Y
Best bass for it's price!
First of all, I was blown away by the quality of this instrument. I heard very good reviews about it before but I was still a bit skeptical...BUT it was JUST as I had heard it would be.
The hardware on this is really worth much more than how much I payed for it. Wilkinson pickups and bridge?? wow.
Great quality stuff there.
The looks on this bass...well you be the judge of that. Doesn't it look great??
- 70s style block pearloid inlays (you won't find this kind of look for this kind of money)
- lovely 3 tone sunburst on a quality American ash
- Harley Benton(thomann) really killed in the looks department on this one, in a good way ofcourse.
It sounds great! I did an AB with a Fender Mexican Jazz Bass and I personally thought this was on par if not better than the Fender!! unbelievable! There is also a good response with the blend knobs.
I had this for about 1 and a half weeks and I couldn't really find much fault in the build of the bass. The frets are nicely trimmed on the sides so it doesn't hurt your hands, and it came setup very well! All I had to do was maybe adjust the saddles to intonate it a little bit but even that was very small. It also seems to be very durable so it should be fine when going on stage as well as on the road.
The only 2 cons I found about this instrument was the pickguard and the weight.
The pickguard doesn't really look like a genuine turtoise shell pickguard up close. Looks a bit "cheap" but that's nothing you can't fix by changing it.
The heavy weight can be both a pro and a con.
It's heavy because it's made of American ash body and that actually contributes to the resonance of the bass as there is more material and mass BUT for a guy like me who isn't "bulky", this might be a problem as it's too heavy to play long hours on stage.
SO my fix on this was buying a good quality strap.
I got a Mono Cases "The Betty Strap" which is doing a miracle work for me. It balances out the weight of the bass and has paddings to relieve the stress on my shoulders. So get a nice strap! I recommend the Betty Strap.
All in all, Great instrument! Great Price! Great Service!
Kudos to you Thomann!!
The hardware on this is really worth much more than how much I payed for it. Wilkinson pickups and bridge?? wow.
Great quality stuff there.
The looks on this bass...well you be the judge of that. Doesn't it look great??
- 70s style block pearloid inlays (you won't find this kind of look for this kind of money)
- lovely 3 tone sunburst on a quality American ash
- Harley Benton(thomann) really killed in the looks department on this one, in a good way ofcourse.
It sounds great! I did an AB with a Fender Mexican Jazz Bass and I personally thought this was on par if not better than the Fender!! unbelievable! There is also a good response with the blend knobs.
I had this for about 1 and a half weeks and I couldn't really find much fault in the build of the bass. The frets are nicely trimmed on the sides so it doesn't hurt your hands, and it came setup very well! All I had to do was maybe adjust the saddles to intonate it a little bit but even that was very small. It also seems to be very durable so it should be fine when going on stage as well as on the road.
The only 2 cons I found about this instrument was the pickguard and the weight.
The pickguard doesn't really look like a genuine turtoise shell pickguard up close. Looks a bit "cheap" but that's nothing you can't fix by changing it.
The heavy weight can be both a pro and a con.
It's heavy because it's made of American ash body and that actually contributes to the resonance of the bass as there is more material and mass BUT for a guy like me who isn't "bulky", this might be a problem as it's too heavy to play long hours on stage.
SO my fix on this was buying a good quality strap.
I got a Mono Cases "The Betty Strap" which is doing a miracle work for me. It balances out the weight of the bass and has paddings to relieve the stress on my shoulders. So get a nice strap! I recommend the Betty Strap.
All in all, Great instrument! Great Price! Great Service!
Kudos to you Thomann!!
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JJ
Unbelievable value, great sound, fantastic bass!
What a glorious bass. I'll say it again . . . what everyone else has been saying . . . I seriously cannot believe I got this great sounding of a bass for $138 dollars. I have played for 30+ years. I played professionally for several years, and have some mid-to-high dollar basses. I have not played an “inexpensive” bass in years. Maybe decades. And I’ve NEVER bought a bass this cheap in my life. But what a surprise this bass has turned out to be. It's fantastic. I’ve wanted a bass with this blocked/bound rosewood board look for a long time. And it scratches that itch on the cheap.
