be boosting the bass. The treble has a good range from vintage when rolled off to bright when maxed to deliver a slap ‘zing’, should it be required. Very slight high pitched whine from my rig when the treble is boosted - similar to what I get on some of my other basses e.g. Spector Euro 5LX, but completely disappears when set to ‘neutral’ or cut. It has no problems in belting out a meaty low B - entirely consistent with being a 35" scale bass. Comfort, design and playability The first thing I did was to weigh the Marquess because some HB 5ers have been known to weigh more than some minor planets, which would be a deal breaker for me. I had a good feeling about this one as it didn’t feel too heavy in the box and that was confirmed when it weighed in at just 4.2kg (9.2 lbs). Yaaay! The strings are 17mm spaced at the bridge which I’m very used to as it sits between my Ibby SR Premium at 16.5mm and Yamaha BB at 18mm and is, in fact, actually the same as my Spector Euro LX – but I appreciate that 17mm may be too narrow for some folk who prefer a 19mm spacing. The bass is comfortable to wear, but has a fair bit of neck dive which can sometimes be a feature, particularly of 5 string basses where the neck : body weight ratio is higher than on a 4 string due to the broader necks on a 5er. But when compared to my recently acquired BB 2005, which is a little heavier at 9.9lbs but which has almost zero neck dive, this is probably the Achilles heel of the HB for me. The bass was well set up straight out of the box with a very comfortable action and no noticeable fret buzz. The dusty end of the fretboard going up to the 24th fret is very accessible. Comparison This new bass reminds me of my Spector Legend Custom with its similar 2 band EQ set-up. I liked the Legend a lot and it gave me the confidence to upgrade to a Euro 5LX that I absolutely love. Except I prefer the Marquess to my former Spector Legend (which was a little too heavy for me and I ended up moving it on). The HB is both lighter and has punchier electronics; the Legend Custom’s EMGs always felt slightly anaemic, certainly in comparison to the pups on the HB Marquess. IMO, other than the neck dive issue on the 5 string, HB have delivered a very decent product particularly at the price point. Edited October 4, 2021 by Al Krow 20 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassfinger Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 On 20/08/2021 at 14:03, stewblack said: First new HB I've not bought. Not because it's comparatively pricey for the range, nor because of the look. It's just coincided with a deflation of my GAS. Never say never of course. Mrs Bassfinger has sent Thomann a photo of me and decreed that they will not sell me any more HB's without her approval. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daz39 Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 Great review. Love that colour. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc S Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 I'm not looking at any new basses now, and I'm happy with my Ibanez SR505 - so I definitely don't want a 5 string But I just wanted to say @Al Krow - that's a decent, concise review of this bass. I quite like the design actually, and definitely like the colour / staining 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lfalex v1.1 Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 (edited) So would it be safe to say that Marc S won't be needing a Marquess .. 😉 Edited September 7, 2021 by Lfalex v1.1 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnDaBass Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 Are Pups Roswell? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Krow Posted September 7, 2021 Author Share Posted September 7, 2021 1 hour ago, JohnDaBass said: Are Pups Roswell? Two G&B Soapbar 5ST Epoxy covered pups on the 5er. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc S Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 (edited) 4 hours ago, Lfalex v1.1 said: So would it be safe to say that Marc S won't be needing a Marquess .. 😉 Definitely, under absolutely no circumstances whatsoever, I absolutely promise! lol EDIT: Of course.... this doesn't stop me looking...... Edited September 7, 2021 by Marc S 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnDaBass Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 1 hour ago, Al Krow said: Two G&B Soapbar 5ST Epoxy covered pups on the 5er. Thanks Al, I believe G&B Pups are also used in PRS and Reverend basses. So they must be highly regarded. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodiakblair Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 3 hours ago, JohnDaBass said: I believe G&B Pups are also used in PRS and Reverend basses. G&B built the VFL pickups for Peavey and the Tone Pump preamp for Spector ; also did the EMG Select many moons ago 👍 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cetera Posted September 9, 2021 Share Posted September 9, 2021 (edited) & Edited September 9, 2021 by cetera Ignore. Can't delete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Krow Posted September 12, 2021 Author Share Posted September 12, 2021 On 09/09/2021 at 16:18, cetera said: &.... Now you've got me intrigued as to what pearl of wisdom from you we're missing out on! 