Harley Benton PB-50 FR Vintage Series

I ordered this single-coil version to start up base riffs to support my guitar playing.

Seeing a few very positive reviews on YouTube triggered me for especially this bass guitar with no difficult settings.

Three days later it was delivered to my home packed in a very big box with another box well protected inside of it. No dents, no damages whatsoever, it arrived in perfect condition. Very funny are the UPS notices you get on your mobile phone that your shipment is on its way and what time it will arrive.

Out of the box playability:

After seeing the YouTube review I didn’t expect the budget guitar to come out of the box as perfect as the on the YouTube video, but I was wrong! Perfect smooth satin finish neck, no sharp frets, action height on 3 strings was almost good for my tase, i lifted the saddle of the E-string a bit, which made it almost perfect to start playing right away. There are D’Addario strings on the guitar, unbelievable because these do not come cheap. I wonder how they do it fot this price.

Hardware:

The body is beautfully done with a very thick layer of fiesta red, very thick 1-ply pickguard with a beautful design, the Roswell VTN4 Vista Alnico-5 vintage PB-style house brand single coil pickup is attached directly to the body and magnets lines up perfectly with the strings.
The chrome volume and tone knob feel very convincing and roll smooth, tone pot had to have a little contact spray because I heard a tiny crackle whilst rolling on and off. Now it is absolutely silent in using on amp or headphone. Tuners are vintage but do their job beautifully.

Soundcheck:

First I plugged on a very simple mini guitar amp with a headphone to try various settings.
As I am a guitar player but decades ago started at some point with a very bad bass guitar I quickly stepped up to the plate of playing various riffs I used to know. The sound was nice and round, much better than to expect but please understand I have no comparison here besides electric and acoustic guitars. I became so confident in playing my red rambler after already one day that I ordered a B-stock Hartke bass amp with it at Thomann’s, which came delivered at my front door unbelievably fast, in one day wow!

General impression:

This bass guitar is a jewel to the eye, the neck for this kind of money has been done very very good, even the woodgrain is beautiful on front and back. The hardware is more than sufficient for use and can be upgraded but certainly does not have to right away. I myself am more than content with the Roswell Alnico 5 Vintage single coil pickup, it does not hum or buzz and gives a perfect rumble ramble foundation when the right chords ring out. I for example went straight into Deep Purple, Jimi Hendrix and Funky Town rythms and ended with a very low and deep Reggae riff. The sounds are more versatile as one should think.

My advice:

Go and buy one! Disover the simplicity of bass playing for little gas-money you cannot even spend properly on a trip or dinner in this fast changing world. Pleej dah bees!

Thanks for reading!

Excellent bass for this cost. 💲
I am very pleased with the build quality, it did not cause any complaints. The frets don't stick out, the strings are at an acceptable distance, the bass is well tuned and all this is straight from the factory. This model has very good ergonomics, although the neck does not have a quick game. Well, this is an attempt at the classics.

There are no complaints about the sound either, it sounds a little better than its cost, for the first bass this is a very good option. There is an opinion that with other pickups, it sounds even better, so we will add customization to the advantages.

Of the small drawbacks, it is not very convenient to put your finger on the pickup because of its shape, but there is a stand in the kit that can be screwed on. And near the pickup itself, I can see the wiring.
The cutout for the belly is very comfortable, but was it classical bass?

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Отличный бас за эту стоимость. 💲
Очень доволен качеством сборки, оно не вызвало нареканий. Не торчат лады, струны на приемлемом расстоянии, бас хорошо отстроен и все это прямо с завода. У данной модели очень хорошая эргономика, хотя гриф не располагает к быстрой игре. Ну это же попытка в классику.

По звуку тоже нареканий нет, он звучит чуть лучше своей стоимости, для первого баса это очень хороший вариант. Есть мнение что при других, звукоснимателях он звучит еще лучше так что к плюсам добавим кастомизацию.

Из маленьких недостатков, не очень удобно ставить палец на звукосниматель из-за его формы, но в комплекте есть подставочка, которую можно прикрутить. И возле самого звукоснимателя у меня виднеются проводки.
Вырез для живота очень удобен, но разве он был классических басах?

I've been playing bass for almost 40 years and have played a lot of different basses, high-end included, in my working bands. I bought this bass to use as part of my Dusty Hill costume at our Halloween gig. Originally I planned to use it for just one set but it played and sounded so great that I ended up using it the whole night. My guitarist, who's very particular about the bass sound, also loved it and recently requested that I bring it to our most recent gig. The finish and general setup was excellent. Once it arrived I did my own final setup and slightly modified the electronics to match the 1956 Fender P-bass this is modeled after (very minor changes, I think it was moving 2 wires and replacing the cap). For the price I paid I can't believe I got a bass that plays and sounds like this! It's not as easy to get a terrible instrument anymore like it was in the 60s and 70s (and most of the 80s) but this is just an incredible deal! I've never been a fan of Precision basses in general but I've always had a soft spot for the '50s style models. This one is definitely going to be a keeper!

This instrument is arguably the best bass at its price point. The price is unreal considering its sound/tone quality. I have used American and Japanese Fenders (which are 6 to 10 times more expensive). If Fender were to assemble a bass or something close to this price range, the PB-50 would still beat them hands down. Give Fender 100 euro and make them produce a bass with this amount. I'm sure they would be scratching their heads and struggle to rival this Harley Benton bass. What else can I say?

PROS: 1. undeniably the legendary p-bass tone/sound; 2. not heavy; 3. very nice aesthetics; 4. unjustifiably and insanely cheap for the sound you get; 5. the Roswell pickup is thunderous!

CONS...?: 1. chunky neck others say, but I don't really mind. If you are a precision bass user, it shouldn't be a big of a deal; 2. I hope Thomann could "soon" come up with the classic natural blonde or ash colour version and/or lighter body shades. (Just some unsolicited advice...guys this would boost your sales big time.)

Overall, this bass is a revelation, one huge surprise!