The HB is surprisingly comfortable to play. The neck is straight and smooth, the body is solid, paint and finish look great. The satin neck is fantastic and easy to slide around on. I took it down one star because the fretwork is a little lacking. But I would by no means complain about that at this price point. I’ve played worse. I love the blocks and binding. The neck is a bit thicker (front to back) than the jazz neck on my Lakland, which I like. I need a little more meat for my big garden rake-sized hands to hold on to, and the HB fits the bill. It is a little heavy, but not as shockingly heavy as I expected it to be based on many reviews and comments I’ve read. I don’t have a scale to confirm this, but just holding one bass in each arm, it feels a little heavier than my Lakland 5-string jazz, but not overwhelmingly so. It plays great sitting down. Maybe just a liiiitle neck dive. Some lightweight tuners might change that. But it’s not enough for me to worry about.
The pickups pack a ton of punch and warmth. When I first got it, the bridge pickup was way higher than the neck pickup, and it sounded thin and weak. Once I evened out the pickups, it sounded warm and full. Interestingly enough, so far they're dead quiet. I live in an old house with ungrounded wiring where I practice, so everything buzzes. Passive/active/split/single coil. It doesn't matter. But the HB buzzes less than my Lakland. And the single coil Roswell pickups don't have the same 60-cycle hum I was getting out of the Lakland pickups. It's fascinating. When I solo one of the pickups on my Lakland, even just a little, I get some hum. It's to be expected from single coil pickups and is part of their inherent tone and charm. But when I solo one of the Roswell pickups, even all of the way, I get no hum at all. Maybe they're wired to somehow defeat the hum. I don't know. The only negative tone-wise is that I do find the bass to be a very “clanky” with the pickups and tone knob on full. Way too much high end coming through. I have to roll the tone knob down quite a bit to calm the clank, but once I get it dialed in, it's perfection. And it makes my Tech 21 YYZ pedal absolutely sing. Of course, it's no Lull. That would be silly. But it will likely kick my Lakland (a bass that costs about 10x as much new) off the top jazz spot in my arsenal. I am thrilled with the purchase.
My only other complaint is not about the bass itself, but the shipping process. I do intend to let Thomann know that the box was completely destroyed in places when the bass/case arrived. The bass did not escape unscathed. But there was surprisingly little damage compared to the utter destruction of the box. Just a chunk taken out of the top of the headstock. Not enough to return the bass for, but certainly enough to be frustrated by. Especially given the number of complaints I’ve read online about their basses being damaged by overseas shipping to the US. They have GOT to start packing them better. It will save them money on returns. The bass had poked through both the top (by the top of the headstock) and bottom (by the strap pin) of the box, damaging the top of the bass. There was little to no padding inside, despite being double-boxed. I decided when I ordered it that if I liked this bass, I was going to order another, but I don’t think I will now, because I don’t want to risk it. If you’re local, or at least on the same continent, it would be far less of a concern.
The HB is surprisingly comfortable to play. The neck is straight and smooth, the body is solid, paint and finish look great. The satin neck is fantastic and easy to slide around on. I took it down one star because the fretwork is a little lacking. But I would by no means complain about that at this price point. I’ve played worse. I love the blocks and binding. The neck is a bit thicker (front to back) than the jazz neck on my Lakland, which I like. I need a little more meat for my big garden rake-sized hands to hold on to, and the HB fits the bill. It is a little heavy, but not as shockingly heavy as I expected it to be based on many reviews and comments I’ve read. I don’t have a scale to confirm this, but just holding one bass in each arm, it feels a little heavier than my Lakland 5-string jazz, but not overwhelmingly so. It plays great sitting down. Maybe just a liiiitle neck dive. Some lightweight tuners might change that. But it’s not enough for me to worry about.
The pickups pack a ton of punch and warmth. When I first got it, the bridge pickup was way higher than the neck pickup, and it sounded thin and weak. Once I evened out the pickups, it sounded warm and full. Interestingly enough, so far they're dead quiet. I live in an old house with ungrounded wiring where I practice, so everything buzzes. Passive/active/split/single coil. It doesn't matter. But the HB buzzes less than my Lakland. And the single coil Roswell pickups don't have the same 60-cycle hum I was getting out of the Lakland pickups. It's fascinating. When I solo one of the pickups on my Lakland, even just a little, I get some hum. It's to be expected from single coil pickups and is part of their inherent tone and charm. But when I solo one of the Roswell pickups, even all of the way, I get no hum at all. Maybe they're wired to somehow defeat the hum. I don't know. The only negative tone-wise is that I do find the bass to be a very “clanky” with the pickups and tone knob on full. Way too much high end coming through. I have to roll the tone knob down quite a bit to calm the clank, but once I get it dialed in, it's perfection. And it makes my Tech 21 YYZ pedal absolutely sing. Of course, it's no Lull. That would be silly. But it will likely kick my Lakland (a bass that costs about 10x as much new) off the top jazz spot in my arsenal. I am thrilled with the purchase.
