Harley Benton HBZ-2005FL NT Deluxe Series FRETLESS

[carlsim]

this link here:

 

https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_hbz_2005fl_nt_deluxe_series.htm
 

anyone got one?? Considering pulling the trigger on one but wanted to know a bit more - weight, feel, quality… any contributions welcome!

 

I have other HB stuff which I think is great for the dosh - I’m not expecting it to stack up against +£1k basses… I have been after an unlined 5 fretless for a while now… I don’t expect to gig it a lot… just wondered what the general impression was. 
 

also… I would be looking to make it headless… possibly…

[Waddo Soqable]

Can't give any useful Intel on the model, but  I do like your making it headless idea ( then I would wouldn't I ).... that'd look the business as a headless 👍

[PaulThePlug]

Looks real nice, thru neck etc.

I like the compact headstock, nice straight string runs and stripes on the back... does it really deserve to loose its head?

Might be stuck for replacement pups due to size, plain Quality Jazz 5's?

Edited March 1, 2023 by PaulThePlug

[Paolo85]

I had one. Pros: you get a 5 string with a good frettles fingerboard, tons of mwah and an interesting sound for not much money

Cons:

-Mine weighed a ton and I understand it's not an exception

-The edges of the fingerboard were sharp as a blade

-They do not put foam under the pickups so they are not adjustable. Obscene choice. Easily fixed except in my case screws were stuck so I had to sweat for it

-The sound is peculiar. I would say it lacks definition, especially noticeable when playing in isolation, but at the same time there is something inspiring about it. Not everyone's cup of tea I imagine

-Pickups are non-standard size so not a great mod platform

-I had to push saddles really to the floor to get the action I wanted. Considering I cound not shim a neck-through, I was a bit unease about it

-Tuning/neck stability I would say is ok for the standards of very cheap bass. No positively surprised on that front

-The body is made with whatever piece of wood they have at hand, so in my case it was quite visible the difference between pieces. Still, my wife thinks it was the best looking bass I have ever had

 

What I would say is watch these two videos

 

 

 

This is what this bass does best. If you like the vibe and can get over the issues it may have then I believe it's a good option

 

 

[lemmywinks]

Bridge might be a little too far back to make it a decent headless conversion as the tuners will stick out a fair bit. Might be worth waiting for a used BZ5000 to turn up instead which is the more upmarket version but also looks to have more space behind the bridge

 

 

Also all the HBZ/BZ 5 strings have tight spacing, think it's 16.5mm which put me off.

Edited March 2, 2023 by lemmywinks

[TheLowDown]

I've seen a few reviews on it in the past. The general consensus seems that it's of really good quality but heavy.

[carlsim]

On 02/03/2023 at 07:48, Paolo85 said:

I had one. Pros: you get a 5 string with a good frettles fingerboard, tons of mwah and an interesting sound for not much money

Cons:

-Mine weighed a ton and I understand it's not an exception

-The edges of the fingerboard were sharp as a blade

-They do not put foam under the pickups so they are not adjustable. Obscene choice. Easily fixed except in my case screws were stuck so I had to sweat for it

-The sound is peculiar. I would say it lacks definition, especially noticeable when playing in isolation, but at the same time there is something inspiring about it. Not everyone's cup of tea I imagine

-Pickups are non-standard size so not a great mod platform

-I had to push saddles really to the floor to get the action I wanted. Considering I cound not shim a neck-through, I was a bit unease about it

-Tuning/neck stability I would say is ok for the standards of very cheap bass. No positively surprised on that front

-The body is made with whatever piece of wood they have at hand, so in my case it was quite visible the difference between pieces. Still, my wife thinks it was the best looking bass I have ever had

 

What I would say is watch these two videos

 

 

 

This is what this bass does best. If you like the vibe and can get over the issues it may have then I believe it's a good option

 

 

Thanks for that information and the comments guys - I keep coming back to it I must admit. 

 

You mention about weight - that is my one fear with HB stuff - I had/have a couple of the 4 string jazz basses and they are incredible for the money but they are serious boat anchors. Not at all usable in my view for a two hour gig. I just don't understand how their stuff is so damn heavy!

 

Is this one on the same par weight wise? I think making it headless would help but then, if the body is heavy, it won't balance well on a strap. I did wonder about chambering but I don't think I have the time / tools or skill for that kind of modification. 

[Paolo85]

I had an HB JB75. The HBZ might have been slightly lighter but still in the ballpark. Also, not as good as the J, for which weigh was literally the only issue.

[TheLowDown]

3 hours ago, carlsim said:

You mention about weight - that is my one fear with HB stuff

Some are quite light or reasonably weighted. The progressive range are quite light. I have 4 string and a 6 string that weigh under 8lbs and 9.9lbs, respectively.

[tauzero]

11 hours ago, carlsim said:

Is this one on the same par weight wise? I think making it headless would help but then, if the body is heavy, it won't balance well on a strap. I did wonder about chambering but I don't think I have the time / tools or skill for that kind of modification. 

 

If the body is heavy, making it headless wouldn't affect the balance as most of the weight is between the strap pegs. I've encountered plenty of neck-divy basses but never a body-divy one.