NBD: Harley Benton MB-5 SB Deluxe

[Stub Mandrel]

?

 

!

 

 

It's a bit heavy but...

[Bassfinger]

The weight is itneresting, as I have the all black 4 string and its fairly svelte on the scales. 

 

Different woods?

[such]

Nice! I'm contemplating getting one, any impressions? 

[Stub Mandrel]

Its far too good for the price, looks smashing andbplays well.

 

 Not a perfect copy. Will raise the pups to increase output and adjust intonation and I'm happy that will gave it gig ready l. Action is low and buzz free, nut is cut well.

 

Nice touch is thin satin varnish on neck, nice looking bit of maple. Another is the six bolt neck fixing.

 

For the silly price it's a no-brainer that doesn’t need any parts swapping out,  except I might replace one of the volumes with a serial-single coil-parallel rotary to get closer to the MM options.

[Stub Mandrel]

Ok, this bass has one drawback, it is well heavy. Did three hours of rehearsal today and found myself sticking it in the stand more often than usual.

 

Got loads of positive feedback from the band,  especially on its looks but sound was good. Strings are now losing their zing. They really couldn't believe the cost and wanted to know the 'normal price'.

 

Out of the four songs we were working on, one (dear darlin) was ideal for 5 strings and we tried Sweet Caroline (!) In various keys which it made easy. In general it was little harder to play than a four string, only got lost a couple of times.

[Stub Mandrel]

On 13/04/2022 at 18:07, Bassfinger said:

The weight is itneresting, as I have the all black 4 string and its fairly svelte on the scales. 

 

Different woods?

 

I will weigh it

[Stub Mandrel]

@Bassfinger Sorry for the long weight (!)

 

It's 9lbs, so no lightweight, but not ridiculously heavy either… so some of the 'extra weight' was possibly due to a few weeks between rehearsals?

 

For comparison, Embassy comes out at 7.5lbs and feels light. Not sure how accurate my scales are, I'm using the weight myself and pick up bass method.

Edited May 2, 2022 by Stub Mandrel

[Daz39]

It looks really nice, classy. How much was it btw?

[Bassfinger]

My 4 string model was pepped up with a Warman pickup and Wilkinson tuners.  A snarling monster with a mineshaft deep tone for £150 or so all in.

[Stub Mandrel]

8 hours ago, Daz39 said:

It looks really nice, classy. How much was it btw?

 

£109 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[P-Belly Evans]

On 13/04/2022 at 13:24, Stub Mandrel said:

?

 

!

 

 

It's a bit heavy but...

Off topic, but I just spied a Les Paul Custom on the rack there.......snap.

[Stub Mandrel]

1 hour ago, P-Belly Evans said:

Off topic, but I just spied a Les Paul Custom on the rack there.......snap.

 

Close, It's a nicely matured MIK Tokai.

[Stub Mandrel]

On 02/05/2022 at 16:22, Bassfinger said:

Warman pickup

 

MM5 is sold out, I've messaged them...

[Bassfinger]

Well worth the effort if you can get one.  Our rhythm guitarist is an HB fan and was seriously impressed with the tone from the Warman, and those big fat poles look pretty intimidating.

 

The Wilkinson tuners are also excellent, albeit the holes on the headstock are a touch closer together than the Fender norm. This necessitated careful use of the bench grinder and a polish with wet and dry to shave half a mm off 3 tuners so they sit together properly.

[Stub Mandrel]

I've got Wilkinson nickels on a bass I made around an unfinished body and HB neck, I was impressed by the quality.

[Stub Mandrel]

I've pretty much decided to use the MB-5 for my gig on Saturday. Just for some of the songs in the second set that lend themselves to low, slow lines.

[Bassfinger]

Gigged with mine last week. The tone is brilliant for live work.

[Stub Mandrel]

Well it did the job very well and with the inexpensive amazon padded strap was uber comfortable with no neck dive. Only issue,  my cheap wireless set slightly attenuated the low c and b, still there but not wall shaking.

 

Earned me some cred points too 😎

[stewblack]

The weight seems only to be an issue with the HB 5ers. The 4s are mostly very lightweight.

[EssexBuccaneer]

I’ve been after a five-string for a while, and tbf I’m still saving for the Schecter I really want - but forgot about some shares I had and used them to blow £130 of the finest English pounds on this wee devil. 
 

it looks nice, plays nice. The tuners are *terrible* and the frets need a polish, but at that price I’m not grumbling. 
 

New tuners and a little TLC and it’ll be ace.

[Rodders]

I've had an HB MB-5 for a while, changed the stock pickup for a Warmann as it was quite trebly to my ears and the magnets stick out which bugged me. 

Left the pickguard off so it looks Cliff Williams style. Threw a set of GHS P flats on and I was away. 

 

Very punchy sound, even better running through a HPF and compressor, the weight doesn't bother me but I gig sat on a stool.

[mcnach]

On 15/06/2023 at 16:43, EssexBuccaneer said:

I’ve been after a five-string for a while, and tbf I’m still saving for the Schecter I really want - but forgot about some shares I had and used them to blow £130 of the finest English pounds on this wee devil. 
 

it looks nice, plays nice. The tuners are *terrible* and the frets need a polish, but at that price I’m not grumbling. 
 

New tuners and a little TLC and it’ll be ace.

 

I have one of those, same thoughts: tuners are terribly and they'll chew themselves off but I still have the original strings on so they're managing, just. Fret ends were a bit sharp, so 20 minutes going over them was needed, but I left everything as it is (except the pickguard). I've played it quite a bit, at home and outside. I thought of putting a preamp to make it more like my Stingray 4-string but I really like the sound... so I have now a Ray35 for that, but the passive Harley Benton is probably my favourite of the two.