My only other complaint is not about the bass itself, but the shipping process. I do intend to let Thomann know that the box was completely destroyed in places when the bass/case arrived. The bass did not escape unscathed. But there was surprisingly little damage compared to the utter destruction of the box. Just a chunk taken out of the top of the headstock. Not enough to return the bass for, but certainly enough to be frustrated by. Especially given the number of complaints I’ve read online about their basses being damaged by overseas shipping to the US. They have GOT to start packing them better. It will save them money on returns. The bass had poked through both the top (by the top of the headstock) and bottom (by the strap pin) of the box, damaging the top of the bass. There was little to no padding inside, despite being double-boxed. I decided when I ordered it that if I liked this bass, I was going to order another, but I don’t think I will now, because I don’t want to risk it. If you’re local, or at least on the same continent, it would be far less of a concern.
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o
An interesting guitar
Well look at that! A bass with all the bells and whistles for less than 140 euro! As always there is a catch, but let me start with the good things (and there are many):
The materials used are way ahead of all the others at this price point and even higher
-The body is made out of ash (much better than basswod)
-It has a beautiful grain and it is made out of two pieces that were quite well aligned. You wouldn't really see that it is a two piece body without looking very closely
-The maple neck is one piece of solid wood and it has binding (a very rare sight at this price point)
-The pearloid fret inlays look great. I expected them to be just chunks of white plastic but they aren't much worse than the ones on my Les-Paul.
-The pickups sound great and the electronics work flawlessly
-Brass saddles (very cool!)
-Tuners work well
-Overall, you get so much "stuff" for your money that it's quite hard to believe.
Now to the bad things:
-Craftsmanship is generally speaking quite lacking. This is obvious especially when you look at the neck. The fret ends have not been hammered in properly and are higher than they should be (It's as if they were "peeling off"). This results in a lot of fret buzz. The fretjob is in general the worst thing about this guitar.
-Straight out of the box, the neck is covered by some dust, as if they didn't clean it after sanding. This is however easy to get rid of.
-The fretboard is not sanded properly and small scratches from the sanding paper are visible
-The paintjob is very good, but there are three tiny left out dots on the corners of the neck joint, not a big deal and they are barely visible.
-The fret metal is "smudged" on the neck's binding; it goes off after a while of rubbing.
-The pickguard looks as it looks, more unfortunately it has a small drop of black paint on it (it's 3-ply though).
-The nut is made out of some cheap plastic, it doesn't look splendid but gets the job done, its just that all the other hardware is much better quality.
-The neck is quite thick but this is a matter of preference. Also the fretboard wood has an unusual woody grain unlike rosewood.
-The strings on my guitar were terrible, they sounded dull and one of them even snapped when I was tuning the guitar for the first time.
All in all, it is obvious that these guitars aren't being made by the world's finest luthiers who take their time to do everything perfectly. There is actually quite a lot of work left to be done, so let me guide you through the steps to finish it off:
-Add the 5 euro Harley Benton bass strings to your order and throw that stock abomination away :)
-Hammer the fret ends in to prevent fret buzz.
-Use some fine sand paper and go over the frets once more, on my guitar they were levelled but not really fine-sanded.
-Polish the scratches on the fretboard (perhaps by your dremel's fine polishing wheel).
-Take some oil and clean the fretboard, it is going to look much better. You can use lemon oil but even wd-40 will do just fine.
-Adjust the truss rod, action and intonation.
Do all of that and you have an incredible guitar for a ridiculously small amount of money; whether you can do it is something to consider before buying, but the piece that you get might be better made, you never know.
Besides, Thomann's outstanding service has your back and you can return it, in case you don't like it. I also have to give them special credit since they've sent me the new strings for free.
The materials used are way ahead of all the others at this price point and even higher
-The body is made out of ash (much better than basswod)
-It has a beautiful grain and it is made out of two pieces that were quite well aligned. You wouldn't really see that it is a two piece body without looking very closely
-The maple neck is one piece of solid wood and it has binding (a very rare sight at this price point)
-The pearloid fret inlays look great. I expected them to be just chunks of white plastic but they aren't much worse than the ones on my Les-Paul.