🙂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Krow Posted September 27, 2021 Author Share Posted September 27, 2021 17 hours ago, Alan Wilkes said: Just ordered one myself the reviews are really positive. And like you say dealing with thomann is as easy as when we were in the EU.👌👌 Which model did you go for, the 4 or the 5? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Krow Posted October 2, 2021 Author Share Posted October 2, 2021 (edited) I've been looking forward to trying the Marquess out with a full band but that's been delayed due to the fact that the B-stock Marquess that Thomann previously sent me unfortunately had a bashed top of the headstock (my pic was carefully angled to avoid displaying that!), which was a lot more than would be expected from mild wear & tear on a B-stock bass and given that the packaging was undamaged, it was clearly either something done in-store or by the previous owner and Thomann didn't spot. Thomann kindly agreed to provide a replacement including paying for the return postage, which is what they always previously did. It took a little while for the replacement to come through - delays with Customs on the way back and a bit of chasing my end, but arrived safely yesterday and they were very responsive throughout. Another thumbs-up for Thomann. Thought it might be useful to re-confirm the weight: the previous one came in at 4.2kg, this one is a shade heavier at 4.3kg (9.5 lbs) but still a very comfortable sub-10lbs for me, particularly when combined with a decent strap. Had a nice exchange with another BC'er, who is a pro-bassist, about me "downgrading" my kit to really good quality but cheaper gear (basses and amps in particular). He made the following comment, which I hope he doesn't mind me sharing, but hit the nail on the head for me: "I’m really appreciating the charm of cheaper stuff too. Not sure if it gets to a point where you’ve had the high end stuff and realise that the difference isn’t that wild, or when you’re gigging and realise that, for all the niceties of handmade stuff, cheaper gear can still do a top job." Combine that with not having to worry about getting a high-end piece of kit damaged in a pub gig so you can just focus on playing the thing, and I'm loving returning to high quality but more budget gear. Edited October 2, 2021 by Al Krow 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krispn Posted October 2, 2021 Share Posted October 2, 2021 Yup one of my main gigging basses is a CV Squier I got gig £100. One of the better playing necks I’ve tried and it’s been rock solid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Wilkes Posted October 5, 2021 Share Posted October 5, 2021 On 27/09/2021 at 09:27, Al Krow said: Which model did you go for, the 4 or the 5? 4 was contemplating the 5 but couldn't really see me fully using it. Got it a week ago and for the money it's a no brainer, not quite a MM, but nice to play and light. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Krow Posted October 5, 2021 Author Share Posted October 5, 2021 (edited) On 05/10/2021 at 21:43, Alan Wilkes said: 4 was contemplating the 5 but couldn't really see me fully using it. Got it a week ago and for the money it's a no brainer, not quite a MM, but nice to play and light. Congrats and my bad - I thought you had got the 4 string version of the Marquess, but I can see now you've got the MM. Edited October 13, 2021 by Al Krow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrBeelzeebubbles Posted November 30, 2022 Share Posted November 30, 2022 Daion (obscure 80's Japanese brand) Savage vibes! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stub Mandrel Posted January 6, 2023 Share Posted January 6, 2023 I've ordered a Marquess 5 b-stock for £180. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stub Mandrel Posted January 12, 2023 Share Posted January 12, 2023 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Krow Posted January 13, 2023 Author Share Posted January 13, 2023 Nice! How are you liking it? Did your foam strap sort out the neck dive on this - if so, that's a great result. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stub Mandrel Posted January 13, 2023 Share Posted January 13, 2023 (edited) 1 hour ago, Al Krow said: Nice! How are you liking it? Did your foam strap sort out the neck dive on this - if so, that's a great result. It's rather good. Came well set up for action, had to raise the d slightly, but intonation was off. Feels a bit slicker than the mb5. Lots of rumble. Big difference between the pups. The active is not as extreme as some basses which is good. The flamed veneer isn't as spectacular as I had hoped, luck of the draw I suppose can't complain about anything for under £200. B stock, but well packaged still got film on control cover and pups. Some grubbiness on very tips of headstock. No other marks. Balance is great although lighter than I expected. Only tried with lekato strap, very comfy, no dive. Tuners very smooth. Strings feel a bit harsh but sound ok. Will probably replace soon. Edited January 13, 2023 by Stub Mandrel 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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