Ben_55 Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Hi im completely new here but just wanting some advice. I really want a jazz bass but being a beginner i can't afford fender i would however like a lacquered neck which the squire Vintage modified ones dont have. Thomann offers this which seems quite a reasonable price. Is it a reasonable beginners bass? Ive built guitars before so i was considering perhaps replacing the pickups and doing marcus miller esc routing and mods! Basically i want to know is it a pile of sh** or a worthy bass for modding? [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_hbb1975_na.htm"]http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_hbb1975_na.htm[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cameltoe Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 Oh, it'll be crap, for that price. Question is, is it playable? Some budget basses can be a nightmare to play, and others can play reasonably well. If you're ordering online it's impossible to tell without trying it out. Given that it's cheap, the QC will vary hugely, so you could get lumbered with one that's actually not too bad, or one that's a total plank. Nice looking for the money though! Black blocks got to be worth the ££ on their own. As far as mods go, it's usually best to stick to Fender/squier budget guitars, as you then can interchange parts easily. For instance, say you were given a Jazz Neck from a vintage Fender, it probably wouldn't fit this guitar properly as it would a budget Squier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomb Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 when i as asking about what bass to get 1st i remember someone telling me to run away from Harley Benton as fast as i could. you could go with a RBX270, for what i read on TRBboy's "best £200 bass ever" topic its ok on its own and later you can mod it alot. i myself went for a SR300 after a fail buy of a Ricken-something Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottomE Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 [quote name='Ben_55' post='1164412' date='Mar 16 2011, 02:06 PM']Hi im completely new here but just wanting some advice. I really want a jazz bass but being a beginner i can't afford fender i would however like a lacquered neck which the squire Vintage modified ones dont have. Thomann offers this which seems quite a reasonable price. Is it a reasonable beginners bass? Ive built guitars before so i was considering perhaps replacing the pickups and doing marcus miller esc routing and mods! Basically i want to know is it a pile of sh** or a worthy bass for modding? [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_hbb1975_na.htm"]http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_hbb1975_na.htm[/url] [/quote] Looks nice but probably is a pile of crap. I would go for a secondhand Ibanez or if you can a Yamaha in that kind of price range. I certainly wouldn't waste money modding a bass like that - it would be like putting a sports engine into a Robin Reliant. That said a lot of Fenders suffer from average build quality. Still sound great but not as well built as some other manufacturers. There is a lovely old Yamaha BB1100s being sold in the Basses for Sale section. If you can get a few more spondies together it would be a fantastic acquisition. Might not be a Jazz bass but will do a lot of tones being active and passive and built like a tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 There's plenty of decent "budget" basses our there without having to buy crap. Ibanez, Yamaha, Squire & Cort are just a few names that come to mind. Have a look in the "Basses For Sale" section on here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cameltoe Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=110074"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=110074[/url] Just what you need. Bargain and great to play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRBboy Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 I know I'm getting boring now but........ Yamaha RBX270. Get a good condition used one for £70-£80. Awesome. Lots of potential for mods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lfalex v1.1 Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 More of the same; Squier, Ibanez, Yamaha, Cort. But maybe second-hand. Check out the superb "Pingray II" - once a BB414- in the p0rn section... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redstriper Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 Why is this bass so 'crap' ? Have any of you experts actually played one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lfalex v1.1 Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 [quote name='redstriper' post='1165825' date='Mar 17 2011, 02:49 PM']Why is this bass so 'crap' ? Have any of you experts actually played one?[/quote] Not so much that, but if you buy [i]anything[/i] (instrument-wise) online, it's always a bit of a lottery. You can't try before you buy. If you know what you're looking for/ at, then you could buy an unknown marque for next-to-nothing and bag a real good 'un. I, like many others, mentioned Yamaha/Ibanez/Cort/Squire as their QC is generally very good indeed. I've nothing against SX / Benton and so on, but I'd hesitate to buy one without trying one/some first.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottomE Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 [quote name='redstriper' post='1165825' date='Mar 17 2011, 02:49 PM']Why is this bass so 'crap' ? Have any of you experts actually played one?