3 Inexpensive Harley Benton basses
First, a little disclaimer: even though the developers and owners still dedicate this site to bass guitars and bass players, this article can be useful to any musician. After all, Harley Benton now makes over 1400(!) items, including guitars, bass guitars, guitar amps, combos, effects pedals and God knows what else… In this article, I will talk about the Harley Benton brand overall, how to buy, who needs it, and about bass guitars, of course.
For budget instruments, they are quite workable and do not do the main evil – they do not discourage you from playing.
The sellers did not create the brand yesterday, but almost a quarter of a century ago – back in 1996. The company Thomann, cooperating with different manufacturers of both fittings and accessories for musical instruments, decided in the end that it would be good to start an instruments collection for its own store under its own brand name, and so the Harley Benton appeared.
In fact, this is not the first time Thomann has tried combining almost incompatible things: maximum low prices and enough decent quality. Yes, these are entry-level instruments and equipment, and everything is mainly made in China. But. . . Judge for yourself: have you seen jazz bass for 150 euros, which sounds good? Or a 20 watt combo for 50 bucks, with 8” speaker and 3-band real working equalizer? By the way, 50,000 of these combo amps have been sold all over Europe.
To all we should add that in addition to the budget, but working instrument you get bonuses from Thomann in the form of:
- Three years of full warranty.
- A 30-day no-questions-asked return policy. Of course, in Russia or former CIS countries, everything gets complicated by shipping and its cost, but still.
- Thomann – this is not Aliexpress, but a serious German store. The support staff understands what they sell.
- Honest samples. When choosing a bass guitar or guitar, be sure to listen to the samples. They are true.
Bottom line is that the pedantic and meticulous Germans made a deal with the hardworking Chinese and made quite suitable instruments. Working without intermediaries, Thomann can sell its instruments with minimal markup. Otherwise, it is difficult to explain how, for example, a five-string bass guitar with a thorough fingerboard and active electronics can cost 200$? This is not a cardboard Chinese rattle, but mahogany and maple.
Who will inexpensive Harley Benton basses suit?
Harley Benton is great as the first instrument to “try out”. Should a teenager buy, say, a Warwick bass guitar, if there is a high probability that he will abandon in a week? Also, a Harley Benton isn’t a poor option for a spare, homemade instrument. I, for one, will admit that I have secretly wanted a regular electric guitar for my modest needs for a long time, and I’m quite considering buying a Harley Benton guitar. Why not? For budget instruments, they are quite workable and do not do the main evil-they do not discourage you from playing.
Also, if you really want a guitar with fan frets, maybe you should start with Harley Benton. Let me tell you a secret: they are the most inexpensive. If it doesn’t work, it’ll be easy to sell – multscale guitars are in vogue nowadays! Harley Benton guitar with fan frets. To be honest, I’m looking at it myself. . .)
Harley Benton JB-20 CA Standard Series
Well, first, this “killer” of inexpensive Chinese is probably the most inexpensive jazz bass ever, which is quite possible to play without fear of your life and mental health. Don’t be lazy to watch this brief review from the basstheworld channel.
Of course, we should make a correction for the fact that the bass is in the hands of a professional musician and hooked up to pretty good equipment.
Also, in approximately the same price range there are bass guitars with Precision sensor configuration, and P/J, as a whole for all tastes and budgets.
Harley Benton Progressive Series Basses
Fans of heavy culture may want to buy a Harley Benton from the Progressive series of bass guitars. Owners of these basses not only get a more modern and aggressive guitar shape but also other appealing features:
- An alder deck.
- Canadian maple fingerboard.
- Twenty-four fret long scale.
- Two active humbuckers.
- You can get a fifth and even a sixth string if necessary)).
HBZ-2005 Deluxe Series line of bass guitars
For those whose financial situation is not quite deplorable, there is a Deluxe line of bass guitars. Here we can see, to put it mildly, not quite typical for inexpensive bass specifications:
- Through-the-board fingerboard. Body made of mahogany layered with maple and nato (7 pieces).
- Twenty-four fret, which to me is definitely a plus, especially if you’re picking up 5-string bass.
- Active electronics, really varied sound, all the knobs are not just for beauty.
- Matte black pickups and bridge.
- The bass is available in 4,5,6,7 strings, and there’s also a fretless mate.
Also check Harley Benton Marques, another one instrument for modern players
Overall, the bass guitars in this series look very progressive without straying too far from the classic shape, which to me is definitely a plus. Although, the shape of bass guitars is a separate topic, and there’s no arguing about tastes. So, there is an interest in Harley Benton and musicians should take into consideration resale opportunities when buying budget basses.
Hey, fellow bassists and musicians overall!
I’m nothing more than just bass player and enthusiastic blogger. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments.
Huge thanks for all crazy people who supports this resource. Keep groovin’!
