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Harley Benton - cheap AND cheerful?

lownote

By lownote,
in Bass Guitars

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Bassfinger Grand Master

Bassfinger

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, NancyJohnson said:

I've known Josi for years...top bloke.  If you're looking for great budget pickups, Warman are brilliant.

His products are a cost effective way to pep up a Harley Benton.  Like the HB's, Warman pups punch well above their weight so it's a match made in heaven as far as I'm concerned.

 

His customer service is invariably first class too.

  • Like 2
  • 1 month later...
kodiakblair Veteran

kodiakblair

Posted
Posted
9 minutes ago, lksmks792 said:

Does anyone have any experience with this particular model?

Not the 5 string but the 4 string model.

 

I'm going back 7 years so there may have been changes.

 

Don't recall any major issues, bridge was easy to intonate the strings / tuners held / fairly light / no fret problems. Finish was nice 🙂

Scratchplate is horrible but the "tort" was just a film , underneath it is white. Stock strings were not that great , no biggie as you'll no doubt change them right away 👍

Pickups , though not spectacular, do the job.  The jazz bass VVT set up gives the usual volume drop when both volumes are up full , not a fault with the bass ; it's just the way jazz basses work.

 

I would let any of that concern you , not with Thomann's return policy 🙂

  • Like 1
NicoMcJ Collaborator

NicoMcJ

Posted
Posted
On 09/12/2021 at 20:42, jd56hawk said:

I'd be satisfied with any of these.

PhotoCollage_20210803_213514069.jpg

I had the satin P-bass for about 3 days.  It looked great but the pickup is awful.  The slightly more expensive ones with the Alnico pickups are probably better.

 

Not an issue if you budget a Tonerider or Wilkinson though I guess.

  • Like 1
lksmks792 Rising Star

lksmks792

Posted
Posted

Thanks for the info! 

I placed an order yesterday with an extra set of strings. I'd planned on changing the pickups if necessary but after a bit of research I've realised things might prove a little more difficult than I thought at first. Decent inexpensive five string pickups are a bit harder to find or so it seems (neither Tonerider nor Wilkinson seem to do them really). Anyway I'm looking forward to playing the bass as it is and will decide what to do about the pickups later on (if they really do need changing that is)

  • Like 1
Owen Grand Master

Owen

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, lksmks792 said:

Thanks for the info! 

I placed an order yesterday with an extra set of strings. I'd planned on changing the pickups if necessary but after a bit of research I've realised things might prove a little more difficult than I thought at first. Decent inexpensive five string pickups are a bit harder to find or so it seems (neither Tonerider nor Wilkinson seem to do them really). Anyway I'm looking forward to playing the bass as it is and will decide what to do about the pickups later on (if they really do need changing that is)

Rewinding what is in there would not cost a fortune.

  • Like 2
kodiakblair Veteran

kodiakblair

Posted
Posted
7 hours ago, NicoMcJ said:

had the satin P-bass for about 3 days.  It looked great but the pickup is awful.

 I wouldn't go as far as "awful"  but definitely lacking 🙂

 

Might be a change of supplier but when I A/B'd a mate's standard PB-20 against the stealth black PB-20 ,the standard was a much livelier louder bass 👍

 

4 hours ago, Owen said:

Rewinding what is in there would not cost a fortune.

Great idea , surprisingly affordable option too 👍

  • Like 2
lksmks792 Rising Star

lksmks792

Posted
Posted
6 hours ago, Owen said:

Rewinding what is in there would not cost a fortune.

Didn't even know that was an option and tbh not sure if it can be done locally but I'll consider it, thanks for the tip!

longtimefred Community Regular

longtimefred

Posted
Posted (edited)

I love my HB JB75. I got mine last year as I couldn't not buy one for £120 or whatever it was. I have had it modded with Lace Sensor Manowar pickups, a babicz bridge, a new wiring loom with a pickup blend rather than VVT, Wilkinson tuners and a white MOP scratchplate for that Geddy look with all black hardware. 

 

It's as heavy as an aircraft carrier but an absolute huge amount of tone on tap with the new pups and looks like it's worth thousands not hundreds (well to me anyway). 

 

The guys in my band prefer the sound of it to my Sandberg and my G&L!! 

Screenshot_20220120_230257.jpg

Edited by longtimefred
  • Like 5
lksmks792 Rising Star

lksmks792

Posted
Posted
11 hours ago, longtimefred said:

I love my HB JB75. I got mine last year as I couldn't not buy one for £120 or whatever it was. I have had it modded with Lace Sensor Manowar pickups, a babicz bridge, a new wiring loom with a pickup blend rather than VVT, Wilkinson tuners and a white MOP scratchplate for that Geddy look with all black hardware. 

 

It's as heavy as an aircraft carrier but an absolute huge amount of tone on tap with the new pups and looks like it's worth thousands not hundreds (well to me anyway). 

 

The guys in my band prefer the sound of it to my Sandberg and my G&L!! 

Screenshot_20220120_230257.jpg

Looks the part! Was the bridge a straight fit?

iconic Experienced

iconic

Posted
Posted

I've just fitted a set of their 'Value' nickel roundwound strings to my VMJ.... just because I have them across my strats/tele and acoustics and find them perfectly fine and thought why not at that price. 

 

Well, I can confirm they have a very pleasant feel on the fingers (and thumb) good tension, settled in very quickly as regards tuning stability, nice and bright.

They do not feel like cheap strings at all, quite the opposite, they remind me of EB Slinkys if I had to do a quick and dirty comparison.

 

Obviously no idea how they will last but, the guitar ones last like any other decent string I've tried. 

 

A fiver a set, crazy value, absolutely crazy, I'm a convert. 😎

  • Like 1
Geek99 Grand Master

Geek99

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, iconic said:

I've just fitted a set of their 'Value' nickel roundwound strings to my VMJ.... just because I have them across my strats/tele and acoustics and find them perfectly fine and thought why not at that price. 

 

Well, I can confirm they have a very pleasant feel on the fingers (and thumb) good tension, settled in very quickly as regards tuning stability, nice and bright.

They do not feel like cheap strings at all, quite the opposite, they remind me of EB Slinkys if I had to do a quick and dirty comparison.

 

Obviously no idea how they will last but, the guitar ones last like any other decent string I've tried. 

 

A fiver a set, crazy value, absolutely crazy, I'm a convert. 😎

You have a link ?

NicoMcJ Collaborator

NicoMcJ

Posted
Posted
6 hours ago, lownote said:

LowEndLobster just posted this review of the JB40FL

 

 

I made the mistake of clicking on one of his videos before.

 

Never again.

  • Like 1
Velarian Grand Master

Velarian

Posted
Posted
53 minutes ago, NicoMcJ said:

I made the mistake of clicking on one of his videos before.

 

Never again.

Me too! I hate that corny “subscribe to my channel” to make the weird lobster claw hand thing disappear. 🤮

  • Like 3

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