Harley Benton B-450FL Progressive

[MrSpace]

Just ordered one of these. 

https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_b_450fl_bk_progressive_series.htm

My other bass is a Washburn XB100 (P-style fretted I bought 25-odd years ago while at university). Fancied giving fretless a try but didn't want to commit too much of the hard-earned just in case I don't like it.

Thoughts / advice for a beginner?

[Paolo85]

From what I have seen from videos it would seem it is amazing value for money at least in terms of sound. I also love the active-passive switch: I have two slightly more expensive basses and they do not have it. Let us know if playability turns out to be good.

I am a beginner myself so nothing to teach. People say pay attention to fretting-hand posture as it helps intonation, I found this to be good advice. Also I am finding that "vomit" exercises (sliding up and down a scale with a drone playing the tonic) help.

 

[MrSpace]

Thanks, I'll give the vomit exercises a try - although I might try to think of another name for them... 🤮🤣

[Paolo85]

After sliding up and down a string for 10 minutes you'll find the name is appropriate😁

[MrSpace]

Parcel from Thomann due for delivery today 😁

[rasher80]

2 hours ago, MrSpace said:

Parcel from Thomann due for delivery today 😁

I've got a fretted 5 string version of the same bass, for the price I paid for it I can't fault it (not being a 5 string player - it's my first one!)

 

Happy NBD - hopefully!

[MrSpace]

I considered getting the 5 version of the fretless (it's actually cheaper than the 4) but in the end I decided that learning to play a 5 and a fretless at the same time was too big of a step!

[Paolo85]

1 hour ago, rasher80 said:

I've got a fretted 5 string version of the same bass, for the price I paid for it I can't fault it (not being a 5 string player - it's my first one!)

 

Happy NBD - hopefully!

Hi @rasher80 may I ask you out of curiosity how is the neck in terms of chubbiness and what is the string spacing at the bridge?

[MrSpace]

It's arrived, and I can make noises with it. So that's a good start. Not as different to playing fretted as I thought it would be, although I definitely have a lot of work to do on my intonation (understatement of the year). 

Huge amount of tonal variation possible with the active electronics - haven't played much with passive mode yet but I can confirm that it works. 

As the van arrived with the package, "So What" (Miles Davis) came on the radio, so I guess its a sign, I will have to try and learn that now LOL. 

[Paolo85]

Very nice!

[stewblack]

I've the fretted version of this and it's excellent. I gig with it often.

Congratulations!

[MrSpace]

Thanks. Almost a week with this bass, and I'm really enjoying playing it. I haven't done any setup on it at all, and it's basically fine. I am getting a little bit of buzz when fretting near the nut, so I will probably tweak the truss rod when I get some time.