[/quote] There is a local retailer that stocks some of this brand. Not that particular model but some slightly more expensive ones and they are crap. The cheaper one that the OP has mentioned might be brilliant - but i doubt it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 [quote name='redstriper' post='1165825' date='Mar 17 2011, 02:49 PM']Why is this bass so 'crap' ? Have any of you experts actually played one?[/quote] Good point And remember Thomann has a 30-day return policy. You don't like it? Send it back. No fuss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 [quote name='Johnston' post='1166206' date='Mar 17 2011, 08:07 PM']Is it just me or is the HD very similar to the VM right down to the miss aligned pups. [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/media_bdbmaxviewer_AR_196499.html?image=63736&small=1"]http://www.thomann.de/gb/media_bdbmaxviewe...736&small=1[/url] [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/media_bdbmaxviewer_AR_224321.html?image=1789822&small=1"]http://www.thomann.de/gb/media_bdbmaxviewe...822&small=1[/url][/quote] misaligned pickups?? I don't see that in either. All I could see is a small shift to the right, but that's accounted for from the angle at which the photographs were taken (slightly to the left). Or am I missing something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 (edited) Harley-Benton: £122 + £10 shipping. Depreciation? 25-50% S/H Squier VMJ from Basschat Marketplace? £180-200 + Plastikote Krystal gloss for neck @ £7. Depreciation - zero? Edited March 17, 2011 by skankdelvar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redstriper Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 Harley-Benton: £113.49 delivered on 30 day trial. S/H Squier VMJ from Basschat Marketplace? £180-200 + Plastikote Krystal gloss for neck + brush + wet&dry + time + effort etc. + delivery with no return option. You takes your choice and maybe the used Squier is worth double the new HB, like a used Fender is worth double a new Squier to some people. [quote]There is a local retailer that stocks some of this brand. Not that particular model but some slightly more expensive ones and they are crap. The cheaper one that the OP has mentioned might be brilliant - but i doubt it.[/quote] In what way are they crap ? Some more FFT [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=508&hl=Harley+Benton"]here[/url]. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 Do you still have to pay the return postage with Thomann if the instrument's not up to scratch? I was reading that thread Redstriper posted the link for & one chap say's return postage is @ £40-50. They do get a few thumbs up on there for being budget instruments, but also noted that some have misaligned necks. I wonder if Thomann can charge you postage for an instrument that isn't playable if you had to return it for that reason? Maybe the Squire option from above doesn't have a return option (depends on who you buy from), but you could punt it on at no loss whereas the HB is gonna cost either way (return or selling on). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottomE Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 [quote name='redstriper' post='1166533' date='Mar 18 2011, 12:46 AM']In what way are they crap ? Some more FFT [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=508&hl=Harley+Benton"]here[/url].[/quote] They are crap in the way that they sound sh*te and feel even worse. Or at least the ones i played. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ancient Mariner Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 (edited) I'm sure you could return an 'unplayable' instrument to Thomann as a warranty return at no cost - it's covered by guarantee. That may not be the case if you just don't like how the bass feels or sounds, but it plays quite acceptably from a technical POV. The thing with cheap instruments is that they are *more* of a lottery than more expensive ones (which are STILL a lottery). You can't economically fix manufacturing mistakes, like twisted necks or badly cut neck pockets on a cheapie, but you can do a lot about set up to make it play better. Whether it's worth going the upgrade path so that you pay by installments or just buying a decent bass outright is very much down to the whim of the purchaser. Either way, you'll probably end up spending close to the price of a squier if you do start swapping out PUs etc, but you may end up with an instrument that's more 'yours'. Edited March 18, 2011 by Ancient Mariner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRBboy Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 [quote name='skankdelvar' post='1166442' date='Mar 17 2011, 11:04 PM']S/H Squier VMJ from Basschat Marketplace? £180-200 + Plastikote Krystal gloss for neck @ £7. Depreciation - zero?[/quote] If the Squier VMJ goes for that price used, with zero further depreciation then there's something seriously wrong with the world! I know everyone loves the look of them, but are they a quality, value-for-money instrument? I've played quite a few of them, and all of them have not felt good for the money; awkward and uncomfortable and not as well finished as some other basses for the same price. I guess it depends what's more important to you; looks or feel and quality. With regard to returns and warranty claims, most companies have it written into their terms and conditions that you have to pay the shipping costs to return the item, no matter what reason. It's pretty standard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cameltoe Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 [quote name='redstriper' post='1165825' date='Mar 17 2011, 02:49 PM']Why is this bass so 'crap' ? Have any of you experts actually played one?