Harley Benton PJ-74 VW Vintage Series

TL;DR "I have been very pleasantly surprised with the quality of the instrument. I would definitely recommend the PJ-74 as a beginner-level bass guitar or as a serviceable back up for guitarists moonlighting as bass players."

I have been playing guitar as my first-choice instrument for over 10 years now, doubling as a makeshift bass player as per needed, a story probably familiar enough for many others. After years of an on-off relationship with the instrument, I decided to put down the little guitar for a while and buy my first big boy bass, the Harley Benton PJ-74.

At the time, I was mostly pulled in by the colour, not so much the features themselves -- I reasoned that at this price range, the specs themselves would be somewhat irrelevant, as my options were limited (due to my budget) as well as my lack of experience with the instrument. Having owned the instrument for almost a year now, I must say I have been positively pleased with the overall build quality of the instrument. There is not a single complaint I could make regarding the finish, which is simply outstanding within its price range. My biggest so far concerning the build related to the frets popping out during the winter, which was mostly down to the cold climate (I live in Finland) as well as the humidity levels experienced in my previous flat. All of this is simply the way wood reacts naturally its environment and nothing a fret file couldn't handle.

The setup of the instrument out of the box was good. The action was alright and the truss rod needed no adjustments. It should be noted this is also my first experience with a Harley Benton product, specifically an instrument, and I must say that I have been impressed with the standard of quality of the instrument. I was expecting a decent, playable instrument but instead I received a very gig-worthy, well set up instrument I will definitely be using for all my bass playing for the time being. However, I would consider upgrading on the instrument were I to become more invested with my bass playing. This is mostly down the sound / features of the instrument.

I have rated the features as four stars relative to the price range. The pickups are good enough and I have definitely improved on utilising the tone and volume controls for shaping my sound thanks to the bass. I do not say this as a bad thing, merely just as something to consider: if you wish to get certain sounds out of this bass, you WILL probably have to work more on them than with a more premium instrument. Still, in all fairness, this should go without saying. The pickups can be somewhat muddy with a lower output than perhaps preferrable -- which you can reasonably expect within this price range. This is not too much of a limitation for the instrument, as its overall playability and the quality of the finish make up for the sound.

Other than that, the electronics themselves have been decent and I have experienced no issues with unwanted buzzing or ringing, loose output jacks etc. The intonation was perfect from the box and honestly I have had no issues with the bass at all.

Overall, I have been very pleasantly surprised with the quality of the instrument. I would definitely recommend the PJ-74 as a beginner-level bass guitar or as a serviceable back up for guitarists moonlighting as bass players. The sound might not blow you away but the build quality and the finish definitely outdid my expectations. Thus by extension, I would encourage others to place their trust in other Harley Benton instruments. The PJ-74, in my opinion, is far superior to its Squier counterparts within its price range. For me, this instrument definitely could sell for 250€ and still feel like a reasonable steal. The only things that could really be improved upon would be the mics but other than that, this is a fantastic choice for a beginner and at the very top of its class.

I've been wanting this bass for a year now and decided to finally get it. This is my first bass. I love it! I don't have anything bad to say about it. Really good choice for first bass if you don't have a small budget.
I might not have the perfect eye for instrument quality but i'm an artist and at least i can say the painting is good quality. It was also well packed and wasn't hit during delivery.

Vaihdoin vanhan bassoni tähän lähinnä, koska halusin nähdä, kuinka lämpökäsitelty kaula sopisi soittotuntuman puolesta minulle. Täytyy sanoa, että kaula on soittimen parhaita puolia. Todella iloinen yllätys, vaikka useamman HB:n kokemuksella osasin jotain vastaavaa odotella.

Säädöt onnistuivat hyvin valmiiksi löytyneillä välineillä, mutta ainakaan omasta laatikostani ei kuusiokoloavaimia löytänyt.

Soittokokemusten perusteella en näe, että osia tarttisi lähteä suoriltaan vaihtamaan, mutta ainahan kitaroita tulee jotenkin ajanmittaan muokkailtua. Eiköhän tämäkin saa uusia osia, mikit ja virityskoneisto ensimmäisinä.