-The pickups sound great and the electronics work flawlessly
-Brass saddles (very cool!)
-Tuners work well
-Overall, you get so much "stuff" for your money that it's quite hard to believe.
Now to the bad things:
-Craftsmanship is generally speaking quite lacking. This is obvious especially when you look at the neck. The fret ends have not been hammered in properly and are higher than they should be (It's as if they were "peeling off"). This results in a lot of fret buzz. The fretjob is in general the worst thing about this guitar.
-Straight out of the box, the neck is covered by some dust, as if they didn't clean it after sanding. This is however easy to get rid of.
-The fretboard is not sanded properly and small scratches from the sanding paper are visible
-The paintjob is very good, but there are three tiny left out dots on the corners of the neck joint, not a big deal and they are barely visible.
-The fret metal is "smudged" on the neck's binding; it goes off after a while of rubbing.
-The pickguard looks as it looks, more unfortunately it has a small drop of black paint on it (it's 3-ply though).
-The nut is made out of some cheap plastic, it doesn't look splendid but gets the job done, its just that all the other hardware is much better quality.
-The neck is quite thick but this is a matter of preference. Also the fretboard wood has an unusual woody grain unlike rosewood.
-The strings on my guitar were terrible, they sounded dull and one of them even snapped when I was tuning the guitar for the first time.
All in all, it is obvious that these guitars aren't being made by the world's finest luthiers who take their time to do everything perfectly. There is actually quite a lot of work left to be done, so let me guide you through the steps to finish it off:
-Add the 5 euro Harley Benton bass strings to your order and throw that stock abomination away :)
-Hammer the fret ends in to prevent fret buzz.
-Use some fine sand paper and go over the frets once more, on my guitar they were levelled but not really fine-sanded.
-Polish the scratches on the fretboard (perhaps by your dremel's fine polishing wheel).
-Take some oil and clean the fretboard, it is going to look much better. You can use lemon oil but even wd-40 will do just fine.
-Adjust the truss rod, action and intonation.
Do all of that and you have an incredible guitar for a ridiculously small amount of money; whether you can do it is something to consider before buying, but the piece that you get might be better made, you never know.
Besides, Thomann's outstanding service has your back and you can return it, in case you don't like it. I also have to give them special credit since they've sent me the new strings for free.
5
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D
She's a beauty!
I had just joined a band and I was stuck for a bass - I had been using a signature series Ibanez I borrowed from a friend. I was pretty broke at the time, so I took a gamble and ordered the cheapest bass I could find. I was pretty aprehensive about it, I've played some pretty horrible basses in my time but I went with my gut (and the endless amount of good reviews).
For the price you pay, this bass is a masterpiece. The sound quality surpassed ALL of my expectations, not to mention it's absolutely gorgeous. I've been playing for 14 years and I've been through a lot of basses, I can't express enough how great this instrument is for the price.
There are some problems with the hardwawrd. It has been well broken in since I first received it and the jack screws seem prone to wear - twice I've had the jack itself come loose at gigs, requiring a quick screwdriver job to fix.
It is also quite heavy, which is tiresome for those longer shows.
Aside from that, I've had no problems. Well worth it. I just ordered the fretless version of this bass and I CANNOT wait to play her.
Happy bassing!
For the price you pay, this bass is a masterpiece. The sound quality surpassed ALL of my expectations, not to mention it's absolutely gorgeous. I've been playing for 14 years and I've been through a lot of basses, I can't express enough how great this instrument is for the price.
There are some problems with the hardwawrd. It has been well broken in since I first received it and the jack screws seem prone to wear - twice I've had the jack itself come loose at gigs, requiring a quick screwdriver job to fix.
It is also quite heavy, which is tiresome for those longer shows.
Aside from that, I've had no problems. Well worth it. I just ordered the fretless version of this bass and I CANNOT wait to play her.
Happy bassing!
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w
Fantastic value for money
I was pleasantly surprised with the JB75. It is well made and everything works exactly as intended. The action was high so I customised it for my personal taste, but now it plays very well. I was worried that it would be heavy as other reviewers have reported, but it's decent at 4.1kg with a 3 piece body (and the ash has been nicely joined to match with grain perfectly). As a bass for occasional recording and gigging, and for my wife to learn on, it's perfect - especially considering the price.
