Harley Benton MB-5 SB Deluxe Series

First let me preface this review with the fact that it is based impressions after thoroughly inspecting and playing it for some time.

Build quality.The bass is extremely well put together. I found no paint runs, "stray" screws, paint scuffs, glue residue etc. Everything is as it should be (and I did a pretty thorough once-over!). Price aside, this bass is as well built as any other and this is just unbelievable! I must also give a nod to Thomann's quality control as well, I suspect they too make sure these instruments are top notch before they are delivered, so... kudos Thomann! 5/5

Next up, hardware. The knobs are the metal "speed" type. They work just fine. No "dragging", no scratchiness and no noise whatsoever. They seem to be able to hold up.
Tuners are the open mechanism type. Upon first inspection they do look a little flimsy but they are pretty accurate and do the job well enough. The plain, plastic nut, which also does look flimsy, is well cut and grooved, no complaints. Even after a little abuse (slapping-popping, bends etc.) the tuning still holds true, so they're A-OK.
The bridge is also less chunky than it might appear but it, too does the job just fine. Actually, way better than a few other similar bridges, to be honest. 5/5

Now, on to the sound!
This a single pickup bass, so you'd expect it to be a one trick pony, but no! The "humbucker" pickup's coils are split so you get two volume pots for each "row" and a tone. Nothing over the top but responsive enough and they do the job well enough.
The sound is unbelievably close to the real thing, actually. Coupled with a good amp you can fool anyone! The distinctive growl's definitely there. If you push the amp a little that bass has a serious bite. Didn't really expect it, to be honest. The bass doesn' really lack the highs, either. It can sound very piano-like if dialed in correctly, pretty excellent for chordal work, too. Just dial in the bridge "side", turn up the tone and voila! I also suspect that, experimenting with different sets of strings, you can get pretty much any sound you're after with that one pickup, so that's definitely a 5/5. I wouldn't change the pickup, either. It's much better than many of its rivals and surpasses other, more expensive instruments even! Excellent indeed!


Playability's pretty good right out of the box. Could do with a little tweaking to get rid of fret buzz completely and a little raising or lowering the pickup, but all in all it's pretty good.
The neck is VERY similar to a G&L L2500 tribute. On the substantial side, surely it's not an Ibanez neck but not a baseball bat either. Radius is pretty comfortable for anything. The frets are on the low side and could use a polish but I found no dead spots or high frets, so no levelling needed (yay! I hate fretwork!).

All in all, I can't really complain about anything on this bass. Especially considering the price! Everything is as it should be, and personally, I wouldn't bother modding it. It plays and sounds pretty good and I'd probably use the money on getting another HB. Which I'm now planning to!

5/5 for everything

This is my first experience with Thomann customer services and products, so I'll begin with Customer Services.

Web site, reviews, product details, shipping, and customer service was outstanding. Everything you need to know was easy to navigate, and Thomann informed me every step of the way regarding my order. I was impressed.

The bass arrived in record time, and was very well packaged.
Upon inspection the bass was undamaged from transit.

Quality and Features:
Aesthetically this bass had a finish of the more top of the range basses like Fenders and the like, and looked like a very expensive instrument.

Paint work was top notch, no runs or thick layered areas. A very nice touch was the matching painted headstock, which in my opinion makes the bass stand out from the crowd. Bridge, Tuners and pick up were all top notch, too, well aligned and sturdy which will certainly stand the playing lifetime of the instrument. Humbucker pickup sits nicely positioned in the bridge position. Standard controls are nicely positioned, too, and are easy to reach and use whilst playing. Strings, were 45-130 gauge steel round wounds, well fitted and required very little adjustment to tune them in. I've played the bass quite a few hours now and all the strings are holding their tunings pretty well. I prefer flatwounds and this is the only "modification" to the bass I'll be making soon. The bass comes with a right angled lead and a little bag containing truss rod and saddle keys for any adjustments that may be required.

Sound Quality:

Was amazing, especially given that the pickup is passive. I play passive pickups in my other basses, putting the output through a modelling amp with a 4way EQ. Once the Humbucker was dialled in I found I had greater tonal range from the slit coil pickup, it certainly exceeds my needs in tonal requirements for both my musical taste and playing style, which ranges from Rock, R & B, Soul, Motown, Funk and may be Metal when I get around to recording with my son. So indeed, this bass covers a vast array of musical tastes and is testament to its versatility.

Extra Points To Note:
Once unpacked, after a period to allow the bass to "settle" after transit. I discovered that the bass had had a set up. I know set up are different for each player, however, in my case this was near perfect, a quick tune up and off I went.
Why this particular bass? I've been thinking of getting a 5 string, basically to add to the stable of my Jazz and PB basses, adding to the extra musical versatility the 5 string would bring. I was not disappointed.
Why Thomann? I researched Thomann and they have a very impressive history of providing musical instruments since 1954. They are World leaders in eCommerce and provide a vast array of choice of basses to suit just about every taste. Usually, I don't buy instruments on-line, I prefer to play before I buy, however, after reading the customer reviews and browsing the basses on offer, and the price, I decided this was possibly the way to go. I was certainly impressed by the whole experience and would not hesitate to purchase from Thomann again should the need arise. I would highly recommend that anyone wishing to buy a bass on line and think that a low price reflects low quality, will be blown away by the quality of basses on offer by Thomann. My only regret is that I did not go for a Thomann bass earlier!!
A quick aside-I have names for all my basses this one is called Hans, (Thomann will know what I mean.)