[/quote] Sorry Mr. Benton. The stuff I've tried of yours has been a bit crap, yes. I think people are right to voice their opinions, especially considering that's exactly what the OP wanted us to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redstriper Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 [quote name='BottomE' post='1167128' date='Mar 18 2011, 01:57 PM']They are crap in the way that they sound sh*te and feel even worse. Or at least the ones i played.[/quote] So you found nothing objectively wrong with the build quality or performance of the few you tried? The sound and feel of any instrument may not suit you, but we are all different and I may not like the feel or sound of your bass - does that make it crap? Every single bass is unique and buying anything blind is always a gamble, but I do not consider the price of this bass to be a huge risk, especially when there is the option to return it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redstriper Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 [quote name='cameltoe' post='1167292' date='Mar 18 2011, 03:33 PM']Sorry Mr. Benton. The stuff I've tried of yours has been a bit crap, yes. I think people are right to voice their opinions, especially considering that's exactly what the OP wanted us to do.[/quote] Have you any experience of this model and if not, which HB 'stuff' are you basing your opinion on? The OP asked for opinions on a particular bass and there are some positive reviews of it in the link I posted. There are other good reviews online and I'm sure there are many happy HB owners beyond the realms of this forum. A friend of mine recently bought a Fender Pino precision and had to return it because the bridge was faulty, but I wouldn't say all Fenders are crap based on that experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRBboy Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 [quote name='redstriper' post='1167320' date='Mar 18 2011, 03:55 PM']Every single bass is unique and buying anything blind is always a gamble, but I do not consider the price of this bass to be a huge risk, especially when there is the option to return it.[/quote] I think I would think twice about it, just because of the hassle of sending it back, and because the cost to ship it back might cost about 50% of the value of the instrument. I think that it's very important with 'unknown' brands that you're able to try the one you're going to buy. In my experience you're much more likely to get variation in quality between models from these sort of budget brands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveO Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 HB stuff is good. I own a HB semi acoustic bass, a HB semi acoustic guitar and a HB classical guitar. The guitars are in the same quality bracket as my yamaha classical and fender semi (I bought both HB guitars as cheap disposables so I wouldn't care if they got trashed during drunken jamming sessions on the beach) the acoustic bass is also as good as any acoustic bass I've tried (i.e. too quiet to play unplugged) and again the quality is v. good. in all 3 cases I have guitars that are comparable to middle of the road alternatives at a tiny fraction of the price. Thomann are the mutts nuts to deal with. I have returned an amp (arrived broken on delivery) and trombone (I found a cheaper 2nd hand one between ordering and delivery) and both times they didn't ask what the problem was. They organised the courier (at their expense) and refunded everything I had paid back to my account before the courier arrived to collect. [bitching] there are 2 ways that these threads about cheapies go... either following the perception that they can't be good because they're cheap, or that they've been tried and turned out to be good VFM. here it's cheap = crap. redstripers link points to an alternative by people here that seem to actually own or have tried one, which points to good VFM. The fairly recent Sue Ryder bass thread is in the vfm vein. I'd be surprised if there wasn't also a "Sue Ryder basses are cheap therefore crap" thread in these pages. A 5 min trawl through TB will probably find threads on both sides, along with similar couplets for ibbys, yams, epis etc of course there are those that try and don't like, and the points of view of these people I respect, but like Mr redstriper I find the views of people making assumptions based purely on price to be totally worthless. [/bitching] I have not tried the bass in the OP, but I can honestly say that If I was in the OPs position I would order one to try, because there is nothing to loose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clauster Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 [quote name='BottomE' post='1167128' date='Mar 18 2011, 01:57 PM']they sound sh*te and feel even worse.[/quote] So you're getting the authentic Jazz Bass experience for a fraction of the cost? Bargian! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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