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e
A Stellar Vintage Gem
If you're a bass enthusiast searching for that iconic vintage sound without breaking the bank, look no further than the Harley Benton JB-75 SB Vintage Series. This bass guitar is an absolute gem that effortlessly captures the essence of classic tones and delivers an exceptional playing experience.
Another standout aspect of the JB-75 SB is its exceptional value for the price. Harley Benton has managed to create an instrument that offers superb quality, tone, and playability at a fraction of the cost compared to other basses in its class. It's a fantastic option for both beginners and experienced players looking to expand their collection without breaking the bank.
In conclusion, the Harley Benton JB-75 SB Vintage Series bass guitar is a true standout in the realm of vintage-inspired instruments. With its stunning aesthetics, impeccable craftsmanship, versatile tone options, and remarkable value for the price, it's an absolute must-have for any bassist seeking that classic, timeless sound. Don't miss the opportunity to experience the magic of this exceptional instrument and take your playing to new heights with the Harley Benton JB-75 SB.
Another standout aspect of the JB-75 SB is its exceptional value for the price. Harley Benton has managed to create an instrument that offers superb quality, tone, and playability at a fraction of the cost compared to other basses in its class. It's a fantastic option for both beginners and experienced players looking to expand their collection without breaking the bank.
In conclusion, the Harley Benton JB-75 SB Vintage Series bass guitar is a true standout in the realm of vintage-inspired instruments. With its stunning aesthetics, impeccable craftsmanship, versatile tone options, and remarkable value for the price, it's an absolute must-have for any bassist seeking that classic, timeless sound. Don't miss the opportunity to experience the magic of this exceptional instrument and take your playing to new heights with the Harley Benton JB-75 SB.
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B
Great price/quality balance, good instrument!
I'm not a bass player, yet I wanted to train a little bit on the instrument and HB offers good instruments at a very affordable price. I bought this instrument in a bundle with amp, cable & gigbag. I was scared about the idea, because I bought (not on Thomann) a guitar bundle years ago, discovering that while the amp and other parts were good, the guitar had rusty strings, lots of stains on the neck and a funny pickups condition (the neck one wasn't working).
The HB bass bundle, however, was in perfect mint condition.
The bass looks really good as F's big brothers, just some imperfection on neck finish. The action was a little bit too high, but I'm generally playing low action guitars. The sound is great for the price, fretboard is comfortable. I'm just a little concerned about the weight. This bass (even compared with other basses) is really heavy!
Anyway I think the instrument is good for beginners or casual players like me.
The HB bass bundle, however, was in perfect mint condition.
The bass looks really good as F's big brothers, just some imperfection on neck finish. The action was a little bit too high, but I'm generally playing low action guitars. The sound is great for the price, fretboard is comfortable. I'm just a little concerned about the weight. This bass (even compared with other basses) is really heavy!
Anyway I think the instrument is good for beginners or casual players like me.
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B
Amazing price! Amazing quality! Amazing sound!
This is a beautiful instrument. The craftsmanship is outstanding as well.
My only complaint is the weight. It is very HEAVY. But having said that, I would not hesitate to buy another bass guitar. In fact, I already did and it arrives tomorrow. Thanks again for the wondeful & affordable instruments.
My only complaint is the weight. It is very HEAVY. But having said that, I would not hesitate to buy another bass guitar. In fact, I already did and it arrives tomorrow. Thanks again for the wondeful & affordable instruments.
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S
Great for beginners
Hello beginner, fellow beginner speaking. If you want a cheap, good looking, good sounding and well built guitar, this is your guy. It's obviously not a Fender guitar but for what it costs it's really good in terms of quality, if you're just getting into Bass then this (or any of the other variants of Harley Benton guitars) is a really good choice.
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D
Great bass guitar !
At a concert in the club, few people will distinguish HB from the Jazz Bass Standard of the USA. So why pay more?
Add another 150 euros, screen, file the frets, and even with stock pickups, everything sounds great.
Minus one: I ordered pickguard in black, but it turned out to be much smaller than the desired size. The store kindly compensated me for the cost .
Add another 150 euros, screen, file the frets, and even with stock pickups, everything sounds great.
Minus one: I ordered pickguard in black, but it turned out to be much smaller than the desired size. The store kindly compensated me for the cost .
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