Where to start with this? The bass is strong and sturdy with a fantastic weight. The bridge is top notch in my book. The stock strings come bright and perfectly playable. The neck is wonderful. It is quick and feels wonderful to play.

Out of the box the action was low but perfect for me. It doesn't dive and the weight adds to the feel of it wonderfully. The tuners hold up well to boot. More on the neck: no frets where sticking out, nothing required grinding or sanding, the nut feels really good, and the fret height is nothing short of marvelous. It is versatile and very fast for a neck. The finish on it was lovely and it always brings a smile to my face whenever I play it.

The stock strings, as mentioned before hold up really well. Especially the B string, which this bass holds really well. It is comfortable and the sound is remarkably balanced. The sound while seemingly lacking a little bit in volume from what I'm used to is really consistent and bassy. When slapping and popping it sings, not to mention the beauty of harmonics on new strings. But after frequent playing this bass has provided nothing but supportive tone rich lines.

Due to its slightly quieter volume it can struggle to cut through mixes but its truly a joy to play. It gets bonus points for the fact that it resembles a Stingray. Its a perfect Stingray substitute. The single double coil pickup is super solid and great to play with. It feels like the perfect blend of versatility and reliability. This bass is great for different styles, I've used it for Jazz, Funk, Rock, and Blues and it can play all of them really really well.

It is well built and well tested by quality control. I could not think of a better introduction to the five string community. It looks beautiful as well, I was not sure about the sunburst finish but now I could not be happier. The orange sunburst fading to black, accompanied by a black Stingray-esque pickguard which lies so aesthetically below the strings, makes for a gorgeous visual appeal. On that note the finish of this coloration is superb! And the headstock holds up to that as well.

Now what are my complaints? My grievances? Firstly I do not understand the need for two volume knobs (one for each of the coils in the pickup). They drastically reduce the volume of the bass and its difficult for the bass to shine. Maybe I need more experience with it? Also it could just be me but this bass hums a little bit more than I was expecting, I will set it down and hear a hum or buzz, I thought it was my amp until I plugged it into my friends and the hum was still there. But that in my books does not knock away any points or value for me.

Lastly, I would like to address the cost. It blew my mind at the cost, a budget bass that not only seems good but sounds fantastic? I never thought that it would exist. Its perfectly priced for all that one gets, and what one gets is a bass that is dependable, versatile, sturdy, and both fun to play and listen to. I could not recommend this bass enough. I have been playing for two years and this bass for 4 months and I could not sing its praises higher. It plays like an instrument not in this price range and sounds like an instrument 3 times its price. The reviews have not been wrong about this, and this bass and Harley Benton as a company have been praised again and again.

I needed a 5 string bass. I looked around in the second hand market, but found nothing. So I look at Thomann, and as usually, they have the solution.
OK, given the price, I cannot complain (that's why I gave 3 stars), but take for a second the price off the balance, and nothing's left.

PROs:
- incredibly inexpensive (especially since it is a 5 strings)
- the H PuP could be split into 2 single coils, each one with its own character, although they sit very close one to the other)
- very light (but see below)
- the neck seems quite good (but the action was set... sorry, it wasn't set at all); and it dives! (see below)

SO&SOs:
- the tuning machines are not that bad. Are not that good either
- the frets are decently bevelled. they do not harm your fingers, but you can feel them. Anyway, better than in a Squier Bass that I owned
- the neck is bolt on with 6 screws and the force points are metal washers: this should compensate for he softness of the body wood (see below) and keep the neck at its place for a while

CONs:
- the wood used for the body is not made to build a bass. I believe that it is held together by the super thick paint, rather than the wood itself
- the sound is... not there. I don't know why some users mentioned that is similar to a StingRay... maybe closer to a Squier Jazz Bass, with rich overtones and a some nice growl, but they totally lack definition. A StingRay is another thing (but that's also the electronics)
- Strings. No comment.
- the electronics is pretty bad. the pots work almost noiseless (2 out of 3, at least, so I wonder for how long those 2 will stay noiseless...), but they do not work linearly (well, logarithmically, to say things correctly, but you know what I mean), especially the tone. I wonder if the capacitor is there, if it's the right one and if it is soldered...
- The bridge is so cheap that I wonder how long it will stand the tension of not 4 but 5 strings, before it starts bending.
- Action was... not set at all! all saddles were at max height, the neck was too straight. It took a while, but now is better. Still higher than my like, but half of what it was out of the box
- Neck (deep) dive

OK, that's it. Do I recommend it? if you need a 5 string to play 1-2 songs in studio or you have a modeling amp or anything digital, definitely YES
if you're looking for your first bass, wish it be a 5 strings and are on a budget, well look elsewhere, maybe second hand. You'll pay more, but you'll end up with a real instrument.