Harley Benton JB-75MN Black Vintage Series

I have an expensive and rare Spector bass and I bought it for three reasons.
1. I needed an easily accecible bass to have it laying around and throw it around without thinking about damaging or anything else as I am with my other bass.
2. I normally prefer PB setup but wanted to have a JB configuration to explore the sound. But I did not want to spend a lot of money at this time.
3. I wanted to by a Harley Benton instrument and see for myself what it is all about. Few very bad reviews, Many great reviews and many people are amazed about the value for money and not only.

It is one of the best purchases I have ever had. The bass is great just out of the box. Sound is decent, hardware is very good, woods are very nice, finish is excellent. Pots are real, factory fitted strings are ok. It is definately not an instrument of bad quality and yes I do care a lot if something happen to it. Surely it is not in par with my Spector in terms of sound, playability and exclusivity and surely a American Jazz Bass is another league, but I really love it A LOT for what it is!.

Cons.
All issues below are not something that worries me, not the slightest though of regreting my purchase and not a deal breaker in any case. For the price, you have to have a flaw. However, these flaws are often present to all other brands' more expensive models.

1. A bit heavy but It does not affect me that much as I read other reviewers which to them that seem to be a great issue.
2. Action is a bit high, however, I have not tried to set it up yet as it is not a major issue yet.
3. Frets are a bit sharp, but I will not bother to sand them. Playability is not affected, feel is ok.
4. The block inlays and stripes at the fretboard is some short of paint application. I hope it will last, otherwise i do not think that it would look nice if it start to fade.

Highly recomend for a new player, or an experienced one (if you need it).

I only have it for 3 weeks and did not have the chance to play with my mates yet. Will provide feedback.


Very happy with my purchase. Thank you Thomann

+ nice strings, nice pickups (high output), no radio noise, frets not trying to hurt you, good balance
- pickguard holes were drilled not in place, but everything works. Metal parts looking cheap, but work pretty well
+- thick freatboard, but it's comfortable for my hands

Good bass for it's price, For me it's very comfortable to play. Sure, it looks cheap, but comfort is the better option :)

And for Russian users:
Бас отличный! Выглядит дешево, отверстия под пикгард все кривые, но какая разница. Я собирался брать удобный инструмент для обучения, который не будет пытаться срезать пальцы. Все так и получилось. Вид на троечку, удобство на пять. С завода все отстроено, натянул струны и вперед. 3я и 4я струны немного не строят на 12м ладу, но это решается регулировкой седел. Даже анкер крутить не пришлось, струны максимально близко к ладам, на ладах не звенят, да и сами струны хорошие. Инструмент сбалансирован, гриф не клюет. Короче я доволен. Дизайн на любителя, башка прям здоровая, колками канаты тянуть можно) холка бобра настоящая, гриф толстенный (может для кого-то это и будет минусом, но мне удобно) При желании можно конечно замнить все фурнитуру на поприличней, но что-то мне подсказывает, что я ничего делать не буду. Работает - не трогай. Новичкам прям усиленно советую, оно того стоит!

До этого мне друг подарил какой-то euphony (копия BC Rich Mockingbird), так вот он прям дико неудобный: гриф клюет, расстояние до струн гигантское и не настраивается, гриф повело винтом, звучки в неудобных местах, натяжение струн вообще недружелюбное. Я еще присматривался к Dean Guitars Evo XM Bass Mahogany, там конечно гриф еще меньше, да и в целом гитара очень современная, качество материалов поприятней, как и внешний вид. У товарища взял попробовать. В плане размеров все супер, но на этом плюсы заканчиваются. У нее вылезли лады, высоту струн низко настроить не получилось, с завода был фон, стоковые струны тоже так себе. Играть конечно можно, но харви бентон мне оказался приятней)

This is the second Harley Benton bass I bought and I must say, it is a top tier instrument. Excellent bass, period. For its price, it's simply unbelievable and I would not hesitate to buy the whole Harley Benton line up, after this one!

So, first off, the build quality. I have looked over this one thoroughly and I simply could not find the smallest of faults on it. The paint is really good all over, no chips, hairs, runs, anything. Everything lines up correctly, the neck pocket is TIGHT, every single screw is just fine. There have been reports of less than optimal screws for the pickups but this was not the case on mine. Sturdy as can be and built perfectly. Five stars here!

Now, the sound. This bass has Wilkinson pickups (and hardware, more on that after). The sound is spot on! In a blind test, I doubt one could easily discern between this one and an American Fender. It's THAT good! I've used to it record direct and amped and I must say, it kicks serious ass in any situation. Rock, funk, pop, metal, the versatility of the Jazz Bass is nto lost in this one's price range! Simply excellent. Five stars here, as well!

One more thing here, though. The cables are cloth wrapped, the electronics EXTREMELY tidy and the pots are just excellent. No hissing, no scratching, nothing.

Now, the hardware on this bass is Wilkinson as well, and it is a huge plus. The tuners are nice and sturdy and, combined with the very well cut nut, the bass can hold the tuning after much abuse. The bridge is also sturdy and with enough mass. Everything is as it should be and doesn't really warrant a swap with anything pricier. Also, the bass came from Thomann set up PERFECTLY, which I did not expect. I only had to tune up and it was ready to play.
I should mention that the bass came strung with D'Addario strings. Excellent, and quite a pricey choice, considering the instrument's price!

Overall, it's five stars on every aspect. Just an honestly excellent instrument, well made, very nice sounding and a total sleeper. Plus, it's entertaining as hell to see people scratching their heads over how awesome such a low priced instrument is! I really hope Thomann adds more Benton basses in the future!