Harper basses

[JimBobTTD]

Hello

Every now and then I see some very cheap basses up on Ebay. One that has caught my eye is a through-neck from Harper, like this one: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=160163500161&ssPageName=STRK:MEDW:IT&ih=006"]Harper bass on Ebay[/url]

Every time I look at these things I hear echoes of old words of wisdom - [i]Buy cheap, pay twice[/i].

So...what are these basses like? With modern factories, it is possible to make good things cheaply. But would this bass fall into that category? Am I being too old fashioned by thinking that anything that cheap can't be any good? And I mean good as in [b][color="#0000FF"]good[/color][/b], not "good enough for a beater" or "good enough at that price" or anything. Of course it won't be a patch on a lovingly handmade beauty, but would it even approach, say, Fender Mexico levels of [b][color="#0000FF"]good[/color][/b]?

Discuss!

[OutToPlayJazz]

That looks like a great quality bass for the money... There really are some great bargains out there & especially Chinese manufacturing is getting very good these days. I recently bought two "Boston" P-basses for £80 each (including the cases, straps, leads & 15w amps). Quality is excellent, as is playability. Brand names aren't always best these days.

[Bassassin]

Agree with OTPJ - & not only are brand names not necessarily best - there's a fair chance that they were made in the same factory as the cheapos. And it was ever thus - that rather lovely Ibanez 2369 B-WH in your sig pic was built at the same factory that a few years later was turning out MIJ Fenders & Squiers.

The real problem with cheapos is quality control - if you're lucky, you'll get one with a lovely fret job, and built from well-seasoned quality timber, if you're not, it'll buzz all the way up a neck made from a bit of driftwood, that'll look like a banana this time next year!

Jon.

Edited October 7, 2007 by Bassassin

[JimBobTTD]

Heh heh...nice one, finnbass!

Well, I got it. At £100 delivered, I thought I would take the risk. If I don't bond with it I'll be able to sell it locally, or use it for evil experiments.

I'll write a report here later on.

[Guest MoJo]

That rear pick-up looks as though it could do with moving nearer the bridge to get that funky tone that you get from a Ray of the bridge pick-up of a jazz.
I'd love to hear how you two get on. Please keep us posted/

Mark

[JimBobTTD]

Oh dear. Either I got something which slipped through Quality Control or they are just cheap.

Gap 12-13th fret: 21mm

Gap 13-14th fret: 23mm

Gap 14-15th fret: 25mm

Gap 15-16th fret: 20mm


There is also a nasty bit of discolouration on one of the mahogany-like strips on the body.

A few finish problems, but those I can live with. The problems mentioned above I cannot accept. I got this to be a beater, but if I can't play above the 12th fret (not that I would want to, but I might!) I'll need a different bass. No good!

So I'll be returning it. Though I must say, if the frets were not off I would love this thing. Lightweight, great unplugged sound, great neck and a great vibe. I haven't plugged it in yet...don't see the point either right now.

[JimBobTTD]

Well, I couldn't hold off and I plugged it in. Not bad at all.

I love this bass. I have really bonded with it this last fortnight. I love the feel of the neck, I love the weight. I love how my fingers seem to feel at home on the strings. The bass makes me play all funky. The seller has arranged to pick it up, but seems to be reluctant to send another one. And I can't find one on Ebay right now either. I'll keep looking.

Anyway, folks - if you can get one of these, I would. But check the workmanship on it!

[kneal6]

Are you sure it doesn't just need setting up? Most cheap basses come from the factory with very high action, the important thing is if it's [i]capable[/i] of playing better. If it's just the height of the strings that's a problem then you need to tighten the truss rod and probably adjust the bridge as well.

Here's an easy way to test it: fret the E string on the first and last frets, then look at the gap between the string and the fret at about the 9th fret. It should be no more than the thickness of a credit card. If it is, you could benefit greatly from a proper setup.

Let us know how you get on...

[dabootsy]

I bought a Wesley powder blue bass that is sort of jaguar shaped. It cost £62.00 and it has the most powerful passive pups i have heard, it has good tone too and plays great, bearing in mind the expensive basses i have got. It just needed a little fettling to sort
Great buy

cheers Glenn

[JimBobTTD]

[quote name='kneal6' post='79736' date='Oct 26 2007, 12:32 PM']Are you sure it doesn't just need setting up? Most cheap basses come from the factory with very high action, the important thing is if it's [i]capable[/i] of playing better. If it's just the height of the strings that's a problem then you need to tighten the truss rod and probably adjust the bridge as well.

Here's an easy way to test it: fret the E string on the first and last frets, then look at the gap between the string and the fret at about the 9th fret. It should be no more than the thickness of a credit card. If it is, you could benefit greatly from a proper setup.

Let us know how you get on...[/quote]

Sorry for the late response...

Thanks, Kneal, but the frets have been put in incorrectly. It's a manufacturing defect, nothing to do with setup. The gaps I mentioned above are not string to fret, but [i]fret [/i]to fret.

Anyway, communications between the seller and myself have broken down, and I have been forced to open a dispute. I'll end up with a refund and the bass, which is no bad thing. I'll take out the frets, cut the slots correctly and refret with a larger wire. I might even put in a Jazz pickup by the bridge too, and, cavity spacing permitting, have it on a separate volume/tone circuit. I'm even tempted to take off the fingerboard and replace with ebony. Hooray!

[Nito]

Sorry to bring an old/ish topic, but I couldn't hellp my self.
I own two Harper basses, a 6 string fretless with two soap bar passive pickups, and an acoustic bass with a sound hole pickup.
This below is the fretless, and I been playing with it for the last few months. For £70 that is a hell of a lot of bass, and I have nothing bad to say about it, apart of that I would prefer it to be active.

The acoustic is not bad at all. I managed to win the bid for 49 squids, not bad for a 5 strings acoustic bass; but the one thing I don’t like about this bass is the pickup arrangement, a “Guitar Pickup, for all kinds of guitars”, one of them you suppose to clip on the edge of the sound hole. Total crap if you ask me, I think I prefer it to feed from a mic. But for a practice bass, or to play all acoustic, for that this acoustic bass is awesome.